I'm sorry it's been so long....

Can't believe it's been six months since my last post. I'm not sure what happened. I guess the kids have been keeping me so busy that I haven't been able to do much. I have finished two quilts which are classes at the shop, the first is "Seasons" and the second is "Flight of Fancy" or something like that. I hope you like these!

Award-winning Quilts from Morgan Hill Quilt Show

I'm excited to announce that my two quilts that I entered in the Morgan Hill Quilt Show won 2nd and 3rd place in the "More Than 50% applique" category. The second place one called "Wooly Critters" is made with wool and flannel and custom quilted by me with lots of help from Debbie, my boss at Prairie Queens Quilt Shop. I hope you enjoy them!

5 months until Christmas

I know that idea is ghastly considering that today's high is supposed to reach over 100, but it's true! So to celebrate...ha ha ha....I put together this cute Christmas quilt that has stocking hats with pompoms!

Busy, busy, busy

I've been really busy with samples for the store and as usual have had no time. The end of the school year just about killed me, but now with summer starting and the kids out of school, hopefully I can spend more time working on some of my projects! I have three quilts that were finished. These are Arcadia, Nighty Night Owl, and Apple of My Eye.

Spring is here!

I know that spring is finally here because our garden has bloomed! Our roses, irises and tulips are all in bloom and we had late rains to help it become green and lush. I have been working on quilts behind the scenes. The girls have been keeping me very busy with school activities and May is set to be a killer month. However, there are results....so I have two completed, including one I've had done since the beginning of the year, just not quilted and then one for our shop. I hope you enjoy Daydreams and Subtle Song.

Simple Choices

Well it's 2012 and I'm finally getting around to blogging again. It seems like the holidays were a blur and I'm trying to get back to quilting. I have finished a couple of quilts, both from a book called Simple Choices. I'm trying to take a life lesson from the title of the book as well. I want this year to be more simple. Last year was just soooo crazy. I'm not sure I'll get my wish, but I'm trying to learn the "No" word. We'll see!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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?

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

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!!!

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.

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.