Christmas Break and Quilting Fun

Yes, yes... a post!  I've heard of ghost writers, but being totally invisible on my own blog is taking it a step too far, don't you think?

Just to prove that I have been diligently working away, to sum up the last few months I have been able to continue with my BA in Creative Writing degree.  I am almost finished with the program, and will be graduating next spring.  Then... well, let's just say I'm working out the logistics of going on my Master's degree.

November, as most writers know, is National Novel Writing Month.  Yes I participated, though this year it was much more difficult.  The kids and I were involved with "The Wizard of Oz" play at a local High School.  Josiah and Caleb were Ozian soldiers, and Isaac and Jerusha were munchkins, though Jerusha was kind of tall for that role.  She also played one of the Oz ladies.  I worked backstage which I discovered I loved.

Another challenge during November was dealing with a ROTTEN, nasty, snotty cold.  It knocked me for a loop for at least three weeks.  I still have a lingering tickle-cough thing going on.  For the record, Dale got the same cold, and it last three whole days.  Poor baby, eh?

Meanwhile, I knew Christmas was bearing down so I was busy... making cookies?  Nope.  Traipsing around singing Christmas carols?  Not me.  No, I was spending some quality time with my quilting machine.  

So, for some reason I totally had a brain cramp and forgot to get pictures of the bottom quilt in the last photo.  It was a sunflower theme with lots of custom quilting.  Thankfully, the recipient was a family member, so I will see if they can send a couple of pics back.  

I hope you and yours are having a happy, safe holiday season.  

Blessings,

Lisa

Quilts and Cake

Over the last few months there have been occasions to enjoy some crafting.  One of my nephews and his wife had their first baby.  What a cutie she is!  Of course a baby quilt was in order.  I made it bigger than a traditional baby quilt so that she could enjoy it through her toddler years at least.  Plus, I just kind of got carried away making the disappearing pinwheels.  They were lots of fun.  I used this tutorial by Jenny Doan from the Missouri Star Quilt Co.

This next quilt went to a family who had their first baby.   

Back and tag 

Of course I had to include the book with the gift!

This is a flimsy from 2015 Mystery Quilt through Merry Mayhem.  I need to piece the back, sandwich, quilt, and bind it off.  So, still a little ways to go on it.

In the beginning of March, Caleb and Josiah went to a Teen Leadership Retreat.  I made this cake for the event. Dale had the opportunity to speak in one of the "Break Out" sessions. 

I love living in the country!  Being treated to gorgeous sunrises and sunsets are something I hope I never take for granted. Our old, cheap, camera doesn't do it justice. It also doesn't do moon shots.  I've tried and failed on every setting the camera has.   

Have a great day!

~Lisa

Start to Finish

Recently I saw a thread of posts on the Quilting Board titled "From Start to Finish".  It is a thread where we post pictures of the fabric we started a project with, and then the end product.  It is fun to see the materials in their raw form that inspired the vision for the quilt.  In honor of that thread, I will begin that tradition here.  Only today, I'm posting the "Start" and the "Middle" because I am so excited about the project. 

So, here is the fabric I started with.  The layer cake is called "Birds and Berries" put out by Moda.  I got it from the Fat Quarter Shop a couple of years ago, and was waiting for inspiration to hit before I cut into it.  Inspiration did hit, as a grandniece was born last fall, and we got a picture Christmas card with her adorable face on it.   As soon as I saw her pic, I knew exactly what fabric from my stash to use.  I did supplement background fabric (white), backing fabric (yellow floral swirl) and the binding (orange floral) from yardage I bought on sale last week.

I did a disappearing pinwheel block after watching a tute from The Missouri Star Quilt Company.  As you can see, I am adding a pinwheel border around the quilt, then after that I will put on another narrow white border.  Then it will just need to be sandwiched, quilted, bound, labeled and sent to the little darling.

This is a close up of my new pin cushion made for me by one of the twins' friends who is an expert at crochet.  She makes her own patterns and sells them on Etsy.  

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and is happily cozied up in a warm quilt!

Blessings,

Lisa

I. Need. Tea.

For the past two days I've been wrangling with some technical issues on my blog.  Long story short, I'm trying to do some changing up around here, and I seem to be such a techno-dork that I can't figure the simplest little computer trick.  After two days of these, calls to tech geeks, and questions on different geek squad boards, I'm still nowhere with my issue. I feel like this:

So, after venting to my best friend, and praying with her over my laptop issues, and several others that are weighing on me (car problems, for example), I decided it was time to just drop my technical acrobatics and just get on with my life.  

Enter the tea... nice, calming chamomile tea.  I even have "Anxiety Ease" in the diffuser.  I think from here I will work on some quilting, which brings me to the purpose of this entry.  Time to do a little crafting-catch-up.

I started a sampler class on Craftsy a while ago, and have moved twice since then.  Obviously, that means that the project has gotten put aside.  I finally decided to get it out and try to finish it up this year, at least to the point where I can call it a flimsy.  

Cleopatra's Puzzle Block

Friendship Circle Block

Drunkard's Path Block

Below is a snuggle quilt I just finished up... mark one off the UFO list!

 This is a custom FMG attempt on a WIP just for fun!

Fun Fact:  November 8th here was so warm I hung laundry out.  In North-Western PA.!

Okay, finishing up my tea and treating myself to some more quilting time.

Blessings,

Lisa

Sew Much Fun!

I've decided to do a quickie post on some of my "recent" projects.  The word "recent" is relative, as some of these span back to graduation time!  I *think* they are all since the May post earlier this year.  If any are repeats, forgive me!  Also included are some bragging rights as Mom from the county Fair this year.

This is a quilt I made for a friend's daughter who graduated this past May.  She loves owls, and though the panel was a little whimsical, I think she still liked it.

Here is a close up of some of the FMQ I did.

Another close up... if you quilt you'll appreciate the fun I had with this quilt!  

Here's another quilt for another friend's daughter who also graduated.  Guess what she likes? (And no, the answer isn't "snow")

Close up of some of the quilting

After we moved, I set up my new sewing area.  I am using a big folding table, which is a little unstable.  It jiggles a bit which can mess up the tension in the machine, so I try not to go full speed which triggers all the said jiggling.  Anyway, I wanted a small ironing area for when I was working on piecing a quilt.  That way I don't have to haul out the ironing board for the small stuff.  I found this at Walmart's, and figured I would give it a try.  it is supposed to go on top of your dryer, but it works fine on a table.

Here I am trying it out.  Works pretty well!  It is on  my left side thought, and I am right handed.  Nice thing is that my chair rolls, so it really isn't a big deal to get myself positioned.  I have my cutting mat and design wall to the right of the machine.  For some reason I haven't taken any pictures of my new sewing area since I got it set up.  I'll have to do that in a future post.  

Oh, my new baby!  It is a Juki.  The throat is extra big for lots of machine quilting.  It works like a dream!  LOVE love love love it!

After we moved I made a new toothbrush holder for the family.  The old one was getting pretty ragged.

Of course we had lots of entries in the county Fair this year!  Below is Caleb's pillowcase.

Esther's entry here is a tailored outfit.  She did a fabulous job on it!  It is lined and everything. 

Jerusha made this skirt for herself. 

Knitted boot socks I made and entered at the last minute.  

This is a twirly skirt I made for Jerusha, but it earned second place.  

These two blouses were made by Esther (left, red ribbon which is second place) and Elizabeth.  The funny thing is that Elizabeth wasn't even going to enter her blouse.  She didn't like how it came out at all and said it probably wouldn't even place.  I convinced her to enter it anyway and she got first place!

Okay... another amusing story behind this.  About two weeks after we moved we had a missionary family come and stay with us for a few days.  They loved my toothbrush holder and asked if I could make another one just like it for their large family.  I did, but entered it into the Fair before I shipped it off.  So, Shellee W., you have a prize-winning toothbrush holder!

Jerusha discovered that she likes to latch hook, and did this little project.  She is currently working on a much bigger project.  

Jerusha made this apron for me in sewing class.  She earned second place for it.

These culottes were made for Esther.  For such a simple, easy pattern, I earned first place.  Not sure how that happened, other than the judges may have been judging home brews before they went to the crafts building. 

Elizabeth made this skirt for herself, and it is lined.

I am a big Lego's fan, and we had some entries that did well this year.  This is Caleb's creations.  Notice the huge ship in the background.  He made that too... it is part of the whole piece.  It is a depiction of the fairgrounds with the rides and booths.

Jerusha did a similar scene (the theme this year was harvesting fun or something like that).  Rides, food booths, lots of good times!

This is a quilt for a young couple that I met working at camp who were married this year.  Congratulations to Lance and Elaine!

Yup... more quilting detail.  Just have to show that!

Okay, that is enough to show that we have been keeping busy.  As if home schooling, Dale pastoring, working a second job, and working on his Masters, and me being in college as well, and Esther and Elizabeth taking dual enrollment, and art lessons, and Co-op wasn't busy enough.  Oh, did I mention I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year too?  

Whew.

Blessings,

Lisa