Saturday, February 4, 2012

{Post #898} Valentine Treats


Here is a little treat idea I made this morning for my Sunday school class.  They are the 2 and 3 year olds.  Each of these little packages holds 6 conversation hearts and 6 M & Ms...not too much, not too little.  The picture shows the front and back of one pack.




I sewed two paper heart-shaped doilies wrong sides together leaving a space to put the candy in, then filled them and sewed the opening closed.  I'll give these out next week.


~Joan

Friday, February 3, 2012

Books and Patterns for Sale (Most Like-New)

Bonnie Hunter is hostessing a virtual yard sale tomorrow.  I have some like-new books and some gently-used books for sale.  How this works is that you email me if you want one of these.  Let me know if you want media rate, first class, or priority mail.  I will get back to you with a price that includes shipping.  All of these are in LIKE-NEW condition with the exceptions noted.




From left to right, top row first, here are the descriptions:


"The Joy of Quilting" by Joan Hanson and Mary Hickey.  Hard back cover.  271 pages.  $12  SOLD!


"Quilts Through the Seasons" by Eleanor Burns.  A quilt for each month of the year.  239 pages, spiral bound with soft-board cover.  $12


Thimbleberries "Collection of Classic Quilts" by Lynette Jensen.  26 Quilting Inspirations for the Home.  224 pages, hard back.  $12  SOLD


"Weekend Log Cabin Quilts" for People Who Don't Have Time to Quilt by Marti Michell.  This book has been gently used.  There is some writing and highlighting throughout.  The edge of the binding shows wear.  It also has a price sticker on the front.  Soft cover.  44 pages.  $5  SOLD


"Strip, Trip, and Shadow Quilts" for People Who Don't Have Time to Quilt by Marti Michell.  This is gently used, but not as worn as the one described directly above.  It has the remnants of a price sticker on the front.  Soft cover.  44 pages.  $5  SOLD


"Winter Rose" by Barbara Brandeburg.  Like-new condition.  40 pages, soft cover.  Purchased with high hopes, but never used ;)  $8


"Mostly Table Runners Three" A Collection of 16 Classic Patterns by Calico Printworks.  60-page soft cover book.  Like-new condition.  I bought this then realized I already had one in my extensive collection.  $8  SOLD




The pattern on the left is "Scrappy Shaggy Stars" by Country Traditions.  It uses the raw edge applique method where the edges of the stars are loose.  3 different sizes.  Like new.  $4


The right pattern is "Harvest Table Toppers" by Thimbleberries.  Finish at 23" x 39-1/2".  Like new.  $4




This picture, left to right and top row first:


"Simply Fun" by Glad Creations.  Like new.  84" x 98".  $4


"Harvest time" by Anka's Treasures.  Like new, 2 sizes.  $4


"Scrappy Hearts" by Prairie Designs.  53" x 63-1/4".  Like new, $4


"Day's Gone By" by This & That.  Runner 16-1/2" x 32-1/2".  Like new, $4


"A Dash to the Finish" by Classy Patterns.  57" x 68".  Like new, $4


"Golden Wheat Squares" by Fig Tree Quilts.  2 sizes.  Like new, $4  SOLD


"Federal Square Table Runner" by Calico Cat Patterns & Designs.  20" x 45".  Like new, $4


"Trail Mix" tote bag pattern by This & That.  Like new, $4




"Quilts From the Heart" Quick Projects for Generous Giving, by Karin Renaud.  Like new.  96 pages, soft cover.  $10  SOLD


"Pairing Up 2-Block Quilts" by Nancy Mahoney.  Like new, $10.  94 pages, soft cover.


"The Thimbleberries Guide for Weekend Quilters" by Lynette Jensen.  Dust jacket is torn a little.  Hard back, 214 pages. $10  SOLD


"Quick Quilted Miniatures" by Darlene Zimmerman.  Slight scuffing on bottom right corner of cover.  128 pages, soft cover.  $8


"Stonewell Farm Flannel Quilts" by Thimbleberries.  Like new, $6.  40 pages, soft cover.  SOLD


"Thimbleberries New Collection of Classic Quilts" by Lynette Jensen.  224 pages, soft cover.  Back bottom corner is crumpled a tiny bit.  $10  SOLD


"Stars Galore and Even More" (Speed-cut Quilt Designs Using Hexagons and Octagons) by Donna Poster.  Like new.  182 pages, soft cover.  $5  SOLD


I will be checking email frequently.  If I do not get back to you, that most likely means that someone else has already bought the book.  I will do my best to answer every email.  Please tell me how you want the book shipped:  media mail, first class, or priority.  I will get a total for you including shipping.  I prefer PayPal but will accept personal checks as well.


I will have a link from Bonnie's page tomorrow, but am posting this tonight for my personal blog readers to give you a head start.  You're welcome.


EMAIL ME AT whistlersmother10@carolina.rr.com.


~Joan





{Post #897} GFG Progress and Selvages


I took my Grandmother's Flower Garden wall hanging to work on this AM while Rachel sold food at the flea market.  I got quite a bit finished because I also took it to the eye doc's waiting room while Isaac had an appointment yesterday.  All I did yesterday was baste hexagons to add later (which ended up being today).  Here' tis...




In other quilty news, I also trimmed off these selvages last night.  Wednesday night is a church service for us.  Mary Jo's is 15 minutes past our church.  I drop our children off early for youth choir, so I often head over to the city for an errand.  I picked up a few scraps and FQs for future block of the month quilts.  I harvested these selvages for future Red Zinger blocks.




I will be working on those in the coming weeks.  I even got some off of the scraps Julie sent me for my February "Count On It" block.  BONUS!!


~JoanG

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

{Post #896} They Are Here!


My new b-friend (that's blog-friend for those of you not in the know) Julie sent me a package that arrived today.  She picked up the pattern I mentioned earlier for me (how nice is THAT?) and also sent the necklace I ordered.  Pictures do not do these puppies justice.  It.  is.  so.  beautiful.  The pendant measures a teensy 1-1/2" on the straight edge.  There is glass in front and back (I thought it should have a little sticker that says "break glass in case of emergency", but it doesn't).  It hangs on a satin-y black cord.  I am nearly always wearing a solid-colored T-shirt and a jumper.  So, voila'...perfect for every outfit.








Head on over to Me & My Stitches and get you something!  www.meandmystitches.com.  Well--GO!!


~Joan

{Post #895} Finished February


...and just in the nick of time.  




Once again, I painted the eyes instead of using buttons. That is so easy for me to do.  Those can be made any size.  Love it!

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

{Post #894} February Count On It


I just realized that I still have tomorrow to finish my February block for the Count On It series.  


Julie was gracious enough to send me some light blues.  With all the BOLTS of fabrics I have, there were none adequate for this block.  Thanks, Julie!!  A friend in need, you know.


I still have to put on the birds' eyes and do the zigzag with invisible thread around the appliques, but here it is...




I like it.  I started in October.  To see the others, click on the "count on it" below under the labels.  Or you could just type "count on it" in the top left search box for this blog.


~Joan

Monday, January 30, 2012

{Post #893} Final Resting Place


I tried this out in 4 other places first.  I wanted it where we would see it a lot.  So it ended up in the kitchen above our fruit sideboard.  I did not put the back on yet, but it's OK like this.




And a close up of yours truly & hubby:




It's not perfect, but it's finished!


~Joan

{Post #892} Valentine Day Decoration



Not too sure how this is going to fit into my color scheme elsewhere in the house, but here goes.  First is the project in its current state.  Then I'll show how I made it.  


My husband helped tremendously by cutting the wood to size and then making it stationary with the nail pad thingies.  


Here is the project right now...I just need to write names on each heart and attach them to the fabric.  Then my hubby is going to cut me a thin board to paint then affix to the back to hide all the staples and rough edges of fabric.  


We have 8 children.  The hearts representing my husband and I are in the center.  My third child is married, so her square has a heart for her and for her hubby.  The hearts are cut from a variety of paint chip cards. 




Here is the process:


First, my husband constructed this frame, which is about 12-1/2" square:




Then I put a layer of quilt batting and a white fabric with black polka dots and pulled it around and stapled with an electric staple gun.  The corners were very bulky when I wrapped it around, so I cut off the batting and most of the fabric:




Finished wrapping, and it all looks good.  Here's my rickrack and paint samples to choose from:




I wanted dark pink rickrack, but could only find the bright red, so I went with the darker paint samples.  Here they are laid out where I want them after I wrapped and hot-glued the rickrack to the back:




I found a small heart-shaped cookie cutter and cut out the top row.  They were a little too large for my liking.  I guess they would have been OK, but I didn't want them to hog most of the available space in each square.




I thought I would have a smaller cookie cutter from my wild and carefree white flour and sugar baking days, but did not.  So I turned to the computer.  I found the Webdings font for capital Y is a heart with a swoop at the bottom which makes it look like a heart-shaped conversation bubble.  So that's what I used:




I am going to try a couple different writing instruments and hand-written fonts to see what I like for lettering.  I will have a finished picture at some point for you to see!


~Joan