Monday, November 26, 2012

Here comes Santa Claus...

Right down Holiday Lane! Thank you for your patience- I had my Best Friend in CALIFORNIA post the "check back post" Because I was having computer issues in ILLINOIS. Thank You April! KSF











Inspired by our town's Christmas Walk and this adorable fabric, I decided  to make my Holiday Lane into a vintage downtown. I fell in love with this fabric and bought it without really knowing what I was going to make with it- I just KNEW I had to have it. I did talk myself out of it twice and the third time couldn't say no! I fussy cut the scenes and covered the duplicates with the trees. I do want to go back and add snow to the trees. I also fussy cut Santa and his sleigh to fly across the sky.










I liked this pillow the moment I saw it and now that I have put one together I adore it! Thank You Jill and Madam Samm for the pattern and the oush to make it- if not for the hop I would have still had it in my to do pile!
Be sure to check out these other Blogs for more Holiday Lane Inspiration! Monday November 26
From This to That <<<---FINALLY UP! you are here

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

UR Priceless

UR Priceless!

You can’t eat just one potato chip or make just one UR Priceless Coin Purse! Unfortunately you can run out of handles!
I have 3 finished purses, 4 sans handles and 1 on the machine because I forgot to cut enough side pieces. And many more planned. This purse was way too much fun to make- and I hate to hand sew. I did enjoy putting the handles on - maybe because the holes were there to guide me? I used coats and clark machine quilting thread and had no problem except when I got the thread caught on the clasp.



My first purse (actually it was the first one I planned to make but I actually made it toward the end)   is already in Oklahoma with a very dear dear friend. After hearing the title of this hop, how could I *NOT* make a purse out of this fabric?  I bought a ton of it- maybe I will make a matching bag?


Stanley had to check it out- He noticed the
handle was made with the clasp not centered!
After my initial confusion of the first few steps – (I tried to pin it sideways and it took me an hour to figure out what I was doing wrong.) Madam Samm’s instructions were amazing and fun to follow (the confusion was ALL me –had nothing to do with the instructions.)

I bet it would be fun to take a class from her in real life!

 
This is Breast Cancer Pink Ribbon Fabric
but I didn't notice the ribbons were hidden- I should have fussy cut it
 
my pretty little purses all in a row


This was actually the first one I made

sorry about the wreath bits in the backgrounds



Pretty little purses all in a row


bottoms up!
inside of the owl purses
I used upholstery fabric from a swatch board (that I found at a yard sale) for the sides of the owls and butterflies. I bought rick rack to put with the black and white checked ones but haven’t added it yet.



As you can see, I am in the midst of crafting
 for our Bazaar- I made 3 wreaths in-between
blogging and pictures

owls close up









Thank you Katherine and Madam Samm for hosting this Priceless Hop- U 2 R 2  2 priceless!
You can check out the Pinterest page here and get the entire schedule here!
Make sure to visit these other priceless peeps:

 

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

UR Priceless coming soon to blogs near you!





In my last post I told you that I needed to print out instructions for my coin purse-  I finally remembered andstarted on sunday afternoon. After spending an hour and a half trying to get the first part pinned right- User malfunction for sure! I was able to make my first one- it turned out sew stinkin' cute that I had to hie myself off to Joann's and get more handles. Monday night I cut out 6 more purses and last night i got 7 sewn together- I just need to add the handles- which for some reason, JoAnn's has run completely out of ! I was able to get them done after only one movie!
Stay tuned for more pictures!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Feeling Better

I am happy to report that I was able to cut out my fabric for my Leaf me Bee block and “Fall”ing in Love block without pain! I haven’t sat at my machine since September 22! :(



Hopefully I can get them pieced after I get off work this afternoon.

We have a bazaar at the Nursing Home in November and I did finish one project for it. Pretty soon my office will look like Santa’s Workshop- I just have fewer elves!

I took a Home Interior’s picture set that was laying in the storage room and transformed it into something totally different. 
I *do* like this picture- but we have another set... also in storage
My opinion poll showed that the frames were
 too "shiny" gold so...

The warms the heart didn't photograph well - probably because the glass was in it.
 It really isn't cloudy.

I also learned that Avon Skin So Soft removes spray paint from skin!!! I like the spray paint- Fusion by Krylon but it sprays rather forcefully  (more like foam disinfectant cleaner than paint) and I had a brown hand. I didn't have the key to the maintenance office so I tried hand sanitizer- nope didn't work, then i spied the Skin so soft- Worked great, AND it smells good!


I won a prize from the Bowls with Borders Hop all the way from Germany! These little mushrooms are sew sweet! Thank You Nicole!


That’s all for now- hopefully my blocks will be done so I can post them soon! I am also working on my coin purse for the UR Priceless Hop - as soon as I remember to print the instructions! I tried last night to read them off my phone and only step 11, and one step near the end showed up! So much for that Idea! :P



Check out my side bar for the upcoming hops or check out Madam Samm’s ( www.sewwequilt.com) for even more blog hop fun!


TTFN
Bobbalou!











Sunday, October 7, 2012

Leafs me Bewildered

Bubbles- notice my Dottiness?
Well, as most of you know, the day after my Dots on Dots post, I was walking in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Besides making balloon animals, Bubbles usually makes popcorn, so I got to the nursing home and proceeded to load the popcorn machine into Jupiter (my Saturn) I mistakenly thought I had loaded this popcorn machine into Jupiter on a previous occasion. So I wrestled it into the front seat. And told everyone I would see them at the park, took the popcorn cart back into the building and proceeded to start the car…Oh no I didn’t – the popcorn machine was wedged over the gear shift and on the steering wheel. I couldn’t get my hand under the machine to even get to the keys! Hmmm now what? So I got out and decided maybe it will fit in the backseat ( I really should have videoed this process- I was dressed as a clown after all) Nope! Won’t fit back there either. I tried this way and that- and I was lifting the machine off of the ground by this time because- I took the cart in already. It was elephant appreciation day-
I felt like I was trying to get an elephant into the car. Altho’ having an elephant there would have been handy- I could have strapped the popcorn machine to his back and given rides at the Walk. Anyway I wrestled the machine back into the building ( uh, Bobbie why didn’t you go get the cart? Well I was in a hurry and hadn’t had my coffee yet…) and we just didn’t have popcorn this year :(  My lower back was a little sore on Sunday and Monday, but just a twinge. Tuesday, we had our Luau and I moved tables and chairs and then moved tables and chairs and undecorated and by Wednesday, I couldn’t move well at all. I don’t remember ever hurting my lower back, I have hurt my shoulder and neck but this was AWFUL! I haven’t sat at my sewing machine since. This Thursday, I tried to cut my blocks for the blocks I really wanted to make for this hop. I got three strips cut and then my back told me without question- NO MORE. I have been to the chiropractor multiple times and I do feel a bit better so, I am hoping that I can at least make one block tonight after church and can post it in the morning.


I do have a block to share. I started this runner last year and when I got it out, I was thinking it was a disappearing 9 patch but as I took these pictures, I realized it isn’t.  I am not quite sure what it is…. “Leafs me Bewildered” is now the name of my block. :)

Leafs Me Bewildered

I started Free Motion Quilting it, but the thread was not cooperating so I gave up. (and I had no clue what FMQ was at the time- so that could be why the thread was sew uncooperative) Since FMQ is not sew bewildering now, I will be picking these stitches out and trying again.

does anyone recognize this fabric? it
was a charm pack but I didn't notice
names back then. Just one more thing I am bewildered about :) so far the concensus is it is a Sandy Gervais line




Hopefully, if you check back around 8am Illinois time,  later this week... (me back didn't like the idea last night) I will have added "Leaf me Bee" and "Falling in Love" posted as well. I also wanted to do Leafin' on a jet plane but will definitely not have time for that.
Thanks for stoppin' by!

Be sure to check out the other wonder-fall autumn creations over at:
Monday 8
From This to That <-----you are here!


And a Cheer goes out to our hostess Cherry and dear Madam Samm
2-4-6-8 Our Blog Hops are really Great
8-6-4-2 and it's all thanks to you!!
Sew Team!
 

Sunday, September 30, 2012

So Long Summer



We had a Luau on September 25th to say "So LongSummer" and I wanted to share some of the decorations before tomorrow's Leafs Me Happy Blog Hop.



Nana and the Kidlets




We held an Adopt A Flamingo Fundraiser

We also celebrated International Talk like a Pirate Day
the week before the Luau





Who knew that the One Eyed One Horned
 Flying Purple People Eater was a Flamingo?



Be sure to check out these Blogs tomorrow for LEAFS Me Happy!
Cherry has the Master Schedule on the side of her Blog!
www.cherryblossomsquiltingstudio.com


Monday 1

Tuesday 2

Wednesday 3

Thursday 4

Friday 5

 

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Dot.....Dot.....Dot........


I have been seeing SPOTS every where!
Even the bowl that I tossed my squares in has dots!

When I signed up to do this dot to dot, I knew I was gonna use the dots in my bundle of Bungle Jungle that I won from FQS earlier this summer. However, I really had no idea what I was gonna do with them. I looked at books and looked at blogs and looked hither and yon and nothing was clicking. I didn’t know what block to make, didn’t know what to pair the dots with- my thinking was rather spotty J Then as I stared at the dots, I noticed the rest of the bundle had A LOT of elephants. “Too bad it’s not an elephant hop.” Then I realized that my day was the 21st. The day before the Alzheimer’s Walk. The Alzheimer’s Walk is also being held on Elephant Appreciation Day (not on purpose)… Well, then Why don’t I do an Elephant dot block!  So I giggled and proceeded to make wonky star ( my first attempt at a wonky star) elephant blocks- and then I added in the other animals too. All of the star points are elephants and I am going to do some rail fences with the elephant parade to go with the grey and white small blocks.
 
sorry' bout the wrinkles- had it folded to bring to work.
it is an elephant block after all





What do you call an elephant in an phone booth?
Stuck!
Even the elephants are dotty- their ears are dots and their toes are dots!  Of course, as I stitched and sewed I realized I wasn’t gonna have enough dots, I was just gonna order some yardage.  and POOF my Fairy California Mother waved her magic wand and I had not 1, not 2 but three Bungle Jungle Charm Packs in my mailbox! Now I have plenty of dots, (but I didn’t have plenty of time- her wand doesn’t do *that*) My plan is to have the blocks in all the color ways that I have dots, but so far I just have the green, grey and white ones done.  One of the earlier Dot enthusiasts (whose name I can not recall at the moment) made an adorable Elephant Tote and I may have to add her elephant somewhere on my quilt!
How do you know if there is an
elephant under your bed?
Your nose is touching the ceiling!
Why do elephants have trunks?
Because they would look funny with a suitcase!









Why did the elephant cross the road?
Because the chicken couldn't be bothered!

Two elephants were under one umbrella- why
didn't they get wet?
It wasn't raining!
As I was rummaging though scraps I also found more dots and although these aren’t the right size I thought they were cute. The Chicken block is 6 inches and the pinwheel is 5ish. The little ones are 3ish.









I am also making a tote bag that will be a door prize at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and It has dots- sorta. My Fairy California Mom made the Purple Ribbon Heart center.

Why doesn't the elephant use the computer?
It's afraid of the mouse!

I am on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s Committee and the Walk Captain. I will be clowning around on Saturday- my outfit is all dotty and I will be making balloon animals- not sure if I can make an elephant or not J. My clown name is Bubbles (which are just iridescent dots floating thru the air) I tried to find my senior picture but couldn’t- I was wearing a blue/white polka dot out fit and had my picture taken in front of a white dot cut out!
Be sure to check out all the other dotty creations! ( I promise they will not have elephant jokes)
You can find the entire list over at Quilt Taffy

September 21st 
Bejeweled Quilts by Barb 
From This to That ( that's me!!!) 
Nati's little things 
Madame Samm (this last dot is sure to be Spotacular)
Madamme Samm and Corrie have done a marvelous job hosting this hop! Thank You!!!
Some more elephant humor(?) to end with.
Where do you find elephants?
Depends on where you lost them!

What did the grape say when the elephant stepped on him?
Nothing, he just let out a little whine.

Happy Hopping and Happy Elephant Appreciation day!