Where Has May Gone?

 So much to do in the spring!  Getting the yard in shape, planting annuals and some veges, and shopping for fabric to finish quilts!  My friend, Mary, has been dying to go to The Door Mouse in Bettesville, Ohio.  I needed to find the perfect backing for my nephews' tee shirt quilts.  If it's out there, I'd find it at The Door Mouse!  I should have taken more pictures!  This is the view down one aisle of about 9 or 10.  And there's more stacked around this barn!  Bolts on shelves 3 high, rows of fabric in front of the shelves and more stacked on top of those!  I was looking for something to tie in the boys' high school colors, royal blue and gold, without being floral or too light-who knows how often it will get washed if it goes to college with them!

 Lots of Paula fabrics.  Had to get some for a new, easy quilt.  Now I just need the time!
















I worked on putting the binding on the baby quilt.  Why am I doing it by hand?  I really like the look a whole lot better.  It probably took longer to hand stitch the binding on than it to to piece or quilt the entire quilt!  I used a striped fabric cut on the bias.  This is the first time I used the ladder stitch for the binding and like it!

Stitching the binding on

 

The binding from the front

On top of this-I decided my "Lair" was not a peaceful place to work so I started to clean and rearrange it.  My gosh!  Today it looks like a bomb went off!  I've been pulling things out of the storage unit from out Cape house and trying to put some of the stuff to good use or sell it.  I want to label where everything goes to try to keep me in line.  I got myself a new labeler!  I love it!  Nothing like a new toy to make organizing fun!

My Little Brother!

 The tea tin re-labled!  I'll show you the whole set once I'm done.

And I finally finished to baby quilt!  I love it!  I'll be collecting more I Spy fabric so I can make more!

 Then I had to make this wreath I saw on Pinterest.  Supplies from the Dollar store.  Spent $3.50 for the base wreath and it still came to under $20.  I think it's cute and summery but Joe doesn't really like it.  He usually doesn't say much but asked me not to put it on the front door.  So it's on the back door!  It's the door most people use, anyway!

Tomorrow's supposed to be cold and rainy so hopefully I can finish "The Lair".  Dad signed up to be a part of the community wide garage sale.  I convinced him that we should not sit out in the damp cold tomorrow and we'll concentrate on Saturday.  I'd much rather be sewing but he's 90 and I adore him so I'll go deal with the "salers"

Happy Stitching!

Did You Think I Got Lost?

Oh my gosh!  I can't believe how time is flying by!  I've gotten quite a bit done but I really do have to get better about taking pictures of my work.

My biggest distraction was my youngest daughter's college graduation in Boston! I was so proud of her and glad that our eldest was able to join us!  We had such a great time!

 Me, Bryn-the Graduate, Ally and Joe

 The view from our room

I finished piecing Sara's Baby Quilt top. I should have taken pictures of the piecing.  I used the Accuquilt Go to cut the fabrics.  I can't believe how easy the triangles went together.  I'm usually such a purist when it comes to cutting and piecing traditionally(cutting squares, marking the center and sewing 1/4" down each side of the mark).  No dog ears and they lined up perfectly every time!  I do prefer to use starch or MaryEllen's Best Pressed to stabilize the fabric before cutting so the bias doesn't stretch.  It went together so quickly and I love the result!

Baby Quilt

I picked up a backing and forgot to check to see if I had batting.  That may be on tomorrow's agenda!  I'd like to get it quilted this coming week and start getting my other nephew's quilt started.  Between that, work outs, golf and a crown prep I have a busy week coming up!

Happy Mother's Day and as always,

Happy Stitching!

Weekend Accomplished!

Ahhh!  What a weekend!  Saturday was one of those cold, raw, damp days-PERFECT FOR QUILTING!!!  So down to the Quilt Lair I went!

I used to listen to quite a few books on CD.  It started with the Harry Potter books.  Yep, all of them!  In the car, walking the dog, sewing, wrapping Christmas presents.....  For some reason I stopped.  I love reading and don't always have enough time to read everything I want to AND accomplish everything I want.  A friend of mine told me she's been getting her audio books from the library.  I can't put my finger on my library card and should probably drop by the library this week and find out the scoop on downloading books online from the library.  Until then I wanted to listen!  Last summer I started reading the Earth Children series by Jean Auel-"Clan of the Cave Bear", "Valley of the Horses", etc.  I had to get the next one, The Mammoth Hunters, so I downloaded it from iTunes.  I started listening to it yesterday as I finished Brendan's top.  Granted, it's not deep literature but an interesting story.  I completely lost track of the time!  It was 7pm and Joe wanted to go out to eat!  I was in my sewing attire so had to change and throw on some mascara to be presentable quickly!  LOL!!! 

But I digress.... I need to find a fabric for the borders and back for the quilt.  Sounds like an excuse to go to the Door Mouse!  I talked to the twins' mother and I'm going to give them the quilts on the Cape the end of July so there's no immediate rush to get Patrick's done this month.  In the meantime,  I've been invited to a baby shower for my trainer, Sara, in June.  I saw a baby quilt online and pinned it to my Pintrest page.  I just needed an excuse to make it.  I've been collecting baby novelty prints and used the Acuquilt Go to cut out the blocks.  I worked on it today, again, listening to the book.  I had to tear myself away to go golf with Joe this afternoon.

What I have completed so far.

I need to pick up a few more novelty prints.  Maybe a trip to Cristina's tomorrow after workout!  I am looking forward to getting back to my book! 

This evening it's TV and bonding with my Feathered Star.  (I need to come up with a name for it-maybe tomorrow)

Happy Stitching!