This is my archive of projects and thoughts along the way.
Starting just after Thanksgiving 2020 and ending just prior to Christmas, I embarked on a no-sew, “quilted” (actually folded) ornaments project for friends and family. I learned how to create these by watching a video on YouTube from Shabby Fabrics. This was a great way to utilize scraps of fabric from previous projects. Each ornament is made from a 3″ …
In the fall of 2018, I promised each of our daughters and daughter-in-law that I’d be making them a custom Christmas tree skirt. In 2018, two of them were completed and it wasn’t until the Christmas of 2020 that I got around to completing the other two. Here is the whitetail and mule deer quilted and appliqued tree skirt made …
In 2017, I made two large, sofa-style pillows using premium metallic quilting cotton and the “cathedral window” quilt pattern. These pillows were gifts for two of our daughters at Christmastime. For the two larger pillows, I pieced the backs with holiday fabric with fabric leftover from other projects (see photos in the gallery). Many of the patterned fabrics had metallic …
The pastor of our church is of Scottish descent. He has a navy blue tartan wool stole he wears over his robe each season of Advent. Someone made it for him many years ago. It’s a wool tartan design that belongs to his McIntyre clan in Scotland. I felt very honored when he asked me to embroider Nativity stars on …
For a few years, I’d been promising my daughter, Emily, I’d make custom Christmas stockings for her family. Every year she’d ask whether it’d be “this year” and, in 2020, it finally was. If I’m making a gift for someone then my rule is it can’t feel like work. I have to be, well, in the mood, so to speak, …
In the fall of 2018, I promised each of our daughters and daughter-in-law that I’d be making them a custom Christmas tree skirt. In 2018, two of them were completed and it wasn’t until the Christmas of 2020 that I got around to completing the other two. Here’s the Peanuts Gang quilted and embroidered tree skirt made for our son’s …
In October 2020, we had Xtreme Exteriors install a beautiful garden window in the kitchen. I’d been hoping to get a window like this for months and I’m so glad I did. I’ve had kitchen garden windows in two previous homes. This window was a special order and so once it was ordered took a few weeks to get. Actually, …
COVID-19, coronavirus, “the rona,” “Wuhan virus,” or its official name “SARS-CoV-2” certainly changed our lives in 2020 and turned us into “Zoomers.” “stay-at-homies,” and “social distancers,” while making us truly appreciate the people who are actually essential workers. The beautiful model in the main photo of this post is my granddaughter, Raelynn. She’s about 4-1/2 years old in this pic. …
It’s always fun to make birthday cakes for my grandkids and my grandson, Nolan, requested a PJ Masks themed party and birthday cake. If you’re not familiar with the PJ Masks cartoon franchise, think Power Rangers for a younger audience. What could be better than kids becoming superheroes themselves? That’s what happens at night for young friends Connor, Amaya and …
I bought a Silhouette Studio cutter, and a bunch of vinyl, from a friend who was moving and downsizing her collection of crafting toys. The cutter is in like-new condition. Since I know enough about Photoshop, Illustrator and Embrillance Essentials embroidery software to be dangerous, I guessed I’d be able to figure out the Silhouette software, too. After watching a …
If you’re not familiar with barn quilts then let me clue you in. First of all, barn quilts are NOT made of fabric! A barn quilt is actually a large piece of painted wood, metal or some other material that looks like a single quilt block and decorates the side of a barn. You can see them in just about …
I’m so happy with how this set of placemats turned out! I purchased an inexpensive set of red placemats at Walmart and then machine embroidered Christmas carols in the top left corner of each and a holiday motif in the lower left. I had a jelly roll of Robert Kaufman metallic fabrics on hand and used a few of the …
This child-size, Batman-theme quilt was a project created and donated to Ozark Piecemakers Quilt Guild’s Operation Squad Car program. Quilting cotton in orange, yellow, blue, black and Batman print was cut into hexagon shapes and assembled. The quilt is bordered by a different Batman print in cotton flannel. The back is solid orange. The Operation Squad Car quilt program provides …
Sometimes you get a wonderful surprise! I entered the Benartex Fabrics “Win It Wednesday” promotion on Facebook and Instagram and they drew my name! This is my second win in two months! In early December, I won the Autumn Leaves fat quarter, the “Win It Wednesday” bundle. I just received this adorable fat quarter of baby fabric from their My …
Sometimes you get a wonderful surprise! I entered the Benartex Fabrics “Win It Wednesday” promotion on Facebook and Instagram and they drew my name! I just received this gorgeous fat quarter of fall fabric with metallic accents from their Autumn Leaves collection. It’s so great to win and I can’t wait to make something with this gorgeous fabric.