Needles and Pens

Well I made it through my to-do list -- and then some! Complete one scrappy flannel project Done! And listed in the shop today: Scrappy Floral Ragtime Baby Quilt I also started making some pink and purple string blocks for another project: Begin work on two custom quilt orders. (Still waiting for my fabric order for this one. Should be delivered on Monday!) Tear down sheetrock on bathtub end wall. Made a heckuva mess in the process... But I got it done! AND cleaned up the mess. AND stripped the caulking around the tub/floor, for a head start on next week. Yesterday was my birthday, and I had a fantastic day! My husband and kids were so good to me. I was spoiled with roses (And breakfast. And dinner!) from my husband... ...a beautiful Willow Tree "Love" figurine from my daughter... ...and a new camera from the whole family, which I really, really needed. I didn't lift a finger all day, for meals or housework or anything, and I enjoyed every...

Now that all the Christmas gifts are (hopefully) being used and enjoyed, and there are no more surprises to spoil, I wanted to take a moment to share the last of my homemade gifts. (And then I need to get just one more challenge project finished before New Years!) The better part of my Christmas sewing this year involved lots and lots of mug rugs, which I shared in an earlier post ( Mug Rug Madness ). Then came the hot pads for Grandma... Fleece neck warmers for the guys... And the flannel pajama pants that my kids can't seem to live without... Oh, and one more thing, the flannel pillowcase for this: My camera decided to kick the bucket that day, so I'm glad I got at least a few pictures on Christmas morning. lol I think that's everything! And now it's the time of year where I swear off all this last-minute nonsense and vow to start my Christmas sewing earlier next year... ... yeah, right. ;o)

... it may actually qualify as a disease. But I know the cure. Just make a whole bunch of them, all at once, under a deadline. LoL Ready to wrap, with hot cocoa packets and candy canes... ...and a little note inside. Still not quite finished with my Christmas sewing... but the mug rugs, they are done . :o)

Sneaking in one last finish for November, another catching-up effort for the UFO Challenge. My daughter, Emily, picked out this bag pattern and not one but two combinations of fabrics for the same bag over a year ago. I dove into the first one with gusto, but by the time I finished it, the second one was put waaay on the back burner. (Rant Alert)This pattern (upper right on the envelope) is an absolute beast to sew. The gathers upon gathers upon gathers are bad enough, but really McCall's, is it too much to ask that you have someone actually test the directions, find and fix all the stupid mistakes, remissions, and generally garbled instructions? There is even one piece included in the cutting layout that isn't used in the bag, anywhere. Grrr... Pity the poor beginner who tried to follow this pattern and then probably gave up sewing for life! (End Rant) But today is Emily's birthday, so I had major incentive to get the beast finished in time to surprise her with i...

This past weekend, my two sisters and I got together for a marathon quilting session in hopes of completing the top for our mom's 80th birthday this December. All of the family members had (awesomely) personalized their 6-1/2" squares, so it was time to piece the blocks... working from this plan I had drawn up as a possible layout: After deciding our first choice of fabrics might be a bit too busy with all the decorative blocks, we ended up going with these: (If you knew our mom, that pink rose print practically screams her name.) We got busy right away on Saturday morning, cutting and prepping pieces for 35 blocks. My daughter, Kaitlin, helped out with the pressing (and yes, Kaitlin, if you're reading this, it was a LOT of help!) My sisters pinned and chain-pieced the 280 points onto the sashing units, while I started to assemble the blocks... Jan, please don't be mad at me for sharing this picture. (We're all a little camera shy. LoL) The first ...

Attended a bridal shower for our cousin's daughter this past weekend, and I purchased this bath rug and shower curtain for her the day before, a gift for which she had registered at JC Penney ( Woodland Circle Bath Collection ). Of course, I got inspired by the colors and the wheels started turning... could I make a little "something extra" in one afternoon? Did I have these colors in my stash? Well, I do work well under pressure, and I love a challenge. Here's what I came up with... This is the second of these little "quiltlets" I've made from a pattern by Marcie Patch of Patchalot Patterns . I love it! Very quick to sew together, but with the added embroidery (the most time-consuming part), a lot more meaningful than the patchwork alone. Moment of truth... how well do they coordinate? Not bad! She can use it anywhere in her house, of course, as a candle mat or table topper, pinned to the wall, use it as a hot pad... ...but it will de...