FNSI Report

Yesterday was the end of spring break week.   My boys had Tball and baseball through the YMCA.  It is fun to watch.


When we got home I got busy sewing.  I sewed up 13 siggy blocks.  I think I am caught up now and have extras yeah!  Of course I got interrupted as I was signing them...my pen is now dried out.  So next Wednesday I'll be buying a couple at Hobby Lobby.  Then I can finish marking them and slip some in the mail.

 Yeah I know that says October, but I am being lazy and not taking pictures. ;)

Terrific Tip Thursday

I learned to hand quilt in 1995, I was 15 and the quilt store in Memphis (don't remember it's name)  sold pens to mark my quilt. 

I would think everybody would know the secret but it seems to be a close kept secret.

So here it is.  I'll be illustrating with twin pillows.  One is still a UFO and will serve as before and one is finished and will serve as after.

BEFORE

AFTER

Doesn't that clean up nice! 

So flash forward to now 2011, does this still work?

I tested blue,red, and green for you. I purchased them last  fall from Staples.

As you can see you don't want to use blue....

 No, not red either...

What where did Green go?  It washes out with cold water a little soap and agitation.

So I know you want the dirt.  Which pens am I talking about.

 

Paper Mate Flair Pens!  You only want the GREEN ones.  You can get them in a pack with the other colors or you can order just the green ones in a case. Most office supply stores have them but I can't seem to find them at Walmart these days...

As with any method test it first yourself on your own fabric. I will not be held responsible for any errors.  I didn't iron them prior to washing them out so I don't know about that.

Have fun marking your quilts. This was the quilt I made when I was 15.  And yes it was covered in green ink while quilted.

Love ya,
Jenn

Springtime...

It is nice and sunny at my house.  My garden is planted and I am ready for spring!  Now to get sewing. 

I do need to share this cute quilt.  I made it the begining of January for a little girl I know who was born 1/11/11. 

Here is a link to the pattern.

Mon Ami... Not

Normally you would be seeing my Le Petite project in all is splendid beauty.  Today you get let in on a secret.  My sewing room looks like this.

 

I am working really hard to fix the problem and until then I won't be showing you my quilt as well it is scattered to and fro and until I find the sewing machine I can't remedy the situation.  I might be exaggerating just a tad.  I share my sewing room with my husband who does leather work and a all the books in the house not to mention 3 kids.  One of which thinks reading every book is great, at 2 though he quite has figured one at a time.
So I am off to clean.

Has it really been a year?

Wow, time flies.  I can't believe it has been a year since I started blogging.

It has been a fun adventure.  I have met new friends and been inspired by others.  I have found more time for sewing.  And learned a ton along the way. 

I have entered tons of giveaways and won a few here and there. 

I love that it is a new year with new projects waiting to be made. 

For Christmas I was blessed with stash! 

My MIL ordered a quilt kit for me from Connecting threads.

Then my dh  I ordered just what I wanted when Connecting threads was having cyber monday sale for my christmas present from him.  LOL!   It works.  And I now have tons of bright fat quarters (see below), charms & stacks for Le Petite projects which you will not see till they are made.

I of course realized while looking at all the bright fabric that I needed some white fabric, so it should be here any day.  And now I am am not buying any fabric for a while...

I have a couple plans for all that bright fabric now I just need to figure out exactly what I want to make first...dear jane, hexies for grandmother's flower garden, grandmother's fans come to mind as possibilities.  Only time will tell what they become. Right now I just stare at them think how pretty they look all folded and stacked.

Le Petite Project: Prairie Point Christmas

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Here is my version of Le Petite.  I am in the same boat with fellow bloggers my top is done but with the holiday hustle and bustle I didn't get it quilted.  That and I need to find a red boarder I like with it.  I ordered some and it was too orange and I don't like it.  Can't wait till it is hanging up next Christmas. 

I used Connecting Threads fabric once again.  Cheap Talk for the cream and blue and Sweet & Sour for the greens and Winter fun for the multi.

FNSI

I sewed up a christmas present.  Sorry won't be posting pictures, yet.  But is was lots of fun and I am glad I got time to sew.

FNSI ----NOT!

I was planning on  FNSI and well I ended up sewing memories with my boys instead.  We went to a "Bethlehem" and paid our taxes and saw a babe in a manger.  Maybe next week I will find time to actually sew.

So should my name actually get picked to win please draw somebody who actually sewed.  ;)

Le Petite Project: Butter Churn

My version of Butter Church for the Le Petite Project!  Over Thanksgiving I did the binding but didn't get it posted.  I love how it turned out.  I used Sip of Summer by Connecting Threads.    This project showed me how important a design wall is.  I had it ready to sew together by blocks but it when much faster when I had it all laid out and could whip out rows at a time.   Not to mention put all my colors where I wanted them.  Yellows together, oranges together, I had to rip out a few that ended up in the wrong places.  I love the yellow as it reminds me of butter and the green of grass and orange of cheddar cheese.  And well Purple if you don't know is my favorite color.

It was bright and cheery on my table on a cold winter day. 

7 Projects to 2011!

Has anybody else realized how close it is to 2011!  There are seven whole weeks left starting today!  EEK!  Where did the time go!

I decided to finish or have 7 goals for those 7 weeks to bring in 2011.

Wk 1 is my Le Petite Nov quilt
Wk 2 is Life is beautiful squares handwork, as many as possible

Wk 3 is a PIF project
Wk 4 is my Southern Bell quilt top

Wk 5 is Le Petite Dec quilt/project

Wk 6 is my blue/yellow buck a block top
Wk 7 is my blue/red buck a block top

Would you like to join me?

Giveaways...

Just a quick note to let you know about a giveaways...

Barb's 4 sisters and mom giveaway.  Click Here for info   

Barb also has one for just today Veteran's day!  So check it out.

Le Petite Project: Paganini

I did it!  I finished something and quilted it.  It is my first free motion quilting project. About 3/4 through I started to out and I look forward to quilting more projects over the next year.  I am saving it for a little girl at some point.  The backing is some LDS fabric with a temple, I love primary and young women.

Blogger Quilt Festival Fall 2010

For my the Blogger Quilt Festival I am showing off my first hand applique & hand quilted quilt.  Did I mention it is also my only one so far?  I love doing those things but it takes time, something I had when I made it but now I don't seem to have any, not to mention that sitting down involves a toddler in my lap with a book. So someday I will make another applique quilt. 

I made it when I was 15 years old (half a lifetime ago! eek!) and I won 2nd in the youth quilting division at the MidSouth Fair (the next year they split the hand vs machine quilts.)

I took an adult class at my LQS (can't  remember the name, it has been 15 years.) I was amazed that me a young teen could do something better than several of the grownups in the class.  My stitches were tiny and invisable on the applique and my quilting was tiny too.   We did freezer paper which we basted with thread and used a green flair pen to mark our quilting lines.

When I made it went with nothing but I loved the backing fabric and chose my colors off of it.  Now hangs happily in my front room which matches it!

Fall Into Fall winner, PIF update and Caramel Corn Recipe!

Someday I will figure out how to cut and paste the actual thing for now here is the result.


True Random Number Generator Min: 1 Max: 118 Result: 6

Congrats LEAH!

I was overwhelmed with comments and stopped answering everyone. But thank you all for entering.  I hope to email those who commented on the caramel corn recipe or the PIF in the next week or so.


My PIF participants are Regina of Sew Love Today, Cassie whose blog is not public yet, but it is special and Charlene of Geema's Wonderings.  So for all of you that wanted to particapate in my PIF and can't please check out their PIF's.  Thanks for the great response.  I was worried I wouldn't get 3 and I did!   So go help Regina, Cassie and Charlene get their 3!

What you still want the Caramel Corn recipe?  I didn't forget, I decided to post it.

Caramel Corn from Bonnie King, St. Louis, MO

15 Cups popped Corn (about 1 cup unpopped)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 tsp baking soda

Dash of Salt

In a pan, heat butter, syrup, sugar and salt.  Stir until it bubbles; remove pan from heat.  Stir in soda until foamy.  Pour over corn and stir well.  (If you want it hard, bake at 200 degrees for 1/2 to 1 hour and stir every 15 minutes.)

Personally I never have the patience to harden it...I love it warm and gooey!  It is very yummy when warm and sticky.  You can 1/2 the recipe as well if needed. We got this when my brother was in Webeloes over 20 years ago.  Still a favorite recipe and I think of St. Louis and our friends there every time I make it. 

 

From Here to there, siggie blocks everywhere & FNSI

I started swapping siggies.  I thought it would be fun and a way to see the world without leaving Texas.
Here is the first of them.

And here are the ones in the past month!  They seem to multiply when I least expect it.  It is amazing how this works.

Somehow I got behind so I played catch up last night.

  And by Monday I hope to have them mailed out.  For those of you who swap any tips on keeping track of who you have sent them to received them from ect would be great. 

It is more purple in real life. 


If you would like to swap blocks let me know. 



Jenn

PS Yes I have a winner and I will be posting the  information on Monday along with my caramel corn recipe complete with pictures!  As well as updating you on my PIF.

Great cover up!

Project one for La Petite

Cover this ugly thing....

Elastic was shot and well see the nice brown stain.



With the help of the internet and some fat quarters let me present my new ironing board. It is made to match my purple room. I love it! Thanks for getting me to do this little project. I see lots of different ironing board covers in my future....

Fall into Fall Quilt Bloggers Giveaway!

Today is the day. All blogger world will be hopping and trying for prizes, or at least all the quilt bloggers. That is why you are here I am sure.


Would you like to know what you could win?


Well I have eight fall fat eights from Joann's in fall colors.

But wait, there is a problem, see the box.

See all that extra room?  Something needs to go there don't you think?  What would quilter like?  Hmm. I know something sweet, how about some homemade caramel corn.  Maybe with some candy corn...
Sorry no picture (you will want it fresh) but I can promise is is very addicting and yummy, made with real butter!


To enter leave a comment.  Sorry it is only open to US addresses.  Though if you want I will gladly email the caramel corn recipe, as I know that is what you really want. ;)  You are welcome to become a follower I love having new friends.

And I have one more thing!  I am participating in a Pay it Forward.
I am joining Linda at Stray Stitches in it. 

The idea is that 3 of you join my Pay It Forward and then I will send a hand made gift (made with love!!!) to each one of my THREE within the next 365 days!  ( I am one of Lana's 3)

Then, those 3 people must also host a PIF on their blogs and ask for 3 people to join their PIF - To Pay It Forward!

You may send anything homemade (and you get to choose what you want to make)- a small quilt, wall hanging, tablerunner, bookmark, pillow case, mug rug, cross stitch item, embroidery item - well, you get the idea. 

So, this is me, asking for 3 people to join my PIF - just leave a comment to this post stating that you want to be one of my 3.

That's it....No Catches!  Now, I only need THREE.....will you be one of my three?

So leave a comment to enter that as well.  

Love, 

Patchwork Jenn

Uplifiting thoughts!

Do 't you love to get away and hear uplifting messages? I know in a house of 3 busy boys I treasure my time away if it is something that uplifts and feeds my soul.  Tonight I got away to a church meeting and heard some uplifting thoughts.  Thought I would share.  Enjoy!

Jenn ;)

Each of You Is Unique

My dear sisters, each of you is unique. You are different from each other in many ways. There are those of you who are married. Some of you stay at home with your children, while others of you work outside your homes. Some of you are empty-nesters. There are those of you who are married but do not have children. There are those who are divorced, those who are widowed. Many of you are single women. Some of you have college degrees; some of you do not. There are those who can afford the latest fashions and those who are lucky to have one appropriate Sunday outfit. Such differences are almost endless. Do these differences tempt us to judge one another?

Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who worked among the poor in India most of her life, spoke this profound truth: “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” The Savior has admonished, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” I ask: Can we love one another, as the Savior has commanded, if we judge each other? And I answer—with Mother Teresa—“No; we cannot.”
—President Thomas S. Monson
Watch the entire general Relief Society meeting

Magical Mail Monday

So I haven't won a go yet, but sometimes I do get a little lucky and magical mail shows up in my mail box.

First I ordered some patterns from Fashionably Modest Patterns and she had a giveaway for a free pattern.  I really wanted another pattern but thought no just get two, you will win the other one.  And I did!  Yeah! So I picked this pattern as I have a linen jumper in this style that is just about dead.  Really love it. So this pattern is perfect.

Then Karen of Messy Karen was making up wipers and I got one.

Too cute. I am almost afraid to use it.  And I plan on making some.  I love the small size.  That is about how much knitting I get done one a washcloth before I lose interest so maybe I will actually finish some.. ;) For the pattern go here.

That is it for magical mail.  Maybe someday I'll get one of those big boxes I see popping up on other's blogs.  But really I am blessed and I think small packages best.

Friday night

Football Sew in.  So the football game was great but we lost...

Oh right you want to know about my sewing...

Happiness in a box. 

Look at those colors for a person with 3 boys it is fun to sew something with some pink. 

Chopped up and strutting their stuff.

Paired up ready to sew.

Sewn.

See my nice flags. 

Anybody want to iron?