Just a brief moment to breathe!!

Today I'm celebrating - I mailed the box to Nebraska yesterday morning!  Inside were the wedding quilt, three doggie blankets and four Christmas stockings!!!  Now it's all up to UPS and I can relax slightly before continuing on my pressing To-Do list!!!

C and I are walking twice a week.  And oh my - we've had some epic "Oh my goodness" adventures!

We went to Cape Ferrelo. A favorite viewpoint.  Walked down to the beach, lost the trail, so ended up guessing wrong and followed a deer path :( up the bluff.  I tripped over a blackberry vine (they are so sneaky!) But the biggest problem is I came down in a mound of blackberry vines!  OUCH!

It was terrible - I had the stickers all over me, and lots in my hands.  No glasses with me, so I couldn't even rest my hands on anything without driving them in further!!!  Then we got to the top, and discovered a very large wind had come up!  Truly, it was Keystone Kops take a walk!!!

C discovered this definition:  Adventure: Something that seemed like a good idea at the time!

I took 16 stickers out of my hands with tweezers.  I was still finding them days later.

Ahh, but other days, it's glorious.  At Harris Beach Park there is a huge tidepool that's hanging around.  Great photo opps!

The tide pool

Path down to the beach

A view point around every corner!

On to quilting business!!  Here are some closeup photos of the wedding quilt quilting - C, my friend called it "Spotlights", I like it!

Quilting done by walking foot.  I don't really like very dense quilting, the challenge is to make it "even" throughout the quilt.

The borders were quilted with one of my favorite motifs - ice cream cones.  Hmmm, one of my favorite foods too!!! Coincidence??  Probably not!

Also in the box - Christmas stockings.  A pair for the new couple and one for their dog!  Dogs can't read, so I just add a picture of a dog on it.  I find all stockings go together if they are the same size.  It's a theory that works for me!!! Don't spoil it!

The stocking that is different is the Caroler that is for my niece - the mom of the groom.  She has this H*U*G*E mantel and there is a caroler for everyone one in the family hanging from it.  I started making them for her in the early 90s!  4 children, 2 step children, then they started marrying, then grandkids started coming ... she doesn't do dog stockings! (Thank goodness!) But there are 16 (hmm, seems like more ...) stockings all made at different times, and they all match much better than expected!! They even hang at the same angle!!!  A Christmas miracle in my opinion!

Three doggie blankies. These started when my sister thought that everyone should get baby blankies and those with only "furry children" should get them too!! So, being the good sister I am, I made them for her for HER Christmas present.  Oh my! Our family 'goes thru' a lot of dogs!!

These are easy - just 2 lengths of dog-ish fabrics, and using my sewing machine alphabet I make a long ribbon repeating "Sit! Stay!  Good dog, (insert the dog's name here)" and applique it on top of the whole cloth fabric.  I sew them together like my receiving blankets with some flannel as batting. They are sturdy - I've only lost one to the dog chewing it up!!! BUT I always emphasize I don't do repairs to dog blankies!!!  Just so they know!

I also taught myself a lesson yesterday.  Have you ever had that project, or in this case a repair, that you had an "easy" fix in your mind.  But you can't find the right notion, supplies or 'some such' for it??? 

My DS wanted the old felt-Velcro Christmas advent calendar for his boys.  Yes, it was a great feeling that it would be passed down.  But the felt was in terrible shape, the slightest vibration sent all the velcroed 'ornaments' to the floor.  Trust me, with 2 and 4 yr old boys in the house, there are vibrations!!  Lots of vibrations!

So I sewed wool over the tree and the numbered boxes, where the velcroed ornaments hang until their turn.  They used it last year, but I still needed to find some numbers and apply them.  Never found them.  And I "refused" to think about it any other way. ALL YEAR!

Well, it IS November and I didn't want to be responsible for this calendar not becoming part of their tradition. So after reading how we should use our own handwriting - not just computer fonts transferred for labels, I wrote each number in the correct box and took it along to my "Woolies" meeting yesterday.  Being entertained by everyone, I outline stitched the numbers with wool thread all day.

I resisted the books being passed around, nose to the grindstone and it was completely done by the end of the meeting.  It only took me 4 hours!!!!  It's a little 'folksy' and I'm not wild about the 2s but I like it.  I can't believe I put it off for a year when it was that easy!!

Ladies, learn the lesson from me!! What are you putting off??? It feels so G*R*E*A*T to get it done!!  So GO DO IT!!

In other words, do what I say, not what I do!!!!

Newport Oregon show this weekend!

Don’t miss one of the best shows on the coast!

Friday & Saturday!

▼

Oregon Coast Quilters Guild

presents

the 23nd Annual Quilts by the Sea

with over 200 quilts!

Friday, August 2nd - 10:00-6:00

and Saturday, August 3rd - 10:00-5:00

Newport Recreation Center

225 SE Avery St. Newport

Hope to see you there!

Wish you were here to go to it with me!!  It's always a really nice show - good variety of patterns and techniques. Always a fun show - and I'm going!!  After Newport it's off to Portland to see Miss P and Mr M - it's been a few weeks and I'm betting they have grown!!

I'm happy to announce that my friend - S's Christmas stockings are done!  Hip, hip hooray!!  It was a consignment that I took on last year.  I showed her the stockings I was making for my fireplace.  Beach Nana and Beach Papa plus Miss P, Mr M, Mr D and Baby K!!  Just us and the grandkids! Of course, I really only got just us done in time for Christmas.  Since I'm in stocking mode - hope to get the grandkids stockings done this week too!!

We needed stockings to carry with us up to Christmas at the kids' houses.  S said - I like those, but we need them bigger, much bigger, much, much bigger!!  So I made them much bigger and added more even seam allowance 'just in case'  And they turned out pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself!!

And note this awesome way to hang the stockings!!  Two or three of the new flat hooks, an expandable curtain rod and just loop them on!! You can make the rod as long as you need!  With this many, it's expanded quite a way.  I'd add one more hanger to keep the rod straight.  But with my little stockings, just 2 do fine.

Just glad I don't have to fill them!!  There is quite a difference in size!!  :)

I 'collect' alphabets.  I've been know to buy a book just for the alphabet in it!!  Both of these alphabets, fusible for S's and embroidery for mine - come from Art to Heart books.  Her alphabets are the B*E*S*T!

Since we arranged this consignment, S's husband died suddenly.  So we incorporated his shirts into the stocking design. The main body is from the shirts and the entire back is also. I make them to last and I sure hope these are no different!!  Ho, Ho, Ho!!

Report from Santa's Workshop

2 stockings for L2 - check!

The cuff with his name has been cropped out. It looks better with the additional length!! It seems that L2 is double dipping, doesn't it! He was born last December after Christmas and his mommy and daddy want a stocking for their good little boy this year. BUT so does Grandma!

My niece, LL, [the grandma mentioned above] asks me to make a stocking for each addition to their family. Started out easy!! But now those kids are getting married and having kids of their own. I've made 13 stockings since 1992!!! Think about it! 13 stockings from the same pattern, the same quilted muslin fabric, and they need to hang at the same angle!!! Ho, Ho, Ho!!

Needless to say, I've come up with a method!! First of all, don't think you're going to remember how you did them!!! I have a file folder "Christmas Stockings" and in it are these items: A freezer paper stocking shape - with whose stockings have been made from it. [I have two active ones - LL's family and my own kids' stocking shape.] The applique shapes (reduced to right size if needed) for the stocking. And a picture of at least one stocking!

You really should take a picture of the backs too! I never remember what they are!There used to be a cotton 'chamois cloth' available at JoAnns - it was the perfect weight to balance the front design and worked great. Alas, I've haven't been able to find it the last 10 years!! It also made awesome card table covers!! Should have kept those - I could use the yardage now!!

Find a fun alphabet with upper and lower case letters - you'll know it when you see it!! I don't remember where I found mine or I'd tell you! Take it to a copier and reduce it. 90%; 85%; 80%; well, you get the drift. AFTER you have reduced it - then mark the size. [90%]. It doesn't help to mark it, then reduce it farther ... you'll never know what size it is!!! You can also enlarge it for wall quilts! I have a fat file folder marked "Alphabets" too!

This year I lucked out!! L2 only has 6 letters in his name! I've done up to 8 and it's a squeeze across a 6" cuff!! With different sizes of the same alphabet the name may be smaller but at least it looks like the others.

The secret of the stocking angle is: To make the hanger I cut a piece 2 x 6.5. Press a crease lengthwise-center, fold each edge into the center, press. Now you have a 'double fold' tape look. I stitch a 1/4" top stitch down each long side to strengthen it. When your stockings are ready to put together, fold the hanger in half. On the heel side of the stocking, place it at 2". Angle it to 2" in from that side along the top. Pin well, and back stitch over it when seaming the stocking. Putting that hanger on was the hardest part of stockings. It needed to be strong and it always was a mess on the outside of the stocking. I tried everything. sewing a button over the mess - that was hard!! This method, gives me a basic hanger, it stays on, and hangs at the same angle. Not glamorous - but stockings get alot of use!!

When A - our first born went to college, I for some reason thought it would be cute to make Christmas stockings for the room mates. It was wonderful, but do you know how fast roomies come and go??? Then L, our daughter, went to college and darn! she remembered those stockings. I got suckered into it again. I've made dozens of stockings over the years!! Including 6 for pets!! At any rate - this year's requests are done!! In the mail tomorrow.



Next on the list is a new tree skirt for the newly-weds! What's on your list??

Report from Santa's Workshop!

YIKES! A week from today is Chirstmas Eve! HOLY MOLY! Here I thought I was still just on summer vacation! Well - an extended one! We skated home from Portland yesterday, it actually wasn't as bad as we thought it would be - only took twice as long as usual - and today more snow is coming. We're just going to have to take our best guess as to which day it will be easiest to hop the mountains to go back up to Portland. The main reason I HAD to get back home - Christmas presents that weren't finished! So Santa's workshop is set up - just wondering when the heck those elves are going to show up!

Today I sewed our new grandson's Christmas stocking - he's a month old tomorrow! But now he has a stocking ... so he must be official! I also sewed the sleeves for his baby quilt [Yellow brick road pattern - kind-of! It's pictured on this blog back in November] When I gave it to my DD she wanted to hang it in his room - darn, I didn't plan on that! So the sleeves are ready to sew on by hand.

Also sewed the corners of Miss P's big girl quilt. I designed a scrappy FISH quilt because this kid LOVES the aquarium! She can pronounce 'Octopus' perfectly and she's only 2! - used coloring pages for the applique designs. The colors had to be pink and orange - so the fish look kind of alien!!! Got the layout idea from "Fast Patch Kid's Quilts" a really great book by an author here in Oregon! Of course, I changed it 'a little'! Alright, ladies - I can hear you laughing!!! [I know that I often do that!] Anyway, I made starfish for the corners. I use a Janome 4800 and there was a perfect 'round' stitch to sew eyes on all the fish and a crescent stitch that made a great mouth!!! And perfect for enquiring little minds and fingers - nothing to pull off! I have to dig around and find the pink stripe for the border - washed the back so ready to frame it tomorrow!

Then I'll be able to relax just a little! Ho, Ho, Ho indeed!

Happy Haunting!

Trick or treaters are ringing the doorbell! But I haven't had time to blog this week. My mom is in the hospital - 89 years young and just well enough to be cranky. It made this week very, very hectic.

The picture is of my granddaughter, Miss P - last year. Can't wait to see this year's halloween picture - maybe by the weekend? Please L?????

On to the next big holiday ...

This weekend I'm teaching a class on how to finish Christmas stockings. Has anyone else found themselves making stocking after stocking every year? It started with the first Christmas away from home for my son. Poor darling - he needs a stocking for Christmas - and for the roommates too. Well, obviously there was a new roommate or "good friend" the next year ... and you would think I would have learned - but when my daughter left home - I started again!!!

Then there was the blended family of my niece ... then whenever anyone got married ... a matched set was required. The problem was to make them so they all hung at the same angle. So I started experimenting. Instructions next week. I thought I'd have them done today, but ran out of time. I HAVE to have them done by saturday for class ... tick, tick, tick!