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Sunday, May 31, 2009

Sunday's Sewing


Well today I did get time to sew during the twins' naptime after Mass today. I've had a lot of fun revisiting these string blocks. I owe my frined KC1930 20 more blocks and today finished them up. I also was smart to think of work in a few foundations for myself during this process so now I have another 13 for my stash :)


Ough OH - look above... on the back side is what I call a "HIGH-JACKER" a sting that hitched a ride on another blocks' turn thru the sewing machine....


So which would you use? the seam ripper? or the sissors?

Tell ya what I do......

I use the sissors and cut as close to the seam as I can. Why waste all that time ripping it out? this side is never gonna show anyway? ;)

Thankfully this was on one fo the blocks I made for myself... so I'm AOK with it ;)


see.... and the string is still reusable ;)

I just had to take a close up of this block..... see that bottom corner? I was so happy when I found the P-E-R-F-E-C-T sized triangle scrap piece to use to make that corner ;)

and here is a look at all 20 blocks for my frined KC1930. She will be happy with these squared up at 7" with 2" cut sized Red 30's background center strips :)

Good thing I clicked when I did... I think it's funny when the wind blows when I'm trying to take photos outside....and everytime it happenes I'm amazed that this Heartstirngs Quilter was able to take this photo!

oops, I noticed there was another "HIGH-JACKER" in her group of blocks... only 1 out of 20... sorry KC! I hope this is OK. If not let me know and I'll fix it.

and what about those Extra 13 I made for my own 30's string stash... I finished them up too and Nora and I sat down together for pretent cake and cookies party ;)





"You kiss me and I'll kiss you Momma!"

What fum memories we both make while sewing and playing together in the dining room while the twins nap ;)

Love from Texas!

All Stacked up and ready to sew

It sure looks like a great time to sit down and sew for a while, right???

Well take a look at this machine... notice anything?

Usually on the weekends during naptime I get to sew and sew and sew!!! But not today! :(

Did you notice above there's no light on?

Our power went out here at home... just about the time I finished pressing the last strings down and adding the next one... now I'm wishing I had went ahead and completed that step last night before quiting for the night. Then I would have at least had time to get one more round sewn down today before the power outage.

Well the twins didn't stay asleep for long after the power shut off. It gets pretty hot upstairs pretty quick b/c of the metal roof we have on the house. After only an hour they were up and ready to go... and go and go and go... to read about our fun visit our family blog to see how we spent our Satuday while the power was out. :)

Saturday, May 30, 2009

BH&G sure do make some great quilting magazines.. don't they?

Do you remember a few weeks ago when I posted about this magazine? Well school has been out for a week now and I've been meaning to post about this issue... because there were so many things I enjoyed looking at... during my waiting at the drive thur of McDonald's b/c I've already confessed I was late picking up Nora more times than I was early this month :P

Take a look at page 96 at that quilt in the bottom left photo - the only thing they mention about that (what I call, Rotten Egg Yellow and Navy Blue Quilt) is "Clothesline Quilts' Fort Sumter quilt nestles among one-of-a-kind bird pincushions."

Fort Sumter? We use to live in Sumter, SC... maybe this should be added to my "one of these years" list of quilts to make... I love how the navy pieces forms arrows pointing inward to the blocks.

...also that elephant quilt hanging on the wall behind the bed is rather cute too ;)

oh and this next one really drew me in... see that photo at the top right corner???? I hope you can click on it to see the detailed quilting closer! :) The quilted design is awesome!! WOW.

The above is on page 119 and they mention, "Civil War Star is the first quilt pattern show owner Julie Hale designed for commercial sale. It remains a popular offering for the shop more than 10 years later."

WOW - 10 years and still a top seller! Now that is an amazing accomplishment don'tcha think? If anyone out there wants more information about it - the shop is called "Bits 'n Pieces" in Wayne, MI. 734/641-4970 which led me to look on the Internet for more info and I did find that they have a web page and also I've shared links to the above mentioned quilt ;)

Bits 'n Pieces also had the honor of having their quilt Seeing Double featured on the magazine's cover. ;) Which was why I bought this copy! I really look forward to these "Shop Hops" after all for $6.99 I can have weeks of thumbing thru and dreaming of these far away places and all the beautiful quilts plus 10 exclusive patterns... not bad for $6.99. ;)

and what am I looking at /reading now...? You will never guess!

Are you ready for this.... it arrived Wednesday 5/27/09

I know you can't see it but just above the bar code it says AUGUST 2009! Can you believe
that? WOW! Maybe they are giving me a early copy in hopes that I can actually turn out one of these beautiful patterns. :) Earlier today I wanted to share just the cover with MaryJ, and went to their web page but they don't even have it up on their website YET! I have something before they have it up on their website?? Can't believe it! ;) I'm feeling sorta special *giggle*giggle*

...and no surprise, I really like the one on the cover of this issue too! Scrappy rails with the square in a square pattern... there is also another rail block pattern called "Royal Order" page 32 inside that is used with star sashings that looks cool...

oh and the "Dot to Dot" pattern on page 82 looks really super funky cool to use for a collection of fabrics with large bright prints.... but the most favorite thing I enjoyed was reading about...

The studio (in a garage no less) that renowned quilting duo Laura Nownes and Diana McClun use when they get together every Monday to create in. ;) One of their Books they've written called:

Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! : The Complete Guide to Quiltmaking

was my very first quilt book that I purchased when I signed up for my very first quilting class when I lived in Sumter, SC..........gosh that was in 1999. Have I really been quilting 10 years already? Where does the time go?

Just a couple months ago I shared the Feb. cover of this same magazine of a quilt I hoped to make... Have I even started it? nope. Unless you count swapping nickels? :)

aaah... so many quilts! So little time!

Friday, May 29, 2009

Mail call, my blocks from Crazy are here!!

Tuesday of this week, I loaded up the kids and David into the van to head out to do a long list of errands. I didn't feel like running around and neither did David (who was sicker than sick) ...however there were several things that just couldn't wait so him riding along to say sitting in the van with the twins actually worked out great b/c it meant that I could run in and out of each place on my list.

One of my stops was the local post office (WHICH IS STILL in a cracker box sized trailer since hurricane Ike last fall) I mailed off Crazy'boutquilt's blocks I posted about earlier.

Well GUESS what arrived in my mailbox today!!!!! :) :) :) Yes, you guessed it! The blocks Sandi made for me!

I tried to get a good look at my blocks outside but it was too windy to keep them all laid out so I had to get gather them all up and bring them inside for a group photo. In the photo below, they're sorta lined up on point so to say... she sent 13 instead of 12 b/c I had sent her an extra when we first mailed to each other... so now she's caught up and even AHEAD (something to do w/ her changing her mind?) LOL I just read about after visiting her post to let her know the mail arrived :P LOL

Thanks for the great variety Sandi!!! I hope the ones from me arrived in your mailbox today! I can't wait to get some more Tringulations papers printed off and working to make up more of the smaller HSTs. I call it doing my homework... ;) then after I have a lot of variety it's fun to sit down and play with them setting them all together. That part goes by fast. :)

============================

Also want to add that since my last posting, I've been taking care of a sick husband. David had the worst case of flu in all the years I've known him... he even missed 3 days work after the long weekend :( and we didn't get to enjoy much family time with him b/c he felt so bad... and although I tried to stay away... I apparently didn't do good enough b/c I caught his bug too!

Thankfully though, I was able to go to the DR on Tuesday at the beginning of my sickness and she gave me 2 shots in the BE-hinny plus a $2 off coupon for Mucinex (the best stuff on earth) and a 3 day antibiotic... so now I'm on day 5 and feeling much better than I did - but still coughing and sounding terrible.

Last night I started to feel up to sewing again and sat down at the machine...... working on my 1930's Jewel Box Swap (due Aug) and have several sewn and many more in parts and am now OUT OF WOW :( boo hoo!

.....so I may be back at the My Blue Heaven blocks soon also! I'm so mad at myself for not being able to find the WOW's while at Keepsakes during the retreat. I know I walked by them 1 or 2 times in my first "observation hour" but then could never find them again :( The workers were way too busy to ask... well I did, but kept getting directed to the Cream On Cream's :(

I may place an order on the Internet for some... surly I can't go wrong with ordering WOW right? ;) I have no time to go to a quilt store so maybe I'll hunt around on the net and see what I can find.

Until then, I'm not putting away my 1930's yet. :) I have some more string blocks to put together for my friend KC1930 :) Who I got to meet at the COF Retreat in NH last month! :)

I just wonder how long it will take me to go thru these strings that I had left over from doing the CYOS swap this spring...?

My friend Crazy'boutquilts also participated in that swap. I wonder if she received enough for the project she has in mind? I'll have to ask... and while I'm at it, I may as well cut a few extras and make some more up for me too! As I still have plans for TWO twin sized bed quilts for my girls one of these days....

Happy Weekend and Love from Texas! ~bonnie

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Blocks from Quiltnanny arrived on 5/26/09

Blocks from Quiltnanny Rec'd 05/26/09

I can't remember if I posted these yet or not... I think I did over on the message board, but just in case I didn't share them here - here is a look at what quiltnanny sent in on behalf of the SunshineQuilters donation to the HeartStrings Quilt Project ;) I'm collecting blocks from all of us thru the month of June to send in. ;)

Thanks Quiltingnanny for sending a few extras :) I love the variety - and I even spot a 1930s fabric ;) Can't wait to see how many everyone sends in all together from our group.... scrappy around red always looks great! ;)

Happy Weekend! ~bonnie

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

My Blue Heaven

Dear Bonnie:

Your version looks so different than Bonnie Hunter's version. Is it all in coloration? (I'm madly printing your photo out, and her tutorial, before leaving for work.)

Would you please tell me, what size is your finished block?

Have a good/great day!

Elaine Adair
http://www.elaineadairpieces.blogspot.com/

I didn’t realize it until after my post that the “My Blue Heaven” I’ve started is actually a whole different pattern than Bonnie Hunters… oops.

I got mine from http://www.quilterscache.com/M/MyBlueHeavenBlock.html and resized it so that my blocks finish at 8” each… using HST’s that finish at 2” and 4” for the blocks.

I need to update my blog… but last week when Bonnie and I were emailing back and forth and she mentioned her upcoming workshop she was doing “My Blue Heaven” I assumed it was the same when in fact her quilt is her own design and consumes 2 different alternating blocks.

Sorry for the confusion. My friend and I are using a variety of WOW and COC’s as background pieces and any colors in med to dark as our small HSTs and decided to keep all of the larger HSTS in the blue family… to give it an overall look of blues..

I love how these blocks are coming along. I think this is the most scrappy looking quilt I’ve ever made J

Love from Texas!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Ta-Da! Take a step back and look with me at my design wall...

Today I finished up mine and crazy'boutquilts blocks for the next round of swapping. I already had one of these four blocks made (My Blue Heaven in the top right hand corner of the design wall)

Each block finishes at 8" and I just love how placing them all together makes a secondary deign! I went ahead and joined 4 of each together to make a total of 4 big jumbo blocks. One more step to getting them together faster!! However I'll wait before going any farther until the blocks Crazy'boutquilts sends me arrive b/c I may want to move things around a bit.

But don't they all look great together? Yummm! Scrap-OH-lishious! I'm tempted to place the other 12 blocks I have ready to mail up there to really see how big it's gonna be... but I'll wait... don't want to have to removed the Jewel Boxes just yet..

Hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend... keeping busy sewing and doing red work has helped to keep my mind off of my mother. We lost her to Cancer 10 years ago this week... when I was only 24. She was actually buried on Memorial Day in 1999.

Well, now that those blocks are completed for this round - IT'S TIME TO GET BUSY on making more 1930's Jewel Box blocks!!! Eek! I have a lot of catching up to do if I really want to swap 3 sets (which I do)

So that is what I will be working on this week. What about you? What do you plan to accomplish?

Love from Texas,
Bonnie

Sunday, May 24, 2009

We're having a Stay-ation here at home


If you're one of my few faithful followers... you already know that I've recently fallen in love with red work. ;) and this block I'm working on called "A more than 24 hour day" is certainly taking me forever to finish up!

My hoope was in the van everyday in hopes to be worked before Nora let out for school... but I have to admit, I was late most days or just in the nick of time so needless to say I really do need more than a 24 hour day. ;) This is my 4th or 5th block in this "Quilter's Blessings"Block of the Month Series from my friend Bea in Germany.

So what are your plans...Where are you going? or what are you doing this Memorial Day Weekend? Instead of a vacation for the long weekend, we are staying right here at home. "Stay-cation"

Did you notice the two little BEhineys in the background??? To read all about the girls fun today click on over to our family blog.


Happy Weekend & Love from Texas!

Saturday, May 23, 2009

So have I been working on this week???

Last weekend I used my Triangulations to make up about 20 sets of HSTs for
more of these My Blue Heaven Blocks. I really, really enjoy working on
these and how they are so pretty together.

I recently read Bonnie Hunter say she's doing this pattern on her next
workshop this coming weekend - isn't that so cool! I'm right in synch with "THE"
Bonnie I admire so much. ;)

Friday, May 22, 2009

Tips & Tricks about blogger

I just wanted to post again to explain the following two posts...

Tonight I was on someone, I forget who's blog and saw in their side bar a link for Tips & Tricks and was currious and had to see what it was about. WOW - there is a ton of great information there... and one day when I have more time I may sit down with it all...

But tonight I tried out Tip & Trick #11 = Send Images Directly to Your Blog and wow was that ever easy!!! You'll see my proof in the next two posts below... and I didn't even notice until my revisting that they were BOTH POSTED at 9:08pm tonight!

Yep, you read that right! BOTH created and emailed and posted withing THE VERY SAME MINUITE! and I promise on what ever you want me to promise on - that I did NOT alter the time on those!!!!

You just have to try it out if you use blogger ;)

Love from Texas!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Trying the same Trick with more than one pic

Heartstrings from dtigger received 3.30.09

4.11.09 miscellaneous photo of some piecing

07.04.2008 OH my has it been a year already! This was taken at my Daddy's home last year... :) I am really looking forward to our trip home t0 KY for the 4th. :)

Was this super fast or what?
Bonnie

3.30.09 from dtigger
4.11.09 sewing
7.4.08 bonnie and twins

Oh my goodness I am in love with the new trick I just learned!!! I can QUICK as a click - select several photos and email them out to my blogger address and when I go to my Edit posts they are hear and waiting and all I have to do is review and click PUBLISH!!!

No more waiting for blogger to upload photos!!! Do you realize how much time this is gonna save me??? :) :) :) Wooo hooo! I hope you can figure it out on your blog too. :) You will la,la,LOVE it!

WHooo hooo! again ;)

Bonnie

Just Testing a new trick I think I learned...

Just testing to see how easy or hard it is to attach a photo to an email and
send to my blogger email address to save as a draf. Coiuld this really work faster
than uploading photos ???

Maybe! ;)
Bonnie


Your message is ready to be sent with the following file or link
attachments:

IMG_4303_Olivia


Note: To protect against computer viruses, e-mail programs may prevent
sending or receiving certain types of file attachments. Check your e-mail
security settings to determine how attachments are handled.

===================================

The above was what I sent myslef as an email to test out this "TIP & TRICK" I learned about on this website by Leni and Rose. It was trick #11.

Did you know that thru blogger you have an email address..? mine is my blog name (dot) ___ you pirck what goes in this space) @ blogger (dot) com

As easy as it is to send a photo in an email and even write out yoru blog entry - and then send to your special blogger address - and walah! it can either be published immediately or wait as a draft!!! how cool is that???

well to find out how click on Leni & Rose's link above - they can tell you all about it with step by step and there are lots of other tricks too!!! I almost guarantee you will learn something new rather you have been blogging only a month or even for a few years!!! ;)

Bonnie

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

How's about a 2 for 1 post tonight? ;)

Wow, 3 posts in a row... :) See I'm trying to get caught up... but there is just so much that I want to share with you that I may never really get "caught up" but I'll try. How about a 2 for 1 tonight...
Tonight was a fun night. Nora's favorite show "Word Girl" shown on PBS is now featured in the kid meals from Wendy's. So today after she ate her meal, she was anxious to see what Word Girl prize waited for her and she when she opened up the hexagon puzzle, I just didn't have the time to stop everything and play with it with her. So I asked her to save it for tonight and we'd do it together "just me, her and Daddy" in "her room" without the babies... and said it all in a special exciting voice... and what do you know - it worked!

She took it upstairs and put it in the highest spot on her bookshelf so the babies wouldn't get it and she saved it for tonight! ;)

So after our bath time and read books to the twins and say prayers to them in their room... we came to Nora's room and instead of our usual story time..... after Nora fed her fish, we all 3 worked on this together. ;)


Or rather 2 of us worked on it - Nora got board with it after we had the first 5 pieces in place... but she did supervise and tell us when we were doing it wrong LOL it was fun all the same ;) She got excited seeing it come together. ;)

and what makes this a 2 for 1 post? Well at the Circle of Friends Retreat in NH last month, I took 3 classes. One of which was machine binding. Yep, binding by machine - no hand stitching "what so ever" ;) as the class description said... also no pins or binding clips either! which was awesome!

The week before the retreat I had mailed off Nora's Happy Quilt to Carol, needlecrazy, and she machine quilted for me as a part of the Hurricane Ike Relief fundraiser... and I had mailed ahead my scrap binding to Lisa - TX who also lives in Houston and sees Carol every so often... so when it was finished being quilted they handed off to one another and Lisa used her serger and attached the binding for me before I arrived in Houston.

I took the quilt with me on the plane in hopes that I'd work on whipping down the binding by hand on the way - and during the retreat but b/c I had been up so late the night before... and was so exhausted...
However once I got sat down and still... by body started shutting down and I never even gave one moments thought to getting out the needle and thread to work on it.

I took the above photo once we were up and then I pulled the shade down and took a 3.5 hour nap! The quilt made for a great pillow to stuff between me and the window on the plane not long after the take off. I was too exhausted from the night before and knew that I needed to rest up on the fun I was about to have. ;)

In the above photo Nora was feeling very much the same way tonight....she was so tired that I think she was snoring before we were finished saying prayers with her... and since I had the camera I couldn't resist and took a few photos in hopes to share with jayardi who taught the machine binding class so she could see that I really did get Nora's quilt done and the binding looks great!
Here is a close up of the binding for jayardi to see - I am so glad I machine stitched this one down - b/c I can tell this quilt is gonna get lots of lovin over the years... it's already been thru the washer/dryer 4 times since I returned at the end of April!
and I know all of my blog readers have seen photos of this quilt numerous times, but I just have to share one more full shot of it.... once more...
This pic was taken during the retreat show-n-tell. This was the whole reason I ever sat down at the computer and googled a search for a fabric swap and found The HGTV Quilting & Needlework Message Board Forum on line b/c I wanted to make an "I-Spy" for my at the time 1 year old daughter.... her and thanks to my friends on the board and the swaps it all came about! ;)
Never did I realize then I'd become part of a great online community and meet so many wonderful friends - and REALLY MEET them! In NH no less! :)

and one more picture of the man who deserves a very big THANKS!! I have the best husband, who is also my best friend. From the moment I mentioned going on a retrat to meet my quiting friends, David supported me and made it all possible for me to go and take a much desired "Break from Motherhood" Just 5 days away made a world of a difference and I had a really great time with my quilting friends. David did a fine job holding down the fort and keeping up with the kids while I was gone. I'm so thankful for him and how good he is to me and my children ;)

Also before I end this post I want to share a link with you to my photo album of what few photos I did take during the retreat. I did not take nearly enough..... but there are some and a few good ones ;) You do not have to be a member of Facebook to view them but if you are a member you can log in and then leave or make comments or ask questions. ;)

Love from Texas!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

I-Spy my little eye.... I see something you don't see... and it's ____

Yesterday I mentioned that two of the boxes that I mailed off were full of fleece to give to Dixieldy..... take a look at what is on the way to South Carolina...

As I was typing this up I got to thinking and it's been TWO YEARS since I bought this during our Hancock's Going out of business sale just before I had the twins... and in 2 years I never even got this fabric unfolded and out of the store's bags!

So needless to say I'm more than happy to donate it to a good cause. I had great intentions to use it for making up more "I-Spy" bags and sell them myself at craft fairs as a fundraiser for out MOPS group - at $10 or even $15 each we could sell several and make a good profit.

After all, for anyone who sees one - to go and buy one of everything to put inside one of their own they'd end up spending MUCH more money to do so... so we thought $10 would be a great price...

All weekend and yesterday I did look high and low and could NOT find Nora's "I-Spy" bag I made for her 2 couple years ago. I know that thing was in the den about a month ago amongst all the toys... and surly it's not left the house?? ... but I could not find it...

so I called my friend Heidi and asked to borrow hers to take photos of so Dixieldy can get a better look at what it is I'm talkin about :) So Dix, this post is for you! ;) I think your kids may even have fun helping you make these up :)

Here are some photos of my friend Heidi's "I-Spy Bag" that I borrowed to take photos of.
A few bags we sewed together during our project we turned inside out so that the seams would be inside - but sewing along the outside turned out cute too - and b/c fleece don't frey there is nothing to worry about :) and it's faster!

Above, it is hard to tell from the photos exactly everything in side.... although I do see a plastic Christmas light bulb, and a dice...

but the main reason for showing these photos are for my HGTV friend Dixieldy. :) to get an idea on how they're made.. so she can whip up some of her own to sell in her craft booth soon!

The bag finished at 8" square. Print on front and solid color back..

See how cute Heidi's bag is with the square window turned on point? She thought this kept things hidden a little better too b/c the items can fall down in the corners...

She choose solid colors for the back so items could be seen easier against a solid background thru the window... a print would be too busy for kids to see the items......and speaking of the back -here is a look.
As she set aside objects to go in the bag she wrote out a list of everything and then typed up on an index card each item..... and included it as part of the toy. Here is a closeup of the index card on the back. It's sewn all the way around on all 4 sides.. so it doesn't come out. Great for kids who can read or learning to read... they can go down the list looking for each item until they get to the end. ;) (((longer quiet time))) ;)

On about the 9th item you will read " Safety pin with beads"
I would NOT recommend including a safety pin in your I-Spy bag unless you super glue it shut... b/c the bag is still very flexible and kids could work it open if they tried.. and then you'd have a sharp end tossing around inside the bag that could either cause a hole or poke someone accidentally.
oh lookie there is a big wiggly eye ball :) those are fun looking aren't they?

and you'll notice inside Heidi's bag she used very small white almost clear beads as her filler. MUCH better than using bean bag Styrofoam filler which I learned the hard way the static of it sticks to the window :( TOO Much...
I used rice in my bag - but I think then you'd have to worry with what if the bag got wet? yuck.. so far that hasn't happened to mine... although b/c it is SO lost who knows? maybe it did get wet and David threw it away??? I'm telling you Dix, I searched and searched for that bag... and turned the den upside down and sideways! LOL

ooough lookie... a cute little lizard! and a school bus... I think that big orange circle is a huge button...?
and the photo below shows a foot print and a sea shell...

There are tons of things around the house you can save up and use that you wouldn't have to go out and buy - like bread ties, clothes pins, school eraser, an old keys you don't know what they go to??? one of those per bag would be fun! Of course buying a pack of Lego's would go far.. or a jig saw puzzle and only put one piece per bag... I'd also buy a package of the fat rubber bands... and gosh there are so many ideas to come up with - I'm sure Taylor will have a lot of fun with this :)
Let me know if you have any questions... I wish I had thought of something like this when I was a kid - what fun it would have been to make these up with my mom and then sell and get all the money!!! whoot wooot! :)
Instead about the most creative business opportunity I ever came up with was parking cars for $3/car in my dad's cow pasture when the Fruit of the Loom had their family day picnic across the road where I grew up... I did make enough money that summer to pay my way to 4H camp so I was 100% happy :)
Well gotta run for now.... good luck Dixieldy!
Love from Texas!