I Love Birthdays!

I recently took advantage of The Quilted B's 30% birthday sale (I LOVE BIRTHDAYS!) and was very happy with the fabric and impressed with the personal handwritten note that I received from Barb, the owner. I ordered the Sweet Sixteen Batik Fat Quarter Bundle and the Papillon Charm Squares by 3 Sisters for Moda ---Beautiful!!

A Fabric-y Christmas

I would like to start off by saying that I love ALL of the Christmas gifts I received. Now...I'd like to say how much I especially love the fabric I received from two very special people in my life. 

Swirly Girls Design Perfect Ten
Thank you, Carol!

Timeless Treasures Tonga Treat Minis
Thank you, Eric!

A Spool of Thread

I stopped by Quiltwork Patches to use my 33% off coupon. I really didn't need anything besides a spool of thread so thought I might purchase something in addition to the thread. I picked up two spools, then I found a Kate Spain Terrain Charm Pack by Moda - Beautiful! And perfect for the coupon!  I was at the register to check out and then I found one more thing (isn't that how it always goes at the quilt shop?) Had to replace my crane scissors that fell apart after 10+ years. 

Quilting with Joy

In November of 2011, our good friends Brian and Joy drove up from California to visit. While Brian and Eric went to an Oregon State football game, Joy and I went to Jannilou Creations in Philomath to get some inspiration, then back to the house to quilt. 

That's For The Birds by Patch Abilities, Inc
My first attempt at machine applique
(Don't look too close!)

We both worked on quilted wall hangings. Mine was for my little sister for her birthday. Joy worked on a "Be Thankful" wall hanging by Cottage Creek Quilts. I liked hers so much that I went back later and bought one for myself. The lamp that's in the middle of my quilting table is an OttLite that I got from Costco - Love it!

Relay For Life

Our office put together a Relay For Life team last year and, since I'm a cancer survivor, they had the team logo designed after my tattoo. We had all kinds of handmade items to sell. I made pot holders and baked goods, and also made a quilt to enter into the raffle. We had such a great time! 

The tattoo that I got at High Priestess Tattoo on the one-year anniversary of my cancer diagnosis.

The logo that was designed after my tattoo.

Finished Quilt Top

A lot of love went into making this quilt.
My hope is that it comforted a cancer survivor.
Or at least comforted someone.

Binding close-up

Fabric Bowl

Upside Down Bowl

Here's a fabric bowl that I attempted a few years ago on my old Singer sewing machine that I bought in 1984. It was nearing its final days, and this picture kinda shows it, but it was a really cool and fun project. My little sister was the recipient....bless her heart. I think I'll try this project on my Viking one of these days.

The pattern for this bowl is from Linda Johansen's fast fun & easy FABRIC BOWLS. Linda just happens to live right here in Corvallis, Oregon. 

A Quilt for Sam

I had such a great time sewing this quilt. I used a simple H-Block design from Even More Quilts for Baby by Ursula Reikes  All of the quilts in this book are 3x3. I had promised my son that he would get my first "real" quilt. When my husband heard that the quilt was only 3x3, he wondered what my 6-foot tall son would do with such a tiny quilt. I didn't have an answer.  So.....since my husband is better at math than I am, he enlarged the quilt to be big enough for an extra layer on his bed. I don't recall the exact size, but it worked and he loved it. This quilt looked great in his room with red walls and black ceiling (you know....the room that is now my quilting room)  :)

Stack of Blocks
I chose the red and black to match his room. The backing fabric is white musical notes on a black background because he's a musician.

Here's my Schnoodle - Giacomo - that I promised would be in some of my pictures

The Finished Quilt
I'm so glad that I chose to stitch in the ditch. I stitched out of the ditch in quite a few places, but I  don't think they're very noticeable. 

Pillows

After recovering from my cancer treatment, I wanted to somehow give back. So I contacted a wonderful nurse (Janice K.) at the hospital who said that she could definitely use my help with making pillows for the Pink Bag Project, which provides useful items for post-mastectomy breast cancer patients. She provided me with all of the fabric, and I started sewing.  After that first batch of fabric was sewn into lots of pillows, I started buying all kinds of pink fabric and kept sewing.  I haven't been so great about it lately and really should get some more of these sewn up because they will always be needed. I have everything I need to get some put together....because I always have fabric and Polyfil.....always.  

My Very First Quilt

This rag quilt was my very first quilting project in 2009.  I found the pattern in a TODAY'S CREATIVE homearts magazine (no longer in publication). It was a pattern by Marie Osmond. I didn't follow it exactly, and made a few mistakes, but it has turned out to be a comfy, sittin' on the couch quilt, and my Schnoodle loves it!! I was inspired by the story that was written in the magazine about how Marie Osmond and her mother quilted together. My own mom was a seamstress when I was growing up, and I had no desire to sew at that time. Now I sew but she doesn't.  Hmmmm.....I wonder if I could get her to quilt with me someday when she's out to visit.  I would love that!

My Quilting Room

This is my Quilting Room. It used to have deep red walls and a black ceiling, but that all changed when my son moved out in July of last year. It didn't take me long to cover up those colors - I was so anxious to have a new quilting room! Plus it made me sad to walk by that room without him in it.  :( 

The paint is from the HGTV Home line by Sherwin Williams. Two walls are Exuberant Pink, two walls are Frolic, and the ceiling is Mindful Gray. These colors make me so happy, and I smile every single time I walk in the room! I got a new Horn Quilter's Dream table for my birthday last year from Rich's Sew & Vac. 

For those of you who don't know me, my birthday is a pretty big deal for a couple of reasons - 1) All birthdays should be a big deal - it's a reason for a celebration  2) I'm a cancer survivor, so birthdays are especially a big deal now! More Birthdays!!

I'm diggin' the color and the organization!!

All that stuff on the shelves in the back is for scrapbooking.
Lots of "other" craft stuff in the rolling carts next to the shelves.
Most importantly, though, are the sewing machine and the quilting table.
**LOVE THIS ROOM**

Welcome to my blog!

Hi, and welcome to my blog! I finally did it! I've spent a lot of hours looking at quilting stuff on the Internet for inspiration. I keep coming across quilting websites and blogs that I love and felt it was time that I start one of my own. I'm not a professional quilter, I've never been published, and I've never even entered a quilt show. But I'm having so much fun quilting and documenting each quilt that I make, and wanted to keep it all in one place and share it with anyone who happens across my blog. I hope that I can inspire those of you who just need a little push to get quilting. I'm sure I don't do everything by the book when it comes to quilting, so if you're an experienced quilter who comes across my blog and sees something that is so not right, please feel free to leave me a comment - but please be nice about it. I'm so new at this blogging, so it might take me a while to get everything I want on here.  Just keep checking back for updates.