We usually have monarchs on our milkweed plants in the back.  However, lately I had been seeing a more yellowish butterfly fluttering around.  The other day I finally walked out with camera to try and get a photo.  Luckily, I got a decent photo.  It is a Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (after much searching, I found that one out) and supposedly a female.  

Our milkweed plants are huge.  We had 2 huge plants but lost one this week in a recent downpour.  It was just too top heavy with all the flowers and toppled over since it had nothing to support ...

I'm not a square quilt kind of person.  When the measurements add up to form a square, I do everything to add more height.  Add it to my list of quirks.  But yet, when I see other people make square quilts, I like them.  Go figure. 

I tested out the breast cancer quilt with the horizontal spacer rows between every 4 rows.  Well I did one and then used graphics software to crudely add in the other solid fabric strips.  I did not like how that turned out.  So, since it was digital, no seam ripping needed. 

I went ...

I started the assembly of the first of two Quilt for the Cure quilts I am putting together.  Some of the blocks I received could not be cut to 5" square because they were too small.  I finally came up with cutting those to 4.5" squares and then putting the sponsor block in the center with a border.  The two center rows around the sponsor block are the 4.5 and the outer two rows have the 5" blocks.  I'm shocked that they measured up to match.  I must have paid some attention in my math classes :-)


Now ...

Thanks for stopping by!  
~*~Trish~*~

Thanks for stopping by!  
~*~Trish~*~

On numerous occasions when I need to square up a lot of blocks, I usually don't have the correct size square ruler I want.  It sometimes drive my eyes bonkers when trying to find the right line each time on where to cut.  There's been more than one time when my eyes picked the wrong line and I ended up cutting it smaller than needed.  Recently I started adding painters tape to my rulers when a certain size is needed and I have many blocks to square up.  For this round, I needed the 5 by 5 square ...

I have several UFO in process that I go back to from time to time.  The current one I picked up for a little was the Santorini Quilt that I am trying to find the perfect flower shape to add on.  The first set of accuquilt go shapes were too small.  Recently, I auditioned (using paper, ignore the color paper used) several heart and circle shapes to form flowers.  Here's an example in paper.  In the photo is 4 hearts, but, it may need 6 hearts.  However, if I place 6 hearts, it could be too heavy.  The flower ...

I've been trying to think of things to create with my serger.  I just purchased a bunch of serger books that should be here this week to give me some ideas.  Until then, I figured I would work on the pillowcase challenge that I was 13weeks behind on.  

So far, I had already completed 14 pillowcases up until now.  Based on which week we are in, I should have had 27 completed so far since I wanted to complete one per week.  Well, I shocked myself and finished 13 pillowcases with the serger this weekend.  What a breeze and ...

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One one of my trips home, I helped get up in the attic and clean things out.  There, way in the back was this chest that my  mom believes was my great great Grandmother's chest she used when moving to the US.  It's a little worn in some areas but what a beauty to have restored.

When it was opened, it was like it had not been opened for 40 years.  It had drapery sheers in it that stunk so bad and seemed to be discolored.  I tried to wash them.  However, when removing the items, out popped ...

I did not spend very much time sewing over the 4th of July holiday.  However, time on the boat and visiting with others also allowed me to take my netbook and complete a little surfing or should I say shopping.  Once I saw that fabric.com was having a "red, white, & blue" with increasing discounts sale, I was hooked, that's all I could think about.  Discounted fabric, Discounted fabric.  I went back 3 times and ordered fabric.  But I'm pretty happy with the discount!  One shipment should be here today.  In this shipment I ordered the Sandy Gervais ...

Thanks for stopping by!  
~*~Trish~*~

Yeah!  The long weekend is here!  And, I'm finally past the bat wing block.  On this set of 3 blocks I completed, I once again attempted the bat wing block.  Believe it or not I had 2 more attempts on this block.  But they are gone and they are now forgotten.  

I finished Block 6 - Big Dipper block first and I cut way too many square fabrics for this one.  So, I reused the fabric for the Block 5 Bat Wing.  I'll move them around on the quilt once it's completed.  And finally, I finished Block 8 ...

I am pretty excited that I have come from behind and finally have caught myself up on the Moose on the Porch Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along.  I was 6 blocks behind.  I made many mistakes on these 6 blocks and I would love to know how mine end up being so many different sizes.  However, I am completed.  I have not ironed or trimmed the blocks yet.  On Block 5 (Chain Link) I really had to get creative and add another outer border because sometimes I can read directions and it still gets cut wrong.  It's all good ...

On the Pieceful Kwilter's bom, I'm just using whatever batiks I pick up from my scraps.  So ...

Long ago and far away, I'm ashamed to say "years" ago, I purchased a serger from the QVC outlet along with my Janome Memory Craft sewing/embroidery machine which I'm still using.  I was so enamored with the sewing machined that I had purchased that I set the serger box aside.  It kept getting moved and ended up in storage.  Probably 5 feet of boxes piled up over time on the serger box in storage.  I kept saying, I need to get that out and set it up.  Overtime, it got further and further from reach in storage ...

This week I was able to complete 3 Farmer's Wife Blocks.  I completed Blocks 2, 3, and 4   They were cut out as rotary cut blocks and then a little applique on the basket block 3.  I love Fridays!  That means the weekend is here and some extra time for sewing.  Have a great weekend!



Thanks for stopping by!  
~*~Trish~*~

I spent the day yesterday quilting up a T Shirt quilt that I have had the top for a long time. I'll share photos of the full quilt sometime later in the week.
So I quilted through the "Heat Press Batting Together" tape with my HandiQuilter.  It worked like a charm.  No thread breaks that were out of the ordinary.  No gathers where the tape is located.  I give it a thumbs up, A+ and I'll surely be using it again.  Saved me from having to buy more batting for a smaller quilt.  

Here's some photos.  If ...