Postcard swap

I received my fabulous postcard ages ago but haven't posted anything about it, shame on me!
Shelia from shelia's quilting world hosted the swap. Joanne was my partner and made me this snowman postcard. I love the way he is quilted in circles! Joanne also used real sticks for his arms. The card is in a clear envelope but she cut a hole so his scarf could go through. I just love him!
I'll show you the one I made later. It was the first one i've done, but it won't be the last!

Iron quilter

Vote for your favorite quilts!
My CaMom's quilt this gorgeous one! Please vote for it! (my phone isn't being very nice and won't let me send the link. if you go to missouri star quilts on facebook, or google +, you can vote :-) http:// bit.ly/1isuOoF

https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=705136912838928&id=174183745934250&set=a.705136326172320.1073741831.174183745934250&__user=1186147588#!/media/set/?set=a.705136326172320.1073741831.174183745934250&type=1&__user=1186147588

From this Snowman to That.....Penguin?

From This

This snowman used to be very cute, however, he needed a make over. His paint was faded and the googly eyes were dented. The grapevine was brittle. I took the dented eyes off and underneath were hand drawn eyes that made him look sinister. Poor guy!

 When I took him outside for a coat of spray paint, I noticed that his shape wasn't really Snow man like- it was more like a Penguin..... So, with my handy dandy paint brush in hand, I gave him a complete makeover!

to That

Now "Joy" is ready for the bazaar on Friday!



Wreaths for the bazaar

Our bazaar is this week and here are some of the wreaths I've been working on

For the Boys!!

I am sew glad you stopped by for my "For the Boy's" post today! I get to share my day with some of the best stops on the hop, including our cheerleader Amy and Madam Samm herself- you DON'T wanna miss her post! She does a great job keeping us hopping and keeping up with "that other Lady!" Thank You Madam Samm and our fantabulous Cheer leader Amy for letting me be a part of this hop!

As soon as I saw this hop I knew what I wanted to do- I have been saying since I saw the tutorial forever ago, I need to make one of those for Azariah's cars. Azariah (aka AC) LOVES cars. The other boys play with them but they are AC's favorite thing! so of course he has lots n lots of cars and I decided those cars need a home- Enter in "the Lego Bag"
I found the link here
http://tonicoward.blogspot.com/2010/09/lego-sack-tutorial.html but tweaked it using this tutorial as well http://www.freshlypieced.com/2011/10/12-gifts-of-christmas-lego-storage.html






  I couldn’t get a picture with AC’s cars because it is his Christmas gift,
so I used the cars in the church nursery.



The mat lays flat for play (I didn't get it very flat for the picture)

It not only is a reversible play mat but it also is storage-
all AC has to do is pull the handy dandy drawstring and poof the cars are all picked up!

and the drawstring makes it easy to hang up!

I used the Happy Town* Panel by Jacquelynne Steves of The Noble Wife and have been collecting car fabrics for the outside. My handy dandy Crop-A-dile (from my Fairy CaMom) worked great to set eyelets for the strings. The drawstrings are two 72inch boot laces. (I had originally used ribbon but it was a bear to untie.)

it's reversible

 

 

Stanley thinks it's great for kitty storage too!



  

 

 

 

Now Seth can look dapper for Sunday School
even whilst drooling!

MY next project was a bib for Seth, one of my Sunday School students. I saw the idea on Pinterest and kinda just made up the pattern, I used upcycled denim for the front and part of a towel for the back.

 

 

 I started this project way back in May, however, I never finished it- it was supposed to be an e- reader cover for Nehemiah. I had him draw the picture and I appliqued it. It was fun project to use all Sherman's fancy stitches on.  Well, his brother stepped on the e-reader so the e-reader is no more- but he is still my artist. I added a pocket so he can put a notebook in it and added some pen holders and a snap to close it.

 

I asked Miah to draw a bird with the sun in the background

 


There is also a pocket behind the pens

 

 
 
 

I hope you enjoyed my projects and have a great time visiting these other stops on the For the Boys Hop- I have found a lot of great ideas for my boys!

November 15^th 

 

Everyone Deserves a Quilt

From This to That <---- you are here!!

Monkey Makes Three

Just Quilt It  

Life, Quilts and a Cat too

Thimblemouse and Spouse 

More Stars in Comanche

Sew Incredibly Crazy <-------our fab Cheerleader!

Sew We Quilt <------ the incredible!

 

 
 
 

 

For the boys starts today!

I have only been to one blog so far and I am already inspired!

 Here is today's schedule: (click on the button  for the whole schedule)         

Wed, November 6^th 

Vrooman's Quilts

Sew Many Yarns

Young Texan Mama 

Baa’s Amazing Adventures!

Little Mushroomcap

Threading My Way

Sarah Scholz and Chasing Unicorns ( no button, no post, so possibly no show) 

Quilt Doodle Designs ( don't forget this lady)

My day is the 15th!
Happy Hoppin'

Stitchin' "on a Monday"

My Grandma Harps always did her laundry "on a Monday." (so Pasan always said) It was never just on Monday, twas on a Monday, she did other things on Tuesday and Wednesday, but laundry was "on a Monday" so any hoo, I am doing laundry and stitchin' on a Monday. I got one project finished for the For the Boys Hop which starts on Wednesday, and I am making progress on the Musicals Quilt- I really want to have it all quilted tonight. I have three other projects I hope to get done for the hop and since my day is the 15th, it may happen. Be sure to click the button on the side bar for the full schedule!
Here is a sneak peek of my "for the boys" projects:

Postcards

Wow! I am finished ahead of schedule! I just finished my first fabric postcard and its ready to mail! I think everything I signed up for this month is due on the 15th. So being ahead of schedule is good! Here's a sneak peek of my postcard and some wreaths for the bazaar.

Musicals t-shirt fmq

I used my clothes line to baste the quilt into a sandwich. I decided to fmq music notes around the t-shirts.









 I was very happy because the practice notes seemed to be on key, that is until I turned the fabric over...


practice notes

My bass notes seem to b flat ...lots of loopiness. Leah Day has some good pointers that I will try out.



loopiness :(



Going thru withdrawl

Ugh! I was without my phone for 20 days! Amazingly I survived! I am so far behind reading blogs, writing blogs, checking email, and playing games. (such important details, right?) I learned that I *can* go for a wall and not talk to any one. In fact it's rather pleasant.and I can talk to my Heavenly Father much better when not interrupted by a text!
I haven't been sewing much in the last month since the creeping crud knocked me off my feet-it's still hanging on. I lost my voice 3 times for about 3 days at a time. It's rather interesting to work at a nursing home with no voice. It was like playing telephone, I'd whisper to one resident and have them translate. :-)  some things definitely got lost in translation. I did start a new quilt. My friend is a talented musician and her and her hubby play for a lot of Musicals. They have amassed a ton of t shirts from each play, so she asked me to make a quilt to hang in her music room, where she gives lessons.
I have the shirts cut and interfaced, but haven't decided the layout yet. She gave me some fat quarters to mix with the shirts, and I haven't figured out which way to go. That is on todays agenda. This quilt will be a fun one -i need to rent all the musicals on DVD whilst sewing, since the songs get stuck in my head.:-)
this is the stack of tshirt blocks cut and interfaced.

The wreath I made on Saturday with the residents. I am going to make a smaller version for me!

Beach Blanket Bingo

As a kick off to our  September "So Long  Summer" We held a Beach Blanket BINGO scavenger hunt  with the staff and residents. I scattered beach themed items around the facility- most things were in plain sight, but a couple were more challenging. I had the entire staff help residents (and the residents helping the staff) find them. The game is ongoing all day - so that 2nd & 3rd shift can play too. Thank You to Christine at Re-Creative Resources for the idea!

* I told the staff yesterday that it was beach day and it would be nice if the residents were dressed tropical. Some of the residents even became part of the game with what they were wearing.  I asked a few residents if they would wear a flower in their hair or on their hat. Because it is summer- some of the staff had tropical scrubs on as well and they also became part of the hunt!

*I wore my "beach skirt" - it has flip-flops, sailboats, bikinis, ice cream, umbrellas etc on it. I also put a flower in my hair.

*I have been hyping up this activity to the residents all week and explained it in detail to them yesterday. Repetition is key- that’s why they play commercials over and over again!

*I reminded staff this morning and told them there were prizes.

*I announced over the loudspeaker what was happening.

*In one living room I put on a CD that had songs like Surf City, Wipeout etc. In the other living room I put the movie Free Willy on- there is a killer whale on the Bingo Card :)  The history channel even had a show with sharks and other creatures and it was on in some of the residents rooms. Wasn't that nice of them to schedule it for me? :)

*Because I am excited, the residents got excited, and most of the staff got excited. There are always a couple party poopers- “I’m too busy working….” just ignore them. I started last year working with our staff to get them involved-  Whenever we have popcorn, smoothies or other treats- I make sure the staff gets a treat too.  I have special contests through out the year to go with the activities. Sometimes I will give out tickets for bringing residents to activities or when I catch them doing something nice. Later this month- I will be hiding flamingos around the facility for the staff to find- each time they find one they get a ticket. We draw for silly prizes- nothing expensive- sometimes its just a free pop- but the staff know that I appreciate them, so they do help me out when they can.  It is amazing what a little bit of appreciation can do!

*I handed out Bingo Cards to everyone- even if they were in their rooms and not “coming” to the activity. As they came out to lunch- they found items on the list- because most were in plain sight- and they got involved. I used “beachy” napkins that had some of the items on the list and put quite a few items in the dining room. I hid duplicates of a few items on either end of the building and if I didn't have the item I just printed a picture from the Publisher clip-art.

*Visitors and family members also got a Bingo card and were invited to play along.

*It was so much fun watching everyone searching for things- residents and staff were searching, laughing, and helping each other. I may have to do a different themed BINGO scavenger hunt in the near future....fall, Christmas, (hmm maybe with the kids) St Patrick's Day....there are a myriad of possibilities! 

If anyone wants to use our BINGO cards, I have a pdf of the BINGO card I made - I just haven't figured out how to post it here. Email me and I will send it to you!

Tie quilt completed and gifted!

Even a migraine wasn't going to keep me from finishing the quilt yesterday! Late Saturday Eve,I discovered that my math must be wrong because I was 18 inches short when I attached the binding! I Even gave myself an extra 22 inches to start with,so I don't know what I did. Anyhoo, I decided to wait to finish due to the head ache that was beginning and the irksomeness of bad math. after I fixed the binding length Sunday afternoon, the binding was a breeze! I used the tutorial from Emily at mommysnaptime (http://mommysnaptime.blogspot.com/2011/05/no-pins-no-handsewing-binding-tutorial.html?m=1) and I loved it! Binding used to be my least favorite part and side from my lack of math skills,I am not dreading the next one!
This quilt was made out of Dorothy's husband's ties, and two Susan Winget fabrics. The fabric helped tie the ties together. Dorothy was very surprised and couldn't wait to show her children. She kept saying,"so many memories"
Thanks Don and Pamela for spear heading this project and the challenge to try! It was alot of fun!

Stanley thinks it's for him.

As I was trying to square up my Quilt today, my sweet kitty Earl Stanley Grey, decided that he needed to sleep on it. Everytime I moved him off the Quilt  and trimmed a bit, he would move right back. I moved him at least 10 times. He finally decided to sleep under the Quilt. :-)  I just finished the binding strips and plan to finish this Quilt tonight! I used the tutorial I found on Pinterest for the binding.

Vintage Quilt to gift bag

I went to a bridal shower yesterday.never met the bride before, all I knew was her name and liked vintage. (she is marrying a friend of mine) So I made a gift card holder from part of the vintage Quilt.

Ugly tie Quilt quilted!

Yay Yay Yay! All the quilting is done! Now I just have to bind it! I tried a few different designs and played around with fmq. My favorite was the pebbling, and the roses. My hearts are very misshapen and the squiggles are too.
I bought a new seam ripper,whose name is now Rupert, and had to use him alot. I should have used him on the hearts too....
I haven't quite decided what I am using for the binding-either ties or the backing fabric. Just depends on how much I have left of the fabric.

Pebbling

After visiting my wonderful, fantastic, marvelous chiropractor to get my hip back in place, (Hard to press the pedal with it out!)  :-) I am spending the day quilting the ugly tie quilt. I really like the pebbles and they were not as difficult as I thought. Circles are much smoother to sew than squares.

Have a fabulous day!!