e

Our challenge for this month's Another Lovely Year of Schnibbles was the Little Bites pattern called Whit.

I had a single charm pack of Elementary so made half of the pattern.... or a mini mini.

I've named this e.   (Remember logs and exponents from high school?)   I just love the colors in this mini and making tiny flying geese was fun.

I've already gotten a good start on our challenge for October - the Schnibble pattern Harvey.  I wanted to use stash so I went with these beautiful charm packs and some gold background fabric.

I didn't have enough gold to make the pattern to size so I sized down the blocks so each HST is 3" unfinished.  I also decided to turn my basket into a star!  (Didn't have enough background fabric but did have a third charm pack.)   I am just loving all these fabrics together so far.

Parade time tomorrow at A Quilting Life and Pink Pincushion blog.


Happy Stitching!

Tag, I'm it! Around the world blog hop

 

I was excited to be tagged by Kris of  Kris Loves Fabric as part of the Around the World Blog Hop.  You can read all about Kris's creative process in her blog post.  Kris and I share a love of Blog Hops, text fabric from Sweetwater and making Doctor Who themed quilts for our kids!

The Around the World hop is a giant game of tag across the globe where quilters share a bit about their creative process and answer some questions.

1. What am I working on?

I love working on several projects at once. 

There is always a long term project like a block of the week/month in progress in my sewing room.  As soon as I finished Barbara Brackman's Votes for Woman,

I was ready to move on to a Farmer's Wife - I'm making 3 (paper pieced) blocks each week.

There is fun to be had each month with the Schnibble challenge from Sherri and  Sinta.   Here is my current project underway

I also love to participate in Sew We Quilt blog hops.  Have some secret stuff in flight right now

Anticipating Bonnie Hunter's next mystery quilt - just finished last years mystery Celtic Solstice.

And there are always have original work projects underway.  Busy putting the binding on my latest quilt (New Hampshire) right now.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

This seems to be a tough question for everyone to answer - me included.  I'm on a quilting journey and can't wait to see where it takes me next.

I learned to sew in High School in Home Economics - do they even have that class anymore?  I have been a quilter for a long time but an active quilter for about 15 years.  When I  look back at my early work, I would follow the pattern precisely (ok, so maybe not so much when it came to 1/4" seams) and often would select the exact same fabric as the sample hanging in the local quilt shop.  As my experience and confidence improved, I branched out and certainly now add my own twist to any pattern or quilt.

I don't have a particular style.  

I like the traditional - quilt called Spring -

... and the use of bright solids in modern setting - quilt called Sunburst - ...

to one of my all time favorites - my fractal quilt Infinite made for my son's college dorm.

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

I create because it makes me happy and it makes other people happy.  When I gave my youngest daughter her Doctor Who TARDIS quilt one Christmas morning her shrieks of joy were amazing!   (And yes, the quilt wasn't quite finished!!)

I create because it relieves stress.  I've got a stressful job in the corporate world and am the mom to three wonderful kids.  My girls are teenagers and son is in college - need I say more?  This is the quilt I made for my middle one - blog post here.  She has Down syndrome, my movie watching buddy and is my Celtic Woman.

I blog for me to record my progress as a record for myself;  I blog because of the thrill out of making friends through this wonderful world of quilt blogging.  I also love the challenge of creating for blog hops - you get a task and then create and get to celebrate the other creations from the other hoppers.  This was the quilt I designed for my cupcake picnic sponsored by Sew We Quilt.

4. How does my writing/creating process work?

Friday is the big quilting night.  My middle daughter watches a movie every Friday night and I join her in our bonus room and sew like a madwoman!  She often watches DVDs of Celtic Woman concerts so as she watches and I sew, we are signing away.

I usually manage to squeeze in smaller stretches of time in front of the machine on Saturday and Sunday between dance lessons (no, not mine!) and violin lessons (not mine either!).

Love the process of handsewing bindings and I queue those up for any tv watching I might do.  Rare but maybe a movie with my DH on Saturday evenings.

Creative process can hit at any time but often Sunday afternoon I take a cup of tea (iced or hot depending on weather) to the back porch and sketch out my ideas for new quilts.  Recently my creative juices are flowing in overdrive mode.  I want to start publishing patterns and have 3 quilt ones almost ready to go.  I dipped my toe into the pattern publishing with my first pattern for this Pretty Trash bag at Craftsy - my first pattern - check it out!

I have started a second blog and have my own dot.com - Elm Street Quilts.  This blog will be all about my patterns and my tutorials.  Check out my spiral quilting tutorial!   My goal is to turn this into a business when I retire from the corporate world.

Enough about me!

A lot of people I really enjoy spending blog time with have already been tagged so I want to instead send a blog hug out to some of my favorite blogs -

• Freda from Empress of the Universe - we 'met' during Friday Night Sew Ins
• Retromummy - Corrie blogs about her family of 5 kids and crafting.  I won one of her giveaways
• Sheri from A Quilting Life - we share a love of Schnibbles and Fig Tree Fabric
• Sinta from PinkPincushion - Sinta's positive outlook shines through her blog and we share the Schnibble love
• Bonnie Hunter - her mystery's are fun and such creative energy that come through her blog
• Amy's Creative Side - really enjoy her quilt cast 
• JEllen's House of Fabric - she also has a young daughter with Down syndrome so while I've never been to her store, love to follow her story
• Kris Loves Fabric - I love that she tagged me and love how much we have in common.  She her Doctor Who quilt here .... this one is my version.

My blog reading list goes on and on but those are my must reads - check them every day.

I am sending a virtual tag out to any of my readers that want to answer these questions next.  Just add a comment and post next Monday, Oct 6!!

Thanks for spending some time reading about me - all the best!

Happy Stitching!

the "rush" hour

Dreaming.......

 of 

blog hops

and 

cupcake picnics..........

mmmmmm...

snooze?

5:50...power walk!

6:10...excuse me for a few...

6:25...grab the keys and iPad  

6:28  in the car and off I go!  Got my sneakers in the shoe bag just in case I can get in another quick walk at lunch

6:31......NPR on the radio.....

6:45 ... view from my office window.  Sun just peaking out over the trees....




Monday through Friday.  Week after week.  Rain or shine.  (Ok, maybe if it is raining hard, I hit that snooze button and skip the walk!)

That is my rush hour!




I made several items for this hop to get me through my morning rush hour.   I've put them all to good use every day!








First up is the zip bag for my ear buds.  I've made several of these small bags with the clear front but this red dot one is by far my favorite.   (I've actually used this fabric in two other Sew We Quilt hops!)

You can use this little bag for headphones, of course, but it could also be a travel jewelry bag.

Next is a quick and easy shoe bag.  Great to keep sneakers handy.  I used shoelaces as the drawstring.

I really love my ipad.  Doesn't this fabric make you smile?

My ipad is sitting snug and pretty and it sure brightens up my briefcase!

See the little pocket for my stylus?  Quite handy!   I've posted a tutorial for my ipad case at my other blog - Elm Street Quilts.


Finally a project I call my 'pretty trash bag'.   Did you notice it in my car photo?

After driving around with a supermarket plastic bag hanging off my dashboard to collect trash, I decided to step make my trash experience a pretty one.  These fabrics are from Sweetwater's Road 15 line.  I am actually line the trash bag with a clear gallon plastic bag (the ones that secure with a twist tie) so it is easy to neatly collect up and dispose of the trash.   You can find the pattern for this Pretty Trash bag at Craftsy - my first pattern!

I enjoyed sharing with you an glimpse into an hour of my day.  My time in the office usually ends 11 hours after I arrive so that first hour is actually the calm one!

Please brew another cup of tea and join me in visiting the other lovely ladies I am sharing the day with.

Sew Incredibly Crazy

Kwilty Pleasures

Selina Quilts

>>>>>  A Stitch in Time   <<<<<<

It Seams To Be Sew

Pig Tales and Quilts

Lakeshore Stiches

Tea Time Creations

My thanks to Madm Samm and Carol for their wonderful support and chearleading for another great blog hop!

Happy Stitching!

from the farm blocks 30-32

I am moving through these blocks at a steady pace but still have a way to go to get to the 111!!

Here were this week's blocks:

#30 - End of Day

#31 - Evening Star.  Stars could be my favorite block - they certainly use flying geese which I really enjoy making

#32 - Farmer's Daughter

Happy Stitching!

Sneak Peak

Weather this past weekend was chillier than its been so it was a perfect time to cut into some beautiful fall fabrics from the Black Cat Crossing line

I'm making two projects for a blog hop later in October.  Here is a sneak peek of a portion of one of them.

Happy paper pieced pumpkin!

Happy Stitching!

From the farm....

I'm thinking about calling this quilt North Carolina in honor of the wonderful state in which I live.   Compared to last week's, these were relatively quick (although still had my seam ripper in use!)

#27 is called Darting Birds.  I like this one.  I had trouble understanding the paper piecing pattern before I  began sewing so I drafted my own.  (It worked!)

#28 is called Duck and Ducklings

#29: Economy.   I'm doing the blocks in the order that they appear in the book and was rewarded today with an easy one - took about 5 minutes!!!

Fabric is Vintage Modern.

Happy Stitching!

elementary geese

This month's challenge for Another Lovely Year of Schnibbles Little Bites pattern which is called Whit!   I wanted to use a mini-charm pack of Moda Elementary and only had one so I made half of a Whit.

I am thinking about a top and bottom border wide enough for this to finish as a square.   I keep thinking it looks too small but then remind myself this was the whole idea - use what I have and create a mini-mini.

What do you think? 

Happy Stitching!

mini baby geese

Measuring a mini 2" by 1 1/4".

Aren't they sweet?  These cuties are made from a mini-charm pack of Sweetwater Elementary and a bella solid called Parchment that I had in my stash.

A favorite sewing notion is the clothes pin.  So handy!

They are for this month's Another Lovely Year of Schnibbles Little Bites pattern which is called Whit!  There are 3 settings possible.  Looking forward to assembling these beauties into a mini.



Happy Stitching!

And done is good

So far, so good in staying to my plan of 3 blocks per week.  I am always doing them in the order they appear in the book (which is alphabetical by name).  The temptation to skip one of this weeks blocks was high.  

First up, #24: Country Path.    I did this one in all red.  Not quite happy with the final result but also not unhappy enough to do it over again!

Next is #25: Cups and Saucers.  Love the blue.  (Not loving all the bits of thread!)

Finally, with 53 pieces is #26: Cut Glass Dish.   This block has some issues.  But is is done.  And done is good.

Fabric used is Vintage Modern.

Happy Stitching!