It's Monday.........time to work!

Well, It's Monday and it is time to get back to work.

I had a very nice weekend filled with my favorite things...... family and friends. My long-lost friend Cindy came over on Saturday and we filled the afternoon with sewing and well....talking. I got to see Oliver, Sean, Rick and Rafael when they came to move our couch to Oliver's new apartment. I shared lunch with Jenny and Rafael on Sunday and dinner with Brian, Jen, Darcy and Lee. Brian and Jen treated us to this special dinner as a late Mother's day celebration.

This morning I finished up a drop dead georgous quilt made by Kathy. She is giving it to her sister as a wedding gift. I think it is just beautiful. Unfortunately in this picture you can not see the feathers that adorn each one of the stripes in this quilt.

Besides quilting I have also been working on creating a new area in my garden. For Mother's Day I asked for and received two new trees for this area. Below you will see what the yard looked like on that day and what it looks like today. I've been working hard to level out the piles of dirt so I can start building some raised planter beds. Hopefully in September ( after the temperature drop below 100 degrees again) I'll be able to start planting. Doesn't look like much yet, but I'm working on it!

May 2008 July 2008 - Trees planted , lattice added

ground getting to be more level

Happy July!

I had the priviledge of working on a beautiful patriotic
quilt on the birthday of our nation. I finished it up a day after

the holiday and to my left you will see a picture of it.

I'm also including a couple of detail shots AND another recent quilt I have finished. The next one is a beautiful red and white. The embroidery is especially fine. I wish I could claim these quilts as mine, but alas they belong to friend. I just finished the quilting for her.

Pennsylvania trip

Today is the day that I"ve chosen to finally clean and re-organize my quilt studio. I think that a fresh new outlook will come with a clean and organized room to work in! Something tells me that it is going to take more than one day! I've got alot of projects going! And alot of stuff!

About a week ago I traveled to Ft. Washington Pennsylvania with my husband who was going to be working there. I took my little Featherweight sewing machine and spent some really blissful days working on projects. Here is a picture of the wonderful workspace in the hotel we were staying at! Last year I had to work on the couch and a coffee table! This was GREAT!



While I was in Pennyslvania I was fortunate to be able to visit Burkholders Fabrics located in Denver, PA and meet with Gina, one of the co-owners of the shop. Gina just happens to be good friends with one of my friends Sally here in Phoenix, so the shop was a must to visit. This shop has lots of fabric, fun projects to look at and friendly people. The "regulars' in the shop told me how lucky they feel to have Burkholders nearby. One of the things they liked best about the store was that it carried the most current fabrics and patterns and there was always something new each time they visited. I could have spent all afternoon there, but as you can see........Mike was out on the porch and the temperatures were nearing 100.........add in the humidity and well, let's just say it was not very pleasant!





Here is a link to thier website: http://www.burkfabrics.com/index.php



Update on the Black and white quilt: I started sewing the binding on and discovered that I am about 20 inches short of being able to complete it. So now I am methodically (and frantically) looking for leftover scraps so I can piece it together. (So now you really know why I'm cleaning my studio!) Hopefully I'll find some, if not, I"ll be working on a creative design detail to complete it. (Wish me luck!)
The quilt came from "Strip-Pieced Quilts" Easy Designs from just Six Fabrics by Maaike Bakker.

June 1

Technology is a wonderful thing! There is always something new to learn.
Blogging seems to be the new thing............and podcasting!

I started my blog last December and promptly forgot about it.

About a month ago I decided that it was time to give it a try again.

Do you think I could remember how I got started? Or my user name

or my password?

So this is my Tip for the Day..............

When you make a new account on the internet,

whether it be a webshot account or a blog or perhaps

one for healthcare or even the public library............

Write it down somewhere! And keep them all together

in one place. You could use your daytimer or you could

even keep a file folder on your computer with all the

important imformation.

Quilting.............I just love it! Don't you? There never seems to be enough time in the day!

I am working on the binding for a quilt for my daughter and future son-in-law. I pieced this quilt when I was on vacation at Mammoth Lakes California last summer. This photo shows the unquilted, on the design wall version, but now the quilting is done and the hand sewing of the binding has begun! Isn't it wonderful? I just love illusion quilts and I love black and white fabric! This pattern is Makaii Baker's book. There are alot of really neat patterns in the book. I'll post the complete information the next time I write.

I've been working on making "green" shopping bags. I received one for Christmas from my quilting buddy Mary. I made one myself a couple of weeks ago and I must admit that I am hooked on them! They are a really great way to use up that fabric that you have stored away. I cut into a georgous piece of Australian fabric to make one yesterday. You know the fabric........the one that you will never ever be able to buy again so you are saving it for something really special. I know you have some of those! We all do! But I've decided that if I make this into a bag that I USE, then I'll be able to see it and love it on a daily basis instead of it being hidden away in the stash!

Here is the link for the "green" bag pattern that I used:

http://www.thecreativethimble.com/Downloads.html

And another one that I found that looks really neat:

http://whipup.net/2007/09/01/wallet-sized-fold-up-re-usable-shopping-bag/

On a personal note I must tell you that we are celebrating the "Year of the Wedding" at our house. My daughter is getting married on Nov. 15, 2008 and we are always doing "something" for the wedding. Tonight I spent some time composing an email which I sent to most of my address book. Jenny found a contest to win a Disney honeymoon. She and her fiance, Rafael filmed a video and submitted it. They were picked for the finals! Now the video is online and is competing with 2 other videos to win this vacation. It includes a night in Cinderella's Castle!

Anyone can vote..............just log onto http://www.getmarried.com and look for the Disney honeymoon contest. Vote for "C"............that's my daughter!

Well, it's past midnight here and I've really written enough for now!

See you next time!

Well, Today is a New DAY! Welcome to my blog! It's the first!

I imagine that I will write about all kinds of things, the thing I do most is QUILT!

Last night I just finished quilting a beautiful floral quilt. The quilt is for a friend
whose mother has recently passed away. Her quilting group made it for her.
I included on the quilt a lovely poem that she wrote after her mother died.
I quilted these words right onto the cloth in a small border:
Mom,
With every seed I plant, With every Flower that blooms, I will think of you.
With every quilt I sew, I will think of you.
You were my mom and I will always love you.

I thought that the sentiment was lovely and I hope that she enjoys seeing it on the quilt.

Today I'll be working on a T-shirt quilt and watching the first DVD in the third series of LOST!

I'm excited about this blog and hope to learn to post pictures SOON!
Maybe after Christmas.................still got lots of things to do for that!