My First OMG - One Monthly Goal . . .

was quite the challenge for me.  Because this Mystery Quilt was one of the first projects I ever attempted and that was over 12 years ago, I ran into some challenges.

First, here is what I have today ~

My first hurdle, which I did not get over was finding all the fabric!!  Let's see, in the past 12+ years I have moved nine times.  So, I am thinking the rest of the fabric that I cannot find is somewhere in some box located who knows where!!  I thought it was all in one place but nope, no such luck!!

My second hurdle was how poorly I sewed and pieced when I first started and then on top of that, how poorly I pressed (or didn't press as the case may be).  So, in finishing up some of the star blocks, I laughed and laughed and laughed!!  It was quite the experience!!

Now, I have to decide what to do if I can't find the extra fabric which is the green fabric that makes up the sashing between the blocks going right to left.  If I remember (and it makes sense) there was also a green sashing between the rows and then of course a border which I think was also supposed to be the green fabric.

After getting it up on my new little design wall, I am kind of liking the no sashing running across the rows.  Any opinions?

So, the nice thing about getting the May OMG finished as far as I can is that tomorrow is June and I can start another OMG while looking for the green fabric for this quilt.  It IS kinda cute and I am always amazed at quilters who put together Mystery Quilts!!

Linking up to Elm Street Quilts ONE MONTHLY GOAL finish for May!!

It's fun to see what everyone accomplished this month!!

Happy Memorial Day!!

Always remember that this is the day we give tribute to all those soldiers that have either fallen in battle or gave their lives for us in so many other ways to protect us and allow us the freedoms we are so privileged to have today!!

If you see a Vet today or tomorrow or next week, say thanks!!

Saturday's Smile!!

Mystery Quilt!!

I am in a group on Facebook that is part of the group of gals I went to retreat with a couple of months ago down in gold Beach and Kim has this fun Facebook group called Quilt-A-Long.  She is getting us all ready for Mystery Quilt #9.  I am new to this group so this is Kris' Mystery Quilt #1.  We'll see!!  Last Mystery Quilt I started over 12 years ago I am finishing up (if I can find all the pieces) here in blogsville with Elm Street Quilt's program called OMG - One Monthly Goal.

Here are the fabrics I chose for this Mystery ~

The first Step (cutting the pieces) has been posted but I have been getting ready for a Quilt Show this coming weekend so it will have to wait until next week after Step 2 is posted on Sunday!!  E Gads, I am already behind!!  I think it will be fun - all of these fabrics came out of my stash!!  YAY!!

Saturday's Smile!!

Rogue Valley Quilt Show . . . .

in Grants Pass, Oregon was a wonderful experience!!  The quilts were fabulous and the gals in the Guild were just amazing!!  A special thanks to Sue Exley for inviting me to this fun, fun show!!  I am so happy they have invited me back next year!!  One gal even said I was her favorite vendor!!  [blush]!!

First, here is the Opportunity Quilt that was auctioned off.  I, of course, put in my $5.00 worth and I made them promise that I would win, but a gentleman by the name of  Roy was the lucky winner!!

It was all done in some exquisite batiks, perfectly pieced and the quilting on it was amazing!!  Lucky Roy!!

Now, there were lots and lots of beautiful quilts but these are some of my favorites!!  WARNING - I loved lots of them!!

This first one was right across from my booth so I had the joy of looking at it all day for 2 days!!

This next one is another one of my favorites!!  So bright and fun!!

I have always loved the pattern of this next one and will some day hopefully make this one with some of my bins full of Kaffe Fassett prints!!

This next one was one that I had never seen the technique on.  Between the unusual technique and the fabric choices, this quilt was incredible!!

Close-up of the unusual technique.

Is this chicken quilt darling or what?  :-)

Some very clever quilters and such amazing work!!  You can click on each picture to get a better look at the quilts!!

I wish you could see al of these quilts in person!!  But hopefully this little virtual quilt show will inspire you!! Thanks for coming!!

I Have a Daily Visitor!!

So, I am still working on getting my Studio in order and while I was out there yesterday afternoon, I thought I heard a woodpecker!!  Now, I have not heard the sound of a woodpecker in many, many years but I was pretty sure that is what I was hearing.  I went outside and starting looking around.

And low and behold, there was a real woodpecker in the tree right next to the Studio!!

Can you see him there in the middle of the picture?  Sooooo much fun!!  Now I have two country sounds making me happy - this cute woodpecker and a rooster that not only crows in the early morning, but keepings crowing ALL day long!!  Pretty funny!!

Well, back out to work on the Studio this morning!!  Virtual quilt show coming tomorrow!!

Happy Mother's Day!!

To all my wonderful friends, who are also Mommies!!  You make the world a better place!!

Saturday's Smile!!

Saturday's Smile!!

Motivation!!

I am not sure how I got to Patty's blog Elm Street Quilts but I did and I am so glad I did!!  She has this wonderful program:

that motivates those of us with 100's of UFOs to set a goal and get at least one goal accomplished each month.  That means I will only be 93 years old when I get all my UFOs done!!  That is IF I don't start new ones!!  LOL!! 

For the month of May, I am going to finish piecing the top of a Mystery Quilt that I started well over 12 years ago.  I keep finding parts of it as I have been cleaning out my project bins and Studio and thought this would be a perfect first OMG!!

This is one of the blocks.  If I remember correctly, the mystery makes at least a double-size quilt.  I have a lot done but there is still a lot to do!!  I think this will be a good program for me because I seem to do better when I have a deadline!!

You can click on the OMG box above to see what everyone else is working on this month!!  It might motivate you too!!

Big Time Sewing Therapy!!

These past few weeks I have been completely paralyzed by the house and my Studio so I have gotten exactly nothing, zero, zilch done around the house.

So, a few days ago I decided it was time for some therapy - sewing therapy.  Now my therapist (me) holds to the professional opinion that when participating in sewing therapy, it is ESSENTIAL to binge watch TV at the same time.

So, on Thursday, I spent the day pressing fabric so I could use my Accuquilt to cut 1-1/2 inch strips, and start sewing them into 9 strip pieces.  All day I binged on old NCIS episodes.

On Friday morning I continued to work on the 9 strip pieces and binging on some episodes of SUITS on Demand TV.

Then on Saturday I finished making 14 strip sets and started cutting them into 1-1/2 inch pieces while binging on goofy Hallmark movies.

Finally, yesterday afternoon, while watching some baseball,  I started sewing the 1-1/2 inch strips into 2 rows and then 4 rows and then 8 rows and finally nine rows to make an 81-patch block.  Wow, all that little matching corners is really fiddly work ~

But I have enough 1-1/2 inch strips to make 24 of these little beauties!!  Now how to set them!!  I would love some ideas!!

The only down side of all that wonderful therapy was that it is too easy to binge eat along with the binge TV and put on a couple of pounds!!  Yikes!!  Hope those little puppies don't stay long!!

Hopefully I am ready to tackle some house or Studio stuff!!  Only time will tell.  Until next time, enjoy life and take a Sewing Therapy day if you need!!  I'd be happy to write you a prescription!!