I Did It

I did it - I bought fabric for my first sampler quilt.  Oh, it was definitely an adventure to say the least.  There is nothing like standing in JoAnn's looking at rack after rack - bolt after bolt - trying to find fabrics that will work well together, especially when you are horrible at it.  The only good thing was that I was not alone in my pursuit.  Once I had gathered all of my bolts of fabric, I went to the nearest counter and laid everything out so I could get a good look-see before making the big leap.  As I was looking everything over, there was another lady doing the same thing on the other side of me.  Bless her heart, she actually asked my opinion on her fabric choices because one that she had chosen for the backing was troubling her.  I told her to go with her gut because it was probably right - that there was probably a reason why she chose the fabric that she did - that as long as she was happy with it, that was all that matters.  She laughed and said that was what her mother would have said and then left me to the task at hand.  I was satisfied with what I had, got the fabric cut, went to pay and about fell in the floor - it was expensive.  A lot more expensive than cross stitch supplies, that is for sure.  Lesson learned for the day - wait for a sale or make sure that all the bolts chosen are reasonably priced.  Blew me away.  Oh well, here is the picture of what I got.  Hopefully it will look good together.

I also got word that Sandi, my quilt block partner for December, got her block and liked it. So here is a picture of what I sent.  I am getting better, but I still need lots of work.  I have to admit, to date I had the most fun making this block and can't wait for the next swap next month.

That is it for this post.  I am going to take the weekend to wash and press fabric for the first lesson next week.  Until the next time, everyone enjoy their weekend and have some fun!

New Beginning - So To Speak.....

I'm back.  I have been doing some thinking lately and have decided to keep this blog up and running for a while but in a different capacity.  In the past it has been a place where I could post anything and everything that I felt like.  Since quilting is becoming ever present in my mind, I have decided to put more time in to learning the in's and out's of quilting.  So this is going to be a place for me show what I am working on and how I am progessing on my journey - the good and the bad.  That being said, to start off I am going to be using Leisure Arts Learning to Quilt shown below to begin my journey.  The book has twenty-five different lessons and by the time the book is completed I should have my own version of the quilt shown on the cover.  So, next week I will start posting my progress.  Wish me luck! 

Also, I received this beautiful wonky log cabin quilt block from Sandi at the Quilt Block Swap blog.  I asked for a bright, cheery block and that is what I got.  It is awesome!  I am hooked on the wonky quilt block after seeing the tutorial at the Quilt Dad blog.  If interested, you can check it out here.

Thanks for dropping by. If you are interested in just viewing my cross stitch work, please visit me at my other blog Living to Stitch - Stitching to Live.  Until next time - stay warm and safe!

Living to Stitch....

Hello to all.  This will probably be my last post on this blog.  I have been thinking long and hard about things lately and decided it was time to start over with a new blog and a new attitude.  I started this blog for a lot of different reasons when I was a stay-at-home mommy and back then it served a purpose.  But over the past few months things have changed and I feel the need for a fresh start.  So I have started a new blog Living to Stitch - Stitching to Live in the hopes of renewing my spirit for stitching and life.  I hope that over time it gets better and that my finishing improves, but hopefully it will do for someone else what so many other blogs have done for me.  If so, then I will be happy.

I will leave this blog up until my other blog is completely set up.  I want to thank everyone who dropped by - it really touched me to know that someone thought enough to take time out of their day to read my posts.  I hope some will visit my new blog eventually.  Thanks for the support and kind words.  Take care.

Thanks to all who took the time to stop by and visit this week.  I know my posts have been short and pretty much void of stitch work, but the past few weeks have been a tad off the chart.  My husband's brother was readmitted to the hospital a week or so ago and it has been a day to day kind of thing.  That, along with a child with a sinus and ear infection, make for less time on the computer and not much time for stitching.  I appreciate everyone being patient and understanding.

That said, this will be a small post.  First I want to mention a giveaway.  Jolene at Dip Diddly Design is having the Grand Masquerade Ball Giveaway and she has two prizes that she is giving away - the first prize is "Afraid of the Dark" by Blue Ribbon Designs and the second prize is "Toil and Trouble" by La-D-Da.  Also, Jolene has posted her very first design on her blog and it is an awesome freebie.  I know I will be stitching it - how about you?  Drop by and not only enter her giveaway, but get her first freebie.  You won't be disappointed.

The only picture I am posting today is the September quilt block I received this week from my partner.  It is lovely, isn't it?  I received it from Virginia and she did an incredible job.  Can't wait to see what the August block will look like.

 

That is it for today.  My camera is on it's last leg so when I finally get some good pictures of some stitching finishes I will post them this week.  Everyone enjoy the breezy weather.  Stay healthy and safe.  Take care.

October Already?

Well, It has been a while since I have last posted.  Life has been in a downward spiral lately and I normally withdraw from life when that happens, especially when the things going on in my life are out of my control.  I would like to say that things are evening out some, but that is not the case.  I decided to post something just as a way of getting things back in line and hopefully heading in a good direction.

I held off from posting these to allow my quilt block swap partners to post pictures, but I'm not waiting any longer since I know they have received them.  This one is for my September swap - my first log cabin quilt block.  I have to say it was fun, but I never realized how hard it is to find white fabric until I had to find five different variations.  Blew my mind.

This one is my very first block - the August block swap. This one scared me to death since it was my first one.  But I think it turned out pretty good considering.  I will post pictures of the blocks from my partners once they are received.

I have a few stitched projects that I have completed and one embroidery project, but I will post them the next time.  Hopefully the spirit to post will come back again soon.  For all those sweet enough to read my blog - thank you.  It really touches my heart that someone cares enough to stop by for a visit.  Take care!

Latest and Greatest

Hello to all.  The weekend is almost over - sad, isn't it?  It never seems to last long enough.  I had intentions of posting earlier in the week, but things just went down hill after Monday and it has taken me this long to get up the umph to post.  With everything going on, not much stitch work was done.  I did complete the SAL 2009 that was being held by Mausimom's Freebies , and I plan on posting the final picture later on this week.

I posted a picture of this project a while ago and just now finished it.  It is a freebie from Needle Necessities.  I plan on giving it to a friend at work that seems to stay with me no matter what.  I don't have many friends, but she makes me smile and laugh and seems to care about how I feel.  That is a rare thing these days.  Hopefully she will like it.

 

I will post a picture of the first quilt block I put together for the quilt block swap in a day or two since my partner finally got her block.  I finished the second quilt block yesterday, so hopefully I will get to post that picture soon as well.  Take care and have a wonderful night!

Good morning to all. I thought I would post some new updated pictures this morning before heading out to work. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Mine was spent with a sick son for most of the time and then a puny hubby for the last part. I think something is going around because of all this hot, rainy weather that we are having this year and they just got a touch of something. Thankfully it was just a touch and nothing more.

Here is an updated picture of the SAL I am stitching. I am glad that I stuck to my guns and did not rip out the light green color. I know it is a tad difficult to see in this picture, but when you look at it laid out on the table it looks great. Hopefully I will be able to finish the latest installment by tomorrow and will be able to post another update this weekend.


Here is my latest finish - Elephant Hello by Sharon at It's Daffycat! I love it and will be getting fabric for it this afternoon. I did not use the colors that she had charted because I just did not have them in my stash. So I picked a lot of colors that I liked and let my son choose - DMC 518 for the elephant and DMC 3804 for the ear. Believe it or not, I stitched a little bit of the elephant with the color Matthew chose and then I got a wild thought in my head that told me it needed to be darker. So I frogged it, restitched it with a darker blue, stood back and thought - the lighter blue looks better. So there you go. I now know that my son is better at picking colors than I am. Who knew?

Elephant Hello

It's Daffycat!

stitched on 22 count white hardanger

Well, that is all I have for today. I am going to be playing catch-up on my SAL and working on a few other projects. Cleaning this house is the call to order for the next week, but I hopefully will find time to stitch. To eveyone who stops buy, thank you so much. It means more to me than you can know! Take care!