Finished Just in Time!

Hello!  :)

Happy Easter! I hope the Easter bunny brings you lots of chocolate!  ;)

This past week I finished a couple of small cross stitch pieces before I worked on my 6 Fat Men again. The first piece I did was Lizzie Kate's Limited Edition "Chicks". It's stitched on the linen that came with the kit. I used all the threads called for and substituted a couple I didn't have on hand. Here it is . . .

Today I actually had time to sit down and make the piece into a pillow.

Of course I used lots of pink!  ;)  I also added some buttons, charms, lace and rick rack. I think it turned out really nice. I actually have a finished, finished piece before Easter! Okay it's only a day before Easter but it still counts!  ;)

Last week I also finished another Lizzie Kate Limited Edition design, "A Bee C".

I stitched this on the linen that came with the kit. I used the threads called for and again substituted a couple I didn't have on hand.

I don't know if you remember or not but I'm taking part in the Stitch-Along over at www.stitch-a-long.blogspot.com. We're doing a small project every month instead of a quilt this year. This month's project is a pincushion from the Some Kind of Wonderful book by Anni Downs. Here it is . . .

The pattern on the sides are embroidered with pink perle cotton. The top is made with 1-1/2" squares of Pam Kitty Morning that I had leftover from my "My Favorite Things" quilt. It went together pretty quick. Good thing too since it has to be done by tomorrow. Nothing like the last minute!  ;)

I stuffed it with crushed walnuts. The pins are two that my friend Donna gave me last year. I thought they looked nice in it.  :)

Next month we will be making a wallhanging from the book "Tis the Season" by Natalie Bird. I got a head start today. (Okay so I'm only a day earlier, but I'm usually a last minute kind of gal). I traced the embroidery patterns on some muslin and backed them in fusible batting so they're ready to stitch.

Last by not least . . . my 6 Fat Men . . . I worked a couple of nights this week on the next section, "Snow Friends".

It's coming along nicely. Thanks for visiting!  :)

Until next time . . .

My Favorite Things is All Done!!!!!!!! :)

Hello!  :)

Yes it's DONE!!!! I'm soooo happy! I absolutely LOVE the way it tuned out!!!!  :)  Here it is . . .

And the back (not that you can see much - well maybe if you enlarge it) . . .

I tried to take a close up picture of the hand quilting but you really can't see too much.

In the borders I stitched four-petal flowers in every other square with a loop in between with white. In the strip sections I stitched larger four-petal flowers with 2 loops between with white. Four the blocks I outline stitched them in red and used white to outline all the shapes in the blocks. As for the smaller block sections between them I stitched one, two or three, five-petal flowers on some of the larger squares using yellow for the centers and either red, pink, blue, or dark blue for the petals. Here it is all folded up . . .

And one last peek at all that Pam Kitty Morning goodness! I love that fabric and it really made this quilt a treasure for me.  :)

I stitched this as part of a Stitch-A-Long over at http://stitch-a-long.blogspot.com/. Be sure to go there to check out some of the other girls quilts. Thanks for sharing in this experience with me. It's actually the first quilt I finished for myself. Yes, it's mine! All mine!!!!  ;)

Until next time . . .

Friday Night Sew In & More

Hello!  :)

Well . . . I didn't really accomplish what I planned for my Friday Night Sew-In this month.  :(

The design I ended up putting on my "My Favorite Things" quilt border ended up taking quite a bit longer to quilt than I thought it would. Oh well . . . that's the way it goes sometimes. I ended up loving how it turned out though and that's all that matters!  :)  On Friday I ended up running a lot of errands so I didn't get much done that day. When the night rolled around I sat and stitched more on the border. On Saturday I sat and stitched more and the border. On Sunday I finally finished the border quilting! Yea! I got the binding cut, sewed on and pinned today. Tonight I plan on sitting and stitching the binding down to finish it off. I don't know how long it will take but I don't care. I love it! I can't wait until I'm finished. Here's a small sneak peek . . .

Now no more peeks until I completely finish it. You'll just have to wait!  ;)

I can finally show you the blocks I made last week for my monthly block swap. Here's the one for August that I made for my partners. The theme was camping.

I got my inspiration from My Sew Sweet Studios blog (just scroll down a little to see her camper). I made the same block for myself but with the camper in colors just for me.  :)

The second block was for September. The theme was school.

I love how this one turned out!  :)

Thanks for your patience with me and showing you my projects. Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow to show you my finished quilt! The deadline to finish is October 31st so I'm really cutting it close.

Until next time . . .

I'm Still Here!

Hello!  :)

Yes I'm here! Really I am! I've been working hard too! The problem is that I can't or I'm not ready to show you what I've been doing yet. I figured I'd better stop in and let you know that I'm still alive and breathing so no one would worry.  ;)  Besides . . . I missed you!  :)

So what have I been up to? For the most part I've been working very hard hand quilting my "My Favorite Things" quilt.

Of course this isn't a new picture. I want to wait until I finish it to show it to you. I hope you will hang in there with me and be patient. I worked on it all last weekend as part of the

Even though it wasn't cross stitch it was LOTS of stitching!  ;)  I finished all the quilting on the blocks and the flowers between them that I started on last week. It took quite a while as there were many blocks and LOTS of stitches! Here's the picture I showed you last week of how I was stitching them . . .

I also managed to quilt all the strips between the rows yesterday. I actually ran out of white perle cotton and hand to run to JoAnn's and buy another ball of it. I couldn't believe I got it all done in one day!  :)  When I finish this post I'm going to start quilting the borders. I'm hoping to have them finished quickly. My plans are to finish them by tomorrow afternoon and put the binding on tomorrow night during the

It's always fun to sew together on Friday Night with people just like me all over the world! If you'd like to participate just go to http://handmadebyheidi.blogspot.com and sign up and sew.

So if my plans go as planned I'll have my quilt finished tomorrow night!!! I hope, I hope, I hope!!!! Keep your fingers crossed for me!  :)  I'm really loving this quilt and can't wait to be done. I have to admit that I've already been using it even though it's just a work in progress. Sometimes as I sit and stitch I get tired and take a little cat nap under it. It's so warm and cozy already!  :)

During the last week I've also been working on a few other things too. I had to sit down and put the finishing touches on my Fall Exchange piece for my Stitched With Love Exchange that went out Monday. I love the way it turned out. I can't show it to you though until I get the okay that everyone has received their gifts. I actually received my gift and goodies today! I love all of it! Of course I can't show it to you yet either.  :(

I also made up a couple of blocks for my monthly quilt block exchange. These blocks were for August and September (yes I was behind) and are the last of the year long exchange. They were sent off and should be arriving to my partners soon. After they're received I will be able to show them to you. I received my blocks from one partner but haven't from the other one yet.

If you're still with me thanks for hanging in there. Hopefully I'll be back soon with lots of pictures and things to share!

Until next time . . .

A Finish ~ Ort Report & Progress Finally!

Hello!  :)

Last week and over the weekend I got some stitching done. I actually finished stitching the piece I'm doing for my Fall Exchange but of course I can't show it to you. I'm hoping to get it made into a finished piece in the next few days. Especially since I need to have it mailed out by Monday.

After the exchange piece, I picked up the Poinsettia House again. Here's where I had left off last time . . .

Here it is all stitched up and ready to make up into the mini quilt I had planned for it.

Now I just need to pick out the fabrics to go with it and get 'er done.  :)  With all the stitching I've been doing my ort (old ratty threads) jar is getting full.

I wonder how full it will be by the end of the year. I'm posting it as part of the

Now to show you the progress I made. I finally got my act together and sandwiched my "My Favorite Things" quilt.

I kept putting it off and putting it off. The sandwiching is my least favorite part of the whole progress. I think it's because it's so big and hard to do in my small home. Here's a closer view and a sneak peek at the backing fabric.

I think the red gingham backing (a recycled sheet) really goes well with the quilt and looks fabulous!  :)  Now I just need to sit down and start quilting it. I'm using perle cotton and doing it by hand. I think doing it that way will really add to the quilt. I wasn't really sure how I wanted to quilt it and am just figuring it out as I go along. I did get a chance to sit down with it last night and begin. Here's how I'm quilting the blocks and pieced areas between them.

I decided to use red to stitch around each block. I'm using white to outline each shape. Then I'm using yellow, red, pink and blues to stitch flowers in some of the larger blocks in the pieced areas between the blocks. I'm really happy with how it's turning out so far. I've gotten the first row done already. Only four more to go... lol! My plan is to finish each row of blocks. Then the rows of strips and then the borders after that. I have a few ideas of how to quilt the strips and borders but haven't decided exactly what I'm going to do yet. It's kind of fun figuring it out as I go along. Thanks for visiting me!  :)

Until next time . . .

The Weekend Update :)

Hello!  :)

I have a little update for my "My Favorite Things" quilt.

Did you notice I said "little"? The only thing I've done this last week on the quilt is to order more of the blue polka dot Pam Kitty Morning fabric for the binding. (I told you it was a "little" progress... lol!) I ordered it from The Quilting Bug on Thursday night. It shipped Friday and arrived Saturday! How's that for great service?!!!  :)  Here it is . . .

Did you notice I also ordered more of the fabrics from the same line? The white one on the left is more of the same I already had. The others to the right are all new ones that I didn't have before. Aren't they awesome?!!! Believe it or not there's still more that I don't have yet! I love that fabric line and will be using it on another project that I'll be starting when I finish my "My Favorite Things" quilt. I really need to get started on quilting it but I couldn't on the weekend as everyone was home and I can't lay it out on the floor where everyone needs to walk. I was going to start it today but then the boy stayed home sick. He has pretty bad asthma and when the weather changes it really acts up. Plus he has a cold on top of it. I may have to take him to the doctors tomorrow for some steroids. They're the only thing that relax his bronchial tubes and lungs enough for his normal medicine to be effective when he's sick. I really hate seeing and hearing him struggle to breathe.  :(

Saturday was a great mail day! Not only did I receive the fabric I ordered, but I also receive a couple of patterns and floss that I ordered from 123 Stitch on Thursday as well. I can't show them to you as they're for an exchange. If that wasn't enough yummy mail, I also received a surprise pattern that day from my Blog Buddy Karen of Sew Much 2 Luv! She sent me this awesome pattern . . .

Isn't it adorable! It's so me! She know's me so well!  :)  She didn't even know that this has been on my wish list for a while now. I love it and can't wait to start it! Here's a close up of the pattern . . .

I love it! Thanks so much Karen! You're the bestest!!!!  :)

Since I couldn't work on my quilt this past weekend I worked on a cross stitch swap piece and this Christmas piece for myself . . .

I loved this pattern the first time I saw it! I've had it for a while now but finally got around to starting it. I'm going to make a mini quilt out of it. Sad to say I will have to put it away for a little bit though as I have to finish that swap piece first. I only have a week before I have to mail it out. I hope I get a chance to get started quilting my quilt soon too. I'm hand quilting it so it will take a little while. I definitely have a lot on my plate, but I always do. That's the way I am. I have to keep busy.  :)

Until next time . . .

It's done!

Hello!  :)

I did it! I finished "My Favorite Things" quilt top! Yea!  :)  The pictures suck though . . . sorry! I have a real small area to take them in. I tried really hard to get some good ones with no success. Maybe when I complete the quilt I can talk the hunky dude and the boy into holding it for me. Here's a blurry hanging picture . . .

What do you think? Do you like the borders? I love the color it gives to the quilt. I second guessed myself many times as to whether I should change them or not. The original quilt from the book ("Some Kind of Wonderful" by Anni Downs) looked like this . . .

I decided to bring all the beautiful Pam Kitty Morning prints and colors to the outside of the quilt as well. I just had to. I absolutely LOVE this fabric!!! I already have planned another quilt with the leftovers. I may even get some more as well (I can't help myself!). Here's another picture with it laid out on the floor.

Here's the top half . . .

And the bottom half . . .

Now I need to sandwich, pin, quilt and add the binding. I plan on hand quilting it with the same perle cotton threads I used with the appliques and stitching. I wonder how long that will take? Hummmmm . . . The deadline to complete it is the end of this month. I'm sure I'll make it. I'll be using a red gingham recycled sheet as the backing that goes perfectly, and the Pam Kitty Morning blue polka dot print for the binding. Hopefully I can get this done soon as I want to start on the next quilt and I told myself I can't until I finish this one first. Wish me luck!  ;)

Until next time . . .

My Favorite Things Update!

Hello!  :)

Last week I managed to sew the strips together. I forgot to take pictures of that step but you can see them here . . .

Yes I actually got the rows and strips all sewn together this past weekend.  :)  It's really hard to get a good picture since it's so big. It's even harder when your dog keeps wanting to get in the picture.  ;)

I think he's showing his approval.  ;)  It really could use a few more dog hairs added to it anyway (rolling eyes). Here's a closer view of the top half . . .

And a closer view of the bottom half . . . 

Next step are the borders and then the quilt top will be finished!  :)  The original design called for more of the strips for the borders but I'm going to do something different. Just because I can!  ;)  Stay tuned!  ;)

Until next time . . .