Making Smiles

On Saturday I had the rare opportunity to see one of the recipients of one of my baby quilts.  What a delightful treat!  I was thrilled when I was invited to take a picture.

Mom let Catherine go, not realizing I wanted a second shot.  She grabbed her again, but Catherine was too quick.

Someone likes her quilt.  She was giggling like crazy.  :)

Today I'm working on a quilt for another baby.  He arrived two months early, but seems to be holding his own.  His quilt will likely be finished before he's out of the hospital.

I thought it needed some extra color/excitement, so I'm adding some fishies.

And finally, I made a birthday card last week.  I hope it's arrived at its destination!

And with that, I'm off to the sewing room.  Enjoy your day, make someone smile!  :)

Pretty Pleased

Remember back in February?  When I made this quilt?

I hated the way it looked, once I'd trimmed off enough background to make it fit challenge requirements.  So, when it came back into my possession, I took out my rotary cutter, and turned it into this:

SO much better.  But then I was left with this:

That was a lot of quilting, hand applique and silk to even think about throwing it away.  Instead, I kept it on the design wall for several months.  And then...one day...inspiration struck.  I went to work.  Back in Laguna Beach, I did this:

I cut it into 6 pieces, and transformed that chopped off discard into six beautiful postcards.

They were stamped and mailed out today.  yep.  Pretty proud of that "save."  :)

In other news, my "Sing Praise" SAQA quilt (also made from pieces of this same iris adventure) sold yesterday in the online auction.

I hope it makes Franki smile as much as it does me.

yep.  I'm pretty pleased.  :)

This n That

I finished a second baby quilt, of the four quilts I basted last week.  It has been delivered, as of yesterday.

 I stitched out multiple labels over the weekend, then stitched them onto the corresponding quilts.  It's been a while since I've made labels, so it was time well spent.

 Whenever I need motivation to clean, exposing the mess usually works.  This room is NOT my Studio.  oops.  Looks like I may have oozed into the guest bedroom!

 And just in case I don't have enough "stash" inside the house, my youngest stopped by a yard sale over the weekend and brought home something special for his mama.  He does know how to make me smile!

And with that, I've still got three quilts basted and waiting for quilting.  I thought there were two, until I moved something and unearthed yet another.  SO much to do, I need to get with it! 

Goals are good!

One Done

Quilted and bound.

Next!

Basted!

I put up the tables on Tuesday, and did a bit o'basting.

 There was one more basted, but I forgot to snap a picture.  And then I put a new back on this polyester double knit "quilt" for my husband's secretary's husband.

I can't tell you how good it feels to have THAT project marked off of my To Do List!!!

Quilt On!

Okay, so I'm not quilting right now, I'm working on motivation.  I've got things to do that don't include a needle and thread, but I'm thinking about it.  And if I keep reminding myself, perhaps I WILL get something done after all.  Over the weekend, I unpacked my van, which was a BIG deal.  I even found the missing pieces of the baby quilt that didn't get finished.  The top is now finished, see?

I have 4 tops and 4 backs stacked on the bed, waiting for basting.  I am thinking that perhaps I will be able to begin basting this evening.  As we all know, Goals Are Good!  :)

On a different note, the SAQA Online Auction is now underway.  The first quilts have been sold.  If you are not familiar with this event, I encourage you to check it out right here.  Every year I love to check in daily, not only to feast on the eye candy, but to see which quilts go first.  I'm always wrong in my predictions, but that doesn't mean it isn't a lot of fun.  I hope you click and enjoy it too.

And with that, I'm off and running.  I need to check a few more things off of my ToDo list, before moving onto my WantToDo list.  zoom, zoom.  Welcome home!  :)

All Good Things...Come To An End

Okay, so maybe I'm being overly dramatic, but really.  When you think about it?  A week viewing the ocean, vs. life dealing with dead lawn and dying trees.  Which would you choose?  yup.  Run away!!   And now I am back.  The lawn is still sporting dead patches, and the trees are wilted.  It's supposed to be 100 today.  It's like I never left, only I did.  And I have more than just pictures to prove it.  This was as far as I got on my last project.  It needs black lattice work, to make it resemble a stained glass window, but for now?  I think it's a good beginning.

Leaving wasn't easy.  It took an hour to pack up the van, and another hour to unpack when I got home.  Who packs like this, when they're going to the beach?!!

haha!  I can hear you laughing.  Of course ALL quilters pack like that when they're headed to paradise.  What better place to really relax and be creative?  None that I know of, that's for sure.  Especially when I have a whole room to myself, rather than half of a table.  :)

My mind is still flitting back to the colors of Not Here.

 I love this next picture.  Do you suppose there are more seagulls watching someone else taking a picture of seagulls watching me take a picture of seagulls watching the woman take a picture of...you get the idea.  :)  There were enough seagulls and cameras on the beach to get quite a queue!

And just before I left town, I saw the only sailboat of the week.  I guess the water had settled down enough after the Mexican hurricane to lure them out onto the water.

What a wonderful week of creating!  Now.  If I can just keep some of that momentum!  Happy Quilting.

Still Sewing

 This is the start of something big...if my son approves.

 I guess I need to stop mis-sewing.  My ripper self-destructed.

I spent more time walking yesterday, than sewing.  So much to see, and so little time left in which to see it.

And with all the relaxation and pleasure I get from simply skipping through the week, I would be remiss if I did not stop and remember the day.

May we never, ever, forget.

Wave Lover

 With or without surfers, I'm smitten.  :)

As promised on Sunday, I've been busy.  For the most part, I've worked on a single project, but before I show it to you, I'll show you some of the other things I've also run through the machine.  yup.  That's another baby quilt in the making.  :)

 I'm working on my sunflower cards, for Postmark'd Art.

 Do you recognize it?  The background was sliced off of my iris quilt from earlier in the year.  I still need to add the brown and seeds, before I slip them in the mail next week.

But my big "finish," that I pinned to the board this morning, is my latest Ocean Waves.  I'm working on a title, which will likely be something to the effect of "Tropical Waves."  (The bias squares were leftover from my 2006 Hoffman Challenge.)

Ta da!!  I like it!  And I STILL have enough bias squares left for yet another quilt!!  Time for a lunch break!

 And with that, I'll leave you with my favorite sunset pic so far this trip:

Now, back to the sewing machine.  I've got many more projects just waiting for attention.