Crazy Quilt Tree

This is one of the themed Christmas trees on permanent dispaly at the Hallmark Visitors Center in Kansas City, MO.


This tree really caught my attention. I enjoy crazy quilts and love the embroidery and embellishment. This item was completed in 1982. The banner behind the tree states that employees of Hallmark completed the tree after Mr. J.C. Hall {Hallmark Founder} died. They presented it to his family and it became a permanent display at the Visitors Center.


Close inspection shows some great velvets, ribbons and embroidery. In the bottom left hand panel there is a little round piece of felt and embroidery of an angel that commemorates J.C. Hall's death in 1982.


It is an interesting piece of quilt history.

Quilting for a cause

My friend Kimela and I completed this t-shirt and denim quilt in one weekend for the college foundation's annual scholarship fundraising auction. It sold for about $150 and is now displayed in the college's business office. The bidding was furious between our business manager and the college president.

The blocks are 12" finished and the sashing is a lightweight denim. The backing is a blue and green homespun to match the college colors of blue and green. The quilt has a lightweight batting and is quilted with a simple stitch-in-the-ditch around each block. It hangs much straighter when it isn't pinned to an easel.

T-shirts were collected from employees from all parts of the campus, faculty, staff, administrators, even a couple of students. We have two boxes of donated t-shirts and sweatshirts remaining for future projects. We are considering a couple of these for upcoming retirement parties.

The entire event raised more than $50,000 for student scholarships.

Not a Knitster

I am definitly not a Knitster, I'll never be invited to share my knitting talents on DIY's Knitty Gritty. I so envy their talents, but I just don't have the knack yet.
This is my first attempt:It is supposed to be a simple dish cloth. Simple, only one stitch and square. Easy, right? Mine isn't square, it looks like a kite is taking shape. The yarn leaves me feeling like I'm trapped in an old television full of static that can't tune in a picture. And, who said knitting was easy?

I'm going to try again, but not until there are no other stressors in my life. Maybe after the kids are out of college, the house is paid for and I retire. Never say never, I'm leaving myself open to possibilities, I used "yet" in my opening.

Old Project, New Project

This is a miniature row-by-row group project Virginia coordinated a couple years ago. It was the usual game plan, pack up some coordinating fabrics, include a theme and commit to making a row for each member in your group. These rows were made by (top to bottom) Barb, Virginia, Lisa and myself. The piece is yet unfinished. Each row measures 9" long by 1.5" wide. The applique row, made by Lisa, is a bit wider and measures 2" wide.

I dug through my stash over the past week searching for fabrics for a noodle swap with Backporch Friends (a fabulous group of online quilty ladies). A noodle is a 2.5" strip of quilt quality fabric cut selvedge to selvedge.

I found that after a couple of years of not purchasing much fabric at all in an attempt to work down my list of projects and my stash, I have a very limited selection of fabrics which stretch from selvedge to selvedge. Here is my contribution to the swap:

70s Swap for Nancy

I recently finished a great little outfit for an American Girl doll for an online swap. The theme was "the 70s." I was in elementary school during the 70s, and had fond memories of Holly Hobby, ginham dresses, bell bottom pants and double knit.
I remember my cousins always doing something to the clothing they had to revitalize it. I wanted to "recycle" something for my swap outfit and found the perfect thing in my denim stash. There was a pair of shorts Tatum had outgrown that were embroidered, fringed and had ribbon trim. These were quickly cut into a little skirt. I fussy cut the shorts to retain the most surged seams and align the hem so I didn't have to change the ribbon and fringe.
Tatum wanted me to make a tube top. We tried, but it wasn't easy to get on the doll and didn't stay up well when played with (quality control measures are in effect in this workrooom). We negotiated and made a halter top out of the same hot pink fabric. We made the halter straps criss cross on the back to hold the sides rather than have two ties across the doll's back.

Valentine's Dress

Nana sent us a new dress just in time for Valentine's Day! Keeli just loves her new suit, she wore it and her black shiny shoes to "work" today.

Nana is a whiz at making little dresses out of a scrap of fabric and a store-bought t-shirt. Just gather up a strip of fabric and sew it to the bottom of a t-shirt. Simple as that.

But after nearly two decades of these little dresses, it just isn't enough for our Nana. No, no, no. Nana got a little experimental this time and made a patchwork jacket to match. The jacket is constructed over a store-bought sweatshirt. It has the nice, soft, sweatshirt fleece inside and the patchwork outside. Keeli is especially fond of the polka dot cuffs and the ABCs.

The History of 'APRONS'

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that "old-time apron" that served so many purposes.

Another great story about aprons can be found here.

Here are a few great pattern resources if you are 'into' aprons...
Pillowcase Apron
Vintage Scrappy Apron
Little Girls Monogrammed Apron
Dishtowel Apron
Recycled Denim Apron