The Seam Rippers

Rainbow Bricks Finish

2012-01-26T10:33:00.000-08:00

I finally got this first NICU quilt of the year finished. I just couldn't find the time to work on it like I wished, but it's all done now.

I used a loopy stitch on the border to give it a little more personality. Not that it really needed any.

So, now I can move on to a new project. And I'm going to use the pattern I found here as inspiration. :) Can't wait!

Thanks Tonya for the beautiful fabric!

Pig Sooie Part Deux

2012-01-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

I decided to add some kitchen towels to the pot holders I made. I took a little Me time Sunday afternoon and whipped them up.

I very much enjoyed doing this project and am thinking I might like to make more. Easy shower gifts eh?

If I could get some other big name team fabrics, I might just make some for fans of our rival teams.....well, I dunno about that.

Linking up with Marcia again with Minutes for Me!

Also linking up with The Shady Porch's Rock 'N Share!

Hogs in the Kitchen

2012-01-14T05:30:00.000-08:00

Last week, I found a little Me time and created these pot holders/hot pads for a cousin.

Most Arkansans are dedicated Razorback fans, so it is a safe bet she'll like them. I've noticed Razorback decorative items in her house so I think I'm good to go with it.

I have a matching hand towel in the works and will share that soon. I'm linking up to Marcia's Minutes for Me.

First Quilt of the Year

2012-01-04T10:51:00.000-08:00

I've begun the first charity quilt of 2012. I'm using lovely rainbow colors that mostly came from my blog friend Tonya.

I don't know if there is a pattern out there some where like this, but I drew several designs one evening while watching tv. This is the one that I liked the best and the one I thought would look best with these colors. I have the top all done except for one more border strip. Since it's a rainbow, I'll use a simple pale blue for the backing to mimic the sky.

I learned the hard way to pay close attention to my drawing. Again, the seam ripper was my best friend.
I'm linking up with Marcia's Minute for Me.

And I'll leave you with a game of hide and seek with LMW and Nanna....

I Did It

2011-12-31T09:43:00.000-08:00

In an earlier post...or two...or three...I mentioned wanting to finish a quilt for LeLe's Christmas gift. I finally gave up, just content to work on it as I could. And you know what? I finished it. I was surprised at myself.

She chose the fabric, and a design, and I altered the design to my own liking. It wasn't an easy thing to do, and I fussed at myself frequently. I also quilted it as I went. Part of that was great because the quilting part was much easier. But connecting the pieces together was a pain. The entire quilt is queen size, so it was still hard to handle. I'm very glad I finished, and she seemed to be very happy with it. So, here is the finished product.

It was so big, there was no place in my house I could hang it up to take a better photo. Maybe she will post a photo of it on her bed.

When I first began, I mentioned to Sharon at Vrooman's Quilts that I was using the Lilly and Will II fabric, and she was so kind to send me a jelly roll. That made doing the center and the squares so much easier! And after so many of Marcia's posts at Marcia's Crafty Sewing and Quilting blog, I decided to try using a decorative stitch on the binding.

It was a bit tricky, and I'll not use such an intricate design again until I have more practice, but all in all, I like it.

I plan to try making some shams to match, as soon as I recover from all the Christmas stress, and the severe cold I've been dealing with.

Christmas Greetings

2011-12-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

Winter Wreath

2011-12-17T11:06:00.000-08:00

Here is the winter yarn wreath I finished last night. I used dark gray yarn on a styrofoam wreath form and several different wintery accents that I bought at Michael's for 60% off. I love the little cardinal. The lace was some that Mom had given me a few months ago. I really like how it turned out! I wanted to do something that was more versatile than just Christmas, so this will last until at least February. I know the photo isn't the best (it was on my phone at around 10 PM last night).

What a Mess

2011-12-17T10:13:00.000-08:00

You see this mess?

Well, it is supposed to be a Christmas gift. By the looks of it, I doubt seriously if that will happen. But, it's for my LeLe, she knows it probably won't, and is ok with it.

That's how my sewing room usually looks when I'm in the middle of something. Not a pretty picture is it? But, it's how I work. I don't have a good space to spread it all out, and the ironing board usually doubles as a table, the bed as a design board. You use what you have eh? I normally clean the biggest part of it up every other day or so. If someone should come in and see it before I do, oh well.

This is a little wooden Nativity set I made umpteen years ago for my Mother-in-Law.

I had a band saw and lots of scraps and I made countless little things like this. They are all gone now except for this and a few Christmas decorations. I made this simple by design, and she thought LMW would enjoy playing with it. He does like wiping them all off the table.

Back to work in the ~~messy~~ sewing room.

Be Merry!

2011-12-08T15:00:00.001-08:00

This has been a great couple of weeks mail wise. So many lovely things arriving in my mail box. I recently won a giveaway on SewCalGal's blog and it arrived today. Woo Hoo! It was for her 2011 Christmas Quilt Show and I won a door prize. (I didn't enter a quilt)

It's Be Merry by Martha Walker at Wagons West Designs, and it's full to bursting with awesome Christmas projects I can't wait to try. It gives me something to work on for Christmas all year long. I'm so very pleased to have won this, and feel very blessed. Merry Christmas to Me!!

I also posted about this on my other blog.

Thank you SewCalGal and Martha!!

The Third Pillow

2011-11-29T11:20:00.001-08:00

For sister #3. Did you guess how many I had? Three sisters and a brother. I don't think a pillow is something he'd appreciate though... *grin*

I thought I'd like this one the least, but turns out I like it the best. There's enough of Mom's sweaters left to make myself a pillow and I may try that in the next week or so. This was a Minutes for Me project and it didn't take all that long.

Here are all the pillows I've made for Christmas 2011.

I've enjoyed making them. There was no pressure for a change and I just enjoyed the process.

Second Keepsake Pillow

2011-11-18T09:47:00.001-08:00

Ok, Sister #2 is up.

This was made from a sweater vest. The pieces are not even, straight or smooth. There was no way to cut them that way with how the vest was made. So, I zig-zagged them onto fabric and then pieced them together as best I could. My Mom was a gingerbread person freak too and it rubbed off on Sister #2. I'm sure she will be happy with this, even if it is a bit unkempt.

I did quilt the top part along the sashing pieces. Had to add some quilting in there somewhere!
Now, on to Sister #3...how many sisters do I have anyway??!!

Christmas Keepsake Pillow

2011-11-16T12:07:00.001-08:00

I'm into pillows right now. They are quick and easy, and I can actually have one almost done by the time LMW wakes from his nap. I have several more in the works, but this one is made from a sweatshirt my Mom wore at Christmastime.

My mom had a closet full of Christmas sweaters and sweatshirts, and I took some of them to make pillows for my sisters. They've probably forgotten all about them, but I hope they will be pleasantly surprised when they open them up.

I quilted the top of this one and added some snowflake buttons. I know Sister #1 will love it. I hope to carry on my Mom's love of Christmas and decorating as the years go by. Maybe I'll also be known as the "Lady with all the Christmas stuff" in the years to come.

Don't forget to visit the Minutes for Me Linky Party.

Peppermint Pillow

2011-11-15T12:07:00.001-08:00

I carved out some Minutes for Me time today, and whipped up this pillow from a sweater. It was interesting and I enjoyed most of it. I say that, because closing the thing up took me just about as much time as all the other parts combined. :/

I started with this sweater. I marked off squarea, cut it out, and bonded some fabric to the backs to keep it from stretching.

Next step was to use heat and bond on striped fabric. I drew off the candy canes, cut them out and pressed them on the block.

Using a decorative buttonhole stitch, I appliqued the canes on and then attached some white grosgrain ribbon.

I sewed the front to the back, turned it right side out, stuffed it and sewed up the bottom. At first I did it by hand. Didn't like the result, and did it again. Nope. So, I tried it one more time on the machine. Not perfect, but much better. I can live with that.

Final result:

Me likey. Now, it's back to the grindstone....

Weekend Work

2011-11-14T05:25:00.001-08:00

Along with the canvases, I sewed and painted a Christmas stocking for a little boy in Canada. His Mom is a friend of my daughter.

Mom asked for an old school cartoon character and I found something from Bing Images that filled the bill.
I also worked on a pillow made from one of my mother's many Christmas sweatshirts, but it's not ready for prime time yet. *grin*

More Trees

2011-11-13T18:24:00.001-08:00

Seems like all I ever paint on canvases are trees.... but what can I say? They are easy. It took me a while to get this one right though. First attempt was a fail.

Mercy! I am extremely unhappy with this. Not only do the trees in the back look bad, but I was way too heavy handed with the antiquing. Not to mention that weird little empty blob on the right side...don't know how that happened... Back to the drawing board.

I filled in behind the brown tree limbs with a different color blue, dabbed a bit of white in the top left corner, and black in the bottom right corner, blocked in a simple white tree in the background, flicked some white and black paint on it and called'er done.

Much better. This is for a silent auction benefiting Special Olympics. I hope someone likes it enough to bid on it.

Hot Pads

2011-11-10T06:28:00.000-08:00

Catchy title huh? Couldn't think of anything else. But, I wanted to share what I finished up this week. Every piece of fabric used here, came from the stash my mother left. She loved and adored Christmas and was always making something for it.

I learned some lessons with them...

They aren't thick enough. So, next time I'll add more "innerds".

I am not good at binding. The more I do, the more I realize I'm just not good at it. I should have done it by hand, but as always, I was in a hurry. They are for several folks as a gift, and I wanted them ready to give out right after Thanksgiving. Next time, I'll seam them together and turn them right side out. No binding.

If I come up with more free time....tis to laugh...I'll make more for myself and take some Minutes for Me.

In any case, They are done, they are usable, and they were made with love. I would be happy to receive one and kept two for myself. The ones that didn't make the cut. Ha!

Stepping Up

2011-11-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I ran to the local Walmart and grabbed a few groceries this morning, with LMW in tow. While there, I purchased some dark red braid to finish out a bench redo. I took leftover fabric from reupholstering my dining chairs, and recovered this ugly thing I was deluded in thinking was nice. Ugh.

How sad....how terribly sad. What was I thinking? I wasn't, that's the problem. Oh well. Drum roll please......

I'm in love. And I know this time, it really does look better than it did when I began. I was going to buy some hangy down trim, but didn't want to cover up any of the cool legs.

This is a bench my grandfather made from scraps. It was an ugly gray color and was just plain wood. I used it for years as a step stool, and decided to step up my game with it. I'm very happy at the result. (Now)

Arkansas Christmas

2011-10-28T05:26:00.000-07:00

These are for my son, daughter-in-law and granddog. Ooooh Pie Sooie!!

Lamp Post

2011-10-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

A post about a lamp...lamp post...play on words?....ahem

I posted earlier that I intended to redo this lamp I wound up with, from my mother's household things. She was famous for having U G L Y lamps all over the house and it was a family joke. Since I needed a lamp, I took the least ugly one and decided to fix her up some. Sister #1 doubted the possibility of making it usable and I took that challenge.

Plan A
I first thought to paint the entire thing shades of white and gray. Therefore I primed the base, and painted the shade. It took three good coats of gray paint to block out any light flowing through. I left the white on the base, and painted the wood parts gray. Hmmmm, not so happy with this.

Plan B
I bought a can of silver metallic spray paint and decided to make the base look like metal. With the first spray I didn't like it. And I also realized that everything in my house is either gold or brushed nickle finish.

Plan C
While trying to decide what to do to it now, I just covered the base with a red rusty brown looking primer and set it and the shade aside in my sewing room.

Plan D
While I looked at it every day for several days, I decided I kinda liked it this way. The color was more of a chocolate brown than red and it seemed to "fit" the lamp somehow. So, I decided to look for some fabric to cover the shade to match. I looked online and found something I absolutely loved, and it was perfect for what I had in mind.

I couldn't buy it, and had a revelation that I could paint the shade something like it. Sooo, here I go with cream colored spray paint to coat the shade first. While the shade dried, I coated the base with a glaze because I wanted it glossy.

Then I took out my trusty watercolor pencils to draw the design, and my craft paints. Let the fun begin!
When it was all finished, I put it together, stuck in a bulb, put it on the buffet and stepped back for a look see.

Before:

After:

As you can see, I reversed the dark and light from the fabric and am pretty pleased with the result.

I'm happy with my lamp post. *grin*

#craftingfail

2011-10-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

Here is my latest creation that I was so proud of. I think it turned out beautifully. My son had taken an extremely long nap one day and I had time to roll up all the rosettes and pin them on (I had previously wrapped the wreath and it took me three nights to do it because I double-wrapped it) and get it hung up. Isn't it lovely? Yeah, I'm pretty humble. :-/

I hung it on our front door temporarily with a shower suction-cup hook thingie. I don't have a real wreath hanger and just wanted to see what it looked like for the time-being. I kept it up and called my mom and dad to come over to look at it and play with LMW.

We were playing outside and Dad said, "Something just fell in the house and broke." I thought, "Oh, the wreath fell but it couldn't have broken. It's styrofoam protected by yarn." I looked inside and sure enough, it was in the floor broken in three places.

Talk about heart-broken. I haven't had the gumption to tape it up/glue it back together and re-wrap it. I don't know if my heart can take it.

Oil and Water

2011-10-25T06:33:00.000-07:00

Here is the finished redo of an old table. It's the first of many projects I mentioned in an earlier post.

The process was a bit aggravating, because of operator error, but I started out sanding and filling in cracks in the old lady.

It originally had a glass top, but when we bought it second hand, the glass was missing. My husband just put a piece of plywood in it and we used it that way for umpteen years.

Next I primed it with just an average water based white primer. It had been in the garage for a while, and was a little globby, but seemed to smooth out as I worked. So far, so good.

Our local Walmart didn't have the color of paint I wanted without having to get it mixed, and that gets pricey, so I headed 30+ miles away to the nearest Home Depot. Found a lovely oil rubbed bronze color that I wanted to try. I didn't know if it would look right on a piece of furniture like this, but was willing to experiment.

Got home, set everything up and opened the can...I ~~didn't pay attention~~ bought the wrong type of paint! That's right, oil based. Grumble grumble. Well, let me see how this will play out. Can you use oil based over water based??

Stirred the paint and it was thick as MO-Lasses. I had a bit of paint thinner, and added that, but it really didn't help much. The more I painted, the thicker it got. It was labeled "Fast Drying" but it took a whole day and night to dry enough to see how it was going to look. I was wailing and pulling on my hair by this time.

I seem to always have issues when I try to paint something. I just don't understand this!!

Next day, I checked on it, and other than smelling to high heaven, it looked better than I'd hoped. But it needed another coat. I had to run to the local wally world this time and get some mineral spirits. Poured it into a bowl with a bit of paint and the process was much easier.

I decided I wanted to high light the scroll work, so I took out a can of rusty brown spray paint, sprayed it on a rag, and dabbed it on the raised part. Hmmmm, that looks ok thinks me. Added a coat of what was supposed to be "satin" poly, and wound up with a shiney shiney thing. Oh well.

It's done, it looks nice, I like it and it will still hold up for another generation....I hope. :)

Before:

After:

Note and question: I edited the photos to rub out the cord to the lamp. Anyone have any good ideas for camouflaging an ugly cord where it's in plain sight?

The First Ornament

2011-10-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

I finished the first ornament of the 2011 Christmas season. I learned that I painted the face a little too large, and maybe made the fur on his hat a little too wide, but other than that, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. It wasn't too difficult either.

Actually, I did create another ornament, but it's for the ornament exchange and I don't want to reveal it just yet.
Soooo, it begins....HO! HO! HO!

Construction Junction

2011-10-20T06:03:00.000-07:00

There's a song going on in my head now from "Schoolhouse Rock"...
Conjunction Junction, what's your function?......
That will be an earworm all day, I can see that now. *grin*

Here is the latest NICU quilt. Nothing intricate or involved.

I found a throw at our local "Spirit of Sharing" facility. (Goodwill type place) It seemed to be in pretty good shape, almost new, so I purchased it for a couple of bucks and washed it well. I thought it would be a fast, easy top for a quilt, since I wanted one more done before I delivered to St. Vincent's. I added the border to enlarge it, since it wasn't as big as I wanted, and then quilted it to some more fleece.

I learned that fleece on fleece can wind up just a tad wonky. But, I'm not worried about it since it's not terribly noticeable. And I'm sure if it were me receiving it, I wouldn't care how wonky it was. I hope and pray it blesses the child and parents who receive it.

Weekend Work 10-17-11

2011-10-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

I finished a NICU quilt and I'm happier with it than with any I've done before.

I think it was a combination of things. Blue and green are my favorite colors, I tried something new with the bow ties...

And my new machine is working like a dream. (After I've figured out more things about it.)
So, this one is my favorite so far.

I also began working on some furniture painting and lamp reconfiguring. It's been a frustrating process that I'll tell you about in a later post. In the meantime, here are some of the items I have plans to upgrade. Can anyone say U G L Y?

Lamp rejected from my Mom's home.

Beaten and bruised.

My first attempt as making a plain bench into a seat. Epic fail.

At least it matches the truck here...

We've had this table ever since my children were little. It just needs a facelift and it'll be good as new! It's still sturdy and usable and I don't want to trash it.

My, I didn't realize how much work I had ahead of me until I posted all the photos! Fortunately, the two tables are close to being done, and I have a good plan for the lamp. The chair will be a major undertaking. It belonged to my grandmother. I really would like most of this done by Thanksgiving, so wish me luck!

A ME Day

2011-10-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

On the advice of dear Mr. BLine, I took a ME day today. That means I didn't do any "need to do" jobs, and only ones I wanted to do. I've been in the sewing room all day. What joy!! I started out with this...

And completed the top.

I tweaked a pattern I found online, and again (unintentionally) I failed to note the url. If you know where it is, please tell me so I can give credit to the creator. I have a hard time following a pattern, so I normally draw it out on graph paper and figure things out in my head. That's what I did here, and scatter brained me, measured wrong. So, my blocks are smaller than intended, and I had to add a bit of sashing to the sides. But, it's a happy little quilt and will be my next NICU gift.

You see this book?

I've had it since 1994. Yes, it's gone through that many Christmases and has stood the test of time. There is something on the front of it I want to try. I'm not telling you what. Heh Heh! You'll see... well, if it turns out like I want. *grin*

Weekend Work 10-01-11

2011-10-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

Here are two or three things I'm working on this weekend.

In case you couldn't tell, this is a table runner. I have all the leaves machine appliqued and need to do some decorative stitching and bind it. It's laying on a quilt I have just begun to quilt. I was going to do it all by hand, but decided to try the sewing machine, since I have a newer, better machine.

I'm going to take. my. time. with it and do only a bit at each sitting. I'm hoping that will alleviate mistakes and frustration.

These two shots are for a Christmas ornament exchange I've joined. I won't show you what I have so far, because I don't want the recipient to get any ideas....

I'm having a productive and joyful day. Woo Hoo!

Weekend Work

2011-09-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

Pond Life.

This quilt taught me to go s l o w e r while adding the binding. One more to go and I will deliver to the NICU at St. Vincent's Infirmary in Little Rock.

My First Yarn Wreath

2011-09-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

Yarn wreaths are all the rage these days so I just had to try my hand at one. Because I live in a small town, I have had the hardest time finding wreath forms. I was able to go to Hobby Lobby one day after a doctor's appointment in North Little Rock so I convinced the husband to let me stop and see what I could find. I picked up a styrofoam form as well as a very large vine wreath that was 50% off. I picked out some felt, since our Walmart only carries variety packs and I needed some specific colors. They also had patterned felt and I got some in houndstooth (I've ALWAYS loved houndstooth) and black and white damask.

I already had the grey yarn that I got for $2.33 at Walmart. So, I went to work wrapping--it took me a LONG time because I'm a perfectionist and it took awhile to get into the groove. I don't think it will take me as long the next time. If you're interested in a tutorial, just hang out on Pinterest for 5 minutes and you'll see one. If you don't have Pinterest (what are you waiting for? Go!), this is probably the best tutorial I've seen, although it uses a straw wreath wrapped in plastic as the form.

Here are some felt rosettes and ruffles I made whilst watching TV last weekend...


I made these sitting on the couch a week ago before I even had the wreath form.


I also made a peony with a variety of felt using yoonie-at-home's tutorial

Finished product. Took me probably 4 hours total which includes wrapping, creating the flowers, and getting it put together (I didn't do it all at once). I still need some sort of ribbon to hang it, but it's for a friend, whom I hope doesn't read this blog! and I'll get added before I give it to her. And like I said earlier, once I've done this a few times, it probably won't take quite as long but that will depend on the size of the wreath.

grey yarn wreath with black, grey, red, and white accents

And the cost was CHEAP:

12" Styrofoam beveled wreath form: $3.59 with 40% off coupon (originally $5.99)
Red Heart Super Saver Yarn in Light Grey: $2.33 for a full skein and I only used about half
Various sheets of felt: 25-50 cents a sheet (I used two full sheets and small pieces of four others)
Pearlized pins: around $2 for a box (you can use as many or as few as you like) or you can just hot glue the flowers to the yarn
---
Less than $10 for everything!

Tee Shirt Quilt Finish

2011-09-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a painful post. Why? Because I have realized, yet again, that I am not perfect. There. I said it. My pride has a way of getting in the way of my best intentions. This quilt is a case in point.

These are some things I learned while sewing this quilt. Some of them were just simple ignorance, some just being boneheaded, and some being in a hurry when I should have taken my time.

1. Do NOT use one color thread for the top stitching and a different color for the back. (Boneheaded me.) It didn't work that well. Especially since my new sewing machine was having a problem with the tension.

2. I'm not good at the starting and stopping. There's always an unfinished look to the ends. Someone tell me the best way to do that. (Simple ignorance)

3. I should use fusible webbing to the back of tee shirt fabric. (Simple ignorance) I didn't realize I should do that until I was half way done with the top. I should have ripped it all out and started again, but the (Being in a hurry) shook its head and I carried on. I did hand baste them all together first though. So that did help some with the stretching.

4. Don't put a monogram on the backing until it's quilted. (This would be a toss up.) I can't for the life of me get the backing to come out as straight as the top, so the monogram I put on the back was very slanted. Not to mention the quilting lines went through it.

I wound up ripping it off, and making another one. This time I put it on a separate piece and hand appliqued the entire square on the back corner.
Some of you seasoned quilters might give me a little suggestion on how to get the backing straighter or keep it straighter. I took a lot of time trying to position it, but still had issues.

So, the bottom line is...

Since I rushed it, didn't use webbing, had machine issues, and my pride got the best of me, I wound up with a quilt that from a distance looks pretty good. But some of the corner pieces are a bit off, there are a few tucks, some of the seams aren't exactly straight and some of the top colored thread shows on the back side in places. I agonized over this, but had to accept that I'm human, I make mistakes, and every quilt teaches me another lesson. (Or lessons)

One Accomplishment

2011-09-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

I finished the repainting of my flag. It was really pretty easy.

To answer Sand and Sunshine's question, I used regular acrylic craft paint, and we'll see how well it holds up. I sprayed it liberally with clear Krylon indoor/outdoor finish to help seal it.

I only painted one side, but anyone driving up to the house will see the good side. And this is the side I can watch waving in the wind, while I sit and rock LMW or do handwork in my living room. I'm so glad to have this done, and start my fall decorating.

Weekend WIP

2011-09-17T06:28:00.000-07:00

This is a flag that has faded with two years of fall display. I'm in the process of repainting it, so it will be nice and fallish.

You can see how faded the unpainted parts are on the bottom section in this photo. I hope to have it finished by Monday.

Next is the tee shirt quilt I've been trying to get finished. I have all the "quilting" part done around the edges. As you can probably see, I also have some seam ripping to do, taking out some misdirected lines. I was getting used to my new machine.

I'm going to begin taking those pesky lines out, and try to get the edges ready for binding.

There are other projects calling my name, but I will turn a deaf ear until these two are done.

It's the weekend, and I'm just gonna sit here and relax!

Long Time, No Craft

2011-09-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

Well, hello there! *waves*

I'm B's daughter and I used to post more on here (before I had a rowdy little boy). I'm finally starting to make some time for simple craft and sewing projects so I would like to share the most recent with you. They aren't really anything special, but I'm trying to get back in the groove.

No-Sew Fleece: Cozy Ruffled Blanket

I've had this fabric since I was pregnant, over 16 months ago...

I had time to finally work on this a few weeks ago in the hospital waiting room (my hubby had surgery).

The preparation took longer than it took to tie all the knots.

The boy loves it. As soon as he saw it, he grabbed and hugged it. I actually used flannel instead of fleece and I think it turned out nicely although the tags frayed quite a bit after I washed it. I believe I used 1.5 yards for each fabric (don't hold me that, it was almost a year and a half ago when I purchased it) and it was pretty inexpensive. The size is perfect for a toddler, bigger than infant blankets but not as large as an adult-size.

I also painted the bottom of some of his socks because we have hardwoods and summer is almost over. We live in the south and he's gone barefoot most of the summer, but recently his feet have been really cold. I bought some new socks and had some "puffy" paint. However, when I painted on the soles, it was the consistency of slick paint rather than puff paint. Oh, well. It does it's job--keeping him from slipping and hitting his head. Of course, he did plenty of that on his own today, socks or no socks. He's just clumsy!

I also did a stick-figure cat (not shown). I know you're jealous of my artistic skillz.

Here's my list of crafts I want to tackle as I have time. Note the Oreo smudges on the pages by a special little culprit.

The Week's Work

2011-09-03T06:37:00.000-07:00

Considering this week has been wild, I was able to finish two things.

No. 1: A NICU quilt. I dubbed it, "Round Squares".

It was inspired by this quilt. I don't remember where I found it, but if you know, please tell me so I can give proper credit. I do know it was called Appliqued Bubbles.

No. 2: I actually completed an item of clothing for myself.

After over ten years of not sewing anything to wear, I took the plunge. It's not all that, and was a little larger than I needed, but it helped me gain confidence again, and I know I can tweak it a bit to make it much nicer and fit better. The fabric isn't the nicest, nor is it what I would have chosen, but it was the only thing in my stash larger enough for this particular pattern. And I didn't want to ruin a good piece of fabric if it didn't work. This fabric was some of what my mother left in her monumental stash. Her legacy has allowed me to create a great many items for gifts and NICU. Thanks Mom. *grin*

I was considering going on hiatus with this blog. My daughter started it, but since LMW arrived, she does well to get the dishes washed, much less do anything crafty, so it's been all me for a very long time. I began thinking that I would just post all my crafty stuff on BLines and let this one go. That was until I saw how many views this blog gets. The new blogger layout is pretty informative. So, I will continue to post my crafty things here and more personal things on BLines. Thank you all for your support. Even if you lurk and don't comment. *wink*

Weekend WIPs

2011-08-27T05:45:00.000-07:00

I probably won't get much done on any of these this weekend. It's Mr. BLines' birthday tomorrow, and I will be busy cleaning and cooking all day today. Tomorrow will be church and visiting with family. Next week, I'll be loving on LMW more days than usual, since his Dad will have hip replacement surgery Tuesday. In the meantime, these things are patiently waiting for me....

Andy needs hair.

My mother made Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls for her grandchildren and even left some for her great grandchildren. Unfortunately, they didn't have hair. So, Andy waits on me to give him his. I'm getting there Andy. I can only do one or two rows before the pain in my hands make me have to stop. Annie sits by with a smirk on her face. She already has all her hair. Nanny Nanny Boo Boo!!

Next, I need to add a strip around these squares before I move on to the quilt as you go method of working on this particular quilt.

I did this with little squares. Should have done the strip method but it didn't work for me for some reason. Operator error caused me to have to rip the strips apart, and I just wound up cutting all these two and a half by two and a half squares and putting them all together. I don't know if I'll ever do that again....but I might.

NICU quilting phase.

I finally got around to sandwiching this NICU quilt and am almost done with this part. Hopefully I'll find time to finish it and get to the binding part sometime this next week.

In the planning stages....

I drew this from a photo I took of the beach on my vacation in Orange Beach. I need to get it enlarged, so that I can begin working on it as an art quilt. It will be my first one.

So many things I want to do....I'll get them done... Eventually.

Kittehs Finished

2011-08-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

I finally stitched all around the kittehs and bound the quilt.

I am pretty happy at how it turned out. I only used three fabrics, and that's a first for me. I normally like to use at least four or five.

Somehow, I just felt using more would have taken away from the fun of the kitten fabric. All this yellow and green puts me in the mind of John Deere, but a baby won't know that. LOL.

I'm sandwiching another NICU quilt today, and am in the process of cutting out a third. This one will go into the canvas bag I carry them to St. Vincent's. I hope to have five or six if not more done by the middle or end of September.

Hey Hey Hey, Pets on Quilts Parade!

2011-08-19T05:36:00.000-07:00

There is a really cool thing going on right now. It's called Pets on Quilts Show and those who want to participate can link to their pet inspired quilts. There is a button on the right you can click to take you there.

I'm not finished with my Kitty Quilt for the NICU, but thought I'd post it, so I can add my link. There are lots of cool prizes for anyone who leaves a comment. Quilter or no.

For those who are late to the party, I've been making baby quilts for the St. Vincent's Infirmary NICU. I found this fabric on clearance at Hancock's for $.50 a yard. I couldn't believe there was an entire roll no one had bought. When I got home with it, I pondered exactly how I wanted to use it, and decided to do kitten silhouettes on the solid pieces. The alternating squares in the nine patch are from napkins I bought at our local Goodwill type facility.

The little friends on the quilt are hand made by myself, when my son was very small. He never really played with them much, but my grandson LMW, loves them. They really wanted to check out the kittehs so I had to snap their photo before they ran back to the ark.

I still have hand stitching to do around three of the kitties, and bind it. The back is the same kitty fabric as the silhouettes. If you want to view more Pets on Quilts, follow the links. And thanks for reading our blog!

A UFOFF

2011-08-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

Finally finished one UFO. One down, a zillion to go...

200

2011-08-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

Finally reached 200 posts on The Seam Rippers. *grin* And it seems like I have 200 UFOs looking me in the face, every time I walk into my sewing area. Here are a few...

Working on a pillow that must be done by Sunday for a shower gift. And the plaque that goes along with it needs some tweaking.

A Christmas gift project...shhhhh.

A NICU quilt.

I was able to get the burp cloth and bib that matches finished.

A new top for myself. I don't normally have good luck sewing clothes for myself because they never fit right. I'm using some older fabric in my stash to try it out this pattern the first time. Keeping my fingers crossed...

There are many other things in that room that need attention. These are just at the top of the list. This multi-tasking thing I have going on doesn't seem to be getting me anywhere. *frown*

WIP Weekend

2011-08-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

Here are three things I hope to work on this weekend.

A NICU quilt.

The tee shirt quilt.

An experiment with fabric, wood and modge podge.

I'd sure like to get these things further along. Here's hoping for a productive weekend!

The Race is On

2011-08-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

I made this quilt, bib, and burp cloth for my dear friend's daughter. Elissa and her premature little Michael Able Hunzicker. I couldn't post it until they received it because I didn't want them to see it.

They are NASCAR fans, if you couldn't tell...

I really enjoyed making this. Hopefully the little boy will come home soon and be able to enjoy it. I used flannel for batting for the first time. Not sure if I like it yet, but it sure was easy to quilt.

WIP Wednesday

2011-07-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

This isn't the only thing I'm working on, but the other main project is for someone who reads my blog and I don't want her to see it yet.

So far, so good. All seamed up. Now the hard part begins.....*wink*

Sunday Score

2011-07-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

The old man and I took a trip to Hot Springs today. After eating at Red Lobster, (my very favorite restaurant on the face of the planet) he agreed to let me check in Hancock's for some upholstery fabric and a quilting hoop.

Oh My Stars and Glory!!!!!!!!!! They were having a humongous sale. I could have spent hundreds of $$$ but managed to keep it under $40. They had two tables full of fabric for $1 and $.50. Be still my heart.

I held myself to under $10 on the fabric, but got several yards of these lovely prints for future projects.

I adore the chickens and the kitties!

Not to mention the frogs and lady bugs. It's going to be so much fun sewing quilts with these.

The poor little lady cutting my fabric told us she had been working eight days straight. And you could tell by her wilted spirit. She was probably twenty years older than me, and I know I couldn't stand on my feet cutting fabric and going back in forth on a concrete floor eight hours a day for eight days. Poor little thing. And she said she had two more days to go. I hope she makes it without falling.

Their upholstery fabric was on sale for half price, and SR and I searched and discussed different options for my dining room chair seats. They need recovering very badly and I'm anxious to get that done. This photo is the pattern, but not the true colors.

The background is more of a gray tan, and the red is a deeper, richer red. Not maroon, just a more saturated red. It's not what I thought I wanted, and SR was going to go with whatever I chose, but we both liked this so this is what I came out with. We are both happy campers.

I did find my quilting hoop, and can now do a better job of hand quilting when it's called for. I just had to share my luck! Have a great week everyone!!

B

At Long Last

2011-07-21T18:14:00.000-07:00

After months of working on this, I finally finished it yesterday.

The reasons it took so long was because I not only kept putting other projects in front of it, but I had to mostly use whatever I could find in my stash. So, it's a hodge podge of networking, especially on the back. I may tweak it a bit but if I don't get around to it, I'll still be ok with it.

I really kinda made it up as I went. I knew I wanted the side panels with these blocks, but just added ideas as I went and found fabric. It was sort of a quilt as you go thing too.

Now, if I can just get a couple more throw pillows and my walls painted, I may just have a completely re-done room.

Blast From the Past

2011-07-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

I refinished a plain brown chest of drawers about 12 or so years ago. I didn't realize it would stand up to the years or styles all this time.

It resides in SR's "Man Cave" room with his ancient television and dish box. I did a similar version of one for LeLe and she has since then repainted it in her own current style.

If I had it to do again, I don't know if I would add the embellishment. I used a stencil to just draw off the pattern, then free handed it. I didn't want it to have a stenciled look.

Since we had no dish network, nor cable, I got the idea from a painting magazine. Those were my only source of inspiration then. I even used an antique glaze and left most of it in the crevices.

I've thought about repainting it, but I really kinda still like it. SR isn't crazy about it, since it's not really a "Man Cave" look, but I think it will stay as it is for a while longer.

Update on Elissa

2011-07-14T19:56:00.001-07:00

Elissa is at Phoebe Putney Memorial in Albany (Georgia)
According to the doctor, she is not dilated and her cervix is still thick. (Praise the Lord!)
It seems 48 hours is the magic number. If she doesn't go into labor in that time they have a good chance of keeping the baby in the womb and letting him keep growing and developing his lungs.

Her emotional state is much better today. She's close to home with both families around her. Both sets of the father's grandparents live in Albany. Best hospital in south Georgia for this type of thing. God is still taking care of her and the baby.

Debbie writes:
Thank everyone for the prayers! I know they're being answered! I don't think Elissa's emotional state is as fragile now, but prayers to keep her faith up are much appreciated!

Thank you so very much for helping me pray for this family. Please continue until the baby is safe!
And oh yeah....comments on my blogs from "Y" are from Debbie. *wink*

Request

2011-07-14T05:38:00.000-07:00

Dear friends, I have a prayer request. I also posted on B Lines.

My dear friend Debbie's daughter Elissa is in the hospital trying desperately to hold on to her unborn baby boy. She is only about 26 weeks and her water broke last night. This is the young woman I've spoken of in the past, who overcame abdominal cancer and losing an unborn baby as well as a husband. (to divorce) She is now happily remarried and expecting their little boy. Please help me pray the child is able to stay in the womb long enough to survive when he's born.

Thank you for your past prayers and for this one as well.
God is good and is still in control.
B

"Side"

2011-07-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

Quick post....

Lately, LMW's favorite word is "side" meaning outside. (His favorite place to be.) Unfortunately, the overwhelming heat prohibits very much "side" time.

I use this stool to climb into bed at night. My bed is pretty high and I'm pretty short. *grin*

I painted it last week to match the new decor I'm adding to my bedroom and LMW noticed it the other day.
He touched the brown flowers and said....

"SIDE!" Hmmm, I guess he realizes flowers grow outside. What else could it mean?

Calling All Crafters!!!

2011-07-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

Ok ladies...(and any men out there who lurk) I have a creative block on this one. This is a photo of a metal "star" my father-in-law gave me.

He found it somewhere and thought I might want to paint it. Which translated is..."I'd like you to paint this." And I don't want to let him down. Only problem is, I have no idea what to do with it. Black? Colorful and fun? Dark brown with a little gold highlight? What? What? What? I'm lost.

My brother thinks it's fine like it is....all rusty looking. Hmmmm. What do you think? Somehow, I don't think FIL would be in agreement.

This is my latest "sit in front of the tv not really watching, while the husband watches the history and outdoor channels" project. It was started by my cousin's grandmother.

She pieced the circles, but didn't fill them in or put them together before she passed. He asked me to finish it for him and I'm doing it all by hand, to make sure I don't screw it up and it's taking a while. But, it's worth it I think. I'm anxious to get it finished for him. I've had it for a long time. I've never sewn a quilt like this, so any tips are coveted. I still have a lot to put together before I can even think of quilting it.

Time For Another One

2011-07-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

Please excuse the run-on wording in places. My comma key has mysteriously died. But the good news is I finished another NICU quilt and plan to deliver them this Thursday. I'm both looking forward to it and am a little nervous about it. That's just the way I am.

Everything I used was from my stash with the exception of the batting.

I bought a yard of fleece to use at the backing and decided to use it as batting instead. Worked ok but nothing to write home about. It was easy to applique the shapes onto but too thin to use as backing.

So I reached in my fabric cabinet and pulled out something that was in my mother's stash when she passed. I love knowing her fabrics are going to help someone this way.

And here is the latest LMW video. I call it..."Grinning Defiance"...

3rd and Paint

2011-06-29T05:20:00.000-07:00

3rd

I finally finished the third NICU quilt. I started it before the last one, and didn't have the supplies to finish it, but had supplies to finish the 4th one.

It's a printed panel fabric, and I chose it because I thought it would be simpler and quicker. Funny how it took longer than the others to finally get it all together.

Instead of using a separate binding, I just wrapped the backing around to the front. That part was easier than regular binding.

And it was a quilt as you go thing. I had to separate some of the panels, because I didn't like some of them. That is why the backing is not a solid piece. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out though.

Paint

My mother-in-law gave me an antique frame quite some time ago. She's been waiting for me to put something in it. She watches David Bromstadt sometimes and saw how he just slaps the paint on a board and it comes out unbelievable. She keeps telling me "You can do that!" I don't know about that, but I did give it a good try.

First I just framed some fabric wrapped around a thin piece of luan board, but it really needed something more, and she was expecting paint. So, I took a 1/4 inch plywood board SR cut for me and painted on it.

Notice the little bird in the tree?

I've painted a lot of triptychs lately with trees, and decided I wanted a tree. I used Modge Podge and brown paint to age it some and then SR helped me secure it to the luan with screws from the back.

At first I really wanted the blue to be a lot darker than the fabric, but after getting it all together, I'm liking that it's just about the same hue. All in all, I'm pretty pleased at how it turned out, and I'm sure my mother-in-law will be too. (She was already excited that I'd put the fabric in it.)

Friday Finish And The Next Big Thing

2011-06-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

In honor of the cows, I went with a black and white polka dot binding. I'm lovin' it! I added the bib and burp cloth in case they are needed and if there aren't enough quilts on hand in the NICU, these can fill in.

I like the white fleece backing too. I'm of the opinion that more color would have taken away from the aqua and red. Quilting with just the fleece was really easy. Not quite the same as traditional batting and backing, but fun all the same.

So, the next big thing has to do with this tub.......can you guess what?

That's right. A tee shirt quilt for a friend's son. This thing is packed full of tees and sweats.

We will have to do a little selective purging here. Too many for one quilt. I'll keep you posted.

Workspace Issues

2011-06-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have a problem and wonder if any of you out there do too. Or if any of you have any suggestions. (There will be no photo of this problem because it's too ugly to view.)

My sewing machine is in our guest bedroom. Our house is very small, and that is the only place I can leave it set up all the time. The room is carpeted. *insert unhappy face*

I clean and clean the carpet, but it's never completely free of fabric fibers, thread, and pins (OUCH!). If I don't clean it after every sewing session, it builds up until I wind up on my hands and knees picking things out of the carpet. This is very frustrating, because I don't want to spend valuable sewing time, picking the carpet.

Do any of you have the same issue? Or any thoughts on how I can manage this? I can't afford to replace the carpet with anything flat and smooth. I just finished a hand and knee session and thought I'd throw this out there to you smart folks and see what comes back.

WIP

2011-06-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

No, it's not Wednesday, but I wanted to go ahead and post these photos anyway.

I'm all done with the next NICU quilt except for a border. I need supplies before I can add that.

Quilting as you go is soooo much easier to quilt. But it is a little more time consuming due to the handwork involved. I have a love/hate relationship with it.

This is the next NICU quilt. It's going to be a bit easier, because I've decided I need to get myself in high gear. I've chosen to use fleece as the backing and not use batting. I've done this before, and it's much easier for me.

A lady at a yard sale was giving away these aqua napkins. They had never been used and I decided to use them for a baby quilt, because they are so easy, and the color is good for either a girl or boy. I realized the animal print had the same color in the horses, so I thought it was a nice contrast to the aqua all in all.

I just appliqued the squares in different patterns and I had the top all finished except the outside border in about an hour and a half. I will probably use white fleece, but I'm going to see what's available at the local Walmart and then make a decision.

Two Finishes!

2011-06-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

Phew!!! I'm so glad I finally finished the Irish Chain.....

Because I failed to purchase enough of the original fabric, I had to add and patch and do all sorts of acrobatic feats to get it in shape to actually put on the bed.

Someday, my grandchildren will look at it, turn it over and see the backing and say that I inherited "Grandaddy Gene's" gift of improvising. He was known far and wide for taking ANYTHING he found and making something with it. He once made a storage house completely of discarded shower doors. What a man!!

My second finish is the second NICU quilt. It's blue and brown, but I hope a girl can use it as well.

There are small errors on this quilt as well, but none of us are perfect. And I hope and pray the child that receives it, is comforted by it's soft colors and feel.

I used a charm pack of Lily and Will's II in blue. Well, half a charm pack, because the other half was yellow.

I'm relieved to have those two projects finished and out of the way.

I now only have one thing going at present. I wish I could finish it before we leave on Sunday, but I don't see that happening.

Still, it's all good. :)

Goals For the Coming Week

2011-06-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

I am scheduled to leave the house at 5:00 a.m. Sunday on my way to meet Sister #1 for our vacation in Orange Beach. So, I want to finish up some projects that have plagued me for weeks. I don't want to come back to them, and it will give me less stress knowing they are finished and I can move on to other things.

1. The Irish Chain Quilt. Bet you thought that was finished didn't you? Well, I never finished binding the edges. So, I've been working on it today and will try to finish it Tuesday. I have a class reunion this weekend and will not have the time to work on it.

2. The second NICU quilt. Just need to finish the binding on that one as well.

3. Get as far as possible on NICU quilt #3. It shouldn't be that much to deal with, since I'm using a block that's printed. All I have to do is quilt it.

Poor little kitty has a string on his tail.

I'm quilting "as I go", and it seems to be a lot less stressful. I think I need to just do them this way all the time. Especially since my sewing machine doesn't like the big projects, and a new machine is not possible.

Someone asked if I would be interested in donations for this ministry and I am. At first I wanted it all to myself (this was my baby, my idea and I think deep down, I wanted to feel a little glory), then I was convicted that it was selfish and God's work is not about ME, it's about HIM and those little ones who need a touch of His love. So, if any of you want to provide a quilt for this, I would be delighted to take them. As a matter of fact, it would make it a little easier to gather together at least eight by the end of June. That is the average number of babies in the NICU at any given time.

The other goals I have are housework related. I hate to leave the house unless it's relatively clean. And since SR is not going, I'd like to leave it nice for him.

From Dresser to Desk ---The Hard Way

2011-05-31T18:08:00.000-07:00

I inherited this dresser from my Mom. I had been thinking about buying a dresser to repurpose into a desk, and use the mirror for a trendy bathroom piece. This was just the thing.

I failed to take a photo of the before, but this is pretty much how it looked. Except up close you could see the 30+ years of hairspray built up on it. Here is the mirror unattached.

I used some household cleaner and tried to scrap the hairspray off. Fail. So, I used some mineral spirits and scraped and sanded.

Tried staining it after that. Fail. It was gummy, tacky, pretty much yucky.

So, enter the paint stripper and more scraping, more sanding. I was about to get upset folks. But, I kept going and finally got it to a point where I thought I could paint the the thing. And paint it I did. FIVE coats of white paint. Two of which were primer, but the stain color still bled through. I just kept plugging away until I didn't see any brown (actually it looked pink) show through. I put one light coat of dark walnut stain on the top, then two coats of poly.

After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, the paint and the poly dried and I was able to bring it inside the house from the garage. I set up my computer beside it, put the monitor on top and found a chair more befitting the lovely, than the black leather desk chair. But, something just wasn't right......

So, I added a cushion to the chair, and a pleated piece of fabric to the knee well to cover all the cords. Voila!! My new computer desk/workstation. The only thing missing now, is a nice desk lamp and some wall art. That will be my next project.

Before

After

We're Ok!

2011-05-26T08:56:00.001-07:00

There was a very sweet blogger who checked on me today. We live in Arkansas and tornadoes were all around us yesterday, and she wanted to make sure I was ok. They missed us completely thank the good Lord.

Thanks for checking on me Donna!!

WIP and Finish Wednesday

2011-05-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Worked all afternoon yesterday on stripping this thing. I'm afraid there may still be places with a little gunk, but I intend to so a little light sanding and try the paint tomorrow.

All the curves and indentions in this thing are where the gunk lives. I've scraped it so hard in some places, I've taken wood away. So, I'm going to go for it with white paint on the bottom and try to stain the top again. If there are some dark places where the paint doesn't stick, I think it just may add some character. And if I can ever get to the paint store, I intend to get some glaze to antique it anyway.

And then last night, I finished this baby quilt I'm starting my ministry with. I'll tell you about it tomorrow.

I just pulled the backing up and over for the binding. Sure made it easy.

If I'm not commenting on all my May For Me partners, it's because I'm trying to stay off the computer more and do more constructive things. I know I'm missing some good posts, but I'll catch up girls. I can't stay away long or I go into withdrawal.

Trashy Work

2011-05-12T12:11:00.000-07:00

Since I am redecorating my bedroom and bathroom in aqua, white and brown, my red, green and pink Calla Lily theme just doesn't fit in. So, I needed a new trash can for my bathroom. This is what I had...

A little worse for the wear, but I just loved it. Everytime I would go into the bathroom, I would just look at the beautiful lilies. But, it had to go, as bad as I hated it. So, here's what I did. First I spray painted it flat white.

Then I took good old Modge Podge and coated the entire thing, and wrapped fabric around it. I also coated the fabric with the MP. I was afraid it wouldn't stick, but it did. The inside was a mess from years of abuse, and I painted it out with dark aqua.

To cover up the beaten up top, I braided jute, and hot glued it on. Voila!! I have a brand new trash bin. But, it's not going in the bathroom, because I don't want it to be abused again. It will be for my computer desk and will only hold discarded papers. No wet wipes and no hair spray residual...

Dresser Fail

2011-05-12T05:12:00.000-07:00

I spent hours sanding and scraping this dresser I inherited from my Mom, and I thought all I'd have to do was clean it up. I want to use it as a computer desk, so I can replace the huge armoire I thing I use now. When I started cleaning, I found about 30 or 40 years of hairspray built up on it. In trying to remove that, I realized it was removing the varnish too.

So, I scraped and sanded, scraped and sanded until I was exhausted and sore. I thought I had it all taken care of, and proceeded to stain....

You see those shiny places? Well, that's where I still didn't get all the varnish off, and those places are tacky and gunky. Curses! Foiled again! I started scraping them again, and realized it was just too monumental a task to not use some kind of heavy remover. So, to Walmart I go today to buy paint remover.

My original thoughts were to leave it all stained, without a varnish or poly. Now, I'm thinking since I've got to remove every bit of everything, I might as well paint it. Stay tuned as I figure out exactly what I will do. I REALLY wanted to have it done by the weekend, but looks like the weekend will be spent working on it instead.

WIP/Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

We Have a Winner

2011-05-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

This morning LMW chose the winner of the fat quarter giveaway.

This is the prize.

LMW took his job as chooser very seriously.

And the name he drew out of the bowl is

SHARON PERNES!!!

Sharon said:

"Happy birthday!
I love the fabric, I am doing a quilt-a-long in these colors."

Congratulations Sharon!! Email me with your mailing information and I'll get the fabric out to you as soon as possible!

Thanks to everyone who entered and made my very first giveaway so fun!!!

While the Gettin' Is Good

2011-05-06T09:57:00.000-07:00

I'm here for the moment, "while the gettin' is good" as we say in the south. My monitor is a little hit and miss at present and could go out on me at any time. I promise I will fulfill the giveaway if I do lose it.

Now, I will show you how much I've done on the Irish Chain "Modification" Quilt, as I think of it.

As you may can tell, I added fabric in strips to the top part, giving me enough to fold under and over the pillows. Then I appliqued the squares I had left to one of the strips. I like how it turned out.

All I have left to do, is to add a border, to lengthen the sides and bottom just a bit. I've got it laid on top of the quilt in this photo, to show me how much I need to add. I'll be very glad when it's finished, but it won't get done until after the party this weekend. I'm not going to stress over it any longer.

For a little fun and destressing yesterday, I put these two little items together.

They will go toward my new ministry idea. I will share what I'm planning in a post a little later on. It's one of my May For Me projects.

A Birthday And a Giveaway

2011-05-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

It's my grandson's first birthday! Where has the time gone?

LMW received a new wagon. You think he likes it? There's video on B Lines if you want to check that out.

He and I discussed it, and we decided in honor of his first birthday, we would have a first giveaway. Since Memorial Day and Independence Day are coming up, we'd give away some red and blue fat quarters from Nanna's stash.

There are seven fat quarters but two of them are the same. The blue with stars isn't quite 18 x 22, so we added a whole 'nother one to the stack.

The birthday boy and I are hoping you can use it for something fun and patriotic and all you have to do is leave a comment. Remember to leave me an email address if you have that no-reply thingy or don't have a blog.

I'll announce a winner on Monday, May 9th. Good luck!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE MAN WIN!!!

Finish and Frustration

2011-05-03T05:17:00.000-07:00

I finally finished my Lily's Quilt's Little Big George QAL. It's really been done for a while, but I made it into a sham and had to find the time to make the pillow to go inside. Crazy.

It will now sit on my bed. *happy face*

As soon as LMW's big day is over, I plan to finish the quilt for this bed. So much to do and so little time.

And I've been frustrated with the Irish Chain. It started out so easy. And it really was until I accidentally put the quilt as you go squares together a little wrong. I didn't keep referring to my diagram and put too many rows across and that left me missing five squares. I had no choice but to take off the extra three, but ~~I brainstormed~~ God gave me some ideas.

The part that will fold over the pillows is all its own design. And I was able to put the extra squares to use. I'm glad of that, but every time I think I have it whipped, I see a blaring error and have to get out my trusty seam ripper.

I think I'm almost at the stage now where I can put on the last of the sashing around the edges. Oh please let it be so. I really want to finish this before the party on Saturday. It was because I wanted it to be pretty on the bed. Now, I just want to have the stress of it over by then....

Blue Birds

2011-04-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

Ohh, if ever I really wanted to win a giveaway, it is now.

I love blue.

I love birds.

I love blue birds.

I love this giveaway.

Check out Jackie's Art Quilts for her 5, count'em FIVE fat quarter giveaway.....

Oh, and I forgot and posted my progress on the Irish Chain on B_Lines instead of here. So, here's a twofer.

Friday Finish

2011-04-29T05:10:00.000-07:00

I've been working on LMW's birthday outfit for a couple of weeks. It wasn't hard, it was just finding time, and having all the supplies I needed. I finally finished it last night.

Dr. Seuss, you are going to have a great party with LMW on the 7th!!! Luckily I found the perfect shirt in the perfect color! There was only one in his size, so God answered that prayer!!

Now we are ready to party down!!

WIP Wednesday

2011-04-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

Sneak peek. Almost done with the pillow.

And the next project about to begin...

As you can tell, LMW is excited about it.

QAL Almost finished

2011-04-17T18:29:00.000-07:00

Well actually, as far as the QAL, (Quilt a Long) it is finished. Sort of. But I still have to do something with the pieces I put together with the tutorial. Here are the pieces in order of the steps.

Four each of these sections.

This is just one of the sets placed in a circle.

Can you tell what it's going to look like yet?

Then you add these to those.

And then you add some square fabric.

But what about that circle in the middle you ask...

You fill it in with something pretty. Now, I have to figure out how I want to finish it off, before I make a pillow out of it. I have an idea or two... stay tuned.
P.S. Don't look too close. I agonized over getting everything perfectly perfect, but alas I am not and I have to live with that. :P I think I did a fairly decent job considering I've never done points before. Don't know if I'll ever do them again either.... *wink*

Thursday Three

2011-04-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

Without further adieu, here are my latest projects....Finished and unfinished.

1. LMW's wedding outfit. GLAD that's finished. It was hard!

2. Recovered stool and fabric I added to store bought curtains. Slowly and surely the new bedroom decor is happening. I guess the last thing to get done will be the paint, but that's ok.

3. The pieces I've done with the paper piecing tutorial I'm following. Man! It's tricky, but fun!

I Must Have Lost My Mind...

2011-04-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

Because I'm doing a quilt-a-long thing with...

I have not delved into paper piecing, but I just couldn't resist when she offered to make it "sew" simple. But, the timing is not great with a wedding, a big yard sale planned, and a first birthday party for LMW in the works all for the next 3 weeks. Where will I find the time???

I will make time, because I really want to make this quilt block.

It's very ambitious, but if I can make just one block out of scraps, I can use it on a pillow for my bed. That's what I plan anyway. I've finished the first lesson and I think I did pretty well, but I'm afraid it will get harder as it goes. I may have to pester Lily a bit. I will try to post some photos of the work as it goes, but I have to find my camera cable, or buy a new one.

I have finished adding fabric to the curtains I bought for the bedroom. So I am making slow progress in the new bedroom decor department. I'll have to settle for slow, because there just isn't enough time in the day or week these days.

A Decision

2011-04-03T06:44:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to figure out how to quilt inside the wide spaces of the Irish Chain. After discussing it with LeLe, I decided on leaf shapes.

You can't really see it well on the top side, because the thread is such a neutral color, it blends into the fabric.

This was the plan in the beginning, and I like it that way. It hides mistakes.

The reasoning behind the leaf pattern is threefold. One, it would hard (for me anyway) to quilt in a really straight line across barren wilderness such as a large block. So, I decided against a square, or an X across the entire block. The second reason is because this quilt is for SR and he is a tree person. The woods are his favorite place to be on earth.

I absolutely love the way the back is looking, and that is the third reason. I wanted the back to look pretty too. Not just a back on a pretty quilt top.

It's taking me a long time to get this quilt finished, but it's because I have several other irons in the fire. One being a suit/romper for LMW to wear to J and K's wedding. Stay tuned, and I will post any progress as it happens.

The Eleventh Bunny

2011-03-31T17:27:00.000-07:00

Pictures of LMW modeling Bunny 11 will follow shortly. Monday, if all goes as planned.

WIP Wednesday

2011-03-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

I've begun quilting the sections of the Irish Chain. This is a view of one front and one back.

Just straight line quilting. Nothing fancy, but I do plan to make Xs by hand in the large squares, when I get the sections put together. (I think. I may change my mind and do something else.) Don't expect perfectly straight lines....you won't see any.

I've also cut out the "Tuxedo" romper I'm making for LMW to wear to J and K's wedding. I sure hope it's as easy to put together as the pattern looks....

The little romper will be all black, with an eggplant colored tie.

Time to get started sewing......

WIP Wednesday

2011-03-16T04:59:00.000-07:00

The Irish Chain quilt is coming along nicely.

Pretty simple, really, if a little tedious. But that's the thing about quilting, sometimes it's repetition, repetition and then, all of a sudden you see something beautiful.

Framed Jewelry

2011-03-11T03:32:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I am very tired of knotted and twisted necklaces in my jewelry box. There had to be a better way. So, I used antique drawers from an old sewing cabinet and made hangers. They worked pretty well, but didn't hold all my jewelry...most of it I seldom wear but just can't bear to part with it...

Then I saw a wonderful idea on another blog. I thought I saved it, but alas, I cannot find it. The blogger took an old elaborate frame, inserted a wood piece covered in fabric, added cup hooks to hang the jewelry on. So cool!

So, this is what I started with. Not so elaborate, but fancy enough. And you use what you have, right?

Enter board and cool fabric. I found it at Wally World of course, but I really love it. Add one can of Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint and....

cup hooks in strategic places. VOILA! Functional Art.

Before

After

If you come across the blogger who was the master mind of this, please let me know so I can give her credit for the idea.

WIP Wednesday

2011-03-09T07:24:00.000-08:00

Squares all cut out for SR's Irish Chain quilt. A fairly easy quilt to assemble....so they tell me. So far, so good.

The start of a Pinwheel coverlet for the master bed.

A little more done and still a little more....

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

The idea came from Moda Bake Shop. I just put my own spin on it.

A Finish And a WIP

2011-02-24T07:54:00.000-08:00

I finally finished J and K's quilt. I did a lot of "Seam Ripping" with it, because I am ocd about some things. If it's the best I can do, I don't worry. If I know I can do better, out it comes and a redo takes place.

I basted the thing by hand, then tried quilting on the machine. Since I didn't have a walking foot, it just didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. Gotta get me one of those. So, out those stitches came and the handwork began.

I didn't use those little tiny quilting stitches that sort of disappear. I used bold red embroidery thread. I love how that shows up. I made the binding larger than normal so the back would have a lot of contrast. And I love how the piecing on the back turned out. But....I don't think I want to do that again.

I'm glad it's finished and I hope my future daughter-in-law will enjoy it.

Now, the WIP....

This is for a little baby girl about to be born. Her bedroom is brown and pink polka dots.

I'm going to use fleece for the backing instead of a regular batting and fabric. It will be very soft and easy to carry. I got this idea from another blogger and when I find where I saved it, I'll give credit where its due.

Screen Play

2011-02-16T03:18:00.000-08:00

This pie safe is one I remember being on my grandparents' back porch when I was a child. It was in pretty bad shape, painted an awful pinkish gray, and crammed full of odds and ends my grandfather might need some day.

It went to my mother sometime around my grandmother's passing, and my father took it, and refurbished it. He stripped it, shored it up with pieces of lumber and trim, and refinished it adding the new screen. It's a good solid piece of furniture, even with all the dings and scratches from years of being in my mother's kitchen. It came to me after her passing.

I needed a pantry, and the pie safe seemed to be the perfect solution. But, as you can see, the foodstuffs inside were not very attractive.

I decided to add fabric to the openings, but couldn't decide what fabric to use. I have a huge stash now, since I got the bulk of what Mom had, but just couldn't decide until.....

I loved this at first sight, but knew it wouldn't work for quilts or clothing. It might have made some nice pillows, but there really wasn't enough of it, and frankly, I was afraid the wear and tear on it would be hard to prevent. It seemed the perfect solution to my problem.

I measured and cut, measured and cut, and used my trusty staple gun to attach it to the inside of the cabinet.

Now I am totally in love with it! And if I ever decide to change the fabric, all it will take is a flat head screw driver and a small pair of pliers to remove it.

Before After

Quick Fill In

2011-02-15T11:33:00.000-08:00

Just to fill time and space, here is a short project I completed in about 30 minutes yesterday.

This was a pot my Mom had in her storage room.

Now, this green could be really cool if touched up, but I wanted something different. So, this is what I did...

This pot has been outside in the weather for years. I never threw it away because I knew I'd need it some day.

Same can of paint, different outcome....It was older, more beat up and made of different material.

Looks a little rustic but that's ok. For the price of a can of paint, I have two new flower pots and pretty things in the house. Let's just hope I can keep the plants in them looking healthy.

(Disregard the dirt around the pots I tried to clean up with no success.)

WIP on a Snowy Wednesday

2011-02-09T09:21:00.000-08:00

As I keep saying, I'm still working on the quilt for J and K. I'll be sooo glad when it's finished.

I think one problem is that I am ocd about my work.

I know it won't be perfect, and there are countless flaws, but I can't stand to leave the obvious ones.
Another issue is that I refuse to do the norm. I think I have to get all fancy smancy with it. But, that's the 'funnest' part.

This is my next project.....

Well, back to work......

The Number 9

2011-01-28T16:49:00.000-08:00

This post is brought to you by the number 9....

On February 4th, LMW will be 9 months old....WOW!

Free Stash

2011-01-25T19:25:00.000-08:00

I posted on B.Lines about going through my Mom's things last weekend. I felt like I won the fabric lottery when we cleaned out her laundry/storage area. Three huge containers of fabric was stored in there. I've spent the last two days washing it all and folding it up so I can put it all in my fabric cabinet. (An old wardrobe that belonged to my great aunt.

Here is a photo of most of it.

The first piece I grabbed was my favorite of all. I think it's just adorable and I hope I can figure out exactly what to use it in, and what to put with it to show it off to its potential.

I don't know why it moves me but it does.

I'm working on bedding for the master bedroom, but it's a slow process as I have other things going too. Hopefully, I'll have something regarding that to post soon. And I am about to make a sandwich of J and K's quilt top and backing. Wish me luck!

WIP Wednesday

2011-01-18T19:44:00.000-08:00

Ok, so here is the quilt top with sashing added.

It's a bit busier than I planned, but quilts seem to develop a life of their own sometimes. This one surely did. I didn't even get the squares in the order I had planned. And I was not going to rip them all out and do them over.

It occurs to me that the squares with the red circles look a bit like olives....I may have to add something there...

I'm now working on the back. The fabric I purchase for it is quite a bit darker than I wanted, but I think it will work anyway. I'm also doing some pinwheel blocks to add to the backing. I've never done them before and am enjoying the process.

Opinions Please

2011-01-15T08:53:00.000-08:00

For a while now, I've been contemplating redecorating my bedroom and adjoining bath. The color I chose to paint the walls is a light aqua blue green. I will use a lot of white, and some brown to go along with is. I'm not above throwing in an odd color here or there such as dark red or black.

My bathroom floor is the original builders vinyl, and it still looks pretty good. Not much wear and tear on it at all, and when it's clean....*cough*... it looks almost new. The base is white and it looks a bit like marble with pale blue veins and a bit of mottling.

I bought a shower curtain from Walmart.....

So, my question is...do I go with brown, light aqua, or tan floor mats? I'm not crazy about white, because it will show dirt so easily, (as will the aqua I think.) I'm really leaning toward brown because on that white floor, they will really pop. I'm going to purchase an over the toilet shelving unit and it will allow me to take the awful cheap cabinet out. I'm embarrassed to even show it, so I won't.

I would LOVE to paint the vanity cabinet, but fear the hubs will put the nix on that. He's not really fond of painting over wood grain, even when it's not that attractive. I might convince him though if I really want to paint it. It's lightly stained so it has a golden oak hue to it.

It would look so nice dark brown. Again, what do you think? I don't want to paint it white since the vanity top, baseboard and trim and any shelving is white. That's just too much. You can see a little of the floor here if you look hard enough. I could always stain it darker, but that would mean a lot of work and mess. Don't think I want to go quite that far.

I think I know what you all will say, but let's get a show of hands just for fun, shall we? And for more fun, I'll show you fabric I purchased the other day to start on the bedding. They will be accents in a mostly white quilt.

I can barely wait, but I still have other quilts to work on right now. So much to do, so little time.

Oh Look!!

2011-01-13T11:57:00.000-08:00

There is a slideshow on The Prudent Baby blog and my candy cane ornaments made the cut! I'm all excited, even if I don't win. Makes me want to create more salt dough ornaments!!

WIP Wednesday

2011-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

This quilt is for my son and his fiance. I started working on it before Mom became so ill, but had to put it on hold for a little while. I'm back to it, and am anxious to get it finished.

You know, sometimes you have a picture in your head of how a quilt will look, and when you finally get all the squares made, it's totally different. That's ok, it's what the Lord wanted it to be, so how can you be unhappy with that?

I am on a deadline, so I didn't get a chance to wait for fabric until I could get to Hobby Lobby or Joann's. I had to make due with what was in the local Walmart. I do think the squares are quite unique and pretty anyway. Even SR likes the colors and he's pretty particular.

The sashing will be a different green from what is in the squares, and since that was the only green I liked at Walmart, I'll have to make a trip to another store post haste. There will be a long rectangle, as you can see in the photo, with their names appliqued. That particular piece is not even close to finished.

Displaying it on a dark floor doesn't really show it off very well, but when the sashing is added, it will make a big difference. I'm looking forward to finishing it in time for a bridal shower in the first week of February. Wish me luck!!

**Addendum

Today, I finished the wide rectangle with their names and date of the wedding. Thought I'd add that to the post....I'm pretty pumped about how it turned out. Can't wait to add the sashing to everything!!

I Love You

2011-01-11T07:23:00.000-08:00

My mother was an accomplished seamstress. I remember when I was in the first grade, she was known throughout the area for alterations. And I'm talking ball gowns and suits. She made so many of my clothes growing up, and I wish I had some of them. Unfortunately, by the time they were handed down to my three sisters, there was nothing left of them.

Enter grandchildren.... Mom started making Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls about 30 years ago. She tried to make one for each grandchild, but it was hit or miss sometimes. She made LeLe an "Annie" doll and it was awesome! Her workmanship is a rare thing in this world, and all the dolls she made have lasted over all the rough treatment a child can give.

This Christmas, she intended to make dolls for each of her three great-grandchildren. She finished two of them before she became too ill to sew. The one left, was for LMW, and she managed to get the body finished, and the clothes cut out. That was enough for me to take over.

As we watched and waited on my Mom to pass, there were times when I just had to take a break, and so I finished the hair before she passed. I didn't think I could finish the clothes without some kind of instructions.

After really looking at them, I believe I can, and will give it my best. It's important to LeLe and LMW. And just as much to me. Mom left a few things for each of us, but this one thing for him was hand made with love. And she left him a note....

Just a Note

2011-01-08T21:31:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted anything new due to the serious illness and death of my Mother. There has been no time for projects or posting, but I hope to get back to it soon. It's a new year, with new ideas and inspirations.

Until I can actually get something finished....

Happy Creating!!!

Quick Project

2010-12-29T09:03:00.000-08:00

LMW will be 8 months old on the 4th of January. Where does the time go? I find myself agonizing over his progress, because I want him to stay a baby. He's just growing up too too fast. But, each little thing he learns and adds to his activity is exciting to watch.

In honor of his next monthly birthday, here is the latest number shirt. He even watched me sew it. (while sitting in his walker, pulling out drawers in the dresser)

It was a rush job, as I have another very involved project going, but it turned out ok.

Bird Canvases

2010-12-26T20:05:00.000-08:00

Now that Christmas is over, I can also post the canvas project I finished a while back. It was a gift for LeLe, so I had to wait until after Christmas to share.

These two canvases were inspired by this fabric.

The process went something like this....

Using simple acrylic craft paint, I first coated the two canvases with a combination of yellow and white. I wanted a streaked effect so I started with yellow, then while it was still wet, added some white to the brush and wiped it up and down on the yellow. A sponge brush works best for this.

Next I sketched out the design using a watercolor pencil. This makes it extremely easy to "undo" a line or mark, and the paint dissolves into the acrylic paint, and doesn't show in the finished painting. I normally sketch by hand, and not by tracing or using a template and that makes it my least favorite, but most important part of the process.

I placed the canvases side by side, to make sure I was continuing the sketch in the correct place on both sides. Then began filling in with the first layer of color.

Adding the next layer of color, I again made sure the design carried over to the second canvas in the correct place, and was the correct size to look as though it was the same branch.

The final layer was added, and was made a bit darker than the design on the fabric as requested by LeLe.

I enjoyed painting these canvases, and already have an idea in my head for another one when I can find a bit of time to actually create it.

The Reveal

2010-12-26T15:27:00.000-08:00

Since all gifts have been opened, I can finally show you the quilt I made for LMW. It's been hard not to post it, but I wanted it to be a surprise for LeLe. And it was... :P

I found coloring pages on the web, and used those as templates for the objects in the squares. I wanted to do something a little more elaborate, but decided on something a little simpler for now. In the future, I may take my time and do something more upscale, but for now, I'm happy with it.

The backing is a simple print that I thought worked well with the green binding. The binding is the same fabric as the sashing, because I wanted more green than it eventually wound up with.

I did straight line quilting on the machine, and went around the pictures with embroidery floss by hand. I hope he will enjoy it, and remember his Nanna in the years ahead, when he looks at it. It was a true labor of love, one I enjoyed every second of.

Merry Christmas Little Man Win.

P.S. LMW and parents....getting their quilt on.....

Small Christmas Post

2010-12-02T13:26:00.000-08:00

It's not a picture in a magazine by any stretch of the imagination, but it will do. I wanted all that neat stuff you stick in the top and the wide ribbon to go around it, but the money was better spend on presents I'm pleased with the ornaments I made, and the tree is small anyway, so all that designer stuff might wear it down.

You know, if it wasn't for the Christmas shops, and HGTV, I'd probably be really happy with this tree. Compared to what I've done in years past, it looks pretty good.

Christmas Candy Ornament

2010-11-28T08:50:00.000-08:00

In keeping with my new obsession, I've made another peppermint candy ornament. This one was much less time consuming and much easier. It was also larger so it will show up on the tree very well.

You will need:

White tissue paper
Peppermint striped scrapbook paper
Thin red and white ribbon
Glue
Scissors
Styrofoam disks

First, you will cut your tissue paper into a rectangle that will cover the disk,
(I used two layers of tissue paper.) Then, cut your scrapbook paper in the size of your disk.

Fold one short side of your tissue paper over the center of the disk and glue.

Then fold the other side over and glue.

Pinch and twist the ends to resemble the ends of the actual candy.

Tie red ribbon around the twisted parts to hold them, then glue the scrapbook paper to the disk, making sure to add a white ribbon loop to the back for hanging. You could use fabric as well as paper and you could print out a picture of an actual peppermint candy disk to use. The stripes here aren't exactly what one looks like, but it works well enough.

And ~~Wha Lah~~ VOILA!! You have larger peppermint candies on the tree.

Peppermint Christmas

2010-11-20T13:39:00.000-08:00

As I stated in my last post, I fell in love with the peppermint tree at our local Christmas shop. I decided to try my hand at salt dough ornaments again. When the children were small, I did some, and they turned out pretty well, but they didn't stand the test of time.

This time I decided to do all I could to make them hardy enough to last a while.
I started with a basic salt dough recipe you can find easily online. And I rolled out the dough in strips for the candy canes, wrapping two around each other then shaping them into a cane. The others I rolled flat, and learned that I really need to poke little holes in the dough before cooking, so they will stay flat and not rise in the middle. I didn't think AP flour would do that, but I was wrong.

Here we have three candy canes, two wrapped peppermints and two peppermint snowmen. You can pretty much tell by the shapes. I inserted floral wire in the tops to hang them. I baked them until they were hard as rocks. About 2 hours or more in a slow oven.

When they were cooled, I began the painting process. I have to say, I got a little worried when the plain acrylic craft paint made them smell as if they were not well done. But when the paint dried, all were fine. To make sure they last, I coated them with oil based polyurethane. It also made them super shiny.

I really enjoyed this crafting project, and will probably do a few more as soon as Thanksgiving is over. Not much time for crafting till then. I would like to make them larger, but fear the weight of them would bend the tree branches too much, not to mention the cooking time involved. I don't know if the center would get done before the outside burned. I may give it a try though.

No Projects to Post

2010-11-14T10:26:00.000-08:00

Right now, I don't have any project pictures to post. Most of what I'm working on is for Christmas and we wouldn't want to let the cat out of the bag, now would we?

I do have to say that yesterday LeLe, my future daughter-in-law K, and I went to a Christmas shop in town. OH. MY. WORD. We were drooling more than LMW when we left that place. And it got my creative juices flowing fully. I want to make everything in there. Problems 1: the local Walmart has NOTHING to use. Problem 2: Some of the items we saw, I just don't know how in the world I could make them. So, I have to do some figuring and thinking. And probably take a trip to Hobby Lobby for supplies and inspiration. Gee, I just hate that.... :D

This place has a different Christmas tree everywhere you look. Green ones, pink ones, teal ones, white ones, harlequin ones, peppermint ones....I can't even
list all they had.

K liked the peacock tree,

LeLe liked the owl and harlequin tree,

and I liked the peppermint tree.

It will really be challenging to figure out if I can actually make anything comparable to the ornaments on those trees. And the cost of the ribbons and fru fru things would be astronomical. So, this will probably be a very long process. But, I always need a goal....

Fabric Tuesday

2010-11-09T06:15:00.000-08:00

It's time for Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story!!! I actually have something new to add there. Run on over and take a look at all the cool fabric creations!

And One More

2010-11-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

The white long sleeved onesies came in a package of three...so here's the third one.

I used the same technique as the yellow shirt. I'm really digging the color too.

I can hardly believe these shirts were 6-12 month, and they fit! He's getting too big. I can't stand it.

Two New Shirts

2010-11-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

LMW is outgrowing all his clothes, so Nanna bought him some new ones. I also bought three white long sleeved onesies to decorate. Can't resist doing that.

The first one I did was a simple tie dye job. As you can see, he's pretty pumped about it.

The second one was a bit more involved. I filled a spray bottle with water and acrylic craft paint, and sprayed the shirt. I like the way it is darker in spots and lighter in others. But I couldn't let it go at just that....so I added some fall leaves.

I spent a little time adding some detail on the leaves, simply by stitching a regular running stitch on the sewing machine. I'm happy with how it turned out.