Busy week behind and ahead…

I found the below quote on Facebook this week and have enjoyed ruminating over it as I have accomplished different things 🙂

We have butterflies and hummingbirds all over our front yard right now enjoying our different flowering bushes and such!

HQAL is this weekend… this is a time to share what I have been up to specifically hand quilting… I am working on the last part of the middle row of swoon here… I also have a bit in the border to do so next time I share this quilt… I will be on the top portion somewhere of these big swoon blocks (they are 24″ square!!!

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Margaret, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Susan,  Nanette,  Edith, Sharon, Karrin, Gretchen and Kathi

For Slow Stitching Sunday HERE I am sharing my binding on Jasper’s toddler quilt…

 I just rounded the 3rd corner of the binding 😀

I think he will love this one too!!!  Check out Kathy’s post today as she shows the sweetest pillow she finished so uniquely… it will open in a new tab too I think 🙂

And for Wendy’s Peacock Party HERE I am crowing about a scrub shirt I made for my honey this week!  She has some awesome eye candy too so go visit!!

It was a 90″ length of woven plaid fabric we found on ebay for cheap… I washed and fashioned this shirt below!!!

My honey loves it… if you want info on making  a shirt like this check out THIS blog post of mine.  It is not as good as some of my quilting tutorials but it gives you an idea on how to make one yourself 🙂

When I was a nurse I made most all my scrub shirts … so I am now remembering what I had forgotten from so many years ago (10 years!!!).

Linking this Glorious Finish for a completed WIP with Julie Cefalu’s Crafty Quilter Blog Link Up HERE <<<

I have been planning a future quilt for our guest bedroom…  This will be the center of the quilt

 Here is the pattern… all those 4 blocks… those will each be an orange peel…

 Kind of like this… I found a layer cake of all newsprint backgrounds… I will use 2 of them to make the orange peel foundations like the photo below…

Except our orange peels will coordinate with the room and the center of the quilt too 🙂

My new friend Jannessa came over this week … we pin basted a quilt for her and she picked up her PVC quilt frame my honey made her…

 She also picked up her cell phone cradle my honey designed for us to use…

 Here is how her pvc frame looks… we are trying to source boxes to ship them affordable… right now they are pick up only though….

 My sweet grand daughter Ellie… with her mom Heather… SWEET!!!!

 Molly looking cute for her favorite visitor’s birthday wish to send via text….

 Our neighbor who harvested our strawberries this year found 2 more packs of them… so I have been enjoying a belated sweet strawberry shortcake again 😀 YUMMMY~!!!!

 Here is a cool pattern I watched a Donna Jordan video on this week HERE… It looks like a fun quilt to make and is called Beads!

 I coffee stained some navy and white plaid woven fabric Jannessa gave me… and cut out another shirt for Rick…

 You can see the right side is white while the left side took the coffee staining better… most of it looks like the left.. this was one of the only areas I found a white area remaining…

So then I decided to get fancy on the pocket with my Singer 319w Cleopatra and used a cam with this design on it…

 This is gonna be a fun shirt to make this week 🙂

Well … I am a bit under the weather this weekend… feeling achy and just “not right” … so I am saying chat more next weekend when I will again be blogging… feel free to leave comments or ask questions if I wasn’t clear in any of my explanations…. and remember to live your life carefully… it is the only chance you have to leave a positive mark on the world 😀

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This has been a crazy week around here… almost NO blog-reading occurred this week… but lots of other stuff DID!!!  Come see >>> 😎 !

Happy August!!!!

As I was making good progress hand quilt this past week I looked out the windows near me and saw this… what a way to bring in August … with goodness 😀

And a closer look at our current resident osprey. (Corrected thanks to my readers to specifically be a Heron) …

My honey went outside to catch this shot too 😀

They migrate all through this area of North Carolina and we are blessed they choose to stop at our pond and peruse the available fish for lunch! lol

First I want to link to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitchers at Kathy Quilts blog HERE!!!

Slow Stitching I finished this first pass across the second set of swoon blocks…

Then I rolled… but got a bit overzealous in the amount I moved so (after shooting this photo I realized I had rolled to far… adjusted and started quilting !!! lol

 So here is a close up view of all I completed this weekend …

I expect by next week to be on the last pass of these swoons hopefully as we DO NOT have plans for a very busy week… then again this week we didn’t either! hahaha

I also finished 1 – 6″ block with the hand done blanket stitching…

I still have 10 prepped to sew into these squares to prepare for marking and stitching (20 blanket stitches per side plus corners to make our pattern work)

This now gives me 8 finished blocks for my crochet quilt… and I will need 80!!!  But this is my travel project too so I am not too worried about it actually.. this will get done around other things I am hoping 😀

I hand stitched down the binding over the week and washed the smaller toddler quilt for Simon who just turned 1 year old….

 And I am halfway or a bit more on Jasper’s… using Cleopatra with her walking foot on for this and Julius for my 6″ block conversions…

I am linking these 2 quilts to Wendy’s Peacock Party… Check out her blog party… she has wonderful eye candy this week HERE <<

I am in the midst of making a great new friend… her name is Jannessa.. isn’t that a fun name!!!

She is close to my age and lives not too far from me…

She has this piece …

And she wants to make it a valance in her sewing room… like how she has it posed here…

This is hand marked with pencil on the sewing lines and hand pieced…  I have some ideas for how we should attack making this a longer and skinnier piece to be the front of a valance by adding fabric on either end and cutting off the top 1/2 row of hexi’s to reposition 2 of those 3 half hexi’s like this…

That leaves a half hexi for a label!!!  None wasted but is this the best way to use this ??  I know how to make a valance using regular wall hanging quilting plan and layering the finished top with batting and backing that is more sun resistant in color/quality 🙂

Jannessa gave me and my honey tips on grooming Molly… by grooming her with us!!!!

She is much happier groomed too!!!

In return I gifted Jannessa my PVC quilt frame 🙂

In return she gave us what she thought was a 301 case because she got this model vintage Singer in the trapezoid shaped case…

 You can see it with a machine in it below…

But after doing some research we think this could be a musical instrument case… hmmmm!  Any ideas anyone???

While I was doing the slow stitching the last couple days I have been listening the “The Stitch TV Show” on Youtube… You can find their latest episode HERE <<<

Last Sunday I spent some time video chatting with my daughter and her beau… at the end of the chat they sent me this photo by request…

She is very happy in her new house.. her and her beau Timmy will celebrate 1 year together this coming week too ❤

I got this fabric Saturday when I checked the mail from my good friend Debbie…

The goal is to make a Halloween themed banner for 1 1/2 year old Amelie.  This is my post office guy’s daughter 😉

Any ideas on a bunting or banner for a child’s room with this fabric and a Halloween theme for year round use????
I had liked this idea initially >>>>>>

Finally… the reason I made time to blog today besides to say hello to each of you is to take our own walks down memory lane today….

What is…. YOUR FAVORITE QUILTING MEMORY!!!

Mine is… 

Learning to quilt and becoming best friends

 in the process with Connie in 2011!!!

So share yours and more feedback on this post if you would please… if you can’t respond to my blog then email me directly here with your favorite memories related to quilting… or help with Amelie’s banner… or feedback on the valance to be … or what is that suitcase for really???  🙂

And when Monday comes around have a fun philosophy to get you through the day…

Have a Fabulous Week Y’all!  Hope to hear from  you each too !!!  Hopefully I will visit lots of you too today in blog land ❤  and P. S.  Any link in this post that you click … should open in it's own tab 🙂  Enjoy the youtube link too!

Another UFO completed!!!!

I can’t believe I am chatting with you 2 weeks in a row with yet ANOTHER finish to share 😀

The newlyweds are LOVING their quilt and sleeping under it on their bed… no pics yet but I am fine with that as it is being loved and slept under 💑

And while I am very excited to share my finish… I really wanna share this photo!!!

 Look what the Color Catcher’s caught 😀

And look how beautiful and unstained the finish quilt is…

None of this quilt was pre-washed as I bought the top my daughter found already made from an eBay seller…

From the above pic it is 90″ x  90″.  She then picked out the pattern I would use to stipple in black thread on the white background from one of the online stencil companies and helped me decide on a pattern for all those carpenter star blocks… the outer border has a simple “s” design we both liked in red big stitch… and the binding is something fun and snazzy she liked!  She named it Starlight Starbright during the quilt designing process 😀

This quilt was meant to be her graduation from high school quilt… yet she has yet to graduate from high school.  She has chosen a different path right now and has quit school to work and pursue other interests… so I will be holding on to this quilt until her life settles down a bit I think 🙂

This quilt was purchased about this time of year in 2016 when I look back in my blog archives for a history moment.

It was officially started on my February 24, 2016 in a hoop…

Soon after this was started I realized it was gonna be an arduous journey this way so my honey built the PVC quilting frame for me from 1″ pvc and his own ingenuity to my specifications ❤

Here is a pic I took once this quilt came out of it…

It was surely dusty from being in this frame for 2 years with only small movements to reposition it for quilting… when I took it out to bind it dust flew everywhere!!!  lol

BTW… my previously cut binding???  Well I had just this 5″ piece left!!!  WOW that was close 😀

Then to wash it I also wanted to remove all the markings… mostly pencil markings on the white fabric… I really didn’t want to scrub with a toothbrush on it with Palmolive dish soap which is my secret weapon to remove even a stubborn prewashed pencil marking… so I washed in cold water with detergent… then when that didn’t remove the pencil I washed again with detergent and 2 tablespoons of Palmolive in my front loading washing machine and left soaking once it was good and wet overnight (about 4 hours honestly )… then checked it and all the pencil appeared to be gone… I washed it on warm with no extra soap just what was in it and as you can see in the pics… it is all GREAT!!!!  No pencil marks found by my meticulous eye at all!!!!

Above you can see the pencil marks in the white that I made… pretty heavy handed I got !  Then had to remark most of that as it wasn’t very good for stitching really …

So I have learned A LOT with this quilt.. and I am happy to call it done… I have a 100% cotton pillowcase this quilt will be calling home until we get moved… then I will display it occasionally and change it’s folding pattern occasionally as recommended… until the time my daughter is ready to receive this gift of love!

While working on this I have also started drafting a future quilt pattern as the pattern comes in 70″ square size and I want it 105″ square size…

And another UFO has shown itself on my PVC frame…

The colorful whole cloth quilt I am making… look at the fun backing I added… it is a wide back… I started this some time long ago and am happy to be calling this one my current project.. maybe til summer???  Not sure how long it will take… I am only about 1/4 or 1/3 done with the quilting on it.

So that is all that is keeping me busy and out of trouble… how about you?!   What are you doing to keep your hands and mind busy this year??

Thanks for visiting with me … I hope I have left you inspired to pick up a new project or return to an older project and finish it up!  Linking all this to Kathy’s Slow Stitching Sunday HERE… she has the flu so come cheer her up !!!  And she has a new idea to share for 2018 linkers too 😀

In closing here is a large view of the quilt itself for your enjoyment…

Have a blessed Sunday whatever you do… try to spend a bit of time doing something fun with your hands too … but most importantly ….

Resetting for 2018!

It was just a few days into 2018 that I finished that great big quilt that was on my frame… well it has been washed a couple times and checked for any issues then dried and gifted!!!

My son and DIL loved it sooo much they put it right on their bed my son built for them!!!

So now it is time to start on something new… or should I work on a UFO to free my pvc frame I haven’t used in over a year or more!!! lol

Well I have decided 2018… while we are waiting for the right buyer to come along to buy our home… will be a good year to work on UFO’s too… once this quilt is complete… Binding IS cut and ready to sew together and attach… I will work on my colorful wholecloth quilt that hasn’t seen light in a couple of years!!! Wow!!!  This will be earth shattering for me to finish both of these UFO’s… and I will I think because I am ready to face this challenge in my life.  Here is a quote from Bonnie Hunter that is quite fitting for me right now…

I can look at this as a goal as well as a focal point for where I am in life 🙂  Can you??

So as I make slow but sure progress on this Starlight Starbright quilt meant to be for my daughter some day…

 And I also make slow but sure progess on these Kaleidoscope Krazy blocks… need 132… have 26 hahaha!

 I am pondering my next quilt to piece… for our bed that my honey has helped me choose the colors on and my bestie will help me fulfill those requests…  I also wonder…
 What are you all up to??  What are your plans as we are biting into 2018???

Are you living the life you love right now??  I certainly hope you can look back on decisions you are making and life you are living and be happy with yourself and your decisions 😀

So until my next post…

Linking this very hand work happy post to Kathy’s Slow Stitching Sunday linky party HERE

Come wish her sickness to go away soon and see what other hand focused people are making and doing this fine new year!!!

Sunny Sunday to You!

I am so excited it is time to share at Kathy’s Quilts … Slow Sunday Stitchin Linky!  Link is at the end of this post for you to see what other’s are linking up!

I have had a week full of fun stuff but am most excited about my Slow Stitching progress…

Check this out… I am now 1/3 of the way done with this quilt here in this shot!  Look at a close up of how my first corner came out too!!!

I am so happy with how all this is working out on my new PVC frame too… here is a shot AFTER I moved the quilt to start the next block…

I really love this set up out here in my Florida room ( screened and windowed covered porch) 🙂

The parrots over my frame are colorful and a fun addition to having to stare at a wall when I am pondering this quilt.. I am happy I got them to keep me company when I quilt early in the morning ! 🙂

So a BIG birthday is coming up for me in July… my 50th.. and I decided after having this PVC frame that a regular quilting frame that is about 10 feet long is really what I want to quilt big quilts on in the future… I have the wholecloth that is only 1/4 done and needs finishing and we desperately need a new bed quilt after that!  So we bought a kit from Hinterberg frames.  I contacted them by the phone number on their website and their customer service is wonderful via phone and email!

Here is the naked wood my honey is using to assemble this kit with… this is just being held up in this first shot… to give you an idea what it will look like!

 Here are some of the specialty parts that come with the kit all stained “gunstock” color…

 Here is all the wood pieces cut except the long 10 FOOT tressle piece! lol

The gears came in the kit but added a fun contrast above we thought.. my honey actually posed this shot for me and I took it! lol

So that is what I will be doing on July 4, 2016… quilting at my new frame… if not before!!!!!

I have also gotten my Spiral Log Cabin quilt sewn together and planning the innermost border to bring it up to size for a pieced inner border..

I really love this project.. it is challenging me in some ways and confirming that I am “getting it ” at other times! 🙂  I like that!  I miss the challenges nursing kept in my life… I am finally to a place in quilting where I am challenging myself and pushing my own borders!   Do you ever take on a project knowing it will stretch your comfort zone??

Also this week….

My grandson CJ came over to play!

Isn’t he a cutie!!! He is so fun to be with too.. he is not a fussy kid at all! 🙂

I completed my BOM for Wehago Designs…

I liked this so much I chatted with my honey and we decided the pattern would be very similar for our next bed quilt… you see our current bed quilt we sleep under ever since I made it almost 5 years ago as my first quilt!!!  It needs some minor repair and a new binding and to be hung on a quilt rack for a rest… I need another to rotate with it once it is fixed… so here is my idea…

I will use more of a slate grey instead of her mushroom grey.. I will use her same white and scrappy appearance in blues… mainly medium and dark blues so it will hold up to being close to the steel grey I plan to use for it that I found in my stash… I bought it for another quilt that hasn’t gotten made yet and is a bit dark for it… I will use this for this project and be happier I think!

So I am now collecting 5″ squares of medium and dark blue prints.. I will buy the white fabric next month… and then all I need is the stars to align and my other projects get finished as I wait for it to rain blue fabrics my way! lol  I did pull some from my 5″ square box.. I am recruiting friends to send me some blues from their own stash too in 5″ squares or larger is my request!  We shall see.. I hope to spend my 50th birthday this year at my frame and piecing this when taking breaks!  lol!!!!

Other exciting stuff that happened this week…

My winnings I like to call blog candy… lol…  from the blog giveaway came in….

Here is the lovely fabric by my fave Cotton + Steel (via the UK sender)

And a very cool UK mag…

There was more but it is getting regifted so you can see it once it is rehomed 🙂  Overall I am overjoyed though!!!

I did get this green charm pack this week…

 42 shades of GREEEN!!!!  This was a stellar sale at Fat Quarter Shop.. the charm pack was $.68 and shipping was $2.50!!!  Came in 3 days too!!!

If I could only find one of these in BLUES would be PERFECT huh!!!! lol

Speaking of Perfection… Pat and Robin loved the gifts I made them and featured last week!

And what is next???

I got a fun word panel I saw someone on my facebook groups shared and fell in love as a wedding gift for my son and his new wife… did I tell you my oldest is now a married man??? Love his choice in wives too! 🙂  So I am making them a cute panel adorned with scrappy charms… with a modern edge.. or so I am hoping…

She loves modern… I am hoping she loves this and he loves it enough to display it in their home.. I am planning to give them a walmart card to buy a curtain rod or some sort of decorative rod to hang it by… that matches their style….

Would love feedback if you are so inclined!!!!

Have a blessed week ya’ll… I plan to keep on trucking and catch you next Sunday.. unless I get a wild hair and decide to post before then of course! lol

HERE is the link to Kathy’s Linky Party today… come check it out now!!! 🙂

Remember… no matter how bumpy the road may get…

P. S.  It is NOT Sunny in this area of Florida today.. so I made my own with this post… sorry so long but it felt good to catch up 🙂