AWOL...

My apologies fo going AWOL on you all! I've been busy sewing quilts, place mats, and in class both Saturday and Sunday for 10 hours a day! I am a little wiped out.

Before I for get... My SIL delivered Ms Piggy to D! She loved it :). Did not get a chance to meet up with them all as I have been trying to finish off some Christmas presents that had been put on hold for Ms Piggy. They all went to a local farm to create some Gingerbread Houses, I caught some pictures and it looked like they had a wonderful time.

Now the weekend class is half way done, I have some studying to do and sewing to complete. I do need to pick up a quilt from CQS that Georgette dropped off over the weekend. That will require some trimming and binding. It is not a Christmas present, but rather a graduation present for a dear niece. She saw the top... last year... so I really need to finish it.

Catch you soon, thanks for the wonderful thoughts :)

Ciao for now :)
J=]

Ms Piggy has left the house

Bright and early this morning I was off to my brother & sister-in-laws house to drop off Ms Piggy quilt and pillow. I did attach a note to them and am sharing as there where so many who helped along the way! Thank you to all who donated fabric, expertise, support (emotional & physical), and ideas!

The story behind the quilt…

I was thinking about you and how I would love to know that you are wrapped up in warm hugs. So one Sunday, over lunch, at my mom’s, I asked P if you collected or had a favorite item/animal/flower (M was not there) and he said yes, but could not remember.

Monday morning I touched base with P & M and found out that you enjoy pigs.

With that, the idea for Ms Piggy was off and running… I wanted to do a ‘paper-pieced’ pig… but I did not have anything in my ‘stash’ (my collection of fabrics)… I went looking for ‘cute’ pigs… found some, but none that would work for paper-piecing… then I found one that I thought (silly me) would work… Three days later I gave up on that one! I found another one and thought, I’ll make it look like paper piecing… Ms Piggy was found :)

Off to my stash to look for fabric… I had some Valentine squares that I thought will be perfect! Ms Piggy is pink and the quilt will be pink and white… I also put out a call to my friends, looking for pig fabric… I did not know how hard it was to find fabric that had only pigs or even any pigs! But there are some donated pieces of fabric from friends within this quilt, pig, and pillow, as I did not have a lot of pink fabric.

Off to the fabric store because I was still thinking of a quilt being the giver of warm hugs… I needed to get fabric for the backing and from there my mind went to flannel or fleece… warm hugs :)

Well Ms Piggy had a mind of her own and did not want to go onto the quilt, she wanted her own space so she became a pillow… The quilt (still called Ms Piggy) also had a mind of it’s own as well. So there are many different things that when I did them, I looked at it and said “Ok, Ms Piggy, that’s the way it will be…” Ms Piggy is a one of a kind!

So that is how we reached this point in time… your reading about Ms Piggy the pillow and quilt. I hope that you are wrapped up in Ms Piggy and getting a whole bunch of warm hugs!

From us to you, sending you warm hugs by way of Ms Piggy :)

See you soon! So we can give you warm hugs as well!

 I truly hope that D falls in love with these and that she is wrapped up in a lot of warm hugs.

Thank you to my friends and family who shared in the creating, making, and delivery of these. It has been fun! Now on to making Christmas presents!!!

Coffee and sewing, what a wonderful combination!

Ciao for now! :)
J :)

And we are done!!!

I finally have finished Ms Piggy :) Yay!!! Life has gotten in the way since the beginning...  Ah well. :)

Ms Piggy the Pillow and Quilt

Ms Piggy the pillow...

Ms Piggy the quilt!

So now I will be dropping it off to my SIL tomorrow morning. I hope that the wonderful women who is going to be receiving these feels the love and blood (split a little on this one), the hugs that are all wrapped up into this quilt and pillow. More than anything, I hope and pray she will be able to enjoy these for a very long time to come! She is a special person.

Back to the sewing machine, too many projects to be finished within the next 19 days!!! Christmas is coming!!! I am not done yet! Oh, I'll post BOM's, jacket sleaves, and Thanksgiving pic within the next few days. Boy am I behind!

Ciao for now! :)
J :)

The Weekend!

One would think that while not working the weekend would not make a difference... But it does! I get to spend time with my husband!

Of course today, I am at another quilt shop for a class... Hence why no pictures of Ms Piggy...

While waiting for the teacher to arrive I have been checking out other blogs and I found the cutest one about pincushions that I must admit I really want to make a few... Then I came across these table runners that are calling my name... Do have this listed on my To Do List....

As this is a DIY Christmas at our house, I need to get into the sewing mojo to finish up my gifts... Maybe I'll make some pincushions.... or a table runner or place mat....


Catch you later!
Ciao for now :)
J :)

Oops! Missed a few days...

I have been working on the Ms. Piggy pillow and quilt. I swear it has a mind of it's own!!! It is almost done, but like the title says, Life has gotten in the way once again.

Monday I was able to post and do some sewing, while waiting to hear from my daughter. She had an infected tooth. With no insurance, we went to the dental clinic at one of the medical schools in the area. Since they close at 4 pm, Monday was out. So Tuesday at noontime I was picking her up at school and off to the dental school. That was five hours at the school waiting for her. After which it was driving her home and then myself. By the time I got home, no sewing...

Wednesday and Thursday I did get to sew, but I felt like I was all thumbs! The seam ripper and I where close and personal for both days... I felt like I was tearing apart everything. I over cut when I went to square off... so I added borders to enlarge the quilt.

It's off to Finish Up Friday and I hope to get a few pictures to post.

Ciao for now!
J :)

No pressure... except from myself...

Ok, so now I have no pressure from others... just myself... Ms Piggy is waiting... and I am working hard... When I started working this project, I thought that I would do a very quick quilt... I don't think I was really thinking quick as I designed it on EQ7, both Ms Piggy and the quilt top. Well, now I am doing the top 'on point' and I have never done one of these before... EQ7 does not give beginner directions... good thing I've been sewing/quilting for a bit...

I am working from the outside in, as the corners are a different fabric than the ends. Talk about making it difficult. Yes, I did make sure that the seams are nested, they match, and I taking it easy as I do this. It is looking good so far... :)

So much for this mornings coffee break.

Thanks for joining me, Ciao for now! :)
J :)

Stress?

I have come to the conclusion that when I am in need of calming down from a self-induced stressful moment, I need to get some sushi... Yep, not even 10 am and I find myself stopping for some sushi from the local Whole Foods... Why am I stressed so early? Well my child is still not feeling ok with her ankle and all the issues that go along with the complications of the injury (years ago) that continue to occur, so I was guilted (is there such a word?) into driving her to school today. The un-stress is that my SIL called me to say that "Piggy Project" would be very welcome next week, after the 15+ visitors who are expected for the Thanksgiving weekend, where leaving rather than arriving. OMG that was music to my ears!

These are some of the strip sets for the quilt...

This is a close up of Ms. Piggy, patiently waiting to be added to the finished quilt top... when that is done. 

Meanwhile, hubby and I where saying how we had a wonderful time with the grandkids this past weekend. I shared the museum photos yesterday... Today, something we both love to do with the kids, each and every time they are with us...

They have a collection of books at our house, many that are not at their house, so it is a treat to be able to read them to them. Funny that there are two specific books that they love and they both have to do with manners! Of course, they each have stories to tell about the different instances in the books that have happened to them and what they did about using their manners. The same books are located within the classrooms that the kids attend. Of course they do know them by heart... and catch us when we miss something.

Now that I can calm down from "Ms Piggy" I am looking at the The 'B B Q' , or "Black & Bali Quilt Challenge" that I signed up for in February... I have it in my head... now I have to get it onto fabric. LOL!

Thanks for joining me today :)

Off to the sewing machine...

Ciao for now :)
J :)