Scrap Happy Summer

Welcome to the first Scrap Happy Summer link up. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone has done with their scraps this week. I know this is early but I wanted to make sure Mr. Linky worked since this is my first time trying this. And when it comes to computers if there is a way to mess things up. I'd be the one to do it.
Anyway I made more crumb blocks to add to the ones I made here.

I'm auditioning them with black sashing I think it will make a fun children's quilt. It has N's stamp of approval. I don't know how big I'm going to make it. I still have a ton of crumbs. So either it will get a lot bigger or I'll have several of this crumb cake quilts.

Be sure to link up so we can all see your scrap happy creation. Also be sure you link back here so others can join in the fun. Thanks! And have fun!

A Special Weekend

Today is my DD birthday. To celebrate her special day, her and I went away for the weekend. We went to visit Grandma and Grandpa in St. George. On the way down we stopped at Cove Fort for a picnic and a tour. DD took lots of pictures. I'm sharing all the sewing related ones with you. Here is an old treadle sewing machine and a sewing box. Don't they make you want to sit down in that old rocker, travel back in time and sew with the lady of the house?

This was in the wash room, the balls are old clothes that have been cut into strips.

They would use them to weave into rugs. Waste not want not comes to mind here.

Here is a lovely zig zag quilt. She must have run out of the red about half way through and replaced it with pink.

Don't you just love this scrappy log cabin? You know I do.

All the quilts at the fort were amazing. Here a couple more to share before I go.

I Feel A Change Coming On

First a big thank you to Kristen for her help with the Scrap Happy Summer button. Thanks to her and my neighbor it is up and functioning. Go ahead and grab it and join us in the scrappy fun. Thank you also to Tina and Amy for their help in making this challenge possible. Tina sent a link for a tutorial and Amy has shared her experience with Mr. Linky. Last but not least thanks to Shari for spreading the word. If you have posted about it and I missed it. Let me know so I can thank you also.

Summer is here and summer jobs were hard to find this year in part to the slow economy. So I have lots of strong teenage boys to help me with projects around my home. I've had these ugly shades in my room since we moved in. I've wanted something light and airy. So I had those handy boys of mine take down the old shades and put up a curtain rod.

So I could hang these. I must say I love these and look forward to watching them blow in the breeze. Also on the honey do list are my ugly black doors. Another thing I have hated these since we have moved in. I probably should have repainted them long ago. It wouldn't have been hard, but other things have beat them out, this. No any longer, yesterday N and J started taking them down and painting them. We only have saw horses to do two at a time.

So first we did the closets. Oh I love how much lighter this is making my hall way.

Then they started the door for J's room and the bathroom. It's been interesting not having a bathroom door all day. We do have a bathroom downstairs but there were times one of my kids would say "I'm going to the bathroom don't come down the hall." N said when he has his own house he is not going to have any doors just beads hanging in the doorways. His friend thought that is what we should do in our bathroom. There is a reason 14 year old boys do not make these decisions.

I'm linking up with Amy for sew and tell Friday. I did sew the curtains after all. Make sure you go and check out the other fun finishes.

Scrap Happy Summer Challenge

Well summer has officially began. If you are anything like me, summer is a busy time full of yard work, activities for the kiddies and vacations. Not a lot of time for sewing. But still I need that quilty fix. I don't want to spend the precious little time I have in the sewing room cutting so I've turned to my scraps. If you don't already know I love scraps. I love the mindless sewing I get from them. So I've created a simple challenge. It is summer after all and things should be a little laid back. I call it 'Scrap Happy Summer Challenge.'

Here are the guidelines. We're not having rules here. Like I said it is laid back. Please grab my 'Scrap Happy Summer' button. (I'm looking for help here as to how to add html so it will link back to this post so others can find us and join in the fun.) Then grab your scraps and make something, anything. Maybe some crumb blocks, like these.

Or a summer companion

A bunch of four patches or another simple block like I did here.

Or something improvisational like my 'I'm a Maverick Star'

Anything goes. I told you it was simple and laid back. Then each Wednesday come back here and we will all link up and share what came out of our scrap bag. I'm looking forward to seeing what happy scrappy things you create.

Now like I said I'm also looking for a little help with this. I'm not real computer savvy so I'm looking for a little help with Mr Linky and how to add the html to my button. So if you have done these things and can offer a little insight I'd appreciate it. Thanks! Have a great day!

Dishes

I LOVE DISHES!!!

Almost as much as I love quilts. Their pretty patterns. Their shiny delicate surfaces. What's not to love from these little beauties? I've collected saucers for almost as long as I can remember. I peruse thrift stores and garage sales searching for these timeless treasures. Here are a few I display above my stares. Looks like I need to get up there and space them better. They can get jostled when my children go in and out the back door. But thanks to the slit that my dad put in the quilt rack he made for me they do not fall. Thank goodness.

Here are a few my mom gave me when I was down there last. The one in the lower left corner is one from my grandma's china. I'm thrilled to have it in my collection.

This broken dishes quilt was made by my mom in the I'm guessing 70's. She gave it to me about seven years ago.

At the time it was a sandwich and one corner had been quilted. She gave it to me because of all my sisters I'm the only one that quilts. She figured I was this little quilts only chance at becoming compete. It sat for quite awhile like that. It has a big puffy polyester batting and I didn't want to mess with it. If you remember that is why N made his quilt. He wanted that puffy stuff and I refused to make a quilt with it. So my mom's quilt sat. Then one day while rummaging through some things I saw it again. I pulled it out and thought I really should finish this. But there was no way I was quilting it. So I grabbed some cream colored yarn and tied it. And before to long I had a finished quilt. My family loves this quilt. Amazing considering my male heavy household and the colors in the quilt. But it goes camping with us and on picnics. It makes a great wall for a cave under the ping pong table. It is also good for snuggling under while watching TV. Here you can see my mom's little quilting stitches and my lazy tie job.

Sew and Tell Friday

I haven't had a lot of time for sewing this week, but I did manage a few little finishes. This little block is for Jennifer. It's her month to be the queen bee in The Stitchin' Bee. She sent beautiful fabrics and asked for a block with an organic feel. I took some inspiration from Joyce and made this block. I enjoyed the curved piecing and wonder if I should have done more of it. In Joyce's block she had a tree but I thought these lovely oranges needed to be flowers.

I was also able to get my modern siggy blocks done. I am so excited for this exchange. Can't wait to see what I get back.

Make sure you check out Amy's blog for all the other wonderful Sew and Tell. Hope you all have a great weekend.

Em

Twinkle Twinkle

Remember my wishing stars? I made them to teach one of my classes at Panguitch. I really enjoyed the lovely ladies in my Harvest Sky class. I enjoyed the ladies in the Sugar and Spice class also. But airhead that I am I forgot to take pictures of their lovely work. But a light came on at the end of this class and I remembered to take pictures. Here is one of Robyn's blocks.
This scrappy beauty belongs to Julie

The light just went off in my head. I can't remember this sweet ladies name. But I can tell you she is the lovely E's mother in law. Who by the way I got to meet at the Quilt Walk. Along with her sweet little girl. Who you could hear calling her grandma all the way down the hall. It was so cute. Thanks to E I now know her name. This is Patti's block. So sorry Patti for forgetting your name.

And this fabulous one is by E's, Aunt Marilyn. Don't you just love the wavy center in the star.

Thank you ladies for taking my class. I hope you had as much fun as I did. It was so nice to meet you and spend the day with each of you.

Friendly Finds

I had a delightful time at the Panquitch quilt walk. Met some truly wonderful people. Here I am with Nedra and Nanette. Two very wonderful ladies. I spent the afternoon chatting with Nanette and her son. Nanette is a kind and generous person. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to meet her in person.

Nedra was teaching a class while Nanette and I chatted. Then I taught my class so I did not get much of a chance to talk with her. But imagine my surprise while I was garage saleing with my parents after quilt walk and came upon Nedra's garage sale. I spotted this awesome find before I knew I was at Nedra's, a fabulous antique ironing board. Then I looked up and saw Nedra in her doorway. I'm so thrilled that I was able to find this great treasure. I've been looking for one since I used my friend's in a craft booth. This one is even more special because it came from Nedra.

The Wishing Stars Worked

I had my doubts but miraculously I got everything done. Yeah for the wishing stars. Didn't realize they were that powerful, but I'm sure glad they were.

The Rendezvous was a success. check

Met with the advisor at school to get ready to go back to college. check

Got the quilt ready for my class in Panguitch. check

And the one for shop hop just needs to be bond.

Wooo it's been a busy couple of weeks. But so worth it.

Tender Mercies

I have a very full heart today. Have you ever heard the saying? "The Lord hears and answers our prayers but it is usually through the hands of another." I had that experience today. My day did not have the best of starts. Someone that has never liked me and has no qualms of letting that be known accosted me this morning. I've learned it is best just to walk away from this person. So while they yelled their hateful words at me I just turned and left. I called a friend for comfort which she willingly gave. Thank you dear friend.

Later when I went out to show my DD where I needed her to weed this morning I found this most wonderful package on my doorstep. Totally unexpected from my dear bloggy friend, Karen. How did you know dear friend that this would be the day that I would need this beautiful pick me up. Maybe this is why you have had so many postie blues lately. It was known that this package needed to make it's arrival on a different day. See all the beautiful fabric

And a fabulous pattern to go with it.

Thank you dear Karen for listening to that little voice that told you to do this most appreciated kindness. You have truly brightened my day.

Have you had a tender mercy recently? I would love for you to share it. It would help me so much to take my mind off the yucky that happened this morning.

Thanks,

Em

Adding To The Library

As you may remember I bought this book recently. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!!

Well my dear Hubby knows it is a dream of mine to go to Australia and take a class at Material Obsession. Since for the time being it will remain a dream he did the next best thing and got me this wonderful book. WEE!!! See me do the happy dance.

Then I had to get something for DD on Amazon and if I spent $25 the shipping was free. Well this book was the perfect amount to make the purchase $25. So I just had to get it. I know you understand.

So my quilting book library is happily growing. As is the list of quilts I want to be sewing. Oh what a wonderfully vicious cycle I'm in. You won't hear me complaining.

Boy meets Girl

With all my running this week I didn't think I would have anything for sew and tell. And while this is not a complete finish. I did finish 3 quilts with the 4th graders on Tuesday and Wednesday. You can read about that in the previous post.

I have been working to get ready for Panguitch. I couldn't decide if I should make the sample for my class a boy quilt of a girl quilt. I've made both. While I was out showing my quilt to local shops someone thought it would make a fun grandma quilt if I combined the two. So that is what I did. I made a bunch of boys.

Then I made a bunch of girls.

And I put them all together in with 30's prints. Seemed fitting for a grandma quilt. Now I just need to find a boarder. I'm hoping JoAnn's will have something that will work. I couldn't find anything in my stash or my sweet neighbor across the street that also quilts. (Found that out on the first day I moved in when she brought dinner over for my family and she had quilting pins stuck in her shirt. I asked her if she quilts and she asked how did you know that. I pointed out the quilting pins and we were fast friends.) Anyway I'm without a car today and JoAnn's is only 2 miles away so I'll bike there and pray I can find something that will work. Wish me luck.

Rendezvous

I've been enjoying myself at the 4th grade Mountain Man Rendezvous. There was trading.

Beading

And tying of quilts.

They also made ice cream, butter, mosaics, and rope. They heard tall tales and played pioneer games. I was busy helping the kids tie quilts so I couldn't make it to those stations for pictures. But I'm pretty sure everyone had a fun time.