Who wants the drumstick!!!!

I got my turkey wall hanging top done! Now to get it quilted! At least I should have it done by Thanksgiving! Why I decided I wanted to make this now I have no idea - but it just said - make me now! I know Laura is going to want this one! (Oh by the way - like the masking tape?)

Not long now, just a bit more than 24 hours and Chloe comes home with us. Poor Emily is just dying trying to wait! She has bought everything we need, cleaned the house and has everything ready. Wish she would do that for real people! I'll make sure I share some pictures from this weekend!

Traditional, but oh well....

Here is my latest project - a baby quilt! A friend from work who used to work for me just had her first baby - a little girl! So it was time to start cranking out a baby quilt. I decided to go very traditional in style and colors for her - didn't it turn out cute!

Wish you could see it a bit better, it was so sunny out the color washed right out! I have large pink polka dot material and small pink polka dots! The back is in a pink and white plaid flannel - not to get this puppy pinned and quilted!

And speaking of puppies - little Chloe got the snip, snip today. Her foster mom sent me an email and said she is doing ok, she will pick her up tomorrow afternoon from the vet. Only 4 more days and Chloe comes home with us! I'm starting to wonder if maybe I"m more excited than Emily! But I did hear words out of Emily's mouth I thought I would never hear from her the other night - "Mom, do you need help with the dishes before I call my friends"! I about fainted! She (Emily) has been on her very best behavior!

I'm getting old!

Just got back from Purdue and got Adam all registered for classes for the fall! Being on campus always makes me feel so old! All those young people, and such worries like, "what time should we meet to play soccer" and "does this outfit look ok"!
Bottom line of the trip though was I spent a wonderful day and a half with Adam, no fighting and he actually conversed with me! He made jokes, we talked and he even asked a few questions! Those of you who have been around a bit know it has been a long year for me with him. 17 and 18 for Adam at home has not been a bowl of cherries! But if nothing else we spent a wonderful 36 hours together! I"m going to savor it - it might be another 10 years before I see him like that again!!!!

I took Emily shopping today for all her doggy stuff! She is so excited! Actually I think I"m more excited! I can't wait to get Chloe. Only 1 more week!

Just wanted to say hi. Tomorrow I"m teaching a quilted tote bag class, so not sure when I'll be back online!

Oh so many things to share!

I hope I answer most of peoples questions, but I"ll probably forget some! Everything is so busy lately! A lot of people asked about my dog quilt I made and who the pattern was by. Well - a lot of people! I collected pieced dog patterns for 2 years and then just made blocks. When I had "a bunch" I laid them out and pieced background to make them fit! A lot of them are Debbie Mumm and Country Thread patterns. And a few I think I found in magazines at the time.

As for that sweet little doggie Chloe! As of today she will be ours! I'm so excited and I didn't think I would be. Chloe lives a bit aways from us, but is coming down near us the weekend before the 4th of July - so we are going to pick her up July 1st. In the meantime the foster mom is going to get her spayed for me (I'll pay for it) so that one of the first things I don't have to do is take her in. I felt so bad if Emily finally gets her dog and then I have to take her to the vet overnight and she comes home sore and drugged up! So Sarah (the foster mom) is going to take her in for me next week. Needless to say I'm busy getting ready for our new addition!

And tomorrow I head down to Purdue to sign Adam up for classes. I think he finally is going to go! I'm so glad about that! I keep telling myself - baby steps!

In the spirit of the season I'm sharing some more patriotic quilts I've made. The top one is one I made as a sample for a BOM I designed for a local shop. It is called 12 American Women and each block had to do with a famous American Woman. I gave a little history about the lady and the block instructions. I love how this one turned out!

The one above is just a simple "baby star" block. I"ve made this in pastel fabrics for baby quilts - it turns out adorable. But I really wanted a more primitive patriotic looking one, so this was it!

This one was a country threads pattern I think? I just like the simplicity of it. I had such fun making this one I eventually made a second one in totally different colors - green and black!

Life has been busy!

Wow, I"ve been busy lately! Things to do, more things to do, and even more things to do!!!

I did however take Saturday off and played with my quilting friend. She showed me how to make pet screen tote bags and I showed her how to make pet screen zipper bags! Isn't it too funny how we each knew a different thing. So it was a lot of fun! They are fun and easy, but not always intuitive how you do each step - so it was funny us each trying to remember how to do the next step correctly!

I made the ice cream tote bag. The Green is a pocket and then it has the smaller pocket on the green part! The bottom is screen also so it would make a perfect beach bag. Now if only I had an ocean to go to! My friend made a bunch of the zippered bags - don't you just love them!
And then Emily and I went to visit the dog she wants to get from the dog rescue. Chloe is an Australian Shepard/Border Collie mix (they think). She has got the most goregous hair and the sweetest personality! We wanted to bring her right home with us! But convincing "dad" is a bit more of a challenge. Emily and I are "in talks" with dad as we speak! :)
Tonight I"m going sewing again with some friends. Trying to figure out what I'm going to take with to work on! I"ve been too busy at work today to think!

Dog Quilt for Quilting Bebbs

I could swear I've shared this picture with you before, but for the life of me I couldn't find it posted so am posting it again! Anne at Quilting Bebbs showed an adorable little dog quilt she made for her nan. The puppies in it were sooo cute! So I had to share this one with you.

Emily has begged for a dog for about 12 years now. I think she has just about wore us down. We are going to go look at one this weekend from a rescue place that she has begged for, for about 2 months now. And the poor thing isn't wanted. She isn't the most beautiful dog, but has the qualities that Emily wants - so we will see!And with all the talk of quilting back in the 70's and cardboard templates, I had to share my first quilt again with you! Yes these logs were all drawn out on fabric with cardboard templates. But I did sew it by machine, not hand! The fabrics were all from JoAnne fabrics and were dress fabrics! I still have this quilt and treasure it! To read more of the story go here.

Just a few quick pics

I just got the above quilt back from the quilters this weekend. I had made the center part years ago. A secret sister each month gave me the instructions and fabrics - so at the time I had no idea what I was making! Then this spring my LQS decided they wanted me to teach it as a BOM for the shop - well hey - I had it almost done! So I finished up the borders and got it quilted to hang in the shop this summer! The borders add a lot! Oh and I had the quilter put this really fun all over paisley design on it. You might be able to see them in some of the lighter areas.



Emily had a great time in Utah - she took some amazing pictures! I wouldn't even know where to start to show them to you! So here are just a random few!








And last weekend Holly went to Cincinnati to go to a Cubs game, they can't get tickets for a game here in Chicago! So this is a really cute picture of her with 3 friends from High School - Holly is the one on the right (short one)!

Baskets of Sunshine

I got my Baskets of Sunshine quilt back from the quilter and the binding and scallops done! I have to hand sew down the binding yet, but here are some pictures. Just for those of you who are newer to my blog, the green/orange folk art version is really the first one I made and the real pattern. When I had to make this a second time for a class I decided to make it look really different. Don't they look like 2 different quilts!

Things are busy in my household! Summer is here and kids activities are running my life! Plus trying to do work! So I am keeping in touch with everyone's blog, but not always leaving comments.

Well I revealed month 2 of the Barn Dance Mystery I made for our quilt guild! So I thought I would share it with you. These were my fabrics I chose for month 1.

And here is what gets pieced in Month 2 - The Dance Floor, Hay Bales and The Food!

Otherwise I"m home working today trying to keep my house in one piece! My son's friends decided they wanted a big graduation party of "kids" and that they should have it at our house! Feels nice to know they wanted it here (granted it was because we have the yard for it), but I"m also holding my breath that the house stays in one piece! They boys went out and bought all the food themselves and are now doing the cooking! First thing there was a water fight in our garage and the chips are a soggy mess! YUCK. But later they went outside for some tackle football - boys and girls. Times sure have changed! So far a lot of craziness and a lot of "mess" but nothing disasterous. A bunch more kids will be showing up later this afternoon after work. We will see if I"m still around tomorrow!!!! :)

If you were 17 and bored....

What does a 17 year old girl do when she is bored (already) and has nothing to do? Well Jenna had been rambling on and on about needing Laffy Taffy's and Smarties to make something for a friend - I forget the reason why - for a picnic they are having tomorrow. Now Jenna when she is wound can talk and talk and talk like all good 17 year old perky girls! So I only half heard it. Well I come home from work yesterday to find the above laying on my kitchen table! You have to admit the girl is talented! She hot glued all this candy together to make a saxophone for whoever! Jenna plays the saxophone also, so it must be some friend in the band. Now why they need a candy saxophone I have no idea, but I have to admit it is clever!

I thought I would share another red/white/blue quilt I made several years ago. It actually isn't patriotic, but it did turn out awesome! I made this for a friend in France. Christelle makes really traditional quilts and hand pieces and hand quilts everything! And usually uses old clothes and fabrics to make them! So I wanted something totally different for her. I used the Lazy Angle Ruler and Lazy and Lovin It book to make this - they were so MUCH FUN to do. I"ve often wanted to make another! And I had a lot of fun with the quilting!

What is it?

Another clue of my my What Is It plaid wall hanging. I got the inner border on and the start of the applique done! This is a good give-away so I'm sure you'll know what it is! But isn't it fun so far!
This weekend I worked on all kinds of things. Mostly getting ready for a class I'm teaching this weekend on bindings and scallop borders. I also worked on some charity premie quilts. Here are 2 of them I made from fabrics I got on the flat fold table at Hancock's of Paducah! They turned out really cute. The local hospital use them for the massage therapy the preemies get and then the baby/family get to keep them. They are fun and easy to make, and the hospital really loves having them.

I did some more work on my 30's sunshine quilt last night! I"ll probably have it ready for pictures Wed night at guild, so I can share it on Thursday with you all! Now - to try and catch up with you all again! That seems to be the hardest thing this spring for me! Too many blogs I want to read, and not enough time!

Jeanne Inspired Me!

Jeanne inspired me to finally change my quilts in my living room and entryway! I finally hauled out the summer patriotic stuff! (Although now I want to make a patriotic bulls eye like hers!)

I couldn't decide on which patriotic like quilt I wanted to hang up, so decided to throw them over the bar instead and do both! And the little one hangs right inside my front door, when you walk in you face that little wall.

And who could ask for a more perfect Saturday! It was sunny and clear and in the mid-70's! I had a bagel this morning with my best quilting friend and then we decided to take a drive to our favorite quilt store (about 45 mins away). So we both ran our errands and met up just before lunch and headed up. We of course had a wonderful time at the quilt store, chatted with the ladies who work there (and I'm sure always happy to see us because they know we will fill the register) and ended stopping at a nursery on the way home. Lynn bought tons of flowers to plant - I just admired! I love flowers but hate the planting and weeding. But I did find fudge inside the little shop!

But then the best was yet to come! I got home and walked in my room. One of the kids had gotten the mail and what did I find! 3 quilt magazines and a HUGE box from my machine quilter in Rockford! It was my 30's Sunshine quilt! Oh my GOSH, it is gorgeous! But I"m not sharing yet because I want to scallop the borders and get the binding on first before I show you! But what more could a lady want!

It was a wonderful day! (Oh and my son actually spoke nicely to me today and treated me like I was human! A real wonder from a cranky 18 yr old boy who has a lot of growing up to do yet!)

Those silly Urges....

Yes, I can't seem to complete any one thing at the moment. I'll get them all done, I always do - but I had this urge this week to work on something "just because". Everything I'm working on lately is for classes or guild. Well basically all teaching type stuff. So I wanted to do something just for fun! So I got out a pattern I've had laying on my table for a couple of years and decided to just make it! I finished the background last night (above)! Doesn't it look fun! Now if I can get the applique to look right with it! Yes the pattern has you applique first and then put it together, but I wasn't ready for that yet - I just wanted to sew - so I'll do it this way! I'm going to invisible machine applique it anyway, so the bigger size won't be a problem.

Lily wanted to see the liberated log cabins again front and back to compare. So Lily - here you go!


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