In my mail....

I love receiving packages in the mail.  They almost always have something I want or need in them. Lately the only packages arriving here have contained books for college classes... the college student in resident doesn't really want them and neither do I! LOL!  But yesterday a better kind of package came... one from Connecting Threads!

I love Connecting Threads.  I especially love their Essential Cotton Threads. Last weekend hubby asked if I would order some more of a color we had tried out.. Dark Honey. He loves it!  So I popped some in the shopping cart and I tossed in some Natural (we always keep that one hand) and then we just played a bit... ordering several other colors including some on clearance.  I think our array is lovely...

Then I decided to look through their clearance fabric.  I have bought a good bit of fabric from Connecting Threads and been very pleased with it.  Found a really pretty green... it is a bit brighter in real life, almost a light lime.

These swirls were so cool had to have some of each color offered.... the orange is a bit more of a yellow-orange in real life.

Then I found 2 fat eighth samplers. The first is from their fabric line called "Cheap Talk".... 16 F8ths

And then 24 from their "Sip of Summer" line... I LOVE these and they go so great with the swirlie fabrics above. I even have a quilt idea for them already.

Last but not least are 2 blocks I made for a swap. This is the Prairie Flower block from Quilters Cache.  I love pink and green, so I loved these!

Mr. Mac wanted to go outside and romp in the sunshine terrorizing birdies, but I was taking photos.  I had to snap a shot of him waiting patiently.  Such a good quiltie boy!

"Belle"

More Journals... another one bites the dust via the Mad Quilter... and a UFO challenge for me!

I whipped up some more journal covers a while back... you might notice that one is button-less. I forgot to include the stretch band for the closure!  Oh well... a sweet young lady loved the fabrics and took it just the way it is! The wild pink and purple one is mine and the other I made for my daughter. I like hers too!

The Mad Quilter (a.k.a my hubby) continues to work through finished tops that have stacked up over the past few years.  The latest one is a joint effort. I made the blocks... pieced them into rows... and then pushed them aside as I went on to bigger and better things. Hubby found them and put the rows into a top.. added a flange and borders... and then set it aside with a zillion other finished tops. Last week he pulled it out, we got it sandwiched and away he went with the quilting.

He does straight-line quilting and he has been having a blast trying new patterns.  He is an architect and it is showing in his quilting! I love the cranberry thread color.. looks so good.

Some online Quilt buddies and I have set a UFO challenge for ourselves for the first 3 months of 2011. I have "entered" 3 of my UFOs knowing full well that it will be a miracle if I get 1 done!  I have several new projects that have to be done, as well as my mom's GFG I am doing by hand that is running behind!

Even if they aren't all done by March 31, I hope to finish all of these by the end of 2011.

This is a Mile-a-Minute quilt I did a number of years ago. I attempted to quilt it. I failed. So heavy and so many seams... I only have a regular sewing machine... so I decided to tie it. Got bored after getting about 1/3 of it tied.  I need to start tying again!

I have this wonderful Fall Quilt top that is essentially done except I am adding some hand embroidered touches (leaf veins and such). About 1/2 done on that.

And lastly a redwork quilt I started years ago from an online free BOM called Child's Play. I have 11 of the 12 blocks embroidered and about 1/2 of the 12th one done. I even have fabric for the block borders and sashing and such.

The goal in the challenge is for them to be completely done.. quilted.. bound.. the works! I am shooting for the moon... hope I at least break the ozone layer!

"Belle"

Fabric Finds and 2 More UFOs done

Late last week hubby and I ran to get some quilt basting spray and just happened to peruse the fabric while shopping. We  bought a few goodies.  Actually we were very restrained!

We found some lovely Christmas fabrics to add to our already packed boxes of Christmas fabric... but it was marked down so low, how could we resist!

A love red on red and this gorgeous poinsettia print:

These 3 Kings are too cute!

The blue fabric in this picture was also labeled a Christmas fabric,  but it isn't headed to the Christmas stash. It doesn't look distinctly Christmassy to me.  I think it will be cute in a quilt for a little boy or girl. The cream TOT next to it was another great buy and there is always a need here for neutrals!

I have 2 baby quilts to make. One for a little boy whose nursery is Jungle Themed in fun bright colors. I think this jungle fabric will be just the thing for him. So fun!  The other is for a little girl whose nursery has no theme, but is done in pinks and greens. I don't think her mommy will mind some purple tossed in. I will begin the girlie quilt soon as she has a shower at the end of January.

The Mad Quilter (a.k.a. my sweet husband)  has been busy at work. He finished up 2 more tops that have been sitting on a shelf for 2 or 3 years. There is a cute coin quilt with a fun bandana fabric border. And some very fun quilting. Hubby has been having fun while working on UFOs.

And there is this mammoth quilt... ok, it isn't really mammoth, but it is big!  He used a gold thread and once again had fun with the quilting.

I haven't done as much sewing as I need to.... can't get motivated. I work part-time... deal with finances... the end of a year is not a lot of fun for me and it doesn't end on 12/31.. but soon!  Plus there is a baby quilt to start... I love making baby quilts!  No doubt that will motivate me. I have worked on some more fabric covers for journals. I will post pix of them soon.

"Belle"