I Like...

This beautiful scrap quilt on the cover of the Dec/Jan Quilt magazine. I don't buy many quilt magazines anymore (too many free patterns on the internet) but I had to buy this one. I love the style and colors of this quilt. if you are interested you can get a kit for only $120..! or use your own scraps;)

When Anna Maria Horner first showed her new line of needlework fabrics, I knew I wanted some of it! I thought it would never be released...I even dreamed about this fabric! Finally, the minute I got the notice that it was for sale, I hit the "buy now" button! I got 1 yard and I love it! The fabric is beautiful and it is marked for cross-stich or embroidery.

It is 58 wide and has different motifs to cross-stitch. This is just a different part of the same fabric as above. I am planning on making a bolster pillow and would love to use some of this in a quilt. If I could sew a skirt it would lovely in a patchwork skirt...or a bag!



Anna Maria also came out with a line of embroidery floss and thread. I had to save up and wait for a good coupon to buy these;) The floss is very pretty and will be so nice with the needlework fabric.

Other things that I like, CADE! He is doing so good in school this year!! He is very smart so he always has good grades but this year he is TRYING to make good grades and TRYING to stay out of trouble! That makes a big difference. He had school pictures last week and I tried to take a picture for Andy because he had been at work for 2 days. This was the best shot. He was being silly!

We have been out of school Monday and Tuesday (today) for Columbus Day and a teachers work day. It is rainy and cool...perfect Fall weather..if you want to stay in and sew. Not so much if you want to ride your bicycle.

My oldest son Joey is on his way to a job interview. Prayer is needed! That boy is something else. Friday night before midnight, I got a call that he was being rushed to the hospital with a broken arm. how did he break it??? Dancing!? I didnt even know the boy dances. He is fine but I sure would like to see a video of how you break your arm dancing.

Over the Weekend

I did participate in Friday Night Sew In. I just didnt blog about it! I prepped some more of the applique blocks that I have been doing. I fell in love with Amanda Jean's quilt!. I worked on my applique at Saturday Sewing at our church. This is what I have so far. I am just placing them on my design wall as I go...probably not my final design.

I also wanted to show this DARLING piece of calico fabric that my sweet friend Terri gave to me. Terri had it with her at Sat, Sewing and I fell in love with it. She had bought it at a yard sale of someone that was selling their elderly Mom's stash. I asked Terri for a scrap of it (I did think about stealing it) and she gave me the whole piece!! It is 9 1/2 inches wide and almost 3 yards long. I plan on cutting some for my applique blocks! I wish you could see it in person..it is so sweet with the little robin's egg blue flowers and the pink!! Love it!

Ok. I have to get on the ball today! Catching up for the weekend. We drove down to see Kelsey and had so much fun!! We saw her room, walked around the beautiful campus, ate Chinese food and fro-yo;) We also did a little shopping! and Good Momma here forgot her camera:)

So now I have to do some cleaning and run to the grocery store:( Cade has karate testing tonight..his last test before he starts his Black Belt training!

2 Reasons Why I Love My Husband

1. After hearing me talk about the talk about Denyse Schmidt designing a line of fabric for Joann's Stores....he took me to Joanns and let me buy a little (ok, in my world it was a lot!)

I don't have a problem buying fabric at Joann's. But, you have to be kinda picky about it. After working in a quilt store, I feel like I can judge fabric by feeling it and seeing it in person. This line feels wonderful! The colors are great too!

The 2 colorways are named "Picnic" and "Fairgrounds"

2. He's cooking fajita's for supper!

Japan Embroidery

I finished my embroidery piece for the quilt that Mom Wald's Place is making for the earthquake victims in Japan. The theme is fruits/veggies. I put alot of pressure on myself to make this block perfect. Of course, it is not perfect. I did my best but faces sure arent my specialty. So why did I pick a pattern with faces on it?? Because it is so darn cute!! I found the sweet pattern on Flickr by the awesome member MMAAMMBR

I love her vintage patterns and find myself using them alot! I am so glad that Mary is doing this project and I am so glad to help out.

After finishing up my embroidery I decided to go check out the new Quilt Shop. It is called Sewn with Love. I know the owner from the quilt shop that I used to work at (she worked there a little while too) She has always wanted to own a shop and when the only quilt shop in town closed..this was her chance! It's a cute shop and she has some beautiful stuff! I didnt have my camera or I would have taken a few pics. To help her stay in business I bought some 1/2 yards and a fat quarter. I was surprised to find out that her FQ's are still $2.50. I was immediately drawn to all the large scale prints but I remembered that I have PLENTY of those at home so I tried to buy some blenders. I love the fabrics that I got!

Here are a few shots form Cade and Andy's adventure. The went to The National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center. They loved it!!

This is the little chapel on base. They both want to go back!

Enjoy this day! I have to go to the grocery store then I HAVE to get a quilt basted!

Happy April Fools Day!

HELLO!! I am still here! I was just telling Jill that I think I have lost my quilting "mojo" I havent blogged because I really have not done anything blog worthy (have I ever?) Same old school and housework and Cade stuff. I have 2 projects that I need to get busy on but...sigh..I havent:( I do have the house to myself today (till Cade gets home) and I have been in my sewing room...not sewing, eating Cheese-Its and watching Criminal Minds. I went through some of my fabrics hoping to get a fabric high. Here is my main fabric cabinet. It doesnt look bad. Til I realized that I have to stuff all of this back in there

and this...

Tomorrow, Andy and I are going to Kelsey's college for a Sorority Banquet. I am excitied to see her and meet her "Sister's"

What do you do when you have no desire to sew? Do you ever get bored with your fabric and look for a different direction?

Bliss

Don't you love Fabric stores that appreciate your business? I ordered a little Moda Bliss from Desperate Quilters. The service was great, my fabric got here quickly. Plus, they put in a little bag of cinnamon tea and a pen! How sweet is that? I have no affiliation with them, just a happy customer! I don't have tons of money to spend on fabric right now and I am sure that I am not the only one. It makes me feel good to know that my order means something to the shops that I buy from!

I bought the solid blue fabric from Hancock fabrics in Rome, Ga. I will say that the clerk there did not appreciate my business, or atleast that's how she made me feel!

and while doing my grocery shopping in a cold rain, I was feeling terribly sorry for myself!! These 2 magazines made me feel better!

Now, I think I will go fix myself a cup of cinnamon tea and look at my magazines!

Enjoy your day!

Libby

My First Quilt

Since I am still handquilting my Halloween Quilt and that would make for a very boring post, I decide to blog about my first quilt. This quilt has been well loved and except for a loose spot on the binding it has held up well.

I made this quilt in 2004 for my daughter. I had never made a quilt before but I have always loved quilts. I had tried sewing garments for years and wasnt really good at it. I knew that many of my relatives had been quilters and I didnt want the craft to die out with my generation. After I started my first quilt I knew that quilting was in my blood!

This pattern is a snowball block. I got the pattern for the block from Marica's wonderful website "The Quilters Cache"The fabric I bought at Walmart. It has really cute VW Beetle cars on it. I bought the blenders at Walmart too. It is backed in flannel from Walmart. Say what you want but even with my begining quilting skills, this quilt has held up beautifully!! Today, I am kinda shocked to see how well I matched up all my points!! At the time I didnt know that was a big thing, I just wanted it to be pretty and neat! My daughter loves this quilt and that is all that mattered to me!

I handquilted it with varigated thread...from Walmart!

What was your first quilt?

Have a great day! I'm off to vote!

Giveaway!!

I don't blog giveaways unless I think that they are SUPER GREAT and this one is!! The Vintage Sheet Blog is having a great giveaway!! She's giving away Moda's new fabric line Dream on!!! and I want to win!! but...lucky for you she is giving away a ton of the stuff so go on over and sign up!

3 Things That I am Loving Right Now

This is the little tray that I bought when we were in the mountains. I love the colors of it and it is great to hold a few of my favorite things!

This book makes me SO happy. It was definitely the pick-me-up that I needed with Kelsey being back at college. It is "Embroidery Companion" by the AMAZING Alicia Paulson.

I LOVE new fabric!! and nothing is better than Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet 2!

I'm putting in alot of time at the Media Center this week but come friday I hope to spend the evening sewing up some pillowcases for my sweet girl!

Shopping!

I had a great time fabric shopping! We went to Tiny Stitches, a quilt shop about 40 minutes from here. It is a very nice shop and everyone was very nice.

I bought fabric for 2 different baby quilts. Kelsey picked out some fabric for me to make her a new pillowcase.
Next, we had a nice lunch. It was nice to visit with Kelsey without the boys there acting like nuts! I missed having Cade around though, I can't remember do much fabric shopping without him!

We also stopped in at Quilts and Fixins. Very sweet shop! I bought batting and a pattern.

I took pictures of my loot but they are all very blurry:(..I am working on Kelsey's pillowcase today so I hope to retake the pics later on!
Thanks for reading!

Summertime!

Everyone has been showing such beautiful gardens and flowers on thier blogs! I thought I would share these flowers that are on my deck. I have 2 containers of these. Andy planted these last year for Kelsey's graduation party. I can't believe it has been a year! She will be starting her second year of college soon. I am really enjoying having that girl home for the summer. She works everyday but we are enjoying the evenings when she is home.

Tomorrow, me, Andy and Kelsey are going to hit some quilt shops. I am so excitied! I'll be back to show you what goodies I find!

Have a great summer day!

Weekend Wrap Up

We had a busy weekend around here! All last week the students in our county had CRCT testing. It is a set of tests that have to be passed to pass 3rd, 5th and 8th grades. It is a long stressful week for students and teachers. Our school celebrated the test being over on Friday Night. We did a "Movie on the Lawn" we also had a concession stand. The kids loved it. It was alot of work and made for a long day. I think we left there at around 10:30 pm. That is very late for me! I had "volunteered" Andy to work too! He had to mark off the lawn with stakes and ties. He got sunburned on his neck. I am sure that he was thanking me while sweat was rolling in his eyes!

Saturday, Kelsey (and her laundry) came home for the day. We had terrible storms but we all enjoyed a nice lunch out and a little shopping.

Sunday, we had church, then we went out. We are looking for some new living room furniture. I dont know how we ended up at Joann's but we did!! Maybe because Toys R Us is next door to it and Cade had been wanting to go there and "look around" The picture above is of the fabric I bought. (but didnt need)
It was a nice weekend but now, I need to clean up around here and buy some groceries!!
Hope everyone had a Great weekend!
Libby