It's A Kissmas Finish!

 

Here's My Version of High Strung

 designed by Shelley Wicks & Jeanne Large

This Was A Just For Fun Machine Pieced, Fusible Web Applique Quilt, with the exception that I Buttonhole Stitched all the appliques by hand with perle cotton.

Adding a variety of mismatched red buttons added the perfect little bling as a finishing touch!

 

Finished 11/28/2012

 

Quilted with Mittens, Christmas Stockings & Stocking Hats

by Tracy Lovisone, Baker City, Oregon

 

It's up on the wall for the Christmas Season!

 

May We All Be In The Spirit!

 

Nancie Anne

Where Did Summer Go?

August rolled around and the sweltering heat had me looking forward to Autumn, and as predicted, on this chilly day when the valley has seen it's first early morning skiff of snow, I find myself fondly reflecting on the beauty of July.  Things feel a little warmer when remembering the Thelma & Louise trip my Quilty Partner in Crime (QuiPiC) and I took to enjoy Eastern Oregons Sagebrush Shop Hop and the Quilt Show held annually at the Baker City, Oregon Armory.
We visited our girls in Baker City at Traditions and Treasure Every Stitch, discovered Pendleton Quiltworks, which has since been featured in Quilt Sampler Magazine, revisited the awesome little shop, Quilts Plus, in the tiny mountain village of Halfway which also carries vintage household items to tempt you and remind you of Grandmas kitchen.  But this year, I finally succeeded in getting back to Joseph and who knew that in such a remote area, we'd find ourselves in one of the most wonderful quilt shops, Cattle Country Quilts, stocked to the brim with everything to keep a quilter happier than a witch in a broom factory during those long winters.  Their website does not begin to do the shop justice.  It's light, bright, pristine, friendly, and has an amazing up to date inventory and something for EVERYONE!
Years ago we drove through Joseph after a weekend of camping in the Wallowas near Enterprise with several 4-H kids and trailer loads of llamas.  The goal was Hells Canyon to give the kids a photo op and home...there was no stopping in Joseph, no matter how much I drooled and oohed and awwed.  The breathtaking views, even in late May and early June are of rugged snowcapped Wilderness, the town is sort of a cross between Sun Valley and Sisters.  Very cute indeed.  Cafes, Shopping, Ranches & wonderful Barns abound...and the never ending views...I'm sure it's very close to Heaven.  Sharing this trip with a great friend was the best and we found ourselves making plans to return next year with husbands and pups in tow.
So here are some pictures of favorite quilts from the show in Baker City...and some friends we made along the way...

The flower construction on this Christmasy runner piqued my attention...

Hmm. Buggy Barn in Batiks!  I've been tempted with that idea myself!

I love this pattern all flowers and stars and circles depending on where and how you perceive it.

I realized I had this pattern...in a magazine...it's a good one!

Same Buggy Barn Baskets...different theme...One should have Toto in it!

A Very Richly put together sampler.  Black does some amazing work here!

Buggy Barn Lovers Unite!  Love the colors here...very Autumn.

Who doesn't remember that cute little dress Grandma made?

Ahh...for my St. Patty's Day baby!

I fell in-love...after the fact...this quilt prompted me to purchase the

 Best of Fons & Porter Star Quilts Book last week!

 

Oh yeah...and I mentioned new friends...

on the way to Joseph...

we ate dinner here and thought a t-shirt to wear to work might be interesting...

 

They closed before we got there for dessert...but made us think of a friend with chuckle!

 

And then there was the Joseph welcoming committee...

Yee-Haw!

Honey...I met this guy who has a really nice dog...

Can I keep him?????

Aren't they pretty???

Appropriately...across the street from where we got morning coffee and treats!

Cock-A-Doodle Doo!!!

Between Joseph & Halfway this little pair scampered out of the road & up the hill to get a better view of us as we stopped to visit with them for a moment...

My husband calls these Sllloooooow Elk...

We came upon the rancher on horseback a bit later...

 

 

We must create some memories now that will cool our brow when next summer arrives!

 

Back to My Pumpkin Puree-ing!

 

Nancie Anne



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Early Resolutions

Okay, it's time to get more serious, about keeping up to date with my blogging & producing more to blog about! I have a ton of UFO's that need my attention and I have some dearly loved patterns that are part of my quilting bucket list.
I'm working up a calendar to guide & help with goal setting & staying on task, without beating myself up too much. Good Luck Calendar...you're gonna need it!
It includes important birthdays and anniversaries, including my little red head, Maecee, who turns 3 this week. On the 13th of November we celebrate her 2 year adoption from the Idaho Humane Society. She is my baby, my companion, my confidant and my cuddler. My life has been so blessed by the addition of this little bright eyed bundle of love.
My book style calendar has side margins for lists and adding what significant events and holidays upcoming in the following couple of months are as a reminder to think ahead about what projects I might want to be working on for the occasion. There are note pages where I can make lists of projects to finish or begin. I'm considering doing such things as making Mondays, Block of The Month Mondays, because it's the only day of the week that contains an M, and Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday UFO days because they're the days of the week that contain the letter U.
If, for instance, a UFO day also lands on the 1st of the month, that might dictate that I work on an unfinished project for my husband because his birthdate is the 1st. If a UFO day lands on the 31st of any given month, I may pull out an unfinished Halloween Project.
Of course all this dictates that I also have a visible and very well organized stash of goodies to work on since what I might want to work on from day to day could change pretty rapidly!
I admit, I have UFO's that are over 20 years old...and that's okay. I work on them as the spirit or season sparks my desire and I know that eventually, they will be completed. However, this whole idea of the calendar is to help me have regularly completed projects so I can swap out a flimsy & a back for a newly quilted project when I make the 2 hour trip to the quilter. My answer to that are some freestanding cabinets and a bunch of clear stackable plastic storage containers. There's an inexpensive brand that begins with the letter S from the W store that have colorful little flip up handles that latch the lid on easily & securely and includes various sizes which are designed to make stacking easy. They work kinda like kids locking blocks. I use them to keep track of stashes I'm building for specific projects, projects in progress and individual lines or themes of fabric that I want to keep together. There are two sizes that are perfect to house both the fabric and the book containing the pattern that I wish to work on.
Come to think of it, I could probably pull them all out and build a castle to play in with the Gran'Kids!
As for fun this week. Maybe you saw the pictures that Lynn posted over at Sew'n Wild Oaks of the beginnings of my October Magic quilt? Lynn graciously allowed me to sew along "at large" with her class. This was also an idea I had to assist me with goal setting...in the midst of maintaing a part time job, being a Gramma & having one of the kids weddings take place this past month, it was a bit challenging to keep up with the other members of "my class". The next wedding is June.
This most recent wedding not only brought us a new Daughter In Law, but the bonus of a 2 year old Grandaughter. Halloween night she found some of my October Magic Scraps when she came Trick or Treating and began laying them out and pretending to iron them with the whiriling, light up pumpkin globe that we got both the kids for the holiday. My husband observed that I might finally have someone in the family interested in sewing along with me, to which her Mama added, "Yep, it skips a generation and has to marry into the family!" Time will tell, but now that I've seen it...I will also have the responsibility of nurturing it. In this fast paced, instant gratification world, it's more important than ever to pass on The Arts and the message that it's okay to slow down and savor the process.

As Always,
Trying to Keep My Little Part of the World in Stitches...

Nancie Anne

What's Been Happenin'?????

Well, Plenty!  Except for some other overachievers out there in blogland...but here are some of my Olympic Accomplishments!

Crazy Jacks has been back from the quilter for quite some time...finally found just the right purple to bind it with and entered it in the Kuna PieceMakerS Quilt Show.  Dedicated to my little Grandson who loves to grow pumpkins with Gramma.

Also entered in the show is Marys Quilt made by myself and my quilting partner in crime for our friend and co-worker who retired last year.  We wanted to give due credit to her friendship and her 35 years as a wonderful Nurse.  Can't tell from this photo but the little gold centers are yo-yos.  Lots of hand buttonhole stitch on this one thanks to yours truly.

Heres the quilt made by the 2nd Place Block Challenge winner from 2011.  The applique lion fish was her winning block and she chose to add my kitty in the pumpkin to her selection of blocks.

a bit closer...I like how she turned my kitty into a snowball block.

and yes I've done it again...I was the fifth and final winner of the quilt block challenge which means I got the leftovers after the preceeding winners made their selections...I think that means I'm allowed a little creative license...I will be presenting them with not one but two finished projects from my 9 total blocks for next year...what I received divvied up into two distinctly different themes...so stayed tuned...but don't hold your breath...they're on the back burner for now.

Nancie Anne

On With The Olympics!

We've been watching the Olympics...way too late past our bedtimes...but it's so hard to tear ourselves away.  Sunday and Monday had me working on binding my Buggy Barn Crazy Jacks quilt at long last.  (Pictures coming soon to a blog near you!)  I finally found the perfect purple last Saturday to wrap the project up.  The last day to enter a quilt in our local quilt show was quickly looming and I finally had the fabric, so the incentive was there to get the quilt completed and was able to drop it off for the show on my way home from work.  It also provided some little fun show and tell moments at work...afterall, I couldn't just leave a quilt sitting in a hot car, unattended for almost 10 hours!  My work schedule allows me more days at home than most, however, work days are long days in front of a hospital computer and my eyes are pretty shot by the time they arrive home.  So once the big push was over and Crazy Jacks was done, I laid off the next 2 evenings and just sank into the couch with Maecee in my lap and took in the Olympics.  Exciting stuff...Heart wrenching stuff...congrats to our kids who are successfully getting over their hurdles and keep your chin up to those whose Olympics have not matched up to their dreams.
We are rather excited to see our local talent on the Olympic stage...Idaho boasts several Olympians, however, Cyclist, Kristen Armstrong and her beautiful baby boy are going to have quite a homecoming.  Plans are set in motion to make this Gold Medal Celebration even grander than the first, and I'm supposing Kristens plans are to see about getting Lucas a little sister!  The only sports figure in our community who is more adored than Kristen would be our Coach Pete and our boys, The Boise State Broncos Football Team.  It won't be long before the season starts and nearly every car in town will be decked out with fresh new window stickers and bronco flags...& Maecee will be napping on her Buster Bronco pillow pet once again!

Olympic Efforts!

Seems I still haven't learned my lesson.  Turned this little quilt block in for our local quilt shows quilt block challenge yesterday.  The challenge fabric is the red black and green stripey stuff that I made the basket fans and holly leaves from.  Titled this little rascal "First Star I See Tonight".  Wouldn't mind having this one win and come back home with a collection of star blocks to surround it.  I used my new Gingham Girls Sunny Days pattern, for the basket, borrowed part of a snowman from Bunny Hills Snowbound BOM and the holly leaves from the cover quilt in my well worn (and falling apart) Tis The Season book by the gals at Quilt Patch Pattern Co.
Initially my thoughts on this fabric were something gypsy or russian but what?  Then I awoke one morning last week having an "Aha Moment" after having accidently tripped across the forgotten little scrap of challenge fabric the previous day in my search through my fabric cupboard for something else entirely.  Must've been meant to be.  Time was absolutely of the essence.  So we'll see how my little Snow Dude does next weekend.  Success or not, I have completed something fun and contributed to the quilt show.
We (my quilting partner in crime) and I have also entered a large quilt....but more on that next weekend...after the show and after the opportunity to get some good pix.

As far as Olympic Efforts goes...I've decided to challenge myself to see how much handwork I can complete while we sit and watch Olympic events.  Last night for Opening Ceremonies, I polished off a hand buttonhole stitch around 5 1/2 holly leaves on my High Strung quilt...(that same cover quilt from that same worn book)

I must say, I wasn't as impressed with the ceremonies as I had hoped to be, but the sight of the Union Jack whetted my desire to make one of those pretty floral Union Jack quilts I've been seeing on other blogs.  I'm an Olde World girl at heart so I really enjoyed the beginning...the green, the cottages, the horses & wagons & costumes...but when they started bringing up the smokestacks and then all the cell phone stuff they started losing me.  All I could think of was "they paved paradise and put up a parking lot"

I loved the Queen as the new Bond Girl...so glad she's getting out more...& happy to see Prince Phillip recovering & at her side.  Nice to see the Grandkids in the audience...do the newlyweds take Harry with them everywhere???  

Rowan Atkinson was hysterical, and David Beckham all dressed up & piloting the speedboat carrying the Olympic Flame...well...what can I say...I might be a Gramma, but I'm not dead yet!

So...we'll just say Cheerio for now!

Nancie Anne

 Wishing All A Very Safe & Happy Fourth Of July!!!                                                    

From Maecee & Me