Basket Blocks

Lots and lots of rain today with several periods of really heavy downpours. Such a good day to sew, don't you agree? Although I think most of us agree that any day is a good day to sew!

For some reason, I seem to have been trying several different projects and not being too enthusiastic about them here lately. However, I haven't spent that much time on any that I don't seem to get caught up with and haven't wasted that much time nor fabric. One example is the asterisk blocks which are really cute but kind of fussy to make. Today I made these little basket blocks - I had seen a very cute little quilt on the internet someplace and it was easy to make something similar to it. The applique is easy to cut out and quick to machine buttonhole stitch. It only took 15 to 20 minutes to applique each block. I decided to use black thread around all the pieces - that is a really old fashioned look. Three more blocks will be all that I will make then add the same color sashing with maybe some squares on the outside sashing all the way around as I did on Tisket a Tasket, then a white border. It won't be very big, but it will be fun to quilt. (Click to enlarge)

Fashion Friday

Here they are - Nan and Nelle, the two older Pearce daughters, all dressed up and standing in the street looking toward their home on Behrends Avenue in Peoria. Dear Aunt Nelle has written on the front of the picture as she did so often and pretty well nailed down the year. Both are dressed in lovely dark outfits and wearing their usual pretty hats. On the back of the photo, Nelle has explained who the fellow is in the background. Seems like they would have liked to have him out of the picture but evidently he wasn't cooperating. A nice wintry evening in Peoria. (Click to enlarge)

Frilly Little Quilt

Here it is - all bound and finished and waiting with several other little quilts to be used by some little baby in the future. I am so tickled with the way it turned out and adore the fabrics that are reproductions of the fabrics of the 30's. Next time, I will wait until the quilt is all pieced, sandwiched and quilted before I sew the ruffles on. It would be so much easier in that order.

These fabrics go together so beautifully - you just can't miss when using them. Just love it!

(Click to enlarge)

My Kaffe Ruffly Bag, etc.

Couldn't help myself - I made another bag and this time used Kaffe Fassett fabrics on a heavy canvas like fabric. The red circle of fabric will, of course, be replaced with a pretty big button. Joann has a lot of nice big colorful buttons and, if I can't find something smashing, I will get the biggest button form to cover and do it myself. I made the bottom of this bag wider and like the way it also makes the bag look wider at the top. When I cut the canvas, I did iron on some batting and just quilted some straight lines across the width in such a way that I could follow the seam to add the ruffles. For the lining, I had a pretty piece of striped fabric (part of it is the bottom ruffle in the picture). There are pockets on both the front and the back - a nice roomy bag. Loved the way it turned out. Silly me, I can see more ruffling in my future. Over on http://selvageblog.blogspot.com/ quilts made out of asterisk blocks have been featured and there was a tutorial last Monday and again today on making the blocks and quilt. I have made a couple of them and like the way they look, but don't know how far I would go with doing a quilt of much size. Construction requires slicing the block into two triangles, adding a strip, slicing it again, adding another strip, then slicing it in half with a strip added and that one sliced again and the final strip added. It's pretty but a lot of start and stop sewing. I'll do a few more as it always gets easier as you go along. (Click to enlarge)

Father's Day

I thought these might be appropriate for the day. Over the years, I have collected pictures which I think are called "motto pictures" and it all started from one that my daughter gave me for my birthday sometime back in the 70's. I just love them and have quite a few.
On this day, I think with love of two very important people in my life - my dad and my husband. Enjoy those special fellows in your life and all have a great day. (Click to enlarge)

If you would like to see more of the old pictures, go to labels and click on antique pictures.

Fashion Friday

It says right on the picture that this is Anna Pearce in Champagne, Ill, but I don't know how Anna is related to my grandfather's family. I do know that Dan and Maggie had some very good friends in Champagne. This pretty lady may have been married to the son of one of Dan's brothers. Most certainly, it looks as if there is a bird perched on her hat! Her outfit is fresh and summery with a skirt and overskirt and pretty blouse sporting a pin or brooch. And the hat!! Anna wins the prize for the best hat in pictures of my ancestors! Don't you agree? Interesting little purse she is carrying - looks like it could be a carton of Chinese food. I love this picture and hope I haven't posted it before.

A Quick Little Tablerunner

I'll ease up on the ruffles for a bit! I do have one or two more bags that I want to make, so will probably be showing more soon. I am thinking Kaffe Fasset fabrics for one. On http://www.modabakeshop.com/ there is a "recipe" for making the little ruffle quilt and you might want to check that out. I also want to do two more of those later on. In their directions you do all the piecing, then the layering, the quilting and after that is all done the ruffles are sewn on and it is bound. With the gathering foot, the ruffles are a breeze. And it's so fun to see them fly out from behind your needle

Here is a tablerunner that I found the how-to on the internet (so much great stuff out there!) and it said it was quick. It is. I just quickly picked out some fabric and put it together. It looks really nice on the chest in my dining area. (Click to enlarge)

Happy Birthday, Sherry

It's June 15th!! Another birthday---------------------------------------------------Here you are about 19 years old when we lived in Newton, Kansas, and you were going to KU. How the years have flown by.........................

and now here it is your 59th birthday.... and you are just as cute and sweet as ever! The fellow you married and with you in this picture is pretty nice, also, as are your three awesome daughters. Your dad and I were so blessed to have had two great kids. I'm so glad that school is out now and you have the summer to wind down a bit and get in some good times at your cabin.

With so much love on your birthday and always, Mom.

My Fluffy Ruffles Batik Bag

Here is the bag that I finished this afternoon. It turned out really well and I would only change one thing about it. The handles seem to be pretty skimpy. I am thinking maybe I can find some plastic handles - rings or something - and make loops out of part of these handles and attach new ones. Will think on this. It does have a fabric loop to go over an old button so it will stay closed. I lined it with the larger print fabric and put a good sized pocket on each side. This would be darling done in denim with some Aunt Gracie fabrics for ruffles---no end of possibilities. Would make sturdier handles on the next one. (Click to enlarge)

Still Making Ruffles

I did successfully get the little ruffled quilt all quilted and it now has the binding sewn on waiting to be finished. Planning to take it to Sit and Sew this coming Tuesday and doing it there. After I have finished binding it, I will take its picture and post it. It's pretty darned cute.

However, I have not satisfied my urge to make those ruffles and have now started another project which is not as big but will be lots of fun. It is all cut out and ready to be put together. This will be a batik ruffled tote or handbag. Using a tutorial as a guide, but figuring out how to add the ruffles on my own. Think it will be okay. All of these frilly, fussy, little fun things got me to thinking about the big ruffler attachment I bought quite a long time ago and don't think I have ever used. I had one years ago and did use it for making square dance dresses but think I let it go with my old Kenmore when we lived in Topeka. I vaguely remember purchasing one in Kansas City. Where on earth would I have put it if I still have it? Can you believe the first place I looked it was there? I have a really old wicker sewing chest which I haven't opened for ages and there it was - still boxed up with the instructions taped around the box - what a surprise. Now I will find out if it is usable with the Bernina shank converter which I think is shown below the ruffler. Of course, I would never hook it up and use it without finding out if it could be adapted. It would open up all kinds of possibilities since it not only ruffles, but pleats. I kind of like being a pack rat sometimes! (Click to enlarge)

Fashion Friday

I have been lax on Fashion Friday - running low on fashionable photos of the Pearce family and other nice people. It's hard to be sure if I have already featured a picture or not. This morning I ran through all of the Friday posts and don't think this one is in it so will show you this lovely shot of Maggie, my grandmother, and Nelle, my aunt. They are dressed in lovely summery frocks, Maggie with her arms akimbo is all in white or very pale color. Nelle, with her ever regal expression, has a light blouse and dark skirt. She also wears either an apron or an overblouse - but I guess that it is an apron. They are standing beside a lovely plant that seems to be on a trellis or arbor - maybe grapevines. I have also decided that I will start occasionally posting the photos over on my other blog since they are definitely part of pieces of the past. (Click to enlarge)

Some ATC's

Here is the ATC I did for May - it was the color purple.For June, we were to depict women who influenced our lives. I immediately thought of my grandmother and my mother, two very strong, hardworking, loving women I have nothing but love and admiration for. (Click to enlarge)

Two Little Sew and Sews

This has to be one of my favorite memories of Sherry when we lived in Iowa. She would have been nine or so and is with Melinda, her little buddy that lived right next door to us. We had one tree in our front yard - a little Chinese elm - and after a few years it did give enough shade for a couple of little gals to sit on a blanket beneath it and do some sewing. Sherry and Lindy had it all figured out and had sewing baskets with fabric and everything they needed to make outfits for their little dolls. At the downtime dime store, they bought these small plastic dolls - probably not even 4 inches tall - and the dollies heads popped right off their bodies. They would make clothes for them, take off the heads, dress them and pop the heads back on. How easy is that? In this picture they both look pretty glum, but I think they were watching something going on in our deadend street. Probably some of the boys in the neighborhood had caught their attention. One other little story about their dressmaking - they were on our patio behind the house one day with everything spread out and along came a little whirlywind, picked up all the fabric and it whirled around and around down the hill, across the creekbed and to the other side. What a surprise! A sweet memory. (Click to enlarge)

A Wrestling Match

Here is the ruffled piece all pinned and ready to be quilted. As you can see from the picture

right above - it is something of a wrestling match quilting it and it's kind of wavy on the back. I do think, however, that it will not look too bad when it is all done. I am trying to start in the middle of the quilt then going each way for the straight line seams. The wavy ones I will do from one side to the other. The problem is that when you are quilting from the center, the closer you get to the left edge the more bulk is crammed into the space under the machine. Going the other direction is much easier. Will keep plugging away at it and I do think it will turn out okay. It is something I am doing on a whim and I really think it's frilly and cute. Don't most girls love ruffles? (Click to enlarge)

My Flowers are All In

This pretty little angel windchime came home with me from Joann's the other day. Earlier I had seen a big angel like her that I should have purchased. Will check again, but I think they are pretty well cleaned out of things now.

Here are two of my guardian pink flamingos - even though they are tacky, I love them so much. The little Austrian pines I put in a couple of years ago are doing so nicely. Maybe at Christmas I will put some little twinkle lights on them.

Another of my tacky little flamingos watching over the mandevilla I bought at Kroger. This one is white - doesn't look like the blossoms are as large as the pink one I had last year. However, it will still be gorgeous.

A mixed pot hanging at the corner of my house. Here are the bushy little delphiniums - I just love blue flowers. And my favorite allysum is here, too, and it will grow big and bushy and beautiful.

Just had to take this photo - in one of my hanging plants there is a cluster of cottonwood fluff caught up in the foliage. It is that time of year here when the white cotton is blown around on the breeze. So silky and pretty! So now, with the exception of one little old pot that sits on the old sewing machine base, I have my planting done. I will pick up a few little plants for that and call it another year. (Click to enlarge) P.S. The cottonwood fluff is just goregous when enlarged!

Goodness Gracious

Linda of http://thepapercollector-blogspot.com/ has nominated me for a Kreativ Blogger award a nice surprise. Thank you, Linda. She has a really cool blog with lots of fun old items - lots and lots of paper dolls, a passion of mine when I was a little girl. Go over and check her blog out. There are things I'm supposed to do as the recipient of this lovely gesture. One is to pass on the award to seven bloggers that I visit and enjoy reading. Some bloggers prefer not to receive awards and that will most certainly not be a problem if you do not wish to participate. Then you must list 7 interesting things about yourself and notify the blogs you give the award to.
You should also take the award and place it on your blog if you decide to accept it.


http://justtickety-boo.blogspot.com/ This is Jewels - a friend and fellow quilter right here in our town. She is one of the Artist Trading Card swappers and she loves collages, thrifting, tea cups, their cottage in Canada - she has a darling blog and is taking really beautiful pictures. Be sure to check out her blog.

http://journeyofaquilter.blogspot.com/ Here is Karen's blog - we have been commenting back and forth now for a long time. Karen does absolutely beautiful work. She also is a gardener and posts photos of her beautiful plants. Be sure to visit her blog and see the beautiful things she has in the works - one of them is making kloesjes (hope I got that right) and she also is hosting a One Flower Wednesday.

http://tatteredandlostphotographs.blogspot.com/ and a http://tatteredandlostephemera.blogspot.com/ are so much fun. The first, of course, is full of old photograph the blogger finds in many different places, and the other is lots of fun old ads, all kinds of old papers. She writes in a funny quirky manner and it's imaginative and entertaining.

http://ahugdelights.blogspot.com/ Janet's blog about her life on their ranch in South Dakota. Fairly new, she is delightful and it's fun to learn of the work on the ranch lately during calving season - certainly different from most of us. I enjoy reading her blog a lot.

http://www.forgottenbookmarks.com/ This is a fun blog that shows what is found in old books. Charming.

http://widgetlucy.blogspot.com/ This is a refreshing blog written by the young mom of four children in either Australia or New Zealand. She is witty, cute and the kids are adorable. Takes great pictures. Fun to follow.

http://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/ Barbara is a quilt historian from Kansas and writes a very informative and interesting blog. A good read and lots of pictures of lovely old quilts - and new ones, too.

Now I am supposed to tell seven interesting things about myself - good grief, what can they be?

I am so glad I got to live long enough to be able to get in on the computer age. I love the internet and fiddling on the computer.

I have reached a stage in my life when I just don't sweat the small stuff anymore. Dust is clean dirt and the house doesn't look that much different after you clean it. And I did also learn that the kids and my husband weren't the only ones that mess things up!

Two years ago, I went to see Sex and the City twice - first with my youngest granddaughter (she was 18) and two of her friends and the second time with a neighbor my age. We went to a matinee and were the only ones in the theater!

Quilting has been a joy of mine for probably 35 years. I have a 22 year old Bernina that I just love. I tell my kids quilting keeps me out of their hair!

I drive a 1998 Prism and it has maybe 33,000 miles on it. I'm a regular runaround! If I go someplace, I fly.

I am in my 17th home since Ray and I married. I've lived in my little condo here for 12 years this summer and that is the longest I've lived anyplace over what would have been 61years of marriage. He worked for the Santa Fe and transferred a lot.

I consider myself so blessed to have had good health and a wonderful supportive family over all these years.