pink and gray.

It all started with these blocks.

4 patches.

I told you I love that old gray fabric.

What can I do with these??

I've got some scraps. Don't you??
I can make some start points.
You can see I'm not too exacting on those triangle star points.
They're all a little different.
Just lay that scrap on the white rectangle and sew it down!
I'll just trim the excess.



Here are some lurvely stars!
I made 20 this weekend!!

I also had some little half triangles that I trimmed off of

those stars.

These are all squared up to 2 1/2".

They will make a nice border for this quilt!!

Happy Monday!

Are you all avoiding the holiday to-do list like me

and making unnecessary quilts??

Lots to share today!

I'm finally showing you my little chair.

I finished this about a month ago and just never posted about it.

I hung it in the hall....right outside my laundry room.

It makes me smile.

This little quilt (art quilt?) took a lot of time.

Why didn't I use steam a seam and machine quilt???

But..... NO!

I had to hand applique and hand quilt it!!!

Don't ask me why.

Here's some of the stitches. You can see I'm not an expert at

that hand quilting!!

Every little or big quilt is an adventure...

and each time I think I get a little better at it.

THEN...

I have a little rescue effort that goes on at my house...

This box of squares.

some of them are mine...but MOST were given to me.

They sit under a bed...waiting!!!

Soooo.

When I want some mindless stitching I pull them out.

I liked this peacock fabric.

So I pulled a bunch of squares that I thought went with it.

And came up with this.
It all came out of that box!!
I think those little squares are so happy to be out in the sunshine!
And, I like the "quirky" way it turned out!






Then I've been working on these little squares.
I really like that OLD gray fabric!!



Here are some fabrics that I found in my stash.
There were not enough squares in that box
that really matched the pinks and gray!
Can you believe it??

Now I have to cut some more squares!

You can see that my Quilt Tops are piling up!
I haven't QUILTED a quilt for a while..
One of these days I'll do it.
But, NOT TODAY!


And last but not least....
Still working away on my Joseph's coat.

I enjoyed doing some of the basting around the outside edges
while talking to family and friends after the big meal yesterday!

I'm going to add this to amy's sew and tell!

a winner!!

We have a winner!!

One of the most encouraging quilters I know!

WackyWoman....aka.....Marilyn!

She already has a LOT of pincushions!

Now she'll have one from me!:)

Thank you to everyone who responded and

all of you who are kind enough to read my ramblings. :)

Over at my house we're getting ready for guests.

20 to be exact.

I really don't focus on the getting ready as much as I should.

I would rather be creating something.

So I call these pillows..."updating my living room for company".

Aren't they cute?

I bought that little piece of center fabric this last summer.

That's all there was.

Maybe it was a fat quarter.

I just cut it in half and added some strips of fabric

around the outside.

Now...I REALLY better get going!

I've got some things to do in the kitchen.

Not as much as I used to though....

Look at what my daughter did!!!

She made her first pies! I'm so happy and proud...

I've also been singing "sunrise, sunset" all morning!

When did she (and all my kids for that matter) grow up??

It was YESTERDAY that she was a little girl!

Happy Thanksgiving!

There's SO much to be thankful for ALL year long!

Hope you all have a great day with family and friends.

100!!! give away!

I made something for YOU!!

Since my blog started with a pincushion...

I thought I would GIVE a pincushion to celebrate!

100 POSTS! I really can't believe it's here already!

This blog has made my sewing time so-o-o much more friendly.
(for lack of a better word)

You have saved my NON-sewing friends.

They don't have to hear me BLAB on and on about all

the FUN things I'm making anymore.

(well....once in a while I blab) :)

YOU listen!!

Actually I talk to you, my blog friends, the whole time I'm sewing!

Weird?...probably.

I especially appreciate those sweet ladies who rarely miss a post and comment!

YOU know who you are!

Thank you!

Here's where I got that little bit of fabric to make the pincushion.

I'm making a "million" of these blocks and have lots of leftover...

itty bitty pieces.

That fabric is SO pretty!

and

I'm SO crazy!

I sew those little bits together and get things like...

LOVELY pincushions for my friends!

Maybe I'm not so CRAZY after all.

I'll pick a number tomorrow morning!

24 hours!!

Make a comment and tell me....

How many pincushions do YOU own??

I own SEVEN!

Truthfully...I'm tempted to make a few pincushions and have

MULTIPLE winners...

BUT....

I should probably see how my FIRST give away goes....huh?

I figured it out!

In a previous post, I wondered what I would do with these.

Some of you helped me out!

Thank you!!!

So nice to have this blogging community to share with!

I LOVE it!

I added those sashings and cornerstones.

I like it!

Then I had to figure out the sides.
I don't want empty white triangles on the edges.
How can I incorporate some of my leftover squares?



Here we go.




I had some of this other "sort of" white in my stash.
I like the way it goes with the sashings....but it's different.

I had JUST enough for the side triangles...but not enough for the four corners!!
I found another "sort of" white that
I will put in each of those corners.
Can't wait!!!!

This will be a TRUE scrappy quilt

Although I don't know how I'll progress this week...
...kids home....
....cooking....
....cleaning......
...hosting a big meal.....

AND
last but not least

100 POST giveaway...
coming up!!!!

music bag

I blogged about these W-A-Y back in July!

Did anyone wonder what I was going to do with all this??

I did!

After making many of these silky hexagons, I was advised

by a wise quilter..

"Silk is thin and fragile...especially old ties,

So don't make a quilt or especially a bag and expect it

to HOLD UP."

There went my dream of a quilt or bag!!

So I'll use them as embellishments!

I like this!

I'll add this to AmyLou's sew and tell friday!

First I appliqued those hexagons on a long rectangle.

Then I added some batting and quilted the lines.

I added a simple lining and handles.



The back...Simple.
It's just the right size for my choir and piano music.
Love it!

And YOU know I have lots of those little hexagons left...
You're so smart!
What am I going to do with them all???

red and white

This little pile of red and white has been on my mind.

Love those little tiny, tiny red and white squares all

sewn together...helter skelter!

Don't know what I'm going to do with them yet!!

But, I LOVE 'em!

So Modern!

Then there's the traditional....

Cross stitch with red.

The perfect occupation when you're sitting in the waiting room.

I did both the heart and the monogram during

ONE

of my waits at the doctors office!

Then This!!!

I made a little tiny pillow with that ribbon and buttons.

Then I just basted that little sign on!

CUTE!

This is one of my samples for a little craft class

I will be leading in the spring.

Every year I go to a ladies church retreat.

Most of the ladies who do the craft want something

1. easy!

2. simple!

3. fun!

I will bring the cross stitching things and let them

make their own little pillow sign!!

I also have more red and white on the horizon!

My local quilt shop asked me to design a

redwork calendar quilt!!

Am I excited??

YES!

scraps

Here's what I've been sewing.

Scraps, scraps and more scraps.

Did it put a DENT in my scrap drawer?

You're right.

NO!

I had those paper pieced star points from a previous project.

They never seemed to "GO with" the quilt I was working on.

I found some scraps that they DO go with!

I quilted circles ALL OVER this little quilt.

Just need to finish the binding!

Yeah!

Another finish!

one week!

I have one week to see how the other half lives!

other half=those fortunate crafters/seamstresses

that have their VERY OWN space!

My daughter is house sitting this week.

My other daughter is at college FAR away.

I moved into their room!!!!

I DID ask permission!

It was granted!!!

All it took was a portable table and my sewing machine.

I'm using the beds for storage.

You can imagine how organized I am!!

But it's L-O-V-E-ly...so far.

And....you're never going to see my dining room so neat.

I had to take a picture.


I do miss sewing RIGHT next to my cooking area!
So HANDY!
But, a little messy!

Well, in ONE week, I'll be here again!!



This is one of the things I'm thinking about today.
How will I put these together??
How many more blocks should I make??
How big will this quilt be???
There are NO wrong answers!!
Isn't quilting fun??!

Back to my new sewing room!!

stars

Another finished quilt!

yeah!!

These blue squares have been waiting for me.

When they were all by themselves they were rather

DULL.

But that red trim helps!

So do the quilted stars and loops!

I'm donating this to my local quild.
They were able to give away over 200 quilts
to local charities last year!
WOW!

I'm adding this to amylou's list!

i can't knit.

Since I can't knit, I had to make scarves out of wool.
Cut some rectangles.


Sew some binding on.

Add some beads.

Stitch those cute little pictures on with embroidery floss.

Voila!

Probably faster than knitting!

And then get back to business!

Boring business, if you ask me!

Squaring up all those little 2 1/2" half-square triangles!

I'm adding this to Kootoyoo's creative spaces today!

red, white and blue

Here's one of my unfinished projects.

Last year I spent HOURS cutting up some plaid shirts.

It's SOOOO much easier cutting fabric that does not

have all those little buttons and seams in the way.

I still have more blocks to make....

I'm trying to decide how I'm going to lay out the blocks.

Should I put some off-white strips between the blocks??

or make another kind of block that alternates with these???

I'm stuck....

Today I'll quilt this top for a donation.

PERFECT color of Veteran's Day!!

AND.....
after dropping some things off at the dry cleaners this week
I noticed my dry cleaner's pin cushions.
They were OLD and SAD.

Sam, the dry cleaner, is the BEST small business owner I know.
He knew my name after my FIRST visit, years ago.
That really impressed me!
Amazing what it means to you, when someone knows you
BY NAME.
Even though I live in a busy city....
it feels like a small town in businesses like Sam's.

Sooo.
This little pincusion shirt goes to Sam.

joseph's coat

I joined a quilt along last week.

Here's my second block.

My first block was a race to the finish, so the points

didn't match as well as this one.

wellllll, they say practice makes perfect!

I know I have a lot of practice ahead.

I was really trying to be first. :)

Kellie, who is hosting this particular quiltalong was offering a prize

for the first block done!

I love a challenge!!

But....I came in second!!

I did not buy the stitch and wash product she recommends.

I couldn't find it in time.

After struggling with the first block I've decided to

just draw the design on the muslin with a pencil line.

Then I'm doing needle turn as I applique on the those pretty petals.

That's why, if you look closely, the outside edges of the

circle are still raw edges.

I think we will be joining the blocks there,

but the instructions have not been sent out yet.

I think I will have fun with this quilt and will

have a take-along project for a LONG time!

49 blocks!!!

Look at what I did with the little scraps!
One of my friends admired the fabric.
I couldn't resist making this, since her
birthday coincided with her sweet comment!

Now she has a little bit of that fabric for herself!!