Jan
27
2012
I bit the bullet and quilted a quilt for someone other than my mom or myself. My cousin made this beautiful quilt and was brave enough to let a beginner longarm user have at it!
Picking out a quilt pattern is like picking out a diamond engagement ring, there are so many variations from which to choose. I have watched quilting videos and practiced on a dry erase board until I felt confident to put the stitches into the quilt. Big gulp!
Tags: longarm, quilt
Jan
24
2012
Life seems to be getting in the way of my sewing time! I have to go to a meeting every night this week! I already feel like I need a duracell procell d to keep moving. The Energizer Bunny is free to visit at any time.
Do you find yourself involved in too many activities? I don’t know how this happened but I intend to make some changes.
Jan
20
2012
I have this coffee table that drives me crazy. It has a glass top that is a pain to keep clean. I have made quilted table toppers for just about every season and needed one for Christmas. It saves my sanity by keeping the coffee table covered in a pretty quilt.
I found this fun pattern at the Moda Bake Shop.

All the colors work together to form a beautiful Christmas wreath. (They also hide all the sprinkles when I eat a Christmas cookie)!
Tags: Christmas wreath, fabric, Moda Fabric, quilt
Jan
20
2012

See this cute little dog? Don’t let him fool you. He is rotten. He used to sleep in his own comfy bed, in a cage, at night. He decided he would rather sleep in bed with us. He barked all night long until he got his way. Don’t tell our other dog. Elsie still sleeps in her bed, in the cage.
How do you like my new hat? I know, it is not a Fedora Hat but it is the only hat I have found that looks halfway decent on me. My sister made it for me and I love it!
Tags: crocheted hat, dog
Jan
16
2012
I went to the Houston Quilt Festival a year ago. A year has already come and gone. At the festival, they had a shop hop where you go to different booths and purchase the quilt block kit from that particular booth. I purchased the 12 block offered and I got them all put together. This weekend, I put the blocks together and made this quilt.

I am trying to decide on what to do for the borders. It fits our king size bed! I can’t wait to get it on the long arm.
Tags: Houston Quilt Festival, king size quilt
Jan
07
2012
I am quilting a friend’s quilt. I have it on the longarm and have chosen a pattern to put in the blocks. If I make a mistake, there will be threads to rip out. I hate ripping out! I have been practicing on a dry erase board and think I am ready to do the stitching on the longarm. Why don’t I just DO IT?
I am skeered!
I have been doing as many other projects as I can think of. I even washed out the refrigerator!
Just wanted to let my mom know that I found the scissors I had been looking for! Found them while cleaning out my sewing stuff while procrastinating.

Tags: fabric, scissors, sewing
Dec
31
2011
It is a good idea to sort through one’s “stuff” once in a while to see what “stuff” one has! I saw a cute flag wall hanging and thought about buying the kit. I held off and it was a good thing I did. I had the kit in my stash of things to do. I put it together yesterday.
Tags: flag quilt, quilting, wall hanging
Dec
24
2011
I have been watching videos online to learn new techniques for long arm quilting. I am learning how to avoid problems with tension and when my stitches try to grow eyelashes. Thank goodness for quilting buddies who guide me to great message boards where there is a wealth of information. I am always learning about new things.
While visiting a new quilt shop, my friend introduced me to penny rugs. I had never heard of a penny rug and was interested in the history of this fun craft.
Penny rugs, made in the 19th century, were made by using cast off and used woolen clothing that wasn’t large enough to cut into strips for hooking rugs to make rugs for beds and table coverings. Rarely were the rugs used on the floor. The term “penny rug” came from the use of coins as templates for varying sizes of circles that were cut from the fulled or felted wool of hats, and clothing. The concentric circles were stitched onto burlap or feed sacks. Wool was was an expensive and treasured fabric and was rarely used to back a project, hence the burlap backing.
Tags: 19th century, penny rug, wool
Dec
14
2011
Before I tire of hearing all the Christmas songs, here are the last decades top 25 most popular, according to our local newspaper.
1. Winter Wonderland
2. The Christmas Song
3. Sleigh Ride
4. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
5. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
6. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
8. Jingle Bell Rock
9. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
10. Little Drummer Boy
11. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
12. I’ll be Home for Christmas
13. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
14. Silver Bells
15. Feliz Navidad
16. Frosty the Snowman
17. A Holly Jolly Christmas
18. Blue Christmas
19. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
20. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
21. Here Comes Santa Claus
22. (There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays
23. Carol of the Bells
24. Wonderful Christmastime
25. Do They Know It’s Christmas?
Tags: holiday music
Dec
07
2011
Our local hardware has 3 in house dogs. They recently acquired an English bulldog named, Chloe. My husband decided she needed a Butler bulldog sweatshirt and volunteered me to make one for her. I made this Colts jacket first to make sure I could make one that fit.
Isn’t Chloe the most adorable dog?
Here she is in her Butler sweatshirt.

it is reversible! Christmas Chloe!

Tags: Butler Bulldogs, dog sweater