Wild Weekend!

My cousin and I took a rode trip this past weekend. Here are just a few of the highlights:


We had to share the road with this guy.

And with this guy.

Finished!

I forgot to post a picture of the actual finished product. It's a bit dark. There are actually 4 quilts in this picture that I've made.

Here's the back. It kind of looks like an H, hmmmmmm......not sure I'm crazy about that. But I really do love this quilt.

It measures 92"X80". Fits a queen size. This was a real bugger to quilt! I started in the summer and I had to quit and finish in September -it was too hot in July to have this big thing in my lap. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Finally done!

But I had to wash it before giving it to the winner due to this:



and this:
I don't think they're as excited as I am that it's done!

Having a great summer!

Apparently, I'm too busy to post! I have been doing some sewing, but not much. When you live in the north sewing is definitely a winter hobby.

I finished the half marathon in 3 hours 4 minutes. My knee gave out about mile 6 and I had to walk the rest of the way. The last few miles were more like hobbling, but I made it.


Here is the quilt top for the quilt I raffled off. Luckily the winner is a friend and understands that it isn't done yet.

I bought all the fabric at Jo Ann fabrics and I believe it was all "Expressions" by M'Liss Rai Hawley, I forgot to check the selvege before I tossed it (that's right, I don't keep the selveges!).

These are the fabrics for the back. I was going to try to piece together a back but it would be too busy, therefore I'm going to buy another yard of the paisley circles and make it simple.

I've also been on not one, but TWO vacations this summer! As well as a Bahamian vacation in the spring. We just got back from a visit to the Oregon coast with a friend and her kids. It was amazing. The Pacific is MUCH different than the Atlantic ocean. We actually witnessed a "negative tide" the last morning we were there, but due to dealing with car trouble none of us thought to take a picture-stupid! None of us had cell service where we were staying but when we walked on the shore freed up by the tide being out, we had service! In the "middle" of the ocean! Too funny.

Here's a picture of 2 of the kids "touching" the ocean for the first time in their lives-exciting stuff!

Running wears me out.

Minnie says "Mommy's new running schedule wears me out".

I'm training for a half marathon. I've walked it the last two years but I'm going to try to run it this year (well, jog it anyhow).

Since I've started running outside (rather than on the treadmill at the gym) I take the pups with me sometimes. Today we hiked for an hour then ran 4 miles (with dogs on leash) afterward. I do stop about every mile or so and let them get in the water for a minute, so not continuous running for me. I usually take them the last few miles when I want a reason to stop for a minute here and there! Also, who wants to come home after a run and have two crazy dogs wanting their attention?

Quilt Top Done!

I finished the quilt top for our new bedroom quilt. I'm not sure that I like it, and I have no idea if the hubs will like it. I'm not too sure about the border. Kind of flowery, but I just fell in love with the fabric when I saw it in the store and had to buy it. I'm not sure I made the right choice of patterns, but it's done-so WOOT!




It's made entirely of the "Blooming" fabrics by Elanine Salcer-LOVE THEM!

I plan to use the same fabric as the sashing for the binding. I'm in the process of piecing together the back.

End of the road to spring!

I finished this a while back, again, I don't know how people get the pictures off their cameras to the computer so quickly! I just don't take enough time to do it.

Anyhow, it arrived safely yesterday to the recipient (Happy B-Day Sis!). She really liked it. I had called her daughter to see what colors she would like, and I guess we did ok as she seemed to really like it.

Here's the finished project:


I really do like this pattern and plan on making a Christmas quilt from it-hopefully before Christmas!

Tigger is growing up!

Isn't he beautiful! He is such a terror, he plays with all the other cats and dogs in the house. I will have to video it some time-it's unbelievable.

Paradise!

That's where we are.


DH thinks he's in heaven.

He caught this box fish from the dock-bliss!

New bedroom quilt

Here is the fabric stack for the quilt I'm making for our bedroom.

Here are the squares and a few strips.

This will be based loosely on this quilt.

I am going to make it a queen size and instead of the short strips I am going to use the red as sashing between all the squares. I have the triangle blocks done but I didn't take a picture before I left-I'm on vacation so the quilt isn't here with me.

Hmmmmmmmmm..........hopefully dh won't mind all the flowers! I didn't think of it until I started cutting.

I have all but about 2 feet of binding to attach to the spring quilt along quilt. I was just too busy to finish it before I left. It is so stressful getting ready for vacation, but the relaxation time once here, well worth it!

Quilted and ready to go!

I finished quilting my quilt last night. Tonight I made my binding. I think I really like it!


Here's my pile of strips for binding.

And binding ready to go! Woot! My DH is gone fishing for the weekend, so I should be able to attach this tomorrow afternoon-after hiking the dogs and working out. Then an entire afternoon of uninterrupted sewing! I can hardly wait!!!!!

The back road to spring

Here's the back. Like I said, not thrilled with it, but it's growing on me.



I realized I didn't have near enough left over fabric for the back. Then I found....hmmmmmmmm........about TEN yards of off-white muslin. I vaguely remember buying it when it was on sale. I thought it was the perfect solution. It just seems a bit busy for a backing.

No, I haven't caught up!

Work, work, work. When will I ever get caught up??????? Hopefully this weekend.

I pieced the back, not sure if I like it, and I have my sandwich done/pinned. I'm taking "my girl" to the humane society tomorrow then I should have my weekend free. The weather is supposed to be nice-darn! not because I don't like nice weather, but it's hard to stay in and get any sewing done when it's nice-we live in the north and need to take advantage of any sunshine. I'm hoping to finish this quilt, then start on one for charity-I'm doing a charity run (well, it's a half marathon, I'm sure I will mostly walk) in July, and I'd also like to try this same pattern in Christmas fabrics.

In other news, I'm training for a 10k in April-I have "run" (and I use the term loosely) 2.5 miles without stopping/walking three times this week! Yah for me! DH and I are taking a vaca in April and would both like to be a bit lighter by then, so far he's lost 4 lbs (in 5 days!) and I've lost about 3.5 (in 2 weeks-why is it so much easier for them?). I feel wonderful though and I'm at a weight that I haven't been at in about 4 years-yes, I've lost some prior to this, but I could never get under a certain weight, now I'm 3.5 lbs under that-woot! It sure is easier when he's on board too!

I have pictures but I'm not sure where I saved them. Perhaps I can get things uploaded this weekend.

In other, other news, we have a new baby girl due in our family any minute now. I did send a few items on her registry but I also sent these 2 receiving blankets. I can't wait to meet this newest addition!



I love making these blankets, and from everything I've heard and read, you can never have enough!

Quilt Along-Week 3 Done!

Although they are on week 4. I'll catch up!

So, I went from this:

To this: That's Jazzy helping me lay out my strips.

To This!



I should get caught up this weekend. At first I wasn't sure I liked this pattern but I really like it now. I have quite a bit of Christmas fabric from various projects that never got done. I think this is a great pattern to use up some of that fabric. Wouldn't this make a great Christmas quilt? Thanks Randi for the quilt-a-long!

Double sided quilt?

I made this great quilt. Here's the front:


Here's the back:


Here is the finished product:

I think I like the back as much as the front, that's why I called it double sided. It didn't take long to piece together, the front or the back. It spent more time here than it took to put it together. I believe I had it almost done by Christmas but got zero done in January.

The pattern is the Me and My Sister Designs "10 Cents- a 10 inch square friendly quilt". I added a 6" border around it. I purchased the pattern and all the fabric at my local quilt store. I believe the fabric line is from Blank Textiles, Inc. (or that is what the only selvege I have left has on it). This is the fabric I purchased on Black Friday when I refused to wait over 2 hours to get fabric cut at Joanne's. It was 20% off and I had the store clerks attention almost the entire time I was in the store. She helped me pick out fabric and calculate how much I would need. I asked her to cut extra (as is my habit, you never know when you might want to make pillow cases or something), and I ended up with enough to make the entire back.


I think this quilt turned out pretty nice but if I could do it over I would add a 3" inner boarder in the same fabric as the binding, then add the boarder that I did. I don't have a design wall and had to lay it out on the floor. Given the animal traffic around here I couldn't leave it there for long and I didn't realize I had triangles from the same fabric as the border on the outside. That's ok though, I still think it's a pretty great quilt.

On the Road To Spring quilt along

I have joined Randi's "on the road to spring" quilt along over at i have to say.... She has a great site and etsy shop and is kind enough to be doing a quilt along with great instructions.

Here is the fabric I chose:

Here are my 100 rectangles and 100 squares:

There is a fair amount of fabric left over so I think I will be able to piece a great backing. Either that or I may cut more squares and rectangles and make a bigger quilt.

Finished auction quilt

Although it never went to auction. Here's the finished product. I should have taken a picture of it on our couch, because that is where it has been residing.

Here's a picture with the backing. A very "fall" quilt.

Tigger AKA "Road Rash"

Here is stray kitty at 3.5 months. He's beautiful!

His road rash is all gone now. He's gone from a lethargic little guy to quite an active little terror! He has stolen everyone's heart-even the other cats and dogs in the house.

I can't get a picture like the one below because he doesn't sit still and he always sleeps under/behind something.

Stray Kitty

My cousin found this little kitty on the side of the highway by her work. It had been below zero the prior week and was not much warmer the week they found him. Someone had seen a little orange puff rolling down the side of the road and told the girls about it, they immediately put their boots on and went looking for him. They found this little guy and named him Road Rash. He is adorable.

A friend of mine was looking for an orange, long haired kitten so she agreed to take him. He was emaciated and dehydrated, and so lethargic there were a few times I wasn't sure if he would even live. The vet gave him subcutaneous fluids and special food and before long he was an alert, playful kitten. He has been renamed Tigger and has gained almost 2.5 lbs since just before Christmas!

Oh My!

No post since October-YIKE! I have done a fair amount of sewing and crafting, I just have a hard time getting the pictures from the camera to the computer. January is by far the busiest month of my work life, I should be working right now, not writing here. Oh well, sometimes I just need to get away from it.

The below quilt was finished in time for the fundraiser and is beautiful. Unfortunately, due to gambling laws they weren't able to auction the quilt, so I kept it. Sadly I didn't make it extra wide so it doesn't really fit over my DH and I (we are X-large) so I don't like using it on my bed. Right now it is being used as an additional cover on the couch. It looks quite nice and matches the colors perfectly. I shouldn't have used it, I could have auctioned it next summer for my fundraiser-oh well. Hopefully I will post pictures of the finished product soon.

I started another quilt in late November and was moving along quite well, then I got stalled and it is (literally) on my machine about half quilted. I love it and I can't wait to blog about it. I bought the fabric at my local quilt store-the day after Thanksgiving. I went to JoAnn's with my coupons in my fist, but I wasn't willing to wait TWO HOURS to have my fabric cut. Really, is any deal worth that? I don't think so. The women were crazy (and yes, it was all women), they had 10 or more bolts of fabric in their carts to cut-good grief! I stopped at my LQS after purchasing a ruler at Joann's (had to use at least one coupon) and the gal spent time with me helping me pick out fabrics that matched, calculating the yardage I needed and etc. It was wonderful-and 20% off! Although I'm sure I paid more per yard, I think I got the better deal! I pieced the top and back pretty quickly, but like I said, it's sitting on machine half quilted. Soon, I hope.

Sadly, my favorite quilting blogger is no longer going to blog-:( Good bye Amanda Jean! You are already missed. Luckily she is going to keep her blog up for a while, I need to download her tutorials.

Goals this year-MUCH more sewing/quilting; run a 10k in May, run/walk a half marathon in July, eat/live healthier;"fire" my 2 clients that I've had forever but I only bill a few hours a month, just not worth the effort. That's all I can think of right now-that are realistic anyhow.

Happy New Year!