Blueberry Crumb Cake

Fabric kit for Star Spangled

I've been working on a new fabric line and patterns so haven't been sewing......but at least I still get to play with fabric and obsess about the quilts I'd like to make!  

One of them is a kit for "Star Spangled" that we put together with Blackbird Design's newest fabric line, Blueberry Crumb Cake.  The  fabric is in the shop now and it's lovely!    This quilt was gorgeous at Market and we just had to have it!  It's hard to see how terrific the cross stitch fabric is as the background, but believe me, it is!  You can choose either the darker tan background or the whiter background, both cross stitch fabric.

Also available is Blackbird's newest book, "Weekend":  We've been fans of Blackbird Designs for a long time!  Alma and Barb are two of the nicest people, and so very talented!  We usually have at least one of their projects going as a block of the month....currently we have "Pressed Flowers"  which I absolutely love.  I'm making that one and I'm behind--I know, you're all shocked that I would be behind and needing to play catch-up!  Pam also discovered one last complete set for "Evening Bloom", that gorgeous  red & gray/taupe quilt from their book "When the Cold Wind Blows" so if you've been saying "could-a, should-a, would-a" this could be your lucky day!  Thanks for checking in!  TTFN*


*TTFN is "tah-tah- for now" which is how Tigger, as in Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, too, always said goodbye.  My boys loved Tigger, cuz he's "bouncy pouncy, full of fun, fun, fun!" and they were always quoting Tigger and telling their Grandma TTFN!  Mom hated to say goodbye, so she adopted TTFN as her own! Now, I find myself using it; it is way better and less final than goodbye.

Fresh Picked Posies

Here are the Fresh Picked Posies blocks I've been diligently trying to getting prepared.....I've got the first five blocks stitched down, and, as you can see, several more glued down and ready to stitch.  I love the new accordion squeeze bottle of Glue Baste It.  The tip doesn't get clogged, and I like the way it fits in my hand.  I never use pins anymore, much to the delight of my husband, since he was always stepping on them and finding them for me!

Even mom use to find my applique pins.  Here's a note she sent to me...she changed the word "tee" to "toe" and ME were her initials so it reads: Hit Recipe off the toe of ME.  In case you can't read her writing, she says, "I found this by my chair -don't know if you've missed it yet.  If its not yours, don't return it- Give it to Tom.  I've already had my turn at it."   I, myself, have never  found a pin by stepping on it....Tom and Mom were always commiserating about my pins! Now, with glue baste it, there's no more "pin misery" in our household!

Pam & I are doing a bit of traveling this year (our schedule is posted in the side bar).  So now I'm all ready to go since I've got plenty of stitching to take with me!  Just two more blocks and the borders to prepare, but for now it's time to get back to work!  I have designing to do, both for fabric and patterns.  Everybody keep stitching!  And remember, if you can bind, you can applique!  If you still don't believe, be sure to check out our applique videos on You Tube.  The links are under the header photo at the top of the blog.

What's All the Cluck About?

We had a fun day at the barn Saturday, kicking off our new Barn Chick gathering, "What's all the Cluck About".  Pam & I see this as a more informal gathering to share information on a variety of topics.  Yesterday, we covered needle turn applique and had a great turn out. Barn Chicks came from far and wide!  It got both Pam and me motivated to prepare several applique projects that, at least in my case, I've been neglecting.  Pam's "Folk Art Gathering" by Cheri Saffiotte-Payne is looking marvelous, don't you think?

Our next gathering is on Februrary 11, for 10-2 and we'll be covering wool applique.  Hope to see you there!

Rambling Rose Kits are ready!

It seems like we've been waiting forever for the "Put Your Heart in It" fabric to arrive, and now that it's here, so are our Rambling Rose kits!  Be sure to check out the new colors in the Buggy Barn Basics that coordinate with this line!   We still don't have any snow on the ground here, and it's been warmer than usual; I find myself getting anxious for spring to arrive, but I know that winter has barely begun!  I'll just have to make due with these winter roses!  Happy New Year to you all! 

Put Your Heart In It!

Put Your Heart in It: Crazy pieced

Our newest fabric line, "Put Your Heart in It" has arrived in the shop! And  it looks beautiful in the cupboard all together!!  We developed this line in conjunction with our crazy pieced "Put Your Heart in It" quilt.  The quilt was inspired by a friend, a breast cancer survivor, who's cancer had reoccurred.  We wanted her to believe, to have hope, and to be strong in her journey to come.  I'm happy to report that she's done all three and is doing well! We don't always know what to do for a friend with a serious illness, and making this quilt helped me to cope.  It's stitched with love and countless prayers!

Put Your Heart in It: Traditionally pieced

And just to complicate things, we have a second quilt with the same name, but it's traditionally pieced "Put Your Heart in It" quilt, designed by Sue Falkowski for Henry Glass Fabrics, who so generously agreed to donate a portion of the proceeds of the sale of this fabric to Susan G. Komen for breast cancer research.  Thank you to our friends at Henry Glass and to each of you who purchases this fabric!  Let us all pray that there may one day be a cure.

Have You Been Good All Year?

Have you hung your stockings with care?  We surely want Santa to stop here because we've been good all year! Here's hoping you find health and good cheer in your stocking this year and may each of us keep the spirit of Christmas alive all throughout the coming year!  May you have a very Merry and Blessed Christmas!

Merry N Bright

Merry & Bright

 Is everything "Merry & Bright" at your house?  Are your packages all wrapped and under the tree?   Tom & I had a marathon of wrapping to get the gifts wrapped before the kids got home....Zack arrived today and he's the worst snooper!  He knows he doesn't want to spoil his Christmas morning but he can hardly stand it...he wouldn't even look under the tree, I think because it's way too much temptation and he wants to wait for his brother to get here so they can shake all the packages together and try to guess what's in each!  They are quite a pair and I go to great lengths to try and fool them by putting boxes inside of boxes.  Some years, I don't even put name tags on them-one of them gets red ribbon and one gets green and they don't know whose are whose until Christmas morning-it makes them crazy and keeps them guessing which is most of the fun!  At least now that they are older we no longer have to stay up all night on Christmas Eve waiting for them to go to sleep before "Santa" can come and put them under the tree!   But I'm so glad I still have them home for the holidays.  Hope yours are home with you too! Have a great holiday!