W.I.P

I finished the quilting on my picnic quilt and have added the binding. Now I just have to hand sew the binding. I really want to be done by Friday.

The plan was for the entire back to have the red/trees but ran out of the fabric. This project was not from a pattern and just kept evolving so I had to use what I had to get it done. However I am pleased. I had a pick of the front but will have to take another one and post later.  Tonight I am going to try and get a design wall up before I start on the next thing.  

Oh!! This time I used a spray adhesive for the basting instead of pins. There were pros and cons.

Pros:

No pinning

no taking out pins as I quilt

no quilting on pins or in the middle of them (yes I have done this)

Cons:

Can be a little sticky.

hard time getting the wrinkles out after it was basted together.

I think that when I get my design wall up it will cancel out that con.  I will post a walk through of using the spray basting on the design wall compared to on the floor.

And The Winner Is......

     I have to say that I was overwhelmed with the response that my giveaway received. Thank you to Sew Mama Sew for having such an awesome event for us in blog land. I had a total of 382 entries and 12 new followers. Thanks to all of you who took the time to stop by and those of you who decided to follow.

     With this being my first giveaway. I will leave this one having learned some things which I think will be a whole different post.

GIVE A BIG CONRATULATIONS TO

Sarita who said:

For raising money for a quilt, it seems like the best way to go about it is a raffle. And I don't know about anyone else, but I'd only enter a raffle for a bed-sized quilt. In that same vein, you'd want to pick a pattern that looks hard but sews easy (or, at least, a pattern you're familiar with). The cooler it looks, the more people are willing to buy tickets... how good are you at paper piecing? :) Thanks for the opportunity to win! :) 

Even thought she did not provide me with a specific pattern or fabric suggestion, I felt it was the best advice for this fundraiser to be a success.

Sarita has already been sent an e-mail. 

There will be many more giveaways to come.

FInal 5

This is just a quick reminder that the giveaway will be closing in 5 hours and 30min. Get you entry in.  For details on the giveaway click on the giveaway picture to your right.

Another W.I.P Wednesday

  Let me start off by saying that it is hard for me to do one thing for a very long time. Before I can finish with one thing I am already thinking about the next 4 or 5 things that need to be done or that I want to do.  That has taken on a whole new meaning with creating, sewing, and quilting.

I put done the scrappy comic strip quilt because it had become a disaster. Then I started on the sparkle mini quilt for new found enthusiasm. I know what you are thinking, know I have not put it down, 

"it has evolved".  First I thought I should make it a lap size quilt instead off a mini.  Then I got freakin tired of cutting and sewing so many 2" squares then splitting them and then sewing the mixed matched fabric together, etc,etc. 

So now it has evolved from a lap sized sparkle quilt to a picnic sized quilt with a sparkle.  My aunt called and asked if I could make her a picnic quilt so this will be it. 

This is what I have done so far.

The plan is to add another plain white 3" around each side and another 4" boarder of each color pattern.

I would like to finish this by the end of next week. Quilted and binded along with the Scrappy Comic Strip quilt.

Monday May Giveaway Day

 

This day is finally here!!!

I get to giveaway what I think is a great prize for anyone apart of this life of sewing and quilting. 

My contest will be about gathering ideas for my Lazarus Ministries Quilt Fundraiser. I posted concerning this a few weeks ago so I thought that this would be the perfect way to try and gather ideas from you readers. I do need and want your input.  

So without further ado. 

My winner will receive a  5piece Fat Quarter Bundle from Aneela Hoey's Little Apples .  Also there will be a choice between two books. Sunday Morning Quilts & Zakka Styles.

So here are the easy peasy rules:

1) leave a comment with your suggestions on the pattern and fabric that I should use for this quilt in the comment box.

That is it!!

On Friday, May 25th @ 5pm the contest will be closed and the winner will be announced and e-mailed by May 27th.

Don't forget to swing by Sew Mama Sew and check out all of the great giveaways.

Give Away Prize

       As most of you know and for those who do not know, tomorrow is day one of Sew Mama Sew May Give Away Day.  In the morning promptly at 6am before my morning jog, I will be linking up my give away prize and rules to her site. Because this is my very first give away, I wanted to make it really good.  So my winner will receive a  5piece Fat Quarter Bundle from Aneela Hoey's Little Apples (not A Walk in The Woods, as stated in an earlier post).  Also there will be a choice between two books. Sunday Morning Quilts & Zakka Styles.

See Ya There! I hope to win something myself.

Bloggers Choice

This morning I was pleasantly surprised when My husband returned from the mail box with a package from Fat Quarter Shop. The boys usually unload the mail box, but I guess that they were having so much fun playing that it slipped their minds. Anyways, last week I signed up for Fat Quarter Shop's Blogger's Choice Fat Quarter Club. I shared with my aunt that I really wanted to practice practice practice on quilting and sewing but I really needed fabric.  So she agreed to pay for this membership for me *in my little girl voice* yeah!!  

With this being the middle of the month, I was expecting to receive the June Shipment which is Cara Wilson

Well, I received

 Here it is in my dinning room.

 I have no clue on what I am going to do with it.  However, I do think that I want to get the other two end colors of the Nightshade prints from Intrepid Threads

Oh well, that's all for now. 

There is an emergency at my house. 

Josiah's best friend from across the street is moving.

Fabric Tuesday

I just love how you can always find ways to stay motivated and focused on getting a project completed. As buttons like the one above began to occupy my page, it is not  just because they are nice to look at, though they are.  It helps to keep me motivated, focused, and excited about completing a project. I hope that whoever is reading this will join in.

Out of frustration and just sheer disappointment, I have put down the Scrappy Comic Strip quilt. It will be finished, just not today. 

To reclaim a bit of enthusiasm, I am starting on my sparkle quilt.  This was going to be a mini, but I think that it will be a lap size quilt.

For this quilt I am using A Walk In The Woods from Aneela Hoey.

Some cutting has been done, but there is tones of more cutting to be done.

If I work long and hard today I would like to be done with the top by Friday.

I will keep you in the loop.:)

Mother's Day Bliss Is Over

No breakfast in bed today or silence from the screams of mommy, "I want...", "I need...", "Josiah is being mean", etc., etc.  The day starts with my morning reading, breakfast, dishes, schooling the children, trip to Grandma's house, trip to Publix, and a trip to the other Grandma's house. That's just  so far. There is posting this blog, dinner, and I would like to get some sewing done before the day is done. But enough of that.

For my giveaway, I am trying to decide which book to giveaway between Zakka Style from I Heart Linen & Sunday Morning Quilts from Crazy Mom Quilts. I choose Zakka Style because I want to support Rashida Coleman-Hale who lives here in Atlanta and I love her work. Also, I think it is a great book that you all would enjoy. Sunday Morning Quilts, I really just want for myself. It would be great to get advice on which is the better choice for the giveaway.

            

                                          

Because my stash is barely considered a stash yet, a giveaway isn't a giveaway without fabric.  In addition to the book there will be 5 fatquarters from Aneela Hoey's line of A Walk In The Woods from Fatquartershop.

There may be another little something something added also. We will see.  I am waiting on the books to arrive. When it does, I will post a picture of the entire giveaway in the upper right hand corner of the blog page so everyone can see.

Time to start dinner.:)

   

Moms

Just popping in to say HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!! to all of you moms. May you enjoy it in all of its glory because tomorrow its backing to being mom. On this day I am off limits and all duties are for dad. Not that I'm not mom today, just without all the work that comes with that.  My mom and I just returned from lunch, now its back to sewing :).

Coming Soon

I am  SOOOO!! SUPER EXCITED about Give Away Day hosted by Sew Mama Sew. There are no words to express how fanatic this is.  This is open to all sew/quilting/handmade bloggers everywhere. How awesome it is for Kristin to do this for us.

My contest will be about gathering ideas for my Lazarus Ministries Quilt Fundraiser. I posted concerning this a few weeks ago so I thought that this would be the perfect way to try and gather ideas from you readers. I do need and want your input.  

So here are the easy peasy rules:

1) leave a comment with your suggestions on the pattern and fabric that I should use for this quilt.
That is it!!
Do not post your entries until May 21st.

The winner will win my giveaway prize which I am still working on.

It will be posted at the start of the contest May 21st.

So start those creative wheels to turning for the best entry.

The winner will be selected based on the best suggestion.

What A Great Day

     Today has been awesome and I'm just bubbling over with excitement of what this year holds for my family and I.

 My to do list for today reads as follows.

1. Devotion time

2. Make a bank deposit

3. register the boys for HS stuff

4. Clean (bathrooms, bedroom, kitchen, laundry)

5. Call Melody

6. Order Give Away day prizes

7. Post new blog and read and post on others.

8. work on quilt

I am proud to say that over half of my list is complete and there is still time left in the day to complete it.  On top of that. My husband received a call that he got the job that we have been waiting for. This means My quilting hobby can be financed and nurtured.  Also there may be a new baby in the works.  And last but not least.

I hope you did not for get about the post on African American History of Quilting I promised.  A very well known and established contributor to African American Art and Quilting has agreed to be a guest on The Quilting Diaries.  What she has to say on the subject will be far more intriguing than anything that I could put together.  I will not do any name dropping just yet until I am certain that this is going to happen and I can let you know when.

Oh, It looks as though I may be helping some ladies in my community with the promoting of a sewing/quilting guild in my community.

Today has been truly a Great Day

I hope yours has been too. 

Feel free to drop a line and share.

W.I.P 5/9/12

Although today has been busy already and more business ahead, I am mentally focused and stress free. So first thing first.  I am still working on the Scrappy Comic Strip quilt for Josiah. I didn't get to work on it at all yesterday but am at it again today.  My plain was to be done with that and to be moving on to the next project. My work space is teeny tiny so I don't like to start on more that one project at a time.

I am working on making it very colorful and inspiring to compensate for the lack of space.

Here is the top half (not quilted) back of the scrappy comic strip quilt. This quilt is really an example of "working with what you've got".  With this one I am attempting to quilt straight lines.  Even though I reviewed Mama Love Quilts tips on quilting straight lines, I should have read them in more detail.  However, that is just one of my flaws.  To say the least, it isn't great at all but it will do as a throw quilt for Josiah.

As for another one of my mishaps, my bobbin thread and top thread was white (because it is all I had and I wasn't thinking) and the backing of the quilt is black. Even though I said that I would be transparent with my rookie mistakes, you will just have to use your imagination with how awful it looks. After I completely finish it I'll post it.

Her is my 12 in 2012 project list:
1. Super Hero Quilt 
2. Scrappy Comic Strip Quilt (work in progress)
3. Sparkle Quilt Mini (inspired by Jeni over at In Color Order)
4. Zig Zag Quilt
5. A Quilt (for the Lazarus Ministres Fundraiser)
6. Diamond Quilt Mini (inspired by Lindsey Sews)
7. Japanese Quilt from block #21 (Japanese Quilt Blocks to Mix and Match)
8.Japanese Quilt from block #25
9. Japanese Quilt from block #31
10. Japanese Quilt from block #41
11. Open for suggestions
12. Open for suggestions

Simply Put

I am not sure if this is premature or not but here goes. I only have 10 followers and I don't get many comments (which may be because I was set on no-reply blogger), never the less, thank you. Thank you to those who are following  The Quilting Diaries. Thank you to those who just stop by every now and then.  Last but not least, thank you to those who stop and leave because you may not be interested.  The later of you are thanked because even though you may not stay, my viewer numbers go up and I tell myself its because you may like The Quilting Diaries a little.  That may sound silly and desperate to some but it encourages me to keep posting and not to shut it down any time soon.

So simply put

 Thank You

W.I.P Wedensday (A day late)

Yesterday was so crazy.   I woke up excited about having something to post for W.I.P Wednesday and the day was gone. After home school stuff with the kids, I went to my usual fabric store for fabrics to finish the scrappy comic strip, they didn't have anything I needed.  The lady recommended Hobby Lobby to take advantage of the 40%.  All I needed was some Kona white and Kona black.  I didn't want to order it online and have to wait for it. So my journey started to one Hobby Lobby using my phone navigation, after driving for what seemed like forever, there was no Hobby Lobby. So I looked up another and finally got what I needed. 

I think until I acquire a good little stash, I will stick to online ordering. However I did do more work on the scrappy comic quilt I'm making. Any who, here it is ready for quilting.

I apologize for my photo's. A new camera is on my wish list. 

This one is ready for quilting

Even though I had a migraine when I got home, I was happy to see my Fat Quarter Shop order had arrive. 

I received the Little Apples Fat Quarter Bundle and the Bella QuiltCon Solids both of which are on sale.

When I placed the order for the solids I had a clear idea of what I was going to do with them. Now I am not so sure. I will let you know when I decide.