FNSI

Wow, it is Friday morning and I'm already posting!!  I have the day off of work, and I actually stitched last night with my friends on the other side of the world.  It is always fun to dream of a different time zone in a warm place when I'm sewing and freezing here.

I worked a little on this January Jack Frost project from Kathy Schmitz.  I just have a few snowflakes left to embroider and then I can piece my quilt.

I also found my OLD (circa 1999) hexagon project.  I'm still planning on finishing it someday. It would be lovely to have it finished so I could keep warm on these cold winter evenings (I'm VERY ready for spring).

It is off to the sewing room for a fun day of sewing.  I have some old movies chosen to watch and a lot of fabric cut to sew.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

Friday Night Sewing, Grow Your Blog, And A Giveaway!

I love sewing on Friday nights.  It is the end of the week, sometimes there are great classic movies on TV, and it makes Saturday morning feel promising when I actually finish something or get a good start on a project the evening before.

I made this 20 inch block a year ago and could never really decide what to do with it.  Then suddenly I knew...a large pillow.  This project worked out perfectly (although photographing pillows is always difficult) as the pillow forms were 1/2 price this week!

I made an envelope back with minky, which was interesting to sew, and it is just wonderful.  This way I can switch out the pillow form if I ever get it back again from my son (he informed me it is the perfect size to use when gaming).

I had a little more time this evening to work on a Valentine embroidery piece...looks like I have a great start on tomorrow's projects.

Welcome if you are participating in the Grow Your Blog hop.  You can find a list of the over 500 participants here.  To make a cold and snowy weekend (actually we are expecting blizzard conditions) a little more exciting for me, I am giving away a $25 gift certificate to Stitchin' It Up Quilt Shop.  Just leave me a comment of when your favorite time of the week is to work on your hobby.  If you are a follower, leave me another comment letting me know that for a second chance to win.  The giveaway will close on February 15.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

FNSI Sewing...

I had such high hopes for last night.  We had a lot of snow fall the night before (enough to delay school by a few hours), and I was thinking it would be so fun to snuggle in and see some major progress, that is until I started working on this....

I had found some information on using stabilizer and the glue pen to prep these for applique.  If you look at the few pieces that are turned right side up you can see it isn't all that easy.  After tracing out all those pieces and then not having it go well, I decided I should just set it aside as obviously I was not in the mood for that.

I decided I was more in the mood for finishing a binding.  I turned a movie on and got to work.  I should mention I didn't start working on this until almost 10 p.m., but it felt so good to finish it that I thought I'd start on the other one.

I could not put this one down either.  It is now hanging on the wall in my office.    I wish you could see the quilting better...the lighting is awful today as it is overcast.  Another completed project, and I will have something for my stash report this week!!!  Yay!!!  It was so fun to actually hang this one that I might think about going back to work on those Stars and Sprigs applique blocks (I was kindly reminded this morning that a finished bed sized quilt would be nice).  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen  

Beacon Lights and FNSI Finishes

I feel better, but it took a little longer than I thought.  I sure hope this cold/flu season isn't a long one, but is sure seems to be starting early.  Maybe we are all going to get it now and be done with it, at least I sure hope it ends up that way.

I finished my block on Friday night and then decided I needed to clean up a few loose ends...

Fireflies and FNSI Knitting

Today was such a gorgeous day my family and I spent the whole day outside, and I mean the whole day.  I think we were out the door by 10:30 a.m., and we came back inside at about 9:30 p.m.  We all decided that if everyday were like this we wouldn't spent much time inside unless we had to.

It is interesting how some days the block fits perfectly with the day.  When we were heading inside we saw a lot of fireflies twinkling in the darkness.  This is an 8-inch block and is number 231 of 366.

I did get quite a few inches added to my knitting last night.  I even spent a little time in the swing this evening working on it too.  As it is becoming a bit chilly, I think I will be glad to see this finished soon.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

Sailboat, FNSI Finish, and a Giveaway

Today's block is simple, but sweet.  I actually like this one and it would make a really cute, but small pillow.

This is an 8-inch block and number 196/366.  It just makes me wish we were at the lake, not in it, but at it. :)

Here is my FNSI finish.  I started this a week ago and it was nice to get the stitching completed, now to finish it (maybe tomorrow?).  The pattern is "You Are My Sunshine" by Country Cottage Needleworks.  I'm going to have to redo the mouth on the sun.  I changed it from the pattern and I need to rework it.  I used to sing this song endlessly to my son when he was little.

Now for the giveaway.  I received my new McCall's Quilting magazine today, and if I renew my subscription, I can give another one-year subscription to a friend.  So, I figured I would give it to one of you.  Leave me a comment about what is your favorite summer vacation, if you don't have one, give me your dream vacation.  I will draw for the subscription on Friday, July 20, and unfortunately this is only available to readers in the United States.  Make sure you check out the Meadowbrook facebook page as more 9-patch blocks are showing up!! :)  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

Darting Birds

Today's block is called Darting Birds.  As I was working on it I started thinking about my Farmer's Wife quilt.  I should be working on that again.  A 6-inch block is a fun block to make.  They don't have to be complicated to be interesting and you can always use different fabrics to change the way it looks.

This is block 20 of 366.  It won't be long and the block number won't be with the date.  :)  I'm going back to the sewing room to see if I can't finish a few things.  I have a small quilt that is almost completely pieced, a BOM block to work on, and a few hexagon flowers that are almost finished.  We'll see how far I get on this FNSI.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

Friday Finish

I love FNSI nights.  :)  It really makes it fun to work on a project that I'm trying to finish when I know a lot of people are working right along with me.

I completed one instead of two blocks, but this one had a bit more stitching than I thought it did, and I changed a few of the colors.  The best part...my husband looked at it and said, "I don't know what you are doing with this one, but I really like it."  Is there anything better?  Only a few hours until we draw for the thread packs!  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

End of the year finishes

I like to plan ahead...and I love to get the new calendar for the upcoming year.  All those empty boxes just waiting to be filled in with things to do, classes to take, and projects to start and finish (among other things).  I haven't been able to take as many quilting classes as I'd like to the last couple of years, but there are a lot classes coming up in 2012 that I'd love to get in on.  Do you have any classes you'd enjoy taking this next year?  I'm hoping to take another machine quilting class and an applique class as well as attend a retreat, but first I need to finish some already started projects.

I don't know what happened with Birdie Stitches.  I got started late on it, got caught up, and now I'm really behind again.  I finished these two blocks last night and I'm hoping tonight to finish two more?!  Last Friday night I cleaned my sewing room, we put new light bulbs in the fixtures so I have good lighting, and I'm hoping tonight to be in there sewing away for FNSI.

One more thing...if you haven't signed up for the Connecting Threads thread pack giveaway you have through tomorrow to enter.  I have really enjoyed reading all the comments and hearing about how color influences you!  There are also 100 followers now so another fun giveaway will be happening soon...  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

I'm so excited!!

Christmas is coming!   Can you believe a week from today is Thanksgiving?  So much to do between sports, songs and recitations to be learned, and the regular homework for my son.  Then there are Christmas parties and special church services to attend, not to mention I need to get the Christmas trees up and decorated.

Last Saturday I took out this Christmas tree skirt kit I purchased a few years ago.  It is a Mary Engelbreit pattern, and after I purchased it I opened it up, started reading the instructions, and decided it was too complicated to even think about.  Sometimes I will think about things, ponder them, and then attempt them later.  Last Saturday I decided that I usually hate the instructions in these patterns so why not just do it the way I think would be best.  Guess what?  It is going together better than I thought it would.  I was hoping to have it almost finished by this weekend, and I do have all the trees and bushes done, but I haven't started the gingerbread houses yet.  I'm going to try to post progress often from now until Christmas and hopefully after 18 years, this year we will have a finished skirt under our tree.  Every year I decorate the tree and my husband smiles and says, "so, do we have a finished skirt this year?"  Every year I have to answer with a sheepish "no."  So think good thoughts, hopefully this year will be the year!

I did finish five more pockets this week too.  YEAH!  There aren't many to go, but there aren't many days until we start opening them up.  Hard to believe that soon it will be December.   Tomorrow night is the FNSI, don't forget to sign up, I almost did!!! :)

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Stitching!!  -Kristen

Friday Night Finish

I love Friday Night Sew In's FNSI...it is so fun to know that so many other people are stitching right along with me...and they are all over the world.  :)

I worked on flowers last night.  It is so nice to be able to just pick colors and start working.  I also worked on a couple of felt projects, but I will save those for another day to show.  They need a bit more work on them.  :)

My family has a bonfire going in the backyard and a beautiful fall night to enjoy it...one of the great things about living in Minnesota.  In a couple of months we will probably be up to our necks in snow and longing for the fall evenings outside. 

Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

Wow what a day!

Yesterday was such an exciting day I just had to share it with you.  I was very busy opening packages..it was so much fun.  First the mailman brought this...

How fun is this one?  I had won three Schnibbles patterns from Thelma and they arrived wrapped like this...it was almost too pretty to open.  Take a minute and check out Thelma's blog, you won't believe the things she does with fabric, AND she is the nicest person.  Thank you Thelma...I can't wait to get started on these...

Three new Schnibbles and oh the possibilities! :)  Then the UPS man brought two packages and the first had this in it...

You cannot imagine how excited I was to get this...until I saw the book with it. :)  I started reading it last night and now I'm really excited.  Just wait until you see what I can do with this program.

The second package contained this from Moda...long story short, the people at Moda are very, very nice.

Last evening I spent 1 hour and 22 minutes on the phone with the person from McAfee antivirus upgrading my software...that was fun.  Everything is done, and we should be good for another year.  :)

Don't forget the FNSI tonight.  I'm so excited to be virtually stitching with all of you.  I had an idea...I know I have people reading that do not have a blog, but will be working on something tonight.  Email me and let me know you will be stitching with me and what you will be working on.  If you don't have a blog and you'd like to show all of us what you are working on, send me a picture by email and I'll post pictures of them tomorrow.

I'll be snuggled in a quilt tonight, watching old movies, and stitching away.  Happy Stitching! 
--Kristen

FNSI

Last night I decided it might be nice to clean up a few loose ends. I started sewing all my left over scraps from making 1/2 square triangles and flying geese...

It was a little bigger job than I had thought it would be, but it feels great to have them all sewn at least into squares.  Now to decide which way to put them together.

Then I thought it would be nice to have all my Birdie Stitches BOM blocks put together so all I have to do is trace them and start stitching.  I have a couple of seams that are going to be taken out eventually, but last night I wasn't up for doing that yet.

The next three quilts are ones I found at Gold Rush yesterday.  They are all beautiful.  The pictures were taken with my cell phone, but still show all the work that went into them.  They were fun to see, and too expensive for me to acquire.  I hope they all find loving homes!

 

Thanks for stopping by and thanks to Heidi and Bobbi for hosting the FNSI.  I always enjoy virtually sewing with everyone.  Happy Stitching!  --Kristen

What a find!

Once a year a neighboring town has what they call Gold Rush.  Basically it is an antique show, but it isn't all antiques and it is miles of fun all outside.  We always try to spend a little time digging through other people's lost treasures.  This year I hit the jackpot.  I usually only bring $20 to spend so I force myself to get the best deals I can.  This year I got my money's worth!

This was my final purchase and I love it.  I collect milk glass and I have never seen anything like this before.  The best part...I got the seller to come down to 1/2 of his original price and fat quarters fit perfectly in it!

My first purchase was this milk glass bowl.  You can probably tell I collect the grape and leaf pattern.  It also has the grapes and leaves on the inside of the bowl!  I can't wait to start using it.

These next three finds made me rather sad.  They are beautiful and they were in a basket with a sign $2 each.  I cannot imagine how much time went into each one.  I told the woman selling them I was taking them home to save them from a worse fate.  She laughed at me, but I truly meant it.

They were all beautifully done and I left a lot more behind.  I have a towel rack where they will be displayed and cared for.  Tomorrow I will show you the beautiful quilts I found made out of feed sacks and all hand quilted. :)

I am linking today with My Romantic Home.  Do not forget that tonight is the FNSI.  I have a large pile of cut fabric that I will be working on.  Happy Stitching and thanks for stopping by!  --Kristen

FNSI

I'm behind, but I am going to be stitching tonight.  You can join us for a virtual sew in if you'd like.  Sign up here  http://craftyvegasmom.blogspot.com/2011/06/friday-night-sew-in-signups-for-61711.html.  I did check and you can still join us!

I'm going to get to work and will have pictures tomorrow...now what to start working on....