little projects

This week I made myself a new Sunday bag.  I kind of made this up as I went along so that it would fit my tablet perfectly.  It dresses it up for Sunday best since I keep my scriptures and lesson manuals on my tablet.  Nice and handy.

And the wall quilt for my grandkid’s play area is finished and on the wall.  This corner of our house is in the basement so the light isn’t great for picture taking.  But it really is a bright and cheerful addition to the family room. 

My latest read is “Remembering Isaac” by Ben Behunin.  Mr. Sunshine and I met the author one day a few months ago and when I invited him to speak at our book club, he came!  …and everyone loved him!  He has written several books.  This one is about a young man named Jake, who is a village potter finding his place in a small Pennsylvania community with a long history of pottery.  The author is a potter too and I see him in this book.  I am almost half way through and really enjoying it!

coloring books & the book I’m reading now

I whipped these little book bags up the other morning.  They each hold 6 crayons and a few smaller sized coloring books … perfect for a carry-along project… sort of like me and my take-along sewing bags.  So nice to have something to do at all times.  They should keep my two granddaughters occupied for a little while.  They were made with love and I hope they like them. 

 

This week I am reading “Summer of the Monkeys” by Wilson Rawls and am about half way through.  It’s a fun story.  I thought it might be like “Where the Red Fern Grows” also by Wilson Rawls.  That was a special book for sure.  But this one is its own story and is keeping me entertained.  I’m looking forward to finding out what finally happens between Jay Berry and those monkeys.

Thanks so much to Norece, a reader of my blog, for recommending it.

And now I’m going over to link up with “Whatcha Reading Tuesday.”

Have a wonderful day everyone!

charmed!

Look at what can be done with just two charm packs! 

especially with my pretty Cinnamon Spice charm packs…

…and a little bit of cream colored fabric.

I have the perfect spot for this runner on a cupboard I inherited from my grandmother.  A very special place.

 

I got the idea from Lori Smith’s book…

on page 42… 

making a few changes to fit my needs. 

This has been one of my very favorite books!

 

More snow here….but this time it seems so light and pretty. This is the view out of my sewing room window, right above my sewing machine and looking right into the top of our cherry tree. I love this view…just a couple of weeks ago it was glowing golden with all the fall leaves. So beautiful!

yummy jam, a sewing box and little houses…

I’ve been busy picking cherries off the tree by our patio and turning them into Sour Cherry Jam….oh soooo delicious!!  A touch of tart with a little sweetness.

 

And this sewing box that Mr. Sunshine and I bought when we were in Astoria, Oregon (where we dove into an antique shop to get out of the rain and found it)…

 

   I took it all apart and have been sanding it down and getting it ready to refinish.

 

And I’m back to my houses again.  I reworked my center block a little…found a couple to put in the window and added a sentiment that feels like the theme of this quilt.

 

My house total for end of June is 295 houses.

Only 71 more to go.

It’s getting exciting!!

for my daughter

I came across this old candle holder and it seemed to call out to me,

“Make me into a pincushion!” 

So I did.

As a gift for my daughter…

with love.

 

And thanks so much to Kathy for the lovely pincushion pattern. 

thought I’d give it a try

I’ve long admired Natalie Jo’s blog, Picalilli Days.  She makes the most beautiful pincushions and this year she was so generous to run a tutorial on how we could make one of our own. 

So I tried it. 

It was fun but it wasn’t easy. 

I really like my little girl pincushion

but it’s probably the only one I’ll ever make.

Besides a wonderful talent, Natalie Jo has a lot of patience.  I admire her skills even more now.

Counting

8 baby bibs

I needed 2 bibs for Easter but these were so fun and quick that I ended up with 6 more than that!  Thanks to Jaime at Sew She Sews for the great tutorial.

5 Blessing Blocks

I finished the Temecula Quilt Co. quilt-along.

1 pouch for my key chain.

156 house blocks.

This is my March report.  Only 210 left to go.  I think I might just make it.

Last, but not least, look who else is counting.

To 13!

A sweet two year old...aka my granddaughter.

Small projects

I’ve been thinking I needed a new pincushion but wanted something interesting to work with.  When I came across this candle holder, I knew right away I had found what I was looking for.  It was a fun, quick project and turned out just the way I wanted.

And today I brought out these pretty little pieces of Jo Morton fabric that I bought way last year.  I want to use them for a small project. 

Right now I’m in the mood for a few small and simple projects.

Keeping children warm

The weather is getting colder here.  So I’ve been sewing fleece hats for children, along with a Humanitarian Group I belong to.  I needed a model but had a hard time getting this one to hold still for even a second…

 

Aha…  gotcha!

I’ve made 29 fleece caps so far… and there’s more on the way.  Sew fun!

Notebook Fun

 

Buy a mini composition book for your purse and make it fun with a fabric cover…

 

Like it so much that you whip up a few more to share…

 

Then play with fabrics and before you know it, you’ve sewn even more.

 

I found this cute idea over at Obsessively Stitching.  I think I caught her “obsession”  because I know I’m not done making them yet.

more on the little quilts

  

I finished Cheddar Cheese and Crackers.  This was one fun journey!  And because of that, I think it will always be a favorite of mine.  I wish I had enough stamina to make a large sized one  …maybe someday.

 

Thank you again Lori.  It fits beautifully in my doll cradle.

 

There are a few more apple core nine patches on my wall.  Whenever I sit down for even a minute, I feel the need to stitch two apple cores together…and sometimes that leads to a few more. 

A Sweet “Just Because…”

My walls and tabletops are covered with little quilts and so I was talking about other ways I could display them. 

Then the other day, Mr. Sunshine gave me this adorable little doll cradle as a gift…for “just because”…

And I have had so much fun sewing a little pillow and pillowcase and mattress and arranging my quilts… and rearranging my quilts.

 

And starting another project for it.

 

Is it any wonder why I am so in love with Mr. Sunshine.

For my dolls

A quick little quilt for dolls.

All washed and soft and ready…

…for my granddaughters to cuddle with their dollies.

A little project to start off 2011

I was so close to finishing the top for this little quilt late last night that I stayed up stitching away till 1:00 a.m.  I should know better than to work on details such as measuring and cutting sashing when I’m tired because I got it wrong and had to come back this morning to fix things.  It made it very close for the sashing fabric…I started with less than a quarter yard scrap and after having to redo it, all I have leftover are crumbs… almost dust!  I was holding my breath!

Now to quilt and bind it and then I’m going to display it in a ready made frame.  The quilt is 18” x 24” and so it will fit just right. 

Projects for in-between projects

I have several finishes that I still can’t show.  However, this little zipper bag isn’t a Christmas secret.  It was just a fun break from the other bigger projects going on.  The pattern is from Keyka Lou.

For the most part I am on top of things for my Christmas sewing this year.  Wow, such a great feeling! 

Outside everything is snow covered and pretty.  Inside we spend our evenings by the fireplace where I relax and stitch away on these cute little blocks.  I just LOVE them! 

In a few days we will be putting up the tree and decorating the house.  Such an awesome time of year!