It's finished! Well, almost...

I got the quilt back today from the quilters and it looks great! As always they did a wonderful job and now all I have to do is put on the binding. It is always amazing to see how different it looks once it is quilted. It just gives so much more depth to the quilt itself.

These presented a challenge since there was so much white but they underlined the word and stitched around the edges. 

The border will look different once this is washed and marks are gone. 

I just love the look and can't wait to finish and send it on its way!

As most of the east coast, it was very hot today. I was subbing in first grade and even had to go outside for recess duty. A sure indication of just how hot it is - most of the first graders were hanging out in the shade. It was almost funny to see them reacting to the heat this way.

Remember the holiday...

As this Memorial Day weekend begins I remember the Memorial Day celebrations of my childhood. I was a Brownie and a Girl Scout and marched in many hometown parades. Our local parade was always on Saturday and then the neighboring town's parade was on Memorial Day. My father was a member of the Legion and marched in that parade every year. He  was very proud to be a Legionnaire.

I'm not sure I will be attending any parade this year but will remember those days fondly. We always had a family picnic at our house. You know, the very traditional kind, hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill and family together. I hope we all remember the reason for this holiday. It is not just a 3 day weekend.

Now I am asking for help from the quilters out there. When I posted the prize, someone asked me the name of one of the blocks in the collection. Before I packed it away, I looked on the back for the name. It was there but... I didn't write it down and now can't remember. Does anyone out there know the name of this block? It's the one in the middle that is a mystery. Thanks so much to anyone who can name it. I very much doubt that I will remember the name I didn't write down!

I hope you all have a happy and safe Memorial Day, wherever you are and whoever you are with. 

I have a winner!!!!

I first want to thank everyone who commented for a chance to win. I tried very hard to keep up with responding to each of you but sadly fell behind in the last day. Life just kept getting in the way. A few of ou had some specific questions in your comments and I do plan to go back and try to answer those for you. Please be patient with me.

Drumroll, please. I used the random number generator but don't know how to post that on here. the winner of my giveaway is Crystal Hendrix. She said:

I love the cake part of the wedding! Thanks for doing this!


I have emailed her and can't wait to send her package to her.

I do have one question for other bloggers. I know that I saw somewhere a way to get comments numbered but now I can't find it. I had to print out the comments and hand number them. Can anyone help?

Did I mention that the cake last weekend was pumpkin spice? I was in heaven. 

It was so interesting to read all your comments. Cake was a big one as well as the moment the bride and groom see each other for the first time. A few were happy when they own wedding was over. Thanks again to everyone for commenting. 

See how empty it looks.

I'm a little lost right now since I took my sewing machine in for service.  And unfortunately now I don't have an excuse not to clean! I hope I get it back very soon. Last I heard the quilt is on the frame, mostly quilted and only the middle remains to be done. Can't wait to see it.

The heat has come full force and yes,m my windows are open. Not turning on AC just yet. ( I can hear my sister groaning now.) I was out all day today, it will get cooler tonight and I love sleeping with the windows open. Just one more night and I will turn on the the AC tomorrow morning. Even I think 90 is too hot for no AC.

With all the giveaway news, I was not able to post my thanks for the giveaway I won. I was so lucky to win the giveaway from Farm Girl Transplanted. Kris sent me 2 charm packs of April Cornell's Prayer Flag for Moda and one yard of yellow background fabric. Along with the fabric she sent 2 pretty emery boards and an Eleanor Burns bag that she got at Market. Wasn't that so generous of her?

Now, it is on to cleaning. One area is the sewing room. And that means another giveaway in the future. Stay tuned!

Giveaway update

The deadline for my giveaway was 9:00 but since I never said which time zone and I'm just getting home and have no time to take care of the draw, I am extending this until 5:00 pm EST on Thursday. If you are still going through all those wonderful giveaways you still have a chance here. Check back tomorrow to see who won!

Giveaway is here. Be sure to stop by. 

May Giveaway Day!

I hope you all had as good a weekend as I did. The wedding yesterday was simply lovely. From start to finish all went well. The bride was beautiful and it was a happy day for anyone lucky enough to be there. The weather was very nice but it didn't really matter since all events were inside.

My jacket was finished in time and worked well with the dress. Now I'm on to my next project. I will be planning and sorting projects this week since I must take my machine in for service. So hard to give it up.

                                              

And now for the giveaway news. SewMamaSew is hosting a May giveaway and many bloggers are registered. You can find the list of participants on her blog at


http://sewmamasew.com


Click on blog at the top to get the full list of participants. 



I have decided to join in so here is my giveaway for this event.

First is a set of Blocks of the Month. There are 9 out of a set of 12 plus 3 smaller blocks.  I bought these when I first started quilting and find that my quilting personality and preference has changed. They are very pretty and each block has all the fabric you need for the block. 

A Kaye England quilt pattern. I thought this went with the BOM's but looking closer, it is just a very pretty pattern. But you might get some ideas for setting these blocks.

3 1/2 yards of  fabric. Again, my quilting style has changed a bit. And I really need to clean out my stash!

One last little bonus, this really pretty patchwork glass cutting board. For those who live in the east, I found it at The Christmas Tree Shop. "Don't you just love a bargain!"

Now, you can enter by simply leaving a comment on this post. You might even tell me what you think is the best part of a wedding. 

I would love to have you join me as a new follower but for this giveaway that won't improve your chances. We are keeping this one simple!

The winner will be chosen by Random Number Generator and giveaway closes at 9:00 pm on Wednesday, May 25th. Please be sure there is a way to contact you. International entrants are welcome. 

Good luck to everyone and be sure to check out the list and visit the other bloggers!

Taste of the World

I attended the Taste of the World fundraiser last night which was held at the Pearl Buck House in Bucks County, PA. The event was wonderful with delicious food prepared by about 17 different restaurants and caterers. As I heard one person mention, all you had to do was walk around and sample. No one was watching and you could eat all you wanted. 

For those in the Northeast one of the vendors was Wegman's and they had two tables filled with cheeses and all kinds of olives, artichokes, etc. Sadly, I got to this table last and was too full to sample very  much. I did find out that they have baked parmesan crackers. Luckily, there is a Wegman's in our area. But also luckily, it is not too close to here. 

It was a rainy week here this week, that is an understatement, and yesterday was no exception. We dodged the rain as we were setting up in the tent but for the most part, it had stopped by the evening. This is a picture of Pearl Buck's home at dusk. It is a beautiful home any time of day. 

 They used yellow roses on the tables and I brought some of them home. Not sure if my picture does this one justice but it was simply perfect. Carol, I wish I could have given them to you.

Getting ready for the wedding and putting the final touches on the "outfit." On Monday I'm taking my sewing machine in for service. Sigh. But look for the giveaway here on Monday!

I'm finished and I won!

I am happy to say that I finished my jacket. Yayyyy! Luckily it was a really simple pattern and easy to make. Just hand sewed the sleeves and the hem and a little pressing. I'm done.

Shoes are still a bit of an issue. Really love Zappo's. They really do ship overnight. The final pair is hopefully coming tomorrow.

And I did win another giveaway. Just got the email today. The first winner was a no-reply blogger and never sent her address. I was the second winner and I couldn't be happier. I'll update you as soon as I get that squishy package in the mail!

Now that the jacket is finished, I'm going to make the binding for the wedding quilt. It is on the frame at the quilters and they are working away. When the binding is ready I really do have to take the machine in for service. I hate to give it up but this will also give me a few days to re-organize the sewing closet and find a giveaway. Watch for it on May 23rd. I'll have something and a link to a site to find where more giveaways are listed. What fun. 

Rain, rain...

...and I'm guessing you know the rest. I think all of us here in the Northeast knew there would be payback for the gorgeous weather we had last week. Well, this is our payback. It has been raining for several days now and there doesn't seem to be an end to it. Oh, well.

I think the phrase, all things in moderation, works in this situation. It would be nice to have the rain spread out and the beautiful days interspersed. Anyone know how to do that?

It's a good memory. Maybe good sunsets coming back soon. 

I was busy all day today so no sewing happened here. The jacket is staring at me. My schedule says that I will work on it tomorrow night. It seems very easy and I think I can get it finished then. Hope that there are no surprises in store for me.

My other project for this wedding is finding shoes. Got two pairs delivered today. Not thrilled with them so I ordered two more tonight. Happily, there are sites with quick delivery. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Just added the email option to my blog. Carol, this is for you!

Watching magic...

Yes, I finally cut out and started the jacket for this Saturday's wedding. It is really fairly simple. I didn't have time to sew today but should be able to mostly finish it by Wednesday. I'll be happy to share when I am a little further along.

Thanks for being the hand model, Catherine. 

The magic I saw was at our Quilt Guild meeting tonight. Anna Faustino was the speaker and she shared her woven quilts with us. She was an art director prior to taking up quilting and her fearlessness really shows in her work. She encouraged everyone to just "sit down and do it!" Good advice for all of us. She and her charming husband showed us so many quilts. Some were painted and some all woven. It was a magical collection of art quilts. I was furiously taking pictures from my seat, I didn't get them all and while I know they are not the best pictures, I hope you can enjoy them.

This was a picture of her granddaughter. Partly painted and partly woven. 

A class piece that she says is done in 3 hours. Hmmm. 

She quickly showed her technique. This is stretch black fabric that she cuts with a rotary cutter and then the fabric shows through. A little like the scratchboard pictures...

This was beautiful.

A portrait of her husband in Portugal, I think. 

The last one, truly an ahhhhh. This is all woven. Unbelievable.

I'm happy to say that I did resist buying her book since realistically I know that I would never try this. I only succumbed to buying 2 pieces of fabric. Just thought they were pretty.

A few things crossed off the list

Sadly there has been no sewing in this busy week but I can say that I crossed a few things off my list. Easter has been put away and most of my clothes have been switched over. I had to finish round one tonight before I could go to bed. It is fun to bring things back out and find things you didn't remember. Haven't really purged anything yet but sure hope to get to that.

After I put Easter away, out came some of the sunflower items. And they worked perfectly with the real ones I bought at Trader Joe's. They are my favorite flower and always make me smile.

I am going to get some flowers tomorrow. I do have someone coming to dig some things out of the garden and need to have things for him to plant. I asked him to come since I would much rather play with fabric than play with dirt. My gardening is always purely accidental. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. This was one happy surprise. Planted a few years ago and come back every year.

Aren't they gorgeous!

I definitely have plans to sew tomorrow. The wedding is next Saturday and I need to make a jacket to wear. The pressure is on. My best work is coming. Stay tuned for a quick finish. 

Quick update on the shoe!

I'm happy to say the plan worked. I told all of you and within two hours of posting, I found my shoe. Kept thinking about it and realized that I had thrown laundry on the floor as I unpacked. When I picked all that up, I also picked up my shoe. So relieved I found it and so glad it didn't get washed!

I got the quilt marked and will deliver it again tomorrow. Just can't wait to get it back and on its way.

I was reading a post recently and someone mentioned a bottle tree. I am collecting blue bottles and wish I could have a bottle tree but there is no room here for that. I have to be content with enjoying them in my windows. But, I did want to share this picture. Saw this house on a trip to Seattle. Had to pass this house a few times in order to keep enjoying it.

On the same ride we saw these two houses. They were unbelievable. I may have posted this picture before but I still find it incredible. Can't even imagine the work involved. Just love the Pacific Northwest!

Has anyone seen my shoe?

Okay, so I was getting dressed this morning and I couldn't find one of my shoes. Hmmm. I know I brought it home with me from the weekend, I looked all over my bedroom and no shoe. I have a friend who always  believed that if you told people about losing something, then you will find it. I've told you so I really expect to find it by tomorrow morning. Thanks for listening.

On another note, I did have a really great day. I went to the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown. They opened it for a special tour for the Pearl Buck docents. The special exhibit was photos of Mohammed Ali and Elvis. I'm not a huge fan of either but it was very interesting. It was the young Elvis and I did like him.

On the sewing front, I did start marking the quilt. Only got a little done but it's a start.

Now, for really nice news - I am a winner. Lovely Linda, from Stray Stitches sent me these 10 FQ's that I won in her giveaway. If you haven't visited Linda's blog, you really need to check her out. Her blog is always interesting and she gives an update on blog giveaways every day. You can find her at 

http://straystitches1.blogspot.com/

After I mark the quilt, my next sewing will be a jacket. I have to make this to wear to a wedding on May 21st. I have less than 2 weeks but this is how I do my best work, under pressure. I have two patterns to choose from and since I bought way too much fabric, I can always monitor and adjust if I don't like it. 

Back to marking. I hope everyone has a really nice day/night/week, wherever you may be!

What a lovely surprise!

I was away this weekend and finally delivered the baby quilt. I was so happy to get this to the new mom and dad and the baby. And I didn't have to put it in the mail and cross my fingers! Love the personal delivery option.

As I was heading to the front door when I got home, I was delighted to see these plants in bloom. I still don't know what they are but love the flower and the color. As you can see the azaleas are just about ready to pop too. I love the rolling greening and flowering in spring. When one is finished, another one pops up to take its place.

Even with the awful soil and the fact that I haven't done anything to clean up the garden, the columbine also came up. I love this flower. It is so delicate and pretty. I don't even remember when I planted them but they have returned for the last couple of years. 

Now that the baby quilt is finished I really need to get back to the other list. That is, after I mark a quilt tonight. This is the wedding quilt and the quilters are almost ready to start but I need to mark the border. Oops! 

A few items on my list for sure. 

1 - Clean - my house has the I need to get this quilt finished and have no time to do anything else! Especially cleaning. 

2 - Put Easter away.  I know the holiday lasts but I think it is time for the eggs, bunnies and chicks to make room for other decorations. 

3 - Switch the rest of my clothes. I have a few spring clothes out but I think now it is safe to get out the rest. Can't even bear to look at dark colored clothes right now. 

4 - Start work on the next wedding quilt. I think I have all the fabric now but have to choose a pattern - so many to choose from. 

I hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day. 

I have a finish!

I have a finish! The baby quilt is done and ready to go. I sewed the binding and the label last night before washing it. Now it is laying flat to dry. I'm hoping that it will dry by itself but if not the dryer is on call. It feels so good to have a finish and now I can deliver it this weekend. Yayy!

  

The quilt! I tried taking the pictures outside but there was too much shade.

I really love this border and the little chicks are also in the baby's bedding. 

Here you can see the stitching. I stitched in the ditch and really liked the back effect. 

I used several different fabrics in the binding. 

It is such a good feeling to be finished. I just loved working with this fabric. It was Sweet Baby by Susan Branch for Quilting Treasures. I love her designs and this fabric was so soft and easy to work with.

Now I can move on to the next list. Still more sewing but this time it will be clothes.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and Mother's Day.