I need some taller assisstants ...

My kids want to help me hold up quilts. They are 5-years old and more than helpful. Here is a picture of them holding a quilt I did for a customer at Christmas.

Clearly, I need some taller assistants! Although it is nice that they want to help Mommy.

This was one of those patterns that I was so happy after I "created" it. I thought man that is a good block. You can use lovely florals and showcase the fabrics. I was so excited and I asked one of my quilty friends what they thought of it. Her response was ... yeah I love "Swoon" by Camille Roskelley of Thimble Blossoms. 

SAY WHAT? I thought this was a Jennifer Blosser original! I looked at her pattern and I did make some of my pieces different. I do not know what size Camille's is, but I do love her "Ruby" line! Oh well, it is still a good star pattern. I would highly recommend getting Camille's pattern. And her book is cute too!

You can get "Swoon" here.

Bugum's Quilt - A Winner!

I taught a quilt class a few months ago. Each class that I teach, I give away a coupon to have the top from that class quilted by me for FREE!

My friend Bugum, a real sweet lady, won the coupon for my Dresden Plate class!

Here are some pictures of her quilt after I finished it. She did a great job and the colors she used are lovely!!!

 

A NEW Machine

Ok, I have a lot of sewing machines. Let me really put it into perspective. I have a lot of OLD sewing machines. I have a Husqvarna 940, Viking #1, a Viking D-1, and an old Singer Featherweight. I have never purchased a NEW machine.

I broke the bobbin case on my old #1. This was my all-time favorite machine. Alas, it is worth nothing (like for trade-in) and the bobbin case costs $100 + shipping. This means it is no good and it is not going to take up anymore room in my sewing room. Good-bye my old friend!

Then I went to my new-to-me Viking D-1 that I got on vacation in Nebraska. But it started making a funny noise. The foot would go up and down and it would act crazy. I wanted to get it serviced to fix the thread cover that I broke ... it was a bad sewing day for me ... and there is no warranty because I did not buy it new. So it would have been many hundreds of dollars to fix an old, not originally mine, maybe it could break again machine. NO! I am not going to do it. I will cut my losses, salvage the feet and other goodies, and move on. Good-bye D-1!

I braved the snowy conditions, drug two 5-year olds to the Husqvarna Sewing Center an hour away and bought this NEW Husqvarna Viking Sapphire 875 Quilt.

 

 I decided on this machine because it was affordable. I did not feel the need to pay thousands of dollars for a machine to sew straight lines. Let's face it people, when you piece a quilt top, you sew straight lines. Most of the time. This was the highest quality machine before you get into the embroidery machines. If I want something embroidered, my Mom will do it.

My twins' birthstones are sapphires. My son was thrilled because the machine was blue. My daughter was mesmerized because it could sew without using the foot pedal. Come on people, it's the little things in life that make it worth living. How could I go wrong?

A Traditional Baby Quilt

 One of the high school teachers, I think she teaches science, is having a baby boy. She told me that she and her hubby are decorating very traditionally with blue. Easy enough.

 I have been waiting to dive into my stash of Picnics and Fairgrounds by Denyse Schmidt. I love the simplicity of this quilt. And I love the plaid on the back!

I hope that she likes it!

Beary Good Friends

Sew I have this old teddy bear. His name is Mr. Patches. He sits in my sewing room and my daughter is always wanting to play with him. I keep telling her that we will make one.

About 25 years ago my mom helped me sew Mr. Patches. My older sister was making a 4-H project and I really wanted something to sew too. I remember my mom letting me sew the squares together and then she sewed the bear. I stuffed him and stitched closed his holes.

 

As you can see now he is a little thread bare and wearing thin. He's been loved a lot!

 I asked my mom if she still had the pattern for Mr. Patches. She said no. Sew I tried to draw his pieces. He is too fragile to seam rip apart and make a pattern that way.

I think this bear turned out ok, but her legs are a bit skinny. Mmmm ... and her tummy is a little lopsided. These can be fixed before the big sew day tomorrow.

 

Tomorrow my little girl and I will hopefully make one together 

just like my Mom and I did all those years ago.

And they will be beary good friends!

A New Purse for the New Year

I'm sorry for the sideways pictures. 

I cannot make them turn upright. 

* Insert giggle and eye roll! *

I was looking at my friend Julie's blog the other day and she posted an adorable picture of a bag she had made. It reminded me of my Halloween purse, which was made from the same pattern. 

 The body is Alexander Henry's "Sugar Skulls" and the handles 

are from an old Moda line called "Pumpkins Gone Wild" by Sandy Gervais.

It's called the Pinafore Bag by Me & My Sister Designs. You can get it HERE.

 This is the same bag, my New Year bag. The fabrics are from the "Karavan" line by Valori Wells for Free Spirit fabrics. I love this line! It is so beautiful!

 I bought the fabric at a soon to be all-time favorite shop called Feather Your Nest. You can get to it HERE or HERE. And if my new friend Denise, teacher at Mt. Carmel sees this post ... I thought of you as I sewed this last night with my sister who is in nursing school at Mt. Carmel!

Sweet Sewing

My sweet little girl loves to sew! It warms my heart to see her sitting at her sewing machine just stitching away. She has good taste in fabric. She loves to pull a Moda charm pack off my shelf and start sewing squares together.

 

You can't see it, but she takes her shoes and socks off to sew. Just like me.

 

Don't you love her Gingher scissors that hang down to her waist?

But this particular charm pack sewing day has given me an idea ... stay tuned.