Friday morning, we took off on the bike to head to our favorite riding destination, Wisconsin. We love it there so much! Especially the south west side, which is called the Driftless Area. Because the glaciers didn't travel this area during the last glacial period, the area is full of high bluffs and deep valleys. It is beautiful! 

This time, we stayed in La Crosse. We rode up to the top of Grandad Bluff, which is a 600-ft high bluff that overlooks the city. The view of the Mississippi River Valley includes the three states of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. Pictures can never do the view justice. It was breathtakingly beautiful! It was the perfect setting to do our morning devotions as we gazed upon God's creation. 

Our next stop was to one of my most favorite quilt shops, Olive Juice Quilts in Onalaska. I have no pictures and I will explain why...

When we walked in to the shop (there are more than one entrances), I quickly realized a class was going on. I apologized and asked if they would rather I go in the other entrance. I was quickly assured that I was fine! Then, I looked in the center of the room and there she stood....Anna Graham aka: Noodlehead. Anna is very well known for her bag patterns and clothing patterns. Perhaps you have heard of the Open Wide Zippered Pouch? Or of her 241 Tote? Does the Divided Basket sound familiar? Trust me, you need to check out her website. 

So, here is where I made a total fool out of myself...I blurted out, totally interrupting the class (in my defense, people were sewing and she was observing, so I didn't interrupt her)

"Are YOU, Noodlehead?!" 

Open up floor and drop me in, please...NOW!

She was gracious and grinned at me calling her by her website name and not Anna and allowed me to shake her hand and gush over how much I loved her bags and what an inspiration she was. 

I was totally star stuck. 

I felt so foolish...But it was super cool, none the less. After that, I was very careful to not draw attention to myself as I grabbed up bolts of fabric from the room to take to the cutting table. Russ kept trying to get me to have my picture taken with her, but I refused. I was in my Harley tank shirt with major helmet hair. No way was I going to have my picture taken!!

Here are the goodies I brought home with me. Had to get me some Little Ruby and cotton linen blend yardage. 

Next up, at the recommendation of Judy @ Cranberry Morning, we traveled to Westby to eat at Borgen's Cafe. Judy is correct, the burgers are awesome! 

Riding + eating good food + quilt shops = a fun weekend! 

Have a happy week, everyone!

Friday morning, we took off on the bike to head to our favorite riding destination, Wisconsin. We love it there so much! Especially the south west side, which is called the Driftless Area. Because the glaciers didn't travel this area during the last glacial period, the area is full of high bluffs and deep valleys. It is beautiful! 

This time, we stayed in La Crosse. We rode up to the top of Grandad Bluff, which is a 600-ft high bluff that overlooks the city. The view of the Mississippi River Valley includes the three states of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. Pictures can never do the view justice. It was breathtakingly beautiful! It was the perfect setting to do our morning devotions as we gazed upon God's creation. 

Our next stop was to one of my most favorite quilt shops, Olive Juice Quilts in Onalaska. I have no pictures and I will explain why...

When we walked in to the shop (there are more than one entrances), I quickly realized a class was going on. I apologized and asked if they would rather I go in the other entrance. I was quickly assured that I was fine! Then, I looked in the center of the room and there she stood....Anna Graham aka: Noodlehead. Anna is very well known for her bag patterns and clothing patterns. Perhaps you have heard of the Open Wide Zippered Pouch? Or of her 241 Tote? Does the Divided Basket sound familiar? Trust me, you need to check out her website. 

So, here is where I made a total fool out of myself...I blurted out, totally interrupting the class (in my defense, people were sewing and she was observing, so I didn't interrupt her)

"Are YOU, Noodlehead?!" 

Open up floor and drop me in, please...NOW!

She was gracious and grinned at me calling her by her website name and not Anna and allowed me to shake her hand and gush over how much I loved her bags and what an inspiration she was. 

I was totally star stuck. 

I felt so foolish...But it was super cool, none the less. After that, I was very careful to not draw attention to myself as I grabbed up bolts of fabric from the room to take to the cutting table. Russ kept trying to get me to have my picture taken with her, but I refused. I was in my Harley tank shirt with major helmet hair. No way was I going to have my picture taken!!

Here are the goodies I brought home with me. Had to get me some Little Ruby and cotton linen blend yardage. 

Next up, at the recommendation of Judy @ Cranberry Morning, we traveled to Westby to eat at Borgen's Cafe. Judy is correct, the burgers are awesome! 

Riding + eating good food + quilt shops = a fun weekend! 

Have a happy week, everyone!

Hello, friends! I hope this beautiful spring day finds you all well. =) 

After months of dreaming of getting back on our bike, this last weekend we had perfect warm weather for a get away and it was glorious! We took a ride to Decorah, Iowa, which is an area we haven't really explored much. We will be doing more trips to this lovely area in the future, for sure! 

I made Russ pull over so I could take a picture of this barn quilt. =D 

Minutes from town, there is a lovely waterfall called Dunning Springs. Russ decided to scramble up the hill. Me, being the fearful sensible one, only climbed up a little ways. On the other side of the falls is a staircase that takes you up to the top. That was a much easier climb and the view is spectacular. 

Deborah is also home of Red-Roxy Quilt Company. Be sure to check out their website. It's a lovely shop filled with tempting fabrics and notions. It's worth the trip to visit if you are ever in the area. I walked out with these two Blueberry Park fat quarter bundles. I am trying to stick to my fabric diet...Really, I am, but can you blame me for wanting to bring these beauties home??

Meanwhile, on the home front, a jelly roll and two charm packs of Little Ruby has joined my ever growing stash of Bonnie and Camille fabrics. Eventually some yardage and a fat quarter bundle will be making their way to my home, as well. Ruby and Bliss were my favorites. Little Ruby has a mix of both, as well as a few more prints, only they made the prints at half the size. They are so cute! 

I have also been playing with strings from my scraps. Simple mindless sewing is relaxing to me. I have 220 string triangles finished. I have been playing around with how to lay them out, but nothing has been decided. 

As always, thanks for stopping by. =) One of these days I will have a project to share. I have a few and as soon as the recipients receive their gifts, I'll post them. =) 

Until next time! Have a happy spring!

Hello, friends! I hope this beautiful spring day finds you all well. =) 

After months of dreaming of getting back on our bike, this last weekend we had perfect warm weather for a get away and it was glorious! We took a ride to Decorah, Iowa, which is an area we haven't really explored much. We will be doing more trips to this lovely area in the future, for sure! 

I made Russ pull over so I could take a picture of this barn quilt. =D 

Minutes from town, there is a lovely waterfall called Dunning Springs. Russ decided to scramble up the hill. Me, being the fearful sensible one, only climbed up a little ways. On the other side of the falls is a staircase that takes you up to the top. That was a much easier climb and the view is spectacular. 

Deborah is also home of Red-Roxy Quilt Company. Be sure to check out their website. It's a lovely shop filled with tempting fabrics and notions. It's worth the trip to visit if you are ever in the area. I walked out with these two Blueberry Park fat quarter bundles. I am trying to stick to my fabric diet...Really, I am, but can you blame me for wanting to bring these beauties home??

Meanwhile, on the home front, a jelly roll and two charm packs of Little Ruby has joined my ever growing stash of Bonnie and Camille fabrics. Eventually some yardage and a fat quarter bundle will be making their way to my home, as well. Ruby and Bliss were my favorites. Little Ruby has a mix of both, as well as a few more prints, only they made the prints at half the size. They are so cute! 

I have also been playing with strings from my scraps. Simple mindless sewing is relaxing to me. I have 220 string triangles finished. I have been playing around with how to lay them out, but nothing has been decided. 

As always, thanks for stopping by. =) One of these days I will have a project to share. I have a few and as soon as the recipients receive their gifts, I'll post them. =) 

Until next time! Have a happy spring!

I've hardly touched my sewing machine in weeks, thus the silence here on my blog. If not for the Sew Sweet Bee block I needed to make for dear Jane, my sewing machine wouldn't have been turned on! Not because I don't want to, but because my sewing mojo has run away. I hope it comes back soon!

The block Jane requested for her month as queen bee was the sailboat block from the Fatquarter Shop Snapshots quilt along. Her quilt will be so cute!

One of my self imposed goals this year is to not buy more stash, except for fabric I would need to help use what I have and only if necessary. That said, I am allowing a few exceptions. ;-) And, in my defense, much of what you will see today, I ordered last year. =) 

I think you can easily guess why I had to have Cotton and Steel's new line called Clover. =) Those lambs!! Eeep!

I also picked up the Cotton and Steel fat quarter basics. The colors are so wonderful! 

And the last splurge was a half yard bundle of V and Co Ombre fabrics. Don't they look nice with the Cotton and Steel fabrics? I wish you could see them in real life. They really shine....

 My other exception I posted about last month, Little Ruby. That will certainly join my stash. Ruby was the one line I regret not buying more of the first time it came out. I am not making that mistake again. =) 

I'm off to surf Pinterest to get some inspiration! 

Have a happy weekend!! 

I've hardly touched my sewing machine in weeks, thus the silence here on my blog. If not for the Sew Sweet Bee block I needed to make for dear Jane, my sewing machine wouldn't have been turned on! Not because I don't want to, but because my sewing mojo has run away. I hope it comes back soon!

The block Jane requested for her month as queen bee was the sailboat block from the Fatquarter Shop Snapshots quilt along. Her quilt will be so cute!

One of my self imposed goals this year is to not buy more stash, except for fabric I would need to help use what I have and only if necessary. That said, I am allowing a few exceptions. ;-) And, in my defense, much of what you will see today, I ordered last year. =) 

I think you can easily guess why I had to have Cotton and Steel's new line called Clover. =) Those lambs!! Eeep!

I also picked up the Cotton and Steel fat quarter basics. The colors are so wonderful! 

And the last splurge was a half yard bundle of V and Co Ombre fabrics. Don't they look nice with the Cotton and Steel fabrics? I wish you could see them in real life. They really shine....

 My other exception I posted about last month, Little Ruby. That will certainly join my stash. Ruby was the one line I regret not buying more of the first time it came out. I am not making that mistake again. =) 

I'm off to surf Pinterest to get some inspiration! 

Have a happy weekend!! 

Russ and I took a long weekend motorcycle trip to Wisconsin this past weekend. We stayed in Richland Center and spent our time riding the back county roads. It was beautiful and relaxing! The only picture I took of the scenery was this Amish field. Aren't the stacks cute? We are going to go back soon!! Honestly, I wish we could live there. 

On our travels, we stopped in Onalaska to visit one of my all time favorite quilt shops, Olive Juice Quilts. If you love modern fabric, this shop is for you. The first fabric I saw as I walked in the door was sheep fabric in a linen blend by Kokka. I adore linen blend fabrics. The designer is Ellen Luckett Baker and its part of her Charm line. Olive Juice Quilts carries many Japanese prints. I don't know of any other shop that is remotley in my area that does. I have looked at this particular print on line many times, but hesitated to buy it without being able to see it, as it is a more expensive fabric at around $20 a yard. I carried it and hugged it the rest of my shopping time. I bought 2 yards to come live with me at home, as well as some Cotton + Steel to add to my collection. The yellow fabric with the triangles is by Art Gallery, but it played nicely with the Cotton + Steel. FYI, Olive Juice has an online shop, too. =)

This is the collection of Cotton + Steel I have so far. I ended up ordering on line some of the Picnic line by Melody Miller that was just released. Now I need to come up with a pattern to make up a quilt of this fabulous fabric! I want something simple so as not to cut the fabric too small. 

As I was checking out, this pattern caught my eye by Sewn into the Fabric. The birds nestled into the left antler was the selling point for me. Had to have it! 

While I am writing, I figure I would share the bag I made for my friend Brenda. Brenda owns the Pink Pony, an ice cream shop in West Branch and is a frequent customer at Cotton Creek Mill.  She asked me to make her a sling bag. The pattern is free found at The Destashification Project. It took some studying to understand one of the steps, but as I was making it, it made sense and was really easy. It only took me a couple of hours to make it. I hope she likes it! 

I hope you are all enjoying these beautiful days of summer. =)

Have a happy Monday!

Russ and I took a long weekend motorcycle trip to Wisconsin this past weekend. We stayed in Richland Center and spent our time riding the back county roads. It was beautiful and relaxing! The only picture I took of the scenery was this Amish field. Aren't the stacks cute? We are going to go back soon!! Honestly, I wish we could live there. 

On our travels, we stopped in Onalaska to visit one of my all time favorite quilt shops, Olive Juice Quilts. If you love modern fabric, this shop is for you. The first fabric I saw as I walked in the door was sheep fabric in a linen blend by Kokka. I adore linen blend fabrics. The designer is Ellen Luckett Baker and its part of her Charm line. Olive Juice Quilts carries many Japanese prints. I don't know of any other shop that is remotley in my area that does. I have looked at this particular print on line many times, but hesitated to buy it without being able to see it, as it is a more expensive fabric at around $20 a yard. I carried it and hugged it the rest of my shopping time. I bought 2 yards to come live with me at home, as well as some Cotton + Steel to add to my collection. The yellow fabric with the triangles is by Art Gallery, but it played nicely with the Cotton + Steel. FYI, Olive Juice has an online shop, too. =)

This is the collection of Cotton + Steel I have so far. I ended up ordering on line some of the Picnic line by Melody Miller that was just released. Now I need to come up with a pattern to make up a quilt of this fabulous fabric! I want something simple so as not to cut the fabric too small. 

As I was checking out, this pattern caught my eye by Sewn into the Fabric. The birds nestled into the left antler was the selling point for me. Had to have it! 

While I am writing, I figure I would share the bag I made for my friend Brenda. Brenda owns the Pink Pony, an ice cream shop in West Branch and is a frequent customer at Cotton Creek Mill.  She asked me to make her a sling bag. The pattern is free found at The Destashification Project. It took some studying to understand one of the steps, but as I was making it, it made sense and was really easy. It only took me a couple of hours to make it. I hope she likes it! 

I hope you are all enjoying these beautiful days of summer. =)

Have a happy Monday!

Hello, friends!! Last week, my hubby and I spent many wonderful hours in the great Smoky Mountains between TN and NC. It was so good to get away and to relax. 

The views were breathtaking...Photographs simply can't do them justice. We rented a Harley trike for a couple of days and took the Blue Ridge Parkway into Asheville, NC up and over Mount Pisgah. Now, I am a wee bit afraid of heights, but normally I am fine when my feet are on the ground. However, this road trip was an exception. The higher and higher into the mountains we went, the more nervous I became. At one point, we stopped at an over look and Russ pointed at the road up the mountain and said,  "Wow! Look how much farther we have to go!" That was IT! I started to cry. My nerves got the best of me. We did finish the ride, but it was a challenge and Russ found a different way to come back to Pigeon Forge, TN. Bless his heart!!  

My hubby gets recharged when he is out in nature. 

One of the highlights was getting to see a bear in the wild. It was a first for both Russ and I! I had hoped we would get to see one, so it was a real thrill. =)

I would have to say, seeing Biltmore Estates in Asheville, NC and getting to spend the day with my blogging friend, Karen and her hubby was THE highlight of our vacation. Spending the day with beautiful people and seeing such a beautiful place was perfection...The Biltmore Estate had the Downton Abby clothing on display. No pictures are allowed to be taken inside the house, so to get a sneak peek, you need to go to the Biltmore Estates web page. We paid for the regular tour, but now that we know what an amazing place this is, we would love to go back and happily pay to go on their extended tours to learn more about the people who lived on the estate and more of the history. Oh, and be sure to try their wine!! It was truly a perfect day!! 

Of course, we found a few quilt shops to visit on our trip. =) The shops I most enjoyed most were Among Friends Quilt Shop in Louisville, KY, Asheville Cotton Co in Asheville, NC, Quilters Quarters in Waynesville, NC and Hancock's Of Paducah in Paducah, KY. We went to more, but those were the shops that enticed me enough to part with my dollars. =) Also, I want to make a special note that one of the gals at Asheville Cotton Co was especially kind. After taking the trip over the mountain, I must have still looked a bit pale. She asked if I was all right and I teared all up again and told her I was frightened by going over the pass and needed some pretty fabric to help me feel better. She confessed that when she was in a storm while visiting Iowa, she got so scared she cried. I wanted to hug her! 

Okay, on to the fabric!

I always have my eye out for Bonnie and Camille fabric, especially their older lines. I found a few and also added some Daysail to my stash. 

I have had my eye on the Cotton + Steel fabrics for a long, long time. Now that I have seen them in person, I won't hesitate to add a few more of their prints to my stash. =) 

These fabrics are going to get added to the fabric pull I have for the Vintage Farm Girl quilts I will be making. That is truly a fantastic book!! I wish more shops carried Lori Holt fabrics. I found the top three on the right, but that was it. The shop where I work, Cotton Creek Mill, is going to carry at least 9 bolts of Lori Holt's new fabric line, Modern Minis, so if you are looking for Lori Holt fabric, too, and have trouble finding it in shops, keep us in mind. The release date is sometime in June. Personally, I can't wait!

Text prints are always at the top o my list when visiting shops. The bottom text fabric is a wide backing. I am planning ahead, not that I know what that plan is exactly. ;-) 

Does anyone else need a day to recover from a  vacation? I took a three hour nap this afternoon. I hope I sleep tonight! 

 I know I don't say it often enough, but thank you for taking the time to come visit me on my little blog and taking the time to comment. I do appreciate all of  you....

Have a happy rest of the weekend!!!

Hello, friends!! Last week, my hubby and I spent many wonderful hours in the great Smoky Mountains between TN and NC. It was so good to get away and to relax. 

The views were breathtaking...Photographs simply can't do them justice. We rented a Harley trike for a couple of days and took the Blue Ridge Parkway into Asheville, NC up and over Mount Pisgah. Now, I am a wee bit afraid of heights, but normally I am fine when my feet are on the ground. However, this road trip was an exception. The higher and higher into the mountains we went, the more nervous I became. At one point, we stopped at an over look and Russ pointed at the road up the mountain and said,  "Wow! Look how much farther we have to go!" That was IT! I started to cry. My nerves got the best of me. We did finish the ride, but it was a challenge and Russ found a different way to come back to Pigeon Forge, TN. Bless his heart!!  

My hubby gets recharged when he is out in nature. 

One of the highlights was getting to see a bear in the wild. It was a first for both Russ and I! I had hoped we would get to see one, so it was a real thrill. =)

I would have to say, seeing Biltmore Estates in Asheville, NC and getting to spend the day with my blogging friend, Karen and her hubby was THE highlight of our vacation. Spending the day with beautiful people and seeing such a beautiful place was perfection...The Biltmore Estate had the Downton Abby clothing on display. No pictures are allowed to be taken inside the house, so to get a sneak peek, you need to go to the Biltmore Estates web page. We paid for the regular tour, but now that we know what an amazing place this is, we would love to go back and happily pay to go on their extended tours to learn more about the people who lived on the estate and more of the history. Oh, and be sure to try their wine!! It was truly a perfect day!! 

Of course, we found a few quilt shops to visit on our trip. =) The shops I most enjoyed most were Among Friends Quilt Shop in Louisville, KY, Asheville Cotton Co in Asheville, NC, Quilters Quarters in Waynesville, NC and Hancock's Of Paducah in Paducah, KY. We went to more, but those were the shops that enticed me enough to part with my dollars. =) Also, I want to make a special note that one of the gals at Asheville Cotton Co was especially kind. After taking the trip over the mountain, I must have still looked a bit pale. She asked if I was all right and I teared all up again and told her I was frightened by going over the pass and needed some pretty fabric to help me feel better. She confessed that when she was in a storm while visiting Iowa, she got so scared she cried. I wanted to hug her! 

Okay, on to the fabric!

I always have my eye out for Bonnie and Camille fabric, especially their older lines. I found a few and also added some Daysail to my stash. 

I have had my eye on the Cotton + Steel fabrics for a long, long time. Now that I have seen them in person, I won't hesitate to add a few more of their prints to my stash. =) 

These fabrics are going to get added to the fabric pull I have for the Vintage Farm Girl quilts I will be making. That is truly a fantastic book!! I wish more shops carried Lori Holt fabrics. I found the top three on the right, but that was it. The shop where I work, Cotton Creek Mill, is going to carry at least 9 bolts of Lori Holt's new fabric line, Modern Minis, so if you are looking for Lori Holt fabric, too, and have trouble finding it in shops, keep us in mind. The release date is sometime in June. Personally, I can't wait!

Text prints are always at the top o my list when visiting shops. The bottom text fabric is a wide backing. I am planning ahead, not that I know what that plan is exactly. ;-) 

Does anyone else need a day to recover from a  vacation? I took a three hour nap this afternoon. I hope I sleep tonight! 

 I know I don't say it often enough, but thank you for taking the time to come visit me on my little blog and taking the time to comment. I do appreciate all of  you....

Have a happy rest of the weekend!!!

Good morning!! Spring is now in full swing here in Iowa and it is a glorious! I love spring and summer, so I feel like I have woken up from a long sleep. It feels good to feel good! 

Last week I finished quilting my Farmer's Wife quilt. I didn't do a very good job with the picture, so use your imagination. I chose to stitch in the ditch with most of them. I used wool batting so it has a bit of loft. As I was working on it, I doubted myself the whole time that I was making a mistake and was tempted to rip it all out and start over, but hubby encouraged me to keep going and he thought it looked just fine. It is what it is. No going back now! 

And the back view...The author of the Farmer's Wife, Laurie Hird, has a new Farmer's Wife 30's book coming out. I have a stash full of 30's, so I may tackle that one in the years to come. 

On the sewing front. I am making Thimble Blossoms new quilt pattern Swoon Sixteen for a friend of mine. As the name suggests, the blocks finish at 16" instead of the 24" that the original Swoon pattern  made. For her quilt, she chose Horizon by Kate Spain and a teal Grunge background. Again, the picture isn't very good. In real life, the colors really pop on the teal background. I am making the pattern bigger, so I need to make 20 blocks. Each one takes about an hour to make, so it is slow going. I have 12 more to go. 

New fabric has joined my stash, Ambleside by Brenda Riddle. The colors are so happy and fun...I have no plans for them yet. And see the thread? I purchased silk thread last weekend to give it a try. Silk thread is very fine, but strong! I can't wait to give it a try!

That's the news in my neck of the woods. If anyone has quilted with silk thread, I would love to hear about your experience. =)

Have a happy Thursday!!

Good morning!! Spring is now in full swing here in Iowa and it is a glorious! I love spring and summer, so I feel like I have woken up from a long sleep. It feels good to feel good! 

Last week I finished quilting my Farmer's Wife quilt. I didn't do a very good job with the picture, so use your imagination. I chose to stitch in the ditch with most of them. I used wool batting so it has a bit of loft. As I was working on it, I doubted myself the whole time that I was making a mistake and was tempted to rip it all out and start over, but hubby encouraged me to keep going and he thought it looked just fine. It is what it is. No going back now! 

And the back view...The author of the Farmer's Wife, Laurie Hird, has a new Farmer's Wife 30's book coming out. I have a stash full of 30's, so I may tackle that one in the years to come. 

On the sewing front. I am making Thimble Blossoms new quilt pattern Swoon Sixteen for a friend of mine. As the name suggests, the blocks finish at 16" instead of the 24" that the original Swoon pattern  made. For her quilt, she chose Horizon by Kate Spain and a teal Grunge background. Again, the picture isn't very good. In real life, the colors really pop on the teal background. I am making the pattern bigger, so I need to make 20 blocks. Each one takes about an hour to make, so it is slow going. I have 12 more to go. 

New fabric has joined my stash, Ambleside by Brenda Riddle. The colors are so happy and fun...I have no plans for them yet. And see the thread? I purchased silk thread last weekend to give it a try. Silk thread is very fine, but strong! I can't wait to give it a try!

That's the news in my neck of the woods. If anyone has quilted with silk thread, I would love to hear about your experience. =)

Have a happy Thursday!!

It took some creative effort to get a picture of this one. A step ladder may have been involved. ;-) I would rather have taken an outside photo, but a step ladder in a foot of snow would have made me look sillier than I already am. My neighbors talk enough already. 

I have to give credit where credit is due. When I told my hubby I was going to write words in place of many of the 6" blocks in the Modern Building Blocks pattern, he came up with most of them. I guess he loves me. =) 

The letters are Just My Type by Quiet Play and can be found on Payhip. She has a lot of super cute paper pieced patterns. =) The hearts are by Cluck Cluck Sew. I want to make more of them because they are just so cute! 

When I get this big lady quilted, it will be on our bed. =) 

In anticipation of Lori Holt's new book coming out, Farm Girl Vintage, and needing a backing for this quilt (which was made with all Lori Holt fabric) I made a trip to a local quilt shop that carries a lot of her fabric. 

Sorry for the poor quality picture...All the fabric on the right are Lori Holt's fabrics. The bottom two are for the back of the Modern Building Block quilt. That's the plan, at least. While I am sharing the picture, the house fabric on the left is going to be used somehow in the Sew Sweet Bee house quilt my bee sisters are making for me. The stove fabric was a "just because it's cute" purchase, as was the sheep fabric. And I can never turn away from a great text fabric. Just like that, my paycheck was gone, but what a fun way to go! 

Have a happy Thursday, everyone!! 

It took some creative effort to get a picture of this one. A step ladder may have been involved. ;-) I would rather have taken an outside photo, but a step ladder in a foot of snow would have made me look sillier than I already am. My neighbors talk enough already. 

I have to give credit where credit is due. When I told my hubby I was going to write words in place of many of the 6" blocks in the Modern Building Blocks pattern, he came up with most of them. I guess he loves me. =) 

The letters are Just My Type by Quiet Play and can be found on Payhip. She has a lot of super cute paper pieced patterns. =) The hearts are by Cluck Cluck Sew. I want to make more of them because they are just so cute! 

When I get this big lady quilted, it will be on our bed. =) 

In anticipation of Lori Holt's new book coming out, Farm Girl Vintage, and needing a backing for this quilt (which was made with all Lori Holt fabric) I made a trip to a local quilt shop that carries a lot of her fabric. 

Sorry for the poor quality picture...All the fabric on the right are Lori Holt's fabrics. The bottom two are for the back of the Modern Building Block quilt. That's the plan, at least. While I am sharing the picture, the house fabric on the left is going to be used somehow in the Sew Sweet Bee house quilt my bee sisters are making for me. The stove fabric was a "just because it's cute" purchase, as was the sheep fabric. And I can never turn away from a great text fabric. Just like that, my paycheck was gone, but what a fun way to go! 

Have a happy Thursday, everyone!! 

Happy Monday, everyone! It is a rainy, foggy day here in Iowa. No fun! I know some would be upset, but I am so ready for some snow!! 

This last weekend, Russ and I took off for some r & r in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to visit the Harley Davidson Museum. We had a very nice time, except for the crazy traffic. Yikes!! I confess, the traffic triggered a panic attack. =(

I won't bore you with pictures of the motorcycles, but I did want to share this colorful display of the motorcycle tanks that have graced the bikes since 1903.

Look at those great colors! 

I could have stayed at this part of the exhibit all day long to study the different logos, fonts and colors that were used over the years. My favorite is the bottom right. 

Last week, I finished quilting the Shortcake Quilt by Cluck Cluck Sew. Erin Jensen and hazel stitches, are the two ladies that began the Shortcake Quilt along on Instagram. You can search for it using #shortcakealong. I really love this pattern!!

I debated on what to use for the binding and decided to go bold and use the Miss Kate navy. I went with the twin size pattern so it's a big one to cuddle up with on a cold winters day. I mixed in some Bliss, Ruby and Scrumptious with my Miss Kate jelly roll. This quilt squealed its way up to the top of my favorites pile. 

I also got back to working on my Farmer's Wife Revival quilt and finished up class 5. There is a button in my sidebar that will take you to the information on the classes. I can't recommend them highly enough! My next decision is whether to stop here and make this the lap top size, or keep going. 

Next up, stash building! Mochi Dots linen blend fabrics by MoMo found their way into my stash during the Black Friday sales. The colors are so rich and I adore the linen blend fabrics. 

I've also been having a crush on the Moda Grunge fabrics and ordered a fat quarter bundle. I think these two piles of fabric will play nicely together. Now to come up with a solid plan for these lovelies. Or, I suppose I could just look at them for a while. =) 

source

When you buy fabric, do you always have a plan for it? I rarely do. I usually love the fabric and decide on a plan later. =)

Have a happy Monday, everyone!!

Happy Monday, everyone! It is a rainy, foggy day here in Iowa. No fun! I know some would be upset, but I am so ready for some snow!! 

This last weekend, Russ and I took off for some r & r in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to visit the Harley Davidson Museum. We had a very nice time, except for the crazy traffic. Yikes!! I confess, the traffic triggered a panic attack. =(

I won't bore you with pictures of the motorcycles, but I did want to share this colorful display of the motorcycle tanks that have graced the bikes since 1903.

Look at those great colors! 

I could have stayed at this part of the exhibit all day long to study the different logos, fonts and colors that were used over the years. My favorite is the bottom right. 

Last week, I finished quilting the Shortcake Quilt by Cluck Cluck Sew. Erin Jensen and hazel stitches, are the two ladies that began the Shortcake Quilt along on Instagram. You can search for it using #shortcakealong. I really love this pattern!!

I debated on what to use for the binding and decided to go bold and use the Miss Kate navy. I went with the twin size pattern so it's a big one to cuddle up with on a cold winters day. I mixed in some Bliss, Ruby and Scrumptious with my Miss Kate jelly roll. This quilt squealed its way up to the top of my favorites pile. 

I also got back to working on my Farmer's Wife Revival quilt and finished up class 5. There is a button in my sidebar that will take you to the information on the classes. I can't recommend them highly enough! My next decision is whether to stop here and make this the lap top size, or keep going. 

Next up, stash building! Mochi Dots linen blend fabrics by MoMo found their way into my stash during the Black Friday sales. The colors are so rich and I adore the linen blend fabrics. 

I've also been having a crush on the Moda Grunge fabrics and ordered a fat quarter bundle. I think these two piles of fabric will play nicely together. Now to come up with a solid plan for these lovelies. Or, I suppose I could just look at them for a while. =) 

source

When you buy fabric, do you always have a plan for it? I rarely do. I usually love the fabric and decide on a plan later. =)

Have a happy Monday, everyone!!

Last Thursday, Russ and I took off for the weekend for some much needed r and r. We stayed at a darling inn at Kendall, WI. We will most definitely be going back. =) 

Out our back door we were able to jump on the Elroy/Sparta bike trail. 

I also found time to do some sewing in the sun. 

Of course we hit a few quilting shops while we were away, too. =)

I found some Three Sisters Aviary on clearance to use with the honey bun of Aviary that Colleen @ Quilting Under The Sun gifted to me a few weeks ago. 

Also on sale, was some Scrumptious by Bonnie and Camille. To go with it, I found some Moda Bella solid in aqua (I think that is what color it is) and some Kona cotton Cardinal red. I really need to make something with my Scrumptious fat quarter bundle one of these days. 

I love these cute vintage prints by Andover called Wash Day. I had to have the glasses, just because they are cute!

 Now I need to get busy and decide what to make with all the fabric I brought home!! 

Last Thursday, Russ and I took off for the weekend for some much needed r and r. We stayed at a darling inn at Kendall, WI. We will most definitely be going back. =) 

Out our back door we were able to jump on the Elroy/Sparta bike trail. 

I also found time to do some sewing in the sun. 

Of course we hit a few quilting shops while we were away, too. =)

I found some Three Sisters Aviary on clearance to use with the honey bun of Aviary that Colleen @ Quilting Under The Sun gifted to me a few weeks ago. 

Also on sale, was some Scrumptious by Bonnie and Camille. To go with it, I found some Moda Bella solid in aqua (I think that is what color it is) and some Kona cotton Cardinal red. I really need to make something with my Scrumptious fat quarter bundle one of these days. 

I love these cute vintage prints by Andover called Wash Day. I had to have the glasses, just because they are cute!

 Now I need to get busy and decide what to make with all the fabric I brought home!!