HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year to each of you! Wow! 2011! Amazing!

Do you make quilting resolutions at New Years? Sometimes I join UFO challenges, or One Project a Month type groups. But this year my quilty resolutions will be with myself to:

1. Make good use of what I already have.

2. Buy only what I really need and will use promptly.

3. Finish some things that are started.

4. Don't start more than I can finish.

5. I have several long-term projects in the works (Dear Jane, Sylvia's Bridal Sampler, Women of the Bible, and Vintage Valentine). My plan is not to add any more huge projects before progressing a ton on those.

6. Quilt my numerous flimsies (completed quilt tops)!

7. Get some of the men out of the closet. That would be "Bobs" or bags of blocks from exchanges. They need to be made into useful items.

8. Limit my number of those addicting block swaps. Oh, that's going to be a tough one!

That's probably enough for one quilter for one year!

Have a safe and fun holiday. Maybe find some time for some stitching too!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The times have changed, but the message is the same! Click here for a wonderful YouTube video.
Merry Christmas everyone!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CUPCAKES

For 2011, I joined a birthday cupcake swap. I'm in a group of 50 gals swapping, so for my birthday I'll be receiving 49 fusible cupcakes. We are only swapping the applique portion, so we can each select our background fabric and stitching to be consistent throughout our project. The swap was on the Scratchingpost group, the group for Sindy's FatCatPatterns.

I made up my first 12 in no time. That will take me into April. These are small and fit in a regular envelope with regular postage. I bought some birthday cards at Dollar General to use for the swap. I think this will be really fun!

If you are interested in how to prep fusible appliques for a swap (without the background) you can read about it on Sindy's blog here.

For the past 2 years I've been in a B'day FQ swap. It ran May to May and this year we decided to end in May and start up again with the calendar year, to save confusion. Since my B'day is in July, I wouldn't have received anything in 2011, so this will be a nice replacement swap for me for this year.

CHRISTMAS STARS SWAP

My stars have arrived from the Christmas Stars swap. I have a few extras to add to the ones I received, shown here. Aren't they pretty! Lots of varity. I hope to use them for a Christmas quilt next year, mixed with some larger Christmas stars.

CHRISTMAS STITCHING

I like to make homemade gifts for Christmas. It doesn't always work out, but this year I've done quite a few.

My youngest granddaughters will be receiving some new things for their American Girl dolls. The dolls will be all set for a slumber party with their new nighties, sleeping bags, pillows, and pets. These were made from a simple panel design.


They'll both be getting aprons for themselves and their dolls too, also made from panels.




My OH grandsons will be receiving these knit scarves. I love to do simple garter stitch on bamboo needles. So simple, so cozy!

My sister and I exchange small gifts. This year she and her husband will be receiving these microwave cooking bags, I made with the new Tatar Batting. One is for steaming tortillas, and the other is a potato bag, for microwaving baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, sweet corn, muffins, etc.

WONDERFUL QUILT

Isn't this the most fantastic quilt??? It was hanging on the wall at Lolly's. I just had to get a picture of it. When I asked permission, the clerk also handed me a paper explaining the quilt.

It was a community service project for 2nd graders! Yes, 2nd graders! Their teacher, Arlene Shaum, who teaches 2nd grade at Harrison Christian School, in Goshen, IN, drew the pattern out on tear-away canvas. The design is from a cross stitch pattern. The squares were one inch. She cut the fabric squares and placed them in a special bin her husband built for the project. She drew a color grid in the canvas, so the kids would know what color squares to glue where. They worked on it before school and whenever they finished their work early. The quilt was put together in 6 panels. By Dec. they were half done, and guessed that it was The Lord's Supper. The teacher sewed the blocks together, making the resulting squares 1/2". Let me assure you this is a huge quilt make of a zillion tiny squares.

What a great idea! What a super teacher!

FISHIING IN SHIPSHE

No quilter's trip to Shipshe would be complete without fishing in the old boat in Lolly's basement. If your net 12, the price of each goes down.

Here's my catch.

WITH BRENDA PAPADAKIS

Here I am with Brenda Papadakis. Notice our shoes. They were THE THING at Shipshe this year. Both Brenda and I bought them at the same time on Wed. -- too early to get into the room, and the sewing room wasn't open yet either. I had no idea who Brenda was when we were both shopping for shoes at Yoders. I just thought she had great taste in shoes. By the end of the weekend at least a dozen of us were sporting them! Very comfy, very creative.

Oh and Brenda, in case you don't know, Brenda Papadakis is the one who started this whole Dear Jane thing. She drafted every block of Jane A. Stickle's quilt and published the book.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! I'm thankful for all my quilting friends, both in person and on-line, and to those who are both!

AMISH COOKING DEMO

We were so privileged to see this Amish cooking demo. Elaine, our hostess, made cinnamon rolls. We were able to take photos, but not of their faces. Elaine was so funny. I'm sure she's never seen a tv cooking show, but she could surely be the Amish version. First she's mixing, and then, magically here it is after rising an hour, and here it is all bakes, etc.

We were served the rolls and coffee/tea as we watched, and also got a roll to go at the end.

Here are some pics from that part of our outing.

WITH THE AMISH

As part of the Dear Jane retreat, I was went on a field trip to an Amish farm this morning. Following a cinnamon roll baking demo (while eating cinnamon rolls and having coffee), we went to the quilting room where 3 frames were set up. We had an Amish expert at each frame. They will be quilting the interior of the quilt, and we worked on the borders. We signed our names near our work. It was interesting to see the names of women who have worked on the quilts before us.

The woman at our frame remarked that it was just like her quilt bees, with all of us gathered around talking as we quilted, rolled the thread to one another, etc. I learned much about her family and life-style too. It was really nice when she told us how much she enjoys these times sharing her life with others. We were allowed to take pictures, but not of their faces.

DEAR JANES IN SHIPSHEWANA

I arrived at the Dear Jane retreat this afternoon. I just love the 'buggy parking' spots and the yield signs on the buggies!

Here's the sign at our sewing room doorway.

DH and dogs are holding the fort at home. They are sooo not used to cold weather!

CHIPMUNKS

This chipmunk is holding tight to this pillowcase that I made for our DGD, Bri, 11, for Christmas. Here it is opened out.


While she was visiting us in MI last summer she fell in love with chipmunks. There aren't any in FL, where she lives. She even had them eating out of her hand and crawling on her. Now she's wondering what careers involve working with chipmunks. I think this gift will keep her fond memories alive. Of course she gets the stuffed chipmunk too.

Eating from her hand.

Crawling in her bag of Cheerios and nuts.

On her shoulder.

While there're many methods for making pillowcases, I like to use the Rolled Method, so that all the seams are encased on the cuff and trim, and then finish with French seams, so there's no raw edges anywhere.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS HOP

12 designers will be sharing their ideas and a cookie recipe each Tues. and Fri. The hop is already underway. Click here for more info.

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS, PART 5

This is as far as I got with Part 5 last week. I had just downloaded it and printed it when the power went out. So this is not complete.

I did manage to tape the packages under the tree together correctly and to the correct size. And since I've had power, I sewed my tree blocks together. However, I just couldn't find a suitable background in my stash, so I ordered that and also border fabric. They should be here Sat. or Mon. latest.

Meanwhile, I can move onto tracing the fusible for the parts under the tree, finding fabrics for that, and prepping them. I can also move onto Part 6 which is now up, as far as getting my ornaments sewn together. And of course, as always, I have a million other projects to work on too.

Esther is such a talented designer, her projects always turn out so nicely.

Back to Sylvia's Bridal Sampler

This is the first SBS block I've made in a while. This past week-end I downloaded the grid where you can drop your photos in and see your progress. That really motivated me to get back at it.

The BOW for this week is B-2, Gulf Star, and I made it this morning.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

 

Any Witch Way is the name of this quilt, which is one of my favorites. I made it last fall from a pattern in Quiltmaker Magazine.

Have a safe and scary day!

ACCUQUILT GIVE AWAY

Micki, over at Irish Muses blog, has been posting about all the fun she's been having using her new AccuQuilt. And now she has one for a giveaway! Wow! Who wouldn't love to be the lucky winner? Be sure to check out her blog here to see how to enter.

INTERNATIONAL SIGGIE SWAP

I received this lovely siggie from Saskia, from the Netherlands. She used the same autumn design on the siggie and in her letter. Very nice!

12 DAYS, PART 4

Lady Dancing

Lord a Leaping

Pipers Piping

Drummer Drumming

Here's Part 4 of Esther Aliu's 12 Days of Christmas mystery BOW. These were very fun to work on! Now that I have this itty bitty applique down, I almost hate to move on to the final two parts of the quilt, which are not applique, LOL! Remember my whining during Part 2?

It's a glorious day here. We are having our first snow. It's not sticking, but what started as little spits this morning, is now big fluffy flakes! Very pretty!

12 DAYS, PART 3 FINISHED

Tonight I finished Part 3 of Esther's 12 Days of Christmas mystery. This is a 6 week BOW, so I must be half way there. It feels good to be keeping up!

Maid a Milking

Swan a Swimming

Goose a Laying

Golden Ring


I'm sticking with fusible applique and then doing all the stitching by hand. My Maid's face/hair is a button, as is my diamond. The ring is some braid I found in my drawer. Thanks for the fun patterns, Esther. I love taking your super patterns and then tweaking them to make them 'my own.'

INTERNATIONAL SIGGIES ARRIVE

Several siggies have arrived recently. This adorable Dutch girl came from The Netherlands.

And these two siggies came from sisters, who live on the same street!

12 DAYS, PART 2

Partridge in a Pear Tree

Turtle Dove

French Hen

Calling Bird

These are photos of my baubles from Esther Aliu's 12 Days of Christmas BOW. This is Part 2, just in time, as Part 3 comes out tomorrow. Well actually it's already up a day early. I am really trying to keep up here, for a change!

The applique pieces are very tiny. I redid my first two baubles. I'm now using fusible applique with Steam a Seam 2 Light. That way I can place the pieces and stick them down, but still reposition them if needed, before the final adhesion. Some of the tiny ones (like beaks and eyes, I'm placing with tweezers. All of the stitching is by hand, using DMC floss. This first batch took forever, especially with the redoes, but now that I have my products and methods down, I think Week 3, which is 4 more baubles, will go faster.

You can find a link to this project in my sidebar on the left.