SYLVIA'S BRIDAL SAMPLER

For the first time in forever, I worked on Sylvia's Bridal Sampler. I completed two blocks, B-5, Grandmother's Flower Garden (which I started long ago when it was the BOW), and N-3 Clay's Choice (the current BOW).

DEAR JANE BLOCKS

Yesterday I made two Dear Jane blocks. These are little 4" finished-size blocks. The quarter is for reference to view the size. The one on the right is L-1, Window's Pane, and has 22 pieces. On the left is A-8, Florence Nightingale, with 11 pieces. These two will be in the mail today, off to a collective effort to make a DJ quilt for a special someone.

VINTAGE VALENTINE BLOCK 5

I finished Vintage Valentine Block 5 last night. Now I'm all caught up with the group. Block 5 was the February Challenge. I changed the rose buds to make them dimensional. This quilt is so addicting that I'd love to keep going on it, but other projects call. I will wait until the March BOM is announced.

AND AFTER PRESSING

It's amazine what a good pressing will do!

VIINTAGE VALENTINE BLOCK 1

While away from home, I try to take hand-work with me. This past week-end I hand-appliqued Block 1 of the Vintage Valentine Quilt. I'm doing this with a Verna Mosquera designs on-line Yahoo group. This was the block for Jan., so I'm already behind! My block could use a good pressing, but I don't have an iron with me. I love the wool petals with the buttonhole stitch, and the covered buttons accents. What better time to get started than Valentine's week-end?

HEART BLOCKS

These 6" blocks are all set to send in for a heart swap in our Friendship Swap group. Four are pieced the same as the 40-some I made for the DJ H2H swap, and on the other six I experimented with various ways to applique. Three are done in back-baste, my first try at that method. I used a charm pack for the applique ones, so each is different focus fabric. I think they all turned out well.

VALENTINE SWAP

Yesterday my package from the Valentine Box Swap arrived from Shelley. I just love the mini-quilt and other things she sent!

This is the quilted Valentine card and envelope that I made for Cindy.

RETURN FROM HONEYBEE

It's very hard to get back to normal after 4 days of nothing but quilting and laughter at the Honeybee Retreat, Quilt Stampede!

A young Clint Eastwood was at the retreat!

Here I am with Billie Lauder in her "Beyond the Battlefield" class. She is a very sweet person and so creative!!!

Here I am posing with Gwen Marston in her "Liberated Stars" class. She is such a neat person and great teacher.

I also took an applique class with Yvonne Porcella. It was a very fun weekend!

QUILT STAMPEDE

Today I'm packing for "Quilt Stampede," the Honeybee Guild annual retreat in Jacksonville. This year it's a cowgirl theme. I have my bandanna fabric star block for the drawing (bandanna fabric as background or star), my cowgirl hat (from 1975 'ish!), and of course my challenge quilt. Besides being required to use the 3 fabrics (bandanna, check, & blue denim), buttons and ribbon in the kit you were given, you also had to include at least 6" of couching (I couched DMC floss for the rope), and so many inches of free-motion quilting. I added a few extra fabrics -- the fussy-cut cowgirls and the tan print. It's my first challenge quilt ever, but my 3rd Honeybee retreat.

ORANGE PILE CHALLENGE

This is a group of fabrics I pulled, for Pat Sloan's Orange Pile Challenge. Lime green and a few yellows and pinks jumped in. I don't know yet if that's allowed! I'll find out as she posts more. The on-line retreat is in February.

SEWING MENDS THE SOUL

My dear friend, Carol, gave me these wall words for Christmas. Finally, this past week, I cleaned out my sewing room enough to get near a wall, and apply the words! I do indeed believe in this sentiment. Thanks, Carol.

YIPPY SKIPPY

Look what arrived in my mail today.........two luscious half-yard cuts of batik fabric. It's my January gift from my Dear Jane Secret Pal. I like them so well hanging on the back of that chair, I may just leave them there to ogle-eye for a while. Visions of new projects are dancing in my head.

QUILT FEVER 2009

Yesterday I had the fun experience of attending Quilt Fever 2009, the show of a local guild. So much eye candy!!! Here's some of the Hoffman Challenge quilts that were on display.

This one is my favorite. I love the Winding Ways background blocks, the wisteria made with yo-yos, the fact that it was made by a group, I love everything about this quilt!!!

But, the most fun exhibit had to be the bras. This is a traveling collection, made by artists. All funds raised are given to breast cancer organizations. The one below is covered in dominoes, and was accompanied with advice that, just like a row of dominoes, everything eventually falls!

What fun!

TODAY'S FIND

A friend asked if I had fabric I could donate for pillowcases for a charity. I said sure, and that started it all. Suddenly I had everything, and I do mean everything, out of my sewing room closet. While going through long-abandoned stash, I found this quilt all completed, still with it's left-over scraps, in a box. I made it right before we moved to this house 6 years ago! I think my little 9-month-old granddaughter will enjoy playing on it. In the process of the 'big clean out' I have a box for our sewing ministry at church, and also a box for my 9-year-old granddaughter for her sewing.

First Finish of 2009!!!

Today, while watching the inauguration, I stitched the binding on this fall table topper. It is made from the first charm pack I ever bought, way back when they first came out. It's been quilted for years, just languishing in a stack, waiting for binding! Thanks to the UFO Challenge on Stashbusters, I finally got it done!

DOUBLE DELIGHT PROGRESS

I'm very happy with the colors in my DD blocks. It's all starting to come together!

Today I got this week's SBS BOW, Sawtooth Star, finished up early. Whew, now back to Double Delight and the row swap.

SYLVIA'S BRIDAL SAMPLER, BOW

I took time away from Double Delight this morning to do the SBS BOW. I really want to keep up with this this year!

Pat's Sweat Shop

Seriously, I've put many hours into my Double Delight today! These are all 120 Step 1 blocks, totally done. They are 3" square in a squares.

This is a small stack of completed Step 2s, and fabric for the rest, mostly all cut.

This is my stack of Step 3. First strips sets all sewn and cross cut.

And here's one Step 4 block that I just had to jump ahead and put together.

QUILTS MADE FROM SELVAGES

While in JoAnn's today, shopping for a notion, I came across this great new book. Talk about going green. These quilts are made with the cast off selvage! Wonder how many I've thrown away over the years. You can see more at: http://selvagequilts.com/

DOUBLE DELIGHT MYSTERY PROGRESS

While I like the ruler Bonnie suggested, I found that my Omnigrip 3 1/2" ruler made quick work of squaring up the step 1 and 2 blocks. Notice the small dots right in the corners of the inner square.

Here are my Step 1 blocks, all trimmed.

















And here are some Step 2 blocks, all trimmed.

DOUBLE DELIGHT PROGRESS

What a lot of little pieces. I think I have everything cut for the first few steps now. If you look closely, you can see that some of the sewing is done as well.

Here's one of my first 'strings'. It feels like I'm making tiny siggies for a DJ siggie swap:)

DOUBLE DELIGHT

Today I spent time cleaning my sewing room, sorting UFOs, etc. I also selected fabric from stash for Bonnie Hunter's New Year's Eve Mystery Quilt, Double Delight. This is the first Mystery Quilt I've done, and it has the added benefit of using stash rather than buying. Bonnie is using tradition double pinks and indigos in hers. Many of these are from Urban Indigo, a softer, more modern (but still traditional) line.

HEARTS FOR JENNIFER

My favorite author, Jennifer Chiaverini, recently lost her editor, due to lay-offs. Our small Sylvia's Bridal Sampler Quilt swap group decided to send her heart blocks in lilac, in time for her Feb. 14 birthday. This is my block for her.