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

Sewing and a present

This is a darling "Lil Twister" quilt I received last week from my blogging friend Helen. We were trading some ideas, and this cute quilt showed up in my mail.  It is made with Australian fabric.  I absolutely love it.  Helen is in need of support, as her husband and son, each have health issues.  I am sending my thoughts and prayers to her.

Here are my last blocks that will wing their way to France later today.  My friend Isabelle, and I are doing Bonnie Hunter's, Oregon or Bust.  We are making each other 2 blocks a month, using our stash.  We each make 2 identical blocks, one for me and one for her.  This is so much fun, and a great way to make a full size quilt!

Saturday and Sunday I worked on these. They are called "Farmer's Market" and are table mats from the magazine "All Small" put out by Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications.  When I saw this I felt like I just needed to make them.  It was a fun "small" project.

This quilt, "Cottage Garden Path" was an online pattern of the month back in 2006.  It is published by Jeanne Rae Crafts. She has this pattern for sale now.  I had fun making the quilt.  It was a project I had worked on, and when I moved got put away.  One day while going through a box of projects, found it and to my amazement only needed to have the bottom row put on and borders added.  This weekend, I finally got the binding sewed on.  Another older project DONE!!!  What a a great feeling that is.

I did get some of my sewing space cleaned up.  I am trying to get reorganized and rearranged.  Now that I have had the sewing space for almost 5 years, I can see how I would like things to be.  Time to start working on it.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.  I am off the the post office, and to see my Dad.  Looks like a bit of a rainy and gloomy day.  We can sure use the rain. Have a good week sewing or quilting or whatever your hearts desire is.

Mary

Sewing again

Thursday I worked on these needle books.  I had the embroidery done for 2 of them. Now to start putting them together.

Two blocks, one for Isabelle, and one for me.

Mom and Dad have come to visit.  He stood guard while she ate.  I wonder if she will nest in my garden again.

Can't you just smell the lilacs??

One of my" little" gardens.  I have four small beds like this one.  I pack as many flowers as I can in them.  I love flowers. Can't you tell by all the pictures I take of them!!

Happy quilting, and have a great weekend.

Mary

Oregon or Bust

My friend, Isabelle, in France and I are making a quilt together. The pattern is from Bonnie Hunters book, Scraps & Shirttails II.  The block is called Oregon or Bust.
 We decided at the first of the year we would make 2 different blocks for each of us, each month.  That means we have 4 blocks each to make, each month.  The two blocks above are the two I received from Isabelle for January.  They are so very nice.

These six blocks are what I am sending Isabelle, for January, February, and March.  Once I got started, I could not stop. I hope she is going to like these.
The quilt is to measure 85 x 100 and has 50 blocks.  It is going to be fun to see how all our blocks are going to play together.

My head cold is finally over and now  my husband has a sinus infection.  Our weather has been very different this winter and I think it has aided in our health issues. It got up to 42 today.  There is only a small pile of snow in our front yard.  Tonight it is raining.  There is a possibility of some snow on Sunday.Who knew!!  I have heard that crocus and daffodil bulbs are breaking through the ground.

Saturday looks to be a sewing day.  Pride of the Prairie Quilt Guild is having a sewing day from 9:00  am to 9:00  pm.  I have two tote bags with things I would like to work on.  Backs need to be made for the two tops I finished in January.
At Thursday sew days I have been working on Edyta Sitar's Dresden Star. It is going to take a bit of time to finish that top.  Maybe it will be ready by the next sew day comes along.

Have a great weekend.  Hope whoever is your favorite will win the "Super Bowl".  It should be a good game to get some handwork done!
Happy Quilting

Mary