what a win-dfall . . .

Winner, winner! 

I know a lot of folks like to say, "winner, winner, chicken dinner!"  I just cannot bring myself to do that.  I served as a legalman in the USNavy.  Big Chicken Dinner was our euphemism for a BCD or Bad Conduct Discharge.  There's *nothing* winning about that in my book!  But I digress.

I won a lovely package from The Teacher's Pet!  This is the same shop from which I got the free patterns to make "Ewenice" (which I blogged about here)!  Anyway, let's check out this loot, because you know it's going to be good, when the sender labels the outside packaging this way . . .

Right away, I saw that beautiful bundle of wool—especially that multi-colored herringbone—and thought it was delicious!  And then I thought PUMPKINS!  

But there was so much more!  A sweet bundle of flannels, a cute bag, other fabrics, tea . . .

And a panel. This panel is SO cute!!  Check this out . . .

Right??  I see a quilted baby alphabet book for Ezra!!!  It was a fun win—the box really was stuffed—and opening it made my day!

Sometimes, when I can't (or don't want to) get into the Nook or into handwork, I like to pull up EQ and be fanciful.  Last October, Moda a block a day quilt for breast cancer awareness.  It was in their pink grunge line, and I downloaded the blocks.  But October is also down syndrome awareness month, and since I have a darling niece, Liesl, who rocks that 23rd chromosome, I wanted to do something using those blocks, but supporting her. I quickly decided that I did not want to make thirty blocks.  

I wanted something a little simpler.  So I picked two blocks that looked fun, found a way to put them together, and here we go . . . 

I do love getting lost in EQ! I could play with colorways forever. Probably won't have this together for this year, but looking ahead to October, 2022!!

:)

happy - busy - happy . . .

It was a busy work week (and just busy in general, work notwithstanding), but there were definitely some sweet highlights!  First, I had a mid-week office visit with *all* the grands and their mommies!

It was a wild, wonderful hour, to be sure!  I love it when they come visit me!

We also celebrated Todd's birthday on Friday . . .

Whoohoo!  He's older than me again!  Haha -- it only lasts for six months.  ;)

And I won a sweet stack of wool fat quarters at guild . . . 

Isn't it yummy?

I'm so glad I don't report my wool stash. That's a horse of a completely different color!

And I finished my center for the Chevron with a Twist piece . . .

I love that method for faux ruched flowers -- it was so much FUN!! The blue bird is ready to be appliqued down, but I think he'll actually go on the half square triangles.

And, tah dah!

I finished piecing Lil' Charmer and got the black borders put on! The lighting this morning does not do it any justice at all.  I so love this!  My Slow Sunday Stitching will be sandwiching it together and getting started on the quilting!  I can't wait to see the effect of the rainbow variegated thread on the black border!

Which brings me to my Stash Report . . .

I'm counting in the yard I purchased for Lil' Charmer, but counting out the 2.5 yards (front and back) I put into it!  Yay!

Linking up to Patchwork Times and Kathy's Quilts this morning.  Y'all have a marvelous Sunday!!

:)

one of these things . . .

Is definitely not like the other.  Usually, at this point in the year, my hanging basket of impatiens has run its course. But not so this year! It's still blooming and beautiful, so I didn't have the heart to replace it with mums. It's earned its spot this autumn!

Speaking of hanging . . . on the "design wall" this morning is a mini harvest flimsy!

Yay!  Next up is to back, quilt, and bind it.  I love the fabric I'm using for the backing -- I'm temped to make a simple something-- apron maybe?--with what I've got left of it.  It speaks "fall" to me!

I've also got my wooly pieces all cut and ready to go . . .

Haha!  You didn't think I'd give you more than that, did you?? Linking up to the design wall post at Patchwork Times!

Really, I don't know how much I'll really get done this week, because of the utmost importance is clearing up my space:

It gets bad fast.  My folks arrive in town on Thursday . . . and I'm making cream cheese mints for June's 2nd birthday party on Saturday, so something needs to be done! On top of that, I won 4 tickets to Lyon's Family Farms, another pumpkin patch place nearby.

I've never been to this one, but I plan to take Ellie tomorrow and June another day (perhaps next week). Sawyer got the sleepover in the tent - so don't think he's being left out.  It'll be a busy week!!

Go out there and make the most of Monday!

:)

a stash flash . . .

I can't believe it's been well over two months since I last did a stash report.  Yikes!  Truthfully, the net amount won't have changed much, but I *do* want to keep track of what I'm taking in (and putting out, sorta), so here's an updated report: 

Used/donated this month: 6.5 yards

Used/donated year-to-date: 19.25 yards

Purchased/added this month: 9.25 yards

Purchased/added year-to-date: 57.0 yards

Net used/donated for 2013: -37.75 yards

Yup, only a 2.75 difference in my net.  On the other hand, this time last year I was up to -52.25 net yards used (having purchased/added 76 yards).  So overall, I'm doing better (or worse, depending on how you look at it) this year!  I'll be linking up to Judy Laquidara's stash report post at Patchwork Times and try to diligently remember to do so at least monthly!

Part of my yardage came from a FabShopHop win.  I got a nice little gift certificate from Shabby Fabrics and added a few of my own pennies to bring home a sweet little bundle . . .

Isn't that fabric gorgeous?  And two very darling patterns from Crabapple Hill. And wouldn't you know?  They include directions for crayon tinting!  Right *up* my alley. The brown pigma micron pens are what I use for tracing my designs.  She had them for the best price I've seen them!

And I won a book blogger gift certificate to Amazon and used that for some fun tools of the trade . . .

I'm interested in trying out the 'sticky fabri-solvy' on wool.  That's where I first saw it used.  And I just love the posh pumpkins line!  I'd gotten two mini-charms early last month and decided to go ahead and pick up a regular sized charm pack of it!

So far, today is the very first day we've NOT had rain since last Tuesday.  It was a very, very, VERY wet 4th of July weekend.  Some towns in our area got upwards of ten inches of rain over the four day weekend. Crazy.  Needless to say, the weather didn't lend itself to outdoor activities.  It lent itself to reading and sewing.  So that's what I did.  I was woefully behind in my Grandmother's Choice blocks, so I worked diligently on those.  

This is today's block.  It was Rocky Road to Kansas.  It was a rocky road, all right!

My thinking is that if I do a block a day from now until the end, I'll be able to easily catch up.  As I'm sewing them, I'm also entering them into EQ ... it really helps me to be able to *see* the colors I'm wanting to use in my blocks.  Then I had the bright idea to go ahead and draft up a quilt to put them into . . .

This is what I've got so far.  It's really fun to play with it this way!  And while I'm over there, I'll link up to Judy's Design Wall Monday, too!

I'm looking forward to Thursday evening.  Madison Station Quilters (another guild in our area) has Kathy Shaw coming out to do their program on Crazy Quilting. Kathy was my mentor in the CQ course I took through StitchMAP ... in fact, she wrote the curriculum for the course. So I'm going to venture out and hear her speak and meet her!  Yay!

Have a *great* week!!

:)