Texting While Sewing (missed that deadline ...... oh well)

Well, this time the MBIAJ Sewing and Quilting Dept (who usually fly by the seat of their pants and get things done at the 11th hour just under the wire) have lost their touch ...... couldn't pull it off this time ...... just couldn't get that "Texting While Sewing" block finished in time for the 11:59 EST PM deadline last night. Even STARTED at 11:00 PM (an entire 59 minutes before zero hour) ...... SHEESH ..... must be getting old .....

Well, anyhow, this is how far I got ...... I had lots of fun using those cute little alphabet stamps and ink pad and stamping "moonbeams in a jar" on the yellow swirly "moonbeams" fabric jar

 For the center block, I used my handwritten "handwriting" fabric (with the words to the song "Would you like to swing on a star , carry moonbeams home in a jar")....... and for the "honeybee petals" I used my "low tech texting" hand typed fabric (also with the words to the Moonbeams in a Jar song).

 So, now I need to add a lid to that jar so the moonbeams don't escape ! (especially since they're moonbeams from a BLUE MOON !) ....... and sew everything together, of course !

While, I'm doing that, you should zip on over to the blog "During Quiet Time" to see all of the great "Texting While Sewing" contest entries.

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

College Move In Day is here .......

Well,  it's here ........ Penn State Move In Day ........ I knew it was coming ..... and here it is ........ my last little birdie is leaving home to move into his first college apartment.  His college quilt isn't ready ....... and neither am I !  (sob)       At least he'll be home every weekend (or so he tells me) since he wants to keep his weekend job in the restaurant where he has worked all summer ...... and the campus he will be attending is a PSU branch campus only about a half hour away  ..... even so,  it's gonna be awfully quiet around here during the week ....... (sigh)

Well, be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

School supplies ......

I've always loved shopping for new school supplies .  You just can't beat a new box of crayons and some sharp # 2 pencils with unchewed on erasers ..... AND a fresh tablet of lined  paper  to practice your perfect penmanship.......

.....but WAIT ...... that's not paper!  It's FABRIC made to look like that great paper you get in first grade !  I LOVE this stuff !  I think it would be really cute made up into a signature quilt (signed by the kids) for a teacher's gift.   Or, made into quilt labels !

 ..... and here's the selvedge with the info ..."bungle jungle" by tim beck for moda.

 

 

Speaking of back to school ...... there's STILL a college quilt that I'm trying to finish for move in day in T minus 3 days !!!!!!!   YIKES !!!!

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

My typewriter obsession ! (JJJ space, FFF space)

Ever since my  "Low Tech Texting "

   post, I have been obsessed with vintage typewriters.  I remember taking typing class in high school on a typewriter that was similar to, but I don't think quite as ancient as the one this very efficient looking secretary is using.  Anybody else remember "JJJ space, FFF space, JJJ space, FFF space ....." ?  Anyhow, I googled "vintage typewriters" and LOOK what I found on eBay  .....

...a PINK typewriter and ....

....a BLUE typewriter !!!!

 ......just like the ones in my new fun typewriter fabric that I just could NOT pass up !!!!  (fabric = Melody Miller Ruby Star Shining for Kokka)

.....cause I think it would look pretty snazzy in a project along with my hand typed text fabric !!!!

......maybe in Malka Dubrawsky's "Supersize Shoofly" pattern in the August issue of American Patchwork and Quilting magazine.

OK, enough obsessing AND piddling around ....... there's a college quilt that needs to get done in T minus 7 days ......YIKES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

College Quilt Countdown .......10, 9, 8, 7.........uh oh

Well, my youngest birdie, Evan  is leaving the nest and moving into his first college apartment. Move in day is in T minus 10 days !!!! ..... and of course there's a quilt that (I'm hoping) will be going to college with him. Problem is (and this is no surprise to those of you who are familiar with the MBIAJ Quilting and Sewing Dept) the quilt isn't finished !

This quilt was started last year in honor of his high school graduation.  Fabrics and colors were approved by the teenager himself.  The "595" is his dirtbike racing number. 

And, those circles are his original doodles done on fabric. (this kid is FAMOUS for his over the top "totally bored in class" notebook doodle art. )

I have to finish putting borders on the back of the quilt.  At his graduation party last summer, everybody signed this piece of plain fabric , which, after I add those fun "chef" and drum fabrics, will become the quilt back.  (Evan is not only a talented doodle artist, he is an amazing drummer and chef!)

 By the way,  since this is a "work in progress" (one of many),  I'm linking in with the "W.I.P Wednesday" gang over at Freshly Pieced.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ........ it's gonna be here WAY before I'm ready (and I'm not just talking about the quilt ...... SOB !)

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Low tech texting

Lookie what I borrowed from my Dad !  This (for those of you who are MUCH younger than most of my shoes) is a manual typewriter .  This typewriter is very similar to the one I took to college to write all those fun term papers on .  Yes, kids, this is before personal computers, cell phones, etc.  Back in the dark ages when I was in college, you had to haul your rear end to the library and read books , take notes, then go back to your cinder block dorm room (equipped with a dorm fridge, and a hot plate ....... no tv, no phone , no bathroom ...... those things were down the hall)  and type up your paper  ...... without spell check (that's what a dictionary, thesaurus, and White Out are for).

Anyway,  I borrowed this typewriter NOT to type on paper, but to see if it would type on FABRIC !!!  It DOES !!!!

So, I typed, typed, typed , typed, and typed some more .......

........ and ended up with some fun "text" fabric .  

.....so, I thought I'd combine it with my "homemade handwritten "  fabric and , maybe use those cute little alphabet stamps to make some other "text" fabric;  add some red, blue  and yellow prints and scribble out a design for a 12" block to ........

....join in the fun at "During Quiet Time"  where a "Texting While Sewing " contest is going on !  You still have time to enter ..... she will have a link up at her blog on August 27, 28, and 29. (of this year ....... uh oh ...... gotta go ...... lots of sewing to do ...... after I recover from all that typing !)    

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Words to live by !!!

Happy Friday !   Just found this GREAT advise from Julia Child and thought I'd share (besides, I LOVE the colors .....golden yellow, turquoise, lavendar - gray, black, and white ....... I'm thinking that might be a fun color combination for a QUILT !)

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)