CLOSED FOR SPRING CLEANING

Forgotten 'Reveals'...

I was going through my photos and came across these and realized I had not shown the reveal after the 'sneak peek'. Shame on me!! Remember this teapot tutorial that Pink Penguin shared with us. I loved it so much I ran quickly and made one...and then two more. I turned this one into a cute little potholder!

Here is a showing of the back. Don't you just love the blue ric rac!!! This potholder was sent off as part of a gift.

This reveal was harder to photograph....long and skinny (like me.....ha!!) It's a nice table runner I hand quilted. I have decided smaller projects are harder for me to hand quilt. Smaller means they are 'light weight' and I have a harder time keeping in control of it.....does that make any sense?? Maybe I was just being weird about it.

I used a coordinating fabric for the back and I just love all of the different teapots and teacups. Click on the photo to enlarge and you can see some of the fans and cross hatch design I used for the hand quilting. Part of the fabric on the front reminds me of old handkerchiefs. This table runner was also sent off as a gift, but looking at it here.....I can sure envision it on MY table right now.
Hope you enjoyed the reveals and I'll try not to forget to reveal my other 'sneak peeks'!!

Quilt Festival...My Favorite Quilt

I definitely wanted to participate in the Bloggers Quilt Festival. Amy at Park City Girl Blog is hostessing this event. You must run over to her blog and look at the ever growing list of quilts. She has prizes and there are sponsors...GREAT FUN!!
I picked this 'BONNIE' quilt because, well, actually it is THE ONLY completely finished quilt I have done, so it should be my favorite right? I have lots of flimsy waiting to be hand quilted....but not finished. This was a gifted baby quilt I went 'round and 'round with. I didn't have or use a pattern. I started it 3 different times, ripping out and starting over again. I finally gave up and settled for this lay out. I free pieced the name Bonnie using Tonya's from Lazy Gal Quiltings free pieced letter tutorial.

Here is a close up of one of the crazy squares.....see the cute little lambs just peeking through the lace and ric rac!!

Another one featuring pretty little girls.....possible having a tea party surrounded by more lace and ric rac!!!

I finished it up by HAND QUILTING it. This was only the second time I had ever hand quilted anything! The first quilt I hand quilted was about 25 yrs. ago ( still not finished) was just straight lines around the squares. Go here if you want to see. This time I quilted little hearts....fans....cross-hatch across the Bonnie part and there are some 'squiggle' lines too. (click on picture to see close up)
OK....so I hope you enjoyed seeing this quilt.....again!!

'His' and 'Hers' Green/Fall Quilt Progress

I have been sewing up these little Star Struck blocks like crazy!! This top picture is the 'HERS' version....that would be ME! I got really excited when I discovered this darker green polka dot went perfect for the sashing. I think it makes mine more fun! Go here to read how the 'His' and 'Hers' came about.

I have this cute little fold up table I cart out and set up right next to wherever I ended up laying out my quilt blocks. I pull out my 'trusty' nearly 30 year old Singer and away I go!!

I really like the whimsical polka dot sashing I decided to use on mine!!

'HIS'
For Mr. Brown Dirt I decided to sew his blocks together without sashing. I thought his throw should be simple with less whimsical features, more of a 'manly' look.

For 'HIS' I decided to border it with the matching polka dot with just a touch of the pumpkin color showing. And if you look closely, you'll see grapes and garlic. There are pears and bell peppers....just all kinds of fruit and veggies mixed in through out both of our quilts.

For 'mine' I think just more polka dots to border the edges. I put some of the pumpkin with it but decided I didn't like it!
When I finished sewing the blocks together it hit me.....what 'if' these look REALLY loud and out of place thrown around in my living room...???? I scooped them up and ran downstairs and threw them on the couches......and a pleasant surprise....the orange and bright greens didn't look that bad. So, I'm excited to be ahead of the game and will have some seasonal colors to use for fall. I may have to break down and machine quilt them in order to get them finished. WAH!! I don't think I could get them both hand quilted before Oct. It might be best since I KNOW these will be used. We'll just have to wait and see about that!!!

What I'm Working On 'Sneak Peek'

Doesn't this look sooo soft, fresh and 'spring' time???

Ok....no fair trying to peek around the corner!! This all you are getting to see right now!

HOPPY EASTER

HOPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!
This Mr. cutie is from my Royal Doulton 'Bunnykin' collection. He stands about 5 inches tall and seems so small and delicate. Underneath his feet is stamped 'At The Easter Parade' 1982.

And Hoppy Easter to my two favorite Easter bunnies.....Shaylee and Malory (DGdaughters). I love and miss you both!!!!!
Aren't these two little 'Bunnykins' just the sweetest!! This pair measures 3 inches tall and the back shows them with their arms around each other (aaaauuuuh). Underneath, their label is stamped 'Storytime' 1974. Probable my favorite out of my whole collection.

Hoping everyone's Easter is sunny and wonderful!!!

WE HAVE A WINNER....!!!

SURPRISE!!!! I pulled a 'sneaky' on everyone. Some of you may have noticed my last post was my 100th!!! Since I am celebrating how many post I have managed to eek out, I wanted to thank my LOYAL visitors who have always been there from my very first post. I appreciate those who have ALWAYS taken the time to stop and leave wonderful comments full of encouragement and support! I wanted to have a drawing just for those who are always there! SO, I secretly had a drawing for only those who have left comments during my 100 posts. First I drew for the post number and then drew for the commenter number. If you left a comment during that time, your name WAS in there!!! I decided to draw for 3 names........DRUM ROLL PLEASE.........Our winners are:

EMILY from EM'S SCRAPBAG BLOG................CLARE from DORDOGNE QUILTER.......and SHERRI from A QUILTING LIFE.........!!!
Emily was commenter #30 on post #73..............Clare was commenter #6 on post #57...............Sherri was commenter #9 on post #82....

These wonderful blogger friends of mine will receive 3 fat quarters some extra thread and post-it tabs for marking their quilt book for that next quilt they will be making. If you have fabric and thread....you can always keep sewing!!

I want to THANK everyone for the HUNDREDS of comments you have left in these past 10 months. These comments give me the 'umph' and the incentive to keep going!!! I count all you loyal commenters as my friends and kindred spirits as we go about our quilty lives!!!

Easter Goodies...

I just LOVE to get surprise gift baskets don't you??? Especially ones that look as colorful and vibrant as this one!!!

Look what BURST forth when I took the cellophane off. Out jumped rabbits and chickens and goodies galore!!!!

My friend Fran over at Blog Memories surprised me with this great Easter basket stuffed and overflowing with candy, some French Vanilla lotion for my hands and Thimble-It finger pads to use during my hand quilting. I also LOVE the fabulous fabric she also tucked in including a handful of great 'eye spy' type scraps. The fabric is great Fran, thank you sooo much!!

And everything was wrapped up in this TO DIE FOR cloth basket. Don't you think the fabric and colors just 'scream' Spring!!! I just know this certainly brightened up my day! Way to go Fran....I LOVE everything!!!

GAIL is a 'ROCKSTAR'...!!!

Yes, as you can see, the box looks to be overflowing!!! My friend Gail (no blog) who lives up in Michigan got crazy one night and I believe she raked everything she could see in her sewing room into this box and sent it to me!!!

As I began to go through the box there was BAG after BAG after BAG stuffed full of everything you can imagine.....lets just say the box weighed 19 lbs!!!!! WOW, am I going to have fun going through these this weekend OR WHAT!!!!

Gail always sticks in a book or two in her goodie boxes to me.....LOVE these too!!

Gail.....you have brightened up my week AND my life!! Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing your 'STASH' with me!!!
I'll say it again.......you are a 'ROCK STAR'!!!

Misc. Projects...and Bunnykins

I have been looking at and studying the little stars I made....like the ones above in my header. I have them all layed out on my design wall where I can see and enjoy them. My intent is to use them in a quilt, but I got to thinking maybe they needed something else to go along with them...??? I just love crazy little churndashes... SO...I made some! I think they could fit right in with those stars!!

This unusual block is SUPPOSED to be one of those churndashes like above. This is what happens when you're not paying too much attention to what you are doing and sew a piece to the wrong side. I LIKE IT!! So it's a keeper!!

I saw a demonstration on this cute little 'paper pieced' bird and immediately wanted to try it. I think it is cute and I sure want to do some more in different colors. After I got the hang of the fact that it was like sewing upside down AND backwards I thought maybe it was fun!

Here is a preview of the many Royal Doulton 'Bunnykins' I have collected. I thought I would share a few with you between now and Easter. This sweet little group are members of the 'Oompah Band'. These are close to being my favorites and are from 1984.