Teapot Tuesday

Churchill teapot

 This is one of my newer teapots.  I found this in a thrift store and snatched it up quickly.  Winston Churchill as a teapot.  Isn't cute!

Look what came in the mail yesterday.  Australian Homespun The Blue Issue.  It has an 8 page spread on Bonnie Hunter.  I know another Treadle On lady that lives in Australia.  We decided to have a magazine exchange.

Don't forget to sign up for my very first giveaway here!  Have a great day!

Weary weekend

I'm tired!  I had a busy weekend.  On Saturday, there was a special sew-in at a church in Winfield, IL for Quilts of Valor.  This is the 2nd annual QOV sew-in that this church has sponsored.  The ladies who came to sew don't usually make quilts.  Some of them seldom sew at all.  There were 3 of us from the regular Land of Lincoln Quilts of Valor group that attended.  It was a great sew-in.  The ladies were eager to help and sew.  We taught several ladies how to chain piece, and we came away with lots of quilt tops.  All of the ladies are already looking forward to next years sew-in.  Some may start sewing with us on a regular basis.  One of the ladies sitting next to me was sewing on a Featherweight.  She didn't even know that her machine was called that.  Well, after Rita and I finished drooling over her machine (she inherited it from her hubby's aunt) we told her all about Featherweights.  NO, I didn't offer her $50 and cut and run.  We were NICE.  Whohoo for all the quilt tops for our great military!

After the sew-in, I went to my church.  My church had VBS this past week.  We always have a tent service the Sunday after VBS.  Well, since my hubby is the head sound guy, and since my oldest son did the sound all week at VBS, I got to go to the BBQ for the Praise Band on Saturday evening.  Ribs and chicken and beans and baked potatoes.  YUM!  My guys had been there all afternoon moving the sound system outside to the tent and setting it up.

On Sunday morning, we got to be at church EARLY.  The guys had to make sure that the sound equipment was still working nicely and the praise band had another rehearsal.   I figured I'd use the time to make some yo-yo's.  Well, one of the daughters of a praise band member asked me what I was making.  She wanted to learn how to make yo-yo's.  She made 2 yo-yo's before the service started.  She was thinking of all the great ways to use yo-yo's.  I'm sure I'll see them on a headband soon.

After the service there was another BBQ for the whole church.  I helped serve up chicken, pulled pork and hot dogs.  Lots of families brought desserts, so, more YUM! 

My family didn't get to leave until the sound system was hauled back into the church and re-connected.  We had lots of help hauling the system back in and getting the speakers in place.  Re-connecting the wiring is a 2 person job, so, my guys did that while I helped clean up from the lunch and tent service.  We finally left mid afternoon.

Since it was a lovely afternoon, my hubby convinced me to join him on the patio.  Since I'm running behind on my Santa block exchange blocks, I took the iron outside and proceeded to fuse 6 more Santa blocks together before dinner (salmon burgers on the grill).  More YUM!  I didn't cook all weekend.  Food was provided at the sew-in, then food at church, too.  NO-COOK weekend!

Well, gotta go sew blanket stitches around more Santa blocks.  I watched Six Days, Seven Nights while sewing the first block.  I'm gonna finish that movie and move on to Mary Poppins next.  I can sing along and sew at the same time.  Have a Great Week!

Santa block and a Mini Quilt Show

Santa block exchange block in progress

 I've never done fuseable applique before.  This is my first attempt.  I am in a Santa block exchange with one of my quilt guilds.  This is my second block set.  I signed up for 2 sets.  I am making 12 of these blocks.  I cut and sewed the background squares at sew-in yesterday.  I had already prepared the fuseable pieces last week.  I ironed this one onto the block and sewed a blanket stitch all around him last night.  I was watching (listening only, really) the movie 'Six Days, Seven Nights' while I sewed the blanket stitch.  It took me almost the whole movie to sew around this applique.  Whew!  Only 11 more to sew.  Oh yea, did I mention that I still have to sew buttons onto the block?  I hate to sew buttons.

THRIFT STORE FIND!  Look what I found at a local thrift store this week.  A Franciscan Desert Rose Thimble.  After doing a little online research, I discovered that this is from the Franklin Mint (1980).  The box is missing it's bottom.  I found prices on the internet ranging from $55 to a whopping $122.50.  WOW!  I wanted it because my mother-in-law has a whole collection of Desert Rose, and she has turned me onto them, too.  I now have a collection of my own, thanks to a co-worker of my hubby's who didn't want her grandmothers set.  Did I mention that I only paid $1.61 for this thimble?

Desert Rose Thimble

Christopher's quilt

my parents wedding gift quilt

I had some quilts in a quilt show last weekend.  The Quilter's Dozen has a quilt show every year during the Prairie Fest in Oswego.  The Quilter's Dozen is a group of hand quilters that has been meeting for years.  They do lovely work.  Their raffle quilt is labeled below.  Look closely at the hand quilting in the center of the raffle quilt.  It's beautiful.  Sadly, I didn't win the raffle quilt again.  I'll try again next year.

 The quilt show is not for prizes.  I showed the quilt I made for my son when he graduated high school a few years ago.  It is the blue 'space theme' quilt.  I also showed the quilt that my great-grandmother made and gave to my parents as a wedding gift.  My parents were married 51 years ago tomorrow. 

Below are many more of the quilts from the show.  The show is in a tiny one room school house that is now a museum. 

Raffle quilt

Raffle quilt center

my Crazy quilt on rack

Quilter's Dozen quilt in progress

If you've made it this far, don't forget to enter my first ever giveaway here.

Mail Call and Giveaway(s)!

 Look what came in the mail yesterday!  Yes, my order from Stitchin' Heaven.  I had never ordered from this shop before, but, I am very pleased with my service from them.  Everything was carefully packed.  They also sent me a free fat quarter that matches the fabrics that I ordered.  Nice ladies!

 I checked out their 'sale' area and found these great fabrics.  I love stripes, but, I seldom use them except for borders.  I thought I could use these fabrics for some of my Quilts of Valor quilts.  They will make fun center stars for spiderweb quilts.

 I keep hearing about 'Qtools Sewing Edge' and I decided to try it out.  I have several treadle sewing machines, and, not nearly enough 1/4" feet for all of them.  I also saw these cute scissors.  I wanted a pair of the blue scissors, but, they called and told me that they were out of them.  I picked the green instead.  I guess I'll just have to win the blue pair over at Stray Stitches giveaway, along with the really cute table runner kit.  If you enter, tell her I sent you.

I also ordered these two magazines.  I keep seeing the Quiltmakers 100 Blocks on other blogs, so, I decided that I needed a copy for myself.  The McCall's Perfect for Precuts magazine is not for me.  It is for a friend in Australia.  We are having a magazine swap.  She gets this, and I get the Australian Blue magazine that is featuring Bonnie Hunter.  I have to get this one in the mail.

There is a Texas Statewide Quilt Shop Hop for the month of September.  Quilt Across Texas!  It includes 89 Fabulous Quilt Shops.  Since I get to be in Texas in September, I'll have to check it out.  My poor hubby!  Oh well, maybe they will have a hobby shop near the quilt shops.  Gotta keep him happy!

Don't forget to sign up for my first ever giveaway!  Make sure you sign up on the correct post!

Giveaway is Finally Here!

OLFA Circle Rotary Cutter and Demo disk

 GIVEAWAY!  I said I would have a giveaway if I ever won a giveaway, and, now I have won 2 giveaways.  I'm still waiting for the 2nd one to arrive, but, you can see what I won the first time here.  (Thanks Brita!)

Here is what I am giving away.  An OLFA Circle Rotary Cutter (18mm) and the product demo disc that goes with it. 

 I am also including this pattern, 'Bundle of 12 - Beach Balls' by Amelie Scott Designs.  It uses 12 fat quarters along with some yardage to make the quilt.  It makes a 50" x 66" quilt.

Bundle of 12 - Beach Balls pattern

Gifts All Around patterns

I am also including 'Gifts All Around' by Aarol Penny Pattenden.  It includes a wall hanging, table runner and a gift bag instructions.

Here are the rules:
1. Leave a comment on this post.  If you are anonymous, leave me a way to contact you or you can't win.  PS:  Please tell me what you are working on. 

2. For a second entry, become a follower of my blog.

3.  If you blog about this, you can come back for a third entry (yes, I will check).

4. I don't twitter/tweet or facebook, so, this is it, 3 entries per person.

I will select a winner on Tuesday evening, July 5th.  That is more than 2 full weeks to enter.  That should give everyone a chance to get back from the holiday weekend.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Cheryl

Car problems, travel and aquisitions, and giveaway ideas

Singer 301

 Car problems this week.  My transmission has been giving me problems for quite some time, but, when I take it in, they can't find anything wrong with it.  Well, this time they did, to the tune of $1500!  Eek!  The SUV is a 2005 and it has over 110,000 miles on it.  I really haven't had any problems with it other than new tires and regular maintenance.  It drives differently, now, but, it made it to the middle of Wisconsin OK on Saturday.  Of course, when we were almost there, my son, who was driving his own car so that he'll have a car at camp, says that the service engine soon light was on in his car.  He'll have to deal with it on his own, poor kid, since I am now 4+ hours away in another state. 

antique quilt

 After I dropped my baby at camp for the summer, I decided to take the back roads home so that I could hit the yard sales and thrift stores.  I only found 1 yard sale, it was an Estate sale, but, I got a sewing box with lots of notions in it and a small amount of fabric.  Whohoo! 

I found this great Singer 301 at an antique store.  They wanted $135 for it, but, I was a good girl and passed it by.  

cute kids hand crank sewing machine

doilies and mini quilt

 I also saw several beautiful, old quilts at the same antique store.  I didn't bring any home today.  Check out the cute children's hand crank sewing machine.  It's sitting on a childrens toy stove.  The decals were sew pretty!  Again, I was a good girl and passed them by.  What I didn't pass by, were the doilies or the vintage hankies.  I found 7 hankies at a thrift shop for $1 each, BUT, I found a bag of 22 hankies at the antique store for only $8.  SCORE!  I also got the  5 doilies for $5. 

29 vintage hankies

I went to a church rummage sale on Friday, before I left.  I found several pieces of cotton fabric, another bag of almost all cotton fabrics, and...  the cute mini quilt in the picture.  It is hand quilted.  It only cost me fifty cents!  I grabbed that quilt and held it tight! 

I want to have a giveaway.  What do you want?  Fabric? Vintage doilies and linens?  Patterns?  Books?  Notions?  Let me know.  If I get enough ideas, I just might have to have more than one giveaway.  I promised that if I ever won a giveaway, I'd have a giveaway.  Well, I won a giveaway, so, now it's my turn.  Fair is fair, don't you think? 

Something done and learned something new

I'm in a Santa block exchange in one of my quilt guilds.  I signed up for twice, so, I have to make two different sets of blocks.  These are from my first set of blocks.  I finished the set of 12 today. Yipee!  One set down, one set to go.  The next set is going to be a fuseable applique Santa.  I haven't done fuseable applique before.  It will be a learning experience. 

One of my quilt guilds was tonight.  The speaker was Sue Pawlowski from the Chicago suburbs.  She was a hoot!  She spoke about "A Quilter's Lifecycle".  If you look at the picture above, try to guess what it is.  It is her 'thread ball' that she has made over the years.  She passed it around in this tub, and told us all to take a little bit of it to remind us to start a thread ball of our own.  She even won a ribbon for this thread ball.  Can you believe it???  She makes wonderful quilts.  She also sells patterns.  Check out her site (above). 

This is what I learned how to make this evening.  I wanted to take something to work on during guild.  I bought a Yo-yo maker on Tuesday (while at the Quilts of Valor sew-in).  I've never made yo-yo's before.  I pulled out my yo-yo maker and started to read the instructions (yes, I really read the instructions for once).  While I was reading the instructions, Christine offered to show me how to use the yo-yo maker.  It was much more fun with Christine showing me than reading the instructions.  I made all 12 yo-yo's at guild this evening.  It was fun!  Thanks Christine!

Lastly, they always say that busy people get more things done.  This week I think it is true.  I started 2 new part time jobs 3 weeks ago.  One is volunteer for my church (office work), and the other is just up the street, also doing office work.  I started both jobs on the same day.  Two new jobs, one day, two different computer systems.  Can you say CRAZY!!!  Well, this week, I've worked both jobs, attended two quilt guilds, Quilts of Valor sew-in on Tuesday and my regular Thursday sew-in.  I finished one set of Santa blocks and learned to make yo-yo's.  Not bad.  Did you do anything this week?

Thrift store & yard sale finds, and one even better!

$10 Halloween quilt

 Anyone who knows me knows I love thrift stores and yard sales.  I found the quilt at a yard sale yesterday.  It is flannel backed and is beautiful.  They were selling it for a charity.  I DID give them more money for the charity.  It goes to help buy cribs for babies.  Since they can't use the drop-side cribs anymore, they are having to use more money to purchase the cribs.

Light box

yard sale finds

I found the light box at a thrift store the other day.  I will need a light box for an applique project that is due in July.  This will make that project so much easier to get done.  I was really glad that it works.  Now to just get started on the second set of Santa blocks for the exchange.

Giveaway winnings! WhooHoo

Look at the lovely oriental fabric under everything.  I found all three pieces of fabric (all cotton) at a yard sale, along with the 2-sided cutting/ironing mat, the triangle ruler and the whole set of unopened templates.  Total cost for all of them was $4.  The oriental fabric is about 3 yards.  The template set included the 'kite' template, which I can use to make more spiderweb quilts.
Last, but certainly not least, is what came in the mail yesterday.  Look at the lovely fat quarters of chocolate fabric and the great pattern book that came with them.  I won these from Brita over at Scraps of Happiness.  Thanks Brita.  I promised to have a giveaway myself if I ever won one myself.  Now, what to giveaway???  Stay tuned!