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Saturday, December 27, 2014

THE DAY AFTER THE DAY AFTER ~~~~


Today is the day after the day after Christmas.  Our Christmas was sweet and slow this year.  We slept in a little and had a nice breakfast of homemade cinnamon rolls.  Our dinner was turkey with all the trimmings and Dutch apple pie with ice cream for dessert.  The day got even slower after eating all that food!  We have enjoyed our Christmas tree so much this year that we've decided to leave it up another week or so. 

The yummy Funfetti cookies were a real hit at our house and I'm sure with everyone who tried the recipe.  If you missed this 3-ingredient recipe shared by The Hidden Pantry blog, scroll down two posts and give it a try.  I've never baked cookies that had Cool Whip as an ingredient. 

I'm expecting the delivery of my Christmas gift (a Janome 12000) from my Hubby Jeff on Tuesday.  At least this is what UPS Tracking is indicating.  The last time UPS brought me a new sewing machine I was so excited I ran out the front door jumping up and down.  The poor driver thought I was going to tackle him.  That driver has since retired and I will make every effort to control myself Tuesday.  I don't want to scare him and have him drop my new machine.  What can I say ~~  when I'm happy I'm happy all over!

I hope your Christmas was everything you dreamed of and more.  As women I think we are relieved that the rush is over with and life can resume at a more normal pace. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend ~~~~  Barb



Thursday, December 25, 2014

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2014





From our hearts to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy 2015.  May your Christmas be blessed with Peace, Joy and Contentment.

                                 The Oaker Family
              
                                  

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

COOKIES FOR SANTA





Two more days to finish last minute baking, gift wrapping and shopping.  Do you leave cookies for Santa?  These sweet treats are so quick to make and cost almost nothing ~~~~

1 box Funfetti cake mix (use dry)
1 tub Cool Whip (defrosted)
1 egg
powdered sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix the dry cake mix with the Cool Whip and the egg.  I beat the egg a little with a fork so it would mix in better.  Mix thoroughly (I did mine by hand). 

Roll the dough into balls and roll around in powdered sugar to coat.  Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake
12-15 minutes and remove to a rack to cool. 

These cookies are soft and chewy.  Make sure you bake them long enough to get done.  I baked ours for 14 minutes. 

I borrowed this recipe from the Hidden Pantry blog.


Wishing you all a wonderful day.




Sunday, December 21, 2014

FOUR MORE SLEEPS...


When I was a child I counted down the days to important days like Christmas, Halloween and birthdays by the number of sleeps until the day arrived.  We have just four more sleeps until Christmas, can you believe it!

This year we've had an exceptionally slow Christmas, mainly because I don't have the energy to put into doing more.  Our tree is simple and the other decorations are minimal.  I'm making only the treats Hubby can't possibly live without - namely things that contain chocolate.  I made a quick batch of peanut cluster candy today and it took just a few minutes:



Ingredients:

1 package white (vanilla) Almond Bark
1 regular size package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
I jar dry roasted peanuts (Planters) 16 oz

Melt the Almond Bark in a large glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, followed by stirring and additional 15-second melting and stirring until the AB is melted and smooth.  Stir in the chocolate chips and cook as above until melted.  Stir well into the Almond Bark.  Stir in the peanuts and drop by Tablespoon onto waxed paper or parchment.  Let set until firm.  Pack in container with a layer of waxed paper in between layers of candy. 

Note:  This made about 45 clusters - enough for a few bags of goodies to give as gifts. 

Everyone is in the holiday rush as this is the last weekend before the holiday. 

We wish you a blessed weekend from our home to yours.




Monday, December 1, 2014

ALL IS CALM ~~~ ALL IS WHITE



These are the quiet hours in our house.  Jeff is on his way to work in an ice storm and the Girls (Dottie & Olive) are tucked back in their nests for a quick nap after braving the elements.  Olive has a special spot atop one of our old family quilts that's on its last legs and Dottie has tucked herself away in a secluded spot where she can dream her doggie dreams.  The hand quilting on the quilt  below is spaced 1/4" apart.  It has been washed countless times and has frayed in all the right places.  It normally serves as a tree skirt, but this year I wanted to enjoy the beauty and texture of the stitching that came from my Greatgrammy's needle.   


Fortified with a cup of hot tea and the hum of our furnace keeping us warm, it's a morning to be savored.  A holiday candle is scenting the kitchen with the aroma of spices and baking goodies.  Who doesn't love the glow and scent of nice candles ~~~~



We put up our tree yesterday and decorated it  very simply with the angels and snowflake ornaments I make on the embroidery machine.  I have memories of embroidering angel components in July and August and tucking them away for completion after Thanksgiving.  A few special ornaments can make even a humble tree pretty.  I think there is something tranquil and pristine about all white.   I think of this as my "Broken Wing Collection" as a reminder that Christ invites us to come to Him just as we are ~~~ broken wings and all. 



On the menu today is a pot of homemade vegetable beef soup with hot bread for our dinner.  If I had ripe bananas on hand I would bake a batch of biscuits for the Girls, but that would require a trip out into the storm.  The Girls are happy to accept a bite of toast instead. 

Wishing you and yours a day to remember as you begin the new week.

                                       
                                     PEACE & PLENTY





Thursday, November 27, 2014

HAPPY THANKSGIVING




From our home to yours, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving with good food, family and friends. 

We will be spending a quiet day at home today.  Things will be picking up around here in a day or so and there will be plenty to chase after and accomplish. 

Enjoy this special day!!

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

SIMPLE SEWING

It always amazes me how much progress I can make on a quilt by sewing a half an hour each day. 

Somehow I managed to make 80 Illusion blocks in what seemed like no time.  Now that all the blocks are made I have begun sewing them into rows and sewing the rows to each other.  Here's what I have so far ~~~


This is Row 1 and 2 sewn together.  Can you see the 'floating' effect?  The gray strip on the left of each block is supposed to be the shadow of the colored rectangles.  The effect would be stronger if I had used a darker shade of gray but I like mine this way.  The colored fabric is Grunge by Basicgrey.  I really love this fabric and the colors.  Up close it has the look of raw silk.  Such an unfortunate name for such a lovely fabric line.
 
 
 

 
Rows 3 and 4 are pressed and ready to be sewn together.  Thereare eight rows all together, so I will sew four sets of two rows and then join them together.
 

Here are a few more stacks of blocks waiting to be sewn into rows.  I number the first block of each row with a sticky label.  I pin the label onto the block to prevent them falling off during pressing or moving them around.  I pick up a row of blocks in the order they are to be sewn and I clip the blocks with a clothespin.  This way if I happen to get interrupted it's simple for me to go back and figure out what I was doing.  Is it just me, or do you get interruptions all the time?  Note:  If you use sticky labels, pin them in an area where they won't be pressed. 

It will be fun to see how long it takes this quilt to go together.  I have a huge box of Christmas 'gifties' to finish and get ready to mail. 

Before long I will announce my Holiday Giveaway.  Don't miss out.

Until next time I wish you days of Peace & Plenty.   Barb

Monday, November 17, 2014

SNOWY DAY


We got about 2 inches of snow yesterday.  Our older scottie, Dottie, sat for over an hour at the window watching it fall from the sky.  She eventually got curious enough to go outdoors and put her nose in the snow and plow through it.  Being born and mostly raised in California, Dottie & Olive had never seen snow until last winter.  Sweet Olive wants nothing to do with that white stuff.

Today is a great day to stay indoors and bake, cook and sew.  Well....maybe not in that order!  Shall we say sew, sew, sew and miscellaneous. 

Welcome to the new followers of my blog.  Just like sewing, I blog a little and then blog a lot.  We are dealing with some medical issues and other matters and it's been especially busy around here for quite some time. 

I would love to hear your comments.  Comments from followers really give me the incentive to keep blogging.

Wishing you a cozy day wherever you are.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

PLUS SIGN QUILT




This is our first real snow of the year.  Dottie sat watching it fall for about an hour before she wanted to go out and play in it.  She is suspicious of things that drop from the sky, especially rain.  The snow seems to intrigue her.

Yesterday I picked up my small Plus Sign quilt from my long-armer and friend, Reggie.  I was surprised she was able to get this done before Christmas by the look of the stacks of things to quilt. 



The fabrics for this quilt are a few Riley Blake charm packs with no name on them plus some fabric from my stash.  I thought I was making this for our truck, but it's rather sweet looking and may end up being a lap quilt in the TV room.  The backing is French script.  The Plus Sign is a super easy pattern to execute, especially if you use precut squares.  Don't be afraid to try this one.  Laying out the blocks is the most difficult part of the whole thing!  I didn't think it needed a border, so that made it even quicker.

Wishing all of you a wonderful Sunday. 

Sunday, November 2, 2014

ILLUSION QUILT BLOCKS


Halloween has come and gone for another year.  Our weather has taken a definite turn toward Winter and it's time to pull out our warm winter clothes and quilts.

While on our trip to Missouri Star in Hamilton, Missouri I bought a layer cake of Grunge fabric by Basicgrey.  I'm in love with this fabric line because it reminds me of raw silk.  For the past week I've been making blocks for an Illusion quilt from the Grunge and a light grey print called Marblehead from Paintbrush Studio for the shadow edge.



The illusion is that the shadow strip on the left of the colored rectangles make them appear to be floating.  There is a great tutorial on how to make this easy block at Missouri Star Quilt Company or YouTube. 

I'm heading for the kitchen to bake a batch of cinnamon rolls for my hungry Hubby.

Wishing you all a wonderful day with family and friends.


Thursday, October 30, 2014

TRICK OR TREAT!


Our weather has turned cold, windy and damp just in time for Halloween.  This seems to be a tradition in our area.

A few years ago I made a Wacky Web Halloween quilt and about two years ago I made a huge pumpkin bag to store the quilt in.  Halloween fabrics always make me smile.  I love the vibrant colors of orange, purple, acid green and purple. 


 
Do you have special quilts you put out for holidays?  I love just a pop of something for each holiday.  I don't know why I waited so long to make the Halloween quilt. 
 
 
Come in my sweet ones and allow me to show you what Mr Jack is guarding~~~
 


Wishing you and yours a fun-filled Halloween!

Monday, October 20, 2014

A SPECIAL PLACE




Last week my sweet Hubby and I traveled to Hamilton, Missouri, the home of Missouri Star Quilt Company. We had a wonderful time shopping in all four of the fabric shops owned by Missouri Star and meeting the Doan family and everyone associated with Missouri Star. 

Jeff told me to shop, and that's precisely what I did.  Here are the gorgeous fabrics I brought home ~~


There is enough fabric here for seven quilts, which should keep me busy for the next two years.  The unique thing about shopping at the Missouri star shops is that each one has a theme. 

The main shop is quite large and has an excellent variety of newer fabrics, patterns, tools and gorgeous samples on all their walls.  Two doors down is the Mercantile shop, which sells primarily Civil War reproduction fabrics, but also new lines that would lend themselves well to Civil War patterns.  They also had an awesome selection of 1930s reproduction fabrics. This was my favorite shop. 

There is also a shop that carries holiday/seasonal specialty fabrics (gorgeous selections) and another shop that carries solid fabrics, blenders and assorted other fabrics that are almost solids.  

The very best part of our trip was getting to meet Jenny.



Jenny is such a gracious, friendly person.  We were thrilled to meet her and the rest of her family. 

This is a trip I hope we can take again and again. 

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

RIPPITT!


There are four basics to making quilts:  Cutting, sewing, pressing and the fourth (and not to be overlooked), ripping.   Each is an art unto itself. 

It takes a bit of experience to make accurate cuts with a rotary cutter.  I am still using my original Dritz stick cutter, which I know to be about 35 years old or so.  The blade is only exposed when pressure is put on it during cutting and that frees me from having to click it open and closed constantly.   Yes, I have purchased several other cutters over the years but I always go back to my old friend.



It also takes time and patience to master the 1/4" seam.  There are 1/4" feet, magnetic guides and numerous methods of affixing Moleskin or sticky notes to the plate of your machine to use as a guide to get that perfect seam width.   Find the helper that works best for you.  Practice makes perfect here.  This is my Janome 9500 that I love to distraction most days.  When I have issues with it, it's usually my error.  She's one smart machine.  I use a 1/4" foot most of the time to sew seams.



I'm rather attached to the Seam-Fix rippers that have a nice rubber end to help you gather up the snipped threads.  They come in two sizes and I'm especially fond of the small ones right now.  Besides being cute, the top fits over the end.


I mention the basics today because I'm working on a Plus Sign quilt and it's been a slow go for such a simple quilt.  I've been spending a bit of time with my ripper collection.  Here's a sneak peek ~~~

The bottom two rows aren't sewn on yet, but you can see the +'s beginning to come together.  This is a simple quilt that requires you to lay the whole thing out to make sure the pattern is correct and then you must pick it up in the correct order for sewing.  This is going to be a small quilt that we will keep in the truck.

Thanks for joining me for this ramble of what's going on in my head this morning. 

Wishing you a blessed day.   Barb










Saturday, September 27, 2014

THREAD SPOOL BANNERS



The annual retreat/reunion at Missouri Star is winding up today and it looks like they had a ball getting to know each other and meeting the Doan family.  I think Jenny Doan always makes thing fun.

Knowing that I wouldn't be able to attend the reunion this year I set out to make a few little door prizes and had such a good time making them.  Here are the thread banners ~~






These were made with my embroidery machine and were  ITH (In The Hoop) projects.  I hope the recipients like them.

I'm thinking of making Plus Sign quilt next.  So far I've pulled fabrics from my stash and I need to get busy cutting out squares. 

Have a happy Sunday!


Tuesday, September 23, 2014

PUMPKIN DUMP CAKE


As requested (Pam), here's the recipe for the Pumpkin Dump Cake I baked yesterday.  I got the recipe from the forum at Missouri Star:

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9x13 pan.

Mix together (by hand is fine) 1 can Pumpkin (15 ounces), 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Pour this mixture into the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle a dry yellow cake mix evenly over the top of the pumpkin mixture and then sprinkle 1 cup of chopped pecans over the cake mix.

Melt two sticks of butter and drizzle over the top of the cake.

Bake 60 minutes.  I took mine out at 55 minutes because the top looked like it was getting too brown.  This cake is best served warm with whipped cream or ice cream.  Your house will smell so-o-o good while this is baking.



Monday, September 22, 2014

FALL OFFERINGS



I took the Girls out for a walk early this morning and Fall is definitely here ~~~  at least for today. 

I wish you could smell how wonderful the house smells with a Pumpkin Dump Cake baking.  I can smell the cinnamon, pumpkin and pecans baking together.  Later today with some sweetened whipped cream we will have our first taste of Fall.

I also took the Summer quilt off our bed this morning, washed it and packed it away until next Summer.  An old favorite is on our bed now.  I didn't make this quilt but it's one of our favorites just the same.  This is a quilt I don't mind the Girls sleeping on without protection.  It washes beautifully and has served us well for many years.  The Fall colors are easy to live with ~~



I have a large batch of stew meat cooking in the slow cooker and some homemade dinner rolls are rising.  Jeff is going to be thrilled with his dinner.  I haven't done my usual amount of cooking lately and it felt really good to be in the kitchen again.

Wishing you a fantastic Monday!


Saturday, September 20, 2014

ON THE ROAD AGAIN


It's become our Saturday routine lately to pack ourselves and the Girls up and drive 90 minutes to our apartments to work.  We are hoping we will have all the work done and everyone settled in so we can enjoy some free weekends this Fall and Winter.

We get to meet such interesting, and sometimes frustrating, people.  A few of them over the years have become dear friends, a few have passed away and some come and go without imprinting our lives.  It takes all kinds to make our world go round.  For many years I watched the I Love Lucy sitcom.  Believe me, the portrayal of the landlords (Fred & Ethel) had no basis in reality at all, but it made for an entertaining program. 

Fall is so close you can taste it. It's the perfect time to gather together some friends for a bonfire and homemade goodies.  A huge pot of chili or gumbo and cornbread sounds wonderful.  Have you ever noticed how everything you eat outdoors tastes extra good? 

My health has been a real concern lately, but I'm on the mend and beginning to feel like myself again.  I straightened up the sewing room Wednesday, a sure sign I'm feeling better.  I'm planning on getting back to the seeing machine real soon.  it feels so good to be feeling better.  Thanks to all of you who sent your well wishes and encouraging words. 

It's time for me to pack our cooler and hit the road.  Thanks for stopping in ~~~~

Wishing you a blessed weekend!




Thursday, September 18, 2014

THANKSGIVING BANNER




The first Gobble banner is done.  This will be the one I keep for us because it has a few imperfections.  The ribbon legs and feet are fiddly to work with.  Over all I think these are cute, although quite time consuming with lots of tight trimming and rethreading of the machine.  I found this wonderful machine embroidery design at:  www.BigDreamEmbroidery.com.  Adding the wording was my idea and was simple once I figured out how to do it correctly.  I've never been a real banner person, but these are a fun way to use up some fabric scraps.  You need to click on the picture to see the details of the turkeys.   

We continue to have storms that have caused flash flooding in some areas, large hail, high winds and loud rolling thunder and lightning strikes.  It's hard to know when it's safe to keep our electronics plugged in.

I will put a roast into the slow cooker today and let it take care of itself.  With some potatoes and green beans it will make us a good dinner with little effort.

Wishing you a wonderfully creative day!








Monday, September 15, 2014

GOBBLE ~~~



Fall is in the air around here.  Today is a drizzly day but we had a glorious weekend.  The trees are just beginning to turn color and the acorns are falling.  It won't be long now ~~

Making/using/giving/cuddling quilts is my primary creative passion.  For a couple years now I've also been playing with and enjoying my embroidery machine.  I bought it thinking I would make an occasional quilt label.  After I discovered online embroidery designs I've become mad about machine embroidery.  Here's a little turkey banner I'm working on.  It will eventually spell out GOBBLE.  The turkeys will be strung together with ribbon and will become part of our Thanksgiving decorations. 


These little guys are about 5 inches tall.  This is a type of embroidery called In The Hoop (ITH) which means you make the entire thing in the embroidery hoop.  There is a lot of trimming involved.  You can see the buttonholes for the ribbon.

It will soon be time for pumpkins, candy corn & caramel apples, flannel shirts & socks, hot apple cider, bonfires, boots, flannel pj's and extra quilts on the bed.

Back to the sewing machine....


Have a blessed day!  Life is Good ~~ Life Is Sweet!







Saturday, September 13, 2014

MISSED BLOGGING ~~~

Hi Everyone! I sure have missed chatting with you here on the blog.  I've been dealing with a health issue that has kept me down for a few weeks.  I'm beginning to feel a little more like myself the past three days. 

Our weather has turned cold....the furnace kicked on this morning and I slept in flannel pj's last night.  It's time to bring out the quilts and socks.

I have been spending a little time at the sewing machine each day to make prizes for the Missouri Star Reunion group who will meet later this month in Hamilton, Missouri.  Sadly I won't be able to join them this year.  I will post pictures of what I made them after the retreat begins so they will be surprises for the door prize winners.  I think it's always nice to be surprised.

It will soon be applesauce time at our house.  Every Fall I make a large amount of homemade applesauce and freeze it for our use the rest of the year.  We will make a trip to the orchard for our two bushels of apples some time soon.  Applesauce making was a ritual I enjoyed with my Grandma Nan for many years. 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!  Barb







Saturday, September 6, 2014

SAVORING SEPTEMBER



September has long been my favorite month.  It's the month when the yellow butterflies that signal Summer's end arrive in clouds.  I have always called them 'end-of-summerflies'.  September mornings are cool and afternoons are still plenty warm.  The garden spiders are spinning their intricate webs to grace our property and I start to look forward to Fall activities.  It will soon be time to make applesauce and apple butter and plan for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I was a smartie this year and began working on a few small Christmas gift items early.  Everything is tucked away in a box and awaiting the finishing touches. 

My embroidery machine has been working overtime for a few weeks now.  I'm eager to get back to piecing a new quilt.  It's all good.

I'm working on putting together a nice Giveaway for Fall. 

Enjoy the weekend! 






Friday, August 29, 2014

LABOR DAY WEEKEND



I've had several quiet days with very little accomplished.  Our weather has been scorching hot with Weather Advisories almost every day.  We have a chance of rain today and tomorrow and we need it desperately.  We are still watering the flowers twice a day and even that isn't enough to save all of them.  Their beautiful colors are blanching out and they are totally droopy.

It will soon be September, my favorite month.  My Mom and my late dear friend Ruthie were born in September three days apart.  Normally September is the month for the yellow butterflies that announce the end of Summer.  Some years we get them in late August but so far I haven't seen one. 

Dottie and Olive are really feeling the heat.  Summer can be hard on black dogs. Their time outdoors is limited and we make sure they have plenty of cold water at all times.  They have been getting an occasional spoon of ice cream in the evenings.  We have been enjoying root beer floats and the Girls now know the wonder of how straws work!

I have been piddling around with the embroidery machine a little.  I did make a decision about the next quilt I will make, it will be a Double Irish Chain.  I bought an interesting class on Craftsy called Twisted Irish Chain and the instructor has some very good ideas and she demystifies the process of the double and triple chains. 

We don't have any grand plans for the weekend.  We will work in Cuba tomorrow and then Jeff will have three more days off.  We may drive up north to visit some friends or maybe take a short trip to visit family.

Whatever you choose to do this weekend, be safe. 


Thursday, August 21, 2014

SNEAK A PEEK

I've been away from blogging for a week or so and it feels good to sit down and catch up with you.  This summer my health has been like a roller coaster with more dips than highs.  I'm making a good effort to push through this and get back on track with my creativity. 

Many of you know that quilting is my passion, but machine embroidery comes in at a close second.  Being reminded by a friend of how many Fridays are left until Christmas (17) I thought I should get busy on some simple projects.  The sewing room is looking like my space again with stacks and piles, plastic bags and totes all waiting for attention.  Take a peek ~~~






If you are saying to yourself that I'm a messy sewist, you are totally correct.  I do straighten things up occasionally but just enough so I can find things. There's a little Halloween going on besides small gifties for some friends who will be gathering for a quilting retreat next month.  Do you plan to make anything for stocking stuffers or larger gifts for Christmas?  Remember, just 17 more Fridays, and tomorrow is one of them!

It's been good chatting with you.  I would love some comments from you.   Have a blessed day!


Tuesday, August 12, 2014

CHICKEN PINNIES


Quilting is my passion but sometimes I take a detour and make small items.  Yesterday I made a chicken pincushion from two leftover 9-patch blocks (6 inch).  There is a good tutorial for this project at Missouri Star Quilts.  My little chicken didn't turn out real well, but she will hold pins and keep me company when I sew.  Here it is ~~~~~



It needs a little more stuffing and something heavy in the bottom so it will sit well.  The eyes are straight pins with black glass heads. It was a fun project and I have a few ideas for personalizing the next ones I make.  Yes, I plan to make a few more just for fun.

Today I want to start making shams and pillowcases to go with my daughter's birthday quilt.  She isn't expecting these.  Her quilt was sent to her last week and she received it Friday.  She called me when it arrived and she was thrilled. 

We are going to have a few cool days until the weekend.  This will be a welcome relief from the humidity that's been so heavy.  We got some rain and the yard has greened up again, so I will be out on the mower a little later this morning.  I love to mow when the weather is nice.  We won't be mowing that much longer before we can stop for the year. 

Thanks for stopping in ~~~  have a great day!



Sunday, August 10, 2014

A MUFFIN MORNING




I bought some beautiful Michigan blueberries that I've been nibbling on for a few days.  As good as they were, I was craving blueberry muffins and that's exactly what we had with our breakfast this morning.  Sometimes nothing but homemade will do.  I put a topping on these but they are perfect without.  So our menu was bacon, eggs and blueberry muffins. 

I wish the rest of our day could be as lazy as the morning, but  
we are going outdoors to cut up a pine tree that had to be taken down last week. This tree, a 100+ foot yellow pine, was killed by boring beetles.  We need to burn this tree to kill as many of the bugs as possible.  We will be two tired pups after this job is done.


I hope you have a happy Sunday with your family and friends.  We could use a helping hand with the tree if you're in the neighborhood. 

                           Wishing you Peace & Plenty

Friday, August 8, 2014

SNOW DAYS

For the last week I've been enjoying my embroidery machine again.  I dug out a box that contained the thread for making some free-standing lace (FSL) Christmas ornaments and I've been having a ball.  Every year I seem to get this urge in the hottest part of Summer and I shut myself in the sewing room to work on early Christmas items...I call these my Snow Days.

Last year I ran across a gorgeous embroidered angel ornament at Urban Threads.  Since then I've looked forward to making a few more as gifts for family.  Do you remember this angel?


 
This sweet little ornament takes almost 3 hours to stitch out if you don't have any problems.  I always have a few thread breaks to fix.  The body/robe is one large piece and each wing is stitched separately.  These are stitched on water soluble stabilizer and once done they have to be soaked and laid out to dry.  Once dry they are constructed and embellished.  If you want to hang your angel on a tree branch, put the head on with the hanger on top.  If you have a small tree and would like your angel on the top, put the head on with the hanger inside the body.  Each one is a labor of love.  Here's the site to buy the design: www.urbanthreads.com.  Once there type in Lace Angel in the search bar and it will pop up in this size and a smaller version also.  If you decide to make these and would like a few tips I've learned along the way just let me know.
 
Back to my growing stack of angel parts.  Enjoy your day!


Friday, August 1, 2014

DEJA VU


Here is our daughter's birthday quilt I finished last night.  It's a simple Framed Square pattern made from the Luna Notte line of fabric from Moda. 

The pattern is a simple Framed Square with an inner and outer border.  I made a quilt nearly identical to this for us a couple years ago, with the only difference being the borders.  Here is ours for comparison ~~

The borders on our quilt are a toile fabric that I think coordinates well with the Luna Notte line.  The borders on our daughter's quilt are from the Luna Notte line.  Both quilts used two charm packs and two jellyrolls, but you could easily cut your own 5" squares and 2 1/2" strips from yardage. 

It's time for me to decide what to make next.  I have been playing with some machine embroidery designs with an eye toward Christmas gifts.  Yes, it's almost that time again. 

Our local fabric store is having a sale this week that I haven't been able to resist.  Here's some darling little girl fabric I bought yesterday ~~

Of course I also had to buy a few coordinating fabrics, but that's part of being a fabricholic, isn't it?

If I have my way this will be a quiet Friday.  I will make a big bowl of slaw to go with our dinner of BLT sandwiches and baked waffle fries.  Keeping dinner simple will let me spend most of the day in the sewing room.  Dottie thinks this is a very good idea and she has already called dibs on her old baby bed in the sewing room ~~~

Have a great Friday!