May Goal - Check...but not without difficulties, A Lovely Year of Finishes

Just a quick post so I can add this to the finish party over at A Lovely Year Of Finishes.  I fought the Janome and thread all day and they very nearly won.  If not for obligations, this one would have been a UFO for a long, long time.

It's always the ones you think you'll breeze through that make you feel like you should find a new hobby.  I'll give details later.  For now, she's DONE.

Posting this with a couple hours to spare.  HA!  Take that sewing machine!  I did it in spite of you.

 

Update:  After the trauma, I did a proper post HERE. 

 



I need a drink,

Miniature House For a Sweetie

The weekend was extended for us with a visit from our dear friends from Joplin, Missouri - Zack, Casey and their sweet baby girl.  Since we hadn't seen them in over a year, I wanted to make something very special for the visit.

In my collection of vintage patterns I found McCall's pattern 8346 from 1982 to make a miniature house, furniture, and animal families.  It seemed like a simple enough project to finish in a couple of days while I cleaned and finished staining the decks in preparation for our friends visit.  LOL  Can you say HAND SEW?  Every other step was some kind of hand sewing, but it really turned out very cute with lots of applique and a little quilting.

I managed to make 1 bunny to go with the house, but no furniture yet.  (Insert sad face).

The curtains are hung but there is no where to sit.  (Another sad face)  All alone in an empty house.

Hubby even sewed on the Velcro for me last night in the wee hours of the morning so I could put the one bunny together.  We both have sore fingers now...

I made it the colors of our cabin to commemorate her first visit to our house.  Now I just have to make the rest of the bunny family, chair, couch, and bed.  I'll provide the delivery at no charge.  :^)

Update:  Furniture, Mommy, and Baby POST HERE.

I forgot to take a picture of her with it, so mommy and daddy took a picture of her playing with it on the car ride home. 

Here is our other visitor today.  He thinks there is another Cardinal in the glass (his reflection).  He's been on the deck singing and pecking at the glass all day.

And the decks are all stained!  What a great weekend.  I'm so happy we had an extra day with friends.  Now it's back to work.

Smiling,

 

Just as I PICTURED it.

From the beginning of putting this quilt together, I had in my minds eye how I wanted to capture it in a photo.  Because we live on Duck Creek, putting the cabin in the background with the quilt back lit was exactly what was in my head and the day the photo was taken the sun helped to give the iridescence.

I'm entering this photo in the Blogger’s Quilt Festival :Quilt Photographer category.  I'm not a professional (for sure) but if you blog about quilting, photography has to be important.  I have a lot to learn, but I really enjoy having my idea come to life in a photo.
 
Quilt Stats:

Quilt Measurements  49" x 49"

Hand embroidery, Scrappy Binding

Quilted by me, free motion on my domestic machine

Duck Pillow Stats:

Quilt Measurements 24" x 24"

Reverse Applique

Quilted by me, free motion on my domestic machine

Duck and Ducklings Pillow Stats:

Quilt Measurements 14" x 14"

Quilted by me, free motion on my domestic machine

Sharing a friend's photos seems appropriate in this post.  I will never be as talented as my grade school class mate, Cate.  She has made quite a business with photography, but I can learn from her and use her as an inspiration. Just seeing a professionals work can inspire.  These tornadoes didn't cause damage and the wedding guests kept an eye on the storm as the wedding continued.  Here is a photo she took last year which you have probably seen before:

Photo by Cate Eighmey courtesy of AP

 

Isn't that picture incredible.  It went viral before she put her water mark on it.  Here is another from the same wedding:

Photo by Cate Eighmey courtesy of AP

Tornadoes in the background.  You can't always have perfect timing, but it sure helped Cate's business and she captured the celebration of the wedding perfectly.  The article about the wedding is HERE.

Capturing emotion in photos is one great skill.  In quilt photos, I like to make the viewer want to crawl into the picture and curl up in the quilt.  I'm working on it.  I think I'll always be working on it.


I originally added "Welcome to Duck Creek" to the photo.  Here is that one:

 

Another favorite was an inside shot:

 

 



My devoted readers are seeing this quilt and pillows for the second time in a week.  The Blogger's Quilt Festival requires it's own post, so I hope you understand.  I first blogged about this quilt HERE.

Be sure and go to the Festival.  Entries are still being accepted in all kinds of categories.  It's so fun to look at the beautiful quilts and see what ideas others have.  Amy works very hard and it's a very organized event.  There are great prizes from fantastic sponsors.

 



This year, Amy is allowing 2 entries.  I may bring another quilt back....

Have a great week,

One Deck, Two Deck, Three Deck, Four

What a weekend and we still aren't done.  I took a weekend away from all sewing and everything else and re stained decks.   It was quite a job, but they are looking great.

Here are all four decks.

The first three are done with the exception of putting the lattice back up on the bottom of the third one. The lattice is stained and ready to put up. Number four is actually a screened in porch, but the screens all had to come down in order to stain the front of the railing.  One more evening of staining and we should be set to put everything back in order.  Hurray!

I have been staining non stop since Friday morning and I am exhausted.  The problem is (as you know) the laundry is piled, the mowing is in need, no groceries in the house, bills need paid, and I want to sew.  lol

I am getting back to it, but we need to announce the winner of the giveaway for the "It's For the Birds Blog Hop".  Without further ado, the winner is:

 

Congratulations Charlotte!  I'll be in touch.

 



charlotteMay 15, 2013 at 4:17 AM

Love the ducks. What a nice job!

 

 

 

So much to do, but see you soon,

 





Welcome to Duck Creek - It's for the Birds Blog Hop

I am thrilled to be part of the "It's for the Birds Blog Hop" and want to thank  Mary and Madame Samm for organizing the hop!  Every thing is ducky here on the last day of the hop.

I knew right away when this hop was announced what I was going to do.  I live in a cabin surrounded by a creek, (when we aren't in a drought)...  Anyway, the creek is called Duck Creek and I needed a quilt with ducks for my Duck Creek bedroom. And not too girly either, I have to share the room you know.   I finished 3 projects for this blog hop.  Crazy....for me.

My first thought was to embroider ducks on a quilt and when I asked hubby what he thought, he handed me a drawing he had designed for his metal work.  I was good to go.  If it works for metal it had to work with fabric and thread. 

Duck Creek Design duck pattern embroidered with stem, slip and back stitch

The inspiration for the quilt came from here.  The fabric was a prize I won from my dear friend in the UK, Jen, over at Glinda Quilts.  (I can finally share the finish with you, my dear) It was perfect for this rustic quilt.  Flying ducks, standing ducks, and swimming ducks decorate the quilt. 

I worked on some free motion skills with the quilt and had fun making a scrappy binding.  In fact, between making the binding and the two pillows, there aren't many scraps.  The quilt is 49" x 49".  Yep, that's a hay bail it's sitting on.  It was so windy....it practically stayed on without clips.

Duck pattern in metal

The reverse appliqued duck pillow was a bit of a challenge to cut out, but since it was my hubby's drawing, I wanted it to be perfect nice.  :)  I lucked out and found some yardage of some of the same fabric from the quilt and was able to make the duck pillow.The top fabric was fused to the Kona snow.  I used scraps from the quilt for the top and bottom to make it a 24" x 24" pillow.

Duck pattern in fabric

I couldn't have a duck theme here with out a Duck and Ducklings quilt block.  A duck can be more than just a bird.  There are a lot of classic quilt block patterns with ducks in the name.  There are duck tracks, duck paddles, and even ducks foot in the mud.  I used Kona snow and more scraps from the quilt to make the pillow.  It is a 14" pillow.

Duck and Ducklings

Here is where my lovely ducks will roost.  I'm so happy to have more ducks around.

 That's my duck story.
 

I'm quacking myself up...

 

Don't be a sitting duck.  Fly or paddle on over to the other feathered friends:

 

Wednesday, May 15

http://cariboucrossingchronicles.blogspot.ca

www.notionnanny.blogspot.com

http://crookedgulleyartquilts.blogspot.com

http://Karamino.blogspot.com

http://celticthistlestitches.blogspot.com

www.sewmolliesue.com

http://devotedquilter.blogspot.com

http://mystitchin-n-stuff.blogspot.com

www.quiltscapesqs.com

http://kocanquilt.blogspot.com

http://createinthesticks.blogspot.com You are here!

http://terrysquiltingtime.blogspot.com

http://Sewwequilt.com


One last thing.  A GIVEAWAY.  What better way to celebrate the end of a blog hop than with a giveaway.  3 coordinated fat quarters of fabric by Red Rooster. 

To win, just quack a comment.  If you are a follower, (new or old faithful) leave me a quack comment telling me so.  That's 2 chances to win.  The drawing will be by Mr. Random at 8 pm Central time Sunday May 19th.  Winner will be announced by Monday.  Be sure you leave an e-mail if your aren't a Google user.  Anyone can win.


I'm a lucky ducky to have you stop by,

Her First Quilt, Making a Memory

When my daughter told me last week she was planning to spend the whole day with me on Mother's Day, I never dreamed in a million years we would spend the day sewing together.  We had made a few clothing items in her teen years but she had never tried quilting before.  I feel very lucky to share this with my sweet girl. 


Trista at the Sewing Machine

Pot Holders Pieced with Half Square Triangles

Today we made some potholders.  Two for her and one for me.  She pieced and quilted all three as I helped and guided her.  She is a fast learner.  We had a blast and I couldn't believe how fast the piecing went with two people cutting, pressing, and sewing.

Today was a first for me, too. We tried sewing the binding by machine and it worked beautifully.  A different decorative stitch was chosen for each little quilt.  I will definitely do this again.

Binding securely pinned and the final look of the backs

Closer look at the machine stitched binding

Every time I use my pot holder I will remember this beautiful day I shared with my daughter, Trista, teaching her a little quilting.  And.....

My daughter, Trista

 we went out to supper at the Casino and we each won a little cash.  Great memories made today. 

Feeling Blessed,

Quilts for Boston

Today I whipped meticulously put together a block to send to the Boston Modern Quilt Guild in an effort to help to put together quilts for those affected by the bombing.  It seems like the right thing to do and I wish I had time to do more.

 

 

I just love half sqare triangles and all the ways to put them together.  I just made a bunch in the colors they have requested and played until I liked the pattern.  It's so funny how much more time I spent putting this block together knowing the back would be exposed...lol

 

 

 

If you want to help, HERE are the details.

 

 

Have a great week,

 



Mother's Day Came Early

I had a very nice surprise visit from my son and his girlfriend this weekend and I put them to work. 

My son and his girlfriend with the smile they put on our propane tank



But wait, here is the before, during, and after.... It's amazing what creative people can do with a little paint.

 

Those tanks were such an eye sore before.  Now, every time I look out my kitchen window I will see that smile and think of the kids. 

My grandmother had gas tanks with smiles on her farm and I always thought it was such a happy sight.  Now my son has recreated that memory for me.  Happy Mother's Day to me..early...

My son has to work next weekend and decided to come this weekend instead.  He lives 5 hours away and it is quite a little trip so I feel very blessed.

My son, Randy and his girlfriend, Andie

Now, I wonder what little thing chore my daughter will want to do next weekend...lol  She is planning on spending Mother's Day with me here.  Not a bad gig for me.

Hope you have had as good a weekend as I,