Quilt A Longs!!!

Well, I am happy to say the quilt a longs are really starting up! I'm so excited about Pat Sloan's In the Summer Time QAL and it started today!!!! EEEEEK!!! We use to go some place every week when we lived in Florida, even if it was just the beach... Which happens to be the first block in this QAL!!! We've gone a few places since we've moved to Kentucky, like Mammoth Caves. Wow are they

vast! Back to the QAL... I collected material that represented places we went and things we saw on our adventures over the years and I've been so excited about this QAL since Pat mentioned it back in December that I could barely sleep due to the anticipation!!! So here's my first block...

There is a border that goes around the block, but I'm waiting on the background fabric. The shells and sharks teeth around the block are just a tad bit of the goodies we collected on our days at the beach. Yes I did say sharks teeth, fossilized sharks teeth. One of our favorite beaches was loaded with them! And it was my red headed husbands only favorite beach to go to...he didn't like the beach too much. I would snorkel and the boys would hunt for sharks teeth on the beach. The other wonderful thing about this little beach is it was hardly ever crowded, no condos and they still had sand dunes!!! It was heaven!!! I do miss the beach since living in Kentucky, but that's ok. Their is so many interesting things around here too.

So this is my day at the beach and this is me!

Sheila 

Quilt A Longs!!! I love them!!!

Well! I have all kinds of Quilt A Longs lining up to keep me busy and using up (or giving me reason to buy more) fabric. I wasn't sure if I was going to do the Let's Go Camping that Pat Sloan started the beginning of the month, but after seeing the first block I just couldn't resist! You see I went camping one time...just once. In Florida. In the summer. When it's HOT and the mosquitoes were very prolific! Did you know I can attract every mosquito in a 50 mile radius! At least that's what it seems to me. So, if I ever go camping again it will be in a camper!!! I love being outside, I just don't care to be an insects main course!!! But as I was saying I fell in love with this block. It reminded me of a sunset on a lake and that's how I did mine. I changed up the colors for the "sun" to reds and orange, but will be using the colors she suggested in other blocks. I'll also add these colors somewhere along the journey on our camping expedition. I also don't have any camping themed fabric so I used batiks with more images clearly visible. So here it is...

I really like how it came out. My sunset on the lake! So if y'all would like to enter head on over to her site...You can use the link above or use the link that's connected to Pat Sloan and you can see what other QALs she's doing or has completed. Yes you can get her past quilt a longs!!!!
Well I have a bunch to do...

This is my camp site and This is

Sheila

Sunday Drive and the treasure that I found!

I never thought I'd be lucky enough to find a great deal, but I did!!! I saw an ad for a vintage Singer sewing machine. It was green and I just fell in love with it. I contacted the person and even though she had the ad out for over a week she still had it!!! So we got together and gave her what she was asking...$27. She didn't know if it worked or not, but I thought for $27 bucks how could I pass it up! We drove almost an hour on Sunday and it was a beautiful drive through the country roads of Kentucky. When we got there I couldn't wait to get it to the car and really look it over. It was dirty and probably would need a good cleaning and oil, but I was thrilled! As soon as I got home I checked the computer to find the year it was made, then to the table to clean it, back to the computer, back to the table...I wanted to do everything all at once!!! So after cleaning and oiling all the parts (I checked the internet for how to oil it) I plugged it in, a little nervous...would it blow up? catch fire? do nothing? Then pressed the petal and wow! It worked!!!! I did smell something from the motor and decided I would have someone look at it that knew more than what I found on the internet. I think it may just be old oil on the motor at least that's what my friend suggested and she has a few antique machines. In fact her husband is going to look at it for me so I'm very happy!!!!

Without much further ado... Introducing "Sigmund" my sea green monster! He is a Singer 185J born in Canada in 1954.

 

I've read that you are suppose to name them! And one is never enough! In fact I already have my eye on another one!!!

So this is my new friend and this is me!

Sheila

January????

Wow did the end of the year just disappear or what! We had a crazy month, my mom was in the hospital the week before Christmas, but she's home now and doing very well. I had put my shop on vacation mode for the month and I'm glad I did! As it was I still didn't get the projects I wanted to finish done let alone work on them even a little bit!! But one project I did push myself to complete was a baby quilt for my cousin.
The quilt was made with the block from Aurifils Designer of the Month that Pat Sloan hosts. I really love how it came out! I am always on the look out for blocks that have a 5" square (or around that size) because it is perfect to show off large print fabric, especially the Thomas the Train fabric I found. I thought Amanda Murphy's block was perfect for the baby quilt I needed to work on. So the hunt was on for fabrics that matched the Thomas fabric I had. I knew I needed a variety of fabric to give the blocks some interest and help move the eye around the quilt. This is what I came up with!

I added the sashing and cornerstones and rotated the blocks, but notice how the "tightropes" still line up with one another! I love it!!!

Well I have more work to do...I still have to quilt this puppy and I have Pat Sloan's Grandma's Kitchen to finish up for mom. I also have Bonnie Hunters Mystery quilt On Ringo Lake to finish. I'm actually only on clue 2 so I have a ways to go! I also want to do Pat's Let's Go Camping (though I only went once and that was one time too many!) but the first block is so cool I'm finding it hard to resist!!! I am definitely doing her In The Summer Time sew along which starts the end of this month!! I can't wait!!! I've been pulling fabric and picking up material here and there as I find it. I have some wonderful memories of our day trips with little T when he was younger until just recently. We didn't get to do too much this past summer which was kind of sad. I love exploring the areas touristy places and parks and I hear Kentucky has some amazing waterfalls! So it's definitely on my To Do list!! Oh and I have a Second Chance quilt challenge at our local art center I'm planning. I'm excited to get that done. It will be simple and probably just a tie quilt I probably won't win a ribbon, but I know my little guy will love it! He already said I can't sell it!!! So funny! So that's what I'm up too!!! I hope you join in on some of the fun!!! It's a great way to improve your skills and you get a quilt out of it!!!

Sew until next time... this is me being busy!

Sheila