It Was a Very Good Year!

Indeed it was...from beginning to end...the Year of Schnibbles was just wonderful. It was tons of fun and I have 11 fantastic quilts/Schnibbles and a Tuffet or two...Thank you so much Sherri and Sinta for a VERY GOOD Year!

I'm so glad we had this time together...

OK yes you're right...I'm showing my age with that title...LOL! But, I really am so glad we had today together Charming Girls...I got a big check mark on my list...Camden's Bitty Baby quilt top...check! Now I just need to do her's...her's will take a bit longer since it's a big girl quilt...it will be wonderful for her new bed.

Again Thank you to Kelly and Carol...I get so much done on these sewing days!

Sewing...with a little help

I'm sewing away...with a little help from 2 of my favorite things...Diet Coke and chocolate...the rows are together and I'm getting ready to do the piano key border. Took a little lunch break and then I'll be right back upstairs to finish. Thanks Kelly and Carol for hosting this sewing day...I always get so much done when we sew together!

Going to a Party!

I'm going to be joining the Charming Girls Christmas Sewing Party today...I'll be working on the Short Story Schnibble for Camden's new pink polka dot doll carriage that she's getting from her Nana (my mom) for Christmas. When that's finished I'll be making the Big Short Story for Camden. I'm using Bliss for both so she and her Bitty Baby will have matching quilts. More later!

Year of Schnibbles...Plan C

I am so happy with this Schnibble...well it's really a big Schnibble...I decided to do the big one from Schnibbles Times Two...when I first got the book I picked out Plan C immediately...my original plan was to do it with patriotic fabric, maybe a Minnick & Simpson line. I pondered that, even collected the fabrics I was going to use...I decided I was going to use several of their groups because they all work so well together. I didn't get around to doing it, other things moved in line in front of it. Then it was announced that it was the August choice for Year of the Schnibble. Fast forward to the end of last week...oh my gosh, the end of the month is going to be here and I haven't done a thing on Plan C! I was in my storage room on Thursday and saw this very aged bundle of Roman Holiday by 3 Sisters...all of my planning for this quilt went right out the window...it had to be made out of this...I ironed fat quarters late into the evening and then cut...Andy went out of town Friday morning and returned Sunday evening...I took advantage of my alone time and sewed like a wild woman. The minute I put the piano key border on I knew I had made the right choice...Mr. Quilt Holder needed longer arms or I need to do smaller quilts.

Hot, Hot, Hot!

What do you do when it's hot, hot, hot? Well, I SEW, SEW, SEW! And that's what I did today...we had 105 degree heat index again today...I think they said it's been like that for 15 of the last 19 days...it's absolutely CRAZY! I've lived here, in this same area for the past 44 years...I have never experienced a summer like this one has been...but on the positive side, I'm getting a lot of sewing done. I turned the A/C down a couple of degrees, turned up the ceiling fan and off I went.

This month's Designer BOM was a lot of fun......this is going to be one great quilt!

I finished my Nine Patches for the exchange......I had the best time making these...picking combinations of fabrics was my favorite part...Thank you Julie for coming up with this wonderful exchange.

I also got all the pieces and parts done for Plan C...I have it all laid out on my design floor...that's the project for tomorrow...hopefully I'll be back here tomorrow night with a picture!

I can't believe I'm watching Preseason Football tonight...where in the world did the summer go?

LOVE!

Josh took this picture on Saturday while Hampton was on the phone with me...he took it with his iPhone and sent it while we were on the phone...it appeared in my e-mail box today...where in the world does this stuff go...Saturday to Tuesday....there must be a holding tank somewhere in cyberworld...LOL! This is LOVE all wrapped up in this sweet little boy...

Another block of Nice People Nice Things done...I'm much happier with with my stitching on this block. I'm having fun!

Time for a New Book or Two

Last night I finished reading The Last Beach Bungalow...I liked it very much...an easy, quick read but really left me thinking.

Next on my night stand is Sarah's Quilt by Nancy Turner...I've been looking forward to this one since I finished These is My Words. I need another book to read though that is a paperback that I can take to the gym and read while I'm walking on the treadmill and climbing the stairmaster...Diane over at Joyful Reader suggested Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani...she said, "will keep you captivated, and your mind off the exercise aches and pains." Sounds perfect...anyone have any other suggestions? I always need a gym book.

It Was A Great Day!

This day couldn't have started any better...the phone rang and it Josh with some questions for his dad...but I could hear Hampton saying "I need to talk to Mamie, Please" Well you know my heart sang and we talked and talked...there isn't a better way to start a day.

We did our exercise walk really early this morning because they were calling for extreme heat today...with heat advisory...no rain today to cool it off at all, so we headed out before it got too bad...then I was IN for the day! I headed right upstairs and sewed and sewed and sewed. I worked on my Plan C, but I just have pieces and parts at this point so no pictures yet...I did a bunch of 9 patches for the Nine Patch Swap and did some 4 patches for a swap with a friend. Definitely, MY KIND OF DAY!

I have to share a picture of my boys on their living room bed last evening...I don't think they could be any closer...

Arborists???

That's what they call the professionals...Mr. Brown Quilts and I certainly aren't professionals but we sure did a whole lot of trimming on the oak trees in our yard. These trees were planted 5-1/2 years ago...we've trimmed them every year since we've been here but this year they really needed some serious cutting. This is the 3rd time we've worked on these this year...the homeowner's association decided that all trees needed to be 12 feet above the sidewalk...we had some branches lower than that and until yesterday didn't have the equipment we needed to do the job. Mr. Brown Quilts headed out yesterday morning at 7:30 to pick up the chain saw from the rental place. OMG, he had way to much power in his hands! But it sure made quick work of cutting! We cut for 2-1/2 hours and the side yard was full of branches...this is 1/2 of the yard....then we had to cut them up and tie them up into bundles that the yard waste guys can take away on Wednesday...2 more hours of that...then we had to haul all the bundles up behind the house just to haul them to the curb on Wednesday. So needless to say there was no sewing yesterday...I was so tired and so sore that I couldn't even make it upstairs.
Today was much better...I spent the afternoon working on Camden's little Short Story Schnibble, go about half the blocks done.
I told Mr. Brown Quilts today that I was made to be a sewer/quilter not an arborist!

I Did Cartwheels Down the Stairs...

NO! NO! Don't panic...I really didn't...but that is what I told Mr. Brown Quilts when I came flying downstairs and found him outside...I made him stop what he was doing...and turned him into Mr. Quiltholder...here's what I was so excited about...My Between Charming Friends top is done...YIPPEE! I love it...thank you again Darlene for designing this wonderful quilt and to Kelly for challenging us to do these little blocks. Now I need to start the quilt for Twin #2...but it will have to wait a few days...I have some other things in the works.

I have to share this sweet picture...A very happy dad with his girl!

Stitching a Bit

I got started stitching my Nice People, Nice Things blocks...here's the first one.......my technique definitely got better as I stitched along...started with the cupcake paper first...I'm not thrilled with it, the stitches are a bit too big, but I decided to leave it. I'll have it for comparison...I'll know if I'm getting better. I really enjoyed doing it...I'm on my way!

I started the 9 Patch Exchange blocks today......this is really going to be a fun swap...a huge thank you to Julie for organizing this swap...I did 5 blocks like this one today and cut a bunch more...Nine Patches everywhere...fun, fun, fun!!!

Off to stitch a bit more this evening!