What I did in the Hurricane

In case y'all didn't know, we had a hurricane move through.  

There is a large pond behind my house, it always goes over it's banks and reaches into my yard.  

I had a big plan to sew all day during the storm.  Power went out at 10 a.m.  After a couple of hours, I asked if I could hook my sewing machine up to the generator.  So, this is my hurricane party set-up in the kitchen.  A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Here is our damage.  It could have been worse.

And it was, the pear tree lost all it's pears.  I had to pick up about a million limbs in the yard.  I told someone this, and then I thought, she knows I mean tree limbs, right?  Not, like, human limbs.  Although, I did feel like my own limbs were going to fall off.  

Here's my hurricane sewing.  More Sherbet Pips blocks.  

The day after a hurricane is always blue skies gorgeous.  Like a payback for the day before.

Guess Who Loves You?

It's cute, in a sick sort of way.  Like I would send this to my brother.  The ink on the yellow paper is actually Tangerine Tango, but it looks bloody, right?  This is for INKSPIRATIONS Challenge #84.  I used Concord Crush (cardstock and ink), Tangerine Tango (ink), Daffodil Delight (cardstock), Whisper White (cardstock).  Adds ons were DSP (Poisons pack), Twine, Stamps - So Happy For You, Piece of Poison, Happy Greetings.  I used the Brayer on the Whisper White cardstock with Tangerine Tango ink, then stamped the skeleton using Basic Black ink.  After stamping the yellow cardstock I crumpled it up, so someone can REALLY tell I love them!  I'm going to use this card in a card class, as it was easy to assemble and packs a poison punch!  If you are interested in Stampin' Up, click HERE for loads of ways to spend your money.

Some Stampin'

I'm trying to participate in this color challenge with Stampin' Up products  HERE, which is supposed to be FUN.  I'm thinking.  This is my entry for this week #99 challenge.  I'm supposed to be hurricane preppin', but I prefer to stamp or sew.  Anything to procrastinate.  Anyway, I was forced to combine these colors:  Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry (which I did not have, so I used like a mustard color) Old Olive, Island Indigo, and whisper white.  Well, it was a challenge alright.  

This was another version.  I'm not entirely happy with either one, but I'll keep trying.  Until, I actually have to go to the store and buy some water and non-perishable food stuff, I always end up with a hodge podge of goods.

This one WASN'T a challenge, I came up with it myself, and I like it better than the other two.  Now if they would make a challenge with Early Espresso, Crumb Cake and Bashful Blue, I'm all set.  

And if you're wondering why there is a dinosaur in my background, I would say "isn't there one in your kitchen?".  If anyone is interested in Stampin' Up products - you can go to my website HERE.  

I promised to quilt

I finished quilting the Circles Quilt, first reported a long long time ago HERE, and oh, hey, that was even after I had the top finished, way before that!  Do not fret though, if you feel you have tops way older than this that have not been quilted, because I DO TOO.  Way, way older, almost like Star Wars long time ago.

Any who, I made millions of small circles with the quilting, and thank you, this top was lap size for all those bubble circles.  As I was quilting in the border, I found out that my back didn't quite stretch all the way to the edge of the top on one side.  I stopped the quilting before the edge, and I added a strip of fabric to the back where it came up short.  

New Bee!  Yay, needed that!  I had one ending in August, and I almost had free time on my hands!  Wasn't sure what I would do with that, so very quickly I found a Bee that was starting.  Won't this make an awesome Halloween themed quilt?

This is my 6.5" center for a local round robin with the Richmond Modern Quilt Guild.  We're starting small.  I can do small.

I was away for a few days, and when I returned there was a nice little package of Kona Cottons from Fabric.com, who has excellent prices for Kona Cottons.  I randomly picked colors, but also picked some colors to go with prints I had recently bought, but don't have a photo of.  Not sure if I should always be showing off fabric I have hoarded purchased for making future quilts or at least quilt tops.  I always have a plan, it just may take a few years to execute.

Quarter log cabins for a local bee.  We each made 2 with batiks.  

I would like to press something, but my board seems to be being used as a place for storage at the moment.  And block layout planning for Sherbet Pips.  Most of the rest of my room looks like this too.

Working on Cards

If only I could show you the FOUR attempts to get this card made.  And it still opens on the right.....  Wow.  This is for a challenge on Color Q. I am supposed to use Lucky Limeade, Bashful Blue, Tempting Turquoise, Basic Gray, and White.  My two stamps are inked with the Basic Gray, and the "life is Beautiful" I went over again in Tempting Turqoise.  I used a brayer for the background with the inks Lucky Limeade and the Bashful Blue.  

This is the other card I made using the same color scheme.  I wanted a sewing theme, and this stamp is retired, Sew Suite, the buttons are from the Embosslits Sweet Buttons.  If anyone is interested in Stampin' Up, please visit my website HERE, I can help you with your stamping needs!  

Of Course I Started A New Top

So, I don't have enough tops that are piling up and ready to attack me every time I open the closet door, and even though I have something pinned, patiently waiting for me to quilt, I of course, couldn't stand to have an idea and not get started on a new top.  The Sherbet Pips fabrics have been calling me since I bought them, but I didn't really have a plan until now.  I now have a vague idea of what I want them to be, I won't lay it out, as I am sure it will change soon enough, once I start with the cutting.  I added some assorted fabrics that may or may not be added to the Pips.

 I cut up some of the fabrics in different size strips, just to play around with.

Up on the design wall - the yellows might not make it, but this is just the audition, final cuts are still aways away.

I made two blocks, and they came out the same size without even trying!  And, I'm stopping there and making myself quilt a top.  I can't be a quilter if I never actually quilt anything, I'm just a topper right now.

These 2 blocks are for my Sew Modern Bee.  I love her color choices, and how my 2 work together so well!

And these 2 Modern Cross Blocks are for my Threadheads Bee.  Both of these are August Blocks, I am so far ahead!  

Joel Dewbaby

Obviously I know he is Joel Dewberry but, please can't a girl dream?  These are the blocks I have received from my flickr Bee group Threadheads.  I am not quite sure how I am going to work in the Bird fabric, I just put it up so I can see them all together.  I had posted instructions for this block here.  These are the blocks I have so far. 

And over at Sew Mama Sew they are having a Block Party Sew Along, you can read about it here, when they get to the month with my block I will be so far ahead!  This is my finished top from Joel Dewberry's Aviary 1 collection, I didn't take any photos in progress, but I did blog about all the damn colorways of Joel Dewberry Aviary 1 and 2 I possess here.  It is like an illness.  No, it isn't like one, it is one.  I'm sure you can relate.  I wanted to highlight the birds on the branches, and this is what I came up with, the corners are supposed to be nests, they were made from the scraps.