Yep, I'm Still Here

My New Year's resolution is going to be to be a better blogger!!

Promise!

I have to show you all my goodies I got from Stacy at Pinkberry Sprinkles.

She asked us our thoughts on Halloween and I got this great package from her:

Isn't it Spooktacular. Thanks Stacy.
I think Halloween is a fun time. I am not very organized this year with moving and all, but I do have pumpkins and a few bits and pieces scattered about.
And lots of candy!!!!!!
I also need to show off my finish from September--Yes, shame on me for being so slow.
I really did finish on time for Sept.
My fall turkey runner is done!!!

I have not been totally unproductive this month. Really! I took a class from Bonnie Hunter a couple of weeks ago. I went with Lola from ...And Sew On, which is good cause she brought the camera. So troodle on over there and look at some of the amazing quilts that were done.
Here is my progress so far:

I am quite pleased with it so far. I just need to make 12 more blocks because I want it to be a wee bit bigger. Hopefully I will have enough of these bits that I chopped off the corners:

to make a border out of. This is a really fun scrappy quilt. If you are into the scrappy craze, you need to go visit Bonnie's site called Quiltville. If you scroll down a bit and look at the list on the right hand side, you will find a ton of free scrappy quilt patterns. Fun stuff!! Then go to her blog and check out the most amazing hexagon star quilt she is doing.
OH
Before I go, I need to tell you to zip over to Joy's blog and sign up for her cute little Hot Potato giveaway. Or just tell her to be good and stay in bed like the doctor has told her to do, so that she will heal faster!!!
I will try to get pictures of the return of Alice's Zoo soon. The furry ones are trying very hard to make photography impossible.
Hope you are all having a marvelous Wednesday!!!
L,A-

Pies, blocks and Angels...

Busy, busy, busy and all of it fun!!!

First I had to do a bit of baking to satisfy the bug.

So I made this:

I also made a cherry/peach pie, but I forgot to take a picture. AND by the time I remembered it had a few pieces missing.

This one is on the way to gone now too.

Then it was on to the air show at the Oceana Naval Air Base.

We had a great time--I can be such a boy at times.

Here is my boy showing his respect:

I think the Blue Angels are amazing. I could watch them for hours.

I have no desire to be up there doing however many G's they pull, but I love watching.

18 inches apart!!!!!! 

Yep, half of them are upside down and still way too close together!!!

Awesome!!!!

Back on the home front, I have gotten some more blocks finished.

Three to be exact, with one more in the works.

one

two

and three.

The colors seem a little strange--bad light I guess.

I also got my table runner basted, so fingers crossed that it will get quilted very soon!!!

I want to get on to some of the Christmas presents that I need to make.

It is coming too soon!!!!!

I need to enjoy the fall first.

Hope everyone is having a great week--getting lots done!!

L,A-

I Have Been a Naughty, Naughty Blogger

...but I have not been idle. I have been quite busy getting ready for a new year of homeschooling and lots of house remodeling and getting ready for visits from family members.
And I have even been able to get a little bit of sewing done. Mandatory for sanity!!!!

These are several of the things that we have been getting ready for:

OK, so they don't look all that exciting at the moment, but they will be soon. The fridge and the range are installed. The dishwasher is waiting for a new door. Shipping is a dangerous sport. It has a big boo boo at the bottom.

In between all the remodeling I have accomplished this top for my fall challenge from Di:

and these two blocks are for Joy's finish challenge:

They are part of this pinwheel quilt that I have been working on:

and I have not showed you all of my Jelly Roll blocks. They are all finished; I just need to put them all together.

And I had a really nice surprise in the mail the other day. Di had us all guess what number post she was coming up to and I guessed 500. And I was right!!!!

She also gave me a goodie for finishing a fall project. 

Look at all these yummy things:

They are hard to see, but up there on the top right are the cutest little buttons. Look at these precious flip flops:

Thank you Di!!!!

Well, that is enough catching up for now. I need to do some more sewing and finishing and keep up with my blogging like a good little quilter.

Hope you are all having a great week.

Two more days until the weekend.

L,A-

Made It!!!!!!!!!!

I was beginning to wonder, but I got a finish.

It will serve as a Di's Fall Sew-in Club and Joy's Finishing Stitches.
Cause you both love me right?????
So here is my Fall UFO table runner.

I had to find new backing for it and I had accidentally used up all of the fabric that I needed for the binding, so it became extra colorful. I like the finished product and it is one less thing in my UFO pile. Yippee!!!!
It has not been a stellar month of finishes, but we have been doing a wee bit of home improvements.
August will be better.
!!!!!!!!!!
L,A

Happy Chocolate Day!!!

I didn't make that up honest!!!

So everyone indulge--it's a celebration. Just don't take it outside because this is what it is doing out there:

For those of you who deal in Celsius, that's around 41. Yucky!!!

I am behind in my blogging, naughty me!

My birthday got stretched out a lot. I have gotten more packages from everywhere.

Joy sent me these little goodies:

which of course will lead to needing matching bits. Fun stuff!!!!

And Di sent me a package full of goodies.

These pretty vintage aprons:

and nice sharp scissors and lots of patterns to keep me very, very busy!!!!

and Mom gave me these nice bright fat quarters:

and of course I treated myself to a few more:

and more tomorrow. I need to prove that I have actually done something besides get more fabric.

I am caught up on my jelly roll blocks:

Block#9

and Block#10

and I have been busy unpicking a fall table runner for Di's fall finish challenge. This is the one I hope to finish this month at least. 

I didn't like the way I started quilting it, so I threw it in a pile. Now I am going to get it finished!!!!
And pop over and join Joy's challenge to finish stuff that has been sitting around awhile.
I have a huge pile to work on for this one. 
And I still have to start making Christmas decorations--oh my--I think I am challenge challenged!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stay cool everyone.
L,A-

Short Attention Span

I have been a really good girl, working on all of my challenge projects--BUT--sometimes you just have to start something new. I really did just reach into my "to do" pile and pull out a project. I pulled out a pinwheel sampler that Rachel from p.s. i quilt did as a quilt-along awhile ago. Then I grabbed a pile of fat quarters and ta da...

Block 1

and Block 2

Very natural--not my normal colors, but I guess it goes with the rest of my short attention span. Then of course I went back to work on this for awhile...

which is very bright. A little more rearranging and I will start sewing it all together.

I also said that I would show you why Joy and Di should be getting commission checks from Charm Cotton Quilts. They told me all about their good deals and they got me in trouble. I got these...

and then I got this...

so then I had to go back to CCQ because I didn't get enough charm packs to do them. So then, I added these...

...so now I have to start something else!!!!! Good thing I am finishing all of those Christmas mini's or I would have a serious problem. Shhhh!!! I know I probably already do, but for now we will just blame it on the heat!

Sadly there is more, but I forgot to take a photo of the rest. Or maybe that is a good thing--we wouldn't want anyone to think I am totally insane now would we. 

For now I must go sew!!!!

L,A-

It's My Birthday And I'll Sew If I Want To

Or blog since I need to catch up. This may turn into two if I ever want to get to the sewing room today!

First of all--Mini Christmas! I have been working--really I have. I am creating an army of cookbook chooks.

 all ready to stamp out the frustration of losing your place when you are whipping up your favorite recipes.

Most of my family are non-sewers so I needed some goodies to please them. Most everyone I know cooks. These are so easy, so go check out the tutorial here at JJ's.
I have also been plugging along with my coffee sleeves and I have started stitching on my towels and I bought this for inspiration:

There are some really, really cute things in here. Hopefully I will show you some all finished very soon. Well soon--I think I am the world's slowest at stitching, but I will get there.
I have also finished the latest jelly roll block.

and the tote bag in the {make} sew along

I really love the colors. I am going to go find one of those magnets that Joy used to keep hers closed and then I need to fill it full.
And just because--views from my kitchen window:

and

OK, the last one is a little blurry--could it be a dirty window????? These little guys have a bad habit of running away when I try to go outside and take a picture.
And on that note I am going to quit now and go hide in my sewing room.
Tomorrow I will show pictures of why Joy and Di should become sales reps for Charm Cotton Quilts. 
L,A-

Me Again!!

I know--twice in one week--what has come over me??? I have been sewing--I have things to show. I really need to do this more often anyway. My brain is getting old, so it helps me remember what I have been up to.
So, just in time for new installments, I have finished part 1 of my {MAKE} tote bag and I have finished jelly roll block number 7.

and

and a picture of the Block of the Month that I signed up for at Bella's. I told you it was a dangerous store. Like I need to start anymore projects. 

  I have to catch up on May and June, but that shouldn't be so bad right???

I have been working on my Christmas projects and picking out new ones that I want to start, so I will have plenty to show you right??? Yes!!! I will sew lots. I will finish projects!! I think I can!!!

And one more picture just because Tonya sits under my feet and never complains when I take pictures of everything but her. Poor baby!!!

She is very happy to have her family back from traveling all over the world. She doesn't get impressed with pictures of the Pyramids or the Sydney Opera House. Go figure!!

OK, I will be back soon with more pictures since I am going to be sewing lots and lots.

Really I am!!!

L,A-

Early Bird Christmas Crafting

I have the air conditioner going and the fan running in my sewing room and I am merrily working away at Christmas presents. I can pretend I am back in Australia!!! My newly organized sewing room is a mess and I couldn't be happier. That means I am sewing!!!

Here is my notebook all Christmas-y:

My list is rather long so I need to get busy.

I have started making some re-usable coffee sleeves for everyone. Save a tree and don't burn your fingers all at the same time. I have a feeling everyone will be finished a little differently until I get the perfect one down, but I think you will get the idea so far.

I will hopefully have  more finished soon and I will also have pix of my jelly roll block and part 1 of my {Make} sew along totebag and and and and...but for now I need to get ready to go to the Post Market Preview Party at Bella's. Yes, I know I was just there, but now we get to see what all the lucky people who went to the Market got to see. Can't miss that!!! Oh and must use the 25% off coupon that is only good for tonight. Right???? Probably have more purchase pix tomorrow. Naughty me!!! Until then...keep on sewing!!! L,A-

Looking Back on the Journey

Moving back to the states, unpacking, sorting, and rearranging has led me back to this quilt.

This is my very first quilt and I finished it 5 years ago today. It seems like I have been at it forever, how quickly I have become addicted to this sport. It got me to thinking about all I have done, all the places I have traveled and all the great friends I have made along the way. It all started in Saudi Arabia where my husband was working. I was busy minding my own business making chocolate and fabric boxes and who should be there but the one and only Joy. Yep--that is where we met and she started me on a serious love of all things quilt!!!

This is our little group:

Notice those nice quilts down there on the floor?? The one at the top was project number two--that is not mine. I think I was still taking mine apart and putting it back together again at that time. A paper pieced stained glass--how nice is that for your second quilt. They obviously had been learning lots of things before I dropped in. I did finish the top, but it is still in a drawer waiting to be pinned and quilted. Strangely enough I did not give up after that one.
Shortly after learning we headed back to Florida for a little while. I joined Florida Cabin Fever Quilt Guild while I was there and bought my first Husqvarna. I still have Hannah, she just has a big sister now.
Soon after that we moved to Puckapunyal, Victoria is Australia. And then guess who returned to live there too---Yep--Joy. And she only lived a couple of hours away.  So we had some sew-ins there too.

This was my birthday sew-in. And all of those little squares at the end of the table are bits of my birthday quilt that Joy got for me. Guess what--it is still in pieces. I wasn't so good at half square triangles back then, so I kinda need to redo so of those. But strangely enough I still didn't quit.
One thing that I did finish quite appropriately while living in Australia was my son's that was covered in Frilled Neck Lizards and Tree Frogs.

Then we headed back to Florida and that was kind of a blur. I know I did some sewing, but there was also a new roof, and carpet and this and that and then it was off again to Perth, Western Australia. Yep we stopped in Victoria on the way. Not too much time for sewing though.
In Perth I totally got carried away. Darling Hubby bought me Hillary Husqvarna Designer Diamond at Handcrafter's House. A naughty little shop run by Michelle. I took a bunch of classes and learned lots of new things. This one is called Snake Trails. It is also finished.

And yep--Joy came to visit and we did a Mystery Quilt Marathon by Helen Stubbings.

We traded colors for this one. I did blue and she did purple.
I must also give a shout out to Di of Quilting is Blissful. It was in Perth that I finally got a little more into the high tech world and started this blog. Shortly after that I met Di who sews so fast you just have to try to keep up--no matter how impossible that is. I even won a giveaway from her. I gorgeous Christmas apron that she made. I will hang it in the kitchen--it is too pretty to actually use. She always makes you laugh with her silly jokes.
And yes, time flew by and two years were over and we had to return to the states. No not to Florida. This time we will be living in Virginia and this will probably be permanent---at least for awhile. I am back to my roots. I was born in Virginia and my mom lives 2 hours from here, so she is quite happy that we are back.
I already have a fun place to go fabric shopping called Bella's. I am sure they are quite happy to see me coming. Way, way, way too much pretty fabric in there.
Well, thank you all for listening. I do not want you to fall asleep reading.
I have enjoyed my quilting journey so far--can't wait to see what I learn next or who I will meet.
 L,A-