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!