Posted By drsao on May 18, 2012

I am going to CAMP LOOPY again this year.   I never cease to be amazed at how a VIRTUAL KNITTING CAMP can be SO EXCITING – make that exhilarating!  Seriously, I am looking forward to it.  If you are a knitter and want to go to CAMP LOOPY……..here is the link…..

http://www.theloopyewe.com/sheri/2012/05/camp-loopy-2012

Today I got my yarn from the LOOPY EWE…..  It is Dream in Color Classy – Mailibu Sail.  This is a perfect color for a baby afghan – and especially since I am SORT OF from California!

You might be wondering how someone could be SORT OF FROM CALIFORNIA.    Even though I spent the first 20 years of my life in Missouri (which theoretically may mean that I am from Kansas City, MO) – I also spent an equal amount of time –  20 years of my life – in California…..so WHERE AM I FROM?  HM…..a little bit of everywhere.   *For the record I have lived in Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wisconsin, Georgia, Washington, California, and Virginia…..so I really am from a little bit of everywhere!

Back to my yarn for the baby blanket….. here it is.

Dream in Color - Classy - Malibu Sail

I love my CAMP LOOPY BADGE and am looking forward to starting my first project May 27th!  I am making the same baby afghan that Judy Laquidara is making.    I chose this because I have a goal to make GREAT-GRANDANGEL baby blankets for my future angels….and since I have 17 grandangels  I need to get started NOW making GREAT GRANDANGEL baby blankets/afghans/quilts!

Here is the CAMP LOOPY CHALLENGE for the first project – we have to choose a pattern designed by someone who is not from our country!  I am making the same baby blanket as Judy Laquidara is (for her first grandchild)  and I have borrowed Judy Laquidara’s picture of the baby blanket…….

The Designer is……….Ingrid Aartun Bøe

Pine Forest Baby Blanket

Tomorrow I will wind the shanks into balls and then I will be ready to get started on May 27!

Have you heard the expression that GOOD THINGS happen in THREES?    Well, I had three happy things happen today.

When I got home tonight I found the LOOPY EWE YARN in my mailbox….so that was ONE HAPPY THING!

ALSO IN MY MAILBOX WAS THIS!

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks VOL 5 2012

I won this Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks VOl 5  from Judy Laquidara.  HERE IS A BIG THANK YOU!!!  I am going to take it to bed with me and dream about future creations!

This is a 2nd HAPPY THING.

My 3rd HAPPY THING is this….  my friend Catherine made this for me….in my COLORS!!!  It  can be a multitude of things….a cozy, a coaster……….or……

A MYSTERY PRIZE

…..a thread catcher.  I simply adore it….isn’t it cute?  THANK YOU CATHERINE.  I have been wanting and needing a thread catcher for the longest time and this one is PERFECT!

Actually there is ONE MORE HAPPY THING about today…..I got this picture from my grandangels who are on a camping trip this weekend…… ……I just had to slip in one grandangel commercial…..LOL!  

Grandangels and Friends Camping

Have a happy weekend and I hope that everyone has THREE HAPPY THINGS HAPPEN this weekend…..make that four!

Category: Camp Loopy 2012, CATHERINE, Future Quilt Inspiration, Knitting, Pine Forest Blanket, SAO's Grandangels | 2 Comments »
Tags:

Posted By drsao on May 7, 2012

This week I am pondering over what I shall do with my Vicki Welsh May COLOR PALETTE CHALLENGE 2012 hosted by Judy Laquidara herself.  

Aren’t these happy colors?  This candy just makes me want to smile.  Has anyone ever eaten this candy?  I don’t think I have – but then I am a chocolate person!

Sweet May Color Palette 2012

At first I thought that I might make a SWEET TREAT QUILT with Judy and her Sweet Treat Quilt Along……but even though I like the quilt I decided that I need to make something unique!  I still want to make the quilt but will use other colors……….I had better hurry and decide because the quilt along clue 2  is expected today – MAY 7!

Sweet Treat Quilt Along designed by Judy Laquidara

I think I will keep with my tradition of combining the FREE MOTION QUILTING CHALLENGE with the COLOR PALETTE CHALLENGE to make my monthly donation quilt to the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative…..so I pulled some fabric and this is my project for the week!

May 2012 Color Challenge Fabric

Also on my Design Floor this week is the Free Motion Challenge hosted by Sew Cal Gal!

Leah Day is the featured Free Motion Quilting artist for May, 2012.  When I saw her demo I was really encouraged – it LOOKED pretty doable (I am a very new FMQ student.)  She showed us how to do two pretty cute patterns.

Leah Day’s RAILROAD STIPPLING

Leah Day’s Double Stippling

So…..I tried it and mine surely isn’t as nice as hers……but here it is!

sao’s Double Stippling

sao’s Double Stippling

Double Stippling back view

Hop on over to Judy Laquidara’s Blog to see what other quilters have on their design walls this week!

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/05/07/design-wall-monday-may-7-2012/

And speaking of Judy Laquidara (AGAIN) I am so excited because I won the new 100 Blocks Quiltmaker’s Book from Judy….can’t wait to get it! HAPPY DANCE!

Quiltmakers 100 Blocks Vol 5 2012

Category: 2012 Color Challenge, 2012 Free Motion Challenge, Design Wall, Quilts in Progress | 4 Comments »
Tags:

Posted By drsao on May 5, 2012

Do you celebrate Cinco de Mayo?  Having lived in California (where there is a large Mexican population)  prior to moving to Virginia, this Mexican-American holiday was always fun!   We always celebrated by eating Mexico food or going to formal celebrations in Los Angeles!  SO….even though we are in VA now we are going to a Mexican restaurant this afternoon.  My DD, Max, is in search of the PERFECT FLAN!  Any ideas from my friends in Midlothian, VA?

Ready for some Mexican food?

In case you aren’t familiar with Cinco de Mayo – here is a little exerpt from History.com.  Most people think it is the Mexican Independence Day – but that doesn’t appear to be the case……

Cinco de Mayo—or the fifth of May—commemorates the Mexican army‘s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations. Cinco de Mayo traditions include parades, mariachi music performances and street festivals in cities and towns across Mexico and the United States.

Even if you don’t celebrate Cinco de Mayo – it is always fun to celebrate SOMETHING…..so today is just as good as day as any.  I think that I might also NEED TO CELEBRATE Judy Laquidara’s new free pattern SWEET TREAT  – Judy is hosting a SWEET TREAT QUILT-A-LONG.  She is using the colors of the new May 2012 Color Challenge….doesn’t this look yummy?

Color Challenge May 2012

If you aren’t familiar with the color challenge and want to join in the fun, go visit Judy Laquidara’s  or Vicki Welsh’s blogs.  It is a unique experience to make something – however small – using the colors of the month!

Back to the Quilt-a-long!   If you want to make this quilt,  you can choose your own colors! “WANNA JOIN IN THE FUN?”  If you do, go the link below……the first step is easy!  And the second step will be coming on Monday!

Sweet Treat

Sweet Treat Quilt Along

AND TA DA…that’s not all…..GO TO CAT PATCHES for a CINCO DE MAYO Celebration and GIVEAWAY!  Oh my – what a time for a birthday!

http://catpatches.blogspot.com/2012/05/its-cinco-de-my-obirthday-giveaway

Category: Cinco de Mayo, Life Comments, Patchworktimes.com, Sweet Treat | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By drsao on April 28, 2012

Congratulations to the SUCCESSFULL Swirly Girls – Susan and Chris!  They had a lovely OPEN HOUSE last night in their new studio in Brandermill.  Here are some of the beautiful sights at their new studio!  Check out that new Swirly Girls circle quilt…..love it!  AND THE BETTER HOMES AND GARDEN  QUILT LOVERS FAVORITE COVER!  CONGRATS – that is awesome!

Category: Future Quilt Inspiration, Swirly Girls OPEN HOUSE 2012 | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By drsao on April 23, 2012

I am still working on my RAINBOW LOLLIPOPS QUILT – and this may be on my Design Floor for MONTHS……..LOL.  I have quite a few flowers made – but there are more to do on the horizon – – –  so I will keep plugging away! 

TA DA….but I do have a couple of SHOW AND TELLS……

First – here is a project that Grandangel Leanna and I made – a sock monster that she named SHELDON.  It took us one ENTIRE DAY…..but turned out to be pretty cute!  (Sheldon is a character on THE BIG BANG THEORY – I have never seen this, but now I am curious, so I may check it out.   I mean, Sheldon must be funny .. or cool .. or weird to be distinguished as the namesake for this sock monster!!   :))

Here we have pieces of two pairs of socks (ONE was a pair of striped toe socks)

Leanna and Sheldon ... all finished!

It turned out to be really cute but it was NOT EASY and there was SIGNIFICANT RIPPING OUT OF STITCHES GOING ON!!!  I am sort of hoping that Sheldon won’t be requesting any “FRIENDS” in the future!!!

AND my second SHOW AND TELL is my pineapple afghan that I crocheted.  It took TWO YEARS – but I was working on other things as well!  This was what I took to Grandangel Sarah’s Dance Lesson each week – I crocheted for one hour while she danced.  I love how it turned out – it is a pretty shade of baby blue – even though in the picture the PRETTY BABY BLUE looks a tad bit pale! 

This will one day belong to my first Great-Grandangel; however I don’t have any Grandangels who are married yet – so this may be ON HOLD for awhile.  Now I am going to start a pink one. …in case my first Great-Grandangel is a girl.       I KNOW I KNOW…..these colors are sexist…..but it’s my party so I will go with traditional colors!  It was so funny because when some of my California Grandangels were visiting last summer, they were PREDICTING who would have the first baby and get the afghan!  It was interesting for me to easedrop and hear their REASONS for choosing who would be a parent first … and who would NOT BE A CANDIDATE AT ALL!

Baby Afghan - completed April 2012

sao's baby blue pineapple afghan

Unfortunately I didn’t get the binding on Jannae’s art quilt – so THAT is still on my Design Floor too.  Sometimes our best intentions get preempted by other projects that just pop out and demand attention!  🙂  AND we all know how much that I LOVE binding.  I do it better when I am with OTHER PEOPLE – so I decided that I would take it to my next VIRGINIA SCRAPPERS GROUP.  OH NO….I can’t go this Saturday because I will be at the FIRST ANNUAL SWIFT CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GATOR 5K.  I am working as a volunteer with the children in the FUN RUN first .. and then I will actually be IN the 5K  (am I crazy or what!?)

Check out what other quilters are doing this week by going to Judy Laquidara’s Blog at Patchworktimes.com!

Design Wall Monday – April 23, 2012

AND DO NO FORGET TO VISIT JUDY OF NC’S BLOG TODAY to see her TABLETOP MINI QUILTS!  She is at ShadeTreeQuilting and I put the link below.  I hope I get one of these table top quilting frames for Mother’s Day……hint hint hint.   🙂

http://www.shadetreequilting.com/2012/04/inside-outside-with-table-toppers.html

This TABLE TOPPER MINI QUILT BLOG HOP is sponsored by Madame Samm and started April 16th – you might want to go look at the bloggers who posted before today too!

Category: Crocheting, Design Wall, Leanna's SHELDON, Pineapple Afghan, SAO's Grandangels | 1 Comment »
Tags: