Another month gone

Well Well, another month has passed me by and I can't for the life of me figure it out. I started out the month at a retreat.My cousin came in from 300 and some ott miles away for this event. She has never quilted before but her mother (my moms sister) is the one that started the quilting craze in our family. Her mother showed my Mom and the craze was on. So I spent most of my time showing her how to 'do' things. I taught one class Shuffled 9-patch.

Here is her small lap throw. This is an easy design to do and makes up quick. The corner stones were half square triangles from another project and just thought throwing them in the corner would give more interest. Whatcha think to much or just right!
Either way it is what it is and she took it home to try to finish it. Got the call on how and I steered her towards youtube for videos. I mean I have a long arm I have no clue how to quilt with my domestic machine and I don't want to know. I mean if the hubby knew that it could be done.........Before she left to come her her 3 year old great grandson told her to make him a quilt, so...

she picked up this center panel off of the unwanted table. I let her come to my house and shop for matching fabrics. I think a little boy should like the jungle animals. It was a basic pattern just add borders, but another chance to learn. She also took this one home to finish. The other pics were on my phone and haven't learned how to add them to this post so will have to post them separately.


After retreat I quilted my finger to a quilt! Let me tell you pinky finger and a moving Gammill do not mix. It is healed now but the fingernail is slowly chipping off. and it is still numb and hurts to touch but at least it is healed! Not something I want to do again.

This is a quilt from Margie. This woman amazes me with all the different things she does. This was just some fabric she wanted to use and it grew from there. No pattern just her head and thoughts. It was funny to hear from her during this process, she would call and tell me how she measured wrong and now the blocks were the wrong size and she had to figure out a way to make them work. I think it turned out wild and wonderful!!

This is Kathy's quilt she had started to quilt this on her domestic machine and decided that it was not something she wanted to do. She used minkie on the back of this and had spray basted it together. I did have lots of trouble with this one but only in areas that there seemed to be lots of the spray basting. Note to self don't accept quilts with spray basting already done. She had started outlining the flowers and birds but told me to just  do an all over, she just wanted it done. I couldn't let one bird and flower be outlined then do an all over on the rest so yes I did the outlining too. Such a cute panel and it will make some little girl a nice soft blankie.

This is Karen's quilt, it was done as a round robin. Now didn't these gals do a wonderful job! I had to do a custom job on this it deserved something more than an all over. Oh I just hope she liked the end result!





So this is what I have been doing lately besides working 9 hours a day and 4 on Saturdays. Staying busy that is for sure and now the Christmas shopping! Although I got most of it done on Black Friday (ok I had it done on Black Thursday). I asked the hubby today if he thought we could handle taking an angel off the tree to buy for some child. He thought that was a pretty good idea since we have our grand kids done. So tomorrow I am going back out to do that. I have never done this before so I hope I am not biting off more that I can chew. I mean how hard can this be? But it scares me to know that the fate  of some child's happiness is resting on what I get them without even knowing them. I have been leery of this in the past hearing of how some of these kids aren't that desolate and ask for the high priced items. I don't even do that for my grand kids so I know I won't do it for them. I think joy can be found in a book not a video game. but I am trying it any way. Wish me luck.
Well enough for now.
Sew on

Well, well, we have a winner

It seems a little late but I was away for the weekend and just recouped from it. The winner was drawn and Renee was the winner and has been notified.  Now where was I this past weekend and so important to forget to draw a winner?  QUILT RETREAT.  I didn't get a whole lot done, spent my time teaching my cousin to quilt.  She came 300 miles to learn so, we had a piecing marathon . Yes that's her with some of her blocks. She made 3 complete tops small there are but complete, and almost a 4th. Yes we has a lot of fun.

Not doing so good, Give away info

Nope I am not doing so good on posting everyday. BUT I will say that this will be the 3rd post of the month and I had dwindled down to one post a month so yes it is better. I have so much to say that I just get to busy to say anything. The summer was very busy and it seemed to fly by. I bought a new car and managed to put 6,000 miles in 5 weeks. So yes I logged a lot of miles on the interstate. But all my trips were fun and glad I did them.

If you have noticed on the left side bar I have completed items in 2012 well here are two of them that I have never posted. This first one I call sherbet n paisley, and it was a mystery, I am guessing in 2009. Yes I have decided that I have Adult ADD! I start something but soon move onto something else, eventually I get back to it, like years later. But it is done! I really like it even tho I first thought it was too boring for my taste.

This second quilt was a row x row with my local quilt club.I call this newspaper spinners.  Two weeks after the swap started, as hostess, I found out that one lady had not sent her starter. So after contacting her I find that she isn't going to do it. I had to plan something FAST. I had done these blocks as a lottery months earlier and thought that they would make a beautiful quilt so I sewed up my first couple blocks ran them over to the next quilter in line and gave them to her with hastily drawn up instructions. I then went back home and finished my blocks and made up my journal. Well in between the time I made the first two blocks and when I finished the row I did something different and I wrote up the instructions in the journal different.  Yes sometimes I feel sorry for those that have to deal with me. But the quilt turned out wonderful spite it all. I gave this quilt to a co worker that had recently lost his home to a fire. I work with his Aunt too and she stated they lost everything, so work is giving a fund raiser for him this next weekend and I donated the quilt so they could raffle it, but the Aunt thought it would be better to just give them the quilt since they have nothing. It didn't matter to me I just wanted to help in some sort of way. She passed the quilt onto them yesterday and apparently they loved it. Glad it went to a good home!

This bright beauty is called M n M'S and it's life started out as a block swap. Only one person participated in the swap Mary. The swap consisted of pairs of the block, which is designed to show you how to make the star sashing. Our direction were to do bright prints with coordinating sashes with black stars. So I swapped with Mary and they sat for years. I decided to try the swap again. This time only Maggie did the swap. but I loved this design and just new that I wanted a big quilt. So I kept making the blocks. Since I had 2 each from Mary and Maggie, I made pairs of my own. There are a few that aren't pairs but most are. I just love this quilt and I really had plans to put this on  my bed BUT my grand daughter claimed it for her birthday quilt.sniffle sniffle, snuff, snuff.
So anyway there's my finishes.




So now onto the GiveAway, it is two posts down. All you have to do is comment on the original post and you will be in the running for this great pattern book and the Christmas magazine. Of course if you want to follow me you know what to do.  Thanks

Blogtoberfest and Give away

Day 6 of Blogtoberfest and my first new post. Well I guess that is better than the once a month I was doing. I was to go see the Grand kids today but I had to work. On A SAT!!! After work I came home and worked on some applique leaves. All right for all you out there that applique, what scissors do you use to cut out those little bugers?  These leaves are not the easy peasy nope they are the curvy and I hate the cutting out of them.

This is my pile of leaves. They have three sizes and I have two of them here, the large and the small. I have all of the small and medium ones cut. I only have one of the large ones cut and have about twelve more of them to go. I have a lot of them to sew together yet. The pattern called for all the leaves to be the same color but I decided to go with a more scrappy look.  This is for a club raffle quilt that I am in charge of. Like a fool I thought it was time to do an applique quilt. So here is half of the top.

This pattern is from The Bee Creek Quilting Company and is called Morning Glories for Diane.  Since this was to be a club quilt  I had to figure out how to get everyone to participate, so everyone was asked to sew pastels into a 4patch and give a few extra blocks (to add to sides when done, to make bigger). I then sewed them together but left it into a four piece. Then a fellow club member that is an expert in applique marked the top for the vines and made the vines. we bagged them into 4 separate bags and passed them out at our last meeting. I have two of them back.. The top piece has a couple of the leaves pinned on.  The Expert Appliquer is making the Morning Glories while I make the leaves. I am sure she is done and has done a better job than me, but I am learning. I'll keep you posted on the progress as it gets done.

This was a challenge for a local shop. The pattern was Happy Hearts from Pie Plate Designs. It was 6 rows of hearts and we just had to use at least one heart from each row. This is what I made. I didn't gt it finished but I took it anyway. As you can tell I sure didn't see hearts with this pattern. Since it wasn't finished I am thinking I might add WELCOME to the top and make it to hang out by the door this spring. Or at least somebodies door.










Don't forget the giveaway of one magazine and one book.

To enter you just have to leave a post on the original post. One post down. So go on read the next post and enter.







Thanks
Sew on

Blogtoberfest and Give away

Well it is here again and I first thought, I can't remember to post so why join? But then next thought was join and maybe just maybe this will kick start you into posting again. So yes I am joining in and I am going to host a give away with it.
Up for grabs 1st A Quilted Christmas from Quilters World it is last years magazine but unused and what a loaded issue it is. It is sure to please. 2nd is The Quilter's Home Spring, by Lois Krushina Fletcher .

So to enter for these, leave a comment. That's it, one chance per person. Of course I would love for you to follow and if you are a follower Thanks so much for sticking with me. This give away will run for the month of October with the winner announced NOV1






Gosh I am getting so confused on what I have been telling you and showing you that I can't remember anything anymore. I know I know if I would just tell you as things happen it would be easier. Well last month was my clubs quilt show and of course we make a raffle quilt. This year we were really late in getting it all together even though we started right after our quilt show last year. They picked out a Triple Irish chain and decided scrappy. Oh yes that will be beautiful BUT I commented on if you leave that big empty space some pretty hand quilting is a must. Are you prepared to do that. (I am not I repeat NOT a hand quilter) So I suggested lets applique a cute but simple flower. So that's what we did. Then since they were running so close they decided to machine quilt it. Um guess who did that! Yes yours truly. Oh how I didn't want to because now I am attached and want it but I won last years so I don't need to spend a bunch to try to win this one. Don't be greedy right. So I quilted it and it was a beauty and I bought $5.00 in tickets, asked the hubby if he wanted to buy some tickets and he scoffed like we need another quilt. So I let it go, resolved to never see my handi-work again. I had appliqued 3 of the blocks and quilted it so I felt as if it was mine but I took a deep breath and let it go. I do so get attached to many of the quilts I quilt and when I see them hanging in shows I feel like there's my baby and then poof it's gone again never to be seen.  Such is the life of a long armer. lol  So the Clubs quilt show went well, of course I had nothing of winning caliber, never do and that's ok, but walking in to pick up my entries my name is called. The hubby thinks I have won a ribbon I didn't even hear my name. Repeat on the PA system 'and the winner of the raffle quilt Susan Lesh" OMG

Isn't it a Beauty! It is going on my bed! See me doing the Happy Dance!








One of the clubs I am in went on a day trip to see the quilt gardens in the Shippsie area well I took pictures of one in Wakarusa but not sure where it went to. BUT I can find the pictures of all my goodies I bought that day. first up is in South Bend IN Erica's and A Stitch In Time

Then we have Middlebury and Wakarusa. Middlebury was The Quilt Shop and Wakarusa was  going out of business so I have erased the name from memory. Oh this getting old is...........

 Then this was a nice little Amish Store out in the middle of  nowhere (actually a fork in the road) and I can't even remember the town (not much town, 3 houses and this store) but the shop was Calico place or junction or something like that. I'd go again if I can find it.

Then this is a row x row I worked on. It has one more row to go then it goes to its' owner Suzy.








Well today is my Birthday and the hubby treated me to breakfast out. Yay! but he has hurt his back and I got a feeling the rest of the day is catering to him. A friend has offered to make me a birthday cake but I doubt if he will feel up to going out and visiting. So unless by a miracle a cake pops up at my door I guess it is stale chips and dip for me. But it is a beautiful day! and I plan on spending it sewing!
Sew by for now and Sew on

So is this monthly or what

Thought my summer was going so good and that is why I haven't been posting or maybe it was because it was so hectic! Or is it I am lazy! Well whatever the reason I have had a lot happen all summer. I haven't been home many weekends at all. I went home for the 4th of July and we had a family reunion, or somewhat of one. It is so hard to get everyone together, so we were missing a few. I took a cousin down with me and it was a fun time. We went to Hornet MO and looked (you really just sit and wait, in late night hours to wee early morning) out on a country road in hopes that this mysterious light appears. When I lived down in that area I had always heard about it but just knew that it was some B S. But let me tell you we saw something and it could not be recreated with automobile lights. I remember this had been featured on some unexplained TV show back in the 80"s (?). I don't know how to explain it but 5 of the 6 saw it. http://www.prairieghosts.com/devprom.html gives some info on this. Yep I am a believer now. So after returning back to IN for the week I turned right around and went back to Erie KS for my High School reunion. 35 years you hear me 35 years since I have been to school and it was great to see my old friends. Some of them have not changed a bit and some you had to hit me with a brick to make me believe who they were. So then I went managed to stay in IN for three weeks before I went back to KS again. This time Parsons, and went to my Army Reserve reunion. Wow talk about some people changing. Of course when I was in the Reserves I was so young and I remember my fellow buddies really being older and like my dads keeping me out of trouble. Or were they getting me into trouble.All in all I put 6,000 miles on my new car in 5 weeks. But the orange sonic made it and was quite pleased with her performance and comfort for the journeys.
So during this time I am quilting or am I. Oh who knows what I was doing but ....

But here is a quilt by ReJena that she made for her babies graduation. I remember when Cara picked this quilt out ReJena calls me and tells me that her daughter has picked out the most  awful quilt and she just can't make it. What is she going to do. I remember telling her if that is  what she wants make it. It will be her quilt not yours. So ReJena has ate her words a few times on this one. She now claims it is one of her favorites. Moral don't judge a quilt by the colors of the pattern. It can be better. So now my question is, are you one that sees a pattern and has to make it just like the cover pattern, or do you venture off in your own aisle and do your own thing? Do you instantly see it in other color pathways?
As always Rejena did a wonderful job on piecing this top and I am so glad she made it. such a happy quilt. Lucky Cara! And speaking of ReJena look at this baby quilt.

You know when ReJena gets an idea in her head that it should look like this, that is what it has to be and you know I am glad she sticks to her guns, her quilts always turn out to be so cute.  Such a fun quilt and such a lucky little boy.

Here I am with my youngest son and my cousin in Coffeyville, KS. The history in this town is really embraced and was nice to share with family. Yes those are the tie- dyed shirts from our family reunion.

This pattern is called Tangled. I'm sorry but I am not for sure on designer but I know LQS featured this pattern and then ran a challenge with it. I have quilted 3 of these now and really like this pattern but will I ever make it? Just  another one on the list. Which brings me to, why doesn't this list ever get smaller. I know I complete things and move to the next. Do I spend to much time looking and dreaming and not enough time sewing and making. I guess I dream more than I sew and I have to STOP.
So anyway this is Anita's and aren't these colors so soft and pretty together. I just want to cuddle with this one.

This was a Row x Row we did in my local club, and this one belongs  to Barb. She was new to RxR's and was very nervous to join in. She stressed for a long time before picking certain fabrics for her top. She bought fabrics and sent them along and you matched them. I think it turned out beautiful and I hope that she is happy with it and would join in again.

Here is a QOV that Judy sent me.  I believe her niece made this for her dad. Every QOV is special and dear.















Well enough for now I have a row to finish and I want to start something else. I do have lots more to say but will have to wait til tomorrow or the next day or the next. but I will try to get on before a month
Sew on

What in the world!!!!!!

It seems like only yesterday I made a post but then I look up and it has been well over a month. Gosh what in the world is going on. I just got back from vacation but then I look at the date and it has been a couple of weeks. What in the world is going on. Life it seems is just flying by and I am getting nothing done. So vacation consisted of going home, South West Missouri, South East Kansas area. We had a great family reunion at my parents house and I tie-dyed for the first time (ok that I can remember). Surely I did this back in the 70's but I don't remember it. We had kids of all ages from 3 years to 83 years. And it was a blast! My big vacation plan was to do a shop hop with quilt shops I had never been to, so with one sister driving and mother, cousin and another sister and me off we went.

Here is the first shop we stopped at. It was out in the country just outside of Pea Ridge Arkansas. For some reason I think I have been past this shop some other time in my life. It was on a curve and a house sit right around that curve. It just reminded me of some other place I have seen some other time in my life. The staff in there was so pleasant and very helpful. These are my finds there 

I needed some black and white for a binding I had at home in waiting. BUT didn't use it after all so aww shucks I have extra fabric. The wagon wheel fabric just seemed to call my name. WHY? I like brights and do any of these look bright. Oh what is happening to me.

The second shop on our stop was in in Pea Ridge. I had to do a double take. In Celina OH. there is a Linda's Sew N Sew, so here I am at another, just not Linda's. I go in side and wow the brights! I drooled and stroked many bolts, but look what I ended up with. LOL not bright. The orangie barbed wire I thought would look good as a border for a barn quilt I am working on.  As I was getting my fabric cut the nice gentleman was telling me how the shop had been his wife Linda's but she passed 3 yrs ago from cancer. So it was another Linda's after all. He and his daughter were carrying on at the shop.  He was a wonderful gentlemen and a joy to buy form.                                                                                               

The Rabbits Lair was next and in Rogers Arkansas. Oh my if you were into wool that was you place. It had alot of embroidery floss also. Neither my cup of tea but oh they did have some beautiful fabrics too. After leaving there our chauffeur did drive me by The Rabbits Lair 2, the yarn shop. You notice I said drive by not stop. I wanted to cry but I was the only one in the car that caress' yarn too. I am a big girl and can handle life little disappointments so just by more fabric right!

See the yummies I got at The Rabbits lair! A wonderful batik  and a bluiesh I think will go with something I had already. Have I checked yet? NO but I will, I swear I will.

Sager Creek Quilts was next and it sits right on the creek in Siloam Springs, Ark. Oh and guess what it has knitting supplies. So guess who got to stroke some yarn! See my hand up, it was me! me! and look it is all I bought there. I was looking for some fabric with the right selvage edge but they didn't have it so I settled for the yarn. Believe me when I say the salesman tried to find what I wanted but sold out! Nice Nice people

Village Quilting is in Belle Vista Ark and I found the selvage I wanted. Something, anything with the designer of Susan in print on the edge. So now I have some snowmen and have no clue what to do with them but I can cut the selvage off and have my name in the next selvage edge project I do. Once again the sales people here were wonderful.

Lillie's was my last shop on this trip and it was the next day and in Independence KS. They were really closed but the door was unlocked so I opened it. I explained I was from Indiana and pleaseeeeeee. So the let us in. They were getting ready to have their closeout sale but none of the prices were in effect yet. But I didn't care.  Oh hey by the way that is my tie dyed shirt I made at the family reunion!

I got a wonderful light batik and a luscious brown and a to die for green. I have plans for the brown but the other two are going in the stash room to play with the others.

Here's a quilt my Mother did and I quilted it for her. This is on  her bed, she does such a good job with her colors and her applique and well with just everything. Some one asked me if my Mom gave all her quilts out. My first thought was well yeesss. She has 6 kids and 17 grand kids and  26 great kids and she makes quilts for all of em. (Numbers are appox) I hope I haven't forgotten anyone but oh it gets too hard to remember them all.  In fact the 6 siblings have two now, so surely she gives them all out.

 WRONG here are two cabinets overflowing with quilts. Plus of course she has them hanging everywhere in the house. So now you know where I caught the bug!

Of course we all know that we surf to look at the beautiful quilts so I will add these two of my Moms. Of course I quilted both of these too. While you are looking take a peek at the needlework on the wall of this top photo. It is some type of hand embroidery but I don't remember exactly what they call it. I just know that in the 70's my Mom worked on this forever. But it sure is worth it. (It's the lady in the full skirt)

So I guess that is enough for now

Sew On

You know I have had no excuse for not blogging, except just haven't felt like it. But I have gotten word that I need to update so I guess there is someone out there that takes a peek and so I figure it is time for so eye candy.

The next two quilts belong to Denise. I went to a retreat with her years ago and I mean 5 or 6 and I taught this class on shuffled 9-patch. She called me couple months ago and told me she finally finished it. Yay Denise, but then she floored me when she said she had another one done too.

So this is her second quilt. She made this one for her little boy, now which boy I don't know she has had a second child since starting her quilting experience. Hmm wonder if that is what took her so long to get the first one done. lol  I just can't imagine trying to take care of little ones and quilting. Maybe I am just used to throwing my stuff all over since I don't have anyone here but the hubby, and her rarely comes to my sewing studio.  I cringe when the grand kids come over for fear that they will get into something so yes kudos Denise for quilting and raising the little family.
She called me from a quilt shop somewhere along the way from here to Florida wanting pics of a top I had showed her. Guess she is starting another one. Way to go Denise.

This is a T-shirt quilt from Monica. Once again I spent way to much time reading all the cute shirts.She spent alot of time color coordinating her sashings with her blocks and the result is superb eye candy. This is for her grand daughter, lucky girl

This is another from Margie. I really hope you can see what her topic is in this quilt. SEWING. What a great job on this one. I really really had a hard time giving it back to her. I mean the sewing gals are cute cute cute.

I used a pantograph on this one and it was of sewing stuff. Just the right quilt for it.

This is also Margie's and it is one of the few that she used a pattern for it. Most of the time Margie just takes a block and just goes with it and sees where it comes out, but every once in a blue moon she finds a pattern she just has to do. These Bento Boxes were just one of those patterns. Love the black and whites, love the Bento boxes, so there is nothing not to love on this one.Great job as always Margie.

Well I know there is more but it is supper time so I better get busy with that so I keep the Hubby happy and that way he lets me spend for more fabric or...........................

Row xRow

last Fri night I worked on a Row x Row that was due on Monday, Yes I know I shouldn't leave things for the last minute. But if I got things done in advance it would take all the fun out of it. Well here is my row on the bottom.

She asked us not to sew her rows together so I rearranged them the way I thought they should go of course now I an anxious to see how she sets them together. She talked about putting strips of black sashing in between the rows. First I don't think it needs it and then if I did sash it I think I would use purple as that is the main color. Bu then we all know that everyone has opinions right or wrong. Like I said I can't wait to see what she does with it.




With this row x row done I am now just in two. I had two row x rows in this swap so it is nice that I have two out of the way and can now focus on some other things. Please Lord don't let me start up on another one. Let me be strong to say no.





Carol's T-Shirt quilt, She does such a wonderful job on these.
















I am recovering from surgery and finding I can spend a little more time in the sewing room but still like to recline back in the La-z-boy. With that I have been working on my applique.

I got the top border done and now working on the bottom border, BUT not knowing what the heck I was doing I didn't leave the vine long enough to hang off and join to the top piece so I had to piece it well of course no matter how many times I measured when I sewed it together the seams don't quite match and of course it looks hideous, so I am toying with what to put there. Over this one I have little flowers all the same color. But I didn't go with that you will just have to wait to see what I did go with. Yes I learned what not to do and hopefully if I try something like this again I will remember this lesson. Doubt it, I seem to have a hard head when it comes to these sort of things.
I have so many other pics but they are on the camera so I guess I better go get them.
Bye for now