2muchfun

Gone

2012-01-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

Finally the boxes from our move are gone. Let me rephrase that - the boxes brought into the house are gone, the garage still has plenty of boxes and I'm not touching that job with a ten foot pole.
Our new home is better than I ever expected. The neighbors are friendly and welcoming. In fact we have already been invited to dinner to meet more neighbors.

Yesterday my daughter Amy and her family came over for lunch. This was the first time my granddaughters had seen the house and as soon as they walked into my sewing room they wanted to know if they could sew - of course they could. The light bulb immediately went on above Amy's head and she said "this coming summer I can bring the girls over and you can teach them to sew". I can't wait. Hmmmm, maybe I need to add another sewing machine.

Winner

2012-01-08T08:17:00.003-07:00

Last night I found out I was one of winners in the "Everyone Smiles with Designs in Machine Embroidery" contest on Facebook. I won the "Nantucket Sewing Basket". Even though I was hoping for the grand prize, a Koala Studio, I am delighted with a new sewing basket.

Late AGAIN

2012-01-07T08:22:00.000-07:00

It seems, to me, I am the last person to find out about great websites that have a plethora of information. My latest discovery is Pinterest. Actually I have known about this site for months but never really explored it. Yesterday, being bored with all my "stuff" in storage I decided to explore Pinterest. OMG I didn't know what I had been missing. I have bookmarked so many sites, emailed my family and friends different links to things I think they will find up their allies. Now if I can just find someone to send me an invite.

It's 2012 already?

2012-01-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

Holy smokes it's the 6th day of January? I want to know what happened to December 2011. Oh, that's right the house in New Mexico sold so I had to pack up the house, had everything put in storage, loaded up the motorhome so we could live in it until we found a house. Whew, that was enough, BUT we came to the Charlotte area (where one of my daughters lives) and spent 2 weeks looking at houses. I had just about given up hope of finding a house in Charlotte and was a few days away from heading to Charleston to look at houses when I spotted the "one" on a real estate web site. Next week we close and I will once again be living in the South!!!!

One last blast

2011-12-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

The movers are coming on Wednesday but Mother Nature has a way of wanting me to stay in New Mexico a little longer. Since Friday it has been snowing, snowing, did I say "snowing"? There is a hint that there is a sun though.
18 inches on the ground with the possibility of 6 inches to come.
I have to admit I couldn't wait to get outside and do some sweeping and shoveling, the snow was too dry to make a snowman - drat. Hmmm maybe I'm reverting back to my childhood.

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Finally!!!

2011-11-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, DH and I found out our house in New Mexico is SOLD!!!!! It has been on the market since March and I feel very blessed that it sold in less than 3 years considering the housing market and where the house is located. Yes, I said 3 years, that is what we were told when we listed it.
I can't wait to get back to the Carolinas where I chose to live many years ago.
My OCD has been in overdrive for the past 24 hours sorting, packing and labeling. Thank God I am not a collector or pack rat, now DH is another story and he is dealing with packing his "stuff" all by himself.
We do not have a house to move into yet, but we do have our motorcoach to live in until we find the "perfect" place.
Ok, enough time from the packing, I'd better get back to work.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T01:00:00.028-07:00

I have so many things in my life to be thankful for this year. I don't know which one to begin with on my list, so, I will keep them to myself and hold them in my heart.

Darn allergies

2011-11-04T11:12:00.000-06:00

In an earlier posting I mentioned my SIL is stationed in Djibouti, Africa. Last month he was able to come home for a couple of weeks. My daughter took my grandson, Spencer, to the airport under the guise of picking up Spencer's Uncle Peter. Needless to say his uncle did not get off the plane but his dad did. According to Spencer, his allergies were acting up and that's why he has tears running down his cheeks.

Guess I have to admit, my allergies bother me whenever I view this video.

What a great weekend

2011-10-24T15:40:00.000-06:00

I really don't feel old enough to have a granddaughter who is now 16, but the facts don't lie. This past weekend I traveled to the Kansas City area to partake in my granddaughter, Caroline's, sweet 16 celebration.
Not only was there a surprise party for her, I also attended a high school football game to watch Caroline cheer, and the soccer game her brother Spencer played in.
While in the area I was able to have lunch with my 93 year old aunt (thank God I'm part of her gene pool) and visit my 89 year old former mother in law. Both of these women are an inspiration, their minds are as sharp as ever, they may have slowed a bit but are not letting the years get them down.

Colors of Northern New Mexico

2011-10-17T09:40:00.000-06:00

The temperatures are going to change - not for the better - here in Northern New Mexico so DH and I went for a drive yesterday to see the "colors".
On the way down the pass we noticed the Cumbres and Toltec steam train coming up the mountain for it's last run of the season.
I thought I would share a few pictures today.

Quick Trip to South Dakota

2011-10-08T13:59:00.002-06:00

On Thursday DH and I made a quick trip to Hot Springs, SD. While there I visited HeartSong Quilts. I was greeted by shop owner Ann holding a basket full of chocolate goodies, yum. My eye went straight to the Australian Aboriginal fabrics but didn't stop there. Ann has stocked her shop with notions any quilter could need or want, books, and bolts upon bolts of fabric. Since I have too many UFOs I resisted and didn't purchase any fabric but learned I can order online - YES! When you visit the Black Hills of South Dakota look up HeartSong Quilts.
During my high school years I lived in Omaha, NE. Yes, Omaha is on the banks of the Missouri River and offers some scenery but I found once I headed west it was flat as a pancake. Well, on our trip back to Chama we decided to head south on the back roads and I found western Nebraska to be beautiful and not flat. Wish I had remembered the camera sooner but here are a few pictures I took.

Our trip was pretty much uneventful until we got just south of Punkin Center, CO where we had a blow out. Thank God for road side assistance! While waiting for the tire to be changed and enjoying the beauty fo the Plains, I noticed how beautiful the field was we were parked next to and had to take a picture to share.

We had new tires put on in La Junta, CO and thought the only thing we had to worry about driving up the mountains would be wild life, but NO we had SNOW for the last 150 miles. YUCK!!!!! We made it home safe and sound and now we are enjoying the beautiful fall colors of northern New Mexico.

Mystery

2011-09-25T15:45:00.000-06:00

Today while cleaning the windows on the breezeway doors I came across these eggs on the stanchion between two windows.

They look like little copper bbs. I left them alone and I am interested to find out what they will become, hopefully something that is beautiful and won't bite.

BOM

2011-09-01T10:34:00.000-06:00

The theme for a BOM for our LQS was "brights". We were to make 4 blocks for 5 months. The blocks were put into a paper sack and then each participant picked 4 blocks from the bag for 5 months.
Here is a picture of the blocks I picked. Now this quilt top in in my UFO stack.

Stars and Scraps

2011-08-31T15:28:00.000-06:00

I am bound and determined to use up all of my scraps and the fabrics I bought too much of. I'm tired of looking at the same fabric again and again, besides, I want to buy more fabric and I can't justify the purchases when I have so much fabric to use up.

Here is one idea I came up with.
I used a scant 1/8" seam allowance to sew the triangles onto the right side of the background fabric. Because I used such a small seam allowance there should be no fraying.

Here is the finished quilt top -

Rocky Mountain Quilt Festival

2011-08-20T14:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I went to the Rocky Mountain Quilt Festival being held this weekend in Loveland, CO.
Here are a few photos I took. The last 10 photos are of various items from the 2011 Hoffman Challenge.

"Oh Look At THAT ONE!"

2011-08-15T21:51:00.000-06:00

While I am visiting Denver for a few weeks a friend and I decided to stop by the "Capitol Quilt Show" presented by The Colorado Quilting Council.
What a beautiful building to display hundreds of quilts. Each quilt was made by a resident of Colorado and it didn't matter how old the quilt was or the size of the quilt. A lovely lady who works in the building told us that all the quilts are put up in one day and taken down in one day. She explained after the quilts are hung the building seems so colorful and alive, then when they are taken down the building is back to "brown".

Lemonade

2011-08-14T17:25:00.001-06:00

I'm amazed that it's been over a month since I've written anything on my blog, then I remembered that life has been throwing lemons this summer and I've been busy making lemonade. I have to admit the lemonade recipe tastes pretty good.

Last week I visited the Arapahoe County Quilters monthly meeting. I was amazed to see so many quilters there (I suppose I didn't really know what to expect when I think about it now).
The guest speaker was Cindy Needham. As Cindy began her presentation I figured I would learn a few tips about cutting, choosing fabric, and all the other things I thought I already knew about quilting. Oh my gosh was I WRONG! I learned how to take old linens and make beautiful works of art out of them. Talk about thinking outside the box, Cindy does just that.

50 degrees cooler

2011-07-08T20:42:00.000-06:00

My son in law is deployed in Djibouti, today he sent a picture of the weather station he took with him. Where I live it was 50 degrees cooler today than where he is. There is no way I can imagine a temperature of 134 degrees.

Thank God for our troops they endure so much for us.

I'm in between travels

2011-05-30T15:02:00.000-06:00

Oh how I love the Carolinas. I've returned from a visit to my daughter's home in Charlotte and a quick visit to my beloved Charleston. Everything was so green and lush. Even though the azaleas and rhododendrons were no longer in bloom there were plenty of other spring flowers showing their vibrant colors.
In a week I am off to Oregon. I have not been to the "Beaver" state in 4 years and am looking forward to seeing the Cascades and more lush flora.

You know how the best plans go awry sometimes? I was on a roll using up scraps to make a quilt. I still can't figure out how I was able to cut 5 strips of fabric 4.25 inches instead of 4.50 inches, guess it's time to get new glasses or an AccuCut. Our local quilt shop here has strange hours so I have been unable to run and get the extra fabric - drat.
Thought I would include a picture of how I am using up some of my scraps.

Happy May Day

2011-05-01T08:29:00.000-06:00

Thirty nine years ago today my beautiful, sweet daughter Beth was born. What a blessed day it was for me. Yes, I suppose I am telling my age, oh well.
May 1st has always meant to me sunshine, warming temperatures, the earth in bloom and a sweet smell in the air.

So to all my friends, if today's weather brings you all things Spring please remember me and what the picture below has brought me today.

Back home

2011-04-29T16:26:00.000-06:00

I am suppose to be in North Carolina right now instead of Chama, NM but the best plans don't always pan out. It's time to regroup.
I did make it to Denver to see Peter and on to De Soto to visit Beth, Caroline and Spencer. Wow, I can't believe how fast my grandchildren are growing up. I am hoping to make it to North Carolina asap to see my other 2 grandchildren who are growing up too fast also.

It's Friday already?

2011-04-15T09:07:00.000-06:00

This has been a wonderful week. First my sister Anne and niece Katie came for a visit and to pick up the family loom for Katie. They left on Wednesday morning and that afternoon our "Yankee" friends from Pennsylvania, Bill and Linda came for a visit on their way back home from their winter travels.

This week has gone by sooooo fast, now, if next week will go by as fast Jack and I will be headed back to the Carolinas and points in between!
Can't wait to see my family!!!!!!!

WIP

2011-04-08T15:02:00.000-06:00

I came across this work in progress while going through some boxes that haven't seen the light of day in a couple of years.

The issue date of the magazine is January/February 1987. I'm positive I started the project right after I bought the magazine 24 years ago. The pages are very yellow, thank goodness I made copies of the instructions way back when.

If my memory serves me right, my plan for this counted cross stitch was for a grandchild.

Well, I have 4 grandchildren ages 15 to 9 and I think by the time I do finish this they will be a little old for Noah's Ark. Ok, I've got it - I have 10 to 15 years to finish it for a great grandchild.

I'm working on it in the evenings while I'm in my counted cross stitch mood however long it will last.

Ok, what's the deal?

2011-04-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

According to my calendar the date is April 7th and it IS Spring so what's with the snow in my front yard this morning????

Hmmmmmm

2011-04-06T12:08:00.000-06:00

Will I try to make a larger Cathedral Window Quilt any time soon? Doubtful.
This is the 12x12 inch square that I made over the weekend. There is way too much hand sewing for my liking in this type of quilt. I will not make a larger one at this point in my life. Drat, I was hoping I would like the technique because I think the finished quilts are beautiful.

Wish me luck

2011-03-31T17:02:00.000-06:00

Since I have been back in the "real" world of 1,200 people in Chama, NM, I have been in a funk creatively and that's been a bit scary for me.
I have been wanting to use up some of my scraps but have not been energetic about figuring out what to do with them. Well, last night the light bulb went off above my head and the message was "Cathedral Window Quilt". "What a great idea!" I thought and immediately started scouring the internet. I found some good blogs with, tips, tricks, measurements and thinking outside the box, now I'm ready to get back to creating. Halleluiah!!!!!!!!!!!

Pay backs.....

2011-03-22T09:01:00.000-06:00

.....are hell. I woke up to snow this morning, is this what I get for spending the winter in Arizona? It wasn't as warm as I would have liked it there either.

The "Siren of the South" is calling me back. I will be back to heat, humidity and all things Southern as soon as the stars are all aligned for me.

I'm still here

2011-03-19T09:10:00.000-06:00

I haven't fallen off the turnip truck, I've been busy packing boxes, unloading our motorcoach, shoveling snow and just day to day things since I am back in the real world. I think I like my "winter world" a lot better.
I hope to get back to the creating world in the next few days.

"Just One Star"

2011-03-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am probably the last person to know about this challenge sponsored by United Notions/Moda Fabrics, but just in case I am not, here is a link to this inspiring challenge.

http://www.unitednotions.com/LA_just_one_star.pdf

I am going to do my part and I can't wait to get started.

I need help from my fellow quilters

2011-03-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to find out information on the quilt in my slideshow.

In my family we always called it "The Little Women Quilt". My mother made this quilt for my older sister and she started one for me (at least she started mine, my younger sister got left out, again). I have all the pieces for the one she started for me but haven't done anything with it. I think I'm afraid I'll mess it up.

From what I understand the pattern was published by Ladies Home Journal. I contacted them but they were unaware of such a pattern. The pattern must be about 60 years old.

I am hoping there is someone out there in the quilting world that has seen this quilt pattern or knows something about it and would be kind enough to share the information with me. For some reason this quilt has always intrigued me.

The quilt may look "tired", but oh the stories the quilt could tell about all the children that have been wrapped up in it.

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OWH Bunny Bloghop

2011-03-05T08:00:00.021-07:00

After the long winter is it safe to think about spring yet?

When I read that OWH was having a blog hop for spring I knew I had to participate.

If you arrived from Jenn's blog you are hopping along the correct path. If you just happened upon this blog you can click on OWH Stars and Stamps to start from the beginning.

I like to make simple cards and I try to use the supplies I have on hand. When I think about spring it brings a smile to my face and I hope it makes you smile also.

Something else that makes me smile is reading the posts on the OWH Hero Blog.

Don't forget the deadline for Easter cards is March 18th and the Mother's Day deadline is March 31st.

Next up is Shannon, I know she will have something inspiring for you. .

Enjoy the hop.

Arizona Biltmore

2011-02-27T18:14:00.001-07:00

I have always been intrigued by the lines of beautiful buildings, whether the building is an office building, lodge, home, church or hotel.
When my husband mentioned he had stayed at the Arizona Biltmore and wanted to take me for a visit, I jumped at the chance since we are in the area.
I was not disappointed by the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright . My visit may have been brief but I will not soon forget the beauty of the buildings and the grounds.
I thought I would share a copy of our bar receipt, it was also a beauty.

Snapped back to reality

2011-02-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was chatting with a fellow "winter Arizonan" who is from Alaska. He stated he was headed back to the 49th state in a few weeks.
As we were talking I was reminiscing about my 3 trips to Alaska with my husband and how much fun it would be to make a 4th trip.
I decided to look at some of our Alaska trip photos and came across this picture and I quickly realized why we are not making a 4th trip. This picture was taken in Tok, AK after miles of dirt, mud and frost heaves. Believe it or not, this picture does not show how dirty the vehicles really were.

Where is the time going?

2011-02-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

Holy smokes, February is almost over, where did the month go?

The weather has been so nice here in Mesa, AZ I find myself outside in the fresh air and enjoying the sunshine more and more.

In a few weeks I will head back to Northern New Mexico where there will be snow on the ground when I arrive - Yuck! I do wish I could stay in the warm temps longer but duty calls, oh well.

Sensory Overload Part II

2011-02-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

In my last post I mentioned I was attending an Anita Goodesign workshop. I am at a loss for words to describe all of the beautiful machine embroidery designs that were on display.

I made a slideshow of a few of the pictures I took, I hope the pictures do the designs justice.

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Sensory overload

2011-02-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

In 2011 it seems there is a WalMart within a few miles from almost everyone in the country. A WalMart usually means there are other shopping options near by. The reason I bring this up is, the closest WalMart to where I spend my summer in Northern New Mexico is a 160 mile round trip. The area of Arizona where I am a "snowbird" this winter does have a WalMart but the other shopping options have not yet followed which has been a bummer.

On Tuesday we traveled to Mesa, AZ and I realized very quickly there is a treasure trove of shopping here.

I went to Mulqueen Sewing Center this morning to purchase a spool of specialty thread expecting a quaint little shop. From the moment I walked in the door I knew I was in trouble. I believe they carry everything for the sewing enthusiast. I found I was so overwhelmed by all my buying options I had to leave. I did go back later in the afternoon when I was able to wrap my mind around what I had seen earlier. How much did I spend? I got out of the store with $20.00 of merchandise, and spent another $75.00 on line for a two day Anita Goodesign workshop. Not too bad for all the candy that was dangled before me.

What a way to use scraps

2011-02-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

My sister, Laurie, emailed me this picture and I was awestruck by the size of this pieced curtain.
I wanted to know more about the artist and how the curtain came about. I decided if I was intrigued by the project others may be also.
Here is the link Christina Kim.

A lesson learned

2011-01-28T16:22:00.001-07:00

When I was visioning this quilt I thought the perfect color to use for the sashing, border, binding and backing should be rich Robert Kaufman Kona black.
I think my vision worked BUT I forgot about the yellow Lab that lives with us. Anyone with a Lab knows a Lab can look at something and shed all over it. Enough said?

TV watching

2011-01-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

Last night while watching Joan Rivers (Joan is such a hoot) move in with her daughter Melissa, I whipped up a few of these cards for Operation Write Home.
Sometimes I don't know how I ever made cards without Word and Sure Cuts A Lot.

Sight seeing

2011-01-25T12:54:00.002-07:00

Last week we took a day trip up to Jerome,AZ, and I mean "up to". We have visited Jerome before and we always find it fun to visit when we are in the area. The town is laid back and friendly. The views are incredible with the valley spread out below. We ate a late lunch at 15.Quince Grill & Cantina, let me tell you, the wild mushroom "Ese Chuey!" Blue Corn Enchiladas were delicious.
If you find yourself in the area I suggest a trip to Jerome.

Getting back

2011-01-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

I have been in my sewing mode lately and have not made any cards for our heroes in months. Yesterday I decided to get back into my card making mode.
I am bound and determined to whittle down my paper stash so I can buy some of the beautiful papers I have been seeing.
In this card I used one of the Cutting Cafe Happy Anniversary digital stamps. I changed the color of the word "Love" to red using Photoshop Elements 9. The gold scallop circle was made with the Nestabilities Classic Scalloped Circles Large. This is a very easy card to make and took no time at all.

High rise apartment

2011-01-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

I want to share a picture I took while we were visiting Montezuma Castle.
Each time I visit this National Monument I am intrigued by the survival skills of those who came before us.

Trip to Sedona

2011-01-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

The weather warmed up enough in the part of Arizona we are staying for the winter we decided to take a trip to Sedona. Perfect temperatures and a beautiful blue sky made for a delightful day. I am so blessed to be able to visit some of our nation's natural treasures.
I don't want to bore anyone with a bunch of pictures so I've included only one of the scenery. I did, however, want to include a picture of the humble abode we drove by on our way to the Chapel of The Holy Cross. The picture was taken from walkway to the chapel. I can't decide if it's a home or a museum, what do you think?

Better late than never

2011-01-14T07:34:00.001-07:00

I'm a little late getting these pictures posted, I wanted to allow plenty of time for the recipient to receive it via USPS since it was a surprise for the family.

This is my final quilt of 2010, I finished it on Dec. 31st.

I used the fat quarters from my December 2nd post to make the quilt. To make the label for the quilt back I used the "uniblock" font from Monogram Wizard Plus.

I have to admit the picture of the quilt didn't turn out as well as I would have liked mostly because there isn't a whole lot of room to lay out a quilt in a motor home to achieve the best picture angle.

I think I can

2011-01-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

A few months ago - like 12 months - I saw a posting where one could put machine embroidery on a candle. "What a great idea" I thought. I printed out the instructions, bought a couple of candles and that's as far as I got.

Every once in awhile the candles would speak to me and say "are you just going to let us sit here naked?" "Yes, I am" I said, "until I get my courage up." Yesterday I did get up the courage and here is the outcome. I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out for my first try.

New Year, New Challenge

2011-01-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

A number of years ago I saw a quilt made with kaleidescope blocks. I decided then I wanted to try this technique. I found some fabric I thought would work (yes, it's Christmas print but it was on sale) and now I have piles of triangles and I hope a lot of patience.

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Wishing my family, friends and blogger friends a healthy and happy 2011!

Monogram apron

2010-12-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of an apron I monogrammed and gave as a Christmas gift.
I used the "castle" font with Monogram Wizard Plus.

Finally

2010-12-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I sliced open my right index finger - probably should have had stitches but didn't - and have be unable to sew since. Finally today I think it's healed enough that I can get back to "work".
The day before my mishap I finished piecing a quilt with the fabric from my December 2 blog. I am anxious to get back to the project so I can start another.
Thanks to Quiltersblog.com I have lots of ideas for the next project.

Merry Christmas to all.

The three "P's"

2010-12-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

I found this book in the LQS and was immediately reminded of the Sweetgrass baskets from the Lowcountry of SC.
After making what appears to be a coaster I know I need a lot of practice, patience and perserverance

Quilt on the way

2010-12-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday when I was in Payson, AZ I found the cutest quilt shop called "Quilting Sisters". I had a project in mind and was looking for at least 27 different fat quarters. I had no more than walked in the door when a stack of 30 Moda (mostly) fat quarters jumped out at me and said "buy us". My wonderful husband immediately walked to the cash register and whipped out his credit card - what a dear. Maybe he wanted to get me out of the store because he was afraid I would talk him into the $11,000.00 sewing/embroidery machine.
"Fandango" is the collection by Kate Spain. Moda fabrics are my choice of fabrics to work with, their designs and colors seem to match my personality and projects.
If you find yourself in Payson and love fabric I suggest stopping Quilting Sisters.

Day trip

2010-12-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my husband and I took a day trip to Payson, AZ and we came across this view. It looked more like the Smoky Mountains to us than Arizona.

Can do

2010-12-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

I was looking on the Robert Kaufman Fabrics web site today and saw this retro quilt pattern titled "Kona Dots". I love the colors and the "feel" of the design. I was day dreaming about the colors I would use then I quickly came back to reality and realized there are squares and circles in each block - holy smokes!
Luckily the designer, Amanda Murphy, used fusible web to attach each circle to each square. I decided THIS I can do and went back to day dreaming.

Vibrant colors

2010-11-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

I came across this picture of Amy Butler fabrics today on QuiltHome.com. Amy Butler's fabric colors and designs are so vibrant and fun. Time to research some projects to make good use of these fabrics.

My first quilt

2010-11-26T17:36:00.000-07:00

For 15 years I took a hiatus from anything that had to do with fabric or sewing unless I was forced to mend an item. In 2005 I decided I NEEDED an "all in one" sewing machine and in the midst of shopping for one that would meet my price range and the limited storage area in our motorcoach, I realized how much I missed working with fabric.
I have always loved quilts but for years I thought I needed to be a "purist" and hand piece and hand quilt the entire project. Luckily I realized I didn't need to be a "purist" and now the projects are all done by my sewing machine.
This is a picture of my first quilt. I made it for my grandson Spencer.
I have lost count of the number of quilts I have made since.
The only place large enough to take a picture was the outside of our motorcoach. I strung a line up between the outside mirrors and hung it - necessity is the mother of invention.

An early Christmas gift

2010-11-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

Since 2004 our friends Steve and Nancy have traveled with us for two weeks. We have been to Alaska twice, visited 4 Canadian providences plus 8 other states. I decided to make a "memory" quilt to highlight our travels to give as their Christmas gift this year.
I used at least one picture from each year we traveled and printed the pictures on fabric.
For the area around the "picture blocks" I used Lynn Graves' "Pineapple" foundation sheets.

There are 10 picture blocks and 10 plain blocks in the quilt. It was easy to figure out how I wanted to quilt the picture blocks but with the plain blocks I had to put on my thinking cap to figure out the perfect design. I decided to use my Cricut die cutter and used the 50 States cartridge to cut the 9 states. I scanned the die cutted states into my computer and then used my Janome embroidery digitizing software to design the quilt pattern. I then added the state name inside each state with Janome embroidery software and Monogram Wizard Plus software.
For the Canadian providences I downloaded clip art and followed the same process I used for the states.

It was a pleasure making this one of a kind gift as it enabled me to relive the adventures we had on our travels.

Block of the month

2010-11-18T18:45:00.000-07:00

This is a collage of the twenty quilt blocks I made for the upcoming "block of the month" club at the local quilt shop in Chama, Little Foot.
The "club" starts up again in January, brrrrrr, and I will be somewhere warm so I decided to make all my blocks and send them in at one time. The criteria is the blocks have to be bright colors - they look bright to me.

Yet, another reason why I make cards for our heroes.

2010-10-06T12:57:00.000-06:00

Dear Ms. Sandy,

We just received your box of cards for our detachment. Thank you so much! Your cards are much sought after and many of our troops were excited to see the new cards come through. I really liked the Halloween cards and picked up a couple to send to my son and nieces and nephews. Thank you also for the handwritten notes for the troops. We decided that they would be best for our patients. We’re planning on putting a note on each of the patient’s beds when they first arrive so they have something positive to think about as they recover. Once again, thank you so much!!!

Sincerely,

LCDR C.O.

One Summer Project Finished

2010-10-01T19:56:00.000-06:00

As this past summer started I had no expectations of what projects I wanted to start much less start AND finish.

I saw this particular quilt pattern and though it would make a beautiful wall hanging so I shortened pattern a bit to make it work.

I was delighted when I walked into our local quilt shop, Little Foot, and immediately saw the colors I would use for the quilt.

Thank you Laurel Burch

2010-09-24T15:01:00.001-06:00

I know cooler weather is on it's way but I just don't want to give up wearing cropped pants.
The other day I put on a pair jeans and they felt very long and cumbersome so I cut them off and embroidered this Laurel Burch design from her "Fantastic Felines" collection.

Laurel Burch designs are so colorful and whimsical. I find them fun to work with and enjoy watching the designs come "alive" while they are being embroidered.

A wonderful weekend

2010-09-13T11:43:00.002-06:00

My latest trip was a blast. In fact I had to get back home to get some rest.
It's amazing how my family can fill up every spare minute I have when I visit.
One of the unexpected highlights was attending to the University of Kansas football game on Saturday-and the Jayhawks beat the 15th ranked team!

Someone has to do it .......

2010-09-07T17:52:00.000-06:00

...that is go on another road trip.
I am headed to De Soto, KS to visit my daughter Beth and her family. I made my plans early in the summer and now my daughter Amy and her family from Charlotte and my son Peter from Denver are all coming in - so much fun to be had.
There will be a mini family reunion on the "Rogers" side of the family and a dinner get together with the "Voight" side of the family.
Oh, I forgot to mention lunch with my Junior League Children's Theater buds.
So little time to much fun, I can't wait.
Plus I get to drive across the prairie of Kansas - yippee!

I will not, I will not

2010-09-06T10:50:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago I purchased the October issue of "Scrap and Stamp" magazine. When I finally found the time to look at it, to my surprise there was a very intriguing article about stamping and polymer clay. I decided then and there I was not going to fall into the trap of working with polymer clay since my sister, Laurie, is a world renowned polymer clay artist.
Laurie is featured in the Autumn issue of "Belle Armoire Jewelry" magazine, the name of the article is "Working With Your Leftovers". Her blog is http://ornamentalelements.com/ and her Etsy store is http://www.etsy.com/shop/ornamentalelements. If you visit these sites you will know why "I will not, I will not".

S&S Sketch Challenge #34

2010-09-05T15:18:00.000-06:00

In this weeks sketch challenge one was asked to make a "thank you" card with the color yellow incorporated in it - this is what I came up with using those ideas and the measurements shown.

I used my sewing machine to zig-zag around the center rectangle - the stitching is really yellow even though it doesn't show up very well. I have been wanting to sew on cards so I decided to jump in and sew on this design.

I have recently purchased Sure Cuts A Lot and the "thanks" is one of the phrases that comes with the program.

Since I like simple this one is really simple.

Playing around

2010-09-03T20:08:00.000-06:00

Tonight I decided to find out if I could make a button out of "ShrinkyDinks" and this is what happened when I punched out a 1 3/4" circle.

I used my heat gun to shrink the plastic then drilled the holes with my drill using a small bit.

The finished button is 5/8".

At it again

2010-08-29T20:49:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since I've been able to sit down and do anything creative - where does the time go?

I did something creative tonight but it didn't turn out well at all. I was very proud of a card I made for Operation Write Home and was about to put it in my "finished" stack when I tried to open it and realized I had glued everything on so the card opened upside down. Oops!!! The only good thing about the error is, I now have a template to go by - I'm trying to look at the bright side.

Tomorrow is another creative day - I hope.

Thread machine and push start button

2010-08-17T20:12:00.001-06:00

It still amazes me that all I have to do is tread my sewing/embroidery machine push the start button and beautiful designs stitch out.

My husband asked me to embroider some southwest designs on the yokes of his shirts. I did this one this evening. 23372 stitches and 85 minutes later he is quite happy.

Out of my comfort zone

2010-08-15T22:12:00.000-06:00

This card is my take on the OWH sketch challenge for this week.

I used my word processing program for the "stamp" and dusted off my Cricut and used the Accent Essentials cartridge for the "accent".

I like these challenges because they make me think outside the box. Below is the image with the measurements of the challenge -

Throwdown

2010-08-04T14:47:00.000-06:00

"Throwdown with Bobby Flay" you might ask, not hardly. This "throwdown" is with Operation Write Home. The only requirement is to use patterned paper. I made a few of these cards the other night and decided to submit my version of using patterned paper.
The paper I used is a "The Glitter Mat Stack" from DCWV, and the stamp is from Hero Arts.

My Sunday Evening

2010-08-01T21:23:00.000-06:00

This is the card I made for this weeks card sketch for Operation Write Home. I wanted to incorporate my white gel pen so this is what I came up with - lots of hugs and kisses. I used a digital stamp from The Cutting Cafe.

Card Challenge

2010-07-26T20:44:00.000-06:00

Operation Write Home is having "Sketch Challenge #27". I decided to participate in this challenge and here is what I came up with. Easy and simple - just my cup of tea.

What is REALLY important

2010-07-22T16:44:00.003-06:00

I saw the following on the Operation Write Home Facebook page today and wanted to share it with others. Makes one realize what is really important.

"Tired of news the news coverage given to a spoiled 20 something year old? Here are a few 20 somethings worth knowing about....Justin Allen 23, Brett Linley 29, Matthew Weikert 29, Justus Bartett 27, Dave Santos 21, Chase Stanley 21, Jesse Reed 26, Matthew Johnson 21, Zachary Fisher 24, Brandon King 23, Christopher Goeke 23, Sheldon Tate 27~These 20 somethings gave their lives for you this week. Lindsey who?"

Fresh veggies

2010-07-20T08:03:00.002-06:00

Back home in cool Chama - 88 today - and time to can the beets we bought in Rocky Ford, CO from a local farmer. Everything is set up outside so it won't get so hot in the house today.

We a wonderful trip saw some amazing scenery.

Another road trip

2010-07-15T20:33:00.005-06:00

My husband, Jack and I are off on an adventure tomorrow. We are not use to staying in one place for three months, the wanderlust is taking over.

We are headed first to Black Lake, NM. I have been asked over and over "why Black Lake?". Well, "Lonesome Dove" is one of our favorite made for TV movies, when the cattle drive finally ends up in the beautiful valley in Montana is not Montana, it's really near the Black Lake, NM area.

From there we are traveling the back roads of NM and CO to Bent's Fort National Historic Site. Of course we had to pick a weekend when the temperature is suppose to be 101 degrees, thank goodness for air conditioning.

Then it's off to Denver via more back roads for a couple of days to visit my son.

I'm sure when we arrive back in Chama the cool mountain air will seem like heaven, but that's the saying here in Chama "Where in heaven is Chama".

No idle hands

2010-07-12T09:39:00.005-06:00

I realize it's been a week since I've posted but I have not been watching TV and eating bon bons.

This is a sample of the cards I have been making for Operation Write Home.

I have been learning the ins and outs of digital stamping and also using up some of my scraps. These "digis" are just a few I've found at the The Cutting Cafe.

Design Challenge

2010-07-06T21:09:00.003-06:00

Mary at CardsTV.blogspot.com is having a "Christmas in July" design challenge. I decided late this afternoon to try and come up with something. The only rule is the card must have only white, green, black, pink and red used. Not having many "carts" I did the best I could with what I have on hand.

Happy Birthday America

2010-07-02T16:00:00.014-06:00

Happy OWH blog hop everyone! Thanks for stopping by.

As you can see my birthday card is to America and simple.

I can not believe America is 234 years old. It seems like yesterday we celebrated the 200th birthday. I remember all the patriotic attire people were wearing, how the towns and cities painted their fire hydrants as patriots and the fireworks that year were spectacular.

I found a video titled "Thank You", if you have time this busy weekend I hope you will take a few moments to watch it.

God Bless America!

A new week

2010-06-28T07:52:00.002-06:00

The new shelves are up in "my room" (all things sewing and card making) and now it's the start of a new week.

I am hoping to receive some inspiration for a card I want to make for the "Operation Write Home" blog hop which starts July 2. This will be my first blog hop so I'm a little nervous - I'm afraid my card will look too elementary in relation to the all the talented folks that participate in the "hop". I keep telling myself "you are new to this card making addiction and don't have all the "stuff" yet that others have" - well that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Excitement in Chama

2010-06-24T21:24:00.010-06:00

This was the scene this afternoon of the fire on one of the trestles along the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. The fire started sometime last night. When this picture was taken the authorities were seen investigating the cause. Needless to say, there is a lot of speculation around town as to how it started.

I do wish I could have gotten closer but I didn't want to try my luck.

All in town are hoping the railroad will get it repaired quickly, Chama relies on the tourists who come to ride the train and shop in the local businesses.

Road trip

2010-06-18T19:14:00.004-06:00

Thank goodness the sun comes up early because I'm headed to Denver in the morning to visit my son. I will it the road as soon as it gets light.

I'm sure am looking forward to seeing the prairie stretched out before me as I drive out of the mountains. Guess some people would think I'm strange because I'm excited to see the prairie but I don't care, I'm a prairie kind of gal.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Still learning

2010-06-16T12:22:00.004-06:00

This past week I have been teaching myself how to digital stamp, cut fabric with my Cricut, a new quilt piecing technique and how to make brochures with some really outdated software (I'm too "thrifty" to purchase software).

The only "subject" that seems to be going well so far is the piecing technique, simply because it involves sewing straight lines.

The Quilt Angels

2010-06-07T21:20:00.019-06:00

I want to share with you a special lady and the wonderful way she shares her talents with others.

Lynn Graves, who owns the BEST quilt store called "Little Foot", located in Chama, NM, has a project that is dear to her heart she named "The Quilt Angels".

Lynn and other volunteers piece the quilts, another volunteer in Santa Fe does all the quilting on them.

The quilts are given to the New Mexico State Police station located in Chama for children who have been displaced for one reason or another. Each patrol car has at least one quilt in the trunk for that special child.

The NM State Police are not the only organization Lynn supplies quilts to. Some of the other organizations are the Battered Women's Center, the Elder Hostel, the North Central (NM) Community Based Services, and the Santa Fe Quilting Guild who distributes them to the Children's Cancer Center at Christus-St. Vincent's Medical Center located in Santa Fe.

A beautiful weekend

2010-06-06T16:26:00.004-06:00

The "camping" trip was so much fun. There were nine of us and we laughed, ate, drank, ate, played cards, told lies and some truths and just had a blast. We had 360 degrees of beauty like the picture you see. It was breathtaking.

Off on a camping trip

2010-06-03T08:08:00.005-06:00

I suppose there will be no "crafting" this weekend since we are headed out on a camping trip to the headwaters of the Chama River.

I must tell you my way of camping is in a motor home with all the bells and whistles - yes I admit I'm spoiled.

I am taking along some things to keep me busy just in case of inclement weather but I'm not holding my breath that I will get anything accomplished.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Giving Thanks Today

2010-05-31T09:57:00.003-06:00

I am thinking of all the service men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice so I can live in the land of the free and the brave.

I am also thinking of the men and women who are currently serving our country not because they "have" to because they "WANT" to. My son-in-law Doug (National Guard) and my nephew Patrick (Army) are among those who are among brave.

Also on my mind are my husband Jack (USMC) who served at the time of the Korean War, my father Don - WWII (Army-Air Force) and my grandfather George - WWI (Army).

God Bless You!

Simple Card

2010-05-26T21:06:00.005-06:00

I whipped up 10 of these cards for Operation Write Home this afternoon.

I used the George and Basic Shapes cart and cut the saying at 2" with the shadow feature. I used my Cricut Color Inks for the first time and traced the saying before I cut it. I like the outline that the inks made and plan on using them more. I also used the EK Success Scalloped Scallop Edger Punch and Ki Memories Classic Prints paper.

My show and tell

2010-05-25T19:18:00.005-06:00

I had some "fat quarters" in my stash of fabric and I wanted to use them. I also have a quilt book titled "Totally Tubular Quilts" that I had never explored. So I said to myself, "This is a good time to experiment with this book and to use those fat quarters." .

I decided to make a table runner and use the chevron pattern. If you zoom in on the picture you can see all of the different pieces in the design even though some of look like one. Please don't look too closely at my piecing, it wasn't until I was almost finished that I realized the secret of matching the seams and I WAS NOT taking the whole thing apart.

No show and tell yet

2010-05-24T20:32:00.003-06:00

I really have been working on a project, I took some pictures to share but I didn't like they way they turned out. I got busy doing other things and the day is gone. I have to put "take new pictures" on my list of things to do tomorrow.

Where does the time go?

2010-05-22T08:41:00.002-06:00

Between household chores, painting the dining room walls and graduation receptions I am not getting anything creative finished.

HOPEFULLY tomorrow or the next day will be a different story and I will have something to show off.

One image three cards

2010-05-17T20:09:00.023-06:00

When I cut the bird on the limb from the Songbird cart I fell in love with the image and decided to use it on a few more cards. I came up with the idea of having the same basic look on the cards yet a different "look". The other tools I used to make these cards were the Wild Card and George and Basic Shapes carts and the Martha Stewart Crafts Deco Fan Punch.

These cards were made for the Operation Write Home project.

Time to make a difference

2010-05-16T11:59:00.004-06:00

The painting is finished for today and now it's time to go create some cards for the Operation Write Home project. I'm not sure how many cards I will finished today, I am just glad I can help our heroes.

New Project

2010-05-12T12:45:00.003-06:00

My new project is painting the ceiling and walls in our dining room. The water damage, from the ice dam that developed over the winter while we were away, has been fixed. Since I like to paint it is now up to me to get things looking good again. I am hoping to have some creative thoughts while I have the paint brush in my hand.

Stay tuned.

My Mother's Day Afternoon

2010-05-09T16:14:00.007-06:00

I decided to spend my Mother's Day creating this card with the Forever Young cart and the Pink Journey cart, both of which I had never explored. I embossed the flower on the purse with purple embossing power and used a purple brad for the center. My water color pencils were used to color the hair and shoes. Considering I am still collecting embellishments I am pleased with how the card came out.

Palmetto tree and crescent moon

2010-05-05T21:06:00.009-06:00

South Carolina has a very unique design on the state flag, the palmetto tree and crescent moon. Both symbols date back to the Revolutionary War.

I made a set of glasses with the symbol for my step-son who now resides in North Carolina, but who's heart is still in the "Palmetto State".

Life is slowing down a bit

2010-05-04T20:34:00.005-06:00

For the past week or so I have either been out of town or getting things ready to leave. Now that I am home I am hoping to get back to what I enjoy the most, working with my hands and creating. I have some cards to design and am thinking about starting a quilt to whittle down my stash of fabric so stayed tuned.

Zia Sun Symbol

2010-04-26T10:41:00.014-06:00

Spending the summers recently in northern New Mexico has piqued my curiosity about the culture of the state.

The emblem on the state flag is the Zia Sun Symbol, a very simple but very meaningful symbol.

One evening as I took one of these glasses out of the cabinet I took another look at them, it was then that I realized they were "screaming" for a Zia Sun to be etched on them.

I used the New Mexico "flag" option from the Cricut 50 States cart and Armour Etching Cream.

My Garden

2010-04-24T19:41:00.012-06:00

Those who know me know that gardening is not my thing. If I'm going to get my hands dirty I'd rather have glue, paint, chalk, or even pin pricks on them, NOT real dirt. These 3 pots of herbs are just the right size of garden for me. Instead of putting the name of the herb on the pot with chalk, as directed, I decided to use Cricut Design Studio with the Plantin Schoolbook cart and white contact paper. This is the first time I've used the "trial version" of Design Studio. It may look elementary but I think I will progress after some practice.

Simple

2010-04-23T06:00:00.003-06:00

Last fall I stumbled upon the art of card making. I am such a novice but I know I can progress with the wealth of information there is available on the internet.

I started this card with the intention of using my Cricut Expression and various "carts" to make the sentiment, but when I looked at the card again I decided "the simpler the better". I will hand write the sentiment, especially since the card is for my granddaughter.

Gift Bag

2010-04-22T12:34:00.012-06:00

My youngest granddaughter will make her First Communion in a couple of weeks. I wanted to do a special design on her gift bag. This is what I came up with, the design is on both sides of the bag. I used my Cricut Expression to make the cuts and the "carts" I used are My World, Plantin Schoolbook, and Calligraphy Collection.

What a homecoming!

2010-04-16T19:08:00.006-06:00

These pictures show what our kitchen floor and dining room ceiling looked like when we walked into our home after being gone for the winter. I forgot to take pictures of the 10" of water in the crawl space. It makes me think about not leaving again for the winter, but it was just a passing thought.