MUG RUG MANIA

It's all about the Mug Rugs around here...this is the one I received from the Scrappy Mug Rug Swap

MADE BY LIVING MY SWEET LIFE

CLOSER VIEW OF PUMPKINS

ON THE WALL

ADDING TO MY HALLOWEEN VIGNETTE

and here is the one I received in the DMQG swap (I had to steal from Robin...hope she doesn't carry a grudge).

MADE BY APRIL OF ARTSY FARTSY DESIGN

IT LOOKS GREAT WITH MY BLACK CATS!

And here was mine

Finally...it is looking a little like Halloween around here....LOVE IT!

AIRBRUSHED ANGIE

WOW...I can't believe it has been a month since I last posted.  It has been a little crazy here with my "real" job.  I have a big (it may have a 5 and an 0 in it) birthday on the horizon.  To ease my pain, I commissioned a doll quilt to be made by Carol (mamacjt) http://mamacjt.blogspot.com/

I became familiar with her work in the doll swaps in which I have been a participant.  She is soooo talented!  Check out her work here  http://www.flickr.com/photos/35289170@N06/sets/72157627412420480/

She is also well-liked...a group of quilters recently finished a quilt for her...check it out here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35289170@N06/6101602062/in/photostream
I am totally in awe of her talent....she makes everything look effortless!

Here is the quilt she made me!

No wrinkles..no dark circles...I wish I really did look this fresh faced!

I have changed my hair color since this was made LOL!  I would totally wear a necklace like that!

She did a great job of smoothing my wrinkles, getting rid of my dark under eye circles, deleting my double chin....I feel like I have been airbrushed!
Thank you so much Carol!  I love it...I love all of your work!
  
In sending me the quilt, you said "I hope you love yourself" and I can say "I do! I do!"



Halloween is just around the corner....I love October especially Halloween!  Here is a mug rug I made for a swap which was mailed on Friday....

Scrappy Pumpkin

My Label on the back

Other goodies sent for my partner

Now...I'm off to finish my 2nd mug rug for our DMQG meeting on Thursday...and I have a Doll Quilt that must be mailed by the 23rd...Yikes!

Finally...I think my husband has brainwashed our dog! 

Go Buffalo Bills!

LITTLE APPLES LOVE!

Last night the DMQG members showed their creations from the Little Apples Challenge.  Little Apples is a new fabric line from MODA...the creation of Aneela Hoey.

Jenny's cute quilt

 Ellen's mug rugs at top and a sweet little mini on the bottom

Laura's fab  pillow

April's WONDERFUL book quilt....I have to make one of these!

LOVE THIS!

Sarah's cute quilt...of course she put a heart in hers!

Gina added black to her quilt..love it!

Susan's selvage block...cute!

Mine :)

This one turned out great!

I love all of the different blocks in Jamie's quilt!

I love the fussy cutting in this one!

I am always amazed at what my fellow quilters create.  I will try to get the names of the few quilters I forgot and add them.  It was a fun time..can't wait for next month....Mug Rug Swap!

SUMMER SWAPS AND OTHER SUNDRIES

Tom and the kids (not really)

Greetings from Dallas!!!

My Backyard...just kidding (sort of)

We are in the middle of drought and extremely high temperatures.  I feel like loading the RAV4 and heading to California...
During this long, hot summer, I have participated in a few swaps with fellow quilters.  The first swap was the 80's Swap.  Remember the 80's??  My partner surprised me with the best gift, a replica of my Sony Walkman...

I don't know if she realized how much I loved my Walkman.  I mean...you could walk around and listen to music...shocking in 1982!  I took it with me to California in 1984 when I spent six weeks on a friends horse ranch.  I took it with me to Law School where it finally broke..

 Me in my Sony Walkman days...and when I used to exercise!

 
OTHER GOODIES SHE INCLUDED

More Ruby Star Rising fabric

A needle holder

Some of my favorite fabric!

Outside of the needle holder

A retro bag!

An MTV Pincushion!!!!!! I loved my MTV

 THANK YOU SO MUCH PINKBRAIN AND MR. CHICKEN (JEN)....I LOVE IT ALL!

 Then, I participated in another Doll Quilt Swap.  My partner requested colors of orange, aqua and gray.  I came up with two ideas....

Eventually, my finished version looked like this...

Finished quilt...now to bind

Closer view of hand quilting

Bound and ready to mail

My partner has two little girls so finger puppets, Christmas monkey fabric, awesome Christmas book and a Sarah Jane fabric panel

And I received this from my partner....

Isn't this little quilt so cheerful and bright?  I love it!
THANK YOU A GIRL IN PARADISE!  I LOVE IT!

Now...to work on a quilt for a sick little boy and my project for the next DMQG meeting!

SWANS

Last night we had our  "ugly fat quarter exchange" (http://dallasmodernquiltguild.blogspot.com/2011/05/ugly-fq-swap.html) at the Dallas Modern Quilt Guild meeting.  I am always amazed at what our members create.  I had originally gotten a polka dot fat quarter as my "ugly" but a rumbling of discontent among the members took place....whispers of "that looks like it belongs in your stash" etc., etc.  To stop the backlash and quell the angry mob (!), I picked another fat quarter courtesy of Sarah (Pink Pixie).

Oh yea, underwear!

Hats, boots and mittens

Yippy...underwear again!

 This is the little quilt I created using the "ugly" fat quarter

My first effort at paper piecing (unintentionally wonky)...pattern from Sarah Fielke's book

The back

It was a fun night...more photos can be found here http://www.flickr.com/groups/dallasmodernquiltguild/ and here http://dallasmodernquiltguild.blogspot.com/

BEACH TIME AND DQS 11

View from our condo balcony

My family has been at the beach for the past week...we are on beach time.  It was hard to come back to the heat that greeted us in Texas....102 here right now.  Yikes!!!!!  I think I see a lot of sewing in my future.

I recently found out I was selected to participate in the  DQS11 (Doll Quilt Swap 11).   Here is my mosaic inspiration for my partner....do you think you can figure out what colors I love the most??

DQS 11, originally uploaded by Retromama61.

My mosaic for DQS11

I am VERY excited about my partner and have fabric choices dancing around my head!
Finally, Thursday is the DMQG (Dallas Modern Quilt Guild)  July meeting.  We'll see if everyone  made a "swan"out  of their "ugly fat quarter."  Can't wait!!