May for ME! I'm a Hopper!!

I am always looking around Blogland for fun things and inspiration.  

Blog Hops and Blog Tours are FUN for me.

I have 'met' many other fellow bloggers online through these Blog Tours and Hops.

I mentioned the Quilt Maker Blog Tour that is going on in my DWM post. 

If you just want to BUY the Magazine you can go HERE.

I have been Hopping since I didn't get the Advance copy like I did when I was a TESTER.

Monday is my favorite Linky day over at Patchworktimes. I get a lot of traffic but not many commenters... 

I think I can speak for many like myself when I say 

I BLOG FOR COMMENTS!!!

 This coming month there is a fun Linky Party HERE too!

Marcia says it's all about taking time for yourself.

It's "Minutes for ME" this year.

I can do that.
I had fun Playing BINGO in 2012.

I might even sent a Timer and when an hour is up, I'll go and Play in the Quilt ZONE!

My Wednesday MAY Posts will be Linked up with the  May for me!"

May 2nd is a GIVEAWAY over there too. 

You won't want to MISS it!!!

I wish I could sit and Blog Hop all day, and some days, I JUST DO!

Those darn UFO'S are still calling to me...

Design Wall Monday- April 28, 2014

I'm feeling a bit left out of the 'Action' with the Quiltmaker Blog tour Happening this week HERE.

They only let you TEST 3 times and I opted out for the 3rd time. 

It's been a while since I looked at my Tester Blocks...so I had to throw them out on the floor to see what I could see.  It would have been easier to upload them to EQ and Play like I did with the Guild Lotto  Blocks HERE. I have decided to wait until I have all 26 of the Guild Lotto Blocks done to finish that.

Volume 5 Blocks

 Volume 6 Blocks

They don't really go together at all!!! 

 I have been spending a lot of time playing in EQ7 since Playing in the "Quilt Zone" has been
nothing but frustration since April 12th, the day after I finished my 2009 UFO and Wendy's Quilt.

I got it to do a Part of a pattern this week.

Lots of starting and stopping and wasted threads.

I still have my Bernina Table and the older Mega Quilter that I need to SELL :(

I'm ready to SELL this one too!
Sorry for the WHINE!!! I live in Wine Country, lol

I saw a Gammill Vision II that costs the same as what I paid for this Frustrating Viking.

It's the last week of April and I have yet to make the center block of the Red and White Challenge Quilt.

That is on my agenda along with my LUS BOW.

Oh and Krazy Horse Quilters Quilt Show In Pendleton this week-end.

Check out more DWM postings HERE

Friday "Mini" Finish & Quilt Blogger's Festival - Coming SOON!!!

I have completed the MINI ---it is finished!

I used my DMC size 12 thread and a bit of 1/4" tape to try and keep in a straight line.
It's only 12" and I'm so glad that I got it done before the event Saturday.


A new Quilt Blogger's Festival is coming in May 2014.

HERE are the details for entering.  The button is way down there on my sidebar.

 I'm searching for a quilt to finish in time for this Festival.

May 16-23 – Linky’s Open & Nominate for Viewer’s Choice

May 24-29 – Vote for favorites in each of the categories

May 30 – Winners announced

I really wish I knew which category to enter. There are so many choices.
The "Hand Quilted" category is back and Many more- Check them out at the link above.
Consider entering- this is the biggest Online Quilt Show for Bloggers.

It's Good News/Bad News Wednesday!

I get to start with the GOOD NEWS!

 

 Our Colorado family is COMING back to Walla Walla!!!

I can hardly wait!  DD#2 says 32 days...

They will be here in time for Sweets Baseball "Opening" Day!!!

I got to enroll the oldest in 2nd grade for next year at a local Elementary.

That was fun and weird at the same time.

They sure require a LOT of personal info...TMI in my opinion!

On to the BAD news...

I had to do it!

Froggin' was needed before I could hand quilt this little quilt.

The blue is for the backing.

                                             The Clover Seam Ripper is my Favorite one to use.
                                        I have been told Valdani floss works well for big stitch quilting.
                                        Now to find some in our small town... That could be difficult!
                                                         Gotta still get it done by Saturday.

Design Wall Monday - April 21,2014

I have been playing catch-up with my LUS BOW blocks

This past week I made the current BOW

Another one using the square in a squares. What a difference fabric placement makes.

B-5 Chambersburg

Double Z

and had a bit of an Opps on my "Best Friend"

did a little 'froggin'  and re-cutting of Hsts to get it right.

The first Hst's I trimmed down too small.

A-8 Best Friend

                             

After froggin' I needed to make a simpler Block

I found it amusing that it was chosen for the BOW this past Saturday.

Guess I was thinking right with Connie this week.

 C-9 Double 4-patch

 I have updated the EQ7 Chart on the sidebar, too.
I found I had a couple blocks in the wrong places. OOPS!

Friday night- DH; Paul was gone on a 11 yr old scout camp-out and clean-up at Teancum Timbers.

It was a SEW-in Night for me and I sewed as long as I could keep my eyes open.

I got the center of my Quilty Fun SAL put together with 3 of the 4 borders.
I cut out 48 scrappy prints from my 30's stash and 104 1.5" background squares.
I got them all sewn Friday evening and was happily surprised that they all fit together 'perfectly'!!!

Lori calls the pieced border 'postage stamp'. 

I used it on Katie's Choice HERE.  I thought it looked like a ruffle then.

 Testing border fabrics.  Any opinions???

I've been trying to get "Betsy" to work again.

I finally got it to stitch a bit, but look at those stitches... UGGGG!

you should see the underside  - More froggin'

Since I was frustrated, I just decided to get the binding on my SBS Christmas Swap from 2009

nothing like a bit of hand stitching to calm me down.

I bought some bigger hanging clips to use on my hanging rod outside.

BIG THANKS to DH for helping get them hung for their 'glamour' shots.

 The "Chantilly Lace" quilting isn't the best work from ol' Betsy but it will do.
I should have just used it as an Edge to Edge.

I wish there was a way I could label each block as to the maker, oh well!

 I added the siggy squares to the top of the back as the hanging sleeve.

YEA! it's all done now.

 Here's one of my siggy squares left over from the WASIQ Siggy Swap used for my label.

I just changed the year and added to it, framed it and stitched it down.

It was a Busy week-end and despite "Betsy" giving me fits. I did accomplish some stuff.  

I get so tired of being frustrated with my quilting machine :(

Linking up to Patchworktimes HERE.

It's not all Quilting...

Since Easter is almost here and I think all my packages have been delivered so it is safe to 

show what I've made for the families and a couple of friends this Easter.

It definitely isn't quilted.

 "Poopy" Jelly Bean Ducks (by NaDell's Request)

I forgot to take a picture with J & K and N & A and their Ducks.

NaDell hid hers from her kids and forgot where it was so it is still without eyes and a duckbill.

I had to stop by My Oldest son's house to put the Duckbill and Eyes on his family's Duck.

Their children weren't home.  Thanks for posing M & C!

Some of the New ones and the Original ones I made a while ago.

I added the eyes to these.

I have been doing some sky watching, too

 Coming Home from the Ballgames last week I took this picture of the clouds.

 I saw a rainbow near the bottom in this one.  Can you see it???

Clouds around the Full Moon

Full Moon before the Eclipse

During and full RED, "Blood" Moon 

 The clouds blew over and that is all I could get with my Samsung Camera on my Phone.

We got a challenge from the Knitting Teacher at Lacey Lacers to make a "Spring Scarf"

Here is my progress since the mtg on Tuesday. I had to start over with bigger needles 

than the ones that I took to the Mtg.

The yarn has a bit of elastic in it so it is interesting to knit.

It will be back to Quilting on DWM.

Happy Easter Weekend!

Enjoy this You Tube of my Favorite Choir singing

"He Is Risen"

Ocean Waves calling to me...

My NewFO's listed HERE reminds me that in March I was supposed to be making "Ocean Waves". 

  Bonnie Hunter has a Free Pattern for it HERE. 

She tempted me again, this week with one in the works

 that she saw in her travels HERE. 

After doing a search on Quiltville, I found she even has a Post with my Friend,

Pam A's Ocean Waves Quilt HERE. I remember watching Pam make hers.

The month of March came and went and as of Yesterday I resisted these Bonus HST's. 

Remember, I spent time stitching them and my helper, Noel spent a lot of time sorting and 

trimming the dog-ears at the WW County Fair & Frontier Days last Labor Day week-end?

 Each tiny HST had to be trimmed to 1.5"

The smallest measurement on this side of my newest ruler

"The Tucker Trimmer"

Here are some of the Tiny hst squares sewn into 4's

they measure 2.5" now

 I made 2 of each type of the Blocks needed

Blocks A-1 & A-2

These are 4.5" blocks

 To connect the rows a Block 2 is made from a 1.5" HST with wing triangles attached to a 3.25" square.

Those tiny Wing Triangles were cut from a 2.25" square, sub-cut diagonally once.

2 sides with neutral wings and 2 with Purple wings.

I made 5 of the Block 2's and sewed it together.

This MINI Quilt is big enough, I think... 

It used up most of my Scrappy Bonus HST's---

 I've used them for two other MINIs at least.

"Faithful"and "Purple Pumpkin Seeds" &"Nabby's Dowry"

Do you think it will bug me too much that on  the lower right corner -the fabric center is upside down? 

I am thinking some hand quilting would be best on this mini- Can I do it in a week???

Our Stake is having a Family History Seminar next week, they have asked our 

Daughters of Utah Pioneers to have a display table. 

I'm taking one of my Small Covered Wagons to display- I need a quilt to hang out of it, RIGHT???

Naturally my heart was being turned to my 

Great, Great, Great Grandma Ann Mariah Bowen Call Lloyd.

(ex-polygamist wife of Anson Call)

This one is hers, made in her 91st year.

 

Once I am done quilting it, I believe my 3rd Great-Grandma will stop nudging me to make this quilt.

I still have a LOT of Bonus Triangles in Black and Purple...

Don't laugh---Janet O!!!

Design Wall Monday- April 14, 2014

For today's Design Wall I'm making it a Border Post.

I found a bunch of quilts in my TBQ pile that only need a border.

In hopes of getting them off that UFO TBQ list, I NEED to get the borders finished.

Since Judy Laquidara is the Queen of Borders I will consult her Book that is on my shelf.

I've already started one of her Borders on This Spiderman Zig Zag Quilt.

It needs to be attached.  Should be an easy finish.

 I don't want just a "Blob-O-Border" on this one either.

I'm open for suggestions in the comments.

I still have some leftover fabrics to make a border for this quilt.

Maybe I will make a few more blocks to make the quilt bigger, then add the border.

 These three are on my mind for the rest of April. 

 Last year at this time I made the UFO Parade Tab at the Top of the Blog.

It's time to reduce that UFO Number.

Linking up to Patchworktimes HERE

Testing Quilting Patterns

I got up the other day to test a New pattern that I downloaded into the Quilt-so-Clever on "BETSY".

It's called Chantilly Lace.
My favorite type of design- Loops and open line quilting with NO back tracking.

I didn't know which quilt to put it on.  I have Wendy's quilt that I need to quilt. 

 I wanted to practice on another one of mine before I tackled it. 

I looked through my UFO pile and found my 2009 Christmas SBS Swap Quilt that needed to be finished.
I posted them first HERE way back in November of 2009!
Check out where they all came from at the Linked Post.

Each block came with a Siggy Square, their name and Location- written on fabric.
 I will attach it with the Hanging sleeve on the back of the quilt after I bind it.

 I took it with me to the Book signing with Jennifer Chiaverini last year in Colorado.

She kindly signed it for me.

I have many more UFO's and To be Quilted tops that are calling me. 

Some of the 7 on the TBQ list are in need of at least 1 Border before they are ready.

The Celtic Solstice is ready as is my Marti Michell "The Romance Continues" BOM 

from last year.  Lynn showed me the NEW Marti Michell BOM Tuesday- I am resisting for now!!!

I could have quilted either one of them today if I'd bought the backing to go with it.

I doubt I'll run out of UFO's this year but I'm sure trying to work on them to the Finish!!!

After I posted my Swap quilt on FB I got a bit of a Guilt trip from Wendy...lol
She liked it and said Hint Hint.
I got up and put her quilt on after I sewed the backing and cut some Warm & Natural Batting for it.
The sensors on my "Betsy" are very Touchy, I have found.  I had to make sure everything was making contact and off I went stitching Daisies on this cute Quilt.
 The denim sashings and Pockets were a bit of a challenge.

I adjusted the quilting area to avoid the blocks that had the pockets on them.

Wendy made it from her Daughters clothes that she wore when she was younger.
A Lot of the dresses were made by her Grandma Turner.

Here's a close-up of the "Daisies" on the flannel backing.

Whew!! 3 quilts in 3 days!  Time for bindings and some hand stitching.