Starting Over

Well, I think I have probably lost all my readers. So I am going to pretend that I am starting my blog over...with all the anticipation and enthusiasm I had when I first began.

Yes I have a new header. I saw Nicole's new header at Sisters Choice, and loved her blue log cabin blocks. Soooooo...

...while I was home... literally home for five days... as in, I didn't go out of my house... I have been physically and mentally organizing my quilting world. Oh, and I also undecorated my house, cooked some scrumptious meals, cleaned just a little, slept late, read, and of course sewed.
I teased you with the idea for our bee gift exchange, so I want to show you some of the creative ways we keep our gifts to under $3. Georgia embroidered this cute scissor holder. I have my full size pair of Ginghers in it. This will definitely keep my husband from cutting his odor eaters (new ones thank goodness). True story!!!
Loretto made this cute cup/bottle holder with a bee and our initials embroidered on it. I will be using this often to keep my water bottle from sweating all over my purse.
And this is what I made for everyone. I cut up my old quilt calendars and made stationery. There are different sizes of blank note cards with envelopes as well as some tiny gift tags. I also printed out some address labels (see upper left).

Until next time...
Susie

Merry Christmas and Happy New year

And I mean that from my heart.
Above is my bee party. We all exchange gifts with a
$2-$3 limit. It makes for some very creative gifts.

Needless to say, I've been a busy girl. I won't
bore you with the details because I'm sure that they are
the same as many women all over the country. I do, however,
have the Christmas spirit and am enjoying the busyness
and underlying panic. My panic usually comes from
worrying if my three kids (they are all grown and on
their own, mind you!) have the same amount of gifts.
They have never worried about it but I do, for some
strange reason. I just want them all to have a wonderful
Christmas. Well, I consider myself truly blessed if that's
my biggest worry, huh?

Here is the cutest bag I made for Hannah, my second son's girlfriend.

The top pic is the front and the bottom is the back. It is the cutest thing with lots of pockets. I also made my son-in-law some San Diego Chargers PJs, pillow case and two bandanas for their beagles. He is a big Chargers fan and I bought three yards of Charger fabric and just about used all of it.

I truly hope you all have a peaceful, loving holiday.

Until next time...
Susie

Quick gift

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled
with family and friends and...calories!

After my marathon cooking on Thursday, this is what
I worked on this weekend. (Oh and after I got home
from shopping on Black Friday--out the door at 6:45!)
We're having our supper club (5 other couples) over on
the 13th and I wantedto give each couple a small gift.
I just took a 12" block and made a mini quilt for a
table topper. Each one took exactly 1/2 hour to quilt.
Wouldn't it be nice if all our projects went so fast.
The pattern is Christmas Star from the quilterscache.

I have a long list of quilted gifts to finish before
Christmas.
1. Finish quilting my son, Matt's quilt
2. Make two pillowcases for my daughter, Maggie
3. Make a quilted bag for my second son Scott's
girlfriend, Hannah.
4. Make two dog beds for Maggie's beagles
5. Make two PJ bottoms for Maggie and Hannah

I'm not panicking yet though. Have to get through
this dinner party first.

Until next time...
Susie

New backwards quilt

Sometimes when you see a piece of fabric, you just
know, without a shadow of doubt, that it is yours. That's
the way when I saw this.
I have been collecting blues and whites for a few years
now and planned on someday making a beautiful blue
and white quilt. Something classy and clean and crisp.
The pile of blues ranged from dark indigo to bright royal --
the same ones that sat near my window and
some of them faded. So I am using the dark indigo
ones for a triple nine patch along with apple green
(I know sounds weird, but it caught my eye--more
on that one later) The royals will be used for the front
of this quilt. Here are the fabrics.
And this is the pattern I am using. It is from the book
Quilt Along with Emilie Richards Sister's Choice.
This quilt is meant to be. I even know I am going to
quilt it from the back following the print in the fabric.
I just love it when the stars align and all the pieces
fall into place. Now all I have to do is make it!!! Sadly I
don't think it will be until after the holidays.

Until next time...
Susie

Quilting Backwards

There have been two instances in my quilting journey
where I have started a quilt with the back. This is the
first one.
Sorry about the wonky photo. I asked my husband to
hold this up as he was walking out the door. So not
only were we in a hurry, but this quilt is king size and
no one else was here to help, so this is it folks!
I saw this cute fabric at
JoAnn's about 5 years
ago. It says "Life is just a
bowl of cherries. They
only had three FQs so I
bought them thinking
that someday I would
make something. Then
I ran across Aunt Sukies
Choice in Nancy Martin's book Make Room for
Christmas Quilts. This was the quilt that I could
make with my cherries fabric for the back. It would
still be red and green but not Christmas. Around the
same time (and I can't remember which came first)
I saw this fabric on a bolt and bought 15 yards. The
quilt was starting to come together. I started collecting
red and white lights and darks and black & white lights.
Then I found the border fabric. Perfect!. I even had
enough to make two pillowcases, and I still have
some left.

So I started with the back and a quilt was born.

Until next time...when I'll show you my newest
backwards quilt...
Susie

Quickie Quilt

I will consider this my two-week quilt. This picture was
taken this morning (Thursday) and the only thing left
to do is finish the binding. (I am not labeling this quilt
because I don't know the recipients that well and in 20
years they won't remember me anyway. They will have
their own stories/history about this quilt). I started it
last Sunday-11 days ago. I
got it all cut out on Sunday,
sewed the center of the quilt
from Monday through
Thursday. I was off work on
Friday so bought the border
and backing, and got those
sewn on. Then I basted it
on Saturday, got it quilted
from Saturday through Monday (I was off work again).
Now I am binding it. Whew, it's amazing what you can
accomplish when you have a deadline. This was a
self-imposed deadline of course. I work in a very
deadline oriented business (magazine production)
so I try not to give myself many self-imposed deadlines.

We have a new assistant pastor at our church and
there is something about this young man that I just
love. (Besides the fact that he is an awsome preacher!)
He and his cute wife are expecting their first baby
(a boy) in January and the church-wide shower is
this Saturday. I know they could probably use
practical things like diapers and gift cards for
formula and stuff but I just had to make them a quilt.
I like to imagine all the many happy hours,
raising a sweet boy, playing I Spy.

Until next time...
Susie

OK, OK, I'm back

Yeah, I know, I've been back from retreat for two weeks
now. And I do have lots of excuses for not posting, but
let's just say I couldn't get to it. It has a little to do with
my sense of rebellion and, well, all those excuses.
So let's just move on.
This was our view from our little cabin at West River
(south of Annapolis). Just one hour after getting there
and unloading the car, and setting up the tables with
Georgia, and setting up my sewing space, the world
just fell away. I mean it is the total opposite of stress.
Four days of it. Four days of sewing, laughing, eating,
sleeping, laughing and sewing. We all got so much
done this year.
I worked on this wall hanging from Pat Sloan. I bought
the fabric kit from Traditions at the White Swan who
vendors at our quilt show. I won't tell you how many
years I've had it. Georgia was making one too.
Loretto finished these cute wall hangings.
Marcie had the best idea of the weekend. She bought
some Vera Bradley napkins and some other fabrics that
coordinated with them and started a quilt with this
pattern. Each napkin will yield four blocks. I just love
it and think it's going to be stunning.
And BTW, Cathy embroidered that cute spider along
with pumpkins and haunted houses and more for
each of us.
Here's Cathy working on her new Grandson's quilt with
Kim watching. Cathy was sooo diligent, working on
that quilt the whole weekend. She made major progress.
Loretto (ironing) and Marcie holding up her cute
TP wall hanging.
Terri holding up a cute purse that Flo made. Here's Georgia sewing on her new machine.
You might recognize her from last year.

We sewed on all sorts of machines from a 25-year-old Singer to the newest Viking Diamond. So now I'm depressed to be back in reality. The next retreat is February. After the holidays I'll start counting the sleeps.


Until next time...
Susie