Vintage Squares Quilt

I have no idea why this photo came out so wonky! I even took the photo twice, trying to get it straight. Oh well, the quilt is actually straight. I hope the doesn't mean that my back porch is crooked!


A few years ago (yes, years), I received a bunch of 6" squares cut from vintage sheets and fabrics. I came across them recently while trying to sort out my sewing room and decided to just put them all together to see how they looked. I'm very happy with the end result. It's a little like an I Spy quilt. I see something different every time I look at it. I'm keeping this one for myself and have even been sleeping with the ceiling fan on so that I can use my quilt!

This photo is a little better. That's me behind the quilt, showing it off during show and tell at our guild meeting.

Finished! Easy As Pie Quilt

I'm slowly working through my pile of UFO's, and actually making some progress.

At the beginning of July, I finished this quilt:

I used Crazy Mom Quilts' Easy As Pie quilt pattern. And actually, I think it was easier to make this quilt than to make a pie. (Except for the one fabric that was directional and kept ending up upside down!)

I used a thrifted Tommy Hilfiger sheet for the backing. The colors were perfect and I think the Hawaiian print makes it feel a little more casual.

The finished quilt measures approximately 58"x70".

I donated this quilt to the local hospice group that I volunteer for. They are raffling it off to raise funds for the volunteer department's crafting supplies. They often have school and church groups that volunteer their time to make greeting cards and door hangers for patients on hospice.

I have another quilt finished, but no photos yet. Soon, I hope.

Catching Up......again

July was a very busy month, filled with canning, vacation, a quilt show, a birthday party and some lovely afternoon naps.

Nathan and I headed to Oregon for a vacation visiting family. The weather was lovely and cool. The scenery, as always, was beautiful.



One of the highlights of the trip was going to the 36th Annual Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. There were over 1,300 quilts on display all over town. We didn't get around to all of them, but everything I saw was gorgeous. I took over 90 photos. I don't think blogger can handle all those, so I'll share a few of my favorites.











And finally, the birthday party.....5 boys, a backyard campout and lots of fun!

My little rock star!

Blowing out the candles on his camping cake.

Acting like a goofy nine year old.

Now we're in the final countdown of summer vacation. Only 3 weeks 'til school starts!

A slow start

Sheesh, it's Tuesday already. Where are the days going?

After my last post, I had high hopes of accomplishing quite a few things on my sewing to-do list.

I only managed to finish one thing. Well, I guess it's really 4 things.

I finished and delivered four aprons for hospice.

Finishing this picnic quilt will be my goal for this week. Again.
(basting, quilting and binding needed)

I was slightly more successful with my harvesting. We had marinated/grilled eggplant, squash and peppers for several meals.

I also discovered that I had LOTS of green beans hiding in my garden.

From this batch, I froze 4 quart size bags of garden fresh, super yummy green beans. (More of them would have made it to the freezer if I hadn't been snacking!)

I've also put up a couple pints of tomatoes and 5 pints of Bread & Butter Pickles.

A little slow on the sewing, but a great start on canning season.

Joining In: One Week, One Thing and Finish It Up

I've realized that I really need to spend some time digging my way out of my sewing room. There are several piles of fabric and unfinished projects sitting around. Obviously I need some motivation, so I've joined in on a couple of fun challenges.

First up is Amy's One Thing, One Week Challenge. No pressure with this one, just do one thing per week. I'm a planner, so being able to specify one project at a time will be great.

My plan for this week is to baste and quilt this picnic blanket:

If I can get the binding done too, that'll be even better.

The second challenge I'm joining is Meg's Finish It Up Challenge. This one will last all summer. I've gone through my WIP drawer and found some things that I'd completely forgotten about.

Here are the projects I hope to finish this summer:

Sew 4 clothing protectors (aprons) for hospice.

Bind my Vintage Squares quilt.

I started this Mama Backpack at least 2 years ago. Just need to make casings for the drawstring and sew the sides together.

Baste, quilt and bind this quilt top from June 2009.

More basting, quilting and binding. I can't even remember when I made this scrappy log cabin quilt top.

So, with some traveling and other planned activities, this should be plenty to keep me busy through the summer.

Wish me luck!

Garden Update

Summer is obviously here. It's gotten hot and my garden is going crazy! Tonight, we picked 8 pounds of produce.....cucumbers, yellow squash, green bell peppers and first of the season tomatoes.

Coming soon.....peas, beans, eggplant, anaheim chiles, jalapenos and tomatillos.

June 4th????

As usual, time has been flying by.

The last few weeks have been super busy with the end of the school year and fighting a rotten cold. Luckily, all the school stuff is finished and I'm feeling better.

Bring on summer vacation!

I have managed a little sewing recently. The BMQG had it's first swap last week. The theme was Summer Mug Rugs. This is the mug rug that I made:


I was inspired by the Accidental Landscapes of Karen Eckmeier. This was actually the second beach scene mug rug that I made. Hubby loved the first one so much that he said I couldn't give it away. It reminded him of some of the beaches that we like to visit on family trips.

I also have a new quilt in the works. And a plan to finish some of my UFOs!