QUILT RETREAT

MAKING PROGRESS ON A QUILT

I found this quilt that I had begun 2 years ago in my closet when I was packing for the retreat, 3 days at the beautiful Oregon coast:

It didn't look like this when I pulled it out of the closet, of course. This is how much I was able to get done!! It's still missing a few strips of white between the rows, but that's easy to take care of.

Here's a look at the blocks from the Sakura Park line by Moda fabrics:

I downloaded this quilt pattern, Noteworthy Labyrinth, by Karin Vail from Moda BakeShop. 

As a special treat, to show you what beautiful weather we had in January, here are some shots of the Pacific Ocean:

All I can say is: WOW!

SPEAKING OF SCRAPS...

I'm working on the log cabin of hens, chicks, and roosters (one of my favorite themes!) from my friend's scraps of SO LONG AGO:

Linking with my friends at:

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Popular topics: Chicks & Spring!

My post with photos of the applique chicks and the flowers of spring really attracted viewers! Thank you all for stopping by. Either we're all desperate for spring (probably!), or everyone really likes chicks! My sister, Diana, says I need to work on bunny appliques next.

Besides playing with machine applique, I'm still working on the mystery quilt sponsored by Eleanor Burns. Here's a sneak peek at the current blocks on my design wall (felt fabric tacked to the wall) and border panels that I'm working on for this month:

This hasn't been sewn together yet.

One of the corners finished in the past 2 months.

For those of you who are desperate for spring, here's the latest bouquet:

Camellias & daffies :)

For those who love food, here's the buttermilk dark chocolate cake I'm making for my foreign student's birthday, homemade (even using my own vanilla extract!): 

Yum! Never forget to eat chocolate!

Little Dickens, rest in peace :(

Have a wonderfully creative day, 

whatever your endeavors! 

Spring Chicks...Is it too early??

Applique Chicks

It's WIP Wednesday!

I decided to applique some chicks with my machine. My Pfaff Creative Performance is only a little over a year old, and I still have so much to learn about it. In the past few months, thanks to my sister's interest in purchasing some appliques and embroideries online to use on my machine (see her creativity at: SewCraftyChick.blogspot.com), I followed their instructions and taught myself how to do applique. While it's a bit tedious and time intensive (changing threads frequently for color changes, adding fabric bits for parts, snipping fabric to stitch lines), I really like doing it. The appliques turn out cute, and, one part I really like, I get to use bits of fabric lying around--got plenty of that! So I went a bit "chick wild":

I also made some lavender scones (homemade!)  and picked some daffodils from the yard. The weather's getting spring-y!

Crocuses in the yard are blooming, too!

Linking up with:

Chick Bag Complete!

Ta Da!

I am happy to announce that I have finished the hens & chick fabrics handbag, & enjoyed using it yesterday, even though it "didn't match my outfit," LOL. I only needed to make and add the handles to finish the project from several months ago. Isn't that the way it goes sometimes? It's very roomy inside, keeps its shape thanks to thick interfacing, & has many pockets. I added pockets to the inside as well as to each side of the outside. Can never have too many organizing pockets & pouches! I want to be forthcoming in admitting to you all that it's the fabrics, featuring my favorite "pets" (who produce eggs & entertainment as a bonus), that inspired this handbag. 

Here's what my real chick, "Dickens", looked like as a hatch-ling:

Ain't she sweet?!

Seeing she and her brothers hatched by mother "Skitters" became a very special memory that we were able to record with a camcorder (we couldn't see them crack out of the egg, but we did get to marvel at their first few days of taking a peek at the world from under the warm feathers of their mother). We couldn't keep her noisy & aggressive but BEAUTIFUL brothers as they came into their own at 3 months, so she is special (and the original intent: more egg-laying hens). Speaking of "Running Hen", she is the inspiration for the title of my blog.

"Works in Progress" Wednesday!

My sister visited one weekend, with the full intent of sewing together. She brought a handbag pattern with her (Miranda Day Bag #123 by Lazy Girl Designs) and she talked me into making a handbag, too! We went to our favorite quilt shop in town (Piece By Piece) and bought FABRIC. We fell in love with it because if featured chickens! We can't help it if we love chickens. They kinda endear themselves to you...while producing beautiful eggs!

Produced by our 3 hens over three weeks! They're working girls!

I still have to complete mine by putting on the finishing touches, you know, handles, etc. So here's my "work in progress" for today, the "Chick Bag."