What's Been Happenin'?????

Well, Plenty!  Except for some other overachievers out there in blogland...but here are some of my Olympic Accomplishments!

Crazy Jacks has been back from the quilter for quite some time...finally found just the right purple to bind it with and entered it in the Kuna PieceMakerS Quilt Show.  Dedicated to my little Grandson who loves to grow pumpkins with Gramma.

Also entered in the show is Marys Quilt made by myself and my quilting partner in crime for our friend and co-worker who retired last year.  We wanted to give due credit to her friendship and her 35 years as a wonderful Nurse.  Can't tell from this photo but the little gold centers are yo-yos.  Lots of hand buttonhole stitch on this one thanks to yours truly.

Heres the quilt made by the 2nd Place Block Challenge winner from 2011.  The applique lion fish was her winning block and she chose to add my kitty in the pumpkin to her selection of blocks.

a bit closer...I like how she turned my kitty into a snowball block.

and yes I've done it again...I was the fifth and final winner of the quilt block challenge which means I got the leftovers after the preceeding winners made their selections...I think that means I'm allowed a little creative license...I will be presenting them with not one but two finished projects from my 9 total blocks for next year...what I received divvied up into two distinctly different themes...so stayed tuned...but don't hold your breath...they're on the back burner for now.

Nancie Anne

On With The Olympics!

We've been watching the Olympics...way too late past our bedtimes...but it's so hard to tear ourselves away.  Sunday and Monday had me working on binding my Buggy Barn Crazy Jacks quilt at long last.  (Pictures coming soon to a blog near you!)  I finally found the perfect purple last Saturday to wrap the project up.  The last day to enter a quilt in our local quilt show was quickly looming and I finally had the fabric, so the incentive was there to get the quilt completed and was able to drop it off for the show on my way home from work.  It also provided some little fun show and tell moments at work...afterall, I couldn't just leave a quilt sitting in a hot car, unattended for almost 10 hours!  My work schedule allows me more days at home than most, however, work days are long days in front of a hospital computer and my eyes are pretty shot by the time they arrive home.  So once the big push was over and Crazy Jacks was done, I laid off the next 2 evenings and just sank into the couch with Maecee in my lap and took in the Olympics.  Exciting stuff...Heart wrenching stuff...congrats to our kids who are successfully getting over their hurdles and keep your chin up to those whose Olympics have not matched up to their dreams.
We are rather excited to see our local talent on the Olympic stage...Idaho boasts several Olympians, however, Cyclist, Kristen Armstrong and her beautiful baby boy are going to have quite a homecoming.  Plans are set in motion to make this Gold Medal Celebration even grander than the first, and I'm supposing Kristens plans are to see about getting Lucas a little sister!  The only sports figure in our community who is more adored than Kristen would be our Coach Pete and our boys, The Boise State Broncos Football Team.  It won't be long before the season starts and nearly every car in town will be decked out with fresh new window stickers and bronco flags...& Maecee will be napping on her Buster Bronco pillow pet once again!

Olympic Efforts!

Seems I still haven't learned my lesson.  Turned this little quilt block in for our local quilt shows quilt block challenge yesterday.  The challenge fabric is the red black and green stripey stuff that I made the basket fans and holly leaves from.  Titled this little rascal "First Star I See Tonight".  Wouldn't mind having this one win and come back home with a collection of star blocks to surround it.  I used my new Gingham Girls Sunny Days pattern, for the basket, borrowed part of a snowman from Bunny Hills Snowbound BOM and the holly leaves from the cover quilt in my well worn (and falling apart) Tis The Season book by the gals at Quilt Patch Pattern Co.
Initially my thoughts on this fabric were something gypsy or russian but what?  Then I awoke one morning last week having an "Aha Moment" after having accidently tripped across the forgotten little scrap of challenge fabric the previous day in my search through my fabric cupboard for something else entirely.  Must've been meant to be.  Time was absolutely of the essence.  So we'll see how my little Snow Dude does next weekend.  Success or not, I have completed something fun and contributed to the quilt show.
We (my quilting partner in crime) and I have also entered a large quilt....but more on that next weekend...after the show and after the opportunity to get some good pix.

As far as Olympic Efforts goes...I've decided to challenge myself to see how much handwork I can complete while we sit and watch Olympic events.  Last night for Opening Ceremonies, I polished off a hand buttonhole stitch around 5 1/2 holly leaves on my High Strung quilt...(that same cover quilt from that same worn book)

I must say, I wasn't as impressed with the ceremonies as I had hoped to be, but the sight of the Union Jack whetted my desire to make one of those pretty floral Union Jack quilts I've been seeing on other blogs.  I'm an Olde World girl at heart so I really enjoyed the beginning...the green, the cottages, the horses & wagons & costumes...but when they started bringing up the smokestacks and then all the cell phone stuff they started losing me.  All I could think of was "they paved paradise and put up a parking lot"

I loved the Queen as the new Bond Girl...so glad she's getting out more...& happy to see Prince Phillip recovering & at her side.  Nice to see the Grandkids in the audience...do the newlyweds take Harry with them everywhere???  

Rowan Atkinson was hysterical, and David Beckham all dressed up & piloting the speedboat carrying the Olympic Flame...well...what can I say...I might be a Gramma, but I'm not dead yet!

So...we'll just say Cheerio for now!

Nancie Anne

 Wishing All A Very Safe & Happy Fourth Of July!!!                                                    

From Maecee & Me

More Challenges Using Leaders and Enders

Worked on the Challenge Block quilt top a little more yesterday, but also started using scraps from my daughters Buggy Barn Butterfly Quilt as Leaders and Enders to start making 9 patch blocks for the 9 Patch Challenge. A couple of days late starting, but I'm determined to catch up in my own Turtle-ish fashion. As the snail riding on the turtles back said..."Wheeee!"

One of our local shops learned about the challenge from Karen Montgomerys Blog at http://karensayssew.blogspot.com/2010/05/nine-patch-challenge.html

So our inspired shop owner challenged us in turn! The challenge is to execute one 9 patch block per day from the first day of Summer, June 21, to the first day of Autumn, Sept.22 which should translate into 94 completed blocks. Planning for a end of summer gathering to share all of our independent projects is in the works. And Bonnie Hunter would be so proud of us all for using our scraps and utilizing them as Leader and Enders, so how could we miss?

Challenge Block Torture~aka Some of Us Love Pain

Well...here I am, starting yet another new project before old ones are finished...but this one will hopefully expand my horizons, education and add to my inspiration...although there are those who would look at my piles of projects and wonder if my office and my sewing room wouldn't do with a lot more organization and little less inspiration.

I have a challenge block quilt to finish at least the top of, within the next month prior to my little communities quilt show, that, thanks to my ballot box stuffing friends, I was one of the winners of, at last years quilt show. The challenge is to take a square of the most heinous, dislikable, obnoxious, piece of crap fabric that the reps had trouble stuffing down the throats of the quilt shop owners each year and dare local quilters and fools alike to make something creative with it. Forget creative...how about just semi decent looking. My "prize" included the return of my own, dare I say, adorable & inspired, little appliqued block along with 11 new companions for it. AND, oh how exciting, another big hunk of the nightmare fabric to help finish it all, along with a warm smile, congrats and a photo of the wincing winner.
As with all challenges such as this, I have found that 12 1/2 inches square does not always mean the same thing to everybody & many somehow weaseled out of using the minimum percentage of the challenge fabric in their blocks as well...not that I didn't have difficultly with that myself. I have also discovered that not everyone sweats over perfect points as much as I do, and some people just don't consider the fact that the itty bitty little applique they fused to their block is not fused permanently and is going to be next to impossible to secure down. Hope they don't notice that a little remodeling has taken place in some of their blocks, when they return to this years quilt show to view the "finished products" that we "lucky" winners have sweated over for the past year.
Sweating over my little pile of blocks was about all I did with them for months. I took them to work with me a couple of times hoping that the ballot box stuffers would help me come up with something to do with the conglomeration that made at least a little sense. They did not offer even a shred of advice or encouragement...in fact...I'm almost certain that I saw a twinkle of "let's see what you do with this mess, Chickipoo!" in their devious little eyes. Ha! Some friends you are...you just wait!
Anyway...gotta get this quilt top done...otherwise I'll never have time to work on the block ideas I have for this years quilt block challenge.