Puff Quilt

A few months ago, my daughter asked if I had seen the new puff quilts popping up here and there and I laughed! Does anyone else remember making these in the 1970s? yup. me too.

I checked out the tutorial from Lo & Behold Stitchery and started collecting fabrics in Ally's favorite shades of pink. Many months, including 2 weekend retreats later, the puff quilt was finished.

I must say, I found these instructions to be a bit tedious. Not difficult at all, but physically way more tedious than the way we made them years ago. That said, I followed the instructions and the finished quilt is lovely. Ally is happy with it, as is Miss Georgia, our newest Grand-puppy!

Also, it will be the only one I ever make. You can bet on that!

 

Country Church Quilt

Quilt #9 in my Through Ellyn's Eyes series is finished and it makes me really happy. It's a simple little country church and it has a lot of meaning for me.

Two of my late great uncles were Presbyterian ministers. This has carried on through the generations. I am still a Presbyterian today and my faith is an important piece of who I am.The uncle I knew best was Uncle Les. His church was a sweet little country church in upstate New York. In addition to pastoring, Uncle Les and Aunt Delia had a farm. Mostly they harvested grapes that were sold to Welches. I have fond childhood memories of visiting them in their country farmhouse.

 More walking foot quilting on this one, Also, I'm really becoming fond of big stitch hand bindings on my quilts.

My collection of quilts is growing and I am seeing some distinct themes developing. Which quilt is your favorite so far?

 

a collaboration with Ally

A few months ago, when all of the kids came to visit, Ally showed me this image she had created on her iPad and asked if I could make it into a quilt for her. Challenge on!

While not colors I usually work with, I was happy to do it for someone I love. I set about collecting fabrics  with Ally in mine. I enjoyed every step of putting it together.

And just in time! This week Ally receives her MSW (Masters in Social Work) from UT Arlington. Quite the accomplishment! And she was able to achieve this remotely from her home during the pandemic, with her trusty dog, Malibu by her side.

Nice work Ally!

 

Plaidish 2

 In an effort to use my scraps this summer, I decided to jump on the plaids bandwagon and make a Plaidish 2 quilt. This quilt is a free tutorial from Kitchen Table Quilting and it's a good one! The quilt top was fun to make and when it was finished, hubby declared it one of his favorites. I decided right then and there to finish it up for him for Christmas.

My friend Anne quilted it for me on her longarm. We bartered for woven towels and shoe laces, which I was so happy to make for her! 

It's a great big quilt, 69"x86", which I knew hubby would love for tv snuggling in the evenings. He was very happy when he opened it up on Christmas morning.

A couple of weeks before Christmas I told him I was making him a Christmas gift and I challenged him to do the same. If you look carefully in the photo above, you can see my gift behind him.

He built me a wonderful storage unit for my rigid heddles and shuttles! It's perfect and much needed.

Christmas sure was different this year, with none of the kids here to celebrate (we visited all of them on zoom) but we made the best of it and enjoyed each other's company. I'm so happy my kids are all choosing to stay safe and make wise decisions. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well.

vote

 Hubby and I early voted in Texas yesterday. I've been voting for more than 50 years and have never felt as passionate about voting as I do this year. There is so much at stake in our nation right now and the obligation (and privilege) to vote has been heavy on my mind.

The line was not long yesterday at the polls, and it moved quickly. They had great safety measures in place and everyone was wearing masks and socially distant. 20 minutes from arrival to finish... not bad!

In a very timely manner, our Improv small group, the Comedy Club Quilters, chose "VOTE" as our quilty prompt this month. I made this postcard to share...

I used Sarah's great tutorial posted here.  I'd really like to make more postcards. Maybe I'll do all of our monthly prompts as postcards so I have a collection!

I hope you have a plan to get out and vote!

finding joy

Hello friends! How are you doing? I hope you all are well and safe and finding ways to enjoy yourself despite these crazy times.  Last year my word of the year was Joy. Well, just because the year ended, that doesn't mean I ditch my word. So, I thought I'd share a few ways I am finding joy during these days of social distancing.

First off, FAMILY! Today hubby and I did a group FaceTime with all three of our adult children. Our kiddos live in three different states and the nearest one is a 4 hour drive away from us. They all stay well connected, but to have them all on the screen at the same time was a real treat...

Hubby and I even checked in on separate phones, adding to the fun. Oh and I'd say 2/3 of the time we were looking at Malibu, not Ally....

Another thing I find helpful is to get outside. Today hubby and I went for a drive to find the blooming Texas Bluebonnets! Our favorite field of bluebonnets was in full bloom and there were very few people around.... score! We took lots of pictures...

They really are a sight to see! On the way home, we drove through the McDonalds drive through and got milkshakes...

yes, I had a shamrock shake. don't judge me!

Of course I am doing lots of quilting and weaving to stay occupied. While I'm busy in my studio, I like to listen to podcasts that lift me up. One real favorite of mine is Andy J Pizza's Creative Pep Talk. Andy is a graphic designer/illustrator and public speaker who is so much fun to listen to!

A new favorite podcast is Brene Brown's Unlocking Us. Brene is a well known social worker, author and public speaker who I have admired for a long time. Podcasting is new for her and her timing couldn't be better. She has some incredible insights for living in these turbulent times. 

When I'm not listening to podcasts, I'm often listening to music on Amazon music. My favorite station is the Colbie Caillat station.

What are you doing to keep joy in your life? Do share!

Happy New Year

Hello friends! Sorry I fell off the face of the earth for a bit. I could make all kinds of excuses but I won't! Life just got busy and blogging didn't feel like a huge priority for a while. There was lots of family time, including celebrating the graduation of our youngest daughter, Ally, from Texas State University!

It was fun to have the whole gang together to celebrate Ally!

And now, here we are at the beginning of a new Decade!  Many of you know that I always choose a word of the year. This is actually my tenth year choosing a word. I'm excited about this year's word and want to share it with you now. My word for 2020 is.....

INTENTION

My plan for this year is to be intentional about a lot of things. First of all, I want to be intentional about how I spend my time. It seems like I lose a lot of time surfing the internet, watching mindless tv, even napping! NO MORE. This year I plan to Get Things Done. I also plan to be more intentional about my blogging. I am going to try to blog every Monday, with possible extra posts in between. Feel free to hold me accountable.

Other things that I'd like to be more intentional about are how I spend my money (although I am not a huge shopper, but I do want to pay attention!) and what I put in my mouth. We'll see how that goes. 

Do you have a word for this year? Do share.

Quilt Ladder Tutorial

I have a special guest blogger for you today! Recently my awesome hubby, Rick, build me some quilt racks for our home. They are simple to make and so sturdy. He has created this tutorial and given me permission to share it with you. Enjoy!

Material List

1) 3 - 2"x4"x8'      Select best looking, straightest pieces with the fewest knots and least warp

2) 12 - #2 Phillips 10 x 2 1/2" Wood Screws

3) 1 Quart paint color of choice or stain of choice

4) 1 Bristle brush or 1 pack of 1 1/2" sponge brushes

5) Adhesive Chair Leg Pads (Cut to size or use push pin types)

Tools
1) Saw (Power Miter Saw or Circular Saw preferred)
2) Power Drill (Use 1/8" bit for pilot holes and use Phillip head bit for wood screws)
3) Sand Paper to prepare surfaces for finish
          Sand by hand or with Power Sander (Palm Sander)
          Grit Numbers from 100 - 180 perform well with both hand sanding and power sanding
4) Small Level
5) T-Square for drawing straight, level lines

Prepare the Pieces
Cut 1' off each of the 3 - 2"x4"x8' pieces using the saw
      This is a total of 3 cuts, 1 for each board
      Remove / cut off the least attractive ends that have the most flaws
Select the best looking (with the least flaws) 2 - 7' long pieces to be used as the sides, considering which should be top end, front facing and side facing
      These will now be known as the "side rails"
      Use a pencil to note Top, Front
At the bottom of each side rail (2), make an angled cut so when the finished rack leans against a wall, the bottom of the side rails will be flat against the floor
      Lean each side rail against a wall at the desired "lean" angle
      Set the level flat on the floor against the rail
      Using a pencil make a line on the side of the rails using the top of the level as a guide
          This will give you the necessary angle to cut
Using the saw, cut along the "angled" mark at the bottom of the 2 side rails
Set aside the side rails

Cut the 1 remaining 7' long piece in to equal lengths of 14"
      Resulting 6 pieces will be the "cross bars"
      Measure 14" from one end and mark a line using the T-Square
          Continue measuring every 14"
          Should have a total of 5 lines
          Make 5 cuts, one cut on each of the 5 lines drawn

Sand all pieces (side rails and cross bars) as smooth as desired

When satisfied with sanding, paint or stain all pieces
      Apply as many coats as desired

Assemble
Take one side rail...
Starting at the top of the selected side rail, on the wider (2 1/2") side that will be on the inside of the finished rack, measure down from the top of the side rail 6" and mark a line across using the T-Square
Then measure down 1 1/2" from the first line and mark a line across
      A cross bar will fit between the two lines just marked
Then measure 12" down from the second line and mark a line across
Then measure 1 1/2" down and mark a line across
Repeat marking the side rail for a total of 6 cross bars
Repeat all steps on the second side rail

Take one side rail...
On the outside of the selected side rail, drill pilot holes through the side raid in the middle of the lines denoting where the cross bars go
      You will have to approximate (eye-ball) where to drill
      One hole for each cross bar
Repeat on second side rail

Final Assembly
Attach cross bars to the side rails using the pre-drawn lines as guides (cross bars should be set inside each set of drawn lines
      Screw (using the drill) in to place using the pre-drilled pilot holes and wood screws
      Fasten (screw) cross bards to one side rail at a time
If desired, attach Chair Leg pads to the bottom of each side rail (on angled cut) to prevent scratching of the floor and sliding

Africa

I'm finding it difficult to put my recent mission trip to Eswatini, Africa into words. Here are some photos to give you a taste of our journey.

traveling with my daughter, Leigh Anne was awesome

meeting Phumla and Okuhle, my sponsor kids, was a huge highlight

the kids at the Children's Cup care point love selfies

enjoying a healthy meal at the care point

This woman is amazing. I'm thinking she deserves her own blog post...

I made fabric bracelets with the kids in the after school program. They loved it!

Safari at Hlane National Park

The lions were calm in the evening. In the morning? not so much!

picture perfect sunset

Huge thank you to missionaries Gethen and Bex Amos and their gorgeous children for hosting us

The Liberty Global Mission Team

You can learn more about Liberty Church and Children's Cup at their websites.

EPP Lion

When I first saw Violet Craft's english paper pieced lion pattern I knew I had to make one for my oldest, Leigh Anne. She's the one I plan to go to Africa with... and she loves warm oranges & pinks... perfect!

I have to tell you how very impressed I was with Violet Craft's pattern. It's so well laid out, the epp pieces are sturdy and well labeled. It was a delight to make. It took me quite a while to make, working in spurts, and I love the results! At 20" square, it was perfect for a pillow for Leigh Anne's New York apartment.

I used an orange grunge for the envelope back, and a ric rac accent...

It was easy to mail to NYC in a padded envelope, and send a pillow form via amazon. I couldn't wait until she received it so I could share it with you. The pieces held up so well, I could easily use them again. Maybe a lion for me too? We'll see.

woven pillows

I wanted to weave some pillows for my sister's birthday. She has a new gray couch. I chose these beautiful bright colors to go with two shades of gray (ps: that's not her couch, it's mine. I know, not gray)....

The weft was all light gray (double strands in a 10 dent heddle) and the warp was a mixture of the brights and darker gray. All of the yarn is Valley 8/2 cotton from Webs. I did all plain weave but played with color to create patterns.

In the end, I had 2 pretty pillows to bring to her last weekend. One 16" square and the other 11"x16" rectangle. I have oodles of fun fabric to make bags and things with later.

also not my couch, or hers

I hope they bring her joy!

Reading People... book review

I've recently become very interested in personality typing. Several podcasters I listen to on a regular basis are obsessed with it, constantly asking their guests "what type are you?". Whether it's Myers Briggs typing, Enneagram, or something else, everyone seems to be classifying  themselves, their friends, their family members. Wanting to know what all of the hoopla was all about, I loaded up on books from the library and Amazon. Then I became totally confused! I had no idea where to start on my quest for information. The more I read, the more questions I had.

Anne Bogel to the rescue! Anne is the voice behind the awesome podcast, What Should I Read Next? and the author of the blog, Modern Mrs. Darcy. I answered a call to participate in the launch team for her new book, Reading People, releasing September 19. I got the email that I had been chosen for the team, loaded the book onto my kindle app and dove in, having no idea what the book was about. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it is the ultimate guide to personality typing!

As the book unfolded, all of my questions were answered. Each chapter introduces a different form of personality typing, from Myers Briggs to love languages, Enneagrams, Highly Sensitive People (a new one for me!) and more. Anne writes in a conversational style. I felt like we were sitting at my kitchen table over a cup of tea. I took many quotes away from the book, like this one, one of my favorites...

Anne gave so many resources and steps to take to learn more. I did reconfirm that I am an INFJ. As for my Enneagram type, that is still up for debate! More reading to be done. Hubby and I had a fun evening reading each other's personality descriptions. Even after 30+ years together, we discovered things about each other and gained insight into why we interact the way we do. Fascinating!

I think everyone would benefit from reading this terrific book. You can preorder yours here, and receive  lots of bonus goodies from Anne. Five stars from this happy reader!

while I did receive an advance copy of this book for free, the opinions I've shared here are totally my own. I really did love it! 

dogs

It's taken three visits from Ally & Malibu, but our dog Lexi and Mali have finally become friends. Ally was home last week and then we went down to San Marcos to help her move into a new apartment. Rick loaded up his truck with boxes & did about a million trips up and down 3 flights of stairs. Meanwhile, I had the torturous job of "babysitting" Malibu back at the hotel.

and look who she brought with her! Little llama softie is her new best friend.

More sewing posts coming soon!