January report

I can't believe today is the last day of January. Already. Wow, time flies faster and faster the older I get. I did accomplish a few things this month believe it or not. I may take a couple posts to show them off though.

We haven't had many days this month that gave me enough light to take pictures without flash. Now today is a gorgeous day - blue skies and sunny but below 20 degrees. Of course the projects are no longer here so not photos being taken today.

Verna Easy Bake quilt front;

backed with Minkee Dimple Dot in white;


Folded up and ready to be given away;


Origins Easy Bake quilt front;


backed with brown Minkee Dimple Dot;


Folded up and ready to give to its new owner;


I received this charm pack from Lisa at Vintage Modern Quilts for finishing so many projects in December. Thanks, Lisa!

Since one of my goals this year is to use up fabric that I have in my stash rather than buy more I'd like to take part in a stash report. Judy at Patchwork Times has a link up for those participating.
Since I am late to this game I will do my stash report for the month of January and from here on out try to keep up with it weekly.

January IN:

9 3/4 yards This included fabric I ordered in Dec. but didn't show up until January as well as the Sherbet Pips charm pack, some Origins yardage for a project I was hired to do and some white and red fleece that College Girl got and sent to me.

January OUT:

11 1/3 yards White Minkee, Brown Minkee, Verna LC, Origins LC, yardage of Verna & Origins for binding, various pieces for a mug rug

January Total : 1.5 yards busted!

Praise - That both kids got back to school safely and are in the thick of things for this term. That my friend with bone cancer has finally started her chemo therapy.

Prayers - That College Boy's roommate situation would be favorable but we are trusting God that He knows best in ALL situations.

Arcadia finished and more

I finished the binding on the Arcadia Scruffily Quilt last night!! We had some sunshine today so I was able to take some pictures of the quilt outside.



I backed this quilt with white Minkee dot. You can see a couple of the hearts that I quilted on some of the smallest squares.

Here is another finish - I sent the fabric/pattern image to Kelly in email so the surprise wouldn't be spoiled on these. Since I am trying so hard not to spend money on fabric right now I went through my stash and found this flannel I bought in October of 1992. Does that make it vintage?? I made these for hubby for his birthday. I can never just buy flannel jammie pants for my guys right off the rack. Hubby is 6'7" and my son is 6'6 1/2". The pants we find in the stores are more like capris on the two of them.


It feels good to have some items crossed off my list already!

Praise - many prayers were answered for Stellan.

Prayers - for college girl's birthday tomorrow. Her first to be celebrated away from family.

Happy October!

and it is already October 2nd! My how time flies.

Nothing quilty tonight. Just wondering if you've seen these, bought these, tasted these;


I am a huge fan of Candy Corn. Not the Brach's brand though. Nope it has to be store brand or Farley's. Same with the candy Pumpkins. Do you know that one year there was a candy pumpkin shortage here in north Idaho? Yup, there was. It was miserable! Especially so for hubby who was on a trip to Washington and I requested that he seek/find/buy candy pumpkins. He forgot. He forgot until he was back in Idaho and THEN he took a back way home. He stopped at the few pathetic stores along that route and didn't find any. I wasn't surprised by that news. He asked the other day if I bought candy pumpkins and I said 'yeah, did you want some?' He said, 'no! I just didn't want to go on the hunt for them again!'

All that to say that these Hershey Kisses are NOT Candy Corn. Oh sure they are colored to look like Candy Corn. The bag implies that they are candy corn flavored. Thank you that they don't taste like normal Hershey's Kisses (can you say dusty old chocolate taste? blech!), BUT they do NOT TASTE ANYTHING LIKE CANDY CORN! No one that has tasted them can really describe what they DO taste like. My son said they tasted like strawberry to him. WHAT??? So then my hubby tried one and he agreed, he could taste strawberry. INTERESTING! I don't think I taste strawberry but I don't know what it is. I'll eat them. They aren't AWFUL. They just are NOT candy corn. Cute novelty. That is all.

I trimmed and squared up the Arcadia quilt this afternoon. Cleaned and oiled my machine (the little oil can light came on). That was it for anything sewing related.

Oh yeah, hint and tip for you - DO NOT wear a black long sleeved t-shirt when working with white Minkee. Just sayin'.

Praise - my son's friend was able to help him fix his truck tonight. He was able to weld some parts that were needed to fix the power steering. I will feel much better about him driving it now.

Prayers - a man from church is having awful back pain (due to previou injuries) that his medications do not help at all. He is looking at surgery now on the 13th. He is very concerned about it. Prayers for his peace of mind and for the surgeon's skill.

I've joined a club

Kelly at Charming Chatter has started a Quilt Club and I've signed up. I have lots of projects to do anyway and this is some extra motivation to get 'er done!



These won't necessarily be done in this order, just aiming to have them done by the end of July.

First up make the binding and apply it to the Old Red Barn Quilt Along Quilt.


This tote is going to be for a wonderful lady at our church who was so faithful to organize and lead the women's shelter that has now been closed. The print is by Blank Quilting and has some of the names of God on it. The colors are wonderful on this piece! The lining fabric is Moda Marbles,the pattern is by Tanya Whelan's Grand Revival (same tote pattern that I used for my sister's birthday tote). This project MUST be done by July 12th for the presentation.


Using my scraps from the Old Red Barn Quilt Along Quilt, some white cotton yardage that I found in my stash and some white Minkee that I bought for a project that it ended up not working out for, I am going to make my very first stacked coins quilt! I think it will just be a throw size and I would LOVE to give it to my hubby's nephew and his bride when they get married on the 18th of this month. DEADLINES! Of course it helps that my 'scraps' are already sewed together in strips of six! I'm pretty excited that I had everything on hand. I'm even thinking that I have some Warm & White stashed in my fabric closet too but it 'might' be Warm & Natural which will NOT work. If all I need is to get is some Warm & White that will be a pretty sweet deal.


I have never used Minkee on the back of a quilt before but I got advice from Rebecca at Our Busy Little Girls on how she did hers.You have GOT to go look at the quilt she made using the blues and greens of Ginger Blossom and the scalloped border and the Minkee back. CUTE! She said the spray adhesive would not hold the Minkee and that she did use LOTS of pins.

With that in mind I put QUILT BASTING PINS at the top of my shopping list and headed out this morning to get groceries for the weekend. I went to Wal-Mart and headed straight for the drastically reduced in size fabric department. I had already gotten one package of the pins there so I KNEW that they carried them. No pins. I could not find the pins. I saw very small curved quilting pins and wondered when Barbie and her friends started quilting. I asked one of my favorite Wal-Mart employees, the gal that runs the drastically reduced in size fabric department, where the pins might be. She said 'oh we had to get rid of those, we cleared them out'. WHAT!???? How insane is that? I joke with her all the time and asked where I could file a complaint. We lamented over the drastically reduced size of the fabric department yet again, wondered which big wig in Arkansas was deciding we didn't need regular sized curved quilting pins and then she was off to help some cheerleaders with a ribbon purchase. Phooey. I lingered. Then said Wal-Mart employee says 'oh let's look at this end cap' and lo and behold on a hook were about 10 packages of the pins!! Along with scissors and beads and some clear thread that some big wig in Arkansas decided we didn't need in north Idaho. I told said Wal-Mart employee that I loved her. :D She said she was just being a HERO today. I bought SIX packages of 40 pins. I'm pretty sure that will be enough. I hope so. I could get the other 4 packages next week if someone else doesn't need them beforehand.

I do have some other things I would love to make this month and since two of these items MUST be done by the 17th it is feasible that I could do something else. I will give it some thought and possibly post a couple more projects before the 7th. I'd better get busy!

Praise - that I am on the mend from the cold I came down with on Tuesday. I'm just fighting a ticklish cough.

Prayers - that the rest of my family would stay healthy this summer. They all have to leave the house everyday to work!

and a little bit of Pink & Black

Finally - the Minkee 1 project that I posted about here arrived at its destination. It seemed to take FORever to get there. Now my friend usually rips her packages open right there on the front porch while I possess more restraint. Yesterday she was taunting me. She ate some lunch while chatting with me on messenger. Then she decided to have some ice cream. She didn't know that I could out wait her. Oh sure I was anxious for her to open the package but I KNEW that she could not outlast me. I KNEW that it would get the best of her - eventually. And it did. After we chatted some more she said "Don't you want me to open the package?" Hehehehe :D I said, "whenever you get around to it is good for me". I figured that would get to her. When she finally got through all the packing tape, this is what she found;

It is a throw for her scraproom couch. That is the color scheme of her scraproom. Pink walls, black furniture. If she would ever get the curtains done they would be Sis Boom Bell Bottoms Damask and Stripe in black and white.

That is the first time I have used Minkee and mmmmmmmmmmm it is so luxurious! I plan to use some for the backing of a quilt in the near future. Maybe the one I make using Moda's Cotton Blossom.


A nice Sunday afternoon here but once again it is way too cool to be at the lake. I think I am going to SEW!!!

Prayers - for all of the people in the path of Gustav, and those left in its wake. I have been watching the progress of the storm with a heavy heart. To see there is another one developing right behind this one...ugh. Praying!!