Binding time!

Did you think I forgot Slow Sunday Stitching? I had to get my baby heart quilt pinned and quilted so I could machine stitch the binding to the top and hand stitch it to the back tonight.

It was a nice relaxing and lazy day. Greg took the kids to Grandma along with our house guest Buddy the Boxer. He is happy to be home. They had a great time with Grandma as they missed their usual date last weekend while she was up in Ohio. Greg and I had a nice relaxing day - I pinned the quilt and cleaned up the kitchen and did some laundry while he took the kids to Grandma. Then we chatted and decided to go out for lunch at The Crazy Cucumber for burgers. Eating outside was so nice in the cozy chairs. Then we headed home and saw the neighbors outside... so we headed over to chat for a bit. I then decided to get the quilt quilted before the kids arrived home.... and managed to get it trimmed and the binding made. I popped it on quickly after Grandma left. We explored the back yard a bit and then helped Emily with her career day project. I challenged Greg to a game of backgammon (got it figured out Mom and I'm raring to beat you and Dad next weekend). Emily is in the tub and Aidan has challenged me to a game of backgammon. It will be an early bedtime for the kids tonight as they were out late last night.

Saturday was Scout day.... Aidan had the pinewood derby at 3:30 and then his Blue and Gold Banquet at 6 last night. I got there just in time for food... great timing I think! He came in first this year in the Derby and goes onto the city tournament. Much better than last year when the car needed help to cross the finish line. Dad and Aidan did a great job fixing the car from last year to run well. He got his awards and was quite proud of himself last night.
Off to beat my son at backgammon.
Linking up to Kathy's Slow Stitching Sunday party. Take a look and see what is being worked on.

RSC Saturday - where did the month go????????

Yikes! I have not posted a brown RSC at all this year. I had to remedy that this week so I quickly made the sampler row blocks for the month.

We went to the store to see Daddy last night with the thought of doing a mobile cookie booth but it seems the girl did not bring her sash with her... so they cleaned the store, Aidan did some research for his career day project and we took Daddy out to dinner at Moes Southwest Grill. It was kid night and they had someone making balloon creatures for the kids. Aidan asked for an elephant and Emily asked for herself - holding a phone talking to the world! Silly girl - but it does look like her.

I found the seam ripper - well 2 of three. The pink one is somewhere in the house. The seam got picked out and fixed from earlier this week and the borders put on. I just pieced the backing and now need to find some batting then a trim and pinning so I can quickly quilt it. Dark pink for the binding I think. I should have it done for the baby shower on Wednesday evening. Little Charlye was born very early and weighed a little over 2 pounds in late November. She came home last week at 81 days old and is doing great. Mom and big sisters are all in scouts so I added the daisy's to the border since I know she will be a Daisy some day.

Linking up with RSC Saturday morning.

Monday Design Wall

I got a little time this morning to sew these together..... except.... Do you see the Oops? Now where is that seam ripper? This is from McCall's Quilting Quick Quilts Magazine September 1999 issue. Made with TLC.

Slow Stitching Sunday...

I hope to get a little slow stitching in today around doing lots of things around the house. Breaks are a good thing, right?

I hope to complete this block for the 1857 album quilt - my first block and 7 have been released so far. Oh well, it is not a race! This will be the evening stitch work.

I hope to have breaks today out on the porch and stitch a few of the seams for the Quilt as you go quilt. Maybe one seam a break will get some progress on this one?

It has been a very busy week and I was exhausted yesterday afternoon when I got home - a girl scout cookie booth first thing in the morning (my first ever in charge!) and then after a stop at home to eat and see the boys we headed to our store for Emily to do a mobile cookie booth. She did good... and then got to see the doggie adoption pets and pet a few of them. A few stops on the way home and I was tuckered out! It was a margarita, bonfire, bubble bath type of night! I had a mixer and was too lazy to get it out of the shaker =).

Hopefully after a visit with Grandpa this morning and while the loads of laundry are spinning I can do a little playing in the garden to prep for planting, some sewing - paper piecing to test a quilting pattern, and I suppose the vacuum should be exercised as we have had a dog in the house for a few days (the cats have yet to come out of the bedroom!) This is our houseguest for a little while. Buddy the boxer. He is making himself right at home.

Grandma's brother passed suddenly on Thursday morning and she is up in Ohio for a bit for the funeral and to help out. We have Buddy the dog for her while Papa Andy is home dog sitting another little one - Buttons for another of Grandma's friends who went to the doctor on Thursday and was sent right to the hospital for heart issues. Two dogs would have been too much for Papa Andy - who just had heart issues and a defibrillator added in surgery 3 weeks ago. We are just happy we can help out a bit and so far the kids have been good at helping with Buddy.  Maybe I'll get myself out for some walks as Buddy will need walking =)

Linking up with Kathy for Slow Stitching Sunday....

I must say - I am looking forward to this week. The only thing on my schedule right now is a dental appt on Monday for me and working at the store for a little bit on Tuesday morning while Greg delivers a few things. That's it! After so many go,go,go weeks I think I should actually get some quality time with my sewing machine... finally! Only 2 weeks before I start my part time job programming while the kiddo's are at school.

Testing a pattern....

I am testing a quilt pattern for a friend. It is tentatively titled Hoarfrost.

Hoarfrost by Joanne at Canuckquilter.com

It is a pretty little quilt with snowflakes. I've got the pattern printed off and all my paper piecing patterns printed off. These are the fabrics I have pulled for it.

 I had hoped to start paper piecing this today.... but Emily is home from school today so maybe I'll work on the piecing parts after we pick up her brother from school. She seems fine now except for the barking cough and very stuffy nose which leads to some interesting sneezes... which really need 5 kleenexes in hand when that happens.
We did pop to the library briefly yesterday to see a presentation to learn about bats. Yes, that is a nighttime bat in the picture. We got to see two different ones and learned about bats and how beneficial they are to our environment. They help to pollinate and spread seeds to grow new things, and they also eat their weight in bugs each night. Imagine no bats - we would be overrun with bugs - big and small. I have a feeling the kids and Daddy might have a project sometime to make a bat house to put up in the back yard. I would be very happy with less bugs!

Hugs and Kisses is FINISHED!

Hugs and Kisses.

I finished the last binding stitches on it this morning. I just love how it looks and feels - the lighter batting for the hand quilting gives it such a nice drape - different from the normal warm and natural batting I usually use.

My two helpers holding the quilt this morning.

This quilt started out as me learning to appliqué with the orange peels, to design of a quilt top with deciding on setting them into X and O's and alternating the frame on each block with color on the X and cream on the O. Then it was the border decision and getting the inner border to the correct size to make the pieced outer border fit! Of course.... then there was the journey of the hand quilting that started on Thanksgiving 2014. I had only made a small T and apple quilt wall hanging before this for hand quilting..... and a lot of my 12 inch blocks for my quilt square along quilt. This is my first official 'big' quilt that is hand quilted. It was a 3 year and one month journey from start to finish - the first appliqué blocks were made in January 2013 with the Rainbow Scrap challenge. It needs a spin in the washer and dryer... but that will have to wait until Tuesday as regular laundry will be on tap today.

Sharing at Oh Scrap.
Linking up with OMG - as this is my February One Monthly Goal for a Finish! 

Slow stitching Sunday...

Slow stitching Sunday with a lot of kleenex... I seem to have picked up the head cold going around. Lots of sleep last night (in bed at 8:30 until 7:15 this morning) has helped greatly so hopefully it will be a quick head cold. I'm off to work today for a short day and then home to enjoy some board games with the kids (backgammon will be taught today!) and then some slow stitching time.
I still have binding on the hugs and kisses quilt to finish off and the first block for the 1857 album quilt to continue with. Sadly, same pictures as last week as there was no progress on the appliqué and only one side of the quilt got bound.

Head on over to Kathy's Quilts and see other slow stitching on this Valentines day.

Right now I am girl scout cookie house with half of my girls pre sale cookies in my front room. Tomorrow I get to go get tons more cookies from the warehouse for cookie booths, additional sales and the girls mobile booths. I picked up 59 cases Friday... and will be getting the same or more tomorrow.  These girls are selling!

My UFO list...

I know, I know... I still have not finished last month's Quilt Square Along quilt but it was so fun to pull a box with a small heart quilt all cut and ready to sew this month! I took it with me and only sewed a little at the hotel but the corners of the hearts are on. Just need a press and trim and then they can be sewn together. I have a baby shower the first week of March that I would love to have this ready for. Think I'll go press and trim these and finish my blocks quick this morning. I'm having lunch with Miss Emily today at school. She requested McD's... and I'll bring the other half of the soup that went into Aidan's lunch box.

Binding time on Hugs and Kisses!

I took the last few hand quilting stitches on this quilt on Saturday afternoon while watching Finding Nemo. I  made and added the binding last night so I can work on hand stitching the binding on this quilt tonight.

Hugs and Kisses

I remembered to add a triangle to the corner for the label and everything! This is my first big quilt that is hand quilted, but it won't be my last!

I'll have to flip a coin to see what the next hand quilting project will be - trip around the world or  The Century quilt.

Until then, I prepped the first three appliqué blocks for the free 1857 Album Quilt Along over at Sentimental Stitches. Nice gentle curves and big pieces is a nice change after lots of little parts last year with the midget appliqué blocks. Instead of the red, green and cheddar I plan to do green, purples and yellow.

Saturday after Emily was Mona Lisa in France at our Thinking Day 

we headed home for Aidan's birthday party with his grandparents down here in Florida. We had a nice game of Chinese Checkers which was a gift from his Grandparents in Vermont. Thanks Mom and Dad - we had a great time playing. 

Today is the boys requested birthday meal out - he wants to go to Steak and Shake! After that lunch, Grandma is taking the kids to the movies and  I'll pack my bags for a drive over to Tampa for a couple of days of training. Now you know why I wanted that quilt finished this week - so I can bring it with me for binding work at the hotel! I think the sewing machine will come with me too as the bottom of that box of appliqué  has the cut out parts for a heart baby quilt. Some nylon netting and my crochet hook will come with me also - to make some scrubbies for Mom and me.

Linking up with Kathy over at Slow Stitching Sunday.

Saturday - Someone has a Birthday and turns 8 today!

We have another busy day today at my house. Someone thinks they are turning 8 years old today (Aidan) and will have his grandparents over early afternoon for nibbles and cake. We invited our play date friends but one was sick yesterday with a stomach bug. His little sister and Mom might pop over though. First - Emily and I have a girl scouts Thinking Day event from 10-12 this morning. 

Aidan - 8 years old today.

Aidan - Look I can fit in the box Mom! Age 2 or 3?

This month I hope to add some brown and cream log cabin blocks to go around these little blocks. I have no clue where this little quilt will end up but after I have the middle together I hope to add a round of log cabins and will go from there. Not sure if the middle will be square or rectangle... I think I was leaning towards rectangle.

I'll also add some birds in the air blocks to this mix. Most of the blues were added last month.

6 inch birds in the air blocks.

The girls at the vet this week. Maxie and Sophie.

Head on over to the RSC link party and see what other browns will come out to play this month.

Starting my Avon business was very beneficial - I learned about Pizap.com which is a free photo editor. It allows for collages, Facebook covers and lots of other neat things.  That is the top photo that I created for a FB post today. Some day... I'll create a new header of some scrappy quilts.

February OMG (One Monthly Goal)

I got sidetracked last month with my chosen goal but I got my 2 other hand work projects to a top stage in January - midget appliqué quilt and hand piecing the trip around the world blocks together.

This month I picked Hugs and Kisses to be completely done - finish hand quilting, make and add binding and a label, wash and use!

I looked at my Hugs and Kisses quilt that I am hand quilting this morning. I have 33 peels left on the outer border and then..... I can make and add the binding and label. 

Linking up with OMG for my February goal.

Design wall Monday....

Welcome to February and a happy birthday to my niece Sarah.

I've been plugging away at blue scraps the last couple of weeks and have this to show for it. I plan on making these all this year with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge to make myself a scrappy Birds in the Air quilt this time. February the color selected is brown with a touch of pink. Each block is 6 inches finished. My header photo shows the last one I made... and since that was gifted to someone I felt the need to make another.

This morning was quick trip to the vet for Max and Sophie to have their annual checkup. Sophie gets to go back in a few weeks for a dental cleaning but... she has lost 2 pounds this year and Max lost one. Max is where she needs to be but Sophie could stand to loose more as she is down to 11 pounds now and should be around 8 like her sister. They were not happy with me at all this morning.

I think I'll take a walk to the sewing room and see what sort of trouble I can get myself into.

Joining Patchwork Times for her Design Wall Monday link party.