Special Happy Mail Arrived!!

This week I received happy mail that would truly brighten anyone's day and I couldn't resist sharing it with you! Willit who blogs at Will It Never End?, made me the cutest Needle Book in hopes to brighten my day while recovering from the ol' gallbladder surgery last month. Brighten my day she did! Is this not adorable!?!?

It measures 5"x 6 1/2" closed.

And look at all the creative surprises inside! 

I thought the needle holder was a cute idea with all it's little buttons. 

 And the thread holder spools labeled with my word be the year: 

"Just Be" was such a thoughtful, personal touch.

Thank you for truly brightening my day Willit, from your side of the world to mine!

         

Tuesday Archives #51: Organizational Tips!

This week will find us digging through our archives (or even creating a new post) to share our Orgainzational Tips with eachother. Admittably, I enjoy creating and organizing my sewing area as much as I do sewing! LOL!! 

When I first started blogging about a year and half ago, I was also pretty new to quilting and was then busy transitioning out of scrapbooking and into quilting. 

So I had a weekly Sunday Post Called: 

These are quick links to all my previous Organizational Posts.

1. Fabric Scraps

2. Fat Quarters

3. Quilt Storage

4. Perle Cotton

5. Ribbon Storage

6. Mind, Schedule, Food & Finances

7. Rulers

8. Counter Tool Storage

9.  Thread Storage

10. Clipboards
11.Floor Cushion
12. Bobbins
13. WIP
14. Safety Pins
15. Pattern Books

I don't think as I continue to remodel my sewing space that I'll be changing many of these except for how I store my fabric. If ya haven't had a chance, click here to get a peek at what I'm up to and even share your sewing space with us as well. Everyone who has linked their sewing spaces so far have great ideas and lots of inspiration to be seen. I've enjoyed getting a peek into everyone's crafty spaces and am getting a lot of ideas of what to do with my fabric as I utilize my built-in bookcase. It's amazing all the thrifty tricks we come up with  (I mean that only means money saved for as what blogging friend Deb, who blogs at Quiltingartist, calls "Fabric Collecting".) I'm looking forward to seeing what you have to share this week!

Sewing Room Make-Over &Linky

I have only one plan today: to be in my sewing room!

I have those many pieces to prepare and cut for my Modern Rings Quilt.

I want to prep my Polka-Dotted Pinwheels Flimsy to quilt next weekend.
And I plan to enjoy some slow-stitching while watching the Oscar's tonight.

All the while, I know I'll also be thinking of what "finishing touches" I want to add to my studio make-over that has been a WIP.

Before:

I had been feeling overwhelmed with "clutter".
And when things get cluttery, I feel less creative.

 I was also tired of how "commercial" looking my space had become and 

found myself reevaluating how I was using my space.

I geuss you can say, instead of Grammy's Sewing Studio being hands off, we also wanted to create  a cozy/inviting area that would accomidate family visits as well. 

So last Fall we took everything out. 

Now THAT in itself was rejuvinating!! I didn't even mind sewing in the livingroom for awhile.

So here's our progress is as of this morning...

After:

My darling husband painted walls and added paneling.

This half of the room in designated as my sewing area and I already love the clean "feel".

So far THIS is my favorite little spot to sit and applique:

And I love how this little section came together:

And for the other side,

 We traded a large recliner for a family sectional. I reorganized and got rid of anything that didn't have to do with sewing. (That glass bookcase was filled with cookbooks, yearbooks from my college days and daughter's highschool years as well as stuff I forgot I even had and didn't need! LOL!) Now my quilting books, fabric and notions fill this beautiful bookcase.

 But!

I don't feel like it's finished and have hit a creative block. I'm looking forward to getting ideas from this week's Tuesday Archives Organizational Theme, but if you were my neighbor and we were sitting together stitching, what would you tell me it needs?
I know I'd share with you that this is my "project" list so far: 

1. Find a large round rug for under the table. 
2. Redo the chair cushions.
3. Repaint two of the white chairs...maybe one a turquoise and the other a mustard yellow? (I like the red...it stays!)
4. Create fun pillow covers to carry the reds, blacks and dots over to the couch area.
5. Recover large and small ironing boards.
6. Charm hubby into making another quilt ladder.
7. Sew a cute "mat" for my sewing machine

New Polka-Dot Quilt Under Construction

I took my first quilting class in almost two years last night, and learned how to create curved piecing. It helped so much to take the class as she taught us a little trick to the curve I'm thinking I most likely wouldn't have figured out by myself! Thank goodness....NO PINNING involved!! LOL!! Inspired by so many of you, I'm using a light background, this white with grey dot below. (I don't think I've ever used a light background before??)

 The rest of the fabric is from my overflowing stash of polk-dots.

I need to sew 96 of these pieces...four down and 92 to go. Oh my!

Geuss you know what kind of piecing I'll be up to until our next class on March 11th. 

Tuesday Archives #50: Ohio Star Quilts

Welcome!

This week will find us digging through our archives for Ohio Star Quilts. Whether your star is big or small, we are looking forward to them being rejuvinated here today. (PS: I moved Organizational Tips to next week's theme as one theme a week seems much easier to manage on this end. Thanks for understanding.)

Ohio Star Quilts....

I love this pattern BIG! 

And I even found this tutorial at The Sewing Chick Blog.

GYB 2015 Give-Away Winner!

 Late to the GYB announcement party...but with good reason! We got away this long President's weekend to visit our kids and to enjoy some Grandparent time with this little guy:

What a fun month the GYB Event is every year! Thank you to everyone who stopped by my blog during this event hosted by Vicki at Two Bags Full.  Your comments were fun to read and it's pretty darn exciting to see my own list of followers grow too. I must add, that I added quite a few new blogs to my own blogroll as well. I'm looking forward to another blogging year of continued friendships, along with getting to know a few new friends alond the way!  One of them actually being the winner of my GYB Give-Away...

Kim who blogs at Sarah Lizzies!!! Congrats Kim! I'll be getting this prize sent to ya this week!

Since we just got home, I'm off to get settled into my jammies and prepare tomorrow's Tuesday Archives Post: Ohio Star Quilts. (Oh and watch the Bachelor...I know, I know, but it is admittably my favorite "junk" TV show right now!).

See ya tomorrow.

It's A Flimsy!

 From this pile of scraps to this colorful flimsy below...what fun I've had creating this quilt top! I took Jane's advice and auditioned all your recommendations for my sashing. I found out what Sharon meant when she said the blacks might muddy the colors. Ruth recommended some small dots and when I auditioned this bright white with its small black polka dots the pinwheels just popped! I loved it!

Karen I tried my text prints, but they weren't all a bright white. (Darn it!) And, Cynthia I did try the stripes but, they made me dizzy!! LOL!!

We are having unseasonable mild weather right now so I have to admit is was nice to be outside taking pictures today. (Thinking of all of you back East...especially in Massacusetts.) And as you can see by Jackson's stance the squirrels are out too!

I did find some black and white stripe in my stash like Vicki, Sandy and Karen recommended for the binding along with this adorable cupcake yardage for the back! (Now I just need to find a tutorial to learn how to cut the strips on the bias for that lovely spiral design you guys commented about.)

Thank you all for taking the time to comment. As you can see, your input really helped!

I can't wait to get this one on the longarm. 

Hmmmm....wonder if I can find a cupcake pantograph?

WIP: Making Progress!

Isn't it fun to see a pile of scraps be made into a quilt!

Any suggestions for the sashing? Black with colored polka-dots? White with colored polks-dots? or No dots and go with white text prints or a solid? THIS is what happens when you don't plan a quilt...it just unfolds! LOL!! And it has me constanting...thinking in wonderment! 

Tuesday Archives #49: Valentines Hearts & Love!

Welcome to the linky party that rejuvenates your old quilting/sewing posts! Click here to read more about this linky party.  And, Hey! If you are new, we are glad you are joining us. We have a very talented group of regulars around here and continue to enjoy rejuvinating our older posts to share with one another.

Today's theme is Valentines: Hearts & Love!

   I couldn't resist highlighting this scrappy heart made by Cynthia, 

who blogs at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework when I saw it and 
the adorable scrappy tablerunner at her Monday Linky:

 She made it from her red and gray scraps. She used 2.5 squares and sewed 3" squares to make the 5 pairs of HST's. Her blocks measure 12.5" unfinished. You can find her tutorial for this scrappy Heart Block right here. I've been following Cynthia ever since I started  blogging and always appreciate that her tutorials are so easy to follow and she always gives a variety of examples of finishes to create...like this tutorial shows the block, a tablerunner, a lap quilt and a baby quilt! Always an inspirational blog to visit!

Polka-Dotted Goals this week!

Click here to find my GYB/Give-Away post.

Well, that pile of scraps is all gone and now these made-fabric fat quarters 

have been turned into..

  ...some pinwheels! Don't they look fun coordinated with the polka-dots! What I love just as much is all this fabric was from my stash!! I now have a dozen pinwheels all ready for some after school sewing this week. My first goal for the week is to get these sewn into a flimsy by Friday. (Oh I think I'm starting to feel better!!)

My other goal is to get this bundle of dots below cut into 70-2 1/2" x 20" strips for a class I'm taking on the 18th called Metro Rings. (And since we are off to see our kids and grandson next weekend, I need to get them cut and ready.) I've never done curved piecing so am really looking forward to this class. Plus, I'm going with a friend, so that always makes it fun!

I want to close by saying THANK YOU to everyone for your well wishes and support while I went through and continue to recover from my Gallbladder Surgery. (Gotta' love this virtual quilting guild blogging has created for us!!) I'm back to work today, but WILL be taking it slow. I tell ya, it sure feels good to be eating again and getting back into routine though. Phew!

I'm linking up with:

Cynthia has a cute heart tablerunner posted today!

Piggy Bank Challenge Mid-Point Check-In

Click here to find my GYB/Give-Away post.

How are you doing???

We are six months into our Piggy Bank Challenge and I was asking myself this exact question when I went to the grocery store to get more Sorbet. (My current yummy treat and one of the few foods that likes my digestive system at the moment!) And yes, this fifty-two cents went right into my piggy bank when I got home.

I'm actully doing pretty good on my coin savings, but admitably stuff some dollar bills in there too. I sit here looking around my studio wondering what I want?? Maybe a really nice pair of scissors?? I don't know?? There's 35 of us linked up for the challenge. I'm especially looking forward to your comments today to see how you're doing with the challenge and what you are dreaming of doing with new found cash this July?? Maybe I'll get some ideas!