2013 Was A Very Good (Quilty) Year

 Can it be that we are now at the end of 2013?

Where has the year gone?

One of the nice things about keeping a blog is that

it makes it easy to go back and review what was accomplished.

I always start my end of the year search 

anticipating there won't be much to show.

And then when I begin going through posts month by month

I realize maybe I finished a few more quilts than I originally thought.

There are always twists and turns in life and

2013 was no exception.

This is my 301st Post out of 365 days for the year :)

When I started 2013, I set a goal to 

Finish UP 

quilts that had not been quilted.

You know those stacks that wait patiently in the back of a closet?

As with all good intentions,

I started off with gusto

Star Crazy

The top was completed in early 2011

*I even led an on-line group

and I just needed to meet the right person 

to have it quilted.

 My next quilt to take to Pat was

Rabbits Prefer Chocolate

which was started several years ago

The blocks were completed but the top still

needed a little assembling.

 In March my friend Lori Holt (Bee In My Bonnet)

wrote and asked me

 if I would make a pillow with 

her new Half Hexie Ruler

that had just been launched into the market.

Of course I said "Yes!"

I love everything Lori makes

and I really enjoyed playing with her rulers.

 In April I completed a 

T-Shirt Quilt

as a gift for family members

using Crooked Nickel's

easy to do

fusible technique and

Memories To A T pattern.

 May brought a very fun completion

after sewing blocks for months

following Lori Holt's (Bee In My Bonnet) on-line tutorials.

Row Along Quilt

will always have such fond memories.

Another goal I had for 2013 was only sew from my stash

and I'm proud to say this entire quilt was made from scraps.

Lori even gave us a design to make the 

cutest label!

 We were very fortunate to be with Lori during those months

because her ideas became the book

Quilty Fun

this last year!

Yay Lori!

Cross Terrain

pattern by Freshly Pieced

was made out of my red and white scraps.

                                              Then my life began to change :)

The book store I worked for 

announced they were
Closing

and 

I began to wonder what I should do next?

Pat had recently purchased 

Triangles On A Roll

and I had the opportunity to become 

Sales Manager
I began to spend hours and hours 

playing with 

all the various papers

 I also started creating my own patterns

(something I had never done before)

and a new pattern company

Cactus Needle Quilts

was launched in July

 What a wonderful 

whirlwind 

it's been since then.

I have learned a lot!

6 new patterns

came out on the market

starting with 

Christmas Pyramids

Gina is made with

the basic Half Square Triangles

 The Eyes Have It

uses Quarter Square Triangles

 Hourglass Squared

also uses Quarter Square Triangles

*even the border is made with QST's

 Baby Waves 

is made from Half Square Triangles

that are simply cut in half.

So easy to do!

 I liked it so much,

I made one in blue.

 And my favorite quilt that I made in 2013

Indian Blanket

I made

Mod Geo Cruiser

as a pattern tester for 

Kelli Fannin (Seriously I Think It Needs Stitches)

Love that it matches my new aqua Cruiser bike!

 I've also been busy writing 

Tutorials

Scrappy Chevrons

With only a little spare time

I managed to crochet to a finish in 

the last few moments of December

Moss Stitch Afghan

was a gift for my daughter and her husband.

Oh yes, and there were the monthly
Bees Knees blocks
made and sent out to various members of our group.
I learn a lot from these wonderful ladies.

2013 Was a Very Good Quilty Year:)

And I'm excited to see what 2014 will bring!

Alissa's Skill Builder BOM 2013

 Alissa Lichner (Pile O'Fabric)

spent 12 months teaching an 

On Line Sewing Room in 2013

called

Skill Builder Block of The Month

She brought her finished quilt

to our Phoenix Modern Quilt Guild meeting.

 This really was a great class

 and a wonderful way to increase

quilting skills

 *The back

Alissa quilted each block individually

and then put them together

using the 

Quilt As You Go

technique.

 Beautiful job on a finish

The entire quilt was quilted on her home machine.

 A new 

Skill Builder Block of The Month

2014

will be starting up very soon in January.

Theme: Sewing Room Supplies

If you are interested in signing up

for the latest Skill Builder BOM 

Just click on the icon

on my sidebar

and it will lead you directly to 

Alissa's site.

Live Christmas Trees

 Did you have a nice Christmas?

Ours was wonderful!

After a nice dinner on Christmas Eve

 we gathered

everyone together in the family room 

for a program.

We talked about the Savior and discussed the

celebration of His birth.

From stories to music 

we were reminded of the

True Meaning of Christmas

For our Grand Finale we ended with a

family game

that provided new visuals to the words

Live Christmas Trees

 Our youngest son Paul, 

who flew in from

Salt Lake City to join us for the week,

kindly allowed us to use him as 

Tree #1

 Our daughter's boyfriend Kevin

was also a good sport

and let us use him as 

Tree #2

The original idea for this game came from Spoonful

called Family Tree

Divide the group into two teams,

and give each a supply box full of

crepe paper

aluminum foil

ornaments

 ribbon

and other "trimmings"

 The contest is to see which team

can decorate THE BEST

Christmas Tree

One of the great things about this activity is that

you can involve all age groups.

The grand kids had as much fun as the adults.

 We were a lot more random

and not as tidy

 in our decorating as 

the Spoonful model's example...

but the hysterical laughter 

that increased in volume

with each bow and bell

made our hasty attempts 

well worth the effort.

 Kevin couldn't move 

after being draped in a string of blinking lights

that were plugged into the wall.

Long glass icicle ornaments

were even hung from Paul's ears

 If you were judge,

who would you pick as the best

Live Christmas Tree?

 It must have been the

impressive 

Aluminum foil Star Crown

or the hand written signs

because Paul took the prize.

We had so much fun we think

 we need to make this activity an

Annual Christmas Event in our family

Next year: stay tuned

Bigger and better decoration choices will be coming our way.

It Depends Whose Hands It's In

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19

A basketball in Kobe Bryant’s hands is worth over $30 million.

It depends whose hands it's in

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6

A baseball in Felix Hernandez’s hands is worth $25 million

It depends whose hands it's in

A tennis racket is useless in my hands

A tennis racket in Roger Federer’s hands is a Wimbledon Championship.

It depends whose hands it's in

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal

A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea

It depends whose hands it's in

A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy

A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.

It depends whose hands it's in

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in Jesus' hands will feed thousands

It depends whose hands it's in

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse

Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world.

It depends whose hands it's in

As you see now it depends whose hands it's in. So put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships in God's hands because....... it depends whose hands it's in. 

                                                                                                                            (by Paul Cinira)

Merry Christmas!

Elf Shoe Napkins

 Only a few more hours until 

Christmas is here!

So exciting!

We have been finishing up some last minute

details before hosting a big family dinner tonight.

Mr. Cactus helped me make these cute

little Elf Shoes 

out of napkins 

to accompany each place setting.

 A little Christmas origami that is so simple to do.

 The only materials needed are large paper napkins.

We are filling our shoes with candy, but that is optional.

If you would like to make

 Elf Shoes

there is a wonderful video tutorial by the cutest man

with Creative Culture

who teaches step by step folding instructions

HERE

Merry Christmas!