Time to Re-group

Sometimes you just have to stop and re-group... 

I have recently finished up several projects and in my "quick clean-ups" and straightening I was just piling up the fabric and setting it in my closet.  While I have done this for more than a year, needless to say the closet was getting a little messy.  I was having a harder time finding fabric in the right colors and print sizes.  Some of the fabric was in the closet and some was in the cabinet downstairs.

This morning I was in just the right mood to re-organize and sort all of the fabric that has been collecting in the closet.  So... down it all went!

 

It all started out quickly with a few piles here and there...

and then the dog wanted to play in the middle of it all! 

She got scolded and then began pouting when the cat got curious and started investigating and didn't get yelled at...



  It all just got to be too much for me. 

I did manage to get it all sorted, and became excited that I found a few small scraps that I had forgotten about. It still needs a little more help.  All in all, I got the main goal I set out to do done!  But I still want to sort and fold a little better so that it all fits into the appropriate bins.

 

 

 

 

But not today...  Maybe another day, or, maybe(!) I just need to plan on making a log cabin quilt and use up the small strips and pieces that I found.  

 

Yeah... I think that's what I will do.  



Hand Piecing

Every once in awhile I get the urge to do some hand sewing.  It usually has to do with a road trip that is planned.  Last week we headed to Dallas (a 10 hour trip) for a show where Dave could make some business contacts and to deliver a restoration project that he completed.

All in all it was a quiet, uneventful trip. A long stretch of the road was rather desolate with little to offer in radio stations.  Thanks to modern technology we enjoyed a Pandora station as Dave drove and I sewed.  With two young kids (soon to be part of our family) having birthdays this month, I planned to assemble 48 four-patch blocks for two "I Spy" quilts - one for a super-hero loving boy and the other for a loving girly-girl.

Arriving at our destination the first night was easy... navigating the directions to downtown Dallas to meet one of Dave's customer the next morning was another story!  All was going well... "we need to get off on the next exit"  "OK, no problem."  Except that the exit we were to use was closed for construction.  Ugh!  And road construction caused more than one detour for us just getting to the meeting place.  What a mess!  (just recalling the whole thing makes my blood pressure go up)

I found myself longing for the quiet of my sewing room... or at the very least for the feel of fabric, along with a needle and thread in my hands... and the smooth rhythm of pulling the stitches through the fabric.  It was NOT going to happen since I was the co-pilot and responsible for giving the next directions.  I pushed down the panic... relocated ourselves on a map and moved on.  Once we found our meeting place, the next challenge was finding a parking area.  When we had parked (on the 4th level of a garage) we began looking for our way out. 

We must have looked very lost and frazzled because a sweet woman stopped to ask where we were headed.  She kindly walked us most of the way there.  We finally met up with the folks we had planned to meet for breakfast.

Leaving Dallas at the end of the day was nearly as frustrating and given that I was tired it could have been really ugly.  Again, with prayer, I pushed down the panic.  I was so happy to have arrived back at our hotel!  We enjoyed a happy hour beverage in our room and... I picked up my fabric blocks and thread... and all was right with the world. :)

      

A year in review...

With Christmas over and the new year around the corner I sigh a big sigh of relief and look to the next year with excitement and anticipation.  I look back over 2013, photos and blog entries and realize that we were hit with life hard and fast and survived. 

My survival tactics involved lots and lots of prayer and lots and lots of quilting... and lamenting over the hardships in life. Through all of it some realty cool projects came about. 

I had the opportunity to improve my free-motion quilting skills...

 

I was commissioned to make some very special quilts as gifts from others...

 A photo quilt that included the handprints, names and birth dates of grandchildren <3

  A T-shirt quilt for a Bronco fan

  A Queen-sized quilt as a wedding gift

  A memory quilt using t-shirts from a young ladies HS days. :)

 

...  And I had a block pattern published!

 












These are just a few blessings that we have encountered throughout the year.  Dave's shop was completed and his business has been steady and successful.  

I have spent enough time this year on what went wrong and want to approach 2014 with a new attitude of "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade"  or in my life as a quilter, "when life gives you scraps, make quilts!"  Make the most of what is handed you and sing praises (even in the storm)! 

So what will 2014 look like?  Stay tuned and see what it brings.  Happy New Year!

Branded for life

This morning I was feeling unmotivated and not very much in the Christmas spirit.  As I visited with a dear friend I felt better as we "solved all the problems of the world", we discussed some of our favorite Christmas traditions.

As I ran a few errands in town, I figured out what was really at the root of my feelings.  Ever since compiling our family Christmas letter I have felt somewhat sad and realized that I am missing my dad.  So after lunch, rather than go to the kitchen as I had planned, I headed to my sewing room. 

You know, the place that has offered salve to a broken and hurting spirit and heart this year.  As I cut and sewed this small table runner (or wall hanging) for my brother I felt better.  I had the opportunity to recall some special memories.  Most of the really special ones included our girls, Heather & Rebecca and how he cherished the time spent with them.  He had the time and opportunity.  And for that I am grateful... you see when I was young, he was busy working and trying to provide for his family.  Now I don't want to give the impression that dad never spent time with me, but I do recall a LOT of good times - family vacations, long holiday weekends and even a fishing trip.

After Dad passed away and we had returned to the nursing home to clean out his belongings we left behind all of his shirts and jeans.  (What was I thinking?!?  They would have made an amazing memory quilt)  But since with didn't get them, I improvised.

Now to the person that didn't know my Dad at all, they wouldn't get it.  You see  He wore denim jeans nearly every day of his life (even after battling with the nursing home about how much easier it was to dress him in sweat pants).  And he always had a red handkerchief in his back pocket.  But beyond that, the red "kerchief" fabric marks out his brand. 

When he was just a young man and had dreams of being a rancher he designed and created his brand the "T-Z-T".  I grew up with just about everything marked with this brand.  Our camping equipment, shovels, tools, our dog's collar, and of course, our "pet cow".  If something were loaned out to family or friend or if there was a chance that our property would get mixed up with my cousins', there was a brand on it.

Dave and I have marked a few things along the way...  You see, if you turn the brand on its side...

It's a "Bar-N-Bar"

Branded for life!

Sew Much More!

It is the time of year when our family composes the annual Christmas letter.  Each one of us tells the highlights of the year from their perspective... Below is my portion.  Because of the limitations on space in the letter, I have included a few extra pictures that mean so much to me.

Merry Christmas!

      This year started out as many of the recent years started.  Quiet, and peaceful with plenty of time in my sewing room.  I submitted two original blocks to the Quiltmaker Magazine for one of their publications. While waiting to hear whether or not they had been chosen to be included, a sudden whirlwind blew up and stirred our lives and our spirits.

     My dad was diagnosed with kidney failure and given only a few weeks to live. He passed away peacefully 81 years to day of when he began  life on this earth. I can only imagine the welcoming he got from his parents, brothers and sister.  I am sure there was quite a celebration while we were mourning the loss.

 

 

     I am certain, also, that Dad would have been proud of me as I worked side by side with Dave.  After leaving his career as Gunsmithing Professor  all of the hard work of starting a business began.  There was construction work that needed to happen so that the shop was only a shop.  We built a storage shed for all of the lawn stuff, his motorcycle and the stock blanks that he has acquired.  The shop got insulated, dry-walled, painted and a new garage door. 

 

 

     There was plenty of “desk” work to be done as well… acquiring all of the proper licensing, permits, registrations, etc.  Not to mention the creation of the logo (Thanks to Chris Nolan!), letterhead, business cards, invoices, repair tags, envelopes, income & expense spreadsheets, web-page, marketing… And the list goes on and on!

     About the time that the business was “officially” operating I heard back from Quiltmaker that one of my blocks, Pieces of My Heart, was going to be included in Volume 8.   It hit the stands in November.

     While  Dave is at work in the shop I continue to make our house a home and, of course, spend time sewing.  I was commissioned to make several quilts this year which made up for the loss of any babysitting income.  I have missed caring for some “babies” but in our new season of life I really didn’t have the time.

       Through the “storm” we were blessed with prayers and support of many of you.  We have seen and received God’s blessings. 

     My quilting has been good therapy for me.  I think it is somewhat appropriate that the heart block made the publication - as our hearts were broken from the losses that we endured. God has used my quilting to help heal the hurt and piece our lives back together making it complete, but different.

     May you have a peaceful (“piece-full”) 2014.

 

 

 

For the Little Brown Dog...

We have had our first significant snow and the Little Brown Dog, Shelby, was fascinated with it!

At first she was unsure of what it was, and then cautiously ventured into it.  By the end of the day she was jumping and romping around in it having a great time.  While she does like to play in it for a short time, the poor thing gets a little chilly.

Dave asked if I would make her a quilt to snuggle up on while we watch tv in the evening.  She loves her blankets in the kennel so it would stand to reason that she will love this one...

 

Dave wanted something much fancier than this, but it will have to do.  I selected a variety of fabrics... (mostly brown to hide her hair that she loses).  He had asked for dog bones to be quilted into it.  I put a few, but then I took advantage of an opportunity to work on my free motion quilting.  Her name is stitched in a few times along with some commands (like sit, lay, down and No! No!) 

 

 

I attempted to do the dog bones free motion, but they looked a bit odd... that was when I went to the script lettering.  It looks good, well, most of it anyway... But, really a girl needs to practice to get better, right?

 

 

I hope that Shelby likes it and it would be even better if she used it!

 

Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

Something Special

I rarely get more pleasure out of quilting than when making a quilt for someone specific - either for them or for them to give as a gift.  Don't get me wrong, I love quilting even if it is only in hopes that someone will fall in love with it and actually buy it.  But my favorite projects are when the quilt has known "destination."

This week I have had the opportunity to finish a custom T-shirt quilt using their collection of Bronco t-shirts and jerseys. 

Just think of how cozy they will be while watching the Bronco games! 

 

I have also had some fun with the latest quilt on my design wall. 

 

 

This is to be a Christmas gift from 4 daughters and 5 grand-daughters. The quilt will have the grandkids' hand prints, names and birthday dates as well as their photos (the empty spaces are just waiting for photos) and the daughters' pictures. If only I could be a fly on the wall when it is opened! 

 

What a blessing it is to be able to use my skills to help others with gifts of love, blessed from above.