Making Quilts the Unconventional Way!!

I bought this puzzle several years ago and finally, this past week, I put it together!!!  I think making real quilts has given me a bit more patience because I actually finished this puzzle!!!  Its a little shiny because I covered it with Mod Podge and then the flash added to the glare but I thought I would share because it really is a cute puzzle and very quilty!!!

Well, I Listened to the Pros!!

I tried some of the techniques that Dixie and Sharon offered me in their kind comments to my last post and I actaully finished one of the 5 blocks for my swap.  Of course, I chose what appeared to be the easiest block but at least now I am feeling pretty good about getting these blocks done on time. 

In addition to intergrating Dixie and Sharon's suggestions, I also decided to not be so cheap with the fabric and cut larger pieces for each section.   Boy, did that make life easier!!  Now, as you can see, I did this block a little different from the picture in the last post, but I thought that using the two solid colors was sooooooo un-1930s like.  I know my block is not as dramatic as the original picture but I think it will go better with a quilt that has a 1930's reproduction theme!!!

I Am Really Struggling Here!!!

 

I joined a swap a couple of months ago and signed up for 5 blocks in this quilt by Sentimental Stitches.  These are the blocks I signed up for:

             

                            

                                                               Dancing Star 

                            
                                                            Chrysanthemum

                            

                                                             Endless Chain

                             

                                                              Blazing Star

                             

                                                             Weathervane

The finished blocks are 4 1/2" square and I am struggling in getting these blocks done.  I love paper-piecing but for some reason I am having a hard time figuring out how large the fabric for each piece needs to be and so I end up half way through a block with fabric that doesn't go out beyond the seam line.   I have started three of the blocks and have cryed every time!!!  And, I have to make 11 of each block for the swap!!!  Arghhhhh!!!  What was I thinking??? 

Reeze, I am trying but oh, I am sooooooooooooo frustrated!!!  Anyone out there have any super-duper advise for me???

Wow!!! How Fun is This???

I made this darling pin cushion out of some of my wonderful Kaffe Fassett fabrics

and I just found out that it was featured on an Etsy Treasury List of hand picked items featuring Kaffe Fassett's fabrics.  Judy is the shop owner of Insomniations and she has a delightful array of felted flower pins and jewelry bowls.  A big thanks to Judy for liking my pin cushion enough to feature it on her Treasury List!!

Time for Sewing - Hoo! Hoo!

Gosh, it seems like life takes way too much time away from my passion!!!  But yesterday afternoon I had the opportunity to play with some of my gorgeous Kaffe Fassett fabric and work on a paper-pieced star pattern by Carol Doak.  I love how the Kaffe Fassett and the Carol Doak patterns meld so well together!!!  Now, I just need to add some borders and I will have a wonderful wallhanging!!

A Project From Camp

This is one of the projects we did at camp last month and I have finally gotten the bow tied in the ribbon and up on the wall!!  I think this is such a great thing to be teaching our kids!!!  Thank you to the leaders who provided this fun afternoon for all of us!!!

This is What I woke Up to This Morning

right outside my bedroom!!!

Was I dreaming??  Oh no, thats right, I had spent the night on my niece's house boat on Lake Powell!!  Debi (my niece) asked me to go over to Page, Arizona to help some people she knows with a problem they are having.  And since I had to stay there for two days, I got to spend the night on Debi's house boat!!

I didn't even know that this kind of life existed!!!  When I got to the Marina I put all my stuff on a little cart and a young man drove me right down to the boat while my car stayed up in valet parking.  Debi has had her boat moored there for so many years that I just had to say I wanted to go down to the Johnny Quest and boom, I was there in minutes!!!  The young man helped me put all my things in the boat and helped me get some lights on!!

It was all soooooooooooo quiet!!!  And when I went to bed, I chose the bedroom (the Master, of course) with the best view.  I left the curtains open and when I got up, the view was amazing!!  I could sure do this on a regular basis!!!  Except the drive over to Lake Powell is 3 hours!!!  Arggghhh!!

And then this picture is for Nedra over at Cactus Needle:

It's a little resturant in one of the towns on the way to Lake Powell!!

Do You Remember

a couple of weeks ago I had a pile of fabric on my hands that looked like this?

Well after a few steps and a lot of love I ended up with a beautiful quilt.

The pile above is a bunch of blocks that started out as nine patch blocks:

Then I cut each of those nine-patch blocks into 4ths:

Typically, the 4 smaller blocks are moved around to create a "Disappearing Nine-Patch" block that look like this one:

Notice how the small corner blocks are all the same?  Well, I made one big change in my "Vanishing Nine-Patch" quilt.  Instead of just moving the 4 smaller blocks from the same block around to look like the block above, I put all the small blocks in a big pile - the one you see at the top of the post, and then just randomly (with a little care to make sure I liked the look of each block) put the big blocks back together and ended up with a VERY fun quilt:

I then sent it up to Sue at Summit Creek Quilts and asked her to choose the quilting pattern she thought would look fabulous.  Here is what she chose:

Is that acute or what!!!  And my Dad said, "Now that really looks like an old-fashioned quilt!!  He really liked it!!!

I used the 5" 1930's reproduction charms that I received in a swap with one of my Yahoo groups called SewManySwaps!!  Thanks to everyone who participated in this swap so I was able to have lots and lots of variety in the fabric used in this quilt!!

Binding Tutorial

I am getting ready to bind my Vanishing Nine Patch quilt and I had heard of this great technique to use to finish off the binding.  I did a search and found the tutorial above at jaybirdsquilts.  Hope it helps you as much as it did me!!!  I am going to put the tutorial on my sidebar so we can always find it.

Here Ye, Hear Ye!!

Well, I have been playing around with what I can do to be able to keep helping my Dad without getting a full-time job.  I have been working on my little eBay store and it keeps me busy but I have been just selling small things and so the money is not very good.  I was talking with my dear friend Sue, who is my long-arm quilter (Summit Creek Quilts) and she suggested I start putting together quilt kits to sell since there are so many women out there that would love to make a quilt but don't seem to have the time to go shopping to accumulate all the different fabrics necessary for making a quilt.

I decided to give Sue's suggestion a try and here is my first kit:

I know that most of the gals who read quilting blogs like this one are not usually the type that would purchase a kit, but you can look at the auction for this kit here - The Quilting Garden eBay Store - if you are interested.

We're Homeeeeeeeee!!!

Camp was so much fun and soooo rainy!!!  No wonder everything was so green and luscious up there!!  The girls seemed to enjoy everything and even though I was the granny of the whole group, they included me in all the activities.  A few pictures:

A good time was had by all!!!

We're Off to Camp

We are leaving for camp this morning up to Cedar Mountain!!  I hope it is cooler up there and we are going to have a great time!!  See ya when we return late Saturday afternoon!!!

Chocoholics Beware!!! Incredible Dessert Up Ahead!!!

I have been playing around with this dessert recipe for several weeks and I think it is finally perfected!!  I have tested all the variations on my cute niece and her darling family.  They all agree that this final version is the very best!!!  A dessert to die for!!!  :-)  And if you like chocolate - umm, umm, umm!!!

I thought you might all like to try this VERY decadent, rich, rich, rich dessert for your family and friends!!!  You really do only need a small piece and of course, a glass of milk or ice cream to attend the bar!!! 

Enjoy:

Gone to Heaven Fudge Bars

1 cup unsalted butter (do not use a substitute)
2 cups brown sugar (firmly packed)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons real vanilla
2 ½ cups sifted flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 small can sweetened condensed milk (15 oz.)
2 ½ cups chocolate chips
2 tablespoons real vanilla

Bar - Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and 2 tablespoons vanilla. Add sifted flour (very important to sift before measuring). Hand-blend flour into the butter/sugar mixture with a wooden spoon. Then hand-stir in oatmeal. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9” x 13” pan (I use glass). Put all of the oatmeal mix into the pan and pat out evenly. Place pecan halves across the top of the oatmeal mixture as thickly as you like (I leave some room between each pecan half). Let this sit while making the fudge.

Fudge – Melt chocolate chips with the condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of vanilla over medium heat until melted and blended. Pour hot mixture over the oatmeal mixture and spread evenly. Add more pecan halves on top of the fudge as desired.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. This makes the bar chewy and the fudge top just yummy. If you want the bar to be cooked a bit more, add an additional 2 minutes to the baking time.

These Gone to Heaven Fudge Bars are dedicated to my darling

Nielsen family, who love them – even Lily!!!

Celebration of Pioneer Day in Utah

Pioneer Day (also archaically called the Day of Deliverance) is an official holiday celebrated on July 24 in the U.S. state of Utah, with some celebrations in regions of surrounding states originally settled by Mormon pioneers. It commemorates the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, where the Latter-day Saints settled after being forced from Nauvoo, Illinois and other locations in the eastern United States. Parades, fireworks, rodeos, and other festivities help commemorate the event.

In addition to being an official holiday in Utah, Pioneer Day is considered a special occasion by many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). On Pioneer Day, some Latter-day Saints walk portions of the Mormon Trail or reenact entering the Salt Lake Valley by handcart. Latter-day Saints throughout the United States and around the world may celebrate July 24 in remembrance of the LDS Churches' pioneer era, with songs, dances, and pioneer related activities.

While the holiday has strong links to the LDS Church, it is a celebration of everyone, regardless of faith and nationality, who emigrated to the Salt Lake Valley during the pioneer era, which is generally considered to have ended with the 1869 arrival of the transcontinental railroad. Notable non-LDS American pioneers from this period include Bishop Daniel Tuttle, who was responsible for Utah's first non-Mormon schools (Rowland Hall-St. Mark's) and first public hospital (St. Mark's) in the 1800s. The Intertribal Powwow at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City honors the rich cultural heritage and contributions of the area's American Indians, helping Utahns to gain a deeper understanding of the region's history.

Oh, Oh, Another Mess on My Hands!!!

Or as Sharon V. would say, "look a pile of potential!!"  Can you guess what this pile is going to become??  Stay tuned!!!  :-))