Apple Avenue Quilts

Free Block of the Month: February Blocks

2012-01-31T11:29:00.001-07:00

It's time for a another two blocks for your calendar or calendar quilt. This month we have a valentine's theme. I hope you like them.

Click here to download the instructions. I will be back with a couple of extra projects using these blocks soon.

What's on My Design Table

2012-01-23T23:26:00.000-07:00

It's still Monday here. Yes, about as late as you can post on Monday before it becomes Tuesday. What can I say I've been caught in a riveting book. So while there is still time here's what's on my design wall. It's a baby quilt for my 9 month old grandson. I cut it out last summer, then it got put on the back burner until I finished a bunch of other stuff. I've made him some other quilts so he has not gone without!

And here's the pattern I'm using(kind of).

I don't seem able to follow a pattern without making changes and this one's no exception. I'm going to make it square instead of a

rectangle. I've also made the blocks larger because I want to put other modes of transportation in the blank blocks. My son requested a transportation quilt and I think this fits the bill. I found this pattern in this book.

My Mom gave it to me when I first started quilting in the nineties.

Oh, by the way, the riveting book I was reading was "The Yellow House" by Patricia Falvey. It's an Irish historical novel and I had a hard time putting it down.

You can check out other design walls at Patchwork Times.

Some Additional Projects for Calendar Blocks

2012-01-22T19:18:00.002-07:00

I haven't been doing much sewing as yet during January, but I have put all my Christmas stuff away and mostly have my house back together. I say mostly because we are planning to change out our kitchen floor for some new lighter laminate. The old floor was flooded by an improperly installed dishwasher and although we hired a disaster company to dry it out, it's deteriorating and looking pretty bad. We have purchased the laminate and just have to get brave enough to install it.

While doing all this other stuff I've been thinking it might be nice to have some other uses for the BOM blocks, so yesterday I sat down and designed a small project. Today I wrote the instructions for a

22 1/2" square project that you could use as either a wallhanging or a table topper. I have not tested these patterns but have done my best to make sure everything is accurate. Please let me know if you find anything wrong or if you find everything right. Good news is welcome too! I hope you enjoy the patterns.

Click here for the instructions. Also you may notice I have added some tabs to my blog. You will find the 2012 BOM blocks there as well as a tab for additional projects using those blocks.

First Saturday of the Month BOM Blocks

2012-01-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned before, I belong to a group sponsored by a local quilt shop. We meet the first Saturday of each month and are supplied with a fabric kit for one block and instructions for two blocks. This year I am making both blocks each month. I decided I was going to try not to get behind, but then Christmas happened and I was behind. I'm caught up again and hope to stay that way. Here are November and December's blocks.

The top two are the November blocks and the bottom two are the December blocks. If you would like to see the other blocks I've made for this group and read a bit more about the blocks, go here and here. I'm loving making these blocks. They are just so straight forward and go together like a dream.

Free Block of the Month: January Blocks and Calendar Holder

2011-12-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

Here it is 2012's Block of the Month! First a little information about the blocks. I designed the blocks as calendar blocks so each block reflects a theme for the month. The blocks are designed to be 14 inches square if bound and used as stand alone blocks on your calendar holder. If you would like to use them as part of a quilt, they will finish at 13 1/2 inches. Each month will include instructions for a traditional pieced block and a foundation pieced block. Please be sure to make sure that you don't scale down when you print out the foundations. The calendar holder will hold a finished block and paper calendar up to 14 inches wide and 12 1/2 inches long. So without further ado here are January's blocks and the calendar holder. Just click on the red print, it will take you to a Google document. Click on the download original button and it will download a PDF to your computer.

These are the blocks I made.

I will be setting up a flicker group where you can share you versions of the blocks. I hope you like and use these blocks!

A Couple of Quilts I Couldn't Show Before, Etc.

2011-12-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We certain did around here.

I thought I'd show you a couple of quilts that I made as gifts. The first is for my oldest son and his wife. It is a cuddly lap quilt with a cozy flannel back. It's a Moda Bake Shop pattern called Sugar Pop N Change Quilt by Melissa Corry. I added another row to make it longer and some corner squares to the sashing. It was great fun to make and I'm pleased with the results. The fabric is from Connecting Threads.

The second quilt is a free pattern from Hoffman called Go With the Flow by Stephanie Prescott. Again I made some changes. The original is made with some watery looking batiks. I wanted a more bold, graphic look. This quilt is for my second son and his wife and is intended to hang on the wall behind their sofa. They seemed very happy with it.

I have been thinking back about the quilt projects I've worked on this year and the one I'm the most proud of I haven't mentioned much on this blog. This past year I designed and wrote the instructions for 25 blocks for our guild's block of the month. It was fun as well as completely challenging. I have decided to share them with you also. So starting in the next couple of days I will post instructions for two blocks a month except for the month that Easter falls in. That month gets a bonus block. The blocks are designs as calendar blocks and can be used as either a stand alone block to attach to a calendar(I will provide instructions for that too) or made into a quilt. I hope you will enjoy my blocks and please feel free to share the news with others. I appreciate my readers and hope you will enjoy this year in quilt blocks.

Santa Sack Swap

2011-12-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

This year I participated in the Santa Sack Swap. We were to send a Sack and two small gifts to your swap partner in July and then two small gifts each month until December. In December, we were to send the two small gifts plus a larger handmade gift. My partner was Sandy from Georgia and she was an awesome! So generous!!! I opened all my gifts this morning and I'm just floored my the amazing array. Thank you so much Sandy! I love everything!!!

Here's the first picture of wonderful gifts.

Can you believe it? I had so much fun opening all these gifts.

Next is a lovely hand embroidered and hand quilted wall hanging, some lovely seashell ornaments, and a beautiful angel.

Thanks Again Sandy!!!!!

Christmas at My House Part Two

2011-12-21T00:15:00.000-07:00

I thought I would show my entry and formal living room next. I completed my 12 Days of Christmas wall hangings earlier this year. A major UFO finish (I started them well over 10 years ago). Here they are finally finished and hanging in the entry!

This is another view of the entry looking in from the living room.

This is the formal living room tree. It is the most elegant tree I put up. My Mom made the angel for the top. Her dress is intricately beaded.

I even added ornaments to the living room chandelier and pretty red crystals to the one in the entry (I've always put the candle rings around the lights)!

I posted the TV room decorations in an earlier post as part of SewCalGal's Christmas Quilt Show. If you would like to see it go here. I hope you have enjoyed my decorations and quilts, and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

Christmas at My House Part One

2011-12-18T11:47:00.001-07:00

Since all my sewing projects right now are gifts and the recipients may check my blog, I can't share my them with you until after Christmas. So I thought I would show your my Christmas Decorations. I think we will start with my great room. This is a room that includes an eat-in kitchen and small informal family room. Let's start with the tree. First of all you must know I love sunflowers and although they are not a traditional Christmas flower, I think they look beautiful with red and green.

Here's little Oliver enjoying a nap under my Santa at Home wall hanging. Teresa look closely and you will see last years ornaments on the side table!

Next I added some Christmas quilts to my wall of quilts.

Finally there is another favorite one above the old re-purposed dresser that hides the TV. I also added a lighted garland, a cute Santa, and some ceramic deer that I painted when the kids were little.

The next picture is another side table with some fun treasures. A tiny quilt shop given to me by a friend, a pine cone tree made by my son in scouts, a snowman teapot from my niece, a Santa that bounces down a pole to find his sleigh, and finally under the copper dome is a magical little tree made by my daughter.

A garland hangs in the arch between the kitchen and family room.

I decorate my kitchen chandelier and hang wreaths on the pantry doors.

My table has a quilted topper with a poinsettia.

The little shelves to the side of the sink have some unusual Santa's and friends.

And just when you thought this post would go on forever, one last picture. This is my hutch with some of my seasonal teapot collection and some precious ceramics made by my Mom when the kids were little(the two Santa's on the bottom shelf).

I hope you are enjoying the holidays and finishing any projects that you have in the works. Come back for a peek at part two in the next day or two!

Mug Rugs and Free Printable Christmas Ornaments

2011-12-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

This is such a busy time of the year, so it's nice to take some time and have some fun. Last night was our quilt guild's Christmas Party and it always delivers fun. We had potluck, games, great show and tell items, and a mug rug exchange. I incorporated an ornament I designed into the mug rug I made. I think it turned out great and the lady who received seemed happy with it.

I received a lovely mug rug in exchange. I love the reproduction civil war fabrics and the colors coordinate with my great room perfectly!

I had a wonderful time and ended up with a mug rug that I will really enjoy.

If you would like a copy of my Octagon Ornaments, please look in my sidebar and if you make any, I would love pictures of them!

SewCalGal's 2011 Christmas Quilt Show

2011-11-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

It's time again for SewCalGal's annual Christmas quilt show. I thought I would show a series of quilts that I designed and made for our family TV room a few years ago. I purchased some Mary Engelbreit fabric that I thought was perfect for what I had in mind and went to work. First of all I needed a wall hanging for over the fireplace, Santa and Frosty are the result.

Then I thought a mantle scarf would be fun.

Then, of course, I needed a tree skirt. This pattern is available as a freebie on my sidebar.

I decided a runner for the coffee table would be nice.

And finally an advent calendar was absolutely necessary.

Here is a picture of the room decorated and ready for Christmas.

If you would like to see more wonderful Christmas quilts go here. Thanks for stopping by!!!

Tree Skirt Finished!

2011-11-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

I finished my sister's tree skirt! Finally...she's only waited eight months since her birthday!

She chose the fabrics to go with a tree in her entry. I made this one smaller than mine because she has limited space for the tree. I'm very happy with the results and hope she will be too!

I first designed and made this pattern for my oldest son and his wife. They wanted a funkier tree skirt that I usually make, so it was a bit of a stretch for me. Here is the design I came up with for them.

I really enjoyed making this tree skirt and they seemed very happy with it. I love the fabrics.

When I decided to make one for myself last year, I knew I wanted it more traditional and had also become obsessed with Dresden Plates. I substituted a Dresden Plate ornament for the round icicle ornament, changed the shape of the background a bit, and picked some very traditional fabrics. Here's the result.

My tree skirt is not as big as my son's and larger than my sisters. It's nice to be able to adjust the size so easily to fit the space.

I think now it's time for another Oliver, the puppy, update. He is now eight month old and I think pretty much full grown. He is still chewing everything he can including catalogs, library books, and ipod earphones. We have puppy proofed the house and are hoping we have everything out of reach. He has quit chewing electrical cords after some strong admonitions from Mom and Dad, although we still watch him closely.

He has also become very timid. New things are very scary! It will be interesting when the Christmas decoration come out. Our last dog was always frightened by them, but then adjusted. I think we will get a similar reaction from Oliver.

I've Been a Lazy Blogger!

2011-11-09T10:04:00.001-07:00

Sorry I've been such a lazy blogger. I have been sewing, however. First I made these blocks for a block of the month group that I belong to. I'm really enjoying these blocks. Our theme is blocks from Japan and so far these have been fun easy blocks to make. No half square triangles like all the star blocks last year. I'm also enjoying the blue and white. They seem so crisp.

I also got my tree skirt blocks appliqued and the first border put on them. It's always so good to get that first border on and not have to work with bias edges any more.

I appliqued them with metallic thread and was in a bit of a panic because I had run out of needles for metallic thread. Finally, I just used a regular one and had no problems. I used Coats and Clark metallic thread and it was wonderful. Much improved since the last time I used it. It fact, I think it was the best that I've used in a while. Now I just have to add another border and then I can sew the whole thing together and my sister can get her birthday present...only 8 months late!

I've also been working on my grandson's Christmas stocking. I'm determined to finish it so he can use it this year. I'm making good progress. I've decided to do all the rest of the cross stitch and then do the outlining stitches on the rest of the stocking.

I hope you have a wonderful and productive Wednesday! Thanks for stopping by.

This Week's Project

2011-11-02T10:50:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post to show you what I'm working on. My niece's birthday is today and I have been working on a lap quilt for her. My original pattern was a freebie from Benartex, but of course, I can't seem to ever just follow a pattern so I changed it. You can see the original pattern here. I wanted my quilt bigger and I changed the trees just because I liked my version better. So without further ado here it is.

Just the top for now and that's how I'll wrap it up for her. Then I'll bring it home and quilt it, hopefully finishing it before the weekend is over! The fabric is from Susan Winget's "Noel" from last year.

Blogger's Quilt Festival

2011-10-28T12:26:00.000-06:00

I had hoped to have a new quilt made and ready for Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival, but that didn't happen so I decided to show a quilt I made for my Mom for Mother's Day in 2004. I haven't shown this quilt on my blog before so it's new even to my regular readers.

Mom loved stained glass-look quilts, flowers, and hummingbirds. We always had a feeder outside the kitchen window so that we could watch them while we had breakfast. So when I saw this pattern I had to make it for her.

When she received the quilt she was so happy. The quilt followed her to a care center two years later and often when I would visit her it was laid on top of her bed. When Mom passed away in 2008 the quilt returned to me. It now resides in my formal living room on a beautiful sofa that Mom left to me. I think about her every time I pass it and enjoy the memories she left.

If you would like to read a little more about my Mom go here.

Be sure to visit Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival and enjoy all the other wonderful quilts and stories.

Accuquilt giveaway!

2011-10-26T12:35:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post to let you know about an Accuquilt giveaway! Kari over at Fresh Cut Quilts is giving away a Baby Go and two dies. Take a quick hop over there, she has made it very easy to enter!!! You will also enjoy seeing her great blog!

A Great Visit, Revisited Project, and a Wonderful Win!

2011-10-26T12:25:00.000-06:00

My husband and I just returned from a lovely trip to the San Francisco Bay area. I have two children that live there, as well as a daughter-in-law and grandson. It was so good to get to see them again. My daughter-in-law, daughter, grandson, and I visited a local playground that is very toddler friendly. It was so fun to watch little Max discover new things. The first picture is Mom, Max and the turtle bouncer.

The next is a couple of adorable jailbirds also know as Aunt Jessica and Max.

And speaking of Max, here is a picture of my progress on his Christmas stocking. I'm hoping to have it finished by Christmas, so I've really got to stitch fast!

If you would like to see where I was last progress report, go here.

I also have a lovely win to show. I had a pet on SewCalGal's pet show and won a lovely calendar from her. Thank you so much. I enjoyed looking though the pictures and remembering the pets, quilts, and stories! Sorry about the quality of the picture, I just couldn't get one without flash.

I Won!

2011-10-14T10:43:00.000-06:00

I won a lovely bunch of fat quarters, complements of Thearica of "Pigtales and Quilts" and Marcus Brothers textiles.

Aren't they lovely. I see a civil war quilt in my future! Thanks so much!!!!

Monday Design Floor

2011-10-10T11:51:00.001-06:00

Here's whats on my design floor today. It's the beginnings of a tree skirt for my sister. This is my design. The ornaments are now fused to the cut out sections. Next I will machine applique around all of them. I also add a hanging ribbon so they are not just floating in space. Then I add a couple of borders to each section and sew them all together. Check out more projects over at Judy's blog.

I was able to finish the block tote that I started last week and used it on Saturday. I am a little worried about the blocks falling out and am trying to decide if I should add some kind of fasteners to the sides or maybe a pocket on the inside to hold the blocks more securely. Not sure yet which I will do...still thinking.

Also if you follow my blog you know that my daughter, Jessica, is one of the design finalist in the Connecting Threads contest. Today they have a nice post about her and you can see her completed designs. Here's a link. As I've said before I'm so proud of her!

Two Projects I'm Working On

2011-10-05T11:21:00.000-06:00

Just thought I'd give you a peak at what I'm working on right now. The first one is going to be a block tote for my BOM group. It will be folded in half and open to reveal the blocks and a pocket for all the instructions we receive. It's made from some charm squares that my sister won and gifted to me. I've been meaning to make one of these for a while now, it will be nice to finally have one. I hope it works, I have no pattern and am just winging it!

The next project is way overdue. I promised my sister a tree skirt for for her birthday in March. I didn't have time to make it then, so I'm finally getting to it. This from a pattern I designed myself and made up for one of my trees last Christmas. I didn't show the completed skirt on my blog, but I'll show both as soon as I complete my sister's tree skirt. This is a picture of the ornaments simply laid out on the background. I will cut out the sections and fuse the ornaments, applique them, and sew the completed sections together and then quilt it. Stay tuned!

And lastly...I happened to look out of my back door the other night just at dusk and the clouds catching the last of the sunlight and it took my breath away. I thought I'd share with you!

I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

New Blocks and I've Entered a Contest

2011-09-30T10:42:00.001-06:00

Here it is the very last day of September and it's been a long while since I have posted. All I can say is September got away from me. I've enjoyed family visits, attended a wonderful quilt show, and coped with the fall allergy season. I have not done much sewing.

September is when the Block of the Month group that I belong to starts a new project. This group is run by a wonderful local quilt shop called Quilts Etc. and is so much fun. This year the theme is blocks from Japan. We are presented with monthly designs, fabric and history lessons. This year we will be given two designs, one easier and one intermediate. I going to try and complete both blocks each month. We had a choice between a blue and white colorway, and a red, black, and gold colorway. I choose the blue and white because I thoroughly tired of the black from last year. So far I love the boldness and simplicity of my blocks. The blocks measure 9 1/2" unfinished.

Now for what happen to last year's blocks? Yes, I had planned to finish that quilt before I started this one. Did I? No! It has become a UFO until after Christmas. I hoping that the four month rest will give me the time I need away from the black fabric!

Now on to the contest. I entered a miniature quilt that I made some time ago in the weekly contest. This weeks theme is flying geese. I think I have shown this little quilt before on my blog, but not for the last while so I'll repeat.

If you would like to vote for my little quilt or any of the others go here.

Challenge Quilt Finished

2011-09-06T15:39:00.000-06:00

I finished my challenge quilt in time for the meeting last Thursday night. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I loved working with the colors in it. The fabrics are mostly "Fig Tree" fabrics and very soft and pretty.

We were required to have four snail trail blocks in the quilt and I have exactly four. If you would like to see the other quilts that were completed go here. The first nine quilts are this years completed challenge quilts.

I'm So Proud!!!

2011-09-02T00:28:00.000-06:00

Jessica made the finals!!!!

I can't wait to see what she comes up with for the rest of her designs!

Good luck my very dear daughter!

What I'm Working On

2011-08-30T11:58:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post to show what I'm working on. I'm designing this quilt for a guild challenge and need to have it finished by Thursday night (not that I leave things to last minute)!

So far I have finished most of the foundation piecing, just four more blocks to go. I love foundation piecing for the results you get, but find it very labor intensive and time consuming. It will be fun to do the simple strip piecing for the borders. My husband helped me figure out what to do for borders last night. I was too tired and had lost all objectivity, so it was nice to have fresh eyes.

Also, I thought I'd show a new picture of Oliver. He's growing up. I think he is probably full size now. Check out those long legs!

Finally a Finish

2011-08-22T09:31:00.000-06:00

August seems to have been such a busy month so far and looks to continue the way it started...busy! So finally I have a finish. Our guild makes a basket each year for the Utah Quilt Guild's Annual Quilt Festival. The baskets are for a fund raiser. This year our guild's basket is full of beautiful dolls and quilts. I was given this doll and asked to make a quilt to go with her.

Here is the quilt I made to go with her.

And finally, the doll on her new quilt.

I sure hope they like it!

I Don't Know if You Know This About Me...

2011-08-15T22:22:00.002-06:00

I have a very talented daughter. Jessica, my youngest child and only daughter, is a wonderful artist. She has been drawing since she could hold a pencil. She has entered the Connecting Threads Fabric contest and her entry is wonderful. So go and vote for her super cute fabric!!! Vote for Jessica's design here.

Couldn't you make something darling out of this!

Pets on Quilts

2011-08-15T10:41:00.000-06:00

I thought I would enter SewCalGal's Pets on Quilts. If you would like to enter or see more pets and quilts go here. So without further ado here is my pet on a quilt.

This is Oliver and if you follow my blog you have seen this picture before. He is only four months old and has taken over our hearts. He is slowly learning how to help and how not to help when we are in the sewing room. For some reason Mom frowns on chewing cords and running off with fabric. The quilt he is on was designed by Debbie Mumm. I made it in the 90's. I hang it now over the back of the sofa between the family room and the kitchen, so it has become a favorite place to perch and watch Mom cook. Be sure to check out more pets(I have and they sure are cute) at SewCalGal's. It's fun and there are prizes too!

Shopping Cart Cover

2011-08-09T09:40:00.000-06:00

I finally finished the shopping cart cover for my grandson's birthday. I really hate it when I see little ones chewing on the shopping cart handle. I found the pattern at Connecting Threads. It was a fun and easy project(when I finally dared try it...major mental block on this one). I really enjoyed using the fusible fleece. I have never used it before and loved it. The following picture is the top of the cover. The pattern had you cut flaps instead of holes for babies legs, but they just looked like something extra to deal with when getting baby in the cart so I cut holes instead. There is a toy hanger and seat belt that is to be threaded through the seat on the cart. The cover velcro's onto the cart.

When the shopping trip is over the cover rolls up neatly to throw in the car for the next trip.

Two More Blocks

2011-08-03T10:43:00.000-06:00

I have finished two more blocks so now I'm up to nine.

Which block is your favorite? My husband likes the purple best, but I love the green and blue one. I hate to admit this...it almost seems unnatural for a quilter...but I'm not a huge fan of purple. Yes I use it when needed, but it will never be a first choice!

If your go back and count your will see that I actually have eleven completed but I'm using one for the center and one for a label on the back. I think I will make a cart cover for my little grandson's first birthday next and finish up the BOM blocks after Saturday's meeting.

Just a Quick Post...One More Block!

2011-07-27T23:12:00.000-06:00

Just thought I'd let you see today's progress. One more block, I was hoping for two, but ended up doing grocery shopping instead. Not my idea of fun but necessary. So without anymore words, here's the block.

This block was put together in kind of a strange way and I actually followed the instructions. I was very relieved that it worked and glad that I stepped outside of my comfort zone.

I'm Playing Catch Up!

2011-07-26T21:20:00.000-06:00

And none too soon. I have not been a good member of my First Saturday of the Month Block of the Month group. I have missed quite a number of the meetings and that means I'm way behind on my blocks. I worked today on them and was able to finish two more. The first block is the one due at next month's meeting, so for once I'm actually prepared ahead of time!

This block was fun and easy to make. I used different colors than the instructions called for. I was supposed to use a really light yellow where the orange is and the orange in the rectangles surrounding the center, but I like bright colors.

The next block is one of my catch up ones.

I made it differently than the instructions also (are you detecting a trend here). I'm also very happy with this block.

Here's the others that are finished.

So now I'm up to eight and should be at eleven. However, I'm going to to use the one in the lower right corner in a center medallion, so instead of just needing three more blocks to be caught up, I need four. I'm also questioning the block in the lower left, it just doesn't seem to fit in with the others. What do you think...do I need to replace it too? I could always use it as a label. Please let me know what you think!

I've Been Busy!

2011-07-20T10:38:00.000-06:00

Sorry it's been so long but I've been super busy. First of all I am over our guild's Block of the Month program and I decided to design all the blocks myself this year. It's been great fun, but a tremendous amount of work because I not only design the blocks I also write the patterns. The blocks are turning out great and the ladies seem to like them so there is my reward. More about this later.

I have family coming to visit tomorrow so I decided it was time to do something about the guest room. I read a book recently that said there are three stages to putting together a room. I think I have just completed stage two. The first stage I finished last year. I painted the entire room as well as the furniture. It look better, but along way from done. The last week I have been working on stage two, namely soft furnishings. I made these curtains. They were so heavy to work on but I'm loving the results.

Yes, I love yellow and flowers! Next I made a bed skirt and shams. I purchased the coverlet (I was getting tired).

My favorite project was the lampshades. I had these little lamps in another room and they were looking a bit tired. The lampshades were those pleated one and were soiled. I decided to take them apart and see how they were made. When I did this I found that the construction was very simple. A basic shade with everything glued on. So I sprayed adhesive on the entire outside of the shade and applied the fabric cutting it to fit as I went. I left extra fabric so I could fold under a seam in the back and to turn under on the bottom and top. I hot-glued the seam and the top and bottom. It was so fun to do a simple project and have it turn out so cute!

Now I just have to complete stage three, but that will take some time. Did you notice the bare walls. I want some quilts and other accessories for the walls. Someday it will be done!

Santa Swap and a Wonderful Win

2011-07-08T20:36:00.000-06:00

My Santa Swap partner Sandy from Eclectic Grammie sent this lovely Santa sack and two gifts wrapped in fabric. Thank you so much Sandy! I love the bag and it's going to be hard to wait to open the gifts, but I will.

Here is what I sent to Sandy.

I have also had another win. I won five beautiful fat quarters from Annie's Ruby Slipperz.

Aren't they lovely? Thank you so much Annie!

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-03T21:58:00.001-06:00

Here's hoping that you and yours have a lovely Independence Day. We are having family over and then watching fireworks. I dug a couple of UFOs out to finish for tomorrow and the rest of the month. Both projects are designed my Debbie Mumm. I think I pieced the first top in the mid-nineties. It has languished in a box since then. I had it pinned and ready to quilt but decided I wasn't happy with the batting so I changed that. The quilting was fast and easy. It's finished now and even hanging.

I pieced the second project in 2006. I made two and the time and gave one to a neighbor. I had it already to go. The top was finished. the backing ready, even the binding was made and pressed. I sandwiched and quilted it. It's hung also.

I know in the picture it doesn't look quite square, but it is. My photography skills are sometimes kind of lacking! I hope you like my small wall hangings.

Another PhD (Project half Done) Finish and Some Other Things

2011-06-30T11:33:00.000-06:00

First of all I finished my second Phd and none too soon. Today is the deadline for finishes. I'm really happy with this one. It is so cheerful.

I listed three projects that I wanted to finish this year and have managed to complete two. Number three is not going to happen ever! I started on it and actually made seven blocks. Then I laid them out and took a good look and hated them. I decided that I really didn't have time to work on something that I'm really not liking. So all these small pieces are going in my 30's scrap bin to be used on another project. I'm thinking a stacked coins quilt for some of them and I have another "started" project that will utilize the squares.

Now on to other things. Yesterday my husband and I heard a weird squawking noise on our back deck. We investigated and found a parrot! This is definitely not a native bird and would not last long on the loose. When my husband opened the door the parrot flew in and landed on the top of the curtains. Then he decided my husband's shoulder was the place to be.

We asked the neighbors if they knew of anyone missing a parrot and they couldn't even think of anyone who had one. So we ended up calling animal control and they took him to a shelter where hopefully someone will adopt him or his owner will find him.

Now for a new puppy update. Little Oliver is doing well and growing like a weed. The potty training is going pretty good, only a few accidents. He did not like the parrot in our house. It was pretty obvious that in his opinion, birds belong outside. He now knows the command "sit" and obeys most of the time. In fact he sat long enough for me to take this picture. Then of course he got a treat for being so good!

Yes, I'm still blogging!

2011-06-21T10:52:00.000-06:00

I just noticed that it has been 12 days since I last posted. Sometimes time just gets away from you. I thought I'd better let you know what I'm up to...so here goes. I'm still trying to finish my PhDs before the deadline of June 30th. I really want to finish them this year as last year I only finished one of the seven or eight projects I listed. This year I trimmed the number to three in hopes that I could actually achieve my goal. So here is my progress on #2.

As you can see I've got half of the center put together. All of the blocks are machine appliqued although nine will have buttons added when I've finished quilting. The bottom half still needs sashing and the whole thing will have narrow, white side borders. I'm also adding pieced keyboard borders and they are finished and waiting.

They took about four days of cutting and sewing. Of course that four days of time that is quite limited at the moment. My little puppy is still keeping me quite busy, but at least since I added the play pen I can get some sewing finished. Here's a picture of him supervising food prep from the back of the sofa. He's a diligent food prep supervisor even though he only gets puppy food!

Finally a PhD Finish!

2011-06-09T16:52:00.000-06:00

I finally finished a Phd. Not any too soon either. I can't tell you how good it feels to have this project done. It has hung over my head for over ten years. I'm loving how it turned out and am so glad that I decided to make three banners instead of one large quilt. The quilting was so much easier than it could have been. I did a very simple outline stitch and in the ditch in the pieced areas. I feel this quilt is about the applique and the fabrics (if you click on the picture, you will see that the background is a musical staff).

Now I just have two more PhD's and a June 30th deadline. I'm really going to try and complete them in time. Wish me luck!!!

I Won Again and Another Block of the Month Block

2011-06-04T16:27:00.000-06:00

I'm not a person that generally wins very many giveaways, but this month I've actually won two! The first one I featured in my last post. The second was because I entered one of my quilts in Amy's Creative Place spring quilt show and my name was drawn for a $20.00 gift certificate from Pink Chalk Fabrics. Thank you so much Amy and Pink Chalk Fabrics! I was able to choose whatever I wanted so I decided these two fabrics had to be mine.

I need a new tote bag for quilt guild and classes so this fabric seemed perfect. It is created by Kokka of Japan and was on sale so I was able to get one yard of each with my gift certificate!

If you have been reading my blog very long, you know that I attend a Block of the Month group sponsored by a local quilt shop. Here is the block I finished last night (the meeting was this morning).

Here's the blocks I have finished so far.

I'm behind I should have nine blocks completed by now, but I only have six and the lower right one I think I will use in the center medallion so I really only have five. I'm hoping to catch up soon!

I have had a hard time getting to my sewing room lately. As I mentioned a couple of posts ago our dear little dog died and left a huge hole in our household. We decided that things were just too quiet and got this little guy.

He is great fun and has so much love to share. He is also very busy and takes so much of my time. I need to figure out how to puppy proof my sewing room so he can spend time with me while I sew. I just haven't quite figured out how to do this yet, so my sewing time is limited. He's worth it!

I Won and a Quilt I've Never Blogged About

2011-05-21T13:10:00.000-06:00

Did you know that Connecting Threads has a blog. I didn't, but I do now. It's an interesting blog. Let's you know more about their products and designers. It also highlights current designers who have written books and patterns. They also have giveaways and I won one. This is a real rarity for me and I must tell you it is really fun! Here is what I received in the mail today. Two stacks(ten inch squares) of their beautiful batiks. The top is the sunset collection and the bottom is waterways.

If you would like to check out their blog, click here.

I'm not sure what I going to do with these fabrics yet. I have not worked with many batiks.

Here is a project using batiks I pieced about 3 years ago. The fabrics are Kaufman and the pattern is Curvalishish by Sew Be It. It was fun to make. You may recognise it because Hancock's of Paducah used it promote the pattern and the fabrics. It was really fun to make and one I may have to revisit.

Design Floor Monday

2011-05-16T10:25:00.001-06:00

Since I'm having a major mental block on this quilt,

I've decided to pull this one off of my design floor and get it quilted.

I started this quilt many years ago, I think it was in the late 90's. This is one of my PhDs(projects half done) and I have made some progress this spring. Six of the block were either appliqued or partially appliqued and I've finished all the applique. Then there was the dilemma of how to put it together. At first I had planned on a single quilt, but finally decided that the triple banner would make it more versatile for hanging and would be much easier to quilt. So this is today's project. Hopefully I'll make good progress, I really want to finish this one. It's been on my plate way too long!

Be sure to check out other design wall projects over at Patchwork Times.

Bloggers Quilt Festival

2011-05-14T10:56:00.001-06:00

I waffled back and forth on which quilt to feature for Amy's Creative Side Blogger's Quilt Festival, 2011 and finally decided on this one.

One thing you need to know about this quilt is that it is a mini. It measures just 14 inches square. I made it as a Christmas gift for my oldest son and his wife two years ago. It is made mostly from a collection of fabric that he picked out for me. I also made another quilt from the same fabric that you can see here. I love this fabric and still have a bit more and another project planned using it. I hope you like my tiny quilt. Be sure to go see all the other lovely quilts. You can find them by clicking on the link at the beginning of this post. Thanks for visiting!

Another Baby Quilt Finished!

2011-05-12T10:23:00.000-06:00

It's finished, quilted, labeled and everything! I'm hoping my little grandson's parents are as happy with the results as I am.

On a sadder note, our little Cocker Spaniel died one week ago today and left a huge hole in our lives. The house seems way too quiet. As my daughter remarked, he was our empty nest child. Things are slowly getting easier, but he is much missed!

What's On My Design Floor and More

2011-05-02T11:49:00.001-06:00

Here it is May 2nd already and I have been missing in action for more than two weeks. Our little grandchild that was due the first part of May decided to put in an appearance a little more than three weeks early. Mom and baby are fine as well as beautiful. So I have been busy helping anyway I can as well as sneaking in a little sewing. So here's what's on my design floor right now.

It another baby quilt for this for my new little grandson. I'm going to use this pattern somewhat. My son requested a quilt that featured a transportation theme. We found this design in a Leisure Arts Book called "Quick Method Quilts" published in 1994.

However as always I will just be using the pattern for inspiration. I want to design my own vehicles, change the size of the blocks, put vehicles in the empty squares, and make the quilt square. Stay tuned for future progress!

I finished the quilt top that was on my last design floor posting. I hope to sandwich it today and start quilting. I changed some of the colors and I'm glad I did. I like the brighter colors much better.

I've also been knitting in the evenings, nothing too spectacular, just some dish cloths. I love the knitted ones and I also like to be able to bleach them when I wash them, so mine are made with white or unbleached cotton yarn. I love to knit patterns so I vary the design with each cloth to prevent boredom. It's a good way to make vegging in front of the TV productive and guilt-free.

Be sure to check out Judy's Patchwork Times for more great projects!

Two Finishes for Two Little Ones

2011-04-16T12:16:00.000-06:00

The little jungle quilt that I've been working on is finally finished, labeled and everything! This one was quite a challenge, but so much fun. I really enjoyed making it and am so happy with the results. This is for my soon-to-be-born grandson.

My second finish is a little cloth book for my eight month old grandson. It's made from a panel by Timeless Treasures. I found it at a quilt show last fall and loved the beautiful illustrations. I think it will be really fun for him to look at. I've never made a cloth book before and found it to be a fun and easy project.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!

Monday's Design Floor

2011-04-11T14:27:00.000-06:00

Here's what's on my design floor this week. I bought this panel years ago while we were still living in Montana. Even though there were no grandchildren on the horizon, I loved the soft colors and intricate illustrations. About a year later, I found the green border fabric at shop in Utah, drastically reduced in price! These two fabrics have resided in a project box on my shelves, but now my new soon-to-be-born grandson is in need of another quilt.

As you can see the squares are cut out and ready to sew and I have actually decided what to do with them. Here's my concept quilt worked out using Quilt Pro.

The white squares are where the alphabet blocks go.

I'm still working to complete the applique on the jungle quilt. I think I can probably finish that today. Then I only need to add borders, layer with backing and batting, and quilt. Here's a picture from last week to refresh you memory of what I'm talking about. This is when I had completed very little of the applique.

I hope to finish this one in the next few days. I post pictures of the finished quilt, so keep tuned!

If you would like to see what is on other people's design wall, please check out more projects at Judy's Patchwork Times!

Finally a Finish and Monday's Design Floor

2011-04-04T11:59:00.000-06:00

Did you think I wasn't going to post again? I've been in California helping with my first grandson. His Mom was out of town so I got to help out. It was a good time even though I managed to catch a wicked cold. It started with my grandson and made the rounds to my son, then finished up with me. I did manage to finish the owl quilt for my second grandson (due in May). Here's a picture of the parents with it at a baby shower this weekend.

I was also able to get a start on a second quilt and this is what is on my design ~~wall~~ floor. The quilt was originally a cross stitch design that my daughter-in-law loved. I looked at it and told her that there was no way I would be able to finish it in cross stitch but I could copy it in applique. She has purchased and is making the matching birth sampler. I hope to work on the quilt some more this week.

Design Wall Monday

2011-03-14T11:11:00.000-06:00

This is my first design wall Monday. I visited Erin at One Piece at a Time and decided that maybe this is something I would like to do. On my design wall or I should say design floor is this quilt I'm making for my grandson. He is due in May. The pattern is Hooterville by Brandywine Designs and the fabric is Bright Quilter's Candy from Connecting Threads. If you have seen this pattern before you will notice that I have substituted the colorful squares with the center dot for the quarter square triangle blocks in the pattern. I can make quarter square triangles but I hate to and I'm really liking the dotted squares. I hope to get the machine applique finished today.

If you would like to see other's design wall projects please visit here.

Now on to other things. In my last post I was hoping to finish three blocks for a block of the month group I belong to. I only finished one before other obligations intervened. Purple is not a color I'm terribly comfortable with but I think this block looks pretty and sometimes even I go outside of my comfort zone. If you would like to see more about this eBOM, please see the post just before this one.

I was a lucky winner at One Piece at a Time this week and won a Quilt in a Day Flying Geese Ruler. Thank you so much Erin! I'm so looking forward to trying this ruler.

This Years Block of the Month

2011-03-04T15:07:00.000-07:00

I belong to a Block of the Month group sponsored by a local quilt shop. It is a great group and a wonderful deal. In September we all purchase a kit for a block(unless you finish the quilt from the year before, then it's free). Each month following, all you have to do is bring in your finished block and you get a kit for the next month's block at no cost. However, if you miss the meeting or don't finish your block, you have to purchase the kit. Each year they choose a theme, last year's was "Along the Oregon Trail", this years is "What's your sign?". We are presented with a short program with interesting facts relating to the theme, then there is show and tell, then we get out kit for the next month. I haven't mention much about this years blocks because I was really sure that I was liking them, but they are finally growing on me! I showed you December's block a while ago but I will show you again.

I really love this block. We were challenged to do something fancy with center. I have decided to use this block in a central medallion and surround it with the monthly blocks.

Here is my September block.

Now for the November block.

Lastly, the January block.

Now if you are keeping track you will notice that I'm missing some. Yes, I'm behind again. October is missing and since I'm using December's block as the center, I will need another block to replace it. February's block is due tomorrow, so guess what I'm going to be doing this afternoon??? Here's a picture of all the finished blocks and the fabric's I'm planning on using for the three unfinished blocks.

Now I guess I'd better get busy. Hopefully I'll have three new blocks to show you tomorrow.

Where did February go????

2011-02-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

My goodness where did this month go. I have achieved a bit, but not nearly as much as I hoped. I've got to get going...I've a new grandson coming in the first part of May and I haven't made a single baby quilt for them yet! I have, however, decided what quilts I'm going to make. So at least I know what I'm doing.

I finished the ancient UFO that I showed last post. I finally got it hung today and I'm really happy with the results.

It's hanging in my sewing room and I love finally having something on the wall. I have a few more wall hangings in the works and hope to finish them in the next six months.

I've also made progress on my PhD. The applique is finished and last post I thought I had figured out how I was going to put it together, but I was wrong. After much thought and indecision, I finally decided not to make a single large quilt instead I'm making 3 smaller quilts. Although I have the room to hang the large quilt at this time, that may not always be the case. I, also, felt it would be a total pain to quilt a quilt that size and I really want to quilt it myself. So I have divided it into three long wall hangings.

As you can see the days run vertically now instead of horizontal. They are all layered and ready to quilt The first four blocks are started and trimmed which makes it much easier to work with. Hopefully I will soon be announcing a finish.

More PhD progress and another ancient UFO

2011-02-02T11:06:00.001-07:00

I know it's been awhile since I last blogged. Let me just say I haven't just been wasting time. Although truthfully I do do a bit of that! I've helped my younger son tile a bathroom floor. It was hard work but it turned out beautiful, so the work was worth it. No pictures, sorry.

I've also made some progress on my little grandson's Christmas stocking. I had hoped to finish it for last Christmas but that didn't happen. I've really got to get going because we are expecting another grandson in May! No more vegging in front of the TV.

Here's the stocking as far as I have finished.

Next is one of the Phd's that I have been working on as part of Myra's challenge. This is a quilt that I think I started in the late 90's. The pattern is from Brandywine Designs. It's full of tiny pieces and when I first started it, a lady told me I was a fool to think I could machine applique it. Well of course I had to prove her wrong, plus I really love this pattern. Here are the last five blocks appliqued.

My next step is to put all the blocks together. I don't think I will follow their instructions(really do I ever follow all the instructions). I want to hang it in my entry next Christmas and their quilt is just too large. I think I know what I'm going to do, but that could change. Stay tuned!

While I was appliqueing the Christmas blocks, I pulled out another old(really old) project that I started when my daughter was in her early teens. She is now 28 so it has been an UFO for a long time! When I started it she had a really lovely pink room, but shortly after I started it she redecorated her room so it wouldn't be so "little girl". This project has languished mainly because I didn't have any place to use it, but now I think it will be lovely in my sewing room. Here is a picture with the applique finished.

I hope to layer and quilt it today. This is one of the first things I ever designed and I still love the design. I think, however, it may be time to update it a little. What do you think?

Amys One Thing, One Week challenge, and I'm finally making progress on a Phd!

2011-01-24T22:25:00.000-07:00

I was able to meet my goal for Amy's One Thing, One Week Challenge. I wanted to finish a new purse for myself and I did! I'm really happy with how it turned out. It's a messenger bag and took a lot of thought and math. If you read my last post, you will notice it matches my nook cover. There is even a pocket for my nook in it's cover.

Please let me know what you think of my new bag.

I've also finally made some progress on a PhD. It's taken a while but I think I finally over my loooong mental block about finishing this quilt. Here is block 10. The lords a leaping. That's seven down and five to go on this quilt. As you can see it's not perfect, but near enough for me!

Some New Projects

2011-01-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

I know I'm supposed to be hard at work on my PhDs, but I wanted to fit in some quick projects first. The first project is one that I'm doing for the local guide that I belong to. I'm running the block of the month program this year and I decided to do something a little different. I designed a calender holder that allows you to use a paper calender and then you change out the block for each month. Most of the blocks I will use through the year will also be my designs. Here's a picture, it's kind of hard to describe with words.

I'm also offering an alternative block, just in case the ladies don't care for the first one. I going to put my extra blocks in a quilt.

Now for project number 2. I received a Nook reader for Christmas and decided I really wanted a cover to keep it in when I wasn't using it. This is what I came up with.

Front

Back

I utilized a braid technique that one of the ladies demonstrated at a guild meeting. I'm really liking the results and I think I'll make a matching purse(my old one is getting holes).

Last, but not least I wanted to show you the beautiful broaches that my daughter made for me for Christmas.

Aren't they lovely? She is so talented!

First Post of the New Year

2011-01-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

Here it is January 7th already and I'm just getting around to posting. I wish I could say it's because I've been sewing a lot, but to tell you the truth, I've been taking it easy and reading some good books. It's been really nice but now it time to get back to work. I have been doing a block of the month since September and I haven't blogged about it because I just wasn't all that excited about it. I knew I was going to do something to the blocks to make them more mine, but I wasn't sure what. Well I think I have finally figured it out. The blocks are fairly simple star blocks, so I have decided to incorporate a smaller star into the larger design. This will work with all of the blocks so far and I hope it continues to work with future blocks. So anyway, here is a picture of my December star block with the smaller star in the center.

Please let me know what you think.

I will show you September's, October's, and November's as soon as I finish them.

This years Phd Challange

2010-12-31T22:07:00.001-07:00

Last year I participated in Myra's PhD Challenge and didn't do so good, so this year I decided to be more realistic. Last year I choose seven projects! Goodness what was I thinking!! This year I'm going with three. That sound much more doable.
#1. This was one of my projects from last year and it's still hanging out on my project shelves unfinished. I honestly don't know when I started this, but I suspect it was sometime in the nineties. All the blocks are cut out, ironed on, six are appliqued, two are started, and the last four are waiting. It's time to have this done!!!

#2. I just started this one in October, 2010. It's to go in my guest room and I would really like to get that room decorated. I need to do the machine applique and finish it.

#3. Last, but the one that's barely started. This is again for my guest room and only the setting blocks are cut out. Now I have to foundation piece all the other blocks and finish.

Hopefully my efforts this year will be better and I'll have all three projects done by June! Thanks Myra for sponsoring this!!!!

Christmas Wrap Up

2010-12-30T11:16:00.001-07:00

Well Christmas is over for another year. Now I have time to really enjoy my decorations! We were so lucky this year. We had all of our children, their spouses, and our new grandson here. I loved having everyone here, the house was full and happy. Everyone has now left to return to their busy lives and things are back to normal here and I find myself missing everyone. One of the things I realized is that I have got to simplify things and make sure I get more rest and put less pressure on myself in December. So this next year my goal is to have all of my presents made by the first of December and I will try not to come up with new ideas for more projects during December. I'm truly going to work on this one. But after all is said and done, even though I was tired during the holiday, I really enjoyed the season and my family. So it was all more than worth it.
Now if you have stuck with me though all these words, I think it's time for pictures. First here are some aprons I made for my daughter, my daughter-in-law, and one of my sons. I used a Sewing for Dummies pattern and adapted it so that the finished product was just what I wanted.

The next picture is of two bags that I made for my daughter. They are my designs. I have been experimenting with bags for a while now and I'm really happy with these two. My daughter didn't want them quilted with batting and I couldn't find any home decorating weight fabric that I thought she would like. I have tried using iron on interfacing to add body to the fabric, but I wasn't happy with the way it washed. This time I pieced the bags then pinned them to a lighter wight canvas and zig zaged around them and quilted them down(no batting). Then I finished and lined the bags. I loved the feel of them, now we just have to see how they wash.

This next picture is a lap quilt that I made for my other daughter-in-law and son. They just got a new white leather sofa and love contemporary style. So this free pattern from AllPeopleQuilt.com seemed just the thing. It was a joy to make and even the quilting was fun and fast.

The final project I have to show you is a small table mat. I made two of these and enjoyed this project very much. One went to my husband's sister and one to Teresa over at Moonvalley Quilter.

I can't do a Christmas post without a picture of my beautiful Grandson. He is now four and a half months old and so much fun. He got a jumperoo from Santa and loved it. We all sat and watched him, he is just so darned cute.

I hope everyone out there had a wonderful holiday and I hope your new year is the happiest yet!

Secret Santa Christmas Swap, Some Fun Mail, and Christmas at My House Part 2!

2010-12-18T12:30:00.001-07:00

Wow! Talk about a long post title. It's almost a post by it's self, but there's a lot going on here. I'm still sewing gifts and (relief) I'm going to finish everything in time for Christmas. Someday I'm actually going to get my act together and do this early (yeah right).

I received my wonderful gift from my Secret Santa in Canada, Leslie. You can visit her blog here. I couldn't believe when I opened my package. A fabulous hand appliqued table topper.

It's so lovely there is no way I'm going to put it on a table and risk someone setting something on it so I've hung it in the formal living room.

Isn't it lovely and this wasn't all. There was also a Santa doorknob hanger and candy (gone, must I say diet after Christmas)! Thanks so much Leslie!!!

This morning I received a package from Janet of "A Hug Delights". I won one of the three books she gave away on her birthday. There was also a cute fat quarter and candy. Thank you so much Janet!

Now to part 2 of my Christmas House.

My front entry is filled with many of the Christmas wall hangings that I and some good friends have made over the years and the table has nutcrackers and greenery. I have been collecting decorations since my husband and I were first married nearly forty years ago. So many bring back lovely memories so they are all pulled out every year. I just can't seem to leave any in the boxes.

I hope all your Christmas preparations are going well and I hope you take a few minutes to stop, breath and really enjoy the season!

Christmas at My House Part One

2010-12-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I posted, but I've been busy. I've been working on some Christmas presents that I will show later, as well as, decorating up a storm. First of all, if you're into simplicity and uncluttered, you probably won't enjoy this post. My theory of decorating for Christmas...More is More! I think it's my Mom's fault. She always had the house beautifully decorated and I don't think she ever met a Christmas decoration that she didn't like, so my sisters and I carry on the tradition she started. In my house there is a small room next to the front entry. I have seen it used as an office in some houses, but I have no need for that so I have set it up as a formal living room. It normally has a bit of a Victorian feel to it, but at Christmas that is intensified.

First is my Christmas tree. It has to be a tall skinny one because the room is so small. There are are many lovely ornaments given to me by my children and dear friends. The angel was made by my Mom is heavily hand beaded. I designed the tree skirt and have a pattern available for it.

Next is a picture of the inside of my curio filled with my Santa collection. I've been collecting Santas for some time, some are gifts and some I even found at yard sales. They are not particularly valuable, just ones that I really like.

The next picture is my shelves. They are filled with memories also. Mom made all the cute little angels. The plates are some that I inherited from her collection. I made the deer when my children were young. The teapots are gifts from my daughter and my daughter-in-law.

Last is a picture of the garland between the entry and the living room.

This room offers a quiet, peaceful place to escape from the busyness of the season. A great place to retreat and read with a cup of hot chocolate or just enjoy the lights.

I Just Thought You Might Want to Know About This

2010-11-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

I just thought that any of you cooks out there might want to know about this. Quilting Gallery (if you haven't visited this site you should, there is tons of good information available) is seeking recipes for an upcoming cookbook. The catch is that the deadline is tomorrow! If you have any recipes that you would like included please go here. For general information about this cookbook go here. She will be offering a pre-order version to download at only $8.00.

One Week, One Challenge, Secret Santa Christmas Swap, and more!

2010-11-29T10:42:00.005-07:00

Wow just writing out that title was exhausting! LOL! It has been a busy week here, but I decided that I had to participate in Amy's One Week, One Thing Challenge, because I really needed to finish my Secret Santa Christmas Swap project. This post is linked to both sites so if you would lie to see more clink on the icons in my sidebar and see what others have done! So without further ado, here it is finished!!!!

It was so much fun to make that I made another one for a gift that I need. It is sandwiched and waiting to be quilted. I also managed to put together a Christmas banner for my front door. I'll show it to you as soon as I finish it.
I hosted Thanksgiving dinner this year and all went well...way too much food. I guess I diet this week (maybe). The next day we had family quilting day. I'm teaching my son and his wife, my niece, and my great niece to quilt. This time we did foundation pieced ornaments. My great niece's is in the upper left, my niece's is the upper right, my son's is the lower left, and my daughter-in-laws is the lower right.

Although the contrast appears fine in the picture, my daughter-in-law's tree had a tendency to get lost, so after some brain storming we decided to embellish and this is the result.

Cute, huh!

Happy Thanksgiving and Two Quilts I Haven't Shown Before!

2010-11-25T10:32:00.002-07:00

May your life be filled with peace and plenty!

Since I have spent the last week doing a massive house cleaning, there hasn't been much happening in my sewing room. I thought I would share with you two quilts that I made in my preblogging days. The first was for my oldest son and his wife to celebrate their wedding.

Next is the quilt I made for my younger son and his bride.

Both quilts were quite a challenge, but I learned a lot, enjoyed the process, and I'm proud of both quilts.

Sew Cal Gal's Christmas Quilt Show

2010-11-16T14:39:00.002-07:00

It's time for SewCalGal's Christmas Quilt Show. My entry this years is a quilt I made in 2002 while we were still living in Northwest Montana. It is a Debbie Mumm pattern. The original pattern featured much smaller blocks and was intended to leave as raw edge applique. I just can't seem to do that so I enlarged the pattern and used hand guided machine applique. It was a fun, happy quilt to make. I hope you enjoy it!

Here are some close-ups of the blocks. All pictures are clickable.

I hang this quilt in the front entry with some of the other Christmas quilts I have made over the years. I find myself hating to take them down at the end of the season.

If you would like to see more Christmas quilt go here. Thank you very much SewCalGal for sponsoring this show!

Meet My New Grandson and Some More Birthday Gifts!

2010-11-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

I spent the last week and a half in California meeting my new grandson. It was wonderful to finally be able to hug and kiss and cuddle him. I also loved spending time with my son Matt, my daughter-in-law Joanne and my daughter Jessica. We were also joined for a few of those days by my younger son Jacob and my daughter-in-law Amanda. My husband kept the home fires going and took care of our dog, who is no longer up to traveling. So although I usually don't put pictures of my family on my blog, I just have to introduce you to my little grandson Max!

Isn't he beautiful! He's a happy, wonderful baby and I loved every minute that I was able to hold him.

Before I left, I was able to complete a couple of items for my son Jacob's birthday. I made him a bag to carry a cutting board, a large ruler, and a rotary cutter. Jacob and Amanda are part of a group of family members that I'm teaching to quilt and I thought the bag would come in handy for the days we get together.

I also made him a reversible table mat for their dinning room table. One side features Christmas fabrics.

The other side will be good for January.

You may recognize this pattern, I also made Jacob's wife an October and November version for her birthday. If you would like to see them go here.

Now it's on to Christmas sewing. I'm hoping to get my gifts finished earlier this year!

Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival!

2010-10-29T00:26:00.003-06:00

It's that time again! I so look forward to the online quilt festivals. So without further ado, on to my quilt. I have had this quilt on my blog before but it was a long time ago so I thought you might want another look.

I call it "Mom's Dresden Plates" and made it to honor my Mom who passed away in the fall of 2008. She was 96. She and I used to go to quilt shows together and I noticed she was always attracted to the quilts with Dresden Plates. I chose thirties fabrics because I'll never forget the day we walked into a quilt shop will a large display of these fabrics. She was so excited! To tell you the truth, I just thought they were kind of weird, but they have grown on me and I love them now. I think Mom loved them so much because the originals came out when she was a young wife and mother and the reproductions brought back so many happy memories. This quilt is very small, fifteen inches by nineteen inches. The blocks measure four inches square. I made more blocks than I needed so I used one on the label on the back. I also made these two pin cushions from another two.

I hope you have enjoyed my quilt and my story. Many thinks to Amy for hosting this event. If you would like to see more quilts and read more stories, go here. Thank you for stopping by!

Two Finishes

2010-10-25T11:46:00.000-06:00

I'm participating in Amy's "One Thing, One Week Challenge", only I guess I didn't think and listed four project that I wanted to finish. I did finish the two most labor intensive project and hope to have the others done by tomorrow night. So here goes...first I finished my son's birthday gift. It is a smaller version of a recent finish called Stepping Stones. I found the pattern in one of the fall 2009 American Patchwork and Quilting magazines. My son loves miniatures so I made it smaller.

Here is a picture of the both the regular sized version and my reduced sized one. The colorful blocks in the regular version are 7 inches square and in the smaller one are 3 1/2 inches square. Both quilts are fun to make and not difficult.

My other finish this week is a small quilt for my daughter-in-law. It is my design and I haven't named it yet, but I' really happy about how it turned out and I going to have to make one for myself! The blocks are 4 inches square.

I'm hoping that my son and daughter-in-law like their birthday gifts. Now on to the other two projects listed! If you would like to see more finished projects for this week stop by Amy's and see what others have accomplished this week. Many thanks to Amy for hosting this challenge!

Winners and a Couple of Projects

2010-10-15T12:45:00.000-06:00

Many Thanks to all who entered my giveaway!!! Also Thank You to Debi for sponsoring the giant giveaway!!!!! Now For the winners:

Jessica @BeforeTheDawn

"Thank you for the wonderful giveaways! I would be super excited if I won North Woods Noah!"

Melinda

"I love the Christmas Tree skirt. If I win, that is what I choose. Thanks for the opportunity."

I will be contacting you shortly via email.

Now on to the projects. The first one is a bag I made for my daughter for her birthday. She has become interested in quilting and just purchased a ruler, cutting mat, and rotary cutter so she needed somewhere to store them as well as an easy way to transport them. We went to a home decorating fabric store and picked out this cute fabric with elephants. The nice thing about this kind of fabric is that it is very wide usually about 60 inches and a heavier weight than regular fabric. With one yard of fabric I was able to make the bag with a long pocket to hold the ruler and a smaller pocket for the rotary cutter.

Sorry the pockets don't show up better but if you click on the picture you should be able to see them!
The next project isn't mine. My daughter and my husband share a birthday. She made him this cute little bear with a technique called felting. She starts with a little piece of colored wool and then adds progressive more with a barbed needle until she finishes. It is a long process and took many hours to make this little guy. The bear is because my husband is a Montana Grizzlies fan. The red sweater is because my husband often wears a red windbreaker. He will eventually have a green and yellow scarf because my husband is a major Green Bay Packers fan.

This little bear lives in a coolie cover in his Packer's shrine!

Isn't he cute!

A Thank You and Previews of What I'm Working On

2010-10-06T15:27:00.001-06:00

First of all I would like to thank everyone who has visited my blog and left a comment on the Fall into Fall Giveaway. The response has been amazing and I'm sorry to say there is no way I'll be able to respond to everyone. A big thank you to all of you who have joined as followers! I appreciate you feel my blog is worthy of you attention.

Now on to what I'm doing right now. First I need to tell you how I work. Occasionally (very occasionally) I start a project and power through, start to finish, but usually I have several things going at once. Do you think I have a cluttered mind, a short attention span or what????

My first project is a sew along that I signed for some weeks ago, with good intentions, of course. Then other things got in the way, so I'm about 5 weeks late in starting. It called "Ladybugs in Polka Dotville by Ivory Spring (see my sidebar). Well, I finally started this weekend. I am using fabrics from my stash rather than the recommended ones. So without further ado, here is part one! I also made some small half square triangles from the trimmings and have a coordinating project in mind. The fabrics are from Mary Engelbreit's Carolers collection and Fusion Flowers by Kaufman.

The other three projects I'm working on are to complement my BOM (see post here). I'm planning on using that quilt as a bedspread in my guest room, so I thought I would make some wall quilts to go with it. First are some setting blocks for the wall hanging above the bed. I've cut the printed pieces out, now to make the main blocks and as well as, finishing the setting blocks.

Now on to my second project for my guest room. This is just a sneak peak of a project I'm in the process of designing.

Finally the project I am actively sewing.

This a quilt designed by Kim Schaefer from her book "Flowering Quilts". Her version is done in country fabrics, but I thought it would translate nicely into reproduction thirties fabrics. As you can see I still need to finish the pieced borders on the last four blocks. Then I'll do the machine applique. So with that said I'd better go get to work!

Fall Into Fall Quilter's Blog Giveaway!

2010-09-30T22:59:00.002-06:00

This giveaway is now closed. The winners are:

Jessica @BeforeTheDawn

Thank you for the wonderful giveaways! I would be super excited if I won North Woods Noah!

Melinda

I love the Christmas Tree skirt. If I win, that is what I choose. Thanks for the opportunity.

Thanks to all who entered!!!!!!!!

I've got a really busy day tomorrow so I thought I would go ahead and post now. It's finally here... the huge blog giveaway, not to mention my first giveaway. I had a really hard time deciding what to give away and finally came up with two different giveaways. First is a pattern by Art to Heart called North Woods Noah and 10 fat quarters of homespun to get you started.

Next I thought I would give away my pattern for a Christmas Tree Skirt and 2 1/2 yards of beautiful Hoffman fabric, enough for the background of the tree skirt. Both pictures are clickable for a closer look.

Now I had to think of what you must do to get one of these giveaways and after much thought I decided to make it simple. Although I was tempted to ask you to follow my blog for a chance, I decided not to (although I would love if you do decide to). What I want you to do is leave a comment letting me know which giveaway you would like. That's all... one little comment letting know which to send to you if your name is drawn.

Many thanks to Debi for sponsoring this giant giveaway! To find more giveaways go here.

Block of the Month Quilt Top Finished

2010-09-27T10:43:00.000-06:00

It's taken a whole year, but it's finally made into a quilt top. All pictures are clickable for a closer look.

Now for an explanation of why a whole year. I joined a BOM group sponsored by a local quilt shop. Each month starting Sept. 2009 we were supplied with a kit for four six inch blocks. We also had a choice of color ways and I chose the thirties reproduction fabrics. The blocks were fairly simple because they have to be suitable for beginners as well as more experienced quilters. As the months went on the block in the kits I was making just weren't coming together in any cohesive manner, so I decided to design a new block each month using the kit blocks in the four corners. To unite the blocks I had the four outer middle blocks form a star and the center block is always a pieced Dresden Plate. Here's another closer picture.

The blocks are large 18 inches square and then I bordered them with an additional one inch of white fabric so none of the colored fabric would touch the sashing. The quilt is quite large measuring 80 inches by 100 inches. I'm really pleased with my finished top and can't wait to see it quilted. Here's another picture.

If you would like to see pictures of my block in progress, feel free to browse earlier posts here. Also, be sure to go to Amy's Creative Side and see how others have met a goal set last Monday.

I've Joined the Fall Into Fall Quilter's Blog Giveaway!

2010-09-22T09:49:00.000-06:00

Yes it's happened! I've joined the giveaway and will be giving away something. Come see what on Oct. first! Also check out all the other giveaways here.

Sounds fun, huh!

Last Block Finished

2010-09-14T12:07:00.002-06:00

As those of you who read my blog know, I have been working on a year long block of the month project sponsored by a local quilt shop. I am given a kit that makes four 6 inch blocks. Here are August's kit blocks.

I then go to my computer a design an 18 inch block utilizing the four kit blocks in the corners. This is my concept block for August.

Then I cut out and sew the entire block. I have tried to unify the variety of prints and colors by having the middle outer blocks form a star and the center block is always a pieced Dresden Plate. Here is my finished block for this month.

This is the final block for this series. Each year's blocks run September through August. I have my quilt made from this years blocks designed and am working on it. Next year's theme is called "What's Your Sign" and is star blocks on a black background. Our first class is Saturday. I'm looking forward to seeing what the shop comes up with...so stay tuned!

Dresden Pin Cushions

2010-09-13T10:19:00.000-06:00

Last week was not one of my more productive weeks. I'm not sure why...it just seemed that other things kept getting in the way of sewing. Also there was a little case of I don't feel like cleaning the sewing room and it's way too messy to work in, but I finally cleaned it and went to work. I made a very simple quilt to send to Haiti (sorry I didn't take pictures). I also made two small pin cushions. One is for a basket our guild donates to the Utah Quilt Guild annual meeting and the other is part of an inner-guild exchange at our December meeting. Pictured below are my pin cushions. If you would like to see the others go here.

Summer Song Completed, Birthdays Begin!

2010-09-07T16:04:00.001-06:00

I finished my guild challenge quilt in time for the competition last Thursday night. There were 15 other quilts made by guild members. It was fun to see what everyone came up with. Pictured below is my challenge quilt "Summer Song". If you would like to see all the quilts that were made for the challenge go here.

Fall is birthday time here at Apple Avenue Quilts. My daughter-in-law Amanda has the first one. One Day last spring we were shopping at a local quilting shop and found two decidedly fun fall fabrics. When I saw that she liked them so much I grabbed them. They were even on sale! I debated what to make with them and being as they in no way would look good together, I decided to make a two sided table mat for her round dining room table. I thought she could use one side for Halloween and the other for the rest of autumn.

She also needed a pin cushion, so I made this one for her. I filled it with crushed walnut shells.

She seemed really happy with both gifts.

Summer Song---Top Completed!

2010-08-30T13:27:00.000-06:00

I took Amy's one thing, one week challenge last week and decided I would try and finish my Summer Song (I named it!) wall hanging last week. I didn't quite make it, although not for the want of trying! I'm making this quilt for a guild challenge that requires the quilt have four Dresden Plates. Mine has five. I choose to do the simple circle plate because I wanted to add ric rac. This is my design and that is why I didn't quite finish. I sewed and sewed on Saturday and thought I had the top complete, but when I spent some time looking at it I knew there was something bothering me. I thought and thought and actually came up with an idea to fix the problem, but decided to sleep on the solution. I woke on Sunday morning and realized I wasn't going to like the fix either...so more thinking!
I finally came up with a solution and began deconstructing my top. I then re-cut and re-sewed the top. Our meeting to show off our challenge quilts is this Thursday (yes, I work well under pressure), so I must finish it by then. I must admit I'm liking the result. It seems like a happy, summer quilt and I think it's going to look great in my kitchen!
If you would like to see what others are doing with the one thing, one week challenge go here.

New Wall Hanging...A Quick Peek At the Beginning!

2010-08-23T11:44:00.000-06:00

I just thought I would give you a quick peek at the center block of a wall hanging that I'm designing for a challenge sponsored by a local quilt guild that I belong to. The only limits we had in this challenge was to included four Dresden Plates at least four inches across in the design. One down, three more to go (although because I seem to lean towards symmetry, I have four more to go)! Because I love, love, love both sunflowers and ladybugs, I chose them as my main theme. It is quite a large block and is intended to be the main feature of the quilt. I'm going to start work on the border today. I also need to think of a name for it. Let me know what you think.

Stepping Stones Finished!

2010-08-17T11:03:00.000-06:00

I started this quilt about a year ago and almost finished it, but then fall birthdays and Christmas happened and I had to put it away. Sorry about the hanging stick in the picture. It won't be visible when I hang it in it's proper place. The other day I was going through the closet and pulled it out. I decided now was the time to finish. I ironed it and proceeded to quilt. I had planned on quilting it in the ditch only, but the quilt had other ideas. I ended up doing a lot of quilting, but it is all straight line so it was easy, but time consuming. The quilting took about three afternoons. It's done (always good). It was something different for me and I had great fun making it. Last of all, I'm very happy with the results!

Sampler Finally Completed!

2010-08-14T12:58:00.000-06:00

I finally pulled out the sampler I finished stitching a couple of months ago. To refresh your memory I made it using a cross stitch design from Australian Country Threads for the center. Then surrounded it with various borders that I found in a variety of places as well as an alphabet from an old, out of print magazine from the 90's. I have been debating how to hang it. I looked into framing it, but decided I really didn't want to go that route. So I decided to border it and quilt it. First I pulled out a variety of fabrics and chose a rather elaborate layout. I showed it to my husband who said it was way too much and took away from the stitchery. To make a long story short, he was right. I tried the elaborate border and it looked horrible so I went with simplicity and it worked. I've had this little hanger for many years and just couldn't find anything that seemed to be right to hang with it. I think I've finally found the perfect project for the hanger. What do you think?

Block Eleven Done!

2010-08-06T21:45:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is my First Saturday Block of the Month meeting and of course I left my blocks until I couldn't put them off any longer. So yesterday I cut out everything and sewed the original kit blocks. I was especially happy with these blocks and they were quite fun to make. Not so many half square triangles in them as past ones.

This is my concept block. I actually designed it about a month ago after the last meeting.

Here is the finished block. I'm really happy with this one and it wasn't too hard to make. One more to go and then I can start quilting them. I think I'm going to try quilting them first and then putting them together. I'll let you know how it goes!

Pillow Covers

2010-08-04T19:41:00.000-06:00

Just thought I'd show you some pillow covers I made for my oldest son and his wife. Last week when I was in California. My daughter-in-law and I were shopping and found an interesting little fabric shop called "Fabrics on Piedmont". It was a very interesting little shop that carried a little of everything, quilting fabric, dressmaking fabric, even some home decorating fabric. There was also a nice selection of buttons. Among this treasure trove, we found these nice linen prints from Japan. They were needing some pillows for their new downstairs family room, so my daughter-in-law purchased the fabric and I told her I would make them. I had been looking for a house warming gift so this seemed like a perfect solution. I measured their pillows and constructed the covers out of two squares of fabric with zippers in the bottom seam. They couldn't have been easier. I made the orange one while I was there and made sure that they fit right and then brought everything home to finish up. They are made to fit 18 inch square and 24 inch square pillows. I spent yesterday afternoon sewing them and put them in the mail this afternoon. They have a mid-century modern home so these fabrics should be perfect. I'm happy with how they turned out and it was fun to try sewing with linen in such bright, fun colors.

I'm Back!

2010-08-01T16:39:00.000-06:00

Yes I know I didn't tell you I was going, but I went and now I'm back. I rode with my younger son and his wife from Salt Lake City, UT, USA to Oakland, CA, USA. The trip was about 12 hours long, so we got some good visiting in. Why Oakland, yes I know that it has a bit of a bad rep and of course some of it is deserved, but wow there are some really beautiful parts too and the east bay is so much sunnier and warmer than San Francisco. My oldest son and his wife just bought a new house up in the hills there. It was so lovely and quiet at his new place. On Friday the 23rd of July we went to the Oakland Museum and I must tell you it is a wonderful place to visit. There is something for everyone, modern art, traditional art and even some natural history. There is also a wonderful section on California history. We had such a good time. It was lovely to be able to spend some time with all three of my children and their wives. The top picture was taken in my sons backyard. The flower grows on a vine and is quite normal looking until you look at the center. Then it looks like something from a fantasy movie.
My younger son and his wife drove home on Monday but I was able to stay on until Saturday. My daughter and her roommates prepared dinner for me on Thursday. It was a wonderful meal and it was good to get to know her roommates a little better. On Friday my oldest son's wife took me to the Clairmont Hotel for lunch. The second picture is the outside of this hotel which opened in 1915. We ate on the veranda and then wandered though the public rooms. My oldest son, his wife, my daughter and I spent Saturday morning at the Berkeley farmer's market, then had lunch and then I flew home. I had a wonderful time, but I'm also glad to be home. I missed my husband and dog who were taking care of things here.

Two More Baby Quilts and a Win

2010-07-20T21:54:00.009-06:00

First let's start with the win. Wendy at Ivory Springs had a give away and I won a copy of the new Quilter's World. I have enjoyed reading it and Wendy has a really cute quilt in it. Thank you Wendy!

Now onto the quilts. I found the pattern for the redwork blocks in a old copy of American Patchwork and Quilting. I loved the embroidery blocks but wanted to do something different to set them, so I sat down and designed several settings and let my husband choose. I think he chose the right one!

The next quilt is one by Brandywine designs called Critter Caboodle. The instructions called for hand applique which I don't do, so I fused all the little critters then appliqued them with a satin stitch (really close zigzag). I don't have and embroidery machine so it is all hand guided. Sorry the picture leaves something to be desired, so I included close-ups.
The middle block. This one took a while to applique. Soooo many little critters.

The triple animal block.

The horse and dog block.

The frog block. Doesn't he look happy!

And finally the back.
I hope my new grandson (when he's born) and his parents enjoy them.

Tuesday's Treasures

2010-07-13T12:08:00.001-06:00

So why are these five blocks my Tuesday's Treasure? For a few reasons, but first let me tell you what we are doing. My son, my daughter-in-law (his wife), my niece and my great-niece having been asking me for some time now to teach them to quilt. About 2 months ago we got together and cut all our fabric to make a block of the month quilt. I chose one from Block Central called Nine Patch Nirvana. We all picked our own fabrics. I got mine from my stash. On Sunday afternoon we got together and worked on block one. We had such a good time. My sister (the fine artist) also came and worked on a knitting project while we were sewing. My husband also joined us (after the world cup soccer game) and we all had a good visit. After we finished our blocks, my sister provided us with supper. Then to round out the evening, we went to Toy Story 3. A fun movie, if you haven't seen it, you should give it a try. Anyway back to the blocks, mine is in the upper left corner. My daughter-in-law's is in the upper right corner. Her fabric was declared the most fresh looking! My son's block is the center one. His fabric was declared to be the most bold. My great-niece's block is in the lower left corner. Her fabric was declared the classiest. My niece's block is in the lower right corner. Her fabric was declared the most feminine. I think all the fabric combinations are beautiful and I think all the quilts will be lovely.
Now I tell you why this is my Tuesdays Treasure:

It means so much to me to have family members share an interest with me.
It's so much more fun to work together.
After many years separated from family by distance, it's so good to be able to get together with my family and share good times!

If you would like to share other treasures go here.

Tuesday's Treasures

2010-07-06T10:24:00.001-06:00

These shoes belonged to my Grandma Emma. I think they are from around the turn of the last century. They must be "best" shoes because they are not very worn. I'm not really sure why I ended up them but I'm glad I did because I love them. I was born to older parents so this was the only grandparent that was still living when I was a child. She lived just a little ways from our house so I would often go with my Dad to check on her. She always gave me a hard candy when we visited. This is a picture of Grandma Emma and her children. Dad is the second from the left on the top row. I always thought he was the most handsome, but of course I might be a bit prejudiced because he was my Dad!
You can see more treasures here.

June BOM finished and Link to a Printable String Quilt Tutorial

2010-07-05T14:57:00.001-06:00

This Saturday is the meeting of a block of the month club that I joined last September. The picture on the right shows the completed blocks from the kit provided to us.

This is my concept block. I designed it using Quilt Pro.

This is my completed block. If you are interested in what this BOM is all about, I have an explanation here. Other blocks that I have designed and made for this series can be viewed here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and finally here.

Also I wanted to point out that I have added to my sidebar a printable tutorial for the String Quilt from my previous post. It was a very fun, easy project, so feel free to print out or download the instructions.

Finally a String Quilt and My Only Finished Phd

2010-06-30T10:43:00.002-06:00

I finally finished a string project! I didn't sew squares as most people did, instead I decided to do strips. This was a tremendously fun quilt to make and fast. I don't know why I waited so long. I used scraps from a quilt that I made for my niece for her wedding. I'm going to hang it in my sewing room. Let me know what you think!

The other quilt is my one and only Phd finish. Both challenges end today and although I didn't get as much done as I hope to, I'm still very happy to have joined in and finished these quilts. Thank you Stephanie and Myra for hosting!

Tuesday's Treasures

2010-06-29T11:02:00.000-06:00

Clare from Clare's Craftroom is hosting a new feature called Tuesday's Treasures. You are asked to blog about some thing you treasure and link to her site. Today I choose two things. The first is my Mom's glasses. When Mom passed away a couple of years ago I grabbed her glasses because to me they symbolize something quite intimate. After all she wore them all her waking moments. Wearing them she produced so many beautiful things and today I also choose this beautiful porcelain doll that she made for me. She made it from the very beginning. She poured the porcelain in the mold, cleaned, painted and fired the doll. Then she assembled her and made the clothing with no patterns. What you don't see in this picture is that there is a complete set of under garments on her, including the cutest little bra you have ever seen. Her shoes are also beaded lace. This picture shows a close-up of the beading on the front of the skirt. Click on the pictures if you would like to see them closer. Mom spent countless hours making each of her daughters a bride, all different and unique.
Thanks to Clare for hosting this, it good to look at your treasure and remember why they mean so much to you. Click here to go to Clare's blog and see more.

Another Finish

2010-06-28T15:12:00.000-06:00

Here's my second finish for this month. It's a baby quilt using a Dick and Jane panel that I've had in my stash for some time. I showed it to my daughter-in-law one time when she was visiting and she loved it . When it was still in panel form, I thought it was a bit boring so I wanted bright primary colors to, hopefully, enhance the panel. I hope I didn't go too far with the brightness, but I really like it and hope the baby and his parents will as well.
I pieced the back. This is only the second back I have pieced. I think I was a little intimidated, but found it was easy and fun. I had an extra block in the panel that was suitable for the front, but I only needed five so I decided to put it on the back and will use it for a label. I quilted it using red thread and a decorative stitch on my machine. I had great fun making and quilting this quilt. Let me know what you think.

I finally finished something...and a beautiful flower.

2010-06-21T14:41:00.000-06:00

I finally finished a project. It seems like I'm better at starting than finishing and it's good to finally complete something. This is a baby quilt called "Just Ducky". I found the pattern in the Dec. 2009 issue of "American Patchwork and Quilting". I added a border because it felt unfinished. I'm really happy with the results!

Now on to the flower. This is a hibiscus. It is a tropical flower so mine is kept indoors all year. I haven't had any blooms for over two years so I decided to move it directly in front of the patio door. I've had six blooms in just the past week. I guess it's much happier!

My Dad

2010-06-20T12:56:00.002-06:00

My Dad was a wonderful father. He was born in 1907, second to the last in a family of ten. Grandma always called him her good boy. In a family with more than one high strung, bad tempered individual, Dad's even temper was most assuredly a blessing. This a picture of him and his sister. Dad didn't want this picture taken because Grandma had replaced his lost shoe button with a white one instead of a black one. The photographer promised to black the white one in. I'm glad he didn't!

This is a picture of Dad as a young man. He told stories of riding his horse to the west desert to find the wild horse herd that roamed in the area. He always wanted to go to college, but finances at the time made that impossible. He went on to become a successful farmer and cattle rancher. Dad used to take me to feed cattle with him. I would hold the grain sacks while he filled them. One summer my sister and I helped him harvest the hay. He purchased a piece of machinery that eliminated our job the next summer, so I don't think we were very good.

This is a picture of Dad as a father. Some of my best memories as a child are sitting on Dad's lap while he read the Saturday Evening Post or Life magazine. He let me sound out the words that I knew. It was a proud day when I could read a whole paragraph by myself. Dad always had wise advise and kind words for all of us. He truly loved Mom and allowed no disrespect from us for her when we were mouthy teenagers,

This a picture of Dad as a Grandpa. All the grandchildren loved him and usually ended up sitting on his lap. He loved to hold babies and they always quieted in his arms. When he was older and didn't farm as much, he became a voracious reader, so we always knew what to give him at Christmas and birthdays. He also like to find and restore old furniture. Dad and Mom gave me two beautiful old tables and a china cabinet that they rescued.

Dad died in 1993. Mom and I were with him. I could tell he was terribly worried about leaving Mom and fought to stay with her. In later years she always remarked that Dad died way too soon and she still needed him. I like to think they are together now. I miss him and wish I could feel his hand on my shoulder again. So to my kid's wonderful Dad and all the other great Dad's out there "Happy Father's Day"!

A Quick Home Decorating Project

2010-06-18T23:35:00.000-06:00

Just thought I'd show you a quick home decorating project I finished yesterday. After painting everything (well almost, at least it felt like everything) the old shower curtain just didn't look good anymore and to tell you the truth, I have never really liked it. It was all I could get at the time. So I decided to get to work and make a new one before I had a chance to get a mental block about doing it. I measured the old one and used it for a pattern. I love the colors and of course the flowers. I also hung some old Holly Hobbie plates that belonged to my Mom. Hope you like it.

Sorry it's been so long...

2010-06-14T21:49:00.000-06:00

All I can say is that we have been painting again. As I have mentioned before, we moved into a new house a few years ago. I wasn't really happy with the paint but knew it was fixable. Well good news, all the walls are finally painted with good paint that is washable. It's been a long time coming, but it's done. We finished off with 2 bathrooms, the guest room, the landing, the laundry room, and last but by no means least, the staircase. My husband did most of the staircase and I tried not watch because sometimes the very tall ladder was in some very iffy positions. During the middle of all this, our little Cocker spaniel got very sick. We were afraid he had a stroke. As it turns out, he had a cheat grass weed in his ear that was making his equilibrium not work. The weed is removed and he is slowly recovering.
Now onto quilting, I have managed to do a very little bit. June 5th was our meeting of the first Saturday of the month block group. I think I had better explain what this is all about, as I had some questions last time I posted a completed block. It is a group sponsored by a local quilt shop. Every September we start a year long block of the month project. At the first meeting you purchase a kit for your first block or as we are doing this year your first set of 4 smaller blocks. Our theme this year is "Along the Oregon Trail". If you finish your blocks and take them to the next meeting, you will receive the next set of blocks for free. We had three choices of fabric this year, neutrals, civil war era reproductions, or the one I chose, 1930's prints. A few months into the project, some of the ladies began to bring their four smaller blocks made into one larger block. Some used an appliqued block in the center and some had embroidered a vintage design in the center. I found them very inspiring but knew I didn't want to do either embroidery or applique, so I decided to design blocks using the four original kit blocks in the corners, with a pieced Dresden Plate block in the center. In each of the outer blocks between the corner blocks, I have designed a block with triangles facing the center to form a star and a different design each month. I have really enjoyed doing this and hope that it will unite the quilt somewhat as the fabrics are not very united.

Here are the blocks that I received in May.

This is my concept block.

Finally this is the completed block.

Let me know what you think!

Blogger's Quilt Festival

2010-05-21T15:13:00.003-06:00

My entry for Amy's Spring Blogger's Quilt Festival is a wall hanging that I made in 2004. It is my design. First I purchased some hand dyed fabric (the pink and green used in the appliques), then I started looking for some fabric to complement the hand dyes. I found the rose fabric in Keepsake Quilting and thought it was perfect. I made this quilt because I needed something to hang on the wall in my guest room.

Here is a detail picture of one of the blocks. I used hand guided machine applique, machine piecing and quilting to make this quilt. If you are interested in a tutorial on machine applique, I have one here. I hope you like this quilt. It feels like spring to me.

Thank you Amy for hosting this quilt festival! It's always fun to see all the quilts. If you would like to see more quilts go here.

Machine Applique Tutorial

2010-05-20T21:49:00.002-06:00

As promised yesterday, I have a machine applique tutorial to share with you. If you find that you have questions, please leave a comment and I will do my best to answer them.
First you need to affix your applique pieces to the background. My preferred method is with fusible web. First trace your pieces to the smooth (paper) side of the fusible web. Make sure you are tracing the pieces opposite of the way you want them to appear on the finished item. I use a light box, but a sunny window will work fine. Then cut the pieces apart near the traced line, not on the traced line. Using the manufacturer’s instructions, iron the fusible web to the wrong side of the fabric. Then cut out on the line and following the manufacturer’s instructions, fuse the pieces to your background. Note: I always cut the background a little larger and trim it to size when I’m finished with the applique to be sure the background stays the right size.
     After you affix the fabric to the background you will need to stabilize the piece. You can use either tear away stabilizer or copy paper. I use both depending on the project. If the project is small and intricate, I recommend tear away. Straight lines and gentle curves are fine with copy paper. If I have a larger project, I use tear away simply because I can cover the entire area.
     Any good quality thread will work for applique. I use the same thread on the top and in the bobbin.
     Next adjust your machine. I always loosen the top tension. You will have a much smoother satin stitch if you do this. I also set my straight stitch length to 0 and my zigzag stitch to almost 0.

Now you need to decide what to sew first. Any piece that is partially under another piece should be sewn first. In this picture, the heart and the yellow petals of the flower need to be sewn before the green leaves or the blue petal.

Finally we are sewing! Starting in a corner or just anywhere on a circle, sew your first five stitches in place with the straight stitch to knot the thread.

Then switch to zigzag and start sewing. The outside edge of your stitching should be just beyond the outside edge of the applique (about the width of your needle). Guide the piece. Do not try to push it though the machine. Let you machine do the work!

You will need to start and stop using the straight stitch knot when you come to a piece that overlays the piece you are working on. It is OK to satin stitch onto the top piece just a little ways to make sure your entire bottom piece is covered, but not too far as you must be able to cover your stitching with the stitching on the upper piece.

When you reach an area where your need to change directions, stop with you needle on the inside of the piece, in the down position.

Then pivot your piece to go in the next direction. Pull your needle up and position it though the same hole as when you stopped and continue on. Corners are done the same way as the center of this heart.

Although almost all other directions have you cover the corner going in both directions, I don’t recommend this because it makes the corner bulky.

End your applique with five straight stitches to knot the thread again.

When you finish. Trim the front threads first. Then give the back threads a gentle tug to pull the knots to the back and trim. Don’t trim the knots off.

If you make a mistake, it is easy to correct. Simply slide your seam ripper between the fabric and the thread and cut the thread. Be very careful that the seam ripper does not catch the fabric!

When you are completely finished remove the stabilizer, press, and trim the background to size.

This is a picture of my finished applique.

This is a fun and fast way to applique, but at first it may seem difficult. Start sewing slowly, as you gain confidence, your speed will increase. As in all new techniques, practice is necessary, so you may want to practice before starting a project. If you would like a printable copy of this tutorial and a sample applique pattern to practice with go here.

What Could Have Happened Here?

2010-05-19T17:33:00.000-06:00

My goodness what could have happened here. Was there an explosion in the stash closet? (No, a new project is happening!) Is this why I haven't blogged as much lately? (Well maybe somewhat, mostly the problem was laziness.) I have been working on projects, but haven't felt they were really ready to blog about. So now I' m ready to show you some of the things I'm working on.
My oldest son and his wife are expecting a baby, so of course I'm going a little wild with baby quilts. I have been hoping for a grandchild for quite a while now, so I think I can be forgiven. So how does this relate to the mess...I found a really cute book by Linda Hohag of "Brandywine Designs" called "Critter Caboodle". Here is a picture of the blocks ironed on and ready to machine applique.

As you can see they are fairly intricate and require a lot of different fabrics. I spent most of one day choosing just the right ones. Then another day tracing the critters onto fusible web. Then still another day and evening ironing the critters onto the fabric and cutting them out. It was fun, although I must admit that some of my choices had to be changed. There have been three different squirrels and two different raccoons. I'm finally happy with my choices. I'll show you close-ups of the blocks as I get them appliqued. Here is the fabric that I plan to use for the sashing and border.

I've also been working on another quilt for the baby called "Just Ducky" that I found in the December 2009 issue of "American Patchwork and Quilting". Maybe if I stuck to one project at a time, I would get them finished faster, but that's not how I work. Here is a picture of one of the blocks.

As you can see, his applique is finished. There are twelve of these little guys in the quilt. Nine are completed and the other three are nearly done.
I also presented a program at my quilt guild on machine applique and I am hoping to post a tutorial here tomorrow. So if you're interested check back then!

Memories of Mom on Mother's Day

2010-05-09T10:06:00.004-06:00

I just thought I'd share some memories of my Mom on Mother's Day. She was as good a mom as anyone could have ever had. She was one of eight children and my grandmother said she was by far her easiest child to raise. Here is a picture of her as a child. How would you like to iron that little dress, then multiply it by eight because then even the little boys wore lace and there was no permanent press!

Mom was a very talented woman. She sewed, quilted, knitted, crocheted, hooked rugs, painted pictures, reupholstered furniture, made and dressed porcelain dolls, and was an excellent cook. She didn't seem to be afraid to try anything. She always told us it was alright to try and fail, but not to try was unacceptable. Here is a picture of her as a young mother.

Mom was always there for us. I have three sisters and one brother. We all had childhoods out of a storybook. We lived on a farm and I can remember picking corn and walking along the irrigation canals looking for asparagus. I was born when Mom was in her late thirties. Here is a pictures of her as I remember her when I was growing up.

Mom was a wonderful grandmother and great-grandmother. She has twenty-four grandchildren. My kids always loved to visit grandma's house. There were always special meals, ice cream treats in the freezer, and fun projects just for them, plus wild outdoor fun too! Here is a picture of her as a grandma.

Mom died in September of 2008 at the age of ninety-six. I find I miss her more each day and wish I could ask her how to do things all the time. So I wish everyone out there a Happy Mother's Day. I'm sure you are loved!

Block Eight Finished!

2010-05-04T21:48:00.008-06:00

I finished my eighth block for my block of the month group. We met on Saturday. I only had the corner units finished then, but that OK because that is the only parts required to get the next months blocks.

Then on Monday I finished the rest of the total combined block. Here is my concept block.

And finally, here is the finished block.

My Christmas Stocking Quilt Top is Finally Finished!

2010-04-24T12:13:00.003-06:00

It wasn't supposed to take so long, but it did. The borders were kind of a long process. They took a lot of cutting and sewing, but I'm pleased with how they look. Then there was the center. The blocks were many different sizes. I finally got out my graph paper and worked out what to do. Then I had to get over my fear of sewing it together. I found the sewing was really fun when I finally started and it went together as planned. The first border went on very smoothly. Then came the second border. I hit a pin about ten inches from the end and my machine was really unhappy with that. So unhappy, in fact, that it demanded a trip to the repairman the next morning. Finally three days later the machine was fixed and ready to return home. Last night I was able to finish border two and add three and four. Yea!!! It's finally together!

It's quite long. My husband had to stand on a chair to hold it up so I could take a picture. Here are some of my favorite blocks.

This block features some machine embroidery made for me by Teresa at Moonvalley Quilter. I have had it for years. It's so nice to have finally found the right project for it.

I think I need a rest from this quilt. So it's on to other projects. I will quilt it later when I'm not so tired of it. Let me know what you think!