Embellished Journal Cover

I belong to a group of friends on another blog, which is private by request of a couple of the members.  We make 1 item every 6 weeks for one of the blog members.  last month we were to make a journal cover for our intended.

This is the journal I made for my good friend Dee.  You can go to her blog to see the one she made and sent to the name that was drawn for her.

I used dyed laces from my good friend Nicki's Etsy Shop to make the flower garden on the front.  I had been wanting to try my hand at one of those and I think I passed the test. 

Dee really liked her journal!  We met for lunch one day and I presented it to her along with a jar of my pickle and some laces and embellishments for her next CQ project.

I love sharing with friends!

My First Purse

I started a new blog with 11 other friends and we are making a new project every 6 weeks through 12 projects.  The catch is each cycle you have to send what you make to another member of the group.  When we have made all 12 projects, each group member will own one of your creations!

The first project was handmade totes or bags.  I had my friend carolyn's name and I made this purse and sent it to her.  This is my very first purse and I am quiet pleased with how it came out!

My good friend Karen had my name and this is the beautiful tote that I received from her! I will be toting this to guild next Monday night!

Love these batiks!!!

The next project is quilted and embellished planners!  I have to make one for my good friend Dee!  She loves Batiks too so I think I will make hers from this lucious fabric! :)

Love CQ!!

I have been involved in a CQ RR with a group of ladies on the HGTV Forum and we are finished...yay!!  These photos show a little of the work I did to the blocks...

My PRIZE Quilt!!!

Don't you just love Show and Tell!!  Amy  over at AmyLouWho would love for you to share something inspiring each week!  Take a hop over there and see what everyone is up to!

Cathy Wiggins knows her stuff when it comes to pictoral quilts!  About 4 years ago I had the pleasure of being a member of the same longarm group as she, and at that first meeting Cathy brought some of her beautiful work for Show and Tell!  She had done a quilt of a little girl wearing overalls and holding a big bullfrog! I actually teared up when I saw the quilt!  I knew I would have to allow her to do my grandchildren one day!

In November of last year my hubby allowed me to commission Cathy to make me a quilt for my birthday gift!  It has taken this long to get it finished but it was so well worth the wait.

I just have to share it with all of you!!!

Blogger's Quilt Festival Entry

While I was waiting for the Bloggers Quilt Festival to start, I knew exactly which quilt I wanted to showcase this year! This quilt was made for me when my mother passed away last fall due to complications from her cancer.

My friends from the HGTV Quilting and Needlework Forum all secretly put this quilt together, and then my friend Karen came from VA to hand deliver it to me.

I use this quilt every single day when I sit or lie on the couch watching television.  I love a cool house so I always love to wrap up when I am relaxing.  I feel their great big hug everytime I pull it up to my chin! :)

The beautiful label was handpainted by my friend Carolyn from CA!  She is such an artist!

Surprise In The Mail!

I received a package in the mail today that I was not expecting!  I looked at the return address and knew the name sounded familiar.  Then I realized it was the recent winner of my blog giveaway!

Maggey sent me the sweetest gift back today!  She made me a handmade tote with wonderful pig fabric!!  I LOVE it!  She also included a Mary Engelbright journal and a tiny vase!

Aren't blogging friends awesome!  Thank you so much Maggey! :)

Killing 2 Birds With One Stone!

This quilt is serving more than one purpose today!

It is one of my projects that I entered in the PHD Challenge!  It is also a project I finished this month so I can count it on the OPAM Challenge as well!!

It will be going to a child at the Masonic Home For Children in Oxford, NC!

Mini Quilt & Pillow Cover

These 2 items are for the lady who received the pincushion in an earlier post.  I am mailing these to her today.  I don't think she frequents my blog so I am going to gamble and hope I am safe to post these before she receives them.

I really like the way they both turned out.  I used a pattern for the mini quilt but the pillow is something I just made up. I used my partners fabric to make the flowers in the tree and to make her dress.  I collect pigs of all kinds so my dress is of pig fabric.  She will like this!

This pillow cover is way too fun!!  I bet her daughter will be sneaking this into her room as well!   I made the back open so that she can insert a pillow form and remove it when she needs to spot clean the pillow cover.  The flowers on the pillow were made using my friend Arlette's tutorial.  If you haven't visited her blog, you are missing a treat!

Pillow

I hosted a Dare To be Ugly Challenge with the ladies on the HGTV Quilting and Needlwork Forum.  I had to find a very ugly piece of fabric and then send each contestant a FQ of it.  They had to make something with the fabric, using at least 90% of it.  The rules were that you could incorporate as much other fabric that you needed but you could not buy any more of the ugly fabric.  But who would want to, right??

This was the fabric...

 I made this pillow with mine.

Pincushions!

I am hosting a swap on the HGTV Quilting and Needlework Forum.  The object is to send your partner an ugly piece of fabric, fat quarter in size, and your partner is to make you something using at least 90% of the fabric.

This large pincushion is the first thing I made for my partner.  Her daughter snook it into her room and her mom had to retrieve it.

So the small pincushion is going to her daughter. :)

OPAM Finishes!!

Just a little over 3 hours to get these posted!  I have had these things made for a while but just haven't taken the photos.  But here goes!

A pincushion for a swap that went to a friend in NH!

This little mini quilt is something a lot of my readers have been waiting to see.  It is my give away gift from my Feb give away!  I finally got it finished!  Now you have to see who the lucky recipient is!

These next photos are of 9 pillowcases that I have recently made to sale on my website.  I remember making these in Home Economics class back in the 70's!!  I made my mom several out of satin fabric to use so her "weekly hairdo" would last longer.  Now they are popping back up all over the place!  I think these cat and dog fabrics will make great pillowcases for some young-un's! :)

 The cat is looking up at the mice on the flange...Isn't that too cute!

 These puppies are too stinking cute!

I fell in love with this "dog commands" fabric!  Just perfect for the flanges here!

 Who doesn't love dalmatians!

The same "dog command" fabric!  Love it!

Pottery - Steve Abee Pigs!!

The UPS man came today!!!!!!!

We collect pottery from the Western part of North Carolina and Steve Abee is one of those potters! He does a fabulous swirl finish!! We special ordered this set of pigs...right down to the runt...I just love them!!

Maybe they should be my blog header!

PHD Challenge! First Finish!

This is a quilt that was created from a swap on the HGTV Quilting and Needlework Forum.  My good friend Brandy hosted this Friendship Star Siggy Block Swap in 2007.  I am proud now to say that this UFO is finished and ready to display in my quilting studio!  It has a wonderful story to tell!  One of the blocks is from Australia and another one is from New Zealand... the remaining blocks are from all across the USA!!

I had a few blocks left over from the front so I added them to my backing.