Christmas is in the air...

Hello Everyone,

It's never too early to start projects for Christmas.  That is what I've been doing this week.  All of the quilting instructors at the shop had to decide what we are going to teach for the summer class schedule.  I'm going to be focusing on Christmas in July!  Start those Christmas projects now to relieve some of the stress during the Holidays.  This quilt is called Midnight Star and I'll be teaching this class in July.  The quilt is from the book called Comfort and Joy by Mary Hickey.  It is a great book that will inspire you to make more than one quilt.  This was my first attempt quilting a cable and feather border.  This was small enough that I wasn't too intimidated.....but it was a challenge.

I've also been working on my own design called Toyland Tree.  Remember this is the one that I switched all of the backgrounds to black.  It was late one night when I changed this little guys shoes to candy canes fabric. I'm having the best time choosing the fabrics for this quilt!  All of the checks, plaids, polka dots are just plain FUN to work with.

What little girl wouldn't like to ride a pink polka dot pony?  I'll work on all of the faces another time.  Embroidery isn't my strong suit, so I'll have to figure something out.

The Christmas Quilt Along is this Saturday.  Click here for details.  Sue, from Quilt Times is hosting the event this month.  Select some fabric and patterns and start on a project for someone special.  Or, find one of your unfinished projects from a Christmas past, and work on it this Saturday.  You'll be glad you did when December rolls around.....all too soon!

As always,

Lynn

Through Emily's Eyes

Hello Everyone,

Just because you haven't heard from me in the last couple days doesn't mean I haven't been quilting. Just the opposite, I will have quite a bit to show you for the next couple of days.

I had a fun day Saturday with my 8-year-old granddaughter, Emily.  She was born with congenital cataracts and then developed glaucoma. After several major operations at the age of 3-months and multiple (so many I've lost count) procedures at UCSF medical center in San Francisco with a world-renown specialist, Emily can see well enough to make yo-yo's!  She can even use a sewing machine to make hour-glass units.  There was a time we never thought this would be possible. 

I started making a quilt out of Kim Diehl's latest book call Simple Graces.  I own every book Kim has written.  I love her style and her sense of grace in her quilts.



Emily and I spent the afternoon upstairs in my quilting room playing with Grammy's toys.  She went right to work selecting the nine fabrics she needed for each block.  She didn't need any assistance at all in selecting her fabrics.  In fact, she did a better job than I did!  She would tell me what colors we didn't have and what we needed to include.

She always selected the fabric for her center yo-yo first and worked from there.  She had an excellent eye for color and I saw this quilt for the first time through Emily's eyes.  She added a spark to it that wasn't there before.  My blocks were drab and hers were vibrant and beautiful!

She counted each stitch and knew exactly when she had completed the whole circle.  It was a day well-spent and one of those days that she is going to remember when she is my age. 

 

One day, this will be Emily's quilt.  She wants to work on it every time she comes to Grammy's house.  I could see the passion she had while she worked. I could hear the desire in her voice to come over everyday after school and make more yo-yo's.  Another life-long quilter is in the making!

Spend the day with a child and you'll will be surprised just how much they can teach YOU.

As always,

Lynn

Gifts in the Mail

Hello Everyone,

I received a very nice surprise last week from Julie in Tallahassee. Julie was the winner of The Wilder Family Cookbook giveaway.  She made me a "mug rug" for the new coffee mug she sent me!   Look at all of the detail in the spool of thread.  It is a beautifully quilted "Spoolie Bird" of Julie's own design.  I have it right by my computer where I enjoy my first cup of coffee every morning.  It is so cute that I don't want to put my new mug on it in fear of a little spillage. 

Julie and her sister Edie made this adorable needle case.  I never had a needle case!  This is going to be a permanent fixture in my quilting basket that I will take everywhere with me.

I virtually 'met' Julie and Edie on the Internet when they both signed up for my Party in the Garden BOM.  A few notes, emails, comments on the blog, and a quilting friendship developed through the words that were written in the  notes that were exchanged.  Thank you both so much for the gifts.  I really appreciate them.

I'm off to the shop this morning for the March Madness Shop Hop.  Click here for details.  While you are there, check out the free pattern the shop is offering for the Quilt Shop Carousel. Go to all of the shops listed, register with each shop on the Internet, and collect all free twelve patterns.   Let the HOPPING begin!

As always,

Lynn