From This to That: holidays

Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

It's Beginning to look alot like Christmas here in blog land- take a look at these blogs today, then catch up from yesterday with paper pieced blocks and more.

For some music to put you in a Christmas mood click here ( it will pop up up in another window) and then you can hop back over and listen whilst you gaze upon my Christmas blocks

I was a bit frantic as today approached! It must be Christmas :)

I have had 2 of my blocks done since before I knew about this hop and I put them in a safe place ( sounds like what I do with all my Christmas gifts too) and I forgot where I put them! Thankfully the LORD knew and He reminded me this morning- why is it we always wait to ask Him? I found the bag right where I put it after playing with my paper pieced block.

My first block is my candy block- after searching for just the right pattern- I made up my own. lotsa HST's in this one!

Next is my present block. If you are around me any length of time you know I love to wrap presents. Last Christmas, Sunshine Boy informed his mama that Aunt Bobbie says" its not wrapped without a bow"- he now has his own box of ribbons and is in charge of wrapping presents! Well, I found package blocks and I found bow blocks but I didn't find one I liked, so guess what? I made up my own pattern.

it's hard to tell from the picture
(and because i forgot to press the blocks before taking pictures)
but the bow is 3D

I took two patterns and smooshed them together.

My last block is my first attempt at paper piecing. I need to add borders around it. I used the tutorial for Candy Corn over at Madame Samm's and turned it into a tree. I need to practice more ALOT MORE. I am working on bowls for the next hop and not having the best luck with them. Regina was kind enough to make me a beginners pattern. I haven't tried it yet but we will see!

Have a Merry Time Hopping thru the snow

Thanks for stopping By!

PS the Winner's of my Giveaways from the last hop are

Tricia who said I loved the blocks and they are quite inspiring. Love the last picture showing the fabrics for the Aunt Sukey's Choice. Thanks for the chance to win the yummy fabrics.

and

Judy1522 who said Thanks for sharing your blocks. My favorite is the one with the heart that background fabric is perfect

I will be sending you an email shortly!

and for those waiting for my last giveaways- I will hopefully be mailing them on friday- with a wee bit extra for waiting sew patiently! Thnaks for bearing with me!

PS#2 many of you asked about my blog's background last hop- it is a baby quilt I made for my "daughter's" baby (I am Cindy's Mommie #2) Blogger tiled it to make the back ground

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANKYOU to Santa Lesley and Madame Samm for hosting this HOP!

Check out the rest of these lovely blogs!

July 30

July 31

Jane's Fabrics and QuiltsFiesta Girl
Scrapbox Quilts
From This to That - That's ME!!!
Buzzing and Bumbling
No Loose Threads
Deborah B
Judith Handmade Treasures
Gran-Knot-Y Embroidery Lady
Mrs. Pickles
Susie's World

August 1
Sheila's Quilt WorldA Passion for Applique
Cherry Blossoms Quilting Studio
Jane's Quilting
Sew Me Something Good
A Stitch in Time
Aurea at That Other Blog
Quilt Times
Marcia's Crafty Sewing and Quilting
Patchouli Moon Studio
Quilting by the River

August 2
Grandmama's Stories
Sandra Kaye Designs
North Hills QuilterLv2sew
Quilty Doodads
Quilting in South Carolina
The Raspberry Rabbits
Charise Creates
Traveling Quilter
Nancy B at That Other Blog
Selina Quilts

August 3Crazy 'Bout Quilts
Dexter Days
Cherry's Prairie Primitives
Somewhat Fanciful
Craftluver Marianna
Quiltscapes
Prsd4tim2
Moments
Ruthanne at That Other Blog

Friday, June 1, 2012

hodge podge

I was hoping to be able to show you a finish from the squares I cut out on Wednesday. However, I left them in the car and decided it was too much work to go back out and get them. So I decided to go a different direction with Aunt Sukey- I am really loving the name Sukey- such fun to say. I looked up Sukey and it is a diminuative of Susan, means lily and was popular in the 18th century. The Kalona Quilt Block Walking Tour pamphlet states that Aunt Sukey's Choice was featured in the Ladies Art Company mail order catalog in the 30's and 40's. I decided to make my block red, black and white. Of course, after working both jobs, my brain was rather deadish so I couldn't remember how many extra inches to add to the block to do the easy four patch or the 4 in one half square triangle. I looked up the four patch in my book - no problem! got those all cut out. Went to look up the easy 4 HST's and totally forgot where I had found it, couldn't even remember which quilt block I had been looking up when I stumbled across it (I switched phones and had bookmarked it on the old phone- that was dead and waaay in the other room) so I searched for "HST 4 at a time" and discovered how to make 8 at a time! Way too cool! After straining my over tired brain to do the calculations (that were actually already done for me- I just could not get my poor noggin wrapped around it) I managed to get those squares cut. After all that brain overuse, I didn't have enough oomph left to actually make the HST's. BUT if my calculations are correct- I should have those babies whipped up by the time supper is ready tonight! (MySweetMommie cooks yummy food for me on Quilt Class Nights- that's her class fee!) I will let you know how they turn out!

I found this V.I.P. Snow White Doll panel at the thrift store the other day, while looking for the batting- it was only 99cents. She is much larger than I originally thought. She's about 18 inches tall and has movable arms and legs. I believe AbbyDoo will enjoy making her.

SunshineBoy was unusually adventurous! He even held a frog!

As promised here are some pictures from the Memorial Day Picnic. The park that we like to go to is amazing! Great trails, a fabulous spring fed creek, fishing lake, and playgrounds. There are also poles for a volleyball net- We played quite a Crazy game of volleyball. I love Volleyball- we used to play EVERY Tuesday night when I was a teenager, in the church parking lot, on the asphalt. NOT a good place to dive for the ball. Playing in the grass is much better for the knees! Of course, my favorite place to play would be the beach, but the beaches in Illinois are few and far between. :)

Determination

One of the highlights of the park is the pump. The kids would play around it all day, or at least until someone is ready to take them down the trail to the creek. EmmaBean was so determined that she could make it work! "The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul!" I love the look of pure joy when she finally gets the water to pump!

and success!

I told the boys to make their scariest faces

and then their happiest faces

MySweetMommie will be putting all of her blocks together to finish the quilt top tonight- we may even get to the borders.... maybe!

More on that next week! Have a Great Weekend!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Easter and my birthday!

When I was a little girl, Easter was always on somebody else's birthday, or the day before or day after my birthday, but never *on* my birthday. It was on my cousin's birthday- April 7th when we were 11 and then again when we turned 22, but never on mine! {little girl sigh} Easter was finally on my birthday in 2007! I was very excited! I looked it up and discovered that the next time it would be on my birthday would be the year 2091! This year at Christmas, SunshineBoy and I were making a calendar with all the family birthdays and lo and behold Easter was on my birthday again! I checked two or three sources to make sure I wasn't reading the calendar wrong, but somehow I missed it when I checked back in 2007! If you want to check yours - here is the handy dandy list I used.

Hey Vicki- your next Easter birthday will be in 2075-
We will be One Hundred and One- I mean you will be One Hundred and One- I will be 25
(for the 76th time.)

When I was little, I wanted Easter to be my birthday because I'd get extra candy. Which, thinking back probably wouldn't have happened- I probably would have received less. Now, I am honored to share my birthday with the day we celebrate our LIVING Saviour! Resurrection Sunday awesome! Jesus proved He was the Messiah by defeating death and Hell!

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Four years ago, my sister gave me the best birthday present ever- My nephew A.C. was born on the 10th. My gift was a little late but that's OK! I keep asking what Sistermine is going to do to top that gift but she won't answer. :) A.C. knows that his birthday is right after Aunt Bobbie's. Last year, he told everyone "I'm Aunt Bobbie's present." It is so fun celebrating together! We got to have a pool party this year.

Sunshine Boy made A.C. a card

For some reason, I seem to make a special cake for fourth birthdays, so A.C. got a Rainbow cake - he loves rainbows! According to 3yo Emmabean, Dora likes rainbows so Emmabean tho't I should put Dora on the cake too! Since A.C. isn't fond of Dora, I declined. It was a fun and easy cake to make- just cool whip and candy and Sprinkles!

EmmaBean wanted a kiss so A.C. kissed her on the forehead.
They are the best of friends as well as Cousins!

I made this funny bunny for Emmabean

For my birthday I received lots n lots of fabric and spent all day Monday sewing and playing. I have been busily "bolting" my fabric and it has been fun rediscovering fabric I have forgotten about. My studio is going to look like a fabric shop for Cinderella's mice! I also tried to reduce a 12 inch block pattern to a 9 inch block pattern.

face blurred to protect the despicable

I did a test block with scrap fabric first. Now Sistermine has a very cute 8 inch Daffy block for our Scraffy Daffy quilt. I decided to keep my Cathedral star at 12 inches.

Very simple Cathedral window tutorial from
April Mae Designs - scroll past the Hello Sun Quilt Along
( if you can- I am making it for Sunshine boy- don't tell)
The Cathedral Star tutorial is at the bottom of the page

For Teacup thursday tomorrow, I will be sharing a very special Birthday gift! See you tomorrow!