Sewing 4 Millie

Mystery Quilt 2012

2012-02-08T16:56:00.000-08:00

Okay... so I'm not actually doing a mystery quilt, but I have started a project where I honestly don't know what each block is going to look like until it is presented at the beginning of each month. I also have no clue as to what the finished quilt will look like either... all of that is up to me, the quilter. For the blocks that I have pieced together so far, I have decided that I would like to make each block on point. That means that I will be needing a lot more fabric to surround each of the 6 1/2" blocks.... thus making them 12" finished.

Here is January's block. There were several different color waves in which I could choose from, but I decided to go with the darker colors. In the packet, along with the pattern, I was given three, dark, color swatches. To those, I was suppose to add a background color.... preferably light in color... I decided not to... I just used the three dark fabrics that were provided. I realize that there is not a lot of contrast, but by adding the surrounding fabric to the block, I felt that would suffice.

Here is February's block... there was actually a lighter color fabric swatch, mixed with the two darker ones, in the kit. I decided to add one more dark fabric to go along with the look that I had started in the first block. Since I have no idea as to what the next block pattern will be... or the exact color of the swatches that will be included, my prayer is that I will be able to continue on with the darker look.

(I know that I promised that I would be talking about 'Steam A Seam II" in this post, but I decided to share these two mystery blocks with you first... next post.)

Blessings! Debbie

BTW...... Guilty!!! I'm glad that it is over. It was a very short criminal trial in the Superior Court. It was rather difficult for the defense attorney to defend his client. At least this case was better than my last one which lasted three weeks!

Jury Duty 2012

2012-02-07T06:22:00.000-08:00

So right now I am on a case in Superior Court and I am unsure when I will return. But.... I just wanted to check in with all of you to let you know where I was.... obviously I would rather be enjoying the company of anyone in my family... or with dear friends. Talking or listening to any one of them is far more comforting and delightful than what I am hearing in this case. However... I am truly thankful for our judicial system that allows one to have the right to a jury trial and prayerfully by the end... and deliberations are complete, we, as jurors, will have made a correct and wise decision.

With my oldest daughter Paula.

Once I am back, I will check in again and share with you the wonders of "Steam A Seam II". A machine appliquer's dream.

Enjoy the remainder of your week! Blessings, Debbie

Pumpkin Block of the Month

2012-02-02T11:32:00.000-08:00

Another block is ready to share with you in regards to my Block of the Month adventure. I like the idea of stitching out various pumpkins that were specifically designed to represent each month of the year. I must confess that I look forward to receiving these new pumpkin patterns... along with their chosen fabric swatches... at the end of every month.

My next conquest is to complete one of those mystery quilts that are offered out there.... I'm thinking that I just may like that as well. It is always fun to hear the many conversations that are held between the gals at the shop who are or who have participated in any number of the quilting options that are available to everyone. If you have not had the opportunity to join in the fun by participating in any one of these clubs... think about signing up... you just may like it!

Happy sewing! Debbie

Hand Applique 2012

2012-01-30T09:33:00.000-08:00

As I stated in my last blog... I do enjoy hand applique. However, if I know that I need to have something done rather quickly, I will revert to appliqueing by machine. Any appliqueing, quilting, embroidering, applying binding, etc. by hand has always been very relaxing for me.... some hate it... I love it.

Pearl P Pereira is a wonderful applique designer whose designs are awe inspiring. Take a look at her website and you will see what I mean. I used one of Pearl's patterns to make a little travel case to carry all of my hand applique tools in.... in fact this is my second one that I have made.

Here's the first one:

The inside:

On my second one, I decided to embroider my initials. The outside:

And the inside, which holds all of my tools:

Two of my favorite tools, also designed by Pearl, are a must for hand applique. I gladly share them with you:

Those interested in Pearl's pattern I will gladly share it with you below. It is very easy to stitch together and just as easy to embroider whatever you want on the outside to make sure that no one tries to snag it from you. Happy stitching!!

Block of the Month 2012

2012-01-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

I decided to do something very different this year... at least something different as far as quilting is concerned. I have always wanted to participate in one of those block of the month clubs that the various, on-line, quilting shops offer. One can also find BOM's offered in different catalogs, magazines and sometimes in shops located in your very own neighborhood.

The BOM that I wanted to participate in however, was one where not only was the pattern sent to you each month, but the fabric that went along with it as well. (This is highly unusual for me as I am one who would rather choose her own fabric and not copycat someone else's ideas or choices!) Well... I finally bit the bullet this year and joined a BOM. My blocks are sent to me from Shabby Fabrics, a shop that I truly love. The name of my BOM is The Great Pumpkin. I must say... I am really enjoying each block so far and can hardly wait so see the finished quilt on my bed. BTW.... this is an applique BOM. Now some of you may not enjoy doing applique, but I am doing all the work on my machine. Those who know me know that I enjoy doing handwork, but I knew that it would be easy for me to get behind schedule and I wanted make sure that this quilt would be completed by the year's end.

Here is a peek at the pattern:

Here is a peek of my first completed block:

Can't wait to share each block as they come. Blessings, Debbie

Holidays 2011

2012-01-24T07:23:00.000-08:00

Wow.... it has been awhile hasn't it??? I thought that I would share a few pictures this time around... pictures of the fam and our time together over the holidays.

Since we had not celebrated a holiday together in ten years, we decided to snap a shot of the nine of us together for our memory books.

My mother-in-law joined us for Thanksgiving this year and below is a shot of her with Paula-girl.... the following shot is Elizabeth and I in the kitchen.... eating. (Is there anything else one does at this time of the year?)

Casey and Rebekah do like their wine.. I just have never seen such a huge bottle!! And then there's Cash boy.. too cute!

CHRISTMAS... my favorite holiday. Here is our tree.. we actually got it up this year!!

We have added an additional tradition to our holiday celebrations by going back to Kansas and having a 'December 24th" day with them... we had the best time!!

The kids love it when we take them ice skating and since Randy and Elizabeth are usually helping out one of them, Jim quickly snapped a shot of just the two of them.

Of course we had to take a trip to the candy store...

And a place we all love is, Big Mama's. Great cinnamon rolls... not nearly as good as yours Nicole... but good none the less.

We ate at an incredible Irish Pub in the coolest little town...

And finally finished our day at The Cheese Cake Factory. I get the biggest kick out of all that the kids order. Last year Ryder shared with a homeless man who was outside in the cold. Ryder has got to have the most tender of hearts. (I miss all of those kids already.)

Back to San Diego....

Celebrating the 24th here in San Diego started by having breakfast at Cafe Coyote in Old Town. Yummy!!

Next, we took the train to Solana Beach. If you've never done this, you are missing out BIG time!

The kids LOVED the train.

Again... the candy store. This is a must at both celebrations... Jim and I pay dearly for this... or I guess I should say our waistlines do.

After we gorged ourselves on candy, off we went to Viejas Bowl. Mom and dad watched all of us make complete and utter fools out of ourselves by pretending to be the professional bowlers... that we definitely aren't. (I hope no one was watching!)

!

John and Michael... thinking that they were so hot..... tee hee.

Michael throwing the ball... to who knows where...

Someone needed to inform Nicole that you actually have to let go of the ball.....

Lindsey, showing them how to throw.... her problem?... she just couldn't seem to knock down those pins.... sorry Lindsey. ;-)

I'll end this little photo session with Cash resting safely in his grandpa's arms.

Thanks for stopping by.... I hope you enjoyed my little memory album.

Pinwheels!!

2011-11-17T08:56:00.001-08:00

I adore pinwheel quilts! You can do so much with that type of pattern. Here are a couple of quilts that I recently finished using the pinwheel pattern as my base.

The first picture is of a baby quilt that I made for the shop where I occasionally work. Sharyn Craig designed this quilt and asked if I would test it out using her new Cutting Corners Ruler. Fabulous!! If you're a quilter, then you're more than likely very familiar with Sharyn. She is a joy to work with and not only full of creativity, but full of life as well. When she's around, the whole place simply lights up! I felt it an honor to work on one of her new patterns and try out her latest ruler. Fun!!

Here is the quilt:

Here's the ruler:

When I was president of a local quilt guild several years ago, one of the many ways in which we raised money was to sell 'stitch and wins' to our many members for $1.00. The gals loved buying these 'stitch and wins' and would willingly buy as many as they could in hopes of winning all of the completed blocks. In case you're not familiar with 'stitch and wins' let me explain. Each of us, as members of the guild, took turns every other month coming up with an easy quilt block pattern that we felt everyone would enjoy making. The one in charge of the 'stitch and win' for the month would also purchase a challenge fabric that she felt would go nicely with the pattern that she had chosen. She would then place a copy of the pattern, as well as a piece of the challenge fabric, in a small sandwich baggie and sell them to the members who were eagerly waiting to buy them. Once a member got home with her little baggie, she was to read over the pattern, find any fabric that she had in own stash and sew the block together. (Because each of us used our own fabric and then added it to the challenge fabric it guaranteed a block that was unique and one of a kind.) Once your block was completed, you simply brought it with you to the following meeting and you were given a ticket for each block turned in. I normally purchased at least two baggies of 'stitch and wins'. And, like everyone else, always hoped that I would somehow win all of the completed blocks that these wonderful quilters had made.

The following picture is of one of my 'stitch and win' quilts. I was blessed to win a group of 'stitch and win' blocks twice!! As you may suspect, some blocks that would be turned in would be quite pretty and some would be....... Anyway.. with this quilt I used all of the blocks... well... except for one. The gal who had come up with this 'stitch and win' drawing gave me all of her left over challenge fabric... (yippee!) which I used on the outer border. I purchased the darker fabric for the inner border and binding. I decided to give the quilt a scalloped finish due to my love of scallops!

If you have some blocks that you don't know what to do with, lay them out on the floor and put your creative mind to work and have fun!!

Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-16T07:57:00.001-08:00

Last Christmas, I shared with you some kitchen towels that I had made for my family as gifts. I decided to make a few more towels for Thanksgiving. There is a wonderful design company, Vermillion, that makes gorgeous embroidery designs that look as though you had taken the time to do some cross stitch. I love how these designs come out on the fabric. Even on this waffle weave fabric, the cross stitch design comes out perfect.

Here is the design packet that I used... I can't wait to do the turkey!!

I've used these designs on several of the stockings that I have made in the past. So, so pretty!

And here are some great designs to stitch out on towels:

I was playing around with one of the designs above and decided to add the words below the design.

One of these days, I's hoping that I will be able to make the pictures a little more clear for all of you. ;-) In the meantime, simply click on the pictures for a closer view.

Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving with those you love.. I sure am!

The Twelve Days of Christmas

2011-11-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

I have always loved the song 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'.... even more so after I read about its actual, historical, origins several years ago. Did you know that it had a very serious purpose when it was first written? Because Catholics were severally punished and often times put to death for practicing or sharing their faith..... privately or publicly... they created this musical allegory to instruct their young people in regards to the great love that God had for them. What a way to witness and carry the message of Christ on to future generations! I may not be a practicing Catholic, but as a christian, I admire their determination to teach the message of the Good News of Jesus to their young and to those who still don't realize just how "good" this news truly is. Here's some of the words to the song along with their original intent:

1. Partridge in a Pear Tree= Jesus Christ, Son of God
2. Turtle Doves= The Old & New Testament
3. French Hens= Faith, Hope & Charity
4. Calling Birds=The Four Gospels, which sing the song of Salvation
5. Gold Rings= The First Five Books of the Old Testament
6. Geese= The Six Days of Creation
7. Swans a-Swimming= The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
8. Maids-Milking= The Eight Beatitudes
9. Ladies Dancing=The Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10. Lords a-Leaping= The Ten Commandments
11. Pipers Piping= The Eleven Faithful Apostles
12. Drummers Drumming= The Twelve Points of the Doctrine in the Apostle's Creed.

Maybe some of you are already familiar with the original meaning and intent of this song, but as I shared above.. I wasn't until several years ago and it has made me enjoy listening to this particular song even more so today than when I was a little girl.

So now... after sharing this information with you, I thought I would share one of the latest projects that I have been working on. I saw a book, written by Fons and Porter entitled, "Best of Fons & Porter Tabletop Quilts". I thought that the picture on the front cover was pretty cute, but I wanted a more elegant table topper for the holidays than what was presented in the book... hence, my version of this table topper is shown below.. notice the Partridge in a Pear Tree:

I used quite a bit of metallic thread in each design and had no problems at all as I used, "The Amazing Thread Guide" that I shared with you in a previous post. (I did not even need to use a metallic needle or slow my machine down!) It worked beautifully!

Here is the book that I was referring to:

More to come in future posts Have a great day!

One-Block Wonders

2011-09-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

I don't know if any of you have ever made one of these beautiful quilts before, but I absolutely love them! It is similar to making a stack and whack quilt in which you stack the fabric on top of itself where it repeats, then cut. My friend Sharon made this particular quilt. I think it's simply beautiful! I loved her fabric choice , and I especially loved how she laid out each block to get this particular look. One fabric choice made all the different looks you see in this quilt.... one fabric. Hint... if you want to know what the fabric looked like before she stacked it up and cut it... check out the border. (Click on the picture itself for a closer peek.) Incredible isn't it?

Here's the book. More books have come out since this one was published, and the designs that one can come up with are endless. Take the initiative and get your creative genes flowing..... you might be pleasantly surprised!

Happy quilting!! Debbie

Can I Just Say.........

2011-09-19T05:36:00.001-07:00

Wow... water leaks are slightly messy! Between the drywall dust, the plastic tarps everywhere, and all of the paraphernalia needed to re-pipe our entire house, it has been rather crazy around here. Sewing is what keeps me sane, so I needed to simply sit down and complete something! I decided on the dress/top that I had started working on before this whole mess began.

The dress was for my granddaughter Keira who is rather tall. She may be only 4 years old, but her height is in the upper 98 percentile of other kids her age. When I had her try on the dress yesterday it was rather comical. It definitely fit her more like a top than a dress.... one just had to laugh. The pattern? Beverly Belle by Izzy & Ivy. My mom had picked up the pattern while visiting friends recently in Iowa.

The pattern itself is $12.50 yet there is only ONE pattern piece on the inside.... ONE. I have never made a pattern quite like this before so was anxious to see how it was going to turn out. If Izzy & Ivy ever asked for suggestions, I would definitely make this one.. list everything one would need to complete this dress on the OUTSIDE of the pattern! Not until you open the packaging do you realize that you need 8 yards of double folded bias tape... or 1/2 yard of contrast fabric to make your own. You also need 3 yards of 3/8" of elastic. I think both of these should have been listed on the back of the pattern along with the fabric requirements. If I were a young mom who saw this darling pattern... and I was a new to sewing, I would have been so disappointed if I got home and realized that I didn't have all that I needed to complete my project. I always have everything I need as I live so far out in the country. I'm just sayin.........

Anyway... here is the actual dress/top. I think the design is pretty cute and I know my granddaughter will have fun wearing it... it twirls.. which is a main requirement with her. ;-)

I had to take another picture so that you could see all of the apples coming on. My trees are loaded! I can't wait for some fresh apple pies... neither can my kids!

Water Leaks Continued!

2011-09-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of our mess. I can't even tell you... or show you the entire mayhem that is going on around here. Once we get all of the holes fixed in our home and I am able to put things back in place, I will return.

How it is looking on the inside..one of the many rooms affected:

One of the many holes in those many rooms!

Water Leak

2011-09-09T06:51:00.000-07:00

I was planning on showing you a dress that I have been working on but due to a water leak in our slab, on top of loosing our electricity yesterday, my plans have slightly changed. We are now working on getting our entire house re-plumbed.... no small feat. I will return........

Prayers are encouraged here.... thanks! ;-)

Have a great week end!

The Dresses

2011-09-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

This will be a quick post so that you can see the dress that I made for my granddaughter who lives in Kansas. You will recognize the dress from a previous post, however, seeing the dress on is always nicer, don't you think? Since none of these granddaughters live nearby, I could not make any adjustments to the back piece that I had elasticized by using elastic thread. I would have cut the back piece smaller on Ashlynn's dress... maybe even Reilly's.

Again, the pattern is designed by Izzy & Ivy and is called 'Kayla Bubble'. As you can see by the picture, I did not make the bottom portion of the dress into a bubble as instructed, but instead added a contrasting piece of fabric and then simply hemmed it. Also.. remember that the girls wanted their dresses longer as that apparently is the current style.

The dress on:

The back of the dress....

Here is one more picture of the dresses that I made for my granddaughters who live up in Sacramento.... a day out with their dad, my son.

Have a great weekend and come by for a visit again!

Re-doing The Towel!

2011-08-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I shared a towel idea that I thought you might like because it is quite easy to make..... and rather inexpensive as well. (This particular towel was only $3.95) Those two words, 'easy' along with 'inexpensive', rate pretty high in my book. I was mad at myself, in regards to the last towel, because I had placed the design much too high on the towel. While making a new one, I thought I would take a few pictures of the process and share them with you.

Here are those pictures. Hopefully, each shot will help you in your own process should you decide to make this same towel.

In the first picture, I wanted you to see the little gadget that I use when sewing with metallic thread..... which I used quite a bit of on this towel. When this little item first came into the shop, I was rather apprehensive as to how it would really work.... I almost didn't even purchase it and that, my friend, would have been a BIG mistake! If you have ever used metallic thread in the past you know very well that metallic thread seems to have a mind of its own due to how it is wound on the spool. It naturally wants to twist and turn every which way.... very much unlike normal thread. As it unwinds from the spool while sewing, this wonderful gadget forces it to come off much straighter thus preventing breakage. My thread did not break once.... and you can see how much I used... a lot!! No wonder it is called, The Amazing Wonder Thread Guide. It made working with metallic thread a pure joy.

Here's the sweet, little gadget:

And here it is on my machine.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention my favorite metallic thread.... Yenmet. I have tried many different brands of metallic thread, but nothing compares to this great thread. It's the only brand I now have in my collection of metallics!

After I washed my towel, pressed it with spray starch, and made sure that the corner for hanging it was at the top, I hooped the towel up using a black, heavyweight, cut away stabilizer on the back of the towel and a clear, aquafilm topper on the front of the towel due to the open weave. I wanted to make sure that the embroidery design, as it stitched out, did not get lost into that open weave.

Here's the front with the aquafilm topper:

Here's the back with the black stabilizer:

I decided to draw out the reindeer portion of the design onto a piece of 'Steam A Seam 2" and ironed it onto the wrong side of the fabric that I had chosen for the reindeer. I then carefully cut out the reindeer and once it came time to add the applique of the reindeer onto the design, I merely placed it in the designated place, right side up, then continued the stitch out until the design was completed.

Here is the finished reindeer design:

Now for the bottom ruffle. First, cut a piece of fabric 8" x the width of the fabric. (Approximately 42-44") Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together, and sew the two short ends together using a 1/4" seam. Turn the fabric piece right side out, pressing it well, then divide it into four equal sections marking it carefully. Once the fabric piece is marked, do the same to the towel. Gather the fabric piece to make a nice ruffle. By marking the towel and the ruffle you can now match the ruffled fabric evenly to the towel. Pin well then sew together the ruffle and the towel making sure that the ruffle is sewn on to the BACK of the towel. The ruffle should appear evenly spaced.

Before ruffling..... Here's a picture of one end of the ruffle piece.

Here's the back of the towel with the ruffle sewn in place.

Press the ruffle towards the front of the towel, as shown below:

Notice that you now have the raw edge of the ruffle on the front of the towel. To cover that raw edge, you need to cut a piece of fabric, 1 1/2" X width of towel, plus an additional 1 1/2" on each end of the strip of fabric. Turn in the 1 1/2" that you added on each end of the strip towards the center of the towel. Using a 1/2" seam allowance, sew strip to the raw edge of the ruffle (do not sew down onto towel yet.) making sure that the ends of the strip are folded in. Once sewn on, tuck the top raw edge of the strip over and behind the raw edge of the ruffle piece and now... sew neatly and securely to the towel.

Here's how the back of your towel should look... nice and neat!

Voila!! I decided to add piping and glitz to my towel. and you can easily do the same...... or any other creation you desire. Have fun!!

Another Idea!

2011-08-23T07:07:00.000-07:00

I brought home this black towel from the shop last Saturday as requested. My co-workers wanted me to come up with an idea, for the holidays that are quickly approaching us, using this black towel as the main focus. (The store has an abundance of these black towels and they needed a plan on how to sell them!) As I walked around the shop, I looked for fabric that I thought might possibly match, but would also welcome in the coming holiday season. I noticed that we had a couple of bolts of this reindeer fabric, as well as the coordinating stripe fabric. Once I got home, I looked for just the right reindeer design to add to the towel. I also wanted to add the word 'Peace' in some kind of swirly type of font. Below is what I came up with. My mistake? placing the design way too high on the towel! However... I realize what I did wrong and my next towel will be perfect!

I share it here with you to show another example of, what I think, is a great and inexpensive gift idea. The towels are rather cheap and can be found just about anywhere. Just make sure the you prewash your towel! For the ruffle I cut the reindeer fabric 7 1/2" x whatever the width of your fabric.... this one was about 44". The striped fabric was cut 1 1/2" by whatever the width of your towel plus 2". (Make sure you click on each picture for a closer view if needed.)

What do you think? Easy, easy. Have a great day!

I don't like the back of anything to look unfinished or undone so I wanted to make sure that you got a view from behind.

Missed One

2011-08-20T21:46:00.001-07:00

In my last post, I forgot to add this photo of Cash's newest burp pad. I have made him a couple now..... mainly because I needed a few more samples for the shop on how to make piping. These little pads are quick and easy to make and once you get your own creative juices flowing, I'm sure that you can come up with other fantastic ideas that can be sewn or embroidered on. With the economy going the way that it is, we all need to come up with different ideas for gifts in regards to the coming holidays. Does anyone else have more economical gift ideas? I'd love to hear them. Have a great week!

Wallets!

2011-08-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

Soooo, I am still making wallets to give as gifts.... I'm not exactly sure how many I have made so far..... but I think they are a great gift idea to give to people that you know.. but you just aren't sure as to what they really need or what they really want. If you'd like... throw in a gift card or two as well... especially to places you know they would enjoy. The wallets are fairly easy to make and I can honestly say that I wouldn't mind getting one myself. ;-)

I made a couple out of the pink University of Arizona fabric for my niece and my sister-in-law.... I even embroidered their initials on the inside.. below is the one I made for my sister-in-law. Here's the outside:

Here's the inside:

This next one is for my daughter-in-law. I know that she gets a lot of gift cards for her birthday, christmas, anniversary... etc.
Since I know she enjoys getting those gift cards, I'll just give her one from me inside of this little wallet. Here's the outside:

And here's the inside:

I have also been making more of these little bags. They are perfect for throwing one of the above wallets in, along with a license, car keys, cell phone, etc. This one is for Liz, my sister-in-law. The outside:

The inside:

For my niece, who I made the pink University of Arizona wallet for, I made her bag out of the traditional colors of the U of A. Since she just had a new baby boy, I made the bag a little more 'boy' friendly.

For my other niece, who also has a sweet little baby boy, I made her bag out of the cutest baby fabric ever. I made her a wallet to match. I had already mailed both their gifts before posting. But if you need a quick baby gift idea, make one of the bags like I have shared in previous posts.... and here, sew together a matching wallet, throw in a couple of diapers, wipes and maybe a gift card or two, and voila.... a gift no one else could possibly give! Keep sewing... and thanks for stopping by!

Dressing Up For Summer.

2011-08-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

Again.... I am making dresses. I suppose there will never be an end to sewing.... and quite frankly, that is just fine with me. I shared in a couple of posts back the two dresses that I made for my granddaughters who live up north. I have two more granddaughters who live in the midwest... for the oldest I made this dress.

The first picture is of the front of the dress...... I purchased the darling buttons in an adorable shop in Oceanside... Maisonnette. Take a look at their webpage. I brought home two of every color button that they had! Great shop.

The second picture is of the back. Again, I used the elastic thread in the bobbin.

If you haven't tried the elastic in the bobbin yet, give it a try. I'm confident that you will enjoy the results and so will the one who wears it!! Questions??

What Is a disciple?

2011-08-08T06:11:00.000-07:00

The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made--

I am a disciple of Christ!

I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure.
I am finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions or popularity.
I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.
My face is set! My goal is heaven! My road is narrow! My way is rough
but.....
My Guide is reliable and my mission is clear.
I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won’t give up, shut up, let up or slow up
Until I’ve preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up and stayed up for the cause of Jesus Christ.
I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go until He comes, give until I drop, preach until all know and work until He stops me.
And when He comes to claim His own, He will have no problem recognizing me, my banner will be clear.

(This letter was nailed to the door of a young pastor’s home in Zimbabwe, Africa who had suffered severely for his faith. and was eventually martyred)

“With His Finger God wrote on the stone,
None could change it
None erase it.

My sin smashed the stone
broke His heart
impaled the Author on a cross-beam

Now His Finger writes again----------
again on my heart.”

Hermom Pettit

Years ago when I was listening to a message on a tape recorder, the speaker was reading the above passage in regards to, What Is A Disciple. It touched my heart in such a way that I replayed the tape over and over again until I was able to write out the entire message that the young pastor had written to his persecutors. It made me question myself as to how I would respond if persecuted like he was. Then a couple of years later my dear friend, who has since passed away, gave me a book with the bottom quote that I have also shared with you. It has been well over 25 years now since I first heard these passages but I still read these precious nuggets periodically to not only remind me of the greatest of our Great God but to also bring comfort in times of unrest. For that reason, I am now sharing them with you. "Greater is He Who is within you than he who is in the world." Blessings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFZyT2fEK3I&feature=related

Updates

2011-08-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been so busy sewing that I have had little time to post on my blog. I have also been working more, as well as teaching more at the shop. The 'Beginning Sewing" classes have been full due to the Groupon offer that the store owner sent out through people's emails. If you read my blog, 'Groupon Nation", you would see just what I have been teaching these first time sewers and the project that they put together in my class. Each one of these gals has been successful in completing their zippered bags and each has been very happy with their results..... that in turn makes it easier and more rewarding for me.

If you missed out on that blog... here is another sampling of what the gals make. I made another bag for Cash and again placed a pocket on the inside for nursing pads, keys, license... whatever.

Here's the outside view with his initials on one side... (Again... if you would like a closer view, click on any of the pictures.)

The backside....

The inside..

Here is yet another project, a burp pad, using your wider pin tuck foot. As I shared in an older post, this foot is great for making piping.

I also made this kitchen towel... again using the pin tuck foot to make the green piping, and I then embroidered a poinsettia above the added fabric.

I also made a gift card wallet for my daughter Nicole. This is a great, easy pattern... and not bad to give with a gift card enclosed.

And the last photos are of my granddaughters wearing the dresses that I made for them for the summer. Too cute aren't they?

Again... thanks for stopping by! Have a blessed week.

Fabulous Elastic Thread

2011-07-21T05:54:00.000-07:00

This will be a quick blog as I need to get to work, but.... since I shared with you about threads in a previous post, I thought that I would share another thread type with you that I think you might enjoy.... elastic thread. Gutermann thread company makes elastic thread that can be used to make those wonderful, whimsey, summer dresses that are so popular right now. Below are a couple of pictures of dresses that I made for two of my granddaughters. The second dress you have already seen... my mistake was not making it long enough. I had not realized that those summer dresses that are so popular right now are also very long... big mistake. What to do..... I added more fabric to each dress. The first one was easy enough as I hadn't finished hemming it yet.... I simply made some piping and just added more of the same fabric to it. The second dress.... which, like I stated, I had already completed, was slightly more difficult. I had to take the entire dress a part at the top and add more fabric there. I liked it better before, but this will work... after all it's just a fun, little, (long) summer dress for the girls to wear for this season.

Here's a picture of the front of the first dress.

And here is the back where I used the elastic thread. By making the back piece nearly double in width, I finished off the top edge, then began sewing across the entire back piece with regular thread on the top and elastic thread coming through the bobbin on the bottom. The trick is to hand wind, loosely, the elastic thread onto your bobbin. Slightly lengthen your straight stitch and begin sewing across the width of your prepared back fabric piece. Your next line of stitching should be approximately 1/2" from your first line of stitching. Repeat all the way down your back fabric piece making sure to leave at least 3/4" at the bottom so that you can easily attach the skirt of your dress. The key is also having a good steam iron. Once you have sewn your back piece with all of your rows of stitching, hold your steam iron over your now elastisized fabric piece. Give it a couple of good shots of steam, as this will make your fabric piece shrink up even more.

The second dress.

And the back of this one.

Make sure to click onto each picture if you need a closer look. The pattern that I used was Kayla Bubble by Izzy & Ivy. I did not make the dress into a bubble as designed, but instead made it simple and straight. Try out the elastic thread... it's something different and fun! Now get sewing!

Cash's First Bath

2011-07-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

I stopped by Beck's house after church and had the wonderful privilege of giving Cash his first bath. I was honored with a fountain of pee.... by my unsuspecting grandson.... once his backside hit the water. He has got to be the most laid back baby ever! So much like his dad!!
I thought you might enjoy some pics.

With grandpa.... before he knew what was about to happen.

His present for me.

During the bath.

And once he was done. Isn't he cute??

Groupon Nation

2011-07-16T17:31:00.001-07:00

How many of you out there love those Groupons that come into your life via email? Everyone wants a deal and those Groupon offers are pretty amazing as well as pretty tempting aren't they? I have found that even I have purchased items off of those Groupon emails... items that I normally wouldn't have purchased otherwise if it hadn't been for the great deal that was offered.

The quilt shop where I periodically work has needed me to come in and help of late because they decided to give Groupon a try and see if it would bring more traffic and recognition to the shop. WOW!! The shop has been inundated with people responding to the deal of learning how to sew and going home with a finished project... a zippered make-up bag.. it has been amazing!!! I am a teacher through and through and it has saddened me to see the art of sewing quickly dying off. Let's face it..... it's no longer cheaper to sew...... just go to Target or Walmart and you will find many young moms that are purchasing some awfully cute clothes for next to nothing... who can blame them? So when these gals called and wanted to learn to sew.... I got ready!

Most of those who come to the class literally know NOTHING about sewing. I take the time to walk them through the basics of a sewing machine, how to thread it, wind a bobbin, change the feet as well as change the needles. The gals have ranged in age from their late twenties to their late forties... a couple have even been my age. It has been my joy and pleasure to not only educate these women, but to help them become familiar with the art of sewing itself. Simply a pleasure!

Below are pictures of the bags that these gals make in the class. The bags I am sharing with you are bags that I made from scraps of fabric that I had at home. (Of course I had to glitz them up a bit!) I tell my students that they can do anything they want to with their bags and the shop includes enough fabric in each kit to make another bag when the women get home. It's a deal.

You might recognize the fabric that I used on this first bag. It was left over from one of my granddaughter's dresses that I shared in a precious post. She says it's her bag because it matches her dress. ;-)

The lined inside:

I made this bag for Becks.

The lining inside has a pocket added as I thought Becks could use it for not only diapers and wipes but for those pesky nursing pads that you always need as well:

Thanks for stopping by!

Celebrations!

2011-07-12T05:59:00.000-07:00

I've been absent for some time due to the many events and celebrations that have been going on in my life since my last post. In June, all of my kids and grandkids came into town to celebrate my mother-in-law's 90th birthday. What began as a birthday celebration quickly turned into a family reunion for my husband's side of the family. It lasted for three days down at the beach over Father's Day weekend. Not only was it my mother-in-law's birthday, but it was my daughter-in-law Stef's birthday along with my daughter Rebekah's as well. Such a great week-end! (Lots of hugging, chattin' it up, and lovin' took place among all who came.... just what my mother-in-law wanted and needed to see.) Happy Birthday mom.

My mother-in-law at 90.... who left for a cruise after spending the weekend celebrating with us... always the traveling woman... amazing!

The two other birthday girls.... my daughter-in-law Stefani and my daughter Rebekah.

Some of my kids having fun at the reunion.. my son Michael and his lovely wife Casey.

My daughter Paula... back from Australia.

My daughters' Nicole and Elizabeth..

My son James with his wonderful wife Stef..

My daughters-in-law Lindsey (missing her husband, John) and Casey..

Paula and Elizabeth, along with four of my grandchildren, ended up staying for a little over three weeks during that time. Every day seemed to be filled with one event after another with the beach being the favorite place to go. While we were here celebrating, my son John was off fighting fires in Texas. I never realized how much devastation the fires were causing until my son went to help. Unimaginable! Pray for the people in Texas. Pray for rain. Pray for the firefighters. The drought and the fires continue... since January... with no end in sight.

On July 4th, after being gone for one month, our son John finally was able to come home and we celebrated July 4th together.... so thankful!! And celebrate we did. We had games... the best food ever.... and held our own little fireworks show in the backyard. We ended the night by sitting on our roof and watching the fireworks that were going off nearby. Fun!

Some of the grandkids having fun celebrating the day...

Michael the best cook ever... good job son!

And John... being John. Nice mask son...

Sitting up on the roof with the kids and grandkids.... so safe... ;-)

Right after my daughters and grandkids left for home, my daughter Rebekah went into labor with her first little precious gift.... awwwww.... isn't he simply adorable? Like I stated... it was one busy month!

The kids saying good-bye at the airport..

Proud auntie holding her newest little nephew.

Today, July 13, is my husband's birthday.... Happy Birthday sweetheart! Here he is with our daughter Rebekah as team mates on July 4th...

With his brother Byron..

And with our daughter Elizabeth.....

My prayer is that each of you are having a safe and wonderful summer season with those you love... just like I have been. I'll be back to sewing soon! Blessings!

Philippians 1: 3-4, 9-11.

The Stitch Out Book

2011-06-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

The quilt shop where I work on occasion, asked me if I would make a stitch-out book for three of their top selling machines. I had no idea just how many hours this would end up taking me but I was really happy with the end result. I began with the Bernina 730 since that is the machine that I own personally.

In my last post I shared my thoughts on the Sulky 12 wt. thread that I frequently use on my machine or by hand, on the stitch-out books for the shop, I used a 50 wt. hand quilting thread. This thread made the stitches 'pop' even more than usual and by fusing some heavy weight stabilizer on the back of the fabric, one can clearly see the beauty of each stitch.

Here is the stitch-out book for the Artista 830. I machine embroidered a red number 8 on a black square of fabric for the front of the book. The pictures following the book are samples of the ton of pages that I did for that incredible machine.... and I didn't even stitch out all of them!

After completing the stitch outs, it made me realize what a valuable tool it is to have actual samples of the stitches your machine is capable of doing. You'd be amazed!!!

For The Love Of Thread

2011-06-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy all types of thread. Since I not only quilt, have fun with machine embroidery, along with making children's clothing, I also enjoy the relaxation of handwork. When Pomegranate's was open, we carried a nice heavy 12 wt. premium cotton thread made by Sulky which was called Sulky Blendables. We found that it was a great thread to use if you were doing any hand embroidery... or machine embroidery for that matter. One strand of this thread was comparable to two strands of your regular embroidery floss. I love the fact that it is on a spool.... it's less likely to get tangled into a horrible knot. Toni and I were so impressed with this thread that we each ordered the entire collection of colors... including the variegated. I've never regretted it! Below is a picture of the solid collection of threads.

Below are a few examples, some you have already seen, of using this great 12 wt. thread. Click on image for a closer view.

This last picture is a sample of a tea towel that I made as a class sample using different threads and techniques to finish an applique. I marked the towel all over with a fine permanent black marking pen so that my students could actually see the difference in thread types and methods used on finishing the edges of an applique. It's too bad that you can't really see the stark differences of each method and thread that I used. But I do want to point out, using the 12 wt. thread, along with your blanket stitch (buttonhole stitch) on your machine, gives your applique piece a more handwork look. Make a sample for yourself and try the different threads available along with the many different stitches found on your machine, then determine which look you like best for each project. Now get sewing.... and have some fun!

Shopping in Israel

2011-06-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would share one more post in regards to my trip to Israel and Turkey. As most of you know, I have never been out of the country before my trip to the Middle East. I mean... I've been to Mexico.... and to Canada once, but doesn't everyone who lives here in the United States go to Mexico and/or Canada?? Anyway.... everything was a new experience for me. Whether it was the people, the land, the different seas, the different foods, all of it was so new... and a little adventurous in a way.

For my final post in regards to my trip to Israel I wanted to share with you some of the pictures from my shopping experiences. Let's just say that I am a little naive in that particular area. I am quite certain that there was some kind of letter engraved on my forehead (unknown to me) that was evident to each and every shop owner as I walked onto their premises. I am quite sure that the letter I'm referring to was more than likely the letter 's' for sucker. I will not bore you with the ugly details... like I said, I will just share with you some of the pictures.

Lisa and I thought this guy looked quite friendly. What do you think? Let's just say... we did not make any transactions that would have involved this cheery guy.

I just had to share this picture with you. My dear cousin Lisa tried to talk me into buying a couple of these items. Do you see those lovely garments hanging up there? The yellow ones. She bugged me every time we went by a new group of them. She said Jim would thank her for it.. I said he would wonder where his wife had gone. (Please click image for closer view... it's a must see.)

Okay, okay... I was pretty tempted with all the candy and nut bars that were offered everywhere we went! Just the smell of it all was unbelievable. (I thought of you Becks.)

And then the trays of bread.... big time weakness!

But... I will have you know... I did not give into any of the temptations that I listed above... I just wish that I could say that for the nut bars that I came across! See that guy trying to talk my brother into buying those wonderful nut bars? Yeah... that guy certainly didn't need to worry, I was right behind John... I bought some.

There were also these wonderful fresh fruit stands everywhere we went where you could pick out any fruit that you wanted and they would make fresh juice right there. I caved... but only once. A tiny little paper cup of that fresh fruit was $2.00. It was soooooo good though!

Another place that I really enjoyed going to was the fresh spice shop. There were several of these shops and it was difficult for me to decide on which spices to get. Most I had never heard of before.

And last, but definitely not least... there was jewelry for everyone! I'm not going to tell you what I came home with... I will admit that I fell prey to the temptation of purchasing a nice piece of jewelry. 'S' But who knows if I will ever be able to return.... at least that is what I keep telling myself.

Sons & Fire

2011-06-08T05:01:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again when the fires begin to ravage the land and my boys begin to more than earn their pay as a firefighter. There are times when they are sent outside the state if the fires there are out of control and the state needs more help than what is available. There are huge fires raging right now in Arizona and Texas. The Texas fire has been burning since January with over a million acres lost so far. The Arizona fire is huge as well. Many have been evacuated and much has been destroyed as the fire moves relentlessly across the land. Fire brings so much destruction with it. If you have never experienced a fire like that... praise God. When a fire moves it moves very quickly. You can't outrun it. And the sound is deafening. It's similar to the sound of a fast approaching locomotive.... but worse. If the sound weren't bad enough, dealing with the smell, the ashes and the heat on top of wearing heavy gear and carrying all of your equipment is even worse. Not that any of these firefighters would ever complain... it's their job... and most love it.

The reason for this post.... one of my sons just got called and he has left with his crew for Texas... possibly stopping by to help fight the Arizona fire either on the way.... or on the way back. It's unsure as to when he will return because when you leave for one of these fires you have no idea as to how long you will be gone.... two weeks to three months, it's all about the need. Leaving his wive and small children behind, I know, is even harder for him. (It seems to be similar to one who has left for war... in a way. So dangerous.) Sooo... those of you who smoke, please don't throw your cigarette butt out the window of your car.. and for you campers out there, make sure that your campfires are completely extinguished. But most importantly, please pray for all those who work so hard to keep us safe.... our military, our police, those in the medical field, and our firefighter/paramedics. Many thanks to all of you. And big hugs!

Me and my boys.... and yes they are identical twins.

With other firefighters:

Michael in action:

And John:

Waiting for the relief of precious water.

Come home safe.

Third May Birthday

2011-06-04T16:14:00.000-07:00

Wow... May just seemed to fly by didn't it? Like I said before, May was always the month where I didn't have to remember anything... except for Mother's Day of course! But there were no anniversaries, no birthdays, no anything... ahhhhhh. Then three of my children blessed me with four grandchildren (three of which are girls) in the month of May... that changed everything. I no longer have a free month available where a celebration of some sort is not to be found. So much for sleeping through May!

For my three angels (the girls) born in May, I decided to sew something special. For my sweet Keira and my little charmer miss T, I decided to make them each a summer dress. I'll show them to you again.... just in case you forgot. ;-)

My sweet Keira's dress:

My precious little charmer Miss T's sundress:

However, for my little miss add-E-tude (Addysen) I decided that she needed two new summer outfits. The patterns for these two outfits came from Kari Mecca's new book, "More Sewing With Whimsey". Thanks so much Kari!

FYI...... I used the three groove pintuck foot, the #10 edge foot, the ruffler foot, the #57 quarter inch foot, and the straight stitch foot to make stitching out these four outfits above easier for me. Try them out...... you won't believe the difference.

P.S. Thanks for stopping by.

Babies

2011-06-03T16:18:00.000-07:00

"Train up a child in the way he should go (and in keeping with his individual gift or bent), and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

My youngest daughter is pregnant with her first child. To me, it is always a miraculous thing to watch your children grow up and then become parents themselves. This will be my 12th grandchild.... and I know there is more to come. ;-)

I included the above verse in my post for today as a little side note. Some might misinterpret this verse to mean something other than what it truly says. We are to bring up our children not only in the Word of God, but also in their natural bent or gifting that God blessed them with. This can be rather tricky without seeking God's help and/or guidance to achieve the right goal. Having raised seven children of my own and observing their distinct, different personalities, this verse still catches my attention even today. Was I faithful to train up each one according to their own bent... their own giftings that God gave to them. I pray so. Now it is their turn to train up their own children. May I have left deep footprints in God's precious Word, that they are able to see and follow..... right to Him... dragging their own children behind.

Here's the quilt that I made for this new little one.. another boy. Isn't God good??

(click on image to enlarge)
Have a great weekend!

A New You

2011-06-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile, I get the wonderful privilege of speaking to a group of women, whether at a church retreat or else where, and I will sometimes bring some of my quilts along with me. One of my favorite quilts to bring is one that I disliked immensely when I first completed it. I wondered if I had had a brain freeze somewhere in the quilt making process, or if my color values had run amuck at some point. I thought that the quilt that I had just completed was by far, the ugliest quilt that I had ever made. I almost didn't even have it quilted...... why bother?? I reluctantly gave it to my quilting friend and told her to do whatever she wanted to do with it. I really didn't care how she quilted it and I obviously didn't care as to when she even gave it back.

Melinda took me at my word and with her free creative style, she quilted a bouquet of flowers in a pot on the front of my quilt. I was so pleased and surprised with her work that I set to work adding crystals and pearls in various places on the quilt. I then made a label for the back and Toni hung it up in the shop. That quilt had more comments, I think, than any other quilt that Toni hung. It was beautiful.

It made me think of how God does the exact same thing with each one of us. He takes us right where we are and changes us into something pretty miraculous. How precious and wonderful that is. I thought there was no hope for my quilt and look at it now. Sometimes we think that there is no hope for us.... not so!! Given God's creative style, along with His great love and you'll be amazed at what He can do with a surrendered life. Simply amazing!!

In Memory of Our Honored Dead

2011-05-30T05:36:00.000-07:00

We all need to take the time to honor those who have fallen in the line of duty for this great country. As we have unfortunately done with nearly every other holiday we have, we again have run ahead in celebration leaving the meaning and origin of the holiday far behind us.

Memorial Day (Decoration Day) began in the 1800's honoring those who had been killed during the civil war. As more wars came and more men and women were killed while in service to this country, Memorial Day grew to encompass many more fallen heros beyond those first early years. Some of you may remember, I know I do, when red poppy pins were sold to raise money for the families that had been left behind by these precious and courageous people. As time has progressed however, the poppies have faded from memory, proper flag etiquette is slowly loosing its meaning, and the many parades that were held across the country in remembrance of those fallen in battle are nearly a thing of the past. Sadly, many of us now are more concerned about what we are going to bar-b-que and where more than the how and the why we have reached this day safely in the first place. I am so sorry. So from my heart, I honor all of you who have generously laid down your lives... you have given your all, so that I and my family can continue to live freely in this wonderful country. THANK YOU!!!!

And for the dear families left behind, may God be your strength, your protector, and your blessed hope. I thank you as well.

End of Feet Posts

2011-05-29T06:09:00.001-07:00

Good morning sewing friends! I thought that I would end the month, along with my postings on feet, by sharing with you the walking foot and the quarter inch foot. As a quilter these two feet, along with a few others, are indispensable for making those quilts that you long to make for you and your loved ones. Again... can you make your quilts without these feet? Of course you can!! However... these feet are great in regards to helping you get the job done faster and easier.

I'm sure that most of you know what a walking foot is, but did you know that Bernina has come out with a new sole foot? (If you don't own a Bernina, check out your own make and model and see if they offer this new sole foot as well!) By watching the video, (click on the highlighted word above) you will see a demonstration of the two soles that come with the walking foot. What's not shown on the video however, is the newest Bernina sole which has a center blade. This makes stitching in the ditch a dream. You simply place the blade into any seam, stitch in the ditch, and voila! your quilts will have those perfectly quilted straight lines that you have been hoping for! Whatever make of your sewing machine, hopefully by sharing the videos from the Bernina site will help you understand how to use some of those speciality feet that are available for all sewing machine owners. Take a peek!

The quarter inch foot is perfect for those nice quarter inch seam allowances that are needed when making any quilt. Of course there are quarter inch feet available that have a guard on them to make sure that your quarter inch stays just that... a quarter inch.

No matter what kind of sewing you prefer, from garment, to quilting, to embroidery, to home sewing and more, trust me... there are feet available to you that you would not believe! I have only shared with you a very small few. It may not be cheaper to sew like it used to be, but you sure can make things that nobody else has..... and it shows off that wonderful creative side of you like nothing else can. So get busy..... start creating!!

More Feet!

2011-05-26T06:58:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more feet that make my sewing life so much easier!! Can you sew without all of these feet that I have shared with you... yes.... I just choose not to. These feet are great if you sew as much as I do and time, as they say, is precious.

The next foot is the ruffler foot. I know that it looks a little scary, but WOW does it save time! I would never have made as many of Kari Mecca's dress, "Spring Fling" if I did not have this foot. With the rows and rows of long ruffles, I would probably still be working on that very first dress if it had not been for this foot. Again, watch the video to get the full information as to how this amazing foot works.

Here's a picture of the Spring Fling dress "in action". Little girls seem to love this dress because of how far out it can twirl... and as you know, this is very important! ;-)

Another great foot is the zigzag non-stick presser foot. There are also a couple of other non-stick feet available as well, the straight stitch foot and the zipper foot. I don't know about you but I have always disliked sewing over, plastic vinyls, oil cloth, or any treated fabric where my foot would just refuse to move or get stuck. Here's the answer!

Here are a couple of ideas for your next sewing projects using this foot.

First off? I guess you could call this a neck purse? I have made several of these in the past and love them. They have come in so handy if I am working at any show or traveling oversea. (This is what I took to Israel.) I can carry EVERYTHING in this little 'purse' and it goes nicely around my neck. The non-stick foot made this a cinch to sew together.

The inside:

Another foot that helped immensely on this particular project was the piping foot. I NEVER used this foot for piping... my 3 groove pintuck foot works far better. I found that this foot is absolutley perfect for when I am sewing on velcro... like in the above project. Because the foot is uneven from side to side, it is easy to place the thinner side of the foot on top of the velcro, with the fatter side on the fabric. What a difference!!

One more example of where I used the non-stick foot. I made this small backpack (thank heavens for fusible batting!) and I placed a clear pocket on the inside... along with many other pockets, I love pockets!!

The outside:

And the inside. Hopefully you can see the clear pocket. I placed a purple string inside of it.

I have made aprons, tablecloths, etc. using the non-stick foot. And I can't even tell you how many times I have used the piping foot when applying velcro! Great feet... all of them!!!

Piping....

2011-05-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

I just had to share a few pictures of the projects that I have made where I have added piping by using the 3 groove pintuck foot that I spoke about in my last post. (We'll continue on with my love of specialty feet in my next post.) I must admit that I think I'm addicted to making piping!! In my opinion, piping just seems to add a nice finish to just about every project that I have made.

In the first picture, I am sharing again the picture of the dress that I made for one of my granddaughters. Finishing off the collar and armholes with piping made from contrasting fabric, to me, added a nice look to the dress.

I made the dress below with beautiful fabric by Liberty of London out of the UK. Instead of hemming the dress I decided to make a narrow ruffle for the hem and again made piping out of contrasting fabric to go in between the dress and the ruffle. I also decided to add piping to the collar as well. (Don't forget to click on any image to make it larger if needed.)

For my bed, I made pillow cases, along with pillow shams and a smaller pillow to place on top... my husband is always asking me why we have to have so many pillows for the bed. Here is a picture of just one of the pillow cases that I made. Every pillow has piping on it somewhere.

The smaller pillow is pictured below. I saw the embroidery design pattern at a show that I attended and loved what it said. So I purchased it, brought it home and hand embroidered it onto this fabric. Once I had finished the handwork, I then needed to make up a pillow pattern so that I could use piping and make the kind of ruffle that I wanted.

Here's just a few more ideas... which are endless by the way. ;-) I made this burp pad and sewed piping around the edges. The pad is lined with the softest flannel that I could find.

I made this apron and again, sewed piping between the body of the apron and the ruffle.

I'm telling you, I love the look of piping... as you can tell! But I wouldn't make it nearly as much if I didn't have my 3 groove piping foot! Try it.... you'll love it!

More Feet!

2011-05-24T08:06:00.000-07:00

Since I talked about Heirloom sewing in my last post, as far as feet were concerned. I thought I would share the pintuck foot next... I own several... but for good reason. I am only going to show two different feet below and please, please, click onto Bernina's website to get more info on these feet. They have a superb, short video for you to view in regards to the decorative things these feet are capable of doing. You'll enjoy it!

After viewing the video, you can see why I own all of the various sizes of these feet. From the 3 to the 9 groove, I have used every one of them. The 3 groove foot (above) is a great foot to use when making your own piping. Truth be told, I prefer using the 3 groove foot for piping far better than the zipper foot... which I know many people use as well.

Should you step out and experiment with one of these feet, just make sure that you get the right size double needle... one that fits the 'channels' on the particular foot that you are going to use, and that you get the correct foot for the size pintucks that you are looking for. Again... take a look at the video and then go for it!!

Feet!

2011-05-23T06:03:00.000-07:00

I own a considerable amount of speciality feet that I have purchased through the years to go along with my Bernina. For those of you who sew and own a sewing machine of your own, I'm sure that you are well aware of the feet that actually came with your machine.... at least I hope so. ;-) But have you ever looked at the speciality feet that are available that you can purchase for your machine? I always tell everyone that I have become a foot snob... at least when it comes to sewing. Since I sew so much, I like having these specialty feet available so that my sewing projects not only get done faster, but they also have a nice finished and professional look to them by the end of the project. Hopefully that's what you want too. I thought that I would share with you a few of my favorite feet beginning with the #10 foot.

For the Bernina we simply call it the #10 foot...but its real name is the edgestitch foot. This is a fantastic foot that has more uses than I could ever mention here on my little post. I use it a lot for heirloom sewing to sew laces, fabric or entredeux together... like I shared with you in my last post. That little blade that you see in the middle of the foot, can go into seams... when you want to 'stitch in the ditch'. You can use the blade as a guide for French seams. Or you can do what I did to join laces together with entredeux like the pictures below. Placing the lace and/or fabric on either side of the blade then using a small zig zag stitch to join them together gives you incredible results. Go to Bernina's website for more info!

I was trying to come up with different looks when making the christening gown. Here are a few examples that I made up for around the skirt of the gown.

I ended up liking this one the best. You can see the beautiful entredeux that I chose along with the Swiss insertion. The end result is the piece to the far right. I loved how delicate it looked and used it on a portion of the gown that I shared in my last post. Make up your own look and incorporate it in your next project!!! You won't be disappointed.

Heirloom Sewing

2011-05-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me also knows that I adore Martha Pullen. I've been to five of her schools and I would go to every one of them if I could afford it. Martha and her staff are pure delight to be around and their enthusiasm is contagious.... I just wish their creative minds were as well. Martha is the 'mother' of heirloom sewing as far as I'm concerned. Should you have the opportunity to attend any one of her classes, trust me, jump on it! What I have learned from her and the instructors at her schools is priceless. Working with Swiss Batiste's and French laces is mesmerizing. They are so beautiful and so beautiful to work with.

Having shared all that I have above, it brings me to the reason for this post. My son married a wonderful girl whose family is Catholic. Coming from a Baptist background, making a Christening Gown never crossed my mind until my new daughter-in -law asked if I would be willing to make one of these gowns when her and my son had their first child. Since I had been making every other heirloom item under the sun, I thought I should at least give it a try. Right away Martha Pullen's patterns came to mind. She had two gowns custom made for her grandchildren. Below are the pictures of the two pattern books that represent each gown. Impressive aren't they?

Once I figured out just how much each one of these gowns would cost to make, I nearly fainted! Still... I was determined to make a gown for my family. I set to work designing my own gown and purchasing a medium grade of batiste that didn't cost nearly as much ($9-12.00 per yard) as the top grade ($29.00 per yard). It is unbelievable how much fabric these gowns, with matching slips require. The top picture of the dresses above took 7 1/2 yards... just for the fabric. This certainly does not include all of the different laces, Swiss entredeux, ribbon, beauty pins, etc.. Undeterred, I continued on my mission and here is what I came up with.

I did a lot of handwork on the dress, along with the slip but alas, you can't really see it. I'm so sorry that the pictures aren't the greatest, but hopefully you can get an idea of what the gown and slip looks like. The first picture is of the slip.

Here is the back of the slip. I did not want to stitch buttonholes into the fabric, so I handsewed little buttons on instead and used clear snaps on the inside back. I trimmed the collar and armholes with the prettiest, little lace that I could find. It was so dainty.

For the front, I made several rows of pintucks along with rows and rows of lace butted up right next to each other. (It's as though you were making your own fabric in a way.) I found a really nice embroidery design of a cross that I placed in the center front.

A close up of the embroidery design. As you can see, I combined a couple of different designs together to obtain the look that I was going for.

Thanks for stopping by!

Waffle Weave!

2011-05-19T05:07:00.000-07:00

There's a great children's jacket pattern, designed by Gooseberry Hill, that is adorable when made out of waffle weave. The problem now is finding waffle weave! We used to carry it at Pomegranate Quilts in various colors, as our customers loved it... and so did we. Once it was washed, it felt so soft... soft enough for Janet, who made a lot of our quilts, to actually make a cute, little baby blanket out of it! Darling!! The only waffle weave that I have been able to find on the market today is a whole different animal! The two sisters, 'poly' and 'ester' are now in the mix and it's no where near the feel, quality, or absorbency as the 100% pure cotton version that we carried.

I made several of these jackets and people seemed to really love them. This one was purchased as a baby gift for a family in Illinois. (As always click on picture for a closer view.)

Here it is in yellow.

And here is another one in red. These are short jackets so they look darling with a little pair of jeans!

I have also made this jacket in denim, which I had fun embroidering on the front and back. If you make this jacket, make sure to purchase great buttons and lace as these items are what truly make the jacket stand out!

Below are a few of the towels I made using the waffle weave as well. As you can see, it is easy to embroider on and dress up, just make sure that you prewash your fabric. Well.. that is if you can find it! ;-) The cotton version of this fabric, as I stated already, is very absorbent so these towels make great gift ideas for the kitchen... or anywhere really. (I actually got desperate enough to call the company, which is located in New York, and purchased several bolts for myself.... just in case they actually stop making it altogether.... a girl has got to do what she's got to do sometimes.) Keep those motors going gals... your machines. ;)

Sewing With Whimsy II

2011-05-17T06:12:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share one more dress with you from Kari's book, Sewing With Whimsy. This dress is called, "Simple Sash Sundress". It's a beautiful, plain dress that can be changed to look either really dressy or quite casual. The simplicity of the pattern made it easy to put together in a hurry... which is exactly what I needed to do.

When one of my sons was getting married, I had the privilege of making the two flower girl dresses, the ring bearer's pillow, and the box where all cash, gift cards were to be placed. My future daughter-in-law loves hot pink, so that was her choice for an accent color. I found some gorgeous, hot pink silk dupioni on line, along with a nice dark brown for accent and set to work. Two of my granddaughters were the flower girls in the wedding so when the mom of one of them asked if I could possibly make just one more dress for my younger granddaughter I chose Kari's pattern.

There were two easy changes that I made to the dress. I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel as though the armholes are just a little too big. For me, I make a small, finished, v- shaped, piece that is similiar to the old fashioned 'dickies' that women used to wear in their blouses. It looks nice, if neatly done, and actually looks like it is part of the dress pattern. The next thing I did was make a nice, wide, extra long sashing out of the brown contrast color. I made the sashing wide so that I could gather it up in two places, then sew it onto the front of the dress. The two gathered rows became my sewing and placement guides. Since I did not want anyone to see those sewing lines, I covered them with up with a row of brown crystals. I also made piping out of the brown silk dupioni and finished off the neckline and armholes with that. The piping gave a nice finished look to the dress and I loved how it stood out on the pink. My granddaughter loved the dress, as you can see below, and danced the night away in her new dress. She looked pretty cute!

This is one of my flower girl, granddaughters with one of my grandsons, who just happened to also be the ring bearer. I made the flower girl dresses out of white silk dupioni and used the hot pink as a contrast on their sashing. I made their sashing the same as the dress above, but placed pink crystals on the sewing lines. If you have never worked with dupioni, you need to give it a try. Yes, it definitely frays but it is elegant when completed.

Here is a look at the pillow, which I embroidered the words of their wedding invitation on, along with the gift box, which I covered in the brown. Great times.

Sewing With Whimsy

2011-05-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

Kari Mecca from Kari Me Away is one of my favorite children's clothes designers. I have never been disappointed with anything that I have made using her designs and patterns.... and neither will you. You will find that your little ones will love to spin around in these pretty dresses. They are extremely full and deserve the names that Kari gave to each of them. I realize that I have shared many of these dresses in previous posts, but for those of you who may be new, I wanted you to see two of my favorite designs by Kari. They are fun dresses and hopefully you will enjoy them as well (Don't forget, if you want a closer look at any of the dresses, just click on the picture.)

The first set of dresses is made from the pattern called 'Adorable You'. I made various changes to each dress bodice to give them a more custom look. I never want any of the dresses I make to look exactly alike.

I made a little girl's purse to match the above dress and added a little glitz to it after taking the picture.

A look at the back.

A close up of the bodice.

I also did this one in pink, but changed the embroidery design and the look of the bodice by extending the dark fabric all the way to the armholes... unlike what I did with the above dress.

The back again. I like doubling up on the buttons to make them look more like flowers.

The second group of pictures are dresses made from the "Spring Fling" pattern. (I love these dresses!)

For those of you who might be interested in making one of these for your own little princess, here is the book. The gorgeous pictures along with 11 beautiful dress patterns will perk up any creative juices you may have. The tips alone are worth the cost of the book. Have some fun! Until next time.......

A last peek of Israel... for now ;)

2011-05-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

I will be gone for the remainder of the week but wanted to leave you with a few more pictures of Israel. We went through tunnel after tunnel while visiting the different sites that we were scheduled to see. One of my favorites was Hezekiah's Tunnel. I found this site on You Tube and it gives such a great visual of the tunnel that I thought that I would share it with you. A side note though, the man in this video at least had LIGHT. We just had a few small flashlights. It was pitch black, which made the tunnel seem much smaller, and the trek through the water lasted for approximately 45 minutes. I loved it!

A couple of the other pictures of the tunnels are as follows: (The first one is along the entire length of the Western Wall.)

Acre:

The Grottos.. the most beautiful!

And of course, Lisa and I stepped into one of the many alcoves for a picture. (Sometimes I felt as though half the trip was either in a tunnel or in the many empty water systems or cisterns that are still there.... it was incredibly amazing!!!!)

Have a great week! Back to sewing when I return... I promise.

Working With Wool

2011-05-10T06:08:00.001-07:00

When Pomegranate Quilt Shop opened, I decided to make a table runner out of wool that had pomegranates on it. I had never worked with wool before and was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to work with. Toni, the owner of the shop, carried a beautiful array of wools in every color you could imagine. I never realized how costly wool was until Pomegranate opened, but I found that it was worth every "penny".

An end close up. Notice, I did not place the penny circles on the end of the table runner as this pattern did not call for them. Most penny rugs have the traditional circles, that were drawn by using the pennies of that era, hence the name penny rugs. They were about the size of a half dollar.

Here are a few sites that you might be interested in if you like wool decor or enjoy making wool decor for your home, Primitive Peddler, Keepsake Quilting, which is where I purchased my pattern, and Annelle's. We were fortunate enough to have Pearl, from Pearl P. Pereira teach a class at the shop one afternoon, and it was truly delightful. For those of you who haven't worked with wool, give it a try... I think you'll enjoy it!

Chateaubriand for Mother's Day

2011-05-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

Jim wanted to have a simple bar-b-que for Mother's Day, but our son Michael wouldn't hear of it. When asked what we really wanted, my mom quickly responded with.. Chateaubriand with Bearnaise sauce! Michael never gave it a second thought but jumped in with both feet and made the best meal I have ever tasted! (He is after all, the chef of all chefs... just ask him!). He and Christopher put together a meal that was beyond any of our expectations. From the meat, to the sides, to the finishing up with a scrumptious dessert... it was superb! Christopher made this delicious whipped cream topping that he then placed on top of some strawberry dessert that he thought sounded good... which it was! Those two outdid themselves and more. Here are a few pics.

The cooks... aren't they handsome??

The women they cooked for.... and yes we missed you heaps Paula, Elizabeth, and Stefani.

The meal, okay, okay, Christopher is not into placing food into acceptable serving dishes, but hey... we were just so grateful for the fantastic meal! I wish you could have not only seen all of the fabulous food... but tasted it as well. Yummy!!!!!!!

We had one incredible Mother's Day. Thanks guys! Smooches.

FYI children, Christopher already put WAF? I believe he meant WTTC (When the time comes) on the gold flatware. ;-) Hugs

Happy Mother's Day!!

2011-05-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

To all of you wonderful moms out there, may you have a blessed and memorable Mother's Day! So much love, mom/Debbie

Keira's Dress

2011-05-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

For the second joy (as far as girls are concerned) who was born in the month of May, I made this dress. The pattern is by Izzy & Ivy (Macy Giggles) and the fabric, In The Beginning, was designed by Jennifer Heynen.. Polka Dot Garden. (As always, you can click on any image on my blog to enlarge the picture.)

Here's the front:

And here's the back:

I covered the buttons, on the front of the dress, by using the new button cover tool, i-top, created by Brad Maker. The jury is still out on this one, but I'll let you know what I think after a few more projects are under my belt.

Have a wonderful Mother's Day out there to all you great moms!!

The Sea in Israel

2011-05-06T22:33:00.000-07:00

I loved being in Israel. I loved experiencing and witnessing a completely different culture and lifestyle than what I am used to. I loved not only the diversity of the people and the land, but also the diversity of its seas. The Mediterranean Sea was breathtaking, partly due to the beauty and life that surrounds it... and it's so huge! The Dead Sea, on the other hand, was vastly different. There is no life there.. except for the people who come to see it each and every day just to experience floating on top of its waters. Our time at the Sea of Galilee was by far my favorite.

The beautiful Mediterranean.

It is shocking to see the Dead Sea at a distance.... you can get a true glimpse of how much the Sea is shrinking. In fact the Dead Sea is loosing up to a meter or more of water each year since the Jordan River no longer dumps in to it. Some theologians think that the Dead Sea is where the Lake of Fire is going to be located. It has the lowest elevation in all the earth on dry land.. 1388 ft. below sea level. It is also the saltiest body of water being 8.6x saltier than the ocean hence The Dead Sea. King David used to find refuge there.

Many people come to the Dead Sea to wipe the mud from the bottom of the sea all over them. The mud is suppose to have healing and rejuvenating power in it... it is said to have special healing elements in it for the skin. There are many expensive cosmetic counters who offer various items containing ingredients from the Dead Sea. These items come with promises to heal, restore, rejuvenate, etc. your skin like nothing out there supposedly can. Here is a group of women joyfully spreading mud all over their bodies.

And here is the closest I came to spreading mud all over mine.

My favorite was the Sea of Galilee. This sea, from what we were told, can be the most treacherous and tumultuous sea in the world. It is 650 ft. below sea level and it is a fresh water sea. Isn't that amazing? They still fish commercially on this sea and there are at least 20 different types of fish found within its waters. The gentleman who owned the boat that we chartered to take us out on the sea is a christian. He played and sang the most beautiful worship music I have ever heard. I did not want to come back to shore as I felt as though I were in heaven itself. Here's his boat.

And here is my cousin Lisa and I with our wonderful guide John on that old wooden boat. Precious.

Back to Israel

2011-05-05T06:16:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I shared pictures showing the diversity of the people of Israel. In the next few posts I will share the diversity of the land. It is such a beautiful country!!

In this first picture, my cousin Lisa, my brother John and I are at the top of Mt. Carmel. It was stunning. For those who aren't familiar with Mt. Carmel, read I Kings 18 when Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal. To think that I was standing right there was mindbogglingly.

My brother John and his friend Don reenacted Elijah with the prophets of Baal right below Elijah's statue. Those two never stopped!!

That day we also went to The Grottos. We had already been inside several tunnels on this trip, but this tunnel, as far as beauty was concerned.... this tunnel was beyond compare. To reach the tunnel we had to take a cable car down... the steepest in the world.

Once inside the tunnel, it was a continuous wonder to the eye that pictures alone can't describe or show.

Outside the tunnel, Lisa and I just wanted to inhale it all in and bring it home with us.

Birthdays

2011-05-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

A little break from Israel.... just for this post.

Having seven children, many of them married now with children of their own, has always been my delight. Having said that, May had always been my month where I didn't have to concern myself with birthdays or anniversaries.... until now. I now have four grandchildren born in May... three of which are girls. So below is the first dress made for the first joy of May.. Miss T.

The Diversity of Israel

2011-05-02T08:15:00.001-07:00

Just a few shots showing the diversitiy of the people of Israel. I loved it!

A cute Jewish couple.

The sweetest little Jewish boy with his father. (I wish you could see the little curls on either side of his head, but the sun was a little bright.)

A pretty pregnant mom with her little one.

And a little boy who half beat his donkey to death so that he could reach the top of the mountain we were climbing before we did. (I wanted to swat him one for being so cruel to his donkey!)

And last, but not least, a picture of my brother John, my cousin Lisa, and I after finally reaching the top of that same mountain with the wilderness as background behind us... the same wilderness that Jesus was in with the devil... imagine it..

Israel I

2011-04-30T07:07:00.001-07:00

I could probably spend 10 blogs or more sharing pictures from Israel. (Don't worry.. I won't.) It may be a small country, but the diversity of the land and its people was really striking.

The first picture is at the airport itself. It is an incredible airport that is full of people from every ethnicity you can imagine.

When we first landed in Tel-Aviv, it almost looked as though we were landing in Southern California.. but the feelings that one gets upon landing in this country is definitely not a Southern California feel. Tel-Aviv was nothing like I thought it would be, but yet I don't know what I was really expecting either.

Tel-Aviv is the most populated part of the country. Jerusalem may be the largest Israeli city with 450,000 people, but taking in the whole or greater part of Tel-Aviv encompasses 2.000,000 people.

We walked along the Mediterranean Sea where King Herod had originally built Cesarea. One could see right away why he chose this spot... the beauty of the sea was simply breathtaking! What he built and how he built it is incomparable, even by today's standards. I never realized what an incredible architect he was... unbelievable!

The Sea is so blue and so inviting that you just wanted to wade in.. but the weather was way too cold. I could have spent forever there.

This is the place where Jonah was thrown up by the great fish. And the place where the apostle Paul spent 2 years in prison.

We are still right there next to the Sea in this picture, but I wanted you to see one of Herod's hippodromes that he had built for his many chariot races. The center of the hippodrome was used for the entertainment between races. One of the entertainments enjoyed? The killing of Christians by people or wild animals.

Here is a look at one of the buildings on the side of the hippordrome where people or animals were kept. You get a partial glimpse of the seating and the center of the track in this picture. The emotions that come to the forefront when standing right there is nothing that I can express... such sadness.

Istanbul

2011-04-28T07:35:00.000-07:00

Last month I had the wonderful privilege of going to Turkey and Israel on an archaeological/historical/biblical study tour. It was the trip of a lifetime. I realize that this is a sewing site, but I hope you will indulge me in sharing a few insights and pictures in my next couple of blogs.

The first picture is of the Blue Mosque. I'm sure you have seen this in several movies... especially James Bond movies. It is said to be the most beautiful mosque in the world. Not only do the blue tiles stand out, but it has six minarets covered in gold, unlike any of the other mosques that have been built. Unfortunately, it's difficult to see all six in the picture below. (Most mosques have only two or four minarets.) It took seven years to build this mosque and was completed in 1616. Sultan Ahmet I, who was only 19 at the time, commissioned the building of the mosque and often worked on it himself as he was anxious to see it completed. He died shortly after the mosque was finished at the age of 27. He is buried nearby next to his wife and three children. The mosque is truly beautiful.

Here's a peek inside St. Sophia's mosque. It's too bad that you can't see just how exquisite it is. Such detail is beyond description.

We then took a ride along the Bosphorus River before we left Turkey. It is also known as the Istanbul strait. The shores of the strait are heavily populated... in excess of 11 million people! There are two bridges crossing the river that forms the Trans-European Motorway. The bridge shown in the picture below is the border between Asia and Europe. This River has great strategic importance and control over it has been an objective of a number of hostilities in modern history according to Wikipedia. Its importance to the oil industry is also a huge consideration by many nations.

It was very cold and windy while we were in Istanbul and I was not prepared for the cold... the week before we arrived it had snowed. I never thought of snow in Turkey.

I wanted to share this satellite view of the strait so that you can see why it is so important. It connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. (which is connected by the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea, and thereby to the Mediterranean Sea.) Very valuable indeed!

Tomorrow.... Israel.

Back To Yo Yo's

2011-04-26T22:33:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to leave the yo yo quilts behind without sharing a few more thoughts. Anne Sutton, from Bunny Hill Designs, has a wonderful blog that I follow. Her web site is equally delightful to view and I find myself wandering over there on a continual basis. You will find that Anne's site, along with the Vintage Spool, Crab.apple Hill Studio, and Fig Tree Quilts offer an array of the most gorgeous and romantic quilts that are offered on the market today. Simply stunning! I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting these gals' web sites along with reading their blogs... I hope you will too.

Anne has a very sweet yo yo quilt pattern by the name of Yoyoville.. take a look below. For someone like me who doesn't necessarily want to make an entire quilt out of yo yo's, this is definitely a wonderful alternative.

Having shared with you my yo yo monkey that I call Charlie, a couple of posts back, I must confess that I used Clover's little gadget, a yo yo maker. Talk about a life saver!! These little gadgets come in all sizes and shapes and make the job of sewing up yo yo's much easier.

Now that you know my little secret... you should go out there and purchase your own set of yo yo makers and start making yo yo's for yourself.. or someone you love. Everyone will think you're so creative.... I'll never tell. ;-)

And if you get a chance to look at Anne's site, you'll notice that she shared some beautiful flowers from her garden on her last post. I enjoyed her pictures so much that I thought I would share my own. Have a glorious day!

For the Kids!

2011-04-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

Every year Jim and I hold an Easter egg hunt for our adult children and their spouses who live here in town. We take plastic eggs, fill them with money, then hide the eggs out front. The main rule however is this... you are only allowed to find ONE egg. (For our children who live out of town, we want you to know that we are going to be placing even larger amounts of money in bigger eggs with each year that passes because we want to honor your siblings who have been faithful to stay here in town with us... instead of moving away.) Back to the hunt... Jim and I take great joy in watching our children hunt for these eggs. Watching them try to cheat is especially fun. This year some of them actually held their eggs up to the light to see if they could tell just how much money was hidden inside their egg.. Once all of the eggs are found, we take the time to allow the kids to make any exchanges if they want, but no one was willing to give up their egg this year. Hmmmm.

It was pretty obvious who found the egg with the most money. See if you can tell. ;-)

Michael and Chris were looking everywhere!!

The girls did pretty well... except I did have to narrow it down for a couple of them... I won't say who.

John was the last one to find his egg... I had to flat out tell him where it was!!

Looking at the picture.. guess who found the best egg?

Joyous Easter To All!!

2011-04-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

This picture says it all..... along with these profound words. Blessings to each of you!

Yo Yo Quilts

2011-04-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

I have always been fascinated with yo yo quilts. I have never made one but I've been intrigued by those who have. Just like crazy quilts, there is so much handwork involved that I appreciate more than ever, the time people have put into making these gorgeous quilts. I always want to know everything about each quilt that I have had the pleasure of seeing first hand... not only who made it, but who it was made for. Where did the fabrics come from and why was it made in the first place. In other words.. I want the full story.. if there is one. Quilts that have extensive handwork along with embellishments, get my full attention and admiration.. along with my curiosity.

Here are a few pictures of those beautiful quilts I have longed admired and wanted to make that I found on the web. Aren't they beautiful?

So the other day, I thought that I would begin making my own yo yo quilt. Do you know how much time those things take to make?? Ladies, I salute you. Let's just say that I didn't end up with a quilt.

So do you want to see what I did end up with? Meet Charlie.. This little guy was made by using Indygo Junction's pattern, Yo-Yo Monkey IJ 862 a Karen Kotte Design. Thanks for saving my hide Karen and to the quilt shop where I work who carries this adorable pattern.

I think he's pretty cute!

Quilting again....

2011-04-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

I love quilting.... it keeps me sane. I not only adore fabric, I love it! I love the smell of it, the feel of it, and the mesh of color that fabric designers pull together so that I can purchase it simply to create a treasure of my own. It brings me great joy to cut, sew and design my own projects, using their designs, to either keep or give away to those I love. Love it!!

Below is a quilt that I pieced together by using fabric brought home from Pomegranate Quilts after it closed in November of 2006. I think that I have half the shop in my sewing closet and I felt that it was high time that I started using it. Since there was no rhyme or reason to my fabric gluttony at the time, finding patterns that match up with what I have hidden in my closet has been the real trick. Toni, the former owner of the shop, had such wonderful color and fabric sense that people still to this day talk about the collections of fabric that we carried in the shop. (She's amazing!) Having said that, the fabric that I gleefully brought home is truly beautiful and I am very grateful to have it... but again, the amount of each collection that I do and/or do not possess, make it slightly difficult to bring my project to the completion I am longing for. Trying to match what I have to what is available on today's market is a challenge, to say the least! Some of the fabric, like the one in this quilt below, had never had a cut taken from the bolt because we hadn't had it long enough. Finding a two color quilt that required the amount of fabric I had was rather fun. The fabric feels and looks like flannel, but it is not. I'm so happy that I ended up with all of the bolt because I was able to make a queen size quilt from it.

The borders on this quilt were quite large so I decided to add some applique and hand embroidery in the opposing corners.

As always, being the label freak that I am, I had to add this label to my finished project.

Now off to make some kids' clothes... my other love. Happy sewing!

So, so, sorry

2011-04-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

Between my husband having to have emergency heart surgery and then me going to Israel, I've been rather late on getting out a post. So.. for right now I am at least putting this out there so that you won't think that I vanished in thin air. Until later....

Elf Apron

2010-11-26T12:46:00.000-08:00

This is for all of you moms out there who have little ones (little elves) who long to help you in the kitchen while you're making those wonderful Christmas yummies! In my last post I shared a picture of an adult apron with a santa pocket near the top with two lower pockets showing his mittens. It was made as a sample for the shop that I am now working in. Well.... along with the adult apron pattern, there was a child's apron pattern to match... This one had a smiling elf on the upper pocket, an it's cute little mittens on the lower pockets. I decided to make the child's apron reversible, (I should have done the same thing with the adult apron!) just in case there are any little messes (or large ones). I thought the patterns were pretty cute and thought you might too! Any questions? Just ask...... Have fun!

Pillowcases!

2010-11-23T08:42:00.000-08:00

I forgot to share just a few of the flannel pillowcases I have made for the grandkids. There is a million pillowcase challenge going on right now for our soldiers and for kids who are in the hospital. Such a worthy cause. Cozy Quilt Shop alone has made nearly 3000 so far.

Behind the Christmas pillowcases, you can barely see a little girl's apron that I am finishing up. Time is nearly running out!!!!

Berninas!

2010-11-23T07:53:00.000-08:00

Here is what I have been working on since the last time I blogged.

The top picture is of my own Bernina, the 730. These machines run for about $7300.00 plus tax. (Machines have gone up just a little since the machines of long ago that I shared on my last post.) This Bernina can do just about anything. Not only does it sew beautifully but it also embroiders. I use my laptop to get things set up embroidery wise..... send it over to my machine by way of usb cable and voila... I stitch it out. The new Berninas, simply put, are merely computers that just happen to sew.

This next picture is of the new Bernina, which will replace the 730. I thought my machine did everything.... but then the new 830 came out and this machine truly DOES do everything and more. For one, it is much larger than the 730. The lighting system is out of this world! It also is a dual feed, which I have been waiting for forever, twice the size bobbins, (Yippee! I hate stopping to refill a bobbin!) plus has a touch screen.... incredible!! You will also notice a much larger sewing space, for those who like to do their own quilting. This machine is phenomenal... but so is the price..... $10,000.00... plus tax! (When it first hit the market is was $13,000.) Check it out:

For those of you who are wondering why this incredible machine is in my home....... no... I did not purchase one! Cozy Quilt Shop had me bring it home to get to know it. (Do I have to bring it back Daneila??)

Since the shop asked me to make a sample apron, I decided to make it on this fabulous machine. Here it is:

Now don't knock yourselves out running to your nearest dealer to purchase this machine.... I'm sure that they can hold one for you... just in time for Christmas. Are you reading my blog honey? ;-)

Happy Holidays!

The Machine.

2010-07-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

I have posted on various occasions about sewing machines that I use, but with this post I want you to become a little more familiar with the machine itself. I happen to own several machines..... not new ones necessarily, but certainly ones that I have grown to appreciate over the years. Over those same years, I have also taken the time to research some of the history involving the machines that have made their way into my home as well as my heart.
A very small history lesson is needed here, to help you understand the reason that I own the machines that I do. Before the 1900's, not too many women even owned a sewing machine (much less afford one!) and the ones who did were pretty confined to the type of machine that was available. Besides making clothing, women also made the quilts for their families' beds. The log cabin design was one of several popular patterns back then with the center squares being either red (to represent hearth or heart) or yellow (to represent a candle in the window). Two-color quilts were also quite popular, that is, if you could afford the fabric. Crazy quilts were popular due to the irregular pieces of fabric that were used. Once these quilts were sewn together, you could embellish over those worn pieces of scraps. Those who had more money, along with more time, made more elaborate crazy quilts in honor of Queen Victoria. The fabric used on the fancier crazy quilts included, rich satins, wools, velvets, brocades, linen, and more. The main purpose of those crazy quilts was to show off one's hand work and wealth. Most had a spider web embroidered on it somewhere believing it to bring good luck or good fortune. Many of the quilts were made solely by hand back then, but as time marched on, the sewing machine became more popular and much more available. It took far less time to make that valuable addition to one's home and more women were able to purchase them.
The first machine that I'm going to share with you is a Minnesota A treadle sewing machine and it's a beauty! Made in 1910 by the Davis Sewing Machine Company, it was sold exclusively by Sears & Roebuck. My mom first learned to sew on one of these machines and states quite proudly that she could get going pretty fast on one of these. How wonderful it must have been to have the availability of such a fabulous machine!

The second machine that I'm going to share is a Singer hand-crank machine. This machine is a little tricky as you have to crank the machine while maneuvering the fabric through all at the same time. I have a friend who owns a couple of these machines and has made several quilts on them. She does demos all over the country and I myself have had the wonderful privilege of demoing mine as well and have always marveled at how beautifully it sews! This machine was made in 1923 in Clydebank, Scotland and manufactured in Great Britain. It's also in excellent condition!

With the advent of the Depression, Singer took a huge risk and made a lightweight sewing machine that women could take with them when their families had to up and move due to job loss, extended families moving away, financial instability, etc., etc. This 'risk' ended up being a huge winner for the Singer Sewing Machine Company. The machines were inexpensive, light as a feather, (11 lbs.) and they took up hardly any room in those already crowded cars. The tables that you could purchase to go along with those machines served not only as a sewing machine 'cabinet' for the machine but they also became a nice dinner table or card table to boot. And..... those tables could easily collapse making them quite portable... along with the machine. Genius! The Featherweight was known as the perfect portable and they are still popular today due to their precise stitching ability and ease of taking to class. Most women have affectionately named their machines, me included. I wanted you to see a picture of the table, which was constructed out of wood on top and metal legs. The one that I have is in perfect condition. Just like the machines are numbered, the tables have serial numbers as well. When you remove the insert, your machine fits nicely down into the table top. When it is needed for a dinner table, the insert fits just as nicely back into place!

The machine.....

The table.....

The last machine pictured on this post belonged to my aunt Sybil. She made me several dresses on this machine and I am sure that it cost a small 'fortune' when she purchased this baby back in 1952. It's a Pfaff 130 "Dial-a-Stitch". Talk about a heavy duty sewing machine, this is it. It weighs at least 50 lbs. and can sew anything...... even the canvas on a ship's mast. It is known as an industrial powerhouse and I can see why. When I have something incredibly heavy that needs sewn together, this is the machine I head for because of its durability. This machine was made in West Germany.

The Berninas are next!

Quilts for Dad!

2010-07-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband was the first to buy me a sewing machine. With no help from anyone he went out and purchased a brand new, top of the line, Kenmore sewing machine for me, to celebrate our first christmas together as husband and wife. I LOVED it... and him for getting me such a wonderful gift. I sewed many an outfit for my children on that first machine and used every accessory it had to offer. Nearly every spare minute I could scrape together, I used it to sew. With young children, those moments were few and far between, but oh so precious. I knew nothing about quilt making in those days, which was probably a blessing because once the bug bit, I was hooked. The pictures below show the progression of my quilt making abilities, except for the first photo. This is a picture of one of the many t-shirts that I had fun making for my oldest son. I was always making him and my oldest daughter t-shirts to wear. With the left over fabric from my daughter's t-shirts, I made her underwear to match. They had elastic back in those days that looked like frilly lace. It was so sweet looking! When I made this particular t-shirt, I had taken a free-hand embroidery class. It was a great class and I loved moving the fabric all over the machine without any restrictions. With the feed dogs down and no presser foot to hinder me, I could 'draw' any picture that I wanted. I made this lion for James. He wore it every time it came out of the dryer. As you can tell by the many stains, it was one of his favorites. I loved that he loved this shirt.

My dad, bought me my very first Bernina sewing machine. Along with the machine, he bought me a serger, a cutting table and mat, and thread galore. He bought the same for my mom. I still have an ongoing love affair with Bernina to this day. I have upgraded more than once and am still astonished at all that these machines can do. Over the years I have made a few quilts for my dad and these are what I share with you now. The first one can't really be called a quilt. It was just a quick throw that I made for him to take to football games. I know, I know... it is not so attractive, but at the time I thought it was.

The next one was a much smaller quilt and required a little hand-work. My dad happens to like bears a lot, so I thought he would enjoy this one. It has been used and washed more than I can count.... especially by my niece Kathrine.

I got a little more serious about the next quilt that I made for my dad. He had a thing about having his monogram being embroidered on everything back in those days... especially his shirts. Every new shirt he purchased, he had me monogram his initials on the cuff and in the center of the shirt's placket. With this quilt, I not only monogramed his initials, but a few other things that I thought he might like.

He finally let me know that he wanted a much bigger quilt.... one that would completely cover him and one that would keep him warmer than the other quilts had. So I made this quilt out of flannel for not only dad, but for mom as well, and used wool batting between the layers.

And here's the back. As you can see, I ran out of the main fabric that I needed to cover the back. Since none of the shops had any of the fabric left that I was using, I simply pieced all of the fabric that I had left over from the quilt top and made it into one big back. I think it worked out just fine.

Fat Quarters.

2010-07-11T13:09:00.001-07:00

Every quilter I know has a gigantic collection of fat quarters. I have collected them myself over the years and own a sizeable amount. (Please don't ever ask to see my closet!) I have asked my children to go into quilt shops on their various travels and purchase a fat quarter for me as a souvenir. Whenever Jim and I have gone anywhere, it is a must to visit the local quilt shops so that I can obtain, you guessed it, a fat quarter. I have even had dear friends bring me fat quarters from their many travels all over the world. Pretty pathetic I know, but I do adore my fat quarters! (I'm talking fabric here.) So in my wonderful stash of fat quarters, I have fabric from Amsterdam, Hawaii, Australia,and more. Since it is an addiction for those of us who are quilters, a plethora of books have been written to help us turn that obession into beautiful quilts. Two of my many favorite authors are Lynda Milligan and Nancy Smith from Possibilities. Their books have always been an inspiration and were also best sellers in the quilt shop where I worked and taught. Below, I will share some quilts (some you have already seen) that I made as samples for the shop from one of our favorite books from Possibilities.

Here is a picture of Lynda and Nancy's book, Super Simple Fat Quarter Quilts.

The first quilt pictured is called Sunny Days. I took enough fabric home to not only make this quilt for the shop but enough to kit up for someone else to make the same exact quilt as well. The kit sold instantly.

Here's the label on the back.

Hyde Park was a favorite with our customers due to the fact that the middle of the quilt required one large piece of fabric. Those of us who own a piece of fabric that we hate to cut up, made several of these quilts.

Since so many of us knew someone who was going to have a baby, I decided to downsize Hyde Park and called it, Hyde Park Had A Baby. A lot of our customers made this quilt for the new little one that had been added to their lives and hearts.

The label on the back.

Still more to come....

A New Look!

2010-07-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

As you all know, I began this blog due to my love of quilting and my joy in making children's clothing. If I weren't so busy, it would become a complete obsession.

I was starting to get really tired of the old comforter on my bed and knew that the time had finally come to make a new one. But did I stop there? Noooooo I had to make new pillows, new pillow shams, new dust ruffle, new curtains... you name it, I made it. I now share it with you.... the bed. (I'm apologizing before hand about the darkness of my pictures. It truly looks better in person.)

I added a few more pillows than I had before due to the fact that I simply adore pillows! Jim, on the other hand, hates them. He especially dislikes taking them off the bed every night and promptly throws them off to the side before crawling into bed. That's alright with me... I promptly put them back on each morning after I get up. ;-) Because I had so many triangles left over after making the quilt, I used them to make a couple of pillow cases.... which I thought went perfect on the bed. I still had some triangles left and they came in quite handy on the borders of my curtains.

Here's a close up of the smaller pillow that I hand-embroidered. I designed a pillow pattern that fit the size of the design that I embroidered plus fit the size of the pillow form that I had on hand. (The embroidery design says, "Let's be sweethearts forever.")

Here's a side view of the quilt with the triangle borders. I love the look of scalloped edges so I made sure that I added that look on this particular quilt. I also needed a new dust ruffle, so I purchased enough of the green fabric to complete my desired look. If you look closely, you'll notice that I made and used a lot of piping using that same green fabric. I used it in everything! But I felt that it tied everything together quite nicely.

More quilts to come....

Yellville VI

2010-07-08T05:19:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share just a few more pictures of Yellville before I finished posting about my last visit. There are always a plethora of memories that are made each and every time that I go back that way. Good conversation, drives into town, (at least you don't have far to go, and the town itself is only a couple of blocks long.) going to church, (love it!!) and being surrounded by the only thing that really matters.... family. Yellville has hit big time these days though.... a Sonic burger came to town..... now that was big! My uncle Kenny fears that a stoplight might be next. Drat! I don't think I would recognize the place! The Sonic Burger alone threw me for a loop.

Below are a few pics of sights that one can't miss when in Yellville.

Aunt Betty's chicken coop. (The kids love to feed the chickens the scraps from the dinner table... and anything else that's available.) These babies are needed for the eggs that they provide and for the good meals that they make.

Uncle Kenny's guineas. I'm still not sure why they are so special to him, but they certainly are... and you better leave them alone. It took me forever to find these birds to at least get their picture.... they are so loud!! I think they're pretty and the best thing I think, in regards to their existence, is that they eat bugs.. lots of bugs, and back in Yellville, there's a ton of bugs! They've got chiggers, ticks, etc.. Yuck! I say go to it little birdies.

Okay.. okay.. I know that you can't see this very well, but these are lightning bugs. I took a ton of pictures trying to capture their pretty little lights, but no such luck.... Just pretend that you see them. These little guys remind me of being at Disneyland. They are everywhere once the sun goes down. It's simply stunning to see these little 'lights' all through the woods at night time. I know it's nothing special to those who live back there, but I really enjoy watching these little guys put on a show once the sun sets. Beautiful!

(Click on the picture... you'll see them better.)

Saturday night dinner is where everyone meets. Yippee! Good food, good company, good times. Here's Marla, her granddaughter, and my daughter, Nicole.

And last, but certainly not least, is Marla on one of her trusty machines mowing. She can turn that thing on a dime. Amazing!!

Love and hugs to you all. Smooches, Debbie

Yellville V

2010-07-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

Those of you who are unfamiliar with Yellville, have no idea what names these people come up with back there to name their towns. At first, I thought Yellville was rather odd, but then when I heard some of the names of the surrounding towns, Yellville no longer sounded so weird. No, no..... how does Gasville grab you? Or how about Toad Suck, Tightwad, Pickle's Gap or Flippin? My parent's purchased all of their prescriptions at the Flippin Pharmacy. Nice....

But I have to say, Gasville trumps all of the surrounding towns. It is home to the number one pizza restaurant in the nation... number two in the world. I must admit, I thought it was a joke.... but it wasn't. Nima's Pizza was voted number one in making the best traditional pizza at the Pizza Challenge held in Las Vegas, NV. Talk about good pizza. When I show you the place, you're going to think I'm kidding, but you'll just have to trust me on this one. And to all of you pizza lovers out there, eat your heart out.... Gasville, Arkansas makes the best pizza ever. Here are the pics. (Ya gotta love that backward 'n'.)

Here are the signs they proudly display inside their restaurant.

Not to be outdone..... here is the best pizza in Yellville... served at my aunt Betty's on Saturday night. Now there's some good pizza!

Yellville IV

2010-07-05T06:58:00.001-07:00

My cousin Tom, and his wife Brenda, live next door to my aunt Betty back in Yellville. Now 'next door' back in Yellville is a lot different than 'next door' out here in San Diego.... there's a lot of space between their homes. Tom retired from the fire department out here in Lakeside and now lives quite contentedly back in Yellville. He and Brenda have a beautiful home, which they shared generously with me on my last few days before leaving Yellville. Thank you so much!!

Here's Tom and Brenda posing for me in my aunt's living room. (Notice... he still has that firefighter mustache!)

Here's the incredible view from their front room window. Who wouldn't be contented with that??

Tom built himself a large garage/workshop, where he can do just about anything he wants. It is amazing on the inside!

Brenda loves to work outside in the yard... boy, does it ever show!! I don't think Tom has ever become so acquainted with the great outdoors as he has now that he is married to Brenda. She's the best thing that ever happened to him. Here's her 'workshop'... a cute little garden shop. Their home was a delight.

Still more to come.............

Yellville III

2010-07-01T22:34:00.001-07:00

Aunt Betty and Uncle Kenny moved to Yellville, Arkansas about 46 years ago. California was just not the place they could call home for themselves or their family. Once there, Uncle Kenny began working at Ranger boats. Anyone out there who fishes for bass knows all about Ranger boats. I'm told that it's one of the best boats out there for any serious fisherman. Uncle Kenny became one of their best craftsmen when it came to building those boats... in fact they placed his sweet face on the cover of one of their catalogs as they thought him to be an invaluable employee. The girls, Marla and Marilyn, worked for Ranger alongside their dad. That company lost a lot when they all eventually moved on.

Speaking of Uncle Kenny, here he is resting in his chair after putting in yet another hard day of work out in the fields. Most of us think he's working harder now that he's retired, than he did when he was working at Ranger. ;-)

Not to be out done, I would never even attempt to keep up with my aunt Betty. She plants and takes care of a huge garden, cans nearly everyday, works the hay fields with uncle Kenny when needed, takes care of the chickens, butchers them, etc. etc.. She never seems to stop. She loves to cook and makes the most fantastic desserts you've ever seen or tasted. If an elderly neighbor (or any neighbor for that matter!) is in need, this family of mine, is always ready to lend a helping hand. They are generous, kind, humble, and hard working. Their Godly example is much to be desired. Here is aunt Betty and my mom enjoying each other's company.

And about that garden.... here is a small glimpse. It's as huge as it is beautiful. I think it's pretty cool that my uncle Kenny helps my aunt Betty out not only in the garden, but also in the canning of their incredible bounty.

And here's home for my uncle Kenny and aunt Betty. Looks pretty peaceful doesn't it?

To be continued........

Yellville II

2010-06-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

Next stop.... Marilyn's. Marilyn works for the park system. She can drive bull dozers, tractors, fork lifts, or work chain saws, band saws, build steel bridges, etc., etc... I'm convinced that there isn't anything out there that her and her sister Marla can't operate. They amaze me!!! Forget MacGyver, I want THOSE girls on my side if I'm ever in any kind of trouble. The two of them can build anything, knock down anything, cut up anything, yet they both remain humble and kind. How I love those two.

Here is the road that leads to Marilyn and Bob's house. Five bucks jumped over the fence as I was driving down to her house for pictures. Marilyn likes them bedding down in her tall grass and cautions everyone to drive carefully and quietly. She has already named the largest buck 'Big Boy' and she has her sights on him the next time hunting season is here. Now lest you think Marilyn has no feelings, I want you to be aware that if there is ever any animal abandoned, left motherless, or injured, everyone knows to bring that animal to Marilyn. She has raised deer, rabbits, birds, just about anything until they are able to be set free. She has great respect for all of God's creation and treats them with great care. However.... one must eat.

You can't see it very well, but behind those hollyhocks, is a small stall that Marilyn built for her steer. He was huge! (Notice I said 'was' he's in the freezer these days.)

I caught Marilyn actually reading a book when I came down to get some pictures. (Marilyn NEVER takes the time to read, she says she hates to.) She is always too busy working outside.

Here's Marilyn, in uniform, helping out with Saturday night dinner after she got home from work. Every Saturday night, everyone comes down to my aunt Betty's house for dinner. That night it was homemade pizza. Yummmmmmm!

Next stop... aunt Betty's.

Yellville!

2010-06-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

It has been a long while since my last post and I am sure that many of you have even stopped checking in, BUT... my husband and I have been preparing our home for my parents as they are moving in with us. This past month I have been back in Arkansas, helping finish up the last few items that needed to be packed up before the movers arrived to move them out here.

Yellville is the small town that my parents have called home for the past 10 years. My aunt and uncle live in Yellville, along with their children and some of their grandchildren. Life is so different back in that part of the country. My family back there grow everything that they put in their mouth. I have never seen such hard working, generous and humble people in my life. My cousins Marla and Marilyn work harder than any man I know..... except for my husband of course. ;-) I just had to share a few pictures of this side of the family that I already miss.

First up.... Marla. Here is a picture of the drive going up to her home. Pretty isn't it? Her and her husband Phil own a lumber mill and raise cattle on the side. I LOVE their cows. They're Scottish Highlanders... the only beef that Queen Elizabeth will eat. You don't see them in the states very much, but are they ever cute.

Here is Marla and Phil with one of their grandsons.

Here is one of the cows. You've got to love that hair.

There were a lot of babies this year. I think they were just as curious of me as I was of them. Tomorrow Marilyn!

Aprons!

2010-03-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

I made a few aprons this past Christmas for a couple of my daughters. As I had stated in an earlier post, I really wanted to make as much as I could to save on money. Not that my plan really worked :-), but I did enjoy the time I spent sewing for each of the girls. The pattern that I used, I had also shared with all of you before. It is a reversible apron pattern, picked on purpose, due to the fact that I am a messy cook. Since I do tend to be messy, I just assumed that everyone else is as well... hence the two-sided pattern.

The first one is Beck's. She loves anything retro, so when I saw this fabric at the quilt shop, I knew that it was meant for her!

This is the fabric that especially caught my eye for her.

This next apron is Nicole's. Those of you who are acquainted with Nicole, know that she eats clean by eating raw. She has an incredible web site that a ton of people follow. If you haven't checked it out... it is an absolute must! I decided that I would embroider the bodice of each side.

The last one that I am sharing on this post was made for my new daughter-in-law Casey. The fabric just seemed to say Casey all over it.

In the next post, I will share a couple more!

One More.......

2010-02-27T16:48:00.000-08:00

On my last blog, I left out my granddaughter Reilly's quilt. I love this quilt! I actually made two of them, one for Reilly and one for Ashlynn. The reason why these two quilts are so dear to me is that my mom and my Aunt Sybil had a huge hand in making these quilts a reality. My mom and aunt embroidered all of the critters on each quilt. They had so much fun making the critter squares, that they made enough for me to make the two quilts. (There were even enough squares left over for me to make a rag quilt for my grandsons!) Anyway....when those two showed me what they had made I knew that I needed to go shopping to purchase enough fabric to make those squares into the quilts that my grandchildren enjoy today. I visited a cute little quilt shop back in Arkansas and purchased enough fabric to make the quilt that I am sharing with you here and then I looked for different fabric for Ashlynn's. My mom and aunt were overjoyed to see their treasured blocks made into these quilts. Since making the quilts, my aunt has passed away, but her love lives on by way of these quilts.

Quilting for my granddaughters!

2010-02-15T16:55:00.003-08:00

I have made a quilt for each of my granddaughters, except for one, little Miss Addie. As I was going through the pictures of the quilts that I have made so far for the girls, I realized that I had never made her one. So sorry missy... grandma is going to have to jump right on that! Below however, are the ones that have gone out these physical doors of mine, but never completely out the doors of my heart. It's amazing how much you put of yourself in a quilt. I guess that is why when I find an old quilt in an antique shop, I always wonder about the person who made it. What were they thinking about when they were working so diligently on that quilt top. Who was it for? Where did the fabric come from and how long did it take them to complete it. I even wonder about the circumstances for which the quilt was made. Was it a joyous occasion, a sad occasion, or was it strictly made for needed warmth. My guess is that a lot of those old quilts were made out of sheer love for those that they were going to and for the pleasure that they would bring... I know mine are. I dearly love the ones I made these quilts for! So... without further chatter here are a few that I have sent off.

First up is Teagan's. I lLOVED this fabric when it came into the shop. It was just so cheery! Since my son and daughter-in-law had just had a new little treasure, I thought this would be just perfect!

And the label. (I realize that these are rather hard to see, but hopefully you get the idea!)

On Miss T's bed, Stef decided to put the first quilt that I ever made for them. I found this incredibly soft flannel in a cute little quilt shop that I thought would be just right. I must say, it looks pretty cute on her bed!

And its label.

Next up is Ashlynn's. Ashlynn and her mom picked out a quilt pattern from a magazine I had sent their way. Now Ashlynn just loves the ocean with its many shells, so I picked out a line of fabric from the shop, that matched just what she had in mind. This quilt, once made, looked nothing like the quilt in the magazine because it was all in Ashlynnie's colors. (Actually, I liked it way better than the one in the magazine!) I decided to scallop the edges to make it look even more distinct than the one in the magazine.

And her label.

Keira loves dogs, so when she saw this fabric, she just had to have it. I used a nice, pink, minkie on the back. That fabric is wonderfully soft, incredibly expensive, but so messy to use. Would I use it again? You bet!

And finally, here is Keira's label

Quilting for my granddaughters!

2010-02-15T16:55:00.002-08:00

I have made a quilt for each of my granddaughters, except for one, Miss A.

Quilting for my granddaughters!

2010-02-15T16:55:00.001-08:00

I have made a quilt for each of my granddaughters, except for one, Miss A

Quilting for my granddaughters!

2010-02-15T16:55:00.000-08:00

I have made a quilt for each of my granddaughters, except for one

The Wedding!

2010-02-05T06:48:00.001-08:00

There was a wedding in our family as we closed 2009 out... our son Michael married the girl of his dreams, Miss Casey Simone. For the wedding, I set aside time to make a gift box, to hold all of their gift cards and/or money, and the ring bearer pillow. I used a brown silk dupioni for the gift box and a bright pink silk dupioni for the pillow. On the box, I embroidered the kids' initials along with the date of the wedding. On the pillow, I decided to embroider a portion of their wedding invitation along with a scripture verse out of the book of Song of Solomon. I used some left overs of the brown silk to make piping around the edge of the pillow. For those who know me, I love to glitz just about everything so it was no big surprise when everyone saw how many crystals I used on these two items.

Here are my cute little granddaughters with the dresses that I made for them for the wedding. Ashlynn and Reilly were the flower girls, so I made their dresses out of the white silk dupioni. I used the same bright pink silk, that was used for the pillow, and gathered it up for the waist band and bow for the two dresses. Using the glitz again I covered up my stitching lines, where I had gathered up the waist band, with pink crystals. I used an adorable trim that I found, around the neck of each dress. On the inside lining of each dress, I embroidered the girls' initials. For our little Miss Teagan, (affectionately known as Miss T.) I used the pink and the brown silk dupioni and quickly put together a dress for her. I decided that I would again, scrunch up a waist band and again cover the stitching lines with crystals... this time using brown ones. All three looked so cute and each had fun dancing and twirling in their new dresses.

(Pssst! I see you Keira!!)

Is this not the cutest picture?? She was very into her dance. ;-)

Miss Ashlynn had fun dancing it up with her cousin and ring bearer, Tallon. And not to be outdone by her cousins our sweet little Keira, who also fancied herself to be the hottest dancer out there, was on the floor behind them.

And of course, I had to make a quilt!! I quickly made a lap size quilt for the two of them to cuddle under while watching tv. I wanted to show you the label on the back too. Such a fun wedding!

Christmas Revisited!

2010-02-03T13:50:00.005-08:00

As you know, this was suppose to be my 'sewing' blog. But being true to form, I seem to get easily sidetracked.. especially when it involves my children or grandchildren! So, I thought it would be nice if I actually shared with you a few things that I had the pure pleasure of sewing these past few months.

This seemed to be the year for stockings!! Some of the ones here are simply replacing older ones that I had made years ago. Now that nearly all of my children are married, I decided that I wanted ownership of those dear, old, stockings so that I can keep them hanging on my own fireplace mantle. Such sweet memories for Jim and I of times past. (Elizabeth... you're the last hold out! Get that old stocking in the mail.)

First up is Rebekah's replacement. (Don't forget.. you can click on any picture if you need a clearer view.)

I even made a new one for Christopher (my son-in-law) this year!

Next is my son Michael's. (I know, I know, these aren't the best pictures... sorry.)

My niece, Gretchen, had a new little darling this year. Here is her precious Milan's stocking that hangs at her grandma and grandpa's house. I decided to make a little pocket and sew it onto the back of the stocking..... just the right size for those little treasures she might acquire from her many new fans! ;-)

Pocket on the back.

Not to be outdone, my nephew had his third little boy this year. Since I had made the other boys' stockings, it was only right that dear little Joshua got his own as well.

Another friend had asked me to make a couple of stockings for her friends. Stockings are such a different type of gift to give.. and isn't it nice to be a little different? The first one is for her friend Karen, while the second one is for Karen's husband.

I also made aprons and dish towels this year. That was really fun! I purchased the waffle weave fabric by the bolt so it was easy to cut up, embroider and then make into towels. Once done I cut and ruffled some fabric and added it to the bottom of the towels.

The great thing about the aprons is that they are reversible!

The towels.

James and Stef were the ones who got the quilt this year. The center portion was pieced together by using a tall fat quarter pack that we had at the shop. Since I waited for such a long time before I actually pieced the quilt together, the coordinating fabric for that particular line was not easy to find. But eventually I found enough of the fabric to get this quilt made for them.

I also took the time to make and hand embroider a pillow for my bed.

Lost in Thought

2010-01-30T22:49:00.000-08:00

For the last couple of days, I have had my two uncles up here to visit my parents before they leave for Arkansas. Listening to them talk and laugh with one another as they played cards was sheer enjoyment. They had me play their favorite music for them while they played their card games and chatted. The music ranged from the Sons of the Pioneers to the Bee Gees to the Eagles. (I couldn't help but laugh when my uncle David insisted that I put on the Bee Gees and the Eagles. He just loves them!) But what really seemed to settle my uncles' very souls was when the older music gently drifted into the room where they played. I feared that I would not be able to sit through all of those old tunes, but the realty was I rather enjoyed it. Listening to my uncle singing along while my mom quietly hummed now and then was so sweet. They talked about their mama and their daddy and heaven. They discussed their brothers and sisters and friends who have passed away and the few who are still living. I think down deep my uncle David's home will always be Drumright, Oklahoma, where they all were from. He even subscribes to the local newspaper.... just to keep up with the obituaries. Sitting there with them was rich. I learned a lot from them while sitting there... most important, the preciousness of family. How blessed I am! Prayerfully my own children will find joy and comfort while sitting with me as I grow older, but I also pray that they will find that same joy while sitting with the ones who are still here now. And to not dismiss those old tunes, that if listened to with an open heart, can still speak today. Thanks for the memories.

Family Day

2010-01-21T21:21:00.000-08:00

Every December 24th, Jim and I, along with the kids and grandkids, spend the entire christmas eve day all together as one big happy family. I look forward to this one particular day all year long as it is the only day during the holiday season that I get my family all to myself. Selfish as that sounds, I wouldn't trade it for anything..... I love that day. I would love it even more if ALL of my kids and grandkids could be here. How I miss my children who do not live nearby!

This year we started out in Coronado at a little cafe, that turned out to be just a little bit smaller than we had thought. When we called the cafe to make our reservations, we thought we were making our reservations at the same cafe that we had eaten at a couple of years ago. Wrong! When Jim dropped me off out front, I went inside to let them know we were there.... slight problem, that cafe wasn't expecting us. Upon looking at the address of the cafe that we HAD made reservations at, we realized that that cafe was located further down the street. When we finally arrived at the right cafe, we nearly choked. It was the smallest cafe you could image and they were turning people away so that all of us could fit inside. Below is a picture of the outside and then of the inside. There truly was no room for anyone else but us!

Lindsey had a big bowl of oatmeal.

After breakfast, it was time to drive over to the Hotel Del. (One of these days I'm going to stay there!!) It was a beautiful day and the kids loved being near the ocean. Inside the Del, there was the coolest candy shop that all of the kids felt a need to go into. Keira LOVED the big glass dog that was right inside the door. She was constantly hugging him.

The kids know that Auntie Becka is one big sucker and that she will always keep them supplied with candy!

John and Christopher were worse than the kids!!

But then you had Casey.... ;-)

Michael and Casey are still our little honeymooners.

After Coronado, most of the guys decided to go and hang out on the Midway while the rest of us went over to Horton Plaza. The guys had a great time thanks to Aaron sharing his tickets.

Once the guys were done at the Midway, we all met up at Seaport Village. It was the most gorgeous day!! Here's a couple of my favorite pics. Thanks everyone!!

Roseville once again..

2010-01-13T06:08:00.000-08:00

I'm back home in Alpine but I did want to share a couple of the houses in my son's neighborhood. I realize that it isn't the best of times to share these pictures as it is wintertime in Roseville and everything looks rather dead... but I still like the looks of these homes. The first one is my favorite. In the spring, the wisteria hangs down though the roof of the porch... it is simply stunning when in bloom. This house sits on a large, corner lot with a huge driveway to one side. On the other side of the house, which you can barely see to the right, a charming guest home is snuggled in quite nicely within the fence border. Out back there is a beautiful, large pool... that I'm sure the neighbors envy in the summertime. I especially love the balcony that sits above the porch roof. A great place to loose oneself in a good book don't you think? Click on the picture for even a better view!

This next house is much smaller but very typical of the other houses in the surrounding area. (Don't you just love that white picket fence?? Several of the houses had that same type of fence surrounding their homes. I thought it made each house quite homey looking!) Many of these houses had either a table with chairs sitting out on the front porch, or a couple of wooden chairs, or my favorite... big, old, wooden rocking chairs. I was ready to walk up and sit in one but I thought that might be incredibly rude.. especially if the home owner were to find a strange woman sitting out front. (It was very difficult to restrain myself from this temptation. ) ;-) On a side note: many of the homes in the area are for sale. I was saddened to see just how many.

The next picture shows the movie theatre in downtown Roseville. You got a small peek of downtown Roseville in my last post when I shared a picture of Main St with you. I would be remiss if I failed to share this picture as well. I thought it was a rather cool looking movie house.

And last.... but definitely not least.. I just had to share a picture of two of my granddaughters.... what kind of grandma would I be if I didn't share one of the best pictures that I had? Here is Miss Ashlynn and Miss Reilly looking lovely as always.

Roseville

2010-01-07T08:32:00.000-08:00

I'm still here in Roseville, and I just had to share some pictures with you so that you could see the quaintness of the neighborhood that my son lives in. First stop... my son's house. I just love it! It is quite old and lovely with a full basement below where my son shoots most of his photography sessions.

The house across the street was a high school project many, many years ago. I can't even imagine the sense of accomplishment the students must have felt once the house was completed. Talk about homey!

Once you leave the neighborhood you need to cross this cute, little, crooked bridge; which runs over the train tracks...

...then turn right onto Main Street where one can continue their journey into a time long forgotten... pretty cool huh? This is the route I take each time that I take the girls to gymnastics.

At night you can hear the train as it travels lazily by on the tracks not far from the house. For reasons that I cannot explain the sound of that train is incredibly comforting to me and I love listening for it. The station is small but very sweet and is a great place to take a photograph or two.

I'll share some houses later.... Time to go to sleep.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T13:06:00.000-08:00

No pictures this time around.... a good imagination will just have to do. I'm back up here in Roseville taking care of my granddaughters while my son and his wife are attending a seminar in San Diego. Since my trips up here are so rare, I soon forget the richness of the surrounding neighborhood that my son and his family live in. It's like lifting a thin veil and then stepping back into a time long forgotten. The streets are lined with trees that are now void of any foliage. The houses, some built with stone, others with brick, and many more having a combination of both wood siding with brick and/or stone, are warm and cozy looking. Most have those wonderful big, old porches with a couple of oversized chairs facing the street bidding one to stop and sit awhile. As a quilter, I can easily imagine women in years past, sitting out on those big, beautiful porches, hand quilting and chatting easily with one another about their children, their husbands' jobs, their joys, their concerns, and maybe even sharing a recipe or two.
The way I see it, we seem to have forgotten how to slow down and 'sit a spell' with the people that the Lord brings into our lives on a regular basis. I know in my last post, I reveled in the smells, colors, and sounds of christmas, but in my mind up here in Roseville, the smells, colors, and sounds that quickly overtake my mind are those of times past. Listening to my mom and aunts discussing not only different recipes, meals, and sewing, but also talking about their many plants that each had nurtured and cared for in their yards as well as in their homes. ( I will cherish those missed conversations forever.) I will also consider the screaming voices of the neighborhood children while they played and laughed with each other outside as something truly incredible.. instead of the annoyance I once thought it was.
The smell of biscuits and goulash cooking on the stove, or the aroma of cornbread and beans that my aunt used to make is also something I will never forget! Yumm! And how can one ever forget the delight in seeing pieces of leftover fabric or cut up, worn out clothing sewn into a beloved handmade quilt? I used to pour over those quilts looking for those little swatches that once were mine. Loved it... miss it.
With all of these thoughts in mind, it is my deepest wish and desire that everyone will experience, as I pray that I will too, the richness of family, the closeness of friends, and the ability and willingness to stop....... truly stop... and enjoy the many blessings that the Lord would love to bestow on each of us His children, in this bright and hopefully happy new year.

"Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat....."

2009-12-15T23:26:00.000-08:00

At Christmastime around here, our home is filled with lots of music. The kids used to get so mad at me because I would want to start playing christmas music by the end of September or October. My reasoning never made sense to them but I am hoping that as they have grown older themselves, that they now understand why I love it so. I not only love the music (it's just not fair to only get three weeks of enjoyment over the most beautiful music ever written),but I also love the decorations, the smells, the sounds, the weather, hot chocolate by the fire, decorating the house, surprises, the memories, but best of all I love celebrating the incredible birth of Jesus Christ. It just cannot get any better than that. We are truly blessed aren't we? And one cannot forget all of the christmas programs and movies....... Again... I love this time of year. Hopefully you do too.

I have also been sewing like crazy to get the gifts done that I will be giving away this year. I am only sharing a few pictures at this time because I have already given these away. Tea towels. Everybody needs them and this waffle weave fabric is great. I buy it by the bolt out of New York and then cut it up for towels or even children's jackets. It is wonderful to work with and washes beautifully. Below are the towels along with a couple of jackets that I have made in the past. I have thrown in a few christmas stockings as well. The pink one is for my niece's new little one and the other two are for my daughter and son-in-law.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

The Case of the Missing Reindeer

2009-12-09T16:21:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry.... I couldn't resist. I mean, he was just sitting there so innocently... right next to the one antler... and well.... I just had to put it on his sweet little head and take a picture. Now mind you, I always thought that those old ladies with a plethora of pictures of their grandkids were a little over the top. In fact... it drove me crazy. It was so nauseating to see just how many pictures they actually had of each child! (Probably more than they ever had of their own children.) "I will NEVER be like those women!" I told myself that very line every time that I was confronted with yet another album. And now look at me... it's pathetic! Here I am taking pictures of my sweet grandson with one antler on his head while his parents are at Disneyland with his sister. Well you know what son? That's what you get for leaving him with me. He just kind of brings out this awful side of me. Psssst... he's pretty cute though don't you think?

Merry Christmas... Happy Birthday!

2009-12-09T05:32:00.000-08:00

December! This is always such a busy month for all of us isn't it??? But it is such a great month as well! In December we take time out to celebrate the birth of our wonderful Saviour and our soon & coming King. Talk about a gift.. how truly glorious that gift is and continues to be. It is truthfully the gift that just keeps giving. I must constantly remind myself to slow down and enjoy Him every moment of every day.... not just this month alone, but always.

For me, I also get the privilege of celebrating just a few more birthdays in the month of December that I want to acknowledge and make sure that they know I haven't forgotten them in all the hustle and bustle of this holiday season.

First: my daughter-in-law Lindsey. Today, December 9 is her day.. Happy Birthday Lindsey! How happy we are that you are part of this family. You have brought us so much joy! Have a great day at Disneyland today. Smooches.

Second: my mom. Her day is on the 15. We have had a wonderful time with her and dad living with us. You're the best mom ever! Happy birthday mom!!! Hugs and kisses. (I'm already missing you and you haven't even left yet!!)

Third: my twin boys. You two will always be my 'little' boys. I can never thank God enough for sending you guys to dad and me. You guys made our family complete. Happy Birthday guys!! Love you, mom

Fourth: my daughter Elizabeth. You were and always will be our 'little bit'. I miss you and the kids so much, you'll never know!!! (You too Ran-man) ;-) I can't stand the fact that you live so far away. (Tell your husband that I still haven't forgiven him!) Have a fun day Elizabeth. Love to you too, mom

I tried to make this blog short so that I wouldn't cry. I could have written on and on about each of you but I don't think there would have been enough room. I love you all!