Little Bits of This & That

Mystery Monday's....sewing up a block

This week we are stitching up one set of the blocks. When I am finished with my blocks and before I stitch them all together, I store them in a 12" box that is used for scrap booking paper.

They come is many cute colors and they are the perfect size to store my unfinished project in so that everything stays together and doesn't get wrinkled. Some local quilt shops carry the storage boxes and they can also be found at craft store. How do you store your mystery pieces/blocks?

Now on to the clue.....

Click here to download Blog Mystery # 3 part 5.

 

Mystery Monday's...update

If you have started your sewing this week you may have notice the error in part #4. Very sorry about that!

You have cut correctly....just the wording is wrong.

Here is the update~

    *Stitch (16) 2 1/4" X 6" light background rectangles to
    (16) 2" X 6" alternate (instead of main) fabric. Press. Make 16.

Mystery Monday....time to start your machine!

So did you get all your cutting done? I hope so because it is time to start sewing. This is a longer Mystery so I am giving you two parts to sew this week. They are small so it shouldn't take to long.

Click here to Download Blog Mystery # 3 part 4.

I would love to hear about the fabrics you have picked out for this Mystery. What did you choose? I am working with reds, white and yellows. I think it's a very springy and since I am tired of our brown cold days, it makes me happy and reminds me of sunshine. Still wishing for snow!

Tomorrow is Monday!

Are you done with your cutting and ready to start sewing? Join me tomorrow for the first sewing clues!

The Biltmore by Candlelight

(I never posted this back in December but I had so much fun that I wanted to still share it with you. December just seemed to fly by.)

There is nothing better than just hanging out with a good friend EXCEPT if you get to hang out with that good friend, chatting, laughing, knitting, drinking good coffee AND spending two days with her at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. My good friend, Beth lives in Tennessee so I hopped a plane and flew 2 hours down to Atlanta, then hopped another plane for 22 minutes...yes, 22 minutes, flying into Chattanooga. We spent 2 days at her house where I got to knit, knit and knit some more, while we chatted away. We then took off for two days of fun at the Biltmore. We stopped and shopped along the way at many cute antique shops and we even found a yarn shop, where I picked up yarn for the new Rocky Coast sweater I plan to make this year.

I love to get yarn for projects I want to make while I travel. Then when I'm done with the project, it reminds me of all the fun I had....the best souvenir of good memories!

Here we are heading through the front gate house~

As you come around the final corner you see the Biltmore for the first time and it's beautiful.

There is a very large Christmas tree in the front yard and the whole drive is lined with luminaries~ AMAZING!

We arrived at the Biltmore a bit early so we sat outside, drinking coffee and talking with the other people that were waiting for their Candlelight Tour of the house too.

Most people were shivering and saying how cold they thought it was. I thought it was wonderful. It was about 52 degree and a beautiful starry night. Yes, I'm from Minnesota and 52 seems like great weather for December.

We toured the house by candlelight, enjoying all the charm of the house the way it looked in 1895 when the Vanderbilt family and their guests enjoyed their first Christmas eve together at the Biltmore Estate.

The next day we heading back to the Estate to enjoy another tour that went behind the scenes to see several more rooms and alot more history of the house.

We spent some time going throught the cute shops.

We eat lunch in the stable and tasted the delicious wine made at the Biltmore Winery. Yes, I brought a few bottles of Christmas wine~Yum!

If you ever have a chance to get to North Carolina be sure to stop at the Biltmore Estate. It's one amazing place!

 

Mystery Monday #2 Project Parade

Thank you so much for all of you that joined me in Mystery #2. I hope you were able to find a bit of time to your self to sew during the Holidays even though I know things can be kinda crazy at that time of year.

Here are the wonderful pictures that you sent to me!

 Kristin Sim~

 

 Judy~

 Billie in TX~

This is Billie's Mystery #1~

Elaine~

 Judy~

 Evie Gorecki~

Gale Lavers~

 Jane Ellis~

 Jodie Madison~

Julie Belz~

Vikki Pac~ She turned her runner into a bag! Super cute!

Thank you to everyone who sent in their pictures. It's so much fun to see what people chose to use for their projects and they ways they make it their own.

I hope you are all working on Mystery #3. We are cutting out right now, so be sure to pick your fabrics and get chopping!

The winner for the collection of my newest patterns and Layer Cake is Elaine. (picture #5) Elaine please email me your snail mail address and I will pop your prize in the mail. 

Mystery Monday #3....more cutting

It's time to finish our cutting and next week we sew!

Click here to download Mystery # 3 part 3.

Just an FYI....I will be working on the project parade post tomorrow after I get home from having my car fixed. It has been quite a week...my main computer crash, the printer stopped printing and my internet went out and I couldn't do anything. Everything seems to be back to normal. SO I will be finally working on the project parade so you can see the wonderful job everyone did and I will announce the winner of the pattern pack and Layer Cake. Stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed the internet keeps working! Thanks for your understanding for my slow posting.

Mystery Monday #3....cutting time

We are only a week into the new year already my list of all the things I want to make this year is way out of control! I love slowly working on the mystery....it keeps it simple and fun. Are you joining me in making Mystery #3? It's time to start cutting.

Click here to download Blog Mystery # 3 part 2.

We will be cutting more next week so part 2 is a partial list of the cutting.

P.S. Don't foget to send me a picture of your #2 Mystery project by January 10th. It doesn't have to be quilted to send it in!

 

Aurifil's 2012 Designer Kick Off Day!

A few months ago I got am email from Pat Sloan, yes THE Pat Sloan! She asked me to join her in the Aurfil 2012 Designer Blog Hop. Of course I said yes! So here is the deal.....each month a different designer will have their embroidery pattern posted on the Aurifil Blog for you to download. There is also a finishing pattern that will be posted (I think sometime this summer) that you can use to sash and finish your blocks into a super cute wall hanging. We are doing embroidery patterns this year using the wonderful 12 wt thread that Aurifil offers. Wait until you try it...you will love it!

Here is the line up~

January ....Roseann from Rosebud's Cottage

February ... Sherri Falls (That's me!) ... This and That

March ... Victoria Findlay Wolfe ... Bumble Beans Inc

April ... Gail Pan ... Gail Pan Designs

May ... Anna ... Thimbleanna

June ... Pam Viera-McGinnis ... PamKittyMorning

July ... Sarah Fielke ... TheLastPiece

August ... Bari J ... BariJ

September ... Amy Ellis ... Amy's Creative Side

October ... Amanda ... Mrs McPorkChop

November ... Emily Cier ... Carolina Patchworks

December ... Liz Hawkins & Beth Hawkins ... Lizzie B girls

So are you excited and ready to get stitchin? Hop on over to Aurfil's blog to get started and be sure to check out Roseann's blog today too. She will be posting some stitching tips I know you won't want to miss.

And yes, there will be prizes too! When you finish your monthly stitching, load it up on the Aurifil Flickr page ... some lucky winners will get some awesome thread!!

I hope you will join me and the 11 other designers for a fun filled year of stitching!

 

 

 

Mystery Mondays....beginning again!

Sorry this is posted so late in the day....I have caught a cold and it doesn't seem to want to leave me any time soon.

It's time to start a new mystery! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are ready to start some sewing again.

Here is what you need~
    1 1/4 yd of background fabric. (Light fabric.)
    3/8 yd for alternate block. (Medium fabric.)
    1 fat 1/4's for accent. (Light/medium fabric.)
    ½  yd for main fabric. (Dark fabric.)
    ½  yd for inner border, binding and corner squares. (Dark fabric.)
    5/8 yd for outer border. (Medium/light fabric.)
    3/8 yd for binding.

Click here to download your copy of Mystery # 3 part 1.

Don't forget to tell your friends we are starting a new mystery and please ask them to join us.

Also, I thought I should extend the date for when you need to send in your picture of Mystery #2. I know that the holidays are such a crazy time and it's hard to time even a few minutes to yourself to sew. So let's go with January 10th as the date to send me your picture to be entered in the drawning for a prize (My 11 new patterns for 2012 and a Layer Cake from Moda fabrics) and for the project parade post.

P.S... Look away now if you don't want a hint.......and the hint is we are making a wallhanging/table topper this time.

P.S.S.....don't forget to send in your picture of Mystery #2!