Weekend Happenings but no sewing!

Friday night, our doctors took us out to celebrate. We were celebrating the office manager's 20th anniversary.  We had a wonderful dinner at Ocean Prime. A wonderful seafood restaurant in downtown Dallas. I had planned on coming home afterwards and getting ready for Saturday.. I had a Christmas party to go to early (around 10:00) and I needed to fix my dish to take.  Well, that didn't happen!  I came home and crashed. I set the alarm and got up early and cooked my food to take with me. 

I went to my sewing guild Christmas party.  There were fourteen of us that came  and we had a great time.  Good food and good friends getting together and chatting and celebrating.  We played the Mr and Mrs Right game. We brought tea towels to exchange.  Well, some of us brought tea towels and some brought white elephant gifts, I brought the knitted dish cloths.  Anyway, it was fun to see who knows their right hand from their left.  We had to stop a few times to let some catch up!!! 
We ate lunch and then we exchanged gifts. We played the Chinese game. One person opens the gift and the next person can take it away or choose another unopened gift.  I've been in the group for 4 years and I have tried to win a gift from my friend Cathey.  She has been making the same thing for 9 or 10 years because everyone wants it...She makes a stuffed bunny sewing machine cover.  Until we all have one, she will keep making them, or at least that's what she says!  Anyway, I finally won her gift.  I got it and held my breath the whole time during the gift exchange and the bunny came home with me!  I was so excited.  She is so cute and I'm so pleased she came to live with me and greet me every time I go to my sewing room.  I did not take pictures but I will and show you later tonight....

Sunday afternoon, I decorated the house with all my Christmas quilts and we put up the tree.  My grandkids are coming over tonight to eat supper with us and decorate the tree.  This will be alot of fun tonight and I'll take pictures of my grandbabies and show you how big they now...
I didn't get any sewing done over the weekend but will be able to sew a little this week.  I have a Christmas tablerunner to finish so I can put it out this week.  I hope I get it done. The tablerunner is done except for putting the leaves all over it....I'll show you that later too.  Until next time, happy sewing!

American Sewing Guild Meeting and the Snap Happy Bag

I went to the monthly ASG meeting tonight and we learned how to make the little Snap Happy Bag.  This was so much fun to make and so easy too....

I plan on making alot more of these.  I'm hooked on this one.  Here's the one I made tonight. 

My ASG Meeting and Kumihimo

Last night was tatting night but I had an ASG(American Sewing Guild)  meeting too, so I had to decide which one to go to...I decided I'd go to ASG and skip tatting. I hate to do this but I don't like driving like a mad woman and going to both places.  Anyway, our meeting was fun and we did Kumihimo again.  We worked on making bracelets with beads.  It was alot of fun watching all the other ladies do it. I didn't do it as I didn't bring any beads with me.  We had some young visitors to our meeting last night too. Two ladies brought their granddaughters to the meeting and they could do this alot better than us.  They had a great time showing up their Grandmas!  Lots of fun but nobody finished their bracelet so I have no pictures yet. I will take pics next month and show you what they look like.   Crafts are definitely addictive and it was so cool where we were.  Joann's had the A/C on and it was very comfortable compared to outside at 108 degrees. I'll be glad when we get some cooler weather!  til next time, happy sewing!

Sewing for the week, Friday night sewing and Saturday sewing

This week has just flown by.  I have been so busy and haven't had the time to post a thing.  I have sewn a little bit this week. I haven't finished anything this week except for a few blocks. Block by block, piece by piece, a little at a time, creates a finished project, or at least that's what I tell myself...So, I don't feel too badly when I don't finish something.

 Last night I went to sit and sew with some friends at the church.  I decided I would cut things out before I went and I got nearly everything sewn together that I took.  I felt so good and was so glad I got so much done.  I sewed my D9P together and decided to make a few more blocks to make it bigger.  I sewed three other blocks together for one of my UFO's, I think it's UFO 2 on my list and I sewed all the flower blocks for my border on the purple baby quilt.  Now, I need to make the leaves and vines sections and I'll be able to put the border together.  Sorry, I didn't take any pictures of these but I will and I'll post them later...

  Today, I went and sewed with my sewing guild friends.  We were sewing on our community projects for the year.  I made a turtle. Yes, you heard me right.  A turtle.  It is so cute...I have three more to sew together. My group is one of many of the ASG (American Sewing Guild) and the community service project nationwide is to make turtle pillows for Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Camp.  We got together today and worked on those...Here's a picture of my cute turtle all done and ready for stuffing. We don't have to stuff these ourselves, we make them and send them to our headquarters.  They are gathering them up and a sewing guild in California will stuff these and sew them shut and deliver them to the camp.  These are alot of fun to make...I have two more to sew up.



I haven't measured these but I'm guessing these are about twenty inches long by about fourteen inches wide.  They are pretty big and will take quite a bit of stuffing.  I hope the kids like them...



Crazy/Lazy week with nothing to show/sew for it!

This week has been alot of fun for me but I haven't gotten anything done sewing or craft wise.  My husband has been on vacation and I've spent time with him.  We went to the movies on Monday night, Tuesday was spent tatting, then out to eat with him, Wednesday was spent decorating the house and putting up the tree, Thursday night was going to Weight Watchers, then out with the kids and Friday night, we watched TV and I knitted a little.  I haven't wanted to spend time with my crafts since he was home. Next week, he'll be back at work and I'll have my normal sewing routine back.  I have enjoyed him being home at night so I have no crafts to show for the week.  I'll be back to my normal schedule next week and get some sewing done. I don't remember what my life was like before he changed to this schedule.   I guess if his schedule was to change back to  a normal time, I would get used to it and change accordingly...
Today, I went to a Christmas party for my ASG group. We had a wonderful lunch together then exchanged gifts.  A great time of food and fellowship.  I was given my Pizza Box blocks and they all turned  out great.  Now, I have 9 extra blocks to add to the other blocks I did from Amy's BOM.  I can now decide, do I make one quilt or two and what do I do with them...I like these kind of decisions. I'll take pics of them later and show you.  My camera battery died and I'm charging it now.  

Here's the gifts I got at my ASG party.  We played Chinese takeaway and I ended up with these, isn't this precious? I was able to take these pics before my camera died.  

This is such a cute little snowman pillow.  I love this. 



I got this great 2011 calendar.  I'm always looking for new and quick things to share with my sewing group.  This is just what I needed.  I also got a gift certificate to Hobby Lobby.

American Sewing Guild Projects

It's been a long week and I just don't know where to start to post.  I think I'll show you some of the things my ASG group is working on...

this was last Tuesday night:

Jan's Nursery Rhyme Quilt

Another Nursery Rhyme Quilt

Jeanne's car quilt

Reba's Halloween Apron

Reba's pillowcase

Linda's burp pads made from diapers

Linda's little snuggly

This was Cathey's granddaughter's Halloween costume. Emily is a year old and she was dressed as Snow White.

Cathy made her son a Cowboy robe.  This is made on the serger.

And, our project for tonight was to make Voodoo dolls.  You get a hat pin and you can stick the pin in whatever ache or pain you want to get rid of...I've seen these done several different ways. This one was new to me. 

ASG Meeting night and Kumihimo

Last night I went to my ASG meeting. We had a great time and had some new ladies come to our meeting too. We meet at a Joann's store each month and we are able to shop before or after the meeting. It makes it very convenient, sometimes too much so. I don't know if you have ever heard of this before but we had a class on Kumihimo. It is the Japanese Art of Crafting Cords and Ribbons. I had never heard of it but it seems to be getting pretty popular. One of our ladies, Rheba, bought some supplies at the Houston Quilt show last year and took a mini-class or demo down there and she was hooked. She's made all kinds of things. Bracelets, necklaces, lanyards for her glasses and name tag, key chains, etc. She taught the class last night and we had so much fun. This cord is worn by Japanese women to tie their kimonos. She made us a kit with a disk in the kit and we all sat and make keychains last night. I even finished mine. I'll take a picture and show you what it looks like. It was very interesting and would be fun for kids to do too. If you go on the web and google this, it brings up all kinds of info on it. I cannot give you any links because alot of them are copyrighted....Go check it out.

Saturday Sewing

Saturday, I met with my ASG group and we worked on making bags from placemats..We all brought salads and had a great time...it was so much fun to sew with all the girls at the great sewing barn.

Here's the bag I made. It was so easy and fun to do. I plan on making alot more and giving as Christmas gifts. This one will probably go to my older sister...

Two blocks for my sewing group and the Mesquite Quilt Show

Friday night I made two blocks for my ASG group. I made this month's block and the block for next month. I used the pattern from Freda's Hive for this month. She is one of the guest designers for the Jelly Roll Quilt Along that I'm participating in. I liked her block so much that I decided to share it with my group. Her directions were easy to follow and my group could use these to make their blocks. I made next month's block to show the girls and I used Quilter's Cache website for this block. Both of these blocks were easy and quick to make. I'll have two quilts when I'm through with this project. I like that, two for one! I'll decide what to do with these quilts once they are together. I'll show you when they are together...

This is a block I made using the directions from Freda's Hive website:




Winged Four Patch from Quilter's Cache website



Saturday was the Mequite Quilt show. It was a good little show. I enjoyed walking around and looking at all the pretty quilts. I bought a few kits and some other little items I just couldn't pass up. I'll use the kits to make Christmas gifts so I do not feel guilty about buying those! They are already cut up kits so they should be quick to sew. There were alot of traditional quilts anda few not so traditional. I took a few pics of some of my favorite quilts so I hope you enjoy them....til next time.

The first 6 quilts are Mini quilts for our silent auction. These were some of my favorites.













Best of Show in the Mini Quilts...made by two of my friends. Sharon made it, (this is her first applique block) and Sharron B hand quilted it. Good job girls!



These are blocks for next year's raffle quilt.

This is Delilah's block. She is also in my tatting group, See the little tatted butterfly? Too cute...


The right block was hand drawn by Mae...Hand drawn girls...You should see some of her other drawings. She is an amazing artist.















This is called Remembering Wisteria. Lovely fabric and the 9 Patch Pizazz book-a lethal combination.

Working on blocks and my ASG meeting

Last night was my ASG meeting. I gave out block 3, Spools for them to work on this month. I had good and bad feedback from them about the last block. Nearly everyone liked the blocks except for two people. One girl said she didn't want to do anymore half square triangles. She said she had alot of trouble with them. I told her I was sorry but she would have to deal with them again cuz the block this month used them too... That got me to thinking. I remember when I first started piecing...I didn't like to do flying geese. I had so much trouble with the triangles lining up properly and I would always cut off the tips or beaks or points or whatever you want to call them... Today, I know I can do flying geese about 5 or 6 different ways now and that goes for half square triangles too. It just depends what method I want to use as to which way I do them. Starting out though, I thought it all had to be done one way or it wasn't right. Isn't it funny how time, effort and knowledge of your subject make such a difference in your comfort level? This lady was so stressed out about the block, I don't think she enjoyed it at all. Piecing is not always easy to learn and people learn different ways to do things. Some learn from seeing, some from reading, some from doing, etc...I am fortunate that I can read and do it but it is always helpful to see it too. Youtube has some good videos on making half square triangles so I'm going to suggest those to her. I found some by going to Youtube and typing in quilting for beginners. Then looking for half square triangles. There are several but the ones I wanted her to see are from the Missouri Star Quilt Co. and from Quiltbug. Isn't the internet great? I love it that we live it this age where we have all this knowledge at our fingertips...til next time....

Pizza Box Project for my ASG Group

I am hosting a Pizza Box Project for my ASG sewing group. This is like a Round Robin but with blocks. The owner of the box did the first block and then from that point on the box is passed to people on a list. (The owner of the box had the option of including fabric to use for the quilt or not. It could be scrappy or controlled.) The owner does not get to see the finished blocks until the end of the project. We are doing this for 9 months. At that time, we will have a pizza party and reveal the blocks. It will be up to the owner of the blocks to make a quilt or do whatever she wants to with the blocks. Some of the ladies have asked for additonal blocks so it will be a 12 block quilt, so I will pass out extra blocks too. The ladies that are working on this project are not quilters but are really enjoying the blocks so far. I am doing 2 blocks per month. One to show them what the block looks like and one to go along with the box. So far, we have done 2 blocks and next week I will give out the 3rd block. We are making 12 1/2" blocks. I am using some of Marcia Hohn's blocks off of Quilter's Cache and a few different ones too.

I am using leftover fabric from one of my UFO's, Nostalgic Garden. I think I'm going to have enough for this quilt too...How about that, 2 for 1!

Here's the blocks that we are doing so far:

Block 1- Pennsylvania


Block 2- Friendship Star:


This is the 3rd block, it is called Spools. I'm giving this one out next week. It was not from Marcia Hohn's site, it was from Quilt magazine site...(I think). I'll have to look at the pattern again to see exactly where it came from but I sure like it...



You should see the other blocks. These ladies are doing a wonderful job. Unfortunately, I only see the blocks in the boxes as they come to me and I don't want to spoil any surprises for them so I'll only take pics of my show blocks. You will have to wait to see their quilts. Til next time...