Work in Progress... waiting for fabric

So this is where I am at now.  Two pillow fronts pieced, sandwiched, and quilted (a lot!) for the guild challenge with our custom bundle.  Then I had the whole debate about the backs. I was going to use fabric I already had but I was a bit... meh... ya, not so much.   I decided to order more of the linen/cotton blend that came in the bundle.  Can you see it?  It is the second fat quarter from the top.  I know that Esmari has already popped it in the mail and there just happened to be a birthday sale going on at Warp and Weft.  So along with my order will be a free fat quarter.  That's fun!

Progress will halt now until the fabric comes.  

And other than that, my sewing room is completely taken up with racks and racks of drying dahlia tubers. Thanks Husband for digging them up today!  

Linking up with Lee from Freshly Pieced for for Work in Progress Wednesday.

On the design wall... Warp and Weft Challenge

Our guild is involved in a challenge with the lovely fabric shop Warp and Weft.  We had an opportunity to select a custom bundle of fat quarters as a guild and have 2 months to make something fabulous with it.  I stared at the bundle.  I felt a little like the Grinch Who Stole Christmas.  You know.  "He puzzed and he puzzed and he puzzed some more."  That is what I did.  Then I showed the bundle to Husband.  He liked it.  I said what about new couch cushions.  He agreed which surprised me because there are 2 purple fat quarters in the bunch but I think it all works!  I threw in some Anna Maria Horner Hand Drawn Garden... Social Climber and a text print from Stof Basics.  They both totally work.  And the Japanese Plus/Cross block.  Seriously awesome!  The only fat quarter I did not use, was a the linen/cotton blend with the black line drawn flowers.  I really like it but I did not have enough to do anything for the pillow backs.  I will use it for another project.  The pillows are BIG.  22" square.  This is where I was at the end of Saturday, when daughter and her special someone pulled in the driveway, after a week on the Oregon coast.

Here is a sneak peak... I now have 2 pillow tops, sandwiched and quilted and a start on the backs.  More to follow.  That is what I have been up too...  other than blowing my nose endlessly.  Yep, my annual September cold.  Work hazard... all those lovely little children and all their lovely germs!

Linking with Judy's Design Wall Monday....

Flea Market Finds... on a Sunday

Eep!  I found some treasures!  I stopped at the thrift store on my way home from work on Friday.  Just a little Friday afternoon fun.  I didn't spend a lot of time there but I found this vintage pillow ticking.  Brand new, and the good part of a bolt, I am sure. 8.5 metres! That is over 9 yards, people! It is narrow at 72 cm or 28"  which I guess is the length of a pillow.  But it is just lovely.  A really good weight and it washed really well.  I don't usually pre-wash fabrics but I just wasn't sure about the shrinkage factor when dealing with vintage fabric.  So there you have it.  Just a whole pile of ticking.  It would make a great quilt back!

 On Saturday, Husband and I visited our favourite church garage sale which is held twice a year.   I found this little Carlton Ware dish.  Apparently it is either a butter dish or a pin tray.  It would not hold much butter.  It was a whole screaming 10 cents. I also found a tin of wood thread spools and a few other bits, including a Pilsbury Dough Boy apron.  I already passed that on to daughter. She thought it was great!

Simple and Sweet Swap... another needle book

This is the second needle book in the last week.  This is the one that will be sent off to my secret swap partner in the Simple and Sweet Swap.  I used some scraps of Heath and a bunch of Kate Spain bits and pieces.  The felt is a lovely wool felt in a soft grey.  The wool felt makes beautiful needle book pages because the felt has lots of structure.  Nice.  I won't show you all the pages but know that every page is embellished.  That's the fun part!  Once again this is from the Nana and Company tutorial but I bound the edges on this one too and added the inside pocket. I made my own covered button for the closure.  I love making covered buttons!

Now I just have to add all the other bits and pieces and get this ready to mail!

Linking up with Amanda Jean for Finish it up Friday.

Random Thursday...

My quilt guild buddy Lysa draws fabric.  She likes to draw peoples stashes.  Then she has cards printed from her lovely artwork.  Then she gave some to me.  I feel quite spoiled.  Aren't they pretty?  Look at all the fabric loveliness in each of the cards.  I spy some Flea Market Fancy.

And about the eggs.  Our newest chickies have started to lay.  Usually the little ladies lay little eggs in the beginning but something went terribly wrong or terribly right!  It all depends on perspective because one of our new ladies, who are quite big for chickens, popped out the super giant egg!

And for more randomness, that happens to be my husband's pet radio on the counter.  He bought it at a garage sale about 18 years ago and it is his favourite radio ever.  It looks really well loved.  

Our newest ladies are Black Orpingtons just so you know.  We call them the Floofies.  They are really feathery, big and quite lovely.

Linking with Cindy for Random Thursday because talk of cards, eggs, radios and chickens is random.  

Works in Progress and a wee finish

I signed up for another swap.  Round 2 of the Simple and Sweet Scrappy swap.  We are swapping needle books and 4 fat eights.  I made this needle book on the weekend and totally second guessed myself.  I love it but I was not convinced the pink was going to be a good fit with my swap partner.  You know what is coming.  I decided to keep it myself and then I made another needle book for my partner.  Tee hee hee.  The other needle book for my partner is pretty nice too.  So here is the one I am keeping.  I used the Nana and Company tutorial with a few tweaks, like binding and an inside pocket.  I use wool felt for the pages.

And here is a giant pile of 4 " squares that I have been cutting and cutting for multiple I Spy quilts!  I have been doing a lot of fussy cutting!

Linking up with Lee for Work in Progress Wednesday and the Needle and Thread Network.

More birthday fun!

I have wanted this book for a long time!  It always pays to have an idea when daughter's ask for a birthday list!  Liberty love.  Perfect!