Let's Book It Nov. 2015

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving week, with the cleaning, cooking, eating and company it's a crazy and fun week. 

I did my Black Friday bargain battles online and got the big stuff done, yay!

In case you haven't heard, Sharon has decided to keep Let's Book It going into 2016, December is off (thank goodness) but it starts up again after the new year. Thank you Sharon! You all know I love this idea. I've been using Let's Book It to clean out magazines and I try to use scraps or fabric that I've held on to way too long, this month was perfect for that. 

Love of Quilting May/June 2009

Sorry about the glare the assistants were helping about a foot away, so it was drop the magazine and shoot quickly.

The magazine in just out of the shot here. Thanks for the help you two. 

As soon as I saw this I fell in love, it's really all about the fabric and I had the perfect ones stashed just waiting for a water scene.

I've had that orange and blue forever, the blue border was left from a quilt I had just finished, mixed with a few other batiks it came out really pretty.

The sand dollars and starfish add more interest, but I think it would have been just as pretty without. Each color was quilted differently, matchstick in the sky, ripples in the water. I was gifted with a beautiful stencil of leaping dolphins a while ago and used it on the top and bottom of the blue border, I just couldn't get it to show up in the pictures. 

Think about joining us for this easy, fun linky party, I know some of you have made Christmas gifts or quilts from patterns, books, or magazines, that's all you need, how simple is that? If you can't get it done this month, well then I hope to see you joining in next year.

Later Gators, (did you see that the Noles won big over the gators? Go Noles!)

Dana

Dresdens!

Do you remember this quilt?

My dream/nightmare quilt after being asked to make a traditional Dresden. The thought of neutrals and traditional had me running for my happy bright colors and my act of rebellion was this. It even inspired Amy at Girl Recycled to come up with the words Neo-Dresden, I like it. 

The only way for me to learn is to do, so after seeing this layout on pinterest I jumped in and made this. 

All scraps and I fell completely in love with Dresdens. It all about the colors for me and this one was perfect.

Then because someone gave me this sunflower fabric I made this table runner, really not me but I used up the fabric. 

Of course I had to make a garden of them, a baby quilt that makes me think of mom, dad and baby :)

I did buy the EZ Dresden ruler which makes them so easy, chain piecing and applique, they are fun and fast, use up scraps and are just happy quilts. 

David is away this weekend for a male bonding golf weekend so the terrible twins and I have pretty much moved outside, we've been doing some repotting (I do the work, they eat the dirt). My yard seems to have an active life of it's own, we found iguana eggs in one pot, mostly long hatched but two looked whole so I left them alone and a big pile of peanuts in another pot which must be a squirrels cache, also left alone, but now I know why Maya was trying to climb a tree the other day while a squirrel yelled at her but wouldn't back down.

I'm linking up with #CreativeGoodness at Quilt Shop Gals. 

Later Gators,

Dana

Let's Book It October 2015

Happy Halloween!

 That's Maya on her first Halloween, you can tell by the look on her face that she just loves this holiday and dressing up. 

The last day of October means it's time for Let's Book It at Vrooman's Quilts. No rules, nothing to buy, just make something that you already have the pattern for that you planned on making anyway. I've cleaned out so many old magazines. 

I picked this magazine:

McCall's Quilting May/June 2012

and this pattern:

Here's mine:

Bright, happy with lots of movement, it's wonderful as a baby quilt. I'm crediting this one with bringing back my Mojo which had gone missing. Playing with all of those bright fabrics was just what I needed. I made the triangles a little smaller than the original so I could make it more baby quilt size. A touch of free motion in each block and it was done, super soft and so cute.  

It passed the quilt inspection and was well guarded when I had it outside, I wasn't sure he was going to let me get pictures of it.  

I'm sad to say this fun party is coming to an end, next month will be the last linky party so if you've been thinking about it now's the time. It would be nice to see everyone come back for the last one too. 

Later Gators,

Dana

So this happened

Since my father passed, my sister and I share good things that happen to us with the opening "Daddy was here". It's just sharing nice little things that happen, for me it can be a rescue that found a home, for her it can be the otter's were playing in her lake, things that make us smile. She called me and started out with "daddy's here with me" then told me this:

She had lunch with friends and was walking to her car when she saw a police officer run up to the front of her car pointing his gun, she started hurrying towards him yelling "don't shoot my car" when she heard something behind her, lots more police all calling her towards them and all she can say is "don't shoot my car it's only 4 months old". Lol.

 They dragged a woman from under her car holding a huge knife, she had hidden under another car in a nearby shopping center, stabbed the woman who owned the car and tried to steal it, when that didn't work she ran and hid under my sister's car, luckily someone saw her. Another couple of minutes and she would have stabbed my sister, no smiles this time, lots of WHAT!s but yes, daddy's with her.

My sister talks to my father whenever she watches a sunset, which triggered a memory for me of a quilt I made in EQ, playing with measurements and colors I never really planned on making it, but I couldn't stop thinking about it so here it is, I talked to my dad the whole time I made it, pretty much thanking him for being there that day. 

Centers are slightly off to keep thickness down, plus I like it this way.

 Gorgeous colors, although they are more sunrise than sunset

Hand dyed back for an airy sky look and lots of straight line quilting for a great texture and look. The quilting took a whole lot more time than making the quilt. 

I'm linking up with #Creative Goodness Linky party over at QuiltShopGal.  

Thanks Daddy,

Dana

Let's Book It Sept 2015

End of September? Thank goodness Sharon does the Let's Book It, without these reminders I would have said it's about April, lol. 

When I first started quilting, I bought stacks of old quilt magazines in Ebay, that's what I've been using for my Let's Book It's. I'm eyeing the space they take up that will be full of fabric once they're gone. It always comes as a nice surprise when I look at the quilts I've bookmarked and realize I'm well past learning from them, but that doesn't mean I won't make one when it's super cute like this one. 

 McCall's Quick Quilts from April/May 2012

You Are My Sunshine

Look how cute and happy this quilt is

This went together so fast, quick applique and strip piecing for the blocks

Doesn't he just make you smile? 

I left off the borders, they would have used up a lot of scraps (bonus), but the quilt would have been too big for a baby quilt and... they're borders, ask Sharon about her love of borders :)

I was also able to use up a bunch of this fabric that has been living here way too long. Stars and sun? they're both celestial so yes. 

Let's Book It is all about using what you already have, those books, magazines, patterns and bookmarks that we collect and then forget about. I'm so happy to be clearing out that space. Think about joining in, this one is good for all of us. 

Later Gators,

Dana

100 Quilts for Kids 2015

It's time again for the wonderful drive to collect 100 Quilts for Kids and donate to the charity or organization you choose. 

Most of my quilts are used for fund raising for the animal shelters, but I'm always working on baby quilts and this is the time to pull them out and put them to good use. 

I usually take them to the local Women's Shelter, but this year I couldn't seem to get it together, then I got a text from Cori who is doing her psych internship at a hospital up in Broward. That day she was in the neo-natal ICU and asked if I had any baby quilts I'd like to donate. She said that all of the babies have a baby quilt that covers their little isolation cribs and a lot of the quilts looked worn. They would love donations and have no size requirements. Done!

I have 13 baby quilts on their way up to Ft. Lauderdale, bonus I got to see my kid :) She said she could take pictures of the quilts on the cribs, but I said no, honestly I've cried enough and the
 pictures would be heart breaking. 

So here's a group picture of them just before washing, packing and leaving. 

Later gators,

Dana

Let's Book It August 2015

The link is up for Let's Book It over at Vrooman's Quilts, I haven't really had my quilting spark lately so following frustrating directions is just what I need, plus I consider this a form of house cleaning since I'm getting rid of magazines, win win. 

This quilt was in Love of Quilting July/August 2006

They offer it as a digital pattern on the web site too.

The description says it's perfect for large prints, which I have a weakness for then wonder what I was thinking when I bought them. Full disclosure I never actually read the instructions only the description before I ran off to grab two large prints I've been trying to use up.

Look how pretty this came out. 

I really love it, the colors are so perfect and it has that tropical look I love. Plus the orange is gone so more house cleaning credits.

And I played with dyes and made the back, which is considered time in the kitchen, win, win, and win!  (David disagrees). 

Summer has seen a slow down over at Let's Book It, think about joining in, you get house cleaning credit. :)

Later Gators,

Dana

Pets On Quilts 2015

Pets On Quilts went live today, the best, most fun and friendliest quilt show on the web. Can you tell this is my favorite?

There's a lot of stalking and planning that goes into this, so this year I decided to change things a bit. Miss Maya has a thunder coat and every time we put it on her, Brady Bug gets jealous.  She's afraid of everything and he's fearless, so I decided to make him a coat of his own. 

It has a removable cape since if there's a scary sound, Maya runs to us while Brady runs towards the sound, we call him Super Dog, absolutely fearless. 

I had this zebra flannel and made him his own quilted coat

And it's reversible if he's in a more moo-mellow mood. He's smiling about the purple cow, but he prefers the zebra, it makes him more ninja like. I used batting to give it body then straight line quilted it. 

So that was it, Brady will pose, Maya will run, but David was home that day and advocated for his little girl being included, O.K. let the circus begin.

Here's the pictures that we could use from an all day try. 

That's it, two shots.

And here's the outtake stories and pics.

We had the quilt all laid out, I have the camera hidden and David promises he'll get her to lay on it, he call's her and she takes the long way around to us, goes to the upper deck finding the only puddle in the yard, walks through it and gets ready to jump down onto the quilt. I'm grabbing the quilt, David's trying to grab her, she's trying her best to get on or under the quilt, comedy ensues and that's an end to take one.

Take two: Cleaned up, same setting it actually works, except the sun didn't cooperate and we were so focused on Maya neither of us noticed how bright it was until I saw the actual pictures, one side completely bleached out.

 And this one where we bribed her with a cookie

Attractive, right?

 I'm leaving out the dozen or so of the one's where she's cowering and it looks like we beat her, we don't.

Here's the quilt sans Maya

 Just playing around with strings.

Why not have your own circus, join the fun. You can use any pet for the show, it's not just about cats and dogs. Even a quilt with an animal theme is welcome. So grab your buddy, a quilt and a camera and come play with us, you'll meet the nicest people and animals.

Jacque at Lily Pad Quilting is the special person who works so hard on this for us, so I'm sending her a huge Thank You! 

I hope you all get a chance to check out all of the other quilts and furbabies, it's so full of love, I promise you'll be smiling.

Later Gators,

Dana

Let's Book It July 2015

Yay it's time for Let's Book It, I knew that Sharon's linky would make me climb back up on the blogging horse. Except I kind of messed up, I haven't been sewing a lot so I just grabbed the first magazine in the pile

The Quilter Magazine Dec 2010 - Jan 2011

I started on the marked page

Following the directions I came to a weird step and it hit me, deja poo, I've done this stuff before! I made this quilt in January but this time I made it in the "boys" colors or Mardi Gras colors for babies that like Bourbon Street. 

 I'm happy with it and it got me sewing again.

Last time I wrote I told you my machine had eaten fabric and stopped. David and I did take it apart and change the fuse, not for the faint of heart, we had to take every cover off and pull the mother board, but it's working again. That had me looking at Juki's something without a mother board and not so touchy. I was talking used and David kept talking warranties, what is it with men and warranties and maps? Anyway the next day he handed me a receipt for a brand new Juki TL2010q (with warranty) and two days later this arrived.

I especially like how he frames the junk piled on the chair behind him, should have straightened up first :)

My new friend, kind of, we've been getting to know each other, he has a tendency to shred thread, I've ordered different brands to see what he likes. He free motions like a dream though, the back and front stitches are identical, so beautiful. His 1/4" foot is terrible if you want to make string quilts, it's so forceful it just twists the fabric, I ordered a Janome foot that fits him so problem solved there and my Janome has a much better walking foot, so I'll be jumping back and forth between the two. All in all I'll be in love if he'll just stop with the shredding thread. 

That's it, please check out "Let's Book It" over at Vrooman's Quilts, still my favorite linky.  

Later Gators,

Dana

Normal Life

I've always said that "normal" is an urban legend and my first day back to "normal" proves it. I walked in the morning with my walking partner, we walked, we laughed and we cried, a few times we had to stop because we couldn't breath, it was wonderful and ridiculous. 

Shower and on to errands except when I started out I had a flat tire, O.K "the universe has spoken", it's a good day to sew. Two stitches and the machine ate the fabric, turned itself off for safety and after cleaning, new needle, new bobbin and rethreading it comes back on with an E1 error which means take it to someone qualified. Two hours each way, eight hours total since I have to drop it off and I'm not doing that, I ordered the fuses, which I'm pretty sure is the problem and I'll figure it out myself, the worst that can happen is I need a new machine :).  Which led to internet research for a new machine which somehow led to me ordering a new mattress which is being made for me. LOL. David's answer to all this is "whatever you need", what a sweety or enabler. 

Yesterday though the universe was very kind. This is Wolfy

he was due to be put down at 3:30 and the rescue stepped in at 3:28, they had found a foster for him. This is Wolfy's freedom ride picture, I had nothing to do with this rescue except jump into the car and cuddle this amazing dog. Cori, my daughter, had been asked to transport him to the Keys, she lives in the land of sewing machine repairs two hours away, so she brought him down and I got to spend the day with her. Wolfy and I both had a wonderful day.

Later Gators,

Dana 

Father's Day

My father passed away on May 30^th.  I flew up to see him when I heard he was sick and was there when he woke for the last time, I got one last big smile when he saw me and one last wonderful kiss. I was there when he left us surrounded by his children and grandchildren and lots of love.

Today is hard, if you still have your father please give him an extra hug, kiss and “I love you”, not just today but as often as possible.

Thank you to the people who emailed to ask where I was, during a difficult time you made me smile.

Dana  

Let's Book It, April 2015

A few months ago Sharon was listing off all of the possible places for patterns to use for the Let's Book It and she mentioned the internet, light bulb moment, I have a few (many) quilts bookmarked so that's what I used this month. Here's a link to the pattern

http://www.robertkaufman.com/quilting/quilts_patterns/spring/

All I saw when I looked at that was what a great string quilt.

I didn't follow the directions, just cut the strings the same width they had in the pattern, 1 1/4".

My strings are completely out of control, somehow they've expanded from their usual home to 4 reusable shopping bags, I guess I had a plan at some point because they are sorted by color values. 

This quilt made a small dent in the "brights" bag, was easy to do and I love the way it turned out. 

I'm declaring war on my strings so you'll be seeing a lot more string quilts, hopefully I can have my shopping bags back by the end of the year. 

Think about joining in, I love the "Let's Book It" linky party. 

Later Gators,

Dana