Monday, November 29, 2010

Merry Christmas

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

Thursday, November 25, 2010

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

Saturday, November 20, 2010

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

Thursday, November 18, 2010

"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

Monday, November 15, 2010

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

Sunday, November 14, 2010

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

Saturday, November 13, 2010

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

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

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

Friday, November 5, 2010

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

Monday, November 1, 2010

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