Karen Williamson Workshop

My guild hosted a workshop with Karen Williamson this month. It was sooooo fun and relaxing!!
Yes, relaxing. No sewing machines. It was all hand work. And it was FUN!! A cute quit-as-you-go known as MoeMo's Star. Sort of a cross between cathedral windows and grandmother's flower garden.

 

 

We were all eager to complete a few blocks during the workshop.

To learn more, see Karen's blog at http://nanagirlquilts.blogspot.com/


Thanks, Karen! It was a blast!!

 

Givaway of Ann Kelle fabrics!!

Sew Happy.Me Sewalong

I participated in a sewalong on a quilting blog this week. You can do it too! Just go to sewhappy.me

I made mine a little larger by adding strips to each side of the front panel, the a smaller strip to the top and bottom. It was a really fun and CUTE project. If you hop over to sewhappy.me you'll see a boy bunny version too!!

2013

I can not believe that I can not manage to get to my blog on a regular basis! Might have something do with ADD! I flit around from one thing to another 18 hours a day. Seems I hardly finish anything these days. I am currently working on no less that 4 projects! ALL need to be done within the month ( if not sooner). We will be welcoming a grandson to the family REAL SOON! SOOOOOOOOO excited!!Thus, the many projects in the works. Car seat cover, nearly done; diaper bag, not cut out yet; baby carrier (sling), thinking about; baby carrier (back pack) , thinking about. Then there's the Giving Quilt Challenge, due March 9th, most of the blocks complete...still need to put it together and QUILT it!!! Thankfully we have this little thing called Mardi Gras down here and the kids are out of school for 3 days. That adds up to a 5 day stretch of days "off". That starts this Saturday. I should be able get all that done, Lord willing. I will do my best to get picture posted and may even manage a tutorial.

Stay tuned!

International Quilt Festival!!!!

I'm going to Houston for the International Quilt Festival! SOOOO excited!!! This will be my first time! I signed up to volunteer at the AAQI booth on Thursday ( come visit me from 8:45am-11:30am). Row S. I am about to make a pile of ATC's to bring. If you have not yet made ATC's (Artist Trading Cards) they are a fun way to use up all those glorious scraps that seem to take over our sewing space. I will take photos as I go and upload them here for you :)

Hurricane Isaac!

All tucked in to wait for the hurricane to get here. Just stayed in today and I ACTUALLY GOT TO SEW!!! Happy day!! Putting my "Brownies a' la Mode" together. I took a class with Kathy Brown (famous for her Take 5 pattern!) and we started the "Brownie a' la Mode" in the class....that was a month ago! Well, now all the blocks are done and put together! Ironing the borders now. Plan to sew the binding on my Sudoku quilt so I will have some handwork to keep me busy when the electricity goes out :/ .  Baked some cookies (Chocolate with white chocolate chips an macadamia nuts..Mmmmm), boiled a dozen eggs ( ready for egg salad - with homemade mayo :), have PLENTY of water ( Kentwood man came yesterday :), bought batteries ( for everything in the house that uses batteries.. $$$$$!!!!!), put sandbags in front of the door, and out back ( in case the pool overflows with all the rain ) . Can you tell this is not my 1st hurricane?? NOT! I grew up here on the coast of Louisiana, nothing South of here but the Gulf of Mexico...where hurricanes come to play.
On a more serious note, I pray everyone in the path of Isaac is spare any harm of person or property.

Stay safe and enjoy the breeze :)

Great Blog to follow!

I happened upon this great blog today. You should check it out!

http://theamerineclan.blogspot.com/

An Army wife with lots of great info, tutorials, and recipes!!

Mobile bloging!

Maybe now I can keep my blog current!! It's going with me!! Wish I had this last week when we did a South Louisiana Shop Hop of 11 shops in 2 days!! So much fun!!!

Blog Hop Party!

There is a Blog Hop Party going on!

I wish I ha known about this before it started, but that's what I get for neglecting my blog! I say that I am going to keep up with my blog every day, but I don't have an action plan to do so.  I have friends who are faithful blogers. How do you do it? Help me!

Anyway, if you want to join in on the fun just go here

http://quiltinggallery.com/quilting-fun/blog-hop-participants-08-2012.asp

You hop from one blog to the other and leave a comment to WIN PRIZES! What fun!!

Go!! Hop!!!

SewCalGal Free - Motion Quilt Challenge 2012

OK. At the beginning of January I signed the Pledge to take the challenge. Posted the link on my blog. Now it is time to show my work. Before now my free-motion was mostly contained to my landscape quilting. Not standing on it's own for all to see. My goal is use this monthly challenge to practise enough to become confident enough to do an entire quilt (or maybe a table runner :)

If you would like to take the challenge just click the badge at right and sign the pledge. Good luck & have FUN!!

The wedding

On New years Eve my oldest son married his long time sweetheart . It was a Sunset ceremony on Santa Rosa Beach, FL. It was beautiful! Everything was perfect! I made the flower girl dresses and they were so cute!

Super Easy Tissue Holder Tutorial

I found this super easy tissue holder on the quiltingboard.com forum. In honor of my LSU Tigers I have used tiger print and purple to make this one. GO LSU!!!

To make this you will only need scraps of fabric.

5 1/2 "  X  6 1/2"  for the outside
5 1/2 "  X  7 1/2"  for the inside
Keep in mind that once completed, a strip of the inside fabric will make the contrasting opening. (See the purple strip in the middle of the tiger print?)

1. Lay the outside ( focus) fabric right sides together on top of the inside (contrasting) fabric.
Line up one 5 1/2" end where the fabrics are even.

Sew with a 1/2" seam allowance.

 When you turn it around to sew the other end...the bottom (contrast) fabric will fold so you can align the other 5 1/2" ends evenly.

Once both ends are sewn with a 1/2" seam, turn right side out and press so that 1/4 inch of the contrasting fabric is on top with the focus fabric.

Now, fold the two sewn ends together and just tap with the iron the crease the center.

Fold the sewn ends to the middle so that they meet, but do not overlap.

Sew the raw ends with a 1/4" seam this time. Then just round the corners a little by stitching across. This will prevent the pointy ears on the corners. Trim the tip of the corners off, being careful not to cut your stitches.

Once the corners are clipped off, then zigzag or serge the raw edges. This will eliminate any raveled edges.

Now you can turn it right side out.
Insert a personal pack of Kleenex or Puffs tissue. If using Puffs I carefully cut the top of the pack down the center. Puffs has the opening on one end where Kleenex has the opening in the center.

Now you are done!

Twisted Sister Class!

My friend , Cathy, and I took a Twisted Sister Class last week from Ami Simms. That woman is a blast! If you get the chance you should take her class! You can see quilts make with the Twisted Sister ruler here www.amisimms.com. We are not allowed to post pictures of the quilts ourselves.

Just click Twisted Sisters and on that page you will find a link called "your twisted sisters".

Poofy Purse!

I love this! My friend , Cathy, and I made these purses using Texture Magic. We get so many compliments from people! We also did a class and taught others the technique. It is a pricey project, but the results are unique every time (no one else has a purse like me!)

The inside is also customized. Mine has pockets and key clips and Cathy's has a pocket. It took us two days to construct these beauties, but it was all worth it! Three days if you count the day spent making the pattern and collecting the copies and supplies!

Sew, Sew

So much for keeping up! Life seems to be running away with me lately! However, I still find time to sew! I made Brae a dress that sort a cross between Alice and Dorothy ... She loves it!

Knitting!

I started taking knitting lessons in January. To date I have made 2 Cable knit scarves. One pair of socks. Three baby hats. One dress for my granddaughter!! And one skirt for my granddaughter. (She is a lucky little girl).

Keeping up!

Ok, I am going to try to keep up with my blog! No, really,I am!! I have been running all over the state and the next one. Last weekend one of my quilting friends and I attended a quilt show in Leesville, LA. The Sew Crazy Quilters had their Spring Show. It was awesome! I think they do it every other year, so if you get the chance you should go. It's where Ft. Polk is in Louisiana. That was a week ago. Just a few days ago another of my quilting friends and I attended the quarterly meeting of GSQA in Long Beach, MS. That too was awesome! And, yes, I have lots of pictures from both events. I will do my best to add them real soon! Just finished a Pointsetta Table Runner. Now I have to finish a baby quilt for a shower on the 30th. Pictures of all to follow. Oh, at the GSQA meeting I learned a technique for making a NOTAN quilt. Can't wait to do it!!

These quilts I made for my neice's triplets!!! We are having fun now!

Heart Potholder

This was a super easy project! It is a lage pot holder (starts with 12" square). Your fingers and thumb slip into the "cake" pockets!!