Fun Threads Mystery

Do you remember Carol's mystery quilt over at Fun Threads?

I'm thrilled to say, mine is done... and I love it!

 

Did those blocks give you a clue?

LOL!!

How about this snowball block...

Or this too cute snowman...

Add in a few flakes...

And a few trees...

and these gorgeous Ice Crystal blocks

and what do you get?

 

Pretty "cool" don't you think?

Nothing tied it together better than the icicles hanging from the bottom!

:-)

I have to say, this was so much fun to put together.

There was a little piecing, a little applique, a little paper piecing...

A little bit of everything!

What a wonderful mystery and a fabulous design!

Thanks "sew" very much Carol!

For those of you who live on the east coast...

I'm guessing that your not nearly as thrilled with this right now.

That weather you got this week, surely was not fun.

 I hate to brag, but it was 70 degrees here, when I was taking these photos.

;-)

I hope you are all safe, warm and surviving the storm!

What better time to make a commemorative quilt!

After all it beats shoveling all that snow!

:-)

 

2015 Small SAL

Last year I reacquainted myself with counted cross stitch. It had been years...but I fell in love with it all over.  So this year, I signed on for Stitching Lotus's small SAL (Stitch A Long), and I am delighted to say that I have completed my January project.

 

Here he is...

Snowman Keepsake

He was originally designed for plastic canvas, but as you can see

Aida cloth works great too!

I found this little guy while surfing Pinterest.

This one from Just Cross Stitch can be found right 

HERE 

 He found his home, on my new fabric basket.

Connie over at Free Motion By the River

has a fabulous tutorial on these. 

You can find that right HERE

These baskets are just the cutest and easiest things to make.

So versatile and so easy to make in different sizes.

This one actually holds those square boxes of Kleenex, 

or tissues I guess we should say!

;-)

Thanks Heather, for inspiring me to join in on your SAL this year.

I am looking forward to 11 more mini projects!

Whoo hoo, I might even get an early start on my Christmas gifts this year!

Thanks for stopping by and make sure you visit my fellow stitchers!

You can find links for their projects right 

HERE

Heck while your there, join in with us...

The year is young!

:-)

Strip Quilting Drunkards Path

I just can't "seam" to get away from using up every scrap of fabric I come across. My inspiration was a tub of  strings that I had, and an search online for Drunkard Path designs.

It was really very simple, I just constructed pieces out of various size strips, large enough to cut out the shape I needed with my Strips and Curves acrylic templates. I kept building my fabric base as I was cutting out the pieces. That way even the smallest was usable.

It's said, that quilting makes the quilt.

That proved to be the case here.

This is a pantograph done by Deb Geissler (www.debrageissler.com) and is called Juvenile Jungle-Monkey, Hippo, Tiger and Zebra.

Deb designs fabulous designs, but she is really geared towards those with electronic long arms. As for me, I am the old fashioned paper panto quilter, and yes this was quite the challenge, but one that was well worth the blood, sweat and tears when it was done!  :-)  Really it wasn't all that bad, I guess, I survived it! 

LOL!!

I do have to say, I love looking at it and all that glorious quilting. Who knew when I bought that jumbo cone of wild orange thread, that I would ever really find a use for it!  It was one of the first cones I bought after I got my longarm. It was on sale for a great price. Bet you can't guess why!!! 

Hope your inspired to dig out those scraps and turn them into treasures!

Peanuts BOM QAL

Have you been over to Beaquilter's blog lately?

 

She is hosting a fun little BOM Stitch-A-Long this year!

I have always loved Peanuts.

If your my age, I am sure you have sat thru an array

of Charlie Brown specials for just about every holiday imaginable!

 I am not going to admit that I still love watching them...

Oh, what the heck, I love em.

Poor Charlie Brown just can't catch a break sometimes!

;-)

 

Is this just the cutest layout that Bea has come up with?

I made my first block today.

Franklin.

Bea used a Copic marker to add the details, 

but I find that I love to put on a free motion foot and just stitch away on my machine. 

Make sure you place a piece of tear away under your block before

you start stitching. It works like a dream.

Of course you can add the detail, any ole way your heart desires.

It's  a paper piecing BOM, but before you run off screaming into the night...give it a try.  

Bea has a little tutorial on her blog showing you how.

You can find it right HERE

I tripped myself up a bit until I realized that the photo

 on the pattern was reversed.

 If you just lay out each completed section, 

you will see just how it stitches together. 

He really doesn't take very long at all. 

A big thanks to Alida over at  Tweety Loves Quilting

She has so many adorable paper piecing projects.

Don't you want to join in?

:-)

Check it out...

http://www.beaquilter.com/2015/01/peanuts-bom-qal.html

and

http://tweloquilting.blogspot.com/

Tammy For All Seasons Blog Hop

 

My day is here...and have we seen some marvelous

 Tammy bags and Pinnys!

It's a tough act to follow all of you,

as I haven't cross stitched in years.

Once I got my eyes to a place where they decided I could see...

It was smooth sailing from there!

LOL!!

 

When I saw Brookes fall stitchery, I knew I was hooked.

I just love the colors of fall, and I knew right away the piece of fabric

I was going to use for my Tammy Bag.

 

And for my Pinny...

There was not ever a question...

Cori hit the nail on the head with this one.

Can anyone explain to me just why?

Oh, I am so "not" a stitcher.

Worse yet, I never even saw how bad this looked until I 

wrote this post!

 Could it be that all my quilting, sucked my stitching juices dry?

Yes, I am walking the hall of shame. 

Moosestash looks awful!

What can I say?

LOL!!

 

Good thing the other side is the most useful!

I absolutely love it.

 

And how it snaps right onto my Tammy.

A big thanks to Cory and Brooke for all their work and their generosity 

of sharing their designs for our hop!

As well as to Mary for all her hard work.

And as always the wonderful Madame Samm, for just being you!

;-)

 Please stop by my fellow bloggers today and see there fabulous Tammy projects!

January 15, 2015

The Quilting Queen Online

Needled Mom

Bumbleberry Cottage

Moose Stash Quilting

Amy Whitaker 

Sew Incredibly Crazy

Meadowbrook

As for me...

I'm off to find a good tutorial on stitching!

Long overdue I see!

:-)

Have a Latte

The secret is out...the beans have been spilled!   LOL!!  I'm dancing with joy, for our upcoming hop.
And best yet, your all invited! 

Jan 12-
Yes, it's true, but I just was updated today that this hop has been postponed a month, to allow for the shops to get the fabrics in stock. It will now be April 13-23. Please feel free to continue to sign up for the hop. It will give us all a little extra time to prepare!

Madame Samm announced it today.

And guess who, is going to be your cheerleader for this hop?

Yep, lil ole me!

 I know the chicken hat really doesn't have anything to do with coffee, but

what the heck, acting like a fool keeps me young!

Almost as much as all that coffee, I love so much.

I'll let you in on a secret...in my younger years I worked in construction.

What's the first thing any good construction worker starts their morning with???

Coffee of course!  LOL!

You can take the girl out of construction, but you can't take construction out of the girl.

That's my story and I'm stickin to it, cause I love me, my big ole pot of coffee every day.

Enough about me. You want details don't you?

Madame Samm has them spelled out for you. You can find that posts right HERE .

The rules are quite simple. 

(I've copied the guidelines below from Madame Samms post)

Guidelines

Anyone and everyone can participate in our HOPS.

If ever you wanted to have cheerleaders in your life

to cheer on your creativity….

well you do not need to look any further…

1. Choose something from this collection and create

whatever you like...a reminder here...

there are wonderful bonuses for those who are in our top

choices for Wow and Creative Design...

BE CREATIVE-TAKE GREAT PHOTOS.

 

2. Be a cheerleader for all those who participate, there is nothing

as heartfelt as your lovely comments.

3. Please turn off your word verification the day of your 

post...you really do not want to miss any comments.

You have no idea how that one comment can be a life changer...

4. Be sure to add your post at midnight EST. We have visitors

all around the world who like to get up like we do in North America

to your lovely creations...

5. Please add everyone including YOUR blog on your post

that day, so we can find everyone as easily as we found you...

6. MOST IMPORTANT, commit, if you don't, you have 

taken, a spot of someone else who I will be hearing about

trust me there...

7. Add the button to your blog so everyone will note your

Have a Latte is coming and also

a reminder for YOU to get your projects DONE...

A great gentle reminder...

(code to be available soon)

Now what I need from you is an email

calicojoan@q.com

 in the subject line...." HAVE a LATTE"

your name

email address

blog Name

blog URL

Just a reminder, that you do need to have at least 1 of the fabrics from this fabulous collection in your project. You can see the full line over of SewWeQuilt.

So many choices...such wonderful fabric!

We love you Clothworks!!

I'm looking forward to seeing what luscious latte creations  you come up with.

Oh Madame Samm. I love that lil mini me with the moose!

How did you ever know?

;-)

Grand Illusion

 

It's just a flimsy...but I'll take that.

This one just about beat me up.

I was piecing away having a "grand" ole time, until this happened.

 

Oh pooper pots!!! Do you see it?

I pieced the final border blocks wrong. I knew once I looked at Bonnie's 

finished quilt, that something was wrong with mine.

Yep, every blasted one was pieced incorrectly.

The pink and black side was supposed to get pieced together.

 This way!

 

I know it's a subtle difference, but I was bound and determine to not let this thing win!

So I took it all out and started again. Using a scant quarter inch this time made all the difference in the world. I'm really glad I took the time to take it out.

 

The border fit just right and everything matched up!

Happy Dance, Happy Dance.

:-)

It's likely to a flimsy for awhile. I got a call from my remodel man, 

and he is just about ready to start on my sewing room. I have a couple of things 

that I have to get done before he gets here.

I've lived with this mess for 2+ years now...

Water damage. Arrrrgh. I'm so ready for it to be fixed.

 

My studio will be torn up, and everything must be moved out. 

The walls will be replaced and the carpet taken out. 

Not sure what I will put on the floor, but I have looked at some flooring 

that looks like wood. It has a rubber backing and you can pull it up, to

dry it out if it gets wets.  Sound practical, but it's not very thick, 

and standing on concrete floors all day might not be all that great.   

Any ideas you can share?????

   In the mean time, I have a new wall paper on my computer. 

I can dream that "Grand Illusion" done!

LOL!!

Finished with love

These are the last 2 projects that I finished for my dear friend Mary who passed away almost a year ago now. Her family asked me to finished up her quilting projects.

 

This simple panel print accented with some hand stitching, 

was so much fun to see come to life with quilting.

 

 

 Just 1 quilt block.

The family wanted it made into a pillow.

I lined and batted it, and  for a little extra protection, 

I went around all the appliques with invisible thread.

Then, I added an invisible zipper to it for easy removal.

 

A little something to treasure forever!

Never underestimate the power of your work.

It will hold the key to someones heart someday!

;-)