January 1 Mystery Quilt Preparation Underway

I chose the fabrics to use on the Merry Mayhem Mystery Quilt that begins on New Year's Day.

Each hour we get a clue from the Facebook page. And hopefully I will have my top finished by the end of the day. 

(Find out about it HERE.)

I will be making the crib size quilt. It will be a good size for a lap quilt. 

I have the pieces cut and because I signed up early, I have the first step that I will begin tomorrow. 

Are you sewing on New Year's Day or do you have something else planned?

A Few Days' Difference

I did my errands early this morning because we are under a Winter Storm Warning. 

And what a difference a few days can make!

The wind is very strong, the snow is flying and later we will get freezing rain.  

Below is the photo I took on Christmas Day.

I am sure people in others states use the same (or similar) statement as we do in Michigan: 

"If you don't like the weather in Michigan, wait a few hours and it will change."

One thing I noticed while walking on Christmas Day were the number of acorns sprouting on the ground. The days had been so warm and spsring-like, I began wondering if any of the fruit trees in the area orchards were budding. That would be devastating because the the summer crops could be significantly reduced affecgting a major industry in West Michigan.

I am sitting at the table sipping a cup of Mint Chocolate Cocoa (a gift sent from our oldest daughter), watching the snow, checking emails and composing this blog as I wait to add the final ingredients to the pot of potato soup that will be our dinner this evening. 

As that simmers, I will move to my sewing area and begin prepping for Merry Mayhem's New Year's Day Mystery Quilt. If you are interested in a project for January 1, HERE is the link to the home page. Sign up for the newsletter there. Or go to the FACEBOOK page HERE.

I have not decided what fabrics I will be using, but I do have a number of choices. 

Have an enjoyable evening, perhaps you will be working on a little quilt project.

Warm Wishes for a Joyful Day

Merry Christmas

This is quite a different Christmas. I have lived in Michigan all my life and the season is usually cold. Many times there is snow for the holidays, sometimes more than we would like. The warm weather this year, while making it great for putting up outdoor decorations, just didn't get me motivated. In fact, the tree has outgrown the small number of decorations I have used in the past.

This is the first year our girls are both gone for the holidays, as are my parents and hubby's parents. So we are spending a quiet day at home, listening to some Christmas music and working a few Suduko puzzles. We are having another couple over for the evening, as they are "home alone" as well.

Last night, I was able to get these potholders completed. They are Christmas presents for tonight's guests and their daughters. I think they will like them.

This is my short post for today. Have a wonderful day and I'll be back to quilting next week.

Decorating with Quilts for Christmas

Val is having a Christmas Quilts Tuesday Archives link at her website HERE.

As I have been getting ready for the holidays and guests for the past 2+ weeks, I decided I would invite you into my home via my blog to see how I used my quilts to decorate.

As guests enter, they see the Dresden Plate I made years ago in a class taught by Beth Ann Williams.

Further into the hallway is the Candle and Poinsettia I designed about 8 years ago while teaching at the local quilt shop. 

On the kitchen island is the Jodi Barrows design from one of her first books. I made this 2 years ago (do not remember the name of it) and Michelle Fialek quilted it. 

A small Friendship Star with Entwined Ribbons is on the dining table. I made this quilt at the first retreat I had ever attended, in 2000. One of the other quilters was making it and showed me how to cut and sew it. 

Moving into the the living room, I have the Basket pattern I designed while at the local quilt shop. I put poinsettia fabric in the basket for Christmas. (For other seasons or decor, use other fabrics.)

On the footstool at the end of the chair I placed a Lazy Angle design I made years ago...too many years to remember. But the colors are bright and it looks festive. 

My Christmas Crystals quilt is on the back of the couch (sofa) of which I am very proud. I took the "Crystals" pattern designed by Anna Laura Reidt and redid the color scheme. I made this in 2007 or 2008 (correct, no label is on the back yet) at the time, the pattern was out of print. I found THIS LINK where it is sold. I really was pleased at how the colors changed the quilt's appearance in the original blue and yellow scheme. 

 
The colors in the close up are truer to the actual colors.

And the guests at the house will sleep under the "1, 2, 3....Sew Easy" quilt I designed. It is a great pattern when one has a fat quarter collection of fabrics-or larger cuts. 

Thank you for visiting my home. 

I wish you and yours a joyous season

and a wonderful new year.

Nancy

Using Quilts for Greeting Cards

With Thanksgiving past, I begin my ritual for the upcoming Christmas season--sending out Christmas cards. 

The idea of an email greeting to friends at this time of year has never appealed to me. I enjoy getting a greeting card in the mail, with a real penned signature and maybe a short, but personal, message as well. So that is what we do every year at our house. 

I actually enjoy a visit to the post office and choose the stamps I want to adhere to the envelopes. (Yes, I could order them on line, but I like what I call the old, traditional way of doing it.) 

This year, I had a few offers (each one for 10 free cards) from Shutterfly. I paid only shipping and sales tax. (I don't have any affiliation with Shutterfly, I just like their products and the their wonderful service.) The cost was about 60 cents per card. A a few months ago, as I received these special offers, I decided I would use some of my quilt photos to design our Christmas cards. So over a few month this is what I designed:

"Happy Christmas Village" wallhanging 

turned out to be cute cards.

And the Post Office had some gingerbread house stamps 

that went well with the cards. 

A portion of my "Wonky Logs" quilt made some bright cards. 

 

I used this quilt photo because it matched a background 

I wanted to use on the reverse side of the card. 

Do you have a special quilt or two you could see pictured on a greeting card 

for a particular day or person?

I close this post by saying, "Peace and Good Cheer to All."

Leftovers

Thanksgiving has past. We had a wonderful day with my sister's family. There were leftovers, of course. Everyone liked the white meat, so I took the dark meat home with the intention of making soup. Instead, my daughter wanted something a bit more flavorful. 

I found a recipe from Martha Stewart's website HERE. It was good. And there were leftovers of that casserole, also!

I took my leftover green fabrics today and used my new Accuquilt Go! to cut the smaller scraps. It arrived today. I ordered it on Tuesday on their Black Friday Sale. I have avoided getting this, but decided that I was tired of using the rotary cutter for triangles, especially.  The pieces you see below were cut in about half an hour. The pressing of the scraps was the most time-consuming for me. I am looking forward to getting the apple core die for accuracy and ease of cutting. I look forward to making some quilts with these scrappy pieces.

And the final project I finished was the pillow my daughter wanted for her living room, a Michigan pillow. 

The yellowish fabric is a tiny dot that she picked. The state silhouette is black felt with fusible adhesive on the back to secure it. I also stitched around the silhouette to hold the edges. The 2 back pieces open with overlaps of about 6". She loved it! 

Don't forget to visit Marian's Seams To Be Sew website for her free Christmas tree patterns and Janeen's Quilt Art Designs blog for her sweet, free penguin patterns each day this week. There is also a giveaway to enter each day.

I found DJ Inkers' website while visiting Marian's site. I used their clip art years ago while teaching. Check their blog each day for their Freebies. 

What leftovers do you have...on your dining table or your sewing table?

Disclaimer: I do not get anything for mentioning any of the products or sites I mention in my blog.

Gobble, Gobble Paper-Pieced Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving 

Pumpkin pie for tomorrow's dessert 

being watched by the paper-pieced turkey topper 

I made quite a few years ago with some fabrics that are even older. 

Visit Sew and Sow Farm, 
where Jan tells you about a giveaway.

"Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life. 

Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have." 
Catherine Pulsifer

Yo-Yo Projects--Tools Speed Up Progress

Hello...I've been busy of late but decided I was long overdue to get a post up.

And, I see Val has Yo-Yos on the Tuesday Archives this week, so I am joinging in. 

I don't have an old post to revive, so I decided to quickly click a few photos of yo-yos and write a short summary. 

I haven't done many yo-yos, but I did find that making them with the Clover tools really did help. 

As you can see from the photo, I have quite a few sizes and shapes of yo-yo making tools. I actually had a bit of a race with a friend. She did them by hand the "old-fashioned" way and I used the tools. I don't think she let me win, I truly think they help speed things up. 

Here are a few things I have made with yo-yos in the past few years. 

I like the angels most of all. 

The tree is stuffed. 

The brooch has an old button on it and a jewelry pin sewn on the back. 

The hair tie is sewn to the back of the star yo-yo.

Then the Valentine gift from my friend is very special. 

She actually used the heart yo-yo maker for that. 

If you have not visited Marian's or Janeen's sites yet, you should. 

For 12 days (2 days are done) they have a free pattern. You have to get it that day if you want it for free. 

They are cute...penguins and Christmas trees. 

This week is Thanksgiving and I am counting the things I am thankful for.

And I am thankful you stopped by.

Christmas Is In My Heart Quilt Project

Welcome to my post for the Blog Hop 

I want to thank Marian of Seams To Be Sew for organizing this blog hop. 

And a big thank you to Fat Quarter Shop for sponsoring the giveaways each day. 

They are fantastic sponsors.

Participating in blog hops pushes me to do a little extra quilting

and look for new ideas. 

We were to design a project that incorporated at least one heart in it. 

 I had a few ideas in mind until 

a book was placed on the Freebie Table at our guild meeting. 

I skimmed the photos in "True Friends Art to Heart" by Nancy Halverson

and found Heart Wreath Quilt by Teri Christopherson. 

I knew this was the pattern I would use to make this table topper. 

It will serve two purposes. The first for this blog hop post. 

The second, as my gift exchange item for our guild Christmas party.

I like the outline of the hearts made with red snowflake fabric. 

I used the Christmas tree fabric for the center of the hearts to say 

"Christmas is in my Heart" without having to use words.

And the backing makes it reversible for the season. 

I have a tip to share with you as to how I quilted the center of the hearts. 

I am not talented when it comes to free motion quilting of swirls and curves.

So I take a piece of paper cut into the shape of the area I want to quilt. 

I fold the paper in half and draw a design. 

Then I cut it out, see how I like it and spray some basting spray on the back of the paper. 

Place it where I want it and free motion stitch around the paper pattern. 

When I finish one part, I take the paper pattern off and put it on the other side to quilt it.

I like this method. Perhaps, as I use it more and more, I will get better at working without a pattern. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Enter today's giveaway as you visit each blog participant for today. 

Tuesday, November 17

Just Because Quilts
Words & Stitches

Feather Your Nest

Patchwork Breeze (you are here)

Quilt In Piece

There is a new giveaway each day, so visit the other participants each day. 

You can find the information

about those blogs HERE. 

Thank you for visiting. 

Have a great month sewing whatever quilting project is on your worktable. 

My Trunk Show Link and FREE pattern.

Whims and Fancy is hosting a link up called Trunk Full of Quilts.

I am sharing with you a small trunk show of quilts I have designed and made.
I hope you might get inspiration for your next project. 

Eye Spy quilt I made 10 years ago.

My tree (UFO) with snowman added from
Seams To Be Sew's EQ Seasons Row-Along2015
pattern.

My Christmas design for EQ Seasons Row-Along 2015.

My wall hanging designed for the
EQ Seasons Row-Along 2015.

My design titled Pick-Up Sticks.

A 12" quilted wall hanging I designed for
Four-in-Art Group Challenge.

.

My design for an EQ Challenge.

Tree-Mendous Possibilities quilt I designed for
Cut Loose Press.

Quilt made with pieces left from Tree-Mendous Possibilities Pattern
I designed for Cut Loose Press.

Center from one of my mother's old tablecloths.

Wall hanging I made for my daughter's dorm room at college. 

Love You wall hanging made for my daughter's dorm room. 

Wall hanging I designed and available at PatternSpot.com

Christmas stocking I designed and available at PatternSpot.com

Tablerunner I designed. 

A quilt block I designed for the 52 Weeks of Twisted Traditional Blocks Quilt Along.
Available free HERE.

Thank you for visiting.

Stop on November 17 to see my contribution to the
Christmas Is In My Heart blog hop.
Find out all the details HERE.