Sister's Choice Quilts

A Year of Quilts

2010 was a pretty good year for quilts, I guess.  I realize now that I had a major dry spell during part of the year when we were getting our house ready to sell and when we had it listed for sale.  Even though I didn't accomplish as much as I would have liked,  I thought a good way to say goodbye to 2010 would be to show you some of my accomplishments in 2010.

January:

 
The Red and White Snowball challenge quilt, organized by Allyson of Fat Cat Quilts.  This was a great project and a number of lovely people joined in.

 
I can't really say that this was a "favorite".  It was a Web Sampler BOM from a couple of years ago.  Terrible finishing instructions, so I put it away and nearly never finished it.  Now that it is finished, I have little desire to pay for having it quilted.  Those borders left a very bad taste in my mouth.  Time will tell if it ever truly gets finished.

February:

 
Toulouse.  This was a sew along with Lisa and Thelma, and I have to say, I LOVE this quilt.  Can you believe it isn't quilted yet?  I must do something about that.

March:

 
The Love Quilt.  Ahren took this to Ireland to live with his girlfriend Mary Ann.

This was a stunt sewing project for Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.  It is a pattern called Shortline.  There are two versions of this quilt.  This was the easy one.   Isn't that quilting beautiful?

This is a close up of the trickier version.  The strips are 1 1/2" wide!  Amazing quilting!

April:

 
Oooh La La.  This was a graduation gift for my sweet niece Camille.  I finished it in April and sent it off for quilting.  Got it back in time to give it to her in June.  Love this quilt, and it couldn't have gone to a more deserving young lady.

 
Flowers for Clara.  I got this back from my quilter in April, but actually finished the quilt earlier in the year.  I have to say this is my second favorite quilt of 2010.

May:

Madeline.  My third favorite quilt of 2010.  I enlarged a Schnibble pattern (Miss Rosie's Quilt Co) of the same name, and used the wonderful Rouenneries fabric by French General.

 
Elizabeth.  My number one favorite quilt of 2010.  By a Miss Rosie pattern of the same name and also made with the Rouenneries collection by French General.  They look so different, don't they?  Both Madeline and Elizabeth are quilted and being lovingly used.

June:

Just a little table topper for my niece's shower.  A Schnibbles pattern called State Fair, by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.

Got this back from the quilter this month.  Prairie Paisley. Fabric by Minick and Simpson for Moda, pattern in a magazine.

Moor is Moor.  Pattern is Summerwinds by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.  Fabric is Wuthering Heights by 3 Sisters for Moda.

Stargazer.  Various Fig Tree fabrics, and a pattern from a magazine.  I loved this so much I made a second version in another color way. 

July:

I finished no quilts in July.  July will be remembered as the month we did not sell our house.  July will also be remembered as the month I discovered Marshalls and Home Goods and compulsively bought dishes.

August:

Roundabout.  A Schnibble pattern by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.  Saltbox Harvest fabric--Deb Strain for Moda.

Not much to show for August.  Also to be remembered as the month we did not sell our house.

September:

Another month in which our house did not sell.  When your house is for sale, you cannot have quilting projects spread out all over the place.  I did travel to Illinois this month with my friends Lisa and Thelma, met up with Carrie and Monique and did some serious shopping.  Oh, and I re-discovered embroidery!

October:

Do you see a trend developing here?

November:

Ummmm?

December:

Back in the game.

Route 44.  A Miss Rosie pattern that brought me to my knees.  Whimper.  This occupied most of November.

Blueberry Mocha Trails, a super fun sew along with Thelma.  Pattern by A Graceful Stitch.

Aside from these two finished quilt tops, December is to be remembered as the month of the Zippy Bags.

Lesson learned?  Don't let anything (like trying to sell your house) get in the way of your quilting!  Sew everyday and try to finish something every month.  So, there you have it, my resolution for 2011, to be known as The Year of the Baby.

Happy New Year, dear Friends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Week Between Christmas and New Years

I don't know about you, but for me, the week between Christmas and New Years is kind of lazy. 

 
I've been sitting around reading on my new Kindle a good deal of the time, trying to ignore Ozzie sitting on my head.  Gosh, am I having fun with that device!  There are so many books I want to read that I find myself thinking about what's next while I am still reading the current one.

We always try to go to the movies a few times during this week.  I mentioned already that we had seen True Grit and liked it.  Yesterday we saw The Tourist, with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie.  Interesting location (Venice) and handsome people.  The movie was entertaining, but you could totally tell it was just a vehicle for making Johnny and Angie their $15 million each.  Still haven't made it to Black Swan, but maybe later today after work.

 
I've made a couple more of my Shiloh blocks, using lighter greens from my stash.

 
And of course, I am still slogging through my half square triangles for the Belle Meade project I am doing with Thelma.  We will get going on that in earnest once she puts her Christmas decorations away.  lol

Repeat After Me:

I am not a baker.  I am not a baker.  I am not a baker.

This unbelievable mess is the cheesecake I was making for Christmas dinner. 

How could such a thing come to pass?  Well, I'll tell you.  Someone put my spring-form pan back together after it was washed, and got the bottom section in upside down. 

And when I was putting it into the 350 degree oven, the bottom of the pan fell right out.  Sploof.

The person who put the pan together wrong spent about an hour and a half cleaning up this colossal mess, while I went to the store on Christmas Eve for more ingredients.  Which also took about an hour and half.

He actually had to *take the oven doors off* to clean up all the goo.  The sugary liquid not only went all over the upper oven, but leaked down into the lower one as well.  When it happened, I just stared at the disaster without a clue how to begin cleaning it up.  If I had been alone, I think I would have picked up my purse, gone out to the car, and driven away from the house, never to be heard from again.  I would have started up a new, baking free life some where in Middle America.

All's well that ends well, though.  Ovens got cleaned, cheesecake (and pumpkin pie, and a cranberry coffee cake) got made.

Lol.  All in all, this was a pretty memorable Christmas!

My Heart is Full

This was the most magical, memorable, amazing Christmas ever.

The festivities began Christmas Eve, when my daughter Sara gave me a little present.

 
A little set of nesting dolls.  Oh, but look!  There is a note inside!

 
What does it say?

 
Keep going....

 
There is another note!

 
What?  What?

 

Last one...

 
No one has ever been this happy.  I am sure of it.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! 

Thank you all for your support and friendship this year!  I hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Here is a toast to you all for a year full of wonderful quilting projects!

Shiloh, My New Project

 
I ordered this pattern from Bonnie Blue Quilts recently.  Actually it is a kit.  I loved the red and green, brown and gold color palette of the fabrics and the flying geese unit has to be my favorite thing to make.

I had the entire day off yesterday, and certainly did not want to spend it in the kitchen.  So what did I do?  I started a new project!  What a perfectly lovely day it was.  I would sew for awhile, go out and admire the Christmas tree, go back and sew some more... Idyllic.

 
I love these blocks.  The fabrics that they sent in the kit are definitely NOT the exact fabrics on the pattern cover, which is moderately annoying.  Some of the greens are almost black, they are so dark, which will give the quilt a different look entirely.  It isn't that I don't like the very dark greens, I just need to think this whole thing through and make a decision to keep them in or not.  Lord knows I have plenty of Civil War greens in my stash that I could substitute.  I think I will make more blocks and see what I think.

This block is so fun to make.  I must say though, I changed up the instructions from what was given in the pattern.  I have a certain method of making flying geese that is unbeatable.

I use Monique Dillard's (Open Gate Quilts) special flying geese ruler, called Fit To Be Geese.  The trick to perfect flying geese is that you must make them bigger and cut them down to the perfect rectangular size.  Her ruler is a dream to use and these geese are so perfect, I half expect them to sit up and honk.

 
Monique tells you just what size triangles to cut to make your finished geese, and you assemble them in the usual way.

 
Remember they are a skosh bigger than you need, so you need to cut them down, using her ruler.  Place the ruler on the geese unit so the lines are flush with your point at the top of your "sky" piece. 

 
Trim the excess away on the left and top.

 
Flip the unit upside down and reposition the ruler, lining up the left side (that you just cut) with the ruler.  Cut off the right side and top.

And you have yourself one perfect little flying geese unit!  Or four, or eight...

 
Seriously, they are so perfect.  Points just where you want them, each one the exact same size as the other.  Wonderful when you have to sew them together.

 

 

I Am Not a Baker

 
OK, yes, there are a few things I am pretty good at.  Skilled even.

But not baking.  I told you all I had given up Holiday Baking in an effort to make my life more sane during the Christmas season.  Well, that wasn't all of the story.  I gave up Holiday Baking because it was at the bottom of my priority list.  I don't care that much for sweets, they are way too fattening, and frankly, my baked efforts usually turn out horrible.  Easy sacrifice.

But this year...It may be the last Christmas I spend with my son, as he is moving to Ireland in January.  I felt the tug of nostalgia that we all feel under such circumstances, and wanted this Christmas to be truly special, and incorporate memories from his childhood.

One of these memories is of a special shortbread cookie that is rolled out and cut into Christmas shapes and then frosted and decorated.  They always turned out really homely looking, but I attributed that to "the kid factor".  You know, the kids were going hog wild with the frosting and the sprinkles, and the cookies always ended up looking like H***, but that was ok, because it was a kid project.

So, this year, I decided to trot out the old shortbread cookie recipe and make up a batch of those holiday cookies.

 
Well, it has to be said, my kids made better looking cookies than I did.  Mine remind me of sweets from a Mexican bakery--those little marranito or puerquito cookies in lurid shades of pink.

 

I tried.  I think I will go back to sewing. 

 

A Patch of Sun--Simple Pleasures

My husband took this picture of Sophie, and I just had to share it.  Here I am, all a-flutter with last minute Christmas details and look at my girl--what an example to us all.  Here she sits in our dingy garage, leaning up against a packing crate, enjoying a patch of sunshine.  Just sitting.  Feeling the warmth of the rays, surveying her territory with satisfaction.  Wherever you are, stop a minute today and just experience the here and now of your surroundings.

Here is what I have been up to.  Wrapping the gazillion little cosmetics bags I have been making!  I gave one to each of the girls I work with at the clothing shop.  One of my sweet colleagues confided in me that no one had ever made anything for her in her entire life.

Just think about that for a second.  If you are reading this blog, chances are you are a crafty person (unless you are one of my male relatives--Hi Rick!).  And if you are crafty by nature, you have given people hand made gifts your entire life, and have probably been the recipient of some too.  This gal was so touched by my little gesture, that it surprised me.  So what did I do?  I went home and made her another bag, a bigger one.

Nothing like a little compliment to keep the old home made gifts coming, right??  lol  Show me some appreciation and I am your servant forever!  She will be begging me to stop come February.

 

For When You've Partied Too Hard...

 
OK, you ask, what the heck is THAT?

That, my friends, is a LUSH Emotibomb.  For when you have partied to hearty and need to wake up and rejoin the living, as in *today*.  This Morning.  An "emotibomb" is something that you put on the floor of your shower, turn on the water to a temperature that is as hot as you can stand it, and wait for the aromas to rise up and clear your head.  Seriously.  It supposedly works to clear a hangover.  Contains fennel (brings back focus and concentration), peppermint (reduces pain and mental fatigue), and sweet wild orange.

Hangovers not an issue for you?  Well, do you have any young men in their 20's who you are trying to find a little stocking stuffer for?  Mmmmm?  Check it out.  It is called the "Too Drunk Emotibomb" by Lush Cosmetics.  You can get it for $4.50 at Lush or on Amazon.com.  I am not trying to promote drunkeness in any way.  But we all know young men who occasionally over indulge, and wake up to regret it.  This could help.  Heck, it would probably be great for someone with a bad head cold too.

Here is another emotibomb for the guy who has a hard time getting going in the morning. 
 
Here is how Lush describes this product:  "If you need to wake up in the morning, try this reviving Emotibomb called "Up You Gets". Its lime, lemon and grapefruit oils jolt life back into you on the days when you can't get moving. There isn't anything that works better than this. Nothing legal anyway".

Those guys in their 20's can be darn tough to buy for.  Don't worry.  If you go to Lush, you will find all sorts of ideas for young men.  Here are some of my favorite products. 

 
The Olive Branch shower gel is the perfect gift for the stressed out young executive.  Here is how Lush describes it: 

"If your body is beaten by the rigours of the rat race, accept an olive branch. The Olive Branch has a welcoming warmth to it, with organic olive oil to soften your skin, an infusion of vine leaves, sea salt and the fresh juice of mandarins."

I feel relaxed already.

Or how about this product?  The name alone is bound to get a reaction.

 

This shower gel contains antioxidant wheatgrass juice, and citrus oils, which the company promises will bring sunshine to your days again.

"The fresh, earthy scent wakes up your mind and smells like a freshly mown lawn in spring time".  What college guy wouldn't love that? Or any guy for that matter?  I bought six of them to give the young guys in my family!

What gifts have you found to be a big hit with the young men in your life?  Aside from expensive electronic items!

Ozzie's On A Tear

Good gravy, is this dog getting on my last nerve or what?  I've just been so busy lately, with the shopping, wrapping, decorating, sewing, that I haven't been able to devote my usual amount of time to Ozzie.  He wants my attention and he wants it NOW.

His usual method of getting me to focus on him is to do something mischievious.  He is an expert in this area, a total pro.  If I am sewing, he comes into the sewing room and roots around in my wastebasket for some small token that he can sneak off with to make a mess.  Clippings from half square triangles?  Score!  Leader ender scraps with trailing threads?  Woo hoo!  He casually retrieves something and slowly begins to exit the room.  If I notice him sneaking off with a mouthful of messy sewing debris, I shout out "Ozzie!  No!  Leave it!"  That of course, causes him to pick up speed and launch into hyper space in an effort to make me chase after him.

You all remember the time Ozzie got sewing thread all wrapped around his tongue?  Well, I am not repeating that experience, I can tell you that.  $300 worth of X-rays and vet services to be sure he hadn't swallowed a bobbin?  No thanks.  Trust me friends, do not let your pets chew on thread.  It can cause terrible problems.

Luckily, if I offer him a dog treat in exchange for whatever he has in his mouth, he is willing to make a trade.

I had the door of the sewing room shut yesterday, so he couldn't do his usual tricks, but he is resourceful, yes he is.  He found something else to torment me with.  At least it wasn't my new shoes.

"Wanna go to the grocery store Nicole?  Huh? Huh?"