EASTER TRADITIONS

Families have traditions and Easter is a time where traditions are part of what I grew up with.  I grew up with a mother that loved to cook and was a Martha Stewart of her day especially at holiday time.  She would decorate, cook and bring the family together for celebrations.  Easter brought the infamous lamb cake.  The lamb cake mold would come down from the cabinet and be made ready to receive the pound cake mix mother would make from scratch.  The cream cheese icing and coconut were in the ready to decorate the lamb.  Eyes were either raisins, chocolate chips, M&Ms, red hots or whatever was in the cabinet that would work.  Mom passed this last year and the lamb mold passed to me.  It was put in the cabinet and I had not thought of it.  Easter coming I made my list of ToDos and the lamb cake comes to mind.  Who would make the lamb cake?  I know nothing of making cakes let alone one in a mold but it was now mine to keep the tradition of Easter...so, thank goodness for internet.  Yes, there is lots of information about the lamb cake mold, especially the antique cast iron mold from the 50s.  Wow, just think something in my family that long and here I am, the holder of the tradition.  Me, really? Me?  I gave it a try my way.  Boxed pound cake mix, canned icing, coconut colored with green sugar used on christmas cookies (that's a whole other story) and lots of prayer.  The results?  The bare lamb and the iced cake.  The cake enjoyed by all and so the tradition lives on.  It was a really good Easter, Praise God.

Almost scary..very alien

Very cute, Perfect

PLAY BALL...IT'S A WIN

I LOVE BASEBALL.  I love the Texas Rangers and it is baseball season again.  The hopes run high that the elusive World Series will finally come to the Ball Park in Arlington and our Texas team can have a parade.  Last year I was taking a class on Cotton Theory™ Quilting ( ref=dp_image_z_0 )  and had some Texas Ranger material that was going nowhere fast I had gotten  free when a women in my guild brought it to give it away (so we raffled it). I was the lucky winner of the material.  When I looked for material to take to the Cotton Theory class I saw it and thought it would work with this quilt as you go method; red logos on one side and blue logos on the other.....very reversible.  I did not love it as a quilt because the material was very stiff and not good to use for cover, but it it a great wall hanging.  

Red Texas Ranger Logo

Blue Texas Ranger Logo

And opening day brings the Rangers their first win of 162 games.  One down, 161 games to go.

Crayola Holders for Adopt a School Pen Pals

I am a pen pal for a PreK class and the letters are so much fun to receive and send.  I try and send a gift each letter I send.  My last letter I send a Dora the Explorer book entitled Camera Contest and asked lots of questions about taking pictures on spring break or family trips.  The class has 29 5 year olds....I cannot imagine keeping 29 5 year olds busy and learning all day.  Teachers are my heros!  This next letter I will be asking them about colors and coloring.

These are roll up Crayola caddies I made for each child. 

I put a key tag on each one so they could write there name on it.  I know this will be a hit with them as they love to color.  I have coloring books I will send to them also. 

Each holder holds 10 colors then wraps up nicely for storage.  I had so much fun making these and of course they are so easy to stitch and stuff with colors that in one afternoon I turned out 30 for the class.  People at work saw them and so I made extras to give away.  It really does not take much to give  someone a smile and I find sewing gives me so much room to bring smiles.  I like to think these will color a student's world with a bright future. 

Happy Spring one and all

 http://www.ehow.com/how_5631581_make-crayon-holder.html

INITIALS for Baltimore

Do you like your initials?  I like mine a lot. MD  I think those two letters carry a lot of weight and look good together.  When I decided to begin a Baltimore Album quilt I knew I wanted my initials as a block.  I looked for lettering that would fit my vision and struggled to find a font that I loved.  I wanted formal, flowing, elegant but simple.  I decided I would have to draft my own to get my eye satisfied.  It was a good process and fun.  I went through a few renditions before settling on what I wanted.  I chose what I am calling my focus fabric to use for the applique.  Copying to material, cutting and stitching began with the thought that I would add ivy or flowers or something intertwining the letters.  I tried several variations of this concept and was not happy with any of them.. I have I think decided to let the initials stand along.  I envision these initials to be a centering for the quilt, but since I am so far from even being close to having blocks finished (have finished 5 not including the initials) all this could change several times before the quilt top is done.  Now... my initials 

Carpenter's Square on the Design Board

Carpenter's Square   

 First four blocks.... I love this quilt and its geometric pattern. I like geo patterns and the movement they evoke.. The material I chose is "Morning Rush" by Carol Eldridge for Andover Fabrics. This coffee themed material in medium brown with coffee beans and coffee words is paired with the black with brown coffee words and coffee beans. The background is a white on white floral with lots of movement. The movement of the background complements the straight lines of the pattern. The floral is so subtle you sense it but it does not standout or take away from the starkness of the brown, black and words of the main fabrics. The pattern has set in seams in a couple of places which I do not mind at all. I love the ease of set in seams and the way they allow the seams to lay flat and smooth. I am so pleased with the results so far.


I had so much fun getting this quilt started by cutting the material.  Now all those strips are 1 1/2" so lots of cutting is involved in this pattern.  If I had read the pattern I would not have cut the 1 1/2" squares for the "units"...I would have striped pieced and then cut the unit tops.  But, with me going to the girls weekend of sewing, I did not take the time to dissect the pattern and do a rewrite to really make this a lot easier. Wine fixes that....the weekend with friends fixes that.....the laughter fixes that....doing it the hard way is always easy when a good time is had by all.


I am now working to finish the quilt and will post soon the quilt all sewed up and ready to wrap up in.

February Baby Quilt

The baby quilt for a coworker's February baby.  This is pattern Magic Nine Patch from Quilters Dream in Colleyville, Texas. I love red, pink and white and the fun floral back is all girly.  The back is minky, so really soft and cuddly.  Happy Valentines Day.

"Modern Quilt"

When my local quilt shop had its annual "ugly fabric" challenge, I always love to participate.  I got my brown bag and as usual wrote on the outside my personal challenge as to what theme would be taken on. I wrote "Modern Quilt".  I wanted to break away from my usual and use more geometric pattern with fun color and funky quilting.  My fabric was a nice geometric with lots of green/pink coloring I used in some of the squares.  I found a pattern on the internet from the Modern Quilt Guild site then purchased material that certainly was fun and had great color compliment for the background.  The quilting I did in a handdyed  yarn with chunky stitches and tied in intervals.  I had so much fun making the quilt and seeing the squares float.  

Best Friends and Quilting

My BFF one visit said, "Teach me to quilt".  What?  I could not really grasp it, I would love for her to share this with me and here it was the opportunity to jump in and teach her.  So, I gave her my Viking 500 sewing machine and taught her the magic nine patch quilt in the week she was here.  We laughed beyond tears as I had to remember she takes my creative looseness literally and I am a person that does it by pure gut and creativity and must remember that up for me up is not always up and for her up is always up.  Not long after a local quilt shop has a block of the month club by internet and with her in Arizona and me in Texas this was perfect.  I signed us up and we were off and running.  Our idea of this batik quilt would be that we would make it together each month and I could help her with whatever came along.  We had so much fun!  A year later she came to visit and we put our quilts together.  I got to design the connector blocks and both turned out beautiful.  My work in progress as the connector corners were about to be designed.....

The finished quilt certainly made me and her proud of the project and we have a theary that when we are roommates in the nursing home together we can have matching quilts.  We will tell them apart because the backs are different.  This was so worth the time and fun.

New Year New Stitches

It is now officially the end of Christmas in the church calendar, so I can now really think about the new year.  Stitches on my needles now for quilting just the Baltimore Album block that I just cannot get done. This block has been on my needles since July of last year when my Mom passed away.  I know I would have it done if I did not associate it with her so much.  The basket weave of the applique is from black and gold ribbon she had bought in the 50s.  I only have one more leaf to put on and it is almost done then tendrils to embroidery.  Pics to follow, as I will finish it this month.  Knitting needle stitches have a pair of socks to be finished, first one almost done in a nice soft blue/black variation thread also a hat from a camel color wool that i think is really too heavy for the hat, but we will see.

Stitches on my Needle is still nice for me as I do love to write or reflect on what fabrics of my life my needles are going through.  Till next post, keep your needles working your stitches and all will be sewn together well.

NEW YEAR'S EVE SET FOR CELEBRATION

 Adult table ready to party...Happy New Year

 Adult table center piece and chandelier...

Centerpiece with poppers and sparklers

Kid's table centerpiece with fun glasses and favors

The New Year's Eve event at our home each year is a dinner for family and friends.  The meal menu never changes....lobster for adults/chicken nuggets for kids, Dom P champagne for adults/non alcoholic sparkle for kids and any adult who prefers non alcoholic, baked potatoes for adults or kids that want that or tater tots, salad, garlic french bread and small Blue Bell ice cream sandwiches for dessert.  We also enjoy wonderful appetizers of queso, chips, Texas caviar, and shrimp cocktail w/ delightful wines.  We take our time and enjoy our company while the grandkids/cousins all play and enjoy being together, which they do a lot.  I love the decorating of the tables to make festive and fun.  Adults and children should feel they are special!  EVERYONE had a special night and the young adults were able to make their other parties with friends. 28 YEARS OF THIS TRADITION...... HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 AND BLESSINGS TO ALL.