Sew Sunshine

Big, big thank you to everyone who stopped by on the  New Blogger Blog Hop  hosted by Beth at Plum and June.  Everyone has been so nice and gave really nice comments. If you want to read all About me you can pop over  Here .  Here are the bloggers with me this week: Stitched in Thyme Factotum of Arts The Sassy Quilter Faffling So Sew Green The Rainbow Revolts Little Mushroom Cap Kayak Quilting Sew Sunshine .......ME! Just a reminder that Google Reader ends tomorrow so if you want to follow me you can follow me on Bloglovin'. Just click on the widget that I most recently learned how to install. :) Today I wanted to share my Project Quilt off-season entry for June - "Texture" hosted by Kim over at Persimon Dreams .   I really struggled with this until I looked through some old vacation pictures of our trip to Alaska.  Early one morning, my husband and I chose to go on an excursion on this little island. I am so bad at labeling vacation...

It is my turn this week on the  New Blogger Blog Hop   sponsored by Beth at Plum and June.  Since joining this Blog Hop I have learned so much and am still in the process of making everything better. I have added an About me page HERE  (quilty pics) and a couple bits about why I started my blog. More quilty pics Quilt Gallery .  In a nutshell, it is a tribute to my Mom and all the quilty-ness and crafty-ness I grew up with. My Mother was very creative in so many ways.  I am one of 10 children and so she 'had' to be creative and know how to make things from not much.  1. resin on photo keychain 2. reading a yard of books 3.magnet note holder 4. building a shed 5. rag rug 6,7,8. earring making 9,10. bracelet making 11. quilted letters tote 12. doll making 13. hand puppets 14. shower table of food 15. quilted zipper bags 16. frame purse Crafty things I love: Above are a few things I have dabbled with in the last couple of year...

Almost the end of the month and I just finished my June project for  A Lovely Year of Finishes at Fiber of all Sorts and Bittersweet Designs .  A tiny bit a head of the game for once. :)  This is the quilt I made from the  Modern Block 2 for May at Sew Mama Sew . I had a really hard time deciding how to quilt this one. I wanted the solid cream spaces to have some fun quilting inside. I am still really new at FMQing so I wanted to experiment.  I started with a walking foot and did a double line grid overall. Then I tried making circles with a free motion foot, then the BSR foot, and then....gave up and did all my circles with my walking foot. Yeah, it was hard but they look so much better than doing those big circles free motion. I need more practice is all I can say! I really need to work on taking better pictures. The bottom was just taken after taking it off the fence. Not sure why it was so dark. It has been stormy here off and on the...

Two Finishes today!  This is my Creamsicle version of this 'block in a block' quilt.  And here is the Stained glass window version.... ( My Stargazer lily wanted to be in this picture) It was an overcast day...thunderstorms all night so the ground was wet. Sorry pics are kind of dark) These were made for the Lincoln Child Advocacy center. My neighborhood quilting gals got together one Saturday this month to work on these quilt blocks. I was not able to sew there so I made these two at home. I did go to the sewing day and ironed for others. :) I am so happy I was able to work on these and get some finish mojo going here!!!

Baby Steps...what I really want to say is One step forward, Two steps back but I am trying to talk myself into better spirits. :) Since my run in with 'hives' I am in slow motion.  I did manage to put the blocks together and cut some batting for a couple of small quilts I am getting ready for the The Child's Advocacy center here in Lincoln.  It looks like a creamsicle! I really like how it turned out and hope to figure out how to quilt it when my back is feeling up to par.  Some scraps I have an idea to do something with. So have been trying out this string idea.  Lots of possibilities.  Here I just wanted to share one funny thing. I do not have a green thumb so I try not to even have too many houseplants because it is a slow painful death for them usually. One of my sisters rescued this cracked tea pot from my Mother's basement when we were cleaning it out. She planted an aloe in the top and this is my result after several weeks of own...

   Today is WIP day with Lee over at Freshly Pieced . For the last few weeks I have not been participating because I have been losing and so falling behind on my WIP's. Okay enough whining! I am taking charge and working on getting caught up. Today I am working on my Skill Builder blocks from Alyssa over at  Pileofabric .  Finally all three of these are put in their boarders and ready to quilt. I also have the hexi block (below)done that needs to be quilted too. I am going to watch the FMQing tips and after lunch hit the machine. I want to get them done because tomorrow two more blocks will be up to make.  Slow and steady wins the race??????? :)

  Here is my entry for  Le Challenge  Challenge 3 - Maritime: "Regatta" 17" x 17"   Paper pieced center design is the Sunshine block from  Compass Collection from Quilting on the Square I added the 1/2 " squares in the  border to represent numerous water events Machine quilted with YLI clear thread I think it looks very like a festive boat race!  I tried really hard to do a continuous quilting design because I didn't want to stop and start so much. (very hard to quilt clear on white background as is...if you know what I mean) There is still time for you to link up your idea of Maritime.  Come join in the fun.

  I decided to join in the Modern Mini Challenge put on by Jennifer at  Ellison Lane .   I am using a Mini I made earlier this year that I am kind of proud of.  My first time sewing in circles and I loved it so much I did it 16 times on this mini.  This is called "Sequence"   it is 16.25 x 18.25 Sewn in circles Quilted by machine with walking foot The back reminds me of a embossed tin ceiling. :) This was my own design, stitched and quilted by me.  It is not to late to entry your Modern Mini into the Modern Mini Quilt Challenge ...you have until June 16th at 5:00 p.m.

Whew...first off my little panic is over. Something caused the 'insert' picture function not to work here on blogger.  I am not the sharpest when it comes to computer stuff so this had me stumped. Miraculously today it works.  Two days of sweating for nothing....almost. (more about that later) Saturday I was invited to meet up with some of my local quilty gals to work on some blocks for the charity they picked.   The Child Advocacy Center in Lincoln NE .  Some of the girls came up with a simple block and because I can't sit and sew in a big time block (back issues) I worked at home off and on all week. For a few hours yesterday morning I went to join them and worked the ironing board for the sewers that came.   Scraps turned into: It reminded me so much of stained glass windows. I walked to the park and tried to take a pic with the sun behind. **still working on better pics.  I now have the back sewn up and will be sandwiching that up this w...

Today is the first day of the   2013 New Blogger Blog Hop put on by Plum and June .   I am so  excited to be included in this  hop.  I can't wait to meet new friends, chat about Modern Quilting and figure out a few things about blogging from people who have been able to figure "it" out in the blogging world.  First up today is this group.  Friday, June 7th Nancy @  Owen's Olivia Amy @  13 Spools Ashley @  Wasn't Quilt In A Day Casey @  The Studiolo   Nanette @  Yeah, I Made That Ange @  Heart Of Charnwood Kim @  Robot Mom Sews Erica @  Kitchen Table Quilting I hope you give them a visit and come back each Friday during June and July to visit everyone on the blog hop.  **** I am end of June so I hope you stop back by.  Coming up: Friday, June 14 Friday, June 7th Nancy @  Owen's Olivia Amy @  13 Spools Ashley @  Wasn't Quilt In...