Ooops!

I forgot to come back after my three days off!  Actually I think my mood just shifted into grumpy mode and I’ve been having trouble adjusting to going to work again.  Oh, well . . . I’m now looking forward to a few days holiday before Christmas – why is there never enough vacation time?

I know this picture is from the previous post, but I love the colors!  And I’ve been having a great time making little HST to go with these pretty little posies – that’s what I worked on for our Saturday quilt group get-together last weekend – lots and lots of HST.  Plus tons and tons of visiting . . . Myra from Tactile Pleasures In Fabric drove all the way out from Winnipeg to join us for the day . . . it was wonderful to finally meet the person that I’ve been blogging back and forth with for the past three years.  Can’t wait to return the favor and go and have a visit with her and her group next time.

Gail was working on this scrappy quilt top to use up her scrap stash.  Isn’t it colorful?!?!  I think I heard her say that she would be donating it to Victoria Quilts so that it could be given to someone undergoing cancer treatments.  I know that Gail gives a lot of her quilts and quilt tops to this wonderful organization.  I think I need to look through my stack of unfinished quilt tops to see if there are any in there that would fit into the sizes that they are looking for.

This is Mae’s quilt using some of her beautiful oriental fabrics.  All the butterflies are paper-pieced and look absolutely beautiful in those prints – picture doesn’t do it justice!

Little Bits of This and That candle mat/table centre is part of the Cross Country Christmas Quilt Designer Blog Hop that has been going on for the last eleven days.  This free pattern and all of the free patterns that have been offered are providing some great ideas for last minute Christmas gifts – go take a look.

Lots of meetings on this week and just trying to get back into the swing of things after those days off . . .

‘til next time,

M.

Three days off!

Ah . . . doing what I want to be doing . . . priceless!

Got really upset with a certain little honey bun staring at me though – so I bust it up! 

I’ve now started my two millionth new project and I’m having a blast. 

There’s even a new ironing board cover for this newest breakout . . . even matched the colors pretty close.  Just kidding - this ironing board cover has been in it’s package UNDER the ironing board for about three weeks now, but once I saw the colors burst forth from the honey bun, I just knew it was time to also break out the new cover. 

So what do you think of my newest colors?  Not really me again, right?  I’m trying to be a frugal quilter and trying new things when I see them come on sale.  This honey bun is from Basic Grey for Moda and is called Sultry.  I think the thing that made me curious about this line of fabric was the use of brown and pink together and I’m really liking the fun little shapes and color placements of this new design.

Things have certainly brightened up in my sewing room and so far I’m finding that I’m liking it all . . . these bright colors and my newest obsession – white!  Lookin’ good, so far.  And here is my little November Bunny Hill project – I love everything except the bird’s hat . . . I tried a pink color but it just blended in with the berries in the basket print – I’m now thinking that maybe we need a little yellow chapeau for that blackbird.  Change is good – right?  

‘til next time,

M.

Sunday Doings . . .

First off I got busy cutting out some more shapes for my purple quilt . . . you can’t have purple without yellow – can you?Next I got to looking for something on my bookshelf and made a surprising discovery.  

Probably about thirty years ago . . . way back when I was just a little gal . . . our local school closed and we were allowed to choose some books that were no longer needed.  So this morning when I was going through my bookshelf I pulled one copy of this book from the top shelf and thought to myself that I had another book in that series on one of the other shelves, so pulled that one out and there they were – two of the same!  I have one page marked because it has my mother’s favorite poem in it - “If You Meet a Fairy” and then I flipped through the other book and found my Dad’s name written on page 7 – obviously written by a youngster.  I checked the published dates and they were 1934, 1935 and 1936, so I’m thinking that the one was my Dad’s reader when he was in school.  I had no idea!  Still doesn’t explain two copies though and why I have never had them side by side before – strange. I then got busy marking some more of these lines on my blue 1/2-square triangle quilt . . . just a bit more and it will be perfect.

Next was a quick cruise through the internet to look at some pricing on Moda fabric.  I also found this very interesting and thought I’d pass it on to everyone.  For example:  if I’m looking for Figgy Pudding by Basic Grey where would I find the best everyday price – not sale price, but everyday yardage price.  I was surprised and I hope you will be also.  So if you’re a Moda freak like me, and want to get the best price when you’re shopping, then check out which one of these quilt shops is giving you the best price . . .

Hancocks of Paducah

Fat Quarter Shop

 Crazy Quilt Girl Fabric 

I also have the pattern for this next block of the

A Tisket, A Tasket BOM 

all ready to get started on.  This is the second last block of the Bunny Hill block of the month project and I’m really liking the way this is all coming together.  Can’t wait to see it with all the sashing and borders on it.  This has been soooooooooooo much fun to work on all year – I can’t believe it’s almost a year since we started this!

I already have my BOM chosen for 2010 . . . but that will probably get added to when all the new ones start hitting blogland in January.

I am planning for a few vacation days later this week and hope to be working on a whole bunch of projects that need bits and pieces done to them.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and your week is looking rosie . . .

‘til next time,

M.

Moving on . . .

from purple half-square triangles to an old blue half-square triangle project.

Both are coming along quite nicely . . . decisions have been made . . . 

and now it’s just a matter of following through with them all.

I’m not sure why this blue quilt got set aside for so long . . . could be something to do with the embroidery that needed to be done, but I’m really thrilled with how it is looking now that I have it laid out and a few seams sewn up.  This is going to be a keeper!

Also wanted to give a heads up that Jaybird is having a 100th post giveaway and it looks wonderful!

Over in my sidebar you will see a button with the giveaway prize on it . . . to find out more give it a click and get your name in for the draw.  While you’re there also have a look at all of the Quilt Market photos that she has posted . . . always great to see what’s up and coming for 2010.

‘til next time,

M.

Progress Report . . .

November 1st saw this Halloween quilt so very close to being done.

All the quilting was completed, including the raw edge stitching around ALL of the letters and shapes – which I really, really like. All that remains is the binding to be hand-stitched to the back and a few loose threads darned in . . . and, then . . .   I’ll be ready for Halloween 2010! What a great feeling to have this so very close to being stored away in a completed form, instead of only being a UFO.

Next on the list is something purple and something Christmas – time to start ticking off some of these items.

Now you’ll have to excuse me while I go and find what the 8:00 lineup is on Monday night TV so that I can do some hand sewing . . .

‘til next time,

M.