Happy Friday!

So the week has flown by hasn't it? We've been awfully lackadaisical I'm afraid, not getting much done at all. My blocks are still up on the wall where I left them, and maybe next week I'll make an alternate for #4, or at the very least replace those large triangles with a print. Thanks for all your comments and helpful suggestions.



One thing in my stocking this year was a picture of a digital SLR camera. Santa wanted me to pick my own, so after a lot of research, yesterday we went out and picked up this camera. Still in the box let me add, I'm a little afraid of it. I really know my little Canon Powershot Digital Elph, so hopefully I'll be able to learn this camera too. Soon you'll be subject to better quality bad photos!

Happy Weekending people!!! xop

Bloggers Block-December

So peeps, are you keeping up with the Blogger's Block of the Month? We're just on block 4, so if you haven't started there's still time to catch up. I'm making myself make the block as soon as possible after it's posted, and Pat posted her block yesterday, so I got busy. Click over to her post for instructions.

One thing that I forgot about till I started looking at my block, Jackie had requested that we use one piece for sure in each block. I think that makes for a unifying set of blocks. Of course we're 4 months in and I notice that I haven't done that. I haven't even used one color in all the blocks. Of course not too late to remake some blocks. I need to think about this a bit.

So people, are you making one or two blocks of each month? I notice some people are making two. Not to beat a dead horse (sorry, poor choice of words Rocky) but should I be making 2 each month? PEOPLE TELL ME WHAT TO DO. Suddenly I hate my blocks. No I don't. AHHH. I don't like that this month I didn't use a third fabric for my triangles. Geez, sometimes I can't make up my mind.

Now don't get me started on the wonkiness. And the little ripple up at the top. Worst enemy=me.

Ok, seriously, I'm almost over it.

Have a good day! xo

Post Holiday Post

So how did it go peeps? We had a really great day, followed by a day of relaxation. Bret has the week off so we're totally taking it easy and squandering the free time on tv and lounging about.



So tell me, how did it go for you?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas my wonderful friends!!!

Stitchy!

Good morning!!! I hope you're all right on track with your holiday preparations! Today I am happy to announce that I'm a member of the Auriful Designer of the Month team for 2012!

We're featuring handwork this year using the Auriful 12wt thread. Look for me at the halfway point! I'm featured in June! I hope you'll follow along with our block of the month project.

Ok, time to get to work! Have a great day !!!

Wednesday

What's up today? For me it's my last trip to the market I hope. Need to make my list and get everything so I don't have to go back, you know it will be a madhouse! Yesterday I had a wonderful day over at Holly's.

We had a quick hike before a delicious leisurely lunch.

California is treating us to some spectacular weather lately, frosty mornings, sunny days and then cold nights. I'm soaking up the sunshine when I can, you know it's going to be gloomy soon enough.

Fun to see the 'kids', good excuse to get outside, right?


I was lucky on the ride home, very little traffic even though it was about 4:30pm. Kind of a charmed day. Hope it's not all scurrying and panic for you! xo

Super Saturday

Did you survive the weekend? I didn't realize this Saturday had a special name too, it was Super Saturday. What about you? Did you have to brave the crowds?

I did sew again and it turns out I can't stop making these tea towels. I like a project that's all neat and tidy, and is done in a short period of time. I also finished a top secret Christmas gift. Well almost finished, the tedious finishing details still need to be done but the big part of the project is done. Phew. I was cutting it awfully close. More on that later.

Hope you had a good weekend. Tell me all about it!

Hello Friday

Another week flew out the window right? They seem to jet by at the end of the year don't they? Are you making progress?

I had one last project this week,this little towel. This time I cut out a cat from the panel with a smidge of white around the edge, and blanket stitched it to a tea towel with monofilament thread. I think it's pretty cute. Same old tea towel ruffle but I added some pom pom trim that I had forgotten I had! Now I have a cute little hostess gift. (Or I could laminate it so it couldn't be sullied and hang it in my own kitchen, either one! )

So what's on the weekend agenda? Enjoying yourself or are you in a panic? I hope enjoying is on the agenda.

I made stuff and didn't tell you.

I started this quilt a long time ago and you probably forgot about it. I finished it and I forgot about it. Well finish is a word I use lightly, the top is done, clearly it still needs quilting. It's a smaller version of Criss Cross and I think it turned out pretty cute. It certainly was fast and easy.

This quilt also has been 'done' a while, and just waiting for a photograph. Last weekend Bret and I went out looking for a fence to throw some quilts on.

Do you ever see a quilt somewhere and just want to recreate it? Well this quilt is a recreation of a quilt I saw a long time ago at Susan Branch's store, Heart of the Home. It was being used as a table cloth at the time I believe, and I fell in love. I saw it other times on my visits to her shop. I even saw it in a magazine article or maybe it was on her website,I'm not sure where I got this photo, but it's been in my little treasures folder for a long time.

Once I saw just a snippet on her blog and after commenting on how much I loved it, Susan sent me a close up photo. How can you not love Susan? I always think of her as Sweet Sue, and she surely is.

Its not an exact copy, I used a shoo fly block instead of a churn dash, which I regret a little, but still, it's pretty close. Everytime I see it I think of my friend, Sweet Sue.

So what are you doing? Tell me everything!

PamKitty Book Bag

Good morning! What's new in the outside world? Not much is new here in PKMville, just working on projects and enjoying some crime fighting tv! And coffee.. lots of delicious coffee to go with it. I've also been procrastinating, which you know, I excel at.

Way back when, I made a little PamKitty book bag. It's really just a generic tote bag, but I could imagine taking it to the library and filling it up with books like we did when we were kids. I was supposed to write some pattern instructions to go with it. Well we all know that I'm not a genius at that, so I put it off. And put it off some more. So today I'm finally getting it together and posting what has to be the lamest set of photos ever to go with the instructions.

First off you make the bag front. So far so good right? Then you cut a piece of backing the same size. Maybe you fuse some interfacing on both pieces, maybe you don't.

Then you sew around the sides and the bottom, leaving an opening to turn your bag. My scissors and seam ripper show the open seam. So far, really easy right?

Make the handles by folding your handle strip in half and pressing, then open and fold each long edge to the center, fold in half, then press. Top stitch each side then cut into two 20 inch handles.

Then pin them to the bag front, 3 inches from each side. But don't do as I do here in the photo, because wow, how did I miss that? SEAM RIPPER TIME!

Stuff your bag into your lining right sides together and match the side seams and handles placement and stitch all the way around the top.

Then pull it out through the open lining seam, press it, stitch the seam closed and you have yourself a PamKitty Book Bag.

But all that seems a little vague right? Just click on the bag icon and you can download a pdf with all the details. Now make some bags people!!

Some things I forgot!

I don't know how I could have forgotten to mention this here! But hey! Did you know that in the alphabet print, which is named Pam Kitty Loves You, actually has "Pam Kitty Loves You" hidden in the tossed letters? It's like my secret agent message to you guys.

That's not the only secret, tucked away in the corner of each PKM Kitty block is a little PKM logo. It's white on white though, so you can't really see it, unless you're looking. Which you totally should!

I'm sure you remember my darling pin cushion from Melissa, right? It uses the really cute little stripe on the edge of the panel. I thought it was so clever, as that stripe is the cutest.

Melissa has written a tutorial for the pin cushion, and you should head over to her blog and check it out. You should totally check her blog out anyway, she's very clever and gets a lot done.Wouldn't that pin cushion be a darling gift for a quilting friend. Or for yourself?

Ok, phew. Have a good day peeps!

Make

Good Monday Morning everybody! How was the weekend? Turns out here, we weren't panic stricken, which was a surprise. I'm sure this week I'll get that crazy feeling again,but this weekend felt kind of relaxed almost. Can't last, right?


I know in my interview with Tina, I said I wasn't making anything for Christmas gifts, but things come up and sometimes a cute handmade gift can come in handy. I used Elizabeth's free pattern for the tea towel, you can find it on her side bar, just scroll a bit till you see the pears tea towel button. I didn't add any applique, although some strawberries might have been cute. I used what I had on hand, plenty of PKM fabric. I added extra ruffles, all finished the same way you finish one ruffle, I like the nice finished edges.

Then I made a towel and pot holder set. You know you can get the pot holder instructions on my sidebar right? Very easy, I mean look, even I managed to get it mostly round. No one beats Elizabeth though when it comes to nice round pot holders.

I think Santa will be dropping this gift off with a bag of Holiday Peet's Coffee. But shhh, don't tell.

By the way! Check this out!

Chilly

That whooshing sound we just heard was our week flying past! How can it be Friday already? I don't know about you guys but the panic is setting in. I'm working on a Christmas project, didn't get the great idea till the last minute. Probably not a genius move on my part. But isn't that how these things go?


It was in the thirties again over night! Aren't I clever putting my cup of coffee on the birdbath? (roll your eyes, it's ok) It sure needs a good scrubbing, so I'll add that to the list. First thing in the morning I empty it and put in fresh water, and refill the dog bowl that's frozen. My nutty little girl dog Peep only will drink from the water outside, so I keep that full and fresh for her. Can't have her getting her tongue stuck!

That's the kind of mundane thing going on here. That and my secret Christmas project. What about there?

Day Trippin'

Tuesday I had a chance to head down to the Monterey Bay area for the day. The weather was absolutely perfect, like it usually is this time of year. Cool, but sunny and clear.

I did all the stuff we normally do, head over to the cemetery to see the deer.. they were pretty lazy this time, normally they walk right up to your car.

Then I headed to a little turn out spot along the scenic drive to see if I could see any good wildlife. There were a ton of otters, the most I've seen in years. I wish I had my binoculars. Seeing them dive in flipping their tails was so fun.

The flock of Cormorants were pretty noisy, for several minutes it was all about them shrieking. WOW. Like angry toddlers.

Most amazing stop of the day was at the Monarch Sanctuary. I got there around 1pm and it was just getting warm enough for them to start moving about. At first you don't notice them, it just looks like tons of dry leaves.. but as they begin to warm up, they start fluttering about, breathtaking.

Down in a sunny patch, there were a bunch just flying about, landing, then flying off. It was completely magical.

Maybe next year.

After yesterday's shocking revelation about the proximity of Christmas, I promptly drank my coffee and got busy online ordering stuff. What about you? That managed to quell the inner panic and I felt like I deserved a bit of a reward. I mean it sounds perfectly reasonable, right?

The kite ruler I had ordered had been sitting around for a while and I figured I'd better try out a block. I have a bad habit to committing to something before I know the pitfalls, like why would I 'waste' good fabric testing a block. I'm not very mature sometimes.

Good thing because you can see my piecing is a bit off. Those mismatched edges are just the kind of thing that drives me nuts. The ruler comes with a nice set of instructions for cutting and piecing, but I would have liked a little blow up of the matching points, you know? Triangles can be such a mystery. (triangles are cut using the Kaleido-ruler) OHMYGOSH I AM SUCH A DORK. I just looked at that template again and there are holes at the match points so you can mark them. Honestly. I totally know about those kinds of things, why didn't I pay more attention? See this is why you test stuff out.

Another thing I wanted to try is a kaleidoscope block that didn't use triangles to make the corners. Slightly better luck there. If you want to see a lovely kaleidoscope quilt check out Jennifer's quilt here. She uses a different method and ruler. You can see her instructions here and here. If you don't know Jennifer she's very talented and has a lovely style.


Of course the real reason I acquired this ruler is to totally copy Mary. You can see how far I have gotten with that. Insert my maniacal laughter here.

Have a good day peoples!

Panic

Good morning my friends! How are you? Was the weekend good? I'll tell you what got me in a panic on Saturday, Twitter Santa tweeted there were only 2 more weekends till Christmas and I lost it. Did you catch up with me on Saturday over at Tina's place? There's still time to leave a comment for a chance to win a little stash off PKM goodness. Did you leave a comment over at the Strawberry Patches blog? I made a little video yesterday picking the winner. Check it out. I'm a nut.

Anyway, I'm going to give in and get in a panic later today about Christmas. But for now I'm just going to enjoy my coffee. You should too. Plenty of time for panic later. xo

Here and There

This morning you can find my regular mug of coffee over at Tina's place! Tina is interviewing creative people this month in her Knitting Contrissmas Series. Twenty five days of creativity and I'm thrilled to be a part of the series.

Today is Sarah's day here at PKM. Her morning cup looks lovely doesn't it? I think this photograph captures what I love about Sarah's quilts, they're rich with color, they feature modern and traditional styles and there's always a little something unexpected.

Sarah's newest book, Quilting From Little Things is making it's US debut now. Like others on the tour have mentioned, it introduces you to a technique with a small piece, then you can move on to a larger quilt using those skills. I really like the opportunity to explore something without commitment.

Of course it's not just about techniques and sewing, it's about exploring your style, discovering new ideas and techniques, and about buying and hoarding fabric. "I don't ever feel bad about how much fabric I have - the fabric is as essential to my inspiration as the actual construction of the quilts." Those words alone can set you free people.

I have made one of the small projects from Sarah's book, Rebel with a Rotary. It is a very fast and easy project. I like that the book includes templates, but also instructs you in using your regular everyday ruler as well as specialty rulers. The instructions are clear, the diagrams charming and informative and the photography is breathtaking.

My friend Roseann told me once that traditional quilters (like me) often buy modern fabric but use it in ways they understand. Sarah's quilts show me how to use fabric in new ways within my traditional style, and how traditional style can be transformed into something fresh and new.

Want to see more of Sarah's book, be sure and visit the other blogs on the tour.
Fat Quarterly
Amy Ellis
Thomas Knauer
Camp Follower Bags
Ryan Walsh Quilts
The Happy Zombie
Moda Lissa
Mrs Schmenkman Quilts
True Up
Pink Chalk Fabrics
Pam Kitty Morning You're here!
Coming up tomorrow
Sew, Mama, Sew!
Pat Sloan

Looking to purchase a copy of Sarah's book? Martha Pullen is offering blog tour readers a discount of $5. Use promo code QUILTLITTLE to get your savings before the blog tour promotion expires (7/31/12).

Lastly, I want to say thank you to Sarah, for not only including me in her blog tour, but for including me in her list of Inspirational Blogs in the Resources section of her book. I would have never imagined that I could be included in a list of blogs that I admire so much and am inspired by on a regular basis.

The luckiest of ducks.

It was a cold wind blowing through our neighborhood. Alice-Jane's shrubs are yellow with my leaves. I'll be out there as soon as it dies down.

I had a leisure filled day yesterday, Frankie and I went over to Niles for some antique shopping and then had some tasty Chinese noodle soup. We might have watched some crime fighting tv.

The end of the day brought a polka-package from my friend Sharon. Could this bag be any cuter? I don't think so. Neither could Sharon. Or her Hunka.

And as if that wasn't enough, my sweet friend Kelly posted an interview with me over at her blog. Kelly is a fabric designer with a new line coming out with Andover. Thanks Kelly!

Speaking of darling young friends, do you read Delish Magazine? It's a free online publication. My friend Amanda has a recipe in there, and believe me, if Amanda's making it, it's, well... delish!

Of course don't forget, Suzanne is having a give away over at the Strawberry Patches ! Did you go leave a comment for a chance to win? You're always a winner visiting the Patch though, their tutorials are great!

So it was a pretty darn good day, even if I didn't sew a stitch! Hope you had a great day peeps! xo