I'll Start With The Thread...

Last month I stopped at the thrift store and found a large bag of thread cones for only $5 - so I snatched it up quick. Most were still in their wrappers. Only problem is - now I'm not sure what it's designed for. Machine quilting? Machine piecing?

There isn't a label telling me what the fiber content is and I'm not familiar with the logo. Does anyone know anything about it?

I even tried scanning the bar code with my smart phone but came up with 'no results found'.

I started a new rug hooking project last week and I'm loving the way it's turning out. I just figured out what kind of border I want to put on it and got that drawn on the linen today. I've been pacing myself so that I won't finish it before going to my next couple of rug group meetings. It's a quilt pattern from Kim Diehl that I found in one of my books - I love that quilting and rug hooking are so compatible and interchangeable!

My two sweet daughters were SO good to me at Christmas - and gave me gifts that I absolutely LOVE! I've been seeing lots of coloring books for grown ups at the craft stores and online, but have never found one that really appeals to me. DD#1 found this one and it is so perfect - full of wonderful primitive folk art designs. Only problem is, I'm not sure I can bring myself to actually color them since several of them are perfect for rug hooking and quilt applique. So fun!

DD#2 found this table lamp with a clear glass base. I filled it with vintage wooden thread spools from my collection and it looks great sitting on a table made from a treadle machine base in my living room. I added one of my toy sewing machines, a small quilt, and other goodies for a display. Cute, huh?

Remember last month I made Christmas stockings for my son & his family? Well, for one of them I used a specialty ruler for cutting equilateral triangles and I had a lot of fun with it. So I decided to make myself a small quilt  using the same ruler. It's been pieced for quite awhile now and I finally got it quilted and bound yesterday afternoon. Pulled it out of the dryer just a few minutes ago and it's ready to use in my decorating. It measures about 18" x 34".

I used a variegated thread and did allover meandering - the type of machine quilting that I'm most comfortable with. I really need to branch out a bit and try something different one of these days. (sigh)

I had so much fun with the mug rug swap that my rug group did for Christmas, (see photos a couple posts back) that I made another one to coordinate with a mug I found at the thrift store. I'd like to give it away to one of my wonderful readers & friends. It's got a Valentine Day heart theme going on so it's perfect for this time of year. The rug measures about 5-1/2" square and in addition to using strips of wool fabric, I also used some wool yarn because I happened to have the right color (pink). Hope you like it! I'll take comments until Saturday, January 9th, and then draw the winning name from all the entries and pop it in the mail. Good luck! And thanks for making blogging such a fun experience for me each time I publish a post! I love sharing with you!
                                                      (GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED)

Catching Up

Last summer when hubby & I were vacationing in Montana, I found this set of sewing machine drawers at an antique store in a small town - I think I paid $25 for them. There was no top, because they used to be attached to a sewing cabinet, so I knew I would have to do something about that.

I could have added a piece of wood  to cover the opening- cut to size and stained to match.

But I decided to hook a little rug for the top. The hooking has been done for months, and my mom helped me put it all together while she was here last week. Those two extra hands were very helpful.

The wood was a little worn, so I sanded it lightly and brushed fresh stain on it - very pleased with the way it turned out.

I made another heart quilt for Valentine's Day, but didn't get it finished till today. So now it'll be ready for NEXT year! It's kind stiff cuz it's heavily quilted. I'd like to soften it up by washing it, but I'm kinda nervous about the red bleeding.  Not sure what to do.

My grandson's birthday quilt is all finished. We'll be taking it to him next Saturday.

The back is kind of fun with his name appliqued on there - and I embroidered my name and a message on the letter 'O'.

I was very lucky that a friend let me use her longarm machine to quilt this on. It was a lot of fun and only took me about three hours from start to finish.

I received a Quick Curve Ruler for Christmas, and although I won't be able to make a quilt with it for quite awhile, I wanted to stitch up one block just for fun so I could see what it's like. The gal who designed this is here in Utah and most of the quilts made using her method are Modern Quilts,  but I think it's going to work just fine in my dark & dirty scrappy style. Her company is Sew Kind of Wonderful.

Lovely Stuff

This is what I pulled together to decorate my dining room table for February.

                                             

Most of it is newly made in the last couple of weeks. After making my little RWB quilt last month I had leftover 9-patches, so I figured out a way to use them in this strippy quilt.

I put them up on my design wall.

Then added the setting triangles and auditioned a fabric for the sashing.

Added the striped fabric between the rows.

And ended up with this.

I tried to quilt some feathers in the striped sections and while they turned out okay, I decided they're better if they're curvy - hopefully I'll remember that for next time.

I saw the simple little heart quilt that Cheri shared on her blog so stitcheded this one up one afternoon. I kinda wish I had added a bit of embroidery the way she did, but I can live with this.

I was in a gift shop one day and noticed there were several items for sale made with string - remember that stuff we used to do when we were little? So I came home and found a block of wood and painted it a cream color. Cut a heart shape out of paper and taped it onto the wood.

Then hammered in the little nails following the outline of the heart.

I had a ball of red crochet thread I bought at a thrift store ages ago and used that to wrap from nail to nail till the inside of the heart was covered.

I promised to share a picture of the rug I'm working on right now, so this is it.

My mom is here visiting from California and we've been having a good time, but I think I'm running her ragged compared to her usually sedate schedule. Hope she survives! LOL

Conversation Hearts

I met with the SLC rug group on Tuesday and Myra showed us this darling little rug she made for Valentine's Day - I thought it would be appropriate to share today. Her grandchildren helped choose the sayings on each of them. The colors she used captured the real candy colors of this favorite childhood treat.

Nancy made this rug for a new grandson ten months ago.

Now that baby has a little brother who will share his room, so she's making another rug for the newborn that is the same design, but different - notice the borders. The two horses will be facing each other when they're on the floor - so cute! 

And Nancy also showed us this rug that she finished since our last meeting - her version of an antique rug shown in one of her old books. The white flowers make me think of cotton bolls.

I haven't shared a picture of my family rug for quite awhile - I really haven't hooked much on it lately, but I'd sure like to get it done one of these days.

Whew!

I've had a busy few days, but yesterday I was finally able to complete the top of my Midwinter Blues quilt that Lori has so generously shared with the blogging community as a sew along project. It's been really fun to see all the different versions of this and I'm sure she'll have a link party eventually so we won't miss any of them.

For the last two weeks I've been making a denim quilt for my son-in-law and now it's finished just in time for his birthday on Feb. 14th. My daughter had all the denim and about ten different flannel prints for the back of the squares, but she had never gotten around to making it. Since she's so busy with the new baby I offered to provide the labor and sew it up. I spent an hour at the laundromat this morning getting it washed so the raw edges would fray and here it is. I've made quite a few of these through the years, but I forgot how heavy all that denim gets while running it through the machine - luckily I didn't break a single needle! Yay!

Yesterday I took a few minutes and made a simple little postcard quilt to send to my mom for Valentine's Day - these are so fun and easy to make - and I know she'll enjoy getting it in the mail.

I've been making 3/4" hexies in the evenings while I watch TV - not sure yet of exactly what I'm going to do with them - but I'll be prepared when the inspiration hits me! LOL

Here are the latest stars I've made for the Temecula sew along. I've got quite a stack of these now and am so curious about how we're going to be putting them together!

I had a very fun outing with my two daughters on Saturday when we went for Afternoon Tea at the Grand America in SLC - have been wanting to do this for quite awhile.

Gifts, Rugs & Quilts

My Mom's birthday is next week, so on Saturday I stitched up a really small quilt to send to her using the smallest Twister template - the finished quilt measures just under 9" square. I figured with a quilt this small she could find a place to display it without too much trouble. 

I've had fun with wrapping gifts a little differently lately - here is the quilt wrapped in brown paper with a doily to embellish it - along with a necklace I bought her at an antique show over the weekend that I wrapped in some old book pages. Makes receiving it more fun I think!

My son gave his girlfriend a gift certificate for Valentine's Day, so I made a spiffy envelope for him to put it in - it's all about the presentation when you're dating! LOL

Last Thursday I attended my monthly rug hooking meeting in SLC and these are some of the rugs that I saw there. Kathryn had just finished this darling Edyth O'Neill design with two hearts - I absolutely LOVE the way she added interest to the background by hooking in some small heart shapes using slightly different colored wool.

Nancy has made a LOT of progress on this rug she's making - next month I'll try to remember to snap a picture of the cross stitch design that inspired it. It seems she often adds a little saying or verse to her rugs and I think it makes them very special.

Yvonne started the last border on this beautiful floral rug - it's a big one and the colors are so rich and yummy!

Here is another peek at my row rug.

I finally got all my scrappy Trip Around the World blocks made - now I have to decide how to set them. Remember, these are half size blocks so they each measure 6" square.

I hemmed two pair of jeans for my son-in-law - not my favorite kind of sewing - but it was the very least I could do after he worked on my rug hooking frame last week!

So that's a little bit of what I've been up to lately!