Better get my FMQ on

Here recently I have been working on one project and in the mean time I have let 5 others sit by waiting for some FMQ love. I completed my pattern testing project and now that one is joining the line for projects to be quilted. 

I started with a small lap project for senior services that i got the pieces for from our guild yard sale -- just some large meander. 

Then I went to work on the twin quilt of this one -- 

Next up was Mason's Quilt -- this one is on a deadline and a comission project -- meander 

Spider webs -- Another yard sale score, isn't it going to be cute in my office? 

Now there is only two more in the FMQ pile

Vacation recap

I took a few days off last week and hubs and I did a few things local that we had been wanting to do for some time now. The first thing we decided to do was take a trip to the NC ZOO on Wednesday last week. I always love going to the zoo and our trip was wonderful because the weather was great and the animals were being very active while we were there. Here's some of the high lights. 

Thursday was another great day filled with a shop hop (VA shop Raley) in the south west part of Virginia -- I did this in conjunction with the row by row experience and got lots of great inspiration and some lovely fabric goodies. 

So as is my experience, each time that I go on a shop hop I find at least one gem of a shop that I will be sure to visit again if I am in the area. This time I am super lucky because I found 4 stores that I could see myself visiting several times in the future. Mr Pink came along for the trip and was very entertaining to several of the shop owners and patrons. 

• Sew What Fabrics and Batiks Etcetera -- Wytheville, VA -- great selection of fabrics. I hope to order a Judy Niemeyer pattern from them in the future. I've always said when I grow up I'm going to be making one of those stunning quilts. Mr. Pink even got his picture taken with one of them (which I later found out was one of Judy's actual quilts that she had made)

• Sew Biz -- Radford, VA -- there were lots of hidden treasures in this shop and I wish that I had really had more time to take it all in. 

• New River Fiber Company -- Blacksburg, VA -- they were not on the shop hop but they were participating in the row by row. This shop had AWESOME modern fabrics and great yarns. Whitney is super nice and she actually has a 2nd shop that I wish we had been near called Crooked Stitch in ...,VA. The amazing Alison Glass is going to be there later this year and I am seriously thinking that I need to plan a trip to see her trunk show -- see Mr. Pink agrees. 

•  The Sewing Studio -- Martinsville, VA -- we ran out of time here but they had great stuff and it's the closest to me so I know I am going back. 

Such a great time and my hubs got to drive on twisty roads which he loves but we were both exhausted by the end of the day. The rest of the weekend was pretty low key with some sewing and taking my dad out for his birthday -- the big 73 this year. Of all the places around he choose Kermit's Hot Dogs. 

Sunday we had a sew in with the guild and I got a little FMQ in and I also got my pattern test of Milky Way Medallion top finished. I am hoping to be able to show you all soon but I am waiting on the pattern to be released --- hopefully next week. who knows by then I may have it quilted (hahahhahah). 

For PINKS sake

A while back I joined up with Anna  @ Life Sew Crafty  for the For Pink's Sake Blog Hop. Her driving force is raising awareness for breast cancer and also to support her mother-in-law Tina and the financial strain that this has put the family under. 

Breast cancer awareness and support is very near and dear to me. This is the initial form of cancer that my mother had. I have also lost 2 aunts to breast cancer and seen the struggles and triumphs of many of my friends. Medical treatment has come a signification way since the early 1990's when my mom was diagnosed. 

In recent years, perhaps coinciding with the decline in prescriptive hormone replacement therapy after menopause, we have seen a gradual reduction in female breast cancer incidence rates among women aged 50 and older. Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1990, in part to better due to screening and early detection, increased awareness, and continually improving treatment options.

I am donating several blocks to Anna's charity quilt that will then be donated to the Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion in Grand Rapids, MI. 

I went with wonky stars for my donation blocks. They are all unique just like every person facing cancer.

I also made a cross stitch heart block as a reminder of love that every patient needs and the love for my mother. 

This week there are some other awesome ladies that are participating along with me.. 
Katie @ Swim Bike Quilt
Sarah @ no hats in the house

If you visit Anna's blog you can see the full list of wonderful bloggers that are playing along. She is also hosting a giveaway on Aug 2. for anyone who participated in some way (contributions, pink blocks, participants in the blog hop, and re-posting about the blog hop). 

Awesome Sauce

THIS WEEKEND WAS AWESOME!!!!

OK, now that I got that out I will tell you about it. 

Saturday I got to hang out with hubby in the morning and do some quilting -- which I can't share yet. Then after lunch I was Charlotte bound with Teri. We stopped at in Statesville at Needle and Thread -- there's an interesting group of people in there but the selection is limited. Teri bought a bunch -- I came out with a fat quarter. 

My splurge came at Quilter's Loft in Mooresville. They had CATNAP by Lizzy House and Y'all I am in love with these orange kitties.

OH and did I mention that I picked up a 3 yard cut or Tula Pink Nest also -- EEEP. 

NO plans on this one yet but I have seen that new book Quilter's Mixology around online and I am thinking that this quilt might be a great use of those adorable orange kitties. 

Next was a well timed stop at Mary Jo's which was chaotic because of a big sale day they were having. I only got a few fillers to round out the catnap fabric pull. 

So the real reason for this shop hop of sorts was the best part ---- we were heading to see JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE!!!! 

The concert was amazing and I had a fabulous time, pretending to be 16 again -- complete with ear ringing and hoarsness after the nearly 3 hours of screaming and singing. 

Sunday was a day of rest and more sewing on that secret project, that I can't wait to share.

Hope you all had a great weekend, even if it wasn't awesome sauce.

Third Qtr finish along

The Littlest Thistle is doing a finish along for each quarter this year and I am finally in time to catch the link up for this time -

The things that I would like to get completed that I already have in the works are ....

• Medallion quilt that I am pattern testing -- I worked on this one last weekend and I am about a quarter done with the top at this time (this is Lovelea Design's original)

• I want to get my Gypsy Wife quilted 
• finish up a pair of charity quilts that I got parts for at the guild yard sale
• I want to get my spider webs quilt quilted and hung up in my office 
• I'm participating in the Sister Thing Swap again this year so this is a must. due 9/1
• Mason's quilt -- commission project due 9/16
• Halloween Quilt -- Commission project due 10/7
• Mom's Apron project due 9/7
• Guild pillow swap project due 9/26
• Kitty Mini Swap Items due 10/2
• Happy Unicorn Swap Item due 10/30
• Rush Hour Blog Hop due 9/30
• bible studies quilt 

I would also like to start and maybe complete something from this list

• Taffy quilt in Parisville
• 
• Swoon Quilt with Rock N Romance 
• 
• Large Star Quilt
• project with my Cat Nap fabric 
• adding on the city sampler -- you know cause I'm a wild woman 

Val's Challenge

Well I came across Val's Quilting Studio the other day when reading blogs and I've decided to take on the challenge that she has posed

My hubs and I already save change and throw it in a communal pot but I think that this could be more fun and an interesting twist to work toward saving more.

I've always been a coin saver -- I learned it from my parents. In my mother's house this is how we did extra things when we went on vacations and covered emergency expenses. At my dad's the change saved was the money that I got for Christmas spending and my chore was to roll it before we went shopping. A few years ago my father desired that he wanted to bring this tradition back and I got a coffee container filled with change as my gift -- it was one of the sweetest gifts I have gotten from my dad. 

So I'm linking up to take the challenge and of course I will be throwing in change and small bills. I'm trying to figure out a way to tie this in with my fabric purge and "pay myself" for using fabrics in my stash. 

My savings will be going toward planning a big vacation trip. I've mot been on a big trip in many years and really miss traveling. If I fall short on savings perhaps I will finally be able to get a coveted Featherweight. 

I need to find something to store paper money but my owl will be holding my change (unless I fill it up ... hahaha).

Happy Saving Everyone

Fabriholics Goals -- 7 months later

Well, it has been 7 months since I made my first post about the fabriholics anonymous challenge and the list of things that I wanted to accomplish during this time of not buying fabric. As you may have read here the fabric fast that turned into a diet may be a bit of a wash as far as purging fabric but I did manage to get many projects completed. So here's where I stand now on that initial list of projects and some other things that I managed to sneak in. (incomplete in Red) 

1. Make a quilt for my bed -- done 
2. gypsy wife -- ready to be quilted
3. Scrappy Trip Along 
4. Wonky Stars -- made a few for a charity project 
5. x + quilt
6. Scout quilt with Teri (here)-- completed and on my bed 
7. churn dash quilt -- or large churn dash (here or here)
8. work on Project Lotus
9. Triangles quilt -- for Allison due in 2015 (here) -- done and I made a mini one as well
10. Clam Shells (here) -- done and I will be working on a larger version soon
11. giant star quilt
12. Giant chevron 
13. medallion Quilt -- in the works 
14. New York Beauty
15. Elven Garden Sampler (here)
16. Swoon Quilt
17. Steam Punk Quilt
18. Pluses Quilt
19. Taffy Quilt with Lee (here)
20. Blooming Nine Patch or Split nine Patch

Ongoing projects in 2014

1. finish Large Lazy Sunday -- done
2. string blocks -- in progress
3. charity quilts -- made 4 
4. custom orders -- 6 in progress

In Addition I also completed 

• Miller Challenge 
• Schnitzel and Boo Mini Swap
• Sound Garden -- scrap quilt
• Jelly Roll Race 2 
• large Crochet Kitty 
• 5 Crochet Hippos
• 10 pouches 
• 12 valor Blocks for Kevin the Quilter
• Strip search 
• 2 Storm at sea projects 
• another lazy Sunday quilt
• 2013 Block of the Month from my LQS 
• Doll Quilt Swap

I'm going to be linking up later this week with the 3rd qtr finish along with the Littlest Thistle. Some of these projects that are in the works and some of the ones that I didn't get to will be showing up again -- but I'm feeling pretty good about all the things that I have gotten completed so far this year.