Category: My Life

My Life

Christmas Traditions

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Do you have Christmas traditions?

We have many if I think about it.

One that I have is our church’s annual bazaar

which coincides with our 59th annual smorgasbord.

I’ve been chairman of the bazaar for 28 years!

I can remember because the first time was Chloe’s first Christmas

& I was pregnant with Blake.

In recent years some of our best-selling items are sweet treats!

Many of our parishioners participate.

Each year, among other things, I make sweet treats.

This year I’ve made

homemade caramel & chocolate covered pretzel rods,

brownies in the shape of decorated Christmas trees,

Rice Krispie treats also in the form of decorated Christmas trees on a stick,

peppermint bark, (my niece Sarah’s favorite),

chocolate drizzled Christmas shaped pretzels,

& lastly banana bread in the cute mini ceramic pans.

They each make great gifts!

My favorite part is wrapping them to make them look festive.

I dare to ask, where else can you go to find such things???

The smorgasbord includes;

turkey, fried chicken, potatoes, gravy, pigs in a blanket (no! not hotdogs in a crescent roll!),

veggies, rolls, salad & many home baked desserts!

Have I tempted you yet?

If you live in the area

I hope you stop by for lunch & shopping.

Our Lady Queen of Peace Church

132 Butcher, Bethalto.

Hope to see you there!

Just Keep Sewing (& holiday eating & shopping)…

Susan

 

 

 

My Life

New Pattern, Around The Block

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The fourth new pattern that I want to show you is

Around The Block.

How cute is this???

Just 3 of my new Tiny/Mini blocks,

& 6 little houses!

I love making these Tiny/Mini blocks!

Don’t you love the pieced backgrounds?

It just adds another dimension to this runner.

They’re addicting!

And the little houses are like candy.

This little pile of cut pieces are all it takes to make them.

Soon the whole top is complete!

You could make this one in a day for sure.

There’s so little to it that I don’t have hardly any assembly pics!

It’s on my website now too if not at your local quilt shop.

One more new pattern to go.

Stay tuned.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

My Life

We’re Off To Houston For Fall Quilt Market

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It’s that time of year again,

Fall Quilt Market (& post-season baseball) in Houston!

Houston, Big City, Usa, Texas, Skyscraper, City

This is not the first time that we’ve shared downtown Houston with baseball fans.

I hope the Astros do well in the series,

& if you’re attending International Fall Quilt Market,

I hope you stop by Booth #136 & check out my new quilts & their patterns!

I’ll be back next week with images of the new quilts,

but you can check them out on my website now.

 Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

Blog hop, My Life

WELCOME TO #SEWPINK 2019

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Welcome to #SewPINK 2019

Welcome to the

#SewPINK 2019 Blog Hop,

~~~~~

THE INAUGURAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS INITIATIVE FOR BYANNIE.COM

~~~~~

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), and for 2019, ByAnnie.com is proud to announce that we are raising the banner of awareness worldwide with the #SewPINK initiative with over 20 celebrity bloggers.

I got involved because I too have family & friends that have been diagnosed with breast cancer,

some more than once.

The #SewPink Initiative was created by ByAnnie.com LLC to raise awareness for breast cancer during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness month. They have pledged to raise funds to donate to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation through sales and to promote action through giveaways.

~~~~~

Years ago I designed a quilt pattern, “Quilt For Hope“

for quilters to make a quick lap size quilt

to comfort friends and family that may be battling breast cancer.

It’s one of my signature Quilt-as-you-sew patterns so it’s quick & easy!

It could also be made in any color to associate it to another type of cancer.

Sewing it with a flannel or Snuggle fabric on the back makes it even more cuddly.

~~~~~

This month ByAnnie.com will donate 30% on all PINK products in their online store to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).

~~~~~

  • Wonder Clips ™
  • Zippers (Lipstick-Raspberry-Crazy Plum-Wild Plum)
  • Mesh Fabric (Lipstick)
  • Quick Turn Fabric Tube Turner
  • Protect and Grip Thimble, medium size
  • Seam Fix Seam Ripper
  • Add-A-Quarter Ruler
  • Topstitch Needles #90/14
  • Tickled Pink Pattern

~~~~~

To donate directly to the BCRF visit: https://give.bcrf.org/give/31404/#!/donation/checkout

Together, hopefully every dollar will eventually make

a significant difference in finding a cure.

~~~~~

Please check us all out & join us to donate to the cause.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3 

Week 4

Week 5

~~~~~

You can also find the blog hop calendar on the #SewPINK info page

~~~

As you follow along on this #SewPINK journey,

consider projects of your own and ways you can share support and awareness.

There are many ways to sew needful items for those going through treatments.

Look online for groups to help out.

ByAnnie is offering a daily and weekly social media prize!

Find the details for entry and the prizes on their #SewPINK information page.

I too will be donating 30% of the sales of my Quilt For Hope pattern.

~~~

~~~

You can find it here on my Quilt-as-you-go page of my website.

~~~

Most importantly,

everyone, please talk with your healthcare provider

about when & how often to have a mammogram.

Find a screening program near you:

~~~

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

baby quilt, My Life, Quilt-as-you-go

Another Baby, Another Quilt

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For those of you that don’t know this about me…

I have a somewhat large family with lots of nieces & nephews.

When my niece was pregnant with the first great niece or nephew

I decided I would make baby quilts for that generation.

It can be a frequent occurrence in a larger family!

While deciding what type of quilt to make for the first baby,

knowing it would set a precedent for all the other babies to follow,

I decided it would be one of my quilt-as-you-go designs.

Quick & easy & washable = usable!

By the time we were planning the baby shower

the mom-to-be had the nursery colors & name picked out already.

So, I took the nursery photos,

the name “Benjamin” & made his quilt:

Soon to follow was this very appropriate book for me

(& anyone else who makes baby quilts!).

Benjamin is the baby in the photos.

He’s now 7 & I’ve made lots of quilts using this book!

Delaney is a family friend.

She is modeling the larger, lap quilt version of the quilt

that is also included in the book.

The entire alphabet is included (& reversed for you & me…)

Yay!

Well, last week while teaching out of town,

I became a great aunt again.

Regardless of how busy I am,

I’m taking the baby quilt to the new baby the first time I see them!

So, since I had a big quilt finish Sunday night, (reveal later…)

Monday I chose my 3 fabrics & at 6 pm started cutting…

I made the fused letters at the beginning of the project & got the

applique out of the way before I started sewing any of the strips onto the foundation.

Once the applique was complete,

I started sewing the strips.

Since there are only 2 types of strips,

& it’s a baby quilt, it goes together very quickly!

Soon all of the strips were sewn onto the foundation

& I was ready to quilt the border strip

since that’s too large of an area to leave unquilted.

I typically free-motion quilt around the letters.

Soon after, it was ready for the binding.

By 11:09 pm I put the very last stitch into the binding!

I never, ever, start a quilt and not stop until it’s complete

so it was fun to do that this time & know that it took me

exactly 5 hours & 9 minutes to make this quilt

& I took some photos along the way to show you.

I have to say having the fabric decisions out of the way was helpful!

I met baby Keaton last night & he’s a sweetie (of course!).

His big sister is in love with him too.

Here is her quilt when I finished it 3 years ago.

So nice to know exactly what I’m going to make when

another baby or baby shower comes along.

It takes a lot of anguish out of my day!

For those of you that sew for a baby that hasn’t had a reveal before the gift is needed,

just applique “BABY” in place of the name!

Pretty sure I’ve thought of everything with this one, Lol.

You can find the book on my website

& one happy great aunt right here!

Off to get more sewing done.

Fall Market will be here soon!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

 

 

 

 

Applique quilt projects, Dresden Plate Quilt, My Life, New Pattern Sample, New quilt pattern

Sunny Labor Day Sewing

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I know I’ve mentioned this before, but…

I love the time of year when the early

morning sun shines in my sewing room

windows!

When I woke this morning & the sun was already up,

I knew the task I needed to accomplish would be made better

because I’d be greeted by the sun!

I appreciate the extra light,

but for some reason

the sun shining in my sewing room

just

makes

me

happy!

It doesn’t hurt that I’m also using some

brighter than usual for me fabrics too!

I know we’re pretty far from the longest day of the year already

& soon enough the days will be way too short,

but today I’m excited to have spent a couple of hours

sewing in the sunshine!

Here is a sneak peek

at a new design that I’m working on, shhhhhhhh.

What are you doing on this Labor Day 2019?

I hope you’re doing something fun!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

My Life, New Pattern Sample

Sewing Vs. Planting… Which Do You Prefer?

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There are MANY days that what I am working on isn’t photographable.

Lots & lots & lots of time goes into the process of making a new quilt pattern,

so much so, you have no idea!

Today is a day that I actually thought (& remembered as I was doing…) to take photos.

I’m working on a new quilt idea that has lots of Mini & Tiny Dresden plates (shocker I know).

What I was working on today involved making a single tree.

Yes, a single tree, ALL DAY.

Pretty sure I could have bought & planted a tree much quicker!

Not only that, this is not the first day that I’ve lingered over said tree.

I knew the finished size,

& that it would be a tree,

but I couldn’t get this tree to materialize, LITERALLY!

Today I jumped in and decided it would have templates.

Yes, I hate having to cut templates!

I like to start out running and be able to cut everything with my rotary cutter.

Don’t you?

Not that you can’t cut this tree block out with a rotary cutter, because I did,

not only the paper version, but also the fabric version.

Unfortunately, it’s not a certain size I can relate to you to cut.

I started with a version of a tree that I incorporated into my

“Oh Christmas Tree” pattern several years ago.

These trees are rotary cut,

quickly pieced, then trimmed to size.

I decided to resize this block to make it fit into the parameters of my new design.

I made a paper block.

Then I made another…

I stapled the seam allowance, lol!

How crafty, right?

Then “trimmed” it to the finished size.

Unfortunately I wasn’t crazy about it…

So, literally back to the drawing board…

I sketched out the finished tree that I wanted,

then I added the seam allowance to each piece.

Next I made templates & printed them out to scale.

I decided to sew the paper templates!

Why not?

“Pressing” them was quite accurate!

Next I needed to assemble the sections.

Quite simple.

So far, so good.

The finished block was perfect.

So, I gathered some newly acquired “vintage” fabrics & cut the pieces.

How awesome, right???

I sewed them just like the paper prototype.

And, voilà!

Exactly what I imagined, finally!

Now, after weeks of designing,

I’m looking forward to making the actual quilt.

If only I could decide on the fabrics, lol.

I hope you’re enjoying summer!

I love waking to the sun streaming into my sewing room once again.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan