Rob Peter/Pay Paul Scrappy Die

I still love my Dies! 

I am not real sure I am sewing this block 'correctly' but it really doesn't matter- the sqs are sewing together just fine.  I am about 1/2 done and then I can start on the butterflies for the outer border. This one got its start this past weekend.  I was able to cut out center and edges on the same cut.  This scrappy center top will have a cream center/scrappy rings as a mate in this series.

Set 6 x 8 blocks is just perfect for my scrappy applique butterflies.  I hope to have a nice size quilt to give to a friend sometime in my future.

While I was busy sewing the first half of this new beauty at the lake, take a look at what was outside my window!!

A half dozen young Bucks had come up to eat.  Normally I just see the Does and babies during the mornings.  This was a surprise.

Winding Ways from the GO Die

I have had people ask what I do with the scraps from cutting the 'odd' shape dies.  I have found that for me, the scraps are not a problem.  I tend to cut from scraps to start with so using these dies are just another tool that I can't live without.

The stringy stuff gets trimmed and thrown out. (sorry, even I don't want to mess with it)  The other pieces get subcut and added to my on going scrap system.  I consider things either 'strings', 'crumbs' or 'applique'  and sort accordingly, these little mini totes get added to the larger on going collection of scraps.

This Winding Ways pattern sews up fast and easy (I am not perfect on the points- but am sure I will get better over time or if I start pinning- lol)

This is the start of a top that will be 100 blocks set 10 x 10

It may or may not get sewn in my life time but for now it is a kit and I even added the directions.  This took about 2 1/5 hours to die cut out.  It is all from stash that was in my scraps section.  I know I will pull fabrics and do this again in a controlled version, oh and a RW&B one too!! 

For me the GO and dies reduce my cutting time to almost nothing and the 'kits' are just a growing.  My plan for this year was to cut at least one "Kit"  a week to have on hand.  Most weeks I am cutting several from each series of fabrics I play with.

When I did the Christmas Prints, I cut several kits in apple core and then did a second time through for tumblers and then cut those scraps into triangles.  Now I just plan to cut the sets of fabric until I am down to scraps, nothing is getting put back on the shelf!-  cw

Flowers- please vote

http://quiltinggallery.com/2011/08/15/quilts-with-flowers/

The Quilting Gallery is hosting another weekly contest.  This weeks theme is FLOWERS-  voting starts Friday through Sunday.

If you have time please vote for my submission.  I chose to go with a utility quilt, mainly b/c I really love it and use it a lot.  And second b/c it is so original.

Many of my 'flower' projects are still in the flimsy stage waiting for the right occasion to quilt and gift.

You can see the thought (or lack of) process on this piece in a past post-

http://ozarkcastle.blogspot.com/2009/09/2-cents-part-ii-flower-quilt-top.html

Thanks for taking time to vote for me-  cw

August MC is PINK!

I am not quite finished with this block.  I added a pink broom and dust pan b/c Aug is Joke Month-  Did you sweep under the rug?  yes mom I swept everything under the rug-

I need to add a pink bottle of nail polish-  my sister painted my nails last weekend and I told her I would add the bottle to remind me of how fun she is!

I wasn't thrilled with my attempt to machine sew in the face features so I took that out and did a photo transfer.  Not real sure I like it any better.  Lane was over here today and he said it looks 'creepy'  I think this new face is not to the same scale as what I was trying for eariler.  I will let Sarah decided if we keep this one or try again.- 8-16-11

I have a self-imposed NO SEWING after MIDNIGHT!-  another rule I had to break.-  added the flower (Sarah's anniv is Aug. I made the flowers for her wedding from her Grandmothers Dress fabric.)

Hubby asked 'where's the Pink Elephant'-  done

Finally used my embroidery machine-  PINK Floyd is another Brick in the Wall!

Dawn wanted a Flamingo,  Regina suggested "Pink Floyd's Brick in the Wall",  The steak is actually a clock for Floyd's song TIME.  The Micky Mouse feather is for Tickle me Pink- suggested by Susan.  I have a few more things to add.  I snuck in the pink panther -think pink- on the wall.  The girl is my daughters school picture, Sarah's b-day is Aug 6th, her anniv is tomorrow, Aug 13th., the dress is a fabric from her grandmothers dress.  the hair is a bandana print.  I am not sure I like the 'face' will have to live with it and see if it grows on me.

Saving this post for my PINK project.

Disclaimer:  I have a ton of Pink so that is not the concern.  I started back in Jan making just one 20" block in the MC color intending to have 12 blocks total for a keepsake quilt.

over the months the blocks have evolved into a cross between color and month.  Last month was blue and I still don't have the pieces appliqued down.

This month is Aug/Pink and I am drawing a blank as to what I want to do.

The only 'holiday' I found for Aug that I find interesting is national Tell a Joke Day.

I have been 'hiding' personal (to me) Items in the blocks, including Kids b-days, Anniv, twists on words

here is where you can help me-  I need PINK words, Pink ideas and or August ideas.

so far I am thinking of doing a large black background with the Word-  "PRETTY"  done in pinks crazy patch style  (Pretty in Pink)

do I add "FLOYD"  too  (Pink Floyd)

I have some Pink Panther cartoon fabric

My youngest daughter has a birthday on the 6th so I was considering do a scrappy silhouette in pinks of one of her school pictures.

IF you have a must do idea, tell me now!  I will reward you with a fat 1/4 of pink for the best ideas-  cheryl

here is the link to my page with all the months http://ozarkcastle.blogspot.com/2011/01/yellow.html

Here's Oreo now 7 months old.  What a good dog.

Sarh-NO-H B-day Quilt

Youngest son hinted that his girlfriend Sara (NO- H!) likes blues, greens and yellows.  He also let me know last week that her B-day is next weekend.

First thought is take a picture of fabrics and e-mail Sara and invite her to come over and pick out a pattern and learn to cut out a top.  (Not a real good idea, she lives in Chicago and it is a 12 hr drive)

Second thought is cut out the fabrics (Now that I have a GO cutter, I love to cut kits), snail mail them to Sara with instructions and encourage her to sew up the top!  (I kinda like that idea)

Third idea is quit trying to make the Birthday girl do all the work, sew up the quilt top and invite her down to help quilt it (I am leaning towards this one- a win/win)- I would get to do a be-lated birthday hug and see her and our son.

Going to be Scrappy, Now to decide on a setting!

Now to figure out a setting, I think the best way to do that is send this post to Sara and let her pick!  If I am lucky she will ask for the kit and choose to surprise me with her choice.  I get dibs on the machine quilting!!

If you were my favorite youngest son's girlfriend which setting would you like?

I sewed up four sets of triangles and laid them out with yellow and/or white triangle corners.  Looks like I left out the choice of white triangles w/white corners meeting in the middle.

July 20th, 2011

Sara-NO-H decided she likes the yellow corners added to the blue triangles.  She has spoken--so be it!  I will need to cut more yellow which is great b/c I can use the cream triangles on the other quilt!  I just love it when a plan comes together! 

Sara also is game to me sending her units to sew.  I think I have just the perfect starter kit to send her.  I knew there was a reason I have been cutting out so many kits!

July 23rd

Finally have a few more blocks sewn together, I am liking how this is turning out!

Purple quilt cut out

Quilted and Binding done in plenty of time.  Quilt group hand sewed the binding down on Tuesday.  Shower is on Sunday.

Aug 4th, top is done, wedding shower is next weekend.  Would it be rude to just gift the bride the top and a roll of batting- lol

We will  get it quilted and the binding done before the wedding in Sept.

Here goes:  Purple Wedding Quilt for Rebecca had its start at the Lake.  Good Friends, Debbie H and Dawn D and I got to run down to Rogers Ar to drop kids off for church camp.  After we completed our intended task we had a girls day that included stopping by the Rabbits Lair in downtown Rogers.  We also headed out to our place on Beaver lake and enjoyed a cookout of Salmon steaks and salad.

I brought my GO and the dies to cut a scrappy Purples and cream triangles and sqs quilt kit.  We made  10 kits of 8 blocks for the other gals from church to sew up.  Those will be passed out on Wednesday Night and gather back at the next quilt group meeting when we will hopefully piece the top together.

we cut 80 but may do 100 blocks.  each block is two 4-patch and two tri/sqs.

I am off to sew my set together-  cw

Vacation 2011

Some of my "favorite things" at the cabin

Butterfly don't just 'Fly'-  They also seem to love to Sew!

Oreo drinking out of the deer's water bucket