Fun on a Friday!

My design wall is pretty empty these days. The primitive Lone Cabin quilt is at the quilters and summertime isn't the most productive time in my sewing room. 

But look at this amazing antique quilt block! I can see this being the center of a sweet medallion quilt. 

 

This was my design wall before putting up that antique block- so stark and empty. 

Alas! I'm pulling fabric for the yearly sewawlong! I'll add to these strips, red, green and a stripey brown! I'm hoping to get the top completed this weekend as we will be traveling again next week and would like to have it ready to hand quilt.

If you have your eye on anything in my Etsy shop I'll be putting it on vacation mode Sunday night- here's a link if you'd like to check it out now. As always Thank you so much!

https://humblequiltsbylori.etsy.com

Have a lovely weekend. 

Fickle Friday

Good Morning! I've been doing a little sewing but it is for a swap so I cannot share it yet.

My design wall speaks volumes. I'm all over the place!

These are adorable antique blocks I can't wait to work with. 

I've been busy cutting kits for my patterns. The Oregon Quilt Festival is only 2 weeks away!

I love this quilt- found in Virginia! I call it Shenandoah Stars. (And it is 2 sided!)

I've been rollin', rollin', rollin....these fun 6 packs!

 

I'd love to find more of this old print! I'm using a little piece to embroider a saying to applique on the quilt. 

My son and I went for a  long brisk walk yesterday. Finally had a little break in the weather. I'm still not going to the trails yet since it is so muddy. It was refreshing to get out! I've got to keep moving so when June arrives I'll be ready for our trekking trip in Peru!

I'm going to be retreating next week. I'll be bringing my computer so I can post. 

It's tax time for me- I need to complete W2's and 1099's before the end of the year. (so much easier with only the machine shop)

Love ya!

Fun on A Friday!

I've got a few ideas and projects rolling around my head.

 I started digging around in my French General fabric and found this little center already pieced. May as well go with it!

 Here's my little tub of FG bits and pieces.

 I got these on the remnant section at Fabric Depot and think I'll put them somewhere else where I will remember to use them.

 Betty Lou and her friend Cynthia have been making dresses for Haiti and was so thoughtful to send me a few for my next mission trip! Thank you both from the bottom of my heart! The sun was glaring through this photo, but I wanted you to see the cute trim and pockets.

 And here is a better one that you can see the sweet fabric!

Here's my Instagram from this past week. 

And if you aren't on my Facebook group I made this video yesterday. I think you can see it HERE.

Or maybe click the above.

Take care and have a wonderful weekend!

New Low-Tech Design Wall

Ever since we have moved into this house (1997) I had a piece of batting held with tacks on my sewing room wall for my design center. My sewing room is a small bedroom so I am limited by space but I found another low-tech way to replace my drooping design batting that will fit in the same spot.

I looked at insulation board at Home Depot and thought I could only purchase it as a 4'x8', which I would have had to cut. Look what I found! Sheets that are 4' x2' that are 1/2 thick. If I would have known that I could have purchased these months ago as they would have fit in my car. They are extremely lightweight too.

I taped them together so my piece is now 48" x 48".  (Use your imagination on this next part- no photos) I used spray adhesive on the board to adhere a large piece of batting to it and used a commercial stapler to hold the batting to the back. 

 

My husband used screws to hold it into the wall. That didn't work that well cause my batting was twisting as he was screwing it into the wall. (see left lower corner) So he ended up attaching it with a nail gun.

It is 1/2" thick so I can easily hold pieces with a pin too!  So far I am liking it and know it will be so much better.
Now go back up to the previous photo.... There's more of my Sally Post blocks. I'm hoping to get more sashing and cornerstones done this weekend.

PS, I've joined a health challenge! Will you come along this journey with me for the next 6 weeks? It's called the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge. Check it out!

PSS Several commenters are no -reply blogger on my last post.  I've replied directly online if that is the case. Go back to that post and look in the comment section to see if you are one of them. Email me and we can make a change to your status.
Have you commented to win the Jennifer Chiaverini Book? What are you waiting for!? Do it now!!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Designing & Elm Creek Book Winners

I've been avoiding my sewing room. I'm suppose to be working on the final border of our medallion project and do not consider myself a designer. The plan was for me to finish it up while Randy is on vacation..... I emailed today and asked when she is coming back. I think it is too soon. LOL I'm afraid my design will look a little like this doll quilt.

I also stalled out for several weeks on my jubilee quilt. I made the mistake of asking people for advice and there were too many suggestions that it only overwhelmed me. I forced myself to just do it!
 So I am, and I hope you like it. And if you don't like it,  please don't tell me! lol


Thank you all for commenting on the books. I'm not quite finished with mine, so that will go out as soon as I read the final words. Without further ado here are the winners:

The winners of a book and a pin:

Carrie- Cricketwood Prim

BeeBee- BeeBees Quilts and More

Beth- Beth's Crafts 

Winners of the quilt pins:

Jacky from Netherlands- no email

Linda Frankiewicz- no email/ blog

Dora- Dora the Quilter

Please send me your mailing address and I'll get them out right away.

Have a fantastic weekend!!

This and That and Pattern Winner

 This past week I've been able to get the pieces cut for the applique on the Soot and Ashes quilt designed by Cheri. Some are machine appliqued, some are pinned and ready to go. The buttonhole stitch on my machine should make this fairly easy to finish up.

 Block 4 and 5 (close to being finished) of Beyond the Cherry Tree.

 I've been preoccupied with my wonderful talented niece. She's number #1 with her friend and teammate. Volleyball is now over and she was named Co Player of the Year for the Tri Valley League. She is quite the "killer"!!

This was taken at homecoming with her brother who came home from college to watch. I've been immersed into SAT prep and scholarship papers. We are getting together 3x a week to study and hopefully get lots of college money!!!

I know for many of you it is almost afternoon. I am running in the Jingle Bell run/ walk with my son next month and had to get my Saturday run in while I was motivated.

OK, thank you to all who entered. I couldn't find the time to email you all so just know I appreciate everybody's visit to my humble blog.
Thanks Karen for the patterns. I can't wait to get the quilting done on the Land of the Free quilt.

Drum roll................... The winner of the 12 Land of the Free patterns by Piece O Cake designs is............

BETH- from My creations. Beth is multi talented and does wonderful sticheries, cross stitch, needlepunch and quilting!! Congratulations Beth!!

Sewing Too!!

I actually have been getting some sewing done lately too!!

Here's my Blind Man's Fancy blocks. I brought this along with me on the road trip and was able to get in a couple of hours of uninterrupted stitching!! I think I made good progress.

Here's was April's Vicksburg block.

This is for a different project I'm part of. Can anybody picture Elvis out front with a group of lady dancers in bathing suits? Or how about a lounge chair drinking sangrias? What a wild crazy Kaffe piece of fabric.

I have appliqued 1 more house for my House Party and have another one almost completed. I have my Wool Crazy block #2 base ready to whip stitch together and I have started handquilting Strawberry Fields!! So, feeling pretty good about the roll I'm on.

Art

The day we went to the quilt show my hubby and I ended up in a salvage warehouse. I came across a whole bunch of these adorable hand painted doors. They were a little big for cupboards and a little small as a door you walk through. Does anybody recognize the language? I figured if I knew what they said I might be able to figure out what they were used for.

Not that I could afford them, just curious.

Here's the upstairs where I saw them. So many things waiting to be recycled into a new home or made into art.

How cool is this? This was displayed at the blacksmith building at the Aurora museum. I'm loving this book! If you have an opportunity to get it from your library I highly recommend it. In it they show a wonderful wool Tumbling Block quilt that was found stuffed in a Aurora colony descendants couch!

Here's my additional 4 blocks from Linen Closet Quilts Vicksburg block of the month.

Design Wall Monday

I made a little progress on the medallion. I wasn't sure how well I liked the last border, but once it was sewn on I think it is OK. It is still a weird size so I think I am going to add another blue spacer strip next then continue to the next round.

The two blocks to the side are a free BOM designed by Dawn at Linen Closet Quilts. At this point my two blocks do not look related at all, but if I use some of the same fabrics throughout the quilt it should start looking cohesive.

What's on my Wall and my Floor

This is what's on my design wall this morning. It seems to spanning a large time period doesn't it? The two blocks on the upper left is a group project for a friend who needs some cheer. I don't have a scrap of batiks but I was able to purchase a little packet of FQer's last Friday. I think the colors are a bit muddy and it needs more contrast, but if they are with a group of others I think they will be fine. The blocks are the same pattern just different placement of colors.
Three completed Grandmother's blocks (which you may have seen already) and one lone block I used as a leader/ender on the sister's choice blocks.
You will be seeing Washington again! As soon as I saw that I knew I had to own a piece. Thanks to Pat at Lifes A Stitch. I've got some plans for Mr. Washington, but they are mulling at the moment.

This is what's on my floor. I've been tagged a few times and haven't wanted to just to put a lot of "stuff" out there. Now that I've gotten to know a few of you better I do feel like I want to share a little more of me. This is our 3 year old pound dog. We got him when he was about 8 months old. He's been my walking a and jogging partner for quite a while until last winter. Somehow he got hurt and tore up his rear knees. We only found out for sure last week what the problem was. We really struggled with what to. The bottom line is he is going to have surgery in the morning and the vet's wife has graciously asked us to let her do all his rehab for free. He will belong to her for 6-8 weeks while he needs a lot of care. He used to come and hang out with me in my sewing room all the time but he hasn't been up to climbing the stairs. But he showed up yesterday!!! It was nice hanging out with him while I was sewing.

He's a great fisherman too!!

PS Am hand sewing the binding down on the Irish chain!