BIRTHDAY BAG AND MORE

My dear friend, Carol, sent me this sweet needle minder.  I had been ogle eyeing them on my last blog hop but passed.  I'm so happy to receive this from Carol.

She also gave me this monogrammed bag.

It will come in very handy for stitching or could be used as a purse too.  Love the pretty monogram!

Thanks so much, Carol, and especially for your friendship, which has gone on for 30-some years!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

My next few posts will share a few of my birthday gifts.  This first set is from grandsons Brendan (5) and Charlie (4), with a little help from mom.  They are going on the wall pronto! 

I love homemade gifts, especially when they have my interests at heart!  Love the art, and love the boys!

RUFFLE SCARF

I love the new ruffle scarf yarn and the way this one turned out.  In my travels I've seen the fnished scarves selling for as much as $40 (at Tamarac in WV) and as low as $25 (at the Blueberry Patch in Paradise, MI).  This one went to my sister.

SEWING WITH MY GRANDDAUGHTER

Two of my granddaughters are visiting, and we've been doing some sewing.  This is Ali at the machine.  She made a little purse/bag.  It has two pockets inside, and is perfect for her camera and some cash, LOL!

She found the button to decorate it in my button box.

I love to see the young'uns taking an interest in stitching!  Makes a Nana proud.

TOWERING TREES

July is a super time to start getting ready for Christmas.  A gal at my Monday group shared this Towering Tree pattern.  Yes, it's a tad wonky, but not as much as it looks in this picture!  The sparkly stars on the fabric aren't showing up well either.  I might add more adornment, or maybe a star at the top.

HI!

No stitching lately, but just wanted to check in with my blogging friends and let you know I'm fine, surviving this heat wave my style, LOL! 

JUNE CARDS

This month as card making we created these adorable baby cards.  The note slides into the diaper.  Anyone but me remember diaper pins???  I once punctured our water bed with one in the middle of the night, but I digress.............

We also made red/white/blue patriotic cards to go in the boxes my neighborhood sends to military overseas,  I didn't have my camera with me, so no picture to share, as of course we left them.

DOLL SIGGIES

I just finished up 3 sets of doll signature blocks.  These little cuties finish at 2".  We are trading them untrimmed, and will each do our own 2.5" square up.  They are signed by the doll, her owner, the location, and the year.  I think they will make sweet dolls quilts for Christmas for my DGDs.

ROSES, ROSES SCARF

My blog is mainly about quilting, but I've been working on secret projects lately that I can't post.  So I'm sharing this new yarn, needles, and beads, for a knitting project.  It's a mystery knit-a-long (KAL) on Ravelry.com.  Edging the Pink is hostessing the mystery in 4 parts.  Part one was posted last Sat. so there's plenty of time to join if interested.  There's two versions one for light fingering yarn (1) and one for a finer yarn.

This is my first experience with lace knitting (although I'm using light fingering yarn, not the lighter lace weight), with working with beads with knitting, and with a KAL.  Should be fun!

Hop on over to Ravelry if you are interested in joining.  Once there search for the Roses Roses KAL or for Edging the Pink to find us.  You might have to join Ravelry for the second link to work for you.  It's free, and has tons of knit - crochet fun waiting for you.

PUZZLING RUFFLED SCARVES

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Have you seen the new yarns that knit up easily into ruffle scarves?  There are many brands.  I'm using Patons Pirouette.  The yarn is almost like a tape (not the sticky kind) and spreads out to creat the ruffles.  It only takes one ball of yarn.  Directions are on the wrapper, but more complete directions can be found here:
www.patonsyarns.com/PatonsPirouette

I also wanted to share the completed puzzle Carol and I did.  Something about this challenge was very addicting, and we didn't get much sewing done.  It's 1,000 pieces and 11.7" x 16.54", claimed to be "World's Smallest 1,000 Piece Puzzle" on the tin.  I picked up another one with a beach scene.

IT'S PUZZLING

My friend. Carol. is visiting.  We planned a quilting weekend.  But we've been drawn to this jig-saw puzzle.  The pieces are about the size of a fingernail.  You can compare to the penny in the top left.  The box says it's the world's smallest 1,000 piece puzzle.  We both love puzzles, and this one is taking up lots of our time.  Hope it's stretching our brains too!

BABY GIFT

Last night I finished part of my baby gift for a new little girl, due in August.  The blanket is two layers of flannel and so soft.  I like this method of making them.  I had extra of the focus fabric, since it takes more of the backing fabric, so I made two coordinating burp cloths lined in terry cloth with the extra.  I tied the extra ribbon around the burp cloths, in hopes that her Nana will use it to make her a special hair band, or such (hint).

I'll be making another similar set, and will do a tutorial while I make it, in case you are interested in the directions.  Like most things I make, the idea for how to do it started elsewhere, and blossomed in my head for 'my way', LOL!

CARD MAKING

These are the cards I made at Cardmaking at the Clubhouse in our neighborhood for May.  The Graduation one is going to DGS for his pre-school graduation.  The vest is for Father's day.  Too fun!  It's a great way to get to know the neighbors better too.

NEW BOW ON WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE

Barbara Brackman, who did the CW quilt BOW last year, will start on new one in the fall all about Women't Suffrage.  In the USA woman gained the right to vote in 1920. 

I recall asking my Grandmother about the events at that time.  She was a very modern Grandma, owned and ran a farm, worked other jobs all her life, from school bus driver to working at the winery.  This thoroughly modern lady, who always voted, said she thought the women doing the sit ins, starvation diets, etc., at that time were a bit 'kooky'.  I was so surprised!  I would have thought she'd have been cheering them on.  Of course she was still young, a teenager at that time.

I've only studied American Women's Suffrage.  But Barbara will be doing other countries as well, especially other English-speaking countries.  Did you know the women in New Zealand gained the right to vote more than 20 years ahead of those in the US? 

This BOW journey will start in the fall.  Click here to read more.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OUR VETERANS!

QUILT BLOGGERS

I belong to Quilting Bloggers.  Do you?  Quilting bloggers is a web ring, where quilters with blogs (or not) can easily find other quilt blogs.  Recently they updated added add this cute new button.  Their old one is nice too, and is farther down on my blog.  They sadly deleted over 1,000 inactive blogs!  But, good news, they are looking to add active blogs.  So if you have an active blog, join the web ring and see your traffic increase, as well as link to other great blogs.  Just click here or on the icon above for more info.

DOLL SIGGIE SWAP

I've been working on signature blocks for a doll siggy swap.  On the left is the size I swap on Dear Jane list and the International Siggie swap. On the right is what I'm making for the dolls to swap. You can see the 'big' ones are 5" to finish 4.5". The dolls are trading 2" finished size blocks, 2.5" unfinished.  In the center is the doll's name, the girl's name, where they live (city, state, country) and the year. I'm pretty sure the hardest part is going to be writing so small.  I have entered a doll in the swap for each of my three granddaughters, so lots of tiny stitching is in my future.

RASPBERRY RIPPLE

Yesterday I made this Raspberry Ripple bag, using fabric from Judy Hanson's Radiance collection (Paintbrush Studio).  I just love her designs, her shop (The Quilt Shop of Deland in Florida), and her person.  She is always smiling and full of energy!

The Raspberry Ripple pattern is from Australian designer Melanie Decker, of Melly and Me,  and came with a few challenges for me.  The front ripple part was actually the easiest part.  It's the way they insert the zipper, what they call fusible fleece, etc., that were cause for more consternation.  The interior is half open and half is a zippered pocket --  handy.  The very top closes with a magnet.  I love the size -- 16.5" by 18", including the handle.

For sure I'll be making up more of these handy handbags.  They will go much faster now that I have been through the pattern once!

Making this bag gives me a new appreciation for my Vera Bradley bags and why they cost what they do!

WONKY TREES

The wonky tree swap arrived this week.

 This is my favorite!  So much detail, and great wonk going on here.

Here's my forrest.  They will play nicely with my wonky houses.  I think I'll add some wonky stars too.  But that's later.  Too much going right now to play with them for long.

BUTTON, BUTTON, WHO'S GOT THE BUTTON?

I do!  I made these unique buttons yesterday at Clermont Quilters.  One of the gals was demonstrating, and for $5 you could play too.  Well, of course!  Who wouldn't want to play with clay?

This was my first one, a fish.  She's about 1.5" long. Her body and lower fins are cut from leaf shapes.  Her dorsal fin is a heart folded in half, so she can flap it.  And the tail is a small flower shape folded.   I think she'll go on a fish quilt. 

Then I made these.  Much easier.  Just cut with a cookie cutter, and poke holes.

Next we rolled some beads.  I think I over-kneaded the clay, as I lost most of the marble effect.

Then I cut these.  This was actually very easy, as you just slice off from a tube.  The colors were already there.  The shell will have a hole drilled for a pendant, and the others for earrings.

I brought my creations home to bake, and will take the three needing drilling back next week.

This was very fun, and it's always nice to try something new.  It's easy when the supplies are right there, the guide is right there, and all the tools are right there.  Don't think I'll be taking this up as a new hobby, but it was interesting to play with yesterday morning.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Whether you're a Mother, Grandmother, Daughter, we are all nurturers in one way or another.  Enjoy your day.

CLERMONT QUILTERS

This morning I investigated the Clermont Quilters.  They are not a guild.  I was told it's just a group of people who gather to stitch.  But they are much more organized than that. 

They have show-and-tell, demos, other fun stuff.  I brought my Dresden Plates to work on.  Many gals had hand work with them, be it stitching, knitting, whatever.  There was a demo on using those needle punch machines (very nice embellishments), lots of chatter, the nicest comraderie and friendliest group of women.  I'll go back for sure!  Many seemed interested in how I'm doing my Dresdens, so I'll bring my KK Buckley Perfect Circles, and demo those next week. 

They meet every Monday unless it's a major holiday (like Labor day) or if the church is using the space.  They charge just $1 per meeting to cover coffee, photos, etc.  Odd expenses.

One of the sweet members took this picture on her smart phone, and emailed it to me.  It looks empty behind me, but really there were quite a few women there (30?).  They said they pack the place in the winter when the snow birds are here.

What a fun way to start the week!  I'm so enjoying meeting and stitching with real-life quilters, although I love my on-line friends too!

I'M NOT AMISH

That's what I'm thinking of naming this quilt when it's done.  It's not an Amish quilt unless the quilter is Amish.  These blocks are from a swap in 2010.  I decided to center them with a larger Amish Basket block.  I'll use black for corner triangles on that block.

But then, to sash or not sash?  I'm thinking maybe this gray.  I had one extra block, so the red one (mine) will be used on the back as a label.  I'm thinking of big-stitch quilting it with black thread on the brights -- definitely not Amish.

It will be simmering on the design wall for a while, as I have other things taking priority.  But I am excited to at least get the blocks out of their bag, make the large basket, etc.

IT'S CHARMING

Here are my 20 sets of 5 charm squares for the floral charms swap.  They didn't have to be 'floral packed' so it was easy to pull fabrics with flowers.  I'm picturing a charming floral quilt in the future.

I CAUGHT A BUG

It's this cute Dresden Bug, and she is very contagous!  Click here to see what can happen when she takes over!  It started last week, when Carol was here.  Now it's a full-blown case of the bug!

I have all twelve plates finished for my quilt.

My background blocks are cut, and sew so are the centers.  Stitching these down by hand will be nice evening work.

I already have dreams of my next dresden project dancing in my head -- watch out for the bug!  It will be more modern, and not in 30's fabs. hmm.................