I finally got the mouse quilt home and bound!

I had it custom quilted and it is GORGEOUS!

Pattern is called Field Mice by Meags and Me.

Next up is the quilt top I made for Avery, but it may end up with another little boy.

He was obsessed with garbage trucks.

He still is to a certain extent.

We shall see where it's new home is.

Stay tuned!

This is the quilt top I pattern tested for Sandra Healy 

I believe it is available in her shop now.

So you are now almost all caught up.

I will write more as time allows.

I am out living my best life!

Hopefully you are too.

~XOP~

Sew Place Like Home

 Better late than never, right?

I love the Art East Quilt Company patterns.

Sew Place Like Home is no exception.

They had me at Dorothy.

I have been slogging my way through the blocks.

Here is my progress so far.

Dorothy was the first block.

I found some sparkly red for her ruby slippers.

The Scarecrow

Some house blocks for the border

And some rainbow border blocks

Poppies also for the border

The Tin Man

Cowardly Lion

(I really love this one)

The Emerald City

More border blocks

Finally Glinda the good witch.

ALL of these blocks have some very little pieces.

I started using one of the products recommended by Art East for pressing.

The Acorn pressing solution.

It was a game changer for EXTREMELY flat seams.

I bought the kit (find it here)

The kit includes the solution, the refillable pen and the glue.

The glue is also a good product to align small seams to make thing match up more easily.

I had to stop working on these for the moment as I have been doing some pattern testing.

I made some things for Clothworks for the trade show they are going to.

I tested a quilt for them too.

I don't think I can show those yet though.

I tested for Sandry Healy.

Some blocks and a quilt.

I will share those in another post.

I am currently working on a test for Meags and Me.

Then will be testing some machine embroidery for them as well.

Once all that is done I can get back to Oz.

What are you all up to?

~XOP~

It's Been a Minute

 I am so sorry it's been so long. 

 Life seems to be moving at warp speed these days. 

 Theo girl is already 7 months old.  

She is crusing around the furniture and I don't think it will be long before we have an independent walker, oh my!

Avery is almost three and a half already.

Learning his letters and we are having a lot of fun together.

My health.

I went home to MI in Feb for a quilt retreat but also for doctor appointments.

Mammogram was normal.

Oncology visit was normal.

Learned my oncologist is also a quilter.

I think we spent more time talking quilting after my check up was done than during the appointment!

She is awesome.

Quilt retreat was up next.

Met up with my SIL, my friend Kailie and my other friend Cori.

It was a much needed respite from childcare duties.

I had made this ghost pillow to go with the book,

the Patchwork Quilt that was a Ghost.

I stuffed him and closed him up at retreat.

I have a second one waiting to stuff and close at home.

Kailie taught me how to make a Hamingway pouch.

I am now OBSESSED with them.

I made this one for my kindle

I used 2 of my favorite Tilda fabrics.

Next up were some advent calendars.

I made this exact one for Avery and he loves his "mail pockets" so much

 one of his friends asked for one too

I made 2 of these.  

One for his friend and one for a dear friend of the family.

She had twin girls and has another daughter, and recently they just had a son.

This is the back of the one for Avery's friend

And this is the back of the one for our friends kids

Realizing that perhaps it might be too much to expect 4 kids to share one,

I made a second one for them.

Isn't this house the cutest?

This is the back of the house one.

The directions tell you how to add the pockets but not really how to finish it.

I quilted all three, and added the tabs then bound them.

They came out pretty cute, I think.

Can't wait to mail these off next fall.

Another quilt on the "to do" list was this Minnie mouse quilt.

I needed to bind it so I could gift it.

I managed to get it bound while at retreat.

Will have to gift when I get home in the fall.

I used a white minky on the back.

Here we are on our last day together.

I sure do miss these ladies!

Seems like all this just happened yet it was a whole month ago already!

I have more quilty things to catch you up on.

I will be posting over the next few days to catch up.

Hope you all have been well!

~XOP~