Fun Stuff!

This past week has been a blur, not to mention, I never pulled out my camera.  No, not even once.  I spent the entire week getting ready for our Bus Hop, which was Friday and Saturday.  But the weekend prior to this, I did have a little fun. 

First, here's Delaney with her new "Plasma Car".  After I spent some time at Fern Hill with Randy and others, she mentioned to me about this Plasma Car.  I couldn't resist.  When I got home from Fern Hill, I immediately ordered one.

Briana and Delaney stopped by for lunch one day and I just had to get it out I couldn't resist showing her the new car.  She loved it.  But for now, it's staying at our house.  She will be staying with us at the end of this week for a few days and she'll love having it here.

 Now, here are the dogs!  Hmmm, my daughter took this picture with her phone, so it's not the best, but if you look real hard, there are three of them up there.  My first reaction was, why are they on my sofa, which they are not allowed!  But they're upstairs on this futon (old) and that is okay, but really, all three!  Now that is too funny!  You would never know that it's two dogs that are over 100# each and one that is almost 50#.   They somehow managed to get all scrunched up together. 

Now for the really good stuff.  I managed to get a little sewing time in on the weekend prior to the bus hop.  This one is a wall hanging or table topper called "Yankee Stars" and finishes at 22" x 22".  It's a fun take on those Jo Morton Stars and a variation of a courthouse steps.

It goes together so nice and even a beginner quilter can do this!

 
And Voila!  Done, and it really didn't take all day.  That's what I like about some of these smaller fun projects.  And don't you just love how they stars managed to get centered in the middle?  What a great way to use this fabric.

Now onto more fun things.  I have 2 more small quilts to do and put a border on my House Sampler.  Pictures to follow.

Till Later, PJR

911 Quilt Day

I have to say that this event was suppose to have taken place last month, but either way it was wonderful.

Let me start at the beginning.  A year ago last month, a good friend of mine, Debbie, came to a Saturday sew day with this wonderful block that she'd made from the pattern called "911 Quilt" by Laundry Basket Designs.  It's a wonderful quilt, but not for a beginner by any means.  Well, the more people that looked at this pattern, the more interest it drew.  Debbie and I got our brains going, thinking about how to make it easier.  Well, we have an Accuquilt Dye Cut Machine in the shop and I decided to call the company to see how much it would be to have the curved pieces made.  So when others found out that we could dye cut the curved pieces, they were interested also.  The arcs are paper pieced.  So, we decided to make it a fabric swap and then each individual could come in and cut their blocks.  So as it turned out, we had 25 people doing the fabric swap. 

This also got our brains thinking.  Not always a good thing, if you know what I mean.  Being that a year from then would be the 10th anniversary of the 911 event, we decided to have a 911 Quilt day.  It was going to be on 9/11, but the weekend didn't work out for the shop.  So instead we had it yesterday.  It was sunny, but very windy, so I had quite a time keeping them all on the clothesline.  Any customers that came to the shop yesterday had the chance to vote on the quilts.  We had votes for "Best of Show", "Best Creativity", "Best Workmanship", and "Best UFO".  Here are a few pics.

   They ranged in size from a small lap to a full queen size quilt.  You had your choice of how big you wanted to make it and how you wanted to set it.  Some of them choose to make it with narrower sashing.  And some did pieced arcs in the borders. 

This was Karen T's 911 quilt.  She did some 911 Blocks in the outer border corners.  Her border fabric was a fabulous beige reproduction print.  Karen's won Best Workmanship.  Good job Karen!

This 911 quilt belongs to Kathy H.  She set her 911 blocks with this wonderful blue print and bordered it with a great tan print.  She sized her sashing down a bit, but kept the inner border to the size that the pattern called for.  I loved it!  Great job Kathy!

This was actually a quilt that was put together by several of us that donated 2 blocks each.  I donated the sashing, border, and binding fabric, and Marge West donated the backing and her quilting.  The quilt raised $1000 towards a benefit for 911 called the "Remember Rally" that Marge's husband does every year.  Good job to all that donated blocks and time.

This is Debbie D's 911 Quilt.  She sashed her quilt in a Judie Rothermel indigo blue print and cornerstones and outer border was this fabulous chartreuse yellow/green print.  It was wonderful.  Great job Deb.  Debbie was one of the first ones to be done with her quilt.

This 911 quilt belongs to Diane Q.  She used fabrics that she has had for quite a few years.  They were very patriot prints.  She even used some lady liberty print for her label on the back.  I should have taken a picture of her label, she does such a great job on them.  Her quilt won "Best Creativity.  I'm sure it was due to the arc piecing in the inner border and the curved corners.  Great job Diane!

This 911 Quilt is by Marge W.  She won the prize for Best UFO as she completed the top, but it was not quilted yet.  I have to laugh because, you know how the saying goes, "the builder never gets his own house done".  Well, Marge is a longarm quilter.  A fabulous one at that.  So, now you know that she puts everyone else's quilts before her own.  Great job Marge!

And lastly is Peggy D's 911 Quilt.  Peggy won "Best of Show".  Honestly, it was the one that just popped out and spoke to you.  Fabulous colors and nice job.  She made her sashing slightly smaller than the pattern had called for, but she was the only one that I knew of that used a brighter reproduction print to set her blocks.  Wonderful, wonderful job, Peggy!

And to all the others that may have or not have finished their 911 Quilts (I'm one of those), better luck next time, we wished you could have joined us.

Till Next Time, PJR

Fern Hill Retreat

Well, it's been some time since my last post.  Life seems to be to busy, especially in the fall and the shop takes presidence over other things.

At the end of September a few of us went on a retreat to Fern Hill in New Glarus, Wisconsin.  It's a lovely area just outside of town.  We had great fun and inspired each other.  Here are a few projects that everybody worked on.

Here's Bonnie with her Basket Quilt by Blackbird Designs made with "Antique Fair".  What a wonderful quilt!

And DarLynn with her Doll quilt.  This was an exchange that we did a couple years ago.  I still don't have mine together.  Way to go DarLynn!  Love those dolls!

Here's Debbie's quilt that she made for her Son and Daughter-in-law to be.  What a gorgeous quilt!  I'm sure they will love it.

And then there's Marge's quilt.  This was from one of Jo Morton's books.  They name befunks me at the moment, but what a great quilt.  She bought it as a kit from the shop a couple years ago.  Love it!

This is a quilt that I made for my granddaughter, Delaney.  I just decided to do different types of piecing in each pieced row separated with part of a panel
I started when she was still in womb and she's now over 14 months old.  Well, it's never too late.  I just figured, when I didn't finish it when she was born, I would give it to her at a later time.  Now I think it worked out perfect.  It has more of a toddler appeal anyways.  It will be a Christmas present.

Here's another one of DarLynn's quilts.  She started this at another retreat sometime back.  Isn't it sweet?  You just gotta love those pinwheels.  And of course, this is something she just made up. 

This is something that Marge was working on.  Little four-patches that finish at 1 1/2" each for a quilt called "Dipped in Chocolate".  That was another quilt that we did an exchange for.  I only have mine done in rows.  Someday it will get there.  But don't you just love how they landed in front of her sewing table on the floor like that in a little spiral pile.  Love it!

Here's a close up of that pile.  So perfectly spiraled.  Lots and lots of little four-patches!

This is DarLynn with a pincushion she won.  A Shawnee vase made into a pincushion.  Well, the game we played the last player could steel anybodies gift.  Guess who the last player was.  Me!  I tried, believe me.  She tried to tell me that she had a pet sheep and all that bull just so that I wouldn't steel it from her.  Well, she won out.  I did not steel it.  Darn!

But instead, I won this!  Isn't it adorable?  Gotta love it.  I also got a little pair of scissors with it, but they are being used while this picture was taken.  They are awfully cute too.  There's a lady north of where we live that makes up wonderful vintage stuff like this.  She's amazing

These are just a couple of things that I made during the retreat.  The little caddy on the left is for a mini iron.  And the bag is called "The Peek-a-Boo" bag.  It's made with 2 fat quarters, some fusible interfacing and clear vinyl.  Too darn cute!

This is a "Sewing Caddy" that I made several months ago, but it you look at my ironing tote and my peek-a-boo bag, you'll notice that they all kind of match.  Last year I bought this fabric at this shop in Monticello.  It's only about 10 minutes from the Fern Hill retreat.  This year we went back there and voila, they still had the fabric.  I decided I needed more, then I thought it would be fun if they all matched.  Oh Fun!

I wished I had taken more pictures of the scenery outside.  Great fall colors and beautiful countryside. 

Till next time, PJR

Love that Bug!

Last week my husband and I were driving down this country road on our way home.  The brakes went on as we passed by this house that had a couple little bikes with training wheels, a children's play kitchen, a play vegetable stand, and a motorized "Love Bug".  I immediately called my daughter to see if she was interested in any one of these items and of course she wasn't sure.  You know, when they are slightly used, you never know how good they really are, but she was not seeing them in person, we were.  They were impeccable.  Very clean and in very good shape and I know that they can cost quite a bit brand new.  So the next day I met her there to find that nothing was put out front.  Well, I'm not one to settle for that.  I walked up to the door, rang the bell, and sure enough, someone was home and she allowed up to see the "goods".  We each ended up with something.  She bought the little play kitchen and I bought the "bug".  Well, I guess it's really a Barbie "Bug", but we are calling it the "Love Bug".

 So, later that night Briana and Dan were coming to the house.  And Delaney too.  So, we had to try the little "Love Bug" out.  Well, she's a little small for it right now, but she really seemed to enjoy it.  She really liked to plastic flower.  Mom had to sit part way into it and take Delaney for a spin.  It was a big hit!  Can't wait till next summer, she should be able to hopefully reach the gas pedal. 


Till Next Time!  PJR

The Best Burger Ever!

Friends of ours have a party every year, well, this was the second annual.  Hopefully, they will make it an annual event.  They call it their "Jimmy Buffet" party or to take a second place, "Warren Buffet" party.  Anyways, I've got to show you this burger. 

Doesn't this burger look awesome!  And I'm not even a burger fan.

Here it is again with Deb, who made this burger.  It's a cake!  It was about 9" round and about 7" tall.  She used all edible things in it.  This was something new for Deb, she's not a cake expert, but found it in a magazine and decided to try it.  I think she did a fantastic job.  Way to go Deb!


And thanks for putting on a great party.  We had lots of fun, the margaritas/daiquiris were scrumptious, food was delicious, and the company was great.  Hope you continue to carry on this wonderful party.




Till Next Time!  PJR

Quilt Expo!!!

Oh what fun it was!  But I'm really glad it's over.  It's so much work and you spend 3 months getting ready for this big event and then, whish, it's over in 3 days.  Here are some pics that I took and as you can see, I didn't get out much, so it's only my booth and the quilts that we had on display.   

This is our booth, it came together very nice.  I had great help and a wonderful friend that lent me some great props and furniture. 

This is the quilt that I just finished 2 weeks ago.  We named it "PJ's Puzzle Pieces" and it went over big!  We sold out of patterns by the second day and had to go to Staples and get more printed.  Thank God for Thumb drives.  By the third day we sold out of the ones we printed, but not till 5pm.  It was a huge hit.

Another great quilt.  This was designed by a good friend, Marge.  She made it from scraps leftover from a kit.  Then she lent it to me to make up the pattern.  This also sold well.  Good job, Marge!

This one is called "Emma's Star Quilt".  My friend, DarLynn made it.  It was a huge hit.  Mainly because it was antiqued and the way she antiqued it was unusual.  Word spread fast.  I had people coming into the booth just to see the quilt that was "baked".  We all kept laughing.  Really, it was a huge hit!

 

This is our "Anna's Summer Quilt".  This was made with shirting reproductions.  Once it was finished, quilted, and bound, we tan dyed it.  We also used a bamboo batting.  It feels awesome.  You got to love the simplicity of this quilt, and great cross hatching.

Here's a great small quilt.  We named this "Imogene & Ivy".  Don't ask why, cause I'm really not sure.  I just like it.  This block was partially paper pieced and came together very nice.  Love it!

And this one turned out great too.  This is called "Matilda's Quilt".  This was made from a Moda line called "Dominique".  We love this line of fabric.  It's too bad you can't see how great the fabrics are.  Love it!

Another great small quilt.  We've made this quilt over and over again.  It's called "Stone Soup" and you can make it from a Honey Bun and some setting fabric.  It goes together like butter.  How wonderful is that!

And another awesome small quilt.  This one is "Clementine's Attic".  It's made with a Charm Pack, Honey Bun, and some setting fabric.  It is sooooo sweet that you just can't help but not want it!

And lastly, another big hit, "Pearl 'n Ruby"!  This little quilt was so cute that we only had one kit left by day three.  I think we may have to remake this one in a bigger size.  I just love how it turned out.  Thank you, DarLynn!




That concludes our newest of our quilts.  Now to get them hung in the shop.  Hopefully, tomorrow!  But then again, I have too much to do tomorrow to be hanging quilts.  Well, then, Thursday it will be!


Till next time!  PJR

That time of year!

So, I was going to post this last week, but somehow I'm not sure where last week went.  We were getting ready for Quilt Expo and my days and nights were running together.  I spent most of Sunday and Monday trying to play catch up on sleep and other things that got left undone.

On labor day I made this yummy potato soup.  My family absolutely loves this soup.  And who doesn't like soup when the weather starts to turn.  When I make it, it literally makes into a meal, and of course, I make a double batch.  I knew the rest of the week was going to be PB&J sandwiches and whatever else was easy, so Monday was a good day for this soup.

This soup is great with a french baguette and makes a great lunch for the next day.  Also, this recipe calls for asparagus, but my family really likes broccoli, so we substitute.  Here's the recipe for those of you that would like to try it out.
Asparagus Potato Soup
1 Pint Half & Half
1 Jar Old English Cheese Spread
1 Sm Bunch Green Onions, Chopped
2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
1 C Water, plus 3 T
2 T Flour
2 T Butter
1/4 t Nutmeg
1 Pkg Asparagus, cooked and drained
2 C Potatoes, Cubed and parboiled
1 C Cubed Ham

Start by par boiling the potatoes.
Steam asparagus, drain.
Chop onions, place in large pan with butter, and saute.
Heat the 1 cup of water in microwave and add bouillon cubes, when dissolved, add to pan.
Add half & half, nutmeg, and asparagus.
Mix flour and 3 T water together till smooth.
Stir flour mixture into pan.
Add cheese to mixture and continue to cook over low heat, do not burn.
Serve.

Till Next Time!  PJR