Christmas Reading Pillow

This is the reading pillow that I gifted to my college granddaughter who LOVES to read.  Reading pillows are the latest rage in the field of machine embroidery.  There are oodles of sayings and designs found in etsy shops that can be downloaded almost immediately. The girl on the books is from Jazzy Zebra on etsy.  I think the words are also from her but with so much looking and shopping, I am somewhat fuzzy about that.  I backed the book pocket with fusible fleece before embroidering.  The rest of the fabric is back with a lightweight fusible.  There is a zipper in the back but most of the pillows are made by overlapping in the pocket.  The pillow was completed with my serger. The fabric is amazing from Artisan Spirit Expressions by Northcott.  I used a very large panel.  My granddaughter was thrilled with the gift!!

Under my Needle

This Santa Claus is being stitched on a red table runner.  The design is titled Guilded Christmas from Anita Goodesign.  There are many great designs in the collection.  A surprise gift for a secret sister!

Elephant Parade

This cute quilt is washed and dried and ready to give to our local quilt guild for their quilts for kids project.  I found the patterns on a blog called sewfreshquilts.  In 2015 she used the patterns for a quilt along. Lorna designs cute animals patterns that are pieced. The Wednesday Sewing Group agreed to make some blocks and gave them to me to finish. The quilt approximately 50" x 52".  The backing is a soft lavender flannel.  Thank you Lorna and the Wednesday Sewing Group.  The Elephant Parade is officially in the finished category.

Llama Vest

My new llama vest!!  I started with a white vest that I purchased online for less than $20.  Then ice-dyed it with dry fiber reactive dyes in chartreuse, peach, and glacier blue.  The chartreuse ended up being more of a mustard color but it is interesting.  The result was much brighter than I liked, so I threw it into the washer with some bleach and made it a little lighter. Then the embroidery started with Anita Goodesign's Llamas. I used a plethora of Isacord thread colors and many metallics I have collected through the years. I am extremely pleased with the result and am anxiously waiting for a place to wear it.

Deanne's Sewing Machine

Nine friends and I just returned from a trip to Paducah for the Quilt Show.  We had three ladies in the group who had never been to the show and that is always fun. We saw Eleanor Burns at her hour show that previewed her new quilts.  Then we saw her again at a small gathering on Friday evening where she answered questions and talked about her life adventures.  We shopped in old town Paducah, visited Kirchoff's Deli three times, checked out the Quilt Museum, stopped at the Rotary Building, spent money at Hancock's of Paducah, ate at Patty's, shopped the vendors in the convention center and dome, and saw the quilt display and winners.  I ate strawberries and ice cream from the Boy Scout.  I was going to share the bowl with a friend but it disappeared before I could share. LOL

Deanne stayed with me for a day of sewing before heading to Paducah and then stayed an extra day when we returned on Saturday.  It was snowing in Amarillo, so her son suggested she wait to come home.  Sunday was another sewing day as we made this zipper bag.  The pattern comes from Disorderly Threads on Etsy.

It has been a fun week with nine quilting friends.  We shared a ten-person cabin in the Kentucky Lakes area.  Looking forward to the next time.

An Old Friend

This table runner was given to a friend as an Easter hostess gift.  I just kept looking at it yesterday because it was just so pretty.  The designs are from a group called Hop To It but I can not find the disk or the directions. I was able to find it at a shop by googling the title.  I must have been in my purple mood when I made this.

Embroidered Bag

This handbag is the latest rage right now on one of my embroidery sites.  It is reversible and $10 from WalMart.  Sewing friends are purchasing it to then embroider their initials. There are also directions for lining the bag. The initials I used are from JuJu.  I used silver metallic thread because I have more to add to this project.  It will match with a black denim jacket that I decorated with Belagio crystals. 

Sewing Machine ITH Zipper Bag

Another project for those with an embroidery machine. This is a project that is entirely in the hoop, including the zipper. The bag is fully lined, has thin batting, and has no visible seams on the inside. I did change the center of the small oval in the original design to an "J" because this is my bag. I only had to stitch the lining closed with hand sewing. The zippered bag is approximately 5.5" x 7.5" and can be ordered from Disorderly Threads. She has many other designs but I only purchased the tennis shoe and the sewing machine. The directions for making the project are excellent step-by-step explanations with photos. I love this project.

Elvis HIghtop In-the-Hoop Zippered Bag

Elvis shows his face in this hightop tennis shoe.  This is a project that is almost entirely in the hoop, including the zipper. The bag is fully lined, has thin batting, and has no visible seams on the inside. I did change the star in the original design to an "S" for the person receiving this bag.The directions are excellent and I only had to stitch the lining closed with hand sewing. The zippered bag is approximately 5.5" x 7.5" and can be ordered from Disorderly Threads. She has many other designs but I only purchased the tennis shoe and the sewing machine. It was a fun project.

Two Finishes

After being slow to get quilty things finished, I have a baby quilt, a barn quilt, and took a quilt and backing to my longarm quilter.  The barn quilt (a quilt block painted on a board) was completed last Saturday at a class.  The instructor had primed the square and drew the block on.  He showed us how to paint the block and helped whenever needed.  Less than four hours later, it was complete. I am anxious to get it hung.

The baby quilt is flannel and is a pattern called Quartered Stripes from Missouri Star Quilt Company. One of my quilt friends directed a class on this pattern.  The fabric is called Noah's Ark from Blank quilting.  The backing and binding is also flannel in a green-on-green polka dot. This pattern is not difficult if you are careful with the bias in the middle of each square.  The quilt measures 43" x 35".  Most people add a border print but I chose not to do that.

Barn Dance Quilt

Barn Dance quilt top is finished!!  This has been a long journey.  All of the barns are digitized for a top of the line embroidery machine.  The barns must be multi-hooped.  This set of designs was originally for hand embroidery.  After much fuss with a digitizer who did not know how to function with big designs, we had to finish the designs ourselves.  Barn Dance is available from Prairie's Edge Patchworks. My quilt background is manilla grunge and most of the other fabric is Kansas Troubles.  The quilt measures approximately 82"x102".  It will be a delight to have it quilted.

Rare Bear

This is my unstuffed Rare Bear.  "There are over 15 million children in the US that suffer from a rare disease.  These children are often misdiagnosed and/or do not have medicines available for them.  30% of these children die before their 5th birthday."  Volunteers make one-of-a-kind bears for these children. Rare bears will have a serial number specifically made for a child in the Rare Bear Program. My bear is headed for California tomorrow to be stuffed and then complete his mission.  You can be a part of this effort by contacting the Rare Bear website: www.rarescience.org.