Your Stories Really Touched My Heart

Here's me in one of the few pics I have of something I sewed in the olden days.

I think Frank liked it! It was one of the popular a-line dresses of that time period. 

Navy and green cotton fabric, simple, but seriously a great style of dress!

Reading all the stories in the Quilt Qwazy Queens Blog Hop really touched my heart.

Then there were the comments on my blog post about all the ways people learned to sew.

I was totally blown away by all of the stories...thank you everyone!

I read ALL of them and might have got a little teary-eyed a couple times!

I think we are all grateful for the mom, grandma, and/or friends who taught us to sew.

Those of you who have been self-taught deserve a star on your forehead!

I've taught myself a few sewing things, so I know how hard it can be sometimes.

Here's to many more years of learning new and exciting quilting things!

Only a couple more days on this fantastic Therm O Web giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Easter!

I'm A Quilt Qwazy Queen Today

In honor of International Quilting Day Marian at Seams To Be Sew created a blog hop

for us to share a little about our own experiences with quilting. Thanks, Marian!

I've sewn since I was a young girl, but it was clothes, not quilts, that I worked on.
Over the years I've made prom dresses, wedding dresses, and outfits for my kids.
This is my daughter in a dress I made for her. She's patiently waiting for her date to come.
It's hard to believe this funny girl is now the mom of those five Monkey Boys!

How I got started quilting...

My mom always had quilts set up on wooden frames in our living room.

They weren't elaborate quilts, just the standard 4" to 5" blocks from leftover clothes and fabric.

She showed me how to tie quilts and I loved to see how fast I could finish a row with yarn.

I was almost as fast as my mom, who was CRAZY fast!

How I learned to hand quilt...

It was my friend, Brenda, who taught me to hand quilt on tricot fabric (it's silky.)

Using the same wooden frames from my mom, I set up tricot quilts in my living room.

I drew designs and then hand quilted them. They were so soft and easy to quilt on.

I think this is the only photo I have of one of my tricot quilts. It was a pretty shade of silver/gray
and I drew the design on it by looking at a small graphic in a book. I finished the edges with lace.

What I like to sew/quilt...

I don't usually like to sew the same thing twice, but if I have to, I change it up a bit. Sewing
Dresdens, adding applique or embroidery, and making up my own quilts really rings
my bell. Unfortunately, sometimes things in my head don't work out so well in real life, but
I don't let it discourage me from using ideas from my head to make new things.

Here's a few things I made this year...

Spring Party Quilt

A Little Round Bag

In Our Garden BOM - Busy Garden

Sweet Memories T-Shirt Quilt

 Northcott is giving away a fabric bundle for two different winners!

Aren't these gorgeous!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

PLUS...
There's a giveaway from Calibre Arts for one of their amazing cutting mats!
This item will be shipping through Amazon so you may be responsible for shipping costs.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to enter both giveaways!

Check out the other Quilt Crazy Queens:

March 18
Life In The Scrapatch
Sew Incredibly Crazy
In The Boon Docks
Quilting Affection
Words In Stitches
After You leave your comments at the above blogs
Stop In To Enter Only At
Seams to Be Sew

March 21
QuiltShop Gal
TeaTime Creations
Ravelly
Meadowbrook
Bumbleberry Cottage
After You leave your comments at the above blogs
Stop In To Enter Only At
Seams to Be Sew

March 22
Feather Your Nest
Grandmama’s Stories
Pamela Quilts
Vroomans Quilts
My Quilty Musings
After You leave your comments at the above blogs
Stop In To Enter Only At
Seams to Be Sew

March 23
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Ridge Top Quilts
Quilt Art
Patchwork Breeze
Kwilt Krazy
After You leave your comments at the above blogs
Stop In To Enter Only At
Seams to Be Sew

March 24
Marjorie’s Busy Corner
Just Because Quilts
Moose Stash
Batts In The Attic
All Things Sewn
After You leave your comments at the above blogs
Stop In To Enter Only At
Seams to Be Sew

March 25
Just Let Me Quilt
Sew Many Yarns
Quilting Queen Online
Jane’s Quilting
After You leave your comments at the above blogs
Stop In To Enter at
Seams to Be Sew

Thanks for stopping by to help celebrate International Quilting Days!

It's A Spring Party Quilt And A Thermoweb Giveaway

Robin Williams was so right when he said, "Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's Party'!"

A garden full of flowers definitely looks like a party...don't you think so?

I'm over at the ThermOWeb blog today sharing this Spring Party Quilt and how to make it using

HeatnBond Fusible Interfacing and Spray n Bond Basting Adhesive for quilting. 

Plus, they are having a giveaway on their blog for an Oliso iron and Deco Foil HERE!

I love my Oliso iron!

Spring Party Quilt

Doesn't my purple Oliso look fabulous ironing that HeatnBond Fusible Interfacing in place!

I think having a purple iron makes pressing things so much more fun!

The interfacing ironed to the back of my embroidery fabric keeps threads from showing on front,

plus it's amazing how stable it makes the fabric when blanket stitching around applique.

I love, love, love to use SpraynBond for basting my quilts...no pins and so easy!

Head on over to ThermOWeb to see more about my Spring Party Quilt!

You can download the pattern at my Craftsy store HERE.

It's My Penny Rose Wool Blog Tour Today!

I've been having a sweet time sewing with Penny Rose's wool...it's amazing!

The wool I used looked so beautiful with the Isabella fabrics and matched perfectly. 

I loved the colors and the quality of the wool, too.

I used these Penny Rose fabrics and wool to make

  A Little Round Bag with a flower and needle holder.

A Little Round Bag

Size: About 6 1/2" wide and 6 1/2" deep

Add a flower for a little fancier look.

 Making this flower with the wool was so easy!

Cut three 2" circles and five 3" circles.

Cut the circles in half. Use only nine of the 3" half circles and five of the 2" half circles.

Run a basting stitch through the flat side of the halves with one length of thread.

I use embroidery thread to baste the halves--it's stronger than 

regular thread so when you pull the threads to gather it holds up better.

Pull the thread to gather the halves.

Tack the first and last half together with a small stitch.

Repeat with the same process with the 2" halves.

Place a few small stitches to hold the 3" flower in place on the bag.

Stitch the 2" flower on top of the 3" flower and add a button to finish the flower.

You can download the PDF patterns for the bag and needle holder at my Craftsy store HERE.

The needle holder...

The wool is perfect inside to hold the needles and pins.

 This is a great bag for taking to a retreat or to give as a gift.

It stands up by itself, which makes it a whole lot of fun to take anywhere.

Look at all these creative ladies who are blog touring, too:

March 14

Madame Samm - Sew We Stitch

March 15

Cori - Creativity Amongst Chaos

March 16

Deonn - Quiltscapes

March 17

Darci - Pasthyme Blog

March 18

Crystal - The Clever Quilt Studio

March 21

Carol - Just Let Me Quilt

March 22

Amy - Diary of a Quilter

March 23

Penny Rose Blog

March 24

Riley Blake Designs Blog

March 25

Liz – Simple Simon and Company

March 28

Remona – The Stitching Scientist

March 29

Sachiko – Tea Rose Home

Quilt Qwazy Queens Starts Today

Marian at Seams To Be Sew created the Quilt Qwazy Queens blog hop in honor of
International Quilting Day and so we could share our quilting stories.
We all have a story about our quilting adventures...I'm sure you do, too!

Check out these Quilt Qwazy Queens and see what they have to say about their quilting:

March 18
Life In The Scrapatch
Sew Incredibly Crazy
In The Boon Docks
Quilting Affection
Words In Stitches
After You leave your comments at the above blogs
Stop In To Enter Only At
Seams to Be Sew

March 21
QuiltShop Gal
TeaTime Creations
Ravelly
Meadowbrook
Bumbleberry Cottage
After You leave your comments at the above blogs
Stop In To Enter Only At
Seams to Be Sew

March 22
Feather Your Nest
Grandmama’s Stories
Pamela Quilts
Vroomans Quilts
My Quilty Musings
After You leave your comments at the above blogs
Stop In To Enter Only At
Seams to Be Sew

March 23
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Ridge Top Quilts
Quilt Art
Patchwork Breeze
Kwilt Krazy
After You leave your comments at the above blogs
Stop In To Enter Only At
Seams to Be Sew

March 24
Marjorie’s Busy Corner
Just Because Quilts
Moose Stash
Batts In The Attic
All Things Sewn
After You leave your comments at the above blogs
Stop In To Enter Only At
Seams to Be Sew

March 25
Just Let Me Quilt
Sew Many Yarns
Quilting Queen Online
Jane’s Quilting
After You leave your comments at the above blogs
Stop In To Enter at
Seams to Be Sew

You can get 10% off at the Fat Quarter Shop through the end of the hop by 

using the code, seamstobe316. *This is not good for gift certificates.

A Fabulous Giveaway From Therm O Web

It's so much fun seeing the creative blocks being made for the

In Our Garden Blog Hop...way to go all of you!

There's a fabulous giveaway starting today from...

Therm O Web

Look at that, a $60 value of Heat n Bond products!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I use Therm O Web's products in almost every project I make...love it!

In Our Garden Linky Party Starts Today

Have you got your BOM's sewn for In Our Garden?

Well, if you do it is your chance to show them off starting today at Sew Incredibly Crazy.

These were my February blocks...you can find the pattern HERE.

These were my March blocks...you can find the pattern HERE.

There's a Facebook page for In Our Garden, too...HERE!

There's still time to enter the Fat Quarter giveaway, so don't miss your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Busy As A Bee Or Something Like That

 Well, this guy was busy as a bee while I was taking quilt photos.
I might have screamed a couple times when he quit looking at me and headed my way.
He was scary! But...that didn't stop me from moving in close to take a few pics.

Look at that hairy stuff on the back of his head...it looks soft.

All the "somethings" I've been working on are under wraps until my due dates.

I've been busy, though!

 My blocks for the In Our Garden blog hop just posted on March 1st and there's a giveaway.
Check out the blocks and giveaway HERE and download the patterns, too.

There's a group Facebook page HERE.
I'm loving all the people sharing their garden blocks!

Penny Rose Fabrics has a wool blog tour coming soon.
I'm loving the wool and fabrics I'm sewing with!

Quilt Qwazy Queens will be honoring International Quilting Day.
It will be fun to see what happens in this hop!

The Monkey Baby had a birthday party. 

Who doesn't love watching a 1 year old eat their first cake!

March is a very busy month! Are you busy as a bee, too?