Chicken Scratch

Happiness is...

...your first quilt from your momma.

Most of my blog readers know I lost my Nanny almost 4 years ago to breast cancer. She was a big quilter and was always making everyone a quilt. After she passed my mom inherited all of her sewing supplies and gobs of fabric and unfinished projects. About a year after Nanny's passing my mom started sorting through everything and began learning to quilt. She used Nanny's fabrics and started finishing the projects Nanny had started. She made a few small quilts (Kaleigh has two) and some wall hangings. Well, she gave me my first quilt she made (in the photo above) this past Christmas. The best part is it was a quilt top my Nanny had started and my mom finished it for me. She had actually run out of time finishing the binding by Christmas but she finished it last night and brought it to me. I love it! It's so big and heavy and comfy. I love that both my Nanny and Mom made it for me. I will cherish it always.

Thanks, Momma and Nanny!

My First Quilt Retreat

So I went on my first quilt retreat a couple weekends ago at my mom's retreat. I'm finally blogging the pics because I had misplaced my camera cord and couldn't transfer my pics from my camera to my laptop. But I finally found it so I can now share. :)

First, I want to share pics of the snow. It iced earlier that week and I barely made it out to my mom's because the roads were still iced over. But Friday morning we woke up to beautiful snow! I loved standing outside on the covered porch and watching it come down. It was early morning and so peaceful out in the country. It was a morning I won't forget.

The kitties (Sundae, Big Boy, and Miss B) were all snuggled up trying to stay warm.

Boots posing for me. He's such a pretty boy!

My first completed quilt top! This is the one I started in my first quilt class back in October. After the class ended, I got busy with the holidays and set the quilt aside. I brought it this weekend and finished it the first day. I sent it off to be quilted. I can't wait to get it back!

One of the ladies at the retreat was nice enough to give me a project kit she had since I needed another project (I didn't realize I'd finish my quilt top so soon). It's a spring table runner. I made the top and then even started quilting it myself. I didn't finish it that weekend (I started another secret project I can't share yet in case someone reads my blog) so I brought it home and once my new sewing table arrives today (yippee!!!) I will finish it.

I'm now officially a quilting/sewing addict (as if I need another craft addiction). We have a small office and I'm setting it up as my sewing room. I have lots of projects I can't wait to start! :)

Quilting 101

So last night was the third night of my Quilting 101 class. I'm having so much fun and learning so much! The quilt we're making is a throw and is 7 blocks wide by 11 blocks tall (plus the borders). I have the first two rows done.

Ta-da! It's not perfect but I'm proud. :D

So our homework before the next class is to have all the blocks sewn together PLUS the inner and outer borders. EEK! When we come to class next week we should have the quilt top done. That night at class we'll assemble the quilt and bind. And the following class, our last class, we'll machine-quilt. I'm going to my mom's this weekend for our scrap retreat but my mom and I have decided we'll be sewing instead. LOL We have lots of homework to do! I can't wait to see the finished quilt top after this weekend. :)

My First Quilt Block

Tonight was the second night of my Quilting 101 class. We learned how to measure and cut our fabric and how to sew a simple 4-patch block. I was a bit nervous at first. The perfectionist in me battled big time tonight. I wanted exact cuts, super straight lines, expert seams, and perfect blocks. ;) I did okay though. LOL

Here's my first block!
 

And my sweet momma sewing. I'm SO happy to share this class and another hobby with her. :D

Now I only have 38 more to make for homework before next week's class! ;)

Happiness is...

Vintage windows...

 

...and yummy fabric.

My mom sent me a link to a craigslist ad selling 3 vintage wooden windows for $5 because she knew I was wanting one for our powder room. It sounded too good to be true but I called and they still had them so off I went this past Friday afternoon to pick them up. I got there, saw the windows, and nearly squealed in delight right in front of the guy selling them. LOL It was a graphics shop that evidently does photo shoots with props and they had used the windows for one of their shoots and no longer needed them. As I was loading them up a woman walked by and told me I was getting a deal (ummm, yeah, I know!) because she was the one who had bought the windows for their photo shoot and paid $65 alone just for the diamond pane window. I have no idea why the other guy sold them so cheap on craigslist other than it was work-related and he had no personal interest vested in them. Oh well. Whatever the case I got the deal of a lifetime! I'm hanging one of the regular windows in our powder room to do my bird artwork with and then need to find a place for the cool diamond pane one. I'm giving the second regular one to my mom for finding me the deal. :) I love love LOVE old windows, and I especially love a good AWESOME deal on them. ;)

Now the fabric... I'm starting my first quilt class tomorrow with my mom. :) This past Saturday we went up to the quilt shop to purchase our fabric for the class. It was a bit intimidating at first. Bolts and bolts of yummy fabric lined up and I had to pick? I was a bit worried about how to pick fabrics and put them together and which ones to use for what areas of the quilt pattern. But once I picked out my favorite pattern (the bottom one in the stack in the photo above) I got in my groove and started selecting coordinating fabrics and deciding where in the quilt pattern I wanted them. We're making a throw quilt, and I'm so excited to get started! It's bittersweet to be taking this class. My Nanny was a BIG quilter and it hasn't been until lately, a few years after she passed, that I started getting interested in it. I would love to be quilting with her now. But I have my mom, who inherited all of Nanny's sewing stuff after she passed and started quilting herself, to share this new hobby with. And it's cool that we'll be taking the class at Quilt Country, my Nanny's home away from home. To be in that shop, quilting, and surrounded by the ladies she quilted with and was friends with... it'll be like having her there with me. :)

 

Garage Sale Goodies

I was driving home today and down the street from our house was a garage sale. I stopped to check it out. Not much but I did get these mason jars all for $1 and this shelf for $4. I love mason jars and can never have too many. ;) The shelf will be painted and distressed and go in Kaleigh's room.

 

This afternoon I went up to Quilt Country, a local quilt shop, to sign up for *Quilting 101* with my mom. Yep, I'm about to become a quilter. And it's scary. LOL I have enough addictions as it is with my crafting, scrapbooking, photography, etc. and now I'm going to add in yummy fabric???! What am I thinking? ;)

So I walked into the store and immediately fell in love with a quilt hanging on the wall. I'm going to upgrade Kaleigh's bed from a twin to a full and want to make a quilt for it. I hadn't though yet what quilt style/colors/etc. but I saw this one today and this is it!
(Sorry for the crappy iPhone pic.)

So I want to get her an antique iron headboard. I want to paint her walls a soft blue or green and paint the above shelf a deep raspberry (or red - can't tell for sure in this pic). We're doing a (vintage) horse theme. This project will have to be second to our master suite redo, but I'm so excited to have a color scheme now and can start planning things for her room. :)

This is the fabric from Moda. It's called Boutique.

And this is the pattern, designed by Sandy Brawner, owner of Quilt Country.

I also need a machine. I have a hand-me-down from my Nanny but it doesn't do much and I use it for crafting. I'm looking at the Janomes. I'm wanting one that's not too pricey and high tech but not too basic either; something in the middle that I can learn on and grow with. If you have any recommendations I would love to hear them!

I can't wait to get started! Now I just need to make room in my studio for fabric and sewing supplies. ;)