Latest Crazy Quilt Project

I have created a private blog among 12 friends and we are creating something for one member of the group every 6 weeks.  This past session I have been working on a Mini Nature Crazy Quilt for my good friend Amanda.It doesn't happen very often when names are drawn but Amanda actually had my name too.  I am "patiently" waiting for my little quilt to arrive from her!

I mailed hers off today so I will share a photo with my readers since Amanda is traveling right now and most likely will not see this..

I love the way the tree came out..I saw one similar on a scrapbooking site and had to make it in ribbon and buttons!  Love it! I hope she likes what I have created for her!

The first photo is of the scrapbook page that was my inspiration.

Quilting Sylvia

My good friend Jennifer made this beautiful Sylvia's bridal Sampler and allowed me to quilt it for her a couple of years ago.  I don't think I ever shared it on my blog so today I am sharing tons of photos of how I quilted several of the blocks. Enjoy the photo show!!

Vintage Tuesday

I have been wanting to show my readers some of my most prized possessions that my grandmothers and aunts have handed down to me over the years.  Each Tuesday I will show you a photo of some of my vintage keepsakes.

In this first photo there are 3 quilts.  The Grandmothers Flower garden was made by my Aunt Callie Greenhill.  She pieced the top in an unusual way by piecing a few hexagons together and appliquing them on a larger hexagon background.  My mother owned this quilt and I begged her for it every once in a while until one year at Christmas she told me it was part of my Christmas.  I was so excited!!

The second quilttop on the rack was made by a school teacher from Belgreen, Alabama.  Her children were admitting her to a nursing home and were selling her things.  I quickly spied this and rescued it from someone who might not have taken care of it.  It has lived with me for over 20 years now.  I have sometimes thought I would quilt it and return it to her family.  But then I think, they threw it away once, would they do the same thing all over again?  So, I will keep it here...safe and sound with me.

The quilt at the back of the rack was given to me by my Aunt Jimmie Lou Barnhill.  It showed up in the mail one day as a surprise!  There was a note which read that her aunt and my Great Aunt Suzy Black had paid for a bushel of peaches to her with the quilt.  My daddy had rode down with aunt Jimmie Lou's husband to deliver the peaches.  She told me she knew that I would take care of the quilt so she wanted me to have it.

I love family heirlooms and the memories they hold.  I had much rather have something that belonged to my ancestors than anything new any day of the week!

Baubles, Bangles, and Beads Mini Quilt

I started a blog group with 12 other women and we call ourselves The Bakers Dozen.  The group was formed after I happened upon this blog and was so inspired, I decided to start a group similar to it:  Twelve x Twelve

Every 6 weeks we have a challenge theme and we all interpret it the way we choose.  Your interpretation does not have to be in quilt form but if it is, the quilt should be 12 x 12. 

The theme for the past 6 weeks has been Baubles, Bangles and Beads. 

I immediately copied and pasted the theme into a google search and found that the theme was actually a song back in the late 50"s!  I went into Amazon.com and searched for the CD and found it.  Got it ordered and waited patiently until it came...

I had to piece my background out of black and white fabrics because the band members are in tuxedos.....I think this block pops!

I sewed on 160 beads by hand and  didnt count the beads on the fringe... :) ... I had a doll with earrings so I stole them away from her so I could put a Bauble on my block...the Bangle is defined by the CD itself...with the exception of the center being thinner than any bangle I have ever seen... I printed the words to the song on  printer fabric sheet and cut it out in sections and attached it to the block...The band members names are on the right hand side of the block in the white fabric... The names were so small that I wrote them on with a fabric pen...I still have a long ways to go in embrodiering anything that tiny....It would have been a lot better done in embrodiery ....

But anyway, it is what it is and I really like it...The fringe on the bottom brings the block to 12 x 12.... :)

 And this is my interpretation of Baubles, Bangles and Beads!!

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!