February Blues

It's February and I have the blues,

Oh, February, you tricky little month, always bringing a whirlwind of emotions my way! Last year, I bid farewell to Mom (can you believe it's been a whole year already?), and 12 years ago, I lost my dear hubby. So, you see, February's like an emotional rollercoaster for me. And don't even get me started on Valentine's Day... SMH! Honestly, I usually treat it like any other day. Not that I'm anti-love or anything, just not big on the whole shebang. But hey, I reckon some of you can relate, right?

Now, let's rewind to October through January, when work had me doing the hustle and bustle, clocking in those 70-plus-hour weeks! Phew! But amidst the chaos, I snuck in some "me" time, working on some projects. Tell me, who else finds solace in quilting and embroidery? There's just something about the rhythm of needle and thread that soothes the soul, am I right?

I finished a springtime embroidery piece (ignore the cat hair). This is from The French Needle.

These are some of my string blocks, which I now have finished, and just need to put together for a quilt.

Current wall hanging I'm working on. I actually started this after Christmas, which means it should be done by next Christmas, right?

My current embroidery piece. This is going to take a while!

I made this cute little fall table runner. I found the idea on Pinterest somewhere.
Such a fun, relaxing little project.

Oh, and speaking of life's crazy ride, my eldest grandson, Hudson, turned 10 in January! Time's sprinting by faster than Usain Bolt, I swear. And my "baby" grandson? He's turning 6 soon, and I'm still in disbelief... Wasn't he just a tiny bundle yesterday? And brace yourselves, folks, 'cause come fall, my oldest granddaughter, Lilly (yes, Baby Lilly), is off to high school! Yup, time's playing some serious tricks on us.

Now, onto brighter horizons! Summer's coming, and guess who's packing her bags for Scotland? Yours truly! I'm practically bouncing off the walls with excitement. It's an Outlander trip, so we will visit some of the places in the show Outlander. And guess what? I got so carried away, I signed up for an Ireland escapade next year! Call it my older-than-midlife crisis, but I've decided to trade in my recliner for some passport stamps. Italy, Switzerland, and a sprinkle of other dreamy destinations are on my radar too. Oh, and let's not forget Hawaii again, 'cause who can resist those sunny shores?

I'm thankful that February is a short month! I am looking forward to attending the Dallas Quilt Show in a little over a month and until then I'll work on my projects and reflect on my husband and Mom, thankful they were a part of my life, and dream about Scotland.

Happy Sewing, Quilting, and Embroidering!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday Everyone!

Fridays are always great for me! Off work for the weekend and time to quilt and embroider.

I'm off to Denver in a couple of weeks for a small family reunion with my cousins. I'm so excited to be traveling somewhere again and excited to see my cousins. I haven't seen them for several years. I had a trip planned and then COVID hit, so it's been a while. I also can't wait to go to a cooler climate! It's still a million degrees here in the Lone Star State and I'm waiting for summer to be done with. Maybe next month? Who knows?

I have finished a quilt top (photos soon) and started on an autumn quilt 🍁(did I mention that I'm tired of summer?). I cut a few of the pieces wrong and had to order more fabric, so I'm waiting on that (not patiently) to come in. Yes, even after all these years of quilting, I still manage to screw up! But once the new fabric arrives, I can finish my autumn quilt and hang it up (because I'm claiming it as my own).

I've also been embroidering like a mad woman trying to get a few things for Christmas 🎄 gifts done (photos below). One of the kits I really enjoyed, while the other kit was on fabric that I really did not like at all. I had to switch to a smaller needle on that one and threading a small needle was quite frustrating. My eyes are better, but apparently not good enough to thread small needles anymore. Anyway, I finished that one and decided it will get incorporated into a quilt or a quilted wall hanging at least.

This is the one with the fabric I did not like.

This kit I really enjoyed working on!

As I mentioned before, I finished a quilt top, which I think turned out pretty well. Is it quilted yet? Why no, it is not. And here's why. When I moved last year, I inadvertently got rid of the giant cardboard I had to baste larger quilts (this one is 42 x 60) on my bed. So, now I'm looking around 👀 for a large box (like water heater or refrigerator size) to cut and use or something that will work as well. In the meanwhile, I have nowhere to baste my quilt. I mean, yeah, there is the floor, but if I get down there, I'll never get back up! LOL! 😂 The autumn quilt is much smaller so I shouldn't have an issue basting that one on the dining room table.

My middle grandson is turning 8 (!!!😳) next week, so next weekend I'll be at his birthday party. And also Miss Lilly turns 14 (!!!!!😳) next week! I really don't know how she's turning 14 when I feel like she was just born! My oldest daughter just turned 40 and my youngest turned 38...now I really feel old!

Well, that's about it for now. I plan on going to some quilt shops in the Denver/Boulder area when I'm there. I should have plenty of time to shop! (Don't tell my wallet!)

Happy Quilting, Sewing, and Embroidering!

Another Vacation and Another Quilt

Hi Folks!

You read the blog title right! I took another vacation this summer because I'm all about "me" time. 

Last month I went to visit a friend in the Aloha state of Hawaii and it was amazing! I'd never been before and I'm so glad I went and was very happy that I got to visit my longtime friend, who I hadn't seen for several years. 

Note to self - next time I'll pay extra for a direct flight! Yes, it is a very long flight from Texas and it took several days to recover when I returned. Whew!

There was a small tropical storm when I was in Hawaii, but all was well and it turned out not to be too bad. It gave my friend and I a chance to stay inside and talk and drink wine...of course. 

I shopped and shopped but unfortunately didn't make it to any of the fabric stores that I had planned on visiting. Next time! I did pay a visit to the Pearl Factory where I got to pick out oysters and see what pearls were inside. Of course, several pieces of jewelry later, I had to stop myself! It was a lot of fun and I would definitely do it again.

I went on a dinner cruise on the Star of Honolulu by myself (it was wonderful) and on a tour of Kualoa Ranch where they film a lot of movies (Jurassic World, Jurassic Park, 50 First Dates) and shows (Lost, Magnum PI). Both were affordable excursions and well worth it!  I also treated myself to a massage. If you've never been to the islands, just go!

Below are a few photos of the many that I took.

Waikiki Beach

Me on my dinner cruise

Where they filmed Jurassic World!

Kualoa Ranch

The views were stunning!

I also finished a quilted wall hanging just in time to gift it to my friend in Hawaii and she absolutely loved it! It is based on a quilted wall hanging from Karen Eckmeier's book "Accidental Landscapes", which is one of my favorites. Somehow I wound up with 2 copies of it!

And now, I'm back at work just dreaming about returning back to Hawaii one day. I still need to download the photos from my camera, which hopefully I'll get to this weekend. 

I started a little embroidery project while I was traveling and am hoping to get that done soon to share with you. Meanwhile, I haven't finished the bigger embroidery project that I was working fast and furious on, but I'll get to it.

The current quilt project that I'm working on is a lap quilt with a beach theme that my friend in Hawaii requested. Since she loved the wall hanging so much, she wanted a quilt she could cuddle under while watching TV in the evenings. Photos to come soon!

All my grandkids started school today and it's still 106 degrees here! I'm so looking forward to Fall and cooler weather. I think all of my trees and plants are too! 

I had both granddaughters over last weekend and let me tell you, they are growing like weeds. Leylia is almost 14 now and Mia is 9! Hard to believe.

Well, that's it for today.

Aloha and Happy Quilting, Embroidering, and Sewing!

Foamy Mai Tai at Monkey Pod restaurant. I highly recommend!

Vacation and a Quilt Show

Hi Everyone!

It's been a busy couple of months for me! Whew! And next week I'm going on vacation for the first time since before COVID! 

I'm so excited because: 1) I'll be off work 2) I'm going to the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah, Kentucky!!! (Can you hear me screaming!) 

I've never been to this quilt show before and I'm thrilled that I will be going. I've wanted to go for many, many years but haven't had the opportunity. So, a friend of mine, who is actually building a house in Kentucky, and I are driving out for a fun-filled week of beautiful quilts and scenery. I have traveled to Kentucky before and I know it's beautiful out there. I also found out that another quilting friend of mine and her sister will be there. I always look forward to seeing her at quilt shows and missed her at the Dallas Quilt Show this year.

After losing my mom in February, and renovating my kitchen (yes, it's done!) I need this break to get away from my life for a minute. I don't know what my kitty, Miss Tilly, will think of me being gone and ignoring her for a week, but I'm sure she'll get over it. Don't worry, my daughter will be giving her plenty of treats while I'm away!

Speaking of my kitchen, here are some before and after photos. You can see why it needed redoing! Also, the corner banquette is my favorite new spot in the house now. I absolutely love it! My kitchen even feels bigger now (I mean...it's not, but it sure does feel like it!).

Before

After

My favorite spot!

Well, I'm off to do laundry to get ready for my travels! If you see me in Paducah, please say Hi! 

Me (not the best picture, I know! But you get the idea). If you see me, say Hi!

I'm thinking about taking my actual camera (not just my phone!) on my vacation to take good photos of all the beautiful quilts. I know AQS will post the winning photos on their website, but I'll be taking photos of as many quilts (winning and non-winning, but winners in my book) as I can.

Oh...one more thing, I've been working hard on my sewing room and it's almost ready! Photos after vacation!

Oh...and another thing, I finished the spring embroidery (photo coming soon...I promise!) I was working on and have another embroidery in the works!

Happy Sewing, Quilting, and Embroidery, and Happy Vacation to me!

Hickabilly Christmas Tennessee Trip

Howdy y'all!

I just returned from 5 days in Chattanooga, Tennessee where I attended the Hickabilly Christmas Live Event by Lizzy & Erin. I'm tired from traveling but had a great time crafting and catching up with my long-time friend, Debbie. 

Me and Debbie (she made us matching shirts!)

It was really great to see Debbie and her daughter and meet her four-year-old granddaughter (even though she wasn't feeling too well 😞). The weather turned rainy and cold when we were there, so sightseeing moved off our list (bummer). I was really excited to see the sights...but it just wasn't meant to be. However, we ate some delicious food while we were there! We had a wonderful brunch at Milk and Honey and had amazing ramen at Two Ten Jack's restaurant.

Driving into Tennessee

Cool tunnel in Chattanooga!

Also, I won a gift basket! (I never win anything!) It was so big that I had to ship it home...LOL! It should be here tomorrow, so it'll be like I won it twice 😂

The giant gift basket I won and shipped home!

Hickabilly Christmas...Look at all those gift baskets they gave away!

This cute reindeer (made by me) was one of the crafts we made at the event.

Now there's a quilt! LOL!

Well, time for this old gal to rest up from the trip and think about gifts for Christmas. I can't even believe that Thanksgiving is next week! So, Happy Thanksgiving!

Next time, we'll talk about little gifts to sew or quilt for Christmas.

Happy Sewing and Quilting!

Quilt Shows

 Happy Thursday (or Friday Eve)!

Do you attend quilt shows? Do you prefer looking at the quilts or shopping the vendors for fun new quilting stuff? 

I love a good quilt show for many reasons and especially for looking at the beautiful quilts and getting inspired. Also, I love to shop the vendors! I always find new and different things that I must purchase (even if my wallet does not agree). I was disappointed in 2020 (weren't we all!) because all the quilt shows were canceled and then in 2021 some of the quilt shows came back but not all of them. But this year, I think most of the quilt shows are back! 

Here are national and international quilt show schedules for the rest of 2022 and 2023.

I attended the Plano Quilt Show in August and had such a great time. I have some friends that I only see at quilt shows, so I hadn't seen some of them for a couple of years and it was great to catch up and even make a few new friends too. My quilt show friend, Judy Beskow, won several ribbons at the show, including the Viewer's Choice award. I am always in awe of her quilts and she inspires me to do better. 

Judy Beskow with her amazing quilt and ribbons

I plan on going to more quilt shows, as work and time permit, to get extra inspired. When I was walking around the Plano Quilt Show, I was thinking about all of the thousands and thousands of hours those quilters put into their work and it just astounds me. So much time, passion, and not to mention expense! No, quilting is not an inexpensive endeavor. Next time, I will discuss ways to make quilting more affordable.

Happy Quilting and Sewing!

Babies and Springtime!

Once again, it's been quite a while since my last post! But in my defense, I've been a little busy with the arrival of 2 new grand babies in January...2 days apart! Yes, you heard correctly...they were born just 2 days apart. I have a handsome grandson and another beautiful granddaughter, and couldn't be more thrilled. Our little Lily is thrilled to have a baby sister too. Hahaha...after Miabella was born, all Lily could say is "She came out!" She is such a cutie, and already 4-1/2 years old!

Handsome Hudson

Beautiful Miabella

Of course, I was super busy making baby blankets, quilts, burp cloths, and pee pee tepees (http://sewmakeplay.com/2013/01/09/how-to-make-a-pee-pee-teepee/) before they were born! And since their arrival, I have been busy being Nana! The babies have been great for me, and have given me added motivation to sew and quilt again. It's been tough since hubby passed away just over 2 years ago (and it seems like yesterday), so having all of our children and grandchildren nearby has been such a blessing. This is my New Life! :)

Springtime has sprung! And of course, that is added motivation to bring out the bright pretty fabric to work with! The project on my work table right now is a wall hanging kit I bought way back in 2003 (I know what you are thinking!) and it is a garden scene. I was pretty excited when I bought it, and during re-organization of my sewing room a few weeks ago, I ran across it and got excited all over again! So, I actually started on it! I promise photos will be coming!

I did manage to finish a small farm scene wall hanging to send to my mother...now if I could just manage to get down to the post office to send it off...! I used Karen Eckmeier's (http://www.kareneckmeier.com/) applique technique for it, which is one I just love! Mom grew up on a farm and loves farm scenes, so I thought it would be cute hanging on her wall...when I actually send it!

Farm Scene-Unfinished

The Dallas Quilt Show was in March, and I attended as I do every year. I have yet to download the photos I took, but just bought a new computer, so I will be doing that this week. My old computer was a 2005 model and bit the dust. :( Oh well, I really like my new one, but am still figuring some things out on it. So, it looks like I just have a whole lot of catching up to do!

Well, gotta run. More later...with photos...I promise!

Happy Sewing & Quilting!

Big Sister Miss Lily

Quilting as Therapy

Why do you quilt? What do you get out of quilting? Quilting is certainly not an inexpensive hobby...at least not anymore. So why do you quilt? 

I was thinking back to the reasons why I started quilting, and there were several, but mainly relaxation. Yes, quilting, with all of its frustrations, is very relaxing to me and great therapy! My aunt was a fiber artist for most of her life, and she was a very gentle and relaxed soul. I believe it was because she worked with textiles and took great comfort in the feel of fabric. Have I mentioned lately that I love fabric?! :) 

Since I started quilting again after my husband's death, I am finding that relaxation factor, but it is also quite energizing. It gets my mind going and I start designing quilts in my head. I get a feeling of accomplishment and the sense that I am doing something positive in my life. Even just sewing something as simple as a baby burp cloth gives me great satisfaction and relaxation. Most of us work at jobs that, well let's face it, are not terribly exciting, so having a hobby that is fulfilling and relaxing at the same time is priceless. And, as I have discussed here before, quilting and sewing can be as expensive or inexpensive as you want it to be, because you can recycle/re-purpose fabric from old clothes, sheets, blankets and a variety of things. Buying quilt fabric from a quilt shop is a lot of fun...but that's where quilting and sewing gets expensive. Shopping for fabric yardage at a thrift store is fun and challenging...not to mention more cost effective and "green". So, why do you quilt?

And now for a change of subject...Embroidery

I'm so excited! I ordered some embroidery transfer patterns from one of my favorite quilt sites http://www.sublimestitching.com/ and got them in the mail yesterday! They were having a 1/2 off embroidery pattern sale, so I took full advantage! Here is a pic of what I got!

Embroidery Patterns

Baby Quilt

I am making progress on the baby quilt...the quilting is nearly finished and I can't wait to start on the binding! I am posting photos, so you can see the back and binding fabric I chose for this quilt. The back is a black polka dot print...and normally I wouldn't use a black back for a baby quilt, but for this quilt I challenged myself to use fabric, thread and batting that I already have and buy nothing new. So far, so good! This quilt is all from my stash! I believe I will be able to finish it without having to buy anything for it. BTW...my stash got smaller when I moved, but my sewing room is still too full! Oh...and also, I had a piece of Fusi Boo batting (http://www.fairfieldworld.com/product/51) large enough for the quilt, so I saved myself a lot of baste pinning and time!

Yellow is the binding; Black is the back

Quilted top

This weekend I will start on a crib skirt for my daughter's nursery...she is having a baby boy, and wants a crib skirt, quilt and matching pillows. Then I will make all of that for my daughter in law, who is having another baby girl! Yes, I have my work cut out for me...and I couldn't be more excited!

More later...
Happy Sewing and Quilting!

I wanted to thank you all for your love and support. I am truly blessed to have family, good friends and dear readers! 

My thoughts these days are running off in all directions, but mainly in the baby direction! I am so looking forward to 2 new grand babies...and at the SAME time! WOW! I was over at my oldest daughter's house last night and she is getting her nursery fixed up. I just can't believe my girl is having a baby!! Anyway, she has selected blue, gray and yellow for the nursery...and if it's a girl she will add a coral color. Very calming colors and I am excited to start making nursery things. My daughter-in-law...also expecting...does not have colors picked out yet, so her nursery may be a little more eclectic, which is fun too!

What is your favorite thing to make for a nursery? I ask because typically I sew burp cloths, baby blankets with Minkee and baby quilts. My daughter has requested a crib bed skirt, baby quilt, curtains, et al., so I had better get cracking...er...sewing! I have already purchased a dozen cloth diapers to make burp cloths out of. I have a fast easy technique that I will share with you in another post (after I have photos). It takes about 15-20 minutes to make one...start to finish! So, I can make a dozen in no time at all! Time to go through my fabric stash and select the fabric for everything!

Later friends...Happy Sewing and Quilting!

P.S. -- I wanted to share a photo of my new house...I call it my little doll house! It's tiny but it's mine and just right for me, 2 kitties and a grandchild or 2...or 3! :)

My Little Doll House!

Time and Unforeseen Occurrence...

My Dear Sweet Husband, Wally

Dear friends and fellow quilters, 
It has been more than a year since I posted here, and not because I quit posting, but "...time and unforeseen occurrence befall us all..." --Ecclesiastes 9:11. The past 18 months have been the most difficult of my entire life due to the untimely and very sudden death of my dear beloved husband, Wally. He was my best friend and love of my life and I have been truly devastated by his loss. So please, I beg of you, to bear with me as I restart my life and begin to quilt again. I had stopped quilting for a long time, but am so happy to report that I am back to it! My husband was my biggest quilting supporter, so when I thought about quilting or tried to go back into my sewing room, it was just too difficult for me. But, I bought myself a little house (my doll house) near my children and granddaughter and am restarting my life! I have a new job also...a lot of "new things" in my life. 

And while these past 18 months have been most difficult, there have been some very happy moments for me. My oldest daughter got married! The wedding was beautiful and I was so proud and happy for her. Of course, it was 6 weeks after my husband passed, so I was just a little out of it for the wedding! But I enjoyed it very much. I am also happy to report that the happy couple is expecting their first child in January!! We don't know the gender yet, but I am sorting through both pink and blue fabric! 

My granddaughter is nearly 4 years old now! Yes, she is getting so big! I am also happy to report that her mother (my daughter-in-law) is also expecting in January! That will make me a grandmother of 3!! And so is the cycle of life...endings and beginnings. We will find out the gender of both expected babies in 2 weeks...so stay tuned for that announcement!!

In the coming weeks, I will start writing my blog again and posting photos of quilts, sewing, embroidery...oh, and my granddaughter! I have a couple of new embroidery projects I am working on that I am excited about. And of course, some baby quilts in the works! My granddaughter has requested that I make her poor doll, with only one dress, some more clothes, so stay tuned for doll dress making! I may have a few tips on that! I hope you will follow along on my journey of healing and restarting my life through fabric arts.

I wish you much peace and happiness. Hug your families and treasure the time you have with them.

Until next time, Happy Sewing and Quilting!

The Happy Couple

My Granddaughter, Miss L (as I like to call her!)

Finishing 2011 Projects...2012 Projects Coming Up!

Alien Baby Quilt

One of the cute little aliens!



Another cute little alien!



Youngest daughte and GBaby Lily!

GBaby loves cake pops!

Grandpa & GBaby Lily!

No, I have not dropped off the face of the planet...as some of you must have thought by now! My hours at work have increased so much that when I get home in the evenings I am a brain dead zombie...and that does not lead to beautiful sewing! So, hopefully this grueling work schedule will end soon and I will be back on a normal schedule and back to sewing, quilting and posting!

A couple of things before I begin on the projects...finished and not finished. First of all, my humble and delayed apologies to Bebas Enterprises LLC. In previous posts I had mentioned that I really love the Salem cutting mats, but unbeknownst to me, there were some legal issues with the folks who bought out Salem and...long story short, to get these great mats please go to http://www.bebasboutique.com/ to buy them, or call 1-888-209-4087! They are no longer called Salem, but are now Bebas cutting mats. They are truly the best cutting mats you can buy! Bebas Boutique also sells other items as well, so check it out!

So we are getting ready for my oldest daughter's wedding at the end of March. It is pretty much planned and we just have to wrap up the small details, but there are the wedding showers, etc in te next few months too. Anyway, I am sure that I will be somewhat busy with all of that, so if you don't see me posting here as much as last year, don't worry, I will try to check in at least once a month...hopefully more!

I did actually finish a baby quilt the first of December!! This one only took me about 7 months!! Hahahaha...mostly 7 months of not working on it...but you get the idea. I call it "Alien Baby Quilt" because it has some of the cutest little aliens on it (photos above). I really like the way it turned out and would love to keep it, but it was for a commission....and I do need the money...so I will be delivering it next week! Hubby really likes it and is sort of hoping the buyer will decide not to buy it...uh...I don't think so!! But, thanks Hubby for liking my work so much!!

Still working on my youngest daughter's quilt...months later! Well, the good news is the top is done!!! (yeah!) I actually bought the backing at the Des Moines Quilt Show in October, just need to baste, quilt, bind and present!!

Also still working on embroidering kitty dish towels for the kitchen! I am on the second one now and these are actually coming right along. Oh...and for all of you embroiderers out there a couple of great embroidery websites...
http://www.needlenthread.com/
This is Mary Corbet's website and she does some beautiful embroidery, also has tutorials online for various stitches and techniques...
http://www.sublimestitching.com/
This is Jenny Hart's website and features some very unique embroidery designs for sale..as her tag line states "This ain't your gramma's embroidery"...and it surely isn't.

Check out these great websites and get your embroidery on in 2012!

My 2012 projects...sigh...the list is long!! I am prepping my first t-shirt quilt for my future son-in-law...he is a firefighter, so the t-shirts are all his fire fighter, EMS shirts. I am hunting appropriate fabric right now, but have the t-shirts cut up and will get the fusible web put on shortly. There are two quilts I have ready to quilt or have started quilting, that I would dearly love to finish in the upcoming year! I also want to do a few of the Karen Eckmeier wall hangings (http://www.kareneckmeier.com/) this year. These are so great, fast and fun to do! I have done a few of them, but really want to do more, like the tropical one with palm trees for my living room! Fabric for a Dr. Seuss quilt is sitting in my sewing room calling out to be made into a quilt, as is a mountain of other fabric! Oh...and then there is the long neglected Pirate Quilt...yes, I am stuck on the last block and once that issue is resolved, I can finish the block and move on to finishing the quilt! What are your 2012 sewing/quilting/embroidery projects? Post your comments, so I can feel like I am not the only one with piles of projects!!

Oh, and have I mentioned my sweet GBaby Lily??! She is 26 months now (I know...time flies) and smart and beautiful too! We don't get to keep her near as often as we did when we were jobless, but still get to keep her about once a month. She has such a great sense of humor for a 2 year old...reminds me much of my youngest daughter at that age! What? Photos of her...why of course I will post photos of her!! Need you even ask?

Well, that's it for now! I have some tutorials in my head that I need to get onto this blog, so hopefully that will happen in the next month or so! Keep checking in here...and post your comments!

Happy Sewing and Quilting right into 2012!!!

Beat the HEAT -- Time for Smaller Sewing Projects!



GBaby Lily in her New Summer Dress!




Lily!
















Good HOT Summer Afternoon All ~ Yep, and it's not even OFFICIALLY Summer yet!! I'm melting!! 104 degrees here today and 102 tomorrow...and I don't want to even try to imagine August!! :o

So despite the fact that I have several quilt projects on my plate, I have decided that this is good smaller sewing project weather...or just quilt top making weather! I am still working on my Bluework embroidery project...er...um...that is when I am not dead tired after working all day long! Anyway, I am also bound and determined to get my daughter's quilt top finished, at least by the end of July (if I set a deadline for myself, I tend to try to meet it!).  I also need to get the baby quilt tops finished...notice I said "tops"...I will think about the actual quilting sandwich and quilting parts later...maybe when the temps go down to the 80s?!

And, thank you to some dear friends who gave me some of the fabulous new Dr. Seuss fabric! Have you seen it? Fabric.com (www.fabric.com) and Keepsake Quilting (www.keepsakequilting.com) both have it...and I plan to buy a little more to make a Dr. Seuss quilt! If I could just get the top done, then I could quilt it when it is cooler. How do you handle quilting projects when it is blistering hot out??

Hubby and I are planning a trip the first of October to attend the AQS Des Moines Quilt Show in Des Moines, Iowa (Sept 28-Oct1). My cousin and her husband live up that way, so we thought it would be a nice trip to combine family, camping and quilting!! My cousin (also a quilter) tries to go every year, so I am very excited! Something to look forward to and plan for. I opted for the Des Moines show instead of the Houston International Quilt Show, because I thought it would be something different, a little smaller and hubby has never been to Iowa before.

Well, gotta run...GBaby Lily is taking her nap right now, so I want to get several things done while I have the chance. Tell me what your summer sewing projects are! I would love to hear all about them!! :)

Happy Sewing and Quilting, My Friends!

More $ But Less Time for Creativity!

Happy Holiday Monday All!
I know it's been a while since my last post, but I finally got a full-time job, so getting used to a regular schedule and coming home exhausted after work has left me little time to write posts...and unfortunately less time to quilt, embroider, sew and applique!! I am slowly getting used to being on a regular schedule, so hopefully...after body and mind are adapted...I will get back to sewing in the evenings and, of course, on weekends. I managed to make myself a couple of summer blouses just before going back to work, but that's about it.


Projects on my To Do List: Baby boy quilt, Baby girl quilt and quilt for my baby girl about to graduate with her Associate's degree!! This weekend I finished designing my baby girl's quilt (yes, even at age 25 she is still my baby girl!) and picking out fabric. I won't divulge much about it right now (in case she reads this), but suffice it to say that I went with a 2 block design that will work well with the fabrics I chose. I love the colors...her favorites...and decided to have fun with the blocks and make one of the blocks with different fabrics for each block! Almost patchworky, but not quite!


I am still working on the bluework embroidery blocks, but haven't touched them in several weeks...again with the exhaustion after getting up early and working all day! I will try to pick that up again this week so I can get finished and get the quilt done...at some point this year!


Well, I have a free day today, so off to the sewing room to see what I can accomplish before getting back into the work week! What projects are you working on this summer??

Have a great week and happy summer sewing!!

Weddings...Royal and Quilted

Congratulations William & Kate!

The Wedding Quilt

Close up of Wedding Quilt

Butterflies for the Bride & Groom

Back of the Wedding Quilt



Lily at the zoo...more interested in her stroller!




Lily with Grandpa at the zoo


Happy rainy Monday to you! Last night we had hail, rain, thunder and lightning and today it is cold and rainy! I don't believe I have ever known it to be this cold in May in Texas!! Truly amazing weather we are having.

Congratulations to William and Kate and their Royal wedding! I must confess that while I did get up at 4 a.m. to see Princess Diana and Prince Charles' wedding, I did NOT get up that early to see William and Kate's wedding! I am too many years older to get up that early now! However, PBS showed the whole wedding and stuff afterwards several times, so I got my fill of all things Royal wedding! I thought Kate's wedding dress was beautiful with all of the gorgeous white on white embroidery! Very elegant and old-fashioned!

And the Wedding Quilt I was working on finally got finished and delivered on the actual Royal Wedding day!! Nope, it wasn't for Wills and Kate, but it was done on time (photos above). I like the way the quilt turned out...and let me just say that halfway through the quilt I sure did hate it! But, as I am sure you have all experienced on projects, by the time the blood, sweat and tears are gone and the project is done, you love it and don't want to let it go! In the end, I really wanted to keep this quilt, but needed the money and kept my promise to my client! I used a wedding brocade for the back and the white blocks on the front, and I think it worked very well. The quilt is not heavily quilted...just in the ditch overall, around the borders and Xs across the large white blocks...it was pretty much all I had time for, since the piecing of the top took sooo long. But, with the beautiful wedding brocade fabric, I didn't think (and hubby agreed) that it actually needed a lot of extra quilting. What do you think?

I am taking a bit of a quilting breather and plan on making some summer dresses for myself this week. Oh yes, I have lots more quilts to make, but need a break before I dive back in. The bluework embroidery is still in the works and I will work more on that this week. What's on your sewing table? Do you have some projects lined up for spring and summer? Tell me about them!

We had our granddaughter, Lily, this past weekend and took her to the Dallas Zoo (photos above). She is not quite 19 months yet and it was a very hot & humid day, so it was not the day we expected...she is just too young to know what it going on and could have cared less about the animals! Oh well...we tried! I think we will have to wait until she is 5 or 6 before taking her again...the animals might be more exciting then!

Well, back to the sewing room to make some summer dresses!!

Happy Sewing and Quilting!