Thank you Veterans

Today we honor tribute to those who served our country.

Thank you veterans and their families!

To those who served and came home

and those who did not...

We are grateful for their service!

The Challenge Quilt - Mermaid

Yippee!!!

I am so happy - - I won a ribbon in our Quilt Guild's Challenge. The challenge was to create a quilt to represent the colors of the gift bag we drew at random. Quilts were judged on the basis of innovation, use of color, use of "frou frou" and viewers choice.

I haven't won anything like this before. And I must admit - I was really clueless on this process...though I have had the creation of this in my mind for quite some time in my continuous endeavor to be at the beach or be reminded of the beach. And - -I have never attached all these items to a quilt....I impaled my finger a few times trying to stitch through the quilt...so I am really happy that my mermaid was well received and WON a RIBBON!! My prize was a lovely stack of fall colored fat quarters!!

Who would be

A mermaid fair,

Singing alone,

Combing her hair

Under the sea,

In a golden curl

With a comb of pearl,

On a throne?

I would be a mermaid fair;

I would sing to myself the whole of the day;

With a comb of pearl I would comb my hair;

And still as I comb I would sing and say,

Who is it loves me? who loves not me?"

- Lord Alfred Tennyson, The Mermaid

Balloon Rally

What a lovely day here for a Balloon Event!! There were 55 balloons scheduled to lift off this afternoon, but since the wind picked up some - -I don't think I counted that many...and since there were occasional gusts of winds, the lift off, instead of happening very quickly and simultanously, took nearly an hour - so it was a lovely view - a few here and there lifting off and slipping off over the tree tops.

I won a Balloon Ride when we first moved here..about 10 years ago....it is the most amazing experience. Like floating over a slowiy moving landscape...incredibly quiet and lovely. If you ever have a chance - - take a hot air balloon ride. Fabulous.

Where did September and most of October go?

Wow - I have been neglecting my blog.....But I have been working lots and sewing some. My latest endeavor is wrap purses...from the book It's a Wrap. This is a nice project to work on while watching tv - - wrap wrap glue wrap wrap wrap glue...Of course I have no idea what I will do when I get to the handles, and have to invent some sort of pockets for the inside....

If you haven't seen these - they are really lovely!!

I was at a Fiber and Quilting show recently and bought a wrap bowl that really wasn't wrapped. The creator did an amazing thing - she just stitched the clothes line and dyed it. CLEVER isn't it?
This one is a knitting and crocheting ribbon yarn. It wraps really nicely, and doesn't ravel like the fabric I used on the above...I think Batiks would be nice for this project - - less or no raveling...

Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude?

Well, It may not be a change in latitude, but it certainly is a change in attitude. This is the Block in a Bag for Sept. Yes - you read correctly - not due till the 4th Tuesday in Sept. And it is totally done. Theme - Chinese Lantern.

It feels good and also odd to have this done so far in advance.

So I did another block I want to just make into a tiny wallhanging.

Maybe I just need to get that out of the way early in the month so I feel free to work on other things?

I took my new baby to the beach

There is nothing quite like a convertible and the beach.....

Finished LoggyBunnies

I love Paris

Where oh where did July go? It flew by so fast - I think I missed it.

However - I did finish by block in a bag for July. The theme was travel. Well, the two places I really want to go are Paris and Italy - so Paris it is.....The fabric provided was so great - I hated to cut it....and I am so glad I made one block out of another fabric for myself - -now I am not sure WHAT I will do with it - but I have it:

(Is that a quilter/fabric lover statement or what?)

This is the Sample.

This is the submitted block and fabric closeups:

So - Christmas in July was great fun....I made several great purchases. Here are some of the things I made to sell.... I made several of these aprons,

a crayon and coloring book bag,

This lovely apron, a bunch of these square pincushions

and these really funny cupcake pincushions.

Just when I think I am going to be ahead of the game....

New projects pop up. Our quilt guild is having a Christmas in July sale....so we have been encouraged to make items to offer for a suggested donation to raise money for our next guild show - we need quilt stands....so of course instead of working on my block for this month - I am making aprons and pincushions and who knows what else.

Also - I had to hurry up and quilt the loggybunnies since the baby was born last week. I got to see her today....well I could sorta see her - - I stayed up till 4 am finishing the binding...so my eyes are RATHER TIRED...but she is a lovely perfect little baby girl...and Mom and Dad are doing well and proud as punch....and they liked the quilt...One of these days - I am going to keep track of the hours I spent on a project....no that is probably as bad of an idea as when I started keeping track of my spending. Well, actually that was a good thing - I became less wasteful..and more conscious of what I was spending. Ok, maybe it is as bad as when I figured out what I make /hour if I work at home every evening like I used to do....THAT WAS DISGUSTING......

So - coming up - -photos of the finished baby quilt - - I hope I got all the extra threads off and the pins out.....and some aprons, pincushions and who knows what else.