Merry Christmas

A little video greeting that my College Boy just made for Timbersled Products, featuring their Mountain Horse Snowbike. You'll see my College Girl and her boyfriend at the beginning. :)



I don't know why I can't get the full video there. Here is the link to watch it on YouTube.

Share the link for the video with your friends and family (my son would love to see the views count go UP!). I'm sure all the guys would love to find that snowbike kit under their Christmas tree.

Hubby, myself, College Girl and her boyfriend, and College Boy will be celebrating Christmas on Saturday. Adding in the serious boyfriend, travel for him and College Girl to celebrate Christmas with his parents and brother (who has to head back to his job early Monday morning) made for some interesting logistics that we think we have finally figured out. The time and date does not matter. What does matter is that we stay focused on THE reason for the season - the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior and that we spend the day with loved ones.

I hope to be back sometime the week between Christmas and New Year.

Merry Christmas to all!


Praise - for the incredible news we just received from my sister in law. The cancerous tumor on her lung has shrunk by 50%!

Prayers - for continued healing in my sister in law's lungs.

Decadence Apron

I've been sewing a LOT lately. I've just not taken the time to post pictures. I'm trying to remember now if I even took pictures of everything. I've made a tree skirt and a table runner using Moda's Jovial and another table runner from Moda's Grace. I also made a 241 Tote for College Girl's birthday using a patchwork of precious scraps from Moda's Arcadia. I need to shorten the strap on that.

Today I have an entry for the November installment of;

Just in time for Thanksgiving, a cute apron from Riley Blake's Decadence line.




By the time I finished sewing this afternoon there was no more daylight to take a decent picture by. Overhead lighting and flash was the best I could do.

I would love to start another project but it is just about impossible to do so. I have a clear space on my cutting table about a foot square. Ugh. Shoving the scraps from previous projects off to the side has finally caught up with me and I must take care of it before I proceed. There are scraps and pattern pieces and directions and tools. Actually, who knows what might be buried under the mess. I know it is going to look so good when it is cleared off and I will be inspired to create something new.

I'm happy to report that we are beginning to get snow. :)

Praise - for all the safe travels and great time with friends and family this past weekend (celebrating College Girl's 22nd birthday).

Prayers - for one of my nephews and a man from our church that are both in the hospital being treated for infections in their backs.

Celebrate Color - October

I almost forgot that entries need to be in by the 26th of the month for:

First off is this apron, made in Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet and a coordinating Kona Cotton.





I am getting lots of sewing done lately and have more projects to show, I just haven't taken the time to take the pictures yet! I've made a TO DO list where I break each project down into steps. It is so rewarding to mark something off the list even if the entire project isn't done. I like to see all that I have accomplished in the last month or so.

Praise - another baby to join our church family in June!

Prayers - for College Girl. She is half way through fall quarter and has so much to do! Prayers for her challenges with one particular professor.

FNSI update

I finished the quilt just moments before hubby arrived home! I will wash & dry it in the morning and take pictures then to post.

Praise - College Girl's boy arrived safely and Hubby's travels were safe!

Prayers - For a good nights sleep!

FNSI progress

I was able to get the top pieced and a picture taken before it got too dark and the rain started.



Now to make the quilt sandwich and get it quilted. I was going to do straight lines like in the inspiration quilt but have decided that is going to take too long so stippling it will be.

Praise - College Girl has another week of her senior year behind her.

Prayers - for College Girl's guy, who is on the road (in traffic) on his way to visit with her for the weekend.

Finished and gone

I finished the quilt just in the nick of time, Thursday afternoon. I was sweating it there for awhile because I figured I was going to have to get to town, wash and dry the quilt at the laundromat and get back home in time to fix dinner for everyone. Fortunately the quilt fit in my washing machine (kicking myself for NOT getting a front loader)and then I put it in the dryer with a pillowcase with tennis balls tied inside.


Pictures didn't turn out great, funky lighting choices and all.

Colleg Girl drove off at nine a.m. on Friday for a six hour drive.She wasn't able to move in until today but I'll bet that the quilt is probably on her bed by now.

This is my entry for;

I think this fall has all the colors of fall - golds, oranges, browns, rusts and turquoise for the sky.

Praise - College Girl made it safely to school after a lonesome, long drive.

Prayers - For College Girl's senior year, she'll hit the ground running Monday with reading and an essay due before classes even start. For College Boy's busy week and making time for all he needs to do.

Progress report

Well I can call my FNSI a success! This is what I accomplished;


Yes, I know it is a bad picture. The lighting is pretty low in this room, the lights and flash made it look worse. Soon I can be finished, take it outside and have someone tall hold it up for me. Stay tuned.

I have the first borders cut out. I need to sew them together and then sew them to the quilt and then get my outer border strips cut. I would say that I usually cut everything before I get started but this time I just wanted to SEW, so I cut the bare essentials and got to work. I actually like doing it this way as it breaks it all up a bit so nothing gets monotonous.

I know that I said I liked ALL the fabrics in this line but if I HAD to choose one favorite this would be it;


College Girl is still six hours away (spending some time with College Boy this morning) so I can get quite a bit done if I just get to work. Off I go.

Praise - for cooler temperatures for the house building work party that hubby is taking part in today. I hope they are all safe and make a lot of progress.

Prayers - for College Girl and her boyfriend's (hmmmm, I need a 'name' for him)safe travel back home today.

This is what I'm working on

Tutorial found here at the Moda Bake Shop.

I'm using the same Fandango fabric. There is not one print in this line that I dislike. Nope, I love 'em all! I have doing one extra row so that the quilt will be longer. My borders are a different fabric than the one pictured and I think I will cut them an inch wider than suggested in the tutorial.

Okay, back to work!

Praise - College Girl and her boyfriend had safe travels today.

Prayers - for the time College Girl spends with family friends and College Boy.

I'll be there!

I'm working on College Girl's Senior (SENIOR!!!) year quilt. I started cutting pieces out on Monday. I started sewing on Wednesday. She leaves for school next Friday.

Praise - triplets born early but healthy to son and daughter-in-law of couple in our church. The new grandparents made a safe trip to CA and arrived just a couple of hours before the delivery. Welcome to the world, Patrick,Braiden and Sofia!

Prayers - for a Godly upbringing for the triplets, that they would continue to be healthy (each born at approx 3 pounds) and that they would grow up to walk with God.

Jamie Dress Sew Along Complete

I just wanted to share a couple of pictures from our trip to Big Sky country last week.
College Boy taking some pictures;

Hubby and I walked up this road so that College Boy could take some pictures of us for a photography assignment. It was such a gorgeous day.

I really did not even think of flowers when I asked hubby to go to the grocery store for me before coming home from work the other day. He will only buy flowers at this one particular grocery store (and never at WM). A warm room and some sunshine and they were all opening up.


So here is what I'm all excited about;

I finished the dress!!! Now remember this is for College Girl to HOPEfully wear on Easter Sunday. I asked her numerous times for various measurements, I read and read and Reread the comments by others in the sew along and then finally I just bit the bullet and prayed a LOT while I sewed. I packaged it up and sent it off via Priority Mail this afternoon. College Girl might get it tomorrow but surely by Monday and then we will know if it fits.

I would do a few things differently sewing with this pattern again but overall the instructions were good and there are lots of great pictures. Putting in the zipper with a glue stick was a great idea. A side zipper at that. I had never done one of those before. I wasn't thrilled with how wide the stitching was on the zipper opening or how it is done around the bottom of the zipper. I would do that differently next time. For the hem the instructions just say to stitch around the bottom of the skirt. Well I think it is such a nice dress and deserved a nicer job on the hem. I just hate that hand stitching and knew it would never look as good as something my mother or mother-in-law would have done. Hmmmmm, I KNEW there was this technique for doing a blind hem stitch on the machine but I could NEVER figure out the whole fabric folding thing. Well I got out my Bernina manual that has failed me miserably in any other situation and tried it on some scrap fabric. It was easy and I LOVED the results! On to the real hem!
On some sections you can't even see the stitches because the thread is such a great match. I was soooo happy with that! Looks nice and it was quick. I will definitely use that technique again and again.

Here is the finished dress, in what sunlight I could get from our front window.
The dark fabric you see at the neckline is the lining of the back as that rides higher than the front neckline.
Fabric is Poppy in Aqua by Laura Gunn for Michael Miller.

Won't you pray along with me that it will fit College Girl? I'd really appreciate that.

Praise - College Boy earned a super grade on a recent test and has handed in his application to go on in the film program.

Prayers - for College Girl and some decisions/situations that she has before her. For wisdom and knowledge and discretion.

Stash Report - week ending 4/10

This isn't going to be good for the ol' stash. All of this arrived in the mail on Monday;


I was going to call this The Ugly Truth but seriously there is NOTHING ugly about this haul!
Fandango charms and yardage for College Girl's senior year quilt.


Pure charm packs for College Boy's sophmore or junior year quilt/duvet. Simple Abundance yardage to back a quilt made with a jelly roll from the same line.


Moda Bella Solids that were on sale at the Fat Quarter Shop, the off white for College Girl's quilt and the Simple Abundance quilt. The grey is for my 1974 quilt.


Simple Abundance print for the borders of quilt, Patisserie print for borders of a quilt made with that line (remember I got those pre-cuts not too long ago?) and the Dandelion Girl seersucker plaid for a sundress for College Girl.


All fabric was on sale. All fabric has an intended purpose. All fabric by Moda (totally unplanned).

I also received one very overpriced FQ of Sandi Henderson's Henna Garden in Pumpkin and now my collection is complete and I can start on that project someday.


25.25 yards in week ending 4/10
0 yards out week ending 4/10
43.875 yards YTD IN
43.875 yards YTD OUT

0 yards TOTAL BUSTED 2011

I'm reporting stash results HERE.

Who knew this would bring me to exactly even for the year? I'd best get busy on the yardage OUT before the 'other' package arrives. Maybe later today!

Praise - hubby and I had safe travel to and from visiting College Boy. We had a great time with him and our friends and enjoyed over 5" of fresh falling snow while there.

Prayers - For pain relief for Joanne and for improvement/healing for Grant.

Just in time

I am such a procrastinator. I work well under the pressure of a deadline but I really don't know why I do it! I have the time. I know about things in plenty of time. Yet I wait.

I just finished this apron for a bridal shower being held tomorrow afternoon.


The bride-to-be likes green. I hope she likes this combination of Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet. I also made a simple potholder to go with it. Maybe she'll try it on at the shower and I can get a better picture because I know this one is pretty bad. Taken at night with flash.

I would have waited until the morning to finish the apron but I really need to start on a cake that I am making for a different shower being held on Sunday.

Just realized that I didn't do my stash report for the week ending 3/27. I'll just add that week and this week together and report on Sunday.

I think I'll go make some quilt binding for that Aviary baby quilt. I might be able to get that finished tomorrow so that I can give that at the shower on Sunday. No worries if it doesn't happen though since I've chipped in on a big group gift.

Praise - for the safe travels of a young family in our church returning from Peru.

Prayers - For College Girl's final quarter of her junior year.

I love me some weekend sewing

I actually made this late yesterday afternoon for College Girl's camera.
I used this tutorial found at Moda Bake Shop. Moda's Bliss charms leftover from the baby quilt that I made recently.

Then I started cutting up some soft pink Kona solid and part of the charms from an Aviary charm pack that I won.
Today I'm doing the sewing. I'm working towards something like this. I don't have enough for a border but that's just fine as it is for the newest little girl born into our church family.

I have no idea why I love weekend sewing when all of my days are pretty much the same, but I do. I did run to town this morning (which is such a time waster in my opinion)to get some Kona solid for a binding and some off white flannel for the backing. I guess my stash report is not going to be very impressive this week.

Break is over, back to the machine.

Praise - Joanne's surgery was a success! She is recovering in ICU now.

Prayers - that Joanne would avoid infection and that her pain would subside. Also for hubby and College Girl, that they would be safe while playing in a volleyball tournament today.

March Pillow Party - in pictures. Lots of them.

Nothing like waiting until the last minute to get my entry posted for the

Well seriously I DO have a few more hours, so in my procrastinating mind I am way ahead!

The story of this pillow begins back in October 2009 when I saw THIS tutorial by Alison at Cluck Cluck Sew. I loved the pillow and the tutorial and made one for College Girl to match her sophomore year quilt. But I knew I wanted to do more with that same method. The mug rugs that I made recently were branching out from that pillow, using the free motion quilting to applique the shapes on to the background fabric. I liked giving the pieces some texture with the quilting stitches.

My idea for this month's pillow starting brewing back in January. I knew that I wanted a cherry blossom tree for March. My first rough sketch.

Yeah I sketch in a graph paper spiral notebook. I also draw out quilt blocks, quilt layouts, figure measurements for yardage and even cookie designs.

My refined sketch;

Notice how I can't even commit to an entire page? When I sketch the graph paper means nothing as far as size of the finished project, it is just paper.

I was determined to use what I had on hand for this pillow since I AM trying not to purchase fabric unless absolutely necessary. These are the Kona solids that I had in my stash that would work;

Although in my head a lighter, shimmery, sheer pink would have been lovely.

I didn't trust myself to draw the tree and sloping grass covered ground backwards onto the WonderUnder so I drew it out the way I wanted the end product, made notes on it and then flipped it over and traced around it on the WonderUnder.



I decided to use a pale pale pink Kona solid 'cloud' under all of the petals so that most of the area seen between petals would appear to be pink petals and not sky.


College Girl wanted to help so I set her to work with my Sizzix die cut press to cut out all of the petals. Neither one of us counted how many she made but I used them all. In fact she made one petal backed with WonderUnder and then I decided that was not going to work but late last night I ended up pulling the backing paper off and using that petal as well. I arranged them and rearranged them. I too pictures to see the placement from a different viewpoint. I used a Elmer's Washable School Glue Stick (in Disappearing Purple)to glue each petal down. I pulled up a few of the glued down petals and relocated them. Then I let it all sit overnight. I wanted to see if I would like what I saw in the morning.


I did! So I got to work with the free motion quilting. What I had envisioned for the grass didn't work out so I just started moving the fabric and this is what I came up with.

The tree bark was easy. I had done the trees on my mug rugs and really liked how they turned out so I just went with that same style. I used black thread to make the bark appear darker than just the brown Kona.

Free motion quilting of the flower centers;

I just went from blossom to blossom and cut all the threads when I was finished. MUCH quicker that way.

The finished pillow - Cherry Blossoms.


I left it on the couch after College Girl and I both took pictures of it and when hubby came in from work he said "CUTE PILLOW!".

I'm going to link up with amylouwho's Sew & Tell too.

Praise - for the new baby girl born into our church family!

Prayers - continued prayers for Joanne. She was to have surgery yesterday and her husband has not posted an update yet.

February Pillow Party

Linking up my entry for the

This isn't what I thought I was going to make when February started but as the deadline to enter drew closer I knew I couldn't get my first idea finished. So I switched gears and made a pillow that I have been wanting to try. Hubby just so happened to clean out his closet the other day and I grabbed two of his t-shirts for future projects.

I took a lot of pictures, trying to get the color to be true and dealing with another overcast day. When I was ready to come put them on the computer I passed the Bliss baby quilt and thought they would go great together.


I'm pretty happy with it and keep playing with the ruffles.

Yesterday I made this mug rug, 'close to mirror image' from the one that I made in January for College Girl. She works in mailing services on campus and when she opened her package one of her co-workers fell in love with the mug rug. She said something along the lines of wishing that I would make one for her. College Girl asked if she was serious and she said, "yes!". She may have given up hope or forgotten about it by now. I hope she will be surprised when the package arrives later this week.


Linking up with AmyLouWho's February Sew & Tell.



Praise - my nephew's friend, Grant, appears to have had a restful night, his fever broke and his heart rate normalized.

Prayers - for a miracle for Grant.

Daisy's Bliss

We got new snow!! I even went OUTSIDE to take some pictures today. New snow and sunshine, how could I resist?

This to me is TRUE Bliss - snow and a quilt using Moda's Bliss. Have you seen the peeks of Camille & Bonnie's new line? RUBY looks like she would play quite nicely with Bliss.



Quilt was made using Elizabeth Hartman's tutorial that was featured on Sew Mama Sew.

Linking up to Quiltstory for Fabric Tuesday and also Made By You Mondays.


I decided to sew the binding by machine. I used the same method that I used for College Girl's mug rug. Tutorial found here. I actually combine Jennifer's method with Sharon Schamber's binding method (which is my favorite). I'm thinking I will do the machine binding on baby quilts from now on. Not only is it much quicker but I think it will be more durable and hold up to multiple washings and whatever else might get thrown its way.

Praise - for SNOW! For College Girl's safe travel back to school and for College Boy's safe weekend and travels.

Prayers - for the best friend of one of my nephews. Grant is a senior in high school and is now in a coma. Doctors aren't offering up much hope right now. Pray for God's will in this situation. Of course we would love to see Grant's health restored.

Stash Report 2/7-2/20

This report is for two weeks. Nothing went in or out between the 6th and the 13th so I didn't even bother to post. This week I have the yardage for the Moda Origins Placemats OUT.

0 yards in week ending 2/20
3.66 yards out week ending 2/20
9.75 yards YTD IN
15 yards YTD OUT

5.25 yards TOTAL BUSTED 2011

I am linking up here with my stash report.

College Girl came home on Friday for the long weekend. It is SO wonderful to have her home. This evening, while she is visiting with friends, I am doing some mending for her. No sewing will get done today but I will be back at it after she leaves tomorrow.

Praise - friend from church with bone cancer was feeling well enough to attend church and our potluck today!

Prayers - young lady from church (who happens to be College Boy's girlfriend) is headed to China on Friday. She will be there for 10 months (with a weekend back to be at her brother's wedding in May) to teach music and English, share the Gospel and learn Chinese. Sooo many prayers - for her travels, her health, her witness, her safety.

On to the next thing

I just packaged up this set of 6 placemats, made for an internet friend in TN. Each mat has a different set of prints on the side, making them each unique. She was impatient and wanted to see a picture of them and she said they are just what she wanted! YEAH!
Basic Grey's Origins for Moda.


I took the pictures above before I washed, dried and ironed them and then realized I had forgotten a picture of the back.

The back of each placemat is this same print.


So I'm thinking about what my next project will be. I am pretty sure I will sandwich and quilt the Bliss baby quilt top that I finished back in the fall. I'm going to give it to that new baby girl at our church. You know, Daisy!

Praise - That College Girl gets to come home for the long weekend and so far has had safe travel. College Boy is playing in the snow at a mountain horse get together and having a great time.

Prayers - For College Girl's travels home and then back again. That College Boy would remain safe this weekend.