What did I do last week?

Not a stitch of sewing!

My daughter asked me last minute if I could fly to Utah and look after two of my grand daughters, Charlotte and Lucy.  I'll take that over sewing!  I also got to spend time with all of my other grandchildren who don't live in Arizona.  We went to two of Maisie's performances and one of Ben's and Jake's. I also spent some time with four other grand daughters but didn't get one single photo 😔

We did lots of fun things and ate lots of treats.

I loved my week!!!

The Cute Book

 I have The Cute Book, it's super cute!!!

I bought it many years ago at Japan Town in San Francisco.

I have two adorable grand daughters who are even cuter than the book.  Izzy is 8 and Kylie is 10.

Izzy made a little bear with its own little teddy bear to play with. She also drew some artwork for the wall!

Kylie wanted to make a little monkey :)

Kylie made the monkey in his bed for Sabrina for her 2nd birthday which is at the end of August. Sabrina is her cousin.

Hopefully I can show you some of the other things I've been working 

on lately!

Have a great week!

Works in Progress

It's summer and my 3 grand daughters who live 2 blocks from me, are off out of school.  I invited them over and made a picnic lunch of coconut açaí bowls with fresh lemonade, gouda cheese and Bugles chips.  

Below the fruit is coconut açaí, made of frozen bananas and frozen coconut milk blended together.  It's just like ice cream. I topped it with some chocolate granola and fresh fruit.  It was yummy! 

Then we went swimming in the pool, it was a great day ❤️

I shouldn't really include this photo, but I want to be real 😂

One of my favorite things to eat (not all the time...) is icing.  Yes, licking the beater and stealing a few finger swipes too.  I made a decadent chocolate cake for Father's Day, it was too tall for the cake platter cover.  It was 3 layers of chocolaty goodness!!! I'm sorry that I don't have a photo,  but here's something even better, the recipe! 

.the-most-perfect-moist-chocolate-cake-recipe

I finished my Criss Cross Star quilt!  I'm sorry but the big reveal is on Monday, July 10.  We are having a July 4th patriotic celebration at our Farm Girls quilt meeting that day.  Complete with hot dogs and all the trimmings that you would get a picnic. It will be so much fun!

Here's a teaser as I'm watching a Hallmark movie.  It was really good, The Wedding Contract.

Another teaser...

I've also been working really hard on a commissioned quilt.  Poppie Cotton block of the month for my friend.  These are all the pieced blocks, I have to add the sashing which is very intense.  Almost 300 

2 1/2" squares.  I hope to have it completed soon.  I spy another quilt at the bottom of the photo.

I have a lot of works in progress, and will show you as time allows.

Have a great week!

Holland Pouches

Holland pouches from Centerstreet Quilts make the best gift ever!

They look so difficult to make, but they aren't! They've got three different sizes, these are the medium.  No matter which size you make though, they each take the same amount of time to make. 

The fabric possibilities are endless ❤️ I really mean that!!!

You don't even have to insert the zipper, you just topstitch them.

I'm sorry but the linings aren't very visible in this photo. They're cute though!

My quilt along updates..

I'm just about done with my Hello Spring quilt, designed by Lindsey at Pen and Paper Designs.  

I'm just about done with my Collector's Edition quilt with all the beautiful Ruby Star Society fabrics.

I'm also working on a Poppie Cotton block of the month.

I'm working on my Halloween Tell me a Story quilt, designed by Amy Friend. It has a lot of paper piecing, which I love!

I'm also working on Santa Hats by Lori Holt.  

I'm also working on a red, white and blue quilt by Lori Holt, in her picnic setting. I made the Criss Cross star block.

I've got quite a few "want to" quilts on my list too!

Thanks for following me :)

Hello Spring quilt

I've been gone for over a week, we attended our oldest grandson's high school graduation and spent time with some of our children and grandchildren.  

I didn't get any sewing done, but I actually finished all of the blocks for my Hello Spring quilt before I left town. I won this fat quarter bundle a few years and I'm so happy that I was able to use them for this quilt.  They are way cuter in person, each one has a little print that is very tiny. 

I love Lindsey's patterns, they're always so well written and easy to understand.   

This pattern isn't written for fat quarters, so I had to be little creative.  It calls for yardage, but I knew that fat quarters would work.

I'll see you next week :)

Quilt Alongs

I’m doing well on my quilt alongs, I’ve been sewing a lot! 

Here are my little ladybugs from the “Hello Spring” quilt along. The pattern is by Lindsey at Pen and Paper designs.

Next is the Collector’s Edition quilt along. It’s a quilt pattern that showcases your most favorite prints that you’ve been collection. I have a few different collections but chose Ruby Star Society and Cotton and Steel fabrics.

Next week I’ll be working on Poppie Cotton’s block of the month Sampler quilt. It’s really cute!

Have a great week :)

Balderdash quilt

I made a new quilt!

I went on a quilt retreat in February that was like my Hallmark dream come true!  Quilting with best friends in a cute cabin, with a big picture window looking onto a winter wonderland of snow in the mountains of Payson, Arizona.  There is snow in Arizona, but not in the Phoenix area where I live!

I got my quilt quilted a week ago and just finished binding it.  I had to go to the park at Copper Sky and do a photo shoot. 

This pattern is called Balderdash and it's by Emma Jean Jansen, an Australian designer. She's on Instagram and she inspires me lots!

I wanted a pattern that had large blocks to show off my favorite Ruby Star Society fabrics.  This pattern fulfilled my vision. Just because there are large blocks doesn't mean it was easy.  It was very tricky getting the fabric to go in the right direction by the crosses.

I had a beautiful Cotton & Steel fabric for the back.

My quilter did a fabulous job with the machine quilting.  The pattern she used is called "Arches". My quilter is Pam Rackley at 

Sweet Pz Designs in Gilbert.

Isn't this fabric pretty?  All the different prints :)

The crosses are all sewn with scrappy low volume pieces. I especially love the squirrels and the view masters.

Thanks for following along, it's always so wonderful to have a finish!

Hello Spring quilt

I have a few quilt alongs that I've joined.  When I first signed up, it seemed as though I had the time to make them and keep up.  I've since had some time consuming things come up, and am racing to get everything done. Quilting is my happy place when I'm not with family, it's a chance to relax.

I'm making the Hello Spring quilt pattern by 

Lindsey at Pen and Paper Designs.

 

During the pandemic, I won this beautiful fat quarter bundle for another quilt along I was participating in.  These are colors that I wouldn't have chosen myself, but I really, really love them!

I think that Hello Spring would be perfect for this bundle from 

Lamb & Loom.

I've cut all my pieces and will be sewing 3 ladybugs and 2 flowers, this week.

I'm also working on the Collector's Edition quilt, and the Picnic quilt layout of Lori Holt's with my Criss Cross star blocks. 

I'll keep sharing my progress.  Thanks for reading :)

Collector's Edition quilt

 Once upon a time, I was browsing on Instagram, when what to my wondering eyes did I see? A beautiful quilt that would display all of my favorite Cotton and Steel and Ruby Star Society fabric that I've been hoarding, or collecting 😂

I ran to my closet and tore open the doors, now mushrooms, now apples, now strawberries too......just kidding!

Look at all these lovelies. Some of them are ten years old, others are very recent.

I cut them into the correct sizes, there were lots of pieces.  Some were big, others were pretty little.

The large prints and the ones I love the most, are what I used for the large pieces.

I found a purple Cotton and Steel with little pink dots at a quilt shop, that I thought would be perfect for the sashing.

I have a lot of projects going right now.  It seemed as though I had a lot of time and now I don't.  Sometimes when some of my assignments are a little overwhelming, I venture back to my sewing room and sew.  One of the things I really enjoy doing. ❤️

See you next week!

Criss Cross block exchange

 I told you last week that we're having a Criss Cross block exchange at my Farm Girls quilt group.  We only work on Lori Holt projects because we're such big fans! We walked into the room to this beautiful display! Nancy, our leader, always makes everything so much fun ❤️

Nancy had lovingly chosen all of our blocks and tied a ribbon around each roll with our names written on a cute tag.

One of the girls in our group is an over achiever and she got about 

56 blocks!!! 😂

Here are my blocks all gifted, I love each one of them :)

I went home and put all of my new blocks along with the ones I made, on my design wall in my sewing room.

We also exchanged 12 - 6" blocks, we'll be getting them at our next meeting.  I just have to make 3 more 6" blocks and I'll have enough stars for the picnic quilt setting  from Farm Girl Vintage.

I'm very inspired by Instagram, and am currently working on two QALs. I'll definitely share photos with you soon.  If only life wouldn't get in the way and I could just quilt all day long :)