Our Spring Break trip to the Dells

I can hardly remember this trip, but in the early Spring the girls and I spent a few days in the Dells. Not wanting to swim or do the usual things the Dells offers, we ventured off to Madison for a quick college tour for Laina. On the way home, I saw a sign for QUILTS! and found this charmer tucked into a lazy town. I can't remember the town or the name of the shop, but I do know I bought a pattern (yes, an actual pattern!) for a set of Christmas Mini Quilts - and I mean mini. These things are ornamental. We'll see if my man hands can get something so tiny under the presser foot. 

 

 Then before we hit town, the girls noticed an Antique Mall. They'd never been tempted by this before but we ended up having the time of our lives there. Many items were things 6+6 (that's code for G+G, Grandparents) had at the farm or things I remember from my childhood. Things like a rotary phone or egg beaters. LOL. Hidden away I uncovered these gems. Ten hand-sewn Grandmother's gardens in original feed sack cloth! I have a quilt design in mind already and am thinking February might be the month for that. I had to purchase some 30's repro's and some aqua yardage, but now I'm set.

 Late Spring, I got the urge to try slice and dice on this kitchen runner. You can't see it but the white backgrounds are all different prints.

Not sure why I wasted my favorite Boho Chic on the back!

I ended up quilting it with a 3-stitch zig-zag and binding it with the dark charcoal. We've had it in the kitchen all summer with those three vases. I like how the unquilted colors pop out of it.

The yellow butter crock goes nicely, too!

Has it really been 6 months?

All kinds of clichés are swimming around in my mind. 'Where'd the summer go?' 'I just blinked and it was fall!' and my new excuse 'I only blog in the winter'. So by that standard, I'm actually signing on a little early. See how I can rationalize anything?

Now let's get caught up. I've completed a few things, although not as many as one would expect. But in my defense, we've been doing just what you should do in the summer months. I turned my garage into a paint studio and chalked painted my bedroom furniture. I still have a few things on deck, but I've moved the studio back inside. Also, we traveled some, biked and hiked, entertained numerous relatives, and had a very interesting time transforming one 80s style bedroom into a Pinterest-worthy sleep haven! Oh, let's not forget that the adjoining bathroom got a make-over as well.

Now for some pics. The first thing I've very excited about is something that I started almost a year ago and ironically was featured in my last post in March (I should get a special award for the use of ironically as a pun - gotta be the first time ever!). It's my iron caddy - finally finished!

Original pattern, Notting Hill Fabric Collection by Joel Dewberry

Heat-resistant liner! No waiting for that iron to cool off!
And a zip pocket for the accessories.

Hmm, what else can I show...
Back in July, I sewed this casserole carrier for my nephew's bride to be. Ages ago - like 30 years - my sister-in-laws mother sewed me one of these for my bridal shower and I still use it today. It fits the most awkward shapes and will keep things hot or cold. So, in honor of a great lady, Leanna, I made one for the gal who is going to be the great-daughter-in-law to the same lady!
You start with two large quilted circles, then cut the middle circle out and a slit to the side. You'll want to use double-folded binding for the edges. Then sew it together and topstitch the outer edge to catch the seam inside. Easy!

 Oh, don't forget to make straps! The last step is to thread a string through the inner casing.

And maybe one more before the next post -
The silly chicken is a pot holder!

 It has heat-resistant batting inside for safety, of-course.

Get up lazy chicken and grab that pot!

Doesn't this chickie look great on that pot handle? This was gifted to my Mom for her July 4th birthday. Not telling what date the chick actually arrived.

"Cluck cluck".

Don't be fooled by the innocent look on this chick's face. These fowl are not for the meek at heart. Several times I put chick back in her cage for a much needed break. If only these adorable chicks hatched from an egg like the real deal!

WIP Wednesday

Hello Everyone!

I just realized it's Wednesday. Here's a few projects that are in process.

 

When you buy a $200 dry steam iron you must sew an Elizabeth Hartman quilted tote. Pretty sure this is the 'quilters motto'. Fabric is Notting Hill.

 

 My friend, Tori, inspired me to work on these tiny paper-pieced tulips. The fabric is Priory Square from Katy Jones. It'll be a spring wall quilt. Not saying which spring ;).

 

 And my impromptu baby quilt. Making double HSTs can be rewarding and fun as long as you remember that out of each set comes a righty and a lefty.

 Instead of the tradional 9 patch block, I decided to sew these guys in strips. Currently, I'm 3 strips in and realized that I've ironed the seams all the same direction. Naturally, I will correct this so the cross seams nestle all snug as a bug-like. The charm pack is Fresh Cut. Moda.

Sewn Together - Spring Madness

Hello!
I'll let the captions carry the blog this time. Feeling lazy :).



Tori's proving that it isn't just Basketball that is madness!
The blocks are tiny but the end result is enormously
AWESOME!

Tori's mom, Barbara, is on the same quest. She's channeling her inner
Monet with these soft hues.

Sue completed her first ever quilt top!! The task was made easy with
expert instructor Sarah at beck and call.

Sarah continued with her Women of the Bible blocks and also brought
this amazing tea cozy for show and tell. Those flower blocks also
qualify for spring madness in my book!



I worked on three WIPs. My sister and I are sewing Elizabeth Hartmann
Totes which has been known to bring us to use choice words. Thankfully,
my phone autocorrects! LOL. As Tori, pointed out, 'it's nice to have a
Christian phone!' My second project was a quick slice and dice runner.
And the third is an impromptu baby quilt made from Fresh Cut Charm
Pack and a pattern inspired from Pinterest.

Last, but never least, Sarah's mom (Linda) saved us from our quiltling
madness by correcting mis-stitches, humor, and stories galore from
Quilt of Valor trips! Love her!

Laina's new pencil case

 

After using her other quilted pencil case for over a year, Laina requested a replacement. In fact, she bugged me about it for many months. It was never clear to me what exactly she wanted, but she finally rummaged through my stash and came up with some pieces of a mini charm pack. After I sewed these into a front and back with linen, they were rejected and a new design emerged. And isn't that the case sometimes? You just don't know what you want until you see the wrong thing in progress!

Vintage Vogue and Kona solids.

 The new fabrics are much more colorful and fresh looking. She's always loved blue, and now she loves it with red. Go figure. Also on her mind where the fancy stitches my machine does. We had used these for Kelly's Kindle case, so naturally what big sis has, Laina must have! She did some trials at the machine herself and came up with the Greek key design. I love how it adds just that extra oomph to the design. I top-stitched the quilting.

The lining is a grey mosaic print.

Which Came First?

Last weekend was our third gathering of the COH sewers and Julie opened the night with the question, "Which came first, the quilt or the chicken?" Puzzled, we waited while she opened an egg carton containing the most intricately designed eggs on the face of the planet.

 

Ukrainian Easter Eggs by Julie

I've seen these before but I never knew what they were called or that it was possible to make them. But we learned that indeed this is one of those rare family traditions that get passed down and live through ambitious types like Julie. She explained the process, which involves a kistka - a tool for applying a fine line of wax - and a whole lot of patience. Layer after layer of wax and dye is put on and then the eggs are warmed to allow the wax to melt off. Eggs can dry over the course of years and a hard yoke will be heard rolling around inside. Those of us going through menopause can relate to this... LOL. I can write that because the three people that read my blog will laugh hysterically. Right, Tori, Pam, and Sarah?

The quilt part comes into play within their designs. Very quilt-like. So which do you think came first? We all know it's quilts, so let's get back on topic.

Pam arrived with wonderful show and tell items. This red quilt is a Block of the Month stunner.

The binding is ingeniously sewn from two prints so the prints/color matches each side. You learn something new every month! Thanks for bringing it, Pam! She also showed off these colorful blocks, claiming they weren't as hard as they look. Yeah right, Pam!

 

Regretfully, I failed at my photo-journalism job and missed getting photos of Marcia's quilts. But, trust me, they were fabulous! Nobody meanders like Rod!
Tori was there editing graduation photos for Ashley's big day. A little worn out, she left her sewing for another time. We all have days like that. Hope the cheery Tori is back to normal by now!
Also in attendance was Sue, a newbie with a baby quilt kit that had been floating around her house for years. Sarah helped her decipher the instructions and she made good progress.
Here's a shot of Sarah and her latest endeavor. I can't remember the official name but it's a basket weave block for sure.

Sarah wins the award for Miss Photogenic!

And I toiled away on the Peace and Comfort charity quilt. All the red and blue strips are done. I just need a bit more fabric for the background and a border. Stay tuned.

Original design made with Red, White, and Free
from Sandy Gervais. Purchased from Bloomerie.com
Do you see the friendship stars?

Valentine's Day Quilt

It's T-2 days to Valentine's Day. Are you ready?

When I first started buying quilt fabric I snagged this pre-cut from Faye's, the only shop for 50 miles of my folk's farm in Mayville, ND. It was a 'slice', not a charm pack. I was very unfamiliar with what this could be used for but it was on sale, so in the name of thriftiness I purchased it. The collection is L'amore from Sandy Gervais. Obviously, it's only use is for Valentine's Day. After scanning Pinterest for the easiest HST design, I found a design with the white heart and added my own fly away pieces. I think it turned out pretty cute. The quilting in the heart is meandering and the rest is straight diagonal lines. The backing is red minky, but not ordinary red minky. In this version the dots are shaped like hearts! How perfect is that? I'm hoping this goes to someone needing a special gift for their sweetie or an adorable little girl. It won't be on Etsy until next year, so email me directly if interested.