I am babysitting four cats and one dog over Spring Break and I have to tell you that they are having lots of fun helping me sew!  We are having lovely summer weather here in Midlothian and have even set some heat records for April!  It is so much fun to hear the birds singing and to see the trees and flowers blooming.

Catherine came to sew with me two days over Spring Break.  We got lots done too..even though Ruby fell in love with Catherine and would barely give her a moment’s peace….  Catherine completed the top of her Animals on Parade Quilt for the ICU project with Country Piecemakers and she had fun doing other projects as well!

We even managed a little side trip to the Goodwill to hunt for wool to felt (no luck) and we had lots of fun searching for house embellishments at BIG LOTS (a new adventure for me – whatta place!)

I got out the quilt that I pieced when I was 5 (my before going to school project!)  My Grandma Albertson cut all of the blocks and pieced the top together, but I sewed all of the 9 patches together by hand – and she INSISTED that I use a thimble too.  To this day I can’t sew without that thimble!  I don’t think I have ever photographed this quilt before. 

I also got out the wedding quilt that my Grandma Reiter made for me – a log cabin made out of satin (that I accidentally found out that my DH, Max had used for a picnic in the park one day while  I was a work!!!!)

I spent one day cutting 1,250 1 1/2″ squares for a Postage Stamp Quilt swap – this should be lots of fun – Subee (in Indiana) is hosting it!  I have visions of tiny little quilt pieces floating in my head as we speak!

I am VERY HAPPY   that I got TWO QUILTS BOUND and have started on another.  WHOO HOO!

Here is a peak at all of the fun.

 I think I am caught up now with both the September and October assignments completed!   

Filler Blocks October

 

 

 

 

 

Filler Blocks September

Sept 09 Thimbleberries

Oct 09 Thimbleberries

 

30's Club September Block

The OCTOBER MISTAKE with GOOD FABRIC!!

 

 

 

 

 

The CORRECT 30's Club October Block!!!!

Yes, these are Bunny Hill Blocks RECYCLED!

Country Piecemaker's BOM

Double Delight FINISHED

 

I am DELIGHTED to announce that I have finished my DOUBLE DELIGHT QUILT – this was designed by Bonnie K. Hunter of Quiltville.com and quilted by Sara Parrish.  LOVE LOVE LOVE it!  That is Oreo *the cat* peeking around the bottom corner of the quilt!  The quilt FEELS so GOOD – it has bamboo batting in it and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it – I am enamored with the little 1 1/2″ squares throughout the quilt!

 

Double Delight FINISHED!!

 

Star Struck Quilt

 

I took another quilt to Sara Parrish this weekend too.  I FINALLY FINISHED my Star Struck Quilt (I took a class with Bonnie K. Hunter when she was at the Williamsburg Colonial Piecemaker’s Quilt Guild during the summer - 2008!!!)  I was proud of myself for saving all of the little corners that you cut off in the process of making the blocks.  I made pinwheel blocks and put them into both the border of my quilt top and I used them on my scrappy back……LOVE BONNIE K. HUNTER inspired scrappy backs!  This is fabric left over from my Birth of a Sampler Quilt – Victorian Holiday – I think it is pretty!!!

 

Midnight the Cat on the Star Struck Quilt top

Ruby Helped with making the BACK of the quilt!!

The Back of my Star Struck Quilt

 

The LAST Moda Selvages Block

 

 

Moda - FINAL BLOCKS

 

Now it is time to put the WHOLE QUILT together.

  

 

Sarah’s 2nd Cat Quilt

 

And last but not least, I helped Grandangel Sarah 10 put together her 2nd Cat Quilt.  She QUILTED it all by herself.  I only gave directions on this one.   She was so proud!!!  She sure had fun choosing the decorative stitching on my Brother sewing machine!!! 

Sarah's 2nd Cat Quilt

Back of Sarah's 2nd Cat Quilt

I have been UNSEWING my CELTIC KNOTWORK QUILT TOP most of the week……warning to PAM and anyone else doing this wonderful quilt……make sure the seams are exactly 1/4 ” because even being one or two threads off makes the whole thing wonky!!!!  Because of my auto accident I ended up using multiple sewing machines – BIG MISTAKE.  But I am proud of myself for keeping at it (I had a brief moment where I considered trashing the whole thing – I am not fond of UNSEWING)…..I will post a picture when it is finished.  If you want to see a finished Celtic Knotwork top – got to lynne’s fresh hope quilting – a link is on my blogroll!

BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS……I finally finished my Bonnie K. Hunter DOUBLE DELIGHT QUILT TOP.  I just love it.

Double Delight top finished

Thimbleberries 2009

Thimbleberries Filler Blocks

I HAD to include Sarah’s Zangies…..and thank you to everyone who gives me their fabric scraps.  Grandangel Sarah  is making ZANGIES (bookmarks) for her fourth grade store projects.   She does all of the sewing on her own.  I think they are so cute!

Sarah's ZANGIES

CP BOM

OK – so I guess this should be a surprise but I can’t wait – this is my Williamsburg WORDS INTO FABRIC CHALLENGE QUILT – quilted by the AWESOME Sara Parrish (She does GREAT WORK)  and I am proud to say that my embellishment coach, Catherine, did herself proud………I love her fence and button flower idea!  I am privileged to have a great quilter and my own embellishment coach as teammates!!!!!

 

Words into Fabric Challenge

 

sao's Clue 3

sao's Clue 4

sao's Clue 5

Bonnie and her QUILTVILLE fans are doing another Super Bowl 2oo9 Quilt.  Last year we did her Bargello Quilt and this year we are doing her STRIP TWIST – or – any of her quilts in mostly blue colors.  I am doing the Strip Twist…..time to go cut some strips!    You  can see the STRIP TWIST FREE PATTERN on www.quiltville.com website.

KITTY  UPDATE

I have been getting some requests  for a kitten update – remember when I adopted Catherine’s litter (the cat’s litter, that is – the cat who entered her house through her doggie door and gifted her with three kittens!)  SO HERE IS THE UPDATE.

sao and Daisy May playing with a quilt strip - Tonto Morris is behind the basket

Hannah Fay LOVES the computer

The Three Musketeers at the Vet

All three kittens – are doing great!  They have so much fun and they LOVE Pepper, our dog – and Pepper loves them.  They KISS each other when they are separated for a little bit!  Do you think that it is true that pets and their owners look alike?  Look at DH and Pepper in the picture below.  Yep – think so! 

DH and Pepper

I guess you are going to  want to know what Hannay Fay is doing and why her picture is on my blog…..so, I will tell you…..Hannah Fay is helping me get the quilting pattern printouts OUT OF THE COMPUTER!!!!  Why am I printing out new patterns?

Hannah Fay Likes Quilting Patterns

Remember when I reported that Sheddy is going to start a new quilt every day this year?  Well, she showed me a pattern that she is going to do and I just couldn’t help myself – I am going to have to do it too!  It is a free block of the month – in case anyone is interested.  Here is the first block for January – from Bunny Hill!  Isn’t it just TOOOOOO CUTE.  The link for the Bunny Hill Blog is right under the picture – just in case anyone else is interested!

Bunny Hill January BOM

http://bunnyhill.blogspot.com/2009/01/free-block-of-month.html

 I sometimes wonder what we did before we had computers and printers in our homes………I would feel so lost without them…..and e-mail…..I rarely talk on the phone anymore since I have e-mail.  The nice thing about e-mail is that it is so convenient…..and there are no time parameters about the hours when it is appropriate to communicate!!!!

In my spare time I have been doing a bit of sewing .. so here is my SHOW AND TELL for this week – not a lot because I have been working a bit too! 

THIMBLEBERRIES 2009

Here is my first block (and the three filler blocks) for Janaury.  I am making the traditional colorway for my Thimbleberries 2009 Club.  I think it is cute!  I did this FIRST because this year we are getting $5 Thimblebucks each month for doing our homework….LOL.  I have to GET RICH for the end of the year auction!

Thimbleberries Block One and 3 Filler Blocks

MODA SELVAGES

This month we made two blocks – sometimes known as the CARD TRICK BLOCK….and like always we made a filler block.  I LOVE those little 1 1/2″ squares in the filler block!    The fabric choices this month are interesting.

January Thimbleberrie Blocks

Jan. 09 Filler Block for Moda Selvages

Powhatan Quilters Paper Pieced Star Block – ROUND ROBIN?

I put a little border on my paper pieced star block that we learned how to do Monday….I think it is so cheerful.  I may just use this for my 12″ center for our Round Robin Quilt……and I cannot say another thing about this – or show any more pictures for SEVEN MONTHS – because it is going to be a BIG HUSH HUSH SECRET.  Yes, I think this will be my block – I like it!  HM….I guess this isn’t going to be a great surprise for the others!  (Speaking of “OTHERS” – this season’s LOST series will be starting soon!)

Paper Pieced Star Block

DOUBLE DELIGHT

I am making Bonnie K. Hunter’s Double Delight Mystery Quilt – and here is an example of my CLUE #1 Blocks.  I think this will be in her next quilt book.  If anyone is interested, the free pattern is on Bonnie’s Website at www.quiltville.com.

Double Delight Quiltville Mystery Clue 1

Double Delight Quiltville Mystery Clue #2

I really like all of the little pieces that Bonnie uses in her quilts.  They are not quickies – but they are sure worth it when you see the end-product.

STAY TUNED FOR THE SPIDER WEB QUILT

I am enrolled in Bonnie Hunter’s workshop, January 17,  in Harrisburg, VA.  I am reallly looking forward to this.  Margaret and Catherine are going too.  SO…..maybe sometime this year we will all have beautiful SPIDER WEB QUILTS to display.  I think I will make mine with a black background – doesn’t that sound SPIDERY!!!

The Shenandoah Valley Quilt Guild was so nice – they are letting us NON-MEMBERS join in the fun!  I got a place in the workshop in the NICK OF TIME……there were only two places left when I sent my check in!  WHEW!

BTW – the SPIDER WEB QUILT PATTERN is also available – free – on Bonnie’s quiltville website.

STAY TUNED FOR MY HAT

I decorated my hat for the winter luncheon of the Country Piecemakers Quilt Guild this Saturday – and I AM SO WANTING TO POST A PICTURE….but this is a contest, you know, so I had better wait and show a picture of the hat AFTER SATURDAY…..but stay tuned……and BTW, this is the first hat that I have ever decorated, LIKE THIS ANYWAY!  LOL  Wait until you see it! 

AMERICAN GIRL – KIT

And….I KNOW that this is OFF TOPIC for QUILTY SHOW AND TELLS, but when I saw my grandangel Sarah’s American Girl Doll, Kit, wearing this nightgown,  I just HAD to take a picture.   Ginger, did you notice that Kit is using your American Girl Desk?

I am now OFFICIALLY putting all of my friends on alert for a CHICKS RULE nightgown……Let me know if you see one in an adult size (maybe I will learn how to use my embroidery function on my sewing machine and make a nightgown with a chicken on it)……..hmmmmm…..I can just visualize it – a bunch of quilty friends having a pajama party – wearing CHICKS RULE NIGHTGOWNS  - maybe even making a chicken quilt.  LOL. 

Kit - Chick's Rule

MOVIE RECOMMENDATION

While I am OFF TOPIC I might as well mention that I have added something to my LIST OF FAVORITE THINGS.  Marla loaned me the movie “AUGUST RUSH” and I have watched it twice already – and yes, I cried both times.  It didn’t always get the best of reviews – but then, sometimes those are my FAVORITE MOVIES.  I LOVE IT…….RECOMMEND IT……THUMBS UP……ELBOWS BACK.  

Scene from the August Rush movie