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Friday, October 29, 2010

Home For The Holidays Blog Hop

Want to get into the holiday mood?  Well, here's a fun way to do just that!  Twelve wonderful designers, my favorite of which is my dear friend Tara Darr of Sew Unique Creations, will be hosting a holiday blog hop!  Visit each and you'll be treated to 12 holiday projects, cookie recipes and inspiring decorating ideas.  Sounds like fun, doesn't it!  

Here's the run down, so mark you calendars, put up Post-It notes, or tie a string around your finger...

Home for the Holidays 
Quilt Designer Blog Hop Line Up!

Nov 2nd * Brenda Gervais from 
Nov 5th * Debbie Field from 
Nov 9th * Jan Patek from 
Nov 12th * Kathy Schmitz from 
Nov 16th * Renee Plains from 
Nov 19th * Tracy from 
Nov 22nd * Lisa Bongean from 
Nov 26th * Lynda Hall from 
Nov 29th * Cheri Saffiote-Payne from 
Dec 3rd * Tara Darr from 
www.sewuniquecreationsblog.com
Dec 7th * Debbie Busby from 
Dec 10th * Stacy West from 
 
Have fun and I hope to see you there!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Remember Me!




As promised, here is a peek at how the finished block turned out for the PWSC Friendship Quilt called Remember Me.  This block was inspired by an old antique quilt that I saw.  The antique wasn't a signature block, but I thought that if I changed a few things around, it would really be cute and different.  I love how it is turning out!   The flora motifs of the Remember Me block, shown above, are included with the pattern.   All of the other blocks contain the signatures of my closest friends, and of the special ladies who are my founding club members.  You will get to see the entire quilt after the first of the year when all of the quilts for Journey 2 are completed.  Until then, I have to keep some surprises! 

Now, I don't want you to worry about how to make the once-square block round.  It's really quite easy.  Ha (!)....you say?  Well, as my mom always says - everything is easy when you know how!  So, the best thing I can do is show you how!  Very soon, I will have a tutorial on just how I did this, so keep checking in with me.  I also have other tutorials planned as I am a teacher at heart, and think good techniques should be shared.

Let me know what you think of the Remember Me block, and I sure hope you've had some time to sew.
Pam

Saturday, October 23, 2010

A Much Needed Break

Hello, Dear Readers!

Did you think I'd been swallowed up by the mess in the house?  Well, you're kinda right!  I've been cleaning my little heart out here, trying to get the house back in shape.  It's coming along nicely, slow but sure.  I promise to post a few updated photos this week, as well as more posts in general.  We've had quite a lot happening here that has kept me from posting, but, hopefully life will return to it's normal routine.  I take great comfort in a normal, ordinary day!  You, too?

I escaped the renovation and dust for four days and traveled to Tyler, TX, where I spent time with the wonderful ladies of the Quilter's Guild of East Texas.  I gave a couple of lectures, and spent a very nice day with these ladies giving a workshop.  Texas hospitality is everything I've heard it to be, and then some.  Thank you all for a wonderful time!

I have been sewing a little bit, which has saved my sanity during this little kitchen project of ours.  I will have the next sneak peek of the block for my Remember Me quilt, so check back in a day or two. 
Enjoy this lovely fall day!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Progress

I want to thank everyone who posted a comment about their favorite season and how they like to decorate.  It was great fun to read your stories!  Now that it's Sunday morning, it's time to ask the Random Number Generator to choose a winner for the corn husk pumpkin. 

Congratulations to #17 ~ lynnquiltsalot!  Please email me at pam@heartspunquilts.com with your address info, and I'll get the pumpkin in the mail to you right in time for fall decorating!

Progress on the kitchen renovation is coming along.  Here's a shot of the kitchen floor which isn't done just yet.  Hoping that the floor will be finished on Monday.  The new appliances will be delivered then, and clean up can begin.  I understand from many of you that clean up will last a very long time.  Thanks for the warning!

Later this week, I'll be traveling to visit the wonderful ladies of the Quilter's Guild of East Texas in Tyler, Texas.  I'll be giving two lectures on Thursday, and a workshop on Friday.  If you're in the area, please stop in!  You can visit their website at www.qgetx.org for more information. 

Enjoy your week, and I'll be thinking of all of you!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better

For the past four days, our house has been a noisy, messy, busy place.  A few months ago, we decided to renovate our kitchen.  We built this house 15 years ago, and have been trying to update a few things each year.  This fall, we decided it was time for the kitchen make-over.  Other than the walls and cabinets, we're replacing and redecorating everything else.  Today, I'm thinking...be careful what you wish for!
My son, Ryan (right) and our neighbor, Ralph, who is a master carpenter, are tearing up 500 sq ft of tile in the foyer, hall, and kitchen, in preparation for a new distressed wood floor!  I'm so excited about that.  Not so excited about the mess.  Ryan is in all his glory.  I don't exactly call it glory, but I'm happy for the change.  I think.
The tile was gone in two dusty days.
 Thought I would show you what the kitchen looked like this morning when I went down for breakfast. 
 

Coffee in the family room won't work either.
Clean up has started, and they have begun laying the hardwood.  I'll keep you posted on progress in a couple of day.

Meanwhile.....
I took a few minutes earlier this afternoon to read your comments about your favorite season and how you like to decorate.  As I read, it felt like I was sitting around a table with friends, just having a lovely conversation.  You are all so warm, and have such passion about your favorite season, and I loved that you shared your holiday traditions as well.  Thank you so much for taking the time to  comment!  I can't tell you how much I enjoy reading them!


Some of you commented on the little Half Square Triangle quilt in the picture of the previous post (also shown above).  It's one of my leftover quilts, and by that I mean it was made literally from the leftovers of another quilt is was making at the time.  The main quilt I was making was for my pattern called Sweater Weather (shown below).  Each time I trimmed the two fabrics of the Flying Geese Connector Corners, I sewed them together right away, and made a pile of Half Squares.

 Sweater Weather
Once all of the Half Squares were sewn, I trimmed them to an equal size, then I began to sew them into rows.  I'd sew a few here and there when I had a couple of minutes, and before you know it.....it's done!  Sometimes, it works better if I just work on a little quilt like this, filling in a few minutes at a time.  If I designate it as an entire project unto itself, it gets on a long, long, long list of wanna-do quilts.  But, I know you don't do that, right?

Prairie Women's Sewing Circle ~ Journey 2 Sneak Peek!
Well, as many of you know, I have been working on the next Journey for my club, and promised a few previews of what's coming.  Here's the first preview.  These blocks are for a Friendship quilt called Remember Me.  You should know that they are not finished!  When the quilt is done, the blocks will not look like this.....not exactly.  I worked hard to create a signature block that was new and different, and am very excited about how it's turning out.  Yes, it's still in production.  I promise another peek when it's finished, so stay tuned!

Don't forget....you have until midnight, Saturday, Oct 9th, to leave a comment to the post titled Fall Contest & Holiday Decorating, and enter to win the cornhusk pumpkin.  And as you relax in your nice, clean, decorated for fall home.....think of me!

P.S. Several of you have emailed asking what fabrics I used in my Sweater Weather quilt.  No surprise - the fabrics are from the Shades of Autumn collection by Kansas Troubles Quilters for Moda.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Fall Contest & Holiday Decorating

Fall is in the air here and I am enjoying every day of my favorite season!  As the tree leaves begin to put on thier colorful show, I am in the mood for roasts, mashed potatoes, and pie.



While I was shopping for goodies at the Country Living Fair last weekend, I was also shopping for you!  Lynne and I spotted these adorable little pumpkins at a booth crammed along with a million other shoppers!   You could hardly get near the place.  Lynne stood in line 30 minutes to pay for these little guys while I watched guard over our other purchases.  The prize for the winning comment is the pumpkin in the foreground of the picture.  It is made of dried corn husks...too cool!  Don't you love the texture is has?  I think its quite nice in this vignette.

Speaking of vignettes.....years ago when my kids were much younger (a-hem....and me, too!) I used to deck the house out in grand style for every holiday.  No nook or cranny was left empty.  I still love to decorate for the holidays, just not quite so grand.  I don't have the time nor energy to do all of it, so I leave a few crannys bare, and go for a wonderful vignette in each room instead.  It still gives the holiday feel I love with a lot less work!  In future posts, I'll share some of my holiday decorating ideas, not that I'm a Martha, ya know...but a little something here or there might inspire an idea for you!  I know that's how it is for me!

So, to enter the Fall Contest for the cute pumpkin, please comment on how you feel about decorating.  What's your favorite time of year?  Has your decorating style changed over the years like mine has?  Comment before the clock strikes midnight on Saturday, October 9th.  Happy Fall to everyone!