Happy Father's Day, Dad!

Don't forget about the My Memories digital scrapbooking software giveaway here. Giveaway ends June 22.

I've been waiting a long time to share this quilt.  I finished it at BD#1's house (on her Bernina!) when I was there in April.  I bought the fabric a couple of years ago and gave it to WH on his birthday last year, with a promise of completion.

I want it on the record that I ALWAYS keep my promises - sometimes it just takes awhile.

And besides, this way I have a gift for two occasions!  LOL!

WH is a retired pilot - first military, then airline.  In fact, as the son of an Air Force officer growing up on a SAC base, all he has ever wanted to do is fly.  But somehow, he has always felt that he missed out on the best flying - that early period, particularly WWII - when flying was in its infancy and it was all new and exciting.  So I thought these old-timey airplanes would be a hit.  I cut them apart and made individual blocks of each one.

Then put the blocks together in rows with sashing around each one.  The blue reminded me of the sky, of course.

The back was tricky.  I pieced and pieced, and it still wasn't big enough.  And don't look too closely...  Somehow the backing shifted at the top and it quilted crooked. but that was way too much work for my seam ripper by the time I noticed it.


So WH,  I hope you like your {FINALLY} finished airplane quilt.

And I hope you - and all the fathers out there - have a wonderful Father's Day!

Outfoxed.... Again!

 If you are looking for My {Very Own} Memories Giveaway, click this link.  Giveaway ends June 22.

We finally have some decent weather here in Northwest Florida  - the first truly sunny day we've had in a couple of weeks, and I couldn't wait for the "sweet light" to take pictures, so please forgive the too bright photos.

Last Saturday dawned dark and stormy, but unperturbed, I decided it was a great day to sew and sat down to finish some things I had already started.  WH and I didn't leave the house all day.  Good thing, too from the sound of it.  While we were snug and cozy in our "castle" on the hill, others in our area were experiencing the devastating effects of too much rain.  Please keep those folks who suffered damage from the flooding in your prayers. 

I work about two blocks from where this video was shot.  I'm told that in some places the water was as much as 4 feet high.  Luckily, since it was Saturday, I wasn't there.  And since we live on a hill, we suffered no damage. 

Anyway, it was a great day for staying home, warm and dry, and finishing up a project or two.

My Outfoxed quilt was all sandwiched, just itching to be quilted.  I started with a charm pack of Outfoxed from Westwood Acres and a charm pack of Kona solids.  It's amazing what you can do with these little bits of fabric, isn't it?

I chose to quilt it in a swirl-ish (yes, I made up that word!) pattern.  I love it when the quilting gives the quilt lots of texture.

The back was a piece of orange yardage that was "donated" by BD#1, who decided she didn't have a use for it.  In other words - it was free!  And perfect for this quilt.

I bought a couple of pieces of Outfoxed yardage (the brown foxes and some pearl bracelets) and pieced one side of the back because the yardage wasn't wide enough.  With the scallops, the "fun fabrics" didn't end up as wide as I would have liked.  If I were to do this again, I would slice the large piece of orange, probably off-center, and insert the pieced strip.

Normally, I use binding cut straight with the grain, but because of the curves, bias binding was a better choice.  I usually hate cutting bias binding, both because of the waste and because it is a pain in the neck.  But I used this tutorial, and it was remarkably easy, and I had much less waste than any other method I've tried.  And it was fast - Heather says you can cut enough bias binding for a queen bed in 10 minutes, and with this method, you absolutely can.  I was impressed.

The pattern is "Sweet Pea", from Camille Roskelly's Simplify so I'm another step closer to my goal.  It was truly an easy pattern, and I really enjoyed it.  I finished all the blocks for the top in about an hour one night after work.

I have to say, the fabric is cute, and I love the bow,

 but I think the scallops really make this quilt.

I think I'll put scallops on everything from now on.... maybe.

My {Very Own} Memories - Digital Scrapbooking Software Giveaway!

Some of you may be aware that I was a stamping/scrapbooking consultant and demonstrator for 5 years.   I love scrapbooking and stamping for the same reasons I love fabric and quilting - taking bits and pieces of fabric and paper, adding whatever creative touch I can manage, and making something unique.  And although the stamping company I demonstrated for had digital scrapbooking software, I never tried it.  To me it seemed complicated - and expensive - and I felt like I wouldn't get the same hands-on creative satisfaction from digital software as from "the real thing."

A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to try My Memories digital scrapbooking software.  I created a photobook of my daughter's wedding last summer.

I used a prepared template and simply added the photos.

This was one of the free templates and I thought it was really excellent!  There are additional templates available online, and they are remarkably inexpensive.  I may try one of those for another project, but this was a great way to get started.

There was lots of space for journaling, which honestly is always a challenge for me - I can never think of what to say.

In the end, I opted for the less-is-more approach and didn't do much journaling at all.  I may go back later as inspiration strikes and add a few words here and there.

I did play with the text some, and it is easy peasy.  You can choose everything - font style, size, arrangement...

Luckily, the template I chose has some really interesting titles already in place.

And those titles helped me choose the pictures for each page.  Choosing the photos was the most difficult part. Angie, our photographer and family friend, took almost 600 pictures! 

Once I chose the pictures, adding them to the layout was  - {forgive me} - a piece of cake.

I really liked how the layouts varied from page to page.  I've used some of the online photo books, and they really only had a couple of page layouts - every other page was the same.  I thought this photo book had much more interesting layouts.

 And if I'd been feeling really creative, I could have created my own layout with this software too.  Or you can add pages to your photobook.  I didn't, but I could have.

 This page obviously needs a little more journaling.  I'll have to get with the bride and groom to see what they would like to say.

 

You can leave your creation awhile and then go back and change it - at least until you print the book.  In fact, as I wrote this post I went back and changed out some photos that I had duplicated or decided I didn't like as well as another - with 600 choices, there's no reason to use the same photo twice!

This is a great way to have all your favorite photos in one place.  You can create a lot more than photobooks.  They also have cards, individual scrapbook pages, calendars, and I-don't-know-what-all!

I really enjoyed my experience with My Memories, and I think you will too.

So what do you think of my creation?  Would you like to try it?   Excellent!  Because one lucky reader will have the chance to win their own copy of My Memories digital scrapbooking software.  Just visit www.MyMemories.com and come back and leave a comment on this post telling me which digital scrapbooking kit you like best.

For a second entry, visit My Memories blog, Facebook or Twitter sites, and then come back and tell me you did.

Blog- http://blog.mymemories.com/
Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593
Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite

If you are a follower of my blog - or become one - you can leave another comment for a 3rd entry.  (Maximum 3 entries please!)

 Mr. Random will choose the winner on Friday, June 22.  Be sure to leave your email address so I can get in touch with you if you win.

And if you don't win - or can't wait - here's a code to get $10 off your own copy of My Memories digital scrapbooking software AND a $10 coupon for the My Memories store.  Just visit My Memories at http://www.mymemories.com/digital_scrapbooking_software and enter Promo Code: MSV310dld at checkout.

Now to go create a photo album of my grandbabies!

Fun Mail

Yesterday, I came home to find the kitchen table filled with fun mail.  So exciting! This is what I won in the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway from Amy at GabrielsGoodTidings!  She makes these great vintage totes and sells them in her etsy shop.  It's so fun to win something.  I feel so lucky.  Isn't this a great bag?  So pretty.  And the inside is just as pretty.

Thank you, Amy!  So happy to have won such a lovely gift!

And then there were some purchases....

This is what I ordered because I broke mine - for the second time in a year.

Those teeny little prongs on the Pfaff feet just can't stand up to the use I give them.  I tried a metal one last time, but it wasn't any sturdier, so I decided that I prefer the plastic ones.  And if I'm going to make a Swoon quilt, I need to be accurate.  Having the foot hanging by one little prong made for wobbly seams.

Anyway, that is what I ordered because I needed it.  And the rest, well...  Let's just say I was slightly self- indulgent!

And then a little package of fabric for one of my bees...

A very fun mail day indeed!

Slightly Swooning... Making a 12" Swoon Block

A couple of weeks ago, BD#1 called and asked me if I would be willing to make her a Swoon Quilt if she provided the fabric and pattern.  Hmmm..  Was this a test of my love?  Of my willingness to do anything for my eldest daughter?  [I'm wondering now because I think she's decided to make the quilt herself.  Honestly I'm slightly disappointed - I was kind of looking forward to it.] 

And frankly, I readily agreed to her proposal.  I've been wanting to make a Swoon quilt ever since I first saw them months ago.  I've seen the blocks and they are amazing.  I've seen the quilts, and they are exciting and fresh.

What I hadn't seen was the pattern.  So in a fit of excitement, I promised to make Swoon blocks for my 3x6 Bee partners this round.  Then, I looked at the pattern....  These are huge blocks -- 24-1/2 inches square!  Not exactly the dimensions needed for the 3x6 Bee.


If you're not familiar with the 3x6 Bee, there are 7 members in a "hive" and everyone has 3 months to make the same 12-1/2" block in different colors for the other 6 members of the bee.  Somehow the Swoon in its original dimensions just won't fill the bill here.

There is a great Swoon Along on Flickr with lots of hints and tips and lots of helpful quilters (more than 1000) who are Swooning at every turn and helping each other create gorgeous Swoon quilts.

There are even blocks in different dimensions - a 16" block, and an 18" block and I think I saw a 36" block.  But no 12" blocks. That meant the math was up to me.  Hmmmm...  I had to put on my thinking cap for this one.

So here are the measurements I came up with to create a 12-1/2" Swoon block.  Amazingly enough, my block actually measures 12-1/2".  {Miracles never cease!}

I'm posting the pic again so you can follow along with the colors.  (I kept getting the colors mixed up when I was cutting, so I hope this helps.) 

EDIT:  I'm making the block again and I'm still getting the colors mixed up.  I think what is confusing me is that the center square is COLOR 2.  My mind thinks that it should be color 1.  If you try this and find something wrong, please let me know.  I think I've fixed it now, but if not, I'm sorry.

Per block, you will need:

(8) 3-1/2" x 2" rectangles color 1 (blue)
(8) 2-1/2" squares color1
(1) 3-1/2" square color 2 (yellow)
(12) 2" squares color 2
(6) 2-1/2" squares color 2*
(12) 2" squares background  (white)
(6) 2-1/2" squares background (white)*
(8) 3-1/2" x 2" rectangles background (white)

*NOTE:  Camille's original directions call for  7/8" seam allowance added for the HSTs made in the sew-on-the-diagonal-and-cut-apart method.  This doesn't work for me.  I add a full inch and trim if needed rather than take a chance on making HSTs that are too small.  If you're good with the 7/8" seam allowance, by all means, cut these at 2-3/8".

So there's my contribution to those who just want to Swoon slightly.

Enjoy!

Scrapbuster Saturday

It has been a really long time since I've done a Scrapbuster Saturday, and believe me, it was time.  My scrapbasket(s) are overflowing!  I'm participating in the MSBBS - or for those of us who require vowels, the Mini Scrap Basket Block Swap.  The goal is to make 6-1/2 inch string blocks and swap them.  I missed the deadline for the last swap.  I think it was April 15, and things were just crazy, with 2 trips to Utah in 3 weeks and a new baby grandson.  I just never got the blocks made.  This round the deadline is June 10. 

I'm even a little early this time!

I love the look of string quilts, but I've only made a couple of string blocks before today - once for a swap and once to contribute to Val's Heroes quilt.  The above blocks were the ones contributed to the Heroes quilt last November.

But today, I was determined to make a whole bunch of blocks and at least make a dent in the scrap basket.  I cut the paper backs from a mini phone book that showed up at the house a few weeks ago.  Don't bother looking for the A's or B's.  They're not there any more. 

Then I dug through the scrap basket and pulled out all the strips left over from other projects. There were a passel of them.

I made 48 string blocks and didn't have to cut a single strip of fabric, although I trimmed a few.  About half way through I decided that the blocks looked better with narrower strips.  The jelly roll strips were a bit too wide for this project.

When the blocks were done and pressed, I trimmed them just outside the paper foundation.  This is the bag of scraps from trimming.   Pretty, no?  And pretty huge.

You would think that with all this activity, I would have made a real dent in the scrap basket, wouldn't you?  Well, not so much.  It barely looks different than before I started this morning.  Maybe a bit tidier, but not a lot of additional room in there.  I obviously need another scrapbuster project very soon.

Once I finished all the blocks, I sat down and watched Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail on the tube.  It's a good thing I had something else to do, because pulling the paper off the block is truly a mindless task and a pain in the neck.  Is the paper really necessary?  After about 30 blocks though (ok, maybe not quite that many) I figured out that if you "pop" the block before you try to remove the paper it tears the paper at the perforations and the paper then comes off a lot easier.  Live and learn.

Here's the other pile of scraps - paper scraps.  You would think I would have used at least that much fabric, wouldn't you?

So, one more project done.  I'm not sure I'm going to swap all 48 of them - some of them will be hard to part with.  Nothing wrong with keeping some of them, right?

The New Look - {Not So} Extreme Makeover Edition

BD#1, whom some of you know as A Crafty Fox, has been after me for awhile now to update the look   of my little blog.  She said the background was distracting and - well - she didn't like it much, although she was pretty kind about it.

And, I wanted to put some photos in the banner, and I didn't know how.

I know how now.   (I love how that sounds when you say it out loud! LOL)

And then, after the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway winner post, where I said that word verification for comments was necessary, a couple of folks emailed and/or commented and said that they didn't agree with me and that I should try NOT using word verification for a week and see if I got a lot of spam comments.

So here it is - the new updated prsd4tim2 blog.

I would love to know what you think and welcome  your comments {without word verification, of course}.