Vacation Finds and Finishes

Well I had intended on posting while we were in Myrtle Beach but I took lots of pictures and can't find my camera cord for transfer. I think I left it in MB :( I did however re-take some pictures of my finds and finishes to show. When I get a replacement cord I hope to post more pics. This huge stack of fabs is from the Quilt Garden in Garden City. It's a newer quilt shop...maybe 6 months old...anyhow the owner has too many new fabrics coming so she was having a 50% off sale...um HELLO Moda..there was Simplicity,Daydreams, wildflower serenade, Posh, At the Water's Edge...plus P&B Tex. and Benartex, Michael Miller and on and on. I spent WAY too much...but I stocked up on backings. I found that I don't have many pieces of fabric over 2 yards but I have been making quilts that require yardage for the back. I stuck to the fabrics that will finish a project. I am quite pleased with what I found. Remember only $4.50 a yd.! As for "finishes" I did my second BOM from the Fatquartershop's mystery BOM. I think they are looking good so far...... I did this tabletopper with Wee Play fabrics and a kit from FQshop...can you tell I LOVE the FQ shop?
Oh here's a new project...it's made from my charm stash and fat quarter stash. I have a couple hundred triangles and I am going to attempt to make a scrappy quilt with these..ALL stash..wooohooo...
I may have shown this before..I am not sure, but it is done now...binding and all.
And this is finally done too...I am making another tumbler quilt as well..only BIG for me!

Here's another view.
Anyhow...as soon as I can get more pictures I will post..as there were a couple of quilts I want to show everyone. Until then....

Check them out...

Several bloggers are having giveaways....Bluebird Quilts .....


Ohio Quilter's Journey for 4 fat quarters....

Abyquilt's 2 year Blogiversary..

OMG my Cupcake Swap Arrived~!~~~

Jen (no blog) totally went over the top with this cupcake swap. I LOVE everything...the cool pincushion pattern from FQ shop....and the handmade card holder out of cupcake fabs...so cool. On top of that...we picked out the same magnet and picture frame from Jo-Ann's! Great minds think alike. Jen, if you are out there in blog land reading this ...Thank you soooo much.....

Morning..

I love Maxine...too funny and soooo true.

Organizing surprise!

I did a bit of organizing last weekend and found a treasure I'd forgotten about..... Vintage handkerchiefs....I'd acquired them sometime about 10 years ago. I was on a streak of garage sale-ing and looking for cheap yarn and size 10 crochet thread. I was really into crocheting. Because of my job I can now only crochet occasionally. I have a tendency for carpel tunnel and crocheting exacerbates it.

Since I can't crochet much...now I can enjoy these lovely tatted and crocheted hankies.

Headed to the Beach

Photo 3, originally uploaded by tarpleyjy.

Isn't it wonderful?

Mini vacation...

Well my bags are packed...but I have no room for clothes! Actually these are just my projects for the road trip. I am bring 12....is that ambitious? Could be...but I have 3 bindings I want sewn on and several handwork projects wrapped up. I am taking them all in case I am bored with one...I will switch to another.

Cupcake Swap

I joined Sharon's cupcake swap and finally have my pieces and parts together. My partner doesn't have a blog so I am posting this for her. Here's a close up of the pincushion. I used the new book Let them Eat Cake...by Maw Bell designs.
The pattern was a bit complicated and NOT for a beginner. I'm not sure I will make this one again. But I hope Jen likes it... I did add a few more items but didn't get pictures...I used fat eighths and scraps for padding in the box!!

Productive evening....

Last night I spent 4 hours..til midnight getting backing and batting ready for the machine quilter. I normally do my own quilts. But since we've moved and my quilting machine still isn't up...I decided to send some off. 6! to be exact...I had 9 but had to limit myself. I busted out 17 yards for the backings!! I can't wait until they start rolling in. Now just to clarify I haven't really said I am stash busting this year but I am keeping tabs on what I purchase vs. use. When I want to buy more fabric..I look at the yardage I have purchased this year....just to be sure that I really want to buy more. All that being said...the local quilt shop had 25% off this weekend. I did get some backing fabric for other quilts..that are in the works.

I am trying to make the bindings this weekend so that they will be ready when the quilts return. I am not sure I will to that as I am packing for another trip to SC. Well there is a tropical storm in SC now so not sure what the weather will be like...or how to pack for hot and rain!

Button pushing..

I was button pushing last week. Fat quarter shop had a huge sale...well they always have stuff on sale...but they had what I wanted on sale! SO here's the stack...21 pounds Yikes! I bought the fabric for this >>>>> from McCall's quilting I think the newest issue August 2008. I had a picture but somehow deleted it just now...dang blogger!
And border fabric for this quilt >>>
AND layer cake for this plus borders...

Found in this book "the Sweet Life" by Anka's Treasures.

I also wanted to show a book...I don't read japanese..but it's a book from my local quilt shop. She ordered it to see what projects were like....needless to say I grabbed it up right away!
Some cute quilty projects...

Scraps...etc.

I began sewing my strips for a "Jelly Book" quilt using 2.5 inch Kaffe Fassett fabrics. It is similar to my mother in laws quilt that she started while visiting with us. I have all my srips and rows done and just need the sashing and border fabric. I was going to use the lime green below (a shotcoton or however it's spelled) but I didn't have enough. So now I am stuck on that quilt until I decide on a sashing. In the mean time I took the leftovers and made this table topper. There are a few repeats. Then I did some bindings...which I like to have done ahead so I don't use the fabric for another project. I worked on 2 other WIPs...but they aren't far enough to show just yet. I managed to organize a bit too. We spent quite a bit of time outside this weekend...today was particularly beautiful.

DD2 jumped on the old toy of DD1's but her feet can't reach the pedals yet! It will come soon enough. My husband is doing much better now. He has quite a time of it though. I'm hoping to have some finished projects to show in the coming weeks. If the weather stays like this...I won't get much done inside though.

Some garden beauty

Gifts from Japan...

Besides a hefty hospital bill...this is all my husband brought back from Japan, who can blame him? They are gifts from some old college friends living back in Japan.
Does anyone know what these blue fabrics are for? are they dishtowels?

Quilt Show Inspiration...

My local quilt guild did their annual show ove rthe 4th weekend. I stopped in with both my girls so I didn't stay long...but I took some pictures. I did NOT enter any quilts. So none of these are mine, but I liked them all for different reasons.

Btw...my husband is getting better....