This is a Test!

This is just a test! I figured out how to post from my phone(I hope)! I don't always take my computer when I travel and this way I can try to post more often.

Just got back from a memorial service in Florida and this time I brought along my English paper piece stars. Long story short-our original flight through Atlanta was delayed to the point where we were going to miss our connection. The flight attendant was great and was able to get us on a direct flight. On top of that, the gate agent upgraded us! We got in later than anticipated (11 pm) but we didn't need to race through the airport to make a connection like we did on the way home. Anyway, I had time to sew while waiting for our flight.

We're home for a while after a month of travel. I'm tired and looking forward to getting back into a routine.

I hope this test works.

Happy Stitching!

Travel Boredom!

Today has turned out to be a really goofy kind of day.  We were booked on the red-eye home back to Michigan but Joe had called yesterday to see if he could get us moved up to an earlier flight.  The person on the phone said the plane was wide open and we could save some major bucks by making the change 3 hours before the earlier flight was to take off.  Great!  Joe had a conference call scheduled for 12:00 and the call needed to happen at 12:48 so I was going to take care of it.  As I stated before, I planned to go to the Seattle Space Needle this morning when it opened at 9 so I'd have plenty of time to look around and make it back to the hotel in time.  I should have known the best laid plans don't always come to fruition when the day began in a deep fog-the weather, not me!  I spent the morning replacing the points on my Indian Star quilt with the plan of doing the outline embroidery at the airport and/or on the plane.  Joe's conference call went well and he finished early so he made the call to the airline.  I'm glad he did because I don't think I would have handled things as calmly as he did.  Long story short, the plane was sold out!  REALLY!!!  When we checked yesterday there were all sorts of empty seats.  I'm thinking a flight from Asia arrived late and they had to put people who missed their connections on the 3:48 flight.  At least we have seats in an exit row so we will be able to stretch our legs.

But back to why I'm so bored.  My family likes to tease me that I spend more time planning the projects I am going to take on vacation than I do my wardrobe!  I knew this trip was going to be jam-packed so I just packed my Indian Star  Needle threaded and ready to start embroidery...an I have a creative surge!  I'm thinking I want to outline the star elements with sparkly gold embroidery thread instead of black.  Great.  4 hours to kill before our red-eye flight and I have no handwork!  I ALWAYS pack 2 projects and end up barely doing one so I thought I'd save some room on my carry-on and only packed the one! I do have a book but I'm in a creative mood-which has not happened a lot lately.

I think I'll do a few jigsaw puzzles on my computer then dive into the book.

Hope everyone's day has had more creative time than I have!

Happy Stitching!

Vacation Time!

 It's been a busy few weeks with LOTS of travel.  I'll try not to bore you TOO much.  On the quilting front, I gave my nephews their quilts!

They loved them!  Their mom said they slept with them all of vacation!  They leave for school in a few weeks and hopefully the quilts will go with them.

We took my 90 year old father with us to Cape Cod for Joe's family reunion.  Joe and I drove and met my dad's flight in Boston.  He had a great time!  He made index cards with everyone's names (Joe has 7 siblings) with their spouses and children's names!  He later went around and got everyone's address and phone numbers.

 Every year we do a big family picture and our little group went to "The Squire", a local bar, for a pre-picture beer!

 And here's the whole group!

After a week of fun we drove home (Dad flew) for less than a week.  Joe had a conference in Seattle and I tagged along to explore!  What a great town!  We didn't have a car but it was alright because I walked all over!

Today's my last day in Seattle.  We are scheduled to take the red-eye back to Michigan but are going to try to get on an earlier flight.  My plan was to go to the Space Needle early and be back at the hotel room by noon. 

One look out the window changed my plans.  I'm relaxing in the room doing some handwork.  Hopefully we can get on that earlier flight so I can sleep in my own bed tonight!

Happy Stitching!

What Was I Thinking?

I'm finally back trying to finish up some of my MANY UFO's.  I have this Ohio Star that I made as a part of a series of classes I called "Skill Builders"  We started by making Chinese Coins (for straight cutting and seams, them moved on to a Log Cabin (to reinforce the accurate 1/4" seam, the third class we did a Double 9 Patch on point to line up intersections and work with fabric on the bias.  The Ohio Star was the 5th class working with triangles.  We went on to do Drunkard's Path for curved piecing and finished with Diamond Stars.  I'm trying to get them all quilted.  I don't know if I'll ever have the opportunity to teach the class again (I'd like to) but I want to get them quilted.  I had every intention of doing very simple quilting but I got carried away.  I guess I'm incorporating my second goal of the year-to improve my machine quilting.  

I've started including some of the designs I learned with the Free Motion Quilt Project.  I really should get back into that routine soon.  

It's not the greatest picture of the original sample I did.

I'm doing my current favorite meandering feather design in each of the corners.

You can see the leafy vine I'm using in the sashing.

It's been incredibly hot here the past few weeks so I had to put away my lap quilting.  So, at night to spend some time with my hubby, I've picked up and old BOM that I started YEARS ago. This is the last block of the 12.  It's been folded for a LONG TIME

Hopefully I can finish it this summer.

I have not spent as much time at the machine as I have been going to the pool and reading quite a bit.  It's something I really love to do in the summer.  I can hardly wait to go to Cape Cod in a few weeks to be with all my girls, romp with the nieces and nephews, visit with family and reading on the beach.

Today I finally had it with the closet by my back door!  I took everything out, wiped everything down and re-organized.  I put anything of the girls in their rooms so they can take them home with them on their next visits.  What I thought would take 1-2 hours took 4 hours!  So much for sewing today!

Happy Stitching!

Ta Done!

They're done!  I really got them done yesterday but wanted to get outside to enjoy the pool for an hour or so before getting ready for a Fourth of July party.

Quilted and bound!  I'm so glad to have these done!  I'll take them with me to Cape Cod in 2 weeks where I'll see the boys.  They have no idea that I've done this.  Their mom shipped the tee shirts to me in April.  I had to finish Bryn's quilt and the baby quilt before I could get these done.  I'll have to say, doing 3 tee shirt quilts out of the last 4 quilts was pretty tough!  I like to mix it up.  I'm looking forward to getting back to my UFO challenge.  I have some other quilts in my head I'd like to do but I'm going to finish a few more that I've started before I start anything new.

 Here's Guapo inspecting one of the quilts before it was bound!  I was pressing the binding and looked up to see him cuddling with the quilt!

We went to a party on the 4th and I wanted to try strawberries dipped in white chocolate then dipped in blue sugar sprinkles.  They turned out SO CUTE!  and they were a hit!  I also dipped pretzel rods but forgot to take pictures of them.  They weren't quite as popular but I liked the salty with the sweet.

 Bryn made this cake.  The recipe calls for using a white cake but she wanted to use angelfood.  I think it was really cute and GOOD!

 We've had some big storms coming through with all this heat and humidity.  Last night a big storm moved through and we thought there was a loud clap of thunder outside only to find this waiting for us in the morning!

Thank goodness it fell like it did!it missed the house and the deck!  I talked with the lawn guys and they said they could probably get to it on Monday!  I'm hoping my dear husband does not see this as an excuse to go out and get a chain saw!

Off to the movies this afternoon with Bryn.  I have yet to see The Most Exotic Marigold Hotel.  I've wanted to see it since it came out but the weather's been so good and everytime I plan to see it with someone something comes up!

Happy Stitching!

Almost Done!

I'm almost done with the twins' quilts!  I got Brendan's quilt pinned and quilted over the past 2 days!  I fortunately have a large island in my kitchen-it's so big we call it "The Continent!"

 Backing stretched and clamped

 Batting laid out.  Notice how it's lined up in front of the Olympic Trials!  I'm a total Olympic Geek!

 The top laid out.

 Let the pinning begin!

 This is the tool I use to close the pins!  It is worth whatever I paid for it to close the pins!  Before I got it my fingers would be so sore after pinning even a small quilt!

 Close up of the tip of the tool.  Please excuse the quality of the pictures.  It's difficult to take the picture while trying to demonstrate how it's used.

 I slide the tool under the tip of the pin so that it is one of the grooves.

 Push the pin tip up...

 And slide it home!

 Even though The Continent is big it's isn't big enough for the entire quilt.

 It's pinned and ready to be quilted!

Meanwhile, Guapo made himself comfortable on the couch!  He's so funny!  His butt's up in the air!  The funniest part is that we never allowed any of our dogs on the couch until we had Grand-dogs!

Today, I bind!  Then I'm done with these quilts!  WHOO HOO!!!

Happy Stitching!

I've Been a Very Bad Girl!

I will admit.  Making 3 tee shirt quilts (Bryn's and my twin nephews') all in 3 months gets very tiresome.  Basically I'm bored with them and it's difficult to get my quilting mojo on!  Besides, it's summer and the weather here in Michigan is warm and sunny.  I'd much rather be outside.  I did get a portable sewing table with the intention of sewing out on the covered deck.  Unfortunately, I have to quilt the tee shirt quilts which I have to do on the machine in The Lair!  I really should get down there and get them done!

In the meantime, I came across my Grandmother McGregor's sewing book from Coffeyville High School!  She graduated from high school in 1915 so it must be at least 100 years old!  It's still in great shape except for the cover.

 It's amazing to read her notes!  Some things never change!  She was one of the most amazing needle work artists I've had the pleasure of knowing.  She made clothes, did needlepoint, cross stitch, and just about everything else EXCEPT QUILTS!  When she was about 5 she got blood on a quilt she was helping her mother and aunt quilt.  She never quilted again! 

Anyway, the book also contained samples of her handwork! 

                                                 They are attached to the pages by brads!

My stitch group got together recently and told me of a place where they can hopefully preserve it!

I really will make an effort to finish it up this weekend!  I also need to get back into doing the Quilt Project to help improve my machine quilting. 

TIME TO GET BACK ON TRACK!!!

Happy Stitching!