College Days Blog Hop - Tickle Those Ivories Tutorial

COLLEGE DAYS BLOG HOP
Welcome to my day!

Thank you
Soma of Whims and Fancies
for organizing such a fun hop...
hopefully you've been following along...
such amazing blocks!

I relived so many sweet memories of my college days
as I worked on my 10" block to share with you today.
As a "Music Major" there was no doubt
my block would "sing"....

My 'instrument' was Voice...
I remember a few semesters of opera....

4 years of singing with friends....

I loved playing the piano...
although I was a much better singer...
than a tickler of the ivories.

However, it's a lot easier to imagine a block with a piano theme....
after all...I didn't think an applique of "vocal chords" held that much appeal!

This is an extremely photo packed tutorial today...
thanks for your patience...
it might take a bit to load...

(We could sing together while we're waiting...lol)

The finished block above and below
show my 10.5" block sitting on assorted prints...
this is just for the pics...

The block is made with two primary fabrics:
I've been saving a fat quarter of that grey music print
for just the right project.

For the white piano keys...

Little scrappies of solid black and dark grey are used for the black keys.

You'll also need a wee strip of a contrasting color for the 'shadow strip'
more about that when you get to that step.

Time for Class!

***Note***

When stitching the 'corner'

you will notice I changed my 'stitch' setting to a straight stitch...

just a plain, regular ole straight stitch.

It took a little longer to keep switching back and forth...but worth it.

I zigged and zagged along the edge of the grey fab...

STOPPING at the "corner" with needle DOWN...

changed setting...stitched down the 'corner'...

pause with needle DOWN...

turn around...stitched back UP the corner...

needle down...

switched back to zig-zag and continued the edges.

(sounds confusing...but when you do it...it's pretty simple)

Next you will need to prepare your G-Clef.

To print pattern for G-Clef

click the image above or HERE

Thanks for the visit!
I hope you will tickle the ivories soon!

Day 3 of What is your SUPERPOWER - My Turn....

Welcome to Day 3

of

If you have been following this 'stitching hop' then you know what's about to happen.

I'm about to reveal MY Superpower....

or at the very least...

what I THINK my Superpower  to be!

I will confess (and I know I'm not alone)....

this has been the one of the hardest, most frustrating,

most thought provoking themes

I've encountered to date.

Every time I was sure I had the perfect "power".....

I would ponder it for a couple days...

then toss it out the window.

I even went so far as to ask my Facebook friends

what they thought  my Superpower should be.

Their generous and oh so kind answers just

floored me....

Yikes....they made me blush!

But with their help I thought  I'd nailed it.....

and then a new  worry took hold....

Should I be:

 Witty?

Serious?

Seriously Witty?

*sigh*

In the end....I came up with a whole other idea...

and it stuck!

I think it's....

a little

fun

a little

serious

but really and truly...

I think it's...

(a little)

Me!

Because you see....

First some serious....

Really and truly...

this was me a few years ago....

(taking a really HUGE breath...holding it....

Maybe I'll close my eyes while you look....

denial is bliss sometimes....

I've never shown this picture before....)

I've NEVER been a little girl....

even when I WAS a little girl....

Less than two months after the above picture was taken....

I made up my mind....

There was really truly TOO MUCH of me!

Time for a lifestyle change!

Back "on program" I went...and dear Spouse along with me!

(I'm a "Lifer"...yes...somewhere buried is my "Lifetime Key"

that thing was HUGE! You wouldn't think I could lose it)

Nine months later....

40 lbs lighter.....

(and no...no baby involved...LOL)

Getting there......
Slowly but surely....
I was determined...
I had the POWER afterall!

Now it's 2014...
Here's my favorite pic from Valentines Day....

First time in a dress since...well...I can't remember when!

To quote a very wise Madame....
"....everything is possible"

Yes sirree boys and girls....
I've got the POWER!

And I even have this.....

That's right....
It's an official employee Name Tag!

Not to worry....
I'm still a Quilter & Shopkeep...first and foremost....
but now and then I'm a
WW Receptionist.
And someday I hope to become a WW Leader!

It's still one day at a time....
this isn't my first rodeo....

But for now....

My little mouse feet do their
Happy Dance
all the way to the scale....

Super Thanks to:
Pauline
Her Cheerleading Queenly Superpowers really kept me going!
and
Madame Samm....She is truly the Superpower here!

Three Cheers for DMC our sponsor!

What other Superpowers will you encounter today?
Click the links below...
You have the Power!

TUESDAY APRIL 15

A Geeky Crafty Life

Thimblemouse and Spouse (here you be)

How ART you?

Sew Golden A Chance

Just Because Quilts

DMC-Threads

.............

Remember....
"...EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE!"
                                             -Mdm Samm

PS....I hope you'll join me for "Skinny Sunday"...which happens...
well....on Sundays.
I'll be blogging about my favorite recipes...foodie tips...my WW journey....
I keep it simple, short and sweet!
(at least I try...LOL)
I'm not selling... not being paid to promote any product or plan....
just sharing some of what worked and works for me!

It's an Open & Shut Case.....

Yikes!

Two posts in the same week!

Could it be?

Is my mee-oww-jo coming back?

I had so much fun creating our new shop flag for the recent

Flags on a Stick Blog Hop

(click above if you missed it)

I decided to strike while the iron was hot

My wonderful friend and quiltin' sista' Joyce,

had the most awesome quilt shop,

first in St. Augustine, Florida....later moved to Jacksonville....

(yes - I have oooodles of Q-sista's I've adopted over the years)

In her shop "Material Things"...she had the BEST "open and closed" sign!

It's been on my "to-do" list for a very loooooong time to make up a sign like she had....

so I gathered the 'leftover letters' that were lurking about...

and here we are!

Lookie look...even the cat's eyes are OPEN

(coincidence? maybe....maybe not)

When we go home....we flip it over to see.....

I just love that....so much better than 'Closed'....

Joyce was (and still is) a Genius!

Did you notice the cat's eyes on this side?

Hmmmm?

SHUT

Am I good or what?

Truth be told....

Totally Unplanned....Totally!!!!

*wink*

PS....I almost forgot to tell ya....

Joyce closed her shop sometimes back and we really miss it!

But you can find her on Facebook....

along with two more of my 'Q-Sista's'.

Just give a click below...you can "follow" them anywhere!

We Make Quilts

Day 7 - Flags on a Stick Blog Hop - Here's Waving at You Kids....

Welcome to Day 7 of 

Flags on a Stick Blog Hop!

This time around, I decided to "get on the stick" and create something for our shop.

We have a really cute fabric panel with letters and numbers

from "In the Beginning Fabrics"
The line is called "Hoopla & Everyday Fun" by Jennifer Heynen.

We are never opposed to enjoying a little
"HOOPLA"

This fabric would be the perfect start of some
FUN !

If you've been following the hop, these letters should look familiar.

My good friend and quiltin' sista'
Mary Pat from Quilting Quietly 
was so "Hoppy" to find them during one of her visits to the shop.

(if you missed her 'toad'-ally awesome flag - click on her name above - ribbit!)

It's so much fun to have a blog hoppin' friend close by...
..Even sweeter that we can bounce ideas off one another...
or in this case...
use some of the same fabrics with completely different results!
I'm so glad we're

I had a little "saying" in mind....
I began with some fusible web...
(iron, iron)
cut out the letters and appliqued them in place...
hmmmm....

still needed something else....

I pulled out a couple handfuls of 'scraps' from ye ole scrap bag...

(and I DO mean "scraps" ~ I shouldn't save 'everything' but I do...it's a curse!)

OooEee....FUN time in progress...
making a few wonky blocks....

Oh lookie look...see the yellow arrow?
See it pointing?

"Thumbs Up"...
Yes, I was pretty pleased with how things were shaping up!

hmmm...still lacking....what else do I need?

But of course...
there must be buttons!

When all was sewn and done...
it was time to wave the flag....


As much as I wanted to hang our flag outside the door of our shop...

well...darn...cement! 

How does one stick a "stick" in cement?

Very simple....
One does Not!

Instead...
our flag hangs right inside the front door....

We LOVE it!

Another cutie button...and we must have a cat!

I used velcro on the straps for easy hanging on the door.

Had it been hanging outside, I might not have worried about the 'back'...

but it's not outside...
and for a few days I pondered what it should say.

(ponder, ponder)

"Thanks for Stopping In and Have a Great Day"
would have been nice....

but way too many 'letters'...
way too little 'space'....

Then it came to me....

After leaving the nest to make a life with my Spouse...

whenever we would visit dear Mom & Dad...

as we made ready to leave...
( Hugs hugs, Kisses kisses )

my sweet parents would always say the same thing....
Every Time!

What a great way to remember them...
a great way to let everyone know that walks thru our door...
we are truly glad they came!

I can hear my Mom now questioning about the way I spelled "Thanks"...

but ya do what ya do when space runs out.

Besides....

how many times do we ever get to use the

"X"

Thank you Thearica and Mdm Samm for another amazing adventure!

Special thanks as well to our sponsors: 

"Flags On A Stick"

and

"Flag Outlet"

Visit them all...give 'em a 'wave' and tell them how much you've enjoyed the hop!

Thanks for visiting...but remember, I'm not waving alone today...

Click the links below for more fun on a stick...

Which one will be your favorite?

I'm so glad I don't have to pick!

April 2nd

Thimblemouse & Spouse 
(wavin' b'bye - Thanx for the Visit -*wink*)

Stitchin' By The Lake

Just One More Stitch

The Quilting Queen Online

Selina quilts

Whims And Fancies