Receiving Blankets

With the year ending this next week, and being sold out of receiving blankets & burp cloths, I decided to start preparing some new stock.  I have the boy stack ready to prepare for crochet edges.  The burp cloths are stitched down the center & also ready to sew around the edge for the crochet stitches.  After 2 hours working on the boy stack, I decided to take a quick break.  The girl stack is waiting for me.  I will prepare a tutorial this coming year on how I make the receiving blankets & burp cloths.  Stay tuned!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year!

Wedding Quilt Finished!

It's been a busy couple of weeks but I managed to get the quilt done.  It is cotton & flannel.  This is my original design.  I did copy the reindeer from an online pillow project then adapted for my use.  I really like the way it turned out.  This is a wedding gift for a couple who will be married this next weekend.  I hope they like it as much as I do.

Had to take a photo of the quilt on the snow with the deer prints.

Half square triangles make up the chevron pattern.

Hailey & Karson - 12/21/13

The reindeer.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season and a healthy & prosperous New Year.

I Love Vintage Sewing Machines!

As those who know me, I love vintage sewing machines.  I am the proud owner of a few Singer machines.  I found this site that shows an historical film of the Singer Sewing Machine factory in Scotland.
http://ssa.nls.uk/film/1592
Imagine working in that factory.  It would have been hard work.  I have my little Singer Class./Model 99 made in Clydebank Scotland on Dec 13, 1923.  I paid more for this little gem than any of my other vintage machines, but she is so worth it.  She is a small version of the standard machine & bigger than the Featherweight model.

Here's a sneak peak at my current quilt project.  Migraine headache is putting me behind, but I will get this done!

Christmas decorations up. Wonderful find at the DI.

Spent a wonderful Thanksgiving with our oldest son & family in Fruita Colorado.  Saturday I put up the Christmas decorations.  I don't believe that I went overboard, but hubby thinks otherwise.

I have been looking at a vintage sewing machine at our local DI thrift store.  It was $40.  A beautiful Singer 503A in a cabinet.  Well, I don't really have room for yet another vintage machine & cabinet but I thought I would take one more look.  It is missing the front slide plate & does not have any accessories included.  As I stood looking just one more time, the manager came over & asked if I was going to purchase the machine.  I told him that I was thinking about it.  He then said "What if I mark it down from the $20 reduced price to $10?"

Well, I could not pass that up.  I had already made sure that it was working.  Checked on the cost of the replacement front slide plate, and brought her home.  It's a circa 1961 Singer 503A Rocketeer.  I have ordered the part (under $10) and can't wait to put her back in her cabinet.  We had taken her out to bring her home in my little car & I then gave it a servicing.  Will keep an eye out for attachments & cams.

Beautiful cabinet too!

Covered the bookcase & hung the stockings with care.

A wheelbarrow full of stuffed toys sits at the base.

My tiny tree fits nicely in the living room.   We don't

really have space for a big tree.

The little bitty tree sits by the front door by the 

vintage looking chests.

Memory Aprons

Those who know me well, know that I am very sentimental about heirlooms.  Now heirlooms do not have to be treasures worth lots of money.  Heirlooms to me are those things that bring back cherished memories of someone who touched my life.

Seems there are many more of you out there too.  Recently I finished making aprons out of a neighbors grandfather's shirts.  It was an honor to be trusted to do this for the family.  I hope they are happy with the results.  The Christmas plaid shirt also has a set of hot pads to go with it.  I had to include the Wrangler tag somewhere.  I also used a cuff as the wrapper for the hot pads.  Love the pearl snap buttons! The blue plaid shirt has a ruffle added at the hem.

Trying to decide on the next project.  I was hoping to get PJ's done in time for Christmas, but things are busy around here.  Will burn some midnight oil if I find a moment or two.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Christmas Quilt Done!

It's been a while since I blogged on this site.  So busy trying to get yard work done for the fall; out of town for work for a couple days that put me behind about a week.  But, I finally got the log cabin Christmas quilt done.  It's a patter from the Dec/Jan 2014 McCall's Quick Quilts - designed by Lynn Lister.  The log cabin is one of my favorite quilt patterns.  There are so many ways to put the blocks together, but I really like this layout that Lynn has put together.  I don't believe it is one that I have seen before.

The machine quilting is a loop & holly free motion design that I came up with for this quilt.  It is whimsical & I like the way it turned out.

The name of the quilt is "Log Cabin Christmas".

Next project waiting in the wings is to make aprons for a family who lost their father/grandfather this year.  I will be using a couple of his old shirts to make the aprons.  Will post photos when I get them done.

Block Of the Month 2013

Finished the 2013 BOM tonight.  I think I have decided that I prefer making quilts without waiting a year to finish them.  I enjoy trying new techniques & sometimes the challenge is worth it for me.  Now I just have to get on with the next project.  I am running low on little girl blankets so I will get a few of them going now.  Also want to start a Christmas project.  Time is running out.  November is just around the corner.

The "Maple Skies" fabric was used as my neutral.

Had to use some orphan blocks in the backing.  Just my style.

Some Women Prefer Chocolates.....

I am just going to say that I really enjoy getting orders in the mail.  First you experience the online choices, then you get to make your little check mark & send in the order.  A few days later the box arrives.  Oh my!  Can you say I love thread!  My latest shipment from ConnectingThreads.com.  For me this is so much better than a box of chocolates.  Hubby just smiles.
I hope you are having good experiences in your lives too.  After all, it really is the simple things that make you smile.

My new machine!

Hubby went to the DI (Deseret Industries) thrift store today and found this little treasure for me.  It is a child's machine dated between the 1940's - 1950's.  It is a sweet little machine (Stitch Master made in Chicago IL by Gateway Engineering Co.) that does a chain stitch.  Cost him $8.  He was so proud of his purchase that he had to stop by my office to show me.  Of course I love the gift and the fact that he thought about me when he saw it.

I am almost finished machine quilting the last of 3 quilts for a customer.  Haven't done much sewing for me.  Managed to fit in some time at lunch yesterday by taking my Singer Featherweight II to work & set up in the breakroom.  Got some of the half square triangle blocks sewn for my Craftsy BOM.

Gone Fishing

Finished the Gone Fishing quilt tonight.  The pattern was modified from one designed by Susan Guzman & found in the June/July 2013 McCall's Quick Quilts page 50.  I added more blocks & used grey flannel for the backing & sashing.  Added a punch of red in the sashing blocks.  The fabric squares were 10" squares (layer cake) called "Catch of the Day" from Kanvas Studios by Benartex.
Machine quilted with Swirls & Hooks - my own design.

T-Shirt dress for Hannah

Finished this little T-shirt dress for my Hannah.  Added a double ruffle skirt & applique flowers with itty bitty buttons in the center.  It was a fun project.

Finished machine quilting my Gone Fishing quilt & decided to hand sew the binding on so won't be finished for a few days.

Also going to make some pot holders to go with my visiting teaching message for this month.

Stay dry everyone!

Raggedy Quilt

Just finished a rag quilt for a co-worker. She ordered it for her daughter's birthday this coming week. Managed to stay up late the last couple of nights to get it done. Colors were chosen by her Mom. I like the colors together.

The "Gone Fishing" quilt is ready to put on the frame for machine quilting.  It is backed with grey flannel.  The "Layer Cake" squares were bought on sale & have been sitting waiting for just the right project.  This is what I came up with.  Can't wait until I have it completed.  This quilt will be for sale.

Split 9 Patch "The A Team" For Sale

Finished my latest quilt. It uses the split 9 patch pattern. One of my favorite patterns to make a quick quilt.

Love the backing fabric. The swirls on the backing fabric lead me to use curl pattern for my machine quilting.  Since the focus fabric was the ATV print, I chose to call this quilt "The A Team".

Tom came in & grabbed my camera to take a photo of the double rainbow outside our back door. I wish that the second rainbow was more vivid, but it had faded by the time he got back outside.  You can just see the faint outline of the second rainbow above the brighter one.

September Block of the Month

I was going to work outside tonight, but the rain came in. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy to have the rain. Anyway, I decided to complete the September BOM, the Flower Basket. Next month the lesson will be on the flowers to fill the basket. However, I decided I wanted to create my own flowers. I used my Accucut die cutter to cut out flowers, hearts & leaves.

I finished making the backing for my ATV quilt. It is ready to put on the frame & machine quilt. Hope to get it on the frame in the next couple of days.

Xander's Baptism & Sophie's Blessing Day in Fayette

Little cottontail rabbit came to join in the fun.

 

The Fayette pond where the baptims are held. 

 

Josh & Sophie

 

Xander, Josh & Sophie

Josh & Xander

Our little Hannah with her Daddy.  She is such a happy little girl.

Savannah's New Dress




Savannah's new dress.  Fabric was purchased from a little quilt store in Salina Utah, Cotton Tree Quilt Co.
I love the polka dots!

 

New shoes to go with the new dress!

Love the butterflies.

Split Nine Patch

I have had the ATV fabric for a while now & finally decided to put it to use.  Using fabrics that I have in my stash I decided to throw them together to make a "Split Nine Patch" pattern.  The black fabric is the "pop" fabric.  You place that in the center of the 9 patch block & when the block is cut in half each way you end up with black squares dotting the quilt top.

Will post photos once I have it finished.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer.