Come for a visit and a giveaway!

My grandmother's LoneStar quilt

I am over at Stash Manicure Sew We Quilt today with a post about my journey as a quilter.  Stop in and visit for a generous giveaway hosted by M. Samm.  She is giving away some patterns from Carrie Nelson, one of my favorite people and designers, and some Bella Solids perfect for a Red and White quilt.

Good luck!

A little addendum:

Blogger is having some difficulties, again, and many blog enthusiasts, including myself, can no longer leave comments OR they come through as anonymous.  I have had a least 3 of the later come through this am.  If you don't get a response to your comment, this is why.  Also, leave your entries for the giveaway on the Stash Manicure post itself.  However, I will forward all entries that are left here.

To all my favorite blogs, I apologize that I cannot leave you comments on your inspiring posts!  Hopefully, blogger will cure this issue soon!

QOV Challenge completed!

Here is my contribution to SewCal Gal's quilt charity challenge. 

QOV will be the recipient this time.  I can't believe the center of this quilt was made from scraps in my stash.  A little busy, but it was fun, fast and no fuss to put together.

I encourage you to participate in this cause with just one 12.5" patriotic block.

Visit SewCal Gal for all the details here.

A little FMQ fun

We had a refreshing rain storm blow in this week, so our trek north was postponed until next week.  I took advantage of the extra time to finish my doll quilt for Nicky.

Then I had some fun with some free motion machine quilting.  I still do my quilting on my old Bernina 1090 without the luxury of stitch control.  A fabulous quilting teacher at TOWQS named Carol set me free last year when it comes to free motion quilting.  Nothing is marked...I just start drawing...true to the method Carol taught us.

It will be hard to part with this quilt!

Also managed to finish printing and packaging 25 copies of my pattern.

One is on its way to Ann Seely, whose quilt was my inspiration, and three are already off to customers.  The rest will be available at TOWQS after I deliver them today.  I had a wonderful response to the quilt with many requests for the pattern. 

Wish me luck!

Speaking of patterns...I did a little piecing for a local designer and the quilt I helped her with made its debut at Quilt Market.  I am hoping to share it with you soon. 

Flying the Coop!

We are getting ready to make our summer journey north to cooler temperatures, and like a true blue procrastinator, I have tons of things to get done in the next few days.  It didn't help that a stomach virus knocked me for a loop this weekend, but I am back with a venegenance today.  Besides all the chores involved in leaving your home for months at a time, there are a few other pressing matters that need my attention.

First was getting the block drafted, made and the pattern written for this week's 1880 Sampler Quilt.  Oh, how I love this one.  These little detailed blocks are like a quilt in and of themselves.

Then I got distracted by a new book, Fat Quarter Winners, by Monique Dillard.

Added to the distraction was the arrival of Judie Rothermel's new line called the Bancroft Collection. A technique that oversizes and then custom cuts the units is right up my alley!  The Fit to Be Geese ruler and technique seemed like extra work until I realized that I am always checking the grid dimension and trimming up my flying geese even when I don't make them oversized, so this method does save me the time of marking diagonal lines on the backs of all those little squares. 

Since I missed work on Saturday due to illness, I will spend this morning finishing up the kits for these two projects from Country Threads.

I like to take some projects to do over the summer that will be shop samples at TOWQS in the fall. 

And if I have time left over today, I will head to Kinko's to do some copying for my Autumn's Bounty quilt pattern.  Yes, you guessed it.  I have left it to the last minute.  But honestly, I work best under pressure!

A Call to Action!

I am participating in and helping to spread the word about SewCal Gal's charity quilt challenge.

For more information, go here.

Here is another great patriotic cause to participate in.

Visit Carol from Brown Quilts here to learn all about it.

These two pillowcases will be on their way today.

Now back to my doll quilt. 

A Simple and Satisfying Saturday!

I just love a day like today. 

Watched a tennis match between my two favorites stars, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal (lounging in my pajamas until 10am!)

Then played a little game myself called...

Catch Up.

Now I am only 2 blocks shy of being up-to-date with my Civil War BOW.

Fort Sumtner is my favorite block so far; but now I want to go back and remake some of the other blocks to be as dramatic in color.  I always do this in a sampler quilt project, but I am going to follow my own advice and just wait until the end and see how they all work together.

Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day. 

A Sneak Peek

I decided to participate in the second round of Christine's doll quilt exchange and after much deliberation, I have finally chosen my pattern for my exchange partner, Nicky at Sew-Organized.

This is always a grueling process...I worry whether she will like the color, pattern, etc.

I decided to contribute to this year's auction quilt for Linda, of Quilts in the Barn fame, to raise funds for breast cancer research.  Jo Morton, one of my fav designers, will be the star of the show this year and I would love to attend.  Alas, Macchu Picchu calls this fall and then I am determined to make it to the Houston Quilt Show (yes, Rosie and Kay...this is me inviting myself!)

My contribution is on it's way down under.

Friday is the monthly meeting of the Farmer's Wife Sampler Club at TOWQS, so I am busy drafting and constructing my blocks.  Here is this morning's progress:

May's theme is baskets.

I purchased my red and white Bella Solids today.  I have selected my pattern from a quilt featured on Barbara Brackman's blog.  I am determined to make a red and white quilt!

Will someone please make more hours in the day!