Pumpkins!

I'll be part of a pincushion exchange later this fall, so I thought I'd better get a jumpstart on getting my three made. I love working with wool and wool felt and have been itching to start a new project with it. Here are the "tops" of the pincushions...I still need to assemble them in to a pillow type cushion. I'm out of fiberfill and also need to purchase more crushed walnut shells to fill them with.

I'm pleased with them so far! I used a combination of wool felt and wool and used Valdani perle cotton for the embroidery.

Happy Quilting!

A finish!

I finished the binding on this quilt last night. It is called "Starlight Pines" from Thimbleberries....I absolutely love it! If you click on it, you can see that it has stars in the quilting, too. I started this quilt at retreat back in May....so it didn't stay on UFO status for too long!

I wish I could take more creative pictures...but this will have to do. I wanted to try some outdoor shots, but the grass wet from the overnight rain. Oh well, you get the idea!

Happy quilting!

Caught up...well, almost!

I love block of the months! Over the years, I have belonged to many BOM programs...through the mail and at local shops. The problem is, I've never been great at keeping up with them! I do better when they are at the local quilt shop and there is that "pressure" to finish your block so you don't look like a slacker in front of all the other over-achievers. LOL Peggy, Robin, and I seem to join a lot of them together and we do a good job of keeping each other motivated too.

Back at the first of the year, I joined a BOM from Homestead Hearth quilt shop called "Snowmen on Parade." The first month's kit arrived and I promptly sewed it together and waited for the next month to arrive. It arrived, then another, then another...you get the picture. Before I knew it, I had 5 months of kits waiting to be assembled. A couple weeks ago, I pulled them out and decided it was time to get 'er done!

You can see it's a row by row type of quilt. I have one more row still to come, plus the border fabrics, etc. I'm not -completely- caught up though, I haven't done the buttonhole stitch around the snowman in the second row. I'm loving this quilt so far, and at this rate, I'll have it done by Christmas!

So that's two block of the months I'm caught up on...this and the Snow Days embroidery. We won't talk about all the others stashed away waiting for the day I pull them out and it's their turn to get 'er done!

I don't know about you, but I am anxiously awaiting fall to arrive here in Delaware...enough with the heat already!

Happy Quilting!

checking in...

I just thought I'd check in and say hello to all my blogger friends. :) Hubby and I just returned from a 5 day trip to Gettysburg, PA...it's beautiful there this time of year. Travis is a Civil War buff, so he never tires of seeing the battlefields and monuments. It is an impressive place, I have to admit....so much history.

I actually have a lot of sewing projects to share with you, I just haven't taken pictures of anything yet. Last week, I got almost completely caught up on a block of the month project from Homestead Hearth. Also, if you remember my previous posts about my Busy Little Elves embroidery project...I'm down to my last little elf block! I only have three more of the pieced blocks to assemble and that top is done! Also, while I was away, I received two quilted tops back from the quilter, ready for binding! Yay, two projects soon to be checked off the UFO list! I'll be sure and take pictures soon of my completed projects.

I thought you'd like this picture of Smokey...he is napping on my cutting mat and do you see he was nice enough to share a little corner with me? That little tail is in quite a precarious spot, don't you think?? He loves that lamp...he finds it to be the perfect napping spot. :)

Happy Quilting!

More Snow Days...

Block 3 of the Snow Days BOM. This month was just one embroidery block and fabrics to complete a section of the center of the quilt. I hope you can see the variegated floss...it's really nice! :)

One thing I love about BOM's is the chance to use fabrics/colors I normally wouldn't choose. I'm loving this quilt so far! Can't wait for next month!

Happy Quilting,

Snow Days

This summer, I started a new block of the month embroidery project. It's called "Snow Days" from Crabapple Hill. I'll just say I was "encouraged" to join along with Peggy, Robin, Carolyn and Nan. They did some arm-twistin'...lemme tell ya! :) (That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!)

We received Month 1 just before I moved from Idaho, so I quickly got everything traced in hopes that I'd be able to work on it during the move across country. I was able to do a good portion of the stitching and then after all the craziness of the move, I was able to sew the pieced units and finish the stitching. If you look closely, you'll see the stitching is up in the pieced blocks too.

I can't end this post without mentioning that today is 9/11...but you knew that already, because none of us will ever forget. 9/11 happened the first time we were stationed at Dover AFB and now here we are back again. I remember everything about that morning...just like I'm sure you do as well. There are other things that I will always remember too...like talking to my 11 year old son about why there were security forces officers wearing gas masks and carrying M-16 rifles through military housing for weeks after 9/11. Or seeing the UPS man deliver packages with an armed escort in the truck. Eventually life got back to normal, but we will always remember the innocent victims and the heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice that day.

God bless...

9 Patch Project

Back in June, I signed up for the 9 Patch Project. The no-pressure plan would result in a stack of 9 patches and a smaller scrap bin!

I had a few events over the summer that kept me from making all the 9 patches, but I did end up with 50! I decided it was time to wrap up the project, so I went searching for a setting idea. I found the twisted 9 patch idea on MaryQuilts.com. I loved it immediately...what a great setting! And super easy to assemble. The blocks end up 9" finished, so it will be a good size throw. Here is a picture of 48 blocks laid out, but not sewn together yet. Now it's time to come up with a border...should that also be scrappy?

I think this idea would be awesome for toddler/donation quilts. Don't you think? The color options are endless!

Here are my blocks after one of the quilting inspectors did a little inspecting. Little rascal....

Happy Quilting!