PIN CUSHION

This is the absolutely cutest little pin cushion I have.  My friend, Sharon, made this for me as a birthday gift!  Thank you, Sharon!!

It is a frosted glass stem with some beautiful hand-dyed vintage lace around the rim.  She added embellishments on the bottom with flower petals and beads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cushion is made of silk and satin with beautiful Crazy Quilting hand stitching with decorative threads and decorative stitches.  She also added some charms and pearls and beads.

This is such a treasure!!   It has such a nostalgic feeling about it.  I will enjoy using it in my studio!

                                    -sandi

TUESDAY HAPPENINGS

There is nothing more fun than getting together with friends and visiting and doing quilting and/or crafting projects.  Two friends, Sharon and Linda, and I get together monthly and do just that.  Usually we work on our own selected projects, but a couple months ago Sharon suggested we all do the same project and see the different results.  Linda suggested we make floor quilts.  I had seen these at various quilt shows and had bought a book while I was at the AQS Show in Paducah with the intention of making a rug for my kitchen floor.  Linda had another book that she thought was a good source so we went with that book as our guide.

Linda was our fearless leader and led us through the steps to create our "rugs" called Floorquilts.
We had our Show and Tell in Linda's Studio.

On the left is my version of a fairly traditional Rail Fence with a little improv addition of some circles of flowers and strips;  Sharon is in the center with her lasagna strips where she added some rectangles for interest; and on the right is Linda with her beautiful Layered Circles of Kaffe Fasset fabric on a black background.  This was a fun project that we spread out over two months.

We are experiencing a bittersweet time right now, the three of us.  When we arrived at Linda's studio yesterday the For Sale sign was up on her lawn.  She and hubby are moving back to Florida.  We will really miss her!!  She has so much talent and expertise to share and I don't think I have had enough time to learn all I want to learn from her.  Besides, she is such a sweet friend!!

We will continue to get together until she must leave and continue to count each gathering a special blessing.

                         -sandi
 

AND WE SAID . . .

thank you to our friends across the street.

Several weeks ago my husband had two total hip replacement surgeries.  Oh, yes, he is doing very well.  Enjoying his freedom of movement and no pain.

During this time we still had lawn to mow and trimming to do.  Our wonderful neighbors across the street came to our rescue.  Not only did they mow and trim, but as the season progressed, they fertilized and did the fall over seeding for us.  Thank you so much!!!!

We wanted to do something for them to let them know how much we appreciated all of their efforts to keep our lawn maintained and looking so nice.

I decided to make them a quilt.  I chose to use a split 9-Patch block and designed it into a double star pattern.  It is a controlled scrappy block made with batiks.

Finally, I had it finished and  we gave it to them today.

They said they liked it!!  It was such a good feeling to give them something that I had created.

                                     -sandi

TUESDAY MORNING GIRLS

I wasn't able to get this posted in December so here it is now.  I am anxious to get back to regular blogging.  My computer buddy should have my computer ready soon.

I have some really great friends and two of them came over for our regular Tuesday morning for some stitchin', some chattin', and some giftin'.  These two gals are really great quilters and they both come up with the cutest ideas.

Look at these precious place mats that Linda made for me.  Don't they just scream "Merry Christmas"?

They are just so cute!!

Sharon makes all kinds of cute purses, totes and little bags.  This one has pockets on the inside and is the perfect size for sewing supplies or as a little clutch to carry when I don't want to carry a large purse.  I have been carrying this thing every day since she gave it to me.
Inside was this Flexion Pen.  It is for marking fabric and you remove the marks by ironing it.

What a fun morning we had.  It was such a cold day outside but we had all the warmth of friendship inside.


                                -sandi