Sunday, July 1, 2012

Red White and Blue Blog Hop Begins Today













 The Red White and Blue Blog Hop Starts Today.  All the photo's will be posted on Pinterest.  Just click the button above.
AND Head on over to Madam Sam's at Sew We Quilt to see the two chosen blocks of the day.



         

Thursday, June 21, 2012

"Bible Sampler" BOM

Bible block of the month 

M&L Designs Block of Month  called "Bible Sampler"
Isn't it beautiful!  To learn more click on the image to the left or go directly to Mandldesigns website.
'via Blog this'

Sunday, June 3, 2012

.Quiltscapes.: EZ Dresden Quilting Challenge

  Quiltscapes.: EZ Dresden Quilting Challenge: Has begun.  This blog hop runs from June 2-15.  I love Dresden Plates don't you?  Get your daily dose of inspiration by heading on over and clicking each day's link. 

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Weekend Link Hopping

I'm way behind on posting this month so here's a little fun for everyone for this weekend. I call it Link Hopping.  So below I compiled a list of of 10 links to hop on over and visit.

 Sit back, sip on your coffee and relax while taking in a little inspiration and just plain enjoying yourself.

  1. Repeat Tulip Quilt block and sale - Patsy Thompson Designs
  2. June Color Pallet Challenge - Field Trips in Fiber
  3. New Sewing Room - Cut to Pieces
  4. A Quilting Bucket List - Jo's Country Junction
  5. Stack Cut Stack - Approachable Art
  6. A Summer Challenge - Freshly Pieced
  7. Em's Tree of Life - Green Fairy Quilts
  8. Rose's Rose's Rose's - Beth's blog
  9. Quilt Art Gallery - Debra Danko
  10. A Radiant Star - Quilts By Barb

Biginner's Quilt-Along

Beginner’s Quilt-AlongJoin Pat Sloan over at The Quilting Gallery for the Beginner's Quilt-Along .  The blocks are a mystery and you'll have to check back each week for the next one.

You'll be making 12-13 12" blocks in this QAL.  Layout's are posted, so go take a quick look.  It begins June 7th.

Monday, May 7, 2012

You’ve Been “Framed"

You’ve Been “Framed!” |pattern available over at Lyn Browns.  Isn't this a fun block!  Try it in lots of monochromatic color combinations, rotate the blocks and see what you come up with.  Lyn Browns is another great site for lots of fun quilting happenings.  Like her ongoing 'Spring Medallion quilt", or her "doll quilt table topper series" plus she has both the "Alphabet Block of the week" and "Monthly 8" swap scrap quilt patterns".  Browse around and you'll find lots to look at.  

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Clover and Violet: Summertime Adventures

Have you visited Clover and Violet lately?  Beginning May 1st they started a really fun Summertime Adventure Blog Hop Series of Tutorials.  Two a week to be exact.   And if you have never been to Clover and Violet's Blog before, your in for a real treat.  Just browse around their site and you'll see what I mean.  

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Tone on Tone Quilt Block

Here is my Tone on Tone Quilt block.
Hope you can see it ok. You can click on it for a larger image.  I digitized this block the other day for a 5x7 hoop.  It stitches out in two sections and you just join them together for a nice large design.  Each half stitches out in about 18 minutes.  So fast and easy-I love it!  I think I'm going to make a table runner out of this design.  It will give a nice vintage feel to the table.
Thank you for looking. : )

Monday, April 2, 2012

Liebster Award

Liebster Award

What a wonderful surprise, I've been nominated to receive the Liebster Award.
Thank you very much Angela.  Visit Angela's blog at:  
Angela At Home
 I appreciate this very much. It is always nice to know someone is visiting from time to time. 

I learned the "orgin of the Liebster Blog Award are somewhat unclear but the general consensus is that it means favorite or 
dearest to spotlight bloggers with fewer than 200 followers".

Bloggers give this award to one another and it comes with 5 rules:

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award.
2. Copy/Paste the Liebster Blog award on your blog.
3. Present the Liebster Blog award to 5 bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers..
4. Link back to the blogger who gave you the award.
5. Let your recipients know they have been chosen by leaving a comment on their blog.

And these are my 5 nominated Liebster Award nominees:

3.  Marvis of Dayspring Quilter


Sunday, April 1, 2012

Embroidery Day

This past couple weeks I've been busy with Dr. appts, errands, looking at property (we are planning on moving), and de-cluttering various rooms in the house. So needless to say, I haven't gotten a lot done in the sewing room.

Today I caught up on some embroidery work for Ace Point Designs.

These two wreath's are tiny, but oh so gorgeous stitched out.  They could go on a number of things from clothing to home decor.


This afternoon I spent digitizing my own quilt blocks.  My program is a little outdated, so it takes me forever to digitize one design.   I still need to stitch it out  to see if it all turned out as I had hoped.  Maybe I can get to that tomorrow.







Other then that, I've been working on flying colors.  Here is one of the blocks again.
This quilt has really tested my patience.  But I am going to get it done.  Determination shall prevail. 
Besides,  if I set it aside, it is just that much harder to pick up where I left off.  Believe me, I know what i'm talking about - after setting this project aside for about six months - it was a real pain to start it again.
If I had stuck to my original pattern, I wouldn't be in such a frenzy right now over it all, but stupid me, decided to alter my plans after finishing the center section.  So now, I have to revise all the outer blocks, add borders where there originally wasn't any, and hope it will all fit together as I go along.

Tomorrow's another day,  just have to keep my vision and keep going.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Maureen Cracknell Handmade: Zakka Style Sew-Along : :






Beginning April 2nd the sew along/blog hop begins.  It includes 24 bloggers.  Each blogger will have a different project to share.  Check it out over at Maureen's handmade blogspot.


Wednesday, March 14, 2012

WIP-Wednesday

Finished my Sew Happy Quilt top today.  Yay!  I really had to scrounge around and find tiny pcs to stitch together to get it finished.  I decided to take my sashing and do a wrap with the orange and blue, and then add some pinwheels around the outside border.  It was a lot of fun doing this project.  Check out what others have done on the Sew Happy Flickr Group.

Journey of a Quilter: One Flower Wednesday




One Flower Wednesday has another sign up again this year.  I had wanted to do this last year but decided to partake in the Hexie flower garden project instead.

I have been seeing some wonderful inspiration hexie's on some blogs these past couple months. Like this one here and another one here.  There are so many that I couldn't possibly list them all.

To join in on One Flower Wednesday sign up here.

Wild Goose Chase BOW

 http://emsscrapbag.blogspot.com/ em's scrapbag is having a BOW called "Wild Goose Chase".
Block two is up now.  This looks like fun doesn't it! 
If you want to join along check out her blog for more information.

'via Blog this'

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Shape Moth: Sew Out Loud QAL

SOL QALShape Moth: Sew Out Loud QAL {a giveaway}: "I found this cute little QAL over at Shape Moth today.


they are already up to part 4 but there is still plenty of time to join in on the fun.  All previous tutorials are still posted along with the pdf files.  
This project would be great for a quilting room wall hanging.
It is totally unique and different.  It looks like a lot of fun to me.
Why not check it out over at Shape Moth today."


Wednesday, March 7, 2012

WIP-Wednesday's

Block 11 - "Quatra Star" of the "Sew Happy QAL".
One more block to go - " Dresden Block", then it will be assembly time. Yahoo!  I just love it when it starts to all come together.

I'm still working on Hearts Desire.  I put the wrong leaves on part of my border that I had made to go into the center of the quilt.  So have been removing them and replacing them with the correct ones.  I'm way behind on getting this quilt done, but will keep working on it day by day even if it takes me another couple months to finish the top.  




  Finished another block for Just Take 2's Mystery QAL.  This has to be the hardest block I have ever done to date.  But I'm happy with my progress in this QAL so far.  

Orca Bay now has it's borders added.  It's Queen size, and I kind of wanted it a bit bigger for more overhang, so I may add another black border of a couple inches wide all the way around just to give it that little extra size needed.  


That's it for my WIP's today.  Go on over to Esther's Blog to see what everyone else has been up to.







Forget Me Not

Whaoo!  I just ordered my fabrics for the start of the "Forget me not" BOM Mystery.  Check it out over at Esther Aliu's Blog. 

This is going to be an awesome project.
I always love everything Esther comes up with, and I've taken quite a fancy to applique since following along with the last two projects.

It took me awhile to pick out my colors.  I have always had a love for olive greens, soft creams, peaches, pinks, mauve's and florals.  But my furniture is a mismatch of old hand-me downs and thrift store finds.

Finally I just said, heck, I have planned on getting new furniture anyway so why not go with the colors I love.

So this wall hanging will be hung in my parlor.  My parlor already has a deep green border around the base of the wall that matches the greens in this pallet perfectly.  I have one wing back chair that also matches but needs to be re-upholstered.  Now that I have my inspiration pallet, I'll be able to locate  upholstery fabric to finish my chair with.  I am going to LOVE this room when all this comes together. 

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Just Take 2 progress

Today I was much more productive.  What a relief to finally get some things done.  Here are my blocks for the fourth set.  I still have not stitched down my little red leaves on the center block.  Working on that tonight.  I love how these blocks are coming together and can't wait to start putting this quilt together.  Head on over to Just Take 2 if you still would like to join in on the fun.

FO for February

My Oh My this as been a terrible month for being productive.  I had so many plans, so much I wanted to start, yet only started two new projects this month. I did the "Little Patchwork QAL" and January's / February's "Free Motion Quilt Challenge".

 Thankfully I was able to keep up with most of my other projects I have on the table.

The Little Patchwork Quilt is what I practiced on for my Free Motion Quilting challenge.  My muscles were having a fun time jerking as I tried to free motion this quilt and it looks like a mess.  I had done feathers years ago and they were much smoother - but now...Yuck.  Even my leaves, which I normally do a lot of in quilting were just "OFF".  Like I said, this month has been terrible.




March starts tomorrow and I'm looking forward in great anticipation and HOPE that it will be much much better.

March UFO Is....

March UFO number is #8 -  For me that is "Flying Colors".

I wish this one was the number for last month as it is suppose to be a Birthday Gift this month.  I hope to at least get it pieced and ready for quilting by the end of this month.  And work on the quilting through April. 

How have I done on the past two months UFO projects?
Not to good I'm afraid.  But then,  I do not expect to get all these UFO's completed (quilted) each month.
 I  Just hope to get the tops finished and hopefully some will get quilted before years end.  
I don't have the strength in my hands/arms to quilt a whole quilt in decent amount of time with suffering from MG-so I know my limits, even though they do frustrate me from time to time. 
Like going to the Home and Garden show last Sunday... it really took a tole on me.  I couldn't hardly  talk or see well Monday, and Tuesday was just as bad.  Today I'm back to near normal and ready to sew some more.  But that was two day's I hadn't planned on doing absolutely nothing.

February was to work on "Sunrise on the Ole' Homestead" - Didn't even have time or energy to get it out of the box.
January was to try to get the top finished on "Hearts Desire" - I almost finished the rest of the leaves around the first border.  But it will probably take me another two weeks to get that part finished.

  I try not to say I'm a failure at this challenge -as I'm making  some progress -  be it at a snails pace.

Treasure your health and your ability to do things while you can.  You never know what might hit you at any time of your life and challenge your abilities.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Tirzah's Sketchbook



Tirzah is my niece.  She does amazing animations for a gaming company.  Mostly background work for the games such as the new release Guild Wars 2 - You can see the trailer here.  All the background in this game is done by Tirzah.  Her talent goes far beyond backgrounds however. Her characters are amazing, and she even did this cute little cartoon self portrait here below.  Check out Tirzah's Sketchbook.  Please do not pin any photo's.  Pining is in violation of the authors copyright law.


Monday, February 27, 2012

What have I been doing?

GREEN was the color for the Scrappy Rainbow Challenge (February).  I've made four blocks.  Kind of reminds me of a lattice fence.  Check out the linky party to see all the wonderful green projects going.









 I also finished my block for the Sew Happy QAL this week.

Then I took a day off and went to the Home and Garden Show 2012-Portland OR.
I loved this wall made by The Bamboo Man.  His Tea Houses are great too.

They had an Orchid showing going on as well.
Such unique plants.

They made the roof for this booth out of wire and grape vines - then added the lights.  Just awesome.

The Water-feature below is made form ripped steal, filled with river rock.


Thank you for visiting!




Friday, February 24, 2012

Activity Update


Naples Medallion

Blockof the Month: Naples Medallion
Started Feb.1st.
First block is up,  but only until the end of the month.
Next block will be released March.
This is a German site, so you will need a translator to read the blog.  Read more....














Block of the Month: Star Sampler
This is another German site, so again - you'll need a translator to read the blog.
I couldn't find the actual start date, but from responses to the post I am guessing this one started around the first of Feb. as well.  This is a neat bom.  Looks like it may run about 15 months.
If you want to join in on this one, you probably should get your first block now as I have no idea how long it will be posted. Go HERE for more info.


If your looking for a simpler BOM you might try this new 2012 BOM going on over at See How We Sew.
It started in January, but the link to the first block is still available.

Do you enjoy designing your own applique blocks, or just enjoy looking for great images of Inspiration?
If you do, then check out The Textile's Collection over on Flickr.

If you like doing mystery quilts there is a "Summer Mystery Quilt" posted over at Quilt Dot Com.  It may be an older pattern, but they are still fun to do when you have a little extra time.  This one is in four parts for a quick project.

I guess that is all to share for now.  Enjoy!


Tuesday, February 21, 2012

New Mystery BOM

Esther’s Free BOMLast year I participated in Esther Aliu's BOM called "Hearts Desire".  I am truly impressed with Esther's designs and will continue to follow along in her BOM for each year forward, for as long as i'm able.

The new mystery bom is about to begin.  Visit Esther's Blog to find out more details.


'via Blog this'

Friday, February 17, 2012

Sew Happy QAL

Today I caught up on my Sew Happy QAL Blocks.
This is Block 7 - Flying Geese Pinwheel.

The two below it are No. 8 -Diamond Peek-a-Boo
and No. 9 - Churn Dash Redux.

Because I wanted this quilt to be fun and bright,  I decided when it came to the Churn Dash Block to add a little something to make the viewer smile.

Three more blocks to go and it will be time to put this together.





Have a Great Weekend Everyone!



New Blogs on the Web


HenriettaA few weeks ago, I saw this "Henrietta" pin cushion on another blog and just had to make one.   I just love collecting anything chickens.  I am sure you noticed my  chicken panels on my studio wall - when I posted about my room re-orgainzation the other day.                                                                        Henrietta has arrived and she is just waiting for me to go to town and pick up the  materials.                                                                                                    Isn't she just the neatest pin cushion you have ever seen!                            The designer of this pattern is Wendy Waldron of Whimsy Street Designs and Patterns. And guess what! Wendy just opened her blog yesterday. Her talent in designing these patterns is outstanding.                                                    
"Little Peter Cottontail" recently made it to the cover of Create & Decorate Magazine. Rosebud the lamb and Otis the owl are just two cute, I may have to order them later to put by my other machines. Unless of course Wendy makes a Rooster to go with Henrietta. (hint hint).
Head on over to Whimsy Street Designs and give a big welcome to Wendy, And if you have a blog, why not add a little post about Wendy's new blog and send some of your followers her way. I'm sure she would love to get some visitors being new and all.

BLACK CAT Mini Bookmark SetAlso I would like to introduce my daughter "Sandy LaPorte" and her new blog "Supatoon".  Sandy is a self taught artist doing cartoon characters of dogs, cats, owls, and other animals. When she was in her teens she drew dog illustrations for 'Hoffman Publishing' which is a magazine geared towards Canine Breed specific magazines for people involved in showing dogs.  Now Sandy is drawing designs and making them into various fun products and selling them at her Etsy stop.  This year she is introducing several new products to her line .  To visit Sandy's blog go to "Supatoon" and give her a Big Welcome.  Again, if you have a blog of your own, why not share her link with your followers.





Thursday, February 16, 2012

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Crazy Old Ladies Quilts: Block Contest

Crazy Old Ladies Quilts: Block Contest: The Prize.... Fabric, LOTS of fabric.

WOW

 Wow, is it Wednesday already?   I've been super busy the past week.

First some redwork (cheating by using machine embroidery designs).  I might just add these to my Just Take Two quilt - but won't know until the blocks are finished since it is a mystery.

I stitched out three beautiful designs.  I like the top one the best.





Here is my last weeks Just Take Two blocks.  And Yay - they even measure out the right size. : )

Next I worked on my Feb. BOM from The Quilting Ladies blog.  I don't know why I did this all in red.  I guess I had my just take two blocks still on my mind and just continued the color on through.  I was suppose to add some of my prints, but it will still work.  Thought I had done the block wrong, but now looking at the photo and pattern I see I just took my photo from the side view.  It is suppose to be turned the other way. Whew!

I've been working on a new product for my daughter.  
These wallets are still in the design stage, but we are getting close to the end result.
My daughter does all her own artwork for these.  
I love the little whippet design.


Here is Block 6 for the Sew Happy QAL .


And I already posted this week the sewing room re-organization Here
and the quick project "Little Patchwork" Here.

So that's my sharing for now.  Hope you enjoyed your visit.

Don't forget to visit Esther Aliu's Blog for more WOW's.