The Shirt...

 So, this week our car has been in the shop with an electrical issue.   I was riding the bus this morning to work with this shirt on my lap.  I had to pretend  that everything was normal and that I always take ugly shirts with me to work. (The client is going to pick it up from me at work)  This young mother with a baby in her lap could not take her eyes off this creation for 5 minutes.  I was busting up inside.  Little did she know that a famous rodeo clown wears this shirt and it fits his occupation....priceless....

 Each year, I get to sew one of these.....  Usually, the fabric is western themed, but this year, oh, this year, I got to sew with this the jungle print and the stripe.  The client buys the fabric and brings it to me to sew.  This year, he didn't get enough jungle print for the sleeves.  I went to JoAnns where they purchased the fabric and no jungle print.  I googled online the selvage information--no fabric available.  I picked the least offensive substitute, this black dotted fabric...

 The client likes his shirts custom...He likes the western yokes with decorative fringe...

 He likes a rib knit cuff, so he can rip the shirt off in a hurry if he gets caught on something...

He also likes gripper snaps instead of buttons, to be able to rip the shirt off in a hurry...

This rhinestone cowboy is my co-worker, Kaleb.  I didn't even ask him to model, coersing was not needed... he just put it on and started posing and I grabbed my camera.  Too funny.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles...

 Recently, I had a wonderful friend who had a little boy.  I have had this quilt put together for awhile, just waiting for a special little boy to receive it. 

This is the back.  I just love the quilting.  There are little stars among the curly q's.  I think I like making baby quilts the very best...

Texas Braid...

Back in January, I taught a class in our quilt guild how to do the French Braid quilts.  I found this really fun

scrap quilt in Bonnie Hunter's Leaders and Enders book.  You can find it here. It is made up of 2" x 5" pieces of fabric and 2" pieces of fabric.  You use light and dark fabrics for the contrast.  A very fun technique and this quilt is entirely made from stash (most of it small pieces).

 

A close up of the quilting.  I had it quilted in feathers.

Dandelions...

A couple years  ago I bought this fun pattern, Dandelions.  I've been looking forward to making this for quite some time now.  I just love the pillows and the houndstooth quilt.  I've had the fabric for a spell as well.  When it became a necessity this year to replace our couch and loveseat due to wear and tear from teenagers and a dog, I became interested again in making this pattern up.

So here is a picture of our loveseat (don't you love the red?) and the pillows.  I used that handy tip I learned a month or so ago where you hide the zipper under a flap on the back.  I used a contrast  fabric for the flap.  The pattern has all 16" pillows, but I switched it up and made 2 pillows 18 inches and 2 pillows 16".  The vote in the family was the bird pillow--which is your favorite?  Next comes the houndstooth quilt in navy and cream....

Patriotic...

My sister, Rose, started this little wall hanging a year or so ago.  She found the patterns in an older Better Homes and Garden book and they left no directions on how to piece them.  She paper pieced the eagle and I think she paper pieced the memorial block in the lower right hand corner.  It was hard for her to modify the patterns, but she did a great job and then hand quilted the wreaths.  The vibrant colors don't really come through in this photo, but the wall hanging is beautiful.  Great job Rose!!

Finishes...

 I showed this little quilt a few posts back, but now it is quilted and bound.  Seriously a fun quilt to sew.  It is called Pint Size by Thimbleblossoms.  Finishes are so nice...love them....

This is the second time making this quilt.  This time I used the line Sunkissed by Sweetwater.  What a fun collection to sew with...you can find the pattern here

Use it up...

This past week, I have been working on sewing 2" squares together.  I've been on Operation Use it Up--trying to use up all my scraps.  I will probably keep sewing scrap quilts together until this happens.  This  pattern is from Bonnie Hunter's Leaders and Enders book, called Happily Scrappily Irish.  I've decided that it is too long and I will shorten it a couple of rows.  Then I would like to do a pieced border to use up more fabric.  I'm thinking about just doing 4 patches around.  That would bump up the size to a queen.  If you have a better idea, please comment....

Dresden Heaven...

Today, my sister and her two children and I drove down to help my mother with a quilt she is doing for an upcoming wedding of my niece.  My mother had prepped all the blades, but we sewed them into these adorable rings...The fabric is so happy and cheerful and we had the time of our lives...good food, a trip to Ben Franklins (which by the way was awesome, armed with our 40% off coupon)...My mother purchased a yellow polka dot for the center of the Dresden Plates...too yummy!!

This is my niece modeling a green wig which my sister is going to use for her story time presentation on St. Patricks Day.  Too funny!!

I won!!

I went to the Red Brolly blog, an Australian blog that I love to go to. There was a contest to name one of the Lip Gloss Girls... Bronwyn Hayes is the artist and I love her work, especially the Gingham Girls and the Lip Gloss Girls.  I submitted the name Pucker Up Patty and won my choice of pattern...

I chose the Love to Sew bag...and I also won the purse handles...

Aren't these about the cutest handles ever...

It all came wrapped up in this darling paper with the bow and card all the way from Australia.  Can't wait to have some spare time to sit down and construct this sweet little purse.  Thank you Bronwyn.  I love your designs and I love love love my pattern and purse handles!!!

Cloak and Dagger...

                           
Yesterday, we went to Beadles again to construct the Cloak and Dagger bracelet.  This was by far the easiest of the bracelets to make. 

It is so fun to see what everyone else makes...

This one is mine.  Just love it.  It has the colors in it that I always wear...

Another bracelet being made...

Alissa's bracelet...just yummy!!

Patchwork Friends Quilt Guild

 Blocks for Journey of a Woman's Life--Here comes the Bride

 Woman of Faith block

 Kari's alphabet quilt....adorable...

 Dianna modeling some garments she constructed for her sister...

 This little pincushion was made out of our stamping project last month...

 One of several blocks shown for a charity quilt...

 Kathleen's batik quilt--love this pattern--it looks like one of Natalia's patterns from Piece and Quilt...

 Claudia with a fun table topper...

 Alissa with the Economy quilt--we both took this free class at Red Rooster before they closed their doors...

Jean's quilt with the block exchange from last year...she used the Burgoyne Surrounded block and did big scallops on the edge.  The quilting in the large fields  are ABC's...darling and very creative...

 Jeans applique quilt...you cannot see the bottom row as it is underneath the table, but this is a stunner...

 Holly taught the class about going green....these are bracelets from twill tape and measuring tapes that have had findings and charms added...I won one of these--excitement!

 A recycled bag with Beatles memorabilia....cute little bag...

 This trim was made out of the kraft lunch sacks, folded and stitched with added trim...

 A bag made out of Holly's grandmother's old tablecloth with bling and handles added--all recycled and with memories to boot...

Pillow made from a favorite sweatshirt jacket...too cute!!

A sweatshirt with an applique added from a technique learned from last month's guild...Till next month...

March Little Birdie...

Here is the March block--I think the birdie is waiting for that pot of gold...

Patchwork Pup

This magazine came out approximately spring/summer 2008

 I have wanted to make this puppy pillow for my niece and nephew ever since I saw it in this magazine.

This is the girl version so far...It will go with her big girl quilt...stay tuned.