#61 Summer Mood...Mode?

Seriously there is so much I want to do this summer, I made a list and everything......but I just can't seem to stay focused.
Is it the intermittent sun and warmth we are getting, along with what we have started to call, "Tornado Tuesdays"!!
Or the pool that was relined only to have the pool heater fritz out!!
Or kid (adult, really)  and the stuff that comes with....
Or continued quilting frustrations....
Or the internet bill that arrived, that was 4 times its normal cost......
I don't know, but I am seriously needing a jolt, to bring me out of this slump!!! (bad mood, lets be honest, lol)
So I am hoping that writing it down and putting up pictures of the things I have got done will make me smile!! Hope you like it too!!

Here's What I've Been Up To:

Made Home Made Spray Starch: I don't have a lot of experience with starch, but It works great as far as I can tell, and a whole lot cheaper.

Recipe is here


Finished the 4 Nested Churn Dash Blocks and some extra single ones

Finished the Moda Trifle Dish Rows, with Kate Spain SunnySide!! I am loving this quilt!! Now to decide on borders!!

 Summer+Sandles=Manicure (cute little daisies on my big nails!! :)

 This happened....what, WHAT?? Oops row 5 forgot two end pieces; row 2?? OOPS, so need to read instructions better, missed trimming my blocks! Which also explains why the pattern didn't join up properly, along with the fact that I appliqued my petals wrong (eek)! So my pattern became a flower instead of an orange peel!! lol Sometimes you just have to roll with it!!

But it all worked out in the end with a few revisions!! I couldn't be happier, and in a few years won't even remember that mine isn't exactly to pattern. Lol

Bought my first spools of Aurifil!! My machine loves it, which means I love it too!!!!!

And I won a Tshirt!!! so excited to wear it!! Thanks to the Online Fabric Store

I also received the 3 books I won, participating in the Mini Medallion QAL!! Thanks to SewMamaSew and Stash Books!!!

The last of my churn dash blocks are together so now I need to get that top sewn together!! Excited about this one too!!

 And next project will be......From Amy Smart's (Diary of a Quilter) new book, with fabulous RJR Batiks (Jinny Beyer Lagoon line) and Cotton Supreme Solids!! Whoop Whoop!! This is going to be awesome!!

Ok, it's working, I'm already feeling better and smiling!!  Thanks for dropping by, hope everyone is having a great summer (or winter for my down under friends) and a great 4th of July for my southern neighbors!! I enjoyed my Canada Day by relaxing and you guessed it, some sewing!!!

#60 What I've Been Sewing

What I've Been Up To:

Nested Churn Dash Sew Along, 2/4 sewn together (love this block!!!)

Moda Bake Shop Trifle Dish Sew Along; Sewing layers totally out of order

Completed all my Churn Dash block!! 48 ready to sew together!!

And as soon as the above two projects are together, this is what is next!!! Super excited to make a project from Amy Smarts new book, with RJR Fabrics!! Jinny Beyer Batiks and Cotton Supreme Solids!! This is going to be great!!

#59 Summer Speed

So I think my summer speed is going to be slow to.... oh, whatever!! lol It is nice at this stage of my life, kids all grown up, to not have to juggle all the summer time activities. Don't get me wrong I loved it, and sometimes still miss all the craziness, but it is nice to just do what I want, when I want, and not feel guilty about it!!
So what do I want to do.......I'm going to take that one day at a time, and if I change my mind, who cares. I did make a list of my summer sewing, but if it doesn't get done there is always the fall. Oh don't worry, there will be sewing, and I am determined to start quilting all the tops I have stacking up, I'm just not going to get tied to my list. I may even get a tan....maybe not! lol

What does your summer look like?

What I've Been Up To:

Started my week with weeding and gardening 

Made the Trellis Crossroads from Modern Bee, turned out better than I hoped, but there must be a trick in the trimming to make the mitred corners work??

Globe Trotting June Block

Aurifil Designer of the Month June Block

Classic Meets Modern June Block

Helped my friend make her first pouch/purse

Joined in on the fun happening over in the Moda Bake 

Shop!! Trifle Dish Sew Along

Made 3 Star blocks to donate

2 more scrappy trip blocks for a friend, love her quilt theme

and finally got around to tidying my hobbyroom, almost done!!

#58 My Summer Sewing List

I want to start with an unsolicited review of the Bag of the Month Club from SewSweetness! The short answer is      I loved it!! 
I was so excited when Sara Lawson posted about the club over 6 months ago now, and joined right away! I've only made a few easy bag/totes before and the idea of making my own purses was appealing. The patterns arrived every month in my email and every pattern looked fantastic! Even though I was filing them away to complete after I all the projects on my cutting table were done, I looked the patterns over and they all appear to be clear, well written and well illustrated.
 Then May's pattern showed up, from Anna of NoodleHead Designs, and I knew that would be my first bag!!! The Poolside Tote, perfect size, great summer bag, d ring was the only needed hardware, simple and straight forward pattern (have to ease my way into bag making, so I don't get frustrated, lol) and I knew I had the perfect fabric!! I was not disappointed!! I had one question in the pattern (not enough experience in bag making and wanted to confirm my thought) I emailed Anna and had the answer in no time!! Another great thing is, the bag looks great inside out too!!

I have managed to collect all the needed bag hardware and interfacing now, so now I have 5 more bags to make over the summer, and I am looking forward to the challenge!!

 If you haven't join this years club, you still can, till the end of June! 6 bag patterns for $40.00. Check it out!

  My Summer Sewing List:

       1. MidTown Messenger Bag
2. Convertible Bag
3. Bye Bye Love Bug Bag
4. Butterfly Sling Purse
5. City Slicker Bag (intermediate)
6. Continue Block of the Months
7. Finish Churn Dash blocks
8. Finish Mini Medallion Quilt
9. Batiks Quilt
10. Complete Quilt top for the Layer Cake Sampler

What I've Been Up To:

Making lots of Triple Stars 

Tester Pattern for Kristy at Quiet Play

and hanging out with Caleb at our annual  Church in the Park and family BBQ!!

#57 MQG Fabric Challenge Complete!!

I had just joined the Modern Quilt Guild when this challenge was introduced. I've only been quilting for the last 3 years and blogging for a little less than that, but thought it sounded like something fun to do to challenge myself. So I jumped right in, signed up, and decided to design my own wall hanging!! I've been posting pictures to Instagram as I've completed certain stages and the last post I said I still had some add-ons left. Well for all of you who were wondering what that could be....... here it is!!
I embroidered on the stems and found the cutest buttons to add, lady bugs and bubble bees! Why not, it is a garden after all, and they just add some texture and whimsy to the project!! The quilt was completed with the  Michael Miller Fabrics along with some Kona Solids, and  I used all the scraps to make the binding. The wall hanging finished at approximately 63" long by 25" high. The drop heart quilt pattern just seemed like the perfect pattern to choose for the quilting.