Sunshine On A Rainy Day...

It may have rained all day, but it didn't dampen my spirits...my day was filled with blessings. I accomplished some very large items on my to-do list and got a ton of errand running done...but (most importantly) I took a few hours to meet my dear friend Lorrie for lunch and a holiday gift exchange - it was a delightful afternoon and put a smile on my face for the rest of the day! I always feel right at home visiting with Lorrie - seems we have an endless list of things to talk about and so very much in common - I had been looking forward to our lunch all week. We met at a cozy little local restaurant, which we both enjoy...and we had so much fun catching up we completely lost track of time...all of a sudden we realized it was 2 1/2 hours later....

We were excited to exchange gifts, as we both like to give gifts from the heart and had put a lot of thought into what we made for each other. I knew months ago I was going to make Lorrie a friendship quilt and I had the fabric picked out even before it was available for purchase.

I know she loves the color blue, so I had chosen the fabric line Blueberry Crumb Cake by Blackbird Designs for Moda. I decided to use a small tumbler block (which happens to be one of her favorites - I had no idea) and put my AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutter to good use to cut all the pieces. I had the quilt top done a couple weeks ago, but had to wait for the yardage in this fabric line to be released before I could quilt and bind it - luckily I received it last week and was able to get it finished in time.

I put a label commemorating the holiday on the back of the quilt...along with a sleeve and removable hanger, in case she wanted to use it as a wall hanging. I was so pleased with the outcome, I decided to make a matching drawstring bag...which I used as a gift bag for a present I picked out for her while I was in California.

I had absolutely no idea the treasures Lorrie had in store for me - I am actually still a little speechless. I will share them with you in the order I unwrapped them...and it all started with the most amazing card - amazing because she wrote me the sweetest note that truly touched my heart. Lorrie totally gets me, as she wrapped everything individually...and I loved opening each and every gift! The first gift I opened was a FABULOUS project bag she made out of sampler fabric - it is a jumbo size - big enough for an entire project with q-snaps and pattern and all the supplies - it is perfect (a word you are going to get sick of hearing in this post) - and even more special because she made it. I then opened several smaller packages - some lovely handkerchiefs (she knows I like to collect them)...a couple quilt themed notecards (which I think need little frames)...a great little snippit jar from the Amanas (which I plan to use next to my sewing machine)...and a set of bead storage containers (which Lorrie shared an idea to use as bobbin storage)....are these great gifts or what?! I was so blown away...but wait, there's more....

I then opened a large drawstring bag she made from holiday fabric (she even tied jingle bells to the ends of the drawstring!)...inside was one of her absolutely GORGEOUS knitted scarfs - the color is perfect, the style is perfect, her knitting is perfect - yep, it is perfect in every way - I love it - and WILL be wearing it right away....

There were still two gifts left and by now I was already awestruck by her kindness and thoughtfulness. She asked me to save the red wrapped gift for last, so I opened the other - in this package, yet another gift she made for me - two wonderful pillowcases. Lorrie then shared with me that she has a pile of "pretty" pillowcases - when she has a bad day, she grabs one, puts it on her pillow, and curls up in the living room with a good book or a movie (or even takes a nap) - she calls them "special pillowcases". I just adore her cozy idea and will definitely be using these when I need a good boost!

After all this, I had no idea what could possibly be in the package she wanted me to open last - I felt completely pampered - I really was not expecting all this fuss - but it was such a treat to have so many treasures to open! I can't even express how touched I was when I opened the last gift - it is breathtaking. She stitched a piece especially for me and mounted it in a Sudberry box and it is "TO DIE FOR" - it really is....

To find a chart with my initial that has needles, a thimble, a button, a spool of thread, and a pair of scissors...really, what could be more perfect?! After opening it, she shared a lovely story with me of what she envisioned I would keep inside of it and I couldn't think of a better use. Oh...and did I mention she put several little goodies inside the box? - yep, she sure did! I am just so extremely touched by the thought and time that went into each of these special gifts. I honestly felt like it was Christmas, my birthday, and every other special occasion you could think of all rolled into one. Lorrie - your friendship is a true blessing and your talents are limitless - thank you.

After such a wonderful lunch, I finished up my pile of errands and hurried home to clean and organize my studio...after all, I still have a few last minute sewing and crafting projects for the holidays...and yes, I still have to get my Christmas cards in the mail (if I don't finish them up soon, they may have to say "Happy New Year" - or better yet, "Happy Valentine's Day")....

Holiday Sewing Projects - Friendship Quilts

I was totally inspired by the book "Prairie Children and Their Quilts" by Kathleen Tracy to attempt to make a couple friendship quilts this holiday season. This interesting book explores the origins of doll quilts made during the nineteenth century - it has vintage photos and actual diary entries from children who overcame hardships on the American frontier...and includes small, antique-style projects - twelve quilts, a doll rug, and a doll apron. I didn't follow the exact directions for any of the little quilt projects in the book - but it gave me a nice starting point and ideas for what I wanted to do. My goal: to do two friendship quilts (well, actually I wanted to do a bunch of them, but there are only so many hours in the day!) - one for my friend Merry and one for my friend Kimber...so I gathered fabric and started cutting....

For Kimber's friendship quilt, I started with the idea of the "Broken Dishes Quilt" found in the book - but I did not add the extra borders. I had fun picking fabrics for this quilt out of some "scrap bags" I had purchased at local quilt shops - Kimber likes scrappy quilts with character, so I tried to pick colors that would appeal to her and her home decor. I cut 96 quarter square triangles (using the GO! Quarter Square-4" Finished Triangle by Alex Anderson die with my AccuQuilt GO! fabric cutter) for this tiny quilt. It was quite fun to piece this quilt - and although I wanted it to be scrappy, I found myself trying to make it more "balanced" as I placed each block. I wasn't sure if this small quilt would be used as a wall hanging, but I wanted it to have that option, so I put sleeves on the back and included a hanger, just in case....

For Merry's friendship quilt, I decided to something a little more modern (and not in the book). I used fabrics from "Beach House" by Blackbird Designs for Moda (note: some of the blocks have sampler fabric)....and decided to use one of my favorite shapes - the tumbler. I actually cut 96 small tumblers (using the GO! 3 1/2" Tumbler die with my AccuQuilt GO! fabric cutter), but once I pieced all of the rows, I realized I was working on quite a large project (a lot larger than I had planned - my math needed a little help!) - so the end result only uses 64...leaving me a few rows left to build on again. I just loved the soft colors of this fabric line...putting this quilt together was complete joy...and I am sure this quilt has a good home at Merry's house! I also put sleeves on the back for hanging and included a hanger.

I should note, my husband assisted me with the "hangers" - we took a trip to Lowe's, went to the lumber section and I picked up several 2" x 24" pieces of wood that were 1/4" thick....we then had them cut in half, so each was 2" x 12" x .25". We purchased sawtooth hangers and 1/4" (very, very tiny) screws, which Travis then attached to the wood "strips" when we returned home. I thought they worked perfectly and was thrilled I purchased enough to do eight hangers...that way I have some in reserve! They easily slid into the sleeves I had sewn on the back and I was able to give the quilts "ready to hang".

As a finishing touch - instead of using a permanent marker to sign and write on the actual blocks of the quilt (as suggested by the book), I decided to make labels for the back of the quilt to personalize the date and occasion. I used inkjet printable sew-on fabric and printed index card size labels, using a saying from the book:

For my dear friend,

Accept the quilt for friendship's sake

For happy times of old and late

Remember me

Then I added "Happy Holidays 2010!" and my signature. After printing the labels, I serged a 3-thread rolled edge around each one to keep them from fraying - used fusible web to hold them in place in the lower right-hand corner - and then hand-stitched them down with white quilting thread. I am not an expert quilter by any means, but I was thrilled with how well these friendship quilts turned out - and any little imperfections give them "character". I hope this blog entry will inspire you to make a friendship gift for someone special...

My Saturday Sewing

I'm not sure where this last week went...seems it was hijacked and I didn't get the message. While working on about six different BRD projects and trying to keep my sanity, I somehow misplaced the last several days. I did make a trip to my fabulous framer and dropped off "Sweet Simple Samplings" and "Liberty Stitchery"...and I did make time to do a little playing with my new Accuquilt GO! Fabric Cutter. I managed to cut 138 tumbler blocks out of black and brown fabrics I have been collecting for over a year (I used 23 different fat quarters)....then yesterday I got them all placed and pieced...now to find time to machine quilt it...it is 48" x 72"...and I am TOTALLY thrilled with the results! Here is a photo of my quilt top (not the best, but you get the idea - it looks so much better in person, really, it does) and an image of the backing fabric (from the fabric line Iced Mocha by Buggy Barn for Henry Glass)...




This week, I will be heading to Rockford, IL to visit my mother - which also means FUN trips to The Needle and I, Quilter's General Store (oh, how I love this place!), Quilter's Haven, and a new quilt shop called Acorn Quilts (can't wait to visit this "new to me" shop). I am looking forward to seeing my mother's gorgeous gardens (if it doesn't rain the entire time I am there) and her adorable dog (a miniature Schnauzer named Wilson)...and I will try to get some good photos to share with you. It also means, I get to spend some time with my dear friend Terri - we are doing a little road trip to Welcome Stitchery in Crystal Lake, IL (can't wait to see this needlework shop!)...and I am hoping to drag her along to Pieceful Gathering Quilt Shop in Fox River Grove and A Touch of Amish in Barrington, IL (both places I have been wanting to visit for quite some time). We always have fun together and it will be wonderful to see her and catch up! It will be a busy and eventful week and I am sure I will have fun things to share with you when I return home...