Sock Monkey Weekend with Tori and Hannah

It was a sock monkey weekend with the girls. A brown sock monkey kit, a Christmas gift, was on sale at Jo Ann's.
Before we started, we viewed several YouTube video clips of other kids making sock monkeys. After a trip to Walmart for a pair of socks for the second monkey, we were ready to make sock monkeys.

Not the easiest project we have attempted, but lots of fun. Tori started her sock monkey first. Then Hannah. We actually had both in various stages at the same time.
Now the girls are thinking of ways to dress the monkeys up with bracelets, ear rings, maybe some skirts ....
So far all they have are scarfs. Aren't the little pink felt hearts sweet.

Tori's made the brown monkey and Hannah made the blue monkey.
It was a good weekend.

Easy Street Mystery Quilt Part 6

Bonnie Hunter posted the instructions for Part 6 of her Easy Street Mystery Quilt this morning. She is posting Part 7 New Year's Day. Part 6 was easy and went together quickly. If I finish up Part 4, I'll be caught up.

Easy Street Mystery Quilt Part 5

Part 5 of Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street Mystery Quilt is sixty-four little 3 1/2" turquoise and purple block houses. Or arrows. Cute :D
To see more Easy Street Part 5 blocks, go here.

2012 Rainbow Scrap Challenge 16 and 4 Patch Lap Quilt

After a go in the washer and dryer, this little rainbow scrap 'lap quilt' finished at 45"x 60". It's quilted in the ditch when possible. I sewed wavy lines through the centers of the larger squares. The blue binding and the backing was pieced with fabrics from my stash. I used some Amy Butler, several fat quarters and a couple orphan house blocks. This one was a stash and scrap buster.
Because it's raining here today,  these pictures were taken inside.
To find links to other rainbow scrap challenge projects, go here Saturday morning.

Christmas Day Chicken Soup

1 chopped onion
some chopped carrots
1 large chicken breast cut into small pieces
3 or 4 cups chicken broth
2 large diced potatoes
1 can cream of celery soup
steamed vegetables, optional
black pepper

Cook chopped onions and carrots in a small amount of olive oil, butter and some pepper in a frying pan for a few minutes. Place in crock pot. Cook chicken pieces in a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan. Place in crock pot. Add chicken broth, diced potatoes. Cook for 3 or 4 hours. Add a can of cream of celery soup. Cook for another hour.
We had a bag of raw broccoli, cauliflower and baby carrots in the frig and decided to cook some up in the steamer. I poured the soup over the steamed vegies. Double yum.
Oh yeah. We enjoyed our soup with a cake of Mexican Corn Bread. Triple yum!
Merry Christmas : D

Easy Street Part 4

Working on Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt called Easy Street Part 4. This is going to be a beautiful quilt.

Mini Quilt Along, Criss Cross Applesauce With A Twist

This 16" square "Mini Quilt Along" quilt top was made using the Criss Cross Applesauce pattern in Moosequilts, "Simply Charming Minis" by Konda Luckau. I changed the blocks' placement a bit by turning them all the same way.  Colorful Laundry Basket Batik Charms were used to make this little wall hanging that is much prettier than the photograph : )

Tori and Hannah Sew Christmas

This weekend Tori and Hannah sewed Christmas pot holders.
The first picture is the fronts and the second picture is the backs of the two pot holders Tori made Saturday. To make each pot holder, she stacked two squares of Christmas themed fabric right sides together with a piece of special pot holder/hot pad batting on top. Between the Christmas fabrics she placed a loop of braided red yarn she made from 3 single pieces of yarn. Then Tori stitched around the edges using a quarter seam allowance leaving a few inches open to turn the right sides of the Christmas fabrics out. She finished each with top stitching half an inch from the edges. Snow men, penguins, candy and Christmas red polka dots. Aren't they cute!
Tori is 10 and sits on the edge of a chair so she can press the sewing machine petal.

Hannah made her post holders like mini quilts. For the backs of the pot holders, she sewed strips horizontally directly onto special pot holder batting using a quilt as you go method. Then she sewed strips diagonally on the front, quilt as you go method. She bound them like mini quilts. One loop was attached with a button Tori chose from the button bag for older sister Hannah. The other loop was attached with sewing machine stitches.
Hannah carefully arranged Christmas themed strips and scraps to make her pot holders. Aren't they lovely.
I'm very proud that Tori and Hannah like to sew and quilt.

One day last week I got a package in the mail from my friend in California. She sent me a beautifully wrapped quilt calendar for Christmas! It has pictures and patterns for 13 lovely quilts. I want to make all of them, especially the one on the front of the calendar! It's funny, but I had hoped someone would give me a quilt calendar for Christmas. She read my mind : )

Easy Street Part 3

I working on Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street Part 3 Mystery Quilt today. Because I cut all the pieces yesterday, these shaded blocks are going together easily. I need 64. Can't help but wonder how our blocks are going to fit together. I see many possibilities.

Bee In My Bonnet Row Along, Row 8, Mittens

These colorful mittens were fun to make and were made with fabrics from my scraps!

2012 Rainbow Challenge 16 and 4 Patch Block Quilt Top

After squaring up 48 scrappy 16 patch and 4 patch rainbow blocks, I sewed them together to make a 46 1/2" x 62 1/2" quilt top. I'm not sure if I'll add a border because it might already be a good size for a child.
I enjoyed making these blocks each month.
To see what others have been doing with their rainbow blocks, go here Saturday morning.
Also, I have noticed "Friday night sew ins" in "quilting blogland."  Sounds like fun, something I would like to do one or two Friday evenings a month.

Mini Quilt Along, Charming Flowers Quilted

Had to take this mini outside for a good picture. I quilted it with a number 80 topstitch needle with invisible polyester thread. Bottom Line thread was in the bobbin. The blue batik binding looks like a mini border and pulls it all together. It finished at 18" x 18". This one is going on my wall.

Easy Street Part 2

I finished Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt, Easy Street's Part 1 in time to start on Easy Street Part 2. Pictured are some of my Flying Geese. To see what others sewed this weekend, go here.

Hannah and Tori Sew Christmas

It was a busy weekend with a Christmas party and Christmas sewing. Tori made a Christmas Pot Holder and Hannah made a Christmas Table Topper!