Progress is Being Made...Slowly

I just have a few minutes but wanted to share the Blue/Green quilt top's progression. 

 I think I am about half way done with the center part of the quilt and 

will need to figure out what I want to do about borders soon too.

I am pretty happy with how it is coming out so far.  

I hope my nephew and his new wife will love it too!

I will be welcoming a new sponsor on July 1st.  

You can already see her logo on my side bar.  

There will be a post telling you all about her and I will be hosting a generous giveaway sponsored by The Rustic Rooster beginning July 1, 

so be sure and check back here for the details!

I am going to get right home and pack for my retreat tomorrow.  

It goes all weekend.  

The Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild is the group that I am going with. 

 I can't wait!  

The meals are even provided!!  

Can't beat that.

What are your weekend plans?

~XOP~

Kitty Toes and Sewing Woes

I was working on my second wedding quilt on Sunday.  

I had all the squares made and it was time to put the top together.  

I had a pattern.  

Easy right? 

 WRONG!  

First I had so much help I couldn't see and sew at the same time.

 Just look at how close those adorable toes were to the needle!

 She finally settled down and I was able to put some of the top together. 

Have you ever started sewing assuming you knew how to put something together?  

I was doing this and could NOT figure out why my top was not coming out like the pattern!!  

Then I looked closer and realized what I was doing wrong. 

 I ended up having to rip out 3 rows and re-sew some ends and rows and ACK, 

it was NOT a great sewing night! 

 I don't happen to have a photo of the top so far but will take one soon.  

You can see the blocks here. 

A 4 patch sashed in white, and a 16 patch using blues and greens.  

The blocks alternate and are set on point.  

I am not sure I am going to do the borders as in the pattern but

 I am hoping to get the center part of the top finished before I leave for my quilting retreat on Friday.  

I am going with some of the others from the Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild 

for a quilt retreat this weekend. 

 I will be there from Fri-Sun, meals provided.  

Sounds like a great weekend which should also be very productive!  

I will be back later to share more.

~XOP~

More Destashing

I have a few more things to destash.  

You should know the drill by now!  

Send me an email with your address so I can tell you how much shipping will be.  

My email is mamaspark@gmail.com which is also my Pay Pal address.  

If you need an invoice just let me know that too.

Before we get started, I want tell you to stop back on July 1st.

I am picking up a new sponsor and there will be a giveaway!!

 Now here we go:

Fresh Cotton's FQ Bundle  $98 plus shipping

 2 yards Fresh Cottons yardage $18 plus shipping

 Fresh Cottons yardage 1 yard cuts $9.00 each yard plus shipping

 Fresh Cottons yardage half yard cuts $4.50 each plus shipping

 12 Days of Christmas kit, Includes panel, yardage, pattern and bag $30 plus shipping

 Denyse Schmidt Greenfield Hill one yard cuts $8 each plus shipping 

(The black rose print is sold)

 12 Days of Christmas Panel by Kate Spain $10 plus shipping

This weekend I went to see my dad and sister and it was a particularly LONG day.  

We left their house around 5 and drove for another hour to visit with my in-laws.  

We went to dinner with them and had a very nice time.  

We spent the night there and drove to Shipshewana in the morning on Saturday.  

It was nice to get away from all the every day stuff for a short bit of time 

and have some fun with hubby.  

I only bought a little fabric, like 2 yards and it is for a project I am working on. 

Thank you to everyone that keeps asking he is doing well.  

He told me that he feels like his eyesight is almost back to normal already! 

I did manage to get a little sewing done and will share more later.

How was your weekend?

~XOP~

New Destash

I have a few more things to destash so as before if you are interested, please email me at mamaspark@gmail.com

I will list the cost and will let you know how much shipping will be when you email me. 

 You can pay via Pay Pal to that same email address.  

Let's begin!

Fresh Cottons Layer cake by Moda $32

Dream On Layer cake by Moda $32 SOLD

12 Days of Christmas, Kate Spain, by Moda

Jelly Roll $32 SOLD

Charm Packs $8.00 each SOLD

Westminster Design Roll, It doesn't say but I think it may be Amy Butler.  

If you know this fabric let me know who the designer is.  $25.00

Woodland Bloom by Moda Charm Pack $8 SOLD

Hideaway Charm Packs $8 each SOLD

 Hampton Blues charm pack by Timeless Treasures $8 SOLD

Rendezvous charm pack by Exclusively Quilters $4

I will be visiting my dad and sister tomorrow then 

off to visit my MIL and FIL where we will spend the night.  

Sat am we will be going to Shipshewana.  

I am taking Captain one eye out and about, as I know how bored he is.  

He walked to the grocery store yesterday and 

we made Lobster and bacon macaroni and cheese for dinner last night.  

OMG this was the BEST mac and cheese I have ever eaten!  T

his photo does NOT do it justice.

YUM

I hope there is some left over for my dinner tonight!

More to share later!!

~XOP~

Butterflies and Weddings

I have been trying for what seems like forever to get to this wedding quilt. 

 Then a really good friend of mine learned that after one surgery 

she will have to undergo a second surgery and chemotherapy.  

So you *know* that means she needs a chemo quilt.  

OK no worries, I can do this! 

 I spoke with the 2 women I work with that I taught to quilt and we came up with this quilt. 

 (photo from the Clothworks website)

 It is a free pattern from Clothworks, made up of butterflies.  

We each had to make 6 butterflies.  

Here are mine all done and waiting to go into the quilt.

I also had to work on the wedding quilt and here is a quick shot of my progress on that too.

I have a quilting retreat next weekend so these 2 and 

the dolly quilt tops will all be done by the time I get home!

How was your weekend?

~XOP~

Got Stash?

I seem to have an overabundance of stash.  

What about you?  

I have been lugging Rubbermaid bins from the basement to the second floor of my home 

into my sewing room.  

I have been folding and stashing and folding some more. 

 It has been CrAzY!!  

I don't even know how many bins I have emptied and how many more I have to do.  

I do know that what I have left will never all fit into that one little room!  

Bins left > storage space to put said bins!

Thought you might like a peek to see how it is coming along.

 Shocking that the blue stash takes up TWO full cubbies right?

I need another cube on the top of the tall one and maybe two more where the basket is too,

 not sure if that will crowd the TV too much but I sure could use the storage! 

 Thankfully IKEA is about a block from my house!!!

Oh and what is on top of that tall cubby?  

Some Night Shade, Neptune and Hope Valley

JIC you were wondering about hubby.  

Apparently I am now married to a pirate!

Have an "Arrrrrmazing" weekend!!

~XOP~

More Raleigh Fun

I think I am coming to an end with my Raleigh trip

.  On Wednesday I got to meet with my friend 

(although we had never met IRL), Debbie, or Mrs Goodneedle if you will from the Strawberry Patch.  

She was among one of the first blogs I ever read and we have been fast friends for a long time now. 

I was super excited to be able to meet her in person.  

She drove for 2 hours to see me and to pick me up for our lunch. 

 I made her a little paper doll wall hanging/pillow also. 

 Hers had plaid dresses.

It's interesting that she has decided that I am in the blue/green dress and she is in the blue/purple one. 

 That was how I planned it too!

I can't believe that 3 hours felt like 5 minutes! 

 It was awesome! 

 It felt like we were long lost friends and just picked up where we had left off. 

 She sees life in a similar way to me.

  We have a creative endevor planned for the future too but I will let you wonder about that.

Thanks for a great visit Debbie. 

 I look forward to visiting you at your home next time and meeting Holly too!

Debbie kindly gifted me some Marcia Derse fabrics too.

  I'm not sure what rock I have been living under but these have the look of hand dyed and are just beautiful!  I will have to find just the right project for them. 

 Thank you my friend!

One of the things we talked about was Debbie's favorite quilt shop over my way,

 Thimble Pleasures in Chapel Hill. 

 So on Thursday when Kelsey and I went shopping I made her take me there. 

OMG this place was just amazing!

I had a list of fabric I was looking for and found much of the Tula Pink Nightshade I was after right here!

As well as a little Birds and Bees

In the morning Kelsey and I went to the Raleigh farm market.  

What an amazing place! 

 It is open every day and they have a restaurant!  

Where I was educated about the difference between city ham (on the left) and country ham (on the right)

It was fun to walk around here before meeting Debbie for lunch!

While on my shopping trip with Kelsey I managed to score this adorable Hello Kitty lunch box.

What's that?  

What will I do with this? 

 Why store projects in it of course!

I hope you have enjoyed my trip as much as I have. 

 Now it is back to reality. 

 The reality being my hubby had to have eye surgery yesterday. 

 A vitrectomy and removal of a gigantic floater. 

 The vitrectomy was where they peeled a membrane of of his retina. 

 Kinda gross really, and they had to put an air bubble in his eye to smooth out the wrinkles in the retina so he has had to lay face down  all day yesterday to keep it pressing on the retina. 

 Today he just has to keep looking down. 

 He can't really see out of the eye only see the air bubble. 

 Apparently the eye will replace the fluid over the next 7-10 days. 

 Surgery was successful though and he is resting. 

 Had his post op appointment today and he is progressing as well as he should. 

 He will be off work for over a month though. 

 Not really sure how long but long enough for him to pass his flight medical. 

 I hope I can handle his being here all the time for a month, LOL!

~XOP~