Sunday, July 26, 2009

Preparing for December Embroidery Retreat



In December I plan to go to a machine embroidery retreat. There will be six of us and we will all work on the same project. It will be a project with large designs and multiple hoopings, so I am practicing lining up the design. I have the center shown here and now I will play with lining up a border on each side. It's really fun doing something challenging.




Thursday, July 16, 2009

Fabric Basket Thread Catcher




I have just been playing making small things that are quick to make. I saw this fabric basket at a site called Pink Penquin and really liked them. They can be made to any size and used for just about anything, from thread catcher, notions holder, spools of thread, etc. I am going to use this for a thread catcher when I go an all day sewing with our guild. I told my husband it was my newest purse and he said if I carried it, people would laugh. I did tell him what it was really for. This could also make a small Christmas present.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Butterfly Embroidered Purse





Last weekend I saw a lady carrying a purse that was made out of muslin and she had some machine embroidery on it. Well, I just thought it was so cute, so I have made one of my own this week. I embroidered "whimsical butterfly" on the front and just did four small butterflies on the back. I did not do any quilting on it, except for the gusset. I did use some brighter fabric for the inside, as you can see. I am telling you I can really get into this purse making and I seem to take notice when I see one being carried by someone else. It is just a small break from doing my quilts of which I have not given up doing. Sometimes it is nice to just get something small done and feel I have finished something. LOL I get inspired by Diane's blog at sewman maniac quilter. Her blog is on my sidebar. She comes up with the prettiest purses and totes. I enjoy reading her blog. Anyway, here are pictures of my purse being added to my purse collection.


Friday, July 10, 2009

New Blog with Give Away

New Blog With Give Away-check this one out. I have her on my sidebar.

justanotherhangup.blogspot.com

Saturday, July 4, 2009

More Blogs To Follow

On the Side Bar I have added more blogs that I like to follow:

TruckingQuilter
Sue Garman
Silver Thimble Talk

I hope you enjoy them too.

My "Doings" This Past Week


This past Tuesday our Newcastle Quilt Guild had a class making a crazy patch purse. Everyone that participated in the class had a great, great time. It was so much fun seeing how different each purse turned out. At first I was not too sure I would like mine, but by the time I got done, I love it. I did not get to finish it that night, but got it done when I went to the Chickasha Churndasher's Quilt Guild on Thursday. The Churndasher's had a class on covering a box with a lid (shoe box) with fabric. That was a lot a fun. You can use them as gift boxes and for organizers in your home (sewing room, etc)





Thursday, July 2, 2009

Grandma Has A New Baby

Mom and Dad presented me with a new baby. Oh, it is so, so cute. It was a little pinkish and I noticed how very cute the feet are. I just cooed and awed at this brand new baby. I kept saying how very sweet you are. The little eyes were just looking at me and it was very still while looking me. The hair was fluffy just like a newborn baby (which of course it is) Mom and Dad were a little worried about what my reaction would be, but they were pleased when they saw me. I am posting a picture so you can share in my joy. As you can see it is a baby bird (it's a cardinal) just out of the nest. Mom and Dad were at the living room window guarding their new young one. I just could not imagine what was going on and my first thought was a snake. So when I got up from the chair I could see what the excitement was all about. I was able to get close enough to take this picture. After I took the picture, I told Mom and Dad how beautiful it was and to keep it safe. Thanks Mom and Dad for sharing your beautiful little darling with me.


Saturday, June 27, 2009

My Granddogs and New Craft Tote


This past week I have been babysitting my "Granddogs" while Dad and Mom are vacationing in Cancun. I let them play early in the morning because our weather has been getting to the 3 digit number and it's way too hot for them in the afternoon. This morning I play fetch with them and it was cooler for me also. The big long haired German Shepherd has been looking for Dad when she looks out the living room window. When she sees a dark gray truck out the window, she starts to perk up. Then I have to disappoint her and tell her it's not him. She a real good girl. Her name is Nila.


Now comes Jillian (Jill). She is a sweetie pie too. I have had her before and she has really calmed down. I guess that is because she has 3 playmates now. She and Nila play in the house together and it is so funny how delicate they are with each other.














That's the two big dogs and we are now down to the dachshunds. First there is Willie. Willie is rather chubby, but he is so sweet. When the big dogs get frisky, he stays out of the way, but then he is 5 years old. He is a big baby and is well behaved.

















Last, but not least is Cricket, she is real fiesty, but affectionate. Our first day was spent on how she was getting out of the back yard. Well, I caught her and she is just small enough to squeeze through a gate opening. Well, we fixed that and now she has no choice but to play in the backyard. She is quite the character.















In between the dogs I did manage to finish making a craft tote bag. The front has two pockets, that are divided down the middle of the bag. The back has 4 pockets done the same way. I did not put pockets inside. It was not hard to make.










Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Purse

I have made my second purse. I used scraps left over from my jacket I made a couple of months ago. I really like this pattern and it was fairly easy. I really had fun making this and I may try doing some more.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Found a Give-A-Way

If you go to ranettesdailystitch.blogspot.com she is giving away Moda's Bake Shop - Honey Buns.
Just go to her site and leave a comment. Quite a few have left comments, but it may be worth a try.

Friday, June 12, 2009

My Sister's Lily




My sister passed away nearly 4 years ago. Time has just flown by. Jean always like her flower garden and one of the flowers that I always liked was a yellow day lily. I wanted to get one of the lilies from her yard. A nephew said he had some of them in pots and gave them to me. Well, I lost one of the pots. I did plant one close to the house wall so it would be protected from the weather and mainly from my husband mowing it down during the warm months. It never bloomed until this year and it was absolutely gorgeous. I would go out everyday to see how the buds were growing. Then this week I noticed it was close to opening up. I was fortunate to have 3 buds open. I am so excited about it and took pictures of this yellow lily. So now my memory of my sister's yellow lily has come full circle and brought me beautiful memories of her.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Challenge Done

My Renegade Quilter's challenge is done and don't try to squeeze it out of me what I did. Cause I ain't talking about it. It's a secret I tell you. I can say it is blue and it has bluebirds on it. I had so much fun doing it. Sorry, but no one is going to see it til the August Retreat. And oh, by the way, I hope you all have started yours. I hope I have your curiosity going about now. Or better yet, tell me what you have done. LOL

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Renegade Quilter's Challenge

Well, Renegades, I have started my challenge for the August Retreat. It will be a quilt and it measures 80 x 97. Oh, Oh, whoops, I'm lying. Got a little carried away with that 1/3 yard of fabric. Well, let's try that again. Let's just say it's a quilt that measures 1" x 1". Oh gosh, that's not right either. My oh my, let's see if I can figure this out. It's a placemat or um a pot holder. OK, it's a bird, a plane, it's superquilter. Oh gee, I don't know. But here is the honest to goodness truth--it has to do with bluebirds. Now you try to figure it out.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Keeping Busy

Yesterday I went with Mama C and Princess of the UFO's to the Chickasha Churndashers Quilt Guild. I had a really good time and the ladies were so friendly. My buddies had been asking me to go with them for a while now and I finally had the day free to go. I worked on a UFO called New Ladies On The Block" quilt. It was a swap years ago that I never finished. It's been in the closet so long I forgot how I was putting the blocks together. Well Mama C and Princess UFO helped me with an idea on how to arrange the blocks. So thanks to them I just might get this UFO pieced together. We were there most of the day and they had a wonderful lunch prepared. It's always fun being with friends that are dear to my heart.

Today was another busy day with an eye appointment for DH. We stopped by Sam's Club to get some paper products. Then it was off to get this Great Grandma's new eye glass prescription filled.So now it is "better to see you with". Our errands were an all day thing and now I am really too tired to sew on anything. So will try to sew tomorrow. See ya.