UFO Challenging

I'm participating in an UFO Challenge with my Sit & Stitch group and this month's number is #4.  Well back when I made my list, I decided #4 should be to sew my Swap Blocks together into a top (this is from a swap that I was doing with my Sewing Buddies last Fall)...however to do this, I need to have finished my Swap Blocks right?!

...So I first set out to get those Swap Block finished ~ Mary & Starlyn: I have your blocks ready for you...finally :)

...Then when I started arranging them up on the design wall, I patted myself on the back for noticing that this block was wrong (Notice in the photo above that the top right 4-patch unit is rotated wrong).  So I did a little un-sewing, then re-sewing and I fixed it... Then...

...I sewed all the blocks into rows, and then the rows together...and only Then did I spot another one. ~ Do you see it?

Yep, there it is.  Another 4-patch unit is rotated wrong on that brown block...Don't you hate it when that happens!  Well, there is a bright side ~ I spotted it before I layered it and quilted it all up :)

So like any good quilter, I quit for the night, and started auditioning borders instead.  The repair will wait until later.

By the way, let me know if you spot any more!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Road Trip Day!

Yesterday I went on a Creative Excursion with my Sewing Buddies ~ Mary drove, I navigated, and Starlyn brought the Cracker Jacks ~ we make a great team :)  We had our own little Shop Hop on the Eastern Shore and visited three quilt shops we'd never visited before ~ so of course some fabric deals had to come home with me :)

There may just have been some other stores involved too ~ we did a little Thrifting, and I scored some more Vintage Linens...

We found a great Antique Shop and I even got some fabric there too. 

This little blast from my past came home with me as well...because Yes, we all need a Fisher Price Farris Wheel in our playroom! 

...And the rest of the day included a Sonic lunch, more fabric, and a little Red, Hot & Blue for dinner.

And we even hit a yarn store and I picked up some more sock yarn to add to my collection of future socks...I think we just about covered everything :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Magic in the Garden

My Springtime garden is a magical place...Fairies have moved in!

...The magic is in how much they occupy my kiddos ~ both two and four legged :)

After school hours are spent there, digging, planting, arranging the Fairies, moving rocks, and "making roads".

...And of course watering...

...and getting more water (Butters always supervises the activity)...

...and watering ~ I think we need to shop for a tad bigger watering can :)

I love the garden in the Spring as things pop, and new gardens take form...

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Robots!

This is my Robot quilt made with the Robotics fabric line from Birch Organic Fabrics  as it appears in...

The current issue of Quilt-It Today!  

Here is a quick snapshot that I took of it full out a while back (yes, it was snapped at night time in winter ~ sorry about that).  I won't get the quilt back to take better photos for a while, because after it's visit to the magazine, it's traveling to Portland OR to display in Birch Organic Fabrics booth at Quilt Market :)

 I "pieced" the back using some of the "cheater" print in the line... 

...Then, just for fun, and Pro-Stitcher/Art & Stitch practice, I quilted little space ships, planets and stars in the white border :)

...And the instructions for making the coordinating cushions are in the current issue of Sew-It Today!

Both these magazines (only cost $3.99 each ~ that's cheaper than one pattern!) have an assortment of really cute projects to make up ~ what a bargain!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Milltown Show Recap & One Year Ago

I spent last weekend in this space at the Milltown Quilter's Quilt Show :)  My hosts were so nice and welcoming, and I loved that my booth space was bright and sunny!  I had a wonderful time meeting new quilters, and catching up with some friends I hadn't seen since I worked at And Sew It Goes quilt shop.

Here are a few "sights & sounds" from our little quilty space...

I couldn't have done these Spring shows and events this year without all the wonderful help I got from my great hubby and kids (They're getting the hauling and set-up down to a science!), and my good friends Mary and Starlyn who helped with set up, break down and work the events with me!
Have I mentioned that I'm feeling so blessed lately :)

...On a side note, I've recently realized that my I-Photo has a 12 month setting, and I can see what I was snapping photos of a year ago (Yea, I'm a little slow with the technology sometimes). 
This was a photo I took while walking around Shelbyville KY while visiting my mom this time last year.  Seeing it brought back memories and took me right back to that lovely sunny day ~ I loved the details on the old building (quilting or applique ideas maybe?)
Update: Mom is doing much better than last year when she was taking chemo to fight of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma :)

...and this is what I was working on a year ago.  It was an appreciation block for our Baltimore Applique Society president who was finishing her term in office. (Designed by Lori Smith)  

...I haven't done any hand applique lately, I think I need to get going on another block, I kind of miss it, and am getting that itch!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

My Turn!

I was invited to participate in the My Favorite Block Quilt Along hosted by Kim at Persimon Dreams Blog, and today is my turn! (I also have a little feature over on Kim's blog today, so check it out)  There are some very fun and creative block tutorials that have already been shared by other designers, and more are in the works for upcoming weeks.  

Another Kim of Fabric Fascination blog is the other designer for this week, and on Tuesday she shared her adorable Pincushion and Dancing Spools block that you won't want to miss :)

Here is my block ~ It's called Dancing Diamond block.  I've had a thing for Orange and Pink combinations lately! You can click Here to download a free pdf file of the block tutorial. 

One of the neat things about this Quilt Along, is that all the designers are including cutting instructions to make a 12" finished block and/or a 6" finished block, so you can make a sampler quilt with all the blocks in different sizes if you want!

Here's a quick mock-up of how 16 blocks look laid out in four rows of four blocks. When many blocks are put together the Light Pink and Solid Orange fabrics give the appearance of forming lines across the quilt :)

There's a Flickr Group too where you can get a ton of ideas from other folks' blocks, so have fun :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn 

My Favorite Block Quilt Along

Yesterday was Kim's turn of Fabric Fascination blog ~ She shared her adorable Pincushion and Dancing Spools block

You can check out all the designer's blocks at My Favorite Block Quilt Along .  Kim over at Persimon Dreams blog has done a fantastic job pulling it all together!  You can check out the Flickr Group too :)

...stop back here for my block tomorrow!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn


 

Some Sights and Sounds from our Lovely Quilty Weekend

We had the great pleasure of spending the weekend getting up close and personal with these beautiful quilted treasures made by Machine Quilting Teacher Debby Brown!

Spring Water Designs hosted about 45 quilters for four classes that Debby taught on Friday and Saturday on different machine quilting topics including Ruler work, Freehand Continuous Line, and what to quilt on our Borders, Blocks, and Backgrounds.

Renting the Historic Carroll Baldwin Community Hall in Savage, Maryland gave us a sweet setting to enjoy the quilts.  I loved seeing my Rootin Tootin Cowboy Quilt, and American Beauty Quilt hanging in this old building!

Debby showed us how to do it, and then we got to practice and try ourselves.

(Btw ~ that beautiful quilt in the back was made by Debby from the pattern called Hidden Star Sampler designed by Applewood Farm Publications) 

 There were goodies to purchase :)

And lots of quilt sights to see.  These are all photos of Debby Brown's quilts and her amazing quilting!  Thanks Debby for sharing your beautiful work with us, and letting us take photos!

Debby has written two books, Beyond the Lines, and Borders and Beyond, on how you can quilt like this too!

I'm itching to get some charity quilts on my frame and put some of Debby's tips into practice.  That will have to wait until next week though as now my machines are still packed up from this event, and heading off to our next event,  where we'll be vending at the Milltown Quilters Quilt Show this week from Thursday, April 11 - Saturday April 13.  (I'm sure we'll do a lot of playing with our new found knowledge on the machines at the show, and there's always next week for some quality quilty time!)

In the meantime, enjoy some quilty time for yourself today :)
Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Where are the Cool Kids Hanging Out This Weekend?

Well the Cool Kids (Yes, I'm referring to Us!) will be found at the Carroll Baldwin Community Hall in my hometown, Savage Maryland this Friday and Saturday! 

It is a cool building, but why will we be hanging there you ask?  Well, because...

We'll be attending the Machine Quilting Classes hosted by Spring Water Designs and being taught by Internationally known, HandiQuilter Educator Extraordinaire and Author, Debby Brown!  Debby will be teaching four classes over the course of the two days.   
Full disclosure: This previous photo's not Debby ~ That's my Hubby quilting at HandiQuilter training in Salt Lake City last fall.  Click on over to Debby's Website to see her :)

These are some close ups of some quilting on quilts that I photographed at the HandiQuilter Headquarters on our visit there...

Debby will be lecturing and demonstrating techniques at the classes this weekend to show us how to quilt like this :)

...Well, we may need to practice what we learn a bit before we're quilting like this... 

...But that's the fun part, right!

Click Here for a link to details on the classes and location.  There is still some space available for you to come join us, so contact me if you want to come ~ Debby assures me the more Cool Kids the Merrier!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn