Retro Betty

I have the last of the blocks from the Sew Kitschy BOM from Kristy at Quiet Play completed.  I will be linking it up over at her blog as these blocks are all turning out so cute you will want to see them all.  I love her Betty.  I was looking at Pinterest under vintage kitchens this weekend for ideas on how to finish these blocks and might have found something I like that might just work with these blocks.  Here is the last of the series that I just completed this weekend.

My kitchen is brown and greens so this is going to look fantastic in my kitchen when I get it done.  I need to keep the finished wall hanging on the smaller side so it will fit my wall space without having to take down any of my existing pictures but I think it can be done.  The fabric in the picture hanging on Betty's kitchen wall is from one of the charms I recently won from Alida from Tweety Loves Quilting and just seemed perfectly retro for Betty's kitchen!

The blocks are looking so great together so far.  This year I colored in a small version of the layout before even starting this in January and the blocks look so much more cohesive together. Thank you Kristy for letting us see the plan for all the blocks ahead of time!!! I could never have gotten the correct spread of color without it.

Believe it or not I think September is going to see me catch up on all of my BOMs. Hopefully by the end of this week I will be caught up on the PMQG Medallion Along.  Then on to the September block of the Quilt Doodle Doodle and I will be caught up :)

Wishing you all the best week!

Keep Stitchin'

Trails and triumphs

Summer has kept me busy lately.  My DH has kept me busy working outdoors instead of sewing but after we got a few things taken care of outside this weekend, I was able to sneak in some sewing time.  I've been keeping busy making a couple items for my 'Sister' in the It's a Sister Thing swap I am participating in this month.  I've been stalking a quilter's blog that I am paired up with secretly and immediately came up with a couple of items that I had to make her.  She is so open in sharing of herself that it was a delight to stalk her secretly and make her a couple of things I am sure she will love.  Makes me wonder if I share enough of myself here...being open is kind of tough...at least for me.  One of the projects I made was a first for me, but it turned out great...thankfully... and I will have to get to work making a couple for me soon.  I can't wait to share what fun I've been having with this one but it will have to wait a little while longer before I can share. Due date for shipping is August 31st and I still have to think of a couple goodies to include with my package for her.

I needed to get a few of my BOMs caught up, so I started in on my June...yep June Quilt Doodle Ice Skate row. 

This one was a lot of work and frustration.  I have had the white ice skates done for a while and completed the two red skates last week.  But when I put the row together it was like 8 inches too long...Yikes...followed by some not so nice words!!!  I had to rip it apart and unfortunately the individual blocks I had sewn together by horizontal rows not vertical.  So ripping this BITCH apart was a nightmare.  Then when I went to fuse the skate blades on I had forgot to take into account they would be inversed so I had to redo them on the fusible web product.  Ironed them on finally and then when I went to do the applique stitch around them, the sewing machine decided to skip ALOT of stitches!!!  Finally after stopping and ripping the stitches out a few times, just went for it and then added the stitches in by hand with embroidery floss that needed filled in.  I do know I have shared before that I hate applique.  Love and admire others work but it kicks me in the bootie every time.

Deciding to move back into my familiar territory of paper piecing and get another BOM done, I moved on to my August Sew Kitschy block and look what happened.

I had it all assembled before I even noticed.  I had been worrying the whole time because I had less than a fat quarter of the background material and feared running out the entire time so when I had all the pieces together I must had been too elated and forgot to pay attention.  See that brown stipe in the middle???  It is suppose to be the kitchen counter.  Hello seam ripper again!!!  And here it is after I corrected my up-tenth flub up of the day.

Much Better

Ignore the fact that the far right spoon doesn't quite look all the way inside the container because at this point you know I am. Hell no way am I fixing that.  More on my to do list but I think this is enough problems for one day. 

 

Thank goodness my Sister Swap items went together much more smoothly and successfully.

 

Luckily our outdoor project went more smoothly...even if it did include way too much physical work.

It started out with the hubby ripping up our yard with a Kubota on Friday to make room for a new driveway and parking space for the new RV.

 

 

Followed by a lot of work framing in a compacting the new driveway.

 

 

On Saturday we got 12 yards of recycle asphalt delivered

 

 

Followed by many hours of spreading it all out and leveling it out

 

 

And then we compacted it over and over again.

 

Now we are debating what to do next.  We are thinking of burning it and than sealing it.

Wish us luck with whatever comes next.  For right now it is looking great and we don't want to ruin it by driving on it.  I know silly but it was a lot of work!!! 

 

 

Keep Stitchin'

Retro Radio

Kristy from Quiet Play has added her retro radio to the Kitschy BOM this month and I finished it this weekend.  My husband ---who seems to remember the good old days so well---promptly asked what's that???  When I explained it was a retro radio he pointed out it needed numbers on the dial and a speaker grill. Maybe he should take up designing quilt blocks. Or maybe not...I think he'd be having me sew blocks of engines and gears and gadgets and miscellaneous garage tools.  I on the other hand think it is perfect.  Kristy does have a dial on hers and I will need to add one to help my confused husband find the right station.

Linking this up to her linky 'cause all the other radios are so dang cute, they can hang out together and jam it up.

Just two more blocks to go in this series.

Time for tea

Once again I started the month out with my Sew Kitschy block from Kristy at Quiet Play.  This time I am remembering to share it early on.  Kristy's pattern this month features a teapot and I had this great fabric stashed away just waiting to be featured in this block.  I really like how it turned out.

Be sure to check her linky party out as there are already some great looking teapots showing up over there.  I adore seeing how one pattern can be so vastly different based on everyone's fabric choices.
Have a great weekend! 

Keep Stitchin'