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| Craftsy BOM 2012 |
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| Love |
She's ready for snuggling..
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
A Lovely Year of Finishes - April Goal Done!
Just a quick post for A Lovely Year of Finishes over at Fiber of All Sorts. I just finished my April goal with 23 hours to spare. My 2012 Craftsy BOM class quilt is FINISHED!
She deserves a proper name and post. That will come in a few days. I just wanted to post for the finish. I've just finished a quilting marathon and now on to a crazy work week. I have so much to share about this quilt so I'll post it soon.
She's ready for snuggling..
She's ready for snuggling..
Saturday, April 20, 2013
1 Day, 520 miles, 3 states, 2 time zones, 8 Quilt Shops
Yesterday was the first time I participated in a quilt shop hop. I'm pretty sure not all shop hops are as brutal as the one in my area and I will probably not try it again. I started the trip very early to be at the first shop when it opened and entered the last shop 10 minutes before it closed. That's over 12 hours. I had to go it alone because my mother-in-law couldn't go and my other quilting friend had to work. It was such a time crunch to get to every shop, I had no time for lunch and the only other stop I made was for gas. Thank goodness some of the shops had bottled water and snacks. No pain, no gain.....
The 2013 Prarie Stars Quilt Shop Hop had 8 participating shops in 3 states (Kansas, Colorado, and Oklahoma). A lot of prairie and a little shoppping. Each shop created a unique quilt featuring Postcard Garden fabric by Red Rooster. The individual shops each had kits available for purchase which included one Postcard panel, one Postcard Garden fat quarter, and one fat quarter of a coordinating fabric from the Shadow Play collection by Maywood Studio. A sweet surprise included in each kit was a quilting charm. Now I have a super sweet quilt charm bracelet that I drove over 500 miles to make. lol
Today I am resting, cleaning, and looking at my loot. Some of the shops had free gifts and some are having drawings. I was able to visit all 8 shops (crazy) so I am in a drawing for a sewing machine. Why is it we will do anything for a drawing? Free? SIGN ME UP! (Not free, exactly when you figure all the purchases and gas. lol)
That's how I spent my day off. Driving and a little shopping and more driving. The day was fun and I connected with a lot of fellow quilters. I was even able to reconnect with a college roommate! Ok, that was extra exciting and would have never happened if I hadn't gone on the shop hop. Still, I think I will stick to one quilt shop at a time unless there is a hop with more shopping and less driving involved.
Happy weekend,
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| My home isn't on this map. If you went to the right of Cimarron another inch, that was my starting point. |
The 2013 Prarie Stars Quilt Shop Hop had 8 participating shops in 3 states (Kansas, Colorado, and Oklahoma). A lot of prairie and a little shoppping. Each shop created a unique quilt featuring Postcard Garden fabric by Red Rooster. The individual shops each had kits available for purchase which included one Postcard panel, one Postcard Garden fat quarter, and one fat quarter of a coordinating fabric from the Shadow Play collection by Maywood Studio. A sweet surprise included in each kit was a quilting charm. Now I have a super sweet quilt charm bracelet that I drove over 500 miles to make. lol
Today I am resting, cleaning, and looking at my loot. Some of the shops had free gifts and some are having drawings. I was able to visit all 8 shops (crazy) so I am in a drawing for a sewing machine. Why is it we will do anything for a drawing? Free? SIGN ME UP! (Not free, exactly when you figure all the purchases and gas. lol)
That's how I spent my day off. Driving and a little shopping and more driving. The day was fun and I connected with a lot of fellow quilters. I was even able to reconnect with a college roommate! Ok, that was extra exciting and would have never happened if I hadn't gone on the shop hop. Still, I think I will stick to one quilt shop at a time unless there is a hop with more shopping and less driving involved.
Happy weekend,
Monday, April 15, 2013
Progress for April and Paying it forward
I've made progress on the April goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes 2013. The Craftsy BOM 2012 is almost a complete top. I need to add borders and then on to basting and quilting.
The intention for this day was to build borders for the Craftsy quilt top and to work on my donation quilt for the Hands2Help Project until I wasdistracted by interested in this blog post over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. Sarah is such a giving inspiration and in her ministry "Piece*Love*Quilt" her group makes quilts to give to people in need. Fabric, quilt tops, and anything to help make the quilts is needed, so I went to work to find a few things to donate. I will send them and include this quilt block, I made today, to be included in "The Helping Hands Project".
The fabric is leftover from the Craftsy quilt and I have more to donate. So many of my online sewing friends are givers. It's incredible what loving hearts quilters have.
Thank you Sarah at "Confessions of a Fabric Addict" for all your inspiration,
The intention for this day was to build borders for the Craftsy quilt top and to work on my donation quilt for the Hands2Help Project until I was
The fabric is leftover from the Craftsy quilt and I have more to donate. So many of my online sewing friends are givers. It's incredible what loving hearts quilters have.
Thank you Sarah at "Confessions of a Fabric Addict" for all your inspiration,
Friday, April 12, 2013
Recycled Denim Pillow
And we thought it was spring. Three nights of freezing temperatures this week found us trying to keep the garden under cover (including the bunnies). Everything seems to be doing alright with the exception of a wall hydrant that had a hose still hooked up to it. Don't worry, I know a good plumber...lol
After cutting up milk jugs to go over the plants in the garden, I was in a recycling mood. I dug in my stash of garage sale clothes and cut up an old pair of jeans to make a pillow for a Friday finish.
There were eight 5" charm squares in red left from a charm exchange last year to make sixteen 4 1/2" half square triangles. I arranged the squares until I found a pleasing pattern and pieced them together. I'm still practicing different free motion quilting designs and used a few on the quilting. I used red piping for the edge and a envelope back for easy washing. The pillow is 16 inches.
In other news, look what came in the mail this week. Bracelets!! My sister-in-law has an Etsy shop called RosieBlueBell where these are available. I have very small wrists and she made these to order. I just love the beads and buttons.
And finally, the bunnies survived the cold. We thought there was 3. Hubby told me there is 5. Today I counted 6. They are multiplying and growing, but they still live in my garden. Only now they are protected with straw thanks to hubby.
Have a great weekend,
After cutting up milk jugs to go over the plants in the garden, I was in a recycling mood. I dug in my stash of garage sale clothes and cut up an old pair of jeans to make a pillow for a Friday finish.
There were eight 5" charm squares in red left from a charm exchange last year to make sixteen 4 1/2" half square triangles. I arranged the squares until I found a pleasing pattern and pieced them together. I'm still practicing different free motion quilting designs and used a few on the quilting. I used red piping for the edge and a envelope back for easy washing. The pillow is 16 inches.
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| From old jeans to a pretty pillow |
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| Handmade bracelets from RosieBlueBell |
And finally, the bunnies survived the cold. We thought there was 3. Hubby told me there is 5. Today I counted 6. They are multiplying and growing, but they still live in my garden. Only now they are protected with straw thanks to hubby.
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| Our pet bunnies..ugh |
Monday, April 8, 2013
Gardening Season 2013 - I need lessons from Mr. McGregor
Wonderful weather and a weekend at home was just the ticket for clearing out the garden and starting the early spring vegetables. Someone had already started growing in our garden. This would happen to be a very lucky baby bunny.
Last year I turned over the garden with a shovel and a friend showed up with a tiller and turned the earth over for me again. Hubby and I decided to enrich our soil a little more this year and went to town and purchased our own tiller and compost.
In townwe hubby spotted this:
Notice the sign is painted and this vehicle is for selling stickers? I've never seen a traveling sticker salesman. We didn't stop, but did get a picture for kicks...
The tiller made it home with us and we went straight to work. Because I had read the owner's manual on the trip home, I saved a rabbit nest. The manual suggested leaving a row untilled between passes and then going back between the tilled rows. Hubby needed a rest after the first tilling of every other row when I spotted an old cabbage plant and worked to pull it up. Out popped a little head...Scared the heck out of me. We had just missed the plant with the baby rabbits by inches.
It would have broke our hearts if the tiller had ran over them. We could see 2 babies, but there could be 3 in there. So it was decided to till the other end of the garden and let the momma relocate the babies Saturday night. We thought she would want to relocate the babies after we had disturbed the nest.
Sunday we went back to work. The rabbit nest was still there. Now with a nice, fresh door of rabbit fur over it. Uugghh. Now what? I don't want to provide food for them by planting my garden. My garden is in a fence to keep animals out, not to trap them in. We found the hole in the fence where Mommy Bunny is getting in, but she needs to get out first before we patch it.
Planting went on as scheduled and I'm counting on the rabbits vacating before my seeds start germinating. I rearranged my plan for seeds and plants. The plants went on the far end of the garden with a nice little chicken wire fence (thanks honey) across that end to protect them from the hungry rabbits. This is my own "Tale of Peter Rabbit" only the bunny family is living in my garden.
Every year I say to myself I'm going to keep track of what I plant, but this year I am actually doing it.
It's a little primitive, but perfect for keeping track of what I've planted. I can add to it as the weather warms and new plants are introduced. Next year I will know what worked well and what flopped. I'm trying to turn my thumb from black to green.
Anyone know anything about getting rid of rabbits?
Last year I turned over the garden with a shovel and a friend showed up with a tiller and turned the earth over for me again. Hubby and I decided to enrich our soil a little more this year and went to town and purchased our own tiller and compost.
In town
Notice the sign is painted and this vehicle is for selling stickers? I've never seen a traveling sticker salesman. We didn't stop, but did get a picture for kicks...
The tiller made it home with us and we went straight to work. Because I had read the owner's manual on the trip home, I saved a rabbit nest. The manual suggested leaving a row untilled between passes and then going back between the tilled rows. Hubby needed a rest after the first tilling of every other row when I spotted an old cabbage plant and worked to pull it up. Out popped a little head...Scared the heck out of me. We had just missed the plant with the baby rabbits by inches.
It would have broke our hearts if the tiller had ran over them. We could see 2 babies, but there could be 3 in there. So it was decided to till the other end of the garden and let the momma relocate the babies Saturday night. We thought she would want to relocate the babies after we had disturbed the nest.
Sunday we went back to work. The rabbit nest was still there. Now with a nice, fresh door of rabbit fur over it. Uugghh. Now what? I don't want to provide food for them by planting my garden. My garden is in a fence to keep animals out, not to trap them in. We found the hole in the fence where Mommy Bunny is getting in, but she needs to get out first before we patch it.
Planting went on as scheduled and I'm counting on the rabbits vacating before my seeds start germinating. I rearranged my plan for seeds and plants. The plants went on the far end of the garden with a nice little chicken wire fence (thanks honey) across that end to protect them from the hungry rabbits. This is my own "Tale of Peter Rabbit" only the bunny family is living in my garden.
Every year I say to myself I'm going to keep track of what I plant, but this year I am actually doing it.
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| Garden Chart 2013 |
It's a little primitive, but perfect for keeping track of what I've planted. I can add to it as the weather warms and new plants are introduced. Next year I will know what worked well and what flopped. I'm trying to turn my thumb from black to green.
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Friday, April 5, 2013
Craftsy BOM 2012
It is time to tackle my Craftsy Block of the Month class from 2012. The blocks ( 20 of them) are all finished and sitting in a box. My April goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes is to finish this UFO.
The class was a great experience for me with Amy Gibson as the instructor. I even signed up for the Craftsy Class, Free Motion Quilting a Sampler by Leah Day to fmq this particular quilt. It is time to finish.
Past 2012 BOM posts:
July, August, September, October Blocks
April looks to be very busy,
The class was a great experience for me with Amy Gibson as the instructor. I even signed up for the Craftsy Class, Free Motion Quilting a Sampler by Leah Day to fmq this particular quilt. It is time to finish.
Past 2012 BOM posts:
July, August, September, October Blocks
April looks to be very busy,
Monday, April 1, 2013
And The Winner Is...
It's time to announce the winner of the giveaway for The Stitch Me Up Blog Hop. The winner is walking away with this wonderful prize bundle. A pocket guide of embroidery and 1/2 yard of Bella fabric by Windham Fabrics.
Mr. Random, the results, please...
Mr. Random, the results, please...
The winner is Vicki H.
Yes, I follow you from Kansas as well.
Congratulations, Vicki, I will be e-mailing you soon. Thank you to all that entered.
I was a winner this week, also. I was the grand prize random draw winner at Project Quilting Season 4! and I was having a pity party because I hadn't won anything... YIIPPPPEEEE! Thank you, Kim at Persimon Dreams for a great experience!
My 6 from Project Quilting (photo collage courtesy of Project Quilting)
Thank you to the sponsors of the Grand Prize Giveaway for Project Quilting:
I can't wait for Project Quilting - Season 5,