January Christmas Gifts Done....(and a few tutorials!)

Last night was our weekly quilting friendship group….first off everyone was in rare form…ok ladies you know who I am talking about!!  There definitely was more laughing than quilting, but even so I managed to get five 10 minute table runners done.  Got to class at 3:30 and by 7:30 they were done….came home and put the buttons on!  I made some last year with intentions of giving them to my neighbors, but somehow they went to other homes.   This year these are for the neighbors! Thanks to my friends Carol and Darlene for finding the tutorial..... here's the link for the runner.

Finding tutorials for the Christmas Club is so much fun, and even though I said the postings would be on the first and third Mondays of each month, I just have to throw a few in here.  First my friend Carol made this sweet bag…I love that pleat in the front.  You can find the link here.

 Jen already has her January gifts done..link here for the Zippity Wallet tutorial.  Then there’s Deb, she’s been a busy bee too and has her January gift done, a zipper purse made out of felt…tutorial here.  Three stinkin’ cute projects don’t you think??!!!  I have become possessed/obsessed with finding tutorials….think I might need some kind of intervention or something.  Darlene and I are having so fun hosting this club,  and I hear  she has a surprise brewing for us!     Don’t forget to check back here on Monday, February 6th…I have some more wonderful tuts coming your way.  Happy Thursday everyone.

FNSI Results

Sewing happened late here, but I definitely made some progress!  First, I finished up a Valentine runner I started last year, got a mini heart garland tied up, and finished the piecing on a Valentine candle mat……buttonholing to happen soon!  This is going to be a raffle item at Big Dots preschool.
Look at this….so sweet !!!  Carol’s sweet doggie and these so cute stay put kitchen towels.  It’s a tutorial she found and made for our Christmas Through The Year club….here’s the  link if you want to whip up some for yourself!!   Thanks Bobbi for hosting FNSI!!
This weekend is Little Dots 2nd birthday party.  I can’t believe he’s two, and for party number two, we will be celebrating my in-laws 70th anniversary…..talk about a milestone!!  Wishing you all a great weekend.

Fun Stuff and Christmas Through The Year Tutorials

I won these wonderful goodies from Cheryll  who hosted our Santa Sack Swap…all things I love, and such a sweet personal handkerchief .    Thanks so much Cheryll, and thanks for hosting such a fun swap.
Lurking around the blogs I found Wendy’s Sew  It’s Finished blog.  It’s a challenge blog that you can join to finish up  UFO’s…..EUREKA!!  This is what I need…some motivation to dig in and finish up all those projects that are tucked away…..let the UFO sewing begin.   Are you tempted?? :-)!

I have decided that I will be posting tutorials on the first and third Mondays of each month.  It has been  so much fun looking  for  projects……some are from bloggy friends and some are new bloggy friends.   If you decide to use one of the tutorials for a project and are posting a picture on your blog please use the link back to the tutorial.  Good to give our crafters credit for their wonderful projects.  So here we go!!!!  Thanks to everyone for permission to print their links...and don't forget to check over at Darlene's for the wonderful giveaway she has whipped up this month......SO CUTE!!!
These two links are from Jen, Miss Punkie Pie.  First a two handed pot holder from Liz at Sew4home.   So clever and these would make great Xmas gifts.


This next project  I will repeat closer to Christmas but I just had to show it now…..it had over 23,000 pins on Pinterest….
Candy Cane Sleighs loaded with candy..YUMMY, from Ellyn’s Place.  Ellyn made sure to give credit to one of the ladies in her Bring n Brag group for showing them this project.  More tutorials will be coming from Ellyn.  Thanks Jen for two wonderful links.
Here’s another project from Liz at Sew4home..a bed caddy.  Talk about being organized!!!  LOVE THIS…and this link has tons of great projects and info.

Here’s a very quick, easy and cute project from Lori at Bee In My Bonnet… hot/cold bags.  The fabrics she used are too cute for words!!   I have been following Lori’s blog for a long time….so much to see over there you probably will get sidetracked for some time.  There will be more links to Lori in the future.


Ashley from Make It and Love It came up with this very clever holder for charging your cell phone…I’m thinking I need to be making some polka dot ones for sure.  This site is loaded with ideas!
Besides being a good bloggy friend and trusting Darlene and myself to continue on with her club,  Allie is also sending me links.  Here is a wonderful Hexi Snowman table runner from Paulette at Sweet P Quilting.  I know a few friends that would love this for Christmas not to mention ME!!!  So it’s definitely on my to do list!

Stephanie at A Ditchin’ Time Quilts has this wonderful tutorial for a designer car trash bag!  This is so cool Stephanie and a great tutorial.
If anyone has a tutorial they would like to share please email me….I’m on the hunt!
No sewing for me this past week…other things happening …but I am hoping to get some sewing in this Friday….it’s FNSI.  You can sign up here at Bobbi’s blog.
Happy week everyone and start thinking Christmas gifts!

A UFO Finish…..and Tuts for the Christmas Through The Year Club

Hopping around the blogs I kept seeing all the cute pillows being made, using the Miss Rosie’s Full House Schnibble pattern…at quilt camp I got my pillow top done and then put it aside!!  Figured I would work on it some time next year.  Well Carol challenged me to finish up a UFO each month this year….and here is my finished pillow.
Feels good to get something done right away and yes that was taken a couple days ago so Christmas has been slow coming down.  Tomorrow the last of the boxes will be tucked away!
Darlene and I have had a good response to year two of the Christmas Through The Year Club, and we are both so excited to continue on with Allie’s club.  Thanks to Pinterest and emails from friends I have some more Tuts to share!!
Anna at Thimbleanna has this really cute Purse Thingy (her words!) tutorial…link up here.  You might as well have a cup of coffee, you will be there for a while.  So many wonderful ideas.  Karen at Sew Many Ways has this really sweet Fabric Bookmark….tut here.
This would also be a great teacher gift.  Again, grab that coffee there is lots to see at her blog….and if you haven’t visited on Tool Time Tuesday have a peek tomorrow.  She comes up with some amazing things.
I have always wanted to make a casserole cover for myself, but I’m thinking  they would make great gifts too. So over at 2littlehooligans there is this great tutorial.   Again, cup of coffee time…another great blog!
Allie, who is cheering Darlene and I on, sent me the link for a really cute Mushroom Needle Book.  She found it over at Loralynn's blog, My Art, My So Called Life... another great blog!!! Wasn’t sure I could use the picture but the link will take you there.  Stina at  Kviltstina has this so, so cute Christmas Pincushion tutorial. This is a three part tutorial…here is part 1 , part 2, and part 3.   Another wonderful blog and you will definitely be spending time here too!
Lastly, a very cute  spider web potholder at Jay Bird Quilts……here’s the link….once again another wonderful blog filled with tons of great ideas and tutorials.
This club is open to everyone…jump in whenever you can!   There is a giveaway each month which Darlene is working on…you are going to love it!!! If you have a tutorial you would like to share email either Darlene or myself and we would love to feature it!!  Happy Tuesday everyone.

Christmas Through The Year

Last year Allie came up with this wonderful idea…make a Christmas gift each month then when Christmas 2011 rolled around we would have a box full of goodies made and ready to go!!  I jumped at this, even though there were some months I was barely making the end of the month deadline….but I did all 12 months and I loved having the box of homemade gifts all done.  Allie worked very hard on this club for us…cheering us on, posting tutorials and each month a giveaway. Now Allie is embarking on a new adventure.  Designing patterns for stitcheries and appliqué quilts.  I am so excited for her, and I just know she is going to do well, so this will be her focus, and like she did for us, we will all be cheering her on!!!  Thanks Allie for hosting such a wonderful year of the Christmas Club.  

I sent an email telling her I was thinking about continuing on with the club.  She also had heard from Darlene who wanted to do the same…a phone call from Darlene over the weekend and the club is starting it’s second year.  Darlene has come up with some great ideas and has us very organized…thank goodness because I’m afraid I’m not at the moment!!  Please hop on over to Darlene’s to  see what she has in store!!  I promise, promise you are going to love this. Remember, this isn’t a club that you sign up for the whole year.  You just join in the months that you can.

Now for some tutorials!!!  Our very own Nanette at Freda’s Hive has the most wonderful tutorial for Waffle dish cloths; 

 

a scrappy organizer at Where The Orchids Grow ;

 

 

 

 

 

A very sweet Needle book  over at Nana Company;

and this fun Marshmallow Shooter over at Thrifty and Thriving.   We made this for our family gift exchange this year and it was a BIG hit! 

A big thanks to Darlene for laying the ground work on this upcoming year, and also for the wonderful phone call.    I’ll be back next week with some more tutorials! 

For The Birds….Hearts…and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

  Another piece of wonderful yard art from my friend Loretta…the birds will be dinning in style  at our house now.   The glass is so pretty and I love the chicken feeder attached in the middle.  As soon as the honeysuckle grows back it will be the perfect backdrop!

 

Then she has a couple more to tempt me……love the blue,  and look at this one made from an outdoor light fixture….she is amazing!  We are all hunting glass for her because we don’t want her to run out :-)!!!!!

I spotted a cute Valentine project on Pinterest and I was talking to a friend about having to cut out  tons of hearts…she says “I have a tool for you!” ….and zip, zap, bam tons of hearts cut!!  Shut the back door.  How have I missed these things?!  Guess me avoiding getting in to scrapbooking probably has something to do with it.  She has at least 20 other types of cutters…now the trading begins.  We are going to be trading tools for quilty things!

2011 has been one fast year and one good year for our family.  We have much to be grateful for, which was my word for the year.   I thank Kelly for that!!  So bring on 2012 …. I know there will be ups and downs, but with our wonderful family and great friends we can handle anything.   From our family to yours HAPPY NEW YEAR blogland.

It Was A Very Good Day

Christmas was so much fun…watching  The Dots open their presents and having a wonderful day filled with family…….well it was just plain perfect.  Lots of laughing, and way too much eating, but again very perfect!
I opened my package from my SSCS partner Patricia ………OMW, so stinkin’ cute is this sweet bag!!!  I am crazy over this fabric, and please notice the polka dot handles and sides!  Her embroidery in the squares is perfection.
There’s my sweet bird ornament that she made me checking it out also!!  In the inside was this wonderful pattern and floss.  Like I told Patricia, this is going in my to do box for sure.  Thanks so much Patricia, and thanks Chookyblue for being such a great Elf!!!
Today was a lazy day.  I worked on a binding for a bit and then got the itch to sew something. 
I made a couple little pouches out of this cool Jo Morton vinyl fabric.  It’s the pattern that has the tape measure in the top….fast and easy for sure.  It was nice just to have a lazy day after the face paced month that went on around here…..and today I’m thinking more laziness might just happen!!   Happy Tuesday everyone.