Barbie turns 50!

Barbie is 50 years old on Monday! She doesn't look a day over 20, except she lost the pinky finger on her left hand. I don't remember how. She's wearing the original top, but I lost the skirt that goes with it.

My 1st Quilt of Valor

I've assembled all of the red HeartStrings blocks into this top. It's soon on it's way to California where it will be quilted, finished, and given to a wounded soldier.

Thanks to Dawn Ramirez for contributing her scraps so I could make this. It's my 2nd HeartStrings top.

Solids and Sheers

This is what I'm doing with my solids and sheer fabrics. I saw this idea in a magazine years ago. If the fabric is sheer, I just double it up and use 2 as 1. I can also use up some leftover batting. After sewing the strip on top of the previous one, I cut a long strip of batting, roll it up, and stitch it down.

Talk about Vintage!

I received these ladies from an estate sale. I'm thrilled to tell you that they have found a perfect home. They are joining some of their distant relatives who are gathering together to complete a quilt for a very special woman.

My attempt at knitting

I've knitted straight scarves and blocks, but never got the courage to attempt anything that increased or decreased. When I made a mistake, there's no way I can pick up the stitch and keep going. I guess crochet is more forgiving to ripping out and starting again, so I stuck with crochet all these years.

My 2nd counted cross stitch

This has hung on a wall someplace wherever I've lived. The edges aren't bound, it's not framed, just another one of my early projects that is now a UFO.

Since I'm showing my firsts,

this was the first counted cross stitch I did, and the last one I swore I'd do. However, I did make up a design for my favorite friends saying, and one other huge name sign. I'll have to dig out that photo. It was a hundred squares an inch, I think, and the frame was about 2 feet by 1 foot.

Great Grandma's UFO

I had four of these blocks that were given to me and were made by my Great Grandmother Carey sometime in the late 1800's. I shared two with another relative, and this shows the back of one and the top of the other. These have to be one of the oldest UFOs today.

A surprise UFO!

This UnFinished Object was a great surprise to find. I have no idea what year I made it, but it was the absolute first blocks I tried to quilt on. I thought I had lost it several moves ago! Maybe there's hope finding the baby quilt center UFO.

Why I Don't Do Hand-piecing!

My first hand-pieced block of one inch squares (Postage Stamp size). I believe each row I added changed the shape of the block, so I'm going to stop here for now.

Thread Catcher

I got this pattern from Leanne at The Stitching Room. I cut out a dozen and did the construction stitching before leaving on a recent flight. They are so much fun to make and can be used for many other things. I finished ten of them and have been handing them out for special thank yous. Check out http://thestitchingroom.blogspot.com

My 2nd Set of Happy Blocks: 1st Top

Since I'm now on my 3rd Heartstrings Quilt Project, I suppose I'm not considered a newbie anymore.

2nd HeartStrings Blocks

2 layouts - same blocks These blocks will soon be in the mail to Sue. I think I'm still ahead on my 365 blocks for 2009!

My First HeartStrings Blocks

This is a quilt I'm making for a very special teenaged boy who recently survived a horrible experience. I wanted it to be calming with greens and blues, with touches of warmth throughout. This is the center of the quilt: I haven't decided yet what's going to be added next!

Only 3 blocks to go!

My first Happy Blocks quilt! I only need three more blocks to make a child's quilt. I had most of the novelty blocks cut out and some of the frames, but most of this was done from New Year's Eve around 6pm to today, January 1st, 2009! This will be sent to HeartStrings Quilt Project to be quilted and donated to a children's hospital.

New Year's Eve Cyber Slumber Party!

On New Year's Eve and Day, there is a worldwide slumber party going on. Heartstrings Quilt Project group will be making Happy Blocks during January and February. To kick it off, many of us are joining in the cyber party and begin stitching on them at the stroke of midnight--2009. I'll be keeping track of my progress throughout that period right here on this blog, as well as checking in with others in various quilt groups who have joined. I'd love to hear from you!

My Abstract Challenge for December2008

I'm in the process of transfering this sketch into an eight inch square piece of fabric. The Abstract Challenge group offers a new concept each month. No prizes. No rewards. No mailing. It's just to enjoy how everyone interprets the same topic and give us a challenge to think outside the box. December's topic is: Beginnings and Endings

Painted Tile on Wall

Knowing that this bathroom would eventually be totally remodeled, I decided to paint faux tile across the top of the tub surround. I'm planning on using bead board over the original sheetrock anyway. I didn't want to spend any money, so I just painted the wall.

Baby Crib Bench

This was the first baby crib I transformed into a bench. It was my husband's and his brother's bed and I made it for their Mom. Now that she's downsized, I get to keep it for me! It will definitely need some decorative painting and the baby shoes hung someplace else!

Claude's New UFO

I found this UFO after thinking it was long gone. It's one of the first pieced quilts I made, and thought I would hand quilt it. It's basted together, most of the center is quilted. I used a large wood hoop to hold it. (A UFO is an UnFinished Object.)