Thursday, June 30, 2011

A Finished Jeans Quilt

Here it is all done.  Bonnie had a wool blanket she wanted to use for the back.  Since the whole thing was so thick I didn't use any batting.  It is a very heavy quilt as it is.


 I turned over the binding from the back and sewed it on my girl's industrial machine.  It would never have gone through mine.  I had to keep my eyes out for a couple of pocket snaps also so as not to break a needle.
And then I hand sewed the corners because it was all too thick for that machine also.  Bonnie loved the quilt.  It's always great to have a happy customer.



Aunt Naomi was never going to dote on her nieces and nephews.  She thought so many children get too many gifts from aunts and uncles.  But that was before she had a niece.  She thinks differently now.  She loves giving to Eloise.  Here is the newest item she got.


 She doesn't really walk with it yet, but she can hang on.  At least on our carpet, it doesn't move forward easily, so she doesn't loose control.  She is also learning to wave and say Bye-bye.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Cutting Time

I'm getting the wedding quilt going.  Wanting to post on these WIP sites helps me to get something moving.
This quilt has only 3 fabrics in it, black, white, and silver.


I did my shopping in Portland at Fabric Depot which is a 2 hour drive.  I made sure to buy enough fabric as I didn't want to run short, knowing it would not be easy to pick up more.  I have run short in the past and have had to substitute.  That was not good.  I have plenty of these left over.  They are good basics to have in my stash.


Their are very few grays and silvers at the store.  But they did have a Christmas line that had a silver that would work fine.


 I'm thinking that this would make a nice quilting design in the center of the white squares.  Don't you think so?


This post is linked to Esther's WOW and Freshly Pieced WIP.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Eloise's New Sweater

It's the same pattern as her first sweater.  I made the smallest size then.  This is the next size up.  I made it peach.  That is a good color for her.
We had to roll up the sleeves for her, it's that much to big.  I made a size 6-12 month and used an acrylic yarn.

What a funny look she's giving here.


Here she is last month in the old sweater.  Maybe you can see the difference in size. The sleeves come up even higher now.  I do want to keep her dressed in sweaters.
 The ravelry link is here.


This photo was one of our warmer days.  The calendar says summer is here.  I think of summer as hot.  Maybe I have the wrong concept of summer.  I do remember years when my children were young that we had swimming pools and waterslides up all summer.  And we went to the lake with our friends.  Will those days come again?  Maybe it's global cooling.  (I'm just joking)  But I do want to be

Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

Ephesians 5.20

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Taking Advantage of Small Blocks of Time

I've just had small blocks of  time this past week to work on projects, so I've taken that time to cut out blocks for my Ode to the 30's quilt.  In my guild, we're only doing 1 block a month for 12 months, so I figured if I want to do the whole quilt, I'd better start somewhere.  Block #9 is the first that we're not doing at our guild class, so I started cutting it out and decided to just keep cutting blocks for a while.  I got a few packets made up.


And then I had time to start sewing block #9, but didn't finish it  yet.  It's coming.


These are the clematis that are blooming on the back side of my house.  We have to actually walk back there to enjoy them. Otherwise we never know they are there.


 The flowers are about 6" across. So large. I love them.


Thursday, June 23, 2011

What! Another New Project?

Yes, another new one.  One thing about quilters they all have quite a few projects in the making.  And I am the same way.  
This is a quilt for a new couple getting married.  It won't be done for their wedding day, but when it's done, they'll have it forever.
The bride to be came over bringing a pile of books that I had loaned her and showed me exactly what she liked.  I always do this when making a wedding quilt because I want to make them what they want.
This is the EQ version.

It should be pretty simple and fun to do.

This is a view from my porch of my neighbor's porch.  I thought it was so cute to see Eloise's clothes hanging on a clothes line.  


Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Sharon's Quilt

This is a very cute baby quilt.


 This pic show some of my quilting.


 Eloise loves sitting in her mom's chair.


I think she likes water bottles.  There she goes for it.


Monday, June 20, 2011

New Bags

I love Geta's pattern for bags.  I love all the wonderful pockets and I love to put coordinating fabrics together and see what I come up with.
This one is Belle.  Instead of a magnetic clasp, on these I did a button with a loop.  I think I like that better.

 This is Amelie.  How much fun it is to go to Fabric Depot and just get matches of fabric and put them together.  These fabrics are from my trip in February and I finally got them made.  I just went this past weekend and got more fabrics. Such fun.  Maybe I'll get them made sooner.


This is the inside with all those nice pockets.


 And a zippered one on the back.


Eloise is with Uncle Isaac enjoying a homemade hamburger bun.


Thursday, June 16, 2011

Norah's Sweater

This is a sweater that I made back in January for Norah (Eloise's friend).  Now she fits it.  It was one from the Sirdar book that I really like. And very easy to knit up.


Here's the Ravelry link.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Our 30th Anniversary Getaway

It will be 30 years for Chris and I next month.  But we took some time away now to celebrate it.  We went to the Bavarian village of Leavenworth, WA.  It's a small little town situated in the mountains. Very scenic and bustling.


This town used to be a logging town, but it got expensive for the train to keep coming through, so the town spent a few decades in losing business and people. In the 60's the leaders of the town that wanted to save it thought of the idea of a tourist town in the Alps.  With it's beautiful location that was a great idea and it worked.


 It is bustling. Below is the art fair that happens every weekend in the summer.


And the view at our resort.  I always love looking out at this.



And some of the work I did on my Heart's Desire block.  
Now the funny thing about this wonderful time we had together, that we're so in love, we spaced out in getting our suitcase into the car.  It is still in Leavenworth.  Maybe it's because on other vacations we have so many children we've trained to make sure everything is loaded up and they weren't here to do that.


Whatever it is, my some of my children are looking forward to the 7 hour trip of going there and bringing it back.  Some nice new clothing (that weren't cheap)  and the applique with all the time (not so much money) put into it would be nice to get back.  This applique is a WIP and hopefully I won't have to do these squares over again.
Linked to Esther's WOW and Freshly Pieced WIP.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Hannah's First Doll

A customer (my daughter) ordered this doll for Eloise's cousin.  Hannah liked Eloise's so much she wanted one also.  This one is crocheted with a fingering yarn and therefore became a smaller doll.  But it still suits little Hannah fine.

Isn't she enjoying it?

Friday, June 10, 2011

Sunbonnet Sue Quick Project


I sewed her up in the last couple of days while battling headaches.  I needed to do something that didn't take effort and I could go at a slower pace  with no pressure.  It does always help to have something to do when my head hurts to keep my mind less on it.


She was a panel that was on the freebie table at my quilt guild.  Since I do so many Sunbonnet Sue items, I decided I would take this one home . On the panels things don't always get printed to line up exactly right.  And she had more pieces than I was thinking, so she was more work.  My brain thought that she was a front and back to sew together and that was it.  That's why I started it with a headache.  But she was more and is pretty cute.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Sheri's Quilt #2

The quilt is all one fabric. The way she cut it up is what gives it this look.


 I know there's a name to this style.  These are all hexagons put together .  Each hexagon is a flower in itself.


 I quilted my variation of a poinsetta all over it.


P.S.  I just searched for this type of quilt.  It's Stack and Wack. 

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

My New Capelet

That's what they call it.  I knitted it with a merino wool/silk blend yarn.  It's very soft.  After blocking all those mountains and valleys are gone.


 It's a very fun project.  Very easy to knit, but not boring.  And it went much faster than I thought it would.


 I like the border and how it is a collar around your neck.  This wrap is great for those cool evenings when you just need something around your shoulders.


This is one project I will do again in other colors and yarns.  I want to see what it's like in cotton and I also think lighter colors won't seem so old ladyish as this looks.  My husband called it old-fashioned.  He really likes the color though.

Monday, June 6, 2011

A Sailin'

Well, not real sailing, but applique sailing. 
The weather turned beautiful on Saturday - 80 degrees - and I decided I must find something to do where I could sit outside.  I'd done all my weeding when the weather wasn't so nice.  So now I could really relax in the heat.
Luke's quilt became the plan.  I could sit out and applique little sailboats.  I prepared in the morning using my new Floriani which I really like.  They are pretty simple so it didn't take long to get ready.  And I got them all done in that one afternoon.
Pretty cute, aren't they?

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Mary's Quilt

Mary wanted a quilt.  Dianna sewed the quilt and I quilted it.   Mary is excited to see it.


 This is the flower I quilted in the star and down in the corner I  quilted leaves in those squares.  That one is hard to see.


I did feathers and twirls on the borders.


Friday, June 3, 2011

June Block - Ode to the Thirties

I went to my guild yesterday and started this block, which I finished later at home.  I did cut a couple of things the wrong size, therefore having to redo some.  It seems there's always something that way.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Part 2 of My Newest Knitting Project

Part one is here.   This is part 2.  They go together.  Can you figure it out?


I have a granddaughter.  I'm now starting to buy toys.  Playmobil.  I raised all our children on Playmobil.  This is the 1-2-3 Playmobil.  I don't have much of them.  So watch out Ebay.
I think she is enjoying them.  She put just about every piece in her mouth testing them.


I  think she likes her new toys (that stay at Grandma's house).


Wednesday, June 1, 2011

The Sham is Completed

And will be shipped to my customer.  She's seen pics and is very excited.