ARRIVAL

Look what was delivered today -- Aurifil thread from Craftsy's Thanksgiving weekend sale.  That was quick.

The small spools were only $2.50.  They will be gifts.  I love to hook my quilting friends on this super thread.  The large cone is for me.  I use Aurifil for piecing, and that cone should last a long time.

BE HAPPY

Today I'm playing with Be Happy.  Nothing is stitched or fused down yet.  Needs stems too.  The fabric on top might be my sashing.  Or not.  The fabric on the left is my inspiration fabric and will likely work it's way into the quilt too.

I haven't done applique in a while, and it shows!  But, it does make me happy to work with these colors.

BOWL HOLDERS

I've been working on microwave bowl holders today.  These are like pot holders, but for bowls you use in your microwave.

We've all been surprised how hot the bowls can get; not from the microwaves but from the hot food.  This way you can retrieve the bowl and not get burned.

I've been experimenting with various sizes to best fit the bowls we most often use to heat up soup and chili.

Some will be making their way to my quilt guild's boutique.  Others will stay right here :)

If you decide to make these, be sure everything is 100% cotton.  I also wash mine after construction to make sure no chemicals from the 'ingredients' remains.  I use 100% cotton fabric and thread, as well as batting that is microwave safe.  Washing is still important, because you never know what chemicals might have been sprayed on the supplies during transportation.

Be safe!  No microwave fires!

HALLOWEEN WITCHES

This is my Any Witch Way quilt from 2009.  I keep getting requests for how to get the pattern.  It was in the Sept. - Oct. issue of Quiltmaker magazine.

If you are looking for this pattern, and you can't locate the issue, the magazine is available as a digital issue for $2.50.  Can't beat that!  Click here.

2015 AROUND THE WORLD SWAP BLOCKS

Most of my blocks from our 2015 ATW swap have arrived.  There's just one more to come, and I haven't made my own yet.  So there'll be 14 total.

This is a swap where we each send a fat eighth of the same fabric to each participant.  Then they use it in a block that represents them somehow, and send it back.

I sent out the solid yellow and asked for yellow/white/black/gray only.  Love my blocks.  Now to decide what to do with them.   Hmm.......................

FARMER'S WIFE 1930'S QUILT

Lori Hurd has a new edition of her Farmer's Wife Sampler book.  I love the letters in the book, as well as the quilt.  Plus, there's a sew-along!  What's not to love?






Click here for details.

Bitty Blocks

I've been working on these cuties today.  The strips finish 1/2".  Only 140 or so to go.  :)

Four Dresses and a Row Start

In the end I have 4 dresses for Dress a Girl Around the World, Brynwood Needleworks group.  Soon we'll start a next session.  I saw a post or news story somewhere, where a 90+ woman made one of these a day.  Every day.  Might have been for a different charity; Dress a Girl in Africa?

Today I made this row for a row by row swap on a yahoo group.  My theme is Red and White Christmas.  No design wall here, so I pinned to the curtain, LOL.

Here it is on the floor.

Hope you are finding time to stitch this summer too.

Dress a Girl Around the World

I finished my first dress for this charity today.

Dress a Girl Around the World makes dresses for the least and the lost.

This was so easy to stitch.

I had fun using a decorative machine stitch on the straps.

I'm part of the Brynwood Needlework group.  Click here to read more about our FB group and join.

But this charity has many groups.

Dress a Girl Around the World.

Around the world girls are often overlooked.  They are the used and abused.  This christian charity helps them to know they are special.  We care about them.  Each of God's girls matter.

Row X Row Hop

The Row x Row Shop Hop has begun.  Here's my first row and plate, from Village Fabrics and Crafts, in Paradise, MI.  The row is of Tahquamenon Falls.  The license plate is a pun on Lake Superior.

You can check out all the info on this popular hop by clicking here.

CHARLIE'S QUILT

This quilt is for grandson, Charlie, on his 7th b'day last week.  He'd been waiting for a quilt with his name in big letters, ever since I made one for his big brother, Brendan.

The top has been done a while, but it took until my friend, Carol, offered to let me use her long arm to get it quilted.  Here she is on her front porch in North Carolina.

Makes a Nana happy to see her grandsons happy.  I love how he counted the sailboats and ran his finger around the letters of Charlie, right away.

STASHBUSTERS

Every 4th Sat. our LQS, The Sewing Studio, in Maitland, FL, offers a free class by Mary Jeanine on how to use up your stash.  These are some of the quilts MJ showed us how to do last month.

MJ has talked about the one below several times, and I learn something new every time.

After the free 2 hour class/lecture, we each get a 15% discount for the store, which of course is opposed to using up our stash, LOL.

This two part table runner is one that MJ will be teaching.  The pattern is by Judy Neimeyer.

And this, not quilt related at all, is the pretty table setting at our church's ladies spring luncheon and fashion show.  Love the polka dots and the colors.

FLYING GEESE ANOTHER WAY

Of all the ways to make flying geese, this one from Connecting Threads is new to me.  I usually use the two small squares and one large square method.  That one works for me.

However, when I saw this tutorial, I knew I'd have to try it.  This is for all my stitcher friends who still struggle for a way to make accurate flying geese.

Here is a link to the tutorial.  It includes the math for whatever size you need.

MORE FROM RETREAT

I'm still unpacking and sorting.  These are my 'winnings' from retreat.

10 fat quarters are from our FQ raffle.  I've never won before at retreat, so that was exciting.

The jelly roll was the first prize given on Wed.

The coaster was a nice gift, as was the Quilter's Survival Bag.  Lollipops (or roses depending on your perspective) FQs on a stick as well as the cute strawberry appliques are from game night.

We each made signature blocks for everyone this year.  For most, that was a first, and they did a nice job.  Here's 19.  One must have jumped out of the bag!

I'm planning to make a retreat tote with them using this fabric along with the blocks.

It's kind of sad to be putting the last bits of these things from our Spring Thaw Retreat away, but there's always next year.

SUPERIOR THREAD CLASS

Yesterday at guild we had a Superior Thread class.

Who knew there's so much to learn about thread?  We had a lecture about thread at the guild meeting.  Then in the afternoon some of us stayed on for class.

Here's our teacher.  Isn't she cute?  She reminds me of Mrs. Teal, our little town librarian while growing up. 

We had all these threads to play with to see what we liked and what achieved the look we wanted on our specific machines.

I started this project.  Yes, yet another UFO.

Here are samples of our teacher's work.  She is an artist.  Her back fabrics are often upholstery fabric.  She uses paint, thread, applique, etc.  Amazing work.

 It was a fun day, and very educational.

SANTA FABRIC

Several have asked me what the focus fabric of the mystery is.  Hard to tell from a distance shot.  So here it is close up.

I love these santas from Hobby Lobby.

THE QUILTER'S THREAD RETREAT AT LAKE YALE

Today we're just wrapping up our QT retreat at Lake Yale, FL.

We do a variety of projects and games.  We always have a mystery quilt to work on, and this year I was in charge.  Here's my sample for everyone, and also examples of some of the other gal's.

We also had a Mystery Wallet.  It was the Necessary Clutch Wallet, and here's mine.

These are some of the quilts gals made from the mystery.

This pattern works up well with so many different fabrics.

Here are some random pictures from retreat.

Mary Jeanine I. came and did a stash busters lecture and demo.

These are from show and tell.

Jeane demo'd a really neat pattern.

More random pics.

Packed and ready to go home.