Wednesday WIP

so...it's Wednesday, and I almost have my weekly goal met!  Lots of flying geese have been trimmed and today I am working on pinwheels.

Since we are heading out to Dallas first thing in the morning....I hope to get all the little pinwheels finished.  What's on your table today?

I don't know why my blog says I am a no-reply blogger....does anyone know how to fix that???

Oh my!  My boot post is featured on Midweek Makers!  Yay!  and thank you!  I am having a ball making the boots..every time I finish one I hold it up and say....oh yes! I would totally wear this boot! I may have to make a boot quilt for myself!

Texas Two Step from Fons and Porter  2015 July-August

Have a great week!

grace and peace....Sharon

Linking to :  Midweek Makers and Lets Bee Social

Gardeners Prize

Thrilled to be in Modern Quilts Unlimited Spring issue!  This is a fun little project using English Paper Piecing and applique on a pieced background.  I hope you like it, and will share with me if you should decide to make it.

EPP has quickly become one of my favorite things to carry with me and have a bit of handwork readily assessable.  My "Millie" quilt is slowly coming along...not quite there yet! We have a Millie group in our quilt guild...it is fun to see the fabrics that everyone is using. 

So...I have 200 flying geese to trim up and house to clean before company shows up this evening.  Trimming the FG is much higher on my list of fun things to do compared to housework, right?

grace and peace...Sharon

Linking to Monday Making

                 Fabric Tuesday

No Finishes

My head is full of ideas...so I flit from one project to another....and you know what that means!!!!
Nothing is finished...so today my goal is to at least get one set together and ready to quilt!

I am having fun playing with Dresden Plates and Flying Geese....not sure how this will end up, but liking it so far!

And the UPS guy delivered a lovely box of fabric from MODA...Sundrops by Corey Yoder.  It is darling, happy fabric!  I love the selvages..."she used bits of sunshine to make beautiful things".
Secret sewing going on for Moda Bake Shop!


And of course...my yard and flower beds are in dire need of my attention this afternoon!  It is supposed to be beautiful weekend, so I am going to go soak up some sundrops outside!

Have a weekend full of the things that make you smile!  Lilies of the Valley have always been a favorite of mine...ohhhh...the fragrance!

And I had the coolest thing happen...a Christian magazine from Romania requested to use some of my art in their magazine!  Isn't the internet amazing?  Here is what I have given them to use so far...in Romanian of course!

grace and peace...Sharon

Linking up to Fabric Frenzy Friday and Design Board Monday

Texas Two Step

My grand daughter has a birthday coming up soon, so I decided I should get started on the quilt I want to make for her.  I fell in love with this quilt by Liz Porter....Texas Two Step.. so perfect for my cow girl! Yesterday our quilt guild had Spring Fling Sewing Day,,,,and it was a nice, rainy day to begin.  I love sewing days with my friends...so much inspiration and good food!

Each boot will be different...and every time I get one put together I think, now I would wear that!  This pattern is in the Fons and Porter July/August  issue if you want to give it a try...it is a very fun block to make and very easy!

What's on your design wall today?

Linking to Quilt Story ,     Midweek Makers    Let's Bee Social   and Oh Scrap!

Book review

 The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting  is a wonderful resource book for quilters both long arm and domestic sewing machine.Along with lots of helpful tips, step-by-step photos, and diagrams. It's like an intensive quilting class in one handy volume. What better way to build your skills than quilt by quilt? 

I know machine quilting can be intimidating sometimes, but you guys, you can't learn how to do something without doing it. There will always be projects you'll look back at four years later and say, "Wow, what was I thinking?" But it's all part of the process, right? All you can do is build those skills one finished quilt at a time. And enjoy the results of that process. This book is all about that.

This book gives you many options for finishing your quilt, and advises which designs and motifs are better done on a long-arm machine compared to the home sewing machine.  Each of the 10 projects have two approaches to machine quilting...I loved this aspect!  There is something to learn from both Christa and Angela.  

I do not have a long arm machine, and so I quilt on my Janome Horizon 7700,  which I absolutely love!  Since I have back issues, this is a better way for me to machine quilt. This book is helping me to become more skilled at free motion quilting and I think it will do the same for you.  If you are on the fence about trying to machine quilt, or you want to improve your skill set...get this book for your library!

Available at Amazon!   Also, you can get a signed copy from Christa or Angela.
A few weeks ago, I met Angela and viewed some of her first quilts and the quilts from this book.  After seeing where she began...and where she is now, I knew with lots of PRACTICE I could do this!

Hope you enjoy this marvelous book as much as I do! 

Tweet Thang

Bella and I are excited to have a new pattern out...the first in a little series called Birdtopia! Stay tuned for some whimsical and zany characters!

Click here to get the pattern.  It is quick and easy...use up those scraps! If you decide to make this, I would love to see a picture....pretty please!

Sleepless nights!  That darn prednisone! Doesn't Bella look annoyed that I woke her up?  Usually it is the other way around! At least I am getting a lot done..I can't just lay there with my eyeballs wide open staring at the ceiling!

It is another beautiful spring day...hard to stay in and sew...my garden is calling me! Gardening seems to be another creative outlet for quilters.  What about you?  What is on your plate today?

Grace and peace....Sharon

Linking up to Fort Worth Fabric Frenzy and Whoop! Whoop!  today....lots of fun links to check out.
Also linking to Bits 'n Bobs Design Board.

Doodling with needle and thread

The quilt is finished and delivered!  Yay!

When I finally got in the groove, it was fun to machine quilt on my Janome 7700. I love that
machine!

And when Bella is through taking her nap, this is what I am working on now.  I am having fun putting free-motion quilting in the borders.

And look what my sweet hubby made!  A very cool steampunk lamp from old pipe fittings!
Can you tell he is a retired pipe-fitter?

Linking up to Quilt Story Fabric Tuesdaya today!  Lots of fun stuff going on over there! And on Wednesday linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts...more fun!

Blogging on McCall's Editor blog today

So, McCall's invited me to do a blog post on the Editors' blog....at first I balked at the idea.  Thinking I had nothing to offer up...but then I thought, do it!  And here it is!


Everyday, my sweet husband asks me how the quilt for the Community Services League auction is coming along.  And everyday, I answer, don't worry...it will be ready in time!  I work better at the last minute, doesn't everyone?  Here it is...quilted and ready for binding...except I cannot find the piece I wanted to use for the binding, and may have to use a solid black.

You can get the pattern from the Moda Bake Shop...it is my Summer Garden quilt in a smaller version for a wall hanging.  It was fun to custom free motion quilt...I got my doodle on with this one!

After taking a class learning about paperpieceing from Eileen, I have been a little obsessed with it.  LOVE the Add-a-Quarter ruler and all the wonderful tips I learned!  You cannot see the background upclose, but the fabric is from Zen Chic of Moda and has all kinds of math problems printed on it.  Love it!  I named this one Every Which Way....because that is how math makes my brain feel!  Then I decided to try out my new ruler foot for my domestic sewing machine,  I am liking it!  And I have to tell myself that each one will get better...stick with it!! The little flying geese are from Jeliquilts and it is the free border pattern listed.  Very quick and easy!

Wishing you a peaceful week filled with grace....thanks for stopping by today!
Sharon

Linking up to Lets Bee Social.  and Fabric Frenzy Friday and Whoop! Whoop!