WIP and some Graduations!

I have actually been sewing a lot this week! I have 7 of the 14 rows done on my Falling Good Fortune Charms...

No, that's actually not the direction it goes on the bed, but it fits that way while I'm deciding what block goes next. And yes, it could use some more ironing! I left it at my sewing machine with one row all pinned and when I got back to sew it, it had gotten a bit wrinkled.
I have also been working on a READ wall hanging for my friend who is the media specialist at my kids' school.

I haven't gotten far with it yet but  I did go through my bag of selvages to find some "titles" for the books that will go with it.

I really need to come up with something to do with these selvages. Hmmm...
Anyway, I did find a few and I can sew in the rest.

My beautiful niece got her quilt from me this weekend. She was so cute and excited! This was a combination "turning 18" and graduation quilt.

There was a cookout at her house to celebrate her graduation. She told me later it was already on her bed at home. I love it when a quilt brightens someone's day, don't you?

School's......... Out...For...Summer!

Yup, the kiddoes are done with their studies for a few months so Monday means we will be starting with a different schedule. It's not over yet, though. My niece is graduating from high school this morning. Then we're having a cookout for her at her house, and I will be able to give her the quilt I made for her. What else am I doing this weekend? Well, at the last minute I decided to work on a little wall hanging for a friend (the librarian/media specialist at the kids' school).  I am modifying the READ bag I did a while back into a wall hanging. Remember this bag?

So far I have the RE created but got sidetracked by all the end of the year school activities. Hopefully I will get it done by next week so I can run it by to her while she's at postplanning. If not I can give it to her when school starts back up next year.

Pomp and Circumstance...And All That Jazz!

So far we have received 4 graduation announcements this year; my niece, two cousins each have a child graduating, and a friend of the family. I made a quilt for my niece, but I am at a loss for the others.  The cousins' kids are boys, and the friend is a girl. I am tempted to just do money since that can always be used. I have seen some people giving out the Duck Dynasty book, "Happy, Happy, Happy," but we don't watch it so I'm not sure that's the way to go. I remember getting money, beach towels, and that's about all I remember. What are you doing for graduates in your life?

WIP Wednesday!

I can't believe it's Wednesday again already. I will be at the school this morning watching my 7 year old's award ceremony for 1st grade so I made sure to get this written up ahead of time! Tomorrow is the 5th grade ceremony; we're a bit excited because this is a bit of a graduation for my daughter since she'll be moving to middle school next year...even if it is across the street! 

Well, so far I have been working away with my Good Fortune charms.

And I added a border to my Skill Builder top so I just need to get a back put together for it! I ended up using some of the leftovers from the back of my niece's quilt. I think it looks pretty good. 

Sorry for the bad picture. Where I have to stand to take a picture of my design wall is right in the middle of my sewing armoire and table, so it gets a little tight! This quilt still does not have a definite home yet so hopefully I'll figure it out by the time I'm done with it. But I am also excited that hubby changed out the light bulbs in my sewing area (the basement) and I hope that means pictures will look a bit better from now on!

How is your progress this week? 

When I Was Almost Ready to Give Up...

I ordered some hardware for an upcoming project from a shop on Etsy. Unfortunately the only shops that sold needed hardware were overseas. I found a good deal from a shop in China and was able to buy 2 WITH shipping and handling for less than I would have paid at the suggested in states shop. I paid back on April 27. I received a confirmation from the shop that the "parcel" had been "dispatched" 5/3. I was finally able to track it online on 5/7 when it read, "Acceptance." Since then I have waited...and waited...and waited. Finally about 5/13 it read something new: "Origin Post is Preparing Shipment". They put that one on there three times! I was just getting ready to throw in the towel and order some from a states shop when I checked a few minutes ago. The new line reads "Processed through USPS facility".... in Flushing, NY!!! It has finally made it to the good ole' US of A! It was processed at 9:14 this morning so hopefully I should be seeing it in my mailbox in the next couple of days...and we will pray that it is good quality and I won't have to worry about replacing them after this nail biter! You see, these are needed for some projects I am presenting in a blog hop that is coming up fast and furious in the next couple of weeks. Thankfully, I got really motivated and did the sewing part already. Now all I'll have to do is add the hardware and I will be ready, Freddy!

I am sewing! No pics yet but I will have some soon!

In other news I spent the weekend totally jelly (as my 11 year old daughter would say) of all the people who got to go to Portland for Quilt Market. I am very thankful for all the wonderful pics everyone posted on Instagram. Did you get a look at that gorgeous Tula Pink butterfly quilt? To have a quilty brain that works like that, I'm telling you!

My hubby and I also attended a cookout at the house of my hubby's boss this weekend. What a lovely home! This was the view from their upper deck/porch area in the back.

So pretty. They even have a koi pond. Check out the view once the night sky hit.

How gorgeous? Very. My biggest issue was that I couldn't figure out how to take pictures of their kitchen without looking totally obnoxious. Again: jelly. My kitchen needs some serious help.

Good Fortune Smiles Down!

I'm so excited! I finally chose a quilt for my Good Fortune layer cake,...but it's a secret so I will only be showing bits and pieces from it.  It's always hard to make that first cut into your fabric, isn't it? Here's my pile of chain piecing so far.

I also am ex-treme-ly excited because I got a little notice in my email the other day of the new Sew 4 Home project which is a really cool tech pouch for Father's Day. I always struggle with gifts for the hubby and this will be pretty cool

Did you notice over at Ellison Lane? She is running a Paper Piecing Summer Sampler with new patterns every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Very cute paper pieced summer items like a popsicle and lemonade so far! Put them together with whatever she has for future patterns and you'd have a really cute summer picnic quilt!
I also spent some time finally finishing up my Skill Builder Sampler from a while back. I sashed it in bleached white but I may still add another border cause it's not very big.

This quilt doesn't really even have a home yet. I'm debating finishing it up for one of the nieces or giving it to the kids' principal because she is retiring this year. Still thinking.
I'm also playing with creating a paper piecing pattern for toe shoes. I had used a picture from online and it worked pretty well. However, my friend next door has a daughter who is on pointe now and she took this fab picture of her feet.

How cool is that? I'm playing with a pattern for this one but it may be a bit too complicated for little old me.
I also received both of my SMS giveaway items and I love them both. I am going to have a good time trying out the thread!

Give a Little, Get a Little

I want to give a shout out to all the wonderful people in bloggy world who entered my SMS giveaway. I was absolutely floored at the 401 entrants for my little dragonfly fabric and floral print. I got it in the mail today, and since the winner chose not to receive the dishcloths (she has a drawer full right now!) I chose another winner for those. I decided to just go with my favorite comment about the dishcloths which ended up being Bree who said:

 Bree said...

I'm still itching to try the weekender bag, but it terrifies me. And I'd LOVE dish cloths! My grandmother makes them but I'm the black sheep of the family, so I have to nab the ones she sends my mom - she won't make me any, lol.

May 6, 2013 at 4:43 AM

 

I told her that I wanted to make sure she got some since she's the black sheep of the family!

After sending off these prizes this morning, I was thrilled to find out when I came home that, after entering at least 250 giveaways, I won one as well! The lovely Corrie over at QuiltTaffy let me know that I won her giveaway so I will not only be sending some fabric out, but I will be receiving some as well. I really love what I won because I was toying around with making a compassion quilt for my BIL who was diagnosed with cancer, but I really wanted it to be reflective of him. The fabric bundle I won has this cute print of glasses (which he wears) and one with cassette tapes (and we are of that generation!). I am toying around with ideas for how to put it together.

Right after that I found out on FB that I also won the giveaway at the Amateur Quilter (sponsored by Above and Beyond Creative Sewing). I believe this is for 10 spools of Robison Anton Embroidery thread. Woohoo!

I was really excited about this one because I only just started using better thread and I've been so happy wiht the results. It will be nice to have some on hand so I don't have to go purchasing a lot anytime soon.

I am working diligently on some projects I can't show you, though I am stuck at the moment. I am waiting on an Etsy purchase from China. I may not do that again. It seems to be taking forever. I paid for it back on 4/27. I finally heard that it was shipped on 5/3, but it didn't show up at the China PO until 5/7. Now it's the 13th and the tracking details have said the same thing since the 7th: accepted at the China PO. That's it. I'm a bit frustrated and I'm not sure what to do. I chose this Etsy shop because it was significantly cheaper but still good quality. Sigh...hopefully it will arrive soon.

To All the Mamas!

Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Proverbs 31:28

To all my wonderful bloggy friends out there who are mothers, here's hopes that you have a peaceful and fabulous Mother's Day!

And the Dragonflies Go To...

I hate to point this out but my first draw was a no-reply blogger. Guys, really, check to make sure you are not a no-reply blogger! There is a reason no one replies to the comments you make! We don't have a way to get in touch with you!

Anyway, I am headed out to another baseball game (after the ballgame last night) so here is our winner!
Congratulations to:

Can you believe that? I still can't. That is totally weird. Anyway, number 1 is Michele who said:

 Michele said...

How often does #1 win? I hope this time! I have a pattern and fabric for the Just Right bag and I'm hoping to finally get to make it after all this year's teacher quilts are done. Thanks for the chance to win.

May 6, 2013 at 3:32 AM

 

Congratulations and thanks to everyone for playing!

Getting a Little Go-Go in My Mojo...

The first year I started quilting I ended up setting a goal for myself of a quilt a month...and I did it. Then the second year I slowed down a bit but kept doing lots of projects; then it started to taper off. My mojo took a kicking...and it didn't keep on ticking! I had a very difficult time getting motivated to do anything else. I had family members ask for specific quilts (which I have still not made) but I couldn't get myself to make them. I knew I was going to have to find that desire again, and it was only going to happen making things I WANTED to make. So I had to take a bit of a break and ease through things. Well, undoubtedly my mojo has started kicking back in because not only am I on a roll with some future blog hop plans, but I figured out a plan for a Neptune honeybun I won a while back, and I have about three plans for a Kate Spain layer cake I picked up (again, a while back) as well. Just got to make up my mind!

I've been playing with laminate, which I haven't done before. And I'm excited that I am actually using  another of my previous prizes, a 100 Blocks magazine, to make the block for the Neptune fabric!

Don't forget to check out my SMS Giveaway here.  That goes until tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. PST (which is 8:00 p.m. here in EST). You guys have absolutely blown me out of the water with the number of entrants for my little giveaway. I have been amazed. The largest number of entrants I ever had in a giveaway was far surpassed the first day!!!

Oh Happy Day!...(with a minor glitch)

You can find my SMS giveaway here. I apologize again for not being able to keep up with the number of responses. I tried but there just ended up being too many at a time. Plus I'm still trying to enter a few contests myself.  I've been absolutely gobsmacked (to borrow a term from over the pond!) at the number of people who have entered my giveaway. I think highest number of entrants I've had for a giveaway was at the last SMS giveaway. I had 190 over the span of a week. This time I'm at 300 already and it's only Wednesday morning! I'm freaking out!

Now another happy day moment: okay, so you know you have reached a new age in life when you get excited about things like appliances. Like a new washer and dryer. Hubby and I finally went shopping this past weekend and purchased a new washer and dryer. They were delivered yesterday, HOWEVER, the washer could not be hooked up yet because undoubtedly we have the OLD type of shut off valves where there is one switch for both the cold and hot water. When he turned on the water, it began to leak at the valve. He said we needed to update it to two shut-offs, one for each temperature, because the newer machines create too much pressure. Not sure how that's supposed to make a difference but they say that it does. Hubby had to fix it which ended up being a little more complicated than we hoped because it leaked inside the wall. Yikes! All is fixed now though and I am the proud mama of two new appliances. I am also almost finished with one project (just waiting on one piece that I had to order). Pictures of that will have to wait though. It's a surprise (shhhh!). Hope your day is glitch-free!

It's Giveaway Day!!!

Don't forget to go here to enter more giveaways!

It's here! It's giveaway day! Thanks so much for coming over to check out what I have to offer. I hope you stay to check out my blog; there's about to be some fun stuff going on in the next couple of months. I will be participating in the Tammy bag Blog Hop over at Sew We Quilt from June 12-18th so definitely come back for that. I'm working on my first bag now and it's going to be so cute! I'm thinking laminate for a second one. Hmmmm.....
So, what do I possibly have to give away?
I am giving away a half yard cut of each of the pictured fabrics from my stash. Wow, that was weird being able to say I can pull something from my stash to give away.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.

The dragonfly fabric is a Michael Miller Bazaar print. The floral is a Robert Kaufman design. I will also squeeze in as many crochet dish/washcloths as I can fit in with it if you are interested. Just let me know if you want some if you win. And what do you have to do to win? Well, let's see...

1. Leave me a comment below. Looking for something to say? I am interested in any fabulous patterns out there in bloggy world that you are just dying to try. Personally, I keep trying to win the wonderful Aeroplane Bag by Sara over at Sew Sweetness.
2. You certainly do not have to follow me but, if you do, you are welcome to leave a comment for a second entry.

 

Make sure you are not a no-reply blogger peeps! I would hate to have to redraw if I can't get in touch with someone!
I had originally thought I would keep it just in the US but I changed my mind. This is now open to anyone!

This giveaway will stay open until May 10th, 5:00 PST. I will do my best to announce the winner Saturday, May 11 so check your email!

***Update***
 I really was going to try to respond to all the emails but I did not expect the number of responses I have gotten. I have never gotten this many responses for a giveaway. Please know that I am reading them all but I will be unable to keep up with responding to each and every one. Good Luck to all!!!

NUMBER 500!

I can't believe I've written 500 posts! Yikes! And those are all since March 22, 2011. I had only JUST started quilting and was learning the ropes. I've learned so much since then (though there is still so much to learn) and I can't wait to create more and do more with the skills I am acquiring.
Just a reminder guys....Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day....tomorrow....get your computer's all warmed up....hope you made a cushion for your chair! I'm still deciding on my giveaway so I've got to get it in gear!
And for those of you who don't "Like" Missouri Star Quilt Co. on Facebook, they have incredible Daily Deals and today was one I couldn't pass up.They had the Little Matryoshka jelly roll by Carly Griffith for Riley Blake on sale for $19.45. I know! So, so, so cute!

I really can't buy anything else, and I know this one will end up being used for me but I couldn't pass it up. I have always loved those little dolls. 

I'm also trying to figure out where this came from or how to make it. Someone posted it on FB and I thought it was adorable!

** Update **  I just came across a tutorial for this here just in case you like it!

Retail Therapy!

You know those times when you don't need to buy anything...at all...but you do anyway? Yup. I did it. I went by my LQS cause she had all of her quilting books on sale half price. I picked up two, some Aurifil, and a yard of some really cute orange fabric. It sort of made me think of Summersville.

The Free Motion Quilting book is by Natalia Bonner over at Pieceandquilt. I was excited to see the Modern Quilts from the Blogging Universe book. I see several things in there I'd like to try!
I also went by Hobby Lobby the other day and noticed they are now carrying some laminates. Check these out.

That gray chevron is cute and I like that one in the middle, too, right in front of the leopard print. Now what can I make with some laminate? Hmmmm....

499: A Little Something New

So I am now getting ready for a few new projects. I know I haven't finished a lot of my other projects but this will be part of a blog hop so I'm picking fabrics. I have the potential to make two projects before time is up so I'm playing around with these.

I've been dying to use this dragonfly fabric...so cute!!!

I know. I love green. I bought the bottom fabric to make a bag a long time ago...then never made it. What do you think?