Fun Mail Update

I  have received some lovely things in the mail lately that I thought I would share.  This lovely Dresden clock came to me from Pam (sewmama123) in the Modernista Swap.  She really hit the nail on the head!  The fabric is Madrona Road, a long-time favorite, and I love that she fussy cut the tree into the center of the Dresden.  The hand stitching outlining the Dresden is really exquisite, and totally up my alley.  She even sent along the stand and a battery for the clock!  Now that's thinking! 

Along with the awesome clock she sent this very cool pennant that I currently have hanging over the doorway in my sewing space.  I love that I see it every time I go through the door, and that the words she embroidered remind me of what is important.

This lovely mini granny came from Emily (simple girl, simple life) in the DS Quilts Mini Quilt Swap, along with some delicious chocolate covered cherries that I had for breakfast one morning.  (Yum!)  This was such a perfect idea, especially since I was just in the process of finishing my granny quilt when it arrived! 

I decided to hang some of the wonderful minis I have received on the wall in my sewing space.  I wish I had more room, because I have many lovely mini quilts that I would love to display!  The top one is from Suvarna (rkpulipaka) from the Wish List Swap, and the middle one from Heidi (fabricmutt) from last fall's Modernista Swap, I think.

 When I returned home from vacation, I had a couple of packages waiting for me.  This beachy mug rug is from Maria (Mary/Maria) in the Rugs With Friends swap.  The embroidery is so fun, and I love the fabric she chose for the waves!

 Here's side two.  Isn't this a fun little print?  Perfect!

 And the Popsicles mini is from Kristina (kcalgary) in the Fab Little Quilt Swap.  It is so awesome.  I have been coveting a Popsicles quilt since I first saw it last summer.  So fun!  And the details are amazing!  Love the little print behind the flower popsicle.  And I love the wonky cross border, and the fact that she used Loulouthi (another current favorite fabric) in her design. Instead of binding, she used a facing technique.  I love that the design goes all the way to the edge.

 

And the embroidery on the 4th popsicle is awesome!  L.O.V.E. it!

And the back is nearly as cool as the front.  I love the fabrics she chose for the panel and the border on the back.

All in all, it has been a great month in the mail department here at prsd4tim2.  I feel so blessed to receive such thoughtful gifts!

Wishing you a happy day!

A Tisket, A Tasket

Just after I got home from my grandbaby adventure earlier in the month, I received a wonderful bit of swappy funmail from Christina in the DS Quilts Doll Quilt Swap.  I've shared my struggles with the quilt I created for that swap, so it may be that this lovely little quilt coming when it did was just the burst of inspiration I needed to get that baby off in the mail.

And who could resist this bit of Flea Market Fancy goodness.  The wonky baskets are adorable, and the colors are to die for.  And we all know I'm a sucker for brights on white and hand quilting.

Isn't this just a fun little quilt?

And the back is {almost} as cute as the front.  Usually by the time I get this far, I just want to get the blessed thing done, so I slap some fabric on the back and head for the quilting.  You can tell that Christina took the time to create just the right backing to accent the front.  I love how the hand quilting shows up on the back as well.

And here's my quilt with the other fun goodies Christina sent.  Look at those yummy fat quarters!  You know I will have a ton of fun with those!

I really love this little quilt!  It's just perfect for me.

Thanks, Christina, for a lovely little quilt.

A Star {Doll Quilt} is Born

It's amazing what a little bit of fabric can become.  I started with a few bits of fabric and some hexie templates - a great project for airplanes and airports, as long as you're not squished into the middle of a row (your neighbors don't really go for being stabbed with needles, I think.)

A few {hundred} stitches later, it starts to take shape...

And grow...

A little at a time...

Until it actually starts to look like something.

And then maybe you mount it...

And quilt it...

And quilt it some more...

And maybe you need to add just a touch of hand quilting...

To come up with a finished quilt.

Add a label, and voila!  You're {finally} done.

No wonder this little baby took so long - a lot longer than I thought it would.

Sure hope my partner likes it.

Home Again, Home Again, Fiddle-de-dee

After 9 days away and a  16-hour travel day, I'm finally home.  I had a wonderful visit with the grandbabies.  This is Abby, trying on the hats at Gymboree during our shopping expedition.   She is an absolute hoot.  Such a smart little cutie, with a definite mind of her own.  We had a great time together.

Britton is a happy little guy, always smiling, usually laughing, and great fun to be around.  His laugh could melt the hardest of hearts, I think.

And we had some great quality time together as their mama got ready for and attended Sewing Summit.  I had the occasional pang that I didn't go this year, but frankly, I only get 4 weeks vacation and I can spend them with the kids, or with the grown ups...  It's hardly even a choice.

And BD#1 took great care of me, sharing some of her goodies from Sewing Summit, which was very kind of her.  I have lots to show, but haven't had a chance to take pictures of anything yet, except for a couple with my phone.

Here's what I worked on while I was away...

(Sorry for the weird shadows, but it gets dark here early now and I haven't been home during daylight yet.)

I'm running a little behind for the DS Quilts Doll Quilt swap.  I thought this project would go much faster than it did.  Or perhaps I spent too much sewing time playing with the bebes.  If so, it was time well spent!

This hexie star was a great portable project.  Perfect for airports, airplanes, and days when the sewing machine was gone or in use.  In fact, I was warned ahead of time that daughter's {very cool} sewing machine was off limits.  And as I say, this project was perfect, except that it took much longer than I thought.  Luckily the star is finished now, and attached to the background fabric.  I need to drop by JoAnn's tomorrow and pick up some backing fabric.  It is just enough larger than anything I have on hand that I need to shop {oh, darn!}

Hopefully by the weekend I'll be back in the groove and ready to show some of my cool loot and maybe a finished doll quilt. Plus, I got a ton of fun mail while I was gone!  Stay tuned...

Too Many Swaps?

Mosaic for Fab Little Quilt Swap (FLiQS)

NOTE:  The Think Christmas Blog Hop/Simple Merry Christmas Quilt Giveaway ends TONIGHT at midnight.  If you are still thinking about entering the giveaway, leave a comment on this post.  (Note that the prize is 8 FQs of Denyse Schmidt's DS Quilts fabric, not the quilt itself.  Sorry.)

I got a little bit behind last week when I was making the Merry Christmas Quilt, which had to be finished and posted by midnight Thursday.  I almost made it.  The blog post came at 1:15 am or so, but I doubt I had anyone jumping up and down to read it at that time of day.  Should you want to make this little quilt yourself, the tutorials are here (part 1) and here (part 2).

Then I had hoped to spend the weekend sewing but I volunteered to help a friend organize a swap, so I spent the weekend partnering up swappers (who knew it would take me so long???)  This swap mama stuff is more difficult than it looks, but I finally came up with a method that worked for me after about the 4th try.  And then there was the fun of sending 45 emails...  But overall, it was a good experience and will serve me well the next time.  There's a first time (and a learning curve) for everything, right?

Mosaic for DS Quilts Mini Quilt Swap

So Sunday evening, after all the emails were out, and when I should have been sewing but I was watching the Olympics instead, I sat down to make some mosaics for some swaps I've joined.    We all know that I'm a swap addict and apparently have no self control when it comes to these things.  Is it the fun of making something for someone else?  The fun of getting a little present in the mail (and even WH likes that part)?  The fun of stalking my partner?  The fun of trying something new?  All of the above?   I have no idea what motivates me to do these things, but at least it's not a self-destructive addiction.

Is it?

Mosaic for my new colors for Q3 of the 3x6 Bee

And I made 4 mosaics.  Is that a ridiculous number?  To make in one night?

I always use Big Huge Labs to make my mosaics, and it made the mosaic just fine, but I can't get it to download the credits for the yummy pictures I choose, so all of my mosaics are credit-less.  I'm sorry creative Flickr people.  I really tried.  I even disconnected Flickr from BHL and reconnected it, and it still doesn't work.  I see on Flickr that it works OK for other people, so I'm not sure what has gone wrong.  People put so much time, effort, and creativity into these lovely creations, I like to give credit where it's due, you know?

Mosaic for the Modern Scrappy Bits Swap

So I'll be swapping like crazy for the next couple of months.  But I'm still determined to work on the list.  August is, after all, FINISH IT month.  It has been proclaimed!