A Few of My Favorite Things

I just wanted to share a few of my favorite things. I have this little table in my dining room corner. The table is special because it was the very first piece of furniture my Grandma refinished and I helped. She decided I should have it when I got my house. My Great Great Grandfather made the table. I like to keep some of my favorite things on it. It is a real conversation starter.

The doily was made as a wedding gift from my Great Aunt. The bird house in the back was a gift from a family member. Knickertwist (you can find her blog in my fave list ---->) made me the elf and the wee fairy house under glass. The deer on a grassy knoll was made by Digital Misfit (her blog is there as well ----->) OneGroovyDay from Craftster made me the peacock stuffie. The newest addition to the table is my amazing figure by the artist Lisa Petrucci sent to me by Kitty Kill (her blog is over yonder too! --->).

I rotate things sometimes and add things for the holidays. A special place for special things from special friends!

YeeeeHaw! Wild West Quilt!

I finally finished up the Wild West quilt! It is a wedding gift for a cousin that was married recently. I had to finish binding it before I could officially gift it to the happy couple and I found time yesterday to finish the binding. I posted WIP's of it here, but it is now done!

I had a blast choosing western fabrics for this quilt. The pattern is from an 09 issue of a quilting mag. The pattern was called "Home on the Range". I can't remember what mag it was from!

I found the Alexander Henry western fabric and based the other fabrics around it. It made wonderful focal squares. The green boarder is a western toile fabric. This was also my first quilt put together on point! Whoa what a process!

My wonderful local long arm quilter quilted it up in horse shoes, hats, and boots!

So even though I didn't post any WIP's yesterday I was still working!

Fairy Garden

Just wanted to share something I did at work! Even though I'm working that doesn't mean all of my creativity is put on hold. I had so much fun constructing this fairy garden that I hope no one buys it so I can bring it home for my yard!

I used an old wooden box lined with plastic for the base. The fairy house is actually an unfinished wooden bird house you can purchase at craft stores. I altered it with moss, sticks, and such and made a dwelling fit for a fairy!

A nice little path of colored gravel leads right to the hinge front door. The door knob is a teensy snail shell that was found in the moss.

Here is a view from another angle. You can see the fun gold ball that I added. I've been collecting interesting objects to add. The blue stone by the door is a piece of glaze from a clay pot. There is also some wee pine cones, interesting sticks, an old pop tab, and a piece of broken mirror, nestled amongst the moss.

Plans are in the works for a smaller version of this too. See kids, work can be fun!

Slice and Dice Continued!

I've been working away at my Slice and Dice blocks. It finally jump started me out of a crafty slump. The blocks are done! Yay! Time to assemble rows and then a quilt! I'm really loving how this is coming out and it is inspiring me to try a twist on the same block. I may sew up a "test" 4 patch in the next couple of days to try out my other idea for this block. We shall see if it works!

Here are all the blocks laid out on my design wall! Sorry the photo is bad. I'm in the dungeon and there is always a beam in the way!

Also please excuse the stickers! That is how I'm keeping the blocks straight. I think I'll start sewing rows tomorrow!

WIP Sunday: Slice and Dice

I mentioned the wonderful pattern I was going to be taking a class on last week. Yesterday (Sunday) was the class! It was lots of fun and a very productive class.

The quilt starts out with a bunch of random 4 patch blocks. Mine were random, but some people did it matchy matchy.

After laying out the 4 patches in a way that made me happy I started the slice and dice part!

I have 2 full rows and 1 block done just in class!

Excuse the blurry counter top photo. It is early!

The quilt is 5 rows of 4 so I'll be done in no time! I have so much of the blue and green batiks left over I think I'm going to try Cheryl Wittmayer's other pattern called "Curvalishish" in the same fabrics. I'll figure out someone to give it to!

Triple Rail Fence AKA Ugly Quilt

Another project finished! Feels good to have accomplished something in this busy time. I've been working on this quilt for awhile now and it seems to have become something of an ugly duckling that I have fallen in love with.

I bought all the fabrics on the clearance rack at my local quilt store. They couldn't believe I was choosing what they thought was the most hideous piece of fabric at the store. A totally crazy color Buddha panel. I bought the entire top and backing fabric for a mere $22! It sat for a long time before I actually had the time to make it into my quilt.

This was supposed to be my first quilt, but I jumped in head first and did a much harder one. It was so much fun to do this one knowing it was just for me. It is the triple rail fence quilt pattern. Four oddly matching fabrics just sort of fell together.

I had it quilted by my favorite long arm quilter. She helped me decide on a pointy swirl with some golden hued thread so it didn't make the quilt any busier than it already is.

I used the same Buddha fabric for some rails in the front and to finish off the back. It makes the back just as much of a quilt as the front.

I'm so happy with my "Ugly Quilt"! The Hubby finds it hideous, but the dog and I both approve so that is all that really matters!

WIP Sunday: I'm Late Again!

Oh, how this time of year takes its toll on my life! I miss my crafty time so much! I try and try to make the time, but it is hard to do when you are exhausted from physical labor when you finally get home at night! I do have my early mornings back so I plan on getting started on several things.

I don't really have that many things I'm working on now. Still finishing up a bit of binding, working on the art center stitching project, and that's about it right now. My yard has a WIP! Mother Nature has finally saw fit to remove the ice and snow from my flower beds and look what I found today!

I have hundreds of tulips also popping through, but the sight of these little crocus really give me hope. I have zillions of tulips, but for some reason I can plant billions of crocus bulbs and each year I only get to see about 2 bloom! So these special little messengers of spring make me super happy.

In other exciting news I'm all ready to take the class from the national teacher this Sunday at the art center. My fabric came in today and I sent the Hubby after the pattern at the quilt store last week. What a wonderful Hubby, that he will take a handwritten note from me to the quilt store and the wonderful ladies there will get him what I need!

I'm making it for my mother in law for Christmas. Lots of time to play with it! She loves blues and greens so I picked out some great batiks. You can find the pattern and lots of other great patterns from Cheryl Wittmayer. Can't wait to get started!

I'll also be starting that baby quilt I have all cut out and ready to sew soon!

One more bit of news for this post ,I have enough money in the sewing machine fund!!!!

Now to just get to take the drive to find my new best friend! I'll let you all know when I get something new!

Whew!

WIP Sunday: Time For Binding!

I'm binding. What more can I say. I love to create quilts. I love the process of picking a pattern and fabric, I love the cutting, piecing, and taking it to the quilter to get that final touch, but binding is like a nightmare! Right now I'm still binding the western quilt and the "ugly quilt". Ugly quilt is in the lead with 2 finished sides, but western quilt needs to get done since it was a gift. I'll spare you the boring photos of binding and you can see the finished quilts soon!

This is what is taking away my crafty time. Plants! The greenhouse is in full swing and I'm trying to get everything planted! We held an open house to get people in the mood for spring and it was wonderful! We've never invited the public to come and see how we get started. We are a real greenhouse, growing things from tiny starters and seed. The public was very interested to see how it all gets growing. My Mom and I took the time to create this piece of planted drift wood before the open house. The Hubby and I found the drift wood last summer and Mom used her talents to turn it into something that could be filled with wonderful succulents. I helped run the stapler and choose and place the plants.

Also a little piece of art I made to send along to Heidi in her package that keeps growing! I promised it would be a surprise so I'm only showing off a little teaser!

Back to binding!