Projects, Projects, and More Projects

It has been a busy time for me and my energy has been somewhat nonexistent on top of all the project deadlines.

I participated in a Teal Mini Swap in September which was an amazing swap.  Each participate paid a small fee and the proceeds went to support ovarian cancer research.  I will definitely be participating in this again next year.  A total of $4,000 was donated from our swap.

Here is the mug rug, key fob and some yummy teas I received from my swap partner.

 

This is the wall hanging mini that I sent to my partner.  The fabric at the top of the zig-zag was an eight inch square sent to each of the participants and was to be used in either a mug rug or a mini wall hanging.  

 

I had never tried matchstick quilting before, but did on this.  Not sure I'll try it again unless I can go from edge to edge with it as it was not fun burying all those threads.

Last week I was busy trying to piece a top for our local Quilts of Valor group.  They will be gifting several on November 12th. 

 Lola was diligently watching over my progress which was slow. 

Here is a picture of the finished top which has been turned over to our coordinator who will pass it on to a long armer for quilting. 

 

I also bound another quilt on Wednesday and have another one I'll be binding today.  The tops are pieced by one person, quilted by another, and then give to another one to bind.   A label will be put on them and washed with a Color Catcher before they are given to a veteran.

 

For those that have been following my blog for awhile know that when we left on our summer travels, the cross-stitch stocking I was working on did not make the trip with us so I am now trying desperately to get it finished for a Christmas gift.  The first picture is the progress I had made before our trip and the second one is where I'm at now.  There are four pages to the pattern and I'm currently on page two.  As you can imagine, there is a lot more to be done in the next several weeks.

 

 

This past week I also completed the October instructions for the Meadow Mystery Quilt by Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs.  I'm loving how it is coming together.  Many thanks Cheryl for putting out instructions monthly rather than weekly.  Here are the full and half hourglass units that I've made.



These are the many things that have kept me busy lately.  This weekend I'll be working on some lottery blocks for the Las Vegas Modern Quilt Guild meeting on the 26th as well as a one hour bag for a swap at the guild meeting.  Oh, I also need to get busy on another top for Quilts of Valor's February ceremony.  I won't be as rushed with this one, but want to get it done.  I have a couple ideas for the top, but haven't made a definite decision yet.

I'll be linking up with Can I Get a Whoop Whoop over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Finish it up Friday over at Crazy Mom Quilts. 

Happy stitching,

Snowflake Shimmer Finish

This is going to be a quick post so I can link up with Yvonne over at Quilting Jetgirl who created this wonderful pattern and ran the Snowflake Shimmer QAL.  It was wonderful.  If you don't follow Yvonne, you need to as she is a fantastic quilter, designer, and hosts a lot of great quilting events.

I wasn't able to get any batting until this past Monday as I didn't want to buy the batting that our local Walmart carries.  Then I spent two days trying to figure out how I could spray baste the layers instead of pin basting.  Never could get that figured out and wasted way too much time thinking about it.  So I set up my two long plastic tables in the 5th wheel and went to work pin basting.

It took moving it three times to get it all basted, but it worked.  Thank goodness.  I didn't really have time to think about how I was going to quilt it, but then it came to me.  

On all the white squares I need my modern version of a snowflake.  In the large light purple stars, I used my walking foot and did three trips around them and then some straight across lines in the middle of them.  The background was just a lot of loop-da-loops.  I had thought about doing something similar to strings of pearls only doing snowflakes, but I really didn't have the time of that, so I didn't.  Maybe another day.

 

Then the binding.  This wasn't a large quilt, but it sure seemed like it this afternoon as I was furiously hand stitching the back side of the binding down.

 

Today was Miles' birthday and I spent the whole day either at the sewing machine or at the table hand stitching binding so not great photo shoots for this one.   We did go out to a delicious steak dinner to celebrate his day.

 

I hope to get back to posting more often.  Since we returned from our summer adventures, I have had no energy and felt that I've had jet lag, only it would be travel lag. 

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Happy stitching.

2016 Cloud 9 New Block Blog Hop

Before I start, I want to apologize if this block has been created before.  I have done several searches and have not found anything like it.  If it has been done, please let me know and I'll give the creator of the block the credit they deserve.

Also, I want to thank the amazing women who put this blog hop together, Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl, Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs, and Stephanie @Late Night Quilter.  This has been so much fun and has definitely pushed me out of my box, big time.

I call my block Churned up Dash or Ziggy and Zaggy.  You'll see why a bit later.

I received my five fat quarters from Cloud 9 Fabrics when I got to my daughters house in August as we were traveling for the summer.  I was thrilled with the colors and softness of their fabric.  Thank you Cloud 9 Fabrics.

My first decision was all about the block.  I picked a classic block, Churn Dash, and planned to cut it up to make it into a new block.  I did several hours of searches to see if there was anything out there like it and didn't find anything so I went with my plan.  I needed three of the five fabrics and my choices are below.  As you can see, I chose a light, a medium, and a dark fabric.

I printed out my block pattern and then quartered it (ripped it as you can see by the ragged edges).  I very scientifically wrote each of the colors on the appropriate pieces and the size the pieces needed to be. 

Here are the sizes you need to cut to make this block which finishes at 12 1/2".

Dark fabric (Iris):               Two, 5"x5" squares
Medium fabric (Amazon)   One, 5"x5" square and four, 2 1/2"x5" rectangles
Light fabric (Sky):              Two, 5"x5" squares and four, 2 1/2"x5" rectangles

I started by marking and sewing the half-square triangles (HST).  Probably everyone has made HSTs before, but just in case you haven't, they are fun to make and this is how I make mine.  On the wrong side of the lighter fabric, mark a diagonal line from one top corner to the opposite bottom corner with your favorite marking device.  I use a caulk marker which has always worked well from me.

 

Next, with right sides together, stitch 1/4 inch on each side of the marked line.  I chain stitch whenever I can.

 

Cut the HSTs along the marked line and finger press the seam open and then iron press the seam.  The reason I finger press before ironing is because it makes it much easier to press the seams open.  I have recently begun pressing seams open, rather than to the side, as it really does make for much nice joins and worth the little bit of extra time it takes. 

 

 

 

Trim the four HSTs to 4 1/2" square.  Be sure this is done after you have pressed them.

 

 

 

I then sewed the rectangles.  Four light (Sky) to four medium (Amazon).  Finger press seams open and then iron press open. 

 

 

Now the fun begins.  I lay out the pieces as the block will be pieced together.

 

 

I start with the left top piece, join it to the middle top piece, and then join them to the right top piece. Do this same piecing with the middle pieces and the bottom pieces.

 

 

 This is how they will look after those are all sewed together.

 

 

Now join the rows together as indicated.

 

 

Now for the ultimate fun, cutting the block into quarters.  The middle piece of the block measures 4 1/2" square, so I need to cut 2 1/4" from the left side of this piece, very carefully, turn one quarter turn and cut again 2 1/4" from the left side of the piece.

 

 

Here are the four pieces arranged for my Churned Up Dash or Ziggy and Zaggy block.

 

 

I sew the top two pieces together then the bottom two together and then the top row to the bottom row.  Tada, one finished block.

 

 

And here is what it would look like made into a quilt.

 

 

Another fun thing I did was try some different variations using the four block pieces and here are some of the results.

 

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial.  It is the first one I have ever done and it was a lot of fun, although a bit nerve wracking at times. All the blocks created in this blog hop will be made into charity quilts.

 

Be sure to check out those in the blog hop from yesterday:

 

Host: Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl
Abigail @Cut & Alter
Janice @Color, Creating, and Quilting!
Lorinda @Laurel, Poppy, and Pine
Melva @Melva Loves Scraps
Renee @Quilts of a Feather
Kathryn @Upitis Quilts
Kim @Leland Ave Studios
Amanda @this mom quilts
Holly @Lighthouse Lane Designs
Irene @Patchwork and Pastry
Jennifer @Dizzy Quilter
Karen @Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats
Anne @Said With Love
Suzy @Adventurous Applique and Quilting
Sharla @Thistle Thicket Studio
Kathleen @Smiles From Kate
Amanda @Gypsy Moon Quilt Co.
Sarah @Sarah Goer Quilts
Chelsea @Patch the Giraffe
Jinger @Trials of a Newbie Quilter
Anja @Anja Quilts
Daisy @Ants to Sugar

 

And for those in the hop today:

 

Host: Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs

Miranda @I Have Purple Hair
Jennifer @The Inquiring Quilter
Sarah @123 Quilt
Leanne @Devoted Quilter
Jen @Patterns By Jen
Jennifer @RV Quilting
Amanda @Quiltologie
Sharon @Yellow Cat Quilt Designs
Jen @A Dream and A Stitch
Jen @Faith and Fabric
Carole @Carole Lyles Shaw
Stephanie @Quilt’n Party
Susan @Sevenoaks Street Quilts
Katrin @Now What Puppilalla
Amista @Hilltop Custom Designs
Nicole @Handwrought Quilts
Marla @Penny Lane Quilts
Silvia @A Stranger View
Sarah @Smiles Too Loudly
Carrie @the zen quilter
Mary @Quilting is in My Blood
Velda @GRANNYcanQUILT

 

And those tomorrow:

 

Host: Stephanie @Late Night Quilter
Kathy @Kathys Kwilts and More
Paige @Quilted Blooms
Mary @Strip Quilts Pass it On
Allison @Woodberry Way
Seven @The Concerned Craft
Olusola @Alice Samuel’s Quilt Co.
Ann @Brown Paws Quilting
Jodie @Persimmon + Pear
Vicki @Orchid Owl Quilts
Kitty @Night Quilter
Francine @Mochawildchild
Shelley @The Carpenter’s Daughter who Quilts
Jayne @Twiggy and Opal
Geraldine @Living Water Quilter
Shannon @Shannon Fraser Designs
Lisa @Sunlight In Winter Quilts
Jessica @Quilty Habit
Cassandra @The (not so) Dramatic Life
Deanna @Stitches Quilting
Denise @Craft Traditions

Colorado, Utah, and Finally Home

Hopefully, this is the end of the sparse blog posts since we are finally back in our hometown.

Our trip from Wyoming into Colorado was a smooth one with an overnight in Silt, Colorado and then on to the Bear Creek Lake Park Campground (that sure is a mouth full) in Lakewood, Colorado where we stayed for 12 days.  The highlight of that stay was my grandson's wedding which was magnificent and being with family again after not seeing them for almost a year.  Before I blog about the wedding, I must tell you about some quilty things I've been working on, which isn't a whole lot.

I finished piecing my Snowflake Shimmer top and I love it.  I do still need to buy some backing for it and get it quilted which is another story.  I loved making this top and thank Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl for the quilt along. 

Snowflake Shimmer

 

Speaking of quilting, my new Bernina had a major crisis during our trip and we aren't sure what caused the problem, but her touch screen suffered cracking and is at the shop getting repaired so I won't be quilting my top until I get her back.

 

Another project that I've been laboring over is the 2016 Cloud 9 New Block Blog Hop which I am participating in.  My day to post is rapidly drawing near.  I can't show you what I've created, but here is a picture of the fat quarters the participants were provided.  Be sure to check back here on September 13th to see my block and my first ever tutorial on its creation.  I must tell you, if you haven't tried Cloud 9's organic fabric you should as it is so soft and easy to work with.  Don't you think the colors are yummy?

 

 

Now for the wedding stuff.  Cole and Callie were married in my daughter's back yard on August 27th and it was beautiful.  I won't bore you with the hundreds of pictures I took, but just a few.

 

Cole and Callie

 

Granddaughter (sister of the groom) and brother of the bride.

 

My daughter, Jennifer (mother of the groom)

 

Son, Jonathan, and his lovely wife, Jennifer

(yes, there are four Jennifer's in our family)

Their wedding was 9/6/15.

 

The day after the wedding Jonathan and Jennifer took Miles and I to Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado which was so much fun.  I had been to a concert there way back in the 90's and can't begin to remember who I saw.  We visited the museum, which I didn't even know existed.  Did you know the Beatles played there in 1964 and a ticket only cost $6.60? 

 

Miles, Jonathan, and Jennifer

 

We left Colorado 9/30 and headed to St. George, Utah where we visited with Miles' sister and her husband for two days and then on home to Nevada.  We are staying at an RV resort in our hometown for 4 weeks as it is still hot (high 90s).  We have a membership at this park which gives us 35 free days and reduced rates when we travel so it works out really well for us.  In fact, it made it possible for us to travel this summer.

 

Today I'm linking up with Finish it up Friday over at Crazy Mom Quilts.  Please hop over there and visit some, if not all, the links.

 

Happy stitching, 







From Washington to Wyoming and Quilt Shops

A lot has happened in the almost three weeks since my last blog post.  At that time, we were in Washington state.  We left Washington and made the long trek (60 miles) to Sam Owen Campground in Hope, Idaho.  We were campground managers at Sam Owen for the past three summers and loved the area.  Miles wanted to visit and enjoy the lake which is something we didn't really get to do while working there. 

Lake Pend Oreille from Sam Owen Campground, Hope, Idaho

We enjoyed a lunch of pizza and huckleberry pie with our friends who were our area managers while working there.  Unfortunately, the next day Miles made the mistake of eating some cut-up cantaloupe we had bought and ended up with salmonella and spent three days in the hospital.  He was violently ill and in horrible pain, but the doctor, hospital staff, and meds got him back in shape and on the road to recovery.  During that time I didn't do much of anything other than visit him in the hospital and a favorite quilt shop in Clark Fork, Idaho, just 8 miles from the campground where I scored some fun goodies.  Unfortunately, I did nothing quilty during our stay there.  We didn't have electricity and it was hot so I sat outside with Lola, our pound pup, trying to stay cool and rethinking our trip.

Affordable Quilting and Fabric Shop, Clark Fork, Idaho

Needless to say, we didn't get to visit our friends in Libby, Montana as we stayed  several days longer in Idaho then we had expected.  We finally left Idaho and stayed three nights in an RV park in Turah, Montana for the hubs to recoup.  While there I did get my fabric cut for the Meadow Mystery Quilt.  

Meadow Mystery Quilt fabric all cut and labeled

We are currently in Wyoming near Pinedale staying at the Wind River View RV Park which we are enjoying.  Some of the highlights here have been the gorgeous sunsets and watching the Osprey which have a nest within the park.  The chicks are now flying.

Sunset from Wind River View RV Park

Osprey nest in the Wind River View RV Park

Pinedale has a wonderful quilt shop, Heritage Quilts and Fabric Shoppe, which I've visited a couple of times and was able to pick up some more of the Northcott Sandscapes collection which I needed for their contest/challenge.  I had hoped to make the wall hanging out of 1/2" hexagons, but it just isn't going to happen.  I will get it made at some point, but too late to enter it.

Quilt Shop purchases

1/2 " hexies from Northcott's Sandscapes collection

I have been able to stay caught up with the Snowflake Shimmer Quilt Along by Yvonne over at Quilting Jetgirl.  We have started piecing blocks and here are mine.  Next instructions will come out

Snowflake Shimmer QAL progress

I've been very fortunate and have won a few things the last few weeks.  I won a Busy Hands Quilts pattern from a random giveaway for those that participated in the Repeat QAL by Elm Street Quilts.  I chose Scrappy Patches:

     

I also won a quilt pattern from Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts for participating in the Mid Year Preview over at Yvonne's Quilting Jetgirl blog.  I chose the Black Birds pattern.

And, as a participant in the 2nd Snowflake Shimmer QAL link-up I won an Aurifil Chipper, 10 small spool collection.  

I guess I should run out and buy some lottery tickets.  Many thanks to all those that offer giveaways and the individuals/companies that provide their products.  I am forever grateful.

 

Tomorrow we will be leaving for Colorado with an overnight stay in or near Rawlins, WY.  My grandson's wedding is on August 27th and I'm so excited for him and his wife-to-be.  The wedding is being held in my daughter's beautiful back yard so prayers for good weather are requested.

 

Linking up with Let's Bee Social over at Sew Fresh Quilts and WIPs With Friends over at Mama Spark's World.  Be sure to hop on over there to check out all the blogger links.

 

Happy stitching!