Memories...

 All I have now are the memories.

After a week away with Hollis as teacher...I'm energized!

I'm so ready to sew!!!

I'm so ready to CREATE!!!

Being right next to the ocean didn't hurt either!!!

Nature is always a MAJOR inspiration!!!

We learned to paint with dye onto prepared fabric....

 I also did some handstitching on fabric!

Yes....

there was a little bit of shopping going on too!!!!

Can't deny I love CUTE fabric!!!

:)

Vacation Time!

I'm taking a little trip!

The bags are packed.

The dinners are prepared for the family!

(I get extra POINTS for that one!)

AND...

I finally figured out what to take along for the

L-O-N-G car trip.

I wasn't worried about supplies for the class...

I wasn't worried about forgetting my toothbrush...

NO.......

I've been WORRIED about a handwork project!!!

I've had SO many finishes lately,

(like my hawaiian pillow),

 I thought I had RUN OUT of take-along projects!!!!

This is a little table runner I began a while ago.

I'm So happy I ran into it today...

JUST in the NICK of time!!!!

If this corner of blogland's a little quieter this week...

You'll know why!

I'll be taking a class from Hollis Chatelain

way up in Northern California

at the Empty Spools Seminar!!!

Woo Hoo! for learning more about QUILTING!!!!

I'm so thankful my husband is willing to

"hold down the fort" while I'm gone!

What a sweetie!

Hawaiian Style.

Another Finish this week!!!

Who would have ever "thunk" it???

Many hours spent in waiting rooms Paid off!!!!

I loved hand quilting this....

just following the appliqued design....

around and around.

It was a relaxing project...

JUST LIKE a vacation in HAWAII!!!!

Well....

not QUITE THAT relaxing.

:0

OLD

I received some OLD quilt pieces today.

Most of the blocks were already joined in rows.

WHy...oh why....did this quilt maker STOP???

(Maybe because she was HANDPIECING!!!) :0

I came home and went to work.

It didn't take TOO long to piece it all together.

OOPS!!!

Looks like I need to go back and fix that bottom left block.

:/

Touching an old quilt, is to ME, like touching HISTORY.

Maybe people interested in old books feel that way too.

Or...

Those who collect coins....etc...

After getting it all together...

 I washed it GENTLY...

and laid it out in the sun to dry!

Mmmm.....

What a treasure!!!

I just LOVE touching history!

I linked this post over at a Elizabeth's today! ;)

She likes Vintage quilts!

Who doesn't??

The very LAST post.

This is my LAST post about this one!!!

You won't have to hear me drone on about it anymore.

;0

I started putting 2" squares together here....

But...

It seems like it was FOREVER ago.

This quilt is FULL of my scraps...

It's also FULL of blogland LOVE.

Some of you sent me little 2" squares to include

and I was able to use ALMOSt ALL of them!

I takes a LOT of 2 inches to make a queen sized quilt..

Let me TELL you!!!

I had to go out and BUY fabric for the backing!

I've been trying sooo hard to stay away from NEW fabric.

It's WAY too tempting.

You can see I had trouble making up my MIND about which fabric I liked BEST.

;)

Can you see the lines of quilting???

No puckers!!! Woo Hoo!!!

I DO need to hand stitch the binding down....

but I KNOW when that's done I'll be

SLEEPING under it IMMediately.

Hence....no more posts.

I've had a few CELEBRATIONS with this quilt.

The day I had it ALL pieced.

The day I finished quilting it...

and TODAY

I'm celebrating with an APPLE dessert.

MMmmm....

1 can of apple pie filling.

6 or so green apples - peeled and sliced.

Put these in a 9x13

Sprinkle box of yellow cake mix over the apples.

Melt 1 1/2 Cubes of butter (3/4 Cup)

Drizzle over the dry cake mix.

Sprinkle with nuts (I used sliced almonds)

Bake 350 degrees for 45 min.

Enjoy!!!

Monday.

Has life got you DOWN on this Monday morning???

I have the answer.

I have the Elixir.

I have folks......

THE TONIC!!!!

(Something that invigorates, restores, refreshes,

or stimulates!!!)

ORANGE and PINK.

That's it.

It's THAT simple.

You simply walk to your fabric stash and

PULL out BRIGHT oranges and pinks.

They can't be subtle.

They can't be mild.

They can't be muted.

Sew some 3" wide strips together.

You may even have some precut squares to pop in there!!!!

This is a FREE Prescription.

There are no hidden fees.

No hidden costs.

Just YOU and your MACHINE.

Happy together...

with ORANGE and PINK!!!!

saturday.

This is my VIEW today!

Lots and lots of lines on squares!!!

Queen sized!!!

It took me a while to get up the NERVE to even baste this one!!!

I'm huffing and puffing along over here today!!

My husband heard my groaning and said...

"Is that why people have LONG armers quilt for them??""

Why yes! I think that's why!!

:0

What about you??

Do you huff and puff on your own quilt??

OR.....

Do you pay someone else to do that part???

Cast YOUR VOTE!

(over on the sidebar)

We'll soon find out what MOST people do!

;)

winner!

Cheryll....you won the charm pack!!!

Send me your address....and I'll send you some fabric.

;)

One year ago

Just over one year ago I made a quilt top.

I was stuck on the Disappearing 4 patch pattern.

Totally stuck!

I made 2 quilt tops using flannel and blogged about them here.

Hey!!!

I even got them quilted up....ready to go....

and there they sat.

:/

Until today.

Today I said goodbye to this quilt.

I was Soooo happy to have it on hand.

I needed a baby quilt for someone special.

Woo Hoo!

All I had to do was get the quilt tag on.

(Why do I always drag my feet about that????)

Having this one READY to give was a GREAT feeling!!!

It makes me want to have a BIG stack of quilts

just WAITING for the next baby or special event!!!.

Don't we ALL want BIG stacks of quilts???

Some would say I DO have a big stack...

but........It's NOT quite big ENOUGH!!!

LOL!!!!

Blocks of Hope

Here are the blocks I made for Margaret's Hope chest.

The GREAT thing about projects like this is...

You get to try out a "new-to-you" quilt block...

and you're not committed to a WHOLE quilt!!

There are three blocks for a boy...

and three for a girl!!!

Now....

If you wanted to make this easy you would just cut some strips

from 6 or so fabrics and sew them together with that middle sashing.

I didn't make it the EASY way.

I ended up having a treasure hunt!!!

Treasure hunts are FUN...

but they're
TIME CONSUMING!!!!

Needless to say.

I think I could have made a WHOLE quilt

in the time it took to SIFT through scraps

Looking for the right COLORS!!!

:0

An Early Celebration!

I'm a little surprised that there are almost 500 people

willing to listen to me .....BLAB....about quilting....sewing...life...etc.

I received some NEW fabric

and I can't wait to GIVE it AWAY!

So......EVEN though I don't have 500 followers YET....

I'm going to celebrate with YOU!!!

Nothing wrong with EARLY celebrations...

IS there???

This is a fabric that's....

PERFECT for a baby quilt.

AND....

you know I LOVE baby quilts!!!

Once Upon a Storybook fabric is from Windham fabrics.

A collection by Whistler Studios.

This sweet 1930's reproduction fabric is coming out in April.

Would you like to win a CHARM pack NOW???

I'll draw a winner on Friday.

Good Luck.
And Thank you.
It's so nice having you as friends here in blogland!!!
;)

Quick Quilt!

This was a very quick quilt to make....

because I used VERY big blocks of color!!

I only had to make FIVE of these nine patches

using 9" squares of fabric.

It all began with some orange fabric I liked.

I pulled some more oranges

and placed them in the corners.

I wanted those squares to be UN-CUT.

I placed a dark POP! of color in the center....

FOUR light colors in between....

I sewed these big nine patches together..

and then...

....I did some cutting.

Since I used 9" squares...

I measured 4 1/4" from each seam.

TWO cuts.

Easy. ;)

I also needed to trim each of these squares once they were all cut.

It really helps things match up when you

SQUARE UP!!!

After moving blocks around....I put it ALL together!

The colors in here are so fun!!!

Polka dots always help too!!!

A simple 2 1/2" wide sashing....

and a 6" wide piano key border.....

VIOLA!!!

a very QUICK quilt

measuring 65"x76"

Blue

What do you get when you sew LOTS of blues together??

THIS!!!

This quilt began as a GROUP project and thanks to my friend LINDA...

it's now a quilt top!!!....

Ready to be quilted.

Isn't it amazing???

I think so too!!!

Lots of scraps = a perfect quilt.

"Gates" Exhibit

I took a little field trip today.

I wanted to visit MY quilt!!!

It will be hanging for the next TWO months at a local library

along with some outstanding art quilts!!!

I'm honored to be included in this exhibit.

Inspiration

Color inspiration comes to us in MANY ways.

Sometimes it's in our kitchen!

I just love this little plate!!!

It's been sitting on my stove as a sort of spoon rest.

It cheers me everytime I look at it!

It's fun to put all that color into a QUILT!!!

This is the beginning of a VERY large Disappearing 9 patch.

My squares were cut into 9" pieces!!!

I've decided I really like LITTLE pieces of fabric the BEST...

But....

When you want to finish a quilt in a hurry...

You'd better cut 'em BIG!!!!

Saturday.

O.K.

Just for the record.

I TOTALLY love baby quilts.

I love the colors.

I love the simplicity.

I love the size!!! :0

I even love using up bits and pieces.

Old bits and pieces.

Since the scraps were different in size..

that meant that...

 the little squares in the centers were different in size!

I had to keep my brain cells moving...

figuring out what size pieces I needed to get to a 10" square.

PLUS.... I wanted the center squares to move around some.

It slowed me down a bit.

That's alright.

My brain cells need a little activity once in a while. ;)

This little quilt is a collection piece.

A collection of this and that.

Old and new.

Stripes and dots.

Flowers and FUN!!!!

Collection quilts have a drawback.

Putting everything away after you've been

DIGGING around!!!

;)

Table Mats

These orphan blocks are now going to be USEFUL blocks.

They will get a workout twice a month

at the senior lunch I serve.

Actually....

they're going to have to take turns.

I have another set of table  mats I use as well.

I DREAM I'll get a nice collection of these going

with different colors and themes...

but SO FAR this is only my SECOND set.

I had fun dressing up this very basic block with stitching!

Aren't they pretty?

And that old print in there.....I just LOVE old fabric!!!

Don't you?

Quilting these little blocks

was therapy.

I'm happy to be getting these OLD blocks

out into the sunshine!

They've been folded and stored away TOO LONG!!!