A Barn Quilt for Me

Several months ago, after I posted this picture on my blog, Sarah Zimmerman commented that she thought my little barn needed a wooden "barn quilt" at the top. 

Over the weekend, a big square package arrived at my house with this inside!

 The 24 inch wooden quilt is perfectly painted in "my colors" and is gorgeous in every way!

 I get a lump in my throat every time I think about what a blessing has been bestowed on me by someone that I have never met in person. 

It came at a time when I really needed a boost of encouragement in my life.

This Missouri Star will always be a reminder to me of the enjoyment and friendships I have forged over the last 3 years of blogging. I can never thank you properly, Sarah, for your kindness.

One day, when the weather is warmer, I'll get my hubby to hang it on the little barn. For now, I plan to keep the barn quilt on my fireplace where I can look at it everyday!

Sunday Morning

"Cultivate inner beauty,

the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in."

I Peter 3:4b The Message

A Baby Quilt for Little Whatshername

Making baby quilts for my grand children is one of my all time favorite activities! I've been making plans again as the next baby girl is due to arrive in a few short weeks.

Chevrons are really popular right now and because Megan and I both love them, we decided they'd make the perfect design for Baby Whatshername's quilt.

I sketched out a simple design and let Megan pick our fabrics from my stash for the chevrons in pink, grey and yellow. She chose this pretty fabric, by Lori Holt, for the quilt backing. The baby's sisters think that her name will be Violet, but I know better. I wish that her name was going to be Rossie, after my grandmother. Or Charlotte, because I love  that name. But, it's neither I've been told. It's a secret, you see. 

I wish that I could guess the it. I know that it will be a charmingly vintage name to match Jane and Lula. And it won't be really popular. However, it is on a list (could it be this one?) of the top  popular "old fashioned names", I hear. Can you guess? Leave a comment with your favorite, and if it turns out to be correct, I'll send you a little prize, how's that! 

Meanwhile, the piecing is coming right along. I'm ready to sew the pink and grey half-square triangles. Oh, did I tell you? Baby Whatshername is due to arrive on Easter Sunday which is also my 40th Wedding Anniversary! 

March 365 Photo Challenge: Week 1

Unfortunately, there's little to nothing quilty about this week's picture prompts. The lap quilt laying on my ottoman in the background of the first photo is all that I have to show. My focus was on the beautiful outdoor venues that the snowy landscape had to offer! Here we go...

February 26:For the Love of Music Jane calls this music. I sometimes call it torture!

 February 27: Up Close and Personal Zooming in as close as I could on a single barb along an old wire fence, I was able to capture the beauty of the rusty metal against the starkness of a snowy background.

 February 28:From the Side My bird feeders offer up constant entertainment. This young female Downy Woodpecker is one of my favorites!

March 1:Whimsical This unusual mailbox has always fascinated me. I pass it often  and thought that it was made from an old tin can. While photographing it, I realized that it is actually a cement pipe! 

March 2:Upside Down Walking around my yard, looking for a reflection to photograph, I captured this one in the melted snow of a little bird bath.

March 3:Two The fence posts along a road near my house are each topped with a rock. This post has two balanced perfectly on it's noodle!

March 4:Landmark Most people would probably find a fine statue to photograph, but in my neck of the woods, this old wooden shed has undoubtedly stood for many years. White lights draw you to it in the winter landscape.

Thanks for taking the time to enjoy some bits of my snowy week!

Whimsical Fabrics

There are so many cute whimsical fabrics to tempt me. I love them and buy them. But often, I find myself storing them rather than using them. Ever had that problem? 

Over the weekend, I sewed up a block for Debbie. She's the March hostess for the Mid-Century Modern Bee. The cute prints were perfect for her low value color scheme and it was fun to get to sew with them. You can find the pattern here.

I'm determined to use them more often!

Sunday Morning

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you,

I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled

and do not be afraid."

John 14:27

Making Burp Cloths

 It's snowing again. Soft feathers have been floating down all day.

Another good day for sewing, I've been using a package of diapers to make some cute burp cloths. Have I told you that grand baby number eight will soon be here? 

 You can probably tell from all the pink, that it's a girl! 

In case you need some quick baby gifts, I thought I'd show you how I made these simple burp cloths. I started with pre-folded diapers purchased from Target. 

 First, fold the sides of the diaper in to meet the two stitched lines that run perpendicular to the diaper. Zig zag along this stitching line to create a narrower cloth.

 I stitched from the top with colored thread and white in the bobbin. You can see that my stitching just catches the edge that is folded back. That's all there is to it!

 The real fun began when I got out my trims and scraps to decorate the ends of the cloths. I didn't even fold under the fabric, but just stitched close the edges. Then I covered the raw edges with rick rack or ribbon.

Adding rick rack to both ends adds a finishing touch and takes away some of the "diaper" look. The diapers are very absorbent, obviously, which is a necessity as we've learned from past experience. (At least for my daughter's babies!)

 I was wanting to make a dozen cloths but found, that like ice cream, the packaging might look the same but it's really smaller than it used to be.

 A dozen diapers is really only ten these days!

I'm getting excited about saying hello to my new grand daughter. Next up, is a new quilt to cuddle her in! Enjoy your weekend.