Oh No!!! I'm really late this month!

Yes I have been among the missing... Thought I would check in before you all thought I’d disappeared altogether. Nope. Still hanging around. Still hanging in. I am very sorry it’s been so sporadic of late, I’ve begun posts in my head many times but as I haven’t been near a computer to post they have not made it online... I’m sure you understand.

I have had my share of good days and bad days, there has been a lot of activity! I credit a very busy schedule of getting back into the grove of working, trying to blog, trying to get some much needed sewing time, and a new grandson's arrival this week with my being among the missing more often than not... So, with out much further ado...

I have to admit that I know that  I am really late this month for the BOM's! And I have gotten my month's confused!



So for Blogger BOM, hosted by Jackie from Canton Village Quilt Works it is time to do my February block tutorial from Amy Smart @ Diary of a Quilter.  It is a cute block...

I also have to do March's block which is a visit to Allison Harris @ Cluck Cluck Sew blog for the directions check out her super cute block! 

I have not even shared the love at the FLICKER GROUP with the February block... 

In the meantime here is the Roll Call for all the members of the Blogger's BOM...

September - Sherri McConnell - A Quilting Life

October - Vicki Welsh - Field Trips in Fiber

November - Stephanie Dunphy - Loft Creations

December - Pat Sloan - The Voice Of Quilting

January - John Adams - Quilt Dad

February - Amy Smart - Diary of a Quilter

March - Allison Harris - Cluck, Cluck, Sew

April - Amy Lobsiger - Mrs. Schmenkmen Quilts

May - Cathy Underhill - Cabbage Quilts

June - Pam Vieira-McGinnis - Pam Kitty Morning

July - Victoria Findlay Wolfe - Bumble Beans Inc.

August - Amy Ellis - Amy's Creative Side

September - Sarah Fielke - The Last Piece

October - Jackie Kunkel - Canton Village Quilt Works

So the other late BOM is with Amy Gibson in The Craftsy Block of the Month. I need to catch up with the March block, which was Foundation Paper Piecing... April's BOM is Hexagons in the English Paper Piecing method... I'm going to be buried in paper!


Wish me luck! I'm off to try to catch up with everything... Oh! I need to finish the little girl quilt 1st! Order!!! I need to make a list of my projects and stick to it!!!


I hope you have had a chance to chuckle today! Ciao for now!


J :)

Among the missing this weekend...

I mentioned that I was under the weather last week... enough that I did not go out until Friday morning for a little bit. Well, I was slammed with the flu, flat on my back slammed, coughing so hard that my lungs are sore and I can't speak to long before I start to cough again. Really not a happy camper here... 


I was so medicated on Friday at my interview I did not cough the entire time I was there... stepped out the door and I started up right away. 


So how sick was I? I missed out on a lot of goings on that I normally do on the last weekend of the month... But more than anything I really missed seeing my mom, my daughter, my step-son, my daughter-in-law, the grandkids, and my 'people' since I got sick last week, Monday. Major bummer :/


In the meantime, I am trying to fit in finishing up the sweatshirt jackets for the mini-workshop I am teaching on Tuesday night. I have cut up a few sweatshirts, divided them up into sections of the instructions, and now have to finish the last of the American Girl Doll size jackets that I am making. I was going to try to make one for each niece, but being ill has prevented that from happening.


I need to take pictures of the set up on Tuesday night. I did a very quick run thru with hubby and it was less than 5 minutes long. This will work as the workshops need to be within a 15 minute window.


I almost forgot! The Blogger's BOM which posts on the 25th and the Blogger's are...

September - Sherri McConnell - A Quilting Life

October - Vicki Welsh - Field Trips in Fiber

November - Stephanie Dunphy - Loft Creations

December - Pat Sloan - The Voice Of Quilting

January - John Adams - Quilt Dad

February - Amy Smart - Diary of a Quilter

March - Allison Harris - Cluck, Cluck, Sew

April - Amy Lobsiger - Mrs. Schmenkmen Quilts

May - Cathy Underhill - Cabbage Quilts

June - Pam Vieira-McGinnis - Pam Kitty Morning

July - Victoria Findlay Wolfe - Bumble Beans Inc.

August - Amy Ellis - Amy's Creative Side

September - Sarah Fielke - The Last Piece

October - Jackie Kunkel - Canton Village Quilt Works 

So I need to go and check out the blogger for February Amy Smart - Diary of a Quilter . Her BOM block is too cute...

 

I also need to pop over to the FREE Craftsy Block of the Month with Amy Gibson and finish the blocks for February before March are posted on Thursday.


Thanks for stopping by! Ciao for now :) Off to take some more meds :)


J :)

Thursday...

I am still am working different BOM's. Yesterday I worked on the Blogger BOM, today I worked on the Craftsy BOM for January, yea, February is here and I had not done the January... It is a free class on Craftsy, so if you are interested go over to Cratsy Online Classes and sign up for the Free class with Amy Gibson.

Craftsy BOM Online Class is the location, but you need to sign up for the class. Here are my version of the BOM's for January:

I am using a set of fat quarters that I purchased at a guild meeting... I know that my friend G can tell you the line... and I'll have to ask her which one it is on Friday at FUF ... I guess I'll be getting back to you about what line this is :) sorry, G is so much better than me at remembering these!

Ah Ha!!! Miss G came thru! It is the Tufted Tweets line by Laurie Wisburn.

Yes, everything did come form my stash!

Off to watch the news with hubby, thank you for stopping by, Ciao for now! :)

J :)

Working on WIP's Wednesday

My WIP's list doesn't seem to be moving... but it is amazing how much work I have to catch up on before the 10th of this month!

I am working on a birthday quilt (I know, I have mentioned it a few times, but I am waiting for others to give me items for the quilt... not my timeframe). I have a few BOM's that I have to finish up... and I have R's thank you card...

Here is what went off to R ...

I hope that she enjoys them... one's a table trivet and the other is a mug rug.

As for the BOM's... I have done the Blogger Block... John over at Quilt Dad is this month's blogger... here is my version:

Yes, I have already posted it to the Flickr groups ... I almost forgot last month. 

Off to tackle some more...

Hope you are having a wonderful day! Thanks for stopping by, Ciao for now :)

J :)

BOM's

Ah yes, it is the 25th of the month and the Blogger's BOM has been posted! Check out Jackie's post over at CVQW to see what she has to say about the different blocks. So the new block is done by John Adams, A.K.A. Quilt Dad, just click here to see the block and get the tutorial. 
This is what his block looks like:

Too cute!


So I am off to finish the paper piecing of the Angry Birds, make a quick rag doll, do Crafty's BOM's for January, and start on the Blogger's BOM... I think that is enough to fill up the day. 


Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful day!


Ciao for now!


J :)

Tuesday...

I woke up late this morning... suffering from sinus issues for the past few days... not fun. :/

As I am checking my email, facebook, pinterest, and twitter I was listening to the cars driving by and it sounded like they where driving on wet pavement. When I looked out the window I saw it had...

not a whole lot of it...

just a dusting...

Still enough that it had to be shoveled... I wish the people downstairs would say and do this...

No, they do not shovel... there is a 12 year old who lives downstairs, a bus comes every morning to pick him up, every day the bus pulls into the driveway, in back of our car and honks for the child. When it snows, hubby clears the driveway to the benefit of the family downstairs... Oh well, my complaining for the year about them.... nothing much I can do about this...

Still the last time we had any snow was...

Yes, it was Halloween...

In the meantime I am starting to work on my BOM's I have the additional Blogger BOM's that I want to do as the blocks are small, the Crafty BOM that I have to start... need to check my To Do list to make sure there is nothing I am missing...

I signed up to "Do" a mini workshop... I'll be showing how to make a sweatshirt jacket within a 15 - 25 minute presentation... Talk about biting off a large bite! So now I have to make a few jackets at different stages to show them off... what a thought... what a lot of work... hmm, I know, I'll make them to fit an American Girl Doll! Then I can finish the different stages at different times. Also shows many of the guild members that they can make one for their granddaughters dolls. Too cute and it works very well!

This is one I have already made and given away...

I like this one...

 

Off to continue working on the B-day quilt, BOM's, and start on the AG sweatshirt jackets...

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your coffee break :)
Ciao for now!
J :)

BOM... Another one!

A few days ago, while reading my email, I came across one from Craftsy announcing that they were producing FREE Craftsy Block of the Month online video tutorials with hostess Amy Gibson. The big word here was FREE! I have come to the unfortunate time of no longer having an income, so Free is a good thing. But, hmm, another BOM? Yes, you guessed correctly... I’m joining in the fun as well... it is after all a "Stash Buster" and my stash is not that small... It needs to shrink and I need to refrain from purchasing... 


As with the Blogger's BOM there is no cost to join and you don’t have to prove anything to anyone (except yourself). 


If you are interested in joining, go over to Craftsy Block of the Month website and sign up. There are some other lovely classes... but not free... so I will have to wait for those. Just so you know the web site has this to say about the BOM class: (including the pictures...)

The Craftsy Block of the Month is a year-long class in twelve segments, each one posted on the first day of each month. For the first ten months, you’ll learn to create two of the most versatile, eclectic, fun and creative quilt blocks. Then, the last two months of the year will be dedicated to binding, backing and finishing your quilt. So that means the Craftsy Block of the Month will give you a total of 20 blocks plus a ton of techniques, and by the end of the class, you’ll have a COMPLETED quilt!

I really need to find a job to support my quilting habit! But this is a stash buster so.... it's a good thing :) Also, I like the thought that I will end up with more than enough for a quilt top! So, I have signed up :) It will keep me busy... along with finishing up all of my WIP's/UFO's.


Ok, now back to looking for work online... 


Ciao for now!
J :)

It's BOM time :)

Ah yes, BOM time, I was among those suffering with a teflon brain due totally to sinus issues. Not fun... I missed seeing that Pat Sloan had posted for her contribution to Jackie at CVQW's Month 4 Bloggers BOM.

If you click Pat Sloan's PDF, a new window will pop up with the pdf pattern. Either way, I need to get moving on Month 4! I had been all caught up and do not want to get behind again...

This is a cutie:


Of course I will be doing mine in brights... with yellow being the base color... hmm, to follow the color ideas or not? That is what I am pondering at present. I really am thinking that I am going to have to make 2 additional sets of all of the blocks. If I made a total of 3 sets of the BOM's and mix in 2" sashing, I would have enough to make a cute quilt top for a Christmas present... Just a thought... We are having a DIY Christmas once again...

In the meantime I have spent the better part of the day applying for different positions within the Boston area... Enough... I need to get back to looking.

Ciao for now!
J :)

Traveling once again...

We are up and getting ready to get on the road to Boston. Not up for dealing with traffic... But that will be less now, rather than later. It was great to spend time with my family in NYC and stay in NJ. But the time has come to head home.

On another note, I will have to post the Bloggers BOM when I get home, as I did not bring any projects with me to NJ/NY this weekend. If you are looking for the BOM Month 3 block. Click on the BOM link and you will head over to Canton Villge Quilt Works, where Jackie is highlighting the different months.

It is time to get on the road, where as Wednesday was a 7+ hour trip, I hope today will only be less than 5 hours.

So as I head out the door, coffee in hand...

Ciao for now! :)
J :)

Sunday :)

I remember when I was a child that Sunday lunch was a very big thing in our house. It did not matter what you thought was important, you made it for lunch on Sunday, no exceptions.

It has been a very long time since my mom has pushed for Sunday lunch, so it was very nice to be able to join my mom, step-dad, daughter, brother, step-brother, and my husband for lunch today.

Sopa de garbanzos con chorizos at Mom's. (Not the nicest picture of me... but what can I say, my brother took it with his iPhone). It was very nice :) Thank you Mom!

My brother drives a Mini Country, which is in the shop for some work. This past week he has been driving a Fiat, which is the smallest one that I have seen in I have no idea!

It is so tiny!

My mom is not that tall and my husband (sitting in the car) is close to 6 feet. He does fit into the car, but still he said that it is too small. It is a cute car.

On a different note...
I received a large bag of yarn from my landlord. He is trying to clear out his mother's house. She passed away two years ago and he is still working his way thru the items in the house.

The yarn was lots and lots of skeins of acrylic yarn, already wrapped up into balls. I went thru the entire bag and I think that I am going to contact a local Senior Home and check with the social service director to see if they would care for the yarns. We will see what happens. I will feel very good to be able to donate them somewhere that they can be used.

I need to clean off the dining room table and finish up the jacket, the Blogger's BOM, and start on a quilt for a very good friend of my brother and sister-in-law who has been in and out of the hospital of late.

Thanks for joining me tonight, it is time for Hot Chocolate :) Yum!

Ciao for now :)
J :)

BOM's continued...

Ah yes... remember the RSQ blocks that I was working on yesterday?

Yes, those would be the ones that I am talking about...


Well... I brought them to the Guild meeting last night (good meeting), dropped them off with the others who had also done the block(s) and went to check out other tables before the meeting.


Our Guild meetings kinda follows a regular pattern, announcements, raffle winners (for the meeting), Show 'n Tell, last moment announcements, and then our featured speaker(s). Last night was no different. 


The featured speaker for last nights meeting where Bobbie and Joel Bergquist, owners of Quilters' Treasure, who brought part of their quilt shop to our guild. They shared dozens of samples of their work as well as a lot of their products. They are an online quilt shop at www.quilterstreasure.com. They have the most amazing patterns and techniques to achieve different looks and hues with fabric.  They also mentor different artists within their booths at the different Quilt Shows that they attend on an annual basis. So many of the samples where those of the artists using Quilters Treasures fabric, stain glass leading quilts, and inks/paints techniques they have perfected over the years. Yes, I did purchase two patterns and some of the 'leading' that they sell to make some stain glass type of quilts. Unbeknownst to me, I have purchased in the past a few of their patterns,  for which I was very pleasantly surprised. The pattern I have did not have the fabric, which the one last night did, I just could not convince myself that I really needed to get it. Ah well, I will need to relocated that particular pattern once again... More for the "To Do" List...


Getting back to Pumpkin BOM's ... Last night my name was called for winning half of the blocks made for BOM! So... yes, I won a few pumpkin blocks.

Do you notice anything? ... 3rd one from the left on the top row and 1st one on the left on the middle row... yep, those are mine... Kinda cool if you ask me. So now I am going to work on making these into an interesting wall hanging for our front door. And here I was going to spend today making a lot more!! No, don't have to.


I have spent the better part of the day taking the paper off the back of these... I am guilty of leaving the paper on myself, so there is no blame... just using the tweezers to get the little bits of paper.


Have you ever done paper piecing on a large scale? The gentleman (a guild member) who won 1st place at the Quilt Show did a large New York Beauty. I have been thinking about it... just not sure about it yet.


Back to picking bits of paper off the back of the pumpkins.


Thank you for joining me today. It is more of a Hot Chocolate day than coffee, so I hope you brought some along.
Ciao for now :)
J

BOM Update

They are done!!!

Yes, I have been behind on some of my quilting... what is that about Life getting in the way?

It does...

Here is the RSQ Guild blocks that I did earlier, they are paper pieced.

The top are the pictures and the bottom are the blocks... did you notice I flipped them? I did not catch that until I was done and pressing them for the final time. They are a go as they are... after all, I don't have time to make more for tonight. I think I may make one or two more for decorations around the house. That is for tomorrow.

For Jackie's Blogger's BOM over at Canton Village Quilt Works these are the six fat quarters I am going to work with for the time being... I think I'll use the Yellow as the background. Did I ever mention that I love bright colors? I do. 

 This is the 1st Block of the Month!!! It's done! Not bad for not having anything done this morning...

Now to post at the Flickr group and I am off to Guild meeting!

Thanks for stopping by to see if I finished :D What can I say... Oh yea, Life gets in the way... of quilting!

Ciao!
J:)

OMG! It's time to do my BOM's!

OMG Victoria over at Bumble Beans Inc reminded me that "It's Blogger's BOM day!" Dam! I still need to whip up my blocks today! Life really has a way of getting in the way of my quilting!

So tell me have you joined in with the Blogger's Block of the Month? Are you staying up to date with your blocks?  Check out the links below and come join in the fun! 

Yes, I will be posting my blocks before the end of the day... or at the very least before I head off to guild meeting tonight. 

Click on Vickie's blog for the instructions for October's Block. I am just loving her color choices! If you go over to Jackie's... where you can join in... Also the link to the Flickr group to add your blocks http://www.flickr.com/groups/bloggersbom/

So, I needed to go back and check out who the talented designers for this BOM are...

September - Sherri McConnell - A Quilting Life

October - Vicki Welsh - Field Trips in Fiber

November - Stephanie Dunphy - Loft Creations

December - Pat Sloan - The Voice Of Quilting

January - John Adams - Quilt Dad

February - Amy Smart - Diary of a Quilter

March - Allison Harris - Cluck, Cluck, Sew

April - Amy Lobsiger - Mrs. Schmenkmen Quilts

May - Cathy Underhill - Cabbage Quilts

June - Pam Vieira-McGinnis - Pam Kitty Morning

July - Victoria Findlay Wolfe - Bumble Beans Inc.

August - Amy Ellis - Amy's Creative Side

September - Sarah Fielke - The Last Piece

October - Jackie Kunkel - Canton Village Quilt Works

So, while I am scrambling to do my BOM's I am also working like a mad dog to do my Pumpkin piecing BOM's for guild meeting tonight! Yep, I am a 'mad dog' sewing BOM fool today and off I go back to the sewing machine.

Thanks for joining in this mornings rant and coffee break. :)

Ciao for now...

J :)

BOM

So I am joining in on an online BOM over at Canton Village Quilt http://www.cvquiltworks.blogspot.com. Check out the button to bring you to this months BOM. I am so looking forward to doing these blocks! There are some amazing Bloggers joining in on this.

I am also joining the BOM at my local shop, but I need to get over to the shop to sign up :D before I take off for the weekend.

Yes, I am taking off at the end of the week to spend time with hubby and go to my aunt's closing of her show in Highland Park, NJ.

I really should have a link to Willie Nelson's song "On the road again"... I am traveling just a little bit...

Ah, back to coffee and fabric.

Thanks for joining me for today's rants & coffee...
Ciao ;D
J ;)

The reason for the Mariner's Compass block in the button is that... This is your guides for the BOM.