Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

My gift to you is this Christmas Invitation...something to reflect upon!


I am headed to New Orleans for my Grandma's funeral...so won't be around for a few days. I will use this time to catch up with family I haven't seen in nearly 15 years. 


Happy New Year to everyone! 

Butterfly Round Robin

From this:

To this:

Isn’t it gorgeous! And I have my two friends, Shannon and Dory, to thank.  Each added a border to my center applique block. To read my original post on how this round robin came to be...read APQS forum friends meet!

Shannon added the curved pieced border…it keeps the quilt ‘soft’ in my opinion. Reminds me of a pagoda.

Dory then added a piano key border with half square triangles in the corners.

I love it!

Please read Shannon’s post…pieceful kwilter: butterfly round robin
And Dory's post...crazy horse quilting: butterfly round robin

NOW..to get busy and decide what kind of border to add next. I really want to add to this quilt and make it larger. I am thinking more curved piecing…and definitely more applique! After all…my quilt should have a frog and a cute bug on it. Get it? Butterfly for Dory…Frog for me…Doodlebug for Shannon. Then it will be complete.

Thanks ladies…I love my quilt top and can’t wait to get it finished so that I can quilt it and hang it in my studio to remind me how special you both are!

Here are the pictures of Dory’s and Shannon’s quilts.
 
I added the string pieced border to Dory’s (left) and a piano key border to Shannon’s (right).

RRCB Part 5…Done at last…plus, How I did it

I used a paper template method for the hst’s. 

I was able to sew along a grid and after cutting…could get 18 1-1/2” finished hst’s from fabric cut to 6.5” x 8.5”. Not too shabby. 

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The corn fabric is my constant “red” fabric...green is background. Not sure what ever possessed me to buy corn fabric in the first place…so instead of Roll Roll Cotton Boll…this quilt will be named ‘Roll Roll Corn Field’. I made 628 of these hst's.

The pink is the constant and white w/black print is the background. This quilt is named ‘Teacher’s Pet’. I ended up making 648 of these little guys.

Guess all the extras can be made into blocks and put on the back of the quilt!

I am loving this mystery thus far. The fabrics are looking good together...and even though my fabrics have changed for the planned scrappy version...I am happy! Thanks Bonnie. Have I said that lately?

Brrr!

6-8" of snow...and still snowing!

We  are keeping toasty warm though inside!

RRCB Part 3 and 4

I finished Part 3 for the planned quilt (which is turning out to be more scrappy than I originally thought)!

Here is Part 4 for both quilts.

Now onto Part 5…making 2 sets of 600 1-1/2” HST’s. Hope to start making these tomorrow.

High Desert Mystery Pattern...Now for sale

Hi all...I have pulled the pattern from this blog...and am now offering this pattern for sale here on etsy. Thanks to all who participated...I have made some modifications to the pattern and it is able to be sent as a pdf for those who wish to purchase it. 


Happy Quilting, ;0) k

Been Quilting! Three Finishes! Wish they were mine!

This quilt belongs to my friend Carol.


She is such a doll and lets me "play" on her quilts. I decided on an overall, that I have named 'Bubble Gum'. It reminds me of the Dubble Bubble chewing gum. ;0)

And besides, it is easy to get into a rhythm if you are chewing gum at the same time as quilting it! 

The back...who knew solid white could be so much fun!
















This one belongs to Tina. I just did an allover medium stipple meander. She loved it! Thanks Tina for the pleasure of quilting this for you. 












This last one is Cindy's. She made it for one of her girls. The pattern is Between Friends and is in the Happy Hour book by Terry Atkinson. 


I used a variegated white/gray/black thread. Look hard...can YOU see the stitching? Me either. I did a medium stipple meander...in case you were wondering. And that black swirly print is really hard on the eyes. Her teenage girl is going to just love this! 

Roll Roll Cotton Boll Part 3 - Done

Wow. 60 string blocks was a lot to finish in one day...but I did it. Yesterday, everything just fell into place and I was given all the time I needed to just sew...all day long. Many thanks to my family. I love you all. 


I still need to cut the background for the planned quilt...but that will be easy. I decided since I had 5 yards of a gray...that was my background. No reason to string piece those blocks...so I am taking a gamble...and am just going to cut 60 8.5" squares and hope for the best. There are No quilt police...so I am sure this will work out fine! 

Here are the some of the blocks for part 3...they are all done...but I didn't feel like posting each and every block. I used some funky prints. My favorite is a Joe Boxer Toothbrush print. My friend Pat gave me a huge bag of scraps and this was in it. I asked her what on Earth she used it for...and when she said tooth fairy bags for her 3 boys way back when..I thought...how perfect. There is a print from 1984...Looney Tunes characters playing basketball with the Harlem Globe Trotters! That was a fun one too! I also had a book panel called "A Teacher's Pet"...that was printed all wonky, so I never made the book...but I cut it up into strips...and the entire panel is now gone! Thanks Bonnie! 

I should say too, that I started with a box of strips that didn't look like much...then after reaching in and pulling pieces...it began to swell. So much so, that strips were falling out and onto the floor. Then, finally, after 60 blocks were made, I was left with just a very small handful of strips in the box. Whew! These blocks cleared out nearly 5 yards of fabric from my stash alone. Who knew I had so many whites with black prints! 

I couldn't resist throwing in some bold colors into these. God paints the sky and Earth with  color everyday, and I fully intend to use color in my quilting too! 

Sneak Peek for Carol

Recognize this quilt? You should. It is on the frame and finally getting quilted! Thanks for letting me 'play' and trying out something new! 

Roll Roll Cotton Boll Part 2 - Done AND Chocolate Chip Cookies!

orange/purple for scrappy quilt...


burgundy/cream for planned quilt. 

Here is a question for you...


What do these cookies and the bottom HST have in common?

The cookie mix is from Lehi Roller Mills in Salt Lake City...and ideas yet?


Think feedsack. Lehi Roller Mills wraps all their mixes in fabric bags. 


I just so happened to be running short on burgundy fabric for the mystery in the size I needed...only had small pieces...nothing large.


So...when Madeline asked to bake some cookies, I was in awe at the color of the bag. It is a little on the brown side of burgundy...but it blended in well...so, I not only recycled it...I repurposed it. 


I think I will always picture Madeline baking chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen when we sleep under this quilt! I just love it when a quilt has a story to tell! ;0) k

Treated myself for Black Friday!

Origins by Basic Grey for Moda...I have loved this line since it first came out. Now...I own 2 fat quarter packs of it! 

These colors are just yummy! The bottom two are Thimbleberries fabrics...and the top one is a Moda print. Poison Green! Gotta love that. 


Won't these make great choices for backgrounds on some fabulous scrappy quilts?! My better half loves the burnt orange fabric! Better start planning a quilt for just him! {wink} 


There isn't much of the bottom print...so I will just add it to my stash. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Simple Pleasures...

Our dishwasher went out the other day. For most, this is no problem...just wash by hand! But for a family of nine...one set of glasses of milk, followed by another set of dishes, followed by a set of silverware...well, you get the point! 


I have more important things to be doing than being in the kitchen washing dishes! Like, washing clothes, running kids around, sewing and quilting, ball games, sewing and quilting and work.


This isn't the largest dishwasher on the market by any means...but big enough for one meal's dishes to go into...and it sanitizes too! Very important so nobody gets sick! 


Thanks Honey...you are the best! 

Roll Roll Cotton Boll Part 1 - Done

Part 1 came out a couple of days ago. I am pleased with my color choices so far...although I have made minor changes to a couple of the other fabrics for future parts! 

Bonnie said we needed 172 of these units...but I have a few extra. Plus, I did it twice for the two different quilts I am working on simultaneously...one scrappy and one more planned. Anything extra will just get thrown into a Orphan Block Box and will get used for other projects anyways...so no waste! 


Have I said before that I like Bonnie's system? 


I will blog more about it another day.
I finally organized the majority of my stash into bins. This has made it easier to find fabrics based on usable size. I can certainly see what I have since switching to her Scrap Saver's System. Thanks Bonnie! You are so smart. 

Smokey Mountain Stars...now a Flimsy!

This is a Bonnie Hunter pattern...called Smokey Mountain Stars. I just love her patterns. Well, remember those little pinwheel blocks I sewed a few weeks back? They became the border for this quilt! 


I started this quilt about 4 years ago. Don't ask me why it took so long to finish! I just love how it looks...and can hardly wait to quilt it. This top will fit a queen size bed so will definitely get some use! My daughters are already staking claim on it! I wonder which one will end up with it?! 


The centers of the stars were fabric from a sample card. They have little chicks and roosters on them...and even rabbits carrying garden rakes! How fun! See...anything can go in a quilt and look fabulous! 

Frogger gets a makeover...and new table!

Thanks to Lisa E, who sold her Millennium with 14' table (which I have been wanting) to Lisa C who preferred a 12' table (which I just happened to have). See the beauty of this yet? 


Well, last Saturday, the two Lisa's drove 3 hours one-way to make the switch! We unloaded my new-to-me table and then re-loaded my old table in the truck. I wasn't sad to see it go, although I have to admit I was a little nervous that the table would be wobbly and maybe I wouldn't be pleased with myself for the change. Us girls then went out to lunch together at my favorite Chinese restaurant. What a great visit we had! 


Then the work began...re-assembling the new table...and performing maintenance on Frogger. I have owned my Millennium for 2 years...so it was time to repack the grease, check the motor brushes, check under the hood for any problems AND change the wheels out to the new M&M wheels, which feel so smooth. I really do like them! This was a great upgrade from the Edgeriders I had on the machine.  

Doesn't it look great in my studio! I have plenty of room to get around the new table and definitely enough room for larger quilts on the frame! I love it! 
Thanks again to the two Lisa's. No more nervousness here...the table is very stable and I made a great choice upgrading to the 14'. What a huge difference 2' makes! 

Diabetic Management...still Awesome!

We are all so happy! Sven's newest hA1c is a 6.0


He is still doing awesome with his diabetic management! As long as he continues to take care of himself...and avoids getting sick...his doctor said she would see him in 3 months. 


He was very happy for that! 

No flu allowed here! It could be devastating for Sven's system. 

R U Ready for Bonnie’s New Mystery?!

I am! So excited in fact that I am going to make 2 quilts! One scrappy and one planned.

If you need more info on Bonnie Hunter’s mystery…click here. It is called Roll Roll Cotton Boll and her mysteries are always exciting and loads of FUN!

                                    Scrappy                              Planned

background:               white with black prints          grey w/red diamonds

greens:                      lime greens                          navy blues

double pinks:              orange shirtings                   red/burgandy

chocolate browns:       purples                                cream/beiges

red:                           black swirl                            cream/red check

green border:             pink/blue geometric print      solid black or deep burgandy?

Grocery Tote

I bought a fried chicken dinner complete with potato salad and rolls.  Well, Kirt was obviously more interested in something else. 


It is not everyday that your son fits in a chicken dinner tote! 

Only in Rural Nevada…

will you see a horse-drawn pickup-bed carriage!

I love where I live…have I said that before! I really do. Where else can you call home and see a sight like this go by right outside your front door?

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I tried to get the guy to smile and wave…but no can do. He looked as weary as his horse!

Pillowcases for ConKerr Cancer!

A friend on the APQs forum asked for help in making pillowcases for children with incurable diseases and life-threatening illnesses. How could I reuse!

Read ConKerr Cancer to find out more.

Well, I cut into various fabrics that were left over from past projects and in about 2 hours…had 12 pillowcases ready to be sewn! Taylor took to the sewing machine, pinned and sewed and pinned some more and even learned how to do a French Seam! She did great and felt good knowing she was doing something to help other kids!

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You did AWESOME Sweetheart, I am so proud of you. ;0) Mom

Half Square Triangles (HSTs)…what do you do with them?

I pulled an old project from the bin and decided I needed to put the final border on it. Not remembering what I had finished to date on this particular top…and assuming I was just going to add a solid single piece border to finish it…I unfolded the top and voila…out fell a baggie full of untrimmed, pressed HSTs. Well, of course, I decided to start trimming these little fellows…down to 1-3/4” I might add.

2 hours later…and still motivated to sew…I started to turn them into 77 tiny little pinwheels! That was as far as I got last night…as I became tired and went to bed. Can you blame a gal for sewing into the late night and then needing sleep?!

I still need to put them together into some arrangement and get the final border done…but that will happen another day. I have the layout in my head…just need to make it materialize into a border!

Oh, by the way, I am NOT going to show the quilt top these belong to…until it gets completely finished. This is on my UFO list to finish this year…and I still have 2 months left!  Happy quilting  ;0) k

My APQS Mini Quilt Swap Partner received her quilt!

And she seemed to really like it. YAY!

The quilt is 18” square and done in reproduction fabrics. The quilting is to scale as is the tiny binding. I am sure glad that Kathy loved it. I did stress about it…just a little!

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All in all though, I would certainly participate in another mini swap. It was loads of fun!

I should say too…that I made her 4 coffee cozies and a wool pincushion. They were the little gifties that make opening the package extra special.

2009 Fall Swap Blocks…NOW a Top!

Yep…you read that right…these blocks were from a swap from one year ago! Yikes…where did the time go?

Well, the blocks are finally set into a top complete with borders! Now…to find the time to quilt it. I have a few in line before I can get this one on the frame! That is fine though…it gives me time to think about HOW to quilt it!

Autumn…

My favorite time of year! The gorgeous colors, the smell of rain and snow…and the views outside my window!

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Isn’t it beautiful! It has been below freezing here at night for a month or so now. Might be a cold long winter. I just love living here! Really, I do!  ;0)

Sven’s Bike!

About one month ago, Sven stripped his bike of all it’s parts, and sanded it down to bare metal. He then primed it and repainted it. He asked Dad to help with the reassembly and voila…a new bike!

We are so proud of him. He tackled a huge project and took it to completion. Too bad the weather is bad today…thunderstorms all around. He sooo badly wanted to go for a ride and show off his hard work! 

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Colors of the High Desert in Autumn!

We went scouting this morning for mule deer buck. Even though we didn’t see any…we certainly had a great time. Please look at the photo album below to see all the many colors of the desert in the wonderful season of Autumn. Know wonder this is my favorite time of year. It was a whopping 36 degrees this morning at 6:00 am…and quite refreshing to be out in God’s country! What a way to start out the week!

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High Desert Mystery First Border!

Mystery Solved! This is the final clue. I hope everyone enjoyed it and loves their quilt top!
First Border