Tuesday Archives on Vacation

Welcome to the linky party that rejuvenates your old quilting/sewing posts! 

Please click here to read more about this linky party.  

Dear Bloggy Friends, Our little linky here is on vacation until August 9th.

Mark you calendars as we'll return full force with these themes:

 August 9th: Giraffes 16th: Hoops (use of) 23rd: Houses 30th Knitting

I guess you can say hubby and I are enjoying a few weeks of having an 

"unplugged" Summer Stay-cation together. This in itself is proving to be very rejuvenating!

PS: It's still NOT to late to JOIN US for my Fourth Annual Piggy Bank Challenge.

Click HERE to read more about it. Help spread the word and join in!

Raw Edged Flower Lap Quilt Finish

 My mom wanted a little lap quilt to keep her warm. So using the left-over fabric from her Chevron quilt I made her back in 2014, I made this little flower quilt for her. It measures 33' x 51".

This is it BEFORE I washed it.

 The Quilting

 Soooo after psyching myself out by looking on Pinterest and others blogs for quilting ideas, I finally just jumped in and first started by FMQ on and around the flowers.  I then added a little "anchor" flower in the center where four corners of the flowers met. I also stitched in the ditch the entire perimeter of the quilt top. Then a had a flower border pantograph that was the perfect accent!

I used this Soft &Comfy brown 100% polyester fabric for the backing.
 I was a little dissatisfied when I saw how "wiggly" it ended up. 

Here's a close-up of the quilting on the front...like my little stitched note to my mom? (smiles!)

See that wiggle...ugh! But wait!

After Washing

Look at the difference once I washed this little quilt! 

The borders are all straightened up. Wiggle gone. I've never used this kind of backing before, so I was careful not to pull it too tight on the frame and more than pleased to see how it tightened up after it was washed. I think the quilting was perfect...balanced and not too dense, which is what I wanted.

Just look at those flowers with their little ravel started!!

It makes me happy to know how much my mom will use this little quilt and inspires me to get back to sewing my queen size raw edged flower quilt I have started! Sometimes a little project in-between the big projects is kinda rejuvenating isn't it?! As always, thanks for stopping by and visiting.

HEY! JOIN US for my Fourth Annual Piggy Bank Challenge.

Click HERE to read more about it. Help spread the word and join in!

Tuesday Archives #123: Featherweight Sewing Machines

Welcome to the linky party that rejuvenates your old quilting/sewing posts! 

Please click here to read more about this linky party.  

This week's theme is: 

Featherweight Sewing Machines 

JOIN US for my Fourth Annual Piggy Bank Challenge.

Click HERE to read more about it. Help spread the word and join in!

This week on the frame....

Off for my morning walk then plan to finish this little lap quilt I made for my mom. 

These raw edged flower are so quick and easy to make. I can't wait to quilt this one today.

Even better...this entire quilt was a stash buster! 

This fabric was leftover from the chevron quilt I made for my mom in 2014. 

Hope your week is off to a great start as well.

JOIN US for my Fourth Annual Piggy Bank Challenge.

Click HERE to read more about it. Help spread the word and join in!

Tomorrow's theme: Featherweight Sewing Machines!

Slow Stitching is Rejuvenating!

THIS HAS BEEN MY WEEKEND! 

I've rejuvenated my Sue Spargo wool applique. I prepped four blocks for my Lori Holt Bloom QAL annnnddd I'm wrapping up the binding on my crazy jelly roll race! Needless to say, we've watched a series of good movies too as I've enjoyed the peacefulness of just stitching. 

We're all tuckered out and hand sewing has been just what the doctor ordered to relax and re-energize. (Yes, even Jackson is worn out from a  week of  play with my parent's German Shepard.)

My weekend of slow stitching has helped reground me after a wonderful two weeks of:

A VISIT TO OUR KID'S HOME

The highlight for me was our Fourth of July Hike. 

As you can see the view was worth the trek.

GRAMMY CAMP...WEEK TWO!

I ended my visit, bringing this guy home with me!! Oh the happiness Grands bring into our lives.

And finally, FAMILY TIME:

 I especially love that I get to spend a lot of quality time with my family during the summer. None of us live close, so when gathered together, one can imagine the energy and activity. I love it as any mother/daughter does, especially because these are all the people I create my quilty hugs for!

I hope your weekend stitching provides you with the same peaceful, rejuvenation it has me.

Linking with everyone else at Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.

JOIN US for my Fourth Annual Piggy Bank Challenge.

Click HERE to read more about it. Help spread the word and join in!

Sign-up linky: 4th Annual Piggy Bank Savings = Money for Quilting Challenge

Many of you are familiar with the water jug vs the pig competition that goes on in our household.

It started our innocent enough when four years ago I bought this little silver piggy bank to collect laundry change. Well, a year later, he was full and I cashed in at $102.45! I, of course, put my new found "savings" to good use and stocked up on fabric! So fun!!


Well, once my husband found out how much I saved, he started his own "bank of change". But also read somewhere that if you throw in a dollar or even a five dollar bill once in awhile, you can literally double your savings.

So over the past three years, between us, we have saved a modest $600.00. 

I also found out my mom joined us and saved herself about $35.00 that she'll use for knitting.

So... Now it's time to join/rejoin the Piggy Bank Challenge!

Note: This Linky is open until  August 1st. 
So spread the word to all your readers/followers as well!

You know what they say:  a penny saved is a penny earned.
It's been fun to extend the challenge to all of you  and am looking forward to seeing who links up.

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<a href="http://myplvl.blogspot.com/" title="Val's Quilting Studio"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9EnQaWpSmqGp9bU5jhgetzToDrt40MRx88T6alW_hOS1Ny9sgOZP8Dt7_QfFQgyTFr3KBl7f5NFIfmRNhH9fvduKik0gedmkoYMed6REp59uOhUia5wletiC9WJJhVaQxIrc86ZQMSvC/s1600/p+(3).jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" alt="Val's Quilting Studio" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

1. All's you have to do is create a post this week sharing your "piggy bank".
2. Include your goal of what you'd like to purchase with your savings come this time next year.
3. Include the linky button above to help spread the word to all your followers. 
4. Return and link your post here anytime this week until August 1st.
5. Start "penny pinching". (Coins and bills are allowed)
6. Next year we'll  all empty our piggy banks on July 6th and create a post exclaiming our totals, share what quilty purchase we're going to make and link up here once again to celebrate! (Don't worry, I'll send emails to all who link up this week with reminders.)

Tuesday Archives #122: Floral Wreathes

Welcome to the linky party that rejuvenates your old quilting/sewing posts! 

Please click here to read more about this linky party.  

This week's theme is: Floral Wreathes 

Whether they be appliqued or sewn...

...crafted...

...or stitched...

TOMORROW stop by to sign up for our 4th Annual Piggy Bank savings!

Click HERE to see how much people saved this year.

NEW! Stash Builder Box+Give-Away

Introducing something new in our quilty world:

Stash Builder Box is a monthly quilting subscription box of fabric, patterns, notions and thread delivered to you each month for only $23.99/month. Even cooler...20% of the proceeds from every box purchase goes towards making quilts for kids in need. You can also help make quilts as they have a volunteer team you can join knowing that every three month the Stash Builder Box team picks a new organization to donate their quilts to. Click here to check out the story behind this unique idea and well, let's take a look at what's inside July's box:

 Wouldn't this be the best happy mail each month! 

The 14th of each month is the box cutoff order date, then boxes ship on the 15th. 

They offer a variety of subscription options and you can receive $3 off your first month's box by using this discount code: IHEARTSBB. Click here to check our these options.

THIS GIVE-AWAY IS CLOSED.

Emily comment #14 was the winner!! Yippee!!

BUT! I'd also like to share some of my July box with you! Here are two ways to enter my give-away:

1. Click over to here, return and comment about the organization the Stash Builder Box is currently donating to. 2. Follow Stash Builder Box on Facebook and comment that you did. 3. Follow my blog and let me know how you do...new and faithful bloggy friends can both comment.

 

It's also not too late to link your Piggy Bank savings!

Click HERE to share.

My weekly linky party that has you rejuvenating old posts:

6,800 I-Spy's Collected!!!

In the wee corner of our basement one will find 34 rows of 200 piles of I-Spy squares ready to be packaged and mailed to all our participants. 

With only two rows left to lay out, our grand-guy emerged from his nap upstairs and enthusiastically joined me. And if his enthusiasm is any indicator of how stinking cute these are...well...you guys have some wonderful happy mail coming your way next week!

He immediately got excited as he found  Crystal's "mouse" I-Spy:

Then he found "Roar" (What he calls dinosaurs) and...

  ...with great enthusiasm showed me his best "Roar" impression!

I finally had to stop sorting and actually play I-Spy with him as he pointed out a 

boat, duck, cow, sled and a puppy from Heidi's  I-Spys. So cute!!

Thank you so very much to everyone who participated in our I-Spy swap! This weekend I will start the packaging process. NOTE: I-Spys were all mailed on Monday, July 11th. 

It's also not too late to link your Piggy Bank savings!

Click HERE to share.