Craftster Lap Quilt Blocks Received!

I have started getting many blocks in the mail over the last couple of weeks and I am so excited about how these quilts are going to look!

From left to right, top to bottom: whoopdedoo_5, laurel, ritapizza, KRB, and gordongirl
The blocks above are from the pampered pooch fabric I sent out. I love the one ritapizza and gordongirl sent. They are so pretty! Can you see all that applique ritapizza did? I am in awe!

From left to right: whoopdedoo_5, LibbyK, LouraPalmr, and gordongirl
This is going to be a picnic quilt. The two on the right are my favorites. The basket is just perfect for a picnic quilt and I love the star that gordon girl created with the strawberry fabric as the focus.

I can't wait to start receiving more of these! I also need to get on the ball and finish up the squares I have left and start sending them out!

Hourglass Quilt: WIP

When I was in Birmingham last summer, I picked up this fabric in the hope of creating an hourglass quilt. Well, I returned home and started on it but got sidetracked into many other projects so it got put away for awhile. I am trying to finish up all my scattered works in progress and this is on its way to completion. I used this tutorial at crazymomquilts. I did not cut the block into fourths. I just cut it diagonally and then sewed my color triangle to the blue triangle and then cut it in half the other way. It created the same effect for me and I didn't have as much to sew!

It took awhile because I kept sewing the hourglass shapes going the wrong way so I spent some time with my seam ripper. I have a love/hate relationship with that seam ripper! I almost have all all of my rows sewn together horizontally; I just need to sew all those rows together for the middle section.

It is going to be approximately 10 5" blocks across and 15 5" blocks down. I then need to add a border. Since I don't have much fabric left, I will have to go purchase some more-darn. :) I am thinking orange polka dots for a 5" border all around. That might change when I get to the store!

Craftster Lap Quilt Swap Winter Edition: Blocks for whoopededoo_5, southernflower, ritapizza, and lourapalmr

I have finished more blocks for the Craftster Lap Quilt Swap. The one above is for ritapizza. I tried wavy seams with this one due to the mermaids. I liked the idea of the mermaids floating up a waterfall and the tadpole jars lined up below waiting to sprout in the water. I love her fabric and her finished quilt is going to be gorgeous!

This is another one for whoopdedoo_5 using her other set of fabric.


The one above and below is for southernflower. I love the color combinations she sent out.

I really like the scaley green fabric in this one.

This final one is for lourapalmr. She sent out lots of scrappy fabric. Her quilt will be full of different types of fabric when it is finished. I know it will be beautiful!

Craftster Lap Quilt Swap Winter Edition: Blocks for whoopdedoo_5, SandyBradley, and Laurel

Still working on these Lap Quilt Blocks! I know it must be getting boring to keep seeing just quilt block squares, but it helps me keep track of what I have finished by having them cataloged here. It also serves as a visual journal of what I have accomplished throughout my days.

The block above is for Whoopdedoo_5. I love the sand and surf fabric she is using. The blues and browns are such soothing, calm colors. I have one more block I need to make for her.


This block is for Sandy Bradley. She wanted us to use the rosebud fabric (in the middle) and the purple. She sent so many beautiful fabrics that I wanted to use them all!

Finally, a block for Laurel. I love the simplicity of this one. The tan background is such a warm, natural brown.

My tally is now eleven out of twenty-two blocks finished! Only eleven more to go, but I am half way there!

I am still knitting for about half an hour each night and progress is being made on my scarf. I think I ended up tearing out about 9 rows, but I have reknitted all those rows! It does look better now.;)

Craftster Lap Quilt Progress: Blocks for 1boy1girl1kitty2, and gordongirl!

I worked on some of my Craftster Lap Quilt Swap blocks this weekend and made some progress!
These two batik blocks are for 1boy1girl1kitty2. I love the happiness of these fabrics!




I also finished two blocks for my friend gordongirl!The block isn't as wonky as the picture makes it seem.... It is a modified log cabin.

Here is her next block. I really like this one-it is so cheerful! I hope you like them.

My progress so far is 8/22. I need fourteen more!

Craftster Lap Quilt Swap Winter: Blocks for LibbyK and KRB

I completed two more blocks for my Craftster Lap Quilt Swap Winter Edition Swap. That is a really long title! The one above is for LibbyK. I like how her final quilt is going to be black, white, and a little bit of color thrown in. Everyone received different shades of black and white and a different color print. I am looking forward to seeing her finished quilt.


This one is for KRB. She chose a more traditional palette, and I like how the prints play off each other. I am going to try to finish a few more this weekend. So far I have 4/22 completed, so only 18 more to finish!

Happy Friday everyone!

Craftster Lap Quilt Swap Winter Edition

glitttergirl94- This block is really white, I don't know why it looks beige...

I joined another Lap Quilt Swap at Craftster this past November and have finally finished some of my blocks! I spent most of December trying to finish Christmas presents but now I finally have some time to work on these. I was beginning to get worried that I wouldn't have enough time, but if I focus, I can finish this in time. For these two blocks I used this tutorial over at crazymomquilts.

I have a couple more that are almost done that I can hopefully share tomorrow! I need to make twenty-two total so I have now finished two of twenty-two. Only twenty more to go!

On the knitting front, I noticed last night that I had dropped a stich somewhere so I am slowly ripping out rows. There is nothing more frustrating than going backwards on a project, but I don't want a small hole in the middle of my scarf. Ripping out stiches is hard!

Knitting!

One of the coolest things I received for Christmas was a "how-to-knit" package from my cousin-in-law Shana. She game me a binder with all kinds of patterns, a knit gauge, #7 needles, and some beautiful yarn. The best part is that she sat down with me for two hours and taught me how to knit. I practiced, practiced, and practiced. In fact, I knitted the entire 7 hour journey home! I have knitting, purling, and casting on figured out; at least, I think so... I am making a scarf. :)

2008 Art Projects

I have been enjoying everyone's mosaics so it is time to post one of my own! Here are the crafty finishes for 2008.




This is the in progress crafty goodness.



I must say it is fun to see everything together like this! I hope I have even more to share at the end of 2009!

Christmas at the Beach

I just got back in town late Saturday night and have been trying to catch up on my blog reading, sew a little, and I went back to work today. I was not ready to wake up early! It was beautiful down in Florida between Christmas and this past weekend and I took many pictures-I apologize for the profuse amount of pictures that are about to follow! I did slim it down, not that you can tell.


We went to the docks in old Destin where you can get a boat to go deep sea fishing or take in some restaurants in this new devlopment.

This is from the same area looking out towards where the Gulf meets the intercoastal waterway.

Windart in Seaside, FL which is also where they filmed the Truman Show.
I love cow paintings. I want the one on top. I may have to paint one for me!

Doesn't this look like a lovely spot to sit for a while?
I rode this lovely red bike all over Seaside, Watercolors, and Sandestin. It is the one I always choose for a jaunt from the bikes that are available. I don't wear red very often, but I love a red bike!
The marshes at Seaside are beautiful!


One of the golf courses at Sandestin was closed for the season, even though they maintained it so we were able to take long walks on the course.
Do you see the owl in the picture above? My mom and I were taking their dog, Riley, for a walk and heard it hooting at us. We, of course, hooted back. :)

I love Spanish moss hanging on trees!

Walking on the golf course. Riley received 4-5 walks a day while we were there. He loved it! It is such a beautiful place to be able to go for walks.



On New Year's Day in between eating collard greens, hoppin' john, and spicy peach chicken and watching football, we went to Grayton Beach State Park.

I love this sign!

It is neat to be able to see how the beach looks without modern development. Here we are hiking up the dunes!




We ended the hike on the beach at sunset. It is beautiful!

This is from my Uncle William's cabin on the bay where we stopped for a picnic.

The marina at Sandestin is full of beautiful boats.
This is from early in the trip when we went to Panama City. It was misty and cool on the beach at about 7:30 in the morning. We were some of the few people walking around.

I had a wonderful time even though I am happy to be sleeping in my own bed! It was around 70 degrees while we were there (except for New Year's when it was freezing!). It truly was a shock to leave 68 degree temperature and arrive home to 20 degrees. It was 12 this morning when I left for my first day back at work.