Showing posts with label Grandkids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grandkids. Show all posts

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Works In Progress - Nines and Attic Windows

I currently have several works in progress, but am only sharing two today.

The first is a quilt I'm making for my newest grand Cali, who was born on August 8th.


The pattern is a Disappearing Nine Patch and the fabric collection is Hashmark for Michael Miller. Cali's quilt will be finished soon!


Me and some friends sew together the 3rd Saturday of each month.  Most of the time we work on our own projects, but occasionally we plan to make the same project.  Last month we decided on an Attic Window quilt inspired by the Missouri Star Quilter's Attic Window Tutorial.  The tutorial called for a panel, but I didn't think any of my panels would look good as an Attic Window.


So instead I chose to use this older Springs Industries fabric that I've dubbed Flowers in the Meadow.  I think it works perfectly! Don't you agree?  I'll be adding borders and hopefully have this finished soon as well.

Until next time, God bless and happy stitichin'!

Linking up at:
Midweek Makers
Let's Bee Social

A Thread for Life
There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. - Soren Kierkegaard



Friday, July 1, 2016

WHOOMP There IT Is! #31 - It Just Keeps Flying


I'm truly baffled by how quickly time just flies on by. Half of 2016 is already gone!  I'd heard that once you turn 21 the years seem to pass 2 at a time. It's absolutely true!  Seems like it was just yesterday I turned 21. And it's so funny how now that I'm in my 40s, I finally feel like an adult even though I thought I was grown at 21!  With this being said, I like being in my 40s. And I consider myself to be growing better instead of  older.

I don't know where all that came from. You'd think I just celebrated a birthday, but I didn't. Not again until December, but thanks for humoring me.

Now on to quilty things!

I finished the Scrappy Litter Blox pattern I was testing. The pattern was featured in the June's Stash Builder Box and will be available soon at Lillyella. I like how it came out and I'm thinking about putting the optional border on it. What do you think?

I made these cute bandanna bibs for a birthday girl who just turned 1yr. I cannot wait to see one on her. The first set I made included a piece of flannel between the 2 layers of cotton. They were super soft but I was afraid they'd be too hot for here in AZ?  I ended up making a 2nd set w/3 layers of cotton and those are the ones I gave. The others will soon be listed in my Etsy shop.

My sis has been practicing her guitar daily and she's getting really good. Hearing her progress makes me want to play too. So the other night I pulled Ruby (my bass) out of the corner AND out of the bag! I even popped the "Getting Started" DVD into the computer and attempted to tune her. I got as far as tuning 2 strings. I'm planning to make time to practice and/or take a couple of my buddies up on their offer to teach me. I'm one step closer to being a rock star in the worship band!

I have an addition to my family.  A little fox face Pomeranian named Maurice. We call him Moe. =)


July is here! You know what that means?

Fireworks!

Kids Camp!

12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop! 

Save the date. My day on the hop will be July 22nd! I hope you hop on by!

It's time for WHOOMP There IT Is! I'd love to see what you've been working on.




Instructions: Select all code above, copy it and paste it inside your blog post as HTML


Thank the Host
Everyone likes to hear "thank you" and know their effort is appreciated.
Spread the Love
The more love you give, the more you get. Pick a number (mine is 5) and commit to visiting and commenting on that many link-ups. Let them know where you're visiting from and ask them to visit you. (This works well for me!)
Direct Link
Use a direct link to a specific post, not your main blog.
Link Back
In your blog post, include a link back to my post/blog and/or grab the WHOOMP There IT Is! button above and put in your post or sidebar. Thanks for spreading the love.
Follow Me ;)
Of course I would love for all you linky-uppers to be followers, but it's NOT required.









Yesterday while listening to Pandora one of my favorite songs played. These are the lyrics. Enjoy!

A Thread for Life
Called Me Higher - All Sons and Daughters
I could just sit
I could just sit and wait for all Your goodness
Hope to feel Your presence
And I could just stay
I could just stay right where I am and hope to feel You
Hope to feel something again

And I could hold on
I could hold on to who I am and never let You
Change me from the inside
And I could be safe
I could be safe here in Your arms and never leave home
Never let these walls down

But You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I'll go where You will lead me Lord
You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I'll go where You lead me Lord
Where You lead me
Where You lead me Lord

And I will be Yours, oh
I will be Yours for all my life
So let Your mercy light the path before me

Until next time, Happy Sewing and God Bless!

Friday, March 18, 2016

WHOOMP There IT Is! #23 - A Productive Week & Craft Sale

This post contains ad links.

Hello and Happy Friday!  No matter what, it'll always be my favorite day of the week!

The past week was as productive as I wanted it to be. AND I've got some pics to prove it!

I spent quality time w/my grands last weekend. We went to the park and to the picture show to see Zootopia, which is a really cute movie.  We had an all around great time as usual.


I was able to finish an Easy Twirl Skirt for my granddaughter in time for her to wear it to church on Sunday. It's a simple and  free tutorial. The hardest part for me was making the ruffle.  I was bummed when I realized I hadn't taken a pic of her wearing it,  but here's a pic of the skirt itself.
It was while I was making the skirt that I realized one of the threads on my serger had come un-threaded.  I was going to do the tying off method but I had no idea where the heck the stray thread came from and where all it wasn't threaded...so, I decided to take ALL of the threads out.  Of course after I did that, I suffered a brief moment of panic.  Then I calmed down, took out the manual and re-threaded the darn thing! I would be lying if I said I didn't drop a few F & S bombs or work up a sweat, but I got 'er done!
My Serger - Oh Susana! 
I am slowly accepting the fact that my eyes are aging and w/it I'm becoming farsighted, which means I can see things at a distance better than close up. I just recently learned the difference between nearsightedness and farsightedness.

Moving right along, I cut out all the strings for my Halloween spiderweb quilt.  There's all kinds of good stuff in this pile 'o strings; Cotton and Steel, Michael Miller, Dear Stella and Connecting Threads.
I even did a test block! It may or may not become part of the actual quilt. One reason is I don't have anymore of this orange fabric. Another is I'm trying to decide if I want the strings that immediately outline the star to be of the same color (not necessarily the same fabric) to make the star more defined. When I look at this star, it appears wonky. Not that there's anything wrong w/wonky, I'm just not going for that look w/the stars on this quilt.  What do you think?

I'm still finishing up some items for the Craft Sale tomorrow.  If you are local, come on by. I look forward to seeing you. We'll be in Glendale AZ at 46th Ave & Bryce Lane, which is just south of Northern from 8a - 2p! Click on the pic to see our Craigslist Ad. There will be handmade lovelies of all kinds to choose from. You won't want to miss this sale!

Craftsy is having another sale! Check out their Sale-A-Bration Alert! For a very limited time, you'll find top designers, beloved brands and much more marked down on Craftsy. With up to 60% off best-selling kits and supplies, you can shop 'til you drop! Hurry, the deals end Sunday!

It's party time!
A Quilted Passion
Thank the Host
Everyone likes to hear "thank you" and know their effort is appreciated.
Spread the Love
The more love you give, the more you get. Pick a number (mine is 5) and commit to visiting and commenting on that many link-ups. Let them know where you're visiting from and ask them to visit you. (This works well for me!)
Direct Link
Use a direct link to a specific post, not your main blog.
Link Back
In your blog post, include a link back to my post/blog and/or grab the WHOOMP There IT Is! button above and put in your post or sidebar. Thanks for spreading the love.
Follow Me ;)
Of course I would love for all you linky-uppers to be followers, but it's NOT required.




Happy National Quilting Day!!


A Thread for Life
We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for. God engineers everything; wherever He puts us, our one great aim is to pour out a whole-hearted devotion to Him in that particular work.- Oswald Chambers

Friday, October 23, 2015

WHOOMP There IT Is! #4

I went batting shopping last Saturday. I was glad I brought along my grandson & nephew.  I don't think I could've managed this giant roll of batting by myself. Together they carried it to the car. Neither could've carried it alone, but they each had to show the other and myself, just how strong they are.  If getting it to the car was challenging, getting it in the car was even more so! But we did it...and I'm happy to say I now have batting! Lots of it! I got this giant 30yd x 96" roll of Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 batting for $122 + tax at Mulqueen in Glendale, AZ.
Even though I now have batting, I still spent the week working on smaller projects.  I finished a project for the gift exchange at our annual Quilters Anonymous Christmas Party which will be on December 3rd.  If I remember, I'll show a picture after the party.

 I also made something that's been on my list for a long while...a quilters-helper apron. I had the idea to turn the butt-side of a pair of jeans into a half apron. I wish I could say it was an original idea...but after making mine, I looked on Pinterest and found that a bunch of peeps had already beat me to it! hahaha.

The 1st thing I did was cut out the entire front side of a pair shorts, salvaging the waistband...as this is what I'll use to fasten/tie the apron.
One could use the original pockets if they are big enough for one's needs. Mine weren't so I removed them and made plans to add larger ones. But first, I had to figure out what do do w/the butt-seam thingie.
I decided to lay it flat to one side and stitch it down.  I think I've seen it done like this on some denim skirts made from jeans.
Originally I thought about hemming the edges but quickly changed my mind and left them raw to fray instead.  I added trim to the bottom but didn't like how it would look on the sides, so I just did some straight stitching in red to add some color.  Like I said earlier, I wanted bigger pockets...though I've discovered a wider pocket is better than a deeper one. Anyway, I made generous pockets and decorated them before I sewed them on...again leaving the edges raw to fray.
I liked it so much I made a 2nd one. They will definitely come in handy when I work at kids camp next year!
And then I made simple Trick-or-Treat bags for the grands.
Oh, I almost forgot one more thing! I finally made something w/minky! I used it to back this simple strip quilt. I did not use batting and I did a very simple pull/roll over binding.
 I'm certain the little boy who gets it will love the cuddly softness of it.
That's about all I have for you this week.  Now it's your turn. Show me something good! =)
A Quilted Passion





I'm linking up at:

Let's Bee Social
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

A Thread for Life  (This is something I'm totally struggling with, so please pray for me.)
Wherever God has placed you, live that ordinary life faithfully for God. - Pastor James MacDonald

Thursday, March 5, 2015

It's Been A Long While...

I can't believe it's been over a month since I've written a blog post!

I finally finished binding Walk Like An Egyptian last night!
I made these B&W blocks for a community project we are doing at Quilters Anonymous, my chapter of the Arizona Quilters Guild.  David helped a bit w/these blocks.

And...I've finished this flimsy for a commission due at the end of March!  I'm calling it Cats Galore! The border fabric inspired the entire quilt! It's perfect, because the recipient loves cats and her favorite color is blue!
And lastly, the cutest new addition ever...my grandson TJ!  He was born on Feb 12th, weighing in at 8lbs 4oz, measuring 20 3/4in long! 

 His quilt goes perfectly w/the crib bumper!
That's all I have for now. Until next time, Happy Quilting and God Bless!

A Thread for Life
I would have despaired unless I had believed 
that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living. -  Ps. 27:13 nasb


Saturday, September 13, 2014

Friends, Challenges and a Finish

First off I'd just like to say I'm so very pleased to have met all the peeps I have in my new blogging-quilty world. Thank you all for being so welcoming and encouraging. We are one giant circle of quilty love.


I finished Red Chevy Crush a couple of weeks ago.

I didn't blog about it because I really only have time to blog 1x/week. And the last two week's posts were about my blog's birthday giveaway and the giveaway winner . 

This post is a little longer because I have some catching up to do.

Ok, so...I've been free motion quiltingherein referred to as FMQ. In an effort to get good at it...and I DO want to be good, I started the #dailyfmq challenge on Instagram (it goes through 9/22/14).  It challenges me to practice for at least 10 mins/day. I had previously enrolled in two Craftsy quilting classes (one of which I wrote about here) but I haven't really done what qualifies as practice until about 2 weeks ago.

As those of us who have done it know, the biggest challenge in FMQ is making sure your (foot) machine speed is not too fast or slow for your hand speed. (Kinda puts me in the mind of learning to drive a stick shift). I'm guessing it's not something most peeps are good at right off the bat, least of all me.  I've tried meandering/stipple several times and have always ended up extremely FRUSTRATED! But w/the challenge I decided to start w/Chrsitina's woodgrain and I am thrilled!  It's very forgiving and I really like the idea of no curves.  It's not the only fmq I've been practicing, but it's my favorite. I've also practiced loopy flowers and circuit board, taught in Elizabeth Dackson's Craftsy class.

Also practicing w/Paint
I've been doing my FMQ practice on this Autumn quilt top I finished a few weeks ago. I'm quilting something different on each piece w/in a block.

 I don't mean to toot my own horn...but toot toot! I already feel and see a difference in my FMQ.



The other challenge I'm participating in is the #ablockadaychallenge on Instagram.  I've been making Bento Box blocks for a charity quilt for QA .


















I'm not sure if this qualifies as a notion or gadget, but a friend told me about Clearly Perfect Angles and how it works beautifully for sewing HST and mitered binding, so I ordered it. It's perfect! And speaking of mitered binding, I found and used this sanity-saving tutorial for a mitered join.



Scrappy Fail

 I attempted to make my first pattern tutorial for something scrappy but I don't like how it turned out at all.  A solid fabric would've improved the look, but I'm still not liking the center either.

Maybe pattern tutorials aren't my thing just yet. In the mean time, I will continue to use other peeps' patterns and tutorials, like the tons of free lovelies I came across on Quilter's Cache.   










My grandson was bugging me about sewing so last week I gave him a crash course and helped him make a Tube Pillowcase using this YouTube video tutorial...but I also just found this pdf using a slightly different method.





We went camping over the Labor Day weekend and aside from fear of being mauled by a bear while sleeping, it was fun.


A las, I'm proud and happy to say Ivy is housebroken and using the doggy door like an old pro.




A Thread for Life 

 This life is a journey we walk by faith
And there will always be the mountains in our way
But right here in this moment, may our strength be renewed
As we recall what God has done and how we've seen Him move

Sometimes through the darkness, it's hard to see
So just be brave and follow where He leads
'Cause greater is the one who's in us, than he who's in the world
So child of God remember, the battle is the Lord's

Even in the valley of the shadow when you feel alone in the unknown
Just say Amen, Just say Amen
Even when the storms are raging, Stand and know you're not forsaken
Just say Amen, Just say Amen

If there's anybody here who's found Him faithful
Anybody here who knows He's able, Say Amen
And if there's anybody here who's seen His power
Anybody here brought through the fire, Say Amen
Anybody here found joy in the middle of sorrow
Just Say AMEN!
Say Amen - Finding Favour

I'm linking up on TGIFF , Whoop WhoopFree Motion MavericksFree Motion by the River AND Let's Bee Social!

Have I gone overboard w/the Linkys? Is there such a thing? I  hope not.