Doodle

The Schnibble X-Rated is for just using a single charm pack and making a smaller size.  I used a single charm pack of Sweetwater Noteworthy for mine.  The corners are fussy cut.

Just can't resist doing circular quilting on my smaller quilts.  So much fun!

This is the last of the ALYOS for a few months.  ALYOS are hosted by Sinta and Sherri including the monthly parade coming up on June 1.  (How could it be June already?) 

Here for my NC License plate?? - see this post!

Have you entered my giveaway for a fat quarter stack of AMB fabrics?  See this post!





Happy Stitching!

A gaggle of geese

My ALYOF May goal was to make geese, geese and more geese from my layer cake of Sweetwater Road 15.

Now I have piles of geese.

And strips of geese.

And I have the beginning of an idea of what I am going to do with all of them.  I really to love geese!

I'll be linking up here!  

Here for my NC License plate?? - see this post!

Have you entered my giveaway for a fat quarter stack of AMB fabrics?  See this post!


Happy Stitching!

Get out the vote

Time to vote for your favorite quilts at Amy's Creative Side Blogger's Quilt Festival.

I've entered my quilt Starburst into the Original Design Quilts Category .   Got take a look and if you like it best, please click on the heart at the upper right corner and vote for my quilt.   Here is the link to my blog post.

I also entered New Jersey into the Large Quilt Category     I'd appreciate a vote for that one as well!   This is the link to the blog post.

There are many categories to vote in - check them all out and make those tough choices!

• Original Design Quilts Category   - my Starburst quilt is in this one!
• The Mini Quilt Category 
• The Small Quilt Category
• Large Quilt Category   - my New Jersey quilt is in this one!
• Applique Quilt Category 
• Art Quilt Category
• Hand Quilted Category
• Home Machine Quilted Category 
• Modern Quilts Category 
• ROYGBIV Quilts Category 
• Scrappy Quilts Category

Here for my NC License plate - see this post!

Have you entered my giveaway for a fat quarter stack of AMB fabrics?  See this post!

Happy Stitching!

Welcome to North Carolina!

Welcome to the beautiful state of North Carolina!

I have been so excited to represent NC and share my license plate block.  NC has a beautiful coastline with miles and miles of sandy beaches and 7 lovely lighthouses.  These lighthouses are fabulous icons of North Carolina - Cape Hatteras is probably the most famous.

I made a second identical block and turned this one into a table runner!

It looks great on my hall table.   My applique pattern can be found here.

Now lets go on a tour - starting from the south and working my way north - or left to right across my block -

Oak Island lighthouse stands 158 feet tall and was built in 1958, the youngest of the NC lighthouses.  Unlike most lighthouses, it does not have a spiral staircase for the lightkeeper and has a series of ladders instead.  I've not yet had the opportunity to visit this lighthouse and found some good information - and this picture - here.

Bald Head island lighthouse is affectionately called 'Old Baldy' and this version was built in 1817 and is 110 feet tall.   I've always wanted to visit Bald Head island and climbing this lighthouse is on my to do list.  More information on Old Baldy - and this picture - can be found here.

Cape Lookout lighthouse is striking with its black and white diamonds and nearly identical to the Bodie Island lighthouse with its horizontal stripes.   It is situated on one of NC remote barrier islands and must be a magical place to visit.  (info)    The lighthouse stands at 163 feet and was built in 1812.  Another lighthouse on my must visit list!

The next four lightlhouses are ones that I have visited - several of them more than once.  

The Oracoke Island lighthouse is one of the oldest - built in 1823 - and one of the smallest - only 75 feet tall.   The lighthouse isn't open to the public to climb but you can peek inside and look at the spiral staircase.  As with all these lighthouses, there is really interesting history.





Cape Hatteras lighthouse is likely the most iconic of all of these beautiful lighthouse.    It is 187 feet tall and was built in 1802.  In 1999, NC moved the lighthouse from the beach where it was in danger of eroding into the ocean to a site 2900 feet inland.  A great summary of the move can be found here.





Although Bodie Island lighthouse only recently opened for public climbing, my family has always enjoyed making a stop to visit.  The lightkeepers cottage is open (part museum, part bookstore.)  This lighthouse stands 163 feet tall and each of those strips is 22 feet.  It was built in 1872.  More information on visiting the lighthouse can be found here.

The Currituck lighthouse is set back from the shoreline although visible from out at sea.  It is 162 feet tall and construction was completed in 1875.   Unlike all the others, this lighthouse was not painted and retains the red brick color.

This is the only lighthouse I have ever climbed.  I've a bit of a fear of heights so once I climbed the 214 steps to the top, I was so scared that I plastered myself on the wall and couldn't walk to the railing much less take in the view from all directions!

Two of my kids have no problems with enjoying the view.  They love to stay up there for a really long time.

I hope you enjoyed this tour through the beautiful North Carolina lighthouses.  

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to offer a giveaway sponsored by American Made Brand.  They have supplied a fun FQ bundle of 8 fabrics.  You will really enjoy the opportunity to sew with these fabrics.  They are soft and the color is vibrant.

The giveaway rules:

• First entry, leave me a comment and tell me the state you call home.
• Second entry (optional), follow my blog and leave me a comment telling me how you do so - Feedly, Bloglovin etc.
• Giveaway is open to US residents only.
• Giveaway closes Sunday, June 1 at 8pm est.
• Ms. Random Number generator will choose the winning comment.
• Winner will be contacted by email - entries without email address (i.e. no reply bloggers and anonymous) will be invalid

I hope you are enjoying the blog hop and have a chance to visit all the bloggers.  The full tour list can be found here.    It is cool to share today's with New York.  In my adult life, I've lived in two states - New York and North Carolina!

Happy Stitching!

Downton Abbey

I just love Downton Abbey and can't wait for the start of the next season.   Last December, I bought a yard of Downton Abbey fabric and it has been sitting on my shelf awaiting a project.  

I have been reluctant to cut into the fabric - silly, I know - but I finally did cut off a LOF strip wide enough to get several complete fussy cuts of the house.   I used that to make a small zip bag - 7 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches.  First picture is of the back of the bag - the house in all its glory.

The front of the bag is actually a sheet of plastic so you can actually see what is in the bag.   There is essentially half of a lining so you can see the house through the 'window'.

Perfect size for sewing supplies!

I designed this pattern as I went.  Framing the plastic on the front with strips worked really well.

As much as I wanted to keep this on for myself, I sent this fun bag off to my mom as a belated Happy Mother's Day!

Have you been following along with the American Made Brand blog tour to celebrate the launch of a new line of solids - farm to fabric all grown and made in the USA.   I was selected as the blogger to represent North Carolina can't wait to share my interpretation of a state license plate on Monday, May 26. The full tour list can be found here.  There are 2 states per day and there are fat quarter bundle giveaways at each stop.  

Happy Stitching!

AMB Blog Tour starts TODAY!

Start your engines!  

American Made Brand has launched a new line of solids - farm to fabric all grown and made in the USA.   I was selected as the blogger to represent North Carolina can't wait to share my interpretation of a state license plate. My day is Monday, May 26.

The blog tour begins today and Delaware and Pennsylvania are the first two stops in the journey around the US.  Each of the 50 quilters on the tour had the challenge to design a license plate using beautiful solid fabrics.   The full tour list can be found here.  There are 2 states per day and there are fat quarter bundle giveaways at each stop.    

I am proud to be the representative from North Carolina!   I can't reveal my final design yet but I can show you a peek at part of a project I am using for the spare practice design I did.

More to see on this project my day!

Finally, Ms Random Number generator chose 248 and I wanted to congratulate Stephanie for winning my SMS giveaway!   I had a great time seeing all the visitors from all over the world!

Happy Stitching!

New Jersey - Blogger's Quilt Festival Entry

Amy is hosting another Blogger's Quilt Festival - a fantastic on-line quilt show that takes place twice each year.

My second entry this year is New Jersey which I am entering it into the Large quilt category.

The blocks from this quilt all came from Barbara Brackman's Votes for Women quilt along.  (I was thrilled to see my quilt posted on Barbara Brackman's blog as one of the finished tops.)

The quilt was dedicated to my two grandmothers - Anita and Gladys - who lived in New Jersey.  I made my label with Spoonflower to record their names and year they were born.   I also made this quilt in honor of my two girls - the oldest of which recently turned 18 and is excited by the opportunity to vote.  


My mom found this quilt under her Christmas tree this year.   I've 6 sisters so as the mom of 7 girls, I couldn't think of a better home for New Jersey.

My blog post has list out all the names of the blocks.   A few made it onto the back of the quilt as well.

Thanks for stopping by.  Make sure you make time to look at all the quilts in the festival.

Happy Stitching!

Starburst - Blogger's Quilt Festival entry

Amy is hosting another Blogger's Quilt Festival - a fantastic on-line quilt show that takes place twice each year.

My first entry this year is Starburst.  I am entering it into the Original Design category.

This quilt is entirely my own design.  The star block is my favorite block and I wanted a new twist on the block by assembling it via squares from a single charm pack and 1/2 yard of background fabric.  I did circular quilting with my walking foot.  (Circular quilting is fun but gets a bit tedious as you go around and around and around.)

I love the picture of the back - the circular quilting shows up really well!

This was my final finish of 2013.  The photos were taken early morning light of December 31- New Year's Eve.

I just love the fun explosion of color!

Thanks for stopping by - make sure you visit all the wonderful quilts!

Happy Stitching!

Schnibble project - X rated

This month's ALYOS project is X-Rated.  This is a perfect Schnibble for just using a single charm pack and making a smaller size.  (ALYOS are hosted by Sinta and Sherri.) 

I decided to go for a layout of 4 by 4 x's instead of the 6 x 6.  I have not yet decided on the border.  For those also doing this pattern, you'll notice I added an extra square to the edge.  This wasn't by design - I just got myself confused and then decided to go with it!


If you haven't already entered my SMS Giveaway for a charm pack of Amelia, please visit this post.   I just love getting entries from all over the world.

Friday brings the Blogger's Quilt Festival - can't wait to share my entries.  See my sidebar to click for more information.



Happy Stitching!

SMS Giveway

Giveaway Day!!!  It is that time of year when you get to visit blog after blog and make new friends and - if you are lucky - win some fun stuff!  I find Sew Mama Sew's blog always informative and fun - today is just better than usual!  (smile)

Making this as easy as possible - because I know you've plenty of places to visit - let's get right to it.  I am offering a charm pack of Amelia.  Great fun colors and fabric prints in this line.

This giveaway has closed.

The rules:

• First entry, leave me a comment and tell me the city that you live in (it is so much fun to see where all the blog visitors are from.)
• Second entry (optional), follow my blog and leave me a comment telling me how you do so - Feedly, Bloglovin etc.
• Giveaway is open to everyone worldwide.
• Giveaway closes Friday, May 16 at 8pm est.
• Ms. Random Number generator will choose the winning comment.
• Winner will be contacted by email - entries without email address (i.e. no reply bloggers and anonymous) will be invalid

Comments are moderated so there will a delay before they post.  Although I typically respond to comments, I won't do so during the giveaway.

Good luck and happy quilting!

Happy Stitching!