Giveaway! Give Away??

Is it one word or 2?  Who knows, but my BFF is have one of them over HERE and you MUST visit for a chance to win some great stuff!

I have stuff to show you, but no time. Come back after Christmas and I'll show you the projects I've been working on. Until then, I pray you have a wonderful Christmas celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Thank you God, for sending Him. We would all be in a pickle had he not come, taught and sacrificed his very life for us! Thank you Jesus!

What's Going on Around Here?

Oh my, but we've been very busy! We painted the front of the house. And when I say "we," I mean mostly Pete. Here's a before picture...

I actually kind of liked that color, but it was really fading and oxidizing. Like my mother (who I am turning into), I love a pale yellow house. This color comes close, but once it was on the house, wasn't exactly what I had in mind. Oh well, by then we'd spent $200 on it and several hours of Pete's time. So we stuck with it and I can live with it.

I don't have a photo of it, but Pete has also done a great job of painting the garage door so that rusty stripe down the center is gone. And here's my festive porch.... with the new blue door that I completely love!

I also have been spending time cleaning up my plot at the church. This is a "before" picture.

I'm about 3/4 of the way done with clearing the weeds and dead stuff. As soon as that is done, then the fun part begins! I've seen deer up here, so will have to find some pretty stuff to put in that they won't eat. Any ideas out there?

While it hasn't been much, I'm grateful for the time I have been able to spend in the sewing room.  The color is off in this photo, but this is what was dumped out of the trash can in there. I love running my fingers through this stuff!

and here is what some of that is turning into....

Plus, was able to get a Birthday present for a good friend started today. Did you think I was going to show a picture of that???  Hello??? Try again!! Oh and I made a little towel for another friend today too. Didn't take a photo of that. Maybe I should....

Looking forward to a sister weekend next week with my sister Betsy! Yay!
Off to another busy week...

Autumn Wreath

My sisters and I had a crafting weekend last weekend. We try to get together once per quarter and usually sew when we do. This time, my sister, Betsy found these great autumn wreaths to make out of coffee filters of all things! They were pretty labor intensive, so I'm not sure I will do another one, but I did like the way they turned out!

The idea for these was not an original one! We don't really have original ideas, but we are pretty good at following directions! Luckily there were great directions here. Emily Jones is one talented lady! I could spend hours at her website. Pretty sure you will enjoy it too! So check it out!

The Finished Product!

Well she is done! Only the signature block remains to be done. So without further ado, let me show you some photos of my very own Baby Jane....

Note the Cancer Ribbon she put on the lavender block as a nod to my experience!

My Baby Jane was heirloom machine quilted by Sue of Summit Creek Quilts. I highly recommend her! She did such a fantastic job! Each block has a different quilting motif on it. The tiny sashing has a beautiful chain quilted in and each scallop has a feather in it. I love it!

Now, here is a darling little pincushion made by my friend Rana! OMG this is soooo darling and look how little it is! I'm thinking how great this is for taking along with  as I do applique on the go! 

Here it is next to an actual acorn so you can see what it's size is. It's really not that much bigger than a real acorn. I love it. If you are interested in this or other creations from Rana please visit her website!

We are dog sitting again. At home, Lizzy is an outdoor doggy, so being clean and hugable is not so important. But when she visits here, I just cannot allow her to sleep outside. That just seems wrong. So we needed to get this ole girl cleaned up.  Today she got a brush (several, actually) a bath, a clean collar and flea and tick meds! She was covered in fleas and had a tick stuck to her ear that was giant! Yucko!!! Now she's all clean, happy and flee-free and so are we! She smells good and is much nicer to pet! I just love this doggy!

It was a busy day and I need to go get sewing!!

The Last 2 DJ Blocks!

Hard to believe these are the very last 2 blocks I have to show you! Just the finishing touches are left on my quilt and I have to say that I really love it! But I digress, here are the last 2:

First is M-11, Rickshaw which was paper pieced and has 31 pieces.

 Last, is M-12 called Hopscotch is pieced and has 19 pieces!

I will follow with some photos of the finished quilt soon. As soon as I get the binding done and a wee bit of hand quilting...


Since finishing my baby Jane, I have finished a couple of other quilts. When you work so much on these tiny blocks with a zillion pieces, you forget how fast a regular block goes! Anyway, here's a couple photos of a recent finish.

This is a Lone Star quilt that I started in a Jan Krentz class. She was a great teacher and this was a fun quilt to make! I look forward to making more Lone Stars!

 Here is a close up of one of the corners detailing the quilting...
This is the first time I've done the little swirls in the feathers. I'm pretty pleased with it!

Hope you are working on something wonderful and fun. Please leave a comment if you would like.
Come back soon because I'm going to share a darling new fall pattern from my bff. And you will love. it!

Melanie

A few more DJ blocks

Even though these were completed back in June, they've not yet been revealed here and each one of these babies is a gem, so I don't want to leave any out!

This first one was a real bugger, but only because the pieces were sooo small! This cutie is M-4, called Stepping Stones, has 49 pieces (in a 4.5 inch block...really) and was mostly paper pieced. Now that it's done, I think it's pretty cute and I'm so glad I don't have to make it again! Even at a normal size like 10", this would still have a lot of little pieces! Can you imagine making a quilt out of this???

 This one is M-9, Fan Dance has 28 pieces and was paper pieced. I think it would be cuter with more contrast, but it's done!

 I really like this next one a lot! It is M-8, Enchanted Square, has 31 pieces and was paper pieced.

Here are a couple of peaks at The Quilt. This one is taken as I was machining the binding on. Let me tell you, nothing goes quickly with this quilt. You just have to take your time! You can see a little bit of what an absolutely wonderful job Sue did quilting her! I think this part of the process took 2-3 hours.

And here's a teaser of the back....Isn't it the most wonderful quilt? I can't believe it's mine. Even more, I can't believe I am actually about to finish it!

 

Boy, there were times when I really wasn't sure this was ever going to be finished. At least not by me. I remember when I was first diagnosed with cancer, going down to my sewing room and staring at this quilt and wondering a) would there be enough time for me to finish this quilt, b) if my time was that short, did I really want to spend it in my sewing room quilting anyway (certainly there were more important things to be doing and people to be with!), c) if I wasn't going to get it done, who should I be leaving it to that would be blessed, not burdened by it. Oh boy, thank God, thank.the.Dear. Lord. He spared me. And the least of reasons was for this quilt. But when you tackle a long term project like this, I hope you can see that it is a measure for (of?) your life to some degree. As you are plodding through the process, you are also marking times of your life. Okay, well, I'm glad I've made this quilt and I'm equally glad the process is almost over! If tacking down this binding continues at the current pace, it will be done in about 6 hours. Really.

Think there's only 2 or 3 more blocks I haven't yet shared, but will do that soon!

It's Autumn!

Oh how I love Fall! The colors and crispness in the air, sweaters, and is it me, or is there a smell that comes with Fall? I think there is! I mentioned something in my last post, but wanted to spend a bit more time on it.... My little friendship quilt group has just started a mystery quilt designed by one of our own. She is also posting it on her blog so that you, too, can join in on the fun! How cool is that? This quilt has a definite Autumn feel, so it's the perfect time to start! Here is my version of the first month's work...

The colors are completely wrong in this photo as those leaves are really green, but you get the idea anyway! Once you visit Rana's site, be sure to pick up a copy of her BOM button and add it to your blog! It will be so fun to have you along!

Now, here's a little picture of the front porch which is starting to transition into Fall itself!

 While we're at it, say goodbye to those taupy-tan walls, because they are about to start turning yellow! And with any luck, by next weekend the front door will be a dark blue! Perfect!

Until next time!
Melanie

Catching Up

I've been away from this blog so very much that I'm not sure it makes sense to keep going. However, I'm going to give it one more go and we'll see what happens. So, as you may know, this blog has been mostly dedicated to the making and sharing of my own Baby Jane along with other projects the come along the way. (DJ had quite a way of crowding out other projects!) The big news is that I finished my blocks and triangles for DJ around the middle or end of June and had the top together by the second week of July.

 I need to edit the trash can out of that photo! Couldn't bear to part with it for a while so it must have taken me a good 2 weeks to get the outer muslin border on and the scallops marked. Finally I was able to part with her and send her off to be quilted in Utah at Sue's. I mailed her on a Saturday and she was there by Monday....amazing! Sue is a very talented quilter and I would highly recommend her! She is organized, professional and caring along with being a great quilter! I will show some photos of her quilting next time. For now, I am trying to sew the binding on by machine, which is really quite a job!
At this point I need to stop and make sure I like the way it will look when finished. As usual, this is something I should have done long ago before I got 2/3 of it on! Hopefully, I will be lucky and it will look acceptable, but the way I sew, it wouldn't surprise me if things needed to be redone. Seems like I rip out half of what I sew!

At any rate, it feels so good to have this baby almost done. Since shipping her off to be quilted, I've managed to squeek out a couple of other UFOs. My UFOs would be a great future topic here especially because I blame several of them on my BFF!

I never did finish showing the last dozen or so of my blocks as I was so intent on getting them done. So here are a few of them and I will follow with more soon! This first one is L-12, Sally's Pride, has teeny tiny paper pieced pieces totalling 27 (includes a bit of applique, as usual).

This next one is L-13, Harvest Moon, has 12 pieces and was mostly appliqued.

Finally for tonight is  M-2, Duff's Buff, has 21 pieces and was paper pieced!

Before I close, let me just invite you to join a wonderful Fall BOM mystery quilt that my BFF has designed for our quilt group! You can find it over here

 It's getting late for me, so I will try to continue to get caught up in the near future!

Absence and an Inability to Spell

Wow it's been a loooonnnggg time and as I tried to get started, I couldn't figure out how to spell the very first word I typed, "absence." My spelling just gets worse and worse. Is that an age thing? 

Well now, I have been working on my Baby Jane even though I've not been blogging about it! So I'm going to get right to things and show you a few blocks that have been recently completed.

This first block is called Brandon's Star (K13) and has 22 pieces. I don't really remember making this one, but I'm pretty sure it was rotary cut an pieced.

This next one was harder than I had anticipated! If you look closely, you will find it to be quite wonky, but I'm just going to live with it! It is L3 called Reflections Abound, was mostly paper pieced and has 25 pieces.

 Next in the block parade is L1, Widow's Pane, was paper pieced and has 20 pieces.

There's something about this next block that just never looks right. Every one I've seen looks just a bit wonky, as does mine! This is L4, St George's Cross, has 21 pieces and was mostly paper pieced (and STILL looks wonky!).

 Lastly for tonight is L5, Chatanooga Charlie, L5, which was paper pieced and has 23 pieces.

I hope to be back soon as I already have several more blocks made that I would love to share with you!
Someone is encouraging me to do a giveaway soon, so check back to see what might be going on around here.
BTW, there's only 5+ blocks left undone in this quilt! The goal is to have her done by the end of this month! Yahoooooo!

Hope you are getting some stitching in too!
Melanie

DJ Block Countdown

Hoping your Easter was blessed. Boy mine was. To have the King of the Universe die for MY sins. Wow! Just blows me away!

I've just visited my design wall and made an official count. My DJ needs only 16 blocks before she has all her parts! OMG, I could just squeal! Oh my.....The plan is to get those blocks all done by the end of May and spend June putting everything together (note the sashings on one side already!) and marking the scallops. Three plus years of work in the final stretch! So here are the most recent finishes:

This is K10, called Quandry, was paper pieced and has 39 pieces. This is not exactly like the drawing, but I can live with it!

This is K9, Scout's Honor, was paper and regular pieced and has 21 pieces.

Not sure how this next one, L8, slipped in while I've been working on the K row, but it did. I must have made the paper foundation on the same page. It is called box kite, was paper pieced and has 15 pieces.

Now, this one is from row K! It is K11, Columbine and is paper pieced. Just for the record, the pattern chops off the points! This cutie has 25 pieces.

 The last one for tonight is L12, Doris' Dilemma, was paper pieced and has a mere 11 pieces! What a breeze!

I don't have a photo of L2 to show you yet, but it's done and it has 41 pieces. I still have Nan's Niad hanging over my head and I'm thinking about getting her done very soon here! And I see that M4 has 44 pieces. Perhaps this weekend I will tackle the hard ones! Would be very nice to have those done and sail into May with only easier blocks to complete! Wish me luck!
Melanie

The VERY Last Triangle

It's good to have them all done, but progress has been terribly slow since finishing this up.  My official count of blocks left to do is only 22. Can you believe it? But, not a stitch has been sewn on a new block for over 2 weeks. School is demanding and there have been other things steeling my attention.

Before I get off on too much of a tangent, here's the low-down on this triangle: It is BR5, called Gay's Glory, has 40 pieces and was paper pieced!

As I was saying, not much going on with my baby Jane lately. Just a bit of sashing and putting together a couple of blocks of blocks (?). I'm looking forward to some time spent with good friends sewing this weekend and to getting perhaps a few blocks done.

 

One of the distractions of late was a great class my BFF and I took with Jan Krentz this past weekend. Jan is known for her fabulous Lone Star quilts and we learned so much at her workshop! It is amazing to me how much there still is to learn after so many years of quilting! My BFF, Rana has already finished her quilt which is so very beautiful! You most stop over to her blog and take a gander! 

Hope to show you some completed DJ blocks soon!
Melanie

Two of the Last Three Triangles

I'm not trying to hold out on you, I just can't find the picture I took of the very last triangle! In any case, here they are!

This was  actually the very last one I made. It is BR13, called Argyle, has 19 pieces and was mostly paper pieced.

 This one is BR4, called Candy Dish, was paper pieced and has 24 pieces!

Not sure what happened to my last photo, but I will be sure to put it up as soon as I can! Hope you have time to do some stitching today!
Melanie

Life in the Fast Lane

Okay, compared to some people I know, my life is boring. But for me, who is happiest curled up on the couch next to my husband with a fire burning, this is a fast pace! Currently, I work full time and am attending school attempting to fulfill my science prerequisites in hopes of getting into nursing school in Fall 2013. Yes, 2013. Good grief that sounds like a long ways away! Especially at the age of 51. But, I believe this is a desire the Lord has placed in my heart and will continue on this path until He changes my direction or blocks me completely. At any rate, my one class is Anatomy right now and it takes up what seems like an enormous amount of time. I think if I could somehow stop with all the procrastinating I do, it might be a lot less though;-)

All this to say that, I was determined to get my last few triangles for my Jane quilt done this weekend. Only 3 were left and yesterday I did  them all! I'm so happy. Now, it's just the last 25 blocks and the top assembly, which I'm working on a bit at a time. June is still the goal! Here are the triangles I did the last couple of weeks:

This first one is the one I had to remake because the first one I made went missing. As I've whined about before, this was my least favorite triangle. It is BR9, called, Sue's Garden, has 12 pieces and was pieced by me and appliqued by my bff, Rana. I think this is the only block in my quilt that has been worked on by someone other than me. That makes it special enough that I won't hate it anymore!

 This next one is BR2, called Leigh's Woods, has 31 pieces and was paper pieced.

Lastly, this is BR12, called Jessie's Stained Glass, was paper pieced and appliqued and has 15 pieces.

I have 3 triangles left to show and tell, but no photos of them yet.
If you have any desire to start your own Dear Jane quilt or learn more about it, see the website dearjane.com.

Enjoy your Sunday afternoon!
Melanie

Just a Quickie

It's been a while, but there's not much time for a post right now. Just wanted to show the darling little original creation my friend (designed and)gave me a couple of weeks ago. Isn't it the most darling little pincushion?? Check out Rana's website over here for more fabulous stuff!

There are more completed DJ blocks to share, but that will have to wait until next time!

Have a great day!
Melanie