July OMG: Brown Bear, Brown Bear

Click HERE to see what everyone is setting out to do this month.

Anybody remember Beanie Babies?? I think my mom bought our girls every single one when they were little! I have a HUGE tote of them and have gradually re-purposed them into "story baskets" for when our grand-guy visits. He has so much fun pulling each animal out of the basket as we turn the page to "read". He lines them all up and once the story is finished, like any preschool boy I guess, begins to throw them back into the basket as if he himself were a pro basketball player. 

 I scowered the internet to find whatever fabric I could from this 2008 Eric Carle Brown Bear line and as my July OMG  I'm ready to move this from my stash, into a finished lap quilt for us to enjoy.

Grands grow way too fast don't ya think.
Note: This will be my eighth stash busting project for the year. YAH!!! We are going on vacation together at the end of the month. I'd love to get another picture of the three of us on our new quilt.
Stay tuned.

June OMG: Bee Happy Progress

I set out to continue to be intentional about using projects in my stash this year, so I tackled my  Lori Holt's Bee Happy! applique blocks this month as my June OMG. I wanted to make some obvious progress in getting more of these blocks done.

I went from this: 

...to this: (Obvious progress right!)

I think I did good! I will continue to work on this one in-between other projects with the motivation to have it done and quilted by the end of my summer break. I also crossed an eye-spy quilt off my list this month and got another quilt's binding done. I appreciate Patty's OMG as it rejuvenated this project which provides the perfect summer sewing for me .

Also...LOTS going on here at the ol' blog.

Click HERE to participate in my Tuesday Archives Give-Away.

Thanks to everyone who participated in our Eye Spy Swap.

Piggy Bank Savers...mark your calendars for July 6th...as that's when we empty and count our quilty savings for the year. I think I'm going to beat hubby this year!

June OMG: Bee Happy!

HELLLLOOO SUMMER!!!!!!!

I want to continue to be intentional about using projects in my stash this year, so I'm tackling my  Lori Holt's Bee Happy! applique blocks this month as my OMG. I want to make some obvious progress in getting more of these blocks done.

I had purchased the kit with my last year's Piggy Bank Savings so I'd like to get it done before this year's Piggy Bank Challenge comes around again NEXT month already! 

(Savers mark your calendars for our linky coming July 6th.)

 I'm using the fuse applique method and machine stitching these with a blanket stitch, so they are fun and fast to finish. I only have 12 more blocks to make and think they'll be easy to get done during an afternoon movie on a hot summer afternoon.

 I have a whole list of projects I want to play with now that I'm on Summer break, including:

1. Make a summer tablecloth for our patio table.

2. Finish a family size Eye-Spy quilt that will be gifted in August.

3. I have two quilts that need the binding sewn.

4. I'd also like to get my Anni Downs BOM finished...I'm sooo close!

June will be fun filled month as I have Grammy Camp scheduled with my little buddy. I'm teaching an eight day Photo Journalism Discovery Camp to Middle Schoolers. This is going to be so fun as I'm going to introduce them to the world of blogging!! (Stay tuned) Annnndddd hubby and I have two weekend golf get-aways planned! (Yes! I accidentally became a golfer and LOVE it!!!! Really! My husband started so he could go golf with our son-in-law. One afternoon I said I'd go along and drive the cart as he got in a practice round. Well, before he was even done with the first hole I found myself out of the cart giving it a try! And guess what! I'm pretty good at it!! LOL!! )

With all that said, it looks like I'll have many fun posts to share this month. So stay tuned!

OUR SWAP IS CLOSED! 

Hey Guys! What better way to collect 200/400 different Eye-Spy fabrics than by swapping with fellow blogger friends. Click HERE to read about our Eye Spy Swap and perhaps think about joining us.

May OMG: Eye-Spy Name Quilt Finished.

Linking up w ith everyone else at May's One Monthly Goal. (OMG)

As previously posted, I wanted to turn my last stack of Eye-Spy fabrics into a baby name quilt.

A young couple we know are having their first baby in August: Kash Joel. 

Since this is my seventh stash busting project for the year, I got to play with a lot of fabric combos for the name plate. I finally settled on a solid black for the name and a fun pirate print for the background. I think it works, especially for an Eye-Spy Quilt.

This finish  measures 50"x54" and though it's not our traditional baby quilt, we all know how babies grow way too fast and before we know it, he'll be cuddling under this quilty hug as a little toddler getting ready for an afternoon nap. Our grand guy continues to not only love his Eye Spy quilt but at four and a half, we had fun  playing the game and trying to trick each other this past weekend! 

I used a soft, velvety minky fabric for the backing and a solid black for the binding. I thought the trains, trucks, helicopters and planes in my Go-Go-Go pantograph added to the whimsy of an Eye-Spy quilt for a little boy.

I like the idea that this can be a quilt that a little baby can grow into and 

hopefully become a favorite along the way.

(Our SWAP IS CLOSED)

If you like Eye-Spy Quilts as much as me....mark you calendars as sign-ups for our Second Eye-Spy Swap here at Val's Quilting Studio open this Friday, June 1st!! In the meantime, here's a few things to keep in mind as you begin to search for your eye-spy fabrics:

  You will need 1/3 yard or a fat quarter, depending on the print, of ten different fabrics with recognizable prints within a 3 1/2" square for one spot in the swap. 

Click HERE to see examples of good and bad fabric choices.

I'm off to link and share my May finish with everyone else at:

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal - May Finish Link-up

PS: Help Spread The Word! Add this button below to your posts and  blogs. This will be a double swap...meaning with a maximum of  36 "swap spots" available, you'll be able to sign-up Friday for a maximum of two regular swap spots if you want...but the fabrics for each swap will need to be different. Okay...Happy collecting!! I hope you'll think about joining  us.

May OMG: Eye Spy Baby Name Quilt

This Fall we have a few friends expecting babies thus, I'm going to dig into my stash of Eye Spy squares and turn them into a Eye Spy Baby Name Quilt as my May OMG.

I'm setting out to have it sewn, quilted and binding complete by this month's end.

Uh Oh!...but with that said, that's also going to deplete my stash of Eye Spy squares:

Anyone interested in an Eye Spy Swap this June (Next month!)???? Peek HERE to see one I've made in the past and another I made for our grand guy: click HERE. Then, click HERE to read about our past swap here at Val's Quilting Studio. It was fun to collect blocks from all over the country:

Comment to let me know if you are interested and if I get enough interest, I'll get the swap organized.

Linking and joining everyone at: 

I specialize in edge to edge pantographs with over 100 designs to choose from.

Check out my Long-Arm Quilting page for details.

I offer FREE Return Shipping on all quilts in the U.S.A.

H2H: Spring Finish for Happy Chemo

   I used this square in a square pattern once again called Summer Song by Villa Rosa Design. It used ten fat quarters and 20 5" squares. Again, it was quick and easy.

I love this picture as while I was taking my "quilt" pictures, Jackson suddenly 
pokes his head out from behind the quilt....as if to say...."oh there you are!"

It measures 46"x 58" and with this soft flannel backing I think it will make a
comfy lap quilt for a Happy Chemo recipient.

Then he returns with a look that begs:  "Are you still doing this? Mom, Come play with me!"

I used this fun pantograph called: Funkadelic for the first time and really like it's swirls, paisley-like flowers and the fact that the pattern wasn't  too dense and quilted up quick.

This is my fifth stash-busting finish this year, second of two charity quilts that I'm creating as part of Sara's H2H Charity Drive andddd this completes my April OMG!! Wow! I'm pretty happy.
I think I'll take Jackson for an afternoon walk and treat myself to a glass of wine of the patio.

Click each picture below as I join everyone else at:

I specialize in edge to edge pantographs with over 100 designs to choose from.

Check out my Long-Arm Quilting page for details.

I offer FREE Return Shipping on all quilts in the U.S.A.

H2H: Spring Flower Finish for Little Lambs

  I finished this little backpack quilt measuring 36"x42" using the left-overs from my 2014-15 Sat. Sampler quilt. I had the panel that goes with this line of Deb Strain's Bloomin' Fresh fabrics so I just squared them up and alternated them with polka-dotted blocks. I'm hoping this quilty hug finds its way to a preteen/teen in need through the Little Lambs Foundation for Kids.

I think my flowered backing and Daisy on a String Pantograph finished this one off nicely.

 Jackson loves it. 

 Spring is sure slow coming this year, but it's nice to see the Plum trees finally blooming and the grass getting green with all the rainy days we have been having.

So this is my fourth stash-busting finish this year and te first of two charity quilts that I'm creating as part of Sara's H2H Charity Drive. Oh! and come to think of it, I'm half way to my April OMG goal. Sweet! I have to admit it feels good to have such productive time in my sewing studio this year. 

As always, thanks for stopping by. 

I specialize in edge to edge pantographs with over 100 designs to choose from.

Check out my Long-Arm Quilting page for details.

I offer FREE Return Shipping on all quilts in the U.S.A.

April OMG: Two for H2H

I always look forward to Sara's H2H Annual Quilt Challenge.

And this year I'm setting out to contribute two quilty hugs.

First up: Left-overs from a 2014-15 Sat. Sampler quilt. I have the panel that goes with this line of Deb Strain's Bloomin' Fresh fabrics and plan to create a little backpack quilt for Little Lambs.

Second in line: I'm gong to use last month's Summer Song pattern and sew these lovely Bonnie and Camille fat quarters that have been in my stash wayyyy too long into a lap quilt for Happy Chemo.

These are both my April OMG. I plan to have them both created and quilted by month's end.

I'm really looking forward to this colorful bunch of sewing this month.

Linking up with everyone else at:

I specialize in edge to edge pantographs with over 100 designs to choose from.

Check out my Long-Arm Quilting page for details.

I offer FREE Return Shipping on all quilts in the U.S.A.