Loves to Quilt

Made Rachel Ray's Chicken Verde for supper.  Used two dishes, and froze one to give to a sick friend.  Also, made two lemon pound cakes, one for a sick friend and one for dessert at a family dinner tomorrow.  Also, tried a new recipe, "White Chocolate, Cranberry Tart".  I will let you know how it tasted after the family dinner tomorrow.  Worked on my niece's quilt, golfed this morning, prayed for my cousin Julie, my cousin Annie, two sick friends and my daughter in law.

Now, I am going to settle in my chair, finish a binding and watch FOOTBALL!

PS  The White Chocolate Cranberry Tart turned out wonderful.  Yummy cookie like!

Happy New Year 2012

 It has been a quiet holiday for us.  We were able to spend time with family and share a few meals together.

Thanks to Carol, I've started working on the mystery quilt from Temecula Quilt Shop, it's a very easy mini sampler. Super simple and easy for a after Christmas project.  You can find the free pattern here, it's not too late to get started.

I am also working on finishing several little projects, most have been quilted and just need binding.  My plan for the next couple of weeks is to work on little projects that I have wanted to make.  And, my big goal is to work with only fabric that I already have.  I can only purchase fabric to finish something!

 As always, when I am finished I will take some pictures and show you my finishes.

Yikes, I almost forgot, I am also working on our niece's quilt.  It has about 800+ pieces!  I am sure that she is wondering how it is coming!

Light and Dark Partial Blocks plus a stack of corners!

Part of the first row!

I guess that I am one of the lucky ones who has my Christmas projects completed.  So I just did my normal obsessive sewing!  I finished a table topper, actually two--one big and one small.  And started on my niece's wedding quilt.

Bigger Table Topper

Little Topper

First Block of Jen's Quilt

I also had lunch with my friend from work.  Two other gals joined us.  We had a nice lunch and chatted up a storm.  My friend was totally stunned with her quilt.  She said "the nurses will be so jealous"!  She has her faith and friends to support her, AND, she has a great attitude.

 In June 2011 I participated in a quilt along with Rachel Griffith called "Synchronized Squares ".  I finished the top in June but just finished the quilting and binding yesterday.  This quilt has been sitting on my quilter waiting for someone in need.  While I was quilting,  a name flashed across my mind, and I knew who was going to get this lovely quilt.   A friend from work was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.  She is currently undergoing chemo and I think that my quilt will give her comfort.




I also made and quilted some candle mats and mug rugs but this quilt was the most important!

I finished two Christmas Tree Candle Mats.  They need to be quilted and "decorated".  One tree is scrappy and one tree is all the same green fabric.



Which one do you like best?

I also want to show a black and gold table topper.  Truthfully, I cut one third of the blocks one size and two thirds another size.  The result will be two table toppers instead of one!  LOL 

Barb at Cat Patches is having a blogger function called "Occupy Your Sewing Room".  Plan to spend a day in your studio doing what you want to do.  She has prizes so stop by and get the details.  I am working on candle mats and Christmas quilts!

Another Week-end Finish.  I changed my mind about the black and gold pattern, and had to wait for the quilt shop to open,  So, I started on a "Countdown to Christmas" table topper and finished it!


I have a wedding to go to this afternoon, so I think that I will fiddle with some mug rugs until it' time to get ready.

OK, I fiddled!

I finished a scrappy quilt top this evening.  I used left over flannel and made a disappearing nine patch.  It measures 60" x 60".   I used 2.5 inch strips for the double border.  Now I am cutting some black and gold fabric for a table topper.

I finished another quilt top today.  I used Moda's "Luna Notte".  The wind was blowing when I took the picture.  It was holding the top against the fence.  As soon as I finished, the wind died and the top ended up on the ground.


I had four blocks left over and made a small table topper.



I have a quilt already loaded on my quilter, so this quilt will join the pile!  I have some binding to sew on some mug rugs and then Sunday dinner.,

Instead of shopping yesterday on Black Friday, I spent the day at my quilter,  I finished a quilt for a relative of my cousin.  It is made with "outdoorsy" flannel.



I have also been doing a little sewing--mug rugs.  This pattern was found on Not-So Plain Jane' Blog.


Way too cute!  I will post pics as I finished up some of my other UFO's!

My goal for the FNSI was to get all the pieces of 120 blocks sewn together!  I got that accomplished plus got them all pressed.  Now, I need to square them up and sew them together.

First, however, here is the latest picture of the dogs.  The little black one, Zeke, has finally figured out how to jump up into my chair.  They like to sit in MY chair and look out the window!


Here is the stack of pressed blocks:



And here is four blocks so you can get an idea of the larger quilt.



The quilt is for an outdoorsy kind of guy.  I want to have the quilt finished by tomorrow and will post a pic of the finished product.

Good morning all!  Using the "Random Number Generator", here are the three winners of my 300th blog:

#1  Vicki chose table topper #3


#2  Sheila  (she also picked #3 as her first choice), wins #2 table topper:

 
  And #3  was Sunny.  She chose #3 and #1, she will receive #1 table topper:



Thanks to all who commented!  I think that I need to make topper #3 again, and again!  LOL. 

PS  All of the table toppers were made with leftover blocks or scraps from larger quilts. 

Winners, please send me an email with your addresses.  (srowe1948@gmail.com)

Good morning friends!  I have finally made it--my 300th blog!  Thank you all for stopping by on occasion to visit!  And I am having a giveaway.  It's pretty simple, just tell me which of the three table toppers you would like to have,  I will use the "Random Number Generator" to pick the winners.  Which ever number is picked first, gets the table topper they want.  Maybe you should pick a first and second choice just in case.

#1

#2

#3

Drawing will be held Friday morning.  Good luck!  There will probably be a little surprise in each package.
Thank you all for reading my blog over the past few years.  It has been a good outlet for me!

I haven't posted in a week or so because I am getting ready for my 300th blog and giveaway.  In the mean time I have been working on a quilt that I found in "Fons and Porter's" September/October 2011 magazine.  It is called "Pick Up Sticks".


I am using Moda/Sandy Gervais' "Late Bloomers".  When finished it should be about 65" square.

Coming soon, Blog 300! 

I received my three Quilties today from Sandie Kaye.   I love them!  They are soooo cute that I can hardly wait for the Christmas exchange!

Quilties Received

My Quilties (sent)

I have joined another quilt a long.  It is call "Charmed Prints Quilt Along!"  The new quilt along kicks off next week with fabric requirements on Tuesday, 11/01/11. We'll be making an I-Spy sort of quilt using charm packs (5" squares) and a few "feature" quilt blocks to showcase some fussy cut charms.

Charmed Prints Quilt Along!

I was able to get some quilting done last night--My Ghastlie's Quilt.  I used a spider web panto.

 I just need to hand stitch the binding on.

I had time tonight to make another Pumpkin Mug Rug.  This one looks like a pumpkin!


It still needs binding.  I will do that tomorrow.  I will probably make a couple more as well!

I made this "pumpkin mug rug" from a tutorial that I found on Quilt. Cook. Keep.  Does it look like a pumpkin to you?


I think if I used more traditional pumpkin colors, it might look different!!  I will try again this week-end!

Just a reminder that FNSI is tomorrow night, October 21, 2011.  Be sure to sign up at Crafty Vegas Mom. See you there!

I played a little bit over the last couple of days--nothing BIG!  I think that I mastered flying geese when I made my "Stars" quilt.  Thank you Melissa!

Small Table Topper

Ghastlie Mug Rug

I have lots of Ghastlie fabric, but so little time!  LOL

While wandering through blogland this morning, I found that Karen from Selvage Blog has opened an "Etsy" shop called "Karen Griska Quilts".  Please stop and check it out!  Oh, by the way, she is also having a giveaway featuring 4 little crystal bowls:

I finished my Ghastlie quilt top and have added it to the big pile of quilts on my quilter.  As soon as I get these baby things done, I will spend some time downstairs!

I took a little trip to Target on Sunday morning to look for some Halloween Decorations.  I don't normally decorate my bathroom at Halloween, BUT look at what I found.  They also had pumpkins but I liked this the best.  Sorry for the spots.  The dogs came running in the bathroom to see what I was doing AND their feet were MUDDY!



When I got home from work today, a little package was waiting for me.  Here's what was in it.  I ordered the pumpkins from shop on Etsy called "Primitive Season".  Soooo cute!



And then I got this idea for a shadow box from my sister.  She made one for my son's wedding.  It had the initial "R" and the scrapbook backing was full of romantic sayings.

I ordered the ribbon (hairclip) from Etsy and stuck it in the corner!

I must get back to my book.  James Patterson's "Kill Me If You Can".  I just had a big surprise in the last chapter and I have to find out more!

It is the middle of the night and I am tired but when in bed, I can't get to sleep,  This has been going on for awhile, so I went to my sleep apnea doc.  She seems to think that I have poor sleep hygiene habits.  BUT, I am not doing anything differently than I was.  It also doesn't help that I ran out of my restless leg meds and the pharmacy wouldn't refill because it was too soon for the insurance to pay.  So, I lay there and toss and turn and twitch my legs all over.  Not a pretty sight!

My sister was here last weekend for her annual birthday visit.  We did some shop hopping and visited some relatives.  We did have a wonderful time.  BUT, I didn't get much sewing or quilting done.

I have committed to sewing some crib bumpers and skirts for a friend who will be having twins--one of each.  It has been a long time since I have sewn something besides quilts.  Did you know that the seam allowance is now one half inch rather than the five eighths that it used to be.

I have started my "Ghastlies" quilt.  I am using a pattern called "The Big EZ" by Bloom Creek.  I fussy cut all of the 4 inch and 7 inch squares.  I wasted some fabric, but I wanted the Ghastlies to show!

I finished my three quilties and forgot to take pictures.  Too late now, the package is in the mail.  Maybe Sandie will take a picture for me?!

I think that I will try to lay down and sleep again.

Did you notice that I changed my background.  It is suppose to be Halloween but it doesn't show up very well.  I may have to change it again.  Oh, one more thing.  I signed up for a Christmas candle mat exchange at "Gone Stitchin'"  Check it out!

Happy Quilting!

I am finished with my Happy Quilting "Stars" quilt.  If you remember, I didn't exactly follow directions and it shows!  Not that I don't like it but, it is different!!