Pat Loves Quilts and More

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

Does Valentine's Day sneak up on you? It does me. Wasn't it just Christmas? But, this time I'm ready. Using the same technique I used for some Christmas candle mats, I made some Valentine's mats. They'll go to my grandbabes with a cute heart container full of chocolates, of course.

Valentine's is the perfect season to bring out one of my favorite wall hangings. And I've been wanting to make a runner that would compliment it's vibrant colors. Using a very simple design, I made a runner that works perfectly.

Have a great day!

Table Talk

2012-02-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's February already! The year is well under way and I'm just catching up with Christmas. Every year this happens. The celebrations are over and I've undecorated but there are still some ufo's left on the cutting table. So, January sees me catching up.

This time I had a table runner and several table mats ready to go...but not done.

I used Lynn Brown's technique with 5-inch squares to make this cute table runner.

And I used my friend Robin's idea for a few of these candle mats. They'll make nice gifts next year :-)

And, next year, my grandchildren will have their popcorn and cocoa on these mats. Thanks for the idea Sarah.

These were supposed to be done last Christmas. But, they'll all be great next year.

Have a great day!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T16:28:00.000-08:00

I love the turn of the year. I always feel like the new year is a new opportunity. In school I felt that way about September. Even while my kids were in school I had that feeling. But, that time has passed for me. And, I used to feel that way about a new week but, since retiring, I've lost track of Mondays :-) So, for me, the new year is the big deal. A time to take a fresh look forward.

It's also good to take a little look back at the past year. It's good to see what we've actually accomplished on our "list" and leave the other stuff behind. So, looking at my goals for 2011, I have some successes to celebrate.

1. I joined Weight Watchers early in the year...dropped out. Later, I started the South Beach plan and have lost 46 pounds in 23 weeks!

2. Excercise? Not so much.

3. Volunteer work? Not so much. (Unless you count grandbabe time.)

4. Charity quilt group? Yep, joined and made about 6 quilts for a local church group.

5. Unfinished 2010 Christmas gifts? Done!

6. Photo album for 2010 motor home journey? Done!

7. Guild UFO challenge? Well, 2 out of 5...not too bad.

8. Use more, buy less? Less than what? :-)

9. Complete at least four "kitted" projects? I think about 6.

10. Reduce general stash for charity quilts? Made about 20 various charity quilts and blankets, reducing some stash.

11, Historical photo album for kids? Nope.

12. Clean out each room in my house? Didn't get past the guest room...then filled it up with the brand new

grandbabe's stuff :-)

As for my annual list of quilting projects and ideas...didn't do too badly. Of course there are always a few that were "camera shy" and get away before I can snap a photo.

Wishing each of you a year full of Love, Health and Joy.

And, of course, lots of quilting fun!

Pat

Finished Just In Time

2011-12-29T17:02:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been awhile since I wrote anything on my blog. I pray you all had a wonderful Christmas and look forward to a brand new year.

Way back in October, our guild, Quilters By The Sea, had our every-other-year quilt show. I had been working on my Atomic Blooms quilt, hoping to finish it in time. I did...just. However, it's been renamed "Oh Fudge" for a little accident that happened along the way. It's a quilt I blogged about as it progressed so I thought I'd share a few photos of the finished product.

Yep, that's a fly :-) didn't see him when he landed. He's gone now.

Our quilt show was great. So many talented quilters sharing their wonderful work. It was an honor to be part of this group. This quilt was challenging in many ways and time consuming from planning to beading. But, like so often happens, once I stepped back and saw the finished project...so worth it. I love it.

I was very honored to win a ribbon for "Oh Fudge" in our viewers' choice judging event. Three other quilts that I entered also won ribbons. I truly did not expect that to happen with such a great showing from all our members. I feel very flattered.

"Coloring Book Ornaments", a wall hanging, won a ribbon in the applique category.

"Starlit Diamonds", a larger wall hanging, won a ribbon for it's piecing.

And "Maui Sunrise" won a ribbon for the quilting.

Ending this year on such a positive note motivates me to keep challenging myself . I love making quilts for friends and family. It also brings me joy to donate quilts to charity. And, in 2012, I want to continue trying new techniques and improving my skills while enjoying a pastime that I love.

Have a great day!

Pat

Let The Season Begin!

2011-10-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yep, believe it or not, October is here. And the holidays are just around the corner.

To kick off the season, I made this Halloween table runner from a cute Trick Or Treat panel. Grandson Bram says it will be "perfect" for their living room table.

Let's all enjoy the season...starting right now, today!

Pat

For Little Elijah

2011-09-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

My BFF is a new grandma...for the third time. So, this is a cuddly flannel quilt for her little guy. Covered with cute appliqued bears, I think he'll be cozy as can be.

Complete with zipper in the back..ran short of backing fabric :-)

Have a great weekend.

Pat

Two of My Favorite Guys

2011-09-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

I am such a blessed woman. Bram and Colin sharing a special moment with Grandma.

Hope you have a great weekend.

Pat

More For Baby Colin

2011-09-09T09:34:00.000-07:00

Some of you know how it is to be a new Grandma. Even if it's number seven :-)

A quilter's favorite thing is to show their love through their quilts.

I couldn't resist these adorable fabrics covered with old fashioned toys.

And, of course it got a couple of these.

I hope you have a weekend full of quilty love.

Pat

Bram's A Big Brother!

2011-08-26T00:33:00.000-07:00

Colin Muir Spooner, our seventh grandbabe was born on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 @ 11:24 a.m.

This made his big brother, Bram, a very happy fellow. Not to mention his grandparents.

This is my first blanket for Colin. The first of many, I'm sure.

It's my first time using a minkee-type soft, furry, slippery fabric. It's a bit wonky to work with but sooooo soft.

Also the first time using satin binding. Also a bit wonky. But little ones love it.

Had to add a little love label.

Or two...

Welcome to our world little Colin. We love you!

Have a great day!

Pat

It’s Another TTNQ!

2011-08-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

Top That Needs Quilting, that is. I got the final border on today. So, now this goes “on the rack” while I get some things done for Grandbabe #7 who’ll be here soon.

Have a great day!

Pat

2011-07-28T15:37:00.000-07:00

Since I was enjoying myself so much with this week's blocks, I redid a couple (which took longer than the original blocks...that darned unsewing thing). Then I made two extra blocks to get a jump on week 20. I know I'll need to catch up again before long, but for now it feels good to be ahead of the game.

I won't bore us all with more redo photos but here are the four new blocks I made.

Block #6-Big Dipper

Block #7-Birds In The Air

Block #109-Windows

Block #111-Wrench

That's all for now...have a great day!

Pat

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along

2011-07-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

I've been catching up and redoing my quilt along blocks. I missed the Wednesday post date but I've caught up to week eight now.

Block #29 - Economy

Block #5 - Batwing

While I was at it, I noticed a block that was assembled wrong and reassembled it.

Block #34 - Flock

Then, there were a couple I never did like. So, what the heck, I took them apart and redid them.

Block #31 - Evening Star

Block #64 - Peace and Plenty

Assembling these blocks has been a bit of a challenge for me. The problem I have is selecting the fabrics for the blocks. I chose to work with one group of fabrics, Hello Betty, which are very different from my usual styles. While I really liked them as fabrics, I'm not sure I really like working with them. But I think it's a good thing to do...stretch myself, so to speak. So, onward we go!

Have a great day!

Bags, Bags, Bags

2011-07-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

My granddaughter Casie is having a fundraiser for her new school. She asked if I would make something for the raffle. So….being a pushover grandma, I made these cute summer tote bags for her ;-)

The best part? All from stash...no new fabric purchase!

Have a great day!

FWQA

2011-07-13T22:50:00.000-07:00

Staying on target with the Farmer's Wife Quilt Along.

Block #9 - Box

Block #70 - Prairie Queen

Have a great day!

All Caught Up

2011-07-06T22:59:00.000-07:00

This is week six of the Farmer's Wife Quilt Along. I joined a little late but I'm all caught up now.

Here are the twelve blocks I've finished. I'm choosing blocks in no particular order...starting out with some of the simpler blocks to get going.

Block 1 - Attic Windows

Block #2 - Autumn Tints

Block #4 - Basket Weave

Block #11 - Broken Dishes

Block #16 - Calico Puzzle

Block #21 - Contrary Wife

Block #23 - Country Farm

Block #31 - Evening Star

Block #34 - Flock

Block #64 - Peace and Plenty

Block #73 - Rainbow Flowers

Block #98 - Waterwheel

The book includes 106 templates to be used in the 111 blocks. I'm trying to work out the math and some quick piecing techniques, using the templates as little as possible.

If you're using the templates, you've noticed that there's one template per page...big waste of paper. So Liz has kindly created an adobe document which has all the templates on only 15 pages... big thank you! You can find her document here.

Now that I'm caught up, the plan is to finish and post 2 per week on Wednesdays. And that's what I'm aiming for :-)

Have a great day!

Pat

I'm In!

2011-07-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt Along, that is. I bought this book a few months ago with my Joann's coupon. I loved the letters sent by the farmers' wives. Never seriously intended to make the blocks.

Then two great bloggers, Angela and Amanda, started a quilt along. Well...ok. I have some "extra" layer cakes and jelly rolls. And all the photos on flickr look terrific. Maybe, I'll join the group...late.

The idea is to make any two of the blocks each week and post them on flickr each Wednesday.

The quilt along is in the sixth week so I have some making up to do. Here's my first six...now I need six more to catch up.

From the top and reading left to right. Block #23-Country Farm, Block #11-Broken Dishes, Block #73-Rainbow Flowers, Block #21-Contrary Wife, Block #16-Calico Puzzle, Block #2-Autumn Tints.

I'm starting out with Hello Betty fabrics. I may not have enough but there are 111 blocks so it would be easy to change fabrics half way and make two lap quilts.

2011-06-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

As I've said before, I really admire some of you great bloggers who get something posted almost every day. I'm doing well to get something posted almost every month!

Actually, I have been sewing and creating some fun stuff. This lovely table runner is just perfect for summer.

The cute folded prairie points in the border are what got my attention in the first place.

And, of course the flower centers made for some fun creative quilting. And, you can almost see the little feathers quilted in the star points. Then some spider webs and curved grids with straight rows for the borders.

I think a table runner is the perfect project to play with all kinds of quilting designs.

I hope you're all off to a wonderful start to this summer season.

Pat

Another Birthday Already!

2011-05-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Our youngest grandchild, Bram, just turned six. I cannot believe how quickly the time is flying by. Our own children seemed to grow up too fast but our grandbabes??? They seem to be growing twice as fast!

Bram is an expert on WWII...yep at six years old. He especially loves and knows everything about the planes of the day. So, when I saw the kit for this quilt, I knew it was just the right one for him.

Bram also loves mazes so I did loop-de-loop quilting. Then I showed him that he could follow the planes doing loops from one corner, over the whole air field, to the other corner, without stopping.

He loved it.

And, of course, his Happy Birthday tag as well.

Have a great day!

Catching Up On The Quilting Rack

2011-05-18T15:41:00.000-07:00

A goal for me this year is to catch up the quilting on my quilting rack. The rack is covered with tops, finished, ready to layer and quilt. The most recent finish off the rack is this table runner. I designed and pieced it sometime last year. Easter time seemed the perfect season to quilt it and use it as part of our Spring decor.

Have a great day!

For Bloggers' Quilt Festival

2011-05-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

Good day and welcome to anyone visiting my blog today!

It's been quite awhile since I posted here but I've been working away finishing up projects and playing with the grandbabes.

Last year I was blown away by all the wonderful quilts in the Bloggers' Quilt Festival. What fun to share our work without worrying about the "quilt police". Where could we ever see such a terrific collection and variety of quilts. And also find so many new friends and quilters to follow throughout the year.

It's a great idea and Amy does a fantastic job of putting it all together. If you haven't checked it out, you should. And you should go back over and over again to see new things as they're added.

So, I mustered up my courage to enter my latest finish in this year's event. After spending the last few months working on charity and gift items, I was ready to do something just for me. This is the result. I'm not sure what to call my version yet. The original pattern is Firefly by Valorie Wells. It's wall hanging size, about 47" by 55".

This was a really fun paper pieced project. I had a great time choosing fabrics that would shake things up a bit.
To challenge my quilting expertise, I decided to use the bright-colored points and backgrounds as a sort of quilting sampler. So I used many filler designs; some copied from the work of others, some from teachers and some original by me, some successfull and others...well, not so much. I normally like my quilting kind of sprawling and unruly so it was quite a challenge to "stay in the lines" with my designs on this quilt.

I'm sure you all know you can click on any photo to see it enlarged. I'm still learning how to take really good quilt photos. It seems so much of the detail is lost on the screen.

Anyway, thanks for giving me a chance to share a quilt that I had such a blast creating.

Thank you Amy for this great idea for all of us to enjoy.

Have a great day, Pat

Just an FYI

2011-03-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

Someone sent a message recently that I received on my phone. And somehow I lost the message without seeing who it was. So sorry.

The question was regarding the paper pieced Christmas tree wall hanging. The pattern was in the 2009 Nov/Dec issue of McCalls Quilting.

Hope you're reading and able to get a copy of the magazine. It is really a fun, quick project.

Happy Day to everyone!

Pat

Triple Play

2011-03-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

Last month I brought home a few bright fabric pieces from my charity group's stash of fabric donations. To those, I added brights from my stash at home. My granddaughter Sarah helped me sort through the stack of brights till we got a pretty good collection of them. Then we cut five-inch squares and 2 1/2-inch strips.

The results are three quilts for charity!

I began with 5-inch squares of white and brights to make Wild Thing blocks for a cute 'tween sized quilt. I chose variegated thread in a puzzle piece meander for the quilting.

Next up...I love the Disappearing Nine Patch block. There seem to be endless ways to put them together.

When Sarah saw this completed, she thought it should be called a tic-tac-toe quilt. I didn't tell her I planned to name in Dalmations In Drag ;-)

I again used variegated thread with straight line quilting.

Last but not least, the 2 1/2-inch strips. My small group of friends, the Wednesday Wackos, had Jelly Roll Races. Using approximately 40 strips, each approximately 40 inches long, we made quilt tops. It is a really fun and fast way to get a quilt top together. Doing it together just makes it even more fun. Pam was the only one in our group who finished her top in our 2 hours of sewing together. But everyone did finish at home and they all turned out great.

If you purchase a Jelly Roll, the top goes even faster. I used my stack of brights and pieced my strips together. Takes a bit longer but adds more variety, is very colorful and used up my stack of brights.

Since the top has such definite straight lines, I used a maze meander for the quilting to soften things up a bit. Again in variegated thread.

It may be hard to see but the binding is black and white racing flags...get it?? Jelly Roll races?? So cute!

So, I call the quilt Racing Stripes, of course :-)

Tomorrow these babies go to the charity group where some youngster is going to love them a lot...makes me so happy.

Have a great weekend!

Pat

A Little Charity

2011-03-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

It's my goal this year to spend a lot more time (and fabric stash) making quilts for charity. This month I finished a soft and cuddly flannel quilt. It's actually made of left-overs from a quilt I made a couple of years ago.

I love the image of a sweet baby laying on the lawn, in dappled sunshine, laughing and loving with her grandma :-)

It was fun practicing a little all-over posie meander quilting.

Have a wonderful day!

Pat

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2011-03-17T14:51:00.000-07:00

That's it...just wishing everyone a great day :-)

Project Thrift Store - Complete!

2011-02-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

Here's that collection of Thrift Store Bounty....upside down :-)

Several months ago, I saw a YouTube video on how to make cake stands. They were made with thrift store plates, candle holders and vases in all sizes and shapes. I loved the idea and set it on the back burner.

Enter, my friend Terri and our thrift shop tour. Now voila! I have cake and candy stands for every occasion.

For springtime decor or a brunch buffet.

A Christmas affair.

A little fall-ishness.

Maybe a wedding shower.

Or just to display some family treasures.

A truly fast, fun, inexpensive and beautiful project.

Have a great day!

Pat

What Was I Thinking?

2011-02-27T16:48:00.000-08:00

Saturday, my friend Sandy took me to visit a group called Heart 2 Heart. This wonderful group of 25-30 women has been making quilts for charity for almost 13 years. By their 13th birthday, May this year, they will have made and donated 10,000 quilts! I was so impressed. Dotty is the very energetic leader who has connected them to a large number of charities. How could I not want to participate in their efforts...of course I would. After all, my new year's goal...use more, buy less...fits perfectly.

So, why-oh-why did I let them talk me into bringing home more fabric?

The group gets so many fabric donations...which they love...that they begged us to take some of it home and use it up. So...of course I did :-)

I'm looking forward to becoming involved with this group of generous women. First up, I brought home an unfinished set of blocks. All the fabric and a photo of the quilt was in the donated box. Should be easy enough to finish up. Then some brights and some baby pastels. Here we go!

Have a great day!

Pat

Thrift Shop Bounty!

2011-02-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

As a working girl, I didn't get out to shop much. But, now I'm a retired lady with time to spare ;-)

So I was really excited when my friend, Terri, offered to take me around the OC thrift shops. We had a great day of shopping together, along with her daughter Mary.

What, you may ask, would a crafty lady do with all these treasures?

Well...she might use some of this...stay tuned for further developments :-)

Have a great day!

Pat

TaDa!

2011-02-25T21:31:00.000-08:00

Ok...UFO Challenge #1...Done!

I'm so glad I put this quilt in our guild's ufo challenge. Otherwise, it would probably be in the closet till the kids had to deal with it...much later on.

It's been "one of those projects." We all have them. I have several more...waiting.

Wanting to try my friend Robin's "Five, Ten, Twenty" pattern, I chose a pack of 20 fat quarters. Loved them in the bundle. Made the blocks...didn't like them for this pattern...at all. No problem with the pattern, just my fabric choice :-(

What to do? Put the blocks in the closet! Well, till the guild challenge. Then, take the blocks out of the closet.

Thinking about my new motto "use more, buy less" I chose black with white dots from my stash and made sashing. The pattern doesn't call for sashing but for me, this time, sashing made me happy. It worked.

Then backing..."use more, buy less"...ok! A piece of fabric from the stash...obviously purchased with a One Block Wonder in mind. Wild, but it worked!

Then the quilting. Sometimes I get an idea and don't think it through before forging ahead.

I decided it would be nice to create a quilting pattern that imitated one of the fabric patterns. I chose a circular pattern that occurs in several colorways. It's the black and white fabric in the photo.

Perfect! I'd make one circle out of each four blocks.

Except for one thing. If you want to make circles you need squares. These blocks are definitely rectangles...not squares. With a rectangle, the best you can get is an oval.

This thought occured to me as I wondered why the third block I quilted was not making a circle to join with the first two...I'm a bit slow sometimes :-\

So, I figured it didn't work and spent three days ripping out the third block of quilting. I was definitely not in the mood to rip out the first two blocks! So, back to plan A...imitate the circles...only slightly ovular ;-)

It worked ok.

By the way, the four blocks to make a circle idea? The quilt is 5 blocks by 6 blocks! What was I thinking? So, we have some semicirles and some 3/4 circles. It works ok.

Now, binding. Oops, not enough dotted fabric to cut a binding. But, had to have the dots or the plan just wouldn't come together. "Use more, buy less".

The big experiment. Cut 1 1/4" strips of dots and 1 1/4" strips of black. Sew the strips together for a 2" strip. Still not enough for a traditional double fold binding. Ok, improvise. Single fold binding..dots on the front, black on the back. It worked.

As a finish, I used my friend Robin's idea of sewing the binding on the back, then blanket stitching the front. As you can see, it looks better on the front than the back. But...it's done...and it worked.

Now, the funny part is...I really, really like this quilt...who knew???

So, let's get those UFO's out of the closet and see what beauties we can finish!

Have a great weekend everyone,

Pat

A Little Bag - A Lot Of Hope

2011-02-17T09:46:00.000-08:00

I've said it before. I'll say it again. I am blessed with a terrific group of friends!

I have been tracking Craft Hope's blog for awhile now. They are a group that selects various charity projects throughout the year and lets us all know how we can help out. Recently, they posted about the need for sanitary delivery kits in Haiti. Many moms and babies die during childbirth from a simple lack of sanitation.

So, I talked with the ladies in my friendship group, The Wednesday Wackos, and man, did they pull through! Today, we are shipping 60 kits to Haiti!

I think we were all touched so much by the fact that items so simple for us to provide, can make such a difference in someone's life. It can literally mean the difference between life and death.

One of my goals for this year is to find more ways to use my time and talent to help others.

Have a great day!

Pat

A Little Bit Of This And That

2011-02-16T21:43:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days I love... a little chilly, a little rainy and I spent it just puttering around, doing a little of this and a little of that.

After a so-so weigh in this morning, I decided to make some yummy vegetable soup. To the big pot I added some chicken. To the smaller, I added beans for my daughter. Yummy and only 2.5 points per 2 cup serving.

While the soup simmered, I made another recipe.

For Christmas, my friend Robin gave everyone in our friendship group a jar of homemade body lotion. I just love it and used every bit of it. So, using her recipe, I whipped up a double batch for myself. Then I shared some with my daughter :-)

Then I worked awhile on my UFO challenge quilt...it'll get done by the deadline but maybe not a day sooner ;-)

Hope you all had a lovely day as well.

Pat

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-15T20:12:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a sweet Sweetheart Day.

As usual, I love a little quilty holiday decor. On the wall, my very favorite valentine. I've shared this lovely before. It's a wonderful 3D heart made with prairie points and Kaffe Fassett fabrics.

And another wall favorite. This was a panel that I just added borders, quilted like crazy and beaded. I love the touch of turquoise.

New for this year I added a table runner.

Hard to see but I used Leah Day's Heartflow quilting pattern in the center.

Thank you Leah for being so generous with your talent!

And of course, Valentine gifts for my family.

May you all have hugs and kisses enough to last the whole year through!

Love, Pat

Hitting The List

2011-01-15T16:22:00.000-08:00

In my last post, I made a list of goals for 2011. Well, I'm off and running!

First things first. Checked myself in...for about the one millionth time in my life :-)

And finished another Christmas gift. I just love seasonal table runners and this one is for my daughter. The fabrics are darling retro looking prints and the pattern is from Livin Large by Anka's Treasures. Except the snowflakes...they're my idea.

Then, on to stash busting for charity. I enlisted a friend to join me, for fun and accountability. We've met a couple of days now and I've made a small dent in my flannel stash. I donated five of these nice, double sided receiving blankets to our Guild charities this week. Our guild, Quilters By The Sea, donates items made by our members to several charities every year. They are always received with great appreciation, I think it's one of the nicest things we do.

I turned in my list of five UFO's at Guild meeting this week. Project number four was randomly drawn as our first to finish. For me, that's a quilt designed by my friend, Robin Gallagher. You can check out all her stuff at Robin Quilts, Etc. Early on in the process, I realized I'd chosen the wrong fabrics. They were in a bundle of 20 fat quarters and I thought I loved them. Since Robin's pattern is named "Five, Ten, Twenty" it sounded perfect. Not so much.

So, now I'm deciding whether to just go ahead, follow the pattern and get it done or...maybe I could just improvise a little :-)

And excercise...well, we sort of started...a few days of walking. But, the good news is we've started bowling every Tuesday with some friends. That's something one does when one is retired...and it counts as excercise!

I'll be keeping the rest of the list before me and updating as the year moves on.

Have a wonderful week ahead!

Here’s to 2011!

2011-01-02T16:22:00.001-08:00

Wow, that was really hard to write. It always takes me a couple of months to get the hang of a new year.

Today, I’m going to join my friend Robin in setting some goals for the new year. Goals…not resolutions.

First up…this Wednesday morning I’m checking myself into WW. Loooong overdue!
Next…exercise regularly…nothing dramatic, mind you, but walking would be good for me, the hubby and the pooch.
Since I’m now officially retired, I want to find a couple of volunteer jobs to do in my community. I’ll be looking first at our local children’s hospital and the library.
Along the same lines, a local church sponsors a monthly charity sewing day. I need to join that.
I will finish the unfinished Christmas gifts for 2010. I’m almost there. Just a couple to go.
I will finish the photo album for our 2010 motorhome journey,
I’ll be joining the UFO challenge at my quilt guild. The challenge is to finish 5…only 5…UFO’s this year. I’ll make my list today.
Use more. Buy less. Enough said?
I have a closet full of “planned projects”. Those would be kits or “kitted” fabrics. I will attack that stash this year. I will complete at least four of those projects this year.
I also have a stash of general, color sorted fabric. I will reduce that stash by making charity quilts for my guild. At least six this year.
I will begin an historical photo album for my kids. I have a large number of wonderful photos of our ancestors. They need to be digitized and put into a story album for our kids. This may take two years to finish…big job.
Being retired, I will attack each room in my house, cleaning into the deepest darkest corners. No dramatic redecorating but definitely a touch of paint here and there. I will get through each room this year.

Whew! That should just about fill the year.

I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities to deviate from the plan…but still, it’s good to have a plan.

So, here’s to 2011…may we all have the best of everything!

It’s Not Too Late for Christmas

2011-01-02T09:22:00.001-08:00

Really? Yep! I, and some of you I bet, got behind with my Christmas projects. So, this year, I think I’ll go ahead and work on Christmas in January. I figure a person would really like receiving a Christmas gift in January, right? I would ;-)

I’ve been on a roll making table runners for family and friends, a break from the previous roll of making bags. So, this is another table topper, for my daughter-in-law, Brenda. I used the L'il’ Twister tool for the center. I really like the technique, especially for charm squares. I didn’t get the idea totally right. This was planned to be a square. But, I like it anyway and next time I’ll get it square.

One of my favorite events happens in January; Road to California quilt conference. I love it so much because several of us from the Wackos friendship group go together and have a great time. We eat together, enjoy some wine together, shop together, view beautiful quilts together and also take a couple of classes. It’s a great time of much fun.

So, to get ready for my classes, I’ve spent the last couple of days cutting fabric. My first class is Bent Out of Square with Karla Alexander. The cutting was pretty easy, mostly squares, from these beautiful batiks I collected on our road trip.

The second class will be Texas Braid with Bonnie Hunter. Since I wanted to use stash on hand, and scraps when I can, I decided on black-and-white and white-and-black. And some bright zingers thrown in as well. This was a lot of cutting! The pattern calls for 1080 small rectangles each; lights, darks and small squares. I opted for about half that. Have you noticed how much longer it takes to cut a “stashy-scrappy” quilt? Because the fabric starts out in all sizes and shapes and, in my case, sometimes all wrinkled in a box. This was a very cathartic cutting session. My black and white stash is all cleaned up and the pieces are all ready for class.

So, a good start to a new year of happy quilting.

I wish all of you a Happy New Year. May it be full of love, joy, fun and adventure!

Christmas Done Already?

2010-12-29T15:59:00.001-08:00

Returning from our motorhome journey December 7, we landed smack in the middle of Christmas prep. What fun! First up, decorate the house. I love decorating our home for the holidays…any holidays. And it’s so much fun to use quilts I’ve made to create little vignettes around the house.

This is a paper pieced wall hanging I made at the end of last year. It was fun to make and I love the bright colors.

This is a quilt I designed and made just after Christmas last year. This is the first time it’s been on the wall. It’s one of my all-time favorites.

This one is a few years old but gives me a cozy, traditional Christmas feeling.

The grandbabes and I made some darling candy trees this year. I got the idea while visiting my cousin in Texas. They turned out great and even the youngest was able to do a really good job.

I did a little sewing, once we finished laundry and clean up from our journey.

Remember the Bitty Bug Bag pattern that was sent to me in Missouri? Well, I made several for friends and they all turned out darling. And just the right size to hold a jar of Amish peanut butter. Yum!

I quilted the hexagon table runner that I hand pieced on the road.

Got a label on that table runner for Marcy. I made this mostly out of Disappearing Nine Patch blocks.

Made yet another runner for my brother and his wife. Again, made mostly of Disappearing Nine Patch blocks. But a totally different lay out. It’s a great, versatile block and really works easily with charm squares.

On a roll with another, you guessed it, table runner for my sister-in-law. I used the quilt as you go runner technique. I have some questions about it before I try it again.

And, I put the finishing touches on my diamond log cabin quilt. It took me 2 1/2 years to finish this one. I started it in a class with Flavin Glover at the first Long Beach Quilt Festival. I’m pretty proud of it. It’s a tricky piecing technique and my first real hand applique.

We had a wonderful Christmas full of family, friends, love and joy. I am truly a blessed woman!

Now, I’m working on those last few projects that didn’t get done in time for this Christmas. You know what I mean, I’m sure you do ;-)

Happy New Year to You All!!!

Love, PB

It’s Been A Long Time

2010-12-29T14:45:00.001-08:00

Well, I sure dropped the ball on our journey’s quilting finds :-/ We returned home on December 7, amazed at how quickly our three-month journey sped by. We had a wonderful trip, every single day! I was able to keep up with our journey blog but, somewhere along the line, I lost track of my quilting blog. So, I’ll try to “finish the journey”.

The last time I posted, we had just visited Dawn’s in Alexandria, Minnesota. We continued through the Land of 10,000 Lakes to Bemidji, where we took a look in the Ben Franklin store.

Who knew? Fabric! Stuck to the polka dot plan :-)

From Bemidji, we traveled across Minnesota. In Grand Rapids we found this fabulous restored school house. We just had to go in and explore. Guess what? The ABC’s of Quilting!

While staying on the North Shore of Lake Superior, locally called “Dup”, we drove through Beaver Bay, population 190. Well…of course :-)

A darling shop, specializing in outdoorsy themes. Lots of landscape fabrics, bears, moose, etc. A lovely owner who took a special order for me to receive a Bitty Bug Bag pattern when we arrived in Missouri. Just so I could make some Christmas gifts!

That same day, we continued on “Dup” and came into Silver Bay, only slightly larger than Beaver Bay. Guess what? Of course…Behind the Seams quilt shop!

Three fun sisters own this great shop. They told us a cute story of how, when one takes a vacation, the others like to “redo” the shop. Big surprise when sister number one returns!

Oops…new plan!

Door County is a lovely area in Wisconsin. While there, we stayed in Sturgeon Bay where we visited the Barn Door Quilt Shop. It’s right in the middle of a very nicely restored historical area. There was almost too much to choose from. But…I did my best. I started a new collection ;-)

Further along our way in Wisconsin, we stumbled upon Heart 2 Hand, in Neilsville. A very nice shop where the owner told me about (and sold me) the Lil’ Twister template. It’s a nifty tool specially made to use on charm squares. I’m imagining more Christmas gifts ;-)

From Wisconsin, we traveled to Illinois. What a fun time we had visiting Galena! One of our favorite stops on our journey. A small but nice quilt store right in the historic area of town…Phat Quarters. Cute table runner kit. Plan? What plan?

Bishop Hill, Illinois, is a lovely restored and maintained historic township. While the buildings have been restored, they are not necessarily still being used for their original purpose. Like, the Village Smithy, aka…

The villages of Arthur and Arcola were charming. Surrounded by Amish homesteads, we loved the horses and carriages and cottage industries. Grandma’s house was owned by a lovely woman who told us the story of how she moved her parents house to this location and “connected” it to her own. The section on the right is the older home.

Stitch and Sew had a huge selection of patterns and a nice selection of traditional fabrics.

This area doesn’t have the abundance of Amish quilting that you’d find in Ohio or Pennsylvania. But we enjoyed all the great things they did offer, like Amish peanut butter (yum), baked goods, produce and wonderful soy candles.

From Illinois we traveled to Missouri to visit with our oldest son and his family. So much fun!

While there, we took a day trip to Hannibal and visited my all-time favorite quilt shop…The Hickory Stick. The shop just rambles on and on. Each room has a different theme; civil war reproduction, batiks, red & white, moda, traditional, purses, babies, etc. On my own I would just spend the day. But, alas, I had to do the best I could while being considerate of those who were with me ;-)

Leaving Missouri, we visited our friends, Mike and Kim Penrose in Wylie, Texas. Kim works at the Blue Ribbon Quilt Shop, with wonderful samples and a large fabric selection. I enjoyed the shop and the visit!

So, that was that for quilty shopping on our journey. What did I sew while we were travelling? Not much, I’m afraid. We were so busy having the best vacation ever that I hardly took the machine out at all.

Here’s the short list:

Pieced entirely by hand on the road, a table runner of hexagons. I used charm squares of Mary Engelbreit’s Caroler fabric.

Appliqued by hand on the road, the border to my diamond log cabin quilt. (Don’t we all love purple crocs)?

Took the machine out in Missouri to make this Christmas table runner for my daughter. It turned out larger than I planned and there wasn’t enough fabric for the back…a design opportunity!

Also, a new pillowcase for granddaughter Brianna.

And together, she and I made these darling votive candle holders.

A wonderful journey…we can’t wait to go again!

Catching Up

2010-10-08T22:07:00.001-07:00

We’re still on the road and I need to catch up with our road finds. It is so fun to “stumble upon” quilt shops along the way. The truth is, I really haven’t been searching out the shops at all. They just happen to be where we happen to be. What a pleasant coincidence!

Traveling across South Dakota, we found this shop in Chamberlain. It was a shop jam-packed in every room. The owner moved off her farm last February to live in her home, downstairs from the shop. What a quilter’s dream!

I came away with three fabrics destined to be someone’s bag. I know, not according to plan :)

In Mitchell, we found the Pin Cushion as we were strolling, looking for a local lunch shop. The shop had a lot of nice traditional fabrics, and a great recommendation for lunch!

I’ve been looking for all-white snowflake fabric for an embroidery piece I plan to do…some day :o)

My friend Janice introduced me to the newest shop in Canton, SD. Canton Quilt Corner! I didn’t have my camera so no shop photo but…here’s the booty. Another bag, I think.

Moving on to Minnesota. Yesterday, in Alexandria, Jim noticed this sign. Had to take a look. Dawn was celebrating her 3rd year in business and her 39th birthday, giving everyone surprise discounts. Mine was 20%…yay! Lovely shop and lovely Dawn.

Stuck to the plan :o)

Hope you all have a great day!
Pat

Bounty On The Road

2010-10-01T14:48:00.001-07:00

If you’re following our journey, you know we’ve scored several quilt stores along the way.
Also, some pretty tacky souvenirs.) This is the latest…for Marilyn. Bad photos of some Colorado nail clippers :o)

In Hill City, we found this duo, Mistletoe Ranch and Quilt Corral…Christmas and quilts…Yay!

A great little store, much bigger than it looks. They carry a huge variety of all types of fabric but…I stuck to the plan :o)

Then, in Custer, we found this little place next to the Dairy Queen…The Quilt Shop.

A darling store in a most unusual house with many small, connecting rooms. The owner is very friendly and does beautiful long arm work.

Stuck to the plan :o)

Have a happy day!
Pat

Along The Road

2010-09-25T07:17:00.001-07:00

We’re two weeks into our road trip and having a wonderful time! Along the way we’ve made a few quilting stops, just for fun.

Last week, we found this lovely shop, The Durango Quilt Company. Sadly for us, some of their inventory was at a quilt show. It is still a lovely shop and I’d recommend it, knowing how nice it must be when fully stocked. I came away empty handed :o(

Maggie Mae’s Quilts ‘N is in Estes Park, Colorado. It’s a tiny little shop that specializes in holidays. They have many patterns and samples from Crabapple Hill. Unlike other stores I’ve visited, they actually have more patterns and samples than fabric.

Ironically, the day we visited, they were in a rush to get to a local quilt show. They were using their inventory to put together kits for the show and were scheduled to set up one hour from when we were there. But I was determined not to leave empty handed! So, with polka dots in mind…

The next shop we found has to be one of my all-time favorites. Cottage Bliss is unlike any quilting shop I’ve visited. It is equally gift shop and fabric shop. There are beautiful displays of china tea sets, home decorations, soaps, holiday decor, books, collectibles, music and more. Fabric and samples are displayed right among the other items…definitely sensory overload for me! But I loved it. Without Jim, I could have spent the entire day there. Or at least taken a lunch break and returned. Those of you who know me, know that’s true :o)

I could have done some serious shopping but I tried to stay on task…this is only the second week of our journey :o)

Since we started our journey, I have been working on a Thanksgiving candle mat for my daughter in law. But, has this ever happened to you? I just don’t like it. Don’t like working on it, don’t like how it looks, just don’t like it.

So, I stopped! Now, I’m working on these…like them much better :o)

I may never finish the turkeys…oh well.

Have a great weekend,
Pat

Journey Challenge

2010-09-17T21:14:00.001-07:00

As Jim and I travel, I am also meeting a challenge. I am part of a wonderful friendship group. We are quilters and friends. We call ourselves the Wednesday Wackos :)

Well, one of our Wacko rules is that we have no rules. However…the rules for my challenge are that I will send a totally tacky souvenir to each of my Wackos (10), from a different state, preferably from a truck stop.

The first recipient is Robin. Recently, she’s been teaching us all how to make Snappy Bags. So, how appropriate for her to receive a totally tacky snappy bag from Nevada.

Happy tacky day, Robin!

Journey Finds

2010-09-17T21:03:00.001-07:00

As you may know by now, Jim and I are on an extended vacation…our first post retirement journey. We’re visiting many wonderful places. Some we’re revisiting, others are new to us. Today, we visited a couple of new ones. This is one of them. Yay!

A great little quilt store in Moab, UT. It’s small but packed full of beautiful samples and fabric. And it has the nicest workroom I’ve ever seen, complete with Berninas for their customers to use. Very nice!
Jim and I came to an agreement. I will not try to single-handedly support the entire local community at each quilt store along our 3-month journey. So, for now, I’m adding fat quarters to my polka dot collection :)

Have a great day!
Pat

It’s Been a Long Time

2010-09-10T00:18:00.001-07:00

It has been a long time since I’ve posted anything here. I just don’t know where the time goes sometimes. Life is flying by :)

I officially retired July 31, 2010! It was a bittersweet time as I undecorated my office. I had been at my job for 20 years and loved the work and the people. But…I don’t miss going in to work nearly as much as I thought I would :)

Of course, I used a quilt or two to decorate my office. This is one I love. It’s a Celtic Cross, designed by Mary Lou Hallenbeck. It was really fun to make.

Here are a couple of things I’ve been doing recently.

First, I finished a quilt for my BFF’s soon-to-come-he’s-already-late- grandson. I love this pattern. It’s called Chubby Chicks by Teri Christopherson.

Also, I finally finished Marcy’s sofa pillows. They turned out so cute, made with Moda’s Hunky Dory fabric line by Chez Moi.

And, at our recent Guild retreat, while enjoying the fun and friendship, I made some bags. Some of you may recognize a couple of Letty’s Bags. The pattern is designed by my friend Robin Gallagher.

To celebrate my retirement, my husband and I are setting of on a three-month motor home journey. We leave this Saturday for points North and East. If you’re interested, we’ll be posting to our travel blog, when and where we can get an internet connection. The web address is http://patjimontheroad.blogspot.com/.

Have a lovely weekend, Pat

Jelly Roll Nine

2010-06-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Finished Jelly Roll block nine.

This is the only quilt along I'm following right now. Is anyone doing another interesting quilt along? I've got some precuts that need a design or pattern. Quilt alongs are a fun way to use them.

Another TNQ

2010-06-26T12:28:00.000-07:00

Does anyone share my dilemma?

I finished the Hexagon Quilt Along top today. I love it, and I will love quilting and finishing it. My problem is I need to move straight on to making pillows for my daughter's sofa and then move to a quilt for my bff's soon-to-be-born grandson. That keeps happening to me.

That's why I have a growing number of TNQ's (tops that need quilting).

I will finish them...I will :)

My Favorite Dessert?

2010-06-15T20:55:00.000-07:00

The Wednesday Wackos, our friendship group, is planning to make a group quilt for our next guild quilt show. Our guild, Quilters by the Sea, has a show every other year. The next show is in 2011.

We won a ribbon in 2009 for this quilt...I'm wearing the crocs:)

For our next quilt, we're thinking of making our "Favorite Desserts". I'm thinking this looks pretty tasty.

Yum!!!

How Time Flies!

2010-06-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

Has anyone noticed that it is mid-June alreday? Not just June, but mid-June!

The grandbabes are out of school the end of this week. I am retiring on July 31...in only one and a half months. I can't believe this year has flown by so quickly.

In honor of the Big Fireworks Event (I really mean the 4th of July, not my retirment) I hung my American flag quilt today. It was a fun and easy bargello pattern. I added the "Pledge" and bugle beads as fireworks.

Hexagons

2010-06-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

I'm still working on the Hexagon Quilt Along. Tried a few things for fun. Like this...

And this...

And this...Yikes, what was I thinking!!!

And this...

So now that I have all the half hexagons done, I need to decide. Hmm? Stay tuned....

TADA!

2010-06-13T22:04:00.000-07:00

You know how sometimes a quilt is just more fun to make than others? That's this little heart quilt for me. I just loved making it. It's all made of prairie points and Kaffe flowers. Just yummy!

I really had fun quilting it too.

I heart quilting :)

Catching Up

2010-06-13T21:48:00.000-07:00

The Jelly Roll Quilt Along is rolling along. These are blocks 5,6,7,8. I don't remember how many there will be...maybe 12. I'm really not sure where I'll go with this one. It's going to be fun figuring that out someday:)

It's very "provencial."

Pinwheel Update

2010-06-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

I have finished the Pinwheel Quilt Along top. We were supposed to have "finished" the quilt by now. I'll finish it...

really:)

Cute, eh?

It's Been Awhile...

2010-06-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

It seems like forever since I posted. I have been sewing, just not so much blogging.

Recently, I attended a Two Wacky Women retreat. Great friends, great fun, great shopping, great eating :)

Oh yes, and sewing too.

I made two bags. The first is an Amy Butler pattern, her fabrics as well. It was for my daughter Marcy. She loves it.

The second is a Letty's Bag. The pattern was designed by my friend Robin Gallagher. I love it :)

What a great way to spend a weekend. Thanks for making it so special for us you Wacky Women :)

A Boy and His Blanket

2010-05-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

And his handsome Grandpa :)

Bram turns five today...woohoo!

Since his family recently bought a trailer, he definitely needed a camping blanket. Cuddly soft flannels in camo, bears, cactus and moose prints for wherever their travels take them.

Hexagon Number Three

2010-05-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

Keeping up with the Quilt Along...so much fun. Thanks Jaybird!

Hexagon Number Two

2010-04-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

These are block two of the Hexagon Quilt Along...and auditioning the background with this setting...hmmm :)

Pinwheel Quilt Along

2010-04-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I think we're getting toward the end of our pinwheels. Rachel had us choose our own block for number eight. I had trouble choosing so I made these:

Then these:

Then I had a total of 18 blocks...a weird number for a quilt. I wanted to add two more but I'm close to the end of my Layer Cake. So, I made these from some of the smaller pieces. They aren't all my favorite combinations but we're using up the Layer Cake, right?

Then I made a design decision to cut down my block twos

and make two more block sevens. Now I have four block sevens. I really liked someone else's idea of making those the cornerstones of the quilt since they have the borders that make them unique from the rest.

I'm looking forward to see what Rachel has in mind for a setting. Thanks for a fun quilt along Rachel!

New Quilt Along, etc.

2010-04-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I just love quilting along in blogland, so I've joined Jaybird's Hexagon Quilt Along. These are my first five blocks.

Jaybird has hinted at a couple of different setting ideas and I've got a couple of my own as well. I'm thinking of adding black with white polka dots...we'll see :)

I don't usually choose precuts but lately I've been trying them out. They give a great number of patterns without such a lot of fabric. The challenge is using all the patterns together well and not ADDING more! I also don't make a lot of my own designs, but I have been designing a few table runners on my own lately.

So, with a Moda Boutique charm pack and some white on white polka dots, I made this table runner (which still needs backing, quilting, binding - ouch! another wip). It turned out VERY LONG and looks very Eastery but I like it anyway.

Now off to make a "camo" raggy quilt for my grandson's birthday. Have a great weekend!

Jelly Roll Quilt Along

2010-04-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

Here's my block number four. Love the prints and colors and the French provencial feeling.

In Need of Quilting

2010-04-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

While at Road 2 Calif this year, my friend Sue and I collected some Kaffe florals. Here they are in "Kaffe's Heart". Some friends from my friendship group, The Wednesday Wackos, made this wall hanging before I joined the group. I've always loved visiting my friend Robin's home and seeing the heart she made. Now I have my own to visit every day. After I quilt it, that is:)

Pinwheel Seven

2010-04-11T16:42:00.000-07:00

Here we go with number seven. One more to go!

Jellyroll Number Three

2010-03-31T06:12:00.000-07:00

I must say I am really enjoying the Quilt Along experience. It's always fun to quilt together, even if it's remotely together :)

Pinwheel Six Done!

2010-03-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

The Pinwheel Quilt Along continues with number 6.

Pinwheel Block Number Five

2010-03-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

I think this is my favorite pinwheel so far.

This has been a great quilt along so far. Thanks Rachel!

All Caught Up

2010-03-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, Pinwheel Quilt Along block number four. I'm all caught up and ready for number five:)

Pinwheel Quilt Along

2010-03-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

Finished two of block three today...lovin' it!

It's a TA-DA Day!

2010-03-17T22:57:00.000-07:00

Finally done...the golf quilt. I'm giving it to Mr. Kinney tomorrow. Mr Kinney is a wonderful teacher at our school who organizes this charity golf tournament for Campus Crusade for Christ each year. I hope this auction quilt will help the cause.

And block number two of the jelly roll quilt along.

Hope everyone's having a happy b'gosh-n-b'gorra day:)

Catching Up

2010-03-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

I started the Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along three blocks behind. So, today I made block number two...twice.

One more and I'm caught up. Lovin' it!

Block One...Times Two

2010-03-10T23:54:00.000-08:00

I found another fun quilt along. It's the Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along at p.s. I quilt. I'm using a Botany layer cake by Lauren and Jessi Jung. This is my first block...twice. It looks like we'll make two of each pinwheel.

Nope, I didn't work on the "golf" quilt today :-}

Quilt Along

2010-03-10T08:32:00.000-08:00

I've never done a blogging quilt along before but it looks like a lot of fun. So, I've joined the Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt along at Moose on the Porch. Here's block number one for me. My jelly roll is A Breath of Avignon by American Jane.

Could this be "golf" procrastination?????

Procrastination and A Bit O' Blarney

2010-03-08T17:30:00.000-08:00

My least favorite part of quilting is making backs and pinning for quilting. So, instead of getting the "golf" quilt ready, I made these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Delicious! Since I'm retiring in a few months, I've been spoiling my staff each week so they'll miss me when I'm gone :)

And, since we always have St. Pat's Day dinner with my daughter's family...

That's all for today...hope you all have a great week.

Maybe I'll decorate for Easter instead of you-know-what :)

This and That

2010-03-02T23:04:00.000-08:00

I so admire some of you people who are great at blogging every day. You get a ton of stuff done, photo it and blog it. You are my blogging heroes. Those of you on the list that I follow are truly inspirational to me. I love your ideas and your work. Take a bow! Bravo!

Me, I only sometimes get around to the photos and the blogging. I do have a few things to share today.

This is a quilt from Melinda Bula's Coneflower class at Road to California. I know lots of us have made this beautiful little flower, so I thought I'd share mine.

Blocks to help make a HUGS quilt for a friend who needs it.

Just for crazy fun...my four year old grandson LOVES the Beatles. Found this panel for $2.50...had to do it:)

Ready to quilt.

I made this top for an auction at a charity golf tournament for Campus Crusade for Christ. I called on my friend Sue because I was stumped for a quilting plan. With her help, I have a plan.

I never made a real auction quilt before. I hope it helps the cause.

Hope you all have a wonderful week, wherever you may be.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-03T19:32:00.000-08:00

While at Road 2 California, I bought this cute fabric panel. Just added some borders, quilting and beads...voila!

Wishing much Valentine's love and friendship to each of you.

First Finish 2010

2010-02-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

Yay! It's finally done. This quilt has been great fun as well as frustration. As I shared before, the inspiration came from a children's coloring book full of ornaments. I love the result and learned (and unsewed) much along the way.

The ornaments are fused with Steam-a-Seam, then free motion stitched with Isacord poly thread. The snowflakes were cut like we did as kids, folding the fusible release paper, then tracing it on the fabric and cutting it. I free motion quilted on them with an irridescent metallic thread. The background is free motion quilted with Madera silver metallic thread. The ribbon is store-bought grosgrain sewn on with mono poly thread. I did the partial border treatment because the fabric was perfect and that's all I had :) The quilt is about 39 x 39".

So, now we're ready for next Christmas! Gotta love it :)

Question of the Day

2010-01-17T20:21:00.000-08:00

For those of us who build stashes, there is always an issue of storage. Where to store, how to store, and sorting for storing:o) Well, I generally store by color.

I have separate drawers and boxes for most of my colors.

Except, of course, separate drawers/boxes for Batiks,

"kitted" projects, and baby flannels.

And, of course, Christmas, stripes, wool, etc.

This is the question. I now own a new collection of polka dots that will be stash. I also have some polka dots hanging out in the color drawers. So, do the polka dots get their own drawer/box? Or, do they get sorted into the color drawers? If they get their own drawer, do I pull the other polka dots out of their drawers for the new drawer? What say you-all?

A Great Weekend

2010-01-16T21:43:00.000-08:00

This weekend my friends and I went to the fabulous quilt show, Road To California. We had a wonderful time shopping, eating, shopping, laughing, shopping, taking classes, shopping, eating, shopping, laughing...you get the idea. We saw some amazing quilts and we SHOPPED:O)

As I planned my shopping ahead of time, I thought maybe I'd start a polka dot collection...oh my!

But I didn't even know I needed a Kaffe collection!

And the miscellaneous irresistables...

Of all we did and saw this weekend, the best thing of all was doing it all together. I am a blessed person to have such a fantastic group of friends.

Still On The Wall

2010-01-04T19:40:00.000-08:00

Some of you will understand a quilt named "Jack the Ripper". This is turning out to be one for me. Some good ideas turned into not-so-easy issues as I went forward with quilting this guy. First off, if you just make snowflakes like when we were kids, there's no natural line between the holes for quilting. So, all over design sounds ok. But, metallic thread over steam-a-seam 2...not so good, lots of issues:( Then, quilt first or applique first? Depends where you're looking. Oh, and the ribbons don't get quilting but run behind some of the applique...anyway, you get the idea...and it's coming along.

Next week is Road to California quilt conference in Ontario. Can't wait to see the show, the vendors, take the classes and most of all, spend time with my peeps laughing a lot and making memories.

On the Design Wall

2009-12-27T19:16:00.000-08:00

I know Christmas just passed but I got an idea that just needed to happen anyway. In an airport on our way to Missouri at Thanksgiving, I found a coloring book. It had ornaments to color. I needed to buy that book and use it for something:o) So, after all was prepared for this Christmas, I had a little time on my hands and started a project that will hang on our wall next Christmas.

Here's the assortment I came up with.

Here's the idea growing...stay tuned:o)

Visiting the Neighbors

2009-12-27T19:09:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my friend Robin, I had these wonderful goodies to package up for our neighbors today. They are Red Velvet Cake Balls...yum! To branch out a little, there are milk chocolate and with the white stripes are semisweet chocolate and the white choclate have crushed candy canes on them. All are filled with red velvet cake. Everyone loved them on Christmas and I know the neighbors will love them as well. The basic recipe came from Bakerella's web site.

A Perfect Day

2009-12-15T07:28:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a perfect day for baking. The house is dressed up for Christmas, the gifts are made, bought and wrapped and it was raining all day. My kind of day...yum!

TA-DA!

2009-12-10T23:06:00.000-08:00

Just off the machine...this year's Christmas wall hanging. Love those bright batiks!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2009-12-10T22:45:00.000-08:00

We finally got our new camera! The first one we ordered was a no-go so we had to try again. Looks like this one will be fine, once we get used to it.

Anyway, here we are, in the midst of the season. I love it!

I love our tree...whoever said "less is more" is just wrong :) We love more and more! A couple years ago we switced from elegant traditional to bright and fun. Love it!

So, I needed to make this wreath for our front door.

And, last week, I made this indoor wreath just for fun. I love the fancy with the natural textures. Because it's hanging on a mirror, I needed to black out the center...not so good for the photo but you can get the idea.

Of course, we didn't get rid of all the traditional so we have an "eclectic" mix of styles.You'll probably recognize the wall hanging I made from a panel a couple years ago. The table runner is a Wheel of Mystery that I made in a class with Char Jorgensen. I only got three blocks done and said "good enough".

A favorite Christmas quilt for me is this circle in a circle in a square. The center is four log cabins done with a Wave Ruler. And that was "good enough" for that technique so I built the rest around them, added crystals and spiral quilting. I felt really honored when this quilt won a ribbon at our guild quilt show in 2005.

Speaking of crystals, here's another crystal-clad Christmas quilt.

Though I made this several years ago, it went home with a friend this week. She said her mom no longer decorates for the holidays but it would make her so happy to have this perfect wreath for her door. That's the real reason we do this, right? To share love in a way that gives us, and others, such pleasure...sigh.

At Long Beach Quilt Festival last year, I took a Snippets class with two girlfriends. We had a fun time together and this wreath was the result. It decorates my office door at work this year.

It was so fun to add the beads and quilting for embellishments.

Last Christmas, most of we Wacko's made a quilt using these fabrics from Mary Englebreit and our friend Robin's pattern, Wacky Devine Nine. I decided to add ric-rac and yoyos to mine.

I really don't keep many of my quilts. The biggest joy of quilting, for me, is gifting. Here are some of the Christmas quilts I've gifted over the last couple of years.

I pray you have the joy of sharing love this season as you quilt and sew, craft and cook, shop and sing and worship.

The Best Things About Christmas

2009-12-03T12:47:00.000-08:00

The best things are about grandbabes and time spent together.

What could be better than that?

I pray each of you have the very best Christmas season ever!

Camera Blues

2009-12-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

It's been forever since I added to this blog. The problem is partly time...working on Christmas gifts, like all of us. But mostly, my camera is on the fritz:( We ordered a new one this week...it's our Christmas gift to each other :) So, Christmas photos coming. Hope everyone's enjoying the season. I can see everyone is being hugely productive!

Baby Blankets On The Way

2009-11-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

A couple months ago, I promised to make some new receiving blankets for our church nursery. So, I took advantage of a flannel sale at JoAnn (normally not my favorite store). I did find some cute fabrics for only $2.99 a yard. I was feeling pretty good about that till the woman who cut the fabric said "You know, that flannel will be $1.99 the day after Thanksgiving." (after she cut it all) Oh well, you just can't win 'em all :0}

On The Sewing Table

2009-11-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

I just love these little trees. I'm using a pattern from McCall's Quilting. The trees are made with those beautiful batiks I got from Erica's. Stay tuned for the finale. I plan to hang it in my office...this Christmas:)

On The Design Wall

2009-11-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

Some of you may recognize this quilt. I've been working on it for several months, at a couple of retreats. The pattern (and kit) came from a Fons and Porter Love of Quilting magazine article. The piecing was challenging, to say the least. But now...the greater challenge. See those uneven edges? Somehow those will need to be evened out. So, it's resting through the holidays ;)

When I get the edges straightened and a border on, it will be a blast to quilt. I'm thinking lots of free motion fillers. Maybe I'll try some things from Leah Day's 365 days of quilt designs.

Fall at Home

2009-11-05T20:15:00.000-08:00

I love fall. Even in SoCal, it's my favorite season...the kick-off for holidays and family traditions. Decorating the house is one of my fall traditions. And, of course, quilts are a part of the main event. Along with sunflowers, pumpkins and gourds of course.

PS. I made the banner quilt in a class taught by Lyn Mann.

This is my very favorite fall quilt. It gets the "favored spot" on the wall. All but the background fabric, I painted in a class I took from Phil Beaver at a Road to California quilt conference.

Obviously, I was influenced by his artwork, as well, and fashioned my quilt in the same kinds of motifs. I also had a fabulous time doing the free motion quilting.

This quilt was honored with a first place ribbon for applique in our quilt guild's 2009 quilt show. I'm part of Quilters By The Sea quilt guild in Long Beach, CA. We have a show every other year. It's really fun to be part of the "big event." Can't wait for the 2011 show!

My husband helped me name the quilt after a silly song our grandson, Michael, taught us. The quilt name is "My Feathers Had a Party Last Night."

Before Halloween, this fun quilt had the favored spot. The fabric is kind of old-fashioned and mellow. Three dimensional bows and appliqued bats make it fun. I actually made this from a kit I bought at a quilt show...kits are sometimes ok, right?

Another favorite wall hanging. This raw-edge applique quilt was honored with a second place ribbon in our guild's 2005 quilt show.

Under the metal pumpkins is a table runner I made last year.

This little wall hanging was one of my first embellished quilts. I love the look of beads accentuating the lines of the quilt.

A cheery log cabin-style table runner.

Nope, not fall. But accessorized for the occasion:)

Sunflowers, pumpkins and gourds, oh my :)

I could go on...really...but you get the idea.

Have a wonderful fall season and I wish each of you many blessings for your holidays.

Chritstmas in July!

2009-10-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's October already. My friendship group, The Wednesday Wackos, are wacky indeed. Not only did we decide to have a special Christmas exchange, early. It was late :) Yep, they're my peeps and I love 'em.
So, the idea is this...one gift for each letter spelling Christmas...no rules, Wacko's don't do rules. Here's what I cam up with for my friend Susan:

Cat candle

Halloween fat quarters

Racey pillowcase

Iron tote

S for Susan note pad

Tin of pins

Measuring cat

Angel cat panel

Sonoma Swing Bag

Put them all together, you get CHRISTMAS! How fun is that?

Special Delivery!

2009-10-28T00:06:00.000-07:00

Some wonderful batiks just arrived from Erica's. I have the perfect Christmas tree wall hanging in mind...stay tuned. I may get it done before Christmas...this year :)

Christmas Gifts for Fun

2009-10-27T23:39:00.000-07:00

I've been making these wonderful chenilled hot pads for Christmas gifts. I love how all the colors change with the way you layer the flannels. My friend, Patti, gave me some for Christmas last year and I loved them. So, other friends will be getting them this year. The pattern is from The Frayed Edge. Fast, fun and adorable.

Shopping at Dogwood

2009-10-25T23:50:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that besides visiting the beautiful nature surrounding us, we visited both quilt shops in Sky Forest? Both are lovely-right across the street from one another. We wouldn't have known there were two until the very nice lady helping us at the first shop told us about the second one. Very nice indeed...Christmas is coming :)

Dogwood Weekend

2009-10-25T23:42:00.000-07:00

Just spent a perfect weekend with my wonderful man. We camped at

Dogwood in Blue Jay, CA. We could not have asked for a more perfect Fall weekend. The colors were glorious and the skies were blue...

big sigh:)