Aunt Reen's Place

A January Finish

2012-01-27T14:34:00.011-05:00

Remember I said that I was going to add a little SPIN to these Redwork Calendar Girl blocks? Well here we are! Rather than sew the blocks with simple sashings my friend - Sue & I are going to make the redwork months the center of "fancier" blocks. Each month I will come up with a variation of a block design to make it work with the 9" Redwork center. For January I chose to improvise on a block called BROKEN WHEEL. Fitting I thought as wagon wheels don't work so well in snow. (grin)

The block now finishes at 15". I'm hoping that a layer cake of Rouenneries Deux and a quarter yard of tea dyed muslin will be enough to block frame all 12 of these Calendar Girls. Happy to say that January is finally finished!

The original 1930's quilt looked like this one below. You can get the pattern for it at Nana's Needlework ... HERE.

every quilt tells a story....

First Blocks of the JT2 Sew-along

2012-01-26T15:35:00.007-05:00

Here are my first 6 blocks of the JT2 Sew-along sponsored by Brenda Papadakis & Gay Boomer. I was going to wait until the redwork was completed for these but time is marching on and the 2nd set of blocks for January have already been posted.

I'm looking forward to participating in this FREE Mystery Quilt sew-along. It's exciting to see the beautiful blocks that so many of my fellow blog friends are posting.
I love all the creative fabric "interpretations" - so much FUN!

I chose to make my quilt just slightly off the traditional solid red/white version. I'm using Jo Morton prints from her Jo's Variety collection, a few medium & dark red solid fabrics and for the background I am going with a variety of "Cream & Tea" hued tonal print & solid fabrics.

If you'd like more information on how to join - just click the JT2 button on the right side of my blog. HURRY the patterns for January are only FREE until the 1st day of February - when the next set of free patterns become available.

every quilt tells a story...

First Official DJ Club Meeting 2012

2012-01-20T12:08:00.013-05:00

Monday was SO exciting for me! It was the first meeting of our local Dear Jane Your Way club 2012. I even bought Cake to celebrate!

Here I am going over our block assignments for January.

Due to it's size (30 members) - the club is divided into a day & and evening group.

The highlight of the meeting for our members was a surprise phone conversation (on speaker) with Brenda Papadakis offering words of wisdom & encouragement to our Club members. What a gracious woman she is! Truly an amazing way to begin our club's Dear Jane Journey!

every quilt tells a story....

January Redwork Block

2012-01-13T11:42:00.005-05:00

We had a pretty little snowfall on Monday. Now my January block feels more relate-able. A 2011 UFO project - my friend Sue and I are determined that we are going to finish our Calendar Girls quilts this year.

Of course I suggested adding a spin to the quilt. Rather than sew the blocks with simple sashings - we are going to make the redwork months the center of "fancier" blocks. More details coming soon....

every Quilt tells a story.... AUNT REEN

It's Raining JANES!

2012-01-11T08:28:00.009-05:00

I've sewn more than 36 little Jane blocks over the past couple of months. Many of these are shop samples for a Dear Jane club that begins on the 16th of January. I've got some pressed against a design board (above) and some more sample blocks shown here below:

After many months of quilters ~~pleading~~ asking for me to organize a Dear Jane Club - I finally ~~gave in~~ happily agreed. (grin)
I've worked diligently on creating a workshop program for the group and now I'm really excited for us to begin!
The owner of our local quilt shop is going to host our club for the next 13 months and will offer monthly fabric "bitty bundles" to our members in their choice of 4 fabric genre's: Civil War, 1930's, Batiks or Modern prints.

There will be an additional Jane chart added to my blog soon. I will be working to finish up my Civil War Jane this year and also begin a Modern Jane quilt for my DIL using mostly Kaffe Fasset fabrics. I'll begin posting my monthly Jane blocks here on my blog at the end of each month.

every Quilt tells a story....

New Sewing Machine Cover

2012-01-06T16:50:00.008-05:00

I received this beautiful sewing machine cover from my dear friend SUE for Christmas. I was totally surprised and it was love at first sight! Sue made this for me using fabrics from Fig Tree Quilts.

Check out the fancy,narrow binding she sewed along the bottom of my cover. It fits just perfectly over my Bernina!
Now my machine will be dust free AND beautiful to look at when not in use.
Thank you Sue - you are SEW Wonderful!

every quilt tells a story...

Civil War Journals BOM

2012-01-03T12:45:00.005-05:00

It's been months since I've blogged and feel just terrible about that!
My absence was not because of slacking...no FAR from it.
By mid-September I was feeling well enough from surgery to begin sewing again - and I haven't stopped for a moment's rest. lol

I'm working part time again, designing a few quilt patterns and I am teaching 2 Block of the Month programs at my local quilt shop that both begin this month. I finished 4 quilts as samples for one of the Block of the Month programs and LOTS of sample blocks for the other BOM Club.
All of this and my little grandson have kept me extremely busy.

I'll share with you (one project at a time) a bit of what I've been up to:
The Civil War Journals BOM is the 3rd in the Marcus Fabrics Civil War series. These are the 4 Civil War Journals sample quilts that I made for my LQS Club. I cut & pasted them all together which is why they are not all to scale in the photo below. Quilt #1 measures 44" x 53", #2 measures 44" x 53", #3 (bottom right) measures 51" x 60" and #4 measures 44" x 44".

What I really enjoy about this BOM is that you can choose to make 1 Queen size quilt or 4 smaller quilts from the blocks you create. The program shares stories/events of the Civil War using historic content from children's journals.
My sister is making the larger Queen size quilt sample (I'll have pictures of that one to share soon)

I hope all of my friends here in Blog Land had an AWESOME Holiday Season!
Looking forward to catching up on all the creative accomplishments shared here. I am always amazed and inspired by the beautiful work, hearts & minds that gather here.

Happy & Healthy New Year to All!

every quilt tells a story...

What a Month!

2011-08-30T11:50:00.004-04:00

August has certainly been an eventful month for me!
Major surgery, an Earthquake and Hurricane Irene have certainly kept me pre-occupied. I would like to thank all of my blog friends for their well wishes!

With limited use of my left arm, I've still been able to work on some small stitchery projects. Here is my Calendar Girls quilt block for August.
Tomorrow is my post-operative Dr's appt. I'm hoping to get the "thumbs up" for getting back to normal activities. I've really MISSED my sewing machine!

Sending Prayers & Well Wishes to all those still effected by the Hurricane!

every quilt tells a story...

Civil War visit and taking a Bloggers Break

2011-08-03T07:25:00.011-04:00

July began the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
The very first battle took place in Manassas,Va.
In Old Town Manassas there are commemorative flags hanging on every lamp post as far as the eye can see. It's a lovely place to walk around. There are lots of wonderful old buildings that house Shops and Restaurants with outside dining near the old historic train station.

Last week we took our 6 month old grandson for his first visit. He was fascinated by all the people and stayed up WAY past his bedtime.

I will be taking a bit of a break from blogging during August for health reasons. I'm going into the hospital for surgery in a few days.
Not sure how long I'll be off line yet - hopefully just a week.
It will probably be several weeks before I'm sewing again - but during my recovery I'll have plenty of time to catch up on everyone's blog chatter and wonderful accomplishments!

Wishing everyone a Happy & Productive August!

every quilt tells a story....

Quilt Block updates

2011-07-27T11:32:00.008-04:00

These are the last 4 blocks I completed for the CW BOM.

July has proven to be a very hectic month for me. Although I've managed to work on some hand piecing & applique' I haven't had much time for blogging or machine sewing.

Here are the first 4 Reverse Applique' blocks I've made for a Dutch Treat quilt.
Most of the blocks in this quilt will be made from the "waterlilies" multi-colored batik, but I thought I'd toss in a few purple & green blocks for a little pop & sparkle.

every quilt tells a story...

Assembling the first Rows of my Jane

2011-07-01T17:20:00.012-04:00

I didn't get much sewing done this week due to an annoying head cold. Up until yesterday, my Civil War block was all that I'd done.
Now that I'm feeling a bit better, I was determined to accomplish something today. My pile of Jane blocks had gotten way too high so I decided it was time to take the first 4 rows and sew them together.

I've been sewing the sashing strips to each of the blocks as I go - as seen here. It was fairly quick and very easy to sew each of the rows together this way. The best part was that I didn't have to deal with sewing long skinny sashing strips between the rows - and the blocks & sashings all lined up and fit together nicely.

Here is Jane taking a quick rest on the couch.
Just a few random blocks left to complete in the next couple rows and I'll be able to sew those together too.

Wishing you all a Happy Independance Day and lovely weekend!

every quilt tells a story....

Ready for the Road..and a tip or 2

2011-06-24T10:13:00.009-04:00

Here is a peek at one of the small Red & White quilts I'm making.
It's all marked out, sandwiched together and hooped up for our weekend getaway.
My methods for the creative process of Small quilt making are not for everyone but I thought I'd share a few little findings that work well for ME!

I know that many quilters like to use white/light chalk pencils to mark on red fabrics. However, I still prefer using a blue water soluable marking pen for drawing out my quilting designs. The color of the ink changes to black and I don't have to worry about erasing white chalk (which often leaves smudges elsewhere on my fabric)

Here is another tip for lending a vintage look and softer, subtle drape to small quilts: Instead of cotton batting, I will often use white or cream colored brush cotton/thin flannel fabric. I pre-wash the brushed cotton before using it as batting. This batting substitute works well in preventing quilt stiffness, especially if your quilt has a lot of small/intricate pieces.
As a final note - it quilts up lovely and I really enjoy how tidy my hand quilting stitches look.

I'll be sure share more of this little quilt in a future post.
Wishing everyone in Blogland a Happy Weekend!

every quilt tells a story...

Catching Up...

2011-06-22T07:58:00.005-04:00

My oh my...the past few weeks have flewn right by!
Although I haven't posted - I've been very busy sewing.
Do you like these little Birdie Pin Cushions? My DIL and I made them for a pin cushion swap held at our local quilt club meeting.

We stuffed the little birds with crushed walnut shells for weight and to keep the pins sharp once inserted into them.

I've also spent time catching up on my blocks for the Civil War BOM.
Although I don't post pictures weekly, I do update my Civil War chart on my sidebar. I've been trying never to get more than 2 weeks behind on these.
(the key word here is TRYING...lol)

On a Nervous Note... I shipped my Doll Quilt Exchange package off to Heather in Canada a week ago.
There is a major Postal strike going on there :{
I haven't shared any pictures of the quilt I designed and made especially for her so that she can be surprised when her package arrives. So I shall continue to nervously wait until her little quilt has arrived safely to her doorstep.

In lieu of their postal strike I feel a bit guilty to say that I have received some WONDERFUL goodies in the mail the past couple of weeks. I'll be sure to share more about these in my next post.

every quilt tells a story...

Displaying tiny treasured quilts

2011-05-18T15:23:00.009-04:00

I LOVE to create small & miniature quilts.
The quilt shown above measures 7" square.
I chose 1820's reproduction Madder red & black print fabrics and an early 1800's shirting for the background.

Because it was a special gift for Nell, I hand quilted it and decided to set it into an 8" frame.

Here is another little gift I created. This time for my blogging friend Carolyn.

The little quilt block that I framed measures approx. 2.5" x 3"
I embellished the framing mat with a teeny 1" colonial acorn doll that I made from wool felt, a wooden bead and an acorn cap.

I sent this off to her along with a doll exchange quilt a few months ago.

I would love to see how other quilters are displaying and/or gifting their tiny quilted treasures! I am always looking for new ideas!

every quilt tells a story....

Double set of Janes completed

2011-05-17T14:33:00.004-04:00

I got busy again with Jane last week. The picture above shows the 4 blocks I completed for my Dear Jane quilt. The top 2 blocks were made using fabrics that I received from Faye for my quilt. Aren't they pretty?

Here are 4 additional Jane blocks that I made.
These are for my friend Sue's quilt.
Using Autumn rich colors and quite a few Jo Morton fabrics, I'm making all of the center square blocks for her quilt.

every quilt tells a story....

My 1880's Sampler blocks to date...

2011-05-05T12:28:00.006-04:00

These are the blocks I've created so far for Cheryl's 1880's Sampler sew-along.
At first I thought I would try to replicate the fabric colors in the original quilt as closely as possible. After laying out the first 9 blocks - I changed my mind.

I love Jo Morton fabrics and have decided to add more warmth to some of these blocks. I've chosen some FQ's in spicy tones of nutmeg, mustard & pumpkin.
Below is a picture of my 4 newly completed blocks in the series. In Steps to the Altar - I've added a dash of pumpkin and really love how warm the block looks.

every quilt tells a story...

Civil War block update

2011-05-04T13:56:00.005-04:00

I'm finally caught up again on my Civil War BOM blocks.
A bit behind in several of my ongoing projects - it felt good to check this one off my list.

Next, I'm on to much smaller 5 inch blocks.
Yes, that would be Cheryl's 1880's Sampler sew-along.
And NO I haven't forgotten about my 4 inch JANEs.
I'm working my way downward in block scale right now. :D

every Quilt tells a story....

Update on Strolling thru Paris quilt

2011-04-10T12:55:00.005-04:00

I finished all the center 9X blocks of my Strolling thru Paris quilt this weekend. As you can see from the sneak peek photo little miss Mya approves!
Right now the center section measures 57.5" square.

Tomorrow is my Swirly Girls Club Meeting at the LQS.
I will pick up the rest of the fabric I need to finish this project then.

every Quilt tells a story...

My 100th Jane Block!

2011-04-06T18:22:00.005-04:00

I can hardly believe it...WHOO HOO...my 100th block!

Papa's Star is the block I chose for reaching 100. It holds very special meaning to me. My father-in-law was known as Papa rather than Grandpa. Sadly he passed away nearly 7 years ago.
Our son became a father on New Years eve. When he handed his son over to my husband to hold for the very first time he said "here you go PAPA".
(the torch of honor has now been passed)
Here is a recent picture of our very first grandchild Alexander.
He is now 3 months old. And yes...he certainly is Papa's Star!

every Quilt tells a story...

I am SEW ready for this Quilt!

2011-04-01T10:43:00.007-04:00

I managed to cut out all of the pieces for my newest quilting project. It's been too long since I've completed a bed size quilt and I so love these French inspired fabrics!

Hubby & I made our first trip to Paris this past September and we fell in love with the City of Lights!
We enjoyed walking thru it's beautiful streets,parks and pathways.
So I've chosen to name this quilt - Strolling thru Paris.
Next week I'll begin sewing the blocks together.
This should prove to be a fast & fun quilt to assemble.

every Quilt tells a story...

Civil War update & Special Delivery

2011-03-30T15:34:00.008-04:00

Little Blue Baskets, block #13 of the Civil War BOW
(I decided I liked it better with a handle sewn on)
Also here is Louisiana, block #12 from last week.

I received a special package in the mail from Faye.

Faye is working on a Wedding quilt for her daughter using Pink, Brown & Green fabrics. You can see her progress on this gorgeous quilt here on her blog Mimi's Passions.
She has graciously shared some of these wedding quilt fabrics with me to use in my Dear Jane quilt!
These fabrics are gorgeous & the perfect colors for my project! LUCKY,LUCKY Me!
Thank you SO much Faye! I am very appreciative of your generous gift!

every Quilt tells a story...

Pink & Brown Janes

2011-03-24T10:59:00.003-04:00

I really enjoyed working on these little blocks!
The pink & brown prints are some of my very favorite fabrics.

G3 Four Leaf Clover - 3 pieces, hand applique'
M13 Lynette's Diamond - 12 pieces, machine & hand sewn
K7 Rose of Sharing - 2 pieces, hand applique'
K2 Grandpa's Chickens - 40 pieces, machine sewn

More blocks to post in a couple of days - including my 100th Jane block!

every Quilt tells a story...

A new project on the Horizon

2011-03-19T16:12:00.009-04:00

I celebrated my 50th Birthday last Saturday.
My sisters gave me a gift certificate for Quilter's Corner (our local quilt shop) I love this store! They carry such beautiful fabrics and Susan, the store owner and her cohort Christine are madly talented! (they have a book coming out in April with the most Awesome bed size quilt projects) Anyway... this is the fabulous FQ bundle I purchased with my birthday certificate! It is called Penelope by Holly Holderman for Lakehouse.

Because I have black & white toile draperies in my bedroom - I thought this French inspired fabric collection would make a fabulous matching quilt.
I decided to go with the pattern Hot Cross after falling in love with my best friend Sue's quilt found HERE on her blog. (it's GORGEOUS)

With all the BOM projects I am working on - it will be nice to complete a simple yet elegant full size quilt in a fairly short period of time.

every Quilt tells a story...

Jane blocks by the Dozen

2011-03-04T14:40:00.005-05:00

It's been a busy 2 weeks of sewing for me.
I am so happy that I completed 12 more Jane blocks.
My virtual quilt is really starting to fill up nicely!

Only one applique' block this time around, the rest were all machine sewn. I used 209 fabric pieces to complete the blocks.

every quilt tells a story....

Updating my Civil War block progress

2011-03-03T15:07:00.000-05:00

I created a virtual quilt grid to track my Barbara Brackman Civil War quilt. I'm still undecided about how I will sash the finished quilt. For now - I'm just going with a neutral tan "pretend" sashing.
Here are the last few blocks that didn't make it into my blog posts.

I've been pretty good about completing each block on time. Posting them to my blog has been another story. (sigh)
From now on - if I don't create an individual post of each block, I will still update my virtual quilt for all to see.

every Quilt tells a story...

I Received my Doll Exchange Quilt

2011-03-01T13:06:00.000-05:00

My package from the Doll Quit Exchange arrived.
My swap partner is Carolyn of Lee Prairie Designs.
I really LOVE the little quilt she made for me!
My favorite doll Emma agrees....look how perfectly it fits on her bed! I've been totally spoiled. Carolyn also made the most darling pillow & case to match Emma's Quilt!

If these weren't wonderful enough (which they are) Carolyn also made a beautiful needlepoint pillow and a fabric covered journal that matches my beautiful doll quilt.

This exchange has been such a fun and rewarding experience!
Carolyn's package is on the way...I hope she is equally pleased with her little quilt!

every Quilt tells a story...

Final Sneak Peek of Doll Quilt Exchange

2011-02-17T19:52:00.004-05:00

Well this is the 2nd and final little Sneak Peek of the doll quilt I'm making for Carolyn. Sorry I can't show you any more of it yet. Once Carolyn receives it then I'll post a picture of the finished piece. I'll be mailing this off to Carolyn on Monday.

If you'd like to see some of the finished quilts from this exchange - there will be pictures posted on Christine's Blog around the 10th of March.

every Quilt tells a story....

6 little JANES for the week

2011-02-11T15:26:00.007-05:00

After a couple fairly easy weeks, I chose to hand piece and/or applique' most of my little Janes this time around. The first block was my favorite - Snowflake Melt. In part for it's vibrant Valentine red hue and for the snow flakes that settled upon my windowsill this week while I was sewing it.

H-9 Snowflake Melt - 16 pieces, hand applique' and machine sewn
H-6 Pie Sale - 21 pieces, hand sewn
H-1 Peek-a-Boo - 20 pieces, machine sewn
G-13 Molly's Muffins - 13 pieces, hand and machine sewn
H-5 Michaels Motorcycle - 20 pieces, machine sewn
G-11 Decisions, Decisions - 13 pieces, hand applique' and machine sewn

I completed my 80th block this week!
It feels so good to say that...(grin)

every Quilt tells a story...

All caught up on 1880's Sampler blocks

2011-02-09T16:17:00.006-05:00

I confess, I made a couple of the easier blocks out of order first.
(shhhh..... let's keep this just between us)
With a bit more time now and Cheryl's terrific block tutorials I was able to finish the final 2 of the 6 completed blocks thus far in the series.

The block shown above is block #15 and the one below is block #10.

Before I sit too comfy on my Chair of Accomplishments I am reminded that another wonderful block is soon to follow.

every Quilt tells a story.....

Sneak Peak - Doll Quilt Exchange

2011-02-08T11:35:00.004-05:00

This is a tiny peek at the doll quilt I am working on for Carolyn.
We are participating in a doll quilt swap hosted by Christine over at Once Upon a Quilt.
I decided to make Carolyn's little quilt a bit scrappy using 1800's reproduction prints and a bit of hand applique'. I'll post a larger "peek" next week. One of the entire quilt will have to wait until the exchange has been completed.
(just a few weeks from now)

every Quilt tells a story...

Richmond - block #6

2011-02-07T12:02:00.007-05:00

Living in Virginia, I am very partial to this weeks block!
I am sure it will remain a favorite for me when this quilt is done.
For those that are following....I did not post block #5 Kansas Troubles to my blog last week. But here it is - completed just the same.

I have several more project updates to post this week.
Time to get my sewing machine humming again!

every Quilt tells a story...

2 more blocks for 1880's Quilt-along

2011-01-28T13:49:00.009-05:00

I managed to complete 2 more 5" blocks of Cheryl's Sew-along this week. Hopefully, I will be able to catch up to her soon.

The first block is Diagonal Paths.
It contains 64 pieces of fabric...a LOT for such a small block. lol

The second block I made is the Pennsylvania block.
Much easier with just 25 pieces to this one.

Such sweet little blocks...I'm enjoying this project very much!

every Quilt tells a story...

4 little Janes

2011-01-27T14:54:00.008-05:00

Here are my Jane blocks for this week's Post.
Not the usual 6 but it was a very busy week and I'm thankful for the little gems I DID manage to complete.

G4 - Shutter Bug - 29 pieces
D9 - Uncle Richard - 35 pieces
F2 - Kaleidoscope - 28 pieces
E8 - Mama's Maze - 33 pieces
All of the blocks were machine sewn - 125 pieces in total this week.

I am thrilled to announce that my older sister made her very first Jane block!
I am SO proud of her!
Now BOTH of my sisters have started their Jane quilts.
I look forward to sharing this special journey with them!

every Quilt tells a story...

Honor's in Blog Land

2011-01-26T09:40:00.013-05:00

Kay H of Quilt Studio Happenings has honored me with the Liebster Blog Award! Normally I shy from blog tags & awards but this one has great heart & substance to it. I will proudly post this award tag on my sidebar.

The aim of the Liebster Blog Award is to bring recognition and exposure to small blogs who have less than 300 followers. If you accept the award, you then agree to tag three other small blogs that you would like to recommend to others.

I can think of so many blogs deserving of this award but here are 3 inspiring blogs that I've carefully chosen to honor:

Quilt Inspiration would have to be my first choice! In my opinion it is a must read blog for quilters. Daryl & Marina fill it with so much valuable information regarding quilt shows, museum events, how to find patterns, free tutorials and feature the most amazing, award winning quilts. No doubt they will surpass the 300 follower mark very soon!

Pleasentree. If you love and/or appreciate Needlework then Merumo will surely inspire you with her beautiful heirloom style stitcheries! She is also a fabulous quilter. Her miniature quilts are gorgeous and all of her work is exquisite. If you stop by her blog - be sure to check out photo's of her darling dachshund LIMO.

Cozy Little Quilts This is a new blog owned by my very dear friend Sue. She creates the most elegant quilts! If you are inspired by Moda fabrics be sure to check out the beautiful quilt she is finishing up right now. I love her taste in fabrics and quilt designs.

The photo above is of SWEET LIBERTY -a miniature doll & tote that I designed back in 2008.

every Quilt tells a story...

Texas Tears - block #4

2011-01-25T11:47:00.005-05:00

Here is my Texas Tears block. It is #4 of Barbara Brackman's Civil War block of the week. I am having a wonderful time following along with other quilt bloggers and love seeing the different fabric variations each person chooses for their blocks!

every Quilt tells a story....

Seven Sisters quilt block

2011-01-19T07:08:00.006-05:00

I finished Seven Sisters yesterday. It is block #3 of the Civil War block of the week by Barbara Brackman. This block was entirely hand pieced - my method of choice was reverse applique'.

The blue background fabric is one of my very favorite 1800's reproduction prints. It's from an older line called Vintage Indigo by Harriet Hargrave. I look forward to using more of Harriet's Indigo prints in future blocks of this sew-along.

every Quilt tells a story...

Week 2 of January jane blocks

2011-01-17T17:19:00.006-05:00

Here are the 6 Jane blocks I worked on this past week.
All were fairly simple for me to assemble and I was grateful for that. It allowed me the chance to catch up on my 2 sew along projects.

I1 Ralph & Nelda's Wedding - 11 pieces, machine sewn
I2 Kaye's Courtyard - 13 pieces, machine sewn
I3 Family Album - 21 pieces, machine sewn
G1 Hattie's Hen House - 8 pieces, hand applique'
H7 Bennington Star - 25 pieces, hand sewn
H13 Farm Fields - 7 pieces, machine sewn

every Quilt tells a story...

1880 Sampler - Cheryl's Sew-along

2011-01-14T14:47:00.008-05:00

Here are the first 2 small blocks I made from instructions provided at Cheryl's 1880's Sampler sew-along blog!
Cheryl is recreating the fabulous sampler quilt originally made by Barbara Bucher Snyder of Lancaster County Pennsylvania back in 1880.

I really LOVE this quilt! It will be a longer term project for me. I'm hoping to complete it perhaps sometime in 2012.

Look at the tiny 1/2" squares & bars in this Corner Stone block.
The pink fabric I'm using for the blocks is from Charity "collection for a cause" by Moda. The rest of the fabrics I chose are primarily Jo Morton prints.

This one was a bit challenging for me when it came to matching up the background bead-chain stripes. A non-directional print would have been much easier as the sewing itself was fairly simple.

If you'd like to see the quilt and follow along with Cheryl you can find her link on my sidebar or simply click onto the picture below and it will take you to her free Sew-along blog!
every quilt tells a story.....

Civil War Block of the Week

2011-01-13T10:19:00.008-05:00

Like many of my blog friends - I decided to follow along with Barbara Brackman's weekly Civil War sew-along for 2011.

These are the first 2 weekly blocks I've completed.
I'm not comfortable with random scrappy colors so I created a controlled palette for my blocks & quilt. I'm calling my color theme: Early American Patriot which will include colonial shades of red, blue, gray, black & shirting prints.

Each week Barbara will post a block to sew along with facts, events and photo's from the Civil war era. She has created a special blog for this project to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

You will find a link to her site on the sidebar of my blog.

every Quilt tells a story....

Last Weeks Janes....

2011-01-12T09:07:00.005-05:00

These are the 6 blocks I completed last week. As you can see, I seem to have had a bit of Molasses & Brown sugar on the brain. lol It wasn't until I uploaded the pictures that I realized how brown/beige my choices were.

E4 Buffalo Tree Hopper 11 pieces - machine sewn
J11 Twin Sisters 7 pieces - hand applique'
E9 Quilt Jail 35 pieces - machine sewn
E12 Aunt Ruth's Corset 28 pieces - machine sewn
G2 Mohawk Trail 28 pieces - machine sewn
E5 Rising Sun 17 pieces - machine sewn & hand applique'

As you can tell, I'm a bit behind in my posts. I've been busy visiting and getting to know my new little grandson Alexander.
But see...I wasn't completely idle last week. (grin)

every Quilt tells a story....

Grandson born on New Year's Eve

2010-12-31T16:39:00.005-05:00

Meet ALEXANDER DMITRI JOHNSON
He is just 30 minutes old in this photo.
Born a New Year's Eve baby at 9:38 am and weighed in at 6lbs 10 ozs. Mother and son are doing great!

Here is a picture of my husband aka PAPA Johnson with the baby.

This is the first grandchild for both families.
We are all so excited and blessed by our little bundle of joy from Heaven!

Wishing you all Health & Happiness in the New Year!

Another round of Jane Blocks

2010-12-29T13:30:00.008-05:00

I finally picked up with Jane again!
Still waiting for my first grandchild to arrive, so I've decided to channel all my energy into sewing. Here is the list of my accomplishments for the week:

F3 Snowball - machine sewn - 17 pieces
E1 Aunt Exie's Phlox - hand applique' - 5 pieces
F7 Star Struck - machine sewn - 21 pieces
D1 Alison's Guiding Light - machine sewn - 23 pieces
D12 Crossed Swords - hand & machine sewn - 19 pieces
E10 Five & Dime - hand applique' & machine sewn - 6 pieces

Definately my favorite block of the week! I will forever remember this block as the one I made while waiting for my grandson to come light up my world! (very big grin)

every Quilt tells a story...

EGGNOG CUPCAKES - easy recipe!

2010-12-09T10:34:00.007-05:00

It's been a while since my last cupcake posting.
This recipe is SUPER EASY to make.
Begin with any Yellow Cake recipe.
Replace the milk or water (exact measured amount) with Eggnog.
Mix & Bake according to the directions.
Frosting: Add 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of Rum Extract to your favorite Buttercream frosting. (homemade or store bought) Mix well, frost the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with a light dusting of powdered nutmeg.

I baked a batch of these last night - needless to say, the one in the picture has already been devoured. If you plan on making these for a Holiday Gathering I suggest they arrive with the following warning label:
"CAUTION - Eating these Cupcakes may be Addictive!"

Enjoy...

Christmas Remembrance quilt

2010-12-03T11:27:00.015-05:00

I finished this Red & Green quilt the week before Christmas - last year. I unpacked it this morning and hung it on the quilt rack in my living room.
looking at the photo now - I should have ironed it first...lol

One of the names for this pattern is called Broken Star.
I purchased the fabrics and cut them all out 4 years ago.
At the time I was still grieving the loss of my father who passed away a few weeks before Christmas the previous year. The center star made me think of our family gathering around the tree on Christmas day and the broken/fractured star points - family members watching over us in heaven.
The quilt measures 48" square with 512 small diamond pieces that make up the star components. Because of my tardiness to complete this for Christmas - I machine quilted it myself.

And here is a tiny doll quilt that I am currently working on. Also a Remembrance quilt that I will most likely title Colonial Rose. It measures 13" square and is completely hand pieced. I still need to come up with a quilting design for the finish. NO idea's yet!

every Quilt tells a story...

Giving Thanks!

2010-11-22T10:33:00.006-05:00

This is my favorite Redwork block of the quilt series - so far!
Just 3 more days until Thanksgiving! Gosh, how quickly November is flying by.
Dinner will be at our house this year and I am ever so Thankful for the opportunity to gather again with Family.

We are expecting our first grandchild within the next 4 weeks!
It is one of the greatest blessing my husband & I could ever imagine and one that we are extremely THANKFUL for this holiday season.

Whatever your plans are this Thursday - may your day be filled with Joy!

Wishing everyone a Healthy & Happy Thanksgiving!

every quilt tells a story...

WINTER BEAUTY - Red & Green revised!

2010-11-16T18:28:00.012-05:00

I am SO excited to share this special quilt I designed and the wonderful story of friendship that goes with it!
I love traditional Red & Green quilts and really wanted to make one for my living room. But I also wanted to make it a bit masculine with a cozy warm WINTER feel to it.
So I drew up the design - picked out my fabrics and contacted my dear friend Sue to tell her all about my project! She & I decided we would both create identical quilts from the layout design I sent her. (pictured below)

What makes this so special to me is that Sue lives in California and I live in Virginia. We worked together on our quilts entirely thru pictures and emails over the internet. And when we were done - our quilts turned out EXACTLY the same!
I call my quilt Winter Beauty and she has named her's Winter Rose.
The quilts finished off at 55" wide by 71" long. I really love the cozy feel the brushed cotton plaid lends to the borders.

The lovely picture of the finished quilt above was taken by Sue. It is her Winter Rose quilt displayed beautifully on her dining room wall. Please be sure to stop by Sue's Blog to see more of her wonderful quilts.
(As soon as I find my darn camera cord...I will be sure to upload pictures of my Winter Beauty quilt too!)

Now, every time I look at my quilt I can reflect on the hours we spent sewing & happily chatting together. Even though we live on opposite Coasts she is incredibly close to my heart!

every Quilt tells a story...

My Favorite FALLOWEEN Projects

2010-10-29T12:49:00.007-04:00

I LOVE Autumn and the not-so-scary side of Halloween. I like to refer to this season of decorating as Falloween. Above is a small table quilt that I designed and created back in July for Falloween. I started with an old traditional block pattern from the early 1800's titled Spider Web. I added a few extra "web strings" to the design and then free-hand cut spider bodies from wool and applique'd them to the top. The stitchery Web, spider legs and lettering were all created using black perle cotton.

Below are pictures of more Falloween projects I've completed within the past couple years.

Haunted Hill is a pattern I purchased from Keepsake Quilting and Pumpkin Seeds is by QuiltSmart. Candy Corn is a quilt pattern I designed back in 2006. Happy Falloween!

every Quilt tells a story...

I LOVED making this Mini Sampler

2010-10-26T21:12:00.007-04:00

I'm excited - I finally finished the top from Cheryl's Sew-a-long!
Cheryl's detailed pictures and clever instructions made assembling the little 4" blocks a lot of fun. I also enjoyed the challenge of designing the scrappy pieced streak of lightning - inspired by Cheryl's blue streak of lightning borders.

I've titled my Sampler THANKSGIVING.

The Autumn colors and "organized" chaos of this scrappy sampler bring to mind so many fond memories of Thanksgiving dinner's at home. Lots of relatives Young & Old sitting together at the table. Everyone chatting, whispering or laughing as many small conversations begin whirling around the room in tandem.
Reflecting on Holiday's past, hopes & dreams of Holiday's to come, ever so grateful for this day as we gather together and Give Thanks!

I'm thankful to Cheryl for her generosity of spirit and all the work she put into creating this free sew-along. If you are interested in creating Cheryl's Miniature Sampler quilt she still has the patterns and instructions posted on her blog. CLICK HERE

Every Quilt tells a story...

Scrappy Streak of Lightning sashing for Cheryl's SAL

2010-10-18T16:47:00.012-04:00

These instructions are for creating an alternate "scrappy" streak of lightning sashing for Cheryl's Miniature Sampler quilt. This beautiful pattern is being offered as a FREE tutorial Sew-Along on Cheryl's Blog.
To make this scrappy setting - you would replace the cutting instructions that Cheryl used for the Medium/Dark blue triangle sections with the instructions below.

I used an assortment of medium/light, medium and dark fabrics for the pieced sections that make up the Streak of Lightning sashing.
To begin....you will need to cut these fabrics into 2.25" squares. Cut each square once in half diagonally. I don't like to trim off the little points later on so to eliminate that step I trim them off before sewing my pieces together. (optional)
If you'd like to do this as well - measure over 2" on your ruler (from the straight side of the triangle) and trim off the points using your rotary cutter. You will need to turn and repeat this on the opposite side of the triangle piece as well.

Now you will need to group and sew your triangle pieces together in sets of 4's to make the Streak of Lightning triangle sectons. (as shown in the photo below)
Once the sections are sewn to the sampler block - the unfinished block will measure 6.25" giving you a 5.75" finished block.

Only 2 little rules/tricks involved in keeping the triangle sections compatible:

RULE #1 is that 2 of the corner triangle sections for each block are made with 3 dark or medium/dark outside triangles and the other 2 triangle sections are made with 3 medium/light outside triangles. For example: The top left & bottom right triangle sections are mostly darks and the top right and bottom left triangle sections are mostly med/lt in the basket block shown below. Of course - instead of color TONES you could always apply the same method using 2 different color groups, fabrics etc.
RULE #2 is....horizontal rows ONE and THREE will have the dark corner triangle sections sewn identical (example - top left and bottom right sections are made from the darker sections) and row TWO will have the sections sewn in the opposite order...(now the top left and bottom right sections are the lighter sections)

Although I have all of my sampler blocks complete, I am still working on my sashing sections. The picture below shows individual blocks completed by row. They are NOT sewn into rows yet...but you can sort of see the scrappy streak of lightning pattern emerging. Once the rows are sewn the pattern will become more pronounced.

I think I'm going to make my quilt similar to Cheryl's with the floating stars.
With my sister ill and in the hospital this past week I haven't had time for sewing. Perhaps later this week I may be able to finish this up and get more pictures posted.

every Quilt tells a story....

October - a busy month of Sewing

2010-10-12T16:37:00.008-04:00

I've been away more than I've been home already this month!
Thankfully, I've had the foresight to bundle up some projects to work on while traveling. I managed to complete 2 of these October redwork blocks for the Calender Girls BOM.

This week I'm staying in south central VA to attend the Central Virginia Tour De Quilt shop hop! It's from the 14th thru the 17th and I'm looking forward to visiting as many quilt shops as possible. .

I will also complete my blocks & sashing for a miniature quilt I'm making thru a free Sew-a-long that Cheryl has created. I'll be sure to post picture updates within the next couple days - along with cutting & sewing instructions for the "Scrappy" Streak of Lightning sashing I decided to sew around the wonderful blocks that Cheryl designed for this quilt.

Wishing you all a Happy & Productive October!

every Quilt tells a story....

Our Solider Returns Home!

2010-10-04T13:17:00.014-04:00

My neice Trisha is a dedicated United States Marine. She returned home to the States on Saturday morning upon completing a tour of duty over in Afghanistan.
My neice Staci made T-shirts for us all to wear - they turned out great! I am so very proud of my neice and elated for my sister, her husband, their children and grand-children. It was an extremely joyful reunion! WE LOVE YOU TRISHA!

Clamshell Club September Update

2010-09-30T13:00:00.006-04:00

I'm really excited to show my progress this month for the Clamshell Club.
It's month #2 for me. Last month I chose my fabrics and started to cut & baste some of my printed fabric clam shells. So here is my progress for this month:

The clamshell section of my quilt will measure 64" across so I cut a strip of white background fabric 68". I decided to make this starting strip 5" wide because that is the length of each clamshell. (includes the seam allowance)
To figure the spacing, I basted the first shell down and marked a quarter inch section to leave open before basting the next shell down. The base of my clamshell pattern finishes at a quarter inch in width vs the pointed bases of the beautiful clamshells some of the other Club members are making.
I was SO happy to discover how nice an easy all the shells fit together when I began my second row.!

I did manage to complete 2 rows of hand stitched shells. The first row all in colorful prints and a second row of white shells.
I'm looking forward to sharing my progress again on October 30th!

every Quilt tells a story...

Sashing instructions for Dear Jane blocks

2010-09-29T16:54:00.019-04:00

I knew I would dread the job of cutting and sewing all the sashing strips to my Jane blocks if I waited until all the blocks were finished. So I decided in the beginning that I would sash the blocks a few rows at a time once I completed them.

PLEASE NOTE:The instructions I'm providing below are my own personal method of assembly - I'm sure there are other ways to create your sashing but this is what works best for ME!
There is a 1/2" sashing strip between each of the blocks in all the rows A-M and a 1/4" sashing around the outside edges (the border between the square blocks and triangles).
Measurement terms = .25 is a quarter inch, .5 is a half inch, .75 is three quarters of an inch.
So...I cut one inch strips of fabric by the length of my background fabric (selvage to selvage)

From those one inch strips I cut fairly equal amounts of 1"x5" sections and 1" x 5.5" sections. I also cut a several pieces of fabric that measured 1" x 5.75".
Each block will have a 5" sashing strip sewn to the RIGHT side and then a 5.5" sashing strip sewn to the BOTTOM of the block. ALL of these blocks should now measure 5.5" square!

I found it easiest to pile my blocks in numeric order by row...Row A, Row B, Row C with block 1 at the top and block 13 at the bottom of the pile.
NEXT... Pull out Block 13 (it should be the bottom/last block of each pile)

Trim a quarter inch off of the RIGHT side sashing. All of your A-M blocks that are number 13 should now measure 5.25" across by 5.5" down (top to bottom) This narrow edge makes up the quarter inch border between the square blocks and triangle section.

NEXT...Block #1 of EACH row will need a narrow border sashing on the LEFT side of it's block as well. Sew a 3rd sashing strip to this block - 1" x 5.5" strip to the left side of the block. Press and trim off a quarter inch. Block #1 should now measure 5.75" across by 5.5" down.

NEXT... These instructions are for EACH block of ROW A and ONLY Row A. You will add a final strip of fabric to the TOP of each block and trim off a quarter inch.

Block #A1 will measure 5.75" square and have sashing on all 4 sides of it. Blocks A2-A12 will have 3 pieces of sashing and measure 5.5" across x 5.75" down. Block A13 will have 3 sashing pieces also (narrow on top & side and normal on the bottom) this block will measure 5.25" across x 5.75" down.

I haven't gotten to Row M yet....this final row will have special sashing revisions as well. Basically this - you will need to trim the BOTTOM sashing piece a quarter inch to create the narrower 1/2" measure (quarter inch border when sewn to the triangle sashing.

I hope some of you find this a helpful start to sashing your Jane Blocks!
I will have a full 3 row section of this top assembled next week and will share pictures of it on my blog.

every Quilt tells a story...

My miniature Stitch-a-Long Blocks

2010-09-25T11:03:00.006-04:00

After pondering over fabric choices I have finally started on my blocks for Cheryl's exciting Stitch Along. These 4" blocks are just the first in a series that once completed will become part of a wonderful Miniature Sampler Quilt.

I've never been good at "randomness" so even the scrappiest of quilts I've created have some sort of Organized Chaos to them :)
That said - I've chosen 4 Autumn colored fabrics as my "main players" in this quilt. They are from Jo Morton's Spice Collection in Rust,Gold & Black. I'll be tossing in a few random scraps of earthy reproduction fabrics here & there.

Cheryl's stitch-Along is not only FREE, but she provides all the rotary cutting instructions & wonderful photo's making it easy to follow along.
You will discover that she is a very talented and creative Teacher & Quilter.
I've included a link to her SAL on my right hand side bar - you can join in any time and work at your own pace.

every Quilt tells a story...

Getting Back to Jane

2010-09-23T18:32:00.004-04:00

It's been a few weeks since I've worked on my Dear Jane quilt.
In honor of my return from Paris I found the PERFECT block to begin my journey again. F13 titled Tour de France

Ever since I began this quilt journey in May...I'm constantly amazed at how much my life journey and my JANE block journey have become so entwined.
I am finding this to be one of the most fullfilling journeys I've ever embarked on!

every Quilt tells a story...

PARIS in September

2010-09-20T12:10:00.017-04:00

When we left for Paris on Sept 6th it was a warm summer day here in VA with temps in the high 80's.
We were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by early autumn foliage and a cool 68 degrees when we arrived in Paris. I took this picture of a side street next to the Notre Dame Cathedral.

The "City of Lights" was a beautiful place to visit.

We stayed within a few minute's walking distance to the Seine River & Eiffel Tower.

I'll share more pictures of our trip to Paris in future blog posts.
Now - off to catch up on some quilting projects!

My first Clamshell Club post!

2010-08-30T22:52:00.021-04:00

First of all I apologize for my absence in blogland the past few weeks!
A couple of unexpected events - including an eye injury have kept me away from the computer.

This past month I joined the Clamshell Club! The Club was founded in June by Jossie of Cybele's Patch
It's a FREE membership for those wanting to begin and/or learn about creating a Clamshell quilt.
The Clamshell pattern is one that I've always loved. Fascinated by this complex shaped single design - I've also been equally intimidated to ever attempt this pattern.
Now that a wonderful club has formed in homage to the Clamshell - I'm giving it a try!

Starting my first month in the club, the hardest thing was deciding on what fabrics to use. I was torn between my long standing love of 1930's prints and my new affection for fabrics designed by Joanna of Fig Tree & Co! I decided to go with Fig Tree and ordered 4 charm packs of the Fresh Cotton collection. I also purchased Moda white muslin for the alternate clamshells/background.

I printed the clamshell template from one of my FAVORITE software programs - called BlockBase. (Electric Quilt Co) I printed the pattern pieces out on freezer paper. After cutting away the paper seam allowance on the top curved section - I ironed them to the back of my 5" fabric charms. Then I cut some of the pieces out (along with a quarter inch fabric allowance across the top curved sections.

This is as far as I've gotten. Next month I will cut out some of the white clamshells and decide on what method I will use for basting and assembling this pattern. It will take me at least a year to complete this quilt - as I'm striving to have my Dear Jane quilt completed within the next 7 months.

every Quilt tells a story...

D4 Crystal Star

2010-08-09T14:39:00.005-04:00

This is my one & only Jane block made for the 1st week of August.
It is D4 titled Crystal Star.
The block was constructed from 17 pieces of fabric.
13 machine pieced and 4 hand applique'.
I used a dark chocolate reproduction fabric that was donated to me by my dear friend Patty.
She has been working SO hard to get her house ready for market!
I'm sure all her hard work & effort has made her house the Sparkling Gem of the neighborhood. I wish her the very best of luck selling her home!

every Quilt tells a story...

Snowflakes in August

2010-08-05T12:49:00.010-04:00

No I haven't abandoned Jane - just slowing down a bit for the month of August :) I have a few little gifties & loose ends to finish up this month and a Redwork Embroidery quilt project to finish by Summer's End.

Our first grandchild is due in December! To celebrate our Winter Baby I've decided to make this darling Snowman Redwork quilt. You can find the pattern & finished quilt HERE.

Never the conformist - I've decided to make this with a vintage feel. The center blocks will be embroidered on similar tone solid fabrics of cream and natural cotton muslin. Instead of vibrant red thread I've chosen a varigated Valdani in Old Brick. I love the "fade-out" effect of this hand-dyed thread.

Well, I best get the old Needle moving.
Till next time.. May all your threads be strong & plentiful!

every Quilt tells a story...

My 50th Jane block - Gold Level!

2010-08-01T18:26:00.009-04:00

Last week I completed my 50th Jane block HOORAY!
The block is E13 titled Moth in a Web.
The beautiful CWR fabric I used for this block was given to me as a gift from Sheryl of Temecula Quilt Co. I thought the bold Barn Red color was a perfect choice to use for my 50th and "Golden" block!

D2 titled Mouse in the Mirror is another special block that I completed.
The pattern made me think of my dear friend Sue and the wonderful time we've been having - working on identical quilts together. (soon to be finished) The "mouse" brown fabric I used was a gift from her for my Jane quilt as well.

These are the 4 blocks that I completed for the week.

every Quilt tells a story....

A busy week of Jane blocks

2010-07-19T19:37:00.008-04:00

I'm doing my best to stay on schedule with my Jane blocks.
July has been a busy month, but luckily I've managed to keep up.
The most challenging block of the week was C7 Megan's Mountain Laurel.
Those little inset triangle rows were made of such teeny pieces!

My favorite block of the week was definately F4 Old Windmill.
I love this cheerful DOUBLE PINK fabric!
Bubblegum pink is what my inner child sees this color as (grin)
And with the finish of these 6 blocks - I've also completed Row C - my 3rd row so far! (hooray)

every Quilt tells a story...

A Great Online Quilt Run Giveaway Gift

2010-07-16T11:26:00.010-04:00

Just look at this wonderful Online summer giveaway!
For those of us quilters too far away to participate in the Quilt Run Shop Hop - Temecula Quilt Co of California has created an ONLINE Quilt Run & Summer Giveaway!
In addition to this wonderful FREE purse block pattern & kit - the first 25 people to place an order will also receive a beautiful custom designed charm.

I couldn't resist...I just HAD to purchase a couple mini bundles of 1800's reproduction fabrics to add to my Jane stash!
Sheryl's adorable mini bundles of reproduction fabrics are perfect stash builders for Janiacs and other miniature, applique', and scrappy turn of the century looking quilts. Starting at only $10 a bundle U.S. these are a great find!
Her entire shop is AMAZING and her FREE giveaway gift is wonderful!

If you happen to pop over & participate - please write in the message box that Aunt Reen sent you ;)

...every Quilt tells a story

6 more blocks - and another ROW complete!

2010-07-14T10:37:00.008-04:00

There was a lot of Chocolate involved this week!
Most of it was fabric :D
I'm happy to say another row is complete!
Pass the M&M's please....lol

C13 Lakota Sioux - this was my favorite block of the week:
Autumn is my most beloved season, so finding this acorn & oak leaf fabric in pink & brown was really special. I think it fits in perfectly with my Cherry Chocolate color scheme and I have a feeling it will become one of my top 10 favorite blocks.

...every Quilt tells a story!

I Won an Amazing Gift!

2010-07-08T17:16:00.009-04:00

Look what arrived at my doorstep! Nancy Walker is a very talented Mixed Media Artist,Teacher, photographer and the creative mind behind 'Tis DesignWorks Originals.
I am very fortunate to have won her blog giveaway for June.
This lovely mixed media art piece is titled Vintage Spring Doll.

Each month Nancy features a special and very talented "Guest Artist" on her site. This months artist will appear on July 15th.
For more information about Nancy and a chance to win her July Giveaway be sure to stop by her Blog Shoppe.

July Redwork Block

2010-07-07T16:57:00.006-04:00

I managed to finish this little block last night.
I've gotten 2 done now and 10 more months to go :D
Although tempting to stitch, I'm only going to sew one per month. I make so many projects "ahead of season" that it will be nice to work on something as the months & seasons are unfolding.

...every Quilt tells a story

I Finished a Row!

2010-07-03T11:02:00.004-04:00

I managed to complete 6 more jane blocks this week.
The best part is that I FINISHED the whole first row.
It feels so good to have that accomplishment! Once the first 3 rows are complete, I will sash all the blocks and then sew the entire section together.

Block B10 is called Judd's Trophy. I have decided to call it Kelly's Block. I used her fabrics to make this block and fussy cut the middle fabric to look like an Angel's Halo. Kelly makes the most beautiful dolls. (lucky me - I own some of her Angels & Annies) This block will always remind me of Kelly, her dolls and her creative & generous spirit.

...every Quilt tells a story

A13 Starlight-Starbright

2010-06-24T07:42:00.009-04:00

Perhaps one of my favorite blocks so far!

I haven't been as productive with my DJ blocks this week.
I am still waiting for 10 yds of back-ordered Vanilla background fabric. Most Dear Jane quilters recommend using just one fabric for all the block backgrounds & sashing.
(for a traditional Jane look)

I've always liked the sparkle & depth of a few stray blocks in a quilt so I'm going a bit non-traditional by randomly adding blocks with varied cream print backgrounds here & there.
This is one of those random blocks.

Giveaway - Random Acts of Kindness

2010-06-21T10:37:00.011-04:00

I came upon this post on Amy's blog over the weekend. The concept of Pay it Forward has always appealed to me and after reading her post - I've totally committed to this "Giveaway".
(I'm para-phrasing the guidelines below in quotes)

"The idea is that random acts of kindness are given without expecting anything in return. Just passing on the kindness, hoping that your recipients will do the same and forming a never-ending chain of kindness.

That's what this is about. But it isn't only kindness it is also a means to connect with our fellow crafters. To network if you will and to spread our work (instead of having it sit in our house where only friends and family get to see it).

And this is how it works:

You'll have to comment on this post and the first 3 people who comment will receive a handmade gift from me within the next few months. But those 3 commenters will also have to post the idea on their blog and commit to making a gift for the first 3 people who comment on their post and so on and so forth."

If you don't have a blog - simpy send along something to 3 people you know that would benefit from a random act of kindness and ask them to return the favor to 3 other people etc.

This is going to be a fun and rewarding experience!
So please pass on the word and spread some kindness!

Redwork Embroidery Project

2010-06-17T11:26:00.006-04:00

I picked up an adorable BOM pattern set at the quilt show on June 5th. It's called Calendar Girls by Nana's Needlework.
My sister & I both fell in love with this pattern and Nancy Bowen's entire booth of stitchery designs.

I'm working these blocks up using a varigated red thread. (that I purchased at her booth) Although slightly non-traditional, I really like the look of it.

It will be a nice change of pace to work on a block each month while I continue working on my DJ quilt.

More Jane blocks and a Dedication

2010-06-11T07:30:00.007-04:00

It felt good to be back on schedule this week with 6 blocks on the tally wall.

I created a very special block this week from fabric I received a while back from my dear friend Beverly of Heartland Creations

Beverly's father passed away last week. Her father was an honorable man and a true Patriot. In 1944 he fought for our country at the Battle of the Bulge and was taken prisoner. He became a POW in a slave labor camp under brutal conditions for nearly a year before being rescued. He was a true American Hero that made great sacrifices for our country. I found the perfect block to sew & dedicate to the memory of her father Jay.
It's block D10 titled Battlefield

This block will always be a reminder to me of Jay and all the other heroic soldiers that have gone to battle to fight for freedom!

Till next time....

Look What I Received!

2010-06-10T10:13:00.005-04:00

This is the amazing quilt I received from the Mini Embroidery Quilt Exchange! I was very fortunate that Rosemary Dempster received my name!
She is a VERY talented and generous person.

Knowing my love for historical quilts & fabrics, Rosemary purchased some Jane Austen reproduction material (called Winchester) to make this beautiful quilt for me. Red & Yellow is my favorite color combination and I just LOVE LOVE this quilt!

The red embroidery, hand quilting and tiny prairie points are gorgeous!
I will always treasure this little quilt - THANK YOU Rosemary!

In the Pink - week 4 of DJ

2010-06-01T14:45:00.005-04:00

A bit late posting these due to a long & busy weekend away.
My theme for the week was In the Pink. With only 3 days at home last week, I fell short of my goal to complete 6 blocks.
The Northern Virginia quilt show is this Friday - Sunday, so it will be another short week for sewing time again.
I have a feeling I'll be sewing a few extra blocks in June. (grin)

Seeing that it's Tuesday already - I best get busy choosing my next 6 blocks and the fabrics to pair them with!

Wishing everyone a Happy & Productive week!

Week 3 of DJ Quilt

2010-05-21T10:41:00.006-04:00

What a busy week this has been! I managed to finish up my embroidery quilt swap, work some more on my Spider Web quilt for next week's launch AND finish up 6 more of my DJ blocks!

The most challenging block for me this week was C6 (bottom right block)

My first attempt by machine ended up in the garbage. I just couldn't line up the fabric pattern and melons no matter how I tried. I hand pieced the second one and it fit together beautifully.

I also like the little fussy cut bird in block B4 (top right). It was from a wonderful fabric sent to me from Mary. Such a cheerful little block!

Looking forward to the challenge of 6 more blocks next week.
My block choices will all be "in the pink" of things.

Mini Embroidered Quilt ready to Swap

2010-05-20T14:22:00.009-04:00

Finished this up with only a few days to spare! (whew)
Here is the little mini embroidered quilt I made to swap.
We started with this embroidery pattern titled Be Amongst the Daisies.
Originally in Redwork - it was designed by Lenna Green of Little Green Cottage. (free patterns are on her Stitching Cow website)

We were given personal freedom to choose our own colors, fabrics and border designs with our partner in mind. This mini quilt measures 10' x 12" in size.
It's a SECRET who I'm giving it to...I hope she is pleasantly surprised!

A Joyful Jane Box has arrived!

2010-05-18T16:10:00.008-04:00

I received a wonderful package in the mail yesterday! It was from my dear friend Mary of Sew Dear To Me Among her many talents - Mary is a wonderful Quilter! She is also Kind, Witty and extremely Generous! Always giving so generously from her heart - of her time, her experience, her knowledge.... and as you can see - her quilting fabrics!

Mary sent these to me for my DJ quilt. Never did I expect to receive so many gorgeous fabrics. With great joy - I will use each & every one of these along my Jane Journey. I'm excited just thinking about all the lovely Mary Jane blocks I shall make :)
If it's possible to capture Love-in-a-Box, then surely it would look like this!

Thank you Mary, I feel honored & blessed!

Week 2 of DJ quilt - 6 more blocks!

2010-05-13T15:52:00.007-04:00

Week #2 and thankfully I've reached my goal again of 6 blocks.
This time I decided to work only on applique'.

I managed to complete blocks: C9,B1,B13,C11,A7,A3.
As soon as I had one finished, I couldn't wait to start another!
My fellow Janiacs were right - these blocks are addictive!

Till next time.... A Stitch in Time - saves Embarassment! LOL

DJ in reverse applique'

2010-05-12T14:04:00.007-04:00

Well it's week 2 of my journey and I chose applique' blocks for this week.
These 4.5" blocks have very small pieces! I quickly realized that the easiest method(for me) would be reverse applique'. So I cut two 6" squares of fabric, laid the background on top and the center applique' fabric behind it. Then it was simply a matter of cutting away the top fabric and needle turning under the seam allowances. It was so much easier than cutting out all those tiny pieces.

If you search the web - you will find several illustrated methods of doing reverse applique'. A good pair of small applique' scissors is a "must-have" to accurately cut away the top layer of fabric and for trimming the excess fabric from behind the finished block. For needle-turning under the seam allowances, I also LOVE to use Straw needles!

Here is a picture from the wrong side so you can see how the finished block looks:

This is block B12 titled: Starflower.

Week 1 of DJ and I reached my Goal!

2010-05-06T14:13:00.015-04:00

And so it begins.....the very first week of my "Jane" journey!
6 blocks a week. That is my current goal in order to complete this quilt in 11 months. Happy to say I've met my goal for Week 1.

I am very blessed to be part of a unique and close-knit group of friends. Each woman is so diverse in her gifted talents. It's been an honor forging friendships with them over the years. It is for these women - I have decided to name my quilt.... A Kindred Sister's Journey.

I am so honored that they are encouraging me along the way and providing fabric scraps for special blocks in my quilt. When I lay my hands over the blocks - I know I will smile and think fondly of each of these dear friends.

Till next time....May all your scraps be quilts!

Making an Instant Vintage Quilt

2010-04-30T12:18:00.009-04:00

When I created this patriotic little quilt - I wanted it to look like something that would have been made in 1876. A mini quilt that celebrated our nations 100th Birthday. The reproduction fabrics and elaborate hand quilting on this tiny piece definately helped - but I wanted it to look even more vintage.
So I went online and purchased a package of a product called Instant Vintage from one of my very favorite quilt shops. The instructions were easy, just add the powder provided to 4 cups hot water. I must admit - I was a bit petrified the staining would take away some of the charm of my stitching. So I only made the solution 1/2 strength. (added only half the powder to the 4 cups hot water) But look how nicely it turned out:

Here is a slideshow I created of the entire EASY process:

I hung my little quilt outside to dry and this is my finished "Instant Vintage" quilt.

If you'd like to give this method a try you can find the Instant Vintage powder online at Temecula Quilt Company www.temeculaquiltco.com
The owner is Sheryl Johnson - be sure to check out her great blog too: temeculaquiltco.blogspot.com/

Till next time...May all your Quilts be treasures!

Contemporary Quilt vs Traditional Quilter

2010-04-16T11:34:00.015-04:00

I confess - I tend to gravitate towards old "love worn" quilts. And it's even been said that I have a ridiculous collection of reproduction fabrics. Can someone define ridiculous?

But the fact that I'm more comfortable creating quilts that are steeped in tradition - does NOT mean that I don't love & respect other quilting genre's. I am very intrigued with Mixed Media quilts and consider most contemporary quilts fascinating works of art.

Last year, I made this art quilt I've titled VARIETAL BLEND as a gift to my husband. His love & admiration for the vineyards of Virginia and Napa Valley inspired me to create this contemporary quilt. It's my impressionistic view of wine grapes & all the seasonal colors found in the vineyard.

It's made from hand-stamped, painted and dyed fabrics. Most of them are bali batiks but a few of them I dyed myself. I even stain soaked one of the fabrics with Cabernet wine.

Contemporary Quilt - YES, but I have another confession. I made it using only one simple block pattern. What was the name of that quilt pattern you ask?? Why none other than the old traditional Drunkards Path!

The Cherry Blossoms in DC

2010-04-07T08:57:00.007-04:00

If you ever plan to visit our nation's capital then I highly recommend you arrive in early April. When the cherry trees are in peak along the Tidal Basin - a stroll thru the park under the pink, snowy blossoms will feel like a joyful trip to some enchanted forest.

It is one of those experiences that will leave you feeling good.
Despite what political storms may brew... these glorious trees remain an acknowledgement that there is still a place in DC for peaceful reflection.

Nature's Own Easter Eggs

2010-04-02T10:36:00.008-04:00

It's Good Friday, the day I typically dye my Easter eggs.
Last year I enjoyed sharing recipes on how to make natural organic Easter dyes.
This year (for the first time) I won't be dying eggs.

Instead I will reflect on and admire natures own pallette of wonder. There are several varieties of Hens that lay beautiful colored eggs. Although each hen will only lay one color of egg - they can be bluish, greenish, pinkish brown, gray, white, golden or brown. If you are ever fortunate enough to come across eggs laid by Aracana, Ameraucana or Easter Egger Hens, you are sure to be delighted by their NATURAL beauty!

Wishing you all the Joy of Easter!

For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

Auditioning threads for a new quilt

2010-03-29T12:32:00.016-04:00

My desire is to Hand Quilt this. I decided it would be the most appropriate way to honor such a special little quilt top.
It was a birthday present from a very dear friend. Cleverly rolled up and tucked inside a beautiful tin pail with an adorable light green swing-handle top.
I felt like twirling around the room when I opened this amazing little treasure!

A long time quilter....I have always believed that Every Quilt Tells a Story. So like every good story worth telling; this one will start with the auditioning cast. (of threads that is) lol

Once the quilt top was laid out I couldn't wait to dive into my Fish Bowl of Hand Quilting threads. I find it so much easier to store, view & select my threads this way. The bowl also looks very decorative sitting on my sewing shelf.

This is a 32" square quilt top - made from 1800's reproduction fabrics. All of the blocks are made from different fabric combinations. Most quilters refer to this as a "Scrap" quilt. I'm guessing that a quilter from the 1800's would have chosen brown or tan thread to quilt this piece.

I've chosen to be a bit more indulgent and delved into my stash of antique (colonial) toned blue & burgundy threads as well.
Now that my thread choices have been made - this ends the first chapter of my little quilt's journey.

I would like to have this completely hand quilted by the end of Spring. As an incentive to reach my goal - I will continue to blog about this little quilt all along it's journey to completion. I am excited to share some history about fabrics from this time period and why I love them, detailed information about the quilt block pattern used in this quilt & it's origins in history as well.

Till next time.... May all your Scraps be Quilts!

Recipe -Vitamin E Cream - Natural repair for dry skin

2010-01-22T13:40:00.020-05:00

Here is an all natural - quick & easy recipe for itchy winter skin. It's great for healing dry, irritated skin and works especially well on chapped, over-worked hands. I like to put this on my elbows & heels before bedtime .

If dry cracked heels are an issue for you - rub some of this cream on your heels before bedtime, slip on a pair of old socks and let the cream soften your skin while you sleep.

Ingredients:

4 ozs good quality liquid oil (such as olive, sweet almond, sunflower or grapeseed)
1 oz natural bees wax

2 oz witch hazel

The liquid from 3 vitamin E capsules

10 drops of essential oil ..... (optional)

In a glass dish Melt beeswax. Warm your liquid oil and add to beeswax. while stirring with a whisk or stick blender - add the witch hazel, vitamin E & essential oil.

As the mixture whips & cools it will turn an opaque "white" color.

Store in small airtight containers.

Tip for mixing: You can use a single beater on an old fashion mixer to whip up this repair cream.

For use in soothing cracked, dry heals - I like to add a mix of the following essential oils: lavender, lime, peppermint & tea tree. This combination offers great cooling, soothing, antibacterial properties.

Easy LIP BALM & Gloss - Cold Season recipe

2009-12-15T16:46:00.010-05:00

I know there are lots of recipes out there for creating lip balm & lip gloss - but here is a SUPER easy to make - all natural balm that not only soothes your lips - it's herbal benefits will help heal & protect them as well. This is a great lip balm to make & use during cold & flu season.

This recipe will fill about 8 lip balm tubes or 4 to 6 slide tins/lip pots.

Cold Season Lip Balm

1 Tbl melted natural beeswax

3 Tbl of sunflower OR olive oil.

4 to 6 drops of cinnamon-orange-clove essential oil

1 natural vitamin E capsule (d-tocopherol)

melt the beeswax in a small glass container, mix in the sunflower or olive oil and stir well. Pierce the vitamin capsule and squeeze the liquid into the balm. Add your essential oil blend and pour into containers using an eye dropper.
Place your lip balms in the fridge for 10 minutes to harden.

If you'd like your balm harder - add a little more beeswax, slicker - add a little more oil.

Clove - offers healing and antibacterial benefits, orange - vitamin C, cinnamon is an antiseptic and vitamin E acts as a preservative that also offers soothing/healing properties as well.

Cold Season Lip Gloss

1 Tbl melted natural beeswax

4 Tbl melted sunflower or olive oil

4 to 6 drops of cinnamon-orange-clove essential oil

1 natural vitamin E capsule (d-tocopherol)

Melt the beeswax - add other ingredients same as for lip balm above. Whip the mixture slightly with a fork while still hot and then pour into lip pots/tins or tubes.

Tips & Recycling info: Work with glass dishes when making your balms & glosses. This way if your lip balm starts to harden you can re-heat it in the microwave. Gradual 10 second bursts of power are all thats recommended for reheating your mix.

In addition to purchasing containers at craft & some beauty supply stores - you can reuse old lip balm tubes and eye shadow pots as long as you clean them well, soak in a bleach water rinse and dry thoroughly before filling.

WANT A MORE LUXURY LIP BALM? Substitute some of the oil with sweet almond, grapeseed or jojoba oil .... and/or ..... replace a teaspoon of oil with melted shea or cocoa butter.

Recipe - All Natural Hand Sanitizer

2009-12-04T11:40:00.022-05:00

With cold & flu season upon us I'm sharing some helpful all natural herbal recipes/remedies that are easy to make and safe for you & the environment. Each week during the month of December I will share a new recipe and offer some recycling/packaging tips & suggestions to help keep these projects totally green.

All Natural Hand Sanitizer

1 cup of aloe vera gel
1.5 teaspoons of Witch Hazel
6 drops of cinnamon-orange-clove essential oil
............OR...........
3 drops each of tea tree & peppermint essential oils.
............OR...........
any other essential oils to your liking that offer antibacterial/antiseptic qualities.

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Slowly begin mixing the witch hazel into the aloe gel, trying to avoid too many air bubbles.
Once fully incorporated mix in your 6 drops of essential oil.

This gel offers wonderful antiseptic, anti-bacterial properties as well as heals small cuts & abrasions. The Aloe soothes and moisturizes your skin. You will only need to apply a tiny bit of gel with each use. Less than half that of commercial/chemical sanitizers.
You'll need a small funnel if filling bottles with small openings.

Aloe vera gel is available at pharmacies & most department stores in the vitamin/medicine section. Make sure you are purchasing pure aloe gel and not a commercial sunburn soother.

I have pre-made combinations of essential oils in 30 ml bottles for sale - saving you the expense of purchasing multiple bottles of costly oils. These have dropper caps for ease of counting/pouring. They are full strength pure essential oils & a little will go a LONG way.

Packaging/Recycle tips & suggestions: use your favorite pump bottle to store your gel. If choosing to recycle - you can use empty lotion, shampoo & liquid soap bottles/tubes/containers.

Sample size bottles are great for filling & carrying in your purse.

Always clean empty containers thoroughly. I soak all my plastic containers in a small tub of a bleach-rinse solution.
To make a bleach rinse add 1/2 cup bleach to a gallon of warm water.

Homemade Apple Cider

2009-10-22T13:57:00.002-04:00

The key to successful cider is in the apples. Choose high sugar "cold weather" apples.
Think - thicker skin better apples. Avoid thin skin apples like Macintosh.
For tart cider - choose tart apples like granny smith
Sweet cider - choose apples like golden delicious & honey crisp!

I like a well rounded cider so I recommend using a mix of Red & Golden delicious, Jonagold, Granny smith, Honey crisp & Gala.

You'll need 8 to 10 large apples.
Chop & cut out core & seeds (but leave the skin on)

If you have a juicer - lucky YOU...just push the apple pieces thru & you're ready to pasteurize your cider.

OK..for everyone else... puree those apple pieces in a food processor or blender.
Place a wire mesh strainer or a colander lined with double thick cheesecloth over a deep bowl or pitcher.

Pour the apple mash into the strainer and leave to drain. Once the juice stops flowing into the bowl or pitcher gently press the mash against the strainer or twist up the cheesecloth around the mash & squeeze the rest of the juices.

You can restrain the cider again if you like - but I love it with all the nutritious pulp.

Pasteurize: this allows your cider to "keep" in the fridge for several weeks.

Heat up the cider on the stove until it reaches 160 degrees.
(I heat the cider on low until it barely begins to simmer & steam is rolling of the top)

You can serve this as is or add some spices. I create my own mulling spices, but you can add 2 whole cloves, 1 allspice and a cinnamon stick to the simmering mix and strain before serving or create your own spice mix.

APPLE CIDER..remedies & beauty tips

2009-09-28T13:06:00.003-04:00

This is what my apple tree looked like back in early August.
Now at the height of apple season here on the East coast, I thought it would be a good time to share a few tried & true home remedies using all natural or organic Apple Cider Vinegar.

For Pets: dry skin afflicts animals as well as humans during the fall & winter seasons. Mix equal parts apple cider vinegar & distilled water in a spray bottle & mist your dogs skin & fur once a week for itch relief & coat shine.
For hot spots (without open sores) spray full strength cider vinegar on the problem area. If your pet has sores use the 50/50 water, cider solution, it will help the skin heal while conditioning the skin.

For People: As a bath treatment - toss a cup of the cider vinegar into your bath water. It will soften your skin and help clean your tub as it goes down the drain.

As a weekly treatment to remove shampoo/conditioner build up & create shine - mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to 1 cup warm water. Rinse this thru your hair after shampooing.

For a daily creme rinse & detangling substitute...here is Aunt Reen's favorite recipe.... Mix 2 tablespoons of ACV with 1/2 teaspoon of jojoba oil or olive oil and 2 cups of warm water. Place in a spray bottle - shake well and mist onto hair after shampooing. Allow to soak into hair for several minutes before rinsing.
To make this even more luxurious try adding a few drops of essential oil to the rinse such as lavender,rosemary, peppermint or sage.

For dandruff - mix 1 cup vinegar with 1 quart of warm water. Use as a leave in scalp/hair rinse after shampooing. (the smell dissipates as your hair drys).

Harvest Season

2009-09-28T12:02:00.006-04:00

Well, I can't believe it is Autumn already!
And I do feel bad that I neglected my website this summer.
For the very first time - I planted a small veggie & herb Potted Patio Garden.
Happy to say it was a huge success!

So to all you busy Moms and city/apartment dwellers ... THINK GREEN - NEXT SPRING!
If you have a wide balcony or outside porch and 6 hrs of sun each day - then you too can grow an easy to maintain edible garden.

Tulips in my Garden

2009-04-17T11:34:00.012-04:00

Well Spring is finally here and I am just thrilled!

My tulips came up and began blooming last weekend - just in time to grace us for Easter!

My sis & I planted these amongst my rose bushes last fall.
Soon I'll be out collecting the petals to infuse in oil.

I just LOVE the smell of Tulips!

Natural Easter Egg Dyes - Living Green

2009-04-06T11:41:00.020-04:00

Coloring eggs with spices, herbs, fruits & veggies can net color results from very pale & delicate to bold and vibrant. I prefer more vibrant colors for Easter...but for a spring luncheon - pastel eggs would make lovely table decorations. (just my personal preference)

I will share with you my Lazy Girl method of dying eggs as well as the "proper recommendation" method of dying eggs.

Please note: These are only a few options for dying eggs - there are many more "natural dyes" that you can experiment with. When placing your hard-boiled eggs into dyes - I have found that color adheres best if the shells are room temperature NOT cold.

My Lazy Girl Method
I like my eggs with all the flecks, speckles & imperfections that occur this way. For Primitive looking eggs here is what I did:
I boiled water! Then I added 1 heaping tablespoon of my dry tea, herb powder or spices to 1.5 cups of boiling water. I gave it a couple of stirs and then just plopped an egg into the cup of mush.

Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the cooling Spice or Juice liquids before adding eggs. NOTE: Do NOT add vinegar to herbs or green veggies as it may discolor to brown.

These sat overnight in the mix.

HERE IS HOW I MADE THESE...................

The pretty blue eggs - I slightly warmed a can of blueberry sauce that I strained from the berries. After adding vinegar - I sat the eggs in the sauce for 30 minutes.

The golden egg was made using powdered Tumeric. The salmon egg from Paprika, the plum egg from Alkanet root powder, the pink egg from beet juice and the yellow egg with brown speckles from green tea & chamomile powder.

Proper Recommendation Guidelines for dyeing Eggs:

Spices - add 2 heaping tablespoons of spice to 2 cups of water.
Bring to boil then simmer 30 minutes. Let cool, strain into egg dying cup (glass or plastic) and stir in 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Let egg sit in dye for 10 minutes to overnight.
Fruit & Veggie juices - Warm 2 cups of the juice and add 2 tablespoons of vinegar.If using canned cherries, frozen chopped strawberries, canned blueberries - simmer fruit & sauce for 30 minutes - strain and add the vinegar to the juice. You can mix 1/2 cup fruit mixture to 1.5 cups water for paler colors or use the fruit mixture full strength for darker coloring.
Chopped Herbs - if using chopped, dried or powdered herbs, teas and various plant greens like spinach & parsley - DO NOT add vinegar. It might discolor your dyes.

Here is a list of suggested materials & colors:

Yellow: from pale to golden amber Curry, Tumeric, Saffron, Carrots (finely grated)

Tan - Brown: coffee, cinnamon

Peach -Orange: Paprika, Annatto Seed powder, Carrot Juice (very pale)

Pink - Red: Canned Cherries, Beets/beetjuice, frozen strawberries

Blue - canned blueberries

Purple - concentrated grape juice.

Green - Alfalfa, chopped spinach

Pale Yellow Green - green tea with crushed sage, parsley or chamomile

Cherry Blossom Cupcakes

2009-04-02T17:13:00.005-04:00

The Cherry Blossoms are blooming here in the DC area!

Did you know there are a total of 3000 trees planted along the Tidal Basin?

When asked to make cupcakes this week - I decided to make cherry chip in honor of the Cherry Blossom Festival.

They are simply white cupcakes with chopped maraschino cherries in the centers.

I decorated the top of the cupcakes to look like cherry blossom branches.

A View of Life from my Window

2009-03-06T19:20:00.004-05:00

I look for the sunset every evening - and in its blaze or pastel dim.....

I embrace the stillness and savor it's divine beauty.

And I'm grateful for the day that God has given me.