V 8 Commercial

Man, I feel like I should be doing a V 8 commercial. I have been drawing lots of lines on little squares to make HSTs. It finally dawns on me---I could have been using Inklingo!

If I were at home, I would've printed the pieces on the white, and then they would be perfect! I wouldn't have to be worried that I was setting the square in exactly the right spot, that I was sewing on the right "line," that things were going to line up. I would know that it was right.

I only used Inklingo on one project, Celtic Solstice, but I was impressed with how easily it went together. I want to do it again and again. I'm like someone who is newly changed. I want to crow from the highest trees to tell everyone.

Granted, the quilt I'm making all these squares for is not one I could have used Inklingo on, since I am away from home. If I had known, I could have printed the squares at home and brought them along. (But I would have forgotten them along with everything else.) Now I'll want to pack a printer along on our Florida jaunts. My kids are already teasing me about bringing an iron. Doesn't everyone take an iron with them on vacation? They do if they're quilters! There's a true test of a quilter--do they bring an iron?

Here I am drawing diagonal lines. How boring! 

Well, slap my forehead. I could have been using Inklingo!

I'm linking up today to Richard and Tanya Quilts and Whoop Whoop Fridays @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Thanks,

Lin

Sunken Gardens

We went to the Sunken Gardens here in St. Petersburg, Florida. I'm so enlightened by the plants they can grow here. When I look thru my seed catalogs, dreaming of what I will grow this year, I'm always drawn to the things that won't grow in Michigan. Well, they'll grow, but not outside for long.

Things that we have to consider house plants grow outside here. Crotons, philodendrons, podocarpus, ferns, and so many others. I don't even know their names.

There were flamingos at the Sunken Gardens. Chilean Flamingos. Aren't flamingos native to Florida?

They really do move just like Disney has them move in animation.

Spanish moss galore, which I learned is neither Spanish, nor a moss.

I think the pattern on palm trees is quite attractive. It's woven, can you see it in a quilt?

I'm linking today with I Quilt Thursdays @ Pretty Bobbins, Really Random  Thursday @ live a colorful life and Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation. Thank you

Lin

No Reply Bloggers

I'm sure we've all seen the comments about NoReplyBloggers. I found out I was one! I have now repaired that and this is the post I used to do that: Moms Point of View. The steps were simple. She advises that you send a comment to your own blog to test. Well, I got two new comments out of it. Both from me. sigh. Kinda sad when you have to send yourself comments.

We went to a quilt shop in Palmetto, Florida! Quilter's Haven in Palmetto. Very cute shop. Such fine samples on the walls!

I love the Christmas cactus, and the shamrock. The animal quilt is adorable. Can you see?? The blue fabric has manatees all over it. Very cute!

I love visiting other quilt shops. My Heart Throb is very good about it too.

Lin

ALLIGATORS!

As you may have deduced, I am afraid of alligators. And snakes. Both of which Florida has plenty of. So I think I am collecting alligator warning signs. Do thy know they're supposed to stay away from me, and Trixie?

Here's my first sign:

I promised I would not feed the alligators.

Then this one:

I like that it says NO SWIMMING. Well, duh!

I found another sign when we were looking for manatees, but the pic is MIA. Who could have taken it?? An alligator? Probably. Scary, huh?

Last night I got started on my next flimsy. I'll have so much to do when I get home. Of course, I may be out of it, with the root canal. What do you think? Will I need rebound time?

Lin

I'm linking up today with Let's Bee Social @ Sew Fresh Quilts and WIP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

February In Review

I am joining up with the 30/30 Challenge today. This is sponsored by Berry Barn Designs, and you set aside 30 minutes a day for 30 days to sew for yourself. I plan on finishing my Mom's quilt, and making doll clothes for my grand daughters. Got lots of UFOs (or are they WIPs? I like calling them Works In Progress better. Maybe they're not old enough yet for UFOs.) to finish.

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This is my February In Review too. 

Since we are traveling, I haven't been quite as productive as if I was home. And especially since I left so much at home. Kick Kick. That's kicking myself for forgetting.

Here goes:

I finished the piecing on my Celtic Solstice. When we get home, I can sew it all together and make a top --I like the term flimsy for a top. So I'll make a flimsy. That term just catches my fancy.

I got all my sewing projects ready to take with me. So organized.

I managed to go to three quilt shops this month. Attic Windows in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Tomorrow's Treasures in Ocala, Florida; and Sandy's Quilt Shop in Punta Gorda, Florida. Not all in the same day. Found out on Friday that Sandy's is closing. Nice shop. 

I was the main athlete in the O-Lin-pics. OK. I was the only one. I won some Gold medals!

Then I had to give back the medals for forgetting everything for my sewing, and leaving them at home.

I finished the Blue and Green flimsy.

Finished all the squares for the melon/creamsicle top. I need room to lay them out and decide placement. There's just not much room in a trailer.

I'm a little disappointed in myself. I would've liked to produce a little more!

Lin

I'm linking up today with Berry Barn Designs 30/30 and Patchwork Times

Melons and Creamsicles

I've been busy on my melon/creamsicle quilt. I was at the part of adding the small HSTs, and then trimming the underparts. Very boring work today. I also sewed together the bonus HSTs that I cut off. Someday I will want to use them in a quilt and I wanted to get them sewn together before they got divided from their partners.

I tried to get a picture outside in the sun, but the wind kept blowing the squares off the picnic table.

Lin

Fish Quilting

Bet you didn't even know fish could quilt!

Well, you were right. They didn't quilt, but the ladies at quilt group here worked on them. They all seemed to be having a good time mixing fabric scraps to make fins, or fish lips, or gills! Some of the choices were inspired.

Grace, who was leading them, worked from Sue Carlson's book  Free-Style Quilts.

 They heaped a pile of scraps on the main table and people had at it. They tried molding the the scraps to the fish parts they were working on. So fins were picked from curved designs, like ferns. Eyes needed a circular design. They fish were gorgeous, and each one so different! I plan on working on this at home. I bought the book from Amazon, so I have a reference.

These two are by Grace, as samples.

These are by everyone else, works in progress:

I should've waited until I could get a picture of the whole school swimming by.

What a fun time!

Lin