At year's end...where to start??

Received this beautiful Christmas tree from Barb...here's the amazing quilting detail-- Thankyou Barb!
Love the fabric choices!! And this little gem (measuring approx. 1 1/2 inches total!) is from Judy...

It's so pretty on a sweater.Thankyou, Judy! The detail is amazing here too! Ok, enough about me. Take a look at this quilt created by a 19 year old young man for his bride-to-be! The only thing his Mom asked me to do was put a white binding on! (He couldn't pick a color or a pattern--so he chose white, very logical!)

His Mom said he found a tutorial online and jumped in! I was very proud to be asked to bind it--just by machine, so he could have it back quickly...

After finishing this, it got me thinking of all the semi-unfinished quilts in my own sewing room!! Where to start?? ;-)
Have a HAPPY and safe New Year! Enjoy everything this wonderful season has to offer. And get some time in for quilting!! :-)

Have a Merry Little Christmas now....

Peace on Earth and Goodwill Toward Men............See you in 2013! Have a safe and Happy New Year.

An early Christmas gift......

Our son and daughter-in-love gave us our beautiful first grandchild, Logan Andrea, on November 29. We are 'over the moon' in love with her!! Mom, Dad, and Logan are doing fine and we can't wait to see them in person soon! In the meantime.........

 a little Christmas sewing. Purchased this soft book at Delphine's quilt Shop in Gaylord, Mich. last year. It turned out very nice.
Spent a lovely morning with the BQFFs at breakfast...Judy was 'downstate' for the weekend and Barbara and I got to spend time with her.

Working on a couple more gifts--but the recipients might see them here...so I'll wait to post them. Have a great weekend and happy (Christmas!) sewing......... ;-)

Baby burp cloths galore :-)

These seem to be a big hit at all the baby showers lately.....

And they are really fun and crazy fast to do!! (Don't tell anyone tho'!)

Just zigzagged the ribbon down the center and used a decorative stitch on this one. Now it's on it's way to OUR granddaughter-to-be with her Grandma Leslie. She'll make the 14 hour plane trip to Seoul, S. Korea for the baby's November 20 due date!! Then the 'kids' will be flying home for good in late January/early February 2013. We are SO excited and happy!!!

Grandma Leslie came by for lunch today and brought this beautiful Fall bouquet. The burp cloths will fly nonstop with her this Saturday--thanks G-ma Leslie!!
Hope you're all having a great day...and doing some sewing/quilting too. :-)

Another baby quilt.........:-)

Very, very simple assortment of 6" finished squares for a little one coming early next year. The parents don't want to "know", so tried to mix up the non-gender specific prints I could find. (I'm finding lately more parents-to-be want to be surprised, like we were!!) Bless them either way!

Crumpled up before using the backing border for a wraparound binding.....

The main backing fabric. Just quilted straight lines 1/2" from the seams and a little loop on the border edge.
Easy peasy ;-)   Now off to make burp cloths for a shower 2 weeks from now (no time to finish a quilt, so they'll be added to a 'store bought' gift!!)

Have a safe and Happy Halloween and happy sewing! :-)

Baby quilts and Birthdays.....

DH, DS. DD and I all share September birthdays!! That used to mean one B-day cake a week when they were small! This took me all day to post--I get a little misty eyed thinkin' of all that. And the new little ones we will welcome starting in November....

Here's the baby quilt for DH's BFF--due mid-November. She mentioned she liked yellow and grey...so this little charm pack fit the bill nicely. The black polka dots were in the stash and the light grey came from Joann's, as did the flannel backing.

Happy with the FMQ'ing and stitched on the binding by machine....Hope she likes it and it gets lots of use!
  I received lots of flowers for my day, and lots of wonderful cards with great wishes in them. I love both!!

My FIL brought this rose he cut from his garden...

The kids sent these beauties...the picture doesn't do them justice.

And my sweet sister (mrs. greenthumbs!) potted up this lovely porch planter. It lights up the front door!!
It's been a good day and a great birthday...  :-)

working on little things....

A little table mat for the fun of it.....

a couple of small zip pouches for practice, before cutting into this fabric--it's home dec weight, but i'll still line it i think.........the zippers were on sale at Haberman's and just couldn't resist all those great colors!! It also forces ya to DO something with them, now that you've got them!!

  Not sure why this posted like this--but anyway...Enjoy the long holiday weekend and hope you get a little sewing in!! :-)

Hand stitchin' for Olympics watchin'...

Recliner's set...hand quilting project at the ready---bring on the Olympics!! Started while watching the opening ceremonies last night. I really enjoyed it! And now Queen Elizabeth is a Bond girl! Pretty impressive for the 86 year old monarch. ( i love her!)
Not much other sewing going on. But the garden flowers are happy-happy after some much needed rain.

The phlox is nice this year. Hasn't been damp enough for the mildew they sometimes get. Hoping the varigated variety above spreads a bit more next year.

I grow snapdragons every year in memory of my Mom. And i have cut flowers all summer. And who doesn't love marigolds?? Reliable always.

Have a great weekend! Get outside when ya can....and watch the Olympics when you're in! GO USA!

Pillow in Progess

Pretty ribbon embroidery on linen, purchased at a specialty fabric store (Haberman's http://www.habermanfabrics.com/ ) in Royal Oak Michigan. Trimmed out in green and bordered in a home dec fabric by Kaufman.
Bought the fabric with the intention of making a bazillion little makeup bags....(there's still plenty of fabric left for those when the inspiration (read bravery ;-) hits sometime in the future!!
Happy sewing!! :-)

Hidden Spools medallion perhaps....

Just a trial layout on the 'design floor'. It's Bonnie K. Hunter's free Hidden Spools pattern from her website.

The fabric was won 2 years ago at a monthly guild meeting.... 22 flower themed fat quarters!! The center fat quarter was purchased at Delphine's Quilt Shop in Gaylord Michigan last summer! Time to get a move on here already!! ;-)

Debating on sashing between each row of spools, or maybe just around the 'medallion'. And hope to keep it square. The blocks are fast and fun.
Easy, mindless sewing on these dog days of Summer. Stay cool everyone!! :-)

Movin' slow.....

It's been VERY hot here (& everywhere!) and the motivation level wanes under these conditions. Lots of reading (Janet Evanovich, Sandra Brown...) and a little bit of big stitch hand quilting on the LOVE wall hanging. I see I need a trip to purchase some green and blue perle cotton. Methinks it can wait till the temperature drops a few degrees--Like back to the 80's!! ;-) So here's what's pretty outside, where I only appear very early or nearly sundown.....

And one more little African violet whose color is the prettiest, vibrant purple.....

It lives inside with us--the air conditioned couple!! Hope you're all handling this warm summer weather better than me. Really can't wait to open the windows again soon!! Be well, all. And happy sewing! :-)

Keeping busy.....

Paper piecing in progress for this little quilt ("love" template from http://www.kelbysews.blogspot.com/ for Sew Mam Sew http://www.sewmamasew.com/blog2 . Barbara, the BQFF, made these sweet, smaller versions for BQFF Judy and I.

But being computer and mathmatically challenged...I couldn't figure how to shrink each letter on my printer site. Oh well--this will be a nice small quilt when it's finished. DD has her eye on it already, maybe... :-)
Just have to finish the 'e' and maybe add some of this wild fabric to the border (or at least the back!)

It's a man's tie print--with all the colors of the letters, so................

And here's a possible little applique shape for the yellow/grey baby quilt coming up--

What do you think?? There's an elephant I'd like to audition also.... :-)

It sure has been lovely weather here, and this Stargazer blooms between our house and our neighbor's. It was planted by their daughter when she was around 11 or so. She's in U of M's Nursing program now, but when I see this I remember what a happy little gardener she was, too!
Enjoy the week and happy sewing........!