Sew Sunshine

Okay, I am just going to say right up front that this challenge was very hard for me. I am not really into red, white and blue and when you think of "Independence" that sort of goes hand in hand.  So...I decided not to do this challenge because nothing came to mind.  This morning (yes the night before the challenge is due) I decided to try cutting into a fabric group of fat quarters that I have been hoarding for way too long. I decided there are so many other ways of thinking of independence so why not go for it.  July Challenge and linking up with   Project Quilting by Persimon Dreams : "Magnolia Day" 9" x 19" I have three coordinating fabrics of this Magnolia fabric that I love and never wanted to cut it up. I just posted to another blogger today that when you hold onto those fabrics we love, the spell it has over us can be broken when you decide to cut into them  and what you make from them you might fall in love with too.  This is so t...

I am hoping it is something like riding a bike, tying your shoes or boiling water.  I think "sewing mojo" needs to be nourished as much as possible but sometimes life just happens and there is nothing you can do about it.  Earlier this month I had a strange neck injury that I had to baby. I was on such a sewing high the last few months that when this hit all I could do was walk around and look at all I wanted to be doing.  Then a family member got sick and my focus had to change again. In order to keep any kind of mojo I tried not to let it all get me down.  Good thing 'we' quilters know the importance of seeing and touching our favorite fabrics for therapy and comfort.  :) After much study of my project goal for the month of July with  A  year of Lovely finishes at Freshly pieced and Sew Bittersweet designs  I finally just took my own advice and jumped in to the project and ended up with a "Lovely" finish for July. My goal was to figure out ho...

Since my turn on the New Bloggers Blog Hop tour sponsored by Beth at Plum and June HERE  , I wanted to update you on some info going around on the use of the Frixion pen I like so much.  Lee at  Freshly Pieced  (click link for info)  did some testing along with a couple links by some other gals in her post.  I did a bit of my own testing and found the red pen I have been using on white and snow kona to work just great. Ironed off, washed and frozen and no shadows or lines coming back. Not sure what the reasons for the inconsistency we are seeing but I felt you needed more info before you tried them or not.  On to WIP for me.  Working on the Sew kind of Wonderful Medallion blocks. Got all the blocks (16) together but thinking I might add the diamond to the corners. ?? The diamonds Jenny @Sewkindofwonderful added look like this:  HERE Still working on Retro Rubies quilt. I want to get it sandwiched today and start ...

I am so so thrilled to say that my Retro Rubies Quilt top was picked by Alyssa of  Pileofabrics  as the PileoFabrics choice award. Winner Winner! I did not win the public choice but I am still so happy! Quilt top for Retro Rubies QAL Decided to go with the black background for the back but add some of the scraps. I will also try my hand at adding some of those in the front in bits on the borders. We will see. Still undecided about quilting but think clear thread might be the way to go on the front with black on the back. ?? Just so thrilled about getting picked by Alyssa! :) New Blogger Blog Hop update: This week the group of bloggers on the New Blogger Blog hop sponsored by Beth at Plum and June blogspot are Hilltop House Creative Works Sew Happily Ever After Christa Quilts Wonderland by Alyce the crooked banana Caroline's Craftiness Sassafras Lane quarter incher There are some great bloggers on the hop so please stop by some or all.  ...

" How do I love thee...oh Retro Rubies             Let me count the ways....... " "I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace." ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning I am so.......loving this quilt. I think it will be a wall-hanging when done because the colors I used fit into my living room so well. After only a few (really numerous) mistakes it is coming together but for the back. Not sure if I want to go with an organic looking back I found or just plain black with my one block on the back. As a wall-hanging it really makes no difference.  Any suggestions? I hope to work on the quilting today. I need suggestions there too please? Linking up with Alyssa over at PileOFabrics qal. What a fun fun quilt she designed. I want to do it again...and again! :)

Since it is only the 3rd of July and I already have a finish, I am going to talk about that first.  I recently checked out the book " Modern Quilts from the Blogging Universe" published by Martingale.  Angela Nash over at mythreesonsknit.blogspot.com made the StarFlower quilt design and I loved it. Here is mine:   I used a few fat quarters and white kona. The finish is 60" x 60" approx. and I straight line quilted in white Aurfil. My biggest machine quilt yet.  Love the 'tweet street' backing too.  On to my WIP for this week in July:  Linking up with Lee at  Freshly Pieced  hosted today by Stacey at  The tilted Quilt . Stacey is a fellow New Blogger on the New Blogger Blog hop.  For my entry in the Blog Hop go  HERE  and that will lead you to other New Bloggers this week.  I am trying to get my Retro Ruby quilt done for the QAL finish tomorrow.  Um....this is where I am as of right now. Yikes Batman!!!...

  My July goal is going to be a bit scary. I have 6 Dresden blocks  and no idea what I want to do with them. I am going to set my goal to come up with something even if only get a top together.  I love the red, white, grey and black color so we shall see: Linking up with Shanna and Melissa  HERE . Don't forget to stop by the other New Blogger Blog hoppers hosted by Plum and June blogspot this week: Friday, June 28 Green @  So Sew Green Gwendellyn @  The Rainbow Revolts Jessica @  Stitched In Thyme Amira @  Little Mushroom Cap Kathy @  Kayak Quilting Michelle @  Factotum Of Arts Paula @  The Sassy Quilter Kris @  Sew Sunshine Camilla @  Faffling

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...