Thoughts on Grief Added to Spiritual and Faith Thoughts page above

Mini Fun Applique Quilt

Another mini quilt for the North Texas Quilt Festival auction. It is a fun piece to embellish. I put a bit of Mardi Gras on the cat as I was working on it on Shrove Tuesday and remembered the Mardi Gras beads I had stashed. The Kitten needed to party with panashe!

Pattern: Kitten's Halloween Party (I know but I put a bit of Mardi Gras in it) by: Stitches of Love Quilting

Hearts Linked Mini

 HOW does my heart link with others?

Valentines inspired me to think hearts and this cute free pattern from Cluck Cluck Sew fit into my mind set. Hearts come in all sizes and we are interlocked with each other in many ways but our hearts are linked in ways even we do not always understand. Hearts joined gives me hope that for the greater good there will always be hearts reaching out to link another.

This mini I made to donate to the North Texas Quilt Festival. Pattern: I Heart You Mini by Cluck Cluck Sew (copy right to Allison Harris 2016)


Like to pattern below
 Pattern

Miniature Quilts for sale and live auction – Miniature quilts donated by guild members will be sold at the Expo and 100% of the proceeds will go to the designated guild. These will be sold via silent auction, ‘buy it now’, and live auction each day!

Grapes on the Vine

An applique piece is for me not a quick sew. After a year I finished this grape wreath block. It is a Elly Sienkiewicz's Baltimore Album pattern. The 108 grapes took me way too long to make to get the size I wanted but well worth the small circles.

Before pressing

Done, all good

Mystery No More...Quilt

 Bonnie Hunter does a great job of her mystery pattern each year starting in November. The one I just finished is from Nov 2016-December 2016. I actually started on time and made great progress but then RV travel pops up and things in the realm of quilting slows to a crawl well really not at all. I do travel with my machines etc but large quilts and small pieces are not the projects I take along, so it was left on the design board. Forward to 2018 and it is finished. En Provence Mystery Quilt by Bonnie Hunter.  (www.quiltville.com). This pattern is no longer available on her site, but the latest mystery On Ringo Lake is.

Anyway, I like this pattern finish a lot and the designs inside designs the colors make pop. Mine reminds me of MardiGras with the purple and bright color pink and hint of yellow.

I don't mind that it takes me a long time to join the project to its finish, I do love the process of quilting and for me the finished project is not the explicit joy of quilting. Now to sandwich and quilt it.

 I enjoy the entrance of a new year. I love the feeling of hope I can make another year in good health and with joy. I know there is not guarantee of either and yet not knowing if OK as today is just what it is...now. I like the now and the moment of now with the breath entering and leaving giving energy yet taking rest with each exhale. The annual dinner for New Year's Eve with lobster and Dom champagne bring me joy and I love the family/friends gathering to toast each other and a new year. We dine early so those that have other events can get to them and those that don't can hang out.

Celebrate all year long.

GGDtr Now has a Christmas Stocking

Starting the year off by finishing a Christmas Stocking for Chloe the newest addition to our family. Our Great Grand Daughter made her way into our lives on December 20. Her stocking will now hang to welcome Christmas into our home.

It takes longer than I remember to put all the beads and embroidery and then cut and then applique the pieces on the stocking.

It is worth the time as it is cute and will be a great addition to all the others next year. 

Chloe, dear sweet girl, welcome to our family. Happy parents, happy baby.

ok, so enough with the camera already, let me sleep

2018

Where did 2017 go? Blogging when one gets out of the habit can easily just keep sliding, so that is my excuse.
I did on my needles have two quilts, several pillow cases, 30 backpacks for Lutheran World Relief,  two applique blocks,  one knitted cowl, 5 knitted hats, 4 pairs of fingerless gloves, and 6 draw string gift bags. I would love to say I had pics of these things but the hats and fingerless glove were Christmas gifts that did not get pictured. I think my 2018 resolution should be to remember to take pictures.At least the gift bags got a pic...

2017 was a year of RV travel from July through November covereing the Northwest US and wine country in British Columbia. I do have pics of this so will share later on posts. It was a trip to renew the stock of our wine racks which led to a small redo of our under stairs closet into a wine closet and there will be pics of that in another post also.

2017 also saw the December birth of our first great grand daughter so pics of her will be another post. 

2018 started with our annual New Year's eve party so pics (there are not many) will be another post.
Then there is the word for 2018.....lets see....maybe....but then there is....got it....HOW

How can I...
How is it that....
How many....
How about this....
How do we....
How do I....
How about we...

Till next post How about we all have a great start to our 2018!!

HAPPY NEW 2018

Making Patriotic Coaters (easy peezy)

Getting in the mood to celebrate in July the great country I get to call home. Red White and Blue needs to be visible and I need some new coasters and I need some for a couple of hostess gifts. These easy to make coasters are my go to for a lot of holidays to give as thanks you, hostess or thinking of you gifts. Here is a quick how I do these...
I make mine cut 5 inch finish 4.5 inch.
*You will need to cut batting and material squares all 5 inches. Each coaster will take
1 batting square and 4 fabric squares. Your choice of materials and combinations are infinity and can be whatever you want.
1  - 5 inch square will be one side of coaster
1  - 5inch square will be the inside for the folded stemmed wine glass holder
2  - 5 inch squares will be for the folded inserts to create the stemmed wine glass holder

I used plaid for the inside of the folded stemmed wine glass holder and stars for the side without inserts

 

* Make a sandwich       Materials will be put on batting with wrong side to  the batting; right side of materials facing out.

*Fold and press two of the 5" squares with wrong sides together

*Put folded pieces onto the side that will be the finished side without the inserts of your coaster with wrong sides matching; folded sides together.

folded pieces on top of square that will be the side without the inserts of coaster

*Sew 1/4" around all sides

1/4" seam on all sides

*Make sure bottom square as you are sewing stays flat...

What not to do!

*Clip corners

Corners clipped

*Now turn and you are DONE

Insert for stemmed wine glass side

"bottom" or to use when not wanting to insert stemmed wine glass

*press and enjoy...

I keep some ready to gift or use... they come in very handy for a quick hostess gift with 2 or 4 tied nicely together with ribbon and tag.

Thanks for being here!  Enjoy YOUR summer sewing.