Flannel top may still be of some use....

I may need to make a to do list for this week.  Spring break is going to be long and I think a lot of cleaning will be accomplished and items on the "To Do List" crossed off which Im not for certain is a great thing....  I love getting things finished but being forced to due to lack of things to do is something else. Everyone is on vacation and hubby is out of town again but it is only a few more days then I will have a house full. Ahhh!

I finished the flannel yellow brick road today. I just needed to sew the rows and then today did the borders and then we will sandwich this one because the backing has already been purchased.

Now on to some errands that I need to run: hair cut for Madi, pick up contacts for Eric and Easter items.

Have a great Spring day!!

Monkey Biz top

Here is the Monkey Biz top. The batik strips were from the November '10 retreat in Connecticut and the light strips were from my birthday gift from Reenie.

and now I am finishing this top from the Relay for life mystery 18.

I ran out of bobbin thread at ten last night so that was it for me.

I need to sew the last few on the row for the right side and then sew them on.

Today I may work on the flannel quilt and the other mystery to add the small stars in and a few wallets.

maybe... though I have not much else to do with hubby away and a grumpy daughter on the couch all stuffy.

So I go to the basement and sew with Mia.

Happy Palm Sunday!

On the back burner....

I couldn't say " I was working on this...."
I couldn't say " I finished this...."

        or it would have ruined the

              SURPRISE!!!

Yeah, I surprise the ole' Reenster on her Birthday.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha....

Since our retreat and there after she has confessed a LOVE for this quilt. I have never heard of someone loving a quilt so much before. So, it had to be hers. I finished it and wrapped it and put it in a box and mailed it. Right after mailing it I went to see her for lunch for her birthday (this was Friday). Do you know how hard it is to keep a secret from her...?

So Shell, what have you been working on? Ummmm you know the heart quilt I finished it and the baby quilt that I finished. That is all I could come up with.
   The binding are strips of some of the fabrics in the quilt. That turned out to really work and made the quilt come alive. I used a fall small leaf on golden yellow for the backing.

I quilted all around the pieces in the panel. Outlined them if you will. I really liked this. So fun!

Sneaky Sneaky.....

Baby Gator Fan to Be....

Tonight I finished my baby quilt for my neighbor.  It turned out really nice. I fmq footballs across the blue/orange gator fabric and meandered the orange dot and orange gator fabric. I embroidered his name in the corner.

As you can see the backing fabric is not the same as in the initial idea of the quilt.  It is now a colbalt blue. Funny story. Carol, my neighbor calls me at 7:30 am....  Shellie,  you're going to think I'm crazy.  I thought about it all night. I think the backing fabric should be blue. They have a dark haired dog and white will get dirty..... you think I'm crazy; don't you.  Oh NO NO Carol. It is no big deal, I say. We can do that.

embroidered baby boy's name

quilted footballs across the main panel

I'm wondering if I should meander in between the footballs?  I will have to think on that tonight.

Well, off to pack up and clean up for I'm off to Reenie's to sew.....ALL DAY!!!  (brace yourself bucco)  

*M*I*A*

.... this is what I feel like lately; MIA, missing in action. The kids are back in school, I still have no job to fill up my days, and the full moon, I think, is making me "moony" as we call it in Southern Maryland. (another word for goofy or off kilter)  In between all of this chaos that is going on in my pretty little head, my new Janome 6600P was delivered. Poooor box. The box didn't look to good; luckily it was packed with the hard styrofoam stuff and is absolutely perfect.

 I have been working on all the new feet and stitches and I have a ways to go and explore but WOW!!! is this thing awesome. 

I did finish a pillow from the panel Sue gave me from our Valentine Swap. Isn't it just fittin'.

The reverse side.

When I went out shop hopping and to the Quilt Show with Regina, which we had a great time being absolutely consumed with fabric and quilts, we came upon a charity from the church the show was at that wanted donated baby quilts for HIV/AIDS babies all over the world and prayer shawls for people in need of prayer. Regina wrote a note and took a shawl for her mom. I was so touched by this that I am consumed with the idea of making the shawls. So I began mine to donate and it is almost finished. Hugs and Prayers to Regina and her mom... 

I love to crochet but it usually has to be for someone; this way I enjoy it more and it so relaxes me.

I also finished the top to the 3 6 9 quilt pattern. 

I had bought a green apple fabric with a white flower scrolled all over. When I opened it I was like "oh no" this so will not do. I hung it up and looked at it and looked at it saying "I'm going to have to send this back". Regina and Cathy said it was too bright and gaudy. I ended up finding this green here (small border) to go when I went shopping with Regina. It is Tidings, a Christmas line but the color green worked well with the larger border. Now to go sandwich it up and try out the machine quilting on the new play toy in the sewing room. 

I am so trying to find a name for my new friend....  cant put my finger on it though. I have been playing around with my grandma's name which is Evelyn but it needs to be more playful ....  Eevie. I do not think she would like the nickname off her name though but I'm not sure if she would ever really know since it is more a personal- to-me  thing.... ???

Perfect Binding Miter Demonstration

Here is your tool.  You need to make your binding 2 1/2" wide and use the 3/8" slot.

You could easily make your own out of applique plastic.

1.   Before you reach your corner make your mark by lining up the square tool with the 3/8" at the corner.

2. Sew  your binding to the mark and then turn then sew on the mark.

                        3. Turn your binding at 45* like you normally do along the sewn  edge now then fold down along next edge of quilt to sew.

The front and back corner are perfect. Remember one side folds one way and the other side folds opposite. (you do not want nostrils)

Now the binding finish.  When you come to the end leave 4".  You should have left a tail in the beginning also. Lay along the edge to be binded and fold over a 1/2" piece on each side and trim.

With right sides together sew along the end.

Wallah! Beautiful!

This was all displayed on the pinwheel quilt. All fmq which was so fun and ready for binding probably in Maryland.

I hope you found this helpful and easy as I do.

~Shellie

Jitterbug

Here is a look at the Jitterbug top.  This pattern I quilted along with Reenie. Hers was completed last week. I take a bit longer to put the rows together. There seems to always be a kink in my plans or a kid interrupting. 

I love this quilt. The pattern is another story...

Reenie: I think we will have to bring this one to the retreat to snuggle in as we sip our wine laughing and chit chatting. 

I'm not sure on the name. I am thinking along the lines of Friendly Ties, 30's medley, Can you find the bunny? (LOL) or Gma's Time??? 

~Shellie

Mystery #15 for Relay for Life

My first Mystery is finished. I had to take some time to find borders. Actually I dug all of this out of my "stash".  *giggle, smirk* 

I really like this pattern.

Thanks Reenie for introducing me to Relay for Life. I really like the contributing and the mysteries we get to do. =)

~Shellie

Unexpected Quilt

Madi:  Mom. Josh can't find a blanket with the "Oakley" logo on it. Could you make him one for me?

Me:  Maybe???   You would have to draw it up and find fabric.

Madi:  Oh. Just black with white lettering and a black and white backing.

Me: Well, we would have to go find fabric.

Pause.......................10min later...............................  Madi:   Mom Wanna go to JoAnn's???

What do I get myself into?  It didnt take long, but just as I was beginning the borders; my machine went on the fritz.  I took it to Dr. Carl and by the end of the day it was finished and free. Their policy is: bring it back within the year and it will be free.  Wonderful. It had a broken tooth in the bobbin case. He said I need to consider getting a more durable quilting machine. "I know", I said in a slow sad drawl of sheer udder disappointment knowing I will have to wait a long long time to have the machine I want.

Actually I tried two new techniques in binding this quilt. One was from a quilt store during the shop hop. It is a square that you lay down on your quilts corner and mark it with a pencil (a line diagonal with the corner), sew it and lay over your binding as you normally do. It sews up nicely when you do the binding by hand. The second was the sew the ends of the binding then sew it down and there is no telling were you stopped.  Maybe I will have to take pictures the next time Im binding a quilt. 

~Shellie

My Patriotic Quilt top: Home Pride

Doesn't this quilt just sing all our patriotic songs? I think so. I love this quilt. It is originally named Star Weaver created for lost soldiers in the war. It means that and more to me. I find this quilt to resemble old American heritage and it just makes me proud and smile when I see it!! 

Well that is what I did on my Saturday afternoon. I finished putting together the rows and borders. Now I think I will sandwich Cinnamon Toast and rip out a section of the Pinwheel machine quilting that I do not like.  Later on I need  to get to sandwiching this quilt if I have enough batting and layout the shop hop quilt, add a border and then see if I have enough to make the piano key border it calls for.

Always something to do in the quilting realm.

~Shellie

When did this get squeezed in???

I'm not sure how these blocks came into play but, I got them up on my design wall. I think I was feeling guilty of having a free fabric and pattern  not finished. (kinda free/I spent plenty on the shop hop)

The pattern I was given at the end of my Western New York Shop Hop was "Hoppin' and a Rollin'".
I gathered 4 jelly roll strips at each of the 12 shops; 48 strips.

Wow! did I get some awful fabric in the rolls. Thankfully I only needed 36 strips for the blocks. The rest are used for the border; we'll see if I use them. I think they will go in the scrap bin. I also got 4 strips of the same fabric. How did that happen? I can only use one strip for 4 blocks but the rest can go in the border.

This quilt worked up really quick and easy. I needed something brainless and stress free to do. I wanted to sew not think, just stay busy. I seem to need this every time I am sewing rows together in finishing a quilt top. I get very frustrated and stressed.  I am sewing together now Sunny Lanes. I am trying to size it to the old antique full size bed in the guest room. I needed 5x6 block setting for the full but the bed will only need a 4x4 setting. Now I am at the border stage and I' m on pins and needles hoping it is what I invision.

Ugh, Anguish! PAUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEE...  I will sew it up tomorrow and see if it looks right on the bed.

Crossing fingers. With a smile for the design wall.
Shellie

Peaceful Enchantment Wall hanging

In November, I went out with a Red Wing Baseball buddy, Ann, and we caught up with one another at Ivy Thimble to check out their sidewalk sale. We both ended up buying the Peaceful Enchantment wall hanging. I just absolutely fell in love with the squirrel and cardinals which are my favorite.
Ann invited me over to her house which is near the quilt store and we had coffee and she showed me her sewing area. We talked quilt stuff and fabric and came up with doing these together. So we set a date for the Monday before Thanksgiving to sew these up and to have all the pieces cut out, ironed on and all ready to go.
Monday came and I ventured over to the eastside of Rochester to Ann's house next door to Casa Larga, a vineyard here in Rochester, with all my pieces ready.  I am so glad I went for she showed me how to do the star easily. It is amazing what a few little tricks can do. And how to square things off with your 2 1/2" square and 6" square. I have them just never had to use them yet. Very handy.
I also outlined each piece with my machine, a first, and then played with the FM on the machine. Figuring out threads that the machine likes and then how to move about, made it a true learning experience.
So whallah....
When Mom came for Thanksgiving she loved it so much that I broke down and gave it to her for Christmas. I was starting to worry whether she would love it as much as she did or less and well, when she opened her present she said "oh Shell, you are giving this to me...."

=) Shellie

Warm Thoughts

I finished the DNP (disappearing nine patch) for Grandma as planned for Christmas. I even did a "first" on my machine; free motion quilting. I was so happy it went well until I turned it over...  a few bobbin gauge oppses and a few fabric puckers of the backing but not horribly awful.

I plan on tempting FMQ again and I do hope for fewer oppsies...
I love the fabric. The DNP are "Charlotte" by Moda and the backing just enhances the reds and pinks as well as blends the other colors beautifully. I am so happy with it and I do hope Grandma is as well. She should be getting it any day. I was mailed on the 22nd so to Florida it was a stretch for Christmas Day.

Horses in the Night

The top is finished to Alyssa's quilt. It is a smaller version of Eric's quilt Turtles/Penguins. I just need to get more material that I am admiring for the back. I will use the small strip on quilt of blue hued fabric for the binding and whallah....
=) Shellie

Madi's quilt: Baby Honu

Backing

 I used a brown tone on tone binding and the fabric on the back is my favorite. It is the yardage bought at the Hobby Lobby adventure with Regina. It is green with a brown, blue, and green leaf swirl just the perfect color. Madi actually sleeps with this turtle quilt.  I love that!!

=)Shellie

Baby Honu 's top is done!!

I have finally finished Baby Honu!  It has decreased in size by a few inches. My snail trail blocks were 7 1/2 " as told to do in pattern and the turtle block is cut at 8"; you do the math...  It didn't seem like it was going to add up to me and it didn't but I love it anyway.  The colors are just how I imagined them. Now on to sandwiching them together. The backing I bought when Regina and I went to Hobby Lobby in Webster. It works wonderfully with the top and now to configure binding. I will have to get a picture of the backing to show you. 

Regina and I each have this little turtle. We picked him up at Hobby Lobby also. I made mine into a magnet for the frig. He is saying "Hi Regina".  I shall name him Scatter.... does anyone remember the story from our HL venture? It is what we had to do to get away from the Sea gulls dive bombing us. Mainly me...  How I got out of there unscathed is news to me.

I also completed my charm tote.  This is a Northern Solitude tote to match my quilt (that I need to finish up). I am pondering what to enhance the heart with... dragonfly, turtle, buttons...

=) Shellie

Baby Honu snail trail block

Here is the Baby Honu snail trail block...

Finished Product

Here it is: Eric's turtle/penguin quilt.  I finished it before he leaves for UB on Thursday. Couldn't have planned it better...

Baby Honu turtles!

I love these turtles. Oh, Madi claimed this quilt. Boo hoo. At least she likes something I make.