Summertime catch up!

Hi to all my blog friends!  I have to share an update on what's going on in my life.  As I was taking pictures, it became apparent to me why I am so busy!  I've been making up for lost time this year, and really cranking through the projects.   First up,my favorite obsession at the moment!  This is the beautiful Mary Allen Sampler that I am stitching with my dear friend, Deb.  We e-mail back and forth and she has become my kindred spirit.  We met through blogging, and going to the Shepherd's Bush retreat.  When Deb told me she wanted to start working on this, I jumped at the chance to do a SAL with her.  My other SB, blogging friend, Terri ,gifted the pattern to me and I have been dreaming about it ever since! (Thanks sweet Terri!)   I just finished my first page today.  (I know I like to push deadlines).  We are stitching a page a month, and I am happy that I can start stitching page two tomorrow.  I am stitching on 35 count French Vanilla by R&R Reproductions, with one strand of NPI silks.  I debated on doing 2 strands, but with 35 count, I opted to do one.  Also, knowing me, I'll have to unpick a lot, so I don't want to worry about buying more silk.  :)

Just in time for the 4th of July, this is a quilt guild block exchange that we did last year.  I decided to make it my picnic blanket, so I added one more row to make it bigger.  It's an expensive little picnic blanket.  When it comes back from the quilters, I may change my mind about putting it on the ground!

So sorry for the blurry photo.  I took this picture a while ago, and the quilt is now at the quilters, so I couldn't shoot it again.  This is another block exchange we did in my quilt guild.  This one was a couple of years ago, and it's called, Cracker Crumb.  When we were exchanging blocks, I thought it was going to be a homely looking quilt, but I really like it now that it's put together.  I appliqued big stars on the corners.  This quilt is for my son's room. 

I was so happy to finally get this finished.  I put it away for a few months, because I wasn't happy with the orange colors I had going on.  I bought some different fabrics for the filler blocks, and I am really happy with the way it turned out.  This is Fig Tree's Garden Fence.  This one was tricky with the checker board border.  I spent several hours getting that to fit just right.  I think it was worth the effort.  Love this quilt!

This one was simple, just add the boarder.  What I didn't show you, is the bag of clothes that go on the dolls!  I loved the idea of a quilt you could actually play with.  I think my daughter and I will have fun dressing the paper dolls up during the Christmas holidays.

Since I finished my big Alphabet Village, I decide to start about 5 new projects.   Seriously, isn't that the way it goes?  I have so many things I want to do.  This is Weeping Tree by the City Stitcher.  I started this in May and haven't looked at it since.  I do hope to get back to it soon, as I loved working on it!

My SIL Melanie and I are doing a SAL with Random Thoughts by The Drawn Thread.  A nice easy piece to work on when I'm tired.   

Sweet Jolene was my partner in crime at Shop Hop.  She surprised me with this paper doll quilt!  How I love it!!!  I dream about working on it.  She is such a wonderful enabler!

Another Start, LHN Hillside Traveler.  This is a SAL with my Mom and SIL, Melanie.  We are doing so much together this year, and it's really fun.  I have until July 26th to stitch the brown house and the 2 trees.  I better get crossing my x's!

If stitching wasn't enough, My mom and SIL and I are also working on Farm Fresh by Buggy Barn.    My mom has spent hours on end cutting kits for us, and I have spent hours on end tracing and ironing.  Can you see my enormous pile that I have to prep?  I like to use the spray starch method for my appliques.  It goes fairly quick, if my kids help me paint the spray starch on.  This will be on the agenda after sewing for my DD's birthday is done.  Yikes!  I have a lot to do, it's only 2 weeks away. 

I got the urge to cut out this project a few weeks ago.  It's from the book "Simple Graces" by Kim Diehl.  I thought I would make this a "car project" this summer.  My last car project got left in there for 4 years.  I guess that means that I drive most of the time.   I don't plan on waiting that long for this one to be finished.  At least I hope not!

Another project from the Simple Graces book.   This is a yo yo quilt.  I have been cutting little circles to do this one day. After seeing Deb's last post about her wonderful Go machine, I think I may get one, just to cut my circles!  This quilt is a lot smaller in person than it looks in the book, and it was the first yo yo quilt project that inspired me to make one.  It was stunning in person!

Last but not least, I have to share my sweet little daughter's photo from her ballet recital.  It was a play based on the story of Madeline, and she played a "Petit Sailor" in the park.  She was so cute!  It was a wonderful performance.  Since then DD has tried out for the ballet company which is a small group of 30 girls, out of 150 that will perform more during the year.   We were so proud of her that she made it, and now our lives are going to be centered on ballet, because she starts taking lessons 3 times a week in August.  I may need more car projects!  

   

Thank you for stopping by to see me!  I appreciate every single comment. They make my day.  Have a wonderful 4h of July holiday.  Until next time, Happy Sewing.

Shop Hoppin' and more stash buying

Boy, it's been a long time since I've posted anything. Here's an update of what I've been up to.

Little House Needleworks All Dolled Up series

Liberty and Justice

DMC colors

I finished a little patriotic sampler.  This was a fun stitch, and I did it in a few nights.  I haven't been stitching too much lately.  The sewing machine has been getting more attention, because of this...

My DD got a new sewing machine.  This is cute Hello Kitty machine, that actually sews great.  It has 9 stitches and a button hole.  The perfect machine for DD to learn to sew on.  It is a real Janome machine, not a toy, so I do have to watch her, but so far she has been really careful, and we haven't sewn our fingers yet...knock on wood!

She made a few pot holders.  My son wanted to learn too, so he made the one in the middle.  I think they did a good job, and it was good practice. She also made a couple dresses for her AG dolls.  They were both the same, and she needed a little help with the trim, but for the most part, she sewed the whole dress.  There was a slight mishap with the scissors when cutting out the skirt, somehow we ended up with a huge hole.  I told her that now we know what not to do with the scissors!

I've been working on Garden Fence by Fig Tree.  I really love this quilt.  I am having problems finding the right color of fabric to go in between the blocks.  I have a lot of orange going on here, and I'm not sure that I want that much orange.  Opinions anyone?

I finished my trench coat and bag.  (Sorry for the terrible picture.  No body was home to help me with this.) 
The weather has been so awful here, I actually got to wear this last weekend for our towns annual Heritage Festival.  It only got up to 55 degrees, and it rained all day.  I've had lots of compliments on it, and I'm glad it turned out.  Both patterns are from Serendipity Studios.  The jacket was really easy, and I got my decorator fabric for a dollar a yard...Kaching!

At the Heritage Festival I helped some friends with the trunk show.  They have a different designer come and do a trunk show every year.  Big names like Blackbird, Quaker Town Quilts, and this year...Barbara from Quilt Soup.  Her trunk show was fantastic!  I love her patterns, they are fun and happy.  Quilts that make you smile.  I bought this pattern, which is not like her work now at all.  This is one of her first patterns she designed.  The center on the star block gets cut out, and you can make a bonus quilt with the extra piece.  I love this idea!  After the show, I got to go to lunch with Barbara.  She is so fun to talk to.  I love getting to meet creative people!  Wish I would have had my camera!

Some of my stash haul from Shop Hop  Can you tell what fabric DD picked out, and what I picked out?

This week, I've been to our annual Shop Hop, in Utah.  It really is a fun event.  I suppose to meet up with Jolene on Wednesday.  Tuesday night the weather report was showing 70 mile an hour winds and DH was not very excited about my going.  He could see visions of trucks tipping over on the freeway (which did happen, but no one was hurt).  It turns out that Jolene could not get Thursday off, so she went without me!  I was plenty mad at the hubby let me tell you!  I decided to go on Thursday, and I took my little daughter.  It was fun to have a day with her, but not the same as if I had been with Jolene.   I didn't take my camera so go over to Jolene's blog to see some photos of the different stores.

 My best deal were these Joined at the Hip kits.  $5.00 for each kit, including the pattern!  I wish they would have had Fall and Winter too. 

Saturday, Jolene came to my town and we went to the last store, Village Dry Goods.  I found a few more things I needed.  I have had this quilt book for a while, and I wanted some Civil War prints to make some of these small quilts out of.  They have a great selection.  The berry fabric was on sale for $4.99 a yard, and I just thought it was great for something.  Don't know what yet...

Jolene was so cute, and bought me some patterns while she was shopping around.  Gosh, I don't know what to say!  She blows me away.  I can't wait to do some of these darling projects.  I made her a small pincushion to remember her shop hop event, and took her to lunch at the Idle Isle.  A restaurant that has been around for 90 years!  Not even a comparison to her generous gift, I know, but can you ever out do Jolene?

I started on this easy project last week.  One of my shop hop projects from years past.  I love this blackbird sampler fabric in the background.  I have lots of this fabric, in many different colors!  I am going to have projects that all look the same!  This is Joined at the Hip, Liberty Welcome.  It is one of the Hanging on a star series quilts.  You can make a quilt for every season to hang on your door.  I'm not sure if I'll get to anymore soon, but I'll try.

I started on one of my Barrick Samplers.  I have vision of a whole row of these black samplers hanging with black ribbon in my sewing room.  I'll have to take pictures when I get them done.

Last but not least, I made a new ironing board cover.  Don't you just love the samplers on it?  It fits my room perfectly!

Take care dear blog friends!  Thanks for all your wonderful comments.  I love them!  Until next time...Happy Sewing.