Will it be finished this Christmas?

A few years ago I started making a Christmas Quilt from a Needle Love book.   I wasn't crazy about it at all so it was layed aside.  After much shopping for and collecting wools I decided one day early this month  to give it a peek.  Yep, I still didn't like it.  So  I began pulling basted pieces off, it was really pathetic but I knew my knew stash was going to make me much happier.

I needed to felt the wool pieces for one thing,  the poinsettia leaves were cut from a wool piece I purchased but it had not been felted!   Gasp!  I know, how could I have been so naive.  :))

And how about some overdyed plaids, :))) for some of the poinsettia leaves,   yes it is looking so much better, a little sprinkle of textured green plaids for the holly.  Be still my heart,  my stash of wools are so fun to cut up I can hardly stand it.  

If you ever saw a kit and said, " I'm sure I have enough at home to make this, I don't need the kit."  Well let me say I have said that but I KNOW that is never true.  $$$$$$$ dollars of wool purchases later I am finally satisfied with my choices for this quilt.    But I have about 4 Buggy Barn trips and multiple other wonderful quilt shop memories collecting all my wonderful wools.

I  decided it needed a little tweaking, moving pieces out and centering better but I love it now and even if it doesn't get finished for Christmas I know I could visit one here in Bend that is finished and mostly likely decorating a wonderful families home!

We had the most wonderful Thanksgiving with family in Seattle.  My niece had a baby boy Tuesday before Thanksgiving.  My sister is a grandmother and I am a great-aunt.  Isn't that just the greatest thing.   Holding Davis, who was born at 7lb 2 oz.  I kept thinking he is 2 pounds bigger than Ethan and 3 pounds bigger than Hayden but is so small.   I swaddled him with such ease, nice to know I haven't lost my touch.   I am so happy for them and will enjoy all their Facebook posts giving me my Davis updates.

My last post was so long ago,  and about my precious Slide girl.  I must tell you she passed away mid June, breaking my heart.  I'm a total sap and still cry when I talk about her,  you never know how much a pet or a person can mean to you until you lose them.

Until next time....God Bless and Keep You!

Carrie

Blogger’s Quilt Festival

My quilt is one I finished three year’s ago,  I actually made the quilt in the early 90’s.   I started piecing it before my DH gave me my 1230 Bernina, which I love and still use today!       So when I got my new machine, of course, I started sewing with it.    Seam allowances changed and the block sizes changed, what a challenge.  I really wanted it bigger and I worked with  the blocks to make as many work and be happy together and decided a finished quilt was better than an unfinished top!!! 

I love the background fabric and they antique look of the quilt. 

I entered it at the Buggy Barn Quilt Show in 2006,  I love seeing it pictured with all the quilts in this show.    I edited the picture so only my quilt is shown.

Now  I  must catch up on the show,  talk with you soon.

Blessings,  Carrie

Quilting the Wedding Quilt

I am pleased with how the wedding quilt came together,  the pattern is really a simple one.   

I had to purchase the backing fabric, none of my pieces were big enough and there wasn’t a chance to find more in stock.

So I am going to do the quilting myself.     The border and hearts will be the easy part.  The background I will do an all over pattern kind of like a loopy lasso.     I have a way of working myself into corners and getting lost with all the concentrating.   I really   appreciate the talent of long arm quilters,  there work makes it look so easy.

If you have any suggestions please do comment,   I am certainly open here.

 

The blackbirds were feasting on one of my sunflowers the other day.   I really got tickled over there positions to get the seeds.   Upside down and everything.

I was so lucky to win a wonderful prim giveaway.     I will post  my pictures tomorrow.      Friday  I am going to participate in the recipe sharing.   My favorite apple cake, its so delicious.  

Its officially Fall, but it was 96 degrees today.     I am thankful the temperature cools off in the evening.      We have a couple fires here in Oregon and these temperatures are not helping get them under control.   The winds brought the smoke in tonight and it made it dark even earlier.     

Fall Blessings,

Carrie

Sweet Treasures and Textures of the Garden

I found a cute pattern while shopping in a local shop.     The shop sample was in soft peachy, Fig Tree fabrics and I loved the texture from the small, close quilting.     I bought the pattern not really knowing when I might make it up.  

I have been thinking about an upcoming wedding and what to do for the gift.     While going through my fabrics for the IBOL  package I came across some flannels and  got inspired to sew them up using this pattern for their gift.

They both love the outdoors, hunt, ranch.     I really liked seeing the wildlife fabrics on hearts…..Joe helped me pick the center pieces,   it was way to busy so we chose two fabrics for the center squares alternating the colors.

Greens will go around the outer perimeter to make it look similar to the pictured quilt.     Its been fun making this quilt, the hearts are raw edges and it is sewing up fast.   I will do some of the quilting then take it to  a local quilter to do the background for me.

 

Here are a couple recent purchases,  Karen of Farmhouse Woolens had a sale and I got these little bowls.  Bunnyhill Anne had these spools on her website and I fell in love with them.

Put a couple on a tray with some of my ribbons, love them.      The chickens were a gift from my sister a few years ago.   The are blown glass,  I just love them,  they have some pretty fancy feathers in there hats. 

The garden is coming along, slow but it had to start over on June 15th after a freeze.    The zinnia’s are blooming.  Love them.    We have a few green tomatoes,  the deer are coming in and eating them,  now that’s a first,  even found one they  stepped on today.      Buggars!!

The pumpkins are running over the garden and have very little pumpkins, so I started cutting the plants back to hopefully get the fruit growing.   After I took the pictures I went back out and carved three little names on pumpkins……….:))   wish they were coming to pick them with me.

I took these pictures on macro setting on my little pocket camera,  I was having fun finding circles in the garden and little star shapes.     And big star shapes!

The Schnibble pattern was revealed today and I spent way to long calling quilt shops and searching on line for the pattern.    So I finally found it and didn’t like the shipping amount so I ordered three patterns to justify the shipping…..LOL…..   I don’t know why that feels better,   I am gambling on those patterns may be used this year and I will have them on hand.  

Can you believe it is September 1st……I can’t  yikes where has this year gone……I love Fall,  I love Fall……I am going to keep saying that and maybe time will slow down a bit.

Late Summer blessing dear friends,

Carrie

What Makes You Happy?

Do you know what makes you happy? Some people are just upbeat and so infectious, but all of us have those things in our lives that make us happy.
My grandson Hayden has found one thing that is making him very happy!! Hayden is the oldest of the triplets, yes maybe only by 30 seconds but being in the right place at the right time is everything.
Hayden has a reputation for being fussy, one way or another we find ways to communicate our frustrations. And babies have the one way that really gets our attention.
One day while daddy was feeding another brother, Hayden had a look on his face that alerted daddy to get his camera. Daddy just knew something was going to happen.

Yep, I think I got this figured out.........and I just know I can do it.....Ahaa....I'm up and lovin what I have found.....the freedom to move around my world and explore.
Hayden is loving his newly found mobility and finds others can be helpful in ways they maybe wouldn't volunteer. The shortest way isn't always without obstacles but thats OK...with Hayden!

Hayden is a very happy, mobile, and exploring guy!
He finds that everything can assist in his new found joy of standing! Except for all the coffee and end tables that are now out of the living room! But thats OK because he is happy!

And these two brothers bring him much happiness........laughing is infectious ya know!!

Being a triplet brings much happiness....These blocks make great teething biscuits........we all agree! Eating is one of our favorite things to do.
Ethan is a firm believer in an "Apple A Day" theory! They are yummy!!

Graham teething cookies make us all happy, we are all satisfied and happy eating our first cookie in the warm weather on the deck. They are so delicious, gooey and fun to smear everywhere.

And bathtime in the big bathtub really make us all happy, even Mommy!
Warm weather brings fun outings, like this trip to the zoo!! Yeah warm spring weather!

At home Hayden has found there are many things and places to explore besides the large collection of play apparatus you see in most pictures.

Hayden happily crawls from room to room finding his home to be so interesting. Not minding the independence one bit.
Another frontier awaits, no wonder Omaha and Emily usually lay here, this is wonderful! Just wait till I'm tall enough to open this door!

If you see something that interests you and you want a closer look...well.........

Just crawl on over and take a peek............mobility makes me HAPPY!!
Hey........what's going on.........I was just having some fun. And I am very happy!!

And what makes me, Gramma happy, is receiving 130 new pictures on snapfish from Krista!!

Its two months away and the boys will be having their first birthday. Pappa and I have purchased our tickets and are looking forward to celebrating with all the lucky grammy's and pappa's in the midwest!! My mother is also planning on going too, which will give them two Great Grammy's to celebrate with.

I am off to the post office to pick up my package with my camera. YEAH!! It's home from its little trip, that also makes me happy.

See the quilt on the floor, that is the quilt I made for my son's high school graduation! It is Geese in the Cabins.

Be Happy,

Carrie

Memorial Day with Mom

We had a beautiful weekend in Central Oregon. The weather was warm but not hot and mild breezes, just perfect!! We even had our first pop-up thunder & lightening storm. Which thankfully fizzled out before it caused any threats. But it does remind me that with the warmer weather we have the upcoming threats of fires.
Joe is working out of town for a couple weeks, he came home saturday and brought his mother too!! It is always fun when Boots comes for a visit. She is happy to stay home so you have to do some fancy steps and talkin, if that doesn't work you just have to pick her up and bring her along anyway!! LOL..... She lives with Joe's brother and their family needed some time together to go on a camping trip fishing. It gave my BIL and his family a much needed break...... its a priviledge to be able to care for your parents and it puts a demand on you too.

I took a couple pictures of Joe and his mom together before they left on Monday. I really like this one, even though her eyes are closed from the sun. I just thought it captured a tenderness, and that is how Joe feels about his mom. We got on the web-cam with my son in Omaha and the triplets. You know I love it, but it was fun having Boots get to see the boys.
I worked in the yard after they left early Monday, they had to drive over the passes and it is crazy on a holiday weekend. Every campground in the state of Oregon was full this weekend. Which means the roads would be extremely busy with trailers, boats and every other type of recreational vehicle.

I got busy on some much needed grass pulling and garden bed clean-up. My back is particulary sore this morning so I guess I accomplished something. I got some annuals planted in pots and beds too. Hopefully they will not get frosted like my tomatoes did.

Today I am going to finish up my Primitive Porch Swap and get it in the mail later in the week. I hate mailing it so close to the deadline but my partner is out of town and I don't want it to arrive while she is gone.
And since she is out of town and maybe, hopefully wont see I will give a peek to the flag I am making for her. I need to make a decision about the batting, I want it to not be to stiff or bulky but still look quilt like.

As I said my DH is working out of town for the week so I have alot of time to sew and garden. I have more things I want to do than time will allow. I will give it a good shot anyway!!

I am going to have lunch with a couple friends at a wonderful place, if the weather stays nice maybe I can get a picture.

I am looking forward to seeing what Karen has been working on for Farmhouse Woolens. In all her spare time, from moving into her new home and the challenges that come with that, she will be updating her business website.

I am finishing up the stitching on my last two blocks from Wool Garden, they are so beautiful. I love they way the quilt is coming together.

Spring blessings,

Carrie

Sewing Charity Quilts & PIF

I did some sewing this weekend after spinning my wheels trying to locate my Quilt Sampler from Summer 2007. Colleen is sewing up a wonderful quilt featured in this edition, Karen showed her finished quilt and I had the bug...... alas, not to be for me right now. So I sewed a strippy quilt.
I saw one done on a blog, can not for life of me remember which one, that gave me the idea of using up a Blackbird Designs Jelly Roll. You sew the ends together of all the strips, I sewed them blunt end, then started sewing end to end side seams, you now have 2 strips together, sew end to end to get 4 strips together....on and on.... I noticed that mathematics was going to enter in to this idea... I should have cut at least one strip in half to start with because the finished width was going to be 43 inches and that is the length of one strip. Hmmm. I was not achieving the random pattern so I trimmed one end and started again. This helped some, I am not sure if I would use a jelly roll again for this strippy method. But this is one quilt top together for a charity quilt.
My Twisted Sisters assignment this year is to have charity quilts done before our gathering in July. I will quilt it up and try another idea!!!

This little cutie was made by my Twisted Sister, Suzie. 2007 we made little quilts and sent them to Ami simms for her Alzheimer fundraising efforts. Each month on the 1st through 10th Ami has an online auction of little quilts. I purchased this one from her little treasures category.


I noticed several little quilts made that were African inspired. My sister had been on a mission trip there and this little quilt would fit right in with a theme she was putting together. I gave it to her for Christmas last year.

I sewed this JLW quilt in December, now that I have my new little camera I took a picture. I will get it quilted up soon.


I have joined a PIF over at Sharon's ...this is my firt time so......if you want to join in with me email or leave me a message and let me know. I will take the first 3 messages. You then continue it on your blog and have your 3 to send a handmade gift to by June.


We are having amazing temperatures of 55 degrees this week, wow.....I am enjoying the bright blue skies. Central Oregon truly is a beautiful place.


Winter blessings,
Carrie