Busy day . . .

Keith and I spent some quality time together this morning while binding continued to be sewn down – what a way to put in some time!

Yes, today is the reveal for the PhD (Projects Half Done) challenge. 

     

How many out of the seven listed did I get done?  Let’s count . . . 

PhD #1 was the 2009 Bunny Hill A Tisket a Tasket BOM – Done.

PhD #3 was a “still unnamed” quilt although every time I look at it I think of Neapolitan ice cream  - weird I know!  - Done

This is PhD #2 and it is the sample quilt (excuse the wrinkle, please) that I made for “26 Petals In My Canadian Garden” pattern that was featured on the front cover of Quilter’s Connection magazine.  Done.

This version does not include the 26 petals (I can’t remember how many are on there!) and was made from the Fig Tree line called Fig & Plum from Moda.

I love the 3-D geese in this quilt and the Prairie Points – both give the quilt nice texture.  I also had fun machine quilting this one . . . my first attempt at feathers and other squirrely maneuvers – great fun.

PhD #4 is also currently unnamed and was on my design wall for quite a few months before it was pulled down into this challenge.  Sure feels good to get my design wall cleared off!  Done.

This quilt was made using fabric I had won from BJ Lantz and I did have to do some soul searching as to how I was going to use the yellow and purple together.

It has turned out wonderful and it looked so good out there on the clothes line today . . . so bright and happy – my favorite kind of quilts.

This drunkard’s path quilt (PhD #5) was a workshop that I had taken about a year and half (or more) ago.  Done.

I really enjoyed the technique that was used to make this quilt and I really liked the quilt top, but life got in the way of finishing it.

I love the colors and the style of this quilt . . . very old fashioned, bright and white.  Fabric was designed by Mary Engelbreit for Moda and I love it!

Hubby hates this one though – not sure why, other than the colors I suppose.  I can’t wait to get it on one of the spare beds . . . I think it’s going to brighten the whole room!

This is PhD #6 and has been received by my wonderful machine quilter, Terry Whitman in Estevan, Saskatchewan.  With the embroidery on this one I did not feel comfortable finishing it off by myself . . . it’s needs something more spectacular than I can give it.  I’m going to count this as a finish (I know I cheat sometimes) because other than the binding, I am done with it!

I think this is PhD #7 that is listed on Myra’s blog . . . I never did get it added to the list I have going in the right hand sidebar though.  Unfortunately it still lays here . . undone . . and ignored . . still.  I think all the pieces are done and ready to be appliquéd on – maybe I’ll keep it around ‘til next year!

Well that’s it folks . . . six months of 2010 has passed us by already!  It does feel wonderful to finally have my six PhD’s all done(5 1/2, but who’s counting!) .  I can’t say that having them completed has created any extra space in the sewing room, but it still feels pretty darn good.  Thanks Myra for the challenge!

June is winding down . . .

Here we are heading into the last couple of days of June – WOW, where did that month go?!?!  I’m really hoping to get my PhD completed projects posted tomorrow – might be really late though – so be prepared.

We stopped at two quilt shops over the weekend – the first one was Bernice’s in Reston, Manitoba.  There is a bit of just about everything the quilter, knitter, embroiderer (is that a word!) could ever need – that store has everything. 

The Peace by Piece quilt group is having a Saturday workshop in November and I need to find 9 batiks in green and 9 batiks in red.  So now I have a shopping list for every quilt shop I head into – so far I have seven green tones and zero reds – the hunt continues, and I’m sure there will be modifications as I go.  I picked up a couple of pieces at Bernice’s and a couple more at the Weyburn Fabric Centre . . . plus a couple from last week – oh the miles I’ll be putting on to collect my perfect grouping.

Oh I know that Halloween is a ways off also, but I just couldn’t resist this piece at 50% off – even if it’s only for the backing of a project – I think it’s adorable!

And not so adorable is my little green froggie in the garden yesterday – I think he was more startled than me though – look at his back legs . . . they’re all crossed up around each other!  I’m not sure if he could have gone anywhere's real quick or not – be looked a lot like a pretzel when I took his picture. 

The inside guts of a poppy are really gross – but fascinating at the same time.

Taking bee photos is an exercise in it’s own right . . . boy, can these guys flit from one blossom to another.  You just get it into focus and then boom – he’s off again.

   

And a final photo from my garden . . . one of my very favorite flowers – even though it’s not yellow!  Columbines are so unique and this one turned out pretty darn good – might have to enlarge it for one of my picture frames - I think I’m due for a new rotation soon.

Hope I will to be back tomorrow with my finished PhD’s . . . can’t wait!!!! 

Plodding along . . .

I know, I know . . . I’ve disappeared again for a week.  Honest though I really haven’t gone anywhere – just nothing much going on to tell anyone . . . YAWN!  Kinda boring here right now.

I’ve been machine quilting some quilts every little chance that I get and when I’m not doing that I’m sewing binding on one that has already been quilted – like I said BORING!

I’m on holidays as of right now and hope to have something a bit more creative hit the cutting table next week.  This keeping your nose to the grindstone to get PhD’s done by the June 30th deadline is for the birds!  But I’m not a quitter, I’m a quilter, and I will take any challenge and give it the old college try – and I’m doing really good - I think the end is in sight.

We’re off to Weyburn, SK to visit by Dad this weekend so I’ll have six hours round trip to continue sewing on binding.  Wonder what my poor old fingers are going to feel like come Sunday night?

Have a great weekend everyone! 

Quilt Nights and Rainy Days

We are drenching wet here!  At 7:30 this morning we’d had 3 inches and it was still raining.

At least the tiger lilies are happy – although I’m not sure if this is a tiger lily . . . it has some different markings on it that would suggest it might be called by another name. 

 

At the last couple of Monday night quilt group meetings I have been taking photos but haven’t been getting them posted.  So today is the day!

Way back last September, the Peace by Piece group decided to work on a BOM garden themed quilt.  Each member had to choose a block, make two (one for themselves and one for a charity quilt) and provide copies of the pattern to each member in the group.  We have now completed twelve blocks, but it was not a requirement to use each of the blocks is we were only making a smaller version or wanted to make something different. 

These are the blocks that have been collected for the charity quilt and it will be getting put together over the Summer months and finished off when we get back together in the Fall.

I’ve only finished five of the blocks so far and I’m just getting organized to start working on the remainder – can’t wait to start in on these little birdhouses.  I decided I didn’t want my blocks to be 12x12 so mine are only 8x8 finished – not sure how these birdhouses are going to look shrunk down that much.  We’ll see!

 

  I took this picture almost a month ago and for the life of me I can’t remember who’s it is.  I do remember that it is hand quilted and I love the blues.  It is going to look great on someone’s bed come this Winter.

Off to the big city again this weekend, so there will be nothing going on in my sewing room.  I will be taking a quilt that needs the binding sewn on so hopefully that will be a finish for my PhD list come Monday.

Have a great weekend,

A Little Something . . .

to keep me busy over the weekend!

I pre-ordered this software from I Have a Notion and paid a lot less than what is posted now - pre-ordering is a very good thing :)

I have been upgrading my EQ ever since I first purchased it way back at the EQ4 stage - back in 2002 or before, I think.  Love this software and the versatility that it gives you for designing.  I also love that you can go to the Moda website and download the jpgs of the newest fabric collections that they have.  By doing this you can design your quilt on your screen with the fabrics that you have sitting on your cutting table at the time.  You really get a feel for what the finished quilt will look like and the color placements that work best for you.

If you've never used EQ before and have the opportunity to give it a trial run, make sure you do.  Even to purchase it out-right is really a great investment and will open lots of creative doors for you.  Who needs video games?  Us quilters have EQ and we can spend hours and hours designing and playing with this software.

Do you EQ?

Things . . .

        that just turned up in my garden and on my clothesline.

We had a nice evening the other night and after battling a few extra large mosquitoes, I was able to get some photos of some of the quilts that are STILL in progress at my house.This is the backside of my new favorite quilt.  I’m just waiting for the backing fabric to show up in the mail and then it will be sent on it’s way to the quilter.  This is a tiny sampling of the embroidery and appliqué.  Not sure why I decided to do the embroidery – it took forever!  Don’t get me wrong though . . . the quilt would not be same without the embroidery and it would not mean the same to me without the embroidery.  Anyway I’m sure this quilt will be in my family for many years to come . . . I don’t put that kind of work into something that will just get stored away in a cupboard!

This is a little quilt that is almost done and will hopefully get quilted by the end of June.

It is on my PhD list (right sidebar) and I’m liking how it’s turned out so far.  Love the piano key, multi-colored border . . . I think it framed it really nice.

This is the fabric that I won from BJ Lantz in August of 2009 and I’ve been having so much fun designing with this color way.  Just yesterday I found out that BJ has a new line of fabric coming out and it is certainly worth a trip over to her blog to have a look.  I love the first color way and could think of a few designs for that one!

And here is a little quilt that is just hanging around . . . needs some more thought put into it . . . wonder where that will take me.

I also wanted to thank everyone who popped over with such lovely comments last week.  Whether you came from the Moda Bake Shop, Amy’s Creative Spring Festival or from Quilter’s Connection – thanks to each and every one of you!  I was unable to get back to everyone on the list and I do apologize for that, but I did get to visit everyone’s blog and have a look at what everyone was doing – I love doing that.