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Happy Quilting
Caren

Cristmas Sweets, 2

I have spent the last 2 days baking and frosting a cake for #1 daughter's class party.  There is so much powdered sugar in my kitchen, I think it is actually hanging in the air!  I can gain wait just by breathing!  It turned out really cute.

Tonight is the

Quilt Guild Party.  I can't wait.  #1 daughter made her gift for the first time this year.  (She's only 8!)  We added a little something to it as well.  I hope it is well received.

I finally have a picture of the trees all lit up.  They look great.  We are now at 6,500 lights.  That sounds like a lot of lights.  But it takes 6 strands to wrap around the limbs of out large trees.  That's not counting the tree trunks.  We have another strand of 300 lights we haven't put up yet.  They are icicle lights, and we are not sure where to put them. 

I am working on the 3 Wise Men to add to our Nativity.  They may be finished by Christmas Eve.  But I wouldn't hold my breath!

Merry Christmas
Caren

I'm Dreaming of a PINK Christmas.....

yes, I said Pink.  Actually, Pink is one of my least favorite colors.  So of course my 2 girls LoVe Pink!  I made this quilt for a QA Calender COntest (it did not win).  Daughter #1 wrote the letter to Santa!  The girls love this little quilt ...I would hang it in their room, but the have a bad habit of taking things off the walls!  Then they are never to be seen again!

Meet the Frosty's
My Sweetie Pie is a woodworker.  For the last few years he has been making me snowmen.  I have to do the painting, he does the carving and turning.  He didn't like the one he made this year (not pictured).  So he still owes me one!

Merry Christmas
Caren

Deck the Halls....

I came home today  and a little elf dropped this off at my house...

This cute little Christmas tree forest is covered in lights.  I can't wait for nightfall!  This brings the light count to 6000.  Although, I have to be honest 4 strings have gone out on the side.  A case of 1 light going out and the whole link goes out!!! We have to fix that:)

We have been decorating inside as well.

I love these "vintage" little angels.  The second tallest one belonged to my Great grandmother.  The others have just wondered into my house over the years.  Most people think they are a little tacky, I think they are sweet.

Here's a closeup of my tree.  The silver egg in the center bottom is a real egg.  My sweety pie and I made those our first Christmas.  While were on the giving season.  Run over to A Little Bit Biased.  She is having a great giveaway.  A layer cake and a pattern.

Merry Christmas

Caren

Happy Mail Day

I received my ornament in the mail last night from Quilt therapy.  We were in the HoHoSwap from GenX quilters.  It looks great on the tree!  Thank You Quilt therapy!

Yo-Yo's are sew much fun!!!

I have a little quilt to show.  This is for the QA forum challenge called "It's My Nature".  I'll let you decide if I'm the volcano or the Hula Girl!  This was fun to make.  It started out being just a landscape with the surf, sand, and volcano.  I had all of that done.  Lots of thread work on the volcano.  But there was all this empty space.  SO I thought....a Hula Girl.  I had insomnia that night and couldn't sleep.  So I got up, quickly drew her up and started fusing and sewing.  An hour later I had my Hula Girl, named Coco.  Later I used silk ribbon and wool thread to make her skirt and lava.  The whole thing was machine quilted and bound.  I don't like the binding, I usually do it by hand...but it is done now!  Hope you like it.  The quilt is called "Caution:  Prone to Eruptions"

Happy Quilting
Caren

Merry Christmas

This is part of our Christmas light display.  It's been a busy week!
Happy Quilting
Caren

Old Quilt needs Repairs!?

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I went to my mother's for Thanksgiving.  She had this beautiful old quilt that was in my Grandmother's house.  We don't think she made it.  It looks older and the stitching is different from hers.  The problem is it is in tatters in some areas.  My father is determined to have the quilt "patched" so that he can handle it.  I don't know how much handling he plans on doing.  He lost his father this summer and his mother has Alzheimer's.  So he is trying to hold on to them through the quilts. 

My dad wants me to mend the quilt.  I know the binding has to be replaced.  My main concern is the "modern" thread damaging the fragile fabric.  The center of the quilt is in good condition.  The edges or where the problems are.  I don't know where to look for information on mending the quilt.  I personally think it is too fragile.  Please HELP!!!

The Blocks were had pieced and the sashing was attached by machine.  The quilting is beautiful hand quilting.  We are not sure of the age of the quilt.  I think the 30's.  I think the pattern is square in a square.  Any help or advice is much appreciated.

Happy Quilting

Caren

Friday Night Sew In

Last night was the Friday Night Sew In.  I have to admit I finished my FNSI project during the day on Friday.  I had a date with my husband last night....we went to see the new Harry Potter movie.  AWESOME. 

I finished my Christmas Purse.  It is so cute. I love it.  A note on the process.
I wanted :
1.  A crazy quilted Christmas Purse.
2.  Big red and clear beads on the handle.
3.  Jingle bells that really jingle.

As long as those 3 requirements were met anything goes.  So there wasn't really a process.  I ironed a stack of Christmas fabrics and started sewing.  I didn't want the embellishments to be too delicate.  I plan on using the purse a lot.

This is the completed side for the piece I posted earlier.

This is my favorite side.  Baby Sally is opening a present as Santa leaves.  I love the lights on the roof!  They are out of scale, but who cares!
About the handles
I bought, last year,  these metal handles that unscrew at the base for 2 reasons. 1) I wanted to pick the beads  2) I thought I could sew the bag together and them screw on the handles.  I didn't want to have to turn the bag with the handles on.  I did that once and it was hard. 
I was mistaken.  I had to cut the ribbon holding the handles on and resew the tabs.  That was after the purse was turned and sewn up!!!!  Oh well.  I still like it. 
Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Quilting
Caren

"How Entertaining!" QA challenge, finalist

Earlier this year I entered Quilting Arts challenge called "How Entertaining".  My little quilt, " Games We Play", was chosen as a finalist.  It wasn't shown in the magazine, but it did go to some cool quilt shows.  My quilt returned home today.  I was so excited to see it.  This little cutie went to the International Quilt Festivals in Chicago and Long Beach.  WOW!  Sounds like so much fun to me.  I would have loved to have been there too.

The quilt features the games my family enjoys playing.  I'm sure some of your favorites are featured!  It was a lot of fun to make.  It has applique, free motion quilting, beads, thread painting, ribbon, and a piece from Monopoly!  I'm just so excited I wanted to share.

Happy Quilting
Caren

Christmas Sweets #1

I hope everyone has been viewing the quilts at the Christmas Quilt Show.  I have really enjoyed it.  There are some beautiful quilts.  I am so in the mood for Christmas!   Here is my first installment of Christmas Sweets.  I love to cook, especially around Christmas.

Dora Lee's Dark Fruit Cake...
I know I lot of people do not like fruit cake...I don't care for it either.  But it is a Southern Tradition.  My Sweetie Pie loves Fruit Cake.  So I spent the day....yes the day making fruit cake.  If you don't eat fruit cake, please appreciate the time and money someone put in making it.  It is very expensive to make.  Here's the process in a nut shell.

Find the 2 biggest containers possible to mix it in, and get all of the fruit chopped up.

That's a pound of cherries, pineapple, raisins, and mixed fruit and peel.  The cherries sure  look pretty!

Don't forget 1 Quart of chopped nuts...

This is all the fruit and nuts with 2 cups of flour...the next picture cracks me up...

This is a cake plate top with 2 cups of flour and spices.  That is all the flour you put in the cake.  Just enough to make it all stick together.  It also has 7 whole eggs!

Grandma's recipe make a lot!  2 loaf pans and a bundt pan!  I have a small oven, so one loaf pan went to my mother-in-laws house to bake.  She gets to keep the cake too!
Now, 3 hours later I have 2 lovely cakes...

I think they fell a little in the center, I see a slight slope!  Oh! Well, sweetie-pie will still eat them.  The small cake goes to my father.  My parents are watching the kids for date night.  YIPPEE!!!!
I hope you enjoyed a visual walk through my day.  What are you baking for Christmas?

Merry Christmas
Caren

Christmas Quilt Show entry

This is my entry for the Christmas Quilt Show.   The show is over at SewGalCal's blog.  It's a lot of  fun so go take a look.Edited:  This has been a busy week.  Saturday I was in Sue's Christmas Quiltalong and today the Christmas Quilt Show...Sew much fun...Sew little time.

It's called Christmas Town.  It is from a Piece o' Cake Designs.  I started it in 1999 and finished it in 2001.  It is needle turn applique ( my first applique project) and hand quilted.  There are lots of little fun embellishments on this quilt.  It was a lot of fun to make.

Santa's House (closeup)

Doll shop and truck shop (closeup)

Santa himself (closeup)

Merry Christmas, thanks for stopping by,

Caren

Christmas Quilt Show

More eyecandy on the way.   Over at SewCalGal is hosting a Christmas Quilt Show.  I will be signing up later.  So check back here for a look at Sant's Village.

Happy Quilting
Caren

Christmas Quilt Along

Merry Christmas!!

I woke up this morning bright and early....Why? you may ask.  Well to decorate the tree of course!  And It's the Christmas Quilt Along.  Yippee, what fun.  This is what I have accomplished so far...

This is side one to a Christmas purse.  The handles are large beads in red and clear.  This is going to be so flashy by the time I am done!  The thread work and beads does not show up well in the photo. 

I finished the ornament for the Ho Ho Ho Swap...can't show you yet.  Now, lets see if the tree photo looks good.....
OOOPs...it looks like I took the picture in the dark.  I'll try again later.  I sure hope Santa gives me a camera for Christmas.
Time to go check out the progress of everyone else on the Quiltalong.

Happy Quilting,
Caren

I'M Dreaming...

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.........

....The temp. is currently 73* and the skies are bright and blue.

Oh well.
I guess I can dream....

These pictures were taken this past February 30 miles north of here.  It was the first time my girls had seen snow.  It was the first snow in 13 years, I think. 
 Anyway, we packed up the car,
                      drove north
                              and played in the snow....
                                                                   in inappropriate clothing!
Snow suit what's a snow suit!
This is Alabama!

Happy Quilting
Caren

Announcements

The Christmas Quilt Along is November 13th.  I can't wait.  That is in 1 week.  Hopefully I can finish all of my Christmas sewing so I can deck the halls early.  I am so ready for Christmas.  It has been a rough year!

I received the other 2 fat quarters for the HoHoHo Swap.  Thank you Tisha and Jennifer.  They are lovely and I can't wait to chose one for an ornament.  I have found 2 designs I like.  I hate to make a decision....Tune in later to see what I make....Same bat time Same bat channel.  Sorry I was inspired by Upstatelisa's post on Mork and Mindy.

I am listening to my Christmas CD collection at the moment.  That adorable Josh Groban is singing Ava Maria, one of my favorite songs of all time.  I have 19 CDs...these are just Christmas.  I think I am missing a few.  They may still be in the car!  I'm going through them to see if their are any I don't like now...Yea right!  Of course I need a new CD.  I buy 1 new Christmas CD year (or 2 or 3...).  Last year I bought Moya Brennan's An Irish Christmas.  I don't remember much about it, except it is very different from traditional Christmas music.  I also bought Celtic Woman's A Celtic Family Christmas  with the High Kings.  I love this one, especially the songs by the High Kings.  You can probably tell I like Irish music!  There's actually not much music I don't like.

So....What is your favorite Christmas song and who sings it...?

I gotta go sew.  I bought new bobbin thread I can't wait to try it out.

Happy Quilting!
Caren

Modern Rag Dolls

OK...I know these were not on my sewing list.  When I saw them I knew I had to make them for my little girls.  They were so much fun.  They were fairly easy to make too. The pattern came from the new Quilting Arts Gifts magazine.  They are for my 2 girls.  The green and purple one is for daughter #1.  She's more reserved and quite.  The pink one is for daughter #2.  She never matches and has her on style (she's only 6).  I hope they like them!  Now I have to make me one....I think I'll wait til after Christmas to make it!

Happy Quilting

Caren

Blogger's Quilt Festival

I can never resist a chance to show something off!  This is my entry in the Blogger's Quilt Festival hosted by Amy.  Click on her name to go to the Quilt Show.  It is Awesome!

The title is "View from the Phoenix" .  The Phoenix is a condo on Orange Beach in Alabama.  I finished this one last year.  It is one of my favorites.  It's was originally going to be the top part of a much larger quilt.  I decided to make it 2 quilts, the fabrics were too different.  This design actually represents an afternoon where, from the balcony I saw a rather large pod of dolphins swimming up and down the shore.  What was so amazing was how close they were to shore and swimmers.  You could tell the swimmers had no idea the dolphins were there.  The background was pieced.  Ripples were added into the sewing to make the fabric look more like water.  The sun was raw edge applique.  The dolphins were needle turn applique.  The whole piece was free motion quilted and beaded.  I love this quilt.  Especially now, after the oil spill.  It has a whole new meaning for me.

"View from the Phoenix"

Close up of the sun.

Close up of  a dolphin

Close up of another dolphin.

I hope you enjoy the Quilt Show.

Happy Quilting
Caren

Good Sewing Day

I went on a field trip today with daughter #2.  We went to the Pumpkin Patch.  She looked sooooo cute with the little pumpkin she choose.  (I can't post it, no kids on the web!!!)  But I can show you some of the unusual pumpkins they had.  I have never seen green and grey pumpkins before!  Unless they were rotten!

After the field trip I finished a Christmas project.  Gifts for the Guild.  1 Big pincushion, 1 wrist pincushion, and 1 notebook cover.  All in matching fabrics.  I can mark that off my list.  It never fails.  When I make something for someone, especially if they sew, it never turns out the way I plan.  Something always goes wrong.   Seams don't match, seams pucker, rickrack misbehaves..... you get the picture.

Last night I finished the last apron.  It's so cute.  I have a thing for chickens.  I received a chicken clock for a wedding present, that started it.  My husband hated that clock.  It hung in the kitchen until 2 years ago when it fell off the wall and broke.  Anyway, this chicken is not the chicken from the pattern.  This one came from a quilt class I took several years ago on needle turn applique.  I think I made a total of 2 blocks!  But this was a great chicken.  I Hope Mommy likes it!

Happy Quilting!
Caren

Giveaway

Jump over to Logo's Blog.  She's is having a giveaway.  You can win 4 fat quarters of Christmas fabric or a pair of hand knitted socks.  I've tried to knit a pair of socks...it did not work.  Therefore I would love the socks!  She will pick a winner on Nov.10.  Check out her jacket she made.   It is gorgeous!

Happy Quilting
Caren

Happy Dance

My sewing machine is finally home.  YIPPEE!!!!  I'm doing the happy dance, and I plan on sewing all night long.  Apparently all that was wrong was a ton of fuzz stuck in the bobbin case.  Now I cleaned that out before I took it!  The tech said to use a hard toothbrush to clean it out!  At least it was a cheap fix!  I have to get all of my Christmas sewing done soon.  I can't decorate for Christmas until all my sewing is finished.

The decorations are stored in my sewing dungeon and I can't get to them with all my sewing stuff out!

Friday Night sew in is November 19th, hosted by Heidi.

 Hey look I just learned a new trick!!  I'm so technically challenged.  Gotta run, my sewing machine is calling. Happy QuiltingCaren

Happy Mail Day

I received this nice little bit in the mail last week.  I am using my daughters camera.  It's a little blurry!

I love red and white.  So festive for the Christmas Season.  This was from Elizabeth.  It's part of the HO HO HO Swap.  It has such a nice feel to it.  I mailed mine off today!  Now I just have decide on an ornament to make.  HUMMM.

Happy Quilting

Caren

When it Rains it Pours...

It's been one of those weeks.  First my camera breaks, then Cowboy decided to "play" with a stray dog that regrettably entered our yard (he's OK), and now my sewing machine is messed up.  AGH!  I was trying to finish my mother's second apron and the tension is all messed up.  I tried everything, now its in the shop :(

It has given me time to write more for AC, play with all the stuff on Blogger (forgive me for any new changes!), and read some great blogs.

I have found a great art quilters web ring.  I love art quilts.  I have learned so much from surfing the blogs and seeing what everyone out there is making.  I really enjoy the Quilting Blogs from other countries.  I can't always read them, but I can look at the pictures.  There are some really talented quilters out there.

I hope at least you are Quilting Happy today!
Caren

Books I'm Reading

I don't Photos to show:(    I did go to my library and found 2 new books that I love.  At the moment I have only looked at the pictures!

One is 500 Art Quilts by Lark Books.  You can check out the cover here.  I love this book.  I have looked through it countless times already.  It's only pictures!  I guess you could say it's a picture book for quilters!  It's full of lovely inspiration.  I do wish they had a brief explanation of each quilt.  I found myself wanting to know more about some of them.  My daughter's enjoy looking at them as well.

The other quilt book is Quilted Symphony by Gloria Loughman.  You can see the cover here.  This one just makes giddy.  It's actually a how-to book.  It's full of curves and geometric shapes.  It looks like a lot of fun.  I'll have to put her technique on my to do list for after Christmas.

The last book is not a quilt book it is a collection of short story mysteries, Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop.  You can see the cover here.  Obviously its mysteries set at Christmas time in the Mysterious Bookshop.  This store is a real store in New York.  The stories are great.  Now I have a new list of mystery writers to try!

So....what's on you book stand?

Caren

Friday Night Sew-In Pictures

My sweetie pie went to his mother's and borrowed her camera.  So now I have pictures.  I used the time he was away to finish the cat apron.  It takes 2 days to make an apron.  These are nice they are fully lined so there are no raw edges.  My #1 daughter wants to keep the cat!

It is not the most flattering picture of me!  I look a bit larger than I really am!  Don't you just love cameras.

Happy Quilting
Caren

Friday Night Sew In Update

My  camera is not working so I have no Pictures:(  Hopefully I can fix the problem and post later.  I finished the mug rug, CD cover, and started the cat apron.  They look really cute too!

Happy Quilting
Caren

Friday Night Sew In

I was at work today when I realized tonight was the Friday Night Sew-In.....Yippee!
Check back tomorrow to see if I made any headway on my Christmas List!

Happy Quilting
Caren

Mug Rug

OK, there are 3 things in quilting I don't do.  1) is pieced curves 2) half square triangles (ie: flying geese)  3) ripping out. The reason.....because that is where my arch enemy Lord Bias lives.  I have been quilting for  14 years.  OMG !!! I did not realize it had been 14 years.  You would think I would be better by now!  Oh well.  I still have problems with bias.  I saw this pattern in McCall's Quilting .  I thought that would make a nice rug mug for my mother in law.  She's very traditional.  So I dig out my precut squares from another project.  I actually get a ruler and draw my sewing and cutting lines and I even pin the little angels when I sew.  See the pretty squares below all neatly laid out waiting to be sewn together:)

I take them to the dungeon to finish sewing them together.  I'm feeling so good that Lord Bias has stayed away, maybe he's on vacation.   I iron the block and admire how almost all of my points meet.  I take a picture....and AHHHHHHHHH!  I sewed the bottom row on upside down.  Instead of having diagonal matching corners I have vertical matching corners.  

Know I'm going for a walk to decide if I am going to rip that out and resew it. (smoke coming from ears)

Happy Quilting

Caren

Sew much to do, sew little time....

I woke up this morning from a rough night. #2 daughter had a nightmare and kept us up half the night. So I am sitting here with a cup of hot cocoa....trying to wake up enough to do some much needed work.  I did snap this nice little photo this morning.

Sorry it's a little blurry.
In case you are not from around here....this is a hurricane lily .  I don't know their proper name.  They are called Hurricane lilies because they bloom for one week during hurricane season.  Most people consider them weeds, these days.  They are kind of old fashioned.  I love them.  They are extremely hardy.   Meaning they will grow anywhere.  They have been known to grow and bloom when sitting on a little dirt on concrete.  Of course they will not grow in my yard.  My yard is some sort of a gardening black hole.  Things that should grow will not.  When my husband and I were first married I planted a hundred of these bulbs.  They came up that first year and never again :(

This is my newest mug rug.  I know you are tired of these:)  This one is drawn from an elephant ear in my yard.  They are quickly dying back for the season.  This variety actually has black ears.  The more shade they have the darker they are.  The fabric was painted and they fused and free motion quilted.  Again I just used what I had laying around.

Christmas Sewing List
1.  Finish the last (!) CD cover
2.  Make 2-3 ornaments
3.  Make 2 more notebook covers for my girls
4.  Make 2 aprons for mom
5.  Make Quilt Guild Christmas presents?
6.  Finish Winter Quilt
7.  Make mug rug (last one)!

I think that might be everything!  That's enough to keep me busy for a while!
Happy Quilting

Caren