New Year's UFO

Making progress on the zigzag and using up fabrics from the stash. I signed on with Pat Sloan's New Year's weekend ufo party. Hope to have this ready to quilt by Sunday night. I have to take a short break for a New Year's Eve celebration at the beach, but I'll be back at it tomorrow. Hope everyone has a happy and safe New Year's Eve!

Design Wall Monday

I almost forgot to post today. I was too busy getting started on this zigzag quilt with no triangles by crazymom. The free tutorial is here at Bee Square Mom. I'm linking to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday. Check it out here.

UFO challenge 2011

I am joining Judy's UFO challenge for 2011. I wasn't sure I could come up with twelve  unfinished quilt projects, but I did.
1) Civil War Legacy ... my oldest ufo
2) Mama's pink quilt ... top hand pieced by my mama in 1980 that I will quilt
3) Grandma's scrap quilt ... just need to bind this one
4) Grandma's quilt top ... need to quilt or tie
5) Baby quilt ... made top in workshop several years ago
6) Black and green jelly roll quilt
7) Star block of the  month ... need to put top together and quilt
8) Thimbleberries block of the month....need to put top together and quilt
9) Double Delight ... need to do something with the blocks I made
10) pink and cream pinwheel quilt .... make more blocks and finish
11) string quilt .... about 1/4th finished
12) moda bright jelly roll and black quilt .... barely started

Snow!

Snow in eastern North Carolina! Pretty but glad it doesn't happen often. Yankees would get a good laugh, our news is on non-stop talking about 6 inches of snow. They are predicting power outages so I will probably be catching up on my reading and hand sewing.

waiting for the blizzard

We are supposed to get 6 inches of snow tonight! That is very rare for us and I am hoping all the weathermen are wrong. The girls all loved their quilts, even the not quite finished ones.

Merry Christmas to all

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! Eastern NC is under a snow warning. I'm praying I can get my youngest daughter back to her group home safely and without her flipping out at going back a day early. The 6 inches of snow predicted should pretty well shut us down. We are not equipped for snow. I am only gifting one quilt that doesn't have all the binding sewn. Everything else is finished. HoHoHo

Santa is coming

Santa is coming but will I be ready? I got the binding on the king size batik quilt last night but not sure I will have it sewn down by Christmas. I have to finish my snowman quilt too. I want to make a lovey quilt for the new granddaughter that should arrive in a bit over a month. I need to make one more tabletopper. Yikes I may have to pull an all nighter one night. Are you ready for Christmas? It's coming .... ready or not!

My youngest,all sweet and innocent 20 years ago.

Results Friday night sew in

I have the Cold Winter Noses ready to quilt today and worked on the bento box binding. I have a very sore finger from a needle stick, so not enjoying the hand sewing part of binding. I had a very productive Friday sew in.

Friday Night Sew In

I signed up for Friday night sew in and hope to finish the Cold Water Noses quilt and start some pillow shams for the bento box. Sign up for Friday night sew in here.

Lucky day!

I won the Gobble Gobble giveaway by Jewel's Arm Candy and the box came today packed full of gorgeous fabric! Look at all that lovely orange! I think if I add the Awesome charm packs I won from Tamera a couple of months ago I can make my 2011 guild challenge quilt with all this Sandy Gervais goodness. Julie suggested a block with 11 pieces that I can use too. Check out her blog Jewel's Arm Candy you'll be glad you did!

Simply Teacakes

There are lots of fancy holiday cookies out there but my favorite is a simple little teacake. Now if I can just control my sweet tooth and not eat them all.

recipe

1 cup butter soft

1 1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 Tblsp. Vanilla

3 cups flour all purpose

1 Tblsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar,add eggs and vanilla and mix well. I use a wooden spoon but a mixer is easier. Add baking powder and salt to flour. Stir in flour. Drop by teaspoon and bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until bottom edge of cookie is brown. I line my pan with foil or parchment.

Help!

I need to find a quilt block with 11 pieces! It's for a guild challenge for 2011. Last night I looked at tons of blocks on quilters cache and in books and magazines with no luck. The only thing I can come up with is a nine patch with half-square triangles in two corners, surely there is something more exciting! I have to make twenty blocks so would like to at least like the block. 

In other news I won the giveaway at The Silver Thimble!! I am so excited and can't wait to start on Comfort and Joy!

my helper

I wanted to spray and pin baste the bento box quilt while Jesslyn napped. I wasn't fast enough and didn't get as many pins in as I like. Little Jess chose today to climb out of the crib for the first time. She finds a quilt on the floor just irresistable. I backed the quilt with a vintage sheet and hope to get it quilted on my day off tomorrow. Guild Christmas party in the morning so not sure I'll finish tomorrow but should get a good start on it.

Oh Christmas Tree

I had a time with the machine applique, but think this shirt for Jesslyn turned out cute. I got the idea from a wallhanging in 365 Magazine. I love that magazine and want to actually make the wallhanging when I get my Christmas gifts finished.

introducing Violet Kenmore

Rescued from the thrift store for less than $20, I almost left her there since I had just bought a pricey bernina 930. I am so glad I brought her home! The 930 is still giving me fits but Violet never lets me down. I just finished quilting the jelly roll quilt on her and she never hesitated or skipped a stitch! No puckers either! Violet is a Kenmore model 52 and came with all her accessories. After the holidays I will be trying to get my money back out of the Bernina. I will piece on my featherweight or 301 and keep Violet set up for quilting. Now I need to get busy sewing some binding. I'm making good progress finishing up all my Christmas gifts.

design wall Monday

Yep the boy and his dog are still here. Molly is hyper and wants in on all the action! The boy is messy and a bottomless pit! I am getting a bit more used to sharing the house. I'll be pin basting this jelly roll quilt today.

I want to get another Christmas quilt made this week. I have several panels but not much variety left in the other fabrics. I'm thinking of just randomly bordering the panel in 2 1/2" strips this time.

First border added to the bento box. I used the side of my refrigerator to hang it. Resourceful huh????

I'm linking to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday

Patchwork Times

ready to quilt

Most of these blocks were from the jelly roll quilt along. A real oddball mix of fabrics...leftovers from a moda jelly roll,some jinny beyer,thimbleberries and a piece of v.i.p from walmart's fabric dept shutdown. I didn't think I would like this but find I like it just fine. It was cloudy here this afternoon so hard to get a good picture. Now I'm off to put the final border on the bento box. Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Design Wall Monday

I'm still shuffling these blocks around this morning. I need to make a final decision and get them up off the "design floor" before the grandbaby wakes up from her nap. Visit Judy at Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday

bento progress

Help I think this needs more pop! Any suggestions? I think I liked them better before I cut them up! Too late now though.

I've made some progress on my bento box blocks. I was going to make the quilt 4 blocks x 4 but it has to be 3x4. I made the first blocks on my bernina until it started giving me fits. I finished on my featherweight. When I started slicing blocks I found that my seam allowance was off on the ones made on the bernina....argghhhh.....I just can't get used to that machine. I will use the blocks that are too small for the back or maybe a pillow sham. I think with a couple of borders this will make a nice throw size quilt.

Friday night bentos

I got lots of bento boxes made last night and this morning. Now they are all ready to slice up. It sure would be easier to just sew them together as is. Most of the fabric is Amy Butler from a few years ago. I hope to get the top together this weekend. It's a beautiful autumn day in North Carolina but I'm happy to enjoy it through my sewing room window.

playing catch up

I finally started on my Designer Mystery Block of the Month from the Fat Quarter Shop. First four blocks finished this weekend. Love this fabric! Hope to finish two more blocks this week so I will be on schedule for a change. Each block kit has lots of extra fabric so I hope to make a scrappy quilt with the leftovers.

another finish

I finished up another Christmas quilt using Sandy Gervais' line Cold Winter Noses. JoAnna asked for this quilt for her 13th birthday. I wish I had stashed away more of this fabric. It's my favorite Christmas fabric ever!

Gobble gobble

I used the easy tutorial on The Cottage Home and whipped up this turkey shirt for baby Jesslyn tonight. The stitches on my bernina are giving me fits but I got it done. I think the Bernina will have to go to the service center. Visit The Cottage Home blog for instructions.
The Cottage Home

I was a winner

I won a giveaway last month from Tamera Quilts, a subscription to McCall's Quilting. The first one came today and I love several of the quilts. McCall's has lots of visual instructions and I like that. This was a neat idea for a giveaway. Thanks Tamera!Tamera Quilts

Help!

okay the black border is out!

I am so tired of worrying with this quilt! My daughter bought the fabrics over 2 years ago. I bought the black batik and planned on using it to sash 16" blocks of the batiks and white....thought it would break all those squares up. Now I am worried that it is too busy. What do you think of this layout with a wide border of the black batik. I want this finished and at the quilters by the weekend. I orginally made this with big split nine patch and she didn't like it so now we have all these squares. ugh

Day of Sharing

 The quilt our guild is raffling.

 One of Jane's beautiful quilts.

 This one with the red and orange was my favorite.

 An example of Jane's foundation piecing.

 I think someone gave her this beautiful Peace Lily quilt.

Neuse Quilters Guild

My quilt guild attended the day of sharing in Morehead NC on Saturday. It was alot of fun. I really liked the speaker Jane Hall and her beautiful quilts. I think I need her Foundation Piecing book for Christmas.

first birthday

Jesslyn's birthday quilt

a little progress

the jelly roll quilt did not go together easily for me....this is usually when I fold everything up and try to forget about it......but I have taken a pledge to finish things so I will keep trudging along until this is done! I need to add the black sashing on the sides and then I wanted a narrow green border and a wide black and white print border .... I am past the point of caring if it's square (it's not) or ends up a weird size .... one day maybe I will make something perfect ...but I doubt it.....in the mean time I will try to improve with each project

my new ride

I've gone green! My  Prius is used but in great shape. I bought it from the local yoga guru and may start yoga classes next :_)

black or white?

kona white , cornerstones will be green

moda marbles jet cornerstones will be green

Jesslyn 10 months