This and That . . .

Where does the time go?

I haven't done a post in a month, but I have been busy!

I'm finally finishing my Fractured quilt for the Quilting by the Lake Show.

And I know exactly who is going to get this beauty when it comes home!

I have been getting ready for our next Metro Mod meeting in June.

I did a bee block for my buddy.

I LOVE this one.

Thinking of how I can adapt this block to make a quilt for me!

I finished block 5 for the Pat Sloan quilt-a-long.

I am really loving this little project.  It's so fun to see everyone's blocks.

They are so different! 

Here are my five all together.

So fun!

I caved and bought a Singer Featherweight . . . 

I have always wanted one and well . . . 

Ebay is like a drug!

It's adorable and light and I love it!

Went to visit the munchkins a couple weeks ago.

I so love them!  They are a riot.

I really miss having little ones around . . . 

Am I just saying that because I can go home?

Hehe. Lots of action!

The kid and I were featured in a article in our local paper 

for Mother's Day.

Someone told them about Rachel May's book that we are featured in.

It was really quite lovely to enjoy our 15 minutes of fame!

And here is a picture of me and my Mum.

I think I'm about two there.

We had matching velvet dresses.

Those were the days!

Happy Mother's Day! OXOX

Scrappy Sunday . . . .

Today I worked on a few things . . . Scrappy!

First a bee block for Maren, in our NYC Metro Mod Modern Bee

She wanted these confetti blocks.

I must admit I thought this would be a breeze,

but it wasn't and I was loving the challenge!

First cut up little rectangles of color,

Then cut the background into strips.

Make little blocks.  I pressed to the dark so there 

wouldn't be so many seams showing.

Now to puzzle them together.

This was the fun/challenging part.

Add some more background, cut some away,

until they all fit together.

Here is the finished block.

Very effective.  Can't wait to see Maren's quilt all together.

I also worked on a scrap challenge from Victoria's

15 min play.

She set us up with swap partners and we exchanged boxes of scraps.

Then went about making a piece of fabric from the scraps.

I think I received enough fabric to make a whole quilt!

Haha.  Can't wait to get back to them and make some more.

Next up is a project of love.

The kid made this quilt 10 years ago.

It has been loved to the brink of falling apart.

But before it does fall apart,

This mama is going to relayer it and quilt it again

in hopes of saving it for a few more years.

As told the kid,

"You just don't get rid of something because it has a few wrinkles and rips.

Or is falling apart at the seams!"

Do you think I was talking about me?? Hehe.  

More on quilt repair in the next few weeks.

Gypsy Quilt Done!

I have jumped ahead in my quest for every other project

being a finish of an old top.

While my scrappy trip around the world is languishing on my cutting board,

I finished my gypsy quilt which is going to a silent auction fundraiser.

I do love this quilt.

I will probably bid on it myself!

Haha.  I know, I could make another, 

but the second time around isn't as fun as the first right?!

I also made a bee block today for Kim in our Metro Mod Bee.

This one challenged my feeble brain, but I made it through!

on another note . . . 

I have passed the scrappy trip addiction to the kid.

She is making a quilt for a very good friend of hers.

And as tomorrow is a holiday for some . . .

The sweat shop will be open for business.

Hopefully I will have some silliness to report!

What's Next?

So now that I have finished an old top and it is happily in it's new home . . . .

What's next?

I, of course, I had to try a couple things before I could decide.

I did finish a Triangles Galore Bee Quilt in the fall and gave it to the kid.

Do I want one for me???

Then I have been seeing this Scrappy Trip Around the World Quilt-A-Long

ALL over the web, flicker, blogs, everywhere!

So I tried them both out . . .

I do love a good paper piecing project.

I will always love this block, but . . . 

Maybe not this time around.

So then, I had my hand at the Scrappy Trip Around the World block.

I can see how it is addicting.  Easy piecing, clever un-piecing and voila!

A block in minutes.

I believe this block has won for the next project!

Here is the tutorial and the flickr group.

So off I set on cutting up fabric and laying out colors.

I need to mix in more large prints, I think it gives it an extra wow factor.

I might just have to be a bit of a control freak and make sure a dark

value color is in the center row.  Does this take the scrappiness out?

We'll see as I progress, I can always mix it up as I go along if I don't like it.

I have decided to take a cut of most of my fabrics for this one.

Here is my yellow/orange pile waiting to be cut.

This is going to take a while . . .

But totally worth it!

Here is a Quick Trip Around the World quilt

that I made for my Mom in 2007.

I used the Eleanor Burns book for this one and it uses the same technique

as described in the tutorial above.  

This quilt for my Mom was done in a Kaffe Fasset fabrics.

I also got a tardy Bee Block done this week.

It for Chrissie D in our Metro Mod Modern Bee.

Going in the mail tomorrow!!

This would make a cute scrappy quilt too . . .

Hummmmm.

I know my next finish has to be an old top!

This is actually prodding me on to finish them!

Carrot and stick!!  Hahaha.

Catching up . . .

Where do the days go?

I seem to be quite distracted these days,

and haven't been doing a lot of sewing.

 I did finish my Whites-Lights quilt in time for our 

Metro Mod Guild meeting last weekend.

I love the way it turned out.

The quilting took a while, but was totally worth it!

This quilt is off at it's new home,

and was greatly appreciated by the special person who received it.

I also finally got my November Bee block off in the mail!

Sorry Dorothy!

I made you two, and they were fun!

My Jack Frost wreath got a bow and was dropped off

at the Nature Center for their auction.

I hope it did well . . . 

And now onto a new project!

I should really finish one of the 8 tops I have, but . . .

Look at all that yummy color just calling to me!

Ha!  Hope you are enjoying the weekend and the holidays.

Sewing Sunday

And not just Sunday . . .

I have had a bit more time at the sewing table this week.

I have started quilting my NYC Metro Mod Bee Quilt.

I am stitching in the ditch to start, to anchor

the whole thing, then I think I might just try some free motion quilting.

I need to brush up on my skill set there!

Here is the layering process.

I decided to try doing it on the floor this time around.

Gosh I must be getting old, because my knees were sore!

Here is the back, I did get the wrinkles out first.

I love this fabric, so summery.

I had to roll up my carpet to have enough room 

to lay out the whole thing.

See the yellow towel on the floor?

I, of course, dumped over a whole glass of water 

while I was moving things around.

Guess that's better than red wine!

I have also been working on the whites/lights challenge

over at 15 mins play.

My fabrics probably have more color than other participants,

but I am a color girl, so it's hard to find so many neutrals in my stash.

These blocks are hard to photograph, and the light inside 

my apartment is not so great.

Too lazy to haul them outside.

I now have ten blocks, 12.5 inches square. 

I can see this becoming a pretty big quilt!

Are you sewing today?  If not what are you up to??

Is it Monday already?

I usually post on Sundays,

but yesterday I played hooky and went to the

beach with the kid.

We had a beautiful day with her friends.

But, I have been sewing this past week,

I put together my NYC Modern bee blocks.

I love them!

Now I'm fiddling with border ideas

because I want it just a bit bigger.

I also join the whites-lights challenge over at 15 min play.

I am quickly finding out that my whites-lights

have more color in them than maybe someone else would choose.

It's fun to see what you and others think as light.

Most of the fabric in my stash is bright and vibrant!

I love color!  The richer the better.

So here are my first four white-light blocks.

For me, these are really light,

but for others, this is a lot of color.

I'm not sure where this challenge is going,

but that's the fun of it right?

I am going to relax, go with the flow,

and see where we end up!

I also did some bee blocks for Nicole.

This is going to be such a striking quilt,

can't wait to see it all done!

And lastly,

It is the end of summer . . . 

Enjoy these last few days of sunshine and warmth!

Time to find the jackets . . . 

A Finish!

Blue and White Quilt finished 

and delivered to the bride and groom.

Couldn't resist the photo opts at the beach.

I've been trying to spend as much time at the beach as I can,

winter is only a breath away.

A pieced back . . .

a piece of Marimekko from my sister

and a few scraps from the front finish out the back.

I called this one Dimples because of all the polka dots,

and because the bride, (my former girl scout),

has the cutest dimples ever!

So glad this quilt is in it's new home.

My friend Anne was cleaning out her basement last week

and while we were at the beach photographing quilts, we also dug through

the back of her car looking at fabric!

Fabric and the beach! Yum.

I was so good, I only took what I really thought I would use!

These have all been washed and pressed.

And to finish up the weekend,

a bee block for Binita!

A couple days late, but it is the lazy hazy last days of summer.

Hope you had a great Labor Day Weekend!