Happy New Year ...

To recap my 2010 projects ...



          

 

 

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 2010 was busy and 2011 looks to be just as busy!

I can't wait to jump in and swim in all of my stash and create something wonderful!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Christmas Time

 Now that Christmas is over - I have a chance to sit and breath!

I do Love Christmas time the weeks leading up to Christmas are filled with all sorts of activities ... but in our house we have one day where everyone pitches in ..."Cookie Day"!!

It's usually the Saturday before Christmas - I spend the entire day making cookies and the kids and hubby pitch in and help decorate them.


The New Years Cookies are a press cookie and are made TWO at a time!
Long process - but well worth the time!


The line up for the Santa Face Cookie decorating - slave labor!! And this year we had the added bonus of Nana helping us too! Although she decorated her cookies upside down so she was relegated to watching and eating her upside down Santa!!

After 12 hours we made 28 dozen cookies!

16 dozen New Years press cookies (two at a time!) and

12 dozen "Santa Face" cookies!

The number keeps growing every year!



Yesterday was such a nice low keyed Christmas day - everyone opened lots of presents (I received lots of nice quilty gifts from my hubby!) and ate a huge turkey dinner - which I cooked!! I'm on a roll two holiday feasts in a row and no kitchen catastrophes!

My most special quilty gift that I received was from my mom and sister for my birthday.

A beautiful handcrafted wooden jewelry box with a wooden inlaid bear paw design.

I think I'll keep my silver thimbles in it!! 

I wish everyone a wonderfully Happy New Year!

The Fish Quilt

 My darling husband volunteered me to make a "Fish" quilt for our contractor (bartering for a few extras!!) he saw my husbands quilt and wanted on "just like it" - which is impossible since my husband quilt is 10 years old and none of the fabric exist any more! Well I've been working on "The Fish Quilt" - as it has now become known as! off and on since the spring. I was so glad to have it done, quilted and bound just before Christmas! I of course gave it to my darling husband to make the delivery. He said it was well received.  I was so happy! Another project done in 2010!!

Front and Back of "The Fish Quilt"

Fiesta is FINISHED!!!!

After working on this quilt almost daily for a month the top is finally done!

This will be offered as a block of the month class at Quilter's Stash - oh I hope people like it and sign up for the class!!

It all started with my focus fabric from  Ricky Tim's. I used this fabric in the outer boarder and then selected all of the internal fabrics to blend.

It's very bright and busy and I just LOVE how it came out.

Once the class is done I can't wait to get my hands back onto this quilt and quilt it! I already have ideas floating around in my head!

Almost finished with Fiesta...

In an earlier post I mentioned I was working on "Fiesta"  by Lynda Milligan and
Nancy Smith - well I've been working all month on the blocks for my upcoming
block of the month class at Quilter's Stash.

There are 6 different blocks consisting of New York Beauty points, arcs, and pieced blocks, 40 blocks in all. The blocks are coming together and up on the design wall.
The design wall is actually a 52" x 52" tablecloth tacked to my Stash closet doors!!

I'm still working on the placement of the blocks ...I find if I take pictures with my digital camera and then bring them up on the computer screen I get a better look at block placement and flow of color ... and I can look at several options at the same time!

So here is the first picture - now comes the fun part ... moving them all around!

Oops I see I lost a block somewhere!!

Now it's time to sew it together and add the boarders!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Okay anyone that knows me knows I would rather quilt than cook ... so today was a big day for me ... I actually cooked the entire Thanksgiving dinner all by myself (and cleaned while everyone watched the Patriots WIN! - Yippee!). Which doesn't sound like much - but if you knew my cooking, you would know this was a major under taking. As my son has always said "we know when dinner is done when the smoke detectors go off"!! And he's actually right... can't tell you how many times I've set the alarms off, over boiled things on the stove and even almost burnt the kitchen down (but that's another long story!)

I decided not to stress myself out and since no one in the house eats the dark meat I only cooked a turkey breast ... I made a spicy rub (learned that from yesterday's TODAY show!), made my stuffing and added raisins and green apples, homemade Boston baked beans, mashed potatoes, turnip, peas & carrots ... ugh jar gravy (I was not going to attempt making gravy - it wasn't good the last time - why chance it again!)

After a few hours I called the family to the table and .... they were speechless!!! My son jumped up whipped out his blackberry and announced that it was picture worthy!! Notice hie two forks!!! I

Needless to say I was so pleased to have my family tell me I "made a perfect meal" 

and no smoke alarms!

I also was able to find a great recipe for Boston Baked Beans - similar to the recipe my Dad used to make. I used his old bean pot and gave it a try ... they came out pretty good - I have a little tweaking of the recipe to do - but all in all I was very pleased with how they came out.

OH and don't think I do any quilting  while I was making my Thanksgiving dinner (there was a little down time after all!) ... I had to really pay attention in the kitchen so I worked on a new hand project! I think I'll jump in on the Hexy band wagon!

So I started making hexies ....

 

Also continued working on another class sample for my "Fiesta" block of the month class at Quilter's Stash.

 

"Fiesta" is a great booklet by Lynda Milligan and Nancy Smith

Great pattern and good instructions - great way to use up your stash fabrics. I choose Batiks (of course!)

The line up! and BIG fabric decisions to be made....

Used my patio curtain for a design wall ... it works!

So today (and everyday) I'm Thankful for a wonderful family (who puts up with my cooking even when it's bad and the smoke detectors are going off) and for a quilting craft that fulfills my creative side.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Another Baby Gift

I needed to make a quick baby quilt and found this way too cute panel at my

favorite local quilt shop.

All I did was add a quick little boarder and poof way to cute baby girl quilt!

For the back I used some charm squares from Hunky Dory and various Amy Butler, and a soft pink fabric.

For quilting I did a stitch in the ditch using the design from the quilt panel

Voila ...Baby Quilt!

The new mom to be was thrilled!

I just love making things and having the recipient love it!

Forget the big diaper bag ... go with a Diaper Clutch!

I found the cutest pattern a few weeks ago ... and just in time!

I needed to make a baby gift for a friend's daughter - but since she

is also a quilter I wanted to do something a bit different and

then I found the pattern "Grab 'n' Go Diaper Clutch" from Sew Fun.

Since I was making it for a boy the Japanese Robot fabric I had in my stash was perfect!

And since the baby's mom LOVES frog ... Yes... I had frog fabric in my stash!

Who Knew!!!

I made a cute little detachable wrist strap which came out nice ...

but I think I might change it a bit next time ... I need to experiment with that a bit more.

I think the next one will have a small slip pocket and a zippered closure - but I'm still thinking on those changes.

I even made a little changing pad that folds all up and fit perfectly

along with a few little diapers and a package ofe wipes.

It was the perfect little baby gift and from what I hear it was a big hit!!

Whoo-hoo!!

A Girls Weekend away to the Quilters' Gathering Quilt Show

This was my first trip up to A Quilters' Gathering in Nashua New Hampshire ... well worth the trip ... or in my case the weekend! I decided to plan a girls weekend away - just mom and myself ... but I had the added pleasure of meeting up with a friend I had not seen in several years! Dawn and I walked through all of the vendors while mom rested (the 2 hour car ride gave her back a bit of trouble) then the three of us viewed all of the beautiful quilts that were on display. I was lucky enough to have two quilts in the show!

My Layered Circles (the quilt featured at the top of the blog) and My Batik Stars in the Garden shown below with mom!



The show also featured a beautiful collection of Amish Quilts - all done by hand by women of all ages some as young as 11 and 16! Some how I don't think I could get my 18 year old daughter to sit long enough to make a quilt! Although she did make a table runner when she was 11!!

But my favorite was the quilt that won best of show - it was all in shades of cream. "Essence" was made and quilted by Ronda K. Beyer - she made this" no color quilt to showcase design and texture through my quilting" AND DID SHE EVER!

 Here is the center feathered star with in a feathered star - simply beautiful

the quilting is phenomenal. I kept coming back to it several times during the show -

just to make sure I didn't miss anything!

 pictures just do not do this quilt any justice - this work of art just needs to hang and be admired!

Then of course there were vendors! From places I had only heard about or have

seen on line. My first favorite vendor was the Portsmouth Fabric Co. their booth

was so colorful I just wanted to jump in and swim in all of the fabrics! I refrained!

and purchased these Australian fabrics - don't they just look Yummy!

 

The next stop was to Pinwheels my go to online place for Japanese fabrics. Their booth had such a calm sense about it ... I needed that after swimming in the fabric at the Portsmouth Fabric Co !! I purchased these delectable goodies to add to my Japanese Fabric collection and my Sashiko collection!

                       And who could ever resist books and patterns! Not that I need any more....

AND to my surprise Handmade Beginnings was a signed copy by Anna Maria Horner ...

now how could I leave that there!! Besides there are just way too many cute patterns in there!!

So all in all a weekend away with my mom, catching up with an old friend,

shopping and quilts ....

I ask you can a girls weekend away get any better that that?!

Sewing Room Tour

Ok I'm procrastinating again ... I've cleaned off my sewing table and it's ready for the next project - but I just had to check out some of my favorite blogs! I was inspired by my friend Jessica's sewing room video ... now I have not mastered the art of video and uploading it into my blog (that's a task for another day!)  but I did take pictures of my sewing room in hopes that it might inspire someone else! Plus if you are like me you just love seeing other quilter's sewing rooms!!

My sewing room a good size 12 x 13 - and I have every inch utilized to the max!

This is what I see as I walk into my sewing room  my beautiful children's baby pictures and high school pictures, along with my 3 tiered monkeypod server - which sits on top of the Spool Cotton thread box (which I blogged about here) and  a 4 drawer chest that hold everything from scissors, pins, tape measures, golden threads, steam-a-seam sheets to blocks from 3 block swaps (which are waiting patiently to be put together!)

In the center of my sewing room I have my sewing table facing my computer desk and my cutting table at the end. My cutting table also has my pressing station there as well. My library of way too many books is right by my desk - making it handy to read over patterns and get inspiration and ideas.

It makes a nice work space block that I can walk around and get lots accomplished.

Behind this is my fabric closet which has about half of my fabric stored
neatly away by grouping:

New and Funky; Asian Imports; American Asians, Kaffe, Amy and Batiks. 

I did give my dear hubby one small shelf to store his notebooks on!!

And in the corner next to the fabric closet is my entertainment section! With my flat screen TV and my iPod docking station all on top of my antique treadle sewing machine!

My design wall is actually a quilt display that has the latest project

(my daughters T-shirt quilt) pinned onto it!

Not the best of design walls but it will do in a pinch!!

I hope you enjoyed my tour of my sewing room - let me know what you think.
Happy Quilting! 

Back to Bag Making!

It has been a bit since I've made any bags - but this one, from Terry Atkinson's

Groovy Girls Sewing Club, was a dream to whip up!

I'll be introducing it at my favorite local quilt shop Quilter's Stash 

in December during Demo Day!

It's a great roomy shopping bag that folds up to almost nothing!

It measures 12" x 7" x 12" and stands up nice and straight, then with a few folds it compacts down to this...

I think I'll make a bunch and use them when I grocery shop!!

Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love By Hillary Lang

I was procrastinating tonight when I should have been sewing - I have a few deadlines to meet but thought I'd check in on a few of my favorite blogs and found this way too cute and adorable Youtube clip. It's Friday ~ Enjoy!

Quiet Week

I've had a quiet week as far as quilting goes - now I'm looking at the mess on my cutting table (the place where everything seems to land) and feel the need to organize and put away everything before I can start anything new. Do things ever get like that for you? Your so busy with projects and getting things done and then all of a sudden BOOM it hits you - you actually have to take a break - take a deep breath sometimes a few deep breaths and walk away from the sewing table for a day or two. That's what this week has been for me - a week long deep breath! Now I feel ready to clear off the table and start in on my class samples for my classes at my favorite local quilt shop.  For those of you who love to organize I'd love to know your best organizational tip! My best project organizational item are the plastic bins you get at the quilt shops and craft stores...

I love these project bins ... I have to admit I have a dozen of them!! I keep my most current works-in-progress in each bin along with any special patterns, templates thread etc. Then when I am ready to work on a specific project or if I'm going on a quilt weekend I just select a few bins and off I go - everything I need for the project is in the box!

I feel that if I'm not organized I'll get "Lost in a paper bag"!!!

I guess I just hate not knowing where something is and taking the time to find thing!

So share your best tip - I'd love to hear about it!