Ravelly1

Leafing Through The Year - BOM - Block#2 February Came Early

2012-01-28T01:03:00.000-06:00

Link on sidebar and above.
I couldn't wait for February. It seems like January has been hear for two months.....LOL
Enjoy this oak leaves and acorns block!!!

Scrap Borders Almost Done

2012-01-26T16:30:00.002-06:00

I'm just about done..... only the bottom to sew on but company is on the way so I've got to cook instead of sew.

Scrap Bag

2012-01-26T00:45:00.000-06:00

This is one of my scrap bags that I've been working on to deplete. However, I don't think it's working. I've been sewing for three days and as you can see the bag's still full. I placed the 3 quart Clorox bottle there just to show how large that bag is. I am determined to make a dent in this bag.
Does anyone else have this problem of multiplying scraps. Personally I think the fabric Gnome is behind this phenomenon.

I've been sewing strips together to make piano keys for the second border around the quilt I posted yesterday. I'll be reporting with more soon.

Stripping Away

2012-01-24T01:17:00.007-06:00

I blogged about this yesterday and have been sewing my little heart out trying to ~~get rid of~~ use up some of my stash. But I swear, the more I sew, the more that seems to multiply. I started out with a very large bag of scraps and I've ended up with a very large bag of scraps. It's bottomless.
However I do love the way this project is turning out. So far it's an 8 by 10 row quilt blocks....... each block is five inches square which will sew in at 4 1/2 inches. I don't have to match seams which is a plus (translations... I won't have to use pins, YEA!). With this type of sewing, if you iron each row in the opposite directions, the seams will automatically lock together as you sew two rows together, then four rows, etc., etc., etc. I'll probably come back with a 1 1/2 inch stop border, maybe some piano keys just to use up more scraps and then a final border.... but we'll see.
I'm still deciding on what type of ties I need for my "boot" seat covers and thanks to several of my blogging buddies, I have an idea of what I'm going to use in the center of my "font" calendar.
So much to do..... so little time!

Design Wall Monday

2012-01-23T03:15:00.001-06:00

I did some hoop work for a swap mate. This only took an hour because I kept forgetting to change the threads.

Next, I decided to use these two fabrics which I found in my stash while refolding the other day.

Note the geometric (ahem) design in the top fabric. Sorry, that a private joke with one of my blogging friends.

I thought the geometric fabric would be a great one to start a stash busting project. So far I've sewn fifty-six 5 inch blocks. I used a foundation sew and flip method.

Love it...... no seams to match... just my style.

Friday Night Sew-In Results

2012-01-21T01:10:00.001-06:00

Craftyvegasmom hosted the FNSI this time. Pop over to see what others do.
Finally got the last two block done.... Whew! Life was crowding in but I managed it.
I placed the blocks on my EQ to get an idea of what to do next. I really like this layout because I want to add one large block in the center with more wording...... something to the effect, "For All Things, There Is A Season" but I haven't decided on a picture to go along with the words...... maybe do some hand embroidered vines around the words or......
Any ideas?
Next, I finally chose the backing for my "boot" chair covers. This fabric as been in my stash for quite some time and it was high time that I cut into it. My plan to use batting and then sandwich the pieces. I have to make ties but haven't gotten that far yet.

Friday Night Sew-In

2012-01-20T17:40:00.000-06:00

It's that time again..... you know to sew up a breeze. I'm about to get started. Can't show you any photos yet. Come back tomorrow to see what I've gotten done!!! CraftyVM is hosting this time. Pop over to see what other are doing.

Relax

2012-01-18T13:31:00.000-06:00

Therapeutic folding was very much needing after my traumatic experience with the frog. Just thinking about the little varmit (that's Texas talk for unsavory critter) makes me shiver. So I'm out in the "sewing studio" folding and refolding fabric to my heart's content.
I'm finding some fabrics that I didn't know I had.... imagine that! Those are going on top so I can find them and use them up. Also refolding helps to keep the fabrics fresh in my mind and creases from being permanent, if you know what I mean.
I pulled out one of my long tables to help with the folding and then I neatly place the folded fabrics back on the shelves.
Ah, I'm feeling much better!

There's A Frog In My Hair!

2012-01-17T02:29:00.004-06:00

I swear, I'm never going outside without protection again.
As most of you know, I live in central-ish Texas where the weather is always changing. One day hot the next cold..... make that changing from nearly moment to moment... today, it was a balmy 71 degrees, just perfect of working in the yard... a slight cloudy day but I can work with that....... but I'm babbling.
So I was outside raking leaves, minding my own business when suddenly something plopped onto my head. At this point I'm thinking it's a small branch that's come loose from my red oak and landed on my head.
Did I mention that I don't like surprises.
I reach up to brush it away and my hand connects with something slightly moist, wiggly and it was soft. Not a branchy, hard, rough feeling at all. Of course I ~~panicked~~ went into survivor mode and carefully brush off the offending critter (NOT). Let's just say it was not a pretty picture. Leaves, my rake, gloves and one tennis shoe went in a counter clockwise directional pattern, the frog landed safely several feet from me (unharmed, I might add) and I wound up bottom first on the ground. Can you say "upset" cause I really was.
Did I mention that I don't like things that flutter, fly, leap, hop, crawl, creep, slither, limp, wiggle, etc.
I would have posted about the incident right after it happened but I was too traumatized to do anything but have a stiff glass of iced tea and downed a couple of aspirin and a Tea cake to soothe my nerves.
I thought frogs hibernated during the winter. I guess he didn't get the memo.
Note to self....... New plan when raking leaves..... suit up in my hunting gear..... loaded for bear!

I pulled this photo out of the archives to remind myself how to dress when going out into my very dangerous, critter filled yard. I think I need a check list, too......
boots-check
gloves-check
long sleeved shirt-check
pants that can be tucked into boots-check
protective head gear-check
goggles-check
and then there's the all important fire arm with plenty ammo-check.
I'll be ready next time..... I hope.

Design Wall Monday & Dress Up Your Roll

2012-01-16T01:35:00.005-06:00

It's Design Wall Monday again. Here are my next installments for my calendar quilt.
The first October block was not to my liking. I machined embroidered the spider's web but things just didn't go well. The fabric I chose for the lettering was too busy and the overall presentation was off.
I really like the black cat on the fence so that 's the one I'll use in the quilt. I used more of my fence rail fabric and a little bit of a batik hand dyed fabric for the pumpkins. I hand embroidered a couple of curly vines to each pumpkin.
Remember to pop over to Judy's to see what everyone else is doing!

I decided to make another toilet roll cover. I tried my hand with an half and half theme.... thus the night and day scene.

Jane is hosting this great challenge. Pop over to learn more.

Dress Up Your Roll

2012-01-14T15:46:00.001-06:00

Quiltjane is hosting a great competition which I've linked to. We are to design a toilet paper cover and share it on the Flickr group. Barb has already gotten one done and has a great tutorial on how to.
The following is my effort and tutorial.

The circle is 5 1/2 inches across the middle.

I used one of my wonderful fence fabrics along with a couple of textured fabrics. I wanted to tree to lay over the top of the roll so I partially ironed it to the side.

Once the top circle was sewn on using DMC floss for extra strength, I ironed the tree over the top.

I love it!

More Fonts

2012-01-14T00:11:00.001-06:00

Here are my next three installments to my 2012 "font" calendar quilt. I am really cutting into my stash (finally) and am actually motivated to get more done. I've tried to do a little hand embroidery on each block. I'll stitch around everything else later, maybe a retreat.

Give-away

2012-01-13T10:27:00.000-06:00

I really shouldn't mention this but Gene is hosting a great give-away. So if you're interested, pop over and read all about it.

Font Blocks

2012-01-12T05:28:00.000-06:00

I am very motivated with my new project and I've been working on it nearly everyday.

Here are two more blocks that will go in my 2012 "font" calendar quilt.

Design Wall Monday & Stash Report

2012-01-09T00:06:00.000-06:00

Last year (2011) I made a calendar quilt which I shared with everyone as a BOM. It was fun and I got in some practice with the hand embroidery. This year I'm working with different "fonts". And in the end, I'll have another quilt. So my Design Wall Monday include these two blocks.
Next, I'm also working on seat covers for my dining chair. I machined embroidered 6 boots last week and posted about that. Now, I've added a great border around the blocks and cut them into the shape of the seat.

I'm thinking that I'll use a backing and batting to quilt the boots and the backing will be something to compliment the boot fabric so I can reverse the seat covers every now and again.
If you'd like to see what others are doing, pop over to Judy's and take a look or if you'd like to sign up for Design Wall Monday, Judy has a linky for that.
As for Stash Report:
I have use 3 1/2 yards from my "cowboy" stash towards the chair covers and 4 yards from my tone-on-tone fabrics for the Font calendar blocks.

Chair Covers in Progress

2012-01-07T02:18:00.001-06:00

I machined embroidered these boots the other day. You can't see my background fabric but it's a soft blue, light weight denim. The machine work took around 5 hours total.... how do I know this for certain???? You guessed it, I sat there and watched it stitch out..... LOL
The squares measure 13 inches square at this point and I plan to border them with one of my favorite cowboy fabrics, quilt around the boots, make ties..... and so on.... and so on.... and so on..... Hopefully I'll have more to show next week.

When Nature Calls - Block #6

2012-01-04T00:08:00.000-06:00

WNC-BOM #6 is here!

I hope everyone's 2012 has gotten off to a wonderful start!

Block #6 is here. I have linked to the PDF above and hopefully on my sidebar.

I really loved making these because there was so much area to work with. I had to cut into my crackle fabric... sob, sob... but I think it worked well in this case.
It is amazing how different the same outhouse looks using different fabric choices and layouts.
Go for it and enjoy!

Grab Buttons

2012-01-03T03:20:00.001-06:00

Hooray!

Have you ever visited blogs with those great "grab buttons" on the sidebar? You know the ones where there's a great BOM or swap going on and you want to participate and "not" forget each month.... well, I've always wanted to learn how to place the buttons on my sidebar and actually tried many times and failed terribly. The other day, my friend Betsy suggested that I try again what with my new BOM - Leafing Through The Year just starting. I thought about it and decided to try again. I googled "how to....." and started my search. Oh brother, did I mention that I'm very, very bad at understanding and following instructions.... very, very bad. After a frustrating hour of trying, I stumbled upon THIS LINK and was happy to discover that I had only to type in a few commands and widget in an HTML and TaDa...... my button appeared on my sidebar. This site makes it so easy, that even I can manage it.
I just had to share this with everyone because I know that there are a few of you who are just like me.... you know who you are!
A huge Thanks to Betsy. You lit a fire under me. Now, if that would just carry over to my sewing projects...... SMILES!
Happy BUTTON making!

Happy New Year and New BOM

2012-01-02T00:20:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

Wow, it's 2012! I can't believe it. Way back in grade school, 1960s, I never thought that I'd be living in the 21 century with all these new and marvelous gadgets to play with..... iPhone; iPad; iPod; HD television; Bose radio systems; cars/SUVs with video capability and GPS; e-Cards; Kindle which is a great way to read just about anything (novels, in my case) and saves our "trees;" refrigerators that house TVs; computered recipes, shelves that slide, constrict, and have several temperature controls to store meats, milk, veggies and whatever else you can think of easily; the ever changing computer and then there are the wonderful embroidery/sewing machines. Alot of these gadgets do several things that make our lives more livable.
But I'm babbling. So allow me to get to the point. I've been working on a new BOM. This one involves loads of hand embroidery fun. I've named it "Leafing Through The Year" Don't worry, When Nature Calls BOM will be posted in a day or so.

Link here or at my Sidebar!
This is also Design Wall Monday. Judy has a list of great quilters with some wonderful projects going on. Pop over and check them out.

Last Little Gift

2011-12-30T00:24:00.006-06:00

A friend visited me last summer and watched as my machine stitched this design out. She never forgot it and asked if I would do one for her. Of course I forgot about her request until yesterday....... I quickly got it stitched out and mailed off..... whew! I think she wants to frame it.
These types of machine embroidery designs are amazing. I sat and watched as the needle did the work.... LOL..... I used a dark bronze thread on a tone-on-tone beige fabric. (5" X 7")

Favorite Fabrics

2011-12-27T12:38:00.003-06:00

I made this quilt from some of my favorite fabrics.... you know, those textured fabrics that I can't resist buying. I did the foundation method, strips of fabrics different widths, sew, flip and press. The first border was sort of bland until I added the leaves and berries.... nothing fancy but that little touch made me happier. Then I followed up with a 4 inch small print floral. Love it! The quilt measures 48 inches square.

Christmas Cheer!

2011-12-25T20:02:00.001-06:00

Christmas Eve was spent with the boys, wives and of course my little princesses. Then today, Christmas day was spent with our church family and a tasty luncheon.
Now, I'm napping while the dishwasher does its thing.
I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

"Rules"

2011-12-22T13:40:00.000-06:00

Christmas Cookie Rules

If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free.
If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.
If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend. Because your friend's first cookie is calories free, (rule #1) yours is also. It would be rude to let your friend sample alone, and being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free.
Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move. This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.
Any calories consumed during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.
Cookies colored red or green have very few calories. Red ones have three and the green ones have five..... one calorie for each letter. Make more red ones!
Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on 34th Street" have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.
As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking causes calorie leakage.
Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate. We all know ho calories like to CLING!
Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed out have no calories because cookies used for "medicinal" purposes never have calories.

It's a rule! So, go out and enjoy those Christmas Cookies.... we only get them once a year.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Finally Finished

2011-12-21T01:51:00.001-06:00

As you all know, my "Lazy Hearts" BOM was over this month. But I had not sewn the blocks together. I'd experimented on my EQ7 with designs but wasn't happy. The blocks are so scrappy that I just couldn't decide. So I dug into my scraps of 2 1/2" squares, cut them down to 1 1/4" squares and hundreds of squares later, the blocks came together. I used tone-on-tone cornerstones to add that little something to the overall quilt and finished off with a dark 2 1/2" border.
Me like!
What do you think?
If you are wondering where all the BOM pattern are, I moved them to this page. Just scroll down to find them.

Tiny Squares

2011-12-20T00:54:00.004-06:00

I've been cutting these little babies all day to use them in a project that need to finish before the new year. They remind me of confetti at this point but will really bring my little quilt together. Maybe I'll get to sew tomorrow. Maybe it will happen..... we'll see..... sigh!

Great House Cleaning Music

2011-12-16T21:23:00.000-06:00

For me, that is.
I can listen to the video over and over during the Christmas holidays until the vacuuming is done, the mopping and even dusting and lose a couple of pounds as I dance and swap to it....... just saying and sharing!

Christmas Up At The Cabin

2011-12-15T11:48:00.000-06:00

I made this log cabin blocked quilt a few years ago from fabrics that looked Christmas-eee. I used some of my famous textured fabrics for the actual log cabin center. Final measurement 56 inches square.

Something to Think About

2011-12-14T13:30:00.000-06:00

I saw these quotes worth re-quoting in an Almanac and wanted to share them with you all.

"Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude towards us." (Earl Nightingale)
"A well developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life." (William A. Ward)
"Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit." (Aristotle)
"It is wise to keep in mind that neither success nor failure is ever final." (Roger Babson)
"Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk." (Doug Larson)
"I never learned anything while I was talking." (Larry King)
"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." (Victor Borge)
"Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength." (Charles Spurgeon)
"A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down." (Arnold H. Glascow)

Coming Soon

2011-12-12T14:16:00.001-06:00

Season Greetings everyone. Wow, Christmas is almost here with anticipation of another "big" meal from my family but I have a "big" surprise for them...... hehehehehehehe..... the boys are not getting that turkey and dressing dinner we just ate at Thanksgiving. Nope, I'm going with a good old rib eye, shrimp, baked potato, green beans, homemade rolls (to die for), Waldorf salad, apple pie, peach cobbler and iced tea menu. That should hold them!!
My little princesses are getting various size boxes. Yep, you read it correctly. They love playing with boxes, climbing into them, building with them, etc...... so who am I to deny them anything..... hehehehehe

Meanwhile, I've been busy developing yet another BOM for the new year. This one is hand embroidery oriented and really fun, although my skills are fair to midland, I love getting in the practice. Sorry no photo of what's to come but stay tuned for I will post this new one very early New Year's morning.

Thoughts of Apple Pie

2011-12-11T07:54:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was craving something sweet so I gathered up the ingredients for an apple pie. This was going to be tasty. My grandma use to make apple pies this way with the crisscross dough on top. I popped it in the oven just as unexpected company came. Needless to say, I had to share slices of the pie with them..... sigh!

Just Sharing

2011-12-07T12:35:00.000-06:00

I saw these items in a restroom of one of my favorite quilt shops and just had to share with you all. No worries, the owner gave me permission to snap away!

I think this first one applies to dogs as well.

The following photos are framed on the bare walls. I really love this idea. What do you think??

When Nature Calls - Block #5

2011-12-03T00:07:00.000-06:00

Background type fabric (example)

Block #5 is up and ready. I am really excited about this particular block because of the background fabric choices. This block is a great one for that unusual woodsy, forest type fabric because this particular outhouse is deep in the great outdoors, so to speak.
I have provided a sample above along with a fabric that compliments it for greenery.
A PDF has been provided on my sidebar plus a LINK right here because sometimes I forget. Enjoy!

Ooooops!

2011-11-29T08:41:00.000-06:00

Sorry Lazy Hearts fans. I failed to post the final link on my sidebar. It is now posted there and on this post as well.
LAZY HEARTS link.

Lazy Hearts December BOM

2011-11-29T00:02:00.000-06:00

WOW!
I can't believe that this year is almost over. Happy Pre-December everyone and thank you for participating in
Lazy Hearts. This was my first BOM endeavor and I had a blast. I hope you did too. I learned a lot thanks to your Kind Comments and suggestions.
I would love it if you all would send me a photo or link to your finished project whenever you have time to get them finished... even if it's only the quilt top. I'd love to see what you've come up with.

Thanksgiving Trivia

2011-11-23T01:07:00.007-06:00

Thanksgiving dinners take about 18 hours to prepare. They are consumed in 12 minutes. Half time takes 12 minutes. This is not a coincidence. ~Erma Bombeck
Minnesota is the top turkey raising state followed by North Carolina and Arkansas.
The typical person (that's me) consumes 7 pounds of turkey over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Wisconsin grown the most cranberries in the U.S. and I for one, am very grateful because love cranberry sauce.
By the way, turkey has amino acids that makes us sleepy. So don't bother fighting to stay awake.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving, family and all that great food!

Thanksgiving Dressing Recipe

2011-11-22T20:15:00.000-06:00

I wanted to my fairly quick but very moist and tasty dressing recipe. Some call it stuffing but since I don't actually cook it inside the turkey, I call it dressing.
If you are having 10 to 20 people over or a small group, this recipe works great either way and you just might have enough left over for Christmas. It freezes well.

Cook a pan or two of cornbread or purchase 3 to 6 bags of your favorite stuffing mix and prepare.
Chop 2 medium onions, 3 to 5 stalks of celery and 6 yellow squash. Boil in 2 large cans of chicken broth until very tender. Set aside to cool.
Crumble the cooled cornbread in large mixing bowl.
Add cubed white, wheat or rye bread (3 to 6 slices cubed should do it) and mix with crumbled cornbread.
Add cooled vegetables to bread mixture and stir well.
Add 3 Tablespoons poultry seasons, 1 Tablespoon white pepper (use black if preferred), 3 Tablespoons Accent
Add 2 to 4 slightly beaten eggs along with another can or two of chicken broth. (The important thing to remember is that liquid makes the dressings come out moist. I learned that the hard way.)
At this point, you can actually taste the mixture to see if it's to your liking. This is the time to add more seasoning. I promise that no one will get hurt from tasting a half teaspoon full.
Pour into greased pan and cook for an hour on 325 degrees. The dressing will be set, meaning very firm.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving, family and all the great fixin'!

3 Snaps Up!

2011-11-14T03:48:00.002-06:00

in Athen, Texas
This quilt shop is a great one with lots of displays and wonderful fabrics. If you're in the area, stop by.

Retreat In Full Swing

2011-11-12T08:23:00.000-06:00

The "Wackies" are really enjoying this get-away. Oh and yes, we are doing a little sewing.

Check List

2011-11-10T04:07:00.001-06:00

I'm about to go on retreat and as always I pack at the last possible minute so I've developed a check list to make sure that I don't forget anything.

sewing machine
cord to sewing machine
hoops to sewing machine
extension cords
threads
needles
scissors
extra fabric
rotary cutter
cutting mat
canned air
display sheet (usually a plastic tablecloth - use the back)
sewing comfortable chair
computer and cord
earplugs
camera and battery charger or extra batteries
change of clothing.... LOL..... I almost forgot my suitcase once
extra pillow
Kindle

That should do it..... oh and food.

Family History

2011-11-07T16:18:00.002-06:00

Mom had this photo stashed away but pulled it out to show me my great grandparents on my granddad's side.
I was so excited to see it and even posted it on my sidebar for all eternity..... LOL
I've mentioned that both my parents are only children so I have great aunts and uncles. In the photo standing are: great aunt Ettelene, Edwin (granddad), great aunt Ollie, cousin Oddie, great aunt Peachie and great uncle Will (Great uncle Will was not originally in the photo but was placed in by the photographer... wasn't he clever way back then). Seated are: great grandfather Daniel, great grandmother Delia, cousin Vinnie and great uncle A.D.
Great-granddad Daniel worked for a railroad in south Texas while Great-grandma Delia raised the children and kept house.

Mockingbird

2011-11-06T08:49:00.000-06:00

This is the next block that will go along with my Texas seal. It's my version of a Mockingbird. I made four log cabins using 1 1/2" strips and 2 1/2" strips. This gives the log cabins that rounded look you see in the photo. All fabrics are from my stash which I'm determined to use as much as possible.

Seal Part 2

2011-11-03T01:03:00.001-05:00

I'm making slow progress on the seal..... had to do a lot of thread changes to get the look I wanted.

I hand stitched a circle around the leaves.

I love the 3D look on a quilt so I used 2 spools of thread. In the photo above you can see I have threaded them through the tensions at the same time. This is to prevent fraying.

Here you see the two thread through the eye of the needle. You will probably need to use a needle threader if you want to try this method.

Above, hopefully, you can see the slightly raised stitching on the veins.

And finally, I handed stitched the second circle. I'm now ready to do some sort of round robin to enlarge the quilt block.

When Nature Calls - BOM - Block #4

2011-11-01T00:30:00.000-05:00

Block #4 is a fun and quick block. This outhouse has plenty of surface area to show off the great fabrics you choose. Just in case I forget to place a link on my sidebar (happens more often than you'd think), I've placed one on this post!
One of my favorite fabrics was used in the second photo. Notice the sections of logs..... I just love that fabric. I don't remember where I bought it but I've used it a lot and only have about a quarter of a yard left.....
I'm sure that I'll fall in love with another fabric very soon..... LOL
Remember, these blocks are fun and easy and parts can be left off if you prefer. In the second photo, I didn't use the shovels and it looks just fine. So make the blocks your own.
Enjoy!!!

Lazy Hearts November BOM

2011-10-30T15:19:00.000-05:00

It's number 11 BOM... can you believe it?
This block was a challenge for me.... I really put a lot of thought into it. Don't you just love the little owl???? I had so much fun developing this little guy! Enjoy everyone! Look for the PDF on my sidebar.

Seal

2011-10-26T10:14:00.000-05:00

I've had this idea in my head for a couple of months. Had to do something about it.... LOL.... As you all know, I'm from Texas and as we all do, I love my state, the people, nature, the weather and even the little scary critters who often invade my yard, the back forty, come into my garage, fly by my head, have the nerve to even...... sorry..... where was I?
Oh yeah...... anyway, I found this clipart photo, thought it had potential, studied it, thought about fabrics to use and then went for it.

I went with soft colors for the most part... olive greens, butter yellow, rust, browns, with pops of color... black and white. All fabrics came from my stash. I'm so proud of myself.

The background fabric is gray which I just love. The photo does not do it justice.

So far this block measures 20 inches square but I will probably trim it down to 18 1/2 inches.

This is what I have so far. I've got to add the acorns to the oak area next.

I plan to do some hand stitching to vein the leaves and stitch around for the circle effect. So stay tuned.

Cock-eyed

2011-10-24T08:45:00.000-05:00

This little "askewed" quilt was quick fun and a great way for me to ~~get rid of~~ use up some of my stash. The blocks are made from four sized squares - 8", 6", 4" and 2" squares turned and sewn on the diagonal. And as you can see on the close-up.... easy to quilt if you're in a hurry...... which, it seems, I'm always in. The quilt measures roughly 48" square.

Needed

2011-10-19T01:48:00.000-05:00

Tonya needs help.
Her chapter of the Linus Project needs blankets for children from babies to teens. Pop over to her blog for more info.

These quilt top are what I'm sending because I don't have any quilted items. If you'd like to help, contact Tonya for more information.

Memorix

2011-10-18T05:41:00.002-05:00

Two new additions but still no real direction as to what's going to happen next.
I decided to have the owl facing inward ... don't know why but I like it better that way. I still have to stitch everything down, that's for a retreat.
Hopefully they won't wind up in my UFO box..... LOL

Live or Memorix.... 2

2011-10-14T07:53:00.000-05:00

I am still playing around with paper images to fabric. I love looking through my stash for just the right colors to make the images come to life in fabric.

I'm thinking that I might make a type of mascot quilt..... maybe.

You all know how ideas just come and go so easily.... LOL

We'll see what happens.

Sewing School

2011-10-13T01:12:00.001-05:00

Months ago I posted about my late Great Aunt and her wonderful collections of sewing books and quilts.
One book that I am really fond of is "Hand Sewing Lessons." The book has many great lessons about hand sewing but it also contains a treasure, Great Aunt's personal notes. Just viewing them brings tears to my eyes and makes me feel even closer to her even in death.
Below is one page from the book. I hope you can enlarge it to read what's on the page.

Live or Memorix... So To Speak

2011-10-12T07:50:00.000-05:00

I found an image of a tiger (I love the big cat family) and was fascinated with the markings. So I tried my hand using various fabrics and of course my favorite adhesive..... Steam-a-seam. I'm really trying to use fabrics in my stash so no fabrics were purchased in the making of this little project.

Here's the final results. Roughly 9" square and it took me about 2 hours from start to finish.

Card Shark - Mystery Round Robin

2011-10-11T00:04:00.001-05:00

It all started at a retreat a few years ago. If you read my previous post "Autumn," you have begun to see a pattern when it comes to something wacky happening at all retreats that me and my wacky girlfriends attend.
Anyway, several of us had UFO blocks and mini quilt tops that didn't seem to go with anything.
One lady got it into her head that we all just had to use those blocks in a "round robin" no less. Of course, I had NO idea what a round robin was but was eager to participate (OMG, someone should have hit me over the head).
This is the mini center that I started with. It's very unusual (so me) something I was experimenting with half square triangles and solid blocks but never got any further (so me, again).

We all signed up and two groups were formed with a vague idea of mailing each others' rounds.... did that make sense? I sure hope so because I can't explain it any better (so me, once more). Also, in each package were scraps of the fabrics we wanted used in each of our quilts with instructions of using more scraps from each participant's as well.

Rounds two and three, I think. Hey, it was a long time ago. Round 2 was the star blocks and fillers at the top and bottom. Round 3 was the geometric side to side designs (someone is laughing about now with the mention of geometric)

Round 4 were the four patches. Round 5 were the corner card shapes. BTW, I think that the quilt took on the "Card" theme as the rounds developed. It was not suggested in the beginning but a pleasant surprise.
Round 6, Molly thought that there was too much black area so she added the card deck. Very ingenious of her.

Molly used a fabric photo print technique which is very popular these days, easily found if you Google about it.

The final round is this fantastic woven border which I absolutely love. This robin lasted about 6 to 8 months and we did the reveal at another retreat. I was totally surprised to see everyone's efforts. Love the quilt which measures 70 by 78. Quilting will come one of these days..... LOL

Columbus Day

2011-10-10T01:37:00.001-05:00

In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

He sailed and sailed to find this land for me and you.

That was my little speech way back in 1962 in a school play.

Autumn

2011-10-07T10:47:00.003-05:00

I've often talked about my "wacky" girlfriends who come up with loads of crazy ideas usually involving something painful, well not painful but some loony sewing project. The following is one of the first weird things we participated in years ago before I knew what I was really getting into.
But first, these are the "sisters" I'm so fond of. As you can see, they have influenced me and not in a good way.... LOL One of our beloved sisters passed away over a year ago (Jerri, seated in floral) but she is always with us in spirit and always manages to make us laugh to this day. Her favorite line.... "Not it!" when we hatched with some outrageous idea.

This project started as a wild idea at a retreat years ago. I think one of the girls had had a couple of too strong coffees or something. Anyway, we all wound up at a local quilt shop with goals of looking for a fabric for each of us. Something unusual that could be use as a background. I chose the marble-y brownish woodsy sort.... boy was that a mouth full.

Once each of us chose and purchased our background fabrics, we brainstormed about what to do next. Notice we tend to plan as we go.... LOL

My theme was "Autumn" and each person was to make one or two block with that theme in mind.

Some of the ladies really got creative and ambitious.

One group member decided to make hands and hearts to go in each quilt top.

Note the spider in this block..... very funny, someone.... very funny!

I was really happy with the overall quilt and how well the background fabric worked out. At the time this was made, I was not very good at making sure the quilt squared up but it was definitely a learning experience and one of "MANY" that I've ventured into with my "wacky" girlfriends.
Final measurement 44" X 62"

What's Your Name?

2011-10-06T00:08:00.003-05:00

Dawn over at "As Sweet As Cinnamon" has a great little thing going on just for fun. Explain why you named your blog what you did. If you'd like to participate, pop over to Dawn's and sign up.
Ravelly1 comes from desperation on my part. A couple of my Wacky girlfriends were already blogging and hassled me into it...... LOL
At the time I was sewing in my living room and even though I cleaned each time I sewed, there seemed to always be ravels everywhere. So I knew that "ravels" had to be involved in the name somehow. The number one came from my birth date. I was born on the first day of a certain month. So "Ravelly1 was born. My mom and friends think this name is still appropriate and I don't like change so I'm stuck with it and loving it.

Stash Bustin' Finale

2011-10-05T08:01:00.000-05:00

I finished this quilt top early last week but was unable to post about it because my computer satellite dish died from, get this, the extra dry, hot, very hot Texas weather plus a couple of dewy mornings of moisture and voila... "cracked" thingy on the dish leading to NO Internet service.... OMG, I nearly went into more "wackiness".... it was really getting ugly around my house.... I couldn't check on what everyone in bloggerland was doing, couldn't check my email and couldn't surf the net..... Eeeeek! But now, thank goodness, I'm back!
Anyway, the photo isn't that good but hopefully you can see the first border is made from an assortment of 2 1/2 inch squares followed by a 3 inch floral border. This was quick and fun and all fabrics came from my stash.
It's a great idea to go through your stash every so often, sort pieces and strips into colors and place where you can easily see what you're looking for. That's how I found most of the fabrics used in this quilt... LOL

BOMs

2011-09-29T00:08:00.001-05:00

OMG, it's almost October. I can't believe how quickly this month is rolling by.

Here are the two blocks of the month projects for everyone.

Lazy Hearts and When Nature Calls..... enjoy!

O Christmas Tree Finale

2011-09-27T13:09:00.000-05:00

This is it.... the finish. My friend Amy suggested the holly border but I had already sewn the star border on. Her idea stuck with me and I couldn't resist adding it. Thank you Amy! It measures 36" by 46 1/2". Love it!

Stash Bustin' Time - Part 2

2011-09-25T00:40:00.001-05:00

This is the design that inspired me. This one calls for blue and tone-on-tone half square triangles but I had something else in mind.

Here's what I have so far. I like the layout and plan on sewing it together ASAP.
(each block measures 6 1/2")
I'll be auditioning border fabric early this week...... one of those "know it when I see it" borders.... LOL

Stash Bustin' Time

2011-09-23T00:48:00.002-05:00

A couple of years ago, my "wacky" friends came up with an idea of trading 2 1/2" squares. So we began cutting and cutting and cutting..... 1200 squares later, I still have squares left..... what to do? Hummmmmm

I scanned through some of my quilting magazines. This one is from 2008 but has some great designs. I chose a nine patch mixer which I will reveal later.

36 nine patches are done but not trimmed up yet. That's will have to wait until tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Mixer

2011-09-21T01:08:00.005-05:00

This quilt is what I call a "mixer" because I have incorporated the blocks from one of my favorite authors.

Bea Oglesby is fantastic quilter, designer and author of several applique' books. I looked through the books, chose what I loved the most then began gathering fabrics from my stash. And I must say that choosing fabrics was just as much fun as the actual making of each block and this is a great way to ~~get rid of~~ use up some of that fabric. As I found the fabrics I placed them in clear sleeves along with a photo-copy of the block I wanted to make. All of this was kept in a 3 ring binder. For once I was organized..... LOL

One the blocks were made, then came deciding how to put the quilt together. I was looking in a quilting magazine (can't remember which one) and saw an Attic Window article...... lightbulb moment!!! I really love how this turned out.

Measures 64 by 64.

Two Block Star Quilts

2011-09-19T09:54:00.008-05:00

I drafted this design a few years ago because I was fascinated with half square triangles and solid blocks. Plus, I was experimenting with extending my design to get a secondary pattern, which is demonstrated in the first quilt below. This quilt was done in two colors, gold and black. I was very pleased to get a radiating type of design with framing at each corner.

This quilt measures 40 inches square.

The next 2 quilts, I was playing with colors. My favorite is the pink and green one.

The pink/green quilt measures 30" X 40" and the red/white/blue measures 25" X 35".

I used fabrics from my stash in the making of each quilt attempting to lower the volume..... LOL

Where Have I Been?

2011-09-16T21:27:00.000-05:00

Good question.
I've been attending a church conference with Mom.... very uplifting and a little time to "bond" with Mom. I did visit with several folks that I hadn't seen since last year and walked away with some great ideas to take back to my church.
I'll be back to the sewing world next week.

O Christmas Tree Borders

2011-09-10T00:10:00.001-05:00

I was ~~inspired~~, ~~motivated~~, ~~energized~~, ~~coerced~~, ~~compelled~~...... there's seems to be no real word to describe what I went through to get the borders on my Christmas wall hanging but it's done. Now, I thinking of adding gold stars to each corner. What do you think? BTW, no new fabrics were used in the making of this little quilt. (rough measurement 30" by 40")

O Christmas Tree

2011-09-09T01:02:00.004-05:00

(Roughly measures 22" X 32 1/2")

The other week one of my "wacky" friends (Kathy) came up with the great idea for us all to make this little pattern. We all moaned and groan about it but no one said "Not it!" LOL
Anyway, this is as far as I've gotten... all that's left is a border that won't take but an hour to get sewn. If you're wondering why I'm tell you this, it's to get myself motivated. The heat just seemed to zap my strength but now that it's cooler, I should be able to get it done...... right?

To Each His Own with......

2011-09-06T16:53:00.000-05:00

To each his own with a little common sense......
If you're wondering what's up with this post, I'll explain. I live in Texas which is under a severe draught, meaning there has been little to no rain all summer (3 months). This means it's very, very, very dry here, the grass is brown, trees are suffering, flowers... what flowers! You get the picture. To top it all off we've had a lot of fires... very devastating but what is more, several of them have been started from someone pitching their cigarette butts out of their car windows..... which brings me to my little rant.

I have nothing against smokers and before you say, "Yea right!" My dad was a chain smokers so I've been exposed to smoke. I'm okay with that, I don't smoke myself but as I said, "To each his own." The problem I have is that if you're smoking in your car and don't use the ashtray, oh dear, what's up with that? Some of my friends have said that they have "stuff" in their ashtrays (keys, change, lipstick, etc.).... Okay, I'm not understanding that but that's just me. However, it is very careless of someone to pitch a still lit butt out of the car window, especially in TEXAS right now (I'm saying that because I live in Texas but I'm sure other draught riddled states would appreciate it as well). Please think about what you are doing with those butts.
Our firefighters place their lives on the line for us everyday but I'm just disturbed that something so careless as pitching a cigarette butt out of a car window can lead to so much destruction and death.
I didn't post this to offend anyone but just to remind all of us, please be aware.

September - BOM

2011-08-31T11:51:00.000-05:00

Lazy Hearts BOM is now on the downhill side. This is the 9th block of a twelve month project. I can't believe that school has started, fall is close (thank goodness) and pro-football is close at hand.
Enjoy the September Lazy Hearts block!

When Nature Calls - BOM - Block #2

2011-08-29T01:02:00.000-05:00

Well, Block #2 is here and I must say this one is probably my favorite. I love the fence in each of the blocks.
Remember that these blocks were designed so that you can add scenery or it can stand alone with little details.
I was ~~shopping for~~ just looking around at my LQS and found a couple of excellent landscape type fabrics that I just had to have. I can't wait to put them in the next WNC block. Be on the lookout for fabrics that can be used several different ways. A fat quarter is a great way to add to your stash.

Little Princess

2011-08-25T22:50:00.000-05:00

Ayden at her dad's graduation. What a cutie, I must say.
Just a couple of more days until Block #2 of WNC.

Graduation & August Friday Night Sew-In Results

2011-08-20T07:24:00.001-05:00

Armando graduated with honors from TSTC "Combination Welding"

I am very proud of him. The ceremony was surprisingly brief with all the different certificates to give out and the crowd was fairly quiet.

Now to FNSI

(This photo is to show how the 3 inch blocks can be use around larger blocks)

I love unusual fabrics, collect them as often as I can. I also, like strip piecing, so after another project, I had plenty of strips leftover. I sewed them together and cut them on the diagonal into 3 inch squares. These will be used in my "When Nature Calls" BOM quilt as filler blocks, I think... LOL

Shhhh... FQ Give-away & FNSI

2011-08-19T11:05:00.001-05:00

Monica at Button Counter is doing a give-away so pop over to get in on the action.

Also, tonight is FNSI...... I can't wait.

Where Have I Been?

2011-08-15T01:36:00.004-05:00

It is so hot here in central Texas that I have been doing absolutely nothing... do you hear me nothing... not even sewing, my favorite pass time. But I'll be back with the next When Nature Calls Block #2 and Lazy Heart Block #9 very soon. So have a cold, tall glass of iced tea on me. See you soon.

Family Photo

2011-08-06T14:20:00.000-05:00

Mom found this photo of my Great Aunt Erma. What's so special about it is this was taken her second year os sewing class at Paul Quinn College, Waco, Texas. I knew that my grandma & my Auntie were quilters and seamstresses but I hadn't realized that a few other members of the family were as well. I was so excited to see this old photo and to gather little tidbits of my family history.

By Degrees

2011-08-05T21:48:00.000-05:00

If you haven't seen Menopause the Musical, please seek it out. You will definitely enjoy it and your tummy will ache for days from laughing so hard. That said.....
It's hot here in central Texas..... 105F by five PM..... and I'm menopausal..... yes, I said it. You know, what women call the change of life ...... It's a change alright..... and this heat is not helping one bit. The ground is so dry that even the lizards don't want to crawl over it.
As we say here in Texas, I'm thinking of taking a dip in the "tank"..... translation, the big pond.
Stay cool and keep hydrated everyone.

Back from Retreat .... Plus..... We Have A Winner

2011-08-03T02:54:00.003-05:00

I had a blast at our latest retreat. Did alittle machine embroidery.

And make several blocks to go in my latest project. The rattler need more work but that's for a very cooler day. Believe it or not it's 106 here in central Texas and a friend just called to say that Waco, Texas is at 111.... yes, that's degrees. That is too hot for comfort, let me tell you.

And the winner of the five 9 1/2 inch squares of scenery/background fabrics from the When Nature Calls BOM is...........

Betty C.

Congratulations.

Just leave me a comment and we will get all the mailing info then.

August - Lazy Hearts BOM

2011-08-01T01:00:00.002-05:00

Yea, it's August already and my birthday month. I'm 56 years young. Anyway, enjoy the August Lazy Hearts BOM. I've included my favorite little critters...... insects...... if you really know me, you know I really don't care for the little critters but they do jazz up the block.
Check out the sidebar for the instructions for #8 BOM.

When Nature Calls BOM - Block #1

2011-07-27T00:04:00.003-05:00

Notice that the 3 block above look slightly different from the other. I just wanted to show how little can be added or how much.

It's finally here .... a little early! Block #1 from "When Nature Calls" (WNC)

I couldn't wait another minute to share with everyone.

You can find the pattern on my sidebar. Make sure you copy & past the photo of WNC to add to your sidebar as a reminder each month.
Each block was produced in no certain order and placed in the quilt as I liked them. That said, as you develop your blocks, here's a chance to create your own masterpiece. Each block is already reversed so that when you're ready to arrange the pieces they are turned the same direction as in the photo. Hope that made sense.
This BOM is designed to ~~get rid of some of those~~ use some of your scraps and bits of fabric. Add a touch of your imagination and you've got a winner!

Now for a bit of fun

Leave a comment about this first block in order to get your name in the "hat" for a chance at five 9 1/2 inch squares of my favorite landscape type fabrics which would fix into any nature block. (no photo - my surprise)
If you are a FOLLOWER or become a follower, you get two chances.

Friday Night Sew-In Results

2011-07-23T04:02:00.001-05:00

This was the "funnest" block to make because of the fabrics I found in my stash.... it's amazing what you can find if you just look.... LOL

This is a machine embroidery design which took over 2 hours to stitch out.

Here's another machine emb. design.

The fruits of my labor from FNSI. I've made several blocks that just might go along with my "Log Cabin" scene, which I'll have to find a new name for.

This block, I'm not sure of. I need to find a background, for one, but I'm not liking the way the longhorn looks.... needs something. I'll think about that another day...... LOL

Did Someone Say Mud Pie?

2011-07-21T22:16:00.000-05:00

Little Princess #1 decided to become a human mud pie some weeks ago. Her mommy was not pleased. But this has become one of my favorite photos. Reminds me of me when I was little..... I used my grandma's eggs from the hen house to make mud pies.... Grandma was not happy!

Old Log Cabin - Happiness

2011-07-18T00:04:00.065-05:00

Still not finished but much happier. My good friend, Gene, the very talented artist, and my other wonderful blogging friends, Cindy Merilyn, Andrea, Betsy, Karen Margie, Gari, Sandra & Winona gave me some wonderful ideas about depth, foreground and background, which I'm never sure of, so thank you my friends.

Several suggested that I put something above the grass line..... notice that I chose a fabric different from the two I auditioned the other day..... found it in my stash.... can you believe that.... ha! Anyway, I went with a small floral fabric which definitely brought out the bushes behind the house. Loved it. Then I noticed that I had a lot of sky..... what to do, what to do...... ah..... mountains...... need to find so fabric for that.....
Digging around in that stash bin again, I ran across three fabrics from dark to light that I bought would work well..... once I cut and pasted those in, I needed something to add interest to them..... what now???? Ah, yes..... snow capped mountains.

The pathway is another problem. It is just too plain and the fence gate....... I'm just not sure about it.

To dress up the pathway, I trimmed it down and found some rock type fabric from my stash.

At this point, I'm toying with the rustic wooden fence that has seen its better days. And I need to finish off the top of this block with a lighter fabric.

I found a great pinkish batik fabric that I loved on the spot and added it to the top of the mountains. I decided not to use the gate and went with the skewed fence posts.
Next, I found some netting to add as a cloud line to soften the skyline from the bottom of the mountains.... Love it!
This is going to be the middle block or possibly the center of a quilt of indeterminate size..... LOL, you know how that is, right?
Now, for that stash talk and bustin'...... we, most of us know, have more that enough fabric for one person.... and I for one, have way too much but I always feel that I need more. This year, 2011, I decided not to buy yardage for a change..... I tend to get ~~carried away~~, ~~over do~~, ~~lose control~~, words escape me but you know what I mean. I've vowed to used as much of my stash as possible in all my projects including any backing, by piecing them from larger scraps.
I have to say that I'm a happy camper by doing it this way. When I do go shopping with my "wacky" buddies, I usually buy fat quarters, which is more than enough for the things I'm doing these days. With me budgeting this way, I'll be able to sink my savings into my second passion.... embroidery designs..... OMG, there are so many out there, it makes my head spin just thinking about it.
Take a breath, calm down, relax..... that's what I say to myself when surfing the Net for designs...... does it work???? What do you think
;-}
P.S. shhhh When Nature Calls (WNC) Block #1 is just around the corner (July 28th) so get ready for the fun.

Old Log Cabin Progress

2011-07-16T00:07:00.001-05:00

I was looking through my stash, again, dug a little deeper in that bin only to find this wonderful gradient fabric. So I decided to audition it. I also, changed the trees from the foreground to the background but I know I need something else behind the house to make the trees stand out.... so bare with me until I figure this out. I know a few of my blogging friends have great ideas so please feel free to chime in.

Old Cabin In The Woods

2011-07-15T01:05:00.004-05:00

This is a new project I've just started and have already titled it "Old Cabin In The Woods." As you can see, I'm using my textured fabrics. It's loads of fun looking through my stash choosing what will work best. Auditioning fabrics is necessary in this process. I need your help for the ground cover.... below are the 2 choices.... which do you think will work better???

Disregard the leaning log cabin, I'll make certain that it is properly sited later.

Now that you've seen the two ground cover fabrics, please leave a comment on your vote. Thanks, in advance, for your help!

Way Back Then 2

2011-07-14T00:09:00.001-05:00

This block is also from the 90s. We took a class from Cindy Walter - Snippet Sensations and

More Snippet Sensations just to name a few.

I was really out of my comfort zone and this little project shows it but I did enjoy the day with Cindy and some wonderful friends.

Way Back Then

2011-07-13T10:34:00.000-05:00

I was burrowing through a tub of scraps

when I ran across this old thing. It's from the early 90s when I was really into learning to paper piece. Some of you might recognize the background of apple fabric. Of course this is one of my many UFOs that will probably never get done.

See the little worm in this last apple. It was machine embroidered on a machine that doesn't machine embroider...... LOL

When Nature Calls - Give-away WINNER

2011-07-12T01:09:00.002-05:00

And the winner is

Gari

Congratulations Gari!!!

Just email me your address & these

great fabrics will be on their way to you

in time for the BOM.

When Nature Calls - Great Give-away - BOM Only

2011-07-08T00:01:00.002-05:00

BOM coming very soon!

As I've mentioned before, I'm planning to do a BOM from my "When Nature Calls" and as I've read many comments from you all, I got a great idea to do a give-away from some of my favorite project fabrics.
I've chosen fifteen 9 1/2 inch squares for the give-away. The only thing is, this give-away is for the bloggers who are
thinking of or going to participate in
When Nature Calls.
All you have to do is leave a comment stating that you will be participating or are really thinking about participating and your name goes in the hat!
I'm so excited about this project that I just might make another quilt myself...... maybe..... LOL
I will draw a name sometime next week. The first block of "When Nature Calls" first block is almost ready to be published so these fabrics will come in handy, for sure.

Remember to mention in your comment that your are thinking about or definitely participating.
P/S If you are a "FOLLOWER" you get 2 chances...... sssshhhhhhhh!

Yard Birds

2011-07-05T00:03:00.002-05:00

Rough measurement 44"X56"
I am sharing a pattern/quilt with everyone that I made years ago.

I titled it "Yard Birds" because the chickens looked like they had a definite attitude.

I added the rooster just for fun.

This project is a great way to use up some of those scraps you have stashed somewhere.
This design may be enlarged or shrunk to the size you desire.

This "Yard Bird" was sewn on the back of a vest that I wear often and always get comments about the snazzy looking chick!

This bird is sporting glasses (not included in pattern) which gives the appearance of haughtiness.

On my sidebar, I have placed a PDF with the instructions for anyone who wants to use it. Just click on the "chick" with the glasses.
(Note: This design looks great as a miniature quilt.)

I hope you, as a quilter or a crafter, enjoy my design!

What I Did This 4th of July

2011-07-04T22:36:00.000-05:00

Caught this big boy around 7 this evening..... nearly broke my rod.

When Nature Calls - Slight Addition

2011-07-03T22:39:00.000-05:00

You know when something bothers you about a project that you think you've finished, you just can't let it go that something isn't quite right... well that's was I felt when I finished When Nature Calls. I love the look of the dead tree reaching around one side, over the top and to the other side but it needed a little something more.

I added a couple more branches and was totally satisfied.

I've started to work on the BOM for this quilt. The first should be ready very soon, within the next couple of weeks.

If you are interested in participating, watch for it on my sidebar.

This project will be a great way to experiment with those textured fabrics that we sometimes use in applique` projects. So dig through your stash and set aside those wonderful fabrics!!!

July - Lazy Hearts BOM

2011-06-29T09:01:00.000-05:00

July's Lazy Heart is finally here.
The design is in PDF and on my sidebar for your convenience.
Enjoy and have a great 4th of July holiday!

Snakes & Rabbits & Deer, Oh My

2011-06-27T11:40:00.002-05:00

Gun Smoke was one of the western TV shows that I grew up watching. Matthew Dillon, Miss Kitty, Doc & Festus, just to name a few.
One episode that comes to mind was Doc talking to Marshal Dillon where the doctor was explaining that he'd had a long night with a family where he was delivering the woman's twins. Matthew asked if the woman was okay, Doc saying that yes she was fine but that twins were unexpected and difficult to deliver...... Festus burst into the conversation asking, "Doc, what did you say she had?" Doc responded, "She had twins." Festus said, "Well Matthew, I don't know about twins but there were two of em!" Doc's head dropped to his chest in utter disgust.

Where am I going with that little walk down memory lane?????? One, at the time my family and I laughed out loud because Doc was so exasperated with Festus and two, that story was a cute way to jump into my next section.
I awoke to frolicking twin fawns in my back yard. Their mom is in the bushes on the other side of the fence. They were so cute, I stood in my window watching for some time.

In other breaking news around here...... the other evening just as dusk (9ish) I walking out to my bird feeder to take it in.... remember Mr. Raccoon eats the feed if I leave the feeder out.... well anyway, what awaited me under the feeder but a "chicken snake.!" EeeeKkkkk! Sorry no picture and I won't repeat what I actually said but to make a long story short.... the snake is no longer with us.... I used a flat blade shovel to dispatch said snake. BTW, the snake was about three and a half feet long.
Finally, a couple of rabbits have taken up residents very close to my garden fence. The little fence is too tall for them to hop or jump over it but they can reach their little noses into it enough to get in a nibble or two. Can't get a photo of them... each time I've tried, they either run away or I wind up chasing them around and around and around the fence until they wear me down and I give up and go inside.
The animals are getting smarter.
I'm going to have to regroup.

Sew-In Results - "When Nature Calls" - Finished

2011-06-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

All done and I'm so happy!

I went with an old dead tree with long branches and a surprise at the end.
Measures roughly 56" by 68"
BTW, all from my stash!!!

Note the tissue!!!

Turning the corner on the first side adds a lot of interest, along with all the gnarly branches.

The wood-zie looking fabric did the trick.

Don't be afraid to buy that unusual looking fabric.

I decided not to go all the way round the quilt with the tree branches. I've used this method in several quilts and like the effect. What do you think??

Several bloggers have asked me to do patterns for this quilt, so I'll be developing those in the next few weeks to share with everyone.

Now, I'll have to get this little one quilted but that's for in the far, far future.

When Nature Calls Borders - Sneak Peak

2011-06-22T16:07:00.000-05:00

I could not help myself with this sneak peak of mitered borders. It's been forever since I've tried mitering but I was very happy with the way it turned out..... Now, onto that other fabric I chose..... stay tuned.

Border Possibles

2011-06-21T16:11:00.000-05:00

These are the fabrics I'm going with, I think, for the borders around the "When Nature Calls" quilt.
I really appreciate all the wonderful suggestions that everyone gleefully offered. We have had a great laugh about the outhouses and our memories of the past.
I'm going with the toilet paper suggestion and a couple of others I'll save as a surprise.

Friday Night Sew-In / When Nature Calls #5

2011-06-18T00:03:00.003-05:00

Here's what I've gotten done so far with my "When Nature Calls"
I added more trees that bleed into the filler blocks above and below the Outhouses. I like the look of them. So far the quilt measures 46" by 58". I now have to decide on a border or borders..... any suggestions???

When Nature Calls Part 4

2011-06-15T00:19:00.001-05:00

Block #7

Block #8

These are the last block that I have so far. At this point I will do a EQ mark up or sketch what I want out on graph paper.

Stay tuned.

When Nature Calls Part 3

2011-06-13T01:04:00.001-05:00

Block #5 Notice the background fabric is NOT a tone on tone fabric but an entire forest focal fabric with the outhouse in the foreground.

Block #6 Notice the hay fabric and the the little chickens. Don't be afraid to fussy cut fabrics.

Enough, Already!

2011-06-11T12:02:00.000-05:00

I'm really thinking about pulling up those 5 squash plants......LOL

Each day I go out to my little garden, more squash appear.....

I guess I shouldn't complain because I have gotten many veggies canned, blanched and shared with the neighbors.

The very large squash is called "bumpy" squash.... I kid you not!

When Nature Calls Part 2

2011-06-10T00:05:00.005-05:00

Above are more of the types of fabrics I use when developing a photo type block such as the outhouses.

(Block #3) Batiks are great fabrics to use with this type of project because of tie-dye affect of the Batiks. Shadowing and depth can be achieved with the pictorial contrast. Note the roof, door and tree branches in the above photo.

(Block #4) Plaids, floral directional fabrics do well in these types of blocks, as well.
Do not be afraid to audition fabrics by laying pieces out, one nearly on top of the other. Another great trick is to take a picture of the desired fabric to view it on the camera viewer itself. This may give you a sense of what you want from the fabric.

When Nature Calls

2011-06-09T13:52:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone...... I'm back..... took a rest from blogging to process all that squash, bell peppers, zucchini and tomatoes.... whew!

Now back to my regularly scheduled programs.... ehehehehe

Take a look at these fabrics... click to enlarge if need be.

These fabrics are the ones we look at in our favorite quilt store but most of the time we pass them by.

Not me! For some crazy reason I am drawn to them but after the purchase..... what to do with them????

Here's my solution.

When Nature Calls is my new project.... can you guess what it's all about?

Outhouses!

When I was a little girl my grandparents still had an outhouse (1950s) even though we had a bathroom with all the amenities.

But I loved the outhouse..... I was 5 years old and very inquisitive... yea, that's it.

The other day I was rearranging my fabrics, sorting, refolding, fondling and such when I ran across all my strange fabrics..... I new project began to take shape of how I finally wanted to use these types of fabrics.

Block #1

Block #2

These two outhouses were my first attempt and I'm very happy with them. Stay tuned because I'll be showing and telling how I managed to make a great little quilt from the outhouse theme.
(Blocks measure 11 1/2 inches)