Another wonderful BOM...

is just starting at Mother's Cupboard. Fiona is offering an applique bom with stitchery accents that started on September 1st. Called Flowers of Love, it's a 10-month BOM that she'll be showing in both a "Shabby" style
and a "Country" style. You can see how they look much different in different fabrics. Stop over and download the requirements now.

Block 5 was just posted by Dawn at As Sweet As Cinnamon for her hexagon BOM called Frosty Flakes. I haven't done hexagons yet, but I'm saving the blocks so when I DO, I'll have them all. It's a really unusual quilt and very beautiful.

I've been busy sewing the batik blocks for our Quilt Club exchange and getting caught up on The Buck-a-Block BOM from Village Sampler, our LQS. I hope to download all the pictures off my camera this weekend, so I can post pics from our quilting retreat in Ohio in July and all our finishes since then.

Until next time...

Happy Sewing,
from Sharon and Katie

A new quilt-along.....

is starting soon at Ivory Spring. It's called “Ladybug in Polka Dotville”. Check on 8/25/2010 for the project supplies list. The first installment for the instructions will be posted on 9/3/2010. I have lots of polka dots that have been sitting in the closet just waiting for the perfect project...and this looks like it!

I've been off-line for quite a while with computer problems, but now everything is all disinfected and squeaky clean, so hopefully I'll get back in the swing of things and post more often.

I have been bad while I was gone--I signed up for 4 swaps! Yes, FOUR!! I always have to do Chookyblue's SSCS every year. It's a totally hand-made swap, so lovely gifts are exchanged. Can't miss this one!

But Aunt Pitty Pat got me again with her Christmas Block Swap . (I still haven't done anything yet with last year's blocks.)

But on top of that, she's having a Halloween Tote Swap and a Halloween Block Swap. Now you all know how I love anything Halloween, so I couldn't resist! Links for all these swaps are on my side bar, so stop over and check them out. I know some of them are still open.

Until next time...

Happy sewing from Sharon and Katie

I just found a new BOM...

it's at Homestead Station Designs owned by Nancy Lindblom. It's a needlework BOM for all of us who love hand embroidery. It's a 9 block wallhanging designed by Grace Jewell of Twinkle Woods Fairy Fame. Block 2 is up now and Block 1 is still available. I love how they've given you a large drawing in color, plus the regular instructions. Check out Nancy's blog while you're at it-she collects and "Shabby Chic's" old furniture and then resells it. Really neat! Her main site also has other free tutorials.

The girls are coming shortly for a Stitch 'n Bitch session, so that's all for today.

Until next time...
Happy Quilting from Sharon and Katie

Here are the pics....

of the quilts I wrote about last time. This is Bre's Scooby Doo quilt that we made so long ago. She was happy to finally have it--even though it's flannel and was in the 90's when she got it!

And this is the quilt Mary pieced and gave to me, then I finished it and gave it to Bre for her birthday. Everyone loved the colors and Bre said it's going right on her bed. Then Grampa had to hold it up for a picture. Then Bre and Gramma had to be wrapped up in it. This is a closeup of the front. And this is the wonky, sparkly back. I'd say we all (Mary, Jane (who quilted it) and me) did a great job!

I finally got my Easter Egg Swap blocks done and mailed. Here is how I did mine. At least I'm not the last one to get them done, lol. There's still one more set I haven't received yet. But none of us were planning on having this for this year anyway--we knew that would be impossible. So I hope to have the quilt done for next Easter.

Here are pics of the blocks I did for the Q&N group charity quilts this month.



And these are the blocks that came to me to piece the top for this month. We take turns piecing the blocks, piecing the tops together, and quilting and binding them. Since I don't have a longarm, I only make blocks and piece the tops together. The Quilt and Needle Forum has a great group of ladies in it. You should check us out some day.

That's all for now, because I'm trying to get all caught up because we leave for our Quilt Club quilting retreat next Wed. in Canton, Ohio. So until next time........

Happy Quilting from Sharon and Katie

Finally....

two old UFO's done! I trimmed and bound 2 quilts that have been sitting around for quite a while. One was actually quilted about 5 years ago. It was a project my DGD and I did one day when I was babysitting her--about 6 years ago, when she was 8 years old. Tomorrow she turns 14, so I guess it's time it was finally completed, lol. It's a flannel Scooby-Doo quilt that we laid out on the living room floor together, then she handed me the pieces, and I sewed them. Some of the pieces got turned around we found out after the top was together, but that's okay--it was her first quilt project. Now, of course, she's way too old for it --and since she's almost taller than me now, it's way too short also, but at least she'll have a memento of our first quilting project together. Now if I could re-interest her in sewing, that would be great.

The second quilt is a Flying Geese top that my friend, Mary, made about 6 years ago in wild colors. When she finished it she didn't like it, so she gave it to me. It's been hanging in my sewing room on the back of the door ever since. This winter I found it again, and thought it would be a perfect lap quilt for DGD for her birthday. (She complained last fall when her mom, my DD, received a Halloween lap quilt for her birthday.) Since there was no chance of matching any fabric for the back, I went with 4 wild, sparkly prints I had in my stash. My friend, Jane quilted it in varigated thread with dragonflies and bees and flowers to match some of the backing fabrics. It turned out really cute.

So tomorrow that's what DGD is getting for her 14th birthday--her Scooby-Doo quilt and a wild FG quilt and I get to cross 2 UFO's off my list. WooHoo! Pictures to follow.

Tomorrow is quilt club with the girls and Katie is determined not to be left out! She thinks she should be able to go with me, 'cause she knows there is another cat there! She's seen pictures and smells strange kitty on me every time I come back home! So now she thinks she should be able to go too, lol. Do you think I'll be able to get out the door without her? I don't know, I don't like to cross her--she can get mean when she doesn't get her way!

Until next time,
Happy Quilting from Sharon and Katie

Happy 4th.....

Have a safe and happy holiday from Sharon and Katie

Another new stitching BOM.....

is coming from Jenny at Elefantz and starting July 1st. She's calling it Daisy-Do and has a preview and supply list up on her blog now. Looks like a cute one--and she's only running it for 4 months-- July, August, September, and October. Plus, she has a big sale going on now for her Esty patterns, so head over there quickly before they're all gone! I love her stitching patterns, so I'm going shopping now.

Until next time....
Happy quilting from Sharon and Katie

Introducing the Summer Star Sampler Quilt Along

over at Quiltcetera.Com. Bradie will post instructions for two blocks per week, followed by the center medallion, then borders, starting Tuesday, July 6 through Aug 31. It looks like a great summer project--and I'm a sucker for star blocks, lol. Sign up for her email notification so you don't miss a block - I did!

Bird Brain Designs has a new free tea towel pattern for Flag Day and July 4th, called "United We Stand." Isn't it cute? I still have to border and quilt last year's freebie--it's all stitched, but unfinished like so many other projects. It'll make a good finish for June OPAM. I'm trying to use these neat designs as a seasonal wallhanging for my bathroom. I'm making them so they'll all fit on the same wire hanger and I can just change them for the season. My son thinks it's a riot that I even decorate my bathroom for holidays--but what does he know, he's a man, lol!

Until next time...
Happy Quilting from Sharon and Katie

The Last of the Pictures....

I'm adding the last of the pictures today. I missed some that day when I ran out of space on my camera card and had to change to a new card. My own fault--I had forgotten to erase the card after I added the last pics to my computer. How stupid of me!! Especially since I knew I would be taking lots of pics at this trunk show. Oh well, no sense kicking myself again--it's over and I did get a lot of great shots.

So here are the different quilts made from the heart patterns:









These are from another of the new patterns--I don't remember the name.









I really like the fact that you get more than 1 style/type of quilt from the new patterns. It was nice to be able to make anything from a baby quilt up to a queen/king quilt before, but other than changing the color settings, there was not much variation in the older patterns. But with these new ones, I'm getting 3 totally different patterns - still in some different sizes-- but using up the leftover scraps. If QIAD continues to issue patterns like these, then I'll start buying patterns again.

Katie says it's about time I started "untying those jelly rolls and using them--they're not decorations, after all." I think she just likes playing with the twill tape that tied them together, lol.

Until next time...
Happy Quilting from Sharon and Katie