Next Up

The projects I have been working on recently, all seem to be pretty wrapped up. Full Swing needs to be mailed, the November wall hanging needs the binding closed(tonight), and the Christmas Chain quilt needs binding(need to order the binding fabric today).

So with those three projects off the active list, I pulled out whats next today. A cowboys quilt for my little boy. Won't that be appropriate for our upcoming South Dakota move?!(the state sport of South Dakota is rodeo.) I need to pick a pattern for this one. I'm thinking something simple. REAL simple. Like maybe just and irish chain?? I think the reds, blues and white in the 9 patch, and the one cowboy print in the solid block. I'll think about it some more...

I also want to start on the toddler quilt I need to make as CSP #5 on my list. I need to pick a pattern for this one too, I'm thinking pinwheels??? I'll think about it some more....

And another apron for me.... Is there a law limiting the number of aprons you can own?? I'm probably still under the limit.... probably.

So really I have some fabric to wash(I'm a pre-washer, so sew me!), and some thinking to do. I'll probably end up image searching and procrastinating for a week while I "think about it"...

Blogger's Quilt Festival

Amy is having another awesome quilt festival. I've shared in the last two, I figured I should share again, since its so dang fun! I had a hard time picking a quilt to share, so I just chose one that I love.

This was part of the Old Red Barn Co quilt along. Round eight, the round Pat Sloan taught. It was a fun project, I really enjoyed making it. This was the first round I had someone I know in real life quilting along too. It made it much more exciting.




I like the Fandango by Kate Spain big time!



I free motion quilted the center, and I enjoy it.... A LOT






The rest of the quilt is straight stitched, one way or another. I really love petting those triangles!

Thanks for stopping in. Enjoy the rest of the festival!!

Finished Full Swing

Pulled this baby out of the dryer this afternoon. Its for my baby sister. She bought the kit and it took me 3 months to finish. I've been traveling and distracted. But I'm happy I can mail it out to her.

I fmq this one, I'm happy with how my fmq-ing turns out nowadays.

This is what is in the Juki currently. Straight stitching this one. I cannot wait!

I bet it would keep you up until 2am too.

I mentioned a little while ago that we are moving the first week of January. Last night I was up trying to figure something out.

I was thinking, How am I going to keep my quilt babies safe during this move? I have dozens of quilts, and I bet you the movers will be tempted to use them as moving blankets. This thought sent me into a panic. The thoughts that followed.....

• Okay so to be sure this doesn't happen, I will box them up with tissue paper, and have the movers put a security seal on that box.
• Okay but if it has a seal on it, a would be thief might think its a box of expensive electronics, and it might encourage the theft even more.

Now you may think I'm being paranoid, but we had our storage unit in Michigan broken into when we were overseas. Nothing valuable, just priceless mementos. ya know the stuff that there is no way to replace. So from that experience I am a bit paranoid.

There isn't anything I can do if someone steals the sealed quilt box, right.... But then I decided I would put a nasty note in the box, so if a would be thief opened it they would be greeted with a guilt/fear note.

Then I spent about an hour drafting the note. If you read on the language may be a bit mild..... But think about it what would you say to someone if they stole your quilts? Really? Mine goes something like this...

Dear Douche Bag,

If your opening this box expecting to find a computer or blue ray player, you will be pretty disappointed. But what you took earns you #1 asshole status in my book. I hope you feel terrible about what you did, and if you would like to return this box to me please mail it to this address______________ . If you don't return my quilts to me, then I pray God will bless you with a horrific skin disease, and extreme poverty for the rest of your life. Jerk.

the end.

If you are wondering where I got such a potty mouth I would remind you that I was raised an hour from Detroit. In a perfect world Tim Allen would narrate descriptions of Detroit, and having you rushing to go vacation there. But in the real world, Detroit is still pretty dirty, and dangerous, and it makes the folks in Southeast Michigan pretty colorful. And that extends to where I grew up. (If you have ever been to Detroit, you probably got a little taste of this.(even if you just stopped at the airport for a layover( standing in line to get a sandwich, where the young woman, looks up from her phone at you, rolls her eyes, puts her phone in her pocket, looks up at you with a dirty look, and asks "whatta want?" in a tone that clearly lets you know she will stab you))). Plus my grandma was raised in Detroit, and it made her quite colorful. She is the one that taught me women do fart and burp.

So I have my plan, Security Sealed box, with a note cursing a thief. If you couldn't hand carry your quilts, and you were afraid of theft, what would do?

Aprons Day

I whipped out a couple aprons today. For me!! Lovin the fabric on this short apron. And the ribbon that has a little ruffle to it. eeek

This apron looks like a hooker working the street corner because my husband is a foot taller than me. It is a good length on me. LOL

I love this fabric. Wintery. So it will be good for a couple months after Christmas.

This is the other side of that apron. Gotta love the monster sneaking in to imitate dad eh?

Christmas Chain Top

I just finished this top. I'm naming this one Christmas Chain, do you remember making those paper chains for the Christmas tree out of constructions paper? I love the pattern. But laying it blocks out to get them mixed up was a pain, it gave me a splitting headache. The hubs and I did 3 rows successfully then the 4th row was crap so after spending an hour laying them out, I stacked them back up and we tried again the next day. It was very frustrating. And we ended up with a 4 spots that are messed up. But really I don't care, I love it anyways.

And this makes me happy... Isn't it pretty?

Check out this blast from the past... Me and my bro making paper chains in like 1988 or '89. Gotta love it.

Acorn Quilt WINNER!!

The monster picked a winner today!

comment #4 ERIN!!

Thanks to those that commented.

And thanks for reading :)

I love life

Really having my husband home to keep track of the monster while I sew is the best thing every! I missed it so much. Yesterday I got a ton done. I got all of the white strips cut while watching a 1/2 hour of QVC.(the kitchen aid presentation) Then the hubs took the little squirt to the park, so I put in my ear buds, turned on some James Taylor and got them all sewn together. It only took one listen of his greatest hits CD(except I skipped Shower the People, because it gets stuck in my head too easily, but listened to Steamroller 2x because I dig the blues sometimes)

I got all of those dang strips pressed while I had David Gray in my ear. Draw the Line of course.(not much ironing during Stella the Artist, that song makes me shake my bum too much to press)

I got the squares cut out after supper while I watched Amazing Race... I love that show!

During naptime today and for an hour after dinner I got the block assembled, except for these few.

Really having the hubs home is fantastic! I got sewing time in today even though I swept and mopped the floors, dusted, did 5 loads of laundry, scrubbed tubs, toilets and sinks, emptied the dishwasher, vacuumed(even UNDER the sofa), put out the Halloween decorations, tickled the monster, fed the monster, watched hot air balloon videos with the monster on youtube, and made Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups. Ahhh I feel like myself again!!!

Christmas Quilt

Hey don't forget to go enter to win this quilt over on my giveaway post!!! You have until Tuesday at midnight. I am drawing a winner on Wednesday!

I am finally going to start my Christmas quilt today. I love having my husband to watch the kid so I can sew! Especially when QVC is in the kitchen all day! I am using my 12 Days of Christmas jelly roll to make this quilt. I saw this pattern months ago and have kept it in mind. We will be keeping this Christmas quilt, and it is totally different from the quilt I made for us last year using Figgy Pudding! I love that they will both be so different but from fabric lines I LOVE.

I picked up my backing fabric when Fat Quarter Shop offered the 50% off code to the facebook followers. I love FQS so dang much!

200th post giveaway!

HEY! This is my 200th post.

If you regularly check in to read my ramblings(and whining) then, thanks!

I like having this blog.

It keeps me motivated, and helps me keep track of my projects.

So this acorn quilt is my way of saying 'thank you'.
Leave a comment, share your favorite part about fall, and make sure you leave your name.
And check back on Wednesday to see if you have won!!
Really I THANK YOU for reading!!

Christmas project # 3

Here is my third CSP(Christmas Sewing Project) finished. A set of placemats for my step sister. The fabrics look really nice together, although I think its hard to tell that in these pictures.

If your wondering if you missed my CSP one and two, one was the Holly Jolly Christmas quilt for my mother in law, and my second CSP is a secret.

Back to Normal

Today my spouse returns from his deployment. I cannot explain how relieved I am. I would be looking forward to getting back to normal, but now that he is returning it is time to start getting ready for our next big move. We will be moving north a few states in the beginning of January, and if you have ever PCSed you know what a chore it is. This is our first domestic move, and having that move from Japan still pretty fresh in my mind, this move to South Dakota seems like a piece of cake!

Anyhow, despite the changes that are on the horizon, I am anxious to get my sewing "back to normal" atleast. I made a list of Christmas sewing projects the other day.... Have you done this yet? (I think its time to get to it.) I have 9 projects on my list this year! Only 2 quilts, one is DONE, and the other is a toddler quilt, no sweat(yet). THREE projects done so far, that means I'm 1/3 of the way finished!! I think that's pretty good. I am anxious as heck to get rolling on the rest of the gifts. I just need my sewing time back.

Well, I don't have anything to really share quilting wise, I was just checking in. I'll have a Christmas project to share tomorrow, then the post after that will be the giveaway!

If you listen....

...you can probably hear me squealing from all the way over here! The pictures are crap, but you already know I'm squeezing out my sewing time so I don't have time to retake the pics. This is what it looked like in my head. Now its real.

A gourd block. I love that mesh bag of decorative squash you see at the grocery store this time of year don't you? I can't resist.

Maple leaf block

Basted giveaway quilt... Keep your eyes peeled for that post!

Keeping my eyes peeled

I mentioned my current single parent status to someone recently, and commented it was tricky to have time to quilt. The response was you'll find time. Yeah I just have to search extra hard for a free moment or two to get myself in the sewing room. I'm on the lookout!

Here are the few things I've found time for this past week. These are two blocks from my soon to be November wall hanging. If you could see inside my head you would 'get it' a little easier. I'll keep my eyes peeled for time this next and LAST week of single parenthood, and maybe soon you can get the big picture.

I saw an acorn quilt a few months ago. Its been stored in my brain. I wanted to add an acorn to my November wall hanging. Here it is. :)

When I think of November I think of pumpkin pie, and turkey, and cool days, and crunching leaves. And usually an extra cup of coffee in the morning to get my self up and going. The days get shorter, and you just want something warm and yummy. Coffee in the morning, tea in the evening. That's why I really had to add a coffee mug to the quilt. KT gets it. I'd guess Mrs. Qs does too.

And here is a peek at that giveaway I mentioned. Keep your eyes peeled for that post soon. Hehehe.

P.S. aren't you proud of my fabric hoarding for stepping aside and finally letting me cut into this Gobble Gobble?!! Using a layer cake for this wall hanging is requiring a lot of patchwork, and I love it!!

Finished Fresh Flowers

I finished up the round 8 project from the Old Red Barn Co Quilt Along. This group makes it so fun. I really enjoy looking at everyone elses versions. It keeps me super motivated. Anyhow. Here is my Fresh Flowers wall hanging. It is' not part of the 12 months of wall hangings. But its a nice addition eh?

The center is free motion quilted. I quilted the applique pieces down instead of blanket stitching. But I dig the raw edges look.

I spiraled on the flower centers and petals

Went up and down the stem and leaves.

The triangles I straight stitched around and around. I love how tight it is. On the corners I did 2 parallelograms to bring the sides together. Its really cool I think.

I straight stitched the corner segments also, 1/4 inch on each side of the seams, which you know is my favorite way to go. The entire reason I did my project in Fandango by Kate Spain, was this backing fabric. I love it like I love skittles! And that's a lot!

in my juki this weekend

I am quilting the ORBC round 8 "lucky charms". You know the one Pat Sloan is leading?!! Anyhow, I didn't blanket stitch my applique, because I am too lazy to empty a bobbin for the little juki. Sad eh? Well, I like my quilting on the flowers and I think it will hold just fine.

It will probably take me the next couple days to finish the quilting, since I'm doing the single parent thing. Two weeks left of this crap. I cannot wait until its over. Although once my hubs gets home everything will start getting hairy as we get ready to move in a few months. Ahhh PCSing gotta love it. But really I just love the fact that we are getting the h-e -double hockey sticks out of this place.

Oh and I am approaching my 200th blog post. I'm thinking a giveaway will be fun.

Stay tuned :)