another set of blocks is finished

Be Forgiving is done and I'm so excited! Only 2 more sets to go. Yay!
I learned a very important lesson on this block...no matter how cute the color is, don't use a nice tightly woven piece of sheet for a background. It's almost impossible to applique through! :o(

My Beach Blocks have arrived & "Be Smart"

I have more beach blocks to add to my collection
and they are the cutest little blocks. :o) (Thank you Eula, for hosting a great swap.)
A couple of years ago I was in a swap for beach blocks, but I only did one set. You know, time constraints and all that? Well, I was just in another beach block swap and both sets of blocks play together real pretty.





I have some great patterns for a few more blocks, so I think I'll add to the pile and *then* figure out how to set it and turn these babies into a gorgeous quilt. :o)

All of my quilting isn't *just collecting blocks, but sometimes it feels that way. I have 2 more blocks to add to my "Be Attitudes" collection...
Be Smart is finished, in both colorways. See...
I have to admit that it wasn't very "smart" to put blue letters on a blue background, even if they are different blues. I just didn't realize I had set it up like that until I was fusing the lettering on, and they were the last to go on. Still, I like how they turned out. On to the next set!

The Blue monster is Done!

I made an 8'x7' blue quilt for my little grandson Ben and it's so huge it barely fit on my quilting machine frame. I taught my daughter how to make crumb blocks and she raided my stash to make blue blocks. Then, she raided it even more for the large blue squares. She made the blocks, but I sewed everything together. It was going to be 8'x8', but that was too big, so we took out some of the blocks and I ended up using them in the backing. For those of you that read the previous post where I mentioned about the nasty metallic thread, I can tell you that when I switched to using regular thread, it quilted up very nicely.
I'm working on a flower quilt for his sister, my granddaughter Wren, and when it is done, I'll give both kids their new quilts. I think I'll try to get them finished in time for them to use this summer after they get their tonsils out. Yep, both kids are scheduled for surgery this summer. We already have special pajamas hidden away and now, we should be able to have quilts for each of them, too.
It's so exciting to get another UFO done and off of the "to-do" list. :o)
P.S.-I tried the Math 111 class and sad to say, I need to do a review of my last class before I tackle this one. Advice: do not skip 2+ years in between math classes. You'd be amazed at how much you can forget. :o(

my bike is practically a "movie star"

Mine is the really cute olive green one that starts the video. Unfortunately, it takes second billing to the loud one with the Rinehart pipes. :o)

My box of goodies - Yum!

I love getting surprises! Especially if it involves fabric or chocolate.

I got a wonderful little surprise in the mail from Linda G. for participating in the charity she's hosting this month. This month, she's collecting 12" plaid & cream-on-cream traditional blocks, to make a charity quilt for a boy this winter. My blocks happened to show up just in time to win this prize. :o) What a wonderful way to start the summer. Thank you, Linda.
P.S.-The candy was yummy! and the plaid is great!

One kamikaze moth!!!

Last night, this month flew straight into my son Jack's ear canal. Not fluttering around his ear, but more of a immediate dive-bomb. . . *straight* into the ear. It was a crazy few minutes in our house while we were trying to figure *how* to get that stinkin' moth OUT of his ear! Fortunately, he was the one that was finally able to grab it with a pair of tweezers and pull it out. Just before he could flush it, I told him, "Wait! Let me get a picture!" Disgusting as it was, he was really glad for the photo. It is posted on MySpace, Facebook and now here.

***Now, I know why I usually wear a hoody when I'm outside; the hood is moth-protection. lol

P.S.-For those of you interested, he said that it sounded like a helicopter was in his ear. It was loud!

School's Out!

I forgot to mention... Hooray! School's Out!!!
(click the link...I love the song!)

Slowly, but surely I'm quilting

I'm so excited! I've got another month's worth of Be Attitudes blocks finished. Aren't they so cute? Every time I work on them, I'm thankful to Peggy for sharing the darker fabrics with me.

Speaking of fabric sharing, Kathi, a friend from Kansas sent me a surprise squishy filled with little 1.5" charms. I used them to make 2 more blocks for my on-going Perkiomen Daydreams quilt. Thank you, Kathi. :o)

I have a big, blue quilt loaded on the quilting machine and it is the largest quilt I've done. It barely fits. I have about one foot all the way across quilted and now, for some strange reason, the thread I'm using has started breaking every few feet. I'm too frustrated to keep working it tonight. Tomorrow, I'll mess around with it and see if I can get it to work, but if not, I'll switch to a regular non-metallic thread. I so wanted to make the quilt sparkle, but not if I have to stop and re-thread the machine every minute or two. I'm simply not that patient.
Monday, classes start at the local college and I'll be there taking a math class; Math 111-College Algebra. With luck, it will be the last math class I have to take. It's been a couple of years since I've taken a math class. I hope I haven't forgotten everything, but if I have, I have the book from the last class to refresh my brain, both my kids are beyond that and could help tutor *AND* my other son and little brother both are signed up for the same exact class. I guess this is the summer for math. This is the last term that my son will be going to the community college. He was accepted into Oregon State University into the pre-med program and is studying Radiation Health Physics. I'm so excited for him. :o) I hope he likes it. This summer ought to be class-filled and, hopefully, fun!

more "Be Attitudes" - Be Honest

Finally, I have another set of "Be Attitudes" blocks done. They have been stalling for way longer than I had hoped, but finally I'm getting healed enough to be able to work on them again. My shoulder is healing nicely, but the tight, intricate movements that I need to do when I'm doing the machine buttonhole stitch make my shoulder tire very quickly. I'm about a year behind, but I'm happy that I haven't tucked them away some place "safe" and forgot where they were. I have total confidence that I'll get them done...dare I say before Christmas? LOL When these are complete, it will be the first time that I've ever made a real Block of the Month quilt. I'm looking forward to that accomplishment. Now, onto the next month's blocks.

Graduation time

Graduation was yesterday and the quilt is ready.
My nephew graduated from high school and I have his quilt ready *before* the graduation party. Yay!
I've been collecting fabric for this one for quite awhile. His mom and another aunt donated fabric to use in it, too. This one is a dual-purpose quilt because it also celebrates his achieving Eagle Scout ranking. The backing had to be enlarged, but I think the back turned out pretty nice. :o)
I started out making a guitar quilt, but it was so small, that I used that part as a focal point and played from there. I think he'll like it. :o)

The baby quilt is DONE!

Remember that baby quilt I showed you how to do? With sashing, but no corner stones? Well, it's all finished and just in time.
It is for the band teacher's new baby, and we should be able to deliver it before the end of the school year. :o)
I had all students and staff that are in the class sign the label, and it's a BIG label, as you can see.
The backing wasn't quite wide enough for the top, so I incorporated the label into the backing when I widened it. Pretty cool trick, if I can say so, myself. lol There's no way that someone can just take off the label now. :o)

I still quilt

As you can see, I've made some pillowcases. I needed gifts for 8 graduates at the school I work at and, of course, waited until the last minute to start on them. Fortunately, pillowcases are quick for me to sew. A couple are regular ones from the store that I added lettering to, one is a definite girly-girl color, just for a special student, and the others are of the school colors. Each of them have lettering on them, but all a bit different.
I found every intended recipient and passed out all the pillow cases before graduation. The best part...
everyone loved them. :o)





I have finished a new quilt for Lilliana's "big girl" bed. She's not quite ready, since they don't have the bed yet, but her quilt is ready. It's all flowers. It also has a matchingbottom sheet and pillowcase.





I also have started a long-term project...

I am sewing 1.5" little squares together. Someday they may grow up to be my version of a Perkiomen Daydreams quilt.

It's the start of "swimming pool" season

Silly faces. Happy faces. Just playing.

Same week-end, different grandkids, same amount of fun. :o)