What I’m Reading: The Day Lincoln Lost

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I was excited when I saw this book.  I thought hmm, something historic, that’s perfect from me.  I love Lincoln so this would be right up my alley.
The book is The Day Lincoln Lost by Charles Rosenberg.


This book didn’t impress me.  I had listened to it to the point I was at the halfway mark.  I wasn’t excited about it.  I ended up sidetracked listening to podcasts but then realized the book was going to expire so I went back to the book thinking it had to get better….it really didn’t.

There really was no culmination in the book.

Here’s what Amazon has to say: Continue reading →

Community Quilts from Ray and Friends

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Oh, Happy Day!!   Ray sent an email with more finished quilts to share!!

Ray writes:

“I finished two community quilts that have great stories to go with them.

The first quilt has its beginnings with Stoney M. in Wisconsin. Stoney has sent me several quilts in the past to long arm and then donate. In the last batch of tops was a pattern and all the fabric needed to complete the top and the fabric was already precut. All that needed to be done was to sew it together. Maryann S. often brings me quilts to long arm and then she donates some and gives some to friends. She has seen Stoney’s quilts before and absolutely loved them. When she saw the pattern and the fabric, she asked if she could finish the top for me. I said sure.  Here it is…


Here it is finished….
Maryann completed the top and selected the backing to go with the top.

I used a stipple stitch for the quilting.


What a wonderful quilt and it looks like the puppies and kitties are ready to jump off the quilt and have some fun.

 

The second quilt has… Continue reading →

In My Mail…

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My mailbox has been busy and I think it will be busy in the near future too.  I’ve had several boxes and letters come in besides what I am telling you about today and I’ve had several people ask for my address as they plan on sending something to me.

Before I get to the actual boxes I want to tell you about a few emails and phone calls I’ve gotten.  My blog friend Jean and others have contacted me with requests for my blog friend Nell’s email address.  Nell teaches on an Indian reservation and she teaches a quilting class.  I mentioned that in a blog post and many have contacted me wanting to send donations Nell’s way.


Jean shared her thank you card that Nell and her class sent.  How sweet.  I love that you all are helping Nell teach these kids valuable skills.

Today’s first package came from Elaine.  She was so sweet as she sent all of this as well as postage money.  I so appreciate it!!

Elaine’s box was full of great goodies.  Here is a kit to do a three yard quilt.


This UFO was in the box.  I haven’t decided for sure but I’m thinking about keeping this and finishing it myself.  I have a couple benefit quilts I need to do next year and this would make a great quilt.

There were coordinating scraps…and I think these cheater blocks need to go in the project too.

There were scraps too…

..and more scraps.  I snitched a couple of the greens as I have a quilt I’m saving greens for.


There were lots of these blocks.  They are scraps pieces randomly sewn together.  These will make a fun quilt.

Thanks so much for thinking of the charity quilt project Elaine!!  All of these are goodies are so appreciated.

The next box was… Continue reading →

Moda Bake Shop: Doggie Do Bag

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As many of you know, Kelli and I did a lot of quilts for Moda Bake Shop several years ago.  Some of the things you likely don’t know is that Moda Bake Shop isn’t ran quite the way it used to run.  The site has been reworked and can now be found through www.modafabrics.com.  Well through all of this, Kelli and I have been overwhelmed by questions from interested parties wanting the patterns for specific quilts as some of the patterns have been “lost in the archives”.  Well, to be honest, we are wanting to avoid all those emails and requests so we are going to be featuring one of our old Moda Bake Shop quilt or projects each week until all of them are posted here on our blog so we can readily find them and have access to them whenever we want.  These quilts will be archived here on the blog in the free patterns section on the right column.

I wrote this back when my beagle was Gracie.  I called this a Doggie Do bag.  You may wonder what a doggie do bag is…Well, Gracie needed to go to dog obedience class and the instructor required all owners to have plastic bags (to pick up any messes) and treats with us at all times. So I made this little bag to carry my keys, wallet, and all the necessities Gracie needed.
Don’t have a dog? Don’t worry. This cute little bag can be used for anything: makeup, a crayon case…whatever you like.


What you need:
1 honey bun of Charlevoix
2 fat quarters
zipper
fusible fleece
Deco Bond
black thread

Mini ricrac
Black scrap of felt

 

To make the bag:
From the fat quarter, cut two 7.5″ x 8″ pieces for the lining.

Cut 2 pieces of fusible fleece 7.5″ x 8″.

Fuse the fleece to the lining pieces.

 


Select 9-10 fabric strips from your honey bun. Layer two of the pieces right side together diagonally on the fusible fleece. Sew them diagonally onto the fleece, using a quilt as you go method.


Continue adding pieces until the whole piece is covered.


Do this for both pieces.

Trim both pieces to 6.5″ x 7.5″. Set aside.


For the front pocket, take the other fat quarter and cut a 7.5″ x 8.5″ piece. Cut a piece of Deco Bond 7.5″ x 4.25″. Iron the fabric in half. Open up. Place the deco bond on the fabric. Fold over.


Position a piece of mini ricrac 1/2″ from the fold. Using matching thread, sew in place.

Using the dog pattern included in the Printer Friendly Version, cut a dog from a scrap of black felt. Cut a 1/4″ x 6″ strip of fabric from one of the fat quarters. Tie in a knot around the dog’s neck. Position the dog 1.25″ from the side and .75″ from the top of the right-hand side of the pocket piece.

 

Sew in place using black thread.

Cut 4- 1.5″ x 2″ pieces of fabric from one of the fat quarters. Take two of the pieces and put them right sides facing. Slide the zipper pull down. Sandwich the zipper in the middle of the two pieces. Sew over the top using a 1/2″ seam. Press the fabric open. Trim to 3/4″.


Cut the zipper so it is 7.5″ long including the fabric piece. Take two of the fabric pieces and put them wrong sides facing.

Sandwich the opposite end of the zipper in the middle of two of the pieces. Sew over the top using a 1/2″ seam. Press the fabric open.

Trim to 3/4″.

Trim the sides so they are the same width as the zipper.

For the handle, cut 2- 12″ x 1.5″ pieces of fabric from the fat quarter. Cut one piece of Deco Bond 12″ x 1.5″.


Put the pieces right sides together and lay on top of the Deco Bond piece. Sew 1/4″ from each of the sides to make a tube. Turn right side out.


Press. Topstitch along both edges.  Fold in half.


Lay the zipper along the 7.5″ side of the bag piece with the right side together. Stitch in place.


Layer the other bag piece along the other zipper side with right side together and stitch in place. Press the seam away from the zipper. Top stitch along the zipper on both sides.

Lay the pocket along the edge of the bag piece. Pin in place. Baste in place.

Pin the handle in place just above the pocket matching the seams. Tack in place.


Open the zipper 3/4 of the way. Fold in half with right sides together. Sew around the edge, pivoting at the corners. Trim near the zipper and at the corners.

Fold the corners in as shown. Pin. Measure in 3/4″. Draw a line. Sew along the line.


Cut away excess. Do this for both corners.

Turn right side out. Poke the corners out and your clutch is finished.


Your bag will be about 5.5″ x 7″…not including the handle. You can easily leave off or shorten the handle, depending on the intended purpose of your bag. I made my handle long so it could hook over my wrist when I was walking Gracie.

You will have plenty of honey bun strips leftover to make a few more bags.