Time Flies By...

Can you believe it, tomorrow will be March 1.   I got a lot accomplished this month.  But I owe it all to the Blogs I follow.  You have all inspired me to get more done and try new things.  I don't think I would have done half as much.  So a BIG THANK YOU to all of you.

When my husband Terry and I took off for a few days we stopped off at Country Stitches.  I already told you that but I forgot to say that I picked up an older BOM kit.  It came with the pattern and fabric to make this 14" block.  (It was $3.00 on clearance)  It is a Bears Paw block but definitely not the traditional one.  I am thinking of making it the center of a Medallion Quilt. 

I worked on my Thread Head Quilt-a-Long.  I have to make extra blocks since Joanne's blocks are larger than my 6" blocks.  I won't show you the blocks yet since I have to cut more sashing and border pieces.

I know some of you have heard of the new Frixtion Roller Jel Pen.  When used on fabric the lines will disappear when ironed or steamed.  I have used it to mark quilting designs on small quilts, to trace applique pieces and for embroidery.  The only problem I had was when used on hand dyed or Batiks it removed the color and left a thin white line.  So I would suggest testing it out on a scrap of the fabric you will be using.  The photo shown here is an applique block that I marked out the placement of the pieces.   Note, I am not a spokesperson for the product but I am a very satisfied customer. 

While watching the Oscars last night I worked on Sunflower
Quilt #1.  I used a Scrapbooking template for the center of the sunflower.  It is a turtle shell swirl and I marked it with the frixtion pen.  Look close and you can see the swirl pattern.  I used steam from my iron on it and Waa Laa.....

The markings disappeared.

I just love this pen.

     

So lets revisit my To-Do list from last week:

1. Finish small wall quilt. ( Done and hanging on the wall as we speak.)
2. Sandwich Sunflower Quilt #2.  (Hopefully I will get it done during the month of March)
3. Make 10 more Log Cabin Bow Tie Blocks.  (I only got 4 more made)
4. Make more Thread Head Quilt-a-Long blocks.
5. Keep current with Barbara Brackman Civil War Blocks.

Besides the above, I started hand quilting Sunflower Quilt #1, started hand appliqueing Granny's Hankies BOM #1 and finished a couple of Christmas gifts.

Not sure what my To-Do list for this week will be.  I just need to keep current with BOM, cut the sashing and border pieces for my Thread Head Quilt-a-Long, and make more Log Cabin Bow Tie Blocks. 

So I plan on keeping real busy.  How about you?  I wish you a quilty day.

Hugs, Cat

Free Snow

I'll ship anywhere....lol   I am sooooo ready for spring.

Last night I finished up a couple of Christmas gifts.  They are candle mats.  I love the Spider Web look to them.  Allie at allie-oops sweet happy life is encouraging everyone to start and finish Christmas gifts.  Each month you get a chance to win something by finishing and posting a picture on your blog.  The link is here on my blog.

I finished the next block for Joanne's Thread Head Quilt-a-Long.  We are almost done.  Then it will be time to finish putting together my quilt top.  I can't wait.  Big thanks to Joanne for posting the blocks, directions and the inspiration for this quilt.

Since I finally finished hand quilting DH's quilt I pulled out another quilt to hand quilt.  I'm trying to do these in the order that I finished them.  It's a Sunflower quilt but not the one I have been showing you.  It is also a design of my own from orphan blocks.  And I am addicted to 3" 9 patch blocks.  I put them in a lot of my quilts.  I love Sunflowers.  Could you tell...lol. 

So my wish for you today is no more snow, blue skies and sunshine and Sunflowers.  Have a quilty day....

Hugs, Cat

What a Week

What a week it has been.  First all the snow melts and then we get 14" of snow.  My husband had a few days off and we were going to take off for a day or two.  He spent almost all of Monday shoveling snow.  Tuesday morning he said we needed to get away....so off we went.

We headed west...to the west side of Michigan that is.  The first stop was Battlecreek.  We went to the FireStarters Casino.  It was big.  However we did'nt do to good.  So we took off again.

This time we headed to Lansing and to my favorite quilt shop.  Country Stitches.  I bought a few patterns and got some fabric.  The light fabric is what I am going to use for the Granny's Hankies BOM.  You can't really see, but it has little sprigs of leaves all over.  It is not just white.  The other two are a reproduction fabric.  Now I haven't bought much fabric in the last four years because of being with my Dad and no fabric shops in sight.  Now the big problem is where to put the fabric.  I am running out of room....but it is a nice problem to have.

We ended up staying in Lansing over night.  When we got up in the morning there was a heavy, I mean heavy frost everywhere.  Here's a picture of the tree outside the motel.  The ice was thick. 

On the road again and we headed to Williamston and Mason for some antiquing.  We stopped at one shop and found an adorable quilt from 30's.  It showed some wear, a few holes but I fell in love and it was only $20.00.

I think I'm going to reproduce this quilt in more modern fabrics.  But isn't it sweet?

When we got home last night I immediately ran to my computer to check e-mail, and of course all the blogs I follow.  I was happy to find out that my partner in the Mug Rug swap finally received her package.  I had mailed it to her 2 weeks ago.  She lives in Canada and I was told that it did take longer.  So now I am relieved she received them and she likes them.

I then sat down and finished sewing the binding on my wall quilt that I have been working on

forever.  It started out as a Christmas gift for my husband the last year I was up north with Dad.  I gave it to him partially quilted.  Well I forgot to take it back up north with me and hubby forgot where he put it.  So this Christmas I was down in the basement looking for boxes to wrap presents in and low and behold I found the quilt still in the box I put it in.  So I felt obligated to finish it before I could start hand quilting another project.  This quilt is a design by Lori Smith.  It was hard to piece (so please overlook the multitude of piecing errors).  It was also hard to hand quilt.  But I got it done.  I also misplaced the binding I had made for the quilt.  In the move back home from up north I have things packed in boxes all over the house.  Too many to go through.  So off to the fabric store for more fabric.  Unfortunately I couldn't find the exact shade of rust for the binding.  But I think I came real close.

Now I'm off to wash all the fabric I just bought and work on the latest Thread Head Quilt-a-Long block.   Here is the last one.  I forgot to post this picture. 

So have a quilty day...get lots done and post some great pics.

Hugs, Cat

And Then The Lights Went Out....

I was all set for the Friday Night Sew In.  I had my jammies on.  My plans for what to work on all set out.  I sat in my easy chair to do a little hand quilting before heading to my sewing room when there was a bang and a flash of light....then darkness.  The wind was so strong that it ripped down a power line.  All my plans gone up in darkness.  The power finally came back on around 1:00am. 

So I didn't get anything done last night but I did get a lot done yesterday.  I finished sewing the first 3 rows of my Thread Head Quilt-a-Long.  I also worked on a few more blocks for it.
I am really happy with the way it is turning out.

About 10 years ago I bought a quilted fabric check book cover.  Over the years it has gotten quite worn and the fabric is now shiny.  So I took this forlorn check book cover into my sewing room, took some measurements and made myself a new one.  I like the way it turned out.  I'm thinking of making some more for Christmas presents.  Oops...If my daughters read this pretend you didn't see this.  lol

I finally finished my little yellow Churn Dash Quilt I made for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.  Now I just have to get it sent in.  

My accomplishments have been many but there are many more to do.  Here is my last To-Do List:

1. Finish Quilting Wall Quilt (I'm half way there)
2. Keep up with current Quilt A Longs. 
3. Start Bunny Hill BOM (Finished Jan. and Feb. blocks)
4. Start Pat Sloan's Mystery Quilt.  (Started and finished first clue)

Now for this coming week's To-Do List:

1. Finish quilting my wall quilt.
2. Sandwich my Sunflower quilt and start hand quilting.
3. Make at least 10 more Log Cabin Bow Tie blocks.
4. Make more blocks for the Thread Head Quilt-a-Long quilt.
5. Work on Barbara Brackman CW blocks.

 Remember it is time to vote for the 2 color quilts at the Quilting Gallery (http://quiltinggallery.com/)  My quilt is called Persian Gates.  There are some beautiful quilts there.

Well I had better get busy.  Lots to do and places to go.  Hope you have a quilty day.
Hugs, Cathy

 

Time to Vote

Well it is Friday and time to vote on the 2-color quilts at the Quilting gallery.

There are lots of beautiful quilts.  So if you so choose, please vote for my little quilt "Persian Gates". 
http://quiltinggallery.com/







No sewing  yesterday.  Went with my daughter to pick up my grandson from college.  He goes to school at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant.  There just happens to be a casino there and we just happened to go.  Walked out with $7.00 more than I walked in with.  But we had fun.

Hope you have a quilty day.  Hugs, Cat

Sun's Shining....

And the snow is melting.  Its time to change my heading picture.  This is a picture I took my last Spring on Big Lake Manistique.  Snow is gone and the ice is melting.  Spring is in the air.

I Entered Again

It is so much fun to enter contests.  Yesterday I saw that the theme for the Quilting Gallery's weekly contest was 2 color quilts.  I was bummed because I didn't think I had one. 

I was reading some of my favorite blogs and my friend Terry at Terry's Treasures(http://terrytreasures.blogspot.com/) had the sweetest little quilt she had just paper pieced.  You should check it out. 

 That reminded me of a quilt I made in 1997.

The quilt measures 9" x 10 1/2".  It was made with  3/4" strips of fabric and 1/8" seam allowance.  The name of the pattern is "Persian Gates"  So I entered my little quilt in the weekly contest.  When you get a chance stop on over to The Quilting Gallery (there is a link here on my blog) and check out the 2 color quilts.  And if you would be so kind vote for mine.

Have a quilty day.   Hugs, Cat