1st Sampler - In Honor of GG

Today would have been my GG's 97th birthday.  In honor of that, I thought I would post about the quilt I made her over 10 years ago.

 GG's Chicken Quilt

This quilt was a blast to put together. It was my first attempt at a WHOLE quilt, and I made it as part of a course. I knew I wanted to make a quilt for my Great-Grandma, since she is the one who introduced me to quilting. And when I found these fabrics I couldn't pass it up! My Great-Grandma (GG) has collected chicken things as long as I can remember. Chicken paintings, trinkets, knick-knacks, salt & pepper shakers, magnets, etc. So the chicken fabric practically jumped off the shelf at me.



GREAT chicken fabric!!

I think the fabric line (set) was called the Tuscan collection.


This is called a Sampler Quilt, lap size (almost as big as a twin blanket). It's a 'sample' of different types of blocks and each one is different. Every block has a name. Each finished block is a 12-inch square. I'll highlight each block.

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Purple Pizzaz

A few summers ago I made a quilt for my sister.  Actually, the project began nearly 2 BEFORE that, and a good friend of mine helped.

We were taking a quilting class together, just for fun.  It was a once a month class and every month we learned a new technique and pieced 1 block.  The fabric and the patterns were provided for us (i.e., we didn't get to pick our own fabric).  I got the set called "Coral" and hers was "Purple".  My friend didn't like her fabric option at all, the longer she worked with it, and she was just going to give the blocks to the local quilter's group.  I asked her if I could have them (she only had 10 of the 12 blocks as she hadn't finished the last 2), and she said I could!  I was so excited because I knew just who I was going to give it to.  My sister LOVES purple!  So I had to finish the squares and complete the quilt top with the sashing, then sandwich and quilt the whole thing.

The Completed Quilt - "Purple Pizzaz"

This is a sampler quilt, which means that each square is different. 

Top row: Stripped Pinwheels, Folded Flowers, Paper Pieced Flowers

2nd row:  Flower Basket, Dove in the Middle, Celtic Square

3rd row:  Mock Trapunto, Stack-n-Whack, 2" Square Watercolor

Bottom row:  Mock Chenille, Log Cabin, Applique Flowers

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Winter Wreath tutorial

I took down my evergreen Christmas wreath when we put away all of our Christmas decorations, and my door looked very lonely. I wasn't feeling ready to put up my Valentine's welcome hearts yet, so I wanted to make a new wreath, more winter, less Christmas.

This is what I came up with.

Not quite what I had planned originally, but it's pretty anyway. I had planned for 2 doves, and a big ribbon bow, with more little bally things (white ones with the red and gold). I think the wreath was too small for my plans because once I got the dove and flowers on I was thinking that was ENOUGH.

That's OK.  I think this works, and I have supplies enough to make a couple more.

Here's a quick tutorial on how I did it.

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You Can Only Repair So Much

Well, I successfully fixed my slipper this week, only to have it come apart again today.

The stitch work I did held nicely, but the leather seems to be completely worn out. It tore right down by the place it attaches to the sole.  I can't stitch there - there just isn't enough to hold it together and the leather is weak all long there anyway.

I guess you can only repair so much.  Looks like I need new slippers!

Just Call Me a Cobbler!

Today, I added a new job the list of things I have done!  Just call me a cobbler!

(Not like a cobbler that you eat... a cobbler that makes shoes!)

See, my NukNuuk slipper fell apart:

I just LOVE these slippers and wear them every day, most of the time.  In Canada, as a general rule, we take off our outdoor shoes when we come inside, but my feet get cold so I always pull my slippers on.  Plus, these have a nice sole on them, like a real shoe almost, which I really like.  I have walked hundreds of miles around my house in these slippers!  And now, it seems that I have just about worn them out.

They aren't completely worn out, though, even if this one is 'broken'. The side of the slipper had just come unsewn from the base. So I decided to try to sew it back together.

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My Stocking OOPS!

This is a fun Nativity stocking that I had - only 1 left since I had originally made 4 and a friend of mine only needed 3 of them.  I had this stocking for sale in my craft shops online.

Stocking description:

Lovely printed Nativity panel used to create this quilted stocking. The sky is dark blue (nearly black), Nativity characters are multi-colored, and the top cuff is a slightly lighter blue with gold vines. Medium-sized stocking, 12 inches top to heel, 14 inches top to toe, 6 inch top opening, 9.5 inches at widest part of toe.

The front part of stocking is hand-quilted around all the nativity characters.   The stars at the top of the stocking are also hand-quilted with gold metallic thread, as are the details along the top cuff. 

The back of the stocking is a single layer of cheery Christmas fabric (not quilted), to avoid bulk in the seams.

I mentioned in the listing of the stocking that this one is one of a kind as it was made from a pre-printed panel from which the stocking pattern was cut, and I have not been able to locate the stocking panels since that stocking was made.  The panel made 4 stockings... so this was the last one of its kind.

I had this single stocking listed in 2 online shops, and sold it in one shop (YAY!), but I got busy with Christmas stuff and forgot to remove it from the other one... that was all good and well until...

The SAME stocking sold on Monday in the other shop... EEK!  OOPS!

So I had to recreate the stocking on Monday, not having the same panel from which I made the first!

Here is the replacement stocking... I had fabric from the same line that I used today to make a REPLACEMENT STOCKING. Instead of just a pre-printed stocking, this was made using a paper pattern that I just-so-happened to have made from the original stocking (it was a PERFECT size for making other stockings).  I took the cuff fabric off a completely different panel.

The scene on this stocking fabric is slightly different (more detail behind the people, fewer stars, less swirly top cuff) than the original but the stocking itself is the same size with the same care in construction - hand-quilted with metallic thread around the nativity characters, etc.

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Happy New Year! HELLO 2011!

It's 1:11pm on 1/1/11!

Happy New Year, fellow weirdies!!

Praying many blessings on the next year for you all!  May you feel loved and appreciated like you never have before, and really treasured for the individual that you are!  I'm so glad to have you on this journey with me.

Happy 2011!