2009 is nearing an end!

Christmas is all most here, and once again it is time to reflect on the passing year and remember old friends. It has been a very good year for our family, we have been blessed with good health and much happiness. My mom turned 80 in November and we had a party for her with over 75 friends and family. What a happy time it was. My Mom does not drive any more and it is difficult for her to get out, so to see the happiness on her face was the best gift to me.

I have been busy quilting for many months, quilting mostly for others. But I do make time every little while to do what I want to do. I made a photo memory quilt for Mom. The hardest part of that quilt was to decide on what pictures. I wanted to use soooooo many. I mailed blocks all over the country for friends to sign to give it from all the family. The blocks that were vacant were left for friends to sign at the party. This will be a treasure for my Mom. I just love making memory quilts. I think, when a person is all by themselves and lonely, having their friends and family to wrap around them is comforting. This is a fun and exciting project to do. You may want to try it some time..




I normally print each photo separate and makes separate blocks of them. But this time I made like scrapbook pages, printed every 8.5" X 11" sheet of fabric full and sewed the strips together to make a scrapbook strip. I chose fall colors since that is my Mom's favorite colors and made Maple leaf blocks since Maple trees are plentiful where she lives. (if you are a good quilter) you will notice I forgot to put the stems to my maple leaves so some will call it a bear paw block. Any way it was fun to do.

Christmas it now just 4 days away and I have been trying to share some Christmas cooking with my Grand kids. I will post some of those pictures later.

Happy Quilting to all.... and a Very Merry Christmas.

Tube Quilting

I tried an exciting new block this week.
While reading one of the quilt groups I belong to, someone mentioned this technique and provided the link. I watched it, and was on to another challenge.
It was so fun and easy I pieced this quilt in one afternoon. My grandson's "Tiny Mite" Football team needed to raise money, so I quilted it and gave it to them for a raffle. Click on the "Tube Quilting" title at the top and give it a try.
One warning I would give, is to remember when your blocks are complete you are dealing 100% with bias edges. That means you have stretchy edges. I was in a hurry to do this quilt so when I added my borders I just cut strips and add them.... Now... I know better than that. I think all of the blocks finished to 10 1/2" I should have calculated the exact length and made them fit. Well..... I paid the price with wavy borders when I started to quilt it. I ended up having to take the quilt off the frame and remove the borders and do it the right way. It pays to do things correctly from the start and not try to rush and do it wrong. LESSON LEARNED!!!!
I did like that this was a fast an easy block to do. With I think a more complicated look when it's finished.
I have been very busy lately quilting for others with my Bailey 15" quilter. I am constantly seeing and learning new things. Talking of "Wavy Borders" I do run across a lot of them when quilting for others. I try to stay aware of it and work them along a little at a time so I don't end up with a pleat toward the bottom. There are many small tricks to work them in. I finished a group of 7 quilts yesterday from one person and they were the BEST pieced tops I have ever done. All of them were PERFECT! This person must have taken a lot of time to cut all her blocks square and of the same size.. and measure all of her borders. I never turn away any one's work. And will look it over and kindly explain what I see and what I can do. I get of people who know nothing of quilting that have old pieced tops from family members that they want quilted. I love to work and help others so I do my best and make them a quilt they will be proud of. But even doing my own work. I have NEVER had them quilt as smoothly as the ones I just finished. HATS OFF the Faye.
This year I have branched off a lot with my quilting and met many new friends. I have enjoyed quilting for all of them I learn a lot, see new blocks I want to try, and am so amazed at some color combinations. I think I am beginning to believe there is no such thing as an UGLY fabric. I have seen color combinations I would have been afraid to attempt, but they are absolutely beautiful when mixed together. Well here I am rambling...
This week I have to get busy. I will going to visit my Mother and help her celebrate her 80th birthday in 10 days. I have been working on making a picture quilt for her. I have gathered many old picture and have printed them on fabric. Many family members have signed blocks to her and they will put them around the border. I plan to leave many blank blocks around the edge. We are having a party for her and each person that attend will be encouraged to sign a block while they are there. I hope it will be fun.
That's it for today. Happy quilting to all...

Quilt Show

I went to the Red River Quilt Show yesterday, located on the Red River in Shreveport, La. There were definitely some beautiful quilts to see. Just imagine the many many hours that were put into such beautiful quilts. My Husband went with me. He really enjoys looking. He talked to every person that would listen to him. He wanted to know why I never entered any quilts... And all is I could say is. I make quilts to used... Not just to hang and look pretty.

I have finished 3 quilts this past week. The first one I just call a quilt of many colors. It is just made out of reproduction fabrics. I made that for my cousin that is going through a hard time just now battling cancer. I hope it will comfort her as fights the disease back. The quilt design was once again the "Angel wings pattern. My favorite.

The Next one is called Pink country rose. I think the fabric is just beautiful. and the quilt design on that on is the Angel wings.

The Next on is a Christmas Poinsettia design and the quilt pattern is Poinsettia & Holly that blended so well together. I tried to do them a little fancier with the scalloped borders. I have offered the quilts for donation and raffle. Hopefully the organizations getting them will will be able to make some cash for their upcoming adventures..

The weekend is late. I better get on. Have a wonderful week and Happy Quilting.
Holly

October is here!

Fall is in the air. It feels so good to have the windows open and listen to the cool breeze blow through. I have been very busy quilting. This week I have quilted 4 quilts and will post them as I get the binding on them. This quilt is for a friend up north. I used a vintage baby fabric I had and I just love it. I tried to make it look very dainty for a little girl. The back is flannel so it will be so comfy. I quilted using the "Angel Wings" pattern. Most people think it is butterflies, but it is called Angel Wings. I like to think in using this pattern that the angels will watch over this little person. I am trying to be a little more detailed with the borders, so I did a scalloped border on this one. I have two more I am currently binding and I have used the scalloped border on both of these also.
I have one ready to border that I am going to try the prairie points on... So wish me luck...

Thank you for dropping by.
Happy Quilting

The year is passing sooooo fast

Hello friends. Seems like every time I get time to do a post the days have passed toooooo fast... The years have went by in a flash. My HB and I recently celebrated our 38th anniversary. It has been fantastic passing the days with my best friend. We seem to share almost all of the same interests, and respect the differences we do have. I have learned... Life is easiest with compromise.
Our children took us to the Tokyo Restaurant in our area and we enjoyed trying different foods with our DIL interpreting everything that was presented. It was such fun. You can see our beautiful grandchildren in the picture. Kim is 11??? I think and Trey is 8... Now someone will read this and say I am wrong. But facts like that seem to slip out of my mind.
I have been very busy the past month or so quilting, quilting, and more quilting for my customers. I have uploaded a number of pictures to my webshots photo album. You are welcome to look here.
http://community.webshots.com/user/beansnana
I have also pieced and quilted a number of quilts for friends and family. One I did for my mom as a gift to a young couple that collects everything "M &M" they like the little characters. When mom asked if I could make one I said Oh Yes!!! No problem. It was after those words that I learned M & M novelty fabric is out of production. So I had to hunt on e bay and pay over $25. per yard. That was a lesson learned. But I was happy to do it for the couple I have know for years.

That is me on in my quilt room. I spend many an hour in there. I just love to escape to my quilt space.
I wish all of you Happy Quilting. Come by and visit again.

July is gone...

I hate to say it, but I am so thankful July is gone. It brought so much sadness this year. I pray the rest of the year will be better. Now that things have calmed down here my emotions are on edge. I am helping now with Jason's dog. He is a beautiful basset hound. I am not really a dog person, but I can see Jason in him. Toby seems so sad and lonely now. Hopefully the grandkids here will help to get him on track. He is a wonderful dog.

I have fallen so far behind on my quilting, and I don't seem to have the get up and go, to get up and get moving. I am still working a little every day, but very slow. I have my SIL coming next week for a week of sewing, so I have snap out of it and get moving. Please keep checking my photo album from time to time. I try to post the pictures of all the beautiful quilts I quilt for others. There are many fantastic quilters out there today, and I am thrilled to be able to quilt for them.

Well, it's late so I need to get to bed...

Tell the person closest to you you love them today... You never know when it will be your last chance.

Happy quilting to all....

July is flying by...

July is flying by and I still have lots to do. We got past the 2 funerals this month just to have another. Our youngest friends died this time and his girlfriend. Lots to that story... but I will just say we are so sad. We called Jason our 3rd son... Funeral will be monday, so I am busy quilting today trying to keep my mind off all the sadness. These are the worst set of tragidies I have every seen. Thank God for being there to give us comfort and guidance.

This is the front and back on one quilt. I used the all over meander in a rossette style. Just my way of doing things.
I tried to add another photo, but will have to add it later. I am still learning how this works. check out my Photo Album at; http://community.webshots.com/user/beansnana

Happy quilting...

Wandering again

Good Monday Morning to all,
I spent Saturday wandering through a craft show and 4 fabric shops with my friend. I have more fabric than a fabric store now... But I can always find more treasures with the help of my friends. I have been steady busy quilting... Quilting many for customers, but I have recently pieced 4 of my own. I will need to get pictures going. But I have also done some other projects.
I made a couple of beach towel bags that were so much fun to make. I had been told about them, but never seen one, so I GOOGLED around and found this link.
http://www.chezlin.com/2008/04/oldie-but-goldie-towel-pool-bag/
Of course I did not make mine just that way. I embroidered an outside pocket and used cotton fabric for the bag part. I also put 2 - 1" pleats in the bottom to give extra room for the towel to fold inside. I will attach picture of it open and folded.
Then this weekend I made a Grooms Cake for a wedding at the church. Now for those of you who don't know. In this part of the country they have the "Wedding cake" usually called the brides cake and the Groom's cake, usually a chocolate sheet cake. For what reason I don't know, but that is how it is.... This person requested a red chili pepper on the cake. So I made a Red Velvet sheet cake, iced with Cream Cheese Icing, and sprinkled with Rev Velvet cake crumbs.
The Chili Pepper is white cake(because it is easier to cut and shape) iced with cream cheese icing and covered with Rolled Buttercream. I used to be a baker and cake decorator, but I don't do much any more. I was so surprised at how fast it was to make and how much I enjoyed doing it.
I guess you can say that was one "Hot" Cake...
On a sad note..... When our children were young and going to school we lived in Louisiana, our oldest son had on friend that was his best friend all the way through graduation. We knew his family well and were all involved in school, church and community activities for years. We moved from that area over 10 years ago but still hold our friends there dear. Any way, Daniel was killed this weekend along with his 9 year old son. They were riding a motorcycle in their small community in North Dakota and a car backed out of a driveway and hit them. I am sure it was just an accident. But both of them died. My sons are so sad. Please pray for this family. Daniel leaves behind a loving wife and two other sons, his parents and a host of friends. They will need a lot of comforting during this time.
Now it is time for me to get busy.. I have lots to do this week and a memorial to attend...

Happy quilting to all

Twin Babies

Here I am again... Long time since I posted. I just logged on and read the last post about "Hot Days & Blueberries".... OH MY!!!!! I had to jump up fast and go turn the irrigation off. It had been on for 12 hours. I guess I will not have to turn it on tomorrow....
I have been busy quilting and making new things. There was a set of Twin Baby Girls born at our church recently and the ladies has a shower for them tonight. I was so excited. Of course I made two quick baby quilts. I use some Pooh panels that I had and added a pink border with some pin wheels in the corners. On the back I use a pink plaid flannel. I quilted them fast with an all over rosette design. they were so cute.... I can not believe I forgot to take a picture of them.... I hate to let a quilt get away with out a picture. Now all I have are memories...
I also took this opportunity to try something new. I had seen a diaper cake at Hobby Lobby when buying ribbon. They had a free paper that showed different things to make with ribbon. I got one and was interested in the Diaper Cake. It had no instructions... Just a picture. So I Googled it. I found lots of Diaper Cakes made many different ways. Then I also ran across bouquets made from baby clothes, socks, hats, onesies, and wash cloths. SOOOOO.... I made the cake with the bouquet and put it all together. Check it out.
Now it is the next morning, and I am trying to publish this... But I must say. I have just 1 CAT.. named Nancy Drew, but where we live our son is just up the driveway... They have 3 CATS, Handy Andy (who just ain't right), Mustang Sally (an ugly calico mix) and Titanium (The Tuxedo cat) Then when my other son is home... Like now... He plugs in his HUGE RV trailer and stays in the back yard. He has Repair... a very sad looking Basset Hound. So needless to say, they come to Nana's house too... So here I sit today, with Nancy on my lap, Andy tipping things over on my desk, and Repair jumping up and howling because he has the cat TREED.... If I had a camera, I could make you laugh.
Well the Grands just came by to help Nana make another diaper cake for so I best publish this for now....

Have a great day...

Hot Summer Days...

Oh My!!!! The time has flown by since I last posted on my blog..

Summer has come to East Texas. The time of the year I dread the most, it is 97* today, with a heat index of about 102* entirely too hot for me. My HB and I got up at 5am to work in the blueberry patch before it got too hot. He cut irrigation ditches with the tractor and I hoed and put pine straw around all the bushes. Our patch is young, only 125 bushes, but things are looking good. We have had an abundance of rain this year, but blueberries take a lot of water to survive so we are adding to the irrigation we already had. Now it should be OK for the summer. If all goes well we will plant about 200 more bushes this fall. We hope to have about 5 acres o fruit trees, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries within the next 5 years so we will have a small U-pick it farm when my HB retires.

Other than that I have been busy quilting. Got a lot of new customers, so I have been steady quilting. This past month I quilted 20 quilts for customers, so needless to say I have not been doing much piecing of my own. But I have lots of ideas.

I have so many projects put aside to do, It will take me 2 years just to use up the fabric I have.

By the way... If any of you quilters need tops quilted send me an email... I will tell you what I do.

I got a new computer and I thought to transfer all my files from the old one.... But I forgot to transfer my favorites, so now I have to work very hard to locate all my blog friends. My son took my old computer to use in his shop. He is getting a plasma cutter and needs a computer to use on it. He will not be connected to the net or anything and will run just one program on it.. So it should work great for that. I had bought a new laptop back in January and got the largest volume computer I could get with 64 bit vista. I did not like it at all... I am old... and used to XP office. I was getting it for ease of going to sewing classes with my MC11000. But SURPRISE!!!! My sewing machine would not work with VISTA.... you can download some updates to use with a 32 bit Vista... But now things were not compatible. So I ended up giving that computer to my DIL for he card making... (http://makinkstudio.blogspot.com) and my son bought me a new tower with XP..... Funny thing is you now have to pay more for an XP computer than Vista.

Here I go getting on my "high horse" I think it is not right, the way Micosoft crams new operating systems down our throats without giving us or companies a choice. They have the monopoly on operating systems... "they say they don't" ... and when they decide to make a change, everyone suffers. It is either buy more... or do without. It puts companies like Janome or any type of computerized equipment to great expense to change their machines. Then people that have older models have to work with updating or paying for new upgrades. Even if what they have works great. Then in a couple of years.... If you did not or could not afford to update. You are out of luck, since your equipment is no longer operational. I will stand down now. But I think it is terrible. I am too old for change now. So I will stick with XP until I can no longer use it.

As I said... It is so hot today... I am sitting playing on the computer until the heat passes for the day. But I guess it is time to get to quilting.

Happy Summer and Happy quilting to all.

Linda's Quilt

It is a beautiful day in East Texas. We have has a little relief from the rain that held on for a couple of weeks. Some items in our garden drowned out, But for the most part all is growing OK. I picked a gallon bucket of strawberries today. They taste so good fresh out of the garden.

My Cousin has a birthday this week, so I make this quilt for her. It was quite fast to piece. I was able to piece it in a day, and it took about 3 hours to quilt. I used a free form frumpy rose design. Kinda my own thing. I just freehand draw roses from one space to the next.

It is nearing bed time. Thanks for stopping by.

Holly

I really need to figure this blog thing out. I seem to do things in the wrong order. I tried to install the Batik quilt pictures and then posted the article before I was done. All well this is a new subject for you to see.
I was involved in a swap with one group and the theme was flowers. I made this table runner for a swapper in Australia. Imagine our projects going around the world.

The weather is really getting busy now. The storms are coming. Two cats and a dog looking at me, like they are so scarred. I guess I had better get off the computer.

Happy Quilting to all....

Rainy day in East Texas

It is a rainy day in East Texas! A cool breeze and very foggy. Just my kinda day. I hear the fountain running outside and birds chirping and the slow drizzle of rain. It makes it hard to get moving for the day. A great time to sit and rest.
We have rain every day for the past 10 days. Sometimes stormy and very strong winds, some days like today, just very cloudy and drizzly. The rain has helped our new trees and blueberry bushes to get well established, but it not doing much for the vegetable garden. The corn looks great, the cauliflower, broccoli, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, looking OK, the half the watermelons have died, and some of the other items looking sad. The strawberries are trying to ripen, but starting to mold. Even though the rain has been nice. It is time for it to move on. Forecast says one more day, then maybe a break. The rest of the place needs the grass mowed bad. We have tried to keep up in between. But lots of mowing to do.
During this time I have been very busy quilting. I have doing quilts for my customers. One that I really liked was done all of batik fabrics. I quilted it in a curving meander pattern with variegated thread. It was so pretty, I hated to return it to my customer. She does very nice work.

Wizard of Oz finished and delivered

I did get the Oz quilt finished, and delivered to my friend. He was so happy with it. I did the quilting mostly in a meander, but along the border I swirled tornado's. I wondered if anyone would be able to tell, and everyone that saw it before I delivered it commented on the tornadoes. I called this one, Follow the yellow brick road. You can see the road starts at the bottom and winds around the quilt. I saw this idea in a similar quilt on the net. It was a great Idea.
Happy Quilting...

Caring Hands & Hearts Quilt

Hello Friends,
I am so far behind I don't know what to say. I have been busy all week, some days sewing and quilting others working in the yard and gardens.
Here in East Texas, spring is tying to stay, but the mighty winds try hard to push it out. We will get a really strong wind and rain then a few days of beautiful sunshine. Just about time to get out in the yard the rain comes again.
Our strawberries look really good. I have been trying to keep the blooms and new berries picked off, so the plants will have a chance to catch root good. I try to work a row a day.
I have the front flower bed set for the summer and we planted 12 new fruit trees. Also planted 10 Flowering trees in the front for decoration and shade. But the 100 blueberry bushes are still waiting to be planted. But the rain will not cooperate. Oh well. Gives me more time for quilting.
This week I quilted one quilt for me and one for a friend. I will post my fall quilt as soon as I get the binding on it. Today I made this quilt for my SIL. She teaches nursing and their class moto is Caring hand & Caring hearts. She needed something to display in her class. So this is what I came up with.
The wall hanging is 24" X 24" I created the center block on my embroidery machine, then did a bias tape rim around each different color. the fabrics are from Debbie Mumm country collection. The gold fabric has small apples and the companion green has baskets and crates full of apples. You know "An apple a day.... Keeps the doctor away....." I think it turned out OK.
Thank you for stopping by. I will try to post more often.

Wizard of Oz Quilt

It has been a very busy couple of days. I have a friend that is 70 years old. He does the best Lolly Pop kids and Oz coroner impersination. It is guaranteed to make you smile. For a long time I have been wanting to make him a quilt and finally. I am getting to it. I purchased the Oz fabric last year and it has taken me a while to get to it. I have researched and found some ideas, and just went at it myself. I cut the strips of the Oz fabric into separate blocks, then I made pinwheels out of Emerald City green pattern fabric and some Debbie Mumm gold with apples I found on sale. It made me think of the apple trees that slapped the cowardly lion in the woods on the way to Oz. I did a yellow brick road pattern through the quilt leading the way to Oz. I still have a border to put on, but I am waiting on the fabric. I ordered Emerald city green, with the bad witch flying on it. I will post another picture when it is complete.

I have a baby quilt ready to mail to a family member. I just need to add label. I will post that picture also.

The weather is pleasant here today, but quite a rain storm coming in later. Will be quite warm in East Texas tomorrow, so we will continue to work on the addition to my quilt room. We are in the process of making a separate place for my quilt frame and machine. It will give me more room in the sewing room to spread out. You know you can never have enough space.

Happy Quilting to all.

Rainy Tuesday

It has been a rainy day in East Texas today, but I love the sound of rain on the tin roof. I have been busy for a few days planting strawberries. So have not spent much time near the computer. We received a lot of strawberry plants that had overgrown and we decided to plant a small patch. So far we are half finished separating the new growth and have half an acre planted so far. We are really going to be busy picking if all of them do well.

I have started a few plants in seed pots. Mostly flowers so far, but have some broccoli, and cauliflower started. Also some celery. I have never grown celery before so I thought I would give it a go.

Today I am working on some friendship blocks to share with the ladies at church. They all made blocks before I joined their group and asked me to make blocks to share. I am embroidering my name in the center part now and I will make blue blocks.

Today I will post some pictures of an apron and some towels I did recently I made them for fun swap on a group. I like to make different things. I bet you are wondering why my blog is fun quilting with Beansnana when I have not posted many quilts. Well we have been busy since the holidays, adding on to our new home and lots of people coming and going, so my quilting has been set aside for a while. I am trying to get moving with it again.

Seems like it is supper time, so I better go throw something together. Happy Day to all....

February 2,2009

It is a beautiful day in East Texas. I was supposed to be planting strawberries today "about 1/2 an acre worth, but it rained hard last night and is quite cool this morning. So I guess I have another day before I have to get serious about that.
Yesterday I participated in a sew in with "Country Quilters USA" a yahoo group. I had the most fun. I worked on a UFO... A quilt of the month quilt my SIL bought a number of years ago. She started it, but had difficulty with it. I tried to show her the problems she was having but in the end, she did not want to finish it. I had to take 4 blocks apart and the others were still in the original package. It was fun to work on with friends making communication on the internet. I will post pictures of my work. Just as soon as I figure out how this works.
Time to move on to making a book bag for my Granddaughter.
Happy Quilting to all!

Just new!!

Hello Friends,
I am new to this whole blogging thing, but I am going to give it a go. I am almost old (56) and live on a 5.5 acre country place in east Texas. We have only been in Texas for a year, but we really love it. We share this place with our oldest son and his family, so my 2 grands are just a small walk away. We are quite busy people here. My HB and 2 sons all work in the pipeline business, so needless to say they spend very little time at home. My DIL is a great homemaker and loves rubber stamping. You might say she is addicted. The Grands, one girl 11 and a boy 7 are the joy of our life. Very well behaved and always busy with something.
We built a new, small home for retirement last year, and just finished building the porch and carport this month. We built the entire house ourselves with my brothers help. It is a very country home, with a red tin roof, and the inside fininished entirely in ply bead wood, walls and ceilings with cedar board trim. Looks like a country cabin inside.
We planted 30 fruit trees last year, and assortment of peach, plum, pear, apples, and figs. We were quite suprised that they are all doing well but 2. We are currently working on planting 1/2 acres of strawberries and will plant 1/2 acre of blueberries in late February. We hope to grow enough to share.
My passion is quilting. I have a bailey mid arm quiltier on a grace pinnacle frame. A singer straignt sew, a Janome MC 4800 Quilters edition, a New home serger, and a Janome MC11000. When we built our new home we built a large quilt room for me. A life long dream come true, but now that we have such a large place, I find I spend a lot of time outside gardening.
I welcome anyone to join in and chat about quilting, sewing or embroidery, I am always lookeing for new ideas. I am sure it will take me a while to figure out how this blog thing works.
My DIL has a beautiful blog on rubber stamping it is...
http://makinkstudio.blogspot.com/2009/01/home-is.html
Take a look if you like rubber stamping.
I am going to see if I can get this blog going now. Happy quilting to all.