Megan's Blog

It's Blue Baby!

I got a little sidetracked this week getting the baby quilt done, but it's finally all quilted and prairie-pointed.

I'm thinking (never a good sign) this might be a good quilt for a "start to finish" class.  Sometimes I sense that quilting students get frustrated by the "tops only " classes, especially those just getting started, so this little gem could take them from cutting through to finishing in just a few classes.

What do you think???

Guess it means I'm going to have to re-make this, as this one will wing it's way to our newest tenant in our rental house.  Hope he likes this little welcome to the world gift.

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

What do you get????

What do you get when you mix eight 1/4 yd pieces of blue (aren't these blues delicious?)

and a bit of white ric rac (I think I have some laying around!)???

A really quick baby gift for a brand new boy

think I'll sew down the ric rac and quilt it up tomorrow and then add some crazy pieced fat binding and call it done.

And all of this within 2 weeks of his arrival....it's a new record!

Hope you're setting records too....

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Girls just want to have fun!

Yahoo!!  I'm having one of those days....it's noon and all the "must do today" tasks are done and dinner is in the crock-pot so the afternoon is freed up for time in the "studio" (we used to call it the dining room, but things change quick around here).  Ok, so there's dishes in the sink and a load of laundry that needs addressing but a girl's just gotta have fun sometimes.

but before the machine goes on, I wanted to share with you a little gift from my dear Sister Mary Awful..

in January, there's a picture a snow-ball throwing nun with a caption that reads "hell hath no flurry"----
honestly, don't you wish you had that job, thinking up nun puns all day ?

Well, thanks to SMA for the calendar, it will be a year of laughs!

Little update:  for those who asked, the calendar is available on Amazon

And look.....this is my 99th post!  What did I say in all those posts?  did I blather?  did you laugh? did you cry?  Seems like alot of posts, but it happened in the blink of an eye!

So to celebrate #100, I am going to post a free pattern tomorrow for Version 3.0 of my needlecase. 


hmmm....a little rac-rac being used? 

                                                              ....stay tuned for the free pattern!

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

And the NewYears Winner is.....

Rose Marie!!! 

So please email me your address and I will get your little quilt out to you.

Thanks to everyone who left me a comment!

Oooo, and I got a little package yesterday and in it was my new best friend for applique.....

In case you haven't used the little sister set, these are heat-resistant templates (a little heavier than the normal heat-resistant mylar) in various sizes.  The little sister set (The Perfect Circle) only went to circles 2-1/4" in diameter.  This set goes up to 4-1/2"....perfect for the new project Kathie talked me in to (without an ounce of resistance from me!).  There's 4 of each size in the package, so while one is cooling down from the iron, you can be ironing the next one.

One little word of warning when using this method of applique prep.....I love the new MaryEllen's Starch Alternative for most things, but when I used it for preparing white applique pieces, the color of the starch made a temporary mark on the fabric.  It washed right out but it still made me a bit nervous.  But that's just me.....

So, few things in life are perfect, but now maybe there's hope for my applique circles...

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Quilty Post-Christmas

We had a most wonderful and exhausting Christmas with both sides of the family and today we rest and play with new toys, eat leftovers and catch up on couch-potato time.

And now I'm looking at some little projects to work on during this holiday, kids home all the time, week.

Kathie made me this little (14" square) quilt top for Christmas, so I think I'll hand-quilt it this week, it's a good time for handwork in front of the fire, while the kids play in the Adirondack snow(if there is any!)

and maybe work on some tree blocks...

And with the year coming to an end, I've been thinking about my many new friends that I have found by starting my blog this year.  So I made a little gift for one of you which I might also hand-quilt this week....

As you can see, there are still remnants of my black, white and red period....

So just leave a comment before January 1st and I'll put your name in a drawing for this little quilt. 

And as always, thanks so much for visiting me...

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Just in the St Nick of Time

The last of the projects was finished last night.....a lap (or nap) quilt for my brother-in-law.

The quilt goes to him, but the little Inspector Kitty stays with me.

So now the table is set, the gifts are wrapped,  and in a few hours the invasion of the families begins.

Part of our Christmas Eve tradition is to take the kids to the corner around 7:30, where they stand in wait for Santa to come by on a firetruck.  That's right, Santa rides around our town on a firetruck on Christmas Eve and hands out candy to the kids and tells them to be sure to go to sleep so he can stop by later.  For my little boys, what could be better?----Santa, firetrucks and candy!

I hope Santa brings you joy, peace and maybe a little bit of candy....all my best for a safe and happy holiday.

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Down to the Wire

Sure I've been gallivanting around with friends this week when I should have been home finishing projects, but I have faith...I have time...I have caffeine, so it's off to the races for the next few days, the whirlwind of holiday activities and project finishing.

This morning, before the crack of dawn, I finished the binding and wrapping the MIL table runner...she's got a big farmhouse table so this will fit nicely on the center of the table.

And now all I have to finish is the brother-in-law quilt and 2 American Girl Aprons.

Last Christmas I made my little 4 year old niece a nap-time quilt (larger than a baby quilt, smaller than a  twin) and a matching one for her American Girl doll.   She knew to look at the back of her quilt for a label---fortunately it was there--and then.....OMG, she looked for a label for the doll quilt.  Yikes, no label.  She would not leave my house on Christmas Eve til there was a label for "Hopey's" quilt.  So here I am elbow deep in dirty dishes and instead, sewing on a quilt label. You Go Girl!...she stood her ground and forced me to document my quilt.

I hope you've documented all of your quilt gifts this year.....you never know when a 4 year old will put you in your place.

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Present Frenzy

Yikes, I have a bunch of gifts to make, QUICK!  And in the midst of this, I took a little quilt-related excursion....just looking for a little inspiration and to confirm, you can never have enough gadgets. 

I just love templates from Come Quilt With Me.   I have the pyramid, the tumbler and the ridiculously small tumbler, and now I have the snowball template.

And since I really should be making gifts instead of trying out new gadgets, I figured I could kill two french hens with one Christmas stone....

and now my little "try-out" blocks will turn into a tablerunner for my MIL (I guess the one I gave her 20 years ago needs a little updating, so she requested a new one).

Now I just need a little inspiration for finishing this tablerunner.....mmmm, maybe a trip to the LQS is in order????

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Version 2.0

Saturday was the meeting of the FireHouse Ladies  (HI GANG!)....a group that started when the LQS closed and the friendships remained.  It was a full house this time and you know what that means.....lots of food, lots of show and tell and lots of laughing.  It also means not alot of sewing!  It's so nice to be able to celebrate each of our accomplishments, the new or upcoming babies, marriages, new jobs, new schools,  tales of the old husbands, growing kids, etc....does it really matter how much sewing you get done? 

So my little needlecase project from last week was actually for the grab bag (plus a few more for the special ladies who arrange this extravaganza).   I think version 2.0 came out much better!

 
I gave up the idea of only using charm squares because I wanted the needle package to fit in.  So I went to the scrap basket and pulled out a couple of pieces left over from the Cherry Basket quilt and here you go!

But alas, even Version 2.0 has some room for improvement, so before the journey of the needlecase is done there will be a new version....just wait and see.

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Version 1.0

In a prior life I worked in software design and testing and I can say with all honesty, no first release of a product was every perfect.  So this is the story of version 1.0 of the needlecase.

I've been in the "I can't leave the house cause the little lamb is sick" mode for the last 3 days.  So I needed (ok, wanted not needed) to make a little gift for a quilty friend.   Given the limited time and mobility, I decided....needlecase!  Plan A was to use Natalie's free pattern, but it probably would not be nice to inflict my embroidery skills on anyone. 

On to Plan B.....make up my own version.  First I tried a little applique basket...now how do I use stabilizer??  call over to expert Rita to tell me how to use the stabilizer.  Again, probably not nice to inflict my first attempt at satin stitch applique on a friend. 

Let's see what other gadgets I have.....the Clover Yo-Yo Maker!  Ok, I'm probably the last person on the planet to try it, but I did, and I LOVE it.  Go buy one if you don't already have it!

And wouldn't it be nice if I could make this needlecase from Charm Squares?  Ok, so now I have buttons, yo-yos and 8 LakeHouse charm squares, wool and fusible fleece.....ready to go. I like to carry a package of needles with me so I need a little sleeve for that and might as well make 2, so I make little pockets for the inside, cut a piece of wool for the pins and needles, we're on our way to a little gift.

So here's the outside...

and here's the inside....

As a tester, I will tell you what went wrong.....
        the pockets are a little short of the package of needles I use
        I probably should have added some little tie thing to close the case
        and is that wool blue or black??? it looks black in person, but this picture looks blue.

I guess this little one is for me and today, another day of staying in with the little lamb, it's on to Needlecase Version 2.0....stay tuned.

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan