Hello from the Home Front!

Hello!  Hope every one is having a good spring. 

This weekend was a fun a busy one!  My son, Andrew, graduated from Ramapo College, sum cum laude.  His college career had many ups and downs and I know he felt they were all worth it.

There were over 1,400 matriculating students at the Izod Center.  Yes, they read each and every name presented with their degree.

We were blessed to have Andrews aunts' with us for the event.  Thanks again Nancy and Glenna!

What a wonderful family occasion.  Hanna has a couple of years to earn her cap.

On Saturday I presented my son's beautiful girlfriend, Sigourney, with the Flying Fiesta quilt for her 21st Birthday.

I found this re-usable "missoni-esque" bag at TJ Maxx.  I thought it went really well with the quilt.

I also made a fun bouquet for her.  A vase filled with her favorite candy, peanut butter cups,  a girly flask and little liquor bottles - Happy 21!

I missed the quilt photo shoot, so I don't know what Andrew said, but it really cracked up the Birthday Girl.

Have a Wonderful Week!

Fun For Friday - Somewhere over the Jello Rainbow

Happy Spring Friday!  I hope you are having lovely spring weather, except for my friends in the snow belt - hang in there!

Last week I had a Birthday luncheon party for my friend, Norma.  I love to have "ladies lunch" and sit and sew and gossip, chat.

The hit of the party was Jan's Rainbow Jello.   It was a masterpiece of patience and beauty!  If you want to try one yourself, you can find one of many on line recipe like this one here.

Jan lives a few blocks from me and recently sold her home.  It was so nice to have her support and help.  Thanks Jan!

Lunch was simple, Rubens, chips, pickles and soda and the Rainbow jello - yum!

Norma requested the Orange Crunch Cake that I recently posted.  I decorated it with cuties orange sections and a paper parasol.

Flying Fiesta! 

On a recent post I asked if anyone could guess what the "keys" were to my scrap flying geese quilt.  I had over-heard someone say "She just throws all those colors together and somehow it works".   I took it as a great compliment, but it's not exactly true.

Successful scrap quilts nearly always have a some unifying elements.

Exchange Rules:

Solid colors
Modern Prints (so this ruled out repros, pastels, muddy colors)

Construction Rules (mine):

Take the exchange sets (4) and piece them into strips.
Make color blocks by pairing blocks with similar background colors.
Make all the blocks the same:
   Geese flying down on the right and up on the left.
Alternately turn the blocks.

The next time you see a scrap quilt that you really like, take a little time to study it and see if you can come up with the unifying "keys" to the quilt.

Lastly, look what I made!  I've always wanted to know how to make a Cathedral Windows and our friend, Ruth Ann, gave our sewing group a tutorial.  She has made several bed sized Cathedral Window quilts.  They are Stunning!

I'm planning to make exactly 1 doll bed sized quilt.

Happy Weekend and I hope it involves some sewing!  I'm off to the Northern Star Quilt show and will share photos next week.

To Boston With Love

I'm interrupting my lazy blogging to bring you a post about a project that I read on Kelly's Blog - Pinkadot Quilts - this morning.

The Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild is organizing a public display of flags in the city of Boston to bring some comfort, support, joy and most of all Love to the city of Boston following the recent race day tragedy.  You can click the link above, or the button on the right to get involved.  They have clear instructions and tutorials.

Since it's all about love, I decided to make one for me and Rich, and one for each of our wonderful children.  I've included their girlfriend/boyfriend too who were there to comfort and support them when I couldn't be.

Here are the flags that I made this afternoon (front and back views).  I decided to design them big, bold and graphic and simple.

Me and Rich's:

Andrew and Sigourney's:

Hanna and Daniel's:

Here is my little contribution tied together.  I hope they keep them together as a family holding hands.   We are all runners and have been to many running events as spectators and athletes.

I hung it in my dwarf maple tree to see how it looked from a distance.  

This was an easy, fun afternoon project.  Sometimes its nice to be a little part in a big project.  Hat's off to the Vancouver Guild for organizing this gift for Boston.

See you again soon!  Happy Weekend!

Flying Fiesta!!

Just popping in to catch up.   I've been working a little on my Jubilee Quilt, but you know how slow that hand quilting can go.

Last week I machine quilted my flying geese quilt 50" x 70".
I'm naming it Flying Fiesta!

 

There are 2 significant "keys" to this scrap quilt as far as organization.  Can you figure them out?

The backing is pieced with a few odd bits.  It almost looks like a flag.

I quilted it with variegated thread in a 2 1/2" grid, using the block design elements. so no marking.

Here are my sample quilting blocks and thread.

I'm giving this quilt as a special gift, so I'm happy to have a rag ball souvenier.

Mr. Fun and I went to a family memorial in Iowa City over the weekend.  It involved flying to Chicago and driving 3 1/2 hours.  My hexagon  take along doll quilt project is MIA at the moment, so I grabbed this:

It is a reproduction (photo of original on the left) counted cross stitch sampler.  I have been at it for about 20 years.  Seriously, 20 years.  Shameful. 
I keep thinking "if an 8 year old can do, I can do it."!!

I started this so long ago, that I could actually see it to work on it.  (see tip of the day below for a follow up).  so I perch my glasses on the end of my nose, but then have to tilt my head way back to see the TV.  ha ha, this getting older thing is hilarious!

So I've marked where I am with the scissors.  Oh dear.  I may be amending the pattern to finish in my lifetime.  I do love the house and it will definitely make it.

Tip of the Day!
Get a professional to replace the stripped screw in your glasses.  Now mine are basted and I keep seeing the pin out of the corner of my eye, lol.

We have found a beautiful new home in CT and plan to move mid-June.  Thanks for your continued support and encouragement!

Fun For Friday - Candy Land

Happy Friday Again!  My Lollipop Garden Quilt header is perfect for today's theme.

Last Friday I was busy making a cake for my son's Birthday.  I was able to take a photo just in the nick of time before it gone!

FYI - I use home made butter cream frosting and added the zest, instead of the tub of frosting and cool whip.

 

Here is what I made with all the candy that laying around the kitchen last week.

It is a Candy Bouquet!  Here are the steps to making one.

Find a large vase and fill with with some candy.  I used Hershey's kisses.
Cut a swimming noodle to fit in the neck of the vase.

Using a couple squares of tissue paper wrap the noodle and insert into the neck of the vase.

Using Bamboo sticks (I bought them at the grocery store near the grilling supplies). Hot glue the candy to the sticks.  I also included a gift card.  I think photos or a CD would be fun too.  I used varying lengths of sticks but just snapping off a piece from the top.

 Then you insert the candy sticks into the swimming noodle arranging as you would flowers.

 

After all the candy is in place, I tucked pinched squares of tulle to fill in the gaps.  You can also use colored tissue paper.  I used a pre-made bow to decorate the vase.

And there you have it!  Who wouldn't love one of these?  Andrew sure did!

Yay!  I finished my flying geese quilt top.  My goal is to get it basted today.

 

Warm weather has finally reached us in NJ!  I was able to enjoy my favorite quilting location. 

And of course coco is loving the yard time with me!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Fun For Friday - Food Fun!!

Hooray!  Today I'm making a total mess of the kitchen and is it fun!

Our house went on the market on Tuesday and we've been super blessed to have received 3 offers in the first 2/3 days.  We accepted one and the family is thrilled to buy our home - whew!

So after keeping the kitchen clean, clean, clean I'm having a great time messing it up.


My son ordered "Bubble Room Orange Crunch Cake" for his Birthday celebration this weekend - great choice, I love it!

Here is the Bubble Room restaurant in Captiva, FL that invented this fabulous cake.

And here is their Orange Crunch cake -

Click HERE for the recipe.   I'll photograph my finished cake this weekend.

The secret to this cake is a layer of walnuts, brown sugar, butter and graham cracker crumbs.   No, I'm not gorging on candy, lol, it is for another project.

 

The cake batter has 1/2 cup orange juice and 2 TBs of orange zest.  It's fragrant and delicious.

 

I got a really fun and funny give away prize in the mail.  I won the Downton Abbey T-shirt from my blog buddy and recent AQS Lancaster Winner, Teresa of Fabric Therapy .

Check out this address - what a hoot she is!  Thanks Teresa!

Thank you to all who have asked about our moving process.   We are house hunting this weekend and hopeful to move in early June.   Now that the house is sold, maybe I'll get a little sewing done.

Have a fun weekend!

 

Wassup?

Popping in to report on the little bit if quilting I've done lately.

Hand quilting update on the Jubilee quilt.

Here is the back view.  You can really see how the wool has great loft and body.  I'm loving it.  Surprisingly, I'm using a size 9 between.  It has great strength and I'm able to achieve small stitches (small enough for me anyway).

If you are wondering if those circles are a pain to quilt, YES they are.  But I like the look with the stuffed berries.

Here is an update on the projects I took to the retreat, which was fabulous!

I got all the blocks pieced on this.  I have to get it on the wall and play with it.

Here are my blocks for my eventual king sized bed quilt.  I'm loving it so far.

and Hooray!  I purchased one of Lori's quilts from AAQI.  I've been wanting to and when I saw this one it really spoke to me.  Lori has done an amazing job toward achieving her goal of $1000. for this worthy organization.

 
That's a wrap for me.  Have a somber and joyful Easter week if you celebrate, and if you don't Happy Spring!