quilting in greece . . .

Yup ... I can now say I've quilted amongst the architecture of Athens, Greece.

Or at least I can say I've quilted amongst the VBS setup of Athens, Greece! Semantics, right? Our Stitchers group got together at our usual meeting place (Epworth UMC) and found ourselves immediately transported to another time, another place!  It was kind of fun to be stitching (or snipping, as the case may have been) around the columns and tents and drapes!

I had a *finish* to show off, too . . . 

YAY!  And before the 4th anniversary deadline, too!  Hahaha!

Front.

Back.  I'm debating on whether or not to stick it in the washer before I present it. I'm a little afraid.  All that hand quilting.  LOL!  I guess I should just put it in on delicate and go with it!

Last night I finished removing all the paper templates from my little apple core piece . . .

Seriously, I think that's the most difficult (or perhaps tedious is a better word?) part!  It's even kinda fun to look at from the back . . .

Now that it's pieced, I'm not sure what to do with it next.  Hmmmm.  Need to get on that.

I also worked on my Starburst block . . . 

Got the reds all finished, so now all I've got is the oranges and yellows.  

The oranges will take the longest, because there are eight of them (they go in the empty spaces).  Still, I'm loving the way this original-to-me block is shaping up!!

My darling friend Ronda, from church (and Ronda Quilts), was manning a fund-raising yard sale last weekend and found these goodies and thought of me:

Wasn't that sweet?  More hexie templates!  Yay!!

My sister and her crew left on Wednesday -- we had a marvelous, marvelous time and I've got lots of pics to share, once I sort through them all.  For now, I'm off to bake some bread (thank you Kim and Pinterest)! And since it is Feline Friday, I'll leave you with this little tidbit:  Jocelyn is moving this weekend.  Ellie's doing her part and making sure her most important treasures make it to the new house.  

Leia, stuffed owl, and apple tv remote.  Way to pitch in and help, Ellie!  Leia's relieved she makes the moving cut.  Whew!  (Linking up to Feline Friday at Sarah Did It!)

:)

coming home . . .

You've heard the old adage, as good as it is to get away, it's nice to get home again, haven't you?  That's exactly where I am!  Todd and I had a lovely ten days away, visiting with family and taking our MSC funding class (which was incredibly informative and helpful).  But it was ever-so-lovely to arrive home late yesterday afternoon.  Especially when the cheery daisy faces greeted me every which way I turned!

Aren't they sweet?  Since yesterday was a holiday, we couldn't pick up our mail until today.  And when we did?  BINGO!  I hit the jackpot!  First was a prize I'd won through StitchMAP . . .

Lots of stuff, huh?

She'd put together a crazy quilt kit for me -- with four pre-stitched blocks and *tons* of lovely embellishments! Isn't that awesome?!?!?!?!?

Next came a package all the way from Australia!!!  Yay!!  

I'd entered the Red Brolly Girl's Own Stitching Club Competition way earlier in the month.  Guess what I won . . .

A present!  Wrapped in red and white polka dots!

The perfect book for me!  It's a beautiful book, too -- full of beautiful stitch illustrations!

And next (I know, right?!) was this fun package from Stacey, at Stacey's Place.

Yes!  A copy of 100 Blocks!  I was so excited!  Stacey's block was on page 35 . . . the Bedtime Story block.  It was so cute and resonated with me, since I've got some grands who adore being read to!

Stacey also included these two mini charm packs . . . 

That was so nice!  Especially since I just finished whipping together my apple core piece!  

I can't decide if I want to place with mini hexies or tumblers, next!

I worked on a couple of other things during our trip -- especially during our 13 hours of driving!  I finished up some flowers for a corsage . . .

Worked on my sunburst block (which I decided to EPP) . . . 

And (drumroll, please) finished quilting . . . 

Wait for it . . . 

The Wedding Quilt!!!  Big YAY!!!  I have the fabric ready to make binding.  I'm down to the home stretch!

So it *is* good to get away--especially when I have the time to finish as much as I did . . . but coming home is a happy, too!

:)

kickin' off the month . . .

Just thought I'd check in and touch base!!  I've been doing a lot of reading, so I'll have several book reviews to post in the next week or so, but I've also been able to satisfy my creative side, too.

We started off the month of May with a retirement party . . . 

Yup.  It's a done deal with no turning back!  Luckily, retired life is suiting Todd very nicely.  Later in the month we're traveling to Maryland for some NAMB training.  Isn't it a happy coincidence that the training takes place thirty minutes from my parent's home??!!  

I've continued to work on the wedding quilt.  I'm *bound* (har har har) and determined to have it finished before Joc's anniversary (her fourth!) at the end of June.  But I can't work on that cumbersome thing *all* the time, so I got out my new apple core English paper pieces and started playing around with those...

In no time at all, I had a nice sized little Christmas topper.  All that's left to do is to whip them together!

I've also been dabbling in granddaughter clothes, which is very rewarding!!  Kim had given me some material (waaaay back in THIS post) and finally I got things together.  First was this outfit:

Isn't it cute??  Ellie was kind enough to model it for us before June got there.

Of course, that it was so perfectly darling on Ellie should have been my clue that it would be just a tad (seriously, just a tad) big on June.  A few modifications and it's good to go!

And next was a beach outfit for June!

She decided to do her own modeling for this outfit - and as you can see, I worked out the sizing! She was jumping up and down when I tried to take a picture of the ruffled rump (my favorite) so I'll substitute a still life pic:

Isn't it darling?  Can't wait for the next "order"!

I also had a couple of wins ... but only one has come in, so that's what I'll share. I won not one . . .

But THREE sweet little patterns from Snuggles Quilts during the most recent 100 Blocks blog tour.  

I really love the table runner patterns in particular (the pattern in the middle).  Deanne has lots of really cute things on her site and it's very much worth clicking over!

And finally, the whole 100 Blocks tour got me thinking about what I'd create if *I* were making a block.  So I twisted my own arm and sat down at EQ (yeah ... it was a real tough sell).  Stars have really been speaking to me lately, so that's what I dabbled in.  I settled on this one . . .

I've got the templates cut out and I'll put it together and see how it works!!

Heading back out for now ... the wedding quilt is calling my name ... as is all the pre-coursework I've got to get finished before our class!

:)

spiders, webs, snow, and stitching . . .

What a fun weekend!!  Saturday, since Todd was on shift, I spent some time with the young Panter family.  June and Kim were out and about, so James, Sawyer and I went to lunch at Burger King ... 

And then I went back to their home and spent the afternoon and evening.  Such a fun little family!!

I can't get over how quickly June is growing!  She's such a happy, bubbly little thing -- and she's definitely got her daddy wrapped around her little finger!

I shared pictures of a promising spring at the camp on Friday ... today I have pictures of a winter wonderland!  At least, what passes as winter wonderland in North Alabama in March:

The flurries were non-stop from Friday evening through Saturday, but we never saw more than a dusting on the trees and a bit on the ground where the leaves were.

Still, it was very pretty and sure did make Sawyer smile!  He sang "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" all day long!  

As I drove out of the camp on Saturday, I noticed that the snow was sticking to the spider's webs in the little trees along the drive.  It's hard to see in the picture, but it sure was gorgeous and lacy!

I wish I could have gotten a better capture!  And how timely it was ... I'd just finished up my beaded spider on my CQ block . . .

And I've got the beading finished on my matching pin cushion, too.  I hope to have lesson 6 finished up today.

Boy, there is a LOT more to bead embellishing than I'd have imagined.  When I first purchased the beads I've got, I thought they were SO small.  Little (pardon the pun) did I know!  I definitely need some teeny-tinier beads to do the things I want to do!  My fabric stash may not get too much more enhancing ... I'll be too busy enhancing my collection of embellishments!!!

And speaking of beaded spiders, I think Ellie may already have caught the embroidery bug ... she's definitely showing great interest in my stitching . . .

She's a tactile person, like me, and loves to get a sense of something by touching it.  She rubbed all the metallic flowers and made little 'oooh' and 'aaahs' as she did.  I love this one as she pulls my stitching up close, for true inspection:

Oh yeah, we'll be getting her started at an early age!

After being so ambititious with my March goals, I decided I'd better go ahead and get the hoop out and get working on the wedding quilt.  For starters, I just plan to stitch-in-the-ditch around each of the blocks.  I don't know where (or if) I'll go from there.  So far I've got four blocks done . . .

One forty-six more to go!  Who knows, I could actually finish this up this month! Bahahaa!!

The theme for this month's doll swap is 'animals'.  My swap partner loves cats and cardinals (just like me)!

Since I already have that beautiful cardinal print, I thought it might be fun to use it.  And since it is March, I figured that an Irish Chain block would be the perfect setting!  I'll have to go through my stash and see what I can do to put this EQ mock-up into being.

I also have been wanting to do a table topper piece for Cindy, the owner of Grand Oak Retreat, to match her gate (my design--see HERE and HERE).  

These two are my top favorite colorscapes.  I really did want to include the bars from the gate -- and so the openings are blue.  I think I prefer the batik over the other, but I haven't quite decided yet.  Any thoughts?

So that's what's going on here ... I should do a stash report (because I do have stuff to report!) but I'm not ready yet, so perhaps I'll update with that on Wednesday! Today I'm linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times and Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts!

:)

de-sign fence-line . . .

Got some productive sewing done this weekend ... yay!  I finished piecing the mini-rail fence I started Thursday night (hence my clever post title and rhyme).

I'm very pleased with how it turned out.  At first I was afraid that solid brown border was too much, but I had some binding inspiration and I think the brown was just what this piece needed to make the binding really pop!

The binding is SO fun and *totally* an accident.  Because trust me, that is NOT something I'd just decide to do.  No way!  Instead, it is a case of making lemonade, when life hands you lemons (or, more specifically, when you rotary cut a lemon).  I'll probably quilt it this week.

I also have all the blocks stitched up and trimmed to size for the two little leftover wedding quilt toppers I was doing . . .

I may or may not put those together this week.

I also wanted to share this little FQ beauty.  Because it *is* beautiful.  A batik with hints of purple, glitteries and snowflakes . . .

Can it get any better I ask you?!?  I bought two FQs of this at the shop in Annapolis.  I'd have gotten a whole yard (or two, or three) of this it had been on the bolt.  Alas, it wasn't.  And alas again, none of the FQs they had of it had the selvage!  Boo!

I've seen a lot of Carpenter Star blocks lately ... enough to know that I'd like to do one (or two) as toppers or doll quilts.  And I'd also *really* like to try my hand at the whole "coloring cloth with crayons" technique, too.  That fascinates me ... like the colorque did/does!  Only with the crayon method you don't have to go the textile medium route.  You just color and iron.  Hmmmmm.  We'll see what I manage to get into as the week goes by!

Linking up today with Judy Laquidara's Patchwork Times.  Go check it out!  I *urge* you!

Oh ... and Happy Monday! 

:)