Christmas 2010

The boys get gifts from so many relatives and friends, they get overwhelmed. So this year Lacy let them start opening gifts on the 18th. First gifts from friends, then the great-grandparents, grandparent and finally we were all out done by Santa.

Nikolas was in a Christmas play at his little school. He sang his little heart out and I think the cutest little tree.

Greg is having so much fun trying to take everything apart with his new drill. Safety first even with toys.

Our little Aiden is growing like crazy. He says Moma, Dada, hey and AJ.

Have a great weekend!

Are you ready?

Are you ready for the new year? I am! I will be participating in a towel swap that Toni is hosting, I will be doing the Boot Boogie BOM from Molly and I'm getting a new grandbaby!

I have a few things to share and I will get the photos uploaded sometime today. I won't be able to show you the towels for a few days as I don't want to spoil the surprise for the other swappers. Yes, I took Jan '11.

Happy quilting!

Where is Cindy?

Cindy is laying on the sofa or laying in bed. Yes, I've been sick for a month and when one has been sick that long depression can sit in. So I'm better but still fighting the depression. I will win the fight I'm just not sure when.

So my Christmas projects are not finished and probably won't be this year and I'm still at the point that I don't care that they are not completed. I've purchased the boys Christmas and Jon and Lacy will get a card with money in it. So I'm calling my Christmas shopping finished. (Note: Hubby and I shop for each other after Christmas.)

I did a little sewing before I got sick. I saw people making string pieced quilts and I liked them. NEVER NEVER AGAIN!!!! What a mess. I don't think I will ever get all those little pieces picked up.

I also started a farm quilt for Aiden.

Doesn't every farm have a wolf and a caterpillar?

And every farm has at least one ant. lol

Oops! I goofed and made two ants.

What's a farm without a pig?

You have to have a barn for all your animals. I think that is a pretty fancy barn.

The other thing I did was I made an owl using Barb's pattern. I will be adding to this little owl collection.

Happy quilting!

Cottage Quilt

I was in a swap that Betsy hosted that finished this year. All of the cottages are just wonderful. The pattern  that we followed called for a wall hanging, a huge wall hanging. Mine will be laying on the back of the sofa for the little boys, Nikolas discovered the windows had things in them and he had a blast looking at the windows.

I used flannel for the backing as I wanted it to be soft for the boys. I thought flannel was made for this quilt.

Thanks to all the ladies for a wonderful swap.

Fractured Diamond

Using Rhonda's tutorial for making the Fractured Diamond and working from my stash I made this little quilt.

I'm hoping to come up with enough black for the border. It is small but I think it will look nice on my dining table.

Happy stitching!

Flower Mini

I finished the flower mini, sorta. I was so unhappy with the way the binding turned out that I took it Saturday. I will put it back on this week.

Happy stitching!

My Flower

When you don't have a pattern and you are working from an idea that is in your head, sometimes things don't go exactly as planned. No problem! I made fillers that I think are cute. lol

Not all of the fillers will be this shape.

Happy stitching!

New project

Since I couldn't find my pieces to Emilee's Winding Way last week I started a new project. When I started the project I had a table runner in mind but my mind didn't keep up and I cut it to narrow. Oh well, now it will be a skinny wall hanging. I really like this black fabric. I used the black fabric for the background and the backing.

This is the back of the quilt.

Can you see the blob of thread on the bottom left of the corner? What happened?

This is one of the flowers. I only have two flowers appli-quilted. I love the way the flowers are turning out.

I'm off this morning to Joann's and Toy r Us. Yes, I know Toys r us does not sell fabric but they sell toys that little boys would like for Christmas.

Happy stitching!

Week ending 10/2

Well, that worked pretty well keeping me motivated. Plus I didn't feel like I had to work on a project because it was on my list. I worked on what I wanted to work on.

Sunday
1. Sewed binding on Bliss & Blessings
2. Pull backing fabric for Serenity Prayer panel.

Monday
1. Basted Serenity Prayer panel.

Tuesday
1. Started quilting Serenity Prayer.

Wednesday
1.Looked for background squares and corner stones for Emilee's Winding Ways.

Thursday
1. Looked for background squares and corner stones for Emilee's Winding Ways.

Friday
1.Looked for background squares and corner stones for Emilee's Winding Ways.

Saturday
1. Looked for background squares and corner stones for Emilee's Winding Ways.
2. Started a new project because I couldn't find Emilee's Winding Ways.
3. Traced applique' pieces
4. Fused applique' pieces to fabric.
5. Looked for background squares and corner stones for Emilee's Winding Ways.
6. Made vine for new projects.
7. Fused applique' to background
8. Layered new project.
9. Started appli-quilting new project.
10. Looked for background squares and corner stones foe Emilee's Winding Ways.
11. Found background squares and corner stones for Emillee's Winding Ways. WOOHOO!!

I looked everywhere for the pieces I had already cut for Emilee's Winding Ways. I had looked so much I had decided I had accidently thrown them away. Saturday afternoon I remembered that when I was showing my neighbor the batik flower garden quilt those pieces were laying on the bed. I unfolded the batik quilt and there they were. Thank goodness!

Happy stitching!

Bliss & Blessings

Betsy gave me this panel last year and I started quilting it earlier this year. It is a Laurel Burch and I just love it. All I did was quilt it and put a binding on but I think it looks nice.

I love the colors and the designs.

Happy stitching!

P.S. Can you believe this is the last day of September?

My Flower

One more little flower. My wall hanging is slowly growing.

Happy stitching!

Baby quilt

My quilting friend (no blog) made this adorable baby quilt.

You can make it this size or you can add borders for a larger quilt. Yes, she made it out of flannel, it was so soft.

So she brought a scrap to my apt and I made a label for her, nothing fancy.

This pattern looks easy enough for me to make. Maybe after the first of the year.

Happy stitching!

Goals NOT

Seems that making a list of goals that I hope to accomplish is not working for me at the moment. The goal list isn't working because I don't always want to work on what I need to work on. So I'm going to try making a list of what I am accomplishing. Feel free not to read as I'm doing this to keep up with my accomplishments and this is subject to change.

Sunday
1. Found templates for fall Mini
2. Traced templates
3. Fused and cutout fused pieces
4. Cut background
5. Fused pieces to background

Monday
1. Sewed fall mini

Tuesday
1.Sewed hexagon flowers
2. Sewed hexagon borders

Wednesday
1. Laid out cottage blocks
2. Cut sashing, inner border and outer border for cottage quilt
3. Sewed  sashings and borders on cottage quilt.
4. Looked shocked at how big the quilt was.
5. Made quilt label for my friend's quilt.

Thursday
1. Watched the first half of Rachel Ray.
2. Went into bedrm to look at Cottage quilt.
3. Pulled possible fabrics for backing.
4. Threw fabric in floor.
5. Repeat 1 - 4
6. Watched the first half of Wendy Williams.
7. Repeat 2 - 4
Do you see what I didn't do?

Friday
1. Picked up pile of fabric out of floor and re-folded. Who did that?
2. Pulled Halloween fabric.
3. Looked for circle template.
4. Finished quilting Bliss and Blessings.

Saturday
1. Ironed fabric for bindings on  Bliss & Blessings.
2. Cut binding.

I hope you had a great week. Fall is finally here in the DFW area and I hope it stays awhile.

Happy stitching!

Ready for fall

I'm ready for cooler weather. Just cool enough where I can open the windows.

I had saw on some blogs where the blogger was making quilts and wall hangings using fall colored fabrics. I wasn't even sure I had any fall fabrics. Fall fabrics while beautiful are so not me. So I went in search. I came up with a few pieces, enough for a small wall hanging. Barb had made a wall hanging without batting so I gave it a try. I will be making more wall hangings with out batting.

I liked the back also. :D

I immediately hung it up by the front door.

I'm already thinking Christmas.

Happy stitching!

Emilie's Winding Ways

I got started on this quilt. I had this kit for 10 months thinking it was piecing and it was applique'. Amazing what you learn when you read the instructions.

In one day I traced all 56 pieces, sewed all 56 pieces and cut background, corner stones and borders. Whew! No rocking needed for me that night. Betsy sent me a great link for needleturn but I don't know how to do needleturn and I didn't want to learn on this wall hanging. So I used interfacing and sewed on my traced line.

This is after the interfacing had been sewn and the piece cut out.

And this is showing where I cut a slit in the back and one turned. I hope you can see the slit I cut for turning.

And the next picture shows a finished block. I'm so unhappy with it. The instructions said to use needleturn or invisible thread so it would show. Well, mine does.

Yes, I will finish it but I really want to cry every time I look at that block. I won't bore you with another post about Emilie's Winding Ways until much later.

Happy stitching!

My Flower

Here is my batik flower for this week.

I was sewing more hexes and half hexes on the border. Do you see what I did?

I decided I needed to pay closer attention. lol A few snips, a flip and I had it going the right direction. Whew!

Happy stitching!

Pillowcases

We have ugly brown sheets. I didn't pick them out, Hubbykins did. I had looked at those plain brown ugly pillowcases as long as I could. So I made some more. Not quiet as cheerful as I like but definitely an improvement. No more bedding shopping for Hubbykins!

Happy stitching!

Birthday squishy

Last week was my birthday and I had a great birthday. Toni sent me a birthday squishy of fat quarters and they are so pretty. I left them laying on the sofa all week admiring them. HEY! It was my birthday so I could. lol

I told you they were pretty. I just had to open this fat quarter up so you could see how cute it is. Toni said it made her think of the boys so I'm sure I will cut some I Spy hexes from it.

Happy stitching!

Crazy Quilt Friday

Oh I got an envelope from Betsy. I love squishy mail. :D Betsy made a block for me to use in my crazy quilt and I love it.

Betsy also sent the pre-printed foundation block. I didn't know you could buy these, I had to ask Betsy. I can't wait to use it.

Just look at all the trim and little applique's she shared with me. I laid them on the purple fabric so they would show up better.

I think I will be busy playing with all the things Betsy shared with me.

Thanks, Betsy

Sneak Peek

You know all those batik flowers I've been making? I still have a lot more to make but I've set that project aside for a few weeks days so I can finish a Christmas present. I know it is September but you just never know what will happen. Oh yeah, you wanted a peek.

Do you see my mistake? The mistake that I had not noticed until I was looking at this picture. The dark color flower is to far to the left. I will snip it and move it over to the right. At least I wasn't quilting the quilt when I noticed my  mistake.

Happy stitching!

Thank you

I would like to say thank you to all my friends who inspire me and keep me creating. If you didn't read SewCalGal's blog post yesterday, please go read now. Such a nice post plus she has a great blog.

I'll be back soon with pictures.

9/8/10

Yesterday was a great quilting day but I was so tired. Did I accomplish all of my goals and what are my goals for today?

9/7/10
1. Finish quilting Greg's frog quilt.
2. Quilt Aiden's Cute Croc quilt.
3. Layer and baste My Flower Garden
4. Make more hexes.

Plus I pieced my crazy quilt. No, I will not be quilting it any time soon. I HATE THE QUILTING PART OF QUILTING.

And I think I deserve to start a new project.

So I'm starting Emilie's Winding Ways from Connecting threads.

9/8/10
1. Layer and baste My Flower Garden
2. Trace all pieces on to fusible.
3. Fuse pieces to fabric
4. Cut background blocks
5. Cut out fused pieces.

What are your plans?

Today sewing

I have big plans for today. Hubby doesn't get off work until 8 tonight, should be home by 8:30. Can we say over work the machine?

Here is what I plan to accomplish:
1. Finish quilting Greg's frog quilt.
2. Quilt Aiden's Cute Croc quilt.
3. Layer and baste My Flower Garden
4. Make more hexes.

What are your quilting plans for today?

My Flower

I think every week I tell you how much I love the flower. Well, I do love them all but I really love this one.

Happy stitching!

My Flower Garden

Finally, I got the time to start on my flower garden quilt. I decided not to use all 25 flowers, I pulled out the duplicates. I wanted to fuse the flowers to the background but I knew it would take a lot of fusible so I had this roll of wonder under and thought I would give it a try.

It did take a while to get all those little snippets on the back of the flowers.

My plan was to lay the quilt in the floor and fuse the flowers to the quilt. Hubbykins had a stroke, he was sure I would scorch the carpet. Hello! I'm quilter I know how to iron press quilts. So I put it on the bed.

It looks like more flowers are on the left than on the right. So I'm thinking I might make some smaller ones for the right side. Anyway, my idea didn't work on the bed so I ended up pinning the flowers. I will be double checking A LOT.

This entry was pre-scheduled for about a week. Well, last Friday I had about 8 flowers applique'd and I got the urge to get this baby finished. All day I worked on the quilt taking a break about every 45 minutes because my back would start spasming. I put the duplicates back on the quilt but it is finished. Now the search for the perfect backing will start this afternoon. It isn't a huge quilt just big enough for me, 50" x 65" but I love it and look forward to using it.

I can't decide to quilt butterflies on it or birds. I really like the birds but butterflies would go better with the flowers.

I hope when the quilt if finished that my quilt holder is at home.

Happy stitching!

Crazy Quilt Pillow Friday.

I got one pillow top made. Unfortunately, I didn't get it quilted or the pillow stuffed. I sorta started playing with another project and ran out of time. I will add pearls to this also.

The drop cloth is kinda on hold. I've had a lot of trouble with the gathers and my hubby got tired of listening to me fuss and offered a pretty good idea. So I'm toying with his idea.

Happy stitching!

My Flower

I love this batik flower. I can't wait to start putting the garden together.

Happy stitching!

I Spy

I've started an I Spy hexagon quilt. It is a long way from being finished but I'm in no hurry.

Happy stitching!

My Flower

One more batik flower bloomed.

Happy stitching!