CGQC and OPAM Finishes for March

As I have been trying to catch up with the other Schnibblers,

I made four Schnibble's this month.  

The first was the "Picnic" quilt.

I made the "Cindy Lou Who" quilt.

I made the "Tuffets" pin cushions.

And I made the "Roundabout" quilt.

I completed my "Thyme for Stu" wall hanging.

I made my "Garden Delights" quilt.

I made my "Rosy Posy Pots" quilt.

So I have seven finishes for March! 

A good month!  :-)

Now it's time to figure out my goals for April!

The ABC's of the "Quilting Me"!

A week or so ago I posted "The ABC's of Me" which I first saw on Sinta's blog and thought it was a fun and clever way to  share some info about me and my life so other bloggers could get to know me better.  It got me to thinking that it would also be a good way to share my style and thoughts about quilting with others, too, so I made up this set of A to Z quilting topic related questions.  So, I challenge all you quilting friends out there in blogland to copy this activity and share your thoughts with us, as well!  Feel free to insert photos to illustrate your answers, too! 

      So, without further ado, here are The ABC’s of the “Quilting Me”!

A – age at which you started quilting?
     I've been a garment sewer since I was a teenager, then progressed to crafting and doll making / pattern designing.  This was always done in my spare time as I've always worked full-time as a special education teacher since I graduated from FSU and got married in 1978.  I was kept quite busy with my craft fair business until we moved from Coral Springs, FL to northern VA in 1998.  (The photo below is a Halloween witch frog that won first place in a Country Marketplace magazine contest in 1997... and I sold a ton of those patterns back then!)

I did not start my doll business back up here in VA, so wanted something new to get into and as I'd always admired quilts and was a very experienced sewer, quilting just fit the bill!  So, I began quilting in 1999!

B- block- what is your favorite?
Although I like allot of different ones, my favorite has always been the churn dash!

C- chain piecing - do you?
ABSOLUTELY!!  What a time saver!  I don't know any quilter who doesn't!

D- DSM (domestic sewing machine) your favorite Brand / model that you do your piecing on?
I do all my piecing on my Bernina 640 and I do a bit of quilting with the BSR on it, too... but only small things like wall-hangings, purses and Schnibbles.

E- easiest quilt you ever made?
Hmmmm....that's a tough one.  I love panels, so panel quilts are easier. Turning Twenty quilts are easy, too.  I would have to say the fall scarecrow quilt

I made from a big panel last fall might be the easiest one I ever made.  One  of my all-time favorite easy quilts is the Yellow Brick Road.

F- fat quarters- how many in your stash right now?
Goodness me...gotta go do some counting.  I've got them sorta all over my room. 

Well, umm, including bundles I have about 380 fat quarters upstairs in my sewing room at the moment.  That's not allot is it?

G- guild- do you belong to one?
Absolutely!  Local quilt guilds are a wonderful way to meet people in your area who share your love of fabric and quilting!  I go to 2 quilitng retreats each year with our Centreville Quilters Unlimited.

H- hand quilting- do you?
Well, I tried it...not my thing.  Waaaaaaaay too slow for me!  But I do sew my bindings down by hand!  Does that count?

I- invisible thread- do you ever use it?
I did use it a few times when I first started quilting.  But I've not used it in years.

J-jelly rolls- do you like them, buy them, how many in your stash right now? How many quilts have you made with them?
I love, Love LOVE them!  They make sewing up a top sooooo fast and easy!  I have about 6 in my stash right now and I've made about 8 quilts with them already.  I especially love the Anka's Treasures jelly roll pattern books by Heather Mulder Peterson.

This is one of her jelly roll patterns that I taught at The Artful Quilter shop.

K- kaleidoscope blocks- have you made a “Stack and Whack” or “One Block Wonder” quilt?
Yes, I made a Stack and Whack quilt a few years back at a guild workshop. 

 It was really fun!  I have the One Block Wonder book but haven't made one yet.

L- LAQ (long arm quilter)- do you send your tops out to one to be quilted or do you own one yourself?
In the past, I've sent some tops out to a long arm quilter in the midwest to be quilted, but now that I have my own HQ16, I don't need to anymore!


M- mitered corners- do you usually miter the corners on your borders or not?
Usually I don't miter the border corners unless the fabric or pattern calls for it.

This quilt, "Bluegrass" is one I designed myself and I did miter the border corners.

N- novelty fabric- what’s the craziest one in your stash?
Gosh, that's a hard one...  I guess the backing fabric I have collected in my stash for a quilt for my husband who loves the three Stooges.

O- on point or straight set-what do you like the most and why?
 I guess most of my quilts are probably straight set blocks, but I do have a few on point designs.  They tend to be bigger quilts when the blocks are on point.

I love this jelly roll pattern called "Field of Flowers",

as it makes a big quilt and nuses only one jelly roll with almost no waste.

P- paper piecing- do you do it, love it, hate it?
I've done it a few times and the resulting blocks are absolutely pieced perfectly.  But I still prefer to piece the regular way.  I have friends who really hate it, though.

Q- quilt shop/website- your favorite one and why?
My favorite local quilt shop is The Artful Quilter where I used to work/teach on weekends before I tore my rotater cuff 2 years ago.  My favorite shop on the web ...that's tough!!!  I like allot of them...  Fat Quarter Shop, Webfabrics, Quilt Taffy, Cotton Charm Quilts, Quilt Home to name a few!

R- rotary cutter- how many do you have? What’s your fav and why?
I've got about 5 and have given away several, as well.  My fav, though, is the ergonomic ones.  I have had carpal tunnel surgery on both my wrists and find using the Martelli ergonomic rotary cutters much easier to use.

S- scraps- how do you store them?
I have  a set of plastic drawers and keep them sorted in baggies in the drawers. Some are sorted by size, or strips or by colors and fabric collections. I try to use them up as much as I can for purses and small projects and gifts.

T- tops- how many do you have completed and waiting to be quilted?
I have 2 antique quilt tops I bought years ago in hopes of repairing them and finishing them... and 2 other tops I made myself that need to be quilted.  I had 2 others but have been doing one a month since I got my HQ16.

U- UFO’s (not un-opened kits, but any project actually begun by you and put away not completed for ANY reason) - how many do you have?
Ummm, I have the 2 previously mentioned quilt tops not quilted, and a crooked log cabin quilt started at a class with Pat Sloan last year that I never finished. 

I also have 7 BOM blocks for the Calendar Kids quilt to make. :-(

V- variegated thread- do you quilt with them? Favorite brand?
LOVE them and use them for quilting all the time... MOST of the time, actually.  I guess I like the King Tut Brand the best, but YLI, Sulky and Auriful are good, too.

W- watercolor quilt- have you ever made one?
YUP!  My second quilt ever was one!  Here it is!

It hangs in my living room... just don't look on the back!!

X- eXactly how many quilts, any size, (that you made) are in your home right now?
OK, gotta go count.  Unless I missed some, I have 91 quilts in my home now.

Y- yellow- SUCH a touchy subject- love it/ hate it? Use it allot in your quilts or never?
I don't use it much because I don't decorate with yellow... no yellow rooms in my house.  I have a bit in Halloween, fall, Christmas  and spring quilts, but no all yellow or even mostly yellow quilts at all.  I don't wear yellow either.

Z- zigzag – do you zigzag/satin stitch the edges of your applique’s when machine appliquéing or do you use a blanket-stitch?
I either straight stitch or blanket stitch around fused appliques.

OK, so that's my Quilting ABC's.  YOUR TURN!!

Cool Givaway!

Abby Lane Quilts is having an awesome givaway. 

Look at these cute pincushion/thread bag combos! 

Absolutely adorable!

And you could win one or some cool patterns!

I did finish quilting my Rosy Posy Pots quilt this evening.  YAY!  I'll hand sew the binding down at bee on Saturday, then I'll post a photo!  It was the last thing on my goal list for CGQC this month, so I am a happy camper!!

Chuggin' Along!

I have a few things going on this week... besides just work each day!  My son Anthony is coming home tomorrow from VA Tech for a few days.  His girlfriend will be coming in, too.  So gotta fill up the empty fridge before he gets here and make up the basement suite bed for her!  :-)

Saturday is our March bee... AT MY HOUSE!  So realllllly gotta clean BIG TIME!!  The little pre-bloom thingies that fall off the trees in spring are constantly being walked into the house.  UGH!  HATE that!  :-(
And gotta figure out what I'm making that day for lunch/dessert!  All the gals are gourmet cooks, so the pressure is ON!!  Any suggestions?

Yesterday after work, I pinned my quilt top, batting and backing all together and have started to quilt my last CGQC goal left for March!  I sure would  LOVE to have it done and the binding sewn on ready to do the hand work at bee!  So wish me luck to get everything done on time!!

The ABC's of ME!

Sinta over at The Pink Pincushion recently did this on her blog and I thought it was such a good way to get to know her better that I'm gonna share my ABC's with you here, too!

The ABC's of Me

A- Age: 54... when did I get so OLD?


B- Bed size: King  made for three!  Me, hubby and my Westie Yogi


C- Chore you hate: cleaning the bathroom ... eeeeww...yuck!


D- Dog's name: Yogi (AKA- Yogster, Yogurt, Yoginess, The King)


E- Essential food/item: cream for coffee... no skim milk allowed


F- Favorite color: periwinkle blue


G- Gold or silver: gold wedding rings, but silver everywhere else


H- Height: 5'7"...but may be shrinking now...


I- I am: sooooooo DONE with snow!!  :-(


J- Job: special education /assistive technology teacher


K- Kids: 2 boys...now men, not yet married


L- Living arrangements: northern VA (suburb of D.C), home in a nice neighborhood


M-Mom's name: Gladys.... a truly beautiful woman!


N- Nickname: You have to ASK with a name like Polly????


O- Overnight hospital stay: 2 C-sections, hysterectomy, all years ago


P- Pet peeve: people who don't pick up after themselves


Q- Quote from a movie: "There's no place like home."


R- Right or left handed: all righty then


S- Siblings: 3 sisters...we are all 4 years apart...I am the baby


T- Time you wake up: for work- 6:15am... otherwise about 8:00ish


U- Unique thing about your car: it can be an automatic or you can shift it! (Rogue)


V- Vegetable you hate: all beans, collards, turnips, brussel sprouts...


W- Ways you run late: waiting for the husband and/or sons... grrrr!


X- X-rays you've had: not very many...been lucky!


Y- Yummy food you make: meatballs, Chicken Parm and Piccata


Z- Zoo favorite: otters...so graceful and playful




That's ME- A to Z!!  Your turn!!

Caught Up!

I am happy to report that although I joined the Schnibbles group 5 months late, I have finally caught up!  YAAAAAAYYYY!  Last night while watching the AWESOME new  Discovery channel series call "Life", I finished the handwork on my Tuffets pin cushions.

I had some Califone charms leftover from a big bag I made a while back and they were perfect for those cute little sand-filled pincushions!! 

Talk about teenie weenie pieces!

And on another note, I do LOVE pincushions and just bought these two cuties on Etsy from a gal who raises her own sheep and uses their wool for her creations!  Are they not just adorable??? 

In case you can't see from the photo,

the turtle has a cute little snail on his back!!

She even sent me photos of her three sheep- Miss Dottie, Lucy and Cappucchino!!  Priceless!!

Cindy Lou Who?

I finished quilting my Scnibble quilt "Cindy Lou Who" yesterday and completed the binding & label while watching TV last night.

I really like how it turned out.  The bright cheery Mary Engelbreit fabrics really made the design pop!

Here it is on my ottoman in the family room.

I had to make Yogi move off it to take the photo.

So, another Schnibble done! 

I'm going to work on "Tuffets" next!

March Friday Nite Sew-In Fun!

Tonight is the Friday Night Sew-In for March.

So, after a quick early dinner,

I got busy in my sewing room. 

I'm still trying to catch up after joining the

"Schnibbles for a Year" group 4 months late. 

 

I had almost all the nine patch and the snowball blocks made for the "Cindy Lou Who" pattern, so my goal tonight is to get the little quilt top all sewn together.

Yogi loves it when I spend the evening in my sewing room!

I'm used 2 charm packs from the Mary Engelbreit "Carolers" collection.  They are so bright and fun.  I love her use of primary colors and lots of black and white.  My whole sewing room is decorated with her stuff!

It looks quite different than the one on the pattern, huh?  I cut up the leftover 6 blue charm squares and made a thin inner border with red corner squares. 

I used some black Christmas  fabric from my stash for the outer border.  It's not from the same collection but it is a Mary Engelbreit fabric, so it goes well, don't ya think? 

Tomorrow I've got to do some yardwork to do outside while the weather is cooperating, but do hope to be able to get it quilted and the binding sewn on ready for the handwork during TV tomorrow night!  Tomorrow I'll be running to the store in the morning to get the "New Moon" DVD!!  I've already seen it in the theater... on opening night, in fact.  Let me give anyone planning on going to see "Eclipse" when it comes out in the theater some realllllllly good advice-

DON'T GO ON OPENING NIGHT

 AT THE 7:30 SHOWING!!! 

That was the mistake my husband and I made when we went to see "New Moon".  We were surrounded by teenage girls screaming everytime Edward and Jacob came on the screen....  YIKES!!

Cool Givaway!

Kari over at Fresh Cuts Quilt blog

is having an awesome Givaway. 

So hurry up and head on over to her blog and sign up! 

You may win a new layercake and some patterns, too!

Schnibble Schmibble!

I finished my Schnibble for March- "Roundabout" last night.  I made it out of 2 Aviary charm packs dear Cindy from Sew Cindy sent me a few weeks ago. 

The fabric is so lucious and serene

 and PERFECT for spring!

These little Schnibble quilts fit

oh-so-nicely as an ottoman topper!

I free-motion quilted bubbles all over it... 

doesn't show up so well in my photo, though.

I used the same striped fabric for

the backing and the binding.

So, another finish for March!  Yippee skippee!!  :-)

And P.S.- this Schnibble was FUN to make!

A Finish and a RAK!!

I did finish sewing the binding and label on my spring panel quilt last night.  Woo hoo!

 I really love it.  The panel looks like a watercolor painting. 

I named it "Garden Delight".

I used a cool birdhouse label on the back.

And this is where it will live in the corner of my family room each spring!

Now, for more important things!  I opened my mailbox today after work and found a big gold envelope from Sinta of the Pink Pincushion blog.  She sent me the patterns for Bunny Hill's free BOM Tisket a Tasket from last year that I discovered too late.  I've been IN LOVE with it since I saw it on Monica Soloria-Snow's blog- Happy Zombie  She called it her "Fire Quilt" because if her house was on fire, that would be the quilt she would grab to save.  And after I saw it on her blog, I could see why!!  It is sooo darn adorable!!  I AM SO THRILLED!!  And I'm not usually so IN LOVE with applique.  But this one is just soooo cute!

Thank you so much, Sinta!  YOU ROCK!!  :-)