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!

2012 Rainbow Challenge Pot Holders

Eleven months, eleven pretty, colorful pot holders/hot pads for Christmas gifts : )
To see what others have been working on during this year's rainbow scrap challenge, go here.

I added this link Saturday morning. A beautiful Hot Pad tutorial was posted on the Moda Bake Shop this morning. I can't wait to make one from my colorful scraps!

Bee In My Bonnet Row Along, Row 7

Instructions were to cut sixteen 3" squares in half for the leaves. Since I'm using my scraps for this challenge, I cut thirty-two 1 1/2" x 3" pieces from scraps. Actually found some lady bug fabrics I was able to fussy cut.
To see what others have made during this Row Along Challenge, go here.

An Evening With Bonnie Hunter

Difficult to believe, but I left my camera on the dresser! So sadly ... no pictures of me and Bonnie Hunter with her beautiful quilts. Happily she was selling personalized signed copies of her pattern books and I was able to buy two.
I thoroughly enjoyed Bonnie's trunk show and her talk about fabrics, quilts, her travels, her books, her current Mystery Quilt Easy Street and her vintage sewing machines. It was a wonderful evening!
You can find Bonnie's blog here.

Easy Street Part 1

Bonnie Hunter posted instructions for her new mystery quilt, Easy Street, Friday morning. Pictured are some of the 192 four-patch blocks needed to complete Part 1. Love the black, white and gray going on in these 3 1/2" blocks. I think Part 2 will be posted Friday : )

Rainbow Scrap Challenge 10 1/2" Blocks Quilt Top

I had 33 rainbow blocks and needed two more to make a quilt top with 5 blocks across and 7 blocks down. Because the smallest blocks were 10 1/2" squares, I trimmed the larger ones a little so they would all play nicely together. All my blocks were cut and pieced from 2 1/2" strips from scraps and stash. The blocks were sashed with 2" strips.
The inner border was made with 2 1/2" strips of black on white fabric and the outer border was made with 4 1/2" strips of white on black fabric. The quilt top finished at 63"x 83". This quilt top makes me smile : )
To see what others are making with their black, white and gray scraps, go here Saturday morning.
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Happy Thanksgiving!

I love turkey and plan to celebrate Thanksgiving today as well as Sunday : )
I took a break from working with my rainbow scrap challenge blocks to work on a mini quilt top. Konda Luckau chose the 18"x 18" Mini Flower Garden pattern from her Simply Charming Minis book for our Mini Quilt Along. I chose a Kapalua Batik charm pack by Moda to make mine. To see what other's are making during this mini quilt along, go here.

Rainbow Challenge November, More Black, White and Gray Blocks

I made three more black, white and gray blocks. After eleven months I have 33 blocks like these in different colors. I need 35 blocks to make a 5 by 7 quilt top. Back to my scraps and stash. To see what others made this week with their black, white and gray scraps, go here Saturday morning.
Last weekend we took mother to the beach. The weather was beautiful. It was nice to get away for a couple days..

Rainbow Scrap Challenge, November, Gray and Black. Also House Blocks For Beth

This week I used black, white and gray fabric scraps to make a pot holder for my Christmas pot holder gift collection. Also a Happy Scrap House and a 4 patch. I'm enjoying November.
Beth is hosting a neighborhood house block party. She is also collecting house blocks and orphan blocks to make some charity quilts. I'm sending these 12 1/2" house blocks for her charity quilts. If you would like to join the fun, help her with a charity house block or orphan blocks, go here for information.

Bee In My Bonnet Row Along, Row 6

Row 6, mugs, had me playing in my scraps again. So far, this is my favorite row.

Mini Quilt Along, Flying Around In Circles is Done

I quilted the cream areas in this batik mini with Superior So Fine thread and Superior Bottom Line in the bobbin using a number 80 topstitch needle. The colorful center squares and geese were quilted in the ditch with invisible polyester thread and Superior Bottom Line in the bobbin. For the binding, I pulled a dark blue batik print from my stash that pulled all the colors together to frame this little mini nicely.
To see minis others have made so far during this quilt along, go here.

Flying Around in Circles Mini Quilt Top and TWIRL Winner

I finished piecing my third mini quilt top in Konda Luckau's minis quilt along. It's called Flying Around in Circles. The pattern is from Konda's book, Simply Charming Minis and Moose on the Porch Quilts.
I pulled some charms from two Over the Rainbow Batiks charm packs by Laundry Baskets Quilts for the flying geese and small squares in the center. The background is a soft cream batik with small light brown dots.

Congratulations Oops Lah of Singapore! My mother drew your name from the bowl! I've sent you an email and will post your TWIRL charm pack when you email me your address.
Thank you EVERYONE for helping me celebrate my 200th post. This was fun  : )

Bee In My Bonnet Row Along, Row 5

Sweet, colorful, little flying geese : )

200'th Blog Post, D4 Patch Blocks, Rainbow Gray Blocks

November's Rainbow Challenge color is gray and black. Thank goodness I had some fat quarters in my stash that I could use. Lol.

Vesuvius Mama wants to make some comfort quilts for Hurricane Sandy flood victims and is requesting D4 Patch Blocks. Erin has instructions on her blog. I have never made a D4 patch block, but her instructions were very clear and I was able to make a couple in no time. They were easy! Visit her blog if you would like to help.

I've been blogging about two years and met some of the nicest people, made a lot of friends. I've learned so much about sewing and quilting, recipes, crafting ideas. To celebrate two hundred blog posts, I want to give away a charm pack, Twirl, by Me and My Sister. If you are interested, please leave a comment on this post and tell me where you live, state or country. You don't have to be a follower, but that would be nice. I'm willing to ship overseas. I'll draw a name Monday, November 5th, at midnight. I'll post the name Tuesday. Please make sure I can reach you with an email if your name is drawn.

Eat Your Fruits n' Veggies Batiks Flimsy

My sewing buddy, Cathy, and I thought we would use a Jelly Pops Pattern by Calico Print Works that she bought last month to make a couple quilts with our batik strips. Cathy had some strips from Connecting Threads and I had a jelly roll, Eat Your Fruits n' Veggies Batiks by Pat Sloan and Moda.
Our pattern called for one jelly roll plus 2 strips. I cut 2 strips from my batik stash and started piecing. This was a fun pattern. I have 8" left of each strip.
The pattern doesn't call for a border, but I may add one if I can think of someway to use those the remaining strip pieces to compliment what I have.

Halloween Costume

I have been busy this week. My oldest wanted a Star Wars costume for Halloween. A brown robe and a cream colored tunic. Now back to quilting.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge October, Brown House, Pot Holder and 4-Patch Block

It's the third week of October's Rainbow Scrap Challenge. We're still playing with brown fabrics. I made a brown pot holder, a "Scrappy Happy House" using Bonnie Hunter's website pattern, and a 4-patch block to add to my rainbow collection. To see what other made with their brown scraps go here.

Mini Quilt Along Fire and Rain Done

Fire and Rain with quilted with zig zag straight lines on either side of the chevron seams. I used invisible polyester thread on the top with a number 80 top stitch needle and Bottom Line thread in the bobbin. A dark blue batik with blue and green dots from my stash made a nice binding that I machine sewed to the front, turned, and hand stitched to the back.

Mini Quilt Along Fire and Rain Quilt Top

This 18"x 18" mini quilt pattern called Fire and Rain from "Simply Charming Minis" by Konda Luckau and Moose on the Porch Quilts, called for 36 charms. I chose charms from two packs of Moda Laundry Basket Quilts Batiks called Sunrise Over the Rainbow Batiks and Horizon Over the Rainbow Batiks. I attempted to create a color wash effect to look like fire, rain, earth and foliage while keeping the pattern's alternating zig and zags.
To know more about this mini quilt challenge, click the button on the side of my blog.

Bee in My Bonnet Row Along, Row 4 Apples

Lots of little squares in this row of pretty apples and apple cores.
Was a weekend of family reunions so not a lot of sewing.