I Piece 2-Mary: November 2012

Friday, November 30, 2012

Busy Week

Wow, did I get motivated this week. I have been wanting to try these cute purses that popped up at Madame Samm's. I had gotten her pattern, which by the way is awesome. I love hedgehogs, and have had this fabric that I just needed to play with. No denying, the sewing on of the frame is a bit tricky. Once you get the hang of it, it is not too bad! Next up has to be flamingo's!

Next up is Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street. I do not seem to have a lot of black on white prints. I see the next step uses black on white again. I am going to have to do some digging for that! I have at least 60 4-patch blocks made so far.

I have been making strip sets for the Oregon or Bust quilt I am working on. After I cut the blocks from them, I have a bit left over. Like a good quilter, I was able to make small 9 patch and 4 patch blocks from the left overs. You just never know when you may need a few extra blocks.

Finished this little sewing needle case over the weekend. It just needed the finishing touches (buttons, stitching) to be completed. Why did I leave it so long?

Inside of sewing needle case!

Nothing like having 3 felt ornaments cut out and never stitched! These have sat in their little plastic bags for at least 3 years. They just needed stitching to put them together.

Two pincushions that needed to be stitched and stuffed!

How about 4 more pincushions that needed stitching and stuffing. They had all been steam a seamed down, but not stitched. These weren't sitting quite as long as some things, but long enough!

Some times it is the little things getting done that help. Did not make any dents in the unfinished projects.

The biggest thing done this week was getting all these blocks done. I had received blocks from Isabelle in France recently. (We are working on this quilt together.) When I went through all the blocks I had made and she had made, I found I was going to be 10 short. We had agreed we would work on this all year. I had started the year with a bang, and then life got in my way, and I had not realized how far behind I had gotten. Shame on me. Now they are all done! Yea for me!!
Now to get them read to send.
Actually, there are several things in this post that will be winging their way to new homes.

I hope I get a few more projects completed over the weekend.
Happy sewing.

Mary

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Updates and Holiday Lane

A couple of weeks ago, Quiltmakers magazine had their 100 Blocks Tour Hop. Talk about creativity! These quilters design some of the most awesome blocks.

Most all of the participants have a chance to win the magazine, and sometimes add additional prizes.

I got lucky at Whistlepig Creek Productions. I won the magazine and these fun patterns, and wonderful fabrics. I have several of their patterns and fabrics in my stash. Looks like I will be busy creating!

The next week I was the lucky winner at Quilttaffy of these 2 charmpacks, Cotton Chevron, by Riley Blake Designs. I would not believe my good luck. I have a couple ideas of what I might make with these wonderful fabrics.

Back in October I entered a contest that Madame Samm had that was for this brand new book, Home Sweet Quilt, by Jill Finley, of Jillily Studio. Jill is the creator of the darling pattern we are using for the Holiday Lane Blog Hop.

Don't forget, her is the lineup for the remaining week.

Tuesday November 27

Cindy's Crafty Creations

Scrapbook-Chickadoodle

Stitching by the Lake

A Stitch in Time

Wednesday November 28

Quilt n Queen

Keep your fork There's pie

Rose Prairie Quilts and Farm

Peach Patch Quilts

Cherry's Prairie Primitives

Mary Jo - that other blog

Thursday November 29

stitch, stitch, stitch

In Stitches and Seams

Hooked on Quilting

A Reformed Heath'n

Elaine - that other blog

As Sweet as Peaches

The Learning Curve Quilts and Such

Friday November 30

Marjorie's Busy Corner

Kris Loves Fabric

Linda - that other blog

Dora Quilts

Shedding the Wolf

Quilting, Sewing Granny

Creative Notions

Chickadees Country Cottage Crafts

Madame Samm @ Sew We Quilt

Have a great rest of the week. Happy Sewing.

Mary

Sunday, November 25, 2012

New week for Holiday Lane

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. It was quiet at our house. I got a small turkey breast that I cooked for our dinner. Did not make quite all the trimmings, as Andrew was not able to join us this year. He worked on Thanksgiving Day. We will have a special dinner soon. Turkey is his favorite dinner.

Did you get out and shop until you dropped? I did not get up at an awful hour to shop. When I did go out, the lines were too long to stand in for just a couple of things.

I decided that it would be more productive to play at home. I did some handwork for pincushions. Worked on pillowcases, and blocks for a quilt. Caught up on a bunch of television shows I had recorded.

Now it is time to work on Christmas cards. I have several of the fronts done in iris folding, now to make them into cards.
Can you tell I like to keep busy.

Monday November 26

Living Life One Day at a Time

Luann's Loose Threads

Till We Quilt Again
13 Woodhouse Road

Tuesday November 27

Cindy's Crafty Creations

Scrapbook-Chickadoodle

Stitching by the Lake

A Stitch in Time

Wednesday November 28

Quilt n Queen

Keep your fork There's pie

Rose Prairie Quilts and Farm

Peach Patch Quilts

Cherry's Prairie Primitives

Mary Jo - that other blog

Thursday November 29

stitch, stitch, stitch

In Stitches and Seams

Hooked on Quilting

A Reformed Heath'n

Elaine - that other blog

As Sweet as Peaches

The Learning Curve Quilts and Such

Friday November 30

Marjorie's Busy Corner

Kris Loves Fabric

Linda - that other blog

Dora Quilts

Shedding the Wolf

Quilting, Sewing Granny

Creative Notions

Chickadees Country Cottage Crafts

Madame Samm @ Sew We Quilt

Here is the lineup for this week for Holiday Lane. Check out these wonderfuly creative ladies. Your will be inspired!.

Have a great week. Happy sewing.

Mary

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Holiday Lane

Good Morning! May I present my version of Holiday Lane. As soon as I saw the wonderful pattern that was going to be the focus of this hop, I fell in love with it. Jill Finley of Jillily Studio Designs provided it. I converted it to a wallhanging. Candycane Lane is its name.

When we lived in Roselle, there was a street block near us that outdid itself for the holidays. All the homes on both sides of the street decorated to the nine's. It drew so many people to see it that the police had to set a route for cars to drive through to see it. It was so much fun to drive by and see what the homes had added from one year to the next.

The houses and borders are machine stitched and quilted. All of the door, trees, windows are stitched by hand and made with wool. I then added all the dodads.

I love to add fun things to some of my quilts. This is one of them.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing how I worked with the pattern. Jill did a great job on providing this pattern. It was clear and easy to follow. Pauline has been a wonderful cheerleader. Madame Samm is the ultimate cheerleader. Visit her site for the top picks of the day.

Keep on hopping! There are going to be a lot of great ideas.

Have a great Day
Happy Thanksgiving.
Here is the lineup for today and the rest of the hop.

N

Thursday November 22

Apple Avenue Quilting

Hill Valley Quilter

Celtic Thistle Stitches

Tink's Mom

Friday November 23