Monthly Archives: April 2018

Spread the Love Update

It has been a while since the culmination of my Spread the Love event that happened in February this year. (If this is the first you heard of it, you can read more here and here.) I wanted to share an update with you.

First of all, Amy, owner and creator of A Doll Like Me, continues to receive quilts regularly. She is grateful beyond words for all of the quilts, doll clothes and financial contributions she has received because of all of you quilters! The unique creativity and incredible energies put into the quilts is really wonderful. The notes sent by some of you with the quilts and other donations have been really special. Many of you relate to Amy’s work in a special way due to situations in your family. Others have expressed deep joy and gratitude to have such a special cause to sew for. It has added meaning to the process of quilting for for many of you which makes quilting even more special!

So far Amy has distributed over 50 quilts. This amazes me since it is only April so she hasn’t had the quilts for very long yet. She gave many to children for whom she didn’t have a quilt available when she sent their dolls. It was such a happy surprise for the kids to receive something new for their Doll Like Me.

She sent some quilts to a family in Europe who had adopted a child with limb differences from an orphanage in Romania. This little one is seven years old, yet had no experience with dolls and playing with, or taking care of, them. They taught her to wrap up her baby in her quilt. Isn’t it wonderful to think she is playing with and caring for her baby in a quilt one of you made? I love it!

We never know exactly how a quilt sent to a child will be used. But in this family, their sweet girl sleeps under hers with her dolly next to her. She looks so cozy!

This is the doll that was sent with the patchwork quilt you see covering the child in her crib.

Another child who received a quilt was a boy of about ten years. He suffered a terrible burn and has had many, many surgeries and still has many to endure. He loves sports so Amy made his Doll Like Me to have similar scarring, plus a basketball jersey and shoes. Of course she sent a quilt that was sport themed.

When in the hospital, naturally he brings his doll but for this the doll wears a hospital gown, just like his owner! This provides some comfort, a fun distraction and a great reflection of himself in the doll.

I love that the doll has the necessary wardrobe for being home and feeling good as well as being in the hospital. Isn’t it wonderful?

I was curious about how Amy managed to mimic the scarring on the doll so he could be just like the boy.

She said she uses a mix of paints, both latex and fabric paint., as well as alcohol markers and makeup! Pretty creative.

I am so happy that Amy stays in touch with me. A number of you have volunteered to make a specially themed quilt for a child who might need it. She really appreciates it. I am going to try to make some doll outfits for her soon. She gave me some measurements for the dolls she creates. I think it will be fun to sew a few things for them. Thanks to all of you who made quilts or gowns and who continue to do so. You are a special bunch of people!! Thank you for all of your generosity.

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April Blogger Bundle, by Cheryl Brickey

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It is time again! I have a new blogger bundle to share with you. This month’s bundle was curated by the talented Cheryl Brickey of Meadow Mist Designs. Many of you know Cheryl through her wildly popular mystery quilt event that she hosts annually. I have a confession. I haven’t done one of these yet because I feel intimidated by the process. I know, kinda weird but it’s true. I may have to jump on board with the next one though because I have always loved seeing the amazing quilts made by the participants of these events! Cheryl is an engineer by day, a very talented quilter and pattern designer by night and a wife and mom 24 x 7. Many of the patterns in her shop are modern takes on some classic blocks. She also recently co-authored the book, Modern Plus Quilts, with Paige Alexander. Cheryl must be incredibly organized to be able to accomplish all that she does!

I was excited when Cheryl agreed to curate a bundle for me because I so admire her style. The bundle does not disappoint. She chose a selection made entirely by Art Gallery Fabrics. Designers of these pieces include Maureen Cracknell, Katarina Roccella, Angela Walters, Pat Bravo and Sharon Holland.

The palette of black, white, navy and yellow is sophisticated and modern. But the blue piece from Sharon Holland’s Bountiful line softens it just the right amount.

Another aspect of this collection that is really pleasing is the relationship between the Scenic Blue Sky fabric and the yellow Terra Firma Sunlit. The bits of yellow used to accent the cozy farmhouses on the blue print is emphasized when placed with the yellow of the Terra Firma Sunlit piece. I love this because it just pulls everything together. Kudos to Cheryl on the selection of such a pretty bundle.

As before, this bundle is listed in my shop in both fat quarter cuts and 1/2 yard cuts. The price is reduced by 20% today through Saturday. Also, Cheryl is holding a giveaway on her site so one lucky reader will win a fat quarter bundle. Be sure to go check out the project Cheryl made with these fabrics. It will be fun for you to see how she utilized the fabrics.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this collection. Leave me a note in the comments!

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Planning the Week

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Happy Monday everyone! I hope the weekend treated you well. Last week my husband and I had our 20th wedding anniversary. It was a crazy day which culminated in a meal of scrambled eggs for dinner. Not really the best way to honor twenty years of marriage! But we did get to celebrate a few days late. We took the weekend off and went to our little house in Downieville together.

Hiking along the river in Downieville.

We had a great time on our ‘twenty-moon’ and hated to see the weekend end. Saturday was gorgeous outside, maybe 75 degrees or so? We hiked along the river and enjoyed some gorgeous scenery.

We really love our little bungalow up on the river. Each time we are there I we wonder why we don’t get up there more frequently but you know how that goes. So many things competing for our weekend time! As we drove home Sunday afternoon, Ray was saying he needed to hop on the mower and get the hillside and yard mowed. This is a weekly chore during the spring and early summer which takes quite a chunk of time (he mows about two acres.). But surprise! Our youngest son (who came to hang out with Julia while we were gone) had mowed for him. An anniversary gift of the best kind and a very thoughtful gesture.

These shelves are packed!

This is the main project I am working on this week! My shelves are completely full (with the exception of the one in the top, left corner. I have two orders of fabric delivering this week, one from Windham Fabric and the other from Andover. (I am so excited!!) Anyway, there is no room for more.

This is the space opposite the fabric shelves. I need to clean it out and get the desk out of the room. (It is a beast – solid oak which makes it huge and quite heavy). I don’t use it other than to stack junk on. So, the junk is going, the desk is being listed on Craigslist and I am putting shelving on this wall. I have the shelving so that part will be easy. But getting rid of all of this might take a little time! I am excited to have the area available though. Decluttering the space is actually very motivating and I should be able to get most of this done today. I am not exactly sure how we will get the desk out of there though. It really is monstrous. I think Ray will have to take it apart to move it. (I am lucky to have him!)

Scrap Pack of Art Gallery Fabrics

As I clean up the shop, I am putting together some scrap packs. Here is one filled with eight ounces of Art Gallery pieces, some of which are designed by Sharon Holland, Pat Bravo and Maureen Cracknell. There is only one of them but if it appeals to you, hop over to the shop!

Olive loves her belly rubs!

Here is a picture of Julia and Olive. This piglet loves a good belly rub. She is so sweet-natured which becomes apparent when she sees Julia. She flips to her back and waits for the petting. She has a little smile on her face when they are together. Julia is actually a bit concerned because she doesn’t want Olive to flip to her back for a scratch when Julia is competing with her in the ring for showmanship! Clearly it may take a bit of training and practice to keep Olive up and moving when she is supposed to be.

Finally, on Wednesday this week I will be sharing the April Blogger Bundle. It was curated by Cheryl Brickey of Meadow Mist Designs. Don’t miss it, this is a lovely collection! See you Wednesday.

Sketchbook Summer Dress

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We had a great weekend! I love a weekend combined with family time, sewing time and outside time. That is the perfect combination for me.

My great-nephew and the quilt I made for him.

The family time consisted a of great visit Sunday morning with my niece and her family. She and her husband live in the Bay Area and have three children. Her youngest is about 15 months old and this is the first time I have met him. I did make him a quilt last year though. Isn’t he adorable? Somehow life gets busy, migraines derail plans, and it just never worked out. for me to meet him until yesterday. He was a delightful, happy little boy. They stayed up at my parents for the night. The kids had not yet experienced snow and were really excited to play in the snow, making snowballs and trying to make snow angels. Mom doesn’t have snow just now but if they drove up the highway about 20 minutes they would be able to find some. This is a very busy family with three kids, ages six, four and one. I remember those days as both joyful and tiring.

Sewing time was used to finish up a sundress and bloomers for my grand daughter. This was a really fun project. I recently received an order from Art Gallery Fabric which included a selection of Sketchbook. This line was designed by the talented Sharon Holland and features fabrics that look as though they were reproduced from her notebook full of doodles. I love the colors; navy, with dusty greens, blues, yellows and pinks. I have a quilt show coming up the first weekend of May so I am preparing for it. I will make a few samples to better display the fabrics I am bringing. I offered to make a sundress for my grand daughter and asked my DIL to select two fabrics from this line.

Such a sweet outfit for summer!

She chose a sweet combination of the large floral piece, Ink Outburst Atelier for the dress and Speckled Lapis for the lining and bloomers. The choice is great. I love the large scale floral – the colors are great for a toddler but not the typical juvenile fabric. With no zippers or buttons needed, this is one fast outfit. I used a McCall’s pattern, number M6912. The sundress is totally reversible – might come in handy at some point. If she spills on the front of her dress, just take it off and turn it inside out!

The bloomers are also a quick sew. I love the bit of ruffle at the thighs. I used a wide bias tape to make the casing for the elastic. If you sew it just above the hem of the leg, it gathers nicely and makes the sweet ruffle. When I was in Vermont a few weeks ago, I measured my grand baby’s chubby legs so I would have an idea for the length of elastic. I think it is nice and loose so it doesn’t get uncomfortable. My DIL does have a sewing machine so she can adjust the elastic if needed.

I put a little label on the back so it is easier to tell the front from the back. I hope it isn’t itchy though. Again, it is easily removed if necessary. I look forward to seeing the outfit on her, maybe when we are on vacation this summer.

As for the outside time portion of the weekend, we took Julia to select another piglet to raise and show at the county fair in August. She really loved doing this last year. She and my husband got the pen all ready for her new piggie on Saturday morning.

Checking out a litter of piglets with the breeder.

Sunday we drove out to the breeder’s ranch about 25 miles from our home. This breeder is just a great guy. He is very knowledgeable and relates very well to teenagers. He and Julia took some time to look at all of the piglets and choose one with good physical structure and a (hopefully) easy going temperament. The litter in this pen are about eight weeks old.

Welcoming her new piglet to the pen.

Julia quickly gravitated to this little gilt. She was born in February and is currently about 60 pounds.

Letting Olive check out her new home.

Her name is Olive and she is very curious. Julia has a calm presence with her, making Olive feel calm and secure. She was sniffing and rooting everywhere.

When she discovered her neighbors in the chicken coop, Olive became really vocal. She was happy though – I guess she was just making friends with the hens (who wouldn’t give her the time of day!) Julia is thrilled with her choice and I think the two of the will be good buddies.

The weekend was full and so enjoyable. I hope yours was the same. I will be linking up all over quilting blogland. Please be sure to check out the link ups I use at the top of the page, under Link Ups.

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Catching up on RSC18

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First of all, thanks to everyone for the get well wishes. I am feeling better and have spent the last day or two getting caught up on things. Whenever I spend time down due to some illness or other, it is always so satisfying to get back to normal and have a regular day. Do you know what I mean? It makes me appreciate normal.

Today I am sharing my RSC18 projects to date. I finished the green blocks on the last day of March but never took pictures or posted them. The block for March is called Red Cross and dates to 1897. I don’t get the name but it is a fun block to make. Luckily I didn’t sew any bits together with the green HST’s pointing the wrong way (unusual for me, I know!) The color was to be light or bright green and this was easy as my green tub is truly overflowing. Like January and February, I tried to keep to the same scrap for each of the Squared Away blocks. Two of the greens look very similar (the lower two) but I am fine with this.

This green and yellow fabric is striking -somehow I have no idea where it came from. Usually I can remember but not this time! I love sampler quilts but sometimes they have a very busy look to them. I think using the gray background and keeping the fabric the same within each block is going to add order to the quilt.

Here are the blocks together, though none have been squared yet. There is a third purple block but my OCD self couldn’t take the picture with an extra block hanging out in space. Oh dear, what is wrong with me anyway??

I have said this before but it bears repeating. Mari, designer of the quilt for Squared Away, does an excellent tutorial and I appreciate the bit of information she provides about each block. If you haven’t sewn along with her before, I highly recommend her block of the month projects. Organizing, writing, preparing for this sort of event has to be incredibly time consuming. Thank you Mari!

As I make the Squared Away blocks, I have also been pulling smaller scraps from the bins and making nine patch blocks. These finish at nine inches each. In February I did a few wonky stars to go with the purple set. I really like these and will make more as I go along. I am unsure what I will do with these. Maybe just sash them in black and use it as a donation quilt. The nine patch blocks are a breeze and this uses up more of the small scraps in each bin.

The wonky star blocks add interest to this project.

I need to pull yellow scraps for April. This could be a challenge because I have so few yellow scraps. There are some charm squares I might be able to utilize, depending on the cutting instructions for the April block.

Another project I worked on this week was cleaning up my shop. I have deliveries tomorrow and next week. Hurray for new fabric!! There was a stack of 1/2 and one yard cuts that were end of the bolt so I did some measuring and pricing. Each of these is listed in the Bargain section of the shop. Come take a look, maybe you will find something you like!

Enough for now. I have lots to do. Hope you are all enjoying a ‘normal’ day too.

Linking up with a number of blogs, including Finished or Not Friday. See the list up at the top of the page, under Link Ups.

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Sewing for Safelight

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Earlier this week, I shared this picture on Instagram. I haven’t been feeling well thus very little has occurred in the sewing room. Soon after returning from Vermont, I began to feel that sense of doom when you know you are coming down with a bug. Yesterday I had a chest x-ray to confirm I have pneumonia. Yuk. Not a whole lot of fun and way more than a lot of coughing is happening.

Not all is lost though. I have been wanting to make a contribution to the annual event that is happening now at From My Carolina Home. Carole is very supportive of her local domestic violence organization, Safelight. Called Omiyage for Safelight, Carole is asking us to make a set of matching cosmetic bag and sunglass case. She fills the cosmetic bags with some basic necessities and adds sunglasses to the case before donating them to Safelight. I really like the idea of providing a small, pretty gift to women going through a rough time, hopefully letting them know people do care about them.

Carole’s version of the pouch and sunglasses case is a fun and easy make. Even while not feeling well, this came together nicely. I used two coordinating fat quarters from Riley Blake to make this set. I think the pale pink plaid on the exterior is lovely and feminine.

For the interior, I chose the gold raindrops on a creamy off-white background.

She has a document here for you to download with all of the information. Using Velcro instead of a zipper is a great idea. So simple! If you have a free hour or so, I encourage you to make a set. I love sewing for others because it is such an easy way to share the love, right? The only thing I had to purchase was the Velcro because I only had black strips and that wouldn’t look nice now would it?

Carole is really hoping for a few more sets to arrive before the last of April. She wants to fill them and then gift them at the first of May. Please consider supporting her event. She even has a few nice giveaways planned for those who contribute!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Finally, we are going to have a very rainy weekend which is perfect. I will be recuperating and plan to take advantage of this sale over at Craftsy! How about you?

Linking to my favorites – see the tab, Link Ups at the top of the page.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning if a purchase is made while clicking through from my site, I will earn a small stipend.

April One Monthly Goal

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I was just over at Val’s Quilting Studio catching up on some blog reading. I didn’t read a whole lot when we were in Vermont last week so I am a bit behind. Val was setting her April OMG and it made me realize I have not been looking forward and setting very many specific goals. So! Here goes. This month I commit to finishing the Postage Plus quilt I made for the Modern Plus Quilt book hop I participated in. Remember I had to take out a ton of miserable quilting? Well the plan was to go back to the long arm shop and quilt it up a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I was down with a virus so had to cancel the appointment and then we took off on our vacation. I know I can easily finish this — all I need is an afternoon of quilting and some time to bind it. Easy peasy!

I plan to donate this to a charity via the Hands 2 Help event on-going over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

I love this annual event and somehow I didn’t get involved last year. I am happy to be back on track this year though.

Ok, you heard it here. I am finishing this quilt and will be sending it off by the end of April! Linking to the One Monthly Goal link up over at Elm Street Quilts. Join in and set a goal for April – you’ll be glad you did!

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit

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It is the first of the month and my sister Tina was the first person to start the texting this morning. I don’t remember when we started, but it was years and years ago. As kids, on the first of the month, “Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit” had to be the first words each of us uttered in order to have good luck all month long. It was a disappointment to forget and then hear a sister utter the words. I would think, dang it – it is the first of the month. We are not a superstitious bunch but we did this regularly. Now that we are grown and living far from each other, it has become tradition to text it first thing in the morning. I love family traditions. This morning I looked up the whole “Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit” superstition and while I didn’t find a solid explanation, I did learn it dates back as far as a 1909 edition of the quarterly scholarly journal Notes and Queries and was also mentioned in A Dictionary of English Folklore. Next I found an article on NPR stating Franklin Delano Roosevelt not only carried a rabbit’s foot for good luck but also uttered “Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit” on the first of the month. So, my family is in good company. Do any of you keep this tradition at your house? Or, did you when you were growing up?

We are home from our Vermont trip. It was such a wonderful week. We enjoyed nice weather and did a few days of exploring in both Vermont and Montreal. It turns out my grand daughter is the cutest little girl. Truly, the cutest. I am sorry to disappoint you if you thought it was your grand child that was the cutest because, nope, mine is. Haha.

Napping with Grammy

I loved spending time with her and could easily pack my bags and move to Vermont tomorrow. Problem is my daughter in law is doing her residency as a radiologist there and who knows where she will land once she is done. They hope to stay in Vermont but one never knows what the situation will be when she is ready to apply for positions. For the time being we will have to keep flying out there to have our Grammy and Grandpa time.

All washed and crinkled!

Before we left, I made a doll quilt to bring to my grand baby. I was still in doll quilt mode from the Spread the Love event in February. This time I thought I would do something with lots of color. It is an around the world type of block that I made with two inch squares (which finished at 1.5 inches.) I love the colorful look of it and I can imagine playing with her, asking her to show Grammy a blue square or a pink square, etc. Sort of an I-Spy color game.

The backing is a cute unicorn print whose history is unknown to me. I kind of think I got it in a box of one yard cuts I bought on sale at Craftsy a while back. The binding is a polka dot from my stash and the batting was scraps stitched together – a quilt made completely from stash and scraps! Win for me. 🙂

Open the gift? Why? Much more fun to climb on it.

The bigger win was watching her open it up. She is hardly old enough to understand opening a gift and preferred sitting on the package instead.

Once we got the paper off, she immediately went into her peek-a-boo mode.

We also brought a baby doll to get her started on the inevitable collection of a billion dolls that most little girls acquire. The doll came with a tiny bottle and she clearly knew what to do with it. (I know! She is brilliant.)

A little for you and some for me?

Yes, it was an awesome week. We are going on vacation with the family in July so that took the sting out of leaving. I am happy to know I will get to see her in a few months. But now I am back home and it was unseasonably warm last week which means the weeds are fierce. I am off to pull enough weeds to earn me some time at the sewing machine this afternoon. I know March is over but I haven’t quite finished my green RSC18 projects. I need to catch up!! So, rabbit, rabbit, rabbit to all of you. I hope April brings you spring time, green leaves, much joy, and as much time at your sewing machine as possible.

Linking up all over the place. Check out the tab at the top of the page, Link Ups.