Update...

7 tote bag teacher gifts ~all parts cut and ready to sew~

1 scrapbook page ~All peices ready to assemble~

6 charms for charity ~sent~

1 quilt for my husbands boss ~top 75% done~

10 christmas bibs ~all finished!~

hey all!

i am getting ready for 9 days of sewing! here is the list...

7 tote bag teacher gifts

1 scrapbook page

6 charms for charity ~sent~

1 quilt for my husbands boss

10 christmas bibs

and god know what else!

i will post a TON of pictures later today.

happy holidays!

A finish... well 59 finishes :-)

When I first read about the call for Christmas Stockings for our Troops in a post to the Heartstrings group, I was really excited. What an amazing project, making stockings that will be sent to our Troops in action as a small thank you for all that they have sacrificed for our freedom.

I was on vacation and bought then fabric at our local quilt shop, run by a wonderful woman named Pam who has a son in the service.

This is one of the first projects I have done where it turned out EXACTLY as I wanted! The stockings were string pieced on a foundation. You can see the directions on a free download from Quilt in a Day which makes it totally clear and easy. I had a few yards of each fabric and still have enough string left over to get some smaller holiday projects out of the way.

The "cuff" was fussy cut from a larger piece that was kinda striped. I was it and knew it was what I wanted for a simple yet festive embellishment. I am not sure you can see, but I rolled the cuff edge less then 1/4 inch and zig-zag stitched it down with a gold top thread. I wish I had not run out of time as I would have loved to add a note of thanks to the recipient, but there was just not enough time.

God Bless our Troops this Holiday Season!

Another Field Trip with Vicki!

As always, Vicki has created an amazing list of quilts and fabric crafts from all over the blogosphere. THANKS VICKI!!

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Field Tripping the Web – Issue 28

Eye Candy – Projects people have recently completed

• Anne Ida's star quilt
• Wanda's zig-zag quilt
• Susan's Freefall
• TLC's emerald circles
• Amy's pencil roll and table runner
• Julia's quilt for her Mom
• Julie made lots of projects during her mini-retreat
• Wanda's big handbag and baby quilt
• D2Quilter's patriotic quilt
• Karen's Out on the Town quilts
• Beth and tirane's Precious Little Princess quilt
• Bernadette finished two quilts this week
• Nancy's charm party tote
• Elaine's shirt quilt top
• Julie's Color of Joy
• Connie's City Lights
• Julie's Tobacco Rose quilt
• Megan's little neighborhood
• Joyce's dragon OBW quilt

Longarm –specific Eye Candy

• Lynn's quilting on a log cabin quilt
• Rhonda's quilting on an appliqué quilt
• Deb's quilting on a good chase quilt
• Randi's free motion quilting
• Helen=Mary's quilting on an embroidered quilt
• Gayle shows how she tamed a beast

Fiber and Other Art

• Frieda's postcards
• Plays with Needles bead journal
• Jeanne's birds with links to the pattern
• Anna's Taking Stock Tutu
• Just go and see everything that Linda has been up to
• Michele's journals
• Jeanne's journal

Tutorials and On-line Projects

• Vivian shared how she quilts one of her favorite background fills
• Kathy's triangle tree ornament tutorial
• Wanda's Tribble Trouble block tutorial

Other Interesting Stuff

• Judy is having a drawing to celebrate her 100^th country visit – the drawing is November 15

Field Tripping Sunday

Ok, ok... I confess... I am stealing Vicki's list again! I do love her blog and her weekly link list is an easy way to get inspired. Babs

Field Tripping the Web – Issue 25

Eye Candy – Projects people have recently completed

• Beth's pelican and marbled dyes
• Kristen's hand-stitched dragon
• Julia's witch wall hanging
• Judy's fish print art quilt
• Beth's kite baby quilt
• CraftApple's embellished shopping totes
• Jacquie's steely log cabin
• Carole's Halloween cat
• Silver Thimble's Halloween quilt
• Terri's laptop case
• Deb's red knitted scarf
• Sally's Starlight Path
• Floribunda's 3 little quilts
• Gunnel's new art quilt with detail shots
• Jodie's teacup, yes it's a fabric teacup

Longarm –specific Eye Candy

• Rhonda quilted a Christmas quilt

Fiber and Other Art

• Karen's Maple Leaf Collage
• Beate's Angel ornament
• The Lone Beader's beaded DeLorean time machine
• Annica's hand-stitched postcards
• Elizabeth's accordion book

Garment Sewing

• Jeanne's sweater refashions
• Allie's altered sweatshirt
• Shannon's Vogue 8178 dress

Tutorials and On-line Projects

• Helen-Mary's longarm scarf tutorrial
• Judy's video tutorial for sewing metal to fabric

Other Interesting Stuff

• John Petrey's dress sculptures
• Helen is having a drawing for 5 of her cute new patterns
• Liz is having a blogiversary drawing on October 31 – register here
• Kristin has a great drawing for cool craft stuff - the srawing is October 31

My treats come today...

I was so excited to get a nice little package in my snail mailbox today. This was part of the Halloween Swap via Blackberry Creek Home Arts. I had to photograph the contents before my 3.75 year old daughter got home from school and stole everything.


The list of treats included two ghoulish magnates, a spooky hand strung necklace, a creepy door spider and a few other small goodies. Also, there was a very monsterish hand crafted Halloween card.


Thanks Ally for all great items!
They sure did make me smile!!!

Do you like???

So I read on Mary's blog about a website she found on Julia's blog called The Cutest Blog on the Block. Wow that's a great many links! Well I found these cute pumpkin's and thought it would fit right in with the holiday. Soon I will be having Beth @ Ruby and Roja make me a beautiful blog design but until then this will have to do. The work those ladies do is so creative... they really listen to what you want then work with you until they get it perfect. I was lucky enough to have Beth make over my personal blog and WOW!!! I want to cry every time I see it! Now all I have to do is make more time to use the damn thing. Happy Crafting!

Annie's Stockings!

Annie @ Annie's Quilting Adventures has finished 15 stockings! They look amazing... I love all the colors. I really need to get moving on MY stocking project. So many strings so little time. :-) Check out Operation Christmas Stocking if you have some spare time.

Halloween Swap 2008

So I sent them a day late, but here are the items I sent for the Blackberry Creek Home Arts Halloween Swap. The "rules" were one handmade gift and 3 other Halloween items. I sent a handmade fabric pumpkin, a set of kitchen towels, a small photo album, and a nice book I found at the Christmas Tree Store on carving pumpkins. I hope SHE likes them! After I know SHE got the box, I will post a picture of the card I made for her... I think it turned out cute!

one of the blogs I adore...

So there is a blog written by an amazing sewer and quilter named Vicki called Field Trips in Fiber. Each week she makes a list called Field Tripping the Web. I have become a HUGE fan! Here is this weeks list...

Field Tripping the Web – Issue 23

Eye Candy – Projects people have recently completed

• Beth's Love Quilt
• Lisa's Christmas stocking
• Amy's primitive doll quilt
• Rose made 7 projects from 1 jelly roll
• Amy's advent calendar
• Keryn's table runner and small quilts
• Nathalie's - Marseille V – Frioul
• Diane's Spring Fling OBW
• Jackie's blue and yellow quilt
• Judy's Halloween wall hanging
• Laurraine's book pillow
• Irene's Valentine quilt
• Sarah's cute cuddle quilt
• Helen's Daisy Chain quilt

Longarm –specific Eye Candy

• Sonya's quilting on an appliqué quilt
• Therica's feathers in a square
• Helen-Mary's quilting on log cabin, QOV and Christmas quilts
• Jackie quilted a star quilt
• Carla's barbed wire quilting on the sashing of a pinwheel quilt

Fiber Art

• Emmy's little bag
• Molly's pincushion
• Kate's star ornaments

Garment Sewing

• Debra's garment refashion
• Sharon's Vogue 1060 coat
• Darling Petunia converts 3 T-shirts into one cute skirt
• Selvedges run amok at Ric Rac, actually it's pretty cool
• Summerset's coat
• Lindsay's Sweet Sixteen dress

Tutorials and On-line Projects

• Sonya's freezer paper appliqué tutorial
• Susan's grommet tutorial

Other Interesting Stuff

• I found this link on Mental Floss – amazing art with spray paint

WAY behind....

Hello fellow bloggers....

I am so sorry it has take me so very long to post. I spend what seems like hours on this crazy laptop and never get around to posting. My plan is to get better and spend some real time over the next few weeks getting in the habit of updating at least 2x's a week.

So here goes...

1) I have joined a block-swap at our local quilt shop. The "rules" are flowers or tight pattern and tone-on-tone cream 9 patch blocks. Make 12 and each month get 12 back. At the end, you will have 72 total. I have decided to theme my blocks and make 4 extra for me. At the end, I will have a 24 blocks of my own. Check the photo of my first blocks.

2) The group Heartstrings that I am a part of held a Block Party to get back stock of red and blue centered string blocks. I was able to make 9 red and 6 blue plus I found one blue that got lost in a box of Christmas strings.



3) I am working on 50 string Christmas stocking to be donated to soldiers via a Heartstrings member. This is a fun and easy project. Over the summer I got a bunch of yards of quilt shop holiday fabric on sale. I am hoping I have enough for backing as I saved yardage with candy canes.


4) I am goign to try and join a fabric swap called Spare Change via the blog Chickpea Sewing Studio. Look for more information as I get more involved.

Ok, that is my update for tonight. Please remember to VOTE next month!

1 + 1 = 2 then.... 2 + 2 = 4!

Welcome to the first post of my crafting blog! I wanted to keep my personal blog when I address the real craziness separate from the crafting. In the future, I want to have a fun productive crafting biz and this is the first step.

On this first post I want to share my first quilting blocks made for the Heartstrings Quilt Project. This is a prolific group of quilters who make string quilts for different charity groups. Right we are working on Quilts of Valor for member Alycia who has a goal of collecting 400 finished quilts to donate in 2009. I was a part of one quilt by donaitng a section, but now I want to try and make my own full top.

In September and October we are sewing green centered blocks. I had yet to sew a real string block, so last night I got down to business. I made 4 blocks then sewed them together... a start! Only 44 more to go!