End of Year hunt for BoM's

Have started seeing the posts about new BoM's for 2014.  Which ones are you interested in?

I have 2 local ones on the go still but after these 2 doubt I will sign up for another local one.  I just get too busy and this is the year to finish up a bunch of stuff that I have been unable to do for the past year and half.

I will be doing 2 online BoM's have signed up for both already.  Building Blocks with Leah Day and Crazy Quilt Along with Caroline Heinrichs of Good Earth Quilting. Buttons on my side bar.  I think these 2 will keep me quite busy.  I have only done a few small crazy quilting items so that one will be interesting and am hoping for some relaxing hand stitching.  The Building Blocks is more for the fmq aspect.  Have all of my fabric cut out already and even pieced a few of the blocks.  Wanted to get a little ahead as my machine needs to go in for cleaning so will be without it for a few weeks.

Please post any BoM's that you have your eye on.  Even if I can't do them I can always collect them for later.

Sandra

Merry Christmas

Sorry I haven't been posting but I have had so much on the go that I just haven't had a chance.

Have a very MERRRY CHRISTMAS and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.

Sandra

W.I.P. 12 - 18 - 2013

Still have a bunch of quilt tops awaiting quilting.  Hope to get to them right after Christmas.  Next year will be a busy one for me.  Have commited to 2 BoM/W's so far.  One crazy quilting (have only done small blocks without embellishments), and one piecing & FMQ.  Check my sidebar if you want more info.

1.  Working on Spring Bouquet.  I can't sit still and do nothing even while watching tv so need some type of             hand occupier.  Using the freezer/template and starch method.

The last of my homemade decorations.  This will be turned into 15 little angels.

1. Will be linking up to Esther WIP.

Drum Roll Please - SMS Giveaway Winners

There he goes again.  He does love those Snap cookies.

International - Gill from England

U.S. - Karen Christensen from Arizona

Will be sending the emails in just a few minutes.

Grats to both of you.

Sew Mama Sew giveaway week

STARTS TODAY

Make sure you check out all the blogs and hopefully make some new blog friends.  Lots of fun to be had and lots of drawings will be held.  Starts today and ends on Friday December 13, 2013.


So you ready to for the drawings.  Yes there is a plural there.  I will be drawing 1 international, and 1 United States.  Each will receive a Baby Item Quilt pattern which is my own design via email.

Sorry for the not so great photos.  Each of the main  blocks has a baby item embroidered on it.  Items range from bottle to infant swing.

So here is your "hoop" to jump through.  Leave a comment with your location.  Country or U.S. state.  If you do not include these in your comment you will not be entered.  All entries must have a valid email attached to their posting account.

Go check out the other blogs that are participating here SewMamaSew

Our somewhat unique drawing procedure is as follows:

1.  All entries will be separated by International or U.S.
2.  Each entry will be written out and placed into a hat
3.  Once we have stirred up each set of entries we will then dump the International Entries onto the floor
4.  The Sewing Supervisor (aka Rusty) will run into the room and grab a piece of paper from the floor.  (He has been trained to turn in scraps of material and basically anything else that drops on the floor)  His training costs a Variety Snaps cookie, which he adores.
5.  The process will be repeated for the U.S. entries.
6.  Chosen winners will be notified via Email.

Due to the high volume that can happen during blog hops I may not get a chance to respond to everyone.

The Winners are....

Thank you for all of your great comments.  It was so interesting to see where everyone was from.


Rusty did his job

twice.

The winners are:

International - SusanNovember 26, 2013 at 10:32 AM

i live in Dubai...I love turquoise

and 

U.S. - jmnifferNovember 23, 2013 at 11:50 AM

Hello from Minnesota! My favorite color is blue. Thanks for the chance at your giveaway.

Emails will be on their way to you shortly.

Here is Rusty with his reward.

Giving Thanks Blog Hop Party

STARTS TODAY

Make sure you check out all the blogs and hopefully make some new blog friends.  Lots of fun to be had and lots of drawings will be held.  Starts today and ends on Tuesday Nov 26.


So you ready to for the drawings.  Yes there is a plural there.  I will be drawing 1 international, and 1 United States.  Each will receive a Baby Item Quilt pattern which is my own design via email.  The U.S. one will also receive a goodie package in the mail.

Sorry for the not so great photos.  Each of the main  blocks has a baby item embroidered on it.  Items range from bottle to infant swing.

So here is your "hoop" to jump through.  Leave a comment with your location.  Country or U.S. state.  Also your favorite color would be nice.  If you do not include these in your comment you will not be entered.  All entries must have a valid email attached to their posting account.

Click the "Giving Thanks Blog Hop Party" button on my sidebar and start hopping or just click on this link  Giving Thanks Blog Hop Party

Our somewhat unique drawing procedure is as follows:

1.  All entries will be separated by International or U.S.
2.  Each entry will be written out and placed into a hat
3.  Once we have stirred up each set of entries we will then dump the International Entries onto the floor
4.  The Sewing Supervisor (aka Rusty) will run into the room and grab a piece of paper from the floor.  (He has been trained to turn in scraps of material and basically anything else that drops on the floor)  His training costs a Variety Snaps cookie, which he adores.
5.  The process will be repeated for the U.S. entries.
6.  Chosen winners will be notified via Email.

Due to the high volume that can happen during blog hops I may not get a chance to respond to everyone.

I can't believe that I originally forgot to thank Michelle for hosting such a wonderful bloghop.

It's almost here

Are you ready for the Giving Thanks Blog Hop?  Starts on Thursday and I will be participating.  Will be giving away a few patterns so stay tuned.

Local BoM's

I am currently participating in 2 BoM's at local quilting shops.  I finally got around to taking some pictures of the blocks so here they are.

and

will try to keep posting pictures as they get done.  For some reason I always forget about these for my WiP Wednesday posts

Quilting Gallery - Quilting Close-Up

I don't have anything entered this week but was just over there to vote and wow have fun picking just 4 of them.  Go check it out the quilting work is gorgeous.

Quilting Gallery Link

W.I.P. 11-6-2013

Witches in Stitches - Still need to do a few finishing touches should have it completed for next week.
Texas Teardrop - Needs more quilting done
Mimi's Bloomers - Needs more quilting done
Atlantis Rising - haven't even looked at it as it is still too heavy for me to work with.

Rusty's Quilt - I designed this myself several months ago then temporarily lost the use of my right arm again.  Well.... finally got it almost done.  All it needs is to hand sew the binding to the back.  Will be finished sometime today.  That ius Rusty himself (the little ham).  This will be going into his kennel which he uses as his bed.

FMN - got the quilt top done.  Will be going out tonight to get backing material for it.  Took me forever to get it done but all that extra time was worth it.  I am so happy with how it turned out.

Quilting Gallery

The eye candy has been posted.  I have entered my Witches in Stitches "Boo-tique" quilt.  Go check out all of the eye candy.

Quilting Gallery

Happy Halloween

Hope you are all ready for the little ghosts and goblins to come knocking on your door.

Have a safe and Happy Halloween everyone.

Please check out quiltinggallery.com tomorrow and check out the eye candy this week is Halloween week so should be interesting.  While you are there I would really appreciate your vote for Witches in Stitches 'Boo-tique'.

Modern Geometric Quilts

Go check out Quilting Gallery for this weeks quilts.  Some of those quilts are just WOW.  While you are there I would really appreciate your vote for Texas Teardrops.

W.I.P. 10-10-2013

Finally got all of the blocks finished for Forget Me Not (2012 BoM by Esther Aliu).   Now to decide upon frame and sashing materials.

 This was my original Peony block.  While I love the picture it doesn't really fit with all of the others.  This is the only block where I used fabric paint.  So this one got redone for the quilt and will be used as a solitary wallhanging.

This is the second Peony block pre-outlining.  I used colored thread to stitch the Peony pieces down.

Here it is with the outlining done.

Will be linking up with Esther's WoW.  Esther Aliu WoW

W.I.P. 10-2-2013

Got another FMN block done.

Didn't get much of anything else done this week.  I lost the use of my right arm for a few days again.  Hopefully the swelling stays down or it will get wrapped again.

W.I.P. 9-25-2-2013

Sorry I haven't been around much.  Have been dealing with issues in real life.  Per usual for me it has been one thing after another.

Forget me Not - I have 2 more blocks completed.  About half way through another and the last one I am totally redoing.

Again the first picture is without any stitching except for french knots the second one is with a basic back stitch outline.   The Magnolia 2 just might be my over all favorite.

Witches in Stitches "Boo-tique" is quilted just waiting for the binding and buttons and some hand tacking as I refuse to quilt over top of my hand embroidery.  Will show pictures of them as I get them done.  Am trying real hard not to start another project until I get some of these finished.

Still waiting to be quilted.

1.  Mimi's Bloomer
2.  Atlantis Rising
3.  Texas Teardrops
4.  Exotic Flower Garden (never shown here will post picture when it is done)
5.  Sharman's Garden

Will be linking up to Esthers WoW

W.I.P. 9-11-2013

Got a little work done.

Here are 2 more blocks stitched for Forget Me Not 2012 BoM from Esther Aliu.  First pictures are before adding stitching the second ones are after the stitching.  Have 4 more of the blocks to do then can finally get this one pieced together.

Just started doing the quilting on Witches in Stitches "Boo-tique".  Can only do a few minutes at a time but each day my arm is getting stronger and therefore can do more.

W.I.P. 8-28-2013

Been taking it pretty easy but have done a little stitching.

 Forget Me Not before and after adding some stitching.  Now have 6 of the blocks done and 6 more to do the stitching on.

Cosmos Block

Fuschia Block again pre and post stitching

Quilts waiting to be quilted.  Will be doing these as I am able am hoping to have them all done by spring time.

1.  Mimi's Bloomer
2.  Atlantis Rising
3.  Texas Teardrops
4.  Exotic Flower Garden (never shown here will post picture when it is done)
5.  Sharman's Garden
6.  Witches in Stitches Boo-tique

Will be linking to http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com/

I'm Back Part 2

This has been a long and difficult last year.  For the second time I have gotten the doctors okay to start using my right arm again.  Last time an infection flared up which led to another surgery.  This time I will be taking it easy and slowly working the muscles back up.  Between the surgeries and lack of use it will take awhile to have it back to full strength.  Other than that I feel great.  So I hope to start having something to show you on Wednesdays again.

Sandra

Another 4 weeks

Not supposed to use my right arm for 4 weeks again.  Will pay for this little bit of typing in about half hour too.

For those that are going through similar issues don't get freaked out by my bad luck.  The radiation made my tissue more susceptible to infection.  The infection did not want to clear up so they went back in on Thurday and physically cleaned the inside up.  They removed the implant cleaned it up then replaced it.  So you won't hear from me for about 4 weeks.

I'm Back

Had surgery on July 20th.  The final for the reconstruction; providing this silly infection clears up.  Got the doctors okay to start using my arm (which I had already been doing just very cautiously).  So first order of stitching business is to finish off my FMN blocks.

The first pictures are of the blocks stitched down but no backstitching.  The second pictures are with simple backstitching added.

Am much happier with the look.  Now just have 8 more to backstitch. 

Just my luck

Well surgery went good.  Plastic Surgeon was happy with it.  Was told minimal usage of my right arm for at least a week.  No shower for 3 days etc etc.  Well couldn't wait for Sunday to come around which was day 3.  Shower and could finally get rid of all that packing that was digging in.

Thursday came home and lazed around didn't do much but was up and about.  Friday again took it easy no crafts minimal typing but again was up and about.  Saturday morning hit and was no long up and about.  We suspect that the antibiotics he gave me affected my Acid Reflux and worst attack in 20 years.  Popping pain killers, antacids, and could only eat crackers.  Any other food made the reflux worse.  Saturday night managed to eat a piece of bread with minimal jam on it for flavor.  This was not fun.  Sunday morning came felt okay so went to have a small bowl of cereal with banana.  What a mistake relux back full strength again. So back to Saturday's treatment.  After hubbie looking online we figured it was the antibiotic and the potassium from the banana reacting together and flaring up the relux.  I was in more pain from that than from the surgery.  We are hoping we have it under control now.  Am on nothing but bland foods and keeping those crackers close.

Other than my reflux adventure the surgery seems to be healing good.  I can use my right arm but only minimally.  What I didn't know beforehand was that he had to split 3 muscles in order to put the implant in place.  Which is why minimal usage for a week or two.

So hopefully I will be able to start working on stuff next week.  Until then happy stitching.

Sandra

Quilting Gallery - Embroidery / Stitchery week

Go on over and take a look at the eye candy.  Would really appreciate your votes for my Sharman's Garden Quilt.

http://quiltinggallery.com/2013/06/21/vote-now-embroidery-stitchery-quilts/

Scroll way down.  

Health Update

I have been regaining my strength and energy.  Still can't do all that much with my right arm and I am right handed.  Am hoping that will change after my surgery tomorrow.  Not sure what time will find out between 3 and 5 this afternoon.  This will be the final surgery.  After this it is just checkups.  So please keep me in your thoughts and pray that all goes smoothly tomorrow.

WIP 6-19-2013 Picture intensive post

1.  Witches in Stitches is ready to be sandwiched. Hopefully next week as I have my final surgery tomorrow.

2.  Forget Me Not by Esther Aliu - blocks are all appliqued but I wasn't happy with them so adding some stitching to them.  Will post pictures when all 12 are done.

3.  This quilt top was finished over a year ago.  I have the backing material tucked away but feel that my quilting skills are not good enough to do this justice.  Will get it quilted in time.   The quilt is called Sharman's Vintage Garden designed by Jenny Haskins.  It is machine embroidered.  Each block takes approx 7 hours with the center block taking approx 28 hours.  Not sure if I will ever do anything this elaborate in machine embroidery again.  Here are the pictures.

Oh Rusty managed to get into the picture ouside.  He is my sewing supervisor and anything that drops onto the floor pickerupper to hand in for a treat.