And the Winner is...

Congratulations to Sugar Smacks Boutique!  You're the first winner of the monthly give away.  Woo Hoo!

Sugar Smacks Boutique Bows and Tutu's.

Please email me your shipping information so that I can send you your prize.   Thank you to all who entered. I will be posting a photo of the September give away soon.

48 Hours to Go

  There's less than 48 hours for you to enter the drawing to win a free applique' pillow pattern and fat quarter pack containing "chick" fabrics.  It's easy to enter just leave a comment to this post...send me an email...become a follower...or like my facebook page. 

Best of Luck!  Laural

Girls Gather

  Sometimes the best plan is no plan at all.  When Georgianne sent out the e-vite to head over to the castle for a FREE sewing retreat, well you didn't have to ask me twice.

Christine, Georgianne and Susan plus my Janome

The two Roses

The best thing about this group is the variety of projects being worked on.  Although the fabric choices for all of us seemed to be in the bright family.

Susan's second froggie quilt.

Georgianne's almost completed quilt

The quality of the food wasn't so bad either, of course I'm only showing the healthy fruit platter not the cheese and bacon quiche' or bowls of candy on each table.

Georgianne makes all the clothes for her little granddaughter so she is always on the hunt for just the right print to make a little corduroy jumper or a summer dress.

Look how cute this is when Jane baked cookies to match the sewing project she was working on.  No, I'm not kidding and we need to make sure she is always invited.  Yummo

And I had to laugh when Ruth was gently kidded about dating and she retorted with "at this age all a man wants is a purse or a nurse".

   Jane and Ruth

Thank you girls it was memorable, productive and I was vaguely aware that it was 103 degrees outside.

Today's Color Is...

   Maybe it was filling my coffee cup this morning that was the inspiration for the color of the day but I'd like to think it was more than that.  

Sharing a malt with Big Boy.

 I didn't make this quilt it was one of the photos I took from Long Beach.  Some day I do hope to do a whole cloth quilt perhaps this will be my inspiration.

Turquoise quilting on a brown quilt.

Buttons and Lace.

Great, great, great Grandpa on family homestead in Norway.

  As a reminder, only 5 days left to get entered into the free give away this month.  An adorable fabric bundle with chicks, chicken wire and a pattern to make cute embroidery pillow.  See details to the left.  If you register to receive an email when I  make a blog post that does not get you entered as it doesn't show up in my stats.  Good luck and have a peace filled weekend.   Laural

WWW

Today I'll start the cutting and piecing for a baby quilt.  I purchased this Ooh-la-la fabric by Dana Brooks for Henry Glass & Co.

Rummaging through some old Better Homes and Gardens quilt magazines I found a pattern that will let me highlight the zebra floral fabric.

Sweet Dreams, Baby by Sally Trask of River City Quilts

 Fussy cutting that zebra left me with a big ole piece of swiss cheese fabric.

 You caught me...I sew in my jammies.
This will be a bold baby quilt but the couple that's getting it are young and trendy so I think they'll like it.

I'm liking the layout and I just heard that mama is in early labor so I had better get going on this one.  

Happy pushing!  (That's what my midwife always said when the time was approaching).

Stitch Tips

   Ok, so I know times are tough and the prices on everything including fabric are soaring, but this block that Carol shared just cracked me up.

Now what is she going to do when she needs to know the name and maker of a fabric in her stash?  

Quilter's will never cease to amaze me. 

Gotta run I have salvages to cut.  

Have a great week.  Laural

Girls Gather

  Last night was the gathering of one of my favorite sewing groups.  In fact I am so enamored by this bunch that I forgot to take pictures, oops!  Since we meet immediately following my work day I did manage to snap a few photos of some interesting goings on at the store.

   Last month I volunteered to donate my quilting services to the Oasis Quilt Guild's opportunity quilt.

 Nancy came in early to pick up the finished quilt and although you can't see the detail of the stitching, trust me it came out beautifully.

The back side also cute.

Thank you ladies for entrusting me with your wonderful doll dress quilt I hope you sell a ton of raffle tickets.  Have a peace filled weekend,  Laural

WWW

  I was given an envelope with specific instructions..."this must be back  by Friday".  Sadly, we have three of the quilts of valor ladies moving away and efforts are underway to make each a good bye signature quilt.  So today I'm pulling a few red, white and oh so blue fabrics.

These are simple little blocks.  They are to be framed with Red or Blue squares and Red or Blue rectangles.

Once the blocks have been completed square them up and add a piece of freezer paper to the back.

This stabilizes the muslin making it easier to sign.

Best of luck to our ladies Jane, Nancy and Janice we will miss you and your wonderful contributions to our brave service people.  

Honey Q

  First of all did ya notice?  Super web designer Karina tweaked my blog this weekend giving it a much needed facelift.  Thank you Artful Concepts!
 Secondly, the weekends are fast becoming my days to get the custom quilting done.

    I was able to complete the quilting on this really cute little red and white civil war quilt.

   I spent several days sketching out the design and test sewing almost the whole thing on muslin.  But I think the results are worth it.

  I hope the client likes it, and doesn't mind me sharing her work.  Oops   

Linky with Blue Mondays

Just did a very fun thing with Ruby Jean blog.  Try for yourself as she asks us to share something "blue".  Nice way to start the work week.

Little wool blue bird.

Simply Put

   Inspiration for a pattern comes in many different forms.  Working in a quilt shop is obviously a huge advantage.  Last year there was this lonely little line of civil war harvest fabrics which I thought would make a lovely table runner.

   Once that outer border fabric was gone it became very difficult to sell the kits and patterns.  So as was recently posted I have reworked this table runner.   Getting started is easy grab your fall fabric scraps, a piece of muslin and a bit of wool.  I've also added a couple of place mat patterns with a simple little embroidery design to compliment your runner.  Enjoy!

#334 Bountiful Harvest  $7.50

   I think I like this version better.  What do you think?  PS:  Don't forget to register for the August give away, details to the top left of this post.                Laural

Give Away Day

   Hello,   Last night as I was winding down from the work week an idea began to take shape.  One that, I hope, shows you that I appreciate all the support being sent my way.
   In the left hand column of my blog will be a monthly give away.  Its not hard to enter just become a follower, already a follower? send me an email or haven't Liked my facebook page yet then visit the Simply Put Plus page and "Like" me.  I will draw the winning name at the end of the month.  Thank you and have a great weekend.   Meanwhile, another Long Beach art photo.

real squirrel 

quilted squirrel

WWW

   Today is my whatima workin on Wednesday post and it accomplishes two things.  One, I begin thinking of a project to share early in the week.  And two, I'm actually getting to quilts that have been sitting around for a while.  So it's with a bit of trepidation that I let you know today I'm filling in for a co-worker so I won't be home sewing or sharing  : (

Quilter's Coop in Old Town Temecula.  

   And a road trip may be in my future.  My sweet niece has invited me to her new home at the beach.

Koa misses me.

Older sister is tempting me with these email attachments...she still isn't over our Long Beach cupcake tour.

Cupcakes or Koa?  Which will I chose?

   And lastly as big boy heads off to his first day of his last year of high school I am reminded of how far we have come.

There will be more tears next week as favorite sister heads off to University to complete her degree.  I am a proud mom.  Enjoy the rest of your week.  Laural

Friday Fun

   There is hardly a day that someone in the quilt shop doesn't say "How can you work here, I  would never have a paycheck?"  I always tell them it's very hard not to want to buy everything that comes in.  Especially when you walk in the door and this is ready to go out on the floor.

Pin cushion by Wooden Spool Designs #180

The Cocheco Mills Collection by Judie Rothermel for Marcus fabrics.  Too tempting to pass up.  Do I have a project in mind?  Absolutely not, but its so pretty.  Now I did add that brown polka dot from another line (Crossroads to Texas)  because I just loved the way they look together.

The Long Beach photos are almost over...

Older Sister loved this one.
 No, I won't make that for you, come look at this 9 patch.

I really focused on the art quilts this year, truly amazed at what women are doing with fabric.

Here's What's Hangin

   My mini quilt rack holds a seasonal 6 1/2"x 6 1/2" quilt.  Here's what hangin this month...

 Before commenting on how crazy I am to make a 6" quilt, I can explain.  I completed all of my March BOM before noticing that the sun bonnet sue's were a different size.  Well I wasn't about to waste that cute little block and thus was born the seasonal mini quilt rack.

The language barrier may have been my downfall.

Here's another little cutie from the Long Beach quilt show.

And here's her dog.

Have a great weekend.  It's our last one before big boy heads back to his last year of high school.   Gulp!  Laural