cute little houses

She did it!  Jan finished making her 25 little houses that she needs to make the house quilt for her grandson.  these little houses are so cute.  Under each window there is a little surprise.

This was her first attempt at paper pieceing and I think she is hooked now.  Great job Jan.  I can't wait to see this quilt completed!

Sitting by the fire

It's cold here in South Louisiana... a cool crisp 40 degrees....brrr

I know that is not considered cold in most places, but here,  when it falls below 50, we fire up the fireplace.

It is so nice to cuddle  up with a nice cup of coffee and a good movie with my DH and a warm fire going in the fireplace.

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

This is our grandson, Reed.  He is singing a Christmas song.  I thought it was too cute not to share it!   Grandchildren are the greatest!

enjoy...

Great video of a song about New Orleans

My friend sent me this link to a song done by an American Idol participant.  He was in the top 24 in season 4.
This is a great video about his hometown, New Orleans.
I hope you enjoy it....After you watch it, let me know what you think of it!

http://www.nola.com/tv/index.ssf/2012/12/american_idol_alum_judd_harris.html

A Special Mug Rug

Here is a photo of the mug rug I got from my Stocking Exchange activity!  It is so sweet and I use it all the time now!  I will need to make one that I can use all year round...

I love it.  Thank You Nathalie!!!

Stocking Exchange was so much fun!!!

I participated in a stocking exchange this year.  It was put together by Nathalie over at http://wastelandwallowing.blogspot.com/  

Each month we had to make or buy something for someone in the exchange.

Here are pictures of what I got in the mail this week.   Nathalie had my name.  She sent the following items.

A beautiful table runner and a Christmas mug.  I also got a mug rug that I did not take a picture of...oops

two books and some treats

A bag, pillow cover, pillow cases and a journal cover with a journal

a pin cushion, an ornament, a pot holder, pins, fabric eraser, and a pen and pencil set

And a pretty stocking 

I hope the person who got the box of goodies I sent likes what I sent to her.

Thank you Nathalie for so many nice things.   I really enjoyed particpating in your stocking exchange this year.

Had a great time on our Carnival cruise!

My DH and I went on a 7 day cruise with 2 wonderful friends.  We all had a great time.  Here are a few of the photos that were taken on the ship.

this was taken when we got on board the Carnival Conquest!

This is a pick of us on one of the dressy nights.  I am wearing my first size 14 dress.  I  have not worn size 14 since before I had my children.....37 years ago!!!

Here we are at the dining room table.   I am wearing a dress my dear friend gave me.   Cute polkadots!

This was taken on a formal night.  This is a formal gown I bought at our local thrift strore for.....$5.00  yep, $5.00.  It fit perfectly and it was on the 5th night of the cruise.  I was afraid to put it on because we had been eating such great food all week. I was so sure it would be too tight but, it fit...yea!  I was so happy!

We  had so much fun on this cruise.  Everyone should take a cruise at least once!  We have cruised many times and plan to go again soon!

Another quilt top quilted!

I have been trying to get some tops quilted.  I still have a few to do. I finished this one on Saturday.  It is a lap quilt I made in the summer and never got around to quilting it.  I used it to practice my feathers again.  I am determined to get those feathers done right.  

This is on the back.  I did two feathers on the center block and one on each of the others. I did stitch in the ditch along each side of the white sashing.  My feathers still need practice but I think I am getting better all the time.  It also helps me practice my patience..LOL

More little houses...

I have been keeping tabs on Jan...she is doing a wonderful job making her little houses.  She is determined to make 25 for a special quilt.....Each little house is cuter than the next!

and now there are 10..

Merry Christmas Family Photo

Merry Christmas to all of my blogging friends.

This is the photo I will be using for my Christmas cards this year.  This was special day. We took this in church when Ephraim was baptized on his first birthday.  He was born on 11/11/11.  The year went by so quickly.   Our grandsons are growing up way too fast. It is hard to believe that Alden and Reed are both 4 years old.
We are so blessed to have great sons and daughers in law.

6 little houses all in a row

Jan is making progress on her house project.
Now she has 6 houses...only 19 more to go.

I think they look great.  Jan is new to quilting.  She is doing a great job on her first paper piecing project.

Three little houses...

Jan is on a roll...she made another little house and now there are 3!  Keep it up Jan.....your houses are so cute.
3 down and 22 to go!  You can do it.

Little House update....she did it!

I went to check on Jan this afternoon.  She wanted to make her first paper pieced little house and I wanted to be there with her to walk her through it.   It is a little confusing if you have never done paper piecing.  I think she did a great job.   It came out so cute.  Here are a couple of photos of her first house.

Little houses and completing a project

I taught a friend how to do a simple paper pieced little house.  Here are a couple of the photos of the house I did to demonstrate the process for her.  She asked that I post them on my blog and to let all my blog friends know that she plans to make a few each week so she can make a little quilt with them.  She wants me to post her progress as she gets them done.   I have been giving her sewing lessons and she is yet to complete a project so this is one we plan to get to the finish line!
I have always wanted to make a "house" quilt and this pattern was so easy to follow.  I just might have to make a few of these each week too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It is a beautiful day here in south Louisiana.  A day we need to remember to be thankful for all that He has given to us.

Our family will be together today. I hope you all are able to be with your families too!

I pray everyone has a wonderful day.....
Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Busy making baby items.........

I have been a busy bee.
Bibs, burp cloths, baby wash cloths and receiving blankets.
I have been sewing and sewing and sewing........
It has been fun to see the pile of items grow....
We have a little farmer's market/craft fair open every Saturday morning near our home.   I am thinking of renting a booth one weekend soon.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital .............. ..A great gift idea....and it becomes 2 gifts in 1

The holidays are here again and we are all out there looking for the perfect gift............ why not give two gifts in one..

Here is how to do it! 
This cookbook is sold to support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. If anyone is interested please send me a message and I can get one for you. They are $25 dollars and 100% of that  money goes to St. Jude. Make checks out to St.Jude Children's Research Hospital. Lots of great (tested) recipes! The book measures 9'X7.5" and has over 300 pages of great, clearly printed receipes.  I have used mine often.

When you get this book you will have a great gift for a friend or family member and a gift for the St. Jude Research Hospital....a win win situation. Like I said 2 gifts in one! Contact me via message or you can email me at beebee70394@yahoo.com or you can call me at 984-226-6655...

For my blogging friends that live far away from me, let's talk and we can figure out the shipping cost.  

Number 3 turns 1

Our youngest grandson was born last year on 11/11/11...and yesterday he turned one.  What a sweetie!  He was also christened yesterday.  Such a blessing.  We had a wonderful time at his birthday party.  They even got me into the jumpy house with the kids,  that was a kick!
Here is his sweet little face.....I love this precious baby so much!

Check out that red hair.....

Blocks for Hurricane Sandy quilt project

I mailed my blocks to Erin over at My Patchwork Life
(http://vesuviusmama.blogspot.com/2012/11/taking-action-wanna-help.html)
She is putting together quilts to send to those in need after the destruction from "Sandy"
 
Here is a photo of the blocks I made.   Check out her blog and make a couple of blocks if you can help!

Never know what you will find in old boxes!

My DH and I were going through a couple of bins we stored in the garage when we moved into our new house in 2007.   I found this little doll quilt that my mom made for me.  It matched the quilt she had made for my bed.  I can not find that full quilt ( must have gotten loss in one of our moves) but I am so happy that I found this little doll one.  I want to make one with that pattern in her memory.   She did everything by hand, piecing and quilting.  Mom was the seamstress in our little town and she had a few ladies that she made all of their clothes.  Imagine, she would make a dress for $5 dollars. She did several bridal parties, bride's dress and all the bridesmaids' dresses too.  She was an amazing woman.  She only went to school through the third grade and could not read or write.  But, she kept our household going and did a great job with managing our budget too.  We were poor and I did not even know it.  I think I got my first store bought dress when I was 11.  I miss her so very much.  I was 32 when she died.  That was 28 years ago.
wow that was a trip back in time for me tonight!

here is photo of the simple little quilt....

I know the points don't match but I still love it.  Way to many meomories  tonight.

Follow Me

I am so excited.  I now have 50 followers! My goal was to get to that number before the end of 2012 and I did it!   Yea!  Thanks to all of my followers.

I have been working on some Christmas quilts and will try to post a photo as soon as I can get a picture taken.

blocks needed to help the East Coast

Erin is collecting blocks to make some quilts.

If you'd like to help...

please visit her blog and make a few!

I hope you can all pitch in and make a couple of blocks for this project.

hugs to all my blog land friends

beebee

A special thank you- I'm feeling better

whew, what a week. . . . . . . .

Last Wednesday I was admitted to Ochsner's Hospital in New Orleans with a very low platelet count. Normal is 150,000 and I was at 1,000.  The diagnosis was ITP.  The doctors and nurses there took great care of me and gave me the meds I needed to get better.  The count went up to 59,000 so they let me go home after 5 days.  Got back home yesterday.  There is NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

I am back to reading and commenting on blogs I follow.  I hope I can increase my following to 50 before the end of the year.  I have a friend that said it will never happen......we will see.

I hope to be able to get to my sewing machine again soon.  I have a couple of Christmas things I have to finish before the end of November.

Life is going great and God is good all the time.

Happy Halloween!

Our grandson sent us this precious video....Happy Halloween to all!  Is this cute or what?

Construction Site baby quilt

I spent today putting this baby quilt together.  I had someone ask me to make a baby quilt with a construction theme.  I had about 3/4 of a yard of this fabric in my stash.  Not enough for a backing or anything so I figured I could make blocks by fussy cutting the equipment.  I pulled out fabric I thought matched pretty good and started sewing.  I have it pinned and ready for quilting tomorrow.  It is about 45 inches square.  I kinda like the polkadots on the back.  Do you think it is too bright for a baby quilt?  I did not have anyone to hold it up for a picture so I hope these show what it looks like.

Another baby quilt completed. first attempt at feathers.....

I finished this baby quilt.  I finished the quilting this afternoon.  I did my first "feathers".  Can you see them?  I put one on each corner.  Not perfect but not bad for the first time.

here are a few pictures, I hope you can see the quilting.

Ready to make a braided rug!

I would like to try making a rag rug by braiding fabric.  I had some old t-shirts that I cut into 1 1/2 - 2 inch wide strips.  Each shirt gave me a pretty long piece to braid with.  I am just not sure where to start.

here are the t-shirt balls I made.....

I have this basket filled with about a dozen balls.  I cut the t-shirts into a continuous strip so they are pretty long.

I will check back later to show you what I do with these if I can figure out how to make the rug.

If anyone has any ideas, please let me know

Sweet and soft flannel baby quilt

I have been working on loads of baby items made with flannel.  I can not bring myself to throw away a scrap that is bigger than 2 inches square so I had lots of flannel scraps.   I decided to use them up instead of saving yet another container of scraps and this is what I ended up with.
 I hope to get it quilted soon.  Not sure what to put on the back yet.

Blankets, Bibs, Burp cloths and Baby washcloths!

I have been able to spend some serious time in front of my sewing machine and I am loving it!

 I made receiving blankets, bibs, burp cloths and baby wash cloths.

Here are some pictures of most of the items I completed.
It feels pretty good to be productive!

Gift for baby

I found a tutorial on how to make a simple receiving blanket and decided to give it a try.  Once I had that made I decided to make a bib and burp cloth to match.
Such a cute set and perfect for a baby shower.
I listed it in my Etsy store!