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.

Stash Report - week ending 4/3 and something sweet

I was asked to make a cake for a baby shower. The mother likes chocolate and strawberries. I didn't want to make a sheet cake so I looked around online for some ideas and came up with this;


3 layer milk chocolate cake, strawberry jam and sliced strawberries between the layers, chocolate frosting, ganache poured over, chocolate dipped strawberries drizzled with pink candy coating (she had a girl). I didn't even stay for the shower because my back was killing me but the reports back were that the cake was a success.
I instructed a couple of gals on how to cut it so that it served a lot of ladies. Cut a good sized round in the middle of the cake then cut 1" or so slices from the outer ring to serve. When you get to the middle round you can cut that into small wedges. They said the middle was difficult to cut but the outer ring sliced up beautifully.

Here is the quilt I made for the newborn girl using the Aviary charm pack, some pale pink Kona solid and a dusty pink Kona for the binding. The backing is an off white flannel. Yes, the sides look all wonky but it must be because I just pulled it out of the dryer and asked hubby to hold it up for a picture. I didn't take any time to smooth it out and hand press it into shape. It was not like this once I had it on the table and folding it up.

I machine stitched the binding. Time was short and I was tired but I really like it and think I will do that more often, at least on baby quilts.



Stash report is really for two weeks, I never got around to reporting last Sunday.
Fabric out consisted of yardage for the camera strap, my cherry blossoms pillow, the bridal shower apron and this baby quilt. The fabrics that came in consisted of backing and binding for the quilt as well as a FQ of a Sandi Henderson Henna in Springtime. I paid too much for it but it is scarce and I 'needed' it!

2 yards in week ending 4/3
5.5 yards out week ending 4/3
18.625 yards YTD IN
43.875 yards YTD OUT

25.25 yards TOTAL BUSTED 2011

I'm reporting in HERE with my totals.

Next week's report is going to be BAD, verrrry bad. I have fallen off the fabric diet and purchased quite a bit. I think that it is all for projects that I have in mind and want to be working on and everything was on sale! So hard to resist when the conditions are right. I need to get sewing so that I have SOMETHING to show in the OUT column.

Praise - for the sweet baby girl added to our church family - Annalee Rose. Our church has lots of babies right now but most of them are about a year old. Annalee looks soooooo small in comparison.

Prayers - for Annalee's family and her upbringing. That she would come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal saviour.

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.

Giveaway WINNER!

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I want to thank ALL OF YOU that took the time to watch at least one of my son's videos! So many great comments and he is LOVING the feedback! He was so excited to check the 'hits' each day. Thank you too for showing it to others, posting the link in other places and passing it on to those you know would enjoy it. If you are so inclined you can subscribe or become a follower of the TimbersledProducts 'channel' so to speak, on YouTube. He is editing footage of yesterday's ride now and they had an 'extreme' rider with them doing some CRAZY stuff! I'm not sure when he will have a new video up but hopefully very soon.

For those of you that commented on us having snow in May, listen up - we had a mix of hail and snow at our house today. Crazy, I tell you!

So on with the announcement already! Did the random number 'thingy' and still don't know how to post that here but the winner of the 4 Kona Cotton fat quarters is - WOOLYBOOGER!!!! Isn't that a hilarious name???

woolybooger said...
I watched both videos. I've never seen a snow bike. When the bike was shown, it all seemed very practical. My favorite video was the one showing the bike up close. Thanks for participating in the SMS giveaway.

I have the Irish Chain quilt sandwiched and ready to quilt. I did add the borders. I also have the 9 Birdie Baby Quilt sandwiched and ready to quilt! I was hoping to get my BSR 'fixed' before I started these but the repair guy was not able to get ahold of Bernina and he was not familiar with the fix that I was telling him about. Phooey.

Another one of the church babies was born this week. They are having them faster than I can quilt! LOL! Only one more scheduled as of right now and that is for mid June and get this - I have that quilt top finished already. :D

Praise - hubby and I did have a great time in the nursery on Sunday! Lots of children but they were all well behaved.

Prayers - for hubby as they move into new offices tomorrow, for that transition.

4/15 A day off

Well sort of. I didn't work today and I headed out fairly early,all alone. I have to drive 1.5 hours to go to;

I read about all the fabulous things other bloggers find at Target. I didn't find any. I was pretty disappointed.

I also went to Macy's and Penneys and ran into Costco for some lunch and then on to;


It was a really nice day here today, probably made it to 70! This photo shows a gal wearing shorts. This photo was not taken today. :) I forgot to take pictures of the stores after Target but I remembered that I had a picture in my file of my little podunk JoAnn's. I spent way too much time in there today. No one waiting in the car ya know. EVERYTHING I wanted was on sale! Thread, Kona, Basting Spray. I TRIED to use my coupons and I couldn't! I thought I would use a coupon on the latest quilt magazine that I wanted but they didn't have it in. I ended up giving three coupons to a lady who was shopping there without a coupon. :0

I will try to take a picture tomorrow of the pretty assortment of Kona cottons that I bought today. When I was finally done at JoAnn's I went back to Costco for my shopping. The only thing out of the ordinary that I bought was a bag of Peony starts, everything else was just the normal grocery items. Then I went BACK to Target to get a new doormat. I thought Costco would have some and they didn't.

Here is a photo I snapped when traffic slowed way down for a construction zone. This is the lake I cross when coming into the town I live closest to. My son is going to love that smooth water and wish he was wake boarding.

and a picture to the east (with windshield glare);

Home to unload the car, make something for hubby and I to have for dinner and then time to finish up the binding. I had to join the two ends together and sew the final edge. Now I am gluing it to the backside. I like to use the Sharon Schamber method - no clips or pins required while doing the hand sewing.


Praise - (you may want to put all liquid refreshments down and swallow before you read any further) We have a signed sale/purchase agreement!!!! Thank you for your prayers.

Prayers - for the sale to go through to closing and an exchange of funds takes place - and all that encompasses. Closing should be the 27th.

Kona Cotton Thanksgiving

I've been drooling over Kona Cottons lately and tonight I decided to see which colors said 'Thanksgiving' to me. This is what I came up with (images from Fabric Shack);

Clockwise from top left: Amber,Spice,Garnet,Ivy.

I think it would have taken me longer to figure out if I had gone to the Robert Kaufman site and looked through all of the Kona Cotton Solids colors. Maybe next time.

Praise - work/training went well according to the boss and I will go back on Monday.

Prayers - for those in our church body who are traveling this week for Thanksgiving.