CHRISTMAS IS AROUND THE CORNER!!

I've seen other people's blogs,

Facebook and Instagram posts.

I know that I am far behind the rest of you.

I made a few Christmas samples for the shop.

This is a tried and true table runner from Atkinson's Designs.

Terry's instructions are the absolute best in the business.  

I love the Vintage Postcards from Olde American Antiques.
They are beautifully printed on quality fabric.
You can put a wall hanging together in a couple of hours.
Love.

This was a quilt top I made several years ago.  I love sock monkeys, 

and just had to make a baby quilt for 'someday'. 

It has been quilted for a couple of years, but I added the binding 

and mailed it off to the Love of our lives!!

Sweet Baby Aiyana.

This is who I think about, and sew for.

Our 1st grandchild.

She is the perfect model.

xo J

SPELL IT WITH MODA

Some of you know that my husband (boyfriend) had

a Cardiac Arrest last February.

It was a terrifying time for our family.

He is much better, hard wired with a Pacemaker/Defibrillator. 

This was taken in August, while on a trip to Mt. Hood.

During his long recovery,

I wanted a fun, easy project to work on.

Something, that I could do if he was napping.

My choice was the Spell It With Fabric booklet,

by Moda.

Using as many Pam Kitty Morning fabrics as possible!

 

Always a rule follower, I started with the letter A.

I believe the B was taking far too much time to think about,

so I must have skipped it for a while.

Looks like I got back on track!

You needed to make a few filler blocks.  

My boyfriend loves to sail, so this one was for him.

Finished, quilted and bound.

I love this quilt, and it helped heal my heart.

We have these little booklets in the shop,

and I will hang the quilt next week, when I am home from Quilt Market.

I will be there, visiting with Miss Pam Kitty, 

and buying all of her newest fabric.  Having a happy heart is very important!
Check back, I will be blogging and on instagram, while I am in Houston.

xo

Pam Kitty Morning

A LITTLE SUNDAY SEWING

Having a new grand baby has me looking a fabric differently.

She is 6 weeks old, and right now they dress her in a diaper and a blanket.

Unless they are taking her out of the house.

The Beautiful Aiyana.

Yesterday, I made 2 little receiving blankets.

A Christmas flannel one.

Just 2 pieces of flannel, I use 1 1/4 yards each.  So they are square.

Sewn, right sides together, with a little space left open to turn.

I rounded the corners, using a plate as a template.

Then, I top stitched two rows of stitching 1/4" apart.

Easy Peasy.

For this one, I used the tutorial from Missouri Star Quilt Company.

I have used this many times, and love the results.

For this little receiving blanket I used cotton on one side and flannel on the other.

This is a pretty wrinkly picture, but you get the idea.

This is the sweetest fabric, EVER!  It is from Lecien's Old New collection.

What precious baby wouldn't love 'Little Honey Baby Story' on their blanket?

Or the wolf saying 'little girl'

And Cherries, and Strawberries on pink gingham.  

Simply my favorite fabric of the day!

Today, a customer brought in this precious, tiny treadle sewing machine to be serviced.

It stands 24" tall, the wooden table is 18" x 10".

My heart skipped a beat!

It was made by Ideal.

I wonder if my sweet Aiyana, would like to sew on one like this?

xo j

BEAUTIFUL WOOL!

Today has been one of those days,

when I feel lucky to be a quilt shop owner!

I had a great meeting with my Westminster/Freespirit sales gal.

Jane started,  just about the same time I did.  

We have been through a lot of changes in 25 years.

It is always fun to see what she has in her sample bag.

New things for Spring!  Tula Pink, Heather Bailey and new to their

company April Cornell!

After I was finished visiting with her, 

I met with a woman that I have been trying to 

see, for months.

She owns Olympic Wool Works.

And if you like to work with wool, you are

going to love her hand dyed wool.

Beautiful, rich colors.

A beautiful range of colors, dyed on high quality wool.

Fall.

Green.

Neutrals.

Blues.

She also has some very nice patterns.  

I really love the embroidery on this.  The grass really comes alive!

These will be in the shop within the next couple of days.

You will find me, pulling thread through wool...xo j

SEWING FOR MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

A a mother of 3 boys, sports have been a part of my life, for 35 years.

My oldest was about 4, when he went to his first Sonic's game.

There were many Mariner games, in the King Dome, and Safeco Field.

I made M.C. Hammer pants for my middle guy, when he was in the first grade, out of

Seahawk fabric.  Old School Seahawk's colors.

I have been lucky enough to get my hands on current Seahawk fabric, so you 

can do a little sewing for your the 12th Man in your family!

Skittles should always be a part of your sewing!  

You may know that I have a sweet new granddaughter.  She is 4 weeks old, and I made this 

little fleece and flannel blanket, for her to snuggle in during the games!

(yes, I have fleece!)

So, now I need to settle down, drink my coffee, and be ready to leave here before 5.

Because it is Monday Night Football!!

GO HAWKS! xo j

Vintage Yo Yo Quilt

Yesterday was a beautiful day.

A perfect day to air out a vintage quilt.

I don't have a clothes line, and the grass was a bit damp.

So, I thought I would drape this beauty over a few chairs.

It was fun to gaze outside, and see the timeless colors.

These, hand sewn yo-yo's, are about the size of a quarter.  It appears to me, 

they were stitched together as little 4 patches, of color.  Probably in the 1930's

I bought this several years ago, from a friend, who is an antique dealer.

She has found some great things for me over the years! (Thank's Sam!)

I was once told that lying a musty quilt in the grass, 

will help to take the smell away.  (Something to do with Chlorophyll) 

I have been a little afraid to wash this quilt.  

Without a backing, and only a few stitches holding each yo-yo 

in place, it's a risk I am not willing to take.

I love the center.

And the edge, makes my heart sing.

Well, this girl stole the show!  

'thanks, mom, for putting out this great quilt for my Sunday nap' said Ruby.

xo j

SUMMER FUN

This summer we are participation in a fun 'new to us' Shop Hop.  The Row By Row Experience.  

This is a Nation Wide Shop Hop!  

You can find all the information here:

www.rowbyrowexperience.com

  

The last time I looked, there are over 1250 Quilt Shops participating!

I am not aware of any other industry coming together

to do something like this.  AMAZING!

Each shop will design a row for a quilt, based on a season.

The patterns will be free from July 1-Sept 2.

What a great Summer Time memory.  Really, no matter where you go,

there should be a Quilt Shop in the area that is participating!

This is our Scrap Happy Pumpkin row.

We will have kits for sale during the event.

A fun 'add on' for this event is the fabric license plates.

Each shop had the opportunity to choose their own 'vanity saying', 

and then have it printed just like their states own plates!

I ordered a large version, and it is hanging outside the shop!

I love it.

There are also coordinating fabrics.

I have already started trading plates with shop owners from around the country.

You should plan on doing the same thing with your quilting buddies!

xo j

The Happy Alphabet Quilt

In February, March and April, I was home with my husband,

who was recuperating from a Cardiac Arrest.

Or as we like to call it, The Event.

I didn't have much time to sew, but I thought I could

eek out a little time if he was napping.

I did not want to work on anything I had already started.

And it had to be HAPPY!

So, I pulled out my collection of 
PamKittyMorning
the Happiest Fabric on Earth.

And a cute little booklet, from Moda
Spell it with Fabric.

I made a bright pink J.  Cherries and Bright pink always make
a girl happy!

You have to make a few filler blocks.
Sew much fun!
Seriously, Strawberries, cherries and Forget-me-nots
all in the same block.  The happy meter was climbing!

A Scrappy Dutchman's puzzle.

A sweet sailboat.
We had a sailboat, when we were first married.
Bless Bill's heart.  He loved that boat.
Each and every other Stewart gets seasick.
We tried, we really did!

All together.
Oh, my!  I am so in love with this precious quilt!
I gave it to Pam, yesterday.
She will do something very Happy with it!!

And, yesterday afternoon, I ordered every stinkn" cute fabric

in PamKitty's next collection!

Look for it at the end of 2014.  xo j

This and That

 I finished the binding on this scrappy Christmas quilt, last night.

I know it is out of season, but sometimes, a girl just likes to finish something! (Anything!!)

The quilt if from the Atkinson book, 

9 Patch Reunion.

It is an older book, but always a favorite.

We have a few copies in the shop.  I see that it is not listed on her web site any longer.

This is the border fabric, and the inspiration for the 9 patches. I made this top 

several years ago, and I am happy to say, I still really like it!

And this was just a fun sewing room find.  I made this MANY years ago.

There are holes punched in the little doll, so I am sure there was a very dull

plastic needle involved.  I really love this little Dennis the Menace!

Tomorrow is Mother's Day.  I hope you all enjoy the day. 

Celebrating with the ones who love you the most!

xo j

SAVING QUILTS, ONE UGLY DUCKLING AT A TIME!

Last week, I found this quilt in the linen closet.

It is really pretty ugly.  I have no memory of buying it.

Maybe someone gave it to me.

I just don't know how I came to own it.

It appears to be made by at least 2 makers.

Someone made these darling butterfly blocks.  

Her applique and embroidery are beautiful.

Her fabric choices were delightful.

The second maker, not so much.

The fabrics seem to be a little of everything.  

I have no way to describe it.

And the orange yarn.

I like to believe I purchased it, to take it apart 

and reuse the butterflies.

Who knows.

But, I needed a quilt for my car. So, I decided to

say a little prayer, toss it in the washer with a Color Catcher Sheet, and hope for the best.

Well, it held together, and it is nice and soft.

Crumples up nicely.

And now is living in the back of my car.

My son's fiance used it last week, after a brisk Ferry Ride.

I am glad I found it!  Again!

xo j