The New Prayer Shawl Companion: 35 Knitted Patterns to Embrace, Inspire, & Celebrate Life

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Knitting enthusiasts, both amateur and professional, will embrace the 35 easy-to-follow prayer shawl patterns in the book--some designed for times of celebration, others for solace and remembrance. In addition to clear instructions, each pattern is accompanied by encouraging stories from other crafters, and blessings to knit by. Co-founders of the Prayer Shawl Ministry and lifelong knitters themselves, the authors offer readers bountiful design inspiration, stitching ideas, and patterns for creating beautiful shawls.

French Girl Knits Accessories: Modern Designs for a Beautiful Life

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"French Girl Knits Accessories" includes sixteen intermediate-level knitting projects covering a full range of accessories for women. Designed with French savoir-faire, the projects include shrugs, hats, gloves and mittens, wraps and stoles, and socks and slippers. Want to add more romance with lace and ribbon? Desire a perfect pleat or fold? Sidebars and techniques include simple how-tos for these details and more. Throughout this collection of small projects, you'll find an emphasis on clean modern lines and style woven with vintage and romantic fashion inspiration.

Santa's Loading Dock Quilt

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Recreate this masterpiece or any of its parts to celebrate the holiday season! Use Mary's original patterns to make your own version of this charming, humorous, award-winning quilt. 90 patterns are included in the book, many at full size. Copy sizes are given for ease of hand and machine appliqu construction. Follow Mary's advice on quilting designs or strike out on your own. Even beginning quilters can make this stunning quilt come to life with Mary's clear instructions and the numerous detailed photographs. These darling patterns can be used separately to decorate stockings, tote bags, sweaters-the possibilities are endless!

Stylish Dress Book: Wear with Freedom

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Japanese style has long been admired for its grace and artistry. Add to that a sense of fun, and you have the "Stylish Dress Book." Complete with stunning full-color photos, this book gives you instructions and pull-out patterns for 26 relaxed and comfortable yet elegant dresses and tops--pretty, timeless pieces that can be worn year after year, by women of all ages and sizes. The detailed diagrams and easy-to-follow instructions take you step-by-step from layout to finished garment. The no-rules looks pictured in this book are perfect for today's carefree fashion sensibility and will inspire you to have fun with fabric and style.

Simple Crocheting: A Complete How-To-Crochet Workshop with 20 Projects

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Renowned British craft designer Knight presents a new collection of crochet designs (not to be confused with her previous book, Simple Crochet) that are particularly well-suited to readers who'd like to learn how to crochet, but don't want to churn out unattractive items while doing so. Knight's aesthetic -- natural fibers in simple, unfussy designs a makes this collection look modern and nicely low-key. The British vibe throughout also appeals. Knight's emphasis is very much on instruction, as the first 60 pages are packed with advice on choosing yarn and hooks, then shaping the stitches needed. It's a thorough overview and far more helpful to beginners than the usual. Then come 20 designs, beginning with a simple dishcloth, and including all manner of items, from a scarf to slippers to a complex (and stunning) Asymmetrical Cardigan comprised of circle motifs worked in super-bulky yarn. Extensive charts and photographs accompany clearly written instructions. This book is a lovely addition to the crafter's shelf. Full-color photos.

Heather Ross Prints: 50+ Designs and 20 Projects to Get You Started

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Frog princes, VW buses, and big bad wolves--these are the sorts of subjects that Heather Ross depicts on the fabrics she designs, which the sewing and quilting communities feverishly collect (with many fabrics going for huge sums on eBay once they sell out at traditional retail outlets). In "Heather Ross Prints," a book-and-DVD package, Ross shares reproducible artwork for more than 50 of her most popular prints. She provides step-by-step instructions for 20 craft projects using the prints on the DVD--everything from sea turtle stationery to a shower curtain covered with swirling mermaids. Crafters can use the artwork on the DVD as they wish, printing on fabric, paper, or whatever surface they choose. Plus, Ross teaches her process for designing fabric using Photoshop--a boon to anyone who has ever dreamed of following in her footsteps.

Steampunk Your Wardrobe: Easy Projects to Add Victorian Flair to Everyday Fashions

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"Steampunk your Wardrobe" offers do it yourself-ers and crafters an easy and comprehensive, step-by-step guide to capturing a steampunk aesthetic in their fashions. Start with simple, easy-to-make projects, such as embellishing clothing you may already have, and proceed to more complicated alterations. Included are projects for steampunk jewelry, accessories, and clothing.

Kitty Jones Kitty Crafts: Beautifully Designed Projects for a Cat-Friendly Home

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A craft book dedicated to all things cat-it's time we pamper the other furry companions in our lives. With attractive, modern, simple, and inexpensive DIY projects ranging from catnip toys to scratching pads to cozy beds, Kitty Jones Kitty Crafts has something for everyone, whether you prefer working with a sewing needle, a hammer, or both! Beyond pampering your cat, this book also includes a few decorative projects with feline themes. With easy-to-follow instructions and full-color photos of finished projects adorned with cute (and cool) cats, Kitty Jones Kitty Crafts is not only useful but also lovely to look at.

Woodturning Christmas Ornaments with Dale L. Nish

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Woodturned Christmas ornaments are a delight to make and are beautiful pieces to hang on a Christmas tree or anywhere throughout your home during the holiday season. In Woodturning Christmas Ornaments with Dale Nish, the author presents some of his favorite ornament designs. Each project is accompanied by detailed step-by-step instructions and photos, ensuring your success in every endeavor. The book includes information on making popular birdhouse ornaments and adding finials and mandrels to an ornament design. Nish has also included work from some of his favorite turners, resulting in a vast collection of elegant holiday decorations. Whether you're looking for something special to add to the tree this year or are searching for a gift idea, you're sure to find a design you like on these pages.

Tiny Whittling: More Than 20 Projects to Make

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A hip beginner's guide to one of the world's most relaxing, inexpensive, and rewarding hobbies, this handbook puts a modern spin on an ancient craft by teaching readers how to whittle whimsical miniature creatures. With just a sharp knife, a little practice, and the tiniest block of wood, anyone can make a charming carving in less than an hour. Led by an award-winning carver and artist, this manual takes readers through the basics, demonstrating how to carve root vegetables in order to minimize the danger of accidents; readers will create a simple turnip bear or a carrot mouse. As confidence builds, readers graduate to wood, and work through step-by-step instructions accompanied by photographs, enjoying increasingly polished results as they refine their technique. It includes easy-to-use templates and sources for tools and materials, readers will learn how to sand, paint, and decorate their tiny carvings, eventually creating a fox, an owl, a horse, a hen, and even a forest or farmyard setting for their miniature menagerie.

Phoebe's Quilt

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Some quilts take longer than others to finish.  This was one of those quilts for me.  It wasn't difficult or uninspired, quite the opposite.  This one sat around while I tried to figure out how to quilt it and what to back it with.

Pink, purple or even black fabric kept catching my eye, but nothing seemed to fit. Then I found this crazy flannel.  The price was right and an impulse purchase followed.  (You know how it is).  The drive home was filled with doubts and second guessing myself.

When I got home and put it up to the other fabrics, I remembered to always go with your gut.  I couldn't be happier :)

A little swirly quilting with pink thread (I was feeling brave after my success with the crazy backing) and I was finally finished with the Moose on the Porch Layer Cake Quilt Along, which I just noticed was way back in 2010.  Oh well, here's to finishing project!

What are you working on today?

Jamboree Quilt: Linda Woodward Geiger sends these gems

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Today is a GREAT day! Linda Woodward Geiger just sent these pics of her quilt blocks. The story behind them is very precious. Linda writes:

I’ve sent off three quit blocks to Gena Ortega. Now that I’m looking at your Genea-Quilters 2011 Block Challenge instructions, I regret that I do not have a photo of me with the blocks.
I’m attaching images (low resolution, but have high resolution copies if you need them) of the three blocks inspired by my maternal grandmother Alice (Brown) Perkins whom we called Nana Perkins, and my father’s sister, Virginia (Woodward) Smith. 

I grew up in rural New Hampshire where I never knew anyone to produce a quilt that was not made from scraps left over from clothing. The backing was generally a sheet and instead of batting, the innards were generally two sheets that had been patched and/or very worn. It wasn’t until I left rural New Hampshire that I learned there were delightful block patterns and that some folks actually purchased fabric just for quilt making and that cotton (and later polyester) batting was available for loft and warmth. Nana Perkins started me off quilting, but we never used a particular pattern or “block design.”

We did pre-determine the size of the squares and the width of piecing strips and the number of square we’d need for a particular project. Our blocks were built from non-descript strips and sometimes with embroidered elements (generally inspired by Aunt Virginia who did lots of hand embroidery and crewel work).  The squares I’ve submitted reflect the teachings of the two special women in my life, Nana Perkins and Aunt Virginia.

The first full size quilt I made for my son was a combination of embroidered and appliquéd squares of our favorite things. As I had been taught the back was a sheet and the interior layer was a couple of worn sheet.

So a GREAT BIG THANKS goes out to Linda for contributing these squares for the quilt to to be tied at the Southern California Genealogical Society's Jamboree. One lucky person will receive the quilt which will be raffled off at the June 2011 Jamboree. Funds collected will be used for scholarships to future Jamborees.

April Layher's Pride of Ohio Block

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WOW! April Layher is the second Genea-Quilter to submit her entry for the Genea-Quilters 2011 Block Challenge to benefit the Southern California Genealogical Society's Jamboree scholarship fund. April has also graciously volunteered to piece all our blocks together and prepare the quilt for tying during Jamboree 2011 in June.
Here's what April has to say about her "Pride of Ohio" block:

"I chose this quilt block because it represents generations of my family. Although I am not the historian that my sister is, I do know that our family helped to settle Ohio and has been in Northeastern Ohio for many generations. My favorite place in the world was my Grandfather’s dairy farm in West Farmington, Ohio.  
My Aunt Polly and Uncle Elton Bland owned a grocery and dry goods store with plank flooring and hitching posts in West Farmington. They were the dearest people in the world to me. Many cousins still live there, their homes sandwiched in between Amish houses. I fondly remember waking up in the upstairs bedroom of the farmhouse to the clattering of hooves and buggies driving past.
The little cemetery in town, Hillside Cemetery, features the names and dates of my ancestors, going back over 200 years, and some of the stones are so worn now, that only a rubbing will clearly discern the names. Osmer, Hosmer, Curtis, Hatch, Christy – so many familiar names in one graveyard that make me feel a part of this little town in Ohio, even though I have never lived there."

 Here are some of April (and Tami's) Ohio ancestor photos:

 My grandfather Addison Osmer as a young man.

 My Dad at 17 in his town baseball  uniform.
My Mom, Marcelle Burge Osmer and her little brother Bruce Burge.

"For all these reasons, I chose the Pride of Ohio block because my family, though simple, working people, formed the backbone of Ohio and, indeed, of our country. I am grateful and proud to have such ancestry."

Jo Arnspiger's Confederate – Mississippi Flag pattern

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GREAT! Another block for the  Genea-Quilters 2011 Block Challenge, this one from Jo Arnspiger. Harking back to her Confederate ancestry with this beautifully executed Mississippi Flag pattern (a blue background with white star) Jo writes:

My father’s family were almost all from Mississippi and Alabama. I choose the dark blue background and white star block pattern which represents the first flag flown by Mississippi in 1861 when they seceded from the United States. This flag was never officially adopted but was raised over the capital building and inspired the song “The Bonnie Blue Flag”.  See: Free Union and Confederate Quilt Patterns, ( by Judy Anne Breneman.

My great great grandfather Henry Stephen Archer Sr. served in the 32nd Mississippi Regiment from Mar 1861 through 1864. Sometime in 1864 he was reassigned as Chaplain for the 41st Mississippi Regiment. Copies of some of his military papers indicate President Davis was instrumental in approving his reassignment to the 41st Regiment as Chaplain. 

I have recently discovered the existence of the personal diary of Henry S. Archer for the years of his service in the Confederate Army. A microfilmed copy of the diary has been ordered through  Interlibrary Loan. Can’t wait to get my hands on that.
 
John Samuel Smith, a brother of my great great grandmother, Elizabeth Hurt Smith, also served in the 32nd Mississippi Infantry and died in battle 15 May 1864 in  Georgia. My great great grandfather, Joshua Atwood Tilton, enlisted in Co. D, 8th Regiment Alabama Infantry 10 May 1861. He was discharged 23 Oct 1862, having suffered a severe gunshot wound to the arm, leaving him with little or no use of the arm. He was a railroad engineer before the war and apparently continued that occupation after his discharge.

THANK-YOU Jo, for sharing your quilting talents, and for the stories about the service of two second great-grandfathers, and your second great-grand uncle. How very special to find the diary of one of these soldiers. Perhaps you can transcribe it for a series of blog postings? Just thinking...  ;)
So, DearGenea-Quilters, remember the  Genea-Quilters 2011 Block Challenge runs through 15 April 2011. We're going to raffle the resulting quilt at the Southern California Genealogical Society's Jamboree on Saturday, 11 June 2011 at the Marriott Burbank Conference Center. Proceeds will be donated to the Society's scholarship fund for the 2012 Jamboree.

Leah Day's free-motion quilting tutorials

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Wiggly Woven Lines is one of many Free Motion Quilting videos offered by Leah Day on YouTube. I am SERIOUSLY considering ding the  365 Days of Free Motion Quilting Filler Designs Project. Even if I take time off to attend genealogy conferences and the week-long studies at Samford this year, I'd certainly know a lot more about free motion quilting when I got done.



Although Leah has a website, the Free Motion Quilting Project was so big, she devoted an entire blog on the topic.  http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com. There's advice about maintaining consistent lines and improving your sewing machine setup.


This girl is rockin'

Quilt your dreams

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I have always wanted to send a quilt top out to a long-arm quilter, but I never felt like any of my quilts were worthy of such an honour. I do an okay job quilting on my domestic sewing machine.  A quilt would have to be pretty dang special to get the LA treatment! The day has come. I sent out my EPP stars quilt to Shannon, and she did a tremendous job on it.  Truly, it just sings. I could hardly stop petting it enough to put the binding on it.   I never thought I could be one of those annoying women who says "I wish I could show you the photos", but apparently I am, at least for now.  But I couldn't resist sharing this sneak peek, with the exhortation to quilt your dreams.

Growing the garden of rose stars

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Or should that be galaxy of rose stars? I'll have to sort out what metaphor is best - still working away at these so I think there's plenty of time.  Alison showed her amazing near-finish and asked to see mine. So here they are so far. There are 18 made so far.

They are time consuming, since each one has 31 pieces, but the stack grows slowly but surely. I never sit down to watch television without one in my hand. And since my husband and I are currently obsessed with the going through the back catalog of Battlestar Galactica, I am making fair progress.  If you want to see the stars individually, go here to my Flickr set.

Peddling My Goods

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Remember my Ablation? Long story short...during this past Christmas season (just after turning 40) I was facing a hysterectomy. I didn't go into great detail here, because frankly I was sad and embarrassed.  The symptoms leading up to the decision were personal, physically and emotionally draining and not really something that you go into detail even with the closest of friends. There was the threat of cancer, waiting for test results and just trying to get through Christmas.After talking to the doctor, weighing my options, considering my minimal insurance coverage and spending a lot of time in prayer, I opted for an ablation - in office to spare expenses.  All went well and so far my body seems to be back to normal (a large percentage of women that have an ablation still end up with a hysterectomy within two years).   The worst was behind me...then i received the $3800 doctor bill.  That was after the cash patient discount. 
So, in order to "make ends meet", I've decided to put myself out there and appeal to my online community.  I've opened another Etsy Shop, aptly named My Ablation. All of the sales from my shop will go towards that doctor bill - plus I have some dang cute jewelry listed there :) Please stop by, grab a cute pair of earrings and you don't see just what you are looking for, drop me a message and I'll see what I can make for you :) Thanks for your support!

Simply Charming Mini's Book Tour

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Konda's done it again, and has published another amazing book.  This one, I have to admit is one of my favorites.  I love mini quilts. In fact I have several hanging on my dinning room wall.

When I was first introduced to Moose on The Porch's pattern books I fell in love with the each of Konda's instructions and the color combinations that she uses.  Creating mini quilts from charm packs allows you to get those same color combinations yourself...not to mention that you can create these little beauties out of your scraps as well.
Be sure to check out the Mini Quilt Along starting September 11th.  They will be making a quilt every two weeks from Simply Charming mini's and giving away some awesome prizes.
Speaking of awesome prizes, Konda is offering a free copy of her new book to one of you. Just leave a comment here and I will choose a winner by Tuesday.

Hop on over to Spun Sugar Quilts tomorrow for another chance to win!

Phoebe's Quilt

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Some quilts take longer than others to finish.  This was one of those quilts for me.  It wasn't difficult or uninspired, quite the opposite.  This one sat around while I tried to figure out how to quilt it and what to back it with.

Pink, purple or even black fabric kept catching my eye, but nothing seemed to fit. Then I found this crazy flannel.  The price was right and an impulse purchase followed.  (You know how it is).  The drive home was filled with doubts and second guessing myself.

When I got home and put it up to the other fabrics, I remembered to always go with your gut.  I couldn't be happier :)

A little swirly quilting with pink thread (I was feeling brave after my success with the crazy backing) and I was finally finished with the Moose on the Porch Layer Cake Quilt Along, which I just noticed was way back in 2010.  Oh well, here's to finishing project!

What are you working on today?

Grandma’s Squinky

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My mom and sister are fancy pants doll sculptors and sculpt collectable dolls for doll companies and other things. I’ve mentioned them before but not often because I’m just not into the doll thing.  I can appreciate what it takes to make one from scratch though and it’s amazing. In fact I tried to do it once (okay maybe 4 times) but that’s a talent I just don’t possess. I created a caveman baby head with a pelt that looks like the Trumps on top. I still have it as a sort of sculpting birth control.  One look from that thing and I don’t get the urge to sculpt anymore ;o).

I was visiting my mom a few months back and she showed me one of her latest projects. She handed me a fun necklace with a tin attached. I’ve always loved lockets and secret compartment things so I thought it was just one of those. I opened the tin and in it was a 1”micro baby-

 

It’s not just any teeny weeny baby either, it’s soft and squishy!  It’s made out of silicone that she molded herself.  I can not tell you how hard it is for me to resist holding it between my fingers and squinking it all day long.  Ashlyn calls them Grandma’s squinkies but this little bean is even softer than the toys.

 

After months of begging and pleading, which is rare for me to do for a doll, she gave it to me for my birthday when I went down last week.  I think I’m hooked. Now to beg my sister for one of hers and I’ll have a doll collection I can handle.

These little guys aren’t for sale right now but if you’re curious about my doll making family members you can find their newest stuff here under Wendy Dickison and Cindy Musgrove.

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I give.

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How I’m feeling right now.

I give up.

I had a longish witty post done and ready to publish about weddings and Utah drivers with a little sewing share thrown in for good measure.  It’s now 1:30 a.m. and It’s gone. I hit 3 wrong buttons. I’m smart like that.

Crap.

So therefore I will give.

How about a giveaway? That always cheers me up. I’ve been a pro at collecting supplies and not so much the using of them so leave a comment on this post and I’ll raid my every growing fabric stash and rehome some of it.

It’ll be random but great and I have no idea what I’ll put in it yet but isn’t the surprise half the fun? Sure it is!  You know you want a package.

Leave one comment about anything nice or funny you’d like to share.  I’ll leave the comments open until the 8th and let Jake choose out of a hat for our winner.  I don’t hunt down giveaway winners well so make sure to check at the end of the giveaway if you don’t leave your email address.  No extra hoops to jump through, just fabric love from me to you. I’ll even autograph a note for you ;).

 

Have a Happy and Safe Fourth and good luck!

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Summer days

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It’s been a few weeks and my blog has been really quiet. If the blog is quiet that means it’s not in real life! We’ve been enjoying as much summer as we can cram in. We met cousins we haven’t had the chance to meet yet, including the newest one Kyla.

The kids couldn’t get enough of her, and I wouldn’t be able to either if she would let me hold her. One day soon I’ll be able to bribe her and buy her love ;o).  Jake thought she needed to be held and squeezed as much as he could. He was a great car seat rocker as well. More like a carnival ride- we need to work on that. Kaci thought she was hilarious. Six year old potty humor…

While my sister was here she had the baby blessed in a gown my mom made for her. I made a pair of booties out of the scraps.

I realized how long it’s been since I’ve sewn a pair of booties, 2 years, and they weren’t for my baby. It shows in the fit. A bit wide and her toes are touching the very very end. I did get the straps perfectly though. I guess I remember my babies as having really wide, really flat small feet! 

We’ve also had several reunions this summer. For one last weekend the kids made a piñata. I made the shape and taped it together and they did all the decorating-

Well 5 started, three lasted 3 hours, and then there were 2. It took them 6 hours over 2 days to decorate and 10 minutes to break open. Next time I won’t use duct tape, even after 40 or so kids getting in 3 whacks each it took a few good cracks from the big kids and Cody to finally get some candy out!

And my favorite, but not funny at all (maybe a little) picture so far this summer. Ashlyn’s soccer game-

She doesn’t see much action in the games as a defender so when she finally got the ball all to herself I started snapping away. She totally plowed this poor boy over without even noticing and kept her eye on the ball the entire time. His face in in the grass, no hands to catch himself. She really wanted that ball! If you know her at all she’s the most timid and quiet girl so it totally cracked me up. As bad as it looks he just popped right back up and kept playing like nothing happened.

Tomorrow is Mary’s 8th birthday so I’ve been sewing like a mad woman trying to get her baptism dress done, a dolphin cake (???) and cupcakes done, and programs and such figured out. I should be able to go to bed at 4. In the morning!!!

Pictures of the finished projects to come next week. Have a fantastic weekend!

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