Stitched Together

God's Words Wall Hanging

2012-01-29T22:05:00.000-06:00

I bought some Scripture panels last weekend and made them into a wall hanging for my office. This one is the verse that had me buying the panel.

While I worked...the kids had me laughing.

Falling Hearts

2012-01-28T15:42:00.001-06:00

The thing I love about the art of quilting is that you can do your own designs. It's not that I designed this, more like I let the hearts fall where they willed. My grandmother had cut out lots of large heart shapes. My mother had once created a wall hanging for a dear friend made with small hearts. When that friend's house burned down, she lost the wall hanging. When I saw Grannie's hearts, I knew they had to go in my friend's new house.

I wish I had thought to measure it, it is as least the length of my ironing board. I appliqued the hearts and then button-hole stitched around each heart. I practiced my FMQ of leaves/hearts around the hearts and then practiced beginning and ending within each heart. I think she liked it!

Kentucky Bound

2012-01-27T20:59:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday, I woke up at 4...that's 4am!...and prepared to do something completely outside my comfort zone! I drove to Nashville and .... well, I got there early and took a small detour to Woodland graveyard to visit my Grandparents grave sites. It seemed appropriate, my grandmother would have loved what I was about to do. Then I drove to 100 Oaks Mall (a place my mom, grandmother, and I had spent many hours when I was younger) and met up with 4 ladies I had never met before.

Then....I got in the car with them and rode to Kentucky! Paducah!

If you are a quilter, you know this is a special place. A place my mom and I had talked of going many times...but never got the chance. When I saw that the Music City Quilter's Guild was planning a trip there, I decided to join the group and for the first meeting travel with complete strangers to Paducah, KY.

I'll not lie....I thought about not going, turning around and heading back home before anyone knew I was even gone. I could spend the whole day quilting, doing something comfortable, normal, safe. I kept driving and cried most of the way. I really didn't want to experience Paducah without Mom or complete strangers.

But Mom isn't here and strangers are only strangers until you introduce yourself and then they are friends.

Meet my new friends, Mary, Maria, Stefanie, and Trudy.

We are standing outside Quilter's Alley which was actually our second stop...well after lunch! I got a pattern for a embroidery design that the owner had turned into an applique pattern. I can't wait to try it out.

They also had some lovely vintage quilts and some more modern quilts on display.

Our first stop, of course, was at Hancock's. It was my first time there, but it brought back so many memories of other Hancock's that my mom took me in for years. There was so much material it was hard to know where to start.

I decided to just walk the isles and ran across so many fun pieces. I got some browns/whites to do a log cabin with, farm patterns for Adam, and Sally loves pin--up girls.

A special treat was visiting Quilt in a Day quilt shop. Mom had every one of Eleanor Burns' books....well most of them. When Mom was sick, one of those books was her "table" for her meals. She would have loved going to the shop.

Then our final stop was the National Quilt Museum. Oh, I wish I could have taken pictures. No words can describe how beautiful the quilts were. I wanted to touch them so bad!

Heading home, we stopped at Patti's Settlement for supper. Mary had been trying to finish up a quilt binding and was finished when we stopped. I love the back of the quilt and the colors she used.

Waiting to be seated at Patti's, I saw this sign. He is the best Friend to travel with. It was a wonderful day, I saw beautiful things, and made new friends.

Tomorrow I must quilt!!!

Mug Rug

2012-01-19T22:37:00.001-06:00

With friends having birthdays, I went to my stock of items and matched crafts to friends. I've pulled out scarfs and wall hanging. But for one friend I wanted to do something different...I wanted to make her a mug rug.

I had some 2 1/2 inch precut blocks that I won in a giveaway from Moda this past summer. I just did a simple block design and then used my new leaf/heart FMQ technique for the quilting. I had to do little leaves which was even more of a challenge. Since it needed to be finished tonight, I rolled the backing to the front for the binding. I think I'll be making more of these.

Memory Quilt

2012-01-19T17:00:00.000-06:00

Several people have asked me to do a memory quilt for them, using t-shirts and clothes from their loved ones. I've given quotes and ideas and finally someone took the next step and brought me their clothes.

I can't say that I have never made a memory quilt before. I have saved left over material from clothes that I made my children and made both of them a couple of memory quilts. However, this is the first one that I have made from the actual clothes.

I met Leah through work. In the midst of all our work related conversations and emails, we found out that we had some common interests. Leah changed jobs and we stayed connected on-line. It was through that Facebook connection that I found out that her husband had dies tragically.

My heart broke. It was just a couple of months after I had lost my mother and my grandmother, so I knew, somewhat, her sorrow.....yet her's was far greater. At least I had time to say my good-byes. But Leah can tell her story so much better. Click HERE to visit her blog and be prepared to cry, laugh, and be inspired.

Anyway....Leah and I had already been discussing a quilt before all the deaths came into our lives. This past fall she asked if I would take her husband's shirts and make a quilt. She actually drove over from North Caroline to bring me her treasures. We had such a wonderful weekend getting to know each other, face-to-face, and going over patterns. I had pulled some ideas together and the very last idea was the one I knew she was going to pick....it just seemed like Chris. It captured his love for the outdoors. I found the free pattern at Cindy Carter's website, The Scrappy Maple Leaf.

I had told Leah it would be after Christmas before I would get started and she was fine with that. I pulled out the shirts and did the simple stuff first, removing all the buttons. I meant to get them to her for a Christmas tree ornament project....but I was a little late getting started so maybe she can do it next year.

I pulled out each shirt, trying to decide how to cut them and my scissors were ready to go to work....but I hesitated. I keep thinking of this wonderful man and where he might have worn each shirt, to church, family nights with his wife and daughter, ballgames, fishing, hunting. Finally, I said a prayer for his wife and daughter and went to cutting.

The pattern calls for lots and lots of 2 inch squares. I'm a little concerned how the jersey type material will work with the cottons and blends. Going over the pattern, I decided to change it up a bit. Instead of cutting all the material in 2 inch squares (like I did below for the first shirt), I cut the material into 2 inch strips.

Yep...that's 2 inch unfinished squares, so we are looking at 1 1/2 inch finished squares with a finished block being 10 1/2 inch.

I'm going to sew the strips together in different combinations and then cut them into 2 inch strips again, of 2 or 3 colors together. Below is a picture of the beginning of the cutting. You can see that there is very little left from the shirts, just the seams, hems, and collars.

To cut each shirt, I lay it out as smooth as possible and through the seams on the sides up through the arm, removing any hem or binding on the sleeve. Then I cut around the sleeve and to the collar, around the collar and to the other side.

Now I have the shirt in its basic form again, just as if I had removed a pattern piece from it. I lay the front pieces together, square up the ends and start cutting again.

I need 3 inch strips to make the half square triangles, so I cut a few strips off the largest portions of the materials and then cut the rest in 2 inch strips.

I use every 2 inch piece I can, including any pieces from the collar, cuffs, or button hole trim that is big enough. Keeping the cottons and blends straight is fairly easy, however, the jersey pulls a little, but I think it will work out okay. I know most quilters would suggest using some time of stabilizer.....did I mention these are 2 inch individual squares!? I'm going to try and always put a cotton next to a jersey. Here's a few squares for the basic layout.

I'm using a "snow" for the background, cutting them in 3 inch strips and then 3 inch squares. It's a little bigger than really needed for making the HST, but I wasn't sure how the jersey would pull, so I went bigger.

Here's some of the 3 inch squares from the material to be matched up with the "snow" blocks.

I wanted to at least get a sample of one block made last night, so I did the basic technique for making HST, using my ruler to mark 1/4 inch on both sides from the center of the 3 inch square.

I did some chain piecing (sorry, I didn't realize the picture was sideways), sewing on both drawn lines.

Cut down the center.

Press to the dark side.

Trim to a 2 inch square.

This is not a finished block because I'll be working really hard not to use the same material in each block, but it is the basic layout of the maple leaf. I love the little green stem (again using some sample material for the steam and background material).

I think it will look nice with all the colors making the leaves and I pray that it brings some comfort to Leah when she sees it.

Coxey's Camp Quilt Block

2012-01-08T17:19:00.003-06:00

One of the things I inherited from my grandmother was her quilt books. I've been going through them a few at a time and keeping patterns or articles that seem interesting. In this June 1978 issue of Quilt World had an article about how quilts get their names. The article about Coxey's Camp also had the pattern.

The block was named after Jacob Coxey who lead a peaceful march from Ohio to Washington in 1894. It was the first march on Washington and was over before it got started. Coxey was arrested for trespassing as soon as he stepped on Capitol grounds, for walking on the grass. Coxey would later beome mayor of Massillon, Ohio and nominated for President in 1932. He promoted reform for the unemployed, improvements of roads and public works.

The quilt block was designed by a quilter that may have had some connection to Coxey's Army that marched on Washington, possibly allowing the "army" of about 500 men, to camp on her land while they were traveling (at least that is what the article speculates).

I made a copy of the pattern pieces from the magazine. There were no instructions, I wasn't even sure if the pattern included the seam allowance or not. Following the picture and the limited cutting instruction on each piece, I worked on one block.

It turned out to be a 7 inch square (I did not add a seam allowance to the pieces). However I had to trim a bit off the long strips and the blocks in the corner to get it to fit properly.

Then I searched on the internet for another pattern and found one for a 12 inch block at Quilt Block Galore. Here are the two blocks together.

Most of the quilts I found using this block, used the same colors throughout. I wasn't sure if I like the look of limited colors. I've been playing with other colors to make a sampler of many colors.

The block goes together really quickly. I like the squares on point in the center of each block and I like the Four Patch that comes together in the corners when the sampler blocks are put together.

I played with a few more colors, yellows/blacks and greens/white/rose.

Here are the four different blocks of color that I did this weekend. One of my greens/yellows looks like it's faded, but still pretty. I'm going to just keep playing with scarps and add as I go along.

FMQ Challenge - January

2012-01-08T15:18:00.001-06:00

My first practice piece for the Free Motion Quilting Challenge was free motion leaves, although most of mine look more like hearts. I used a light print with blue flowers and red berries on it, and quilted with YLI machine quilting thread, natural color, weight 40 (I believe). I have Jancome Memory Craft 6600 quilting machine.

Here's a picture of the back of the sample.

To put the quilting into perspective, here it is next to a ink pen.

Because of the print on the material for the top of the sampler, you can't really see the design. I had a hard time seeing where I had already quilted and overlapped a few times. My daughter suggested that I use red thread so that I could see it better., but I wanted to get used to quilting with white thread.

I wanted to practice a bit more and really be able to see my work, so I got some scrap material and quilted white on red. I liked the outcome much better. I could even do the leaves upside down...so I felt pretty good about that.

Sunday's Projects

2012-01-02T09:50:00.000-06:00

I've been working on this star pattern for a while now, I like this version the best, I think! I'm trying to use up scraps and hopefully before long I will have a star quilt. I got the red block done yesterday, so now I have 3!

Also something that I want to finish up that I started last year, is the block of the month. I've had the first three done for a while, finished up month 4 yesterday and hopefully block 5 & 6 today. Not sure if I will actually buy the rest of the year's block or just do something with the 6 blocks I have. You know just yesterday I determined that I had enough material to not have to buy more this new year. Of course....I do need the rest of the blocks and the material to match!

I've only committed to one quilting challenge this year, the FMQ Challenge....free motion quilting challenge. Each month SewCalGal is going to post a video or tutorial from a well know FM quilter. They will show how to get comfortable with quilting on your sewing machine, adding new and more difficult techniques each month. Plus there is a give-a-way each month for anyone completing the challenge. The first video was posted yesterday and got my sample quilt sandwich ready.

This is the quilting thread and the free motion quilting foot. I believe the first video is going to have me making vines and leafs. Okay....off to quilt and piece and sew!

A Quilter's Haven

2011-12-30T10:07:00.000-06:00

I was so excited to find one of my favorite quilt shows again. A few years ago, they relocated and I could never find them.....until recently. I walked through the door and just had to stand there a moment and let the colors, materials, and volume assault my senses . I didn't even know where to start.

Stitchers Garden in Franklin, Tennessee, right off I-65 and Hwy 96. I've linked up another website that talked about the shop. I can't find a website for the store itself, but they do have a Facebook page. I took a few candid shots with my cellphone, you can see they have definitely added more material since the pictures were taken in the link I provided!

I started at the front and browsed the first few shelves (finding way too many fabrics that I had to have!). I've decided this store is best conquered much like eating an elephant....one isle at a time. I wonder how long it will take to see it all?!!! I'm looking forward to finding out.

New Quilts or "Quilt People"

2011-12-27T12:27:00.000-06:00

Christmas is a time for giving and receiving and this year....a time for remembering.

My dad asked me to go through all the quilts that my mom had and separate out the ones that she made and the ones that my grandmothers had made. There were enough for him to give the 6 grandchildren one each of Grannie Carathers' and then us three kids 2 each of Grannie Carathers' and one of Grannie Lewis'. We drew numbers and took what was stacked up. (sorry for the quality of the pictures, I was taking them too fast to really have them focused and centered good and I noticed I had flour spots on my camera.) I'm not sure why we hold our quilts up for display like we do, makes us look like "Quilt People".

Sally's quilt - The Scrappy Snowball

Adam's quilt - The Dutch Doll

Jonathan (above) & Michael's quilts (my nephews) - Flower Appliques

Branden's (above, held by his dad) and Crystal's quilts (my nephew & niece) - Trip Around the World and a Cross Stitched quilt (below)

Then my brothers and I chose from three stacks of 3 quilts. We drew numbers and oddly enough, we choose in our birth order! My dad chose which stack went to who.

James' quilts - The Victorian Lady, by Grannie Lewis, two by Grannie Carathers, Dresden Plate variations

Ray's quilts - Grannie Lewis' butterflies, two of Grannie Carathers' - Flower Garden and Dresden Plate

My quilts - Grannie Lewis' butterflies, from Grannie Carathers, Double Wedding Ring and Churn Dash, made from the scraps of Mom's dresses when she was a little girl

Close-ups of my three.

It was difficult to gather and not have Mom or Grannie with us, but they did well being represented by their gifts. And while Daddy hasn't given up any of Mom's quilts.....she was very much present for the holidays. She taught us to love quilts and most of all, to love each other. We are covered in more ways than one.

Sally Quitling...The Next Generation

2011-12-14T05:51:00.001-06:00

Sally took to the quilting machine much faster than I did! On black Friday, she and I headed to the quilt shop and she picked up some material to make a Monkey Wrench table runner for a Christmas gift for one of her friends. She put it together Saturday and Sunday she started quilting it...her first attempt to quilt with the machine.

She twisted the blocks until she came out with this design and the last I saw it (I had to leave before she finished), she was quilting start lines on the border and then going around the inner twists of red.

She really didn't want to put white quilting in the red, but it needed something, so she was doing a simple X in the seams. That goes right along with the pattern, since if you look closely...the material is skull and cross-bones!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-09T21:09:00.001-06:00

I finally put out my decorations, maybe a little later than most folks, and I didn't go as big as previous years. This will be the first Christmas without my mother and my grandmother. They made Christmas traditions so special. Christmas Eve was our family gathering at my grandmother's and then just the immediate family gathered on Christmas day.

My grandmother carried on the belief of Santa Clause, but my mother always keep the focus on Christ. Her decorations were more winter themed. This year I put out our traditional things, but honored each of them in some way.

First off I had to get a new tree. When we built the log cabin I was finally able to have a huge tree, but this year was not the year for the 9 ft tree. I have a white one...but I just wasn't feeling the white one either, so I went out this morning and bought this little pre-lite tree...on sale, always a good thing.

I decorated for my dad earlier this week and pulled out my mom's Christmas quilts. This is the log cabin tree that she made. I love all the presents she had under the tree.

Part of my decorations are on display in the china cabinet. I love my plates and Adam's cars. My grandmother made the Christmas bell cookie jar and the tree candy dishes.

When the kids were little, my mom made this calendar for a count down. This is the first year I've had in up in a while.

Mom gave me the Santa pitcher last year. She and Grannie made these. The cups were added from Grannie's collection. One is without the handle and the little ones include salt and pepper shakers.

I love my church that lights ups.

And of course the Nativity scene that my grandmother made for me. Tradition would have her make everyone pieces each year. It wold take several years to get the complete set, but she made me a smaller set and gave it to me all in one year.

This angel has now topped our tree, or sit somewhere in a place of honor, for 25 years. She was the first thing I bought after we married for our Christmas decorations.

My mom painted ornaments.

The one I added this year in honor of her.

My aunt made this one over 24 years ago and it is my theme for this coming year.

Mom loved snowmen and she was in the process of starting me a collection.

This is one of my first quilted projects, made about 25 years ago for Grannie. I made the pattern from a picture in a magazine. It's all log cabins. As you can see...it wasn't square!

I always loved the detail of the flame, the glow around it and the "wax" dripping down the candle.

This bowl of ornaments were my grandmother's and these lights were always on her tree. They get too hot to leave on for long.

Merry Christmas!!

Sunday's Project

2011-11-27T19:40:00.001-06:00

One more item finished up...well except for the quilting.

Maple Leaf wall hanging.

Finished/Found/Unfinished Projects

2011-11-27T09:28:00.001-06:00

I caved and went shopping on Black Friday. But only the fabric store (and one stop at a clothing store for Sally). I added the browns and yellows to my stash. The greens and pinks were from my last stop at the store. No idea what I want to do with yet, but just wanted something a little different in my line up. Sally's going through my Framer's Wife book, so I pulled out my Dear Jane. Maybe.....a Baby Jane or two!?

I finally got all the quilts put away from the quilt show. They make a nice little pile.

While cleaning up the sewing room, I decided to move things around a bit. I just can't find a set up that I'm completely happy with. What I found were a couple of unfinished projects, so I finished them up.

I had started this scarf last year, but ran out of thread and would you believe I bought two skeins of the exact same thread a couple of weeks ago...I guess I really liked it. So....this scarf is finished and listed on my Etsy shop now.

I was trying to get a picture of how it can be stretched out to come up over the back of the neck....but look at that gray...no white hair. That white streak keeps getting wider and wider. I tell people I'm like that girl from the X-Men....every time I use my "power" the white streak gets wider.

Another unfinished project was this baby blanket. How funny that the pattern is for "November" from a monthly project crochet book. So....I'm working on it now.

I actually through a few unfinished projects away....half-made scarves that need more thread, the ugly quilted blue wall hanging. I had enough of the blue to do another one and got it hand pieced this past week. I will not be quilting this with blue thread!

Then I found these little stockings. My aunt made mine about 30 years ago. I've added to the collection with each member of my family. I guess I need to do one for Matt and give Sally's her's. I wonder if I can still cross-stitch...the eyes aren't as strong as they once were.

I found these left over blocks from the purple quilt. Not sure what I'll do with them yet.

So my sewing room is cleaned up and arranged....time for some Sunday sewing. And I did pull out the Christmas decorations while I was putting the quilts away...just not sure when I'll put them out.

Sunday's Stitches

2011-11-21T04:20:00.001-06:00

Grannie's father always told her that every stitch she made on Sunday, she would have to rip them out on Monday....but that didn't keep her from stitching on Sunday.

When I got home from church Thanksgiving dinner, Sally was already stitching away on a purple scarf she was making someone as a Christmas gift. I had the blue star in the machine so I decided to finish quilting it.

I ripped a few stitches out and then forced myself to finish it.

Lesson learned: colored thread is not always a good option when quilting.

Project completed and then thrown in the trash, labeled as the ugliest thing I've ever done....no picture will ever be available of that!

So, needing to create something I did like, I finished my Grandmother's Fan blocks. It needs a border and then my hand quilting. Just not ready to put this on the machine. I like it too much.

Using up the rest of the thread from my button scarf, I made a long crocheted scarf with a simple V-stitch and shell stitch. I really like the colors on this one and it's so warm. It will be on my Etsy shop

Sally and I both finished our scarves and then we both did some mending on blue jeans. I hemed a couple of pairs for my brother and she mended rips in a pair for her brother.

So why are blue jeans referred to as a pair of jeans when there is only one?

Saturday Projects

2011-11-19T22:25:00.001-06:00

First thought this morning was that I would go to Franklin and visit some quilt shops....but I really needed to do some work around here, so I went to my studio and found a couple of projects to finish up, clean up, and start.

The scarf got finished. I love how soft it is and those buttons!

I put these two necklaces together, simple really, just adding some charms to chains I got at a clearance sale.

I had wanted to have this blue star finished for the quilt show, but it wrinkled really bad during the quilting process, so today's project was to remove all the the quilting. I took the left over diamonds from this project and arranged them differently and will making 2 wall hangings. Me and my ripper settled down, thankfully, the quilting was only straight lines and I had stopped when I realized what was happening.

It was easier to rip from the underside, between the backing and the bating.

All stitches removed, quilting marks washed out, ironed, and ready to be quilted again.

Then I went to pick up the purple quilt and took one of the pins and bookmark that I had made to the shop owner as a "thank you" for displaying the quilt.

I also made dressing for the church dinner tomorrow. As I was mixing it up, I kept thinking of Mom and how much I loved her dressing. I would always taste it for her to see if there was enough seasoning. I asked Adam to be my taster tonight.

I decided not to do the traditional Thanksgiving dinner this year. Too many memories from last year and the fact that my mom isn't going to be here...so I'm serving chili!

Friday Night Stitches

2011-11-18T21:13:00.001-06:00

I finished up one of my mother's projects the other night. She did this wall hanging using a heat & bond method...but she didn't like it. So she went to town turning under all the edges and tacking them down. She got around everything but one tree and then decided that she didn't like the method or the look at all. She folded it up, put it back in the pattern and was getting ready to toss it, when I took it home about 5 years ago. I tacked it to my wall, where it hung, unquilted, until Adam decided he wanted it on his wall. I finished the quilting and then got the binding finished this week. He wanted some names quilted into the quilting.

Since the one tree was only applied with heat & bond, it had started to come off, so I had to do some creative quilting on all the trees.

Tonight was a cold night and it just seemed right that I work with some warm yarn. I bought this yarn last year and decided to do one of my chunky neck scarves with buttons. Before I called it a night, I had half the scarf done, about to start my row for the button-holes. Maybe I'll have the rest done by tomorrow night.

Nightly Projects

2011-11-17T19:45:00.001-06:00

My words haven't been coming as quickly as they used to. God seems to be taking me through a quiet season, but He has my hands busy. So during this quiet time, I'm going to try and be productive every evening with thread and needle.

Here's tonight project:

I have to get the binding put on this wall hanging of a bear claw. I made this from the scraps of a quilting class teaching how to make grids to make half triangles. The back is a scrap from Mom's material. I remember her having a blouse from this material.

I think the black was from her scraps too. She had made a vest out of lots of different patterns of black.

When this is done, it will make a wall hanger (sleeve on the back) or a nice tablerunner. I'll be adding it to my Etsy store along with these. Just need to get the pictures uploaded and measurements noted for the descriptions.

This is a doll blanket made with disappearing 9-patches in orange and whie.

Then again with the same oranges and white, another version of disappearing 9-patch made into a pin-wheel. I practiced doing my free motion quilting in the solid pieces so each one has a different style of quilting in them, but it still looks nice.

I sold several of these starsnin the quilt show. I really have to get them measured and downloaded.

Bones is on and I must get to stitching!

Mary Jane's Scarf

2011-11-17T09:34:00.000-06:00

Sometime last November my mother asked me for a pattern book. I had just bought a new one and she was in between projects. She was looking for quick project and my new book by Mary Jane Butters had plenty of them. Mom made the hexagon scarf in variegated fall colors. She wore it to a Christmas party and then left it draped over her bedroom door knob, where I found it in February and took home.

I've had the book out for several weeks now and have been entertaining myself with looking at the pictures. Finally I started reading the stories within the book. When I came to the story and pattern for the scarf I was blown away. I had put a note on the pattern that Mom had made it and found a correction in the pattern. The story was how Mary Jane had gone to her mother's home after her mother's death and stayed and just went through her things, finding hexagons everywhere.

How odd that Mom had read that story while she was dieing and that I was now reading it 1 year later.

I had thread handy, and needle, so I started another scarf, all in purple this time.

My Quilts - On Display

2011-11-13T21:50:00.000-06:00

It started with the purple quilt, my monthly quilting class, and my desire to bring an awareness for the need for more funding for pancreatic cancer. I opened my home to the public and displayed ALL my quilts that I had been given, inherited, or made. There were items for sale (quilted wall hangings, books/bibles, Christmas ornaments and food...lots and lots of sweets!). Everything wasn't like I wanted it to be. I didn't have time to put all the name tags of who made which quilt on the quilts (a friend came over to help me and then she ended up having a seizure...but recovered after laying down for a bit, please keep her in your prayers). Because of the situation with my friend, I postponed my regular quilting class, but honestly, I don't think I could have done it justice anyway....I was having too much fun talking with all the ladies that came to see my quilts.

I thought I had about 30 quilts...but it seems my collection of quilt related and handmade items (crochet, woodworks, oil paintings....etc) is bigger than I expected. I stopped counting at 90 items on display...not counting just the normal stuff that I have around the house that folks enjoyed looking at. Several people commented on the sewing machine collection and the scissor collection.

Sally came over Friday morning and we started displaying the quilts. We kept most of them downstairs and displayed all the unfinished projects around the banisters of the loft. My son had some of his quilts on display in his room, but I didn't get a picture of them. A couple of ladies had more fun just going through all my quilt books and planning their next quilt project.

Here are some views from the day. Looking down from the loft, you can see some of the unfinished projects and those in the living room. I had my grandmother's quilting frame on the sofa with one of her quilts rolled in it. I took down my curtains and hung quilts instead. There were several on the porch too.

The gown was made by my grandmother for my mother's high school graduation.

We even hung a quilt off the fridge and wrapped a closet door with a quilt.

All the baby quilts and blankets ended up with their own rack.

I didn't realize I had so much Christmas quilted stuff. Truthfully, most of them were made by me and given to my grandmother as Christmas gifts, then after her death, they were given back to me. This quilt rack was made by my dad, painted by my mom and covered with afagans and doll blankets, old baby blankets, and embroidered pillow cases.

I found this little block, one of Sally's very first pieces. I finished it up for her with quilting and binding. She did a really good job on it. In the background is the one that she is working on now...both are nine patches.

It was a great day with a steady stream of people in and out all day. We raised a little over $500. I think that is a pretty good start for my fund raising for Relay for Life 2012. I could have made a little more. Our first visitors thought that I wasn't just showing my quilts but had them for sale....I corrected her real quick on that. Then the store called where the purple quilt is on display and there was someone there wanting to buy it. However, it has already been given to the American Cancer Society and they plan to use it to bring awareness to the Relay for Life. It will be on the Christmas parade float and will travel to some events before either being auctioned off or raffled off. But it made me feel good to have someone like it enough to want to buy it.

My desire for this weekend wasn't just to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer..but also to raise awareness that I am a quilter too. I'm hoping...no praying....that this opened some doors for me to really do something with this talent God has given me. If nothing else...I will be busy for a while finishing all those unfinished projects!

Quilts….Did I Mention I Love Quilts

2011-10-30T10:59:00.001-05:00

In case you haven’t heard…I love quilts, my family loves quilts and everything to do about quilts and sewing and art and crafts.

Since November is the awareness month for pancreatic cancer, I am turning my normal quilting class of just 2 hours into an all-day quilting class for the same price, with the option to use my sewing machines if needed. I’m also displaying all my quilts (from 5 generations of women) and having a bake sale with some arts and crafts for sale. All the proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society.

So for the next two weeks…I’m going to be all about getting ready for that.

If you happen to be in the middle Tennessee area and would like to come for a quilting class on making a Grandmother’s Fan or see a quilt show in a log house in the country….call me…. 931-996-8064 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 931-996-8064 end_of_the_skype_highlighting . I only have 8 slots left for the class. If you want to come out, please call for directions. GPS does not work well with my address…but if you want to give it a try…

6794 Piney River Road N Bon Aqua, TN 37025

If coming from Interest 40, take exit 163 (it is right at an hour drive west of Nashville). Hwy 48 runs between Dickson and Centerville…head towards Centerville off the interstate…south. Exactly 5 miles from the interstate, Piney River Road is on the left. If coming from Centerville…we are about 1 miles past the Pinewood Store on the right. A black barn sits right by the road (I’m a visual direction kind of girl).
Down Piney River Road, about 2 miles you’ll come to a big red aluminum building. My house is right behind that barn in a big field. I’ll have purple ribbons up.

This is the pattern we’ll be making (or a variation of this). If you stay for the normal 2 hours, you can make 1 block, if you stay longer you could have a 4 block wall hanging made.
Here’s the details:

Private Collection

Quilt Show & Bake Sale

Quilting Class $20 – all day

(Limited space available)

Arts & Craft items for sale

Saturday, November 12^th

8:00 – 5:00

Home of Deborah Boutwell

Pinewood Area, off Hwy 48

Call for details 931-996-8064

All proceeds and donations

benefit the American Cancer Society

(oh…there will be BBQ!)

The Purple

2011-10-23T10:02:00.001-05:00

This morning, I walked out to the graveyard to "show:" the purple quilt to my mom. I know, it sounds odd and morbid I guess. But it also seemed right. I mean, I did this quilt in her honor and the battle she fought with pancreatic cancer and I did this quilt for pancreatic cancer awareness....so why not take pictures of it in a graveyard?

Only 6% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer will survive past 5 years. 80% will die within the first year of diagnosis, like my mother did. 43,000 people will be diagnosed this year and of those, 37,000 will die this year. Unfortunately, this graveyard is an all too real reality for families going through this journey.

I still have the binding to add to the quilt.

To donate to pancreatic cancer research, please visit the links below. You can make a difference. More funding is needed for research to develop early screening testing and a possible cure.

This shouldn't be the place that I have to now visit my mother.

American Cancer Society
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Stand Up To Cancer

Another Project Finished

2011-10-22T22:33:00.000-05:00

...and it only took 9 years!! But today I finally finished painting my kitchen cabinets!!!

Here's a picture of how they have looked for the past 9 years. To the left of my sink, all the cabinets are hand painted (free hand) with sunflowers. To the right......

painted cabinets, but without the sunflowers.

Thankfully, I could still get the same paint so last weekend, I repainted them and got them ready for the sunflowers. Adam removed all the knobs and then today pretty much insisted I finish them or put the knobs back on.

So....here they are today...the process of painting on the sunflowers, free hand, no transfer of design, just me and the paintbrush and all day on the floor! My style changed a bit and I didn't have the same colors as before...but no two flowers are ever the same. (Oh and just ignore all the dirty dishes you may see...I've been quilting and painting for several days now!)

I started by going through my old supply of paints and finding the closest matches. I poured the paint out in clear plastic cups. I thought about writing the colors on the cups with a Sharpie since I was working with several shades of the same color...but honestly...I barely had enough left. Several of these were poured out completely for this project. If I was going to be refilling the cups I would have done that though.

I did draw lightly with a pencil, circles where I wanted the flowers to be. Then I started painting all the leaves , stems, and veins.

This little cabinet sits between the stove and the fridge.

Then I painted on the 2 shades of yellow for the flowers, starting with the darker shade, letting it dry and then the lighter shade. I'm not real pleased with the huge leave on the corner door, but I wanted something different on this set of doors since they are hinged together..

While the petals were still a little wet, I started adding the shades and highlights, blending as I went along. Once they were all dry, I went back and added the dark centers.

They just need a coat of sealer and I'm all done....that will be tomorrow's job and then the knobs go back on. No body had better spill anything on my cabinets before I get them sealed!

Machine Quilting

2011-10-21T23:00:00.001-05:00

I started quilting the purple quilt last night. This was the first large quilt that I done on the quilting machine. It was a little overwhelming. Mom and I had taken a quilting class once and I learned to quilt using my machine....but not her's. That was something that she was going to show me how to do. We didn't get the chance. So I had to figure it out on my own. I finally got all the adjustments right, so of course now I've got to stay in quilting mode because I will have to figure out the normal sittings again.

I set up the quilting machine on a long table. Beside the table I set up my cutting table and in front of that, my ironing board. That gave me plenty of room to keep the quilt fairly flat and straight while I was quilting.

I did just loops using my free motion stitch, since the quilt was so busy anyway.

I quilted across the short length and rolled the finished part up "in" my machine. As I got more and more done, I could remove the cutting board table.

Then when I got past the half way point, I moved the table to the other side of the ironing board and worked from the short side of the quilt. It worked out pretty good and I only got one small wrinkle on the back side. I'm pretty proud of that.

Within the quilting I hid some special messages This "cross L" was my mom's signature on all her art and also the brand on all the cattle on my dad's farm. Then I started using the "cross dlb" for mine, but it didn't turn out as good. I put the dates, 2011, "mom", and "Lewis" all within the quilting....but you would have to really look hard for most of them. I'm not even sure if I could find them again.

All it likes now is the binding. I need it finished by next weekend. The local Halmark gift and card shop has agreed to put the quilt on display during the month of November for pancreatic cancer awareness.

Threads and Tears

2011-10-03T15:32:00.000-05:00

I found a community of woman, connected with treads and tears.

Read about it here!

Birthday Gift

2011-09-30T22:17:00.002-05:00

My sewing project tonight.

The Pink was Hanging

2011-09-30T12:10:00.000-05:00

The quilt show is this weekend. I've shared about it here before and I shared a little more at my other blog, Holy Camp. I added some more pictures there and also more quilts. There will be 5 genreations now represented from 3 family lines. It was a bit emotional for me to see some of the quilts hanging...especially The Pink. Please visit the highlighted links for the rest of the story.

New Machine Added

2011-09-08T21:37:00.000-05:00

When I got home today there was a new, old machine sitting on my porch. A friend of the family gave us her grandmother's portable, White, electric machine. It has a big carrying case and all the attachments and still runs!

Looking forward to seeing what this one will do. It's in really nice shape.

Okay, that now makes 6 vintage machines (at the house). 2 machines not brought home yet...my mom's first machine and my great-grandmother's on my dad's side...still at his aunt's. Then there are the 2 Singer's 70's models in their cabinets, my Brother's and my mom's quilting machine. Sally took home her Brother and one of mom's machines...plus the sergers (2). We really could start our own factory. I've lost count how many we have now! Oh, wait...Sally has another vintage at her house!

Making Stars & Remembering

2011-09-06T10:42:00.001-05:00

One thing lead to another this weekend while I was in the sewing room and while I started out taking pictures of the table runner I finished, I ended up taking pictures of the antiuqe sewing machines my daughter and I have collected and remembering some past projects.

First....the table runner made with stars using the Flying Geese x 4 No Math Ruler. I'll be honest, at first I could not figure out how to use it...but then it all clicked in my head and I had a wall of stars before too long.

This coming Saturday, I will be teaching a class on making these stars. My sister-in-law's birthday is tomorrow and I was looking at one of the pictures she had drawn for me...of stars!...and decided to do a table runner for her with some of my sample stars. But I needed a pretty way to display it for the picture, so I opened up my great-grandmother's peddle sewing machine. I had forgotten how beautiful the machine is.

I normally keep this machine closed up and have it covered with a large crochet doily and my jewelry box. The machine lowers down into the cabinet. Sally used this in her wedding to hold the unity candles. This machine is a Singer with artwork on the front and back of the machine and then a decorated silver plate on the end. One of my cousins from Texas brought the machine to my mom several years ago and she knew how much I loved it and it started my collection. All I know is that the machine belonged to my great-grandmother...maybe one of my cousins that reads this can give more detail since I don't have my mom to ask.

This peddle Singer was my grandmother's (Carathers). She kept it in her attic and used it until she was not able to climb the stairs up to the attic anymore. It also lowers into the cabinet. I remember Grannie telling me that she bought this on credit, one of the first loans she ever took out. Oh how I wish I had remembered more of her stories.

This boxed, cabinet, peddle Wheeler & Wilson was Sally's contribution to the collection. She found it at an antique store. I love the box that sets over the machine.

This little White machine probably set in a cabinet at one time. It was the first one that I bought for the collection. I think it is electric with a light on the back.

But this one is my favorite that I bought. It's a portable Singer, electric.

My mother signed most of her later quilts and table runners. Her signature is her name and the cross L (which is the brand my dad uses on his cattle). So I wanted to start signing my projects. Years ago, when I cross-stitched, I used my initials in lower case back-to-back, db. I decided to combine my mom's signature with mine making it the cross db.

Actually it came out looking like a heart at the bottom of the cross. When I dated it, I realized the significance of 9-11 and the fact that I had done stars, red, white and blue.

10 years ago I was also doing stars. I had planned to crochet an American Flag using a pattern I had in one of my idea books (pictured below).

I spent the morning, after the kids went to school, figuring out how much thread I would need. I called one of the shops that I did smocking for and ordered a new smocking machine. While on the phone with her, I could hear the dust cropper from a nearby farm flying over. They used my home as a spotter to know that they needed to start getting low so they could spray the field behind our house. I swear that is sounded like they were landing on our roof.

The lady at the shop put me on hold and I flipped the TV on while I was waitng. When she came back on the line she and I were both upset and confused. She told me she would have to call me back to finish the order because something was going on in New York. I hung up and focused on the TV.

A tower was falling.

I called my mom.

She was in tears.

She knew what I could not understand.

America was under attack.

Another tower fell while we talked on the phone.

The crop duster continued to fly over my house until he was taken from the sky.

Then all went quiet.

After a little while, when the schools decided not to release the kids early, I ventured out to Wal-Mart

for my thread....for the flag.

I stood at a counter buying red, white, and blue thread while TVs all over the store were

showing the terrible scenes from that day.

Saturday, I will make more stars and remember the lives of all those that were killed that day

and all the lives that were forever changed because of their loss.

I will also remember all those that stood up and made American stronger that day

and all the days since.

Just in Case You Wanted to Know Some Things About Me

2011-08-28T09:52:00.000-05:00

I went walking with my camera today and the following pictures are just a few that I snapped today. Some of them show things I worked on today and other some of that heritage I was blessed to be around.

I did get some things finished and I'm pretty proud of this skirt.

I got started on the blouse to go with the skirt, but my design took a few turns before I finally cut the material.

I hope to have the binding done on this table runner finished today and up on my Etsy shop this week.

I washed the quilts that Sally brought me and hung them on the line. Yes..my clothes line stretches across my back porch. I did it for convenience one day after we moved in and it's been there ever since. The only bad thing, my son's dog will sometimes pull the items on the bottom line off just for fun.

I then went to my parent's house to take care of some things for my dad. This where I lived all my childhood. We moved in when I was 6 months old (they did a lot of remodeling, the house was much smaller and about 50 years old when we moved in). It's kind of sad to me that those trees were planted after I moved away and they have gotten so big. Guess I've been gone long enough for trees to grow.

But I didn't go far. See that little red roof behind the red barn? That's my house. I consider myself right across the street from my parent's home...or across the field.

I went into my parent's house to tidy up for my dad and snapped a few shots. This is the wall in the main bedroom. All those pictures started with the three black and white baby pictures in the center (I'm the cutest one!). All those other pictures are our kids through the years. My mom spent her last few months in this room looking at this wall. I think it brought her comfort and joy.

This is the bed on the opposite side of the picture wall, covered with one of Mom's prettiest quilts. All stars...she loved stars.

My grandmother made this quilt from all my mother's baby clothes.

Then on other walls in the bedroom and throughout the house is the art. My mom was an artist.

Lots of her paintings are of mountains and roads.

She tried her hand at just about everything. She made this porcelain doll and the ceramic pieces are some of my favorite.

The Victorian lady probably started my love of all things Victorian. She's a jewelry box and the other lady is a vase...there's a hole in her hat.

Not artwork, so to speak, but the way my mom arranged things was artful. Some of the family gave her this orchid for her birthday last year. 1 year later and it's still blooming. Daddy is doing a great job taking care of it..

Lots of Mom's little projects turned into covers to go on the back of the chairs. I really like this one.

Of course Daddy has some of his things hanging around too.

This is my favorite of all Mom's paintings. I feel like I'm walking right down that road. I need a jacket on because the fall air in the Colorado is chilly.

I guess I just figured everyone grew up with art all around them. Don't you think it's so boring to just hang one picture on a wall....cover those walls!

This was Mom's last painting. She did it as a challenge with our pastor. They each took a picture from the Smokey Mountains and did their interpretation. I think her's turned out pretty good and not to hurt his feelings...but the best.

In the midst of her paintings is this one. I was home alone and wanted to prove to her that I did in fact know how to paint, that I was paying attention to her lessons. I had this hanging on the wall when she got home. Not to be for a young girl.

But I did learn from the best.

She had so much talent no matter what medium she used.

This little wall is full of lots of "my firsts". Mom seemed to think that every time I learned to do something new, she got the first project. The cross stitchings, Indian woman drawing, and quilling are all my firsts. Some of the others are from other family members.

I love when my son stops by to see what I'm doing.

I had such a wonderful childhood growing up here. I was encouraged to try everything.

My house now.

I love that the back view is so completely different than the front.

Much like the backs of my quilts....always a little different.

I hope that I've taught my kids to try anything that seems to capture their attention. To look at things a little differently and think "Outside the Box" (the name of the quilt).

So...now I just need a blouse so I can wear my new skirt.

My Heritage in Quilts

2011-08-20T21:41:00.001-05:00

I was asked to pull some of my quilts to be shown in a quilt show this fall. The theme of the show is "Heritage". At first, I really didn't want to be a part of it. I didn't want to go through my quilts again, but I felt that I needed to show honor to my grandmothers and great grandmothers, my mother, my self and my daughter by pulling out my heritage in quilts.

I don't know what the name of this quilt is, I call it Birds & Flowers. Pieced and quilted by my grandmother, Iva Jane Wiggs Lewis.

This Striped Star quilt was done by Grannie Lewis' mother (Lou Ethel Hinson Wiggs). What is unique about this quilt is the batting. There is a torn corner and you can see that part of the batting is actually another quilt (that is quilted) and some worn out white long johns.

This Grandmother's Fan quilt was appliqued by my grandmother, Mildred Waldean McPeak Carathers. My mom had asked Grannie to make me a quilt, but I was allowed to pick the pattern and the materials. I pieced all the fans by machine and then Grannie assembled it all and quilted it. We did a couple of joint ventures like this. It's one of my favorite quilts.

This Nine Patch is actually Adam's quilt, hand pieced and machine quilted by his grandmother, my mother, Frances Elizabeth Carathers Lewis. She made it last year...one of her last quilts. It's signed and dated. She gave it to him at Christmas....along with a quilt for each of her other grandchildren.

Two more quilts are coming tomorrow. Sally is bringing the quilt that I made for her and one that she and I did together when she was probably about 10 and just deciding that material was in her future. Both of us have two quilts that are in various stages of being finished, but they won't be ready for the show.

I'm honored to have such a rich heritage.

Bags & Extra Blocks

2011-08-16T23:35:00.001-05:00

I finished piecing the purple quilt this weekend. I think it still needs a border around it. The ladies at the local quilt shop started pulling bolts of solid purples out this weekend and helped me find just the right shade. I'm seriously considering letting someone quilt it. They have a beautiful butterfly motif, I'll just have to save up for the cost. Remember....this quilt is going to the American Cancer Society. I wonder what they will do with it...I guess I need to contact them at some point.

I've been using this bag that my mom had her church stuff in for my work bag. I carry my reading material and lunch to work in this. Mom never liked advertising labels. This is one of those generic grocery bags you can pick up just about anywhere. She covered the advertising logo on the front with a left over block from one of her quilts. I really like it.

So when I received this pink bag from work this week that was for an advertising campaign for one of our women's commentaries....I knew what I wanted to do.

I forgot to to take a picture of before. On the other side there was the logo for the commentary in black, much like the printing on the book..

Using one of my block left over from the purple quilt, I covered the logo. I'll be using this bag for my newest bible study and taking my things to work every day.

All the ladies at work have a similar bag that they are using. I like that mine is different. But the purple square also reminds me of my mom, keeping me aware of what I'm doing to keep myself healthy. I quilted a heart in one square and a flower in the other. The flower is one I found that I had drawn in one of her journals when I was a little girl. She kept that simple flower in the midst of her bible study notes. It's to remind me, that even in the most difficult situations....I just need to keep it simple.

Love! How much more simple can I keep it.

Remembrances of Days Gone By

2011-08-11T10:31:00.000-05:00

In the midst off all my grandmother's things, there was this afgan. I remember it as being the bed skirt of one of her beds. It's in pretty good shape, just a few holes that can be stitched together again. I laid the afgan on the back porch for several days (okay weeks....I forgot about it) to air it out and then this past weekend I finally decided to put it away.

But I remembered something....I've seen this before...in a picture.

This was the afgan that was on my mother's bed when she was a teenager.

The stitches that we make hold us together...through time...to bring back cherished memories, of the dreamy days of adolence and the journey we've taken.

What we stitch together today will hold through generations.

Packing

2011-07-24T07:43:00.000-05:00

My dad went to visit his aunt a few months ago. She still lives in the house that her husband brought her to as a young bride, that of his childhood and where his mother still lived.

The attic is still full of their old clothes and school books. My dad brought me a suitcase and a box of clothes. Some of the dresses belonged to my great-grandmother (in the picture below with my grandmother, brother, and cousins). Sally (my daughter) got a kick out of all the clothes. She tried on one of Mammie Wigg's dresses and it fit her pretty good.

Daddy got a kick out of bringing me shoes that belonged, not only to my great grandmother, but also my great-great grandmother and a few of her dresses.

The shoes still had the mud and dirt on them from the last time they took them off.

Most of the buttons were missing off the dresses since they had to reuse them for newer clothes, but this dress still had all the big pearl buttons down the front.. Only rick-rack adorned the collars for decorative stitches. My grandmother was taught that a woman was not to show their forearms in public and one of the dresses had extra material added to the sleeves (from different material) for a complete arm covering. All the dresses are of simple design with a fitted waist and long, made from 100% cotton. There were 2 blue dresses and 2 brown dresses and house coat, probably made for wearing over their dresses while they worked during the day.

The suitcase was small and made of something similar to heavy cardboard. I imagined them packing all their necessities in this little case for a long trip to visit family, loading the buggy and heading out. It held everything they needed. Not like the 3 to 4 suitcases it now takes to carry a family's needs.

So yesterday, I washed the dresses (left the shoes with mud and all) and packed my great-great grandmother's things away.

Black & White Log Cabin Quilt

2011-07-18T08:40:00.001-05:00

My latest project has been working on this 8 1/2" block of black and white log cabin. I really like the way it is looking on the design wall. I think, after playing with it many times, this is going to be the overall design of the quilt.

Here is my material selection and the first cutting of 1 1/2 inch strips with 2 1/2 inch center blocks.

I then took my blocks and sewed them to my first light strip, leaving just a little space between the black blocks for trimming later. And while this goes very quickly and I'll admit that on the next strips I put my blocks even closer together....I discovered an even easier way to do my first two pieces together.

Instead of cutting all my 2 1/2 inch blocks and then sewing them to my first strip.....I sewed the center strip (2 1/2 inches wide) to the first light strip (1 1/2 inch wide). Then I cut those into 2 1/2 inch sections. It saved one step by doing this.

Back to the blocks on the first strip and to the ironing board. Because I didn't butt the black blocks right up to each other, I had to do some extra trimming on this set of strips. I ironed the strips open and then cut them into 2 1/2 inch sections.

Once I got the hang of what I was doing, having the blocks closer together meant that I didn't even have to use the ruler. I actually cut them all before ironing them open, using the previous block as my guide. Just make sure that you cut them straight each time.

Back to the sewing machine to add the second strip of the 1st light strip. I lay the blocks I'm adding all the same way so I don't confuse myself and add the strip to the wrong side. Then going to the ironing board, I do the whole process all over again.

This strip is now ready to be cut.

After adding the first light "logs", it's time to add the dark "logs". Working from the side where the last strip ended, I add a dark strip.

Back to ironing and cutting, then ready for the 2nd "log" of the 1st dark strip. I will continue this same technique with each strip, alternating between adding 2 light strips and then 2 dark strips going in a circular motion around the center. I'm using 3 shades each of lights and darks.

I worked up this stack of blocks last night while watching (listening really) to a movie. I have all my lights and darks laid out and a finished block handy to remind me of how to add my strips.

Traditionally, the center block of the log cabin block is done in yellows or reds to signify the hearth of the home, the fireplace. While it's true that almost every log cabin built (the actual log cabin house) does have a fireplace....it's not the center of the home as it once was. In the first log cabin homes, the fireplace was the place the family would gather to warm themselves, add light for evening activities, and cook the food. Today, the fireplaces are mostly for looks. Families still gather around them for warmth, but truthfully...the fireplace is more for ambiance.

When we were building our log house, a small log house, we were talking of not even putting a fireplace since we are doing central air and heat. But it seems that most people just think it's wrong not to put a fireplace in a log house and I ran into the same people when buying my material for this quilt. When I told the lady at the quilt shop what I was making, she insisted that my center block be at least orange or red (since I didn't want yellow).

It's hard to buck tradition...but as you can see...I did.

Red, White, & Blue

2011-07-04T06:33:00.001-05:00

Blog hopping today...I'm expecting to see lots of flag quilts, so I thought I would show some too. I made this quilt for my nephew's wedding gift, but then didn't get to give it to him until Christmas about 9 years ago. He went to Iraq right after that for two tours. He fought for freedom.

The wall hanging was made using a pattern from Square in a Square technique with fabric that already had the flag printed on it. I love how the flag is actually in the center of a star design.

While he was in Iraq; I smocked this dress for his daughter to wear.

The picture is not great, and it was an old project made for a door prize at a ladies retreat in Alabama at least 12 years ago, but I made this flag wall hanging, actually constructing the flag, using a dark blue print that had stars in it. I can't remember if I did the design on my own or saw it somewhere. I wish the center showed up better. I think I wrote 2 Chronicles 7:14.....

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Remembering today that we live in a country fought for by men and women who came to a new world so that they could worship God freely and a nation was formed. Freedom was not easily won. Peopled died, lost loved ones, lost part of themselves...but they fought and won.

Today, most of us take for granted what freedom cost and still live in captivity of some sort. True freedom was fought on a cross and can be yours no matter what country you live in. Today could be your independence day.

Adding to the Purple

2011-06-27T22:26:00.000-05:00

This weekend I pulled out the purple cancer quilt and made a couple more blocks for it. I'm fixing to teach a class on the log cabin block, so I thought I would play around with the pattern. I ended up with a block about 16 inches, using 2 inch strips (plus seam allowance). That was too big for my quilt, so I needed to trim just a little off.

I decided to split my logs and turn the blocks to get a different look. I'm sure somewhere there is a version of this out there, but for me, tonight, it was my own creation and I'm calling it the Split Log Cabin Block.

I didn't take a picture of the block before I cut it, but it was a traditional setting with a 4 1/2 inch center block. I added darks and lights (with a little yellow tint) on both sides as I built my block. Once done, I found my centers, both directions, and cut. I flipped the 4 new pieces until I was happy with the new look. It took a little trimming to get it down to a 13 1/2 block, but nothing major and it looks great with the rest of the quilt.

With the left over "logs", I sewed the strips together and made some 4 patches, putting them all together until the block was the right size. I had to add a little border to get the measurements just right. So far I have 12 blocks and one center block that still needs a border around it.

Starburst

2011-06-20T21:26:00.000-05:00

I saw a version of this block and decided I couldn't wait for the directions to come out in the magazine. Their's was made with 80 pieces, mine was with 40. And I turned my pieces differently. It reminds me of a starburst...hence the name I'm calling my version.

Not having a pattern, I had to figure out how to put it together on my own and the centers didn't line up as easily as I would have liked. I'm hoping that after it is quilted, it will lay flatter than it does now. I used a strip method for the pieces and then cut on the 45 angle.

This is the block and I fudged a lot of the points. I suggest you wait for the magazine for their pattern, I was ready to put the thing away, but tonight I put it together with hand piecing and it was much better than on the machine.

I added a border and now it's ready to prepare for quilting. I really love the color combination.

Final Stitches

2011-06-01T10:33:00.000-05:00

Summer is officially here! Hay is on the ground and I won't see Adam again until it rains or the leaves start to turn colors. He's working on that farmer's tan and getting his clothes as greasy as all get out. Three washings finally got the grease out of the pockets! If you happen to know a trick for getting grease and cow poop off blue jeans....please share!

While the men worked outside this weekend, I played with my mother's sewing/quilting machine. I've been a little scared of quilting with it, but I bit the bullet and played with a couple of pieces.

Janome Memory Craft 6600

Here was my first attempt at straight lines. The pieces were left over from my Nine-Patch quilt. They are the Disappearing Nine-Patch pattern that I used in my class when showing the students some of the variations of the Nine-Patch.

I think this made a cute little doll quilt that will be put away for a future grand-daughter....no rush on that!

I found that using the auto-stitch option made my stitches even.

Then I played with the free motion setting with another Disappearing Nine-Patch made into pin-wheels for a small table runner.

I was a little tense doing this, but started to get the hang of it too. I don't think I had one of my settings right, but I really like that technique.

These two pieces are now ready to be quilted. I love the greens and roses of this Nine-Patch sampler. There are 3 different sizes and techniques of the Nine-Patch used in the lap quilt. Then for fun I added some applique. I call this one "Chasing Butterflies".

Here are some of the applique pieces close up. I used bullion stitches for some of the flowers. Several of the patterns used are made from templates found in my grandmothers' things.

This is my Nine-Patch set together with 2 1/2 inch strips. I don't have the name of the material, but it was a new line that came out a few months ago. It is all done in country rose, greens, reds, and creams. All machine pieced.

Now I just need to get brave enough to put these in the machine!

Daisy's Butterfly

2011-05-24T15:52:00.000-05:00

Butterflies....don't you love them!? I do, so when it was time to teach another class...my first "paid-for" class!!...I taught a class on applique using a butterfly design I found in my grandmother's things. The instructions and pattern are available to purchase with a PayPal account through Scribd. This is a first for me too! I would love some feedback!

Daisy's Butterfly - Applique & Pattern

Mystery Quilt, Projects & Lots of Pictures

2011-05-19T12:31:00.000-05:00

The thing about going through my grandmother's quilts is that some of them are so old that we don't know the history behind them. Like this quilt. I call it the puffy quilt. The back was falling apart when you touched it and my uncle was ready to toss it in the trash as being in too bad of shape to do anything with. Thankfully, my brother stopped him and gave it to me (yes...I take trash!). But it wasn't trash.

It is made of very fragile fabric and the back was literally disintegrating when I touched it. So, before it even got in the house, I ripped the back off. What I found was a treasure.

Each square, about 2 inches, is completely finished with backing, top, and batting. The batting is pure cotton stuffed in each square and then tied to hold in place. The finished squares are then sewn together, by hand and machine. The quilt is extremely heavy.

The backing is done in flour sacks for the most part. Some of the pieces have printing on them.

Only a few of the squares are falling apart and this is a picture of the cotton in one of them. My dad said it was uncorded cotton. My grandfather used to cord all the cotton for my grandmother's quilts. That was back in the 30's. The twisted cord goes around the entire quilt (about the size of a twin bed) and a couple of the tassels are still on it.

So.....can you name the quilt? I would love to know what it is called and any history someone might know about this kind of quilt.

Here are some pictures from my latest applique class. I took one of my grandmother's old patterns and used it for the class. Since the blocks that I had were made with scraps from my grandmother's and great-grandmother's dresses, I called it Daisy's Butterfly. The ladies are transferring their patterns using different techniques and materials...good old scrap cardboard, card-stock paper, and plastic template.

Cindy's mom gave her this neat little "button" that adds a 1/4 inch seam allowance to your patterns. You simply put your pencil in the center of the "button" and trace around your patterns. We all want one, but we aren't sure where to find them. It's called a Rolling Seamer.

Here's a couple of projects that I have going. This Dresden plate table runner, which I've called Spinning Plates, is ready to be quilted. The Nine-Patch below is from my first quilting class. I've done a variation of the Framed Nine-Patch, but with my own twist.

How do you like my Mother's Day gift (below) from my son? He is turning wood and doing a great job. His is the larger on (on top). My grandfather whittled the one on the bottom. My gift was a surprise and I've made pizza dough and and biscuits with it so far. Adam told me if was for using...not just for looking at.

Here's a couple of his other works.

A walking stick for my dad and a couple of bowls. I think they are great.

I found some early art of my grandmother's. I love the technique she used on this picture. I know it was just practice work, but I really like it and will be framing these as a set of about 3 or 4 pieces.

My brother thought this was some of Grannie's stockings. But it is a slip for a young girl. It has a gathered, dropped waistline and you can see where the pink ruffles used to be all over the skirt of the slip. It had to have been my grandmother's back in the 20's.

I love this picture of my mom, when she was in high school band....and my dad this past weekend. So many treasures....so many memories.

Trunk Show

2011-05-02T13:11:00.001-05:00

My brother has been the one that is representing our family in the "picking" stage of dividing up my grandmother's things. He and my uncle & aunt have been great about laying aside things that certain grandchildren in particular might hold a little dearer than others. Last night James gave me a car-load of treasures that for the most part, someone might just haul to the junk pile. But not me....I love all the little odds and ends.

Material: My sister-in-law joked that Grannie didn't wear any undergarments because every dresser drawer was full of material! "Where did she keep her clothes?" They brought 3 barrels and 1 trunk of material. I have washed and folded most of that. I'm going to say that most of the fabric dates back to the 60s or 70s and is mostly cotton blends. After reading some of Grannie's daily journals, it sounds like she went to shirt factories and got scraps from them.

UFOs: I take after Grannie in that I like to try lots of ideas and then when I find one I like, I go to town on it. Unfortunately that sometimes means that I have a lot of UnFinished Objects laying around.....so did Grannie. Her's were more that she started lots of projects at one time. She had planned to finish them, but 98 years just wasn't enough time. I was in the stars yesterday.

And then there was these: The Improved Nine Patch.

The last time that I visited Grannie at her home (over a year ago at least), she was working on some of these stars and this Improved Nine Patch. The stitches are pretty big and the spacing is not so great....but she continued with her work as long as she could. But seeing these yesterday took me back to January, when I found my mother's last project.

I had to take a moment and have a good cry.

Treasures: In the midst of scraps I found these butterflies. My great-grandmother did these on flour sacks. Just a few of the treasures I've come across in all the odds and ends that come my way.

Easy Calculations for Buying Material

2011-04-26T13:57:00.000-05:00

My daughter has "an app for that".....figuring fabric requirements for different quilt patterns, that is, from Mobile Quilting Tools by Mary Key, for her iPhone. They have a website, but it doesn't do all the calculations that the app does.Honestly, I'm thinking of getting a iPhone just for that app!

I like how it gives you a variety of designs that you can do with one pattern and what other patterns look like with it. Then you put in your dimensions for the finished quilt (and a few other notes) and it will tell you how much fabric you need to purchase to make that quilt.

In getting my quilting classes going and not really using a set pattern, this has been the hardest thing for me to figure out for my students....how much material to buy.

Today I found an on-line fabric requirement calculator and I'm so excited! I found it at Mama's Log House Quilt Shop. The calculator can be found when you go into the "shopping" page. You have to enter in the desired measurement of your block, how many rows down and across, and the percentage of colors....then...tada!....it calculates how much fabric you need. I love it!!!

Now I'm sure there are other calculators out there, but I haven't been exposed to them yet. So bare with me while I enjoy this one.

Dresden Plate & Correcting Stitches.

2011-04-20T09:35:00.001-05:00

I've inherited a few treasures from my mother's library. Here are the two I'm losing myself in right now. I've already gotten a pattern from "Log Cabin Fever" that I want to try....Bears Need Homes Too. It combines the log cabin with the bear paw pattern. Can't wait to really start planning it out.

The purple/blue Dresden Plate is the latest for "Lydia's Quilt of Purple". I really started it about 7 months ago with the idea of doing a table runner as a wedding gift for Sally...but, alas, as with most of my plans....I started too late and just couldn't get it done. Now it will go in the quilt, but I have enough already cut to do something for Sally. Maybe I can get it done for her 1 year anniversary gift!

As storms hit late last night, I pulled out the plate to occupy my mind until the storm passed. It had not been laying flat and I pulled out my ruler and realized that when hand stitching this, I had only done a 1/8 seam allowance. I went through and marked all the blocks for a 1/4 seam allowance during my breaks yesterday and then last night re-stitched every piece. Can you see in the above picture where I marked and re-stitched? (You may have to click on the picture to really see it.) Then a good press (below) had it laying flat. You better believe that I went ahead and marked the rest of my pieces before I started stitching the other plates! I don't want to do anymore re-stitching.

This particular Dresden Plate was taken from "Sewflakes" by Kathy Wylie, here's link to her website. I love her patterns but also how she brings everyone of them around to some Biblical message. I want to be like her!

My Quilting Class - the Students & Mitered Corners

2011-04-18T10:57:00.000-05:00

I told the ladies when they agreed to come to my quilting class that they were my guinea pigs. I had never taught a class before and wasn't real sure what I was doing. I had one desire....to pass on the love for quilting art to others around me.

I think I've succeeded in that!

I've learned more than they have (as is the case with most teachers). I'm so proud of them all. Out of 10 ladies that started....I only lost 1. Not sure what happened that she stopped coming (she was sick one week). Finding time to learn something new is hard and even harder is finding time to add this new love into your daily routine. There's been a couple of times that certain ladies couldn't come to class, but they reassure me that they are on target. I must be a good teacher and find out about that one.

Well, here it is....a slide show showing the classes' progress. I can't wait until we have our very first quilt show of all the students from Quilting on the Piney (I'm trying out that name....what do you think?).

Along with the simple striped borders I taught in class, I also overwhelmed them with showing them the technique for mitered corners. Here's a slide show for this technique. It's really not that hard and it adds such a beautiful finish to the quilts.

Putting It All Together

2011-04-12T08:42:00.001-05:00

The first quilting class is winding down. This weekend we will talk about putting on the finishing touches to our quilts. And the ladies will learn that I didn't like the outcome of my quilt and I made a mistake that will be covered up!

I'm also getting some interest in more beginners classes so I've got to lay out a plan of what I'm willing to teach and how much of my weekends I'm willing to give up. Of course since I'm teaching in my house, I have to check with the guys if they mind women over on the weekends. But they were always outside on the weekends, so it shouldn't be a problem.

While I loved the oranges that I picked out for my Nine-Patch (it just made me happy when I bought it!), I haven't been so pleased with the color combination and how pale it turned out to be. I like the dark oranges the best. In the midst of assembling my quilt, I noticed (too late) that I turned one of my alternating blocks. So I had to make a decision....leave it or get the ripper out.

I hate the ripper.

So it is still there, probably only noticeable to me, but still there. I've decided to add more color to the quilt by appliqueing some big flowers to the quilt (right over that turned block). While that adds more work, I like the idea of brighter colors and will probably be appliqueing in the border too, which will give another lesson for the class in how to dress up those borders.

Here's some pictures for the center block I'm working on for Lydia's Quilt of Purple and the Nine-Patches I've come up with. Also pictures of my grandmother Royal Aster. Her quilting on this was just beautiful. It was her pride and joy. We've wondered if it was ever slept under....but never thought to ask her.

(Click on the pictures and you will be taken to the rest of the pictures.)

Sewing projects

Traditions: Lives & Legacy tour

The Cancer Quilt & the Quilting Class

2011-04-04T09:26:00.000-05:00

Even though I did not feel like I had my act together to teach my 2nd quilting class this weekend....it seemed to come off okay. However, I did forget to take pictures. I introduced the ladies to rotary cutting and strip piecing. I'm so proud of them and the progress they are making. Almost all of them have decided they want to piece their quilt by hand...so they can say they have at least done one. Although they did start using the rotary cutters to cut their blocks out.

One of the most inexperienced stitchers (remember Emily who had never threaded a needle before?!) asked if it was okay to change her pattern up. Don't you love that!!!? To me, that is what the art of quilt making is all about....seeing a pattern and wondering what you could do different than anyone else. We spent about an hour after the class with graph paper, drawing out her new quilt, still using only Nine Patches, but different sizes and variations.

A couple of things I have learned in teaching....use larger blocks to demonstrate the techniques (so they can see it better, but also have examples of the correct size too....visuals go a long way in teaching), use bright colors in your demonstrations. Oh...one more thing....use contrasting thread for the sake of teaching and those visuals.

I showed the ladies a couple of extra techniques just to peak their interest in future quilts. I showed them how to make half square triangles and the Disappearing Nine Patch. One lady is going to add the half square triangles as the border around her quilt! Wow...another courageous lady! All the examples I made for the class will go into my cancer quilt....I really must find another name for it. Until then....here's a slide show of the blocks and techniques I've used and taught so far.

Other quilting related updates:
I have received a couple of requests for quilts, so I'm learning how to put together a proposal for cost and design. Sally has also received a couple of request for specialty designs. I had a young girl bring over a prom dress for me to alter...but it was about 3 sizes too big and all beaded....I turned that down real quick, I would rather make a new one. Sally is going to work with her and see if they can come up with something, even going so far as to shop for her. (Just in case you need a personal shopper....Sally is the best!)

One of the ladies in the quilting class has a sewing machine that was given to her that she can't figure out, so I'm teaching her how to use her machine. I spent yesterday assembling my orange Nine Patch (about half done) and hand quilting on one of Mother's unfinished projects.

While sewing, I put on old Cary Grant movies and had a wonderful afternoon. Then later switched to Elvis Presley & Mary Tyler Moore in "Change of Habit" while I was quilting. I guess I have had a change of habit as I am spending more and more time in the sewing rooms and loving every minute of it.

Purple

2011-04-01T06:33:00.002-05:00

Every cancer has its color. When Ken had colon cancer we joked that the color probably wasn't so pretty as pink. I've seen it listed as blue and brown. Almost as soon as my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, purple ribbons showed up at our home to put on our mail boxes. Here's a link telling all the colors and which awareness they go with.

I never really thought much about the colors.... possibly not even bringing awareness to anyone's attention. However, my husband was diagnosed early for colon cancer because a friend encouraged him to get checked. Pancreatic cancer has no real early detection signs. By the time that it is diagnosed, it's too late. My mother was going to the doctor because she had started having some stomach pains and general sick feeling that lingered. They did many tests until finally she received a diagnose. Two months before she was generally healthy, exercising, eating healthy, with no idea that would soon change.

So now, after my husband is cancer free for 5 years and my mother died of cancer, what can I do to bring awareness? Money is always the greatest need in any research of cancer. Advances are always being made and new medicines and techniques are always being found to help patients.

I don't have extra money laying around that I can donate. However I do have material...purple and brown material. I'm going to start a sampler quilt to be donated or auctioned off (not sure yet how that will be done) with the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society in honor of my mother, my husband, my father-in-law (died of lung cancer), my grandfather (died with prostrate cancer), my aunt (died of colon cancer), and my son's best friend, Patrick (died at 11 from bone cancer).

Here's my first block, still under construction, The Nine Patch Tulip in purples:

Another Loss

2011-03-28T10:22:00.002-05:00

Another hand has stilled. Another thimble put down. Another empty spot in my heart. Only two hands left now, mine & Sally's. 4 generations, suddenly only 2.

My grandmother died....but oh how she lived! That's what I will remember...her life, her legacy. After almost 98 years, she said it was enough. She pushed the curtain back and joined my mother who waited for her.

I asked Grannie once which time of the nearly century she lived that she would live over again. She smiled and didn't even have to think about it. "All of them....exactly as I lived them the first time. I wouldn't change a thing." So many times I heard her share stories and always ended them with "we had so much fun."

She'll be remembered by most as an avid quilter...which she was. Others will remember her talent with a paintbrush. Some remember her needlework. But I like what my brother said....

She was my Grannie and that's all, that's the most important.

The Fat Lady Still Sings

2011-03-22T13:20:00.002-05:00

****Update**** My grandmother passed away, Saturday, March 26, 2011. Thank you for your prayers.*****

My Grannie is a celebrity! She has been featured on Tennessee CrossRoads, Quilter's Newletter magazine, and several newspaper articles and now......in the Tennessee Arts Commission book, Traditions.

The pictures from this book are going to be on display at various locations throughout Tennessee for the next 2 years. This month they are at the Renaissance Center in Dickson, TN, which is very close to our neck of the woods.

Dean Dixon took some wonderful pictures of artists in Tennessee. It was a joy to watch him with Grannie during her photo shot last year. I wish I could remember the lady's name that was interviewing her at the time. They had her laughing and us too as Dean was trying to get a picture of Grannie sewing and trying to understand the concept of a thimble.

Here's a clip from one of the descriptions at the original showing of her quilts for this book:

Mildred Carathers was born in 1913 to a farming family in Taylor County, Texas; but both sets of grandparents were from Tennessee. Her maternal grandmother, Mary Jane Reeves Forrester, came from Hickman County, while her paternal grandmother, Rebecca Allison McPeak, was from Wilson County. Both were avid quilters. True to her artistic roots, Mildred showed an early aptitude for quilting, learning piecework from her mother, Daisy Forrester McPeak, and quilting skills from the local Munsey Needle Club. Relocating to Nashville in 1941, Mildred has hand pieced many of the estimated 1,000 quilts she has made over her life time. Her children Eugene Carathers and Frances Lewis (who also quilts) brought the family full circle by moving back to Hickman County.

Grannie will turn 98 in May....however, she is not doing too well right now. Losing her little girl in January has taken its toll on her. She told me last week that she won't be with me much longer either.

If you could, say a prayer for this quilter that her final days will be peaceful and she will find comfort.

(Oh, if you are wondering about the title of this post.....Grannie always said that the "quilt" show wasn't over yet because the fat lady was still singing.)

In the Beginning....Adam & Eve learn to Sew

2011-03-20T00:17:00.000-05:00

Over the past couple of days, I've taught a few ladies how to do something that Adam & Eve taught themselves fairly early in the beginning of time....how to sew. They took leaves and sewed them together for covering....the first "go-green" family (and also how God taught them a good lesson on choosing quality material or quick and easy!)

Friday night I had 4 ladies come over and some threaded their needles for the first time! Others were just wanting to have some fun and really work on perfecting their skills....along with helping me out. Saturday, another 6 ladies came over and we did the whole thing again. Everyone left with the beginnings of a Nine Patch quilt....granted there was some who fear they might just get one place mat made!

I've put together a slide show for the ladies, of some of the basic stitches and techniques we went over. And also a slide show of the ladies.

The only thing missing from these classes was the one lady that has been my biggest supporter in every venture in my life...my mother. She taught me well....I pray that I can teach others well also. Here's one of her quilts that she made for one of the classrooms at church.

Machine Strip Piecing of the 9-Patch Block

2011-03-17T13:35:00.001-05:00

In getting ready for the upcoming class on constructing a Nine Patch quilt block, I have put together a pictorial of my process for machine strip piecing and string piecing. For information purposes.....I purchased my material (all the floral) in a fat quarter bundle. The solid was bought by the yard. FYI....a fat quarter is a 1/4 yard strip of material cut in half or about 18" x 22" inches.

Supplies needed:

Rotary Cutter
Cutting Mat
Ruler
Pencil
Thread
Needles
Pins
Scissors
Sewing Machine
Iron & board

I would love any input if this was helpful or not.

View all

Get your own

On Pins & Needles

2011-03-16T08:25:00.001-05:00

I spent last night getting my studio ready for the 2 quilting classes that will be meeting at my house this weekend. It feels good to be organized again. Sometimes stuff piles up and before you know....chaos!!

When I was cleaning out some drawers, I found a few pins and needles and I needed somewhere more organized for them to go instead of just in a container....so I made some pin cushions. The yellow pillow was pretty much a no-thinker and works okay...it's just a little big for sitting next to the sewing machine. The heart is an empty box of chocolates that someone gave my grandmother for Valentine's Day. It had that cushy top and is perfect for keeping all my packages needles in one place (and it looks pretty on the table). Then I got a little creative.

The coffee cup was from a presentation I was part of and I had been keeping it on my desk as a reminder....great devotional to go along with it that I'll be posting later at HolyCamp. I covered the inside of the cup with glue then took some pillow stuffing covered with a scrap of material (no sewing required) and stuck it down into the cup (my cup is overflowing!).

The lid pin cushions are an oldie, but a goodie. My mother always used one that my brother made her when he was a little boy. It's really easy too and I wish I had thought of this idea I found on Etsy. Take a canning lid with two pieces. I took some of that pillow stuffing and rounded it to the size of the inner lid. Then covered that with material, pulling it tightly, and popping it into the outer lid. I glued the material down on the back (or inside of the lid) and then took another piece of material cut into a circle and placed over the bottom (purely optional and for looks).

My grandmother made the two red ones and they were made with the same concept, except using two lids glued together and extra trim to cover where they are joined. She also put a plastic ring on the side of one so that it could stand up. We put this one on the Christmas tree, since it is made with red velvet.

Oh....see the basket of material?! Mother was big into re-purposing things. This was a meat container (one of those red, plastic ones). She had several of these that were cleaned and sanitized for re-use. I didn't much care for a meat container sitting on the table, so I covered it with a fat quarter, (gluing it to the bottom and inside sides), then gluing another piece inside. I added a piece of trim just because.

I also put together one of my 9 Patches. I'm still going to add some more applique. I love the Grandmother Dutch Doll. I'm thinking a butterfly needs to go in one of the blocks. This is just a sample I did up with way too many mistakes. I wanted to showcase the different looks using different sizes of the 9 Patch block and different ways that you could turn it or use it. This will also be what I use when I start practicing with machine quilting.

Now...I'm on pins and needles as I have 2 days before I teach my first class. I've got a few more of the 9 Patches to put together tonight. I'm doing this one in oranges and after looking at the pictures, I realized that I had turned one of my solids the wrong way and had it upside down. Oh well....maybe no one will notice!

Stitching Together

2011-03-14T10:17:00.001-05:00

Sunday has become a day that my daughter comes home to visit and spend the day with me. Sally pulled out her Churn Dash quilt top not long ago and has been quilting on it. She tried it with the hoop, but that didn't work for her...neither has thimbles, she went through about 4 yesterday before just giving up on the idea completely.

Adam joined us (he's been a little under the weather) and we pulled up some Netflix on the computer and got Sally hooked on Life on Mars. I think we watched 5 episodes yesterday afternoon. The "lady" beside Adam is Sally's mannequin that we picked up at at yard sale. (The black hat...I made for my mother to wear after the chemo treatments started making her hair too thin to go out in the cold. She loved it.) I finally gave Adam one of my sewing machines and a screwdriver and he went to work seeing how they work and cleaning it for me.

He decided to count the sewing machines we have...as you can see from these two pictures...we have several. Between me and Sally (who took a few with her when she moved) we counted 17 machines. Okay...I know that sounds like a lot and I'm not really sure that is accurate, and not all of them are housed in my house....and not all of them are functional. However....we love sewing machines. I am proud to say that I have my great-grandmothers, my grandmothers, and my mothers sewing machines.

I've started quilting on one of my mother's quilt tops. It was really hard to finally put needle to her work. This pattern is a sailboat pattern, turned to make a square. I love the image that the sails make when they come together. I guess I got a little sentimental quilting this top. I dug into my mother's last piecing project and pulled out her thimble, needle and thread. The center was quilted with the thread that my mother had threaded and placed in her pin cushion.

I also worked on an Iris Grandmother's Dutch Doll block that will be added to one of the contrasting blocks in my green nine patch. The dress is tacked down and the rest is pined for tacking today at lunch. She's made with some of Mother's stash. The block she is on is a 14 inch block.

Now....how observant are you? From the first two pictures...how many sewing machines can you find?

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things!

2011-03-05T09:03:00.000-06:00

Soap! Yep....it's one of my favorite things. I use small pieces of soap on my thread to help with threading those super small needles and keeping my threads untangled. I simply run my thread over the edges of the soap and I'm good to go. When the soap gets super thin, it's great for marking dark material for quilting. It comes off easily with a wet rag.

I also love these little rulers and templates. They are great for marking my 1/4 inch seam allowances and for making squares. The little pincushion was my mothers' It's made on the end of soda cap, with a little piece of elastic to wear on your finger. I usually just sit on the table where I'm working. The wooden pressing tool is also great for projects away from my iron. I'm not the best at finger pressing...so this is great.

When I am near an electric outlet, I love my mini-iron (which I've mentioned before, but it bears repeating!). This mini-cutting board/pressing mat is another favorite that goes with me when I'm taking projects with me for the day. When I take all these things....it's like I'm taking a mini sewing studio with me.

When I'm at home...I like my little computer set up so that I can sew and watch Netflix's at the same time. It's also good for watching some tutorials on quilting while I'm at the machine. I keep a piece of batting next to the sewing machine and that lovely min-iron for quick pressing without a lot of moving around.

And now for my projects that I finished and started this week. Block of the month for January and February done. Now working on the March blocks.

I started piecing my 9-Patch blocks. I did a few by hand and then I started doing some string piecing.

Now I'm working on some more 9-Patches, 1 inch blocks. I'm doing another method with those today, but I got all the strips cut and laid out. This will be Saturday's project.

2 weeks until I teach my first quilting class!!!! 8 ladies have signed up and they seem excited about visiting the quilt shops. I'm pretty excited that I've gotten more ladies excited about quilting.

A Design Wall and Pining the Quilt

2011-02-28T11:48:00.001-06:00

I pushed some stuff out of my studio this weekend and made a small design wall for laying out quilt blocks. I bought some really nice wool batting , measured my cleared spot and cut. We have wood walls, so I had no trouble hanging my design wall with just some nails driven in across the top, a couple down the sides and (pulling the batting tight) across the bottom.

Within a matter of minuted I had my mother's unfinished blocks displayed. Now I can play with the pieces and see how they will look best for a small sampler. I've gotten one more corner block made and there are 3 more of t he red/green/beige strips to go on the sides and at the bottom. I'm thinking striping will make it come together much nicer.

Then I moved to my cutting table (thank goodness for it's extra height...cuts back on the back pains!). I was determined to get this finished top pined to the batting and bottom layer before going to bed. 10:30 came as I was putting in the last safety pin! Sally borrowed my quilting hoop, so I'll have to get another one to get started on the quilting of this one.

Framed Quilt Blocks

2011-02-27T17:29:00.000-06:00

I've taken a couple of my mother's unfinished quilt blocks and framed them. I think they turned out really nice.

Weekend Fun & A Mystery Block

2011-02-21T10:21:00.003-06:00

I was so excited to be going to my first BOM meeting on Friday...until I got there and no one else showed up and there was no meeting. So I just talked with the shop owner and collected more stamps to my card so that next time I go in...I get 4 yards free material!

I went home and started laying out all the extra blocks that Mother had kept from her projects. With a little striping, I'll have enough blocks to do a small, sampler lap quilt. Here is one of the boarders that I'm working on. She had enough of the dark red/white material that I can use it for my striping. The block she made using the Square in a Square method (which I had the pattern & ruler and never tried). The block with the tiny green squares were put together using that method, but had not been cut yet. I got to finally put the ruler to work and I loved it. I'm ready to do a Square in a Square pattern now.

Saturday I went to a quilt shop's new location in Franklin, TN and picked up some neat notions and new books....no material this trip....but oh was I tempted. Then I went clothes shopping with my daughter and had a wonderful time with her. This is where I waited for her to get off work. She was so sweet to bring me something to eat while I waited. I looked at one of my new books and was amazed at the twisted forms of these trees. I bet this will be a wonderful place to sit in the summer, under their mingled shade.

Then I went to my friend, Cindy's house and helped her with some quilt blocks that she was given by her mother-in-law. It's the Maple Leaf pattern, but there was something not right about it. The lower corner block seems to be turned the wrong way. The only problem...her mother-in-law did this on every block (20 in all). I couldn't see how she would make the same mistake so many times and not catch it. So I started playing with the pieces and started to see some other patterns.

How do you like the final outcome? Has anyone else seen a maple leaf and pin-wheel pattern combined?

Friday Night Sew In (FNSI) & My Frist BOM

2011-02-18T09:40:00.000-06:00

I'm learning some new terms..UFO...FNSI....BOM...

A UFO is an Unfinished Object--the remnants of those quilts we start to make but never seem to finish.

But I wasn't sure what a FNSI was...until now...it's a Friday Night Sew In where you link up with other ladies spending their Friday nights sewing too. The link up is here .

I didn't set out for do this, but since that is what I'll be doing tonight at my first Block of the Month (BOM) class...I figured...why not join in!

I am taking a monthly quilt class at Grannie B's Quilt Shop in Dickson tonight, where I bought the pattern and blocks for January and February a couple of weeks ago. The pattern is Wildflower Rhapsody from Wing and a Prayer Design.

I'm doing mine by hand and finished the January block last night...paper-piecing the star pattern in the center of the block. I was suppose to "fussy cut" the center of the star (which means finding a flower design and cutting the block so that the flower is centered within it....I like my flowers to fall where they may!

I've got my materials ironed for tonight, with the long strips already cut. I have both blocks laid out on a piece of batting and rolled up to carry to work (where I'm going to mark the blocks to be cut tonight during my lunch break) and then to class. I was trying to get it so that the material would not crease. As you can see from the pictures, that sort of worked, leaving just a small crease across the bottom. I may have to invest in a travel case for my blocks (any suggestions?).

But...I have my "handy-dandy" mini iron that I absolutely love. My mother could finger-press her pieces like nobodies business (that's really good in case that is a term you haven't heard before). I don't finger press too well, so all my seams would fall every-which-way....but no more!!!

Tonight I also intend to pin a quilt. Tomorrow I'm heading to Franklin, TN to visit some of their quilt shops and then hitting the mall with my daughter for some wardrobe enhancements!!! For now...I've got to do some work that I actually get paid for. Oh....and I'm planning a trip to East Tennessee next month and my dad is going to take me to quilt shops that my mother loved!!! (Holloways and The Cherry Pit)

Idea Books

2011-02-17T10:38:00.004-06:00

I love books, patterns, and magazines. You can tell that very quickly when you walk into my house. Sometimes my love for these things must be contained and controlled. Grannie and I used to joke that we promised not to buy another magazine or pattern book until we had done at least one project from it. Or if we went to quilt shows, we could not go to another show until we did one of the patterns that we had bought from it.

Then we decided that was just too hard a rule to live by!

However, because of limited space, I've had to start going through my bookshelves to make room for newer items. Grannie started doing the same thing....so she sent her magazines to me! That of course did not help my situation. Over the Christmas holidays and snow days when I couldn't or didn't want to get out, I seriously started organizing my bookshelves (books and container) that held nothing but quilting magazines. Then I did something that causes women all over the quilting world to cringe....

I torn out pages!

Here is a box of magazines that I went through...now ready to go somewhere else. My aunt has a quilting guild, but she didn't want me to tear out pages. I figured if I shelled out the money for the magazines....it was okay if I wanted to tear out pages! There is still some good stuff in them...just not stuff that captured my attention. (And just so you know....this makes my 3rd trip through these magazines before I finally said "enough!")

The ideas/patterns that caught my eye now have a special place....my idea book.

I cut the pages with all the instructions out and then the patterns. These I do make copies of because most of the time the patterns are on tear-out sheets along with every other pattern mentioned in the magazine. I then make a little folder to hold the patterns (taped to the back of insignificant pages, like ads) and then put the entire selection in a clear page protector and add it to a large notebook with all my other captured ideas. Then when I want to do that project, I simply pull this page from the notebook and go to work.

I really thought this is my own idea (maybe suggested in one of those magazines!) until my daughter was working with me one day. She started laughing because she told me she does the same thing (a little differently of course). Then I asked Grannie about the pattern for her Royale Aster and she told me the pattern was in her idea book (which holds patterns of all the projects she had done in the past).

Now I find that my mother also had an idea book with torn out magazine pages. She also noted on hers if she did the project and when...her book is more like a calendar really because she did something every month.

As I was going through Mother's patterns, this Floating Star pattern looked really familiar. I grabbed my idea book and there it was....seems we had the same taste. Only thing...I got my pattern from a magazine...we should have compared idea books before shopping!

Let's not leave Grannie Lewis out of this silliness...because that woman also kept her ideas...just in a different way. Grannie Lewis did a lot of pattern exchanges. I have envelopes of all kinds of patterns that she received through the mail (still in the envelopes!)...not a lot of instructions, but one day I intend to figure them out for myself. I made a notebook with just her patterns and samples that she made. This is a page where she was doing a sampler quilt and listed what each block would be and what color (I have the patterns for most of these from her too).

Then she had this block that I really loved and I made my own pattern for it and added it to her book (with the block)....another project I want to do one day.

So what do you do with all your ideas or "someday I'll do" projects?

Mother's Unfinished Projects

2011-02-12T02:02:00.000-06:00

As we were making room for the hospice bed to be brought to my parents' house, I was putting away my mother's sewing things. I mentioned to my brother that this was her last project, but he said she would always have had an unfinished project because she kept her hands busy creating all the time. But this one truly was her last unfinished project....she had her needle ready to sew the last strip to this block, a improved nine-patch.

The funny thing is...I believe that my grandmother was working on this same pattern before she left her house for the nursing home about a year ago. Mother had 3 completed blocks.

These were at her recliner where she worked on them as she felt like it. She just needed something to keep her hands and mind busy at all times. She did such beautiful work.

From her sewing table, I removed the 4 red (Mother loved red) log cabin pieces. She was making them as placemats for her January and February table setting. They were ready to be machine quilted (she made me a green set and gave to me on Christmas Eve 2010). The other pieces were left over blocks from previous works and the Hunter Star variation which she was making as she had scraps. All these pieces have a red theme going on through them. Daddy asked if I could do something with them and put together some kind of sampler quilt. Thankfully, she already had more strips cut for the log cabin and lots of those colors left over to do something with....what I don't know yet

The only other projects she had left undone were these three quilt tops. She had them ready to machine quilt, with bindings already cut and backings laid with them. She just ran out of energy and time. These three pieces were done while she was taking chemo and radiation (from July - December 2010). She was trying to get all the grandchildren a quilt done for Christmas. She did, but at the end, she had to pull a couple that she had finished prior to this year....they didn't mind.

Daddy has asked if I can quilt these, he has something he wants to do with these projects of Mother's.

I guess they are my unfinished projects for a while now.

Treasures Found and Unfinished Projects

2011-02-11T11:07:00.002-06:00

I did some treasure hunting with my Dad yesterday. He asked me to go through my mother's quilts and pull out all of hers and separate them from my grandmothers' quilts. I took pictures as I went along. Most of them I have seen through the years and for those that were not dated, I could tell Daddy approximately when Mother quilted them and a little of the story behind the quilt.

However, this butterfly quilt was a treasure from my Grannie Lewis, that I had never seen before. I'm taking a picture of the block to my Grannie Carathers tonight to make sure it's not hers, but I don't think it is. UPDATE: It was Grannie Lewis' design.

Here is an unfinished project that I want to have finished by this time next year, The Devil's Puzzle (Drunkard's Path). About 3 years ago, my mother cut out enough material for her, my grandmother and me to make this quilt. They finished theirs...I got one block done! Well as of last night, I has 2 blocks! Only 7 and a few half blocks to go. I just want to have it finished for Adam's graduation. I'm doing this one completely by hand, piecing and quilting.

This treasure from my mother was found in the attic. It was one of her first quilts, made more for a light-weight bedspread to go under our top quilts. There is very little batting in this one. It was made from scraps except for the blue making the design. I would love to know the name of this pattern if anyone happens to know.

I'm doing some blog surfing into quilting blogs now and finding some really neat stuff. Of course I love the give-a-ways that go on through the blog world, and have been successful in getting a few books. The reason I like this one is because it is for a book about redwork...which I love to do. Check it out here.

Beginner's Class - How to Piece a Quilt - The Lessons Begin

2011-02-10T11:08:00.000-06:00

Piney's Needle is officially open in Pinewood, Tennessee. I'm doing what Mother said...."Don't be afraid to dream!" I'm dreaming and I'm going to "reach for the stars" and make my dreams a reality.

I will be holding quilting classes at my house. I'm praying this is the first step toward that dream.

My first class will be on March 19th, 9-1 (with a light lunch provided) and we will be doing the 9-Patch block. For this first class, I am going to limit it to 6 ladies and there will be no class charge (you will be my guinea pigs!). This will be a 4-class series, meeting every other weekend (March 19, April 2, April 16, April 30). For those who can't come during those times, I'm also throwing around the idea of doing a week night class, 6-9....no dates set yet. This will be a learning experience for me and the ladies.

I will be teaching the traditional and contemporary quilt piecing methods. I truly believe that we must embrace the art of our grandmothers before we can comprehend their gift and appreciate the skill they had. The 9-Patch is a easy pattern to do that with and it can be used in so many different ways.

Here are two examples that my mother made for my children. Adam's 9-Patch is set at an angle and added to other patterns. Sally's 9-Patch is set straight with solid pieces between each block. This will be the design that we will be starting with. (FYI....Sally's quilt is one of the last hand quilted pieces that my mother was able to do, then she went to machine quilting. Adam's was made this past year, hand pieced, machine quilted.)

Supplies to get started:

We will be doing a quilt. As my grandmother says, she doesn't like to do wall hangings because with just a few more blocks or strips....you've got a quilt....so why not make a quilt?

1. Since I have already picked out the pattern....the first step is done for you....choosing your pattern.

2. Next, consider how you are going to use this quilt. Is it for you or someone else? Getting that settled first, helps you with the next step.....your color scheme.

3. I'm going to let you choose your color scheme. You will need 4 to 6 different medium to dark colors for the blocks, using a white or light colored piece for the other block pieces and the connecting (blank) blocks. They can be prints or solids....let's not do any plaids or strips right now.

For the light colored pieces....you can have a design on them, but try to keep it pretty simple, even maybe choosing solid white or beige because we will be practicing your quilting techniques in these blocks.

4. How much material? You will be making a quilt that will measure approximately 68 x 88 inches (the size of a standard twin size quilt). Since this is a learning experience for me too....it may be a little larger! For this first time....get 2 yards of medium/dark and 2 yards of white/beige material.

Warning!!!! Quilting is not a cheap hobby! Material can run anywhere from $2-$4 a yard up to $15 or more a yard....shop around. On the average, about $8 a yard is what you will be spending for 100% cotton! So that means right off the bat, you will be spending at least $36 for your basic material....this does not include your borders, binding, backing, or batting. But those things don't have to be purchased now.

In the Dickson area, Grannie B's Quilt Shop has a large variety of material and supplies. In the Cool Springs/Franklin area, there are several places...JoAnn, Hobby Lobby, The Quilting Squares Quilt Shop, Stitcher's Garden and maybe more...but these will get you started.

5. Once you have your material....the only other things you will need will be: good scissors (not paper cutting scissors!), pins, sewing needles, thread (white is fine), a #2 pencil, and a clear ruler. A thimble is optional...but recommended!

Hopefully this hasn't overwhelmed you...but gotten you excited to start something new. Here's some pictures of my block I did last night and my supplies. I have a small cutting board with a padded board on the opposite side....I love it!

So....I'm looking for 6 local ladies to come to my log house on the scenic Piney River in Pinewood, Tenneesse (50 miles west of Nashville, 5 miles off I-40 on HWY 48). I'm also looking for some ladies who would be interested in taking this class on-line....again this will be a learning process for all of us....me especially!

Let me know as soon as possible if you are interested.

The Thread Broke a Bit

2011-02-08T16:19:00.000-06:00

On January 31, 2011 one of these hands disappeared forever from my sight. That ring on her hand...is now on mine.

The thread that held us together of 4 generations of quilters/seamstresses broke.

My mother put down her thimble.

Her casket was covered with her quilts, a brown feathered star on top and a blue star sampler wrapping the sides. Her art was showcased with one of her paintings and one of her stained glass pieces. So many people didn't know that she was so talented.

I appliqued a wall hanging for her. It was my flowers to her. I worked on it while she was home two weeks with hospice. She got to see it finished.

As we said our final goodbye to her, I laid the small quilt across her bed. It hung with the flowers during the service and now it hangs on my wall as a constant reminder of how blessed I was to have such a wonderful mother.

Piney's Needle

2010-11-23T09:03:00.001-06:00

My grandmother, Sally, and I all share the same dream....to one day have a shop. Grannie worked out of her home, but Papa added a "little house" onto the garage out back of their house and she filled it with her work. She would go to craft shows and peddle her wares and word of mouth brought customers to her door.

About a year ago, Sally opened an Etsy shop selling her vintage clothing line and her artwork. She's done pretty well with it. She'll start working on the shop for her fashion designs soon.

Today, I opened my Esty shop selling handmade items. I always wanted my physical shop to be at the home place, overlooking the Piney River in the hills of Tennessee. But for now...it will have to be in the internet hills.

My shop - Piney's Needle

Sally's shop - SallyMarie

The Girls

2010-06-02T15:00:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of our quilting heritage, 4 generations and my aunt (2nd left). We are each holding a quilt that we have done our self. Starting at the left....Grannie Carathers (Mildred Waldean McPeak Carathers), RuthAnn Rochelle Carathers (Uncle Gene's wife), my mother (Frances Elizabeth Carathers Lewis), me (Deborah Gene Lewis Boutwell), and my daughter (Sally Marie Boutwell).

Our hands....Sally, Grannie, Mother, me.

I love that these hands work with thread and hold each other up in prayer.

I think everyone has made the comment that while we work on an item,

we thank about the person that the item is being made for and while

we work our needle...prayers are being said over that person.

Mother made a blanket for a young boy that was having seizures. When she presented the blanket to him, she told him that she had been praying for his full recovery. His mother said that he uses the blanket always....and hasn't had a seizure since! Recently she did a baby quilt for a little one that was very small and had a few issues before delivery. She asked a group of us to prayer over the blanket before we gave it to the mother. As each person prayed, they were focused on the immediate issues...but God led me to pray about the time that she would be using the blanket as a young girl (since it was a large blanket), reading her Bible under it as a young teenager and picnics that she would go on and wrapping her daughter in one day.

Each needle prick...each stitch...each thread....a prayer.

Ties that Bind

2010-06-01T10:33:00.004-05:00

Update: Finished, on the bed 8/13/10

It's so close to being done, it's not even funny! I'm telling you, if I really counted the years I've been working on this monster it would easily be over 10 years. I undercovered the sewing studio yesterday and found the material for the binding. I was really afraid that I had lost it or didn't have enough.

I did bias strips and sewed them all together. I didn't measure to see how much I needed for this king size quilt. I decided I would just go for it. I actually ended up with a lot left over. I did use the sewing machine to attach the binding, but I'll tack it down by hand.

Some history on this quilt: When I moved to the Gulf Coast (Lillian, AL), I wanted to take something of Mother with me. She quilts constantly, like her mother. I've always loved the Log Cabin. I still have one that is tattered that brings back wonderful memories that Mother made. I don't really think she made it especially for me, but it was on my bed growing up and I took it to college and well...it's mine now.

I love the scraps she used from dresses I still remember wearing as a little girl.

Back to my quilt. Mother and I went shopping (at Walmart) for the material. I love greens, so I bought several basic colors...enough to do a queen size bed. The material cost me about $60. I decided on the Barn Raising design, starting with the darks in the center and going out. Mother can get about 10 stitches to an inch. Sitting right beside her, I could too. So I proudly went home with the center started.

But without her right beside me, I couldn't get my stitches right. Nothing I did fit with what she had done....the ripper and I have always been good friends, so we spent that summer together. Finally I gave up and started a new center (about 3 times). I couldn't get everything to match by stitching by hand, so I went with the stack & wack method and cut all my strips and then went to the sewing machine. With the center pieces all the same, I built my cabins and cut off the excess material. Once the blocks were all done, then I went back by hand and pieced the quilt.

During that time, we bought a king sized bed, so I had to make it bigger. Thankfully I was able to find the same material again. When it came time for the quilting, I moved all the furniture out of the living room and laid my layers out and pined it with safety pins. It took all day! My back and knees were killing me when it was over. Then I started in the center, using an 18inch round hoop and a ruler to mark the dark area the width of the ruler...and started quilting. Sometimes my spaces are irregular...but honestly...I didn't care! In the light areas, I just quilted the logs, in the ditch.

This quilt was played under and slept under long before it was finished. I had to put a table or footstool in front of me to hold the weight and the kids would play under it. Then I would just get so tired, I would put down my needle and snuggle down under it for a nap and so would the kids.

Once, I had been quilting all day, in the summer, and kept getting hotter and hotter. I was already feeling a little sick and by the end of the day, I was sure I had a fever. When Ken came home and I told him how bad I felt, he just laughed....the air conditioning unit had gone out during the day and there I sat under that heavy quilt in the middle of summer in the south! After that, I only worked on the quilt during the winter.

My grandmother is constantly asking me if I've finished it yet, I'll be so glad that by this weekend, I will be able to show her the finished project. It's got two events it will be in this year before finally being home on my bed. Yes, Ken built a real log house (3 actually) long before I got this one built...but there is love and memories in every stitch.

From the scraps, I've made small projects, but the one I'm most proud of was for my father, made with one of the many centers I started. It was just a wall hanging that they actually drape over the back of a rocking chair and then Mother found some of the same green material and made a pillow for the chair. It looks really nice in their home, but it was also featured on the cover of a book, Quilts from Heaven.

That's it tucked in the front of the basket. Here's a link that gives a better picture and a little bit about the book. My grandmother's quilts are also in the basket (all except the pineapple) and then the back cover is her quilt also. None of the quilts featured on the inside are ours, just on the cover and on some inserts in the book.

Grannie was also featured this month at the Tennessee Arts Center with a showing of 8 of her quilts. My cousin posted some pictures from the show here. It was pretty neat to have Grannie honored like that.

Okay...my project this week....finish the binding and get this quilt on my bed!

Christmas Projects from 2009

2010-01-24T20:55:00.000-06:00

I ususally try to do something handmade for Christmas grifts. This year I did pillowcases and a wall hanging.

For my neice Courtney, I applique this pillow case.

Then I did patchwork pillow cases for a couple of gifts and a wall hanging for a dirty Christmas gift.

I made this little frog from scraps from my grandmother and gave it to JonMichael so he would

have something from his great-great-grandmother. She had already cut the frog out, all I had

to do was sew him and stuff him. I added real buttons because that was how she made our's

when we were children. She stuffed ours with birdseed, but the mice liked to chew on them.

Then there was the ornament or mini wall hanging that I put together. I did a couple of

these for gifts for people at work.

You know, for not starting these projects until November, I did pretty good.

It's Done! Well, almost

2009-10-09T23:11:00.000-05:00

The hand quilting is all done and now I have to put the binding on. So close to getting it on my bed for good.

Click here to see what quilts I saw today that belong to my grandmother.

My First Quilt

2009-07-11T16:01:00.004-05:00

Natalie over at Cinderberry Stitches was promoting a quilt parade that was started by Camille and Carrie where you show your first quilt and your lates quilt and tell something that you learned along the way.

I honestly can't ever remember my first quilt. I was in elementary school when I started sewing squares together and embriodering on my bell bottoms (a beach scene!). My first of everything was usually given to my mother. My first cross stitch, pencil drawing, quilling, writing, & quilting. She has a whole wall of them.

Most everything I make is given away. Recently, my brother and his family were downsizing and had a huge yard sale and one of the first wall hangings I had made was in the sale (has to be 20 years old), I bought it back and gave it to a friend of mine. It was a Lone Star done in shapes of purple. I noticed that it puckered in the center were all the points came together. Which was okay since something can be sat on it or hung stretched out. I see a lot of puckers in this and the purple has faded.

My current project, which has actually been a project of some 10 years now and very close to be finished is a Log Cabin in the barn raising pattern. I machine pieced each block and then hand pieced the blocks together and have been hand quilting this king size quilt. In the dark areas I have 1 inch grides. The back is beautiful, if I do say so myself.

What have I learned? I want to do too much. I don't have time to do all I want to do. I want to quilt like my grandmother did, slow and easy, savoring each stitch. I want my quilts to be cherished, so it's okay if I see them on the floor with babies crawling on them or on the beach for a family picnic or as a tent in the living room.

You can never have too many scraps or too many patterns. Never promise to work up the patterns you have before you buy a new one. Always...always...touch the material.

Papa's Suit Coats

2009-06-01T11:31:00.004-05:00

On a recent visit with my Aunt Lucille (Lewis), she asked if I wanted this crazy quilt that she remembers her mother (my grandmother) making when she was a little girl. She was going to cut it up and make smaller items out of it for her children. Thankfully, she never got around to this project.

The quilt is made from my grandfather's suit coats. Some are dark blue, black and pin stripped. She cut squares, sewed them together and then did the embroidery over them. It's a very heavy quilt and there are some off colors around the border where she ran out of material.

My mother asked if I was going to cut it up....NO WAY. This is a treasure for me. I touch it and instantly remember by grandfather and his suit coat for going to church. On the trip home from my aunt's, my father started telling stories about Papa.

William David Lewis (WD) was a sharecropper along the Tennessee River, mostly in Perry County, TN. The family was finally able to buy their own farm when Papa's brother, Tipton Brown Lewis, was killed during WWI and they received money from the government. (As a side note, my nephew recently named his son after this brother.) Papa served in the same war, but never saw action after he developed phenomena and lost one lung.

Papa delivered my father when he was born at home and had to tell my aunt that she was not dieing, only having her menstrual cycle.

Papa worked in a factory as a night guard. Daddy said that Papa would come home from work and go to church. It was Daddy's job to wake him up if he started to fall asleep. Papa never worked for more than 75 cents an hour. Papa also went to school to be an accountant. As poor as my grandparents were, my parents still had to borrow money from them to buy the land that we still live on.

After my dad moved to Nashville, when he was 18, my grandparents finally got a house "in town" with running in-door plumbing. They lived there until they both died. There was also an outhouse on the property that my grandfather continued to use until he was too weak to walk outside. He developed gangrene in his legs when I was in high school. The doctor said he should have both legs amputated but Papa refused to have the surgery and wanted to die with his legs on. He lived 3 more years, walked again, and the gangrene was healed. He died from other issues when he was 86.

He was at home when he died. He woke my grandmother up and asked her if she saw the beautiful man standing at the foot of the bed. She didn't see Him, but he did and went to eternity with Him.

I have a vivid memory of my father and my grandfather kneeling before the church as they were ordained as deacons together. I was only about 4 years old at the time and I am so thankful God allowed me to keep that memory. If he were alive today, he would be 112. He was born in 1897 and knew people that had fought in the Civil War. Family legend has it that his great grandmother was kidnapped from the Indians as they passed through Tennessee on the Trail of Tears. Was it true? We have no idea, but as he grew weaker, he began to talk about her and said they were told as child never to mention it. And our family definity has some strong Indian bloodlines from somewhere, with their jet black hair, black eyes, and dark skin.

One of Papa's brothers was arrested for running moonshine during the "dry" years. He was in prison so much, he asked for a job there and ending up retiring as a guard. Another brother also saw "a beautiful man" right before he passed away.

Papa never had favorites in his grandchildren. He wouldn't force you to talk to him. He didn't hand out trinkets or cash to get us to love him. He was simply there. Willing to swing if you wanted to swing on the porch. Willing to twiddle his thumbs with you until you were in a better mood. He worked in the yard and worked in the garden and was happy if you would work with him.

His home was our (the grandkids) haven where we would spend weeks at a time with them. He supported my grandmother in all her ministries and learned from her what a tithe was. He wasn't loud, just a quiet man that we loved.

Their house, that I remember them in, was bought by the church next door and now the bedrooms of my grandparents are the studies of the pastor. There is a huge cross in the year drapped in purple. I somehow believe that they would like that.

Family Photos

2009-03-22T09:51:00.004-05:00

Spending time with my grandmother this week reminded me of how fast the times go by and how quickly we are without those we love. Grannie will be 96 this May. She's lived through the depression, the 20's, the dust storms of Texas, wars, good times and evil times.

Mildred Waldean McPeak Carathers - what a name. She knew my grandfather was her man when he showed up on a first date with a quilt pattern - Elmer D Carathers - the D doesn't stand for anything. They eloped to Mexico and then came home and went back to their family homes and didn't tell anyone they were married. Months later, a relative that lived near the border was visiting and asked Grannie's mother why no one told them Mildred was getting married.

Seems the marriage was posted in a local paper down south.

When Papa was on a train going to military training, he passed through Nashville. He fell in love with the trees and when he got out of the military training, he moved his young family from Texas to Tennessee. But even today...Texas is still home to Grannie.

Here's some photos (poor quality) that I took pictures of this week. Now that I know my daughter's copier can scan pictures, I'll borrow Grannie's books and scan the pictures.

I've started with the Carathers' family, added some Lewis pictures, some McPeak pictures, and some pictures I took at Grannie's yesterday of her talents. Her real talent is quilting, but that is what this whole blog about. If you would like to see some pictures of quilts, just scan through the posts.

2008-12-20T09:25:00.003-06:00

I finished all the trim on Michael's stocking. I think it turned out really nice. We're filling it with match box cars.

Jenni's stocking is ready for the trim work. Found out last night that she was going to buy them all a stocking and Sally forced her away from that area of the store!

One more stocking to go for Rory!

This is the back of the wallhanging I was making for Jonathan, although I've decided to give it to Adam now. I still have to corners to add quilting and then the binding. I quilted it in black. Hard to see on the front, but the back looks nice.

I'm also doing this blanket for Adam. I added my dad's patch off his football jacket to the corner and I'm picking up the letter from Adam's school today to put on the other corner.

Here's another pocket scarf. This one is going to be for Sally, the other one is going to be Jenni's. I've got one more to make, but I'm just adding some old lace and crochet, so it should go faster. This scarf is about ready to be put together if Sally will stay in bed a little longer!

4 more days of sewing! I still have to wrap the gifts....I've got to start Christmas earlier next year!

The Stocking were Hung by the Chimney....

2008-12-13T11:34:00.002-06:00

I'm in the process of making 3 stockings, for Jenni, Michael, & Rory. This is the basic pattern, but each one will have a different tree layout on them. These are the materials I'm using. The tree material is actually the only Christmas themed material. I bought the other material when I thought that I was pregnant last year. God didn't give us a child then, but He did through this little family, so I thought it appropriate that I use the material for their stockings.

Checking My List - Twice

2008-12-07T21:48:00.005-06:00

My project for this weekend....a pocket scarf for Sally.

I saw one of these at Bed, Bath, & Beyond for about $30 and it looked so warm. I had several yards of fleece at home, so I thought I would try it out. Fairly simple "pattern"...I used Jenni to measure about how long to make it for Sally. But it looked so plain.

I went into town and tried to find some trim that I liked and in the middle of one store it came to me....buttons and embroidery. Wasn't real easy to embroidery on, but I don't think my needle was really sharp enough.

I've got enough to do about 3 scarfs and I'm thinking of making some for a craft show next year.

My mother let me have one of Daddy's football jacket patches (since he and Adam attended the same school). I'm going to sew the bulldog patch on the corner of a blanket. I had done one for Sally with her letter and chervons from band and Adam really likes it. Hopefully, he do some activities during the next 3 1/2 years that we can add to it.

I almost have all the quilting done on the wall hanging, but I'm not sure that I'm going to give it to Jonathan. Not sure what I'll do with it yet.