Meet and Greet - This is Me!

"Coffee Time"

Applique is the closest thing to painting with fabric that I have found. (except for actually painting ON fabric!)
I love finding fabrics that have textural prints that I can use to give the illusion of other things - sand, leaves, sky, etc. I tend to keep a box of "Textures" that I go to first when trying to create an applique. 

The quilt below used only solids, but many shades of each color.

Roses in bloom on a quilt I made for a blog hop in late 2013

 The bookcase quilt below was a custom quilt made before I started blogging. Every item on the quilt, including the words, were of importance to the recipient of the quilt. I hand dyed the variegated ivy leaves for realism.

"Creativity"

I have a very unusual method of applique that I came up with when I first started quilting. (I have since seen this method in a couple of other places as well. Great minds think alike!)  In actuality, I was having so much trouble with needle turn applique, I HAD to come up with something else. I also wanted turned under edges so my pieces would be more durable. Note: This method uses freezer paper, but it is NOT ironed to the BACK of the fabric!

Buzzing and Bumbling Applique Tutorial 

Thank you for joining me today!!

You can see what others are doing by going to the list here!

                                                                      

Bird Tree Blog Hop - My Day!

appliqued and embroidered pillow case border

The sun finally came out, but shadows couldn't be avoided!

Welcome to the Bird Tree Blog Hop! I really like birds, so I was very attracted this beautiful fabric by Tracy Lizotte for Elizabeth's Studio! It's called "Beautiful Birds". I decided to make a bedding set for a twin bed with fabrics from this line.

appliqued nest

I chose to cut the fabric into squares and sew a simple patchwork quilt with an appliqued border. This quilt fits a twin sized bed.

 I made pillow cases from some of the fabric and embroidered and appliqued a purchased sheet and pillow case to coordinate. I added a ruffle to the border of the sheet along with a verse and coordinating flange.

 I made throw pillows of the tree panel and a bolster pillow from the lining. When the top sheet is turned down over the top of the quilt, the ruffle and verse show.

Sugarplum was suddenly on "hunter alert" and was very fascinated with the birds! (That's how well they're illustrated!)

She finally settled down and relaxed.

Because of all the rain we've had lately, the days have been a little gloomy and dark. I found the sewing machine LED lighting kit by Inspired LED made my sewing a de-LIGHT!!! You can't imagine just how much easier it is to sew when the lighting is really good. This kit is easy to add to your machine and you won't believe the difference it will make to your sewing. You will be able to see so much better!!! You can read about them on their website here. For about $30 you can actually see to sew! I strongly recommend it!

photo from the Inspired LED website showing how bright the light can be!

Before you go, be sure to visit my friends on the hop today!

Monday, March 16

Sew Peace To Peace

Moose Stash Quilting

Buzzing and Bumbling

I Piece 2 Mary

Quilt Doodles

Just Let Me Quilt

Les Quilts

A Stitch In Time

 
 

 

Spring Is Here!

Longhorn

Doug and I have been walking three miles a day to prepare for an upcoming trip. Down the road from my parent's house is a field where we found longhorns grazing. This guy watched carefully, hoping we might bring him some fresh hay or something. Just up the road, on my parent's acreage, wild flowers are just beginning to bloom. The bluebonnets are there, but not open yet.

My neice picking wildflowers

Only a couple of weeks ago we were in the hill country without outside temperatures in the mid 20's.

We were snug inside with a fire in the fireplace!

I think all that weather is behind us now and we are ready for spring. I hear the birds singing outside now!

Speaking of birds, join me Monday, March 16, to see what I made for the Bird Tree Blog Hop. 

See you then!

A "New" Old Quilt to Cherish

We returned late yesterday from East Texas, where we attended my grandmother's funeral.  I returned with a treasure! My grandmother made this quilt and quilted it by hand. It appears to be of scraps from whatever she had - feedsacks, clothing, scraps from sewing, perhaps even an old curtain or two. This quilt makes me want to cut up old clothing and make a quilt!

 She most likely made this during the late 20's or early 30's. This quilt was made to keep her family warm. If a piece wasn't big enough, she pieced it. She didn't worry too much about mixing colors and prints. The batting inside was made from East Texas cotton that she carded herself. One year I picked a little cotton that was left in my brother in law's field and after spending HOURS picking seeds out, I decided I was no purist. Buying commercial batting is just fine with me!

My grandmother became an excellent seamstress.

 I also came home with two photos of myself in new dresses. Do you remember the thrill of new clothing when you were little? 

Me, in 1955, showing off a new dress. I was 5 years old.

My sister, on the left, and I showing off new dotted swiss dresses. I remember twirling around in these until my daddy made us stop! We're probably about aged 5 and 8 here. (The date on the back of the photo is 1958 or 59.)(Isn't my sister adorable!) We were beside my grandmama's garage here, I believe.

I'm going to go cuddle up in my Grandmama's quilt now! Stay warm!