Kaaren's Block is Done and Mailed

I got Kaaren's block completed before the big moving process and couldn't find a pigma pen before packing everything up and the I couldn't find the block until yesterday, so I finally got it completed and mailed off this morning!!

The fabric in the middle is a woven fabric and even though I used sandpaper behind to stabilize it, it was still very difficult to write on.  If you want to see other blocks that have been completed and sent to Allie click here.  It sounds like Allie is going to have enough blocks to make three quilts!!  That is a lot of love from blogville!!

Enjoy your day, everyone!!

Christmas in July Giveaway!!

Wow, it has been two weeks since I started the big part of our move.  My Dad and I are now out of the apartment and into the new house.  I have been to Colorado to pick up Regena and we are back and trying to figure out how to get two house fulls of stuff into one house!!

Since I am back I wanted to have a Christmas in July giveaway!!  So, just stop by and say hi with a comment and you can win this charm pack of Moda's Me&My Sister Design's READY, SET, SNOW!!.  And if you are already a follower or become one, just let me know and you will get two chances!!  I will pick a winner July 31st!!

It is good to be back and one of the first rooms I got completed is my sewing room!!!  Oh, yeah!

Arrrrrrrgggghhhhh - We're Moving!!

I've been pretty quiet the past 10 days or so because my Dad and I are moving into a house across town.  We are in a small apartment right now and it's time to have more space!!  Ya, know, being a quilter takes up a lot of space!!!

Here is our new place and I get to have half the garage to put quilting bins!!
Now, is that the high life or what!!

We are actually moving in this coming Friday but since the house was empty the sweet gal at the property management place has let me start moving in already!!!  I think moving across town is much tougher than a long distance move so it has been really nice in this 100 degree weather to be able to move just a couple of loads over each morning early!!

I'm going to keep reading blogs during this move but I took my best sewing machine over to have it cleaned during the moving process so I won't have any goodies to share!!

Quilt Blocks for a Fellow Blogger!!

One of our dear bloggers, Kaaren, from The Painted Quilt, is facing some very serious health issues and some of her friends have decided to get together and make a quilt for her.

Sharon over at Vrooman's Quilts shared with us what Allie, over at Allie-opps Sweet Happy Life said:

" We would like her to know that she's not fighting alone, 

and Paulette from Sweet P Quilting and Creations and 

Leslie from Les Quilts and I have decided to organize a 

quilt for her."

If you know Kaaren and would like to make a block or two for her quilt, you can go over to Allie's blog for great block instructions and how to send the blocks to Allie.

God bless Kaaren and this wonderful world of bloggers!!!

It's time for Our Girls to Go to Camp

but this year I don't get to go with them!!  Boo! Hoo! Hoo!  But, so they don't forget me, I made all 10 of them a camp pillowcase!!

Have fun girls and see you when you get home!!!

Happy Father's Day

to all the Dads out there!!  And a big hug to my Dad who supports me in everything I do and in everything I try!!  I love you!!

Fabric Postcard Tutorial

I have seen pictures of the little fabric postcards on other blogs, so when the Carol Doak Yahoo group started a postcard swap, I signed up.  Never having made one before I researched postcard sites and made my first one today.

Since it is a Carol Doak group we were required to use one of Carol's paper-piece designs.  I went to her 300 Paper-Pieced Quilt Blocks book and chose a 4" x 4" block since the postcard is supposed to finish out at 4" x 6".  The block I chose was Block #245.

I copied the 4" x 4" block on my copier and then extended the two sides so that the block was 4" x 6" (finished size).

And now I have a 4" x 6" template to work from and remember to make sure when you are changing a block size or shape that you allow for the additional 1/4" seam allowance.

I then picked out the fabrics I wanted to use and pieced the 2 halves:

I then sewed the two halves together using lots of pins to make sure that I get the sewing line lined up on the front and the back and then pressed it open.

I then cut a piece of Transweb and pressed it onto the back of the block and cut a piece of Pellon Fusible Thermolan Plus and pressed it onto the postcard fabric.  NOTE - I was not happy with the Pellon Fusible Thermolan Plus for this project so I checked out what others were using and decided I liked the Pellon Peltex 70 Ultra Firm Stabilizer.  So, on my next postcard I will try the Peltex.

Then I sandwiched the front to the back and thought I wanted to bind the postcard.  Well, I gave it a try and decided I did not like it.  I finally ended up picking out the binding strip but nor before I messed around with the edge by cutting it down a bit so the binding would look better.

I then decided to do a satin stitch around the edge but it too does not look very good because of the chop up job I did on the edges while fiddling around with the binding.

Once I perfect the technique for the edges, these are going to be really cute!!

Anyone out there made some fabric postcards and like the technique you used to finish off the edges???

Flag Day

Take a moment to reflect!!

We'rrrrrrrrrrrrrrre Homeeeeeeeeee!!

We got home from our trip and safe and sound.  We were so busy we were only able to visit one quilting shop but it was a great one.  It's called 3 Dudes Quilting

and it is owned by 3 Dudes!!!  You can see their story on their website!!

While there, I saw this wonderful pattern for a fabulous bag:

and told my niece if she wanted to buy the pattern, I would make the bag for her from all the gorgeous batiks I have in my stash.  She said she would love a new bag but she wanted to pick some batiks herself and she picked out Stonehenge's Stone Strips in neutral (below) - unlike her Aunt who would have chosen colors more like the ones on the pattern cover (above)!!

So, now I have a new project!!!  And this is the coolest bag pattern I have ever seen!!

Oh, it is sooooooooooooooo good to be home!!!

Road Trip!!!

My Dad and I are leaving tomorrow morning for a road trip to the Phoenix, Arizona area to celebrate my Dad's younger sister's birthday - she will only be 83!!  And his grand-daughter's birthday!!!  I'm taking my camera as I am hoping to hit some of the local quilt shops!!  See ya when we get back!!

ROAD TRIP!!!

I Laughed So Hard I Cried

I saw this funny YouTube on another blog and thought you might enjoy it too - 

even if you are not a cat lover!!!

Fun, Fun Weekend

I was a busy girl on Saturday.  Last month when Regena and I took our road trip up to Long Beach, Washington, we stopped in at the local Humane Society, the South Pacific County Humane Society, a community-supported and -funded no-kill-shelter.  I spoke with Stacy and asked her how we could help.  Well, of course money was her first answer, but I had to tell her that I don't have a lot of money but I do have a lot of fabric!!!

Stacy told me it was "kitty" season, so, I offered to make some kitty quilts to go home with the adopted kitties!!  I spent all day Saturday cutting and sewing 10 tops - here are a couple of them:

They are each going to be 18" x 18".  I am going to learn how to use my new Pfaff Hobby 1200 without its quilting table and see if I can do some free motion quilting.

I am hoping to get some of these little cuties quilted before we go down to Arizona on Thursday to visit family.  That way, I will have some bindings to put on while visiting.

Sunday was spent at Church and with friends and family!!

Hope your weekend was just what you wanted it to be!!

Nearly Insane Thursday Tumbled into Friday

Yesterday was just one of those days!!!

Typically I would have shown you my newest Nearly Insane block but when sharing last week's block, I got some really nice comments by quilters who have finished their entire Nearly Insane Quilt and when I looked at the completed quilts, I decided that the super bright, almost neon colors, I have used on my last three blocks was going to be even too bright for me!!

So, I decided to re-think the colors and fabrics I will use for my Nearly Insane Quilt and thought that a small wall hanging with my three bright blocks would be so much fun!!

Also, I thought this would be the perfect project for me to learn how to hand quilt!!  Oh, my!!  I am not even sure how to go about learning to hand quilt.  Do I need to get a book??  Will that be enough??  Do I need to take a class?  Can I learn on my own??  Find a grandma who would tutor me??

How did you all learn to hand quilt??  

Wordless Wednesday

Button, Button, Who Has The Button??

I found these darling buttons by Jennifer Jangles and have been trying to think what to do with them

Well, as I have continued on my cleaning gig, I found this old 5" charm and thought, hmmmm!!

Then I went through my 1930's fabrics and found this fun piece

and decided that with a little batting and some walnut shells

I could make a little giftie for one of my friends

It was quick, easy and fun to make!!

Thank you Jennifer, for your darling buttons!!