And the winner is ...

Pat from FL & MI. Thanks for playing everyone.

I've been reading about big stitch quilting and realise that I have actually been doing big stitch quilting all this while.  I suppose I was brazen to think I was doing tiny stitches instead! Ha! I don't think tiny stitches is going to ever happen soon around these parts :). 

Here's the depression block quilts that I'm really really hoping to complete.  Gosh I need to give it a good wash and get it on my bed!

I bought 2 of Kathleen Tracy's eBooks from Martingale & Company recently and have started the Friendship Star quilt from her book Prairie Children and their Quilts.  My basket runneth over ... oh ... how I wish ... :(

Giveaway!

It's been a year since I started blogging again.  Really appreciate the time you take to read and comment on my blog.  Through my blog I've met some new friends and kept some old ones.  I thought I'd do a small giveaway to mark the occasion.  Just comment on this post and I'll put it through the Random Number Generator on the morning of 30th June 2011 (GMT +8).  It's open to one and all.

The drawstring bag measures 8" x 12", fully lined with muslin and a pin pillow with a cross stitch design (freebie) by Primitive Bettys.

The blue and white quilt top is completed.  Design by Ann Hermes.  Instructions from APQ online.  The borders were really intense, it's not perfect but it'll do. Fabric is Kona Solid Navy with white muslin.  Measures 17" square.

 Jess' birthday gift to me is now all pieced.  I used Jan Patek's Lilac Hill mini charms for the border.  Looks a little busy to me.  Perhaps if I use a plain beige binding, it'll help calm the quilt down.  Destined for a wall hanging.  It measures 12 1/2" x 14 1/2".  Love the cross-stitching portion and it's sentiment!  Design by The Sampler Girl with a verse from Northanger Abbey.  Jane Austen forever!

Civil War Blocks Revival

I am now caught up with Barbara Brackman's  Civil War Quilt Blocks again.  Except for the dreaded Seven Sisters!  I think I'll skip that ;)  My blocks are now uploaded to my Flickr set here.

I must admit some of the blocks turned out not exactly 8-1/2" square.  I hope to remedy that by introducing borders and / or sashing.  But that can be figured out at a later time.  I had a lot of help from the excellent tutorials done by Ellen of American Homestead.  There might be some blocks that I will re-do but that can wait.

A surprise gift from Elyte who is enjoying her sewing retreat right this moment.  Love those tape measure like twill tapes, it'll be great for some sewing finishes.  So glad my signature block got to her before her retreat.  I did not get a picture taken of that.  Speaking of signature blocks ...

I suggested to some of the quilters who completed Lori D's Midnight Stars QAL, perhaps we could do up a quilt for Lori.  So18 of us decided on a pattern and sent them to Karen K.  Karen did a wonderful job piecing and hand quilting it.  Lizzy helped out further by sending a piece of vintage backing. Here's Lori's blog post.  My only regret is not using a pigma marker for the signature.  I  had one which was too fine, but I got a thicker one later from Bird Brain Designs.

Some fabrics from This-N-That Fabrics.  Love those blues.

This little red and white top is all pieced.  Measures 12-3/4" x 16-3/4".  Fabrics are Kona Rich Red and white muslin.

Clowning around with some rail fence blocks measuring 5-1/2" square.  Who knows where this will lead to.  I was inspired by the quilt on the cover of APQ.

Happy Birthday June!

It's June T's birthday on Saturday.  A cross stitched pin cushion with a complimentary design by 4 My Boys called Celebrate Life.  Threads are DMC and linen is 28ct Cashel Sand.  I thought is was quite apt for her birthday!  The backing is an orphan block that I made during Cheryl's SAL last year.  That was the only block I made :(

Izra's shirt all done and given to him.  It fits him well.  I lengthen it by 2 1/2".  I did a better job this time round.

Two simple calico aprons with zakka fabric for the pockets in front.  The pink one is for a friend, the blue is mine.

A simple mug rug resembling the US flag, sans binding for my cousin's husband Michael who is an American. We had lunch at Coliseum Cafe which is one of the oldest restaurant in KL. He was there over 30 years ago when he was with the Peace Corps.  So you can imagine the nostalgia this place had for him.  Some pics of the place.

A blue and white table topper in progress.  It's designed by Ann Hermes and the instructions can be found online at APQ.  Love the colour combo, sooo classy! I need 76 flying geese blocks for the borders! And to think this centre block is just 12" square!!  Madness ...

 Another small red & white quilt in progress also.  I need to get the borders on and then the top is done. 

Block 23 Illinois Roads by Barbara Brackman

I am starting to feel the love for these blocks again.  Mostly inspired by Merilyn. Don't know if I can even come close to her perseverance and her top notch piecing skills.  I figure if there is ever a sampler quilt that I will do, the Civil War Blocks quilt will be it.  Here's to Block 22 Blockade:

Mary Glover - WIP

Still at it.  I've started the rice stitch beneath the band of satin stitch.  Still some ways to go with the border vines and animal motifs.

Izra's shirt in the making.  The previous shirt was fraught with mistakes that I could have easily avoided.  The sewing is done more carefully this time.  What did they say about practice?

Fabrics from Fabric Shack.  I like the sampler fabric by French General.  It's a panel from the La Petite Ecole collection by Moda.

I am thinking lately that I could really like country music.  I like the story each song tells.  I've been following Scotty McCreery on American Idol and really from his first audition, I knew he'd be hard to beat.  Love his voice and the regular nice boy that he is. Very nice song for his first single, 'I Love You This Big'.