Toad in the Hole Studio

I'm Back

2010-10-04T07:17:00.000-05:00

Wow it has been a long time but I really want to be back on the blog wagon now. Right after the Martha Pullen show in May I started a contracting job where I work at home on the computer and sitting down to work more on the computer has not been appealing. After 4 months of this I now feel more at ease and able to have a life outside the job.

I have not been doing very much sewing but I am fitting more of that in too. I got a store sample done and I am working on a Halloween wall hanging - better get going on that before it is too late! I am also starting Christmas presents - this year they must come from the stash. I am really excited about the one I am working on right now, a quilt of course but a very fun one.

I did make this smocked dress for Fallon's birthday. I have not smocked very much but so far this girl has been the recipient of all my efforts, isn't she the lucky one?

FMQ Challenge

2010-06-01T08:53:00.000-05:00

What in the world is FMQ you say? It stands for Free Motion Quilting and a challenge was issued by Wendy and Joanne for the month of May. It sounded easy when I signed up - do some free motion quilting every day for 2 straight weeks in the month of May. I didn't learm about it until the month had already started and I was pretty busy then so I decided that if I started on Monday May 17 and quilted every day until the end of the month I could do it. I set up my machine for free motion quilting late Monday night and worked on a UFO until I ran out of yellow thread.

Early Tuesday morning I worked on the blue areas until I ran out of bobbin then I had to get back to sewing samples for the booth at the Martha Pullen Sewing expo.

Thurs through Sat was the expo so I did just a bit of quilting each day, mostly stippling Texture Magic to fabric so I could demo the "magic" of it in our booth. Once the show was over I was back to quilts.

I did the border quilting on the UFO in green and while the green was on the machine I did the ditch work on Christmas Pickle. Then thread was on sale at JoAnn so I could get some more yellow and like magic a UFO was done! I have been wanting to try some feathers from the book Hooked on Feathers by Sally Terry, so I made a practice piece and started making free form feathers.

They were so much fun that I did the border of my Christmas Pickle in feathers.

Bonnie at Quiltville had a post about how she hand quilts Baptist Fans without marking so I made a sample and tried it free motion and I now have another pattern to use for FMQ.

All in all the challenge has been good, it has helped me to realize how much you can get done if you just do a little bit each day even when it is a busy time - and leaving the machine set up for quilting sure helps but it is not that hard to change a foot and some settings.

Giving Birth Part 1

2010-04-21T09:00:00.005-05:00

I have been spending the last few weeks in California with my daughter and son-in-law taking care of her oldest girls while she spends time with their new baby girl. This family has been blessed with three beautiful girls. The oldest is 3, the next is 19 months and now a newborn, she will be very busy after I leave.

Baby Kellie had to spend her first few days in the NICU but she came home after 7 days there and she is just fine. She is a very good baby and her sisters are in love with her.

Giving Birth Part 2

2010-04-21T09:00:00.003-05:00

For the past few months I have worked on a quilt for my guild show. I spent a lot of time thinking about how to do what I envisioned and then spent even more time doing it. This was for our Chairmens challenge category which was to use 30's reproduction fabrics.

The challenge was issued about a year ago and I chose and then rejected patterns for at least 7 months. I decided to do my own thing and then it sort of unfolded as I went along. I tried techniques I had never done before - trapunto, applique, and a scallop border. The center was a lot of white and I heavily quilted it using some ideas from Leah Day. I put my heart and soul into that quilt and when it was done I was satisfied. Is it perfect? Far from it but I felt I had done my best and I liked the outcome. sort of like giving birth.

Since I would be out of town for the show I took it to a friends house for show delivery. She was not home at the time but she later called me after she peeked at it and made me feel very good about it. If Kayleen liked it then all the work was worth it.

My friend called me after the show started to tell me that my quilt got a second place ribbon - I was thrilled! I can't wait to get home to see it and to read the judges comments.

Texas Two Step Tutorial Part 1

2010-04-12T06:15:00.000-05:00

We have started a swap group in my guild and the first swap is coming up so I thought I would write a tutorial on how to make the block for the swap. We are using Lynn Roddy Browns method and pattern for swapping. In her book, Simple Strategies for Scrap Quilts she gives instructions for using a 5 1/2" strip but since we want to make more than one at a time I am showing how to use fat quarters. This will also work for 1/2 yard pieces, just double the triangle paper. You can get 5 or 6 blocks from a fat quarter. Fabric width varies a lot these days and I was able to get 6 blocks from Moda fat quarters but only 5 complete ones from some other companies. So a half yard of a light and a dark will make at least 10 blocks which is what we have defined as a set.

First we are using a dark or medium and a light. Prints are good because it will give the quilt texture, solids and tone on tones are not as good so try not to use too many of them.

We are using triangle paper of some kind - Thangles, Triangles on a Roll, or Triangle Paper. I personally like Triangle Paper because I think for this project it makes good use of the fabric. One sheet of 4" finished Triangle paper will yield 6 half square triangles, just right for the fat quarter layout.

Put the two fat quarters right sides together, if you press them together they kind of stick. Pin down the paper and then cut 2 strips along the side, then 2 strips across the top, these will be for the 4 patch units. These strips are 2 1/2" but I like to cut mine a bit bigger (2 5/8") and then trim my blocks at the end. There is enough fabric to do this and although it adds an extra step I like to be really accurate when I am swapping with others.

Now sew the triangle paper - just follow the sewing lines

and then cut on the cutting lines.

Tear the paper off,

press and just like that you have 12 half square triangles!

Texas Two Step Tutorial Part 2

2010-04-12T06:00:00.004-05:00

Okay now we have our half square triangles complete and we have cut the strips for the 4 patch units.
The first step is to sew the strips together and then press them to the dark. You will have 4 strip sets - 2 short and 2 long. Now subcut each set. You can cut them at 2 1/2" or you can cut them a little bigger which is what I like to do.

Sew them together with colors on opposite side. Then we are going to do the little pinwheel press. Grasp the top layer on each side of the seam and gently pull the seam apart, you will end up with a little pinwheel with the allowance being pressed to the light side.

Now line up a ruler with the seam on the 2 1/4" line and trim each side. You will end up with a 4 1/2" unit.

Each block for the swap is made up of 2 four patches and 2 half square triangles. We really are trading blocks even though we are not sewing them together because each person can put them together differently.

Here are a few ways to put a matching block together

If you separate the units and mix them up then you can come up with a lot of other ways to put these units together.

For swapping if you stack the blocks offset as pictured

in sets of ten and then put each set in a zip-lok bag then you will be ready to bring them to the swap.

See you at the swap!

Quilt Show

2010-04-09T09:11:00.001-05:00

Today is the first day of the Bear Creek Quilt Guild semi annual show. It only happens every 2 years and I have been looking forward to it for a long time - 2 years to be exact, but I am not there and I will not be there at all. I am in California taking care of 2 sweet little girls while their mama, my daughter, delivers another sweet baby girl.

I entered 2 quilts in the competition. My friend delivered them to the convention center yesterday. I checked a blog of one of the members and she had put up some pictures and lo and behold there was one of my quilts! I am thrilled to see it hanging! Thanks Sherrill for taking the time to do a post before the show even starts.

Warning - Lots of quilting ahead

2010-03-08T07:50:00.000-06:00

I really have been working hard although you wouldn't know it from reading my blog. I have finished a few more samples for Sew It Up and I have been working on a quilt for our guild show next month. It is one month from now and I still have to put the top together and quilt it! I also realized that the birth of a new granddaughter is only a month away and I had better get a quilt made for her, so that is what is on my design wall.

It looks pretty simple right now but I plan to add applique. And of course since I am so late starting I had better make it simple. I would like to get it done by next Tuesday night for guild show and tell. I am usually finishing things at the last minute and then giving them away so I never get to share them so I thought it would be a good goal to get this done in time. What was I thinking?

So my plan for the week is get the top together and start quilting it for the guild show and finish the baby quilt.

More Finished Projects

2010-02-14T13:29:00.001-06:00

I am trying to record my finished projects this year and as I was updating my list the other day I kept thinking there was one more but I could not remember it. Last night as I was falling asleep it came to me - I had just made a birthday dress for my 3 year old granddaughter Shannon. How could I forget?

I purchased a kit called Hannah from Sew It Up when I started working there over a year ago. I washed the fabric and then set it aside. My daughter told me Shannon is wearing a 4 now and when I pulled out the kit I saw that it only went up to a 4 so it was now or never. I was sure that the size 4 would be too big but she tried it on and it fit perfect and she looked so good.

Friday I made another mini Modkid pattern - Frida. This one matches our store kit Pebbles and it is adorable. I really like making doll clothes, I always have, there is something endearing about the small size that draws me in and the 18" doll is really a perfect size.

Snow Day Part II

2010-02-12T07:16:00.004-06:00

We had a record snowfall yesterday, ~~9.5~~" (latest update is 12.5".) I know that is not a lot compared to many places but we do not have equipment to deal with it. If we had snowplows our streets would be cleared and if we had snow shovels our driveway would be cleared, but alas we do not. My car is pretty much buried in the driveway. My daughters car is at the end of the driveway because when she came home yesterday afternoon she kept spinning out trying to pull all the way in. It is 33 degrees right now so maybe it will start melting but until it does we are kind of stuck.

As I sit at my computer I look out onto my backyard and as the light has brightened I noticed there is a huge tree branch on the path that broke off because of the weight of the snow. Fortunately we have power so far. I just let the dog out and she is quite puzzled by the tree in her path.

Schools have all been cancelled, I have had emails from stores that they are closed and the newspaper sent out an email last night and said that in case we don't get our paper we can read the news online today. I guess it may be another sew day!

Snow Day Equals Sew Day

2010-02-11T21:00:00.002-06:00

We are a little surprised here that we are having a second snow event in one season but I am taking it in stride and using my day for sewing instead of going to work. I have quite a bit to catch up on, first I am sewing samples for the store. Lorene is headed to the Sewing Show in Puyallup, Washington so we are very busy cutting kits and making new samples. I completed a new Sara Jane sample using the Moda Basic Grey Blush line and a bit of Texture Magic. I also made a doll dress to match. The pattern is Sister Smocks by Indygo Junction.

Next I made a doll dress to match one of our newest kits, Saphire, I used the Dolly Dress Up pattern from Indygo Jucntion (which is the same I used for Sara Jane) and added 2 more panels, it matches the full size dress, every girl needs a doll dress to match, right?.

I need to sew a couple more doll outfits but I decided to take a break from clothing and I pulled out a purse I had already cut out. It is an Amy Butler pattern, and I just needed to cut and fuse fleece and interfacing. It turns out that cutting the fabric was no big deal compared to all of the fusible. It took me a long time and then when I tried to fuse the interfacing it turns out that what I thought was fusible interfacing was not - I really should label things when I buy them. So I had to start over with the correct fusible.

Fusing is not a fun task but a few years ago I found a Singer press at a garage sale for $25, you can bet I snatched up that baby in a hurry! I only pull it out when I have lots of fusing to do but it is great for that, unless you put the fusible on upside down and get gunk all over the pressing plate. I tried to keep going but it all kept sticking so I quit for the night and watched a movie with the family. Tomorrow I will clean the press and finish fusing but I may put the project back on hold while I work on some other things.

Back in the Saddle

2010-02-10T12:30:00.002-06:00

My daughter and her two precious girls were here for the last two weeks so it has been "grammy time". I am back to the sewing machine but I am having trouble getting focused after so long away. I tried to sew a little while they were here but Shannon was very interested in the machine and all of the stuff so I couldn't do too much, I was able to make a doll outfit for the store using one of the new Modkids mini patterns for 18" dolls - so cute!

We did some photo shoots while they were here with the boots and skirts and shirts from Christmas, although the weather did not cooperate we did get some good outdoor photos on Saturday and on Monday we went over to our church building to get some indoors with all of the cousins since it was a very rainy day.

I was also able to finally give the wedding quilt to Mike and Chao, I finished it at the end of last year so I can't add it to my list for this year but I did say goodbye to it. Sometimes it is so hard to let them go.

What a Productive Week

2010-01-25T08:44:00.000-06:00

Sometimes having a lot of projects in process can get you down, that has been the case for me. I have had 2 quilts just waiting for borders and then I added another one and that was the straw that broke the camels back. I do not like adding borders- all that measuring, cutting long strips and then dealing with the whole big thing. I made this past week border week and I now have 3 quilts with finished borders! I decided I might as well get the backings ready too because that is no fun either. As I was doing all of this I realized that my least favorite quilting tasks all begin with the letter B - borders, backing, basting, and binding. I think I need to adjust my attitude because those steps are a very big part of quilting!

Since I got so much done this week I rewarded myself with starting a new project so my design wall has the beginnings of a jelly roll quilt. I have never used a jelly roll before but I wanted to try it so here is what I have so far. Not too exciting but I decided to divide the roll by color and see what that does for me. This may stay on the wall for awhile since this will be a busy week but at least it is a start.

Double Delight is Done

2010-01-18T06:49:00.004-06:00

I had a great weekend - with lots of time to quilt, spend time with family and stay home. I finished my Double Delight quilt - finally. I was able to finish all of the Carolina Christmas blocks, my daughter in law started quilting with me and I worked on an entry for our guild show in April.

My Design wall is covered with Carolina Christmas blocks, they are 16" and since I can't fit them all on the wall I have laid out the red blocks in the order that I will have them to make sure there are no obvious problems with the same print being close to another with the same print. I plan to take them down in an orderly stack and then do the same with the green ones and then if I just take one from each stack, in order, then everything should go together as planned - but we will see.

I am trying to organize or should I say reorganize my sewing area, I just keep spreading to fill any available space, so when I go up to my room I am putting things away and sorting and tossing. If I do it a little at a time maybe I can accomplish something - eventually.

It's Another Monday

2010-01-11T08:15:00.007-06:00

I was so productive this week I can't even believe it. 2 finished projects - yay! I completed and wrapped up the son in laws shirt quilt. I was very pleased with how it turned out. It is a quillow so I used patches of the shirt for the pillow part. One of the shirts I found at the thrift store was a western style with pearl snaps. It was very thin so I probably should not have used it but he used to ride rodeo so I really wanted that shirt. I ended up using a pocket with the pearl snap on the quillow pocket.I used fabric for the sashing and border and then I tried something new and used fleece for the back and no batting. It quilted quite nicely and felt wonderful. I will probably do this on baby quilts now.

As for this weeks projects, I have two things on my design wall. Carolina Christmas is slowly coming along, I am playing with layouts but am leaning towards the one Bonnie suggested.
My quilting friends and I are making nine patch blocks to make some donation quilts so I went through my 3.5" bin and was able to make some of those blocks. I will probably do more this week, they are fun and easy.

New Year New Projects

2010-01-07T08:33:00.003-06:00

My quilt guild has a show coming up in a few months and as I contemplate entering anything to be judged I started feeling like I hadn't really accomplished anything this past year. If I really thought about it I could come up with a few completed projects but it was a bit depressing. So I have decided that I am going to start a list in my sidebar of anything I have finished- quilts, sewing, scrapbooking, home dec. This should help me realize in December that I have done things and not twiddled my thumbs all year.

To start off this years list - ta da my first finish! A t shirt quilt top. Now you may say that is not finished but it is all I am doing because this was a job for someone else. A friend has a longarm business and she was hired to put this quilt together. She asked me to do the top and then she will quilt one for me. So my part is done and I can count it as my first finish.

A New Adventure

2010-01-04T11:21:00.005-06:00

My quilt made from mens shirts is coming along nicely.I just have to do the horizontal sashing and borders.
I wanted something quick and this seems to fit the bill. It is also very masculine. My husband asked what will I do with the rest of the shirts (I only used a sleeve from each one) I kind of like these plaids and stripes so in my head I am planning another quilt to use this kind of fabric. I also plan to make lap quilts for nursing homes this year and these will make good manly ones.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T14:41:00.005-06:00

Our New Years Eve plans went away so we stayed home, ate crab, watched the last Dollhouse we had on DVR and then looked in our Hoyle book of games for a two player card game. We tried Seven Up - not too much fun. We used to look for 2 player games when we were first married but it has been a long time since there has been a need. We were in bed by 10:30, just like normal. I was just fine with that.

Today I finished the last of the Carolina Christmas blocks. 48 red and gold blocks and 52 green and red blocks, now I just have to put them together. I also started a new project, I broke down and got some used mens shirts to cut up and use the fabric. I need to make a quick quilt for a son in law who has a birthday this week and I thought this would make a masculine quilt. I found the shirts for $1.00 on sale at Thrift Town so the price was right. There is a bit of labor involved in cutting them apart but I can do that while watching TV at night - having something to do keeps me awake.

I have a list of projects waiting to be completed this month so I have lined everything up in the baby guest room and I can just go in and grab the next one. Yesterday I finished 5 shrugs for bridesmaids in a wedding tomorrow. As always the Carolina Christmas sewing is my reward for doing something else so now I have to work on the shirt quilt before putting the blocks together.

No Peeking

2009-12-19T06:33:00.005-06:00

I am still working on Carolina Christmas parts. The layout was posted on Monday and I vowed I would not peek. I accidentally caught a glimpse on someone's blog and my friend told me it was beautiful but I decided I would not look until Step 1 and 2 were done. Since I have been working on multiple steps at the same time I was almost done with both; I only needed 2 more large triangles to be attached but I put this off as long as I could - sometimes anticipation is a great thing. I kept working on steps 3, 4 and 5 until last night when I added those 2 large triangles. I went to bed feeling like it was Christmas because I could open the "present" in the morning.

I got up early and I looked today. It is beautiful and now I am inspired to finish the rest. Step 3 is mostly done, 4 has the most left to be done and 5 is almost half complete. I do need to get back to some gift sewing but I am having great fun with this mystery quilt.

It's a Mystery to Me

2009-12-15T05:44:00.008-06:00

I don't know what came over me but I decided to make Bonnie Hunters Carolina Christmas Mystery Quilt. She started posting steps the day after Thanksgiving and yesterday the layout was revealed. Of course I have a lot of Christmas sewing to do and I wasn't even near a sewing machine when it started but for some reason I felt compelled to make this quilt and to make it now. We got back from our trip on a Monday and I started cutting on Tuesday.

I couldn't make myself stop for the first few days but now working on the quilt is my reward for finishing something else. So far this is working, I only have one more gift to sew unless I add another one to the list (which I probably will.)

The way a mystery quilt is supposed to work is that you are given a "clue" or step of the quilt and you make that and then you get another clue. I dutifully started clue one without knowing the rest. I made 100 and something gold and neutral 2 patches and then worked on green and neutral half square triangles. Then I got bored so I peeked at the next clue and started working on it, and then when I would get tired of the repetition I would start the next one - cheater, cheater!

I am now working on all of the clues at once and none of them are completed but I am happy. I only work a little bit each day but I can cut for a bit then sew some and then iron when I get the chance. The only problem is now the final layout has been posted and I really want to look. I am trying to be a good girl and follow the no peeking rule but I don't know how long I can last.

Oh No - Snow

2009-12-02T09:04:00.003-06:00

We woke up to white stuff this morning. I know that for many people it is no big deal but here where I live it is not a common occurrence (thank goodness.) I am sure by the time I have to go out it will all be gone but it is fun to look at - for a while.

We got home 2 days ago from a road trip to California. The snow was right behind us in west Texas. Thirteen years ago we hit an icy patch on a trip for Thanksgiving and we totaled our van. We have not tried to leave town at this time of year since then. This year the trip was wonderful and we are very glad we did it.

Rainy Days and Mondays

2009-10-05T07:16:00.013-05:00

. . . don't always get me down,I like rainy days and I like Mondays so I am ready to start a great new week.

I have not posted my design wall lately but let me assure you it has not changed much. I did take a picture last week and this is how it looked. All the blocks are complete and laid out in an orderly manner.

I also took one this morning and this is the current look. The pickle blocks are now arranged and ready to sew which I will do today at my lunch bunch quilting group.
I worked on half square triangles for a long time. I got the flu in the middle of making them and I would sew for a while and then go lay down for a while. I was able to complete all of the pinwheels and the blocks with this method. Getting the swine flu may not top every ones list of fun things to do but I didn't feel too bad and I stayed home a lot and sewed.

In the past 3 weeks I also completed a doll quilt, worked on the quilting of Double Delight, finished a store sample for a quilt class, made 2 Boolicious skirts and I have been working on making my scrap pile more manageable - it has been a scary mess, now it is not quite so scary. I use Bonnie Hunters scrap users system so I have been cutting everything into usable strips. I have several scrap projects under construction at this time, I work on them when the mood strikes, someday they will be done but I don't stress about it.

Happy Monday everyone and I hope the rain keeps coming, it really feels like fall around here.

One Dark Night

2009-09-08T07:51:00.005-05:00

Last night after my husband went to bed I let the dog out for one last time. I was checking my computer and she started barking and jumping at the fence. I do not like checking out scary things but my husband had to get up early so I did not want to disturb him. I went out to investigate. Missy kept jumping at the fence and frantically barking, she would not stop no matter what I did and I did not want to get too close because I did not know what the problem was.

I stepped as close as I dared and realized that there was a big possum on the top of the fence. It wasn't moving just balanced there. I thought there must be something wrong with it since it didn't just jump down the other side but then I realized it was doing what it does best - playing possum.

Now I had to figure out how to get the dog to stop barking and come in the house. I thought of spraying a hose at both of them but I couldn't get one easily. I got the broom to try and push the dog towards the house but I did not want to get too close to the fence so that didn't work. I finally thought of the camera. Our dog hates the camera and she will leave the room whenever we get one out so I left the door open a little bit and took a picture and she put her tail between her legs and ran into the house - problem solved!

A goal completed

2009-09-07T12:04:00.005-05:00

Last week I decided I wanted to get the 24 curved blocks done by the weekend and on Saturday night I finished the last one.Then I counted them and there were 23 -what! I know I had 24 arcs and I didn't have any unfinished arcs, did I count wrong? Now you have to know I always count more than once I am a bit obsessive that way. I looked on the floor below the design wall, no block, then I started to be annoyed because I had been on a roll with the blocks and to just do one would take a long time so I looked around some more and I found it tucked in a pile I had removed from the ironing board to make space a few days ago. So there are 24 blocks each now needing 5 little pinwheels (that's 120 by the way)- probably won't happen this week.

Warning - Curves Ahead

2009-09-04T08:00:00.002-05:00

I have been sewing curved patchwork seams a lot this week. My Christmas Pickle quilt is coming along nicely. Each block has 5 curved seam and I had never done one until the class I took 2 weeks ago.

All of the teachers I have ever seen on TV and in books and magazines rave about how easy the curves are and that they can do them with 3 pins or 1 pin or no pins. In class we were taught the 3 pin method and I did that for my first few curves but then I decided to try more pins and you know what? I like pinning - there I admitted it in public - I am using lots of pins.

At first I thought there was something wrong with me but then I realized that I was much faster with the pins than without and I decided that if I was okay with pins then there was nothing wrong with me. I am a pinner - I like my pins so I will continue to use them and it is okay if you use them too.

My blocks are coming out well, so far 4 are completely done but many others are very close to the finish line. I am trying to finish the blocks this week before I have to move on to some other time sensitive projects.

It's Another Design Wall Monday

2009-08-31T15:42:00.005-05:00

Since I have been off the grid for a month or so I decided I had better get back to quilting and blogging. I went to Southern California for 3 weeks to spend time with my daughter and her 2 little girls, I had a wonderful visit and it was very hard to get back into life at home. Of course having visitors arrive the very next week put me further behind on my quilting.
I was able to take a guild sponsored workshop with Linda Milligan and Nancy Smith. They were teaching paper and curved piecing in the Christmas Pickle quilt so that is what I am working on and have on my design wall today.

I don't usually make a pattern in the same color as the original but this one is a fun and I have lots of greens. I am really practicing my curves. I have completed all 24 paper pieced arcs and I am in the process of adding the five curved pieces that are in each block. Then I only have 120 pinwheel units to go!

Design Wall Monday

2009-07-20T07:36:00.000-05:00

This Design Wall Monday thing is great for forcing me to get something done so I can put up something new. I have actually been working on this a bit at a time. When I went on retreat a few weeks ago one of the other ladies was putting together a half log cabin scrap quilt. She was pretty tired of making the blocks and I was collecting scraps so she gave me the leftovers. When I got home I decided to put them together and I will be giving the top back to her so that she can donate it with the one she made.

Liberty for All

2009-07-04T10:20:00.004-05:00

We live in such a great country. I just got home from our annual Fourth of July breakfast and flag raising at church. This is always one of my favorite activities but this year they added a tribute to those in our congregation who had or are serving in the military and that made it extra special.

The Boy Scouts did the flag ceremony and when the flag is flying with the church steeple in the background it really makes me realize just how lucky we are to live here and enjoy the freedoms that we have.

Now I will start sewing and watch 1776 - another reminder of what our forefathers did for us. I hope everyone has a great day and takes a moment to think about our blessings.

Dinner from the Garden

2009-07-03T06:57:00.007-05:00

My husband started a vegetable garden this year. We have lived in Texas for 25 years and have tried to grow veggies a few times with little success but this time he was serious and we now have an amazing garden and the bounty just keeps coming. Our hot season is here and I am sure our harvest will go down for awhile but it will come back in the fall.

He planted several eggplants and they are now producing. I am not an eggplant lover at all so this week when he brought in five of the purple things I knew I was in trouble. I decided to make Eggplant Parmesan. I found a recipe on the internet at and since we also had lots of ripe tomatoes I made my own sauce. All of the produce that went into the sauce was from the garden. It called for quite a few herbs but I just went shopping outside with a pair of scissors.

The only thing I changed was that I had one lonely yellow squash so I put that in the sauce and I added some sugar to the sauce to give it a slightly sweet taste. I also cooked it longer so that it was thick and not runny.

When we sat down to eat it was amazing. This tasted so good that I wanted to cry. We each had a portion and then even though we wanted to eat more we could not because we were too full. I had leftovers for lunch yesterday and it was just as good the second time!

My daughter Sarah has made me promise to make this dish again when she can be with us because she has developed a passion for eggplant parmesan - apparently marriage can really change taste buds because I am sure that a few years ago she would not have even considered trying it.

There are some more eggplants out there and plenty of tomatoes so I will be making it again but the thing about growing your own is that you don't have control over when things are ready and you have to eat it when it is available.

Design Wall Monday

2009-06-29T14:04:00.006-05:00

I am excited that I have a picture of my design wall this week - well it is not exactly "my" design wall but it is my quilt pieces on the wall at our retreat this weekend. Before the retreat I pulled out a bowtie project I had started at least 10 years ago. I had learned to make dimensional bowties and I just kept making them. At the time I had a plan for them but it did not happen so I had a box of bowties fermenting in my studio. A little while ago I saw a setting I really liked for them so I decided to pull them out. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that there were over 100 of the little suckers and that there were quite a few still chained together that only needed the final seam stitched. I even had squares cut and ready to make more. So I started putting them together and I finished 26 blocks with enough for at least 10 more.

Of course I had to take them down to come home but I am excited about the project again and I will get them together soon -well soon is a relative term when it has already been this long.

Sushi Sunday

2009-06-29T07:51:00.005-05:00

As usual I am a bit behind but I wanted to post about this anyway. For some strange reason 75% of my family loves sushi and I am in the minority so Sushi making has become a tradition at our house - WHEN MOM GOES AWAY.My husband wanted to make sushi for Father's Day and since it was dad's special day I was gracious and let everyone else go for it even though I would be there. I made a Chinese dish for the rest of us - oh I mean me.

My son in law Ray has been practicing a lot and his sushi really was pretty, I even tried the sashimi and it was okay. . . still not a fan though.

Quilting on High

2009-06-10T11:04:00.004-05:00

We traveled to San Antonio for a graduation of a niece - our main objective was to visit with my sister in law who was there for the big event. I thought it would be a good idea to have some handwork to do on the 5 hour trip in the car so I pulled out a piece of hand applique that I had started in a class with Karen Kay Buckley a year or so ago. The night before we left I prepped a bunch of grapes and I packed it all in the car and off we went.

I always plan to do things while driving but then I get in the car and realize that I can't watch the road if my attention is elsewhere, now mind you I am not driving but I feel the need to watch the road as if I were (am I a back seat driver? - we are not going there!). So bottom line, long drive, no sewing.

Monday night was the graduation ceremony at a large auditorium. We had to be there early so at the last minute I pulled out the work bag and took it in with me. We ended up sitting a few rows down from the top in some very uncomfortable seats. I looked around and just a few more rows up were wooden bleachers but they had backs so I moved up there, all the way at the top. I spread my work bag out on the bench and started sewing.
When the ceremony started they dimmed the lights but I had my handy, dandy magnifying light
so while the 600 or so names were read I kept sewing.

I was concerned about appearing rude but I decided since the whole row in front of me was texting and reading news on their phones I could sew if I wanted too. Our grad was in the next to the last row so I got quite a bit done.

I am so glad I had hand work - we were in the auditorium for 3 and 1/2 hours and I am also glad we sat up high - no one was behind me so when I got tired of sitting I could stand for awhile and the AC was blowing on us so we were quite comfortable. So I have learned that maybe "handwork" is not a bad word and I only have a few more grapes to complete that part, maybe it will get done this year!

Design Wall Monday/Wednesday

2009-06-02T17:45:00.015-05:00

Judy at Sunshine quilts has started a new Mr. Linky called What's on Your Design Wall? You can talk about what is on your design wall on Monday and then report on the progress the next week. Not all of my projects are on the wall since I am in the middle of quilting one (or two) right now. I also sew clothing so that doesn't go on the wall either but I would like to take part in this challenge because I think it will help me get some things accomplished. As usual I have a lot of things going right now but as of Monday I had:

2 sample outfits for the store where I work

1 quilt for a wedding present on Saturday

the fabric chosen and cut for a new project my lunch bunch is doing together - a French Braid quilt

the completed center panel (finished it on Saturday) for my Out of the Darkness quilt that I started sometime in 2002 - now I just have to do the borders, it really is on my design wall, even though I finished it last week I put it up as inspiration to get to the rest of the quilt

Back to the Blog

2009-05-15T19:04:00.002-05:00

I sure have had a hard time getting things posted on my blog. In my defense my life has been hectic and it is just settling down. 2 weddings and now a job layoff (my husband is now officially unemployed after 28 years at the same company but that is another story), last week my mom was here but now things are pretty much back to normal. I got to spend one whole day at the sewing machine and part of every other day this week and I am much calmer now.

Tonight for dinner I made up a new way to cook chicken and everyone liked it and my husband suggested I post it on my blog so here goes:

Linda's Last Minute Chicken

Put Chicken in a baking dish - whatever pieces you have, I used a whole one that I cut up
Squeeze one lemon over the top
Press some garlic and rub it around - you can use as much or as little as you like
Drizzle a bit of honey
Splash on a little soy sauce
Bake covered for one hour at 375 and then remove cover so it can brown a bit

That's it, we also had pan fried potato slices, sauted Swiss Chard (from our garden) and a fruit salad from the friut that was in the fridge. Good dinner, easy to make and it used what we had.

Easter Fun

2009-04-12T15:09:00.010-05:00

We had an egg hunt and photo taking with all the grandchildren on Saturday because of everyone's schedules and it was a good thing since it started raining last night and hasn't stopped since then.
Our egg hunt was in the front yard where our new vegetable garden is so they were just like Peter Rabbit in the cabbage patch. I think they all had fun and they sure caught on quick to what was going on. We just hid plastic eggs and did not even fill them (do you think we can get away with that next year?)

We did take the two little ones that are staying at our house to the park after church today for more pictures. We took along our miniature park bench so they could sit and be dry but of course Shannon did not stay seated for long.

My how time flies

2009-03-24T11:06:00.005-05:00

I can't believe the wedding is in 4 days! The wedding dress just needs a little embellishing and the little girls dresses are all done. I decided to wear something I already own so I don't have to worry about my clothing. My parents, oldest daughter, second son and 2 grand babies arrive tomorrow so I am cleaning house and shopping in prep for that. I have a few things to purchase and then I am ready.

Sarah spent the weekend baking and decorating cookies for the wedding favors- she worked at a cookie store and really enjoys the cookies so she thought it would be a good remembrance of her.
We are also going to put cookies on the top of the grooms cake. As a side note we had never heard of grooms cake until we moved to Texas. The grooms cakes we have seen are chocolate and are decorated with something that reminds you of the groom so this cake will have boots and a Texas cookie on it. Our first one had a chocolate directors slate and the next one was chocolate covered strawberries. We haven't figured out the last one yet.

Too Many Projects

2009-03-04T12:02:00.006-06:00

We are in the final countdown for wedding number 1 and I realized I probably have too many things going on. I am making the dress for the bride, the granddaughters and myself. I am making and sending the invitations. I also have my Double Delight Quilt ready for quilting, I am learning to smock, and crazy quilt and I just bought a book about how to knit socks. What I really want to be doing is my quilt so that has to go on the back burner as my reward when everything else is done. And if that is not enough my Bee from my quilt guild is responsible for designing and constructing our raffle quilt which we intend to have ready to display in July. I am working on that also.

I did finish my first smocked dress - this one for the baby. I am working on one for her big sister too but I do the smocking while I am watching tv in the evenings. The dresses for the girls are all in various stages of completion and my outfit is almost done. The wedding dress was on hold until I could pin (literally) down the bride for a final fitting. It is now ready for the finishing touches.

I have decided I will work each project through to completion instead of jumping around so now I will go up to my sewing room and finish a little girls dress.

What's all that White Stuff

2009-02-23T05:21:00.005-06:00

No it is not snowing - I am just buried in white fabric. The dress is coming along but the farther I get the more fabric I have to move around. I attached the lining so now there are 2 layers of dress, fortunately no train. The biggest amount of white is the petticoat. I bought bridal netting to make it full and I had yards to gather for the bottom tier, I thought I would go crazy trying to keep it under control. I got all that attached and I have decided I need to add another tier so I will go to JoAnn today and buy 4 more yards of netting - can't wait to start gathering again!

Wedding Dress Blues

2009-02-09T11:19:00.002-06:00

I guess I was feeling a little overconfident with the wedding dress. I basted all of the interlining pieces to the dress and then basted all of the parts together and had her try it on and found that the weight of the dress is pulling everything down. The pattern has you put in a limited amount of boning but I realized that would not cut it so I slept on it and pulled out my reference books and today I took apart the sections a little at a time so I could add boning to the interlining. I said I would work until 11:00 and then take a break. I finished all of the boning at 10:54! After an hour or so I will go back and put in the zipper.

If it needs more support then I will put more boning in the lining. I feel good about my decisions so far, she will be here for a fitting tomorrow night. I also want to have the lining put together and the slip made - we shall see how much I actually get done. I am pretty much committed to finishing the gown before I work on anything else because the machine is all set up and I recovered my ironing board and I don't want to get any gunk or color that might transfer to the white satin. I really, really want to be working on a quilt and finishing my jacket so this is my motivation.

Wedding festivities begin

2009-02-03T07:16:00.004-06:00

All of those pins added to my stash came in handy this morning as I cut out my daughters wedding dress. Yes, I am making "The Dress". Originally she had said, "Mom, I don't want you to be offended but I am going to buy my dress." I said okay that is a load off my plate - then I sat back and waited. After a shopping trip she found a dress she liked but it wasn't in the price range she had set (what a surprise) and it wasn't exactly right so we went and looked at patterns and she drew a picture of what she wants and I started putting pieces together and today I cut it out.

I was concerned about all of that white fabric and all the dog hair my pet leaves around and my husband suggested going over to the church to cut it out. Brilliant! The tables are adjustable and I could put 2 together, the room is big and empty and there is no dog hair. So early this morning I cut out the dress. I still have to do the lining but I didn't get enough fabric for that yet. I really like sewing wedding dresses for my girls - this will be my third- I find it to be a wonderful labor of love and I am looking forward to the experience, I always learn a lot in the process.

See a Pin Pick it Up

2009-01-28T13:41:00.000-06:00

I am pretty picky about my pins. They must be long, have big heads and be sharp. Almost 30 years ago I was taking Stretch and Sew classes and they had ball point pins that would slide right into knits and I fell in love with them. After a while a pin would get dull or rough and I realized I could just throw it away, I felt so decadent.

I also like to pin things, I probably pin more in quilting than some people but when I teach I say do it however you are comfortable. When I was putting together Double Delight for some reason my pin holder only had about 8 pins on it. Now that is not to say it was empty, there were needles and safety pins galore but only a few real pins. Eventually I got tired of only being able to pin a few sections at a time so I pulled out my special box of new pins and added some to it.

This week I was looking for something to take to my quilt group and I grabbed a UFO box on the way out the door. This was a Stack and Whack project that had been around for about 3 years - guess what - there were pieces pinned together. My pin stash was renewed. Yesterday I pulled out a jacket I had started about 3 years ago and I hit the jackpot of pins. Now my pin stash overfloweth, I can put some back in reserve and then I won't worry about using up all of my good ones because they are so hard to find.

Oh by the way when I see a pin I do pick it up because it is probably one my good ones!

Pressing Matters

2009-01-22T19:09:00.001-06:00

As quilters and sewers we know that pressing is important. When sewing clothing seams must be pressed open and when quilting we usually press them to one side. Lately I have been seeing some discussion about which iron is the best, so I thought I would put my opinion into the mix. Quilters Home had an article rating irons and I read that with interest. I know this was not a scientific rating but I think it is very helpful to see what experiences others have had.

I started my sewing life with a G.E. iron, I am pretty sure G.E. does not make irons anymore but it was a functional steam iron that pretty much did the job. I then had a cordless iron - it was a pain because it kept cooling down and had to be put back on the base. I then moved on to a Rowenta and I have been a fan ever since. I wanted the weight to help press open seams and for other functions in dressmaking. I liked the pointy tip and it was big! I really started wanting a steam generator iron because it seemed as though I was always filling the darn thing. A few years ago I got my Rowenta steam generator iron and I love it with a capital 'L'. (I know my grandma used to say that you can't love and object but . . .)

The water goes in the base unit and the steam comes through a hose that has never gotten in the way or annoyed me

A few months ago I used an Oliso iron at a quilt retreat - everyone seems to be talking about this one, it lifts up when you aren't touching it so it does not scorch your fabric. At first it was kinda cool but then it got annoying and when I returned home and started using my Rowenta again I realized how heavy that Oliso was compared to mine and I was "in love" all over again.

I also own the Rowenta craft iron and a Singer press that I got at a garage sale for cheap. I only use the press when fusing large quantities of interfacing - it is great for T shirt quilts. The baby Rowenta is my take along and I also set it up right next to me when doing a lot of little fussy stitching that requires pressing after every 1" seam (some of Pam Bono's patterns)

Now if I could just find an ironing board cover I like life would be good.

Obsession

2009-01-16T15:55:00.006-06:00

I seem to be obsessed with Bonnie's Double Delight Mystery quilt. I just can't stop working on it even though I could be doing other things like laundry, washing dishes or cooking. Last night I finished the last of the blocks and today I laid them out and I was just ready to cut my corner triangles when the power went out - so much for my obsession.
Today is the coldest it has been all year and that is probably why the power went out. It was cloudy and dreary outside so it was dark in the house and I wanted to keep moving so I went into the bedroom and started cleaning. The holidays always seem to make my room a clutter catch-all so it was time to put it all away. I was really starting to get something accomplished when the lights came back on and my sewing machine again beckoned to me.

Quiltathon Report

2009-01-12T13:15:00.013-06:00

Judy sponsored a quiltathon this past weekend. I have always liked her "Quiltathons" but many times the chosen days have not worked out for me. This time I got to participate. My husband and son left me for a few hours on Saturday and I spent Friday sewing so even though the official days were Saturday and Sunday I tweaked it a bit.

I have been working on Bonnie Hunter New Year's Eve Mystery - Double Delight. It is a scrap quilt with lots of little parts. I had finished part 1 and most of part 2
I get a little bored doing the same thing over and over so I now have pieces and parts spread all over and just 3 complete blocks.

but then I peeked at the rest and I couldn't resist starting the other parts. I tend to work on a project all helter skelter anyway and

When everything comes together I think it will be a great quilt. Thanks Judy for letting us 'sew' with you. And thanks Bonnie for taking the time to share a wonderful pattern and great instructions.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas

2009-01-05T18:13:00.004-06:00

Twelve months of hot pads

I did not make these pads but they fit my theme so well that I had to use them. My friend, Kayleen made sets of 12 pads for her family and friends. Each month is color or holiday coordinated and nice and thick. They are really too pretty to use but I have been pulling out a new one each month to use as a trivet on the table. I think she said she made 13 sets - that is a lot of hot pads! She used up a lot of scraps of fabric and batting which is always a good idea so I am planning to make some for my family next year. I do know that I will NOT be making 156 of them.

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas

2009-01-04T18:13:00.002-06:00

Eleven months in the making

This quilt is the second in a series of Christmas quilts for my children. We have had a tradition of making pj's to open on Christmas Eve and then we get a picture of everyone in their matching jammies. I have been trying to gracefully move this tradition to the next generation so I decided to make each of them a quilt with pieces of the pajamas as part of the design. I started this quilt awhile ago but when I pulled it out to finish for this Christmas I got the idea of using the pj fabric for the center squares.

I do not have scraps from every year but I have saved and located quite a few of them. My oldest received her quilt 2 years ago and Conrad got this one. When I see the right pattern for the next one I will start on it but I am not putting a time constraint on the next one - it will happen when it happens. I don't know if the other 2 kids have figured this mystery out yet but I know they are still wondering why I cut up Stephanie's baby blanket and I am still not telling - I do love a mystery.

On the Tenth Day of Christmas

2009-01-03T18:13:00.003-06:00

Ten day wonder

I don't really know how long it took me to make this T shirt quilt but it went pretty quick. My daughter had requested it after she graduated from high school, 2 years ago - sometimes I am just a slow starter.

On the Ninth Day of Christmas

2009-01-02T18:12:00.004-06:00

Nine times six I Spy squares

This quilt was not actually for Christmas but it is for a birthday that is right after Christmas. Last summer I decided to make each of my granchilderen an I Spy quilt for their second birthday, knowing that I would have to make 3 within 6 months. I cut them all out in June and then made the first 2 for August birthdays but number 3 just sat there in pieces until after Christmas when I decided I had better get a move on. I finished it just in time.

On the Eighth Day of Christmas

2009-01-01T18:12:00.001-06:00

An eight page book

I made the baby a cloth tag book. A tag book is one with ribbons or tags hanging off the sides for baby to grasp and chew on. I used my embroidery machine to applique bright images on each page and then put them together in book form. The cover is soft velour and the inside cover is shiny satin and the ribbons are all different kinds from grograin to satin so there are a lot of different textures.

On the Seventh Day of Christmas

2008-12-31T18:11:00.000-06:00

A stocking with seven things on it

It is really getting hard to come up with things I did for Christmas to fit the theme so this might be considered a bit of a stretch but I made the new baby a stocking with 7 little decorations on it. This is not the first I have made nor will it be the last. We have a stocking tradition in our family. My grandma made my brother and I a felt stocking with little felt decorations on it. When I got married I asked my mom to make one for my husband and so a tradition was born. I have updated the process bit because I use my embroidery machine to decorate them instead of hand sewing little felt images on but the end result is another stocking for a family member - we are up to 12 now.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas

2008-12-30T18:11:00.000-06:00

Six Southwest placemats

I made placemats for my mom who lives in Arizona and loves anything southwest style. I used the miter tool from Bolt Over Fabrics (there is a booth at many quilt shows around the country) and they really were a snap to make. My lunch bunch quilt group decided to learn to use this tool back in October. I wanted batting in them and we all thought that it would need to be quilted to keep everything from shifting. I think it worked well and then I made matching napkins although they were not the 2 sided mitered corner ones because I did not have enough fabric. I just used woolly nylon and did a rolled hem on my serger. Mom likes them so that is a good thing.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas

2008-12-29T18:11:00.001-06:00

Five people for dinner

French Onion Soup

Seven Layer Salad
Prime Rib

Yorkshire Pudding
Braised Brussel Sprouts
Twice Baked Potatoes
Gingerbread Cake

I don't have a picture for this one but our Christmas Eve dinner was fantastic. We always have our big dinner on Christmas Eve and it usually is quite a production, this year was n0 exception. The prime rib had aged in our refrigerator for 3 days and then was cooked for 5 hours (we didn't eat until 8:30). the soup was the best I have ever had. The gingerbread cake used 3 kinds of ginger (powdered, fresh and ginger ale). Sometimes we have more people but this time it was just part of the family and it was delightful.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

2008-12-28T18:10:00.002-06:00

A "four" ever quilt

This was one of the first designs I did on Electric Quilt. I really have fun with EQ and I decided to put this one together to test the pattern. I used really bright colors and I planned to give it to my "forever" friend, Nancy. I didn't finish it in time for last Christmas but I did finish it during the year and finally got around to mailing it on Dec 22nd.

On the Third Day of Christmas

2008-12-27T18:19:00.002-06:00

Three family Aprons

I decided to make Kari and Evelyn matching aprons and then since I got a cookbook for Conrad I decided that the boys needed them too. I used the Cupcake Pattern from Sew It Up for Kari but I had to make my own pattern for the twins and when it got down to the wire I ended up purchasing a denim butcher apron for Conrad, hence three aprons for a family of four.

On The Second Day of Christmas

2008-12-26T09:50:00.004-06:00

Two men's shirts

I have made shirts for my husband for years (at least 25 years) I pretty much have the instructions memorized because I use the same Kwik Sew Pattern every time so I am pretty speedy but this time I amazed even myself. I started sewing 2 shirts on Monday sewing only when he wasn't around and also finishing 2 quilts and some other things in the meantime I finished them on Wednesday (Christmas Eve) before noon. They even had buttons(a family joke because many times I have wrapped shirts up with no buttons)!

2008-12-25T22:13:00.009-06:00

I got the most amazing book for Christmas. It is called Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I had learned about it from Judy and decided just a few weeks ago that I might like it so I got the Mother Earth News with an article about it and then told my husband that it would make a great present (along with a baking stone and peel). Well my wonderful husband went shopping and ordered the book and peel from Amazon and found the stone at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

This afternoon I followed the instructions without reading every word of the book (which would be my normal way of doing things) and just a little while later I took the most beautiful loaf out of the oven. After letting it cool we were amazed at the taste of the most wonderful loaf of artisan bread I have ever made! I highly recommend this book.

On the downside we tried to make cheese to go with it and that was a failure with a capital 'F'. A gallon of milk made about one cup of soft stuff we spread on the delicious bread and it also made a big mess. We will not give up though and tomorrow I will go to the library and get a book about cheesemaking and we will start anew.

On the First Day of Christmas

2008-12-25T13:30:00.009-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone - now I can post about my Christmas creations and since it is the first day of Christmas today is . . .

A bird on the pocket of a dress

I made this for my grand daughter, Shannon who is almost 2. She is wearing a size 3 in RTW but I did a 2 in the pattern which is McCalls. I appliqued the bird on the pocket with a design from Embroidery Library. The jumper is lined and red piping is along the hem. It was easy and it turned out pretty cute, I had fallen in love with the bird print corduroy- it called to me and said "you need to buy me". I got a black turtleneck at Target and did a red lettuce hem at the neck.

I just hope it fits.

Down to the Wire

2008-12-24T18:15:00.002-06:00

As usual it is Christmas Eve and I am working hard to prepare for the big day but the big news is that all of my sewing was done by noon - its a miracle because every thread was trimmed and every button was sewn and I closed down the sweat shop. Last night I was nearing the end and I started to worry about running out of things to do. I think that is the reason I am always starting new things - I never want to be projectless, as if that could ever happen!

We have our big dinner tonight so all afternoon has been spent cooking. I also made a double batch of cinnamon rolls for breakfast tomorrow. We have so many traditions in our family and grandma's cinnamon rolls are one of them. Yummy.

Merry Amazon Christmas

2008-12-23T08:02:00.006-06:00

We decided Amazon got the "dot com" thing right. We seem to be having an Amazon Christmas at our house. Every day packages arrive with the familiar logo on the box - how exciting! Except for one thing, we don't know if they are what my husband and I ordered or what someone else ordered and had shipped here. Should we open it? or just put ugly brown boxes under the tree?

I have checked with family members and found that my daughter in California has sent a number of packages for me to open and then wrap the gifts for the recipients. So now I get to be an elf? Did I mention that wrapping is not my favorite part of the holiday? She did assure me that my gift would be coming late so there would be no chance of me accidentally spoiling the surprise for me.

My other daughter is going crazy because I haven't opened any of the boxes to put things under the tree, I told her I could just wrap them Christmas morning because they would probably want to sleep late. She didn't like that idea. So I guess I will start wrapping today.

One Week

2008-12-17T15:14:00.002-06:00

Can you believe that in just one week it will be Christmas Eve? I am amazed every year. I am also always amazed at my ability to have great plans for gift giving and then not having the time to follow through - oh well that seems to be the story of my life.

I got the first package in the mail today, on its way to California, only three more to mail. I need to go finish my mothers gift and then make some peanut brittle for my father in law and then I can package them up and send them out.

As I put all of the gifts in a priority box and everything fit with room to spare I felt kind of bad that there wasn't more. So I had to remind self that:

some gifts are being shipped directly
my son in law will be getting a t shirt quilt but first he has to give me the shirts
they live in an apartment
they already own every toy known to man
the baby has plenty of hand me down clothes from her sister
big sister and mom have a birthday in January and I have gifts for that already

So I made some little things for the girls, got a "?" for their mom and dad's will have to come later. Why do I feel guilty? What makes us think that it isn't Christmas without lots of stuff? I really am trying to get over this because I certainly do not need stuff for the sake of stuff. Those days are over for me.

Baby its cold outside

2008-12-16T08:00:00.004-06:00

Brrr - it has turned cold here. It is 25 right now and while I know for many of you that is a warm front, for us here in Texas it is cold! So what is the best thing to do when the weather outside is frightful? Why sew of course. Actually the very best thing to do is quilting because then you are actually under the quilt part of the time. So yesterday I quilted a gift quilt - one down one to go. I really need to finish the things that need to be shipped but that quilt and its warmth was calling to me. It just needs binding and that is another great thing to do when it is cold.

Oh did I mention that on Sunday it was 75? That is why we love Texas weather.

Learning Curve

2008-12-14T06:04:00.003-06:00

Blogging certainly has a learning curve, I feel like I am starting to get it. My kids and husband have been helping me out and just now I figured some things out on my own and I feel pretty clever. I now have a blog description and new font colors. I know that is not a big deal but I like learning new things.

I am also finding out how blogging can become another hobby. I am seeing my world in a new light and thinking "oh I could blog about that so I had better take a picture" I don't know if anyone will ever read this but I hope to put out some helpful information at some point. Maybe I am just writing it for me but that is okay too because I am recording bits of my life and my posterity can get to know me better.

I have quite a few blogs that I follow on a regular basis and I really like the ideas and things they share. It is like being in a quilt bee 24/7. I finally joined a guild a couple of years ago and then got in a small group known as a bee, prior to that I had always stayed pretty much to myself as far as my sewing went but now I understand. Having a group where you can exchange ideas and get encouragement is great for the creative process and the blog world is also a place where that happens. I am glad I have joined the "blogging bee."

Stashbusting

2008-12-09T05:27:00.018-06:00

It seems that quilters like to moan about having way too much fabric. I can moan with the best of them but the other night at our quilt bee party I realized that I don't have enough fabric to even worry about joining "stashbusters." We met at Kayleen's house and Maureen told us about taking a pledge to purchase no fabric for a year. Then Kayleen talked about her closet of fabric. We all went upstairs and saw it and I would have to say Kayleen does have a lot but Maureen evaluated and said she did not think there was enough to qualify as a stashbuster. That is when I realized that I am totally out of my league.

I have a room that I store it all in and there is a lot of fabric but the room also has yarn, scrapbook, art supplies as well as various other crafts that I have participated in. I also sew clothing so there is fabric and patterns for that as well as all of the needed interfacings. So even though my room is very full it is not all for one activity. I do have a problem throwing anything away so I have a a lot of scraps. Bonnie at Quiltville has inspired me to keep even more scraps but they are getting organized. I use her scrap savers system and cut leftovers into strips and nickels. So far my bins are small but I am working on it!

Recently Judy at Patchwork Times had a post about her stash - once more it is brought home to me that I really don't have that much (it is all relative remember?) I don't have a lot of big pieces or batting so I think I am okay to buy more. This is what I have purchased since Thanksgiving.

So my pledge for the coming year is to only buy what I want to - I will refuse to purchase any fabric that does not inspire me and that I don't love, unless of course it is just what the quilt needs!

Christmas or else

2008-12-08T10:43:00.009-06:00

Today has been declared "Decorate for Christmas or else". I feel a bit overwhelmed because as usual I have bitten off way too much but oh well we don't want to be bored do we?

I committed to hosting a portion of a progressive dinner on Thursday, I have 2 quilt group get togethers and gift exchanges and I forgot I am babysitting the twins tomorrow and now she needs me today. This is in addition to sewing gifts and some embroidery work I said I would do for others. What was I thinking?
I was panicked about adding the babysitting but then I decided that was the most important - family comes first. So today I will decorate while I am here.

The tree is up with some ornaments, we have really cut back from past years when we had a 9 foot tree loaded with ornaments and lights. Last year when we had everyone coming we bought a smaller tree and put less ornaments, mostly at the top because of the 1 year olds. This year they are 2 year olds so we are still putting on fewer decorations but I want to set up a train around the base because they will enjoy that.

Jon set up the Fontini Nativity last night, I really like it. We can add new things as we desire and the city of Bethlehem is starting to grow. This is becoming more important each year and it helps us to remember what Christmas is really all about.

We panicked last night when the Christmas CDs were not in their box but while looking for them I found Trent's stocking in an odd spot. Today I opened the box with the rest of the stockings and could not find mine so I may not even get coal this year.

A Few of My Favorite Things

2008-12-06T07:11:00.000-06:00

I have been prepping the living room for the Christmas decorations and I decided I needed to clean the carpet. We have the lovely "we need to put is new carpet to sell this house beige" I guess it makes rooms look clean and big but it sure shows the spots and after 12 years walking on it and multiple pets it can be ugly. Then of course when we have people over we eat in there and now with the grandkids . . well you get the picture!

My friend, Joyce, had told me about a cleaning product that worked for her and I have to tell you I think it is a miracle product. I bought it several months ago and did not use it until now but I sure hope it is still available.

This is what you do:

Spray on and let set

cover with a wet white terrycloth

press with iron on medium

The white cloth will become yucky as it pulls up whatever is on the carpet. I found that pet and food stains come out the best. It did not work on some black greasy spots but it did take out spots I have worked on so many times for so many years I have given them a name.

I bought a pack of cheap white washcloths at WalMart (the place I bought the cleaner). My iron got pretty stained but I used an old one, if I ever want to use it for fabric I will probably need to clean it.

I then used my carpet cleaner to clean the whole carpet. I really like having a carpet cleaner because I can do it at my own speed whenever I feel like it or need too. I did the living room in three sections over three days, allowing each part to dry before moving everything back onto it.

My carpet looks very good now if I do say so myself!

First Saturday Quilt Block

2008-12-05T13:22:00.024-06:00

My local quilt shop has a first Saturday block of the month where you pay $5.00 for the first block kit and then each month you bring in the completed block and then you get the next one free. If you don't finish or miss a day you have to pay again. I think this is about the 4th year at this particular store.

Last night before I went to bed I realized that my block wasn't done yet and I planned on taking it in on Friday (today) so I got up this morning at six and put it together.

This is how I work - with everything right where I need it. I make it a game to see how much I can chain without cutting the thread, so I will cut off the back pieces, press and keep right on sewing. I can usually do a single block like this without clipping until I put the last row on.

The block was done in time and I even remembered to take it with me. I always say I will make the next block as soon as I get it but it never seems to happen. I know this month I won't because I have way to much other sewing to do.

Making Do

2008-12-03T14:08:00.002-06:00

I am working a quilt I designed and started over a year ago. I made some changes and then decided to make it bigger. The blocks are all done and today I am working on the sashing but oops- not enough fabric.

What to do? I thought of a few solutions:

go to the store to see if I could find more (that would mean leaving the house)
try to find a close enough match (it is a pretty neutral background after all but I didn't have anything in my stash)
sew together the pieces I had left to make do

I decided to sew together the strips before cutting them so that some of the sashings have a seam or two in them. I have no problem with this solution and it is probably what granny would have done.

How Did This Happen?

2008-12-03T06:41:00.004-06:00

I put my daughter and her family on a plane yesterday and said to myself now I can think about Christmas. The realization is setting in that it is just over 3 weeks away and naturally I have lots more I want to do than there is time for. I planned on making 5 quilts and at least 5 other sewing projects plus a scrapbook project and decorate my house. I guess Christmas cookies will go on the back burner this year.

So now I must prioritize. Several quilts are started so I will work on those first. I have to decorate since I said yes when asked to host dessert for a progressive dinner next week (what was I thinking?) and if I get the sewing projects started I can do them in small pieces of time. The only thing I can't figure is how to fit in is shopping - I hate that anyway but I do need some more fabric for some of the projects so at least my shopping will take to the kind of stores I like.

Today I will clean the carpet in the living room so that we can put the tree up later this week and I will get the sewing machines humming.

Just Chain Me to the Sink

2008-11-27T06:37:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, we are having a wonderful time here but absolutely no sewing is being done. I have been cooking and washing dishes for the past 3 days. Four grandchildren ages 2 and under are running around and 10 adults (we nood that many to keep track of the kids). I am about ready to start the turkey but first I have to run to Wal Mart because I forgot to get a roasting pan and we are out of butter. I like Wal Mart at 7 am cause it isn't crowded but then when I was checking my email there was a notice about early morning specials today so I hope it is not too bad.

I hope you all have a great day, I know we will and I can't wait until tomorrow - no cooking, only leftovers!

Pillowcases, Pictures - Oh My

2008-11-20T22:07:00.006-06:00

I know blogs are supposed to have pictures so today I am going to try and add one to my post.

As you know I have been working on a guest room. I decided to get new sheets for the bed to coordinate with the rest of the room, which is blue and brown. I have made my own pillowcases for years because I have always thought that the cases were way too expensive, especially when I can buy a twin flat sheet *which usually costs about half of the price of one set of 2 cases) and make 4 cases. I have always folded down the hem and sometimes I used my embroidery machine for a decorative touch but for the last year or so I have been wanting to try the cases with contrasting bands made in a tube. I already had fabric for the bands and I bought an extra twin sheet to match the sheets.

I started last night while we were watching Heroes on the DVR. It seems that every time I sit down to watch Heroes I fall asleep, so about halfway through I got up and started cutting everything out. Perfect - I know how the episode ends and I got something accomplished! Then I wanted to try out the technique so I sewed all of the bands on. This morning I had about 30 minutes before work and I completed one pillowcase and half of another. After dinner I finished the rest and as the clock struck 7:00 I was looking for the camera to take a picture.

This method is faster than my old folded in hem and looks much better. I had a yard of each fabric and since each band took ten inches I could not make them all the same but by alternating the band and the flange fabric I got the 4 cases that coordinate and I have leftover fabric for my scrap projects. I can't wait to make more pillowcase!

Redecorating

2008-11-19T17:20:00.005-06:00

Okay the painting is done and I just whipped up some curtains (well actually I remade some purchased ones, but they will do)and the carpet is clean. This fall I got hooked on a couple of tv shows while staying with my daughter after she had a baby. We watched lots of Clean House and I got hooked on Top Design. I kept marveling at how fast they could paint a room - not me. Of course the biggest difference is that the rooms they do are totally empty. We had to work around the bed, bookcase, dresser and various other obstacles. First we did it while painting and then I had to do the same thing while cleaning the carpet.

The curtains look pretty good and they do make the room more homey, I did have to send the guys to Dragon Berry as a reward for putting up the rod. Now if Trent will jsut finish cleaning up his stuff I can be done in there and start worrying about the rest of the house.

End of the week report

2008-11-16T19:43:00.006-06:00

Another week has flown by, in the news they were moaning about Christmas being less than 40 days away and the retailers are worried. I am not as stressed as I usually am, I just keep working on things and take them as they come. The thing I am getting worried about is Thanksgiving, it is just over a week away.

Yesterday I painted my son's room, I invited my daughter-in-law over to help and she was gracious enough to come. I had thought it would not be that big of deal but it turned out to be pretty major. I think I have been watching too many home improvement shows lately - they make it look so easy - then I realized that when they paint a room it is completely empty, that never seems to work for me. Kari and I spent the day maneuvering around furniture and moving it back and forth but the painting is done. Now I have to clean the carpets (moving the furniture back and forth as I go again) and get the room arranged.

Of course I have a vision for this room but I am pretty cheap so I am trying to use what I have already. I do have a quilt planned for the bed but that won't happen before company comes - oh well.

So this week I am planning to finish the guest room, clean the rest of the house and do some cooking for the next week. I hope to sneak some sewing in too, I have some Christmas gifts in the works.

Day by Day

2008-11-11T21:54:00.007-06:00

Today was not quite as productive as I had hoped. Thanksgiving guests start to arrive in less that 2 weeks and I have a whole house to get clean. I plan to turn my son's room into a guest room and I want to paint it on Saturday but so far he has been pretty slow in cleaning up his stuff. I should point out that he is really a guest right now as he is just here while he is taking a break from college. He should be leaving in January so I think of him as a temporary resident. I did work on my room and the scrapbook/dining room.

I did get to sew today. I have been anxiously waiting to have fabric to try the Studio Tantrum pattern "Redondo". I cut it out and sewed it up this afternoon. Sizing is a little iffy so it will either be for Sprite or Princess - whoever it fits best. The other grandaughter will get one after I figure out the sizing. The skirt turned out very cute and I can't wait for the girls to try it on! I also got to work on some "Secret Stuff" - that's our code for some special occasion is coming and I can't talk about it in public. I realized that I can't post much of what I am working on right now because it qualifies as "Secret Stuff"

Never Say Never

2008-11-11T11:59:00.000-06:00

When I was first introduced to blogging a few years ago I thought it was the weirdest thing a person could do - I mean how geeky and self centered could you be? And what about the people who read the crazy things? Don't they have a life? Then about a year ago I started to actually read blogs and I was amazed at how interesting it was to peek into someones life and see what they were doing. I was inspired by these people as they shared their talents and abilities.

So here I am ready to share a bit of my life but do I really have anything to say that would be of interest to anyone else? I hope so, if nothing else maybe I will have a record of what I have done. I have been following some blogs for awhile and have learned so much that I hope I can share some of what I know with others.

I am a mom, grandma, wife, daughter, sister, friend and woman who has lived on this earth for awhile. I am in love with my sewing machine. I go to church every week, I cook dinner most nights, I sew nearly every day, I read a lot of books, I research my family history, I scrapbook, I try many crafts, and I sometimes clean house. Did I mention I like to sew?

Sewing has long been a passion of mine, for the last 5 or so years my sewing has mainly focused on quilting but now that I have four adorable grandchildren I am getting back into clothing construction.

What do I plan to do with this blog? I hope to share my projects, my frustrations, my successes and maybe share some of the things I have learned about sewing along the way.

Feel free to join me on the journey.