Tuesday, December 31, 2013

The Last NewFO At Cat Patches

Now this is my kind of blog event. Many thanks to Barbara over at Cat Patches for hosting this great event. Learn all about it here.  Barbara will be hosting this same even in 2014 and the new button is on my side bar, so check it out and join in the fun, because who doesn't like to start new projects!
 I LOVE to start new projects.  So let me see if I can remember my December projects.  Actually I didn't  get much started but I did start and finish these jammies for my hubby for Christmas.
And a friend of mine came over and showed me this project she found on YouTube.  I asked her the name and she can't remember and she can't find it again.  She said she started out looking at Grandmother Flower Gardens and found this table topper.
I have searched and searched but all I came up with was this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AlS1bxSe24 for a denim quilt but the technique is very similar.  We used two circles and cut them with my GO die on the Studio Cutter so cutting was really quick.  Then traced a square in the center on each top square and this is the results.
Not finished yet but it is getting close.  I stitched down the petals with the blanket stitch.  Next time I will use a larger circle and square as not much of the center showed up.  But it was a fun quick project to try.  And finish is in sight.  3 more rows to stitch down and then turn up and stitch the outside edges.
I also decided I could keep up with Bonnie Hunter's latest Mystery Celtic Solstice. OH silly, silly me.  We have been given Clue 5.  Well, I have Clue 1 complete and have started cutting Clue 2 so I am really playing catch up.
 It is quickly turning into a UFO but I will get back to it.  It's not a race, right?
That's all I got started this month, but trying to get myself more organized so hopefully I will accomplish more in the new year.
And many thanks to Barbara for hosting NEWFO's and the neat giveaway.
May you be blessed in your journey in the new year.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Christmas Musings

The festivities are over, the family has gone home and the house is quiet.  The kitchen is mostly cleaned and the dishwasher is doing it's job.  Hubby and I are in our pj's and plan on a a quiet evening with our computers.  Even though I would like to quilt my recliner won out.

Hubby wanted me to show "Hey, Santa Please Stop Here" since  it is hung on the wall, so here it is.....
We have a vaulted ceiling so I was very pleased with the way it displayed.  The piece was done for the HO HO HO Blog Hop and you can read about my entry here.
I am anxious to get back to quilting, seems like forever since I have done any but it really hasn't been that long.  The Friday and Saturday before Christmas I played Santa and made hubby a new pair of PJ's.
Since only he and I see them, (til now) I generally make them fun.  The pair he retired had drive in movie theater symbols on the shirt.  He really enjoys planes so this pair has fighter planes with flannnel pants.  He likes the  shirt to be cotton and the pants flannel and you just can't buy them that way.  So I change from quilter to seamstress briefly to make his jammies.

I have two really wonderful Santas in my life, dear hubby gave me the Joyce Meyer "Everyday Life Bible" for Christmas (my favorite gift).  We had been in a Mardel Christian Store and I had seen them in hardback and softback and a wonderful pink leather and hubby wrote it down because he told me today he would never have remembered it til Christmas and ordered it from Mardel and look which one he gave me.  Isn't it lovely?

My second Santa is son and he always asks his dad and I for a list of our wishes and I always put that I want a gift certificate to the local quilt shop.  Well, this year he stepped it up with a little help from the lovely owner of the local quilt shop.  I had been wanting this kit called Serenity by Coach House Designs so it was gifted to me by son.
He is not at all intimidated with going into the quilt shop since he and the owner when to high school together.  I was so excited to receive the kit I had been wanting.  I am sure this will be a NewFO for the blog event Cat Patches sponsors monthly, you can find her button on my side bar to read all about it. 

I have been using Electric Quilt for a few years now and often design quilts with my students when they want something special and had mentioned that EQ7 had a lot of new features, hubby was listening and he and son went together and gifted me this....
They both gave me other gifts but these were my favorites, well maybe I should show you one more gift....
Will men ever learn not to give their wives things to work with for Christmas....actually I was very pleased with my new skillet.  Had been needing it for quite a while and just hadn't gotten around to getting it and hubby remembered that too.
Well that is it for me,  hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Wishing Everyone a Very Merry Christmas

Just finished the last of the preparations for this evening festivities so decided to sit and rest at the computer for a while before I set out the food for our buffet.  I wanted to wish everyone a very joyous Merry Christmas.

I was thinking back to my childhood tree and found an image of my favorite decorations on the tree....


We had a number of these angel paper ornaments without the background star and also Santas,  Why they were my favorite with all the other glittery shiny ornaments on the tree  is beyond me.  I remember crying if one would be torn beyond repair and mother would decide to dispose of it.  Funny what we remember and what we enjoyed as a child isn't it.  I've really dated myself too haven't I?

Well, on that note Merry Christmas everyone.  Hope your journey is MERRY!

Monday, December 16, 2013

It's Seems Like a Mighty Long Time

Time flys when you are having fun.  My problem is I like to have too much fun and do every project I see.  I follow so many wonderful blogs that I got inspiration overload and decided to take a break from all the inspiration and try to decide just what I wanted to concentrate on in my quilt making adventures.  I want to do it ALL....Teach my students, longarm quilt, make quilts for myself and family, design patterns, participate in online Quilt Alongs, Mystery Quilts and Blog Hops to name a few.  Oh what to do.... After my long absence I still want to do it ALL.  I fear I have a quilting addiction that is incureable!
I started my blog to document my Cancer Quilt progression.  I have been waiting for my hand dyed sky and it arrived a short time ago......Isn't it beautiful?  This isn't all of it but I couldn't fit it all in the photo since it is 60" long.  I also have another piece she made to chop up for confetti quilting of "rays" in the sky.

It was done by Kathy, of kathyinozarks who does beautiful hand dyed fabrics and makes soaps and other wonderful products that she sells in her ETSY shop.  Please check out her blog here and visit her ETSY shop.  In return for my beautiful fabric I quilted a quilt for her, the quilt top was pieced by her mother and aunt several years back.  It was great fun quilting these fabrics that brought back memories of my early quilting years.  I am going to let Kathy post the photo in her blog so be sure to follow her to see the quilting results.
As for my Cancer Quilt......after receiving my sky fabric I was dismayed that the work I had done on some of the elements for the quilt are not going to work now.  The colors are just wrong.  If you have followed my blog you might remember my barn
You can read about it here.  So it is back to the drawing board.  All of my trees are in the scrap bin too and I am starting over.  I am hoping to be able to salvage my barn quilt from this barn but time will tell.
But it will soon be time for my blog anniversary and I do love to blog too so I will be posting more often.
Have you been having fun on your life's journey?  Let me know what you have been up to.........

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Ho Ho Ho Blog Hop Winners

Oh what fun the Ho Ho Ho Blog Hop was.  Needless to say I am now addicted to these wonderful activities and tried to join the pin cushion hop but noticed I was too late, but alas I know more wonderful hops are on the horizon under the direction of Madam Samm and Carol so I will show my patience until I see the next announcement and then I will hop on it, ok I know that was lame but it is the best I have this morning.  Once again I would like to thank Carol and Madam Samm for making my first hop so delightful.

Now for the winners.  Hubby and I have discussed for two days, (sometimes I think we may over think things) the best way to pick the winner, I had wanted him to draw but when I mentioned the Random Number Generator, he felt that was more scientific (he is way more scientific than I) so that is my method for acquiring my winners.  The first winner is #90

Great Santas and sleighs. Your work is terrific! Thank you for sharing!
and you are winning this fabric......
Now winner number two is.... #72
Santa is just wonderful. Reminds me of the poem "The Night Before Christmas". Great job.
Thanks for sharing.
cheers
maggie
She will receive this...
And the last winner is #56
your creations are lovely. thank you for the chance.
This is her fabric...

These lucky winners will be receiving an email from me as soon as this is published
That officially finishes my first blog hop.  It was areally fun journey, thanks again to all 117 for the lovely comments.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

My Day on the HO HO HO Blog Hop

First and foremost many, many thanks to our cheerleader Carol for her kind thoughts and encouragement throughout the preparation for the hop.  And to Madam Sam for the great ideas.  Click on this picture on my sidebar for the scoop.
I have been so excited to participate in my very first hop.  Here are the other blogs for today, be sure to visit them for they surely have wonderful things to show you.
August 2
There has been so many wonderful projects shown so far, if you haven't been following be sure to visit the blogs from July 31 and August 1st plus the rest of the hop.  Here is the list:
July 31
August 1

August 5
August 6
August 7
August 8
August 9
Well I have sewn and sewn and finally it is finished.  I have called it Hey Santa, Please Stop Here. 

 It is our own design and was lots of fun. It is fused applique and machine quilted.  I also had a back up that I finished earlier this month.  (Just in case) This is Up Up and Away.  By Jana Davidson
It is a machine embroidery design with pieced blocks.  The half square triangles are 1.5" and don't you like hubby's feet.  Hmmm just noticed that.  Couldn't take another photo because this has already been given to my friend.
Well, since this is my first blog hop I decided I should have my first giveaway.  I will be giving away three 1/2 yard cuts of fabric to three lucky winners.  Your name will be placed in a basket and hubby will be doing the drawing.  The first name drawn will receive this 1/2 yard cut by Kaffe Fassett, Asian Circles.

The second name drawn will win this cut from Free Spirit called Garden Walk.

And the last name drawn will receive this one from Michael Miller:
I will draw the winner on August 9th.

Thank you all for stopping by and please leave a comment to have your name placed in the drawing.  And if you are a no-reply blogger please add your email address so I will be able to contact you.
That's it for me....hope your journey is fun filled with lots of jolly Ho Ho Ho's.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

A Fond Farewell

Goodness sometimes, I don't post for days or even weeks and here I am posting twice in one day!  But to me this a very special post. I said goodbye to my Whirling Buzzsaw quilt.  To me a quilt is like a member of the family.  I spend a great deal of time selecting the fabrics, cutting and constructing the top and then choosing the quilting design.  Many times I will pray as I sew.  Perhaps asking for healing for someone or if I am making a quilt for a specific person I will pray for that person while making it.  In other words a part of me goes into every quilt I make, as I am sure it is the same for most of you reading this post.
Do you remember Whirling Buzzsaw?

You can read about it here.  It was my Lovely Year of Finishes for February.

But now it will be going to a new home on August 2nd when it will be raffled off as a fund raiser to help a lovely, vivacious, and talented young lady with Lyme Disease.  Apparently insurance doesn't believe this condition exists and will not pay for any treatment.  I am not educated on the disease enough to write about it, but here is the link to her blog.  It was lovely to see her this evening and I pray that in some small way the quilt will help in aiding her to get the treatment she desperately needs and deserves.
So goodbye Whirling Buzzsaw....I hope your journey is a good one.

Slowing Down For Slow Stitching Sunday

It just doesn't seem possible that the days can pass me by so quickly.  I do seem to get a little quilting and stitching done, but then rarely have time to visit with you about it.  Lately my time has been occupied with my project for the HO HO HO Blog Hop to premiere later this month and preparing all of the wonderful vegetable gifts from my students.  We have been receiving a wide array of vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, onions, potatoes and corn from one student and it is organic because they have bee hives, and from two other students zucchini and yellow squash.  We are blessed to have such generous people in our lives.  I put in an extra effort with these culinary gems to make them extra tasty (without making them unhealthy with such things as bacon etc.) as I used to do.  Tomorrow I will be making Zucchini Fries.  In case you would like to try them here is the recipe:
Zucchini Fries

3 medium sized zucchini 
1 1/2 cups crushed potato chips. rice cereal like rice krispies, very fine bread crumbs or tortilla chips, 
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees spray cooking sheet with cooking spray
Cut zucchini into "french fries"
Mix together the chips, salt and garlic powder set aside
In another bowl whisk the eggs and coat the "fries" with the egg and then dip into the chip coating and place on the baking sheet.
Spray fries with the cooking oil spray and bake about 15 to 20 minutes .  They are done when they are crispy.  

I have been following a great BOM by Val Laird ( I say following because it started 7 months ago) called "Apples of Gold", you can find it here.
I had prepared Block 2 a couple of weeks ago to have something to work on while hubby is driving us to various destinations.
Since I knew that this would soon be completed, this last Friday I decided to prepare the other 6 blocks so they would be ready to go.  I don't know why I procrastinate to prepare these as it only took about 30 minutes.  But now I am on track so maybe I can get caught up.
Block 1 is applique with just a touch of embroidery.
Block 3 is all embroidery 
As is Block 4
And Block 5
Also all embroidery is Block 6
And Block 7 is applique with a little embroidery.
There is also a pieced block each month but I will get to them after I catch up on the embroidery. 
Since I am slow stitching today I am linking up with Kathy's Quilts, find her here
Well, my friends, that's about all I've been up to, well there are lots of other things I'm working on but will be writing about them when they are in better order.  Although I am excited about my hand dyed and hand painted sky for my cancer quilt.  A very talented lady and I have been corresponding for about 8 months now and I believe she will start on it shortly.  I can hardly wait to see it.  And THEN I will be able to coordinate my other fabrics to it and get a lot more done on my cancer quilt.  When I have the sky in hand which is the last piece to my puzzle, so to speak I plan to set myself a finish date goal to keep me on track.  Looking forward to following this journey.  Hope you have a Slow Stitching Sunday too.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Calico Quilter's Quilt Show...Challenges

It doesn't seem possible that it has been a week since our quilt show.  It is held the last weekend in June in connection with the annual Waterfest Festival.  Our town is known for it's historic waters.  You can read a little about them here.

But on with the Challenges.  I blogged about my Challenge here and told about the requirements for the Challenge.  We had 11 finished pieces entered into the show.  They were all really great.  I will start with the group picture.  "Group picture" reminds me of grade school.
Now the ribbon winners.  1st place was this lovely applique.  The 7 of Diamonds.  Where are the diamonds you ask?  The center of each flower has 7 diamonds.  I do hope you are able to see them when you enlarge the photo.
Second place went to this amazing scene.  Did you guess the card?  The 4 of Spades, check in the lower right hand corner.
Well, look who got third place.  My "Queenie",  the card was the Queen of Hearts.  I feel honored to place with all of these fantastic art quilts.
Honorable Mention went to the 3 of Clubs.  The scene depicts the three "clubs" she has  belonged to in her lifetime.  One was a car club, I think, the Garden Club and the Quilt guild.
Not placing, but still fantastic were the following:
The lady that drew the King of Hearts made this one first.  Elvis "the King of Rock and Roll".
When she was about finished she realized she should have made King Kong since it was her favorite movie when she was a child.  So she made a second one.  Say hello to King Kong complete with a blonde figure from her granddaughter's doll house.  Planes flying over at the top of the piece and New York across the bottom.
 Next is the 4 of Diamonds.  I really liked the four diamonds in the opposite corners like in a playing card.
The next card was the 2 of Diamonds.  But she tried to trick us by throwing those clubs in there.
How about "See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil".  The monkey's have the eyes, ears and mouth "x ed" out.  Of course it is the 3 of Hearts.
This is the 4 of Hearts.  This lady had worked on the pineapple blocks that we paper pieced for our Opportunity  Quilt.  See it here. She enjoyed the paper piecing so much she decided to use it in her Challenge.  Oh and by the way, she won the Opportunity Quilt.  She had put her granddaughter's name on the ticket.  Granddaughter is 3 years old.  When asked, she said SHE was keeping it.  But will be a fun story to tell her granddaughter when she is old enough.

And last, but certainly not least is the Ace of Diamonds.
Well, that does it for the "Challenges",  each and everyone a winner in my book.  I will blog about other quilts in the show soon.  Till then, hope your journey involves a little quilting.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

We Interrupt This Day.....to CELEBRATE

Our day started off as usual this morning with each of us having coffee in front of our computers, a quick breakfast and since it's the day before the Fourth of July, both of my students for the day had cancelled to prepare for the holiday.
I was in my sewing studio working on these little blocks..
They are 1.5" squares for the half square triangles and the 20 of them will go around an embroidery Santa and sleigh.  It is a machine embroidery done by my friend that sells at Quilt Shows and I am putting the borders on it for her.  I will show the embroidery when I show the finished runner.

When I was just about finished constructing the last of the 20 blocks the phone rang.  Hubby had come into the studio to say something to me and we both looked at the phone ID and saw it was the Medical Center that had recently processed a biopsy for a suspected basal cell cancer on the side of his face.  He had undergone MOHS surgery a couple of years ago on this same spot and the dermatologist saw the issue and suggested the biopsy.  Thus we have had this weighing on our thoughts for about two weeks now and we were both a little tentative when hubby answered the phone.  But the young lady at the other end of the phone calmed our fears by announcing the place was benign and no other follow up was necessary.
After hubby hung up the phone he said with a big smile on his face, "we need to celebrate".  So with nothing on the agenda for the rest of the day, I turned off the sewing machine and iron and off we went.  Did a little shopping and then a nice dinner.  Hubby enjoyed filet minion with salad and baked potato and I splurged with grilled shrimp and baked potato.  I generally do not eat meat, but this was definitely a special occasion.
Hubby and I grew up in the era when there was no sunscreen.  The only thing I really remember was fake bake as my friends and I called it that turned us orange and a streaked orange at that and Coppertone sun"tan" lotion, so as a result  hubby and I deal with skin cancer scares on a regular basis. Most can be frozen but hubby has had two of the MOHS surgeries and we were not looking forward to the third, but as for now we can rest easy.  Unfortunately I did not get to the Quilt Show photos I promised but  I believe tomorrow I will be able to post about the Challenges I talked about here.
So until tomorrow....may your journey be as happy as ours.


Monday, July 1, 2013

A Day of Rest From After Our Calico Quilters Show


I really believe I look a little better than this, but I am really tired today.  I was wanting to blog about several things but just couldn't muster the energy today after our fun filled show.
After receiving a lovely note from a blog friend and reader asking about me I decided to send this short post.  She reminded me I have not posted since I claimed my blog.  Boy!!! time sure flies when you are having fun or is my age showing, I'll never tell.  I will post about our show in a few days.
Never fear I have been keeping up with all the lovely blogs I follow.  Each and every one gives me inspiration,
Seems as if my journey keeps me moving, hope your days have been as fun filled as mine.
  

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Claiming my Blog on Bloglovin


<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5224035/?claim=dzx2xqfcre6">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>
Well, losing Google Friends Connect can certainly create an issue those that are particularly friendly with their computer. But I am claiming my blog, I hope.  Have a great day!

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Saturday's Doings and Slow Stitching Sunday

The first thing today is to link up to Slow Stitching Sunday hosted by Kathy's Quilts.  You can find the link here.  Thanks for hosting Kathy.

Thursday night at Quilters Guild the organizer of our 2014 Opportunity Quilt requested members embroider a block from Crabapple Hills "Snow Days" to incorporate into the quilt.  Here is my block that I am just getting started on, hopefully it will have considerable more stitches by the end of the day.  This is my Slow Sunday Stitching for today.

Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day and hubby and I took advantage of the lovely day to do a little shopping, deliver the "Boo To You" wall quilt, and have a nice dinner at Outback Steakhouse before stopping at the local thrift store to search for fun "stuff".  Hubby made the scores, yes plural, of the day.  First is this wonderful treasure.

  A little toy Singer Touch and Sew machine.

 It actually has a real needle, electric adapter, shuttle bobbin and the battery case looks like new.
Sorry the photo is a little blurred hubby was trying to get as close as he could and he said he promises he didn't shake.
  We checked the internet and we can down load the 32 page manual.  I am doing a happy dance.  Dear hubby also found 7 wonderful Precious Moments figurines.
 Here is my favorite...Isn't it appropriate for Slow Stitching Sunday?

They date from 1976 to 1990.  I am not a diehard collector, but I have a few and will enjoy adding these to my collection.
So the studio didn't see much of me on Saturday except to cut these 40 dark green 1 7/8" squares.
 
Many more squares to cut for another project for my friend that I made the "Boo To You" for, but I will talk more about that as it progresses.
I did pretty well on completing my goals for the week by finishing my Challenge and the "Boo To You".
 The only thing I didn't accomplish was to get a quilt on the frame, so that will have to be at the top of the list for this next coming week.  But I was thrilled to have two finishes in one week.  How was your week? The new week takes us further on our journey, hope yours is filled with stitches.