It is Time

time for me to do a family post!!!

We have this really dumb tree in our yard that likes to give us a preview of what fall will be like, even though it is hot hot hot...so before we raked (dumb tree) Delilah got a chance to play in the leaves with Daddy.

"look at me put them on my head"

"take that Daddy"

"hmm, do you think they can still see me?"

We also took a little time to visit my Gram, who they call Nana, this week. I can not believe that we got everyone to look and smile all at the same time.

What do you think of that 'vintage' wallpaper behind them? At Gram's house that is original, and on every wall.


   Leslie

WIP Wednesday

Since we came home from vacation i have had just a little time to work on a few things...

This small quilt is a little sampling of a  HST sampler that Jeni at In Color Order is doing. I laid a few out on vacation and sewed them right up when we were home.

I have had these HST's forever in a box of UFO's. They were in there so long i forgot how cute they were.

Next i am working on a quilt for my mom. I have about half of the strips sewn together.

I am using a pattern from Amy Smart. I love it. Everything is coming together smoothly.

Lastly, these are the failed results of my attempt at doing the hand sewn sampler at Why Not Sew.  I was having trouble choosing fabric to begin with, then i saw a turning twenty quilt with FMF that i fell in love with and no longer wanted to commit all my FQ's to the sampler.

But i did have these pre cut FMF squares on my trip with me. I am just pairing them up and making 4 patches out of them to be wipped up into a small quilt.

Hop on over to Freshly Pieced and see what the other wonderful quilters are making!


 

Leslie

Our Insta-Vacation

hi!! i am back!

We had a great vacation to Maine and Boston...filled with all kinds of fun.

We drove a lot, there were quilt shops to see, and sewing to be done in the car....we met up with old friends and made new ones...

We hunted sea glass on the local beach...ate at very colorful local food joints...visited with relatives...checked out those lobsters before they became dinner.

And so much more.
(Sorry that the picture is small. If you want to see it a little better i think all you have to do is click on it) 




Leslie

WIP Wednesday

Welcome to a WIP Wednesday where i actually have a few things to share.

First is my WIP. I have been working through the blocks of a Amy Smart pattern and i am loving it so far. I am hoping that it continues to go as smoothly as it has to this point(knock on wood). Last night i laid out all the strips, today i hope to get the whole top done

And I wanted to share a few shots of my latest finish...which was a WIP until this past weekend when i stayed up way too late 2 nights in a row to finish it. These blocks were made using a jelly roll of Salt Air fabric and a pattern i found on the Missouri Quilt Company blog.

It is backed by my new favorite fabric. I had thoughts of hoarding this one for the stash, to be used at who knows what point. I had mentioned this backing was coming in another WIP post. I hope it was not too anticlimactic! But i really do love it!

I was going to just simply straight line quilt it....but i was getting too caught up in trying to follow the lines of the quilt....and as you can tell by looking at this quilt, following lines would not be easy.  I decided i was over thinking everything and ended up just going for it and free handing some wavy overlapping lines that i followed with my walking foot. The quilting might  be seen a little easier if you click on any of the pictures.

I am really happy with it. This feels like it was a really productive week for me. I am getting back into a sewing groove and it is nice!

Head over to Lee's and see what everyone else has made.

 

Leslie

Tuesday's Choice...a Fabric Audition

I just can not make up my mind today about what fabric to use for a new project.

 We are getting ready to go on vacation where i obviously will not have my machine to sew with but there is some down time and plenty of car time so i thought maybe hand sewing would be the answer.

Erin at Why Not Sew recently hand a hand sewing sampler series!!! I knew this was the one for me. It has been calling me.

But what fabric do i choose? I auditioned several sets for my husband(he is very indulgent) and he was leaning mostly to the primary colors...not the lavender or greens. Me...I am still not sure.

However i have these gorgeous bundles of FMF that are just sitting waiting to be used for something amazing. Is this it? Is this that amazing thing?

What do you think? Do i go for it and use the coveted, most beautiful fabrics? Will i regret it when i find something else i wish i did with them or do i just do it and know that i will love how this sampler is going to turn out(Erin used the FMF so i already have a preview)?

What to do!!! What to do???

In the meantime....here is something pretty that came in my mail. Don't you love fabric mail? I saw these Coquette charm packs on sale and scooped up a couple. It is very girly fabric...and i love the lavender in it. Who knows what is in store for these.


 Leslie

WIP Wednesday...all pinned up!

Today is WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced(go check it out), and i am thrilled to have something on the "table" to share!

This is my Salt Air quilt all pinned up and ready to go under the needle for quilting. It is pretty likely i will straight line it, as usual.

The backing fabric is really the star  of this quilt...but alas that shall be revealed when this quilt is complete.  

Leslie

Something Completed!

Besides completing 12 years of marriage...Happy Anniversary Honey!!!...

 I  needed to sew something this week....feel like i accomplished something, completed something.

Mini quilts became the project!

 I had already pre cut the patterned pieces in the first mini for another project that i started and just did not like. I paired them with a solid navy linen like fabric, which was also used as binding. I came out to be about 20x20ish.

This next mini was made from the leftovers of my WIP Salt Air quilt. I love the colors and prints so much i did not want anything to go to waste. It is a mini mini at only about 10x12.

These might be the start of the mini quilt wall i have been thinking about.

 

Check out the other pretty things at Amylouwho's sew and tell.

 Leslie

Wednesday Refashion

We have been doing a bit of t shirt refashioning around here lately 

It started with a shirt of my husbands(imagine basic large mens t shirt) and this tutorial....it was so simple and is so cute on her. It seriously took me ten minutes to make. She loves it and loves that wearing it is a way to be closer to my husband when he is gone.

Today i just flew by the seat of my pants....i had this old shirt of mine(plain gray v neck T) and i was never going to wear it, but i did not want to get rid of it so i got to thinking....what can i do with it?

Ding! Ding! Another top for Avery!!!!

I cut off the sleeves and then cut a straight line just below the v neck with about an inch to spare. At first i thought i would throw away the neck parts and make the shirt into a little play skirt but then this shirt idea popped into my head.

I did a simple running stitch to make the gather and then fit the two together with the top inside the bottom to make a paper bag style ruffle.

This took some serious brain work for me since i am not a clothes sewer but in the end we both really loved it and the pocket i used to hate came in so handy for her nano.

Leslie

Thursday Update

Today is 'not much going on around here' Thursday(again)....I am still here but not really doing anything to blog about.

For Mothers day i did make this planter of succulents for my mom. I planted it in a old vintage dish i bought at goodwill. I love it!! The kids filled the top with some of our summer beach treasures. And voila!!! a pretty planter is made.





Chris and the kids began a garden. We are no experts at veg gardening so i am just crossing my fingers that we will get something to show for it....anything.

Or just make it through the chipmunks eating all of our seeds. That would be a plus. The kids helped a little and nature is taking care of the watering for us right now.





Then there is this little lady who is spending her summery days out on our patio getting soaking wet in her water table (and loving it), running around the yard with sidewalk chalk, marking everything in sight(including us) and eating everyone elses ice pops!

Could she get any cuter?

Leslie

WIP Wednesday

Oh Finally! A new WIP!

I have been working on my ruby quilt for so long, and it was really coming along well until i ran out of thread this week. Joann's here i come!!! That gave me the opportunity to start this new project with Salt Air.




I love a pretty pile of scraps and trimmings from a project!

And this is my first block! Isn't it so fun?

I found the tutorial for how to make it on the Missouri Star Quilt Company's website. Honestly this block is like magic. All you need is a jelly roll and you have the potential for something really amazing.

I can not wait to make more.

Head over to Lee's at Freshly Pieced to see what everyone else is making.

Leslie

Flea Market Foundlings

I love going to find some kind of amazing treasure at my sort of local flea market. This time, like last time i brought home another orphan quilt. I can not walk away from a good one. They just want a new home.

This one was from the 30's or 40's with some really adorable feed sacks mixed in, and all hand done. I fell in love on the spot!

My other find was this red wire basket. It will eventually be made  into my new dining room lighting fixture (flip it over), but until then i thought it would do a fine and dandy job of holding some of my jelly rolls. I have to say, it is doing a really bang up job.

ps, this new blogger thing stinks!

Leslie

First Projects

Mitchell has been asking to sew for some time now....i was not putting him off for any real reason, but when he asked again last night the time just felt right, and i knew the project he was wanting to make would only take a little bit of time!!! So, off to the sewing closet we went to pick fabric!

He is a natural....i talked him through it for a few minutes , then he got his rhythm and he was off. The seams are even straight!!

I don't know about you but this picture screams to me.....

"Yeah i know i am crazy...look at me....i can sew! Wanna mess with that!"


In other sewing news, the hand sewing on my Ruby quilt has been moving pretty slow. i forgot how long hand work can take. I wanted to get it done for a special persons birthday next week....i don't think i will make it but i am going to keep trying.

Leslie