Sweet Sixteen block #7

The time away from my studio has allowed me more time to hand applique - which is always a good thing! And also to catch up on previous episodes of Downton Abbey!  I have completed the next block from Edyta Sitar's Sweet Sixteen quilt from Laundry Basket Quilts.

This is the 7th block out of the 9 I plan to put into a large wall quilt.  The hearts were fun - of course!

Here is the next row of sweet hearts ready to be sewn together.  They always make me smile. The little bunny looks like he is ready to hop in and help!

I also had made this little mug mat for my girlfriend Kathy's birthday.  I mailed it to her in New Mexico and she opened  it right away and loved the colors.  I couldn't post it earlier because I know she reads the blog!

 Happy Birthday Kath!!!

No signs of Spring yet here in New Jersey, but this pretty cardinal was singing outside my kitchen window last week.  Hopefully soon he will be joined by robins.....

Hoping  you and your family have a wonderful Easter!

Happy Stitching!

Deb

What a Difference a Week Makes.....

Last week I shared some photos of my quilting studio where I planned to spend National Quilting Day.  Well this week, unfortunately, it looks quite a bit different.  We had water backup in the sink in the bathroom next to my studio.  It came from a blocked drain pipe that the washing machine goes to, which emptied all over the floor in the bathroom, my studio, utility room, and my small office....... 

This is how my studio looks this week..  What a mess.  We called the plumber to unblock the pipe and mopped up as much water as we could before the remediation guys could get here.  You can see that I can't even get to my sewing machine anymore. : - (  Fortunately, no damage to fabric or the sewing machine!

They have set up dryers, dehumidifiers, and removed about a foot of wallboard from the office, left side of the studio, bathroom and utility room.  The soaked carpet was taken out and the flooring will have to come up.

You can see it is going to be awhile until I can get to my worktable or any of my fabric.

But while pulling everything apart I found this little quilt on the wall behind a basket of fabric.... It is called "Home is Where Our Hearts Are"

I designed this in March 2008.  It is silk with hearts made in various materials & techniques.

It reminded me that home is more than carpet and flooring.....

It will all get cleaned up and put back to the way it was.. In the meantime I have plenty of hand stitching to keep me busy.... Including my Sweet Hearts.

I just need to relax, like Abby!

Happy Stitching!

Deb

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I designed this table topper 20+ years ago.  It still looks great on the coffee table in our family room.  And how did I make the shamrocks?? .... three hearts. : - )  Soon the corned beef will be on the stove for dinner.

I hope everyone found some time to do some stitching yesterday.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time in my studio.  Of course I didn't get as much done as I had hoped.. but I rarely do!  What is the saying?, "So much fabric, so little time".  I did find some time to sneak back down there early this morning and get the borders onto a quilt I have been wanting to finish.  Then it was off to the kitchen....

The Irish Soda bread fresh out of the oven.  The house smells so good!  

It will be wonderful with our corned beef dinner tonight!

My brother in his kilt that he tried to convince me that I could make for him a couple of years ago....  That is a story for another day!  I wonder if he is wearing it today??

My clan (minus the little red-head) plans on spending their day relaxing.  Each one can claim a corner of the bed.

Happy St. Patrick's Day and Happy Stitching!

Deb

National Quilting Day - Hooray!!!!

Happy National Quilting Day to all my fellow quilters! 

Here in the US, it is National Quilting week.. with the third Saturday of the month designated as National Quilting Day.  Many quilt shops run sales, quilt museums have free admission or special exhibits, some Web sites offer free patterns, and quilters gather to work on projects and share the love of quilting.

This is where I plan to spend the better part of the day, if I can!

This is my sewing studio in the lower level of our house. Nice working space.

Most of my fabric is in plastic storage drawers or in a cabinet.  But my batiks are all on a shelf for inspiration.  Looks like they could use some straightening!

I try to keep project fabrics neatly in baskets... but sometimes it doesn't always work.

Here is the other side of the room.  The china cabinet against the wall was my late grandmother's, circa 1930's, and holds most of my embellishments and specialty thread.  The armchair was hers as well. 

She made sure I took sewing lessons at the age of 9!
Thanks, Grandma!

I try to keep it neat.. but sometimes the project baskets and piles overtake the space.  I am sure you know how that is!  My husband and I bought that sideboard table for our first apartment.  There's the candy dish with chocolate in it for emergencies. (Yum!)

Whatever today brings you, I hope you get to do some stitching... and enjoy the day.  Seize the needle!

Happy Quilting!

Deb

Sweet Hearts and Sweet Sixteen

I have sewn the next row of Sweet Hearts together.  They are now getting too big to fit on my design board. However, they still look great..even on the ironing board...

The next row of hearts being pressed on my small ironing board in my studio.

They look great... even if I say so myself.  Look.. even a wool pin cushion with hearts on it!

Dawn has started to sew her hearts together.   Wait until you see what she is going to do!

Lucy has been busy at work selecting which hearts should be stitched next....

Early this morning I was busy making different sized hearts for my Sweet Sixteen block.  I LOVE the Clover marking pen for making applique pieces.

Here they are on the pattern layout sheet.  Very sweet.  Only about 1 1/2 inches across.

It seems like everyone wants to stitch hearts this week.  Well, I certainly can use the help!

Happy Stitching!

Deb

Another Week Gone By

We went south this weekend to the shore... it was a very nice weekend at the beach to celebrate my father-in-law's 88th birthday.  Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera : - (.  So I can't show you the beautiful blue skies on Saturday, or show you the breaking waves of the surf when I went for my walk along the beach, or the lemon meringue pie (his favorite!) I made for my father-in-law for his birthday dinner <sigh>.  But I can tell you that I did a lot of stitching on the three hour trip down and back.....

Here is the next row of hearts ready to be sewn together.  

Don't they look happy?

I also worked on this quilt block.  Number 7 of the 9 blocks I am working on from the Sweet Sixteen quilt by Edyta Sitar.  I also worked on hearts... and baskets. 

That is all I have for this week.  The week has flown by and I can't believe we are starting another week.  We have pushed our clocks forward in the US .. and that just meant one less hour of quilting!!!

Have a good week.

Happy Stitching!

Deb

Quilt Show..Continued

I thought I would share some more photos of some of the beautiful quilts from the Quilt Fest New Jersey IX show taken this past Friday.  Enjoy!  Wish you all could have seen them in person!

Midnight in the Garden of Cat & Iris

Judith Roderick

Amazing color and fabrics.  Love all the buttons!

Antelope Canyon 60" x 84"

Kimberly Lacy

Love the colors

Billy's Bluebirds

Ellene Mashburn Place

Small quilt, machine appliqued with unbelievable machine quilting

Redbud Ramble

Linda Roy

Tufted pink berries

Marie's Poppies

Carolyn Rider

Lollipop Trees

Mary Ellen Sample

I am working on this pattern too!

Seaweed II

Shirley Malia

This piece had incredible embellishments and unusual fabrics.  I always love the underwater themes.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this peak at the quilt show.  There is nothing more inspiring than seeing other artist's creativity and incredible skill.  Now back to my own projects until the next quilt show.

Happy Quilting!

Deb

Quilt Show!!

It doesn't get any better than going to the first quilt show of the year with quilting friends.  We spent yesterday at The Quilt Fest of New Jersey IX and we had a wonderful time!!!  Let me share some of the fun with you...

Best of Show winner
Panic in the Pond
 by Anna Faustino, Tobyhanna, PA

Here are only a few of my favorites - Funky Baskets by Babette Galinak

This is one of the winners (Best in Show) from the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Fest in February - AMAZING!

Karen Kay Buckley's, "Fiesta Mexico"

Magnificent!

I wish you could see the stitching and embroidery on this quilt.  This is also a winner from the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Fest.

Here is a photo of the back... bobbin thread matches stitching on the front of the quilt

This woman on the right said she wanted to go home 

and throw away all her fabric! Very funny - I understand 

how she felt after seeing the incredible workmanship.

Love this multiple panel quilt done by 5 quilters working from the same photo.  This is called Eureka! and is from a photo of Humbolt Bay, CA.  They all worked independently until the final piece was put together.

Of course we came to see the quilts... but really to buy fabric! (Should I show you what I bought??)

Karin and Marie finding some great quilting stuff!

Friendly vendors and plenty to buy!

We even had some show-n-tell at lunch.  Some great thread that Karin bought to applique her Sweethearts.

Cute little quilt that Dawn made - designed by her granddaughter, Emma.

Dawn also brought this beautiful Sea Dragon quilt she made.  It won a ribbon in her guild show in October!  I wish you could see all the beading!

It was a great show and we had a fun day together!
Now to put all that inspiration and fabric into future quilts!

Happy Stitching,

Deb