National Blog Posting month

Happy Halloween everyone.  I know I have not been very good at posting very much lately, so I have joined something that may help.  Starting tomorrow November 1, I, Cindy, will post something everyday for a month. It is called National Blog Posting month (see right side) and I might even win a prize :)  I will be posting anything and everything lol... such as sewing, scrapbooking, grandchildren, husband and maybe even some photography. 

Maybe you would like to join me?  Check it out and see if this is something you might like to do as well. 

See you tomorrow.

PS. If I forget a day, let me know!! lol  Keep me honest :)

Amy's Creative Side "Bloggers Quilt Festival"

I'm going to try this again.  Last time I tried to enter this quilt I was too late :(   So this time i'm early :)  

It's Blogger's Quilt Festival this week and I'm sharing my all time favorite. It's my Stained Glass Star Quilt I made in class at Atlantic Fabrics in Dartmouth NS. My teacher was the fantastic Ken :)

This quilt used to hang in my hallway and I loved it!  Now it's all folded up in my sewing room.  Hope you like it :)

Hurricane Earl!

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the hurricane watch.. It is t-minus 24 hours before Hurricane Earl hits Nova Scotia.  We don't expect the eye to hit us directly but it will be a tad windy/rainy. We've batten down the hatches (lol) and have extra supplies ready.  I'm hoping the power goes out for an hour maybe, no more than that though.  Our power NEVER goes out!  We were supposed to go camping for 3 nights (our first all year) but did not want to take any chances with the hurricane. Hopefully we'll be able to camp at least one time before it gets too cold.

I'm hoping that this long weekend I'll be able to finish a couple of my virtual online quilting bee projects.  I have joined two more: Modern Swappers and PeeB&J on flickr.com I also hope to finish a few of my own projects: ie. kitchen curtains, granddaughters doll blanket/pillow and a harness to carry her bunny around.  Last weekend we had the girls over and that's all we heard was: "Where's bunny" lol  So Poppa thought it would be a great idea to make a pouch for bunny, that way he would be with her always!  She soo loves her bunny :) I will show a picture of bunny next time :)  He's been around lol

What are your plans for this long weekend?

Virtual Quilting Bee

Recently I joined two online quilting bees on Flickr.  Fresh & Funky Bee-ginners and PBee&J Quilting Bees.  This is how they work.  There are usually 12 members (one for each month of the year). When it is your month, you mail out fabric and a pattern to all of the members and then they sew up your block and mail it back.  What a great way to get a quilt finished!!

Well, I just finished the first block, Chrissy's spiderweb block. What do you think?  I can't wait for her to sew all of the blocks together and see the finished quilt :)  My month is February and May... I'm already thinking of what colors and pattern I want to do. 

Have you ever been in a virtual quilting bee?

Baby Boy Blanket Tutorial..finished!

I have finally finished the baby boy flannel blanket before he was born!!!!  I am very impressed with myself :) 

Because of the process pledge, (see on right) I tried to document each step (kinda)....instead of just showing the end product.

First I purchased a ready made panel, warm & natural batting, the backing fabric and Gutterman thread to match.. I stacked the 3 layers on top of each other and then pinned it altogether!

I did quilt a little on the blanket... mostly straight line around the border and also around the star and moon. Once that was finished I trimmed the edges and started to sew the binding on.  I always have to look up on the internet on how to properly attach binding.  Thank god for the internet!!! 

and here is the end result :)  Yeahh!!!  It's going in the mail tomorrow :) Have you ever used a fabric panel to make a baby blanket?  Do you have pictures?

One Thing One Week Challenge

Update:  Although I did not finish my challenge within the week (I kinda forgot about it) I did "almost" finish the binding on the baby's quilt and that's progress!  Plus! I am actually hand sewing the binding... I know... I know... I said HAND sewing lol   I usually machine sew it on.... But this time I said to myself, Self, why don't you try it the right way... and it's not that bad....a lot slower but it looks great!

Did anyone else try to finish something they've been working on last week?

*****
Ok. So. Amy over at Amy's Creative Side is starting another really cool challenge.  This one is called One Thing One Week Challenge.  She is hoping to motivate us either to finish something or start something.  What ever is reasonable for us to be able to finish in one weeks' time.  Post your challenge in her comments section and then the next Tuesday, she will have a linky which we can link to our blog post to show off your met goal.   I know I need something to kick my butt in gear. 

My challenge for this week is to finish the binding on a baby quilt.  I know I know.. that should only take an hour tops to finish, but I'm taking baby steps... nothing too overwhelming :)  lol  

Let me know if you post your challenge on Amy's blog so that we can be in this together.  Remember it can be anything!!!

Cutting fabric with your Cricut!

Oh my goodness! (i say that a lot) I cannot believe what I just came across. Cutting fabric with my lonely cricut machine. I haven't tried it personally, but please go see the awesome tutorial by allie b dallie.  Just think of the possibilities: personalized pillows, decorated tshirs, onesies, bags etc.  Let me know if you give it a try and I'll show you my results soon :)  I promise! lol

Simple Sampler Quilt Along

Good morning everyone!



I am participating in my first quilt along.  I have been trying to sew a sampler quilt for quite awhile but have never finished it.  Now Amy's Creative Side: Simple Sampler quilt along comes along and it is just what I need to get my butt moving!  I'll be posting my finished blocks on my flickr page as I go along.  Let me know if you are going to join me.  We can do it TOGETHER :)

I TOOK THE PLEDGE!

Look on the right sidebar!

When I came across Rossie's post about "the pledge",  I totally agreed.  Too many times we post the after of our projects and not the process and how we got there.  I know when I look at other quilt blogs, I want to learn from them as well as see the end result.   "The goal of the process pledge is to create a new sensibility in quilting blogs where we don’t just show finishes or occasionally confess about our moments of indecision, but chat openly and often about our works in progress, our inspirations, and our moments of decision. I know that many of us are already posting about our thinking on quilts and the processes involved from start to finish, let's do more! And let's post about quilts as we work on them. I want to see more half-done quilts, not just the finished thing with a journal entry about the process."

So in the future:

I, Cindy, pledge to talk more about my processes, even when I can’t quite put them in the in words or be sure I’m being totally clear. I’m going to put my thinking and my gut feelings out there.



Who's with me? :)  Check out the link and let me know what you think?   I love to hear from anyone in blogland :)

First baby boy blanket

I finally get to make a boy (cheater) quilt for someone.  Although I love love love girly fabric, I have wanted to try out blues/browns for sometime.  I have just started a baby boy wallhanging/blanket for a special niece who is pregnant with the first boy in the family.  I have never used blue/browns in a quilt so this is new and exciting.   I'll update when it is finished.  I'm also going to try and show the process for completing this project.  I know I like to see how someone makes their projects as well as the end results.  How is everyone doing with their projects this month?