Tuesday, December 31, 2013

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
 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 
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!

Saturday, December 28, 2013

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.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

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
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.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

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!

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

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
Merry Christmas!