I Love the Space on George

September 17th, 2008

Last night I was quilting on Emily’s quilt and I was just working away and then I realized that I was quilting on the side of the quilt but had the entire 86″ stuffed in George and it didn’t even seem tight. This is what machine quilting is suppose to be like.

Emily working on her froggie quilt – shhhhhhhh it’s a NOYB (None of your business) project

Jennie modeling her new pants and blouse that she completed.

Janardan playing games.

Tom working on our cars for the “Night at the Races” activity coming up this Saturday.

Grandpa Tom and the girls.

Posted in Family, George | 2 Comments »

And the Winner is………

September 15th, 2008

Thanks to everyone for entering the contest. The winners are:

1. Easy Does It Hexabag – katrien

2. “Spring Fever” Hexabag pattern – Angie and David Pace

3. “On the Go” Hexabag pattern – June Calender

Winners please email me with your addresses so I can send you your prize.

info@sewingandbeyond.com

The question was asked if the “Easy Does It” Hexabag pattern will be available – YES! Should be ready by the middle of October. Watch this blog for updates on the status of the pattern.

I have been doing lots of paperwork today so I am off to the studio for some happy medicine!

Mary Anne

Posted in Hexabag | 1 Comment »

Staycation

September 12th, 2008

The next few days is going to be a Stay at home vacation – thus Staycation. The past few Septembers the girls have come with me to Idaho to visit my father. We spend the week sewing. Since my dad passed away in February we decided to still get together but they would all come to my house and enjoy the NEW studio. Emily (and her two daughters) and Jennie (and Janaradan) arrived on Wednesday. Yesterday we had a somewhat lazy day. Some of us attended a baby shower for Edna (who is expecting twins). I work with her in the Young Women’s in my ward. After we returned from the shower we actually got going on some of our projects.
Emily is working on piecing a feedsack quilt she is marking. This is the second one she is making from this pattern. She wants to (or have me) quilt it on George . Jennie is trying to decide what project she wants to work on. She said that she wished that she had brought something to quilt because she wanted to try out George. I got out a bunch of projects that I said she could quilt. She is going to quilt a Halloween stack n’ whack I pieced a few years ago.
Autumn and Prairie played outside, but when it started to rain they decided that it was time for a movie.
I started working one of the blocks for the back of The Generations Unite. This quilt will have six generations represented (and worked on by four generations. The footprints are Prairie’s when she was 5 days old. Jennie choose the paper-piecing hummingbirds and
Emily choose the Easy Piece blocks in the corners. One down, thirteen to go, then to had my Folded hexagons.

Posted in Family, George, Quilt: The Generations Unite, Vacation | 2 Comments »

9-11 Remembered

September 11th, 2008
Remebering the events of seven years ago and reflecting on one of the most amazing quilt journeys I have had the opportunity to be a part of.

The Story

On the Friday following the attacks on the World Trade Center, Mary Anne and her husband Tom attended a candlelight vigil at the gazebo in the town park of Pelham, New York. While there, they felt moved to do something to reach out to those affected in their community. Even though they didn’t know any of the families personally, they decided that they would make a quilt for each of the families in Pelham who had lost a loved one. This was the beginning of the Pelham, New York Comfort Quilt Project.
Mary Anne went home and posted a request on a few different internet quilting sites asking for volunteers to make quilt blocks. The blocks would be mailed to her and she would put them together ………. (visit my website to read the entire story).

Posted in Quilt: Misc. | 2 Comments »

100th Post and FREE Giveaways!

September 10th, 2008

This is my 100th post. All the updating about redoing my studio has gotten me here alot faster than I thought. I started this blog in 2006 when I was working on my challenge quilt for the Village Squares Quilters show. The challenge quilt was Underwater Maddness. It was alot of fun working on it and by starting this blog I was able to share this fun project with my daughters who live over 3,000 miles away from me.

The blogging world has also helped me feel more connected with my extended family and friends. I have also found many fun sites that I love to read and see what quilting adventures others are working on.

This past week-end I completed the design for the newest in my line of Hexabags. I am teaching a workshop in Connecticut in October and wanted an easier (less folded hexagons) project. (See some of the other Hexabags on the past posts.) With this new project (only 2 folded hexagons) I think that most of the students should go home with a completed hexabag at the end of the workshop.

“Easy Does It” Hexabag

© 2008 by Mary Anne Ciccotelli of Sewing and Beyond. All rights reserved.
info@sewingandbeyond.com 914-738-2783 www.sewingandbeyond.com
© 2008 by Mary Anne Ciccotelli of Sewing and Beyond. All rights reserved.
info@sewingandbeyond.com 914-738-2783 http://www.sewingandbeyond.com/

Now – for the FREE Give-a-way.
The gifts are:
1. “Easy Does It” Hexabag (completed)
2. “Spring Fever” Hexabag pattern
3. “On the Go” Hexabag pattern
If you make a comment on the post you will be entered in the drawing for one of the three gifts that I am giving away. On Monday, September 15, 2008 my Granddaughters (who arrive today) will determine the winners.

(Be sure and include your email address (or some way to contact you) in your comment if you do not have a blogspot account.)

Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Posted in Hexabag | 67 Comments »

What have I been up to since we returned from Alaska?

September 8th, 2008

On the airplane and during Tom and Brian’s hike at Sikta I worked on the embroidery work on setting blocks for the Generations Unite. I completed 2 1/2 blocks. We also went to an outdoor concert with Nana in the Bronx on Thursday evening and I worked in this block.
 I pieced the last block for this quilt. I just have this block and the one above to finish the embroidery work on the main blocks. After I have the top all pieced together I will start to work on embroidering the corners to complete the design.

Work on “Back to School” continues. I finished appliqueing the crayons on the border. The top is ready to quilt. Maybe later this week. That is if I can sneak in some time on George – my daughters are coming for 10 days and they think they are going to use George the entire time. We will have to wait and see. George is excited – he has been lonley the past week or so.

Saturday Tropical Storm Hanna came and dumped on New York and the surrounding areas.


This squirrel was hanging out on our porch during the beginning of the storm. He wasn’t to excited to go out in the rain so tolerated us looking at him close and personal. (He looked like a drowned rat!)

Anita came over for a private class on Thursday.

She has her quilt almost completed for her new grandson. I love the colors that she choose. I think her quilt turned out really nice!

Stay tuned for my next post – the big 100. I have a fun give away planned.

Posted in Quilt: Back to School, Quilt: The Generations Unite, Students (Adults) | No Comments »

Sitka Summary

September 5th, 2008

Brian in front of his store.

Inside the store.
These bag looks really cool when it changes color.

What Del Sol (and Sitka) thrives – cruise ships.
People actully live in these houses out on the islands.
They use boats to get back to the main part of Sitka to do there shopping, ect.

On Saturday morning we went whale watching.
It was cool, especially when we stood out on top at the front of the boat.
We saw a bunch of whales. It was pretty amazing.

Bear warnings were all over –
I guess this local is ready if he sees a bear.
Brain, the might fisher!
(Caught with his bare hands.)


Tom and Brian went for a hike while I stayed in the car. (More about what I did on my next post.)
It is REALLY beautiful – but REALLY WET!
This road on the island is about 15 miles from end to end.

We visited the Alaska Raptor Center.
A really cool place that works with wounded birds to rehabilate them to live on their own in the wild. If they are not healthy enough to live in the wild – they become education birds.
We went and saw some native dancers. This girl actually works in the Del Sol store.

Sunday the sky was clear and we actully saw the sun for a good part of the day.



Many totem poles on the island. At one place we actally saw a man working on one.
Bald eagle out in the wild. They are amazing to see fly.

The church fits right in with its surroundings. A log style type church.

A couple of action shots from our visit.

Posted in Vacation | 3 Comments »

August 31st, 2008
Having a GREAT time in Sitka!(Hope we make it home safely, though!)

Posted in Vacation | 2 Comments »

Sitka, Alaska

August 29th, 2008
This morning Tom and I are on an airplane on our way to Sitka, Alaska to see Brian.
Check out this live web-cam of Sikta. Who knows maybe we will be in the picture.
Below is what was in the webcam on Thursday evening.

We will be staying at the Shee Atika Totem Square Inn. Looks like we are in for some GREAT Kodak moments. Watch next week and I’ll share some pictures from Alaska. I was in Alaska before (many years ago – our airplane stopped at an airport in Alaska to refuel on the way to Japan). I think this trip will really count – I will actually touch the ground.

Posted in Vacation | No Comments »

Gift Bag Swap & The Generations Unite

August 28th, 2008
I decided that I liked the bees so much that I wanted more on the Gift Bag Swap quilt. So, here is a few pictures of the quilt top with more bees. I think it is fun how such a little detail can add to the quilt so much.

I think I am done, now to quilt it.
(George is looking forward to getting used some more.)

Yesterday when I went down to piece my four block for the Generations unite quilt top I got so excited about the blocks and how they would look together that I had to piece together what I had done.

I think my mother would be proud of what I am doing with her block.


Here is a corner detail, now that I have the blocks pieced together I will to the detail work on the pieced blocks to complete the design. I am getting so excited about the quilt. Now to start working on the back. I think you will like what I have in store. Four generations while actually touch this quilt and have a part in the making of it.

Posted in Quilt: Gift Bag Swap, Quilt: The Generations Unite | 2 Comments »

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