Let's Celebrate (Spring)

Finally! It is time to reveal the celebrate spring challenge with Darlene, Nicole and myself! I thought the day would never come!

Nicole and Darlene both started with FQ packs. I on the other hand started with 2 - 5" charm packs. And here it is!

Yes it is even quilted. It was so funny because I had bought these charm packs in Paducah with a table topper quilt in mind for my Aunt! I had no idea what I would do with them, but she was wanting a table topper for her kitchen table for sping/summer but was too chicken to ask me - I found out through my mom! So when I saw these in Paducah I knew they were perfect for her. I get home from Paducah and what do you know - Darlene and Nicole had started this challenge! So I invited myself in! And hence the rush to get it finished and quilted so I could give it to her!

And if you don't recognize the pattern - it is Darlene's made up pattern! I had seen it awhile ago on her blog and just knew I needed to make something like it at some time! And you know what - this is the perfect idea for a table topper and charms! I'm going to make another one for me I think in more my colors!

So here's to inspiration, quilts and FQ/Charm packs!

Another Clue

Another clue for the challenge to be revealed Thursday with Darlene and Nicole - sorry about not having a better picture yesterday.

I've also been sewing away on Jenna's graduation quilt. I really have more done than it looks here, but I only have 4 complete blocks done. So here is a shot of 4 of them so far! I have to get it completed in the next 2 weeks to get to the long-armer so that will give me some motivation!

Monday's Peek

Here is a bad peek of our Celebrate Spring challenge. All my pictures are on my other computer at work, so this was all I had today. As you can see - those of you who thought there were prairie points on it - surprise! It was just that I whited out parts so it looked like that. I"ll post more tomorrow when I can get a better picture.

And here is Jenna playing softball yesterday at her party. How many people do you know play first base while talking on the cell phone!

Another quick finish

OK, well it wasn't a quick finish, but I'm just posting a quick note! I just got this back from the long-armers. I made this quilt last July at a small retreat in Rockford. It was a mystery and I think it turned out pretty well! I figured I couldn't go wrong with solids! Well actually it is cherrywood dyes - but you know. So all I need to do now is sew down the binding on the back! Wooo Hoo!

Busy getting ready for Jenna's graduation party on Sunday and then the graduation is Tues night! So I'll be busy, busy, busy this weekend! Toodles!

Oh so busy!

Yup, it is that time of year. So many graduations, birthday's and just beginning of summer stuff! Once again this year (As I've had now for the past few years in my house) I have a High School graduation coming up. Jenna's graduation is next Tues night. So we've had award breakfasts', and Scholarship/Awards nights. Then there is the registration and college stuff for next fall. And of course the Sr-itits!

Need I say more? I haven't had a lot of time for quilting, got to make it through next Tues first! I did get the 2nd round on my medallion challenge finally. Not that is was hard! But I have Jenna's graduation quilt to worry about, and then I'm having so much fun with the Serendipity blocks which just kept haunting me. Anyway, the 2nd round was "frame it". Course I thought of all kinds of cool frames, but decided to go simple to seperate round 1 and 3.

Lilacs are finally starting to bloom in my area. And the weather is GORGEOUS this May. Better than I ever remember it being. Clear sunny days, warm but not hot, and not humid!

Oh and for all those questions about Serendipity, I keep forgetting to answer them for those of you who asked questions but don't have an email linked up to your ID. I"ll try and hit them all here. But the best way is to change your settings so that when you ask a question I can email you back!

First off - everyone is commenting on how hard they look. Don't be fooled. The beauty of these is how easy they are! It is amazing how well they go together! They are not hard to piece at all, and no set-in seams.

Pamina wanted to know how big they are. Hmm, I keep forgetting to measure, but I want to say one block is maybe about 9" finished size - so fairly large.

YankeeQuilter and Screen Door among others wanted to know how many blocks and what kind of setting - well part of that is the surprise to wait for! But I'll clue you in - There will be 7 of the blocks I"m working on now (I have 5 done). The setting is not just a plain setting, and there still will be no set-in seams. I"m guessing the finished quilt will be about 60" x 60", but just a guess because I haven't quite figured out how I want to finish off the border yet! In fact I may even change the setting! I looked through the books again last night and there are so many ideas floating in my head!

Part of the beauty of these blocks is they can be as busy or calm as you want them. There are about 30 blocks in a book, and then there really are multitudes of ways you can customize each block and setting! The possibilities are endless. You get coloring sheets in the book to play around with. Here are some of the coloring sheets to print out online. I'm doing Prickly Pear.

Monday Celebrate Spring Tease

This is the last Monday for the Celebrate Spring quilt tease! Next Monday Darlene, Nicole and I will reveal our tops. Mine is pretty simple so it has been hard to show a tease! Above and below is my tease for today. (Yes I know the fabric below is not from the Celebrate Spring line - but it was bought at Hancock's of Paducah's flat fold table for $3.98 yard!).

Just a peek

Just a peek at my newest 2 blocks. Its night and I threw them on the kitchen floor which made the colors go all crazy because of the glare off the floor but it gives you the idea. There will be better pictures as this grows, so for now - just a peek.

Making Progress

I'm making progress on my Serendipty blocks. I know it seems like it is going slow, but work continues to suck up a lot of my time these days, and I've spent a lot of time finding just the right fabric to put in this! So digging and digging through my mess takes time!

Plus I'm cutting and sewing Jenna's graduation quilt along with this, so I"m actually getting 2 quilts done at once! When I have quilts like this where there is a one quilt with a lot of easy sewing and it is repetitive I find it goes much faster to kind of treat it like a leaders and enders project. So no new pics of that one .... yet. But I will have some by this weekend.

A cute story about my 2 youngest girls and me. The weather has been between 60 and 80 this past week, with lots of beautiful sunshine. The other day it was the mid 60's, and bright sunshine, and a cool breeze - it was gorgeous! So I mention to the girls - "ahhh, this is my kind of weather". Jenna says "it is way too cold! I love it when it is 100 out. I could sit out there all day when it is hot". Emily walks into the room and says "no, it is much better when it is below 0!" Thats my dog sled girl! Her dream is to move to Alaska and raise sled-dogs! And knowing her that may just be what she ends up doing! I could see her living out in the cold and wild with just dogs for companions and not needing many comforts. I'll go visit but only in the summer! (The picture above is Emily about 6 years ago I'm guessing).

More Serendipity and 7 things about me....

First off more serendipity play! I had fun last night just playing with colors and layouts. Course there are a ton more, and I only had certain things cut out so it limited my play, but I had fun!



And for those of you who asked about the Celebrate Spring Clues (and had no reply email address) The next clue is next Monday May 21st and they will be revealed on Monday May 28th!

And Joyce tagged me to list 7 things about me you might not know. Why does it always seem so hard to do that when someone tags you! So I'm borrowing 6 of them from last year when we had to list quirks about us, and then added on on. I"m not going to tag anyone - most of you have been tagged and I'm so busy at work. So take this as a tag for anyone who hasn't done it yet!

1. This one was a no brainer and would and always will be #1 - I HAVE to have a diet coke in the morning. It is basically my cup of coffee! I'm a grouch without/

2. Playing a close second to the above is - "I'm no good for the day until I have a shower". Yup, if I'm camping and there are no showers I'm no good for the day. Basically I need that shower whether I need it or not!!!!!

3. I've gotten into a habit of having to read in bed before I go to sleep with a little flashlight! Yup, it has to be in bed and with my flashlight. Doing it out in the living room just doesn't work right! So just wait Laura until I bring it with me to Paducah! Once I didn't want to bother a friend with it on a trip and I tried to read under the covers like a little kid - didn't work - I got way to hot and stuffy. Only to find out the next morning that she was asleep the second she put her head on her pillow and never even knew I had it out!

4. I have a hard time going barefoot. I have no idea why - but I tend to have tennis shoes on all the time. I can sit on the couch barefoot, and sleep barefoot, but if I'm walking or standing I have to have my shoes on!

5. I have to have popcorn at the movies. Even if I'm stuffed full and just had dinner. I HAVE to have diet coke and popcorn. Although I've lately been going to the movies during mealtime and popcorn is my meal!

6. I just about always fall asleep while riding in the car. Well ok, for any length of time - maybe 45 mins or more. I LOVE the motion of the car, puts me right to sleep - just like a baby!

7. I"ve grown up and lived within a 10 mile radius my whole life. That is pretty uncommon I would think for these days. My husband has lived within a 1 mile radius his whole life! Does that give you a clue to how boring we are!

My Celebrate Spring Clue...

Here is my clue for this week! Instead of a peek at my project, you get to see what my project is NOT! These are all that is left of 2 charm packs of Celebrate Spring. Everything else is in my quilt. Not even any scraps - other than these!

Check out Darlene's and Nicole's clue's.

Happy Mother's Day

Oh I miss the days when my 4 kids were so little and cute like this! And mommy was the best thing in all the world! I really miss those days and Emily had gotten this picture out last night and it brought back such great memories. This picture was taken about 13 years ago I'm guessing. Wow time flies!

And here is my first Serendipity block! I've tamed it down a lot from the examples in the book. I just can't be too crazy.

Serendipity

Serendipity - good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries (noun).

I started a new project - like I need a new project, but I saw Kathie's and her friends and it has been bugging me ever since! I found the template and the book at the Chicago show and went in search of the perfect fabric in Paducah. And you know what, nothing spoke to me. So I came home wondering what to do. And then I saw it - sitting in my stash for a pretty back! An older Jan Patek fabric I loved and bought about 10 yards of! I've used most of it, but still have enough for a Serendipity Quilt!

These quilts are similiar to stack n whack's but many more pieces and much more excitement in the designs. The book has about 30 block choices, but there are about 3 or 4 choices/changes with each block! I've spent so many nights coloring and planning how I wanted to make mine.

Above is the fabric I layered, and then 6 hexagons (2 sets laid out 3 differernt ways) that will go in my blocks - maybe! I may do more and swap out ones that aren't just so! Notice one wasn't stacked just right and is a bit off - I may have to put that one on the back! So stay tuned for my progress.

Enjoy your weekend and Happy Mother's Day - Just like Chloe is enjoying the warm sunny weather!

Just a quick post

Today just flew by! Had an award breakfast for Jenna this morning and dentist appt this afternoon. Squeeze in working and before I know it, it is 5:30! Since Jenna graduates in less than 4 weeks I thought I had better get started on her graduation quilt! I had the design figured out and bought fabrics in Paducah! I just had to start! So I had Holly sign the first block and I made it up into a block last night for her to see before she went back to school today. Now to get the rest of the relatives and friends to sign blocks!

I don't know if I ever showed this quilt. But I was putting up new spring/summer quilts and decided this one should get a turn. It just looked happy to me today. So I thought I would share a picture of it.

Monday Peek

On Mondays this month I get to give you a peek at my Celebrate Spring challenge that Darlene and Nicole were doing together. They bought FQ packs and decided to challenge each other to make a quilt with them. Well it just so happens I bought some 5" charm packs of this fabric in Paducah to make something for my Aunt. So I decided I would play along. Now don't panic that you see quilting already. I was really stupid. I got so carried away in getting it done this month for her that I forgot to take pictures along the way for the Monday peek! So these will have to do! I have it about 1/2 quilted. I had time this weekend and decided I just needed to keep going and get this baby done. I am soooo pleased with the results. It is looking better than I even imagined. Next week you'll see more.


And now some more antique quilts from Paducah.... here we get into my tired and blurry mode!!!! :) I'm so bummed the above quilt is blurry - but I still will get an idea from the pic. Enjoy!

I also have to appologize for not including the signs for the next few. They were all similar and the signs were not real discriptive and I can't figure out which one goes to which quilt. So instead of link them up with the wrong credit I'll just say that they belong to the Pilgrim/Roy Collection and date around 1840-1880.

An old friend starts a new blog!

I"ve been waiting for my friend Betty to get her blog up and going! I hadn't been over in about 2 weeks because of my trip to Paducah and all the work I have had to do. Well what a wonderful suprise when I visited today! You HAVE to go visit - she has the most beautiful quilts! I promise you won't regret it! I gave you a tast above - Her Kentucy Derby quilt.... don't you love it!

Antique Quilts and Reproduction Quilts

I finally got some time to size down the pictures of the antique quilts I saw in Paducah - well some of them anyway. Some pictures are blurry as you couldn't use a flash and I have a hard time holding my arms and hands still long enough for the museum setting on my camera! But they will still inspire you I"m sure! How could anyone not LOVE these! I took pictures of the sheets about each also, that way I can remember about them and you can read them if interested! Enjoy!









I thought I would also share my strippy coine reproduction quilt I made awhile go that you saw. I've been slowly hand quilting it, and I"ve got just a bit left on the top row of fans to go and the outside border! I"m getting so excited to have ti done and then washed and all crinkly that I thought if I shared it maybe I would finish it up a bit faster! Not that by showing it helps with time any! But here you go!