quilting friends

During quilting class this week, we had our end-of-year/Christmas party.  The food was beyond delicious - my favorites being the stuffed mushrooms (ok, I brought those) and the bean dip (thanks, Holley!). Our teacher, Kathy, gave each of us a quilt block "rug" made from the gorgeous Moda fabric line "Midwinter Reds".

Seeing that I had something smart to show, I finally mounted the bird cage display that I had purchased about a year ago.  I'm sorry the photo is so lousy but it's in the corner, the day is gloomy, and I only have a cell phone camera (note to Santa!).  The little hanging bobble block is something I picked up a few days ago for $4 at the quilt shop. I'm anxious to add more interesting items.

And here is the mug rug that my friend Holley gave me (yes, Holley of the favored bean dip).  She had made a different one for each person in the class.  Holley is the bomb!

And finally, here is the darling pincushion that my friend Karen made.  She gave me three to choose from and I picked the red with dots because it so nicely matched "Bernina" written on my sewing machine.
Not true.
I picked it because I had been to Disneyland the day before and it reminded me of Minnie's dress.  But it does coordinate beautifully with my machine.

Christmas is fun!

dresden dish towels

I needed simple gifts to give a few of my friends for Christmas ... something inexpensive ... something homemade ... something quick. And actually in the end I got a bonus - but more on that in a later post.

For about a year now, I have wanted to do something with the vintage towels that are sold in the quilt shop where I work. First step: buy 10 towels in five colors: berry red, bright green, pale yellow, deep sky blue, and black (sorry, not all pictured). Nest step: think of something interesting to stitch on the front using what you have on hand at home.
 So I took this ...

Made by this company ...

And these simple tools ...

To make this finished product.
I like to think of it as "half a Dresden plate is better than none!"

I packaged them all in clear treat bags and slipped a Merry Christmas cupcake pick behind a twine bow.

And because I had them, I sealed the back with a bakery sticker.

I'm thinking I need to make just one more for my son's piano teacher whom I'll see tomorrow at lessons.
You know what I'll be doing tonight ...

advent box

Last night I found a lovely store in the mall, Lemonchello's Boutique. I hadn't ventured into the shop before but what lured me in during this shopping trip was an item in their window display (you know it would have gotten you, too!). And then when I stopped to admire it inside the store and saw that the sign said 20% off, there was no turning back!  It had to come home with me. Had to.

There is a side door opens and stores a tree which fits inside a hole on the top of the box. Each day you open the appropriately numbered drawer and add to the tree the ornament inside.

I decorated (slightly) the hurricanes next to the box with a couple of things that I found in the gift wrap bucket since we don't have our Christmas decorations down from the attic yet....

This is the gorgeous glitter writing on the top. Sooo pretty!  It's probably my favorite feature.

Hopefully, this lovely advent box will inspire me to get our Christmas decorations placed in their proper positions. If I don't, the children have every right to call me Scrooge!

H - A - double L - O - double U - double E - N

Halloween is just around that old creepy corner.  Although I'm not a big fan of the holiday ... except for the chocolate ... I do "get a little pumpkin on" in spite of myself.

The trick of treat banner is an idea I copied from a Pottery Barn catalog a couple of years ago (mine is a larger version), and the bewitched refused to focus wall hanging is one you might remember from last year.  Besides an orange candle here and there, this is the sad extent of my holiday spirit.  Fortunately, no one has complained.  Otherwise I'd have to get my witch on!

Oh, yes!  I do have this quilt as a shop sample where I work.  I'll probably get it back after the holiday.

binding stack

Last night my sewing project was to get some binding made for quilts that have been dropped off or are going to be dropped off at the quilter this week.  I stack the finished rolls on a paper towel holder to keep the binding tidy until sewing time.

The first binding roll is for a brown, outdoorsy looking baby quilt; the next is for a quilt for my new grandson's blessing day; the next is for a quilt which I made for said blessing day which turned out to be too big and now has no home; the next is for a quilt where I used "Seaside" by Riley Blake and the broken dishes block; and the final is for a funky, Anthropologie looking quilt that I made from Joel Dewberry's Notting Hill line.  All will be blogged once they are finished.

my kind of fun

Twice in the past month I have attended a sewing/quilting class where you bring your own project, eat, chat, and have drawings for prizes. This type of fun is exactly why I started quilting!
Had to share with you what I won at the last event.

Luann knit this adorable (lined!) mug warmer, chose gorgeous buttons for it, and wrapped it around a hobnail-esque mug.

Love and LOVE!

baby basics

Two flannel blankets and one little knit hat for the precious newborn grandson.
Just practical stuff, but usually the stuff you need and use the most!

This blanket I bought with the holes punched for crocheting from The Fabric Mill in Provo, Utah.  I'm so happy I didn't cut into the stitches when I snipped the final thread like I did with the last one I made.  Ouch!

This blanket's edge is non-flannel.  Next time I will square the corners since I hate cutting fabric on the bias (didn't) but also hate fighting the curve when its not a bias cut (did).
All items have been shipped and are hanging out with baby.
I sure wish I were!

pirates!

When my blog is inactive, it doesn't mean that I am inactive.  Believe me, my machine is still humming away!  Last month, in spite of spending two weeks in Scotland and Ireland, I finished two quilts to give as wedding gifts (sorry, no pictures) and started two more quilts.  But as for today's post, I wanted to tell you about finishing this little collaborative project.  When my daughter was here a few months ago, I "borrowed" one of her many adorable doodle sketches.  My idea? Turn it into a needlework project!

I used a light box to transfer the sketch onto linen.  See the silver metallic thread used for the earring and sword sparkle?  The only other thread color I used was black (even his bellybutton is black!).  The shaded color on the fabric is simply Prismacolor (important) pencil applied ever so lightly. I love and only use Prismacolor pencils because of their strong pigment and soft lead.

The frame was purchased at the quilt shop where I work and then backed with a scraggly pirate-esk scrapbook paper form Hobby Lobby.

I think the little guy's name is Benjamin.  He loves to play dress-up and is anxious for his next swashbuckling adventure!!  

Later this month when I go to help my daughter's family after the birth of her new little boy, I'll bring this to her ... as well as ask for another darling doodle to take home and play with!

This blog is currently inactive.

car cozy

As you might know, I have a grandson.  As you might not know, this grandson LOVES anything with wheels:  cars, trucks, trailers, trains, motorcycles, wheelbarrows (ok, maybe not that one).  But cars are his #1 go-to toy and have been, I'm sure, for as long as he can remember!   So when I saw the pattern for a car carrier in the Winter 2012 Simple Quilts & Sewing magazine, I knew who needed it.

Last night during quilting class, I discovered some fabrics that inspired me to get sewing.  They are from a Riley Blake line named Boy Crazy.  The fabrics are so cute that I bought some others from the line to make a special pillowcase for Grandma's house (pics to come).
I stitched up the car project in no time this morning and will whip up the pillowcase this afternoon.  Gotta love the easy ones!

The only changes I made to the pattern were to add rick rack to the pocket dividers and to top stitch the yellow road lines.  Oh yes, I didn't use black flannel for the road as the pattern suggested.  I thought it would collect far too much fuzz and crumbs from the floor.
(I just noticed the whisker thread at the bottom that needs snipping! oopsie)

I bought the tractor and jeep from Target, and the green/silver car we had leftover from my boys.  I do wish the tractor had a trailer, but Evan is quite skilled at taping and I'm sure will finagle a way to have it "haul" something.

See what I mean??

The cozy folds in half and rolls up quite nicely, even with the bulky cars inside. After I took this photo, I angled the ribbon ends and applied Dritz Fray Check - a sewing staple!  

Happy vroom-vrooming to Grandma's little darling!

jelly & jam quilt

Sadly, my employer is not well.  I will be working Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to help out in the shop while she recovers.  Because I'm leaving Thursday to spend a few days in Sacramento, I decided I needed to get my latest quilt posted before my next quilts are back from the quilter (pressure!)

This one is for my niece Ana who is currently away at college in Rexburg, Idaho.
A long way from home.
In a wasteland.
In need of comfort!

I think you'd agree that because quilts are a labor of love, they are a perfect way to let people know that you care about them.  And I do love the practicality of them, too.

I'll never forget one day seeing a pick-up truck loaded with furniture with a beautiful vintage quilt being used to wrap one of the items in the bed.  That, my friends, is taking practicality a little too far.  How I wished I would have motioned for the drivers to pull over and had offered them money for it.  I would have taken the dear home and appreciated it like it had probably never been appreciated before.
I reasoned that the people probably would have thought I was a psycho, so I let them travel on.
But I still think about "what if"and dream that someone rescued the gem from her abusive owners.  Where's QPS (Quilt Protective Services) when you need it!

The main fabrics I used came from a fabric roll I had in my stash - Fandango by Kate Spain.  The quilt pattern is a Fig Tree & Co. named Jelly and Jam and made from one jelly roll, sashing fabric, and border fabric.

The backing is a soft homespun.  Perfect cuddling fabric!  I was happy to find it in pink.

As it is 2:40am and I have a b-u-s-y week ahead working and trip preparation (don't forget to sprinkle in bills, laundry, upcoming Father's Day, LIFE), I'd better run for my pillow now!