Quickie Makeup Bag

Going down Baltimore way tomorrow for a visit with my daughter so I thought since I had this cute NYC fabric that I'd make her a zippered top makeup bag for her upcoming trip to Seattle. Isn't it cute? Both girls love visiting New York City and don't get there as often as they'd like so I thought I'd bring a little bit of the city to her.
I couldn't get a good shot of the inside fabric so I took a separate picture of it and it's all NYC cabs.....

Want to win a gift card?

There's a giveaway going on http://www.multimindingmom.com/2010/08/give-a-little-love-in-the-lunchbox-giveaway/comment-page-2/#comment-699
If anyone out there has kids and has fun ideas for lunchtime, you could win a gift card.

Veterans Food Drive

This quilt is almost done...I just need to tack down 1 more side of the binding and it's good to go. I used Pat Sloan's Sweet Liberty fabric for it. I made the top to use for a raffle in school. One of our organizations will sell tickets and I think we'll do the drawing around Veterans Day and donate the money to the Thanksgiving Veterans Food Drive that we do every year. Our school does a lot of charitable drives throughout the year but in the past 2 years I've done the quilt raffle and it benefits both the Veterans and the recipient....

Yankee Stadium

Yes, that's where I spent my Saturday, watching the Yankees beat the Red Sox (sorry all you RS fans) !! I don't go to the stadium often, actually, I only go maybe once a season, my kids on the other hand would go daily if they could. But, I ventured out with hubby and 2 of the 3 kids and really had a nice day. It wasn't oppressively hot and the game was definitely good, especially since they won!!!

Today however I have to make up some lost time in my sewing room and around the house. The usual laundry, sheet changing, etc. must get done today and since it's appears it's gonna be a HOT one, I've already turned the AC back on in anticipation of working up a sweat.

What will you be working on today?

There's a Giveaway Going On

Yes, another giveaway! Now, I'll link ya to it but come on, don't go entering, I want to win one of these and if you all go and enter then I have a lesser chance at winning :(
ok, here it is ---->http://www.squashhousequilts.com/

Circle Around

FINALLY....I finished my Circle Around quilt today! I only started in back in mid May :(


I got sidetracked and then lost my darn mojo but once I started assembling the rows yesterday afternoon I just kept on until I got it all done.

The pattern was in the Summer 2010 Quilts & More magazine which I ordered directly from Julie Herman at her site http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/ and she also had kits for the quilt....I don't know if she's got any kits left but you can certainly go on over to her blog and see....

There's a Giveaway Going On

There's a giveaway going on-----> http://buttermilkbasin.blogspot.com/
Go on over and enter to win $50 in patterns!!!

Summer Flowers

My garden is not very big......and I don't have much in it, mainly because neither hubby nor I are gardeners. I do like flowers though so we do have a small area where I've tried growing sunflowers, with no luck, but these black eyed susans grow like weeds summer after summer!

I figure if I can't enjoy sunflowers then these are the next best substitute!

On the sewing front, the blue star runner is done.

I have it sandwiched and pinned but don't know quite how I want to quilt it so it's just sitting sandwiched on my ironing board. In the meantime I'm going to work on the Circle Around top.

When it's 93 and getting hotter by you, what do you do?

I am staying inside and sewing.....

Down Baltimore Way

Went to visit my daughter down in Maryland on Monday with my other daughter so I took a picture of them outside the restaurant we went to for lunch. We ate at the The Red Brick Station Restaurant & Brew Pub and had a great meal and fun conversation...mostly about "True Blood" from Sunday night.The restaurant is in a mall called "The Avenue at White Marsh" and has some great stores and restaurants! The fountain the girls were sitting on was nice and this sculpture was outside the Barnes and Noble store that the girls wanted to look around in. Jen actually works across the harbor from the Inner Harbor area. She's in the old American Can development area. You can see the harbor from the front of the hair salon she works at. We saved a tour of the inner harbor for a day that wasn't close to 100 degrees.....If you're ever down Baltimore Way and need a haircut, Jen's your girl...email me and I'll hook you up!!!

Fat Quarter Bundle Liberation

I have to tell you, this post is not for the faint of heart so if you think you cannot handle my fat quarter bundle liberation then click off my blog right now :) I decided this morning that the quilt can't possibly be assembled and enjoyed if I don't liberate the bundle....Say goodbye bundle :)

If you're still with me, congratulations........

I hear a sigh of relief............................

they've been unbundled!!!! And now, they are going for a spin in the washing machine...............

All washed? YAY.........Here they are, coming out of the dryer. Ah....so nice, and now they're ready for ironing and cutting into. That was really not so bad after all. I suggest all you bundle hoarders out there 'release the bundles'...let them enjoy being used.

Mail Call

Oh yeah....I did a little bit o shopping over the weekend at Daisy Cottage Quilting over at Sharon Yeager's blog.........Lemme tell you, she is the best! I ordered on Saturday, she shipped on Monday and they were in my mailbox not 10 minutes ago...not bad for coming half way across the US.....Everything came wrapped up in cute yellow and white checkered tissue paper, each packie individually wrapped and that little ole pile in the back came wrapped separately with a cute red ribbon...

The bundle in the front is Flower Sugar and the bundle in the back is Mama's Favorite's.

I love the vintage look of the Flower Sugar fabrics so I just had to have them. I'm thinking the reds and blues will go perfect with some raggedy embroideries!!!

Just click on the link to Sharon's blog if you'd like to do some shopping of your own....

Is There?

Is there a support group for quilters who can't cut the ribbon on their fat quarter and jelly roll bundles? If there is, I need to join!!!

I have the Abbey Lane Quilts pattern called "Match Box" with all the fabric needed to make it but I'm having trouble taking the ribbon off the bundle and jelly roll....I know I should just ask hubby or my daughter to do it as I leave the room but I just love looking at it all wrapped up...

Coincidentally, if you open the new "Quilter's Home" magazine and turn to page 64-65 there is a nice story about the Abbey Lane gals...with a picture of Match Box in the article. If I could just open the ribbon.................

Also, I finally put the last few stitches in the binding on my Meadow Blocks quilt last night.

I was very nervous assembling the top back in May because I wasn't sure how all the assorted prints would really go together but one assembled and quilted, well, I just fell in love with it! I used one of the large prints for the backing so it's pretty much reversible. I think I might have to keep this one for myself for tv watching.

I've got tomorrow off from work so I may be sewing most of the afternoon....anyone want to join me?????????

Top 3

July 15-August 31 Top Three

1) Assemble Mary Engelbreit Layer Cake Quilt

2) Assemble Winter Stars Runner

3) Assemble Circle Around Quilt

http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/2010/04/cover-really.html <----click here to see what its supposed to look like

I am so proud of the fact that when I made the above list the ME blocks were all just sitting in a pile waiting for assembly...Here they are today....all assembled and pressed. I found the white with blue dots that's already in the quilt online and on sale with free shipping so once it gets here I will assemble the back and send it out for quilting.....I'm so excited, only 3 days into the challenge and I'm already done with 1 project!

Where the heck.............

WHERE THE HECK DID MY SEWING MOJO GO????

I feel like I have been in a real slump.....I have not done a lick of real sewing in weeks. Since I was off Friday I got up, got myself moving and after lunch I decided I was coming in my sewing room and I was gonna find my "sewing mojo" if it took me all day. Thankfully, once I started picking up this and folding it and picking up that and putting it in the cabinet where it belonged, I found my mojo.....I grabbed a pile of blocks that I'd been working on since May and I got them assembled into rows and border # 1 attached. This is the fabric that I'll use for the border....

I received the Mary Engelbreit layer cake kit from Michelle as a gift at retreat in May and since I'm a big ME fan I really wanted to assemble the quilt as soon as possible.

Then I had an email from Robin asking me if I wanted to pick a project from our Thimbleberries "Welcome to the Table" club that we both do thru the Main Street Cotton Shop. Since we've been doing this club for almost a year and I haven't assembled a single kit (yes, you heard that right, not a single one) I decided that I'd pick a winter themed project and get a jump on the winter of 2010. The kit is called "Winter Stars Runner" and you get everything you need to assemble runner including backing. Main Street sends you written instructions to finish the runner but you have to make the center of it from the Thimbleberries "Big Book of Quilt Blocks".

I cut the project out after dinner tonight and have the center totally assebled and pressed. I may or may not attach the first border tonight, I'm not sure. This is how it looks so far though.

Normally, Robin, Michelle and I pick 3 projects a month that we ATTEMPT to finish in the 30 days. The past 6 weeks have pretty much been a bust for all 3 of us. If you look at Michelle's blog you will see her "Sewing Room in a Box" post and Robin has been working a lot on wool projects. Other than losing my mojo, I had no excuse.... BUT, I'm making a pledge to try and at least start all 3 of my projects this month and with the ME quilt and the winter runner, I've accomplished that. I hope by the end of August I will have added a "DOT" quilt that I cut out and made all the blocks at retreat and if memory serves me, I have them all assembled in piles of rows too....

I'm hoping I will be able to post more over the next week.....

Tote Bag Finish

I know I've only been home for less than 24 hours but when I sat down to watch tv last night I decided that this tote bag HAD to be completed....well, the sandman had other ideas for this weary traveler. So, this morning when my stupid cell phone alarm went off at 6am and woke me up, I got out of bed and came downstairs and finished the edging on it. I LOVE the bag and fabric and I'm thrilled with how it came out but I still think there HAD to be a better way of putting the piping/binding around the edges.

I may have posted about this bag earlier in the summer before I put the binding on but NOW it's totally done!!!

I have a hair appointment with my favorite stylist today for a cut and color before she relocates to Maryland. I will miss her a lot but she's happy to be starting a new phase of her life and although she's leaving NJ I will still see her a lot.....my loss is Tim & Maryland's gain :) Here's Jen with the boy that's taking her home with him on Sunday......

Good luck at Brocatos Hair Salon!!!

Love, Mom....

Raggedy & Friends BOM

I am back from my cruise and lemme tell you, cruising is the way to vacation. I had the best week but I'm happy to be back home :)

So, is anyone interested in a cute Raggedy and Friends BOM? Hop on over to the Painted Quilt's blog, you can click on the link on my sidebar to read all about it. It is really cute and if you know anyone that's got a little girl or boy, I think it would be super cute.....

See this ship? That's the Explorer of the Seas...I will be aboard it tomorrow, Saturday, July 3rd, cruising for 5 days to Bermuda.

I can't wait to be waited on hand and foot and sit poolside all day. Hope you all have a nice July 4th! See ya back here on Friday.

Peggy

PS: Happy 25th Birthday Dan!

Sorry we are leaving on your birthday but I'm thinking you'll probably have plenty of people to keep you company as you celebrate!!!

12 Days?

Wow, has it really been 12 days since I last blogged? Where the heck have I been and what have I been doing???? I can tell you I have not been doing any serious sewing that's for sure!!!

Bindings on quilted tops and a few 9 patch blocks but nothing much to write home about.

I did have a few items on reserve that came in the mail today and even though I have been on a "NO BUY", I did buy these 2 kits....

The first one is a small "Sweetwater" quilt kit and the other is a "Sanibel" fat quarter packet with border yardage to assemble the attached pattern.

Sewing Machines

My first machine was a New Home that I got for Christmas in 1985, but unfortunately I lent it out about 5 years ago and never got it back. The next machine I bought was the Elna 2006. It's a great machine but not computerized so it's mighty noisy. Don't even try to listen to the radio when this one is sewing. I got it in my head that I NEEDED a machine that did embroidery so the next machine I got was my Bernina Artista 165 from hubby as a Birthday/Christmas present in about 2004 or 2005, I can't remember the year. This is the machine that I use on a daily basis and pretty much still like working with.

I also have a Singer Featherweight that I bought on the internet

probably 15 years ago. At the time I had it set up and did use it a LOT.....When I redid my sewing room I just didn't have space to keep it and all the fabric I'd accumulated out so I packed it up and it's been sitting in it's little case for probably 7-8 years.

I did run it this morning and it works like the day it was made!!!

Over time I've picked up a Janome DC2010 and also a Bernette50 that I occasionally take out and sew with, but not often :(

And, last but not least is my Baby Lock Quilters Edition machine that is on the Grace Frame in my upstairs sewing room. I am STILL having trouble getting quilts loaded on it but I think this winter I'll devote more time to it and if I don't "GET IT" then the frame will get sold and I'll just send quilts out to a longarmer....plain and simple!!! The sewing machine sews beautifully so it will just get set up on a table upstairs and i'll use that for piecing.

Hope you enjoyed my walk down the sewing machine lane with me.

Peggy

Sewing Machines

One of the Yahoo groups I belong to has started a discussion on what sewing machines everyone uses and owns. I'm thinking that's a great blog discussion so I'm going to go pull out my machines and take some pictures and blog about them.

It's an interesting question...do you only sew with one machine or do you jump back and forth from machines?

I can tell you that with the size of my room (9 x 7 approx) I only keep one machine up but some day..... Yes, some day I'm dreaming that I'll have a much bigger room with space to set up at least 3 machines....

Check back later for my post.

Fabric Tote Bag with Pockets

I coveted this tote bag that Michelle was carrying at retreat last month so nothing else would do....I had to make my own. I used the "Frolic" line for both the outside and lining (exactly like Michelle's). I cut it last night and then worked on it a little when I got home from work today and then after dinner. The binding around the edges gave me a run for my money but I'm thrilled with how it looks so it was worth all the work I put into it. Thanks for the pattern Michelle!!

Did I Show You This?

Back in January I assembled this quilt for my daughter. I have always wanted to make a black and white quilt but really wanted to add one other color just to add a little punch to it. Since I found a great fq bundle with turquoise in it that was what I used. I got it assembled and quilted and after a lot of setting it aside, I got the binding tacked down. Yesterday she was cleaning her apartment and decided it was the day to put it on her bed...and it looks great!

I'm keeping up

Yes maam, I'm keeping up with my 9 Patch Project, are you?

I have actually made these 8 and the alternating blocks to match with the wow corners "just in case" I want to use them in the same project.

I know these 4-1/2 inch blocks aren't going to make a big dent in my stash but if I use them with a bullseye project later in the summer then I might just clean out my 30's drawers.

LOOKIE

"Lookie", that's the kind of emails I get from "the girls"...yes, you know who you are Robin and Michelle! Well, I made the executive decision last night that the

2nd half was going to be a "no lookie" "no buying" time....even if it meant doing this

I'm very serious about not shopping for any other fabric for the remainder of 2010....except for quilt backs. I will have to take that money from my checking account using the debit card which rarely has a lot of money in it so this is going to be quite a test of my self control!!!!

So, what do you think? Think I will be able to do it???????

Have you heard?

Have you heard about the "Nine Patch Project" ? Karen Snyder at Anna Lena Land and Debbie at Quilting Possibilities had it on their blogs on June 1st. It sounds like a perfect summertime project, and if you know anything at all about me, I like NEW projects! These girls have it all figured out....if you do 1 block a day you end up with something like 92 9 patch blocks between June 1st and August 30th...

I'm not one of those scrap cutter upper kinda gals so in order for me to participate I had to do some cutting and then just grab a couple of fat quarters and cut them up too. I'm doing 30's with a nice white on white cut up into 2 inch squares which will give me 4-1/2 inch finished blocks. These will go perfectly as a border for some blocks I have in my cabinet or even as a baby quilt

Here are my first 3 blocks. I am officially up to date LOL

Nervous?

Nervous? Me nervous???? Just a little bit! See this------------------------>

My 21 year old is sitting in Kennedy Airport right now waiting to board a flight to go see the Eiffel Tower for 27 days! I think I'd be a little more nervous if she were alone but she's going on a tour with Fashion Merchandizing students from all over the area and will be studying as well as touring so I'm not as nervous as I would have been otherwise.

I've never been to Paris but this will be the 2nd daughter to go. The other one went for a haircutting and coloring class about 5 years ago and loved it.

A Finish and MORE Dots

Hope everyone is having a restful Memorial Day and we're all remembering the reason for this day.

I put the border on this baby quilt a few minutes ago and since I'm home alone I had to go outside to get a picture. It's not the best picture but once it's quilted and bound I'll take a better one. It's definitely much cuter in person!!!

I also took a few pictures of some more DOTS Vickie :) I really thought I had more but it's a funny thing, when you go in search of them you just can't find them!!!

Here's my ironing board cover, a pitcher in my china cabinet, and my beach towel that I take on vacation with me!

String Blocks

I am NOT a scrap userupper.I'm just not really interested in making scrap quilts never was, never thought I would be. I usually will bring a large garbage bag full of scraps to retreat and have fun watching all the girls go thru the bag and take baggie fulls home with them. Sometimes they will assemble small projects while they are there too. Well, the last night of retreat last week I was semi challenged by my friend Deb Smith, who makes a lot of scrap quilts, to make something and bring it to retreat in 2011. So, I grabbed an old pile of muslin and cut some 7 inch foundation blocks from it and then took my scrap basket, which is pretty much empty and tonight I started to sew together some string blocks. I actually feel "good" about not wasting the fabric and in the end I'll have a pretty scrappy top that I can use or donate...

Here's a picture of my scraps and the first 4 string blocks.

The Polka Dot War Begins

WELL...I think I've been challenged by Vickie....I guess we have to let the polka dot wars begin!!!

Yes Vickie, I have glasses with red polka dots, napkins with dots, and a little snack plate that I have on the table next to me when I am sewing while I watch tv. I can sit my hot cuppa tea on it and the loose threads and such get put on it too...easy clean up at the end of the night :)

And I know you have one of these too, but I HAD to show it :) I always bring my own shopping bag anywhere I go so now I have the best looking one around. Ain't it purty?