Tissue Box Cover Up, Final Results!

Greetings, Blog Friends,

I'm happy to report that the tissue box cover-up is completed and in it's new home in our guest bedroom.  Here are the before and after photos:

This looks much nicer, don't you think?

And here is a close up:  I did a little meander quilting on the main fabrics, just to add interest.  This project was quick, less than an hour start to finish.

The next project on deck is a throw made with autumn fabrics.  It uses flannels from the Boundary Waters Collection by Moda, and some fun chenille fabric.  This quilt will be for my own personal use.

I'll post a progress report next week.  Till then... 

Minions and Mitts

Hello Blog Friends!

I'm happy to report that I am two-thirds finished with my quick projects.  Minion pillowcases and oven mitts have been added to the "finished" pile.  Here's a look at the finished pieces:

I chose to make the mitts with the red paisley on the outside.  Both projects were quick, easy and fun to make.

See you next week with the next progress report!

Til then...

Minions, Mitts, & Cover-Ups

Hello Blog Friends,

More on those three "quickie" projects I mentioned last week.

MINIONS!  My youngest daughter, Kerri, is mad over Minions!  Here is the fabric for the Minion pillowcases that her Momma (me) is making her for Christmas.  

MITTS.  There is a story behind this project.  Here are a couple of oven mitts, cut out and ready to sew together and bind.  This fabric wasn't supposed to be oven mitts...it was supposed to be a hot-dish carryall cover (see previous post Purple Passion).  I had the fabric washed and quilted, but mis-measured (twice, even) and made a wrong cut.  I ran off to the fabric store, got new fabric, and finished the carryall in time for the bridal shower.  It seemed a shame to toss this fabric.   So, I repurposed this quilted fabric to new oven mitts. 

COVER-UP.  Here is a picture of the bedside table in my guest room.  You'll notice the retro look of the table, the lamp, the clock.  The one thing that stands out (like the proverbial sore thumb) is the tissue box (pink leopard is definitely not my style! LOL).  While sorting through my mother's sewing things, I found this fun kit from Connecting Threads for a tissue box cover.  And it will coordinate well with the green bed-cover and yellow walls in this room!  Mom to the rescue once again!

So, here are my projects for the next week.  I'll post a production report next week!

Til then...

Halloween Pages

Hello Blog Friends!

My show-and-tell for this week is a set of three two-page layouts.  We had scrap group on Thursday and used the Nevermore paper packet from Close to My Heart.  Here are the layouts, all ready and waiting for photos:

More on those three quickie projects (that I mentioned last week) in next week's post.

Til then...

NORTHWOODS - COMPLETED ON TIME!

Hello Blog Friends,

I know that I missed my post for last week, but I have a good excuse...I've been busy working and working on Northwoods, and it is finished!  And in the nick of time.  I finished the binding Friday night about 10:00 pm, and the wedding was yesterday at 1:00.   Whew!

The quilt is made of the most luxurious flannels I have ever worked with.  They are from the "Winter in the Pines" collection by Holly Taylor for Moda.  These  flannels are fantastic!  

I chose straight line quilting patterns for this quilt for several reasons...1)Time.  I needed to get it done quickly in order to finish it on time.  2)  I didn't want to take away from the swirling star patterns in the blocks.  3)  I decided to do a minimum of quilting on it, to preserve what I call the "cuddle-ability" of the quilt.  This is very important...it is going to newlyweds, after all (wink, wink).  

Here is the finished quilt:

Here are Heather and Cort at their wedding.  All my love and best wishes for a long and happy life together!  

And, of course, I have the next project lined up.  Actually, it is a series of smaller projects.  More on this next week....

NORTHWOODS, A NEW QUILT PROJECT

Hello Blog Friends,

Sorry I missed you last week...it was the final cleanout of my mother's apartment, and that took alot out of me!

I am happy to report, however, that I have blown the dust off the sewing machine, and am hard at work on my next project...a wedding quilt for a very sweet girl at work.  Heather is the same age as my youngest daughter, Kerri, and I think of Heather as a daughter.  

The quilt I chose for Heather and her new husband, Cort, is a flannel quilt, my absolute favorite fabric.  The prints all have an outdoor, woodsy feel, which is perfect for Heather and Cort, since they love the north woods so much.  Cort's family has a cottage in far northern Wisconsin, and they visit there quite often.  The prints and their love of the north woods also inspired the name of this quite, which is simply "Northwoods".

The fabric is all from the Winter In The Pines collection by Holly Taylor for Moda.   I purchased the fabrics and pattern as a kit from Jeri's Quilt Shop in Norway, MI several years ago, just after Heather and Cort were engaged.  It was one of those "Aha" moments...when I saw the finished sample, I knew it was the one I had to make for them.  Geri's is one of my favorite shops, and I visit it whenever we visit Denis' brother and his wife who live in Iron Mountain.  Lucky me, we are going again next weekend.  Geri's, here I come!!

Here are the darks:

Here are the light/medium half square triangle units:

And here is a finished block:  One down and 8 to go. 

A progress report next week...Till then...

QUILT EXPO HIGHLIGHTS

Hello Blog Friends,

It's been a hectic two weeks since I've last posted.  Labor Day weekend my brother, daughters, and I undertook the arduous task of cleaning out my mother's apartment.  We worked hard all weekend, but got most of it done.  Just a little more to do next Saturday, then it will be done.  My working life is busy as ever at the concrete plant. 

But, I was able to carve out an afternoon for myself and something quilty!   Denis and I set out for Madison, WI for the WPT Quilt Expo on Saturday.  Here are some of the quilts that struck our fancy:

Red Feathers by Claudia Myers.  Best of Show

Star Flower

Diamonds Bargello

Vintage Moments

Barn Quilt  (I wonder why this appealed to me?  LOL)

Labyrinth   Very Escher-esque

Cochise-Once they were like the wind.

Marilyn Monroe

We had an enjoyable time looking at the quits and I had fun visiting the vendor booths also.

I'm happy to report that I'm now caught up enough to finally start my next project...a wedding quilt for a very special young lady.  A progress report next week...

Purple Passion

Hello Blog Friends,

I have something quick and cute to share with you this week.  I work with a very special young lady named Heather (same age as my youngest daughter Kerri) and she is getting married in October.  Today was her wedding shower.

Heather's gift from me was this casserole carrier, made in her favorite color...purple.  The pattern is called "Casserole Carry-All" by Indygo Junction.  It is quilted in a 2" grid pattern (suggested in the pattern).  The pattern called for a bias tape binding, but I chose to bind the edges in the same fabric as the lining.  Insul-Bright was used as the batting inside.  I added a purchased a covered 9" x 13" glass pan and two wooden spoons for handles.

This was a fun and easy project to make.  Heather likes to cook and this was a perfect gift for her.  Here's the finished project:

And here it is with Heather, it's new owner:

Guess what Heather's wedding gift will be...you got it, a quilt.  More next week on that...

REMEMBRANCE OF FRAN

Hello Blog Friends,

I'm sorry to have been away these past few weeks with no explanation.  

Something sad and sudden has happened in my life...my dear mother Fran passed away on August 1.  It has been a very hectic past few weeks, making arrangements and getting her affairs in order.

Fran loved to sew and has been sewing from the time she was in high school...a career of over 70 years.  Ever since I can remember, she has been making something.  She was an accountant and worked in a busy public accounting firm.  She used to tell me that sewing in the evening was what kept her grounded, and helped her to relieve the stresses, especially in tax season.  She made my clothes when I was small, all the dresses for my wedding, drapes, even a coat!  In later years, she started quilting and has made quilts for me, my brother, and my girls.  Most precious of all, she passed the love of sewing on to me.

We worked on a project together 7 years ago, and made 10 quilts for donation to Project Linus.  

She loved the Flying Geese block and made a quilt for herself that she hung on the living room wall of her apartment.  

This is a trundle bed (one bed slides under the top one).  They have matching quilts that she also made.

These are but a few of the items (too numerous to mention) that she has made and passed along to friends and family.  How lucky we all are to have these special items made by loving hands.

The Good, the Bad, the Quilty

Hello Blog Friends,

It's been a heck of a week!   

The Good:  Two plays, summer weather, scrapping group night!
The Bad:  Family funeral, co-worker gave notice
The Quilty:  Mini barn quilts and a great Quilt Shop

The Good.  Denis and I have been to two plays this past week.  The Lion in Winter was presented by the Attic Theater Company of Menasha, WI.  The play was exceptionally well acted and presented in the round.  This play chronicles the political and power struggles between King Henry of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, his sons, Prince Richard (the Lionheart), Prince John, and Prince Geoffrey, the King of France and his sister.  A very entertaining evening.  

Denis and I attended another stage play earlier today, presented by the Stage Door Theater Co, based at the T.A.P. (Third Avenue Playhouse) in Sturgeon Bay, WI.  Set in Liverpool,  "Educating Rita", a comedy about Frank, an aging (and alcoholic) Literature professor, and Rita, a hairdresser with a thirst for knowledge.  During the interludes between scenes, instrumental renditions were heard of songs by four famous lads also from Liverpool.  I found it fitting to hear "Long and Winding Road" just before the final scene.  This was the last single the Beatles released before the band broke up.  This was very well done.

And we have summer!  Finally!  80's and sun!  After an early morning thunderstorm Saturday morning, the weekend weather was perfect!

The Bad.  My uncle Rudy (on my father's side) passed away earlier this week and we attended the funeral on Saturday.  He was the youngest of three brothers, my dad Ed was the middle boy, and my Uncle Erv was the oldest.  He was the last brother, having lost my dad many years ago, and Erv just recently.  But, as with all family funerals, I was able to reconnect with my cousins again and reminisce.

We are losing one of our co-workers, who is also a good friend.  Our department will shrink from three to two, so that means extra hours and work for the two of us left.  It is sad to see her go, but we wish her well in her new job.  

The Quilty.  Although I didn't get any sewing done at all this week, I am still able to close this post with something quilty!  On our way to Sturgeon Bay this morning, we saw these mini barn quilts for sale along the road.  There are a variety of sizes.  How do you like the Packer on with Brett Favre's Number 4 on it?  This one is both timely and appropriate, since Brett was just honored at Lambeau Field last night in Green Bay, WI.  My favorite mini quilt, however, is the Dresden Plate.  If I was going to put up a barn quilt, it would definitely be a Dresden.  

We spent some time in downtown Sturgeon Bay before the play, and I wandered in to Barn Door Quilts, a great little quilt shop right on 3rd Avenue.  This shop is one of my favorites, and I have found both inspiration and just the right fabrics here many times.

That is all for this week's post.  Have a good week...see you next Sunday.

Pretty Pages

Hello Blog Friends,

This week I switched gears from sewing to scrapping.  Here is my newest set of pages, all that's left is photos!  These pages were made from papers and card stock from Close to My Heart Blossom collection.  Enjoy.

On deck:  A 9" x 13" covered baking dish, (2) wooden spoons, and this fabric.  

More on this new project next week.  Till then...

County Fair - Finished!

Hello Blogger Friends!

So sorry I am so late with this post.  It has been a crazy, busy week at work (much OT) and I've been tired at night.

As planned, the quilt named County Fair was finished last weekend.  Here is the finished product in all its glory.

I chose a simple crossing pattern to the quilting, all done in straight lines with the walking foot.  I know that this quilt is going to be one of my favorites!  I have a split level home with an upper and lower level.  Here is County Fair hanging in its place on the rail at the upper level landing.

On deck...a paper crafting project.  More on that this weekend.

County Fair Quilt...Progress Report 2

Hello Blog Friends,

Just a quick post this week.  The quilt named County Fair is still in process, but some real progress has been made.  The 30 blocks have all been cut and re-sewn, sewn into rows, and rows joined into the main center section of the quilt.  Here is one small section showing 4 of the blocks sewn together.   I like it!

This week I will work on the inner border, outer border, quilting and binding.  Remember, the goal is to have it finished and on display by July 4.  

Tune in next week to see if I make it on time...

CountyFair Quilt...Progress Report

Hello Quilting Friends,

As promised in last week's post, here is a progress report on my new quilt named County Fair.  

Remember, I'm using fabrics from the Moda A La Carte collection:

Step 1.  Sew two sets of matching 5" charms into one four patch unit.

Step 2.  Cut.

Step 3.  Rearrange and sew back together.

Voila, the disappearing 4 patch block!

So far, I have about a third of the final blocks done.  It is my goal to finish the blocks this weekend, and have the top assembled by next weekend.

See you then for another progress report!