Happy Moment

My happy moment for the day comes from this pic.  

A sweet bucket of soon to be dead weeds!  Oh yea, I actually did some yard work.  I really don't enjoy yard work, but it rained earlier and made for some easy pulling.  This will last for only a day or two but it sure feels nice today!

One More Step and a New Beginning

If you have ever read my blog before you have probably realized by now that I love to start projects and have a hard time finishing all of them.  There is just something about the creative process during the beginning that is very enticing!  I'm glad to announce one of my "big" projects is one giant step closer to being finished.  

Remember this quilt?  

Vintage Valentine, which I started, oh about 8 years ago!  I finally had it quilted, and it is amazing!!  I picked it up 2 hours ago and I can't stop smiling.  

This was my first appliqué quilt and I learned so much through this process.  When I look at the difference between the first and last block the difference in quality is quite noticeable.  I learned that I absolutely love appliqué, I don't like needle turn appliqué, but I do love the starch and iron method.  

I can't get a good picture of the entire quilt, but here are a few shots.  Every block has the same background quilting, but the quilting on the appliqué shapes are all unique!  

Center block

I love how she "framed" each block with a 1/4" border

The applique on these birds makes them my favorite birds in the whole quilt.  You can also see the feathering in the border.

The hearts are about 1" and she quilted in each one.  

The detail in this heart and ribbon is exquisite!  

Just one more shot!

Monique Hudson from Scipio, UT quilted it for me and I wouldn't hesitate to send her another one.  When I talked to her she couldn't stop swooning over it.  It was really nice to hear someone else loves this quilt almost as much as I do.  She kept encouraging me to enter it in some quilt shows or the state fair.  We will see if I dare to enter it.  I am always so critical of my work, even though it is beautiful I still see my flaws!  

Now for the new beginning part! After much deliberation and fighting with myself tooth and nail I have decided to go back to college and get my Master's Degree in Education (did anyone think I was announcing a pregnancy?).  I have put off this decision far too long and it is time.  I will be studying Learning and Technology and I'm hoping to be finish between 18 months and 2 years from now.  It will help my career, as well as my paycheck when it is all over.  The thought of writing and writing and writing does not really appeal to me right now!  

I am mourning the loss of quilting and free time more than anything.  It will be worth it in the end and I'm determined to finish and move on!  I'm sure quilting will be one way to keep myself sane during this entire process, even if it is just a fraction of the time I usually spend.  

Design Wall Monday

Good morning!  I'm trying to blog from my phone so hopefully the words will show up this time!  

This week I have been working on a little machine quilting, alright I lot of machine quilting. I quilted the unnamed small piece quilt on my friend's long arm(sorry no pic yet). When that one was finished my mom handed me one of hers to quilt. I didn't mind because she offered to trade quilting for binding. Wahoo for me, I don't really like binding and my mom does a great job. 

This picture on the left is the back of the quilt. It is really a nice cream color but I added one of those crazy effects from my camera so you could see the quilting. The pic on the right is the front. It is a bunny if you have a hard time seeing the design. This is just a small wall hanging and it will look fantastic in her living room. I really love machine quilting, both on a long arm and my home machine. I'm still hoping I will have a long arm someday. 

Head over to patchworktimes.com to see what everyone has been working on!

Design Wall Monday

Design wall Monday

Hey!  This is going to be a quick post because there is nothing really impressive to show today.  I have been working on my "Get it Done" projects.  So far this month I have finished 1 of the small Lucy blocks and have started the 50 flying geese for the gift quilt.  I had a very special helper today.  

She wanted to help pull out all the pins and stick them back in the tomato pin cushion.  

She really wants her own tomato!  But she says she wanted one without any "needles, cause that would be bad huh mom?"  She just cracks me up!

Here are the flying geese in progress.  I am using the four square method of making flying geese.  I recently became hooked on this method.  It has no waste and it make 4 at a time.  I'm all for anything that saves time and fabric.  

Hopefully I will start quilting the scrappy quilt tomorrow!  I have big plans for this week and everything has to run smoothly to fit everything in.  I need to load the scrappy quilt tomorrow, hopefully quilt a little.  Finish quilting on Wednesday, take girls to dance performance.  Thursday, bind the quilt, fix running pants.  Friday & Saturday run first race, agh!  It is a 10K, I'm pretty sure I'm ready but I'm not sure what to expect!  Hopefully somewhere I will finish these flying geese and feed my family and keep everyone happy and clean!  Wish me luck.  It you need more inspiration head to Patchwork Times for more Design Wall Monday!  

Get It Done, March Edition!

I know I say this every month, but I can't believe how fast the month flew by. I have less than 60 days of school left this year and that is unbelievable!
Even though time flew by I actually accomplished a lot!  Here was my list.

1- Piece all the blocks  CHECK!

2- Design and piece the borders  CHECK!

3- Quilt it  (not accomplished, eek!)

4- Relax, because if I get this much done it will be a very productive month!

Here is the finished top!  I absolutely love this quilt!  It is one of my favorite ones lately.  Probably because it is the only one I have finished lately!

Tada!

Here are my goals for March.  

1 - quilt & bind above quilt

2 - finish 3 blocks from Lucy quilt (small paper pieced blocks)

3 - make 50 flying geese for gift quilt

4 - sew as many My Tweet blocks as possible.  

I think I can accomplish everything this month.  I would like to thank Judy at Patchwork Times for inspiring me to accomplish something every month.  Wow, I feel so productive!  If you would like to join us, check it out here.  

Stars 'N Strips

As quilters, I feel we are always looking for something to challenge/excite us, something new and impressive that will have everyone that gazes upon it say, "Wow, I would love to make something like that!"  Recently I found something that catches all those qualities in one book!  (Drum roll please!)  It is the new book, Stars 'N Strips by Carl Hentsch.

This book is amazing.  Carl takes two traditional blocks, LeMoyne Star & Fence Rail, and melts them together so seamlessly they are a work of art.  Enough oohing and ahhing, let's get down to business.  There are 12 quilts in this book, all made with the same technique, but each quilt is so unique.  I had to look through the book several times in order to see the simplicity!  Yes, I did say simplicity!  With the technique Carl teaches, you can make a quilt that everyone will be drooling over, and asking "How did you make that?"  Color placement is key, but Carl walks you through all the basics so your quilt will turn out stunning.  I would love to show you all the quilts and gush over it some more but it would be better to hear from the author himself.  Please check out his blog, 3 Dog Design for more insight to this book and the wonderful quilts he designs.  I believe he will continue to amaze us for years to come!