Christmas Quilt Show 2010

This is my very very favorite quilt. I completed this quilt about 4 years ago, but i think it took me about 5 years to make! I love appliqué and just could not resist the challenge! I have entered this in a Blog Festival this past May, but when i read about the recent Christmas Quilt show hosted by SewCalGal, I just had to enter this in the show!

Many of the individual blocks are personalized with the help of my nieces. They named each little dwelling after my two sons, our dog, 8 cousins and of course, Grammy and Poppa.

The original design had a Chinese takeout, i decided to replace that block with a church....after all, it's Christmas!

To visit all the Christmas Quilt Show entries,
click here and enjoy!

Book and Music CD Give Away!

Hot off the press! Written, illustrated and put to music by childhood friends of mine. This brand new children's book travels the world with humor, music and desserts!! Click here to visit the official Bon Bon Voyage website. Learn about the book, listen to clips of the original music and order your own copy!

If you are a quilt shop owner, this would make a great holiday gift in your store!

The author Holly and i are collaborating on bringing Bridget to life through fabric.

I have never done a 'Give Away' before....but i thought this might be a great way to introduce Bon Bon Voyage around the world.

1. If you would like to enter the drawing please leave a comment answering this question: "what was your favorite children's book growing up?"

2. For those who have a blog, please leave a few words about this 'Give Away' on your blog

Drawing will take place December 15th 2010

click on the images for a closer look!

Turkey Red

Finished piecing 'All In A Row' from Kim Diehl's book Simple Comforts. i still have to machine quilt, and bind...but i could not resist hanging it just the way it is. I won't be able to finish it up completely until my stack of customer quilts needed by Dec. 25th are quilted. i thought this turkey red border was very fitting for the Thanksgiving holiday.

this small quilt hangs over my banister next to my attempt at rug hooking acorns onto a piece of plaid wool cut from a skirt purchased at the Goodwill. i was surprised how easy it was to hook directly onto wool.

Emily's quilt made by her mom Susan. i used a high loft polyester batt and this fun Flower Power quilt design.

I was rummaging through a box in Tucker's closet the other day and came across this picture. i just had to add it to my blog.....

signed on the back...dated: first grade

Week Forty Six: November 15th-21st

1. quilting two fish quilts

2. still working on the vintage quilts (can't wait to post these!)

3. preparing for the Trinity Quilt Club on Sunday

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town

Today i spent the afternoon with my cousins making festive Christmas cones out of old sheet music. Picture them fill with old fashion

candy canes, rose hips and holly.

If you click on the photos you can see the words printed on the sheet music. Pipe cleaners, rusty jingle bells, Christmas garland and beads made for a fun afternoon.

This colorful patchwork measures 81"x81", individually cut 3 1/2" squares and pieced by Cerena who is only 13 years old. I was so shocked when i met her and saw her amazing quilt. Seriously....the corners match up, the quilt top was square and she placed the individual squares in a definite pattern. Can you just imagine what Cerena will be up to when she's a bit older??

Cerena, you are amazing!! Keep it up girl!! :)

These next two quilts are made by Kelly. I always love what Kelly makes.

Last, but not least....

Buttermilk Basin is hosting a Holiday Blog Hop which started last week. Free projects and recipes from top designers. Click on the button for more information!!!

Week Forty Five: November 8th-14th

1. I have lots of quilts to quilt before Dec. 25th!!

Pincushion Swap

I participated in a pincushion swap 2 months ago organized by 'Quilting Jeannet'.

This is a wool strawberry pincushion that i made and sent to my partner Kim, in Holland.

Kim made this cute cushion for me. It's made with a traditional hankie from Holland. How special is that? I love it!! Thank you so much Kim!!

Jeannet is posting pictures of the pincushions on her blog...head over and check it out!

Couple weeks ago i went to the beach with my girlfriends...we all make the same quilt, share our fabric stash, sew, eat, sew, eat....i have to finish mine up with more sashing strips between the rows of churn dash blocks,

then comes the border.

I wanted to post these next few pictures for my quilt club at church. We are working on the Farmer's Wife Sampler quilt with many many small pieces. Because of the small blocks, precision piecing is especially important....and sometimes difficult!!

Here is an example on my recent quilt, stitching through intersections. In the points facing downwards, I missed the intersection on the right point when I added the sashing and left too much background fabric showing. The points on the sides are cut off because of my photography...just say'n :)

Here is the reverse side ...You can see that i am off here. I should stitch right through the intersection.

success!

when i have intersections like these on a quilt, i try to press the seams in the direction which allows me to see the intersections. Sometimes this is not possible and so i set a pin or sometimes baste through and make sure i hit it just right before stitching the seam. But as you see....sometimes it does not always happen!

Here was the scene at our home this weekend. Both my son's Tucker and Mason were home from college. This is Tucker snuggled up with his C.S. Lewis book.

And this is Mason, snuggled up reading Harry Potter. Mason started reading these books when he was in 4th grade and Harry Potter is why he loves books today. Mason has asked me to read these books for so long now, and i have not yet started....so he started for me. As i was loading a quilt, he read to me.

Week Forty Four: November 1st-7th

1. getting blocks cut for my Farmer's Wife class

2. continue to work on Carol's vintage quilts

3. if i have time....love to get the rest of the sashing on my recent quilt!