A Thrifty, Gifty, Bonanza

One trip to the mailbox and one garage sale trip and I'm a trip happy girl. Last week during the deadly headache I received a package from Stacy of My Two Cold Feet. I won a giveaway on her blog which was for some fabric and yarn, but look what arrived. This whole bunch of goodies. Stacy, you'll notice the prickly pear cactus jam is missing. Well, it's gone, eaten, enjoyed and it was scrumptious. We loved it! She even sent some pieces of her great grandmother's fabric. Those dots are flocked. Is that not the coolest! I'll be sure and use those in something very special! Thanks so much Stacy for your generous gift. I love it all!





















I went garage sale shopping with my hubby on Saturday and did a few thrift stores too. Usually I'm looking at the Thrifted Tuesday group pictures on flickr with serious thrift envy. Where do folks find all those great things? Well, I finally scored a few things.
1. Flower power curtains for 50 cents a panel. There were 8 panels. I only bought four. This lady must have had her whole house done in these curtains. They are huge. So much fabric for only $2.00 total and I think it's so 70's flower power!
2. Three sets of knitting needles. Each set 99 cents. I knew I was getting yarn from Stacy...but I don't know how to knit. So all you knitting wizards...what did I buy? Green ones are 4.5mm US 7, gold are 4.25mm 6, and the blue are USA 8. HELP?! What does it mean and can I make a scarf using them and the yarn from Stacy?
3. Two huge pieces of polka dotted flannel $1.00 each.
4. Vintage tablecloth with strawberries cut into 36 6" squares $2.00. Can you see those as a picnic quilt!
5. Pyrex bowls $2.00.
6. Fire King casserole, and bowls for $2.00 each. Is that a bonanza or what!

One of the sales we stumbled onto was an estate sale. The lady of the house had to be a quilter. The basement was filled to the brim with boxes of fabric. I spent all the time I had going through the boxes picking out the fabric I might use. The hubby grew impatient and dragged me out of the basement. I could have spent the whole day. There were so many boxes I didn't get to touch. I got a bunch of fabric for a couple of dollars. It was weird, though. I felt a bit like I was digging through someone else's stash without permission. I got over it and walked away with some fabric I will definitely put to use. Pictures to come soon. (fabric is in the washer!) Oh, and there was one piece I was so in love with it's already cut and half made into a baby quilt. It's wonderful how great fabric can inspire creativity!

Handkerchief Garden

Sometimes it takes just a small thing to set the day right. 70 degrees today. That means...open windows...a refreshing breeze fluttering through the house...an extended walk with Fudge...lingering over the mail on the front porch...grilling dinner on the back porch. Even if it is just for a day...I'm making the most of it.
Thought I'd share what I've been collecting.
Most of them are from thrift stores or flea markets. I think I have 20 or so. They are all florals of some kind. A few have scalloped edges or are edged with delicate handwork. I think they are beautiful. I hope to use these in a quilt. I'm thinking of how to take something vintage and fragile looking and integrate it into something more modern and utilitarian.

This is one of my favorites.








I have been sewing just a bit. Continuing to add to the collection of pinwheels. Many more to go if this is going to be a quilt for my bed.
I showed my hubby the floral fabric....not a good reaction. He's so NOT a flower guy. I've been resigned to that over the years, but I thought I could sneak these in. Maybe not.













More pinwheel construction tonight. Hope the sun is shining where you are!

Quilt Wrestling...AKA Machine Quilting

What an enjoyable weekend! Finally, the weather guys got it right. Both Saturday and Sunday were warm and sunny. It was soul filling to spend some time outside in the sunshine, walking in the woods and enjoying nature. I found many signs that spring is just around the corner. The forsythia bushes are plump and just waiting for a few warm days strung together. For now, we're back in a chill, but those warm days are on the way. Had a lovely dinner with my parents and my oldest son was able to come out and join us as well. Had a family movie night and watched the latest Harry Potter movie.
It was a weekend of quilting and sewing too. I had a chance to try machine quilting for the very first time on my mom's Bernina. I think I've said before...I have sewing machine envy. That is one slick machine. I started with this Hop, Skip and a Jump quilt that has been in the closet since January. It's small, and I figured a good candidate for my first attempt. I grid quilted it alternating between two inches and three inches apart. I know the pictures aren't great, but you get the idea. (Click on the pics and you can get a closer view!)
I like the pattern that the grid formed. It wasn't too difficult. I had a few problems. In a couple of places the stitches got very small. It must have been something I was doing. I got out the seam ripper and did them over. I also had time to get the binding attached. I just have to hand sew it onto the back and this one can be added to the completed list. YEAH! I chose a Denyse Schmidt print for the back. I think it's a nice surprise.
The next quilt I tried machine quilting was the Disappearing Nine Patch. This one is much larger than the first one and here's where the quilt wrestling started.
Here are a couple of pictures of the quilting so far. Can you see it? I did 5 out of the 12 blocks. There was so much turning of the quilt that I found this very difficult. Maybe this is the kind of quilting that is better done with a free motion method. Right now I'm not sure if I'm liking it. I think it needs more, but I'm not sure what to add. I tried to quilt so as to emphasize the figure eight shapes that are formed when the nine patch is arranged this way. I think I have to reserve judgment until it is completed. I will say, my back is sore. It was hard to relax being both unfamiliar with the sewing machine and machine quilting in general.
Since I'm back with my own sewing machine today, I spent some time on a new project. A couple of weeks ago my hubby and I went to a great antique shop in the River Market in Kansas City. He found two bags of vintage fabric squares for a dollar a bag. Needless to say, I made the purchase. Most of the fabric was feedsack, but there were about 50 two inches squares of shirting stripes. So what can be done with that? Here's what I've done so far.
I had a lot of fun crazy piecing with these. I have an idea...I won't share what I'm going to do with these....wait a few days and see what I come up with. I think they are so FUN! Have a great week everyone!

Yippee! I Found It!!!

Sometimes the weather guys just don't tell you to STAY HOME! I was out running errands and went into the grocery store (cold and windy). Came out of the grocery store (blizzard conditions!) Now the weather guy said there might be a "dusting" of snow today. Driving the regular 10 minutes home took 40 minutes. Lots of folks stuck on hills and spinning out all over. Does anyone else go crazy that folks drive in this kind of weather without their lights on!!!! Couldn't see but a few feet in front of the car. Enough said.


I stopped by Half Price Books this morning (before the snow incident). I love this store. You just never know what you might find. Well, I found a quilt book (Quilt Style Cool and Cozy Coverlets by Tammy Tadd) with a pattern called Hanky Panky which uses vintage hankies in a quilt. I have this collection that I have always wanted to incorporate into a quilt, but I didn't know how to do it. I think this is something I could accomplish and I love how it looks. Only problem is...having to cut into those hankies. Now that is going to be tough to do. This project definitely goes on the things to make list.