Christmas Lights Goes to Maine

My Christmas Lights top and the backing shown here (the lights) are on the way to Maine to be quilted! I should have it back before Christmas and I can already see me working on the binding and laying it across the back of the couch! Not ready to part with this one permanently yet.
Last night Kathy helped me cut the Picnic Schnibbles out after a quick trip to the casino for Randy's birthday. No one won which wasn't so fun, but afterwards we went out to Outback for some steak and such. Randy was pleased with his Packer T-shirt and hat and new slippers though today is really his birthday...everyone is working so yesterday we pretended! A few more days til Quilt Camp!

Little Zip Up Bags

I had fun with June and BJ..we eached worked on our various projects and I got all of these little pouches made! I am keeping one, the rest will be gifts, and I think I will make a few more. The free pattern is available at http://threebears.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/little-boxy-pouch-tutorial/ and they really whip up easily. I used fabric I had and zippers that were gifted to me fifteen years ago that just never found a home...very inexpensive but fun gift! I will be filling them with favorite things for the people who will be getting them. Think that is it for sewing today. Oh, I also marked all of my squares for sewing the Picnic Schnibble, but haven't cut the background fabric so that is as far as I can go!

Modified Charm Square Bag Done!

Last year I made this exact same bag in the same fabrics (lining and handles different I believe) and gave it to my mom...Suli saw it and wanted one too (and I almost gave it to her in the first place!) so finally got one made for her this year. I hope she likes it, these fabrics are so sweet and bright I almost don't want to give it away. I used a free online pattern but I changed it as I went and didn't make the sides and bottom as they suggest. I also was a bit lazy and didn't turn out the handles on this one as I hate that!

Well off to sew some more at June's with her and BJ!

Joy in the New Year Challenge, Magnolia Bud and Other Special Flowers!

Over at Tallgrass Prairie Studio a group of quilters are challenging themselves to finish up WIPs and such. I went ahead and joined (twice I think, haha) and am aiming to get six quilts done by the new year. I just finished the flimsy on Christmas Lights and hope to have it back and bound, I have two Schnibbles, three baby quilts and a lap sized star quilted being quilted so I will be binding all of them when they get back. I am sure I will get more tops together because I have quilt camp coming up soon and I have two projects ready to go and a third (my Schnibble for November) needs cut.

I also wanted to show you the fun flowers my honey gave me a few days ago. I got some potted petunias outside, and a hanging tomato and these...all a suprise when I got home from work! (And yesterday the kitchen floor was washed in my absence, man am I lucky!)

Here is the Quilt History block for October Magnolia Bud. This was easier than some of the previous blocks, but yet I still had trouble with the triangles--getting them cut at the correct angle. The green are reverse of each other so that went fine, the peach are not! Found the out the hard way after two (yes two) attempts. So one part of the bud is creased, I am over it, lol. I see now that I should have trimmed the bottom (green edge) too instead of the top edge as I don't have a point in there....well leaves vary so let's pretend that is how it looks. I seriously am not sure I would have been a good quilter back when patterns like these were in vogue...they leave far too much for me to figure out and I do better with written directions, not just pictures. Both are better, and the best of course is someone there showing me!

At quilt history class a few weeks ago Lynn brought in lots of cool kit quilts to show us and this was my favorite of them all! Very cute. She has quite a collection and lots of knowledge which she shared with us about kit quilts.

Christmas Lights Top Done!

Hot off the machine, Christmas Lights top is done! It is on top of my new bushes so that is why it is wavy, I will take another picture in full sunlight tomorrow but I had to show someone! I am pleased with it, Bonnie K. Hunter at quiltville.com rocks! If you haven't ever checked out her site please do. I can't wait for her next book to come out. I am really liking scrappy looking quilts because of her, used to be I wanted them all coordinated. I have no idea who will wind up with this quilt, but I almost don't want to part with it!

The Fabric Bowl

Tada, I finished up my make it and take it project from Tuesday's class. It will be a Christmas gift, but not sure just who will wind up with it.
And here it is on my head, I couldn't resist!

Landscaping the Yard

Here is a partial picture of our little backyard...what we had of grass was dead and things weren't looking too hot despite our five fruit trees.

Here is the backyard after landscapers added rock, borders, two plants and new grass!

Here is the front yard after, we added rock, a large boulder at the end of the yard, a Bougainvilla, a Mexican Bird of Paradise and three Bottlebrush/Little Johns. They also fixed our sprinkler system and put drip on the plants so that our maintenance is minimal and these things should stay alive and looking good!

Here is the front yard before...AWFUL! We just could not keep the grass alive and it was pathetic! The best feature is the fire hydrant, haha.

If you live in the Phoenix area I highly reccommend Koala Tree and Landscape of Chandler. The people were a dream to work with and did the job even better than what we expected. We are really pleased with their work and their willingness to work despite our dogs barking at them in the beginning!

On the crafting front...I made five more coasters for the craft sale and last Tuesday I went to may make and take it class and made a cloth bowl...I finished it this morning and just need to hand tack the beady stuff around the top and it will be done and you will get a picture. Not sure who is getting that and not sure I will make any more of them, but it was fun learning to do it!

Angela