Stitchin by the Sea

Scrappy Pin Cushion Swap & DQS #8

2010-07-07T21:59:00.006-04:00

My friend Caryn convinced me to sign up for the Scrappy Pincushion Swap that she and another Flickr member started a few weeks ago. I received my pincushion the other day. So do you it suits my personality? Some of my favorite things are in it . . . embroidery, nautical theme and reproduction fabrics. It is absolutely wonderful!

This is the first swap that I joined since the DQS#8 earlier this year. Unfortunately I had to drop out due to issues with work -- basically my manager left and the company was taken over all within weeks of each other. My manager leaving had nothing to do with the takeover but needless to say the past six months have been very busy and stressful. Fortunately I recently found out that I will have a position in the new job -- very good news! Although I am still very busy at work, these are easing a bit for now and I have started quilting again.

All that aside, I wanted to post the doll quilt that I receive even though I had to drop out. My partner and swap mama agreed that I should still receive the quilt as it was made for me and since I was going through such a rough period. I am truly thankful to them both. I hope that someday I can be an Angel and step in when someone else is unable to fulfill her commitment to a future swap. Those of you who know me will agree that this quilt also fits me . . . I love Americana (my family room is decorated in red/white/blue year round).

I have more pictures to post from swaps that I participated in late last year ... need to busy taking pictures as they are all wonderful.

Happy Stitchin!

Someday I will learn . . .

2010-06-23T14:31:00.002-04:00

Okay so I haven't posted quite as often as I thought I would when I declared that I was back in Blog Land but work was busy for a little longer than anticipated. Things have calmed down a bit but the calm is short lived as it will be month end again within a week! Gotta love the world of accounting and finance!

So a few weeks ago I am having a conversation with my cousin and she is telling me about a dear friend who has the cutest baby boy and oh would I consider making a quilt for this precious bundle ... the decor is a kind of tree of life . . . nature . . . theme . . . okay I say before I could stop myself, let me do some thinking and see what I come up with for colors, etc.

A few days ago I send her a link to a quilt made from the new Jungle Batiks . . very earthy tones . . . if you want to see it for yourself, visit www.fatquartershop.com. She writes back . . hmm ... not quite what she was thinking .. see they have this tree painted in the baby's room and oh here are some links . . . so again before I can stop myself, I say well maybe we could do a family tree type thing and put in pictures of Mom / Dad / Grandparents, etc. Next thing I know I am now searching for quilt patterns with a family tree / tree of life that I can incorporate pictures of family members within the tree!

What Was I Thinking??? Obviously I wasn't thinking so if any of my fellow quilters know of a pattern that might work or that might be adapted could you send me a note?

Someday I will learn and I am praying that "someday" comes soon!

Happy Stitchin!

I am baaaack . . . (well I am going to try and be back)

2010-06-06T18:11:00.003-04:00

I know it has been forever since my last post -- actually Christmas! Yikes!! Anyway I can't begin to describe what has transpired over the past 5 months except that is all has to do with my job. I have been traveling for one or two weeks every month since January (with the exception of April when I was actually home the entire month -- my family didn't know what to do with me!).

Anyway things are still up in the air at work (my company was taken over in January) but I should know where I stand by the end of June. In the meantime, I have actually started sewing again. I hadn't done much sewing since Christmas either.

I spent yesterday with the Firehouse Ladies and if one ever needs any inspiration to begin quilting again, I strongly suggest you spend a day with your sewing friends. For one, I realized just how much I missed hanging with them and sharing ideas, stories and food. I came home and spent the rest of the day working on my applique stars -- thanks for the inspiration, Megan. I have only two stars left on the second border -- yippee!

So, I will try to post more often in the future. I have swap pictures to share with everyone from swaps that I participated in late last year before everything went crazy at work. I will try to post some of them soon.

Happy Stitchin!

Have A Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T09:33:00.003-05:00

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

I hope you are able to spend time with your families during this wonderful season! I didn't get to all of the items on my "to do" list but that's okay. Somehow I think Christmas will still be wonderful.

I am blessed this year as my brother and his family are in for the holidays. They live in Florida and arrived on Tuesday night. I am still trying to figure out why we didn't go visit them instead of staying here in the frigid Northeast.

As we are celebrating with our families, we should take a moment and thank the women and men who are serving our country and unable to be with their families. Without them we would not have the freedoms we so often take for granted here in the USA! God Bless Them!

Merry Christmas to all!

Mischievious Cat or Christmas Terror?

2009-12-20T07:57:00.004-05:00

Hi, I know it has been months since my last post and I have tons to post just haven't found the time. Hopefully in the New Year I will find more time to post.

Christmas is almost upon us. The tree is decorated and the cat is terrorizing the Christmas tree this year. He is swatting the ornaments which have become a new toy for him since they move and cats just love things that move :) He loves to run under the tree and land on the tree skirt which then slides along the carpet as it is backed with a nylon lining. It is store bought as yet another year has passed with no handmade tree skirt. Well there is always next year!

If he holds still long enough for me to take a picture, I will post.

I will be back soon with pictures of my presents from my SCSS which arrived a couple weeks ago. they are waiting to be put under the tree (if the cat ever stops terrorizing it) and will be opened on Christmas Day.

Happy Stitchin!

Purse Mania - I just can't help it . . . .

2009-09-29T13:16:00.002-04:00

Okay so if there was a group for purse addicts I would be a charter member. I would probably be the likely person to start such a group. I don't know why but I just love 'em. I have so many purse patterns and I keep finding more.

These two are my latest projects and will be taught at my LQS in October. The pattern is by Artful Offerings. Of course, summer is over here in the Northeast so they will be tucked away for next year. Hmmm I can feel the need for a purse in fall fabrics . . .

Happy Stitchin!

Firehouse Sew Day

2009-09-26T21:33:00.002-04:00

Today was sew day at the firehouse with my fellow quilters. I hadn't been in several months so it was good to see everyone. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share of progress made today as it was more of a social gathering than sewing gathering but that is a good thing too! Sometimes you just need to hang with the gals! My friend, Talin, recently started her own blog -- surf on over when you get a minute and check it out. She also has an Etsy store -- her handmade items are fabulous.

A few more completions

2009-09-18T23:14:00.004-04:00

My "Good Old Summertime Mini Quilt" is completed and ready to ship to my partner. I had fun making this quilt and just might have to make another one for me! I am happy to say that all of the fabrics used came from my stash.

I also finished the little Friendship Bag for the Friendship Swap. The deadline to ship is still two weeks or so away but I think I will send it along to my partner so she can enjoy it sooner.

Now to get busy with my Bumps in the Night Swap and Stitcher's Angel Swap. Hmmm I think I may have went a bit overboard with the swaps recently. But they are so much fun and it is a great way to meet new friends from around the world.

Happy Stitchin!

Doll Swap Quilt Has Arrived

2009-09-15T22:05:00.004-04:00

My doll quilt from Sandra arrived today! I absolutely love it! The fabrics are civil war reproductions in pink and brown -- one of my favorite color combinations. It was dark by the time I got home so I had to settle for indoor pictures. If the weather cooperates this weekend, I will try to take better pictures outdoors.

There is even a pieced block on the back with the label. This one is going to hang in my sewing room!

Happy Stitchin!

One down . . . a few more to go!

2009-09-02T07:13:00.003-04:00

The circles quilt is finished! Just need to add a label and off it will go in the mail to my swap partner. I am actually quite shocked that I am done with the quilt two weeks ahead of the deadline! I need to find a better place to take a picture of it before it gets mailed off but wanted to at least share my progress.

Now I can concentrate on finishing the quilt for the Summertime Mini Quilt Swap which ends on September 21st. Will share pictures of my progress soon.

Happy Stitchin!

Circles Finished . . . Almost

2009-08-21T23:48:00.003-04:00

I finally found time this week to finish my circles and get them into a quilt for the Doll Quilt Swap. To say work has been nuts, is an understatement and I will just leave it at that.

I have to decide whether to add a border . . I think I will using the brown background. I then have to determine a quilting design . . . maybe just meander in the background . . .

Happy Stitchin!

Going In Circles

2009-08-10T07:05:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago I joined the Doll Quilt Swap #7 and have been trying to figure out what I am going to make -- I have a couple ideas for fabrics.

This weekend I started making circles using Karen Kay Buckley's Perfect Circles. They are quite easy to make. This is good practice for when I start my Lollipop Quilt -- there are hundreds of circles in that quilt!

Summer has finally arrived in the Northeast. Temps are expected to hit the 90's today and tomorrow.

Happy Stitchin!

Baby Quilt Update, Swaps & Sightseeing

2009-07-27T19:49:00.001-04:00

The baby quilt is finally quilted -- I decided to meander in the white spaces so that the "chain" would pop. Below are some pics of the quilting. I still need to practice meandering particularly on large quilts. I have a difficult moving the quilt and dealing with the bulk. Hence why I usually send my quilts to my long arm quilter. The binding is sewn on and should be turned over the next night or two. It is hard to tell in the photo but I took one strip of each color and pieced it together for the binding.

I joined another Doll Quilt Swap -- these ladies are awesome and are on Swap #7. Lucky for me I was able to join. This will be a bit of a challenge for me to make a quilt for my swap partner as her tastes are different than mine but I am looking forward to 'thinking outside of my box' and trying new fabrics and styles. I have two fabric lines in mind already and have been kicking around a couple of quilt patterns.

I have started a Flickr group with various photos of quilts and other things in my life. Basically my cat and lighthouses, are you surprised?

DH was on vacation last week. I was supposed to take a few days with him but the weather didn't cooperate and since he has much more vacation time than I do, I tend to be very frugal with my days. Since we hadn't made plans to go away, we decided to play tourists in NYC. Having grown up in the area you would think that there isn't anything either of us wouldn't have already done. Not true . . . neither of us have been to the Statue of Liberty. I have been around her by boat, flown over her in a plane and have even been on the island -- just never climbed to the top. Nor have we ever taken a Circle Line Cruise around Manhattan. Last Sunday we decided on a whim to take a ride into the City and book a cruise. It was a wonderful day and the weather fully cooperated. Luckily we went last Sunday as the weather yesterday was horrible here in the Northeast.

What is a cruise without a lighthouse? This little light is called Jeffrey's Hook and is located at the base of the George Washington Bridge.

A few days later we were back in the City. I really wanted to go down the shore but the weather had other ideas so we got back on the train to Penn Station, caught an uptown subway and went to the American Museum of Natural History. It is so easy to get to as the subway stop is right at the museum! This is one of my favorite museums and I have been to the Hayden planetarium many times and never get tired of either one. My brother and his family are planning to visit at Christmas. I think I will suggest we take my nephews to see the dinosaurs, insects and rocks.

I have also made more progress on my Halloween Redwork blocks (great way to spend the time on the train into NYC). The second to last one is half done! Guess I should be searching the stash and quilt shops for some Halloween themed fabrics so I can put the blocks together. It just might be finished for Halloween 2009.

Happy Stitchin!

Baby Quilt Pictures

2009-07-21T06:17:00.007-04:00

A few months ago, my aunt asked me to make a baby quilt for her best friend's expectant daughter. After sorting through all of my books and searching the Internet for patterns, we decided on a free pattern from Quiltpox.

Over the weekend I finished piecing the top. Now if I could only decide how to quilt it . . . .

Happy Stitchin!

I Couldn't Resist Joining . . .

2009-07-20T22:51:00.000-04:00

When I saw this post on Megan's blog, I knew I had to sign up for the challenge to finish my UFOs. I have numerous UFOs and I am hoping this will motivate me to finish at least one each month.

Kelly has tagged each of the participants to answer the following questions so we can get to know one another.

5 Things

1. My Favorite Fabric is:

Any fabric that has lighthouses or a beach theme

2. The pattern I'm most looking forward to sewing is:

The Claire Bag by Lazy Girl Designs

3. The food that is my weakness:

Lay's Potato Chips -- I can't have them in the house because the little voices inside my head taunt me until I open the bag. I can't eat just one!

4. If I knew I couldn't fail, I'd:

I would be a travel agent so I could travel around the world.

5. The Best "Life" Advice I know is:

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference

Not easy to live by but is has always resonated with me.

Happy Stitchin!

What I'm Reading

2009-07-16T20:50:00.003-04:00

The rain has finally left the Northeast and we were blessed with wonderful weather the first few weeks of July. Today, it feels like a hot summer day as the heat and humidity have arrived. I am not complaining though -- I love the heat! When I retire I know it needs to be near the beach and where it never snows!

I've been reading, stitching and quilting over the past couple weeks. I recently finished Happiness Key by Emilie Richards which is a great story about 4 woman living on Happiness Key in Florida. I also finished The Shack. This book is unlike any other that I have ever read. All I will say is "you should read it". The next book on my list is The House at Riverton. In the summer I love to sit on the deck and read for hours.

I have been busy working on my Halloween Redwork. Below is a picture of Block 7 which is almost complete. Only two more to go!

Happy Stitchin'

'Twas the Night Before Christmas Giveaway

2009-06-26T18:42:00.006-04:00

Christmas is my favorite holiday! Helen over at Hugs' n Kisses is giving away a copy of her newest pattern, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. What a great way to combine 3 of my favorite things -- quilting, stitchin' and Christmas. It would be so awesome to win a copy!

Thanks to Caryn for the heads up about the new pattern and giveaway!

And Congratulations Hannah!!!!

Happy Stitchin!

It's been awhile . . .

2009-06-22T21:31:00.007-04:00

It has been about a month since my last post -- maybe I should aim for posting once a month :) The good news is even though I haven't been blogging (even reading blogs has been a challenge lately), I have been doing quilty things.

First I had to finish the two Friendship quilts to be raffled at the last guild meeting of the year. A BIG THANK YOU to Barbie and Janice for the awesome quilting on such short notice! I know I took pics -- just can't find the camera disc . . .

My next project was to finish the mini quilt for the mini quilt swap I signed up for last month.

I also made a little pin cushion to go along with the little quilt.

The pictures are not that good as the lighting in my house is not the greatest and I can't remember the last time the sun was out so I could take pictures outside.

My mini quilt from Ros in the UK arrived this past weekend. I cannot begin to describe how awesome this little quilt is -- the lilacs are made using numerous mini yo yos. Lilacs are one of my favorite flowers. They are so fragrant.

DH and I also took a little cruise to Canada. This was our first time cruising. We were fortunate that we had good weather the day we were in port at St. John's and the last day at sea. We spent it poolside with Caryn, her DH and two other couples. It was quite relaxing sailing on the ocean, sitting in the sun (with sunscreen) and having a cabana boy bring whatever drink you happen to desire. Yes I am sure we will cruise again.

My current project is a baby quilt. I am using pastels -- pink, pale orange, yellow, green, blue and lavender on an off-white background. The block is what I call a modified nine-patch. The four corners of the nine-patch block are actually four-patch blocks which help to create the chain. I was able to cut the fabric this weekend and started piecing blocks yesterday. Will post pics as soon as I have a couple of blocks pieced.

Happy Stitchin'

Good Friends

2009-05-22T20:45:00.002-04:00

I know it has been quite awhile since my last post. All of flowers have been planted since my last post. I still have some maintenance to do in some of my beds. I am hopeful that the weather cooperates this weekend so I can finish.

Last week I was in Rockford, IL on business. After landing in Chicago, we began our trek to Rockford. A short distance from the plant we stopped for breakfast at a small restaurant in a strip mall. And then the torment began . . . a couple stores down from the restaurant was a sewing center. Unfortunately I was unable to stop as I was traveling with co-workers. The next night while looking for a restaurant for dinner, we past another quilt shop. This one was closed for the day so the pain was too difficult to bear. Ahh maybe someday I will be back on my own and have the opportunity to drop in a say "hello".

Last night was the first Bruce Springsteen concert for his latest tour in our area. Caryn, Sue and I had made plans to meet at the arena a few hours before the concert so we could have dinner, etc. I left work as planned and when I arrived at my truck I noticed a puddle (actually a stream) of water under it. Hmm this can't be good, I am thinking to myself. So I reach down to touch the water and try to determine what is leaking from the truck. Okay so I have no clue and I proceed to open the hood. Why I have no idea since I really don't know what I am looking for but I open it anyway. Hmm perhaps I should call DH -- no answer, call again, no answer. Okay call #1 DS. DS answers on the second ring. I explain what I see and after some troubleshooting over the phone we determine the water pump is shot. DS thinks I can make it home if I stop and pick up a gallon of water and put it in the radiator. I am not convinced but seeing as at this point I am not going to the concert, I have to figure out how to get the truck home. So I call Caryn to tell her what is going on and she immediately asks "do you want us to pick you up?" Now that might seem like a reasonable question, except that I am a good 35 minutes farther than they need to travel to get to the arena. I said that would be great except how am I getting home. I knew I could leave the truck in the parking lot overnight but I still needed to get home somehow at the end of the night. A few minutes later and we have a solution. Okay they are on their way to pick me up so we can go see Bruce. I make another call to DS to tell him I am not coming home and leaving the truck. I tell him Caryn and Sue are coming to pick me up so I can still make it to the concert. His response "wow Mom, you have good friends". I said "yes I do!"

BTW, Bruce was awesome!!!! We had a great time and are already planning to buy tickets for when he returns.

Tomorrow those good friends of mine and their DHs are going to the Wine and Blues Festival. You can be sure I will raise a toast to "Good Friends!"

Have an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend! Remember those who gave their lives for our freedom!

Happy Stitchin!

Feels Like Summer

2009-04-27T06:44:00.003-04:00

We are enjoying a taste of summer here in the Northeastern part of the US. Friday night after work I went to my local nursery to see what was new and came home with a few plants that I couldn't resist -- pansies, geraniums, marigolds to name a few.

I spent the weekend outside working in my gardens. I have 5 areas around the house and yard to maintain not too mention the containers that I have on the deck and patio. Some of these will go into the existing gardens and some will go into containers on the deck.

I love this time of year when the weather turns warm and you can spend the entire day outside. I have to admit I did not spend all of yesterday working in the yard. I spent a few hours sitting on the deck reading Paula Deen's Memoirs. After we ate lunch at her restaurant, The Lady & Sons, in Savannah, we browsed through the gift shop and I picked up a copy of her book. It is a quick read and I am almost finished with it.

So as you can see, not much was done in the way of quilting this weekend. In fact, I don't remember the last time I actually sat in front of my machine and sewed. I have been doing some handwork but not as much as I should given all of the projects I would like to do! Perhaps I will sit on the deck tonight and do a little handwork before it gets dark.

Happy Stitchin'

Beaches, Bars and Boats (oh and a few lighthouses)

2009-04-16T19:52:00.006-04:00

Yes it has been awhile since my last post but I have a good excuse this time . . . I was away on vacation for 12 days and busy planning and preparing for it prior to leaving. Okay so it sounds like the dog ate my homework excuse but I really was away for 12 days. We were fortunate enough to go to Key West, Florida and spend a few days with my brother and his family. If you have never been to the Florida Keys, you need to go. The drive from Miami to Key West is unbelievable. At some points there is only water on either side of you. The remains of the Flagler railroad tracks are still in place next to the road that transports millions to a tropical paradise. Of course the journey to Key West would not be complete without a stop at the Cape Florida Lighthouse on Key Biscayne.

Key West is known for its bars and nightlife. On the last night we went to Hogsbreath Saloon for a few drinks and a bite to eat. There were people from all generations -- the 20 somethings to Baby Boomers . . . I was amazed at the diversity in age.

One night we took a sunset cruise on a clipper and helped lift the sails -- the sunsets in Key West are breathtaking.

A few more lighthouses -- Key West and Hillsboro Inlet

In all we saw 13 lighthouses in the Florida Keys, Georgia and South Carolina. We were able to climb to the top of 6 lighthouses. Hunting Island, SC is the only historic lighthouse that is open to the public. It is also almost an hour off of Route 95. DH was not a happy camper as it delayed our trip home by several hours.

I had intended to complete lots of handwork during our trip but the best laid plans of mice and men . . . I did make significant progress on my knitted shawl. Had I remembered the last skein of wool, it would have been finished! I also made some progress on my Halloween redwork. I have 3 completed and a fourth almost done. There are nine in total and I am trying to decide whether to stop now and make a wall hanging or continue to stitch all nine blocks to make a quilt. So many projects, so little time . . .

Happy Stitchin'

Has it been that long ? ? ? ?

2009-03-12T20:57:00.003-04:00

Yikes! Where has the time gone? My last post was almost a month ago! I don't even know where to begin so I guess I will start with the latest and greatest . . .

There was a quilt show last weekend. Since the guild had a table to sell raffle tickets for our beautiful blue and white basket quilt, we needed volunteers to white glove. So since the word "no" doesn't ever seem to be in my vocabulary . . . . . guess who volunteered? This was the first time I had white glove and I am happy to say that I would gladly do it again. It a great opportunity to see the beautiful quilts on display and to met and chat with fellow quilters. All of the quilts were wonderful and it is always inspiring to see quilts on display.

Of course the vendors were wonderful as always . . . I added to my growing stash of brights to be used for my Aunt Millie's Garden and the Lollipop quilt. Now to find a hour or two to do some prep work!

I also picked up a small redwork kit to make a needlecase -- this was such a quick project I may need to make a few more for gifts.

I also picked up these lovely Asian fabrics . . . can you see them in a tote bag?

My kitty was out of food so that necessitated a stop at the pet store on the way home from work tonight . . . conveniently there was a Borders in the same mall that kept calling my name telling me to come in and browse. And look what I found ----

Think I will make a cup of tea and curl up on the couch.

Happy Stitchin!

Tote Bag Mania

2009-02-19T20:07:00.004-05:00

My mini Miranda is finally finished. Actually the bag itself has been finished for several weeks. I was debating whether to use fabric handles or fashion handles. While cleaning my sewing room (a work in progress), I came across handles I purchased at MJ Trim in NYC. They are a great source for beads, buttons, buckles, handles, etc.

During my recent shopping excursion with Posse members Caryn and Sue, I picked up the fabric for this purse by Grand Revival Design. The fabric is from their Barefoot Roses line. I had no business even starting this purse given the number of UFOs that I have but I couldn't resist. It is so spring like -- all I need is for the weather to feel spring like so I can use it.

And even though your day is almost over,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUE!

Happy Stitchin!

Spring Must Be Coming . . .

2009-02-19T12:22:00.001-05:00

I am back from my travels --- I don't mind traveling for work but this past month has been really crazy. I think I will be home for a bit before having to travel again.

This morning we had some unusual visitors at the office -- a black bear and a few deer. Now the deer are not all that unusual. We all know to be on the lookout for deer as we are exiting the complex. But a bear???? I work in an office park that has office buildings and warehouses. And while there are some wooded areas around the perimeter, it is not what I would consider home for a bear. In any event it was a nice diversion from our morning routine but it also means we need to be on the lookout for bear when we are arriving and departing.

I did manage to finish one or two of my UFO tote bags last weekend. I need to get some pics taken and posted for everyone to see. I also have to remember to bring them to the firehouse sew day this weekend for show and tell. I usually don't have show and tell as I never seem to finish anything around the time we are getting together. But since I actually finished a couple of totes in recent days . . . . now if I can only remember to bring them with me.

Happy Stitchin!

A Pleasant Surprise!

2009-02-07T19:07:00.003-05:00

Today I met a couple members of the Posse (Caryn and Sue) at the LQS. I was on the fence about spending the day shopping as there would be no one home today. An entire day to myself home alone doesn't happen often. I woke up imagining all the sewing I would get accomplished with no interruptions. But after going to workout I had a change of heart and decided to spend the day with friends shopping for fabric and picking up the quarterly wino selection at a nearby winery. When I met Caryn at the LQS this morning she gave me the fabrics she had picked up last week AND this beautiful journal. I think she knows me too well. I was so surprised and thrilled with this gift. I had wanted to take the online journaling classes with her but I knew with traveling 3 out of 4 weeks this month I would be behind before the classes even started :) Thankfully I have a thoughtful friend who made one for me. I think I am going to use it to record my lighthouse visits.

THANK YOU CARYN!

Happy Stitchin!

99 Things

2009-02-05T11:26:00.002-05:00

I found this today here at Sarah' blog and thought it would be fun to play along!

Here are the rules: Bold the things you’ve done and post on your blog!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar - I don't like it.
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88.Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

I don't know the rhyme or reason behind the items that were chosen but was fun to see how many I could highlight!

Happy Stitchin!

Ring In The New Progress

2009-02-02T22:20:00.004-05:00

As promised here are some pictures of my finished blocks for my latest handwork project -- "Ring in the New".

August -- (I have a hard time sticking with the program)

March

February

I still haven't decided on the borders for my William Morris rail fence. The green is just a bit too bright for my liking --- hmmm I can feel a shopping trip coming on!

Happy Stitchin!

Does it get any better than this?

2009-02-02T13:53:00.003-05:00

So when I last blogged I was in sunny, Dallas, TX. Well the warmth and sunshine was short-lived as I spent last week in Toronto, Canada where the high was 15 degrees!!! Talk about a culture shock. Needless to say I spent most of last week away and sick, not a good combination. I was fortunate enough ??? to travel home on Wednesday in the middle of the snowstorm on a turbo prop plane (not my favorite way to travel). All I could think of was the theme song from Gilligan's Island -- "the weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed, etc." It was a bumpy ride but we did land safe and sound 2 hours later than planned but at least we landed. The bright spot to the trip was I made progress on my Ring in the New blocks and have completed four already. I promise to post pics within the next day or so.

With all of the traveling I did in the past two weeks, I decided to spend the weekend taking care of me -- first a stone massage on Saturday with a dear friend of mine who is celebrating a milestone birthday this year. Yesterday I dug and dug through my stash looking for suitable fabrics to make the new Bunny Hill BOM. The block is prepped and ready to be appliqued over the next few nights. Last night I watched the Super Bowl game and saw Bruce perform for 12 minutes during the half time show. To NBC's credit, they showed the entire 12 minutes rather than cutting away to commercial breaks. I am surely dating myself here but I can clearly remember when the album "Born to Run" came out. In those days albums were released on vinyl. I know my boys have no idea what a vinyl album is and I am sure they would be disappointed in the crackling noise you always heard in the background from the record player. It is surely a sign of the times as I am contemplating whether I download the new album from iTunes or if I actually purchase the CD.

And for me the weekend didn't end last night -- this morning I was lucky enough to get tickets to see Bruce when he tours here in May! So I ask you, does it get any better than this for a Jersey Girl?

Happy Stitchin!

P.S. In my email today there was an update from Margaritaville.com -- Jimmy Buffet is releasing a new album and will be touring in 2009. He and the Coral Reefers will be in our area in June, August and November. Plenty of opportunities to see him again!!

A Little Sunshine for the Soul

2009-01-21T17:36:00.002-05:00

I am traveling this week for work -- luckily I am in Dallas and the weather has been absolutely perfect! Sunny, clear blue skies with temperatures in the '70s. After dealing with the snow and cold in the Northeast this is definitely a welcome break and a little sunshine for my soul. The days have been long and there hasn't been any time for handwork but at least the weather is cooperating. Before I know it I will be back to the reality of winter but hey it is only a few more weeks until pitchers and catchers report for spring training so Spring can't be too far away -- I hope!

Happy Stitchin!

Officially Tired of Winter

2009-01-19T19:09:00.006-05:00

Okay so I know I live in the Northeast and I know that it is January and it is supposed to be snowy and cold but . . . . I am tired of dealing with the snow and cold. We got our first snowstorm of the season on October 28. According to the folklore, the date of the first snowfall where you can see the tracks of chickens determines how many storms in the coming winter. So if you believe the folklore, we are supposed to get 28 storms this winter . . . I lost track of how many we have had so far but it sure feels like it has been at least 28!

Somewhere in the middle of the end-year mayhem at work there was a lull and I was home at a reasonable time. The days prior had been long and I had the urge to just sit and sew at the machine. I wanted something that was mindless sewing --- that left out the houses (too much accuracy needed) and it left out the blue and white star quilt for the same reason. Hmm while cleaning my sewing room during my time off after the holidays I came across a kit that I had purchased several years ago at the LQS known for its kits. The best part about these kits is that all of the fabric is cut for you -- all you do is purchase and go home and sew! That night I strip pieced all of the "A" blocks (48 in all). A few days later I spent a snowy afternoon at a friends house sewing and strip pieced the "B" blocks (just 36). Saturday evening DH was engrossed in some movie or another and I spent four hours piecing my blocks into rows and the rows into a quilt top!

Below is a close up of the blocks. It reminds me of Spring.

Ah but my dilemma . . . . I remember when I purchased the kit that I wasn't thrilled with the inner border but the shop owner convinced me that it made the quilt "pop". However even after several years, I am still not thrilled with the "green". I keep thinking it should be a purple or a blue. I know it is hard to see from the pictures but I am curious as to what others think. The floral is the outer border. In hindsight I wish I had just purchased more of the fabric used in the setting triangles and used that for a border.

I am hoping to make a decision and get the borders on before our firehouse sew day next month so I can bring it for show & tell and give it to my long arm quilter for quilting.

Happy Stitchin!

Ring in the New!

2009-01-16T06:45:00.005-05:00

To start the New Year I thought I would start a new embroidery project. It is a block of the month called "Ring In The New" by Kathy Schmitz. They are 4x6 designs which are relatively quick to stitch. I have completed January and started February. Since I don't have a good track record in keeping up with BOMs I thought I would just continue to stitch them until all 12 are complete.

I have also started another BOM by Gail Pan. Did I just say I didn't have a great track record? What was I thinking?

With all of these new projects being started, I even found time to make two photo pillows which are first anniversary presents for the bride & groom. Last year I made a photo quilt for the happy couple. According to the bride's mother, they love the quilt and have hung it on the wall in their new home. AND I am still cutting the 1 1/4" squares needed for the border of my little houses quilt!

Happy Stitchin!

Under Construction

2008-12-29T21:44:00.006-05:00

I hope everyone had a happy and enjoyable Holiday! As you can see Malibu loved playing in our tree this year. He was such a good kitty last year -- didn't even bother it once. Well he made up for it this year. He was sleeping under it, batting the lower ornaments, chewing on the branches and drinking the tree water (yuck!). Guess he made up for being a naive kitten last Christmas!

Now that the holidays are over I managed to find some time to finish up the last little house from a class I took with Megan in early December. The scrappy border uses 132 1-1/4 inch squares. I started cutting them tonight but this is definitely going to take a couple more nights of cutting and digging through fabric scraps.

As far as handmade Christmas gifts, I only managed to finish two quilts for my great-nephews who are 4 years old and 8 months. I used Hungry Alphabet panels that I had purchased a few years ago with no immediate need or use. Since I am on a mission to reduce my stash and make more giveaway quilts, I thought these would be the perfect gift for the boys. I also made pillowcases to match out of the remaining fabric (far be it from me to only buy what I need). I used the pillowcases to wrap the quilts.

Happy Stitchin'

Bitten by the Knitting Bug

2008-12-14T09:38:00.004-05:00

Okay I have to admit it I have been bitten by the knitting bug. Years ago when my youngest DH was a baby I took on the challenge of knitting a baby sweater. I don't know what I was thinking as I had never knitted before attempting the baby sweater. Needless to say, it remains unfinished as I dropped stitches somewhere along the way and gave up. A couple years ago I tried again. This time I stuck with the basic knitted scarves which were so popular. The eyelash yarns and furry yarns were great. Not easy to work with and there were several scarves that were ripped out and started again when I dropped a stitch and couldn't find it in the eyelash yarn. When the cold weather came this year, I got the urge to once again try to learn to knit. Not quite ready for a sweater . . . how about a shawl? So while visiting my favorite LQS which isn't really that local, I stopped into the knit shop next door. Actually I was looking for a pair of bamboo handles for Caryn. However they did not have them. Since I was already in the store, I decided to look around and admire the beautiful sweaters wishing I knew how to knit. I stumbled onto a shawl that used the stockinette stitch -- thinking I could do that -- I know how to knit and I know how to purl. How hard could it be? But wait there is a buttonhole in the shawl . . . not sure I can do this. The shopowner assured me it was an easy pattern and the instructions explained the buttonhole step by step. Okay, SOLD!

Last night I finally kniited enough rows and had to put in the buttonhole. It took a bit of reading and re-reading of the directions. I had to pull out my only knitting book for clarification but in the end I managed to complete the buttonhole without dropping any stitches!

Happy Stitchin!

Polka Dot & Rick Rack Swap

2008-12-12T22:33:00.008-05:00

A few months ago I joined the Polka Dot and Rick Rack Swap hosted by Sharon. I sent my package off to the Netherlands and in return I received one from Lorraine in Australia. I was thrilled to receive all of the goodies which were mostly handmade. I cannot express my thanks enough to my swap partner for all of her gifts.

It was like an early Christmas at Thanksgiving. Thank you Lorraine!

Miranda is calling . . . .

2008-11-24T21:34:00.004-05:00

Okay so I have absolutely no business thinking about what fabrics I will use for my mini Miranda. So needless to say I shouldn't be setting up the rotary mat and ironing board . . . Thanksgiving is only two days away and there is still plenty of cleaning to be done and pies to bake. I'll just cut them and then put them away until after turkey day . . . . promise . . .

Good thing I don't have enough light/medium plaids to make the little quilt Kathie recently posted. After seeing Caryn's version, I had myself convinced there was more than enough time to cut and piece one of my own between the cleaning and baking. Of course I don't have to use plaids. Kathie's original version is just as nice as the plaids. Hmmm I think there is still time to pull something from my stash and have it pieced before the bird is on the table.

Happy Stitching!

Yesterday's Mail

2008-11-18T06:57:00.003-05:00

Don't you just love getting a new pattern or fabric in the mail? Yesterday's mail contained the newest Lazy Girl Pattern, the Mini Miranda.

But it will have to wait until I finish my little stars . . . the next class is tomorrow night.

Happy Stitchin!

Time Flies When . . . .

2008-11-11T16:39:00.004-05:00

Hello fellow bloggers! It seems the days slipped away from me again. I have good intentions almost daily of posting something. I formulate blog posts in my head on the way to and from work but somehow they never quite seem to make it out of my head and into the computer for posting in blogland.

The sew away weekend with the Posse was great except a few of us (mainly Caryn and me) caught some type of head cold / sinus / coughy thing that has yet to release its hold on either of us. Fortunately I think the worst is behind us and we are well on the road to recovery. I had visions of finishing numerous UFOs during the course of the sew-away. Unfortunately I didn't happen. I did manage to piece a baby quilt for charity (still needs to be quilted) and I started a rag quilt that I purchased a few years ago when rag quilts were all the rage. They were never my favorite type of quilt and still aren't. However I do recognize that there is a place for them in the quilting world -- just not my little corner of it :) I will post a picture as soon as it is complete or maybe sooner as I still need to clip the seams and then wash it, etc.

I have been working on a few things for my swap partner which need to be finished and sent by November 15th. I will post pictures once she receives them -- don't want to ruin the surprise! I am still drawn to handwork rather than sewing at my machine. Perhaps once the holidays are over and we are in the heart of winter I will be more inclined to sit at the machine. My latest projects include the Halloween redwork (although I am tempted to put that aside since Halloween is close to a year away). I have also taken to knitting those addicting little dishcloths. I have always wanted to knit a sweater for myself but am intimidated by a project of that nature so I decided to work on my knit stitches and gauge by making dishcloths. Most of the ones I have made are just the basic knit / purl stitch. However I recently completed one following a pattern and just found another pattern that requires increasing and decreasing (something I haven't done before).

Happy Stitching!

Those Who Served - Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T16:04:00.009-05:00

Today I would like to take a moment and ask everyone to remember the Veterans who gave the greatest sacrifice of all -- their life -- for us and our country. God Bless America -- Land of the Free and Home of the Brave!

Snow in October ???

2008-10-30T12:07:00.015-04:00

The good news is I am feeling much better after spending the better part of last weekend either in bed or on the couch. The bad news is that I did not get too much of anything accomplished last weekend sewing related or otherwise which really stinks as it was a rainy weekend and perfect weather for sewing and/or cleaning.

On Tuesday we had a bit of a surprise here in the Northeast -- our first snowstorm of the season! I think somebody forgot to tell Mother Nature it was October. I remember having snow on Thanksgiving which is rare -- but before Halloween is just plain crazy. We had about 5 inches before it turned back to rain/sleet. However in areas not that far from me there were reports of 11 inches. Needless to say, there were fallen trees, closed roads and loss of power for many residents. We lost our power for more than 24 hours. There are still people in our town without power -- they even setup a shelter at the local high school. If this is any indication of the winter ahead, I am packing my bags and moving south until Spring returns.

I won't be blogging for the next few days as the Posse is going on a sewing retreat for the weekend. We are meeting for breakfast tomorrow morning, then it is off to do a bit of shopping before checking into the resort for the weekend. I am looking forward to spending the weekend with my quilting buddies -- just sewing, chatting, sharing a bottle of wine or two. No one asking what we are having for dinner, when dinner will be ready and whether or not there will be dessert. Yup, I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend with friends. And Mother Nature is forecast to be back in her Autumn mode -- sunny, crisp fall days with temps in the 50's & 60's.

Musings and a New Book

2008-10-24T16:34:00.003-04:00

Okay so it wasn't the beginning of the month for the past week and a half -- so much for my theory that I would blog more often during mid-month. This week should have been a quiet week at work -- however, my boss, who is not based in the same office (or country for that matter) as me, was in for a few days. Suffice it to say it was a rather intense week and I am now paying for it as I left work early today as I am not feeling well. What is even more disappointing is that even after taking some medicine and sleeping for the better part of the afternoon, I am still not feeling well. Not to mention that there is absolutely nothing on daytime television worth watching!

Fortunately for me the postman brought a package today so at least I have a new book to browse. Upon first review it looks like a good reference book to have if you are interested in creating photo quilts or anything that incorporates fabrics and photos.

I have made two photo quilts --- both of which were wedding gifts and incorporated various photos from the happy couples' lives both before and after they met. Unfortunately with the crash of my hard drive earlier this year I lost the photos of the second quilt so I cannot post any of them. However I will have to dig through my photo CDs and find the pictures from the first quilt. On my never-ending list of projects is a photo quilt incorporating the lighthouse photos I have taken during my travels.

I did manage to remember that Oprah was on this afternoon. Her guests today included Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder. They were promoting the new Kindle which is an electronic book created by Jeff Bezos. I am jealous as they gave one to everyone in the studio audience. It is not cheap but it does look like a very cool gadget. Techie gadgets are my other downfall besides quilting. In fact, my oldest DS has the same tendencies with techie toys and we decided long ago that it is VERY dangerous for the two of us to be in a store like Best Buy or Circuit City together. Inevitably we are walking out with something that we can't possibly live without and usually don't need. I don't dare mention this new gadget to him since Borders and Barnes & Noble are other stores that we spend lots of time and lots of $$$ in when we are together. Can you imagine the trouble we would get into with an electronic book device???? If it wasn't so expensive and if DH and I had already decided we were not spending lots of money for Christmas this year, I would add it to my Christmas list. I am sure, as with every new technological gadget, the price will come down and the product will improve. I think I can live without the Kindle for now.

Happy Stitchin!

A Few Pleasant Surprises and A Bit of Housekeeping

2008-10-16T21:04:00.011-04:00

My oldest DS and his friends went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art today and I got a souvenir -- the 2009 Calendar of American Quilts.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I had taken a class by Megan. Here is my finished tote bag. It is a great size to carry a book or handwork.

A co-worker of mine also took the class. Yesterday she showed me one of the latest versions -- the combination of fabrics she chose were fantastic. The world has another obsessed quilter -- she has made at least 6 of the Chloe bags I taught in August and she has made at least 4 or 5 of Megan's tote. It gives me a great feeling to know that I have helped a friend improve her skills and develop a passion about quilting.

As promised in my last post, here is a photo of the tote bag book I picked up in Pennsylvania last week. It is written by an Australian author which I did not realize at the time I purchased it. I was too busy oodling over the great tote bags and purses. There are several I would love to try in the very near future.

And just for fun a picture of my kitty, Malibu Blue . . .

As I write this post I realize that my last post was a milestone -- my 50th post. When I started my blog earlier this year, I had no idea where it would take me or the friends it would bring me. It has been a great journey so far and I hope the next 50 posts are just as wonderful.

My Crazy Life

2008-10-10T05:21:00.003-04:00

As a teenager I had a steady babysitting job during the week after school. I watched two preschoolers during the afternoon for the two hours between the time their mother had to leave for work and their father came home from work. I remember thinking that Patti had such a busy, exciting life always running from here to there compared to my mother who was a stay-at-home mom and rarely went anywhere outside of the weekly food shopping. Hmm what I would not give for some of that quiet, boring life that my mother seemed to lead. I keep trying to figure out how to get some control and sanity back into my life particularly during the first 10 days of the month when I am at my absolute busiest at work. My latest thinking is I just need to accept that fact that work will over take my life for the 3 or 4 business days of the month and there is not much I can do about it since there are deadlines and deliverables that are not going to change just because I want some work/life balance. The next 6 or 7 days are full of deliverables as well but the deadlines are a bit longer so there is a little bit of breathing space. So, you are wondering, what does this have to do with quilting, blogging, etc.? Not much except that I probably won't post during those first 7 to 10 days of each month. Not because I don't want to -- believe me there a posts swirling inside my head that just can't get out. There just isn't enough time in the day to post or even think about writing a post during those first few days. So if I disappear for a few days or more and it is the beginning of a new month, you will know why.

In addition to the month-end craziness, I will be traveling for work during the next few months. This morning I am in Pennsylvania on business. Fortunately I was able to drive out yesterday afternoon so there is no flying in and out within 24 hours AND I have enough gas to make it back to NJ before needing to fill the tank! Another plus to this trip is there are two quilt shops within a short distance of my location. One of them I went to yesterday afternoon. The other one I am hoping to visit on my way home this afternoon. Although I don't have pictures to share with you of my purchases, I can tell you there was a purse/tote bag book calling to me. Obviously I couldn't leave it at the shop, it had to come home with me. I promise to share more in my next post.

TGIF!

A recipe to share

2008-09-28T21:50:00.003-04:00

It was another rainy day here in the Northeast. Some members of the Posse went to a local quilt show but I did not tag along as I needed to get a few things done around the house. The morning was quite productive -- food shopping, some housecleaning and a bit of laundry. The afternoon was devoted to quilting :) However, it was not so productive as my machine was not very cooperative. I was attempting to free motion a Project Linus quilt but the stitch regulator on my Bernina did not want to work today -- I kept getting long, jerky stitches. I tried changing the needle and even the thread but with no luck. I think it is time to go to the shop for a cleaning . . .

For dinner I decided to try a recipe given to me by a friend. It was well-received by the members of my family. They all said they would eat it if I made it again. Over the years I have learned to ask not only if they like the dish but whether they would eat it if I made it again.

Tangy Pork Chop Stuffing Bake

6 bone-in pork chops
1 pkg (6 oz) of Stove Top stuffing for pork
1 can (16 oz) of whole cranberry sauce
3/4 cup of Kraft Original BBQ sauce
2 Tbsp of brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare stuffing as directed on box. Brown chops for 5 minutes on each side. Place chops in 9x13 baking pan. Mix cranberry sauce, BBQ sauce and brown sugar together. Gently mix in stuffing. Spoon over chops. Bake for 30 minutes or until chops are done.

Enjoy!

A Jersey Girl . . .

2008-09-27T19:51:00.004-04:00

It's been a busy week for me -- on Wednesday I had to fly in and out of Chicago in the same day. I was on the 6:00 a.m. flight out of Newark which meant a 4:00 a.m. limo pickup!!!! I was schedule to fly back on the 6:20 p.m. flight out of O'Hare. Unfortunately, we were delayed two hours due to severe storms which made an already long day even longer --- the return limo dropped me off at 12:37 a.m. the next day! One of the highlights of my trip was driving on a portion of historic Route 66. The other comical event was having to fill the rental car with gas before returning it to Enterprise. You have to understand that I have never pumped gas. In NJ, it is illegal for anyone except the gas attendant to pump gas. It's not that I haven't even driven in states that have self-service stations. It's just DH has always been there to fill the tank. Thankfully there are instructions and pictures to help dummies like me figure out how to pump gas! Guess I truly am a Jersey Girl . . .

Before heading out to Chicago, I took a tote bag class with Megan on Tuesday night. What I was thinking sitting in quilt class rather then being at home sleeping is beyond me. It was a great class and I managed to finish my tote on Thursday night (after taking a nap in the afternoon). Besides, in the words of my co-worker who attended the class with me "sleep is overrated". I promise to post a picture as soon as I take one!

Today, the ladies gathered at the firehouse for our sewing day. We had a good group -- many of the usual participants and some new faces. I had not been to a gathering in several months so it was good to see everyone and to see what projects they have been working on the past few months. I am still working on my 30's Irish Chain quilt (see previous post for pictures). I am determined to finish that quilt by the end of the decade :)

Enjoy the rest of the weekend! I hope you find some time to quilt!

Update to this post: The NFL officially confirmed that "The Boss" will play during the Super Bowl halftime show on February 1, 2009. It is great to be a Jersey Girl!

Unfinished Projects

2008-09-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

I have decided the problem with old UFO's is that by the time you get back to them --- if you ever get back to them -- is the fabrics are no longer available. This isn't an issue if you purchased enough fabric for potential errors. The combination of an inexperienced quilter and wrong cutting directions can be hazardous to your quilt project. This quilt is probably my oldest UFO -- I can't remember exactly when I started this quilt. But last weekend I pulled it out of the pile and decided to put the blocks into rows. I love the look of blocks set on point but am not so good at putting together quilts with blocks set on point. Even after years of quilting I still shy away from on-point quilt patterns. What I was thinking as a new quilter several years ago when I started this project is beyond me. Obviously I wasn't thinking about the difficulty level!

The pattern calls for two borders -- one is made of small snowball blocks and the other is just a regular border. The fabric used for the corners of the snowball blocks had been cut by me at an earlier date. All I had left to do was cut the squares and piece the blocks -- simple enough. Not exactly, the instructions said to cut 4 1/2" squares for the inside of the snowball block and to cut 3 3/4" squares in half diagonally for the corners of the blocks. I had previously cut the 3 3/4" squares when this was a new and exciting project. Unfortunately I was a new quilter and had no idea that if you cut 3 3/4" squares in half diagonally there is no way they are going to fit on the sides of a 4 1/2" square. Since I don't have enough of the red fabric left to re-cut the 3 3/4" squares to the correct size, I have decided to put a three inch border around the quilt so that the pinwheel blocks "float" in the quilt. I will then add the 6 1/2" red border.

So does anyone need 64 red 3 3/4" squares cut in half diagonally?

Aunt Millie's Garden

2008-09-21T07:05:00.004-04:00

This afternoon a few of us are gathering at Megan's to work on our Aunt Millie's blocks based on the Piece o' Cake pattern, Aunt Millie's Garden. Cousin Caryn is joining us too -- she is working on the Stars in the Garden blocks which was a BOM at our LQS. Actually this quilt shop isn't exactly local since it is about an hour's drive from my house. I also joined this BOM but haven't started any of the blocks. Thus it is not an UFO and I clearly start Aunt Millie's Garden instead.

I decided to use brights for the flowers, leaves and stems. However, I have yet to decide on the background fabrics. Initially I thought I would use a black and white dot. I then thought about a white on white print. However I never got to the LQS to look for backgrounds -- so I am thinking the Kona White or the Kona Snow that is sitting in my stash may work just fine for today's gathering and with a little luck I will get to a quilt shop soon.

Here is a sampling of my fabrics -- hmmm maybe a few yellows should be added to the bunch.

Summer Handwork

2008-09-09T07:03:00.007-04:00

I thought I would share with you my summer handwork projects which are still works in progress. The Halloween Redwork pattern has 9 designs. I had originally intended to stitch all 9 designs and create a Halloween quilt. I have been rethinking that decision recently -- mainly because there are other handwork projects I want to do. My latest thinking is that I will stitch up four of these blocks and make a wallhanging. Since I have already traced 6 designs onto fabric, I think I will make either pillows or small wall quilt with the remaining designs.

I don't know which Halloween they will actually be completed, but the good thing about holidays is that they come around every year so eventually they will decorate my house.

A little work, a little play

2008-09-09T06:54:00.004-04:00

Hurricane Hanna came to visit the Northeast on Saturday bringing the opportunity to spend the day quilting or cleaning the house. As a child we were not allowed to play with our friends until all of our chores were done on Saturday. Although I moved out of my childhood home over 20 years ago, those values my parents instilled are still with me. On Saturday morning, my sewing machine was calling my name but so was the dust covering my coffee table. My mother's voice was in my head "you can't play with your friends until your chores are done". So I compromised -- I spent the morning cleaning the house and then spent the afternoon sewing. I also finished up some work that needed to be completed for the committee I am chairing in our local guild. Once those were behind me, I picked up this UFO from last fall.

There is a story behind this little tote involving myself and the posse. Caryn found the fabrics at the LQS near her work. During one of the Saturday Sew Days at the firehouse last year, the four of us started this little tote. Due to the misreading of the instructions regarding the use of a strip for the bottom of the purse, the striped fabric was cut incorrectly. So three of the totes have the strip horizontal on the bag. Mine is vertical because I happen to find the same fabric online while looking for other striped fabrics for another project. I have had this fabric for months and kept looking at the bag thinking "I should finish this little tote -- but Fall is several months away so no need to finish it now." Since Fall is almost upon us I thought it was the perfect project for this past weekend. I like this tote very much and already have fabric to make it in another colorway or two.

Unofficial End of Summer . . . .

2008-09-04T19:36:00.004-04:00

Fairport Harbor, Ohio

Labor Day has come and gone along with our annual trek west to visit my cousin in Northeast Ohio. We have been getting together with my cousin and his wife on Labor Day weekend for well over 10 years. It has been so long that none of us could remember how or exactly when we started. Not that it matters since we always have a great time when we are together. This year the new addition to my cousins' finished basement was the Nintendo Wii. After dinner each night we would begin our bowling tournament which usually lasted well into the wee hours of the morning. Amazingly we got better as the night wore on -- wonder if it had anything to do with the consumption of alcohol?

The local schools started again this week bringing increased traffic to the roads in our town and the highways I travel to work each day. It took me over 10 minutes to get to the gym this morning -- a trip that was taking less than 5 minutes just last week.

The end of summer brings the start of football season. Football is my favorite sport. On Sunday afternoons you will find me in front of the TV with some sort of needlework in hand. My favorite team is the Miami Dolphins who I have followed since I was in grammar school in the early '70s. While I enjoy watching the pros and even some college ball, I have to admit what I miss the most is watching my youngest DS play. He started at the flag football level and continued through his high school years. From August to November our lives and schedules revolved around his practices and games.

Although I am sad to see the summer end (actually the Jersey shore is wonderful in September but don't tell anyone), I am looking forward to sewing and maybe actually finishing one or two of the projects I started earlier this year -- like the CW Diary blocks. The ladies will be gathering at the firehouse later this month and so far two of my local quilting buddies have said they would like to come sew with us.

Maybe the fall isn't so bad after all . . .

Fall Purse Giveaway

2008-08-25T20:36:00.003-04:00

If anyone loves tote bags and purses as much as I do, be sure to check out Bonnie's giveaway at Calamity Jane's Cottage. Don't forget to mention you found the giveaway on my blog.

Can't seem to get out of the kitchen today . . .

2008-08-24T21:07:00.006-04:00

Ever have one of those days when it seems you spend most of it in the kitchen? I love to bake but dislike to cook. This morning DH wanted buttermilk pancakes for breakfast. This is actually my fault as it used to be that DH made breakfast on Sundays. However several months ago I got the hair-brain idea to make buttermilk pancakes from scratch using Alton Brown's recipe (Good Eats on The Food Network). So I made pancakes for DH. I noticed there were a couple bananas left from the bunch I purchased earlier in the week. The only thing they were good for was banana bread. However my recipe calls for 5 to 6 bananas (it makes 4 loaves) and since I only had 3 bananas . . . I remembered a recipe I found in a recent issue of a magazine for Banana Crumb Cake. Since it only called for one cup of mashed bananas, I knew I found my recipe! Luckily I had the ingredients needed on hand. About 30 minutes later, the banana crumb cake was baking in the oven.
I then remembered that my oldest DS wanted macaroni salad with dinner tonight. So after cleaning up the breakfast dishes and the bowls, etc. from the crumb cake, I began making the macaroni salad -- it is rare that either of my sons eat dinner with us so when they make an appearance I usually try to accommodate their requests. Silly me .... about a hour before dinner my oldest DS comes downstairs and asks if I would make the seasoned potatoes with dinner -- what about the macaroni salad, I ask. Oh he wants both -- so back into the kitchen to make the potatoes while DH grills the steaks. Then of course there is the clean-up after dinner.

Oh well at least I was able to spend an hour sitting on the deck with a bit of handwork!

Below is the recipe for the banana nut crumb cake.

Crumb Topping:
2 cups flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup walnut pieces

Cake:
1 cup mashed banana (2 large)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
confectioner's sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9x2 pan with non stick aluminum foil -- the ends will hang over the edge of the pan.

Crumb topping; mix flour and brown sugar in bowl. cut in butter with two knives until mixture forms coarse crumbs. mix in nuts.

Cake: mix bananas, oil, sugar, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, cinnamon and salt with whisk until combined. Stir in flour and baking soda until blended. Spread evenly in lined pan and crumble topping on top.

Bake 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Lift foil by ends onto cutting board. cut into squares, sprinkle with Confectioner's sugar.

Enjoy!

Quilts, museums and London, England

2008-08-20T20:19:00.006-04:00

As soon as I read about this book on Kathie's blog, I knew I had to find a copy. During my whirlwind two day tour of London several years ago while on a business trip I was unable to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum. However, one of my closest friends is celebrating a milestone birthday next year and her husband is sending her to England. Guess who is going with her? The Victoria and Albert Museum is high on my list of places to visit along with Westminster Abbey which was closed for Sunday services when we were there. As we plan our trip for next year, I plan to include some of the English countryside and hopefully a quilt shop or two although I know the fabric is far more expensive across the pond.

Catching up . . .

2008-08-20T20:13:00.003-04:00

I started this piece at the beginning of the summer. It is a good feeling to know that I was able to finish the stitching and piece the setting triangles and border before summer's end. My hope is that I will be able to quilt and bind it prior to the first guild meeting next month. It would be a good show and tell of what I accomplished this summer. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I haven't been quilting that much over the summer. I am enjoying my handwork projects and sitting in the backyard enjoying the nice weather. Before long, we will be dealing with the Northeast winters.

Happy Sewing Machine Day

2008-08-12T06:52:00.004-04:00

Did you know on this day in 1851 Isaac M. Singer was granted a patent for his sewing machine? By 1860 Singer had become the largest manufacturer of sewing machines and by 1863 he held 20 patents for his machines.

I hope each of you are able to spend time with your machines today whether they are Singers, Berninas or Pfaffs -- that is my plan as soon as I get home from work!

Happy Quilting!

If you can't beat them . . . .

2008-08-11T21:18:00.005-04:00

Everyone seems to be working on tumbler quilts these days (Kathi / Megan). So it seem only fitting that I dig out my thimble template that I purchased at the Lancaster, PA show this past March and start cutting up my scraps. Well I don't have that big of scrap basket as I usually pass them along to a friend who loves scrap quilts. Fortunately for me I haven't seen her in quite some time so I had a scrap bag to pick from for my thimbles. I also have been putting aside small pieces of my civil war reproductions in the anticipation of one day cutting thimbles to make a doll quilt.

I spent an hour tonight cutting usable scraps from my scrap bag and the small pieces of civil war reproductions into thimbles. I have a nice little pile started for both quilts considering I only spent one hour cutting.

I have to admit the thimble is small and it takes time to get used to cutting around such a small template. I used a small rotary cutter which was very helpful. I am considering putting a dot of sandpaper on it so it won't slide around. However I don't want to lose the ability to see through the template in case I want to align a motif in the center. Maybe I will get better with practice. I also think it would be easier to cut the template from a strip of fabric rather than 2 or 3 inch scraps.

Of course it might have been easier to start with my 3" tumbler and ease into tumbler quilts . . .

Old Sturbridge Village

2008-08-07T21:43:00.001-04:00

On our way home from Maine last week, we stopped at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, MA. If you are ever in the area, it is a great place to spend the afternoon. There are buildings which date back to the 1800's as well as demonstrations of life during that time period. There were a few quilts and embroidery samplers on display. One of the items that caught my attention was this sewing table. It has a drawer where you could store your sewing tools and then a second drawer with a cloth bag attached which was a storage area for your sewing. I thought it was a very neat idea.

I told DH that I was going to write Norm at the New Yankee Workshop and suggest he recreate this sewing table. This way DH would be able to purchase the plans and make one for me. He didn't buy it --- oh well I tried. Maybe I can convince my brother to make one for me . . . . .

On our way out of the village DH suggested we wander through the gift shop. I think DH regretted his suggestion as soon as we entered --- there were numerous bolts of fabric of what else but the reproduction line "Old Sturbridge Village". Since I have been neglecting my Civil War Diary blocks and I probably have enough civil war reproductions to make numerous civil war quilts, I resisted the temptation to purchase any fabrics. Besides, I had a number of them in my stash already -- but don't tell DH.

Back from Vacation

2008-08-05T21:13:00.005-04:00

I was fortunate enough to spend the past two weeks on vacation. DH and I packed up the car and headed north to Cape Cod for a few days and then even further north to Maine. This was our first trip to Cape Cod and unfortunately the weather did not cooperate. During the 5 days we spent on the Cape, we had 4 1/2 days of clouds and rain. The sun finally came out the afternoon of our last day and of course it was out in full force the day we were packing to leave.

Fortunately we headed to Maine and the weather was absolutely beautiful while we were there -- blue skies, a few fluffy clouds now and then, no humidity and temps in the upper 70's, low '80's. I have been to Maine before and I have to say it is one of my favorite states that I would go back to again and again. And although I love the beaches of the Jersey shore, there is something peaceful about watching the waves crash against the rocky shores of Maine. It one of the few places where I completely relax and put aside the daily worries.

I did manage to see (not necessarily visit) 33 lighthouses during this trip. A few of the ones in Maine I had been to before (Portland Head Light (my favorite), Pemaquid Point and Cape Neddick). We even walked two miles out and two miles back along the Cape Cod National Seashore to see the Race Point Lighthouse which is at the very end of the Cape. After we arrived at the lighthouse we saw 4-wheel drive vehicles parked on the beach most of whom were surf fishing. Turns out we could have bought a permit and drove my SUV to the lighthouse! Not to mention I could have drove on the beach!

Somehow I don't think our vacation next year will involve lighthouses --- DH is a bit tired of them. Guess it might be a good time to visit Nashville . . . .

In addition to playing travel agent (planning the trip / booking hotels, etc.) one of my roles is to navigate from place to place. DH does all the driving when we vacation. And although we probably covered about 1500 miles during this trip there wasn't much time for handwork. I did manage to stitch up both of these towels which will hang in my kitchen during the summer.

Bon Jovi, Jimmy Buffet and Cross Stitch . .

2008-07-16T20:50:00.008-04:00

My oldest DS won a VIP package to the Bon Jovi concert on Monday night. I must have raised him right because he took him mom! He said he didn't know anyone else who was a bigger fan. We had seats that were center stage about 10 rows back. Not only did we get to go up on stage for 3 songs, we also received a $100 web bucks good for Bon Jovi merchandise. This week marks the 25th anniversary of Bon Jovi -- they were the opening act for ZZ Top at Madison Square Garden 25 years ago. Bon Jovi's opening act for this show was The All American Rejects. Okay so I am showing my age as I had heard of them but really didn't know what genre they were. Turns out they are a punk rock band and Monday night was their first gig at Madison Square Garden. We had a great time and Bon Jovi puts on an awesome show!! He is even cuter in person!!

Between yesterday afternoon and this evening I flew to and from Toronto for a few meetings --- the flights were actually on time which is unusual for the Newark / Toronto route. During my flights I was able to read the newest book by Jimmy Buffet "Swine Not". It is an easy read about a pig that lives in an apartment in Manhattan. It is a good summer read :)

I even managed to find time on Sunday to finish stitching the top of a mattressbox pincushion. It is done in counted cross stitch and all that is left is the assembly. I will post pictures once it is complete.

Not bad for the start of the week - floor seats for Bon Jovi, having the time to read a book and some time to stitch.

Market Tote Bag

2008-07-09T22:24:00.000-04:00

As mentioned in a previous post, below is a picture of the market tote bag I made just before the trip to VQF. What I love about this tote is the drawstring top. I picked up a toggle to easily open / close the drawstring. This one is going to my LQS as a class sample. Hmm guess I need to make a second one using some of the fabric I picked up in Vermont.

VQF, 4th of July, etc.

2008-07-07T21:00:00.005-04:00

Bet you are wondering if I made it back from Vermont. I did make it back. However, I came back to work just in time to deal with month end and half year reporting which is almost as intense as year-end reporting. Some days I wonder why I chose finance but then I remember that my full-time job supports my hobbies as well as other necessities in life :)

The festival was wonderful and a great time was had by all who went. It is so inspiring to see the quilts on display and browse through the vendor booths. At the show I picked up a book on the quilts at the Shelbourne Musuem. I was able to see some of them on display when we went to the museum. In addition to the quilt exhibit there was a handbag exhibit. One of the handbags was made from a rubber rainboot. Another was made from flip tops from aluminum cans.

Haven't had too much time to quilt the past couple weeks but I have picked up some of my handwork in the evening. With the longer days I enjoy sitting outside and stitching. The lighting couldn't be better and it is nice to spend some time outdoors after being inside all day.

I have joined Caryn in her pincushion mania. We met on Saturday afternoon at a local needlework shop to look for cross stitch patterns. We both picked up some patterns, fabric and threads. When I got home I started working on one of them. DH made the comment "so you are starting that again". I just smiled and said "yes dear". It could be worse -- I could be starting an entirely new hobby and need to invest $$$$ to start . . . .

Happy Stitchin'

Back Online

2008-06-24T22:08:00.002-04:00

I am finally back online with my own PC. Since my existing laptop was almost 5 years old and the hard has crashed twice in the last 6 months, I thought it might be time to purchase a new PC. So far I am quite happy with my new purchase :)

One would think I had more time to quilt since I had no PC to distract me with surfing the 'Net. I did not accomplish as much as I had thought but I did manager to start and almost complete a "seasons" embroidery. I will post pictures as soon as I take them :) I also made a tote bag using fabrics from my stash and a pattern I purchased at our local quilt show earlier this month. I felt very good about using fabrics from my stash.

I am busy preparing for a trip to Vermont. I am joining Megan and the sisters in their "Invasion of Vermont". Should be a fun weekend --- good friends, quilt shops, a quilt show, lots of wine and food, Ben & Jerry's . . . what more could a girl ask for?

Quilt shows, friends and PC update

2008-06-13T13:09:00.004-04:00

I spent yesterday with the Posse at the Quilt Show in Edison. We had decided to take a day off from work and go see the show. Lots of nice quilts and vendors. I picked up a few more fat quarters for my CWD blocks. As Megan mentions in her recent post, I tempted her with my fabric selection -- obviously Megan has a bit more restraint than I do when it comes to fabric shopping. Of course, it didn't help that I had my friend Sue with me who is very good at spending other people's money.

On the PC front, I haven't made much progress. I need to call the company who manufactured the hard drive and see it if is covered under the warranty. I should really look for a new PC. In the meantime, I will just have to sneak onto DS computer when he is not home so I can surf the Net and post updates on my blog.

Yikes!!!

2008-06-02T14:55:00.002-04:00

Hello fellow bloggers -- I can't believe it has been two weeks since my last post. I can't even remember what happened during the past two weeks except that DH was on vacation last week and threw a monkey wrench into my entire schedule! I love the man dearly, even more so now that he is back at work and I have my evenings to myself.

Unfortunately this post has to be quick as my personal computer is not working AGAIN and I am borrowing one to post this update. For some unknown reason Windows has decided not to start on my PC -- not even in Safe Mode. My oldest DS has promised to look at it as soon as he has the time.

I hope to be back online again soon and in the meantime, maybe I can get a little sewing done.

Is there a better way to spend a Monday?

2008-05-19T20:15:00.002-04:00

I was fortunate to spend Monday at my LQS in attending a workshop with Libby Lehman. Actually the LQS wasn't that local - about two hours from home but well worth the trip even with rising gas prices. The workshop was titled "Super Machine Stitching". Libby demonstrated various satin stitching techniques including mitered corners and satin stitched circles which we were able to practice -- many of us (including me) still need practice but at least we have the idea. And with a bit of practice one can perfect these techniques. We also played with the many decorative stitches on our machines that we never seem to use. My best machine has 180 plus stitches but it seems I always use the the same one -- the straight stitch. While learning these techniques, we used many decorative threads such as metallic and rayon. For the first time I used a double needle. I also broke the double needle but at least I know how to thread it and how cool satin stitching looks for two different colored threads.

And although I don't have much to show for the 6 hours spent in class today --- two 12 inches squares of fabric with some stitch samples, etc. on them, I also don't have another UFO to add to the pile.

Have a great week!

Productive Week

2008-05-19T19:49:00.008-04:00

Although I haven't spent much time in blog land this week, I have been busy working on civil war blocks and a couple of purses.

First my latest civil war blocks. I need to create a design wall and lay them out so I can do a sense check on my color choices. I think I may be heavily weighted in the blue/browns.

I was also able to finish my hobo bag that I started a few weeks ago. I quilted it on Monday night, started sewing it together and realized I didn't understand the directions. Luckily Caryn was going to the shop the next day and was able to look at the shop sample. The hard part was explaining to me over the phone how to piece the sides together. Not an easy task since I tend to be a visual person. However, Caryn did a great job explaining the construction method. Now I have to remember so I can tell her when she gets around to making her version of the hobo. This was the first time I had quilted the orange peel. It was not as difficult as I thought it would be -- I just need to remove my chalk marks.

On Saturday afternoon DH was called into work, my older DS was also working and the younger DS was out and about. Hmmm what to do in a quiet house with no interruptions for a few hours? Make a purse, of course!

Start to finish I don't think it took me more than 3 hours. I am already planning the next one. The metal handles are designed in such a way that you can easily remove them and use them for a similar bag in different fabrics. Perhaps something a bit more elegant that can be used as an evening bag? And it only uses 3 fat quarters! After the initial investment in the handles -- around $15, you can have a new purse for less than $10 and a couple of hours of sewing. How cool is that?

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T06:41:00.003-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! I hope you are able to spend the day doing what you like to do --- reading a book . . . working in the garden . . . sewing, whether by hand or machine. Since the sun is shining in the Northeast today I think I will spend my day working in the flower beds. I may even find some time to do a little handwork on the deck this afternoon.

Enjoy the day!

More Civil War Blocks

2008-05-06T20:43:00.005-04:00

I managed to piece 3 more civil war blocks last night --- at first I wasn't sure about my fabric selection for the Panic block (top left). But now that I have seen it in the photo, I think the choices are just fine.

Here are the two blocks that will make up my 30's quilt I mentioned in yesterday's post. One of the reasons I decided to make this quilt was because of the pink flower in the center of each of these blocks.

Does it surprise you that all of the easy blocks are complete? The white space will be a great place for a nice quilting design . . . maybe a circle of feathers? Perhaps I should research quilting designs of the 30's and pick a design from the time period.

Catchin' Up

2008-05-05T19:12:00.004-04:00

Last week was DH's birthday --- I usually struggle with gift ideas but this time was different. He had been asking for an iPod so I thought it would be a good gift. DH loved it! He is like a little kid going through our CD collection and uploading the songs to his new toy. Alas, the perfect gift . . .

Sewing was on the light side last week but I did manage to finish a few more civil war blocks and even picked out fabrics for several more blocks -- now to press and cut the fabrics.

And one more lone block . . .

Saturday was Sew Day with the firehouse ladies. A few months ago the auxiliary ladies asked if we would each make a few blocks so they could put together a quilt for the tricky tray later this year. On Saturday, we made the few remaining blocks and were able to layout the quilt top. Before the end of the day we had the blocks sewn into rows and the rows sewn together. All that is needed are a couple of borders and the quilt top will be off to the long arm quilter. Unfortunately I did not have my camera so I cannot share a picture of our work in progress. It always give me a good feeling when I use my talents to help others.

Fortunately I was also able to make some progress on my "firehouse" project. I always struggle with the decision of what to bring on sew day. In January I decided I was going to choose one of my UFO projects and bring it to the firehouse until it is completed. I am making progress on my "Jenny's Flower Garden Quilt". It is a triple Irish chain in 30's fabrics. Of the 49 blocks needed, I have 30 completed -- so far my theory seems to be working.

Have a great week!

The Weekend

2008-04-27T19:29:00.004-04:00

I was able to finish the Feathered Star block from a workshop I took through my guild a couple weeks ago. The feathered star block has been on my list for quite some time and when I saw the workshop offering I signed up. Rather than foundation piecing the block on paper, the instructor using interfacing. This is the first time I had used interfacing for foundation piecing. I like the idea of not having to remove the paper at the end of the process but I found it to be a bit stretchy. I am glad that I tried the technique but think if I was to make the feathered star block again I would use foundation paper. The fabrics are all from my stash which makes me very happy. I do think if I were to make it again, I would use a different color for the churn dash blocks and inner border so they pop.I have moved this to the "to be quilted" project and hope to have it quilted and bound before our next guild meeting in two weeks.

Now back to the civil war blocks ---

I am still here . . .

2008-04-24T08:33:00.006-04:00

Wanted to at least get a post to let you know that I am still here. However work and a family medical situation has taken over my life for the past week and a half. The good news is that the medical situation is improving everyday. I haven't been at the sewing machine too much lately but have been keeping my hands busy with prep work for an applique BOM that I started 5 years ago. Not sure what I was thinking at the time since I was VERY new to applique and there are lots and lots of leaves (my least favorite part of applique because I am not very good at making the points). I have decided that this will be my learning piece of applique so I am hopeful that by the end of the 12 blocks my points will have improved greatly! I started this BOM using the freezer paper method but think when I prep the April block I will switch to the template and starch method which I learned from Megan.

As Caryn mentioned on her blog, we did manage to conduct our own mini shop hop last Sunday. We found some great civil war fabrics to add to our stash. Mostly greens and golds which don't photograph very well unfortunately.

As well as some bits and pieces to add to my beach theme I Spy collection, a couple of yellows for my Jimmy Buffet quilt and a pattern for embroidered tea towels.

Civil War Blocks

2008-04-13T07:44:00.005-04:00

Earlier in the week I mentioned that I had completed some more civil war blocks which I thought I would share with you. As you can see I had a helper with one of the blocks. Some days I can't seem to get any sewing done as Malibu would rather play than have me sew.

I am hoping to piece a few more today although the sun has come out and I think I hear my garden calling. I had wanted to work in the yard yesterday but it was too wet from the heavy rains we had the night before. Perhaps I can get my hands in the dirt today.

Lesson Learned

2008-04-10T20:48:00.004-04:00

In the late summer of 2005 I thought it would be a great idea to teach a paper piecing class at my LQS -- even better the owner thought a BOM would be a great idea. We decided to use the book - Garden Stars which is now out of print -- actually it was out of print before we even started the class which made it a bit difficult to get copies for the students! It is a great book containing stained glass flower/stars. By the end of September we had all of the fabrics / blocks picked out and I spent the next 3 months paper piecing 12" blocks and putting a quilt top together.

This was not a beginner paper piecing class and I recall specifically telling my LQS owner that we needed to ensure the students were comfortable with paper piecing and most importantly, liked to paper piece. Famous last words -- several students had never paper pieced and by the second month I had lost a good portion of my students :( Partly due to their inexperience with paper piecing and partly because I didn't think to start with the easiest block for the first month. In my logical/analytical mind (I work in accounting/finance), I figured in January we should do the block that I chose for January -- didn't even think about whether we should start with an easy block as my students were to have had paper piecing experience. We did manage to keep two sessions going throughout the year even with the various issues encountered along the way.

As far as I know only one student, Ann, has completed the quilt (pieced, quilted & bound). Mine remains a quilt top with the paper still on the majority of the blocks -- which brings me to my most recent dilemma ----- I mistakenly used printer paper to piece the blocks rather than foundation paper. I had used it before without any issues, however, none of my previous paper piecing projects had 1/4" leading around each and every piece of the block!

So this evening since Spring has come to the Northeast for a day, I dug out my quilt top and decided to sit on the patio and take out the paper. Because of the leading around each piece this is not an easy task -- a task that is made even more difficult by using regular printer/copier paper. Boy do I wish I knew about the dissolving foundation paper when I embarked on this journey!

Anyway, the reason for this post is I am wondering if anyone has a suggestion for easy removal of the small paper pieces particularly those in the seam allowances. I am tempted to remove all of the big pieces and as many of the small pieces as possible and toss it in the washer briefly.

Below is a partial view of the quilt. I plan to replace the plain yellow flower block in the lower left corner with a nicer one before sending it to be quilted.

And the winner is . . .

2008-04-07T12:22:00.003-04:00

The winner of my April Fool's Giveaway (Abe Lincoln fabric) is SBonetSue! Please send me an email with your shipping information and I will get Abe into the mail for you. Thank you to everyone who participated.

April Fool's Giveaway - Last Chance for Entry

2008-04-06T19:14:00.003-04:00

Just a reminder that today is the last day to enter my drawing for the Abe Lincoln fabric. I will accept entries until midnight tonight. I will pull a name tomorrow and post the winner on my blog.

I was fortunate enough to piece several Civil War blocks this weekend. Will put some pictures up soon.

Saturday was sewing day at the firehouse. Spent most of the day working on a triple Irish chain in 30's fabrics. I started this quilt several years ago and put it down. In February I decide it would be my sewing day project at the firehouse until it is complete. Of the 49 blocks required, I have completed 24 -- these were the easiest of the two types of blocks. The remaining 25 blocks might take a bit longer as I am going to unsew the 3 I completed on Saturday as I am not happy with them. Basic block construction is seven 2-inch strips of fabric sewed together and then cut into 2-inch strips -- you do not use the same fabric in a strip twice so the quilt is very scrappy. You then sew 7 of these 2-inch strip sets into the block -- I was a bit lazy on Saturday and did not press after piecing each strip together but rather waited until the block was done -- well I am not happy with the way they turned out so I will undo them and resew them the correct way -- pressing after each strip is added -- oh well lesson learned. In the end, short cuts don't save time.

New Books

2008-04-02T21:30:00.004-04:00

I purchased two books at the quilt show -- Portable Patchwork and Quilts for Rosie.

The Portable Patchwork book gives tips and techniques for taking patchwork with you (hand piecing) and it also gives tips on how to then machine piece those blocks once you have them hand pieced. I thought it would be a good addition to the library.

Quilts for Rosie is a book on paper piecing blocks from the 1940's and also has a brief history of women in WWII. This book intrigued me because my MIL was a Riveter during WWII and had paperwork showing that she was a member of the Rosie the Riveter organization. I say 'had' as DH believes she has thrown away all of that 'stuff' -- ugh! As a history lover, I am hoping that she has not thrown it away as it is an important part of our family history.

My MIL actually wanted to join the Armed Forces but her mother would not sign the necessary papers allowing her to enlist. So instead she became a riveter in order to help the war effort. I am looking forward to having a nice conversation with her in the near future in order to capture her experiences during this time.

Dear Jane, Civil War and April Fool's Giveaway

2008-04-01T06:26:00.009-04:00

I was fortunate to spend the past weekend in Lancaster, PA enjoying the 21st Quilters' Heritage Celebration. During the past 21 years over 8,000 quilts have been display with only a select few being displayed more than once -- a tidbit I found interesting. In addition to the vendors at the show, there is a group of 'renegade' vendors in the building across the street -- kind of a two for one deal. The quilts on display were varied, traditional to art including some clothing. One of my favorites was a Dear Baby Jane done in 30's reproductions and solid pastels which were used for the backgrounds and triangles in the border. I was inspired to piece two of my own Dear Baby Jane blocks on Sunday. It has been awhile since I have hand pieced. After the first block I was back in the groove and able to make my stitches a reasonable size. Not quite small enough but that will come with more practice.

Building on the inspiration of the quilt show and the new civil war fabrics I purchased, I pieced two more civil war blocks last night. I have a total of 15 blocks completed. So as you can see I am still a bit behind the rest of the group as I believe we are on Week 8 for a total of 56 blocks having been chosen thus far. They are addicting blocks if only I could find the time to piece them :)

Lastly as Caryn mentioned on her blog last Friday, I am giving away one of my Abe Lincoln's to one lucky winner. All you have to do is post a comment stating you would like to be entered in the April Fool's Giveaway by Sunday night. I will pull the lucky winner's name next Monday and post it on my blog.

I will post more about the show and the surrounding Lancaster area throughout the week.

Jimmy Buffet Quilt

2008-03-24T22:37:00.004-04:00

I made this quilt a couple of years ago and taught a class at my LQS during one summer. I have affectionately named it the Jimmy Buffet Quilt because looking at it reminds me several Jimmy Buffet songs -- Margaritaville, Fins, Changes in Latitudes -- just to name a few. The houses, cabanas, palm trees and sun are paper-pieced and I only used batiks. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, I sold the quilt to someone who walked into my LQS, saw the quilt and asked if it was for sale. The woman and her husband spent their vacations in the Caribbean and she wanted to give it to him for Christmas. So I sold it with the intention of someday making another one for myself -- just as soon as I find a blue for the sky . . .

Caryn was a student in my class that summer and made 3 of these quilts AND gave them away -- fortunately one was for her DD so at least she can visit it or the quilt visits Caryn when DD is home from college.

Progress . . . .

2008-03-24T22:01:00.003-04:00

I completed the last of my nautical bluework blocks tonight!!!! I started these blocks last April just prior to our trip to Florida. I thought they would make a great project to work on while sitting in the airport, flying in the plane and during other quiet moments throughout the vacation. Prior to our departure I carefully searched Continental Airlines' website to ensure I was able to carry a needle and scissors onto the plane. Luckily I was able to bring a pair of scissors that were less than 4" so I packed up my project including my favorite stork scissors and off to the airport we went. No issues going to security to fly to Orlando and no issues flying back into Newark. Fantastic -- the perfect travel project, no prep work, just one color thread and a basic embroidery stitch. Later in the year I would travel to Toronto on business with the same project, same scissors. No issues leaving Newark with the scissors and needle in tow. BUT when I went through security in Toronto to return to the States, I was told my scissors could not fly in the cabin with me. Evidently you can fly within the United States with scissors and you can leave the United States with scissors. However, one is not allowed to bring scissors into the country -- go figure. So since I did not want to check my carry on and wait forever to get my luggage upon my late night return to Newark, I left my little stork scissors in Toronto. I hope they have made a Canadian quilter happy :) Next time I fly I am bringing a container of dental floss to cut my thread.

Here is a sampling of the blocks - there are 15 in all. I plan to alternate the bluework blocks with a modified nine patch.

I have the border fabric picked out -- a lighthouse toile that I found at one of the quilt shows a couple years ago. Now to find the fabrics for the modified nine patch --- hmmm guess I will have something to look for in Lancaster. I might have to revoke my promise to leave the checkbook home.

Work, Cleaning and Taxes

2008-03-23T12:20:00.002-04:00

It was not a very productive week for sewing. I got stuck working extra hours to get the latest forecast done. Had to clean the house for the company I am expecting for dinner later today. And spent a few hours digging through paperwork looking for additional tax information that the accountant requested. I did manage to get the binding turned on a baby quilt that I made for my aunt to give to her best friend's grandson for his first birthday but other than that there hasn't been much sewing going on in this house. Some weeks are like that -- hopefully things will improve and I will find time to sit at the machine or as least pick up some hand sewing this week. Next weekend is the Quilt Show in Lancaster. The Posse was unable to go this year as the son of a Posse member is getting married. Maybe next year ..... So DH and I will take a ride to visit the show and see some of the Amish countryside. DH eagerly agreed to go as he loves Amish cooking and there are several good places to eat in the Lancaster area.

Out with Winter, In with Spring

2008-03-17T20:39:00.006-04:00

The weekend was spent taking down the snowmen decorations and cleaning in anticipation of the upcoming Easter holiday.

The snowmen were replaced with bunnies and eggs .... the eggs were my first foray into working with wool.

Now the house has the feel of Spring . . .

Meet Malibu Blue

2008-03-14T12:32:00.002-04:00

I thought I would introduce Malibu Blue, my one-year gray tabby. I adopted Malibu last year from a local animal shelter. He is a "ferrel" cat as he was born outside. He is one of the most loving cats, on his own terms, even though he can still be very skittish. If company comes, you can be assured that they will not see Malibu during their visit. I have had visitors question whether I really have a cat.

He loves to assist in the layout of quilt blocks . . . .

Although he would rather play with them . . .

If I could only decide on the placement of the blocks and get this top pieced and to my long arm quilter ..... LOL!

Spring Forward . . . .

2008-03-12T07:04:00.003-04:00

The time change this past weekend has put me out of sorts this week. I keep telling myself "it is only an hour -- this can't possibly have that much impact on my life." Well I guess it does :) Having grown up in the 70's I certainly remember the long line of cars on the main street outside of our development waiting to get gas at the nearby gas station. I remember my parents feeling fortunate that the license plates on the two family cars were even and odd so that on any given day, they were able to put gas into them. Now that I am in my 40's and seem to struggle more and more with the time change, I am starting to wonder if we really need Daylight Savings Time. Perhaps I should move to Hawaii ... beautiful beaches, sunshine almost every day and they don't participate in Daylight Savings Time.

Quilt Show Goodies

2008-03-06T22:29:00.006-05:00

I thought I would share a few of the projects I picked up at the quilt show last weekend. Anyone who knows me would agree that these are definitely "Mary projects". In fact the members of the Posse saw the Tropical Sunset quilt before I did. They insisted that I come look at this "Mary project" and completely agreed with me when I said "I just have to have this". This one has moved towards the top of my list. I just need to get a few UFOs finished and get a handle on my CW blocks and DBJ blocks. Yeah, right! Although it is Sew Day with the Posse today and I have picked out some more fabrics for the next few blocks. Maybe I can get the fabric cut and sew some blocks today :)

More Civil War Blocks

2008-03-06T21:58:00.003-05:00

The civil war blocks were calling to me last night so I put my Baby Dear Jane aside to work on the blocks. With the completion of these four little blocks I have now completed the blocks from Week 1 as well as two from Week 3. I have not decided whether I also want to piece the Love Letters blocks. I have the book and the CD .... I keep thinking this project would be more manageable if I only attempted to piece blocks from one book. Then I think "hmmm once I complete the civil war blocks and put them into a quilt, would I really go back and piece the Love Letters blocks to make a second quilt? Probably not." Tomorrow night I will cut the fabric for a few more blocks so I can piece them on Saturday. Saturday is Sew Day at the firehouse. Several hours of sewing, chatting and eating without any members of the male species. It is supposed to rain on Saturday -- what better way to spend a rainy Saturday than sewing and catching up with a few quilting buddies?

Dear Baby Jane or Nearly Insane?

2008-03-05T12:19:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I think I need to go back to school and learn how to say "no". The Dear Jane quilt has been on my project list for a few years but I haven't really given it serious thought as I always considered it a "once in a lifetime" project and figured I would start on it when I retired 20 years from now. I had become somewhat serious about it again after seeing the original Dear Jane quilt on display in Vermont in 2006. But then other projects became a priority or more interesting and the Dear Jane quilt moved down the project list.

One of my dilemmas in starting this project was what fabrics to use -- 30's, civil war reproductions, batiks, two colors, etc. The time has come to resolve that dilemma as you will see from my sidebar I have signed on for the Dear Baby Jane blog group. In addition, I am participating in Megan's sewing group. So last night I resolved the fabric dilemma:

After making that decision, I was feeling confident and moved onto selecting fabrics for the first block in the Dear Baby Jane blog group. I even pulled out the book and freezer paper to trace the templates for hand piecing. And then my motivation ended, it was getting late and I was feeling tired from a long day at work so I packed up everything. I went to sleep with every intention of waking up earlier so I could piece before I went to work. Ah, but the sound of the rain and the dark, gloomy day made catching a few more minutes of sleep seem more enticing than waking up early to hand piece. I could always piece the block tonight. . . . so if I stay true to my promise to myself, I will post my progress tomorrow.

A Bit of Detective Work

2008-03-05T12:10:00.003-05:00

Imagine my surprise as I walked out of the house this morning and saw my front yard.

My first thought was "gee the paperboy (man) is really strong -- he managed to knock over the fence". After feeling frustrated and annoyed that someone would do this and not even leave a note, I remembered I REALLY needed to be on my way to work. After a brief conversation with DH, we concluded that we do not have a strong paperboy as the paper that is laying near the fence is actually from February 22 and had been buried in the snow! So the mystery continues and may never be solved as to how the fence was knocked down. Well at least DH has the first item on his "honey do" list for the Spring.

Inspiration

2008-03-03T12:26:00.002-05:00

I don't think there is anything better to inspire one to start sewing then buying new fabrics. I was able to complete three civil war blocks yesterday which brings my total to five completed so far. I have four more cut out which I hope to piece tonight.

I am also inspired to create after walking through the quilt display at a show or after show and tell at the local guild meeting. Sometimes all we need to get our creative juices flowing again is to see what others are doing or have accomplished.

Posse Outing

2008-03-02T08:05:00.004-05:00

The Posse gathered for an outing yesterday. The "Posse" is a term that my DH has given to my circle of quilting friends. After a few phone calls and text messages yesterday morning, we coordinated our meeting time and place. We were a bit worried the snow storm might have delayed our departure time but luckily the weatherman was wrong again! Soon we arrived at our destination -- the local quilt show! Our approach to the show was varied. Some of us purchased items immediately upon seeing them in the vendor's booths. While others made a list and decided on their purchases at the end of the day. I have tried several times to first walk through the vendors, make a list and come back at the end of the day. But that approach just doesn't seem to work for me. What if the item is gone when I finally decide to go back and purchase it? On the other hand, there is a lot to be said for the wait and see approach -- just in case something better is lurking in those last few aisles.

Happily I was able to cross off a few items from my quilting wish list -- civil war fabrics for my Civil War Diary blocks, fabrics for my ongoing I Spy quilt and plus a few items that I didn't even know I needed before I left the house.

Below are civil war reproductions that will work nicely with the Civil War Diary blocks ....

Jumping In

2008-02-29T16:25:00.005-05:00

Hello -- after some encouragement from a few friends I have decided to enter the world of blogging (is that correct?). My sons would roll their eyes and say "you're old mom" if I asked them that question. Both of them are in college but still living at home. I think they have it "too good" as they keep telling me they are never moving out. I recently joined the Civil War quilt project and have posted pictures of my first two blocks. They are the only ones I have completed thus far. I am hoping to catch up this weekend as the group has already selected 21 blocks and will pick 7 more on Sunday. I am looking forward to chatting with my friends who have blogs and am also looking forward to getting to know the new friends I will meet along the way!