Happy Cottage Quilter

Sew & Tell

2012-03-07T08:25:00.000-08:00

I finally finished this quilt, which is a gift for an acquaintance who has serious health issues.

She has been very generous if gifting me with her home made jams and freshly canned fruit. She is no longer able to do these things.

I hope she will enjoy this little token of love.

Fabric Tuesday
Sew & Tell
Finished It Friday
Can I Get a Whoop-Whoop?

Sometimes..........

2012-03-06T04:34:00.004-08:00

....... the inspiration can be overwhelming..........

Happy Quilting!

The results

2012-03-03T20:31:00.003-08:00

Last week I mentioned that I was going to try machine quilting with my sewing machine in this positon.
I did like that I did not have to wrestle with my fabric as much, but to me, it was harder to visually follow the quilting.

So in the end I will go back to quilting the regular way.

I'd love to hear if anyone tries this. Maybe it just takes time to learn the feel of the machine. And it might be easier if the machine was level with the table. Amy (A Quilting Sheep) sent a link for a youtube about building a table.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g14govA4pIM

Has anyone ever made this table?

Designs and creativity

2012-03-02T04:35:00.001-08:00

If you enjoy making paper crafts, you will find a wealth of free templates at Mirkwood Designs. Lots of well-designed papercraft projects – both practical and fanciful to keep little and big hands creative.

Ruthann also has a beautiful blog Adventures in Creativity that I think you would enjoy. Paper designs, knitting, recipes AND quilts :-) I have not listened to her podcasts, but I'm sure they are interesting.

And remember when I made these little cuties -

well lookie what I found on Kerry's Craft Blog!! Just in time for Easter :-)

You can also find an amazing tutorial collection of totes and bags at DIY Bag Lover. I think there are enough bags to keep anybody busy for quite a while :-)

Fun days are ahead!

How many letters do you really need???

2012-03-01T07:05:00.003-08:00

Okay, tell me I am not the only one. But is Word Verification driving you to distraction!!! I'm learning how to read the funny letters, but is it really necessary to have these foreign characters just to leave a comment?? Madame Samm has some great information if you want to turn yours off. Check it out at Sew I Quilt.

And thank you for all of your comments yesterday. It was fun participating in a one day giveaway. So who won my Leap Day Giveaway?? The Random generator picked Rhonda D. From Ozark Country Stitchin'. Rhonda, please contact me with your mailing info. I do not see a way to contact you, but you did sign up for email updates. If I don't hear back from you by Saturday, I will draw a new winner.

Now be sure to check out Pat Sloan's blog as she and Bonnie Hunter are having a very fun giveaway.

Have a great day! Spring is coming :-)

Leap Day Giveaway

2012-02-29T05:00:00.007-08:00

Today is Leap Day!! We get one extra day every four years. So how will you spend your extra 24 hours??

Such a Sew and Sew is hosting a Leap Day Giveaway Blog Hop. Each participant is hosting a Giveaway for just one day. TODAY!!

While I was looking through my quilting books, I realized that I owned TWO copies of 101 Fabulous Rotary Cut Quilts. Written by quilting veterans, Nancy J. Martin and Judy Hopkins, this book is the bible of rotary cut quilting. It contains favorite quilts from Rotary Riot, Rotary Roundup, and Down the Rotary Road.

Here are a few samples..........

Each pattern has complete instructions on making a full size quilt.

How would you like to have 101 Quilt patterns at your fingertips??

Just leave a comment on this post..............

Now remember, starting tomorrow, Google Friend Connect will no longer work for blogs other then Blogger. So if you have Word Press, Typepad, or your own domain, I am enabling email subscriptions starting today. At the right hand sidebar, right under followers, there is a field where you can enter your email address and receive an email with the latest posts. You can unsubscribe at any time and your email will be kept private and not used for any other purposes than to send updates. If you sign up for email, whether you use Blogger or not, you may leave a second comment for a second entry.

This giveaway will be open until 10:00 PM EST today. Please be sure I have a way of contacting you.

Enjoy your Leap Day!

Taking a Leap

2012-02-28T16:27:00.003-08:00

Such a Sew and Sew is having a celebration of Leap Year Day. She is hosting a Leap Day Giveaway

So check back with me tomorrow. I just may use this extra day to host a one day (Leap Day) Giveaway!

Knit to the end............

2012-02-27T05:51:00.004-08:00

For a couple of years, I've wanted to learn how to knit something other then knit and purl. So yesterday the quilting buddies got together and worked on a new project.

One of the quilting buddies is very savvy at reading patterns.

I on the other hand am very visual and have to be shown how to do something. So our patient teacher taught us how to read the pattern and how to make the stitch.

So far, so good!!

A little experiment

2012-02-24T05:00:00.002-08:00

For several years now, I have been eying the smaller mid-arm quilting systems. There was one particular quilting machine that always drew my attention.

So last year when finances had improved, and there was a better place to set one up, I was seriously considering making the purchase. But alas, the mid-arm machine that I wanted was no longer being made! The company took the size 16 and made a sit down table. I was very disappointed.

For me, this sit down table does not solve my particular quilting problem. I can quilt on my Bernina, but it has been a challenge to keep the back taunt and not pucker.

If you have ever watched John Flynn quilt, he turns his machine so the smaller area is to the back. Why not try it myself.

I am going to try this on different ufo's that have been waiting patiently for my attention.

It doesn't really make any sense to me to buy another table when I can use my Bernina to do the quilting.

Have you ever tried quilting this way?? I'll keep you posted on my progress :-)

Keep them coming

2012-02-23T14:01:00.009-08:00

There are so many new things going on. I guess by now you have probably heard about the changes with Google Friend Connect starting March 1. Google Friend Connect will no longer work on non-blogger blogs. So if you are following a blog that is not hosted by Blogger (such as Word Press and Typepad), starting March 1st, you will not see their blog in your reader or dashboard.

However this does not mean non-blogger blogs cannot continue using Google Reader. It simply means that Google Friend Connect, a service that provides an easy way to subscribe, will no longer be available for those blogs. It also means that if you have followed non-blogger blogs through Google Friend Connect, you will need to subscribe to those blogs in a different way. You will need to either get Google+ or find another service to offer your readers. You'll also need to change the way you've subscribed to non-blogger blogs because come March 1st you won't see them in your reader if you subscribed through GFC! To continue following through Google Reader, simply click RSS feed and choose Google Reader.

These changes make it very challenging to folks like me, who are a little computer challenged. But I really would miss you if you go away. It's sad to see blogs that I've followed for such a long time just disappear. I think there is a way to check if you are subscribed via your google reader or GFC. Here is what I read on Life. Faith. Hope. Art.

"In your Google reader, there is a list of blogs you read. Near the top of the list it says 'subscriptions'… those are the ones that you have put in the address. Below that list is a 'blogs i'm following' list. Those are the blogs that you have followed by google friend connect. " Read HERE for more info.

I sure hope this all works, because I really, really would miss you. Thanks so much for hanging in there with me and visiting my little blog through the years.

Whew, now let's get quilting!

2012 Golden Quilters Awards

2012-02-22T04:28:00.000-08:00

SewCalGal is offering an opportunity for you to nominate someone in the quilting community that has made an impact on you and your quilting.

Over the past couple of years, SewCalGal has hosted the Golden Quilter Awards. Entertainers have the Oscars, Golden Globes, Emmys, and various other awards, but she felt that we needed something unique to recognize those that have helped to make our world of quilting so special and wonderful.

SewCalGal hosts this event and facilitates the process, but it is up to quilters from all over the world to submit nominations, and ultimately vote for their favorite nominees, to help identify the best of the best.

Nominations are now being accepted for candidates, for the 2012 Golden Quilter Awards, that have made a difference in the world of quilting, for the following categories:

Best Quilt Designer
Best Quilt Teacher/Instructor
Best Quilt book Author
Best Quilt Store (physical)
Best Quilt Store (online)
Best Longarm Quilter
Most Innovative Product (physical)
Most Innovative Product (software)
Most influential person in the world of quilting to-date, aka "Lifetime Achievement"
Best Quilt book publisher

SewCalGal has all the information on her blog so you won’t want to miss out on nominating one of your favorites. Nominations will be accepted until March 4th.

Key dates that you may want to mark on your calendar:

Sunday, March 4th - last day to submit your nomination. Everyone is invited to submit nominations.
Monday, March 12th - SewCalGal announces all nominees and voting for the ultimate winners begins. Everyone is invited to vote.
Monday, April 2nd, SewCalGal announces the ultimate winners of the 2012 Golden Quilter Awards. We celebrate with a party with sponsored prizes to be given.
Tuesday, April 3rd, SewCalGal announces the winners of the sponsored prizes.

Repurposed

2012-02-20T04:37:00.000-08:00

Talking about how we display our quilts, while visiting my BFF a couple of years ago, I was a guest in her basement apartment. She has it decorated so beautifully. One thing that stood out to me was how she uses her quilts around her home.

This old Singer stand at one time had a top on it.

My BFF took the top off and had her Dad make rods to fit across the frame. She now uses it as a quilt rack.

A simple idea made into a lovely display area :-)

It's a magical place

2012-02-18T05:07:00.000-08:00

For quilters, something happens when we cross over the threshold of a quilt show. I think the change affects each one of us differently. There are no specific symptoms but something definitely takes place within us.

It is a magical journey that starts the moment we enter the building. It provides a rush to our adrenaline and pleasure to our senses . We see beauty everywhere we step. Where to start? Do we look at the quilts first, or do we scope out the vendors for that prize piece of fabric or the latest designs in patterns. It is enough to make my head spin.

Eight years ago, I attended my first major quilt show in Nashville with my two quilting buddies. We stayed at the Opryland hotel, which was hosting the quilt show. We entered the doors and could not believe how much there was to see. Rows and rows of vendors and some of the most beautiful quilts we have ever laid our eyes on. We attended two lectures given by Alex Anderson. What fun! By the end of the first day, we were on overload and headed back to our room. We brought out all of our bags and took out every item for close inspection. We would oooh!! and ahhh! with so much delight, stroking each others fabric and reviewing all of the books and patterns. For the next two days we enjoyed the euphoria of every quilting treat that was available.

In the years since, I attended the Quilt Festival in Chicago, and the AQS Quilt show in Paducah. Each one has its own unique spin on the quilting community. It's what drives the psychological part of our desire to make beautiful things. Whether it is art quilts or traditional, batiks or reproduction. The mere thought of a trip to a quilt show is enough to start my exit from reality. It is a mystery that once again brings me back to the reason why I quilt. For the beauty of it, and the love of experiencing what others have created in a world of fabric.

Which quilt show will you be attending this year?

Tell me........

2012-02-16T05:36:00.000-08:00

.... how do you display your quilts? It's fun to find different ways to display my quilts. There are several different wall hangers that I have used for displaying my quilts.

I love the roses in this quilt. It was made and hand quilted by my sister in love. She is a very good quilter and we have a lot of fun together. I found this quilt rack at Wally world on clearance for a whopping $10!! I bought 3 of them ;-)

This quilt hanger was found at a local quilt shop.
I thought it was so perfect for this spot. I made
this quilt from a magazine pattern, but I only
made half of it! It fits in this corner perfectly, and
covers the electrical box.

My sweet sister in love gave me this bow shaped hanger one year for my birthday. Did I mention that she is a great quilter?? I love the pattern for this quilt because there is no pattern! We just got together and sewed strips, cutting them apart and sewing them back together. It was so much fun. And a great way to use up some stash.

One year at Paducah, I found this wonderful hanger. I love this hanger because it does not damage your quilt in any way. It has a clever device to open the hinged pieces.

It has a soft touch grip and keeps your quilts away from the wood. They come in all sizes and beautiful wood finishes. They can even add a strip of your fabric to the front panel to match the quilt that is hanging. It is made right here in the good ole US of A by Lorie's Little Quilts.

They do have a website, if you are interested in taking a look. www.LoriesLittleQuilts.com. It's so fun to find something new, that will enhance your quilting and your quilts.

A Valentine for You

2012-02-14T04:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day

Pretty in Pink

2012-02-10T04:35:00.000-08:00

Last summer when I visited a Quilt shop in Georgia, I fell in love with this quilt.

The owner was out of the pattern but told me it was called Dolly Madison. She tried to find it online for me, but was not able to find it.

Low and behold I discovered that this soft and dreamy pattern was Dolley's Garden by Bunny Hill Designs. I have always admired Anne Sutton's beautiful patterns, but as I don't do applique I've not used many of her patterns.

A couple of years ago I signed up for Anne's newsletter when she offered A Tisket A Tasket as a free download. So when the email arrived letting me know there was a sale going on at Bunny Hill, I went looking for the pattern.

And YES I also bought Park Lane ;-) I mean come on, it was on sale!

And then there was the beautiful Lily & Will. Just had to have a little taste of this delicious fabric.

And when the patterns arrived, I discovered that Park Lane is made with ONE Charm pack of Lily & Will. Woo-hoo!!! This is going to be fun!

Being Versatile

2012-02-08T04:55:00.000-08:00

About a week ago Meggie on the Prairie honored me with this Award. I was totally surprised! Thank you Meg for thinking of me. I have so enjoyed blogging and making new friends from all over the world.

I did a little research and there are a few rules when accepting this award! Here they are:

Thank the blogger who gave you the award
Add the Award badge to your blog
Create a list of seven things about yourself
Pass the Award on to 15 other bloggers and let them know by commenting on their blog

A few facts about me -
1. I love quilting
2. I am a thriftaholic
3. I love to try to capture the Kodak moment
4. I love to watch old movies
5. I have read all of Jane Austen's works
6. I enjoy gardening, although I don't have much of a green thumb :-)
7. I am married to THE best guy in the whole world

So now I am passing this Award on to the following inspiring blogs There are so many beautiful and creative blogs that it is really hard to narrow down a list. Here are some, in no particular order.

A Passion for Applique
Allie-oops Sweet Happy Life
The Quilting Booklady
....and Sew On
Cupcakes n' Daisies
Sewn with Grace
Lilabelle Lane Creations
Quilternity's Place
The Second Twin Sews
Carol's Crafty Creations
Quilting Daze
MarveLes Art Studios
Life with Lou
Hollyhock Quilts
Prairie Moon Quilts
and as an added BONUS award please stop in and visit Kelly at I Have A Notion. Kelly shares a lot of great information and her blog posts are always so much fun!!!

SEW-per Bowl

2012-02-06T05:04:00.000-08:00

What did you do during the game yesterday?? We had our own SEW-per Bowl party :-)

Anina on the Twiddletales Blog completed her 12 Days of Christmas quilt. And this year, the quilting buddies received the panel as Christmas gifts. So we ventured to make our own version of Anina's adorable quilt.

Cutting strips

No Sew-per Bowl party is complete unless there is food............

Little by little it is coming together

And of course we auditioned some borders.

Hope your Sew-per Bowl party was as much fun as ours was :-)

Pretty Little Flowers

2012-02-02T05:18:00.000-08:00

This is the first time I have used the Clover Yo-Yo maker. The size of these Yo-Yo's are extra small. But I think they will be perfect for this little Valentine's pin cushion.

Finish It Up Friday
Sew & Tell
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?
Sew Darn Crafty

Please tell me

2012-01-31T05:04:00.000-08:00

I'm not the only one...............

This is what I felt was going on yesterday...........
My internet connection was so slow, I thought I would never get anywhere.
I tried to leave comments on blogs but it would always time out.

I could have done my laundry while trying to open a website.

Or taken a trip to Canada and back.

All the while waiting............. waiting.................. waiting..............

So was it me? Or was it Google or Blogger??? Anyone else experiencing..............

More scraps!

2012-01-30T04:37:00.000-08:00

Have you been following the Scrap projects at Pleasant Home ?? This morning she posted these beautiful bags made by Shelby Mine . What is so neat about these bags is that Sheri's scraps were mostly 1.5" strips left over from the Charm Squares she used in her purses.

Now how many times have you made a project using Charm packs and had those little 1.5" pieces left over? What a great way to use them up :-)

There are so many great ideas for using up scraps out in blog land right now. Lots of books are being published. Some of which are previewed at Quilty Pleasures. I don't know about you, but I do much better with visual helps.

Have a happy quilting day!!

A Night Run at Snowshoe

2012-01-27T04:43:00.000-08:00

I finished binding this Winter Landscape, adding the borders so that the light and the dark ran off the sides. It's a little difficult to photograph the quilting on the white fabric, but here is a little closer look.

Every year we travel to Snowshoe West Virginia for a family vacation. My children love to snowboard. We usually arrive late in the day, so everyone heads to the slopes and does some night snowboarding. I created this wall hanging as a memory quilt for our fun family times together.

I've entered this Winter Landscape in a contest over at Quilting Gallery and I would love your vote!

Click HERE to vote for "A Night Run at Snowshoe"(ballots are at the bottom of the page)

Thanks in advance to all those who vote. Hope you have a fabulous weekend!!

Finished It Up Friday
Sew & Tell
Can I get a Whoop-Whoop!
Sew Darn Crafty
Little Quilt Monday

2012-01-26T05:18:00.000-08:00

I have to say that I was amazed at the comments from yesterday's post. I loved what everyone shared. And yes, a lot of us have been thinking the same thing. Either some people don't sleep, or they have more hours in the day then I do :-)

All that being said, yesterday had me pondering. Do you ever ponder?? You see last year we shared a word that was to be our flagship for the year. Mine was JOURNEY. What is really kind of funny is that my Journey last year was partly involved with helping my daughter with her journey. She traveled to SE Asia last summer and just a couple of weeks ago she was off again, this time to Australia.

I was not going to think of a word this year, but a word just kept coming to me. And yesterday it formulated. Do you want to know what it is??

And I'm going to tell you how I will use my word. We have a Quilting/Blogging friend who is going through a series of treatments for cancer. Her name is Kaaren and she has a beautiful blog The Painted Quilt. Kaaren is one of the most creative and giving gals in blog land. She designs a Block of the month for her quilty friends (us)!!. So while she is going through treatments, Shelley at Red Quilts would like for us to shower Kaaren with words and cushy packages of encouragement. Won't you help?? You can contact Shelley at Red Quilts or Mary at Quilt Hollow and they will give you Kaaren's mailing address.

We can all share in some way. It doesn't have to be a quilt or some large project. After Kaaren returns home, find someone to share a little love with. There are so many lonely and hurting people everywhere.

Love you, peeps!

How DO you do it!!!

2012-01-25T04:28:00.000-08:00

Sew-A-Longs, Quilt-A-Longs, Block of the Month, Mystery Quilt Along, Calendar Quilt Along, Sewing for Christmas, Swaps.................

...............it goes on and on.

Aggggg...................
How do you DO it!!! I can hardly keep up with my sewing/quilting projects. PLUS regularly cooking and cleaning for my family!! It blows my mind with all the amazing quilters that get SO much accomplished!!

If someone can please share with me their secret for adding more hours in the day, I would greatly appreciate knowing about it.

Until then..................

Lot's of stuff........... and a winner!

2012-01-23T07:25:00.001-08:00

Stray Stitches is having a wonderful giveaway. She is celebrating 700 followers by giving away 2 Charm Packs of Good Fortune by Kate Spain. Go HERE to sign up.

Ruby Slipperz is hosting her Mystery Monday giveaway. 5 Fat Quarters of YOUR color choice. Check it out HERE.

Tonya's Sewing Room did a review of Lapel Glue Sticks and is giving two glue sticks away! Sign up HERE.

Michagoose's gander is having a book giveaway. Take a look HERE.

The Jolly Jabber is also hosting a book giveaway. A copy of Sew What You Love. Go HERE to sign up.

Amanda Murphy Design is offering some Modern fabric and patterns.

And you can always check SewCalGal's Giveaway and Contest page for any updates.

Fun Tutorials can be found on Cheryl's blog Polka Dots and Rick Rack.

Also check out these FREE patterns -

Wes End by Ivory Spring

Free Block pattern

FREE BOM's

And if you would like to read about 9 Free Photo Editing sites, check out Susan's post.

Soooooo.............

now to announce the winner of the My Memories Software................

Congratulations to Carline from Lady of the Cloth. I've sent you an email Carline, so please get back with me about the details.

Please remember that if you are interested in this Software, my readers are being offered a discount code. $10 off the purchase of My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software and $10 off the My Memories.com store. Use this code to receive the discount - STMMMS28559

Have a great quilting day!!

Shhhhhhh...............

2012-01-21T05:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm going to let you in on a little secret................

For years I have used Hobbs Heirloom Premium Batting for my quilts. We all have our favorites, and I've come to like this brand the best. The big "JA" fabric store used to carry it, but I no longer find it there. So I did a little shopping and found it at Michael's.

Now what we need to keep under wraps is that this same size batting at the big "JA" store can be a little pricey. I looked online and they are carrying Warm and White for $26.99 (sale price $16.19), and Warm and Natural for $34.99 (on sale for $20.99). The price at Michaels for the Hobbs Heirloom QUEEN size cotton batting is regularly $16.99 Whenever "JA" issues a 50% off coupon, I trot on down to Michaels and buy the QUEEN size batting for $8.50.

Shhhhhhh,............. you didn't hear it from me ;-)

My Memories

2012-01-19T07:15:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked to review the My Memories Software. I have done a little bit of scrapbooking over the years, but this was my first adventure into Digital scrapbooking. As I am not all that great on the computer, I found this software was very easy to use as well as being very impressed with the amount of artwork that was available. There are a lot of digital decorations and papers included in the software, and a large selection of free digital papers to access from the My Memories website. You can make scrapbook layouts, photo books, cards, videos, you name it! Plus you have the ability to add a slideshow and music.

I started playing with the designs and I came up with my own Year in Review page.

The people at My Memories have offered to give one of my readers a free downloadable copy of My Memories Software.

And as a special for all my readers, My Memories is giving us a promo code for a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store- a $20 value!

Please use this Share the Memories code :
STMMMS28559

To enter this giveaway, visit www.MyMemories.com and choose your favorite digital paper pack or layout, then come back and the tell me which one you chose.

Please be sure you include a way to be contacted. This giveaway will close on Sunday January 22 when I will use the Random Number Generator. Winner will be notified by email and announced on Monday January 23.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank My Memories for sponsoring this giveaway.

Somewhere, over the Rainbow.........

2012-01-17T05:26:00.000-08:00

Rainbow's End is an endless maze of fabric. Enough to quench any quilters appetite. My sweet hubby gave me a GIFT CERTIFICATE for my quilting adventure :-) So of course I had to head over and see what fun things there were to explore!

When you walk in you are just overtaken by the beauty of color.....

And designs at every turn......

fabric, glorious fabric..............

Beautiful samples.......

Two walls and a center section full of sale fabric!!

And this quilt really caught my eye!

And YES I did find some goodies to bring home. The pattern for the above quilt, lots of Amy Butler fabrics, a piece of Ruby to go with the charm packs I have waiting in the wings, and some red and green for a Christmas quilt I've been saving fabric for.

Thank you sweet hubby, for making my Christmas so special.

Buttons & Patches.....

2012-01-16T07:40:00.000-08:00

It's been a cold weekend here in the deep South. Time to break out the quilts and bundle up. I've been trying to organize my sewing area, so I can work on completing works in progress, and of course start on something new for the New Year :-)

And wow!! I was so impressed with all of you who entered the giveaway for the Famore 8" Fabric Shears. I would love for each one of you to try these wonderful scissors, but alas, there can only be one winner for today.

So step right up Barb from Mountain Quiltworks! The RNG picked your number this morning :-) Send me your mailing address and I will put these fabulous scissors in the mail. Be sure to stop by Barb's blog and say Hey!! She is a new blogger, and her quilts are beautiful!

And if any of you sweet peeps are interested in the Famore products, be sure to stop by Kelly's shop and take a look. What a great value for the price.

Enjoy your day!

Doll Quilt

2012-01-13T04:34:00.000-08:00

I came across a zippy bag with some Bow Tie blocks I had made. I just sewed them all together.

I've been wanting to make a red and white quilt, so the Doll Quilt is the beginning.

There's a big Red and White quilt on my bucket list :-)

Finished It Friday
Sew & Tell
Can I get a Whoop Whoop?
Little Quilt Monday
Sew Darn Crafty
Quilt Story

Famore Blog Hop

2012-01-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

How important is it to have good tools? If you were a car mechanic, you would need the right tools to be able to fix a car. Or if you are a dentist, you need quality tools to work on your patients. Just as any professional needs tools for their trade, I find that I need quality tools as a source of enjoyment and precision in my hobby.

I've had an opportunity to try one of Famore Cutlery's products. And to say that I was pleased is an understatement. Let me tell you why.

There are times when I need to cut fabrics for certain projects. For example, on this wall hanging, there are several layers of curvy fabrics.

I cut layer after layer just as smooth as glass.

I also have been creating some landscape quilts.

Using these scissors makes it a breeze to put together.

But I was most impressed when I was cutting flannel for a pair of pajamas.

I'm sure you know how frustrating it is to feel like your scissors can hardly cut. Using these Fabric shears there was no drag or pulling while cutting through two layers of flannel. The blades are so nice and sharp, I did not feel any resistance.

So the Spotlight is on the Famore 8" Bent Trimmer Fabric Shears

The makers of Famore Cutlery were kind enough to allow me to try their Fabric Shears. And they sent along another pair to give away to one of my readers.

Just leave a comment on this post by Sunday, January 15th. The Random Number Generator will choose a winner and the winner will be announced on Monday, January 16th (be sure that I have a way to contact you).

The Famore Blog Hop is going on all week and here's the list of the wonderful places you can visit to learn more about these wonderful sewing and quilting tools.

Monday Jan. 9th - www.PatsyThompsonDesigns.com

Tuesday Jan. 10th - www.GreenFairyQuilts.blogspot.com

Wednesday Jan. 11th – www.IHaveANotion.blogspot.com

Thursday Jan 12th -www.HappyCottageQuilter.blogspot.com

Friday Jan. 13th – www.SewCalGal.blogspot.com

If you would like to check out other Famore products, pop over to Kelly's store at IHAN

Catching up

2012-01-10T05:15:00.000-08:00

It's fun to get together with my quilting buddies. We have not been able to quilt in quite a few months, so when we got together over Christmas, there was some show and tell :-)

This week I am participating in an amazing blog hop. Check out Kelly's blog at "I Have A Notion" for details. You won't want to miss this one :-)

Art that makes you smile :-)

2012-01-07T04:39:00.000-08:00

What's cuter than a Snowman?

THREE!! With a body the shape of a Hershey Bar!!

Bookmark THIS LINK!

Sew Darn Crafty
Chic & Crafty Party

The Red won

2012-01-06T05:37:00.000-08:00

Remember last week when I made this mini quilt?

I was debating what color to use for the binding. Well I went with the red, and followed my quilt buddies suggestion and hung it in our breakfast area.

Finished It Friday
Sew & Tell
Little Quilt Monday

Needle a little love?

2012-01-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

This past year has been kind of busy, with new work schedules, ailing parents, out of town trips, etc...... so the sewing buddies have not been able to get together on any regular basis for quite a long time.

But it is always good to get together and reconnect, especially around the holidays.

I made these little needle books, as a "just because" gifty for them.

And I've been playing with jewelry beads too.

Cause even a pin cushion needs a little bling every once in a while :-)

Happy Quilting!

Clean slate

2012-01-04T07:07:00.000-08:00

This is what my house has looked like for the last couple of days. It sure isn't as much fun to put away Christmas as it is to put it all up.

I'm trying to keep a little sparkle in the house for the New Year

But pretty soon we will be decorating like this............

Do you decorate for all of the seasons??

There are a couple of things I want to share that I made, but I can't post them until the recipients receive them ;-)

Enjoy your day!

Party Prize

2012-01-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

After Christmas, a package arrived in the mail that came all the way from Texas!

During the Blog Hop Giveaway Party, I won a fabulous pattern and fabric from Pondering Quilting.

Patti wrote to me and said she added something extra because it was so late getting in the mail.

One thing I cannot find in our area is wool, so I was delighted to receive this beautiful wool as part of my prize.

Sometimes it's just as much fun to receive a package after Christmas :-)

Please stop by and say HI! to Patti at Pondering Quilting. Patti does beautiful machine quilting.

2011 in Review

2011-12-31T06:41:00.000-08:00

Lots of you are sharing your year in review. I am not a fast quilter, but I did complete a few projects this year.

However, I think the quilts that were the most rewarding for me were the ones completed to help others.

There were quilts for JAPAN and JOPLIN after the devastation that hit those areas.

And the most recent were sent for the Project Linus in Miami

As I look back over this past year, the post that probably meant the most to me was Welcome to my Cottage. It was my blogiversary post and giveaway. But the youtube The Power of 1 really impacted me. If you have a few minutes on New Years Day, please watch it again. Because you see, YOU are the Power of 1.

Thanks so much for all of you who follow my little blog. It is such a joy to meet each one of you as you share your life with me. I appreciate every single sweet and generous comment.

Wishing you a very Happy and Blessed New Year!

A finish for 2011

2011-12-30T04:32:00.000-08:00

I keep finding those little pieces of fabric that I've set aside to make a mini quilt. So this week I decided to get one more done before 2011 was just a memory.

You can pretty much judge the size by comparing it to the rotary cutter.

And I got a little bit brave with my machine quilting.

On opposite corners I quilted some loops. The rest of the border is stippled.

I really need to decide how to bind this. If I bind it with the darker red, I'm thinking it would really frame it in. Any suggestions?? Do you have any projects that will make it under the wire this year??

Finished It Friday
Sew Darn Crafty
Quilt Story

After Christmas sales

2011-12-29T04:35:00.000-08:00

Do you hit the stores after Christmas, looking for some fabulous sales?? We have been known to cruise through the malls, Walmart and Target, picking up half price sale items. There is an interesting article about how to repurpose some of these great bargains. Find it HERE.

Yesterday, I had to take my car in for servicing at the car dealership. It's quite a distance from home, so on the way back I made a little side trip to one of my favorite Quilt Shops in Lakeland.

I wonder if there are any treasures to be found?

One of the reasons I love the Patchwork Pig is their continual updating of samples.

Always so much inspiration.

AND.....................

there was a whole wall of sale fabric..............

for $5.00 a yard. And on the other side all of their Christmas and Halloween fabric was also on sale.

I picked up a couple of pieces to add to my stash and some yardage for backing.

Yay!! for after Christmas 1/2 price sales!!

Glimpses..........

2011-12-27T04:59:00.000-08:00

of Christmas 2011..........

There's not much buzzing going on with my sewing machine. It's been a busy season :-)

Behold

2011-12-24T15:55:00.000-08:00

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo. the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST,
AND ON EARTH PEACE,
GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN."
Luke 2:8-14

On this Christmas Day I am most thankful for the gift the Holy Child brought on that first Christmas night. May you know the One who brought this free gift.

Merry Christmas!

Do you do this??

2011-12-23T04:50:00.000-08:00

Why do I do this every year?? Down to the wire, last minute sewing...........

My biggest problem this time is that I lost the pattern. Twice!!! So I've have to make up something to get this finished.

I found this block in the latest American Patchwork and Quilting magazine, so I am going to try to see if it will work.

Sigh............. Happy Quilting ;-)

A Peek inside

2011-12-21T06:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas certainly adds a special air of magic to our home. I love the twinkling lights and the warmth of opening our home to family and friends.

Welcome to our home.

The front entry

We have a little greeter by the door

Our tree in the Living room

The Fireplace
The Formal Dining Room

Our breakfast room table and hutch, all decked out

The tree in the Family Room.

We bought this tree when our youngest was just 1 year old. So we've enjoyed this Christmas tree for 19 years. She's still beautiful and full of memories.

The Christmas Village.

This is our favorite part about the holidays. Enjoying great food, talking with friends and gathering around the fireplace singing Christmas Carols.

Enjoy your holiday week. Merry Christmas!

When in a bind............

2011-12-19T15:59:00.000-08:00

Okay this is not quilt related, but I was desperate so I thought I would share with you a little fast and easy way to make filler for a basket.

I've been making baskets for gifts and I ran out of the filler tonight. So I attempted to make my own.

I had this little basket that actually fit under the shredder.

But you could also just empty your shredder and let it fall to the bottom.

From our days of making cards, we have a Crimper.

And you know those good pieces of paper that come out of the copier and you just can't throw them away, but they won't go back through the copy machine?
Well you just run them through the crimper.

And then send it through the shredder.

YAY!!

I'm ready to fill another basket :-) This would be fun with colored paper too. And oh my, so much cheaper then the bought stuff!!

It's a winning day!

2011-12-17T08:35:00.000-08:00

The Blog Hop Party was so much fun and I have enjoyed reading all of your special comments. Finding out why you have a blog was so interesting. Some have blogs to journal about quilting. Others blog to keep up with friends and relatives. Many shared that blogging is like having a Quilt guild right at their finger tips. For those of you who said you have a blog but don't feel like they have anything to say, well you do. And we want to hear about it :-) I would suggest that you link up with a party or giveaway and you will see how many readers will find your little blog.

So today I am announcing the winner of the Blog Hop party. Mr. Random Generator selected ...

Quiltin Sandy from Sandy's Sewing Circle . She lives all the way over across the BIG pond!! Stop by and congratulate Sandy.

And you want to know a little secret?? The publishers of The Wedding Quilt sent me TWO copies of Jennifer's book. So I let Mr Generator pick another number to send the second copy to. And that winner is .............................

Jen at Papillon Playground
Jen has a new blog, so please go by and give her some bloggy love! See if you can find out who Papillon is :-)

So ladies, please send me your mailing info and I will get your packages out the first of the week. If I don't hear from you by Tuesday, I will draw another winner.

Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by and left a comment. I hope that each one of you will enjoy a very joyous and happy Christmas week.

JOY

2011-12-16T04:54:00.000-08:00

I am trying to get as much Christmas sewing done as possible. So these little quilties were next on the list.

I bought the pattern and frame at Paducah this year and was determined to make it for this Christmas.

I made one slight change to the pattern. The "O" was supposed to be an ornament hanging from the top of the "Y" but I just liked it plain. And I wasn't quite sure how much quilting to do, so it was minimal. I would love to find more patterns to use with the frame. It would be fun to change it out for different seasons.

How are you doing with your Christmas sewing??

Today is the last day to sign up for my Blog Hop Party giveaway. I finally made it through the whole list. Busy days ;-)

Finish It Up Friday
Sew Darn Crafty
Little Quilt Monday

Christmas Glow

2011-12-13T04:19:00.000-08:00

You know I think we all know we have 365 days from December 25th until the next time it rolls around again. But for some reason my projects are always heading for the finish line with a time crunch!! Do you have the same problem?? I've got two quilts that I REALLY need to get finished before the 25th, but the clock keeps ticking, and I've yet to make much of a dent in getting them completed.

I did find this little beauty tucked away.

It's called Christmas Glow by Anka's Treasures. This is what the completed top looks like.

I am determined to get this finished up and on the table before Christmas Sunday.

Okay, let's see how many things we can get up finished in 12 days :-)

Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway HERE.

O Tannenbaum

2011-12-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

Finished!! Well almost :-)

I was finishing up this wall hanging last night and I dropped the needle as I was putting the last yo-yo's and buttons on! And you know of course I could not find another needle anywhere.

I found these cute buttons last year and knew that I could use them on some project.

I will check my sewing box again and hopefully get this wall hanging up by tonight.

A big party at my house :-D

Be sure to stop by and sign up for my GIVEAWAY!!

Sew & Tell
Finish it up Friday
Finished for Friday
Occupy Your Sewing Room

Blog Hop Party and giveaway

2011-12-09T00:02:00.000-08:00

Are you ready to party?? Did you know that the Quilt Gallery is celebrating their 4th anniversary with a Blog Hop??

So today I am hosting a giveaway and I'd love for you to sign up. What am I giving away??

I was asked to review Jennifer Chiaverini's new book "The Wedding Quilt" and was given a copy to share with you. Now if you have never read any of the Elm Creek Quilts novels, this is the book for you. Let me tell you why. This book has a great story line, but it also interweaves the history of the Elm Creek Quilters and many of the previous stories are recapped throughout. It doesn't leave you guessing as to who is who, and what is what. I've read several in the series, but I've missed some, so I was able to catch up and keep going as the story unravels through the history of the Quilters. There is also a surprise at the end!

I am including a tote that I made for you to use as a book bag, or whatever you want. Just leave a comment on this post. Although it's not a requirement for entry, I would really love to know why you blog. I will close the giveaway in a week. Please be sure that I have a way to contact you if you are the winner.

Thanks so much for stopping by. And if you are a new visitor, I hope you will come back again.

Happy Quilting!

We gather together

2011-12-07T06:08:00.001-08:00

Not much stitching going on here this week. But I've already been to a Ladies Christmas party that was full of fun.

There was delicious food..........

talk and fellowship................

and some fun games.............................

Have you spent time enjoying friends this week??

Another landscape

2011-12-05T05:05:00.000-08:00

Remember when I made this landscape quilt?

When I made it, I was hoping to make a different wall hanging for each season.

As I was going through some fabric one day I came upon a piece of stormy weather fabric and one of a mountain scene. So I started playing with it, and this is where it is going.

It was so much fun, mostly because my children love to snowboard. And finding the snowboarder sealed the fate of this fabric. Maybe I can get it finished and hanging before they go snowboarding again ;-)

Fabric Tuesday

I'm a follower........ I think??

2011-12-03T04:25:00.000-08:00

Are you having difficulty with Blogger lately? I have tried and tried to add, and manage the blogs I follow but to no avail. There were a couple that I needed to delete, as they have been dormant for a while, and others that I wanted to add. But every time I think I've added someone to my list to follow, they are not there the next time I open my dashboard. The ones that I've deleted are still there!!

I went to the Blogger site, and this was the best answer that I found -

Brett from blogger

Google Employee

The Blogger Team

11/29/11

Best answer - DarkUFO (Top Contributor) Go to this answer

Really appreciate everyone's patience. We've identified the problem and hope to have the fix rolled out shortly. I'll make sure to update this thread once that happens.

-brett

You did notice the date, right? Last Tuesday. So hang on to your list to follow, and hopefully Blogger will get this tool fixed.

In the meantime, I guess I will have to keep looking around blog land. There were several new blogs that I thought I was following, and it hasn't happened :-(

Finished!

2011-12-02T05:37:00.000-08:00

The Project Linus quilts are done! Ready to be mailed.

For me, using these fabrics was a little bit of a challenge.

But the quilting part was fun. I love practicing machine quilting on charity quilts. I know they will not be judged harshly and I have more freedom to experiment with stitches.

AmyLouWho Sew and Tell
Stitching by Starlight Finished it Friday
crazymomquilts Finished It Up Friday

Score!

2011-12-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I happened to stop at a Thrift store that is on the south side of town. It turned out to be a profitable visit.

This thift store does not often have many crafty things that I can use. However, yesterday there were as many as 50 quilting books! Woo-hoo, what a party.

So I started looking through the books and came across this one.

I thought this book looked very familiar, but I did not think that I actually owned this book.
So as I am leafing through the pages I recognized many of the quilts. And now I know why.

I loved making Button Box. It was such a fun quilt.

And the Bow Tie quilt

was another fun one to make

Cracker on the other hand
did not get finished.

While making the blocks for this quilt, I remember that I had so many left over that I made another quilt and gave it away. So this portion never got finished. And not having the pattern, I forgot how to put the border on.

So the mystery of these quilts was that one of my quilting buddies had the book, and we all worked on these patterns. When I put this last one away, I did not have the instructions to complete it.

But now I own this book, along with 9 others ;-) Not a bad score for $10.

WIP

2011-11-30T05:30:00.000-08:00

I've been working on finishing up the Project Linus quilts.

All that is left is the binding at this point.

I'd love to get these in the mail by the end of the week.

What have you been working on??

W.i.P. Wednesday

Christmas Quilt Show

2011-11-28T04:27:00.000-08:00

SewCalGal is sponsoring the annual Christmas Quilt Show. It has been a fun adventure to be a part of SewCalGal's Quilt shows in the past. This year my Christmas Quilt is not exactly a traditional red and green quilt.

I was given a panel with all these little Christmas sayings. The pattern is a tumbling block.

Getting ready for the Christmas season ahead.

Let's Deck the Halls!

I hope you enjoy the Christmas Quilt Show.

Tis the Season

2011-11-26T04:50:00.000-08:00

Are you digging out your Christmas Quilts??

It's that season you know!!

To enjoy a cup of hot cocoa

and wrap yourself up in Red and Green.

It's almost time for the Christmas Quilt Show starting on Monday November 28th.

Will you be there to share the fun of the season? And show us your Christmas quilts?

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T04:32:00.000-08:00

May your day be filled with love, laughter and gratitude that brings joy to your heart.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

We have so much to be thankful for! Thank you for your sweet friendship!

Enjoy a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Welcome to the Sunshine State

2011-11-22T07:17:00.000-08:00

We have a lot of visitors that come to Florida in the winter time. Of course many of them are hitting the theme parks and the beaches. But YOU know where the quilters are going!!

Rainbow's End in Dunedin is a great place to visit. 20,000 bolts of fabric will give you an afternoon of fabric delight. So if you are near the Central Florida area, be sure to plan a trip. There are lots of restaurants in the area and it's not too far from the beaches :-)

Rainbow's End Quilt Shoppe
941 Broadway Street
Dunedin, Florida 34698
Phone: 727.733.8572

If you have any questions about other quilt shops in the area, just leave a comment and I will try to update you on which ones are still open.

Modern quilter........ME??

2011-11-21T06:21:00.000-08:00

If you have been a reader of my blog for very long, you know that I am a traditional quilter. I love Civil War fabrics, and mostly traditional patterns.

So when Pat Bravo asked for help in making Project Linus quilts, I raised my hand and she sent me a bundle of fabric scraps.

And let me tell you, they are beautiful! I just have never put together a Kaffe type color scheme before. But I am progressing.......... slowly :-)

I hope to have these finished by the end of the week. Sometimes it's good to stretch our creative brain ;-)

Are YOU ready?

2011-11-19T17:31:00.000-08:00

2012 Free Motion Quilting Challenge

Take the challenge!

I Am a Happy Blogger

2011-11-18T04:31:00.000-08:00

Someone wrote to me and asked about my little girl badge "I Am A Happy Blogger" on my sidebar. If you click on the little girl, you will be taken to Happy and Rosie Design site. She has lots of other freebies and creates blog headers.

Just thought you might like to take a peek :-)

Busy days

2011-11-16T05:32:00.000-08:00

Are your days starting to get a little busier? Is life starting to become a blur? Here we are in the the middle of November, and before you know it Christmas will be here! And can we actually be writing 2012 in just a few short weeks!! Didn't it turn the new century just a few months ago??

So before this day disappears from the calendar, here is the winner of the Beam N Read light..................

BEV C. from Western Australia

Bev C said...

Hello,

I would probably pass this onto my Mum. It would be great for her crocheting and sewing.
Thanks for the opportunity to enter.
happy days.
Bev.xoxo

November 9, 2011 4:07 AM

Bev, you now have your first Christmas gift for your Mum. I hope that she will enjoy using this light for her crafting. Check your email box, and please send me your postal information.

And because I would love for you ALL to be a winner, start your holidays off right with a BOGO offer from Starbucks!

Check it out HERE

If I haven't told you before, I am most thankful for you dear reader. I am encouraged each day when I read your comments. Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting :-)

Good Monday Morning!!

2011-11-14T07:35:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been down with the crud this past week, and I am finally feeling like I am coming out of the fog ;-) It's miserable at this time of year. In the deep south we have beautiful weather, but on the days that it is cold, it's COLD. And waxing back and forth between cold and hot can really do a number on me.

But last week I received a package in the mail. amylouwho was having an awesome little giveaway on her blog and my name was randomly picked. Do you want to know what I won??

Isn't it a beauty?? And look at the size? What a great tote for any occasion. Sara at Sew Sweetness makes the most amazing bags! I absolutely love the colors she chose for this bag. And it even has leather handles.

And one more package that arrived this week.

Do you know Pat Bravo of Art Gallery Fabrics? She sent out a request for a Project Linus quilt and sent me these amazing scraps. So now the brain cells have to come up with a quilt pattern for a little child who is in need of a bit of quilty love.

Here is Project Linus mission statement -
Project Linus is comprised of hundreds of local chapters and thousands of volunteers across the United States. Each volunteer and local chapter all work together to help us achieve our mission which is to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer "blanketeers."

Together we have distributed over three million blankets to children in need since our inception in 1995.

Please remember this is the last day to sign up for the Pre-Holiday Beam N Read giveaway. Go HERE to sign up.

I hope you are having a Happy Quilting day!

Mini Quilt

2011-11-11T07:30:00.000-08:00

Amylouwho is hosting a fun Mini Quilt Challenge for her Sew & Tell blog party. Now I have to admit that making mini quilts is fun, but sometimes I'm not really sure how to use my mini's. I've made mug rugs, and little table toppers before, and I suppose a mini quilt can be used for that purpose as well. What I think would be really cool is to have a wall to display different mini quilts. I absolutely hate to throw away scraps from other quilting projects. So this little mini was born from the snipped away triangles of a Schnibbles pattern I was working on. They were all sitting nice and patiently in a little zippy bag.

So here is my Mini Quilt.

You can judge the size as it sits next to my cup of tea and my cell phone.

I hope you will visit the other creative Mini Quilts posted today.

Linking up with Sew Darn Crafty , Little Quilt Monday
Tea Rose Link Party
Finish It Up Friday

The Face of Quilting

2011-11-10T08:00:00.001-08:00

I recently read a blog post on Cat Patches about The Face of Quilting. It appears that there is a misconception about quilters in general. It's an old ladies hobby. Doesn't that bring to mind old polyester quilts hanging on the line in the mountains?? Jennifer at Sewhooked challenged us to share our take on Quilting in 2011.

When I was in High School I learned to sew in my Home Ec class. No one in my family sewed. I started out making garments and a few little crafts. But after my son was born 26 years ago, I took a quilting class at a local craft store. Now in those days we used scissors and templates to make our blocks. At the end of the several weeks, working on Sampler blocks, our teacher took out a gizmo that looked like a pizza cutter. She told us it was the newest cutting tool. Of course we all thought what could be better then scissors! Boy was I wrong.

About that same time, my sister in love took a class at a LQS using the then new Eleanor Burns Quilt in a Day method. And of course she taught me the fun and quick way to put a quilt together. This is the first quilt I made using Eleanor Burns method.

I never did put together the Sampler blocks I made in my first class :-(

I am a simple quilter. And after teaching my children for 24 years, I am now back to the craft that I love. The things that I enjoy the most is quilting, reading, photography, collecting vintage glassware and teacups. I am one of the Faces of Quilting.

How about you??

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T14:04:00.001-08:00

100 Blocks Blog Tour

2011-11-08T04:56:00.000-08:00

Join in on the fun. Visit Quiltmakers 100 Blocks Blog Tour.

Pre-Holiday Gift Giveaway

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Last summer I was privileged to host a giveaway for a Beam N Read personal light. The Beam N Read light is a great tool for sewing, quilting or reading. This light has proved to be an excellent aid for those with low vision.

As we are starting to get ready for the Christmas season, a time when we share from our hearts and think of others, Beam N Read wants to help you get a head start for Christmas! They've created a fun Pre-Holiday Gift Giveaway campaign.

To enter this giveaway for a Beam N Read LED6 personal light, leave a comment on this post telling me who you would like to give an LED6 personal light to and why. Just let me know if it's your Mom, Grandpa, your child's teacher, or maybe an organization like a Senior Citizen center, a hospital, or your local library. I'd really like to know who would benefit from this gift.

This giveaway will be open until Monday 11/14, when a winner will be chosen. Please be sure I have a way to contact you. If your settings do not allow me to reply to contact you, leave your email address embedded in your comment.

Here is the list of the blogs hosting this generous giveaway.

Cotton and Chocolate, November 7 to 13
Happy Cottage Quilter, November 7 to 14
Patsy Thompson Designs, November 8 to 22
I Have A Notion, November 14 to 21
Sew I Quilt, November 21 to 30

** If you would like to purchase a Beam N Read light, you will find it available at I Have A Notion. Kelly always has service with a smile :-)

Just a Little Reminder

2011-11-05T13:47:00.000-07:00

For those of us who enjoy that extra hour of daylight, don't forget to change your clocks tonight :-) If you'd like to read more about it, check out this post - Prepare to turn back the clocks.

Have a glorious weekend!

Sew & Tell

2011-11-04T07:58:00.000-07:00

Sew & Tell Friday

My Sew & Tell is not finished, but will be by this weekend.

I've been working on this quilt for a Baby shower next week and I used a Moda Bake Shop pattern.

Baby Lattice Quilt

It went together easily, but being the first time making this pattern, I had to think it through and make sure I was lining everything up.

What have you been working on this week??

WIP's

2011-11-03T07:14:00.001-07:00

Tick, tick, tick................

I'm working on getting this baby quilt finished for a Shower next week! This is Amy Smart's Moda Bake Shop pattern Baby Lattice Quilt.

And what am I doing with these??

Pop over to Amy Lou Who's blog and read about her Mini Quilt challenge!

Will wonders never cease..........

2011-11-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

Last week I was shopping at our local Super Walmart when I happened to notice something.

I'm not sure if you can read the sign, but it says FABRIC!!!! Whaaaattttt?????

Our Super Walmart had done away with their fabric section and most all of their sewing supplies. But they're back!!!

I asked the girl at the cutting table when did they put the fabric back in the store. She said about 8 weeks ago! Well that explains it. You see I never go to the back of the store anymore, well, because there is no reason to. The girl said that a lot of people complained. So it's back. I don't buy a lot of fabric from Walmart, but I do sometimes pick up sewing notions, ribbons, buttons and such. However, their fabric was nice. Not a huge selection, but it felt really good. Good enough for me to pick up a couple of pieces :-)

You know you can never have enough polka dots!

And one other little tidbit. As I was talking with my BFF recently, I mentioned that I had used my JoAnn's 50% off coupon at Michael's. She did not know that you could do that. Now I'm not sure if applies to all areas, but Michael's will honor JoAnn's coupons, and JoAnn's will honor Michael's coupons on items they both carry. So check it out!! You may find that those hot little 50% coupons will come in handy one day.

Sweet Goodness

2011-10-31T04:20:00.000-07:00

My daughter makes this yummy dessert recipe. With the holidays very soon upon us, this is one recipe you will want to try. This is almost like a pumpkin pie cobbler. Serve it warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Ingredients:
2 (15 oz) can canned pumpkin puree
1 (12 fluid oz) can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 (18.25 oz) package yellow cake mix
3/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease one 9 x 13 pan
2 In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture. Melt butter and drizzle over the cake mix. Sprinkle nuts over the top.
4. Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until done.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Joining Karen at Sew Darn Crafty

the Homestead Barn Hop

Share the Love Wednesday

How could I forget to show you the Polka Dots??

2011-10-30T12:48:00.001-07:00

I realized after I had posted my picture of Madeline for the Bloggers Quilt Festival that I left off a picture of the full quilt.

I love the polka dot binding. (click on picture for a better look)

And Madeline is residing in the Living Room on the sofa.

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend.

My Madeline

2011-10-28T04:10:00.000-07:00

In the spring of 2009, I participated in the first Bloggers' Quilt Festival, hosted by Amy's Creative Side. It's become a tradition to enter a quilt among the hundreds of other amazing entries. While the Quilting World is at Quilt Market, Amy gave us a way to enjoy a few days of quilt gazing. I also want to thank crazyMomquilts Amanda Jean for her Finish It Up Friday challenge and the incentive to "Get them done!"

This Schnibbles pattern was one I made and never quilted. So this week my goal was to quilt Madeline, and finish this quilt.

I don't like to mark my quilts, so I do most of my quilting with a walking foot.

Quilt Festival

Finish It Up Friday

Quiltstory Fabric Tuesday

Bloggers Quilt Festival

2011-10-27T07:16:00.001-07:00

You know what's coming tomorrow??

Bloggers Quilt Festival

I don't think you'll want to miss this semi-annual event. It's a great way to meet up with old friends and find new blogs along the way.

I'm sorry............

2011-10-26T05:01:00.000-07:00

but I'm just not ready for this!

Are you??

Irons

2011-10-25T04:44:00.000-07:00

Irons have become the subject of much controversy, and in some cases fury. So what can I add that would be of any help??

I think a lot of us have enjoyed a little bit of happy days with an Iron at some point in our lives. Whether it was an old relic

or a fancy new model

which ever Iron has crossed your path, as quilters we've found the need for our Iron of choice to be dependable.

I came across an article in a recent Machine Quilting Unlimited magazine that I thought was worth sharing. It was an Iron Buyers Guide, and while I cannot copy the whole article (I'm sure you can obtain a copy of the Sept/Oct 2001 issue), the subject of water leakage jumped out at me.

Did you know that the most common cause of water leakage is not allowing the iron to heat up fully before use? I know sometimes it is difficult to wait, but don't start pressing until you are sure the iron is hot and the reservoir has built up a head of steam. Also, turn the steam button to OFF when refilling. If it is on, the iron will try to create steam immediately and the cold water will cause leakage.

The article was very informative and well written. The author was Vicki Anderson. There were several irons featured that were steam, dry and craft irons.

As for my own iron, I chose to never put water in my iron. I keep a spray bottle by my ironing board and just spritz whenever I need it. Whether quilting or pressing clothes, I give my iron a pretty good workout and I've been very happy with the results. So much so, that my iron has lasted over 10 years.

I learned a lot from the Iron Buyers Guide. Reliability, longevity and consistent heat are some of the key factors to choosing an iron. I hope you find an iron that fulfills your ironing needs.

Christmas Quilt Show

2011-10-24T05:55:00.000-07:00

Do you remember a couple of months ago when SewCalGal had a very fun Pets on Quilts show?? Well Darlene is hosting another great Quilt show, but this time it's for Christmas quilts!!

And there are prizes!! From Fat Quarter Quilt Shop, Martingale & Company, Patrick Lose Studios and more!! Go HERE to find out all about it.

Come on, dig out those Christmas quilts, or get your ufo's finished up. SewCalGal always has such a great showing and I want to see ALL of your Christmas goodies :-)

Christmas is coming???

2011-10-22T05:07:00.000-07:00

It looks like Christmas is coming, whether I am ready or not. Do you feel more pressure to get things done when you realize that Christmas is only 9 weeks away??

I'm trying to get my ducks in a row and work on things that are to be Christmas gifts.

I wish you could see the black blender fabric on this quilt. It looks like lace and looks very pretty with this rose fabric.

I plan to use black batting to keep the unity of the quilt in case of bearding.

We've had a little bit of a cold snap here. Down in the 50's in the evenings. We even had a leaf or two that showed a little bit of color.

But we are still surrounded with this -

It's got to get a lot colder before we lose these pretties.

Landscape quilt

2011-10-21T04:53:00.000-07:00

Last year when I had a back injury, Kelly from I Have A Notion sent me a very cute Landscape pattern with some coordinating fabric. As I could not do much quilting, it was a good project for me to work on as I felt up to it.

Fast forward to last week when my BFF was visiting. I showed her the top that I made. She challenged me to finish the little quilt. So I dug out the threads

and started machine quilting the details of the Landscape.

I now have a completed Fall landscape quilt hanging on the wall.

I would love to make one for Spring and Summer to change out with the seasons.

Finish Up Friday

Sew and Tell

Finished it Friday

Sew Darn Crafty

Try it on Tuesday

Cutting and Sewing

2011-10-20T04:37:00.000-07:00

When you enter a quilt shop that has so many beautiful fabrics, it is pretty near impossible to leave without bringing something home with you.

My BFF was able to cut out Just Can't Cut It and sew, sew, sew............

And I was able to finish a Baby quilt that was destined to be a gift this week.

My BFF has returned to the cold north, but we so enjoyed our few days of girlfriend time.

Let's keep cutting and sewing :-)

Crafty Threads

2011-10-19T05:15:00.000-07:00

It's always fun to have a visit with my BFF, even if it's only for a few days. This also gave me a wonderful reason to take her to a new Quilt Shop in our area.

Crafty Threads is one of the friendliest Quilts Shops I have ever been to. They are always so helpful and it feels like you are visiting with old friends.

It's been a couple of months since I've been in the shop and they are packed to the gills with fabric, patterns, and lots of samples.

Some fun things in the classroom -

And of course when we left there, we came right home and started cutting and sewing ;-) Yep it was a fun day.

Not a quilt post, but........

2011-10-18T04:48:00.000-07:00

I am back from Girlfriend land :-) How fun it is to have time to spend with your BFF, especially when she lives over 1000 miles away. It's just sad that we did not have more days to spend together.

Just a glimpse of our fun time together -

I drove down to Naples to pick her up from her parents condo.

There is such a beautiful view of the woods from the condo.

My friends sweet Mom took us all out to a delightful English Tea room.

How fun to enjoy a girly Tea/Lunch in such a beautiful place.

And then we headed north, but you know what?? It did not take nearly as long for us to drive back as it did for me to drive down. I wonder why that is???

Aside from the time we had to catch up, we carved out a little time to visit one of my favorite Quilt shops. But I'll save that for the next post :-)

Enjoy your quilting day :-D

Tide, anyone??

2011-10-15T04:38:00.000-07:00

Okay don't laugh! But this is what happens when my BFF comes to visit. We just get engrossed in what we are doing and before you know it, well, we are laughing so hard it makes my sides and face hurt. Have you ever done that with your BFF?? I hope you have a friend like that. Mine is coming to visit today :-)

I'll keep you posted.

Little Miss Kenmore

2011-10-14T04:54:00.000-07:00

I've shared with you about my little Featherweight sewing machine and how she came to live with me. This week, as I was working on a little flannel baby quilt, I wanted to share with your about another little work horse.

Little Miss Kenmore has a story of her own.

When my children were still very little, there was not much time for sewing quilts or anything else. But when I started quilting, I was sewing on a Singer Stylist machine I had bought when I graduated from High School. The Singer was always a little difficult and gave me so many hours of trouble, that it just wasn't worth my time using it. Whenever the repair man was called, the machine always seemed to have a problem with one of two parts, which the repair man told me were the only plastic parts in the whole machine. So when I started quilting I ached for another machine that would be more user friendly.

As we were leaving church one Sunday morning, my children and I were talking about sewing, and I mentioned that the only way that I could get a new machine is if the Lord would bring it to me. So to my surprise, one of the older ladies from our church called me that week and offered me her sewing machine. She had bought a new one, and as her own daughter did not need one, she wondered if I would like to have it. BOY would I!!! Apparently she had overheard us talking as we were leaving the building on Sunday and knew that I could use her machine.

Little Miss Kenmore has sewn miles and miles for me. She has never needed repair, and has always been ready on the spot whenever I needed her. When my hubby bought the Bernina for me 8 years ago, Little Miss Kenmore went into retirement. I had her serviced and cleaned so she would be nice and clean. I've used her a few times, like this week when I am sewing with flannel, and other times when she was more accessible then the Big Baby Bernina. Little Miss Kenmore has been a faithful and loyal servant for my sewing needs. As a matter of fact, I loved her so much that I bought another Kenmore for my daughter when I found one at the Thrift store for $20. It's always good to have a dependable back up machine.

Do you have more then one sewing machine?? Do you have a story to share??

Singer 160th Anniversary

2011-10-12T04:55:00.000-07:00

The Singer website takes the serial number from your pre-1970 Singer Machines and produces a certificate for you to print. Your Singer sewing machine has a story to tell!

Here's my little gal

and she was born in 1940! And you can find MY story HERE.

Go HERE to share your Singer story and download your certificate :-)

Fall Leaf Garland

2011-10-10T05:05:00.000-07:00

I love using my Shape Cut slotted ruler. It makes cutting much more accurate (at least for me) plus I can make several cuts at one time.

So I decided to make a Fall Leaf Garland. And thought I'd share with you how I made it.

The first thing I did was cut two WOF by 4" to make my own binding type string.

I sewed the two pieces together then ironed them in half, folded them onto themselves...

and fold again to sew. I used a zig zag stitch.

I traced around a leaf to use as a pattern.

And you know those left over pieces of batting?

They will work perfectly for this garland.

Cut 6" x 11 1/2" from several different pieces of fall fabric.

Fold the fabric in half, pin your pattern on the TOP piece of fabric,

and be sure that your stem is on the fold.

Cut around the TOP piece of fabric only. Then place your batting in between the folded fabric, and sure that your string is at the top of fold.....

(showing the piece of fabric for the free form leaf)

Pin.

Sew around the edges of the sandwiched leaf.

Now cut around the edges of the leaf.

I made a short youtube on making a free form leaf.

I know this is probably a pretty basic way to do this, but I wanted to show you how I made the free form leaf and how it is attached to the string. Making it two sided allows you to use the garland where both sides are finished.

And here is the garland, decorating my mantle.

Thanks for taking the time to view this little tutorial.

Linking up with Finished it Friday

Red and White Quilts

2011-10-08T13:46:00.001-07:00

Remember the magnificent Red and White Quilt show in New York City just a few months ago??

Take a look at the Temicula Quilt Co blog for a beautiful quilt show in a Quilt Shop.

Can't get enough Red and White quilts :-)

From across the Big Pond

2011-10-07T06:05:00.000-07:00

Sue Abrey has a new book published called Pick Four. I hopped along the blog hop and recently was awarded a copy of Sue's book. So you can imagine my excitement when a package arrived at my doorstep all the way from the UK!

With a lovely inscription -

And one thing I immediately liked about this quilt book is the color options. I always struggle with picking colors for a new quilt, and seeing the quilt made up in different color ways is such a huge help for me.

Thanks Sue! I know I am going to enjoy making these quilts!

I'm dreaming of a..............

2011-10-06T04:41:00.000-07:00

........... PINK Christmas!

A gift made for a dear friend :-)
(Sorry the pictures are so shadowy)

79 days til Christmas!

Linking up with Sew Darn Crafty

Finish Up Friday

Sew and Tell

How To Blog - UPDATE

2011-10-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

How about that title?? You know how to blog, right?? I mean you are blogging!!!!

I think we all want to have blogs where people feel welcome and at home. Where they want to come back and visit again.

I came across a wonderful tutorial called How To Blog by Cindy Adkins. She is the hostess of Whimsical Musings. And even if you know How to Blog, Cindy has some wonderful insights about blogging. Little hints and tutorials that are most helpful.

Here is the link for her FREE online classes - HOW TO BLOG.

Cindy also hosts Whimsical Musings Magazine, where she shares lots of tutorials and how-to's.

Hop over and see for yourself. If you find something new and helpful, can you come back and share with me what you learned??

Happy Blogging :-)

UPDATE!!!!

You can now have a certificate of completion of Blogging 101 at Whimsical Musings!!

Stop by and pick up your graduation certificate :-)

Believe me I still have a lot to learn about blogging, but Cindy has made this so much fun!!

Good Monday Morning and Winners!!!

2011-10-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

What can I say?? September was a great month! It was fun reading all of the comments as you celebrated National Sewing month with me. With almost 500 comments for the 4 giveaways, I could not send a personal reply to each of you. But please know that I am thankful for all of your comments and participation.

I used a new Random Generator this time - Truly Random Number Generator

And so, now on to the winners -

Week 1 - Sandi at crazy'boutquilts

Week 2 - KOcanQuilt

Week 3 - Pat at Sunlight Through My Windows

Week 4 - regan at Floating on a Quilted Cloud

Congratulations ladies! Thanks for following along. Look for an email in your box. Please send me your mailing information and I will get these prizes out in the next few days.

Thanks again for stopping by and sharing this fun month with me. Have a happy quilting day!

Where did the year go??

2011-10-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it's October already? Where did the year go?? I know many of you have been so productive this past year. I can't say that I've gotten a lot accomplished this year, but it has been so enjoyable to read and see what everyone out there in blog land has been doing. There are so many talented, creative and giving people, who share their creativity with all of us. It absolutely amazes me whenever I open my google reader. I just wanted to say thank you to all of you, for sharing your time, your talent and your words of encouragement.

So we welcome October as the weather starts to cool, the seasons start to change, and we are heading right smack dap into the holidays! Guess I better get busy :-) How about you??

Happy Quilting!

The last Giveaway

2011-09-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

Have you been enjoying your September?? Has the weather cooled any in your area?? I think it s pretty amazing that September is National Sewing Month. Did you know there is a whole website about it?? You can find it HERE.

The observance of National Sewing Month began in 1982 with a proclamation from President Ronald Reagan declaring September as National Sewing Month “In recognition of the importance of home sewing to our Nation.” YAY!!

So this month I've been celebrating with you by having a little giveaway every Friday. And today is the LAST day of September.

So what am I giving away today??

I've been having so much fun using my Shape Cut slotted ruler that I've cut up 40 5" charms for you.

And for you to use the 5" charms, I'm including a Granny's Flower Patch Charm Template and a Pyramid Charm Template, some matching thread, 3/4 yard of coordinating fabric, quilters pins and a very cute little tin to put them in.

So what do you have to do to enter?? Just leave a comment on this post. If you are one of my sweet followers, YOU get another entry by leaving second comment. If you have not signed up for my other giveaways, you can check them out -

HERE,

HERE, and

HERE.

I'm going to leave the giveaways open until Sunday October 2nd, and will announce the winners on Monday. Please be sure that I have a way to contact you.

And thanks SO much for celebrating with me. It's been a fun month!!!

In the works

2011-09-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

Another sweet little baby quilt -

And a little bit of Peppermint twist :-)

Be sure to check back tomorrow for the final September Giveaway :-)

Happy Quilting!

A Blushing Birthday!

2011-09-27T03:09:00.000-07:00

There is one special lady who is celebrating a birthday today!!

Stop by Blushing Rose and wish Marydon a Happy Birthday. Marydon is such a sweet gal and is always thinking of others. Let's help make this day extra special for her.

Happy Birthday Marydon!

Happy Cottage Quilter

Sew & Tell

Sometimes..........

The results

Designs and creativity

How many letters do you really need???

Leap Day Giveaway

Taking a Leap

Knit to the end............

A little experiment

Keep them coming

2012 Golden Quilters Awards

Repurposed

It's a magical place

Tell me........

A Valentine for You

Pretty in Pink

Being Versatile

SEW-per Bowl

Pretty Little Flowers

Please tell me

More scraps!

A Night Run at Snowshoe

SHARE

How DO you do it!!!

Lot's of stuff........... and a winner!

Shhhhhhh...............

My Memories

Somewhere, over the Rainbow.........

Buttons & Patches.....

Doll Quilt

Famore Blog Hop

Catching up

Art that makes you smile :-)

The Red won

Needle a little love?

Clean slate

Party Prize

2011 in Review

A finish for 2011

After Christmas sales

Glimpses..........

Behold

Do you do this??

A Peek inside

When in a bind............

It's a winning day!

JOY

Christmas Glow

O Tannenbaum

Blog Hop Party and giveaway

We gather together

Another landscape

I'm a follower........ I think??

Finished!

Score!

WIP

Christmas Quilt Show

Tis the Season

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

Welcome to the Sunshine State

Modern quilter........ME??

Are YOU ready?

I Am a Happy Blogger

Busy days

Good Monday Morning!!

Mini Quilt

The Face of Quilting

Wordless Wednesday

100 Blocks Blog Tour

Pre-Holiday Gift Giveaway

Just a Little Reminder

Sew & Tell

WIP's

Will wonders never cease..........

Sweet Goodness

How could I forget to show you the Polka Dots??

My Madeline

Bloggers Quilt Festival