Next top for crisis centers...

I do not like borders. But I slogged through these last night - the top had been done for a few days and it was bugging me that this was not "finished".

































I'm thinking Yvette can have a field day on this one. She has taken a class and is eligible to rent a long arm at a shop near her.... I told her I could cover the rent (though she is arguing with me about that already!) - and she can practice on the three double bed sized quilts!!

This has much open, simple space in which to play. Even a panto would be perfect.... It will be fun to see how this one finishes up!

Now that that one is off my plate.... I'm going digging in the bin for the next one for the Crisis Center and should be able to start this weekend. :)

Saturday, Saturday, Saturday Night's Alright....

It was a good day. Typing got done. Then we went out to dinner, Michael, Karen and I, to celebrate Michael's finishing up of the taxe returns....federal, state, personal, kids, friends, and the 4,592 page corporate return - you name it, they're done. We went to the Cheesecake Factory and as usual had a fantastic meal. We have yet to be disappointed there!

I came home and did some sewing. Last night, I got the ten inch block for this month's Saturday Sampler done..
















This one was fun!

Then tonight, I tackled the three accompanying five inch blocks.

















Little pieces! (Glasses included in the pic to show how small the fabric bits were!)
















By the second one, I was zipping along and chaining significant sections.

















And here's my three! I'm loving these. They are hard enough to be challenging, but not so hard that I miss out on that sense of satisfaction when I'm done!

Tomorrow afternoon, Karene is coming over to sew. I'm not sure what she's stitching, but I hope to get a significant portion of a Crisis Center quilt top completed! Would be cool if I could complete it! A lofty goal, but if I don't aim high, it will be next winter and they won't all be done!!

:)

Being Green!

I'm not getting as much sewing done as I'd like.... but then, I'm not sure there would ever be a time when I got as much done as I liked!

I did have a chance to make a birthday present for my Mom this past weekend. She doesn't read my blog, so I can show it.... ;)

She was "green" before being green was cool. She has recycled as long as I can remember, and she is frugal, with a Capital F!! She and Dad take great delight in being good stewards of their finances, and she often saves WAY more than she spends at the grocery store with coupons, sales, etc. That allows them to purchase some things on the "wish list" for the Womens' Crisis Centers in their town, and they sometimes stop on their way home from the store to drop off some goodies they have scored with coupons, etc.

Anyway, I thought she might enjoy some cloth grocery sacks. I believe her store gives her a certain number of pennies off her order for each bag they don't have to provide for her, so here are two she can use, and if it's ever necessary, wash and reuse!

I got my embroidery machine going, making a cute design for each of the two bags I was making...

















At the same time that I was constructing the basic bags on another machine! Efficiency!

I hit stash for this project, and of course, chose a green print for the outside....

















and a somewhat coordinating print with green in it, for the inside.

























































Voila! I tucked two grocery pads in, each with an owl design (Mom collects owls and, at last count, Dad said there were 450+ owls in the house!) Happy Birthday Mom!!

Next project!
















I'll be making another quilt top for the Crisis Centers this weekend. I cut this full-size one from stash, and realized afterwards that I had enough to also cut an additional twin size.


And I still have some of this fabric left. So I'm headed back to M&L's for additional gold (I know I saw more there!) and more white-on-off-white print.... There is a room at the center called the "family room" which has a double, two twins and a crib bed..... perhaps I will end up with coordinating quilts for the "big" beds in that room!



I hope to have a meeting of the "Red Hot Sew'n Sews" (our quilting friends group) and make string blocks for a few quilts for the Centers also! Just gotta set a date and shovel out the downstairs so everyone can sew here!



Sew Many Ideas, Sew Little Time!

Crisis Center Quilt Top #1

Here’s the first finished quilt top for the Crisis Centers my dad and mom work with. I will layer it with batting and backing tomorrow, pin it, and then start quilting it all together. It's an easy pattern (Take Five Gets the Point) but I had fits with it when I was arranging the blocks.... completely pilot error, I'm sure. I’m not entirely happy with it, but it has the colorful and scrappy look I was going for, and I think I’ll like it MUCH better when it’s quilted and has the binding on it. I'm giving thought to trying some quilting patterns with my embroidery machine around the sides.... but I may get over that in an effort to get going on quilt top #2.
















I have enough scraps left over (and this was donated fabric from sweet Ms. Ellen to start with!) to make several Sunbonnet Sue blocks and I hope to do this with scraps from each quilt I make, thereby gaining a whole ‘nuther quilt at the end of this project, with bits and scraps from each quilt along the way.

The Little People took the opportunity to test the quilt top for softness and check it out as a wrestling surface.






























Tuffboy goes for the throat!
















And Kimi retaliates with an assault on his leg! That’s my girl!

I made Chicken Piccata from Pioneer Woman's website for dinner and DH said it was was great. In fact he suggested I write to her and mention that so far, every dinner and dessert I've made from her recipes has been a "keeper". (Last night there may have been some funnel cakes made using a recipe from her Tasty Kitchen site, that made us think it was August and time for the Orange County Fair!)

Good night!