Drum Roll Please.....

......And the winner of the book "Making Quilts" is:

Sharon @ Indigo Threads

Congrats Sharon.  I've sent you an email.  

Thanks to all that entered and to all that follow.  Stay tuned....Next month I will be having another giveaway.  Yep...going through my books I found another double...lol.

Hugs, Cathy

Fantastic Weekend (Photo Heavy) + Giveaway Reminder

Before I show you camping photos I want to show you my only finish for August.

I made this table runner a couple of years ago.  Finally got it quilted.  This is going to be a Christmas present...not sure for who yet...lol


I also got another Dear Jane block done.

This is block #1.  I now have 2 blocks done.  At this rate my descendants will have to finish it.  


Don't forget the giveaway.

You have until Saturday the 24th.  I will pick a winner on Sunday the 25th. Please be sure to leave a comment stating you are a follower and you will get a second chance if you blog about it.  Make sure I have an email address to contact you.  

 I think this will be the first project I am going to work on.  So many wonderful quilts in this book.

Now for our camping trip...  The weather was beautiful.  We camped at Algonac State Park which is on the St. Clair River.  

It was so relaxing.  Lots of freighters went by but I was too lazy to get up and get my camera out of the trailer.

Those of you who have read by blog for a while know that I love to go for walks and take pictures of wild flowers.  Well get ready....

 We found wild grapes, red berries, white berries, black eyed Susan, Queen Anne's Lace, and so much more.  

The last picture I have for you is a guest we had come by at every meal.

She wasn't shy.  She would jump up on the picnic table begging for scraps.

We had such a nice time camping even if it was only 4 nights.  Lots of relaxing, reading and quilting.  I got another 2 squares of my Henrietta Whiskers quilt quilted. 

I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  Thanks for stopping by and come again.


Hugs, Cathy

Going Camping and the Giveaway

Going camping for a few days or more.  I want to remind you about the giveaway.  You can leave a comment on the previous post or this post.  Just let me know that you are a follower.  Get a second chance if you blog about it.

I've already picked out what quilt I'm going to make.  I'll show you when we get back.

While we are gone I'm going to be working on getting some more hand quilting done on this quilt.

Hugs, Cathy

Enjoying the Summer and a Giveaway

I've been lazy lately.  I've done a lot of reading and watching movies and watching the Detroit Tigers win.

But I've also done some sewing and shopping....

Here are some of the projects I've been working on.

1.  Lori and Randy's Quilt a Long.

I decided to do a scrappy final border.  I have 2 cut out and plan on working on it today.  Then I need to pull the fabrics for the applique.  I'm slowly getting this done.


2.  Joined at the Hip BOM.

Here is the latest block.  I can't wait till the end of the year.  It is going to be a really nice sampler quilt.


3.  This and That Monday Mystery #6.

I love these Monday Mystery's.  I haven't done all of them but I do print up the patterns.  My favorite time of year is autumn so this is one I will definitely finish.


4.  Dear Jane.  Like a lot of you I was fascinated when Dear Jane came out.  I worked on it religiously.  I took it up north with me when I stayed with my Dad.  Some how when packing up to come home I misplaced my blocks.  I've been meaning to work on it again but just kept putting it off.  Well I recently bought the EQ Dear Jane program.  Wow!!!  it is so much easier to do the blocks.  I started with block #2 and have printed up all the rotary and or templates for the first row.

Now I told you I went shopping.  DH and I had received a gift certificate for Cabela's.  Last week we decided to go to their Saginaw store.  We picked up a fire pit grill to use when we camp.  While in Saginaw we decided to go to an antique store.

I'm always on the look out for an antique quilt.  I got lucky.

Isn't it beautiful.  There is some where and some of the fabrics are disintegrated.  But the colors are still very vibrant.

The fabrics look like they are from the CW Era.  It will be hanging on my wall for a while.

My second shopping trip was a visit to Amazon.  I preordered a book and then ordered it again.  DUH.... but since I got such a good deal I decided to give the second copy away.

I saw this book on different blogs and just had to have it.  (Like I don't have enough books...lol)

So here is what you need to do to be entered to win a copy.

1.  Leave a comment on this blog letting me know you are a follower.

2.  Blog about it for a second chance.

Now that is easy.  You know it has been 2 years since I started this blog.  I have made many friends through blogging.  This is my way of saying thank you for all your inspiration.

You have until August 25 to enter.  I will pick the winning name on Monday August 26.  Good Luck to all.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Hugs, Cathy

Taking it Easy....

And enjoying the weather.   Our high temps and high humidity is gone...Yah!!!!  It's been much cooler and a few thunder storms but so much better.

I finally finished a project.

I finally finished the quilting and the binding on my Harmony quilt.  I haven't had many finishes lately.  So it felt good to finish something.

Here is my July block for the Almost Amish Sampler quilt from Sentimental Stitches.

Blocks for the August Queen in the Japanese X block swap.

Here is the first block for the Monday Mystery by This and That.  I've got the pattern for the second block but I had to get some more orange fabric.  As soon as it is washed I will make it.

I just love Cone Flowers.  I bought this plant while I was up north with Dad and planted it outside my bedroom window.  We transplanted it in our back yard after Dad passed away.  This year I have had about 40 blooms.   They always bring a smile to my face.

I hope you enjoyed the weekend and are  energized for Monday.

Hugs, Cathy

Goodness.....

This summer is flying by.  We have been so busy that I haven't had time to much sewing.

First we went camping with my son and his girlfriend.  Then we went up north to visit my other son and his family.  Spent a little time at home.  Then we went camping with our daughters.  Home for a little bit.  And I just spent a week watching my granddaughters while my 2 daughters, their husbands, my grandson and his girlfriend went to  Las Vegas.  They flew out of Vegas just after that storm hit.

In between I did get a little bit of sewing done.

Here are some of the blocks I made to send out for the Japanese X Block swap I am in.

I have received some more blocks and will post another picture of all the blocks soon.

I showed you this quilt before.  It is the quilt I sent to my Small Quilt exchange partner Carole.

This is the quilt Carole sent me.  I love all the different buttons she put on the quilt.  It looks like an antique doll quilt.

I've been slowly working on my Lori and Randy Quilt Along quilt.

The Center Block

The First Border

The Second Border

Next I'm going to add another black border and then a 6" applique border.   Hopefully I can get this done before our next adventure....Oh I forgot we are going to Shipshewana on Wednesday....Okay before the adventure after that...Lol.

Since Terry retired we seem to be on the go all the time.  But I am trying to make time to get some sewing done.  I have so many quilts I want to make and so little time.

I will try and post more often.  Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have been having a wonderful summer.

Hugs, Cathy

Time is Flying By...

I can't believe tomorrow is July 1.  The past few months have flown by.  And I'm sure the summer is going to fly by too.

Wednesday we leave to go camping with both my daughters and their families.  I am really looking forward to spending some quality time with them and my granddaughters.

Later in the month we are watching the granddaughters for a week while my daughters and their husbands, and my grandson and his girlfriend go to Las Vegas to celebrate my grandson's 21st birthday.  

Then on the 24th we are going to Shipshewana for the day with my youngest daughter.   Somewhere in the month we want to go camping again but I'm not sure. 

And of course I have to try and get caught up on all my BOM's.  I plan on prepping some applique blocks to take with us camping.

Speaking of BOM's.  I have some updates to show you.

These are the first 6 blocks for my Almost Amish BOM from Sentimental Stitches.  Yesterday I made the June block and then realized that I didn't make the May block.  I finished it this morning.

These are the first 6 months worth of blocks for the Hip Chicks BOM.  Joined at the Hip that is.  This is the first time I have put all the blocks together on my design wall and I am really liking it.

These are the blocks for the County Threads BOM.  Each month we are given patterns for a block done in 6" and 12".  Unlike the Hip Chicks BOM which the blocks are given in order as they will be in the quilt...these blocks are given in a random order.


I showed you some Japanese X blocks that I made for a swap I am in.  Each month one of us is Queen for the month and everyone sends us 2 blocks.  I am the June Queen.  Here are some of the blocks I have received so far.

I asked for blocks with a red center.  The blocks that have a different center color are ones I made for practice.  The blocks are coming in from all over the United States, Canada, England, Germany and Australia.  It will be interesting to see the rest.  Not sure how I feel about the look of this...but it seems to be growing on me.

It is a beautiful day here in Michigan.  The sun is finally shining, the sky is blue, there is a slight breeze and the temp is around 79.  I hope we have more weather like this when we camp.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by.

Hugs, Cathy