What a week!  More cooler weather (54 Monday morning)...gotta love that!

Friday i got the fund-raiser quilt quilted and off to my sister for binding.  Took longer to quilt that I expected but tried a new panto border pattern and did each block customized to the artwork.  Plus had the kids in the shop with me so plenty of distractions there.  Pics coming soon, as I took them with the wrong memory card...again ...ugggghhh.  One of these days I will get it right!  Techno savvy, I am not but I try.

I also finished the border on my sunflower handprint wall hanging and got a pieced backing done for it.  Now it is on the "to be quilted" pile.  May be done yet this week, I have the perfect place to hang it. 

Just got my email from Keepsake Quilting.  Did you see the Halloween Dance fabric??? It is awesome!  I just love the little dancing witches.  They have it on back order so I'll be checking around for that later this week.  Ohhh and I really am trying to finish up some of my UO|FO's before starting more...lol.

Have a great evening!

Traveling as much as I have this summer, I had the chance to do a bit of reading along the way.  I thought I'd report back on 2 books that I believe are well worth reading. 

The first is Twenty Wishes (A Blossom Street Book) by Debbie Macomber.  I've read all of this series so far and find them inspirational in many ways.  This one however stuck with me a little more that the others.  The premise is about being happy and that we are all ultimately responsible for our own happiness.  The book setting is a group of women that meet regularly for solace and support.  They each make a list of 20 "wishes"...things they want to do or have etc. The story follows them on their quests to find that happily ever after.  My take is that it wouldn't hurt any of us to make our own list of 20 wishes....really think about our deep down true desires from life.  You just might be surprised to find out what it is that TRULY makes you happy.

The second is The Same Sweet Girls by Cassandra King.  This book follows the bond of six women from school into middle age.  It shares how we as friends sometimes have to weed out the things that don't really matter in the big picture.  It also proves once again that the grass is not always greener on the other side.  I shed a few tears in this one.  If you read it and struggle in the first couple chapters, keep going it is worth the time to sort out all of the characters.

Well it's back to sorting out my latest pile of fabric remnants from my most recent projects. I'm trying to stay on top of the stash organization, wish me luck!  Hopefully I will have the fund-raiser quilt in the frame Friday... 

Well here it is the 18th of August and I've barely had a chance to give my sewing a glance.  School started Friday so it's been a couple of days getting back into the routine.  More travel as the car show season is still in full swing....my traveling should slow down some tho. 

Had friends over this weekend to grill.  What a blast to get together to rant and rave, laugh and tell stories!  I am so happy to have such a wonderful group of friends....all non quilters but they have all offered to iron for me.  One of these days I may take them up on that.

It's been hot and muggy here, nothing different that summer should be in the midwest.  It's just that we have been spoiled by such mild temps this year.  I can't help but wonder if we will be paying for that this winter.  Guess there really isn't much I can do about Mother Nature.

Last night I did make a quickie water bottle cover for my oldest to use in school.  Didn't have a pattern so just started cutting.  I'm nearly certain that there is an easier way to make one than the way I did it.  I'll do a little research on that before starting the next one.  If anyone has a pattern or knows of one (or it's source) let me know.  I used a really cute piece of polka dot fabric in multi bright colors and lined it in blue.  Now my youngest wants a "girly" one....no pink in the dots tho so she will likely get a purple lining.

Best get going, time to get the kids out of hock...oops get them from the babysitter :)

Have a great evening!

Can you believe this wonderful midwest weather we are having??!!  I hope it lasts awhile longer, scares me to think of the price we will pay this winter tho.  Oh well, we will sure take it now.

News, news, and more news....I've decided to sell my Baby Loc/Grace Frame combo....as I LOVE my Gammill.  I thought maybe to keep both, then I could have 2 going at once but hey, there is only 1 of me. :)

We are starting construction in a couple of weeks on the new work space.  One of the best parts of that is....it will include play space for the kids.  They are as excited as me I think.  It will be nice to reorganize my supplies and projects the way I want them instead of how they have to be to accommodate the current space.  Well....that's the plan anyway....

Projects...as if I haven't enough...lol..I know, join the club!  At our guild meeting, the evening project was for a small stack, cut, shuffle and voila you have a crazy patch.  I've seen this style many places....some I like, some I don't.  (It really is all about the fabric!)  I decided to use some Christmas prints for mine....had some in my stash ....of course.  The project was intended to make 6 blocks, size of your choice (I used 8").  I was thinking I could whip up a quick holiday table runner, see how "quick" it really goes and maybe make a couple for gifts. 

Well you know me....I can quickly turn a 14" x 21" wall hanging into a king size quilt.  Anyway, as I was laying out my six little blocks, the fabric started speaking to me..... Yeah, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!!  Whole sentences, complete with multiple adjectives... Then I heard the chant, "make me bigger, make me bigger".  So see, IT IS THE FABRIC that makes me do it...hehe. See what I mean...



This is just a rough layout, but can you hear it talking?....."add red thread here, add something shiny over here, no use the other decorative stitch here..."  It's a disease I say!!

The next quilt in the frame was made by my sister.  It is a fund-raiser for new park equipment.  She had some of the local kids draw and color businesses in their community.  Friday is quilting day for this one....as that is also the 1st full day of school for the kids :) Here is a sneak peek.

 
I've got a panto border I'd like to try in this one, swirls and stars.  It's a little hard to see in this picture but her border print has stars in it so I think that will work well.

Well better get going, on the road to another car show today... Louisville for the Street Rod Nationals.  They usually have 12,000+ cars there.  That is a lot to see.  The best part is seeing people we've met along the way.

Have a wonderful weekend!