lastingtreasure

Circles of color

2012-01-27T09:04:00.001-08:00

Circles of color, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

I was playing around with different paints on a piece of watercolor paper and ended up with this. I like it a lot-. But now I want to print it in color on regular 11 x 14 paper and cut it up and use it in a collage. AND-being the technically challenged person that I am-I can't figure out how to print the darn thing so it is bigger than 1 inch by 1 inch. You know-I used my Iphone and uploaded it to Flickr and now can't get a 'real' size to print. GRRRR>>>>>

Lately it seems that I get going on a project and feel excited and caught up in the fun and color and whatever and then....WHAM...I hit a roadblock and slam to a stop.

That's what I'm going through now. When I quilt it usually helps to step away from the machine or ask a good friend (you know who you are!) to check my seams, or check my math, or re-read the pattern with me and my problem gets worked out. Of course, there is usually a bit of swearing as well as laughing involved before there is sucess... but that's ok. It's all between friends!

However, the more I move into mixed media experiments the less I think I know and the more I need to learn. Right now I will plan tonight to ask my ace computer geek at home to help me figure out how to print this! I'll keep you posted on my success!

Surprise fabric gift!

2012-01-26T06:30:00.001-08:00

2012-01-26 12:47:26 +0000, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

An 8 am dentist appointment usually doesn't make me smile-even if I don't have any cavities! But yesterday I was met at the door by one of the friendly dental hygienists who carefully handed me a big Tupperware box full of fabric! Over the course of 10 years of dentist visits we have shared updates about our mutual quilting obsession.

Even though I haven't seen her for a while, she remembered that I love making postage stamp quilts. This is just a quick pic of the contents of that lovely box. Besides being lots of little scraps that will be perfect for my postage stamp projects, there were also larger pieces that really intrigued me. How about the batik turtle???? Turtles are a favorite at our house so I am already thinking about what to do with this.

Unexpected quilting/fabric surprises are the best!!!

Easy pattern with left over fabric

2012-01-25T10:50:00.001-08:00

Placemats 55, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

This easy peasy placemat pattern is ideal for using up some of the strips of fabric I found in the Studio. Seems that I am either saving 1 1/2" squares for my postage stamp madness or 2" any length strips. Our little snow buddy seemed to be perfect when added to this simple set pieced placemat. Add hand or machine embroidery and binding and I'm ready for a cup of tea.

Must keep digging through the drawers and shelves. I know there are more strips of fabric just waiting to be discovered!

Corner of my desk

2012-01-23T13:02:00.001-08:00

DSC01278, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

The cleaning or moving stuff around or whatever you want to call it is continuing in my studio. I have officially decided to call the room in the basement where I keep all my quilting and art supplies my STUDIO. Doesn't that sound more serious than Craft Room or basement room? This picture is one little corner of my desk-full of things I love that help me and inspire me.

One of the concepts that I am struggling with is what to call the type of stuff I do in my Studio. It is a wonderful blend of quilting, embroidery, journaling, coloring, photography, knitting, painting and messing around with stencils, glimmer mist, and markers. All together it is wonderful and I think it is art.

When I was going to graduate school in Madison, many years ago, there was a man who walked the downtown streets offering to wash windows. His name was Art. He was someone who just existed in downtown Madison and never hurt anyone-talking to himself sometimes-offering to wash windows.

Some smart college guy eventually had tee-shirts made up. They said: What is Art? Art is a window washer in Madison.

Lots of people bought that tee-shirt. They didn't know Art but they felt like they did because he was always around. That's what I think art is-the little things that make me smile or ponder life every day. The shiny sun that slimmers off a rain-glistening leave. The soft luxiousness of mohair spun into a cloud of bliss. The shimmer and gleam of my glaze markers when I color a zentangle design. If you look too quickly, you miss these things. And, sometimes, you have to slow down and just enjoy them.

Art is what I do. So it's ok that I do it in a Studio.

Helping Hand?

2012-01-20T12:49:00.001-08:00

2012-01-20 19:02:22 +0000, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

The clean up in the studio continues. So far I have 5 bags of old gardening and quilting magazines. Seems like I have several offers of 'helping hands' to take them away for good use. May just start the distributing this weekend if we aren't snowed in.

I also have isolated three quilt projects that have all the fabric washed and ironed, the pattern attached, and even a few notes on what I was thinking when I bought the fabric. Next step: find some plastic boxes/containers that can hold the whole thing until it is time to start working on each of them. If I don't keep them isolated, but together, I think I will lose them again!

This is my left hand traced on journal paper. I have been playing around with Zentangles/doodling and have decided that hands are awesome to play with. I used Micron pens and then Sakura Glaze bright pens/markers for the coloring. What absolute fun!

Just asked my 7 year old grandson, Winston, to trace his hand for me. I think I want all 4 grandkids to do that so I can combine them into one project. Fun!

Studio clean up

2012-01-19T08:29:00.001-08:00

DSC01276, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

As I haven't been able to sleep past 4 am the last two nights, I have decided to start cleaning my studio. Actually it is a big room in the basement that has all my craft/quilting/painting/artsy stuff in it. About half of it is taken up by shelves that hold all the fabric and patterns that I have accumulated as part of Lasting Treasures Designs AND as a passionate quilter.

That's a lot of fabric! It's also a lot of patterns and books and buttons and thread and yarn...you get the idea.

I need to identify what I have and decide if there is a reason to keep it and then re-organize it all so I know where things are and have room to do things and buy more things...whatever. I'll keep you posted with some pics along the way. I am looking for storage tips and will have some goodies to share as I 'inventory'...also known as pulling out drawers and looking at stacks of stuff to figure out what I have. Want to play???

Hopes and Prayers for little Oliver

2012-01-17T08:14:00.001-08:00

Twinkling H20's sketch, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

We have a new blessing in our family. Jeanne's daughter and son-in-law have a new little one! Oliver Philip was born January 6th-9 weeks early but breathing on his own. The little guy is 15 inches long and weighs 3.7 pounds at birth. He has a long journey ahead of him to good health but we are holding him up-with his mom, dad, and big brothers-with our love and support.

A birth is a hope for new beginnings-a life full of possibilities and dreams. We ask for your good hopes and prayers for our family.

Little office helpers

2012-01-11T09:22:00.001-08:00

2012-01-09 20:31:48 +0000, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

I got these little Cinderella characters from Santa Claus. My favorites are the 3 little mice people in the front. I have these characters lined up on my office to help me with inspiration.

Don't know if you remember the story that Disney shared about Cinderella. The little mice helped Cinderella throughout the movie and were very instrumental in her getting ready for the ball.

The little mouse lady helped create her ball-gown. What fun to have help like that getting ready for a special event. Sometimes help comes from unexpected sources. You've just got to be open to offers!

New Year-New Projects

2012-01-06T09:21:00.001-08:00

IMG_0229-Edit.jpg, a photo by turtleboy2010 on Flickr.

I have been exploring working in an art journal for 2 months now. Amazing-there have only been two times where I had to sit and think back over a couple of days. It is a great way to keep track of what's on my mind without having to worry about putting too much information 'out there'.

If I don't like what I wrote-or don't want anyone else to see it-I just paint over it or cover it up and move on. But the act of writing down what's in my head has been good.

Picking out the tools to use each day has been fun. Who knew I would love different letter fonts so much? Or maybe it's the little tin these came in. Whatever...stamp, stamp, stamp away.

Sketching over the holidays

2012-01-04T08:57:00.001-08:00

PC300571-Edit.jpg, a photo by turtleboy2010 on Flickr.

The end of December was spent doing all kinds of thinking about the New Year. With my retirement just around the corner it seems that I am looking at the things I love to do differently. What am I reading? What am I sewing? What am I sketching?

How can I use my creative energy to express what I see around me?

We visited the Oshkosh Public Museum last week and I sketched the Apostles' clock. We both took photos-sometimes of the same things. Interesting how things look different through different eyes.

What does your mind's eye see around you? And what can you do with that image?

Christmas Tree wall-hanging and Project Perfection

2011-12-21T11:15:00.001-08:00

Christmas Tree wall-hanging, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Playing around with Christmas fabrics that were stuffed away for 'next year'. These are so happy and whimsical! Perfect for a little Christmas tree wall-hanging. I drew a simple tree outline on my fabric and free-motion stitched it with variegated thread and a fancy stitch. Then added strings of bead lights! The star isn't finished but it will by soon. Just in time to hang in the kitchen for Christmas Eve.

Sometimes I worry too much about the perfect design or perfect stitch. Because of that I don't always even start a project. Confident that I'll do something wrong or 'waste' the fabric. Lately I've been much more willing to just start and see where I end up. Nothing in my stash is really so precious that I need to worry about destroying it.

Do you have project perfection anxiety???? Let's make a New Year's resolution to just dare to start that new project!

Christmas Cookies!

2011-12-14T11:10:00.001-08:00

Christmas Cookies=2010 43, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Jo-our baby sister-looks like she is concentrating on this cut out cookie. Even though getting ready for cookie decorating can be a pain-the end result of frosting and decorating with family and friends is wonderful.

Last year Jeanne hosted a cookie party at the Barn. Three tables were set up and the decorating began. Everyone who attended had fun as our fingers got stickier and our stories a bit wilder. What a good idea for a "girls night out" gathering.

This year Jeanne hosted an Open House and presented us each with 2 dozen unfrosted cookies-ready to decorate. Again, a great idea for girlfriends of all ages. What's your idea for sharing Christmas magic with your BFF's???

Packer Yarn!

2011-12-12T08:24:00.001-08:00

Packer Yarn!, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Who knew there was Packer Yarn? Not me. While at Yarns By Design, in downtown Neenah, WI, I stumbled across this awesome yarn. It is hand-dyed by Lorna's Laces in a Shepherd Sock blend of Merino and Nylon--perfect, of course, for socks.

I had to get a skein and have started my pair of socks. Easy peasy simple pattern on multiple needles-knit during Sunday's game against the Raiders. Did I mention that the Packers are now 13-0? Hmmmm...must have slipped my mind.

Anyway, this is exciting and I can't wait to wear these socks. Perhaps during the post-season games?

Collage on canvas

2011-12-11T05:53:00.001-08:00

Collage on canvas, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

I've been trying different things lately and the most recent is this collage on a prepared canvas. I used acrylics, India ink, scrap paper, fabric and glitter. I worked on it in three sessions-finishing up last night at 11:30.

Right now it is hanging in the kitchen. Jerry said he has to process the whole thing-but it is hanging there for all to see.

Can't wait to do the next!

Christmas Decorations going up!

2011-12-08T08:37:00.001-08:00

Coaster designs 6, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Every year it's special to open and unwrap the Christmas decorations. Even if family circumstances have changed and there are new stresses in daily life, the memories associated with the little ornaments and decorations come flooding back-both happy and sad.

I remember that I bought this little shepherd/angel while on a business trip to Nashville. I was with a business associate visiting stores and found the display of Fontanini creches. We were both cranky because we thought we'd miss our flight because of bad weather in both Nashville and home in Wisconsin.

I had found the larger angel statue quite a few years back. When I saw this little angel holding the lamb I knew he had to join my display.

So every year I unwrap these two angels and remember shopping in Nashville, wanting to be home-not traveling on business, finding this little angel in a creche scene and knowing that he would fit into my home.

Jo's Christmas Prayer Flag

2011-12-07T10:44:00.001-08:00

IMG_0224.jpg, a photo by turtleboy2010 on Flickr.

Thoughts on crafting

2011-12-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

So there were 6 of us at Craft Night at my house Monday night. Seemed like everyone had fun-most telling was that they decided that 2 1/2 hours wasn't long enough! Next time the thought is for a full day-or most of a day. Something very casual. Set everything up, share tools and paper, etc. and, of course, have good snacks to nibble on!

That sounds perfect to me. I think we have a good set up at our house-but it could be at another's too.

Jeanne wondered via Facebook how much fun I had because I really didn't do anything myself. I was 'hostessing' and was trying to make sure everyone had what they needed (or wanted) to play with and was trying to share some new techniques I've recently picked up. And, you know, I did have fun. Even though I didn't have a beautiful prayer flag to hang for the season, or some gift tags or cards---it was fun helping and sharing.

And perhaps, most of all, it was fun watching the creative juices get stirred up and jump from head to head. At one point it looked like we could actually see the gears connecting in Mary L's brain-and the results were pretty amazing. And Jenny tried some stamping for the first time-and got nice results!

Sometimes it's about helping and watching more than actually doing. I had fun watching the sparks light up and friends who had not done these types of things get pretty excited about 'playing'. It WAS fun.

Craft night-Christmas ideas!

2011-12-06T09:16:00.001-08:00

IMG_0229-Edit.jpg, a photo by turtleboy2010 on Flickr.

A fun evening spent playing with glue, glitter, and stamps. Six of us spent the evening trying to decide what to do next. From prayer flags to tags to whatever you could think of-it was a fun and relaxing evening of good conversation and good friends. More photos to follow!

Decorations to kick off the season!

2011-12-05T07:34:00.001-08:00

Dec. Wedding-Radisson 101, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Who knew it was December already?

2011-12-05T07:33:00.000-08:00

So who knew it was really December??? Not me-I've been in a fog I guess and, even though I celebrated Thanksgiving with family, just didn't focus on DECEMBER! But somehow I have been plugging along on some Christmas presents and some crafty type things that should help celebrate the season.

Tonight is a Craft Nite at my house-friends, family, good conversation and LOTS of glitter! What could possibly get me more in the mood? Oh wait...must have Christmas music ready to go. I'll feature some pics of the results of tonight and promise to be better about blogging.

After all, Santa is watching me to make sure I am nice...not naughty!

Blues beaded bracelets

2011-11-04T06:49:00.001-07:00

blues beaded bracelets, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

While we wait to get our Christmas things uploaded, I thought I'd share more of the delightful beaded cuff bracelents we've been working on. I took a selection of beads and 4 new bracelets along with me on a business trip this week. It was fun sitting in the hotel room at night stringing beads and thinking about who might end up wearing each bracelet.

Jeanne has been keeping her eyes open when she stops in thrift stores for old brooches and buckles to use for embellishment. Don't you just love the blue sparkley brooch we used for the middle bracelet here?

All three of these bracelets are made from an old quilt. The quilt was in terrible shape but we salvaged as many pieces as we could. Some we left the original batting in tact but on a few we had to remove it as it was just too lumpy to lay smoothly when worn. I am sure the quilter would be amazed to see where her beloved quilt ended up!

Christmas patterns about to be updated!

2011-10-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

Jeanne is hard at work getting a couple of new Christmas patterns posted in our shop. Unfortunately, she is pulling out some hair as she works through some upload issues. I keep telling her to 'breathe...breathe...' but she isn't really listening. Frustrations at least make her keep drinking coffee as she mumbles bad words at the laptop!

We will let you know when the new pattern 12 Ornaments of Christmas is available for purchase. We love this pattern and had a great deal of fun designing it.

What are you working on for Christmas? We'd love to hear about your Christmas present plans.

Bead Bracelet on Etsy

2011-10-26T12:27:00.001-07:00

Bead Bracelet 2, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

We brought home a few beaded bracelets from Spain. (Being over-achievers, we made a couple extra!) After talking about what to do for Christmas presents (Emily, Molly, Liz, and Heather...yes, we're talking about yOU!) we decided to post a couple for sale in our Etsy Shop.

Take a peek over there if you'd like.

First free motion flower with beads

2011-10-17T07:37:00.001-07:00

First free motion flower with beads, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Here is the first attempt at free motion quilting. It was fun and I liked picking out the variegated thread and seeing what I could do. I have 2 more done so now need to figure out how to finish them. Jeanne suggested maybe a green frame for this one once I trim it up. Hmmm????

Another week but so much done!

2011-10-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

Ok-so it's been a week since I looked at the blog. BUT-in that time we have done alot.

1. I spent some of almost every day in my art journal trying to capture some of the memories of the Spain trip.
2. I found some new sepia brush/pens and have been playing with shading. (Will share results soon!)
3. Met with Jeanne and have a plan to get some finished bead cuff bracelets uploaded to our Etsy shop this weekend. We love these and have 5 to offer for sale now. More to come.
4. Jeanne found a heart-stopping item to try to figure out how to make. Can't say more but did I ever tell you that we have our Great-grandma's button box???? Hmmm....what could you do with buttons???
5. Went through the 653 pictures I took in Spain and made a folder of the buildings I love. Uploaded that to flickr.
6. Need to now go back through the 653 pictures and pull out the 'people' ones and get those all uploaded.

Whew-I am a bit tired just thinking of all this.

AND:
7. Last night I went down to the studio and actually started putzing around with some free-motion quilting while Jerry was watching the news. More on this very soon. I think I may be in love with something else!

What have YOU been up to?

Window magic

2011-10-07T06:52:00.001-07:00

DSC01424, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Everywhere we looked there were windows full of magic. Windows in my part of the midwest just don't look like these. The combination of ages old stones and wrought iron are so beyond vinyl siding and simple windows that just slide up to open. Most small balconies had some kind of plant or flower adding to the delight. And, of course, who can beat the light???

Streets of Denia

2011-10-05T06:54:00.001-07:00

DSC01390, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

We are BACK! Two glorious weeks in Denia-spent with family and new friends experiencing all that the Mediteranean Sea has to offer. There was some time spent crafting and shelling and just relaxing. We'll share the story of our trip with you via pictures of people and places we loved.

Dark bracelets-hand beaded

2011-09-12T06:37:00.001-07:00

Dark bracelets-hand beaded, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

I'm not sure what part of making these beaded bracelets was most enjoyable: picking out the old quilt pieces, selecting beads and embellishments, or the actual assembly.

Anyway you look at it, they were fun to make. We hope they bring smiles to family and friends in Spain!

Beaded bracelet

2011-08-29T12:52:00.001-07:00

2011-08-29 15:41:40 +0000, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Moving along with projects! This is a trial of the new beaded bracelet that I love. Simple to do with two rectangles of left over fabric, zig-zag and decorative stitches. Then simple strings of beads are added for embellishment and two snaps to close. Lovely and fun to make-all the qualifications for a new favorite project.

New thought for a design?

2011-08-28T08:01:00.001-07:00

IMG_5577, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

These are the stone carvings over the main door to the Holy Hill Basilica near Milwaukee, WI. I am in love with the entwined lines and stylistic flowers. I think I am going to print some of these out and try to use them as the border of an embroidery project. Hmmmm...what do you think?

New designs begin!

2011-08-18T10:53:00.001-07:00

2011-08-18 17:47:27 +0000, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

I have made a series of six little sketches of ladies/girls that I am going to develop into a new patterns. These little ladies have been fun to draw-simple lines with different dresses on each one. I'll keep you posted as I work through them!

Via Flickr:
Uploaded with Flickup on iPhone.

Watercolor class

2011-08-17T11:15:00.001-07:00

2011-08-17 18:09:57 +0000, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

I started a watercolor sketching class. Oh the fun of an online class with an active forum. The first assignment was to draw keys. I may just have to stitch these next. The color wash background turned out better than I thought.

Jeanne's Prayer Flag

2011-08-12T06:48:00.001-07:00

DSC01162, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

I had a bunch of friends/family over Wednesday evening to try their hand at making prayer flags. There is an explanation of what they are, and how they can be used at www.prayerflagproject.com.

Once we got settled in with stamps, ink pads, glimmer mist, stencils and boxes of ribbons, yo yo's, and buttons we were ready!

This is Jeanne's flag-stamps, flowers, ink, and a Wheel of Wisdom. She over-laid the whole thing with sparkly netting that added a lovely fairy-like effect. The base was simple, unwashed muslin. Her final touch was the feathery ribbon to flutter in the breeze.

It was a magical evening-we made our flags in around 2 hours. And one friend, Lori, actually finished beading a complete necklace to wear to a wedding this weekend. What fun!

Green Bay Botanical Gardens

2011-08-08T10:16:00.001-07:00

IMG_5246, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Had a lovely time visiting the Green Bay Botanical Gardens on Saturday. Spent a little over 2 hours wandering taking photos and sketching. Cool, early morning with a slight hint of clouds-perfect for photography. I think this cottage may turn into a new stitchery design!

Doodling zentangle fun

2011-08-04T08:36:00.001-07:00

2011-08-04 15:28:58 +0000, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

I have also discovered zentangles-a form of meditative doodling that was developed a couple of years ago. Who knew my love of coloring would get a boost when I am 57 years old???

What do you think about converting this into an embroidery pattern? I might want to applique the circle pieces and then stitch the dangling lines. Hmmmm..must share with Jeanne and see what she thinks!

Mixed Media Collage

2011-08-02T11:01:00.001-07:00

2011-08-02 17:38:27 +0000, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Over the weekend I spent some time working on prayer flags again. But this time I used some copies of old family photos! The three kids are me (blondie!), our oldest brother, and Jeanne. I think this was about 1960...aren't we sweet?

I made the flag out of old muslin-not really good for quilting or hand-stitching. It is very rough. I didn't wash it or anything-just measured out a 6" X 10" piece, folded over aboout 1 1/2" and pressed that down. Then I pulled out a couple of my favorite stamps about photography, inked the paper photo and used Mod Podge to paste it down. (I covered the photo to make sure it was a little sturdier.) Then I dug into my selvedges and picked out two to stitch down. Finished by hemming the top so I could thread twine through it and it was ready to hang! Nothing is hemmed or finished-just raw edges. (That is HARD for me to do!!!)

What a fun way to use up left over items, my sewing machine, and some stamps, glue, whatever. Give it a try!

Playing around with creatively

2011-07-24T07:27:00.001-07:00

2011-07-23 19:39:13 +0000, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Do you sometimes just want to play with something different? Since I have been doing some blog surfing I have discovered the world of art journaling. Who knew playing with paint, ink, stamps, and leftover fabric would be so much fun???

Here is my most recent experiment. I love the colors and the use of brown ink with the stamps. Might have to try this on fabric next. What do you do when you want to play???

Adam and Tania's quilt-detail!

2011-07-20T04:35:00.001-07:00

IMG_5112, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

When we decided on gold metallic thread I knew we were enhancing this quilt's jewel tones. I had always envisioned using metallic thread but knew I didn't want to hand quilt with that. The machine quilting by Jenny Patterson of Cattails Quilting turned out so fantastic!

Adam and Tania's quilt

2011-07-20T04:34:00.001-07:00

IMG_5099, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

The deep jewel tones of this batik quilt are marvelous. I could look at it all day. Simple traditional pattern that just glows with the fabric selection.

Quilt finished!

2011-07-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

I started this batik Courthouse step quilt about 3 years ago. The blocks were part of a kit for a wall-hanging. I think! Can't really remember! I got the top put together and decided it would be perfect for my nephew and his new bride. Unfortunately, it was going to be too big to ship to Spain. (They live in Spain.)

So I put it on the top shelf in my workroom and decided I would finish it when I could take it there myself.

The Spain trip is scheduled for September 18th-October 2nd. Can't wait!

So out came the quilt top and it went to the quilter lady with me. Metallic gold thread for the back and a variegated thread for the back. It turned out fantastic. I can't wait to take it to Spain!

Multi-media Prayer Flags in the Garden

2011-07-05T08:12:00.001-07:00

2011-07-04 18:00:50 +0000, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

I spent some time this weekend playing in my sewing room. I've been reading about prayer flags-or wish flags- made out of whatever you have around you. So I decided to try to make one and have fallen in love with this project!

All you need is an 5" X 11" piece of left over fabric-muslin or cotton or whatever. Fold over one end 3 inches and sew in place so it is 5 X 8 and you can thread cord or twine through the opening. Then look around you and start creating!

I chose one word for each-my Home flag has left over fabric from the Wizard of Oz fabric line, rick rack, buttons and a yo yo sewn on. I wrote HOME in big letters using some acryclic paint-markers would work too. Then take a piece of cord/twine and go tie it to a tree, trellis, whatever. Every time the wind blows the thought goes with it! What a fun project.

Kids and Grandma's Quilt

2011-07-01T07:07:00.001-07:00

Kids and Grandma's Quilt, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Summer Time with Quilts!

2011-07-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

The Fourth of July weekend always makes me feel like summer is going too fast. But this year we've had so much cold and rain that it's only just beginning! We are planning sleepovers with the grandkids, walks through area Farmer's Markets, and time spent just hanging out. Perfect!!!

Lately I've been seeing some great pictures from my family of our grandkids. Besides the great looking kids (not too biased, am I?), I've been seeing some of my quilts in use. I don't think anyone knows how that makes me feel. Each of the quilts I have gifted to my family was made specifically for the person it went to. Every quilt was hand stitched with thoughts of that person and hopes for their future. Whether they were wedding quilts or new baby quilts-they were stitched with love. To see them in use shows me the love continues.

How do you wrap your family and special friends in love? We have designed a lovely, simple quilt called Care Quilt that is perfect for fast assembly for a special person. You can see it here.http://www.lastingtreasure.com/

Teacups for a summer party

2011-06-29T09:24:00.001-07:00

IMG_3833, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Sometimes it's great fun to get together with the important women in your life to enjoy summer. I was dusting (hard to believe, I know!) my china cupboard and realized that I haven't used any of my special cups lately. This cup was our grandma's-she had a great collection of china cups and saucers. We've shared some of them among the grand-daughters. This is one of my favorites.

I was talking with our little sister this weekend and we think we should start getting together one afternoon a month to talk about crafting and whatever else we think of. I think when we set that date I am going to pull out some of Grandma's china. It will make the gathering just a little more special.

What do you do to make a craft gathering special?

Visits with friends

2011-06-26T05:45:00.001-07:00

IMG_3812, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

We got together last night with a friend who lives in WA. She is a brilliant watercolor artist. Our little sister couldn't join us but sent along a couple of her fabric collages for show and tell. her work is delightful! the conversation jumped from topic to topic-fabric, gesso. How much water to use as a base for watercolor. Plus the sharing of updates about kids, grandkids, and live. Thanks Julie!

Pale golden rose

2011-06-20T10:56:00.001-07:00

IMG_4473, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

I want to find fabrics that give me the feeling that these flowers do. The pale golden rose has to be central but the coral of the begonias makes it pop. Guess I should print off this picture and take it with me this week when I go fabric shopping. The colors make me feel calm-maybe it's just that I'd like a nap this afternoon?

What colors are inspring you from your garden?

Brights!

2011-06-16T12:38:00.001-07:00

Coaster designs 9, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Still get caught up in these fabrics. I think it is the hot pink and chocolate. I went from buying a charm pack to a jelly roll to the 10" squares. What fun.

What charm packs have been so great they pulled you on to more yardage? Tell all!!

Lighthouse Walk 2011

2011-06-16T08:55:00.001-07:00

IMG_4706, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

We spent a lovely weekend in Door County exploring one of the lighthouses there. Taking 2 ferry rides, we spent most of the day wandering around Rock Island. We enjoyed exploring the Potawatomie Lighthouse and the old boathouse that sits waiting for visitors.

In honor of the visit, I used one of our nautical motifs to commemorate the 3rd year of Lighthouse Walking with our friends. Now I need to finish my own pillow!!

LIghthouse design

2011-06-09T11:57:00.001-07:00

IMG_4706, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

We've had this little lighthouse design sitting with some other nautical motifs in our book of 7 day of the week designs. It was just perfect to use for a small pillow.

This is the third year in a row that we have joined friends for a weekend in Door County Wisconsin to tour the lighthouses. I couldn't resist making this surprize for them when I found lighthouse fabric at a quilt shop. Easy and simple to assemble-it is the perfect gift to commemorate 3 years of good times!

New beginnings

2011-06-01T07:17:00.001-07:00

IMG_4512, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

The shift from spring to summer means change to me-putting away the heavy quilts. Bringing out the chenille bedspread. Taking down the heavy curtains and replacing them with light, translucent floral sheers. And, at the same time, so much stays the same.

Still working on shifting our patterns over to a new digital e-pattern company. Check out the great site http://www.patternspot.com/. We have 10 patterns available for download there right now. We plan to move over many of our other patterns as soon as we can make the conversion. There are some other great pattern companies represented there too!

The joy of variegated thread!

2011-05-24T08:03:00.001-07:00

IMG_3925, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

This is a surprise quilt for my oldest grand-daughter. Her birthday is June 20th and I think it is time for another quilt. At 13 she deserves to step up to another quilt level-no more cartoon characters, no more Disney princesses (sob!!), but not yet completely grown up. So this wild and scrappy Log Cabin seems just the trick. The variegated thread used for the machine quilting is perfect. I am so thrilled with the machine quilting on this-it is wonderful to work for a quilter who respects what I do and is only focused on enhancing my work.

Jenny Patterson of Cattails Machine Quilting is so easy to work with. It makes finishing a quilt even more fun! Check her out at http://www.cattailsmachinequilting.com/.

Blooms

2011-05-15T05:14:00.001-07:00

IMG_4473, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

A special walk through the gardens of the Paine Musuem and Gardens in Oshkosh, WI

Variegated thread for Easter

2011-04-23T16:56:00.001-07:00

IMG_3927, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Lovely purple and magenta make me think of Easter eggs and Easter bright things! This are the borders on a bright log cabin quilt I made for my granddaughter, Breannen. She will get it on her 12th birthday in June. So far, it is a surprise. The machine quilting with fantastic variegated thread was done by Jenny Patterson of Cattails Machine Quilting. I think it looks perfect. You'll see more when I get the binding on it.

We hope everyone has a great Easter weekend spent with family and friends-whatever holiday you celebrate-we hope Spring brings you hope and joy!

Things pattern pillow

2011-04-15T11:45:00.001-07:00

Things pattern pillow, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Ellie Werner sent us this great story about making our Things pattern: They are all for birthday gifts for friends and family who have sisters including my two sIsters birthdays both in June. I've already mailed 3 for gifts to my sister-in-law and two nieces. They loved them and they are just so much fun to sew and it's a project I can get started and finished in a week or two instead of the weeks and months the time it usually takes for me to sew a quilt together start to finish.Thank you so much for the interest in my finished pillows it is myfirst attempt at something other than quilting which I've been doing for about the past 14 years. I usually work in my sewing room during the afternoons on my quilts and then I enjoy hand sewing in the evenings while watching TV with my husband and cats and dogs. Usually I am sewing a quilt top together so it's a nice change to sew a rework square. I used fusible webbing on the back of the completed redwork square and then used batting and muslimfor the next two layers just like the three layers used for quilting a blanket. Then I quilted around the rework square, cut the backing and sewed around the sides leaving an opening for stuffing it and then used a quick whip stitch to close the opening. (check our web site for the pattern!)

Japan trip 2006

2011-04-07T07:27:00.001-07:00

Japantrip 068, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Watching the natural disaster in Japan keeps me looking back at photos taken during our fantastic Japanese adventure in 2006. We were invited to teach redwork embroidery at the Intl. Hobby Association convention. Clover Mfg. was our main sponsor-what a treat to meet some of the executives and their great staff. We were treated like royalty. But, more important, had the wonderful experience of sharing our love of embroidery with others just like us! We were also given lessons in some of the Japanese stitching techniques by our students. Our prayers continue to go out to Japan.

lanapelanashop

2011-03-31T10:43:00.001-07:00

lanapelanashop, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Sometimes we have to brag about the work of family and friends. This is one of those times! Lana Pelana is a friend of our son/nephew who lives in Valencia Spain. She makes the most delightful, whimsical little items. I had to immediately order a pink little camera necklace! Can't wait to wear it!

Check out her blog and find her on Etsy!

spring must be here soon!

2011-03-28T18:33:00.001-07:00

flower photos 18, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

One bouquet of tulips and I am so ready for Spring. Working with the brightest fabrics I can find and it's still not enough. This bouquet called out to me when I was grocery shopping. Funny how $6.99 for a dozen tulips can make you feel so good.

I did some work with my new flash and this worked. Played with the contrast in Aperture and this is what I end up with. I love it.

Red and White Quilts on Display in NYC

2011-03-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

New Pattern!

2011-03-28T08:13:00.001-07:00

Placemats 40, a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

We have been working on a series of placemat patterns. They go together FAST because we are using jelly rolls. But they can also be made from your scraps or a group of fat quarters. The embroideries are simple, too, and we had fun stitching them up! We'll be sharing some of the other designs this week. The pattern should be available for sale on our web site soon.

Spring storms

2011-03-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

I think we are supposed to be in Spring. At least that's what I heard. Right now we are expecting 3-5 inches of a snow/sleet mushy mixture. I'm not leaving the house-maybe not tomorrow either! Thankfully there are enough projects in the house to keep me busy for a very long time.

We've been updating each of the product listings on our site. Jeanne is doing the bulk of the changing-what a good techie she is! It involves checking over every description and making updates for search engine optimization-that is how the search programs like Google, Yahoo and Bing find things when you ask them a question. Even though there seems to be no exact science to it, it must still be done right. Jeanne is doing it one product/pattern at a time. Go Girl!

We are also trying to figure out how to make our patterns all downloadable. We get the concept but converting them all into pdf files so they can be downloaded, and making sure the web site functions properly when you want a download-we need help with that. Looks like next week we will be able to offer a couple of sweet designs for you to download in honor of Japan and our friends going through such terrible times. Stay tuned!

What are you working on now? something for Spring or are you thinking Christmas already???

Study in pink roses for friends in Japan

2011-03-13T20:25:00.001-07:00

STudy in pink roses 23 a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Everyone's thoughts are with the people of Japan. Jeanne and I visited Tokyo in 2005 to attend the International Hobby and Craft Show. It was a marvelous experience-complete with our very sweet translator, Noriko. We were so relieved to hear from her that she and her family were not very affected by the terrible earthquake and tsunami on Friday.

But the devastation in the country cannot even be imagined yet. So very sad. I hope the beauty of these roses can serve as a hope for the future of a lovely country.

New Updated Look to our Web Site!

2011-03-09T07:28:00.000-08:00

We are super excited with the new look on our web site! Click here to jump over to it. We decided to freshen up the colors, font, and layout. We hope you like it. We will be slowly making most of our patterns downloadable which we think will make it easier for you to start those new projects NOW! (That's how I am when I want to begin a new project!)

Let us know what you think please. There are some things for us to do yet-but we think the overall site will be easy to use and you can see our patterns even better than ever.

Journey to GA

2011-03-08T21:04:00.001-08:00

2011-03-09 04:45:52 +0000 a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

Little panda bear is on a great adventure to Atlanta. He finally made it!

Mohair!

2011-03-06T05:45:00.001-08:00

Helis 15 a photo by janellcl on Flickr.

I started this mohair tam on the way up to Door County on Thursday. Easy to knit while Jerry drove. Easy to stick back in the bag-feels like air. On and off I knit over the weekend. I finished the hat Sunday morning and wore it back in the light snowfall. Perfect warmth-just covers my ears if I need and feels so light! With short hair it skips giving hat hair too badly! And fun to make.

What is one of your 'go-to' knitting patterns when you have a ball of mohair?

Art journaling

2011-02-27T11:02:00.001-08:00

2011-02-26 15:00:19 +0000
Originally uploaded by janellcl

In spite of all the unfinished projects that sit waiting for me in my sewing room, I found another great project to begin! Four days up north with Jerry was the perfect setting to try my hand at making a scrapbook. I bought a kit for a journal at the local Archiver's store, made sure I had everything that I thought I would need, and sat down in the Great Room by the fireplace while it snowed outside.

What fun! I only got glue on my pants once and didn't cut myself even once. I started with a small photo album-I printed a handful of photos ahead of time so I would have some to embellish and put in. Turned out cute and was fun to figure it all out.

Then on the to the journal project. That involved making your own book and embellishing every page. I made pockets, attached a glassene pocket, and cut out little motifs to my heart's delight. What fun! I didn't bring any photos for this journal so did all the prep and now will have the fun of deciding what should go in it.

I think this will be a good addition of my list of crafts. I may take photos of the steps to finish my next quilt and use this type of journal as a way to capture what went into it's design and execution. Fun and productive!

New Coasters

2011-02-22T13:17:00.001-08:00

Coasters 2-19-2011 12
Originally uploaded by janellcl

We've been working on putting together some coasters that are the perfect gift. With snow storms again hitting our part of the country, we just can't stop working with bright fabrics and simple patterns. I think we both want Spring to arrive and so having a feeling of accomplishment when we finish this type of project-in new fabric-really helps.

What are you working on now?

Bree and Grandma NYEve

2011-02-16T07:08:00.001-08:00

Bree and Grandma NYEve
Originally uploaded by janellcl

So far we have had three great sleepovers with our two oldest grandkids. All three times I have been able to put together a craft project for Bree and Grandma to do. We've made great coasters, worked on our first jewelry project, and created Valentine's. I think all three were successful. We had interesting conversation along the way and I got to enjoy the way Bree's creativity came through in all three projects.

Part of the fun of this kind of event is that feeling of sharing my love of crafts with her. It's not necessarily the success of the project that I enjoy as much as the willingness to try something new. Of course, having something to give to her mom or a friend is a great bonus! What types of projects keep your kids/grandkids busy? I've got more sleepovers to plan for so I need some more ideas!

Hearts to YOU!

2011-02-14T07:47:00.000-08:00

Valentine Girl

2011-02-08T08:35:00.001-08:00

valentinegirl
Originally uploaded by janellcl

We designed this pillow about 10 years ago. She is still the sweetest Valentine we have ever seen. Following the SunBonnet Sue tradition from applique quilting, she is offering her valentine wishes to you.

I have to made a Valentine box for work. We are doing a Valentine exchange here and tonight I think I will pull out all my scrapbook paper and stamps and get at this project. There may even be enough time to do something stitched. Any quick ideas you are willing to share???

We need BRIGHTS!

2011-02-03T14:21:00.001-08:00

Julia 4
Originally uploaded by janellcl

Not sure about your part of the world, but we are covered in snow and suffering through terrible wind chill negative degree temperatures. Who cares what the groundhog says, we definitely have lots of winter ahead of us.

In order to try to stay cheerful I went in my fabric stash and pulled out all the spring colors I could find. What delightful colors and designs are in the market right now. This collection just makes me think of spring! I can feel a placemat or two ready to be created. How about you?

What are you doing to counter the cold and grey days of winter 2011?

February snow boys

2011-02-01T10:44:00.001-08:00

February snow boys
Originally uploaded by janellcl

Jeanne's family is visiting from Spain! Adam (her son), Tania (daughter-in-law) and Roco (grandson) are here for 2 weeks. Roco is not quite sure what he think about their dog-plus there is all this white stuff on the ground and falling from the sky!

I'll be continuing with some new postings to our Etsy shop. Hope you remember to take a peak over there!

Coaster designs 9

2011-01-26T05:52:00.001-08:00

Coaster designs 9
Originally uploaded by janellcl

Jeanne found a bunch of charm packs trying to hide under her bed. Those funny charm packs! They are now spread all over my work table waiting for the weekend. My 11 year old grand-daughter (Bree) is coming over this weekend for a 2 day sleepover. She did such a great job of helping me over Christmas put together some coasters that we will try it again. It was so interesting to hear her talk about colors and what she thought coordinated together. Plus-her beginning sewing machine skills are coming along. I want to reinforce what we did and that may give her a completed project for her Life Sciences class in middle school.

what are some other good sewing projects for a middle schooler??? We did a beginning jewelry project New Year's Eve waiting for the ball to drop. That was fun but Grandma did most of the actual final touches with the crimping pliers. We'll try that again though. It was fun.

Coaster designs

2011-01-23T04:59:00.001-08:00

Coaster designs 13
Originally uploaded by janellcl

Some of the fabrics that are currently available are so wonderful. Jeanne and I are having a kind of identity crisis as we fall in love with more and more of the brights. Used to be, barn red, dark country colors and more primitive styles were our favorites. We were both drawn to them.

But now there is an increasing crowd of glorious fabric designs in bright somewhat geometric styles that we keep looking at. You'll probably see more use of this kind of fabric in our designs. We are exploring colors in our choices-what a bright world it is suddenly!

Pincushion Log Cabin

2011-01-18T13:26:00.001-08:00

2011-01-18 21:20:35 +0000
Originally uploaded by janellcl

Just finished this adorable log cabin pillow with a pin cushion stitchery in the center. Easy as pie to put together and the stitching was fast. I used some of my leftover 1930 reproduction prints and stuffed it as full as I could. Perfect quick gift for a sewing friend.

Christmas Cactus

2011-01-17T10:00:00.001-08:00

2011-01-17 17:56:46 +0000
Originally uploaded by janellcl

4-6 inches of snow by the end of today. Sigh!!! Yes-we are used to winter but this is getting a tad bit old. So this collage of photos of my Christmas Cactus in my office is offered to brighten my day and yours. Time to pull out my embroidery and stitch for an hour.

What are you working on today?

Quick as a Wink Knit Pin Cushion

2011-01-16T09:31:00.001-08:00

Coaster designs 7
Originally uploaded by janellcl

While all the fabric we have is being re-organized and straightened, I have been keeping my knitting fingers busy. This little multi-colored pin cushion is my new favorite thing to knit while watching football. (Did I mention that the Green Bay Packers won yesterday? Oh, guess I didn't!)

We are calling our Quick as a Wink Knit Pin Cushion. The pattern will be posted on our web site soon. Plus we are going to feature this on our Etsy Shop. Keep your eyes out!!! We'll let you know when everything's ready.

Jeanne is here!

2011-01-11T16:00:00.000-08:00

I am now set up to use our blog. You will here from Janell and Me. I will try to keep you updated as I create new projects!

Better than snow!

2011-01-11T07:08:00.001-08:00

Fabric 7
Originally uploaded by janellcl

This bright pack of fabric is sitting on my ironing board waiting for me. I got up early this morning and went to the sewing room looking for something to shoo away the snow day blahs. It snowed about 2 inches overnight and the forecast is for 3 more days of the same thing.

This great pack of fat quarters by Moda are going to be perfect to keep me thinking bright thoughts. I'm toying with the idea of two placemats or 4 sets of coasters for the living room. Either idea will really brighten up things. What would be your choice????

Do you have a favorite 'go-to' pattern that is quick and easy to put together-just perfect for a small project to give you a boost on a slow day??? Share please!

Tired Packer Fan

2011-01-10T04:00:00.001-08:00

2011-01-10 01:10:12 +0000
Originally uploaded by janellcl

It was an exciting game for Packer fans. At the end of the game we just sat back and thought about the excitement that meant the Packer's have another game to play in the march towards the Super Bowl. I tried to knit but kept dropping stitches. Had to finally admit I couldn't do both!

Christmas Cactus

2011-01-07T06:18:00.001-08:00

2011-01-07 14:12:21 +0000
Originally uploaded by janellcl

Isn't this amazing? I truly believe that plants and flowers are a true gift. This Christmas cactus was given to me two years ago by a dear friend for my office. It was beautiful the first year so I tried to keep it going. It has been knocked around a bit, moved from one building to another, and the window light changed drastically. BUT here it is-still going strong. Absolutely amazing.

I think I need to try to use these flowers in a new embroidery design. Must ask Jeanne to sketch them-I think they could become adorable little umbrellas or hats. What do you think??

New Year coasters

2011-01-06T07:51:00.001-08:00

Coaster designs 9
Originally uploaded by janellcl

New Year's Eve was wonderful with lots of craft time spent with my 11 year old grand-daughter. We rummaged through my collection of Charm Packs and made some great choices for coasters. Bree made a set for her mother and I made some for co-workers. What fun working together. She did a great job of fabric selection, pressing, and machine sewing. I was so proud of her work. Can't wait until the next project!

The Quilt Lady

2011-01-04T04:06:00.000-08:00

Today I visit 'the quilt lady'-some one talented in machine quilting who will help me finally turn my quilt tops into quilts. I must admit that I have a stack of 6 quilt tops and plans to make more. Unfortunately, they are not the type that I would invest more time in by hand-quilting. Either the patterns don't lend themselves to that style or I don't have the time. It can take over a year to hand-quilt a quilt-at least for me!

So, through sheer diligence, I have an appointment at 1:30 to meet with a 'quilt lady' to talk about what I need done. I plan to leave 3 quilt tops and their backs there. Her work is gorgeous and she is award winning. On the phone she sounds delightful. Jeanne may come along-that would be extra fun.

I'll let you know how it goes. Oh, did I mention I experienced the rise in cotton prices when I went shopping for fabric for the quilt backs? Let's see 8 yards of batik fabric at $10.25 a yard. Hmmm....where's that check book?

Embroidery Guild Exhibit

2010-12-30T14:45:00.000-08:00

As part of the Christmas holiday, I went to see an exhibit by the Embroiders' Guild of America. The exhibit is on tour and was in Green Bay at the Neville Public Museum. Our little sister, Jo, and a good friend, Jane, went with me for a day of fun and lunch. The word for the exhibit was WOW.

I think I took about 30 pictures. We were able to get up close to the pieces and, as long as we didn't use flash or touch things, we were free to take as many pictures as we wanted. The craft and artistry was amazing. I'll be sharing some of my favorite pieces for the next month or so. Everything from hardanger, to needlepoint, to beads, and metal were on display. Just wonderful and so inspiring.

Christmas Treats

2010-12-21T12:01:00.001-08:00

I've had a glorious 4 days off getting ready for the holidays. We had a big Christmas decorating party at Jeanne's, complete with appetizers and sparkling punch to sip. I must admit that my cookies won't win any decorating prizes (I belong to the "pile on the frosting and pour on the sprinkles" school) but they sure are good! I think there are only 2 left...out of 2 dozen.

My knitting needles are still clicking away as I have about 3 inches left on the second sock for my grand-daughter. The yarn is delightful-a hot pink, turq, and neon green blend that she will love. (I hope!) Today I made the obligatory trip down the toy aisles at Wal-Mart. Man, I didn't know there were that many pepto-bismol pink toys being manufactured in the world.

But I'm sharing a picture of the Christmas treat that our Mom made. She found old glasses all year at various locations, polished them up, and filled each one with a delightful Cranberry Jello Salad. She'll be handing them out to her neighbors this week with Christmas greetings.

Don't they look great? Wish I could have one delivered this Friday-just in time for Santa.

Christmas Spirit

2010-12-16T14:24:00.000-08:00

I have been doing my version of Christmas shopping this week and what fun. There are a few cute little specialty shoppes (note the special spelling!) downtown Oshkosh and I hit them all. I love that moment when you first push the door open and see all kinds of sparkly things. The only thing better, I think, is walking into a new quilt store and being amazed at all the pretties.

This year I am looking for little things that can all go into one bag for my girl friends and sisters. So far, I've been having fun and been pretty sucessful. This weekend it is time to focus on the grandkids.

What is your favorite way to attack Christmas shopping? What is the best thing I can find for two sewing buddies??? Anyone, anyone???

BLIZZARD!

2010-12-12T08:15:00.000-08:00

We are officially snowed in here in WI. The snowstorm that is hitting the entire MidWest has covered us with about 8 inches of snow and 25 mph winds. It is a true white out at times but we are all snug in the house. Everyone in my family has been accounted for-lots of folks are decorating trees this weekend, baking cookies, and generally snuggling in while it blows. Luckily, it's the weekend and everyone made it home from work safely or doesn't have to leave the house for a day or so.

I've done some reading, knitting, and spent an hour in my sewing room trying to find something. Sigh-I thought I was pretty organized but not yet. Maybe I should spend a little time down there before FOOTBALL????

The only regret for the weekend is the postponement of a Cookie Decorating Gathering at Jeanne's house this afternoon. She spent yesterday baking 20 dozen cookies-yes, she gets the prize for the most cookies. (I also heard she made a Strawberry Pie for us!) I, on the other hand, accepted the offer of a best friend to pick up a couple dozen pre-made cookies for me. What an offer!

Hope you are safe and sound this weekend, enjoying family and working on something crafty.

BRRRRR!

2010-12-08T06:18:00.000-08:00

Got up this morning and the temperature was 11 degrees F! I was so grateful for the three quilts on my bed. Yes, three! I know I should probably get the electric blanket out but I just can't resist my quilts. And, when I use the electric blanket, I don't need that many quilts. But I love my quilts.

Right now I have a queen size postage stamp quilt on it as the main coverlet. This quilt represents my absolute passion to make postage stamp quilts. I have made 6 of them (yes, I can be a bit addicted). I hve kept 2 of them and gifted the others. They are favorites. This one has a log cabin diamond in the center-also made of postage stamps. Then I hand quilted it in cross-hatching. I love this quilt! Second is my log cabin Christmas quilt in bright reds and greens. (Did I say I also love log cabin blocks???) It is so bright that I just have to smile when I get it out. Very scrappy with a piano key border. Third is a flannel quilt that is 4 1/2" blocks sewn together and hand quilted. (Did I say I love hand quilting, too?) It is an absolute favorite with a cream and blue ticking for a back-very 1930's looking!

The weight of these quilts is what I love and running my hand over the little seams and stitches. Maybe the electric blanket won't come out this year.

What is your favorite quilt to snuggle under???

Also-in answer to Nancy's comment on Christmas gifts. Santa does definitely come to my house. It's just that St. Nick doesn't. I think St. Nick is more of a Catholic thing than a Protestant one-at least that's what Mom always said!!! Stay warm!

St. Nick???

2010-12-06T09:47:00.000-08:00

St. Nick doesn't come to our house. He never seemed to make it when we were kids. But I was always curious about what the kids did get when he stopped at their house. I think the perfect St. Nick gifts for a quilter/stitcher would be little pin cases, spools of brightly colored threads, and all kinds of sewing notions. Hmmmm...perhaps I should be St. Nick to my sewing friends next year?

Slowly the Christmas/Holiday decorations are going up around me. Today I hung up a Christmas tree (red and white-of course!) wall-hanging in my office. It has 16 holiday motifs and makes me smile! Check out our web site for some great Christmas designs.

Jeanne has her tree half lit-she needs a longer extension. Our Christmas village is taking over our living room..time for a new neighborhood, perhaps??? How are your decorations this year?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

2010-11-26T04:27:00.000-08:00

The turkey is only a memory-although there will be a couple of sandwiches made today from leftovers. Everything was great-down to the home made pumpkin pie and real whipped cream. My oh my! What a feast.

But more important were the conversations throughout the day with family and friends. That's what I'm thankful for-most of all.

I was able to do a little knitting on a Christmas present and got my next stitchery project laid out. Three days off should give me plenty of time for some of those tasks that just keep falling to the bottom of my list. I'd really like to get a Christmas quilt-that I made LAST year-ready to take to the machine quilter. Maybe this year I'll have a new red and green quilt to snuggle under.

What's on your list to finish up before the holidays?

Holiday Craft shows

2010-11-19T03:39:00.000-08:00

It's a week before Thanksgiving and the Christmas decorations and tv ads are bombarding us. We are trying to figure out when to start putting up the Christmas village-seems like it always takes a bit longer than the year before. Maybe that's because we keep buying a new house every year??? Who knew there was a Spam Museum??? who knew it had to be added to our Village?? And with all the road construction going on in Wisconsin, who knew a roundabout was being built in our Village in 2010? Must be all the money to give the economy a boost.

On Thanksgiving I will bring out the Christmas quilts and wall hangings and start decorating. We are doing 2 trees again-artificial and not really huge. We've moved some furniture around in the living room and we aren't really sure where everything will go-but it's time to start. I also have a Christmas quilt top that I should get to our friendly machine quilter. The quilt would be great to get finished this year-since I made the top in 2008!!!

Tomorrow is a big Holiday Craft day in the area. I think there are at least 4 shows that are within 10 miles of our house. So that means an early breakfast, comfortable walking shoes, and a spirit of adventure. I'll share what we see on Sunday.

Are you in the Craft Show spirit? Or do you stay as far away from them as you can?

Who says a Christmas Tree design must be green and red?

2010-11-11T09:48:00.000-08:00

We love the bright colors that are all around us every time we stop in our neighborhood quilt store. From neon to different shades of teal, salmon and the ever present primary colors. When Jeanne saw this collection she freaked out. And, then, decided to see a whimsical Christmas tree on a pink background. I love her tree topper!

Check out our website to order this great look for the holidays. Available as a download if you want.

Halloween

2010-10-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

It looks like Halloween out my window today. The wind is howling, the trees have no leaves, and the sky is grey and full of low clouds. We've got 4 days yet to see Trick or Treaters walking down the sidewalks with candy bags full.

Unfortunately, with the cold Fall weather that we have been experiencing lately, come bad colds. Jeanne has been suffering for over a week. Now our little sister, Jo, has a cold and Jeanne's husband is the next to succumb. I am trying to stay clear and have all my fingers crossed that I am sucessful.

But, in the meantime, the stitching continues with lots of phone calls and emails flying back and forth. PLUS-my cleaning of the sewing room continues. Jeanne has taken one load of fabric to the sewing ladies at her church to make charity quilts. It felt good to share some of the fabric that was just sitting on our shelves. Yes, it is VERY hard to pass fabric on. (I bet you know what I mean!) But, really. Do I absolutely need fabric that I bought 5-10 years ago and have just let sit on the shelf??? Ok...maybe not.

I have two more shelves to clean this weekend. Then it's on to the yarn!

Mid month and a reality check

2010-10-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if it is because we are mid-October and I'm starting to panic about getting Christmas presents finished, or what! But I finally admitted that I need help with projects. Jeanne and I hurried to design a new set of placemates and we have had a riot picking out fabrics, floss, and doing the stitching. They look great! (No-you can't see them quite yet!)

But they need to be machine stitched now and I really don't know what I'm going with that. I am the one that loves hand quilting, remember? I'm the one that can hand quilt a king size Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt, after hand piecing all the hexagons for a year. I think my issue is that I have never really sat next to someone who knows what to do and why. I get tense just thinking of it.

So yesterday we met with a good quilting buddy and I asked for help. The response was "Sure". We are leaving the design up to her and she can do what she wants. I'll add the bindings and we'll be ready for sharing then. What a relief. And we'll be trading some fabric for her time-good for everyone.

What part of quilting are you not really comfortable doing??? Time to admit you may need help-it's not a crime!

10-10-10 and Fall Harvest

2010-10-11T03:22:00.000-07:00

Funny to think about these numbers. Just think we can only have two more -11/11/11 and 12/12/12 and then it's all over-I think. That kind of higher thinking is sometimes beyond me.

We have been enjoying glorious Fall weather with blue skies and lots of sun. Perfect for walking through leaves and watching the trees turn. But that also means that we're trying to dig through the back of closets and pull out all those long sleeve tops and sweaters that we stuck away in a hurry when Spring hit. And that leads to pulling out the winter quilts and checking things over.

I put a flannel quilt at the bottom of the bed last week when one night the temperature was supposed to be under 40 degrees. It looks great against the lighter colored quilt that I use during summer. It's a simple quilt of 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 squares sewn together with a greyish 3 inch border and it backed with off white and blue ticking also in flannel. It's a mish mash of flannel squares all mixed up and then I hand stitched in the ditch around each one.

I also put one of our Fall Harvest wall hangings over the living room couch. All the burnt oranges, dark greens and muted steel blues look great with my dark green couch. I'll show you later when I can find the card for my digital camera.

How do you make the change of seasons in your home decorating???

Thinking about FALL!

2010-09-28T03:46:00.000-07:00

The sky yesterday was that sharp, no clouds at all bright blue color that makes me see all the leaves changing immediately. It was around 62 degrees and not much breeze. Perfect day to be working on a Halloween project.

I usually don't do much with panels. Our Mom (who is doing great, thank you very much!) loves to make pillows and wall-hangings from them. But I sometimes think they are just too cute. However, last fall I found a Halloween panel that is delightful. I bought enough for 4 small wall-hangings and quickly got one quilted and on the wall before the ghosts and witches started knocking at our door.

While cleaning, always a dangerous job, I stumbled (not literally!) across the rest of the panel and decided to make another for a birthday present. I finished the simple hand quilting yesterday and will complete the binding and hanging envelope this week. Ta-da! Birthday present complete.

Tell us your opinion of panels. I finally must agree that they have their perfect use.

Surreal 48 hours!

2010-09-23T03:43:00.000-07:00

Well, we are not on our way to Spain today. The trip to visit family and explore EVERYTHING has been postponed. Our Mom arrived Tuesday morning so we could all fly together and within 2 hours of landing, was in the back of an ambulance heading for the hospital. Within 4 hours of landing she was scheduled to have a pacemaker implanted and within 7 hours was in a hospital room starting her recovery! WOW.

We are so very blessed to have this occur here and not over the Atlantic or somewhere along the way. Recovery will be good. Coincidentally, she can't travel the same length of time we would have been abroad. Tickets can still be used and the battery in her pacemaker is good for 15 years. We are grateful.

It was fantastic to see everyone in the family rally around her. Our dad and older brother are still at their home in Virginia but everyone is working together to support our Mom. We are blessed.

(As soon as she gets her arm out of the sling, we'll put her to work stitching!!!)

Can't sleep...too excited

2010-09-21T01:18:00.001-07:00

Rainy Fall day

2010-09-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

It is supposed to be raining today and has been grey all morning. So, instead of moping around and complaining that summer is over, I have been looking at bright 1930 type colors and designs. Take a look next door at the letter F-decked out in all it's glory. Isn't this charming? Now what could it be???

Straight lines

2010-09-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

Spent most of Saturday working on the new project. Fun to see all the fabrics and pick between them for the best arrangement. I love projects that only take about an hour to put together. Then about an hour for the embroidery (or a bit longer if I'm watching a Packer Football game!), and you're ready to do the binding and finish it all. How sweet is that?

But, you knew there had to be a but, what is it with me and stitching a straight line? Even though I check before I start and make sure I know what a 1/4 inch seam allowance is and I pin the strips together, sometimes there is still a bowed effect. I know to try to cut consistently but STILL! Of course, Jeanne can spot a line that is not straight from across the room. Sigh...little sisters are a pain sometimes.

Do you have any tricks for me to improve my straight stitching of 1 1/2 inch strips of fabric?

Working on new project

2010-09-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

My work area is FULL of new fabrics. Crazy full and that is after I spent two afternoons trying to reorganize things this weekend. The inspiration is the idea for a new pattern that Jeanne and I are getting very excited about. It started with a Moda Jelly Roll that I bought from the Quilter's Daily Deal blog. (click here to check it out! It is my new favorite to check every morning and the folks there ship so fast! I love getting packages and they are feeding my must buy more fat quarters and charm pack additions.)

Anyway, so I got this great new Jelly Roll and that was all it took to make me start digging through every shelf I have in the studio. I found so much good stuff that I had to call Jeanne to come and check it all out. Obviously, I have been doing my part to keep the American economy going!!!

We'll be sharing more pictures and updates on this new, easy to assemble project for the next 2 weeks. Stay tuned for more! You can get a sneak peek at the project so far by checking out the photo next door in teal!