Teapots & Teacups

I have a great stash of fabric, thread, and notions but somehow I don't have a pincushion. I've been looking at different ideas since February of pincushions I could make but now it's September and I really want to have one at the retreat. So Little Miss fell asleep on the way home this afternoon and after I gently put her on the sofa I tiptoed to my supplies. Of course I couldn't find the pattern I'd chosen but I know naptimes are few and far between these days. I quickly decided an easy nine patch would work just great. I found these darling fabrics that I'd been saving for something special and started cutting.

Little Miss woke up before I was finished but a little snack and one cartoon did the trick while I finished up.

Oh, and I discovered that what I thought was a big enough hole turned out to be a very small hole and those crushed walnut shells were tough to get in there! On the bright side, I was able to stitch it up very quickly and now I'm ready for pins!

Beautiful Imperfection

As I returned home from running some errands yesterday afternoon I noticed some tiny butterflies fluttering in my front flower bed. This sedum needs to be transplanted to a different spot because my rose bush is overtaking it and I've never liked the flies that congregate around the blooms this time of year. Notice the butterfly's torn wing? Such a great reminder that beauty can still be found in the midst of all this imperfection!



I know next to nothing about gardening but I planted this pink Knockout Rose and it has been such a wonderful addition to my front porch. I can even see it from my living room at the back of the house. It blooms from early spring to late fall. In fact there are still buds on it now. Last spring I cut it back at the "wrong" time of the year and it just grew like crazy to catch up. If you don't have much of a green thumb this one is a pretty safe bet.

Picking Up the Pumpkins...again

I am in the very exciting process of preparing for a quilting retreat this fall! I have quite the stash of projects that need to be finished but at the top of the list is this pumpkin wall hanging. I believe this began back in 2001. I had just changed teaching positions, was building a house and feeling ready to spread my creative wings. I took a beginning quilting class at Quilting Bits and Pieces in Eudora, KS and this was the kit that was offered. The pattern is called Pumpkin Stars and is found in American Patchwork & Quilting's October 2000 issue.

As you can see from the fold line across the middle, this has been in and out of my basket quite a few times. I loved how quick the piecing came together. Hand applique is a different story. I've always loved needlework but I tend to make tiny stitches and it takes me forever to get around a shape. I love the result but it's taken a while considering all of the time it's been sitting in my basket.


I only have about 4 inches of this vine to finish and my goal is to quilt and bind this at the retreat. I have just the spot waiting on my dining room wall.

Simplicity Baby Quilt

I decided to whip up a quick baby quilt for my best friend's baby just before the baby was due. These are fabrics from a charm pack I picked up last year on a shop hop in the Kansas City area. They are Simplicity fabrics by 3 Sisters for Moda. I played with the arrangement on my foyer floor.
After I pieced it, I decided to try quilting it myself. With some help over the phone from my Mom, an issue of Quilts and More, and a visit to two of my local quilt shops, I quilted my very first quilt. The best advice came from my Mom who suggested I read my sewing machine manual. It helped me adjust the tension and thread the machine correctly. The grid pattern was easy to accomplish and I got better as I went along. Machingers gloves helped a great deal.
I bound the quilt by hand over the course of a couple of days. I enjoyed that part so much. I was able to sit beside my daughter as she played and visit with her while I worked on it. I need to investigate a thinner needle (I think) or a thimble. I had to finish with bandages wrapped around a couple fingers.
It was far from perfect but I learned so much during the process and I feel like a real quilter now! After I finished the last stitch, I threw it in the washer and dryer and quickly wrapped it before I headed off to the hospital to visit the new baby.

I can't wait to start a new project!