My New Hobby

Friends and I are playing Handbells! This new activity is a very enjoyable adventure!
Easter Hymns at Spring Creek Assisted Living
April 2012

Mary Lloyd Diane Spackman Kathy Seamons Shawna Hill Heather Larsen Sanetta Rigby

Mary Lloyd  Tammy Sutherland  Kathy Seamons  Diane Spackman  Shelly Hunter  Jane Glandon

Family Bell Ringing Christmas Party at Jane's Home
December 26, 2012

Dog Decor

Introducing Arizona Daughter's new business:

These are the best dog collars I've ever come upon! I just love them. Each collar is handmade with care using heavy weave nylon webbing, sturdy plastic hardware, a D-ring and embellished with ribbon and flower. There are three different sizes- small, medium and large. The collars come in all different styles and colors with new ones added frequently. If you are interested in getting a sweet collar for your doggie, I could even sweet talk her into a custom collar if you have a certain color scheme you desire!

The flowers are layered with a circle of closed cell foam to ensure that they hold their shape, and are then sewn to the collar. Unless otherwise noted, any of the flower colors can be used on any of the collars, or no flower at all.

For more information and pictures visit her website- dogdecor.blogspot.com.

Take Care ~~~

A Little Blue/A Lot Scrappy

Michiko, my Japanese friend, and I went to work cutting and piecing blue scraps. Amanda Jean would be proud of us. She inspires us all to use our fabric scraps. I find it a lot of fun and satisfying. The only part I don't love is having to iron before cutting, but we didn't have a lot that needed ironing...yeah! 

This scrappy baby boy quilt went to a sweet guy named Otto. He weighed over 10 pounds when born!

 The squares were cut at 3 inches. The quilt is 16 squares by 15 squares in size.

I machine quilted straight lines (didn't even put the walking foot on!) on one side of each seam, across and up and down the whole quilt. This step went real fast.

 ...even a little blue elephant to take naps with Otto!



This picture shows the scrappy binding that we used. Michiko's hand work is perfect. She stitches down the binding and likes to be able to do that last step of the quilt. The backing is soft flannel, white and blue gingham and was pre-washed. The last two baby quilts that I've backed with flannel have behaved very well for the machine quilting. I am happy about that. I seem to want to use flannel now more than ever. This was in my stash just waiting to be used. :)  Take Care~~                                                                                                                           

A Little White/A Little Pink

The minute I heard that my 'back row at church acquaintance' had a new baby girl, this white and pink scrappy quilt popped into my mind. I knew I wanted to make this quilt, and quick. I just happened to see this little baby girl named Addison, who, is beautiful, at the grocery store with her mama. I was able to hook up with them later and deliver the quilt when it was completed.

This is one of those quilts, that adding the binding and getting it stitched down, just made the whole quilt. It seemed cuter after that final stitch.

The backing is a big polka dot in flannel. I'd had this in my stash for a couple of years. I'm please with how well it worked for this quilt. For the quilting, I used my favorite stitch, the Serpentine #3 on Bernina. I worked it in a large grid, passing through every other stripe of fabric, horizontally and vertically, edge to edge. I wish the picture showed the quilting.  I hope Addison and mommy Katie, get a great amount of use in this quilt...and that someday, when Addison has a baby girl, she can use it then too. That's the beauty of good quality quilting fabric!

Take Care!~~~

Houses

A home tour...where?....small small! town Idaho, Oakley, Idaho that is...

Most of these homes are old structures with updated interiors.

This one below is the old elementary school!

Brick, brick lovely brick.

So quaint.

Close up of the home above. In most of these homes, the kitchen is in the back of the house.

This one had two or three additions over the decades, of housing several generations of the same family.

The grey structure below, was the local creamery/cheese factory in it's former life. Now it is a summer home to the owners. Occasionally, during the off season, I am fortunate enough to stay here. It is usually for girls' weekends, and boy do we have a great time! Thanks Nicole!

Here is a side view of this beauty.

All this in a small mile radius in small town Idaho! (I toured these homes with my dear brother in law, who has since passed. This is a good memory with him, he was patient while I took pictures. I miss him so.)
Take Care.~~~

Yeah! for...

Bells! Handbells that is- a new musical pursuit. Five other ladies are playing with me. It is so fun!
Time with these people-looks like I'm about to maul her...
I know many out there want Spring, but I do love these last snow storms!
Clean. A clean kitchen that is...
Amaryllis. Bulb planted, watered and cared for...too bad it NEVER bloomed!?
Take Care~~

Dueling Pincushions

When Arizona girl and I were together we managed some 'sewing together' time. We produced these two Cathedral Window pin cushions from the tutorial at MyGoGoLife .
Mine
Hers and mine.
The backs ~ it was easier for me to choose a backing fabric than it was to choose the fabrics for the front.

We had a good time, or at least I did. I like sewing with her because she leads out and is confident.













Sewing these made me want to do a whole quilt of this.














Hers

Truth be known, I like hers better than mine! either way, it seems criminal to stick pins in these cute little cushions!






Take Care~~