Ten Days to Christmas! I'm Not Ready!

Hey everyone!

I literally just realized today that we are ten days (10 days!) out from Christmas! I'm so not ready! Yeah, I've bought a few gifts, but they aren't wrapped and I'm pretty sure I'm not finished shopping yet. I just thought about Christmas cards yesterday and still haven't done anything about writing them or getting them out. To say that I am behind is an understatement! Are you ready for Christmas?

If you, like me, are not in fact, ready for Christmas, here is a link and another link, and just one more link (you're welcome) to some quick and easy Christmas gifts that you can make. Guess, I'd better choose which ones to make and get crackin'!

I am working on my embroidery piece...still! Not sure it will be ready by Christmas but I get an A for effort, I guess. 

Next week I'm off work for the whole week and I'm so excited. My plans are 1) get ready for Christmas...wrap presents...send out cards 2) organize my sewing room, which is long past due 3) get another quote for new kitchen cabinets (Monday) 4) finish embroidery piece 5) get some rest. I'm not sure I'll get any or all of that done! I already have babysitting for my grandsons scheduled on Saturday, so one day down. We'll see what happens.

My daughter sent a Christmas photo of my grandsons. They've grown so much! My oldest grandson will be 9 in January along with my youngest granddaughter (how are they 9 already! Weren't they just born?!) Geez, time flies!

My handsome grandsons with Santa!

I also celebrated another spin around the sun last week. Funny, I don't feel older, but my body would beg to differ! I guess you are really as young as you feel...not! LOL! Anyway, my oldest daughter made me a ginormous delicious chocolate cake and I had the whole family over for dinner. Yes, I cooked (and cleaned) on my birthday! But we had a great time.

Me with my ginormous chocolate cake!

Here's to looking forward to the holidays and a new year.

Happy Sewing, Quilting, and Embroidering!

And if I haven't told you yet, Happy Holidays! 🎄🎅🤶

Another Successful Surgery and a Cold Front

Howdy Folks!

Just stopping to let you know that my second cataract surgery was a success and I am recovering well. 👀 I was nervous about it, but there was no reason to be and now it's all behind me...well, except 4 more weeks of eye drops and another ophthalmologist visit. Ha! 

One of the nurses at the surgery center asked me if cataract surgery was a Christmas present to myself. I had to think about that one for a minute, but...um...yeah...I suppose it was! 🎁 So Merry Christmas to me!

I woke up to near-freezing temperatures this morning and frost on the ground (I mean...it's Texas, so that's newsworthy). So, it's truly winter here...at least for a few days. LOL! Just wait a minute and the weather will change! Sunday it was 81 degrees, so Texas weather is like a roller coaster most of the time, except in the summer when it's just HOT! 🔥

My embroidery piece is coming along, but I have to rest my eyes for a few days at least before I can get back to it. Not to worry, I have more Christmas shopping🤶 to get done and I'm working on a big project at work, so I'm staying busy!

Gotta go rest now.

Happy Sewing, Quilting, and Embroidering!

Turkey, Surgeries, and Christmas Shopping

Hey there!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving! I know I ate my fair share of turkey and stuffing!🦃 😉

Now it's on to Christmas. Speaking of which, did you do any Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping? I sure did! Trying to get gifts for the kids and grandkids. I found most of the gifts on Amazon and a few at Target and may have bought a few things for myself along the way 😉 I always forget (every single year) just how stressful (and expensive) Christmas shopping is. I still have some shopping left to do, so trying to save up. 

When I was at the doctor's office last week, I was chatting with one of the nurses who mentioned that she had all of her Christmas shopping done by August! August...I don't even think about Christmas shopping until after Halloween, or even Thanksgiving! I'm curious as to how many people get their Christmas shopping done early 🤔

I also had cataract surgery in one eye 👁 and am going in tomorrow to get the other eye done. I am so hoping this will not only improve my vision but also my night vision. Haven't driven at night for quite a while now. Surprisingly, the first surgery was fast and easy (I was quite nervous!), so here's hoping tomorrow's surgery is fast and easy too. 

My Christmas tree is up! I actually bought a new tree this year (on sale) and put it up the day after Thanksgiving. Now, I'm not normally a tree-putter-upper but decided that since I'm in a new house and I have the kids and grandkids over more often (because...bigger house) that I would go ahead and put up a tree this year. 🎄 So here's a photo of my new tree! (I'm still waiting on some decorations and tree skirt that I ordered...so don't judge the bareness of my tree)

My new Christmas tree!

I'm still working on my next embroidery project and hopefully will be finished soon. It's been hard to finish it with the eye surgeries, but I promise to post photos as soon as it's off the hoop!

Here are some photos of the grandkids from Thanksgiving week, and also my tree out front is changing colors and it is beautiful!

The boys had a concert at their music school.

My beautiful tree, changing to autumn colors!

Happy Sewing, Quilting, and Embroidering!

 

Hickabilly Christmas Tennessee Trip

Howdy y'all!

I just returned from 5 days in Chattanooga, Tennessee where I attended the Hickabilly Christmas Live Event by Lizzy & Erin. I'm tired from traveling but had a great time crafting and catching up with my long-time friend, Debbie. 

Me and Debbie (she made us matching shirts!)

It was really great to see Debbie and her daughter and meet her four-year-old granddaughter (even though she wasn't feeling too well 😞). The weather turned rainy and cold when we were there, so sightseeing moved off our list (bummer). I was really excited to see the sights...but it just wasn't meant to be. However, we ate some delicious food while we were there! We had a wonderful brunch at Milk and Honey and had amazing ramen at Two Ten Jack's restaurant.

Driving into Tennessee

Cool tunnel in Chattanooga!

Also, I won a gift basket! (I never win anything!) It was so big that I had to ship it home...LOL! It should be here tomorrow, so it'll be like I won it twice 😂

The giant gift basket I won and shipped home!

Hickabilly Christmas...Look at all those gift baskets they gave away!

This cute reindeer (made by me) was one of the crafts we made at the event.

Now there's a quilt! LOL!

Well, time for this old gal to rest up from the trip and think about gifts for Christmas. I can't even believe that Thanksgiving is next week! So, Happy Thanksgiving!

Next time, we'll talk about little gifts to sew or quilt for Christmas.

Happy Sewing and Quilting!

November and the Houston International Quilt Show

Happy November or as I like to say Happy Almost Turkey Time! 🦃

It's starting to cool off here in Texas, at last! I love going outside and not instantly sweating. And we've finally gotten some rain. Yep, the cooler weather is exciting!

Today the Houston International Quilt show begins and runs through November 6. Unfortunately, I am unable to attend again this year for various reasons. I've been to this spectacular show a couple of times and I have to say that it's a wonderful, if a bit overwhelming, quilt show. It showcases some of the best of the best quilters on the planet. It's also fun for everyone (husbands and kids included). 

My late husband took me to the Houston Quilt show twice, years ago, and we both had so much fun. Hubby loved looking at all the art quilts and I had fun shopping. 😃 So many vendors come to the quilt market and show in Houston. It's amazing! 

If you can't make it to the show (like me) click here to see the winning quilts. I am determined to make it back to Houston, if not next year, then the following year (fingers crossed). I mean...I'm not getting any younger! But if you do want to go next year, or the year after, be sure to reserve a hotel (or stay with friends) well in advance...like right now! The hotels book up quickly, especially the ones nearest to the venue.

I have never entered a quilt in a quilt show before. I mean...I'd like to I'm just chicken. One day, perhaps I'll be brave enough but until then I just like to look at everyone else's beautiful quilts.

My vacation is next week and I'm excited to be off work for a few days. Plus I'm excited about seeing my long-time friend, who I haven't seen for several years, her daughter, and her little granddaughter (who I haven't met yet). As mentioned in a previous post, we are attending the Hickabilly Christmas Live event in Chattanooga, Tennessee where we will be crafting up a storm. They do have a virtual option if you are interested in attending without the cost of travel. I'm just calling it "Girls Week"!

My latest little embroidery project is nearly complete and I'm anxious to finish it. I'll post photos when it's done.

Happy November, Quilting, Embroidering, Crafting, and Sewing! 🍁🍂

Las Vegas and Latest Embroidery

Happy Thursday!

It's hard to believe that the end of October is here already! Seems like October just began and Halloween is in a few days. I have a couple of costumes to choose from for a Halloween kids' party on Sunday, so I just have to decide which one to wear. 💀👻

I was in Las Vegas for a work conference last week and it was...exhausting! (You thought I was going to say fun.) I mean...it was for work. I'm not a gambler, however, I did play one slot machine...just for the heck of it...and after winning $24, I walked away a winner!💲

One thing about Vegas that I discovered is all the walking! Everything seems near enough but then you walk miles to get there. One of the ballrooms in the hotel where the conference was held was a quarter mile of walking each way. Now, that may not seem like much but when you walk it several times a day, the steps really add up. The good news is, I did get all my steps in last week! My tip for going to Las Vegas is to wear comfortable shoes!

Me in Vegas

Amy Pohler was one of the main speakers at the conference and she was really interesting to listen to. I was excited to be able to sit near the front of the audience and got some good photos of her.

Amy Pohler in Vegas

More photos from Vegas

My next trip is in a few short weeks for vacation. As mentioned in a previous post, I'm going to Tennessee for a Lizzy & Erin craft show. I'm just really excited to be taking a vacation for the first time all year! 😃

After I got home from Las Vegas and rested up quite a bit, I finished an embroidery piece I've been working on for several months. I was happy to be done with it and have moved on to another embroidery project for Christmas. And yes, I know, Christmas is looming!

My latest finished embroidery project

The printed fabric for my latest finished embroidery project is from The French Needle (link on the right) and the thread colors are my own. Most of the thread I used is from Sublime Stitching (link on the right). My next embroidery project is also from The French Needle and I'll post it when I'm done with it. It's a small piece, so should go pretty fast.

Happy Quilting, Embroidering, and Traveling!

Writing and Quilting

Hey there!

I just returned from the Dallas Fort Worth Writers Conference (DFWCON) and it was a fantastic conference! Not only do I learn so much about writing at these events, but I also get to meet great people. And since I write fiction in between working, being a Nana, quilting, and embroidering, I'm always excited to go. 

I actually met an author...cannot remember her name (I'm terrible at names)... at the conference who also quilts and we sat and talked about quilting and shared photos of our quilts for about an hour. I was so excited and so was she! She'd only been quilting for about a year, so she picked my brain about quilt tips. I'm always happy to help out fellow quilters! Needless to say, even at a writing conference, the highlight for me was chatting about quilting. LOL!

Next week I'm headed to Las Vegas (first time ever!) on a business trip and then definitely looking forward to actual vacation time in November. I probably won't take any embroidery to Las Vegas but will take it to Tennessee. I honestly need to look for "airplane" scissors so I can sit and embroider on the plane. Any suggestions? I've been meaning to search for some but have been way too busy.

The weather in Texas is finally starting to cool some (well, today it's 91 out) and I was able to spend some time outside with my youngest daughter yesterday. We made some bird feeders out of toilet paper rolls, peanut butter, string, and birdseed and hung them up in the trees. 

This was a fun (sticky) crafty project that you could do with your kids or grandkids. It's also a great way to repurpose toilet paper rolls rather than throwing them away! 

Here's a short video on how to do it.

We love the birds!

Homemade bird feeders

As you can see from the photos, we already have several bird (and/or squirrel) feeders in the yard. The squirrels love to raid the bird feeders! 

Viva Las Vegas and Happy Quilting, Sewing, and Crafting!

What to Do with All Those Scraps?

Hey there, quilters!

Have you ever wondered what to do with all those scraps that accumulate from cutting quilt blocks or cutting out stuff for applique? Well, I have some ideas on that.

Scrap quilts go way back to the beginning of quilting when pioneer women cut up old worn-out clothing and used them in quilts.Today, quilters tend to use a scrap bucket, bin, tub, etc., to throw scraps into for later use. 

Before I moved into my new house, I had an old laundry basket chock full of scraps! I donated a lot of fabric to a quilt charity and they also wanted all my scraps! I handed over the whole laundry basket and now I'm starting my scrap bucket all over again.

But seriously, scrap quilts are a great way to save money and make some quick and amazing quilts! I will use bits of fabric as small as an inch. Some of the larger scraps, I'll cut up into smaller pieces, depending on what I'm making. 

If you applique, you may end up with some really oddly shaped scraps (I know I do!), but not to worry, those can be cut down and used in scrap quilts. I have found that scraps work really well in my quilted landscape wallhangings. So, don't throw away your scraps!

String quilts are a form of scrap quilt and I LOVE making string quilts! It's a great way to use up any size of scrap fabric. I've even made string blocks and incorporated them into other quilts, which gives the quilts a whole new dimension. 

I like using a muslin backing for string blocks, mainly because I tend to buy muslin by the bolt, but you can use any fabric. You can also use newspapers, phone book pages, used dryer sheets, copy paper, wax paper, and even old bed sheets for backing. Basically, whatever you have handy. String borders are also super cute on quilts.

Some string blocks I made for a quilt swap

String quilt I made

One nice thing about string quilts is there is an extra layer of fabric in there for warmth. If you're making a summer or lighter weight quilt, then just add a backing and quilt, no need for batting. (Cost savings!)

Here is a link for how to make string quilts.

For basic scrap quilts, just start cutting scraps to the size you want and start sewing them together! Here is a link for scrap quilt ideas. There are also a ton of ideas on Pinterest for scrap quilts, or make it up as you go along.

Scrap baby quilt I made

Scrap borders are also fun to make and add another dimension to your quilt.

If you are looking for a quick and easy quilt to make, raid your scrap bucket and get to scrapping!

Happy Quilting and Sewing!

Quilt Patterns

Happy Fall Y'all!

Well, it's still a million degrees outside here in Texas, but for the rest of the country, fall is upon us. We won't get cooler temps until sometime in October and I always look forward to the coolness of fall. This summer has been so very long and hot and I'm so ready for it to be over!

Today, I wanted to discuss quilt patterns and how to source them, if you use them. Some people like to make up their own quilt patterns for unique one-of-a-kind quilts, and I've done that before too. But if you do use quilt patterns, where do you primarily get them from? Do you buy them in quilt shops, on Amazon, or get them for free online or on YouTube? Please comment and let me know where you get your patterns. Inquiring minds want to know.

I've bought quilt patterns and have actually used a couple but many of them sit sadly neglected on a shelf in my sewing room. I've often thought that I should sell them since I don't use them but you just never know!

Years ago, when my oldest daughter graduated college, I bought the Yellow Brick Road quilt pattern and made her that quilt. I will confess that I probably didn't follow the pattern exactly but I think it turned out great. 

Yellow Brick Road Quilt I made for my daughter

I have also watched YouTube and gotten pattern ideas from there. I mean, you have to watch the video like a hundred times (or at least I do), but that works too. I actually made a landscape wall hanging by watching a YouTube video and it looks great, I think. 

My Beach Wallhanging - Pattern from YouTube

I also have an old Fons & Porter beginner's quilt book (it's like the Betty Crocker recipe binder) that has several good patterns as well as quilting tips and tricks. That is my go-to book for quilting and I have used it since I started quilting 20-plus years ago.

There are so many good online sites with free patterns that it almost seems like a waste of money and more costly to buy patterns, and then I think about the people who painstakingly come up and produce quilt patterns and I like to help their businesses too.

Here are some online sites with free patterns in case you are feeling the economic crunch and want to reduce your quilting costs:

National Quilters Circle

The Spruce Crafts

Fat Quarter Shop

Riley Blake Designs

Favecrafts

Bear Creek Quilting Company

Make It - Love It

That's it for today! Let me know where you get your quilt patterns from in the comments. 

Whether you make up your own patterns, buy them, or get them free online Happy Quilting and Sewing!

Thrifty Quilting

Hey there!

Today, I want to discuss how to save money on fabric and quilting supplies. The cost of everything is going up and fabric, in particular, is up to over $14/yard (if you buy it new)! So, you have this quilting hobby that was expensive, to begin with, and is just getting more expensive, how do you cut costs so you can keep quilting? 

Here are some of my tips.

Tip #1:

Well, first of all, and it's rather obvious to me, is to find fabric on sale. Physical stores and online stores always have a clearance section, so go there first to see if you can find anything (I always do!).

Tip #2:

Thrift stores are a wonderful, inexpensive source for fabric. Think men's XL or XXL shirts, long cotton nightgowns, formal dresses, cotton sheets, and even some blankets (like baby blankets). These are great for fabric yardage! 

I have a camping quilt I made years ago and the back is from an old soft cotton twin-size sheet. I still use that quilt on my bed and it just gets softer the more I wash it.

Tip #3:

Use social media. Facebook, for example, has swap groups and a marketplace where you can swap or buy fabric and quilting supplies. I've seen some great sewing machines on the marketplace selling for low prices.

Tip #4:

Estate sales. Sadly, quilters do pass on to the great sewing room in the sky and their families often sell all of their fabric and quilting supplies in estate or garage sales. You can pick up items super cheap this way. I've even had people gift me fabric when a beloved quilter passes on.

Tip #5:

Ask your family and friends if they have items from, let's say spring cleaning or moving, they want to get rid of and take them off their hands. Again, think sheets, blankets, clothing, even some curtains! Make t-shirt quilts from old t-shirts. 

I had a friend who gave me all of her son's baby clothes and blankets and wanted a quilt made from them. I used only what she gave me with no other fabrics added.

The quilt I made from baby clothes and blankets

Tip #5:

Clean out your closet! (Yes, mom). Go through your own closet (or your husband's and kid's closets) and look for old dresses, shirts, pajamas, nightgowns, and pants, and cut them up for fabric. I have even been known to buy shirts because I loved the fabric and knew that one day it would go into a quilt.

You have to think outside the "fabric box" to save money on fabric and quilt supplies. And no one needs to know that you cut up an old nightgown to save money on fabric. After all, quilting originally started in this country with pioneer women cutting up old worn-out clothing to make quilts.

Those are my tips, please comment if you have any other tips to start getting thrifty with your quilting hobby in this world of rising prices.

Here are some other great articles on thrifty quilting:

Hobbies on a budget

Premeditated Leftovers

Raspberry Spool

Happy Quilting and Sewing!

Quilt Shows

 Happy Thursday (or Friday Eve)!

Do you attend quilt shows? Do you prefer looking at the quilts or shopping the vendors for fun new quilting stuff? 

I love a good quilt show for many reasons and especially for looking at the beautiful quilts and getting inspired. Also, I love to shop the vendors! I always find new and different things that I must purchase (even if my wallet does not agree). I was disappointed in 2020 (weren't we all!) because all the quilt shows were canceled and then in 2021 some of the quilt shows came back but not all of them. But this year, I think most of the quilt shows are back! 

Here are national and international quilt show schedules for the rest of 2022 and 2023.

I attended the Plano Quilt Show in August and had such a great time. I have some friends that I only see at quilt shows, so I hadn't seen some of them for a couple of years and it was great to catch up and even make a few new friends too. My quilt show friend, Judy Beskow, won several ribbons at the show, including the Viewer's Choice award. I am always in awe of her quilts and she inspires me to do better. 

Judy Beskow with her amazing quilt and ribbons

I plan on going to more quilt shows, as work and time permit, to get extra inspired. When I was walking around the Plano Quilt Show, I was thinking about all of the thousands and thousands of hours those quilters put into their work and it just astounds me. So much time, passion, and not to mention expense! No, quilting is not an inexpensive endeavor. Next time, I will discuss ways to make quilting more affordable.

Happy Quilting and Sewing!

National Sewing Month

Hey there!

Did you know that September is National Sewing Month? Well, it is! Learn more here about National Sewing Month. Tell me what's on your sewing table!

It's a nice reminder for me to get to sewing! I worked on organizing and unpacking my sewing room this weekend...still not finished...but made some good headway. You don't realize just how much fabric you own until you start digging into it, at least I don't. And fabric is heavy! I moved fabric around this weekend until I was sore. I am anxious to get everything sorted and organized because Christmas is coming fast! In truth, I should have started any sewing projects for Christmas months ago, but somehow it always sneaks up on me. Work has been very busy these past few months and based on a call I had this morning, it's not going to slow down anytime soon. We'll just call that job security! :)

I did do a lot of embroidery this weekend in an effort to finish a larger piece I've been working on for the past few months. I'll admit that I'm a bit of an embroidery kit hoarder and have several (okay, a lot) other embroidery kits that I'm anxious to get started. 

I have a plumber coming out to look at the shower in my master bathroom, which started leaking this weekend. I love my plumber but talk about an expensive unexpected expense! Homeownership definitely has its advantages, but the maintenance costs have gone up so much in the past couple of years as has everything else.

That's it for now. I wish you a beautiful day of sewing or embroidery! It's starting to almost feel like fall. It's still in the 90s in Texas and I'm looking forward to October when we will actually get cooler daytime temperatures. But until then, we enjoy the cooler evenings.

Happy Quilting and Sewing!

RIP Queen Elizabeth

Yesterday was a hard day with the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. She's gone to the great Palace in the sky to be with Philip. I'm not British but I do have British, Irish, and Scottish ancestry and have followed the Royals for as long as I can remember. I've been to Buckingham Palace and seen the Queen's Guards, the Tower, and London Bridge. My heart goes out to all British subjects who now transition to a new Monarchy under King Charles and his Queen Consort, Camilla.

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

I have been searching online for a freehand embroidery pattern of the Queen and cannot find one, so if you know where I can find one, please let me know. I would be excited to do a stitching of her.

I am still working on my quilting room (it's taking forever) but was excited to receive my packs of threads (not that I don't have a ton of thread already) from Sublime Stitching today. I have been a customer of Jenny's for years and she is so sweet! She runs a great little company where you can purchase embroidery thread (which I love), patterns, and tools. Her patterns are contemporary and modern (not your grandma's) which is an exciting change from some of the older patterns out there. So shout out to Jenny!

My daughter-in-law came over for a visit last night. It's always wonderful to see her and I honestly don't see her enough. She is the mom of my 2 beautiful granddaughters (growing up way too fast), who I had over last weekend. We baked a cake and cookies and made a huge amount of buttercream frosting, which ended up all over the kitchen, but we had so much fun.

Mia

Leylia

That's it for today. I am continuing on my hunt for Queen Elizabeth embroidery patterns.

Happy Quilting and Stitching!

It's Been a While

Hi there, I know it's been a long long while since I've posted anything on here, but life (and work) does tend to get in the way sometimes.

I have 5 growing grandkids now and I have moved! Not far from where I used to live, but I sold my house and bought another one that I like so much better. My dear Hootie kitty passed away several years ago, but I got another kitty (rescue) during the COVID lockdown of 2020. Miss Matilda (Tilly) is a real diva and a bit of a pill, but we get along just fine.

Miss Tilly (Diva Kitty)

She's so fluffy!

During lockdown, I did a whole bunch of freehand embroidery and am still embroidering away. I find it relaxing and I can do it while watching TV in the evenings after work.

One of my embroidered pieces

As mentioned earlier, I moved in March of this year and am still getting my quilting room set up (yes, I am slow). But, I bought a new sewing table and cutting table that I am eager to try out! I will post photos when everything is set up.

I hope all of you made it through 2020 and 2021 okay! I'm looking forward to some vacation time in the next few months. In November, I'm going to Chatanooga to attend the Lizzy & Erin Live Hickabilly Christmas event. I am meeting a long-time friend there and we are going to hang out. It will be exciting to travel a bit again. I will post photos after the event.

Cheers and Happy Quilting!