I realized that both of these minis have been received too so I can post pictures here now.

The first is my first attempt at a disappearing 9-patch and I am pleased with this effort but now I want to try a more planned one. I have the perfect fabrics waiting for a good pattern so I will get to that one of these days. This was for the Plain Jane Mini Swap for November.

This second one was for the 'theme' side of the Mini Quilt Swap for November. My partner loves roses and was pretty happy with my effort.

I think now I have posted all the little quilts I have sent out recently.

It can be shown

Here is the little quilt I had the honor of finishing off in Spring Fling Round Robin 2. It has arrived at its new home and will be well loved by Kathy. As I was doing the quilting it reminded me of Neapolitan ice cream and you would be very proud of me since I did not run down to the closest store to pick up a container as a snack!

Road Trip

I have been feeling crummy this week but it is Fabric Depot's sale weekend and I needed 60" black Kona so I sucked it up and headed south to Portland. I was really quite proud of myself. I didn't allow myself to fall in love with any fabric - my sewing closet just couldn't bear it if I did! I got my bolt of Kona, ordered a new needlethreader hookie-do thing for my Pfaff, picked out 17 lovely neutrals and 8 lovely reds and found the pattern I think I will use for the wedding quilt for June which will be made out of reds/maroons/golds/neutrals such as I purchased. The multi colored floral fat quarter is one I received with one of my October minis and was my guideline for purchases.

The best thing about the trip was the fact that dinner was in the crock-pot waiting for me to get home!

A little of this, a little of that

I have been a little under the weather so it is harder to get things done - I seem to just want to sit around! So Saturday I took advantage of that and got some computer work done and then I got the binding on one November Mini and got the labels done for it and my DQS5 quilt and even whipped up a cute little number for my second November Mini and got it sandwiched, quilted and bound. Since Chelsea took my one Pfaff that was working well I had to decide on another machine to use so I tried out my 1956 Singer 301. It was really amazing! So quiet and did such a nice job of stitching and even free motion quilting!

Saturday evening I was at a friend's house for a candle party so I didn't get anything more accomplished but Sunday I decided to do some sewing on log cabin blocks and got a good start on 12 more blocks using the black strips. When I was tired of that I went out to the living room and watched some TV and did the hand-sewing on the two mini's bindings and got the two labels stitched on.

Today I had to take my car in for an oil change and on the way home I picked up the mail - I had three quiltie packages! It was almost like Christmas!

This first one is my October Mini from Lin in Thailand! That is one of the coolest parts of all the swaps - you get packages from great quilters all over the world! I just love this little house.

This next one is from Marilyn in California. There are so many fun details in this quilt - the more you look the more you find. This is Marilyn's first month in the Mini Quilt Swap and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with in the future!

This last picture is my quilt from Another Little Quilt Swap 2. It came from Trish up in Ontario. It was definitely a 'pink' mail day. In fact, two of the 3 quilts were wrapped in the same pink tissue!

After I was done looking at all my fun mail I got 4 quilts packaged up and in the mail to their recipients. I will post pictures when they get to their new homes. I goofed a little in that I mailed my Spring Fling Round Robin 2 quilt today and it wasn't supposed to go out until next week but there's not much I can do about it now. I was worried it might get lost in the sewing room and not get sent at all!

Incommunicado again!

My daughter arrived on Tuesday afternoon with my two adorable grandkids so time on the computer was limited to checking email and reading blogs. I also got no sewing done to speak of. I did help Chelsea with cutting out and sewing of her wool coat but mostly with advise, etc. - no actual sewing! For being a new seamstress and quilter she is really coming into her own. Not afraid to tackle most things. You can check out her new crafting/sewing/quilting blog here.

Today will be spend washing sheets, towels, etc. and getting the house back in order. I also have a fun lunch date with two friends.

The weather here has been very rainy so I have not done anymore raking, though there are now lots more leaves that need raking!

I hope I will get lots of sewing done over the weekend but "the best laid plans..."

VOTE!

Please exercise your right!

Another wedding quilt and another baby quilt

My niece (my brother's daughter) emailed a couple of weeks ago that she is expecting her 4th baby so I am starting to think about a quilt for her/him. I am personally hoping for a girl since she has three boys already! I will need to have it ready sometime around the beginning of May. I ordered a pattern today from Clotilde that I thought was cute so that might be it.

Another niece (my husband's brother's daughter) is getting married in June so I am starting to think about a quilt for her also. I am thinking something in this color scheme. Not sure what pattern I will use yet but I would like it to be more scrappy than not. Any ideas?

I got my names for the 6"-12" Mini Swap for November. I will be doing one with words (our theme) and one plain jane. I had a great idea for the word mini and got started and realized when I had the first letter done that it was backwards - I forgot about the whole mirror image thing when you are paper piecing!!!! Frustrating, but I snapped out of it and climbed back on that horse and now have 3 letters done correctly and I think it will be very cool! Hopefully my partner thinks so too!