Getting ready for the 4th!!

This mini finishes 13" high by 21" long.

It was fun to assemble my flag.  You can make your own with this tutorial I published on my Elm Street Quilts blog.

I outlined the USA in black using my FMQ foot and black thread.  I traced over it a few times to get a fun outline.   The background fabric was done with a basic stipple.  The map is not quilted - it is fused to the background.  I did secure the stars stitching in the ditch around the block.

Hope you have wonderful plans for the 4th!!  Summer is here - temps in North Carolina hit 100 degrees multiple times in June!!



Happy Stitching!

A Star!

Sherri from A Quilting Life and  Michele of Island Life Quilts have started a monthly sewalong called Mini Quilt and More.   

The assignment for June was Summer Star Mini.

I used a mini charm pack from a Sandy Gervais Red, White & Blue.  It was a lot of fun to work on my fabric placement.

I quilted using my walking foot and did wavy lines - so much fun to do.  

There was a mix of sun and shade when I took the photo above and the colors aren't true to life.  The photo below gives you a better view.

Minis and More replaced the Another Lovely Year of Schnibbles which I really enjoyed.  I'm hoping a Schnibble will sneak in to the mix along the way!

Are you playing along?  So fun to make a mini!

Happy Stitching!

Hello Moon

I had a lot of fun finishing this quilt.  To quilt, I stitched in the ditch around each block and then did FMQ inside the block.  I think I'll also do FMQ (stipple) in the lattice strips as well.

These blocks were finished all the way back in January 2014.  They were from April Mae Design's Hello Moon quilt along and blogged about them here. 

I had this piece of flannel (Kate Spain Fandango) in my stash that is perfect for the backing.   I still have to put on the binding - I'm going with the red from the stashing - but need to order some more of Bella Scarlet fabric.

This ever happen to you?  You've managed to keep wrinkles and puckers out of the backing but a little piece of fabric comes along for the ride!  Should be easy to remove.

Now I just need a cute little one to give this to!

Assembling this quilt top was my June goal (post) and  I'll be linking up at Another Lovely Year of Finishes .  Another set of blocks turned into a quilt!

I'll also be linking up here.

Happy Stitching!

Sallly

Charlie Brown's little sister Sally.  I love her pink dress and matching socks!

Remember the Charlie Brown Christmas episode where he helps her write her letter to Santa?

Sally: I've been looking for you, big brother. Will you please write a letter to Santa Claus for me? 
Charlie: Well, I don't have much time. Actually, I'm supposed to get down to the school auditorium and direct a Christmas play. 
Sally: You write, and I'll tell you what I want to say. 
Charlie: Okay, shoot. 
Sally: Dear Santa Claus, how have you been? Did you have a nice summer? How is your wife? I have been extra good this year, that's why I have a long list of presents that I want. 
Charlie: Oh, brother. 
Sally: Please note the size and color of each item and send as many as possible. If it's too complicated, make it easy on yourself. Just send money. How about 10s and 20s? 
Charlie: 10s and 20s? Oh! Even my baby sister! 
Sally: All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.

So funny.

Sally is all ready to join Charlie Brown's friends - Schroeder, Linus, Marcie and Peppermint Patty.

Join the fun on this one here - the pattern is from Tweety Loves Quilting..  

Happy Stitching!

Triple Scoop Sundae

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!!!

I wanted to stay within my fabric line so I went with various flavors of strawberry ice cream for this block and use the same fabric for the whipped cream with sprinkles.  Yum!

Here are all 6 of my blocks.  Got to make sure I use more green in the future so that one block doesn't look odd.

The apron is my favorite block so far, followed by the tea pot.

You can find the pattern for this month's block  here and more information on the Fat Quarter Shop page.  Besides the fun of building the quilt, this is all about donating to St Jude.

I'm using a fat 8th bundle of Moda Miss Kate for the blocks.

Are you doing this one too?


Happy Stitching!

Namaste

Namaste.

I've started a daily yoga ritual in early January.  I found this wonderful online instructor and randomly go through her various videos.

A friend inspired me to try yoga so I made her a small quilt.   (I've posted a mini tutorial for how I made this on my Elm Street Quilts blog.)

What does Namaste mean?  

The literal definition is 'I bow to you'.  I found multiple interpretations on line and liked this one the best -

Namaste - a symbol of gratitude and respect; it is a way of sending out to the universe something good, something that makes sense in that instant.....

To all my quilting friends...........   Namaste

I'll be linking up here.

Happy Stitching!

Stars

My girls rocked the dance show this past weekend!

Their school puts on these wonderful performances - this year was set to the Little Mermaid theme.  Different classes dance as different 'sea creatures' and then there were these massive production numbers set to key songs from the movie like 'Poor Unfortunate Souls'

My daughter Kate is one of those 'souls' in the white and black tutus.  She danced other numbers as well, including tap which she rocked!   My other daughter danced in a single ballet number.  She just loves being on stage.  She was the only one in her class to bow and got a tremendous cheer from the audience.  (I took the video from backstage.)

The weekend was packed with the shows it was too far from the house to come home during the break between the shows.  That left very little time for sewing but I did manage to get my mini basted..  It is up there in my sewing room waiting for me.....

Hope your weekend was a good one.

Happy Stitching!

and they danced all night

My girls are dancers.  (They didn't get this from me!)

My girls are ballerinas.  (Did I say how they didn't get this from me?)

For my one daughter, this is her first year performing on pointe.  I will be spending the weekend watching her and her sister multiple times in multiple shows.  

So fun.

So proud.

Happy Stitching!

Fabric!!!

Yummy colors.  Remind me of summer!

This beautiful stack of American Brand Solids is inspiring all kinds of ideas!  The colors (in case you are also inspired) are 87 Dark Denim, 102 Dark Turquoise, 32 Light Aqua, 33 Aqua, 34 Dark Aqua, 100 light turquoise, 93 light navy, 30 dark blue, 53 navy blue, 85 periwinkle, 96 dark indigo, 43 raspberry, 75 dark raspberry, 36 orange, 72 dark rust, 08 light yellow, 69 dark gold, 68 gold, 24 olive, 62 taupe, 18 lime and 97 light sky.

I'm going to use some of this goodness for their tiny quilt challenge.

Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

Will you join me?

And while I'm blogging about fabric, check out these bundles that came from entering blog giveaways.  First, I won this bright and pretty bundle from Peggy Anne's Quilting and Sewing

and then won this bundle in the SMS Giveaway from Kathy.

Happy dance.

Happy Stitching!

Grand Illusions Finale

The 2014 Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt is called Grand Illusions.

I used a Fig Tree fabric line.  The quilting is and edge to edge called Rub a Dub and was done by Cathy Kirk.

I've named this quilt Friendship in celebration of a good friend.

It is nice to have a finish!

This quilt was started in November 2014 and finished in June 2015.

Thanks Bonnie for a great mystery!

Happy Stitching!

Mini iPad Case

My daughter has been saving up her birthday money as well as money earned by helping out a neighbor.  She bought a min iPad.  (So exciting!)

It needed a case.  I had this pretty fabric in my stash and I used my ipad case tutorial.  There are two layers of fusible batting to give it stability.



Happy Stitching!

Hello Moon

All the way back in January 2014, I finished my blocks from April Mae Design's Hello Moon quilt along and blogged about them here. 

Clearly the cutest blocks ever!

Decided it was time to move from an UFO to a quilt. 

Just because.

Assembling this quilt top is my June goal and  I'll be linking up at Another Lovely Year of Finishes .

Happy Stitching!

Ode to 402

Old friend.

You served me well.  Late nights, early mornings and stolen hours on the weekend.

Life without you would have been empty.

But we must move on.

Make new friends.  Make new memories.

Like brand new pencils on the first day of school, new friends are filled with promise.   

Promise of excitement.

Promise of learning.

Promise of time together ignoring chores and children.

To new friends.

Happy Stitching!