Patch Quilt

6" SQUARE QUILT

I inherited most of these squares from my friend Sherri's mother.  I thought they were an odd collection of colors and prints.  I almost separated them to use in different quilts, but that didn't seem right.  They came to me as a "set" so I had to work with it.  I added a few of my own to make this full size quilt.  Once I laid it out, the blocks started to blend together, bring out some good earth tones.
 
 

  
When it came to the border, I couldn't find anything to make it pop, to bring it all together.  I put several fabrics with it and they didn't improve it.  THEN, I found this piece of lovely brown in my stash, which I call "Cappuccino".  The brown really set the blocks.  

 
I hand quilted a straight stitch around the blocks but got fancier on the border and corners.  This was the quilt that my granddaughters helped me on.

I bought some brown, leafy fabric for the back and binding.  I'm really happy how it turned out.

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CAT PILLOW

I spent one Saturday with my sister and her 3 granddaughters.  We had so much fun bike riding, laughing and telling stories.  One thing the girls said was that they were going to get a cat.  Well, that was news to my niece.  They already had 2 dogs and NO, they were not getting a cat, she said!  Sooo, when the youngest birthday arrived, I decided to get her a "cat".

I grabbed some fabric and scissors and away I went.  The mouth is a zipper and was made so that she can store secret treasures in.

At least with this cat, you don't need a litter box!  
(It's really kind of homely!)
 
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Thanks for visiting,
Cinder

Girlfriends are wonderful!

MISSOURI TOWN 1855

This past weekend was the annual lost arts/living history festival at Fleming Park in Lee's Summit, Missouri.  There were crafter's making paper, spinning wool, rugs, and wood carving.  There was a tinsmith, a blacksmith and quilters, with many items for sale.  Also demonstrations on how to make apple butter, apple cider, sorghum and living history of medicine of the time period.  Children could play old time games from bow and arrows to stilt walking.  There were horse drawn rides and visitors could get up close to 2 amazing oxen.

 

  Mountain men vendors had displays of many animal pelts from buffalo to beaver with fun things for sale.  If you look hard, you can kinda see the tepee in the background behind the oxen.  

There were many other fun activities, along with some wonderful dulcimer, fiddle and guitar music.

Here is part of our crew:  me, Teresa, Sherri and Robin standing in front of one of the many 1855 buildings that you could tour through.

We would take time out from selling old time candy, baked goods, dolls, pottery and needlework in Teresa booth and visit the vendors.  

AND THEN I saw it!  A rug loom!  

  Upon my soul, I had to buy it.  I know I said I was going to work on all my unfinished projects, but.....OMG, what is a person to do!  I promise to continue to work on my other projects, I promise!

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LOOP LOOM

Sherri and I did some shopping before heading to Missouri Town and I found this 1960's metal loom in an antique store.  

 

All the parts were there, even the loops and booklet with instructions on how to use both loops and yarn.  I had to buy it!  $4.00!  It is a nice addition to my supply of fun projects for my granddaughters or great nieces.  

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GIFTS FROM SHERRI

I was so excited to have Sherri stay with me before we headed to Missouri Town.  When she opened the trunk of her car to get her lugage out, there were the Prairie dolls that she make to sell at the festive, along with a few topsy-turvy dolls and Lula Bea Butternut.  I almost started to cry.  LULA BEA!  Sherri asked if I wanted her.  Do I WANT HER!  Absolutely!  

Sweet Lula Bea is now sitting perched on the window ledge in the spare bedroom, keeping an eye on things with her button eyes.  

 

Sherri also brought me 2 beautiful crochet vintage doll dresses.  The needle work is exquisite and I have a shelf I will put them on in Lula Bea's room (notice how it went from spare bedroom to Lula Bea's) to display them.   She also gave me a set of quilt hangers and I already know where to use them. 

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What a great weekend I had and it was fun to get away and be with friends.  

BFF explains it all.

Love you girls,

Cinder

Quilt and Table Runner

FUNDRAISER TABLE RUNNER

I made this lovely purple table runner to help raise money for the Activity Department at work.  They are having a silent auction and carnival.   I had these strips of purple from my sister-in-law Mel box of goodies she sent me and thought they would work well in this runner.   I bought a basket and filled it with fun kitchen stuff along with the table runner.  Hope she gets a good bid.

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QUILT

My mother-in-law gave me some books of furniture fabric samples and I used them to create this quilt of mixed print of earth tones, peaches and greens.

 

 I loved the prints and had lots of fun with this.  I bought the green print fabric to offset the nine patch blocks and made it a twin size.

 

 I hand quilted it with green thread.

 Thanks for visiting,

Cindy

Weekend Fun

GRANDDAUGHTERS WEEKEND 

We had so much fun this past weekend with our 3 granddaughters.  We went to the Renaissance Festival and had fun around the house.  I picked up a billfold kit at my favorite thrift store, thinking I could get someone to work on it and I was right!  The youngest and I worked together on it and I finished it while she made noodles with playdo.

Next I taught one how to embroidery and she took to it like a duck to water.  I had these tea towels that I stamped with food themes.   She loved doing the french knots.  I thought she did magnificent for just learning.

Also I had help quilting my recent quilt.  Two granddaughters worked a few stitches. Wow, that's less I have to do because I have to get it done by the time my friend Sherri arrives on Oct 2.  She is going to borrow my small frame to work on a project.

 

And our last bit of fun.....Tie Dye shirts.

  

We ran out of plastic gloves so we all had some dye on our hands.

What a great weekend, girls.  Thank you soooo much.   Love you,

Grandma Cindy

Table Runners and Vintage Block Picture

TABLE RUNNERS

This is my modified version of a Spicy Spiral Runner using some lovely burgundy and brown fabrics.  I had about 5 or more yards of the brown gardening fabric that I really don't like.   It came in a box of fabric that was given to me.

I've been using it for scrap projects, to tie tomatoes up, etc.  This was my very first runner I made last year and used this fabric just in case it didn't work out.  But I really like it!  The colors go well together and has a nice fall feel to it.

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I had a small bit of batik fabric and added some matching yellows, greens and blues.  I sewed strips together, but just didn't like it, so I cut them diagonally and sewed them back together.  I also used batting to make it puffy when machine quilted. 

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VINTAGE BLOCK

At my local thrift store was this small bag of vintage fabric and couldn't resist!  Inside was a quilt block and bits of fabric in all sizes.

 I love the colors and design of the block.  The quilter machine sewn the pieces together. 

You can see how its coming apart and has stains.  Adorable fabrics!

Can you see the blue blocks that were pieced together to make 2 whole blocks.  The blue block on the left has a long seam.  It looks like a wrinkle.

I  didn't want to make more blocks and thought it would make a great picture that would honor the quilter that made it.  So off to Hobby Lobby to purchase a frame and put it up.

Here it is in my spare bedroom, along with my embroidery dresser scarf (with the edge not done yet, yikes!) and two other quilts that I make.

Thanks for visiting,

Cinder

Dresser Scarf and Quilt

DRESSER SCARF

I saw this lovely pre-printed dresser scarf at the thrift store and just couldn't pass it up.  I have really enjoyed following Yesterday Embroidery and Stamped Linen Embroidery's wonderful needlework.  You lovely ladies have inspired me to return to my first love, embroidery.

I choose variegated purple for the lady dress, umbrella and bonnet.  I used 2 different color browns, light and dark, for the fence and a lovely scattering of colorful flowers.  This was a fun project and will look well on the wash stand in the spare bedroom.

 Now I need help.  How do I finish the edges?  Do I cut along the perforated opening?  Someone help me!

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QUILT

My husband wanted a lap quilt that was long enough to cover his feet when he is napping in the recliner but not too wide.  I had a mixed batch of small squares and I added 4 large blue one to break it up.  

 I used a diagonal pattern and worked around the large blue squares.  I had to pay attention to make sure that I keep the pattern going, but I obviously wasn't on point all the time.  In the upper right hand corner I mixed up the brown and off white square.  I was told once that quilters always make a small purposeful mistake in their work.   Has anyone heard of that?  Well it seems, I have done that several times, but not on purpose!

 For backing material I bought the same brown check that matched a few of the squares.  I hand quilted using some parts of templates that I made years ago for another quilt.

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Hope you're enjoying the summer,

Cinder

Twin Quilts and Bathrobe Quilt

BABY GIRLS

Our family will soon be blessed with twin girls, born to my husband's nephew and his wife.  How exciting!  On my project list, I had fabric saved to make a nice girly quilt.  So what I did was add some addition fabric and made two.  And pink!  I used the same rail fence pattern on both quilts.

I really like the light mint green fabric.  It gives it a cool dimension.  I added yellow, pink and a darker green to break up so much pink. 

 

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BABY BOOK

Every baby shower I go to I make a small autograph book for loved ones to write words of encouragement, advise, or just congratulations. 

I purchase various stickers and place them throughout the book.  I wrote some advise:  "Keep it simple".  Children tend to get overwhelmed when we parents plan activities.  A simple picnic in the backyard, a fun walk in the park, making macaroon necklaces...  I found I kept my sons attention better when it was not complicated and we enjoyed ourselves. 

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MY MOTHER'S BATHROBE

I've been using my mother's white chenille bathrobe for many years and finally this winter it became so threadbare that I decided to retire it and make 2 small lap quilts. 

I purchased some fleece in yellow and pink and found a large print pink flower for the back.  The chenille was worn down and thin that I could see the backing material thru it, so I had to add quilt batting to the middle.  Now they are really warm!

In this picture, I tried to show how threadbare some spots are.  I hand tied each quilt.  I plan on giving one quilt to my sister.  It will be nice to look at it and remember our mother.

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ENJOYING SUMMER FLOWERS

With all the rain this year, the trees and flowers are really growing.

This is a Cinnamon Magnolia tree.  When we first moved to our property, it was only 2 feet tall and scraggy.  In 4 years, now it is about 8 feet tall.  My husband threatens every year to cut it down, just to torment me.  I've enjoyed watching it grow.  Some years the beautiful, velvety brown leaves fall off, but they didn't last year.  

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I'm still quilting and working on other fun sewing projects.  More to show later...

Thanks for visiting

Cinder