I made some Thanksgiving pillows...they were so fun to make and really put me in the mood for this important holiday...often overlooked by Christmas...

 Gratitude is of utmost importance...it feeds the soul and gives inner peace when we can be grateful for what we have.  It instills acceptance of our circumstances and opens our minds to new possibilities for improvement.  Happy is the person who has a grateful heart....

I am most grateful for the safe arrival of our newest little grandson.  This is baby Oliver, weighing in at 3 lbs. 13 oz. nine weeks early.  He is just perfect, just needs to grow.  He got his first helicopter ride as he was life lighted to a larger hospital with a great NICU.  He did not require oxygen and at just one week, they took out all the IV's.  He is doing awesome.

Christmas Favorites...

 Christmas Favorites is Nancy Halverson's latest Christmas book and fabric line....

 The fabric was a pure joy to work with...such vivid bright colors-- the mix of traditional with a modern twist...

 The pattern was designed with a BOM in mind...If you were to take and do a block of the month, it would be a really enjoyable sew...

 There is a button kit you can order for embellishments, however, I opted to make yo-yos instead.  I feel that they really add a touch of whimsy...

 The poinsettia block has gathered leaves for embellishment which really look darling...

 There is a mix of piecing as well as applique with a touch of embroidery...

This is quite possibly my favorite block in the quilt...I have always told my children...If you don't believe, you don't receive...

Petal Pop...

 Petal Pop is one of Nancy Halverson's newest designs in her book Curiosities....

 The blocks in this quilt are 18 inches and have a lot of layered applique...

 Her fabrics are beautiful and I "sew" enjoyed working with them...

 This quilt is a twin, but would easily make into a queen size by adding 3 more blocks...

I chose this for the backing and really like it...on a side note, this is a very labor intensive project so just know you cannot crank this out overnight...

One more thing off the bucket list...

 It is no secret that I am a total fan of Nancy Halverson...love her designs and fabric!!!  My Girlfriend's Quilt Shoppe was able to get her to come to Logan and she talked to us about how she got started in the industry and how she came to design fabric...

 this amazingly talented lady is crazy busy with her business and family...I have wanted to meet her forever...I even got to ask some questions during a question/answer time...Afterwards, I got to go meet her and have her autograph one of my books (I have a stack) that she has published!!!

 If you are not familiar with Nancy Halverson's work, here are some pictures of some of her designs...

One day, I am going to make this acorn quilt for fall...I just love it and always have...It was a most enjoyable 1 1/2 hour of my time and I will forever treasure the fact that I got to meet her...I'm star struck!!!

Be Attitudes...

I have been on a get-r-done kick the last month. I had the Nancy Halverson book to make this quilt and a box full of her fat quarters sitting on the shelf for 2 years--just busy with too many projects....2 weeks ago, I got out the box and started sewing and cutting and sewing...I really liked the quilt because of the messages contained...here are 6 of the 12 blocks. The quilt is ready for quilting...so...Be Joyful...

Be Grateful...

Be Honest...

Be Prayerful...

Be Respectful...

Be Patient...I'm excited to have the quilt to this point. I changed up the borders and did a piano key border with left over fabric to use it up. I have to tell you that Nancy Halverson patterns have a lot of applique and they are extremely labor intensive, but I love the end result!!

Merry Christmas!!

This Christmas wall hanging was taken from Nancy Halverson's Christmas book, Tidings. My sister, Rose, and I made this. It involves some applique, embroidery and sewing on the specialty buttons. This was a really fun project and will be enjoyed for many more Christmases. So to all, I wish you a very Merry Christmas!!

Have a Gratitude Attitude...

Just finished...I got the inspiration and pattern from Nancy Halverson's book Easy Does it For Autumn...a little labor intensive but turned out really cute for the Thanksgiving season...

It's No Secret...

That I love Nancy Halverson's designs and she has come out with a new book, Count On It. Well--I had to run in and buy it because I will be obsessed over it until I get it, so I got it. Love it. If you like to decorate for holidays, birthdays and such you will love this book. The fonts in the book are terrific as well and you could do many other things with them. You could even make that calendar quilt you've been wanting to do for a long time, and the blocks are already designed for you--imagine that! Enjoy!

(photo borrowed from Fat Quarter Shop)

Finally--A finish!! Yahoo!!

Not the best picture, but I was at work and needed to hang it but did not have the proper props--but you get the idea. Seriously labor intensive...I have stated that throughout the past month as it has consumed my life, but once it is quilted, I think it will be a wonderful addition to my Christmas Nancy Halverson shrine....

Tidings

The new Nancy Halverson Christmas book is out and I get to make this quilt...Tidings!!

It has 9 blocks and the red letters spell Christmas. I love it, but oh, it is labor intensive. Each block has been really fun to fuse. Here is the Inn block...

Of course, I started with the Star block because it has the least amount of applique....



Rejoice...

Honor Him...


Shepherds watching...

Once the applique is done, then I get to do the handwork, such as embroidered eyes and details....Wish me luck--I'm loving this quilt!!

The Reason for the Season

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"I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth his life for his sheep."

I just love this quilt from the Nancy Halverson Christmas book. She calls the sheep in the lower right hand corner, the wayward one

Have a Gratitude Attitude

Ever since I bought the book, Easy Does it For Autumn, by Nancy Halverson, I've wanted to make this little mini quilt. Yesterday, I finally sat down and just did it even though I have 5000 other things to do. It's a great reminder to have a Gratitude Attitude. Even those among us with very little have much more than most the people on earth and we have much to be thankful for. Take time Thursday, on Thanksgiving to reflect on the many blessings we actually have and just be thankful.

Santa Bottle Covers...

Take a sneak peak at these darling Santa bottle covers...would make a fun decoration or be a cute gift for Christmas time. This is another wonderful Nancy Halverson pattern. Fast and fun to sew!!! They hold a 2 liter pop bottle!!!

Just finishing up my Thanksgiving projects--turkey hotpads

Being the Nancy Halverson fan that I am, I whipped up these cute turkey hotpads--(not really). A little time intensive, but so very cute and festive for the season. This pattern I revised for the hotpads using her book Acorn Hollow. I'm so excited to be finally making something from this wonderful book. I've had it for years as I collect cute patterns, but have finally made up a few things.

November mini quilt...

I was really excited that this little mini quilt turned out so cute. It totally sums up just what autumn is--Harvest Blessings. I took the pattern from Acorn Hollow, Nancy Halverson's autumn book from 2005. I have always loved this little book and it is about time I made something from it. I plan to do a few more projects in this book as well...If you haven't guessed by now--Nancy Halverson is one of my favorite designers along with Sandy Gervais and Kim Diehl. What talent....

Christmas Mini Quilt

This sweet little mini quilt measures 6" square. The pattern is by Nancy Halverson in her Christmas book, I Believe. It gives you good practice with applique. On this particular piece, she does not use the blanket stitch for the small mini quilts, but I think it adds a nicer finish so I did it. Nancy Halverson uses a lot of applique in her designs...

Christmas Card Holder and 6" Mini Quilt and Stand...

A Nancy Halverson Christmas card holder. Fun fun project and I totally love her fabric this year. The colors are so yummy!!!

Since I love Halloween, I made this little mini quilt (6 inches). This little frame is so fun and it takes minimal effort to make the mini quilt so I guess I'll have to make different ones for the seasons!!!

Another UFO Finished!!!

We had our quilt guild quilt show yesterday, which spurred me on to getting this Nancy Halverson Santa tree skirt finished. It is only 3 years in the making. I took a couple of up close detail pictures at the quilt show so you could see the great quilting and the fun details in the tree skirt. It surprised me how much I enjoyed finishing it up!!