What Light!

Here's the next UFO, I plan on finishing... It's a old top, that's been collecting dust for ages, that I figured it was time to dust off...


After a full week of rain, the clouds finally parted to give way to a little Mr. Golden Sun...
So Saturday morning after getting up early, I grabbed a stack of quilts, B, and my camera and we went for drive to find other great places to take some decent photos of them...

A little spot on the bay, was great for almost all the quilts... And the one above was in my front yard, near a sculpture... I love all those reds!

The light was so amazing on the bay. And a little walk in the woods provided a few stumps to prop up some quilts on. We managed to get a few pics, ticks, and a slug, on this blanket! Into the wash!

The bay again, my front yard fence showing the back, and this HUGE rock just down the road from me worked well!

Just follow the natural light, and it helps to not have any rain clouds looming overhead!

I do need to go around and get some better photos of a bunch of my other quilts,
even ones I've given away,
so, don't be surprised if I show up asking to take your quilt for a walk with me!
(MOM, Niece, Corina, Sherry, Marianna, etc. etc....) ;-)

Enjoy your Sunday!

Monday

So, I've moved quite a bit of sewing stuff out to the house this past weekend. Just need my sewing machine, computer, (with cord!!) and and some summer clothes!

This box, holds my summer projects...
This is whats inside! Do you think this will keep me busy all summer??

These have their backings, batting, and bindings cut, just need to be quilted.


But I also have 3 hand quilting jobs here that are not finished that will come along as well.
My brown/blue flower garden, the red Matisse quilt, and the B/W buildings quilt...


Not to mention one or two of the three on the design wall...
So , yeah, I think I have enough, and am curious to see if I get ANY of them done this summer.


B enjoyed her Birthday at UP! with her buddies... It was a pretty nice movie I have to say. Pixar could do without the tear jerker bits, (why do they always have to have someone die?) But over all. It was well done.


And look who turned up again this weekend? first being in the middle of our driveway two weeks ago... He now was in our pool trying to figure out how to get out! I gave him a hand... See Siobhan, mines friendly.. no snappers here!

project clean up

HELP!

Everyday I say I won't start any new projects... so I start to clean and I find some fabric, and think, ooh! that's cool, that's would be great with this! and the next thing I have another one started... (like I did last night, below)

Sounds familiar right?



About 2 years ago I started the above project. I just found it!
It was 4 blocks I made to become a lap quilt...

Each block stands for where we come from in our family, and how we've come together to make a family. Minnesota, Scotland/England & China, and New York (where we all live together)

I had embroidery transfers for Minnesota, and New York, and I drew up China and Scotland, which I did right away, on airplane trips... Embroidery is not a favorite thing for me... now the other two sit here...

So I have a call of help...

Like to Embroider?

Anyone wanna swap?

I'll send you my two blocks I need to embroider to return to me, and I will swap something with you. You could send me some scraps and
I'll make you a little quilt like I did with Shellyquilts ,

or I can make you a pillow case, like these. You pick.

This is one of the many projects I'd like to finish!
(before I dive into all these projects below!)

PLEASE & THANK YOU!

V

weekend ponderings

I tried to take a better picture, the light was not very good, and I made sure to crop out the top of my design wall! Tonya was worried I was putting the Bumble beans words into the quilt. Silly girl. oh well, I needed a laugh.

I was also running out the door for the weekend, so the quilt is NOT straight in the picture, but in reality it is... And there is about three more rows to be put on here... This is what I got done on Friday....

I, of course, should have been finishing some backings for the last 3 UFO's I have sitting here. But why bother...? It's so much more fun to start something new....

I'm going to be making two quilts, for two special little girls. One, may get this...

So, HMMM, trying to figure out a border for this very SWEET colored
Rays of Light quilt.
Do we like piano keys? or to much?

I'm all out of the light pink gingham... And I'm trying to make do with what I have... which is lots of green, and yellow, and little bit of hot pink...

Any other ideas?

weekend again!

Thanks to American Idol, I get a lot of sit down and hand sew time! I've been working on this for myself for about a year. I was down to just needing to quilt the borders, and I just never knew what to do with it...I finally decided to do a diagonal lattice pattern all around. I thought maybe I was nuts, as it seems like a whole lot of work, but the straight lines go very quickly. I can't wait to have this quilt finished. I've never hand quilted a quilt out quite so extensively as this one. (except for B's Gee's Bend quilt, but that was very random.... this is very sort of old fashioned...) Hey, I'm learning!



I'm also working on this today... Rays of Light quilt with Yellow, pink, and green... I know, what am I thinking! Trying to think outside the box, well, Blocks.... perhaps...

I think mostly because I am so SUN deprived I can not stand it. But also, looking forward to a best friend coming to visit, (who has a pink yellow and green room in her house), and some of the fabrics are from B's nursery curtains and crib sheets... trying to find the HAPPY in this Shitty weather... Sorry. There is no better word to use...

Thank goodness it's Friday!

As for sweet Owen, He has been managing since his surgery. They are once again going to be doing chemo for another year, and have pretty much been told that his cancer will not be cured. They are focusing on spending and enjoying every moments they will have left with him, and thanking God for whatever time that is.

No wonder I'm in a bad mood. Heartbreaking.

thursday's UFO

Remember this quilt? I asked you all for help deciding what to do with it? well. the RIGHT side one... Old post here.

BLUE GARDEN QUILT:

I'm just finished the last side of binding on this UFO. I am so happy with the way it turned out! It is becoming a favorite... I'm loving the variegated thread. It made the dark brown so much more interesting.

**********

Thank you so much all of you for sending some power thoughts up for my little buddy Owen. His surgery went pretty well, despite losing a lot of blood.
He's resting, recovering, and am told this is still a very iffy time. So please keep those thoughts flowing for him. thanks to all of you!

monday UFO

I'm procrastinating that 9 patch.... there are so many pieces, I'm having a hard time getting myself to start it... I will, i will.

A little today, a little tomorrow. But for now, I finished this top.
the fabrics are from exclusivelyquilters.com.

Here is a link to it...

http://www.classiccottons.com/c-69-urban-rhapsody.aspx


the fabrics I used are... 3687-8510-5, 3687-8510-6, and 3687-8506-5

Stripes... Stripes... gotta get them out of my system first....

wknd

I finished this trip around the world. I didn't know what to do with it since it was a little wonky, so I just finished it as a lap quilt..It actually turned out really nice. Even my machine quilting! go figure....

Another hike around the lighthouse in Montauk this weekend. Still couldn't find those darn seals...It was a cold day, but so clear and bright, we didn't mind!

The water was so ALIVE, and the green on the rocks was fabulously GREEN, and very carpet like...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here is the Granville rooster quilt, with my vintage 9 patches put to good use. I'm happy with it. I feel like my machine quilting is getting better, but I still have to get used to my new machine and getting the tension just right... Sometimes It works well, then suddenly, it gets so tight on tension, the thread keeps breaking... so i loosen it, and then I get a bit of the top thread through the back... Maybe its just get broken in, and needs more oil...?? gotta find out about that...


It is a cozy quilt, perhaps a little to SWEET for my taste, but I love the colors and fabrics, and the variety of old and new fabrics.


I finished the Zip quilt this week also. I'm quite happy with it. it was fun to put together, its bright, and it put me in a very ORANGE, PINK and PURPLE mood! Come on Spring, I'm trying to help you out a little!



I love the back of it... Great print, and color.

Eileen! What do you think?
Like my new teapot? Eileen found this for me the day of her lucky little thrift shopping spree!
Thanks so much I love it! What a lovely surprise!

Tuesday's Build

I don't mean to keep posting these buildings, but this is what I look at every day.... I guess, after Andrea pointed out this quilt looked like buildings, it dawned on me where the image was coming from! DOH!


Interesting though, I had no plan when I started sewing black and white scraps together to make this.... Funny how that works!

Below is what it looked like before.

I guess we really are influenced by our environment!

weekend roundup.

From this, to....

THIS!
She's one happy Camper.

It went up very easily, I must say. I just used upholstery tacks along the top, then used some of that handy dandy, Fabric glue stick, to adhere the seams together... We left it hang like a large curtain, since we didn't want to put more nail holes through the mural underneath.

At first she was not sure if she was ready for the mural to be covered, but when it was done. she said, It feels very, Meditative, & cozy and I LOVE it!

Cozy alright. I love it too! I think she did pretty well picking out such a sophisticated fabric!

Now, I will just finish a set of curtains, and the makeover is complete.
woo hoo!

It was a very warm Sunday. Very ODD!! 56 degrees but windy. We drove out to Montauk, NY, the farthest, most eastern point of LONG ISLAND.
We were hoping to see the seals that come in, but no such luck ...

Then we all had a big huge nap. Including the lazy bones...
I feel like I'm running on empty. I seriously need some sunshine.

******


I had one lovely geranium in bloom. Spring. Is it on its way???
PLEASE!!