My Quilting Journal #3

This is the week for "my quilting journal"!

This quilt was so much fun to make!

I made it with 2 wonderful friends, Nanette and Liz.

We pooled our fabrics together and took turns sewing blocks.

Then we would choose which was our favorite.

If you can't read my journalling, Nanette's colors were blue, Liz' were the brown/red, and mine (at the time) was purple.

I hand quilted it and it hung on my wall for years until recently.

Thanks for sharing the excitement with me, that I wrote in my journal :)

My Quilting Journal #2

Here's my second entry.

My first quilt project, a long table runner that I hand quilted.

The journal entry brings back lots of memories.

I pasted fabric swatches on the page.

My Quilting Journal

When I first began quilting, my mother bought me this journal.

It's a great way to record all of my quilting projects.

This is my first entry.

Lindsay made me the most beautiful table runner.

The colors match my decor, and the little squares inside the star 

are 1/2", so little!

I treasure it, because Lindsay made it for me with a lot of love.

Out to Sea

I'm sorry that this little outfit is so wrinkly!

It's a button on suit that I made for my son Sean when he was 

18 months old, 20 years ago.

It's picture smocking, and the smocking plate is called 

"Out to Sea".

I made piping from the fabric that the knickers are made of.  

There are six buttons that go around the waist and keep the pants attached to the shirt which buttons down the back.

I really love the pleats on the shirt, underneath the smocking.

This pattern is called Chery Williams button on suit.

Basic Square Yoke Dress

I made this dress for my daughter Vanessa when she was 10 years old, which was 14 years ago.

I have a plastic storage container full of dresses and buttons on suits that I've made for my children over the years.

As you can see, the insert of the dress is smocked on black fabric.

I picture smocked little cats with sunflowers and butterflies to match the fabric.

This smocking pattern was in an issue of Sew Beautiful magazine.

Notice the black piping trim on the sleeve band.

The smocked cats are exactly the same colors as the cats on the fabric.

I embroidered little bullion roses to match the smocking, on the piped collar.

I'm not a cat lover, but I couldn't resist these cute little cats :)

I sewed gold buttons on the back.

There is a big sash that ties in the back.

The pattern is Chery Williams Basic Square Yoke Dress.

Spending time with Family

We have the most wonderful week planned!

I will be spending a whole week with these little guys by the swimming pool, as well as all 6 of our adult children and their spouses.

Bridger is 8, Kennedy is 6, Charlotte is 4 and 
Lucy Jane is 8 months old.

Maisie is 3 l/2.

Maisie's little brother Benjamin is 18 months old.

Reagan is 3 l/2 and her baby sister is due in 2 weeks!

Neo is 3 l/2 and her little sister Kylie is 15 months old.
That's also my son Addison and his wife 
Mabulane (pronounced: ma-boo-lah-nee).

My daughter Vanessa (with Maisie ) is married, but doesn't have any children yet.

... and of course Sean, who has just returned from Brazil.
We are drinking chimarrao :)

This will be the first time we will all have been together for over 2 years.

We will be taking family photos, which I'm very excited about!

We have a talent show planned, a Brazil night, Family Home Evening, lots of games and laughing and good food!

We will be making lots of memories :)

Scissors

Scissors are really important, no matter what your craft is!

These are the 4 scissors I use for sewing.

The ones on the left are Fiskars softouch razor.

I have used them for years, usually when I'm cutting out a dress, or other garment.  It has long, sharp blades that glide along the fabric.

I never use them for anything else except cutting out patterns.

I use the purple pair for cutting threads when I can't find my yellow pair!  Ha ha!!! I don't remember the brand name, but I bought them at a quilt shop.

The yellow pair are Olfa.

I love these scissors and use them all the time!!!

They are little, lightweight and great to keep by the sewing machine.

I use them to cut apart my quilt chain stitching too!

I use the stork scissors for hand sewing.

I use them when I embroider, appliqué, smock, or hand sew my quilt bindings.

They're little and they travel well.

I made the mistake of taking them with me on the airplane shortly after 9/11, and they were confiscated.

I was heartbroken.

After that, I travelled with nail clippers.

Nail clippers will also cut embroidery thread :)

These are my paper scissors, I bought them in a 3 pack at Ikea.

I only use them for paper, and they have stayed really sharp.

All sewers know to only use your sewing scissors for fabric and thread, and only use your paper scissors for paper.

If this simple rule is followed, you will always have sharp scissors.