New Word Monday

Pat at Silver Thimble Talk  

Posted this wonderful new word.    I would like to nominate it for inclusion in the dictionary.    Some would say it is not really a word or even possible, but there are those of us who know how necessary this procedure is at times.   

Thank you Pat!  for this wonderful addition to my vocabulary.   Send me your snail mail address, because I am going to send you a fat quarter of my favorite coffee fabric.  

Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

My First Mug Rug and a 2nd Finish for 2011!

I hadn't signed on to the mug rug craze that seems to be everywhere you look, but a group of ladies that I meet with decided to demonstrate machine applique, by having us make a mug rug.     Anyone that knows me knows I don't do small quilts.   My quilts run to queen or king size, but I have to admit, I am proud of the result.   I like the colors and finishing something, even such a small project, gives a nice sense of accomplishment.   

I see more mug rugs in my future.    They kind of go with my caffine addiction anyway.

Happy Birthday! Kyla!

One of my granddaughters turned two yesterday, and we had a small family party.      She was the birthday girl and had the crown to prove it.     Her dad said she walked around all morning, singing Happy Birthday to me!   And it's my birthday party!   

She posed nicely for the camera in her hat and after a dinner of spagetti and garlic bread was ready to open presents.    The hit of the evening was the Princess Tea Set that I found.   She was sharing tea with everyone, pouring juice and stirring tea with her "poon."    She had a great time opening  all of her presents.

After a quick wardrobe change, into her new outfit and her pink and brown rainboots, it was time to blowout the candles.    

She is indeed Grandma's little angel.  

Happy Birthday Kyla!

Fruit Basket Turnover!

That is what my mom used to say when she really liked something.    I think it describes last night's meeting of the Tallahassee Applique Society.

Last night I did a presentation on blogs, Google Reader and how the internet can enhance your enjoyment of quilting and applique in particular.

The ladies greeted my efforts with praise.    I shared several blogs that I just love that specialize in applique designs and offer free BOM patterns.

The first one and my personal favorite is One Piece At A Time.  Erin's Florabunda and My Tweets BOM's are so beautiful

They sort of take my breath away.














You should go and vote for Erin's design here

As a group, we are doing the Bunny Hill BOM - A Tisket A Tasket

I  am really behind on mine, but a few of the ladies showed off their blocks last night.

I really need to ditch this job, so I can spend all my time quilting.   Oh but then I would have to stop buying fabric and maybe stop eating.    Guess I have to put in a few more years.


The quilt that made me name this post "Fruit Basket Turnover"   was this one.

One of our members won this quilt from the National Applique Society.   Our names were entered in the drawing just for joining .   Needless to say she was thrilled and you would not believe the beautiful quilting and luscious fabrics that went into this quilt.


That is all for this post.    But I just had to share the wonderful applique that our group is doing. 

My First Finish of 2011

10 years ago, my older sister said to me "When am I going to get a quilt?"   I said one of these days, she then replied "Probably never!"  Feeling rather offended by her tone of voice, I said "by your 50th birthday."  

That was November 13, 2010.     For her birthday, my younger sister and I rented a hotel room,  and took her out to dinner.  We laughed until we cried.   The next day,  we had a great day riding around our old neighborhoods and saying, "Remember this?"   It was a great day.   I didn't have the quilt finished, but the top was done.   I gave it to her and then took it back to get the quilting done. 

Well it is done, and just a few months after her 50th.   This quilt goes on record as my first finish for 2011.

UFOs, WIP or PhD's -

UFO's - Unfinished Objects

WIP's - Works in Progress

PhD's - Projects Half Done

What ever you call them, almost every quilter has them.     They are created slowly and surely.   How are they made you ask?   

* Those classes you took where you only made one or two blocks.

* The half finished jacket that didn't get done before cold weather was gone.   "'ll finish it before next fall." you say.   3 years later, it is still in its plastic bin.

*  The internet round robin where someone put something in you didn't like.

* The Christmas gift list that was too ambitious for the time and energy you had left before the big day.

It seems as if almost every blog I read these days is talking about getting UFOs completed.   There are lists, and links and challenges and prizes, trying to help us get motivated to finish something.    Well this blog is not any different.   I am listing my UFO's, WIP and PhD's for all the world to see.    I already have an extensive list with about 25 things on it, and that is probably not all.  Gotta go through those bins in the closet.  I started
my list in January ( of course) about 5 or 6 years ago, and since then I have crossed off 6 items and added 5.   I have also completed a few baby quilts, and other things that never sat idle, long enough to make the list.  My theory is that it has to remain idle for at least a year to qualify for this list.   Otherwise it is not a UFO, it is just a WIP.    This year I am going to try to cross off 10 UFO's  from my list.   I know that is an ambitious goal, but I am feeling motivated and bold.    Let's see how I do.    Do you dare put your list (I know you have one), to paper and share it with the world?   I dare you!

1. Just Beachy   -  Machine Applique - based on a class pattern by Karen Stone - 2003
2. Paper Pieced Trucks - 2004
3. Autumn Jacket - 2006
4. Blue Square in a Square - Full Size - 2004
5. Spring Time Table Runner - 2009
6. Yellow Brick Road - 2006  Completed
   
7. Stack N' Whack - 2003
8. Blue Paisley Bible Block Quilt - 2008
9. Yellow and Blue Round Robin - 1999
10.  Blue Airplane Quilt for David - 2006 - Completed March 2011
11. Salsa Nights BOM for Dalten
12. Nine Patch Scrappy Quilt - 2003
13. Cups and Saucers - Paper Piecing - 2006
14. Christmas Table Runner - 2007
15. Snowball Quilt - 2006
16. Flying Geese Quilt - 2005
17. Love is a Work of Heart - Hand Applique - 2000
18. Lori's Jumper - 2007
19. Berries and Vines - Hand Applique - 2006
20. A Girl Can Get Tired of Diamonds - Ready to go to longarm - Need money - King Size - 1999
21. Southern Belle Quilt - Family Heirloom, 3 generations of quilters have worked on this.  Hand Quilting
22. Friendship Squares - Internet Swap - 2000
23. New York Beauty Blocks
24. Vintage Sunburst Star Blocks - Left to me by my mother when she passed 14 years ago.
25. Umbrella Ladies - Blanket Stitch Applique - 2004
26. Birdie Stitches - January 2011
27. Tis the Season - Stitch Along - March 2011

*  There are a few more.  I will add them later.

Try it for yourself.   Listing them is actually kind of freeing.    One blog said it was even okay to give them away or throw them away.   I won't go that far!  But listing them was not so bad.

Project Run and Play

I don't sew clothes.    I did at one time and then I discovered quilting and all other forms of sewing kind of flew out the window.    I tell myself it is because I work full time, am active in my church, my guild and have 10 grandchildren to run around after.  The real reason is that I just don't enjoy it as much as I like quilting.

But if I did, I would want my efforts to result in items as cute as these talented women produce.





Go and check them out and vote for your favorite.

15 Minutes A Day

I made a goal for 2011 ( I hate the word resolution) to do something related to sewing, crocheting, quilting, and other fiber related pursuits, for 15 minutes each day.    I set a timer next to my sewing machine and so far I have met my goal.   I have joined in my LQG's block of the month and am going to make a block each month for our raffle block drawing.   

I also made a list of my UFO's, PIG's, whatever you want to call them, and will share it later.    I put the very next action I need to do to move each one of them along, right next to it on the list.   My goals is alot of finishes in 2011.   I am not going to put a number on it, but I am going to keep at it.  

Here are the tree blocks I did for the raffle block.    I really like them.   Next months block is a tree made with appliqued hearts.   Ever heard of Heat n Bond Lite?  Don't have enough time for needle turn right now, but it is still applique.

I will keep you posted on my 15 minutes a day.  (It normally turns into 30, but that is okay.)

Did you notice the timer in the pictures??


Keep on Stitchin'





Janice

Favorite Things Friday!

  Do I need to use words????

One of those days when only chocolate will do!!

My New Year's Resolution

I have decided that I will sew, or stitch, or cut some fabric, or play with my stash, use my machine quilter, or do something else creative each day.

I am not going to get to the end of year and realize that I spent all of my time reading other people's blogs and see all the cool things that they made.

To that effect, last night I picked out fabrics for my LQG, Block of the Month Raffle.   This month's are cute little pine trees.    The theme this year is going green, so each block is a different tree block.   And in honor of all of the stash busters, fabric diets and scrap users tutorials that seem to be popping up all over blogland, I am trying to use up my scraps.    I have cut out 3 blocks, two to raffle and one to keep, just in case I don't win.   I took pictures of my tree fabric pics, all from my scrap box.    These are my color choices and a close up of the pattern instructions.   I will post the finished blocks later in the week.

2011 - The Year of the Finished Project

 

As I tried to figure out what to write to close out my blog for 2010, I realized that I did not have enough fabric finishes to fill up a photo collage, like so many others were doing.   Was it because I hadn't finished anything or because I hadn't kept track?    I think it may be a little of both.


But I haven't learned how to do all of that fancy stuff, like photo collages that are links.   Then I saw the index page that Elizabeth at Such A Sew and Sew made to log her finishes last year.   I realized that a list that links to the finishes, as I post them on my blog, made perfect sense to my list crazy brain.   I am all about lists.    I make lists for everything and I even have a list of my lists.

She generously offered the use of her button and gives instructions on how to make a link back to the index to post on your blog.    Thank you so much Elizabeth.      I am sure that I could have thought of something so profound yet so simple, if I wasn't busy with all of my lists.

So here goes.

January Finishes

1. Yellow Brick Road - Finished on January 25, 2011 - This is for my sister Jennifer. 
2. Red & Black Mug Rug - Finished on January 30, 2011 -  Machine Applique project with TAS(Tallahassee Applique Society)

February  - No Finishes :(

March Finishes

3.        Flying Machines - This quilt was given to my grandson David on his 9th birthday.   It was 6 hand embroidered flying machines and 6 machine pieced blocks, quilted on the domestic frame with a dark blue varigated King Tut Superior  thread.   It was finished on March 9th, 2011.  
Happy New Year,

April - No Finishes

May - No Finishes

June - No Finishes

July - A Quilt of Valor - A group quilt by my Thursday evening Sit n Stitch.   It will be donated to the national organization that gives quilts to our service men and women that have been wounded.   I love the colors, and it was a fun project.

August - Burp Cloths for my grandson Wyatt -  Picture to come shortly.
 A Girl Can Get Tired of Diamonds -  This turquoise diamond quilt is hand pieced, using the English Paper Piecing technique and it was 15 years in the making.   Glad to get this one done.

September - Little Boy Blue  - I made this quilt for a friend of mine's grandson.   He is the sweetest little boy.   Can't wait to see him wrapped up in it at Thanksgiving.


October - No Finishes

November - Beading Projects -  This is my new favorite obsession.   I hesitated to add them to this list, but I realized that they are part of my creative productivity and thus should be chronicled here.

Janice