Those Addictive Felt Roses!

I have the craftiest daughter.  She is always making something marvelous, cute or tasty! Right before Christmas she made this pretty thing...................

I feel hard for it.....even shamelessly hinting that I'd really like one for myself.  But, having two darling babies to care for, she understandably didn't have time to indulge my envy.  So what's a girl to do but make one for myself!  Here's my winter rendition of the Yarn Wreath. 

I'm crazy about making these felt flowers now.  They are fun and easy....come out so wonderful with very little effort.

As you can see, I couldn't stop making them so the wreath is a little heavy on the flowers. If three are good then thirteen is better, I always say!!

There was still felt left and the glue gun was hot, so I made a couple more and glued them to  hair clips. Won't they look cute in a little girl's hair? Wonder what else I can glue one to???!
If you would like to try your hand at this pretty wreath and some addictive felt roses, here's the tutorial Megan and I used to make them.  Have fun!

Resolution or Reflection?

I'm choosing not to make any New Year's resolutions this year. Instead, I'm reflecting on various aspects of my life and trying to evaluate any changes that I can make to benefit the life that I am eager to embrace. There's a difference, I think. Resolutions can create false guilt with unrealistic goals. Reflection can produce heartfelt swerves back onto the path that you've meant to be on all along, but somehow lost your way. I need to do that more often, not just on New Year's day.


Since this is a blog about quilting, I thought I'd show you where my reflections are taking me in regard to my quilting passion. Besides wanting to continue to make quilts as a way to show love to others, I want to keep using up what I have. It seems so simple....use the stash!

 For several years now, I have been cutting up my scraps into various widths and storing them for future projects.  It's been a very worthwhile approach for me....making my scraps easily accessible and usable.

 As you can see, I have lots to play with! I don't sort by color, only by width and try to keep them fairly straight in the box to avoid having to iron too much when I'm ready to sew. My reflections tell me that I need to start using these gems a little more often, though! Sooo......

 I've sorted out some funky colors and have decided to play more with my fabrics! 
Have more fun with what I have, you might say! My inspiration for a color combination came from a crazy source...............

I'm going to try to play around with these scraps to make one block a day...no pattern. Just play. We'll see where this reflection takes me!!

How about you.  Have you done any reflection or resolution about your favorite hobby?

Remembering 2010

Here's a little remembrance mosaic of some of the quilts I've worked on over the last year both for family & friends, 

 as well as for Quilts4Hope---sent to children living at New Hope Homes in Rwanda.

How much fun I have had creating! This blog and the wonderful readers and friends it has brought has added to my delight. Thank you all so much. I look forward to 2011 and lots of new projects! Get ready..........sew!

Carla

1. Blueberry Bars: sent to Rwanda. 2. X Marks the Spot: sent to Rwanda 3. Project Plume: Made for KCMQG challenge 4. Anniversary Crosses: made for Megan and Reid's 5th anniversary 5. Follow Me: a scripture quilt given to friends 6. Baskets: made for my grand daughter Haven's 4th birthday 7. Pink and Black: sent to Rwanda 8. Color Box: sent to Rwanda 9. Baby Munki : made for my new grand daughter, Jane 10. Square Dots: sent to Rwanda 11. Random Reflections: made from a Moda Bake Shop pattern and sent to Rwanda 12. Hope Valley Hexagon: quilt top still needs quilted 13. I Spy With My Eye: made for my grand daughter, Haven 14. Merry and Bright: Christmas quilt 15. For the Love of Waverley: a fundraiser quilt made to help my friends during a tough time 16: Once Upon a Time: an eye spy quilt made for my grandson, Ezra's 3rd birthday.

Good-Bye December

Determined not to sew on Christmas blocks in January, I've been working the last few days to finish up the virtual bee blocks due by the end of the month.

Jessica gave us jade green and dark red fabric and asked for any Christmas themed block. I chose to make a couple of angels for this KCMQG Scrappy Bee. Can you spot the difference in the two blocks (other than the obvious color choices)?

Tammy's theme for the Nittany Block Bee is trees....Christmas trees, to be exact. She sent grey Kona background and some pieces of various green fabrics and a red, inviting us to add some from our own stashes to add variety to her project.

A couple of little redbirds somehow managed to join the snowy scene. I thought they added a little Christmas cheer, don't you! With December coming to a close, I'll also be saying a sad goodbye to the Nittany Block Party. I've made some good blogging friends as a result of participating in this virtual bee over the last year. If you haven't tried swapping blocks with other online quilters.....2011 might be a great year to begin!

 These beautiful blocks were all  made for me by the members of the Nittany Bee during my month last March. I have big plans to get these lovelies all set together by spring.

2011, I'm looking forward to lots of sewing fun!

A Sewer's Dozen

If a baker's dozen is thirteen, then maybe a sewer's dozen is fourteen........do ya think?
I'm guessing so, because that's how many of THESE I have laying around my house right now.................        What a pile, huh!?

!

The first stockings were made a million years ago, when my first baby was born. I remember making an extra, thinking I'd need another someday.....then I had to add a fifth stocking a few years later, when I had a third baby.  (Megan has always claimed hers is smaller than her brothers'....it's the white one.) Can we say 70's calico!!

These five served us very well for along time.  Then about 9 years ago I began adding stockings, here and there, as our family grew to include daughters-in-law, a son-in-law and grand babies. Little by little it has turned into quite a collection, all cut from the same pattern.

On Christmas Eve eve,number fourteen was finished around 8:00 that morning, before my grand daughters arrived to play for the day. There wasn't enough rick rack to put on the toe and heel like the others...hopefully Jane won't notice. It's white like her mommy's stocking. (And maybe a teensy bit bigger!) I wonder if I'll be making more in years to come?
           And, yes, Santa still comes and fills each one with goodies every year. Whew!

 Welcome to the family, Janie Sue!!

Merry Christmas!

 Our family celebrates the true meaning of Christmas as the birth of Jesus Christ; God's  Only Son coming to earth in the form of man to be our Savior. What a reason for rejoicing! What a Gift! 
 Since gift giving is something that I love to do, I also enjoy the idea of the thoughtful giving of gifts to others during this season.  When our children were young, we did not try to make them believe in a real Santa Claus who brought them all the toys under the tree.  We did, however, tell them how much fun it was to pretend there was a jolly old elf who might fly through the sky on a sled pulled by reindeer. I also hang stockings on the fireplace and have quilts with St. Nick as the focus! 
So, with Santa's help, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas from my house to yours!

I'm pretty proud of this quilt, mainly because I had to use math to complete it!  I made the blocks over several years, finishing it in 1998. My friend, Susan, and I would get together on a regular basis and sew. I always call her the Pattern Queen, as she has a huge supply of patterns, with Christmas themes being no exception. The assortment of Santas in this quilt were part of her collection.

I remember that the guy on the right was called The Lean Mean Giving Machine!  I don't recall the name of the chubby one on the left, but his outfit looks a lot like a bathrobe don't you think?! Getting all of these Kris Kringles together into one quilt was my first experience with using filler blocks and creating my own layout.  I realize that it stretches the creative muscles! That's good and I keep trying to stretch it even more!

It's always fun to sleep under the Santa quilt from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day or so......
Perhaps it helps with getting those visions of sugarplums to dance in our heads!

                                           Merry Christmas from my house to yours!

Gingerbread Houses Wordless Wednesday

No fabric involved, but we sure had fun today...........................

                                                    Don't they look yummy??!!