Citrine Lemon Squares Quilt

For WIP Wednesday I thought I'd share what's currently on my design wall:

I'm using the Lemon Squares pattern from the Fresh Lemons blog. Very simple pattern, I love how quickly the blocks pieced together. I'm still playing with the placement of the blocks, and will probably move a few things around before I start to sew them together.

The fabric is mainly from the Joel Dewberry Heirloom collection in the citrine colorway. Very fresh and vibrant, there is just something about his use of orange, yellow, and seafoam blue that appealed to me. Look how well some of my hand dyed fabrics blended with this line:

I've linked up again with WIP Wednesday over at the Freshly Pieced blog. Go check out everyone else's work - wonderful things happening!

CGM

CGM Podcast Episode #16: On Shaky Ground

Listen to the episode HERE

Show notes:

• Life Update/Talk about the earthquake and Hurricane Irene
• My staycation goals to organize things neglected around the home including my spice cabinet and fabric stash. Question: How often do you rotate the spices in your cabinet? How often do you rotate your fabric stash to keep them dust-free and know what you have?
• Discussed in regards to my stash is the IKEA Expedit, where I store it all...OK most of it, LOL.
• New quilter to cheer on: Giles at Touch and Sew blog - go check him out!

WIPs:

• Lighthouse Quilt: still on my design wall
• Sewing blocks together using the Joel Dewberry Heirloom fabrics in the citrine colorway and the Lemon Squares pattern on Fresh Lemons blog

Fall 2011 Book Preview!!

September

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett, paperback, 8/30

That Used to Be Us by Thomas Friedman, 9/5

In My Time by Dick Cheney, 8/30

Here Comes Trouble by Michael Moore, 9/13

The Race by Clive Cussler, 9/6

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, 9/13

New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb, 9/13

Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff, paperback, 9/6

October

Boomerang by Michael Lewis, 10/3

Decision Points by George W. Bush, paperback, 10/18

Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy, paperback, 9/27

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult, paperback, 10/18

Great By Choice by Jim Collins, 10/11

The Affair by Lee Child, 9/27

Seriously, I’m Kidding by Ellen Degeneres, 10/4

Freedom by Jonathan Franzien, paperback, 9/27

The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson, 10/17

 The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks, 10/11

Shock Wave by John Sanford, 10/4

Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly, 9/27

Every Day a Friday by Joel Osteen, 9/13

Nightwoods by Charles Frazier, 10/4

Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard, 9/20

Lethal by Sandra Brown, 9/20

Son of Stone by Stuart Woods, 9/20

The 3^rd Alternative by Stephen R. Covey, 10/4

Bonnie by Iris Johansen, 10/18

Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory, 10/18

The Ares Decision by Robert Ludlum, 10/4

EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey 9/20

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman, 10/4

Rin Tin Tin by Susan Orlean, 10/4

Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch, 9/13

Children’s Books:

Heroes of Olympus Book 2: Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan, 10/4

If You Give a Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff, 10/4

Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein, 9/20

Seizure by Kathy Reichs, 10/18

It’s A Little Book by Lane Smith, 10/11

Puss in Boots movie tie-in books, 10/18

Olivia and the Christmas Party, 10/4

November

The Litigators by John Grisham, 10/25

Kill Shot by Vince Flynn, 11/1

The Next Always by Nora Roberts, new paperback trilogy, 11/1

11/22/63 by Stephen King, 11/8

Zero Day by David Baldacci, 11/1

Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson 11/14

The Snow Angel by Glenn Beck, 10/25

Devil’s Gate by Clive Cussler, 11/15

How I Got This Way by Regis Philbin, 11/15

The New Rules by Bill Maher, 11/15

I Did Ask to Be Born by Bill Cosby, 11/1

Hotel Vendome by Danielle Steel, 11/1

The Time of Our Lives by Tom Brokaw, 11/1

Lost December by Richard Paul Evans, 11/1

Then Again by Diane Keaton, 11/15

Untitled by Condoleeza Rice, 11/1

Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire, 11/1

The Wedding Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini, 11/1

Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand, paperback, 11/8

The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht, paperback, 11/1

The Charming Quirks of Others by Alexander McCall Smith, paperback, 10/25

The Doctor and the Diva by Adrienne McDonnell, paperback, 10/25

The Iron Lady by John Campbell, paperback, 10/25 (movie tie-in)

Children’s Books

Diary of a Wimpy Kid #6: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney, 11/15

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini, 11/8

Playground by 50 Cent, 11/1

Crossed by Ally Condie, 11/1

The Magical Christmas Horse by Mary Higgins Clark, 10/25

December

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaccson, 11/21

Micro by Michael Crichton, 11/22

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton, 11/14

I Am George Washington by Glenn Beck, 11/22

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich , 11/22

Gabby by Gabby Giffords, 11/29

Betty & Friends by Betty White, 11/21

Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell, 12/6

The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards, paperback, 11/29

The Third Gate by Lincoln Child, 12/6

Inside the Mind of Casey Anthony by Keith Ablow, 11/22

Best Friends, Occasional Enemies by Lisa Scottoline, 11/22

The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon, 11/29

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich, paperback, 11/22 (movie tie-in)

Stay safe everyone, especially my East Coast friends who've been "shaken up" weather-wise twice this week!

CGM

Busy....

Aren't we all? It just seems like I can't catch up with everything that needs doing though. In any case, I am on vacation starting tomorrow (that sigh you heard was me) and as usual I have "grand plans" to get everything that needs doing around the house done in a whirlwind 10 days. Yeah, right. At the rate I'm going I'll be lucky to clean out 1 cupboard, much less do the "grand kitchen reorganization/pantry overhaul" I have in mind.

I have been sewing though! Here is my latest project, which I needed to start like I need another dirty diaper (sorry, Mommy-with-an-infant metaphor). I bought some fat quarters of the new Joel Dewberry line, Heirloom. They aren't my usual palette, but something about the citrus colors in this line just drew me in.

I am using the Lemons Squares quilt pattern over on the Fresh Lemons blog (fab-u-lous!). It's very simple and straightforward. I am having fun piecing this as I catch up on my podcasts.

That's pretty much it, other than doing a little more work on the Birdie Stiches BOM. No progress made on my Lighthouse Quilt, it just stares back at me woefully from it's spot on my design wall.

New podcast episode coming at the end of the week, so check back please! I've linked up with Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday's, and you should really do the same, we quilter's love the inspiration.

Have a great week!

CGM

CGM Podcast Episode #15: Summer Wind-Down....

Listen to the episode HERE


Life update:

• Portland, OR visit: Fabric Depot love
• Downton Abbey returns with Season Two 1/8/2012!!!
• Watch Berkley Square to hold you over until Downton returns

Works-in-Progress:

• Birdie Stitches BOM: Little Miss Shabby blog
• Lighthouse Quilt: view pics in 8/10/11 post

What's Making Me Happy in Crafting:

• COLOURlovers website: create and "love" hundreds of color palettes to use in your quilts or other craft projects. Here are some examples, and you can print them off to take with you when you fabric shop...I am having a lot of fun on this site!

Book Reviews:

Block Party--The Modern Quilting Bee: The Journey of 12 Women, 1 Blog, & 12 Improvisational Projects

The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly

Thanks so much for listening!

CGM

WIP Wednesday!

I didn't have enough WIPs going (hah!) so of course I started a new one. This is my Lighthouse Quilt so far:

I fussy-cut the lighthouse from a panel of fabric I bought recently at Fabric Depot while I was in Portland, Oregon. Here is some detail of the lighthouse and the rocks below.

 


Not too bad, but I'm still playing around with it...this means it's still on my design wall and as I walk in and out of my studio I eyeball it to see if I still like what I've done so far. If I do, I leave it alone. If I don't, I gnash my teeth, pull my hair, cut a teeny-tiny piece of rock or ground cover fabric and glue stick it on to the scene somewhere. Then I walk away and do it all over again later. Eventually I will be happy with it and it will move on to the texturing phase.....more to come on that when I get there.

Here's what else I've been working on:

I just love these little birdies!

That's all folks. Check out Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday and link up your work too!

I am also linked up with Thearica at Pigtales & Quilts today, showing off my quilt studio. She has a fabulous blog, go check it out and link up your sewing space too!!

CGM

Last-Minute Pirate Patch...aaaargh!

Five minutes before leaving for work this morning, husband says to me, "Do you have a kerchief or something pirate-related for Sam to wear? It's Pirate Week at school." This is what happens when Mom doesn't do a drop-off or pick-up at school for a few days.

Then Sam chimes in asking for a pirate patch so she "won't be the only one without a patch at school." Que sad-and-pitiful-me face. Sigh. These are the moments when a Mom pulls at her hair, shakes her fists at the heavens for last-minute requests, while at the same time thanking her lucky stars she sews and has a room full of fabric and thread to find something to "make it work."

Thankfully a pirate patch is a small and simple thing, even if you just picture it in your mind. So I pulled out some black felt and embroidery thread (I only had 5 minutes so green thread it would have to be) and quick-sewed this little patch together.

Sam loved it. I had to pat myself on the back for "making it work" after all!

And I loved it even more when we got to school and her teacher said, "Oh! We made pirate patches in class yesterday. Sam, didn't you tell your mom that?" Amazing how quickly Sam can run to play with her friends when Mom gives her the "you'll be walking the plank" look.....aaaargh!

CGM

I May Regret This Later....

I joined a gym this weekend.....

Planet Fitness has 24 hr. weekday hours, lots of cardio equipment, free personal training, and it's only $10/month after you register ($29 registration fee*). For the low price, and no commitment deal you don't get the "frills" of other gyms (no daycare, fluffy towels, classes, hot shirtless guy to rub your aching muscles....) but it will do the job if you show up.

I've been feeling pretty "unhealthy" lately...OK for the last year. I must admit I did not keep up with the fitness routine with the second pregnancy as I did with my first. I was happy to have only gained 18 pounds this time around vs. the 50 I know I should have gained based on my lack of exercise and love of the Taco Bell drive-thru. But once you get that "not exercising at all" ball rolling, it's hard to stop it. Then one day you find yourself at the top of your stairs holding an 18 pound baby and breathing as hard as a racehorse at the finish line of the Kentucky Derby. And then you realize you are breathing just as hard when you're NOT holding the 18 pound baby. Not a pretty site.

So in a nutshell, I've decided to do something about this flabby situation, and plunked down my (proverbial) $10 and commenced to working out. My legs were screaming after only 7 minutes on the cardio equipment, and I couldn't believe how few reps of the weight machines I could do with what I thought was a light weight. Eeeep! Oh well, baby steps and I am determined to push forward with this to better health....I only hope I can still lift my arms to sewing machine height after this!
Since it was dinner time by the time I left, I gave myself extra points for avoiding the place right next door:

Nice juxtaposition, huh? I wonder if anyone puts in their pizza order before they go workout, asking to have it ready in 30 minutes, LOL? That is SO something I would do in a pinch.

Does your gym have an "ironic" neighbor in the vicinity?


CGM

*$29 fee is what I paid at my gym, not sure about other locations. This is the "no frills/extras" deal of $29 registration, $10/month) Not a paid sponsorship, just keepin' it real!

The Diversion Quilt

I mentioned this quilt on my podcast recently. It's what I call a Diversion Quilt. See, when I made a quilt for the new baby:

(Maddy at 6 months)

I then had to make a quilt for this baby:

(Samantha at 7 months - she's now 4 yrs old)

But I had not planned on making a new one for Samantha just yet. I was hoping to get a few more WIPs completed, try a few book and magazine projects and techniques that have caught my eye, paint my toenails, clean out my closet, do another load of laundry...you know, all the things that "need" to get done before I plan or start another quilt. But alas I get that sad face and a 4 year-old's demand for a quilt "now Mommy" to make it even-steven, and what's a mom with a guilty-conscience to do?

Hence the "Diversion Quilt" was born. Have you made one of these? You don't even have to be a Mom to have made one....maybe you heard a loved one "sigh" one time too many about you not having made them a quilt yet. So you sew a quickie quilt together to shut them up make them feel reassured about your love for them. You know it ain't your best work. You know when you have "more time" you'll really put your heart-and-soul into a phenomenal quilt for that person that will knock their socks off.

But you know what? During the process of making that Diversion Quilt, you just might see a few looks like this:

or when it's finally finished this:

and this.....

and you realize, it already does.

CGM

What I'm Reading This Month

Practical Jean: A Novel (P.S.) by Trevor Cole

(paperback on sale 10/18/11)

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley

(on sale 11/1/11)

Next to Love: A Novel by Ellen Feldman

Big Girl Small: A Novel by Rachel DeWoskin

What are you reading this month?

CGM