...........................................................

...........................................................
Blessed by everyday blessings

these are a few of my favorite things

~smiling faces~

~hugs and kisses from grandchildren
and hearing the name Nanny from far away places~

~mostly old sometimes new~

~quilts with love stitched through and through

~Babies and butterflys and all things created~

~To know you are loved makes life sweet with grace traces ~























recipes

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Strings and things



Got fabric???
Waste not want not they say. 
It is so hard to throw fabric away.
My quilt guild receives an abundance
of unwanted fabric. 

And it multiplies in the night!

This was my challenge.
Using one bag of unlovely scraps...
 could I make something lovely???

After inspiration here http://sotakhandmade.blogspot.com
 I began to sew......

Grab a strip out of the bag...Don't think about it too much,
  just sew it onto another piece.

Keep sewing randomly until you have a block of fabric
Square it up to the size you want ... Mine are 12 1/2''
Keep sewing !!!  Learn as you go what you like.

Don't be afraid to experiment.


Perhaps it is not as lovely as the inspiration
 maybe even bit more quirky than lovely 
but it is what it is and
it is now a finished top!

Somebody will find it cozy. 



I would take it on a picnic : )  

Every handmade thing has love sewn into it
whether you like the fabric or not. 



It  makes me happy in an unusual way.
I have made something useful out of nothing.
I looks like a grandma quilt.... I am a grandma.
Perhaps it is the Stripes around the edge adding calm to the chaos.
Perhaps I'm happy because it is simply finished! 


Several of the blocks have little bears as the center.

So I will call this my "Sending you a Bear Hug"  quilt.

It will be a Charity quilt given to someone who needs a hug. 

If quilts could talk each piece of fabric would tell me 
about the person who once loved the fabric enough to buy it.



The best part of the creative process was making these little houses.
 I left the light on in the attic of one little house
 because that is where I sew : )  


This will be the label on the back.

This is not a precise process.... proving anyone ,
YES anyone
 can sew 2 pieces of fabric together

 and MAKE A QUILT!!!

Make it happen.   

Fabric makes me happy!

TaTa

Janita








Tuesday, March 1, 2016

2015 Little by Little - Bit by Bit MAKE A LIST

Somethings are quick, somethings are slow..... The years are quick to pass... I am slow to grow.   I have not been a good finisher in the past.  My journey to become a better finisher began last year.  You can read more about it here.  Change starts with the way you think so  I thought maybe making a list would help me.

January 2015 my list making was off to a great start!  I made a list for the month of 8 things I could  work on during the month.  These are Baby step things mind you.  Steps to move a project forward to a finish.   I didn't cross off everything on my list, matter of fact I  only tackled 3 things.  I am SLOW.... it's one of the reasons I don't do lists, but not discouraged I just moved on,  rearranged the contents and made a February list.   I worked on a few more things .  March came.... New list and surprise, surprise,  it was the last list I made for the year : (  .   I can't tell you exactly why I didn't make any more lists for the year.  Maybe because I still had things on the old lists to work on. Perhaps more than anything  I think life just kicked into overdrive. Spring and summer came with less time to sew and work on desired projects.... regardless once again I am  a list maker drop out.   However despite every effort to join the rank of list makers I did finish 15 things last year so I'm giving myself a little WHOOOP- WHOOP!  Most of these things were not even on my list because that is how life rolls. Life's little interruptions often call.  I  do wonder what my children will do when I die.  They won't have anyone to fix their things. I am their fixer upper.  I can't blame them completely, I am so easily side tracked !!  It is a wonder that I finish anything.  Now if I could just finish a few quilts this year... I'll be singing Dixie!  I do find a list of Finished projects brings me much joy because sometimes I forget so easily what the year holds.  Often I feel like I'm stringing beads on a string with no knot at the end.

It is good to remember the times I brought JOY to the world!

So here we go.  Drum Roll Please...........  MY FINISHED PROJECTS of 2015

                                 # 1   A little trash to treasure project .


 Spray Paint wonder with a denim star added.





#2 Long over due Christmas present for Daughter #1



#3  Long over due Christmas wall hanging for Daughter #3
same pattern different border.
Actually.........
I have to put the binding on yet but since I want it to be finished...
I'm calling it finished.  
I know that is probably cheating but it is what it is.
I'm not putting this project on one more list.

My little grand daughter Vivian was in the hospital last week, 
life took an unexpected twist.
A lot didn't get done last week.


#4  Sewing project with my grand daughter.




#5  Mini quilt sew along with Pam Buda 

My little 10" "Tucker"
You can find more quilts in the sew along here
Sew- Along details here

Enjoyed it in my Christmas decorating.



#6   Cross stitch Pillow finally finished!!!


LOVE the Pillow back from a thrifted shirt!


#8 Armed Services flag for a Birthday Swap




#9 Stitched a towel for a Birthday swap
Free stitchery pattern by Kathy Schmitz here 
"Americana Tea Towel" 




#10 Finished 2 pincushions  
One for Birthday Swap
One for me.
Pam Buda's Tutorial here



#11Thrilled with another trash to treasure 

Painted Amperstand on an old basket lid.



#12   More sewing with my grand daughter
We made a pillow with fabric strings for her mom. 



# 13 put a new zipper on a loved back pack for my grand daughter

 #14  Made a new curtain for my kitchen


#15  Fixed a blouse for my Daughter. 

#16 Bonus    Made a one block Star candle mat for a loved friend. 

YEAH ME!!!! 
and now it is March.... YIKES  
My how time flies!


Janita






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