Newest Quilt!

Here it is.  I love this quilt.  It is called "Aunt Grace's Garden Party".  It is 77 x 83, so it would look good on a big wall.   It does have a lot of reds, blues and yellows.  Which are the colors I love.

 What drew me to this quilt, is the basket block.  I used to make baskets and sell them, so any quilt that has a basket block, I'm there.

The wind came up just in time.  The back is a floral print.  I made this as a block of the month at American Quilting.  It lasted for 6 months.  I love it.  I am working on a Halloween quilt now, (like I need another one) but I will post it when I get it done. Pin It

My first tutorial!

Ok.  So I know it has been awhile since my last post.  July was very busy with family, family reunion and more family.  Which is a good thing.  So I thought I would do a tutorial.  This is very easy.  I promise.

So here goes.  This is a portable ironing table that is made out of a TV tray.  Go to  Target or another store and buy one or maybe you already have one.  The one at Target is a little bit bigger, but not by much.  Also you will need Insul-Bright, staple gun, and your choice of fabric.  A fat quarter will work.

As you can see after much use and an iron that was leaking,it was time to recover.  So this is the before picture.  Not very cute.  So let's make it cuter.

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Here are two quilts I have been working on.  This first one was a block of the week that I did from Corn Wagon Quilts.  It took five weeks.  Each week I would pick up the next block.  Was real easy and fast.  Love the cake block, because of the pinwheels.  Everything in the quilt just screams summer and all  that goes with it.  This is a KimberBell pattern.  They have some cute patterns.  Check them out.

This quilt is called, "Flag of Valor", By Minick and Simpson.
Was fun to make.  I think this is all for now with my patriotic quilts.  I do love making them. Pin It

I love Patriotic Quilts!

 Can you feel that I love Patriotic quilts?  Of course anything that has red in it, I'm there.  This quilt was a Saturday sampler I did 3 years ago (I think) from American Quilting.  One of my favorites.  Don't look at the mistake.  I think everyone of my quilts has a hiccup in it. Oh well. That is what makes them unique.

 This one is from a book called, "Women of Grace & Charm".  A quilting tribute to the Women who served in WWII.  By Barb Adams and Alma Allen.  Has a lot of stories.  Good reading, and some beautiful quilts.

 I had fun making this one.  The pattern is from "Simple Choices", by Abbey Lane Quilts.  I love doing log cabin, so this is called a "wonky" log cabin.  I decided to do circles with a star on top.  They have frayed edges.  Making this quilt went pretty fast.
The picture below shows the block.

 This quilt was a kit that I picked up in Tucson, Az., when I was there last summer.  Yes I am originally from Tucson, was there visiting family.  I think it screams summer.  It was very quick and easy.

 I saw this wreath on Pintrest.  My daughter Brooke had pinned it.  I knew I had to make it.  Put my own spin on it.  The flowers are easy to make.  Maybe I will do a tutorial on them.  The wreath form is made out of a pool noodle.  Go figure!  Find the instructions here at Fox Hollow Cottage.

Well that's it for now.  Working on another Patriotic quilt.  Will show it soon. Pin It

 It has been a couple of weeks since my last post, so here is the reason why.  Grandbaby #8!
Nathan Cade Thompson.  He is just cute!  What else can I say.  Want to kiss his face off.  He is almost 6 weeks.  And he has dimples.  We don't know where those come from.  But who cares.  He lives in Manhatten, Kansas, with his 4 siblings and mom and dad.

 I took some projects with me to work on.  This quilt I made before I left, so all I had to do was sew the binding on.  Not one of my favorite things to with quilts, but it has to be done.  Was a very quick and easy quilt to make.

This is Paige.  She had a birthday on April 21st.  A special day for her.  She turned 8.  This dress I made for a class I taught, so I am glad to finally see her wear it.

 This is Makayle.  She is 10..  This dress I also made.  It was her Easter dress.  As you can see, I kind of go out of the box with fabric for Easter.

This picture they were getting a little, "OK grandma, how many more".  They are my only two granddaughters, the rest are boys.
So 2 girls, 6 boys.

 Ever wonder where the pattern companies ship from?  Well it isn't New York, or wherever they ship from.  Right there in Manhatten, Kansas.  The road this building sits on is McCall Road.  Pretty fitting, don't you think?  This has been here for many years.  They employ a lot of people.

 Just indulge me a little longer.  Here is Cade again, on his special day.

 Here is Tanner.  The last day we were there, happened to be my birthday.  So we are eating at a hamburger place called, Freddys.  Best hamburgers ever, my favorite thing to eat.  So we had to get their ice cream, my other favorite thing to eat.  Isn't ice cream in it's own food group?  It was fun to watch Tanner eat his own ice cream cone.

Sorry one last picture.  All four, except Cade, playing on grandma's iPad.  I always come home with more games downloaded, I wonder why. Pin It

Love this Bag!

As some of you know, I Love to Make Bags!  That also includes purses or in other words, any thing that holds something.  This bag is my newest obsession.  It's called a lunch bag.  I used it as my purse for quilt retreat.  I have made four so far, and plan to make many more.  Go here to see the tutorial.  With the left over fabric I made some pincushions. (Another obsession).

Well this is all for now.  I might try to do another post, but I am leaving soon to go see my new grand baby.  In Kansas!  Hope the tornados are gone.  Just a reminder, become a follower of my blog to be eligible for giveaways.  You just might get one of these bags. Pin It

Quilt Retreat 2012

 As I mentioned in earlier posts, I was asked to teach at retreat this year.  Didn't even have to think about it. YES I said.  So I got started.  We spent four wonderful days at the Zermatt Resort in Midway, Utah.  I taught how to make some flowers using the most beautiful double faced satin you could ever work with, then some fun flowers using rick rack.  Here are some pictures of the outfits I made.  My granddaughters, Makayle and Paige get to wear these soon.  The display was made by my husband, Kent.  The wood is over 100 years old.  It was from the house of my great-grandmother.

 I had about 12 women in the class.  They were a fun group.  There were some really serious faces while they were learning.  But all you can see here obviously is the back of some of their heads.  They are busy at work.

This was a class I took called "Mystery in Midway" taught by Carol and Connie from Two Peas in a Pod.  We learned how to make one block, then at the end of the class they revealed what it looked like.  These two women are a hoot.  Kept us laughing through the whole class.  We are using 30's reproduction fabric for this.  Love it!

 Every year Amy, who owns American Quilting and hosted the retreat, gives us a free kit.  This is called "Ferris Wheel".  The colors are bright and very cheery.

This year i decided to do another Mystery quilt.  These quilts, Amy designs.  You could choose between bright fabrics, or Civil War reproduction prints.  I chose Civil War.  You are then given an assignment of which colors to purchase.  I was given teal, purple, and black. You can choose to do the one to the right, or the one with the flowers, below.  You have enough fabric for either one.  I am still deciding.

This is another class I took, taught by Kim Walus.  My new quilting bud.  Love the choice of colors.  This will be a smaller version of the quilt that was on the cover of American Patchwork and Quilting.  The class was called "Merry Go Round".  Go check out Kim's blog,  bitty bits & pieces.

What a great week.  Meeting new friends, and being with old friends.  Each year it just gets better!  The count down begins.

But the best news of all was that I have a new grand baby that was born the night I came home. A boy, named Nathan Cade Thompson.  Will see him in a couple of weeks.  

Just had to add this picture of my grandson, Porter.  What is it about kids 

 and boxes.

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My 30's quilt finished!

Well here it is.  My latest quilt.  I worked on this for a year.  The reason why it is called 30's, is that the fabric used, is reproduced from the 1930's.  A lot of yellows, reds, blues, pinks, greens,  so in other words no pastels here.  All bright colors.  Some of the prints will have children, cats, and dogs.  Then some will have flowers or some other design.  Popular at that time are fabric yo yo's.  Down on the very last row you will see cherries.  Another block I love are the pinwheels.  So you will see several of those blocks.  But I think my favorite is the dresden plate.

 A popular kind of stitchery was called rework.  I love this duck. Some of my friends, don't.  But I think she is cute.  The flowers are made out of rick rack.  Rick rack is becoming very popular again.  Love it.

I have it hanging in my basement.  The pink rocking chair is my mother's.  My grandfather gave it to her when she was 3 years old.  My mother will be 80 in June.  So I guess you can say it is truly an antique.  Goes great with the quilt.  Don't you think? Pin It

Purses, bags, and totes!

I love to make purses, bags, totes, diaper bags, church bags anything that holds something, anything, or everything.  I was browsing some of my favorite blogs, and came across this tote.  Went to the link, fell in love with it, and the next day, searched through my fabric stash, (doesn't everyone have a fabric stash?) and made three.  I still want to make some more.  Click here, Pink Penguin browse her tutorials, and go for it.  Really easy and fun to make.  Good way to use up your fabric stash.

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Any guesses?

My daughter Sarah, is expecting her fifth baby in April.  A Boy!
So she decided that she wanted a new car seat.  Not a whole new car seat, but a new cover.  So she looked on line,  and found a tutorial.  "Mom", she says,  "can you make this?"  I thought you have got to be kidding.  So here it is.  It isn't on the seat, but you get the idea.  Was it hard?  No, but take lots of pictures.  The tutorial is at www.makeit-loveit.com  Click on tutorials, and go to Baby.  There it is.  Would I do it again?  No, so don't get any ideas, Brooke.   Pin It

Dress for Paige

 It has been a little while since my last post.  I have been busy with sewing and other responsibilities.  But I love being busy with sewing.  This dress here is for my granddaughter, Paige.  She will be turning eight years old in April.  I am also using it for a class I am teaching at quilt retreat.  Very simple dress, but the flowers add alot.  So more pictures in the future of the other projects I'm working on.

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Quilting!

I finally got around to this quilt I have been working on.  The fabrics used are reproductions of 30's fabrics.  It was a mystery quilt that I do through American Quilting in Orem.  I go on the 2nd Saturday of each month to pick up the next block.  It takes a year to finish.  You don't see the finished quilt until the very end.  That is the fun of it.  It is never like you think I will be.  This is the 5th mystery quilt.  I am working on one now that is a Halloween quilt.  Will see that one in June.
     

This room is what my husband Kent calls the "sewing room annex".  It is right across the hall from my sewing room.  I just like it because it is a place for my quilting machine.  I can spend hours in there.

I hope to get this quilt done soon.  Just love it.

I have been busy getting some things done for a class I'm teaching at American Quilting quilt retreat at the end of March.  Can't wait for that.  Four days of nothing but sewing, classes and more sewing.    


   

I love pincushions.  Here are a few that I have.  The one I made here is for my friend, and quilting bud, Martha.  Made it for her birthday.  The fabric I bought at an antique store.  Said on the tag that it is "cotton twill, circa 1940's".  I'll believe anything when it comes to fabric.  There was a yard of it, it was calling my name.  I also bought the bed springs there too.  I think it adds to the vintage feel.

Sometimes I don't like to put pins in them.  Just for looks.  I have a couple that I do use, they are by my machines, and my grandkids, when they are here, will push the pins all the way in.  Does that happen to anyone else?  Oh well, it's good for a laugh. 

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