my back and snowmen

It seems as if my back goes out more than I do.  It is taking longer for the muscles to recover this time than usual.  I looked on the medicine bottle and it seems as if it was just this time last year I was dealing with my back.  Must be the "vacation in august" syndrome.  Anyway off to dr this am to see if it is something besides muscles.  They can't be weak after hauling around the sewing machines.  And speaking of that why did they call the little singers "featherweights?"  I guess everything is relative.  The calendar project meets on Friday and I will have to decide to carry hand work if my back is still not right.  I love doing them but will be glad when I have all twelve.  Then I will probably make a birthday one.  Here is the one for September.

I tried to find a button in the shape of a worm but will have to be satisfied with the lady bug on the leaf.  I really do enjoy doing these and it is fun to go to my stash for the fabrics. 
Here is the block for last month's stitcher's garden.

I have really learned a lot about my machine and sewing in general.  This block was about putting in piping in the borders.  I am getting anxious about putting all these blocks into a quilt!
I have finished the mystery quilt in amish fabrics and it is at Heather's being quilted. 
The other project I finished and handed to AB for a donation quilt was the BOM for Drunkard's Path.
Only 10 of the twelve kits were turned in so I found more fabric and made the other two blocks.  I like to practice feathers on the borders and got a lot of help from PB and Sue Nickels' book on quilting feathers.  I would love to take a class from her. Thanks to Marla's bee class on machine quilting several from the guild have plunged into machine quilting and are really enjoying it.

We try to keep our donation quilts less than 45 inches wide so we can get two pieces from our 90" wide roll of batting.  Two other kind people took two other kitted up BOMs to quilt and finish.
Little by little we are getting them done.  Thanks all for doing these.
Hopefully I will be better by this weekend so I can finish my snowman blocks.  Can't wait to see what everyone is doing for a block.  18 people have signed up so I am making 20 blocks. 
Looking forward to some cooler less humid air. 
Red delicious quilting.
Sally

waiting for cool...

I am not sure why the refurbishing bug hits me in the summer.  I guess since it is so hot that I don't go outside much and can see what is in my house.... hence the mood to fix, clean, redo comes upon me.
After putting new carpet in the bedroom and laminate down the hallway which by the way Cecil does not like I await the roofer.  He is trying to find three plus days of dry weather.  I guess that will come next week or not.  Can't wait to get up for the next few days to temps in 60s and drier air.

Finally finished the appliqued borders on mystery quilt now to put them on and miter corners.  I will be glad to have that done and will probably take it to Heather to quilt.  Would love do quilt it myself but my fledgling hand quilting skills are not ready for prime time.  \

Went to LibertyRosePatterns.com to see patterns and signed up for class for Halloween tree.  More applique.  I must be crazy.  It is nice to have hand work to do while I laze in the recliner watching Castle.  I do love that show.  I know I have seen most of them several times but as I have dvr set to record whenever it comes on once in a while I get to see one I have not seen before.  Joy!

I am working on the "Confetti" pattern by Augusta Cole and it really is rewarding to add new strips to the corner pieces.  Here is what I have done so far.

I am using batiks and the sad thing it has not made a dent in my stash.  I do love the color.

Time to go to meeting, bank, and then "Stitchers Garden" class at Thistle Bee.  

Colorful cool quilting

Sally                                 



projects!!!!

One of the things I don't like doing is several projects at one time.  However, I realized that I would have to get over that when I signed up for two ongoing classes at Thistle Bee.  And there are so many quilt patterns that are calling me.  I realize for many of my quilting friends this is just one of the "blessings" of quilting.  I have at least caught up with the calendar hangings with the August ones just finished and the September ones ready for the machine applique.

 
 

 The top one is for me and the bottom one is for my next door neighbor.  The boat is named Cecil for "our" dog and there is a little duck in the water.  What fun.

This is "Laura's quilt" finished and quilted by Heather Tighe in Hampstead.  Just love it.

This is part of a border which will be on all sides of small quilt.  First time for applique on borders.

 

Finally more garden pictures.  I have a perennial hibiscus which does not get very tall but has these really large blooms.  It tries so hard.  And I tried some moon flowers this year from seed. So rewarding and they are so rich in color.

 

Time to work on borders.

Appliqueing quilting

Sally

I know it is coming!

I know we will have to pay for this wonderful rain and these low temperatures but while it is here...!!! To have gotten this far into the summer with only 5 or so days just breaking 90 is ok by me.  I just watered my plants for the first time in at least 2 or 3 weeks and it is supposed to rain again this week.
Some results of the rain follow.

I just love the large dahlias and the star gazer lily is blooming for the first time The fragrance is unbelievable.  These two blooms threaten to pull the plant over and I had to stake it.  Just love them.
 I have been working on several projects at once... don't we all... and two of these are the calendar hangings and the block of the month "stitcher's garden" at Thistle Bee Quilt Shoppe. 
Here are the latest.

It is so much fun to go to my stash and pick out wild combinations of Kaffe Fassett fabrics for these.

I loved learning how to do pintucks for the heart of the flower.

Sorry about the lighting on the two flowers.  I am making a second set of the calendars for my young neighbor so the flip flops are for her and the flag is for me.  I put some bead loops on the flip flops and will put some beads coming out of my fireworks.
Finally to report a wonderful family event.  My sister-in-law's birthday ( won't say which one but it was significant) was a successful surprise to her.  My brother planned for us all to get there around 10am and just visit and eat all day.  Works for me.  My nephew brought lobster from Wilmington and together with contributions of filets, salad, potatoes and a dessert made the day a food extravaganza.  The boys even brought some special spring?? rolls from Wilmington.  All in all a great day.

This is Pete with two fellows who were invited? for supper.

LV is coming for lunch.  We are having chicken salad, garden salad and if I hurry up peach cobbler for dessert.  Hope these SC peaches are as good as usual.
Family quilting
Sally

Guild, rain, workshops

I am not sure but I think this must be the coolest June I can remember.  But then again I don't remember last week.  I just know it was full of things to do and places to be.  I just love being retired so I can meet friends for lunch or sleep past 6:30am or paint watercolors with friends or sew all day.

One thing I was able to finish was the quilt for my neighbor's daughter P who just graduated college.
The colors: purple and gold for Rosewood High School and green and gold for her college were at first a problem.  Then I found the Bonnie Hunter pattern "Texas Tumbleweeds" which worked great and I could use my favorite batiks which would include some turquoise and oranges for pop.
It was a present from her family, me and Cecil whose picture is on the label.

This charming young lady is a Brice's Creek inhabitant who visits anyone who has bread.  C called her Lulu Bell.

Another donation quilt from fabric in the guild stash.  It is hard to beat red, white, and blue and a disappearing 9 patch.

This monster 98"x106" is called Colors of My World

and was quilted by Heather Tighe of Hampstead, NC.  I told P I would give it back to her after show and tell.  I just love how the two blocks: Jacob's ladder and one I call Martian star,  work to make the quilt interesting.

I am a little frazzled.  Such fun with Augusta Cole and I enjoyed dinner with her and three other guild members at OG on Friday night.  Just love my "turquoise baby."

The rain has many benefits not the least of which is producing beautiful flowers without having to water.  Nobody waters like God.  This is the first bloom from a Rose of Sharon I planted last year.

My mother used to have one and I have always wanted to plant one.  I remember her carrying around her quart jar of kerosene and knocking off the Japanese beetles into it so they could drown.  She was such a sweet lady.

Have to go and finish the July calendar hanging before tomorrow morning.

Firecracker quilting.

Sally

Soggy June

I was so excited to go out this morning and pick my first gardenias.  I wait every June to see and smell them.  Most of the bushes in my yard are from ones I have rooted in water then in pots on my kitchen window sill for two years and then planted in the rainy spring. I have two in pots on the deck I need to get into the ground now.  Happy day.  Just put out a day lily from C and some purple basil plants.  This rainy weather will help them get established.  Put some cosmos seedlings into the ground also.
Hope they make it.  Love to see them blooming.

 

 

This next picture is the June block for the Stitchers Garden class P and I are taking.  Love the Kaffe flame pattern.  First time for couching.  Not such a great job.  Where is the magic marker?

I just finished the binding on a 98x106 quilt and a wounded warrior quilt to send to Kandahar.  Thanks to AB for coordinating that effort for the guild.  It was such an easy pattern with half square triangles from 6 inch squares we had in the guild stash.  It was fun to see how many ways to turn them.

I think I will do the next one with disappearing 9 patch.  It is so forgiving and versatile

Have to stop and get to work on the extra block for our "Stitcher's Garden"class today at The Thistle Bee.  I love picking out the fabrics but drawing out the pieces on H & B is a pain.  I think this is the half way month.  Not sure how it will be put together. 

And for the last picture this is a quilt top I just finished.  We call it Laura's quilt because she was the one to show us the very simple one block pattern.  Just love the secondary  pattern the whites make.  It came out a little large measuring about 75x59 but I really like it.  It helped me use some but not a lot of my reproduction fabrics.

 

Will have to close. There is a line of storms approaching Raleigh and want to be off computer.  Quilted at C's today and got a start on the 396 4-patches for the confetti quilt.  What is sad is that I have a box full of batik strips and have not made a dent in it.  We are going to the show in Wilminton tomorrow.  I hope to fins a dark batik either blue or black for the outer border.  Lots of sewing to do.

Steamy quilting

Sally

 

 

 

                        



I cant believe May is nearly over.

Things are moving just too fast.  Where has spring gone??? I am glad to get the rain but......
Pretty soon summer will be here arrrrgh. 
I have just two or three irises that bloom and I love them.  C gave me some more but I need to find a place they will thrive not just send up leaves.
Here is a picture of my favorite.  I call her "Drama Queen" and love the color.

                            

 

I am making another set of the Bakers Dozen calendar hangings for K who graduated with an Associated Degree and is continuing on at Mt. O.  Here is the June hanging "Mr. B"

 

Continuing with the Stitchers Garden class here are the last two pieces.  Having to do two is really pushing my time!!!  I still need to do the applique on the bottom piece and fix the borders.

C and I went to Gastonia and blazed through Foust and Mary Jo's last week.  MJ's prices are not much better than our local stores now but she does carry a large variety of fabrics under one roof.
I even picked up a Kaffe fabric to add to my stash for these blocks.  Then we stopped at Thimble Pleasures where I exchanged a foot I had ordered for one that did what I wanted.  Yes I also picked up two other Kaffe fabrics there.  They have probably one of the best collections of his fabrics around. 
Now to use up some of those fabrics.
Steadily quilting
Sally