Weekend Wrap Up

Well how was your week end? Fun? Productive?

Mine was both, I worked on my projects yesterday and then spent time with my family on Sunday. So nice! We went to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. What a great place!  If you are ever in Indianapolis it is well worth the stop.

Here is what I have to show for Saturday's work:

This is the Craftsy BOM for April: English Paper Piecing. This is block 1- it my Hexie Stipe. I hand pieced the stripes together, starched, and ironed both sides and pulled the paper pieces. Then I used a white thread to topstitch them down to the Kona white background. I love the colors, they are bright and happy and make me smile :)

Next is Aprils Craftsy BOM block 2. This was a challenge block by Amy of StitcheryDickeryDock
We were to use one 2 inch Hexie and at least 14 three quarter inch hexies to design what ever we could. I chose this design and asked my blog readers what they thought it was as the desing could be several things. The overwhelming majority thought it was a snowflake, so be it: My Spring Snowflake. Some of the pieces were fussy cut to show the design, like the middle pink hexie on the right - two lovebirds.

Next was my Retro Flowers QAL.

Chain piecing-- it really does help

 5 sets of curved petals completed (12 curved pieces/block). 16 total blocks. Only 10 more blocks to go!!    

and one final word on this pattern:

Starch is your friend!  (with the curves it really does help to keep them from stretching!)

Other Projects I worked on: Jacks Jungle Quilt - started the hand embroidered smiles

Generals' Wives April Block: Cut our and ready to piece  (I think I referred to this previously as the Generals Daughter's BOM --my mistake)

And finally, the giveaway for the Vintage Modern Charm pack is closed and the winner is:

If Toys Could Talk

who posted the comment below. Congratulations and Thank you to all who entered and signed up to follow!

If Toys Could Talk said...

Congratulations! I'd love to win this charm pack. It looks perfect for a purse or baby quilt. Thanks for the chance to win!

April 25, 2012 6:55 PM

Have a Great Monday!!

Linking with Katie     since all my hexies were from stash!! Yea!!

Happy Friday! A Big Shout Out to Leona!

Happy Friday! This will be short and sweet for the moment as I am needing to get to work (the one that pays my bills anyway!)

A BIG Thank you and Shout Out to Leona over at Leona's Quilting Adventures! She has a wonderful blog that I found by looking for a listing of blogland giveaways. I emailed her hoping to be added to that list for my little 'ole giveaway that I blogged about on Wednesday. Well she actually did a post on the giveaway! Wow, that is like the nicest things a blogger can do -  the response has been incredible! Please stop by her blog and say Hi! Check out her Pay It Forward page -- many worthy groups to sew for! You can check out her sewing room and the many great projects she has!

I am in the midst of answering all of your comments for the Vintage Modern giveaway, and I have made some progress on my second Hexie Block for the Craftsy BOM. I still have to take the basting threads and papers out and sew them down permanently but at least they are together and in an arrangement I like -- sometimes that decision takes the most time! It has to sit and marinate a bit for me :)  How about you? Do you find that to be true?

It is supposed to be cool (40's) and rainy here this weekend--- Perfect sewing weather!  Projects on board for the weekend: More Retro Flowers, complete my Hexie blocks, and finish April's BOM for the Generals Daughters quilt! Plus more hand sewing on binding and the smiles on Jacks Jungle Quilt -- a full plate!    Here is a quick shot of that second Hexie block!  Ok- not so short :0  Have a great day!

Let's Celebrate! Can you say Giveaway!

This is my first giveaway and it is in honor of the great people who took and chance and signed up to follow me on this adventure in quilting and social networking called a blog! I made it past 10 and you are all 10's in my book!

Ok, ok, now to get to the real reason you are here - the Giveaway!  What do you think it is? I hope you like it .... I do!  Here it is!

                    It is a charm pack of Vintage Modern by Bonnie and Camille!

Now to enter the giveaway you need to:

1.  leave me a comment on this blog and tell me what you would make with this charm pac,
                             
                                     and

2. for a second chance sign up to follow me on this blog.

Giveaway is open until Sunday evening at 9pm EST. Winner will be selected and notified Monday 4/30/12.  Make sure your email is connected to your blogger account -- don't be a no reply blogger! or leave me your email on you comment or otherwise I will not be able to contact you if you win.

I have my fingers crossed for luck for you!  Have a great Wednesday!


4.29/12 0915pm EST  This giveaway is now closed.
Thanks to everyone for entering, your kind comments and linking up to my blog!  I tried to answer many of your comments and if I didn't get to yours, I apologize. I will be stopping by to say Hi to you and see what you are working on !!

Liebster Blog Award

Wow! I am honored and so surprised!  I want to Thank Mike over at amatuerquilter blog for this award! So nice! I appreciate you stopping by. I appreciate everyone's comments! Now everyone go over to Mike's place and check out all the giveaway links he has going on along with his projects! Check out his blog and leave him some comments!

The Liebster award (German for favourite/dearest) is to showcase bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. Upon accepting the award the recipient must then pass it on to five more blogs of note. A way of introducing other bloggers to the blogs they enjoy.

The Liebster Conventions says that :

1. Thank your award presenter on your blogblog and link back to him/her

2. Copy and paste the award to your blog

3. Present the Liebster Award to 5 blogs that you think deserve to be recognized

4. Let them know by leaving a comment on their blog

5. Have faith that your follower will spread the love too!

I have chosen the following blogs for the award:

www.saltwaterquilts.com   Wow, beautiful tumbler quilts, great photos, stop by and take a trip to the beach!

www.fabricmutt.blogspot.com  Check out Heidi's Nautical flag quilt and other great projects!

www.kelseysews.blogspot.com  What a great I spy pinwheel quilt by Kelsey

www.sewsewlittletime.blogspot.com  Debra has some great blocks from the Modern Bee and a cute Dr Suess quilt

www.echinopsaster.blogspot.com  Stop and see Jenelle's wonderful projects including her beautiful Sunglow Loulouthi quilt!

Have a great Tuesday!

No Reply Blogger

I am so sorry! I thought my email was attached to my blogger account.....it was showing in the upper Right had corner and I was receiving some email....but then my friend FarahLin over at  http://www.handmadebyfarahlin.blogspot.com/                       
let me know that I was a No reply blogger! Eeekk! WOW! How embarassing!I hope you all did not think I was ignoring you!

So I went about fixing that problem right away, although the easy way never did work. I now have a GMail account that is connected to blogger and will connect to my home email too. Soooo, you can reach me from the email under my pic on the blog or by the email hyperlink attached to my name/profile. Hope to hear from you soon!

Weekend Catch Up

My weekend was very busy, a friends' sweet 6 yr old daughters' birthday party; have you heard of Lalaloopsy??  They are dolls with button eyes, and they are born on a certain day and "cut from" a specific fabric such as a sailors uniform, an eskimo scarf or a clown costume. Cute idea - new to me.

On to the best part of my weekend - as promised I did complete a Retro Flower Block and without further adeiu:

                          
                             I am so happy with how it turned out! Now only 15 more to go!

I also worked on my challenge block for the April BOM with Craftsy:

I whipstitched all of those little hexies together for this design. I love it - you decide - it is all in the viewers interpretation - is it an asterisk, hexie style? Is it a snowflake? or a molecule? or a jax? or a star?  Now that the design is set,  I just have to permanently sew them down.

I will be linking to Manic Monday over at Jenna's SewHappyGeek. It looks like she has a new pattern -- check it out!  I will also be linking up with Lee over at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday, stop by and check out everything that is going on!

New Blog Linky Party

Good Morning! Happy Saturday!

Is anyone else having issues with blogger and the new format?? I will be typing along and screens just disappear and change, who knows where it all comes and goes to..... so it things look a little weird at least there is a reason besides my fat fingers!

Wanted to let you know about a new site I found :

It is over at Marciascraftysewing blog. So great of her to encourage new bloggers! She is also a longarm quilter. Stop by and say Hi! and if you are a new blogger with less than 50 followers link up and join the party!

Off to spend some time with my hexies and work on my retro flowers! Have a great Saturday!

English paper piecing - Hexies

I have made a bit of progress on these Hexie's -- and actually am surprised to find that I enjoy making them! They are so cute! This is part of the Craftsy BOM for April. One block is a stripe of hexie's and one is a challenge block to use a 2 inch hexie and 1 1/4 inch hexies in your own design. What you are seeing in the above pic. Very fun!  I have not yet decided on how these will end up --

I do have played with a couple different layouts and hope to have them finished this weekend!

How have your projects gone this week?

I am linking to Sarah's Confessions of a Fabric Addict today, and Karen over at Sew Many Ways stop by and see what everyone is up to!

A whole 'lot of cutting

It is Wednesday already and it seems there has been a whole 'lot of cutting going on.
I am working on my Retro Flowers QAL

and then there is the Craftsy BOM which is 2 English paper piecing with hexagons:

I am always happy to learn a new technique, although I must admit the thought of using fusible web on these for time's sake has crossed my mind.

and

I am in two swap groups: the Red and Aqua swap -- I love these colors but do not have alot of variety so I joined a swap. This swap is hosted by Kelseysews. Here are my two contributions:

Sophie by Moda

Giddy by Sandy Gervais

and the second swap is the Solid and Neutral swap hosted by Annaliese at the Pewter Acorn. Again I thought this would add a little variety to my stash. Do you find you are drawn to the same colors and many times would like just a little piece of a certain color? I find I have alot of texture and prints, and the basics in solids (white, grey, blue, green) but lack in the other colors and neutrals. The group is doing a great job --- many different choices! Can't wait to see all the 5 in blocks!  I know I am supposed to be working from stash, but these are just 5 in blocks and it is a swap not new!!! LOL!  Here are my contributions:

Parson Gray Starcomb in silver

Bella solid in Amelia Blue

finally the only sewing I did get done! I found these blocks which were started 4-5 yrs ago before some really big changes in my life. It is a doggie quilt! So I had a few blocks left to piece and for the fun of it went for it! Now there are still a couple of blocks to finish with a bone, paw print and fire hydrant but it just felt good to sit down and sew and have completed blocks after all the cutting this week!

Sew......how is your week going? Leave me a comment, love to hear from everyone!

Linking up to Lee over at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday

Swap(s) Anyone?

I ran across a couple of swaps while browsing blogland last night from WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Here are two that I found if anyone is interested:

The Pewter Acorn is sponsoring a Neutral and Solids Swap. I signed up on the waiting list hoping it hits 56 and Annaliese wrote back:

"I don't want to jinx it- but we are very close! just need 6 more people :) If you know anyone who you think would enjoy, pass it along." So I am passing it on....anyone interested???

Another one is an Aqua and Red swap over at KelseySews
Drop in and sign up if you are interested.

Happy Thursday!

Ginny

Bits and Pieces

Good Morning! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! I know it was busy here. My grandson Jack was here, lots of fun coloring eggs, baking cupcakes and just having fun. Fishing was number one on his list!

Alas, no catches, but lots of fun! I must say he has quite a cast!

And quite a finish to the day, as the cupcakes were cooling on the counter, the grand dog Marley (6mo old black lab) found them on the counter while we were outside chatting with the neighbors and had his Easter treat to the tune of 6 cupcakes!!! No harm done, except maybe to Marley's feelings as he was definitely in trouble for that!

 Nothing finished this week, but 'lots of bits and pieces!
It doesn't feel like much was accomplished but once I started taking pics for the post, I realized I did make progress!  So without further delay, my update on W.I.P. Wednesday. I will be linking with
Lee at Freshly Pieced and Sarah's Confessions of a Fabric Addict this week.

Most of my sewing time was spent on Jack's Jungle quilt:
I completed all the blanket stitiching around all the animals. It really does make them pop, and I am very happy to have this completed. Now I just have to hand embroider the smiles and it will be ready to sandwich! So happy to have made this progress! Here are some pics:

So I finished 3 of the large animals and 3 of the smaller corner monkeys.

After all that applique, I was looking for something different so I did some hand work

I started sewing the binding to the back of this much loved quilt which I previously wrote about here.

Sometimes handwork can be very enjoyable.

In the wings waiting: Juicy squares -- centers cut

Retro Floweres: waiting for CurveMaster Presser foot to arrive (so excited not to pin!)

CraftsyBOM: April blocks

Civil War BOM: April block

Have a great day!

Happy Easter!!

Juicy Blossoms Juicy Squares Start

No finishes today, but a new start as I referred to in Wednesdays post. I am going to cut into a stack of Juicy Blossoms fabric that I have been hoarding!  As the title suggests it will be a square pattern but that is all I am saying today! Here's a shot of the fabric stack and backing

Love the orange's, aqua's, and grey combos!

I am linking to Sarah's Confessions of a Fabric Addict today. I have been following her blog and love all the quilts for charity that she does! Stop by and see her wonderful finish this week!

Retro Flower Stack and WIP Wed

Here is the stack!
Part came yesterday and the rest today along with the templates.  It is for the most part Pat Bravo's Modern-ology line. The large grey piece on the end will be backing.
I really love the colors!

I am linking up to W.I.P. Wednesday at Freshly Pieced and the Flickr group for the Retro Flower QAL! 





Progress this week:
Jacks Jungle Quilt animals are being appliqued -- yes I finally took the plunge, the blanket stitching is not perfect but it sure looks cute! And as with anything -- practice makes perfect. Here is the giraffe and zebra--so fun!  Sorry for the poor pics- I really need to get a better camera -- or maybe lighting!

Civil War BOM- March Block and a few setting triangle blocks completed.

.

Craftsy BOM- New block just came out-- Hexy's and English Paper Piecing
Central Park Jelly roll quilt -- no progress, waiting for border fabric to arrive.

Magical Mystery Tour quilt - at long arm quilter's

Took pic's of any older projects I still have around so I can start a Flickr photostream. Sadly many projects were completed and given away without pics.


Older WIP's
Raw edge applique Batik Flower quilt --- needs binding sewn to back
Stack and Whack -- needs binding  sewn on
Sanibel lap quilt--needs batting, quilting, binding
Hmmm...see a pattern here? Binding! Not my favorite thing to do.


New Projects

Retro Flower Quilt Along
Juicy Blossoms Juicy Squares

What have you been working on this week? 

PS Any suggestions for better pics or a good camera would be appreciated ;)