Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year!!

Wishing you & yours the best at this time.


May you all have "Safe Journeys" in all you do in the New Year.

Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Easy Street Part 5

Here is part 5 all done. I worked on it today while watching Bonnie on Quilt Cam. I have gotten soooo much done since Quilt Cam was started. Most of the time I work on my hand embroidery. I have been working on a piece called "Frog Work" and I know I would be nowhere near where I am now on it, if it wasn't for Bonnie. I only have one more block to embroider and then make the pieced blocks and assemble.
 Here's the linky. http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2012/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-5.html

I am also making some kind of progress working on cleaning up the "Black Hole".  There's still a long way to go to get it where I really want it, but I'll be happy just to get it workable so my little group that meets once a month will be able to fit in and sew comfortably.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.



Til Later
Hugs & Stitches
Mary

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Playing Hooky!

Well I've spent the last 2 days playing hooky from the sewing room (aka Black Hole). A friend came over the other day and twisted my arm to go do some antiquing. We started out by making a quick stop so I could pick up a couple more stocking stuffers, then it was onward and forward.

We made our first stop at Pacific Run Antique Mall and I found a couple of items of interest. I was good and they stayed right there. The first was just an unfinished top. It did have some seams that were coming undone, but nothing that couldn't be fixed. The second was in really good condition.




From there we went to another small little shop and I found this one. (Note: The pic is a little blurry--what can I say?) It was in good shape but they wanted more than I wanted to pay.

Today I have done absolutely nothing but read a little bit and watch the birds outside hit the feeders.
We had a nice little bit of snow last night and that just made me want to be on the lazy side.

Tomorrow it is back to work as I am trying to clean up the Black Hole and jettison some stuff to make things more workable.

Til later--
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Easy Street Part 4

Well I had a good day today. I spent the greater part of the day cutting and piecing on Easy Street.
I have Part 4 complete (even the 3 1/2" green squares). Then I pieced a backing for one of MY quilts. Imagine that! I may actually get to quilt one of my own quilts this next week.

I usually try to take the month of January off for quilting client quilts, but I don't think that will be the case this year. I already have them coming in by 2's. Oh well, staying busy like that will keep me off the streets and out of bars :-).

Here's my pic of ES #4.  Here's the linky. http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2012/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-4.html



Bring on Part 5!!!!!

Merry Christmas!!



Til Next post.
Hugs & Stitches,

Mary

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Easy Street Part 3

Well this part was seeeeeew easy to do. Since I had "slightly" over cut the sky pieces last week, I had enough to do this weeks part. Sew I didn't have too much cutting to do. Here's my Part 3. Here's the linky to Bonnie.
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2012/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-3.html


I also finished the last item that was ordered by a customer. It is a beaded needlecase. I am sending it out tomorrow. I will be out at my LQS tomorrow for the Farmer's Wife Club. I finished the blocks for that today while watching Bonnie.
Here's a pic of the needlecase.




Well that's it for now.
Til later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Hooray!! Christmas Quilts Done!!

Just delivered  the last of the Christmas quilts for my clients. Now I can relax. Possibly get some of my tops done this next week if I can get all the Christmas decs. up. Here's the last 2 quilts.

 
 
 

 
 
 


 
Aren't these cute?!
 
I also managed to make some new smaller stockings for us. I thought we really didn't need humongo stockings that we never filled. So I made these.
 
 
 
There is one for me, one for DH, one for DS and then for each of our furry little kids (2 cats, 1 dog).
I feel like I got a lot accomplished today.
 
Tomorrow----Part 3 Easy Street. YAY!!!!!!!
 
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary
 
 

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Easy Street, Part Deux

I finished Part 2 today. I have a little confession to make. When cutting the sky parts, I layered as Bonnie showed in video and proceeded to cut. Now, there were 128 geese parts and we needed 256 sky units, (Do you know where this is going?) I keep count while cutting, and proceeded to cut 256--
PAIRS!! I now have extra sky units to make another 128 geese. Oh well--as the saying goes--I stopped to think and forgot to start again. Here's the linky to Bonnie's Part 2.
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2012/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-2.html



The units at the bottom right are the rectangles Bonnie said we could cut for use later

I also got another client quilt done (this leaves only 2 more to get out for Christmas delivery).
You may have a little difficult time seeing the quilting on this one because I used------wait for it----
wait for it--------Invisible thread---to quilt it. (I'm just so funny :-)  ).



 





I also got one of my last 2 quilts loaded and ready to go (quilt) on Tuesday. I will be out at my LQS all day tomorrow for our BOM.

That's all for now.
Til next time,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Cleaning the "Black Hole"

Between quilting for clients I've been trying to clean the black hole aka sewing room. When I moved into this room many many years ago, everything was just thrown into it without really being able to sort and declutter. I have at times gone through stash and gotten rid of some (about 100 yards---not exaggerating ). I still have a ways to go to get rid of more, but I also need to find new homes for the crafting stuff that I no longer do. I have found someone that works with kids on crafting stuff and all donations are welcome. It's just making time to clear it out. Maybe a bulldozer would work:-). I need to bite the bullet and just do it so that's what I'm trying to accomplish before Christmas. Maybe that will help me work better when I'm downstairs. I won't feel so squeezed in. When I get everything back to some kind of order I will post some pics. Right now it just looks like a bomb went off in there.

Well guess this break time is over with. Back down and do some more cleaning.
Will try to post pics next time.
Til then,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Monday, November 26, 2012

Progress

Well I got to work a little more on Bonnie Hunters Mystery quilt. I now have about 40 four patches left to piece. As soon as I'm done I will update my post for the linky.

I also finished another client's quilt and am ready to load another one of hers tomorrow.



Maybe sometime this week I'll be able to load one of my quilts. Yay!!! After the one I load tomorrow
I will only have to more client quilt to deliver for Christmas. That is unless I get a call at the last minute. It has been know to happen and I just have never learned the word "no". Oh well.
Until later.
Hugs & stitches,
Mary

Easy Street Progress

I haven't gotten finished with Step 1 yet, but I've made a start. I have the strip sets made and cut up into twosies. I have 3 four patches done. I'm going to try to finish up today. I'll also post my other colors I've picked.










Well, those are my selections. Hope to keep up with this.
Check out Bonnie's blog to see other Easy Street  progress http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2012/11/easy-street-monday-link-up-1.html
Til later,
Hugs & Stitches

Update!!!!!

I have finished my 4 patches. Hooray!!!!!!


Hugs,
Mary

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Progress--Slow but sure

Today I quilted the 2nd of a pair of quilts my client brought me. This one is a Christmas one so I did loopy Holly leaves all over.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Back of quilt
 
I also worked on the challenge blocks for the group that meets at my house once a month.  Each year we do a challenge block that we exchange at our Christmas Dinner. This year it was barns. Each person picks their own patterns. It can be any size block they want.  They make a block for each person and we exvhange blocks then have 2 or 3 months to make something with them. Last year it was ladies faces. Another year it was stars, yet another it was album blocks. Here's a peek at my barns.
 
 
 
Well, I guess that's it for now. Tomorrow I'm going to try to link up with Bonne Hunter's blog to post my progress on Easy Street.
Til then,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Friday, November 23, 2012

Lots Accomplished Today!!

Well I think I got quite a bit accomplished today. I quilted a client's quilt, and loaded her next one on, and started quilting it. Then I started working on Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt. I have the strip sets sewn and 194 of the 384 segments cut. Then I did a little straightening up of the "black hole" known as my sewing room. I also finished sewing the last 3 rows of a disappearing 9 patch together and sewed them to the rest of the top.
Back of quilt
Disappearing 9 Patch top

Client's quilt with Loopy Leaves quilting

I think I did pretty good today.
Tomorrow I will finish quilting the quilt I have on and try to finish up step 1 of Bonnie's Mystery.
I'm also trying to clean up and make some sense of my sewing area. I have sooooo much accumlated that I need to start purging some of it. If I live to make up everything I have right now, I'm working to live to the ripe age of 786 years :-). What can I say? It's a---what---sickness. I think not :-). Oh well-----.
Until next time.
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary


 

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Another Project Done

I finished making a stocking for an exchange that I'm in. I belong to WASIG (Wa. State Internet Quilter's Guild). Every year they do a stocking exchange. I've  missed it for a couple of years, so this year I got into it. We make a stocking and fill it with goodies that are sent to the person you are given to exchange with. We write down our likes, favorites, hobbies, etc. to help out with the goodies that go in your stocking. I hope my exchange partner likes what I'm sending.

 
 
I also loaded a quilt on the machine today,. Hopefully I can maybe do some work on it tomorrow. I know it's Thanksgiving but I've got most of the cooking done today (pies, sweet potatoes, etc).
Everyone----Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Til later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Sunday, November 18, 2012

New Week Started

Well, today starts a new week. I went downstairs today and sewed another row of my Disappearing 9 patch top on. Then I drew out a stocking pattern for a Christmas stocking exchange that I'm doing. I picked fabric and got that all pieced and cut out. Now I have to quilt and assemble it. Then I had a client quilt loaded  and all ready to quilt. I started on that and worked on it the rest of the day.



Tomorrow I will go to my LQS to meet and deliver the quilt (and do some shopping, of course). My friend Linda is going with, so I guess that might make it a girl's day out for shopping. Such a hard thing to do but someone has to do it :-).
That's it for now.
Until later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Play Day

Well, it's been a busy week. Monday I was out all day at the LQS doing a couple of classes of the Farmers Wife Club. Tuesday I quilted a client's quilt and Wednesday I mailed out another quilt.
Soooooo-today was a play day for me.
There is a Sewing & Craft Festival going on at the fairgrounds this weekend and I went to do a little shopping. I am so surprised that I behaved my self pretty well. I only bought a couple of little things for me (one of those want things instead of need). However, I did manage to find some birthdays gifts for the girls in a little group that meets at my house on the third Thursday of the month (which was today). We had 5 birthday girls for our meeting this time. (2 from last month. We had to cancel that meeting. And 3 for this month). Usually we are sewing on something, but we have finished the BOM that we were working on so we sat around and made plans for the next year's activities and for our annual Christmas Dinner (with DH's). I really love these ladies. We sat around and laughed and talked about how kids these days wouldn't know to handle the fun we had. Like riding bikes with no helmets (and we're still alive). Riding in the back windows of the car (if you remember that !!!!!). Or sitting in Dad's lap and steering the car. Am I dating myself :-)? Anyway like I said, I love these ladies and the joy and laughter they bring.
Since we were making plans for next year, I thought I would make a list of things I would like to complete for next year. I have added a page that lists UFO's, WIP's or whatever we call them. Let's see how many of these things I can finish. I will be adding things as I find them so this ought to be interesting.
Hopefully next post I'll have some pics to post.
Until then,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Almost Back To Normal

Well it's been a very busy week. Yesterday was the last day of the sale at the LQS and my poor feet are saying---THANK YOU. It was so much fun working there and seeing a lot of people that I knew ( and making new friends and aquaintences). I also managed to stock up a little on fabric that I needed :-).

Today I worked on the next set of blocks that we are doing for The Farmers Wife Club that I am the co-ordinator at another LQS where I teach. I will be out there all day tomorrow (from 8 to 8). After that, the next 2 days will be doing client quilts---AND THEN--------I get to play.
We have a Sewing & Quilting Festival at the fairgrounds this weekend and I'm going to play. A friend and I are going on Thursday before we have our monthly quilting meeting at my house that evening. Then the next day I am going with another friend to play again!

I would also at this time like to say a big THANK YOU to all of our sevice men & women who have served or are serving our country. My DH and Step Daughter are retired military, so again, Thank you.

Well, I guess that's it for now. Hopefully I will have some pics for the next time.
Until then,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary  

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Just Checking In

I know it's been a while since I've posted. It started last Friday. I had to set up for a craft show on Friday. Worked the show Saturday abd Sunday. Tore down Sunday. Monday went to my LQS on Monday (from 8 AM to 8 PM) for the Block of the Month classes I do. The rest of the week I'm at another LQS helping out with her sale and then Monday back out to the first LQS for the Farmer's Wife Club (again from 8 AM to 8 PM). So I haven't gotten much done to show for the week.

One thing I would like to post is the following:
This is from Bonnie Hunter's blog.

Having missed the entire storm, by being in Houston for Market, I felt helpless as my family were in NYC without me. I started to organize a quilt drive for our area while I was still in Houston.

Once home, I realized how seriously the storm affected my neighborhood, my friends, and fellow New Yorkers, CT, PA and NJ... Homes have been wiped off the face of the earth, people are cold, and wet, and we have rain and snow coming. I need to be able to help NOW.

I just had a call from Raul Russi, Head of the Acacia Network, whom I had previously partnered with on myBUMBLEBEANSBASICS.com Quilt Drive for homeless families being taken out of shelters and put into transitional housing.

He said, "We have 150-200 quilts here, right now. And since the rest of my families are INSIDE already, can we deliver these quilts in our medical trucks to the people in the Rockaways, NOW?" I said, "YES! Let's go!"
Once we have more quilts, we will continue to set up more distribution points around our area including Staten Island, Long Island, NJ, CT.


QUILTS AND BLANKETS are needed ASAP.

Home-made or Store Bought QUILTS AND BLANKETS: ANY SIZE.

Quilts will be accepted, and handed out as quickly as they come in.

Give Selflessly.

Thank you cards will not be sent out due to the urgency of the events of SANDY.

REAL THANKS:

LABEL YOUR QUILTS, Name, address and email.

The person who receives your quilt may want to thank you themselves.

Send Quilts & Blankets to:
Basic Housing, Inc.
Attn: Robert Gonzalez / H.SANDY
540 East 180th Street, Bronx, NY 10457

PLEASE Include INSIDE THE BOX CLEARLY WRITTEN
your name, email & address & Phone

Please ship them with delivery confirmation.

Any questions, Please email:

Lane Falcon: lfalcon@acacianetwork.org

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Until later--
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Same thing--Different day

Well about the only thing I accomplished today was getting another client quilt done. I didn't even do any sewing on inventory for the upcoming show. I think I've got all I'm going to do, done. What I have, I have and I'm not going to stress about it.
So here's the pics of the quilt



 
 
That's it for now.
Until next time,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Another day--another Quilt

Well now that I have my head screwed on straight, I got in the groove and worked on some inventory in the morning and got a client quilt done this afternoon. Only 4 more to go! At least for about a week and a half. I know I have more coming in on the first Monday of the month,  The next couple of days I will be getting the rest of my inventory together, cash for the register, and all the other stuff that goes with getting ready for a show.
Here's pics of the quilt I did today.



 
 
Until next time,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary
 

Monday, October 29, 2012

What's Happened to my Brain?

I don't know what's going on with my mind.
I vend at 1 Craft Show a year. I've done it for the last 21 years. It's always on the second weekend of November. I was talking to my partner in crime (she does the show with me) and she asked me what time we were meeting at the school on Friday to set up. I said, "that's next Friday." She said no it's this Friday. I looked at the flyer----and danged------it's this Friday. All I could say was "Oh -----!". I still have some inventory I want to get done and I'm trying to get the last of my client quilts out before the next batch comes in and on and on and----well you get it. So now I'm rearranging my schedule for the week to get things ready. Oh well, it keeps me on my toes.

Speaking of client quilts. I did manage to get one done before the crisis hit.  Here's a couple of pics.


 
 
Hopefully, I can get another quilt on and done tomorrow. And, possibly get some more inventory done. I'm trying to get some reader covers done for this show.
Hopefully, my brain starts working properly soon. This is the second show that I have had the dates down wrong in as many months.
Well until later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary
 

Monday, October 22, 2012

Back from Retreat

Well I'm back from retreat and I must say, I had a really good time. Nothing like visiting with about 70 friends from all over the state. Good food, good conversation, good sewing, and most important----great friendships renewed and begun.





 
It was 4 wonderful days.
 
I must say, I got home last evening and just sat and chilled. Or maybe I should say I was more like a couch potato. DH took pity on me and ordered a pizza. I guess he figured that was the only way to get dinner :-).
Now, it's back to the grindstone. I have about 4 more customer quilts to do and make some inventory for the one craft show that I do in a couple of weeks,
Til then
 
Hugs &
Stitches,
Mary
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Retreat Time

I haven't posted in a few days cause I've been getting ready to go to a FOUR day quilting retreat.
I have everything packed and resady to go tomorrow. Can't wait!!!!  I'll try and get lots of pictures to post later.

For now I'll post a couple of pics of quilts that I have designed and patterned.


 
 
The first one is called "Home to Roost" and the second one is "Newfound Love"
 
Until Monday---
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary