A Special Request

Some time ago my Aunt asked me to fix a quilt my Mom had made for her many years ago. I had been dreading it a bit...partly because it was a quilt my Mom had made in love and the thought of it being me working on it reminds me that my Mom is no longer with me and partly because I was just procrastinating on figuring out the best way to go about taking the block that needed repairs apart!

 

My Mom made quilts for each of her sisters. This I believe was the first 'sister' quilt and it was made just a couple years after she began quilting. It was completed in 1997. The background fabric was a woven tea towel by the looks of it. It certainly had character but didn't stand up to the love this quilt has seen.

 

I carefully removed the quilting stitches from around the appliques and the stitching from the appliques, basting the edges as I went to stabilize them as much as I could. Then I cut the background off carefully right at the seam line.

 

There were sections I couldn't get the stitching out of so I just cut away the background as well as I could.

 

My plan was to applique a new background piece just on the original seam lines and then reapply the appliques.

 

 

Here it is pinned and ready to finish!

 

 

After sewing all the appliques in place I added some quilting stitches and I was done...at least that part.

The quilt also had a house block that had some yo-yo flowers. They had become...interesting!

 

 

I steamed them a bit and flattened them a bit and just tacked them down along the edges.

 

 

 

So the quilt is fixed and on it's way home...safe travels...

 

Happy Stitching!

 

 

I'm motivated!!!!

Now that I am back from holidays, I am motivated to get started on wedding invitations. We are a having a very small wedding so I am just making 14 invitations. Later I will make announcements that we can send out after the wedding and they will have a similar feel but be much simpler.

 

Here is my sample I have been working on....

 

On the weekend I worked on the wording and the layout...

And spent a HUGE amount of time finding the perfect font.

 

This is the first version with a blue band...

 

 

I thought it needed a bit more * ta-da * so here is the next band...I added a little cream under the burlap...

 

 

And here is the inside...

 

 

And the back...
 

 

 

I am very very happy with it! I think we have a wedding invitation!!!!! I just have to find some charms I like for the band.
 In my samples I just used what I had in my stash.

I quite like the key though!

 

And I finished up a little project I had laying around part done...
 

 

I had made these before and had a request from a friend for another one so I thought I would make 5 more. You can never have enough little bags! 

I just used up a couple of old charm packs I had laying around!

Happy Stitching!

 

 

Back to Big Stitching!

I've ripped it out not once but twice! And finally the third time is the charm.

 

 

I still have no idea what I am doing for a quilting design between the 'wheels' or in the sashing strips but for now just quilting the wheels will do.

 

Here is a bit more detail....

 

 

And now that I am satisfied I will be starting on block number 2!!!!

 

 

I have also been knitting this pair of socks. I love sock knitting and I love wearing hand knit socks. This pair is made from merino and angora...oh they are soft! The pattern is Spring Forward from Knitty.com. It is an easy pattern and they fit well too!

 

 

 

And what is next? I have news..I am getting married this summer so I am dusting off my scrapbooking and card making supplies and skills to make invitations! I can't wait to get started on them in early march when I get back from my holidays.

 

Happy Stitching!

This is for my Brother!

All my brother wanted to know was what a person could use all those felted bowls for? So I thought...hmmmm... how about paper clips, spare change..

 

Then one day my Dad was checking them out and thought maybe he could turn a wooden insert for them...so now I have little bowls that can hold snacks as well!

 

 

I love them! What does my brother think now?

 

 

And another UFO has been completed!

 

 

These barrel bag sets are a favorite of mine. They are perfect for travelling. The small case fits a toothbrush and toothpaste perfectly. The large one is big enough to hold your basic shower supplies!

 

 

I have a couple more small UFO's to finish....

 

Happy Stitching!

 

 

Scraps! Scraps! Scraps!

It has been a long time...months in fact since I had a clean ironing board!

 

 

And months since I had no full scrap bins piled underneath my ironing board!

 

 

After several months of sorting and cutting scraps I have them all done....it doesn't look like much for all the effort I put in but I will get 3 or 4 beautiful scrap lap quilts out of these.

 

 

First I cut the hexagons, next the pairs of strips (for a French braid quilt) and finally with what was left I cut 2-1/2" squares. I emptied at least 5 boxes...and maybe more...

 

...I shall not let my scraps get so out of control again.... 

 

Let the quilting begin once again! Happy stitching!