Working on the second block

I have been working on the Quiltmaker Bride block of the Bountiful Life quilt.  I have to admit, I  have not made a lot of progress over the past few weeks.  But here she is, almost completed.  

There are still plenty of leaves to sew and add to this block.  I am debating if I should embroider her face, or leave it blank.

I did slim her down a bit.  She was quite plump in the original pattern! (I wish someone could just draw me thinner! LOL) 

Yesterday was laundry day...  Lucy decided to help my husband fold the towels......  She thinks we can't see her.

Enjoy your Memorial Day holiday.  And remember the men and women who sacrificed for our country. 

Here is my Sweet Heart for today.

Happy Stitching!

Deb

Choices

After I posted the photo of the Bluebell Bouquet block my girlfriend Marie voiced what I had been thinking myself.  The vase just doesn't seem to work.  So I have auditioned several other vases.  Here are the choices on my design wall.  I think the problem with the orginal vase (pictured last) is too light.  A darker color will weight it better and also will contrast better with the background.  But...  what do you think??  Please leave a comment with your choice.. or any suggestions!  I appreciate the feedback!

Choice #1 - navy blue print 

 Choice #2 - brown bird print

Choice #3 - brown paisley 

Choice #4 - navy blue floral 

Choice #5 - black floral

The original choice for this block.  Too light?



We are getting ready to hit the road again this afternoon to our condo at the beach.  Of course that involves prep work for plenty of stitching in the car!  Have a great weekend.

Happy Stitching!

Deb

Sweet Hearts for Mom...

I have made two sweet heart blocks today for Mother's Day.  These two blocks are in honor and memory of my two moms.

My Mom, born, Violet Nicolicchia.

And my Mother-in-Law, Kay, who would have been 87 tomorrow, and loved Lily of the Valley.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there.  I hope you enjoy your day and are always remembered for your special love.

Happy Stitching

Deb

Little Bit of This... and A Little Bit of That

I wanted to show you the progress I have made on the last block I am making from the Sweet Sixteen quilt.  You know how it is when you get almost to the end of something... sometimes mentally you have already moved onto another project?  That's where I am.  I have been working on these blocks (on and off) for 2+ years.  I want this block finished! 

 So here is the block ... almost done.  I need to finish a stem and add a few more leaves.  The next time you see this block it will be sewn into the wallquilt with the other 8 blocks.  Whew!  (Then I'll have to think about the borders...)

I also was busy yesterday making dog biscuits for the Pet Adoption League's (PAL) bake sale on Saturday.  I usually bake for their monthly bake sale to raise money for homeless pets.  They look good and I added the pawprint ribbon to make them appealing to the owners.. I really don't think the dogs care. : - )  If you would like the recipe for these easy dog biscuits, just leave a comment and I will get it to you.  They are a big hit! 

The Sweet Hearts quilt continues to grow with another row added this week.  It doesn't even fit on the big ironing board now! 

Gracie and Abby (sisters) were rescues from PAL.

Here they are the day we brought them home to their forever home. : - )

Happy Stitching!

Deb

A Productive Weekend... but Not Quilting.....Sort Of

So this was a 'work weekend' at our condo at the New Jersey shore.  We went down on Friday, a 3 1/2 hour trip (with plenty of time for stitching), with plans of re-doing the master bathroom.  So after several stops to pick up things for the work weekend we had planned, we arrived on the island.  By now it was dinner time.... and of course the usual question. "What do we do for dinner?"  And there it was... like a long lost friend, our favorite hoagie shop was open.  Just re-opened last weekend.  We immediately made a u-turn and quickly parked the car and eagerly went inside and place our order.

Like your favorite ice cream shop.. that opens for the season, Primo Hoagies is our eagerly awaited return to summer.  Here is my Italian hoagie with sharp provolone. A "hoagie" (a Southern NJ or South Philadelphia term) is a submarine sandwich or a grinder.  Ahhh... it was wonderful.  I didn't even worry about the calories!!!!!!  Yum!!!!

Now this was the real reason we were there, to redo our master bathroom with a fresh coat of paint, new shower curtains, new mirror, and new overhead light.  Just a facelift from the light blue paint, bright fish border and shower curtain, etc.

I painted the walls a nice sand color to go with the new shower curtain.  Gone is the bright fish wallpaper border and fishy shower curtain, and plate mirror.  (Those tiles on the floor are blue glass tiles, very pretty.) You can't see it but I also replaced the ceiling light.. which made a huge difference in the lighting in the room.  So this is where I spent most of my weekend.... not walking along the beach, or enjoying the beautiful Spring weather.  But at least most of this project is done.  It it looks fantastic.  

However, I did get quite a few Sweet Hearts done in the car and also some stitching on the last Sweet Sixteen block in the evening.  If nothing else, the long car ride is perfect for stitching!

Have a great week and Happy Stitching!

Deb