An afternoon adventure

National Harbor

Ice!

Me and E 

Merry Christmas!

Oh the joy!

Yesterday's fun with these two, it was cold 9 degree's.  Now I can say "I've seen it", and "I slid down an ice slide".

Happy piecing, happy sewing,
Sheila

Football fun weekend

A weekend get away for some football with my Retired Army man up in Philadelphia, PA.  Ticket's given to us from our Son in Law for the 119th meeting of Army/Navy football.

America's Game

Oh man what a fun game, and fun weekend, and to top it off a super fun WIN from our Army Cadets three years in a row now.  Go Army!

119th Meeting Go Army

Friday night drive around the city of Philadelphia, PA.   

Friday night Christmas in Philadelphia

Followed by a Sunday morning drive around the city of Philadelphia, PA.

Rocky

So now back to work, people need embroidery for Christmas.  

Happy piecing, happy sewing,

Sheila

Santa Please Stop Here.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here in my neck of the woods.

Santa Clause is coming to town

I went over to DD#2's house on Sunday 12/2/18, and when I returned home this is what greeted me.

Then on Monday 12/3/18 I went for a drive.

60 degrees, heat on and the top down

Blue Sky's  

I was happy for the beautiful weather, and the chance to drive with the top down.  Tomorrow Wednesday 12/5/18 the forecaster's are calling for snow...

Ready for Christmas at Mom's place

Today was just another visit with the Best Mother in Law in the whole wide world.  She is always "good" and still telling us to be "careful" driving home.  Gotta love the Greatest Generation. So as you can tell there has been no sewing around here even though there are project's waiting patiently to be sewn.

Until next time.
Happy piecing, happy sewing,
Sheila

Scrappy Binding

After Thanksgiving activities include scrappy binding and scrappy sleeve stitching.

Wallhanging, Scrappy Binding, Back, and Scrappy Binding

Ta da!  It's small, and as a friend always reminds me...It's a cheater!  Poo Poo to her, and my reply:  Panel's can be quilts too.  The string border of yellow, green, and brown were lovingly, and time consumingly pieced by yours truly.  And not to mention the back is pieced, the binding is pieced, and even the sleeve is pieced by "yes again, yours truly" QuiltingNan...So I shall call it a quilt.

Thanksgiving Almost Every Pie

This yummy goodness was cooked earlier this week with a lot of our left over Thanksgiving dinner and some added things which made this a family after Thanksgiving favorite. And boy let me tell you, it was delicious!

I also finished embroidery on four duffel bags for a customer.

Monogrammed Duffle Bags

The customer loves them, and says she will stuff them full of Christmas presents for her Grandchildren.  Got to love making a happy customer.
So now onto Christmas stitching.

Happy piecing, happy sewing,
Sheila aka QuiltingNan

Linking up with Oh Scrap Quilting is more fun than Housework

A funny thing happened on our way home from the beach

We stopped at Serendipity Quilt Shop, and I made a purchase.

A panel and 3 yards of fabric and a table runner book

What's so funny about that you might ask?  I don't normally make New Years Resolution's, but at the beginning of 2018 I made one to not buy any fabric this year,  and only use from my stash.  The funny thing is this isn't my first fabric purchase of 2018!  Hahaha

Then I bought these lovely fall fabric's at JoAnn Fabrics to make a 10 minute table runner for DD2's Mother In Law who's birthday was this month.  Her favorite color is Green. They are one and a half yard cuts 6 yards total.  Did I need 6 yards?  No, I only needed a half yard cut, and a 9 inch width of fabric to make the 10 minute table runner.  Shaking my head!

Fall fabric's for a 10 minute table runner

Then I went to my local quilt shop to get more of this lovely fabric.  The tan background fabric was an impulse purchase.  I'm thinking to make matching placemats with the tan background, and a cover for the food processor to match the mixer cover that I made (read about it here.)  Both pieces are 2 yard cuts for a total of 4 yards.  So in the month of October I have purchased 13 yards and 1 panel.  Shaking my head...

So now I have to cover the Food Processor

Get it together Sheila!  Happy piecing, happy sewing,

Sheila

A moment in nature

Today like most day's I walked my dog.

Remy

Unlike most walk's I experienced a moment in nature. 

One lone Buck

This big fella slowly crossed the road in front of us.  For just a moment time seemed to stand still as he strutted across the street about 100 feet in front of us.  Even Remy girl paused in aw for just a moment, and then went back to sniffing ever blade of grass.

Happy piecing, happy sewing,

Sheila

Beach week & there was sewing too

So beach week 40, one of my most favorite weeks of the year has come and gone. Normally I post tons of picture's on social media, but this year I was enjoying our time at the beach and I was just too lazy, and only posted a few. I also normally journal my daily happenings along the week, but totally forgot to pack my journal.  That is because I was trying to pack "lite" since again, normally I pack way too much stuff !  It's all good though, the weather was wonderful, and we enjoyed walks on the beach and road our bike's and just plan had a relaxing good time.  It rained on Thursday but we had a plan for that day to go see A Star is Born.  What an awesome movie, I really enjoyed it.

It's a good enough view for me.

There was sewing going on too. This mixer was a gift to my Mother in Law from my man and I a couple Christmas' ago. She is in a Nursing home now so we brought it to our home, and I think it needs a cover.

Naked Mixer

Mixer Cover completed at beach week 40, 2018

I love the way it turned out!  My man said "now you have to make a cover for the food processor."  I had a one yard cut of this fabric...So now my new mission is to find more.  Hopefully my local quilt shop still has some, but I've had this piece in my stash for a pretty long time so I think I might have to go on line, or just find something similar.







I also finished this wallhanging.  Quilting will happen at home.

You are my Sunshine 35in. x 55in.

The rest of my sewing was working on the "Scrappy" binding for You are my Sunshine, and as many 2 inch finished half squares for a Joan Ford "Scrap Therapy plus one" quilt I am working on. The red fabric in the picture below is the binding for the mixer cover, and the white fabric I needed for the bottom sashing strip on you are my sunshine, and then what was left was cut into 5inch squares for the 2 inch half squares.  Trying to use up some of my stash.

120 Pressed and Trimmed 2 inch square

I had 120 finished (pressed, and squared up 2inch squares at home). Add to that 120 half Squares pressed and trimmed at the beach, and 41, 5 inch charm squares sewn at the beach that will yield 328 2inch half squares when finished.   Totals 568 2inch half square's, and I only need 900 total 2 inch half square's.  So I only need 332 more, nothing but a thing...right?  Empty spools, and trimmings make me feel like I've done something!  So easily entertained.

41 5 inch charms yield 8 half squares each

These 41 5 inch charm squares just need to be cut four times to yield 8 half squares each. The sewing goes quickly, the pressing and trimming are a bit more time consuming, but that's part of the whole quilting process.

Week 40 pressing 

I'm happy with the progress made during our stay.  Sew now I'm off to press and trim up those 328 units I brought home with me.  Until next time, 

Happy piecing, happy sewing,

Sheila

Out for a walk

Not a whole lot of sewing has been happening around here.  I have gotten down to my sewing room a few times and sewn a few stitches, but not enough in my opinion.  I did decide on which wall hanging to start on from my last post Here

You are my Sunshine wallhanging

I have finished more of those yellow, green, brown string pieced blocks, but this was the last picture I took.  I'm liking the way it's looking.

Today was spent with my 1 year old Grandson.  He's spending the night with us!  Mommy and Daddy went to a wedding.  I took him and the dog for a walk.  It was a beautiful evening, and a nice walk for the three of us.

Helping hand 

That little boy held the leash during most of our 1 mile walk.  Such a big help, and such a good dog.

Happy piecing, happy sewing,

Sheila

Feelings captured in Fabric

A finish on a Friday afternoon, it's small but it's a finish non the less.  This is going to hang in the bedroom where our Grandson's sleep.  I love everything about this wallhanging.

Grandparents House Rules 

The back of Grandparents House Rules

Up next for a little piecing is one of these two panel's.  They will both hang in the Grandson's bedroom (when finished) along with the "Rules".  Because "What happens here stays here"

Feelings captured in Fabric

How many times have I sung "You are my Sunshine" to my babies?  Too many to count.  

Happy piecing, happy sewing,

Sheila

Then suddenly you don't belong...

So I made this quilt.

40 year anniversary quilt

To replaced a store bought quilt that we have had on our bed for years.  My man has bought me fabric when he has been out of town working.  And two years ago when he brought home beautiful fabrics from Washington state he mentioned that I hadn't made a quilt for our bed.  Which was a perfectly true statement.  So a year and several month's later I was able to make this quilt, but then suddenly all our throw pillows no longer fit in.

They don't belong.

So in between all the summer fun I stitched these two pillows.  I made them envelope style so they can be removed.

Blue Crab and Sun, Surf, Sand, Relax.

Starting to like how this is looking.

Not sure what I'm going to do about the rest of the pillow's, but for now I like what I see.  

Happy piecing, happy sewing,
Sheila

Yes she can...

So my good friend Rosa and now also known as my "quilter extraordinaire" quilted this beauty.

Hot off the Longarm

Delivered to the one I love in time for our anniversary celebration. The only thing it needs is a label, and maybe a sleeve for maybe hanging in The Southern Comforters Best Little Quilt Show next year 2019.  I love the quilting design.  It's a big quilt, and I will try to take a picture of it this week outside in the sunshine.
 

I love the quilting design Circles and Swirls

So from my last post's question "Can she do it"?  I have to say "Yes she can"...

Until next time,

Happy piecing, happy sewing
Sheila

Can she do it?

I'm trying really, really hard here. Trying to finish this quilt top.  A finished quilt top for a milestone date.  In time for the big Forty year anniversary.  Can she do it?  This is half of the quilt top, my design floor isn't big enough for a King size quilt top. (Well right now it is a Queen quilt top).

At last measurement this top was 83in. X 93 1/2in. 

This is "Sticks N Stones" a Missouri Star Quilt Co. YouTube video,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-iD2LPm3Uc I call mine "Sand and Waves".  The last border on the right has been "unstitched" and is no longer on the quilt top.  It wasn't what I thought it would be.

So for now, it's laying on my sewing room floor waiting for me to figure out "what" to do next.  ***any .02 cent opinion's are welcome.***  

Until then, happy piecing, happy sewing,

Sheila

Busy February start

The last days of January were spent with our first daughter #1 and her three boys (Hubby and adorable 2 Grandsons).  We went to the National Aquarium in Baltimore.  I haven't been there in years, and really enjoyed the day with them.  Lunch at the Hard Rock http://www.hardrock.com/cafes/baltimore/  first where daughter #1 and I shared a BIG burger, and french fries.  Yum yum!

Elton John's Jacket

After lunch we walked over to the Aquarium.  Calypso was in a tank when you first enter the Aquarium, she's a 500 pound Sea Turtle with a story.  

Three Flippers Calypso  

Then since they were here spending a couple days with us we had a family dinner with all our children, and grandchildren here.  It don't get no better than that.  I didn't take any pictures...How the heck did that happen?  They were packed up and leaving on Friday evening, and then enter daughter #2 and her two guys.  She and hubby off for the weekend, and lucky Nan and Pop get to babysit until the following Tuesday.  Family time was just what this Quilter needed.

Sew today, I'm linking up with http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/how-to-quilt/finishing/2018-ufo-challenge and heading down to the sewing room to see what my #9 UFO is.

Happy piecing, happy sewing,
Sheila

Oh yeah, Happy Valentine's Day!

Be mine

First finish of 2018

Wow, I'm doing a happy dance here!  January 2018's first finish is here, and I'm feeling pretty good about it.  Panel pieced, quilted, binding on and labeled, and to top it off delivered to dear Mother-in-Law.

Hydrangea panel 

The pattern I used is Message board.  I bought the pattern from Spring Water Designs on shop small Saturday.  https://www.springwaterdesigns.com

Message Board pattern 

Back of the quilt

The label was from this book that I bought a couple years or more from Joann Fabric.  The book has a lot of labels.  Labels to trace and iron on.  My label was iron on and I embroidered the for, from and date.  I used fabric markers to color the rose, and leaves, and made the writing A Mother's love is the heart of the family a little darker.

Book of labels

Sewing the label on the back

Ms. Jackson with her quilt

I also embroidered her pink hat with her name (last year).  She looks so cute, and is the heart of our family.

This is my first blog in 2018 (Happy New Year!), and my first quilt finish of 2018.  Hopefully there will be more finishes this year.  I did make a list (joining All People Quilt's 2018 UFO challenge http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/how-to-quilt/finishing/2018-ufo-challenge) of 12 UFO's that I am going to really, really try to finish that list this year.  Wish me luck.

Until next time, happy piecing, happy sewing,

Sheila