Where does the time go?

It's time for an update.

As usual life can get pretty busy.

Plus I have been keeping myself busy.

Helps keep my out of trouble.

All is good.

I have completed a couple of quilt tops and gotten the backs ready 

for quilting.

We will be starting out on a trip on Tuesday.

My friend and quilter, Wendy, lives in Florida.  We have arranged 

that I will drop off the quilts while we are down there.

Not in a hurry for them.  They will get back to me at some point.

You know how it is, just can't leave a lot undone.

This quilt is ready to be quilted.
A friend of mine made all the Hawaiian applique blocks.
She had made two sets with the thought of giving one of them away.
I was the lucky one to receive them.
I just had to add the yellow around the blocks and this colorful
Hawaiian fabric.

This adult and a juvenile Eagle were along the Fox River.
We have had a lot of sightings of Eagles this year.
One day someone wrote they had seen 15 at one time.
I am always impressed and amazed when I get to see them.

Remember I wrote in my last post that I was working on a basket quilt.
Well the top got done.  I am excited about this one.  As usual I enlarged the over all
quilt size.  This one is a large lap, or a child's  small.
I like to make blocks until I have had enough. What has
made this one nice is all the half square triangles were already made.
Makes the blocks go together much faster.
I think this one will look real sweet when quilted.

Went out to my favorite spot to watch the birds.
This is a Red-bellied Woodpecker.
He has some suet in his beak.

Don't you just love seeing Cardinals?
We have two pair that have been coming to my feeders.
I hope we have young this year.

We took a drive down to Starved Rock, in Ottawa a week ago.
Saw these Sandhill Cranes just hanging out by the road.

This Eagle was very cooperative.
As we got closer to him. he seemed to be ready to pose
He was on a branch in a tree that was not far from the road.
One of the closest shots I have ever gotten.
Those claws look so powerful.

Charlie seems to know we are getting ready to go away.
Think the suitcase was a clue?
Both kitties love to help by jumping into the suitcases.
There is a cruise on the horizon.
I have a special birthday coming up and decided I wanted to celebrate it
on a cruise.  I picked  out several and told Ron to pick one.
(See they were all on my Birthday or just after it.)
Going on the Eurodam to the Western Caribbean on Sunday,
Valentine's Day.
We also thought it would be fun to drive and do some visiting
along the way.  There are family and friends in Atlanta and in
a couple cities in Florida. After the cruise is over, we will drive back to the
west side of Florida for a couple of days before starting home.
If I had my way I would stay down there for a a couple more weeks.
Warm is good!!  Ron is not one that likes to stay away from home for long
periods of time.  We are retired!
Have to start small and work on up.

Worked on a few Valentine cards.

Made a few fabric boxes.

Not pictured, but going with me to finish are 11 more.
Once you get started, you can't stop.
There are a couple more out of Valentine fabric.  Pulled out some Easter and
Saint Patrick's fabric. Always like handwork when I am traveling.

I have been packing with relaxing in mind.  I love to do handwork, so have a variety
of things to play with.  Also, have several new books to read.
We have a couple days at sea, so there are always  a few good places to curl up
and read.  I am so ready for some warmth and relaxation.
It has not been a hard winter.  Just not a lot of sun and damp cold.
Time to warm up with the anticipation of Spring.

I am hoping to keep on writing while I am gone.
Stay tuned.

Mary

Out and about

We had a visitor in our backyard the other day.
I sure did not expect to see a red-tailed hawk sitting in the tree.
I happened to have the camera by me and took the picture through the window.

I have been practicing on my picture taking.
Think this one turned out pretty good.

On one of the rainy days we have had, this eagle was in a tree by the Fox River
He looks a tad wet.

After one of the rains.

On Sunday, there had been a lot of sandhill cranes flying over.
Thought I would take a drive and see if I might find some in a field.
Instead I found these two gorgeous birds.
I could not believe it when I saw them coming out of a small wooded area.

There was a house near by, so I stopped to see what they knew about them.
The gentleman said someone dropped them off about four years ago and he and his family have taken care of them.
They have free roam of their property and the woods near by.
In the winter he will put them in a barn.  He said they have just taken over.
I can't begin to tell you now many times I have been past this farm, and never saw them.
I thought maybe turkeys would be out, as there is a flock in the area.

In between the snow and rain I have been trying to get out and about.

Last night we got a bit more snow, but the overall temperature is still

in the 40's during the day.

Here is the last quilt that has gotten done for this year.
It was started in November of 2007 and was a "Buck a Block" at our local quilt store.
These were the colors and layout chosen by "Prairie Stitches:.

I had had all good intentions and had 6 of the inside blocks done, then it got
put away.  Last fall I decided it was time to finish it up.
After a couple of quilt retreats and Thursday sew days  I finally got the top done.
Quilting got done, then it sat a bit again until I sewed the binding on
Done!!

Feels pretty nice to have another of those pesky UFO's done.

On another day I wanted to try out another pattern I have been "saving".
I love containers, and these baskets are filling the bill.
I had a charm pack or two that coordinated with the fabric I used for the trims.
They went together pretty good.
I have to say one thing though, They always look bigger in the picture.

I used another coordinating fabric for the inside.


Sometime you just never know what you will find.
Beautiful things are all around.
Be open to them.
Enjoy.


Mary

I really have been sewing

I am not sure if I had shown this cross stitching.
Since I made the Halloween envelope for a swap, I thought it would be fun to make up these as well.
It was a fun way to use these designs.

Here are the two fabric boxes I made at the Racine retreat. These are what prompted  the basket
explosion at the Iron River Retreat.

I made 21 signature blocks for a Christmas exchange.
They have been sent off, now just waiting for the ones I will receive.
We have a special arrangement for them.  Can't wait to receive them.

Nothing like Charlie to help.
I was sorting through some of the cross stitch magazine, and he thought the box looked like a
great place to curl up.

This is one of my older quilts.
I don't think I have ever taken a picture of it.
It was a block of the month from Pieceful Hearts in Lisle.
I did sign it!  Finished it in April of 2009.  It was a thangles, block of the month.
One that you bought the first block, and as long as you keep taking the finished, current block, you
received the next one for free.  If you didn't get it done, you could purchase the next one
for $5.00.  Great way for shops to get you to keep coming back.

One mug rug down, a lot more to go.
There is a thought to make these for the Nuns at the Siena Retreat for next year.

The box on the left is the one I made at Iron River.
These are so much fun to make.
I have several more ideas.  They are a great way to use squares of fabric and scraps of batting.

Another kit done!

Saw pictures of a quilt like this, and remembered I had some flags in my stash.
All I needed to do was figure the size I needed for half square triangles, and put them
together.  Done!   

More row by row blocks.  These are lasts years patterns.
I mad the trees while at Iron River.  It is all paper pieced.

Here are two of the rows from this years theme of "Water".
Made the top one at Iron River,
Love those fishes.

Then to top it all out.  I got these four bags done, recently.

All the patches are tumbler shaped that I cut with my Sizzix Go Cutter.
This die is for a 2 inch tumbler.  I can get 4 of these in one cut.
Can you tell I love making bags!

Hope you are having a great week of stitching.

Mary

Finished at last

Last fall while at the retreat in Racine, I got this top together,
It is done!!!  All quilted and bound.
Off and on this summer I have been trying to get a few quilts done.
The wonderful lady that has been quilting for me moved to Florida the end of July, so I wanted to get as many quilts done and have her quilt them before she left.
She was so kind and did keep up with me.
I do like this Hawaiian one.  It feels very nice to take a nap under.
Even the white fabric is a white on white Hawaiian print.
It is one way to dig into my Hawaiian fabric stash.

Here we have a quilt from several years ago that started in a Ugly fabric exchange.
The ugly fabric was the flower print in the inside of the blocks, the star.
I pulled out the pink, turquoise and greens to add to it.
It just may get to be used for a baby quilt someday.

My tumbler flag was a kit, and had also sat around for several years.
At the last retreat it finally got sewn together, and now it is quilted and bound.

"Let it Snow" was put together a couple of years ago, but never quilted. Time to get it done.
It is quilted and bound.  Sure not ready to be thinking of snow yet.  It is just getting nice and warm.

A couple of Sundays ago, I got all of these twister quilts done.
They had all been sewn into the squares, but none had been cut with the twister tool and sewn back together.
I had been carrying them around in my Thursday quilt bag for at least a year or more, and finally decided they needed to be done.  The orange one has been given to my friend Jane.
She had made a quilt for one of her granddaughters, and when she wasn't looking I pulled the scrapes out of the wastebasket
and sewed them together to make this.  The bigger prints do not do up quite as well for contrast.  I like how the orange an turquoise solid looking fabrics show up.

I have been trying to keep up with my long list of things to be finished!

Have a great day.
Mary

Keeping busy, and more Row by Row

When I was in Atlanta back in March, I saw this cute kit at "Little Quilts".
They had a mini trunk show by the company that put these kits together, Pinwheels.com.
I thought it was so cute that I ordered a couple of them.
It came with the cute wooden tray, and all the things to make the little quilt in the bottom.
I love it.

Always working on cards.  Here is one of the latest.

When I was in Seattle, I stopped at "Undercover Quilts", which is practically in Pike's Market and wanted to get their row.

Here is their row, Shadows of the Salmon...Orca...Halibut.
It is a neat row.  The kit includes the laser cuts for the Salmon, Orca and Halibut.
I am not sure I could cut out all those white ares, so bought the kit.
Looking forward to putting it together.

A little break, I had recently stopped at a beautiful garden, and took a couple pictures of the water lily.

Dragonfly on a rose.

I like how this one turned out,  The lilies shadow in the water.

Also, while in Seattle, I got to stop at one more store..
Interestingly,  Pacific Fabrics has 5 stores.  Each store created a row, and put all five of them together to create this wonderful quilt.  The only row I was able to get was the top one, that is Seattle.
I would love to get the other rows.  I liked this idea of putting all their rows together.
It formed a small lap quilt.

Back here in Chicago, I was able to pickup this skyline of Chicago that can be made horizontal or vertical.
What a great row.

At Thimbles in Lockport, Illinois, they had this great one of lily pads and a frog.

Waves, is what Roberts Sewing Center, in Crest Hill, Il called their row.

Harvest House Quilts, in Plainfield, Il, called theirs "Jewels of the Sea"
They even added some bling, crystals, to theirs.  Gives it a shimmer.

Harvest House Quilts has their winner.
Loving how all the blues go together so well.

It really is fun seeing the creativity used in making these quilts.
Each row is 9 1/2 inches tall, and 36 1/2 wide. It does make for a challenge.
Everyone is coming up with great quilts.

Have a great day.

Mary