This Squirrel's a Quiltin'

Moving Things Along

2011-04-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, so don't know who is actually still reading this. I will be posting more in the coming months as I have finally found a house and will slowly be remodeling. Especially my new crafting room... and I found an interesting new piece to start of my remodel....

this is a circa 1930's sewing cabinet... I was at an antiques show and I saw it and had to bring it home.... so, in the coming months I'll refurbish it and then give it a special place in my new room in my new house... eek! I'm so excited.

Another Giveaway...

2011-03-15T23:45:00.000-07:00

If you don't follow P.S. I Quilt, you're missing a fun blog. Today she's got a giveaway featuring Fat Quarter Shop and 6 yards of Bella Solids! Good Luck! I picked all blues... what did you pick?

Scrap Basket Sensations Giveaway

2011-02-10T18:49:00.000-08:00

Posting a link to Nicole @ Sister's Choice Quilts blog regarding a giveaway of Scrap Basket Sensations Book... many chances to win so follow along! Good luck!

Yeah for the Bingo!

2010-12-27T15:58:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had fun doing the Holly Jolly Bingo over at In Stitches.... I know I did....

There was a lot of excitement over the last 18 days...
My poem was in the top 8,
This blog was mentioned on day 8
I won this lovely quilting kit... designed by Diane Nagle using the Siena collection from P&B (here's the link to the free pattern).

And, congrats to the winner who seems to be Darlene at this time....

I hope everyone else had fun... now to unpack and dust off the sewing machine and get to making that quilt! .... and a couple or three UFO's I have lying around...

Merry Christmas everyone and a joyous and prosperous New Year!

Merry Christmas to All...!

2010-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to everyone. I hope you're doing well on your Holiday Bingo! I have about 9 more words to go... has anyone called Bingo? Good luck!!

Of Giveaways and Things

2010-12-14T21:56:00.000-08:00

How's your Holly Jolly list coming? I've gotten about 4 out of 25 words so far...

Here's a giveaway from p.s. I quilt... feel free to share the love... or these fabrics if you win... ;)

Bingo Blog Fun!!

2010-12-03T23:29:00.000-08:00

The Quilt Shoppe will be doing it's Holly Jolly Blog Bingo again... I'll be playing along... will you? Good luck!! Now to pick my 25 bingo words!

Coordinating Fabrics... and Boxes...

2010-12-02T17:18:00.000-08:00

So I just completed a cross country move... NY to CA. Well, three months ago now. I spent the first month just trying to get adjusted to my new surroundings and doing all kinds of exploring. Now that it's getting colder, and I actually have some free time I have started thinking about my quilting. So I went into the office I haven't been into for a while and started opening up boxes... and more boxes... and bags... whew!

It's amazing how much fabric you can accumulate very quickly. I counted about 5 packages of brand new fabric I bought because I liked the fabric and "planned to do something with it." I found 2 BOM UFO's, 3 UFO's in progress, a quilt kit or two, and lots of random fabric. I have two or three finished quilt tops waiting to be sandwiched. I got into purse making and have a bunch of silks and damasks for that. I have teddy bear fabric in long plush or velveteen pieces.

And, as you can see, my poor little Singer is sitting under a bunch of teddies on the table... waiting to come out of the box... I really have to get more coordinated. It's a little hard because we're in a rental, and I don't want to really go whole hog until I can properly set up. Or maybe that's just an excuse to think about this tomorrow... maybe I should take a break and start looking at fabric online...? Those quilt tops are going to need some backing after all....

How Long Has It Been?

2010-11-21T21:17:00.000-08:00

Hello!! Yes I am still alive and slowly getting back into my quilting... or sewing... or connecting pieces of fabric together in some sort of organized style, or whatever you may call it...

I still have to get my sewing room in order, but I have bought some fabric, so that is a start... not that moving 2 huge trunks full of fabric cross country didn't have me ponder for a brief second whether I needed any more fabric or not... when you see the fabric you'll agree it was well worth it...

Anyway... in this season of giving, what better way to show your support of working toward a common goal than supporting this raffle posted at Fat Quarterly which includes the collaborative efforts of several quilters... 10$ = a yard of fabric, three or four fat quarters, or two or three cups of coffee at Starbucks (I buy a venti every time, so two for me) which can go for someone in need...

I will post soon on my new fabric purchases... sitting at the post office as we speak!

Until then I thank you for hanging in there and continuing to visit my blog!

Moving Day...

2010-09-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

...has finally arrived. Thank you to all of you who continue to visit my blog despite the fact I've been posting about once a month. I promise as soon as I get settle in my new home I will start blogging again about the sewing in my life.

It's amazing how much fabric I have accumulated in just a few short months. I came across several patterns and kits I picked up that I had forgotten about. I found bags of fat quarters I had bought on visits to local and distant quilt shops that I had forgotten about. And don't even get me started on the BOM packets that I found scattered around....

I ended up filling a HUGE container (the big plastic ones with the wheels on one end) and another Tuff Stuff container with fabrics. And, that's not including the sewing machine, sewing notions, rulers, organizers, books, etc. Wow. It will be fun finally having a room where I can spread out and get my sewing area properly set up. But, still, wow.

Thanks for following me on the journey. In same ways, I feel as though I am just beginning. So tell me, what's your secret to organizing your sewing room?

Bear With Me

2010-08-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

HELLO!!! Thank you so much to all of you who continue to check my website for updates. The move planning is going along. I will be in a new home cross country by mid-September. Until then my quilting projects are on hold... but not the retail therapy...

I came across this print in the latest issue of APWQ, and I fell in love and had to have some. I LOVE teddybears. I bought a bunch of fabric and the main and pillowcase panels... now to find the perfect pattern to showcase how fun this fabric is... I have a collection of teddy bears (over 100) and so a quilt in this fabric will be the perfect accent on my rocking chair in the future "teddy room."

Enjoy! It's called "Bear With Me" by Fabri-Quilt

B-I-N-G-O!!! And Bingo was His Name-o

2010-05-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

The Quilt Shoppe is have a Spring Bingo game with some excellent prizes. Here's the link to Spring Fever Bingo! Good Luck!!

PLAY BINGO HERE!

Seriously, I am Still Alive

2010-03-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to all of you who continue to visit in the hopes that I am posting... I am in the midst of finishing my residency in NY and will soon be moving to Northern California. With all of the activities over the last several months, I haven't even had time to sew. I keep getting my "Pennsylvania Dutch Quilt BOM" packages which I look at sadly and place up in the sewing room. I will have to get to them another time.

Thank you for visiting. I do stop by from time to time to update the "Pattern of the Week." I will be back.... I promise. Until then, I enjoy looking at all of your blogs when I have a quiet evening to just catch up on life in the non-academic world.... Once, I move though, watch out! I'll be catching up on all those UFO's that are just clamoring to be finished!

Gone Fishin'...

2010-01-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe I haven't written anything for the last two months. I thank all of you that have been stopping by and checking on the site. I have been posting some blogs on my main site, but I haven't been doing much sewing.

I frantically made a couple of purses and friendship bags for the Christmas holidays, and that's the last time I used my sewing machine. I've been so busy traveling and finishing up work projects that everything else has been at a standstill. I will have a lot of free time next month and plan to get to work on some of those UFO's that piled up. I think if anything just to finish the tops. I also have been getting the Pennsylvania Dutch BOM patterns and feel bad every time I just grab the package and put it on the shelf. So there's lots to do.

Promise to post more in the upcoming weeks! Thanks again for sticking around patiently. Can't wait to see what you've been up to this winter.

Some Fish to Fry - Up a Lazy River Part III

2009-11-13T17:38:00.000-08:00

It's been several months since I posted an update to my Up a Lazy River Quilt top. When last you heard about it, I had cut all the fabric and was beginning to sew the blocks together. Then I became a senior resident, I bought a bunch of more fabric and patterns, and my subscriptions to McCall's Quilting and BHG Patchwork Quilting magazines started. So I have not been faithful to this UFO.

Today, though, I took some time to try to get at least a few more blocks done. There are fifty of these fishes total that I have to make. I've got a bit more to go now, haven't I? My chalk fabric marker is helping me keep track on my work table... hmmm... I must get disciplined like Nicole at Sister's Choice Quilts and try to sew an hour a day. Who said sleep was all that important anyway?

Up a Lazy River Project by Carolyn Griffin

using Neptune by Tula Pink for Moda
& Bruce Evans/Ghost Artists for Quilting Treasures fabrics

Shake Your BOM BOM's

2009-11-09T12:35:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons I got into sewing and quilt making was my trip to Lancaster County in Pennsylvania and seeing all the beautiful Amish quilts.

I was excited to see this BOM and couldn't wait for my first block pattern to arrive. It came today! This is the backing set. The pattern is called Wiscasset by Minick & Simpson for Moda.

I can't wait to get started on the first block (I love stars and this star pattern)...

Of course, I will be posting my progress here.

Yeah!

Jelly Roll Excitement

2009-10-29T18:33:00.000-07:00

I've had it pre-ordered pretty much since I found out about it, and yesterday it arrived! I was so excited flipping from page to page. I can't wait to actually take some time to sit and start thinking about some new projects to add to the ever-growing list.... Boy, my quilt book library is steadily growing!

Here's the link to the blogsite: The Quilt Room

Snow is in the Air

2009-10-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

I love fall. I love how crisp and cool the air is. I love the changing of the leaves. And, I love that it means Christmas is just around the corner. I told my mom about the Friendship Bag Swap, and she asked if I would make her some gift bags for the aides in the Lab where she gets her blood drawn every three weeks. So, I found this fun fabric and went at it. The green background one is called "Angel Cakes" and the white background one is called "Chocolate Christmas Treats."

I used the Moda Bake shop pattern for the Charmed Gift Bag and came up with these three fun bags... I'm sure my mom's Lab techs will enjoy them about as much as she will filling them!

A Touch of Summertime...

2009-10-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

Yeah! I got my Summer Mini Quilt from the swap in the mail today! Actually, I think it came some time last week, but I was on vacation and just picked up my held mail. Thank you to TC at fishinmyhair.blogspot.com and thimblechick.blogspot.com for my nice mini quilt and Christmas ornament!

Here are my goodies:

Now that is going to get me thinking of getting my Christmas sewing done early!

Happy Happenstance

2009-10-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

While on the interview trail in the Pacific Northwest, my husband and I were traveling through a small town in California called Weaverville. Imagine my surprise when we turned the corner and saw this...

and this...

We stopped in front of this...

and I fell in love with this...

I would have driven off with it, but lots of other people were stopping to look, too.

It's the "Autumn in the Alps", I later learned.

Sure hope I get a job out here so I can come back next year for a closer look....

Bags O'Licious

2009-09-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

These two little bags of fun are on their way to Texas!

I hope she likes them...

Inside... a few treats to keep on creating yummy goodness

"Buffalo Style!"

Enjoy, Jessica!

Dank U Zo Zeer

2009-09-22T19:16:00.000-07:00

I had the crummiest day. I was angry with everyone and everything. Then this little bundle of happiness arrived. And, in my favorite color... blue!!

This was the sweetest little surprise.

And, made the day suddenly not so sucky.

Dank U Zo Zeer, Gingini!!

It's On Its Way!!

2009-09-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

My little quilt is crossing the Atlantic to the Netherlands... I hope she likes it!

Francoise

Friendship Bag Swap

2009-09-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

I was excited to do this swap as I love, love, llllloooooovvveeee, tote bags. I have a whole collection of them in various colors and styles: from my, I-can't-afford-it-but-Mom-can-buy-it-for-me Patchwork Coach tote, to my Estee Lauder Jungle Print and straw woven tote, to my mini black velvet party tote, to my L.L. Bean over-sized canoe tote, I love them all.

Here's my Friendship Bag that I will be sending to Texas filled with a few local goodies:

Finished! Coco Pink Twin Stars

2009-08-26T12:52:00.000-07:00

My Goddaughter Raelin's Birthday is this weekend, and I finished her quilt! I'm actually very proud of this quilt despite the fact that I haven't mastered matching my points yet. I guess that will come with time and experience.

These are bright and fancy colors that I would not usually use, but her favorite color is sea foam green (actually I think it's Tiffany Blue, I started her off early by imprinting her with the color at her Christening.)

But I actually like my quilting and am especially happy with the way the binding turned out. This quilt is now boxed and labeled and will be making its way to Oklahoma.

"For Raelin
May all your dreams come true...
You "Beary" Godmother"

Prior posts about this quilt...

Finished! Summertime Mini Quilt for the Swap

2009-08-25T08:13:00.001-07:00

I finally finished it! And well before the September deadline.
This happy bright quilt will be making its way across the Atlantic, flying Northeast to its new home.
I thought it needed a little extra something special, so I made some pillows.

I hope my partner likes it and forgives me for being a beginner... I'll get those corners and seams perfect one day....

Prior entries about this quilt

I Think I Have a Problem

2009-08-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

I promised myself several months ago that I would buy no new fabric. Then I ordered something I had seen on another blogger's site from Fat Quarter Shop. The Shop gave me a coupon towards my next purchase. Tempting, so tempting. I held fast, but then they came out with a BOM I just had to have. Which gave me an excuse to use my coupon. Because, of course, you have to make sure you don't run out of fabric when you're making a project.

A week or so later I stopped at one of my local quilt shops "just to look," and, of course, they had a Moda Jelly Roll and some matching fabric in their "scrap bin" that got me thinking of a new project from one of the magazines I had just received in the mail.

I have too many "new projects" to work on and enough fabric to keep me cutting and sewing through this fall and winter. Maybe even until next spring. It's quite the pile. The one shelf on my bookcase that I had dedicated to fabric has now overflowed to another two shelves. So, I've decided I need help.

I think we need an Obsessive Fabric Buyers Anonymous Support Group. I need someone I can turn to who can point out to me that I have too much fabric in my collection, and I need to finish the projects I have started. Someone who says, "Woman, step away from the computer and stop looking at that fabric website." Focus and refocus.

Please, for the sake of my shelf space and my wallet, join me in this cause. I know there have to be others out there like me... new sewers, or maybe some veterans, who can't drive anywhere within a 5 mile radius of their local quilt shop or JoAnn's without thinking, "Well, I do need something extra for the border, binding, backing, etc..." or maybe you are thinking of "just stopping in" to pick up the latest quilting magazine and 2 hours later come home with some fat quarters, a jelly roll, maybe a kit. Come on, I know you're out there.

Won't you join me in this cause? Feel free to snag the badge I made. I would just appreciate a shout out or link on your website in return.

It's not just me.... or is it?

In the Good Ol' Summertime Mini Quilt Swap, Part V

2009-08-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

So, I have been working on my mini quilt for the Quilting Gallery swap. And I thought I would share a few more pics before the big unveil....

The centers look kinda like this....

And the quilted parts look something like this. First time trying the free motion feature... hope my recipient doesn't laugh at me too hard...

Now, I just need to finish the binding... how hard could that be on a 16 x 16 piece?

Famous last words right?

Coco Pink Twin Stars Part II

2009-08-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the top on my Twin Stars quilt. It's going to be a gift for my goddaughter's birthday later this month.

I bought the backing fabric, a very cool dark brown batik with glowy multi-colored sprays kinda like the border. Now I just need to sandwich and quilt.

But first I've got to vacuum... well, pick up and then vacuum...

Here's the link to the original post.

Dee Bear

2009-08-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

I tried a different bear pattern and some of the embossed fabric that is popular right now and came up with this bear... She's pink, she's soft, she's cuddly. I added the cream colored middle to her belly. But I thought she was kinda naked, so... I dressed her up a bit. I had found these cool flowers that were easy to apply. Having no dress patterns, I came up with a simple strapless that had a bow in back and came to a train. The fun thing about this bear, as she strikes a pose, is that I experimented with putting in a safety joint so she can turn her head. Is this her better side? Hmmm....

In the Good Ol' Summertime Mini Quilt Swap, Part IV

2009-08-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

I have been steadily working on my mini quilt for the Quilting Gallery's Summertime Mini Quilt Swap.

Here's a little sneak peek...

Just enough to whet your whistle.

I have pieced the smaller elements and am starting to sew rows.

Getting excited as it is steadily starting to come together. Then I'll just have to learn how to quilt and bind it. All within the next month and a half! Eeek!

I am posting photos on the Flickr site. You can see my pics and those of others in the swap. There are a LOT of fun quilts in the works. Wonder which one's mine...?

Links to past postings:
Part I
Part II
Part III

Welcome to My New Site!!

2009-08-04T18:44:00.001-07:00

I am a brand new quilter. I just started learning to sew, and this is my blog. I decided to create a new site just for quilting since summer is almost at an end, and soon the community photo challenges will be starting up again.

It will be a bit confusing for a time, but hopefully everyone will make the move without losing too many people. For the two of you (Nicole and Allyson) that actually have links to my old blog from your websites, first, thanks! And, second, sorry you have to update your links. :)

This will be just like my old blog page, except dedicated to sewing and quilting as I explore this fascinating new hobby. It started off with a trip to the Amish Country in Lancaster, PA, where I thought "How hard could that be?" to actually learning to match seams and finding out how important that seam ripper is in achieving perfection. I have been inspired by the list of ladies to the right whose sewing helps me to set goals as to the type of quilts I would like to be putting out one day.

So, sit for a spell and enjoy the journey along with me!