More blocks

I wanted to do just a quick post (I'm going on a little road trip to one of my very favorite quilt shops today!) to show you my latest Non Farmer's Wife blocks.  As usual, I was caught up for a short time...a very short time!  I finished them Sunday evening and Randy posted 2 more Monday morning!  But that's ok, I'm just happy that I haven't fallen way behind.  Looking at these blocks now, I wish I would have changed a few things.  And, I must not have had enough coffee when I took the pictures because they are all crooked!

 Should have made the centers of the 9 patches red.

 Wish I would have put the medium red where the medium black is, and vice versa.

I think I would prefer red corners.  Geesh!  Maybe I should think a little harder when I am piecing these blocks!  But,  I guarantee they will not be re-done.  I'm doing good to make them once, let alone twice!

And one last thing...my very last (#12) Primitive Gatherings, Summer Block of the Week block...

Sad that it is over!  But...it's really not over because now I'm working on the setting blocks and the border will come next.

And what's a post (yes...I said this was going to be quick...what happened to that?) without a fluffy or two?

You see Miss CC in the chair, but do you notice anyone else?  See those little paws peeking out from behind my flannel wall?  That would be Callie, trying to get CC to play with her!  So entertaining!

Have a great day!

What's happening here...

It seems that most everyone loves the fall season and the beautiful colors of the leaves.  Our trees have been really vibrant this year and I thought I would share what I see all day when I look out the window of my sewing room...

The picture really doesn't do justice to the true colors, but you get the idea.

I finally finished stitching the last block from the summer BOW from Primitive Gatherings and will share a picture of it next time.  I received the finishing kit and it did not disappoint - the wools are wonderful and the flannel for the setting triangles and border are a much deeper, richer red than what the pictures online look like.  I have the six setting squares prepped and ready to stitch.  They are simple hearts with stars, so they shouldn't take long (famous last words, right?).

I've sold a lot of Poor Lil' Punky kits...

 Pumpkin pendants have been flying off the shelf as well.  Now I really need to go shopping for some more orange fabrics!

 I've been really busy with "Charming" - you remember these are the charms from the first month.  I am almost finished piecing the second installment of charms, but the pattern is a secret, so I can't show them here just yet.  We still have to do the glass work on all of them, so we will be busy for awhile!

And, I'm still not caught up with my Non-Farmer's Wife blocks (shocking, I know!).  Only 3 behind at this point - so I can handle that.  That's what I've been up to - are you all keeping busy?

Now it's off to the dreaded treadmill!

More Cuteness

This is my little 4 year old grandson, Kaden - isn't he the cutest thing?  I love this picture of him peeking through my sewing machine.

He came to visit the other night, and he always wants to "make something for Dad". I need to come up with some ideas of things we can make (all ideas are welcome!).  I had some Iowa Hawkeye fabric, so we made little 2" pillows.  Not too exciting - but he had fun and that's the main thing!

Have a great day!

AQS show, some blocks, and of course, a kitty

I managed to piece together two more of my Non-Farmer's Wife blocks...

 I sure wish I could capture the real color of these fabrics - I don't think any of my  pictures are even close and these seem to be extra-bad.  The true background is a nice rich tan and these reds are not as orange as they appear here.  You can ask MTM (that would be Marty, the mail lady!) - she was surprised when she saw them in person - they are much better!

Speaking of MTM - we went to the AQS show in Des Moines together last week.  We had a really great time - saw lots of goodies in all of the vendor booths and so many really beautiful quilts.  We both had amazing restraint and really didn't buy all that much.  I bought some thread, a gift that can't be talked about here, and a little tumbler ruler/template.  That is an all-time record!  I usually go crazy and buy lots.  And it's not that there was nothing tempting...I just really am trying to restrain myself.  My stash closet is stuffed and I haven't finished a single thing that I bought on my trip to Wisconsin this last spring.  Realistically there just isn't a thing that I need.  Marty found a few things - one was a really nice fall wool table topper.  I thought she was turning over a new leaf, and was going to learn how to do wool applique, but she had other things in mind - she is hoping that her mom will make it for her!  She enjoys hand work and I'm sure will do a great job - I can't wait to see it finished.

I always love meeting new people and visiting with old friends at quilt shows.  I delivered a jewelry order to the girls of Yellow Creek Quilt Designs.  They always have an attractive booth.  I absolutely love all of their designs and color choices - SO TEMPTING!  There are a couple of their patterns that I've had my eye on forever, but I restrained!  We also chatted with Rita from Quilter's Station - she, too really tempted me.  Her booth looked amazing and was one of my favorites.  She was the first booth that we visited, and I really intended to stop back by and pick up a few things, but I didn't do it!  The bad thing was, I loved everything in her booth - there were some great kits that were really calling my name, but again...I resisted!  Not sure I will be able to resist going to her shop in a few weeks when I go to Lee's Summit, MO to vend a show.

I met Dawn from Sew Cherished last spring when I was in Kansas City for market.  Then we chatted again at the show in Blue Springs, MO where we were both vending.  She had a wonderful booth in Des Moines and of course we had to stop and visit (this is where Marty bought her wool kit).  I once again resisted all of the temptations (I honestly don't know how I did it!).  Dawn purchased some jewelry from me and will be offering it for sale at some of her upcoming shows, so if you see her at shows, make sure to check it out.  And look at all of her goodies - she has a wonderful wool pumpkin pillow with a bunch of her crazy stitches on it.  I always threaten to take it home with me!  I have come so close to buying the kit for it - have had it in my hand several times, but always restrain myself!  (you know, one of these days I'm just going to go crazy and buy all of this stuff!).  I also met a few of my customers and blog followers who I had never met in person before, so that was really fun.

We also got to chat a bit with Lyn from More Sew For You in Omaha, NE.  Lyn has been a customer of mine for awhile now, but this is the first time that we have met in person.  It was great to chat with her and her booth was also wonderful.  She had some nice things that you don't see all the time - some great Sue Daley quilts, among other things.

Of course, you can't go to a big quilt show without spending time in the Primitive Gatherings booth!  It was awesome, as always!  But, again...I showed great restraint!  I did buy the little tumbler template there, but that was it. And that is a first, let me tell you!

There were lots of other great booths and so much eye candy everywhere.  I think sometimes at these shows I just kind of go on overload and don't take in as much as I should.  There are several things that I wish I would have looked at closer, now that I'm home.  But, it's just as well...did I mention that my stash runneth over??

After the show we were starving (because we hadn't eaten since early that morning when we stopped at the bakery in Pella - YUM!), and decided to head to The Cheesecake Factory.  There are so many choices - it was hard to decide what to order.  Finally we each ordered a pasta dish and split them so we could try both.  The food was good, the service...not so much!  We decided that our waiter must have some other talents and maybe took that job because that is all he could find.  He was really bad!  But, we had a great time just chatting and enjoying our pasta. The more time we spend together, the more amazed we are at how much we have in common!  There are very few things that we talked about that we disagree on - we have very similar tastes in just about everything.  We have discovered that our opinions differ on politics, but I don't care much to discuss that anyway!

Back on the homefront...I still have not finished my last block from the Primitive Gatherings Summer Block of the Week!  I think I just don't want it to end.  It is about 2/3 of the way finished, and won't take long at all to complete.  The finishing kit showed up on my doorstep (thanks to MTM - haha!) a couple of weeks ago. The kit is just gorgeous - the wools are so rich and deep and the red flannel for the setting squares is much darker and richer in person than what you see on the website.  It is just such a great quilt.  I really need to get to working on it!

I have been doing a bit of hand quilting once in awhile in the evenings.  This quilt has been a WIP for a looooong time and at this rate it may stay that way for even longer....Miss CC has made it her napping place!

Look at her, hiding her little face.  I just don't have the heart to bother her!  So, that is my excuse for that WIP staying a WIP for now.

I better get in gear - I'm making lots of jewelry - getting ready for the show in Lee's Summit and just filling orders.  I've been making loads of these...

And I've also had to make up another batch of kits of Poor Lil' Punky...

So I think everyone must be in the mood for Fall - I know I sure am!

Have a great day!

The Ultimate in Cuteness

I'm sure I have probably shown you this picture before too, but I came across it, and I just can't help myself but to post it.  This is Callie when she was very little.  I think she had been tearing around the house like a wild little maniac, and finally wore herself out.  Is she not the cutest little thing that you've ever seen?

It just doesn't get any cuter than this!

I'm off to the AQS show in Des Moines bright and early tomorrow morning.  Can't wait!

Have a great day!

**I'm linking up with Sarah's Feline Friday blog - make sure to go visit her!

Wall o' quilts

Lately I've seen a lot of blogs showing pictures of how they decorate with quilts, often small quilts.  It seems that so many people are making small quilts these days, and I love seeing each and every one of them!  One of my very first blog posts showed my Wall of Small Quilts, and I thought I would share it again today.  I have a bunch more of these, but I like the ones that are up, so I have just left them.  I hung them with the tiny applique pins with a silver head, so I could easily take them down and change things around.  Maybe some day!




What do you do with your small quilts?

Hope you have a great day!

One more block and a silly cat

I haven't been working on much except for jewelry, but I did piece one more of my NFW blocks...

I think the moment that I finished this one, Randy sent out instructions for one more, and a note saying that there will be three more this Wednesday!  How can it be time for more already?!  So I guess I better get busy and make the next two - one is cut out and ready to sew, so that shouldn't take too long.

While I was busy with the above block, Callie was being her silly self...Hiding behind my design wall...

Still hiding, but wanting to play...

I don't know what it is, but she loves to be behind doors!  She usually wants you to play through the crack, but then she gets lazy and lays down and wants you to play under the door.  What a goof!

Have a great Sunday!!

Still Winning!

I was really on a winning streak for awhile (me and Charlie Sheen) - I won this awesome book from Dawn Heese from Linen Closet Quilts...

Doesn't the cover just make you want to look closer?  I can't believe that I won this!  The projects are really inspiring, and I was already a big fan of Dawn's designs.  Be sure to check out her blog and get a copy of her latest book - it really is a good one!

We have finally finished up the first month of charms for "Charming" - our brand new charm bracelet program. They are all shipped, and if you haven't received yours yet, you should be getting it very soon.  Below is a picture of some of the charms - I think it was about 3/4 of the total orders.  Each of these are 3/4" in size...

 I've got some of the next release done - I probably better get back on track for those.  Also, thanks to some of you, I sold out of pumpkin pendants and scissor fobs last week!  I am working on more today.

And speaking of pumpkins - Simple Quilts magazine is now on the newsstands, I saw it at Wal-Mart over the weekend -

And a picture of my Lil' Punky pin cushion that is in this issue...

I've sold several of the magazines and kits (thanks to all of you!), and still have some in stock on my website, if you are interested.  And, be sure to check out Kindred Quilts blog...(we have an over-achiever on our hands!).  She bought the magazine and kit and has already whipped up Punky, and is working on four more! While you are there, sign up to be a Follower so you can see just how much she gets accomplished!

I also wanted to share my latest Non Farmer's Wife blocks...

Three down and just 2 to go - and they are all cut out and ready to sew - hopefully that will happen some time this week.

I had a great time at the Twilight Stitchers quilt show in Blue Springs, MO last weekend!  I didn't have time to take any pictures (you know I am sooo bad about that!) - but actually we barely had time to run through and look at the quilts.  The show went well, and I met lots of great people.  Now I have about a month to re-group before the next show in Lee's Summit. Really looking forward to that as well.  Now...I better get some pumpkins made!

Hope you all have a great day!

Poor Lil' Punky

Good Morning!  Here in Iowa we are headed into Fall – my favorite season.  I love the cooler temperatures and to see the leaves changing color.  Then there are some of the foods that I associate with the change of seasons - I made pumpkin bars last week, and have been thinking about different soups to make during the cooler days.  And, we can’t have Fall without having pumpkins!  A few months ago, “Simple Quilts and Sewing” magazine asked me to design a pin cushion for their fall issue - the first thing I thought of was a pumpkin.    My design is Poor Lil’ Punky” – isn’t he cute? So cute that you might hate to poke him with pins!

The magazine will not be out in the stores until the last week of September, but I was lucky enough to get some in advance.

There are lots and lots of fun projects in here – see those cute owls on the cover?  Adorable!  So many items to choose from – several bags, hot pads, a casserole carrier, stitcher’s caddy, quilts (of course!) and even some costumes for kids. 

The good news for all of you is…you can purchase this magazine NOW on my website!  AND…you can also buy a kit for Poor Lil’ Punky!  The kit includes everything you need (including the fabric for the  back and the muslin liner) to make the pin cushion, then you can choose your favorite filler when you finish.  A couple of the fabrics may vary from the picture above, but they will be very similar.  Remember, when ordering – the magazine and the kit are sold separately.  The pattern is in the magazine and is not sold alone or with the kit.

Of course, if you love fall like I do – you may want to buy yourself a little fall gift – maybe a little pumpkin pin, pendant, or scissor fob!

 They are also available online.  So…time to do your shopping!  Go to www.meandmystitches.com and see what you can find!

Have a great week!

Continued progress, a little bird watching and some fluffies

We are busy, busy with jewelry trying to get ready for the next show - it is in Blue Springs, MO - September 14th and 15th.  If you are in the area come and visit!

But, besides that, I have tried so hard to keep up on my Non Farmer's Wife blocks.  Finally I got caught up. And guess what?  There will be 3 new ones tomorrow.  So, yes, as usual, I'm caught up for about 2 days!  Here's my work - don't look too closely and don't judge me!  Lol

It does feel great to be caught up, even if it is only for a little while!

I also finished two more of my Primitive Gatherings SBOW - and yes...I can't help myself...I still love them!

I am now working on the 12th and final block, and can honestly say that I'm sorry it's almost over!  I haven't received the finishing kit yet but there will be plenty of stitching on it (so it's not really over yet!).

Another thing I've been working on...

Any guesses on what these are?  If you buy Simple Quilts Magazine, you will find out!  Actually I don't think it is supposed to be on newsstands until September 24th or 25th.  They have promised that I will have my copies before the show on the 14th - so they will be on sale in my booth with this kit available as well.  They will also be on my website if there are any left after the show.

We have also been doing a little (literally!) bird watching.  Every summer we normally have a couple of hummingbirds and always put out feeders for them. I think I remember at most having 4-6.  This year?  WOW!!!  Whole different story!  We have had between 30 and 40 hummingbirds!  It is insane.  I don't know where in the heck they are all coming from.  DH makes their food super sweet, so I assume that is the attraction.  They are so much fun to watch and every time we look out we are amazed at how many of them there are.  They just swarm around the feeders.  There are a few bullies in the bunch that choose a feeder and sit above it, then chase off anyone who comes there to feed.  Here are a couple of pictures - I wish we had some that showed more of them, but they are so hard to capture on camera.

 I think there are at least 10 in the picture below.  Amazing!

The kitties are quite interested in them as well - I think Callie has dreams of catching one!

As always while we work away, this is what the fluffies are up to (besides dreaming of birds)...

 Above is Callie - I was digging through my batting remnants in this crock and she didn't hesitate to jump in.  I think she looks like a chicken sitting on her eggs!

And then there's CC.  Doesn't she just look...indifferent to it all!?  She has taken over the ironing board, that pile of fabric AND the remote control!  Geesh!  I think it's easy to see who rules this roost!  Oh, and not to forget Ozzie - he is off sleeping in the closet!  Be sure to hop on over to Sarah's Feline Friday post to see what some other furry friends are up to!

Have a great week!