CGQC and OPAM finishes for May

My Schnibble choice for May

 was the Houseboat pattern.

I made this table runner from the

scraps leftover from my Caliente quilt.

I made this bargello flag quilt

 for over my mantle.

I made a black and white purse

 with interchangeable sashes.

I made this wallhanging for

 June from stash scraps!

I loved the design so much,

 I made 4 placemats, too.

And still into watermelons,

I made this "Slice of Summer".

And I made this cute

little tabletop quilt, too!

Can you tell I'm soooooo

ready for summer????

Summer Begins!!

Happy Memorial Day!!

Take time to remember

and give thanks

 for all the men and women

 who have fought and died

 for our freedom and safety. 

They have made our lives

 here in the U.S.A. possible.

Thank you EVERYDAY for your

 bravery and selflessness!

One great nation under God!

My Quilting Story

Kelly over at Charming Chatter asked us to share our quilting story.  I have always been into creating things with my hands, although it has evolved over the years!  I started out making doll clothes like so many other!  Now, many made Barbie doll clothes...

well, I made troll doll clothes!  I've always been drawn to magical things like trolls, fairies, witches... which is probably why I soooo love Halloween!

I am the youngest of four daughters and my dear Mother used to sew our clothes when we were small.  I wore lots of hand-me-downs, but back then clothes were made to last!
I used to get all the fabric scraps under her sewing table to make my troll doll clothes.  What fun!!
I took sewing lessons and all the home ec classes offered and made my own clothes in high school and beyond. I got into the craft business in  my 30's and had a nice following in south FL.  I was a member and officer in the Southern Handcraft Society there

 and had a booth in local craft fairs.  I made dolls, woodcraft, painted decor and country critters and eventually sold patterns of my designs, too.   
My crafting business came to a natural end when we moved to northern VA (DC suburb) in 1998. I was still teaching special education, but in an inclusive environment so I spent my evenings adapting work for my kiddos instead of crafting.  But I needed a new sewing activity for stress therapy.  I'd always loved quilts, so it was a natural for someone who loves fabric and sewing as much as I do!
I joined the local quilt guild in 1999

and thus began my quilting journey.  I watched Simply Quilts and attended classes and workshops and as a teacher, I naturally learned allot from books and magazines.  I joined a wonderful bee with 3 dear friends from whom I've also learned allot! 

When our town finally got it's own local quilt shop, I worked there on weekends for a few years until I tore my left rotater cuff and had to stop a year ago, but I still teach an occasional class there.

I love to piece and although I do like traditional blocks and designs, but I also love modern, too- be it designs and/or fabrics.  I am a color freak- there just isn't enough time in the day to quilt with grey and browns and beiges... GIVE ME COLOR!!  And fabric?  You saw my stash....  fabric just reaches out and grabs me!!  Ineedagottahavit!!
So, that's my little quilting story.  Probably pretty similiar to many others out there!  But maybe yours is different?  Would you share it with us, too?

Stash Manicure Givaway!

Run on over to Stash Manicure and sign up

to participate in their givaway!

It's a good one!

Make sure you stick around to catch up on

all her guest blogger authors!!

See ya there!!

Summer Sewing Fun

I finished all four summer placemats. 

I'm really pleased!  They're very cheery!

The checked binding really did the trick,

don't you think?

I did the quilting with red, green

and white variegated thread.

And then while all my red scraps were out,

I made this cute little patriotic table top quilt. 

Do you remember the little Happy Jack

I made for Halloween last year?

 

I've wanted to make other little quilts to fit in that frame ever since.  I found this little quilt in the Quilts and More magazine from the summer of 2006.  It was not supposed to be a stand-alone mini-quilt, but was designed as a button-on pillow cover.

But it was the perfect 12 1/2" size for the stand. 

Cute, huh? 

I'm thinkin' I'm ready for summer now! 

So why the heck am I still teaching at school???? 

LOL!!

In Progress

I spent all day yesterday doing home stuff... including lots of cleaning!!  So I didn't get into the sewing room at all.  But today, after work, I was able to quilt 

three out of four placemats. 

I'm quilting it in meandering loopies

 using red, white and green thread.

However, today after work, I had to catch up on
the "Lost" finale... VERY disappointed! 

And tonight is the "24" finale for 2 hours! 

So, no more sewing for me tonight!!

I'm thinking of binding them with a

red and white checked fabric.

Waddaudink??

Ready for June

Last night at the Friday Night Sew-In for May,

I finished a summery wall hanging to hang

in my kitchen for June!

I also used this same strip piecing idea

 and am making 4 placemats with watermelon

 slices and ants on them, too.

Last night I strip pieced the 4 pieces of red

 watermelon and ironed on the fusible and traced,

 ironed and cut out the 4 black ants. 

I hope to get them finished today!

Sewwwwww, what did you do last night??

Blogger's Quilt Festival

I hope you all are participating in

Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival.

Hmmmm, we are supposed to post about a favorite or special quilt.  That is really hard for me... to pick a favorite quilt?!?  That's like saying pick your

favorite star in the sky, right? 

I have many favorites and to be honest,

 who makes a quilt they don't love

 and WANT to make, right?

I guess one of my favorite quilts is my "Poppies" wall quilt.  It was really fun to make- just kinda looked at other art floral quilts and did my own version .  I used fusible applique and did lots of thread "painting". 

It is my only real art quilt.

It hangs in my family room, and is

my husband's favorite quilt.

I used it for a long time for my blog header photo.

It was a true stash quilt as all the fabrics were

 from my scrap bin or my stash. 

I love it when you can do that, don't you??
What's YOUR favorite quilt?

Friday Nite Sew-In and Bingo

Tonight is the Friday Night Sew-In for May!

I've been working on  a summer wall hanging

 for my kitchen for June. 

It's from this AWESOME pattern collection!!

 It's almost done and I've decided to make matching watermelon placemats,

so that is what I'll work on tonight.

Also, in case you've not read in other blogs, 

please come join Spring Fever Bingo!

It's put on by the "In Stiches" blog from

 The Quilt Shoppe. 

It sounds like allot of fun!

So, get your supplies and chick flicks lined up

for tonight's Friday Night Sew-In!!

See ya "there"!!

A Purse for Every Outfit!

I saw a cute bag in the latest Quilt Sampler magazine and came up with my own version!

I LOVE black and white with a passion! 

And while I pretty much live in denim,

I also wear allot of black, too.

SOOOOO, I need a purse that goes with both!

The front, back, bottom, straps and lining

 are all black and white prints.

  But the sides are a bright multi colored print!

But the best part of all are the different sashes

 I can change out!

Can you tell I'm a color FREAK?????

Which one is your favorite????

Schnibble, schnibble, Bodibble!

I chose to make my May Schnibble quilt from the "Houseboat" pattern.

I made it out of the "Love U" collection from Moda.  I love the cute turtles, snails and owls in this collection!

I will give it as a baby gift eventually, so I didn't put a label on it yet.

I had this adorable crazy cat fabric in my stash that just lent it self beautifully to the colors in this quilt.  It's a very cheery and happy baby quilt!  And Houseboat is a super fun and easy pattern to make!  Already thinking about the next Schnibbles I'll make...