been busy...

hello all....

ya i know .. it's been a long time since i posted on this.... i have been busy tho.. my wonderful hubby took me on a fantastic vacation to Vegas in August.. we had a blast and plan on going back again next year.. unfortunately i got sick.. when we got back.. and it just drained me for a few weeks.. just had no energy at all... but.. the last week or so... i've been working hard to get things caught up again.. and i have finished 2 quilts... which will now be sent to the quilter...

first is a fall quilt that i put together using blocks from a F8 block swap from 2007... i used the BQ2 quilt pattern for it... and i love how it came out.. you don't often see that pattern using sampler blocks.. but i think it came out just fine... i plan on using that layout quite a bit more..

then i finally finished my surf, sand and snowflakes quilt.. this was a challenge that Penny quilts put on the board last year... i LOVED the fabrics.. but only did about 4 blocks at the time... then my son decided he wanted a blue and brown quilt for his Christmas present this year... so i thought this quilt would be perfect for him and finished putting the quilt together... to use up some of the fabrics i thought the braided border would be perfect.. (i still have lots left tho... lol)... i like how it came out.. i think it looks great for a guy.. not tooo florally or "pretty".. i think he'll like it...

the only quilt i have left to make for Christmas this year is for my daughter... and i pretty much know what i want to do for that one.. and have the fabrics for it... so it shouldn't take to long to do.. i'm planning on having that one done and sent to the quilter by next month...

well back to work for me... i'll try not to let to much time lapse before i post again..

shey..

some completed things..

hello all..

well i had a fairly productive week this week.. i managed to complete the lizzie-kate christmas flip-it.. this was so much fun to do.. she has a new one coming out for this year that will be out soon..

and i finished the peppermint twist cross stitch as well..

and the last set of the native placemats..

i also sent a mini quilt to trish.. in australia.. it has the colours she loves in it.. and a summery feel to it.. she said it's perfect and she loves it... we're gonna be partners again for the autumn mini swap too.. this is the quilt i made for her..

and the back of it... i loved this butterfly fabric.. and i have a bit left that i'm hoping to make into a miranda bag..

and this gorgeous mini is the one she made for me... isn't it just darling??!!... i love it!!..

that's about it for this week.. i have lots to work on this coming week so .. hopefully i'll have something to show next week too..

shey..

shabby chic quilt top and placemats done

yay!!.. i finished my sister's shabby chic quilt top today.. now to get it to the quilters so i can have it done for her for Christmas.. what do you think??..

i think she's gonna love it!!..

i've also managed to finish a bunch of those placemats.. here is the front and the back of the 2 sets i've gotten done.. these are sets of 8..

i love those owls.. and the lady they are intended for loves owls too.. and the other set..

those are eagles on the back .. and the person these are for.. the eagle is her spirit guide.. so i hope she likes them.. i have one more set to do..

shey..

finally some pictures..

i'm finally on the laptop.. so now maybe i can at least show y'all a little of what i've working on lately..

first of all.. some cross stitch..

this is Peppermint Twist.. and i'm almost done.. yay!!.. just a little backstitching... a few more trees and the date and my intials and i can put this baby to bed!!..

next is.. lizzie kates Halloween flip it.. i loved doing this one!.. it was sooo much fun... i changed it a bit.. i wanted the colours more vibrant so i used crescent colours... and chose to put it on a raw opalescent fabric.. it came out really cute.. i just need to figure out how i want to do the bottom area....

i finished off my mini quilt for trish.. (Kentucky_Sunshine) for the HGTV mini quilt swap and dropped that in the mail yesterday.. but i can't post a picture of that till i know she's recieved it.. (i will soon).. it did come out kinda cute tho.. and.. she's agreed to continue to be my partner in future mini swaps.. :) .. so the next one will be an Autumn one.. it should be fun!!.. i also finished piecing my CQ block for the one block swap for edna ... now i get to start the embellishing..

lets see what else... ohhhh my placemats.. here are a couple of them... i've got 2 different native fabrics i'm working with.. these are the tops... i just got the fabric for the backing in the mail today.. so that's in the wash.. i'll show you them completed in another post..

and finally for this post... my sister's shabby chic quilt.. this is just the top.. i've just started working on the borders..

ok.. that's a start... i have lots of other things i'm working on .. but i'll save those for another post...

shey..

wow.. time flies!

omg... i can't believe that its been that long since i've last put anything on here.. shame on me!... yeah.. i've been busy.. but that's not a good excuse..

at the end of april.. i went on a retreat with the HGTV board crew... omg.. what a blast.. there were more than 70 lovely ladies that attended.. and i learned a lot from them!!.. may is a big birthday month around here.. and lots of family parties... and june.. well.. june was just plain busy and expensive.. car problems with 2 of the 3 cars and.. then a very sick dog on top of that.. i'm sooo hoping july will be much less stressful..

all in all.. i didn't get much done these last few months.. especially sewing/quilting... i did manage to work on my cross stitch some.. and i've started working on some placemats for my best friend and her mom's.. i'm using native fabric on those as she's native american.. as this puter won't let me put pictures on it... i'll have to wait till i'm on the laptop to show you all pics of what i'm doing..

last nite.. i attended a class at the local cross stitch shop.. to learn Haranger.. i'm determined to expand my knowledge of stitches and learning that was on my list of things to do this year.. so far.. i like it.. but we haven't cut anything yet... that's where i get really nervous.. lol.. that's for next weeks class..

what else have i been working on.... oh yes... i'm in a mini swap.. and i got Kentucky-sunshine for a partner... she lives in Australia... (one of my most favorite places)... she wanted something with cranberry and buttery yellow.. and it has to be... summery... i hope she likes what i've done.. i've got the top done.. and i've bought the backing so.. that's the job for this week.. quilting and getting the binding and label on and getting that mailed asap...

i'm also in a one block cq block swap.. and she want's a vintage block.. with browns and creams.. i'm not sure i really understand what she means by vintage.. but i'll do my best... i have that about half pieced.. then comes the fun part... the embellishing...

hope to get back her soon to post some pictures..

shey..

back from vacation..

wow... time does fly... i kinda got a bit distracted getting ready for and finally going on vacation.. and what a vacation it was.. a wonderful 5 day cruise to the western carribbean.. and the best part was.. we were upgraded.. to the Courtyard villas on the ship.. FABULOUS!!... i go with my mom and sister every year on a cruise.. the beautiful picture in my title... was one i took on Grand Cayman Island..


lol.. wow.. another few weeks have gone by.. i've just been so busy lately i haven't had a chance to even think about this blog.. in a few weeks.. 70 women will converge on Manchester NH for the HGTV quilting retreat!!.. and i have so much to do before i go.. there's a challenge project involving cows.. (i have NO idea what i'm gonna do with that!).. and a t-shirt challenge representing my state.. (ok.. i have an idea.. but not a clue how i'm gonna implement it.. lol).. and i want to finish my Australian Peacock quilt top to bring for show and tell and to send home with Quiltaholic for her to custom quilt for me.. i really think i must be crazy.. lol.. the round i just completed with the flying geese and pineapple blocks has nearly 1100 pieces in it.. i can't even fathom a guess as to how many pieces are in the entire quilt so far.. i have 1 more round to do on it.. and that will be the Peacock fabric.. and 4 more Australian blocks for the corners.. what do you think of it so far??.

i started this with a Nickel Roll that i got from Daisy the Chocolate Mouse.. then added many more Nickel Rolls and lots of yardage.. lol.. this was a challenge on the Carol Doak yahoo group.. the Yours Truly Round Robin.. each month she would tell us what to do for that round.. (ie.. only 2 colours.. pp blocks in corners.. ) and we had to use her blocks to do it.. there were some beautiful quilts made in that challenge.. i chose to add a couple more rounds to the quilt to make it bigger.. hence the flying geese border and then then the final one.. which i'm hoping to have done in the next few weeks..

i've also been working on lots of cross stitch.. i've recently completed the Rosy Radient star by linda myers..

this was fun to do.. and surprizingly.. she didn't have too many errors in the pattern.. i've done many of her patterns.. i love her patterns.. but there is almost always.. errors in them.. this is another one of her patterns i've recently finished.. Stained Glass blocks... i love the colours in it!...

and one more of her patterns that i've done.. the Christmas memories.. this one i submitted to the fair for judging and came away with a blue ribbon.. :) .. the awesome framing was done by Cathy Coggins of Needlecraft World.. in Kissimmee.. she's the best!!.. sorry for the glare on the glass..

ok.. well it's time for me to get back to work... i'll try to get back here soon and show you what i'm currently working on.. there are quite a few... lol..

shey..

in the beginning..

happy groundhog's day!!..

well i finally joined the world of bloggers.. not that i plan on doing that much.. but.. for me it'll like a journal of my stitching.. and hopefully.. keep me on track of what i'm working on.. the progress on each.. and a record of what i've finished.... i'm an avid stitcher.. and that includes.. cross stitch.. quilting.. embroidery.. crazyquilting.. crocheting.. tatting.. beading.. etc .. etc.. i like to do other crafting too.. so i'm sure once in a while that will in here as well..

i'm hoping to stretch my skills this year.. in cross stitching.. i want to learn Hardanger.. and to do some more complex patterns with specialty stitches and threads... and lots of beading..

in quilting... this year.. my plans are to learn to paper piece curves.. and to learn to applique.. and.. since my wonderful husband bought me a fantastic new sewing machine for Christmas.. i want to learn to actually quilt with my machine..

shey..