Shoofly Potpie ... Almost Done!

Good afternoon quilters! I purchased this cute kit last week ... Shoo fly PotPie. It's a "small" quilt and these tend to be some of my favorites to make. Doing these little gems is a perfect way to practice or learn a new block pattern, technique or in this case working with an unfamiliar fabric. I love the way homespun fabric looks mixed with other fabrics so this little quilt sucked me right in! However, I have never sewn with homespun nor the plaid flannel type of fabric included in the kit. What I learned ... it's not very stable, meaning it stretches easily, it freys VERY easy and when you press this fabric you must be very careful as it will mis-shape itself quickly!

Here's my little Shoo fly Pot Pie. I even hand quilted it ... tonight I will sew down the binding and it will be complete! After a few battles with the fabric I am very please with the outcome.

One of my scrap bins ... I have found the perfect place to use these messy little scraps ....

Wonky Maverick Stars. These lopsided stars will eventually be the center piece of a table runner for a dear friend. This gift is about 6 months past due so hopefully it will be done before I head to Atlantis!

Finally I want to share my new tenants ... yes my feathered friends have returned and built the teeny tiniest nest in my Burch tree. I kept hearing an unusual chirping sound from my sewing room window. I went downstairs to search it out and found this ....

Can you see that tiny little nest in the center of the picture?

Here it a bit close. The mommy is sitting on the nest with one eye on me. I love watching the little birds, but these are way up in the tree so I won't be able to peek inside their little nest.  Oh sigh ....

 

Happy 200th Birthday!

Chapter 1

"It is widely known that a single man of good fortune is in want of a good wife." If this opening sentence is familiar to you then you are a fan of author Jane Austen. Most readers of Miss Austen's novels believe that her book "Pride and Prejudice" was her first book. However, in truth it was "Sense and Sensibility." Today we celebrate the 200th birthday of the first publication of Pride and Prejudice. Little did Miss Austen know that her handwritten novel would be the most widely read book .... ever! 

Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott are my two favorite authors with "Little Women" and "Pride and Prejudice" equally my favorite books! Raised as an only child I found siblings in these two books and their large families. Interestingly Jane Austen lived in the mid 17 hundreds, Louisa Alcott in the mid 18 hundreds and I was born in the mid 19 hundreds ... and yet the stories these two women wrote could so easily apply to my world. Change the language and the cloths and we (women) are still the same still looking for the same things. To be loved without condition. Also, of interest to me was both of these strong, amazing women were never married. They both wrote of love and of marriage and they both did it so well.

So Miss Austen, happy birthday to your second born. May it live on for another 200 years.

Jane Austen

Louisa May Alcott

Mr. Darcy will live in the hearts of love struck women forever, thank you Jane

A woman's Mind ....

A woman's mind while she sleeps!! Oh, now I know why I wake up so tired!! Thank you Kathleen Tracy for sharing this awesome bit of information!

Atlantis is Getting Really Close!!

My daughter Tiffany and good buddy Amy will be nestled inside one of those twin towers (on either side of the bridge) starting Valentines Day!

Here's the travel packet!! It arrived Saturday, it's official, we're going to Atlantis! Luggage tags, airline tickets and our instructions after our arrival. Oh boy, I can't wait!

Wednesday Pizza Plate Special!

Aren't these just tooo cute! Two individual pizza plates in your choice of seven color options for only $24.00! Available Wednesday, January 30 ONLY. Don't miss out!

Lonagberger - January 2013

Each month Longaberger baskets feature a special basket/collection. This month we are getting ready to celebrate Valentines Day and our feature product is the adorable Be Mine basket set! I have purchased an aqua set to give to my daughter who loves everything "Tiffany" blue!

Also available in bright pink or sunny yellow!

All set up and ready for my first party of 2013 ....

Add some bright pink netting and a few flowers and we're ready for Spring!

 Our Cottage Cream and Sugar set are only here through this month, aren't they just toooo cute! My quilt angel is peeking through the wrought iron stand!

Some little valentine note cards for everyone to take home ....

Pretty blue birthday cake for Marie! Yummy chocolate cake with a buttercream filling. It was to DIE for!

Marie, our birthday girl! LOVE how her sweater matches her cake. She was a very happy girl!!

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Gearing up to Quilt!

As I enter into 2013 I have been huddled in my sewing room catching up on my 2012 quilt projects! With many of them now complete I have been looking into the future to see what I might want to create next! With the help of the internet I was able to shop in Green Spring, WI. at my favorite shop "Country Sampler." The box arrived today and when I opened it I thought, "my blog buddies have to see this." 

Aren't these so pretty? They wrapped my purchases up in the pretty tissue and tied it with a bow! Oh my, I felt so special!! 

Enclosed in the cello bag is everything I need to make Message Board, a pattern in Moda's little Candy pattern booklet. I love the tones they selected, grey, taupe's and brick reds ... so pretty.

I have coveted Tobacco Rose for a long time. It is made from "cheater" cloth with inside and outside borders. Very simple, but I just love the body fabric. I plan to have it quilted in a unique pattern to make it pop! Can't wait!! Using this kind of fabric is a great way to make a quilt quickly and perfect for beginners!!

My very favorite quilt magazine was on the counter when I went to the Orange Quilt Bee. I usually find one favorite ... Oh my goodness, this month I found THREE!!

These hexagons are adorable .... the difficulty level is ADVANCED! Yikes, I am not advanced, but I love this and REALLY want to make it. Maybe I can tweak it and make it intermediate .... hummm, what do ya'll think?

Here is another fav of mine. I think this one is intermediate. The difficulty with this is the center block is paper pieced ... I have never done this in my life, hummm, think I can learn???

And finally Red, Red Wine. Love the color choices and design. At first glance it looks simple enough, nope it's not, another ADVANCED project. Humm, of the three I think I choose the middle one and see how I do with that before I move on!

Well folks, here are my winter projects and dreams. Let's see how I do!

Inauguration Day 2013

America is such an amazing country. Everyday I give thanks to God that I was born in America. No where on earth is the transition of power celebrated with such class, grace and ease.

Tomorrow we celebrate the Inauguration of President Obama for his second term. Whether you voted for him or not America spoke and he has been re-elected. As Americans we are struggling, this is not our first time nor will it be our last. As a United people we survived the Great Depression, Pearl Harbor and the bombing of the Twin Towers and we will be strong economically once again!

To commemorate this special day the Longaberger Company has designed a beautiful basket.

If you are interested in this beautiful set please email me at baskets4anita@aol.com!

 

Getting Ready for Craft Classes!

Oh my goodness I have been a busy little beaver! My holiday craft classes will be starting up soon and I have been getting my proto-types ready. I will begin with Valentines Day... a workshop is scheduled for February 8! I have created a little felt pillow adorned with white buttons and finished with an antique key! I have mine attached to my Longaberger basket!!

For the Easter holiday I will host a workshop in March. We will be making no-calorie Easter Eggs! So easy, so fun and low cal!

This is all you need to create these little cuties. Scissors, straight pins, Styrofoam egg and your favorite color of ribbon.

A couple of completed eggs in soft green and bright yellow ...

TaDa all done!! Here they are, all nestled into a basket!

 My next workshop will be in April with a class focusing on Mother's Day. Stay tuned for my planned craft!!

Firecracker Kid's FREE offering!

Go visit Firecracker Kid's blog and join in the opportunity to win one of her beautiful pieces of work. If you win, send it to me since I sent you there!!! Hehe

We 4th of July Kids stick together!!

 

Lurking Just Around the Corner ....

Ya know, a person just gets the Christmas decor etc., packed away and poof, it's time for another day of celebration! Yep, in exactly one month we will be celebrating Amoire', Amoir or as we say in the States "love."

A little Valentine tree to usher in the love!!

A heart pillow covered with buttons makes a perfect adornment for my Longaberger Market Basket!

Even more exciting for me is along with my Wyoming pal Amy and my daughter Tiffany I will be traveling to the Bahama's on Valentine's day to spend 5 days in Atlantis!! Woo hoo, 80 degree weather hear we come. Thank you Longaberger, can't wait to get there!

It's Time to Sort and Store!!

Yes my dear friends, it's January .... that time of year when we sort out our cupboards, haul unused items to the Goodwill, a store away what we plan to use. On Wednesday, January 16th Longaberger is offering several of their most popular items at a reduced price to assist with the "storing." I already use some of these baskets in my sewing room and plan to get some more!! My fabric seems to be multiplying at night while I sleep!!

These are available in 3 color choices too! Have you sorted and stored yet????

 

With the holiday's behind me I have been spending my days getting caught up on my many quilt projects. My husbands son left on the 7th and I finally have my sewing room back! I really missed that room ... sewing with everything in one place is so nice!! I love it in there with all my fabric and good lighting and a comfy chair and, and, and ....

My first project to complete is Grant's March. This quilt has been a giant thorn in my side. From the very beginning I have struggled with the pattern and the required "tool" necessary to make it. It seemed as though every block had it's own set of issues. You can probably tell by the name of the quilt it is a Civil War pattern, my favorite kind! However, just like I can only imagine Grant was Marching into an unimaginable hell this quilt was hell and I'm so glad it's completed and ready to visit my long arm quilter tomorrow.

Here it is, minus the half square triangle inner boarder. I fought with this quilt for to many hours. To even begin thinking of adding those little guys was frightening! I opted for the easy way ....

  As I was packing up the Christmas decor I decided to keep one of my treasured angels out for awhile. She has come in quite handy holding a quilt. I think she was secretly designed to do this, it just took me a loooong time to know it.

I ask you, isn't she just perfect!

 

 While I sew I love to watch British movies ... here are some of my newest ones I received for Christmas ..

Return to Cranford is so good! The newest addition of Jane Eyre and the BBC version of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. I hope to soon add Downton Abby to my collection as well. Doesn't my angel look better holding a quilt??

 

A Honey of a Deal!

Sew many machines .... sew little time!

I went on a little adventure today to the Cabazon Outlets near Palm Springs. As a quilter and someone who loves antiques of all types I was so tickled when I saw this shop! It is actually a clothing store ... very unusual I must add were the clothes! However, their decor was right up my ally.

When you walk up to the store all you see in the window are numerous vintage Singer sewing machine ...

This is the left side of store front and the right looks just the same!

This is a solid cast iron machine used in early sweat shops ...

Another sweat shop machine, the beaded dresses in the back ground are hanging from the machine! So, many awesome industrial type antiques were in the amazing shop! 

After a bit of shopping we headed over to Target for some necessities!

Yep, good ole Target is always a good place to shop! Do you like me a brunette! I am wearing a fur hat, do you see my little pointy ears!!

I have earned a trip to the Bahamas next month with the Longaberger Co.!! My friend Amy will be joining me and one night everyone needs to wear white. Amy is having trouble finding a dress so my daughter Tiffany and I found these two beauties .... I don't think they are Amy's style but it was fun looking for one.

 Stay well my friends ... the flu is rearing it's very ugly head!!

Apples to Apples

Like everything else my New Years day celebrations have evolved over the years from hangovers to family food fests and most recently it was my official day to put my Christmas decor away. This year we went back to spending the ushering in of a new year the way I did when my children were small. We had some friends in, ate, watched some football and played games!

The most recent game we have been enjoying is Apples to Apples. There are several versions, I happen to have the Family addition and it is so fun. A perfect way to share time with family and friends of all ages.

A glass of celebratory champagne, Shawn and Apples to Apples, what more does one need??

My daughter Tiffany and her game partner Gavin ... he's 4 and latched on to her!

Lance is in deep concentration ... playing the right card is so important hehe!

Mr. Gavin is passed out. One minute he's running around the next he's out cold. I love the crossed legs!

From our home to yours we hope you have a very Happy New Year