Another top

Flower power?

I am still on a roll, waiting for the next RRCB mystery clue. Another top finished and the strange thing is I think they are getting bigger, lol. This was a pattern I bought last year but didn´t like it when I started on it so I changed it. I really like it now when its finished but doing the corners took a little math witch I am not good at so I had to cut some fabric off them, but these scraps will come to good use in the next scrap quilt.

Update

Update on my Whirligig. While waiting for clues in the mystery and in between sewing them I manage to finish my Whirligig quilt. It´s huge and I am really happy how it turned out. It´s from the book Spice of life quilts by Carrie Nelson, love that book.

Whirligig

Sew Christmas

RRCB clue 6-1

The clue 6 in the RRCB was done in a flash, it wasn´t 600 pieces but nearly. Now all I can do is wait for the next clue that hopefully will show how this quilt goes together at last.

RRCB clue 6-2

I am having so much fun doing this mystery and the strange thing is that I am sewing more on other things waiting for the next clue. Well that´s a good thing I have lots of UFO´s to finish and other things to start, lol.

Merry Christmas to all. 

Hope the next year will bring lots of sewing and fabulous fabrics.

Lunar Eclipse pictures even though they don´t do it justice. It was cool.

Halfway there

Nearly behind us

Red moon

Crazy, that's me

Mug Rug for swap

OMG I must be crazy to get my self into that RRCB Mystery. We got clue 5 this morning and I nearly fainted. 600 half square triangles, size 2". Oh yes, that is what I have been up to today and still about 200 to go. It's a good thing I'm in my sewing mode these days. I was going to bake in between the sewing but decided to do some laundry instead, so now that is done. I have everything ready for the baking tomorrow when I finish the HST's. Yumm some cookies and some candy making and sewing, all of my favorite things. Oh and I took a picture of my Mug Rug swap things. I got this lovely mug rug from my swap partner and a cool mug to go with it all in the beautiful box. The one on the top of the post is the Mug Rug I sent her.

Mug Rug from my swap partner

Ready

SOH top

 I am so ready for the next clue in the RRCB Mystery tomorrow. I have been using  the time to sew on SOH quilt and it just needs another border and then it is finished. I have been cutting down strips and storing them by size. I have really been using from my 'little' stash lately (yes it´s small compare to many I have seen) and looking forward to buying some new fabric in the spring when I have used up all the old fabric. ;-)

Productive weekend

SOH

 This was a productive weekend, even though my knees are giving me troubles. I finished part 4 of the RRCB mystery, it was an easy one. Did some work on my older sons "graduation" quilt, yes I know he graduated last summer, but I was going to give it to him when he went to the university anyway so I will give it to him in January. And bought and packed all but 2 Christmas gifts. All the ones that I have to sent to another country are ready to ship. So I am really proud of myself and think I deserve a Pina Colada this evening.

Still "stripping"

Still RRCB

 Now I have been sewing on these strip blocks for 2 days and I have just finished 26. This is going to take a long time. Hopefully I will have finished before the next clue on Friday. This strip piecing is strangely addictive. I have been trying to do other things like putting some Christmas decorations up, and buy some gifts but  all I can think of is the strips and then I am just drawn into the sewing room, lol. I did manage to buy 3 gifts but I am nearly ashamed to say it that they where for my daughter, ok that's nothing to be ashamed about right, but the other 2 where for my furry babies. Can you believe that the first gifts I buy are for my cats, not my hubby, but the cats. Does that say something about me? Is it good or bad or just a little strange?

String blocks

Part 3 of the RRCB

 OMG I just finished my first 4 blocks of part 3 of the RRCB mystery and its so much fun. I have never sewn strips or strings as the call this before. We where supposed to sew on paper that´s 8.5'' square. I didn´t have anything in that size and copy paper is a $%&/" to rip of the back so I was off to the dollar store. I found some writing block in the dollar store but it was just 8''x 11 so I thought I would try anyway. And it worked i just have to sew the strips a little longer on 1 end and it comes of so nicely i dond´t have to use any tools to take the paper off. I am really happy with the blocks and looking forward to the next 56, lol. So off to the sewing table.

Good weekend

Part 1 of RRCB

Well I have been productive this weekend if I say so myself, lol. I finished part 1 and 2 of the RRCB mystery quilt. I packaged my Mug Rug swap package and it´s ready for the post office tomorrow. I even put up some Christmas decorations patting myself on the back. Now I just have to finish all the hundreds of other things I have to do before Christmas. Oh if only there where 36 hours in a day

Part 2 of RRCB

Mystery Quilt

I finally finished finding scraps for Bonnie Hunters Mystery Quilt. I love a good mystery and if it´s a quilt too than that is just perfect. This will be a good stash-buster quilt. Only thing is, that my hardest part of making a quilt is finding the fabrics for it. There are so many beautiful colors and patterns that it takes me forever to choose. It should be easier now that I just have my stash to choose from, but not so. Even though I don´t have that a big stash it´s still hard to decide on what colors to use. I didn´t even think I had that much pink but I seem to have found some in a box so they got to play with my ever so big stash of greens. Yes I love green and that is the only color I definitely have enough to choose from. So that leaves the neutrals. Ok what is a neutral anyway, a white with a color in it or cream tone on tone? Whatever i just trow every light fabric I can find in the pile and strip it up. Done. Now to cut all this pile of fabrics.

Fabrics for RRCB Mystery

Mug rugs

This mug rug things has been going around like the plaque the past year and I really wanted to try it out. But like so many other things it always kept going to the end of my list. So when I saw that  Aunt Pitty Pat´s  was having a mug rug swap it was the excuse I needed, I just had to sign up for it. So that is why I just finished a mug rug and have all the things ready that I am going to send my swap partner, just need the box for it. It was really fun to make these mug rugs and I am definitely going to make more. Here is a link to some beautiful mug rugs http://www.flickr.com/groups/1533394@N22/ .
 

Limping quilter

Well I am still limping, been doing that for the last 10 days now, but that isn´t keeping me from sewing, o no sir-ie. Trying to sew a little then off to lift the feet of the floor a little, cooking a little, feet of the floor, cleaning the cats pooping box not a little mind you, feet of the floor and then of to sewing a little more, repeating. These are the times of my day, hopefully not the rest of my life. I managed to finish the blocks I was hand piecing and about time to, been at it since last year. Now I just have to hand piece them together, sandwich the top and hand quilt of course and then it´s done. Probably not until next year since that isn´t so far away now and i have loads of other things to do until Christmas. And then there is the knees, ohhh dear what to do about them. I got a shot in the right one when I went to the doctors yesterday, but I am still in pain so I am not sure what he shot into my knee, maybe it was just water?

Bearpaw

Call to quilters all over the world for Healing Hearts blocks

There has been a call for Healing Hearts quilt blocks for the families of the miners tragically killed in the New Zealand mining disaster. Shirley Goodwin is the contact person for this call to quilters all over the World. Shirley has more details on her blog.

Here are the block details if you want to make one:

Cream background 6 ½” unfinished size (so they will be 6” finished) 
Pieced or appliquéd heart or hearts. Any colors or patterns for the hearts. Some of the quilts will be for children, so childrens fabrics are fine too.

Please send to the address below. Thank you so much

Shirley Goodwin

51 Charles St

Rangiora 7400

New Zealand

Whirligig continues

Whirligig

I have 2 rows of my Whirligig sewn together now. I also sewed a honey bun roll together for the Dutch Treat quilt I bought it a year ago. I like to work on 2 things at a time so I don´t get stuck in the same position to long, my back doesn´t like that ;-)

Dutch Treat

This is what the quilt is going to look like when I finish, hopefully sooner than later. I will do a different border as I just bought the Honey Bun and not the other fabrics.

Cutting day

June Taylors Ruler

I just love Miss Rosie´s Quilts. I want to make all of Carries patterns. I have cut down fabric for a couple of them and today I was cutting the block of Whirligig to size. I have to tell you about this wonderful ruler that I used. It´s June Taylors 4 1/2 inch ruler. It is just a dream to use to cut the hourglass blocks and the geese to size. Love it. I already made 4 blocks and it´s coming along nicely. I will probably have to buy some fabric for the back but otherwise it´s from my stash and that is a good thing.

Whirligig Blocks

Loooong day

American speed - Slloooowwww

Ohh this has been a long day. Even though there was no school today my youngest decided to go there and practice for JROTC, I think it was because of the food, yes they got food and cake.  Up at 8 and drive him and his friend, then home shower and breakfast. I had to go to 2 banks and the post office and everything is so slow here. I remember when I was a kid and my mother used to say when I was in a hurry that I was  going in an American speed, wonder where she got that everything was so fast in America, I haven´t noticed. I think that everything is exceptionally slow, like people get payed for the time they take to serve you. Well when this morning thing was finally finished I had to pick the boys up from school and then go to the grocery store, oh don´t like that on a Friday, I usually go on Wednesdays but I can´t remember why i didn´t this week. I was so tired when I got home. Decided to go through some fabric and find some fabric for some minis for BQE . Oohh how beautiful fabric always makes you feel better, lol.

UFO´s, FLIMSY´s and USO´s

I am trying to keep to my goal of finishing my UFO´s and FLIMSy´s before I start something new at least something big.  I know I will do some small things like swaps and a few bags and pincushions lol, it´s always something, but surfing around and seeing all the beautiful things everyone is doing is giving my a hard time. I went through everything and made a list of everything I want to finish. Some things just need quilting and binding and should be easy to do if I set my mind to it, other things are WISP´s  and will be done some day. And then there are the USO´s just the fabric bought and the pattern ready.

Be Attitudes

This is one I really want to finish first and it so nearly done but I am not sure how to quilt it. I don´t want to ruin it after all the work, by doing a lousy quilt job.

One Block Wonder

My UFO sewing is coming along really slow. But slow is better then not. I got a few of the smaller things like wall hangings and table tops all the way to the binding part but that is absolutely my least favorite part of it all, the binding. Some of my bigger quilts still need backings and I am just not getting into the groove and I know I will be without my wonderful sewing room for 2 weeks in November so I don´t know why I can´t use the time I have until then. I found some swaps I really want to participate in until Christmas so I have to make time for that, I love swaps so I will definitely do that. One is a mug rug on this blog Aunt Pitty Pat´s and i really love the Flickr photos of the mug rugs they are adorable and I am looking forward to doing that.

Cat paws

Well I have been doodling with the layout of the blog and think I have now as I want it to be. I wanted to have pictures of my cats on the top as they do leave pawprints on my quilts and on my life as well. The only thing now is to post more pictures of my sewing but as we are still trying to do a lot of things in the house there hasn´t been much time for that lately. Hopefully that will change soon.

Love this season. Autumn. Love the weather, the colors and the smell of cinnamon. The temperature is just right in the evening and I love sitting outside listening to the critters and the fish in the canal. And the cats love it too, sitting outside and trying to capture the flies outside the screen, no luck there even though Bast managed to capture some small lizards who all loose their little tail in the battle. Poor little lizards, but they escape with their lives so all is good  in the animal kingdom.

Summertime

Well not done much quilting since the DD came to visit. I have been helping her to sew a dress, (yes of course I am trying to help her love to sew, don´t think she will quilt though) and that is going well. I bought her a little Janome Jem last Christmas and she has been practicing since. Instead of sewing I have been web shopping ( like window shopping only on the computer) and I have seen a lot of wonderful fabrics I just have to have when summer is over and quilting begins again,lol.

Sewing again

Everything in the sewing room again and sewing machine up and running. The room is so bright and inspirational and I just love my design wall (the bottom of the wall bed).

I am trying to work on some UFO´s and use my small stash instead of buying more fabric. Of course I need some fabric for the back of the quilts so I get to buy something and don´t get fabric-buying-withdrawal-syndrome.

Weather for quilting

Oh my. It was one of those days when the weather is for quilting and I did not. Why? Of course I had to put all my sewing stuff in the sewing room again. Ok not all but I filled the closet but left the floor empty because we are building a Murphy (wall) bed in there. Gives a lot more floor space for me when I am sewing and a great design wall on the bottom of the bed when it is up and of course a bed for when we have guests. Perfect i say.

Blog again

Ok i have been meaning to blog again and this is as good a day as any. I have been following Jennie, a crafty woman in her blog and now she is having a giveaway I am dreaming on having, ye you can always dream, right. A link to her blog is http://sunflowerquilts.blogspot.com/ and everybody can participate.
On other notes I have finished redoing my guest/sewing room and now its putting all the stuff in again and I am really tired now. Maybe I will wait until tomorrow.