A great Sunday spent with the Brother

Ahhh... wait till you see what comes out of this little pile.

Got all the blocks finished up, its a "Snapshot" of fabrics. Love the colors I selected!!

Hopefully it will be done by Friday, Wednesday the latest.. LOL

See I have been stitching...

I just finished up on "Tree" apart of the Christmas Double Flips from Lizzie*Kate. Slowly chugging along. At this rate I might have it done by this Christmas. Ho Ho ho!

BearPaw Sampler Quilt Top Finish!

I didn't expect to have this quilt top finished today, but I sat down and just played with the sashing, and before I knew it, it was done

I'm so tickled to have this quilt top finished. Since the day I laid eyes on it, I wanted to make it.

So, here is the quilt top for the BearPaw Sampler. I found the pattern online - here. And thanks again to Sindy @ FatCat Patterns for offering these monthly blocks!

This pattern provided such a challenge to me! Alot of thinking and planning when into the quilt blocks, and it turned out awesome! And I had a joy working on it! I still need to get the batting and backing fabric and I will get quilting on it, and attach the binding. I think I'm going to do this pattern again in the future, but using flannels!

Love grilling out!

Nothing like the taste of grilled food! This was our supper tonight - all grilled! Pork Chops with sauteed mushroom, grilled potatoes, and grilled brussels sprouts! YUMMY!!

EEK! I just stitched a frog! It was so CREEPY!

Here is EEK & Creepy from the Lizzie*Kate Halloween Double Flips - stitched with the recommended fibers.

(Stitching the frog wasn't that bed, and it wasn't that creepy! I'm thinking I need to stitch R.I.P. on the headstone, just doesn't seem to stand out.)

BearPaw Sampler blocks, 6 - 12 Finished!

Im so excited! I got all the remaining 6 blocks done on the BearPaw Sampler!! Im really happy on how they turned out! I had some struggle on block 11, but I took the easy way out! Now Im off to cut the sashing and get busy again!

Each block measures 14.5" - so they are pretty big already! For the sashing, Im just going to cut the sashing 2" to give it a 1.5" sashing strip.
































































































Thinking Im going to take alittle break from sewing for a bit - my back hurts, and Im thinking its from ironing and cutting so much. It only seems to bother me when Im working at the ironing board and cutting.

Little Tote

Here is the story of this little tote - A resident at work has a plastic canvas bag that she carries around all day - she even sleeps with it. It goes every where. Well its been on its last life for a couple weeks now. And I had an idea to put it out of its misery.

So I told her I was going to make a new one tote for her, but I was going to make it different so it wont fall apart. (Well I know she will have no recall of our conversation - but she still needs a new tote to haul all her what nots around).

So this afternoon I went thru my stash, and came across some cut out triangles that were used in a previous quilt top. So I sewed them up together, and just played with arrangement. I was really pleased on how it turned out. I should have added another vertical row, but then I thought I needed to keep it smaller, as it was the whole point that the resident cant carry too much in the tote.

I did something I have never had success with in the past - I free motioned the quilting!! I'm ok with how it turned out, but its better than what I thought..LOL

So, after 3 hrs of planning, cutting, playing, ripping out seams (the corners which I ripped out twice, and went with no corners), and all the sewing, its done.

Pink John Deere Tote

So, I had some more pink John Deere fabric, and another pattern I wanted to try. Started at 8pm, and after 4 hrs, I gotta another tote!

This cutie is from the book - "Happy Hour" from Atkinson Designs, its called "Terry's Tote".

Pink John Deere bag

My sister loves John Deere and the color Pink. Awhile back, I had picked up the pink John Deere fabric ... and I knew right away who I was going to make something with it, for.

Well, yesterday I was looking at the LQS newsletter, and they had a class for Moda Bakeshop purse. So I googled to see if I could find some thing that would resemble the purse. But I came across this pattern instead - Charming Handbag. Of course, the pattern is suppose to be used with the charm packs. Well, what a fabric charm is, is a 5" cut. Well, the pattern said to cut the fabric down to 4.5" square.

That's when my brainwaves go moving! I thought, this would be perfect for the bag for my sister. She was online last night, and I asked if she would be interested in the bag, and I showed her the site. She said she would.

So, about 10pm last night, I had pulled out the fabrics for the bag. I only had 3 different fabrics to chose from that were in the pink John Deere, and I used a basic pink for the 4 fabric. I cut it all out.

Sewed the blocks together. Had a new learning experience with the adding depth to the bag.. that was fun!

I did the quilting in a brown to match the brown in the John Deere emblem. Love it!!

I emailed a picture to my sister, and she said she loves it.. and I will give it to her when I see her next in a few couple weeks.

So, here is the finished bag. I ♥ it!

And dont worry, this wont be the last you see of these bags. I couldnt believe how easy they were to put together. Will be making one for myself in a northwoods theme, of course!

Pattern source - Moda Bake Shop - Thanks to amandajean for her contribution of the pattern!

6 Done, 6 To Go!

Gosh, these blocks are going together so smoothly now (since I worked out the kinks). I'm loving how they are looking.

I present BearPaw Sampler blocks, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6. Placed in their numerical order.

I learned lessons in life...

by stitching ABC Lessons by Lizzie*Kate.













The moment I had seen its release it was a must have, must stitch, must finish, must frame, must display. Well the must frame and display, I have to work on.

I was just stitching on it here and there, and mostly in the past couple weeks I was able to finish it up.

I stitched this must stitch using the supplied fibers, and the fabric was picked up in Branson when we were there in April. And thanks to Vickie - she was able to help me pick up the pattern pack from her LNS (Thanks again Vickie!). So this pattern has been well traveled, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Wisconsin, since its purchase.

I loved stitching on this design. I did make a word change, see if you can spot it.

Dad's name in Fireworks!!

If you read below on the posts - you would have seen the article about my Dad being honored on July 4th in Winneconne.

Our Dad was selected to be the honoree for the fireworks, and from the word - the whole show was in honor of him.

I, of course couldn't go down state as I had to work this weekend, and I had wanted to see the display. Well thanks to technology - I was able to view the video within 2 hrs of the fireworks show. I was in tears when I saw it!! To hear all the cheering and clapping, the tears just came rolling out (like they are doing now).

Check out this AWESOME video of the fireworks honoring our Dad last night, in Winneconne. Thanks Winneconne, and thanks to Doug Nelson for his great job!!

And I have to send out a BIG THANK YOU to Frank - my wonderful video guy, who so graciously took the time to upload the video to Youtube, so I could share the display to the world. So please take a look, its only about a minute long.

Direct link to Youtube.com - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgo2p9-WG_4

Yes at the end of the video - you can see the boat driver scooping water, fireworks were landing in the boat.

What. A. Day!

Well, something so simple you would think, wouldn't take you several hours to get done.

I worked on the 1st block of the BearPaw Sampler... and let me just tell you. ARGH!! The cuts are well, umm alittle off. (Not sure if I can say its the mistake of the author, or the over looking on my part, but for this time I will blame myself.) Me being the beginner/novice/intermediate (depending on the project), found myself ripping out the half square triangles (HST), on like 32 squares after I had 16 of them sewn together. To find out that what I really needed to do is draw a line, and sew on each side of the line, and then cut out on the line. Well, no, I had to take the long way around and surely learn my lesson, once I hit the 2 1/2" block. (Insert aggravated words here). What I really needed were the directions!! But remember there are no directions, just the cuts dimensions.

Well, I had to rip all the HSTs apart, and then resew them a 1/4" on the inside of the previous sewn line. Then I had to recut the 1/4" mistake, to make the half triangle to be 2 1/2".

Confused yet... don't worry, I thought it thru and did alittle testing and I was correct in my figuring out to make the HST smaller. So for next time, I need to just draw a line, sew on either sides of the line, and walla! I will end up with 2 HST, when I only need one. Oh well, this is where another project will come in handy.

So, here is the first of the set of 12 blocks.

This is "Block 1" - no special name, just "Block 1", umm block that was labeled 1, and the first block to get finished.

Am I the only one of those...

that saves every bit of fabric scraps when I'm done cutting them off the rotary cutter? Those little pieces that I don't need. They have no purpose in life but be next to the seam, or the fold of the fabric, or just don't end up being apart of the project.

Fabric bits hoarder? Start pointing fingers. Me!?

Just never know when they will become useful again! You should see all the fabric I saved when I made the QSnap Huggers. They just lay in the bag suffocating, waiting for their day to shine. I see something coming out of it.. but I have more and more fabrics to cut in my stash. Someday.

Oh yeah, and I'm the only one that has "Cupid Shuffle" going thru the head, for the second day?!

Bear Paw Sampler BOM Start

Awhile back I came across a FREE quilt design website (FatCat Patterns), and I just sorta looked around, and I came across this design - Bear Paw Sampler. And the minute I saw it - I wanted to make it!! Then I found out it was a Block of the Month deal.

Of course I saw this pattern I think in October or November. Well I got an email yesterday stating that the BOMs were uploaded and available for download. And that the last one in this series will conclude the BOM. And I was like eep!

For each block, you are just given the size of the blocks, and the rest is up to you. I was given a calcuation of amount of fabric to use, and that the blocks would be 14 1/2" No finishing instructions were given. Well I wanted to cut out the blocks all at the same time... so that brought out alot of paper, calculator, pencils with alot of erasers on them, and off I went.

I was able to purchase my fabric ahead of time, doesn't it look like S'mores?! LOL

Well, I was up till like 4am one morning, a couple weeks ago (I do my work best during the wee morning hours.), figuring out the measurements and how many blocks I would need of each size and the what not(s). I was VERY happy with my math calculations, as I was very accurate in my cutting, and figuring out of the material. And since I could look at the 12th block, I was able to do my numbers with that block by just looking at it.













So, this afternoon, I ironed and cut out all three of the fabrics, and laid out the pieces and sorted them out by each block. I put them in quart size ziploc bags and put them on a ring so they are as easy as grabbing a bag and making a block any time I want. I labeled each bag to go with the numbered blocks, so I just have to find the directions and the correct bag and to the machine I can go!

And I cant wait to start my blocks of the Bear Paw Sampler!!

BTW - if anyone else cares to do this BOM - let me know and I can send you the directions for the amount of strips, and cuts and subcuts you will need, cause they are tried and true.

Dad being honored during fireworks display in Winneconne

An article was published last week in The Winneconne News announcing our Dad, as the honoree for the 4th of July fireworks.

Our family is very excited to have our Dad nominated, and selected to be honoree person of the community, during the 4th of July fireworks in Winneconne.

Enjoyed my weekend!

Just had a finish ...

But I can't share - well I suppose I could give you a sneak peek. And that's that.


Its a cute design!! Taught me the alphabet, built a house, grew a flower, built a brick wall, and bordered it all in.

I was able to get it stitched up in less than 2 weeks.. but I had the frog visit me last week - seems like I was off a stitch.. and well I had to stitch the letters A - G and N - T all over again.

Its a model for Glory Bee. Will post more info when I can.

Think living "up north" would be cooler,

I think otherwise.




People are always asking, "is it cooler living "up north"?" See "up north" is any area north of Hwy 29 in Wisconsin. And I have heard that 'God's Country' is any area north of Hwy 8. Well where we live, we classify for both.


But I think its about the same temps... as the picture can justify the temperature we are having today. Was to get about 89 here today. I think otherwise, there's my proof!




Edited to add -
I guess I should have waited to post the temperature - little hot out there!!

Happy Father's Day in Heaven, Dad

Dad, first, Happy Father's Day!

Dad, this will be our first Father's Day without you. I still miss you with all my being, although I know that you are in a much better place. It has been a rough four months without you. So many thing have happened that I wish you would of been here for.

I think most people stop celebrating this day after their father has died but I will mark this day. Each and every year. Like it or not, I can't pretend Father’s Day won’t bring a flood of memories to the surface.

Dear Dad,

For all the help you always were. For loving me unconditionally, for being an example I can hold high to live by (even as a daughter). For being the most awesome provider, father, friend and helper. For strong shoulders and being the one man in my life that loved me no matter what!

I love you. I will always miss you, until one day when we can reunite with our Heavenly Father. I pray every day that He takes good care of you, for me (I know He is).

Everyone misses you - and we have so much to look forward to seeing your name once again, being memorialized. I hope you can hear us saying "hi" to you everytime we stop by your grave. The grandkids really miss you, frankly we all really miss you.

Someone told us that our first Father's Day with out you will be the hardest. And here it is. And I'm heartbroken.

The memories will never leave me. The laughter, the joy, the good, and the bad. We pulled through it all, except when it was time for you to leave. But you haven't really left us, Dad. You will always be thought about every second, minute, week and month of every year. I love you very much. It's just not fair that your golden heart gave up.

All our love....

If you're reading this and you have your Father in your life...take every single moment to let him know what he means in your life. I praise God that I did. God Bless All Fathers.

The picture of my Dad and I was taken 17 days before my Dad died. And two days later I had seen him for the last time. And I will forever remember my last hug from him. Love you, Dad!