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Christmas Day
Christmas day brought turkey, stuffing and those oh so good mashed potatoes. My son Doug and his fiancé Elke arrived from Germany on Christmas Eve. Luggage was lost, but the Christmas spirit was not. Lufthansa delivered the lost luggage to our house 6PM Christmas day! They tried really hard to get it here, and we live a good hour 1/2 from the airport! The Christmas table was set by Doug and Elke. The tablecloth is a gift made by my friend Barbara, who blanket stitched trees, reindeer and Santa’s around the border! And, next to the adult table, was a special table for our grandkids… That’s sparkling cider (not champagne)…
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Oh Christmas Tree
I’ve always had a live tree. It’s only in the past several years that we’ve gone to an artificial tree. It’s against all my principles, but it’s necessary. It’s an artificial tree or no tree, it’s that simple. The month gets shorter every year, and there’s never time now to get “Christmas” pulled together. So I fill my tree with so many ornaments you can hardly see the branches. Ahhh, but I miss the smell of pine! My tree is a happy one this year. Must be because of these little red heads… This little angel is perched in the branches, watching over the tree. She’s new and she’s…
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Yoko Saito Visits the Bunny Hill Booth!
So, I’m in the Bunny Hill Booth, and two lovely Japanese women walk in. They start talking and smiling at each other about my Scottie dog quilt. I leaned over to get them a pattern and when I came up I saw the name tag; Yoko Saito. First came a gasp, then tears, and then the bowing started. Back and forth we went, bowing over and over. I wasn’t sure when it was polite to stop, so I just kept going and so did she! I felt so graced just to have her visit my booth! She is, in my humble opinion, the best appliqué designer ever. There she was,…
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Bias Maker Heaven
If you haven’t used one of these little tools for making bias strips you are in for a treat! You can have a perfect bias in no time at all! Think of all the little basket handles you can make! It’s so easy! Follow me… Start with a square of fabric. Fold diagonally, wrong sides together. Press the fold… Now let’s go over to the cutting mat… Line up ruler on the pressed fold line and cut diagonally across the square. Bias makers come in assorted sizes. The general rule is to cut the fabric strip double the width of the bias maker. For example: Cut 1/2” strip for a…
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Embroidery 101, Part Two
Here we go, we’re on our way to stitching together! Make a little practice piece to try the stem and backstitch with different types of threads. Cut a scrap of cotton for the background fabric. Cut a piece of flannel or fusible interfacing the same size. (I cut my flannel a tiny bit larger so you could see it in the photo below). Trace a few hearts (see block two of A Tisket, A Tasket) using a Pigma 01 pen or a fabric pencil. Place the design right side up on top of the flannel or interfacing. (Choose either flannel OR interfacing…don’t use both at the same time.) If you’re…
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Embroidery 101, Part One
“Rabbits Prefer Embroidery” is back from the quilter! Now its binding time, and then off to the photographer. Before too long we will have a new pattern available! If you’re new to embroidery, I’ll share a few tips with you over the next few posts. I hope to get you started on the road to embroidery heaven. Yes, there is such a place… you’ll find it in front of the TV every evening. Just sit down, relax, and embroider away on your favorite project. Supplies & Basics: Embroidery floss or pearl cotton; there are so many wonderful choices on the market! Pick and choose from some or all!…
