Here are some of the journal covers that the girls completed tonight. They did a fantastic job and I am really proud of them. We had a fun evening.

Went into the store today and took pictures of the latest two quilts that I put together. I also picked up another kit to sew that I will be posting soon.

The journals are the composition notebooks that are about 7 1/2" x 9 1/2" and it is a great way to use up your scraps. You also line them in flannel. I will put together a tutorial next week so that anyone who wants to make these little babies will be able to do so. The fun part is that you can embellish to your heart's content.

I get to help assist teaching some Young Women journal covers tonight. I had loaned out my other covers, so I whipped this one up between exercise and work. I had some Kaffe scraps which are truly delectable and thought a sash might add some interest. Anyway, I had fun putting this together. As for the post yesterday, I realize that the embroidery falls flat, so I will be working on the new and improved finished and embellished version this week. Stay tuned.....

I've just completed my July hanging mini quilt...I'm a bit out of order, but found this great pattern by Cranberry Hill. It was delightful to stitch up and she added buttonhole stitch to the primitive stitch and some beadwork for the fireworks. I thoroughly enjoyed making this one.

Yipee Skipee...panel number two is all embroidered for my "Over the River and Through the Woods." I just need to embroider the wording and make a few more flying geese, then this little beauty will be ready for quilting. This quilt has been really fun to work on in my spare time.....

Last Saturday, my family went to visit my husband's aunt and daughter. She had these really fun Vintage quilting patterns and let me take them for my collection. The books were only $.5o and $.25 and the instructions were pitiful. Makes one grateful for the new methods and instructions. I thought these patterns might be fun to make up one day in the future....

Velma is finished--well almost. She needs some adornement of some kind. Do you think a brooch in the center or a button? Leave me some suggestions so she can be finished in style. This little number was really fun to make. Amy Butler's directions are great.

The Swing Bag is Finished!!

What a fun time I had making this SWING BAG. It was fun and I had minimal problems making it. I wouldn't mind making 1 or 2 more!! I made the outer bag out of a decorator weight fabric with canvas as the underlining and then it is lined in red quilters cotton.

New Patterns, New Upcoming Projects...

So, I ordered this fabulous pattern off Barbara Brandeburg's website--love it--want to make it for my front room for a new look.

Found this Emma bag pattern and I can't wait to make it up. It looks so fun....

Found these great Amy Butler patterns--I need some new "hip" bags for Spring and Summer. Wish me luck....

Hope you are all wearing the green today....

Being inspired by Kim at Bitty Bits and Pieces, I have made little St. Patty's bags and filled them with dollar store goodies--something green to wear on this special day and I even stamped the "pinch proof" tag. I was really excited to do this for the family today along with a crock pot full of corn beef, new potatoes and lest we forget--cabbage. Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Objects of Desire--New quilt for the store...

This is truly a shoe lover's quilt and boy do I love shoes. It is a quick sew with a panel in the center and pieced blocks around the panel. The blocks are speed pieced so it will go fast. The border is scalloped. Yummy.....

Step 3 for "Sweet" quilt

Take your square of fabric and lay it in the corner. Draw a diagonal line and then sew it. Cut 1/4" away from seam. Press toward the top corner. Next, take the cone shaped piece and turn it under 1/4" and press. Pin it in the opposite corner to get ready for applique. Applique piece down using your favorite method. I usually like to hand stitch this part so it doesn't show, however, on this quilt I enlarged my buttonhole stitch and stitched it down in yellow thread. Your blocks are now ready to sew together in rows and then sew your rows together. It takes 4 blocks to complete a wrapper. When you lay this quilt out, you need to place all your wrappers so that there is balance with the colors and that it all matches up. I lay it out prior to sewing the blocks so I know where the placement is going to be. The quilt is now ready for borders. Whoo hoo!!





This quilt is time intensive,but a pure joy to make. If you are interested in making this quilt, go to Modafabrics.com and then go to fun stuff. Then select free patterns. It is called "Sweet."

Step 2 in "Sweet"

Cut out your pie shaped template, the rip the paper off the paper pieced fan blade. Next, you find the center of the pie shaped wedge and center that on the blades. I then pin from the center out in both directions. Sew a 1/4" seam, going very slow and avoiding hitting the pins. Press seem toward the upper point. It will naturally want to go that direction. This method, however labor intensive is much easier and looks much nicer than hand appliqueing the pie shaped wedge to the fan blade. This quilt is a great skill builder.

Top of the Morning to You...

I finally got my mini quilt done for my stand for St. Patrick's Day. I really had fun making this. Yesterday, I went to Bernina and got some fabric and worked on it last night and this morning. The pattern is actually for a table runner which is adorable, but I don't use table runners at all so I used the leprechaun pattern for the mini quilt. The pattern is by Ashby's Attic.

More journal covers...

I made some journal covers over the weekend. I made 4 little ones that go in your purse and a larger one. It was a fun creative weekend.

Step 1 on the Sweet quilt--paper piecing the fan blades

The fan blades are paper pieced from the jelly roll strips. I have to tell you that this collection is absolutely so yummy.....I'm in love for sure with this one.

Patchwork Friends Quilt Guild Night

These are the block jack blocks for this month. The pattern is the Road To Dublin. I have a son, who loves anything Irish and green. He would love a quilt of these blocks--maybe out of the Tonga batiks....

This is the show and share program. We had some great quilts that were shown along with a darling bag. Enjoy....

New Project for the store--done in Sweet for Moda

Sorry that the pattern is not in color. It is a computer download and I just had access to black and white ink. It may not even show up well. This is an adaptation of a 1930's pattern that I have made before which was called "Candy Wrappers" and is one of my most favorite quilt patterns. The method used in this pattern calls for paper piecing of the fan blades and applique and I'm going to throw in curved seams. Looking forward to this one.

Charleston V by Judie Rothermel

I've been asked by my dear friend, Hogi, aka Karen, to make a quilt for her niece who has an upcoming wedding in May of 2009. I'm very excited. The bride to be loves pink and brown and Hogi and I talked and decided to do something that would be timeless rather than trendy. Here we get both, with the delicious collection of Charleston V by Judie Rothermel. We get the double pinks and browns of the Civil War era which have stood the test of time. We're thinking stars--Brittany's Stars. If you should have any ideas to make this timeless treasure even better, let me know. I'm ready to start this in about 1 week.