A new stitching BOM

from the very talented Val Laird.  It's called Keys to Contentment and block 1 is ready to be downloaded now.  She has chosen nine Bible sayings that she feels are relevant to life's journey.  The verse on Block 1 sure has some sound advice from Hebrews 13:5:

 "Be content with what you have." 

Check out the link on my sidebar for this great new BOM from Val and see all her wonderful patterns in her Craftsy shop.

Until next time...
Happy quilting from Sharon and the kitties

 

More blog hops...

Beautiful Birds by Elizabeth Studios is already in the stores...so a new hop using that fabric is planned-called  Tree Bird (you will know why soon). So this Saturday they will announce this hop with more details.  Stop at Sew We Quilt and find out the details.

Date change on my friend, Joan's, Have a Latte Blog Hop.  Click on the link for more details.

We all know someone battling CANCER, especially our dear friends who have breast cancer... well this hop will be for THEM... Run by my friend, Pat at Scrappatches, the pattern is a bra we can make  into a quilt or pillow to support and uplift our friends who are cancer patients.  Make sure you follow along on this blog hop.

Until next time...

Happy quilting from Sharon and the kitties

Join the Elephant Parade!

Beginning in February,  Lorna McMahon at Sew Fresh Quilts is starting a quilt-along based on a baby quilt she made using Northcott Fabrics solids. 

She plans to show a block each week and would like you to quilt along with her.  You can make as many of the blocks as you like, for a quilt or a wallhanging or whatever.  The blocks look adorable.  I'm going to save them for any future baby quilts I might need to make.  The link is on my sidebar.

Until next time...
Happy quilting from Sharon and the kitties

A new blog hop starts today...

The Island Batik Sock Hop begins and it is going to be so much fun! There will be beautiful projects made with Island Batik fabrics, tutorials and........giveaways!!   Stop in and check out the schedule.

Plus signups begin today for my crazy friend, Joan's new blog hop about coffee!

Joan

 Yep, she's nuts and she loves the stuff!  LOL  But I love her anyway.  Check out the guidelines on her blog, Moosestash Quilting, and don't forget to remember the date changes.

Today is my friend, Ann's birthday, so I want to wish her the best birthday ever!

 

 Need any help blowing out all those candles? LOL.

Until next time...
Happy quilting from Sharon and the kitties

New Stuff....

I've spent that last few days since I recovered my blog trying to clean it up.  I've removed all the links on the sidebars to old swaps and BOMs and quilt-alongs.  You can still find the info on those if you go through my older posts, if they're still available, but it's time for the new stuff to be added.

I've been slowly adding in the links for a lot of new, wonderful BOMs for 2015.  I think there are a lot more of what I call "fancy" applique this year.  "Fancy" designs are usually beautiful floral designs that make gorgeous additions to your walls or beds - beautiful things to fill our homes with.  Reeze Hanson at Morning Glory Designs has one of these that I call "fancy" applique BOMs starting.

It's called Deco Gardens and can be done as a free BOM or kits can be purchased.  Check out the info on her blog.

Sindy at Fat Cat Patterns is adding another BOM for 2015 called  Gingerbread Party.  It's what I call a "fun" BOM - the designs are cute and whimsical and just make you smile.

 I love her designs and have CDs from her filled with her "fun" and "fancy" designs.  While you check this new one out, don't forget to download the January block from last year's BOM Penguin Cheer.  That one goes until February of this year. 

Now that my blog is back again, I have to remember to take my camera with me when I meet with my sewing and stitching groups, so I can show you all the great projects my friends complete.  Donna G had a darling mini wallhanging on Wednesday at sewing, but I had nothing to take a picture with, so I hope she brings it to the Fire Hall on Sunday so I can get a pic then.

Here's a pic of the pillows I made my DGS for Christmas.  They match the quilt I made him at GTG 2011. 

They're all made with his favorite team fabric, the Philadelphia Eagles.  It's so ironic that he would pick that team as "his", because his mother was born in Philly when we were stationed right outside there when hubby was in the Navy and was a patient at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital.  We spent almost 2 years in that area, but haven't been back since, but who knows how or why boys choose their favorite teams, lol.

Until next time...
Happy quilting from Sharon and the marmalade kitties, Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash

I'm Back....

In case you've wondered where I've been, I have to say I HATE GOOGLE!  LOL.  In May I had my computer changed over to Windows 7 from my beloved Win98.  I posted pics in June of my quilting retreat ok and then tried to learn all the new things in Windows 7.  Well, Google seems to have taken over my computer then, because everything was Google this, Google that.  Home pages gone, log-ons gone, every time I tried to do something, I couldn't find it!  So frustrating.  On top of that, I had always used Outlook Express for email and I loved it.  Tons of folders to store things--Gone with the new Windows 7 Live Mail !  I even had to add a new gmail address for my military group, because I was having so much trouble with the Windows Live Mail.  Took me forever to get on board with that, and still I don't like it and can't figure simple things like the calendar out. UGGHHHH!

So, two days ago I thought I'd better check in with my gmail account and see if anything was happening there.  Well, Google wouldn't let me in without adding a mobile tel #.  I refused but could not figure how to get into that gmail account--the same request page kept coming up.  I finally went into the Google profile and fiddled around with that for a while but couldn't seem to get any results.  So I got mad and asked to delete that Google profile.  IT told me if I did that I could never get that stuff back--but I was so upset at this point that I didn't care--I deleted it. 

And guess what?  The minute that took affect, I could click on my gmail account and it opened right up.  No problems.  I kept going in and out several times just to make sure and it's still ok.  Then I clicked on my link for my old home page of this blog----and HEAVEN FORBID !!!! ---IT OPENED RIGHT UP.  No problems.  I was able to go all around my blog and back several times.  And today it opened right up again.

I have no idea if this will last, (or even what I did) but I will try to start updating my blog and see what happens.  The first things I'll try to do is show you some of the new BOM's for 2015.  I've seen some really nice ones so far.  So check back again tomorrow and see if I really am back, lol.

Until then....
Happy quilting from Sharon and the kitties, Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash

A new Stitch-ALong....

is starting soon over at Jenny's blog .

"The Lord's Prayer" is made up of 26 free embroideries shared over 26 weeks, all coming together as a simply pieced elegant wall quilt in December.

The first block will be shared on her blog this coming Monday, June 8th, and a new block every Monday after that until early December when the quilt is completed.

Looks like it will be another beautiful Elefantz creation.

Some of the girlfriends and I went on a little quilt retreat recently.  Here are some pics of the projects we made.  My mystery was a cute flower block from one of the blogs I follow (Connie at Freemotion by the River) and Joan (from MooseStash Quilting) made us each a darling bag with a mystery project in it.  We had such a wonderful time that we reserved the spot for 2 more years.

 

Until next time...

Happy quilting from Sharon and the kitties

 

A new stitch-along....

from Lisa Bongeon at Primitive Gatherings promises to be gorgeous.  

The first block is posted on her blog now.  She has kits available for sale, but the pattern is free.  She's done the first block in wool, but I think it would be great done as fusible fabric applique.  She'll be posting a new block every 2 weeks.

Johnny Cash has grown into a sweet boy with a BAD problem....he's a chewer.  We've had to buy new modem cords, new phone cords,  and a new wireless keyboard and wireless mouse, among other things.  I've tried pepper spray and citrus spray, plus spraying him with plain water when we see him chewing, but it doesn't bother him at all.  You'd think he would be getting zapped with electricity, but nothing seems to stop him.  And every time DGD comes, he tries to chew her flipflops! 

 

Patsy Cline is so good, but it doesn't seem to be rubbing off on Johnny.

HELP!!!!  What's a mother to do?

Until next time...

Happy quilting from Sharon and the Marmalade Cats

UFO's....

We all have them, but do they ever get done?  My goal this year is to go thru all my bags of swap blocks and get some quilts made.  I belong to several Yahoo groups and have done a lot of swaps in the past, so my collection of blocks is growing.

I have a collection of Happy Blocks from 3 different groups I belonged to. 

I just took the florals, roses, and pink ones and put the three of them together in a large throw the last time we sewed at the fire hall.  I put a sheet down on the floor there and then had plenty of room to lay them out and play with them.  

 

I still have several more collections left, including a big bag of Autumn's from Block Central - when we used to get 40-48 blocks when we won.

 

I plan to work on the assorted kids, bugs, etc the next time we go there.  I worked on some Halloween ones I won last year when I was at sewing at my friend's house last month.  Got the rows all pieced, now just have to finish sewing the rows together.

 

This has been something I wanted to do for quite a while  because I don't really have a lot of throw or larger quilts in my house.  It seems I always make them for gifts but never get any done for myself, lol.  

 

I have some gorgeous Halloween appliqued blocks from a swap several years ago, plus 2 years of Christmas appliqued blocks and a Christmas pieced block swap from swaps done by Aunt Pitty Pat. 

I also have patriotic blocks and a group of blocks from a swap called My Favorite Block-where everyone did their favorite block, but in the named color theme. 

 

So this year I really want to finish up a lot of UFO's and clear out the assorted blocks I have.  Let's hope I can follow thru on this goal.

 

Until next time...

Happy quilting from Sharon, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash