Two finishes

I finished up two quilts this past week.  The first is this flannel WIP from a few years back.  After a run through the washer and dryer, it looks almost as good as new.

I think it might be my favorite quilt I’ve made, even though while I was making it I wasn’t sure how I felt about the funky fabrics and bright solids.

The purple backing and striped binding really make me love it even more.

The final quilt measures 63 x 78 inches.  It is made from Joann’s flannel and doesn’t have any batting.  It’s a good weight without being too heavy.  In this photo of the binding you can see how I machine attached it with a zig-zag stitch.  I highly recommend this method.

I’ve got another finish from last weekend.  Here is a sneak peak and I’ll be posting about it later this week.

Linking up to Fabric Tuesday and Quilting by the River.

WIP Wednesday

I finished up a quilt a few minutes ago.  It’s a WIP from a few years ago…maybe three?  I let my oldest daughter Bea pick out the fabrics at Joann’s from their “snuggle flannel” fabric section.  I have to be honest, I’m pretty sure she didn’t pick out the backing since it’s purple and purple is my favorite color and has never been anything she likes.

A good striped binding is always my favorite.  I had this one in my stash.

I just did criss-cross quilting with purple thread (three different shades that were close enough to use together) and used up two whole spools from my stash!  Woo-hoo!

I’m also going on a fabric fast.  To keep my favorite shops in business and at the same time encourage you to use your stash, I’ll be giving away a $25 gift certificate to some online shops I frequent over the course of the next year, with a grand finale next August to see how much of a dent I’ve made in my stash.
Anyone who wants to participate can add a link to a finished project to my linky party starting August 7th.  You need to either have a blog or Flickr account and link back to this giveaway on either.  Open to US and international entrants.

To be entered for the prizes, simply look at your stash, then sew something—anything—from it. Past projects cannot be entered. Then either mention this blog post on your blog or in your Flickr description, then link it up. You can enter any finished project that uses fabrics from your stash.  You can purchase Kona white, thread, batting, basting spray, or notions, but no additional fabric.   I won’t be checking up on you, but you get the idea!
For myself, I will abide by the same rules but I can buy fabric needed to meet the requirements for the bees I am in—but nothing extra!!!  I can swap with others.  Also, I will continue getting my two monthly club fabrics.  I want independent fabric stores to stay in business!
What will nearly kill me?  Missing out on Sew Mama Sew.  But I’ve been living my challenge for the past week and it’s been a little tough but I’ll live.  When I decided to challenge myself, I made a frantic & desperate fabric.com purchase of a bunch of Kona solids, Laurie Wisbrun’s Brrr, and some Essex linen.  Now I will be only sewing from stash fabrics. 
I can’t wait to see what people make!  Are you working on a stash project now?  Link it up on the 7th thru the end of the month!
Linking up to WIP Wednesday.

Friday Find #3

These “finds” actually found my daughter.  On her last day of school, she came home with this pretty little canister her teacher had made filled with thimbles and this heart warming letter:

Dear Beatrix,

First, I want to say how much I love your name.  It brings to mind Peter Rabbit and all of Beatrix Potter’s wonderful characters.  I will never forget you.  Then, I want you to know how much I have enjoyed having you in our class this year.  Listening to how much you enjoy sewing, canning and making jelly and jam with your mom is a joy to my heart.  Most children nowadays, even smaller children, are into playing with video games, are on the computer, or some your age even have phones.  Your Mommy has blessed you with the knowledge that you can use throughout your entire life, and pass onto your children and theirs.  Be sure to thank her everyday.

I am giving you a special present.  My children, and so far my grandchildren, have shown no interest in sewing or crafts, which I love and got from my Mommy; therefore, I am starting you off on your own thimble collection.  These are a few of the fun ones that I have.  I hope that you enjoy them and continue collecting your own.  I have thimbles from all over that people have gotten me on their vacations, but Mrs. O’Connor is getting older and I need to begin cleaning out my things.  It’s amazing how much stuff you accumulate over the years.

I wish you a fun-filled summer with your sisters, Mommy and Daddy.  May God bless you all.

Lots of love,

Mrs. O’Connor

P.S.  I’ll be looking for “Quilts by the Cooley Girls.”  So keep on stitching!

Wow, this letter just rocked my whole world.  It got me thinking about how I started this blog a few years ago, when I was getting ready to stay home with my kids.

Three years ago, when I stopped working, I spent a few weeks looking into opening a local quilt shop near my house.  I would have named it The Busy Bee Quilt Shop after my daughter Bea.  I was utterly aghast at the price of rent (and the as the renter I’d have to pay to put flooring, light fixtures, toilets, etc. in), the cost to have a contract with Bernina to sell their machines, and overall how expensive and risky it is to open a small business.   I had enough money saved in my retirement to open a store and pay the bills for eight months.  At the time I had only two children, and now I have another, and I didn’t want to risk all my life savings.  So, I just stayed home instead.  We could live on one income comfortably and safely.

After Bea received this letter, it got me thinking about how it would be the most AWESOME thing in the world to have that shop.  I kind of imagine it being like Dakota and her mom in the “Friday Night Knitting Club” book series, except hopefully I don’t die.  I’d love to have my kids get off the bus at the shop and help me in the evenings.  They can learn to count money and be friendly and have a good work ethic.

So, I still want to do it.  I am going to spend this year living thriftily and simply.  Maybe next year too. 

This year, to celebrate my new commitment to making my dream come true, I am going to be sewing exclusively from my stash and I’m just going to pare down my life.  Like Mrs. O’Connor said, you can really accumulate a lot of stuff.  I have too much.   On August 1st I’m going to kick off my year with a challenge and giveaway.   So stay tuned!

Here are a few of my favorite thimbles from Bea’s collection.

A chicken, an owl, a rabbit with a carrot (don’t worry, his ears aren’t broken off, they are just flattened on the back of his head), a castle on a craggy rock, and another owl.  I love owls!!!

And my friend just returned from a European vacation and brought Bea another owl from Athens, Greece. 

Now we need to find some way to display these on the wall.  I am thinking maybe I’ll find something at Salvation Army one of these days kind of like this typesetter’s drawer I found and use to store my thread.

Here’s a quilt I made when Bea was three (she is six now) and never quilted.  The top has been sitting in my bedroom for four years.

Luckily I made it so big back then that it will still fit her now!  I used spray basting and did not put any batting in it since the top and back are flannel.   My stash challenge goal is to get this quilt done.

Have a great weekend!