Spring!

Even though it was cold and rainy today, Spring is showing its face!  I planted the tulips in the pot last fall and what a sweet $3 investment that was!  Also, check out Jim's redbud.  So pretty. We hired our neighbor boy to do some work for us in the yard.  I am so pleased with how he cut down the monkey grass that separates the yard from the woods.

Next Project:

I"ve been playing with wood.  Going to get an estimate Friday for taking up the carpet and replacing it with leftover hardwood.  Just have to find the stairnose pieces and get a good carpenter.  Jim won't let me do it, although I told him I thought I could after watching a UTube video on how!  Ha....he didn't buy it. Seriously, I would like to try to do it myself.

Batik BOM

I can't wait to finish this one up.  This was a BOM I started over a year ago, I have been waiting on block 11 since November.  Timeless Treasures had some kind of problem getting the fabric to the quilt shops.  My block 11 shipped today!  I already have block 12, which is the final borders.  It shouldn't take me long to finish it and get it on the machine.  It is supposed to be for our bedroom.

Sewing Room

I haven't posted pictures of my sewing room in a while and I am still happy that I've been able to keep it fairly clutter free for a few weeks now.  Here are a few...

I try to do a good job of cleaning/dusting/straightening in between projects.  The sloped ceiling is a major hindrance to this room.  Wish we had thought that through better when we built, but who would have thought it would have ended up as a "quilt studio"?

I wish I had a before and after for the closet.  Here is the after, and I am happy with it although it still looks quite junky.  However, I am still storing lots of my son's stuff (motorcycle helmets, gloves, chaps, ties, a few clothes, sleeping bag....etc).  We don't have an attic in our house, so our closets are typically very full of junk valuable stuff.

More Pictures from Las Vegas

This was really cool inside Caesar's Palace.  It was a shopping center inside.  The "sky" is painted on the roof.

Again, inside Caesar's Palace - a huge shopping mall.

This was pretty neat too.  There was a conservatory inside Caesar's Palace with all kinds of plants, trees, butterflies, and even this "picture" made from fresh flowers and plants.

Just put the last load of laundry in the dryer, got the kitchen straightened up, the mail sorted and I am so ready to get back to sewing.  Have two quilts to bind.

More pictures from Las Vegas

The beautiful fountains at the Bellagio hotel. They are synchronized to music every fifteen minutes.

This was an interesting display of flowing chocolate at a sweet shop within the Bellagio.

And just had to get a picture of this Rolls Royce.

In Vegas

I am in Las Vegas for a work trip.  I am not a Vegas kind of person.  However, while walking through one of the big, fancy hotels, I spotted this display in the widow.  Can you tell what these are?

Yep, antique sewing machines......pretty  cool.  Can't wait to get back home to my own machine and projects!

Breaking for lunch

Finished the quilting; got the binding sewn on; still lack the hand work.  I like it, but I always like scrap/shirt quilts.  I think I am going to name this one "Picnic Quilt".  It is a gift.

Lithe pantograph

Finished the quilting on this one last night.  Still have to hand sew the binding. The pattern is a variation of Bonnie Hunter's Strip Twist.

Started the quilting on this one last night.  Hope to finish it today. Using Plummage pantograph.

Today is such a wonderful blessing of a day.  I love being in the sewing room (or as my friend calls it my "man cave") with the windows open the breeze blowing in and listening to the birds sing as I sew.

Borders

I wasn't so determined this time to use what I had for borders, but when I didn't find anything suitable at the Quilt Show venders, I looked at what I had.  I think these colors look pretty good for the borders.  Now, I have two tops to get quilted.

Organization

I guess we quilters are always running out of room to store our "stuff".  I found some unused space upstairs in a bathroom.  Yes, a bathroom.  The ceiling slants at four feet so the bathroom had quite a bit of unused space under the slant.  It isn't unused now.  I moved my storage shelves/containers in there, and boy were they messy. I've worked all afternoon organizing.  I'm happy with the results.  Here are some before and after pictures.  Before:

After:

I still have way too many scraps, even after I tossed a lot.

Hi Bonnie Hunter!

I had the privilege of meeting Bonnie Hunter today at the quilt show in Pigeon Forge!  She is great! I purchased her latest book on making quilts out of shirts and she autographed it for me.  Hi Bonnie, it was so nice to meet you!!

If any of you haven't yet, go to her blog at http://quiltville.blogspot.com/ and see some great stuff.

Three Weddings

I have three weddings in the next two and a half months.  So that means.......three quilts.  I usually don't sew during the week but this week I have had several nights of sewing.  I was able to finish this one.  I had the hardest time trying to find fabric for the border; ended up ordering some in the same line.  I'm not crazy about it, but it does look better in person than in this picture.

I also got the blocks sewn together on this (4th) shirt quilt.  I hope to find some border fabric for it tomorrow at the Quilt Show in Pigeon Forge.  I have decided it will go to one of the young couples. 

I am auditioning colors for the border.  I like the color of my recliner with it!  That is probably the color that would have looked best on the Smokey Mountain Star shirt quilt I finished recently.  By the way, we are going to donate that one to Jim's office in a March of Dimes fund raiser. Jim wanted me to make one for the event and since I had three I really wanted to make for these weddings, he agreed to give up the one I had just made for him.

What color for border?

I like hearing everyone's thoughts on what color borders to use.  I am open for suggestions on this one.  The pattern normally has a two inch border then a five inch.  Any suggestions?   I realize it can be difficult to comment on the blog, so email me!  This is a wild mixture of plaid and striped shirts.  I'd love to do something on the borders to bring it all together.  It is probably going to go for a fund raiser.

I've just got the blocks laid out.  I may have to move some around a bit.  Borders??

Shirt Quilt #4

I guess I just can't get enough of these shirt quilts.  This one will be a gift or a donation.

As I am cutting off the 8 1/2 inch squares of the strip sets for the above quilt, I am saving my scraps and collecting these 2 1/2 inch wide strip sections.....scraps from scraps.....

Another shirt pillow

Can't help myself.....just love these.

Blog2print

I found this great website where they will take all your blog posts and create a memory book.  It looks pretty neat.  I decided to do it to document all of my blogging posts.....from day one.  You can find it here at blog2print. Be sure to check Google for a coupon code before you place an order.  I saved 15%.  If I ever order something and they have a place for a coupon code, I always stop, open another window and search Google for a coupon.