Dee's Doodles

Monday, January 27, 2014

Heart of Hearts

So. Ahem. I was cruising Pinterest the other day...and over at

the red thread, you will find my newest inspirational motivation!

Lisa's blog is full of eye-bursting, heart-popping projects and colors!

Oh, be still my heart!

Don't those fabrics just shout "Spring!"

Needed a more modern block to work on this week, so out came the aqua and pink/red scraps.

Very neat. Very tidy. Very unusual for me!

Halfway there!

Here is one finished up. Needed thirty-one 2 1/2" sq. blue, twenty 2 1/2" sq. pink and red and ten aqua/pink and red half triangles.

Quick and easy to put together. This block finishes out at 16 1/2" sq. It wouldn't take too many to make a lap quilt.

But is that too much of a good thing?

Do I make another one in other colors like Lisa did and go from there?

Pillow?

Ack!

Help!

What to do, what to do!

and

Come visit some amazing blogs where lots of fun, creative and inspiring things are happening!

Monday, January 20, 2014

Always In Style

Thank you for all the kind compliments on the mini! My heart just sings at being able to bring something from the "throw away" pile into being used and loved today.

I haven't forgotten the Linens Quilt...

(see the twin basket in the top, right hand corner? every little bit that can be used...is!)

...it's just waiting until I'm ready to work on a larger project again.

Soon.

Vintage lines lovingly stitched. This table runner was stained and discolored and at the bottom of a basket of "cutter" embroidery pieces at an antique store.

Two of the end baskets were able to be saved. One is, as shown, in the Linens Quilt, and the other is surrounded with peaceful blue scraps.

Some more hand quilting, turning corners ala Cathedral Windows style and a bit of creative binding with this gorgeous blue gingham, and now I have this:

You can't see it very well, but the word "peace" is stitched in the bottom, right corner.

Ahhhh. How fun to finish another one!

A trip to Hobby Lobby also yielded a 1/2 price shadow box score and some plain, white scrapbooking paper to mount the "Joy" mini onto. The frame of the shadow box is black and as soon as warmer temps come along, I'll spray paint it white to match our family room.

Hubs and I had a chance to do some shopping-hopping last weekend and I stopped in at an LQS, The Quilt Shoppe in Anderson, IN. The wonderful shop owner, Dawn, is ordering the Quick Curve Ruler and Double Wedding Ring Pattern for me from

Sew Kind of Wonderful's Jenny Pedigo.

(yes, I know I can order it from Jenny, but we need to support our local brick and mortars too!)

Jon and Becker (my nickname for her!) have asked for a Double Wedding Ring quilt as a wedding gift and I love Jenny's pattern, Metro Rings...I had asked for the QCR for Christmas and kept forgetting to forward a link to hubs...

So, the ruler and pattern are ordered and Dawn has graciously offered to help if needed.

Thanks Dawn!

(love, love, love these kids!)

Also while at The Quilt Shoppe, I came across this little trinket in a Charity Donations basket

A little help from needle-nosed pliers, happy yellow scraps and ribbon and...

Come link up with and share what you've been working on this week and see what other bloggers have been keeping busy creating!

and

you can find me here

Monday, January 13, 2014

Stop and Start

Huge shout out to our son, Chris! Not only was he accepted to the university of his choice for his under-grad studies, but he was awarded the Presidential Scholarship!
When we brought him home because of school bullying five and a half years ago...he was a very different kid.

Never wanted to step foot in a classroom again, hated school, hated learning, and hated reading.
God's grace and the love-support-encouragement of friends and family have helped guide and change him into a friendly, outgoing, Ph.D. bound young man who loves to learn new things, has read over a thousand books in the last five years, and has a circle of amazing friends!

Just so happy for him!
Proud of the positive things he has allowed to happen in his life
(thanks for the proud parent moment!)

It was very gratifying to start something and get it finished so quickly!

My Pinspired "mini" went from this:

to this:

in under two days!

I added hand quilting on the diagonal in the center and then bordered the basket using matching embroidery floss.

Outlined the scrappy squares and added a stripey binding.

It finished out at 10 1/2" square.

Oh, it makes me happy!

I want to stitch the word "joy" into the corner before I take it to Hobby Lobby for framing.

This was my inspiration piece (ahem).

Really enjoyed the creative process of this lil' sweetie and another dig into the vintage linens tote brought this piece to my attention.

The idea for a series was born.

This one makes me think "peace".

Perhaps because of the soft, calming colors or the symmetry of it all.

Look at how beautiful and perfect these stitches are!

"Peace" is bordered with this elegant fabric scrap that echoes the gentle curves of the basket.

Soothing blues to compliment the flowers.

Some of the fabrics are turned wrong side out to soften the color and help them blend better.

A block with the name of beaches on it. A sweet blue bird of happiness in another. Favorite fabric scraps from other projects that make me smile.

The third block down on the left has the word "wish" in it.

I'm wishing for "peace" in some relationships this year.

Not a New Year's resolution, but a life-wish for these relationships.

And like relationships, this piece needs a little work before I'm finished.

Come take a look at what other bloggers from all over the world are working on this week!

and

you can find me here

Please remember Heather and Megan, the ladies from Quilt Story, in your thoughts and prayers.

They lost their dad before Christmas.

Sincere sympathies.

here

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Quilter's Block to Sewing Happy!

Well, I won't bore you with the snowy-cold news here!

It's been a blistering -13 today.

Which means shovelling out the driveway multiple times, sidewalks, trips to help others, no Ball State and no work fur the hubs or Jon!

Lost of hot chocolate being consumed here in between times outside!

This is my dream cup of hot chocolate! Served at a sewing retreat where all my quiltey and bloggy friends are!

Sigh!

Last week I finished up my Winter table topper

Very happy! Very pleased!

Inspired by this picture on Pinterest

This week while surfing, I came across this

and fell in love! Sort of. Kind of. How about another spasm of inspiration?

I really like the color...but not much orange happening here.

I love the heart centered with the bow...no heart locket, tons of snow, no travelling and the prototype fabric heart I tried, well, didn't work out in the long haul I'm a-frayed.

Twiddle thumbs. Take a drink. Walk around. Look out the windows. Surf Pinterest again. Come back to the same, original picture that caught my eye.

Ok.

Into my tote of vintage linens. Maybe something will connect with me there.

I find this basket of posies. Very Springy, happy, colorful and smallish. I cut it to a square 6 1/2".

The Pinterest picture has a scrappy border that makes me smile. Now off to the scraps totes and buckets. I decide on only one border of scraps all the way around (instead of two at the top and bottom...but maybe I'll change my mind when I go back to it later today).

And now I have this

I'm beaming! What a bright, cheerful, pick me up on a cold winter's day!

In the original inspiration, there is quilting on the paper behind the locket. I took out my ruler and my Pilot Frixion pen and mark quilting lines 1" apart on both diagonals.

And here is where I am starting the day off. I'm not much of a hand quilter, so I marked 1/4" dashes and tried to sew straight. LOL Do you think it looks like paper toweling too? (shaking my head...I need caffeine!)

Not sure where it will end up. But I'm pretty happy. It looks nothing like my inspiration piece, but that's the fun of it! Taking something, adjusting here and there, changing this, replacing that and making it truly YOUR own!

Hope you're staying warm and safe wherever you are today!

Come be inspired!

i have to say

freshly pieced

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crazy mom quilts

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Monday, December 30, 2013

Goodbye 2013!

2013

was a busy year! and I'm looking forward to 2014!

We'll have two graduations (highschool and university), an official highschool freshman, and a wedding!

Hoping to wedge lots of sewing in between these huge milestones and events. A quilt for the couple and one for Chris.

Finishing this year happy!

Started December inspired.

Ending it satisfied.

I think I nailed it!

An improvisational-wonky Log Cabin table runner for the winter months. Nothing but scraps used. These were quick and fun to put together and gave a sewing fix in between homeschooling, co-op classes, decorating and family festivities.

Just a down and dirty all over meander for a quick finish. I took some of the remaining red scraps and pieced them together for the binding.

My great-grandmother came to stay with us the summer I turned 13. I treasure the time I got to spend with her and all the things she shared with me!

This was her on her 87 birthday. She passed away many years ago, and didn't get to meet my husband and children. I wish they could have gotten to know her. She was an awesome cook, wrote for her local paper and stayed busy and active throughout her life. She taught me to make a family favorite food, Rivvles and to crochet. Every time I make this dish, I think of her and I think she would smile to see her gift of teaching me to crochet used to gift others.

Simple single chain stitches. One of my favorites for scarves! Not a lot of space for the wind and biting cold to get through. I love the little rows of stitches lined up like little toy soldiers ready to fight Winter's worst...and if you're consistent in your stitching, patterns emerge in variegated yarn. The top one especially with its blue "stripes".

The "chocolate covered cherry" one is for Chris's special friend, Olivia. The purple, teal and blue on the bottom right is for Jon's fiancé, Rebecca. The light blue, cream and purple on top is for my mom.

What a fun way to let my great-grandma "hug" these special ladies in my life.

I hope you get to spend some time looking for inspiration and ways to pass childhood memories on to those you love!

Follow me to these blogs and find something that makes you smile and maybe motivates you to get to the machine today!

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Monday, December 9, 2013

Sew excited!

My LQS Always in Stitches just made my year!

Saturday, we took Ben and went to Noblesville, IN. There are several stores we like to browse, shop and ogle!

The town had ice sculptures all around the square. It was a beautifully sunny day, but only in the low 20's.

I love having our kids along for "adventures" in antiquing and shopping! Ben found a WWII Air Force coat he was quite intrigued in.

I found my Christmas present!

Always in Stitches is now offering certification classes to rent and use their HQ Avante' longarm and their Handi Quilter Sweet Sixteen free motion quilting machines!

I'm asking for a class and the time to go quilt!

How fortuitous that Christmas is coming up. How handy that Tax Season Saturdays (hubs works all day...it's just me, the kids and the pets) are on the way.

Don't bother calling me on Saturdays, 'cause I won't be home!

I love the HQ16! I've test driven it several times, but it's a hefty investment and it does need some space. Not as much as a longarm, but it would require significant shifting of stuff that just isn't practical or possible right now.

There are quilt tops I would love to quilt on this machine.

Higgeldy-Piggeldy

Rose Star Quilt

The Linens Quilt

(when it's finished! LOL)

While I was drooling and dreaming over the thought of using these machines, I managed to find some fabric.

A 5" charm pack of Heather Bailey's "Lottie Da".

Oh the colors! Makes me want Spring now!

"Honeysweet" from Moda. Oh, so soft, feminine and sweet!

Work continues on the winter tones quilt.

I have over 20 blocks now. It's super easy to sit down in between helping kids with their school work and make a couple of these.

This was the Pinterest color-way that inspired me. Such calming colors with a pop!

Hope you had a great weekend and stayed safe and warm!

and

host linky parties each week. It's a great way to connect with other bloggers who love to sew and quilt. Come get inspired and encouraged!

You can find me here!

Monday, December 2, 2013

December Finish and WIP

Hello campers!

It's December! I totally blew November off for posting. We finished off October with soccer. The Sr. High team took Third Place in the Gold Division for Nationals. This was Chris's last year on the team and a mild concussion during the third game kept him from finishing out the tournament.

Here he is with their trophy, and thankfully, he's all over the symptoms of his concussion now!

November was a crazy month! Homeschooling is one of the best things we've ever done, but it's time consuming! We hosted Thanksgiving for hubsmuffin's side of the family and my Mom and Dad joined us this year.

Here we are relaxing after the turkey and ham were eaten, dishes washed, chairs put away and company gone home.

Ahhhhh!

Thanks to the hubsmeister, I got to have some sewing time over the weekend.

Another sweet repurposing of a vintage hankie into a basket to hold goodies around the house.

Flower Sugar, Ruby, scraps and leftover linen from the Linens Quilt.

Which is still in progress, just put up to work on after the New Year. This was because my sewing area is in the living room and needed to be organized and cleaned before our Thanksgiving company came.

Having time to cruise Pinterest is dangerous!