...with thread in hand...

you shouldn't procrastinate...

2012-01-25T16:53:00.000-06:00

because then you don't find yourself in the sewing room making a diaper bag for a birthday girl when you are sick with pneumonia...

But even without a pattern, I think it turned out pretty cute..(her favorite color is purple and I was lucky enough to find two fq's). That's a sleeping bag and pillow on the left and the diaper bag is stuffed with pajamas, diapers and outfits.. I am missing the pizza party tonight and really want to give this to her in person, so I sent a "sorry grandma isn't there" card with a gift card to our local store.. That way she still has something from us to open..and I get to see her open this later.

Nancy

One word...

2012-01-24T17:45:00.000-06:00

pneumonia

I'll be back once the meds kick in..

Nancy

would you like a sneak peak...

2012-01-20T08:11:00.000-06:00

Into my sewing room? We have been here since the end of October and I still don't have everything the way I want it...although I can sew.. and am trying to make an effort to clean up between projects..

Just as you come into the room is my wall o'stash.. I don't have a huge stash. I used to buy whenever I saw something I liked...When we moved here I gave a big box away to some great friends... It was nice fabric, but my tastes have changed and it wasn't being used. I know it went to good homes..
I now buy fabric for a specific project or I will buy yardage on sale...

Look to the right and you will see my ironing station. Hubby built the big ironing table and those wire basket shelves are just sitting in there.. I really need to recover it...Tomorrow I am off to the big city for a doctor's appt and will stop by Joannes..I have a coupon... And over there to the right of the photo is my wall of embroidery including a counted cross stitch of a quilting bee that my daughter made for me about 7-8 years ago. And underneath is my book shelf.

This is my new wall O'Quilts. Can you see where my taste changed? LOL I started out my quilting career with Pat Sloan and even went on a McCalls quilting cruise where she taught one of the classes... I still love her patterns, I just use modern fabric now! The antique table was in our breakfast room in the other house and I refuse to part with it. This is where my friends will sit and sew with me...as soon as we get Rich out of the house (he has been home far too long!) ...I have two oak chairs that are supposed to be glued up by now! And I guess I need to get all those quilts off the table. All those are tops waiting to be quilted! YIKES!

This is the main sewing area. I have so much more space to spread out! And I love my two banquet tables... My sewing machine sits in a SEWEZI table. I love it...

This is the cutting area.. Another banquet table up on bed risers. I am tall (used to be 5'9", probably now I am around 5'8") and I get such a back ache when I cut at a normal height table... Underneath the table is a set of drawers that right now is mostly empty... And the shelf above holds a lot of collectibles...and really just stop looking at all the crap on the floor on the left there... I DO clean up between projects, BUT I clean up right before I start a new project...NOT after I am finished with one.

So other than the design wall which is the remaining wall that's my sewing room... It's big...23'x17' but remember...I have been married 40 years..I started by sewing with a featherweight (didn't know they would someday be collectible or I would have kept it!) on the kitchen table of a one bedroom apartment.. I have sewn in apartments and houses, bedrooms and basements, kitchen tables and tables in the corner of our bedroom...

And today I did sew...

I finished the sleeping bag for the second granddaughter... Princess...what else? I also cut out a pair of panties for the doll but didn't have any lace for the legs so those are on hold until tomorrow...

I REALLY think this word thing might be working!!

Nancy

It might be working...

2012-01-19T09:48:00.000-06:00

The last few days I have been focused in the sewing room... Our Modern Quilt Guild has a free table set up each meeting. We bring anything we think someone else might be able to use... Last Saturday I found a quilt block...

Our illustrious leader must be working on a cute quilt as I fell in love with this block and snatched it up...I heard later it had turned out the wrong size for the quilt. Well, it turned out exactly the right size for these...

I found the free tutorial at A Spoonful of Sugar.. If you have always shied away from zippers this could be the tute for you. She has wonderful large photos of each step... I dare you to make just one!
That one on the right now has a home in my small purse and holds packets of Splenda and Sweet-n-Low... The one on the left is sitting on the shelf in my Christmas Cabinet...

I then turned my attention to some birthdays that are coming up... One is next week...

These are for Ava's Baby Alive...

A full set for Abbie's Our Generation doll... I still need to make the sleeping bag and pillow.

a couple of diapers cut out for Baby Alive... I found the pattern here at Happy Together.. I added a 1/4 inch seam allowance and will use two layers of flannel.. I love that these can be used for any size baby doll..

I have also been very busy in the kitchen. I have found a lot of new recipes on Cooks Illustrated and after my 14 day trial period on their website, I bought a years subscription. We also get their TV show on Tuesdays on our local PBS channel. I love their recipes. Every single one I have tried has been excellent. We bought filet mignon for the first time in 40 years last week..and followed their recipe for cooking...It was PERFECT!! I used their coconut cake recipe and it was PERFECT! Last week the show was about shrimp...I love shrimp but every time I cook them they get rubbery... Not any more.. last night I made stir fry with shrimp... it was YUMMY!!

Tonight, dinner is going to be Brown Sugar and Bourbon Pork Shoulder..with potato pancakes... ok..to be fair, I got the recipe for the pork shoulder from a guy in the grocery store yesterday. I was looking for Enchilada seasoning (for another recipe) and he picked up two packages of McCormick Brown Sugar and Bourbon Marinade. Hm... I asked him (so unlike me to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger in the grocery store!) if it was good and he told me he used in on Pork Shoulder and it was wonderful...and then told me the secret..."use two packages for a 4 lb roast and add some rosemary to the top of the pork when you bake it" he said.. I snapped up two packages and ran to the meat department.. I will however check out the potato pancake recipe on Cooks Illustrated cause I know it will be perfect...

And yesterday afternoon I had another addition to the sewing room...

My Focus Board!! You know I think this "word thing" might be working!!

Nancy

FOCUS...

2012-01-16T17:31:00.000-06:00

That is my word for the year... I have never picked a "word of the year" before...and maybe that's why I don't seem to be getting much done... I am determined to make a lot of our Christmas presents this year. To that end, I have decided to add a new board to my Pinterest...and would like to invite anyone that wants a present this year to add a link to it... (oh, guess I need to say that you will also had to have been on my list this past year!)... So I need a place to hide all those presents...mostly so I won't give them away early...LOL .. I ~~tried to help our son carry this up from the basement~~ the son and the husband to carry this up from the basement and into the sewing room.

But why stop there? I got Rich to do some quick carpentry..and I now have storage for my rulers..

And inside I will hide all the presents...I do think I will need a child lock on there..

And on this MLK holiday we did some more work on the house...you can read about it here..

And I did a bit of sewing...

a robe for an 18 inch doll made out of a vintage sheet

and a pair of PJ's for the same doll with a matching bib..

and Rich and I are working on a little something special...

just a little sneak peak...

And there is going to be lots of sewing over here in the next couple of weeks. I joined the RedBirdBee, a shoot off of my Modern Quilt Guild and got the first block last Saturday...It's gonna be a pretty fun one to do... I'm not sure if we can show photos or not...need to check with the Queen Bee... I also have some more doll clothes cut out...

And last Saturday was my Mom's 82nd birthday. We had a party with cupcakes and ice cream and all the kids, grandkids and cousins...

Me, my Mom and Ava my grandchild.. Mom is holding the pillow I made for her bed.


This is Mom and Stepdad , Me (dark purple sweater) with the rest of my sisters, brothers and their significant others.

Nancy

All done...

2012-01-11T14:18:00.000-06:00

Today I finished the little sleeping bag and pillow and a pair of PJ's for Baby Alive... I finally got to use my snap setter for the pj's.. The sleeping bag was a quick tute over at Love Bug Living. This isn't a blog I follow, but found a photo pinned on Pinterest... I love Pinterest... I changed one thing on her tute. When I added the elastic I put both pieces on the left bottom side. When I think of a sleeping bag, I always remember folding the bag in half long ways and then rolling it up...so that's what I did...just kind of guessed where to put them and they work perfectly...

So, now this baby has 2 sets of clothes, 1 pair of PJ's , a sleeping bag and a pillow. I will add a Gift Card and am done with one birthday... and I'm early!! Her birthday isn't until the 25th..

I added a little detail around the bottom of the top and the bottom of the legs...

Hope she likes them...

Nancy

off my bucket list...

2012-01-10T20:20:00.000-06:00

A bit of chain piecing...

A little hand applique...

Ta Dah!!

I made this 20 inch pillow for my Mom.. Her 82nd birthday is this week and there is a birthday party this Saturday.. cupcakes, ice cream and punch...oh my!! This is my first Dresden Plate and I don't see any more in the future..I didn't have trouble sewing the blades...but did not like doing the hand applique around the outside... I am glad I did this one..it will look nice on her bed...

and I can cross it off the bucket list...

and then I made these...

These are ~~teeny, tiny, pain in the ass,~~ doll clothes I made for one of the grandchildren... Another first..That black top is my first knit t-shirt... I confess I have never sewn knits...and it looks ok if you
~~are nearsighted.~~ don't look too closely.. I have a bib and a fleece blanket to make and then will start on doll clothes for the other granddaughter.. They both have birthdays coming up soon and both got new baby dolls for Christmas...

Another item crossed off my bucket list..

Nancy

The Last Design Wall Monday of the year...

2011-12-26T10:55:00.000-06:00

Fa La

La La La

La La La La

Well, it's all over... the presents are unwrapped and you have leftovers falling out of the refrigerator.. Now comes the fun part! You get to reclaim your sewing room! Mine turned into wrapping central and a warehouse of wrapped presents..along with storage for the extra table and chairs and at one point two bicycles were parked in there..

So here is my design wall today...

That wrapping paper needs to be put away for another eleven months.. On the right is a charity baby quilt...Sometime in the last few weeks I put the blocks together so now it needs quilting.. And the blocks on the left are part of a quilt that I started back in September at a sew-in. The pattern is by Kristy who is president of our Modern Quilt Guild in St Louis... It was featured on Moda Bake Shop..

It always takes me awhile to get back into the pattern once I have left it for awhile..So far I have pulled the finished blocks out and separated the other pieces I have. Today I hope to get back into the pattern and figure out where I left off...lol

So I will leave you with a photo of the tree right before we had to wake up the son and his girlfriend so they could open presents...it was 9 am and even though we had turned up the sound on the TV...Opened his bedroom door and let the dog in...there still was no sign of life... Finally I went in and said "Merry Christmas, get up!!"...lol Then I let him go to her room and wake her up...(yes, we are a PG family, no co-inhabiting til married) ... Everything was a hit..

Ha...see that big red plastic bag on the right side? Have you ever tried to wrap a body pillow? I could not find a gift bag or box big enough, so I just stuffed it right back into the target bag and tied it shut!! The son opened the body pillow cover and could not figure out what it was... I finally told him that the other part was in the bag... He liked it then... lol

I of course was spoiled by Santa...A bird feeder to hang outside the sewing room window, a GC to a great local quilt shop, a Garmin. new wallet and a Flat Screen TV for the sewing room...which I have decided to return.. I have a perfectly good TV and I would love to have a DVD player...Now that I have a real library I plan on utilizing it to borrow some good movies to watch while I sew...

The grandkids gave us a selection of games they enjoy to keep at our house...We got Jinga, Sorry and Phase 10. Can't wait to have a game night!

And I think the grandkids all loved their presents... They were all here on Christmas Eve...I decided that this year we would have a Mexican food buffet... We would eat and then open gifts... Then we realized "someone" had forgotten to put the chicken enchiladas in the oven! LOL So we popped them into the oven for 40 minutes and changed the plans...we opened WHILE dinner was cooking...

And we had Birthday Cake for a special grandson who turned NINE!! on Christmas Eve...Chocolate cake, chocolate icing and sprinkles baked by his Great Aunt Cupcake..

So that's it for 2011...no more design walls this year... On to 2012!!

Nancy

2011-12-24T04:39:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas Everyone....

Merry Christmas to me!!

2011-12-23T17:26:00.001-06:00

I read a ton of blogs...I read for inspiration, tutorials, information, humor, ideas... many reasons..

Occasionally a blog I read has a giveaway...everyone loves giveaways and I used to add my name to each one in the hope I would win something.. the problem was I didn't care WHAT I won...and so I have some items in my sewing room that will never be used as they aren't my taste. No more.. Now when I see a giveaway I look very closely and say to myself "will I use this", "Do I like this style", "Do I like the (insert giveaway item here)''... Most of the time I will pass...I will not comment or if I comment I will let the blog owner know that I am not interested in the giveaway...

And then there are those times where I leave a comment while my fingers are crossed and I really really really want to win...

Here are two of those - They were both delivered today even though I certainly wasn't expecting anyone to add a trip to the post office to their last minute list of many things to do before Christmas...

First up is a giveaway by Pat Sloan.. Pat was the very first designer I stumbled upon after starting to quilt.. I even went on a McCalls Cruise because she was a teacher... She has such fun patterns and her great sense of humor and laughter is contagious... This is what I won...

A Simplicity Deluxe SideWinder... It will be well after Christmas before I have a chance to unpack and play with this... but I think I should get loads done if I don't have to stop, unthread my machine and wind a bobbin all the time..

And then I was completely surprised to find out that I also won these from Amber at A Little Bit Biased...

3 fat quarters

four patterns

a red and green pennant..I know that's a terrible photo, but I really wanted to hang it up..lol

A beautiful pillow...that now has center stage on a chair in my living room..

Amber has a great blog with tutorials, Tuesday Tips and more inspiration than I will ever need.

If these two blogs aren't on your daily list of must reads...go visit..you might find something you like..like a giveaway!!

Merry Christmas to you and yours...I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday Season with family and friends... I'll be back after the first of the year.

Nancy

I almost can't do it...

2011-12-22T12:19:00.001-06:00

Yesterday found me driving to the nearest big town to find a 20 inch pillow form...My local Walmart carries every size BUT 20 inch... I had a Hobby Lobby coupon so I headed there first. 16x16 yep, 18x18 yep, 20x20 nope.. So off I go to Michaels...they had ONE!! Which right now is all I need..and they took my 40% off Hobby Lobby coupon!! Who knew??

But I am having a bit of separation anxiety...

She looks very pretty on my bed...even though she doesn't quite match...lol

Look how nice she sits on the chair...this chair was one of two built by the man of the house...

and here she relaxes on the sofa...she looks so at home...

But I need to do it....I need to stuff her into a dark gift bag and surround her gently with tissue and send her off to her new home on Christmas Eve. I fear there will be a few tears...mine...

I know exactly what I will doing the week between Christmas and New Years...making more of these..I am going to have the change the design a bit...the backing on this one is pure white. That won't last at my house...so the back will have to be a dark brown but the front will look just like this one...

I can't wait ....

Nancy
PS.... Link to pattern HERE

Need a last minute WOW gift?

2011-12-20T10:55:00.000-06:00

Have I got the pattern for you....

I didn't know I wanted to make a last minute gift and as I was reading some blogs I clicked over to Amanda Jean on CrazyMomQuilts. Specifically this post... She wrote up a pattern, started up a little shop, posted about it, I read it, I bought it and it's DONE!!

It took me three hours from start to finish...I think it would have taken less time, but I kept stopping to ~~watch~~ listen to Downton Abbey on PBS...(and now I read that I will only be seeing four episodes instead of the UK version which is seven episodes... grrrr... I might need to buy this on DVD. Oh I just found it at my local library...YIPPEE!!)

So...I started here...

some white fabric...some little squares ... a ruler...a rotary cutter...SIMPLE..

Some quick sewing and the front is ready to quilt

Love that even I got perfect edges..with bias...

All quilted... Amanda even gives you ideas on quilting...with directions and everything...SIMPLE..

a little close up of the quilting... I love my walking foot..

FINISHED!! Now I need an insert and I can wrap it up... Amanda has two versions of this pillow in the pattern. The next one will have binding...I read through the directions and they sound super easy..

I thought this would fit my current couch pillows, but alas mine are too puffy...so off I go to Joannes or Hobby Lobby with my coupons to get pillow inserts...today...before we get any more rain...and I will need to build an ARK!!

I just know that more of these pillows are on my list...for next year...cause now I have to catch up with the cleaning and laundry and ironing and cooking and ...that won't be near as fun as it was to sew this up...

So where do you buy this pattern? HERE... CLICK HERE... and while you are waiting for the pattern to be sent to you...hurry and get all your other Christmas stuff done...cause you are going to want to start this immediately...and you will need to hurry quick fast like a bunny cause it's a PDF and comes fast....

um.... if you run over to Amanda Jean's and buy the pattern, come back and tell me and I will put you into a draw for some precut Veranda by Amanda Murphy for Robert Kaufman..exactly like I used in this pillow.. You will have to add your own background but it doesn't take much..

Nancy

Design Wall Monday...

2011-12-19T08:26:00.000-06:00

This is all sitting in front of my design wall..

I have done some sewing, but nothing I can show here...yet... All of those are Christmas presents except one...that little bag sitting on top of the big green box is for a special birthday. One of our grandsons was born on Christmas Eve. We really, really try to separate the birthday present opening from the Christmas present opening...and there might be a birthday cake coming...

I finally finished shopping yesterday..that husband of mine is so hard to buy for...but with the help of some elves at his favorite store I managed to get'er done... Now to wrap the last few...

I am already starting to think of Christmas next year...and what I can make for everyone.. I might challenge myself to make a few each month and sock them away...

See all the Design Wall Monday posts here at Judy's...

Nancy

a little bit of sewing...

2011-12-17T09:05:00.001-06:00

It's been quite the month and we still have a week to go.. So far I have..

attended one viola concert
attended one elementary school Christmas concert
listened to a a fourth grade class talk about famous "Missourians". Our granddaughter portrayed Maya Angelou a famous poet
finished the Christmas shopping
finished (almost...) the wrapping
had an extended family Christmas
attended a 40th wedding anniversary party (more on that later)
"might" have treated myself to some retail therapy...

and because I had some flannel I made some pillowcases...

one for each of the grandkids..

I met some great friends in Mexico and we did a little retail therapy and lunch...

all fat quarters...

And I was given this beautiful covered notebook as a Christmas present from a wonderful friend...

Isn't it cute? I love the bird fabric.. How funny that we picked the same tutorial to use this season... See how she modified it for an adult? so cute..

I hope to get it together and post about a "surprise anniversary party" sometime this week... in the meantime I need to run to the grocery store and then I bought a little something that caught my eye..and I know I have a bit of stash that is just itching to be sewn together...

See ya soon...

Nancy

I've been busy...

2011-12-01T21:30:00.000-06:00

These have kept me in the sewing room the last week. I followed this tutorial with only one change..
Two of these have the large size crayons but the other six are for older children and I wanted to use colored pencils.. All I did was change the stitching lines for the pencils pockets to one inch apart. Then it will hold 10 colored pencils which is exactly how many are in the package from the dollar store..

They are all wrapped in Christmas paper and ready to go to our family party on Sunday.. Each grandchild, niece and nephew will get one.. I hope they like them..

From my family to yours...

2011-11-24T08:26:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving

I sewed!!

2011-11-22T01:12:00.007-06:00

About a year ago two friends and I took a day trip to some not-so-local quilt shops...At one of the shops I found a gorgeous line of fabric that I fell in love with. It was way before I was even ready to think about the colors for the master bedroom...but I bought some yardage anyway. It has been sitting in the sewing room in the original bag just waiting for me to get to it. Yesterday was the day.

Saturday evening we headed up to Target and picked up drapes and curtain rods. Sunday afternoon we hung the drapes and I sat down Sunday night with my graph paper, pencil and ruler...measured my pillows and made a plan...

What you can't see is that I had to move my PJ's and two Christmas presents to take this photo.LOL

Tonight I will get the graph paper back out and make a plan for a bed runner. I know I want to do Wonky Stars. This is the tutorial I will use.. It makes 12" blocks and I think that will work best for the size bed runner I want...

Unfortunately I won't be sewing anytime soon. I hear a turkey calling my name...and some housecleaning...and figuring out how to seat 15 people...and green jello to make...and floors to mop...and Christmas presents to hide..and some black Friday shopping to do...

Nancy

YEA!! Design Wall Monday...

2011-11-21T07:51:00.000-06:00

Finally I have a design wall AND something on it!

Actually three "somethings".. First up is my BOM through a local guild. It's called "School House" (and here I would usually link to the pattern, but it's full of bad directions and bad measurements so I won't) and the block is a school house and each month a different 6 inch block is used as an insert in the block..although as you can see I didn't make anything close to a school house. I decided instead to use a "Hole in Barn Door" pattern from Quilters Cache and then use the inserts... And then some of the inserts weren't to my liking so I did some substitution there too. I guess I'm not much of a pattern follower? lol Anyway.. I have Sept/Oct/Nov and Dec finished so am caught up until February..
We changed the format of our guild meetings and now have a "business meeting" every other month and will have a sew day the alternate month. Such a great idea... Kudo's to Linda for thinking that one up. She's brilliant... no really! She's a math professor so she must be smart...

So then I have the baby quilt. I started this last March at retreat. We have no babies coming up in our family (that I am aware of) so this will become a charity quilt.

And my little twister top. This might become the front of a tote bag.

I did squeeze in some sewing this weekend. In between Thanksgiving food shopping, hanging drapes in the master bedroom, holding the ladder while Rich put pipe up for the wood stove in the shop and making some iron on labels for my Mom's clothes. I am working on some pillow shams for my bed. I really would like them finished by Thanksgiving...which is here...for 15..(I need to find some chairs..)
I would like to have the bed runner finished also, but that's just not realistic...

I'm off to link up with JudyL ....

Nancy

saving the green jello....

2011-11-19T07:29:00.014-06:00

So yesterday I am making the Thanksgiving dinner menu and then a grocery list. One of recipes I wanted to make is a green jello recipe. It's not JUST green jello, but that's what we have always called it. Most of my immediate family doesn't even like it. Wait...I think I might be the only one that DOES like it...lol Anyway...I want to make some. I find the document on my computer and lo and behold it is from 2008 and it's a .wps file.. dang it...I don't have "word" software anymore and don't want to download it, so Rich googles and found this site... It will convert any file extension to any other file extension...so I tried it out. Very easy...and they send the converted file to your email... so easy...

Go HERE to find it... It's called ZAMZAR..

Just in case you want the recipe for the green jello...

Green Jello

1-8 oz cream cheese

1 - 20 oz can crushed pineapple

3 oz pecans

3 small pkgs lime jello

1 cup milk

Drain pineapple and keep ½ c of juice.

Dissolve jello in 1 ½ C boiling water, add 1 ½ c cold water and ½ c juice. Cool to egg white set.

Beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Add jello with cream cheese/milk and add pineapple and pecans

Pour into pan and let set.

1 9x13 pan

Just thought I would share...

Nancy

Wow....I wrote a post...

2011-11-18T15:46:00.001-06:00

It's been almost two months since I updated this blog.. Things have been happening over here. We moved to the new house and I "might" have everything where it is supposed to be.. I'm still missing stuff.. The other day I was making cupcakes with three of the grandkids and couldn't find my cupcake pan. My sister helped me unpack my kitchen so I made a quick call to see if she remembered seeing it. Lucky for me those grandkids really wanted to make cupcakes so they searched the kitchen until they found it.

I've moved things around a bit, have run out of closet space but still have a few kitchen drawers empty.

I've had one set of grandkids for the day...I've picked the other set up from the bus stop a couple of times so their daddy could go hunting... I love that I am close enough to do that...

My sewing room still isn't in the best of shape...Three friends volunteered to come help me unpack the last of the boxes..I told them it was a mess..I don't think they really believed how much work it was going to be .. We got all the boxes unpacked and they helped me fold and put away the fabric...and they each took a goodie bag home....

Look, Look,...I forgot that that friend on the left sent me this photo...

Bev, Veronica and Lynn...such good friends ...

Today Rich and I finally put up my design wall. We used three sheets of foam board from Home Depot and I bought 3 lengths of flannel to cover them..

BEFORE

2 1/2 sheets of foam board ready to go up...

Can't wait to fill it up!

So now I really need to get the rest of the room cleaned up...and start some sewing... I have no chance of sewing any Christmas presents this year..I haven't even started shopping yet. I will be lucky to be ready for Thanksgiving..and it's at our house this year..for 15..I think I need to stop this and make a grocery list...and figure out where everyone is going to sit..

Nancy

PS If you are reading this, thanks for sticking with me..I promise to write a little more regularly starting right after the holidays... I still have that giveaway coming...

weekly update...

2011-09-30T10:20:00.002-05:00

Seems I can only get to the blog about once a week... The behind the scenes work is busy.. I am cleaning and packing and trying to organize. I have learned quite a bit since we have moved 13 times in almost 40 years of marriage...

So I am spending my days going through drawers and culling them out. (the move is based on weight!) If I don't want it at the new house, I am getting rid of it here..trash, freecycle, donate...I will use them all..

I am also trying to get satellite tv scheduled, find internet access (will go with Wild Blue, which happens to be our ONLY CHOICE so don't tell me if you hate it!) and today is "find the trash companies name"...there is only one so it shouldn't be too hard... and then we also have to call and cancel all that stuff here...
Every weekend when we leave we take a load to the new house.. We drove out late last night and took a load from the garage...lawn mower, big steel shelving unit, misc rakes and shovels...

And I wish I would have taken the camera because the concrete guys had been there forming up the pad for the new workshop... I hope to get some photos tonight if it isn't too dark...

And we went and got a new laundry tub so I know what we will be doing this weekend.

So this means no sewing at this house. I have to get my Habitat Challenge quilt finished. I only need to hand stitch the binding ... and I have a challenge due for another guild and I haven't even started it. Well, I did start it, but I didn't like it so I want to start over. I might not get to that..

I will be updating the other blog ...but I fear I will be absent from this one until after the move. Wish me luck and I'll see you on the other end...hopefully with a nice, clean, organized sewing studio...

Oh forgot...I got an email last week and was sent an item to review...and GIVEAWAY! So watch for that...cause you know I need to add something else to my calendar...lol

Nancy
WithThreadInHand

what's going on...

2011-09-23T09:48:00.000-05:00

Behind the scenes this is what's working...

I'm starting to pack up the sewing room. We are moving next month. Our big dream and all our work is finally going to pay off. We will be on a quiet gravel road amidst trees and wild life and I will have a HUGE sewing room... We have packers and movers coming next month and they charge by weight...we figure we can take stuff every weekend and save some money. The easiest thing to pack is my sewing room...I took two boxes last weekend and these are ready to go tomorrow. Of course I already NEED something that I sent out last week. lol

The sewing room is starting to look a bit bare..

all the shelves are cleared off...

all the walls are bare...

I've been reduced to radio only as I packed all my CD's..and I need a few tools to remove my thread holders and scissor hanger and my ruler rack...oh...and the radio shelf.. Then this room will be painted..a boring bland neutral.

I am already tired of packing...I can't imagine if I had to pack the whole house.. and so tomorrow I will be joining a few friends to sew....all. day. long. Can't wait..

My ironing surface, sewing table and bed risers are ready... I need to cut and pack a couple more projects and the sewing machine...

And I have been a terrible great-aunt... I have yet to see my new great nephew and hope to get there next week...I'll take dinner to make up for it...I have a great (from my daughter) chicken enchilada recipe that will travel well...

I helped move my Mom from one nursing home to another. She did fine.

Have been trying to learn the new Facebook...BAH! Why change something that isn't broke?

Nancy

my newest great-nephew...

2011-09-13T09:58:00.001-05:00

Crosby Michael

My new great-nephew on the quilt I made just for him...

Isn't he the cutest thing?

Doing some decluttering today..If we haven't unpacked it or used it in six years I can't imagine we need to move it again...

Nancy

so....now what?

2011-09-07T14:57:00.000-05:00

Apparently no one has any Sherbet Pips in their stash...hhmmpp... not sure what you all are buying out there...this line was so adorable.. everyone should have a charm pack or two in their stash..

So now what?

This is the Sherbet Pips line. Aneela Hoey designed her first line using her hand embroidery designs as inspiration. The colors are beautiful...pale gray, pale pink, bright red and turquoise...with little girls playing on a swing hung from a tree and little ones on scooters..

Then her second line came out.. Little Apples.. This time the kids are playing ring-a-round and jumping rope.. So cute..

It's the same colorway although the colors in Little Apples are more intense..

Do you think I can use both? together?

And I got block two done on my BOM.

Oct block Log Cabin

Is he not the cutest little scooter boy? The center was supposed to be a quarter square triangle but that's just crazy so I fussy cut the little 2 1/2 inch square... He fit perfectly..

and here is Sept and Oct together..

I hate Wednesdays...Rich watches the syfy channel all night..can't miss Ghost Hunters..and tonight will be extra special as he will flip back and forth between syfy and the GOP debate...fun times..

I guess I will make a few more blocks tonight...

Nancy

Wanna Swap?

2011-09-06T19:43:00.000-05:00

This is the BOM for one of my quilt guilds. Ok..I confess..it's not really the BOM...The real one is a school house and then they give you a different design each month for the center. I didn't really want to do a school house and one of my guild friends (Hi Bev!) said she was thinking about using this instead of the school house as it has the same 6 inch center. She ultimately decided to do the school house and I totally stole her idea. The photo isn't the best..it was taken this evening and the lighting isn't the best in the sewing room..

Funny that the first insert was a churn dash..

I started using up my Sherbet Pips and after I fell in love with this first block I realized I only have 1/2 a layer cake.. the inserts are only 6 inch square finished so a charm pack would be perfect.. I am looking for one or two charm packs of the Sherbet Pips. I have two charm packs of her newest line Little Apples that I would be willing to trade.. Or I have some solids..or I have some Pat Sloan which are primitive in color way or I have some fq's of 30's.

Anyone? Anyone?

For a whole different conversation... I had chili planned for dinner tonight and then read this post from Melissa and decided "what the heck?" I will use her chili recipe.. Oh my...it was GOOD! So if you are like me and need a good chili recipe that freezes well...try it.. you won't be disappointed. I will say that I won't be adding the tablespoon of jalapeno or the 1 cup of water to the next batch. It was a bit spicy for us and Rich likes his a bit less juicy... otherwise he said he really liked it better than my regular chili recipe which I have been using for 39 years with no complaints... lol

Nancy

Cooking with Abbie..

2011-09-03T06:42:00.007-05:00

Yesterday, along with the tennis shoes, I talked grandma into buying this..

Mix them up.. they just use a tiny bit of water..

These are cutie pie pans.. that come in that box.

This is all that is left in the bowl..

Cause I did this..

They were good and we are taking some to Grandpa Dean today.. He likes brownies..

Thank you for all the good things you said yesterday. I got grandma to read them to me. I have so many friends!!

Bye.
Abbie

Guest Post...

2011-09-02T12:39:00.000-05:00

Hi, my name is Abbie, I am 3 years old and I am staying at my grandma and grandpa's this weekend. My Mommy got my Daddy tickets to the OU vs Tulsa game in NORMAN, OK in the 24th row and two nights in a hotel.. Mommy said Daddy's head exploded because he was so excited. They said I couldn't go to Boomer Sooner.. maybe some day I will be old enough..

Last night my Mommy drove me to my grandmas car. We moved my car seat to grandmas car in the parking lot. On the way I told mommy that grandma was going to buy me some new tennis shoes. Mommy didn't think so, but I know grandma will. You just wait and see. I want to wear tennis shoes to school every day but mommy says mine are too small and we need to get new ones.

Grandma and I went to the post office to mail a book. I don't know why she took the book to the post office. I take my books back to the libary.. I think Grandma got confused.

Then we went to Walmart, Grandma had a list so she didn't forget anything. She kept reading it out loud and now everyone in Walmart knows what we need. I told her I would read it to her, but she said that ice cream wasn't on the list. I told grandma that I needed new tennis shoes for school. Grandma said "ok". I told grandma that mommy doesn't let me wear shoes with characters or lights on them. Grandma found these and they have ballet girls on them.. I don't think ballet girls are a character so grandma bought them.. I got new socks too..

Well, grandma says I need a nap cause she is tired.

Bye,
Abbie

Why all the hype?

2011-09-01T11:21:00.000-05:00

I am still here...working on my StLMQG Habitat Challenge. I have the top completely pieced now and pressed all my backing...and then...I saw them...all the extra blocks I made for this quilt and decided for one reason or another they weren't working... So, what the heck...let's just use them on the back...

There is the house block that was my first thought...you know HABITAT - HOUSE...{i hear crickets!}
and then I thought about a rail fence...so there is one of those up there, and then the rest is all the leftover fabric that would never be used in anything else so I pieced it all together and this is the result... and it's now pressed...

and

UGH! Who invented the idea of a pieced back? I hated making that back. I don't think it adds anything to the quilt as a whole...it was very time consuming..and frankly who is going to look at the back? I don't see me doing this again. But I do see pieced backs all the time so what is all the hype about? Do you know?

Nancy

out of the loop...

2011-08-20T06:29:00.000-05:00

I feel so out of the loop... Please know that I have been reading all your blogs... I just haven't been commenting...

I have been furiously working on my Habitat Challenge due in October for the Modern Quilt Guild.
I'm on my third version right now...

My first thought was habitat...hm,,,houses...and I love houses... so I made one house block...and it did nothing for me. Nothing..nada...zip...zilch...

Back to the drawing board...or rather the graph paper.. and colored pencils... I have EQ 5 but have no idea how to use it...

So my second idea was ....was...gee...I have no idea what my second idea was...I do know it was only on paper...OH YEA!! I thought about a rail fence...using the Habitat fabric and my background...
Nope...can't do that..not enough fabric to make the quilt big enough...

So here is my third attempt...

OH MY GOD!! You actually thought I was going to show you the quilt??? HA HA HA... You know me... I don't show the finished quilt until the reveal.. I will however tell you it is brilliant (cue singing Angels!)... just brilliant...I say... and now of course I have jinxed it and it will be a flop... lol

I have all those pieces hanging on my design wall...it looks GOOD, I tell you... And now it is 6:30am and I am being told to pack the cooler to head out to that other house... to paint...

I hope someone calls the realtor and wants to tour the house...and then wants to buy the house...but please be careful in the sewing room...You see, I have all those little pieces hanging on the design wall and I don't want them moved. It took me a LONG time to get it right..

see ya next week...
Nancy

I'm still here...

2011-08-13T07:42:00.000-05:00

I've been busy... Doing a bit of this and that... mostly that.. and I need to continue that this weekend...at least the weather will be much nicer. Highs in the 80's with lower humidity...We shall see...

Today I will be at my monthly meeting of the St Louis Modern Quilt Guild. We finally have a permanent home and today is the first meeting there. Can't wait to see what the room looks like and how it works.

I have this to turn in.

We used this tutorial and made our blocks 12 1/2 inch unfinished. I volunteered to take these blocks home and finish the quilt. I found that bright pink and white stripe in my stash. Love it..and hope some little one will love it too. Half of all the quilts we finish will go to Project Linus local chapter and the other half will go to Joplin..

And I have been working on this... This is a free pattern by We Love French Knots...

Not the best of photos... I think I will frame it to hang in the new sewing room. If you do this...only use one strand of floss for the words.. I started using two strands and it's just too thick.. the words are little.. I am thinking of snipping the thread and redoing the one block..we'll see.. If you are new to embroidery this would be a great pattern to start with.. Each block is a different stitch and there are videos showing how to do all the stitches... I learned to do bullion roses...you can kind of see them here on the end of the scissor fob...

and now it's time to get some breakfast down and get out of here...

Nancy

my pins ARE sharp....

2011-08-04T11:28:00.000-05:00

I have been really busy this past couple of days...

Finished the binding on this quilt while riding to Kansas City Saturday...

Abbie and I made cookies yesterday morning and she "tested" them at 8:30am... Doesn't everyone have dessert after breakfast?

we took some of the cookies with us to see G.G....

For lunch with GG we had ice cream for an appetizer, then a grilled cheese sandwich

And chocolate pudding for dessert... Let's see, so far we have had 3 sweets and no veggies...lol

Abbie found my camera...


Today we took off to the post office and then to Walmart where I found these.. They feel really nice...8 fq's for $9.97 and 2 - 1 yard cuts for $10.97. I have an idea but it will be weeks before I get the chance to work on it..

And I will leave you with Abbie's random thoughts on driving spoken on the trip to GG's yesterday...

If you honk, that man up there will move...
Are we there yet?
Can you make the car go wiggly? Like daddy does?
Are we there yet?
Green means GO, Red means STOP, Yellow means....um...yellow means...I don't know what yellow means...
Are we there yet?
Can I move my car seat to the front? Mommy let's me..
Are we there yet?
Do you even know where you are going?
Are we there yet?

And for you wondering...I got my Pinterest to work. Seems if you sign up and go to the HELP section there is a "GOODIES" section... You grab the little widget that looks like a circle with a line at the bottom (I'm guessing it is someones idea of a pin) and it will show up on your task bar..

When you see a photo of something you want to pin just click on the pin, it will capture it on one of your billboards.. If you are capturing a photo off of a blog or anywhere else you must click on the photo to make it come up on a page of it's own. Then you can pin it.. So far that's all I can do..

Nancy

I have bum pins...

2011-08-01T17:28:00.000-05:00

Would someone please explain in detail how to PINTEREST??? I belong...I joined... I drank the kool-aid... Now what? I can't get anything to pin on anything. It seems my pins are defective...

I'm not that old. really!! I can start a Yahoo group for my guild... I can convert Word documents to PDF's.. For goodness sakes I can download photos from my camera, upload them to this blog...Why can't I PINTEREST??

Please I need step by step...

TIA,

Nancy

hm...

2011-07-29T10:34:00.001-05:00

I seem to be on an "every two weeks I will blog" schedule. So sorry...not a lot going on here so not much to talk about. We go out to the other house every weekend and work our butts off and then I am too tired to do anything during the week..

I have done a few quilty things...

I went to the my guild meeting a couple of weeks ago where I won these...

No plans yet...

Moda donated enough of these for the entire guild...and NO CHALLENGE...

Picked up these challenge fabrics, Habitat by Jay McCarroll for Free Spirit... This IS a challenge...we can add solids only.. I have one block done and so far I like it...we shall see.

I played with a tutorial I found at Mary Claires blog... I have had this finished for a while now..

Doesn't look like much yet..

My stitching lines are 3/4 inch's apart. 1 inch would have been better.. they are kind of pulling up at the edges..

Wal-mart has all their school supplies out and mine was selling the composition notebooks for 40 cents each. Get them now and stash them away for when you make your gifts. Normally they are over a dollar each... Or Dollar General stores have them in their school supplies for $1.00 each,..

This is a gift for a neighbors daughter. They are having a new baby in September and the baby quilt is in the works ( I will be hand sewing the binding on tomorrow while riding to Kansas City to see Kenny Chesney in concert with my sister and one daughter) So I will show you that next week.. hopefully... don't hold your breath... Mary Claire has a wonderful, easy to follow tutorial on her blog. Just click that link up there.. My granddaughter, who is 9, spotted it on the ironing board and immediately fell in love with it.. Tried to talk me out of it...I guess I will be making some Christmas Presents this year.. She said the boys would like them too, if I didn't use such "girly" fabric. LOL
Typically when I use online tutorials, I follow them exactly the first time. Then I might tweak them a bit for me. I am not a crayon lover for a couple of reasons. They tend to break and they melt. I wanted the little girl to be able to use this in the car so I made more stitching lines and added colored pencils.. A little problem... Did you know you can't buy short colored pencils anymore? I looked everywhere!! So I pulled out this little machine...

Well, Ok...I didn't actually "pull it out".. It's always set up the shop... It's a band saw. And hubby took the long pencils and shortened them for me. I kept the short pieces...There must be something I can do with them..

And I have this to work on next...

The blocks were all made by members of the guild and I volunteered to put one top together and get it quilted. I think it might be due the second Saturday of next month...I'm not sure though...so I better get it done just in case.. Half of the quilts will go to Project Linus and half will be sent to Joplin, Mo for the people that lost everything in a recent tornado.. These are the pink/orange blocks...the other colorway was aqua/green... I need to get them sewn together and search my stash for a backing...

Let's see....anything else? Nope...I think that's it.. If you actually read this, thanks for sticking with me... I hope to get better at updating later..but I can't promise anything..

Nancy

Every baby deserves their own....

2011-07-15T08:19:00.000-05:00

Remember the challenge quilt? When my second daughter saw it she thought it was perfect for her friends baby. He's a year old and cute as a button. He even has his own FB page. I told her sure, get me her address and I will send it off. Then I had second thoughts. I didn't want to send it anywhere. I wanted to keep it. I wanted to hang it in the sewing room and see it everyday. I had also written all over the backing in Pigma Pen...which doesn't come out... So....what to do? Make him his own quilt. Somewhere on a blog I saw a quilt made with solid jelly roll strips and white... I loved it...and remembered it...but of course now I can't find it. So out came the Kona Solid jelly roll and I pulled some blues and purples...10 colored strips and 9 white strips later and this is what we have...

The photo I saw was turned the other way....

And I couldn't stop....I hand embroidered his name...

I think every baby deserves his own quilt...certainly this little boy does...

Nancy

LOVE....

2011-07-14T19:05:00.000-05:00

Dear Samsung,

I love you. I was drawn to your beautiful silver skin and clean keyboard and was happy to be told that you possessed all the inner goodies that were necessary. I was surprised last night to be driven to Best Buy where we met. I hadn't planned on getting a new computer, but I guess my husband couldn't figure out anything else to get me. I sent you off this morning with the son and he taught you all kinds of new tricks. You now know all my bookmarks and you learned to download email and you made room for all my pictures. That's a lot for one so young.

So far you have done a wonderful job. Your keys are a bit different so please excuse me while I get used to them and sometimes I might hit the wrong one...but it's nothing personal. I will learn. Even at my age. You do speak a different language but lucky for you I have a son that speaks it very well, so he will help me. .I do hope you won't leave a brown spot on my left thigh like your predecessor did. He was such a hot head. HP's have that reputation you know..

Here's to a long friendship.

Hugs and kisses,
Nancy

Technical difficulties

2011-07-14T10:06:00.000-05:00

Blogging should resume tomorrow. Lucky for me the SON is a great computer geek.

Nancy

Did you know...

2011-07-13T05:20:00.011-05:00

that I drove 142 miles yesterday...

that there is no charge if you break off the same tooth within 3 months...

that my birthday is today...

that if you eat lunch at a nursing home you will crave Imo's for dinner...

and that said lunch will give you heartburn...

that the temperature was 100 here today...

and then it got dark and windy and the temperature dropped 20 degrees..

that my dog will bark at the wind...

that a nearby city just banned low slung pants... oh yes...$100 fine for the first offense...

$300 fine and 40 hours of community service for the second offense...

that I think that is wrong... they didn't ban girls from wearing men's boxers and tanks with no bra...

and if you don't know any better but to wear your pants around your butt crack you probably don't have $100 anyway...

that I can't answer questions when you are no-reply...

That THIS LINK will help you fix that

Nancy

knock....knock...

2011-07-12T08:42:00.001-05:00

Is that an echo I hear? I wouldn't be surprised if most of you have given up on me. I am still here...everything is fine...just very busy with some family stuff... I did manage to take a "me" day last week and packed up a lunch and drove a bit over a mile to a friends house where we set up in her sewing room and sewed... It was so relaxing...I could have just stayed all day...oh wait...I did!! lol Thank you so much friend for asking..it was just what I needed...

This is what I worked on...

I had all the blocks made so it didn't take long to lay it out and sew up those rows.. I decided not to worry if some of the fabrics touched each other.. sometimes with this pattern it's almost impossible to do that.. and once it is quilted no one will be able to tell where one block stops and the next block starts. This is for my neighbor who is due in September. The fabric is Pure by Sweetwater. I won a fq bundle quite a while ago... It sure pays to follow blogs..and comment.

And then I worked on this...

Just a sneak peak as I can't finish it until the hubby gets home tonight. I need the use of a power tool... This will be for the sister of that same baby... and maybe I will make more for the grandkids for Christmas this year. We will see... Isn't that fabric cute? I won the fq from Anina at Twiddletails a while back. Perfect for this project..I just have scraps left..

Last night was a fun night out to dinner with a friend (you know who you are!) who picked up the tab for my birthday at Joe's Crab Shack.. Such good food... I had Pecan Seared Barramundi with Onion Strings and grilled veggies...

Today I will visit my Mom (I'm taking some homemade brownies with me!), do a bit of shopping for new PJ's as I have mislaid a pair somewhere, visit the post office to mail out seven books, and I have a dentist appt this afternoon to get a broken tooth fixed. This is the third time this tooth has broken and I am hoping they can fix it without too much trouble. I fear I will need some kind of veneer this time...

Nancy

PS Birthday isn't until tomorrow...but thanks for all the good wishes...lol

Design Wall Monday...

2011-06-27T09:00:00.007-05:00

I'm cheating... This is not my design wall.. This is my niece at her baby shower holding the quilt I made her soon-to-be-born son..

free pattern can be found at Cherry House Quilts...

When she opened it she said "oh...you know me so well.." She likes simple and modern. I think I might have nailed it...

my sister-in-law makes the most amazing cakes. The moistest cake you have ever eaten..

Mini-muffins, fruit kabobs, and guess how many peanuts are in the jar...(202)

and of course you can't have a baby shower without gifts... this is just the beginning..

And Abbie said...."take my picture"...

and this is what I got...

Nancy

Design wall Monday...

2011-06-20T07:07:00.000-05:00

This is still on my design wall from last week. I hope to get the rows sewn together and made into a pillow cover.

Friday we crossed our fingers and put a For Sale sign on this house. I have no idea what will happen in this market..and it's kind of scary.. Over the weekend we worked on the "other" house. And one of the rooms we are doing is the sewing room... I could use some help picking a wall color and would love any ideas for the room. If you could design a sewing room from scratch, what would you NEED? WANT?

Today is quilt guild and we are to take up to five UFO's. We will show them and have a certain amount of time to finish them...if we do we are put into a drawing for prizes. It hasn't motivated me yet, but I found two to take...

Have a great day everyone!!

Nancy

quick pop-in...

2011-06-17T10:49:00.000-05:00

Have you ever noticed that button on my right sidebar? It's for the Quilting Gallery... Loads of information on this sight.... and every Friday they have a contest... You can submit a photo of a quilt that matches the category and if you win, there are prizes... who doesn't love prizes??

Today it is miniature quilts and I submitted my Baby Geese... I am very proud of that quilt as it is the first quilt I ever paper-pieced... took a class and it didn't become a UFO!! lol

So if you are so inclined.. USE THIS LINK to vote.. and for the first time you can actually vote for 3 entries...

Nancy

I've been playing...

2011-06-17T08:41:00.001-05:00

I started with part of a charm pack and some solid white squares I cut... Sewed them together alternating the print and white squares..

I opened this package...

And used this little ruler...

To cut the top into this....

I ended up with this...but didn't like the partial pinwheels on the sides ...

So I added a strip of white to the top, bottom and both sides.. and recut

And ended up with this...

Hm....now what the hell do I do? It's not very big... I didn't measure it but it's maybe the size of a large couch pillow. I thought of using it as the front of tote, but it might be too big... Oh well, back to the drawing board... I'm not sure this the best use of the ruler... You are supposed to sew print squares together with no white...and then the pinwheels are tessellating.. Like this... (sorry I am linking to a giveaway post. It's an old one from April and the giveaway is over, but the two photos show the way you are supposed to use this ruler...) It would take a lot of charms to make a lap quilt ... as you can tell I sewed 6 charms across and 5 charms down for a total of 30 charms...and that's the biggest it gets.. If I had a Accuquilt Go Cutter I might do a lap size cause I could cut my own squares from stash...but I don't think I would buy enough charm packs to do it... Oh well, it was fun... Maybe I will do it again with my Fresh Flowers charm pack and make a tote..or a pillow..

Nancy

and the show continues...

2011-06-16T05:18:00.002-05:00

Are we not a great group?? Such imagination and creativity... The meetings are so much fun.. If you live in the St Louis area and love Modern Quilts check out this link...

A great group photo can be seen here.. I refused to stand on a chair to take a photo...

Nancy

St Louis Modern Quilt Guild Challenge... The Challenge Reveal

2011-06-15T10:17:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday was the big reveal... It was amazing to see all the quilts made from the same fabric and how different each one was.

The challenge was sponsored by Robert Kaufman Fabrics . They sent enough charm packs of their kona solid in the classic palette for each member of our guild. We were to make a wall hanging using at least 21 of the charms and we could add two additional solids. No prints could be used except for the backing and binding. And if we took a charm pack and didn't finish we had to return the charm pack AND pay $10...We did have a few not finish so I guess our coffers will be padded a bit...

I ripped mine out three times and finally came up with this...

Named "Enabling my inner rainbow and coming out of the closet" OR "the nipple quilt."

And in no particular order..... (and something wasn't set right on my camera and I didn't find that out right away so some of the photos are terrible..but that's all I had)

I will show more tomorrow...

Nancy

I seem to be in a slump...

2011-06-01T10:15:00.000-05:00

about blogging... Not a whole lot of sewing is happening here at the moment. I do have a baby quilt due in less than 3 weeks and I am starting over. The first one is not right for a few reasons. And I don't have fabric pulled for the new one so I am really behind.. I did finish my StLMQG solids challenge.. want to see?

What do you think? Oh...yea...that's the back..lol Sorry...not showing the front until after the big reveal at the meeting June 11th..

And did I show these already? Can't remember and I'm too ~~rushed,tired,busy,~~ lazy to search the blog. These are two of my charity blocks for the StLMQG .. I think they are due in July so might make two more...

Yesterday 2 friends and I took off on a little road trip. First stop was Material Girl in Centralia. (no website, so I linked to FB) What a nice store to find in a small town. All new fabrics, loads of precuts and easy to find. Beverly (no blog) was nice enough to point out a stack of Sherbet Pips.... and as I was oohing and ahing over it the owner asked if I had a pattern in mind.. Nope...just collecting... So she whips out a piece of scrap paper and proceeds to draw what she plans to do with the collection. hm...that was nice.. So then I told her I won 1/2 a layer cake from Aneela Hoey herself and wondered what to do with it.. so the owner proceeds to draw out another quilt block and shows me how it would look... amazing! I have both designs now and as soon as I have some sewing time I plan to work on it...

I then bought these to add to my stash...

Sherbit Pips by Aneela Hoey for Moda

We got some back road directions and headed to Columbia to Satin Stitches.. I really like this shop. She carries tons of fabrics and 4 tables packed with fq's.. Lots of black/whites which are hard to find around my town, tons of brights, a whole section of panels and also carries tons of machine embroidery thread, designs and supplies...

I bought this...

Dilly Dally by Me and My Sister

I already have a plan for it... i need to put a post it note on it with my plan cause by the time I get to it I will have forgotten it...

Then off to lunch where we all had the best sweet potato fries... and we headed up to Appletree Quilt Shop .. Bev was on the hunt for a certain fabric and they had it... Sticker Shock... Fabric was $10.00/yard and we even saw some for $11.00/yard.. This sewing stuff is getting to be expensive...

Well, I am off to hopefully update the "other house blog".. We stopped there on the way home as I forgot "something" that was hanging in the closet... and Beverly spotted the perfect place for a long arm in the BASR* ,.,,,

Nancy

*big as* sewing room

Do you Facebook?

2011-05-19T12:29:00.000-05:00

I love facebook. I can find out tons about my family and what they are up to...I can communicate with my girls (the son has banned me from his account and I don't want to know why!) I can see what my favorite fabric designers are doing ... Something else I can do?
I can enter contests...I am very particular about which ones I enter though...And Bernina came up with one a couple of weeks ago that I HAD to enter. I posted a photo of my sewing room and am in the running to win $2500 from Bernina and $2500 from Home Depot.. My sewing room could sure use it.

If you facebook would you please go over and vote for me...starting today and every day until May 25th..

Click this link BERNINA Makeover Contest and I am on page 66 bottom left hand side. Nancy L in Williamsburg Mo.

Thanks so much...

Here is the photo so you know what to look for...

Isn't this pitiful? Bad color, bad light, no floor, the only thing going for it is it's big...

Nancy

wow...

2011-05-11T18:25:00.000-05:00

Last week there was a blog hop for Pat Sloans new book.."What a Novel Idea". I won the drawing on Carrie and Rosie's blog LaVieEnRosie. And just in case you don't know that Rosie is her dog...she makes it very clear on her package...lol

A couple of days ago I received Pat's book in the mail from Leisure Arts, so was very surprised to find this huge box on my front step yesterday.. Apparently when you win something from Carrie you get more than what you won...

Thimbles, 100 Blocks edition 3 magazine, two mole skin journals, an organizer in green and fabric...7 yards of fabric to be exact. You can see the yellow orange...it's a cute circus print...and then there was a wonderful Christmas print..

Tomorrow the real estate agent is coming to get the details on the house so we can get it on the market.. I hate it... I am excited to move and be closer to the grandkids, but I would love to have an inner Samantha and just have to twitch my nose and have the house clean, sold and all of this stuff moved... but since that isn't bound to happen, I guess I better get busy...lol

Nancy

and I spent my Mothers Day sewing....

2011-05-10T10:48:00.002-05:00

Saturday was the first St Louis Modern Quilt Guild Sew-In.. such a long fancy name for such a fun group of friends getting together to do what we like to do best...

I can't show you what "some" of them worked on cause they are doing some secret sewing for THE MARKET...you know...the one in Salt Lake City that starts this week? Five members of our guild are making lap quilts for a local designer and oh man...are they all wonderful...and even though they all have the same fabric each quilt looks so different! I can't wait til I have permission to show them...

In the meantime..here is what the rest of us mere mortals worked on...

Cara is making a wall hanging for her office...

Linda at the cutting table..I don't think she even knew I took the photo..she was really concentrating on that fabric..

This is her "other" quilt guild mystery quilt...

oh my...I should know who this belongs to ... Lynn? Such pretty fabric...
No, it belongs to Jan...who I will probably continue to call Lynn...lol Thanks Kristy..

The knees on the left side of the floor belong to Annie, who is talking to the owner (gah! I can't remember her name) about how it will be quilted. Annie does long arm quilting
BARB!! Her name is Barb...I should have known it as she was my mug rug swapper person..thanks Mary Claire..

a scene of sewing...that's my machine a the front...

and another sewing scene... we had a wonderful sewing space..

This is Brown Shoe Company in St Louis. Two of our members work here and asked if we could use it on this Saturday

I KNOW!! A shoe!! Made of shoes!! Of course who sees this and doesn't get a photo...The shoes are metal and gray and had sparkles in them... so cute..but we couldn't convince anyone to get into the shoe for the photo! It was nasty dirty water full of leaves inside..

And remember this video? I sent out a message and asked anyone that wanted to race to bring a jelly roll all sewn together.. and we raced!! Kristy had a stopwatch on her phone and was in charge of starting the race, and keeping the times...

Mary Claire came in second... she added squares between each strip...I need to try this next..

Nancy used a Christmas jelly roll... I think it looks like rolls of wrapping paper... Nancy came in third

Debbie used a batik jelly roll...we are trying to figure out why hers came out fairly square? Are batiks wider selvedge to selvedge than others? She came in fourth... and I think it was because she started with more fabric!!

I came in first and there is a reason I won't show you the back or the seams...I can't promise that I kept a good 1/4 inch seam ~~all the time~~ ever... I take the most terrible awful photos in the history of the world..unfortunately it looks just like me...lol

I also made a small zipper bag for seconddaughter and worked on a Yellow Brick Road for a new baby coming soon... no photos of either...

And how did I spend Sunday? The normal Mothers Day..

And everything has just been dumped into the sewing room and it's a mess and we have a realtor coming tomorrow and I need to stop typing and get cleaning...

Nancy

Mothers Day...

2011-05-06T15:38:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I are taking my Mom and Dad out to dinner tonight for Mothers Day and Dad's birthday which is at the end of May. What do you get someone who has everything already? Something handmade... Meals at their house are typically taken out on the sun porch.. so I made them each a place mat...

I used part of a Verna by Kate Spain honey bun... I hope she likes them.. I think I will make another set that is more geared to his colors next.. I didn't have a pattern, just laid the strips over the backing and batting and did a sew and flip method.. Very easy and quick... I think I might make a set for us for the new house..

I am off to a Sew In tomorrow.. There will be food and games and food and some sewing.. I will be working on a zipper pouch for the second daughter, a Yellow Brick Road for a baby boy that will soon enter the neighborhood and a couple of other projects I stashed into the sewing caddy..

Sunday will be spent working at the other house.. This is the last weekend before the flooring goes in and there are lots of last minute things to get done..

Have a good weekend all...

Nancy

do your quilts talk?

2011-05-05T05:34:00.006-05:00

I woke up early this morning and after having tea and some cereal....reading email and checking in on my blogs I decided to finish cleaning the sewing room... It never fails.. As soon as I get the cutting table and ironing surface cleaned up I am compelled to mess it up again.. So out came my quilt challenge project. I started about a week after we got the fabric and instructions and then got stuck..I didn't like what I had done and put it away.. I got out what I had already pieced together and started "reverse sewing"... Then those little pieces started talking..and talking..and talking..and then it was YELLING!! And I hurriedly ~~tried to listen and draw~~ sketched out the pattern and started stitching... and stitching...and stitching...and finally I had a top...then I had it pinned...then it was quilted...and now the binding is on and ready to be sewn down. And now it must be sleeping because it is nice and quiet in the sewing room. whew..and I am tired..but so relieved to be "this close" to being completely done..

There is no "rule" that says we can't show it, but I think I'll keep it off the blog until we have the reveal..which isn't until the second Saturday of June... I am so happy with myself that I have it almost done. I will confess to being a chronic procrastinator...although I do pull it out at the last minute...

Today my Redwork group meets. I haven't been to a meeting since December and have no idea what is going on, but I will gather up my hand stitching and show up...

And then I need to figure out what to take to my Sew In on Saturday...and pack...

Nancy

Oh, don't fall over....

2011-05-04T09:37:00.000-05:00

Yes, two posts in as many days... but this is too good not to share...

Go HERE...and read... So funny and so true!!

Back to working on my Modern Quilt Guild Solids Challenge.. it's finally revealed itself to me...

Nancy

APQS Quilt Show in Paducah...

2011-05-03T20:00:00.000-05:00

I think this is my 10th year going to the show in Paducah. I remember being overwhelmed my first year and I think I came home with a couple of fq's... (I made up for it the next year!lol) This year was a bit different with the flood gates being closed and a lot of the vendors moved to the west part of town. The city of Paducah came through though and the free bus service moved the quilters around as fast as possible. We were given new maps with the routes and yes, it took some time to get from place to place, but all in all they did the best they could with the situation..

A friend and I took the bus again this year... We left St Louis at 5:30am and returned around 10pm.. It was a long day, but the sun was out and it didn't rain and it wasn't so hot you died...

So what did I get this year?

Ardco templates for hand piecing

Fairfield had a surprise gift for those that read their newsletter...

Fat Quarters from a vendor on sale! 12 for $25

3 one yard pieces from Hancocks of Paducah's back room...they were $4.95/yard

a yard of red/white stripe..this will become binding for a red white embroidered quilt top

Lil Twister medium size...it uses 5 inch squares.

An Olfa Revolving mat..


a three yard piece of a bright pink and white...

The quilts were absolutely stunning...

I know I have been MIA lately.. We are working really hard on the other house and also getting this one in some kind of shape to put on the market.. I have a couple of quilts that have deadlines and I have been working on them...but of course can't show you..one is a challenge and one is for a new baby coming later this year.

I fear this blog will continue to be quiet until the other house is finished. I hope you will all stop in now and again and check on me...I will be here...

Nancy

Special Announcement...and some ramblings...

2011-04-20T08:47:00.000-05:00

This Friday is Earth Day and Starbucks is offering you a free coffee or tea .... just take a refillable cup...

Today is my last hand piecing class..and I don't have my homework done. I have "most" of the block finished so maybe I won't get into too much trouble..

Scary storms blew (literally) through here last night. We had lots of wind, rain and some smallish size hail. Not too far north 2 confirmed tornado's touched down and there was some damage... I am so glad we were spared...

I am off to JoAnns today to get some more of those blue/green dots by DS... but not for me...I am enabling a fellow Modern Quilt Guild member...

woops...need to get off and get dressed..

Will show you my hand piecing when I get back..

Nancy

i drank the kool-aid...

2011-04-14T14:05:00.000-05:00

And it was good!!

Yesterday the hubby bought a truck and since I wasn't home he of course didn't remember the

extra keys or some notarized paper and one of the books to the old truck...

So I could have just put them into the mail...

But then I remembered that I had to go to the mall to get the grandson two summer outfits for his birthday cause that's what I got his sister (along with a fun thing) and he remembers what we got her so I need to make sure he gets the same number of items...lol

And guess what sits right smack between the car dealer and the mall?

yep...

The Kool-Aid stand...otherwise known as JoAnns.

And look what fell into my arms...

More Picnic and Fairgrounds... I have no idea which collection is which... but I picked the four I liked the best and got full yards, well, except for the pink and red dots...that's two yards...cause I had a 50% off coupon so really I got a yard of dots for free...

And yes, Kristy...the kool-aid was great!!

Nancy

guess...

2011-04-13T19:45:00.000-05:00

I was suckered in...

I was drugged...

I had a coupon...

I lost my thread...

Guess which one of those was my excuse to head into JoAnns and get these?

Denyse Schmidt for JoAnns...Picnic and Fairgrounds.

I bought 1/2 yard cuts...but I think I need some more of the dots..

Nancy

Wool Winner....

2011-04-11T08:27:00.000-05:00

Remember this?

Mr Random Generator was kind enough to wake up and spit out the

NUMBER 4!!

So CAROL... Come On Down!!

I'll be working on getting that wool stuffed into a box today...along with cutting out some fabric and doing some hand piecing..

What are you working on today?

Nancy