Quilts = Priceless

Hello!

Here is an update on the Cathedral Windows doll quit.  I try to get a little done here and there.  I've really enjoyed this process.

My moving date is finally about 1 week away!  Since I consider my quilts priceless, I've moved them all to a friends' house.

I didn't count, but Margaret is a trusted and dear friend and is so generous to offer her home as a storage for them.

I stacked them up and wrapped them with sheets.

This is a big bundle~

Here they are at Margarets house.  bye quilts.....see you in July.

On the home front, the sewing room is closed for business.  I have pre-organized everything for the packers so I'll know what is where.

It was a sad day when I took down the design wall.  I'll be replacing it and maybe I'll do a tutorial. It is so easy to make.

Sad....I'll never have another sewing room like this one.

On Sunday I celebrated the end of my Jubilee year.  I am grateful to my friends and family for making it a special day. 

I want to share this great gift that I received.  (I actually got 2 from different people....guess they know me :)

This is an icicle that you freeze and insert into a bottle of wine to keep it perfectly chilled.  It can also be used to quick chill red to the perfect temperature.

Brilliant! 

I don't know when I'll be back, but thank you all for the support during this move.  I hope to come back with fun and inspiration from Connecticut.  In the meantime, happy sewing!

Fun For Friday - How to Make a Quilt

Hello - Just checking in with a couple of fun items to share. 

While going through over 20 years of "kid" papers, like writing assignments, homemade cards, school art project, etc, I found this gem.

This 4 page book was made by my now 20 year old daughter, Hanna.  She was probably 6-8 years old.

"How to Make a Quilt" by Hanna

Take a needle and thread -

And now you have a finished top -

Add borders and now you are done -

The dedication page on the back cover.

Oh, if only it were that simple - I love it!

My little coco had her first Dairy Queen this week.  It is an especial treat and she really enjoyed it, I think......it was over so fast :)

I'll pop in next week for an update on my Cathedral Windows doll quilt which is all I'm working on when I can steal a few minutes.

Hello from the Home Front!

Hello!  Hope every one is having a good spring. 

This weekend was a fun a busy one!  My son, Andrew, graduated from Ramapo College, sum cum laude.  His college career had many ups and downs and I know he felt they were all worth it.

There were over 1,400 matriculating students at the Izod Center.  Yes, they read each and every name presented with their degree.

We were blessed to have Andrews aunts' with us for the event.  Thanks again Nancy and Glenna!

What a wonderful family occasion.  Hanna has a couple of years to earn her cap.

On Saturday I presented my son's beautiful girlfriend, Sigourney, with the Flying Fiesta quilt for her 21st Birthday.

I found this re-usable "missoni-esque" bag at TJ Maxx.  I thought it went really well with the quilt.

I also made a fun bouquet for her.  A vase filled with her favorite candy, peanut butter cups,  a girly flask and little liquor bottles - Happy 21!

I missed the quilt photo shoot, so I don't know what Andrew said, but it really cracked up the Birthday Girl.

Have a Wonderful Week!

Fun For Friday - Somewhere over the Jello Rainbow

Happy Spring Friday!  I hope you are having lovely spring weather, except for my friends in the snow belt - hang in there!

Last week I had a Birthday luncheon party for my friend, Norma.  I love to have "ladies lunch" and sit and sew and gossip, chat.

The hit of the party was Jan's Rainbow Jello.   It was a masterpiece of patience and beauty!  If you want to try one yourself, you can find one of many on line recipe like this one here.

Jan lives a few blocks from me and recently sold her home.  It was so nice to have her support and help.  Thanks Jan!

Lunch was simple, Rubens, chips, pickles and soda and the Rainbow jello - yum!

Norma requested the Orange Crunch Cake that I recently posted.  I decorated it with cuties orange sections and a paper parasol.

Flying Fiesta! 

On a recent post I asked if anyone could guess what the "keys" were to my scrap flying geese quilt.  I had over-heard someone say "She just throws all those colors together and somehow it works".   I took it as a great compliment, but it's not exactly true.

Successful scrap quilts nearly always have a some unifying elements.

Exchange Rules:

Solid colors
Modern Prints (so this ruled out repros, pastels, muddy colors)

Construction Rules (mine):

Take the exchange sets (4) and piece them into strips.
Make color blocks by pairing blocks with similar background colors.
Make all the blocks the same:
   Geese flying down on the right and up on the left.
Alternately turn the blocks.

The next time you see a scrap quilt that you really like, take a little time to study it and see if you can come up with the unifying "keys" to the quilt.

Lastly, look what I made!  I've always wanted to know how to make a Cathedral Windows and our friend, Ruth Ann, gave our sewing group a tutorial.  She has made several bed sized Cathedral Window quilts.  They are Stunning!

I'm planning to make exactly 1 doll bed sized quilt.

Happy Weekend and I hope it involves some sewing!  I'm off to the Northern Star Quilt show and will share photos next week.

To Boston With Love

I'm interrupting my lazy blogging to bring you a post about a project that I read on Kelly's Blog - Pinkadot Quilts - this morning.

The Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild is organizing a public display of flags in the city of Boston to bring some comfort, support, joy and most of all Love to the city of Boston following the recent race day tragedy.  You can click the link above, or the button on the right to get involved.  They have clear instructions and tutorials.

Since it's all about love, I decided to make one for me and Rich, and one for each of our wonderful children.  I've included their girlfriend/boyfriend too who were there to comfort and support them when I couldn't be.

Here are the flags that I made this afternoon (front and back views).  I decided to design them big, bold and graphic and simple.

Me and Rich's:

Andrew and Sigourney's:

Hanna and Daniel's:

Here is my little contribution tied together.  I hope they keep them together as a family holding hands.   We are all runners and have been to many running events as spectators and athletes.

I hung it in my dwarf maple tree to see how it looked from a distance.  

This was an easy, fun afternoon project.  Sometimes its nice to be a little part in a big project.  Hat's off to the Vancouver Guild for organizing this gift for Boston.

See you again soon!  Happy Weekend!