Memorial Day Weekend and Bee Blocks all done!

   I am already reflecting on those who served this country with Honor, for our freedoms, do we realize just how many we have? All the generations before who have brought us along this far, so far.  I look at my wedding photos from 24 years ago and am amazed at how many of our guests are now the guests of our Almighty God and precious Savior.

I am also Thankful for having an extra day off, to be able to create with fabric which I truely enjoy with my whole heart. I just finished up all of my bee blocks for May. Some of them had me intimidated, but I completed them and passed the test with flying colors and some of them I enjoyed so much, thinking I would never do them on my own pushed me to where I really enjoyed making these and am now contemplating completely changing one of the wedding quilts i have planned for October.

Another wedding has popped up as well, so I am having some bee buddies from the Simply Solids Viridian group help me make some blocks for their quilt as well. It is called a Patchwork Chevron Quilt, it is a pattern from the Moda Bake shop, here are my sample blocks. It went together real easy and I think it will look great! I get to be the Mama Bee for June. Colors the couple like are Aqua/turquoise, orange and I thought Grey would be a nice compliment.

Example blocks for the Simply Solids Bee Viridian group for June.

This is the block for Jenniffier from the Sunday Morning Quilts Bee for May. I accidentally only made it 3x3 blocks, but luckily caught myself before I mailed it out and realized I was supposed to make it 4x4 blocks. It is for a young boy who has had a traumatic event almost 2 months ago and is still hospitalized so I fussy cut the centers to crate an I-Spy effect as requested.

This is for my Secret Pal at the Fabric Basket Swap. I don't know who has me and she doesn't know I have her!! I am also packing it with goodies, I am still thinking and adding. It is supposed to be sent out between June 1-5. I have never made one like this before and it also was soo fun. The hardest part was picking out the fabrics. I am a lipstick diva and thought this was soo cute, she said she also likes funky fabrics. So I pulled colors from it for the rest and then the bottom and handles are natural linen.

This is currently one of my favorites. I made a modern dresden plate for Brandy in the Bee Sew Modern Bee for May. I am very happy with it, I hope she is too! This block wants to make me switch my choice for my brother's wedding quilt. I am still contemplating it. It would be the 3rd time I change my mind.

This is for Anna from the Sew Modern Bee for May. I also love how this came out. All fabrics from my stash. I love this bee as it is a stash busting bee.

I also am the Bee Mama for the month of June for the Sunday Morning quilts bee. It is difficult as I really like alot of the quilts in the book and we have made alot of blocks for others that I will probably have people repeat a block we have already made. Any suggestions? I will be all ears, I have a few days yet till I have to decide.  Enjoy the weekend!

Shop Hopping, Darlene Zimmerman and the sewing machine

Wow, has this been a great long weekend!! I took Thursday and Friday off due to a need for some fun for me. I was checking out Tula Pink's fb page and she said she had been in Onalaska, WI visiting a shop called The Olive Juice Quilt Shop, well I got curious. looked it up online, got directions on mapquest  and made plans for my day off !! It took about 1 1/2 hours to get there. I drove down the Minnesota side to get there and boy did it rain cats and dogs! I later found out Winona, MN had 1 1/2 inches that day.

The Olive Juice had all kinds of fabrics, many of my favorites, many designers, Tula, Amy, Kaffe, Valorie just to name a few. It was truely a feast for the eyes!! I probably lingered there about 1 1/2 hours trying to take everything in, and let me tell you, when I go back I am sure I will see lots more things I didn't realize were there before. I loved it and the ladies there were so nice. I definately came home with some goodies and some great ideas!!! I found out at this time I am very fond of the designers of Basic Grey by Moda, I seemed to draw to many of their lines, love it!! I loved alot of things there!!

Friday day I did some real spring cleaning pulling things out from everywhere most of the day, but the grand Finale was going to The Burlington Hotel Quilt Shop in Alma, WI as they were having a lecture and trunk show by Darlene Zimmerman!!!!  She was talking about how ho-hum quilt tops and become Oh Wow!! She talked about colors, borders, sashing, layouts. All variables that we can choose to make a quilt really wonderful. She also had 3 huge stacks of quilts she showed different techniques and ideas with and it was so nice!! It lasted about 1 1/2 hours and then the shop stayed open for us to of course shop. I just needed some solid grey so I bought that and a few patterns from Darlene - Hankypanky and Teatime. I also got some of her newest line of fabric too to use in the future. She was truley a delightful woman, funny, delicate in her ways, and so willing to visit and help us clarify our thoughts.

While I was visiting waiting for fabric to be cut out, I realized Darlene's 30's repo fabrics were what initially drew me into quilting in a gang busters way. I loved the colors and remember stopping at the biggest fabric store I had ever been to when Matthias was 5 years old in Charlotte North Carolina. It was as big as a department store and when we were in Greenville, South Carolina everyone kept telling me I had to go to Charlotte, NC to this huge fabric store, which of course I did!! I bought several 1 yard pieces of her fabrics and that was the real beginning to my fabric stash!! Wow, what memories popped out  thinking about her fabrics.

I also have had the pleasure of sewing on projects this weekend. I am making a fabric basket for a swap I joined in. I finally figured out the fabrics I wanted to use and finished getting my last 2 supplies needed today at the fabric store in Eau Claire. Now I am ready to finish what I started!! I also have some other blocks I have finished, they are below.

 Simply Solids Bee block for May

Sunday Morning Quilts bee for May

Fat Stash Bee Block for May - Christmas in May!!

Bee Sew Modern Bee sneak peak for May! I love how this came out so far. Love the pipes!