Sweet P Quilting and Creations

Buds in a Basket Quilt

2013-05-22T08:04:00.001-07:00

This project is proof that with a little stitch here and a little stitch there, the project will EVENTUALLY get done!! And it surprisingly didn’t take all that long!

The actual baskets were fast and easy to make…you make the rounded template…cut out the shapes and then sew the curves together…All the round flowers and leaves are hand appliquéd (using the starch and freezer paper method).

Now it’s playtime…Oh my…didn’t they multiply…

I was scrambling for more of this soft cream coloured Kona cotton…whew…got to love your stash! Whenever I see Kona cotton on sale down south I always buy some yardage…and I must REALLY love this cream colour because I had tons of it!

Yup…I’m loving these little baskets!! The pattern is called ‘Buds in a Basket Quilt’ by designer Sachiko Yasuda and can be found in the book ‘A Bouquet of Quilts’. This buds for you! :o) I just HAD to say it!

The sun is shining and the grass is blinding my eyes it’s so GREEN…and so are those dang weeds!! Can you guess what I’ll be doing today? In between pulling a few of those weeds…I think it will be smelling some of my own buds…rose buds that is! I hope you get to smells a few buds today too! Have a good one! ~P

Scrap Happy Diversion…

2013-05-20T07:15:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, I bought a Ziploc bag of nine patch blocks from the Share Table at Heritage. I know…I know…I do NOT need someone else’s UFOs! I have plenty of my own! But these nine patch blocks were scrappy…and not very happy! They needed a home…one where they would be loved and appreciated for their scrappy goodness!

I had lost steam on the modern zig zag quilt that I am making for my daughter and these were the perfect diversion…I needed to PLAY!! And play I did…

Man, I love the Internet…after deciding to put the blocks on point I Googled ‘Putting quilt blocks on point’ and got this site by Quilt Bug. Made it SEW easy!!

I teamed the blocks up with a beige Kona cotton…and formed my rows…

Laid them out…

And stitched them together…

Before I knew it…the rows were together and I had a quilt top!

Then I added a wide beige border to make it appear that the blocks were floating and then decided to add a wonky vine running around the circumference….(Sorry this is so wrinkled…it happens to the best of us!:) SEW…this is where I’m at today…I have a new hand stitching project waiting for me…I will hand appliqué the vine to the quilt before I even think about adding leaves and flowers!!

Isn’t it weird how someone else’s UFO looks way more appealing then your own? Maybe the secret to getting UFOs finished is to trade them with a friend! Hmmmm food for thought!! What I do know is that I am loving this scrap HAPPY quilt…and yes, it is HAPPY!!

Hey, the sun is shining in my corner of the world this morning…and just listen to those birds!! How about you?? Are you having a sunny scrap HAPPY Day? I sure hope SEW! ~P

Amy’s Blogger’s Quilt Festival 2013!

2013-05-18T09:59:00.001-07:00

YES, we are still at Amy’s Quilt Festival…

On to QUILT #2!! Yup…you heard right!! With Amy’s new TWO Quilt rule…Bloggers can enter two quilts as long as they are in different categories and have their own separate posts! Hence…post number TWO!

Don’t cha’ think, that the Monkey Quilt is just too dang cute not to be entered in the BABY CATEGORY!

This one is hot off the press…

It was machine pieced and machine quilted..the appliquéd monkey was needle turned and then machine stitched for stability. I hand embroidered the ‘Five Little Monkey’s’ Poem on the outside border. I chose to PRINT the verse rather than go with the handwritten verse that was in the pattern. (Young child can’t read handwriting…) I also went with the poem/chant that I use to teach my Grade One class. It is slightly different than the one in the pattern (when I teach the whole chant to my grandson I don’t want to screw up the verse! Can’t you just hear it? “You messed up AGAIN Grammy!!”..:o}}. I raw edged stitched ‘mock buttons’ onto the monkey’s tummy (safer than real buttons!)

The quilt measures 36” X 44”. This is a Patchwork Pottery Quilt…you can find the adorable pattern HERE.

I love this sweet quilt and can hardly wait to cover my wee grandson with it…in THREE MORE WEEKS…give or take a few days!! (insert happy dance!!)

You can see the other Baby Quilts entered in this category over at Amy’s…just click HERE! There are some incredibly adorable quilts entered, so it is worth a visit!

If you have time, scroll down to the last post to see my Wall Hanging entry…but only if you have time!!

Thank you so much, Amy!! Would you believe that Amy has been doing this for over FIVE years…and The Bloggers’ Quilt Market continues to get bigger and better! Come on and hop on the band wagon…I bet you have a quilt or TWO that you would like to enter!

I hope your weekend continues to be amazing…just like YOU!~P

Amy’s Blogger’s Quilt Market…it that time of year!

2013-05-18T08:57:00.001-07:00

The AMAZING Amy from ‘Amy’s Creative Side’ is at it again! She is hosting the annual Bloggers’ Quilt Market!!

This is a venue for bloggers to strut their stuff…well…maybe not ALL their stuff..but at least two quilts.

This year I chose Button Town to be entered in the Wall Hanging Category! I love my Button Town and hope you do too!

I needle turned and hand appliquéd the houses and vine. I then big stitch quilted around the houses, berries and vines. The rest of the quilt was machine quilted.

The pattern for ‘Button Town’ can be found in this issue of Quiltmania.

If you would like to see the other wall hanging entries then go HERE! Be prepared as there are tons of wonderful Wall Hangings hanging over at Amy’s!! Hurry on over!

Remember to send a little love Amy’s way as she puts a lot of time and effort into hosting this Quilt Show!!

Thanks for stopping by…have a wonderful weekend!~P

Hands Across the Water…part two…

2013-05-17T07:40:00.001-07:00

If you missed yesterday’s post then you didn’t get to see some of the incredible quilts that were hanging at our annual Hands Across the Water celebrations! You might want to go back to Part 1 for a look-see!

The rest of us will wait while you catch up…

At the Hands Across the Water get together there were tons of door prizes…

AND of course there was our Basket Raffle! This is a huge money maker for the hosting guild.

And we had vendors…yes, a little shopping is just what the quilters ordered! :o)))

But let’s get on with the show…

I have a few more Heritage Quilts to show you before I hand the mike over to visiting guilds…

This isn’t a quilt but I just HAD to take a picture of this unique quilt hanger…looks hand made…

I thought you might like to whip up a few…a couple of turns with the pliers and presto…An amazing quilt hanger…!! The perfect gift for any quilter…

OK…now it’s time for our visitors to strut their stuff…and strut they did!! Amazing quilts!

Told you they were talented! And this was just a small sampling!

But not to be out done…we brought out the big guns…our own Gloria S. Daly…Quilt and Fibre Artist extraordinaire! [You can visit her website HERE.]

Gloria shared a snippet of her newest project ‘Blanket Statement’ (geeze, I hope I got the title correct…I REALLY need to write things down!!) Her work is focused around wool blankets…and each finished creation tells a story.

We heard just enough of the story to hook us…now we have to go to the SHOW to hear the rest of her story!

This one was my favourite…loved this quilt and the STITCHING!!

Thanks you, Gloria! Gloria always puts on a great show and the ladies from across the water were notably impressed! AND because their mouths were hanging open, we thought we better feed them!!

Ohhh my…what a spread…but then we quilters do like to eat! Next to quilting, it probably our most favourite thing to do!

The last thing on the agenda was the big draw for all the Raffle Prizes…

Sandy cleaned up! She won what she was after…this lovely pot and a BOM appliqué pattern called ‘Heart and Home’…and she was just saying that she would like to try her hand at appliqué! Looks like she gets her wish…times 12!! Be careful what you wish for!!:o)))

Now I’m wondering WHO won this basket full of goodies?…Yup…it was ME!! I never win anything in REAL LIFE! I think my luck has changed…first stop on the was home was to the Lottery counter!

It was a great day!! I was exhausted..man it’s hard work having fun ALL DAY LONG!! Just imagine how Carol’s committee felt!

Thanks you Carol and Crew for all your hard work in organizing and executing this event! You out did yourselves!!

Sew the Banner gets passed to the ladies across the water!! Next year we are off to one of the Islands!! I can’t wait…and you of course will get to come along!

Thanks for spending part of your Friday morning with me!! I hope it’s sunny in your little corner of the world! It’s rainy here…but it’s all good. I have a sweet little quilt top begging for a touch of appliqué…(key word..just a TOUCH!) ~P

Hands Across the Water 2013…

2013-05-16T07:06:00.001-07:00

Every Spring the Heritage Quilting Guild shares a day with the south end Gulf Island quilters…mainly Pender Island, Mayne Island and Saturna. We take turns hosting the event and this year it was our turn! We have Show and Tell, get inspiration from a guest speaker, break some bread, award door prizes and give aways and of course shop…yes, we have a few venders bring in their wares! Ahh fun times!!

The Hands Across the Water Banner gets hung…

And the Heritage quilts get draped around the hall…

Big Quilts…

And small quilts…

Nice, eh?

Yikes, there were a lot of wonderful quilts hanging in our little show…too many for ONE post…looks like I am going to be back tomorrow to show you the rest! Can you stand it?!

Our weather has turned to rain…which is good for our Spring Flowers and good for our quilters!! Yes, there is nothing like the day spent with guilt free quilting! No weeds calling our names…and the dust bunnies? Well we quilters like to harmonize with nature…! :o}}

Yup…I’m singing in the RAIN!!

Thanks for popping in for a visit!! ~P

Monkey Quilt DONE..despite all the obstacles!

2013-05-13T05:52:00.001-07:00

The Five Little Monkeys Quilt is finally quilted, complete with the binding on! It’s cute and I really like it…it was fast and very easy to make but two problems cropped up that I didn’t foresee! Certainly not the pattern’s fault…more like the sewer’s!:o} This is a Patchwork Pottery Quilt…you can find the pattern HERE.

The first problem was…I used Sulky’s Water Soluble Stabilizer on the back of the Monkey Quilt to prevent puckering while hand stitching the lettering…big mistake…HUGE!! It worked great until I was finished stitching. I thought I would remove the stabilizer by wetting it…so…I spritzed the stabilizer with water and it turned into hard cement!! Yikes! I quickly dipped the edges into water…didn’t work!

So I soaked the whole quilt top in a bath of water…twice… and carefully hung it to dry.

After the quilt top was dry, the fabric around the printing wrinkled up like a ninety year old woman who had spent too much time in a bikini! Even after I ironed it, the wrinkles were still there…but oh well…it was good enough for quilting…My thinking was after it’s all stitched, with binding on, I will give it a good wash in the wash machine and hopefully all the starch will come out…and so would the wrinkles!! One thing is for sure, I won’t be using this product again! Or if I do, I will leave the stabilizer on until the quilt is completed before washing it out. DO NOT SPRITZ!

The second problem arose while quilting the quilt…the machine would not stitch over the thick bulky chenille! Remember there is also Minky on the back of the quilt so I guess the chenille plus the plush Minky was just too much bulk for the machine to handle. No problem…I looped around the chenille and will now go around the those blocks with my domestic machine. I’m lucky that I only put a few chenille blocks in the quilt! Sheesh! Food for thought for next time…

It’s a good thing this quilt is so dang cute or some colourful language would have been coming out of my sewing room!

So into the wash with you…then I will team you up with the lamb quilt and find a nice BABY BOY gift bag…and then we WAIT…

…exactly one month to the day…as Baby Boy Doyle’s launching date is June 13th!! Blast off!!

Thanks for stopping by…misery loves company don’t cha know!:o))~P

Benjamin & Buttercup...

2013-05-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

I finished the quilt called “Benjamin and Buttercup”…I guess mine is the ‘Benjamin’ as it’s blue…as in BOY!! Speaking of which…only ONE month and TWO days till our ‘little man’ arrives! So exciting!!

This quilt is the spare quilt…the one for the stroller or car seat. Doesn’t every baby have TWO quilts? This one is smaller so it will be easier to take with mother and child.
I backed the quilt with Minkie fabric…OMGosh..this quilt is SEW soft and cuddly!! I would have NEVER attempted this without the inspiration from Clubhouse Quilter, Joanne!! If you remember, Joanne puts Minkie on the back of ALL of her quilts! Thank you, Joanne!! I thought Minkie would ripple and stretch but it was fine and quilted up nicely! Well…as nice as can be expected from a novice quilter!

I stuck to loop-tee-doop quilting!

FYI…The pattern is called ‘Benjamin and Buttercup’ by Holly Hill Quilt Designs.
It’s another gorgeous day on the West Coast of Canada…which means I will be out in the garden! I have three more flower beds to weed before I can go back to the first bed and do it all over again!! Those darn weeds keep growing…ALMOST as fast as those UFOs!
I hope the sun is shining in your little corner of the world!! ENJOY! ~P

Sew….

2013-05-08T07:59:00.001-07:00

…after a short blogging holiday…I’m happy to say that “I’m baaaack”!

During my holiday I have kept busy…VERY busy! Of course I have continued to quilt but I have also been gardening like crazy, moved one daughter into a new condo, gone wedding dress shopping with another, hiked many trails, attended Club and Heritage (a few times) and done the usual everyday things…

But let’s talk QUILTING…I have to tell you, I was OVER THE MOON to win “Harvest Moon by the Lake’s” give away…the sweetest little wool mat!!

Told you…dang cute!! Yup, she is going to look mighty fine sitting on a table in my house!! Thank you SEW MUCH, Leanne!!

I also won this little bundle from Renee Nannemen of Andover Fabrics! (I entered through her monthly Newsletter). I KNOW…LUCKY ME!! There must have been a million entries so I was shocked to win the runner up prize..which was this sweet bundle…

Three Fat Eighths of her newest line of fabric, Chateau Chambray…just enough to get me salivating for more!

This sweet wool mat/pillow pattern ‘Garden Bunny’…

And this Need’l Love “Garden Gate Threads” Book…

Inside are the sweetest patterns ever…like this tulip quilt…made in those yummy Chateau Chambray fabrics! Sweet dreams guaranteed when you sleep under this quilt!

And just LOOK at that bowtie quilt!! Love it!!

Yup…I predict another bowtie quilt in my future…AFTER I tackle a few more UFOs…UGH!!

Thank you so much, Renee…just love your very generous Give Away gift!

Now let’s talk about Blogging…THANK YOU everyone for your very sweet emails! Such lovely words of encouragement! FYI..I am going to keep on blogging…just not so often…when the spirit moves me!! :o)) Hey, it might be several times a week or not at all! If you don’t hear from me it doesn’t mean that something terrible has happened…it just means I am busy sky diving or climbing the Himalayas or wrestling alligators!

I sure hope this works for you as I really appreciate you and your friendship! Keep those comments coming…I love hearing from you!

Now…where did I put that parachute??

See ya’ later Alligator! P

Blogging Break…

2013-04-22T06:24:00.001-07:00

I have decided to take a Blogging Holiday…I’m not sure for how long but just need a little time to recharge the ol’ blogging batteries. I will still be popping in on you all the time, after all once a blog lurker, always a blog lurker…!!:o)

Before I go…I need to share a picture with you…(this is after all a quilting blog)!!

My daughter, the quilter, :o)))) finished off another raw edged appliquéd runner…this time for herself!!

Dang sweet!! And doesn’t it look cute on her orange chair! Yup…she definitely has the quilting bug!! And I am lovin’ it!

You can find the FREE tutorial HERE!!…You could whip one up for yourself or for your mom…Mother’s Day is just around the corner…trust me, SHE will absolutely LOVE IT!!

You take care and hope you get to enjoy some sunshine today…it’s a gorgeous SUNNY day here on our little island!

Have a magical Monday and Happy Quilting!~P

My Daughter…the QUILTER!!!

2013-04-20T08:09:00.001-07:00

My daughter…THE QUILTER…ohhhh that has such a sweet ring to it! Yup, I can officially say that my daughter is a QUILTER (insert heavenly music here) because LOOK at what I received in yesterday’s mail!!! A quilted runner…a dang cute quilted runner…made by her own little hands!!

How lucky am I…to not only have a quilting daughter… but to have a quilting daughter who makes such lovely things for her mama! Look, it’s raw edge appliqué in French General fabric…LOVE IT!! This is her second project but her first official FINISHED project! The first project is now a UFO…yup…already taking after her mama!!

Erin’s inspiration for this runner came from reading Pine Needles Blog! OMGosh…it just dawned on me…that makes her a Blog Lurker! She really is a chip off the ol’block, isn’t she!!

This from the girl who had no interest in needle and thread or in the sewing machine while growing up!! None…no way…no how!!

You know what they say…Never say NEVER…

I say, why fight it…it’s in her genes!! heehhee

I love it Erin! It exceeded my wildest expectations!! (Mind you I was still thinking styrofoam Christmas ornaments and clay sunflower teapots…both of which I cherish dearly!!) BUT your calling is definitely leaning towards quilting…you are a natural!! Keep ‘em coming!!:o)))

Geeze that’s TWO quilty gifts in two days…you’d think it was my birthday or something!

Have a Super Saturday and Happy Quilting!~P

Thanks you, Claire!

2013-04-19T07:21:00.001-07:00

Nothing is more special than to receive a hand made gift… I think we quilters know this better than anyone! I mean think of all the time, thought, labour, not to mention the money that goes into a project…So imagine my surprise when I unwrapped this gift from Claire!

The sweetest dang lamb mat EVER…from one woolie to another!

Absolutely adorable!! Would you believe that Claire even hand dyed the wool herself!! Love that mottled gold in the background…and the pale beige stars pull this whole piece together!

Love the lamb right down to her sweet little toes! And look at those wee itty-bitty stitches…you probably can’t see them they are so small!

Claire took the 4” needle punch pattern ‘Star Lamb’ by Teresa Kogut, expanded it and created this wonderful mat…just for ME!

Now I need to find the perfect place to hang my little lambikins! Someplace that will scream LOOK AT ME…aren’t I cute?!

Because really, there is nothing sweeter than a hand made gift!

Thanks SEW much, Claire!! I love it!

Have a Fun Friday and Happy Quilting!~P

Heritage Happenings….

2013-04-18T06:35:00.001-07:00

I am happy to report that the Heritage Quilters are alive and well and have been having WAY too much fun without ME!!

See for yourselves…

Gorgeous Spring quilts in the making…

Yup…this quilt couldn’t get any happier if it tried!! I love the fine satin stitch around each flower petal and swirl…

And this quilt is made from a panel. The little motifs were cut off in circle shapes from a panel and placed like balloons floating across the sky…very sweet!

Here’s a closer look….

Mug rugs seem to be the rage right now…here’s one that Vicki made out of wool…

And the same pattern made out of cotton…SEW CUTE!

This beauty was getting prepped for hand quilting!!

I love the way the colours fade into each other!

Someone..or perhaps a group of quilters got together and made a gazillion of these blocks…

They made enough blocks to put together over ten charity quilts! Which just proves..many hands make light work!

Hazel’s been busy too…she whipped up this magnificent quilt for a wedding gift for her nephew and his new wife…

…and just LOOK at her quilting!! Gorgeous! Hazel has bought herself a NEW LONG arm and is in the process of selling her MID ARM…if you live in the area and are interested in buying it, give me a shout and I will hook you two up!!! Has she got a deal for YOU!!

This quilter took a panel and cut it up and put it back together again!! Very effective!

I LOVED this Civil War beauty!! Absolutely stunning!

You NEED to see the fabrics up close and personal…and while you are at it, check out that wonderful quilting!! The icing on the cake!

And look what they FOUND in the back room where we keep the fabrics for charity quilts! Amazing! No one fessed up to making it but Hazel generously volunteered to quilt it…this will become a charity quilt..if no one claims if first!!!

Sew you see…they had WAY TOO MUCH FUN!! But that’s OK…because they’ve got all kinds of fun planned for the coming months! Looks like Sandy, Heritage Judy and I came back just in the nick of time!! :o)))

Have a thrilling Thursday and Happy Quilting!~P

Thanks Bonnie!

2013-04-17T06:49:00.001-07:00

I am a Bonnie Hunter fan!! Pure and simple! Love her patterns, love the way she is so generous with her time and ideas and love the way she pokes around Thrift Shop! A gal after my own heart!

So when Bonnie tossed out the idea to use clear textured Nexcare surgical tape on the back of your rulers to prevent slippage, bells and whistles went off!!

I wasn’t sure whether I could buy this tape in Canada so I went right out and bought some before we left Southern California!

Before I go any further…I need to back up a bit….

I really wanted/ NEEDED a Block Loc Ruler to make trimming half square triangles easier..it’s the square ruler with the groove down the middle…(you put the groove over the seam and it locks the HST tight so that it won’t shift and the ruler won’t rock which makes squaring up these blocks so much easier). Of course none of the three thousand Quilt Shops that I had visited had one!!

So when Bonnie mentioned Nexcare on the back of rulers…I had an idea…why not try to make my own squaring up ruler!

Do you see how I placed the tape on the back of my square ruler…1/4” on either side of the diagonal line and two small pieces in the corners!

Here’s another view…

Does it work…??

It sure does!! The Nexcare strips forms the groove and by placing the smaller ones on the side you get no rocking!

Bring on those Half Square Triangles!! I’m ready for YOU!

THANKS, BONNIE…add to that list…I love how SMART you are!!

Have a Wicked Wednesday and Happy Quilting!~P

Finished Projects…

2013-04-16T08:01:00.001-07:00

The back of the truck finally got unpacked yesterday and with that came out my other finished projects…well ‘almost’ finished projects!

This Maggie Bonanomi project is called ‘Butternut House’ and is all stitched except for where that pin is…would you believe that with three inches to go, I ran out of green thread!! So I have to do that and then decide whether it will be a big pillow or a wall hanging for over the bed.

On the last day of travel I fished this little project out…it was a FREE pattern from Scrap, Stitch and Quilt Blog. I got the birdhouse and leaves stitched. Now onto the snowman and special effects, which just may have to wait until our next trip down!

I was very pleased with the projects completed while driving down and back this year!! Remember this is dead time..normally spent back seat driving, sucking in breath, stomping on my imaginary brake, and telling my hubby how to drive!! By stitching on projects, everyone is happy…especially hubby!

Ooops…there is one little guy MIA!! I wonder where I tucked him??

I guess everything in the RV hasn’t been unloaded after all!!

The hunt is on!!

Have a terrific Tuesday and Happy Quilting!~P

Homespun Baskets…

2013-04-15T07:16:00.001-07:00

On the weekend, Sandy and I went to another Quilter’s Estate Sale. When Sandy showed me the package of sweet little Homespun Baskets that she found in one of the bins, I KNEW that I needed ~~to make some of my own~~ to help her with the pattern! You see, inside the Ziploc bag there were six sweet baskets and enough Homespun to finish off the quilt…but NO PATTERN!

Remember that Sandy is a fairly new quilter and she really needs a pattern…so I generously ~~snatched~~ offered to take two finished baskets home with me so that I could refer to them when I wrote up a pattern for us her! It’s what friends do…right?

Easy to do…measure and add that scant 1/4” for seams…and done!

Now we she has a pattern to finish off her quilt…

I even put the handle template onto clear plastic so that we she would have an easier time placing the handle. Such a good friend! So why do I have TWO handles…?

Ummmm…welllll…I made two just in case Sandy should lose one! Yah…I thought she needed a back up handle and I will keep it for her and store it in a safe place…with an extra copy of the pattern just in case she should lose the original! Yup..that’s what good friends do! :o)))

And just to make sure that the instructions are correct I tested them out…

I cut out the templates…

Then I cut out the fabric…I hadn’t unpacked my rotary cutter so I had to use my paper rotary cutter…what a mess!! New rule…always use the proper tools!

I could have trimmed this better using my teeth!

Then I pinned on the bias handle and hand appliqued…

And done…!

Good thing I did a test run…the handle needs to be thinner and placed higher…but all in all, the shape is good!!

So I will tweak the handle pattern and it will be good to go!

I really NEED to unpack stuff so that doing things like this would be a lot easier! But when the urge hits…you got to go with it!

Have a magical Monday and Happy Quilting!~P

Not all FUN and GAMES!

2013-04-14T06:33:00.001-07:00

As a Canadian Snowbirder, I really do not enjoy the long drive home! I am a nervous passenger…It’s those FREEWAYS…YIKES! Drivers weaving in and out…huge trucks barreling passed! I put my head down, focus on my project and stitch like crazy!! By the time we reached home, I had Band-Aids on my fingers…BUT I DID manage to finish off THREE…almost FOUR wool projects!!
I already showed you my finished ‘Summertime’ blocks by Primitive Gatherings…well, here is my second finished project “Snowy Days” by Heart to Hand!

The blocks are basically done…except for what I call the ‘special effects’…like vines, French knots and outlining. That was just too difficult to do in a bumping, jiggling truck!

You get the idea…and I think you will agree…DANG CUTE!

I don’t think that I have ever met a snowman that I didn’t love!

And this one is no exception!! Love it!!

Sew…now I need to finish the special effects stitching, sew these blocks together and then add some decorative stitches on the seams!

I just remembered that the other two project tubs are still in the back of the truck…waiting to be unpacked! Hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day. I will do that today and take some pictures!

It’s so nice to come home with some finished work! It just proves that my time down south wasn’t all fun and games! :o)))

Have a SUNNY Sunday and Happy Quilting!~P

The Loot…

2013-04-13T06:23:00.001-07:00

Some of you have been asking about the LOOT accumulated on this year’s travels!! Well here it is..or most of it!!

[FYI…Hubby and I no longer buy gifts for each other for Christmas, Birthdays and Anniversaries…so when we go down south he buys the toys that he wants and I do the same…It’s called Guilt Free Shopping!]

So here’s what Hubby bought me this year…:o)

Geeze…thanks Santa for all this lovely wool!! Trust Santa to bring all the colours that I want and need! Yeah…lots of neutrals for the dye pot!

Happy Birthday to ME!! Thanks hon! Love all those star fabrics and honey buns…where ever did you find the berry branches?…and I LOVE the old Baby Brother Sewing Machine…

What? For our Anniversary?? You shouldn’t have!! Yardage and charm packs what a great combo!

You REALLY shouldn’t have…!! Wow! I love these 5” squares of Christmas flannels! How did you KNOW?!

Enough batting to last me the year!! Wow!! Thank YOU!

Yarn dyed and printed Daiwaibo! He KNOWS the way to this gal’s heart!

Not to mention the homespun's…after all I’m just a country girl at heart!

I think that I must have been a VERY good girl this year!!

Don’t you just love it!! Hubby gets his gizmos and gadgets and I get my fabric!! Yup…it’s a win-win! This way we get exactly what we need and want and we no longer have to return a thing!

SEW…now I better get cracking and sew something!

Have a Super Saturday and Happy Quilting~P

Home Again…

2013-04-12T06:47:00.001-07:00

Home again..jiggity jig!

We got home last night, tired but very happy! It’s wonderful to go away on a holiday but man, it feels good to be HOME!!

The tulips and daffodils are blooming and all the trees are flowering… and the green is hurting my eyes…what a lovely welcoming!

But enough about THAT…you have been waiting patiently for the rest of the Pioneer Quilting Shops’ pictures!

Well wait no more!

Ooops! They have been too busy making pennies and quilts to dust!! Yay…I’m not alone!! :)

I LOVED this quilt!! STUNNING!!

And THIS ONE TOO!!

You guessed it…LOVE IT!!

Throughout the shop they have these little framed blocks…wouldn’t they make wonderful gifts!

And their Christmas ROOM was spectacular!!

Sweet woolie ornaments…

Not to be left out…Spring had a table all it’s own!

And of course I had to end with this quilt…I bought the pattern last year…I need a little reminder (and a wee kick in the keester) to get ‘er out and get ‘er done!

So ends our little West Coast Shop Hop…hope you had as much fun as I did….Nahhhh…just NOT possible!

Well…it’s Christmas morning here on our little hill over-looking Satellite Sound…yup, I get the PLEASURE of unloading the 5th wheel!! (insert HAPPY DANCE!!) I wonder what Santa has stored for me under the couch, in the closets, up in the cupboards and in ‘that’ basement!! Who can remember….?? And it is FINALLY light enough outside for me to start unwrapping!! haha

Have a FUN Friday and Happy Quilting!~P

Pioneer Quilts…

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Our last sleep-over stop is Portland, OR…home to Pioneer Quilts! This is my second visit to this shop and it continues to get better and better!!

The sales lady was very apologetic…she said the shop was bare due to the shop having a booth at the NW Quilt Show! Well it sure didn’t look bare to me! It looked FANTASTIC!

To the left of the shop…

This baby quilt caught my eye…it’s “Lollie Pop Hill” by Reets’ Rags to Riches. Loved it…I’m not surprised that this pattern flew off the shelves and is on order! Way TOO cute!

This quilt was made from Japanese Daiwaibo yarn dyed and print fabrics! Gorgeous!

I recognized this quilt from Whimsical’s Cabin Fever book…lovely!

The displays in this shop are stunning…and are everywhere!

Look familiar?? It’s JoAnn Mullaly’s “Wool Crazy:!

I could have just closed up this suitcase and traveled right out of this shop!! My idea of packing!

I bought the pattern and the fabric for this quilt the last time I was here…GOT TO GET IT DONE!! LOVE this quilt! (Starry Night by Bonnie Sullivan)

How sweet is this!! If you have a daughter or a grand-daughter then get busy!! She would keep this FOREVER!

This quilt was stunning!

I am going to have to stop and show you the rest of the pictures tomorrow…the wifi at the park will blow if I try to post too many pictures!! Ok…so it won’t blow…but it will take me forever to post…and we are so OUT OF HERE!! HOME TODAY!! YAY…

Stay tuned for more of Pioneer Quilting’s fantastic quilts!!

Have a thrilling Thursday and Happy Quilting!~P

Oregon Coast Shop Hop…o

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I am happy to report that all the Quilt Shops south of Waldport,OR are all open AND doing business!!

And..did you know, that there is no shortage of Quilt Shops on the Oregon Coast…we found four shops all along the 101without REALLY looking…and they ALL had parking except for one!! YIPPEE!! (Have I told you how hard it is to park a 32’ 5th wheel!!)

First stop… “Quilters’ Corner”…nice..very nice! And I met Sandi, a blog follower and her mother!! How sweet was that! Always nice to meet quilters who you have ‘talked to’ but never met! Now I can put a face to Sandi (she made the Cow Jumping Over the Moon Quilt!)

Sandi and her Mom live just outside Vancouver, BC.

Second Stop…Geeze, we couldn’t park the rig.. so FORGET about this one! :o(

Third Stop was… ‘The Joy of Quilting’…six rooms of fabric…what a JOY! Need I say more!

I got a chuckle out of the sign on their door!!

And the Fourth and final shop… Wenz Daze Quilter’s Emporium…I believe this picture says it all!!

“START THE CAR! START THE CAR!”

This was my favourite Shop…lots of eye candy!

Quilts hanging from the rafters! Loved it!

Yup…nothing like travelling up the coast of Oregon! Next stop…Portland, Oregon!

Have a wicked Wednesday and Happy Quilting!~P

Do You Feel My Pain??

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Yup… ‘The Fat Quail Quilt Shop’ is CLOSED ON MONDAYS!! “NOOOOOooooo!” ..rest stop for us!

But on a lighter note…my ‘Summertime’ blocks by Primitive Gatherings are DONE…finally!

Definitely my favourite block…

Why did those last two blocks take me so long to stitch?

Eureka! No, I don’t have the answer…That’s where our travels took us…EUREKA, California!! Cold and windy…long pants and jackets are on! :o(

Hope you have a terrific Tuesday and Happy Quilting!

Back Porch Fabrics was MOOOvelous!

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Yesterday, after walking the boardwalks and trails along the Monterey beaches…taking in the sights…

..we ventured uptown and stumbled onto ‘Back Porch Fabrics’ where there was a Cow Parade in progress…Now I had heard of this Cow Parade from Blog Follower, Sandi…she has a quilt on display!! I also got one of the brochures advertising the Cow Parade of quilts…curated by Mary Lou Weidman and Mel B. McFarland.

These ladies wrote the book, “Out of the Box With Easy Blocks”… where you can find the bare bones pattern for the Cow Quilt.

Mary Lou taught the Cow Quilt class…across the USA and then gathered the finished quilts and brought them to the ‘Back Porch Fabrics Quilt Shop’ for a Quilt Show…Lucky ME…and lucky YOU!! You get to see the finished projects! These quilters took that cow pattern and kicked it right out of the pasture!

Pour yourself a glass of milk and ENJOY!

I think I got a picture of all of them!! Isn’t it incredible how they are all so different and unique! What imaginations!! There were two ‘Sandys’ in the show but I couldn’t find Sandi’s quilt! Sandie will help us out here and give us a MOOOout as to which quilt is yours?

Loved Back Porch Fabrics…lovely, bright shop with friendly staff…and they welcomed picture taking!!

No secret here…it was a MOOvelous shop!

Then before dinner it was a walk down through the dunes to the beach…where I found a baby MOOOn Snail shell! I left it on this fence post for a special surprise for some lucky beachcomber…but first I just had to take its picture!

It was another picture perfect day in paradise!!

Have a MOOgical MOOOnday and Happy Quilting! And sew on…P

San Francisco Here We Come…

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Yesterday I managed a quick stop at the ‘Prairie Queen Quilt Shop’ in San Jose, CA.

I had never been to the ‘Prairie Queen QS’ before. I had done my homework earlier…I researched the quilt shops online before starting our trek to the San Francisco area. This one sold Primitive Quilts Magazine and Wool…so thought that it would be a good fit!

I liked the BIG blue sign…spotted this one right away!!

I LOVED the HUGE spool quilt in the window!!

I asked if I could take pictures of the shop… Nope! This shop has secrets! So I talked her into an entrance shot featuring the floor…

So this is it folks…the Prairie Queen Quilt Shop…it was nice. The Queen didn’t get friendly until I bought something and I didn’t spend as much time as I would have poking around. Oh…AND I forgot to ask about the Spool Quilt in the Window! Darn!

However…San Francisco was spectacular…slightly foggy but that just added to her charm!! She let us take as many pictures as we wanted…and she was VERY friendly!

The Golden Gate…

Alcatraz Island…

And a picture of a famous SF Trolley Car…

The ride down on the #1 Highway was wonderful…incredible views!

We had an amazing day! Hope you enjoyed seeing a wee snippet of it!

Have a SUNNY Sunday and Happy Quilting!~P

The Magic of Monterey…

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Our ‘little house on wheels’ has been plunked down in beautiful Monterey for a few days…the beaches are amazing!! Incredibly beautiful and the sun is shining!

We are staying at an RV Park right on the dunes…you walk down this trail over the dunes…

and this is what you find~ beautiful spectacular beaches!

Yup…the pups enjoyed the beach as only dogs can!

After a long walk on the beach we headed for Monterey…and the famous 17 Mile Drive. The highlight for me was seeing ‘The Lone Cypress’… breathtaking!

For hubby it was seeing Pebble Beach Golf Course up close and personal!

We stumbled on this cottage down on the beach beside Monterey’s waterfront…would this not make the perfect location for a Quilt Shop? Just LOOK at the roof…it looks like a lovely quilt has been tossed over it!

Do you see it too?…or does this just reinforce it..I have Quilting on the BRAIN 24-7! Go ahead and click on this house…I swear it’s a pillowy soft QUILT!!

Hope you enjoyed the sights…no quilting for me…maybe tomorrow!

Have a super Saturday and Happy Quilting!~P