Thimbleanna – Page 52 – My little online diary.

Steampunkiness

30 Comments / August 15, 2013 September 21, 2013 / Quilting

Hello Boys and Girls! Just checking in on a slooooow week. We’ve been trying to get back in the groove after our little vacation. ‘Tisn’t easy! I’m making slower than slow progress on my steampunk blocks, but I’m chugging along. Here are six new ones. That brings the count up to 18 finished — not even half-way yet.

I’m loving the process though so I’m taking my time. I have my piles of fabrics in two laundry baskets — one for prints already used and one for ones that are yet to use. I’ve duplicated a few prints already and I’m sure there will be more duplicates. I don’t use my rotary cutter either. I know it takes more time, but I’ve been tracing around the templates and then cutting them with scissors. Just like quilting happened before rotary cutters. I love cutting the pieces out while I’m watching tv. I put my old cutting board on my lap and go to town.

So, 18 blocks finished, 12 in one state of progress or another, and 18 left to go. I have to get going if I’m going to make my goal of all blocks finished by the end of summer.

FWIW, I’ll be counting the end of summer as the official end of summer (the autumnal equinox) — not the start of school. I can’t believe kids are starting back to school already! It feels like autumnal equinox weather around here this week — it’s been unseasonably cool. Makes you worry a bit about what winter has in store. I know it will get hot again — it always does.

Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend? I’ll be fighting the urge to interrupt the steampunk blocks and slip those Adventure Girls into the sewing queue — I’m betting the Girls will win! ;-D
Have a good weekend!
XOXO,
Anna

We Were Made for Adventure

21 Comments / August 11, 2013 September 21, 2013 / Quilting, Store

Do you remember when I went to quilt market in May, and I showed you a picture of The Sweet Life line of fabric by Cori Dantini — and I told you that you would be seeing it again? No? Well, the fabric surprise that happened while I was on vacation, is the arrival of The Sweet Life fabric that I ordered at market. Here’s a picture of the quilt that was in the Blend Fabrics booth at market.

I fell hard for that sweet little quilt. I think it’s the perfect quilt for the girls in our lives — for birthdays, graduations or for stepping out into a grand new adventure. My favorite panel is the cute middle panel in the quilt above — We Were Made for Adventure.

And look at this adorable print — the little girls are doing fun things like gardening and embroidering. Soooo, so cute!

Blend Fabrics has put out a free quilt pattern for this cute quilt. Here’s a better shot from the pattern.

I’ve put together some kits for these cute quilts — I hope you’ll love them just as much as I do. Each kit has almost 8 yards of fabric – enough to make the quilt, as pictured, plus a quilt back. Plus, there will be one We Were Made for Adventure block left over — it would make a cute pillow to go with your quilt!

I can’t wait to make one for me – I’m trying to exercise some self control and finish the Steampunk blocks before I start this quilt. Although, it will go together so quickly that it wouldn’t really hurt to let it cut in line. I also bought some extra Adventure Girls fabric panels. Each panel has three blocks — Dare to Fly, Enjoy Your Days, and We Were Made For Adventure. Both the kits and the fabric panels are in my Etsy Shop.

Considering that MyDadLovesMeBestSister and CuteNiece1 jumped out of an airplane today, do you think maybe they need We Were Made for Adventure quilts too??? (Just between you and me, I think they need We’re a Few Fries Short of a Happy Meal quilts — cah-raaay-zy!)

XOXO,
Anna

#10 Visit the World’s Greatest Aunt

26 Comments / August 9, 2013 September 21, 2013 / Travel

Check another one off of my 10 Things this Summer list. Woohoo!

I’m back from a wonderful trip to Utah to visit the World’s Greatest Aunt. We had so much fun — I wish family didn’t live so far away. The trip kicked off with a bang — fresh off the plane, I stopped to have lunch with the fabulous Nanette. I always love catching up with Nanette and this time I asked her to bring her British quilt along so I could SEE it in person. Nanette is working on a new version of the quilt with a pattern and I can’t wait to see it. (Sorry for the blurry picture — it was taken with my phone.)

Nanette, her daughter Shelbie and I had a fun visit and she gave me this super cute little zipper “cookie”. Isn’t it adorable? She also gave me a cute real cookie but I ate it before I took a picture — Nanette had more restraint than I did and she took a picture of it.

I spent several days with cousins and the World’s Greatest Aunt and we had lots of fun. We painted a bedroom and played lots of hand and foot. One of the highlights was visiting a nearby little town and meeting with Bonnie. We had lunch at a local little restaurant and then Bonnie took us on a tour of the rock (I know you guys in the Eastern part of the US call them stone, but in the west, they call them rock) house that she and her hubby have restored. It’s. Absolutely. Gorgeous. Words and pictures just don’t do this house justice.

We also got to see the famous rug that Bonnie recently finished. I was surprised to see that it has more of a checkered-type pattern than a braided pattern. Bonnie has promised to teach us how to make these pretty little rugs on a future trip.

And Look! We got to see the famous feedsack quilt too. Pictures DEFINITELY don’t show the beauty of this quilt and now I really want to make one. Bonnie did such a gorgeous job on the stitching — it’s all hand quilted. Bonnie has much better pictures Here.

What a treat to tour this beautiful home. We all felt so special and Bonnie is just as warm and wonderful in real life as she is on her blog. Our afternoon ended too soon, but not before we had a little excitement. We were standing outside Bonnie’s kitchen door saying goodbye when a gust of wind came along and blew the door shut — leaving Bonnie locked out. After a little searching, and by some miracle, Bonnie found a window that had a screen that hadn’t been fastened all the way. After a few attempts with a ladder, we tried the simple tactic of me climbing through the window head-first and Bonnie giving ye ol’ rear end a shove from behind. We laughed and laughed but didn’t manage to get a picture. I can’t say for sure (being on the other end of the event), but I imagine it looked a little like this:

It’s a good thing I was wearing jeans LOL! What a fun day we had!

I could go on and on about the rest of my trip, but I’ll spare you. Here are just a few highlights. A visit to Big Rock Candy Mountain for some white water rafting on the Sevier River. It turned out to be more like a float-along due to the low river levels, but we still had a fun time. And Big Rock CANDY Mountain — what more could you ask for?

Lots of bike riding — one of my favorite places was in an old pioneer cemetery.

A visit to the Golden Spike National Monument. In all my Utah years, I’d never been there.

It’s the site where the Union and Pacific railways were joined in 1869. Very Interesting!

A tram ride at Snowbird Ski Resort.

The views from the peak were spectacular.

Lots and lots of other fun and memories and the stuff of which vacations are made. And don’t worry, the World’s Greatest Aunt and I did manage to hit a few of Utah’s awesome quilt shops — nowhere near all of them, but enough to provide some inspiration. If you’ve never been to Utah and you’re a quilter, you’re definitely missing out!

It’s good to be back home — now, back to that summer list and catching up on lots of work around here.
Have a great weekend!
XOXO,
Anna

#2 Organize Some Iceland Pages on My Site

12 Comments / August 6, 2013 September 21, 2013 / Travel

Hello, Hello! I’m still loafing around on vacation, but I thought I’d pop in and take credit for completing another item on my 10 Things this Summer list. I finally managed to organize some pages about our Iceland trip.

You know, just in case you’re planning a trip to Iceland. Or you don’t have anything better to do and want to get ideas for a future trip. Just click on the travel tab up there in my header and it will take you to a button for the Iceland pages.

TheManoftheHouse has informed me that we have a fabric surprise waiting for us when I get home in a few days. More on that later – I can’t wait! In the meantime, I hope you’re having a great week!

XOXO,
Anna

Sewing

30 Comments / July 24, 2013 August 25, 2013 / Sewing

Thanks for all the quilt love on my last post. You guys are pretty funny. Most of you made me feel better about that 90’s green and wine. Barb’s buddy No-blog Jill even took a peek into the future to suggest tomorrow’s red and green. (Hint: they’re spelled r.e.d. and a.q.u.a. LOL.)

Not much quilting going on around here this week, but I have managed a little sewing. Do you remember my toaster pillowcases? I’ve been busy making more of them.

Thought I’d stock up the gift pile.

I threw in a few Dr. Suess pillowcases. Can you guess the recipient’s name LOL?

I also caught up on some WAY overdue wedding gifts. A bride and groom cookbook and Mr. and Mrs. aprons.

So, no progress on my summer list. I’ll be working on #10 in a few days though — it’s almost time to visit The World’s Greatest Aunt while TheManoftheHouse holds down the fort (and tends kitties!), poor guy. While I’m gone I might be glued to Instagram though — I discovered #campthepigeon today and I’m in love. It’s going to be very sad if the story doesn’t end happily.

Be good while I’m gone!
XOXO,
Anna