We have a finish ...

 It just dawned on me that I neglected to brag post a project I actually completed for our Sew we Gather back in October. The re-arranging of the quilting studio really did the trick!

I project started out with this ...

It had been so long since I had hand appliquéd. Seriously, I think it's been over five (5) years! But, it's like riding a bicycle, it comes right back!

Then, it moved on to lots and lots of these ....

Oh, how I love half squared triangles! They are my favourite.

And made it to a complete project!

The pattern is called, Esther's Garden Box and is from the book Simple Whatnots II by Kim Diehl. The quilt top measures 14.5" x 14.5"! 

I must admit, I do love the way my quilting cabinet is looking!

Hope you are enjoying some productive creativity! Catch you all later! Cheers!

Thinking of spring ...!

I am still plugging away at my UFO list.

When I first began quilting (1997) I only had one project going at a time. A few months later, I decided that it was so much more fun to start new projects. You know, to spice things up a bit. So, I created this rule that I could not have more than five (5) projects going at the same time. I had to finish one project before I could start a new one.

Approximately six (6) months later I increased it to ten (10). I remember one year working on my quilting UFOs and bringing the list down to zero just so I could start new projects. I had so many quilts I wanted to make. At that time I didn't keep a list, I just had them all in baskets, scattered around in my quilting studio.

I don't know what happened but along the way I threw out the rule. Since early 2007, I now keep a record of my projects, the date it was started and completed.

... hold on I am counting ...

I have approximately 50 quilting UFOs! Insert shock face here!

OMG, I better get stitching, quilting .... whatever it takes!

Since I've been working mainly on wool work, I decided that I needed to finish a hand applique quilt. I picked up the project Idaho Lily, started November 1, 2014. This project is from Kim Diehl's club Simple Whatnots!

There were three of these blocks that needed to be appliqued.

No more foolin' around! I got busy so that I could piece the top. In no time, well in a bit of time, I brought it from this.

To this!

It has since been machine quilted and the binding done! In other words, another one bites the dust.

Thank you so much for stopping by my little corner in cyber space! I'm off working on some more quilting UFOs.

Catch you all later! Cheers!

Lot's happening ... !

I am finding it more and more difficult to not be tempted by new projects.  You only live once or YOLO, as my DD likes to say.  So, this is a new project ... YOLO! ... that I'll be staring January 2014.

It's a new BOM being offered by Fibre Junction.  It's called Austin Bluebird and is designed by Minick and Simpson.

I saw this at Market Schoolhouse this fall.  The colours are absolutely gorgeous.   The fabrics will be coming in this month and I cannot wait!  If you would like to join me, you can reserve your place here.

Last Tuesday, the day and evening Simple What's Not Club members joined me for a pincushion exchange a la Yankee Swap style.  What fun we had.  I love seeing the creativity!

I really have the bestest customers/club members.  What a hoot we had.  Each one brought a dish to share. The food was amazing.  Sorry, no picture of the spread, it's all gone! ;)

Thank for stopping by!

Boo... hooo....!

What a disappointing Halloween!

Only 8 kids showed up at my door step! What's going on here?  I had all these wonderful goody bags made up!  A wonderfully carved pumpkin by dd ... and barely anyone came. I sure hope the numbers will increase next year!

As I sat downstairs, waiting for the ghouls to show up, I took the opportunity to clean out my blog labels.  I felt there were way too many labels that were redundant!

I've been plugging away at the Folk Art Bloom quilt!  Voila, another one done!

Thanks for stopping by!  Keep well!

Plugging away....!

Do you have flimsies, waiting to be sandwiched and bound?  Well, I do!

These projects just seem to sit there, waiting.  For what?  Sometimes, I'm not sure.  It's been the case for this little quilt.  Sure, I can make excuses, but really.... it's been way too long!

Started this little hand embroidery project last year!  I've had the center done for quite some time.

Yes, I was waiting for fabric to come in, but honestly, it didn't have to take so long for me to complete this.

The pattern is called Little Tree by Waltzing with Bears!  For the border, I used a combination of Seasonal Gatherings by Primitive Gatherings and Odile by French General!

I love the little hanger!

As I look at this little quilt, I feel the need to remove some machine quilting in the center.  What was I thinking?

On another note, I did complete another block from my Folk Art Quilt project.

Plugging along here!

On a different subject, I am in search of a photo editing software that is not overly expensive.  Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks for stopping by!  Cheers!

Autumn is in the air...!

I love fall!  It has got to be one of my all time favourite season.  Here in Upstate New York, it is absolutely lovely.  The weather is a bit coolish and the trees are just beginning to change their colours.    We are definitely getting a glimpse of fall.

I continue to keep busy, in between classes and business dealings, by getting quilting projects completed.  If you recall, on a recent trip to Syracuse, I picked up some patterns and kits and have since completed this cute little country wool project!

The pattern is called Snowman Gift Bag and is designed by Peg Springstead of the Quilted Crow New York.

I plan on using it as a winter decoration!

I think it will look lovely with some holly springs or perhaps other types of greenery in the bag!  Don't you think?

Wool is so nice to work with!

Simple ... not as complicated as needle turn applique.  Not that I do not enjoy hand applique, it's just that a wool projects is much simpler to prepare.  

Speaking of hand applique ... I have been plugging away at my Folk Art Bloom quilt.

The background fabric I had been waiting for finally arrived at Fibre Junction - Marcus Bros Tavern Blues by Paula Barnes.  I took the day to prepare the rest of my blocks so that I can tackle them.

I like to have all of the prep work done so that it becomes a production line applique marathon.  Of course, with occasional breaks for some machine time and other hand projects.  Working on the same project continuously just tires me out!  I like variety! ;o)

Thank you for stopping by!  Cheers!

Well, ain't that a shock....!

My time flies! I cannot believe it has been close to a month since I last posted. It's certainly not for lack of ideas and projects to post.

 As I write, Santa's Comin' to Town by Olde Green Cupboard is still rolled up on the longarm. I was going to machine quilt it to day, just to realize that I do not have the wool batting I thought I had... hum...... So, it will have to wait....

 My little girl recently returned from Europe. What an experience it was for both of us! Of course her experience was much more cultural! ;o) When she returned there was a lot of catching up on hugs and kisses!

Imagine that, fourteen years old and she has already traveled abroad, myself ..... I haven't left the continent ..... but soon! ;o) Here is one of the souvenirs she brought me!

Isn't she sweet?

On a quilting note, I have set aside the hand embroidery for a bit and have been working on some hand applique blocks, a project I started back in October 2011. Here is block 3!

The background is Marcus Brothers - Paula Barnes' fabric line Tavern Blues. The picture does not do it justice. So rich!

Well, I cannot say that this was an easy entry to write.  Not sure I like Blogger's new interface, it's so white making it difficult to find anything.  Also, flipping between Compose and HTML does not work well.  I'm all for change but sometimes the change is not always for the better! ;o)

Thank you for stopping by!

Designer wall Friday ...!

I've been reading on some blogs about a designer wall day and thought perhaps as a means of hiding my lack of organization I should post what is on my designer wall. ;o)

Except for the middle block, I have had these blocks pieced for quite some time.  On Wednesday, I decided it was high time to get that 5 star block prepared for hand applique. Now, please excuse the mess....

Voila!  General's Wives - BOM that Fibre Junction is offering!

The top is not pieced, yet, but in my defense, I barely finished appliqueing the 5 stars' block late Thursday early Friday!

I'm working on having the top pieced and quilted soon.  It would be such a great feeling to strike off  a project on that long list of UFOs!

Thanks for stopping by!  Cheers!

Magazines.....!

I love magazines!  I think some would say that I am a magazine junkie!  There is just something about looking at wonderful pictures of whatever pleases me.  I especially like to look at holiday issues!

One magazine that I would like to tell you about is MaryJanesFarm.  Why you might ask?

The December/January issue has a nice article on the Buggy Barn Ladies and their annual quilt show.

Oh how I would love to visit!

One day, I will be there!

There's nothing like looking at photographs to take you there. They certainly did a great job of doing that in this issue.

Aside from the quilting article, it's actually a great magazine.  Although I have been raised in a large city, I'm a farm girl at heart and this magazine satisfies that inner calling. ;o)

On the Buggy Barn note, I did start a new project.

Folk Art Bloom by the Buggy Barn ladies!

I'm using lots of plaids as well as scraps from prior hand applique projects.

So far I have 4 blocks prepared, ready for the hand work.

I cannot wait to finish one so I can show & tell!

I'm lovin' how it's turning out!

On the Cyber Club Front, there does not seem to be enough quilters that are interested in participating, so I will put that on the back burner for now. I just thought it would have been nice to have a place for those interested to meet and have fun.

Thank you so much for stopping by!  Keep well!  Cheers!

And the beat goes on.....!

Ya know, all these new tools I have blogged about (here and here), they are really helping me finish my hand work. Goodness, are they doing a great job at keeping my fingers from getting sore.

I can hand applique for long stretches at a time! I'm talking until I get tired of it and/or need a change of scenery!

I no longer need to take a break in order to give my fingers time to heal! Yea, I'm on a roll! ;o)

Penelope has also had a tire change, those new M & M wheels I bought at VQF! DH finally set aside some time to change them.

So, I needed a quilt top to take those new wheels for a test drive.  Given that the blocks were all done and that it was just a matter of piecing the top, I was able to quickly finished this little quilt!

The Orange Peel quilt from Kathleen Tracy's book Remembering Adelia!

Yea, those new wheels make such a difference!  Smooth!

You know, I really like that I used scraps for make the center of the quilt.

I'm slowly getting proficient at scrap usage!

It used to be that I could not work with anything smaller than a quarter yard! lol  Now, I'm using up pieces as small as 1 1/2" and it's not in applique projects but actual piecing.  And.... I actually enjoy it! lol

Thanks so much for stopping by my little corner in cyberspace!  Cheers!

A new Flimsy....!

Yeap, I've been a busy bee!  I started this hand applique quilt back in July!

The pattern is called Spring Fling By Jan Patek!

Whenever I start a hand project, whether hand applique or embroidery, I always begin with the block that requires the most work.  I then work my way down to the simplest block.

I really find it easier for me to get motivated to finish the quilt, as the blocks get less and less intense.

I also tend to prepare all of the blocks at the same time.  When one block is completed, I can quickly pick up another.

I'm also a gluer!  I'll have all of my pieces glued down.  It makes my blocks portable, allowing me to work on them whenever and where ever!

I do like the way this quilt turned out.  I think I will call it Summer Days 2011.  We really did have wonderful weather this summer.  The quilt is now awaiting its turn on Penelope.

Thank you so much for stopping by!  Keep Well!

Another Fat One bites the dust....!

I've been plugging away at the Fat Quarter Book by Lori Smith.

I've had this little quilt done for quite some time. It was just a matter of loading it on Penelope and getting it machine quilted.

The pattern is called Square Dance. I actually foundation pieced the center of the quilt.

If you've been following my blog from the beginning, you know that I am not a fan of paper piecing. The technique and I just do not get along.

Way back in 2007 I even wrote an entry on 10 reasons not to paper piece! lol

I've worked around the whole personality conflict thing by using Ricky Tims' Stable Stuff Poly!

I print my blocks and piece accordingly. I do not have to remove the foundation. Once washed, it blends in with your batting.

I don't even have tension issues!

Yea, I'm in love with Stable Stuff! lol Basically, it's machine embroidery stabilizer cut in a convenient size 8.5" x 11" sheets. Works for me!

Thanks for stopping by!  Cheers!

Life, the universe and the possibilities of UFO quilters....!

I seem to be picking up a tad of a gloom and doom attitude as of late! Have you ever watched the series Ancient Aliens?

It is/was a documentary on the History Channel about Alien earthly visitations (past and present) and the "evidence" they have.  Anyway, it's scaring the crap out of me! Not that I think their theory is well supported, it's just my imagination that is running wild! Sadly, so far none of the aliens appear to be quilters!

As hand applique entertainment, I tend to watch Netflix instant view. It's great if you're like me and do not watch TV; all of the older programs are new! lol I think I will revert to scientific and historical documentaries for learning entertainment! ;o)

As a quilter, I am always looking for tools that make my quilting experience more enjoyable.  One of the issues I had with hand applique was the soreness of my under finger as the needle picked through the layers.   A while back I had written about the UnderThimble as a possible tool for hand applique (you may read about here)!  Why not, it worked great for hand embroidery.  Unfortunately, it just didn't cut it for hand applique.

However, Thimble-It works wonderfully!

What I do is cut the ovals in half, round off the corners and place it on my index finger.  Voila!  My finger is protected.

I can go on for hours and days hand appliqueing with no pain!

The problem with the UnderThimble was my inability to grasp my work tightly.  Thimble-It is more flexible, allowing me to get a firm grip of my work.

If you are like me and unable to hand applique for long periods of time, you might want to give Thimble-it a try.

Thank you for stopping by!  Keep well and if you meet aliens who quilt, do let me know.  I'd love to see their work!

The wonder of it all.....!

I have been living here in Upstate New York for quite some time. In our back yard, we have some beautiful old trees, some are more then 100 years old.

More particularly, we have this thorny tree that Stephen calls a Locust tree. I have never much appreciated this tree and often wondered why we had not taken it down.

During this time of the year (late spring), we would always get this wonderful perfume smell in the air. A smell that not knowing any better I had attributed to honey suckles. Strangely, we have no honey suckles around, but I just could not figure out where the smell came from that is ..... until tonight.

As I sat outside this evening enjoying the sweet smell in the air all the while reading my book, I looked towards the Locust tree, which is in the middle of the yard, and noticed it had blossoms. Hum..... I've never seen this before...

So I walked over to the middle of our yard and saw these beautiful blossoms on its branches, thousands of them!

As I stood under its canopy it smelled oh so sweet!

I ran to the house to get DH!

Believe it or not, he did not know that the tree blossomed in the spring. Well...

Now I know where that beautiful smell comes from and it's not from honey suckles! lol

And if that wasn't enough....

It was buzzing with activity!

There were these huge bumble bees buzzing about from blossoms to blossoms.

As I stood underneath, all I would hear was the buzzing of bumble bees.... and there were many.

I soaked it all in....!

It is amazing how blind we were to its beauty! I will never look at our Black Locust the same again! When it shed it's thousands of pods on the lawn, I will remember my Spring experience! ;o)

On the quilting front I have been a busy bee, buzzing from one project to another. I have finished a hand applique quilt that I hope to show you soon.

My orange peel stack is slowly going down.

I have 18 more peels to hand applique! I will then be ready to piece the top! Yea!

I'm off to do a bit of hand applique before it gets too late!

I wish you all a wonderful week! Thank you so much for stopping by my little corner in cyber space! Cheers!

Another Fat Quarter one....!

I finished this little quilt from the Fat Quarter Quilting book by Lori Smith. This project is from the hand applique class that I am presently teaching at Fibre Junction.

It's called Vase of Flowers. Not sure what I will be calling it! Any suggestions?

I do like how it turned out!

It is one of my favourites thus far!

It has a flat piping and would you believe it's actually the first quilt that I actually sew/use a flat piping?! I cannot believe I waited so long! lol

The designer called for 3/4 of an inch folded and I thought it would be much too small to be noticed, so I cut mine 1 (one) inch!

Thanks for stopping by! Keep well!

Rain, Rain and more Rain.....!

Yep, that's been pretty much our weather as of late. So, being of the "practical nature" kind of person that I am, I decided to make the best of it and put up my pool.

Yep, that's right! Why not?!

No, it hasn't rained that much but we have certainly received quite a few inches of rain.

Given that the forecast is rain for the week, I turned off the hose and allow Mother Nature to do her thing!

With the 4,000 gallons required to fill it, every little bit of help counts and.... it doesn't cost anything! ;o)

On the quilting front, I continue to keep myself out of trouble be productive and finished this little hand appliqué gem from the Fat Quarter Quilting Book by Lori Smith.

The pattern is called Tumbling Leaves.

It's been a flimsy for quite some time awaiting patiently to be loaded on Penelope.

The dilemma was, how do I machine quilt it?

After much thought, I decided to make it appear windy ...... sort of give it the blowing leaf look! I call it Blustery day!

Thank you so much for stopping by my little corner in Cyberspace!

Keep well everyone! Cheers!

What's new......!

Have you seen this book by Kathleen Tracy?



I didn't know when I purchased the book, but it is from the same author of the Civil War Sewing Circle & Prairie Children and their Quilts! No wonder I love it!

Lately I've been on a mission to reduce my 19 century reproduction scraps. There's nothing like starting a new project to get the creative juices flowing....

So....

I'm seeing orange peels!

I've always wanted to make one of these quilts and.... besides

I needed a new hand applique project to keep me out of trouble occupied!

As I type this post, I have 22 made! Forty two (42) more to go!

Penelope and I have had a couple of play dates! I'm looking forward to showing you some finished hand applique quilts!

Off to hand sew some bindings! ;o)

Thank you so much for stopping by! Keep well!

Older but new to me.........

Have you seen this book?

Fat-Quarter quilting by Lori Smith, published in 2009 by That Patchwork Place! It's a somewhat of an older book, but a must have in my opinion!

What a great book! Every time I look through it, I feel inspired!

It has both hand applique and machine pieced projects! All are lovely!

All small projects, allowing you to use up your scraps! You know, those small pieces of fabrics that you cannot bare to part with! ;o)

I love this book so much that I have tailored a hand applique class that I am presently giving at the Shoppe, Fibre Junction.

Every month, I work on a technique that is associated with a quilt in the book.

Last month's project was.....

Birds in the air!

This quilt to me is what I consider a "made do" quilt. I used all scraps!

Well, except for the background, which I needed a fat quarter, the fabrics comes from my hand applique scrap bin!

The binding is a left over from my Rural Jardin quilt! I had just enough left to bind it!

What a great feeling to be using scraps! I feel so efficient! lol

The Birds in the Air quilt was a great exercise in working with what I have. I will be the first to admit, it is so easy to be inspired by new fabrics! My mind goes wild with all the possibilities. However, the challenge, for me, is working with what I have in the scrap bin! Talk about pushing the comfort envelop! lol

Thank you so much for stopping by! Enjoy the moment! Cheers!

UFOs in the closet....!

Back in February 2007, I had become a member of the Stashbuster yahoo group. That year, I decided to join their UFO challenge. It was a perfect opportunity for me to finish some long over due projects.

I began this challenge by doing an inventory, well okay, cleaning out the dust bunnies so to speak! Once I had an inventory of all of my on going projects, I decided that it was time to keep a list.

This is what I came up with.

I remember Nancy, from Nancyquilts, commenting on how I was just a baby in the UFO department! She had 86 UFOs! Not sure my heart could take it! lol I wonder how Nancy is doing!?

As you can see, many of those projects have been completed.

What I have done, is continued a yearly listing of each project I start. This allows me to know the year and date I began and finished my projects.

Now I'm curious, how you organize your ongoing projects? Do you keep a list of your projects?

All this to say, my guild Franklin County Quilter's Guild, is doing a UFO challenge! I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for me to work on the "prior to 2007" list.

Sunday, I dug for a project to add to the new challenge list and decided on Wildberry Vines by Nancy Odom of Timid Thimble Creations. This project was on the original 2007 Stashbuster UFO challenge and did cost me a penalty of a FQ! Should you wish, you may read the story associated with this quilt here.

Harmed with determination, by 2:00 a.m. I had pieced the center of the quilt! Yea!

There really wasn't much left to do on it. Trimming the blocks and doing a bit of hand embroidery in (2) two of the blocks.

For now, I must leave it on my design wall, as I do need to get my Jo's Little women' club project done for Thursday! I've got to set a good example! ;o) lol

Off to play with some Jo Morton Fabrics! Pressure, pressure, but I can handle it! ;o)

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Time for a give away....!

I've been a busy bee, working on some of those projects bins I blogged about a few weeks ago. I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful it feels to complete a project. It's the perfect motivation! I mean, I feel full of energy and pep, ready to tackle the next bin. Maybe even start a new project! ;o)

On the finish front, I have been working on The Circuit Rider's Quilt - An Album Honoring a Beloved Minister by Jenifer Dick. It's a needleturn applique class I'm teaching at the Shoppe.

The block is called Album Leaf. There are a couple of variations that I'm presently working on.

I decided to use some of my scraps from the Women of Influence quilt.

I'm not a scrap collector and therefore am always looking to use any left overs as soon as I can.

I really admire people who are able to work with scraps. Unless I can use them within a reasonable time frame in another project, I give them away to a good cause.

This is the Cornerstone Flower.

The leafs and center bulb are fabrics from the newest Judy Rothermel collection, The Civil War Tribute, from Marcus Bros. What a sweet line of fabrics they are. I do plan on incorporating more of that line in future blocks. For the circles, I did use scraps.

I realize that I have not been as diligent about blogging and I do want to apologize. So to make up for my lack, it's time for a give away.

Remember that quilt I finished a while back? You can view it here.

The pattern was called Stars Aligned by Cozy Quilt Designs.

Well, I have a kit prepared for you. The size of the quilt is 53" x 68" (Throw size).

All of the fabrics, except inner border and corner stones, come from the Moda line; Glace by Three Sisters.

The blueish fabric that you see is called Grunge Blue, also a Moda designed by Basic Grey.

There you have, the prize to be given away.

So, leave a comment on this blog entry and you will be entered in the give away.

The dead line is April 10, 2010. Good luck!

Thank you for stopping by and for your patience with my lack of posting. Cheers!