I'M BACK!

Wow, this is embarrassing ... it has, again, been too long since I posted last ... no excuses ... Just wanted a breather during the holidays and then just did not get back to the posts!  I have not quilted much in months.  My hubby and I have been remodeling a bathroom and refinishing floors in a couple rooms and trying to dejunk (is that a word) our home.  Just got back from a week at the beach and I am again motivated to get my UFO's done and on to quilts I really want to make ... I found that the UFO's are fun again.  They had to be put away to get me to like them again.  I hope some of you have come back to check up on me.  I'll be checking on you all again.  If not, I understand.  Sheez.  Been a long time and I can't expect you all to keep looking for something that is not there.

Here's a peek at the crazy quilt I started years ago on a similar beach week, and am now finishing and loving.  Just needs borders!!  Woo hoo for me!!!  Have a great week.

Been Away Too Long

Wow, I have been so bad about posting ... cannot believe it has been so long. So sorry if anyone has looked! I have to get on the ball here ... it has been a rough few months but I am back and will do my best to post more often and hopefully I will get people to look. Thanks for checking on me Melinda! You are the best!

Sew, Pam commented that there must be a story about my header quilt .... I guess I never thought to explain.... sew, here we go. Nothing earth shattering of course, but, I do love this quilt. One of my favorites. I started quilting almost four years ago by taking a "One Block Wonders" class at a quilt shop that was closing and where I'd always wanted to take a class. It was the only class that struck my fancy and I had seen the book, but I couldn't every figure out the quilts in the book. The class was fabulous and I fell in love with one block wonders. I have made 13 over the past few years and am happy with all of them. They are what makes me quilt. I try other ones because I do not like to get stuck in a rut, but I always come back and am so happy I did. I know they are not other people's cups of tea always. I think you either love them or hate them.... I'm okay with that. I don't even care if anyone else likes them. They are my cup of tea and why I continue to quilt. I love how you can take a piece of fabric and make it completely different and even if 10 people took the same piece, none of the quilts out of the same pattern will look the same! Love that!!!

Sorry this is getting long .... just explaining. While I love one block wonders, what I really love about them is how you can take a fabric that is not beautiful and make something beautiful out of it. Herein lies the story behind my dragon quilt. While I didn't think the dragon fabric was ugly, it was not something I would use for any ordinary quilt (or extraordinary quilt, but any other pattern). I love dragons and anything fairy tale, truth be told. I also love red, black and white and the colors in this fabric spoke to me. Of course, I wasn't the one who found the fabric. I was actually shopping with a friend and not looking for fabric when my friend Carol said, Karen, I have found a fabric that shouts "YOU". So, I tried to not buy it, but she was right, it kept shouting while we were shopping and I bought it. It shouted so loudly that I started it immediately and finished it faster than any quilt I've made. The dragon applique also spoke to me. I'm not sure why, but I knew it had to happen. It is now on my bed and I love seeing it every day!!! Thanks for asking Pam! Appreciate you wanting to know!!

What I've Been Doing This Week.... Selvages Rock!

My camera is dying from too much abuse so this is not as good as it could be, but I'm really into this selvage block making. Love it. Some of these are actually ties from packages or ribbons from things I've purchased, but all are fabric! It is so fun. Kinda hooked. I really loved it in theory, but hadn't tried it until I started saving them about six months ago and decided I needed to either start making some or risk being overtaken by selvages! Then, I was given some fabric I thought I would never use, then I decided, hey, I can use it for foundation pieces. Sew, there you are. I have this one white one made and then.......

I branched out and, ta da..... I love these. There are definitely not perfect, but I'm learning and I still have a ton of selvages left to play with. This is just last week too! I have tried to make at least one a day .... and as you can see, I did more than that! Can I say "addictive!"

Hope all of you enjoy your week and you are getting sunshine!

Royal Wedding/Birthday!

So, it's my birthday today and I think it is so nice that William and Catherine chose my birthday to get married. I'm sure it was all about me! (yeah, it IS St. Catherine's day as well, but I'm sure it is me, not that!) My sister and I had our own little royal tea party. It was so fun. I didn't remember to take pics of the food, which was yummy, but I did take a pic of the tiara she got me and the pillbox hat she wore. So much fun to watch such a fun event when so much bad is happening in the world right now. A little breath of fresh air!

Pillowcases!

I made these pillowcases for my son's girlfriend. I had made a superman pillowcase for him and she liked it so much, she wanted one. I made her two of the green one (so she had a spare) and she apparently has a larger than standard pillow and I made the flip flop one for that pillow. I hope she likes them!! They are so easy and fun to make. Now, I need to make some for me! I always leave myself out ... what about you? It is finally the weekend!! Have a great one!

I'm back. Here's what I've been doing!!!

I'm so sorry I've been neglectful.... I know I don't have a lot of followers, but tough to get anyone interested when you don't post. I guess I had a bit of the winter blues, was on my fabulous London vacation to see my oldest son and then have had a hard time getting back into anything, much less quilting! I hate that .... oh, well. I'm back! I have joined a couple of swaps, easy ones, but fun. Just some 9 inch block swaps, the block swap and a tea bag swap! Fun, fun, fun. Two of my friends are pregnant and it is so fun to make little baby quilts. I made the quilt below for my friend Erica who is having a boy.

This is the back (which I actually love): And this is the front:

I used flannel in the middle and am not sure how I like it ... I didn't want to do a lot of quilting but it came out a little wonky after I washed it. Live and learn! I guess I should have done more quilting.

This block is for the block swap I'm in. I have never made a Grandmother's Fan before and I don't think I will again. I'm not very good at it. I made it over twice, fused and fumed and finally said, good enough. Not what I like to do, but I was too frustrated to do it again!!! Hopefully, my partner is a "it doesn't have to be perfect" kinda gal!!!

Sew, I'm going to try to post at least once a week, if not more, and am trying to sew every day ... at least some. I have a carpel tunnel overuse injury in my right wrist so have to be careful to not overdo until it is better.

Here's my list for the month of April (rest of the month): Pillowcases for my son's girlfriend, pillow case for my other son's fiance, pillow covers for my sister, start a new kaleidoscope quilt just for ME!!! That should be enough for right now!!! Have a great weekend.