Little Women a Quilt

Well in my opinion "Irene" was  a complete DUD in our area. Although it was great to get all that rain so we can have our yards back to nice plush green. I do feel and pray for all those along the coast who did have great losses.......hopefully they will be able get their lives back to normal quickly.

With Tim being gone for 4 days I was able to get a lot of "me" things done. As I showed you in my last post I am starting a Little Women quilt. After reading all the instructions it was time to gathering tools and start choosing my fabric. Now it is time to get sewing.

Selections for 1st block

All the fabrics in this quilt will be reproduction fabrics. The beautiful paisley fabric in the back will be the outside borders. I just love paisley. There will be lots of fabrics in this quilt there are so many fun things to needle turn applique in each block.

Step 1 was making the background. There is a desk and a wallpaper fabric. The 2 are sewn together then cut into an octagon then a boarder. With that being finished you are ready to lay out all the piece you have cut from templates.

I did get to purchase a new toy. A bias tape maker for my flower stems. I know I will get lots of use from this little toy.

Pieces have all been laid out and with a special applique glue they have been spot glued into place.

 Let the stitching begin. With many hours of stitching I will have a finished block.

This is my progress thus far. I am SO enjoying this project it is the first time in a long time that I have been this excited about a quilt.

When the block is complete you will be the first to see.

As Always, Lori

The Earthquake of 2011 or New Project Day

Summer life is finally slowing down. Seems I hardly did anything but I was sure busy. Not sure what I really did. Tuesday morning my quilt was delivered to the fair.....we'll see how it did when I go to see all the quilts. From what I saw I'm thinking I was sure out of my league. But it was sure fun to enter a quilt.

Got to experience my first EARTHQUAKE on Tuesday. I was sitting at my desk working. My black cat Boo just would not let me be.....he was all over me and my desk. Really being annoying. On the desk, on my lap, walking across the keyboard just causing me stress. Then he would go to every room where there were people and do the same to them. Then the quake came. I am SURE he knew it was coming. Afterwards the poor boy was again going from room to room checking on everyone. Eli was in the basement and Boo jumped over the half door we have to the basement and must have missed the steps and fell all the way down. We ended up taking him to the vet. Nothing broke just a bad sprain and he got a shot. He seems to be fine now. Guess we'll know if we will be getting another......I will pay attention to him from now on.

My cousin Cindy who lives part time in California and full time in Washington State called just after the quake to see how we were and kinda laugh at me. I am going to visit her in Long Beach in September and she told me that this was my practice run for coming to California. She is such a funny girl.

As you know I have become a part of a little hand sewing group that meets twice a month. This is great I am getting so many things finished that have started and I never seemed to make time for. Today I am starting a project that I have decided to show you my progress step by step. With being accountable to you and going to "Thursday Thimblers" this should be a finished project before you know it.

My new project is a tribute to Louisa May Alcott. Each block will depict an event of her life. There are nine needle turned blocks that will be fun for me to do.

The block that I am starting today

Can't wait to use up some of the fabric that I already have an yet another excuse to BUY more fabric. I know there will be a trip to Needle & Thread in Gettysburg in my near future because they have such a huge selection of reproduction fabrics which I will be needing for this project. I will be doing regular updates as things are progressing from start to finish. Hopefully by tomorrow I have something to report.

Due to my Thursday group I semi finished a project started over a year ago. A needle turned applique of an eagle. Tim and I was at a quilt show a few years back and he saw a few American Eagle quits that he commented on so I decided I would make him an eagle quilt. So I began the search for an eagle that I could do. I knew I couldn't do one of those artsy real looking eagles that are beautiful but I have no idea how to do. So I knew I wanted a primitive folksy eagle and with a little looking and tweaking I came up with this design. He is set on a 36X36" background.....no easy feat.

Now I just have to decide what I want to do around him. I have several things going in my head but nothing set in stone or should I say fabric yet. SSSSHHHHHH this is a surprise for Tim he has no idea I am making this for him. When this quilt is complete I will again show you the project.

As Always, Lori

Dinner and a Movie

One more week of summer down and it was a busy one filled with work, meetings and FUN. On Wednesday the B's {Barb, Beth & Beth} and I had a birthday celebration for Beth Rockwell. We went to see "The Help" and then to dinner. What a wonderful movie........Loved the book and the movie was great too. I highly recommend BOTH.

I was prompted by a friend to do something very scary.........enter a quilt in the Maryland State Fair. Today I finished sewing the hanging sleeve on the quilt I am going to enter. This is a quilt I made to fit my queen sized bed only for Tim to decide we needed a king sized bed a month after it was complete and on the bed. I'm sure I have had this on here before but here it is.

The fair runs August 26th - September 5th in Timonium. I was at the fair a few years ago and it is a really nice fair and worth the trip.

Well daylight is burning and more projects to do or start or read.......I have no idea what I am getting into next. Till next time.

As Always, Lori

From This to This

The past few weeks have been great.  I have gotten back in the grove of sewing and reading. Just finished "The Help"......what a good book. Can't wait to see the movie. I highly recomend this book to all I LOVED IT!

Also finished up Ring Bearer pillows that I made for my friend Karen's daughter Amanda's wedding. If I must say so myself they turned out better then I had ever thought. I don't believe I have even ever seen or held a ring bearers pillow in my hand. So I really pulled this one from the seat of my pants.

Today I am also excited to say that I finished my "Round Robin" block for February. It will be passed on to one of the 12 members in my round robin group.......hope she loves it as much as I do. Here it is from start to finish.

This was a fun and great learning experience for me. I learned a new technique and I  made what I think is a near perfect block. I am very pleased and wish I didn't have to give this one away. Oh well that is all of that fabric I had anyway........not enough to have made a quilt. But I can see a quilt like this in my future. Same block different fabric.

The baby swallows have all left the nest. I think it is sad when they do not come back to sleep on the porch BUT they do come for visits. They sit on the garage roof and spouting right outside my bedroom window. The cats LOVE their visits......it drives them crazy.

Mimi, Boo and Willis

Had to fight over who saw them first

Back to being Avid Bird Waters

I am really enjoying this weather.....windows are open and the breeze blowing all that fresh air in after having the house closed up so long. I could get used to this.

A few last fun photos.......Boo in a Bowl.........

I was standing by my island talking to a friend and he just jumped up and got in the bowl.....such a funny boy.

As Always, Lori

Our Barn Swallows

Every year since we have lived in this house barn swallows have built a nest on our front porch. The family has grown since that first year. Around the beginning of May a scout shows up to take a look and within a few days the rest of the family shows up and nest building begins then the babies come. This year there have been two sets of babies.

Paul, John, George, RIngo and Herbie

They allow us to use our porch and they really don't care if we come and go or sit out there. They seem to be fairly social. When we mow they swarm above the person mowing catching bugs. When we sit out by the pool we call to them "babies" which we have since the first year and they seem to come from nowhere and fly around. They even swoop down while we are floating to get drinks.

Babies learning to get drinks from the pool 

Today may be the last day that we see our babies in their nest. They have been out flying around which means nesting time is almost over......but as you can see it is a bit crowded.

All five are in there. There was a bit of an accident earlier today. I went out to let our Daisy in and all the little babies flew out of the nest. Not being the best flyers one of them......I'm thinking Herbie hit the edge of the porch and never made it out. He hit the porch floor and scampered across the porch to the garden. I 'm sure he was just dinged. A bit later Caleb urged him out from under a Hosta plant and he flew away.

We are always sad to see them leave the nest BUT they stay around the house till the beginning of September. Then they go where ever swallows go in the winter and as soon as it gets warm we are looking for the family to return. We really enjoy them.

As Always, Lori