A rainy Thursday

I haven't felt much like sitting at the sewing machine for any length of time, so I have been working on a couple easy projects.

The needlecase below is a free pattern from Cinderberry Stitches. You can find the link here, I just love her stitchery patterns they are all so whimsical.I didn't know I had so many needles until I started gathering them from every pin cushion. This little needle case is going to be very useful, no more searching for the correct needle.
I remember my mother always had a needle stuck in the kitchen curtain, it was usually threaded and put back there ready to go.
Another little fun project, I finished this morning. This is made from a felted sweater that I shrank in the washing machine, isn't it darling.
I will be sending this to my great grandaughter Hanna in Portland, along with her birthday quilt.
Her birthday is April 1, but I am sending this a little early so she can have it for Easter.
Another free tutorial for the little tote bag this one is from Betz White you can find here
And Hanna's birthday quilt.

Happy Quilting!

Coming out of the fog

This flu has had me down for a week, I think I am beginning to feel better, then WAMB I am back to square one. Chills, headache, and a deep cough. But today i fell like I am coming out of the fog.

I had a spurt of energy yesterday so I headed for my sewing room, I added a border to my homespun quilt, and cut out the blocks for the remaining border,by the time I had completed that I felt like I had done a full days worth of chores. I am anxious to finish the piecing on this quilt so I can start the hand quilting. I am going to quilt this one with Perle cotton using the big stitch method.






I did dig out some redwork that I started a few years back, a lot less effort to sit and stitch, I finished the last of the blocks last night. There are total of 12 flower blocks, this was a prestamped panel I believe it was a Alex Anderson design.
I had forgotten how much I enjoyed embroidery work, I guess it is a kin to hand quilting. I rarely sit down with out having some kind of hand work to do,so I was sorry to finish the blocks, Now wishing I had more to work on.







Happy Quilting!

OH OH the FLU has hit IDAHO

I sure thought I was going to be lucky and miss the flu. Well it tracked me down . I was a good girl I got my flu shot, I avoided crowds, I wash my hands often, but it snuck up on me yesterday and kicked my butt.




Happy Quilting!

All about finishing and a new attitude.

After yesterdays posting and the problem I had with the attack on the comments I was about ready to give up blogging. I was pissed all night, but got up this morning with a new attitude. I enjoy blogging and sharing my quilting with the blogging g world, I am not going to allow one bad incident chase me away so I am here again today...




My horoscope today said:

( Although it may be the start of your workweek, this is a day of finishing up old business, rather than starting anew. This can be difficult, for you might think that you should already be doing what's next. Don't rush it; the more time you take now, the better the outcome.)
I don't put much stock in horoscopes but this one seemed to fit today.


I have been worrying about starting new projects when I had so many old ones hanging around, I made a commitment at the beginning of the year to finish all my ufo's and works in progress. I have pretty much been sticking to it. So this post is to remind me of what I have accomplished so far,
I have completed this,

and this (hand quilted)




and this
and this
and this,also hand quilted
and soon to be finished,
Happy Quilting!

The year of the UFO,s

Early today I posted about finishing three UFO's. I received a comment, from someone I didn't recognize which is not to unusually but the comment was just "ATTENTION" if you get one of these do not click on it, I have spent all afternoon trying to get rid of it. I did not have Norton running so I am still not sure what it did. But it sent my new laptop into a tail spin.

Question, can any one tell me how to to delete unwanted comments? What is the best way to protect from these? Not knowing what else to do I deleted the whole post.


I was going to spend the afternoon sewing bindings down on the three UFO"S, while watching the Nascar race,instead I have been dealing with a computer problem.

I'm so happy

See that block in the lower left hand corner, I'm so happy it is finished.

That block took me an hour and half to complete, the block is called Guerrillas, the name is correct, it was a guerrilla to make.
I must admit it is a terrific looking block, and exactly 6.5 ", paper piece is always so accurate.
I decided to only work out of the CW Love Letter book.
15 blocks finished and several more drafted and ready to go. I'm wishing now I would have done them all in the red white and blue. Oh well no turning back now.



I have been working on this quilt , for Mary at "All About Quilts". It is to be a quilt shop sample. We select the fabric together it is always so much fun picking out the fabric for a new project, especially when price is no object. We try to make selections that resemble the pattern as much as possible. We did a pretty god job of that, but
I am not happy with the outcome, to me it looks like a little quilt with a bunch of borders sewed on.
I took the top to the shop yesterday and Mary just loves it. She likes it so well she is going to send this one out to be quilted. Maybe when it comes back I'll like it better. I'm sure the scalloped border will help.



Kathie over at Inspired by Antique Quilts has suggested making this quilt for March madness, hey you go girl, I have already did that march.

I made this quilt top about 8 years ago as a group mystery quilt. I just recently came across it when I cleaned my sewing room, now it has been added to my ufo list of things to finish this year.

Rearrangement AKA I like Changes

Did a little spring update on my "office" sitting room. I changed the quilt on the day bed and moved my rocker into the corner, it is a better placement there to display quilts on. I hung my Log Cabin quilt back up, it is always my favorite on this wall.
I went from this, to this, then to this
But I like to change with the seasons.I changed my office chair, from this

Now to this

In addition to working on the civil war blocks and attending 2 funerals, this week I also finished the tote bag, I am not real happy with it. The bag was fun to make but it is so floppy I need to find something to make these bags a little more stable. What do you use?

(I spent 1/2 hour trying to figure out why this paragraph has lines under it, decided it just doesn't matter)
and made a bag for my laptop.

I kinda winged it on the laptop bag, I had purchased a pattern but it looked so complicated I decided not to use it. This one will be just fine, I don't anticipate needing it very often as I seldom go any where that I need a computer

Happy Quilting!

More Civil War Blocks, & A Shop Sample

A few more Civil War blocks I made yesterday. If you would like to see who else is working on the Civil War Blocks, check on the SEW MANY BLOCKS on my side bar.

Enthusiasm
Severe Fighting
Pleasant Camping
Beautiful Picture

Jersey Boy
With dentist appointment and errands to run today I only had a small amount of time to spend in the sewing room, I used the time preparing a few more blocks so they will be ready to sew.

With no directions to follow some of the blocks are a bit intimidating, some of them look down right hard.

I did pick up freezer paper today, to draft the blocks on, may make some of them a bit easier. Some of them I will paper piece as the book suggest.

While I was out and about I stopped at the quilt shop, Mary had a new sample she wants me to make. Looks like I will be getting a little more practice on scalloped borders. I will be using a new line of Moda called "Fruit Cocktail", it will be pretty for spring I think.
I have another funeral to attend tomorrow, so I won't be getting much done, then either.

Sunday afternoons are pretty well taken up with Nascar, I am about to finish hand quilting the friendship star quilt "Working Through The Blues"if they don't have to many accidents Sunday during the race I may get it finished.

Bren over at Pieces From Me, wanted everyone that is working on the Civil War quilt blocks to pick up this award from her. Thank You Bren, you are a very generous person.


Wonderful they have spell chck fixed, thanks guys.

Happy Quilting!

Civil War Love Letter Quilt Blocks

Several quilters on blogs are doing the Civil Wars Love Letters Quilt, a few blocks at a time. I thought it would be fun to join in the circle so I found the book at Amazon.com, wow fast service, I ordered it on Sunday and it came Tue.
I was anxious to catch up so I hit sewing room early this morning, to make a few blocks.
Each block has a love letter pertaining to the name of the block. I haven't read the letters yet, just felt the need to sew today. I am going to sit down this evening and read the letters that go with the blocks I did today and the ones I plan on doing tomorrow. By the way, there is a total of 121 blocks, this may take awhile, but that's ok I always say it is the journey not the destination.


I started with a few easier blocks,this one is "March in the Mountains", all of the blocks are 6" finished, this block has 7/8" finished squares.
"Hospitals""Papers From Home"
"Americus Soldiers Relief Society"

Then I worked on a tote bag, the tutorial for the bag is on Andrea's blog June 2007, Thanks Andrea your directions are very clear.
The bag still needs a handle but I ran out of steam, hopefully will finish it tomorrow. While making the bag I came up with a plan to make the next one a little shorter and use a few Jelly Roll strips.



Happy Quilting!