Its A Win Win

My husband and I found ourselves with a  

couple of free days and we ended up at the 

San Diego County Fair.  

There were New Adventures

Fast Driving

Fears Conquered

Games Played

Unusual Food Intakes

And precious time spent with family.

Yes, we had a WHALE of a time. : )

A short while ago, I entered the 

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway at Gemini Stitches,

And I WON!

While we were at the fair, 

our mailman dropped off a box all the way from Australia.

I can't believe how fast it arrived. 

I could hardly wait to open it. 

See why?

Isn't it beautiful?!!

Kirsten used Denyse Schmidt fabrics to make 

this 20" swoon block cushion/pillow

She quilted it using orange thread. So Cool!

I love the pattern, the fabrics and the workmanship.

Its even more beautiful in person and I am thrilled

with this new addition to our home. 

I love, love, love it!

Thank you Kirsten : )

WIP Wednesday

Wooo Whoo!  I am on summer break! 

 I can hardly wait to get working on my project  "to do" list. 

It's actually a "want to do list."

I just love starting a new project,  

the stack of fresh fabrics together, 

the excitement, 

the potential.

 I think my list actually calls me. 

But,

I've taken a quick look 

and I have far too many projects unfinished. 

I will start by trying to finish up some of my WIP

 and attempt to talk myself out of starting a new one. 

This kaliedoscope is the currant project I'm working on.

 I should start with the oldest WIP, but I had a fandango layer cake 

sitting around and wanted to use it up. 

I started it about a week ago.

Kate Spain's Fandango paired with a Kona brown.

I think I'm going to really like this one. 

I'll talk more about this quilt in a few weeks when its done.

Saying it, makes it so, right? A few weeks?

I'm linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

for the first time. Stop by and see everyone's up to.

Fill In

Wow, I have really enjoyed the Blogger's Quilt Festival
Have you?
There are some really talented people out there in blogland
and all the quilts were really beautiful.


Today I though I would share some finishes I missed posting about. 

I'll start with the oldest.

Remember this pincushion? 

 I made Mrs. Hootie to work out my pattern, 

so I could send an owl pincushion in a swap.
She stays right beside my iron and I love her more than I thought.

After working with her for a little while, 

this is whoo I made for my swap partner, Jodi. 

This Ms Brown Hootie was sent with a needle book. 

I used the tutorial from Nana Company, that I had pinned on pinterest.
Don't you just love Pinterest?  

It was made entirely from my scrap pile 

and I love how it turned out. I will be making more.

Next up were two library shelf blocks for my Bee a {Modern} Swapper group. 

I can't wait to see Manda put together all of her library shelves. 

side by side

I sent a bold, in your face (colorwise) zig zag zippy pouch to 

Nicole with her churn Dash Love quilt for DQS12. 

My daughter wanted a very small coin zip. 

She even bought the fabric and was going to make it herself. 

I ended up making up a small pattern. 

This isn't a very good photo, but it is tiny and cute.

 Its is grey with aqua bicycles and a yellow zipper. 

Inside it has aqua fabric with the words "blah blah blah"  

She loves it, and that's what matters.

Potholders are my last finish to show.

I sent these to Marian.  She likes wonky stars and 

beachy colors, especially blue, yellow and grey.

I receeived these beautiful 

pot holders from Deb of Trio Stitch Studio

I love them!

 She did a fabulous job and they are far more 

beautiful in person than these photos.   

Thank you Deb!

Whew, I guess I've been busier than I thought. 

What have you been up to,  I'd love to know?

I'm going to try to be back with a list on Wednesday to link up 

with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Blogger's Quilt Festival

If you love quilts then you've probably heard of the Blogger's Quilt Festival
hosted by Amy of Amy's Creative Side.
Several hundred quilters show their quilts.
I look at each and every one of them and they are incredibly inspiring. 

I am going to share one of my favorite and most recent quilts with you.
I blogged about it only a month ago, but most of you haven't
been here before, so I think I'm OK.

This quilt was made for a doll quilt swap.  The swap had some repeating
block guidelines and I choose the churn dash block, which was a favorite for my partner.
I started planning and playing and moving things around and realized
 it reminded me of this quilt block, which I love.  

It came together pretty quickly and as I went along 

I found opportunities to add a bit of fun. I had some word fabric and thought that the centers of the churn dash blocks needed to be different from the background, to add some interest. There were four blocks, what a perfect opportunity to spell a four letter word.

The centers of the small churn dash blocks spell    L  O  V  E   

Here is the finished flimsy

   I thought it would be fun to bind it with the word fabric to tie everything together.

I didn't like it from the start, it was too light (I prefer dark) and I had

 been pushing another idea out of my mind all along, but it

 kept creeping back. I took it off and gave idea number one a try.

 I had been too lazy up until that point to try it. 

To my surprise it worked up perfectly and turned out pretty well.

So much better, don't you think? It really screamed for the color 

to continue out to the binding. 

I wish I would have quilted it more, but isn't it so wonderful 

when a idea comes together, you think its ok, but it gets better as it goes along. 

I love this little quilt. 

It was hard to send off, but I know its right where it belongs.

This is my "side of the barn" photo along side the fabulous quilt I received in the swap. 

Details

Churn Dash Love

18.5 X 18.5

 April 2012

Its been awhile, so I should be posting about quilting and sewing, don't you think? 

Well, today is a special little someones 1st birthday, 

so quilting and sewing will have to wait.

One year ago, our family was blessed with this precious little girl.

Kinlee

                                                   
                                                                     4 months

       
                                                                    12 months 

12 months

                                                        

                                                          She loves herself some cake! 

Doesn't she just look like the sweetest  little thing? 

She really is. She has a quiet, gentle sweetness about her. 

We are so very blessed and grateful she belongs to us. 

Happy Birthday sweet Kinlee

Meema loves you!

Churn Dash Love

I get carried away with new projects and forget to post 

what I'm currently working on or just finished up. 

Maybe its because it usually takes over an hour to post.

I know, I know if I blogged more often, it would get easier and faster.  

Hopefully I can get to that point this summer when I'm off work. 

 Anyway, I'm starting some new projects so I will stop and bask in my completed projects for a moment.

I showed you the fabulous little doll quilt I received from the Doll Quilt Swap 12, 

but I didn't show you what I made. 

Here are the beginnings

Can you find the word spelled here?

The completed flimsy

Now for a label

I wonder who its for?

Along the way I had some decisions to make. 

I decided what would really be cool, would be to continue the color 

theme and bind each quarter of the quilt in its matching color. 

The red corner in red, the yellow corner in yellow and so on. 

Then I thought, oh no, lots of work with that idea and 

I probably couldn't get it lined up well anyway, 

which would result in failed attempt yuckiness. 

I decided to bind it with the word fabric from the center.

I didn't like it from the start, it was too light and the original idea kept creeping into my mind. 

I took it off and gave idea number one a try. 

To my surprise it worked up perfectly and turned out pretty well.

Ahhh, so much better, don't you think?

Label attached

I have to say I love this little quilt. It was very hard to send it off. 

I don't think I captured my partners tastes, but I hope she loves it anyway.

She still has not received it. I sent it a few days late, 

as it took three trips to the post office to get it sent, long story. 

Let's just say I need to learn more about the options of sending packages, 

and sending outside the U.S.

This is my "side of the barn" photo

The sent and received doll quilts side by side.

Details

Churn Dash Love

18.5 X 18.5

Until next time   : )

Look What I Got!

It's been crazy busy around our home, 

so I haven't posted much, but I want to stop and show you all the

amazing little doll quilt I received from Mona Keegan 

for the Doll Quilt Swap 12 group.

You can find her on flickr as Quilting Cyclist

The Doll Quilt Swap 12 ended today. 

The deadline to mail was today, but I received my quilt a few days ago. 

In fact, it arrived on my porch on Thursday, 

but no one was home and we didn't see the package until Friday.

My husband is home most everyday, but just happened to be gone on the day it arrived. 

We brought it in and hubby cut the box open while it was in my lap, 

I lifted the lid in his direction, 

I was on the backside of the box and couldn't see the quilt, 

as I am in the middle of saying "Am I going to like it" his jaw dropped. 

He says "Yes, you are going to love it. "

And I do, 

I   L O V E  it!

Wouldn't you?  

some close - ups

The idea that someone, a stranger, would create something for me this fabulous, this gorgeous is, well,  overwhelming. I could not take my eyes off of it.  The photos do not capture its beauty.

 Everything about it is beautiful, the color & fabric choices, 

the piecing, the quilting.... 

It truly is a fabulous little quilt.

Thank you mona!   : )