Homework!

 Thank you so much for your kind wishes for a fast recovery from Lyme's Disease.   It is getting better just in the last few days.

I finished this table runner to use on my Zoom table in my sewing room.

When not zooming, it is a great little table for laying out blocks or cutting.

This was a sew along with my Ninigret Quilt Guild.  Thank you Tina and Sharon!  We used Kari's sew along instructions you can find them here.

I low volume prints with lots of sewing themes.

the pattern had 10 different layouts of the block, but I mixed it up and many many versions.

My friends Joe,  Pauline and I tried to figure out how many combinations you can make with these subcut parts to make a 6" block.

In the end we decided A LOT!!

I really wanted to get back to my sewing machine, so I set up my area so I wouldn't have to get up (counter to how I usually sew).

Using my little table, gave me the idea to custom make this size.

I marked it on a 45 degree angle and made uneven parallel quilting lines.  Isn't this the cutest sheep fabric?

I had this pretty variegated thread that  thought added a little fun.

This is how I attach a single fold binding.  I have a tutorial on a tab on the top of my page.  

Here is what you DON'T want to do.  I forgot to plot out my corners and ended up with a connection seam right at a mitered corner - oooops.  I muscled through it.

I use just a tiny bit of school glue to hold it down.

This time I machine stitched it down.  I stitched from the front right next to the binding, and is was very close at some points.   I used a 1 1/2"  strip, but would 1 3/4" next time.

I wound the batting and backing trimmings into a rag ball and made a little mug rug with some leftovers.  The selvage of the lamby fabric had little bunnies on it - too cute.

Thanks I'm grateful for this week:

My new Singer 301!  I have named her Betty.  Everyone on IG said this is a fabulous machine.  I still haven't really tried her out yet.

I met Betsy in town for the sale.  Thank you Betsy!  It was great to see you, if only briefly.  I hope you had a great time in NH.

Grateful for this wonderful surprise care package from Rondi.  It was full of so many fun goodies.   Thank you for your thoughtfulness, generosity and kindness.

For my son, Andrew, who graduated from nursing school with honors.  He also "unofficially" passed his NCLEX nurse licensing test in the least amount of questions:  60.

The world will be better with a nurse like him!

Have a great week.  

I'll be here doing my "Homework"

xo

Hello? Anyone Home??

Sometimes I feel like I have nothing to post about.  Then I have to many little things.  Oh well, here goes.

I've been working really, really hard on my Jubilee quilt.  You know it's bad when Mr. Fun says "you've been working on that one a long time...."  Wha?  We did actually move our whole lives during the quilting process.....

I only have 1/2 of 1 border left to quilt!!!

I switched up Andrew and Sigs (and guest) bedroom this fall to feature cheddar.

Mary B. made me this lovely hand dyed quilt.

I love how she quilted it

The other nightstand has this little cheddar beauty that I made years ago.

Speaking of Andrew and Sig - we had a lovely day at the zoo yesterday.

  

who can resist face cutout photo boards?  not us.

And we fell in love with the baby goats.  These 2 were born to Peaches last Friday.  There were some that were born on Sunday.  I want one!!

I have had several readers ask how I hang my quilts.  Here it is:  The Hang it Dang it.  I was introduced to this by my friend, Elizabeth O'S.

These are available on-line at several websites, just google it and order one.

It has changed my life!   It is a bold statement, but true.

I have just hung my 4th hanger in my sewing room.  It takes more time to find a hammer and nail than to hang it.  It only takes 1 nail and is self leveling.

The instructions are super easy to follow and changing a full sized quilt takes less than 5 minutes, which is how I enjoy different quilts throughout the year.

here is my new hanger and an older quilt "Lollipop Garden"

Sometimes I like to offer a behind the scenes shot of the UTTER CHAOS going on in my life.  This shot taken right after the beauty shot as I walked away from the mess.  As per usual, coco looked bored to death, literally.

Photo cropping has also changed my life......have a great week.

Summer Time Fun

Happy Friday!  I hope you are having a wonderful summer.

I recently received 2 lovely surprise gifts in the mail.  First was a lovely assortment of greens from my friend Diane.  Don't they look perfect nestled in my potted herb garden?  Thank you Diane.

Kelly sent me this beautiful Bee pin cushion.  I have yet to stick a pin it as it is too lovely!  There are such pretty details in the stitching.  You can read more about it on her blog Pinkadot Quilts.   It looks perfect among the flowers.   Pretty fabric and card too - Thank you Kelly I'll treasure it.

And hey - it matches the tattoo on my foot.

Coco loves to lay on the deck and watch the birds.   She has always folded her paw under - silly puppy.

The hummingbirds are continuing to visit the feeder regularly - like several times an hour during the morning and evening.  I have had as many as 3 at the feeder this year.

What a handsome fellow!

For Fun I did a puzzle that was a gift from my son and his girlfriend.

Andrew and Sig attending a beach wedding in Florida.

Hope your summer is the right combination of busy and relaxing and most of all fun!

Fun Friday - Penny for your Thoughts

Hooray - it's Friday - again!

Yesterday was my best friend, Mary B's, 82 Birthday.  In honor of her historic trip to NYC in 2011 for the Red & White exhibit, I made this little quilt for her.

Here you can see it is constructed of flying geese instead of 1/2 square triangles.

I wrote directly on the back of the quilt instead of making a separate label.

Speaking of Red & White and Birthdays.  Tomorrow is my son  Andrews 23rd Birthday.

I'm making him a red & white cake (red velvet, his favorite).

Pennies - my 2 collections:

I have been collecting wheat back pennies for years.  My mother also collected them so I have always thought of them as special.

I have 35 of them and the 2 oldest are from 1920.  I keep them in this little suitcase that my husband gave me years ago.  He just gave me one last week.  It had been a long time since I've added to this collection.

The other collection is pressed pennies.  Below is the one that started it all.  In 1992 I got this penny in Seattle at Ye Old Curiosity Shop.  They had an actual mummy and Andrew being just a little kid was mesmerized by it and called it "The Icky Man".  We bought a pressed penny and a post card of him.

I have 122 pressed pennies which I've collected from many different places.  Here are my pennies from Disney World and Disney Land, 60 in all.

Here are the other ones.  I display them in this little Victorian calling card dish.  I love mixing things irreverantly like this.

There is an official website to organize and purchase pennies here.  I just get them when I can.  It is very fun to go through them once in a while.

Have a FUN Friday everyone and a great weekend.