Snowman Year Around

Here is this one right before I finished quilting it. Took me a little longer than usual because I couldn't make up my mind about the pinwheel fabric. Is it too overbearing? As you can see, I never found anything else and I needed the length. I gave it to my grandson for Christmas but he's growing so fast I decided to just get it done in case he doesn't stop!
He's officially a teenager now and is as tall as me. He's keeping score by the inches! Fortunately, it's a good size quilt.

Christmas offerings

Here are some of my gift boxes to satisfy my obsession. While I was unpacking my Christmas ornaments (which turn out not to be where I thought) I came upon a whole new box of old boxes that I have been gathering to decorate. A pleasant surprise but the rest of my 100 year old ornaments must be in the cold warehouse. Wish me luck because I will soon be climbing a ladder to rescue them. I have 3 new girls in my life and they appreciate my efforts or, at least, do a good job pretending to. I kept the red roses in part because the box is a little too worn for a gift and I don't have real roses since I moved. The black boxes are all from the 1930s & 40s and used to house electric barber clippers. The heart decorations are probably the only 3 I will make as they are not as much fun as I thought. The snowmen are actual jewelry from the 1950s. I see the bottom one is trying to escape but is securely attached. They are much heavier than new jewelry and I can just see the earholes being dragged down by their weight. The larger pin doesn't match completely so is not a true set. They all detach so can be used if needed.
I finished the Sunbonnet alphabet quilt a long time ago and the embroidered snowmen and gave those to my grandkids. They probably would rather have had cash but sorry...not this year. If you are reading this, today is New Years Eve and I wish you and yours a very Happy New Year!

This is one that got away. I had fully intended to hand quilt it and try yet again to make something perfect. However, that didn't happen as usual. A friend of mine had a heart attack and I needed something nice and quick that I thought she would like...it is a panel. I had already put adhesive batting in it and that pretty much eliminated machine quilting. I was afraid something would slip and would not have used that except for hand quilting. So, I simply turned it all inside out and sewed it up like a pillowcase. I was amazed how good it actually came out as far as straight seams on the narrow border and I liked the weight of it. I like to use buttons sometimes and I think they worked very well here. I put a wooden rod across the top with a ribbon for a hanger. It turned out good and I would have taken a better pix but she already had it for a while. I am glad I have another panel for myself.

As always, I have been busy making covered Christmas boxes but finally realized I have more boxes than presents so have suspended the activity there and cleaned up all my excess projects. Everything will go back on the shelves except for the 5 or 6 quilts that are half finished. I will not start anything new until I have finished at least a couple of them, mostly the ones with hand quilting. My problem is, where is the line that tells me where there starting point was. Gathering, cutting, planning? I have one that I started last century...for the Bicentennial. Really my 1st big project but 2" squares and too many corners don't match up like I finally can do. I need to decide whether to finish it as is or take it all apart and start over? Anyway, Merry Christmas!

Lit Special

I didn't buy another one? Yes, I did...shame on me. Collecting can become an obsession for me so I have to use some common sense. I can stack this one on top of my big oak treadle and no one will notice I don't have room for it. It's a New Home needing a new belt but I am hopeful it will work okay. It is in really pretty good condition considering how dirty it was. Almost like years of grime protected it like a finish. I was hoping the Lit Special meant it had a light on it somewhere but no. I've been able to find some information on the model # but nothing with this name. I have yet to get the belt on the Singer but am waiting for a chance to trick my son into it. He can only fix things if he wants to so haven't had a chance to arrange that yet. The internet is amazing so I have all the directions and diagrams which will help enormously!

And finally, for tonight, here is a little gift bag I cross stitched a few years ago for DS and finally just got it put together. I was going to frame it like all the rest he has but thought this would be a little different.
At least, I am making progress and moving forward. Have actually been getting rid of some of my projects I will never finish and I acquired a large batch of fleece so I can cut that up and make scarves, pillow and blankets for the shelters instead of trying to do quilts like I used normally do. DH died this summer and I will be using a lot of his clothing to fill up their boxes. The warming center has been making good progress and have expanded and even have a community garden and such.

This is the cutest purse I picked up at a really strange lady's estate sale. It's actually bright purple but doesn't show up here. I have it hanging in my bedroom so I can figure out how to use it for a great idea. I also recently have acquired a batch of sample rugs fabrics...lighter than actual carpeting with great patterns. I am going to try to figure out how to make the snap closures with old measuring tapes. If I can figure out my right from my left, I can progress with those.

I just made this smaller quilt with some leftover squares. I made a large top for my DS and it is waiting to be finished..all different fabric for the 9 patches. These are the same squares I used on my Christmas basket pattern several years ago. I made a ton of those to go with the Daisy Kingdom squares.

I hate paper piecing!! Either that, or I am an idiot....shouldn't be as hard as I make it. I am thinking of making fabric cards for just a few of my closest people this year. I was going to do a whole bunch but have narrowed down the list. We'll see how many I can finish. The tree is finally making sense and I have 8 of the basic block more or less done. Will post finished one later, hopefully before Christmas 2011. The heart one is very easy but I only have this sample so far and will plan out a better grouping. The trees are chenille strips and I will add some stars, etc. Will put little hangers on each one. One for my 16 year DGD
will be decorated with some vintage earrings which she seems to like.

The darker one is actually much smaller than the rather large patchwork one. It has lace, red roses and school related charms for an old friend. The patchwork has a sweet puppy for my very awesome computer lady. She is a hero and deserves my extra effort on this project. Lining job was especially well done for me...hope they both like the merry things I have made for them,

Here she is! Wasn't really looking for one but came across it on my way home from somewhere at a garage sale. I used to look for a nice cabinet to drop my my Kenmore in but when it died so did my search. I already had a New Home w/cabinet so have been using that one. The wear is where the fabric rubbed from lots of use. There is about 20 bobbins w/different colored thread so it was someone who was pretty active. 1910, 6 drawers instead of normal 2 or 4....all half separate locks...and key fits all. What are the odds of even having a key? The belt is off but not sure if anything is wrong with it. They are readily available at Montavilla Sewing so there must be a decent demand for them. I only got it about half refinished and will quit for a while. Love it and can't wait to get it working!!

I have only recently started going to sales again and it is surprising what I am turning up, even late in the day. I went to the bank 20 blocks away last week and stopped at 10 sales on the way so you have an idea what is going on with the Portland economy. Unfortunately, my plan was to only buy fabric that is needed to finish projects but have have buying bargains that are only in my "need" mentality.

I'm surprised I haven't put this on here yet. It's almost half done but that half is stashed somewhere in this smaller than I like condo. Someone asked me for the pattern but there really is none. Basic Sunbonnet Sue Halloween style. Finished squares are divided by black strips with JOL squares in the corners. The white dress shows the cut better. When I come across it again I will post some finished pix.

Selvage, etc Quilt

Haven't paid attention to my blog lately but here is one project I have gone insane over!
I was always told to cut off the selvages but thought some of the selvages were a little interesting as were diagrams, directions plus sample views. So, by the time I decided to try one incorporating those pieces, I was surprised at how much was accumulated. I had been making quilts for charity plus my love affair w/Daisy Kingdom who went out of business more than 6 years ago. When we moved last year, I was forced to narrow my belongings down so as I sorted things out, started building for this quilt with...yes...scraps. Thought I would never make a scrap quilt but here I am. This one will be a large queen size and it's going to be too big to quilt on my lowly sewing machine and I don't make tied quilts anymore. Mostly because people don't know how to take care of them and feed it to the washer and dryer. So, we'll see about that.

PS I forgot to mention the Oregon shaped object...it is a very nice flannel piece mounted on cardboard someone made over a 100 years ago. Then, the house and scenery was penned in
by this very talented person of long ago. I hang it up every year!

I've had computer woes as of late which gives me some excuse for not posting. We didn't do much for Christmas this year because December is always a very sad time for us...well...every month is sad but very much so in December since our oldest son died 9 years ago. It doesn't really ever get much easier. My youngest son almost had me talked out of having a tree because, since we moved, we have a much smaller space for such frivolities. Let alone which box was which decorations. However, death is again raising its inevitable head. My husband of almost 49 years is losing his battle with cancer and this was to be his last Christmas so I tried to spread some cheer just for him.
Thankfully, I have the distractions of quilting to ease the worries of the day away. I have been doing some of the tedious hand embroidery work on my cherry quilt and I have even followed thru on using all of the fabric and to not be tempted to make it smaller to get it done sooner. Organized 2 quilts for my grand daughter who says she wants to make one. Her and I made a couple together but I will be surprised if she ever starts on these. let alone finish. The night I wanted to go over it with her, she had 2 separate boys drop by and at 15, guess who got her attention.
I only got out my samplers and the quilt with the reindeer is a cheater flannel but really snuggly. Upon moving, I found all the places where I had put the 9 patch squares! I was originally going to make 12 quilts. Two recipients have died, I don't speak to one anymore and one has gone into a rest home. But, I have a lot of Christmas squares put together and have hope again for those with a revised list. The 2 large frames are prints telling the story of woodlands creatures Christmas' party....1920s probably.