Fourth Quarter Hopefuls!!

It's amazing what a little encouragement will do to inspire.

Just putting it it out there really kicks that "get it done" mojo into action!

Thanks to Katy there were almost 400 finishes last quarter!!!!!:)

Come join us for the last quarter of 2014

So now....I'm putting it out there....my hopeful list for the last quarter!!

 When not going to his classes at Johns Hopkins our nephew works at a bike shop.  They get a lot of gear in cool canvas bags.  Aunt d...can you make me an apron? I sure will try!:)

 Worker at the gym I "try"to frequent lost her mom last month and immediately cleaned out all her clothes.  Oh...I would have made you a quilt.  She found a couple sweatshirts and tees.  

Gonna definitely get this one done!

 Mom....my zipper is broken....ugh!

Sweet embroidery from class attended this summer at the Fat Quarterly Retreat.

I'm thinking pillow!

 Bitty Blocks from Party and Hearts themes.  First thing that came to mind was bunting.  Check out that mini bunting!!:)

All of the above are very doable....this one is going to be the biggest challenge but I'm seeing the end of the tunnel.  Forty-eight 12" blocks that needed to be appliqued....only nine more to do before assembling the top.  

I'm excited!!!!

~d

FQ Retreat 2014....did it really happen?

Three weeks have gone by...we are back from our UK visit...internet is sort of fixed and I have photos so it must have happened!

(Large stack of Siblings Together quilts donated by all the lovely attendees!)

My second lucky chance to attend the FQ retreat was even better than I imagined it would be in my head during the long plane ride by myself!! 

Only doing Saturday classes I was very lucky to be in Thomas Knauer's Modern Knots session.  After we figured out how to draw our grids knotting was a cinch!  Thomas is my kinda guy...he talks with his hands!!

(My unfinished Knots piece and embroidery attempts)

Next class I neglected to take photos as Jo Avery was blowing my mind with the simplicity of embroidering what looks like very hard stitches!!  That's Jo's finished sample...I wanted to sneak it into my bag!! I learned so many useful stitches AND got to hang with my pal Jo. Bonus! Thanks sweetie!!

(photo borrowed from Lynne of Lily's Quilts and  FQ fame!:)

During the break everyone walked around oohing and aahing at all the cool makes.  I was very jealous of Trash's double pears!!:) Thanks for everything Trash...you know what I mean!!;) xo

 Then there was Sample Swapping!  We made 3-5 like items and Trash put us in small groups for swapping.

This was my lovely group and what I received from each person.  I swapped mini Kaffe pouches with a few goodies inside.  Thanks so much Claire, Pippa and Joanne.  So lucky to be in your group!!:)

After lunch was my longest class...all afternoon...which was great because I spent it learning hand piecing and needle turn applique with the amazing Jen Kingwell. My pal Amy Smart (peeking over Sue's shoulder) was in the class too.  Double Bonus! We learned a ton!

We laughed a ton.

 We played a ton!

 Cameras were happy.

Could not believe I was able to see and touch the actual Green Tea and Sweet Beans and

the famous Gypsy Wife quilts in person.  Those I totally couldn't sneak into my bag!

(Jo, Jenny, Sarah and photobombing Trash!)

Sunday morning I was going to visit the Victoria and Albert museum but Jo said come sew with her on the terrace.  OK!!:) It was so nice to be able to spend several hours stitching and enjoying the company.

 Closing comments by the FQ Three were made outside because of a fire alarm at the Baden Powell Conference Center.  Made for much better photos!:)  

Thanks so much the the FQ gang and their helpers Sandy and the Jacks! 

(My buddy Marguerite gave me the fabrics I used for Jen Kingwell's class...thanks pal!!xo)

There it is...a fun filled weekend in London. 

Traveled on an airplane across the ocean alone. Check!

Got on and off the Tube at the right stop alone. Check!

Found the Baden Powell and got the last bed because they didn't have my reservation? Check!

Had the best time learning and chatting with old friends and new ones.....Double Check!!

~d

ps...Trudi...thanks for the last minute FMQ lesson and rubbery pads...I'm working on it!!!!:)

A Few Finishes With a POW!:)

Been working on a few sample items for the Shop. I wanted to show how many pincushions you could get from three pieces of the hand dyed wool we offer so I found a pattern (Buttons and Lace by the Sunflower Fields Pattern Co.) picked pink, gold and brown wool and got to work.

 A little wool felt, some perle cotton and a few buttons later I had six pincushions.  The flowerpot and five petal flower in the back were my own creations.  Love that heart tree!:) If I had cut a little more carefully I think I could have made a seventh one!

We needed a new mini to hang from the magnetic hanger at work so I played with some Collage by Carrie Bloomston for Windham Fabrics. Great colors and text prints!

Here is the POW! I was talking about...Quilt Girl, Super Hero and a Grunge background! Pattern from the book my pal Amy at Diary of a Quilter sent me...Sweet Celebrations.

Pow! Press! Wham! Rip! Bonk! Bind! Boom! Stitch! Zoom!

 Perfect combo don't you think?:)

I'll have some other finishes to share soon, until then here is a peek of the clock I'm making with the bitties I received this past May from the Bitty Block Bee.  There's a Clock Along going on at the Mini QT Swap inspired by these blocks...go check it out!:)
~d

The Blog Post from H@@L

I have been at this for FOUR hours! Photos, commentary, links...on dial up! All of it disappeared, Phoof! Just won't work...so here is the abbreviated version of ...

Birthdays+Easter+Sewing+Yardwork=Busy!

Gooey birthday cookie for hubby.

Visit at the parents place...
Gooey birthday coconut cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies for the boy.

The boy and his girl counting their egg hunt loot! Thanks grandparents!!

Quickie tripod made by dad. Post-it note shade + pine bark mulch prop=family photo. I need a copy...

...but I got this!:)

The girl spent her birthday at Faerie Glen on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. So jealous!

Sewing completed...

Bitty Block Bee 3.5" blocks for Marilyn...her theme was Bees!

Hoop Up! swap piece for Leila...her town...little did I know she can see this from her window!

Embroidery just for fun photographed at work in a drawer full of cottons...I want that drawer!!!

More scrap busting and a new phone. Had the old one for 8 years, hope it doesn't take that long to learn how to use this one!

Secret project finished!;)

Some lovelies received....top piece by Jo, bottom by Sooz....I heart you both ladies!:)

Next project staring at me....

...and this one. Wonder which one will be first?

~d

ps...sorry no links....I need a nap!

Getting Things Done?

Sort of! I'm working on it...here is a top for a wall hanging made out of trimmings from work...it is called Montage. One of the designs looks like shelves full of books and another has numbers and letters....cool stuff.

Sewed up a lot of batting scraps...never throw that stuff out...

...makes great pieces for mug rugs...also made from scraps! That orange and brown went home with my SIL....I'm still working on the binding for the rest of them.

Here are a few fully finished things. These were for Hoop Up! This owl went home to Courtney....

...and the Tinman went to Kimmie for Switchin' Stitches....I am officially done with all my swaps....until I sign up for for more!

Remember I said I would tell you what was in the silver tin...the present I gave Don for our 25th? He gets to drive a real stockcar for 8 laps around Atlanta Motor Speedway!! WhooooHOOOOOoooooooo!!!

~d

My Stitching Hand is on Fire!;)

I've been having so much fun...for the Hoop Up swap I stitched this wonky house for Scott of Blue Nickel Studios.

The fabric he sent was a mint green...made it a little more challenging but loads of fun...added some wee beads for pompoms on the curtains...hope he likes it!

For the Bitty Block Committee mini I totally forgot that I needed to wait for one more block and no sooner did I stitch up my mini (go here to see it before) then that bitty orange fishy on the left showed up all the way from Sandy in Buenos Aires! Oops!! So I torn out the seams on the left side and popped him in...no way I wasn't adding it! There was this big empty space on the upper left.....I asked for some ideas from the BBC gang......

...and this was the winner! Not the greatest picture....it says 2010 on the tail of the plane and Paradise Remix on the banner since I had to redo my mini!

For the Advent calendar swap we had to make our own day twenty-five 3.5" square...please tell me you know what this is....Don thought it was ghost!:o

Lastly, for Round 8 at the ORBC, Pat had a little extra project for us to do using the 1/2" wide scraps we trimmed off of our 5" squares....can you believe she expected us to sew 1/2" scraps? Well...I can't run away from a challenge like that so here is my little mug rug...quilted every 1/2" so it doen't fall apart!!

~d

PS...I stitched another little project but it's a secret for the moment...stay tuned!