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Monday, June 10, 2013

I've Been Busy

And I realized I forgot to write a post since I came back from our retreat in Florida!  I don't know about everyone else but my life seems to be flying by....we so enjoyed our sewing retreat at the condo....

I always get up and walk the beach on my last morning....I guess it is my way of saying goodbye until next time....I take a few pictures, pick up a lot of shells and get my feet wet....
It's my favorite time at the beach....no one but me, the seagulls and the hermit crabs...
 

 
 
the only sounds are the surf and seagulls.  Thank you God for all the beauty you provide us.
We all were so busy sewing....I didn't take many pictures.
Patty chose to work on handwork this trip....no lugging a sewing machine for her....as soon as she finishes her little quilt I will grab a picture and show it off.  But as usual her real job was pushing us and cheering us on....
and Brenda made this....
 
and of course I said I don't know....and Brenda said yes you can....so I did!

 
I made this in one day....I love it....I have since made oodles of new blocks....playing with this.
This is going to be a perfect lap quilt for the prayer quilts at church....I can do six blocks every morning before going to work....
 
However....I spent most of my time in Florida...working on this beauty...
and it is finished...and gifted!
 
My wonderful boss and his wife celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this weekend and this was my gift to them....it is the first and only king size quilt I will every make...this beauty was 108" by 108" and felt like it weighed as much as I do.  I sent it to our local quilter to have it machine quilted.
I couldn't have done it without the encouragement and help from Brenda and Patty. 
 
And Edward and Janice loved it.....which made it all worth it.
 
Now I am helping Brenda get ready for an open house we are having at Mama's Quilt Shop on June 23rd.  Many samples need to be made, signs about new classes and new BOM's are being prepared....I am so excited to be part of it...
Check out our blog over at Mama's to see what we have been doing.
I am going to be taking more pictures this week....so keep checking back.
Have a great day!
Posted by at 4 comments:

Friday, April 12, 2013

Real rain is gone....but it's still raining mug rugs!

!Sew WE Quilt!
Thanks to Erin at Sew At Home Mummy

and our wonderful cheerleader,

Madame Samm over at Sew We Quilt!
 
I love mug rugs!  They make the best quick gift for anyone who needs a smile!
I use up my bigger scraps to make them.
 
I used my left over's from one of my wall hangings to make this happy little mug rug.  See the cute butterfly in the corner.  I love it....think I am going to keep it for my desk.  I do wish I had blanket-stitched around the butterfly....but maybe I will make another one!
 
Then you know me....I love my twister....so....
I tried a square one with these few scraps....loved it....
I had left over's from my snowman rag quilt....so I figured I try ragging one....also love it!
Will be great to set on my desk during the holidays.
Left-overs from a Christmas quilt I made....
and this one...
Just from my scraps...I love using them up this way.
 
Up until this point everything was going fine....and then...
Patty, at the LQS, made me two of these fabulous big bags...one for me and one to give to a friend...
 
and brilliant me decided to make a mug rug out of the scraps.....this was Monday....when I realized that I hadn't made any mug rug with "rain" on it....so optimistic as usual...I decided I would whip up another mug rug.....of course...I forgot it was income tax time...so I have been frantically trying to finish it....
 
I didn't get it finished, but I have to show it to you anyway....
 
I especially loved the embroidery...
and guess what...
This is where I am packing up to be starting Saturday...
sitting on the balcony with a glass of wine.... looking at this....
before we begin to do this...
That's right...it's time for our spring sewing retreat in Florida...
I work for the most wonderful man in the world....
he owns this condo in Florida and he allows us to use it twice a year to sew, laugh, eat and relax for a week....I am so blessed!
 
We are leaving Saturday and I will not be back until the end of the week...so as soon as I get back I will check out everyone else's mug rugs and leave comments....
I would tell you I would be thinking about you....but I would be lying....
 
Have a great day and go see what everyone else is doing....
 

FRIDAY, APRIL 12th
Bobbie @ From This to That
Leslie @ Les Quilts
Kristen @ Meadowbrook
Lavonna @ ZellerWear
Lynn @ Thimblemouse & Spouse
Amy @ Sew Incredibly Crazy
Martha @ Living Life
Shawn @ Creative Inspiraciones
Rhonda @ Sunrise at Ravelly's!
must of dropped out, no button, no post.Toye @ Quilting Adventures of a Ginger

Martha
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Posted by at 69 comments:

Sunday, April 7, 2013


!Sew WE Quilt!


Hurry everyone!  Get out your umbrellas!  It's raining creativity!
 
Thanks to Erin at Sew At Home Mummy
and our wonderful cheerleader,
Madame Samm over at Sew We Quilt!
 
      MONDAY, APRIL 8:
  Erin @ Sew at Home Mummy
 
 
 
 
TUESDAY, APRIL 9th
 
 
 
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10th
 
 
 
 
THURSDAY, APRIL 11th
 
 
 
 
FRIDAY, APRIL 12th
 
 
 
 
MONDAY, APRIL 15th
 
 
 
TUESDAY, APRIL 16th
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Wednesday, April 17
 
Thursday April 18
There were so many of us they had to extend the schedule!
I love mug rugs!  Can't wait to see what everyone is creating.
So put your rubber boots on and get ready to start hopping tomorrow, April 8th.
Martha
Posted by at 14 comments:
Buzzmills


I "sew" enjoyed this.  My "covert Robin" was right on time and everyone at work wanted to see what was in my package!  Bet you do too!
 

All of these beautiful things came from Jennifer Lowe over at
Pigsinscarves.  Aren't they wonderful!  There were two beautiful placemats made with hexagons, a wonderful mug rug (everyone knows I love mug rugs) and a great dishcloth that was crocheted.
Thank you so much Jennifer!  You made my day!
 
Now, I'm not as good as Jennifer and my package did not arrive on the exact first of April!  But I so enjoyed preparing my swap partner's gift.  She had a birthday on March 1st!  I follow her blog and her pinterest pages.  That was fun.  I was able to see the things she loves.
So making her package up was easy!  So all of this went off to Julia at Blue-J Cottage.  Be sure you go over and see her cute blog and check out her pinterest pages!
 
She loves cats (like I do) so she is receiving a "smile" bag made with cute cat fabric (also printed out a copy of the instructions for her), a sweet cat "dust catcher" for her birthday, a cat notepad.  She likes Christmas so I sent her a table topper, a mug rug and a "little twister" tool.  I love using my little twister and I hope she will try it and love it too!
 
Thanks to Jane over at Buzzmills for putting together this swap!  It was so fun!
Have a great day.  I know I will!
Martha
Posted by at 2 comments:

Friday, March 15, 2013

It's A Good Thing I Am Not RICH....

Everyone who commented on my twister would receive a twister and fabric......
But alas....I am definitely not rich....in money that is! 
But I am so much richer than some...because of all of you! 
You inspire me, delight me, make me laugh and cry! 
122 of you did just that during this blog hop and
surprise! surprise! 
 When I finally went to bed after eleven last night I still had 99 followers....I was a little down...couldn't figure out how I was going to get number 100....woke up this morning and there it was........100 followers!  Yeah!  Thank you!  So who won my give-a-way?

Karen said...
I've made one twister but I don't have the ruler. I improvised. Lovely giveaway. Thanks
 
Well Karen, no need to improvise any more....a twister ruler and the fabric to make this table topper will be on it's way to you tomorrow morning!  I checked out your blog and I love the projects you make and I am now following you on Pinterest.
 

And to all my wonderful followers....thank you for making me feel so special!
Martha
Posted by at 5 comments:

Sunday, March 10, 2013

This is so easy....I promise...

 I may not be great at this....but I am willing to give it a try....
 
 
Saturday morning I picked out three fabrics that went together.  I cut 5 inch strips from each of them.  I then cut these strips into 5 inch squares.  You need 25 squares.  You need a background fabric (the gold, you will have to cut two 5 inch strips so that you can get 9 squares), a green and a floral.  Lay out your squares in the same pattern you see in the picture and sew your rows together using a 1/4" seam.  Tip:  Press your seams in opposite directions as you sew your rows together.  Makes for less bulk.  I always press my first row to the right, 2nd row to the left and so on.
 
 
It will look like this when you finish.  Cut 4 strips of your background fabric 3" wide and sew them to the edges of your 25 pieces framing your piece.

 
Now it looks like this.  Pretty huh?
I forgot to take a picture of the tool laid out on it but the instructions that come with the tool shows you exactly how to place the tool so that when you cut around it and twist the block straight up you will wind up with a piece that looks like the one below.  Tip:  Cut carefully and try to stop your rotary cutter as close to the edge as you can.  If you cut carefully you will be left with 2" scraps of fabric that you can use in a scrap quilt.  One of the biggest complaints I hear about the twister, both large and small, is the wasted fabric.  But when I cut carefully I actually waste very little.  And the results are so worth it.

 
Wow!  Makes you look like you worked for hours when you actually have only spent about 2 hours all total.

                                                                    
     Now I don't get fancy....I pick my backing fabric, use 80/20 batting and I quilt the piece 1/4" along every seam.  After you do all of them in one direction it is very easy to do the same going in the other direction  making squares on the backside.  I am not good at binding yet....but Patti...one of my friends at my LQS loves to bind, so she and I have a deal....she binds for me and I make things for her.  This is the class I will be teaching at Mama's Quilt Shop the first weekend of April.  Several of our customers have expressed an interest in learning how to use the twister and I can't think of a better way for them to learn than by making this cute little table topper for spring.
 
I tell everyone....if this tool is not as easy as I make it out to be....write me!  I will help you in any way that I can.  I have had so much fun with this tool.  I have made mug rugs, coasters, borders for embroidery projects, table runners, table toppers, place mats and even small quilts with the small one.  The large one is great too!  But warning...it takes a lot of room to lay out a quilt and cut it with the large tool.  I have to do that at the LQS so I can have enough room to maneuver around it to cut.  But with the large twister if you cut carefully you will have 5" squares left over so that you can make small twister projects.
 
These are mug rugs I am making out of scraps for every one in my garden club.  I now have 17 done and need a few more.  You are only limited by your imagination.
I was playing when I made this baby quilt for a special little baby girl.
I love mixing different fabrics and seeing what will happen.
 
Ok....I will quit now....but if you don't have a twister...get one!  Have fun!
Martha

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