Sorry, Lauri

I'm trying to get a good picture for you, but it's been so overcast this week. Here's a portion for now....

Journal Quilt

Making progress today!

In The Home Stretch...,

My birthday is coming up, and you know why that means! Only four squares left on my journal quilt! Woot!

Another Stitchie Done!

Just created my 2nd from last strip on my journal quilt!

Journaling Away

So geeked! I'm on vacation this week, and I actually have time to catch up on my personal quilting. I've kept current on my journal quilt, but I need to sew several rows together before sharing an update.

This was the perfect year to do this journal quilt! Olympics, Presidential Elections, Mayan Apocalypse, a new love.... Can't wait to see what the new year brings!

November Showers Bring... December Flowers?

Wonder if this is true in life as well as in embroidery? Because November was not phenomenal this year.

A little wonky, but it will make a wonderful addition to my journal quilt.

Happy December!

 

Small Finish

It's small, but it's a finish. Another block in another strip of my journal quilt.

Happy Stitching!

Elisa

 

Another Journal Strip Completed

We're almost at the halfway point between my 42nd and 43rd birthday. How can I tell? I've just completed my 7th of 16 journal strips!

It's hard to take a decent picture at this stage - the top is folded in half.

I've already started re-reading some of the squares, and I can't believe how much I'd already forgotten! This quilt includes my Geobash trip, the Olympics, and my kitties' mischief.

What did you do this weekend?

Elisa

 

Block For July

What do you think? Good block for July for my journal quilt?

This is from Anni Down's Simple Pleasures book. I was able to get my hands on her new The Simple Life book, too!

Happy stitching!

Elisa

Another 23 Days Have Passed

Yes, completed another strip in the journal quilt! I've gotten over my hang ups about my handwriting.

6 completed - 10 more to go! Can you believe how quickly this year is flying!??

Elisa

Titanic Marker in Mount Clemens

I've finished another strip in my journal quilt. I actually had to cut more squares. I thought I'd get bored with it after awhile, but I'm fascinated in watching it grow! Also making great headway on a memorial quilt. Unfortunately, my SKoW quilt is suffering - I fear my group will drop me the next round.

I was out in Resurrection Cemetery in Mount Clemens when I came across a very interesting headstone:

It's the stone of one of the Titanic survivors. He lived his life in Detroit. Pretty neat, eh? Here's a close-up of the ship:

I'm on a 4-day weekend so I hope to have something to share this week.

Happy stitching!

Elisa

 

Time is Flying!

Can you believe that I finished another strip? LOVE my journal quilt!

I've also completed two more Anni Downs embroideries for the upcoming strips.

One for Father's Day (with some funky bees):

And also Independence Day:

Now back to my appliqué blocks!

Happy Sunday,

Elisa

P.s. One more thing to share... Spent Saturday participating in the Heritage Park/Rouge River cleanup with a group of fellow geocachers. I am now too knowledgable on the stamina of the non-native, invasive buckthorn - aargh!

 

 

Gloriously Relaxed

Today is my last scheduled day of my vacation, and every ounce of me is relaxed and at peace. Hope I can keep this mojo going through Monday!

Can you believe I've already completed 3 strips in my journal quilt? I'm already filling up the 4th!

Today's square talks about my trip to the Detroit Zoo!

If I can motivate myself, tomorrow's post will tell you all about my recent adventures!

Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend!

Elisa

 

More Excited Now

As you know, I've been working on my journal quilt. Just finished the first two strips - 46 squares.

But now that I see the first strips together - I'm getting pretty excited about this!

The picture is intentionally blurry. Not because I'm hiding secrets... But because I don't want you to see how boring my life really is!

Still pulling fabric for my SKoW blocks.

Happy stitching!

Elisa

Time is Flying!

How can I tell Oscar's birthday is coming up?

His birthday block appears in my next journal strip! Two more days until I start inking this blank strip!

Happy stitching!

Elisa

 

 

I Love My Journal Quilt!

Ok, I've decided not to stress over my handwriting so I'm having so much fun with this! I LOVE my daily blurbs! I did the math - the original instructions come up with 368 blocks in my 368 day quilt. So, if you decide to do this, I removed 4 - 3 1/2" blocks with 2 - 6 1/2" blocks to come out perfectly!

This block confesses I scuttled back to Belle Isle for more geocaching. I'm going back tomorrow to help move 50-year old koi from the aquarium's basement to its outdoor pond.

I mean... with beauty like this... How can I stay away?

These are 2 different views of the Whitcomb Conservatory.

I'll let you know how wet I get... Those koi are slippery suckers!

Happy stitching!

Elisa

P.s. Goes without saying I'll do more caching while down there!

 

Journal Quilt - First Strip Complete

Can't believe it has been 23 days already! It takes 23 squares to complete a strip in my journal quilt.

My final entry was yesterday's. My sister, brother-in-law and I went down to Dorais Park early in the morning. Dorais Park is home to the Dorais Velodrome. Built in 1968, this track was home to neighborhood bike races and this hill was the site of many soapbox derby races. Eventually, as Detroit ran out of money, it went into disrepair (overgrown with weeds and the site of neighborhood trash dumping).

In addition to about 200 other volunteers, we worked with the Greening of Detroit and the Detroit Mower Gang to plant a total of 400 trees in this urban park. The Detroit Mower Gang are volunteers from all over Southeast Michigan who use their own lawn equipment to mow the public parks for the citizens of Detroit. They've spent the last several years "taking back" this park and making it a gem in this hurting community. Yesterday they worked alongside members of the Greening of Detroit to plant certain kinds of trees that will prevent flooding in this greenway.

This is my sister Lorna and her husband Corey:

And this is the three of us after we planted our first tree. After this, we completed eight more!

When I returned home from a later adventure (involving an incomplete land bridge, Gilligan's Island, and walking barefoot over pointy lake rocks in March - but that's another story), I wrote up my last block. Several things I've learned about this journal quilt:

• Do not stress over handwriting. I have the worst handwriting, but, if I stressed over each block, I would have to rewrite every one!
• It's OK to admit I've had a lazy day. That's reality.
• Don't write this to please others. This is a snapshot of my life right now. Besides, who is going to read it anyway?
• My cats appear an awful lot in my journal entries. Hmmm.....
• Write your block when you get the urge - whether it is midday or night. Best to log your adventures while you're still glowing in the excitement of it!

First thing this morning, I created my next strip. You can see I've incorporated my first embroidery block. SOMEONE special has a birthday on March 29th!

Wow! That's a lot of blank squares to fill. Off to complete one now!

Happy Sunday everyone!

Elisa

 

P.s. My sister just sent this pic of me before the planting :)

 

 

 

Gadget Time - Sticky Situations

This blog is called "Bits from the Scrap Basket" because I envision it as a place to compile block patterns, useful tips, great tools, shop reviews, quilt humor, tricks of the trade, etc. All those little "bits 'n pieces" that might interest others but might be handy to have stored in one easy place.



Take this next tidbit. I stopped in at Bits 'n Pieces in Wayne, MI today - lovely shop with a friendly staff and a very loyal clientele. I had came back to buy a Sewline fabric glue pen. Last time I was there they had recommended this (dries clear) water soluble pen for a project I am working on (re: the egg with the missing pieces from several posts ago!)

This group of ladies were all excited for another reason. A customer had shared with them the secret of perfect points. Instead of using pins, which can shift, she uses this glue to hold her fabric in place for perfect points. Well, how cool is that! May need to work on that Lone Star quilt I've always wanted.

This reminds me of an interesting tidbit read in one of my magazines. When piecing a bag or tote, ever have one of those tiny areas where you have to pin AND maneuver your sewing machine? Use that 1/4" fusible tape (like Steam-a-Seam or Stitch Witchery) to hold your pieces together and then sew. Cool, eh?

If your interested in other things you can use adhesives in quilting, check out Teresa of Fabric Therapy and her 3-part tutorial on Glue Stick Appliqué: http://fabrictherapy.blogspot.com/2011/04/glue-stick-applique-tutorial-part-one.html

Thanks for "sticking with me"! (My SIL Robyn, the Pun Queen, would be so proud of that one)
ELISA


P.s. This is my first post using my iPhone and my new iPad app Blogsy - pretty cool!