Blog Break

I took an extended break from blogging. Just couldn't get motivated to write. Don't know why, maybe end of summer blahs! Hope to resume a semi-regular blog routine in the near future. Sunday we leave for a family gathering in the Adirondacks for a week, even the dogs are going!!

Since last we met....I attended the wedding for which I made the quilt I showed here. Quilt was well liked and appreciated, wedding was Excellent! Great picture of bride and groom my son took! And me with son and daughter at wedding below.

My project upon coming home was long ago promised but sorely needed now. My daughters best friend is a 34yr. old working mother of 2 beautiful boys ages 2 and 1 yrs. old. Several months ago she was diagnosed with Leukemia. Since then she's had to take a leave from her job, had a 3 week hospital stay to start chemo, endured brutally painful spinal headaches, more chemo, and no family bone marrow match.
A non-family donor was located, but the leukemia cells were present again and she is now back in the hospital going though more chemo until it's all gone and a bone marrow transplant can be done. She's most likely to be in the hospital a total of 3 months if not more..... without seeing her kids in person!!!!!
I just can't even imagine! At least technology is somewhat helpful these days! So hard for her Mom and husband, too!
My very small contribution to Alison is a throw sized quilt made from all the purple fabric I've been saving over the years. Ali loves purple and now has something colorful to cheer her in the hospital! We are all wishing she comes home soon!
My daughter is a great support for Ali, she's lucky to have a job which allows her to visit all day when needed. I'm very happy she can be such a good friend!

On a much lighter note, I have been busy with my computer....doing research on new cars. Many nights of reading, comparing and most important, color choice! We did the research, took the test drives and now own a 2011 Kia Sorento! We went with a pearlized white with black interior. Funny, we have a black and a white dog, grey house with white trim and black shutters and my husbands truck is black.... is there a theme here!?! Anyway very exciting!

Went to a quilt show with Pat(a little of this and a little of Pat)and we had a great time together. Saw many beautiful (and some Why?) quilts, shopped a few vendors (held back due to Lancaster trip coming up) and left with very tired feet! (Also disappointed not to see GO demo!)

So that brings me to now as I'm packing for our trip, making a runner my sister wanted for a gift, making covers for the dogs new cushions and I also want to test the curve foot we bought at quilt show! Phew.... can't wait to see those mountains!!! Fun to be with 1 son, daughter, sisters, and more!! ( I hope!?!)

Have fun out there in quilt land!

Ready To Give

Yes, yes, yes ... it is finished!!! Phew, happy to be done and just in time! The Big Project is over, done, finished and packed in my suitcase! Actually finished it yesterday and leave tomorrow to head up to wedding in the Hamptons.
I think the long hot summer and being cooped up so much has left me with a case of the blahs and dissatisfaction in everything. So I feel more critical than usual of my quilting but, this is personalized and original and pretty, I think!


The quilt is slightly smaller than I thought it would be however, it covered the top of my king bed and could be used as a topper. I believe they also have a guest queen and of course one can always curl up on a couch!


The center heart has 2 more hearts entwined within it. It also contains many personal fabric choices such as the NYC fabric and the one with surfboards. Fabrics throughout the quilt were picked with this couple in mind. Inside the entwined hearts I did a vine/leaf design with 8 small hearts in the center and 21 in each of the hearts.The entwined hearts are done in green and blue which was the color of the invite. I've also copied the invitation in fabric above the main heart.


I was not thrilled with my backing choice and of course with the fancy stitches, more of it shows (messy look) in back. But it's the back, right!? Very happy with the batik I used as the binding, both the color and feel of the fabric. Then when label time came (and I hate writing them) I wanted to attach it before the binding so I could avoid any hand sewing. Figured that out and wrote a personal message since I think about the people and the sentiments so much as I sew!


So that's it! I'm off to have a blast at the wedding. I will spend 3 days with 1 son (in the wedding) and my daughter up in NY. Then we go back to NJ for a day or 2 with my other son, daughter-in-law and 3 grandsons. Looking forward to doing and seeing all ! Need the short break from quilting then a fun small project! (Will miss hub and dogs, tho!!)

See you all next week and thanks for cheering me on through this project!!!

Ready T GO

In Between

This is about what's going on in between quilting sessions with the Big Project. I now have six days to finish the BP! (Not loving all of it!)

Anyway, big surprise in the mail this week. A beautifully quilted postcard from blogger Jan in the UK! It was a welcome card to blogland! So nice of her, and so nicely done! I'm really so impressed with it, can't imagine doing this myself! Yea Jan!!! Thanks again!
My accomplishment for the week is a removal! My husband found a shirt he liked with a collar he didn't like. He likes button down collars or none at all. Gene Black showed on his blog how to remove a collar. We bought the shirt (a bargain, by the way) and I removed the collar. It was very easy and looks good! Happy ending! Thanks Gene!!!
Hoping that my next post is an ending of the BP!!!
Sherry

Procrastinasion projects

Well .....as the wedding (for which I am making a quilt) approaches I have found many things to do!
Other than finish the quilt, known as 'The Big Project'!!
Today we drove to the nearest mall(45 mins. away) to do a little shopping. Hub was looking for a few shirts (very picky) we found 3, one I will remove collar and leave just the band(I hope) as per Gene Black's instruction. I found a dress I like for the wedding, although pant suit with sleeves to cover all or most of body would have been my 1st choice!! LOL Looked at some sheets, my favorite, most soft, comfy ones are thread bare in spots--Oh no! Didn't find sheets I loved, so the search goes on! Also stopped at the Joann store where I found a blue to use on the Big Project (I think)!
So I wound up doing a little quilting today, maybe a half hour. Ooops!

Yesterday I finished a small wall quilt for my den, a little smaller on wall than I thought it would be. I did need to get the basting pins out of this to use on the BP, so ultimately finishing is a least progress of some sort, eh!?

This was started in our small quilting group a while ago. Originally it was to be a runner, or two but, I just kept making the tulips! Then I thought the small quilt would look cute and came up with the corner design using paper piecing I made. I tried some different quilting than I usually do with my faithful machine. Haven't done much freehand quilting , usually use walking foot. Well anyway I probably took longer than I should have. I did get an hour or two of quilting on the BP done! A rough slow start but, good to actually start!!

Friday hub and I with Kiwi and Ziva, our 2 labs, did some errands and had lunch in another restaurant where they allow the dogs(out on a deck). People just love to see the dogs, they come over to pet them and to talk. I think the girls really like it (so do we) and the socialization is so good for them.
At home hub and I put up a new pot rack. We bought it last week after buying 2 new pans and thinking about how crowded and cluttered the cabinet (1 only) is getting. We've always wanted one and are very happy with the look and organization of things! Now we just need cooler weather to want to cook indoors!!
Unfortunately for me, I forgot to enter the GO giveaway for the second week in a row!!!! BooHoo! Not gonna win this way....better stay home on Fridays!!

So much for the weekend, nice and productive but the BP still looms large! Tomorrow is our little quilting group here at my house and I always look forward to seeing all. Don't know how far I'll get on this weeks project since I should work to finish BP only but, we'll see what happens!

Send me some finishing vibes quilters!!!! Thanks!

Not very bloggy lately!

Less than 14 days to finish the Big project!
To update;
top is finished,
backing bought and washed,
binding - don't know,
filling "empty" space in middle and/or embroidery in heart--don't know!

So I'm moving along and at a stand still all at the same time! Talked out a few things with hubby, good sounding board and he is used to it! Not totally happy with the look at the moment but hoping it will come to me....... soon!!

Worked on quilting a wall quilt for my den in the past few days. Good to take a break from the Big project. Needed the pins from it for basting anyway! Also gave machine a cleaning.

We finally had some nice weather over the week end and hub, 2 dogs and I spent the day out. Stopped at a garden place, bought new collars for the girls and had lunch at an outside restaurant on the water where the dogs are allowed. A really nice day for all!

We had our 36th wedding anniversary last week and didn't do too much celebrating. However, we got a kick out of buying roses on sale (total cost $10.) from the grocery store! Two bunches, I think 20 in all..... don't they look gorgeous!!!














PS. Wrote this a couple days ago but, didn't quite finish or publish! Think I may be close to an idea to "fill the space". Fingers crossed!! Oh, hard to sew that way! ! ! ! Hehe!!

The BIG Project

Well, I said I would show (and tell about) my big project that is keeping me from doing some fun and unfinished projects I'd rather to be doing. Phew...a mouth full!! I also said that Pat and her GO cutter came one day and we cut 75% or so of the strips and squares. However, I then had to sew together strips and cut again and also cut more pieces. (Used rotary for this..ugh!)

I made this pattern earlier this year to give a coworker for her marriage. Loved the end result but, now remember how tedious it was halfway through the making of blocks!! Oops!!

This time I'm changing the center and personalizing it. (Also larger this time.) The center will repeat the patchwork pieced heart in a larger form and contain an entwined heart.
On my design wall I have laid out some of the pieces for the center of the quilt. On the paper is a template I drew and I'm following. (And some things not related!)
As of today I have squared 16 finished heart patchwork squares, pieced together the 4 corners and finished the 12 patchwork side triangles.





By the way, I am making this as a wedding gift for friends of my son (he's in the wedding) and we have known them for 12/13 years. The wedding is Aug. 20th in the Hampton's, NY and I think I will go, my husband may not.

So I have a deadline looming!!! I do think the creative thinking part is finished (often the hardest part) and only have a backing to choose (oops, binding to do,too!). So, not too much thinking now just labor!
Wish me luck and I apologize ahead of time for my lack of taking part in fun doings or showing new projects for a bit!!!
Oh, and I will post a finished picture (hope I like it)!!!

Summer Favorites

Well it's mid summer and feels more like the end to me. Hot, hot, hot! The weather here has been unusually hot and humid and the heat or being all closed up in AC has gotten to me! Some people in this house refer to me as 'cranky pants'! However, I have to agree with this the past few days. Hope something changes soon....phew!

Maybe finishing my big quilting project will help. It's a wedding quilt for a wedding Aug. 20, and today I finished up the 16 heart squares and 12 outside setting triangles. I have the corners to do and have reworked the middle from the original pattern and have to do this! More on this later.

At the moment that is keeping me from some more 'fun' projects I have in mind (or in my closet to be finished). Even straightening up my sewing room sounds good right now! So I have some old fun quilts to show! Also I'll introduce the girls!


This is Kiwi acting silly with a quilt as you go jelly roll and beach themed throw!


Here Ziva checks the stitching on a bargello quilt
that matches the fabric on my porch cushions!






Then Kiwi and Ziva hit the bedroom to show the cowboy throw(hard to see with Kiwi on it) and a favorite full size quilt of summer fabrics in a 9 patch. Makes me smile to see the fabrics from years and projects from the past!



Well that's it for now !
Still need to learn some placement on things but, I think this is readable! Bye for now....

Thanks

Well, what a warm, fun welcome from so many! Woo Hoo ! What fun! Hi back to all who welcomed me, said hello and gave their contact info. Soon, I hope, (with some tutelage from Pat) I will visit you all, comment and add some more info about me, my quilts, dogs, life and so forth! I am so excited to join you all and feel I know you a bit from reading Pat's blog. So thanks again for the welcome!
Sherry

Newbie

Hi,
This is my first post! I am just trying it out, my wish is to join in the quilting/blogging community because you all seem to have so much fun! I know this because my friend Pat from 'a little bit of this, and a little bit of Pat' is a blogger and has encouraged me to follow and blog. So, no promises for frequency or content but, hope to meet some happy quilters!