Ului Table Runner and First Friday Freebie

I have a couple of finishes.  First is a freebie from Kaaren at The Painted Quilt - I had finished the stitchery, it just needed binding.




This was a fun project!  On the back, I used Ami Simms method for Fast Finish Triangles. I'll be doing this for ALL my small quilts from here on out - it's perfect, and easy.  This project is being donated to my favorite homeschool site for the annual raffle.  Thank you Kaaren, I do love your projects you give so freely!

I also finished my Ului Table Runner project from Jenny.    I apologize for the pics - it's yet another rainy day here.





The charm pack I used was called Pampered Pooch.  Another fun [and FAST] project.  Best of all?  It fits perfectly on my ironing table, to keep the kitty hair off.  My table is right under the window and it's kitty's perch for birdwatching.



I adore Jenny's little flowers in the corners!  I love everything she does.

I've been working on some top secret projects, which is why I've been so quiet.  My one year blog anniversary came and went last week, and I didn't even realize it.  I can't believe it's been a year - what a joy it's been to me, getting to know you all and enjoying your company on this grand crafty journey!  I'm so grateful for each and every one of you.

I'll try to post some sneak peeks this coming week - I'm working as fast as I possibly can on these projects, but darn it takes so long to get them out of my head and into my camera!  Have a fabulous week!

Something Fun

I'm featured today over on Candy Glendening's blog, Candied Fabrics.  She does interviews with different crafters.  She is an amazing artist and makes the most beautiful hand-dyed fabrics and scarves, 3D art, journals and purses.  You know I love color - and her site is incredibly colorful.  Check out her post below the interview as well, it's a great post on how she balances her life - and don't miss her gallery!  Thanks Candy!

Make Do Memories Quilt Challenge

 First, Jenny is ok, the storm just brushed them.  Please keep the farmers and others in the flood path in your prayers.

And second, yay, it's done!  Well, almost - I'm going to re-do the binding.  I put my needle to the far right and I think it looks too thin, so it will get removed and re-bound with the needle in the middle.



 This was a challenge from Lyn at Bluebird Quilts.  She had some vintage hexagons she'd bought on ebay, and decided she'd never get to them, so she issued the challenge for participants to make a mini-quilt with four of them....she sent five and I ended up using them all.



I really like the way it turned out.  It's rare something in my head comes out looking like I thought it would.



I did have a couple of problems.  When doing the free-motion quilting, for some reason my thread started turning black - it was grease or oil coming up through the bobbin case.  It happened twice!  The first one was bad on the back, but not the front, and the second one was worse on the front.  I'm not sure how to get it out.  You can just see it at the top of the "flower".



Other than that, and having to re-do the binding, I really love this little quilt. It  was great fun to do and not something I would have thought of on my own.  After looking at the tiny stitches in the hexagons, I can say with certainty that I'll never make a grandmother's flower garden quilt!  This will have to suffice, lol.  Thank you Lyn for the opportunity to make something so fun!

This last pic is for Dolores - she said, when she saw my barkcloth curtains, she immediately thought of flamingos.  Well, right next to them I have hanging my flamingo mirror - they do go well together, I think!  And they're probably both from the same era.



And now I have to go pick out some binding for my Ului table runner that Jenny posted.  Yesterday, as you know, was National Quilting Day here in the States, and my local PBS station had quilt shows on ALL DAY.  So of course, I had to quilt all day - not only did I quilt and bind my challenge quilt, I also cut, appliqued, pieced and quilted my table runner!  I think it should be National Quilting Day every Saturday.  Wouldn't that be fun!

Ului

Will you all please join me in praying for Jenny of Elefantz, and all the Queensland folks who are being impacted by Cyclone Ului?  And if you'd like to join in, Jenny is sewing a table runner this weekend, and has put up a pattern on her blog.  I love the idea of making something together as she rides out this storm. Although we're so far apart geographically, prayers know no distance.

The latest word I have from Jenny is that the area has already been declared a disaster, and the storm has intensified to a Cat 3.  It's frustratingly difficult to find current Australian news on the internet.

Yawn

Yes, I'm a pretty boring blogger lately.  Spring has sprung, and it's making me restless - not able to settle into any projects.  I always want a road trip this time of year, and have been unable to get one since I got married.  I used to LIVE on the road, and it haunts me in springtime.

I went thrifting the other day.  I'm astonished at how high the prices have gone.  Every thrift shop is packed, and a .99 t-shirt is now 3.99.  Garage sale season is just around the corner, I wonder if inflation will hit those too?  Probably.  But I did find something.....


A beautiful piece of fabric.  It was very long, already hemmed, maybe used for a banquet table?  I just cut it in half and hemmed the cut edges, and made new curtains.  Yes, my daisy curtain



is down already.  I couldn't resist this fabric.  I'm not sure if it's barkcloth or a new home dec fabric - I'm not fabric savvy.




Whichever it is, I'm loving it.

I'm a huge Lucy fan.  I have the whole series on dvd, my family got them for me over several occasions.  My sweet friend Nikki got me this for Christmas:

One of my favorite episodes!  I can so relate.

And I got some new readers.



I don't wear my contacts often, but when I do, I keep trying to read things over the top of them.  Which um, can't be done with contacts.  I spotted these at Michaels and had to have them.  It's nice to be able to see the tv [Lucy, you know] while I'm stitching, and impossible without readers.

I hope you are all enjoying some warmer weather.  It's not exactly WARM here, but warmER, and that makes me happy.  We have rain moving in for the next week or so, which makes me achey, but I can stand it for some warm breezes.  Does anyone else feel a little naked in spring, walking around without all the bulky winter clothing on?