sewing Saturday

Hexie star crazy!

Time for the sewing Saturday round-up. About all I got done this week was hand sewing my hexie ornaments. They are really so cute.

bin by bin of scraps was brought out to find suitable squares to cut out big 6" hexies using my template. This is the time to use your turning cutting mat, if you have one, but I find it possible to put a scrap of old cutting mat on top of the table and turn it as needed works just fine too.

the back of one

I used some really thin fusible interfacing to stabilize them. I got a bolt of it at Joann's during a sale for about  $6. Cut hexies with the plastic template, then make a bunch of them ready to sew at night in front of the tv.

paw prints and sparkly white

I have a button bag of loose odd buttons, so that came down too. I made a tray holding threads, needle threader, scissors, sharpie and hexies and stitched away like a little elf.

We got a foot of snow on Tuesday that is still making roads impassible as they will not plow. We tried to make it out to an after Thanksgiving sale and it was so dangerous with freezing fog we gave up and came home. DH and Milo saw a car spun out up on the sidewalk during their final walk last night.

Metallic fabric looks great with this technique

Rant and whine:
I LOVE sales and am so angry about the neglect around here. For some reason we pay much higher taxes here but they will not plow or keep up the roads. Don't get me started on neighbors who don't even shovel sidewalks. I can get to the end of our sidewalk, but not be able to cross the street for tall ice. Please do not suggest cleats. They may be fine on snow and ice, but then you hit a bit of shoveled pavement and the cleats hurt my feet. My back was injured bumping over lumps of ice and snow and pavement yesterday trying to drive.
 I'm tired of being trapped in the house, happy to have a house but I shouldn't have to be trapped inside, every other place with snow I 've lived plowed the roads for safety. I lived in Edmonton Alberta, land of -40 degrees and lots of snow... roads cleared almost immediately. Newsflash for all the people who say it melts in a day... it doesn't.
did I mention it snowed another two inches last night? Oy vey.

this one could go to a military person

So doing some handwork as I caught up on the Gilmore Girls marathon saved a shred of sanity for me. Gilmore Girls show is like my Hallmark Christmas movie salve... not as formulaic.

I learned to make these little beauties from this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq934F4_KKY

They were so fun and satisfying, and FAST to make that I made quite a number of them. Usually from scraps but I even dug into stash yardage.
What I learned
prepare all your hexie/stabilizer fabrics at one time
put all the components on a tray so you have it in front of you
you never know how a print will work til it's made
use thin fusible interfacing
have good strong thread
really crease the folded bits

Don't get excited that our tree is up... we never took it down last year.
It is tall and green and kept the family room looking cozy, so we just took off all ornaments, turned off the lights, and treated it like a decorative silk tree. I love all the hexies just clinging to the branches, the tree looks colorful like it has blossoms on it.

If you can get to a store, there are cute Christmas buttons out there

Linking to:
wendysquiltsandmore peacock party (quilts)
http://frombolttobeauty.blogspot.com/
can I get a whoop whoop Fridays 
tgiffriday
myquiltinfatuation Thursdays
Midweek makers wednesdays
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
oh Scrap Sundays 
 slow stitching Sundays

 scrap happy Saturdays

I Like Thursday #169

interactive display at our library

Welcome to this week's list of likes!
It's the big kahuna, the actual day set aside in America to be thankful, Thanksgiving Day!
re: the first image... our library had an enormous display inviting us to put a leaf on the branch we most enjoy looking through. Fun to see how different people prefer different things. 

Pink sunsets

First of all, I'm thankful for you all, sincerely, and now something for each day this month!

1. Thanksgiving Macy's parade on TV
2. food in abundance, and special traditional dishes to have each year

lap poodle

3. my husband Drew, partner in life, dependable and kind, with integrity and intelligence facing the world and it's demands with me. Making me laugh... sharing a private language built up over time.
4. Milo, my baby. He is the perfect poodle. Funny, kind, always my companion, interested in life, athletic, loves children and other dogs, smart, handsome, gentle, playful. He always greets me with a smile and a poodle lean, and allows me to hug him.
5. A nice home with space... I've always wanted that.
6. this blog, a place to express myself, to store my writing and stories, my paintings, quilting, beading, and travels. I've met so many like-minded people here, it's a modern day salon of sorts.
I do painting posts on Fridays, sewing on Saturdays, fiction on Sundays, and new.... stories of meeting interesting people on Tuesdays.
7. although my body challenges me daily, and it seems like I wake with either something falling off or growing on me, I am happy to still be ambulatory and relatively able. It's true you don't know what you've got til it's gone, so try not to look at other people who are healthier and envy, remember what you still have and be grateful (speaking to myself here)
8. a husband who can fix most computer issues as I am clueless
9. a stash of fabric, paint, beads and supplies to rival any store, and a room to myself to make things.

for my friend Mary in Peoria

10. TV. I grew up with TV and still love it. Mostly now I listen to books on disc in studio but I love my tv shows. Now I love having choices like ACORN, Netflix, Prime, Youtube. I love old movies, musicals and comedies but the cable company took away TCM and I am not thankful for that.
11. prepared foods that are quick to make, as I am so often in pain I don't like to cook as much
12. cozy comfy clothes with spandex.... there were few really comfy clothes when I was growing up, do you remember having to wear garter belts with hose? tip of the uncomfortable iceberg. Now that I am older, I go for comfort, and there are so many pretty comfortable options like cuddle duds fleece leggings, and tunics that are soft and longer.
13. I like craft shows a lot, and there have been a lot of choices here this year

 14. Meeting friends like Diann and her husband for lunch, being able to sit outside with Milo, in the sun and catch up. It's really a blessing to find  "couple friends" where all four can talk and laugh together and get each other's viewpoint.

Hmmm that skirt looks scratchy, lol!

15. Shopping. We are so isolated in our neighborhood, that I don't get to look at pretty shops much now. It was joyful to walk around an outdoor center in Loveland and see really nice shops and their displays, and it reminded us of Parole Plaza in Annapolis, so I relaxed and enjoyed the experience.
16. I know it's not good, not smart at my age to eat chocolates, but on that shopping trip we saw a See's candy store, got free samples, and left with a pretty box of soft centers to help make our Thanksgiving more special.  I'd love to be part of a big boisterous family who loved each other, but we are a small family of three. Friends all have their own families at holidays. I have fond memories of Tampa and my friend group who all got together on Thanksgivings and Christmas... but we are happy to have each other and will celebrate that.
17. The show long lost family.... in my heart, I wish I could be on that show. To have someone help find relatives for me. Adoption is often wonderful and loving but my experience was different, and it's kind of a fantasy show for me, imagining myself in their shoes.
18. Wine... we are drinking wine again and it's lovely. I tend to like reislings.
19. Good writers... I loved the book Mornings on Main by Jodi Thomas. She is such a fine storyteller, and I am stopped by her beautiful wording often. I want to be a better writer after reading her words. This story wraps around quilters and their world.
20. in that vein, I like being read to, and always have. I like to hear the story as I make things with my hands. I was told my birth mother made things, but not what she made. I wonder if there is something to genetics like that. I was told my birth father was Italian and I always liked garlic unlike my adoptive family.
21. I love puzzles of nearly any kind. I especially like Kakuro math puzzles and sokoku. I like that puzzle planet has endless puzzles online, where you can choose the number of pieces and images.
22. Soon the Jacquie Larsen will do her online Christmas advent calendar full of sweetness and beauty and fun games to play, decorating games for trees and wreaths, etc.
23. Turning on the lights on our Christmas tree at night. I love ornaments and collecting cute things.
hopefully this year will be the one where I finally find all the Christmas decorations for years ago, and let the older broken ones go, and organize the rest. Doesn't it feel good when you know where things are stored?

not my tree

24. Magazines full of pretty pictures, patterns, history, science findings, etc. I like Country Home, Smithsonian, Archeology, bead and button, and pop culture magazines.
25. New towels, new sheets, new underwear... simple but very nice to have
26. Writer's Almanac in my email daily, full of stories of other writers and history
27. perfume... currently I love Nanette LaPore, and layering soap, cream and cologne, and catching the soft scent through the day. Can't wear them in summer as the bugs are attracted too but now's the right time. I also like the winter scented oil and sticks from Williams-Sonoma. Just walking in the house it smells sweet (off setting the poodle who still sometimes pees on his front legs)
28. Shopping and eating at Cracker Barrel's across the US. I saw this in Loveland's C.B.

formal wear for babies on New Year's Eve

29. Libraries... and all the joy they offer. Nice librarians who help you find stuff.
30. having fruitcake for breakfast

Now, Here comes Christmas!!!

Milo's Moments

I do not like wearing these long underwears but I like gathering dad's socks

I liked going for an adventure last weekend and seeing Miss Diann again, and meeting her husband who was especially nice to me. He smelled like safety mixed with fun.
I liked shopping and meeting a dog in a store... we walked around together as it was just his people and mine... we didn't pick out anything to buy but it's good to shop with a new friend.
I like finding a place in tall snow where someone uncovered the grass so I have a place to do poodle business

to my credit, I did NOT pee on the covered porch

Please visit mama's friends and see their lists!
also sharing this week:
https://stitchintherapy.blogspot.com/
https://www.mmmquilts.com/

spiralj2

 maryinpeoriahandmade.blogspot.com 

craftscaviescontras
https://whataboutrheema.blogspot.com/
http://littlepenguinquilts 
http://homesewnbyus
https://canadianneedlenana.blogspot.com/
 

http://imworkingonaproject.blogspot.com/

http://3poodlesandanana.blogspot.com  
https://knittingquilter.blogspot.com/   
https://www.justletmequilt.com
https://scrapatches.blogspot.com/     
http://www.piecefulthoughts.com
https://julierosequilts.blogspot.com/  

Linking to these parties
https://chedcurtain.blogspot.com/
sundays in the city
http://sky watch Fridays
 http://backroadstraveller.blogspot.com/

http://goodrandomfun.blogspot.com
http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/

the week ahead

My love of cows continues

The weather here in Aurora Colorado
changeable
Unpredictable (apparently)
Forecasters can't ever agree, and are mostly wrong. The thing is we've had 70F days, then the next day 0 degrees and foot of snow. We've had 9 snows in the last two months and more to come today, this time a lot of it, of course starting with a layer of ice then almost a foot before this storm passes.
We have seasons.... but they last a couple days here, two warm days, then frigid, then hot, then cold. It is too difficult to plan anything as the weather interrupts it.
I realized I've had too much chaos growing up, so I do not like unpredictability now. Extremes I mean... like 70F to 0 in a day.

watching
we finished one year of Great British baking show, and moved to another. A lot of my series had finales for the season, sad. Hallmark seems to skip right over the wonderful idea of Thanksgiving and is becoming all Christmas all the time. Oy. We are back to Time Team, Pottery throw down, and hope they continue to put Agatha Raisin episodes up. We saw one new one. I love survivor this time and have hopes for Elaine to win. I am enjoying the Voice since I will no longer support dancing with the stars, and am amazed at the talent out there.

reading
I am now firmly in the Jodi Thomas camp, and reading more of her novels. Lyrical, character driven, kind, she makes me want to write better.
I listened to many Jude Devereaux books on disc while sewing but have moved on to a new to me series of mysteries set in Wagville VA, which is fun to hear on disc.
The next book in line for nightime reading as Mornings on Main is finishing up, is the latest Rhys Bowen mystery.

making
I've shared some great tutorials lately on my paint party Friday posts, and the Sewing Saturday round up posts. I want to try the tree shaped napkins, the hexie ornaments, and make some hexie mug rugs for gifts. I need to layer and baste, then quilt this year's Christmas quilt. It's flannel and so cozy.
I need to find my sock needles, and make dh some sleeping socks as his are wearing thin. 

seeing
we explored another part of Colorado last Saturday. We drove up and met a fellow "I Like Thursday" blogger and her wonderful husband for lunch. Luckily it was hot in the sun, so we sat on the patio of a good restaurant, looking at piles of snow but warm enough in shirtsleeves. We decided it was so much nicer than our part of Colorado, and people were nicer, the views were nicer.... but we need to be near work. It was good to get a new perspective, and really good to be with smart, kind people who have fun stories to tell, and care about others.

planning
I write.
I write fiction and I write about life, and will be starting a new series on people I meet that leave fingerprints on my heart. If you too enjoy meeting others, and write about it, I'll include a link to your posts too. I'll be doing this on Tuesdays. Remember it's not a person's fame that counts, it's the connection between spirits that count, and I'd love to read about your experiences.

To Do
clear off some horizontal surfaces... find a home for some things, recycle some, wash counters
start a pattern for the tree napkins
cut out Christmas hexies to try the ornaments
baste the lap quilt
my laundry, Milo's bed, rugs
mop the wood floor
wash the glass window on slider
start clearing out fall decorations and dust mantel
turn on the tree
tidy up library books
make cranberry sauce
finish brushing Milo, trim his nails? pluck his ears?
convert DH's discarded long underwear top into a coat for Milo(poor little house elf)
take in chair cushions, ceramic pumpkin, and rug from storm
 paint my nails(while it's warmer) to save them from harsh weather

eating
we may do take out the night before for Thanksgiving... sad but it's just us. The storm may preclude even that so we have a turkey ham to make. I need to make our traditional yams (baked til caramalized, then mashed with butter and maple syrup, cinnamon and salt) , and our traditional zucchini casserole (made with mayo mixed with parm. cheese and other stuff)  to go with. 

Inspirational
people who do the right thing, respect others, and do their best to encourage others to grow.
thank you

stay warm and cozy

Linking to

happy homemaker monday

sewing saturday.... Christmas lap throw, stars and a goddess

Welcome to this week's sewing round-up! Let's start with my favorite thing, this little goddess ornament! I watched a painting video, making a doll out of paper (link on Friday's post) so I got jazzed enough to go immediately to the studio and pull out my box of fused scraps. Odd shapes and sizes, but with fusible on the back already. I did a quick face with markers on muslin, and fused bits and pieces to it, quilted with black thread, stuffed with a bit of cotton, and embellished with a leftover trim. LOVE HER! I think I might make some for studio gifts.

I worked on my Christmas flannel lap quilt this week, making lots of HST's with the free triangle printouts

sewing while listening to a good book

Here is the lap quilt before borders.
It's amazing how much design goes into something that seemed like a simple project. First it was digging through the flannel stash for colors that looked good... I chose the red and the paisley.

Then I was at a quilt shop selling coordinating fabric so I purchased the red that went with the panel, so I mixed some of it in.

Then I had to decide what size HST to make, make a bunch of them, and decide how to border this. I used black flannel to space the flowers and had to be careful to make the flowers frame the edge perfectly. I love how it looks! The green inner border has red and green dots on it too.

I'd have left it like this but flannel stretches and pulls out because of the loose weave so a border was needed.

finished top

I used the coordinating dotty fabric for this bringing the size up to 50" X 64" for the top. Big for a lap quilt. I washed the batting, and found a cute backing in the stash, and need to sandwich and quilt simply.

The flannel from this year is so lush compared to my stash flannel. Funny about that, sometimes things get better, sometimes they are made less well.

I made another couple of hand pieced EPP hexie star blocks...

like chips, I can't stop!

 Looking through this magazine, American Patchwork and Quilting from our library I spied this graphic quilt, so now I want to make it!

Love a long pointy star mixed with drunkard path curves! Don't you?

So, that's about it for this week. I painted (posted on Friday) and sewed, I read and wrote, I was inspired by so many in blog parties and tutorials, and by music on youtube.
Looks like our snow from yesterday... enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9GtPX6c_kg&list=RD7baoMPvGfrU&index=27

Linking to:
wendysquiltsandmore peacock party (quilts)
can I get a whoop whoop Fridays  
Midweek makers wednesdays
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
keepingitrreal 
oh Scrap Sundays

watching paint dry...

Welcome to Paint Party Friday!
I almost didn't post because I have very few paintings this week, but it doesn't matter about numbers right? Just that we artists are being creative.
Last weekend I went to the art supply store hoping to find a metallic paint set (finetec) recommended by Shayda Campbell

helping Mama shop

but they didn't carry it so I got an inexpensive set of shimmer paints to try, a tube of Windsor and newton white goache, a replacement posca pen in white, and maskit.

I wanted to see how these looked on paper, and it was fun to paint with shimmery paint. It doesn't photo well though. I started with a half sheet folded in half to make a card, and a circle in pencil

then a pumpkin, some leaves and berries, a few flowers

daubs of blue purple and yellow on wet paper, continued with a pigma pen in black and white gel.

then painted a last minute tree inside the card after lettering the message on front

I'd like to get a card like this!
This week I watched a video on making a paper doll and it inspired me to do it in fabric. I did a quick pen and ink face, and appliqued some fabric, used black thread and cotton stuffing. More tomorrow but this is her little painted face

We have had snow for the last two days

and while the snow we woke to was pretty

this is an inside day for sewing and painting and reading and a cozy cup of green tea

linking to:
Thursday art dates with Rain
https://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/
rosie and the boys nature pics  

I Like Thursday #168

Welcome to this week's list of likes!
I like silver Aluminum trees like I had growing up. Ours had a turning spotlight that showed three colors onto the tree... Kid of the 60's.

I don't know what's going on but there is a problem downloading pics this week...  I got a few pictures through, including this gratuitous cow photo of the week

I LIKE COWS!!!

Rose and I,  leaning over to be seen through the camper display of stuff!

I liked meeting a friend at last weekend's craft show... Rose, DH and I laughed and chatted, and saw pretty things. The only thing I got was two Selenite crystals for the tree. I liked this though...

Now the list:
I was happy to win a giveaway from Mickie, one of our I Like friends...I'm grateful Mickie!

I like pecan pie, it's my all time favorite but usually made with corn syrup... this one from Trader Joes is made with sugar... yea! (allergy to corn and corn products like powdered sugar, syrup and starch)

I figured out how to use the flannel Christmas panel into a large lap quilt... using a mix of stash and coordinating fabrics. More on Saturday.

I love the new book on disc going in the studio.... Murder she barked with fun characters I care about and a great reader. I'm as always, LOVING the Jodi Thomas book on the nightstand.

Have you seen these tree napkins and wondered how to make them? Here's an easy to follow tutorial to make four, with two half yards of contrasting fabrics and a 2.5" strip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUQaPg1oAnA

https://www.christophniemann.com/detail/sunday-sketches-2/
I love this artists way of thinking!! I felt so energized after seeing it I was more creative

Milo's Moments

 Here I am at the art supply store, where I had to walk Mama around and point out what she needed to purchase. All while I entertained the clerk, who treated me like royalty!

I also enjoyed the trip to Tagawa Gardens where I looked at every item in the shop area.

All while greeting everyone coming in the door! Finally I found the doggie area where I picked out a toy... the challenge was too much to resist as I heard Mama say it was like the indestructible chicken.
Well, I played with that new toy all night, making it squeak like a little puppy!
Then i chewed off a leg, just because I could. (ha, indestructible... meets poodle teeth)

I found these for Mama... she wanted a llama... one to keep and one to share

 

Now please sit, stay! and visit these people keeping it paw-sitive this week. There's always something to like! And Mama said to remind you just let her know if you did an i like list too.

spiralj2

 maryinpeoriahandmade.blogspot.com 

craftscaviescontras
https://whataboutrheema.blogspot.com/
http://littlepenguinquilts 
http://homesewnbyus
https://canadianneedlenana.blogspot.com/
 

http://imworkingonaproject.blogspot.com/

http://3poodlesandanana.blogspot.com  
https://knittingquilter.blogspot.com/   
https://www.justletmequilt.com
https://scrapatches.blogspot.com/     
http://www.piecefulthoughts.com
https://julierosequilts.blogspot.com/  

Linking to:

cheesy photos at ched curtain

sundays in the city

 http://backroadstraveller.blogspot.com/

Create, Bake, Grow & Gather Link Party 

http://goodrandomfun.blogspot.com

http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/