Playing Tag with My Friends!

Looks like I got tagged by my friend Michele over at Quilting Matters! She sent over a bunch of questions to answer so I really had to start thinking.

1. What is your favourite book?
Hmmm... I read a LOT so it's hard to have a favorite. I'm currently reading Hunger Games.

2. If you could have dinner with one person, living or dead, who would it be?
My grandmother. She died before I got married so she never got to see my hubby or my kids.

3. When you free motion quilt, do you drop the feed dogs or quilt with them up?
I don't do much FMQ yet but I have tried both ways. I don't see a huge difference in either way myself.

4. What is your proudest quilting moment?
I recently finished a twin size quilt that I sewed and quilted on my little home machine!

5. When did you know you were hooked on quilting? I have been sewing for years but a friend invited me to a guild meeting and I loved the pieces I saw. I knew I was hooked the first time I actually finished a quilt from start to finish by myself! 

6. What is your favourite place in the world? Why? I like being in the mountains with no tv, and no place to be. A good book, and a fireplace are all I need (um, and maybe a sewing machine after a week or so!).

7. What is a little known fact about you? Well, a little known bloggy fact is that I sing.  I sang in church from the time I was 5 but I trained and sang more musical theater and classical in high school and college.

8. If you were given $1,000 that you could spend on anything for YOU, what would you spend it on -- clothes, shoes, fabric? Something else? Ooh...$1000? Part of me would want to buy a really nice sewing machine, but part of me would want to take a trip. 

9. What is your favourite quilt that you made? I personally like X Marks the Spot. I created a block that I have not seen before and I really like how it came together.

10. What is your favourite quilt that someone else made? I love this Fibrations quilt. It is the first one shown in the post.

11. If you could be any character in a book, which one would it by and why? This is probably silly, but Hermione from Harry Potter. She was intelligent and loyal, a romantic but a fighter for what she believed in.

Now, I have a list of questions and a list of people who are supposed to answer them!

Here are my questions:
1. Musicals or plays? And what are your favorites?
2. Do you have any "hidden" talents that have not made it into your blog?
3. Are you a reader? If so, what are you reading right now?
4. What is your favorite time of day?
5. Do you save the selvages from fabric? Have you ever made anything with them?
6. What is your favorite quilt you've ever made?
7. What color comes up most often in your quilts?
8. Do you play music while you sew? What songs get you motivated?
9. What's the worst injury you've ever suffered?   (I have to answer this one myself...I suffered a tri-mallelar fracture back in in 1998. I have 7 screws and a plate in my left ankle to hold together my tibia and fibula...the broken heel just healed!)
10. Do you come from a large family or a small family?
11. Have you always lived in your current hometown? If not, how far away do you live from the town where you were born?

Who needs to answer these questions? Why these lovely people right here:

Lindsay @LinzSews
Kelli @Seriously...IthinkItNeedsStitches
Cheryl @Teapots2Quilting
Julie @DistantPickles
Mrs.Pickles @MrsPicklesGarden
Michelle @QuiltsFromMyCrayonBox
Richard @RichardQuilts
Allegory @SewAllegorical
Amy @ThreadRobin
Cassie @CassiesCrafties
Rebekah @TheThompsons

WiP: The One Where I Should Be Done...But I'm Not

So I should have finished twin quilt number 2 a while back now...but it's still not done. I have blocks for the back on my design board waiting to be pieced with solid blocks.

I have blocks from the front lined up on top of twin quilt number 1 to help me line up for size...

and I have Google issues. I tried to put pictures in my post today and it says I have reached my 1 GB limit in Picasa. However, not all of the pictures that appear in my blog seem to be housed in Picasa so I don't understand what is going on with this. Has anyone had to purchase more space for pictures? Or am I doing something wrong? I'd love to have some ideas of what to do. Otherwise I am stuck for blogging.

Modern Block of the Month

I recently got a copy of Allison Haight Carlton's book, Modern Minimal. What, you don't have the book, but you're interested in trying out some modern blocks with a minimal look to them? Sew Mama Sew has been running a Modern BOM since July. Want to see all the blocks in one place? I have a Pinterest board with all the blocks on it. Try one, try them all! I'm really interested in November myself...

Quickie Gift

My daughter has a birthday party to go to today so I needed a quickie gift. This is my neighbor's child though and I have been making them things for them instead of buying. The last one got a quickie quilt in a bag, but I didn't have time for that with work on the boy twin at an all time high so I had to drop back and punt. This is a girlie girl who loves shiny things so I thought, what would someone like me who loves fabric make someone like her who loves shiny things? Why, a jewelry organizer, of course!
I used this tutorial to whip up this cute little "jewel"!

It has cute little pockets on the inside for all her goodies, and though it's for jewelry, it could really be used for anything.

I really love this and I'm thinking of modifying it to create something to carry sewing goodies. I was thinking it would be great for embroidery if it were a tiny bit bigger. Or it would work for keeping your bobbins as well. Very cute!

I'm So Excited! And I Just Can't Hide It!

So I was thinking about how to get motivated to finish twin quilt number 2. One thing I have figured out about myself is that I don't like to do the same thing twice. If I do, I usually change something about it because it kind of bores me to repeat things. This appears to be especially true for quilting because I have so many ideas that I don't want to repeat something when I have ideas for so many other things to try. Well, I had planned on making twin quilt number 2 exactly like number one, but that didn't work. So I found a different plan that makes them look the same but it's done in a different way which helps keep me motivated. I had also thought about changing the solid color on it to blue since it was for a boy, but changed my mind. Well, I started dragging again (and they will be here next week so dragging is not an option!) so I decided to think about the back because I still have to do that as well. Oh my! I had an idea. Check it out!

I'm going to do the back in blue with a few granny squares in the leftover fabric. Okay, I can guarantee you still don't totally get it yet. That block you're looking at? I made it with 5" squares...it's a 19.5 inch block!!!! I've already got an idea for how I'm going to do it but I want to leave it a bit of a surprise. It will really end up being a reversible quilt and I really think I'm going to like the back better!
I also hit out local library a couple of hours ago and came across some crafty goodies to peruse later!

Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross, 501 Quilt Blocks by Better Homes and Gardens, adn Art Quilt Workbook. Definitely something I can check out while waiting in line to pick up the kids from school!

WiP? Hmmmm.....

Well, there's not a lot of anything in particular in progress this week except the beginning of twin quilt number 2.

Fourteen blocks done and thirty-five needed. I've got to get to sewing!
I also finished up a couple more Granny Squares I whipped up this morning. I woke up at 4:30 and couldn't get back to sleep. So I went ahead and colored my hair, took a shower, and started straightening the bathroom a bit before the kids got up. Later I made these two.

And here they are all together thus far. Sorry the picture's a little crooked.

Hmmm...I do like green, don't I? Anyway!

Do stay tuned around here over the next week. Tomorrow is my actual blogiversary and I wanted to do a giveaway but I haven't gotten it all together yet. I have something ordered for me and for you! Plus I'll be at an LQS tomorrow selling tickets to my quilting guild's opportunity quilt (charity quilt that helps us pay for the fabrics for our charity sewing and for speakers) so I'll be able to do a little browsing before I leave! Here is the front and back of our raffle quilt.

I want this quilt! Do you think anyone would notice if I put my name on all the tickets that go in the jar? You do. Darn! I can still buy my own tickets!

I alsohave the beginnings of a major stash going on, what with buying fabric with a Christmas gift card (Helly Luscious and Good Fortune layer cakes, Pezzy prints charm pack currently being used in twin quilt 2) and winning a little fabric as well (Sky Reve gift card from Quilt Story with which I purchased fat quarter bundle of Verona, and a Neptune honey bun from Megan at Canoe Ridge Creations). Soon my fabric shelves will be filled with all this yummy goodness:

Granted, my shelves already have most of it there, but I enjoy looking at all of it together!

Hope you've been having a happy week sewing!

Progress...and Fabric!

So far I have 14 blocks done for twin quilt number 2... 21 blocks to go! I'm taking a different route with this one but they will look very similar.

I had just ordered the fabric I chose with my winning credit from Sky Reve Fabrics when I found out I had another win! I found out the other night from Megan over at Canoe Ridge Creations that I won the Neptune honeybun by Tula Pink over at her blog giveaway! So, in my near future I will receiving this Neptune honeybun....


and this fat quarter bundle of Verona that I ordered from Sky Reve.

Isn't it gorgeous? And not totally like other fabrics I've picked out.  Thanks so much again to Heather Megan at Quilt Story for their giveaway. I think I can almost say that after this and all the fabric I've gotten lately from Christmas gift cards, I almost have a stash!

Reflection...

Ever had one of those moments? That kind of freaks you out but makes you think too? I had done some clothes shopping this morning for the kids (summer weather's coming fast and furious here in the south!) and so I stopped for lunch. As I was getting back in my car to leave, I noticed a flyer right beside my car like it had fallen out of my car (which it had not!). The top had a picture of an hourglass on it and it said, "This may be the last 5 minutes of your life." Uh, what? Tell me that won't freak you out right before you get in your car to start driving!

Also, Katy at I'm a Ginger Monkey is working with Pink Castle Fabrics to have a build your own bundle contest. Put together the fabrics that you would create a bundle with and post them on your blog. Here are mine. I'm not sure they would be my first choice but I was trying to go with something different than I usually do.

1. sundae_stripe_gray[1], 2. spring_buds_gray_3[1], 3. quilters_linen_gray[2], 4. holly_jolly_stripe_gray[1], 5. sketch_yellow_3[1], 6. oval_dot_yellow[1], 7. chevron_yellow[1], 8. basket_weave_yellow[1], 9. confetti_purple[1], 10. il_570xN.257715849[1], 11. il_570xN.308483102[1], 12. outfoxed_jewels_purple[1]


The ones that just listed numbers are 10 which is Heirloom Marquis in Amethyst and 11 which is Kona in Berry.

Come On and Wiggle It...Just a Little Bit!

Okay, get your mind somewhere else! I was referring to teeth! Each of my kids lost a tooth over a two day period. My daughter lost hers two days ago, while Little Man lost his first tooth last night. Hubby talked him through it until he pulled it. See, we don't pull teeth. We let them do it themselves.  I have always been willing but my daughter never wanted us to so it just sort of ended up being this way. It makes me laugh when I think of my own childhood. My dad was the tooth puller in our family. Even our cousins would get sent over to our house by their parents to have dad pull their teeth!

I don't usually put pictures of the kids on my blog but this was just so cute.

Don't forget it's National Quilting Day! And I have officially started on Twin quilt number 2!

Some Kind of Wonderful!

I got more goodies yesterday!

I got my charm pack of Pezzy prints I ordered for Mani's twin quilt, so I'm pretty much set...well, except for white. Which I had planned on purchasing today...but Little Man came home sick from school (not so wonderful!). Sooooo....hopefully he will well enough when we go back to pick up his sis that we can make a run really quickly. I have GOT to get started on this quilt! Luckily I came across a different version on Moda Bake Shop that I can modify a bit to give the same effect but I think I can whip together a bit quicker. It's supposedly made from a layer cake but it's cut up into charm squares so I'm set.

I also got my fabric from the layer cake swap Julie had over at Distant Pickles. It was a rainbow swap so, needless to say, I got lots of yummies! Thank you Julie!

I already have a plan for at least half of these! Now to get to work on some of these projects!

WiP Wednesday

Hmmm...what have I done this week?
Well, I whipped up a donation quilt top...

a calendar cover...

told people about a great free quilting software program called Quilting Assistant...
squared some Grannys...

and got some mailbox goodness,...twice! The first time was Hello Luscious and Good Fortune layer cakes, but yesterday I got some books!

Allison Haight Carlton has created some lovely modern quilts in her book, Modern Minimal. And I have wantd the Fresh Fabric Treats book since I saw a giveaway for it over at Kimberly Walus' blog, bitty bits and pieces. My primary project I wanted it for? Kimberly's project bag...

But then I got it and found this...

a great bag for toting your computer. But if you want your computer to be separately protected, it comes with plans for ...

 a separate computer bag, and...

a little storage pouch for your goodies that go with it! Love it. Can't wait to get started.

Granny Squared

Yes, I know I need to get to work on twin quilt number 2 but I have some pezzy prints coming and they haven't arrived yet so I'm still on hold! So instead of working on something that's already in flux, I decided to undertake a new "in flux" project. But, and I emphasize that: BUT, this is for a project due before May. A baby quilt to be exact. So I'm not exactly procrastinating. I'm thinking ahead, yeah, that's it!
A lady my hubby works with at church found out I quilt. Well, she's due with her third child so she put in for a quilt. Let's just say she told me she wanted one. She got specific about size but not much else. She hasn't mentioned any colors or anything and I haven't asked on purpose. I decided that I wanted to do what I wanted to do. And I want to do a Granny Square Block with scraps! So far I whipped up 5 squares tonight (keep in mind that I did cut up a bunch of the fabric for this a week or so ago so that helped them come together quickly).

May I just say, I think this is one of my new favorite blocks? It's really quick, looks great with scraps (it may be my new go to quilt for scraps!) and it is VERY forgiving for color combinations. I actually think that the farther apart your different colors are, the better it looks.

Loving it! I'll be working on these and my Carpenter Wheels until my Pezzy prints come in, then it will be full time twin!

Oh my! I was just thinking the other day that I haven't won anything in a really long time, though I have continued to try. And of course, the second after I post this I go to check my email and see that I have won a $25 credit with Sky Reve fabrics from wonderful Heather and Megan over at Quilt Story! I'm so excited! How ever will I narrow it down?

Please Sir, May I Have Some More?

The first day of school after the time change and what happens at my house? No food for breakfast! How did this happen? I didn't realize it until my son got up, went to the kitchen and immediately began crying because there were no poptarts. He was already irritated because I had dared to wake him up before the sun. He kept telling me it was too early. You are preaching to the choir, son! I know it feels early! Then it dawned on me.

• I usually buy groceries on Sunday; didn't happen this weekend because of baseball, Girl Scout cookie booth, both my husband and I serving at church and a second cookie booth.
• For some glorious reason the half gallon of milk in the refrigerator with a date of March 19th on it went bad last night and I had to pour it out so cereal was not an option.

Darn! Luckily Little Man decided he wanted peanut butter bread, which my daughter would have been fine with except for one thing...only ONE piece of bread! The heels were left but, like most picky children, mine will not eat the heels of the bread. Drat! So I'm frantically looking around while she dresses and he eats. I come across a package of muffin mix...which requires what? Milk! Double drat! I offer to make eggs? No dice. Grits? Not having it. Oatmeal? Are you kidding, mom? Finally I come across a box of Fiber One Muffins that requires only 2 eggs, oil, and water. How many eggs do I have? Two!! Now we're cooking! Granted she had to eat it in the car on the way to be dropped off to school but she did get some breakfast before she got there. Whew! Needless to say, you know where I went right after dropping them off at school....


the LQS!!! Nope, just kidding! Major shopping at the grocery store!

Hello Delicious? No..., Hello Scrumptious? That's Not It Either....

Oh my... I did a little shopping the other day. A rather large little shopping. Well, for me anyway. I got an Amazon gift card for Christmas and still hadn't spent it. I know, I know; what was I thinking? But I spent it the other day. Plus just an itty bit more. Primarily because two things had shipping costs. See, I live for free shipping. If I need something I will wait until I need enough from that store to qualify for free shipping if I possibly can. But this was fabric. On Amazon. So there was shipping. Sigh....
Anyway, I got a big surprise in the mail yesterday. Oh yes I did! Two of my goodies arrived and I am SOOO excited!

Why, Hello Luscious! Oh yeah! It is just so gorgeous. And it's a layer cake so I'm doubly excited. And since I was in a cakey kind of mood...

Kate Spain's Good Fortune! I have been DYING for this ever since it came out. I have drooled over it and petted it at the LQS every time I go in there. And now I have it. Right here in my own hands. LOVE IT!
I'm not going to say what else I ordered so I will be able to report all my happy mail days in pictures.  And one thing was a pre-order. Well, I'll tell you about that one since it won't come out until July anyway.
I ordered this:

I need some FMQ help. I thought maybe Angela could give me a hand. Do you know Angela? She's got a little blog called Quilting Is My Therapy. Check it out sometime. I also just noticed she's started a separate website for the promotion of her book here. I like that we can support our fellow bloggers with their pet projects. 

Weekend Update... ... ...

More goodies have been finished! I took strips I won at strip poker at one of our quilt guild meetings and made a donation quilt.

I didn't have enough of the leftovers to do a border. I may run by the LQS and see what they have. It's only 36x36 so it would need to be a bit bigger for a lap quilt.

I also took some of my twin quilt leftovers and made myself a calendar cover from this tutorial. I didn't follow her directions for doing strips on the front, but I did what she said about how to put it together. I bought this calender and then wondered why I never wanted to put it in my purse. Well, it was ugly!

Here's how it looks on the calendar.

and opened.

Oh, and I came across a wonderful event going on right now. My friend Michelle over at Quilt Matters posted today about an online Quilting Conference going on at WillowBendCreations.  It's called Inspired to Quilt, and there are little classes, vendors, quilts to look at and it's all online! I've already got a minky scarf I've watched them make that is on my list. Check it out! And if you've got a minute, check out Michelle's gorgeous Don't Worry, Be Scrappy quilt. It's in this week's Quilting Gallery contest (Scrappy Triangle Quilts).  I know she'd appreciate the votes and it truly is gorgeous. Check out all that FMQ; I'm so jealous!

Hope you're having a fun weekend!

New FREE Quilt Software!!!

Two Christmases ago hubby bought me Quilt Design Wizard from the same people who give you EQ. Now, I love this software. It's cool that you can put in prints as well as solids, and choose from blocks to set up quilts. There are many quilt blocks in the program to play with and I actually used it to come up with my plan for my Diamond Chains Quilt Along. I have even recently played around with it for setups for my Carpenter Wheels (when I finally finish them!).

Well, I just found out that hubby's aunt, who already has me making two quilts for her grandbabies, wants me to make a quilt for her other daughter as well. Keri is a large animal vet in Saskatchewan so when I asked what she might want on her quilt she said, "Australian Shepherds and horses". Um, okay. I did a little researching but I'm having trouble finding fabric with Australian Shepherds on it. So I wondered about paper piecing a dog. That set me to searching for instructions because I have no idea where to even begin creating a paper piecing pattern. I found something better. A program!

Have any of you heard of Quilting Assistant? I had not but came across it while looking online. It is free so I downloaded the program and started playing around with it. I will say this; read the manual! It is not difficult but I needed a little walk through to help me understand how it worked. I started with a picture of one of Keri's own dogs.  I was able to change it from this...

To this! I actually could have muted the colors all the way down to just basic colors instead of "picture" colors more as well.

Now, I will say, it prints out all the pieces and you have to put them back together. I'm still trying to figure out if you can print it out as is. Not sure about that yet.

After reading the directions I figured out that I could finally put my own block designs in this program. Remember X Marks the Spot?

I was so excited because one of the reasons I never did a quilt along for this block was because I couldn't figure out how to draw it out except on graph paper. Now I can even play with the layout and design. This was my original quilt design.

But after playing with the program, how cool would this one be?

Or this one?

Or this one? I changed the colors just to play a bit.

I'm very excited about having another option for quilt planning.  Just thought I'd share. Check it out!