WIP Wednesday

This week I finally finished up the sashing on the Block-a-palooza top - Luna wasn't much help, as you can see.  I ordered some more of the red cornerstone polka dot fabric to use for binding and then realised that I don't have enough of the fabric I planned to use for the border, so I am also waiting for that to arrive in the mail. 

In the meantime, I started piecing five giant Scottie log cabin blocks for the back.  The plan is to make them into a strip across the center of the back and finish with red and blue fabric above and below. 

I can add two more flowers to the finished stack.  I really need to pick up the pace on these.  My sister reports from her California sweatshop that she has finished 45!!!! flowers already - meaning she has totally left me in the dust. 

I am linking up to WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced - go take a look at everyone's projects...

Freebird Lovin'

My sister sent me these photos of her cat Zach snuggling in the quilt I made her for Christmas.  Actually, he is totally obsessed with it and really won't share.  Anyone who knows Zach knows better than to take something away from him - that would be playing with your life!  I guess I will need to get started on a new quilt for my sister...

Block-a-Palooza - framing and sashing...

It's been a couple of months, but I haven't forgotten about my Block-a-Palooza blocks.  I just wasn't sure exactly how I wanted to set them.  Finally, I decided to frame each block first with a one inch border and then sash them together with two inch strips and red cornerstones.  The frames allowed me to square up each block more easily without nipping any geese noses or triangle tips.  My sister found the red cornerstone fabric and noticed that it matches the spots in the Scottie's bows exactly!

All the blocks are framed and half are sashed, so i'm almost there.  Then on to the border and backing...

I am linking up to Work-in-Progress Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.  Go check out the projects!

Wow - Stylish Blogger Award!

 

I haven't clocked in any sewing time in almost two weeks!  My mom has been visiting for the past 10 days, so I took some vacation, and we have been busy tourists in Paris.  We have a fantastic time wandering the streets and eating cakes... 

Anyway, imagine my surprise when I checked back in on my blog and saw that Kim from My Go-Go Life  had awarded me a Stylish Blogger Award.  Wow, I am just so honored and flattered - so many truly sweet compliments!  She has tons of beautiful and inspiring projects on her blog, which you should investigate immediately!

To accept this award, the recipients are asked to do a few things:

- Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award

- Share 7 things about yourself

- Award the title to 6 or 7 blogs you feel deserve the award

- Contact these blogs to let them know about the award.

I am always shy talking about myself, but here we go...

1.  I have lived in Paris with my French husband and cat Luna for the past nine years.  
2. We met in Normandy while I was studying French and Art History during my Junior year abroad in University, and I basically never moved back to the States, except briefly for six months to finish my degree.
3.  After graduating, we moved to London for six years during which time we were married at the Goring Hotel, which has recently been in the news, as Kate Middleton and her family stayed there the night before her wedding to Prince William)
4. I haven't driven a car since I left the States over 16 years ago.  Stupidly, I let my U.S. license expire, so I couldn't drive now even if I wanted to...
5. I dream of one day having a fox terrier, but until we move from our tiny apartment and I don't have to work full-time, I don't really see that happening...
6. I am a total night owl (like my whole family but to the chagrin of my husband who has to force me to go to bed every night)  Dragging myself out of bed in the morning has been a life-long struggle, but I could stay up all night, every night!
7. I rush home from work to work on whatever is my latest sewing project, but because of the above-mentioned tiny apartment, I only have the coffee table and a fold-out side table in the living room to use for my sewing.  This means that everything has to be packed away again before supper if we are to have room to eat...Perhaps one day when I have the time and space for my fox terrier, I will also have a sewing room!

And now onto my favorite blogs...  I follow a couple hundred blogs, so it's difficult to single out just a few...

Type B Crafter : I discovered Taya through Block-a-Palooza.  She has made some gorgeous quilts - I especially love her Charming Stars & Verna Floral Bouquet

(Taya, maybe it's me and i'm crazy, but I can't find a link to your email on your blog, so sorry for not contacting you!)

Vintage Modern Quilts : Lisa's blog is an inspiration to me.  All of her projects are stunning, the photography fantastic, lots of juicy fabric shots, cleverly written... you get the idea! Go check her out!

One Shabby Chick - Amber has loads of super cute projects - quilts, bags, pouches, burp cloths, ...  tons of beautiful photos...

Cloth Work - I found Melissa's blog via Stitched in Color's Bloggers Pillow Party.  Her VW Beetle pillow is just too cute!  She has so many other beautiful quilts and projects, and I love her use of linen with prints.

Ok, well time to stop chatting and get back to sewing, more project updates to come next week!