My first attempt at paper piecing

I have always wanted to try paper piecing but I never found a block I really liked...so.....I Googled "free paper piecing blocks" and found a neat site with some interesting blocks.

My first attempt is not so great. The geese are suppose to be in a circle.  I cut up the pattern and pieces and sewed them together...not so smart.

 

Then I tried the piecing by tracing the pattern onto some newspaper.  I was not sure how to go about it but I think I did ok. At least the geese are going in a circle.

this was fun and I hope to try some more paper piecing patterns

what do you think of them? 

Sun Bonnet Sue quilts

My mom made a SunBonnet Sue quilt in the 1930's. She told  me she made it when she was expecting her first baby.  She lost that baby and 2 more.  Full term babies that died at birth.  All girls.  She said she packed the quilt away and when I came along (C Section baby) in 1952 she was finally able to wrap her baby girl in it.  I have loved that quilt forever.  I copied the Sue and made several versions of the quilt using my mom's pattern. I need to take a picture of mom's quilt and post it.  It is made out of feed sack fabrics and all hand made.
These were made for a couple of my girl friends.  I sold a few made like these and I gave several away at baby showers.  I need to make one for me!

Living with Rheumotoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a royal pain to live with.  I am working with my doctor to try to find the right meds.  Humira, a shot you take every other week, did not work as we hoped it would.  I am now on Simponi.  It is a once a month injection.  It seems to be working better than the Humira did.  I have only had 3 shots so we will see what the next few months bring. I thank God everyday that I have a great insurance company helping me.

God gives us gifts everyday.  My gift is this condition and I am thankful for it.  I do believe it is making me a better person.  I refuse to ask why...He knows why and I just have to do what I have to do to make it through each day.

Even though I have RA I refuse to just sit and moan about pain.  Some mornings when I get up, I can barely walk because my knees hurt so bad.  I make myself walk around the house and after a while they start to feel better.  It is a strange condition.  On some days I am almost pain free and on some days I have so much pain that I can hardly walk. I try not to cry and feel sorry for myself.   Sometimes I do cry but I shake it off and keep going.  Keeping busy helps me so much.   I love taking care of my 2 year old grandbabies.   When they are around it seems the pain is almost gone. I guess I am too busy to think about it!  I love them so much and I need to have them with me as often as possible.  Sewing also takes my mind off the pain.  My hands are swollen all the time.  I can not even slip on a size 10 ring!  I am unable to make a tight fist.  But!!!! I keep on with my sewing projects.  I am able to hold the rotary cutter tight enough to cut my fabric.  I also can use my machine to quilt the tops I make.  I have made about a dozen quilts in the past 12 months.  I allow my self time in my sewing room an hour at a time.  I keep praying I will wake up and the pain will be gone.  One day that will happen.  It would be so easy to just sit and be sorry for myself but I am not going to do that.  If you know anyone with RA please be patient with them.  It may seem they are not hurting but believe me they are.
Today is a good day, hardly any pain at all.  Thank you Lord!  My hands are swollen but that's normal for me.
I pray all of you have a wonderful weekend. 

I made two blocks from the scraps from the blocks I made for Marlene...

I saved the triangles I cut off while making the double ohio star blocks for Marlene.  I decided to use them to make a block of my own.  I did not have a pattern or a block in mind when I started.  I just sewed them into little squares.  Trimed them to 2 and 1/2 squares and put them up on my planning board.  This is what I came out with...neat huh?  I am going to save the scraps from all future Online Bee Blocks I make and use them to complete a quilt for ME!!!Let me know what you think!

check this out...they are about 9 inches square!

Double Ohio Star blocks for The Bee Balm Quilting Bee

I finished these blocks for Marlene today! The pattern is Double Ohio Star!
My points are not perfect but I really enjoyed doing this block
I love this pattern and hope to make a quilt with this pattern one day!
I hope she likes them. I will be mailing them to New Zealand tomorow!!!

Two lap quilts with local sports themes.

I found this great pattern in an old quilting magazine several years ago.  I pulled it out this week to make a couple of small lap quilts.  I did one with the

LSU (Louisiana State University) theme and one with the Saints theme.

Here are photos of both of them.  They are both about 42 inches square.

I donated the LSU quilt to an organization that raises money for scholarships for local students.  They will put in the silent auction at their next function.

The LSU quilt is complete but the Saints  quilt needs to be quilted!

A quilt for Reed!

I made Reed's quilt to fit a double bed.  I used a sports theme.  I still have to make the pillow shams but the quilt is complete.  I hope he likes it!

here's a photo of the quilt

This is a photo of some of the backing showing. I used fabric with soccer balls, footballs, baseballs and basket balls.

Here is the latest photo of my two precious baby boys.

Reed and Alden are growing up way too fast!

A Butterfly quilt

Here is a blast from the past photo!  I made this butterfly quilt for my dear friend in Colorado several years ago.  I put all the butterflies flying north and one flying south in hopes that one day she will move back to Louisiana!

Saturday sampler Month #1

I am taking part in a Saturday sampler at a quilt shop near my home.  I have never done this before.  I went to the class and when I got home I made my block.  It should be fun to see how the blocks all fit together! It is about 13 inches square.
Here is what the first block looks like. 

How to build a house of cloth!

I have never been able to work with fabric to make a picture.  I decided to give it a try today.  I took a photo of my home and went to my sewing room.  I pulled out scraps and pieces of fabric and started cutting.  Here is a picture of the house of cloth that I made today.  I am thinking of making it the center of a log cabin quilt for my queen sized bed.  Or maybe just a wall hanging. 
Any suggestions will be welcomed!

Dino Quilt with Pillow sham

Here is a photo of the finished project. 
The quilt and pillow sham on Alden's bed.
He loves it.

Now I am working on a quilt with a sport theme for Reed.  I will
post photos as I go along..

my sewing room...straightened out at last!

I spent some time in my room trying to get it organized.  I sorted all of my scraps into some nice bins.  I straightened out the fabric closet.  I moved things around a bit and finally got all the thread pieces off of the floor.  I took these photos so I can remember what it should look like.  I am in the process of completing a project so it does not look like this right now.  I wish I could figure out how to keep it in order.  The room is about 11 X 12 feet.  Not too small but it I wish it were a little larger. 

                                 

I made a little zippered bag!

I do not like to put in zippers.  I found a great tutorial online
to make a little zippered bag so I tried it.  The first one was interesting, I put in the zipper backwards...oooo I was upset.  The next two came out pretty good.
Here is a photo of one that I made. Cute huh?

I plan to try it again...maybe I will get over my zipperfobia....I never have been
successful at putting them in.

My goat is home...Honey had fun!

I participated in a goat herding activity.  I had to make a goat and send it off to be embelished.  She visited 3 goat herders and they made her pretty, then sent her back home to me. 
She is on a journal...so nice...check her out.

Honey said she had so much fun on her adventures.
This is what Honey looked like when I sent her on the adventure....

And this is how Honey came home......Neat Huh? I love it!

Dinosaur quilt top------complete!

The colorful dinosaur quilt I started last week is finished.  It is made for a twin bed. For the bottom corners I had to "make" fabric because I had run out of the green that I used in
the borders on each side. I think it looks ok.  Let me know what you think.

A border for the colorful dinosaur quilt

I am going to try something different for the border...
let me know what you think

A colorful dinosaur quilt for my grandson!

My daughter in law asked me to make Alden a quilt with a dinosaur theme. He is 2 and half years old.   I have this fabric with colorful dinosaurs on it.  I am working on making blocks like this one.  She loves the bright colors and it is something different.  Let me know what you think of it.

Our family photo

Just before Christmas we all got together to take a family photo.  I used this one for my Christmas card this year.

Our grandbabies are growing so fast.  We are so blessed to have healthy babies!

A sad good bye

On Tuesday, January 11, 2011, I had to have my precious Buddy put down.  He had injured several vertebra in his back and the vet said she could not guarentee he would be ok even if we did an expensive procedure.  I would have had to carry him out several times a day to have him use the bathroom.  I am not physically able to carry 20 pounds.  He was in a lot of pain.  I made the difficult decision to have him put down.  This was one of the hardest things I have ever done.  My heart is broken.  Buddy will be missed.  His name was the first word both of my grandbabies said!  They loved Buddy and he was so good with them.  He was very protective of them when were outside playing.
Buddy was a longhaired dachshund.(in thefirst picture he had just come back from the goomer...we had his hair shaved in the summer) He was 7 years old.
There will never be another Buddy.  He was smart and very sweet.

I finished a block for the "15 minutes of play" quilting bee.

Here is a photo of the block I did for the "15 minutes of play" quilting bee that I am taking part in.  It was challenge but it was also lots of fun to try something so different!