Projects for the Car :)

So here are the projects I settled on for the car ride to Texas and then on to Wisconsin!  I will be doing hand quilting, embroidery, hand sewn hexies, knitting and reading.  So with any luck the ride will go by in a flash!  We have several stops planned which should make it fun too.

We are leaving Wednesday night so I am scheduling this post to come out then.  I plan to update the blog but it may be more about who I am seeing than the usual craft, quilting, knitting stuff :)

Fancy a Split Nine Patch Challenge this Year?

 

 Yes Bonnie Hunter has issued a new challenge--our first year we did bow ties, the second we did spools, and this year she has upped the anty a bit to split nine patches!  Nevermind that my bow ties haven't been quilted yet, my spools aren't even in a flimsy yet...time to get ready for a new challenge!

 I started out by cutting up some scraps that had been accumulating from other projects..got them all tidied up and in 2.5 inch squares or strips for my bins and all put away.  I tend to do that every few weeks or so when there is no more room to stuff them into the waiting to be cut scrap bin!  Then I remembered that I had some squares of that size--somewhere.  I found them and sorted them into darks and light.  Then I went to my leftover bits and extra hst's and found all the ones that were the right size and added them to the bin.  Now it looks like I really have done something--yippee!

And of course I had to put the first block together to see just what it would look like.  I have to say I like that these blocks will be in a larger size when done because the stack of spools are small and still need much sewing!  In a year (or two or three) this project will be another quilt...so yep, now I have eight Bonnie Hunter projects going at once.  :)
If you don't have any or you have several (you can never have enough, lol) go here!

Sharon Schamber Visits the PHXMQG

 Yesterday was the July meeting of the PHXMQG and we had a full room of ladies with lots of learning, fun and laughter with our guest speaker Sharon Schamber.  We are fortunate that she happens to be the mom of one of our members, Cristy (who is also amazingly talented) and so as a favor to her she came to do a trunk show for us!  She is also planning to come back in a few months and teach us a workshop!
Here are my paper pieced blocks (Wild and Goosey) for the paper piecing challenge.  We had about nine participants this time around.

Here is Sharon giving us her wisdom with the quilt I loved the most.  Love the color, love the use of red and can not get my jaw off the floor on the beauty and detail in her quilts.  She said she puts 1000 to 3000 hours into a quilt.  This one is still in progress and has been embroidered but isn't yet quilted.  I can see why she is a three time award winner in Best of Show at Houson's show!   

 I didn't have the best seat for pictures, despite trying to plan for a good spot for pictures!  Sharon shared her wisdom on people, quilters and life along the way and was really insightful!  Many of the quilters stayed after the meeting to talk to her personally and find out more about their auras.  She was pretty spot on from what folks said!  She is truly gifted in many ways and is a humble, gentle soul.  I have more appreciation for applique than ever before too.

While people were still standing around talking and sharing with each other, I headed off to work a long shift (til midnight) since I am trying to get in lots of hours before we head to Wisconsin on Wednesday.  I can't wait for some recharging time!  

Swoon 2013!

Last year I saw lots of folks working on Swoon and the more I saw it, the more I liked it.  Then a few months ago at the PHXMQG I saw Danny's Bee blocks in person and realized I need to make one for me!  The long term goal is to make it big enough for my queen size bed.  The pattern is for 9 huge (24 inch) blocks but I think I have to add 7 more blocks or so to make it big enough so this is going to be a long term project and I am starting by having Kathy cut 9 blocks.  Lucky me, she agreed to help!  So last night I picked the fabrics--Denyse Schmidt fabrics and we got started.  I can't wait to see this start shaping into my very own Swoon. 

 Here is what I have cut so far and the stack of fabrics waiting to be cut!

If you missed the Swoon boat the first time around and want in, now is your chance!  Head on over to Sarah's blog at Fairy Face Designs for the details and button.  Join the Flickr group too!

Quiltville Spool Challenge Progress Report

 I have been Spoolin' Around with Bonnie Hunter this past year and have really enjoyed it!  I haven't counted these spools yet, but the link up encouraged me to finish up the few spools I had left (below) so now I am done making spools (unless the math requires more when it gets put together).  Here are some of the pictures of the spools as they have come along this year.  No time to lay them all out just now.

So I am linking up with Bonnie to show my progress so far.  Her spools are already in a quilt and quilted (I swear she has a twin who quilts 20 hours a day--wink) so check the link to see it!  She has already posted a challenge for this year on this post and I do plan to do that one too.  (Last year's cheddar bow ties are at least a top already...what's one more quilt?)  So who else is in--the more the merrier!

If you are interested in seeing my own little parade of Bonnie quilts click here!

Eye Spy Another Baby Quilt Done!

Saturday Sewing

I feel like I accomplished alot today but there isn't much to show for it by way of pictures!  I got labels on both baby quilts and quilted and bound this one--Storytime Squares (the other one was already done).  This one will be for Chance (my cousin Crystal's not yet born third son) and the other one is for my cousin Taylor's not yet born son yet to be named.
I also got the other Eye Spy quilt spray basted and pinned to be tied.  I may give that to my best friend Monica's honorary grandson (her son's fiance has a little boy named Carter) if I get it done in time to go.

Oh What the Heck!

 So since I am still awake I decided to just put this little quilt together...pic is cropped so the edges look a bit lopsided, but they are the same size in reality.  Gotta work on the cropping skills!

 I also washed my elephant earlier and it is drying before I cut it out and turn it into a pillow.

And here are the flowers from my love that I got randomly after work yesterday.  They are beautiful!  Well guess since today is already tomorrow I better try to fall asleep!

Fairly Productive Friday!

 Kathy and I planned to go see "The Heat" today but at the last minute our plans changed.  We wound up picking up my new glasses!  The ones on top have transitions lenses in them (it was two for one deal) and the others don't.  I about fell over walking in the leaving the store since it seems like the ground is two feet higher and i am two feet shorter, really a strange feeling.  So I wore them for several hours tonight while sewing and watching movies (The Abduction of Eden, Guilt Trip and Snitch) and am trying to get used to them.  They don't bother me inside so far, weird!
Well after posting about projects to take to Wisconsin I was suddenly motivated to hand sew the hexie flowers on now, so I did all twelve (just finished and it is 3 AM) and tomorrow I will get this little doll quilt top together.  I think my modified plan is to hand quilt it on the road!

 I also realized that if I am going to take these baby quilts with me I have to get going on the quilting so I quilted this one and bound it.  The back was perfectly straight with the strips, but I am over it!  Pretty sure this one is for Taylor's baby.

 Here are a few more of the hexi flowers, didn't get a picture after that but will be more more tomorrow!

Playing with Mosaic Maker :)

I was playing with the bighugelabs mosaic maker tonight and made this little mosaic showing some of the things that the Phoenix Modern Quilt Guild has inspired me to make!  I have learned paper piecing, embroidery, some free motion quilting and how to make a needlebook!  I didn't make the cup cozy this past month but I am a bit inspired to try out applique again Cristy's way!
In a few weeks we leave for Wisconsin!  I am busy planning out all my projects and books for my Nook for the car.  I plan to hand sew these little hexi flowers onto their squares while driving so I can finally get this little doll quilt done.

I also plan to keep adding to my hand sewn hexies.  I actually brought this with me to Wisconsin two years ago (when my kids jumped out of a plane to celebrate Mac's high school graduation) and I have been working on it on and off when I am not knitting or now embroidering.  I guess I will just keep plugging away on it.  

I am also bringing some knitting...dishcloths because they are so easy.  I still am working on my craftsy socks, haven't touched that project in weeks!  I need to have Becky over soon and get back to it!

Baby Boy Eye Spy Top and Wild and Goosey Block



 Today I got the borders on the most recent Eye Spy quilt.  Love these quilts...so much fun with all the different fabrics, I try hard not to duplicate any, but this one has two of the same bumble bee fabrics in it--oops!  I forgot to take a picture of the backing fabric but it is things under a magnifying glass, perfect for this quilt!  Makes a great baby gift with an eye spy book too!  I have a feeling I will be tying this one and gifting it when I head back to Wisconsin to one of my cousin's boys.

I also had to remember how to paper piece...didn't take long and I had the hang of it again.  These blocks are just too much fun! 

I also pieced two battings for crib quilts and added fabric to the backing for the eye spy.  I meant to get quilting a baby quilt, but just wasn't up for that! 

Happy Fourth of July :)

Happy fourth of July!  We didn't do anything special this year, I work up with a migraine and finally around two did some sewing.  No grilling out, no fireworks, but it is all good.  We did take down our curtains and washed them and the sheets and quilts on the bed so something productive happened.  I also got my teal Talkin' Turkey block done for the Rainbow BOM link up this Saturday.  Since we will be gone for two to three weeks in July I am trying to get all caught up before we go.  

 Here is the whole collection together, really gonna be a great quilt if i do say so myself!

 I also did a little Eye Spy cutting and then put together most of a quilt top.  We also spray basted and pinned one of the Beatrix Potter quilts that I will quilt myself.

I think I was in slow motion due to my migraine because it doesn't seem like I sewed much but I was in there for hours!

Tea Wallets and Teal Rainbow BOM

Today I made Hannah and I each a tea wallet.  I found the tutorial ages ago on
http://www.sewwequilt.com/2011/12/comfort-and-joy-with-jacque-tea.html 
and finally got around to making them.  Hannah's is purple--her favorite color.  Speaking of purple, I went today and had an eye exam and ordered new purple glasses--so excited because they are my sunglasses which are a must have here in Arizona year round and my last pair got run over a month after I got them!  Grrr.  These come with a one year warranty, yipppee!

Angela says our next color for Rainbow BOM is teal, so here are two teal Jack in the Box blocks I sewed while watching Extreme Weight Loss for the first time.  Which reminds me I haven't updated on eating better and getting more exercise....I have lost 18 pounds and Kathy 20.  So we are still doing well and trying every day.  I still need to ride my bike more regularily as that would help me but the batteries died and while waiting for Kathy to get batteries and change it..well it has been about ten days since I have been on the darn thing!  But batteries are in and I am ready to go again!

A Pair of Baby Boy Quilt Tops

 Coleman and I enjoyed a short day at work today and a lunch at the TeePee with my aunt, uncle and cousins who are in town from Wisconsin.  (Fools visiting us this time of year, lol!) Then I decided to use up some of this fabric bought three summers ago on a trip to Wisconsin..I want to hit Mill's End again and I sure can't justify that if I have all this still hanging around right?  So I dug out my go to Bonnie Hunter "Streak of Sunshine" pattern and a new to me "Storytime Squares" pattern by Rae Hoekstra.  Both patterns are free online.  Here are the pictures which I remembered to take often!

Streak of Sunshine Beatrix Potter Quilt 

 Here the cat and I are hard at work sewing :)  Here is Storytime Squares...

These colors are so relaxing and muted and not the colors I usually go for, but the price was right at the time and I am always in need of baby fabric.  Even with making one of the two backings I still have most of the stack of fabrics left...think I overbought on this line!
Since two of my cousins are currently pregnant with boys I am guessing these quilts will find their way to good homes to snuggle some happy babies!