Don't ask God to make your life easier, ask Him to make you a stronger person.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Baby Star Quilt . . . . .

Remember this little quilt I made for my GoCutter demo?



It's all quilted already with binding!   Instead of washing it the traditional way, I soaked it in leftover coffee, then washed and dried it.


The white background was a little too white for me.  This gave it just enough to knock the edge off the whiteness.  I think this will be a perfect little table topper in the spring.
  
Finally getting some great fall weather and I'm talking about Spring already!

Blessings, Cathi
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Saturday, November 20, 2010

The Santa Swap is on it's way . . . .

Monday afternoon but still . . . . . .


Here it is  . . . .washed, dried and crinkly.  Sure hope she likes it.  Don't forget to visit Kelly's Mr. Linky so you can see some of the other Secret Santa Swap secrets.




Baby quilt much farther along but still not a top yet.  Any day now . . . .

Blessings, Cathi
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Friday, November 19, 2010

Wow, 7 posts in one day and then . . . . .

Nothing!  I haven't posted because I have been so busy sewing.  I finished quilting the Thimbleberries Star quilt from last Saturday.  It even has binding on but I will wait until the binding is sewn down before I show a picture.

I also sewed the binding on the sample I used in the demo.  Another evening of hand work on that one.

Then that crazy stuff called cleaning and cooking, etc.  I did clean, rearrange and organize 2 closets.  That felt good.

And I started the quilt for my new grand-niece.


Dear Hubby's sister is going to become a grandmother any day now.  Boy, that sounds funny.  First grandchild in the family all sides.  Not my colors at all.  I don't even know if they are hers.  But they are in Texas so I'm not in the loop.  I've never even met her!


I have most of the blocks finished.  So hopefully I will have a top finished by this evening.

Off to the sewing room now!

Blessings, Cathi
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Sunday, November 14, 2010

Christmas Quilt-A-Long Update: 2:00 AM EST . . . . .

I am scheduling this to post at 2:00 am.  I really hope that I am fast asleep.  

 
I just wanted to say Good Night to Paulette who may still be up sewing.

And Good Morning to Sue and all the others across the pond who should just be starting that first pot of coffee!

Blessings, Cathi

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Christmas Quilt-A-Long Update: 10:30 PM EST . . . . .

The movie is over and so am I.  My back is getting really sore from sitting at the machine or cutting all day.



I finished 4 of the 8 star blocks.  Overall, I am very pleased with what I accomplished today.  I may have to have a weekly quilt-a-long from now until Christmas so I can finish some of these projects.

Hope you enjoyed your day . . . however you spent it!

Blessings, Cathi

Christmas Quilt-A-Long Update: 9:00 PM EST . . . . .

Still chugging along here.  Took a break to cook dinner with Dear Hubby.  Hamburgers on the grill . . . sweet potato fries . . . Waldorf salad (apples, cheese, raisins and mayo) . . . tasted really good!

Since then, I have put the rows together from the previously mentioned post.  Notice "White Christmas" is on the telly now.


Through the doorway on the left, through the foyer and into the living room is the Clemson/Florida State game.  Lots of noise and so far in Clemson's favor (as it should be).


It took a little bit for me to re-orient myself to what I was doing.  I had to figure out how many blocks of each I needed to do and am finally moving in a forward direction.  First the star blocks since they are a little harder to do.  After that it should be no time at all to have another flimsie on the list!


Blessings, Cathi

Christmas Quilt-A-Long Update: 5:18 PM EST . . . . .

I have finished the top and am back in about 2 hours as promised!


This will be my Secret Santa Christmas Swap being sponsored by Kelly and Joan.  I sure hope whoever it is, she likes it.  She had a Thimbleberries project on her website and these are all Thimbleberries fabrics.

Going to take a break from this one tonight.  The backing and binding fabric I want to use are out in the storage building.  The sun is going down and it's getting right chilly out.  It can wait until the morning.
Next on the list. . . . finishing up the Christmas Star Trip that I was working on during the September Christmas Quilt-a-Long.  I never took it out of the box to work on it again since I put it away.  I'm so close to finishing.


Forgot to tell you that I am in the middle of "A Christmas in Connecticut".


Football is on in the living room.  Thank goodness I have a tv with DVD player in the dining room/sewing room.  Unfortunately no doors in between! 


Blessings, Cathi

Christmas Quilt-A-Long Update: 2:49 PM EST

I'm back and ready for phase 2 of the day.  Demo went well.  Not too many showed up but that's okay.  They got a lot of one-on-one time!


I let Brenda (no-blogger) use my camera.  She took a lot of pictures of me.  Of course, I am only going to show the least offensive ones!  Only Teresa of Stitchin' Friends has a blog although some read a lot of them!  Teresa and I haven't talked any of the others into starting one yet.  But we're working on it!


Here is a picture of the project we did for the rest of the day (we go from 10:00 until 2:00).



After they started on their projects, I pulled out my fabrics.



And PRESTO, CHANGO in under 2 minutes, I had my quilt top cut out !


I started to put my quilt top together.  Didn't take pictures.  As soon as I unpack, I will get back to sewing.  I hope to post again in about two hours with a completed top!

Stay tuned . . .  

Blessings, Cathi

Christmas Quilt-A-Long is here ! . . . . .

It is just now 8:30 here on the East Coast.  Sue is in West Yorkshire, UK having her lunch and Paulette is probably still in the bed in British Columbia.

As usual I will be headed to my Stitchin' Friends meeting at 10:00.  Today I am giving a demo on my GoCutter that I won off of Paulette's blog.


I know, not my colors.  They are both made from leftovers.  The block on the left is obviously from the Dresden plate die and the one on the right is from the value die that comes with the cutter.  I am taking a Christmas project with me to work on after the demo is over.

TurfBoy is home for the weekend.  He hasn't been home in months.  I think since homecoming at church back in August.  I hope to spend a little bit of time with him today but mostly I plan on sewing!  


 I have my Christmas Swap project to do still.  Aaaaaggghhh!  And I am hoping to make two stockings for Nelson and Reagan.  They really have been good boys this year.


I hope you will join us today.  If not for the entire day, at least a little Christmas sewing for a little bit.

I will post again when I return from Stitchin' Friends.


Blessings, Cathi

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

It's Christmas quilting all next year ! . . . . .

Announcement, Announcement!

Sue at Quilt Times and I will be co-hosting the Christmas Quilt-A-Long all next year !!


We have big plans for next year.  One of the things that will stay the same is that we will still "meet" on the second Saturday of the month. And the name will stay the same.

We will be offering a free Christmas BOM so at the end of the year, you will have a lovely Christmas sampler quilt.  More information will come out later but we were both too excited to hold this news any longer!

We hope you will all join us in January.  You don't have to sew on a Christmas quilt but maybe a Christmas gift or some ornaments or stockings.  You'll be surprised how much more relaxed you will be come Christmas time when a good bit of your Christmas sewing is finished ahead of time!

Don't forget that this weekend is the final Christmas Quilt-A-Long of the year.  Make sure you pop on over to Sue's blog first thing Saturday morning to join us!

Blessings, Cathi
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Monday, November 8, 2010

12 years in the making . . . . .

Yes, I pieced this top about 12 years ago.


It's been packed and unpacked and moved as one sewing room then became another.  Put into storage and back out again.  All 4 kids have graduated from high school since then.  One was married off.  College graduations have occurred.  Numerous birthdays.  2 new driver's licenses.  Well, you get my point.  

It's finally finished.

Blessings, Cathi
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Friday, November 5, 2010

Seasonal Fruit . . . . .

I just had to share this new free BOM from the Rabbit Factory.


Isn't it just yummy?! 

They will post the free download for each block on their website for the next 4 months.  The first one went up on November first.  So HOP on over there and download your pattern.

Can't you just see this made up in wools?  Yummy !!!
Blessings, Cathi
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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

About the tabs . . . . .

I have finally finished vending at my last show of the year and have time to get back on the blogging wagon.  I would love to show you pictures of the beautiful quilts the ladies in New Bern, North Carolina made but I forgot the camera!  They were just stunning.  The venue couldn't have been better.  Right on the waterfront of the Neuse River.  Sailboats were going by, the sun was out, the water crystal clear.

Several of you have asked about how to put the tabs on the top.   First of all, depending on which template you use, the tabs may look like traditional tabs but others may not.  On my blog, they show up as text. 



Click on any of the text right below my header and you can see lovely pictures of me and my adorable family.  There is another tab with all the quilts I have actually finished in the two years.  Yes, I have finished a few.  Too few.  But that's for another post.

To create your own tabs, click on New Post or go to the Posting tab in Blogger.



See up at the top under Posting ?  There is an option called Edit Pages.  You will get a page like this . . . . 


I am showing you my Primitives blog because I haven't added tabs to that one yet.  You can either click on the New Page button or the words Create a page.

You will get a page that looks VERY similar to your posting page.  


The Page Title is whatever name you want the tab to be . . . . . add your content just like you were writing your post.

When you are finished, click on Publish Page at the bottom.


And you are finished!  I don't know how many tabs (really pages) you can add.  But have fun with it.  If you have any questions, email me or leave a comment and I will try to help.

So why am I telling you all this?  I have exciting news coming soon that has to do with tabs.  Stay tuned!

Blessings, Cathi
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