And my 2nd finish for 2008! Don't worry - I've been working on this quilt off and on for 2 years now! I just took the time to quilt it over Christmas and the New Year holidays! And I still have to hand sew down the binding on the back. But I say it is done anyway!
This is an old block called Darting Birds. See the birds flying in the top picture. Why do I call it Men At Work? Flip the quilt - do you see the men!
Here is my first finish for 2008! A reusable (and washable) market bag! I almost have 3 more done. 3 of them are Christmas gifts (yes I have a few more I need to make and give). This was a great mindless project for today.
Notice no unfinished seams inside! I used heavy weight decorating fabric, it was kind of fun looking at a different section of the fabric store!
My teenagers at play (well the 3 girls anyway)! Oh OK, and technically Holly is no longer a teenager but a grown up 21..... but in my eyes they will always be my little girls.
Imagine my surprise this morning when I read Annie Unriens (By Annie patterns) email that sent me to her blog and there in the middle of the post are my thread organizers! I met Annie at the Chicago show last spring and I had told her all about the thread organizers I had made for gifts for friends. And that I was in the midst of making the small version for Paducah gifts for our group that goes to Paducah every year. She wanted to see pics so I emailed her these. I met up with her again in Paducah last spring!
All I can say is I love her quilter's gifts and thread organizer patterns. I"m in the midst of making the needle cases and name tag money holders right now. Need to get ready for the spring quilt show circuit!
Oh my! Oh my! Oh my! Look at my doll quilt! It is absolutely stunning! Sossy had my name and made this beauty for me! She loves crazy quilts and candy. Does this just not say Sossy! It is amazing! I was just floored when I opened my package. I wish I could have gotten better pictures, but I had a terrible time trying to get a good picture. They just don't show the color as beautiful as it is.
I also got this wonderful peppermint candy she made - is this just not awesome!
Wishing you all happy holiday and wonderful new year. I won't be back until after all the festivities.
Another doll quilt from our exchange has found its home! Laura made this quilt for Sossy! Sossy and her family love Halloween, and so does Laura! So this was the perfect idea for Laura's surprise to Sossy! Oh and if you have ever read Sossy's blog you know that CANDY plays a big part in Sossy's life too! She is candy crazy!
Yes it is that time of year - busy, busy, busy! Emily and I did marathon xmas shopping Saturday and then today we baked cookies all day. I"m exhausted! I've been so busy I never got a chance to show you my Dec swap blocks - stars. Aren't they fun! I love how they turned out!
Lanna got her doll quilt from Heather yesterday! Isn't it wonderful! 
I finally get to share what I have been working on for the last 2 months or so! The weekend I went to Sossy's house, Sossy, Laura, Heather, Lanna and I all drew names and decided to make a doll quilt for our name for Christmas. Well I worked away on my quilt - but I couldn't share my progress because "someone" might see! Well I couldn't stand it anymore and I finally got it all finished and mailed off!
And Laura got it in the mail yesterday! Go check it out on her blog too! I loved it so much that when I got her top done I had to make one for myself too! But mine is kind of sad looking compared to hers! It needs a lot of work! And I can't wait to find out who has my name! This was so much fun! I think we all are having a good time with it!
I FINALLY got my Men at Work quilt top done and even got it pinned today! I started this quilt 2 years ago at a quilt retreat and got all the blocks made and the blocks pinned into rows. Then it sat. And sat. Last Jan at my sewing weekend with Linda and Laura I got all the blocks sewn into rows and a couple of rows sewn together. And then it sat, and sat and sat! So last night I hauled it out and got the top done! I went to sew with some friends for the day today and there was a big empty floor - perfect for getting it pinned! So it is all pinned and ready to be quilted! I"m a very happy girl!
The block is really called "Darting Birds", but doesn't it look like those Men at Work signs when you turn the block the other way!
And look what I got in the mail today! My friend Linda G. found these and sent me one - just because! Wasn't that sweet! And isn't it cute! It is by Cherry Designs.
I have several odds and ends projects I need to catch up with now that my Christmas presents are made. One is the reproduction blocks swap I"m in. I have Sept - Dec to get done! Well I got Sept's basket blocks done now and Oct's triangle blocks done! I even have the pattern picked out for Nov & Dec! But those you'll see later!
A friend of mine in my Monday night sewing group starting making the pattern "Follow the Drinking Gourd" by Barbara Brackman a few weeks ago. She emailed me to see if I had any dark blues and butternut colored reproduction like fabrics she could have to give her quilt more variety. It made me realize how many browns I have and how few dark blues! But I fell in LOVE with the picture of her quilt in progress and picked up a few blues to share and she in return shared some of her blues so I could make my own version! The pattern is 15" blocks, but she sized them down to 12". She also figured out the sizes for an 8" version. Well I decided I was going to do the 8" version. So above are my 6 blocks so far. Not too bad considering I really didn't sew to much this week with the girls home.
We had a great Thanksgiving and had a lot of fun. Of course we did some shopping, mostly for stuff for them! And we went out to eat and to a movie "Dan in Real Life" with Mark's sisters. That was a great time. Now I"m sitting home just kind of sad and lonely. I always have this big let-down when they are gone. I miss them already.
I found out that Gypsy Quilter gave me the Community Blogger Award! Now how nice is that! Picture from The Sadie Peterson Delaney African Roots Library.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
As you've noticed I've been a bit quiet lately - doing lots of "secret projects" for Christmas, and the kids started arriving home last night! So it will be at least a week before I'm back with anything to show.
So - until then - Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
I enjoyed Sarah's Quilt so much that I had to get the next book - "The Star Garden" by Nancy E. Turner. I"m only about 20 pages in and already I love it!
I finished quilting all 4 of the Nativity quilts this weekend! Put on the bindings and sleeves this morning! All I need to do is sew them down by hand now in front of the TV! Cross one more "have to do" off my list!
We had voting Wed night at my quilt guild for the quilt we are going to make for our 2009 Quilt Show Raffle. A member who is as big a Bonnie fan as me had asked Bonnie if we could vote/use her Cathedral Stars pattern. Bonnie in her wonderful giving fashion said yes.
Well the votes are in - our raffle quilt for the 2009 show is her Cathedral Stars! A few of us made up demo blocks for the voting to help members see what it would look like. Aren't they great, even with us just doing them with not a lot of planning!
Above is another Christmas gift almost ready! All I need to do is sew down the binding on the back! This was the mystery quilt Laura organized at camp this fall. I have until Christmas to get that done so it shouldn't be a problem.
I"m currently reading "Sarah's Quilt" by Nancy E. Turner. It took me a bit to get "into character" but once I was - I was hooked! I'm really enjoying it! Of course I have no idea what Sarah's Quilt has to do with the story YET! And I see there is a follow-up book out this month to it, I can't wait to get it! That one is called "The Star Garden". (Hmm, looks like there was a book that comes before Sarah's Quilt too).
Anyway, as I was reading I came across a passage that I really loved. (By the way - is that not just the cutest picture above!)
What more is there to say!
Yup, I"m around - just busy, busy, busy! DO NOT mention the words Server, Crash, Backups, Reload, Security to me right now! Yeah, I"ve been busy - but not with quilting. It has been all work, all the time!
But my friend did help me out and quilted my 3 braid table runners I made for me! I was just going to stipple them, but the way things are going, I decided to let her play with her new statler stitcher and do them for me! I"m glad I had her do them! I"m that much closer to being done with them for xmas presents!!!
I got the binding on, just have to hand sew them down now!
Lucy
