Tag: quilting

fabric · nature · quilt top · quilting · quilts · stash busting

A New Backyard Visitor!

Wild Rose Quilter14 Comments

What a cutie!
What a cutie!

We have lived here just over eleven years and this is the first time we have seen a squirrel in the yard, or the neighborhood, for that matter.  I quickly put some of Bunbun’s leftover food in the bird feeders for it, but as soon as it thought it was safe, it scampered away and over the fence next door.  Darn! I wanted to watch it gobble up the goodies I put out for it. 

21 more stars to go! I timed myself on the last two and it took me 35 minutes to get them done.  I should have between 5 & 6 more hours of star sewing left to have all the blocks done.  Then I can decide on the final layout and start getting those rows together.

I'm seeing stars!
I'm seeing stars!

fabric · pretty fabric · quilt top · quilting · quilts · sewing · stash busting

Small Change = Big Difference

Wild Rose Quilter6 Comments

Ok, so I really like these fabrics together.

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I really like the individual stars I’ve been making with them.

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However, I  wasn’t liking them together. It just wasn’t working for me.  I was feeling like I was really messing up a lot of pretty fabric.

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And then I rearranged them…again.  But I used a different approach.  Instead of trying to alternate lighter star/darker background blocks, I quit paying attention to that, and laid them out according to backgrounds only.  Much better!  Now, it’s working for me.  🙂

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Only 29 more to go!

longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilting · quilts · stash busting

Happy New Year!

Wild Rose Quilter5 Comments

I did manage to get my Daddy’s Log Cabin quilt completely finished last night, by putting the final stitches into the label.  I didn’t get as many projects finished as I had hoped, but all things consisdred, I think I had a good “quilty” year.

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I have started my “2009” page, which you fill find under the “Quilting Projects 2009” tab at the top of this page.  I’m ready to start getting some numbers going on my stash tracking page!

I just finished eating lunch.  Blackeyed peas & cornbread, of course!  Yummy!  I will confess that I didn’t make the peas from “scratch”.  I made my cornbread from scratch, but the peas came from a can.  Bush’s Blackeyed Peas with Sugar Snaps.  They are so good and so quick and easy.  Speaking of quick and easy food, here is one of my favorite new products from 2008.  Ore Ida Steam ‘n Mash ‘taters.

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I was so excited when I saw the commercial for them on TV.  This is a great time saver for me, and they are really good!  Now my family gets mashed potatoes on weekdays again.  When I get off of work at 5:00, and come home to start dinner, peeling and chopping up potatoes is not high on my list of things I want to do.  These guys get two thumbs up from me.  They also come in sweet ‘taters, and galic herb and some cheesy ones.  I like the sweet and the regular russets the best.

Sometime today I have to do statements for the shop, but I am going to spend some more time working on my Gracie’s Star blocks, and my Oklahoma Backroads.  My vacation was officially over yesterday and I went back to work.  But today is another day off. 

A few months ago, back in October, I had a mammogram scare.  Turned out to be nothing at all, but for almost two weeks, we didn’t know.  It made me think about scary words like mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, reconstruction, and fighting for survival.  Well, I start this year with a great appreciation that I’m not facing any of those things.  I’m thankful that my family is in tact, and I have more blessings than I can count.  Every day is gift.  Thank you for sharing this past year here with me!

fabric · quilting · sewing · stash busting

Stash Busting BUSTED Report

Wild Rose Quilter20 Comments

Right here at the end, when I was doing so well…I busted it big.  And I’m not a bit sorry.  As I stated in a previous post, the fabric store, that my Mom & I like to visit together, is going out of business.  Everything was 50% off.  I love that fabric store and it was my last ever shopping trip there.  I bought big, but I think I made wise choices.  Things that will be very useful when shopping the stash.

Here is the sack.  It reminded me of Santa’s.

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My shopping spoils.

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Mmmmm….68 yards of yummy fabric goodness.  Love it!

My final totals for 2008:

  • Incoming Yardage to date: 152 yds.
  • Outgoing Yardage to date:  120 yds.
  • Total Stash Busted to date: <32> yds.

Today I have been in a piecing frenzy, but I will save those pictures for later this week.  Maybe my Wednesday WIP post.  My new  header will give you a tiny sneak peek. I’ve been working on three projects at one time!  2009 may be the year of project-itis. I have two days of vacation left.  I am enjoying it so, so very much.  I wish it didn’t have to end.

fabric · freehand quilting · longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts

Lots of Stitching Going On

Wild Rose Quilter19 Comments

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  We had a very nice, laid back day around here.  It was just my husband, son and me.  Then yesterday, we went to Pampa to spend the day after Christmas with my parents.  We had a wonderful day with them.  We waited til the day after because the fabric store there is having a going out of business sale, and it was open on Friday.  I am sad it is closing.  Mom & I really enjoyed our little outings there together.  So of course, we had to have one last hoorah there 🙂  There will be more about that in my Sunday stash report…hehehehe.

Today was a great day, as well.  I finished up the quilting on my customer quilt, and I am pleased with it.  I hope she will be.  I sure had fun working on it.

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After I finished this, I felt like just doing some piecing.  Piecing for the sheer fun of watching the pretty blocks come together.  Remember these fabrics I purchased earlier this year?

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I couldn’t stand just looking at it any longer.  I had to start cutting it up and sewing it back together.

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These blocks are FUN to sew together.  I also washed some white fabric and some 30’s repros that I want to use in another quilt.  And I’ve done some sewing on the leaders/enders scrap quilt I’m making for my Mom.  I’ll put pics of that in tomorrow’s post. 

I am truly grateful for days like this.  They are like a little gift.  I hope you are enjoying your weekend and doing something you love!

longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilt top

To Answer Terri’s Question…

Wild Rose Quilter19 Comments

In the post preceding this one, Terri asked what I was going to quilt in the alternate blocks.  Now that I have a row of them done, I will show you.

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The stencil design is by Anita Shackelford, and it looks so beautiful stitched out.  I have wanted to do this one for awhile, but honestly, I wasn’t sure I could pull it off.  It’s actually quite fun to do.  Carla Barrett inspired me to purchase it after she posted a couple of quilts that she used it in, on her blog.  One was this beautiful log cabin.  The other was a stunning Carolina Lilly quilt, which you can find if you click her gallery tab. 

Wow, two posts in one day.  I’m on a roll…

daily life · food · freehand quilting · longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts

Why Am I Up So Early?

Wild Rose Quilter5 Comments

It’s 5:30 and I’ve already got a loaf of cranberry nut bread in the oven.  Did I mean to be up this early? No way! 3:30 this morning and I was wide awake.  At 4:45 I finally just gave in and got up.  I’m sure it will catch up with me later today. 

The Red Velvet Whoopie Pies were a hit.  Mine aren’t near as pretty as the ones in the magazine, but they taste good.  I didn’t follow the recipe for the filling, though.  The recipe calls for a filling made from cream cheese, marshmallow creme and butter.  I was getting ready to make it and my son stopped me and requested that I use my butter cream frosting.  Since I’ve never had them before, I can’t say which way is better, but my butter cream frosting sure is yummy in there.

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They look pretty sitting on the counter next to my new mixer, as they are almost the same color red.  I chose the cinnamon color mixer, which is a deeper color than the bright red.  The recipe for the whoopie pies can be found in the December Better Homes & Gardens issue, or the BHG recipe site, by doing a search for Red Velvet Whoopie Pies.  You will have to register at the site to view the recipes, but it’s free.

I also made a batch of beef jerky yesterday.  It’s my second try in my new dehydrator.  I tried once using the oven, and I ruined all my jerky meat.  This batch came out really good, so I think I’m finally getting the hang of it.  We like it hot.  Can you see those red pepper flakes?

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Since it is Wednesday, I will throw in some more pics of the WIP that is on the machine, and a pic of the memorial t-shirt quilt I have started.

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Oh yum! The cranberry nut bread just got done…can you smell it? 🙂  My house never smells like this at this time of day…lol.  This will throw my little family for a loop!  Me…cooking before coffee…how in the world did that happen?

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They really won’t care, though, since it doesn’t involve bacon, eggs, toast or pancakes.  Those items are a supper dish around here.  I tell them if they want them for breakfast, there’s a perfectly good restaurant in town that serves them in the morning.

Merry Christmas Eve! I hope Santa is good to you!

daily life · quilting

So What is Up With This?

Wild Rose Quilter7 Comments

This morning, when I visited my blog homepage, I was logged out, so I click on the “log in” link in my sidebar.  My Norton internet security pops up with a big red X telling me that this page is blocked for my protection.  If I know the page is safe, I can click on the link “to visit the page anyway”.  So I do, so that I can fill in my log-in info.  Boom, it pops up again.  It will not let me log into my blog from the “log-in” page, no way, no how, no sir.  I can view my blog, but I can’t get logged on as the owner.  So I click on the WordPress.com homepage link, and use the sign in box on it, and voila! I’m in.  What’s the deal?? Anyone have a clue? Norton said something about phishing protection.  Have the evil forces taken over the wordpress log-in page? Or has my Norton gone overprotective psycho all of a sudden?  Sheesh…I hate complications like this.  I’m just glad I’m on for now.

In other news, my son played in one of his summer golf tournaments yesterday, and finally seems to have his mojo back.  He won 1st place with a score of one under par.  Yippee!  Today & tomorrow he plays in another…hoping he does well in it, also.

I have managed this week to squeeze in a bit of quilting in one form or another, every day.  Even if it was just cutting up more scraps into 2.5 inch strips or squares or bricks for my leaders/enders projects.  My disposition has been so much better since I’ve been able to lay my hands on pretty fabric on a regular basis this last couple of weeks.  It really is good medicine for my soul. 

Gotta head off to work.  Hope I’ll be able to stay logged in.  Have a happy Friday!