Orange Bag Tote/ maybe Grapefruit Bag?

Ok, now...at 8:30 this morning a Jerry from Habitat Re-stores was here right on the dot to take down my kitchen.  It is almost 4 and he is still here...humming away, taking down my kitchen. I, too have been busy.  I cancelled my work today and I have been sewing.  A friend had given me an empty orange bag for re-purposing.  Today was that day for me.  A rainy day that I needed to be home for anyway!

What is better than one orange/grapefruit bag tote?  Two:)

Then after I took the pictures, I decided to add random buttons!

Some lovely Bradford Pear blossoms in the background!

Free motion feather tutorial

This is a good tutorial for free motion feathers.  I just had to share it!
http://joanne-threadhead.blogspot.com/2011/03/free-motion-feather-tutorial.html

Antique English Log Cabin....from the archives

http://oquilts.blogspot.com/2010/02/antique-red-english-log-cabin.html  I am all stirred up by Taryn's red and white virtual quilt show!!!http://reproquiltlover.blogspot.com/2011/03/red-and-white-quilt-exhibit-bloggers.html  So I decided to revisit my darling red (not white) English antique.  Click on my link to see a past post with more detail.  Oh...I do love the old quilts:)

Who is crabby now???

I should be excited!  I AM excited, because we are getting a new IKEA kitchen!!  But, first...grrr.  My husband and I have different organizational ideas and skills..so as we dismantle the insides of our cabinets to be ready for Habitat for Humanity to take them away tomorrow morning...well, what can I say.  Self banishment for me!!  A good stiff drink:)

A wonderful place to escape to!!!

A cuddle quilt made with no thinking needed!

Thank you Ruth for the fabric from "Happy Fabric Day!!" http://ruthsloan.blogspot.com/

Today's baby quilt

Nothing original here..just a finished baby quilt...gotta keep my mind off of this kitchen renovation.

Online Quilt Show!! Red and Whites...my favorites

Taryn at Repro Quilt Lover blog is having an online quilt show of red and white quilts!!  It is for all of us who cannot make it to New York City for the upcoming red and white quilt show at the Museum of Folk Art.  These are my favorite kind of quilts so I put in all four of mine that I could find.  Now I hear that people know how to upload quilts from snapshots taken before blogging...Maybe I can learn that and add more:)  Thank you Taryn!!
http://reproquiltlover.blogspot.com/2011/03/red-and-white-quilt-exhibit-bloggers.html

Circle Tutorial from - The Crafts Dept.

Thank you to the Fabric Shopper! http://fabricshopperonline.com for the link below to a very great circle tutorial!!  http://thecraftsdept.marthastewart.com/2010/07/finished-baby-quilt-follow-up.html

"Grandma and Me", snowball quilt finished

Finally, my snowball is finished.  It has mostly reproduction 30's fabric with a few funky fabrics thrown in for good measure.  It has Grandma's original doilies from that era, napkins from her canasta games and tea towels.  Grandma Edith Karlson Franzen, 1896 to 1996, clear minded and sewing to the end.  I love you Grandma.

 The airplane block is a piece I bought in Japan 25 years ago.  I love the backing fabric.

 A piece of a canasta napkin.

 The doilies in the border.

 A piece from a pillow, "Good Night" in Swedish.

 Her initials she embroidered on a tea towel.

Process!  I put the blue painter's tape on the quilt to mark the lattice quilting.  This quilt was machine quilted at my retreat.  I tacked down the binding by hand when I got home.

Happy 28th Birthday to my Emily!! xxoo

Emily and Brian in Punta Cana

Emily working on her picnic quilt!

My Dearest Emily, How in the world did you get to be 28???  I love you lots. Happy Birthday

This blog is a favorite of mine!! No prejudice here:)

/http://tworedwellies.blogspot.com/  How proud is this mother:)

A clean quilt, a box and guess who??

    

My Milito!!!!

Mollie is getting ready for the birthday party, poor Mollie!

On Sunday, my youngest grandson, Dylan, will be one!!  We are having a joint birthday party for the two children who are two weeks, one year apart, one and two....so of course, Mollie has to be sweet smelling!!  How she enjoys getting bathed!!!

Triple Irish Chain from the 80's

This quilt was made for my son, Eamon, when we adopted him in 1985.  It was made by my friends in a quilting group in Miami, Florida, at that time called the "Rose Quilters". (Named after my husband's 80 bush rose garden!)  Of course when we adopted two children all the roses died.  Who knew how much work children were?? :)  So anyway, this quilt is hand quilted through chintz, changing thread as they went.  It was an arduous work of love.  It is my understanding that an antique quilt is 100 years old, a vintage quilt is one made before 1950...so what is a quilt from the 80's or 70's,etc.?  Is it just plain old??  Help me out here..

Ruth and fabric save the day!!

I came home from my retreat a day early because all of a sudden fatigue came over me and all my bones and muscles hurt and I just wanted to be home in my own bed next to my honey.  Thank goodness I was only 45 minutes away.  I was a bit down because everyone else seemed to have more energy than I did, etc, etc. Poor me!! But I was grateful to be home.  And then, what was awaiting me on the table???   Fabric from Ruth.  My husband had opened it and spread it all nicely on the table just as if he were a quilter himself!!  A lovely note, and even some fabric right from Japan.  Ruth you are awesome!!   http://ruthsloan.blogspot.com/  Thank you so much.

Celtic music and Quilts

http://www.nfb.ca/film/quilt/?ec=en20110209#  by Gayle Thomas, 1996
This is so wonderful...Celtic music and quilts...how perfect is this!!  Enjoy.

Retreat accomplishments

 All done, two cuddle quilts, 10 potholders, and 10 coasters.  Almost finished...only need binding of snowball quilt and half of my kaleidoscope quilted....

Retreat at Bethelwood

I am just back from a great retreat at Bethelwood, in York, South Carolina.  Had a great time, beautiful weather, wonderful view of the lake, new and old good friends and lots of quilting accomplished!!

 Aimee Griffith at Overall Quilter organized this great retreat. www.overallquilter.com

Featured on Forty Two Quilts...Quilt Show Wednesday!

Thank you Jenifer for putting my quilt, "No Think Quilt in Orange", in your Wednesday Quilt Show.  I think that your Wednesday show is a great idea!
http://milo-designs.blogspot.com/

Isn't quilting so much fun!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Nothing like friends!! Nothing like quilting friends!!

To Help me Baste!!

                            

To Make Casserole Totes With!!!

To Help Sew Donation/Raffle Quilts With!!!

And, Finally to Make the Tea!! (It takes two when Mary Pat is not here)!!