Monday, November 7, 2011

It's Fall Y'all


Hi everyone: Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. October was a crazy month for me. We had three shows at the shop and then school projects and Halloween came and went! I have finished a couple of new quilts though and thought I'd share those with you. The first is a combination of paper piecing and applique and features four trees and lots and lots of half-square triangles. The quilt is done in batiks. The second is my roadkill quilt. We had these cute critter fabrics at the shop and I purchased them quite some time ago. I was going to do something more elaborate with them, but decided to do a BQ quilt (pattern name) and I thought it came out cute. I need to find a good quilting pattern for it however, so that is what is holding me back from finishing it. I hope you enjoy them.







Monday, September 26, 2011

Award-winning quilts

This past weekend was the Morgan Hill Quilt Show sponsored by the Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association. They always do a nice job showcasing quilts from quilters in the Bay Area. The venue is the Community center in Morgan Hill. Our quilt show was well represented including 3 entries from me, one from April, one from Debbie, one from April's Aunt Connie and our friend Judy Keel-Smith. There are others from the shop that entered quilts as well, but I don't remember who. Anyways, I'm thrilled that two of my quilts received ribbons as did April and her Aunt! April received a 2nd place in large pieced and her Aunt received 1st! I received first and second place in large applique!



Tuesday, September 20, 2011

It's been a busy month!

The kids are back in school and while I was hoping to get more free time, that just hasn't happened. I'm doing the yearbook again for Sarah's school and now will be doing the wardrobe for the band for Rachael's school. Why can't I learn to say "No?" I'm also doing more at the shop which definitely keeps me busy and since that is my happy place, at least I'm relatively balanced! Ha Ha. I have managed to finish two quilt. The first "Civil War Birds" is made from my scraps and the second is the "Henrietta Whiskers" which is the finished BOM from Bunnyhill Designs. I have been working on this one as the patterns were published each month and now it's done!



Saturday, August 20, 2011

Snowman Square dance

We always get our Christmas fabrics in July and here is another kit sample I put together for the store. This was definitely one of my favorites and it is quilted with cute snowflakes. Enjoy!





Carolina Comforts

I finished this quilt a few weeks ago for the shop and just have been sooooo busy that I forgot to post it on my blog. I hope you like it! It is called Carolina Comforts and features plaids and civil war reproduction fabrics.


Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Jolly Snowmen

Here is another holiday quilt finished for the shop. It was really easy because it has a center panel and then appliqued holly leaves on the side and pieced top and bottom borders. That will be the last quilt I finish before we leave for vacation. I will try to post updates on my blog from our vacation on the road.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Christmas in July

OK, well end of June anyways...At the shop we always get the bulk of our holiday fabrics in July, thus the title Christmas in July. I went to Michaels this past weekend expecting to see a big Fourth of July display and lo and behold, acorns, fall leaves and lots of other fall decor. I couldn't believe it...simply ridiculous. So I guess it is with equal ridiculousness that I have finished a Christmas quilt filled with jolly snowmen. This is the last Bunny Hill pattern/kit that I have lying around. Now on to other things. Enjoy!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Sunbonnet Sues for Baby

Just finished another darling sample for the store. This whipped up quickly and came out really, really cute. The pattern is called Contradance and the fabric is from Lecien which is a Japanese fabric distributor. The pattern has Sunbonnet Sue's on it with alphabet letters and flowers.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Rachael the Baker!

On Friday my daughter, who is now officially a 7th grader, decided to make a cake allllll byyyyy herself!!!!!!! Here is the result! Isn't it cute and scrumptious looking?

Thursday, June 2, 2011

It's a Small World

That saying was never truer! And to attest to that fact, Rachael was the only 6th grader chosen to perform at the Last Blast Castillero Variety Show. Click to hear what she will be playing!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=cLhzApmrSUA

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Truely Scrumptious

I'm trying to catch up on my outstanding projects and finally got the binding put on this weekend while my kid was sick with the stomach flu, ick. Here is an embroidered/pieced/appliqued quilt that has darling embroidered panels. I've taken a photo of my favorite one up close!



Spring in Paris

It's late spring and I'm trying to teleport myself to the very romantic Paris for a week of museums, gardens and baguettes....poof....not happening. Oh well, instead I'll enjoy this new quilt that I finished that will be a beginning applique class at the shop. Enjoy!!!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Rachael and Minnie Mouse

It seems as though April and May totally flew by and although I've been working on things, I just haven't finished anything all the way...so in lieu of any quilting photos, I thought I'd put up a picture of my daughter, Rachael and her BFF, Avalon taken at Disneyland when they went to perform at the Heritage Jazz Festival this past weekend.



Monday, April 18, 2011

Strawberry Hill

I'm trying to finish all my Bunny Hill Designs quilts and this is another one that was tucked away in the back of the closet. It is from an old Fig Tree line called Folklorique and I really like the blue birds and sweet bunnies.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Bunnies, Bunnies...everywhere

This latest quilt is called Le Jardin and is a pattern by one of my favorite designers Anne Sutton. Anne made this quilt with the French General line of fabric, but I thought it might be cute to use Anne's own line of Lily and Will. I love all the bunnies and thought it came out cute. It will be a perfect addition to my Easter and Spring decor.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Strawberry and blueberry shortcake

On Sunday evenings, we all try to have a nice family meal together. The weeks are so hectic sometimes, so this is our big chance to talk, discuss the week's activities and just be together. Most of the time it's fun (except when someone complains they don't like this, or don't like that) and now that we have changed back the clocks and have more daylight, we thought the perfect meal would be ribs. So Mark slow cooked some babyback ribs on the bbq and I made some fingerling potatoes and a greek salad. For dessert, I made a pound cake and we had fresh strawberries, blueberries and homemade whipped cream. Mark then put some sprigs of fresh mint on the top and I thought it looked so pretty...I took a picture. Doesn't it look good??

Monday, February 28, 2011

Henrietta Whiskers

I'm a big fan and follower of Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs. I love her whimsical patterns and projects. Over the last couple of years, Anne has issued free blocks-of-the-months. I completed the one in 2009, but didn't do the snowmen of 2010. However, 2011's offering is just something I couldn't pass up. I was already two months behind, but this weekend thought it would be the perfect project to work on. Here are the two blocks. I need to finish the embroidery but thought they were so cute!

I used wool for the leaves and stars respectively. They wool came from my Little Ewes from Beth Upstill (thanks Beth!!!).

Sunday, February 27, 2011

All A Flutter Contrdance

Here is All A Flutter Contrdance made with the All A Flutter fabric line by Hoffman. I think 3 of the 6 kits at the store are already gone, but better late than never!!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Mary Janes

We have a new kit in the store called Mary Janes, named after the shoe and the designer. April put these great colors together and I made it come to life. The line of fabric, Happy, has these cute buttons too, but they will have to wait until the quilting is completed before we look at those. Enjoy!
I have another store sample finished, but forgot to photograph it, so I'll get that one quilted and post that as well. I'm working on other things too, and having trouble getting everything done! Hopefully next week!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Ohh la la, that's a spicy meatball...

Well actually it's a quilt called Spice Market. We had this fabric a couple of years ago and I started it on retreat and finished it earlier this week. It's big and I really like the colors. I think I might give it to my mother-in-law for fall, or maybe not, not sure yet. Either way, onto the pile for quilting it goes.... Enjoy!

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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Flora & Fauna

With all the wonderful springtime weather we are having (in January), this was the perfect quilt to put together. Made from a new line at the store, this easy applique quilt will likely be a class once it gets quilted. I love the little birdies and butterflies that are on the quilt and it was easy to put together since all the blocks were 10" squares. I hope you like it!

Monday, January 10, 2011

My fall quilt....

Well I'm only a few months off. I had two quilts that I really, really wanted to get done before the end of fall. I wish I could get these projects done in time! Those darn kids and husband! Just kidding....anyways, we had our annual quilting retreat this weekend and I got the middle section of this owl quilt completed and finished the borders today. I've only had the fabric sitting in my closet for 2 years...Hope you enjoy it!

Arbor Rose

Here is another quilt from the Anka's Treasures book that I just love. I think if I could, I would make every quilt in this book. This one is called Arbor Rose and is applique on top of a pieced top. I think it will make a great class for teaching vine techniques. We'll see if I can get it quilted in time!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Patriotic Rose

This quilt has a history. I made this quilt on consignment over 4 years ago. The quilt was offered as a class and my client paid me to take the class. In that class was a woman named Phyllis who dropped out of the class after the second night. I finished the quilt and that was the end of it. Fast forward 4 years later...Debbie at the shop thought it might be fun to ressurect this quilt and offer it as a class again, but using me as the instructor. I like the quilt, but it's really not my thing and I didn't want to do it again. Then I had a brainstorm. I went to Phyllis (who is one of our regulars at the store) and made a deal with her...if she paid for the materials, I would make the quilt for her and use it as the class sample and when the class was over, I would hand it over to her and she would have one for her very own.. I'm going to show it off at our retreat this weekend and then get it quilted!