stitching away play

I mentioned last week about my 
quilting friends' group challenge
to use up stash.....
I'm just here to say that fabric diets are difficult 😁
But I don't "owe" any fresh pretzels - yet.

I have been playing,
stitching away on some projects in progress,
and it feels good to play with my 'toys' I haven't had out for a while.

In this stitching vein/thread,
I've joined Lori, of Humble Quilts blog,
and a great group of like-minded folks,
to stitch on the quilt -
Sweet Land of Liberty,
an old Cheri Payne design (now out of print).
It made total sense to me, as I'd worked on this great primitive quilt before.
Like nine years ago, before.
Ooops, where does time go when you're having fun?
And I still love it, so I'm not counting how long it's been resting, 
and am declaring it part of my 
Get it Finished This Year challenge.... aka GIFTY.

So, for month one of the Humble Quilts Sew Along,
here are the first blocks I've done...
(link to the group challenge to be added later this week)

I already had the big applique blocks done, but had to add all the embroidery... AND, I made the Economy Blocks, plus a few extra, which I have not trimmed down as of yet, (because I know how some of these Cheri patterns sometimes need a coping strip added occasionally 😀).

I'm off to go do some more stitching, 
(and not purchase any new fabric)!
Hope you are enjoying your day, too!

the last of the Christmas quilts 2016

I think this is the last of the pictures
that I haven't yet shared...

Christmas-y quilts for the grandkiddos!
The Grinch quilt for the ten-year-old:

back of the Grinch quilt

Micky and friends for the three-year-old:

back of the Mickey & friends quilt

Charlie & friends for the five-year-old:

back of Charlie & friends

And finally, a little quilt for the two-year-old great-niece -
Christmas cows 😀 :

back of the Christmas cows

That wraps up the last of the secret sewing/quilting from 2016... 
unless I come across more pictures on my FOUND camera!!

I have been cutting fabric strips for the next quilt project.  
And a little embroidery stitching has been happening, too!

The grandkiddos are all here tonight for a SLEEPOVER! 
Fun, fun! Though we're still awaiting the arrival of snow.
Originally when we planned this over-nighter, we
talked about going sled riding tonight 
(instead we took a walk in the Spring-like weather).

Hope your week has been nice,
and happy stitching!!

quilty Christmas gift for my momma

Sharing another quilty finish from last year...

It had been a while since I'd made a quilt as a gift for my Mom,
so when I attended the One Stop Shop Hop (in Dayton, Ohio) last October and saw a shop sample made with Chickadee fabric, I immediately knew it would be perfect for my mother.

I purchased the kit mid-October, I stitched it together at a retreat mid-November, quilted it after Thanksgiving, and mailed it on it's way to arrive for Christmas! 

 close up of hand-guided, long-arm quilting 
"Merry Christmas Mom" and holly leaves meandering

 One of the last stitches in the binding:

 The finished quilt, picture taken late night:

The coloring is a little off, but I do like the finish.  And, she absolutely LOVED it!

For inquiring minds:  the fabric line was called Chickadees and Berries, 
and I purchased the kit from Creative Fires Quilt & Stove Shop, Springfield, Ohio.

sharing meandering and the case of the misplaced camera

I've misplaced my camera...
not calling it lost just yet.
Without my camera, I seem just a bit, oh I don't know - unfocused. 
Yes, that was an intended pun.  Unfocused 😂
But I know that I haven't shared this quilt yet:

It's another by Janet for a niece for Christmas.
Just adorable.  Now I think I'll have to put a 30's quilt on my 'someday list'.

Here's a close up of some of the fabrics:

Perfect to quilt over! and I'm sure the niece loved it!

I also have a couple of my own quilts to share - 
but next time...
I really need to find the misplaced camera!
It's my way of documenting my fun/work,
and keeping me organized. 

Hope you all have had a great day!

What a beautiful storm

I may have mentioned before that I 
LOVE Winter...
I snapped this picture this past Wednesday morning:

Snowy and blustery... but clear, blue skies...
just love it all! 🙂
And I MAY have been told this before -
more than once:

Funny, I think.  But I do love the snow and cold.
Snow storms and bitter temps means a little more stitching time here, usually.  So maybe that's why I like the snow?

I've not been working on my own quilts much, but finishing up some customer meanderings.
Janet asked me to meander over these two quilts for her twin nephews:

 I didn't realize they were actually TWIN quilts until I put the photos here!!! lol  EXACT twins for twins!

and a couple of closeups:

Funny, that I didn't realize they were EXACTLY the same quilt made twice, until after I'd quilted and returned them to her, and put the pictures here.  I did load one with the green stars at the top, and the other with the green stars at the bottom, so they didn't seem the same when I meandered over them.

She's such a perfect piecer and presser - its always a pleasure to meander over her quilts!
(I also have another quilt of hers finished and ready to give her, so I'll share it next time, after I get it to her on Monday.)

And I'll finish with pictures of my Christmas tree - 
first the family trek over hill and dale to find the perfect tree:

family tree trek 2016 - that's our tree behind the group

And how it stands right now, with lights and berries and popcorn:

Ladder and ornament trunk at the ready!!!
Thanks for visiting, and I hope you all are staying safe, 
toasty warm and getting in some stitches!!

surprise, surprise...

more quilt pictures!

I can now share the wedding quilt
that I was commissioned to make
as a surprise from parents
to their son and new daughter-in-law
for their wedding:

 Larger than queen-size, with pillow shams,

in navy and coral, their wedding colors.

The Crazy 9-patch pattern was chosen, and I used 36 different fabrics in the blocks, plus the border and backing fabrics. 
It was fun to make, and they loved it!
So nice to make people happy,
and doing what makes me happy!!! lol.

Now getting ready for the annual family reunion,
so back to work for me!
Hope your week is wonderful!!!

Last of the missing quilt posts...

I think!!
Finishing up with Patty's quilts from December gifting;
reminder - she used the table-decor bandanas from her
50th wedding anniversary party and made quilts for each of her
grandchildren as memories of their help
in hosting the special party for their grandparents.
She made herself this one -
s small lap quilt with Autumn colors and bittersweet berries:

 

Then after Christmas,
she decided she wanted to use up the rest of the bandanas
and made herself a bed-sized quilt:

So sweet that she made EIGHT memory quilts!! I just love how she used the wedding anniversary bandana decor!

Continuation

of the missing quilted quilt posts.

More from Patty -
These were from mid-December;
she used the Bandanas from the table decor
from her 50th wedding anniversary party,
and incorporated them into quilts for her grandchildren...
She chose fabric to go with the bandanas that fit each of their interests.
Great idea, and I'm sure SO special for each of the grandchildren
for memories of their grandparents' 50th anniversary
that they helped in planning!!!
Pinwheels, bandanas, Republicans, and flowers:

 Rail Fences, Bandanas and Patriotic:

 Rail Fences, bandanas and musical notes:

 Finally, The Stack!:

Are they not just SO sweet??

More of the quilt meandering

that didn't get shared from before Christmas!!
These were for Patty - 
She used her 50th anniversary, table decor - bandanas, 
and incorporated them into quilts for each of her grandchildren.  
First, Ohio State and bandanas:

 Chevron, cherries and bandanas:

 Rail Fence with Star Wars and Bandanas:

 And, the final Stack-o-quilts for the first round of gifts:

 Are they not all ADORABLE???

There are more to come with this 50th Anniversary memories/ bandana theme!!

For some reason or another,

the end of last year
I had some posts set to 'share' automatically,
but they did not.
So, here are some quilts that I got to meander over:
(Sorry gals!  I didn't mean to exclude your great works!!)

From October 2015 -
Janet did this great Attic Window:

I remember the border was snake fabrics.
And, then in early December, 
two more quilts for the twin nephews:

 Race cars!!

 Fun to quilt and nice to go back through pictures!!!