May the true spirit of Christmas be yours today.
I hope you’re able to share this special holiday with your loved ones, I am!
Until next time,
Susan
Category: My Life
So much to be Thankful for…
I hope today finds you surrounded by loved ones
no matter what.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hadleigh’s Freebie Friday
Three days before we left for market I became a great aunt once again!
I told you, I knew it would happen!
I’m so glad I had the foresight to see this.
So, shortly after I made Lucy’s quilt last summer that I showed you here,
I also made Hadleigh’s quilt.
Yep, I used my favorite “Name That Quilt” pattern!
It saved me hours & hours in several ways.
First,
I didn’t spend forever trying to figure out WHAT to make.
Second,
(once I made all of the fabric choices)
It didn’t take long to trace & cut the letters,
then cut a few strips each of the chosen fabrics.
Third,
It’s Quilt-as-you-go, so it went together quickly
& best part, I didn’t have to fret over how to quilt it,
or pay someone else to quilt it.
Within a few hours I had a finished quilt.
Love it when I can look back at something I did and realize how smart I was!
It is pretty convenient how modern medicine allows new parents to be so prepared.
They made her an adorable nursery.
From this photo I was able to shop for just the right fabrics.
(My favorite part!!!)
Then I spent about half an hour cutting…
And of course, mom was surprised & loved it…
Now for the fun part.
I’m going to give away two of my
Name That Quilt books
so you can make one or several for yourself.
Remember,
there are both baby
& lap size options
& the entire full size, reversed alphabet is included!
Just leave me at comment above and I’ll draw two lucky winners Monday
who will receive their own copies.
Until next time,
Susan
A Little Help in my Sewing Studio
I’ve been wanting and therefore looking for a particular helper for my studio for years.
As we all know, good help is hard to come by.
Finally last weekend I found her!
So far she appears to be perfect, just what I was looking for!
She’s been around the block a few times.
Not at all pristine & immature.
Because of her maturity, I’m pretty sure she’ll be able to do everything I expect of her.
No flimsy, immaturity that you sometimes find in the her younger counterparts.
Today she’s helping me with a new pattern sample.
She’s holding chain-pieced petals, keeping them wrinkle-free for the next step.
I’m making tiny Dresden plates with my new template
and I’m using the new “Hearts Content” collection by Laundry Basket Quilts
so generously given to my by Moda.
I intend to make a tutorial for all of you who don’t already know how easy & fun Dresden plate blocks can be.
For now, my helper & I need to get back to work.
I just know we’re going to be friends!
Until next time,
Susan
Lucy’s Freebie Friday
I’m a great aunt again,
so of course I had to make a quilt!
I already knew what quilt I was going to make for Lucy.
In case you don’t remember,
two summers ago I designed this book for just these occasions.
It contains the whole (full-size & reversed) alphabet
& instructions for a 42″ square baby quilt,
(This is Lucy’s big brother. He’ll be 2 in a couple of weeks!)
& it also has instructions for a lap quilt for kids, toddler up to 100 yrs. old!
Lucy’s mom (my niece, Amanda) decorated her nursery with a Paris theme.
She gave me the Timeless Treasures Paris fabric she’d bought then I added the softer pink for the alternating stripes & a matching brown for her name & the binding.
I love the way it turned out & I hope Amanda does too!
We’re going to see (& spoil) Lucy in a bit.
Now for the fun part…
I’m going to give away a “Name That Quilt” book!
Just leave me a comment
telling me about your favorite baby quilt,
either one you made or one you received.
I’ll post the winner here on Monday.
Until next time,
Susan
Happy 100th Birthday, Margie!
Although you hear of it more & more,
it’s not every day that you can tell someone,
Happy 100th Birthday!
A friend of ours, Margie, is celebrating today.
She’s a lovely lady & has been the host to countless
4th of July parades & potlucks for our family.
Her shady lawn has brought our family so many fond memories
that I couldn’t help but make her a quilt!
Next week you will see the inspiration for this Tiny Dresden Quilt…
We had the pleasure of seeing her just three weeks ago,
& while there she showed me what she was sewing.
Yes, at 100 years old she’s still quilting!!!
Sharp as a tack she is!
How could I not make her a quilt?
Here’s a photo of us girls with the birthday girl.
During the party she told me it was a shame we live so far away.
She’d like me to come over & quilt the day away with her sometime…
We should all be so fortunate as to want to quilt at 100.
Until next time,
Susan
Sewing with my Sunglasses!
It’s that time of year again & yeah is all I can say!!!
It’s the time when my north facing sewing room with all its windows is taking in the early morning sunshine.
When I sit to sew in the 6 a.m. hour,
I need my sunglasses…
Again, yeah!!!
And if I’m sewing at the other end of the day,
I’ll need the sunglasses then too.
The evening sun will come in on my left!
I am not going to complain.
This is the time of year I long for all year!
When it’s cold out, hate it!
Short days of winter, hate them!
Long dark evenings, hate them!
Long, long, dark evenings…
Give me sunshine & heat, ahhhh!
I try not to dwell on the fact that when June 21 rolls around
the days are getting shorter from here on out.
Instead I remind myself the sun is shining & it’s hot outside!
December 21 is a day of celebrating in my mind.
Why?
It’s the shortest day of the year and from there on out,
the days are getting longer!
Today it’s sunshine!
Give me my sunglasses,
I have sewing to do.
I’m working on my second set of my new
Tiny Dresden seasons.
The patterns are getting closer to being printed.
I can’t wait to show you these pretties!
Until next time,
Susan
A “new” Pretty Table Sample
I’ve made a lot of friends in the quilt world these past two+ decades.
One of them is the quilt shop owner, Pat Waelder, from Hannibal, MO.,
Mark Twain’s hometown in case you’re not familiar.
Do you know her & her shop?
If not, you’ve got to go!!!
With the exception of the past few years,
I’ve taken my mom & our three kids to Hannibal every year
since our youngest was small enough to be wrapped up
in my mom’s coat to tour Mark Twain Cave!
She’s now taller than her grandma…
Besides the cave, there are many things to do around Hannibal.
There’s the Mississippi River which you can take a riverboat cruise on.
They have a museum that encompasses a lot of historic buildings
including Mark Twain’s boyhood home.
I’ve not personally gone on that tour.
When the kids got big enough for that
my mom offered to take them there while I spent time at Hickory Stick!
There’s a lighthouse with lots of steps to tire even the most active of children.
(except mine!)
Not sure why my mom’s not in this one…
There’s lover’s leap park that has a beautiful lookout over the river.
The train runs through town along side the river near a park
where we’ve eaten countless picnic lunches.
Some terribly hot, some a bit too chilly & breezy & others just right!
Antique & other shops line the historic downtown,
and most of our trips ended with the ice cream shop.
Lots to do there, and it’s a pleasant two hour ride for us.
So, as a quilter, I became friends with Pat.
When I started designing & marketing my patterns,
Pat was one of my first shops!
Through the years, she’s sold lots of my Abe Lincoln Tribute patterns.
She liked it so well that she asked me to design a similar pattern for Mark Twain.
They’re both patterns with full-size, reversed applique sheets.
Lincoln has been so popular that I’ve worked with a
laser-cutting company to make a pre-fused, cut-out!
Just peel, fuse & stitch!
You can find these at Hickory Stick or on my website.
Now back to my original reason for posting today…
When Pat has a pattern sample, she sells!
So, I offered to make her a sample of my new
“A Pretty Table” table runner that I showed you
in conjunction with going to Pittsburgh spring market in May.
Here’s a very quick (& not good) photo with my phone.
To spark your memory, it’s quilt-as-you-go &
it also has place mats included in the pattern.
On my list of things to do, I really need to buy a decent camera & learn to take & edit photos!
I hire a photographer to photograph my pattern samples, but I really need to work getting better for other instances.
Any suggestions???
Hickory Stick will be selling kits of this pattern.
If you’d like to take a trip…
I can highly recommend it!
Until next time,
Susan
And the winner of the 12″ metal barn quilt is…
#1, Terje has been selected as the new barn quilt owner!
Please send me your address and I’ll pack & ship your new barn quilt.
I hope you like it as well as I like mine!
If you didn’t win and would like one of your own,
please contact
Classic Metal Signs and order your favorite.
Until next time,
Susan
They’ll Know I’m a Quilter by my Barn Quilt
Merry Christmas & Happy Mother’s Day to me!
David has a friend that lives in Calhoun County & they get together occasionally.
One day he came home telling me about all the barn quilts he had been seeing there.
It must be getting more popular each year because he sees more & more of them.
As a quilter I’d heard about it, but I’ve not been on their tour.
Months later, when I asked David if he’d be open to the idea since the “barn” is technically his,
I was pleasantly surprised to hear that he thought it was a good idea!
At Houston’s fall market last fall, I noticed a vendor “Classic Metal Company”
selling these very cool barn quilts.
“Not Just for Barns Anymore !
Barn Quilts are part of our rural heritage, providing a sense of warmth and artistic expression wherever they are displayed. Now you can increase your curb appeal and let everyone know that, “A Quilter Lives Here“.
Our barn quilts are made for your home. Constructed of heavy-weight steel, they are easy to hang with wood screws. The larger two-foot size is perfect for outdoors – for your home, garage, shed, barn, or mount on two posts and display in your garden. The smaller one-foot size can be hung below a mailbox, arranged in patterns on a wall or is perfect for hanging in the kitchen, family room, your quilting room or . . .
Larger barn quilts ( 3 and 4 foot size) are available on a custom-order basis.
Call (815) 252-0104 Phone orders welcome!
Email: classicmetalcompany@gmail.com”
Since I wanted the four foot version, which is very costly to ship, I was thrilled to see that they’re in Illinois, just a few hours drive from me!
So, I ordered my favorite as a Christmas gift from my husband.
Unfortunately, the weather was bad so many weekends this past winter that it took several months for the right time to come so we could travel to pick it up.
Finally the week of Mother’s Day, David & Blake hung the quilt!
Being an engineer…
Since I wasn’t sure if it would look better hung flat or on point,
It was hoisted up on point,
then it was decided it looked a bit too much like a snowflake.
We unanimously decided flat was better.
The rope held the quilt until framing could be built inside the shed to secure the bolts to.
It gets a bit windy here where we live & I intend for this quilt to last a lifetime.
It took a few hours, but it was worth it don’t you think?
David thinks it makes his shed look better.
Now each time I drive in our driveway,
my brain starts singing
“yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love”
& they’ll know I’m a quilter by my sign!
It makes me smile!!!
When David & I met Mark to pick up our barn quilt,
he gave me a 12 inch version to give away on my blog.
So…
Leave me a comment here and I will have a drawing next week.
You can let your neighbors know you’re a quilter by your sign too!
Until next time,
Smilin’ Susan
Quilting my way through life! 