Knock Knock Knock Knock!

Anyone still out there?!!!!
It has been a long time in "blogland" time of me posting a new post here!

I just haven't been sewing much this summer so the blog has been on the back burner for some time now.

Plus summer is just busy here in Wyoming!  Everyone who lives here knows how short the summers are.  You try to get outside every chance you have before the cold comes again.  This summer has been full of gardening (not going too good this year), to Big Birthday trips, to family reunions.

I did get a bit of sewing in the last part of July.  These darling babies are my grandkids.  The littlest one is missing in these pics since he doesn't walk yet.  Let me tell you....trying to get 6 kids, 6 and under, to cooperate for pictures was exhausting.  First picture the photographer took, the baby did a face plant on the concrete and cried for the next hour and a half.  The next child, 15 months, just kept getting up and walking off every time you sat her down.  Sigh.  Like I said....exhausting.

I had been wanting to make some clothes for the girls for awhile now so figured this would be the time to do it.  After quilting for so many years, it was hard to come back to sewing clothing!  Just reading a pattern was confusing to me at times.  I found a couple of cute patterns on etsy for the tops and used a pattern I already had for the capris/bloomers.  The fabric is from an Adornit line called Nested Owls that I picked up at the Utah Shop Hop in June.  I love it!
 

Ahhhhhh......I already miss these munchkins!

Quilt Contest---would love your vote!

I entered this quilt over at Quilting Gallery this week.  Would love it if you would vote for me!  You can go HERE to see the quilts and then vote.  THANK  YOU!!!
 

2013 BOM

I guess it's about time I show our 2013 BOM from our LQS.  Again, this year we have the option to make the pieced blocks in 2 different colorways.  This is the pink version.

Here is the autumn colorway.  The setting is a Circle of Nine with appliqued leaves.  Will make a beautiful Fall quilt.

The applique "quilt" is not a true quilt this year.  We are making 3 small wall hangings.  This is the first one.  We have already made the flowers, watermelon and now are making the ladybugs in March.  I am still debating on whether I can save all my blocks and make it into a Season quilt at the end of the year.  I will have to see what the next quarter's blocks look like before I decide.

Along with how to make the blocks each month, we are given more ideas on how to add to our wall hanging.  Here are some placemats, table runner and dish cloth.

Our BOM's are a bargain compared to what I hear about other ones around the country.  We only have to pay for our first month's block ($10) and then if we bring it back finished the following month, the next pattern is FREE!  It makes being home on each second Saturday of each month a must!  If we do miss a month, we only have to pay $7 for the pattern/fabric.  We all try really hard to make our quilts be only $10!

I have a new blog post on http://rippinstitchers.blogspot.com/ if you are interested in seeing our quilt guild's happenings this month.  We didn't have many show and tells but it has been fun getting to know some new women in the valley.

Fons and Porter Freebies!

About a week ago and I was contacted by the Online Media Coordinator from Fons and Porter.  Am I the only one that didn't know F & P had FREE booklets to share with the world?!!!  I was asked if I would review their Log Cabin booklet for them and share what I thought on my blog.

Ok.......sure!!!

I printed the 24 pages out so I could really look at each page.  Can I just say right now that I have always loved Fons and Porter?!  I have even traveled to their store in Winterset, Iowa.  Such a CUTE town!  But this was such a nice treat.....a booklet that is really worth the color ink it takes to print it out!
The booklet tells a bit of history on Log Cabin quilts in the first couple of pages but them quickly turns into a pattern book.  All for FREE!

I count 6 FREE patterns in this little booklet!
This one has really caught my eye and is on my "someday I need to make this" calendar!

All directions are included.  The last few pages talk about binding with piping and Liz' lumpless binding.
So many pictures and great patterns!
This is a wonderful booklet for any quilter.  My daughter has been wanting to make her own Log Cabin quilt for several years now.  I am going to have to share this link with her!  You also can click on the link and sign up to get the free booklet!
http://www.fonsandporter.com/landing/free-log-cabin-quilt-patterns
Enjoy!

You can also go to http://www.mccallsquilting.com/free-modern-quilt-patterns and receive their Modern Quilt Pattern booklet too!

February Quilt Guild

I accidentally sent this post to my own blog but instead of deleting it I will leave it up.  If you want to "read the words" that I added, you can go to our Guild's blog.  http://rippinstitchers.blogspot.com/  As you can see I shared my Chevron quilt with the ladies.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emily's 2nd Quilt

My daughter-in-law finished her 2012 BOM!  She brought it over to show me after she picked it up from the quilter.  There was a bit of trouble with the borders but I am so excited for her to push on and finish!  It is big enough to go on her bed so she had a lot of fabric to push through her machine.  I am so proud of her!  The setting of the blocks was something we found online so she kind of winged how to put it all together.  No directions at all.  I was a big help.  I told her to just look at the picture and then decide how big she wanted her blocks and to go for it---after I showed her how the original was pieced together.  Her 1st quilt was a BOM too (Noah's Ark).  It is such a great way for beginner quilters to learn to sew quilt blocks plus they get a quilt at the end of the year!
 

The quilts are back

While I was helping my son and his family move across the country this past week, my hubby picked up my quilts up from my quilter.  She did a wonderful job once again!


You can see my one block that I made when I thought I was going to use this layer cake as a sampler quilt.  I decided to use up every last bit of the cake by placing the extra on the back.  

My 2012 Valley Fabric BOM finished.  

Wanted to again use the leftovers so onto the back they went!  I'm going to say I was going for the artistic look since it is off-centered.  ;)