More table runners!

The past few weeks I've been on a table runner making "kick".  There so many patterns out there and you can make and quilt a table runner very quickly.  They make nice gifts too!

On this one, I used my paint sticks that I have had for over a year.  I used a stencil to make the black blocks.  It was pretty fun, but not quite as easy as I thought it would be.   I should have made two, as both my daughters wanted it.  Guess I'll have to make another.

Now the next one is a project made for my guild challenge.  We all had the same 1/2 yard of fabric and could make anything we wanted.  The fabric we all had was the green with colored circles on it.  I shouldn't be posting it yet, because it's suppose to be a surprise next Tuesday, but I don't think any of the members read my blog, so I should be okay.  Nothing outstanding but it's done!

Now the next runners are the easiest I've ever done.

All you need for one is:


1/3 yard focal fabric
1/2 yard coordinating for backing and hem
18" x 44" batting (optional)

Put the focal fabric and backing fabric right sides together, aligning the raw edges.  (If using batting, place it on top and match raw edges.)  Pin and sew long sides.

Turn right sides out and press, leaving an equal amount of the back fabric on each side of the focal fabric.

Stitch in the ditch on both sides where the two fabrics meet.  I chose to use a decorative stitch.

Trim any excess off short ends of runner.

Fold one short end with back fabric right sides together; stitch along raw edge.  Trim corner and turn right side out to form a point.  Tack down point or use decorative button or ribbon to hold down in place.  Repeat on other end. 

And you are done!

This is about 14 1/2" x 44" tip to tip!   Not real long, but you could adjust to fit any table.

So I think I'm done with table runners for a while.  That is, unless I find another I just can't do without! 

Make a Christmas Plate with Fabric!

While we were in Texas visiting, Paige and I made the cutest Christmas plates.  She and I don't get to do many "Plan B's" which is what we call craft projects, and it was a lot of fun.  She is always willing to learn something new.

Let me tell you how easy this is to do.  Go to Wal-Mart or anywhere that sells clear glass plates and get you a supply.  You'll want to do a bunch once you get started.  Get some Mod Podge glue/sealer.  I didn't know they had a Fabric Mod Podge, but they do.  I purchased that but I'm sure the plain Mod Podge will work just as well.

We used sponge brushes.  Rob your stash for fabric or buy some fabric.  It doesn't take much.  Just enough to cover the plates.  Wash the plates and dry well.  It took us longer to get those dang stickers off than anything. Then all you do is apply the glue to the back of the plate.  Lay fabric right side down on back of plate.  You want to be able to see the right side of the fabric through the top of the plate.

Once you have smoothed the fabric on the back of the plate, use your scissors to cut fabric around the edges.  Then all you do is apply a coat of Mod Podge over the fabric and let dry.

This is the end result. 

How cute are they?!  And so easy.  Put some cookies, candies, or breads on one and you have such a nice gift for your neighbors, teachers, mailman, beautician, or anyone else you can think of.  Just be sure to tell the recipients they CANNOT immerse the plates in water.  Just wash the tops.

Didn't Paige do a great job!

If you are interested in doing this and want to see a "you tube" tutorial, check out Missouri Star Quilt Co  They do such a great job on all their tutorials!

Weekend to Texas--Cold trip coming and going!!

This weekend in Lewisville, Texas, there was a big Christmas Parade, which granddaughter, Paige participated in as a Brownie and also a huge Motorycycle Toy Run.  So we decided to ride our new Trike down there for the weekend and do the run also. 

Now the Saturday forecast was great, it was just getting down there and and back that would be a little chilly.  We left for the four hour ride and it was around 40 degrees.  On the back of a motorcycle that is pretty cool and I do not mean "cool" as in neat, I mean cool as in chilly!  Of course, when you are prepared, it's not so bad and we were dressed for it.  On the way back it was 39 degrees when we got home.  It took us a while to get warm again. 

Saturday was perfect for the parade and the run!  Jake, our grandson, wanted to ride the cycle with Papa, so away they went. 

The toy run started 30 minutes before the parade, winding through the city and back to lead the parade.  There were hundreds of cycles there and they donated all these toys!

Cycles were lined up on both sides of the street for several blocks.  Pretty noisy when they all fired up their engines!  :)

Then Paige and Mom showed up with their reindeer antlers and noses!  Pretty cute if I do say so.

We had a good time, got some Christmas shopping done, and ate at a few new places!

Paige and I made some cute Christmas plates but I'll tell you all about that tomorrow after I've completely thawed!

A trip promised 30+ years ago!

My family watches the Macy Day Parade every year and have loved seeing the big balloons, the bands, and the stars on the fancy floats.  It was part of our Thanksgiving tradition and we loved it!  When my daughters were little they loved the big balloons especially.  They were both in the band in junior high and high school and liked watching the bands also.  I always said some day maybe we could watch it in person.  This was the year!!!

My husband, the best around, treated my daughters and I to a trip to New York City and we had so much fun!  It was awesome.  Julie, my oldest daughter, had been there last year for a weekend and I had been there before also.  But this was Stacey's first trip and we crammed everything we could in four days AND then seeing the parade on top of it was wonderful.  Here are just a few thoughts and scenes from our terrific trip.

The first morning we got up early to see the TODAY SHOW.

We got to see a little of Susan Boyle singing before a page from the Dr. Oz show asked us if we wanted to be at a taping of his show.  So off we went for that.  Pretty exciting and we will be on tv in a couple of weeks--just in the audience though.  It was interesting to see how they tape a show and we even learned a little.  :)

This picture, one of my favorites, was taken in the Rockefeller Center where the taping took place!

 
Here we are on the ferry to the Statue.  Before we got on we had to go thru security and Julie got pulled out of the line for "wanding".  No problem though.  Even the shows we went to, our purses were checked.  Security was high everywhere.  Policemen were very visible throughout the city.  I liked that feeling of security.

Anyway, back to the Statue.  It was so impressive.  It looks so small from a distance, but really is huge.  We went on to Ellis Island and we really enjoyed that.  To think that so many people came through that building daily for so many years is mind boggling.  And my father-in-law was 14 when he came from Switzerland ALONE.  We are not sure if he came through there or not, but I'm going to do some research and find out.

We tried out "Ray's Pizza" and it was delicious.  I tried it another place and it was good too.  Not the same as Oklahoma's for sure.   We also had to try cannolis, and a delicious hot dog from the street vendor.  Pretty darn good!!


Julie



Julie and Stacey


The Empire State Building was fun too.  When I was there the last time, it was very cloudy but this time it was clear, and very windy and cold.  It amazes me that it is so small on the 86th floor viewing point.  In "Sleepless in Seattle", it looks much bigger. 

Here is the photo the photographer took before we went up.

We saw the Rockettes at Radio Music Hall, and two Broadway shows, "Promises, Promises" and "Mamma Mia".  Sean Hayes was sick, so he wasn't in Promises, but it still was great.  Wish we could have seen more, love those shows!

We made it to Macy's (did some damage to the charge cards there), FAO Schwartz, Trump Tower, window shopped at Tiffany's, Saks and all the other stores on 5th Avenue.  Oh, and the Christmas windows were fantastic!!  The work that goes on them is unbelievable.  That is when I wished the grandkids were there to see them.  But another time for them.  They are still a little young for a New York City trip.

Macy's


And the parade, what can I say!!  We decided if we went back a dozen times, we would never have it as good as we had this time.  Our hotel was at Time Square and the parade went right by the front of our hotel.  We got out there around an hour before parade started and was able to get right behind the barricade.  And the weather was super.  Perfect!!



Love this one!!

 When Stacey was a little girl, she loved Smurfs!  So when the new Smurf balloon came down the street I had to have a pic with her in it. 

The parade was wonderful--just as we thought it'd be.  The weather was perfect, 39 degrees when it began.  And I saw it with my girls, how could I ask for more!!!

That afternoon, it started to drizzle, but that didn't stop us from walking around Central Park.  In fact, we had Thanksgiving lunch in the park right next to the ice skaking rink.

For Thanksgiving lunch, 2010, we'll always remember we were in Central Park.  Stacey had a hot dog, Julie had a chicken sausage, and I had a cheeseburger!  We missed the big Thanksgiving Dinner in Oklahoma that my sister fixed, but mostly we missed our family. 

However, we did get a nice meal that evening at Rosie O'Grady's.  Turkey and all the "fixin's".

Even though we had a long plane ride home the next day (via Houston), it was still a wonderful trip.  And I hope that my daughters will someday get the same experience with their children.  Thanks, Girls, for a great trip!  Thanks, Mike and Tom, for keeping the kids so your wives could go.  And most of all, thanks, Rob, for making this awesome trip happen.    

Christmas Quilt Show 2010

Seeing quilts is so inspiring for me.  I always get ideas of things I want to try making.  It may be the pattern or  sometimes it's the colors.  And sometimes I enjoy seeing things I could never do.  Maybe I shouldn't say NEVER do, because I believe that anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it.  It's just that my mind may not want to do it!!  LOL

 And so when SewGalCal decided to do her "Quilt Show", I decided to join.  Here is my entry.  Some may think it's not a Christmas quilt.  But it makes me think of the beautiful cardinals in a Christmas Snow. 

It was a little challenging because of all the different angles of the windows, but I did it.  Making one of these was definitely enough.  Hope it makes you think of a wonderful snowy Christmas Day!

Christmas Table Runner

Bernina Club had the cutest table runner this month, but they were out of the pattern, so I came home and drafted my own.  Not exact, but I don't like cookie cutter stuff, so this worked for me.

I embroidered the words on my fabric with my 730 and then

appliqued the snowflakes.  The original pattern's snowflakes were all the same.  I had to make mine different sizes because of the size of the blocks,  but I think it adds a little more interest.

The piecing went together very quickly, because few seams had to match. 

As you may be able to see, decorative stitches were sewn on each seam of the top.  I used fusible fleece on this project and then the giant rick rack was added along with the backing.  It was turned inside out and topstitched.



Here is the finished runner!



Popcorn Magic!

One of my sisters, Marilyn, gave us some popcorn still on the cob she got us while on vacation in Buffalo, New York.  So the other day Kayley and Lyndey were over here and I thought it would be a fun "Plan B" project.  They were so amazed.  I thought so too!!



Kayley



Lyndey

Then Robert and I rode our cycle to Texas to see the grandkids down there.  I took a "cob" for them too.  We popped the corn a little longer so there wasn't as many attached as the girls had, but Jake and Paige thought it was fun, too!

Paige and Jake

While we were there, we got to see the last soccer games of both Jake and Paige.  Both their teams have improved so much this season.  We sure miss not being able to see more of their games.  But mainly, we miss them!






See what I received today!

Candle Mat Swap 
I got this lovely mat from Maria Wilson in Australia. She included a cute little Christmas card that she machine appliqued and the cutest tiny book that is a holder for pins and needles which will be great for my travelling sewing kit.  Also, was a cross stitch ornament kit and a Cadbury candy bar.  I'm thinking that is going to be eaten along with a cup of tea this afternoon!!

Thanks so much, Maria!!

Now I need to get my mat in the mail for my partner, who is not Maria, but is out of the country.  I can't say who or where--it's suppose to be a surprise!

Blogger's Quilt Festival

Amy's Creative Side is holding her 4th quilt festival for all of us to enjoy.  This is my first time to join.  (I was a few days early and my previous post would not work so I deleted it.)  Go to her site and enjoy all the bloggers' quilts!

The quilt I have chosen to show is a quilt made from men's ties.




"Tapestry"

In 2008 I took a class from a good friend who has made numerous projects using ties, including vests and quilts.  I had saved ties for several months, getting them from family, friends and also the good will stores. They all had to be washed and taken apart.  The ones that bled were thrown away.   I also saved all the labels on the ties, afterwards deciding to use them on the face of the quilt.  Several were from local stores not in business anymore, which is always fun to hear the comments from people remembering them.

The pattern was very easy and no seams were suppose to match because different widths of ties were used, using a specific number of strips in each block.
The pink fabric was from a dress of mine that I had worn twice several years before and still hanging in the closet.  (Tell me some of you save those old outfits too!)  The quilting was done by a longarmer (also a friend) who did a fantastic job.
After making this, I made the decision that I prefer working with cotton fabric and not the ties.  BUT, I enjoy trying new things--you just never know what you WILL like!

Easy Peasy Checkbook Cover

Today I made the easiest checkbook cover ever!!

While I was surfing the net and enjoying lots of other blogs I can across this tutorial at Crazy Moms Quilts.  This is the quickest thing I've ever done and it's so cute.

I'll leave the detailed instructions at Crazy Mom's site, (she has three different styles) but here are my photos to show the easy steps.  And yes, I did do the easiest style.  I have other projects on my plate as usual!!





Two fabrics!




Everything fits perfectly!





Two pockets as needed

I love this because it just has interfacing on the fabric, so it is very lightweight!  I'm thinking you could use this for lots of things--coupon carrier, small wallet size photo carrier--what else can you think of???

Paige turns EIGHT!

My granddaughter, Paige, who lives in Texas, celebrated her birthday with a party at a Pumpkin Patch.  The girls wore their Halloween costumes and they all had a ball, despite the dust.  This pumpkin patch had bouncy houses, rides, and a sling shot for gourds/pumpkins, among other things.

 

Aunt Stacey and cousins, Kayley and Lyndey, went with Papa and I for the weekend.  Jake turned 10 the week before and we didn't get to go to his party.  I don't think he minded too much, as he was having a "boy party". 

I love this picture--you can see the joy in his funny little face!

 

 

I'm a winner!!

Kelly Jackson, from I Have A Notion just notified me that I was her winner on the giveaway she had in the "Bloggers Giveaway for Fall".

Woohoo, I'm getting a great little jelly roll!  And right now I'm really enthused about using those rolls of fabric.  Whoever thought up of cutting jelly rolls, charm packs, layer cakes, etc. should be making a mint!  To have all the coordinating fabrics together for a project is wonderful.  I love them.

Be sure to check out Kelly's blog!

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