Belated Pictures

This is the front and back of a little doggie quilt I finished up last week. I practiced machine binding on it...now I have watched lots of tutorials and figured out I am supposed to be working on the opposite side of the quilt when machine binding. Today I tried my hand at that on the Carolina Crossroads quilt...I have the binding all attached and then spent about an hour with several different stitch tries and a whole lot of unsewing! The bobbin thread just kept bunching up and making a huge mess on the back of the quilt. I think I am not setting something right on my machine. I put it aside to try on one of my less fancy machines!

The colorful quilt is a dolly quilt for a Christmas gift. Glad to have something started on that front. Today while I was frogging, DJ cut a bunch of strips for for my latest quilt...I decide to jump in and work on Bonnie Hunter's "Smith Mountain Morning" quilt from her Scraps and Shirttails II book. The quiltville swap group is swaping some strips and units for that quilt and Amy over at Amy's Passions Blog got me interested. I really should be working on "Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll" but I am stalled on that which is odd for me.

I took a picture of my cut strips but I haven't had a chance to upload it yet...so just imagine, lol. I borrowed this photo from Bonnie at www.Quiltville.com and if you haven't seen or done a Bonnie quilt, get on over there. I am her number one fan!

Happiness is...

Not yet bound but isn't this baby gorgeous? I am so glad I haven't found a home for it yet!

Close up! So happiness is a almost completed Bonnie K. Hunter Quilt!

Coming up Next...

Earlier today I decided to give machine binding a go (again) after reading Ros' tutorial. I am just not great at machine binding! I picked out several tries before finally be mostly satisfied. I am sure I am not doing it right...I have been having problems with my right thumb giving me pain when I hand bind and sometimes when I hand sew, use my old blackberry and even now when I sign. The pain seems to be getting worse and goes up into my wrist. So I needed another binding plan. DJ is binding her niece's quilt and I have two more here to do. I started out with my patriotic tablerunner (that has been waiting forever for me to quilt...finally got that done) and as I saidI am mostly satisfied with it. I will be looking for more tutorials to improve my method!








After work tonight DJ and I spray basted and pinned one of the Downy Quiltz for Kids quilts (I need to buy more batting to do the other one). I plan to quilt it tomorrow! I also dug out the other Amy's Passions BOM from 2010 and played with them on my design wall. I will make these into a quilt for my nephew Christopher who is currently serving in the Navy. I need to make one more block for it and I did a quick search online and discovered a free pattern for a Navy block at http://www.quilterscache.com/N/NavyStarBlock.html so I think I will make that one (it isn't the easiest block I have seen though!) and get this sashed.

Sorry the picture isn't great...I need to buy some sashing fabric since I don't have any cream or tan with red and blue in it that works. I have the background cream but it just looks too boring for me. I also found some cool Navy fabric for the backing so I may just be ordering that. The plan is to get this done and off to Ros with my mom and dad's Designer Mystery BOM so that both will be done in time for Christmas this year.

I measured the backing for that quilt and just need to sew one LOOOONG seam and it will be set to go.

Designer Mystery BOM Borders/Top is Done!

First here is a picture of my youngest, Mackenzie or Ethan as he prefers to be called (at graduation he had them announce his middle name as Ethan, though it is actually Alan) with his friend Angel heading to prom a month or so ago. Sorry for the delay, I don't always get the pictures in a timely manner. Not sure this pair is a matched set but they had fun so it is all good.




















Today both my morning class and my evening class (interpreting job) got cancelled just after I arrived at both...so in between and all around I sewed stars. Eight of them to be exact. The border was as much work as making another quilt top. This quilt is HUGE too. I have a hard time conceptualizing size sometimes. This is a giant.








I am not nuts to make pieced borders like this but I will say with all the measuring and planning they come out perfectly. I hope Ros has a month in which to quilt it, haha.

It was too big to get a good photo of in the house....the binding is made but I need to piece the backing and send it for quilting! Merry Christmas Mom and Dad!

A Fabulous Sewing Day!

Last night I quilted up Lily's twin size quilt...well that was after I figured out that the thread I bought wasn't liking my machine or vice versa. Luckily I went over to June's to wish her a happy birthday and bring her some birthday fun and she suggested a differnet thread and then borrowed me some...and she also let me use her walking foot. (It is awesome we have the same Viking Designer Diamond machine!) I have never used the walking foot before and I love it...it is on my list of things to buy. It made quilting this bigger quilt so much easier!

I actually quilted this little doggie quilt with the uncooperative thread, while trying to get it to work. It is okay, served the purpose of getting me comfortable with the walking foot.

Here you can see the back...don't look to closely, but I guess the dog it winds up with will be fine. My sister has two chiuauhuas and so does my mom..they are perfectly suited for my fun little quilts. Today I quilted this little doll quilt which has been waiting forever...and I found a binding in my pile and attached it. Did some hand sewing on it in the car on the way to lunch.

I made and attached the binding on Lily's quilt this morning and DJ has been hand binding it on and off all day. We plan to give it to Lily next weekend when we go to Yuma so she will be working on it all week. My thumb still isn't better...I thought it was from texting on my blackberry but apparently sewing and signing bother it too because I am losing my grip on my right thumb. So DJ said she would do that binding. I need to read a good tutorial on machine binding!

Yes that is Bug in DJ's lap!

This evening I did work a littl on the border for the quilt on the wall behind DJ. Have a way to go on that. I decided to whip up both of the Downy Quiltz for Kids tops that they sent me. They are precut and go really quickly. DJ did ironing and so they went even quicker!

I need to get more batting so I can get these pinned and quilted. All in all it was an awesome, fabulous sewing day. We watched a few movies and listened to alot of Lady Gaga while we sewed. I am happy, happy, happy.

Carolina Crossroads is Quilted

Look what Ros has been up to for me! Carolina Crossroads is quilted! Can't wait to get the binding on this one in time for forth of July! I LOVE IT! Ros I will be driving to North Phoenix Saturday and back home Sunday if you are around I would love to stop and get it! And see you too of course!

Skydiving and Mac's Grad Party

This is my new and improved hairdo. Thanks Jill. DJ loved it, that is good enough for me. You can see DJ's new tattoo in this picture too. She let me pick the purple color for the rose, it represents me!

Mac liked his Graduation Quilt "Slide Show"

I think he liked the back too.

Had my daughter take a photo of Mac with his cake..this is what I got. Just noticed that now. Oh to be 18. You can see DJ in the backround wearing her first Packer item! We had Mac's grad party on the skydiving grounds...the weather did not cooperate--we were scheduled to be there at ten and Mac didn't jump til 6, Hannah and her Dad and a family friend after that!

Hannah bought her brother the jump for his graduation. Quite the bonding experience. Doug threw up on the way down...not sure he would do it again, but the kids loved it!

I spent the better part of the day hand sewing hexies while waiting for the clouds to clear. It was pretty cool out so I had to borrow a jacket from my grandfather!

Mac's Graduation and Lily's Super Simple Quilt

Finally uploaded the pictures from vacation tonight! Here is my youngest, Mackenzie, with his father and I. Got my fill of hanging with the ex in laws...seriously eleven years later and nothing has changed there! Mac is wearing an old T-shirt from his previous school since three years at MHS didn't change his opinion about which school he wanted to be at.

Snuck in some quilting today! I had three jobs but had a few hours off in the middle of the day so DJ cut me some strips (loosely following the "super simple squares" pattern in this magazine). They did not include strip piecing in their directions, but I did it anyway. I made it one square longer and a few squares narrower. DJ is happy with the size of it-twin size she deemed it and we will get it basted together for her niece Lily.

Not the best picture but we took in the bedroom!

And here is DJ and I and Mac...ah how the family has changed!

Another Trip to Mill's End!

My cousin wants me to make her a baby carrier sling so we *had* to go back to Mill's End. I came away with far more than she did! I love, love, love this ball and jacks fabric and didn't get it the first time around. Decided it was still on my mind so I was getting it.

I also found doggie fabric to make my own doggie baby pocket/sling with. And got enough for a few gifts too.

This was the really crazy purchase..I found what seemed to be the entire line of Beatrix Potter fabric...it was not all together mind you. I had to search, but I wound up getting a bunch of it to mix and match for baby quilts. Got three larger chunks for backing too. I know you will be seeing this fabric again.

Last night DJ and I watched "The Matrix" one and two...and she assisted on a few hexies just for the fun of it. I think she likes it!

We made alot of progress between waiting for the skydive (pictures once I get home) and watching a few movies...it is growing!

We fly back to Arizona in a few hours...so I better get going. Will post from the land of the sun soon!

Hexie Progress

Just because I really don't have anything crafty to blog about I took a progress picture of my hand sewn hexies project. You can see the one I am working on baretted in...I really am enjoying working on this and it having a quilty travel along project. I may only get a few hexies done each time I take it out, but eventually it will grow into something larger.
DJ and I went out last night and met up with four of my Deaf friends. It was really nice to relax and not have to interpret everything for DJ! We even danced to "Lady" all alone on the dance floor. Today Hannah will be arriving *yay* and we are planning to go fishing tonight. DJ wants to try to catch a Walleye since she has never heard of or seen them in person. Iwill bring my hexie project and my Nook! We will have a good time with my cousin Tara, her hubby Tommy and son Reid. Some of the gals from last night may wind up joining us too.

Hannah in China and More Mill's End Pics!

This first photo shows the fabrics DJ and I picked out for her niece's quilt. Not even sure of the pattern, but fell in love with the fabric. Lily's favorite colors are pink, purple and baby blue. The bottom fabric will be the backing and we will put the others in the top.

Here are the four shirting fabrics I picked out. They will wind up in a Bonnie Hunter quilt for sure! The price was right and I always have a need for these.

And here is Hannah and her UWOshkosh group in China. She just arrived back today and I finally can text and talk to her. She will be here in Eau Claire tomorrow morning, I can't wait to see her! She will have tons to tell us about China. All I know so far is the people there could not believe how light her skin and hair is and kept telling her she is beautiful...which she is. She got that same reaction from the people in Korea when she was a baby...they kept calling her "ipo egge" not sure how it is spelled, but it means pretty baby.

A Trip to Mill's End!

DJ and I went fabric shopping in Wisconsin today! I found myself at my favorite discount place, Mill's End...and I went a little crazy buying close to twenty yards of fabric, but much of it is for gifts so that is my story and I am sticking to it! This fabric is corderoy to back some more baby quilts/blankets in. It was too cute to pass up. And I think the ladybugs appealed to me because I just finished reading the book "Choosing to SEE, a Journey of Struggle and Hope" by Beth Champan. It was about losing their little adopted Chinese daughter and she loved ladybugs. So I suspect this is how this fabric found its way into my cart. I didn't even know Maria but she touched my life!

DJ fell in love with this fabric. It is real similar to one I have at home..may be from the same line. We couldn't resist it.

The ball fabric will either be a quilt backing, pillowcases or find itself in a quilt top!

This picture is way too blurry...sorry about that. It is 1940 ish looking so I am hoping it works for backing my quilt history quilt, if not it will wind up in patriotic quilts for Quilts of Valor.

Again another blurry one, this one just spoke to me. Tiny little fruits...no idea where or why, but for $3.99 a yard it was mine!

Here you can see the entire splurge all spread out.....and my new purse too. That was yesterday's purchase. I need to stop shopping!

I met up with my good friend Jill yesterday and she cut, lightened and permed my hair. I am really happy with it!

My cousin Tara's husband does tattoos, so DJ had to have one. This was her splurge!

It is a purple rose...will get a better pic posted soon.
There are a few more pictures which I can't upload right now because my grandfather has a funny pop up blocker and I think I just told it to block. HAHA. So later on I will try again so you can see the rest of the fabric!

Now off to Mac's graduation! WHOOT WHOOT!