Quilting for Auction

7 local Churches, different denominations, are all going on a mission trip together. It is amazing. Sunday a friend and I started talking about the auction that is coming up this Sunday. We decided to make a quilt for it. So we started it Sunday night, during the Super Bowl. Yesterday I quilted it and sewed the binding to the front. Last night we had our annual business meeting and dinner at church. I brought it with me and 3 of us sewed the binding to the back during the meeting. I finished up the binding this morning and it is now ready to go. The pattern is the disappearing 9-patch. It is so easy and so fun.

Tatting I have done lately

This first pattern is by Jon Yusoff. I am in a women's bible study called "Captivating" I thought this design fit the study. I used a variegated Altin Basak. Jon site http://tatsaway-patterns.blogspot.com/2009/01/hearts-entwinedcrowning-hearts.html

This next design is also by Jon called "Quantiesque' Snowflake. I used Altin Basak again. My favorite thread. The red and then the silver and silver metallic. http://tatsaway-patterns.blogspot.com/2008/12/quantiesque-snowflake.html

A little tatting thrown in

Well most of my time is spent quilting and working on the house, but did manage to get in a little tatting. Here is a heart called "Paw Prints on my Heart". I saw this design when Gina had done it, and ordered the pattern. I have a friend who lost 2 cats this fall. Old age problems. One was orange, and I did not have orange thread, so I died some. Not the right way, but gets the end results. The other cat was grey, so I have one more to do.

Using Recycled Materials

Well I love to use the fabric samples, from the furniture store. They are great for making all kinds of things. I have used them to make and sell Check book covers, small purse Kleenex covers, etc. Doing a little of the green thing. Before Christmas, I got ready for my quilt guild gift exchange. I thought about making a gift bag out of the sample fabric. Then it would be reusable. So I played around. I cut the fabric and then embroidered the snowflakes. Then I started sewing it together. I decided to create the folds in it, so it would fold up easy like a paper bag. I love it and plan to make more.

Then my mom was talking about wine bags, so again I played around. Got ideas from others online and here are three of the bags I made.

Busy December, Quilting, Tatting, Sewing, Cleaning

Boy, did I have a busy December. Besides my business being very busy, I was trying to clean out my house, make gifts, and lots and lots of snow.

Here are some of the gifts I made for my family.
1st, I had gone to the bead stampede, and saw these wonderful crystals. They look different, depending the color you are wearing. I decided to make necklaces for my mom, sister, s-i-l, grandmother, & myself. I spent the day at our local bead shop, and the owner helped me pick out beads to go with it. We used Czech glass and Swarovski crystals. I sat there and counted and out and strung the 5 necklaces. She finished them off with the hooks and chains. Here is some pictures of the crystals on different colors and one of the finished necklaces on white and then on black.

I also made a quilted bag for my mom. The pattern is by Debra Geissler. Her website is at http://www.debrageissler.com/ . She has wonderful designs for quilters. I have purchased many to use in my quilting business. I do not have a computerized quilting machine, so I just quilted each piece freehand. Her pattern for the bag, has pockets on the front and the back, but I decided to only put it on the front. The inside pockets are done on both sides of the inside, but I only put them on the back. Here is a picture of the front, you can go to my webshots http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/225606433DdgiXj and see the sides, bottom and inside.

When I went to a quilt show in October, I found this pattern called Freedom. I immediately thought of my dad. It fit him perfectly. He is a Christian, a chaplain, a cowboy and patriotic. He also served in Army. So this was my Christmas present to him.

My son had his birthday this week. He loves those books about a dragon. Eragon and the rest of the series. I decided to tat him Anne Bruvold's Flying Minor Norwegian Dragons

Did you say snow?

Well it has been snowing on and off since last Fri night. Stopped on Mon and hit again Tue evening and yesterday. On Sat. I took a picture of my bike in the back yard. Today I took another. Look at the difference in the amount of snow.

No Tatting to Show and snow

Well.......been too long since I blogged. I have done some tatting, but forgot to take a picture before it went off for my ss.

Mostly I have been knitting scarfs to give to a group of college students that have been coming to our church. Last Sunday we were going to hand them out with cookies and it snowed so hard, church was cancelled. I have also been knitting Prayer Shawls. Love them. I love working with the homespun yarn. It is so soft and squishy.

Today it started snowing again. All day!!!! So now our quilt guild Christmas party was cancelled.

My golden retriever, Jack has not been out as much as he likes. The temperatures have been very chilly. On one website, they said if the snow makes crunchy sounds when you walk on it and your dog keeps holding his feet up.....it is too cold. The website has a pattern for making simple fleece dog boots. I had seen it before, but figured Jack would not keep them on. At first he rejected them and now he loves them. I found another website that says you can make them from upholstery fabrics. I was given lots of fleece fabrics and lots of the upholstery fabrics, so I can make quite a few. When he comes in out of the snow, he does not have all that compact snow between his toes. I just take off the boots and hang them on a hanger to dry. I think I will make them for muddy weather and rain also. A lot less mess to my floors. Here is the website and a picture of Jack in his. http://domestikgoddess.com/sew-your-own-winter-dog-boots/