Exhausted...

That is how I feel right now and for the past couple of days.
The semester is almost over and I need to hold on and pull more hours until it's over.., so please bear with me with fewer posts and being way behind on reading about your projects and days. I will catch up eventually.
Also, thank you all for warm comments about the Mountain Boy Quilt. Every single one made a smile on my face, I really appreciated them all. I am slowly getting to reply to all of them.
And for today? I am off to work. I have another long day in front of me, but I will leave you with my quilt in progress. These are pictures from the little sewing I was able to do this past weekend...



This layout is different from the previous one in this post - I accidentally flipped the darks and lighs. Which on do you like better?

I have eight more blocks to go... maybe I'll get to it this weekend...

Online Quilt Festival '09...

By now I've caught up with my blog reading and seen many many beautiful quilts. Many of them were part of the On line Quilt festival that Amy at Park City Girl organized for all of us that don't have the chance to visit big quilt shows.
Check out my side bar for the link to see all those great quilts featured.

It was hard to pick just one, but ..


Here is my favorite...



This quilt started as a charity quilt for baby boy in Kentucky mountains. I pulled out my scrap bin and one very sweet (father and son) fabric, I bought a while ago to make this quilt.




Also, I wanted to try some improvisational piecing inspired by Jacquie, so I just played along as pulling scraps from bin.


All this became one beautiful quilt. I fell in love with it and could not bear departing it to the unknown.

So instead I kept it and made three other quilts for Mountain Baby Blankets project.
It is also the biggest quilt I ever quilted on my own and I am just all over that crinkled softness.


Here all for you a load of pictures of it that I love...

Spring Finish #1

I've been waiting and waiting to be able to blog about this one.
Let me tell you, this quilt has been awaiting its finish for almost two years. The sad part is, that not only the quilt, but also its receivers were waiting... way too long. Luckily, they are our very good friends and they were super - extra - unbelievably patient.
Thanks guys!



OK, so on about the quilt.
First, it was a pillow, which was a tease that R & M received for their bridal/groom shower.



Then there was a quilt:


It is made strictly with batiks and solids all in earthy colors.
The quilt was transformed from its original stage to the one you see above after I found this inspiration on Flickr...
OK, here I was going to post the link were my inspiration came from. I can't find it! (It was red and white combo.)Please, if any of you recognize any similarity with quilt you've seen and know how to find the link, let me know. THANKs.


Quilting was done by my friends at Basketcases Unlimited, but inspired by flickr quilt.


The back is simple and binding is made out scraps of batiks and solids.


and later on two more pillows were made.


Hope, you will enjoy this R&M!

I am way behind on reading blogs here. It's beautiful out, so we are going to finish tilling that garden and maybe plant first radishes.
And then? More school stuff.
Enjoy your weekend...

Easter walk through the prairie...

I guess I can say, we had a peaceful but schoolwork filled easter weekend. We found time to relax out at prairie. Let me take you there as well.
The county had to just burn it.


I am planning on taking a picture from this spot regularly to see the prairie changing with seasons.


I love these views. We took a lots of pictures similar to this one.


Did I say it is Sal's favorite place to go.


We sat down for a bit and listened to the water and birds.


The small green patch behind Sal is all moss. It looked like fairies lived there under the trees.


It was still a bit chilly out, but oh so nice to be outside again.


I did work a little on my scrappy log cabin, but not enough to show real progress.

How was you weekend?

Happy Easter...

I am stopping by to tell you all Happy Easter...



Take a look what my mom did with my nephews. I just love it. My sister, Ajka, blogged about it here. She made a lot more Easter crafts and baking.
My Easter decor is a simple vase of daffodils.:(
I am overwhelmed with deadlines for papers, projects and three exams next week. Oh well, life can't be all fun and sewing, right? Even though, that is what I dream about every night. :)
Couple nights ago I work on more of my scrappy log cabin blocks. Here you can see the progress.




I took another look on my list of unfinished projects and on the calendar. I am not sure really how much I can actually get done. I have to ask Jacquie if finished quilt tops sandwich awaiting quilting will count. :)
I guess, I just need to be more optimistic...

Happy Easter!

I probably won't be here until after.

P.S.: I almost forgot, check out this giveaway for the chance to win 30 fat quarters.

Spring to Finish...? I am in...

Once again, Jacquie at Tallgrass Prairie Studio had an excellent idea.
Spring to finish ... all those quilts in progress. We all need to finish them, but are missing sufficient motivation.
I don't know how about you, but I get always excited about the ideas I see somewhere and it usually ends up by abandoning my existing projects and starting something new.



Join Jacquie with me and we can get all or at least some of those WIPs done. Try to finish as many as you can till the end of the month (April 30th), then follow the link above to Tallgrass Prairie Studio and leave Jacquie a comment to let her know how many finishes you have. The more finishes the better, she is putting together the prize.
I counted my unfinished projects. I am including projects I haven't started yet, but that should be done long time ago.
I tried to sort mine by the stage they are in, meaning the closest to finish goes first.
1. Motivation quilt... - piece the backing, - quilt it, - binding
2. Sail Boat quilt... - piece the backing, - quilt it, - create and learn how to
do scalloped edge, - binding
3. Scrappy Log Cabin quilt... - finish the top,- quilt it,- binding
4. Grandma G's table runner... - quilt it and binding (Will post about later...)
5. Aunt Barb's table runner... - from start to finish, was ordered
before Christmas
6. Bug quilt... - finish the top,- quilt it,- binding
7. Alphabet in Slovak quilt... - finish the top,- quilt it,- binding
8. Calendar quilt... - make first 4 months
9. Mother's Day quilt... - from start to finish, I've been dreaming about this quilt for a while

Now, I don't think I can possibly finish all of these by the end of April. I still have to work you know and the most important, semester is close to the end, so it will be tough, but I want to try as much as I can.

Grandma G's runner...

After I made this one, there were two more in order for two other special ladies.


Well, this is one of them. I used scraps again, but mainly floral ones. The table runner goes to lady who can call herself an artist. She used to paint the most beautiful water color paintings. The colors of the little squares remind me of her paintings.

It needs to be quilted and it is still missing a binding... Well it goes straight on my list...
What list? Come by later and you'll find out.

I won...

... and ever since I found out my head is spinning with ideas what I could make. The bag of treasure arrived yesterday and I already spend some time playing with it, just playing for now.


Meaning separating it due to size, color and then play with combinations. When I was not playing I searched for ideas...

These are just few of those I found ...

1. Confetti mini quilt, 2. Pencil Cases, 3. Linen + anything = success!

Thank you Ashley!

Baby quilt #3...

OK, I was finally able to add the binding on the last of the Mountain Baby quilts. This one is a simple nine patch with zig zag quilting through each block.



Backing is again mine thrifty flannel sheet, which I used for a total of three quilts (it was a set twin size, flat and fitted sheet).



I have the address, and everything set up, so these quilts can be on their way to their new homes.


I also added a couple of receiving blankets. This time in girlie tones.


Something I started to work on last night.



The house is clean, laundry is in the wash, I am off to plow in the garden. We have a load of mushroom compost waiting in the trailer.

Enjoy your weekend!

Some great giveaways...

I owe you a post of the baby quilt #3, but it still missing the binding and last night after making dinner, I collapsed on the couch and woke up this morning, I don't remember how I got to bed somewhere in between.
But, there are some giveaways going on that I don't want to miss and you don't want to miss.
Check them out here and here.