Dolls from the Loft

Urban Chiks 1974

2012-02-09T19:25:00.001-05:00

I love this fabric and did make one quilt out of it. I had some yardage and a jelly roll left and it worked out perfect for a shower curtain in one of my bathrooms. I love the way it came out and now I get to see this favorite fabric daily…

I washed and dried all the fabrics (put the jelly roll in a pillowcase) trimmed all the threads, folded, pressed and pleated the strips on my machine then attached the jelly roll flowers to the fabric.

And Pinterest gets me soooo side tracked, now I’m totally “hooked” on making these….. circle in squares grannys.

Linking up to Amanda Jean’s Finish it up Friday

xo Shawn

Green

2012-01-29T19:48:00.001-05:00

Just noticing how much the landscape changes with the seasons around here, miss the green but not the mowing…haha

xoShawn

Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T19:58:00.001-05:00

Finished my Christmas Tree Pants sew along hosted by Monica at the Happy Zombie. I used Kona natural and red linen.

Outlined all my stars with some vintage cotton ric-rac that I have a lifetime supply of (thanks to my sweet Mama), hand stitched every peak and valley cause I didn’t want it to curl and I’m anal like that …lol also added a border.

Hand quilted with red perle.

I made two new red linen table cloths, a natural runner and 15 napkins in a Denyse Schmidt print. Now I just need to add dishes, cook and bake and I’ll be ready for Christmas Eve dinner! I wish Christmas was a couple more weeks away so I could enjoy the anticipation a little longer….. I surprised myself at how much I like my table arrangement, I’m really happy with it. Inspired by this pin.

Linking up to Amanda Jean’s Finish it up Friday

Merry Christmas

xoShawn

Two firsts!

2011-12-15T19:36:00.001-05:00

First T-Shirt quilt (for a friend). Lady Lions basketball!

I had one block left over so I made a pillow to match.

First time machine stitching my binding.

I love the way this quilt turned out and am sure I will make one for each of my kids someday….Sigh lol

Her Mama wrote a sweet note and I attached and embroidered it to the quilt.

Linking up to Amanda Jean’s Finish it up Friday!!

xoShawn

Gingerbread House Party

2011-12-10T19:54:00.001-05:00

Barb

Susan

Samantha

Erin

Jade

Alex

Dan

Verle

Grant

Will

We all had a fun time!

xo Shawn

A quilt for Carter

2011-11-18T18:15:00.002-05:00

My daughter asked me to make a quilt for her friend who is expecting a baby boy any day now.

She did a little shopping at Fabric Worm and I think she made a great choice. A nice cuddly patchwork quilt, hand quilted with a squares in squares design with perle.

A cute dotty fabric for the back.

Happy Thanksgiving ~ We’ll be cooking a turkey with all the trimmings at our house..yum

Linking up to Amanda Jean’s Finish it up Friday ~ this lady is a motivator!!!

xo Shawn

Swoon Practice

2011-10-21T17:23:00.001-04:00

I love this Swoon block by Thimble Blossoms

I decided to make a practice block and liked it so much I finished it into a small quilt.

Hand quilted with natural perle #8

Looks good on a table, this sewing machine works but I haven’t used it for a while.

Confession ~ I have more sewing machines than I can use… but not as many as I once had

One of the last roses of summer, we may have a frost this weekend..

Linking up to Amanda Jean’s finish it up Friday, blogging two weeks in a row ~ a record for me.. haha

xoShawn

Topsy Turvy

2011-10-14T12:10:00.001-04:00

Made from Amanda Jean’s Pattern at the Moda Bake Shop

I think I started this back in March… at least it was March 2011, lol

I used the Simple Abundance fabric line by Thimble Blossoms, I love this fabric !!

It took me a little longer because I hand quilted straight lines with perle #8. I love hand quilting and this is the first time I have used the perle , I really enjoyed it, the stitches don’t have to be so tiny.

I pieced the back, this picture is kind of bright … oh well

I added a border so it finished up measuring 74”x82”.

One of the few sunny Fall days we’ve had around here.

Linking up to Amanda’s finish-it-up Friday

xoShawn

Vivid Terrain

2011-10-02T17:56:00.001-04:00

Definitely a cheerful quilt

Two charm packs of Kate Spain’s Terrain is perfect for this pinwheel quilt.

I made some wonky pieced blocks for the back.

Happy Fall!!!

xoShawn

Crochet edge pillowcases

2011-08-06T19:45:00.001-04:00

tutorial from You Go Girl! and so fun to make and to look at in Flower Sugar!

and a couple little mug quilts with the leftovers…..

xoShawn

Frolic

2011-07-19T12:17:00.001-04:00

It’s been so hot here.

Time to come inside and sew a little table runner made from a Frolic charm pack.

I quilted it in the ditch with perle and really enjoyed it.

Perfect use of a charm pack.

The pattern was in one of the BHG special publications.

xoShawn

Made a new dolly

2011-06-20T19:44:00.001-04:00

and a quilt for her too, love that Flower Sugar line ~ so sweet!

xoShawn

I love making pasta

2011-06-02T12:27:00.001-04:00

Thanks to my inspiring Mom and yes our dogs have a cookie jar on the counter…..

Now I need to go spend some time outside on this gorgeous day!!

xoShawn

A little knitting and a little

2011-06-01T07:33:00.001-04:00

Black Lace, a beautiful and unique plant.

Also knit the Wonderful Wallaby, (sz 2), Love this sweater, so fun to knit in every size!!

Happy Wednesday,

xoShawn

Ranunculus

2011-04-19T19:59:00.001-04:00

a gorgeous plant with a beautiful flower!!

Spring has finally sprung around here, yay!!!

The background is a Weeping Cherry, so beautiful this time of year.

So I’ll be spending a lot of time with a Wildcat and his friend Mr Weedywacker….

xoShawn

I’ve been pinning

2011-04-16T18:28:00.001-04:00

Kind of a rainy, chilly, dreary day here….so I’m working on my Simple Abundance quilt.

Based on a tutorial by crazymomquilts. I will be hand quilting with straight lines using perle cotton #8. I’ve finished one section and really enjoyed the look and stitching with the perle cotton.

and pinning here (Pinterest), it’s kind of addicting and fun!

xoShawn

Wax on Wax off

2011-04-14T20:32:00.001-04:00

Joining the shutter project link up at Donna’s Funky Junk Interiors

I found this shutter at a local Antique Store. I used Miss Mustard Seed’s inspirational tutorials on painting and waxing to give it a whimsical look, and use it as a shelf in my greenhouse. I love the little porcelain knob, so sweet.

Had so much fun with this project, I started and finished another. I really like the waxing technique. I’ve refinished many pieces of furniture but never with paint and wax, it was fun and fast!!

A couple greenhouse pics

A flowering succulent

I like to decorate my pots with moss.

We have a little wren who likes to make a house in here in the Spring, hope she picks this one, this year!

xo Shawn

Not looking/feeling much like Spring around here…

2011-03-30T20:00:00.002-04:00

That’s ok more time for sewing *yay, and I have finished a couple quilts.

Soft edge pattern by “Cotton Way” in the Simple Abundance line by Moda.

Still need to clip a few threads…..or more than a few haha.

I trimmed the edge with some vintage red cotton ric-rac. I’ve had this fabric and pattern for awhile, so glad to finish it, and I’m very happy with the quilt.

And the Cubby Stars quilt a long, made with “Fresh Cottons” on the front and “Breakfast at Tiffanys” polka dots on the back. Thanks for the instruction Tracy!!

I used a bamboo and cotton blend batting and I really like it.

It’s not quite as stiff as warm and natural.

Joanna from Fig Tree Quilts designs beautiful fabrics.

I love this quilt!

xoShawn

Fandango Stars

2011-02-25T19:18:00.001-05:00

Love this table quilt with wonky stars and a perfect way to use every square in a charm pack..

The quilting was fun too

With the couple left over squares I made a cute little mug rug, so popular these days.

I adore this tiny wonky star, bound in linen ♥

Fandango love… linking to Amylouwho’s Sew and Tell , thanks Natalia.

The snow is starting to melt and I’m actually seeing the daffodils try to pop up ~Yay

xoShawn

Instant Gratification

2011-02-16T19:41:00.001-05:00

Compared to stitching a full size quilt, a couple of table runners finished

A “Simple Abundance” charm pack made into a table runner,the tutorial can be found at the Moda Bake Shop.

This fabric line is so pretty,I think I’ll make one to keep and one to sell on Etsy.

I used natural linen on the back and brown linen for the binding. Linen love…

A cute “Fresh Cottons” runner with some scraps left over from my Chubby Stars quilt. These strips were edges cut off layer cake squares.

With a natural linen border. I love all Fig Tree designs *sigh…

First block of a new *star* Quilt-a-Long with Natalia at Piece n Quilt.

We had temps in the 50’s today, I think I’m finally ready for warmer weather.

I took most all the photos in this post inside my little greenhouse.

xoShawn

Ready, Set, Sew

2011-02-05T19:59:00.001-05:00

I piece all my quilts on a Featherweight. My parents gave me this machine when I was a young girl and she was used when I got her. I.love.this. machine…. she is like one of my kids. I should have shined her up for a photo, oh well.

I actually have four of these hard workers including the one my Dad gave my Mom when they were married in 1956.

I do all my quilting on my Bernina and she is a dream to sew with too! I’m working on my Chubby Stars quilt a long with Fresh Cottons by Fig Tree Quilts.

Using polka dots from the Breakfast at Tiffanys by Fig Tree on the back.

Lots of ironing and careful piecing in this quilt.

I feel like I’m finally coming down the home stretch. I started it back in August but then took a few months off for the holidays and piecing all those chain blocks. There are 48pcs in each chain block….yikes. I’m going to add a red polka dot border all the way around the outside edge.

I had these old lamps packed away for so long and I love them so much I decided to put them in my sewing room, so glad I did.

Happily Sewing,

xoShawn

Splash of Color

2011-01-06T19:51:00.001-05:00

and enjoying the plants in my little greenhouse, it definitely puts some cheer into the gray winter days.

There is just something so sweet about these little begonias, I love them. Thanks Anna, and linking to Emma’s Splash of Color.

xoShawn

Finished

2010-12-28T19:14:00.001-05:00

xoShawn

Just a few more houses left to decorate…

2010-12-22T07:21:00.001-05:00

Merry

Christmas

you!

xoShawn

Decorating…

2010-12-10T05:38:00.001-05:00

cooking and baking are my favorite parts of the Season … shopping, not so much.

xoShawn

Sidetracked ….. it’s so easy for me

2010-11-29T18:22:00.001-05:00

Instead of working Raggedy Ann orders which have been keeping me pretty busy.

I get totally distracted looking around blogland and start stitching one of these cute house pillows. I’ve been seeing little house designs everywhere, they are so cute. I used Merry and Bright Scraps stitched on linen.

And so much fun to stitch, a little quilting, a little embroidery and a little creative embellishing ~

It was 26 degrees here last night and my plants are still living inside the our small “greenhouse” with some heat of course. We’re turning my potting shed into a greenhouse, hopefully it will work…so far so good

Now ~~~let the decorating begin

xo Shawn

My Heavenly Blues

2010-09-18T11:06:00.001-04:00

Never bloom until September

Twining through the delicate herb Sweet Annie ~

Happy Fall

xoShawn

Wonky Chubby Stars ???

2010-09-10T10:12:00.001-04:00

I’m joining traceyjays Quilt-a-Long using the Fresh Cottons line, which I love, love, love and cheating a little..

I used the half square triangle method for my star points in the chain blocks

and had to adjust the snowball points a little

so my chubby stars are kind of wonky, but I can totally live with it and I love this design, thank you so much Tracey!

I’m not ready for the first frost and think I need a greenhouse……

xoShawn

4 Charm Packs =

2010-08-22T15:32:00.001-04:00

A couple new quilts, just basic patchwork showing off the fabrics, sometimes I find it difficult to cut them up. And I have “collected” quite a few charm packs that I need to use up. This one is Prayer Flag by April Cornell for Moda. I machine quilted it in the ditch and also with a swirly/loopy design in each square.

I.love. this. fabric ~ Fresh Cottons by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda. I stitched this one in the ditch and also stitched a flowery/butterfly design in each block. Oh and Joanna over at Fresh Figs is having a super fun giveaway!

xoShawn

All tied up

2010-08-17T12:19:00.001-04:00

It started with the tee shirt pocket pillow I made for my Dan’s birthday.

The tee-shirt was purchased on vacation visiting relatives a few years ago, it had a stain so I decided to make a pillow out of it.

Dan loves bandana fabric so I used some red on the inside.

I really loved the pillow ticking so I decided to stitch up a quilt out of it. I haven’t tied a quilt in a while, this is a big full/queen and I wanted it a little poofy for a change so I decided to tie it.

I started on the table and finished on the floor. Someone thought I wanted to play….

I love the way it finished ~ simple and pretty.

Dan is so easy going, he lets me do whatever I want when it comes to decorating his room.

Made some lighthouse pocket pillowcases to0, I love the way they hold the pillow inside.

I have lots of vintage navy cotton ric-rac that I was happy I used on this quilt.

Incorporated two charm packs of Minick and Simpsons Bar Harbor on the back.

On a bittersweet note, I also finished my last “grief” blanket. I knitted about 10 of these during my parents final days and eventual death in 2005. I’m finished now, not finished knitting but finished making these blankets, every stitch comforting and helping me through a difficult time. My Mom taught me to sew and knit among many other things. It goes nice with Dan’s new quilt.

Quilt inspired by “The Lettered Cottage” guest bedroom.

xoShawn

Got Corn…..

2010-08-17T10:36:00.001-04:00

We are “all” enjoying the fresh corn on the cob this year…. lol I’m sure he would eat the cob too which he has done in the past, but the vet said it’s not good for his tummy. Of course he would rather be waited on in this way. Pets are too funny, it is so fun to watch him eat every kernel off the cob!

xoShawn

My baby boy turns 19 in one week,

2010-07-14T13:50:00.001-04:00

One of two of the best accomplishments in my life, ♥ you sweetie!

xo Mom

Bluebirds

2010-06-22T19:12:00.001-04:00

Happy, Busy, Bluebirds ~ working on their nest

Mama looks like she has a giant mustache ~ too funny.

Using nice soft hair that they found after I brushed these guys yesterday.

We like to grow our Labs big???

They’re always cute when they’re sleeping ♥

Must you dig a huge hole and lay in it……

xoShawn

Monkeys in Oz……

2010-06-03T07:51:00.001-04:00

I can’t remember when I made this sock monkey for my son, maybe 10 or 12 years ago, he is showing his well loved age a little… He was actually packed away in the closet, poor little guy. He inspires me to stitch another, they are fun to make.

I just love the Oz fabric line and thought it was perfect for another raw edge circle quilt, inspired by Allison over at Cluck Cluck Sew.

Monkeys in Oz measures 66”x78”, a nice (big/large) size.

Sock Monkeys on the back and Oz on the front.

It’s a little on the heavy side though, I didn’t cut out behind the circles . Oh well I have enough scraps around here.

This fabric reminds me of the 70’s??

I feel like I should make a little outfit for my monkey they are so cute dressed!

Sock Monkeys are just so silly I can’t help but love their sweetness!!

I’m pretty happy with my machine quilting on this one. I like the circles, loops, flowers/butterflies and a wavy stitch my machine made.

I’ll be taking a little blog break, I need to spend some summertime with my family, mow, weed, mulch and grow my gardens ~ all of these chores make me happy, or I’ll just keep telling myself that………

xoShawn

Pinwheel Sampler in Blush

2010-05-19T13:45:00.001-04:00

The brown in this quilt reminds me of chocolate…

Chocolate

Not Vanilla not Yellow ~ sorry Riley, he would just love to lay on this quilt. No way Mister!

I made 20 blocks and used 3’’ borders with small pinwheels between the blocks. My quilt measures 62’’x72’’ after washing and drying.

I pieced the back and quilted my sampler with a crosshatch design, I’m very happy with the way it finished.

Thanks Rachel of P.S. i Quilt (love her blog name) for taking the time to instruct us on how to stitch up this wonderful sampler. I told myself I wasn’t signing up for any quilt-a-longs this year, I couldn’t resist!

Finished just in time for Amy’s Quilt Festival ~ Yay!

Can’t wait to see all the quilts.

Lots of gardening going on here too, in between stitching time.

xoShawn

Happy Earth Day

2010-04-22T19:38:00.001-04:00

and two finished projects

Two “Make Life” charm packs made this quilt perfectly.

I used every scrap in my pieced back.

Very pretty and fun fabric…

I adapted this Apron kit from Sweetwater a little to suit me, I need a bib on my apron, I’m kind of messy when I cook/bake.

I had some vintage cotton ric-rac to use around the bottom.

I ordered a cute patch for the bib top. I’ll be happy when I wear this and feel pretty in it too!

These two are watching every stitch I take while enjoying my morning coffee…

Happy Earth Day ~ I love azaleas

Linked to

The Inspired Room

xoShawn

Make Life

2010-04-14T19:12:00.001-04:00

Quilt top and a perfect way to use two charm packs. Poo I think I better take my time a little more with block placement. Oh well …... I really like this fabric.

Make Life Bloom

xoShawn

More pinwheels

2010-04-14T06:57:00.001-04:00

I only have two more to go and also the 12 small ones for the inner borders, Rachel composed a wonderful tutorial for the blocks! I really like the framed pinwheel blocks and would love a whole quilt made from them…..I found another sampler I may have to join, these pinwheels are so much fun! the twiddletails blog

I thought these two photos went well together, both taken on a pretty Spring day after a rain. Mr Doll built this potting shed for me about 15 years ago and I love having a place to play in the dirt!! Azaleas, absolutely one of my favorites. I like my gardens formal in the front of our home and more natural and informal in the back.

Sunday was our first trip out on the river near our home, such a natural beauty (my daughter and the river)

xoShawn

First Day this year to

2010-03-31T19:08:00.001-04:00

Hang some linens out to dry, oh they smell so good!

Sit outside, get a little sun and hand stitch a binding (heaven)… oh and take a closeup look at a couple new charm packs, 12 days of Christmas and Make life, yum.

Take a picture outside without freezing my buns off. Progress so far on Rachel’s Pinwheel Quilt A Long.

And do some weeding, but that’s not a pretty picture….

xoShawn

Woodland Bloom

2010-03-27T20:41:00.001-04:00

Stacked coins quilt

This sweet quilt measures a generous 47"x50". It stitched up very nice and is soft and cuddly, it has already been washed and dried.

The stacked coins are so cute.

Fabric is "Woodland Bloom" by Lila Tueller for Moda.

The quilt is machine pieced and machine quilted with a swirly - loopy - design, the double binding is a Hoffman paisley and is sewn on the edge by hand.

The back is white with two rows of 4 and a half inch blocks down the middle.

I really enjoyed stitching this quilt

xoShawn

A little sewing and a little walking

2010-03-25T08:22:00.001-04:00

Stitched up some nautical flags for the porch, 5 or 10 more to go, they turned out pretty well, I need to look up the exact meaning, I do know pendants are numbers and the others are phrases or letters. I should know since I’ve been boating my whole life, just never used signal flags.

We have been walking each evening, trying to work off some winter weight……

Come on let’s go?

Chocolate is always way up ahead of us.

The stream is a long way down, such a natural beauty.

And a long way backup the hill too (of course I didn’t say I was walking up and down these hills/cliffs, we either start down at the bottom by the stream or at the top).

I stitched up a couple pillows and I love both patterns. I found this one from Moda Lissa, a really fun pillow with prairie points, this is my first try making them and it won’t be my last, thank you Lissa.

The second tutorial is from You go Girl and I cheated and added a ruffle instead of the crocheted edge. I love the style of this pillowcase because it has a pocket to keep the pillow from sliding out, thank you Cassie ~ love it and I plan to make more!

Yes Spring has sprung and it is amazing.

Happy Thursday

xoShawn

Happy first day of Spring

2010-03-19T21:36:00.001-04:00

Finally finished a Whirlygig Quilt

Fun and easy to piece and measures 50”x60”

Quilted in a loopy design on the seams

Quilted in 3 pieces, “Garden Party” by Blackbird Designs for Moda.

Looking forward to a wonderful warm weekend

xoShawn

A little Quilt

2010-03-16T12:26:00.001-04:00

xoShawn

Leftovers and Pinwheels

2010-03-08T19:43:00.004-05:00

Inspired by Amanda at Crazymomquilts, I donated a couple Wonky Stars to her Quilts of Valor project and knew I wanted to make a quilt for myself using this fun block.

I have finished piecing 30 Wonky Stars and I am hand quilting them individually, relaxing and fun I enjoy/love hand sewing. ;)

I made a small quilt called “Beach Balls” with the fabric I had left over from the Wonky Star Blocks.

Inspired by a tutorial here *** Cluck.Cluck.Sew. Thank you Allison. This quilt was a lot of fun and I think I will make another. It measures 33.5”x44”.

I used flannel on the back and had a lot of fun with the quilting!!

Another quilt named by Kevin, the fabric line is Nautical and Nice so I think “Beach Balls” is appropriate.

Looks cute on a table too!!

Six blocks completed for Rachel’s pinwheel sampler quilt a long.

xoShawn

Pinwheels

2010-02-23T13:12:00.003-05:00

First two blocks of Rachel’s Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along. I will be using Blush by Basic Grey for Moda.

The first two blocks were a lot of fun and Rachel does a great job explaining everything with pics . Thank you Rachel, believe me I had to refer to the placement a lot (I only had to rip out one seam, let’s just say puzzles take me a long time to complete). The weather here today is dreary and rainy so the pictures didn’t come out very well. (It looks like I dropped the aqua fabric in the mud… I didn’t)

I baked some very pretty and yummy Snickerdoodle cupcakes that I found on Jodi’s blog yesterday and this is all that are left today, Thanks Jodi I will definitely make these again.

xoShawn

There’s a new girl in town

2010-02-21T19:40:00.003-05:00

A new quilt in the stack, see her

Her name is…… Swanky ( posh high-class glamorous classy cool hip awesome super swank ) by Chez Moi for Moda

Piecing my back didn’t turn out quite as I planned …. oh well my quilt isn’t perfect and neither am I. And as my Mom would say “It’s not a contest”. Whatever

Yes it’s Swanky on the back, which wasn’t planned but it worked out ok and made 2 quilts in one. There is a lot going on in this quilt and it makes me happy!

Verna by Kate Spain for Moda

Swanky Verna measures 66”x72”, a nice size quilt for snuggling or sleeping.

This quilt was inspired by Amanda Jean @ Crazymomquilts and Rachel @ P.S. I Quilt thanks for the inspiration ladies!

I’m not sure which block is my favorite, I love them all front and back.

I feel like this design showcases the fabric and it works up pretty fast. If anyone had told me I would be stitching quilts with raw edges exposed a couple years ago I wouldn’t have believed them. This is my third and I really love them.

Machine pieced and quilted in four sections, I’ve been machine quilting for a little over a year now and I like it, I still love to hand quilt though.

One more down ~~~ lots to go

I made a little terrarium, it was a lot of fun and smells like my favorite greenhouse.

xoShawn

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-13T15:53:00.002-05:00

I finished a little windmill quilt (36"x36")

I machine pieced and quilted with a loopy design.

Mary Engelbreit fabric

Love the puckery softness from washing and drying.

I love to sew…..

I hand stitched the binding and embroidered my quilt name and the date.

Oh yes we have to have cupcakes on Valentines Day!

xoShawn

My pretty Verna,

2010-02-07T19:11:00.008-05:00

well actually it’s Kate Spain’s pretty Verna line for Moda.

So happy, feels like spring is on the way.

I am going to make another Scrufflily style quilt because for me it’s all about the fabric and I don’t want to cut it up too much, and…. …… I. love. scruffily quilts! I am making mine a little larger though, it will have 56 blocks.

I was just sewing today not planning on taking any pictures, laying my blocks on the blue chair and hanging the completed rows over the rail, and I thought that fabric looks so pretty I should take a picture.

These two chairs are probably about 60 –75 years old, I was planning on refinishing them~ someday...... , but the more I look at them I think they have come back in style just the way they are, chippy and a happy blue! I will leave them just the way they are…and they go nice with my new quilt.

I hung the Valentine banner in my sewing room, it goes well with the curtains. It snowed another 28” Friday evening and most of the day Saturday, we’ve broken a record here for the most snowfall in a winter season. We never get this much snow. More snow predicted for Tuesday, so who knows I may get my Verna finished this week, I hope so.

Ok I better go watch the Super Bowl game.

Bye

xoShawn

A Valentine sewing project

2010-02-03T19:42:00.007-05:00

finished before the 14th, thank you Stina from Kviltstina…

Stina designed six adorable hearts to stitch for fun and free!!!

I haven’t made any pendant banners, but they have been on my list and Stina’s little hearts were the perfect project for them.

Sometimes ideas in my head don’t always translate well into real life. I am very happy with the way my pendants stitched up ;) . Here they are across the Valentine quilt I finished last year.

I finished a few other projects last month too, two rooms painted, new roman shades, drapery panels, valances and some cotton knit washcloths. A pretty productive month. Yay ;)

Oh and it snowed again today, so I made a little Snowlady.

Thanks again for the inspiration Stina!

Stop by The Inspired Room for more winter home inspiration.

xoShawn

Snow Pretty at Sunrise,

2010-01-08T19:58:00.003-05:00

really cold but very pretty, this makes me happy…

very happy

xoShawn

Twenty to thirty…..

2009-12-19T20:06:00.006-05:00

inches that is, this picture was taken at dawn this morning.

We haven’t had this much snow around here for a while…… be careful what you wish for. The driveway has already been cleared twice and will probably need it again tomorrow morning.

Some people have to do the work,

while others get to play…..

We love to feed the birds and even had to clean off their feeder.

It was 4PM when this picture was taken and still snowing.

Oh well ~ tummy full.

Warm and cozy fire.

And a little knitting.

Merry Christmas,

xoShawn

Have yourself a….

2009-12-17T15:24:00.001-05:00

and Bright

Fabric by Sandy Gervais for Moda. I wanted to make a Christmas quilt out of this, but I knew it wasn’t going to happen, so I decided on a small wall quilt with some hand embroidery. I really enjoyed the loopy quilting over the seams and I think I will try it on a larger piece.

P.S. I finished this last month, there hasn’t been much time for sewing lately only a little early morning knitting while drinking a cup of wake-me-up coffee.

I.love.to.sew……

December

2009-12-10T06:35:00.007-05:00

I’ve enjoyed putting together these little woodland containers which have a paperwhite bulb in each, I can’t wait to see how they do, so far so good.

Ribbon candy beside the sugared gum drop dish which is always empty…..

A poinsettia jar my Mom made, is one of my favorite decorations. It has 24ktgold paint dabbled on the outside and is red inside, with a votive placed inside it glows a pretty red color.

One of my favorite clip on birds, he has a pretty lavender tail feather.

I can’t resist a few live poinsettias this time of year, there are so many beautiful varieties today.

This little sheep has the perfect haircut!

I guess I should take my clothesline down for the winter……

Our Christmas tree before we brought it in, I wish I brought my camera to the tree farm, all the trees were covered with snow. It was beautiful and actually didn’t take long to find one this year ~Yay.

I collect little bird nests that I find on the ground after a strong wind, I’m amazed at the materials and construction. When we found these feathers , they were not in the nest, I have no idea what kind of bird they came from.

Another sunrise

It’s that magical time of year….

xoShawn

Check out the Inspired Room for lots of holiday creativity!

Happy Decorating ~

2009-12-05T17:04:00.002-05:00

and it is snowing here today.

We have a silver tree in our bedroom this year, only live trees are “allowed” in the main room.

The Weeping Cherry decorated with some pretty white lights ~ thanks Erin!

The garage door wreath , I like the bells and it works for the Mr.

I went to my favorite greenhouse today and came home with lots of poinsettias and this .

I’ve been having so much fun knitting these little dolls from Dollytime ~ too cute and they make great little ornaments.

Merry HOHO

xoShawn

Lulu

2009-11-14T16:33:00.001-05:00

a little 12” hand knit dolly I just finished, the pattern is designed by “Dollytime”

I made her a little Christmas dress too. Both dresses were supposed to have the picot hem, as in the Christmas dress but I liked the way the one she is wearing rolled up on the edge so I left it. I will add white ribbons to the dress below.

I don’t know whether to trim her pig tails or leave them long….

This is an adorable pattern an so easy to knit.

I used wool for her clothes and a wool/silk blend for her body. I added a little rosette as a wristlet.

She even has little panties ~too cute~

And Mary Janes with a tiny black button on her strap, white socks with a little blue stripe at the top.

Thanks Wendy !

xoKnitting LOve,

Shawn

Veterans Day 2009

2009-11-11T18:57:00.002-05:00

On February 8th 2006 at Arlington National Cemetery my parents arrived at their final destination in this life. My Dad was entitled to a ceremony with Full Honors. The military life was a good one, I learned a lot from it.

This was a sad ending to a happy life and I have many, many wonderful memories of times spent with my parents.

I miss you two……………..

xoShawn

Happy October Memories

2009-11-01T18:36:00.005-05:00

Roxy and Riley are not in jail anymore, they broke out the same day, these pups keep me hoppin!

I finished a couple Raggedy Anns .

All of my Wool Garden blocks are pieced together and the border on. I will hand quilt outlining everything since the rest of the quilt is all stitched by hand. It’s working up pretty fast and I love this BOM from Farmhouse Woolens.

We had some pretty sunrises here this month.

And colorful foliage too

Dogwood berries

Pretty grasses

Winterberry, soon all the leaves will fall off and just the berries will be left.

Now it’s time to bake cupcakes (lemon cupcakes with strawberry frosting are a pretty yummy combination),

and pies,

and apple dumplings, I'm ready for the cool weather!

Sometimes we have two, sometimes we have four, sometimes we have six, but usually not more.

I love my family,

xoShawn

I don't mind rainy days

2009-10-17T18:49:00.010-04:00

and it's been raining here for a few days, cold and rainy.

The Dogwoods are one of my Favorites anytime of the year.

Love the berries

Looking outside is like looking at a watercolor picture.

My Dad gave me these chrysanthemums, they look like daisies and have just started to bloom and will stay pretty until the end of November.

The herb garden went crazy this year, red blooms are pineapple mint, I will grow it again.

I don't mind rainy days because I have Muck boots (these are great if you have to spend anytime out in the muck) and I get to stay inside and sew all day! Except for three trips out to walk the pups. I'm all caught up on my Bunny Hill Designs and Farmhouse Woolens Blocks of the Month ~Yay.

We're supposed to have one more rainy day tomorrow, oh well guess I'll have to sit by the fire and sew all day. ;)

xoNature LOve,
Shawn

Me my Mom

2009-10-07T19:50:00.015-04:00

and
Double Wedding Ring Quilts
made in 1991
Posted for the Bloggers Quilt Festival
hosted by Amy @ parkcitygirl
Thank you Amy for organizing this Festival.

and 18 years later .... they are as beautiful as ever

I used a natural background.

My Mom used white.

18 years later... I'm still not finished..... eeek
a little embarrassing ... nobody's perfect,
well except my Mom.

Mom finished her hand quilting in 1991 the same year she started it.

This was her first quilt, she was a very ambitious lady in every way.
She had been sewing her whole life but not quilting. Her Dad was a tailor.

Mom's quilt measures 90"x102" (big).

My quilt measures 70"x90".

I miss my Mom, she taught me so much and sew much!!

I know at one time we counted how many pieces were in these quilts,
I forget now a. lot. of. pieces

Machine pieced

Hand quilted

This is the back of mine, I am going to machine quilt it...next year for sure.

I think I took way too many pictures. Oh Well...

Happy Fall
and thanks Amy this was fun,
I can't wait to see all the great quilts out in Blogland.
One of my $1. pumpkins,
I love living in the country.

xoQuiltLOve,
Shawn

Swirly Q's

2009-09-26T15:01:00.003-04:00

another Scruffily Quilt

The fabric is
1974 ~ Urban Chicks for Moda

I think Swirly and 1974 go well together!!

This was such a fun quilt to make next time I think I will go a bit larger though. Actually maybe not it's a nice size to snuggle under on a chilly Fall night.

Lovely Quilty Goodness...

xoQuilt LOve,
Shawn

I can do wonky....

2009-09-15T20:09:00.006-04:00

I think.
Wonky Maverick Star block I'm donating to complete a quilt for the Quilts of Valor
Foundation. I really enjoyed stitching these stars, they were a lot of fun. This block may be on my list of quilts I want to make. I donate these in memory of my Dad who served our country in his military career including 3 tours in Vietnam.

Happy Fall, the change in the weather is very refreshing.

xoSewing LOve,
Shawn

Scrappy Patriotic nine patch finished ~ Yay!

2009-09-11T19:47:00.011-04:00

I remember September 11th

Stipple fun!

A very nice size quilt.

Crazymoms first round nine patch quilt-a-long.

Machine quilted in 9 sections.

Two navy strips on the sides kind of hard to see.

I like this quilt . a. lot

My neighbor...... watching me take pictures.

and I love my home x3 again

xoQuilt LOve,
Shawn

What's in the bag and ...

2009-08-30T06:28:00.009-04:00

it's been raining a lot. There are some huge mushrooms growing in our yard, I hope mushrooms represent good luck. They are so pretty.

Lots of rain, hot and humid means I get to sew more, Yay! I've had this Urban Chicks fabric for a while and decided to stitch a scrappy quilt out of it. I feel like it's a great way to showcase fabric and it doesn't take forever.

The first row has this block in it and I couldn't make myself cover up the little bird's face with a block, so she will stay peeking out of her little paisley house!

I'm machine quilting this in a fun "Swirly Q" design, making it up as I go along.

So that is what is on the line on this cloudy, almost last day of August. There is a little whirlygiggle (Woodland Bloom) block in there, I can't wait to get started on that quilt, another good way to showcase some of the beautiful, irresistible fabrics out there. Also some stacked coins out of the Woodland Bloom.
(Yes, I am obsessed by fabric.)
; )

Riley loves to dig a hole and lay in it to keep cool, guess he will be sleeping in the garage tonight!

xoSewing LOve,
Shawn

A little Pesto and a little Panache....

2009-08-22T13:22:00.013-04:00

A little pesto...
Basil pesto, not the prettiest, but so yummy, as in fresh tomato and pesto pizza!

This has been a great year for Basil in my herb garden. I substituted toasted walnuts for the pine nuts in my pesto, and it was very good. The only pine nuts I could find were from China~~~~ um no thank you.

Greek Columnar Basil, the best basil in every way. This basil is about four feet tall, a real beauty!

A little knitting...
My first pair of socks. I've actually finished one sock, but it turned out kind of baggy, maybe they will shrink in the wash, or I'll just wear them as slippers.

I've always been a little intimidated by sock knitting, but I really enjoyed it. For me it was just getting thru the first couple rows then ~~~ what fun, relaxing knitting!! I will be making more socks.

A little sewing...
I'm finally coming down the home stretch on my Crazy Mom Quilts ninepatch. I actually have two more sections finished, not shown here.

This is the back. I love this fabric on the it reminds me of the saying "The moon, the stars, anything for you" or how ever it goes ~~~

And a little Panache...
Panache is a word of French origin that carries the connotation of a flamboyant manner and reckless courage. Made in Japan, by Sanae for Moda, I think I will make a scrappy quilt out of this fabric. From my favorite online fabric shop.

And I love my home x3.

xoShawn

A Quilt for Cailin

2009-08-02T14:36:00.005-04:00

May all your days be Sunny and all your skies be Blue.
Love, Shawn xo
2009

This is a sad story , little 3 year old Cailin's Mom a young 24 years died from cancer last Friday. I made this quilt for her.

I used fabric from the Cottage Romance Collection. I already had all the blocks completed and quilted, I just had to put them together. This fabric has always reminded me of a little girl.

This is the back ~ very random as is the front.

The quilt measures 48"x64".

I machine quilted this quilt in 42 pieces.
Riley likes the look of it....

Yummy quilt!

May I please, please lay on it???

No you may not!

I hope this quilt helps to comfort you Cailin.

Finished two more Bunny Hill BOMs
one

two

Two more Farmhouse Woolens BOMs too!
one

two

Happy July Memories!

Quilt LOve,
xoShawn

My Sewing Room

2009-07-31T14:15:00.006-04:00

No that's not my Sewing Room, but I've been riding that big orange mower so much this summer, (oops I mean enjoying myself) I haven't had as much time for blogging. And the fact that I am an extremely slow blogger/typer/picture taker, there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to get everything done. After seeing Amanda's post this morning, I finished up my mowing before the rain so I can show my sewing room.

It's not too neat, but it's hidden up here in the loft over the living room * *maybe these will be the before pictures* * Honestly a little messy up here doesn't bother me and I love my space!

I can't believe I climb up this ladder, but it's not a problem...
That's a big cushion on my chair.. hummmmmmmm

Nine patch in progress hanging on the rail.

My cutting table ( for cutting small pieces), this picture is kind of funny, the cutting space seems to be getting smaller and smaller.

I have 10 of these shelves to hold folded cottons and wools.

Another in progress from Karen, and I do have 2 more blocks completed that aren't pinned up yet, so I'm actually caught up on this one. ; )

I do have a TV up here and more storage, some dolls my Mom made sitting on the bureau.

I do have a beautiful view up here too!
I have 2 sewing stations, one for my Bernina and one for my Featherweight.

I love my featherweights, these are just the best sewing machines ever, I wouldn't trade them for anything!!
Oh shoot my featherweight picture accidently got deleted ; (

Sewing LOve
xoShawn

Happy Fourth of July and ......

2009-07-04T10:58:00.008-04:00

I want to do it all but I can't so I'm taking a bloggy break and enjoying the Summer!
xoShawn

I'm happy to say

2009-06-02T16:03:00.006-04:00

I've been sewing all day and finished my May Block for the Tisket a Tasket Free BOM from Anne of Bunny Hill Designs.

Stitched up a little Ladybug pincushion from sewtakeahike , so cute even though I think mine looks a little like a crab. My daughter thinks this would be cute made into a little turtle too. Lots of fun and fast to stitch. Thank you sewtakeahike!

I used the cotton ribbon tie from one of my Moda jelly rolls for the tab on the ladybug pincushion.
A little knitting on my wool blocks for another blanket.

A basket block from the pattern Meredith's Inheritance embroidered basket quilt.

I made it into a little round pillow, the baskets in this quilt pattern are so beautiful!

And I Love my Home pics!

Miss Marigold a new little box turtle addition to our pet family, she is so good and doesn't run away **

xo Shawn

Cotton Blossoms Quilt

2009-05-26T21:08:00.004-04:00

Just a little 8'' block sampler, this is the back with the sun shining through, I think it looks like stained glass.
Machine pieced and quilted in three sections.

My quilt measures 52"x62", it went together very fast!

My little ball player peeking around the corner!
I pieced the binding and hand stitched it on the front because I like to see the stitches and I enjoy looking at the fabrics close up while I stitch.

I used two different fabrics on the back.

And a coin strip, these fabrics are so nice to look at!

I had some vintage orange cotton ric-rac so I stitched it down the middle of my "cover the seams" binding strips.

One Charm Pack and a Jelly Roll of Moda's "Cotton Blossoms" by Bonnie and Camille, so everything matches ~~~ Yea!!

My girl who loves to play ball twice a day everyday, rain, snow, sleet or hail..... oh and I could never throw a ball that far, I have to use a tennis racket.

xo Quilt LOve,
Shawn

Wool Gardens and Cotton Blossoms

2009-05-17T17:03:00.007-04:00

Seven blocks completed for the Wool Garden BOM.

Pictures don't do justice to how beautiful the wools are.

I was a little behind but it didn't take long to catch up.

If you are thinking of participating in a BOM with Karen from Farmhouse Woolens you won't be disappointed her wool is beautiful!

And I've been a bit side tracked working with my Cotton Blossoms fabric. I love everything about it including the name. This is 1/3 of the quilt.

I've had this fabric since before Christmas, just wasn't sure what to do with it.

So I just went for it with some 8 inch blocks and 2 inch borders. Some of these blocks go against everything I ever learned when starting to quilt and I love them, totally uneven on purpose and then just square them up at the end. I was thinking about hand quilting this one, but I didn't. I am feeling a lot more comfortable with my stippling and there are so many wonderful fabrics out there, if I don't machine quilt I'll never get to them all!

xo Quilt LOve,
Shawn

A "Sweet" Quilt

2009-05-09T20:06:00.005-04:00

I named this quilt Sweet just because it seems to fit. The fabric is Sweet by Urban Chicks for Moda. This was a great take along project and so much fun if you enjoy hand sewing, I do!

My little quilt measures 34"x34" before washing and I used 2 charm packs to complete this quilt.

I added little half hexagons in a solid natural to two of the edges because they were a little to wonky for me (first time I've used that word, but I read it on blogs all the time, ya they were wonky!)

I just kind of made up my own technique and used flannel on the back.
And since a couple people asked ~~ here it is:

I made a hexagon template

Traced it onto the wrong side my charm fabric

Placed a charm and flannel square right sides together

Stitched on the line, leaving about a 5/8'' to 3/4" opening in the middle of one side

Trimmed the seams to a scant 1/4"

Turn, I use a pair of tweezers and a bamboo knitting needle to push out the points a little.

Then the fun starts

Finger press the seams

Sew up the little opening, then slide your needle in 1/4" and quilt around

After I have a few hexagons made

Place two charm sides together and whip stitch about 1/8" apart just catching the charm fabric

Slide your needle between the fabric to hide your "tails"

On the back, just slide the needle into the flannel and cross stitch, if you are really neat little hexagons will form at each intersection on the back.

Sorry I did lose some pictures while posting and couldn't figure out how to get them back in and.........I'm a really bad /slow typer!

xo Quilt LOve,
Shawn

Scrappy nine patch

2009-05-03T19:30:00.005-04:00

Quilt- a -long with AmandaJean.

I am using a jelly roll and charm pack of Moda's American Primer by Minick and Simpson. I'm not quite following the rules, but I still think it will turn out nice. I plan to use Kona natural for my sashing. The quilt top will have 70 - 6.5" blocks and should be completed by July.

xo Quilt love,
Shawn

Dots

2009-04-27T20:06:00.003-04:00

Two charm packs of Mary Englebreit's "Recipe for Friendship"

I named this quilt "Dots" because one early morning while appliqueing my husband asked if I was making dots ~~ sounds good to me.

Dots measures 66"x78".

I don't really know why I hand appliqued all the circles, because then I ran over ever darn one of them with my machine quilting. Not too badly, just a little and thank goodness I drive my car better than I drive my sewing machine...

I am really happy with the way it turned out and it will be taking lots of trips to the beach.

I quilted "Dots" in five pieces.

And also pieced my binding.

I tried not to run over my circles because I wanted them to puff out a little on the front.

Riley said "Hey your shoes match Mom's quilt".

xo Quilt Love,
Shawn

My Favorite Quilt.....s

2009-04-17T21:19:00.004-04:00

A Tisket A Tasket

2009-04-10T12:52:00.005-04:00

the April BOM

each month is a sweet surprise!

xo Quilt LOve,
Shawn

Cherry Blossoms

2009-04-08T17:36:00.008-04:00

and Snow this morning

It melted almost as fast as it fell, but it was so pretty laying on the grass.

The Weeping Cherry is one of the favorite trees in my yard.
I trim it so it looks like an umbrella,
wish the blooms would last longer...........

Little Snowdrops, that actually had snow on them this morning.

Snow on the Tulips and Daffodils too.

I love the Weeping Willow when the little leaf bud first starts to pop
it is such a beautiful green.

Virginia Bluebells ready to bloom!

Star Magnolia, once again enjoy the blooms they won't be here for long.

My daughter had a birthday and will graduate
with a Chemistry degree in a couple weeks.
My sweet neighbor helped me decorate her Red Velvet Birthday
cake and it turned out great!! My son is lighting her candles and
will graduate from High School in June.

And my youngest is getting into lots of mischief and needs a haircut!!
She's watching me on the computer.

Happy Spring!

I had so much fun with my first Outdoor Wednesday, sponsored by Susan I decided to join in again this week.

xoNature LOve,
Shawn ; )

Longwood Gardens

2009-04-01T09:19:00.009-04:00

had their Orchid display

and sale last weekend and it was beautiful.
I have never seen so many orchids in one place.
This is my first time participating in "Outdoor Wednesday"
sponsored by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer.

All of these pictures except the first one were taken inside the Conservatory at Longwood.
Pretty Annuals

Bird of Paradise

Sweet Peas, I love sweet peas

Huge Snapdragons

It was a cloudy day, but it didn't matter everything looked wonderful!

Weeping Redbud

Walking into the Conservatory is like going into a different world, especially considering all the cold weather we have had here.

xo Nature LOve,
Shawn ; )

A Charming Idea

2009-03-23T09:20:00.003-04:00

half finished.
I need to stitch one more "Sweet" charm
pack together to finish my hexagon baby/small wall quilt.

I used soft flannel on the back and cross stitched all the seams.

xo Quilt/Sweet Love
Shawn ; )

Finally Finished

2009-03-22T08:39:00.009-04:00

A Tisket a Tasket block #3 from
Anne at Bunny Hill Designs
The wool looks even softer before it is stitched down.

Closeup of the shamrock and penny flower.

Anne's cute bunny!

I don't know why it took me so long to finish, springtime yard work and some organizing could be it. Oh if I could just sew all day everyday!!

xo Wool LOve

Looking for Spring ...

2009-03-14T12:04:00.000-04:00

my blog and pictures look so wintery, it's been cold here in the Northeast.

Oh here it is

I finally found some pansies at Lowes, and today is the last day my kids can go snowboarding at their local mountain..... warmer temperatures must be on the way.

xo Nature Love,
Shawn ; )

Wool Garden #4

2009-03-06T10:41:00.001-05:00

from Farmhouse Woolens finished.

Pictures don't do justice to how pretty and the beautiful colors and texture of the wools are.

xo Wool Love

A Snow Storm and some Charming ideas..

2009-03-02T17:39:00.000-05:00

Wow we had a storm today,

snow under the roof on the patio.

Those little wire fences keep 190lbs.

of 2 labs out of my gardens.

That's how sweet they are.

Sewing room window.

Snow days are nice because I get to sew a lot!!!

This is what I am going to do with my 2 "Woodland Bloom" charm packs.
I should have 4 sections like this for a nice size quilt.

I've been practicing my machine stippling and I'm feeling a little better about it.

I'm using 2 Mary E. charm packs for this beach quilt, that my husband named "Dots" and was inspired by an Idea I saw on Monica's blog, thank you Monica.

I'm using 2 "Sweet" charm packs and hand stitching hexagons backed with flannel for a baby quilt.

I am cross stitching the seams on the back, if I like the way this turns out I may make a full size quilt like this. It's a great take along project.

xo Quilt Love

Ragged Red Squares

2009-02-26T20:08:00.000-05:00

Inspired by Crazy Mom Quilts. I found the inspiration for this quilt on Amanda's blog one evening and woke up the next morning thinking about creating one for myself. It was lots of fun and I would make another.

I have never made a quilt like this before, raw edges exposed.....

I didn't worry about placement of any of the squares on the back ~ didn't even look until it was all sewn together *randomness* and I like it.

I named this quilt Happy Valentine's Day, but ran out of time on Valentine's Day to post about it.

I machine pieced and hand quilted all my blocks before I sewed them together.

Then placed them on my temporary design wall.

Sewed binding strips to cover all the seams on the back.

Good thing I love hand sewing ; )

I was so afraid when I washed and dried, it would all fall apart, it stayed together fine.

xo Quilt LOve