Happy Camper Valerie Quilt

 Happy Camper Valerie Quilt

I've had a very nice weekend in my sewing room. I was going to do some gardening at my brother's house over the weekend but we've had a lot of rain and the ground was to wet. Therefore I spent the weekend in my sewing room. This quilt project has been on my design wall for over a month.

You can see more details about this quilt project, pattern, and fabrics in my post HERE

I loved making this quilt pattern. I enjoy using charm packs and this quilt pattern is made from two Happy Camper fabric charm packs. 

The blocks finish at 6.5 inches. There are 81 blocks.

9 rows of 9 blocks each.

Valerie Quilt Top

55 x 55 inches square

This pattern leaves a nice amount of negative space for hand-quilting a motif. I don't have a quilting plan for this project yet ... so this could end up being a hand quilting project as well.

Another Disappointing Hair Appointment ... UGH!

Another Disappointing Hair Appointment ... UGH!!

Every single time ... I show the hairdresser a picture for length reference, we discuss and I feel good about communicating what I want ... then this happens ...

Before ... she cut at least 8 inches off! 

At least 8 inches ... why? Why do they just cut without listening? Why?

This is my inspiration photo ... for length reference ... UGH!!!

I think this hair cut makes my face look even fatter. 

And, the hair cut certainly makes me look older.

Great ... fatter and older ... definitely not the look I was going for.

UGH!

This is way more than 4 or 5 inches ... I even said the words, no shorter than below my collar bones.

UGH!!!! I could scream! I want to scream!

Actually, I want to cry ... but it's just hair ... right???

😞😞😞

Moving On Up

Moving On Up

Things they are a changing ... for my youngest son, at any rate.

 My youngest and his beautiful bride are moving to the East Coast.  This will be their first home together as a married couple. I'm so happy and proud of them and for them.

Winter? Spring? Winter? ...

 Winter ? Spring ? Winter ...

It is going to be 73 degrees today ... but apparently we may get snow this weekend!

😮😮😮

I've been up since 4:30 a.m., we had a thunder storm last night into the morning and it woke me up. There was lightening and thunder and hard down pouring rain.

This little clump of bulbs was on the sidewalk in front of my daughters condo last year in the fall. I picked them up, brought them home, and just set them out in the grass in front of my house.

As you can see ... I didn't even plant them! I've decided to plant more bulbs (along with these) in front of my front porch. I love iris' so I will be planting those here too.

I'm not really ready to let go of winter though. I love sweaters, cozy quilts, and kitty cat snuggles. Short days, early evenings, and comfort foods.

But I think that spring has sprung ... or is pretty darn close to it ...

😎😎😎

Hovers Around 20+

 Around 20+

For the last few years my completed quilt top list hovers around 20+ ... 

Sewing Room Vibes

Quilts Completed 2022

1. Modern Maple Leaf
2. Cactus Quilt
3. Great Smoky Mtns. Nat'l Park

Completed Quilt Tops

1. Fancy Fox II - 60 x 72 - 
2.  Quilt 12 - Triangles - 60 x 70 - quilting, binding
3. Scrap Quilt 13 - On Point - 80 x 90 - quilting, binding
4. Red/White Sampler - 60 x 60 - quilting, binding
5. Scrap Quilt 14 - 64 x 78 - quilting, binding
6. Candy Crush 2.0 - 64 x 64 - quilting, binding
7. Moda Charm Pack x 4 - (may add 1 more border) backing, batting, quilting, binding
8. Red/White Historical Redwork - backing, batting, quilting, binding
9. Crescent I - 60 x 72 - backing, batting, quilting, binding
10. Crescent II - 60 x 72 - backing, batting, quilting, binding
11. Stars and Stripes - 60 x 72 - backing, batting, quilting, binding
12. Scrap Quilt 15 - Easy Patchwork QAL - 72 x 72 - backing, batting, quilting, binding
13. Scrap Quilt 17 - Solid Paint Drips - 68 x 70 - backing, batting, quilting, binding
14. Pumpkins - 66 x 80 - backing, batting, quilting, binding
15. HEARTS - 75 x 75 - backing, batting, quilting, binding
16. Red/White Mugs - 66 x 66 - backing, batting, quilting, binding
17. Red/White Strings - 60 x 70 - piecing, backing, batting, quilting, binding

Finish One Quilt ... Start Another Quilt Project

 Finish a quilt ... start another quilt project ...

that's just the natural progression of things for me in my sewing room. Which is probably why I usually have a running total of 20+ completed quilt tops waiting to be quilted and bound.

I suppose that is why I'm always on the hunt for my next quilt project ...

I just purchased this book by Jessica Dayon ... AND I LOVE IT!!!

https://jessicadayon.blogspot.com

Besides loving all of the quilt projects in the book. I love that the book is spiral bound. 

It lays flat and is so easy to read. 

This is my 316th post ... John 3:16 was the first Bible verse I ever memorized. 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

🙏🙏🙏

Saguaro Quilt Is Now Complete

Saguaro Quilt Is Now Complete

Kairle Oaks of http://www.kairleoaks.com or @kairleoaks on Instagram has a great tutorial for making this quilt. 

I enjoyed making this quilt. The cactus blocks are fun to piece and this quilt went together a lot faster than I thought that it would. Working with pink and green fabrics was a very unusual color combination. 

I loved how this quilt came together. The cute llama / cactus flannel backing is just perfect. I pieced and made the binding for this quilt as well. One more of those quilts that I had always wanted to make and finally did! 

💕💕💕

 

A Sweet Memory

 A Sweet Memory

Ann at the Stitch Supply Company recently had a birthday sale ... I snatched this really cute Tootsie Pop Panel. If you would like one you can get it HERE

https://www.stitchsupplyco.com

The minute I saw this panel I knew I had to have it. This panel runs through the cute Tootsie Roll Pop commercial of the early 1980's.

I'm not usually a fabric panel sort of quilter. I don't normally gravitate towards panels but this is the second panel that I have purchased. I hope to design a quilt top around this panel, as I did with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park panel. Presently, I'm thinking of using a churn dash block ... and pink (rose) and brown solid fabrics.

Just looking at this cute little panel brings back sweet memories.

My Favorite Make of 2021

 My Favorite Make of 2021

Riley Blake fabrics produced a line of fabrics with all of the National Parks. As I live at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park ... I had to get that park panel.

I designed the quilt top on graph paper and I'm really proud of this quilt.

On Saturday I got the binding on this and on Sunday it was washed and dried.

This quilt is my favorite make of 2021! 

😁😁😁

A Long Time In the Making

 This quilt has been a long time in the making ...

This quilt has been in the works since 2018. I'm not sure exactly when I started this quilt but I do remember the house that I lived in when I finished piecing the quilt top. That house was sold in August of 2018. 

This quilt from start to finish was made for ME. The pattern is called Modern Maple Leaf. The fabrics are from my collection of "cat" themed fabrics. I also knew that I wanted to hand-quilt this quilt. Big stitch hand quilting with pearl cotton. 

I love how soft hand-quilting makes a quilt. 

And, this quilt is very very very soft. 

I'm very happy with how this quilt turned out. I do hate that it took me so long to completely finish this quilt but ... I'm happy with the results.

I love snuggling under this fluffy soft quilt with super soft flannel for the backing.

I see many many years of comfort and warmth under this quilt. And, in years to come maybe I will see grand babies snuggled up under this quilt. Maybe even a fort or two built with this quilt. Maybe a few pallets on the floor for Sunday afternoon naps with said grand babies. One can dream ...

Until then ... me and my fur babies will enjoy the comfort of this handmade hand-quilted quilt.

💖💖💖

Oh How Time Flies ...

 My sweet baby girl celebrated her 30th birthday this past weekend ...

Where does the time go?

💖👧💖👧💖

Laundry Mat ...

 Laundry Mat

Oh my word! I think I need to own a laundry mat ... wow!

I have a small front loading washer and dryer at my house, which works fine for doing my laundry but does not work for washing and drying quilts.

So I spent a little time over the weekend washing and drying a few newly quilted quilts and a few that just needed it.

For the larger washer it costs $7.75 a load

😮😮😮😮😮😮😮

The dryers ... cost .50 cents for 4 minutes .... 4 minutes ...

Needless to say it was over $20.00 to wash and dry my quilts!!

I understand overhead and maintenance and even waste water ... but geez!

I think there is A LOT of profit here!!

Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilt # 17

 Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilt # 17

Paint Drips

I love making scrap quilts ... obviously ... this is # 17!!!

Our Joann's store is moving to a new location here in town and it is spares pickings. Apparently, they have a group come in and liquidate their current inventory. The new store will have all new inventory. I have 15 completed quilt tops that still need backing fabrics ... so seeing the dwindling stock at our present Joann's sent a bit of panic through me until I realized they were moving.

I did ... find this cute yoga print flannel fabric and decided that it would be the perfect backing for scrap quilt # 17

It's cute and fun ... I like it!