Monday, April 20, 2009

spring activities








We have had a couple of lovely days to work outside. Saturday was the best. We are spending a good bit of time working in our backyard where we just added a patio. I love the outdoors so this is our summer project. We still have a long way to go.


We still need to get more plants in and add shrubbery, more plants, stepping stones, and a spot for my bird feeders and bird bath. I ordered a rain barrel to conserve water. It should arrive sometime this week or early next week. We also have to add the skirting under the sunroom and deck. Will be a busy time but hopefully it will be done this summer. But a garden is really never done. I so enjoy digging in the dirt!!




As for quilting, I finally started quilting my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt. I am using a floor model PVC quilting frame. It works just like the small lap one that I have. This is the first time I tried one of these floor frames. My other quilting frame is a large wooden Grace frame that fits a queen sized quilt. It takes up a lot of room. Before we moved, I had the perfect place to set it up but in this house, I really don't unless I do a lot of furniture rearranging. We'll see how it goes. I am also working on a small wall quilt for my Attic Treasures series. All of the quilts in this series are made from vintage fabric I found in our family home attic several years ago.


Sunday, April 5, 2009

To and From


My manners are slipping. I should have posted a big thank you to Sandi. I won her give away and just now got around to taking a picture. Aren't the green fabrics great! And the little bear is so cute. Be sure to visit her blogs at http://teastitches.blogspot.com/ and http://alegacyofstitches.blogspot.com/. I'm sure you'll enjoy both.





I mentioned in my last blog that I was making a small quilt for the guild to auction at the fall quilt show. This is it. It is 17.5"x17.5" The fabrics were all from my stash and the buttons are old. I wanted to make it look scrappy. The idea came from a book, Little Quilts all through the House.


I'm all packed up for the guild meeting tomorrow...fat quarter for the fat quarter raffle, mini quilt to donate, Secret Sister gift, and the basket, dish, and napkin someone left at the last meeting. Guess I'm ready. This is going to be a busy week...guild Monday, new patio construction to begin on Tuesday, meeting here Wednesday morning, work two days ...hope I find time to quilt!

Friday, April 3, 2009

I really didn't disappear




It has been a busy week or so and I figured I should get you all caught up on what has been happening. On Monday the 30th Biker Dude came to our guild and I took a class. In the class we started a colorful link pattern...mine is still hanging on my wall so I'll have to post about it later. It was a great class. Biker Dude is from Wilmington DE. He has been a trucker for 40 years and has visited all 48 continental states on his bike. He has been featured in a Fons and Porter magazine article...he was a hoot and a great quilt teacher. He said he took up quilting when he stopped smoking... What I liked about his quilts was their designs looked complicated but really aren't. He has a great sense of color. He brought three quilts made from the same pattern with different color choices and it was amazing how different they looked....
I'm still working on my flower garden quilt and have spent some time working in the real flower gardens. The tulips and daffodils are coming up, the hyacinths are blooming..and I am getting spring fever!. We are getting a patio installed next Tuesday so we spent time running around checking out the pavers, etc. As soon as it is in, I'll be ready for more gardening around it.
We got our new TV on Tuesday so I needed to clean off the entertainment center as the piers needed to be moved because the new TV is a different size than the old one so that meant hauling books, dusting, etc....
Then I worked on a mini quilt for the guild auction...it's done except the border so I'll have to take a picture of it soon. I want to turn it in to the guild on Monday so I need to get busy.
Then I cleaned my kitchen cupboards....a task I really hate but needed to do
Then I cleaned my quilt room....of course it will be messy by tonight....
I haven't even had time for pictures but I know I need to.