Scallops and more!

Good Morning!

I have had a lot of things going on since the last time I posted on my blog.

I caught the flu from my grandchildren and was down for 2 weeks and then almost 2 weeks more not being able to move too much without being down again.

Now that I am pretty much on the mend, I can spent time on some fun projects I have been working on.

I have been working on a quilt with the Scallop Magic

 ( I'm sorry these are upside down, my computer and my iPad would not flip them.)from Lakehouse fabrics! Have you noticed them at your quits shops?

Here are 4 of the blocks I have for the quilt, I have 1 more to applique, then I will be putting them together using more of the Scallop to high light my blocks.

These are fun to work with and come in great colors!

 How about making flowers with the individual curves?

I’ll show you now they look finished, I hope at the end of this week.

Last week I had to stop sewing to attend a painting seminar here is Salt Lake City. I have been attending this seminar for a long time, at least 8 years, probably more. Wonderful women come from across the country to paint, and we get to know each other in the way that only women can, through love of similar passions, family stories and time spent together.

This year we painted one box in one of two patterns. I chose to paint the Curiosity Box. It is so fun and whimsical, and the colors were bright and cherry, just what I like. I of course have to change a few things on my box, I have this need to make things a little different, or just to make it mine. I hated to have the week over, now it’s back to normal life. Cleaning, washing dishes, all the things we do to make our homes nice. And when I am finished I get to quilt again!!

I have worked on my quilt and a few other projects and I have the middle pretty much finished. What do you think?

Up side down again! I'll work on that. I know there is away to turn it around, but mine did not work. Here it is for now I hope you can get an idea of how it is suppose to look. I just need to add the borders and it is time to be quilted.

There are new colors of the Scallop Magic to use with any project you want to add a little whimsey.

See you next time!

Laurie

Hi again!

My husband loves to get away during the winter, leave all of the snow and cold behind. But, this year we have had a very mild winter, unlike the eastern states so it was really a trip to get away after all the Christmas rush. We went on a trip this year the second week of January.

We went on what at that time was the worlds largest ship, the Norwegian Getaway.  We visited St. Martin, St. Thomas and the Bahamas. It rained in both St. Martin and the Bahamas, and it was beautiful while we were at St. Thomas.

While we were there we went to see Blackbeard's Castle. Not really a castle, but  a tower. A tower with a beautiful view of the bay. Next to the castle is a beautiful house built during the height of the Dutch and Pirate occupation.

Beautiful tall ceilings, doors and windows open to the sea breezes. As I walked through the rooms admiring the beauty and grace that once would have been the style of that time in history I turned around and saw...

A sewing machine!

Right in the master bedroom!

I knew I had found paradise!

Can you imagine living in more beautiful place and having a place to sew to your hearts content.

As we walked down the hill we went into another wonderful home, built not long after the first home we had been visiting. (They became homes to me once I saw the sewing machine). This one was just as striking as the first. Tall ceilings, doors, windows and a veranda to watch the world sail bye.

I was lost once again in the image of beautiful women in long dresses,  living in a world of color, beauty and once again I was surprised to find...

Another sewing machine!

And look at that table it is sitting on!

I know I am a dreamer. But this was so unexpected I had to share it with you.

I guess that is why I appliqué, I can't day dream while I sew at my machine. I have tried and the seams are not very straight!

Time to go, 

Laurie

Happy New Year

2015

I can't believe that Christmas is over and it is now January 2015.

I hope everyone had a good holiday season this year. We were busy, just like everyone, but it was different for me because I had a my veins stripped in my left leg. First the front and then the back. I had to stay down at first, really careful for 5 days, then slowly work back into my usual schedule after 2 weeks. 

Since I had my first procedure the week before Thanksgiving and the 2nd the week before Christmas I was not moving fast.

I learned that I did not have to do all of the things I had on my list. I did a lot of shopping on line and let the less important things I usually do for Christmas, go undone.

We had a wonderful Christmas and no one noticed that things were not the same.

I have boxes and boxes of decorations that did not get opened up. They will have to wait until next year, unless I decide to use less again.

Did I mention that it snowed all day Christmas Day! We ended up with about 9 inches of snow by about 7:00pm.

This is my front yard.

This is our tree upstairs. We also have a tree in the family room downstairs it is real, so that we do have the smell of Christmas.

Another reason this has been a different year is that 2 of our quilting friends passed away. They were both fun, inspiring people, who I will miss. Our quilting community will not be the same without them.

**************

The first part of November I was able to attend a quilt retreat held in Deer Valley, Utah. It is beautiful up there on top of the mountains that over look Park City. It was put on by Quilts, etc. a wonderful store in Sandy, Utah. If you need anything for your quilts, stitching, doll making, what ever, they have what you need.

It was a mystery quilt retreat and for me this is a big stretch. I am very picky about my fabrics and my designs. I have to have my colors just right, etc.

For the retreat you choose the fabric bundle you want to use and then they give you the steps to make the quilt.

I was not too excited about how my quilt was looking, I liked the 9 - patch,but the blocks in between did not look the way I liked. So I worked on the quilt I did not finish from last year.

 I have been thinking about how to use the 9-patches that I made.  Here is what I came up with. I like how it has worked out.

Here is the 9 - patch

Here is the block I am going to make out of the 9 - patch.

I think it will be fun when it is completed.

I have another quilt I am working on also that is applique. I have shown you the blocks. I needed to take a break so that I can recharge my ideas for more blocks in that quilt.

Time to go now.

The tree downstairs is dead and I get to take it down before the mess is too big.

Good bye for now,

Laurie