Lavender Quilts

Another Fun Swap in the Works!!

2012-02-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

I joined Beth over at her blog Eva Paige Quilt Designs for her Scrappy New Year Group Project. We are each supposed to make 4 12-1/2 inch blocks from a pattern she designed on Electric Quilt and then we will get back three blocks and she will use the 4th block for a group quilt. This is a way for us to use up some scraps!!

These are my blocks. I chose 4 old FQs of "Paris Flea Market" by 3 Sisters that have been sitting around for years.

I decided to paper-piece the blocks, so I made a template of 1/4th of the block and then

they will get sewn together to make a really cute block. I am always amazed at how many blocks can be paper-pieced and how much easier it is for me to do the piecing!!

I am not sure if all 4 finished blocks will be the same fabric or if I am really going to go into my stash to find more fabrics!! I'll let you know!!

Saturday's Smile

2012-01-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

Woo! Hoo! A Finish!!

2012-01-27T20:24:00.002-07:00

I wanted to make something special for my dear, dear friends in Colorado Springs and I thought - hmmmm, I'm a quilter . . . I think I'll make them a quilt!! It's going in the mail tomorrow!!

My sweet friend over at Summit Creek Quilts did the quilting for me!! Thanks, Sue!!

If You Like Postage Stamp Quilts

2012-01-26T18:54:00.001-07:00

here is a great link for you!!

Bonnie left a message on my last post but was unable to create a link to her website, Quiltville.com, so I am doing it for her!! It is well worth visiting!! Click on the quilt to see more!!

I've Been Working and Working and Working and . . .

2012-01-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

working on cutting all these little, and I do mean little, 2" squares!! Yiks, I joined a postage stamp swap and had no idea was I was getting myself into!!

I am sending out 700 hundred - well, I am sending them out as soon as they get done!! LOL!!! It will really be fun to get 700 little squares back in the mail - all different!! But once they arrive, what do I do with them??

Little Houses on the Hillside . . . Little Houses Made of Ticky Tack

2012-01-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

Do you remember that song from long ago?? Well, as I was putting a row of little house blocks together that song came into my head!! Funny how our minds work!! Anyway first row of houses. Notice that two of the houses have perfect corners on the roof sides and two are not so perfect!! Guess which ones are the paper-pieced houses!! :-))

Saturday's Smile

2012-01-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

I Hope This Isn't Cheating . . .

2012-01-13T22:24:00.000-07:00

because the paper-piecing works fabulously and it took me about 1/4th the time to make a house!!

Construction Has Begun in Kaffe Fassett Village!!

2012-01-13T17:22:00.000-07:00

This my first attempt at this type of quilt piecing and quite honestly, it's much more difficult than I would have imagined. I was going to say that it's tougher than paper-piecing when it dawned on me that I just might be able to paper-piece these little goodies!! Has anyone ever tried that??

This is going to be a very colorful village!!

Is It January 15th Yet??

2012-01-11T19:55:00.001-07:00

Because look what came in the mail today ~

from Shell over at The Rasberry Rabbits!!

Everything I need for her new 2012 Raspberry Rabbits BOM featuring her darling design assistants, Harrington and Hannah!! So, I am aready for the big unveiling of month one on Janaury 15th!!

If you would like to play, you can click on the button here and see whats going on. This is going to be a fun and very different BOM because Shell is using a wool applique technique that she invented!!

Then, the mailman also brought me a box from Amazon with my

book for the Quiltalong that is being hosted by Donna over at Brynwood Needleworks. This Quiltalong starts February 1st!! Check it out, it is going to be lots of fun!!

And then finally, in order to get free shipping I HAD to order a second book and for those of you that keep a close eye on me, you know that Kaffe Fasssett is my VERY most favorite designer and so I got his newest book

Now, even though the quilt on the cover is not my favorite, there are some amazing quilts in this book that are quintessential Kaffe!!

Oh, this new year is turning out to be extra, extra special!!

First Project of the Year Started!! Woo! Hoo!!

2012-01-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

It seems like it is always hard for me to get started on a project but once I finally do, I just dive in and love it!!

I just started the Quiltalong "Just Takes 2" presented by Gay over at Sentimental Stitches and Brenda over at Dear Jane. It's a year long project where we will recieve 2 sections of the quilt from the two websites each month. The quilt is set up to be a red and white quilt but many of the participants are doing their own thing.

Here are my first 2 of 6 blocks that we received January 1st. I decided to do my applique work by machine as that is my favorite but I also noticed as I finished the block on the left that the red thread in the white fabric will compliment the red work that can be part of some of the blocks. The red work is optional and I opted to add it.

You can click on the button below to see what others are doing

This is going to be a fun, fun project!!

A New Flimsie is Going to Be a Gift.

2012-01-05T13:25:00.001-07:00

I don't have health insurance and so whenever I can I get a massage and call that my health insurance. Pretty good excuse, huh??

Well, the guy that we have been going to is a very nice man and he truly has healing hands. Paying for his services is not really a true way of saying thank you, so I decided to make a quilt that he could use on his table. That way, everyone that gets a massage can say thank you too.

His entire office is in earth tones - ya, know, nice and soothing and medatative. So, I thought I would pull my batiks out and make a nice earth tone quilt.

Ok, ok, so what one would normally call earth tones it is not, but I do see the sky and the ocean and the pink clouds of a spectacular sunset, the red rocks around St. George, the spring green of grass, the gold in the autumn leaves and so much more. Anyway, I am going to back it in a dull color so if he really wants muted he can use the back side!!! Hope he likes it!!

New International Siggies to Start Out the New Year!!

2012-01-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

I am finally catching up on some of the siggies I have received over the past few months. My Siggies to them are going out tomorrow morning when the post office opens again ~

This one is from Gea Lamberts. Gea is from the Netherlands and she sent a very nice note with her Siggie but it is in a different language so I am not sure what she said - I did get "Hallo Kris" though!! :-)

This one is from Jose Brouwer. Jose is also from the Netherlands. I apparently sent her friend two of mine - which is unusaul because I seem to have a hard time getting one out - and so the friend gave mine to Jose and Jose was kind enough to send me one of hers!! Donna over at Brynwood Needleworks would love this one as it has the acorns on it.

Oh, I wish you could see this amazing siggie in person!! It was made by Ali Maria Bruna in Italy and she has done something with the orange color in the face and hands that makes it three dimensional!! It is incredible!! Ali just joined the list a few days before she sent me this fun Siggie - I hope she can keep up this beautiful work becasue as soon as folks see how incredible her Siggie is, they are going to want to swap with her!!

This little cutie was made by Petra van Opzeeland, who also lives in the Netherlands. The cool thing is that Petra is only 37 years old!! How neat that there are more and more young people who are carrying on the wonderful art of quilting!! And, she has already been quilting for 15 years!!!

This one is from Simonetta Troian, who lives in Italy. She lives in a cottage by the sea in a small town in northern Italy. The little bone is sewn on.

This last one is from Celine Combet. I actually got this one from Celine when she sent me two beautiful Hexie Flowers, as I was her partner for November in the Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap. The reason she put a "pram" on the front is because at the time she sent the package, she was pregnant. As of Christmas night, she is the new Mom of a darling little girl, which you can see on Celine's blog Espritpatch.

Thank you ladies, I love the addition of all your Siggies to my collection!!

2011-12-31T22:20:00.002-07:00

Just in time for the New Year . . .

2011-12-31T21:37:00.000-07:00

I got my last three blocks in my Snow Folks swap ~

This cute little snow mama is from Cathy.

This little gal is the twin of one of the other blocks and she was made by Cynthia.

And this last little funny block was made by Jill. She had a very sick husband during the time of the swap and I think she didn't quite get this little guy done - but at least she did her best and completed the swap!! Standing ovation!!! And I think if I add a few buttons and a couple of facial features he will be quite cute!!

This was really a fun swap with some very, very cute blocks!! Now to get them all put together in a quilt!!

I Just Learned a New Quilting Trick!!

2011-12-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

I was at one of my local quilt shops yesterday and asked if they had the little sand paper dots for our rulers. She said no but that she had heard that there was a bandaid type tape called nexi . . . something that worked real well as it held the ruler good and tight and did not scratch the ruler.

So, when I was at the grocery store I looked in the bandaid isle and found a tape by 3M called Nexcare. While in the package it did not look like it could hold a ruler up tight to the fabric without slipping and since it was $4.99, I was not too sure about purchasing it.

Well, I did decide to get it and it is WONDERFUL!! And the roll will last like forever!!

I also put it on my 24" ruler and it works great on that one too!! Plus, when it stops working I have plenty more!!

And the Winner Is. . . Oh, Wait, the Winners ARE . . .

2011-12-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

I received so many lovely comments that I went and searched my stash and found that I had enough goodies for THREE Giveaways!! Woo! Hoo!!

So here we go ~

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:63Powered by RANDOM.ORG

The first winner is Robin over at Quilty As Charged

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:16Powered by RANDOM.ORG

The Second winner is Gill from Glouchester, United Kingdom

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:36Powered by RANDOM.ORG

And the third winner is Sue Niven over at I Purr Furr to Craft

Thank you to everyone who left comments!!! And welcome to all my new followers!! Wouldn't it be fun if I could have found enough goodies in my stash so all of you could win??

If the winners will email me at akyoung49@yahoo.com I will send your goodies to you!!

Just in the Nick of Time

2011-12-25T21:37:00.000-07:00

I got my final gift finished about 15 minutes before we had to leave to go over to Michelle's to open gifts. It is a quilt for the bed of the American Girl doll that my Great-Niece Lily got for her birthday in October. At the momement the doll's name is Emma and Michelle thougth that Lily might be more likely to keep this name if Emma's name was on the quilt. So . . . .

Here is the quilt measuring 16" x 20" and below is how Lily will always know that her doll's name is Emma!!

It was fun to make and it's my first "real" quilting I have done on a quilt!! I think Lily liked it!! I know her Mom did! :-)

2011-12-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

Merry Christmas to all!!

Been Looking for an Excuse for a Give-a-Way . . .

2011-12-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

and I found one!! On December 27th I am officially going to be a senior citizen!! Yup, it's my birthday and I will be 62 years young!! So, I thought, what a perfect reason to give a gift!!! Here is what I gathered up

I think there is something for everyone ~ there is fabric to sew, 1" hexie templates, quilting pins, a quilting eraser, 100% long staple cotton YLI machine quilting thread (lite grey), an Add-A-Quarter ruler for those that love paper-piecing or would like to learn, Trans-Web - the best stuff I have found for machine applique, a long tape measure and CHOCOLATE!!!

To win chances to win this bag of goodies, I would like to have you leave a comment that tells me what you like BEST about the Christmas/Chanukah holidays or what you like LEAST!!

Also, if you want to blog about this give-a-way, you will get an extra chance,

and finally, if you would like to follow my humble little blog I would love it and you will get a third chance to win!!

Good luck to everyone and I will pick a winner on my birthday, December 27th!! Woo! Hoo!!

Three More Snowmen Have Come to Live at My House

2011-12-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

This has been such a fun swap. I just got three more blocks and they are just as cute as the ones I have already received ~

This one is from Rosa up in Canada. I have decided that the wind must have blown her hat off because ya know, a hat would be critical up there in Canada!! But isn't she darling?? I LOVE the polka dots!!

This one is from Cathy who lives down in Florida. I love the colors, the style and the darling bullseye fabric she used for her snow girl!!! Such a sweetie!!

And this one is from Bonnie who lives in South Dakota!! Now there is a state where folks KNOW about snow people and Bonnie's is dressed for the cold!!! I love the plaid and especially the eyebrows!!

Thanks girls - these are a wonderful addition to my collection!!

It's Been A Hard Week!!

2011-12-16T21:33:00.002-07:00

On Sunday at Church we almost lost my Dad!! Thankfully there were 4 doctors in the house and they got my Dad's pulse up while waiting for the parametics.

We learned on Monday that he has an electrical imbalance in his heart and he opted for a Pacemaker Monday afternoon. We came home from the hospital Tuesday afternoon. He had a couple of bad days at home and then this morning he was feeling much better. He thinks he is going to live and the doctor told him the Pacemaker would give him another 2-10 years!! Yiks - 10 years would make him 104!!

And then the week ended great when I went out to the mail box this afternoon!!

First, I had won a rug mug giveaway from Donna and Tag over at Brynwood Needleworks!! I was so excited I could hardly stand it!! This was the first giveaway I had ever won and it was perfect becasue Donna gave away 2 beautiful hand-crafted mug rugs and the first winner (not me) got her choice and then I got the other one. Well, lucky, ducky me, the other winner made her choice and left the one I REALLY wanted for me!!

Click on the pictures to see fun quilting on the front and the gorgeous fabric that Donna put on the back side. Isn't it bee-you-tee-ful!!!

Now, since I am not a coffee or tea drinker, I pondered how best to use this beautiful piece of art and I found a use for it where I can see it for several hours every day ~

Pretty cool, huh!! Thank you, Donna! I love, love, love it!! It is exquisitely made!!!

And that was not all!!

I also got a beautiful and I do mean beautiful hand-crafted card from Mary over at I Piece 2-Mary

The tree is made from a beautiful satin varigated ribbon with gold foil and a gold button star adorning the tree. I wish you could see this card in person, the picture just does not do it justice. And inside the card was this darling little ornament ~

that now adorns our cute little Christmas tree ~ Thank you so much for being my friend, Mary - I love the card and the ornament!!

Now wait, thats not all I received!! I got a wonderful hand-crafted Christmas card from my sweet friend Shell over at The Raspberry Rabbits. Along with the card was a sweet note and a beautiful handmade bar of lavender soap. In the card, Shell said she found this soap just for me at an art show!! And the soap is so fragrent that I could smell it before I even opened my package!! Yum!!! Shell is the daughter I always wanted but was not lucky enough to have until now!! Thank you, daughter dear - I love you and the kindness of your heart!!

Then, to top it off, I got part of my shipment from Moda with 24 bolts of fabric plus patterns for Barbara Brackman's new Morris and Company quilt.

This fabric is just gorgeous - it's made in Japan and has the finest touch!! Once I get the other 18 bolts, I am going to put together kits for this quilt for my eBay store and Etsy store. The work will keep my mind from wandering!! :-))

It's always comforting to know that even though life is full of trials, Heavenly Father sends His angels in the form of friends to bring joy during the darkest of hours!!

One down and Only 12 Left to Go!!

2011-12-09T17:05:00.001-07:00

I got my first little Snowman for my Snowman swap completed this afternoon. When I was looking online for star buttons, I found a polymer clay site and thought it sounded like fun if I made the button from scratch!! It was fun and hopefully I will get better with time!! Here he is ~

And, I had a heck of a time finding small enough pieces of coal for the mouth and eyes!! I think his name is Oscar!! Ok, back to work!!

P.S. It's not a good idea to iron over felt - it is REALLY hard on the felt and on your iron!!

Oh My Goodness!! Another Steep Learning Curve!!

2011-12-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

I have been saying for months now that I need to learn how to quilt on the mid-arm quilting machine I purchased three years ago. Well, I finally used it for the first time today and boy oh boy do I ever have a new appreciation for all of you who do free-hand quilting on whatever machine you use!!!

I wanted to practice on a few pieces first before quilting the little mug rug I made and so I tried free motion stippling on a scrap and good thing it was a scrap!! Oy Vay!!! Then I tried stitching in the ditch using the free motion and attachment and again - oh boy again!!!

I finally decided to try stitching in the ditch using the regular foot on the machine and that was even more difficult than I had realized it would be!!!

Good thing the first piece I finished is one of the cat quilts for the no-kill animal shelter in Long Beach, Washington because I am thinking that the little kitty that receives this quilt will care less if my ditch stitches are not lying completely in their respective ditches!!! Whew!!!

I am just thrilled that I finally made that huge leap and completed my very first quilt!! Woo! Hoo!

Secret Santa Soiree Box Arrived

2011-12-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

with goodies in it!!

It included these darling little angel sissors, a spray bottle of Musk perfume and this cute little mouse that is a teenie tiny pincushion!!! Plus a very sweet card from my Secret Santa!! Thanks Santa for all my goodies!!

My Very First Rug Mug Turned Out Pretty Darn Cute

2011-12-06T12:08:00.002-07:00

if I do say so myself!! BUT, now I have to figure out how to quilt it!! I have had a mid-arm quilting machine for about three years and I have been too intimidated to try it out but I am going to give it a try!!

I also got one step further on my little Snowman Swap block!! Eek, he's starting to look like a Snowman!! I can see from this picture that he needs to get his hat on a little straighter!! LOL!!!

And Happy Birthday to my Dad who turned 94 today and is going strong!!!

Next Step on My Snowman Swap

2011-12-04T16:00:00.001-07:00

I thought a little texture would make my little guy a bit more fun so I tried out the Texture Magic by Superior Threads that Nedra over at the Cactus Needle loves so much. And it really is fun!! A bit of work, but the end result is exactly the touch I was looking for. Click on the picture for a closer look at the effect the Texture Magic adds to the fabric.

On to the next step. Today, I am joining Sharon over at Vrooman's Quilts and Barb over at Cat Patches for the "Occupy Your Sewing Room" Movement this week!!! Come join us!!

Got My November Hexie Flowers Plus Extra Goodies

2011-12-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

from Celine in the United Kingdom. Celine saw on my blog that I am making Kaffe Fassett hexie flowers so she also sent me some Kaffe strips, enough to make 4 flowers from designs I do not have!!

Celine also noticed that I am in the International Siggie Swap and she is too, so she sent me her siggie. On her blog she mentioned that the reason her siggie has a pram (I think that's United Kingdom English for stroller or baby carriage) on it is because she is expecting her 3rd baby!! How excitting!!

Well, Jane sent us our December lists so now I am off to make a couple of Siggies for my December recipient!! This is a great swap!!

Thanks, Celine, I love everything you sent me!!

Snowmen, Snowmen!!

2011-12-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Now that I have my final project almost done, I had some time last night to start working on my Snowman for the snowman swap I am in. Here is what I have done so far ~

Also, I received another snowman from Carol, who lives down in Florida, so he got a little melted along the way!!

Thank you, Carol - I love this little guy - especially his little red hat!!!

Not Much Quiltin' Going On Because . . .

2011-12-02T19:04:00.001-07:00

it is the end of the semester and all my graphic design projects are due this coming Tuesday!! So, I have been hard at work getting some of them done this week. I thought I would share this one with you

because it was so much fun to make!! WARNING - this is NOT a real magazine and the articles are totally the imaginings of ME!!! But I can hardly believe it - I created this little puppy from scratch!!! AND it did't take me 900 hours!! Woo! Hoo!!!

Another Snow Block Has Arrived in St. George

2011-11-26T09:06:00.002-07:00

This one is from Terry who lives in Indiana. She said that since the snow folks were the stars of our quilts, she made a Snow Star, and she arrived safe and sound today!!

Is she darling or what!! Thanks, Terry, I love her!!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

to everyone that celebrates this day!! And for those of you that don't officially celebrate it, I hope you have a happy peaceful day!!

One Flower Wednesday

2011-11-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

I have so admired the hexie flowers that I have seen where the petals are "fussy cut," so I thought I would try to do one. Wow!! It is really hard to get those little fussy cut pieces centered!! There must be a trick and I am hoping some of you that do the fussy cutting will share your tricks with me!!! This was a flower that was totally out of my comfort zone!!

But I did get to use some of my hand-dyed fabric as the center!! Woo! Hoo!

It's Snowing Snow People

2011-11-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

I joined a small swap last month - only 13 swappers - and now the blocks are starting to arrive. I thought you might like to see some of the creativity from the ladies who are members of this swap ~

This one is Pat's - the eyes are made with the old-fahioned snaps!! Ha! Ha!! I didn't even know they made these snaps anymore but I am old enough to remember them!!

This is Martha's snowman - she told us in her note that on the rare occations when there is enough snow to make a snowman, this is what he looks like within a few short hours of making him because of the intense Texas sunshine - pretty clever, huh!!

This is Rebecca's snowman - this little cutie has had a LOT of work put into all the embroidery done on him!!

Thank you, girls!! Your blocks are wonderful and I LOVE them!!

And there are still another 9 snow people - including some possible snow babies (aka snowflakes) - coming, plus the one I am working on for the swap!!

One Flower Wednesday

2011-11-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

So far, this is one of my favorites!!

And look what we have getting ready for Thanksgiving!!

Look at All This Gorgeous Fabric

2011-11-15T08:32:00.001-07:00

from Barbara Brackman's new line called "Lately Arrived from London"

I am going to use it to make this quilt ~

This fabrics are soooooooooo beautiful and the hand on them is simply decadent!!! I think I need a whole day to just touch each and run my fingers across all of it before starting to cut it up!! :-))

One thing I found really interesting about this fabric - ~ it was made in Japan instead of China or some other third world country. The quilt will measure 76" x 76" once finished!!

I also am working on a couple of things for my Secret Sister in the

but I can't show you until the Soiree is over!! I am hoping she likes her gifties!!

Charity Quilt Completed at the Last Minute

2011-11-13T10:04:00.001-07:00

Oh, boy, I have been like many of you here is blogland - SICK!! I finally went to the doctor last Tuesday and he said I had bronchitis and sent me home with antibiotics, an inhaler and codiene cough syrup!! He also told me that if the tightness in my chest was not gone by tomorrow then I needed to go in for a chest ex-ray as he said it might be pneumonia and the antibiotics he gave me would not take care of any pneumonia.

So, I have been hanging low this past week but I had charity quilt for Church that needed to be finished by 6:30 lat night. I was given the fabric to work with and it was the ugliest fabric in the world but I managed to make a pretty quilt quilt out of it by cutting off the tea pot border and cutting it all up in to 6 inch squares and adding a couple of borders. It is a double/queen size so I couldn't get good pictures but here is a taste ~

It really did turn out quite well given what I had to work with and I contributed the border fabrics and enough of the red to do the back. Just as I was smoothing out the back after folding it - the door bell rang!! Whew!! Finished just in the nick of time!!

Everyone enjoy your Sabbath Day!!

2011-11-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY EVERYONE!!!

We Support Our American Troops!

Ok, I Super Miss All of You and My Little Blog

2011-11-05T08:15:00.000-06:00

and it only took two weeks!!

I have done a lot of thinking and praying these past two weeks. I have also been very sick the past few days with a cold that put me down in bed for two days. But today is a good day!!

Also, my older (only 2-1/2 years older) brother is in the hospital again!! He was in Vietnam and was exposed to Agent Orange. When he started having problems with his body about 10 years ago, the VA mis-diagnosed the Agent Orange-induced diabetes and he has gone through so much in the past few years!! He is such a man of faith and love and he inspires me daily!! He is a computer geek to the 10th degree and he was sooooooooo excited when I started this blog. In fact, he was my very first follower!! How's that for a great big brother!!

He was also so excited when I started taking computer classes a few years ago and he kept telling me I could do it - even last night when I was chatting with him on the phone and telling him how hard learning PhotoShop was for me!! Here he is in the hospital with a morphine drip, the pain is so intense, and he is cheering me on and telling me to hang in there - that I was smart enough to get through this class!!

I want to dedicate this post and my humble little blogging experience to him and thank him for being a great big brother!! I didn't always think that way and now I am regretting all those years that we didn't stay in touch because I didn't want to!! Here is a picture I created in Photoshop and Greg, this is for you!!!

And thank you extra much for all you wonderful friends that were so concerned about me!! Life is STILL way too big for me right now but my attitude about life is improving!! Sometimes we need to step back and realize that if we are given big trials in life we are great enough to work through them as so many of us know - Heavenly Father will never give us more than we can handle!!

Thank you all for hanging in there with me!!!

Dear Friends

2011-10-20T10:21:00.001-06:00

Life has just gotten way too big for me right now . . .

so I have decided that I need to back away from it right now and put some things into perspective!!

I have been blogging for almost 2 years now and I have met many wonderful friends, including a daughter I never had (she knows who she is) but it is time for me to close my bedroom door and hibernate for awhile as I think through everything that is going on right now!!

So for now I say "Adieu" and thank you to all of you for your love and support!! Kris

One Flower Wednesday

2011-10-19T17:39:00.000-06:00

A Fun Surprise From Down Under

2011-10-17T12:10:00.000-06:00

A while back I did a giveaway of some of the hand-dyed fabric that I had just learned to create!! Well, Elizabeth from Village Quilters was one of the winners and today in the mail, I just got this fun package of goodies from her

with a sweet note thanking me for the hand-dyed FQs that she won!!

I love getting snail mail but this kind of huge surprise - totally un-expected - snail mail is the VERY best!! Thank you Elizabeth, I love the hexie flower and the little butterfly!!

We Just Finished Watching Some VERY Powerful TV

2011-10-15T23:36:00.000-06:00

I don't think there is a whole lot of really good stuff on television these days but we just finished watching "Five" on the Lifetime channel this evening and I felt it was worth blogging about.

The groundbreaking original movie “Five” is an anthology of five short films exploring the impact of breast cancer on people’s lives. “Five” highlights the shared experience each short film’s title character endures from the moment of diagnosis, through an interconnected story arc that uses humor and drama to focus on the effect breast cancer and its different stages of diagnosis have on relationships and the way women perceive themselves while searching for strength, comfort, medical breakthroughs and, ultimately, a cure.

And in looking up the information to share, I came across the website, http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/five, that not only talks about the film but also has a lot of really great information on breast cancer. Also, you can actually watch the full movie right on your computer.

If you have ever known anyone who has had or has breast cancer, this is a very powerful movie to watch!! It's funny, it's sad, it's real, it's thought-provoking and as you can tell, I really, really liked this anthology of five short films.

Just check out the website if nothing else!!

One Flower Wednesday

2011-10-12T08:16:00.000-06:00

I finished this fun little flower for my Kaffe Fassett garden ~

And I received these two gorgeous flowers from my Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap partner, Patty Carbaugh. Thank you, Patty - I LOVE them!!

Do You Feel Like This Some Days??

2011-10-11T00:01:00.001-06:00

This is too funny - I just had to share!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to All Our Canadian Friends

2011-10-10T08:07:00.000-06:00

The origins of Canadian Thanksgiving are closely connected to the traditions of Europe. Long before Europeans settled in North America, festivals of thanks and celebrations of harvest took place in Europe in the month of October. The very first Thanksgiving celebration in North America took place in Canada when Martin Frobisher, an explorer from England, arrived in Newfoundland in 1578. He wanted to give thanks for his safe arrival to the New World.

For a few hundred years, Thanksgiving was celebrated in either late October or early November, before it was declared a national holiday in 1879. It was then, that November 6th was set aside as the official Thanksgiving holiday. But then on January 31, 1957, Canadian Parliament announced that on the second Monday in October, Thanksgiving would be "a day of general thanksgiving to almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed." Thanksgiving was moved to the second Monday in October because after the World Wars, Remembrance Day (November 11th) and Thanksgiving kept falling in the same week.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Today Was Super Saturday Craft Day

2011-10-08T20:46:00.000-06:00

and we had a beautiful day here in St. George for the occasion!! Note the SNOW on the mountain tops!!

And we had so much fun!! In the embroidery class I taught, we learned all a the basic stitches using this cute pattern:

We had young Moms and 2 young gals about 11 years old!!

A couple of hams wanting to show just how much fun they were having!!

There were lots of projects to learn -

And, of course, lots of gooooood food!!

Some of the activity going on all morning long!!

This was my most favorite project -

EVERYONE had a good time!!

Hope they invite me back next time!!

Finished My Little "Live Simply" Embroidery Piece

2011-10-06T21:07:00.000-06:00

into this cute little pillow!! I am liking this embroidery stuff more and more!!

One Flower Wednesday

2011-10-05T10:22:00.000-06:00

Getting Ready For Super Saturday Craft Day with My Niece

2011-10-04T23:03:00.001-06:00

I have been spending the day working on the class Michelle asked me to teach to her young friends this Saturday. I am going to be teaching embroidery as some of you know. Well, I was talking to one of the young gals last week and she said she would love to learn how to do embroidery but what else can you make besides tea towels!!! Cracked me up. so they are going to have their young little eyes opened!!

I ordered a darling pattern from Marg Low down in Australia hoping it would get here in time and it did:

I love all of Marg's designs but this is one I wanted for myself so I thought it would be perfect to show what can be done.

I also spent the evening making this cute little thing:

And hope to make a little pillow or hanging for the knob on my TV armoire before Saturday!! It's very small - 4" x 6" but with a border it will be perfect!! I used Valdani floss which is hand over dyed from Shell over at The Raspberry Rabbits and it turned out so fun with the variegated thread!!

Now just to figure out how I am going to run the class and get all these young women excited about hand work!!

Is It Already Time to Start Getting Ready for Christmas?

2011-10-03T19:11:00.001-06:00

I have been looking at so many different blogger's Etsy stores and decided that it would be fun to have one of my own!! I have, of course, named it Lavender Quilts and Other Fineries and this is my first item for sale:

Now, I know I am singing to the choir here as most everyone who visits my humble little blog is a quilter just like me but this little top turned out so cute I wanted to share it!! Oh, my gosh, one more thing to think about - an Etsy store!! I'll see if I can keep up this hectic pace!! :-)

The Winners of the Collection for a Cause - Comfort Charm Packs

2011-10-01T08:44:00.000-06:00

It is a beautiful morning here in St. George and it is a special weekend so I thought I would pick two names:

The first winner is: # 4 - Debbie From Woolensails

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:4Powered by RANDOM.ORG

And the second winner is: #48 - Alison from Little Bunny Quilts

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:48Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Debbie and Alison - please email me at akyoung49@yahoo.com to let me know what your address is so I can send these wonderful Charm Packs to you!!

Thank you to everyone who left comments and posted this giveaway on their blogs!!

If You Like Civil War Era Reproduction Prints

2011-09-29T20:52:00.000-06:00

then you will love Barbara Brackman's newest line called "Lately Arrived From London". The collection reproduces fabric from about 1780 to 1820 - a little after the time of the Civil War. The name refers to the advertisements for ships carrying imported fabrics into American ports in that period.

The colors are just beautiful!! If you want to read more about this line of fabric that is coming out this month, you can go to Barbara's blog, Material Culture. I think of all the fabric designers, my most favorite is Barbara Brackman!! I just love her style!!

Here is the quilt she has designed for this line of fabric!! Way gorgeous!! It measures 76" x 76". I am looking forward to making this beauty!!

Blocks for HillyBilly Tonya Are Finally Done . . .

2011-09-28T11:44:00.000-06:00

and in the mail today!!

Tonya from Hillbilly Handiworks gave me a wonderful opportunity to help her with some blocks for a charity quilt that is for a lady with cancer. I have been promising Tonya that I would get these blocks in the mail to her for the past several weeks!! I am hoping these blocks work and it was extra fun for me because I was able to use some of the Moda fabric that I hand-dyed for the borders!!

Ok, Tonya - now it's time to get this quilt finished and off to your friend!!! :-)) Thanks for allowing me to be a participant!!

Fun, Fun Present in the Mail Today!!

2011-09-26T16:31:00.000-06:00

I got the neatest surprise today from Betsy over at Quilting Fiesta. She sent me this gorgeous fall embroidery

It's about 10" x 10" & will make a darling little pillow!! Thank you, Betsy - I love it!!!

I Love It When My Dog Barks Crazily in the Late Afternoon

2011-09-23T18:04:00.001-06:00

because I know it is the UPS man (and this time we had a different guy and he was darling - opps I digress) is here with more fabric!!

Today he brought me a bunch of the new Collection for a Cause - Comfort by Howard Morris.

I didn't know he was the owner of the Moda - or so I heard.

Anyway, here is the collection:

Wonderful reproduction prints in green and browns and reds - yum!!

As I was fondling all this bee-you-tee-full fabric, I thought it would only be proper if I share one pack with one of my friends here.

So you all know the drill - leave a comment so I know you are interested and if you want to post this giveaway on your blog I will give you 2 extra chances!! This fabric is just that pretty - that is unless you just hate reproduction prints!!

Hoo! Hoo!! GIVEAWAY!!!

I will draw a name the minute I arise on October 1, 2011!!

Lily Claire Just Turned Six

2011-09-22T15:17:00.001-06:00

and this is the cake her Mom, my niece Michelle, made for her!! Click picture to see a close-up!!

It is Candyland - one of Lily's favorite games!! As you can see Lily was quite the happy little girl!!

This is what the cake looked like at the end of the party!! :-)) It was not only the coolest cake I have even seen but it was also the sweetest!!

My One Flower Wednesday Flowers

2011-09-21T08:44:00.000-06:00

come from my Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap September partner, Maggie Fellow.

Maggie also sent me 2 extra little hexie-shaped pieces of fabric that match my hexies and a beautiful postcard with Indiana's wildflowers!!

Thank you, Maggie, I love them!!

A New Baby is Coming!!!

2011-09-18T17:37:00.000-06:00

My youngest nephew and his darling wife informed us a few weeks ago that they are having a new baby that will arrive the first part of March!! This is their first!! Since Aunt Kris has not heard (and I don't think anyone knows yet) if it is a boy or a girl, I decided to make a little snuggle blanket that will work for either. I think it turned out pretty cute!

I did have to rip out two rows of the edging because I accidently worked a half double crochet in the second row and by the time I had completed the full double crochet in the third row, it stuck out oo much and folded over, but the new edging works pretty good!!

It's going in the mail tomorrow to go into Baby Young's layette!!

Winners of the Hand-Dyed FQs

2011-09-16T10:55:00.001-06:00

Today is the day I announce the winners of the hand-dyed FQs giveaway!! But before I do, I want to show you what I have been doing the past fews days.

And I have had so much fun!! So much fun, in fact, that I decided to giveaway two sets of FQs and the winners will be able to chose the colors they want or just take the original set of blue FQs.

The first winner is: # 8 - EllieK from the Village Quilters

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:8Powered by RANDOM.ORG

And the second winner is: #23 - Debra from Let's Bee Together

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:23Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Thank you to everyone who shared their comments and opinions with me!! It gave me the courage to dye the additional fabrics and today I am going to cut up some of the FQs into F-1/8ths and put them in my eBay Store - The Quilting Garden!!

Ellie and Debra - please email me at akyoung49@yahoo.com to let me know what your address is and what colors and sizes you want. You can chose three FQs, 6 F-1/8ths or a combination of the two!!

One Flower Wednesday

2011-09-14T18:08:00.000-06:00

I got my One flower Wednesday flower completed this afternoon. This was really a fun one to make. At first I chose a dark green center but after I finished the green hexie, I put it into the center and I just did not like it. Well, that created a problem because I just don't own any solid fabric and this flower is one of the flowers for my swap partner in the Inchy Hexagon flower Swap and her preferences are florals with solid centers.

While I was trying to figure out what to do, my friend Regena said "why not use some of the fabric you just dyed!!" What a concept!!

So, I chose this wonderful mottled purple that just made the petals pop!! Now I have both of my flowers to send to my swap partner for her September flowers!!

Rotary Blade Cutters

2011-09-12T15:46:00.000-06:00

Several weeks ago there was a discussion in one of my Yahoo groups about some rotary blades sold at Harbor Freight Tools for cutting carpet. One of the gals said she tried them in her rotary cutter and they worked great. Then there was quite a bit of conversation going back and forth with some saying they had tried them and didn't like them and others chiming in saying they had tried them and they worked as well as the expensive "quilting" rotary blades. In the picture above, the blade on the left is an Olfa and the blade right next to the cutter is from Harbor Freight Tools.

So, I decided that since a package of 2 was only $1.99 (and right now they are on sale for $1.49) that it was worth giving them a try - especially in light of the fact that I can cut up to 30-40 pieces of fabric daily for my little eBay store, plus all my own personal cutting. And, since Olfa blades can cost anywhere from $38.98 for 10 (at Hancocks of Paducah) to $34.99 for 5 at JoAnn's (with a 40% off coupon - $20.99), I thought I would order 10 at a cost of $14.90 and see if they really do work.

I figured if they do work, it will save me LOTS of money in the long run and if they don't work, I am out $14.90. PLUS, the shipping is VERY reasonable. They come out of California if you order them and since St. George is pretty close to California, the shipping was only $1.99 (for orders up to $15.00)!! Another lady who lived further east said her shipping and handling was $2.99. Also their website says they have 350 locations, so you just might be near enough one to just go pick them up!!

I test-tried one on a remnant and had no problem cutting through 4 layers. I am sure time will tell, but I thought I would let you all know about this find in the event you like to save money like I do!!

2011-09-11T00:01:00.004-06:00

Help - I Need Professional Fabric Opinions - Giveaway!!

2011-09-10T15:29:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone!!

Here it is several hours later since my post this morning about dying fabric. I dyed 3 yards in what is called a "Value Parfait" and I used blue as my dye.

Now, the three swatches are supposed to be light, medium and dark. I am thinking that the light and medium pieces are very similar so I will need to work on that.

I would sure love to get some opinions from all of you to let me know if you like the pieces, what is wrong, if anything, and would this be something you would buy. Please remember that these are one yard pieces and they will each be cut up into 4 FQs because right now I think they all look like Rorschach Inkblot Tests or full body x-rays!! LOL!!!

As appreciation for you leaving a comment critiquing these pieces, I am going to give away a set of three FQs, one of each color value.

Actually, I was amazed at how much better the pieces looked once they were cut up into a FQ.

Also, if you want to post this giveaway on your blog, just let me know in your comment and you will get an additional chance.

Thank you everyone for leaving me your professional opinions!! I am thinking that I am loving this fabric dying gig!!

I am Finally Taking the Leap

2011-09-10T10:41:00.000-06:00

into fabric dying. I have wanted to try my hand at dying fabric for several years but was not willing to to try it. I think I was scared of the process and the expense.

Well, my little eBay store has been very slow the past few weeks and so I decided I needed to give it a little boost. I am hoping that I can learn the dying techniques well enough to sell high quality hand dyed cottons in my little store.

I had NO idea what it took to dye fabric - all the tools and the dyes and the additives and of course fabric that is prepared for dying. Now I do!!

Ok, here goes . . .

Is This the Cutest Little Quilt or What??

2011-09-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Well, Erin over at One Piece at a Time made this cute thing and now she has posted the pattern parts so we can make it. And not only that but she is having a Giveaway this weekend for a fat eighth bundle of the Curio fabric she used:

and a set of darling buttons:

All you have to do is jump on over there and leave a comment telling her which super power you would rather possess - the ability to fly or to be invisible!! Oh, so fun!! Just click on her link above!!

Look What I Got In The Mail Today

2011-09-08T20:37:00.001-06:00

I love this book!! It is written by Mary Lou Weidman and Melanie Bautista McFarland. Now, these gals "get" me!! The book is full of fun, wonky patterns and lots of color!! The little chicken on the front cover looks perfect for a non-traditional baby quilt and the Purple Cow quilt is out of this world!!

I can see some fun, wonky Kaffe Fassett quilts coming from these pages!! Has anyone out there made any of these wonky blocks or quilts??

Oh, man too many fun quilts to make
and not enough time!!

One Flower Wednesday

2011-09-07T08:22:00.001-06:00

I got my one little flower done for One Flower Wednesday. It is actually going to be one of the two flowers I send to my partner in the Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap for September.

While I was checking out what some of my blogging friends were up to today, I ran across Melody's One Flower Wednesday flower and she had the coolest little tool sitting next to her hexies!! I want one of those!! I asked her where she got it, but since she lives in Australia, I may not be able to run down to pick one up anytime soon!!

Hope you all have a great day wherever you might be!!

Newest International Siggies

2011-09-06T16:17:00.000-06:00

Sara Bangs - Mt. Vernon, WA

Jos Weegerink - The Netherlands

Chris Jones - The Netherlands

Thank you to all of you for your wonderful siggies for my collection.

Fun, New Siggie for International Siggie Swap

2011-09-03T13:22:00.001-06:00

I got an invitation to swap siggies in the International Siggie Swap that I am part of from a cute lady in Andelst in Holland.

The difference in this invitation was that she wanted a Christmas siggie instead of the siggie that I typically use for this swap. I got the Christmas siggie done and it will go into the mail to Holland on Tuesday after the Labor Day holiday.

I had so much fun trying embroidery again, I thought I would make a special one with a little embroidered angel and a beaded halo!! I hope she likes it!!

One Flower Wednesday

2011-08-31T19:19:00.001-06:00

The flower I made today turned out quite interesting.

Using Kaffe Fassett fabrics is a real challenge but very fun.

The better part of One flower Wednesday is that I received my VERY first hexies in the Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap. These little beauties came all the way from Pat, who lives in Northhampton, England!! Oh, they are simply gorgeous and perfectly made!! Pat also sent a little note on this cute little card from the British Red Cross.

The painting on the front is the Humanity Rose from an original painting by Elizabeth Cameron, who passed away in 2009 at the age of 93. She was an amazing woman; both an entrepreneur and one of Britain's leading botanical artists. You can check out more about Ms. Cameron HERE.

Thank you, Pat!! I love both flowers, but I must say that the polka dot one is my very most favorite!!! So, much so, that I just might ask Jane to change my preferences to polka dot petals surrounding a lavender or purple center!! Oh, would that make a gorgeous quilt top or what!!

It's Been More Than 35 Years

2011-08-30T17:55:00.002-06:00

since I have done any embroidery!! Yes, I did buy a couple of darling kits from Shell over at The Raspberry Rabbits but every time I looked at one, I froze up because it had been so long since I had done anything like this.

Well, we went to dinner at my niece, Michelle's for dinner Sunday night and out of the clear blue sky, she asked if I would like to teach an embroidery class at her Church Super Saturday day in October!! I said yes, I would love to, but then as soon as I could, I found a pattern and both Regena and I worked on a couple of samples to see if we really could do it!!

TaDa!!

Kris'

Regena's

Are they the cutest things or what!! I guess, it's like riding a bike and we had sooooooo much fun!! Now onto one of Shell's cute pieces!!!

It's Just Too Dang Hot . . .

2011-08-27T13:09:00.000-06:00

so I am just hanging out

trying to garner some energy and go in to get some work done in my sewing room and the annex (out in the garage) and get them in working order!!

Anyone wanna come over and just hang out with me while this heat passes??

I am also keeping an eye on Irene to make sure my blogging buddies on the east coast are going to be okay!!

I hope this is as bad as it gets

Prayers continue, dear friends!!

What in the World??

2011-08-26T14:06:00.000-06:00

I was out in blogland a few days ago and saw a product advertised that looked exactly like what I should have had when I was making my fabric postcards.

It is called The Wacker Seams Perfect and it is supposed to flatten multi-layer seams by wacking the seam twice while the seam is still hot. Sounded like a great idea until I saw how much it cost - anywhere from $14.99 to $17.00 plus shipping and handling on top of that.

Since I am a super cheap skate, my mind went into high gear and I thought, hmmmmmmm, I wonder if a rubber mallet at Home Depot would be less expensive. Well, yup, I got this beauty at Home Depot (or Lowes or Ace and any good hardware store) for $4.97!!

The difference between my Home Depot Smacker and the Wacker is that the Wacker's wooden handle measures about 8 inches long and my super-duper Smacker's handle is 11 inches. Also, I would imagine that my Smacker is heavier than the Wacker. But I'll bet it works just as well!!

And I decided that in order to make my Smacker really special, I would paint the wooden handle my favorite color - lime!!

Now, I am not putting down the Wacker Seams Perfect tool as it is truly inspired and it is a great idea, but the way I look at it, not only do I have fun tool that serves it's purpose, but I also have an extra $10.00 - $12.00 to go out and buy a new yard of fabric or 4 Fat quarters!! Now, that's my kind of tool!!

Hope all our friends on the East Coast are staying safe!!

My First One Flower Wednesday

2011-08-24T08:56:00.000-06:00

As I have mentioned several times in the past, I have fallen in love with the hexie flower, so much so that I am now a member of the Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap and I just joined the One Flower Wednesday group.

I learned a lot on the first flowers I made in the Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap for Deb in Australia. But I even learned more on this first One Flower Wednesday flower.

I figured out that if I am going to use the big, bright prints by Kaffe Fassett, I think I want to fussy cut them. Also, I need to use a thread that is closer in color to the fabric I am using instead of a nice neutral light grey that I use for everything else. I think I am going to get one of the BobbinSaver rings with prewound bobbins in a cacophony of colors from Superior Threads

If you would like to see what everyone else in the One Flower Wednesday group is doing this week, click on the link above!!

Have a great day, everyone!!

I Want to Be a Cowboy!

2011-08-23T22:26:00.000-06:00

I have always loved horses and I have always wanted to be a Cowgirl!! When I saw the new Moda fabric collection called "King of the Ranch," I just fell in love with it.

I decided I was going to take a big jump and try something new in my eBay shop. I am not completely sure what I am going to do, but something fun. I also ordered some cowboy panels and a bit more of the co-ordinate fabrics. I am thinking I might make up some fun pillow size kits or make up some cowboy stars with the panel in the center.

Stayed tuned and see what comes out of my head!!

Pillowcases for the Soldiers

2011-08-22T22:06:00.002-06:00

Several months ago in the first part of May, Carol, over at Brown Quilts 4 Me asked for some help on behalf of her good friend Jami, who had just found out she has cancer. Jami has dedicated almost all of her sewing to making patriotic pillowcases and quilts for our servicemen and women. She has made it her project to make sure that every member of the service that she comes in contact with gets a pillowcase to remember home. Whenever she goes to an airport, she has her carry on bag full of pillowcases. She goes to the USO room at whatever airport she's in and hands out pillowcases or if she saw a service person at a gate waiting to get on a plane, she would give them a pillowcase.

Well, when Jami found out about the cancer, she had already promised to make a delivery of pillowcases to Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia. She asked Carol and her husband to help make the delivery. They were originally going to go this month but with some delays in Jami's chemotherapy and radiation treatment, they are going to make the trip in September.

On August 12th Carol posted an update saying that she had received over 300 pillowcases and that with Jami's therapy schedule they are going to try to make the trip to Fort Gordon the end of September. So, if anyone has any thought of making a pillowcase or two to help Jami and Carol put smiles on lots and lots of soldiers' faces, you can email Carol at goodhomequiltco@aol.com and let her know some pillowcases are on their way!!

I was able to put 4 pillowcases in the mail to Carol today.

And I know I have said this so many times, but I love the quilting community; it is so giving and loving and compassionate!! I thank Heavenly Father every night for allowing me to be part of this incredible community!! And I thank all of you for being part of it as well!!

Working on a New Project Fast and Furious!!

2011-08-19T21:08:00.001-06:00

When Regena moved in with my Dad and I last month, she was relegated to the smallest of the three bedrooms because my Dad got the Master bedroom with the bathroom and walk-in closet and I got the second largest bedroom to act as our sewing room. Since her bedroom is so small, she only has a single bed in there. Since she has always had a queen-size bed she had no single bedding, she was going to go out and get a single-size comforter. I told her I would make her a quilt instead and she was thrilled.

She decided she really liked the 1930's prints and I started out making 9-patches with white off-setting squares but decided that since her cute little dog, Penny

will be sharing the quilt with her, I decided white was not the best idea. So, I am working hard to get it done before the cold winds blow in November!!! Only, kidding, Regena!!

More International Siggies for My Siggie Collection

2011-08-17T23:03:00.000-06:00

I have been working on catching up on exchanges siggies for the International Siggie Swap I belong to. This one is one of my favorites:

and if you would like to see more, just click on the International Siggie Swap page near the top of my blog.

We Picked a Winner for the 1968 Heirloom Wool Crazy Quilt!!

2011-08-16T08:38:00.000-06:00

Thank you all for leaving comments about this gorgeous heirloom Wool Crazy Quilt. You all left such wonderful comments and I truly wish I had a quilt for each of you!!

And the winner is:
Jeanne from The Learning Curve

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:10Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Congratulations, Jeanne!!

Email me your snail mail address and I will get your wonderful quilt out to you!!

My First Hexies for The Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap

2011-08-15T08:13:00.000-06:00

are all done and I think they turned out pretty darn cute!! My swap partner wanted 1930's reproduction fabric and so I decided to find some fabric pieces that I could fussy cut.

But I am a bit nervous about sending these off to Australia because these will be the very first hexies that anyone else has ever seen the back of.

I have just learned to do these little cuties and I have looked at several tutorials on making them but I have really just done my own thing with them and I hope they are properly done!! I will find out in a few weeks when my swap partner receives them!!

Have a wonderful week where ever you might be quilting!!!

My Postcards for the Carol Doaks Postcard Swap are Done!!

2011-08-13T16:03:00.000-06:00

Woo! Hoo! And boy did I have fun making them. These are the first postcards I have ever made so I tried all different edges and different post card faces.

Now, all 6 of these postcard fronts may look exactly alike but if you look closely at the diamond piece in the middle you will see that I used a large Kaffe Fassett print and so each triangle is different.

Also, if you look closely, you can also see that I tried different stitches for the edges and finally decided that the one on Nina's postcard is the one I like the best.

I am taking them down to the post office Monday morning so that I can have them hand-cancelled. And look all the fun stamps I used - a different one for each postcard!! I hope the recipients like them as much as I do!!

Thank You for Being a Friend!!

2011-08-12T16:56:00.000-06:00

Is This the Cutest Thing or What??

2011-08-10T12:18:00.000-06:00

Mom, can you come get me down??

Postcard Swap is Due in a Few Days!!

2011-08-10T08:20:00.000-06:00

I am feverishly working on my 6 paper-pieced postcards for the Carol Doaks Yahoo group that I belong to as they are due no later than August 15th!! This has been a really fun swap!! Here are 4 of the 6 cards I have already received:

This is what the back side of a postcard looks like:

Are they darling or what??? I am hoping that all 6 of my cards go out in the mail by tomorrow!!

Reminder for the 1968 Heirloom Wool Crazy Quilt Giveaway!!!

2011-08-06T07:10:00.000-06:00

Drawing is August 15, 2011

See here for more details!!

The Neighbors are Jealous Because We Moved into the Neighborhood

2011-08-05T10:33:00.000-06:00

and took all their birds!! We started out with one little bird feeder under the tree in the front yard. Then we noticed how many finches were coming to the feeder, so we got a finch sock. Then we notices all the doves - oh my, we must have 50 doves out there in the early evening just checking out all the bird food droppings that the little birds had dropped out of the feeder during the day.

We noticed a hummingbird and so Regena picked up another hummingbird feeder (we already have one in the backyard) and this morning I walked out to a symphony of bird songs and sights!!

I had no idea there were so many different birds living in the desert. It's hard to see but there is a yellowed finch at the bottom of the finch sock.

Enjoy your day!!!

Knitted Dish Cloths with Instructions

2011-08-04T21:55:00.001-06:00

One of the things I do love about the summer, and no, its not the heat, is that it is baseball season and I am a huge Colorado Rockies fan. I am sorry to say they are not doing so well this season but they are a great bunch of guys and the game is my fav!!

One thing I can't do is just sit and watch TV so, I always have a project to work on. Now, it depends on how much I really want to watch what is on that decides what project I am going to work on. With baseball, I do want to watch it for the most part so my favorite baseball game project is a knitted cotton dish cloth because it is just knitting with a few yarn overs and knit 2 togethers. Very simple and does not take a lot of thought.

I would imagine that a lot of you knitters already know how to knit this dishcloth and have probably made 100s of them like I have. But, I thought that new knitters might be interested in getting the pattern for this dish cloth as it is SUPER easy and quite quick!! They also make wonderful gifts!!

First, you start out with a ball of ""Sugar 'n Cream" by Lily in either solid or variegated. It is 100% cotton which is most important when making these dishcloths. You will also need a pair of #8 needles. The yarn you can get at Michaels, JoAnn's or Hobby Lobby. Be sure you have your 40% off coupon at JoAnn's or Michaels because they charge way too much for this yarn. I like Hobby Lobby the best but we don't have one here in St. George. Boo! Hoo!

Instructions:
With your #8 needles, cast on loosely 3 stitches.
First row, knit 2, yo (yarn over) knit to the end.
Turn needle. Knit 2 yo knit to the end.

As you can see, the yo increases each row by one.

Continue in this fashion until you have 45 stitches on the needle.

Next row knit 1, knit 2 tog (together) yo, knit 2 tog knit to the end.
Turn needle. Work previous row until there are three stitches remaining on the needle. Your dish cloth should start looking like this:

Next row, knit 1, knit 2 together.
Next row knit 2 tog and then you will have one stitch remaining.
Pull this stitch up into a loop and cut off a your yarn with about 6-7 inches hanging. Pull the end through the loop and tighten.

Take a yarn needle - I prefer the metal ones as they seem to be stronger - and weave the ends through the body of the dish cloth. Cut off the ends and you are done.

Since I am always making these little guys, I have lots of them!!

But every time I give them as gifts - usually 3 at a time - folks seem to love them!! And of course, I own enough to change the dish cloth every day, so they never get stale. Then, after you no longer want them as dish cloths, they make great rags.

Hope you enjoy making these great dish cloths!!

Hmmmmmmm, Moving does Have Some Perks

2011-08-03T18:59:00.001-06:00

Several years ago, I bought a ton of fun yarn to make scarves for friends and family. Well, everyone got their scarf!! While unpacking boxes from this move, I unearthed this box of goodies.

So, since Regena and decided that we are going to try to get rid of as many extras as we can, we decided we would make all this fun yarn into scarfs and sell them in my little Etsy store. Here is a peek at my first one. Regena chose a pink yarn for her first shot!!

Only problem is that it has been so long since I put anything into my Etsy shop, I have forgotten how to do it!!! Oh, well, off to the drawing board to figure out how to list these scarves!!

Winners of the Ready, Set, Snow Charm Packs

2011-08-01T08:59:00.002-06:00

I had so many wonderful comments on this fun Giveaway that I decided giving only one away was just not right - so I decided to give away 3 Charm Packs!!

Congratulations to the Winners:

Mimi from Manitouwadge, Ontario Canada

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max:

Result:

10Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Martha, a Private Blogger

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max:

Result:

20Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Val Laird of Val Laird - Journey of a Stitcher

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max:

Result:

128Powered by RANDOM.ORG

If everyone will email me with your snail mail addresses, I will get your Charm Packs in the mail to you immediately so you can start your Christmas project!!!

I Get to Join The Inchy Hexegon Flower Swap!!

2011-07-28T07:53:00.000-06:00

Back in April, I an across the Inchy Hexegon Flower Shop blog and emailed Jane to ask if I could join the swap. Well, at that time the swap was full but she invited me to join in August. I had just made my very first hexie in April and I have fallen in love with them!!

Well, Jane asked me in her email if I knew one or two others that would like to join and I told her I would give a shout out to all my blogging buddies and see if any of you want to join the swap!! If you are interested, email me at akyoung49@yahoo.com and I will get you in touch with Jane!!

Enjoy this wonderful day that we have been given!!

I'm Home and Boy, Can I NOT Count!!

2011-07-26T11:56:00.000-06:00

I got home last night and on Friday I wrote that I was going to have a very special giveaway because I was so close to an amazing 20,000 visits. Well, hello, I am still almost a 1,000 visits away. Gosh, doesn't 20,000 come right directly after 19,000? NOT!!

So, since I promised a very special giveaway, I am going to start it right now even though I am a little slow on up-take!! :-))

This quilt is a gorgeous quilt that was made in 1968 and the top is not only all made from wool but all of the crazy quilt borders and embroidery are all done by hand. I am not 100% sure but I would imagine that the entire top was hand pieced as well!! Also, this is not a family heirloom. I do not know who made it. My cousin knows I quilt and she saw it and thought I would like it - which I do but . . .

The back is made from a cottony- satiny striped fabric. And folded over as the binding. Then the binding has been hand-stitched with a feather stitch over it.

There is one little hole - see picture below but other than that this quilt is in wonderful condition.

Why am I giving it away, you ask?? Even though it is a gorgeous piece of hand work, the colors are just too dark for me and I have kept it folded up in a drawer for the past several years. So, I thought, I am being very selfish and not sharing this wonderful quilt with the world!! I think this heirloom needs to belong to someone who really would appreciate it and display it or use it.

I am just asking one thing - please only leave a comment for a chance at this quilt if you REALLY, REALLY want to own it or know someone you can give it to who would REALLY, REALLY like to own it!!

I will be sharing this quilt with one of you on August 15th!!

Working in Beautiful Colorado Springs, Colorado!!

2011-07-22T09:17:00.001-06:00

Monday night a client and dear friend of mine called me and asked if I would come to Colorado Springs (from St. George, UT) to help him get organized with some stuff he and his sweet wife, Genie are going through. I got a ticket and got here Wednesday afternoon. After feeding me like a queen and watching the Rockies beat the Atlanta Braves, I got in bed and then started out yesterday morning fast and furious!!

Yesterday was a silver bullet, banner day and now today will be the frustrating day to start the long haul of getting everything organized.

I wanted to take the time to stop in and catch up on all my wonderful blogging friends!! And to let you know that amazing as it is, my little blog is approaching 20,000 visits!! Holy cow, who would have ever thought?? Well, in order to celebrate I am going to have a BIG giveaway and I will announce it as soon as I get home next week - not sure which day cuz not sure how long it is going to take to organize all these files.

BUT STAY TUNED AS I THINK A LOT OF YOU WILL WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS NEW GIVEAWAY!!

And thank you all for your kind comments on the The Christmas in July Giveaway that is currently under way!! I just love this quilting community!! Enjoy your day!! And stay cool wherever you might be!!

Boxes are Evaporating Like the Rain in the Desert

2011-07-15T21:47:00.001-06:00

Well, the move is coming along swimmingly!!! Each day both Regena and I are emptying boxes and culling out duplicates or un-needed stuff. I do have to admit that Regena is much more productive than me!!! Not sure why, but its true!! Also, she's a very good cook and if I keep eating like I have this past week I am going to put on a ton of weight!! Yiks!!

But, here is my current dilemma - I have this kind of ugly built-in brown shelf on the wall where my work space is located and I am just not sure what to do with it. It goes as high as about 8 inches from the ceiling down to about chest height:

Do I just use it for dolls and critters or is there some way I can utilize it so it is a productive part of my sewing room?? I don't think I can take it down but I might try painting it so it is not quite so brown!!! This is my big project for the weekend!!!

Have a great weekend wherever you might be!!! And Pauline, here is a small glimpse of part of my workspace!!! Hee! Hee!!

Kaaren's Block is Done and Mailed

2011-07-13T08:02:00.000-06:00

I got Kaaren's block completed before the big moving process and couldn't find a pigma pen before packing everything up and the I couldn't find the block until yesterday, so I finally got it completed and mailed off this morning!!

The fabric in the middle is a woven fabric and even though I used sandpaper behind to stabilize it, it was still very difficult to write on. If you want to see other blocks that have been completed and sent to Allie click here. It sounds like Allie is going to have enough blocks to make three quilts!! That is a lot of love from blogville!!

Enjoy your day, everyone!!

Christmas in July Giveaway!!

2011-07-12T13:09:00.004-06:00

Wow, it has been two weeks since I started the big part of our move. My Dad and I are now out of the apartment and into the new house. I have been to Colorado to pick up Regena and we are back and trying to figure out how to get two house fulls of stuff into one house!!

Since I am back I wanted to have a Christmas in July giveaway!! So, just stop by and say hi with a comment and you can win this charm pack of Moda's Me&My Sister Design's READY, SET, SNOW!!. And if you are already a follower or become one, just let me know and you will get two chances!! I will pick a winner July 31st!!

It is good to be back and one of the first rooms I got completed is my sewing room!!! Oh, yeah!

Arrrrrrrgggghhhhh - We're Moving!!

2011-06-26T16:47:00.000-06:00

I've been pretty quiet the past 10 days or so because my Dad and I are moving into a house across town. We are in a small apartment right now and it's time to have more space!! Ya, know, being a quilter takes up a lot of space!!!

Here is our new place and I get to have half the garage to put quilting bins!!
Now, is that the high life or what!!

We are actually moving in this coming Friday but since the house was empty the sweet gal at the property management place has let me start moving in already!!! I think moving across town is much tougher than a long distance move so it has been really nice in this 100 degree weather to be able to move just a couple of loads over each morning early!!

I'm going to keep reading blogs during this move but I took my best sewing machine over to have it cleaned during the moving process so I won't have any goodies to share!!

Quilt Blocks for a Fellow Blogger!!

2011-06-23T22:13:00.001-06:00

One of our dear bloggers, Kaaren, from The Painted Quilt, is facing some very serious health issues and some of her friends have decided to get together and make a quilt for her.

Sharon over at Vrooman's Quilts shared with us what Allie, over at Allie-opps Sweet Happy Life said:

" We would like her to know that she's not fighting alone,

and Paulette from Sweet P Quilting and Creations and

Leslie from Les Quilts and I have decided to organize a

quilt for her."

If you know Kaaren and would like to make a block or two for her quilt, you can go over to Allie's blog for great block instructions and how to send the blocks to Allie.

God bless Kaaren and this wonderful world of bloggers!!!

It's time for Our Girls to Go to Camp

2011-06-21T23:14:00.000-06:00

but this year I don't get to go with them!! Boo! Hoo! Hoo! But, so they don't forget me, I made all 10 of them a camp pillowcase!!

Have fun girls and see you when you get home!!!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T09:32:00.001-06:00

to all the Dads out there!! And a big hug to my Dad who supports me in everything I do and in everything I try!! I love you!!