"SNAP OUT OF IT!!!"

Do you remember that movie Moonstruck?  The one where Cher smacks

Nicolas Cage across the face and screams to him to

"SNAP OUT OF IT!"

LOL

That's what I'm trying to do….just snap out of this 'slug' mentality I've had lately.  Even though I've been quiet on the blogging scene, I HAVE been busy…..well, sort of…..at a snail's pace.

Here's some of what's been hanging around on my various make shift design walls upstairs.

Determined to use from my stash I finally chose some dots and stripes to piece together a backing for the quilt top laying there on the ironing board.  Maybe I'll just cut a bunch of big squares and sew them together.

This is my "taking forever and ever" log cabin.  It IS all sewn together… BUT…yep...there's that BUT... there's ALWAYS a BUT with me!  I decided it needed one more row, you know, just to make me TRULY happy with it.

Yesterday I sewed more blocks and all I need is 5 more to have enough.

Here and there with blocks of time I have put together these free pieced little cuties.  I have planned this for a 'real live little cutie'…….hhmmm, I hope she doesn't turn into a 'big' cutie before I get this finished.  I'm constantly mulling over how I want it all to come together.

NO pattern here…..just me and my constant brain churning…..sigh.

Of course my MAIN project for the past year has been my FRIENDS OF BALTIMORE hand appliqué blocks…Sue Garman's pattern.  I thumb tacked some flannel up in the hallway so I could admire them as I pass through.  Red bird on the bottom is the current 'in process' one I'm stitching on.

Only 9 more blocks…AND 4 most tedious borders to go.

Speaking of birds, you should go Here and see Lynne's oh so creative birds and quilt
she has sewn.  Yes, go NOW…I'll wait.

A-N-D

T-H-E-N

I succumbed to THIS TEMPTATION!!

Can you guess which one it is?

Darn it…..I'm so weak and easy…..sigh.

 …..and my little helper who's always close by...IS NEVER impressed.

Now that we're all caught up it's time for me to get back to the sewing machine.  I think I've

'snapped out of it' for a while and I'm quite amazed I could still spell all these words.

p.s.  If you live in Canada you should go HERE and check out this NEW quilting book Brenda is
giving away. It's Julie Sefton's new Build A Barn book….good stuff!

Nancy is having a giveaway too!

"MADE FABRIC" top

When I first started MAKING FABRIC for these blocks with my saved tiny scraps, 

strips and strings, they were

for pot pads or maybe a table runner or two.....

But then......I thought.......wouldn't they make a great quilt???

The last time I posted on this I had only sewn 16 blocks.  It has now grown into

36 - 8 1/2 inch blocks. The overall measurement is about 48" x 48".

It's decision time.....how big should it be??  Making these blocks with

such small tiny bits and pieces can be like putting a puzzle together and at times

slow...tedious...and time consuming, BUT ohhhh so

worth the effort!

Enjoy the close ups of some of my favorite blocks

Yep.....I know......them there's a lot of seams!

Star Quilt Blocks

I finally found these lost star blocks.  Yippee!!!  Cleaned up my sewing space one day and couldn't remember where I put them.  They are from my Block Lotto winnings a while back.

I immediately started to play.  Decided the purple star was my favorite so I stuck it up on my design wall and started from there.   All the pieces except the stars are left over pieces from this quilt project.  The black/white spikes are from my parts department ( ala Freddy Moran & Gwen Marston).

So far, this is what I have come up with.  I really just want to stay with the big X design using only 13 of the stars.  I need to figure out what I will fill in the rest with, but then again, I have only just begun to start playing with the design.

Stay tuned for updates.....who knows.....I may just mess this up and start all over!! HA!

QUILTER DOWN!!! QUILTER DOWN!!!

HEY....I may be down, but I'm not out!!!! For some unknown reason something happened to MY BACK last Tuesday!!! OUCH!!! It's been a mystery, but maybe vigorously shaking out those 10 blankets on the back porch may have had something to do with it....???? I'm not able to do much, I'm soooo mad, there are tons of things I need to be doing!!!

SO........I made some of these!!!!!!!

The only place my back feels better is sitting in my sewing chair with the ole heating pad. Not a bad spot to perch whilst I try to mend!!

Out comes my crumb bin! It's time to make some fabric! And boy, do I ever have plenty of crumbs!!! I finally figured out I think the main reason I make quilts is so I can have scraps and crumbs to play with!!! HA! ( no seriously)!

And when I say 'crumbs' I mean CRUMBS!!! I know some of you may think I'm crazy, but I save anything that will hold a seam all the way around and still have 'some'......yes, I said 'some' of the fabric showing. OK ANNIEO stop rolling your eyes!!!

Those 'crumbs' can quickly become larger pieces like these. Before you know it, you have some nice made fabric of your own design!!! LOOK...LOOK how cute they all play together! I usually keep some of these blocks made up, they are great for potholders and such. I make them 8 1/2".

Before you know it you can have THIS!!! If I sew the blocks all together with no sashing this is what I would get. I. LIKE.

This piece of made fabric measures about 25" x 25". I am amazed that alllll those tiny pieces can turn into something that makes my heart sing so!!!!

Mr. Brown Dirt just stood at my design wall and was just mesmerized and in awe of those teeny tiny pieces that were mixed in! He likes it too!!!!

Check out my labels list on my sidebar under CRUMB THERAPY or MAKING FABRIC to read more about my CRUMB THERAPY/FABRIC MAKING.....I've enjoyed 'MAKING FABRIC' since 2008. I think you should try and make some too!!!

..........it's snowing!

I Just Plain Forgot

Shame on me, I've been such a bad quilty blogger and forgot to share some of my past little projects.
Pot pads I made for an 'unannounced' giveaway drawing I had last fall. They turned out w-a-y cute, wish I had made me one too! I ran out of the red/white strip binding fabric and DARN IT I can't find anymore.....wah!

The back showing how I quilted them.

I received this FABULOUS hand crafted Christmas postcard from my friend Julie who blogs over at Joe Tulips Quilts. She sent it to me after I whined and whined that I needed one!! HA! Do any of you know WHY I thought I needed one???? She is SOOOOOOOO crafty and creative. Run over and check out her one of a kind FUN quilts!

And yes the ever so TALENTED Nanette from Freda's Hive sent me this WONDERFUL Missy Christmas Caroler during this past holiday season. I just LOVE her!!!! She is just adorable and I have left her out so I am STILL enjoying her. THANKS NANETTE!!!

I whipped up this house block for Beth over at Love Laugh Quilt blog. A few months back she had all who wanted to participate to sew up a house block, send it in and she picked a winner of all the blocks. DARN, I wasn't the winner!

I used up some of my scraps, strips AND CRUMBS for some great potholders/pot pads to give out for Christmas stocking stuffers and party hostess gifts. I had already given some out before I remembered to take any photos. All of these from tiny pieces that a lot of quilters chunk in the trash.

AND FINALLY I got my letters finished and sewn together for my LONG IN THE TOOTH Halloween quilt that seems to just go on and on!. This is the LONGEST string of letters I have sewn together.

AND A BIG THANK YOU to DONNA at LAVENDER NEST!! She awarded me with THE STYLISH BLOG AWARD....THANKS DONNA!...go here to see who else won.

So there you have it...........who knows, there may be some more I've forgotten!

Crummy Therapy

After I made such an 'episode about my little house reunion quilt (previous 2 posts).....My mind/brain/noggin/the creative side of my head was worn and tired......so, the best kind of therapy I can do is to pull out my crumbs (Quiltville term) and do some mindless sewing.....or another term would be to make fabric. When I pull out my tiny scraps and just start sewing them together it is soooo soothing and relaxing. I can still think on other projects without having to pay too much attention to what I'm sewing. I have my stash categorized into all sizes. My crumbs being at the bottom of the spectrum.....the next size up would be chunks and then strips then strings then 1".....well, you get the picture. I started my crummy therapy/making fabric way back in August 2008.

All those different sizes have their own drawer/bin............I pull out my crumb bin....place it right next to my machine and away I go!!! Most of the time I just reach in and sew up what I have pulled out randomly.

You can sew up these tiny little scraps to any size you want. Sometimes I dig through and sew up all the same color....like the greens above.

You could sew up all reds.......oops......looks like a strip got in there with my crumbs.....that's ok to throw some of those in too.

Maybe you would like the black and whites......

Or maybe you save those little teeny tiny half square triangles 'cause they were just so cute you couldn't throw them away!!

But I think mixing them up all scrappy is a VERY good thing too!

AAaahhhhhh.....I feel sooooo much better after a little crummy therapy......you should try it.....you will feel better too.........and just think about the fun things you can make with that wonderful fabric you made and some of that scrap stash you put to good use.

I'll have a future post on what projects I used my crumbs for......now GO.....isn't it time for your therapy session??

?????...WHAT IS WRONG...?????

Is it THIS QUILT or is there something wrong with ME???? I swear (yes, I have done some of that with this quilt) I just can not seem to get it together with this one. I have stalled...I have rearranged....I have literally covered it up so I couldn't even see it as I walked through the room!!! I FINALLY got the houses arranged the way I liked and FINALLY sewed the top together. This class reunion quilt has worked a number on me...I don't know why really, I guess I'm afraid of the worse case scenario...no one will like it, resulting in low bids equals total embarrassment to me. (but then again, if no one bids on it I get to bring it home) I am aware that a lot of people don't like this type of quilt but I felt I needed to make one that expressed ME and how I felt about my little hometown. I think the little houses represent the wonderful community we all grew up in together.
This quilt started out a lot more colorful than it is now. I realized that maybe I should tone it down some as to not just SCARE everyone with the brightness of it....LOL....I think everyone is expecting something that looks like what their grandmother would make.....boy, won't they be surprised......but then again I WAS voted as 'most unpredictable'!!!
ANYWAY......I would SOOOOO love for you guys to take a minute....look/study this quilt and give me your brutally honest opinion......yes, be honest.....you ARE NOT going to hurt my feelings! Here is my thinking.....it seems TOO busy to me. Do I not have enough break between the top and the flying geese border. I'm thinking the black/white check sashing is still busy enough that it all runs together.....???? Have I worked it to death....??? Red sashing was TOO harsh.......should I put another row of something before I add the flying geese....oh yes, and these flying geese are toned down from the first ones I made and I feel it looks better, but.....maybe the flying geese are too much???? I should do something else??? Should I just finish it the way it is and be done with it??? Maybe I have just looked at it too long!!
Soooooooo, what do you think?????? Mr. Brown Dirt is SOOOOO ready for me to just be finished with it...LOL.....he is tired of listening to me whine about it!!!

Projects A Plenty With Clamshells Too

It has been very busy and a lot of projects going on around here at Brown Dirt Cottage. One project is this baby quilt in progress. I am short one block but my brain got tired so I started on the zig zag border. This is my first zig zag border, but I am wondering if I would have liked the black and whites reversed...???? Love Gwen's version.

I have a deadline on this project and I have a lot more done on it since I took this photo. This quilt will be auctioned off at my 35th H.S. class reunion on June 12. I was kind of volunteered to make a quilt for the auction to raise monies for our next reunion. I must say I had a hard time deciding on what type of quilt to do, but I finally decided to make it an original, one of a kind 'folksy' fun lap size......maybe someone will like it....?????

I have made quite a lot of headway on my clamshell too. This is going together a whole lot faster than I ever imagined. I think if it had been the only project I had been working on it would have been finished already.

I received a GREAT package from Sharon over at Indigo Threads. She told me she had started a clamshell way back and it was still a work in progress and she wondered if I would like some of her 50's and 60's vintage fabrics to add to my clamshell. Well...HECK YE-OW!! Aren't these just FAB!!! Thank you soooooo much Sharon!!! I love each and everyone and have already included them in the quilt.

Some close ups..........love these.....

Oh my..........yum...yum....

Wow............wow.......

......... Love the plaid............

I have also been thumbing through and enjoying some of my new books. What great inspiration!

I did manage to get a trip to the library in. I would KILL to own these 2 Texas books!!! I have checked these out numerous times. Some great inspiration as well!!!

Ok......so these are all the 'inside' projects I have going on. There will be some major exterior work done on the ole homestead. Would you like to see some 'before' and 'after' photos??? After I meet all my 'quilty' deadlines and serve on jury duty...uuugh.....I need to start some 're-do' on the inside too.....after all, it has been around 14 yrs. since anything has been painted. I am most definitely tired of Mr. Brown Dirt's mustard colored office (yes, that's the color he wanted).

I'm off to clean my kitchen window......now that's a project that has been way over due!!!

Oh.....and Goober says to say 'HEY'........

Waverunner Quilt Progress

I have completed the top of my Waverunner. It's kind of wild and crazy isn't it?? The more I look at it and study it the more I like it!!!
The point of this quilt....NO RULERS. I just cut my strips with my rotary cutter 'free style'. Of course I used my square up ruler to cut the individual 10 " squares, but other than that..."baby you're on your own!!!"

Now, I just need to decide how I'm going to piece the back.

Variety Is The Spice Of Life...Even With Fabric

This is my VERY FIRST little star I ever made. My cute little stars that I love making sooo much call to me often. I chose this one to play with the other day and determined not to cut
into any new fabrics and use what was already in strips ( look Sharon..indigo blue )... and well.....this is all the blue I could find in these darker tones.....but I'm not giving up....I'm still digging through the ole stash of scraps.....and look GAIL....do some of these fabrics look familiar?? I used to be a fanatic about blue.....blue in my house everywhere....well, I got over that several years ago...but, my eyes are sure enjoying looking at this.

I also worked on this project....I have it sandwiched and all pinned up ready to machine quilt...YES....I AM GOING TO MACHINE QUILT IT.....waahhhh....you all know how I love to have everything HAND quilted. I think it needs to be quilted using variegated thread and I have NONE....so, it's been on hold until I get some....I'm anxious to finish it and get the binding on....the binding is going to be 'wild' too!! ( p.s. Gail sewed up part of this).

I finished all the blocks to my Confetti quilt and spent yesterday sewing the rows together.....ooouuuu I lik-ee too much!

See those blank spaces there on the edges.....w-e-l-l....I may have a problem with not having enough matching fabrics to complete.....DARN!! I hate that when that happens!!

And after showing you all those wild and bright colors I have used in the above projects....these sweet little fabrics are my favorites this week. Such a contrast aren't they? My fabric stash collection has such a wide VARIETY of colors and designs. I have loved fabric since I was a little girl......and I Love it ALL....no matter what style I like it!!! Gail, you asked me in an email if I thought my tastes had changed since I started quilting.....no, I don't think so. I feel I have enough variety to match any mood or project I might have.......I am very eclectic in my taste, and that's ok!