1870's Dresdan Plate C.Q.

I thought that I would share this antique CQ with ya'll. I think this design is very interesting. I could see a mordern version of this being quite neat - I may have to try to do one - someday :)

Another mouse pinchushion

These little guys are just way to cute !! They are just as easy as the last mouse pincushions but with a totaly diffrent look. I will post the ones that I made from this pattern soon, have to find the ditial camera again LOL :) I'm always misplacing that darn thing. Here is the pattern ( rember to look in the tag Things to Make for other neat patterns I've found )

http://nuno-runo.blogspot.com/2007/11/mouse-pincushion.html

A Really Cute Quilt

While cruising around blogland this morning I have found the cutest little quilt. It's over on Linda's blog and it's called the Olive Garden Quilt . Here is a link if you would like to take a peek -

http://kuhlquilter.blogspot.com/

Phoenix's Ducks

These are Phoenix's babies. He got them as payment for working for a friend of ours. They are supposed to be some fancy purebred breed - can't remember the name now though , crested something or another. Anywho Phoenix is so proud of these little buggers, guess we are now in the duck raising business. He will be entering these guys in the local fair in October.

Stash Challenge Fabric & A Block

Here are the fabric's that I choose for the Challenges. I just love these fabrics !! So my colours. And below is the first Periwinkle block that I had made. I will get the other 2 posted this eveing or first thing in the morning. This block looked like it was going to be easy when I first saw it but those darn set - in seams are giving me fits !! I will be working on the 4th block today.

Insanly Busy Around Here

Wow life is going nuts at the moment ! Cleo is in heat and has been placed with Junior. Demon Dog is in heat and has been placed with Rookie.And it's looking like there is not end in sight to the extra long work hours :( Yesterday I got a call from my bank letting me know that my paycheck had bounced - my account was in the negative so bad because of the bounced paycheck. Thankfuly my boss made good on the bad check and the NSF fee's but I was in panic mode for awhile !
What else - Oh yeah , I've been able to finish 3 of my little Periwinkle blocks for the Stash Challenge/ 5 Finish Challenge. Slow going but I'm loving how they are comming out ! I can get 1 done a day - wish I could get 2 or 3 done a day but the block is just to hard and I'm a very slow at hand sewing. At this rate it will be awhile before I have all 12 blocks done ! Then the sashing and boders.I plan on going to the LNS Saterday to pick out boder fabric for it. If I get really lucky I'll be able to post pic's of the blocks soon, the camera is acting up and doesn't want to upload my pic's to the computer but I'll try to get that all sorted out today.If you get a chance hop on over to Marlene's blog - stitching by the lake ( link in my sidebar) - and see how much she has finished this week. Marlene has been one very busy lady !!

Expecting puppies

I am so excited to annouce that Angel is expecting babies :) I am 75% sure that she has taken though it'll be a few more weeks before I can be 100% sure. Angel has been bred to my little chocolate male Chance. I am hoping for some chocolate merle puppies with this litter. Angel is the daughter of Junior and Cleo,I am so excited for this litter :)

Antique String Quilt

I just love this quilt, I saw it a few months back on Ebay. Sadly I wasn't able to win it. One day though I would like to try to reproduce it. It might even be really neat to do a crazy quilted version of it :) So many projects , so little time LOL :)

Stash Challenge / 5 Finishes Challenge

Well I have picked out some of the fabrics that I will be useing for this challenge, I am going to try to pair it with the 5 Finishes by July Challenge. My plan is to make and finish 5 mini quilt tops by the end of July - very do-able I think :) I will post pic's of the fabric's and my little bit of progress on top 1 later on today, I have another 14 hour shift today so I should be able to get a good bit done.
For the first mini quilt I will be making the Periwinkle blocks. I was going to use them for the upcomming mini block swap but have decided that the block just takes to long. Yesterday it took me almost 2 hours to cut the pieces and to get the block sewn together. I have also relized that I am horrible at hand sewing and that I really don't enjoy hand sewing as much as I thought I would !! The set-in seams on this block are a real booger, I hope the blocks that I do today go quicker than the first one LOL :)
I found a cool 3 in star block for the swap though - it's paper pieced here is a link to it :
http://www.forestquilting.com/freepatterns/freepatternspage2.html

They have a couple other patterns on this site that I would like to do for the challenges but I'll think about that after I get the first top done. I think I am going to really like doing mini's

Puppies 3 Weeks Old

This is a pic of the puppies having thier first taste of real food. They made such a mess but I learned a long time ago to do feedings outside so I only have to wash up the babies and not the kitchen floor & the babies too :)

Ain't the babies so cute !! They are still a bit unsteady on thier feet and it's so funny to watch them play with each other, they keep us all rolling ;)

This is the little female from Voilet's litter. She is just way to cute :)

BOW Block 5

Yes it is that time again :) For this weeks block I figured that we would try a bit of applique. I love hand applique but you might choose to do machine applique. This link has 2 patterns for the Rose of Sharon block. You can choose to do either one or both if you wish. I am going to try to do both. I will be back in a couple of days to show ya'll my blocks. Please if you are stitching along leave me a comment with a link to your block :) Have fun stitching! Here is the block :

http://www.patternsfromhistory.com/bible_quilt/bible_rose.htm

So much going on !

Wow there is a ton going on in Blogland here lately ! First off Jackie at Canton Village Quilt Works is hosting an awesome giveaway on her blog - yes you have to go visit her to find out what it is ;) Here is a link :
http://cvquiltworks.blogspot.com/

Next Peg over at Happy In Quilting is doing a really cool challenge - Finish 5 by the end of July . I am taking part in this challenge - If I get really lucky it will help to motivate me to get some of my UFO's done once and for all !! Here is a link to Peg's awesome blog :
http://happyinquilting.blogspot.com/

Now ya'll know of my fondness for primitive things :) Pat has the most amazing finish ever - I have to do one ( someday LOL ) Here is a link :
http://clubquiltnarromine.blogspot.com/2008/04/pats-masterpiece.html

Another cool challenge that is going on is being hosted by Eileen of Eileen's Attic . It is a challenge to use up that ever growing pile of stash that we all seem to have . For more info on this challenge please go here :
http://eileensattic.blogspot.com/2008/06/summer-stash-challenge-sign-up.html

Now I'm off to do a bit of hand sewing - have a 14 hr shift today :(

What I am doing

I have been asked what I am planning to do with the orange scraps. I am working on an insane project LOL :) I am making a mini flying geese quilt, the blocks are only 3 inches x 1 1/2 (finished size ) , I have 2 of the blocks finished already and I will try to post a photo tonight of them - granted if I can find the misplaced ditial camera. I decided that I needed to finish something because I was getting a wee bit depressed with my larger projects. It seems like I have been working on some of them forever but still haven't finished any of them !!
As a heads up over at the Yahoo group Miniature Quilts there is a new block swap fixing to start - it for 3 inch ( finished ) Stars ( any star pattern is fine ) in blue and white. If anyone is interested here is the link :

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MiniatureQuilts/?yguid=113606948

I joined in and went to Walmart last night to pick up some white fabric and was told that they are for sure shutting down their fabric department. This really sucks as the closest place now for me to get fabric will be Lake Charles and I don't go there but once a year :(

Help Please !!

I have a huge request of everyone that reads my blog - I desperately need some orange cotton fabric scraps!! Can be anything from 3x3 to 10x10 and in return I will send some of my fabric. Leave a post or e-mail me.Thanks everyone !!!

Wade Painting

Delwin built me this Rabbit pen after one of my failed attempts at building LOL :) Me and Wade are hard at work getting it all painted up. My little man is growing up so fast , he will be 7 at the end of this month. My 2 male rabbits will go into this pen, however I need to finish painting it and get the top and doors on it. I will post more pics after I get the bunny's into it.

BOW Block 4

It's time again for the block of the week and I haven't even posted last weeks block of the week yet! Life has gotten so crazy, they changed my hours at work and I'm attempting to adjust to all of that. I hope that this evening I'll be able to post both this weeks and last weeks blocks. For any of ya'll stitching along with me , do you remember the Antique Quilt that I posted about awhile back. I have finally found the pattern for it. So our block of the week is Rolling Stone :) Here is a link to the pattern :

http://www.quilt.com/BlockOfTheMonth/1998/RollingStone.html

Simple needlecase

I was up early this morning as I can't sleep :( I decided what I needed was to get up and make something. While I was thinking about what I wanted to make I relized that I don't have a needlebook . I found the pattern for these over at knitting-and.com . I will post pic's of the one I made later on today or tomorow. I'm off to go raid my stash :) - you can find the step by step pattern here :

http://www.knitting-and.com/embroidery/needlecase.htm

Sally Post Floral Sampler

For any of you who missed these free patterns Sentimental Stitches is posting all of them for free from today through the 9th. Here is the link :

http://sentimentalstitches.net/free-stuff/block-of-the-month-quilt-designs/sally-rides-civil-war-sampler/

Rowdy & Opal

Boy isn't Rowdy getting huge ! He is 5 months old now. Cheyenne and Delwin gave Opal and Rowdy baths yesterday, these are the before pic's , I'll post some bath pic's in a couple of days. Not much going on in the quilting front as this week has been just crazy , however I did get my BOW block done and I'll post pic's of it tonight. I am working on a gift for one of my coworkers grandkids but I'll post pic's of that project as soon as it's delivered to her as she reads my blog and I don't want to ruin the surprise!

Music on my Blog

I have been busy this morning. I have added some music to my blog, it was really pretty easy once I got the hang of it :) Hope ya'll enjoy - let me know what you think .

PIF

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join the PIF exchange. I'm not sure what the gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 60 days that is my promise! Now, what you have to do in return is Pay It Forward by making the same promise on your blog for the first 3 people to sign up!

BOW Block 3

It is time again for the Block of the Week. I am having so much fun with this :) Our next block is one of my all time favirotes it's called Old Maids Puzzle. This block is pretty simple to put together and is a very pretty block. Here is the link. Rember to find past blocks please click on the tag Block of the Week in my side bar :) Here is the link :

http://www.quilterscache.com/O/OldMaidsPuzzleBlock.html

A stuffed pig to make !

I found this this little guy while I was surfing the web this morning ! Isn't he just way to cute. I think I'll be making one for Wade's B-day at the end of this month. Here is a link to the pattern -

http://www.silverseams.com/opensource/felt-pig-pattern.html

Stash Busting Report

Well it is Sunday yet again, boy this week flew by !! I had a large list of things that I wanted to get done this week and did pretty good. Here was my list.

1. Of course the Block of the Week block (done)

2. Finish quilting Isis's Grandmother's Fan quilt. (almost )

3. Sew up all the ornies for the ornie exchange (2 of 5 done )

4. Quilt 2 more blocks of the Sampler quilt. (nope )

5. Add a couple of more rows to the Bowtie quilt. ( 2 more added)

6. Do a little bit more on the orphan quilt ( done )

So overall not bad considering that I worked 63 hours this week. Even without the school work life tends to get in the way :( Here is my list for this upcomming week :

1. Block of the Week

2. A little more on the Orphan Block Quilt

3. stitch 2 more ornies

4. 1 Bowtie Row

5. unpick the mess up I made on Isis's quilt

6. Try not to stress over quilting the Sampler Quilt

7. Put together a trade block

Hope I do better this week than I did last week !

A mushroom to make

I have a fasination for mushrooms LOL . I found this pattern today and thought that it would make a very interesting pincushion and as I also just love pincushions I though this might be a neat thing to share with ya'll. I found this over at LuckyKate Crafts Blog and there are also wonderful step by step photo's with this project. Alas for me it will be awhile before I can tackle it as I have a couple of things to get out of the way first. You can find the pattern here :

http://lucykatecrafts.blogspot.com/2008/04/toadstool-tutorial.html