I Thought I Was In Heaven

Just when you think winter could not get any longer some interesting things come into your life!
Yesterday was a quilter's dream day. Sujata of The Root Connection invited me to come over to her home. We discovered through blogging that we live about 10 minutes away from each other......  and I got to see some of her unbelievably gorgeous quilts!This is some one who is not afraid of color, she just digs into her scraps and goes for it. Sujata is also the one that inspired me to make my Pink Valentine Quilt on her other blog called Basket Full Of Scraps. Go and check out her blogs, you will not be disappointed.

About 2 to 3 years ago I made this quilt pattern called "Piano Keys" I like it so much I made another one.

I found out that Sujata is the designer of this pattern! Talk about paths crossing....

Last week I told you about this book called, American Quilts.

A fellow blogger named Ann of Ann Champion's Blog sent me this awesome book! Thank you so much Ann, I know this will be a book I will read over and over. There is also a lot of inspiration in this book.

I got an email from Amy of Amy's Creative Side asking me if I would like to be her featured blogger! So if you check out her site you can see my interview, it was a little intimidating I must say....

Sunday is a big day for my friend Cheryl of Cheryl Lynch Quilts. She is having an open studio/house to launch the publication of her new book !Quilt Fiesta!. We went over to help her hang the quilts and get things ready for the big day.

Christine, our go to girl

Working on getting the quilts to hang straight.

She even moved all the furniture out of the first floor!

Remember making these as kids? Nancy and Terry are crafting away. We thought they would add a little pop of color to the fiesta!

If you are interested in visiting Cheryl's open studio/house, go to her blog and shoot her an email. She will be happy to give you directions and details.

Today we will all be remembering our sweet baby niece,  Kelly Noreen Garza 12/21/90 - 2/18/92.

Kelly

Vintage

I am really glad I decided to clean my sewing room. I found a bunch of stuff in the closet that I forgot about. Most of what I forgot were some feed sack fabrics and some embroidered blocks.  It seemed ashamed to leave them in the closet when I really should use them for something.

So I started sewing to frame the bird block. I love the farbic with the Mexican sombrero, cactus and the man taking a siesta! Then I decided to go on a different path.
I have always wanted to make something to keep my applique blocks-in-progress. I usually just fold them up, then the appliques gets all weird and it makes it a pain to stitch. Not to mention that it creases the block.

This is a piece of cut up table cloth (I bought it this way) that I used for the back. The binding is also a feed sack. The beautiful red rick rack is vintage too. Except for the thread this entire piece is probably older than me (well maybe!).

Next I laid my unfinished blocks inside....

rolled it up and tied it with, yes more vintage ribbon. I would rather have had pink or blue but went with the yellow to keep with the vintage theme. I am very happy with this as it is something I really need and it was fun to do.

This is what I got from my husband for Valentine's Day....crab cakes. Just look at those giant lumps of crab! They were delicious and much appreciated...I don't need any candy.
Just this morning there was a spot on the news about the increase in cotton prices. I made a comment about how now the price of fabric is going to go up. Jokingly he said "they really should regulate the price....." I did not feel the least bit guilty about all the fabric I have and all the fabric I have forgotten about!

Kelly

Not For Valentine's Day

I like to make something special for my sister, Flynn on her birthday. I know she is busy studying so she is not reading my blog. Her kitchen is red so I think she will like these pot holders that I made for her. I like the small size of them, perfect for grabbing hot handles out of the oven.

I used my vintage fabrics, which I have been hoarding. A lot of these I buy at quilt shows.

First I randomly pieced my fabrics together.

Next I cut out 2 pieces of lightweight cotton batting and a backing. I used 2 pieces of batting instead of Insulbrite because I don't care for the stiffness of it.

Next came some random back and forth stitching with the free motion foot.

I traced around a bowl with the size that I liked. It measures a little less than 6" across.

Make some bias binding in a nice color. I used my 3/4" Clover bias maker and it was a little too small (width wise). After the binding was applied the seam allowance was trimmed down so the binding could be turned to the back and stitched down. I think a 1" or even 1 1/4" might have worked better.

This fabric was used for the back of the other one, it used to be curtains. I bought this over a year ago and finally found a practical use.
I also cleaned a little this weekend. I found that it is amazing how much better my sewing room looks just when I vacuum! I did go through piles, reorganized and have a pile to give to the silent auction at my guild.
If only it would last.....

which it did not....I will go and clean up right now.

Kelly

American Quilts

American Quilts is an amazing book. I checked it out of the library last week and keep going back to it. I may just have to buy it.
The author, Robert Shaw is so insightful and I don't even think he is a quilter! My favorite passage from the book is:

"Quilts are the most intimate and personal of American objects. They connect us with each other and directly to the primal ground of the bed-the place where we spend half of our lives; where we are born, have sex, and die; the place where we replenish ourselves and dream our dreams; the place of nurture and healing; where we retreat in sickness and fraility; and the place where we receive comfort and care of those that love us. Quilts also connect us to the the most basic of senses, touch - the first and most direct way we communicate with each other, as parent and child; as partners in love; life and marriage; as caregivers in sickness and age. Quilts embrace us at all stages of life, offering protection and warmth and connecting us symbolically with the remembrance of mothers' loving encircling arms. All these meanings reasonate within quilts, connecting us with the deepest meaning and most inituitive levels of our existence and humanity."
"Quilts bear the record of our most vital experiences..."
Wow and a lot of people think of them as just  "bed spreads"! There are also lots of good pictures in this too.

This has been a slow sewing week. I have been getting some applique blocks ready in anticipation of a quilt get away weekend with my Penn Oaks Quilters guild. It took me all day to get 5 blocks together.

Amost there...

I am coveting this beautiful arrangement of moss and ferns. I cut it out of Better Homes and Gardens last spring. Does anyone know how to do this on a cake plate so that I won't kill it?

There is a sew along to do this pattern which I have loved for a long time.....I really don't need another project......but I really, really like this one...I keep telling myself I can make only 1 block and if I don't like it I have a pillow. We'll see how long I hold out!

Kelly

A Red Kind of a Day

Today is a warm and red kind of day even though it is freezing outside. The guild, Calico Cutters that I belong to, makes Kids Quilts every year. It is an ongoing project but we make the quilts at the January meeting. I did not stay but brought a quilt I made at home. At this meeting they collected 39 quilts, now that gives you a nice warm feeling.
This block is from the online bee and is from Darci of Stitches and Scissors. It is great and I really like the scissors fabric.

So far I have recieved 3 blocks and they look pretty good together.

I have these old blocks that Yvonne from guild gave me. They are made of a heavy satiny like fabric. Maybe even ties, can you imagine what kind of guy would have worn that wild red and white in a tie? Maybe I can work these into the final design....

I think this picture of the sunrise looks cold and warm all at the same time. This is the view outside of my kitchen, off the deck. It was the start to a good day.

Kelly

Miscellaneous Monday

This was one of those weekends were nothing real productive got done. I did come across this very cute tea towel that I thought was adorable! The person that made this used seam binding tape to create her birds, I really liked it and had to get it.

I also found this apron in a fabric that was very retro, again had to buy it.

This was a cool find, something I can really use! It has a little pin cushion on top and holds 6 spools of thread, perfect for applique.

These are the books I learned to read with back in the 60's. They were so wonderful and each story had a little bit of a moral lesson. Do kids learn to read from books anymore?

When I opened the book the memories came flooding back, which is amazing because my memory has been horrible after my accident. I can remember staring at this page forever! I miss those so innocent days!

Another find! The Old Country Store in Intercourse now carries Cherrywood fabrics, or did they always and I didn't reallize it?

I also found a backing for my basket quilt (the cherries) and some blue dots I could not live without.

We also saw True Grit which was wonderful, go see it.

Kelly

Sujata's Challenge

Pink Valentine

Sujata from Basket Full of Scraps challenged us to make a small 24 x24 quilt using just scraps with a Valentine vibe to it. I must say I had a blast making this and it was real fast. Some of these scraps were leftovers from the basket quilt. All that is left is the binding that will get done tomorrow.

It made quite a mess but it cleaned up relatively quickly. I did use up some scraps but it seemed as if they multiplyed as I put them back in the baskets.

I recieved another block from an online bee I am in. This one is from Loretta in Michigan. Look at all the prairie points! Loretta also sent me a recipe for her Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas that look really good.

In my last post I told you about the batting fusible seam tape. One of my faithful readers sent a comment saying you could buy lightweight fusible interfacing for knits and just cut it into strips for a lot less money. Thank you Vicki of Field Trips in Fiber .  Please check out her blog, you will love all the great pictures she posts and lots of good things to read about.

Kelly