Thanks for Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving my dear friend and her  husband had the extreme pleasure of meeting her son's new girlfriend.  She and her husband were extremely excited about this event occurring and could not wait see them and share Thanksgiving together. They were spending the night in Chicago so I thought there needed to be a cool gift for the cook ( the new girlfriend).  I found this apron but it did not have any straps on it.  So I added the scraps and hipped it up with Beatle fabric.  This really made the apron young!  I made a few potholders and added the Beatles fabric to them as well as some peace sign fabric.  I left some tissue  and a Nordstroms bag to wrap this cool - ass hostess gift in. I was told it was a big hit and was worn that night while the duck was being prepared.

So sorry for the shadows.

Fits perfect.  Duck looks great.

Anna

I am a very lucky person.  I was able to attend Anna Maria Horner's Needle Point class in Nashville Tennessee.  WOW.  I realized I cannot thread a needle and this is more challenging than I thought. It took me quite a while to get my footing. I ended up making this.  This will be a clutch when it is done. I was supposed to follow a pattern but it began to make my eyes go cross and after I saw the girl next to me stitch the snot out of it I had to sit back and make a new game plan.  First, I HATE patterns.  I can usually look at something and see how I am going to make it with my modifications. Secondly, anything goes with this creative group. As you can see I started with a flower in the middle, then I added the lines on the side.  Then I had no idea what happened. That is okay it is my first needle point project and I was able to hang with other Anna lovers and meet Heather Ross. Oh what a week end! 

Vicki

Vikki has been an employee where I work and a well liked one at that.  She was always very proud of her son for his accomplishments as a track coach.  Vikki had brought over his T-shirts to make his second quilt. A week later she had a stroke and died.  This was a shock to many people.  Vikki had touched many people's lives throughout her career. Now, what do I do with the T-shirts? I went to the funeral home and found her distraught son and had a conversation about the T-shirts and how we would get them to him since he lived in San Antonio, Texas. We came up with a plan.  As I made this quilt I was amazed at all the places he had traveled with his track coaching and I realized how proud she was of him and why. Vikki loved her boys. This quilt was special to me in many ways.  I knew this would be the last one and probably the last time I would have a connection to her son. I know that her spirit will live on through all that met her and my quilts will be a keepsake for his family for a long time. Amen.

Just saying!

Flower Power

This cool, hip, happening flower came to me on a Friday night just hanging around watching TV.  I had seen one similar to it in the Sundance catalog on both pockets in a different color.  I decided to go for a more subtle color and on one pocket.  Now this has become a new obsession. I purchased  a jean jacket on Ebay and am hoping to make it look a little hipper with this new-found obsession. I also thought this would be a fun "needle night". I took a class from the one and only Anna Maria Horner which refreshed my memory on all the stitches that can be used to make something.  Thank you Anna. This is so easy and so cool.  Everyone needs one pair of pants with a flower. Ride on.

Kelly

Recently I was able to spend time with a dear old fried who resembled "Olive Oil"  in our earlier years. Now she is a budding artist in L.A and still the same happy go lucky gal.  After spending a few days with her I knew I needed to make her a quilt. It was time for her to be "Debby Quilt" blessed."  She looked at many different fabrics but did not see anything that she loved.  I then went to the scrap pile  and she went nuts.  All I could think of was perfect,  this is exactly the way I like to  do create quilts. I want the person I am making the quilt for to be happy!  She is very artsy and will sleep much better now. At least that is what she told me!

In the washing machine.

The front.

On the bed.

The back.

Closer!

Game Quilt.

This blanket started after I saw a picture of my great niece waiting for a 4th hof July parade dressed in red, white and blue but sitting on brown and pink blanket.  Yikes, this cannot be so. So I decided I would make a blanket that kids could play games on.  It startedd with the tic tac toe board in the middle.  But, what about the other kids? So, then the checker board emerged on the end.  Then what about a group game where more than two red, white and white and blue kids can play?  So made a game board using photo fabric and deisgned the square on an excel spread sheet. 

This is the game board I made using photo fabric   It is desgned to teach young people how to play games.

You can't always sew.

Indy 500 2014  - Chief

Needle Night - Make Something Happen

I  had been thinking about having my friends over for a "Needle Night".  What is "Needle Night"?  Needle Night is a time to get together with friends and have a nice evening  crocheting, sewing or learning something new.  After I attended Needleworks with Anna Maria Horner  I  thought it might be fun to do something different with my  friends.  I always hear "I wish I knew how to crochet" or "I used to do that but I have forgotten."  I  made it on the night my husband would be gone and it would be a an evening of friendship with my gal friends. This is how I  handled this event!

Always have food.

Extra needles and yarn.

I bought some extra needles and yarn.  One of my friends  wanted to make a dish cloth so I googled it and found out what kind of yarn I needed and made sure I had a few colors to select from as well as a simple pattern. I realized when this evening was over that it worked well for beginners and they were able experience success when they left and that was my goal.  But for me I can't stop making them! AHHHHH

Make it festive and check your lighting!

Let the story teller tell stories.

I had the pleasure of running into Anna Maria Horner at QUIlTcon and made sure she new how much she inspired me to move forward with this idea. Her Needleworks week  end retreat  gave me this idea.  Plus, I needed to have some girlfriend time and winter was starting to wear on all of us. I hope you do this someday. If you do I have a few tips for you.

•  When someone says, "I'll bring something".  Let them.
•  Make sure all of your light bulbs are working.
•  Mix up your friends, you would be surprised who knows who!
•  If somebody wants to come and not do anything, let them.
• Make food easy and cheap.  Sam's Club pizzas worked great for us.
• Let your  friends bring what they want to drink, this way you end up with a variety for your refrigerator when they leave. :)
• Have extra needles and yarn available.  A few of my friends found their mother's kits and used them to start their new creative adventure, others had nothing.
• Enjoy yourself. :)

Bathroom chalkboard to greet friends.

One World One Night

This quilt was made for a fundraiser at St. Katherine College in California.  Yikes! How did this happen?  I had made a quilt for Maria in California who told her friend about it her happiness with her quilt I made for her. Her friend Katherine thought it would be a great idea to have a quilt at her fundraiser as a piece for a silent auction. It took us awhile to agree on a pattern that tied into the theme, but once we figured it out it went fairly fast.  The event was May 18th.  I can't wait to hear how this added to the event.

Thanks Diane

 My favorite time to see the quilt.  It show cases the strangest parts and looks so vivid because it is wet.

Outside

 A little closer now

 On the bed

Closer 

                                                                      A little closer

Merry Jerry

This was an emotional Christmas.  My brother has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer.  I have not been the same since I heard those words. I now realize the agony other families go through when they hear those words.  In my family we pick names for Christmas gifts and this year I picked him.  Oh shit!

What to make him??  I knew buying him something would have no meaning and he really does not need anything that does not have meaning.  He has a granddaughter he adores and she is sending the same love back to him. I just took a needlepoint class in Nashville hosted by t he one and onlyAnna Maria Horner. I thought a framed picture  that said "Pa Pa" would make him happy.  When I started it I was doing pretty good but when I got to the sides boy did it look crooked.  At first I was going to frame it but I changed my mind when I saw the ends and made it into a pillow. After I took this picture I realized how bad I was at this needlepoint stuff.  Every time I saw the white I would go back but it would split the thread and cause more "white noise".   It does not matter because it is what is in our hearts that count.  My brother knows that. This is my first completed needle point project.  It would be horrible to be perfect at everything. Ha.

Of course my favorite look for a quilt. The washing machine!

In between making the Pa Pa pillow I made this blanket out of some scraps.  This blanket kept changing depending on what I found to make it.  I LOVE the washing machine look.  It really show cased my favorite pieces of fabric on the quilt.

Here it is a little closer on a bed. I like the randomness of this blanket.  It was not easy to make. :(

This was the last of my brother's gifts.  He had mentioned a few years ago he wished he had the  license plates from our childhood.  After I hearing that, it was always in the back of my mind to get these  back.  They have been in a barn in Brown County, IN for about 20 years just hanging with other homeless plates.  I got a hold of my friend and her wonderful husband hopped on his trusty ladder and saved the plates!  My brother was thrilled to have these back in our family and they are resting comfortably in their new  home.   It really is just the little things in life that counts. Amen

Time to crochet

The clocks have changed and it is time to crochet. This is my first project. I have been stuck in a car for a few long trips and I  need to do something in the car to occupy my time before I go nuts watching my speed limited driving husband. I am going to try and not make anything balanced when I crochet.  I'll keep you posted. (No pun intended) 

Good Bye Selvage

I have been saving selvage from my fabric for years and it has been cluttering my world.  I finally sat down and sewed all of it together and made two rugs to be put in front of my washer and dryer. They were made with a larger hook and single crocheted. I wanted it to hold together. This cleaned up such a big mess and now my friend wants to make one for her.  This was a very satisfying project!

Love it!

I finished this with a single crochet around the border to pull it together.  Fits perfect.  Warm feet here we come.

"Apron Couple" Quilt

This quilt was made for the "Apron Couple" They are married now and this was my gift to them.  Theorder was for a blue and green quilt for their bed.  I called the prospective "groom to be" in a mad panic after I realized there are many blue/green combos. Ryan being a very calm young man told me, "No worries, don't sweat over this". AAhhh . Here we go.  I like creating this type of quilt.  I can run wild and free as every quilter must do!  The below picture is it at its final resting place before it hits the outside for a "photo op", then to the wedding in a nice white bag bought from the Container Store with whatever ribbon I can find in the basement to dress it up. For some reason I am so in love with that washing machine picture.  I'll have to work through this weird thing.

 

Here it is on the bed getting a rest before it goes to the new couple.

The paisley was the inspiration piece.

 In the back yard.  I definitelycan tell where I ran out of blue.  On the bed you cannot notice it as much as here.

The all so cool invitation. Ride on.



Texas Love

This picture was sent to me by my niece, the proud owner of "Texas Love".  When the owner sends this picture you know the quilt is in a good place.  Happy cat happy owner. Mission accomplished.

On the bed

On the bed, a photo by webquilts on Flickr.

Cockscomb

This flower was growing in my back yard without permission! Every year we dig up a new section and I move flowers around then add something new.  Well, last year I did this and found some seeds in my pantry so I thougth, what the heck and threw them in a spot.  This is what came up.  I can trace the seeds to two of my friend who gave them to me who knows how many years ago.  You know pantry, shove stuff in there, waay back in there and find waay later. So I cut it couple weeks ago and have been transporting to and from work like a child so that I keep an eye on the seeds that fall off and pass on to other  co-workers and have a "grow off" next year.  Everyone wants to feel it  and then come up with new name or place it should be growing.  I love it! I thought you might too. There were a few smaller ones trying to grow next to this one so my friend and I dug them up and planted them in a pot to see what would happen.  I'll keep you posted.

My Awesome Table Cloth

I have been on a major fabric binge! Help!!! I have been working on a quilt for the "apron couple".  Yes, that is what  we refer to them now. So when I started looking for fabric for them I ended up at my favorite Hancock's of all time twice.  This one is next to Midway Airport and kind of in a gnarly neighborhood, but filled with fabric that makes me and my quilts happy.  I found my inspiration piece for "apron couple" and then I needed more. (but of course.)  So I made my way to Hobby Lobby and found some more. I needed just a little bit more again.... of course.  So, I made my way to Joann's where there is country music playing on a little radio (just thought I would add that in) and found this taffeta fabric and knew I had to have it!!! The worker told me you could use it for a portion of the table. I thought on no sweetie this is going to rock my dining room.  I pinned the beads on the bottom that I just happened to have in the basement waiting to brake a way and be a part of the upstairs and voila.  The color seems to showcase any thing colorful.  I can't wait to eat off of this at Christmas.