Secret Sister gifts

I have been working on secret sister gifts my quilting retreat this weekend. We have a $15.00 limit so I had to get creative. In my mind if I make it from stuff I have here that's 0 cost....right??

The first thing I made was a "snap" bag. It's made to snap closed. The snapping is from the metal measuring tape that you cut up and sew in the top opening. Of course I had to embroider her initial on it for that special touch.

I promptly filled it with hand sanitizer and tic tacs. So far free. Had everything here at home. The polka dot bag will match Emily's carry on bag I made previously.

Next I made my favorite wallet. Include a $5 Panera Card and we have gift #2.





Following my strategy to fill my gift box. I made 2.

Next I embroidered a pillowcase for her.
My secret sister is truly a special gal. I have known her for years and there isn't a sweeter person to quilt with. It was easy to create for her. The green I used for the body of the pillowcase reminded me of the forest where I will be staying. It's a camp. It's snowy here so I'm going to have lots of pictures from the weekend to share.

I had quilt notecards that were a fund raiser for a friend so I'm sharing some of those. I did purchase some hand dyed fabrics as a gift. She had those on her "likes" list. She is also A diabetic so I tried to stay away from candy and sweets. So upon arrival I have a bouquet all ready to go.


For the Sunday morning reveal yourself I made a sewing wallet combining a cross stitch wool and regular fabric. I'm putting the finishing touches on it there so I'll get a picture before I wrap it.

Have a great weekend. I know I will.
Blessings,
Rhonda

Table runners

I have a new best friend and it's fusible batting. Where's this stuff been and how come no one told ME about it. I bought a bolt of it before Christmas with my 40% off at JoAnns and will keep it as a staple in my studio. It's great for anything you don't want the back to shift while you're working on the top. I have been using it with my new favorite table runner pattern. It is such a basic pattern it can be adjusted for any fabric or size. I LOVE basic patterns I can add my own spin to.

I made several for Christmas presents and this is the only one left here. (I had to finish it after Christmas.) Sorry Cindy.



I made it long enough to fit her table with all the leaves in it. She loves snowmen. This way she can leave it out longer than just Christmas.

Detail of the end.


We didn't go out on New Years Eve. I spent my night sewing. I was in heaven. Not so much DH. He watched all his John Wayne movies on CD waiting for the call to pick up one of our girls.

I made a side table matt in snow man style.


Then I decided to start on Valentines Day. One of my goals for this year is to use up what I have and be more diligent about being ready for holidays instead of lagging behind........I'll let you know how that works out for me**sarcastic** because I'm really bad at that part. I'm the person putting a binding on something on the way to the house it's supposed to be a gift for. I finish and wrap in the car..(DH hates this about me.)

Pay no attention to that batting sticking out on the end. It's almost finished. hehehe.




Then I made a side table matt to replace the snow one in February.

Detail of runner



I found another pattern I wanted to try and that was the perfect night to try it out ....No MOM to be heard for hours..
This pattern uses fabric in a repeat stripe and a 60 degree triangle. You cut and place the stripe pattern in a mirror setting and add the triangles at the end. It is going on the basic pattern list also. I'll never look at a repeat stripe pattern the same way again.

Notice how the pattern completes (makes an oval) around the runner. Follow the checkerboard around. Remember all the photos can be clicked on to enlarge.

Blow up of the triangle end


My brain was in overload with possibilities.

My goal is to finish up projects and start a box of "gifts" so that when I need something for a special occasion I have some things already made. The birdhouses are not my style so I figured add some embroidered napkins and the set will be a great gift.

As I look back at the pictures I must add that I didn't have time to press these before pictures as I was trying to catch some natural light in my dining room. They look all wavy and bumpy but really aren't. Nothing a good steam press can't fix. Off to call my "quilter" she has a quilt ready for me to pick up. Like Christmas for me.

Blessings,
Rhonda

December

I took this week off to get something done for Christmas. It of course hasn't worked out as I had planned but I have managed to finish a few thing.

Here's the carry on bags for our trip. I finished mine (the one without the monogram) back in Sept for my trip to Texas. The other 3 are for my 2 girls and my niece. I am proud of myself thought that not only are they done in time but I mastered monograms on my embroidery machine. I bought the machine used and have had to teach myself to use it.






I am hoping to post my daily progress but we will see what happens. My favorite saying is "I make plans...God laughs." It sort of puts things in perspective for me. Keeps me from overwhelming myself. I am following some of my favorite blogs and wanting to try some of the wonderful projects I'm seeing.

Back to the sewing machine for me. I am working on table runners for my SILs.

Blessings,
Rhonda

Not bad for a Quarter

Yep paid 25 cents for the kit which included all the fabric to make the top. We have a "store" of gently used or cast offs at our quilting retreat. It was originally marked $9.25 and it's all Thimbleberries fabric. I had a small piece of batting and backing already here. Done!!!



Another Fall project finished.

Blessings,
Rhonda

Quilt Retreat

Last weekend I had the great fortune to be included in a quilter's retreat. My good fortune was unfortunately at the misfortune of another who could not attend. But I had a really great time. I find it amazing that you can enter a room with 11 other quilters (knowing only one of them) and leave knowing like you've been friends forever.

The setting was spectacular.


This is where we ate our meals. Which were prepared by a chef and were out of this world.


This is where we slept. For those of us who went to bed.


The sewing area was in a building next to the dorm. we each had a 6 foot table to ourselves ........Plenty of room to work.



This was a quilt that one of the girls brought for show and tell. These pictures don't do it justice.






This was a finished quilt from the weekend. All the blocks were already made and 2 of the rows were put together when she came but she had a finished top to go home.

That's what these weekends are for me. I finish up my projects. I made 2 backs so I could take the tops to my machine quilter. One was my Halloween quilt which she is basting for me and I will hand quilt. The other was Tori's Flip Flop quilt. So I can cross those off my list.


I will take pictures of my other finished project and post them tomorrow.

Blessings,
Rhonda

Another Finish

I finished another banner while I was visiting in Texas last week. The first banner I made was out of fabric and I gave it to a friend to use in her classroom. This one is made from various papers in a style I saw on Creative Breathing. I used images from my and my SIL"s childhood. I went looking for these favorite images and found out that they were originally manufactured in Pittsburgh,PA. Imagine that!!!! Wish I lived here then. Maybe I could have had some originals. a friend did bring me some decorations that her mom still has so I could scan them for the image. Most of the other images came from various sources. They are reproducing these images but I'm not sure if they are still made in Pittsburgh. I am still researching this.

I remember my teachers having them as classroom decorations. My mom owned a few too. Of course the more research I did I found the astronomical prices they are going for on sites like Ebay. I guess there's a whole sector of "my" age group wanting to enjoy them.

I warn you this post is picture heavy. But this was a labor of love for me. My SIL loves Halloween.

The "o" was my favorite and it was the unclearest picture. It was more vibrant than it shows. See "pride goeth before the fall". Shouldn't have been so "proud" of my O

The researching for images has been so much fun. I learned a lot in the process too. I tell my girls " a day without learning anything new is a wasted day. There is so much out there to learn."

Blessings,
Rhonda

Finishes

I found the most wonderful blog a couple of weeks ago, Creative Breathing. She is definetly not prim but her creativity is outstanding. She had made a fall banner and was hosting a Halloween banner swap with some of her friends. I looked at it and thought of all the Halloween prints I had left over from making my Halloween quilt. It got the old creative juices flowing.

It is definetly not prim but I was really happy with it. It will go to a friend of mine. She will use it in her classroom then at home. She will really like it.

Here are the close ups.



I was doubly proud of this banner because I purchased nothing new for it. I had all the Halloween fabrics and I used only what I had. The ribbon I had purchased some time ago at a garage sale so for practically nothing I have a cute finished project.

I am flying to Texas to visit my brother and sister and their families next week and am taking supplies to make paper banners. Wait till you see the images I've printed to use on them. I will be spending time with my SIL while my brother is at work. It will be the perfect creative time. This is a total R&R break for me. I am going alone. Just to sit and visit with Theresa. Of course Ron has a project or 2 lined up for us as well.

You must check out Elizabeth's blog and see her completed banners and tags. Her writing is also wonderful. It took me 2 weeks of reading but I started at her first post and worked forward. Her writing style is so interesting. And the stories she tells. It's a must read. One of the most important things I took away from her was it's OK to be creative and enjoying it. I needed to hear that and start working again.

I finished a table runner for me. I have a similar one in Christmas fabrics I love so I tried this one in Reproduction Civil War prints. I love how it turned out.



The sun has made it appear more pastel but it really has more rich coloring. I hadn't machine quilted in awhile so this was a nice refresher.

It is starting to cool off so I will be returning to projects. One a day finished would be nice but that would require doing nothing for hubby or the girls. Fat chance of that.

So no matter what you medium just keep on creating (and sharing of course) we in blogland love to see what others are doing.

Blessings,
Rhonda