Sunday in Vermont...

I'm sure at some point I will get a little slow stitching in on my newest project - some sage and forest greens tumblers with a little bit of creams thrown in. I have 320 tumblers cut for hand stitching... which should make a nice size throw when done. The tumblers are just shy of a 5 inch square.

Linking up with the other slow stitchers today.

It has been a busy couple of days. Friday the kids and I had a travel day and flew up to Vermont via NY.... and took the ferry over to Vermont.

The kids were a wee bit wound up when we arrived at my parents around 8:30PM.... and it was a late night for everyone. Yesterday was my niece's high school graduation and we attended the party after with lots of family. She got her quilt and lots of visiting happened. I have another niece who flew in from Colorado as yesterday was also her fathers 50th birthday! Happy birthday David! I had a car to return (oops.... noticed they were only open until 1PM.... at noon! Thanks to my sister Terri for popping over and picking us up). We had a little time to kill so we took a drive through Hope Cemetery to look at the granite sculptures. Barre is the Granite Capitol of the world.... and there were some wonderful artists that created some awesome monuments.

Today.. is a party at my brothers to celebrate his birthday and his step daughters birthday next week. It was to be out at camp... but with rain and cold in the forecast we switched it yesterday. Both kids slept for 12 hours last night! They needed to catch up on their sleep after a busy couple of days!

Tomorrow a niece will take the kids hiking while I head into the actual office for some meetings in the afternoon. Looks like Tuesday the temps will change and we will move out to the camp. For now..        with all the parties it made sense (and was cool - temps in the 60's during the day and I am loving it compared to Florida weather!) to stay at the house for a few days.

Time to get dressed and drag the kids on a walk this morning before the rain drops start.

Something new..... tumbler anyone?

I have a plan for my take with me projects when I travel later this week up to Vermont. I'll have the heart and nines quilt for hand quilting while up there but I also wanted to have another option.

I saw a tumbler quilt recently and decided that would be a good hand pieced project to take with me. I  didn't want to purchase a ruler so I made my own template with a cardboard piece from inside a FQ. I measured in 3/4 of an inch from each side and drew a line to each corner and cut. I figured it will work on a nice 5 inch square to make a good size quilt fairly quickly. Of course... I had to test it out before cutting oodles of fabrics. I grabbed some purple and a printed purple leaf and got this little 'doll quilt'. I just need one more seam to put the two parts together. This is about 18x18 inches with just 20 tumblers. Hmmmm it might need one more row of 5. I'll have Emily test it on some stuffed animals and see what she thinks.

It worked!  Now I really need to decide on what colors to pull to play with. I am leaning towards greens - the darker forest greens and maybe some dark creams or brown thrown in here and there. I know Bonnie Hunter had a sew along a few years ago with tumblers and I loved how the scrappy ones turn out.... but I think I'll keep mine to controlled colors ....this time!

Sunday Slow Stitching..... and Fathers Day.

I started putting the dresden blocks together and you can find my tutorial on how I did it on Monday's blog post here. I will probably prep the 3 rows and get them sewn together today.... and maybe get a few stitches into the dark blue dresden block that is going to go in the bottom corner. I finally finished the blades and marked the cross hatching... then remembered I needed to outline the plate in blue! Aidan wants to sew on his quilt today too.

Linking up with Kathy at Slow Sunday Stitching. and Oh Scrap.

Wanting to wish my Dad a Happy Fathers Day. Can't wait to see you and Mom on Friday night.

Dad, Em and Aidan at camp 2017

Dad Feb 2018 at my house with Peanut.

Squared Away blocks....

 I made a couple of the teal squared away blocks this week. Emily helped with the 3rd one... some seam ripper work is needed to fix a seam or two so I can finish the 3rd one.

Linking up with the RSC Challenge today before I head out to weed a bit in the front before it gets too hot... and then spend the afternoon at the roller skating rink with the girl scout troop for their requested skating party today.

Wishing my parents a belated 55th Wedding anniversary yesterday and  my nephew a belated birthday - yesterday.

The kids finished their week at Camp Invention yesterday - and came home with their robot dogs, an octo bot that follows a dark line drawn on paper and a mini mansion they each crafted during the week. They had a great time again at camp- learning and having fun.

Dresden progress....

 Progress..... I need to unstitch the pink/green.... I seem to have put the little strip of  fabric on wrong!
Time to use the seam ripper and fix it...then add the block next to the purple. One row to go after that!

Linking to the RSC Challenge... since that is where I started these!

Finished Graduation Quilt!

The pattern is Spinning Pinwheels

I finished the binding on the graduation quilt on Sunday evening. Saturday Emily pretty much made the pillowcase - I just did the cutting and stitching 3 seams. She did the pinning and ironing and followed the youtube video that we used to make the girl scout pillowcase. She picked the fabrics too. I hear we need a purple ribbon to tie the pillowcase closed for gifting since that is the one color I did not get into the quilt for her.

A pretty light teal polka dot fabric on the back. Time to throw it into the washer and dry it. Then sign it once Emily gets home from Camp Invention today. We'll fold it up and place into the pillowcase for gifting on June 23 up in Vermont.

Tutorial on connecting my dresdens.....

Just took pictures and documented how I did my quilt as you go.... you know, so I can remember when I add the next round in a few days!

I started with brown and pink. I used the same backing fabric as the pink block (middle one) so it would blend better on the back. I cut two strips 1.5x16.25 inches- one for each side. I put the first one right side up on the cutting mat and placed the brown dresden on top of it. This will be the connector on the back.

Pin so that the strip won't move in the next steps. I like the 1.5 width better than the 1 inch as it gives me more wiggle room for getting it over the sewn part.

Next - pull back the backing and batting 1/4 of an inch or more from the second dresden. I tried to not quilt into the seam allowance when doing that part. Then place right sides together of the dresdens on top of each other, pin and sew 1/4 seam allowance. Yes, I did the whole of the first block (top, batting and backing) unlike other tutorials. I am thinking the 'bump' won't be that noticeable and if it is... I can always trim with scissors!

spread it out and you get this on the back.

I use my herra marker and a ruler to mark a 1/4 inch from the edge. 

That marked line.... you can either press or being me and too lazy, I just used the herra marker to 'press' it down so it is a finished edge.

Now fold it over to cover that opening... pull the two apart a bit to snuggle the extra and trim if needed. I kept the little bump and think it won't bother me at all once washed and in use. I used thin hand quilting batting so it should work.

All set for hand stitching that seam with a blind stitch - or however you stitch your binding... which I get to do in car line wait today.

This is what the front looks like - see - you can't even tell it was done as a quilt as you go! I love how this makes things an easier size for me to hand or machine quilt. I don't mind this process.... much better than tugging a huge quilt through my small machine or lugging a big quilt around for quilting.

Yesterday  I went over to a friends house and met up with a few friends and we tried a pinterest project. We figured we get a 'fail' but wold have fun anyway. Turns out they all came out pretty good! 

This is the photo we used as a guide. A big thanks to her hubby John who tore apart a pallet and sanded 5 boards - one for each of us.

This is mine outside my front door! 

Dresden blocks....Slow Sunday Stitching.

Knowing I will have some car waiting time this week ... the kids have camp invention and it is a car line pickup at the end of each day.... it is time to figure out what I will work on. This was their ONE request to do this summer again. I believe it is their 3rd or 4th year going. Well, that and going up to Vermont.

Since I have 11 of the 12 Dresden blocks hand quilted (the dark blue one is almost ready for the cross hatching) and I opted not to add the white sashing in between like I was originally thinking..... I can start putting these together so I have some hand stitching for the car line wait Monday-Thursday! I think I'll work on connecting the left side (I always seem to work from left to right on quilts!) so that I'll be connecting the brown/pink, yellow/black, sage/purple and maroon/orange. Once those are connected I'll add the third row on. Then will connect the rows into 2 halves of the quilt and finish it off. Each block finishes at 16 inches so it will be a decent size snuggle quilt.

Pre-quilting layout.

I have done machine stitching together the quilt as you go a couple of times now. My first try was with this quilt that I hand quilted each 12 inch block and I used a scrappy sashing on top. The back used a black sashing to connect them.

Front of Quilt Square Along quilt

Back of Quilt Square Along quilt with sashing. Don't mind Peanut - he had to test it.

My second try was with this quilt without a sashing on top.  I machine quilted this big guy in three sections on my little Viking machine and then connected them. The backing I used the same blue fabric as the back to stitch it down for the connection. Same method but different effect. This is the method I'll use for my dresdens. You can find the link's I used for these methods here under my tutorial tab. After searching for them the last time I got smart and put them where I could easily find them! You'll also find a quick tutorial on how I did my hand pieced trip around the world blocks in 2.5 inches... that one is sitting on the frame waiting for me to give it some attention. After the dresden is done, I promised it!

RSC 2015 Sampler Quilt

Back of RSC 2015 Sampler Quilt with solid backing. I used the same  fabric to connect the three parts.

Linking up with Kathy and the other Slow Stitchers (I'll be slow stitching this one this coming week!) and Oh Scrap.

If you have ever thought of trying quilt as you go, I encourage you to give it a shot. Hey, if I can do it so can you! For me.... I never would have been able to quilt the RSC Sampler on my machine as a big quilt and the other was a nice portable project for me to work on while waiting in the car on the kids at PreK and elementary school. 

Need to Focus.....

Does anyone else have the issue with getting close to a finish ... and you just can't make yourself sit down and finish it? (Insert hand stitching binding on graduation quilt and hand quilting dark blue dresden) Hmmmmm might be why I have so many UFO's hanging around? I really do need to get binding done so that will be this weekends goal - to finish the grad quilt.

Another question - how do you select which UFO to work on? I have been working diligently this year on hand quilting the dresdens.... and am nearly done (if I will just pick it up at night and quilt it that is!).

I did get my churn dash quilt top quilted and sent off... in the nick of time to Hands 2 Help - Little Lambs.

I'm starting to see a pattern..... if I have a deadline I wait until the last minute and get it done in the nick of time. I think I need to get back to starting my monthly goals again to work on a UFO to make progress. But then again... that comes back to the 'which one to work on'? Sigh....

Knowing I need to prep some things to take with me on my trip (the heart and nines quilt will get basted for hand quilting... shoot, not sure I want to pack my quilting hoop for the plane..... will have to rethink that one...and see if the hoop fits in the checked bag and hope it doesn't break?).

In the spirit of moving something forward.... I caught up a little bit for the pink RSC Challenge of May. I needed some bow ties and 16 patch blocks. Since it is June it was time to take stock and see what is missing on these....

Added 2 pink

Added 12 pink bow ties.

 I managed to get both done Thursday after getting the heart quilt to a top. I started both of these last year and some months got completely ignored by life I think. I'm trying to fill in this year.
I think I am good on teal except for a few friendship stars that could get done this weekend. I have 12 in purple and red and about 8 in light blue.

I need to make the pink and teal Challenge blocks as well. 

Linking up to RSC On Saturday and Kathy's Quilts and the Slow Sunday Stitching on Sunday. Also linking to Oh Scrap on Sunday.

It was a busy last half of the week. Gymnastics Wednesday with Emily - I got almost half a dish cloth knitted in pink and started the decrease at the library in Beverly Hills on Thursday where I met up with Grandma for a program that Emily wanted to go to. It was a day at the ranch theme. A couple of books read then a whole bunch of activities after including roping some orange cones, rounding up the cattle (balloon cows) with a fly swatter and pool noodles for a horse! Lots of other craft activities that the kids collected and did that afternoon with Grandma.

They had a bunch of horse books.... so she took out 4 and Emily read 2 that day! Found out how to get her to read finally. Grandma took the kids home with her and I got an afternoon to sew.... and a night out with the girls at Painting with a twist. This was my take home - it came  out pretty good and is hanging in my office!

Friday she had a riding lesson in the morning, I went back to work for a few hours then Aidan had an hour guitar lesson which I had to drag him to... but once there he enjoys and it was all guitar and songs for him the rest of the night.

Emily and Belle - a half arabian retired show horse who is so small because of being premature and heath issues as a baby. Perfect size for kids learning to ride though - she is Emily's favorite!

Emily wanted a movie night with popcorn..which she can now eat that the braces are off. We watched Frozen. All in all, another busy week at my house.

Heart and Nines.... Is a Top!

I finally took a few minutes here and there and got the appliqué hearts sewn into a top today. I look forward to getting a backing made for it so I can start hand quilting it. This is the result of my May Challenge to Make A Heart a Day in the month of May.

The kids decided to do a program at one of the Citrus libraries - a cowboy round up which Emily wanted to go. It was fun and they ended up going to Grandma's for the rest of the day.

Monday - Graduation quilt almost done!

Sarah's Graduation Quilt - Spinning Pinwheels

I decided to play with the walking foot and just did an X through the alternate blocks with the four little squares along the HST's. Using the warm and natural batting off my roll (I finished the last one and got to open the new one I got back around Christmas!) it does not need a lot of quilting thank goodness!
I did an easy rounded line around the first teal border, two straight lines through the second dark blue border and then a very large rounded line around the last big flowered border. The dark blue binding is attached to the front and just needs to get turned and hand stitched to the backing. Two needle breaks..... all pieces found and disposed of. Those were the mandatory back away from the machine and take a break times. Not bad for a rainy Sunday.

I had a good helper yesterday  - Emily helped me roll onto the boards, pin and un pin and she pressed the binding for me. I told her that I'll put her name on the label too as a maker of the quilt!

A big Thank you to Dot for the pattern.

The boy did get time with Mom too... we played scrabble last night. I thanked him for letting me win!

Grandma is taking the kids today to Easy Street after lunch out. That should keep them entertained and out of my hair for a few hours today. They have mini golf, go carts (Emily is not tall enough to drive yet), arcade games, batting cage and a new laser room to try and navigate through.

Slow stitching Sunday?

Well, there will be a little but the majority of time (I hope) will be with pins and a sewing machine today. That graduation quilt needs to get finished. The top is done. I still need to piece the back, cut the batting and get it pinned. The good news, I sat looking at the photo of the quilt for a while last night and I think I know what I will do with it. Nice and easy and not too much quilting. Did I mention I hate making decisions?

I'll hold down this part so it doesn't move - said Ollie.

A little progress has been made on the last Dresden block... but not much. About half the blades are hand quilted. I have been looking at the individual stack of blocks and I think I am just going to sew them all together without the white sashing like I had planned. Each block is a good 16 inches  - so a 3x4 setting would be 48x64...a nice snuggle size. Decision made! Boy, all these decisions sure do tax the brain!

Ollie was my model today.... get me in the photo too Mom!

That decision frees me up to start hand quilting the hearts and nine patch quilt I made in May. This one might get sewn together... it depends on how things progress with the first one and how much kid time is required today. I hear they want a family pool day for a bit. Grandma is recovering from cataract surgery on the second eye on Thursday so will take them tomorrow for a little bit instead of today.

My hope..... to be working on some binding tonight but we will see how the day goes!

Linking up with Kathy and the other slow stitchers today.

Oh, I also got a prize in the mail this week from the Hands2Help Challenge! I got a little 3 pack of hand made soaps from Aunt Em's Soap. Thanks so much! Ollie thinks they smell great!

Saturday Teals....

They are not scraps... but the borders are finally on the graduation quilt!  It is a twin size.

Now to piece the teal backing so I can put it on the boards and pin it later tonight after my walk.

I also sewed the baby hearts together.... they were sitting laid out on the cutting board so I had to sew them together rather than just stack and move them..... =).

Tomorrow.... machine quilting. I have yet to figure out a quilting pattern for it yet. I am thinking something simple and easy with the walking foot so we will see.

Linking up to the RSC Challenge.

June 1 - The end of a heart a day in May!

I had hoped to have these blocks all sewn together.... but ended up working on Thursday to make up for the holiday Monday, ran errands (across town to pick up glasses that were in at the eye doctor, gas in car, car wash and the kids vacuumed out the car) in the afternoon then got my exercise in last night. Some no bake cookies might have also been made. There went the day!

My last heart was a blue one.

 Whenever I lay them out... this happens. Ollie decided to 'help' this morning.

I started sewing the bonus 5 inch charms with hearts together yesterday... but the bobbin thread ran out and I took it as a sign to go outside with the kids. 

I hope all those who played along this month enjoyed the little bit of stitching each day. Thanks for joining me in this challenge. Here is a link up if you'd like to share your hearts from May. I hope to have my blocks sewn together this weekend.... so the hand quilting can start on it this month.