Yes, I am crazy!

It's official - I've lost my mind! I found Jane's blog sometime in June I think and her Halloween Swap had already started. I was SO disappointed because I love Halloween and would definitely have signed up for her swap. So this weekend when two spots became available due to some missing participants I begged Jane to let me in signed up. The blocks are due tomorrow! Obviously they will not be done by then but I told Jane I would do everything I could to get them to her by the end of the week. I hurried to the LQS on Saturday and purchased the fabric I needed and started sewing. Despite 2 parties to attend this weekend I made some good progress - here is my owl block:

Only 11 more of him to do! I also need to do twelve 12 1/2 inch 9 patch blocks for the swap - those are done already - I did them first on Saturday. The pieces for the other owls are fused and cut out - ready to be assembled and stitched.

***A note to other members of Jane's Halloween swap - I would love to do some private swaps for additional blocks if anyone is interested! Just leave me a comment or email me!

Meanwhile in other quilty news, I also managed to finish quilting my mini quilt for the doll quilt swap and attach the binding. Just need to hand sew the other side of the binding and attach a label and I can get that baby in the mail.


Have a pieceful day!

Secret Santa Christmas Swap

This weekend I got my partner for Chookyblue's Secret Santa Swap! I did this swap last year and it was so much fun!

My partner turns out to be someone whose blog I was already following on Google Reader but she is fairly new to me so I do have to go back and look at prior posts on her blog to get a really good idea of her likes and dislikes and then I will decide what to make for her!

Have a pieceful day!

A little repair work

Not much quilty going on here this week. I did trace a bunch of stitcheries for future stitching and started quilting my doll quilt. I also did a little repair work on a quilt I made for my oldest DD's best friend -

Seems her dog decided the quilt needed tasting. I forgot to take a picture after the repair - it was done in a hurry so Sue could take it with her on her vacation to South Carolina and give it to its owner in person - I hate the thought of shipping quilts and the possibility of them getting lost in the mail.

Lots of things scheduled for this weekend and unfortunately none of them are quilty.

Have a pieceful day!

What I did on my summer vacation

Over the last year I have been adding to my collection of DMC floss whenever it was on sale. I now should have ever color. While we were driving to the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania a few weeks ago I wound all the floss onto bobbins. I can't read or stitch while riding or I get car sick but I was able to do this!

A few months ago I discovered I can also stuff doll parts while riding in the car. Since DH and I commute an hour each way to work every day and he usually does the driving I am always anxious to find things I can tolerate doing in the car without my stomach doing flip flops. Does anyone else have this problem? What have you found you can do in the car?

Have a pieceful day!

Doll Quilt Swap

This is the quilt I am planning on sending my swap partner for Doll Quilt Swap 7. It is from the book Miniatures in Minutes. The book uses a paper piecing technicque different from any I've used before. You also piece on vellum so that you can see through the paper.

It took some adjusting to but I got the hang of it pretty quick. There are some other quilts in the book I would like to try. This quilt isn't actually in the book. The author Terrie Sandelin posts a project on her website once a month that uses the pattern sheets from the book in a new way. This was August's project.

Today hopefully I will get time to quilt this little quilt and maybe the bowtie quilt that I posted the other day also.

Have a pieceful day!

Bow tie doll quilt

This is a doll quilt top I made recently. I was thinking of it for the Doll Quilt Swap but I'm pretty sure I've decided on another one for that. So I will quilt this up and either keep it or donate it to the guild for the mini quilt auction at our upcoming quilt show. It went together pretty quickly so maybe I'll make another one and keep this or vice versa.

This was made from a charm pack (the darks - the lights are from stash). I used the same fabrics for the quilt I am using for the swap plus I used scraps from the charm pack for sashing for my Noah's Ark BOM (will show that in a day or two) - so that charm pack made its way into 3 mini quilts - not too bad, huh?!?

Have a pieceful day!

Pincushion fever returns

This weekend I decided to play around with making some pincushions. I have about a gazillion pincushion patterns that I want to make - these are two of them:

This one started as a test block for an idea I had for my quilt for Doll Quilt Swap 7. It didn't make the cut for the doll quilt so I bordered it and made it into a pincushion.

This one is a Leanne's House pattern that I got as a kit in a pincushion of the month club from Quilt Fabric Delights in Austrailia. There are 3 or 4 other designs that are part of the pattern too. I had a little problem with the ricrac on this one but hopefully I have the technique down for the next one.

I filled both with crushed walnut shells - first time I've used them and I really liked them.

Have a pieceful day!

Stitcher's Angel Swap

Helen is running the Stitcher's Angel swap again this year. I did not participate in the swap last year but this year I signed up. Each week there is a free project from a different designer. You do not have to participate in the swap to receive the projects - so hop on over to Helen's blog for this week's (the first) project - its a beautiful bag!
My partner in this swap is from another country - can't tell you which one - its a secret! I love international swaps don't you (except the postage which limits what you can send weightwise). We are supposed to send 3 handmade items - I have 2 planned out and am thinking on what the third will be.

Have a pieceful day!

Baby Girl pillow

Back in February or March of 2008 I posted a pillow I made for my friend Sue when her first grandson was born. A few weeks ago I made the girl version for my sister-in-law when my nephew and his wife had their first child (and her first grandchild).



I just love this pattern and it stitches up so fast. The pattern is from Bare Roots.

I've been having major computer issues at home and can't upload photos at work so if my posting is sparse the next few weeks (or without many pictures) please forgive me!

Have a pieceful day!

An Oldie!

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Originally uploaded by piecefulchaos

I came across this photo today and thought I'd share it. This is a quilt I made for DD before she was born 19 years ago. It is hand pieced and hand quilted. The fabrics look SO old now!

Have a pieceful day!

A few posts ago I wrote that DH and I took a little mini vacation to the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. On the way we were able to stop at a shop I've been wanting to get to for years - Endless Mountain Quiltworks in Tunkhannock, PA.

I had met the owner, Jeanette at market a few years ago when I attended with my friend who owned the LQS. I've also seen Jeanette vending at some local quilt shows and she always has such nice things so the posse and I have been dying to see her shop.

Lets just say I was not disappointed and if DH was not with me the loot would have been a lot bigger! She has some of everything - redwork, reproductions, novelties, thimbleberries, lots of gorgeous samples to inspire.... I took these pictures to show the posse what they missed and to convince them that we NEED to do a road trip to Tunkhannock SOON! So I thought I'd share the pics with you all as well.

We also stopped at another shop in Wellsboro, PA - Needles Quilt Shop - no pics from that one - sorry! But if you are ever in Wellsboro this one is worth the stop also - lots of civil war reproductions and homespuns and two owners who are the nicest ladies - even DH was chatting it up instead of sitting on a bench waiting like usual!

Have a pieceful day!

Fishys

My investigator at work just had a baby (or his wife did anyway) so I made this little baby quilt for their new addition.

I don't think the picture shows it but those are fish in the center and top and bottom panels.

I just did a loop de loop quilting design and it quilted up in no time. I have to remember that next time I procrastinate about machine quilting!

Have a pieceful day!

A short vacation

Week before last DH and I had a vacation week. We only went away for two days though. DH's sister and her husband recently bought a cabin in North Central Pennsylvania and we took a ride up there. It is near the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania.



Unfortunately the weather was not the greatest during our visit so this is the best picture I could get. There is also a great quilt shop in town so i was able to do a little shopping! We are looking forward to getting back there again - there are lots of hiking and biking trails, lakes, etc.



Have a pieceful day!