Man bibs

Since Dad's surgery he's had a hard time making sure all the food gets into his mouth and not all over him.  I decided to make some Man Bibs - manly bibs he could wear.  I picked out some manly fabrics - like spiders and used the top of an apron pattern to shape Man bibs.  It was fun to figure out a way to help dad, but have him feel manly.

Julie's Quilt

When I worked in Northern California I loved to hang out with and help the office ladies!  Very few mornings went by when I wouldn't stop in and say Hi to Julie Bingham the attendance clerk.  When I left for Southern California Julie & I kept in touch.  It was also around that time that her husband was diagnosed again with cancer.  For about three years they battled the cancer together.  Around the first week of April in 2008 Julie's husband lost his battle with cancer.  I knew that the time was coming and had already begun working on a quilt to send her regardless of what happened.  This is what I sent her:

 The pattern is from the same book as my Jingle all the Way quilt - 11 Laps from Fats. 

 One of the things I did was go back through Julie's posts on their CaringBridge site and pulled out some of the scriptures that gave her strength thoughout her husband's battle with cancer.  Then I embroidered them around the outside of the quilt.

 She loved it and I loved making it!

table runner

I thought I had blogged about a quilt I made for my friend Julie after her husband died, but I guess I haven't yet.  I'll do that soon.  Anyways - I mention that quilt because I made this table runner from the leftovers of her quilt.  I had a lot of tiny triangles that I sewed into tiny squares.  Then I made pinwheels and took what I had and made up a table runner.  I used the left over binding from the big quilt I made to bind this one.  It's very springy!

 

12 Days of Christmas

Two years ago I saw a beautiful Christmas wall hanging (that looked way better than the one above) in a magazine in 2008.  It was called 12 Days of Christmas and was created by Anni Downs from Hatched and Patched in Australia.  I decided I would attempt to make it.  I completed most of it by Christmas 2009, but never quite completed it.  I decided I had to finish it by this Christmas, and so I did.  I didn't get the placement quite right, but it is finished and it hung on my wall for Christmas this year.  I really like Anni Downs' patterns!

Thanksgiving Table Top

Last year Mom & I saw a Thanksgiving Table top at a quilt shop in Utah.  The pattern is by Ashby's attic.  She's created a whole series of these table tops & a whole bunch more!  I've bought several patterns at PineNeedles I found the pattern and finally got around to making it and quilting it myself.  Here it is:

I like it and can't wait to finish my Christmas one!  Then winter, Then Spring and then I'll need to get the other patterns!

Thanksgiving Countdown

Last year I saw a post on Moda Bake Shop for a 12 Days of Thanksgiving Advent Calendar designed by Melissa Mortensen .  I totally wanted to make one, but couldn't find any Thanksgiving/Fall fabric left.  Earlier this year I found some from last year's collection at a quilt shop and scooped it up & here's what I made:

It probably doesn't look the best on this wall because the wall color is similar to the background fabric.  I finished it on the 1st day of the 12 days of Thanksgiving - but I didn't put anything in the pockets.  I really want to think about it and make it meaningful - so now I'll have a whole year to prepare!

I've been working

I've been working on things, but I haven't been taking pictures.  I made a few more of those pool bags, and making some headway on some block of the month stuff.  Right now I'm working on a thanksgiving thing and I will be taking pictures of that when I finish.