I'm a Charming Girl!

I was thrilled to find that Kelly of Cotton Charm Quilts was opening up membership in

I had learned of The Charming Girls Club  a few months ago and eagerly read all of the members' updates.  It was fun and I wanted to be a "Charming Girl", but membership was closed and I had to be content to just be on the outside looking in.  But I knew I was a Charming Girl at heart and when I read that the club was opened to new members for its second year, I jumped!  I commented on Kelly's post and asked to join and she said yes!  I can now proudly display the button on blog.

This year, Kelly made a few changes to the club.  Not only will we post our quilting goals, but some life goals as well!  I like that.  There are things that I've been wanting to do, meaning to do and should be doing that are not quilt related and this will help me be somewhat more accountable.

Each month will have a different theme.  This month's theme is

So, here are my self-care and quilting goals for the month:

1.  I've been trying to be better about exercise.  I feel better when I do it and at my age, I really need it!
And, since I sit at a desk all day, I get just about no exercise if I don't really make an effort.  The problem is it is a time-sucker!  And I so hate to waste good quilting time.  But, it is necessary for my health so I can quilt for many years to come (and also so I can wear more than the 5 pairs of stretch pant in my closet that fit!). So, my goal is to do weight training 3 days a week and at least two days of aerobic exercise.  I have no excuse, I have a treadmill, weights, a step, videos, bands, etc. at home.  I just need to get my butt out of bed in the mornings and do it!!

2.  Along with the exercise, a good diet is also key.  I don't have too much trouble with that - I'd say that I've been able to overhaul my diet over the years to be about 75% healthy/25% really yummy.  Fortunately, I love fruits and veggies.  I've pretty much got breakfast and lunch down - but dinner can be a downfall.  I eat lots of whole grains cereals, greens, no soda, chips or snacky type foods for the most part.  My big problem is portion control. I can eat a lot of food. And, I hate to be hungry.  I also have a love affair with pasta and rice.  I am trying to learn to love whole-grain pasta and brown rice.  So, I'll be watching even more carefully what I eat this month.

3. A big quilty goal is to finish my Lady Madonna applique quilt.  It's huge, the biggest applique I've done and the pieces just need to be fused and then I can do the machine applique.  I like the machine applique part, but I'm procrastinating about getting the fusing done.  If I don't make myself do it, it will just keep getting put on the back burner.  So, I'm putting it out there so I'll have to hang my head in shame if I don't get it done!

4.  I've also decided to participate in A Year of Schnibbles for July - I've just ordered my Joy Luck pattern and will get that done (Schnibbles are so fun and quick, I don't think that will be a problem).

[photo courtesy of Fat Quarter Shop]

Thanks, Kelly, for letting me be charming!

I'm Finally Snowbound! And JRS Block #10

Well, I think it's already 8 months in, but I've finally started the Snowbound blocks!!  Yay!  (I am blaming my late start all on the store I tried to purchase the fabric from on-line.  I really, really wanted to use this Rural Jardin fabric for the background along with some others in the line and it was on backorder for what seemed like months. I finally gave up and ordered it from somewhere else. (I think I whined about this before). Anyway, I started last week.  The blocks are so very cute.  Some of the pieces are quite small though, so even though my favorite fusible is Steam-a-Seam 2, it can be a little fidgety to work with on the smaller pieces.  So, I thought, I'll try using the WonderUnder I bought for my large Lady Madonna applique project (because is was soooo much cheaper than S-a-S).  Bad move.  Trying to remove the Wonderunder paper from the back of a teeny tiny carrot nose was next to impossible.  I decided that the rest would be satin-stitched!  Here's the first one...

And, we're still rolling along with the Jelly Roll Sampler - here's block 10 - this one was fun and really quick.  I like it!

I particularly love what one of the gals, Kim, is doing with her Jelly Roll Blocks - a Halloween theme and is embellishing them stitchery.  Her blocks are so cool - she made a Frankenstein face out of Block 5, a pumpkin out of Block 9, and tombstone with Block 10.  So creative!

I looked at my cutting table the other night and was amazed at how messy it was!  I usually keep my work area very neat (I find it hard to work in a mess), but with Snowbounding, Jelly Rolling and this and that...I walked into this...

I had to take 5 minutes to get organized again and all was right in my sewing room o:)

I'm almost embarrassed to post this, but I am on a roll with the giveaways!  Last week, I found out I won a gift certificate from Cottage Quilts   for my June Schnibble in A Year of Schnibbles AND this cute embroidery ornament from Brye Lynn at Sew Stitch Create!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Now, I think I'll go play the lottery....

Happy 4th!!

Happy 4th of July everyone!

[clipart courtesy of http://www.webweaver.nu/]

Today, I thought I'd show you some of the patriotic themed quilts I've made over the years.

This was the first patriotic quilt I ever made.   This small wallhanging is pretty old now.  I remember it was the weekend before the 4th of July and I wanted something red, white and blue and made this to hang for the holiday.  I remember it being a lot of fun to make and superquick!  I quilted a spiral in the blue and squiggly lines across the red/white.

This next one didn't really start out as a "patriotic" quilt, but it sure looks that way - lol!  This was one of those quilts where you play with values - all the blocks are the same star but depending on your fabric choices sometimes you can't even tell!

This one was made for my grandson's birthday - who happened to be born on the 4th of July (so, of course, he thinks all the hoopla is for him-haha!).  He wanted a flag quilt for his birthday a few years ago, so I used some artistic license and came up with this...

His uncle is in the First Cavelry in the Army so I used this fabric on the back to honor him...

And I found this fun label....

This was my 2nd quilt for Quilts of Valor (I guess I didn't take a photo of the first one o:( ).  This was made from Mary's (of Making Scrap Quilts from Stash) pattern at her MaryQuilts.com site.  It's called Patriotic Rail Fence.  I love, love, love Mary's blog and she so generously shares many great patterns at the MaryQuilts site.  She is a very big supporter of the HeartStrings quilt charity.  She is extremely prolific!

I've been reminiscing about some of the great places we've spent the holiday.  We've seen fireworks in New York City in Battery Park, in Disney World and (my favorite) on the Mall in Washington, D.C.  We'll be at home this year (celebrating the grand-kiddo's 12th birthday and our independence), which is pretty darn good too!!  Happy 4th all - I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend!

Jelly Roll Sampler Block #9 and My June Schnibble...

It's the end of another month...and another Schnibble is in the can!  I wasn't sure I was going to do this one, but I decided I had the perfect charm pack for "State Fair".  I used Moda's Wonderland by MoMo.  To get enough darker charm squares, I added from my stash, used some Kona Snow for the background ....

Since I had to pull out quite a few charm squares from the pack because they were too light, I put them all together to make a scrappy back - how's that for stashbusting - LOL!  I think I'm going to quilt this with some freehand daisies.  Now I'm  glad I made it and I will have entry in the Schnibble parade this month!

And, here is my Jelly Roll Sampler block #9.  Wow, was this an easy block to do! Only three more to go!

And would you believe this...I won ANOTHER giveaway! From BryeLynn of the wonderful SewStitchCreate podcast/blog. An embroidered Christmas ornament is on it's way to me as I write! How fun. I'll post a photo when I get it. Thanks, Brye!!

I'm a Winner!

I was so excited to find out I was a winner of one of Darlene's (of the Quilting Daze blog) giveaways in honor of her 4th blogging anniversary.  She had a giveaway-a-day for 4 days.  What fun!  I can't believe I won.  And I still can't believe WHAT I won.  Such a generous gift...this pile of Strawberry and Lemonade fabric along with a fun panel...

I'm thinking table runner with the panel and some of the fabrics, a Schnibble and a fun little something as a thank-you to Darlene! 

I was tickled to win and receive this package.  Last week was a bit stressful at work due to an audit that was all me, all the time (whew, thank goodness THAT's over!) and getting these fabrics in the mail just lifted me up!  Thank you Darlene.  I just love her blog.  And I've been feeling like I'm living her tagline - "On the Surface of the Sun" this past week or so - it's been in the 90's - near 100.  It's only June folks - it's going to be a long, hot summer I fear!

Jelly Roll Sampler #8 and a New Schnibble!

We're coming down the home stretch for the Jelly Roll Sampler quilt. Block number 8 is in the can! I made a few changes to the pattern - I did some 2-1/2 squares in the middle 9-patch instead of making all the squares from two fabrics. I also used only one fabric for the inner border. I made the changes only based on the fabrics I was using, not because I didn't like the original. I'm happy with my version though...

The only other quilty business I accomplished this weekend (clearly, I did not get to sew as much as I'd have liked!), was to start my newest Schnibble! I was not going to participate this month in the Year of Schnibbles, but the more I looked at the pattern - State Fair - I thought, oh, why not! I had the perfect fabric too - two charm packs of Moda's Wonderland by MoMo. I'm using Kona Snow for the white.  I'm having to add some fabrics from my stash because I had to pull out a number of lighter fabrics from the charm packs that just won't work. But I spotted a jelly roll in the cupboard that will fit in nicely!  Here are my blocks so far - just the Wonderland, I haven't made any blocks with the add-in fabrics yet.  The blocks are fun to make and coming along nicely!

We had guests for dinner on Saturday night (the reason I didn't get all that much sewing in, what with the cleaning and the shopping and the making of the dinner!), and dinner was delicious if I do say so myself - and the guests said so too! o:).  Along with a parmesan risotto and garlic green beans- I made Ina Garten's Shrimp Scampi.  My oh my, if you like shrimp, make this - it was simply divine!

It's been a while!

Well, time flies! It seems I have a bit of catching up to do.  Last week, was my husband's “big weekend”. He gets a booth at the World War II Weekend and Air Show in Reading, PA every year to sell his "collection" of militaria, books, toys, etc. I am always commandeered to help (I wouldn’t mind, but it’s outside, it’s hot, and sometimes rainy and muddy and there is physical labor involved in setting up the booth – not really my cup of tea). But, I get a nice dinner out of it o:) The show itself is a lot of fun – lots of renactors and folks dressing up in uniform and 40s style clothes. They have a Big Band Dance in the evenings and lots of good junk food (I really like that part). Anyway, that’s what took up part of last week and the weekend….this is our booth where I spent most of it...

I was able to get some quilting in though before and after…I  finished cutting out all of the fused appliqué pieces for the Lady Madonna quilt. Now, I just have to find the energy to layout these big pieces on the quilt top and fuse them down. It’s a big project and I think I’ll have to do it on the floor because I don’t want to mess up the layout trying to do it on my ironing board! I’ve never done a huge appliqué like this, so it will be a challenge. Then for the stitching – this one’s going to take a while! Here are just a few of the pieces…

I’m also about half way done with the quilting on Flying Cranes. I’m using the Waterworld pantograph from Jodi Beamish with a brownish/gold King Tut variegated thread – I love the way it’s looking! I hope to finish it up this weekend so I can get the binding on and start using this beautiful quilt!

I also started Cameos by Fig Tree Quilts. This will be the perfect size for my office wall, so I’ll add it to my rotating office quilt show collection! I’m using Fig Tree’s Whimsy – Yummy!!

I had a bit of a problem when I first started making the blocks – their construction is a little bit different than I’m used to and while Joanna’s pattern directions are really clear, I really wasn’t sure about the sizing for the first round. In fact, I’m still not. I’m sure if I’d have emailed her I would have gotten an answer, but, I was too anxious to just keep going and didn’t want to wait. My practice block turned out okay in the end and it’s the right size, but I’m still not sure I did it exactly right. So, does it matter? I don’t know – things like that tend to bug me. So, I may just try to find out because someone said something about doing Cameos in Christmas fabrics and I’m thinking I just may have to make another one!