May 2013 be our very best year yet!!

Free eBook - A Great Way to Start the New Year!!

I was very excited when Eric at Fons and Porter asked me to blog about their new eBook - Build Your Best Log Cabin ~

                             

My very first quilt was a Log Cabin quilt so this book was really fun for me to go through and see the different ways one can create a Log Cabin.

What I liked so much about the book was the well thought out instructions and all of the different charts and visual aids to help put the perfect quilt together!!

My very favorite version of the Log Cabin is called "On the Dark Side."

This gorgeous quilt designed by Lori Christianson is a Courthouse Steps variation that uses fabric on all sides.  I can just see this quilt done up in fabulous batik scraps.

My other fun choice is a quilt designed by Ricky Tims (one of my most favorite designers) especially for Fons and Porter called "Bears in Bertie's Log Cabin."

How cute would this be as a table topper!!

There is also a tutorial on binding with piping that looks so fun!!  You insert narrow piping along the edge of the binding to make a perfect finish for a special project.  And a another tutorial on lumpless binding

If you would like your own copy of this great book, you can get one HERE ~ a gift from Fons and Porter - Love of Quilting!!

STOP - In the Name of Love!!

LOL!!  Remember that song??

Well, I just spoke with Becky this morning at

to find out what the final deadline was for the Sandy Hook pillowcases.  She happily informed me that they are, in her words, "floating in pillowcases" and that they do not need anymore!!  She said as of Saturday's mail they had well over 6,000 pillowcases!!  Plus 30 quilts!!

Also, she added that Sandy Hook Elementary is asking that donations stop coming in as they too are floating in donated goodies!!

Thank you to everyone in this amazing quilt blog community who made and sent pillowcases.  If you are still making them and need to find a place to donate them, try the ~

1 Million Pillowcase Challenge

These pillowcases go to your local Charities!!

Slow Sunday Stitching ~

I know I am coming very late to the party, but last week when I visited Denise's blog - Count It all Joy, I fell in love with the idea of doing quiet hand work on Sunday instead of the frazzled up and down sewing required to make a quilt.  You know, cutting at the work table, running to the sewing machine, running to the iron, etc., etc.  Although I do really only WALK from station to station, but it is a lot of activity.

So, I decided that not only would I honor the Sabbath by doing quiet handwork, but I would also only work on gifts for others or charity projects.

I am not sure if this project is considered "stitching" on a quilting blog but I do love to knit and this is a VERY special project for me!!

When I was down in St. George (Utah) with my Dad these past few years, I had the opportunity to meet the cutest little 94 year-old lady when her daughter asked me to "granny sit" with her 4 days a week for a few hours each day.  Well, when I went over to Leonora's, I would take some kind of handwork and whenever I took knitting, she would pull out this old bag with a partially finished sweater in it and tell me about the sweater she had been knitting.  The yarn was the mohair you see above and the sweater was only half made.  Plus, it was so small, Leonora could never have fit in it even if she could still finish it (she has macular degeneration and a bit of dementia now).

Well, one day, she asked if I would make her a sweater from the yarn she still had left - oh what an honor for me.  There was not enough yarn to make a sweater that would fit her, so I decided to make her this beautiful lace scarf.  I am almost done with it and I have been working day and night on it because Leonora's daughter said she is not doing too well and I want to make sure she gets it before she goes to meet Jesus.

I added the second yarn, a merino wool and silk blend to make the scarf a bit richer and more full bodied.  I think Leonora must have started her sweater back in the 1960's and the Columbia Minerva Mohair Blend is no longer available.  It is now considered vintage - kinda like Leonora!!

I'll be linking up with Kathy's Quilts and Slow Stitchin' Sunday - come on over and see what everyone is working on!!

Saturday's Smile!!

Here's looking forward to 2013!!

I Have Always Hated It . . .

when my friends would give me a Christmas gift and then say, I spent a little extra so it is also your birthday present!!  I guess that is what happens when your birthday is 2 days after Christmas.

Well, this year, I did the same thing to myself!!  LOL!!!  I have been drooling over the gorgeously appointed homes of some of my blogging friends (like Shell over at The Raspberry Rabbits) and I have been looking at this 36" custom clock on Etsy for a year now.  So, I decided to splurge and get it for me for Christmas AND my birthday!!

And then the super fun part was that Jennifer, the darling young gal that hand makes and custom paints these exquisite clocks, lives right here in Logan - just about a mile from where I live!!  If you want to see Jennifer's whole collection, you can visit her at her Etsy shop, JenniferClocks - Making time Look Timeless.  Happy birthday to me!!

I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and a happy, happy holiday season!!

T'was the night Before Christmas . . .

and I just got my final "Secret" Santa gift finished and delivered to the North Pole for Santa to deliver.

I'm one of the elves!!

And while I was working on this table runner today, it snowed and snowed and snowed so we are going to have a white Christmas and I want to share my white Christmas with all of you who are not so lucky ~

I took the pictures tonight so they are kinda winter wonderlandy looking!!  I think we got at least nine inches!!  And it is sooooooooooo quiet outside right now!!

And then finally, I can show you the cute December Doll Quilt I made for Barb in The Doll Quilter's Monthly Swap because it arrived at her house today in time for Christmas ~

Darn, I thought I had taken a full picture of it after I got the quilting done and the binding on, but I guess not!!  Anyway, above is the top.

This is the quilt after it was quilted with the binding in place, and 

This is the fabric on the back and the label.  One day, I'm getting a lap quilt like this one just for me!!

Hope your Christmas eve has been as special as mine!!

The Pillowcase Parade has Begun!!

Just a reminder about the 600 pillowcases

is gathering for the students at Sandy Hook Elementary!!

Got my first one done and hope to get a bunch more completed right after Christmas.

I hope you can find it in your heart to make at least one and send it off to Quilter's Corner at the address above!!  They are fun to make.  They will only take an hour or so of your time and the smiles on the childrens' faces will be priceless!!

Becky is hoping to get the pillowcases to the kids when they come back from winter break so, they should be in the mail no later than December 29th!!  Thank you for considering to help out!!

Saturday's Smile!!

Doll Quilt Swap Sneekie Peek

for my swap partner, Barb!!

It's in the mail to you tomorrow, Barb!!  Hope you like it!!  :-)

It's Done and in the Mail!!

I finished the Christmas table topper for Mrs. Clark and then I forget to put my note in with the package - so when it arrives she is not going to have a clue!!    So many projects and so little time - LOL!!

So here is my "elegant" table topper!!  Thanks to everyone for their support ~

Blogger Day of Silence and Support!!

Today, December 18th, is a blogger day of silence.  If possible, please try to not post anything other than the above button today (and feel free to right click and save the above image if you want to upload it to your own blog).

 And many, many prayers for the families in Newtown.

Goodies in the Mail!!

First, I received this wonderful star ornament that my darling friend Liz over at The Village Quilters made for me.  Liz lost her precious son just a little over a year ago and so she added a darling little angel to the ornament - it's her son Christopher's angel and on the back it says "made for an angel."

And look, it's snowing outside - a sure sign angels are afloat!!

Here is a close up of Christopher's angel!!  Is this little ornament perfect for my little Christmas tree or what??

I also received my December Doll Quilt Swap quilt from Barbara!!  Is it darling or is it darling??  She calls it her Catty Cane quilt!!  Thanks, Barb, I love it!!

It makes me so happy to have made so many wonderful friends through my blog these past few years!!  It brings joy to my soul whenever I open one of your blogs and read about what is going on in your lives!!

Live and Learn!!

Typically, when I make one of my tried and true Vanishing 9-Patch quilts, I put the main fabrics in the corners and in the middle, but I was working with a Charm Pack and wanted to get 9 blocks out of the 42 charms and so I put the main fabrics on each of the four sides and the white background fabric in the middle and in the corners!!

Well, instead of getting the colorful quilt I usually get, I got this white quilt with colored crosses!!  Not what I was planning!!

But I did not even think about it when I did it - good lesson learned!!  THINK!!  It will be fine (but not what I wanted) once the border goes on, it gets quilted and a border is placed.

I think I will call it my "elegant" table topper.  It is for my friend's 89-year old mom who lovessssssss tableclothes!!  I will just tell her that this is truly an original!!  She'll love - it's a table cloth!!

Saturday's Smile!!

Ever Feel This Way??  :-)

Saturday's Smile!!

Look What Came in the Mail This Morning!!

Do you remember a few days ago I showed you some of the Hexagon flowers I completed while the furnace was broken?  Well, those little red flowers were for my November swap partner in the Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap.  They had to go all the way to Australia so I am not sure if they are there yet.  But my partner for November lives in California and her cute package arrived this morning ~

My choices in the swap are polka dot pedals and white centers.  Aren't these darling??  And look, the nail file even has polka dots!!  So cute and so thoughtful!!  Finally, see that little flower??  It is a magnet for the frig!!

Thank you Terry, I love everything!!

I Wanted to Keep This One!!

I finished my Doll Quilt Swap quilt for Julianne a couple of days ago and put it in the mail to her but . . .

I wanted to keep it!!  I hope after the holidays I can find some time to make me a table topper just like this!!

And Happy Birthday to my dear sweet Pop who would have been 95 today!!

On Time For December Secret Pal Gift!!

Woo!  Hoo!  My Dear Jane Secret Pal recipient and her family celebrate Hanukkah which begins this coming Saturday, the 9th.  So, I had to get her gift out in the mail this afternoon so she and her family will have their gifts for the first day of Hanukkah  I have been racking my brain for months now trying to decide how to manage gifts over the 8 days of Hanukkah and I came up with the perfect idea ~

Pillowcases!!  One for Enid, her Dear Hubby, her Dear Son and and her Dear Daughter!!  Sweet dreams all 8 nights!!  And so much fun to make!!

November Gift for My Dear Jane Secret Pal . . .

is done!!  It was my goal to get my Secret Pal's November gift completed today (a little late).  She said she likes bold colors.  I hope she REALLY means that because her table topper is just that ~

Hope she likes it!!

P.S.   Janet - Aren't you glad you are not my Secret Pal??  LOL!!!

Saturday's smile!!