My Week So Far

Time seems to be getting away from me lately!
I have been trying to go around and do some blog reading. But I
haven't had much time to leave any comments.
I also haven't been very good about answering many of my emails either.
I am sorry about that. I am reading them and I do appreciate all of your comments!
I hope to do better soon. So thanks for taking the time to comment...

So, my week so far-
This is a picture of an apron I have in my collection that I ran across when I was
looking for an apron to wear for Thanksgiving!
I just love those vintage colors... and the little hexies are so cute too.



Here is what I had to start dealing with on Monday.
I haven't been called to duty yet...
I have just been having to call in every evening to see
if my "group" is needed.

It seems that I always get these summons
around the holidays!
The courthouse is an hour drive away.
It is super annoying to have to travel that far to
do my duty. Otherwise I do like court cases.
I had been to school to be a stenographer before, so it's something
that intrigues me.


I have been able to get my blocks together for the
Studly and the Mrs. quilt along.



I love star blocks, so I am liking the way this quilt is coming together.

Here was a cute pattern that I saw made up at Bear Paw Quilts and More.

I was there during my lunch time today...
I met with my sewing machine guru and showed her my
featherweight. Remember a week or so ago that I ran over a pin with it and broke the needle?
Well, it seems that machines don't like that very much and it threw it out of sync.
My friend, Mary, did a little of this and that and got her
all fixed up! Yeah!
Well, I am just minutes away from calling in for jury duty again... wish me luck!

Mosaic Monday: Welcome!

Welcome, Christmas, bring your cheer. Cheer to all Whos far and near. Christmas Day is in our grasp, so long as we have hands to clasp. Christmas Day will always be just as long as we have we. Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart to heart, and hand in hand.


That is a quote, of course, from the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. It's one of my favorite
 books from Dr. Suess and one of my favorite Christmas story's.
Put on the Christmas music and break out the boxes!!!
It's time to decorate!

The Rain Was On My Side

I am so glad that it rained on Sunday!
The only chore that was on my list
was mowing the lawn! Ha! That wasn't going to happen!
So I crossed it off and headed up to the sewing room...


I only have one charm pack of Countdown to Christmas
(how can that be?)
So I went ahead and opened it and started making a row of
houses to make into a pillow...
I saw Carrie's post earlier in the week and was dieing to make one of those cute pillows or two!

(edit: thanks for pointing out the door that is upside down Sue! I must have been getting sleepy)

And then I moved on to some little basket blocks
to see how they were going to turn out.
I haven't done the handles yet though.
I am using the Petite Fours pattern by Fig Tree Quilts.
I love the colors of the blues and the creams in Blueberry Crumb Cake
by Blackbird Designs. I am not a big "blue" person..
but I love the shades in this group.
But, I do also love  Robin's Egg blue and beachy blues also...
like in my Schnibbles quilt
 Full House
aka Beach Houses
(did I mention I finished up this one also)?

I was savoring my seersucker charm packs of Dandelion Girl
by Fig Tree Quilts & Co.
Those seersuckers accompanied the line of fabric and were so hard to find.
But I love the sweet stripes and the texture of them and am glad that I used them for this
little quilt.

And just as I suspected, there is not much sewing happening this week so far.
Oh, I did trim the 1,987 flying geese
for the Studly and the Mrs. quilt along... does that count?
I figure that I should be done with the geese right about the time
it's time to start the "turkey"!

Mosaic Monday

Do you know what my favorite
part of the
Thanksgiving holiday is?



Well, family and friends are first... but pie is a close second!!!
So what are your plans for the holiday this week?

Got My Work Cut Out For Me

I mean that in a good way!

I'm thinking Blueberry Crumb Cake and Petite Fours will be a good match.

The pattern calls for one of those 4 1/2" bundles but I think my Layer Cake can adapt.

I wanted to use a basket pattern for the fabric group and my second choice was Bunny Hill..

you can see the pattern underneath the Fig Tree pattern. But I am liking the combo here. I think I will stay with that.
And another one that is on the list... especially after Carrie's post last week...

I am jazzed now about making my Beach Houses and even cut out fabric to make one of the pillows

like she made... using my Countdown to Christmas fabric.

Yes, I have big plans for the weekend...

and even though my little black featherweight is sick right now...

I have my backup plan ready to go....

The little white one is on standby!

So that's my plan... and I'm stickin' to it!

Me and this gal have a date in my sewing room!

It might just be our last chance before the holidays take over.

Mosaic Monday

First, I am showing you what I worked on over the weekend. I had some time in the

mornings to make a little headway on this quilt.

Well, that is until my needle hit a pin...  and broke my needle. I rarely use pins. It was the second pin I used that day.

But it somehow threw my featherweight out of whack...

After an hour or so I gave up and am now seeking wisdom from the Singer Guru's.

I have a call into a friend of mine who is very knowledgeable right now...

fingers crossed that it doesn't have to go in for serious repair work. *g*

So onward...

here are of my favorite pictures from Market 2011.

Unfortunately, there were several designers that were not
having booths this year.
I love looking at the photos of the displays.
I have a degree in Design, Display and Visual Promotion...
(not something I actually do) so, needless to say I love
that aspect of Market... the fabric is just icing on the cake!

In Appreciation of Your Sacrifice



 This picture is one I keep at my desk. I look at every day since 2007.

I keep this boy and his family in my prayers. But it's not just a prayer for them, it's for all the veterans and for all of their families.

For all of those who have served and for those who are serving now.

 Their sacrifices are great and are greatly appreciated.

The Daily News Journal:


As 8-year-old Christian Golczynski accepted the flag from his father's casket, tears flowed freely from the mourners, and even Marine Lt. Col. Ric Thompson, who presented the flag to the boy, showed a trace of emotion.


"My Marc made the sacrifice for my freedom," said Heather Southward Golczynski, widow of the fallen Marine. "That is a debt I won't ever be able to repay."


A week before he was killed in action, the young Marine wrote this:


"I want all of you to be safe. And please don't feel bad for us. We are warriors. And as warriors have done before us, we joined this organization and are following orders because we believe that what we are doing is right. Many of us have volunteered to do this a second time due to our deep desire to finish the job we started. We fight and sometimes die so that our families don't have to. Stand beside us. Because we would do it for you. Because it is our unity that has enabled us to prosper as a nation."

Forever in our hearts. Thank you.

One Cute Snowfella

Isn't he the sweetest snowman?

The Old Cupboard Door blog is having a giveaway for him.

I just love this fella and wish I had this kind of talent!

Willa makes amazing prim style treasures!
Oh, I guess I'm suppose to mention that you should go over
there for a chance to win it.
 But I just want you to know that it would
look great in my home!

I haven't opened my bundle of Nine Dots yet...
but I am chomping at the bit to start my Swoon quilt with it!

I have been working on this guy off and on

... forever... and it looks like I have a couple

more blocks to finish. When I get it done I will tell

you the story of this quilt. It's a "evolution" quilt.

(Sandie, if you are reading this... didn't you make one using the MBS pattern and add sashing)?

My main focus this week:

I have been working on my blocks for the Studly & the Mrs. quilt along over at
Charming Chatter with Kellie.

Just four more blocks to go...

and then the flying geese border!

(I'm behind the rest of the quilt along-ers)

Here is a picture of Kellie's quilt.
(she's ahead of everybody)
See how it gets a thin sashing between the blocks? And then another sashing before the
flying geese, and on the outer border also. I was thinking of adding another border to
the outside that would contrast with the light borders.

A Recap of October And What's on the List

For as busy as I was last month... there isn't a whole lot that
got accomplished in my sewing room.

One of the two things I finished in October was

another quilt from the Scrap Basket Sensations book.

I love it in the Christmas colors and with the polka dot borders.

I used nothing but stash fabric too!

I enjoyed making this pattern again.

My only other accomplishment was a Schnibbles quiltlette.

I call it T and the Ladybug Picnic.

A few things that I didn't get done but would like to

finish up with is.......

the binding on this Vintage Dishes quilt.

I have been making blocks for the sew along with Kellie over at

Charming Chatter. I actually have made most of the blocks now!

I have this wonderful bundle of Nine Dot and I have been waiting and watching

all of the different versions of Swoon... and I think I finally have the combination

I want here. The perfect match for me!

I have loved seeing all of the different quilts being made out there in blogland.

I especially liked a Halloween version I saw.

But this is the fabric that really did make me Swoon!

Yes, I have another Schnibbles started... yes, I am addicted.

This one is Full House, but I will be calling it

Beach Houses.

I actually found a notepad (buried) on my cutting table...

looks like this is what I had in mind plus a couple more.

I think that must be a note to myself for projects that include

November as well as December.

So much to do, and not enough time to do it in.

Finishes and New Beginnings

Sad to see Le Petite finish...

but there are always new beginnings.



I loved seeing the parade and seeing how so many of you did all 12 of the projects too!

Honorable mentions to those, like me, who made most of the quilts...

and gave it a good try!

I think Sherri even scrambled and missed a month or two as well.

It certainly isn't easy to accomplish when you are so busy with

all of the everyday things that need to get done too.

So, even though we are all winners... 

  Well, there seems to be a little something special for some of our Le Petite  parade people!

                                        

Carrie Nelson (Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.) is awarding a roll of her wonderful fabric "Nine Dots"

along with a layer cake of Little Gatherings to a couple of you!

(photos borrowed from Hawthorne Threads and FQS)

The recipients are:

Joyce

and

Michele

 

and also a winner for a Quilt Taffy gift certificate...

which goes to........

Carol

and one more winner...

Leah

that will be getting a gift certificate from Quilter's Paradise!


oh wait... and just one more...
Sherri and I are putting a little something together for one more person...

Sandie, from Crazy Bout Quilts!

Thanks for playing along, thanks for coming to see what everybody has created and

a special thanks to our wonderful Quilt Shops for the prizes...

and maybe a special thank you to the designers of

the patterns we got to play with!

Speaking of finishes and beginnings...
Sherri and I aren't finished yet...
We will be starting up again at the beginning of 2012 with Another Year of Schnibbles and More
I will be sure to announce the details as soon as Sherri and I have them!


And then there are beginnings of another kind.......

I wanted to show you a photo of the quilt a friend of mine made... 

her son is getting married this weekend

and this is her gift to the lucky couple:

She designed the pattern herself.

Winery's and golfing are a big part of the couple's lives

so she wanted to give it a Tuscany feel.

The LAQ embellished the vines a little more in the quilting.

 

Isn't it a beautiful gift?

Le Petite Grand Finale

HI! I have missed you all this last week or so!

Thank you for all your nice comments and thoughts for me.

It's nice to be back in blogville with you again.

And... to celebrate with a parade ta' boot!

I am so excited to revisit your collections of Le Petite projects!

Although I have been "absent" from blogville, I have taken

a few minutes to look at my emails here and there

when I have had a moment to relax.

I love seeing the quilts that were made during the past year for

Le Petite... I know you are going to love seeing them too!

It gets me all reved up to do it again!!!

Here are some of my quilts from the year...

Time is running short so I will settle for half of the collection of  Le Petite.

But most importantly...

here are the quilts from the Le Petite participants!!!

This collection was created by Allison, Cardygirl blog.

Did you count them? Yes, all 12 were completed!

This collage of gorgeous quilts is

from Joyce... from And Sew On blog.

Don't the quilts look great together?

You really really need to see her quilts individually on Joyce's blog!

Here is a picture of Endless Summer by Shannon from Nunus Quilting World blog.

I kive the color placement and the bright fabrics she used. This was a fun quilt to make.

This collection is just beautiful and almost needs no introduction...

since Buster is posed in most of the photos here...

we know that these were created by Carol at Carol's Crafty Creations blog!

I grabbed this picture from LeAnn's blog post at Sewing Straight Stitches that shows all of her

Le Petite quilts because this also had Tuley Bear photographed with the quilt!

Go over to LeAnn's blog to see all of her other sweet quilts!

I love this one here by Leah... aka Quilted Delights. I love the way this one came together..

and you will want to see all of her other creations for Le Petite on her blog!

Do you not just love this one? It's Paganini.

Kim at Kim's Big Quilting Adventure... is very

adventurous with her patterns! You have to check out her parade of Le Petite quilts 

on her blog!

And from Paws for Stitching blog,

here is a beautiful version of  Butter Churn by Dorothy.

Does this give you any ideas for a quilt holiday gift???

This  is one of Kay's quilts from Le Petite...

she sent me all the pictures and I attempted to make a collage of them, however a few just wouldn't cooperate! So, here are MOST of Kay's other lovely creations!

And here is a sample of the delightful quilts from Red Door Quilting



I love this quilt... and now I need to go make another Honeycomb!

Newly added to the parade:



This is Full House and is from Sandie at Crazy Bout Quilts...
you can see the rest of her collection on her blog!
She always made fun little twists to her  projects!


This is Endless Summer from Michele at Island Life Quilts...
lots more eye candy over at her blog!

There are a few more gorgeous quilts to see over at
May's blog: Krisp Quilts. I love her style and her photography too!

Thank you to everyone who played along this past year.

Your quilts are amazing and inspirational!

Thanks for sharing your talent and making each month so much fun too!

I will look forward to the first of the year when Sherri and I start up

Another Year of Schnibbles!

I guess that means that we need to start getting busy and get prepared for January!