Piggy Bank Challenge

It's always good to save some money for a fabric splurge, so I've joined Val's 5th Annual Piggy Bank Challenge!   The goal is to fill up my piggy bank with spare change, and maybe a bill or two for the coming year.  Then next July we count up our savings, and figure out what to buy!!  It's not too late if you want to join in!  I don't have a very exciting piggy bank, but it's functional.  I hope to fill it a couple of times in the coming year.  I"m off to a good start.

On Sunday, Dh and I went wildflowering (again).  I'm amazed by how many flowers are still out there.  We don't usually bother looking for them after about the end of May.

Everlasting Pea with silver-spotted skipper

Common Evening Primrose

Purple Coneflower

I've always been terrified of bugs and bees, but I love photographing them on flowers!  I know they're not interested in bothering me if I don't bother them.

Our next stop was a BBQ joint that we've driven past many times.  I'm glad we finally stopped!  And then we went to an antique mall that I haven't been to in ages.  I'm on the hunt for hankies, after seeing this quilt on Facebook. - Stitching is My Happy Place

I managed to get a nice start to my collection!  I'm not a very good shopper, because I didn't realize that the one that I paid the most for  had a couple of holes in it!  But it's gorgeous, and I'll find a way to work with it.

I also enjoyed looking at old sewing machines.  I'd love to get a treadle machine some day.

In other stitchy news, I'm on another quilting blitz, so I'll have quilts to share soon.  I've finished quilting  three small ones so far, and will be working on binding at a sewing group tomorrow.  They're all packed up and ready to go.  I guess I better go get some sleep so I can get an early start in the morning.

Keep on stitching......  Sunny

quilts seen at antique mall

FNWF Results

We're getting ready to head out to the lake for the day, but I thought I better get this posted before we  go.  Friday night found me finishing the binding on this:

I saw a quilt on FB a couple of days ago that has inspired me to go back and add    more quilting to this. I thought it needed more, but I couldn't figure out what.  Stay tuned!  It was very windy when I took this photo, and I took several shots to get one even half straight!

I also made most of the outer round on this Friday night.

I bought a pattern for a cute little wall hanging on my road trip last week, so this will be incorporated into a wall hanging in the very near future.  I have a sewing group this week that is just for hand sewing, so I'll prep it and take it with me on Thursday.

The lake is calling my name . . . . .   Sunny

Happy Independence Day! And belated OPAM

Internet Image

This picture is from near my hometown, and I hope to be visiting there in a couple of months!

To my Canadian friends, Happy 150th Birthday!  I've so enjoyed seeing all the quilts that were made in honor of the celebration.  It's nice to see people who are so proud of their country.

We've had a house guest, so the sewing has slowed down a bit, but he left this morning, and I'm planning to tear into more quilting.

I finished this just in the nick of time for OPAM.

It's called "It takes a village" designed by my friend Elizabeth Angus, and was featured in the May/June 2013 issue of McCall's Quilting.  I knew I'd get around to it eventually!  I'm not going to drag DH back outside again for another picture, but there's a big flower that has now been attached to the top of the third vine from the left.  And the outer border contains the best feathers that I've ever   done.  I think there may be hope for me!  LOL!

Here is another finish from Pam Buda's Prairie Women collection.

Pam encourages the use of "make-do" fabrics in these quilts, because prairie women wouldn't have had access to perfectly matched lines of fabric - they made do with what they had on hand.  A couple of the women in our group just can't bring themselves to use the make-do fabrics, but I think it's kind of fun.  

The 13 place mats that I made have already been donated to Meals on Wheels, and I forgot to take pictures.  They were made mostly from donated batting scraps and fabric 'scraps'.  Some people give away very generous "scraps"!  I started a small patriotic wall hanging on Saturday before our guest arrived, and it will get quilted and hung today.  Then I plan to quilt a larger quilt.  Stay tuned - it's a beauty!!

My sil and I took a little road trip on Wednesday, visiting 7 Quilt shops.  I forgot to take a picture of the loot before it was all put away.  Nothing major, but some fat quarters for 3 different projects, a couple of spools of Aurifil thread, a book, and the pattern for the patriotic wall hanging.  I went with a list, and mostly stuck with it.  But I still spent for than I had budgeted!  Isn't that what always happens?

Kayaking and nature photography happened this week.

We found a Lily Pond, and there were so many gorgeous wildflowers that we had to go back a second time.

Have a happy and safe 4th to all my American friends!!       Sunny

Another busy month

Another busy month is flying by.  I guess that's a sign of getting older?

We started the month with a quick trip to Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, NY to visit April the giraffe, of internet fame.  I would hate to admit how many hours I spent watching and waiting for her calf to be born. It was a long day trip, but well worth it for me.

April and Tajiri

April

Tajiri (Taj)

Oliver

After leaving the giraffes, we stopped at a nearby park for some wildflower pictures.

Ragged Robiin

???

Swallowtail

Excitement the following week was taking my HQ Sweet 16 in for servicing.  It was cleaned, oiled, and a few minor adjustments made, and it quilts like a dream now.

The following week found us taking a spur-of-the-moment trip to the Finger Lakes for a few days.  We weren't planning to go up this year, but it's not a long drive, and we just love it up there.  We photographed many wildflowers and waterfalls.  I know, you're shocked.  A few of these pictures are just for Di. who used to live up there.

For Di!

Butter and Eggs

She Qua Ga Falls

Eagle Cliff Falls

Eagle Cliff Falls

Deckertown Falls

Bucktail Falls

a very toxic Nightshade

Awesome sandwiches, on the BEST bread.

For Anthea!

Ludlowville Falls

Filmore Glen State Park

Filmore Glen State Park

Taughannock Falls

Because we were farther north than our usual range, I found a lot of wildflowers that I hadn't seen before.  And despite poring over field guides for hours, many of them are still unidentified.  I'll try to update my flower page soon.  Some of the waterfalls require a short hike, but many of them can be seen from the road.  We've visited some of these before, but added a few new ones to our list this year.

Is anyone still with me?  I have actually found time to sew between our adventures.  I'm putting the finishing touches on 13 place mats that were made with gifted batting scraps, and  some gifted fabrics.  I'll show them next time.  I've just decided that I will quilt them in the pattern that I hope to use on my next quilt, for practice.  I have some gorgeous quilts that need to be quilted, and I have to stop letting them intimidate me.  Wish me luck!

I also finished a Yellow project for RSC!  This is a small quilt for a children's hospital .

A friend taught me how to miter borders this week, so I'm making progress on my little Baltimore Album quilt.  Miters are much easier than I had thought!  

I hear the dryer buzzing, so must go take care of the laundry.  Thanks for visiting!

It costs nothing to be Kind!       Sunny

FNSI

After signing up for FNSI last week, we decided to take a little road trip.  I didn't take any sewing with me, but I always crochet in the car when I'm not driving, so I started a new baby afghan.  I did some extra 'hooking' on Friday night as my way of participating.

This is the quilt that I made for our guild challenge.  It was inspired by a picture of a quilt that I saw on a blog a couple of years ago, and I don't remember which blog.  It stuck in my mind, though.

The picket fence was made from the small end of men's ties that I purchased for fifty cents apiece at the Salvation Army Store,  and the flowers are various sizes and shapes of yo yos.  The binding fabric was given to me by a friend who thought it was just the ugliest fabric ever.  Because I WAS the challenge committee and solicited all the prizes, I didn't feel comfortable entering my quilt for voting, but I think I could have won a prize.  wink!  I did share it for Show and Tell, and got a lot of nice comments.

My vase of daffodils won second prize for the challenge at my other guild.

I had fun making both of them, so my objective was achieved.  The woman heading the challenge for this group next year is very Modern and very unconventional in her interpretation of subjects.  It will probably be VERY challenging for me!

I'm off to do some sewing and quilting for a couple of days  My quilting machine is back from her spa treatment, and is sewing like a dream...

Be kind.....always.       Sunny

OPAM, FNWF, RSC and Chookshed Party

May was an incredibly busy month.  I went on a quilting blitz, and finished many projects for OPAM.  The final one got its final stitches before I went to bed on the 31st.  This is one of two quilts made from my RSC16 blocks.

The second quilt, from string blocks, is pieced, but is waiting for my quilting machine to have a little spa treatment next weekend.  I guess I worked her to hard in May.  Looking back at previous posts, I have a green doll quilt, a teal baby quilt, a log cabin, and ugly pink quilt, my diary quilt, my challenge quilt, and this machine cover that I haven't yet shared.

There were also 11 place mats for Meals on Wheels.

For FNWF, I prepped some applique for the borders of my little Baltimore Album quilt.  I pieced the top, and hope to make major progress on the borders in the coming week.

I was supposed to be sewing with the girls today for Chooky's 5th Annual Chookshed party, but I may or may not have attended a quilt show with friends instead.  And I may or may not have purchased 3 new books.

A minimal fabric purchase was made of 3 fat quarters for a specific project.  I found a fourth book that I really wanted, but had to walk away.  I can always shop on Amazon later, right?

And now I must sign off and head over to the party!

Keep on stitching.......Sunny

More on this adventure later!!