Darling Friend!!!!

My darling friend, Ms Julie, gave me a present the other day! Ok, hold your breath!!! She gifted me with an Accuquilt Go! along with some choice dies!!! I've been doing the happy foot dance every since! How generous the gifts! Thank you Ms Julie!!! I love you girl! (sniff, sniff!)

 I'm making progress with the first embroidery from my new machine. I've decided to showcase it by making it the center of a new quilted bag. I have a couple of nights off to work on it. (Hurray!)

 Last, but by no means least....My grandbabies Addy and Aiden! Aiden said, "Hey, take my picture too, Nana!" So I got one of them both. They are growing up so fast! Don't you just want to kiss they're little faces? MuuuWahhhh! The little lights of my life!

Ring Pincushion!

Isn't this clever!!! How handy for quilting! I'd love to take credit for this idea;but, the idea isn't mine. I was over on the quiltville blog, www.quiltville.blogspot.com and Bonnie was commenting about her friend's idea for a Ring Pincushion. Her friend, Linda, has a 1 minute video on her blog to make these adorable Ring Pincushions. Go see her site, http://www.lindafranz.com/blog/how-to-make-finger-pincushions/ and you too can have a Ring Pincushion! Too easy, too cute, so handy!

Is it OCD????

Now why is it when your working on a project, not just necessarily quilting, that you feel the need to start another???? Is it OCD? Here I am, in the final stretch of the Snail's Trail quilt with only 3 sets of 3 blocks to go, and I find myself wanting to do something else!!! Craziness, simply crazy! At least it isn't a completely new project.

Back in 2004, I found a quilting shop that I loved, and joined a block of the month club. It was a Thimbleberries Hidden Stars quilt, and I was in love with the muted colors. I completed 2 blocks.
They are 12 1/2 inch blocks. It uses the Marti Michell templates, and was so easy to peice.Then, darn it, I moved! Too far to go the quilt shop anymore. I still have the templates, and have the kits for 3 more blocks.

The fabric was generous enough to make 2 or 3 blocks from one kit. And I was so enamoured by the muted colors, I had purchased some more coordinating peices in half yard increments.  So I am trying to figure out how I want to go about finishing the quilt. I've searched the internet, and can not find one picture of the Thimbleberries Hidden Stars quilt finished. UGH! So I will have to be creative here. I have the Marti Mitchell sample book, so I can find other blocks to match the star theme.

The blocks are kinda of sentimental. They've gone with me from Texas to Arizona and back. I have thought about making them into pot holders.(God forbid!) I have come close to throwing them out, but when I looked at them, I find I'm just in love with the muted colors all over again, and want to finish it out. Sigh...I have two appliqued blocks with the same story too! I think I'll save that one for the next post. Then there is the two complete quilt tops in my closet, begging to be quilted. My new year's resolution was to finish what I started. I plan to finish these things this year. (Let's not go into the knitting, Okay?)

So enough blogging, my Snail's Trail beckons...I think I will knock out the last 9 blocks by tommorow. I'm going to find me a netflix to watch, and sew the rest of the night away!

Growing a Little Snail's Trail

 First of all, my DD Amy make me the most wonderful steak and baked potato dinner! The steak was cooked to perfection and most very succulent! YUMMY!!! Thanks Amy! You rock! What a great beginning to my 8 days off from work! Yes, I have 8 wonderful days off to sew,quilt, and go fishing with grandkids. I plan to teach them the fine art of fishing, just like my Dady did when I was a little girl of 4. I caught my first fish in the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. It was a 5 pound black bass that broke my little fishing pole. My Dady wouldn't let me lose my first fish, he pulled that line in by hand, it it cut his hands too. But he brought in my fish, and made me scale it. We had that fish for dinner the next day. I was very proud of my first fish! (Dady didn't catch anything that day either!)

Ok, I am making progress of the Snail's Trail quilt. This isn't the actual layout, but just a pic of the blocks I have so far. 9 blocks down, only 21 more to go in 7 more color changes. I'm doing good with it. I've only had to rip out one block so far. It's a fun little quilt to piece. The next quilt top I do will be applique. I want to test out all the different stitches on my machine. Maybe a applique/crazy quilt. I really love crazy quilts.

Addi keeps saying, "When are you going to make us something, Nana!". Demanding little toddler, isn't she? I told her, "I'm making a quilt, isn't that enough?". She says,"Noooooo! Make me something!". I assume she wants a dress. So I may have to take a slight detour and make her a simple dress. Any how, I'm off this computer and getting back to my blocks. That quilt isn't going to sew itself!