2015 –

More Vintage Quilt Tops

November 7, 2015 Leave a Comment

I found this pretty quilt top on Etsy. It is a Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt. The seller had it for many years, and decided to part with it. I like it so much, I think I’ll be keeping this one 🙂

A couple more quilts made of vintage quilt tops. I find tops that I really really like, and as I make them into quilts, sometimes they “speak” to me and tell me who they belong to… And now, they are happily in their new homes. Not the best photos – no quilt holders around, so I precariously stood on a bar stool and did my best:

And some random photos. Santa stockings for community service, me at Beethoven’s 9th (Disney Concert Hall), and me hiking in Wildwood Canyon:

Filed Under: Outings And Adventures, Quilting

A Quilt For Muriel

November 6, 2015 6 Comments

I’ve mentioned before that a group of us friends are meeting once a week for painting lessons with a very talented artist friend, Muriel Dolemieux. I just love her work! it is so colorful and happy! So, combining my current obsession of quilting, and painting, I thought it would be fun to make Muriel a quilt with her artwork. It also gave me a chance to try out Spoonflower. I think it came out beautifully:

And here are some current projects on my table:

Filed Under: Quilting

My Second Sew Sisters Exchange Quilt Reveal

September 19, 2015 1 Comment

We had our sixth annual ( second for me) Sew Sisters Quilt Exchange Reveal last month. Long post, but well worth looking at all the beautiful quilts!

Filed Under: Quilting

Vintage Quilt Tops, Made By Someone, Someplace In Time…

September 10, 2015 7 Comments

I have been on a mission of sorts to adopt/rescue vintage quilt tops. When I first set eyes on a vintage quilt top, it was love at first sight! I could just imagine the history behind each and every one… Who pieced it? Where was it made? What did each piece of scrap represent? A baby’s jumper? A daughter’s dress? A son’s shirt? I could go on and on. And most were pieced by hand, stitch by stitch… A labor of love.

So, after collecting several tops, I set out to finish them and gift them to my sisters; my dear sisters who lovingly care for our aging parents. I chose to finish them by machine. Several days of longarm rental later, and many hours of binding, here are the finished quilts ( I took advantage of dear younger son visiting):

My friend Fran gifted me with this cute yellow top:

I found this Grandmother’s Garden top at our local antique mall, crammed into a plastic bag:

I saw this cute butterfly top on Ebay and won! Now I want to make a butterfly quilt (Note to self: add to ever growing list):

And I made one for my mother too – She’s one of us girls, and is very attentive to our father :). I found this top at the Pasadena Rose Bowl Flea Market:

And I still have several more that are waiting to be finished :).

Filed Under: Quilting

Ellie’s Row By Row

May 30, 2015 4 Comments

Our quilt group has been working on our Row By Row quilts for some time now. I did another row for my dear friend Ellie. The first one I did was back in March of last year, a winter row. Ellie’s theme is “Seasons”. This time, I did a summer row. There is an order to my madness/messiness… So glad for my studio – now I can spread out and have fun!

I love old vintage campers. Perhaps one day…

And here it is sewn to the other rows:

I hope Ellie likes it. Now on to finishing my own row by row.

Filed Under: Quilting

What Have I Been Up To…

May 13, 2015 10 Comments

It’s already May. Much has happened since I last posted. Older son moved back to CA – yay! Younger son continues in the Bay Area, and dear daughter got hit by a car on her bike, but managed to make it to Nationals. Thank God she is ok…

The inattentive gardener that I am, I dedicated two of my planters to growing berries. I happened to be out poking around my garden today, and lo and behold, the berries were ripe!

I have been wanting my very own studio space. When younger son moved up north, I eyed his room, but it was an overwhelming mess, since we started using it as a catch all room. So, dear hubby suggested the kids bonus room. He helped me organize it, put together some Ikea cabinets, and now I have my very own Studio! This is the old computer nook; now my sewing station:

Lots of storage for my quilting and art!

Vintage quilts I have been collecting for some special projects:

Now I have a place to display my vintage metal dollhouses:

My current quilt project. A quilter, Laura West Kong, who belongs to my local Guild has a Quarter Daisy block in the book, Modern Blocks:

And the TV is still in here, so the kids are not totally deprived when they come home to visit:

I have always wanted to learn how to paint in acrylic. A very talented friend of mine, Muriel Dolemieux is teaching a group of us in her home Studio. I love it! it’s so much fun! Here is our first painting:

So, I’m keeping myself very busy. Life is good!

Filed Under: Garden 2015, Projects And Interests, Quilting

Hemet Quilt Show & The Dammit Doll

February 28, 2015 2 Comments

I am still in the process of cleaning/organizing the kids old bonus room into somewhat of a studio/sewing room for myself. It is a long process… Amazing how much fabric I have amassed in the last year and a half of quilting. And equally amazing that the kids have “moved out” but still have most of their things in our house. Anyway, I digress… I had a chance to go to the Hemet Annual Quilt Show. I got a good dose of inspiration, and I can’t wait to finish organizing, so I can start to sew and create again. Here are some of my favorites at the show (love the quilted dressmaker’s dummy):

I just love the silhouette black/white lady quilt. And I wanted to share this doll that one of the ladies in my sewing group was making. Cute idea, but I kind of feel sorry for the doll…

Filed Under: Outings And Adventures, Quilting

New Shoes

February 25, 2015 1 Comment

I don’t know why, but I am not a fan of shoe shopping. After wearing my all purpose sneakers on my last hike and nearly destroying them, I realized I really needed new hiking shoes as well as workout shoes. So, dear hubby happily accompanied me to the outlets. I am very fortunate to have such a patient husband. I was the one shopping for shoes, and getting bored. He reminded me that shoe shopping couldn’t possibly be worse than the root canal I got last week. I had to think about that one…

Filed Under: Family and Friends, Outings And Adventures

A Boy And His Car

February 24, 2015 1 Comment

Sometimes crappy things happen… Dear younger son had his car stolen off the street near his apartment the other day. This dear little car was handed down from his three older cousins, who owned it in succession. It had seen better days, but was in amazing shape and well loved. He took possession of it in High School. It went with him to college. Always very reliable, and younger son added his dings and marks to it. Then he took it up to the Bay Area on his “adventure”… And the other day, someone drove away with it. I just don’t get how some people can do such things. If it was a careless theft, I hope your mother is proud of you, I wouldn’t be. And if it was someone in dire straits, I hope the car serves your needs – please take good care of it…

As dear hubby always says, life is good :).

Filed Under: Family and Friends

Valentine Swap

January 23, 2015 6 Comments

I mentioned earlier that I was involved in a Valentine Swap. It was hosted by Viv over at Viv Out On A Whim – Thank you Viv! And I was partnered with a most talented mixed media artist, Cheryl over at Artsy Fartsy. Cheryl sent me lots of goodies, including a bunch of caramel kisses! And I especially like the cupid tag she made using her husbands great-great-great grandfathers vintage photo as cupid! 🙂 Thank you Cheryl!

Filed Under: Crafting

Balance

January 21, 2015 3 Comments

For whatever reason, this time of year, I seem to need some kind of spiritual connection. Possibly the end of a hectic holiday season, and the departure of my children back to their respective lives? I found myself feeling really empty after everyone left, and I was putting away Christmas decorations by myself. So, the following weekend, I took myself and dear hubby to our church. There, I had the opportunity to reach in a basket and select my word for the year – “Balance”. Somehow, it seems very appropriate…

In my never ending quest for good health, and simply to try and stay out of Medical offices, I joined a local hiking group. We have been hiking the hills surrounding our town and a neighboring one. The views are breathtaking, the hills are green, and hiking is becoming addictive!

And to get my “Crafty” back on, I joined a Valentine swap. It’s fun making things for someone, and it’s also fun to make things to decorate around the house. I don’t have much in the way of Valentine decorations, so I made a heart ornament and a heart box for myself too. The box top is made using a copy of a vintage card I purchased. Under the girl’s skirt is a place to dab some perfume. Amazing the ideas they came up with back in the day: