SPRUCING UP AROUND HERE

Tomorrow is already September.  Hard to believe really.  I always feel in the reset mode in early Spring or early Fall.  And, yesterday (It's almost Fall) I decided I needed to spruce up my surroundings.  It has been years since I changed anything around here.  I also decided I needed some orange in my life before the new color is purple or something.  Off I headed to Cost Plus World Market.  The perfect place to find something new and orange.  I immediately found this:

Now how could I pass on this?  If you look closely, you will see that "N" is orange.  I have started my sprucing up in my dining room.  I found some new curtains and borrowed "stuff" from a couple of other rooms to get my theme going.  What theme you say?  Cost Plus World Market theme.  I decided that what I needed most was a scarf for the buffet.  Try buying one the right size.  Ha!  Oh sure, I could buy one and cut it down to size.  But, I happen to have some fabric laying around here.  So, now my buffet is so happy with its new Cost-Plus-themed scarf (only home made).

I just went with a simple stitch and flip method that ends up a quilt as you go.  Easy as eating ice cream. I must be hungry. 

I even stitched the binding down by machine.  No one is going to look at that back (no you won't) and it will just quietly sit on that buffet until it gets bumped from another burst of redecorating energy. 

Quilt happy,
Marilyn

MY WORD

Remember that binding I was working on?

It's finished.  This is Robin's new pattern, Lattice Patch.  It is a great pattern and uses those 10" squares or Layer Cakes we have stashed away and wonder what we are going to make with them.  Of course, you can always cut your own 10" squares.  I collect word fabric and used some of my collection for this.  So, here is My Word.

DID YOU KNOW . . . .

that it is National Dog Day today? 

Not that every day isn't around here.

Gracie, my senior poochon......

and Trudy, my two-year-old mini schnauzer. 

Both got pretty yesterday.

It really is National Dog Day.  You can read about it here:

http://www.nationaldogday.com/

Quilt happy,
Marilyn

ALMOST . . . . .

Just a little ol piece left to do. 

The binding.

Quilt happy,

Marilyn

QUILTERS BY THE SEA 2011 RETREAT FUN

Our guild, Quilters by the Sea, had its annual quilt retreat last weekend.  We had many fun projects, games, and most of all, friends sharing time with each other.  One project some of us worked on was a jelly roll race.

There were many more completed; but, you get the idea.  The colors are as fun as seeing the hot-air balloons at one of their festivals.

Quilt happy,
Marilyn

YELLOW & GREY QUILT

I need to make a yellow and grey quilt.

What do you think?

Quilt happy,

Marilyn

PETS ON QUILTS SHOW 2011

Sew Cal Gal is having her annual Pets on Quilts Show starting today.  Please visit her blog to see this fun quilt show and her most valuable blog.

Many you know that Trudy ends up in a lot of my photos, mostly because she is always where I am.

Trudy likes to test ALL the new quilts.  This one got her approval. 

Gracie also wants to be here.  After all, she is the senior dog.  And, she just likes quilts period.

Quilt happy,

Marilyn

A FUN WEEKEND

Robin and I had our own private sewing retreat.  Well, we were also on a fact-finding mission to check out new retreat locations.  But, more on that at another time.  Nonetheless, we did accomplish a few things and had a great time in Palm Desert, California.  What, you say?  Palm Desert in August?  Quilting is an air-conditioned indoor sport.  And, by the time dinner rolls around, it is pretty nice.

Both of us made two of Robin's newest pattern:  Easy Peasy.  And, by the way, it is Easy Peasy.  The one on the left is Robin's; mine is on the right.  I also managed to get this cute quilt top done. Another one to put on the "need to quilt" pile.

We also took in the movie The Help.  Wonderful movie.

I hope you had a fun weekend. 

Quilt happy,

Marilyn

SURFIN USA

I saw this over on Jan's blog today.  It put a huge smile on my face and I just had to share it with you.   Enjoy!



Quilt happy,

Marilyn

CINDY'S PANDA TWIST

Cindy's 4th UFO isn't due until the October Quilter's by the Sea Guild meeting.  But, I got the top finished today.  I had contemplated adding a ribbon border.  But, I called my BFF, Robin, after I messaged her a photo, and we decided it was done. After all, the Panda is the star. A ribbon border may be distracting.

It is a classic Garden Twist pattern.  I was able to find all the blocks, including the set-in triangles, in a bag.  Cindy also had more of the black and black and white prints.   I only had to add one triangle to a corner to get all the Pandas looking at us.  Now, what do you think?  Should the binding be the black and white polka dot or use the black and keep it simple, simple, simple?

Quilt happy,

Marilyn

MY WEEK WITH RACHEL

My granddaughter, Rachel, spent the week with me.  She flew in from Idaho last Sunday and she is winding her way back right now.  We had a great time together.  I schooled her on sewing.  First up was a pillow case.

Next a laptop cover.

She also got two Click-It bags made.

She's going home with some Rachel-made loot. 

Did you know that Thursday was National Chocolate Chip Day?

And we did get in some outings.  We saw Cowboys and Aliens.  And took in the Long Beach Aquarium.

And dinner at my favorite dinner haunt.

We even went to the Long Beach Playhouse and saw

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. 

I'm going to miss her.  Next summer - sewing class here for any of the grands who might be interested.

Quilt happy,

Marilyn

BIG RED IS DONE

Yup.  I finished it.  And just in time for next week's guild meeting.  This is my third of five UFOs I have committed to complete this year.  And, this pinwheel quilt (lovingly renamed Big Red) is due on Wednesday.

And look who worked her way into the picture.  It's Gracie this time.  Now to find that label.

Quilt happy,

Marilyn

LONG BEACH INTERNATIONAL QUILT FESTIVAL - PART THREE

I was supposed to have these up yesterday; but, my granddaughter is visiting from Idaho and I am playing instead.  But, here are some of my favorite quilts that I saw on Saturday.

 At the beach.

A loving couple

 How true

 All out of yo yos.  And up close:



 This is really gorgeous; but, didn't photo well for me.

And I just couldn't miss showing you this sewing machine and its bling.