Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Pillow Fun....

Pillow Fun….

YD had two friends over today and we set up shop for a quilting lesson. We are making pillows. Here is our station.





They laid out the 5 inch squares into their pattern and started to sew two patches. Those will be ironed and made into 4 patches, and so on, until we have a front and a back.





Next, both right sides together and sew all three sides. Whip stitch the fourth side and voila, we are done!! Here they are….








Didn’t they do a great job!! Next, Spring Break, a lap tied quilt!!

I can share....

I can now share the Christmas gift I gave my sister. One of our cottage blocks with her favorite characters from Rudolph and potholders. They are the first potholders I ever made and to tell you the truth, it was fun. just like Nanette said, "it is like making a little mini quilt".











Have a super day.

Friday, December 26, 2008

We did it…



Well, we did it. All the preparations, shopping, wrapping, cooking, baking, cleaning, entertaining, sewing, quilting, crafting, not to mention, the thinking and thinking and organizing. We did it all and I know it was worth it for all the smiles, hugs, and kisses and thank yous that went along with the two Happy Days.
I would like to send a special thank you to my family for all their help, especially after I sprained my ankle and could not do anything but stay in bed. Thanks, I love you all.

Yeah, We did it!!!!!!!!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Happy Holidays!!!

From our family to yours

we wish you the most wonderful of

Holiday Seasons


MD and Fiancé, YD, OD (baby) Husband
Pa & Ma


PS. Thanks to the Random NumberGenerator #8 Laila is the winner.

Congratulations and please send me your snail maill address. Thanks to everyone who played and gave me great advice for my cookies.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Look at what I got!!!

I was on eBay the other day and found these stunning embroidered scenes. I have no idea how to do this, so I was just thrilled to receive these in the mail. There were 12 in the set and here are a few pictures of them, look at how many stitches each one has!







What a beautiful red and white quilt I hope to make.
Like them? Here is where I got them…


eBay ID Toogieo6

EDIT I was told the patterns could be found at Emboridery Library


Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Show and Tell Christmas Gift.....

Yes, I get to show you one of the Christmas gifts I made. YD saw her godmother yesterday, and they exchanged gifts because her godmother is leaving to be with her daughters and families for the Holiday. YD picked out the fabric because she knew her Aunt Patti loved Easter and Spring,


and this is what it turned out to be.




Also, I am in Illinois and all after school and evening activities have been cancelled because of the snowstorm. Boy are we hoping for a snow day tomorrow!!! How many days until summer????

Monday, December 15, 2008

Happy Birthday Sweetie….

Today my baby turned into a teenager, 13, it went so fast…….



We have a tradition in our home called the rainbow cake. This started when I was a little girl. My Mom made cupcakes for my birthday to take to school, she tinted the frosting, and toward the end of frosting, decided to add a little of each color to the top, hence, rainbow cupcakes were born, and then I turned it into a rainbow cake.
My OD is 27, next daughter is 24, YD now 13, countless cupcakes to school, PTO events, bake sales, and to my three nieces who the oldest is now 15, let’s see, I have made how many? I will let you do the math. I will say this is the first one in all those years that has a new color. YD loves purple, so instead of blue she got purple. NOW this NOT a pretty cake, but it is white with REAL butter cream frosting. One piece could put you in a sugar coma. However, no birthday in our home goes without one. Here you go…





So today, her locker was decorated at school, when I picked her up we went to her Aunt Patti’s (godmother). After that, home, a little homework, Chinese Takeout, and then presents!





Then off to finish homework and on to basketball practice.

As she is now a teenager and a very responsible young lady, she got a phone for her 13th Birthday.






Happy Birthday Honey, Love Mom and Dad

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Our Rockefeller Tree.....

We put our tree up last night; my mind saw a beautiful green tree adorned with thousands of lights, lace snowflakes, ornaments, bows, garland, and silver tinsel just like the tree in Rockefeller Center. The whole family would stand back, ooow, and aaaaw at its beauty. However, before you see the finished product, let’s go on a little ornament tour.

First and foremost my three little angels in kindergarten…


From my childhood, of course, I love the pink one the most……


More Childhood memories….


OD brought home from her trip to Germany……

MD knew I loved my Mom’s gold bird; hence, she got me a pink one…


More favorites, YD made Mommy glitter ones when she was very little….


Last but not least as many bells, as the tree will hold for…….

“Every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings”



I hope you are ready for our Rockefeller tree….



I also get to come down the stairs and to the right is our glowing tree, with our villages behind. You know? What my mind saw really did happen. Happy Holidays!!




Friday, December 12, 2008

Another Fun Friday…

Elaine (no-blog) and I took a trip to Tammy Tadds Designs Shop. We are lucky we live about 30 minutes away. I held back today, all the Christmas Fabric was 30% off so, of course, I got more! Who knows I might need a blue cottage in my town. I am also collecting pink fabrics for my pink town. The tiny ones are called Taddies, and are 11 inches squares, a perfect size for doors, windows, etc. I then pick up a Yo-Yo maker, I want to make a ton of Christmas ones for out tree (next year). Of course, it was fun, she has a wonderful store. We stopped for lunch did a little shopping and headed home.


When I got home, I picked up the mail and guess what? You are right, a new neighbor from a sweet girl Pratima. Look at the Christmas carolers in the window. Thank you, I just love it!!!


Have a nice weekend!

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Cookie advice….. In addition, a giveaway!

CLOSED



Everyone loves homemade Christmas cookies, our family does as well. They all have their favorites and I try hard to have them each year. Here is the problem; I tend to try to make them all the weekend before Christmas so they will be nice and fresh. The problem, what was once fun has now become a chore. I noticed on some of your blogs that you were starting your cookies now. I really would love to make a cookie a day and not be so overwhelmed. What is your trick to keeping them fresh? I do not get the whole "if it is soft put it in here, if it is hard add bread" thing!! Can’t I just put them in a zip-lock bag and freeze them? Help! I would be grateful for your advice and since my 100th post is near, if you can help me out with this problem, I will enter you in “ my few days early, 100th post giveaway” giveaway.
Rules---I know :0(
1. Advice
2. Remember I need an email.
3. Only people with advice will be entered.
4. Here is what you can win.
5. 20 of my 1930 fat quarters and the pattern Sunny Days by Darlene Zimmerman.

Winner will be posted December 19th Good Luck!!




Friday, December 5, 2008

A new kid on the block.....

As in a previous post, I cannot seem to get enough Christmas Cottages, by the time I am done it will be King size, note “by the time I am done”.
I was lucky to get a beautiful cottage from Nanette, but really wanted one from Terri, so we did a private swap. Look at this new addition! She knows I love pink and this is awesome, it will look great in the neighborhood.




Now Terri and I are friends, look at how my Cottage came, not in a flat envelope but in a box with all this great stuff.
PINK, PINK, PINK, everywhere. Pink buttons, Pink thread, Pink yo-yos, Pink pins!! Cute socks with Pink presents, Pink fabric (which I will use when I make my completely Pink
cottage quilt) a darling pincushion, with, what else Pink pins. I also will keep all the Pink
ribbon! WOW!!!!





But there was one other special gift in the box, an angel, a soft sweet, perfect little angel, to be with me at all times, in my sewing/office while I work and play. I have decided that the vintage quilt it was made from was my great-grandmother’s. I used to play under her quilting frame. Sadly, there is not one of her quilts to be found, but now she is here to watch over me. Thank you Terri for your friendship and your kindness, it means so much.





Thursday, December 4, 2008

Really this time I mean it.....

Well at least for a while! Here is my latest batch of Japanese fabrics. I just love them so much and I now have quite a few. I have no idea what to do with them, but we buy fabric because we want to , not need to, right?

Look at that sweet face.......


This will be great for my pink cottage quilt!!!!


Just because!

EDIT, I get most of my fabric from the etsy shop Sweet Flavor