May UFO ; excited and motivated

Nancy (Patchwork Penguin) has set May's UFO Challenge to be #6. #6 on my list: Rolling Rock.

I'm actually quite excited to jump back into this project; it's a first for me when it comes to piecing curved seams. Therefore, this will be a TRUE challenge to finish because of the intermediate/advanced quilting/sewing skills. The pieces are already cut out and have been stored on a shelf safe-n-neat for the day I would pick it up again. MOST of the fabrics I used for the color sections were cut out of my Grandmother's fabric inheritance, so, it'll have all the more specialness to the project.

I have returned Quilter's Apprentice to the library and checked out Round Robin. I have not spent any time in the quilting room this week, but sure have been enjoying some quiet time in the evenings reading after the girls have gone to bed.

The family and I are heading up the the Farm this weekend; it's been months since we've been up North! I plan to take many of my quilts up with me that are still in need of hand-sewing the connector strip on the back. I also have to finish typing up the directions/lessons for Steppin' Out for the advanced beginners course I'm offering in a few weeks.

Enjoy your weekend!
Happy Thursday.

Jennifer Chiaverini: The Quilter's Apprentice

Last night, after picking the girls up from daycare, I thought it would be enjoyable to visit the Public Library. I made it a "special" visit for Cassie and allowed her to sign up for her OWN Library Card. She was overjoyed! While Caitlyn and Candace were coloring away in the Children's section, and Cassie was browsing over the Children's DVD selection, I actually meandered over to the Adult Fiction (which I RARELY EVER do because I usually have to keep a keen eye on Candace.)
And now I MUST ask......how many of you have heard of (even read???) any of Jennifer Chiaverini's novels? I have never heard of her or her books, and there were.........a good DOZEN on the shelf. I didn't have a lot of time to look over the selections, but I wanted to believe that I chose a "Book 1" title out of all that were there (I only assumed this because there weren't any other titles listed in the front pages like some of the other books had.)

A few hours soaking in the hot tub last night, and a couple of hours relaxing in the glider tonight, the book has been read cover-to-cover. And, I was THRILLED to find this link listed at the end of the story: Elm Creek Books....
There are so many novels listed! AND....now I find myself wondering if Angela's (SoScrappy) Elm Creek Quilt was inspired by one of the novels???? Angela?

So...who can fill me in? What is the "first" book that I should read and is this a series that needs to be read in order? If so, what is that order?

I will admit that I am a Generation-2000 quilter; machine piecing, machine quilting, and heck, I even have become good at machine sewing the binding on. A few of you have shared comments that you enjoy the "quiet" time of hand-sewing the binding on; a time to reflect before taking on a new project. I wasn't biting though........
However, after finishing this novel tonight, I pulled out some of my Grandmother's Work Basket magazines that have a series of "State Blocks." Some of you may remember the story behind finding these magazines and finding some blocks already created by my Grandmother when we were cleaning out her apartment a couple of summers ago. I can't help but feel inspired to accomplish some more blocks "grandma-fashion"; hand-piecing and the whole nine yards. Who knows...perhaps some day I can happily declare that I have made a "true quilt" completely by hand the way my Grandmother used to.......
someday.....

This -n- That day...

FIRST!!! To start the post; we are newly-made proud parents..... I really don't know if I ever informed any of you that my DH acquired yet another "Farmer Paul" animal. Last autumn, Cattle-ine joined our family, a pregnant heffer. This morning started with a new member. The picture is not the greatest, but I'm about 150 yards away, so....it'll do. Paul woke me up at 6:11 wondering if today was Monday or Sunday--UGH! Once I told him Sunday, he went "potty" and then snuggled back in. ME, on the other hand, shheeeesh---now I was wide awake, so....6:22 I finally rolled out of bed. Figured I might as well make use of the morning. Anyway---I peeked outside, and there she was, licking away. I got all excited and told Paul.....he didn't believe me! Come to find out that when he went to the bathroom, she was laying down with no calf, so she literally JUST calfed. The girls are still sleeping, but we both are up, eating muffins I made, drinking coffee, and are waiting patiently to share the news with the girls.

Okay---now to yesterday. I use this word a lot, but....it was a day of "putzing." It started out by working on the March quilt. All blocks were completed in the morning hours and were pieced into three sections. I think this will sit for a bit now while I decide how I want to quilt. I just purchased a new Machine Quilting book that takes me through the "practice" steps of accomplishing beautiful??? quilting.

After the sections were pieced, I came upstairs for a mid-morning snack and grabbed the book. Practicing my quilting sounded like a good plan, so I tore out a page of phone-book paper and traced a rather intriquite (sp?) design. I used an orphan Scrappy Basket block AND I grabbed the basting spray to finally try it out on a smaller-scale project. It worked rather slick! BUT, if you are going to use the "draw-motif-on-paper-and-sew-over-it-before-tearing-it-off method, I recommend to NOT spray the paper to the fabric. That was a PAIN to remove!!!

In addition to buying the quilting book last week, I also bought a whole bolt (25 yards) of white muslin (very nicely woven!!!) for $1.00 a yard! Couldn't go wrong there. Pictured is also a roll of 10 yards of Warm & Natural batting that was on sale for $5.99/yard. I should be set now for awhile :0)



While waiting for lunch to cook, I browsed over some of my online quilting bookmarks, and came across this Cathedral Windows tutorial from some time ago. I was instantly inspired, so I headed downstairs after lunch to give it a try using the new muslin. SLICK! This is FUN! I can foresee this being a larger-scale project in the future, but I think I want some sort of "controlled scrappiness" with the window colors, so this is just a small wall-hanging as a visual reminder for "someday."

Then...I actually was bored with the quilting room. I didn't know what else to work on and really didn't feel like sewing.


Paul was outside with the girls, working on his own version of "putzing." He was preparing the garden for tilling; covering it with some old leaves and compost that has been "brewing" since last year. I joined in the fun......

















And this last picture was a surprise on the camera this morning. Last night, Candace and Caitlyn "borrowed" the camera again. Caitlyn snapped the pic of her and Candace; it turned out amazing.

Happy Sunday

Just call me melted butter,

cuz I'm on a roll.....


Steppin' Out saw it's finish tonight. I still have the connector strip to hand-sew to the back, but binding is sewn, and label is on.





On a more somber note,
I am really trying to stay calm right now, but I am literally emotionally and even physically aggitated........
I'm watching the History Channel, and I am just saddened, sickened and just down right appauled, watching "Zero Hour", a documentary on the Columbine Shooting, marking its 10 year anniversary.
The premeditation involved.....just........well...*sigh*....just makes me ask WHY? WHY? WHY?
*shaking head*

Give your children an extra kiss tonight, and a super-tight hug. Let them know you love them and NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING is ever so bad that they can't talk to you!!!

Busy day; quick post

DH is allowing me to use the computer for only a few moments here because he has some more searching he wants to do before bed....so....here's the whirlwind....

I made all the labels this morning that I listed off last night. I attached the ones in the picture (and Steppin' Out (not pictured)).


I did some more quilting work on Chloe's Colors once the labels were attached. I have decided to allow Chloe to have the quilt, so I wanted to put some nicer finishing touches to complete the quilting.

Then I pulled out Steppin' Out again and putzed, putzed, putzed with quilting. Bada-bing-bada-boom....this baby is NEARLY finished!!! I have border quilting yet to do, but then it's ready for binding. Yes! It's kinda nice and amazing what can all be accomplished when one actually has almost two full days of time designated mainly to sewing/quilting :0)

The last bit of laundry is in the dryer right now; dinner was ABSOLUTELY delicious! (Pork ribs; Texas style (dry rub and baked uncovered for 3 hours...but then I did throw them into the slow cooker for another hour with some homemade BBQ sauce----YUM!!!)

Night all :0)
Happy Sunday!

DD -- Done! [[almost]]

This REALLY did come together quite quickly once I sat down and "just did it!" The last few blocks were pieced last Sunday and Monday; recall it was all basted and partially quilted on Monday as well.


This morning, I pulled it out again with hopes to finish it. Quilting consisted of traveling hearts down the length of the pink vertical 1-inch block "lines"; stippling in the light squares, stitch-in-ditch along the edge of each large block; stippling in the borders.

The binding is already completed. I have gotten quite good at sewing the binding to the front, taking time to press it over&around edge, then stitching in the ditch with machine on the front side (which just catches the edge of the binding on the back (rather than hand-sewing to the back---ugh-ugh-ugh!).
However, I still need to hand-sew the connector-strip on the back (the strip that pieced the two quilted sections together).

I have a few quilts now awaiting labels, so maybe I'll make that a task for tomorrow.
-Chloe's Colors
-Andrea's Garden
-Double Delights
-For Baby
-Oklahoma Backroads
-Sevens Shirt (this isn't quilted yet though)
-Steppin' Out (midst of quilting)
-Country Spirit (midst of quilting)

Happy Saturday!

National (online) Quilt Festival; My Favorite Quilt story

Amy from Park City Girl has organized an online Quilt Festival. Join in the fun!

My Favorite Quilt


As many quilters would probably agree, choosing ONE quilt as a favorite is not easy to do. However, my favorite quilt was actually just posted (again) a couple of days ago; it would have to be Caitlyn's Flowers. This quilt was a quilt of many "Firsts." It was my first applique quilt (thank goodness the directions were easy!); it was my first FMQ (in the borders and around the flowers); it was my first "real" binding (where you hand-sew to the back); and it was the first quilt that was made for any of my girls.

Take a moment to join in the fun. Visit Amy's site and share your story :0)

gonna enjoy the weekend.....

It's Saturday morning, and I'm waiting patiently for the coffee to finish brewing and the muffins to finish baking. I was a determined and motivated lady last night: grading ALL of my tests from the day since I was out of the District for a workshop (14-Web Design quizzes, 25-Math 8 tests, 23-Algebra 8 HW-quizzes), prepped for all my classes next week; folded loads-n-loads of laundry that had been stock-piling over the past couple of days; washed and folded a couple other loads; boxed up some of the girls' clothes for GoodWill; boxed up the "better" of the girls' clothes for a friend's little girl; boxed up the clothes that still have TAGS on them to put up on eBay (oh yeah...gotta remember to find some time today to do that). Sure---it was literally midnight when I finally settled down to read a few pages of Breaking Dawn (the 4th book of the Twilight saga--re-reading) before calling it a night.

But now------*sigh*------I have the rest of the weekend to sew and quilt! Nothing (much) hanging over my head (I do have some more prepping I could do on computer for next week, but that won't take much time).

In between loads of laundry last night, I also was downstairs sewing up 24 more Shades of Green blocks. I now have 44 complete and they are laying out on the floor. No pics yet.....but maybe tonight?
So...what's on the agenda? I really should try to finish up the quilting on DD, then piece the 2 sections together, add the borders, and be DONE with it. I could (should) have that finished by the close of the weekend.
I could also work on finishing up the remaining blocks for Shades of Green, or do some more quilting on Steppin' Out. Ahhhh.....so many fun projects all awaiting.....

Okay---muffins just buzzed.
Have a great day!!!