Welcome 2013 and Happy New Year to All!

The question of the month seems to be what will I work on next year.  The more I'm asked that the more I feel certain thoughts and quilt ideas coming into my mind.  So while my neighbors drive me batty with their cheap, smokey, loud, fireworks I'll go first and you can add your comments by either telling me what you think or tell me about your own plans are for the New Year.

Firstly, of course there is my Mandala Quilt.  DH has been sick so I haven't had his help, it's suddenly very clear that I need it.  I thought I found a place where I could print out the circle changes I needed, but the accuracy wasn't good enough to meet my standards, so instead I wrote down the circle sizes I need this evening and started making my cutting charts.  Do you do that?  Mine look something like this

Black 3.5" squares @ 257; which translates to cut 257 - 3.5" squares.  I bet you don't envy me my quilting concepts now do you?

Secondly, My Children of the Sea Quilt has been stirring my attention lately and I find I do not like the back I had made for it.  Regardless of your kind comments, it doesn't do the front justice after all the hard work I put into it, and just looks well thrown together to me.  So this evening I did a little digging and found a technique called tube piecing which I would like to try out and see if it is something that would work.  Sure would be nice if the video told me what size the block squares to, so that I could plug it into EQ!  Oh well surely this is simply a project I must demo first.  Another thought is perhaps a nice mariners compass in the middle?  A single simple aka complicated block floating in the center of the quilt?

Third, takes a little explaining and likely will take (shakes head) a lot of planning!  I saw this delightful table topper.  I actually thought it was a tree skirt, but it isn't.  Each block points outward in it's own point as it hangs down around the underside of the table.  Each block has one or another facet of Christmas, a tree, a snowman, etc. and from the tip of each corner is a little bell.  I didn't buy the pattern because I really wanted it to be a tree skirt instead.  Can't you envision how pretty such a quilted tree skirt would be with the points radiating outward with their little bells?  This is a case where I would likely begin selecting my themes and then picking the blocks.  Once selected I can make the blocks until I like the size and shape they layout in and then add some extra background fabric.  Oh it will be wonderful I just know it.  I haven't heard a peep out of Sue if there will be a Christmas Quilt-a-long again next year, but she had a rough Christmas so perhaps in time...  Either way, this would be my dedicated CQAL project should she do that, and if not you'll just have to stop by and see what progress I'm making.

Fourth, of course is my Lone Star Quilt.  My sister gave me a tip about getting the last of the dratted ink out of the pens, so I'll try that, but I think I need to order more.  I regularly go back and forth between sending it out to have it quilted or keeping it close.  Not clear on that.

Fifth, is actually not a quilt at all but a sundress.  My neighbor Linda gave me a lovely blue and green lightweight fabric that screams Summer Sundress.  I've selected what I think is the pattern I want to use, so I'm waiting for a pattern sale at Joann's to pick it up, I'll also need something to line the dress with.

As for my year in review, I made 62 dog dresses, 15 small projects including one art quilt, I started and finished 4 quilts (1 baby quilt, 2 lap quilts, and an over sized twin), and finished 2 long term Hawaii Applique quilts that I'd started prior to 2012.  The only thing I did not complete from my NewFO plans for the year were the napkins I thought I'd make, but the fabric turned out much better used to make the tree for the back of my Christmas Mystery Quilt anyway.

Looking forward I believe I will not be participating in the NewFO Project for a second year, as believe it or not I do not like having lots of things unfinished and I do not like feeling that I need to stop what I'm working on to make something new, and to be honest I felt like it was more of a monthly recap for you.  I are not so action packed around here that you need that.  Instead I think I may make a single monthly post of the best of the dog dresses and of course there will be regular postings of my quilts coming to life.  I'm looking forward to a nice big project I can sink my teeth into and chew on for a while, so for the first part of the New Year I don't plan to have any little fussy projects.  They aren't really me anyway.  Now what do you think?  Sound good to everyone?

I'd love to hear what you're up to so pop me a comment, and until next time
Best Wishes for a Happy New Year!

Mandala Beginnings

Mandala Quilt Layout Plans

Have I told you about my Mandala Quilt yet?  I am really looking forward to starting this one after the New Year.  These aren't the true colors I will be using, but I have finally selected them.  All of my fabrics are sitting here waiting for me with little murmurs of "why aren't you working on us?   My first step will be to create the applique center.  Isn't that going to be something?  I'm planning on piecing the straights and then ironing under the curves and hand appliqueing each of the layers.  Does that sound like a good plan to you?

I am actually planning this one to be 100% mine.  So often I get wrapped up in working on these huge beautiful quilts and especially in the spring it's a real bummer to make my own bed, with something that doesn't begin to compare to what I've spent all day working on.

What are your plans?  Promise me you've taken a moment to just enjoy the season and breathe, without having to worry about anything.  Are you done with your holiday shopping?  I've been done since my last box arrived yesterday.  Thank goodness, now I can just cuddle with my daughter and pat my sick husband on the back and enjoy the season.  I wish you all the same, minus the sick spouse of course!

Christmas Teach-In Quilt

Great American Teach-In Quilt

Detail of DD's picture

My theme for this year's Great American Teach-In  was "What makes me Me".  I was very impressed with Spoonflower's new color profile as it captured the children's drawings just as they had drawn them.  With no shift and nice texture.  DD said it was like I took all the drawings and sewed them together.

I wrapped the quilt in a pretty pink bag and off it went to school today for the Teacher.  Next year I'm thinking perhaps I'd like do have the children make a small project, likely with fabric that they could take home.  The rush of making a quilt last minute, right before Christmas like this really doesn't suit how I'm making quilts these days.  

Our Tree With Packages

I mentioned my Christmas tree in my last post and you all were just the push I needed to have DD help me wrap up DH's presents, of course because I had everything out, so I just flowed from wrapping gifts for one person to another and another. 

Tiny is coming for Christmas.

Our School doesn't do a traditional Christmas program as I recall from years gone by, but she reads to a really great group called Tail Waggin' Tutors (they are an international program staffed with amazing owners, and fully trained therapy dogs), this was her second Christmas party with them and they did a wonderful job.  The below picture is DD singing and signing in Sign Language.

Sing and Sign

We are all ready for Christmas and just in time to, with the cold front sweeping the nation.  How are you on your Christmas Shopping and Wrapping?  Only 4 days left you know.

First Package of the Season

Tiny my Wrapping Elf

Merry Christmas!

How is the holiday season treating you?  We seem to be running in slow motion.  I wrapped our first presents last week for my friend that I make the dog dresses for.   What did I give her?  Dog Dresses of course.  The first one is a fleece one that I made two of (cut from the same fabric but turned out very different) with one going to a dog my mom knows and the other to my friend.  Then the purple dress, I actually made in November and it was just so pretty I couldn't part with it for the normal rate so my friend Vicki suggested it as a Christmas gift.  Both Dresses were wrapped in tissue paper and then into their own wrapping paper packages.  I had lots of help from Tiny!

Christmas Gifts of Dog Dresses

Do you have anything wrapped up under your tree yet?  Mom always maintains a tree with nothing under it looks naked, but personally with pets and DD asks silly questions about whose is whose, it's easier to leave off the wrapping for a little bit.  I actually wondered if I would hold off and let the elves bring the presents on the 24th...  But really all the wrapping needs done before DD is out of school for Christmas Break - right?

Lilly's Garden Quilt Grows White Wisteria

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!  For Thanksgiving I seem to have picked up a bug, after days of just feeling bla with my bones aching, the fevers where actually somewhat of a relief.  Don't bother worrying, I felt better enough today to work in the sewing room.  Right I bet you gals know exactly how much better that makes me.  LOL!

White Wisteria and Fairy Ring Applique 

I affixed all of the Calla Lilies, and changed the toadstools into more of a fairy ring shape and then I added a branch of White Wisteria.  The angle of the new branch allowed me to lengthen a couple of the distant purple Wisteria and it you look you can see there is a bit of a graduation line between the white the purple and then the pink.  My next step will be to applique this and then I can start working on filling up that second side of this border and getting on to the remaining 2 borders.

Oh and I have learned a trick to cutting the Wisteria leaves.  Now that I have a solid grasp on how the grow I can rough sketch one on the Steam-a-Seam (2).  Carefully cutting the first branch out I can then rough in the next branch using the spaces of scrap bits to draw in the first side of leaves, then the branch is drawn and the second side of leaves drawn to match.  It goes more quickly this way and my scraps are even smaller than before.

CQAL November Evening

 A Day's Worth of Pot Holders

I wanted to make pot mitts and so I did.  I took the free Hoffman Pattern I have listed on my sidebar and tweaked it a bit.  Personally I found the mid-line pocked to be to small and knew I wouldn't like it.  So instead I went with the pocket you can see on the upper right pot holder.  The patter also called for two pieces of fabric folded in half for the part over your hand, that seemed skippy and you never know when the oven timer is going off and you might try to grab something out of the oven with the pot holder on upside down - can you hear the voice of experience?  So I stuck all the heat resistant batting in there that I could as well.

These are quilt thick with two layers of fabric plus two layers of batting in each side, so I shoved the tops through the serger before I added the binding.  Can you tell I ran out of the blue binding?  I think the red looks nice though.  I was planning on giving these as pairs which would mean one person would get a red and a blue.  What do you think about that?   Or should I share the love and give them as singles?   

Currently I'm trying to think of what to attach to the top so these can hang?  DH just got home and when I told him my concerns about the pretty little bows touching 350 degree metal, he said they would be ruined.  So what can I use that my little trees can hag up?  

I hope you had a good day sewing.  I spent some time shopping the preview ads for Black Friday.  I wont be venturing out, but I bet I can find a loyal husband who will do it for me...

CQAL: November Morning

Good Morning Everyone!  I have so many things that need doing, I wont begin to list them.  Though I will say I'm sorely tempted to just chuck everything out the door for the day and work on some Christmas Tree Pot Mitts.

I'm moving slower than normal because of an injury to my right hand, night before last and things like writing and holding a needle are painful.   I even found folding a load of laundry and tidying up the breakfast dishes a challenge this morning.  But no matter, it's Christmas Quilt-a-long Day and our Queen Bee Hostess Superb Sue at Quilt Times is in charge today.  How about we all send her cookies and milk and beg her use her influence with Mr. Fit It Santa to up our Santa Claus gifts this year.  After all we've been very good quilters haven't we?

Happy Halloween 2012

Happy Halloween Everyone!  Do you have anything good planned today?  DH and DD have packed their day, so I'm the support team.  Aka sew until they show up and need something.  Sure sounds like a fun day to me.  Be sure yours is safe as well!

DD is what she is calling a nice Vampire.  That's what we call 30 minutes of hair, 25 of makeup, and half an hour of misc. support.  I wonder what that would equal if I was being paid in fabric because it sure made for a lot of joyful screaming!

October's Christmas-Quilt-a-long

Welcome!  Come inm come in!  I am so glad you could join me this month for October's installment of our Christmas Quilt-a-long.

I know how some of you are over on the other side of the pond are early risers and so forth, so I have laid out breakfast for you.  Nothing like grabbing a bite of something and sitting down in front of the sewing machine is there?  Help yourself, but try to keep it down because some of us are still asleep - like me.

Now since you're here and nibbling so quietly, I want to tell you about the giveaway I have planned.  You see I made these delightful year round quilter's wonky pincushions, which you can see below.

The rules are simple.

1. State if you want the orange one or the blue one.  Any "I don't cares" will be awarded into the pincushion with the lowest entries to increase your chance to win.

2.  It doesn't matter where you live, anywhere on Earth is okay, but it you live someplace else you'll have to pay for your own shipping and provide detailed shipping directions.

3.  Who can enter?  Any of my blog regulars, these would be the ones who know who they are and so do I, as well as anyone who has done at least one month previously of the Christmas Quilt-a-long.  Everyone else is just out of luck and if I'm not sure if you qualify I will be checking with Sue our Supreme CQAL hostess, because this isn't about a giveaway; it's about having a little fun with the gals I spend so much PC time with!

So if you're here for the CQAL enter with the Mr. Linky below.   Those that qualify may enter in my pincushion drawing by leaving a comment.  I'll be selected the lucky winners Sunday.  Oh yes and it would be nice if the winners would give me a plug when their pin cushions arrive, but hey I'm a firm believer of you want do whatever you want with your gift so if you'd rather not I'm okay too.

What are you working on today?  Anything good?  Holiday orientated perhaps?  Hehe.

Happy Easter

From our home to yours we wish you a beautiful Easter Sunday.

Traditional Easter Nest Breakfast

Christmas Cakes & A Chihuly Kiss

We have a great many birthdays around my house this time of year.  I was the cake maker for two of them. Below my sister shows off with her butterfly cake that had whipped topping for frosting and Funfetti cake mix inside.

My next cake is a black forest cake for my husband.  It is my once a year cake.  Once a year I make it for him.  He never asks me to so it's a good thing I know how much he likes it.  Normally it has a lot more cherries on the top, I must have gone overboard on the lower layers.  Already DD is asking for one for her birthday, I think I can arrange that.

Christmas was good to us.  You can always tell how good Christmas is in a house with a little girl because it looks like the Pink Barbie Isle exploded all over your house.  Silly me, I forgot that I needed to clear out some toys in order to make room for new ones.  So guess what?  When DD's daddy asked her to pick up the living room she brought everything into the sewing room!  LOL.
I love a good surprise at Christmas time.  As a mom it's nice to know that people are thinking of you without having to say a word.  So perhaps the most surprising of all of my gifts was this one from my sister.  It is called a Chihuly Kiss, which my sister picked out for me when she visited our new Dale Chihuly Museum.  Isn't it lovely?  The shape, form, and movement are quite inspiring don't you think?  I haven't found a home for this yet but you can be sure it will be somewhere good.

Lounge Pants of Two Lengths

My DH dreams of the day I will make silk lounge pants for him.  Trust me this is another year he can keep dreaming.  Instead I found the most beautiful flannel at my LQS, I passed it by the first two visits.  Really I did. Even though I knew better and found myself thinking about it after the first visit.  Well by the third visit the bolt was running low and my LQS does this great little deal that if you buy everything on the bolt you save 20%.  That meant I bought the 2 yards I needed for the pants and got the last 1/2 yard free.  With the way I cut it I was able to make both pants and shorts and had very little scrap leftover.  This is my final Handmade Christmas present this year.  I think.

After the first pair of flannel shorts I made, I now try to always use french seams.  It lets me cheat by keeping my 1/4" foot on and I think it creates a nice finish.  Now after the pair I made something kept tickling in the back of my mind about them - I now make little fabric tags in all of my clothing so that the wearer can know which side is the back. ;-)

Reversible Christmas Capelet

One of my daughter's Christmas presents is a beautiful white organza dress with purple embroidery.  I'm a wear whatever you want type of person.  Maybe that's bad, but if my daughter wants to wear her dresses to school, I say why not?  It's not as though she's bombarded to be a flower girl every other weekend.

Her new dress though is sleeveless, which is a bit of a "no no" for her school's dress code.  What to do, what to do?  Clearly I bought the dress, I knew it would be a problem, but I figured it was so pretty it didn't matter as I'd figure out something.  

Sure enough something hit, ironically a neighbor's niece is getting married this spring.  My neighbor was having a go at making a capelet for one of the girls.  What a pretty little capelet it turned out to be too!  Nice fabric and a beautiful drape.  I didn't make the connection right away, but when I did I started looking for girls free capelet patterns.  My friend Vicki found this one.  Which I love, but it's a bit more of a coat than I was looking for so instead of swinging my circle at 18" instead I checked some of DD's dresses and decided to swing instead at 10".  I left off the collar and instead sewed and flipped like a pillow.  Then I top stitched and added a button.  

Perhaps I should say I added two buttons back to back so that it can be on the pink side or the white side.  The first time I did this (sewing through one button into another) I made it to tight and I could hear the chorus of "the button is to tight" so I cut them off and started again.  This time to ensure I had the space I actually buttoned the button and kept it that way while I sewed through the two buttons - one on each side.  That worked well and I will keep this method in mind for future projects.

This is a super easy project, I think it took between half an hour to an hour, and I had to iron some very wrinkled fabric.  I like the coat part of the pattern too so maybe I'll make a version that way some other time.

Beginning Quilting on Crayon Quilt

I told myself when I started working on this quilt that I needed to take many photographs.  But the best laid plans of a quilter will often find you with your lap blouse and even hair full of bits of thread.  Currently I have stitched in the ditch of all of the crayons using the color I plan to quilt that strip with.  I have also handwritten the names of each of the children on their selected crayon strips.  My next step will be to quilt over the names with glitter thread.  I've never worked with such a fussy thread before so I've been planning every last detail.

Of course I didn't plan that we would still be full swing in the process of putting up our Christmas items.  So far we have four days invested.  We're decorated outside with lights, inside the tree is up and decorated, and the stockings are hung but no trace of the holidays can be found in terms of garland nor are the other rooms in the house decorated yet.  I haven't even started on my Christmas cards yet.  What bearing does this have on quilting?  Normally nothing except the boxes are piled up in front of my newly shortened, for the holidays, quilt frame so I can't get at it until some of the boxes...  Yes, I knew you'd get it.

What have you been up to lately?  I've missed you what with all this mess clutter, not to mention holiday deadlines.

Crayon Quilt Piecing in Progress

I've been working on sewing the strips together for the Teacher's Crayon Quilt.  These are strips that the children selected as being their favorites when I went to the Great American Teach In the other day.

 So far I have the strips sewn and pressed.  All of the prairie points are made for the crayon tips and I've started working on the teacher's pencil.  So far I really like the pencil.  I went with a different pink than the one I'd planned as this one matched a bit better and I knew when I turned the tube I'd made the right choice.  Doesn't that pink scream eraser?

For the quilting I'm going to be quilting the students names onto their strips (hence all those bits of paper at the top of the flimsy).  Currently I'm planning to find the center and mark each strip with my Sewline Pencil and then write in the name with the pencil before quilting it. I am considering using gold glitter thread for quilting the students names.  I've never quilted with glitter thread before, but I think it would unite the crayon colors nicely so it's worth the try.

I don't think I will be working on this much more until after Thanksgiving.  DD was firm well over a month ago that we always host Thanksgiving so hence we will again this year.  What are your plans for Thanksgiving?  I think perhaps the best thing would be to simply sit at the sewing machine and give thanks for finding this passion of quilting in which to bury myself in.  ;-)

Happy Halloween From A Fairy Princess!

Happy Halloween!  As a child my mother was never one for Halloween, though in her defense when she was a child, kids in her community died from razor blades in the candy which is a pure and real horror, so growing up Halloween was more a holiday to advance you closer to Christmas than anything else.

That aside DD loves Halloween.  I have no idea how it happened but it is her favorite holiday.  DD loves Halloween even more than Christmas.   She isn't into the super scary and in fact there is a commercial about some Halloween candy maker that always has her hollering "We don't have to buy that!!!!"  Instead she has more of a Happy Witches in black and purple cheer.

In response, I've be able to enjoy a bit of Halloween Magic myself lately.  Did you know I have a great daughter? No kidding.  When I asked her earlier this month what she wanted to be for Halloween, she told me she wanted to be a fairy princess and she proceeded to tell me she had the wings (poor ripped and torn cheap green Nylon ones from Walmart from last year) and then she showed me the dress she would wear with it.  One of her pretty yet faded dresses.

My mind started running a mile a minute but I wisely said nothing.  Instead I went about compiling items for her to be a fairy princess.  I shopped for a crown when she wasn't with me.  I went online back to the shop I'd purchased the faded gown from (before it was faded of course) looking at numerous dresses and I began to shop for wings.  I didn't want any more cheap-wish-I'd-just-flushed-$10-down-the-toilet-Wally-World-wings again. So I hunted and I hunted.  I looked for DIY wings, and How To's as well as anything I could think of.  After a few days I stumbled upon a "way to big" dance costume.  The wings anchored on the dancers back and pretty elastic attached the wings to the dancer's wrists like bracelets, that was when I knew I was on to something.

First I found the perfect dress, then I bought the crown shopped for tulle, and eventually found the shoes on clearance.  With a minute at the sewing machine the wings were ready.  We already had hair ties, makeup and glitter. The glitter tulle came from Joann's as well as the pretty elastic.  Together with the dress and the crown I think I paid about $25.50 all totaled. The sheer joy and wonderful happiness my daughter has been radiating since her dress arrived on Friday has truly been like Christmas morning for me.  I love that I took my time and efforts and made everything as wonderful as I could for her.

'Tis the Season for PUMPKINS!

As I mentioned we went to decorate pumpkins.  I was surprised how many mothers are very bossy when it comes to their children's artwork.  I tried to take my cues from them as what not to do and instead just tried to help DD make her pumpkin how she saw fit.  Many of the girls made girlie pumpkins which I found surprising, even DD with her love of Halloween.  No matter this is our pumpkin this year.  Isn't she a delightful Jill-O-Lantern?

Country Lanes to Tropical Waves

Country Lanes Turned Tropical Waves

I've been working at a steady clip on my Country Lanes Quilt.  I've decided the name is all wrong for this quilt so I think perhaps we will call it Tropical Waves amongst ourselves instead.  I had all the blocks made last night and couldn't resist starting to put everything together, and that's when I realized I'd made 6 blocks wrong.  I thought it was the book's issue, but by the light of day this morning I can see I skipped a part.  It's just two long seams in six 10" blocks so it's not to bad.  So far I've picked out four blocks and I think I have enough fabric to just remake the last two. 

Cross Block Detail

So here's what Tropical Waves looks like now, with that extra row thrown in to show balance.  What do you think?  I took this close up of one of the blocks so you can see.  It's fun working with these bright jewel tones.  Now if the breeze changes direction, I'll have a bit of salty sea air and my tropical quilt!  What do you think about the way the turtles peek out in the crosses?  I like it.  Can you see the little turtle in the background print there at the very center bottom?   The turtles in the background are more hidden and well worth the efforts of finding them.

DD with Kailey

This is a picture of DD that I took on Easter with her matching Kailey doll.  They even had their hair the same, which was a bit of a challenge for yours truly, but worth that smile.  The next day DD was bummed she didn't have another matching outfit to wear.

Happy Easter

From our Home to Yours We Wish you a Bright and Magical Easter.

Don't worry it's only sideways for a moment.

Kailey's Basket

Newly Made Basket

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I'd like to make this basket for Kailey, my daughter's Easter doll.  I stalled pondering colors and also because I didn't want to start another project without making some headway on the quilts I'm already working on.  That was so wrong!

Patisserie's latest issue gave me the opportunity I'd been denying myself.  This little tote is adorable!  One side says DD's and the second side says Kailey.  I was concerned about it's ability to stand up, so I went crazy with the padding inside - it has two layers of Warm and White Batting, as well as a layer of tear away stabilizer - in between the batting layers that I put in for added stiffness.  The result is just to cute.  And makes me want sit and play dolls for the rest of the afternoon.

Basket Stands on it's own too!

Kailey is all ready for Easter.  She has been dressed in her Me and My Dollie Easter dress, complete with under things, and has been to the spa.  Okay, truth be told I sat down with her body parts while DH restrung her and cleaned them with q-tips, a tooth brush, and baking soda.  It worked great and her skin is a beautiful clean bronzed tan.  Last night I treated her hair to a Downy dunk and now it is much better.  The ends still aren't perfect but much of the rest of her hair has taken on a luster I'm sure it hasn't seen in years.  Pictures?  Are you kidding?  You have to wait until I post Easter pictures.  Sorry this close to Easter - and with a daughter that can now navigate to my blog...  You'll just have to wait.  I also took a bit of time to put in the original braids back into her bangs. At first I just sort of took a lock of hair that looked about right, but then I discovered the wig clearly shows which hair to take and which to leave, simply in the way it was woven.

Is Dad Mowing Again?

I have a collectible doll, it is numbered 1979B the year my mother married my father.  Kailey is the 2003-2004 American Girl Doll of the year, DH and I were married in 2003 so that makes Kailey extra special.

I tried to convince Tiny to give you a friendly look for this picture, but she just wouldn't have it.  Still she's our girl and we love her.