Not In the Plan

But I couldn't resist the Fat Quarter Shop's free pattern celebrating their ten years in business.  It's just so cute!  Part one is finished.

Another New Pattern

I have recently discovered Lynn Wilder's blog, Sew n Wild Oaks and of course had to have her pattern Country Charmer. I love it and will make mine scrappy. The pattern came today. I want to get started on it but it must wait, I have a customer quilt on the machine that I must work on today. I am behind schedule due to the flu and taking off Easter weekend.

I understand from reading Lynn's blog that she works at In Between Stitches in Livermore Ca. In Between Stitches is a wonderful quilt shop that I love to visit when in Ca. They have great mail order service too!

Another new project I took on this week is the monthly Schnibbles quilt. This month the project is Hat Trick, a cute little nine patch.

I'd better go get busy and get enough quilting done to justify a little sewing time later today! Fortunately and unfortunately warm weather has arrived so tomorrow I will be mowing the yard:()

Spring

Even though it has been a cold and dreary Spring in ENC, the flowers are beginning to bloom. My first white Iris.

One More UFO Finished

This one is a Pat Sloan pattern. machine appliquéd. Glad it is finished and hanging on the wall! Lots of piecing getting done the past few weeks. Easy Street is pieced and ready for quilting. Also a pinwheel quilt top that started as a group project has made it to the to be quilted pile. Another batik project is close to being a top. I really need to rev up the quilting. This weekend I will be quilting an Easy Street for a customer. I plan on loading mine when hers is finished and use the same pattern.

Spring is in full swing here so yard work will be added to the mix!

A Method to My Madness

This one is Andrews Star in the Window from Jennifer Chiaverini and Nancy Odom 's book Elm Creek Quilts. This has been a UFO for several years. I ran across it when cleaning the quilting closet recently. After I started A Little Porch Time I realized that I could use the left over fabric from the star quilt but needed to get it finished in order to do that. I don't know why I stashed it away, it had so little to go to finish it. I didn't really think I would like this quilt but now that it is finished and thrown over the rocker in my living room I am really enjoying it. So one more out of the closet!

Quilted

Another top from the closet. I made this one to support a pattern designer that I was quilting for at the time, a few years ago. The pattern company was called Two Quik Quilters if I remember correctly. It's one of those that you cut up into shapes and stack and shuffle so each block is different. I have no idea why I chose that border fabric unless it was just because it had all the right colors. This one will be good to take to the beach for Lucky and I to sit on, although Lucky does prefer to lay in the sand so he can get as much sand as possible in his fur to drag back to the car and house.

New Project

A little porch time. The first block is one of those best seen from the galloping horse. Not bad except for the one missing point. Embellishment may be the answer.

Another Finish

Binding is on, another flimsy done, yea. Not loving the loops on this one but it will have to do!

Cleaning, Stripping, Sewing, Quilting

I've been cleaning out the closet in the quilt room. I'm determined to get all these tubs of scraps stripped up. This may be a life long project.

Sewing the Easy street blocks together. Block A is finished and I have started on block B. only nine of those, then I can start to put it together.

I pulled out a top that has been waiting for quilting. Another Christmas quilt, lap sized that was a guild mystery a few years ago. I will stitch down the binding while watching Downton tonight.

I have also been reading some new blogs and of course found another quilt I want to make. Ordered the book tonight - Stitches on the Porch - I think.

Onto to binding.

Summer?

A little change of pace today. I enjoyed this beautiful summer like day outside putting together a couple of scrap books. The pages have been done - just needed to get them in order and put them in books. A lovely quiet day filled with memories of good times.

Marlene's Memory Quilt

This quilt has been pieced and waiting to be quilted for far too long. The quilt is the product of a block exchange with friends in memory of Marlene Ball. Marlene was an avid quilter and an exceptional person. Finishing this quilt made me smile with memories of time spent together and also brought some tears.

I am happy that the quilt is finished. I will remember Marlene's beautiful smile when I look at it.

Quilted with Loop D Loop panto

This Weekend

I have been working on Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street. I have all the parts done and will be working on putting it all together this weekend. Also I hope to load a top on the machine that has been ready to quilt for a very long time. I have to make a decision on how I want to quilt it, I may do some custom...or not.

Some pics of the mystery in progress.

Goal Accomplished

The Thimbleberries quilt is finished, just with a couple of hours to spare!

The quilting design doesn't show up much on the front so also included a picture of the back. Also a picture of the entire quilt that I finished earlier in Dec.

So today it will be taking down the Christmas decorations, cleaning and a little sewing. I'm going to try and tame my scraps and stash-they are taking over. Going to at least get started on that.

A couple of goals for this NewYear will be to work on a wool project. New adventure for me. I bought the BOW in wool from Primitive Gatherings last summer. It is neatly boxed up and waiting for me. I know I won't be doing a block a week!

I have a set of beautiful embroidered blocks that my dear friend Sylvia was working on. Just a few stitches to finish the embroidery and then I will set them in a quilt. I have given the design a lot of thought, just need to find the perfect fabric.

Of course the getting organized goal is always on my mind but I still need to work on that!

Happy NewYear!

For Faye

Here ya go. Flurry panto. This would have been good for custom but I'm pretty much a panto girl! Yes, it is mine. Another one that has been done for a long time, just waiting to get on the machine.

Last quilt for 2012

My goal for this holiday weekend is to finish quilting and bind this quilt! It's a big one-(:

Finally Finished!

The 2008 designer mystery is finished. Put the final stitches in on Christmas Day.
I failed to purchase the finishing kit so I had to wing it. I have one more Christmas quilt on the machine. I will either be working on that today or Bonnie's mystery, maybe a little of both.

Show and Tell AAQ 2012

A few of the quilts from retreat.  They were all awesome!

 Patti is traveling all over the country and abroad teaching her technique.

This one has over 10,000 pieces.

One More

Not sure how I got here but this is the picture of the whole block.

Nearly Insane

My first Nearly Insane block.  I had a picture of the whole block as well but for some reason it won't

 load.  I seem to be having a lot of trouble with this new format.  I bought the Nearly Insane book quite a few years ago and started collecting civil war fabrics to make it.  Every time I pulled it out I guess it was just too intimidating and I shoved it back in the closet.  I saw a picture of Bonnie Hunter working on hers and that made me think about making one again.  So I went completely left with the fabric choices.  I am using Marmalade, Bliss and Ruby and will mix in some batiks as well.  So I have one block finished and 94 to go! I will try again tomorrow to get the picture of the whole block to load as well as the quilts from retreat.

Yesterday was my birthday.  I decided to go on a little adventure.  I have been wanting to get out and see some of the attractions in the area and thought yesterday was a good day to start.  I had heard about a little town called Oriental.  It was a favorite hang out for pirates in the early days.  Since the 1960's it has become the sailing capital of  NC.  Lots of summer and weekend homes for folks in the nearby cities.  I called Sherry and invited her to come along with the kids, to my surprise she was willing to take the little road trip.  I had researched the trip route and noted that one route included a ferry ride.  I made a mental note to avoid that route - not knowing the cost or time involved.  Well that was the day before out little trip so I had forgotten all about the ferry when I put the destination into the GPS and mindlessly followed those driving directions.  So we ended up on the ferry, which turned out to be free - imagine that! Not a long wait or a long ride and the kids were thrilled.  Not much happening in Oriental, just beautiful sailboats and scenery!  Oriental is located on the Neuse River, the widest river in the US - according to the facts I read on the internet :}

It was a fun day followed with a relaxed evening with a little Prosecco and sewing.