Sewing Away!

I've been busy sewing away! I'm finishing up my Cinderberry Stitches project, preparing two quilts for machine quilting, peicing two more quilt tops, and I just started the Moda Mystery Designer block-of-the-month. I just love the fabric! Especially the mint and chocolate one! Makes me hungry. I also finished another Dear Jane block:
I had a really hard time getting a picture of this one: my camera wouldn't focus right, and it kept curling up on me (it's only about 4 inches square, and has a lot of seams!).
I have also started designing a few quilts: a miniature quilt, and a combination pieced and appliquéd quilt about the life story of one of my ancestors...she was quite the character. She was a pioneer woman, farmer's wife, writer, and preacher! I will be posting some of her writings, so keep an eye out for those!

Stafford Quilt Show

It has been a busy quilt weekend for me so far! I had the quilt class Friday night (which was a blast), my first Bernina class today, and then I hit a small quilt show afterward.

The Bernina class was amazing! I have wanted a Bernina for a while now, and I kinda wondered if I got one if it would live up to my expectations. Let me just tell you...it has exceeded my expectations! Most of the women in my class have had Berninas before (some for over 25 years!), and they got a newer one for the stitch regulator. I learned so many cool tricks today. I can't wait for my class next week...we're going to focus on the BSR foot (Bernina Stitch Regulator).

Now to the quilt pictures!

Of course I go straight to the appliqué quilts!

Isn't this machine quilting beautiful? I'm a little obsessed machine quilting right now, because that is my next challenge

A miniature quilt (about a foot and a half long). Look at those perfect points!

More machine quilting!

A wool appliqué quilt

This was all quilted by machine!

This entire quilt was hand appliquéd and hand quilted

Hydrangea, my favorite flower!

Camera cord is back!

I have started my Dear Jane quilt! It is so fun and challenging! That's my first block, above. I have decided to make mine with civil war reproduction fabrics. That's supposedly what I used in the block, but see how the little flowers look like peace signs? A little ironic.

I've also finished some projects. Below is some pictures of a quilt I made for my neighbor's baby, using Woodland Bloom fabric. I have to figure out how to do the backing-my least favorite part! I am not good at math, and the pattern doesn't say how much fabric to get for the backing. I'll have to ask my math-whiz husband to figure it out for me!

Tonight I am off to Moonlight Madness! Yay! The local quilt shop is putting it on. They precut all the fabric, so all I have to do is sew the pieces together! And they are providing dinner. It should be a lot of fun. I'm going to have a sewing hangover this weekend, because I'll be out late doing that tonight, and then tomorrow morning I have my first Bernina class. I'll be back with more pictures!

Ode to Wilbur

Excuse me, please, while I go a little crazy on my dog. As most of you know, I have a little Maltese named Wilbur. I never had a pet growing up (other than horses), and I was terrified of dogs (I had been attacked by dogs twice as a young child). My husband decided that he wanted to get a BIG dog. He told me I 'needed' t o get a little dog so I could get 'comfortable' around dogs. He also told me that if I was going to get a 'girlie' dog it better be a boy, at least. So I found an ad in the paper for 3 Maltese puppies (2 girls, one boy) in the paper. I called and the woman told me there was already a list for the girls, but no one wanted the boy yet. So I rushed down there. I walked into the house, and as I rounded the corner, I made direct eye contact with my little baby. I was the weirdest thing, there were 5 adults, 2 children and 3 puppies, and he was what my eyes landed on first. It was love at first sight. There was an older woman there, and I swear she was Cruella DeVille. She was wearing a white furry (Maltese fur??!) jacket and holding one of the girls. The woman who paced the ad told me Cruella was waiting to see if I wanted Wilbur or not, because she wanted him too. I said, "I'll take him!" He was the cutest thing. He weighed less than a pound and could stand up on the palm of my hand. My husband came home a few days later (he had been out of town when I got Wilbur) and Wilbur and I picked him up from the airport. He wasn't too happy about me getting Wilbur without talking to him first, so I said I would pay for him. Well, when he laid eyes on him, he broke out in a huge smile. He picked him up and looked him in the eye and said, "I'LL pay for him, he's my dog!" It was love at first sight for him, too. They became two peas in a pod. He would take Wilbur everywhere with him. He decided that Wilbur liked riding in the car with his head out the window, so at night he would drive around the neighborhood. Needless to say, that BIG dog never showed up!

This is Todd signing Bluegrass and dancing with Wilbur

The first time he met Liberty... He crawled right in her car seat and laid downHe's always been very protective of her

Wait...is that Wilbur in her crib? How'd he get in there?!

Teaching Liberty to crawl

Another hard day of supervising his sisterMy cuddlebug

His favorite place...bedEvery Christmas, Daddy gets him a big bone

Sitting at the table for Christmas dinner (he has excellent table manners!)

Sleep tight!

That's it! I know all you dog lovers will understand! I believe that our pets are angels sent down from heaven to bring us joy. So give all your little angels extra hugs!

Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend we took the kids to the pumkin patch. They had a great time! Liberty and Gabe held hands all day long. Gabe is Ella's big brother, so they had quite a nice double date!These are the only pictures I can post because my sweet husband left the camera cord in Florida! So no more pictures until either the hotel finds it, or we get a new one.

In quilting news, I have finished all the blocks for my Lecien quilt. Oh, and I'm getting ready to do a giveaway!! I've been slowly stocking up all the little gifts! I can't wait to show you all!

Disneyworld

We're back from Disneyworld! It was a lot of fun...aside from my MAJOR allergies and subsequent sinus infection that sent me to the hospital! It was so fun going with the babies and seeing their reactions. Liberty went to a princess breakfast in the castle the first day we were there. She had to get up earlier than she's ever gotten up in her life (she likes to sleep late). It was amazing! She got lots of one-on-one time with all the princesses, and the food was great! Unfortunately, she picked her nose while she was talking to Snow White! I was appalled!!! Snow White said to me, "Don't worry, I'm used to the dwarves digging for diamonds all the time". My mother, of course, took a picture, which I will not be posting! My little man got his first Mickey Mouse. He didn't really know what to think of all the hubub, but I'm pretty sure he had a good time--he was fawned over by Grammy and Auntie!

Hello, Quilt Buddy!

I have shipped off my last package to my swap partner for the Stitcher's Angel Swap. She should be receiving it Saturday morning. Since I am leaving town tomorrow morning, I have to leave a post for her. So: Hello, Stef! I had SO much fun being your Stitcher's Angel! Can't wait to hear from you! In the meantime, you can look around my blog and get to know me! Lots of hugs!