THE PIECEMAKER

The Finished Project

2011-07-05T22:20:00.000-07:00

I know this is hard to see, but I finally finished this project that my sisters and I have been working on for about a year. It's my first Lori Holt pattern, one of many that I have, and it was sure fun to do. We adapted some of the blocks to be more personal for our family, which made the quilt even more special. I am glad that I solicited my sisters' help in this, but feel that I could tackle a whole quilt by myself next time...at least I will know what to expect! We presented it to mom and dad for their 59th Wedding Anniversary over 4th of July weekend at the cabin. They were pretty touched. Life is good...

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2011-05-30T18:13:00.001-07:00

I've been so busy sewing lately that I haven't taken the time to blog my projects. Nothing fancy...just fun little things that I have been working on to beautify my home. Here's a longer version of a pattern I have for a table runner. Our kitchen table is pretty long, so this is perfect for it. I have decided that Nancy Halvorsen is my favorite fabric designer...I LOVE all of her lines of fabric, especially her Christmas ones. This is her "Garden Song" line, which makes a lovely spring table runner! (easy quilting on this one...)
This is a Nancy Halvorsen pattern, but the fabric is the "Tranquility" line. I have had this top, bottom, and batting pinned together for months...I don't know what I have been waiting for, but I finally got this to my "go to" quilter, Pat, for her to do an "all over" on it. I LOVE this piece of yumminess! (and it hangs right in my living room over my chair so that I can always see it)

Same pattern...different line of fabric. Nancy's "Cedar Mill Road" charm pack. I love that I can make a nice sized table topper with just one charm pack! Will not have a hard time finding a home for this one either...

I've had this Schnibbles top done for months too, but finally put a back to it and got it off to Pat's for quilting. I love the colors of this line of fabric - "Nature's Chorus" by April Cornell. Another Spring-y wallhanging.

And this little gem I put together in about an hour. My housework was done, it's Memorial Day (so no school) and I had time to spare before fixing dinner for the family. So I gathered my leftover charm squares from my "Glace" line, and whipped this 16-patch topper up in no time!

I even had some "Portabello Market" strips leftover from a strip quilt that I had started probably 2 years ago. I love how designer's lines of fabric go with each other!

I'd say it was a pretty productive day!

FINALLY Back On My Machine

2011-04-23T09:27:00.001-07:00

Another fun, easy project to get my juices flowing again...this fun 24" square tabletopper that needed a back, quilting, and binding. I did an easy and fast quilting job on this while it's low and slow around here because of Spring Break (love those mornings when you don't have to set the alarm!) so I finally got to get back into the sewing room. The binding is sewn on and just waiting to be stitch down...but I'm holding off on THAT because this is heading to Arizona with me when my new grandbaby comes this week. (you know...on those nights when the baby is soundly asleep and her two toddlers went down without a fuss!) It just might come back undone, after all. Love these quick projects...unlike my husband, who wants a REAL quilt, one for cuddling up with. Whatever...

And this project is all done and just waiting for me and my sisters to put together. So they are tacked on the wall board and waiting for June to show up, when I take my "annual" trip to Payson (I've only been there once, last June, but I'm saying that this is just going to have to become an annual thing) to visit my sisters who are working on this with me. I changed the "Bingo" block to "playing cards", as we are not really Bingo players, but HUGE card players, these cards belonging to our favorite family game "Make-A-Million." We can't wait to present this to mom and dad in July!

This is blurry...but it's the best I could get out of my cheap camera. Just an idea of the work involved...

Hard at Work

2011-03-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

I've been getting a move-on with some of the projects I have looming ahead of me. This project has a deadline attached so it's at the top of the list. I have till July to get this quilt done for my parents, who will be celebrating their 59th anniversary. These have been such fun blocks to do. I have decided that I LOVE to applique, especially when either listening to scriptures on CD, or some music. I try to work on the latest block at least once a day. Sometimes I have a good day and can work on more than one, like Sunday. Hope that my sisters are working hard on their blocks too...

One BIG Present Down...

2010-12-14T06:21:00.000-08:00

I've been working on this for a few weeks as a Christmas present. I won't say anymore on the subject, because I don't want to let the "cat out of the bag". Love the warm colors, love the easy pattern, love who gets this quilt!

Latest Projects

2010-10-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

This is a sneak peek at the latest quilt I am working on. For those of you who are family members, no fair telling, as this is a surprise anniversary present for grandma and grandpa Packard next July. Two of my sisters have taken different blocks to work on also. The pattern is Lori Holt's Reunion quilt. We have personalized it to fit our family with a four wheeler, projects, and our own deck of Make-A-Million cards! It will be so fun to see the finished product. The center block of the quilt is this family tree, complete with names on the leaves. They will be more noticable after I stitch the names on...

These may be hard to see, but these are the fabrics I am contibuting for the "I Spy" quilt swap that my daughter is heading up. She made one of these quilts herself a while back, and I loved the idea so much that I wanted to be in on her swap. The finished product will look like this.

It was so fun finding these fabrics. I usually don't look for these kind of prints for my sewing, unless I am making a quilt for my grandkids - which is exactly what this quilt will be for. (Although adults would probably love playing "I SPY" with it too!)

I'll be back when I get the rest of the squares for the entire quilt. Yay!

Another One Done!

2010-09-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

I found this cute pillow pattern in Utah when I was visiting my sisters in June. I originally had bought it to make a pillow for my mother, who fits this sentiment to a "t". She will eventually get one, but THIS one is for a family girlfriend who is having her first baby in a few days. She got a bunch of wonderful little girl baby clothes for her soon-to-be arrival, but I wanted to do something a little different, maybe something more for HER...so this is for her. Congratulations Britney!

My New Project

2010-08-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been working...AND working on these aprons. I am involved in a "swap" with 14 other ladies to get this quilt done. I am making 14 of these apron blocks by September 1st, when we will all get together and swap blocks, each coming away with 14 different aprons. This pattern calls for turn-under applique, which I love, and has been so fun. It will be REAL fun to get 13 other aprons at the end of the month! Here's a block in progress...
My stack of finished blocks. I have 4 more to go then my 14 will be done. At the end of the cherry stems on the pockets go "cherry" buttons. I have decided to leave them off and let the ladies choose their own buttons. We were also advised to use "vintage" fabrics on these. I am happy to say that I only had to get 2 pieces of fabric that I didn't already have. Yay for me!

Sorry this picture didn't turn out. I tried to get a clear one about 5 times. To no avail...

We used one of Lori Holt's cute patterns. I love her stuff. You can check out her site here. My next project will be her "Reunion" pattern for a fun family surprise! Got to finish this one in time though first...

Christmas in Ju...June!

2010-06-08T17:25:00.000-07:00

I'm getting the itch to get working on something again, and this time the season has come calling. Not the season we're in...it's too hot to even want to do anything. So I had to put on my winter thoughts and think "cold" (or even "cool") to start this lovely project. It's a wallhanging from the creative mind of Nancy Halvorsen of Art to Heart fame called "Joy To The World." I love this pattern and have wanted to make it for quite a while. This is the sneak preview of it, as I still have to do the blanket stitching and detail work on it. Hope to get it done after this weekend. Actually, before Christmas. Too much going on...

In Remembrance...

2010-06-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

A year ago next week, we lost two girls in our valley to a horrible car accident. These were girls that we knew very well, and we are still close to their families. We live in a very small community where everyone waves to each other on the street, knows a lot about everyone, and meets at the post office to get their mail. (We are so small that we have PO boxes at the post office). With the year mark coming up on these families, I decided to do something for the siblings of these two girls. I thought nothing would be greater than a homemade gift, so I put my thinking cap on and came up with these. I have to give my daughter credit for this cute idea of personalizing these pillowcases. You can check out her creative blog here. On the back of each pillowcase, each sibling is the sister's "favorite". This has been one of those "labor of love" projects...again.

Quilt for a Cause

2010-03-11T19:30:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, my third daughter is legally blind. She is 26 years old, a wife and mother of two little boys, and is on a mission to get treatment for her vision. After years of wearing glasses (which didn't help) and seeing eye doctors, she has finally been diagnosed with a birth defect - Optive Nerve Hypoplasia, or ONH. A birth defect usually means that there is no cure for the condition, but with the help of the internet, and some persistance, she has come across a site that offers help. Long story short, we are raising money to send her to China, where she will stay in a hospital for 40 days and receive injections of umbilical cord blood stem cells that will start renewing her vision. To us it is a miracle, an answer to prayer, and the only positive approach to "fixing her eyes." So... on to this quilt. As part of our fundraising, this quilt, made by me, will be raffled off at our first major event. It was made with an "American Primer" jelly roll and some extra yardage. I love this pattern so much that this is the 2nd quilt I have made using it. If you are interested in our daughter, you can click on the button on the right.

Here's to seeing the light at the end of the tunnel...

One forgotten and One in the works...

2010-02-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

This last month I had to tell myself that I couldn't even look at my sewing machine because of a huge commitment that I had been involved in. Well, that is over and done with (and was a success, I might add) so now back to my machine, which is back from the dealer and running like a dream. I decided that my stash of charm packs was taking over my sewing room, so settled on this quick, one day project that finished up rather cute. I love these little gems hanging over the back of a chair, which is where they end up finding themselves. So here is the forgotten one...
and the one in progress. This little quickie used one of my honeybuns. This pattern is "Times Square" and ends up looking pretty spring-y in the "Swanky" fabrics. I just need to quilt this and bind it. I'm still trying to decide which overall quilting pattern I want to do on it. I know that I don't really want to do a stitch-in-the-ditch on it. That would take too much time and I want to get onto that next project. I have lost time to catch up on!

A New Twist...

2010-01-01T14:41:00.000-08:00

It's always hard to come up with a gift for someone that seems to have everything, or could get anything themselves. I have one of those best friends, so naturally I usually end up needing to make something homemade for her, which is what I would rather do anyway. Thanks to Gail Pan and her Christmas block of the month this last year, I was able to come up with the perfect gift. I decided to take the "Christmas" out of the wallhanging and make it something that could hang all year long. I also used colors that would suit the feel of my friend's home. Rich, earthy, wonderful colors...
I also had to change two of the words in the blocks. Instead of using "merry" and "noel", I used the words "laugh" and "home", which work perfectly in the block.

Another project done, just in time for my new machine to head back to the shop. I think it is either going on stike after all of that sewing for Christmas, or it is actually possessed. It has been running on it's own - without the peddle foot or me doing anything. I'm afraid to turn it on for fear that it will work on a project without me! That's no fun for me...

Revealed Secrets...

2009-12-29T10:16:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year, I made a lap quilt for each of my girls, 5 in all. They were all different, from different fabrics, and kind of specialized just for them. Kira's, on the left, is made from "Gypsy Rose" and worked up pretty quickly. Michaela has been eyeing my "Aviary" charm packs for months and has always wanted a pinwheel quilt, so that is what she got. Tibi, on the right, got a cute, funky quilt from the "Objects of Desire" line. My son, Landon, is thrown in there just for fun! He got a rag quilt last year for Christmas.

The two girls in Arizona got their quilts when we got there on Christmas night. Lexie's was done in "Hello Betty" and Connie's was done in "Spring Magic" by April Cornell. Connie's quilt took the longest to make because I used the Confetti Cake pattern. Lots of fun, but very time consuming. I had so much fun doing these quilts, not necessarily because of the piecing and quilting, which I LOVE, but because they were going to the most important girls in my life. There's just something about making something for someone you love. It's giving part of yourself.

The girls have been using their quilts ever since they opened them up. They cuddle, sleep, and canoodle with their quilts, which is why they were made. I told them that they could do anything with them and not have to hang them or not use them. It was definitely a labor a great love for me.

I also did my very first stippling job on my new Janome machine since I bought it. I was very nervous about doing this, as this is Lexie's tabletopper I have been promising her for months. I was busy trying to get all of the quilts done for Christmas, so this ended up taking a back seat for a while. I gave it to her unwashed and dried so that she could decide herself whether to do that or not. I actually think it turned out okay. It definitely takes practice, practice, practice!

Bad Habits

2009-11-13T15:42:00.000-08:00

Okay all you quilters, sew-ers, and all around creators. I was rummaging through one of my quilting magazines the other day, and came across a cute column of confessions. So I am going to throw this out to you also. What is your worst habit when it comes to your creating? What is the most unconventional thing you do, even though you know what you should be doing? Is is starting too many projects at once? Or not finishing a project before moving on to the next? Maybe it's forgetting that you have a family. Well, here goes my confession - I have a real bad habit of putting pins in my mouth instead of in my magnetic bowl. That stupid bowl is just too far away from my machine, even though I can reach it - with both hands! I have been known to have 15 pins in my mouth, letting just one go when I need it without losing all of the rest. I would call that talent - but I'm sure others call it a bad habit. I also have this insatiable urge to have my little 1/4 cup full of semi-sweet chocolate chips right next to my machine, just to nibble on while I'm buzzing away. I think I even have a rhythm down with that one. "sew, then snack, sew, then snack..." You get it. You'd think that just getting to sew and quilt would give me all the endorphins I need. Evidently not. So what's your hang up? Maybe you're not ready to confess. After all, when we confess, we are acknowledging that we actually have a problem. Who wants that?!

A Finished Project...

2009-10-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

I finally finished my "Christmas Wish" block-0f-the-month project that I have been working on for the last nine months. I have looked forward to each new pattern and can't believe that it is finally done. The colors are different than most Christmas quilts, but I really like the end product. What can I say.....I'm a rebel sometimes. Not often, but sometimes.

Here's a close up of one of the blocks. I have enjoyed doing the embroidery on this project the most.

One Happy Woman!

2009-09-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

Let me just say that I LOVE my new machine. Who knew that sewing could be better than it already was....ME! Here is a look at a tabletopper that has been waiting patiently for me to finish. I decided to quilt around each square for an easygoing look. It's also reversable, which to me is "killing two birds with one stone," so to speak...

So far my favorite feature on this machine is the fact that I can wind a new bobbin without unthreading my machine. WOOHOO! I know that may sound dumb to most of you, but it is a new luxury for me. Be back soon with the second tabletopper I made from the same charm pack of Cotton Blossoms... isn't life great?!

My New Toy!!

2009-09-11T11:30:00.000-07:00

I have been paying on my new Janome sewing machine since May and I finally went to Vegas and picked it up yesterday. The ladies gave me a free lesson on what it does and let me practice some fun stuff too. This has been a long time coming, as my other machine is older than half of my kids! I promise to post more often, now that I can get some projects done that have been patiently waiting for this nice, new tool...

Another One of These...

2009-08-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

Got another table topper "top" done yesterday. The kids were gone, the husband was gone, and I was looking around the house for things to do, which is pretty sad. I figured I'd better get started on another project. This one is for my daughter and will end up on a black kitchen table. Should look pretty cool on black, I think. I used a tradition line of "Collections for a Cause" and just need to back and bind. The sashing and border is actually done in a tan color, but it didn't show up very good in the photo. Off to the next thing...

I LOVE Doing These...

2009-07-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

I love coming up with ingenious wedding gifts, not the boring towels or pots and pans. Ever since my two daughters started making these magnet boards, I have fallen in love with them. So I have another opportunity to make one for a young girl who is getting married that I was a youth leader to. The best part of making one of these is buying the paper and coordinating it all. They all turn out so differently. The magnets even match!

(A close-up of the pretty papers and fun magnets)
I have another girl getting married the middle of August, so I'll post that one too. She is getting one herself. It makes a great place to put all of those wedding announcements you get!

Lost Pictures...

2009-07-28T18:49:00.001-07:00

Sorry I've been gone for so long. Between having grandkids all month of June and a quick trip to the beaches of Carlsbad, California where I grew up, it's been pretty crazy, with no time to blog. At least it wasn't my top priority. I looked through my camera disk and found these pictures. I must have forgotten about taking them, because this project has been done for quite a while. I still have to have it quilted, but it's pinned and ready to go. Just a fun tabletopper that was fast and easy... I love those kind.

I love the cream in it. This was done with a "Tranquility" charm pack.
And of course, I am incorporating the scraps into the back. I'll post the finished product when I get it back from the quilter. She's been out of the hot Nevada heat and up to her cabin in the Utah mountains for the last 3 weeks. I have a pile stacking up just waiting for her...

Flannel on the 4th?!

2009-07-04T15:25:00.001-07:00

Well, here it is the 4th of July, one of the hottest days in Nevada, and I finally got my flannel quilt done. I guess I'll be saving it for a few months before we start using it regularly. Actually, the kids just got back from the pool, and there's nothing like cuddling up in a new, soft blanket. I figure that we won't have to wait long after all...
I especially love the back all pieced together. I don't think I will ever use just one piece of fabric for my quilt backs, as long as I have scraps to use. I love how the different fabrics tie everything together. There's also nothing better than washing and drying a new quilt for that soft, snuggly, warm feeling.

Super Saturday!!

2009-05-30T19:51:00.001-07:00

Today I finished my "Be Attitudes" quilt top. I took the advice of my good friend, Sherri, and made the border a scappy one, using all of the border prints that came with the kit. I only want to put one border on the quilt, but they give you four different fabrics to put four borders on. I didn't want it to be too big to put on the wall, so I went with one border in all colors. I am in the process of putting together my quilt back, using a lot of different fabrics again. You know me and not being able to throw away scraps...

I also had the chance to head into Vegas to pick up my youngest daughter and had some free time to check out the sewing machine store that Sherri sent me to. I ended up putting $200 down on this lovely machine, a Janome DC3050, which I will make payments on until the end of August...then it is mine, all mine! Just in time for all of my Christmas projects to get done. Yay me again!!

It's a Start...

2009-05-28T07:33:00.001-07:00

I have been starting to save up for a new sewing machine. The one that I have is about 25 years old, and has been having problems keeping the thread on the hammer (?) of the machine. It has gotten so bad that I cannot use regular thread anymore. The only thread that seems to work, without it coming off, is serger thread. I'm okay with that, but it ends up being a pretty big pain in the neck when your thread is hanging off the back of your machine and you are trying to keep it from getting caught on your work. I am looking at buying any good machine ON SALE, that will do quilting stitches. I have projects sitting here waiting to be stippled, so hopefully in the next few months, I will be able to do them myself and have them ready for Christmas. I would appreciate any suggestions on what machine has worked wonders for you. There are so many to choose from, I wouldn't know where to start. I guess I start with one that is on sale...

Bottled Butter

2009-05-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

My oldest daughter learned from a friend how to bottle butter for shelf storage, so I decided I wanted to learn this for myself. I am not one who wants to be without butter or eggs, so this was a perfect solution. We have our nine laying hens growing up in the backyard and will start giving us eggs in August or September, and now we will have REAL butter on our shelves in case we have a major catastrophe, or even one of our famous "summer thunderstorm power outages." The best part about bottled butter is that is can sit on your shelf for 3-5 years, and it will not melt either. What could be better than that?

Finished Work!

2009-05-23T20:36:00.001-07:00

The husband and kids are up at the family cabin for Memorial Weekend. Mom didn't get to go because of church commitments, chickens to feed, and the garden to keep alive through the heat of Nevada - but no fretting, because it has given me lots of free time to sew and get some things done - and I don't mean laundry. Actually, I did the laundry and house work yesterday, so that I could "play" today. So I high-tailed it on getting ready this morning and started right in on some stitching on my "Be Attitude" blocks, then on to this table runner. I decided to "stitch-in-the-ditch" it myself, and even got the binding on it tonight. It is already gracing my kitchen table. Today I had a chance to go over to Sherri's house and borrow a few patterns. She even gave me a magazine that she didn't have use for. What a true friend! I'll take the day off tomorrow to keep the Sabbath Day holy, then ready or not...here comes Monday!!

Block 5

2009-05-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

It seems that I get later and later in the month before I finish each new block that comes. Not that I am getting tired of doing them...I just get busy with all of the other projects I am working on, or even just trying to keep up with the family's busy schedule of concerts, field trips, and baseball games - not to mention my piano lessons, church assignments, and household chores. My poor little blocks have been getting sent to the back seat before I remember that they have feelings too and want to be complete. A completed block makes ME feel better too, I guess.

FLANNEL - (just in time for a hot, Nevada summer!)

2009-05-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

We've started our women's sewing group project this month and one of the quilt patterns that some of us are using is the "Fields of Flowers" pattern by Pieces From My Heart. I bought a flannel jelly roll of "Timber Creek Flannel" a few weeks ago with the intention of making some kind of quilt with it. I thought that this would be the perfect easy pattern for this cute, cabin-y line of fabric. I love the colors. I told my husband that I was going to make it and take to use at the family cabin. He said "Forget it! It's staying home with us!" What d'you know? He's converting!

A New Background!

2009-05-05T16:59:00.000-07:00

I have to send a shout-out to my niece, Karena, for the brand new custom-made-by-her background. Don't you love it?! She is starting a new home business designing blog backgrounds. If you are interested, check out www.cookienut.blogspot.com - She has a small portfolio that you can look at. I love what she has done with mine. Besides, my older daughters thought that I could do a lot better than the background I had. I agree with them on that one, this one is so much more me!

New Fabric, a Sneak Peek, and a Project

2009-04-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

The post office has been good to me this week. I received my "Hello Betty" layer cake (to match my charm pack) and the "Timber Creek Flannel" yardage to go with my Fields of Flowers quilt that I will be starting next week with the church ladies. The other yardage is from the "Portugal" line, which I LOVE! The first charm packs I ever bought are "Portugal" packs, 3 of them...so this should make a lovely quilt when I figure out which pattern I want to use.

When my daughter saw all of the fabric coming in the mailbox for 3 days in a row, she told me that I couldn't buy any more fabric till I did all of the projects that I had started...I swear I heard her say "You can't use the car until you have cleaned up your room!" Since when does a 21 year old tell her 50 year old mother what to do?! (The worse part of it is that I know she's right!) So, here is a sneak peek, and the only peek at one project I need to finish. I can't show the end result because this is ending up a gift for Christmas. Too bad!

I decided I'd better get a move on with an already purchased fabric and mind my daughter. So, here is a tablerunner that I have planned on making for a while, made out of a lovely "Louise" charm pack. The pattern came off the Moda Bake Shop. I love the way it is turning out. I used my extra fabric strips for the back again. It is pinned and ready to stipple...the only problem is that my sewing machine is 25 years old and doesn't stipple. So I am hoping that my good friend Sherri, will do it for me. Then on to the binding, and a project is done! One down, and about (?) to go!!

Block 4

2009-04-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been away, it has been county fair time and I have had all 6 kids and 5 grandkids home for almost a week. Thus, no blogging, sewing, creating, or anything like unto it! I did get my block 4 done though the day after they all left. THAT I could do. I love the pink fabric with the stitching. By now you know that I am taking a different route with my colors. I hope you like them. Until next time...

My First "Quilted" Quilt!

2009-04-08T21:32:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to introduce you to my very first "quilted" quilt! I have been doing quilts for all of my grandkids when they are born, but they are crib size and hand quilted, which I love to do, but is just different. I picked up my quilt today from the quilt store and just looking at it makes me happy. I love the fabric, love the daisy edge-to-edge on it, and love the fabric incorporated into the back. All I have left to do is bind it, then it becomes the granddaughters' quilt that stays at grandma's house. I have charm packs in "Zippety Doo Dah" to do one for the grandsons. Stay tuned...Yay me!

The Biggest Jelly Roll I've Ever Seen!

2009-03-31T09:13:00.000-07:00

I finally got the binding on my tabletopper and can call it done. Yay for me! I'm glad that I went with the check for the binding, I stewed over it for a long time before settling on it. I need to get faster and better at deciding on fabrics - and this was only the binding. I also got my new Jelly Roll in the mail at an incredible price...I love THAT part, and it is the biggest thing I have seen in a long time, when you're talking fabric. It is the new line of flannel that Moda came out with. Yummy! I am going to make a rail fence quilt with it that my church group is getting ready to work on. Should be soft and toasty just in time for a hot Nevada summer!

Sneak Peak

2009-03-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

Here's the startings of another project. I am borrowing the idea from a tutorial of my good friend. I am excited to get these to come to life, and I am also able to use my "Butterfly Fling" jelly roll that I have had since I began purchasing them months ago. Come back, and watch as it develops. My "Butterfly" quilt is at the quilter's getting an edge-to-edge done on it. Thank you Quilt Hollow, for the suggestion on that one. I am always open to "professionals" helping me out whenever I need a suggestion. I can't wait to get it back and see how it has transformed into a work of art! Life is good...

My newest project

2009-03-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

I used one of my charm packs and the pattern that I got in the mail to make this cute little tabletopper. It's only 17" by 17", but perfect for my family room table that we use for games, puzzles, or just snacking in the afternoon. I only have to put the binding on it and then it is finished and adopted into the family for good.

I used every little scrap I could. I'm not very good at throwing them away. They are too beautiful, and I always think that I could use them for something. So for the back of this tabletopper, I just sewed every little strip together to make a few long strips and incorporated them into the back, just for a little pizzazz. Cute, huh?

Mailbox Goodies!

2009-03-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

I have been buying a lot of charm packs online at unbelievable prices to supply my quilting fettish! I also bought another jelly roll because it was 50% off too. It has been a good week for purchasing, now on to sewing! I wasn't able to sew at all on Saturday (National Quilting Day) because I had a full day with grandkids and activities, but I sure thought about it! Maybe that counts...

Here's my stash - my daughter likes to make a mountain out of my jelly rolls!

The "Lighter" Version

2009-03-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, first off, I owe a big kudos to my friend's husband for this post. It is here because, and probably only because of him. He about tackled me at my son's last basketball game to tell me that his wife had made "that chocolate cake", and that it was the best thing he had ever tasted. (That guy must not get out much!) He had asked if I had ever tried a lemon version of the cake, which of course, had NEVER even crossed my mind. So, this is for you Bill. By the way, "lighter" means as in color, not calories...sorry. Here's the recipe that I came up with:

Lemon Pound Cake

Cream together: 1 1/2 c. soft butter

3 c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

the zest and juice of 1 lemon

Add one at a time: 5 eggs

Add alternately dry and wet ingredients:

(wet) 1 c. sour milk (add 1 Tbs. vinegar to sour)

(all dry) 2 3/4 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Grease and flour bundt pan. Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Either dust with powdered sugar, or glaze with a lemon glaze.

Block 3

2009-03-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

These little blocks have been so fun to do. They work up so fast and I can get them done in an afternoon if I don't have any other obligations. Doing these blocks have especially made me realize how fast each month comes and goes. Before I know it, I will have 12 done and the year will have snuck up on me and left me in the dust. If time is going to go by that fast, I might as well have something beautiful to show for it, right?!

Better late than never...

2009-03-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

Wow - I was really slow getting this next block onto the blog. I've had it done for about 2 1/2 weeks now, I just got lazy about posting about it. I'd better hurry, because next months pattern comes out today! So here it is, the block for February. I love how the white stitching "pops" out on the ecru background. I wasn't sure how that was going to look. I've decided I really like it. Check back later...

Hope you are NOT on a Diet!

2009-03-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

I was talking to a good friend today and telling her how I was trying to cut down on my sugar intake, even though Michaela made my famous Chocolate Pound Cake last night. This cake is SO good that you don't even frost it, just a sprinkling of powdered sugar is all it needs and, mmmm boy is it good! Anyway...back to my friend. Before I could even finish what I was saying, she said "You need to post that recipe!" So here it is. By the way, if you are ever trying to watch your sugar intake and you end up making this cake, you'd better find some friends to share it with, PRONTO!! (And just as a confession...I am eating a small piece as I type this post. Tomorrow is a new day...)

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Cream together:

1 1/2 c. soft butter (that's right, I said 3 cubes!)

3 c. sugar (that's right too)

2 tsp. vanilla

Add one at a time:

5 eggs

Combine all dry ingredients and add alternately with the milk. (Keep on a low mixer setting to keep the air in the batter. This helps make the cake moist and yummy)

3/4 c. cocoa

2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 c. sour milk (add 1 Tbs. vinegar to regular milk to sour it)

Pour into a well-greased bundt pan. Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 20. (That's right, but it's worth the wait) Cool on rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar.

A New Project

2009-02-24T20:14:00.000-08:00

It's a real bummer when you finish what you're working on and you think you have nothing else to do. Actually, I have PLENTY to do - like vacuuming, cleaning, walking, etc., but who wants to do THAT when you can sew?! Soooo, I found some more fabric, actually Michaela found it, and started asking questions about what could be made with it. I told her the cut strips were perfect for making a "stripes quilt" that I have been wanting to work on. I had a little free time, so thought I would start it for her, as she was nervous that she would mess it up. Whatever. So here is the startings of it, I still have more strips to add to it. The colors in the photo don't do it justice. They are brilliant and rich. I'm thinking I might just make this for my bed. It would look great with the right border and some yummy pillows to match. Be back soon...

Next Phase...

2009-02-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

I have finally gotten back to my "butterfly" quilt. I have been busy with Landon's games and Pre-Ward Conference visits. This is one of the squares all cut, rotated, and sewn to make a block. I took all of the blocks, each one a different color scheme, and this is what it will look like. I wish that you could see the colors "Live" because they are all so much brighter than what you see. Off to the next phase...sewing the blocks together to form the quilt top.

"Butterfly Fling" Fabric

2009-02-17T10:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a great day for sewing...and sewing I did! The kids had no school, it was raining most of the day (love those rainy Mondays) and so I got a jump on the wash to do and got busy on the machine. I have decided to make a quilt with these cute, bright fabric pieces. It will end up a fun patchwork look when it is done. So to begin, I had to sew these 9-patch squares together. Don't you love the colors? You know me...the brighter, the better. This should end up a pretty flashy quilt. Who knows, maybe it'll end up being more of a "grandma's house" quilt. Come back later for the next phase...

What a GREAT day!

2009-02-10T05:04:00.000-08:00

Mondays have always been a good day for me, not that I always look forward to them. Who wants to let go of a Sunday? Everyone together, no work, getting to go to our Sunday meetings, starting fresh... Mondays always mean, "Okay, here we go again!" But for me it also means, no piano lessons or other obligations, getting the wash caught up (which I don't mind), a day for ME... So what could be better than waking up to a rainy, cloudy day with nothing to do but get my kids off to school, do wash, run some errands, read, and sew? Not much...unless it involved grandkids. So today that's what I did, with some warm, Baked Potato Soup thrown in for dinner. AND I got Connie's table runner done. That was the ONE thing that I really wanted to get done today. Probably the best, most relaxing, most enjoyable part of MY day was in the afternoon sitting on my family room couch, listening to Amy Grant's Greatest Hits, hearing Kevin typing away on his computer in the other room, knowing my children were safe at home, and hand sewing the binding on my new finished project! And I DID get to buy some birthday presents for little Marcelus, so grandkids were part of that fun too. Wow...Happy Good Day to you too!

BAKED POTATO SOUP

(this is a great way to use leftover baked potatoes)

3 bacon strips, diced

1 sm. onion

1 clove garlic, minced

3 Tbs. flour

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. pepper

3 cups chicken broth

2 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup half-and-half cream

shredded cheese

In a pot, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving drippings. Set bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper, mix well to make a roux. Gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and cream, heat through but do not boil. Garnish with bacon, cheese and parsley. You can add a little hot sauce too if you want to.

Gettin' 'er done...

2009-02-09T06:02:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I was able to get a little sewing done after being on the couch most of the day with a fever. I spent my session in the temple on Friday with chills and body aches (after I got to the temple, of course) but was glad that I went. I was planning on getting the top of Connie's table runner put together on Friday, but decided I'd better nurse myself back to health instead. So by Saturday night my fever had broke, and I was good to go. Here is what it will look like...very elementary (it is my first), but will look great in her house. Now just to back and bind it, which I get to do today!! (after I vacuum and dust...)

Blender Wheat Pancakes

2009-02-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

Okay...I told you I'd post a yummy recipe, so here it is. This has ended up being one of my recent favorites because it is so easy and uses my wheat right out of the #10 can. My kids love them too, and I know that they are probably about as healthy as you can get with a pancake.

All right...so the bacon in the background isn't so healthy. I can't just make pancakes at my house. We always have something else with it, like eggs, or bacon, or something. The great thing about these pancakes, other than the fact that you are using your food storage items, is the fact that you mix all of the ingredients in the blender and poor the batter right onto the griddle after it's blended. Here's the recipe:

WHEAT BLENDER PANCAKES

1 1/4 c. water

1 c. whole wheat kernals

1/4 c. dry milk

1 egg

2 Tbs. oil

1 Tbs. sugar or honey

1/4 or 1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. baking soda

In blender mix water, wheat, and dry milk on high for 3 minutes. Add the egg, oil, sugar, and salt. Blend for 20 seconds. Add the baking powder and pulse a few times. (At this point I add a little bit more water if I feel that the batter is too thick. Use your own judgement.) Poor onto a hot griddle.

I make my pancakes big, so I can't tell you how many it will make. I can usually get about 8 pancakes with one batch. You will get more if you make them smaller.

Happy Breakfast-ing!

STILL LEARNING...

2009-02-04T21:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I started Connie's table runner for her house. It actually didn't take as long as I had thought it would. The cutting out takes the most time, but was fun too. Part of the runner calls for these 4 piece squares. The hardest part about doing these was cutting the scraps off! I am saving the scraps though...I'm sure I can use them for something. I couldn't get any sewing done today as I was feeding firefighters down at our poor church building that burned down today. But after a good night's sleep, I plan on getting the top finished. Then on to backing, quilting, and binding! (Oh man, Landon has a game in Vegas tomorrow too.) I'll have to lickety split it!

Perfect!! (Sorry it's a little blurry)

Not so perfect... (check out the middle seam, aarrgghh!) Tomorrow I have a great recipe to share with you too. Yummy pancakes that are healthy, fast, AND uses food storage ingredients. Come back...

OH MY GOODNESS, OH MY GOODNESS!!

2009-01-27T14:20:00.000-08:00

I have started collecting fabric for my projects (on sale, of course) and have enough of a "stash" to get something started. The packages of squares are 5" x 5" pieces of fabric with about 40 in each one. They are called "Charm Packs." They are from one line of fabric, which makes it nice when you are trying to coordinate your colors. I am planning on making a quilt with the three yellow ones. I will have to post about that later, because I have plans for other things first. The cute little rolls of fabric are called "jelly rolls" and contain 2 1/2" strips of all fabrics in a line of fabric. The pre-cut fabric makes it easy to assemble certain projects that might require cutting fabric into strips. The yardage was just a good deal. I'm not sure what will come from that, but SOMETHING for sure!I even bought me some Christmas fabric after the holidays when it was pretty inexpensive. Yay for me!!

But THIS is the first thing on my list of things to start...a table runner I promised Connie. It will be my first table runner that I have made. The colors will match Connie's newly-painted kitchen and are very rich in color. All I need is to find a pattern that will use both squares and strips so that I have little cutting to do.
I have also been stitching this block and got it finished in a couple of days. It is part of a Christmas quilt (I have changed THAT up a bit with pinks and greens instead) that comes a month at a time. Meaning a new block pattern every month to stitch up, which will be nice when I am working on other projects. I will be using the different fabrics for different blocks. This is a free pattern that I got from another blog.
So there you have it...the latest things that keep me busy.

BE ATTITUDES QUILT

2009-01-21T19:41:00.000-08:00

I have been working on and off on my "Be Attitudes" quilt since the kids left after Christmas. This is a project that is going to take some time, as I have to do quite a bit of embroidery to each square. I have all of the blocks put together (12 of them) so they are all ready to be stitched. The quilt store, and the instructions in the pattern book call for sewing machine blanket stitch around the appliqued pieces, but I wanted to hand blanket stitch them instead. I find that it is great therapy for me and very relaxing. Hence, they will take longer to do. I am not in any hurry though, so here is a rundown on the finished blocks...

This is the block for January. This is one of my favorite ones. There are stitched snowflakes that go along the top part of this block that I haven't done yet. He also gets a carrot button nose after the quilt is finished and put together.This one is in the February spot. I didn't realize that these blocks go with the month until I really looked at them. Some of them are generic, but the overall look of the finished quilt is seasonal, I think.
This one is kind of funny. Who would have thought that an ant would end up on a quilt, but the little guy is about the best example of someone being positive, don't you think? This one ends up with a big red (cherry) button on top of the cupcake.
This is also one the favorites in the family. The big girls especially like this one. This guy ends up with BIG black button eyes at the end, and "berry" button around the leaves.
This is the one that I just finished today. This block also has quite a few buttons on it when it is finished. On each seed packet goes a flower button, with 3 different flower buttons going down the right side plaid strip.
I will post as I make them, so that you can see each block. I have been working on a "Block of the Month" quilt that I got free from a blog I follow. It includes some stitchery as well. Stay tuned for that...

Welcome, welcome...

2009-01-21T17:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new blog, just for homemade things, scrapbook pages, and projects that I am working on. Hopefully, from time to time, I will even post a tutorial showing my work in progress. I have wanted to blog about certain creations of mine, but could not because they were either gifts or I just didn't feel right about putting them on the family blog for all the world to see. Take a look at them if your interested...