Grass Roots Quilting

I Finished This.....

2012-02-15T03:13:00.000-08:00

EDIT: this is a customer quilt, I posted a few days ago and forgot to include this info on this posting.

So now I can get back to this.

Plus this came in the mail today, thank you Liz!

More patterns for my BTCT. I'm now prepping Block ~~#20~~ # 21. . Woohoo!

Sharon

Everyone Wins!

2012-02-11T03:59:00.000-08:00

Lori over at Humble Quilts talks about the auctions on Alzheimers Art Quilt Initiative and today I popped over to see what was up for auction. Well, when I saw this I knew it had to come home to me. My mom, who passed away in 2006 LOVED pigs. She gave me her piggy bank from when she was a little girl, she had pigs in her garden, a fat pink pig on her deck, she even had a blown glass pig with wings hanging from her light fixture in her kitchen. So how could I not bid on this amazing piece of work! I'll be sending it to my Dad, I know he will get a kick out of it and think of Mom every time he looks at it! Plus she would be pleased that the money is going to help those in need, my mother had a big heart and was a very kind person. I try to be more like her than me.....

Info on the piece:

Quilt #8819 - This Little Piggy

Barbara Beaumont
Hubbardston, MA USA

Width: 8.75" Length: 11.75"
Designer: Dover Publication/Ruth Soffer, Baby Animals Coloring Book, used with written permission.

Materials/Techniques: Cotton fabrics, polyester, rayon and cotton threads.

Artist Statement: These cute little pigs were free motion thread painted.

Dedication: Dedicated to all the families dealing with Alzheimer’s.

This quilt has Fast Finish Triangles.

Thank you Barbara, for making such a cute piece and for your generous donation.
Sharon

A Real Beauty

2012-02-08T02:59:00.000-08:00

This is what is keeping me out of the bars! DebS did all the applique and now I'm quilting it for her.

I've made the same one, but mine is a 4 block piece while hers is 88 x 88

Mine is marked for hand quilting, it's going on my machine to be basted as soon as I finish Debs.

I am so in love with this pattern, it's a Rose Kretsinger pattern that was published in a McCalls mag a few years back.
Sharon

Pillow Talk

2012-02-07T03:06:00.000-08:00

Yes, that is singular, pillow. I won't be making a second one to match this, although I do love the finished piece. I got this pattern from Janet at Quiltsalott and her piece is looking amazing. I wimped out with a pillow!

I'm backing it with my favorite Jo Morton fabric. It wasn't my first choice, that was a piece that I just cut into a few days ago for my BTCT vase, thinking, "oh, Lee will have more of this in her store". Yes, she did, she had a whole fat quarter. Good grief, I had plenty of other fabrics to use for the vase. Oh well, I do love this piece and I took the end of the bolt so I will have it for a while.

I have backed the pillow top with Hobbs wool and a very lightweight muslin and hand quilted around all the appliques.

Tracey F. was working on this at our JT2 meeting, she is finishing up the applique, what a fabulous sampler. I love all the fabrics and blocks in this and I know she'll really make it special with her longarm quilting. ~~Sorry, I can't remember the pattern designer.~~ Cheri Saffiote-Payne is the pattern designer, thank you Karen!

That's all I have to share right now,
Sharon

JT2

2012-02-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

Our JT2 group had our first meeting Sat at Fabric-Etc in Bellingham. Ten have signed up and we had 9 make the meeting. Here are the beginnings of JT2 Whatcom County style.
First up are Verna's blocks. WOW is all we could say when she opened up her display. She's using all blacks and whites and it is striking. She tested both red and black stitch work and the unanimous decision was to go with the black. Beautiful!

Next up are Tonya's blocks. Now don't think she followed the trend with hers either.

Tonya is using a variety of shirtings for her backgrounds and it is looking amazing!

It's a little hard to see the colors in this one, but Tracey really stepped out and is using a striking eggplant and cream combo. Hers is definitely going to a winner when it's all finished.

Jan is using some of her stash for this one. I think she said she pulled almost 30 reds when she started shopping in her sewing room. She's got some subtle mixes, she used a different red for the roof of the house, and it's just enough to give her block dimension. Jan is also doing the redwork and it's sure looking good.

Here are a few of my blocks, I have the big one from Feb 1 to finish and I'm all caught up. As much as I love mine, solid red and cream, it seemed a little ho hum after seeing all the other combos. There was even a pink and brown combo, but Carol didn't get her blocks up on the wall. Next time!

I'm amazed at how organized some quilters are. People have binders and plastic sleeves for their blocks and patterns, even a cover sheet for the binder. Geez, I emptied out a plastic bin big enough for a 12 1/2" block and that's it. After I've made the block, who knows where the pattern went to. Hmmm, I could take a few pointers from the organized ones, then again, maybe not, old habits die hard!
Our JT2 group will meet on the first Sat of the month; next meeting is March 3 and Tracey is going to demo foundation paper piecing. I know I could use a refresher on this! There was such a demand, that an afternoon mid week class has been scheduled. Call Fabric-Etc for details!
Sharon

Making Progress

2012-01-31T22:35:00.000-08:00

My BTCT is coming along. I've gotten two more blocks done.
This one is Block 22 but for me it's #17

Just finished the stitching on another block tonight, it still needs the embroidery, but that will be done at the end. In the pattern it's Block 20 but for me it's #18

I love the vase fabric on this block. I needed a green vase in the quilt but I didn't want a solid. This project has me completely engaged, and a big part of that is seeing people post their 25 blocks and borders over at Beyond the Cherry Tree blog.
What's got you engaged these days?
Sharon

Good Things in Life

2012-01-28T03:44:00.000-08:00

Flowers from my boss. He said he had to make up for taking my quarter in a bet. I told him it's because I did a great job and made something happen and which meant I lost the bet!

Smoky the wild cat. She loves to come in the office and sit on my windowsill. Some days she'll come over and jump on my lap and cudddle for as long as I'll sit still. Other days she runs like a wild cat. She's such a cutie.

The best thing in my life. Who can resist this? Miss Annie all curled up as snug as a bug in a rug. She needed a nap after our 45 minute walk last night.

Oh, and a sale at your local quilt shop, that's the cherry on top of my week.
Sharon

Homespun Stars

2012-01-27T03:30:00.000-08:00

Lest you think I've only had my hands on customer quilts, I thought I'd show some progress on these blocks. I can get 2 blocks started while I warm up my machine and then finish them off before I head upstairs. Plus I leave it set up so if I have a few minutes to spare, pieces are all ready to sew. I'm loving this and am saving all the trimmings for a mini version sometime in the future.

I've also completed 10 more Sisters Choice blocks, 52 done, 20 more to go.
Sharon

Other Peoples Quilts

2012-01-26T19:36:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest joys I have as a longarm quilter is seeing other peoples quilts. I love seeing their fabric selections, their piecing style,and I just love "talking quilts" to anyone.

This was a BOM that was made using Marti Michell templates. Elsie said each block went together perfectly, due to the precision cutting. To me that seems fussy, but whatever works. Lots of different ways to get the same result.

When I saw this quilt, it took me a minute to realize I have bolts of almost every one of these fabrics. My border fabric has a cream background instead of the black. E was lamenting on how long this was in the making and I was thinking.....geez, have I had that fabric for that long and done nothing with it? :-)

This next quilt was inspired by Kathie's cover quilt. Wow, what a difference brights and whites make! I quilted it with a lime green specialty thread and I love it. It's not mine :-( but I know MF will love it when she picks it up tomorrow.

It's quilted in a swirly, wavy all over freehand design. She's taking this quilt to her daughters house, so when she visits her grandchildren, she will have a quilt to snuggle under.

Working on other quilts is such a treat, I feel honoured that I am entrusted with these treasures, if only for a short while.
Sharon

Bouncing Around

2012-01-22T21:28:00.000-08:00

I finally am cutting into this FQ bundle of brushed home spuns. Using Primitive Muslin, color Pie Crust as the background, each FQ will produce two 12" liberated stars. 25 for each quilt. Yes, I'm making two quilts at the same time with the same fabric. Both will be gifted, one to my cancer surgeon when I graduate his 5 year plan (2014) and one for the Hospital Foundation to raffle off for funds for a digital mammography machine.

I've been making the sashing pieces as leaders/enders, so I finally had enough for another stack of 10. Making headway on this one, Sisters Choice, and I'm still loving it when I took out the stack of 9 patches this weekend.

Couldn't resist these charmers, I finished up the 1/2 square triangles I made last week. Using the sheets of paper, you get enough for seven blocks. I'm sure there will be more sewn on a future sew day. Just what I need, another WIP!

You may have seen a few of these around blogland. JT2 (Just Takes 2) is going to be a great skill builder for some and for others, a great refresher on techniques that we maybe don't use that much . My first set is at the LQS where we are going to meet once a month. If there is enough interest, a second group may be formed so check with Carol if you are interested.

And finally, a finished top. After auditioning all the possible colors for a border, I ended up with blue. Binding is made (same fabric) and the quilt is hanging in the "to be quilted" closet.

I LOVE this quilt, now that it's together.

All the customer quilts I've done lately have been large and the one on my machine is no exception. (pics in next post) I bounced from the studio to my sewing room, back and forth, all day and worked on all the above projects. Yes, I took time out to walk my dog, the weather finally broke and the worst we had was wind on our walk, I'll take that over the rain any day.
Hope you all had a great weekend and got in some sew time.
Sharon

Wordy Wednesday

2012-01-18T10:17:00.000-08:00

I've got nothing! Well, nothing to show of my own. I've been putting the borders on my 30's reproduction BOM, 2 done and 2 more are cut and ready to pin and sew. Then to make the binding and put it in ~~"the pile".~~ line to get quilted.

Finished a large quilt for a customer on Sunday, 100+ x 100+. Yes, it was big. Loaded up another one for M.

Just Takes 2 is in progress, I made 3 blocks last night, so two more to go and I'll be on track. I'm going to demo Back Basting Applique at our first JT2 meeting at Fabric Etc. This is a fun project so far and it will definitely get people outside their quilting box with the variety of techniques that have appeared in the first two installments of patterns.

A few years ago I taught my boss DebS to quilt. When someone wants to learn how to make a quilt, I won't teach them how to make a specific quilt. What I teach them is how to quilt, so then they can go and make anything they want. Here is Debs first project she did. After grumbling about the hand work that I insisted she do on this project, it is now hand quilted. Oh, and she has hand quilted several pieces in the meantime, has made numerous Hawaiian appliques and she now loves the hand work!

Great job Debs!

Hope you are all staying safe and warm with all the snow. Winter has arrived here in the NW.....brrrrrr. It was 11 in my little town last night!
Sharon

Sixteen Done...

2012-01-15T09:13:00.000-08:00

and nine more to go. I wanted to look at how far I've come with my BTCT quilt. I could quit right now and have a beautiful piece, but I'm going to continue on and finish the last 9 blocks.

The picture isn't the greatest because I can't get far enough away. My wall only holds this much, so I'll have to find another place when I go to do the final layouts. The reason I put them all up was to see how many more blocks were baskets, wreaths etc and the help me with color choices. I see a purple basket in my future blocks. I've also ditched 2 patterns so I will make up something for those last 2 blocks. At this point, I don't know if they will be wreaths, baskets, or sprays, but I"m sure my quilt will let me know what it needs at that time.
On another note...

These are addictive and cute. Check out Liz's post and see her colorways.
Hope you get some sewing time in this weekend.
Sharon

This is only a Test

2012-01-13T13:29:00.000-08:00

Do not adjust your monitor, I'm not starting a new project. This is only a test.........maybe ;-)

Liz, over at Quilterie, has named 2012 "The Year of Solids". She emailed me about making this block at 5". Since I couldn't wrap my head around the measurements, (I'm an even kind of girl so a 6" block made more sense to me) Liz emailed me a picture of the vintage quilt.

So I went home from work last night and made a few blocks..........I think the 5" finished is fabulous........ . .and isn't the cheddar and natural yummy?? Interesting how they look like different sizes by reversing the colors.
Go for it!

Sharon
who needs a cleaner design wall

On my A Game

2012-01-12T03:33:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have re-engaged on my Beyond the Cherry Tree project. It's the 3 P's that will keep me going, Prep, prep, prep. Selecting the colors and fabrics can really bog me down on this project and I have to kick myself in the butt and say "just pick something out of the box, it will work!" With 25 blocks, you need a variety of prints and colors and althoughI didn't stick to the colors on the pattern, I did stick to reproduction prints. The green in the vine is the only constant between all the blocks.

This is block 23, but I'm really not that far along. I still have 15, 17, and 19 to 22 left to do, as well as the border. I've got lots of cherries prepped, enough for the whole border but I see a few more blocks calling for circles. All in good time.
Due to the amazing internet, I've stayed engaged in this project and seeing all the beautiful blocks from quilters around the world has kept me inspired and helped me along. If you haven't checked out the blog where we have been sharing our BTCT, it's worth a peek. All the contributors are listed and if you click on their name, you will see all their posts and blocks. It's fun to see how others have interpreted this pattern.
Sharon

Just in Time

2012-01-08T11:07:00.000-08:00

It doesn't get any closer than this. I did have a back up spool of YLI, just in case.

This is my first piece from Gwen Marstons workshop I took last May. I made a second one, quilted it and gifted it. This one is for me.

The finished size is 22 x 24 and I loved doing the hand quilting. No marking on the borders, I just guesstimated a needles length between each row of stitching and liked the angled lines, it works with the piecing in the center. Tonight I'll start the hand stitching on the binding.
Solids are fun to play with, I'll be doing more this spring!
Sharon

Are you "Taking 2" ?

2012-01-06T03:48:00.000-08:00

I need a 12 step program, I admit it. I'm addicted to quilting and but I really don't want an intervention. I like to enable others so Carol and I have organized a Sew Along for the Just Takes 2 project that the Sentimental Stitches and Dear Jane ladies are doing this year.

9 yards of Kona Natural and 6 yards of Kona Rich Red and I'm off and running. If you live in my area, Whatcom County, and you want to join a group to keep you motivated or get help with any blocks, contact the amazing team at Fabric Etc in Bellingham and sign up for some monthly 2 color fun. You don't have to do red and white, cheddar and cream, blue and white, muslin and scrappy browns, whatever makes your skirt fly up! Check out the green and white one already posted. You all know for me it's the Red and White.

We are going to meet on the 1st Sat of the month, starting in February. You can sew or ask questions or come for coffee and a visit and show off your blocks. Patterns will be supplied via the Just Takes 2 website, for free, on the 1st and 15th of the month. After 4 months you will get the setting layout for that section of blocks, and at the end of 12 months, you will have completed all four quadrants of the quilt. So come on, what's stopping you, I know you want to join in the fun. The first set of blocks are cute, and fairly easy to construct. It's going to be the 2 color combo that's going to make this quilt shine.

What 2 are you going to pick?

Sharon

Starting with a Finish

2012-01-03T03:13:00.000-08:00

A finish is a great way to start the new year! All the blocks are done, with the exception of trimming down a few of the appliqued pieces. I always like to cut the background bigger, that removes any stress of the block shrinking when doing the applique.

There will be a few set in seams to put this top togehter, but I think the final piece will be worth the effort. I just have to pay attention while putting the blocks together. There are lots of little "filler" blocks, Bow Ties, Pinwheels, and some Birds in the Air type blocks.

Here is my favorite block in the quilt.

With every quilt that I make, I always learn something. This BOM taught me a very valuable lesson. Don't sweat the small stuff, and when you think the small stuff is big stuff, look out, cus the big stuff will smack you into reality.
Thank you Carol, for not letting me bail on this project when the small stuff got the better of me. After setting it aside for a year to deal with the big stuff and then just picking away at it over the last year, I am going to have a quilt that I will treasure.
Sharon

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T20:36:00.000-08:00

I wish that you all have the best year in 2012!

Christmas was over in the blink of an eye, my travels were uneventful, (which I like), and we have had the nicest weather for this time of year.

There was a bit of stitching over Christmas, I made this little redwork piece. I bought the pattern here right before I left and it was a perfect travel piece.

I used the Auriful 12 Wt thread and I LOVED it.

Remember I posted that I had 6 blocks to go on my 30's reproduction BOM? Well....

here are 5 of the 6! whoohoo, I'm going to start the new year with a box of blocks turned into a quilt top.

Life is good!
Sharon

Long Overdue Thanks

2011-12-26T03:40:00.000-08:00

Long overdue thank yous for a few things that have made their way to my house. First off, Louise, Thank you for the red, cream and blue. What a lovely gesture when I got my US citizenship! I love the ribbon that ties it all together.

Louise again, I LOVE this pin cushion. It's a) cute b) big and c) it's from your heart. I sew appreciate it and as you can see, I use it too!

Merry, you overwhelmed me with this gift. I was expecting the pattern and you gifted me the whole block of the month packets. WOW. I really have my work cut out on this project.

I have to get my level of applique turned up a few notches so my blocks match the one you have already made.

So here's the story, Merry didn't like the colors so she switched all the fabrics to purple instead of the pink. This quilt is going to be a 2012 BOM at Calico Creation in Mt Vernon, WA (no website).

Gretchen Monti was the machine quilter and the picture does not begin to do justice for the incredible custom quilting she provided. Hopefully you will visit Calico Creations soon and have an opportunity to actually see the quilt (and of course, shop!).

Look at this border design, it's wonderful.

There is another version of this quilt posted on Mrs Meatloafs blog. Her quilting is very different than the picture above, but it is also spectacular. Definitely worth a peek!

Once I finish my 30's BOM, I'll get back to my BTCT and start working in a few of these blocks. I love the pieced backgrounds, this is a fabulous quilt.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T03:26:00.000-08:00

Wishing all my fellow readers/bloggers/quilter friends the very best this Christmas season has to offer. It's been a great year getting to know some of you better through the blogs, to meeting others in my travels to NYC, and also meeting others in the classroom. It's been a blast! THANK YOU for being a part of my quilting world, it's appreciated! I'll be back online at New Years.
Sharon

Requested Recipes

2011-12-21T21:03:00.000-08:00

I don't have that many "go to" recipes, but the few that I have are fabulous. I shared this last year, but have been requested by my Applique group to post both of these recipes.

Shortbread Cookies
3/4 C soft butter
1/2 C corn starch
1/2 C icing sugar (aka powdered sugar)
1 C flour
Cream butter, add dry and mix until it the dough comes off the sides of the bowl. You might need your hands to get the last bit mixed in. Roll into 1" balls and flatten with floured fork.
Bake 18 - 20 min @ 350. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

These are a Canadian recipe, Naniamo Bars. I used to make a pan of these in July as my husbands birthday cake and one in Dec for Christmas. Now I make 2 pans, one for serving and taking to share and one pan for my girlfriend's husband.
Bottom Layer:
1/2 C butter
1/4 C sugar
5 T cocoa
1 egg beaten
1 3/4 C graham wafer crumbs
1/2 C chopped nuts (optional)
1 C coconut

Melt butter/sugar in top of double boiler, add egg and stir in to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts, coconut.
Press into ungreased 8x8 pan

Second Layer:
1/2 C butter
2 T + 2 t cream
2 T custard powder (secret ingredient *see below*)
2 C icing sugar
Cream all together and spread over bottom layer. Chill.

*
*

Third Layer:
4 ounces chocolate (I use Bakers semi sweet)
2 T butter
Melt together on top of double boiler and then set aside to cool before spreading on top. Chill in fridge. After it has set up, remove from the fridge and let stand for a few minutes. Score the chocolate and then cut into squares. Return to fridge. If you don't bring it back to room temp, the chocolate just breaks and makes a mess.

These are sweet and oh so delicious. The Birds Custard pudding powder mix is what makes the second layer so good!

Enjoy!

Sharon

Six More To Go

2011-12-19T07:33:00.001-08:00

That's right. Only 6 more blocks and my BOM envelopes from 2009 will be empty. The top will take some time putting together, as it has several partial seams along the way.

Oh, and yes, it's also 6 more sleeps until Santa comes!
Hoping you've been nice this year!
Sharon

Two Years Later

2011-12-17T09:28:00.000-08:00

I finally got my redwork Santa finished into something that can be used. The is an Alpahbet pattern but I've only done a few blocks. "M"ittens, "K"ris Kringle and "L"ights are mixed in this block.

I used the bonus blocks from my Pineapple Blossom to work around the border and did triple rows of hand quilting. Plaid on the bias finished it off.

This is my "tree" in all it's glory. Having a real tree would have entailed furniture rearranging, etc. This is perfect for me!

This is what greets me at the bottom of my stairs every morning. I keep telling everyone it's Christmas in my world.

My father gave me some vintage pieces of silverware that needed to be cleaned and replated. There is only one place on the west coast of Canada that does this work. There was a platter from my parents wedding back in '58 and the engraving on it is stunning, it would be a beautiful design for a wholecloth quilt. Here is one of the chaffing dishes that was plated. I tried to photograph the tray, but it's too shiny for my little digital camera!

I'm off to my Applique Society meeting this morning, then home to do the final preparations for my party tonight. I took yesterday off work, that's how I can go stitch and visit this morning. It's all about priorities.

Enjoy the hustle and bustle of the season this weekend.
Sharon

and the Winner is...........

2011-12-16T17:35:00.000-08:00

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 9 Powered by RANDOM.O

# 9 Mimi. So please email me with your mailing address so I can get this off to you before Christmas!

Thanks to everyone who entered. I have one more I'll give away for New Years!
Sharon

Red and White Giveaway

2011-12-11T12:45:00.000-08:00

Because it's Christmas, because so many are sharing their red and white creations, and because I finally hit 100 followers, I'm giving away a set of Red & White magnets. These are from the Folk Art Museum in NYC. The sheets of magnets sold out on the first or second day!

No hoops to jump through. Mention it on your blog if you want, but just be a follower of my blog. Leave me a comment and I'll do the random number generator thingy on Friday, Dec 16th. Comments will close midnight on Thursday, Dec 15th.

Hope you're getting your Christmas organized.

Sharon

Hand Made Gifts

2011-12-10T03:12:00.000-08:00

I'm not interested in buying something just because it's Christmas time and I want to give a gift. I try to have gifts that are useful, something that people will appreciate and use. I had a fresh wreath shipped to my friend in OR and I got my other gal pal a "starter" kit of solids. She's taking a Gwen Marston workshop next spring and does not have one solid in her sewing room.

All my friends are over 40 so any one of them could use a few new dish towels. This only took a few evenings to whip up, and I know it will be used. This pattern is from ~~Crap~~ (thank you, Carol) Crab Apple Hill and its #254 Victory Garden. There is also carrots, strawberries and radishes. My LQS has lots of tea towel selections, so I'm sure there will be more of these done over the winter.

I've got my stockings hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St Nick will soon be there.
How about you? Are you close to ready?
Sharon

Quilting Withdrawals

2011-12-08T21:12:00.000-08:00

I broke my longarm machine. Complete operator error, so I"m waiting for a few new parts that will hopefully have me back up and quilting. Thank goodness I only have one quilt that has a deadline and it's on my machine.
Life is busy at this time of year, so I'm only getting in bits of time for handwork. I had 3 more pieces to applique to finish the top of a pillow and tonight it was getting done. This was my test block for this pattern that Janet so generously shared with me. I wanted to incorporate some cheddar in the pattern.

Hows that for adding in some cheddar?

I cut all the circles using the AccuCutter at Fabric Etc.

I also got my JOY banner finished. There was only a little mishap along the way.

Yes, my needle from the sewing machine completely pierced the head of the safety pin. That's why it's not a good idea to put painters tape over top of pins that are ~~close~~ right on the stitching path.
I like the solid green binding for this.

This is my motto for the season.
Sharon

Playing with Stripes

2011-11-29T03:00:00.000-08:00

I've seen lots of these blocks around blogland so I thought I'd give it a try. Using the Companion Angler ruler these blocks are a snap. Here's the start of a BASICS quilt for next year.

I've got about 5 yards of this stripe, so I should have a nice variety of blocks. I'm making them in 4 different sizes, 8 1/2", 6 1/2", 4 1/2" and 3 1/2 " so they will all play nicely when I get a bunch of them together.
If you've make a quilt like this, please direct me to it, I'd love to gleen some ideas from others.
Sharon

Counting and Sorting

2011-11-27T03:43:00.000-08:00

This is what I do when I get over 1/2 way through a project. I start counting and sorting all the pieces. Then I start to break it down into sections. If I get 40 sashings done, then that's 10 blocks.....
If I make 40 sashings, I need how many corner blocks?.....
Then I start making piles and count.

So far I've got 51 blocks made.

I've decided on 9 x 9 blocks for this top, that will finish it out at 90 x 90 and that's perfect for my bed. So I need to make 40 more blocks. I've got the centers finished thanks to an online swap.
Now to make all the sashings with the star points.

I've sorted and counted and I'm good on all sections.

Now to find the time. I like making these sections using them as leaders and enders, makes this part of the project a little less tedious.
Oh, so maybe I have to start a new project!
Are you starting anything new this weekend?
Sharon

New Door Banner

2011-11-25T11:42:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't resist. I have given my Santa door banner away to a friend this fall. She always liked it, and I've used it a few years so I was ok with passing it along. But I needed something for Christmas, and today is the day we start to decorate, right?

I've had this border fabric for years, it's an Alexander Henry from 2000. Those AH fabrics are SO hard for me to cut into. But I did it!
This is from Tonya's Word Play Quilts book. I love this method of making letters and words, start to finish, less than 90 minutes. Seriously. That included picking fabric and pressing it to start. Now to quilt it. simple ditch stitching will work, but something tells me it will be hand quilted.
Are you doing anything Christmasy this weekend?
Sharon

BTCT Update

2011-11-24T03:22:00.000-08:00

I'm still working away on this 25 BOM. The patterns are out for 24 blocks, along with 2 borders. I've just finished Block 18 which is block 15 for me and I've just prepped another at this time. This ~~job~~ project has moved to the top of my list, now that I've finished the hand quilting on my Christmas runner and have the binding on my LOVE quilt.

There is some travel time for me in December, as well as a list of 6 or 7 medical appointments between now and the new year. Nothing serious, just all my follow ups and annuals with all my cancer dr's and my gp and dentist. The usual. The good news for me is that in 2012, I drop down to once a year visits with all but my medical oncologist. I'm going to prod him into giving me a years prescription at my next visit. All these appointments demand that I have some take along hand projects!
I best get to prepping more blocks.
Sharon

Making it Count

2011-11-23T02:44:00.000-08:00

I was teaching a hand quilting class on Saturday and I said something to the group that has stuck with me. Make it count. What I meant by that was to keep your hand quilting on projects that are special or in places where the stitching is going to show. I love how the big stitch hand quilters use colored perl cotton which adds another whole element to the quilt.

The statement can be transferred over to machine quilting. Making beautiful feathers and designs on busy calicos or dark civil war prints isn't the best use of ones time. I just finished this, and I tried to make the quilting count.

This is going to be used as a wall hanging and it's a Christmas gift that my friend has made. Nice gift, don't you think?

Sharon

Red & White LOVE

2011-11-20T08:44:00.000-08:00

Finally, this is finished. Well, it needs a label but my friend is making one for me, I just have to get her the information.

This quilt is for my bed and here are the particulars.
Bonnie Hunter pattern, Pineapple Blossoms Bonnie is the ultimate scrap quilter, but I tend to be more controlled with my fabric choices.
Blocks constructed using her method of making the corners results in "bonus blocks" You get 5 from each block so this quilt generates 550 1/2 sq triangles.

This quilt finished at 90 x 100 For batting I used a layer of Warm & Natural AND a layer of Hobbs Wool.

**UPDATE** I used two batts, W & N on the bottom for the density and weight, it's a flat batt, and wool on top for the warmth and loft. I like heavy blankets on me in the wintertime. **

Thread used was King Tut hombre reds on top and Signature Cotton in Holiday Red for the back.
A scrappy binding finished it off.

I'm calling this my LOVE quilt. I love red and whites, I used a triple heart motif on the quilting,

it's the first quilt I've made specifically for my own bed, and I absolutely fell in love with all the Red & White two color quilts while in NYC this spring.
What's your favorite color combination?

Sharon

Quilting by Check

2011-11-20T03:29:00.000-08:00

When I first heard this expression I really chuckled. Then I realized it's the only way many of us get projects finished. It is a bear to struggle with a full or queen quilt on your DSM. I know, because I've done it myself.

This customer sent me a quilt shortly after I started quilting for others in 2005. She's from the other side of the country and we have never met. I did one quilt and then assumed she found a quilter that lived a little closer than 3000 miles away. Last month, out of the blue, I got an email asking if I could quilt a top for her. She said she finally got another quilt finished.

Here is her latest work. I absolutely love the color combination on this piece. I had a multi colored King Tut, light pink and a greeny brown combo. Perfect for this piece. I did an edge to edge freehand swirl and spiral design.

Now to attach and hand sew the binding for her. What a way to finish your Christmas gift giving! Works great for both of us.
What are you working on for Christmas? Will have have it finished? I'm talking about this Christmas, you know, the one that is going to be here in less than 40 days.
Sharon

Sharing the Beauty

2011-11-18T02:51:00.000-08:00

I got this unexpected email today from Jackie who was in the Gwen Marston workshop with me back in May.
Jackie wrote the following:

I thought you would enjoy seeing my final product. It is a combination

of blocks I made from Gwen's class, plus from a class I took recently

from Karla Alexander. I decided to do the 'Karla' quilt in the same

fabrics, and as I was creating it I realized it was a natural to meld

the two class blocks into one quilt. Although the colors from the photo

taken on my iPhone are a little muddy (and the pale yellow walls of my

quilt room look more like a bright yellow border), I think you get the

idea.

Karla Alexander is the the author of the Stack the Deck series of books

I definitely get it. This is fabulous.

Jackie, thanks for allowing me to share this on my blog.
Sharon

Hand Stitched

2011-11-14T16:31:00.000-08:00

A photo of my non blogger friends latest project.

Hand appliqued and hand quilted.

Oh, and just an FYI, it's best to remove your newly finished and bound quilt project off your cutting table BEFORE you start cutting your next project.

Just some words of wisdom from the maker of the above quilt.

Doesn't the binding look just a little bit newer than the rest of the quilt?

Thank goodness it was only the binding that got cut and not a whole corner!

I love showing off on behalf of DebS. She's shy and doesn't blog, but her work is amazing!

Sharon

'Tis the Season

2011-11-13T03:40:00.000-08:00

Well, it's not officially the season, but it's coming fast. Finally, I have a current Christmas project finished in time to use in the same year!
This was fused and machine appliqued. I did the blanket stitching after I had layered it so it got quilted at the same time.

This started out as a 4 block quilt. I'm glad I didn't get right on it at the time because I think this layout is more useful for me.

It's going in my entrance way, but for now it's hanging over the door to my studio.

It took longer to finish because I decided to hand quilt the background with perl cotton.

And this baby is on my longarm, the binding is waiting by my sewing machine and I will have this on my bed by Thanksgiving!

What's on your Christmas list?
Sharon

Shout out for BASICS

2011-11-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

BASICS is still in need of quilts for this winter.

When you pulled out your fall quilts, did you see one that maybe isn't your favorite anymore? Or do you have one that just needs the binding? What about a mystery quilt that didn't quite turn out as expected? Do you have a class sample that you no longer use?
How about one from the Charity Quilts pile at your local guild?

This one was pieced by Donna K, and the binding was hand done by Lousie M.

If you go HERE you can see quilts that have been donated. Some have been made with left over blocks, some are very controlled, and others are just a freeform of wonderful piecing.

This one was pieced by Irene A and binding hand sewn by Deb S

Over HERE, at Pink Chalk, you can read more about this great quilt drive

This top was also pieced by Irene A, binding hand sewn by Louise M.

Victoria at Bumble Beans has been the driving force, along with Pat Sloan.

This top was pieced by Deb S, I did the binding.

They are in need of any size, quilts for boy and girls, Moms and Dads.
This little one was pieced by Deb S and binding hand sewn by Muriel F.

It took six of us to donate 5 quilts, I feel that having a longarm machine is a real privilege, I know I couldn't have achieved what I have without the help of others, so for me, it's important to use this to help others.

These families are transitioning from being homeless and in shelters to having their own place. They are needing a "hand UP", not a hand out.

Quilters are such a generous bunch, and I know there are many places always looking for quilts. But if you could spare just one for BASICS???

Sharon

Before and After

2011-11-07T19:51:00.000-08:00

This is why I was sewing binding this morning, instead of driving to work. I was waiting for "the guy" to show up. The Guy who was going to transform my bathroom in one day.
Don'tcha love the harvest gold bathtub?

Or is it the beautiful black tile with white grout that makes you swoon?

Maybe it's the fabulous fixtures??

No words necessary, except, "why didn't I do this sooner!"

So how's this for a one day transformation! Bathfitters and a credit card. :-)

Sharon

Wait Time

2011-11-07T08:29:00.000-08:00

Just waiting for the bathroom guy to show up. Yes, I'm getting really close to a finish. I think this is the first year I've started a Christmas project and actually had it finished for this calendar year!

Fall is here, I like the lighter a.m.s and the darker evenings. No guilt quilting instead of yard work!

Have a great day
Sharon

11-1-11

2011-11-05T03:17:00.000-07:00

I will remember this day for the rest of my life. Something very special happened to me on this day, something that most of you had happen when you were born and you don't remember it at all. This is the day I became a U.S. Citizen. There were 91 other people from 35 countries all bursting with pride and excitement right along side me.

I thought I was just going for yet another interview in the process that started back in 2004 when I got married. There were roadblocks along the way, an application for permanent residency was denied 3 weeks after my husband passed away and it took 3 months to get someone to believe that yes, I was married but now, legally, I'm not. With support of friends and family, Yeah sister Christine, who put together my appeals package, I got my PR card in the spring of 2008.

Tuesday I drove to Seattle thinking it would be my second last trip, but after meeting with the immigration officer, and seeing him stamp my file "approved", I asked him "so what's next?" He handed me a slip of paper, told me to be back in an hour and attend the ceremony and I'd be done. It was a whirlwind day. I wish I'd known, I didn't even bring a camera or a friend to take my picture. So thanks to Camille, a fellow Canadain who was sitting beside me, I got one photo of the day.

Now to file all the adjustments to all my other documents ........

Sharon

Weekends

2011-10-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

Since I'm an office worker bee Monday to Friday, here is how I spend most of my weekends. I have a good routine. I ponder all the design elements and work with my customer during the week. I get the quilt all set up and on Saturday morning, I make my cup of tea, put on my comfy shoes and head downstairs to my studio. Note I didn't say I got dressed. Yup, I'm a pajama quilter.
This sweet quilt has gone back to it's owner, ready to be gifted out for a very special baby girl.

I love the final look of template work, but geez, I'm getting old. I can only do so much and then I have to break for a bit. I doubt I'd offer this type of quilting on a large piece, but for baby quilts, I just couldn't resist.

This is my current project. It's for the same customer, and maybe for the same baby? I'm not sure.

Again, with all the ruler work going around the applique I have to switch it up. So I'm just on a break to stretch out, change my stance, move around and refresh my tea.

I just posted to say a quick hello to my readers, I have been slack in responding to your comments, sorry. I do love them and I am thrilled if you take a minute to comment. I'll really try to be better, I'm almost finished winterizing my yard.
Hope you get to stitch something this weekend.
Sharon

$850 Later....

2011-10-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

We drew the winning ticket for this quilt.

Kelly B was the lucky winner. He works in our warehouse and I was thrilled to have sold the winning ticket. My work has been so supportive of me throughout this whole ordeal and they continue to Fund the Fight by purchasing tickets every year.
Thank you to everyone who bought tickets or helped out. It's October, have you booked your mammogram yet? How about a self exam, those are free and that's what saved me!
Sharon

To the Wall

2011-10-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

Remember these? 110 blocks of red and cream?

Half of them have hit the design wall. Then work got busy this week and I haven't been back to the storage room. I need to find my painters tape to mark the rows.

I always use a black and white shot to help me spread out the values. Some of these blocks are darker and this is the best way to see what needs moved. Sometimes it's as simple as rotating a block.

Hope you get to stitch this weekend.
Sharon

Friends

2011-10-21T03:29:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago the Cranberry Festival was celebrated in a little touristy town called Ft. Langley in BC It sits right on the Fraser River and has a lot of history to it. My girlfriends decided to spend the afternoon wandering through all the vendor booths instead of pulling weeds from their gardens. I've known the girls in the middle since grade 2 and 4. We were the Three Muskateers all throughout elementary school. As one of them says, we know too much about each other to not be friends! After 40+ years, I suspect we do know a lot about each other!

The internet has opened up a whole new world of friends. Blogging and quilting seem to go hand in hand and I feel blessed to be able to do both, even though blogging has moved lower down on my to do list this past while. I sent off a box of scraps and look what I got in return!

All kinds of German Christmas goodies. Now the Dr has recently told me "no coffee, no chocolate, limit alcohol and no red wine" I asked if I should bother getting up the next day :-) I couldn't resist these little Santa's. German chocolate is so good. Thank you Susi!
Hope you all have some surprises in your mail this month.
Sharon

Slippery Slope

2011-10-20T03:26:00.000-07:00

I went on eBay the other day. It's all Jan's fault. Did you see this post at Be*mused? Only go there if you have self control like me others.
I hit the slippery slope of ebay for quilts.

I've never been there before and trust me, that's a good thing!

It took a while to get out of it, but I've managed to detox.

I'm now a member of eBay Anonymous.

Look at this cute print!!

I need to take them all off the background, poly cotton isn't going to cut it.

I got out with only two purchases, whew!
Sharon

2 out of 3

2011-10-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest BASICS quilt to get quilted.
Love how graphic this is.

Someone will love to snuggle under this one in the winter.

Now to send it off to my binder! Many hands make light work.
Thanks Irene, this is a great quilt. One more left to quilt, but I have customer quilts in line.
Since it's still Oct, I'm sure I'll meet my commitment of 5 quilts by Thanksgiving.
Couldn't have done it without help, thanks everyone.
Sharon

Surprise Quilt

2011-10-13T00:50:00.000-07:00

Since moving to the US, I've come to realize how serious people take their football. And not just any football, the college level seems to have avid fans that support the team through the good and the bad.
I go to Monday Night Football at the local pub. Not to watch the game, but to visit and have a few with friends, watch them all try to win the football toss and cheer when someone wins a prize.
This customer has a DH who is obviously a Bronco's fan and is he ever going to be surprised when he gets this gift.

That's Boise State Broncos.

Bronco Nation!

I think he's gonna love this!
Sharon

Cold Weather is Coming.

2011-10-12T04:29:00.000-07:00

Can you help just one family? Please go to Victoria's recent post and see if you can lend a hand. I know not everyone can and I know there are so many places that need help and each of us cannot "do it all" But collectively, bloggers can make a huge difference in one family's winter this year.

Imagine having to leave your home with your kids, your purse, and the clothes on your back. That's what some of these people have done. They're not all looking for a hand out, many of them just need a hand up.
Sharon

Hallow'een

2011-10-10T03:11:00.000-07:00

I might have posted some of these pieces last year, but it's what I've got!
This is my reversible tablerunner. Yup, most people would have put fall on the the other side so they could continue to use it through Thanksgiving. Or if they were really thinking, put Christmas on the back of it. That's the whole purpose of reversible, right? Nope, not me, the other side is also hallow'een. There is no explanation for some things that happen in life, and this is one of them!

This runner was made with left overs from the quilt that is on my couch.

One of my favorite pieces. I quilted spirals in all the blocks, used flannel on the back and it's so cozy and warm for this time of year. I love this quilt. From the cover of AP&Q a few years ago.

Yes, I'm still working on my Beyond the Cherry Tree blocks. It's a slow process, but my time has been very limited for any quilting. One stitch at a time......

One leaf at a time.........It's not been put in a box and forgotten about.

Life has been hectic, I keep saying that and just when I think things should/could slow down a bit, I've entered the vortex of multiple medical issues and appts. Getting older isn't for sissies!

I hope all my fellow bloggers are doing well. I've tried to comment on so many occasions and I keep getting an error message and with limited time, I just move along instead of retyping.

Sharon

Quilting Update

2011-10-08T03:49:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pieces I've done on the Longarm lately
MB's quilt here, I've never seen this pattern before,

this was fun to quilt. I quilted a feathered star for the tree topper, it didn't show much in the photo, but was a fun touch to this piece.

BASICS top has now been quilted.

Love all the colors in this piece.

I've farmed out the binding to one of my gal pals who wanted to help the cause. Have you got a quilt for BASICS? Winter is coming and this is such a great place to donate to.

Thanks to Irene, she sent me two tops. One down, one to go. With help from bloggers and my friends, I'll get to my goal of 5 quilts for BASICS by Thanksgiving! US thanksgiving, that is..........hehehe.

Happy Turkey Day to all my Canadian friends! I'm heading north for turkey on Sunday, I get the best of both celebrations, because I'll do dinner all over again in Nov!

Red and White Revisited

2011-10-07T17:38:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy lately. As much as I've tried to keep up reading my favorite blogs and commenting here and there, I haven't been able to keep up with my own blog, or my housework or yardwork. But that can wait while I get in some quilting time this weekend.
I've been working on my Red and Cream Pineapple Blossom pattern as there isn't much brain power needed for these blocks.

I've had the strips and squares pre cut so I wasn't even needing to measure anything.

And now I have 80 blocks finished and the remaining 30 have all been started.

I also got my mini Red & White finished but I didn't get it sent off to Temecula for their R & W show. Did you all see pics of it? Check it out here.

Tonight I am machine quilting for a customer, I'm excited to work on this as it's a special quilt for her DH.

Still Busy

2011-09-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

Life is busy these days. I've managed to get a customer quilt finished on the weekend, photo later this week. I've now got 3 tops and 2 finished quilts for BASICS, so I'll meet my self imposed quota of quilting 5 pieces. Thanks to the piecers who sent me tops. Wednesday night seems to be my quilting night so I'll get another one on the machine and ready to go.

I'm poking away at my BTCT, one stitch at a time. I've got a few pieces appliqued on my current block. Every so often I recount the blocks and regroup on my red and cream scrappy top. After measuring and deciding I'm keeping this one for me, I now need 110 blocks. I've got 83 in some stage of completion, so I've stacked up 27 block centers and will get them into the mix. Once they are started, I'm on the home stretch of getting all the blocks done.

Shorter days, longer evenings......I love this time of year!

Blog Break

2011-09-20T18:10:00.000-07:00

Life seems to be busy for me so I'm taking a short break from posting. Everything is great, just not enough time. I've got customer quilts, my pears have all fallen on the ground instead of getting picked, apples are hanging in there. I need time with my friends, they are my lifeline, I had lunch with my Dad on Sunday, and I won't see him until Christmas. I'm on a roll with walking my dog 2 -3 miles every evening, I taught Hand Quilting on Sat at Fabric Etc in Bellingham. The class was full, the next one is full, and there's a wait list for a third session, which will be scheduled in the new year. I just looked at the calendar and realized there are only 3 Saturday evenings between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve! Yikes. All this and I want to work on my own projects!

Life is good!

Sharon

Local Guild Quilt Show

2011-09-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

I found my camera, under the front seat on the back floor. Geez!
Just a few shots from the show.

I love these types of pieces.

Fabulous piece below. I think it won viewers choice. Lots of thread on this baby.

This was the second place viewers choice. Appliqued by Jan B.

Machine quilted by Jo Baner. She rocks with her quilting!

This last photo I might have already shown. It's a Jo Baner piece. She is really an amazing artist.

That's all I got for you today, thanks for stopping by.
Sharon

Fall Gardening

2011-09-18T02:52:00.000-07:00

Things are winding down in my yard. I'm tired of deadheading and having only 3 daisy blooms on a huge plant, so I start cutting things back. I have no idea if this is the right time to do this, but if I keep at it a little at a time, by Nov my yard it cleaned up!

However, some things are just coming into their own right now.
Purple Asters.

Now this Aster has had an interesting season. I started out by planting roots for 2 pink Cone Flowers. I was excited to see them pop through the soil and continued to watch them through the summer. Not being an avid gardener, I've asked my neighbor a few times to tell me what are weeds. Well, she pointed to my two plants. No,I planted something there and since 2 plants were growing and I planted two roots, I stuck to my story. Then she came home from golf a few weeks ago and informed me that my "plant" was growing wild in the ditch at the course. I could see it was ready to burst into bloom, so I hung on. At this point, I'm positive it's not a pink Cone flower as I've gone to the greenhouse to see what they look like. Then on Labor day I popped into the grocery store and there were tables of this flowering plants, all with a stick naming them Purple Asters. Whew! I didn't nurse along some weed that would bloom and spread and take over my whole flower bed.

Dahlia's are in bloom.

I must have liked this style, since I bought it 3 times. I anxiously waited to see what color blooms they would have and all three were the same!

This hangs over my back fence, courtesy of my neighbor. It's the only color I have along there so it's a welcome sight.

Do you think my Kiwi's are going to ripen? I doubt it, although the tree is loaded with fruit this year.

The zucchini has been bountiful, my Black Eyed Susan daisy was prolific and my amber dahlia is starting to produce beautiful blooms.

With all this going on, not much has been happening in the sewing room. I'm dipping into this and that, I'm still working on some past projects, I'm prepping a few BTCT blocks and I volunteered at The Applique Society table at the local quilt show yesterday. You know I'll be showing you some pictures of the show.
Sharon

It's Been Said Before

2011-09-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

but I'll say it again. THANK YOU to all the fabulous bloggers/quilters who sent me pink fabric for the Ribbon quilt. I'm happy to say I took the last stitches on the label last night. We've started selling opportunities for the quilt, and my amazing co workers came to the plate again. They bought 7 books of tickets to help fund the fight.

Today is day 2 of the 60 mile walk for the girls, so I know they got up this a.m. with some sore muscles. Hopefully no blisters as those will sit you out! It's drizzling here but I'm 100+ miles north of the walk location, so I'm hoping for a dry, overcast day for them.
Imagine........if this quilt funds the cure. It could happen, and that's why I continue to Fund the Fight.

Thanks for stopping by today
Sharon

Trick or Treat

2011-09-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

This was a fun quilt to quilt. I love getting these where I can do different borders and backgrounds and aside from outlining all the applique using rulers (this is getting hard on my shoulder!), I use a little chalk and freehand the designs. All photos enlarge when clicked.
Spider web in metallic thread.

Another web in the top corner and a neon lime green one growing in the bottom corner. A few words, eek is through the moon, tricks and treats, boo.

I loved this block, I did a maze design on the border and kept the background subtle. Gotta love neon green thread for these types of quilts.

M wanted a separate border motif and I just didn't think feathers or leaves for this. Since this is for the grandchildren, I thought something with a lot of motion. I really like how this turned out, as it's the first time I stitched this design.

Thank goodness for all those knuckle raps in elementary school, I've got nice hand writing. Don't know about this generation, I don't even think they can use spell check by the looks of the job applications I get at work Yes, I double and triple check the spelling of every word, no matter how simple! It will live forever in a quilt.

This one is a bit tough to see, the border says Happy Halloween, Ghosts, and on the bottom, Wicked Witch

Fall is in the air, my favorite time of year!

Ahead of the Season

2011-09-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day weekend, I took advantage of a full day of sewing and got a good start on this project.

I had everything cut out for the 4 block quilt that it was supposed to be. Once I pulled it all out, I looked at it and thought "why do I want to make 4 blocks exactly the same?" Well, I didn't. The background got converted to a runner shape, I laid out the baskets on either end,

filled them with flowers and leaves and then used up the remaining pieces to fill in the center. Using the blanket stitch, I did the applique and the quilting all at one time. It means a lot of threads need to be pulled through to the back and buried, but that's easy tv work.

Using the stripe in the fabric, I'm going to do some big stitch quilting in the background. I'm using Presencia No8 and it's going to stitch up quickly. As usual, click the photo to get a close up.

For once I'll be enjoying a holiday piece during the holiday instead of working on it during the holiday!
Sharon

Quiet Reflection

2011-09-11T02:53:00.000-07:00

People older than me remember where they were when President Kennedy was shot. I remember the exact moment my phone ran that September Tuesday morning. I had been traveling with my guy and I'd flown home from Florida the day before. As I was getting ready for work he called and told me to turn on the TV. After a few minutes on the phone with him, I called my Mom and Dad and told them I loved them, and I told my Dad "our world has just changed forever". Then I hung up, cried and got ready for work.

Today is a day to reflect...
to remember.....
to pay tribute.....
to take a minute to realize how blessed we are.....
It's going to be a quiet day.
Sharon

Had to Share

2011-09-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

I'm working on customer quilts this weekend and I had so share some CUTE hallow'een blocks on this quilt.

Now I must return to my regular schedule and get back at the machine. My break is over!
Sharon

Scrap Winner

2011-09-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

Using a ~~very scientific method~~ tupperware container and pulling a name by hand, I have a winner. Susis Quilts will be getting a box of my scraps.

She lives across the world so hopefully some of the pieces in the box will be treasures to her. Susi does amazing hand work, a quilter after my own heart. Pop over and see what she's got on the go right now. Susi, please send me your mailing address and I'll get this in the mail to you early next week.
I'm going to do lots of machine quilting this weekend, I have 2 custom quilts waiting to be done.
Enjoy your weekend!
Sharon

Basics

2011-09-09T02:25:00.000-07:00

BASICS quilt drive is well underway. See the link on my sidebar for more info or click here. Many bloggers are participating in ways that fit their budget, both of time and money. I just recieved this top and binding. I pledged to quilt for people who would like to donate the top/binding and I'll provide the batting and back, along with the quilting.

THANK YOU TO:
Ms. K from Springfield, Virginia
I shall give an update once I get it quilted, this is so fresh and fun, and I just love the fabrics.

Do you have a top/binding you'd like to donate? I have room for two more quilts.
Sharon

New Old Projects

2011-09-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

Over the Labor day weekend I did get some sewing done. This project is quilted, bound, labeled and ready to deliver. I started this a few years ago, I pieced the back 3 times to use up every bit of fabric so it would be done and out of my studio.....and then yesterday I opened up a drawer and found a few more yards. Do you think fabric left in drawers behaves like rabbits? :-)

Here is a peek at my current project. It's been languishing in a box for several years, and once I got the above piece finished, I gave myself permission to open another ~~UFO~~ WIP bag. This was a 4 block quilt that I had started, but I've switched gears on the pattern. A few years ago I fused and cut out all the pieces and then packed up all the coordinating fabrics along with my idea notes and pattern and there it sat; staring down at me from the window sill in my sewing room. I got it all fused and spray basted togehter, ready to take with me to my Sat sewing day. I'm machine appliqueing and quilting at the same time with a blanket stitch and then I'll quilt the background with a big stitch using perl cotton.

At our weekend retreat I was able to put up my 14 completed blocks of BTCT. Still no prepping on the next few blocks, that's on my agenda for this week.

My hydrangea had 2 blooms on it this year and they were buried under all the leaves, so I cut them and brought them inside to enjoy.

It's a short work week and the weekend will be here in no time!
Sharon

I Can Breathe!

2011-09-07T02:25:00.000-07:00

I should have taken a "before" picture, but my gal pal was up and moving stuff out of the garage before I even got my coffee poured!

When L arrived, her first words were "What job do you have around here?" and I was prepared. The Garage! What I needed was shelving and sorting and getting boxes off the floor. Living by yourself has it's challenges, like trying to get a box of shelving out of your car when it weighs a ton! Or when you need someone to hold the brackets in the middle while the second person hammers them together from the top.

After a trip to Home Depot, we were prepared to tackle the job. There wasn't any purging, just reorganizing. Now I can breathe, and walk through my garage without zig zagging along.

If you're still with me and would like a box of scraps, let me know. I came across this box that I know is filled with scraps, and I know there is some flannel outdoorsy type prints in here. It just needs an address, can I put yours on it?

Leave me a comment and I'll get it out to someone!
Sharon

Whole Lotta Sewin'

2011-09-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

Someone once told me, "It you quilt, you will have friends no matter where you go". This is so true. I took a class in May and met a great lady Merrie. She has invited me to two of their mini retreats that are about an hour away. Yesterday I hit the road at 8:30 and didn't get home until 6:30. Next time, I think Miss Annie will go to the Puppy Parlor for a sleep over and I'll grab a room and stay for 2 days of sewing.
Check out this space!

The ladies in Mt Vernon use the space next door to the quilt shop, Calico Creations. It's great to take a break and wander next door for some retail therapy or inspiration.

There were 15 of us and TONS of room. I think there were 5 - 6 ironing stations, lots of cutting table space,

And of course plenty of room for our snack table. Whoever brought the macaroons needs to please bring the recipe next time! Yummmm.
I think these are Carolyn's pieces, Crazy 8 Pattern. Very graphic and she's ready for Christmas with this table topper.

This cutie was made in the morning, and Carolyn was getting to the pot holders in the afternoon. She is gifting this out to a lucky friend.

Merrie has been working on the BOM that will be offered this fall from Calico County. The applique on this is beautiful, I should have taken some close ups! Love how the background is patched a bit, each block a little different. There is a border going on this, but I'm not sure if it's appliqued or pieced, I didn't ask!

Carol was my neighbor and she spent the morning making this Cash and Carry bag. She has a purpose for it, all her knitting tools, stitch markers etc.
Anyone who has made these little projects know how much work goes into them. I told Carol I'd rather pay someone cash and carry my purchase away. She did a beautiful job on this, she has more patience than I.

Here is Mary's show and tell project. She has the most amazing sense of color, she is far braver than I am. This piece is amazing, it's a Judy Niemeyer pattern and I just love the colors. I've seen paper piecing with all these spikes and slivers and they can be bulky, but Mary has this mastered. Her piece laid flat and smooth. Now to get it quilted and bound. I'm hoping to see this in a show in the future.

Merrie was also working on a Judy Neimeyer pattern in the afternoon. A few days of steady sewing, where you can leave everything out it the best time for paper piecing something like this. On a scale of 1-, I'm about a 2 in this technique. I can't wait to see this one when it's finished.

There were other pieces for show and tell, but I didn't have my camera out. Thanks ladies, my day was great and I hope to see you all again at the next sew in!
Sharon

BTCT Block 13

2011-09-03T02:28:00.000-07:00

Finished!
Whew, block 13 is done. I'll be redesigning a few of the upcoming blocks, those fingerlings are a PITA!

Now to prep a few more blocks and get cracking on more cherries.
I hope everyone takes some time to sit back and relax this long weekend, I know I will.
Sharon

Glass Ceiling

2011-09-02T01:57:00.000-07:00

I can't go to Tacoma WA without going to see all the glass. I liken these to ice cubes, I have no idea what the artist calls them, but to me they are the beacon to the Bridge of Glass.

As for the silver cone shaped structure to the right, still don't know what it's for. I think it's a piece of art, I don't think it houses anything. It is very cool though.

These are huge chucks of glass, very interesting structure.

And the following pics are the view when you look up while walking on the Bridge of Glass. After seeing all the fiber arts at the show, I could see where quilters get some of their inspiration.

Simply amazing,

beyond words,

awe inspiring.

If you're ever in Tacoma, over by the Convention center, you have to stroll the bridge.

Sharon

red and white

2011-09-01T01:47:00.000-07:00

This post wasn't supposed to be wordless and I am just seeing now that I didn't go back in and finish it before the auto post took place. Same as previous one too! Bad blogger, bad!
This little piece is getting hand quilted and I'm hoping to finish it in time to send digitally to Temecula Quilt Co
for their online red and white show!

This piece is small, 16 x 16 so I think I might make the deadline of Sept 15th!
Sharon

5 for $1.00

2011-08-31T23:49:00.000-07:00

Off My List

2011-08-30T03:17:00.000-07:00

I love crossing things off my UFO list. I really don't think of any of my projects as UFO's; more like WIP's. I got the binding sewn down on the drive home from Tacoma on Sat.

This project started from a charm pack. I only bought one and I've learned that 2 definitely give you more options. I sewed this up and pieced together the background to fit.

Using a Gwen Marson pattern as inspiration, I hand appliqued the flowers. This has kicked around my place as a finished top for quite some time. Actually, it was in my "hand quilting" pile and I only had intentions of basting it on my longarm. Once I got it loaded and looked at it, all I saw was feathers in the background so I got out my blue wash out pen, marked the heck out of it and quilted it.

I put the corner hangers on this piece; I've never used this method to hang small pieces before. Now to get doweling cut to the right size!

SewBatik was at the quilt show last weekend and while D was buying a few pieces, I mentioned to her that these batiks were the nicest ones and the very nice salesman gifted me this bag of scraps! How's that for a compliment paying off. They price these at $9 and after pulling it all apart, it's definitely a great buy at that price.
Thanks Mr. SewBatik
Now to make a scrappy batik, I already have some ideas from all the art quilts at the show last weekend.
Sharon

Quilt Show Part 2

2011-08-29T03:42:00.000-07:00

Machine quilting is the focus of this post, although you might see some hand quilting.
Below - Elizabeth Spanring This was quilted on a domestic machine. Amazing work!

Below - Sherrie Rogers-Harrison Whole cloth quilt, painted after the quilting was done. 800+ hours.

The big winner was Renae Haddadin

After seeing these amazing pieces, do I dare show my "masterpieces"? Of course, because I remind myself this is a business for these people, and I, like most of us, have a day job and it's too many years to count before I get to retire!

Photo Heavy Post

2011-08-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

Saturday was filled with inspiration and motivation. D and I drove to Tacoma to see the quilt show put on by the Association of Pacific West Quilters.
There were a few quilts hanging among all the fiber arts. I know this is the trend of quilt shows now, the room was full of amazing inspiration and ideas and color and talent. I could go on and on, but instead I'll let the photos do the talking. I have very few artists names, but if you click to enlarge you might see the name to the right of the quilt on some pictures.

Below is Jean Wells from the Stitching Post in Sisters, OR This was one of my favorite pieces in the show.

I'll show more tomorrow. Winners names are posted on the APWQ website.

Sharon

Beautiful Finish

2011-08-26T02:41:00.000-07:00

This is not my quilt. It's D's quilt, one that she made for her niece. Asian influenced and bold. It's for a birthday this fall.

The quilting took some time, this is a labor intensive design. By the time I got to the end of a row, my arm and hand would be asleep! Hmmm, a computer was sounding right up my alley a few times. Then I reminded myself why I love quilting; it's because I get to do the quilting!

When D saw the finished piece, she commented on how she would like to keep it. I told her to keep it! She has enough time to get another top whipped up before the fall birthday! I'm sure she will gift it, but I'm not so sure I would.

The quilting pattern in Annie's Garden by Ann Bright. I used SoFine in color 403. It's a few shades creamier than white. It's nice on the white and not as stark as what white would be on the black and red portions. Bottom line in the bobbin.
Sharon

Light at the end.....

2011-08-25T02:47:00.000-07:00

August 11, block is prepped and a couple of leaves have been turned and stitched.

August 23, I've been packing this piece all around with me. I get 15 - 20 minutes of stitching at lunch, a few minutes here and there at home, and I'm almost finished. There is one more "corner" piece, the ones with all the fingers, and that bottom layer with the fingers takes me about an hour to stitch down.

On Point??

Straight sets??

As I move along with customer quilts, I always take a few minutes before and after longarming to work on a project. This has been the one that's gotten the attention the past few weeks. Slowly, but surely, it's coming along. I've working on the 3rd set of 10, I have a stack of sashing with corners piled up beside my machine and a tupperware container of the 1/2 sq tri's that I have been cutting off.
I'm going to have to look at the math with the on point, it might turn into a carport cover! Maybe some night stand covers with the extras? I'm a long way from that point, so I'll just keep sewing along!
Hope you've got to sneak in a few minutes of sewing, it really does all add up!
Sharon

Worth a Look

2011-08-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

If you don't follow Pippa's blog, Welsh Quilts, you've missed some fabulous quilts from a show she attended.
Take a peek through her last few posts!
Sharon

Final Photos

2011-08-20T17:45:00.001-07:00

OK, if you can stand one more post about this quilt, hang in there. I promise, last time I show this. That's because I have the binding on and I just need to turn it to the back, sew it down, and gift it out. The recipient has seen it, Friday night, in fact. I was soooo close to having it finished, I just had to show it to her.

Here is a close up of the quilting, doing it by hand made all the difference. I love how it turned out.

This was a no mark, no measure border. I wanted the lines to be a bit organic and off kilter in places. Some was intentional, other times it was just how they ended up. I did try to use the needle as a measure between each set of lines. Rust thread was used throughout. Most of the solids are Kona. I've named this The Second Half. I'm keeping my first one for myself. It needs quilted and I'll be doing it that by hand to. It's in the line up!

I have enjoyed the process of this project and I'm very pleased with the final results.
Sharon

BASICS Quilt Drive

2011-08-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year to get going on quilts for BASICS. If you are not familiar with this program, click on the logo on my sidebar and that will take you to Bumble Beans site. Victoria and Pat Sloan have spearheaded this drive and I'm thrilled to help them reach their goal.

BASICS/Promesa, is a community based organization in the South Bronx, New York City.

Our goal is to assist disadvantaged families and individuals,

as well as to enhance their ability to thrive in the community.

The organization offers housing services, primary care, substance abuse,

mental health and harm reduction services—

everything an individual needs in order to recover

and actively participate in the betterment of our community.

We are writing to ask for your participation in the Organization’s Quilt Drive,

an ongoing initiative to supply the homeless families that we serve with quilts.

Victoria Findlay Wolfe and Pat Sloan are now helping in soliciting from quilters from all over the country.

Now this is where I come in. I have volunteered to quilt, bind and ship 5 quilts. I have 2 quilts completely done and now I need 3 more tops. If you would like to participate and have me quilt your donation quilt, I would need the top and the binding sent to me no later than September 19th, 2011. I will provide the batting and the backing, I'll quilt the top and bind it, and ship it off to BASICS by their Nov deadline.

Please leave a comment or email me at sharon at grassrootsquiltstudio dot com I only need 3 tops, they will go to kids, adults, teenaged boys and girls.

Please help me help Victoria and Pat in this wonderful cause. Let's help those who need a hand up!

Thanks for sticking to the end of this post, I hope you can help!
Sharon

Transformation

2011-08-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

I've taken this....

and turned it into this.....

I had the blocks sewn into each half and pinned together. All that is what I call production work. The fun part of this is designing it on the wall. It still needs a few more seams, border ideas are swirling in my mind. This WIP has been in a box for some time, and now I needed a comfort quilt. I think this is perfect for her.

Sharon

Metal Quilts

2011-08-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

OK, my camera was on B & W so I don't have a great photo to show, but you HAVE to check out this guy. He makes metal quilts and baskets!red rivet studios
I have no affiliation, I just thought that other quilters/artists might want to see something unique and colorful.
Sharon

Summer Festivals

2011-08-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a beautiful day for a drive. Road trips are so much better in my sisters rag top sports car. We headed south to Anacortes, WA for their annual street festival.

Yup, I had put my camera on black and white in my studio Friday night, and forgot to change it back. Because it was sunny and I had on my sunglasses, I couldn't see the screen while I was taking photos. When I went to take the next photo shown............well, so much for my colorful pictures of the street fair.!
I was prepared, a large bag for purchases, straw hat, sunscreen, camera and a list colors in YLI hand quilting thread. The Quilt Shop is the only place that I've seen that sells YLI hand quilting threads. I had seen their selection when we did our shophop but this time I was prepared with my list.

I might never use all this thread, but if I need it, I'll have it!

This was a fun photo, no color needed.

I hope your Saturday was colorful!
Sharon

Pink Power

2011-08-04T03:34:00.000-07:00

I finally have the top pieced and it's ready for quilting. It will have to wait for a couple of customer tops to be quilted first.

Can you see your pinks? If not, rest assured that they will go into another Pink quilt for breast cancer. I have left over blocks from this one so I have a jump start on next years quilt. Knowing that we can raise $1200 is the biggest incentive for donating this to Safe at Second Base. This team is walking 60 miles over 3 days in September. They are doing the walk in Seattle, WA
Go Betsy, Go Corel!
Thanks again to everyone who participated in this project, it is so appreciated! I will post once it's quilted.
Sharon

BTCT Updated

2011-08-03T03:38:00.000-07:00

I've done the "hump" block, that was block # 13. Now I only have 12 more to go and then I can work on the borders. Hmm, maybe I could work on one border, then a block, then a border....etc. This will keep the momentum going and I won't get dragged down in doing 4 large borders one after another. I'll keep that thought in mind once all the blocks are posted.
Here is what I have so far.

It was hard to impossible to get the 4th row completely in the photo, this is also a block with a pot.

I'm loving this project, I'm staying on task, my applique skills have grown by leaps and bounds. I still keep thinking "hand quilting" on this, and I know for sure that I will be keeping this quilt for myself.
What did you work on that stretched your skills?
Sharon

I've Shared my Addiction

2011-08-01T03:14:00.000-07:00

My friend D wanted to make a memory quilt, then it became two, and then she started down the slippery slope of quilting as a full time hobby. She was very clear to me that she would work on one project, get it finished and THEN start her next project. Hmm, I have 2 quilts to quilt for her, and this is one that just arrived. It's from a McCalls magazine in late 2009, but here is the story of this pattern. Thank you Barbara Brackman!

Welcome to my world, D. I started this project as a Four Block quilt, but not D, she had to make the full sized pattern. She mixed it up a bit with the borders, did fusible applique and did a zig zag stitch around all the pieces. I've basted one other piece that is going to be hand quilted, she has several tops in process and a room full of fabric and books and patterns! As for the quilting on this one, she said "whatever I want" Well, you just know it's going to have feathered wreaths in the center of the circles. This won't get started until the fall, I know it will be on my machine for at least 3 - 4 weeks.
Sharon

Stayed up Late

2011-07-30T23:26:00.000-07:00

After a trip to the chiropractor on Thursday and a good night's sleep, I stayed up late Friday and focused. Remember? Focus = Finishes
Then I got up early this morning and was quilting before I even had my coffee!
I finally quilted a few quilts for my friend who spends the summers in the hot Okanogan. Since she wasn't in a hurry, neither was I. And then I just had to get things done. M is keeping this for herself, it's a nice little lap quilt.

I wanted the quilting to show up and the back is black with bunches of pink roses, so I used a nice bright pink cotton thread. I'm very happy how this turned out.

This quilt has a history. It was hand quilted at one time, then it got washed in water that was too hot, and a washer cycle that felted the wool batting. Now it's machine quilted with Hobbs 80/20.

I used a bronze colored metallic colored thread and the back is flannel. It's going to be a very cosy quilt this winter.

Update on my Beyond the Cherry Tree, here is block 11.

and here is block 13.

Now to start on block 12. I've got 13 blocks finished, one prepped, and the cherries for the border all ready to go.
Sharon

Unexpected Day

2011-07-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

I went to bed last night in my 40's and woke up feeling like I was in my 80's. Everything ached, from my big toe to my head. Having no idea why I was feeling like this, I went back to sleep, but an extra hour didn't seem to change anything, so I called in sick. I never do this, I figure with life and unexpected crap that happens, that makes up for sick days but today, I just couldn't do it. I went back to bed and have generally lazed around.
Now I'm sure you are all thinking, "oh, a sick day = quilting day" Let me tell ya, I just can't seem to move without something aching, so I've spent most of the day catching up on my tv. I managed to pin a few rows of my Pink Ribbon, but didn't sew a stitch on it.

I also had Block 13 prepped for my Beyond the Cherry Tree. I'd gotten the stems stitched down last night while I was getting the oil changed on my car, and today, well, I got one piece stitched.

I know I'm going to have to get out of my pj's, I can't walk the dog dressed like that! But tomorrow I'm sure I'll be feeling better, maybe it's just "one of those days".
Sharon

Overcoming Fears

2011-07-26T02:54:00.000-07:00

I love applique, all methods. I love learning new ways to applique, the more techniques, the better equipped I am for any project. But I've always had this fear of reverse applique. Ohhh, that was for the really good appliquer's, not me.

So as I've worked along on my Beyond the Cherry Tree, I've appliqued on top of things instead of doing the reverse method. This came to a halt when I got to this block.

I took the plunge...........hey, this isn't so hard. What was I so afraid of?
Sharon

A Sunday Drive

2011-07-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend summer finally arrived to the Pacific NW. I spent Sat in my pj's but today was a busy day. My sister picked me up at 10 am and we hit the road to celebrate my birthday (belated). We took her car, it's a sporty little rag top that really hums along. Our day started with a few stops in Bellingham, one being a yarn shop. She is a knitter extrordinaire so I bought 2 balls of yarn for her to knit me a hat. I love hats, you can't have too many!

Good thing we didn't stop at the quilt shop, she might have bought some fabric and thought she would end up with a quilt!
Then with the top down, our sunglasses on, we headed down Chuckanut Drive. You pass state parks, lush forests, hiking trails and peek a boo ocean views. We drove as far as The Oyster Bar and stopped here for lunch.

What a view!

We sat outside on the deck and these are the views. Simply life doesn't get better than this!

Here is my big sister, she's a cutie patutie!

We ended the day in Fairhaven at Colophon's Ice Cream, eating ice cream, listening to bluegrass music in the plaza out back and enjoying the beautiful sunshine. We really have been lacking in our Vitamin D!
Hope your day was sunny and fun!
Sharon

Mona's Quilt

2011-07-24T03:08:00.000-07:00

I gave a sneak peek and here is the finished quilt. I was working on it Friday night when I got a phone call from an old friend who was in town. Her Fri night plans fell through and although we planned to meet up on Sat, I stopped quilting, jumped in my car and met her for tea. There's never enough time when you visit with old friends. Today she is heading east, as they start the return trip to Winnipeg and I hit the studio to finish this quilt.

Its hard to see the quilting, as the fabrics are so soft and romantic. I cross hatched the blocks, did a ribbon in the block border and feathers in the sashing. The setting squares are cross hatched and a wavy line is stitched on the border.

The outer border is done with a curly feather.

All the pictures enlarge by clicking on them, here you can see the back and the border.

After taking this off my longarm and boxing them up to be returned, I did a little more on my Pink Ribbon

It's getting there. The pattern is 22 rows and I've got 6 all together and 6 more laid out. Over 1/2 way to the bottom!

It Just Hit Me

2011-07-23T03:12:00.000-07:00

I was getting ready to walk out the door to work one morning this week. I stopped for a second to double check how much I had progressed on the hand quilting on my Lib Log Cabin. I went to the door and came to the realization that I HAVE to finish a few pieces before I start any new projects. A 9 patch on point in Red and White is screaming to get out of me, an applique pattern with 1000+ cherries sits on my kitchen counter, I've got projects in bags and boxes, drawers and baskets. It's time to stick with a project and see it through.

Red and White Blooming Pineapples
Welcome Banner
CW 9 patch Sisters Choice
Imagine Pink Ribbon
4 patch Pansies
One Block Wonder
Original Sampler

And I could continue on............... These are just a few of the machine pieced projects that I know are crying to be finished. Then there's the box of tops that need quilted, the patterns crying to get out of the drawers.....Oh, that's a whole other post!
Sharon

Sneak Peek

2011-07-22T03:37:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures of a very pretty quilt. It's not mine...... :-(

She wanted it quilted with pink, that's all she asked. We decided on x hatching as that is such a nice treatment for embroidered blocks.

I think the ribbon makes it so feminine. The feathers were hearts at first, I slept on it, and then got up close and personal with my seam ripper. Now there are feathers in the sashing, and I'm very happy with that decision. Five minutes of quilting is a long time of unquilting, but sometimes you just gotta go with the best option.
I'll post some full pictures when I'm finished.
Sharon

Keeping on...

2011-07-20T03:13:00.000-07:00

I managed to finish Block 16 of Beyond the Cherry Tree BOM.

Now I've prepped Blocks 11, 12 and 13 with their vines.

It's a project I'm still enjoying, I just got a bit sidetracked with other hand work this past few months. I'm going to stay the course, as this quilt is going on my bed one day!

Sharon

Mini Quilt

2011-07-19T03:18:00.000-07:00

This is a mini version of a pattern called Surrounded by Four Paws Quilting I made a full size quilt, but it sold before I even got it off my longarm. This is one of my favorite patterns, I made a second one in greens and creams.

24" x 30"

I'm loved this little mini and just got it back from a quilt shop. I'm going to send it in to Temecula Quilt shop's Red and White virtual show. This shop is one that I'd love to visit!
Road trip anyone? hehehe
Sharon

I Passed!

2011-07-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

Back in April I was away for a week of classes. It involved a test and then a exhibit that I had 2 months to complete and submit. I got it mailed off with only days left in the 2 months. Today I got word that everything was accepted and I've become certified in my position at work!

Our insurance agent sent me these congratulatory flowers, how generous of them. They are beautiful. I'm so relieved that everything was accepted. Now I focus on my daily job and work towards keeping my certification.
Sharon

Mail Call

2011-07-18T03:54:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I'm very lazy when it comes to picking up my mail. I sometimes only get it once a week. In fact, the mailman was delivering the mail one time when I went for my weekly pick up and he asked me how much I traveled for work! hehehe, I told him I'm just a slacker when it comes to mail. Look what he brought me this weekend!

I didn't go to Sisters, but my gal pal stood in the line ups and bought me goodies. Thank you PK. You're the best.

Don't you love the graphics on the bag and mug? Birds are so trendy right now!
This next item came across the country from NYC. I saw this fabric when I was there for the Red & White show in March, but I did not leave any room in my suitcase. That was a self imposed shopping restriction I placed on myself. So last week I just called with a credit card and ordered this! It's 60" wide and will be perfect for the back of my pink ribbon quilt.

Now to get the top all together!

p.s. The recipe for the muffins from the previous post is AMAZING!

Sharon

This and That + a Recipe

2011-07-17T03:38:00.000-07:00

Sat was my Applique Society meeting, aka TAS. I joined this group a year ago, and I have to say, it's the best group. I always learn something from one of the members and the skill level in the group is amazing. If you don't have a group in your area, why not start one? I got a few more grapes sewn on Block #16, I'm almost finished!
I'm still looking for the sunshine. Just when my daisies have started to bloom, the rains came and beat them down. Here are a few I picked for my kitchen table.

I also picked some fresh rhubarb and made a recipe from My Yellow Farmhouse. OMG, they are fabulous.

I'll take this batch over to my gal pal's for coffee this morning. Her mom passed away in May after a 6 month battle trying to recover from heart surgery. The memorial is at her house, so a bunch of us will arrive early to help make sandwiches. This isn't just anyone, this is my gal pal that I met in Grade 2, back in 1969. If I wasn't at her house, then she was at mine. We were inseparable growing up. Aside from my own family, I've known this family longer than anyone else. It's kind of like loosing my mom all over again. The evolution of life. But we will all be there to support our friend, that's what we do. I'm blessed to have such an amazing group of girlfriends, through thick and thin, good and bad, we've stuck together forever.
Thanks for stopping by today, take time to smell the roses!
Happy Birthday DP
Sharon

Christmas in July

2011-07-16T03:47:00.000-07:00

This smart piecer will be prepared for the holiday season, unlike a quilter I know *wink*. I am always in the moment, but maybe my red & cream Pineapple Blossom will be finished for the Christmas season.

Speaking of that, Lori over at Humble Quilts has started down a Red &White path and I thought I might stroll with her. I'm thinking a 9 patch on point; Kona Real Red and Natural may just be the ticket for this project.

I've got to keep my head down and focus on my longarm quilts for customers, that will be my priority these next few weeks. Quilts come in spurts and I don't like having someone's top for very long. This one belongs with the Christmas Applique, and they both will be heading back to Idaho this week. It's so pretty and feminine.

I managed to slip a table runner on my longarm inbetween these two quilts. Now to turn and hand sew the binding. I'm hoping to have it finished so I can gift it on Sunday.

I love this feathery pattern, it's one of my favorites.

I have a yard guy. Yup, my lawn is getting mowed by someone else. He just shows up, mows and edges, picks up his money and shows up two weeks later. That way, I can come home from work, head right to my studio and look out at my freshly mowed lawn and quilt guilt free. Life is good!

Sharon

Stitching with Friends

2011-07-15T03:44:00.000-07:00

Last night my friend L came over and we did some hand work. Some of that work included hand to mouth to enjoy this delicious Raspberry Crisp, hot from the oven with whipped cream!

OK, I didn't get a before photo!

I have two projects that I'm doing by hand. One is this, Block 16, from BTCT. No I don't have 15 blocks all done, I think I have 11, but I jumped to this one because I had the purple circles all done ahead of the block. I do have a couple others prepped, so I'm ready to move to the next one as soon as I finish this one.

I'm also hand quilting this little number. I know you've all seen it before, I'm just saying, "it's in my pile of current hand work" I've got 5 of the 9 blocks quilted, so I'm making headway! I've tried to work on this every night before going to bed, even if it's just for 15 minutes. Every bit helps.

Tonight I'll be back at the longarm, finishing up a Christmas quilt for M. It's super cute, photos to follow.
Sharon

July Bounty

2011-07-14T03:16:00.000-07:00

Every second day I go out to my garden and pick my raspberries. It was about 8pm when I got home Monday, 7:30 Tuesday night and today I was packed up and ready to exit at 4:30 sharp. I got out by 4:45, so that wasn't too bad. Here is my bounty from today. This will be the bottom of a hot crumble that I will serve tomorrow evening when my friend L comes over for some gabbing and sewing.

This made it easy to make dinner. I love raspberries, they are probably my favorite berry. Add a little whipped cream and "oh my".

A few flower pics as my garden has now started to bloom. It still has a few more weeks before it becomes something more than splashes of color amongst the green.

These pansies are super cute.

This is the front corner of my flower bed, so it looks pretty right now, I have lots more that will come into bloom, we just need more than 2 days of sun at a time.

Now I'm off to the studio, I'm working on a Christmas quilt for a customer, and the way I've been going, well, lets just say I want to get it back to her before the season!
Thanks for stopping by today!
Sharon

Powering Through my Pinks.

2011-07-13T02:59:00.000-07:00

I kept my head down and made great headway. This is easy sewing and trimming, it's just time. Here are 200 1/2 sq triangles,

90+ 4 patches

and 140+ solid squares.

I've also got "Imagine" put together and cut down to the right size. I need to work on making my letters a little bit smaller!

I have the pattern sketched out on graph paper, so that makes putting it all on the design wall easier. I can only put the top 1/2 together and then I have to stitch this up to make room for the bottom half of the pattern.

And here is the start of the design on my wall.

I've made more pieces than I need for this top and I do that for two reasons. Now I can play with placement of prints and values AND I've already got a start on next years raffle quilt. Knowing what you need in advance is a big help and with all the beautiful pinks that I have been gifted, I will keep all this together in a box. When I just want some easy sewing, I can pull out a few pieces, make a few blocks and put it back. Then I"ll be that much closer to the next top, and there will be plenty of pink tops coming from this gift that will keep on.

Sharon