Bibelet...aka..Santa's closet

This month's schnibbles took a crazy turn.  The selection this month was Bibelet.  I looked at this pattern for several days waiting for any inspiration to start.  What fabrics should I use? How would I use the finished quilt?   I finally decided to use red and white fabrics.  You can't go wrong with a red and white quilt.  Here is where the mind starts to wander....From the first time I saw the pattern this month, it looked like a kimono or mu-mu.  I just couldn't get this out of my head.  Could have gone the route of "T" for Terry, but this just didn't look like him.  As I starting pulling red fabrics, I saw red mu-mus.  Lots of them.  So who wears lots of red?  Santa of course!  Then I starting picking out fabric suitable for any fashion savvy Santa.  In the back of my mind, I remember a quilt hanger I bought at a junk sale  waiting for a small Christmas wall hanging. Inspiration found!

Here's a close up!  Santa's  now ready for any occasion

Make sure you check out the other Bibelets at the parade tomorrow at Sherri's or Sinta's blog.

Debbie

Applique Thursday

Just a few more stitches and some beads and this one will be finished....Six more to go, but I think I will work on  a few other projects before starting the next block in this quilt.  Need a little change.  Maybe something with larger pieces...

Check out Angie's Applique Thursday for some applique inspiration!

Debbie

The elephant in the room

For two weeks these pictures and several more have been spread out on my sofa table. I have been asked to make a memory quilt using them.  I thought by now I would have some great idea as to how I will design it, but I am still undecided.  The views shown show this beautiful family homestead in different seasons. These will be the center of the quilt.  That much I know...as for the rest, we will see what progresses!  I'll post some pictures as I go along and will greatly appreciate any suggestions! 

As the old saying goes...How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time!   We'll see how long it takes! 

Debbie

And the winner is...

....Lucky 13!   Congratulations Judy of Sew Rip Repeat....You are my winner. Judy said  "Michigan State Spartans of course! Thanks for the chance!"  I have sent you an email for your address. As soon as I receive it, I will get this great layer cake in the mail.  Well unfortunately Judy's team is out of the tournament, but Judy still wins!  It was so much fun to read all the comments.  I was blown away with the number and thanks for all the new followers!  Many of you are not  big basketball fans.  (Apologies to all the international visitors.  I wasn't thinking about you not getting all this March Maddness).  We may not all love college basketball, but it is very clear we all love our farmer's markets. (Both the place and the fabric)  I think strawberries and tomatoes were the most popular items to buy.  I see a trip in the near future to our farmer's market. 
When I thought about this giveaway, I wanted to do a couple of special additional prizes.  How many times has your name been in a drawing and you have said..."my name would probably be the last one drawn".  Well in this case, that is a good thing.  I used the the Sequence Generator at random.org to pull my numbers.  The last number was 192.  Margaret from the Average Quilter...That's you.  You will recieve a prize too.  Sandy was the first person to leave a comment and Mary left the last one before the party ended.  Prizes will be headed your way.  Lastly, I drew a name from my followers and Sharon from A Few of My Favorite Things...you are the winner.   Margaret, Sandy, Mary and Sharon will all be receiving some Fat Quarters.  I have been snooping around your blogs to see what type of fabric you might like!   Thanks everyone for participating and thanks to Michele at Quilting Gallery for hosting a great party.  I can't wait until the next one.  The only problem was that I got very little quilting done this week.  Anytime I had a few extra minutes, I found myself at the computer.  It was so much fun visiting new blogs and reading all the comments...

Debbie

Tip off

Win our Lose...we are proud of our Pack!!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

May the road rise to meet you,
may the wind be ever at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face
and the rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

That was the benediction given today at the beautiful wedding of our nephew and his new bride.  The wedding was held outside at a lovely home in Charlotte.   Wish I had taken more pictures, but I was just enjoying the day!  The weather was unseasonably warm for this time of year.  Just about perfect!

Matt and Kristen

(and Mason)

FNSI Update

Wish I could report that I got a lot done, but my sewing time was more limited than I had planned.  Has that ever happened to you?  I did finish a little romper for my little granddaughter for St. Patrick's Day and made a few blocks for my civil war quilt.  Seems like I hit roadblocks on every block I started.  The fabric I wanted to use for one block (Union Shield) was a perfect red and white stripe, but too bright...didn't play nice with the other fabrics in the quilt.  Thought I would tea dye it to see if it looked better.  Liked the results but took away from sewing time.   Then I needed to print templates for another block and ran out of ink in my printer.  Finally picked a block that didn't require anything special....and made a couple more setting blocks.  Regardless of the results, it felt good to play with fabric for a few hours!

Now to go see everyone's progress!

Friday Night Sew In

I'm so ready for a night of sewing.  Not exactly sure what project I'll pull out yet...I really need to work on my civil war quilt....I got way behind on these about half way through the year...There's only a few months left until Barbara closes the blog...And I would love to get it finished for our guild's quilt show in October.  I have been doing my setting blocks as I go and sewing the rows together.  I think I have about two more rows to do.  I'd really like to work on something "springy" to go with our early summer weather we have been having this week.  Maybe a sundress for my little granddaughter??  Regardless there will be sewing tonight and basketball!!!  Way to go Wolfpack on a great win this afternoon....It's not too late to join in on the fun!  You can sign up here.

This is the last picture I have taken of my quilt in progress.  I think I have 8 or 9 rows together now.  Maybe another one tomorrrow???? 

BlogHop Party

It's Party time!  Join me and others bloggers in a week long blog hop party hosted by the Quilting Gallery.  The party starts Saturday, March 17th.  You can see the list of participating bloggers here or by using the button on my sidebar.   Can you think of a better way to spend National Quilting Day than....visiting lots of quilters... exploring new blogs....finding lots of giveaways.....

Don't you just love this time of year?  We have been unseasonably warm the last few days.  Mid 80's! ....Watched the Braves in a preseason game....Filled out my bracket for the NCAA (so far so good except for the Syracuse win...Yep I went crazy and had UNC-A for the upset)...  Our NCSU wolfpack  is back in the tourney this year!!  GO PACK!   In celebration of spring, I'm giving away a spring basket featuring a  Farmer's Market layer cake by Brannock and Patek.  Don't you just love going to the farmer's market on a spring day and bringing home fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers! 

Just leave me a comment saying you want to be entered in the giveaway and tell me which team you will be cheering for during March Maddness.  I'd love to have you as a follower, but not necessary to be entered.  Not a basketball fan, just tell me your favorite item to buy at the farmer's market.  International visitors are welcome to join my giveaway!   By the way...if you are the winner and your team happens to win the title, I'll send you a little something extra after the tournament!!

Schnibbles Sneak Peek

This month I am having a little fun and taking some creative freedom with the pattern.  I have made my blocks and have started sewing the rows togerther. These blocks sew up really quick. Should be finished by the parade! 

Applique Thursday

I've been linking to A Quilting Reader's Garden Applique Thursday for a few weeks now.  I hate showing a project with only a few more pieces added from the last post, but here goes anyway....The houses are done.  Just need to add the embellishments and embroidery.   Santa's bag is hovering overhead waiting for the sleigh and reindeer! 

Since spring is right around the corner, thought I'd share an older appliqued quilt I made.  Blue and yellow have always been a favorite color combination of mine and I love the controlled scrappiness of it too!

Sorry about the photos....having a little problem with Blogger tonight!  Check out more applique inspiration here!

Thread Storage

The topic in the organization series in the Learning Center at Quilter's Gallery this week is thread storage.  Quilters have been sharing ways of organizing all the threads we have in our sewing rooms.   So I'd thought I'd share some pictures of my thread storage.  Terry (my DH) and I love to go antiquing and we are always on the hunt for country store display items and vintage sewing items.  I keep most of my embroidery threads and the slimmer spools in this old spool cabinet.  I love the glass drawer fronts.  The top drawers hold my silk ribbons.

The next photo shows another cabinet that I am in the process of organizing my DMC and Cosmo embroidery threads in.  I am using small ziplock bags and placing them in numerical order in the drawers.  I can choose specific  threads for a project and just add the bags to a small thread binder to keep with the embroidery project.  I just need to take the time to finish this....The display item on top of the spool cabinet is one of our latest finds...A safety pin display...Just haven't thought of a use for it yet...Any ideas?

Another old spool cabinet and a printer's drawer holds various sewing and quilting threads.  Other threads are kept in plastic drawers, tins, baskets, etc.  Make sure you check out the Quilter's Gallery for some great  storage ideas.



I'll be joining their Blog Hop Party so check back soon for more details...My first giveaway!!!!