Monday, October 29, 2012

Flying Stitches!!!

Wow, two posts in one day!!! I had intended to post about my quilting updates, but...just haven't gotten around to it. Long story short - Tate and I didn't have a very good weekend at the last sheep dog trial - so been doing a lot of "soul searching" - replaying runs through my mind, analyzing my training methods, wondering how to tweak this and fix that - hence - what a great time to sit at the sewing machine and get caught up on projects!

So, with the needle flying here's my progress!!

About 35 more FG units finished this week for a total of  205!!! (only 235 to go!!!) (This picture is only a few of them)!



I had finished the Granny Square blocks about ten days ago, but needed more fabric for the sashing and border. I love how the top came together. This is a quilt for Gracen's cousin Emma who will be born around Thanksgiving.



I also got caught up on Randy's Barrister Blocks! Some of these were a little tricky - but I am liking them!



And of course I'm pretty much keeping up with Barbara Brackman's Grandmother's Choice blocks.


The middle block was Rocky Road to Kansas. It was similar to another block we did called Amethyst. I wanted it to look different, so I used the technique from http://www.quilterscache.com/R/RockyRoadtoKansas.html. It was a new technique for me and I really enjoyed it!!


As I had mentioned before I'm using chain blocks for setting blocks and I am assembling as I go! I'm really liking it!! What do you think? Is there enough color in the blocks to set them off?



Well, there it is - my flying stitches update! I'm working on some other projects which I will share later, and of course I'm still hand quilting on TWQ!!! Hope a reveal in a few weeks!

Blessings to each and every one of you! Your comments, encouragement and friendship bless me richly!!


Praying for the safety of everyone on the east coast!


Happy Fall Ya'll!!!!!

Mountain Trail - Almost Finished

Good morning fellow quilters!! It is a beautiful fall morning here in Texas - we don't get color until November, but I am absolutely LOVING the crisp morning air!!

I have had Lori's Mountain Trail SAL flimsy done for a couple of weeks, but haven't had time to quilt it - I originally was going to hand quilt it, but am thinking about simple diagonal machine quilting. I have so enjoyed seeing everyone's version! Such creative and inspiring quilter's you are!!!

Just a little note of interest - more just because I wanted to know. Not counting the red pieces in the quilt, there were 200 other pieces. For those, I used 93 different fabrics!!! It was fun for me to dig in my little shoes box and pull out favorite fabrics that wouldn't have been used any where else! Thanks Lori for this little project! I'm so glad I joined in!!



Happy Fall Ya'll!!!!!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

What a Surprise!!!!


(photo from the internet google - dairy cow in New Zealand)

I'll bet you are wondering why I've posted a photo of dairy cattle in New Zealand - right. Well many of you know that I live on a ranch in Central Texas, we raise beef cattle, meat goats, Quarter Horses, Border Collies and yes I have a Holstein/Jersey cross milk cow. A "house cow" in kiwi terminology. Well, my dear friend Raewyn is from the North Island of New Zealand. She and her husband have a dairy farm - so we have developed a "common ground" - we both love to quilt!!

So, please go here and read Raewyn's post and read the comments, too - especially mine!

Guess what came to my house today!!! Boy was I SURPRISED!!!!!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!! Now, I don't have to make my own!!!


Thanks, Raewyn

Monday, October 8, 2012

Block Bonanza & A Winner!!!

A quick update of the quilt blocks that I'm "dealing" with right now!!

Our guild has a BOM, where one of the members presents a certain block and then those that want to participate make the blocks (or as many as they want). Then at the next meeting, we put our names in the post and a winner is drawn! Well, I won (for the third time in a year) last month's blocks!


Now, I need suggestions on settings!!!! The original called for them to be set next to each other, but the colors were the same and it made a nice saw tooth sashing - but I'm not crazy about that with the different colors. So please, I covet your suggestions!!


Additionally, I presented the BOM for this month (we present it one month, to make for the next month). I chose a very simple Vintage Churn Dash in Blue and White. I've made four blocks, not sure if I will put them all in the drawing because I love them so much that I might just make one for me!!



I caught up (I was 3 weeks behind) on Barbara Brackman's Grandmother's Choice BOW. I'm still in love the royal purple!! So rich!! I've added a couple other fabrics for a little diversity and I'm liking it! What do you think? Are my colors speaking to you?



I've completed 20 Petite Granny Squares and I thought I was done, but after I laid them out, I decided to make five more. But, I'm liking how they are coming together!!



This evening I captured the resident cowboy and his trusty black hat and drew a winner!!


Rockgranny, you are the winner!!! Please email me your snail mail address and I will get these FQs in the mail for you ASAP!!  Congratulations!!!

My deepest appreciation for each and everyone of you that take time to leave a comment! Again, I say, bloggers are the best!!! How you have enriched my life!!  Blessings!!!!!

Saturday, October 6, 2012

A Few Finishes

Wow, the days fly by for me!! I'm mostly making this post to let you, my faithful followers and dear friends, know that I will draw a winner on Monday for the Indigo, Pewter & Honey FQs. So, stay tuned. Plus, if you haven't entered, just go here and leave a comment.

But, I do have couple of photos of projects in progress.

Remember Pam had a cute little SAL "Forget-Me-Not". Well, I finished the flimsy, and it turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself - "self, this is pretty cute!!"



I've never done a "leader/ender" project before, though I always chain piece everything I'm working on! But I have a "REAL leader/ender" one now!  Christmas FG - they measure about 2 1/4 x 4/12 and I'm going to make a strippy bed size quilt. (I need about 420, and I have about 120 finished!)



Last but not least for this post. Janet O. sent me (she is such a sweetie!!) 4 pieces of solid purple fabrics for Randy's SAL!! So, needless to say, I was "glad" that I was behind, because I got to use them for the last 3 blocks! Aren't the purples just gorgeous!! Thanks, Janet, a perfect addition to my solids!!



Hope each of you are having a wonderful Saturday. It is very cool and misty here! Yeah!!

Blessings Ya'll!!!!

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Weekend Treasure!!

This past weekend was our annual "girls only weekend" where we trek across the state of Texas for a long weekend of junking/antiquing/shopping at a huge trade fair. When we first started it was a "day trip" now we are at 3 days and 2 nights and it still isn't quite enough time to see everything - though we are bushed!!

We rented a B&B old farmhouse this year. It was built about 1904 and sits on a lovely property! We really enjoyed our stay there. The weather this year was rainy and cool, but not so rainy that we couldn't shop!!! And the cool was so refreshing!!!



I really didn't have many items that I was searching for, so I mostly looked at furniture (we want to upgrade our dining table) and quilts. I saw many, many many quilts, but alas didn't take photos. There were a couple in my budget, but they just didn't "grab me" so I waited and looked. Of course the ones I really love are the antique ones especially with fan quilting - and they were way out of my budget!! But Sunday morning, as we were shopping in a large enclosed building (out of the showers/mist/cold wind) I came across a vendor who a vast array of quilts of each age, plus some antique/vintage fabric and some antique quilt blocks!! I ooooood and aaaaaaahed and looked at each block. Two of my daughters were with me (in the building) and of course lost me!! Well, when they found me, Mollie asked the vendor "How long has she been here?!!" Well, I bought some - and I am so excited. I haven't "quilt soaked" the blocks yet, but I will. I have enough to make 4 small quilts. Each block measures about 6 inches and are hand pieced with a very scant 1/4" seam and some pieces are "pieced" to make the square big enough (I love frugal blocks like that!!).

So without further ado...feast your eyes are my very humble, simple treasures!! (be sure to click on the pictures to enlarge so you can see the details!!






I just love all of them, but my favorite is the dark (mostly blacks) and pink nine patches!! I had just ordered some repro double pink fabric that I'm going to use for setting blocks or sashing and I had the black with gold yardage from an earlier win from Maureen! So, it will be one of the first that I assemble!! I think the shoo fly blocks are awesome! So, I'll have several little projects to keep me busy - like I needed another project!! LOL

By the way, Janet O., I didn't post yesterday because I was rocking Gracen!!


 I'm keeping her this afternoon, too, but she is asleep in her little infant carrier - so no rocking yet!


Here's my fall decor on the front porch!



Happy Fall Ya'll!!!!