Give Me Liberty!

Some friends of mine are hosting a sew-along with Liberty fabric. The "finish" deadline of whatever you want to make is in about a week and there will be a link up then. I can't wait to see all of the beautiful Liberty projects. I ordered a small scrap pack along with a yard of Anna Maria Horner's cotton/linen blend to join the party!

These are the blue and greens from the package.
** One of these fabrics is not Liberty, can you guess which one? **. The first comment that guesses correctly gets a prize!

I'm going to English Plastic piece some hexagons and make a table runner. Did you catch the "plastic" my EPP friends? I got a package of plastic (reusable) hole in the middle hexis with my 40%off coupon! Anxious to see how these work out. Until now I have cut my own papers and the sides always seem to be a tiny bit off. I even have a hexi ruler thingy but can't get them perfect. Clare would say that is ok because you can fudge with it when you stitch them together but I've seen her work up close and let me tell you it is perfect and lies completely flat as a pancake on the seams. She's amazing! Where was I? Oh yes I have my materials and I'm ready to join the party. But first.....another party.....Mom's still here and her birthday is tomorrow so I am throwing her a dinner party tonight with 8 of my close friends that she now knows too. She's doing the cooking - is that tacky? Ha! She makes fantastic tacos so she will do the meat and shells and the rest of us will be contributing food and drinks. It will be merry! I have pink decorations (her favorite color) ready to go. I envision doing a little modge-podge party favor project this morning but I'm not sure. If I'm successful I'll post pictures.

My IPhone won't store anymore pictures for some reason so my picture taking has slowed down a bit. While I don't have a picture of Duke for this post, let me assure you he is still as CUTE as ever!!!

Kris

April bee blocks for Deb!

I've made the April Bee Blocks for my bee mate and friend, Deb from Life on the Selvage edge.. It's helped me realize I need more low volume fabrics in my stash. I'm generally not drawn to them but I do see how they compliment the wild colors that I like so much!

Found these cut little felt clothes pins at Michael's. Our new Gig Harbor Michael's just opened yesterday! Mom and I HAD to go. It was a big event in our small town.

Many of these low volume squares are "Comma" fabrics from a charm pack which I recently scored locally at ArtCo in Tacoma. The center triangles are two of my favorite lines from Anna Maria Horner and Violet Craft.

Fuzzy pink sewing socks were in order for Deb - since they match her blocks so well!

Speaking of low volume, here is a quilt I saw on flickr (name in bottom right corner) that really inspired me! Mary at "Molly Flanders" does a beautiful clam shell pillow with hand quilting that I adore. Have you seen Mary's blog? You must!

Here is Mary's pillow. Don't you just love all of the inspiration on line?

<3 Kris

I see quilts everywhere!

We took my Mom to the Tacoma glass museum. That first picture is tiny pieces of glass - amazing! All of these photos are of glass. Just stunning, really. And some quilt inspiration.

Jack had a recorder recital. It was very cute. They all sound so much better on their recorders at the end of 5th grade than they did those early days of 4th grade. Just when the recorders were officially retired (yesterday), Jack takes out his home recorder at 8 am this morning to play a tune. Me: "What are you doing?" Jack: "I feel like playing a song." My Mom: rolls her eyes at me and gives Jack a big smile and says, "that sounds great!"

Jack isn't the only one feeling the love from Grandma. Duke is her new couch buddy! She fluffs the blanket just so, then calls him to come sit by her - which at first he didn't used to do, but now, he is happy to oblige. He has more treat bag varieties on the kitchen counter than he had all last year! He even had a little pasta in his dog food last night. I was sure he would leave it but nope, he licked the bowl clean!

We have many projects underway. I have lots to blog about!

Kris

Thank you Clare!

I've already exchanged emails with Clare thanking her for the beautiful mini quilt and the awesome surprise for my boy, Duke! Isn't it gorgeous? I was thrilled to win it from her blog give away. The mailman delivers to our house first, then to our shop 8 doors down. He told my husband, "Your wife got a package from overseas." Whoo hoo I knew what that was! It now sits on an antique table in my entryway along with Jack's roses art piece, which I framed. Duke's beautifully stitched patch is soon to become part of his newest scarf.

Mom and I are sprucing up the porch for springtime. She's also hard at work on her coasters and her circles. Today she sewed a circle through the fabric to her sweatpants! She also said, "I hope I finish this before I die." We are laughing our way through her visit. Isn't she sweet here baking peanut butter cookies? She has always been quite the baker. I've worked some more on the skateboard quilt and I have THREE circles sewn on my circle quilt. It's practically done!! (Not really, of course). It's the hoop hanging on my fabric shelves. Mom has bought two wall clocks since staying with me. Apparently we didn't have enough of them. I'm getting used to the "tick, tick, tick" in our upstairs bathroom. Our latest find was a steal at TJ Max - $13! It's the new clock in the living room. It's great during the day but in the evening you can't see the face of it! We've gotten a good laugh out of what a "find" it was! :-) Between my cell phone and my iPad I always know what time it is.

It's time to sew!

Kris

X and Plus Top is Finished!

I'm excited to have a big finish to link up to Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts.

I hand stitched those strips last night while watching Psych - our favorite family show. I went with pink and purple after my IG friends voted on various colors! It's always nice to get feedback from friends. It's like we are all gathered around my kitchen table, deciding, when in reality we are all over the world.

It's rather colorful - I know this, but I do love it! It's so me!!

I have decided that my next quilt is going to be completely different fabrics - more blue, less pink and more small prints. Liberty perhaps? I've already started posting pics on IG. You can see them in my sidebar, possibly.

Dad has returned to Dallas but my Mom is still here for two more weeks. We are busy sewing. What fun! She also pitched some whiffle balls to Jack yesterday. I HAD to photograph that! I can't think of anything she wouldn't do for her grandsons and her grand dog.

Mom sewed a coaster for Duke that she is calling his "treat mat"! Crumbs? No problem! Chomp away, Duke!!

KrisCrazy Mom Quilts.

Skateboards WIP

I've started making blocks for Jack's skateboard quilt. He made a pattern for me - last summer! Better late than never. My Mom is helping - anything for her grandson. We were skater Mom and skater Grandma at a Seattle park yesterday. One of Jack's favorite pro-skaters was there - our lucky day!

We had clam chowder at THE best chowder place on Post Ally in Pike's Place Market. I got the special which had chorizo in it. Yum! I was impressed with myself for finding the way from the skatepark to Pike's Market. I only turned the wrong way down a one way street once! It explains the strange look a guy on the corner gave me as I turned right - to come face to face with traffic... Oops!

Back in the harbor with our boats in the water and traffic always going in both directions we are having a sewing day. Mom made coasters! She was going to make a rug but took the easy way out. Sshhh!

Have you seen the Liberty Sew Along with Krista? Go here for details! Nicole is her partner in crime - it sounds like fun so of course, I'm in, and there is a deadline which always keeps me on track.

I think it's time to make a list of my WIPs again!

;-). Kris

Road Trip

We had a great weekend in Oregon visiting Mitch at Willamette. Mitch gave my parents the grand tour of his campus. It was fun seeing his room again. Why isn't it this clean and organized when he is home? What really surprised me was that he put a picture of his Dad and me in the center of his desk. (Ok yes I sent him the picture after he had left but I thought it would end up in a drawer!). He even promised that he hadn't put it there that morning. ;-). He really does love us! His room has quite an ambiance with the flag over the overhead light, Christmas lights and a fireplace - with jazz music playing on his turntable. What a life...

We stopped at Battleground Skatepark on the way down and had a picnic. Mom and Dad couldn't remember their last picnic. I had fun showing them the ropes of a family member of a "skater".
-don't cross the park in front of other skaters' lines
-don't shout for Jack, it embarrasses him
-dress warm, but avoid bright colors
-get the shot by the third try, at least!

I did get my 30 minutes in a quilt store on the trip. Love this one in downtown Salem. The shop dog (standard poodle) was 9 that day so customers received a 9% discount.
I'm cutting it up for an EPP project for skateboard parks.

Then it was back home for a Mariners vs. Rangers game.

It's Spring Break - skateparks...here we come!

Kris