Tuesday

Good morning!   Holy cow winter people, hope you're all safe and warm where you are!  I spent a good part of yesterday outside  cleaning up the patio in my shirtsleeves.. even the robins think spring is right around the corner.  For probably a week I had flocks and flocks of giant robins, I don't remember them ever being so huge before.  They've left a mess all over my patio on every surface if you know what I mean, and it's a pain to get it cleaned up when you can't spray down the cement.

 

Sunday we were coming home through old downtown and came across a flock of  turkeys wandering down the road. There were more turkeys outside the frame here, including a giant tom turkey leading the parade down the street.  He didn't seem too smart though, he walked right in front of the car. 

 

Hope everything is going well where you are people!  Be safe and be warm! xo

Tapestry

Hi and Happy Friday! Believe it or not I have another finished project to show you! It's my Tapestry quilt from the book Fat Quarter Style. I love how it turned out.

 

Bret and I were cracking ourselves up trying to get a good photo of the whole quilt.

 

We're not the greatest at this but we do have fun! And honestly, would you resist such an opportunity?

 

This comes closer to showing off the whole quilt.  It's made with big big blocks so it goes really fast  and the large squares show off the fabrics.  I think the quilt would be so dramatic with a dark background as well. 

 

Well those are my sewing accomplishments for now!  Hope you guys have a fun weekend! xo

Sunshine

Yesterday afternoon the gloom lifted and we had some sunshine. It was awesome.  I went out to run some errands and grabbed some primroses for the porch.  Nothing says springtime like primroses.  Of course it's January.  I get it.

I'm definitely not complaining about the California winter.  Sometimes that gloom though.  Yikes. I don't know how you real  winter people do it. 

Have a good day!

Hello Tuesday!

Good morning! Thanks everyone for the nice comments on MEOW here and on instagram.  I really enjoyed making that quilt, and I super love those scallops from Holly's Sunrise Studio collection.  It was pretty simple and I'm sure you could make in a day if you had some good sewing tv or audio book! 

 

Lately I've been feeling pretty good about sewing and getting a lot done.  I've had a little idea for a quilt percolating and yesterday I thought I'm never going to get going on it if I don't actually start. So I did. I made this little test block just to see if I thought it would work out as cute in fabric as it does in photoshop. I feel pretty good about it, so I'll work on the details and then make it. 

 

I hope you're having a good week.  It's easy to fall into a funk in January with the gloomy weather.  Sometimes I want to turn on all the lights in the house for some fake sunshine.  I don't know how the hard core winter people do it.

 

Ok, lets get on with Tuesday! xop

Meow Monday

Good morning! Welcome to Meow Monday!  Yesterday I finished up binding my Meow quilt  and headed out to get a photo.  It's been gray here, and the sun is set on glare.. so it's not an easy task for sure.  

Darla did a great job quilting it, if you click on the photo you can see the cute scallop detail.  Those are Holly's fun Sunrise Studio scallops, so fun and easy, and I think they really make this project!

 

To download the free pattern just click on that M button and away you'll go!  Happy Meow Monday!

Snapshots Month 1

Good morning! Welcome to  my Snapshots post for January!  I'm so excited to be stitching along with the Fat Quarter Shop on this cute quilt, and I hope you will join us!  It's a great quilt AND  a great cause. For a quick recap, the Snapshots quilt blocks capture happy moments in our lives. The patterns are free, but we hope you'll donate $5 a pattern to the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.   Each month on the 15th, there will be a new block pattern and video tutorial to help you make your block! 

 

Block one is the Let them Eat Cake block! Here's my fabric selections for the block, I'm using my Pam Kitty Garden fabric, and using LakeHouse LH07013 WOW dots for the background.

Of course I'm using my Alphabitties to keep me organized.

The cake is super sweet, low calorie too! 

 

Here's the details again:

Read All About it Here

Get your Pattern Here

Watch the Video Here

Donate Here!

 

I love how my block turned out! Can't wait to see everyone else's and to start stitching on my next block!  Have a great day everyone!

Pinterest

Yesterday I was taking care of some odds and ends and some how ended up on Pinterest.  I confess to being totally captivated by a lot of the wonderful photography out there.  And the styling! Sometimes the photos are better than what you 'd see in a magazine. Anyway yesterday this photo of a goose tracks block caught my eye.   I wonder if those blocks eventually become something, there's some circles there, I'm sure there's going to be some fantastic applique involved.  Anyway, I  was thinking about that photo all day. 

 

So I made a goose track block.  I like it. It was fun.  But now that I go back and look at the original and really pay attention, I notice that the proportions are different, the center isn't the same size as the corner squares, and the whole block appears to float on the background. I believe it's a hand pieced block.. not sure.  Lovely though. Everything about the picture has me wondering about what happened to the blocks.  If you have the time head over to the Pink Caramel blog and page through it.  Really wonderful.

 

Ok, I'm off for a few days. I will probably be instagramming, in case you want to keep up with me. It will be fun to get away and see some new sights for a few days.  Most of all I'm excited to catch up with Roseann!  She mostly posts on Facebook, and you can catch her here.  She's really good about posting photos of interesting things.

 

See you next week! xo

Lunch Lady

Good morning!  What's doing with you guys?  So far this week I've gone out to lunch two days in a row.. so it's been pretty good here!  I met with Holly on Monday, and then yesterday I met Frankie for lunch!   And guess what, on Friday I head down to LA to meet up with Roseann and go to the Craft and Hobby Association trade show! I can't wait. 

 

In the meantime I'm working on my Snapshots blocks!  Are you signed up? Are you going to sew along with us? It's a great quilt for a great cause! You can read all about it here. I'm using Pam Kitty Garden for my quilt, and each month it's going to be exciting to pull some fabric and make a block! 

 

Ok, maybe today I'll get some sewing done!  Have a great day! xo

 

 

January 2015

Hi there! Happy New Year!  Did you have a wonderful holiday season?  Everyone here is back on their regular schedules, I'll miss having my people around that's for sure. Bret had some extra days off over the last two weeks and it's been a treat.

 

With the start of the new year I  put in a fresh rotary blade, broke open a box of new pins and put in a fresh new needle.  Why I wait so long on the blade I have no idea. Same with the pins, I barely had a straight pin in the bunch.  Well that's just the kind of nut I am.

 

I wanted to make something that I didn't plan out myself, so I pulled out my Fat Quarter Style book and cut myself a pack of fat quarters for the Tapestry Quilt. Even though we had a busy few days I managed to get the lap size version completed last night!   Of course you'll have to take my word for it, I took some really crappy photos and it's already packed up to take to be quilted.  I need to find a way to get a nice picture of a larger sized quilt.  That's one thing I really miss in  a lot of books and patterns these days, nice flat shots of the quilts. I like seeing details like quilting patterns and fabric layouts!  But I also enjoy the styled shots.  There's always new trends, wonder what will be next?

 

Ok, tell me what you're up to this fine January morning!  I'm taking my projects off to be quilted, can't wait! I'm also sending off some bloggy birthday wishes to my mother-in-law Doris!!! I hit the mother-in-law jackpot with her!  Ok, lets have a good day people! xo

 

 

 

 

2014

Well looks like we're at the end of 2014!  This year really flew by for me, what about for you?  It's hard to believe tomorrow we'll welcome 2015. Thanks for sharing this past year with me! I appreciate your friendship and your support!

 

These little narcissus and China lilies are casualties of yesterday's wind!  Holy cow it was chaos out back, we had giant palm fronds flying all over, crashing onto the roof, onto the patio. The upside is, our palm tree doesn't need to be cleaned up this year!  Finger's crossed it's not so windy today.

 

Ok friends, Happy New Year!  Here's to 2015!!! xo

Tuesday

Yes, you better take a seat!  The baby quilt is actually done! I know it's shocking and I'm not surprised it caught you off guard.  You're not used to this kind of productivity around here.  Ha! Me neither!  

Ok, it's not actually done done.. like quilted done, but I plan on doing that maybe today.  I need to go get some 505 for spray basting.  Apparently I was storing a near empty can.  I'm whimsical like that.

 

Also whimsical.. the angle I took this photo.  I guess it's not true that bead board makes the perfect backdrop.  Perfect if you stand at the right angle.  All other angles.. not so much.

 

I love how this quilt turned out!   Very patriotic!  Also perfect for a sweet baby boy! I guess I better get quilting on it before it's too small!  So.. time to decide what's next! Hope you have a great day! xo

Monday

Good morning!  How was your Christmas?  I hope it was wonderful. Bret is back to work today, and I'm back to the sewing machine and maybe some clean up.  Maybe. 

 

Isn't this the cutest little pincushion and tea towel?  It's from Elizabeth of course, you can recognize her style form a mile away, right?  I love all those sweet embroidered covered buttons, but that's not all that's inside that cute jar, there's vintage trim and millenary and some vintage plastic buttons that are wonderful.  The towel is also trimmed with some pretty cotton crochet lace! I don't even know where you find such pretty lace anymore. 

 

One of the highlights of last week was meeting my little grand nephew Zachary.  He's 3 months old now and couldn't be cuter.  I haven't seen my niece in quite a few years so it was wonderful to see her, meet her husband and smooch on her little baby!  Of course I was inspired to make a quilt for him, so I started a small Criss Cross on Saturday.  My blocks are done, just need to stitch them all together.   It felt good to be back at the machine. 

 

Are you cleaning up the aftermath today? Or are you already done? Tell me everything!

Christmas!

Good morning! 

 

Merry Christmas Friends! 

 I hope you have a wonderful day! xop

And done!

Good morning!  So it's probably a surprise to you, but I finished that bag yesterday!  It went together better than any of these bags I have made in the past, like I said, the buckram and the fusible fleece were so cooperative.   I almost wanted to dig in and make myself a new bag, but then I figured why jump into anything. Plenty of time.

 

Fusible fleece though, I jinxed myself a little talking about it in yesterday's post, today when I was pressing the lining after I turned it and stuffed it into the bag and I noticed that orange peel look on the front.  NOT COOL. Fortunately I was able to press it out.. but after that I was pretty careful.  

 

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve can you believe it?  This year has flown by.  Just in case we don't talk again before Christmas HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY!!! xoxo

Monday

Oh. My. Gosh! It's the Monday before Christmas!   Did you do anything fun and Christmasy last weekend?  Bret took me out to see the Christmas lights on Saturday night.  Normally it's so busy during the holiday's I only get out to see them on Christmas eve, that' s our little family tradition. It was nice to just drive around town to places not on our regular route to see what was going on.

 

I started working on a  bag this weekend. This whole past year my hair stylist has asked me for a Mickey Mouse purse.  She wanted it exactly like mine, except Mickey Mouse.  I kept looking around for Mickey fabric that looked like it would make a grown up looking purse and finally saw Gayle making these bags on Instagram and I loved the fabric.  So far it's turning out super cute, and I'll get a picture of the finished bag later today, tomorrow is my hair appointment!   It's going so well I don't know why I put it off for so long. The fusible fleece and the buckram were so easy this time. 

 

Ok, are you in control of Christmas? I hope so ! Happy Monday!  xo

 

 

Friday

Hello Friday.   Have you had one of those days?  Yesterday started out cozy and then turned into a bit of a mess. Including the big glass cover over my entry light fixture fell  10 feet to CRASH onto smithereens all over the entryway, living room and into the family room.  And when I say smithereens I am not even exaggerating. Anyway, thank goodness Peep wasn't sitting right at the edge of the entry like she normally does, waiting for Bret. 

 

I also did some sewing.  Not much luck on that front either.  I was putting some blocks together into rows and every block I stitched for the first row was facing the wrong direction.  Stitch one block to another, pick it out. Repeat.  Finally I finished the whole row breathed a sigh of relief and gave it at good pressing. And that's when my iron turned against me and dripped icky brown  water all over the white setting block.  JINXED. 

 

I'm not even going to talk about the dog.

 

So it's Friday! Yay!  We're closing in on Christmas week now!  Are you ready?  I hope you all have a good weekend! xo 

Snapshos Quilt Along

Good morning!  Today its time to talk about the Snapshots Quilt Along with Fat Quarter Shop. I'm excited to be a part of this great project benefiting the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.   Every month on the 15th, beginning in January, you can download a cute block to make.  The blocks are free, but we're encouraging you to donate $5 towards  St. Jude's for each download. 

 

Additionally on the 15th of each month, Fat Quarter Shop will be  releasing a new video tutorial on each of the blocks.   And check out this great introductory video with Bonnie and Camille !  It has all the details.

 

You can order your kit from Fat Quarter Shop here.  I'll be sewing along with my Pam Kitty Garden fabric.  (Shh,, I've already got a couple of blocks done and it's turning out so cute! ) 

 

You can read all the details here, and see who else will be sewing along with us!  I hope you'll join in the fun! 

 

Tuesday

Hi there! Did you make any bear paw blocks?  I almost wrote bear "claw" .. yikes, my pastry problem outs itself! It was a cozy rainy day here yesterday so I got to work on my meow quilt.

 

It's cave dweller time here, dark and gloomy, so the picture color isn't great, but you can see how totally cute those Sunrise Studio scallops look with my Pam Kitty Garden fabric. Hopefully today I'll finish this up and figure out if I'll try and quilt it myself or have it quilted. 

 

Are you sewing? Have your shopping done? I'm totally in denial about Christmas.  And it's the 16th. Crazy.  Tell me about what you're up to.. if you have the time.  By the looks of Instagram and Facebook, everyone is busy busy!  I'm loving all the Christmas decorations and all the fun sewing projects. My friend Suzanne from Strawberry Patches in Bakersfield spent the weekend making some cute things from Pam Kitty Garden, check her Facebook page here.

 

Ok, I'll be back here later this week! Hopefully with that quilt finished! Have a good day!  xo

Classic and Vintage: Bear Paw!

Good morning! Today we're stitching  along with Fat Quarter Shop's BRAND NEW Classic and Vintage Block, The Bear Paw.  Classic and Vintage is the perfect series for me, because I love making the old blocks new again with fresh fabrics and colors. 

Fat Quarter Shop's instructions for this block can be found here, and as you've come to expect, they're clear and concise, and you can whip up a block in no time! The generous size of 14 inches makes any project go fast. Just get your Alphabitties at the ready, download your pattern and get started.  In no time at all you'll have a nice crisp Bear Paw Block ready to be called to action!

 

Fat Quarter Shop also has a new video showing you how to make the Bear Paw Block.  Kimberly demonstrates  how to use Triangle paper in it.   You'll have a nice neat Bear Paw Block in no time.

I totally got carried away and made a small block too. 

 

The Fat Quarter Shop has a free download for the Bear Paw Block.  They also have a perfectly priced pattern for a table runner, crib, twin or king sized quilt, you can order that here.   Now I hope you'll head over to the Jolly Jabber and see who else is making Bear Paw blocks!

Thursday

Hi there! We're anticipating "the storm of the decade" so we're all settled in here at Pam Kitty Central. Yikes.  Crossing my fingers that we maintain power but for sure I'm getting my electronics charged! 

 

I finished up my hexagon potholders yesterday afternoon.  I feel pretty pleased with them, even the binding turned out, sometimes I find those angles challenging!

I wouldn't have had such a nice result without the great tutorial from Freshly Pieced. Lee's method keeps your angles in check, something just chopping off the end of the logs doesn't do.

 

These two are getting popped in the mail.  Maybe after the storm though.  California is getting at on of precipitation, so I'm grateful for that, hope the winds don't  wreak havoc.  

 

Just in case I don't get back here, have a great weekend! xop