Balloon Wreath

I was asked to teach a class at our church for a craft day called Super Saturday. At first they wanted me to teach a birthday banner class which would have been fun too, but it would have taken too much time. So I found this cute balloon wreath complete with tutorial on Our Best Bite's blog and it's much quicker from start to finish. I still need to add a few more balloons and tidy it up a bit. It takes quite a few, about 200-250, but this is the overall look and I think it will be fun to hang on special days, birthdays, etc.

Dr. Suess's birthday-again...

As long as I have a child in elementary school, I will always know when it's Dr. Suess's birthday. I can't tell you how many times I've done some version of Cindy Loo Hoo's hair. Nikki was so excited about today that she had a hard time getting to sleep last night. She had everything planned out-the hair, the braid design, the dress, the tights, the shoes. She's at an after school activity right now at church and still wants to keep her hair this way. I have a feeling she'll ask me if she can sleep in it too.

Here's what's on my design wall right now. I had a charm pack that desperately needed a home. There are very few patterns out there that only require one charm pack. So I made all of them into half-square triangles, put them up on my board and starting playing with design. I landed on this one and have them sewn in rows so far. It will probably be a medallion for a quilt or else a table topper for my square kitchen table. I used every charm square except 3 of them. I'll put them on the back.

Big purse

I finally made a big purse. It's one I've been eyeing ever since I saw a couple friend's of mine with theirs. I love the grommets-all 8 of them.
I love how large the opening is, but also how it looks like a regular purse once it's closed. With the wide mouth opening, I can easily put my notebooks, church books and iPad all in it with room to spare. The pockets are a nice size too.

Now that I've made one and worked through all the kinks of a new pattern, I'd love to make another one. It goes together quite fast and I'd love to make one as a gift.

Looking Back

I was looking back over some of my photos and found pictures from my Material Girls Idaho group from several years ago. Wow! Have we been a productive group and such creativity. Here are just a sampling of a few I found. The snowman quilt was one where we all exchanged fabric at one meeting, learned how to make the quilt and then several in the group made their own version of it.

Flickr block

Finally finished my January block for my Flickr group, Bee Scrappy. Somehow I got behind last month. I really enjoyed making this block, it was a new method for me. Here's the tutorial that we all used to make these liberated churn dashes:
I can see lots of possibilities using this same method for several other classic blocks.

Scraps and stash

So many people including myself are looking for ways to use up our tons of stash from projects past and I've always loved this particular technique called Snippets. It's so easy to do. I've shown a few of my snippet blocks and quilts before, but I had forgotten about the method and was trying to think of some ways to use up my stash, a personal goal for this year. I whipped up this little block in about 30 minutes. There are a couple of books outlining the technique, but you basically just put Steam-a-Seam on the back of your leftover fabric pieces, free form cut them into shapes. I chose to do flower petals, leaves and a vase. Take the paper backing off and stick it down on your background fabric. The shapes are removable and you can re-position them several times until you get a look you like. Once you like it, iron and it's permanent. Make a huge bouquet and you've used quite a bit of your stash!

This next block was another Pizza Box block. I used the same design as last month because both quilters had such similar colors.

My group

Got to go to my group today, always a treat. These are a just a few of the quilts we got to see from our show and tell.

I showed my carolers which I finally finished. They are now ready for Christmas 2011. I crocheted scarfs for them and added a few buttons.

Pizza Box squares

I just finished the Pizza Box square for this month. Each person in our quilt group, Material Girls Idaho, should now have 7 completed squares. We're starting to get a little glimpse of what our future quilts will look like. Below is the first block that came with the pizza box that the box owner made. That gives us the idea for colors and style for the blocks we add to the box.
Here are some of the other blocks that were already in the box from the past few months. Since there are about 18 of us participating, we will probably end up going for 18 months.

From toe to head

Since I'm in the middle of projects and don't have anything in the "done" phase to show, thought I'd at least show my daughter's handiwork. My brother who owns a show manufacturing plant (high end high heels) sent me all kinds of scraps of shoe fabric knowing I was somewhat of a fabricaholic.

It's very thick material, and quite the interesting color combinations, but nothing I could ever use in a conventional quilt. In fact, I would need to sew with the heavy duty needles just to get through it. But my daughter thinks the fabric is awesome, so she's been busy making herself layered flowers for her hair out of the remnants. I sense a future scrapaholic in the making :) So there must be some women out covering their toes with this material, but in my home it looks beautiful on the head.

Carolers in January?

So I'm a little slow on getting Christmas projects finished. Maybe I should have just said these are for 2011 and that I planned it that way. I'm still not completely finished, a few buttons to add here and there and I plan on knitting scarves for most of them, but I wanted to see how they'd look through the camera lens. They were so fun to make and very fast. I also got better with each one and appreciated tips that were given online. I found the tutorial here.

Chargers

I couldn't post a picture of these chargers that I made for my sister until after I gave them to her for Christmas. So here they are finally.

I was actually starting a hexagon tablerunner for her when she mentioned very casually that she loved the plate chargers I made for myself. So I changed directions and whipped up 6 plate chargers. She loves anything dresden plate, so this was a perfect gift. Now she's inspired to make some dresden plates on her own. She's thinking of making some small ones and putting them into a tablerunner. I hope she enjoys using these. They're a lot of fun to make and actually make for a good stash buster. I'm thinking of making a few more sets to put out on the table throughout the year-Christmas chargers, Thanksgiving chargers, Valentine chargers and summertime picnic chargers.

Winnings!

In the mail today was this fun surprise package from Heather Mulder Peterson of Anka's Treasures. Look at all the new patterns and 2 new books. I'm so excited! I won these when I entered a blog hop drawing from her blog. I can't wait to sit down and look through each pattern.
Also coincidentally today my sister-in-law called because she opened her Christmas present I sent her (I knew she'd open it early, she just can't wait) and was thrilled to have her new tablerunner, which just happens to be an Anka's Treasures pattern. I posted about it just earlier this month. I'm glad she loves it and she even sent me a picture of it on her dining table.

Material Girls Idaho

Here's a few sneak peaks of some of the projects that were shown at my quilt group's meeting last week. Aren't they cute!




My Material Girl buddies out did themselves this month and we had a great show and tell. Here's a link to the group's page so you can see what everyone came up with this month. http://materialgirlsidaho.blogspot.com/

Tablerunner...check

Check, it's done. I'm probably going to have a hard time giving this one away because I really love it. They're colors I love and use in my home, but I actually am more excited to give it as a gift.
I finished it with some machine quilting.

I love how it turned out and it was fun using the 60 degree ruler to make these hexagons. The pattern is from Heather Mulder Peterson's book, Sizzlin'Sixties.

Gingerbread search

I bought this cute little gingerbread girl and ever since I've been looking for other gingerbread people to add to her family. It's so cute and I would love to have more things with gingerbread men on them. I may just have to make a quilt, but I really do love this little knitted girl. Maybe I'll find the time to use a brown sock and beads and make my own, but I could really use a pattern. I'm better at copying something cute rather than coming up with something cute on my own.


Finally got the tree all put together last night. We always put a picture of Christ on the tree so He doesn't get lost amid all the glitter and glam of Christmas.

Decorating and gift making

For some reason this year, as soon as the last mouthful of scrumptious turkey and dressing were off my plate and into my mouth I was excited to start ushering in Christmas. I asked my sons who were home from college to "go get Christmas." They knew what that meant-trips into the house with large plastic bins full of Christmas decorations. I carefully packed away Thanksgiving, turned up the Christmas music and began the joyous ritual. A ritual that has become a tradition and also becomes a trip down memory lane as items are unwrapped and almost discovered as if for the first time all over again. It's amazing how you forget what you have packed away.



My fun snippets wreath wallhanging has a new home right in the kitchen. It was fun to make and even more fun to look at each day.


In the meantime, I'm still putting together gifts for Christmas. This beginnings of a tablerunner (below) is now going on the back burner as I have come up with an even better plan for my #2 Christmas gift. My daughter likes the hexagons though and wants an entire quilt made of these, so that project will have to wait until after Christmas. So for now, I'll try to finish the 3 other gifts I have going all at the same time. #1 gift is in the machine quilting stage, so I'm nearing the end. #2 gift is now ready for the final piecing. #3 gift is an embroidery which has about 2 more hours worth of work, then it will be ready for the finishing stages. I enjoy making things when I know exactly who I'm giving them to. I only wish those whom I'm making these for could know how much I think of them while I'm working on their gifts. Handwork and quilting cause me to slow down a bit in an otherwise hurried and frenzied season. That's a gift to myself!

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

A few more things to do before our home is filled to the brim. Grocery shopping, changing sheets, setting out clean towels and fun magazines for the guests in their rooms, dusting, vacuuming, menu planning, etc.
But one thing I never want to lose sight of is just what my embroidery says, I must always give thanks for my bountiful harvest. I see the hand of the Lord in my life and I would feel so ungrateful not to acknowledge where my blessings come from. I look forward to being with family this week, laughing together, playing games, eating, listening to each other's stories and laughing some more. I love seeing how excited my youngest girls get when they know cousins will be coming to our home. They already know at such a young age that family is what matters most.
Have a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving week!

Moving a bit closer to Thanksgiving

Now the table setting is starting to take shape.
First to come into town is my oldest son who arrives this Saturday. He'll be a big help in some of the heavier work to be done for preparations. Second to arrive is second oldest son on Monday. Again, more hands to help, but also more fun around the house. We love to play games as a family, so I'm feeling a big game night coming on. I'd love to hear about everyone's favorite family games.I love Jim Shore's creations and this is one that I leave out all year. For me giving thanks is a daily action and this beautiful piece reminds me to find things I'm grateful for each and every day. That's easy because all I need to do is look around.

Getting Ready, bit by bit

Mr. and Mrs. Tom Turkey salt and pepper shakers

I'm getting ready for Thanksgiving guests next week, putting a few things out each day, picking up, cleaning out, etc, etc. Bit by bit things are coming together.

UFO's

While looking for something else, I opened a box with many of my UFO's-- blocks with no home, leftover blocks, and just changed-my-mind blocks.
It's actually been quite some time since I've seen the contents of this container so looking at everything brought back memories. I think they're over 10 years old now.

I pulled these 3 blocks and decided I should turn them into pillows, an easy fix for lonely one-of-a-kind blocks. This red and yellow one will actually look awesome in my family room, so it's probably the first one I'll transform. Can't wait to see how they turn out.