RAINEY DAYS

Kids in your own neighborhood are seeking adoption

2011-11-17T17:08:00.000-05:00

Wait No More by Kelly and John Rosati

Please read this book if you are interested in adopting a child through your State’s Social Service Agency. It can be a rewarding experience. My family is a foster-adopt family in my state. I chose to review this book for Tyndale for that very reason – it is a subject I am very interested in.

The Rosati’s wanted a family but found that adoption was going to be their only option. Since they were stationed in Hawaii with the Air Force at the time they decided to pursue this option, they adopted there. The process is much the same in all 50 states. Eventually they adopted 2 boys and 2 girls, although that was not their original intention. The many twists and turns of the process and the various situations are what make this book interesting reading and strike a chord with others who have gone through or are going through this process.

The Rosati’s had several career changes and moves within the U.S. during the course of this book. The thing that shines out in this book is their love for and dedication to the rights of our country’s orphans. There are a lot of children right here in the U.S. waiting for a forever home and many of them will never have one because the need is great for people to choose adoption. Birth parents are not always able to be there for their kids for a variety of reasons, but the child is an innocent victim of the circumstances and deserves the love and stability of a family.

You will find as you read about the Rosatis’ experiences that the going gets really tough really fast and there are many hurdles to overcome with each child, but the rewards are great. If you are interested in adopting or have adopted, you will want to read this book. And maybe, if you weren’t even considering it, you will consider adoption after reading this book. In any case, you will enjoy reading it.

A DVD series you should watch with your teen.

2011-08-24T13:29:00.001-04:00

This is a set of 2 DVDS containing 10 lectures on the reliability of the Bible. Dr. Stephen Meyer is conducting a college course of lectures and each section is one of the lectures. It covers from the Patriarchs through the New Testament account of Jesus’ trial. There are 5 25-minute lectures on each DVD and also included in the set is a 96-page discussion guide.

These lectures are very much in the same format as Dr. Del Tackett’s Truth Project series and made by the same people. Although this is a college course, it is easily understandable by laymen. In fact, my pre-teen daughter found it very interesting. Dr. Meyer explains the minimalist view and talking points and then gives archaeological and historical evidence which backs up the Biblical Truth.

While I take the Word of the Bible on faith, it is still very satisfying to have some evidence and facts to back it up and give an answer to the naysayers. I will listen to this series multiple times to try to gain all the information that I can from it and will incorporate it into my daughters’ homeschool studies so that they too can gain this knowledge. This series was sent to me by Tyndale for review but I would have purchased it myself at some point anyway when I learned about it.

PLAN to be touched by the unPlanned Truth!

2011-05-06T03:26:00.001-04:00

Abby Johnson was raised in a Christian home and led a storybook life. At 17, she went off to college and as an impressionable and inquisitive girl she looked for causes that interested her. She developed a relationship with a man and found that she was pregnant. He took her to have an abortion and made it seem very normal. A couple of years later, she was pregnant again and took the abortion pill. Then the relationship ended. About the time she finished college she started volunteering for Planned Parenthood because they presented to her that she would be helping women make important choices in their lives. Eventually, much to her parents’ chagrin, Abby became an employee of Planned Parenthood and eventually became the director of the facility in Bryan College Station, TX.

Working in the Planned Parenthood facility she was constantly faced with fielding the Right to Life people outside the fence. She noted that the ones that wore bizarre costumes and shouted evil things to the women coming to the clinic only enforced the stereotype of the crazy right to lifers. Those that really made an impression on her though were the quiet, respectful, dedicated people that stood out there and prayed every day and counseled the women that were entering the facility. She made up her mind to get along with those people, rather than be confrontational like previous directors had been.

One day Abby was called to assist an abortion doctor in the clinic who was doing an ultrasound as he did the procedure. She was shocked and dismayed to see the child on the ultrasound and watch it sucked out in pieces. She immediately knew that what she had been telling people for years and what she had been told was not true. She also knew immediately that she could no longer be a party to it.

She resigned from Planned Parenthood and sought counsel from the Coalition for Life people that she had conversed with in front of the clinic for years. She has become an advocate for Life and speaks all over the country. Planned Parenthood tried to intimidate her by filing an injunction against her but it was dismissed in court.

You can see a trailer for this life changing and thought provoking DVD on YouTube . I encourage you all to watch this DVD. It is so eye opening. Share it with friends and also watch it with your kids. I believe boys need to be educated aobut this just as much as boys.

This is a story of how God can turn a life around in an instant. Just as Paul’s life was changed in an instant on the Road to Damascus, Abby Johnson’s whole life’s course was altered in front of that ultrasound monitor that day.

Tyndale House sent me this DVD to review and I am having a contest on my blog to give away a certificate for a free copy to one lucky winner. Please comment on my blog to have a chance to win this certificate. The drawing will be Monday, May 23. If you don’t win that is OK. The day after my drawing for this DVD there is going to be a Unite for LIFE webcast. It is a free webcast featuring Abby Johnson that will benefit pregnancy care organizations. You can sign up to participate on May 17 at 8:00 p.m. (in all time zones) at www.uniteforlifewebcast.org. Unplanned the book and the DVD will be available for purchase as a package deal and 33% of each purchase will go to crisis pregnancy centers like CareNet, the National Institute of Family & Life Advocates, and Heartbeat International.

The best way you can help those in need and help them choose life is to know the facts and find out all you can. Always have a compassionate and sensitive heart to those in need. Most of all Pray!

Great Book for long winter nights and a Giveaway!

2011-02-19T01:45:00.002-05:00

I used Random.org to find the winner of my giveaway. Congratulations to Veta!

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:4Powered by RANDOM.ORG

I have been at it again reviewing another great book from Tyndale. Read all the way to the bottom of this post for your chance to win a copy of you very own.

Boone Drake is a Chicago cop, a family man and a lifelong Christian. Life seems to be on a blessed track until an unexpected tragedy takes most of that life away. Boone’s personal journey back to God and the development of his career in the Chicago PD make up this engaging story.

This book had me hooked from the first chapter. The story of an officer whose goal is to take on organized crime and the street gangs makes for an interesting read. The addition of the officer’s spiritual journey made for a fascinating read. I didn’t make it through this one without a lot of tears shed, but it was well worth the read and I would recommend it highly to anyone. Jerry Jenkins never disappoints!

In Boone’s personal journey, his inner searching eventually leads to his being able to witness to a new Christian – one of the biggest, baddest gang leaders in the city. His personal courage in that instance was an inspiration to me and brought home once again the fact that as Christians, that is our calling on this earth: to witness to the lost, no matter who they are, what they look like, how we feel about them or how hopeless it looks.

Jerry B. Jenkins was co-author of the now-famous Left Behind series and Left Behind for Kids. He also authored the amazing story of a prison chaplain and the prisoners he served, one in particular. It is called Riven and after you read it you will have a new appreciation for your Christian faith. He has written many other books and you can see a list here: http://www.jerryjenkins.com/books/fiction/ and here http://www.jerryjenkins.com/books/non-fiction/.

If you would like to find more books by great authors like Jerry B. Jenkins check out Tyndale's website. Tyndale provided me with a copy of this great book to review. I am part of their blog tour as well. So in celebration of that I am giving away a copy of THIS book for you to enjoy. All you have to to be entered is tell me what book or books you are reading right now. You must answer the question to be entered. I will draw a random number on Tuesday February 22nd around noon. Even if you don;t win I hope you get a hold of a copy of this book to enjoy.

Great start to the year.

2011-01-08T22:39:00.001-05:00

I was slow this year in mailing out most of my Christmas gifts. I still have a few packages to mail. ( hiding my head in shame) So most of my packages arrived after the new year had begun. I think it was a great way to start the year! This is just a sample of some of the things I made. I can;t post all pics yet because some packages have not arrived.

First things first. I made some more of our reusable gift bags. I really enjoy making these and sharing them with others. My hope is that one day I will have given enough to family and friends that all our gifts will be wrapped this way when we exchange gifts.

I made a few of these reusable grocery bags that roll up quite small to fit in you purse. Head on over to Daisy Janie and get the instructions to make some.

These are some baked potato bags for the microwave. I used multiple tutorials when deciding how I was going to make these. You can find some good instructions HERE

These are origami bags that were fast and fun to make. I also made one for Lillie with Japanese Cats on it. Mairuru has this and some other great projects on her blog. Her blog is interesting to read. She has a new wee one and it is quite fun to see the similarities and differences in how we raise our children.

In what has become a tradition I made my hubby some PJ Pants. I use a standard McCalls pattern for these each year. They are very quick to sew up. My sweet hubby bought me a serger for Christmas so now I can make them even faster.

I made our youngest a new stocking this year. She has a thing for Olivia. Of the three gifts from us this year two of them were Olivia related. Who knows what will pique her interest next year. Only time will tell.

Drum Roll Please!!! My favorite gift I made this year was!!

Tilly's Messenger Bag

I had so much fun making this bag. When we visited my brother's family this summer my niece showed me this piece of paper that she had doodled all over. All I could think was that it would be great as fabric. I asked her if she could send me a scan of it. I told her nothing of my idea. I sent her scan into Spoonflower and had it made into fabric. I had them print it on a heavy weight cotton so it could take a lot of abuse. Then I searched through my bucket list of tutorials to find just the right one to use with this fabric. When I came to MMMCrafts I new I had found the perfect thing to make with this fabric. I made it in one afternoon. I am so proud of it. Ok I will quit bragging on myself.

I have been busy sewing this last week and will be sharing with you all soon my newest quilts. I also have recently been asked to be a pattern tester for Quiltmaker's 100 Block Magazine. I am so excited. I am busy working on my first two blocks. More info to come later on this.

Little Stocking Ornament Tutorial

2010-12-22T13:10:00.000-05:00

This past week I worked very hard to get my annual ornament completed. With the help of my Mum I was able to get them sewn up and most of them sent out. I think they came out pretty cute.

To make these little cuties you need one charm pack, 1/2 yd of coordinating fabric and my Stocking Pattern. You will also need 48 inches of ribbon cut into 4 inch lengths. (not pictured.) This will make 12 little stockings.

Fold your fabric so you have 6 layers. The selvage should be at the top.

Use your scissors and cut out the first set. Then you will re-pin the pattern and repeat 3 more times.

Now you have a stack of cut our stocking shapes.

Choose 12 sets of coordinating charm squares. Because I am using one charm pack I don't have matching tops but I tried to choose ones with the same primary color for each set. I think this adds to the versatility of the stocking. You can hang it on the tree either way.

Fold the squares in half.

Center them on the top of your stocking piece. Sew across with a 1/4 inch seam.

Do the same with the coordinating charm square on the reverse of the stocking piece. You should have a set like this when you are done. They are basically a mirror image. Do this step with all your stocking pieces.

Iron each piece pressing away from the stocking body. Go ahead and press all your stockings.

I am sorry but this picture is not quite right. I finished all of mine before I realized that my picture was incorrect. I am going to explain the proper way to trim these up. The theory above is right. The only difference is you are going to take the two mirror stocking pieces and place them face to face (pretty sides of fabric touching) before you trim. The picture shows them stacked properly. It is just hard to see that there are two stocking units there. I try to angle my cut a little outward if possible so I can have a tiny flair at the top of the stocking.

Now after you trim you should have two mirror pieces stacked on top of one another ready to sew.

Place your piece of 4 inch ribbon between the two layers and pin in place. This is your hanger. Pin the rest of the way around your stocking.

Sew around the edges leaving the top open.

You are almost done. It is looking great.

This step is very important to make your stocking look nice and smooth. Make little snips around the edges on all the curved areas. make sure not to cut too close to your stitching. Only snip about an 1/8 of an inch in.

Turn your stocking right side out and press. Yay! You now have a great ornament for your tree. Or, you can fill with candy and give to a neighbor or friend.

The first person who makes this ornament and sends me a picture along with any pattern corrections. I will mail you a fat quarter of your choice.

Hard Candy Quilt

2010-12-08T01:21:00.000-05:00

This is my newest pattern. I taught this quilt for the first time as a mystery earlier this year. I was so pleased with the results. This quilt is made from one jelly roll and 2 1/2 yards of background. You have enough strips left over to complete the binding as well. I get frustrated when I pick up a precut pattern and they want me to have various amounts of multiple fabrics. I want someone to be able to pick up my pattern along with a jelly roll and background fabric and be able to make a beautiful quilt.

Roger did the quilting on this one. I love how he did circles on this very square quilt. I think it added a whole other element to the quilt. He has an amazing eye for things. I am always so surprised at what he comes up with.

This is a view of the back so you can have a better idea of how the circles look. I hope to have the pattern in my etsy shop before the end of the year.

Handmade Christmas gift ideas

2010-12-04T02:33:00.000-05:00

I love to spend time looking thru tutorials online for inspiration. I have made quite a few things since I happened upon this great creative outlet a little over a year ago. I used many different ones last year to help me make some special homemade gifts for family and friends. Over the last year I have taken the time to compile a list of my favorites. Or I could call it wishlist of the many things I would like to make. I have been asked numerous times to share my list. I don't mind sharing it even though I add to it almost daily. If you make any of the great things listed be sure to thank the ones who wrote the tutorial. What makes blogs so appealing to me is the willingness of so many ladies and men to share their creative ideas. So without further ado I give you THE LIST! Enjoy!!

Busy sewing

2010-11-20T01:17:00.000-05:00

This week I have been putting my new sewing machine to good use. I have been making ACU Kippahs. A friend of ours from Georgia asked me to make him a few. I did some market research and noticed that they are not available anywhere. I thought I would whip up some extras and list them in my etsy shop and see how they go. I believe they turned out pretty nice. They are a lot nicer than the ones you can get from the Chaplin, or so I think.

I made them with many different linings. I have a few more cut out that I will try and get together this weekend.

This one is my favorite.

HOOAH!!

My first Tutorial

2010-11-12T00:19:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to write a tutorial for a long time. I read my first tutorial online a little over a year ago and I was hooked. I have made so many neat things because of others willingness to share their talents. It took a magazine deadline to get ME kicked into high gear. My mom works for the Old Schoolhouse Magazine. I have worked for them off and on when extra help was needed. We were asked if we would like to come up with a craft for their Christmas supplement. I have made scrunchies for years. I even have a friends who will request them whenever I go home for a visit. So I wrote out instructions. My first Tutorial!! I am so excited.
Please go to the link below to see my article.
http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine-digital.com/thehomeschoolmagazine/holiday2010#pg80
The Old Schoolhouse has out a lot of time into this holiday magazine supplement so if you would like to see a lot of other great ideas feel free to browse the pages and enjoy.
I hope this tutorial will be the first of many. I want to celebrate my first tutorial so I am giving away the scrunchie pictured above as well as a red snowflake one. I will choose one winner from the comments below on Monday November 15th at 9:00pm MST.

Special story bible

2010-10-27T01:47:00.000-04:00

I received a great book from Tyndale recently to review that is my personal favorite of all the books I have reviewed. This one has made for some great bedtime reading with my youngest daughter.

I have owned and read many story bibles but this one makes the stories very personal for my daughter. Each story focus on a character trait and then has you use your daughters name in a sentence with that trait. This was a great way to reinforce the point of the story as well as edify my little girl. Each story also ended with a fill in the blank of ____ is God's special princess. What a great book to help train up daughters and granddaughters to know that they are special in God's eyes. Another great part of the book is that there is some women of the bible mentioned that don't always get a lot of press. Which lead to my little one being interested to know more about these women. I would recommend this book as a gift to any young little girl. It is a great read along, to be shared for years to come.

Two special quilts

2010-09-12T19:40:00.000-04:00

I guess all my quilts are special but when I make a quilt for a family member for the first time it has a special quality to me. Before we made our move across the US. I worked real hard to get some tops done. I did this for two reasons.
1. I wanted to give some quilts as gifts along the way.
2. I wanted to practice and try out the many great features of our new machine.
The first one I completed was for my Dad.

I made this for his semi truck bed. It is an extra long twin. It has a cowboy theme because whenever I think of my dad I think about him wearing his Wrangler jeans and cowboy boots. I have never saw my dad on a horse. He is just the typical American truck driver. He works hard and loves what he does. I love the smell of diesel fuel. It makes me always think of my dad. Whenever we are on road trips I love to stop at truck stops just so I can smell the diesel fumes. Kind of crazy right!! Some of my best memories as a kid were of times I was with my dad either on the road or working on his truck. That is why I thought there was not better quilt to make for him then one for his truck.

This cowboy was the one that looked the most like my dad. My dad's hair is mostly gray now but I still think of him this way. Every time I see this block it makes me smile.

Here is a glimpse of some of the other cowboys on this quilt. I have worked on this quilt for 10 years. I started it when we lived in El Paso, TX. It has been across the ocean and back inside a tin lunch box. I would pull it out and work on it every so often. Finally my family pushed me to finish it so I could give it to him. Unfortunately I was not able to give it to him while I was in our home town during the move. He was not able to make his schedule work to meet up with me. So is the life of the trucker. Hopefully he will make it thru CO sometime or I will catch up with him next time I am back home. Either way I could not wait to post pictures of it since this quilt is so special to me.

Another quilt that I made before we left was one for my half sister. I wanted to make her a quilt since I have not been able to get to know her much since I have moved all over the country since she was born. I thought I could share with her a special gift made from my talents.

I asked her mom what some her interests were and she said that her favorite color was lime green. I found a batik with pears on it and made that my focus. I used a pattern from Quiltmaker magazine. It is a favorite of mine. I have made it many times over the years. I always enjoy the end result. The pattern is called Warm Wishes. The pattern on the site is bigger but like I said I have made this many times in multiple sizes. This one I made is a twin size.

My sister also has a passion for music so I choose music notes for the quilting. I also put Minky on the back to make it extra snuggly. I wasn't able to give this to her since I never made the connection with my Dad but hopefully soon it can make it's way to her.

I have quite a few more quilts to post but first I must get the binding sewn down. Back to work!

Great Giveaway

2010-08-22T02:26:00.001-04:00

Check out my moms Blog Kitty's Roar! She is having a giveaway for a great kids bible from Tyndale House.

The Big Move!

2010-08-22T02:19:00.001-04:00

I am sorry I have been away from my blog for so long we have been in transition over the last month and a half. It all started on July 2nd when our household goods were picked up. We were leaving the South, headed to live in the mountains of Colorado. On our way we had a month long adventure of visiting family and friends.
We also had a very special member of our family along for the fun. Celine our exchange student from 08/09 came along for the fun. This was a great way for her to see a lot of the USA while on her summer break from school.

Our first stop was SC to see good friends!!

We made some important fabric related stops along the way.

We delivered a quilt to my oldest niece.

It is a quilt to commemorate her visit to Europe in 2007

Her is my lovely niece being so gracious by letting me take her picture with the quilt. She immediately snuggled up with it and made good use of it. That is why I make quilts to be cherished and used.

The cousins in a heap after a long day of playing.

Our next stop was the St Louis Arch. This is the tiny pod to the top for the great views.

Then we were finally in my home state KANSAS!! WooHoo!!

We spent three weeks here but I was so busy I took very few pictures.

My oldest and I rode horses two days in a row.

KS is so pretty!

I love to ride horses almost as much as my oldest!

We went to Silver Dollar City one weekend. The second row has part of our crew.

Daddy rode rides with our youngest.

We celebrated 3 birthdays while we were home in KS. This is our youngest turning 5! Daddy was Captain Hook and she was a warrior Tinker Bell!!

Finally a little over a month after leaving Georgia we found a new home to make memories in while we are in CO. The trip getting here was so much fun but I am excited to settle in and get some quilting done.

My Gammill Statler Stitcher arrives on Monday. I am very excited. I already have some tops to load when it arrives. My Mum and I have visited two quilt guilds already and have a few more on our list. I am looking forward to getting involved in the local area and growing our business and hopefully our family.

Another great Read!!

2010-06-26T20:06:00.001-04:00

Being the mother of two girls, I was excited when Tyndale gave me a copy of this book to review. I had heard of the idea of blessing your children before but this book explains it well and goes into depth on the subject. We generally think of a princess as somewhat of a diva but being the loved daughter of the King, Almighty God, is a much more pleasing association.

The book talks about rights of passage in other cultures, i.e., the quinceanera in Latin countries, but words of affirmation and love are a more lasting blessing to give our girls. Being a living example of a child of God is a rich legacy to leave them. This book concentrates on moms AND dads and the legacy they can give their children by being active participants in their lives. In our family we say we don’t spoil our children, we cherish them. This book gives lots of ideas for cherishing your daughters without spoiling them.

Moms and dads of daughters – read this book and be blessed!

Busy Busy Busy!!

2010-06-16T09:43:00.000-04:00

We recently purchased a new longarm quilt machine. This is a great upgrade for us. I was quilting on a Royal Kenquilt 12 but now I am quilting on a Gammill Statler Stitcher Optimum. I have been quilting a lot of my tops that have been waiting in line for me to have time. I always put my customers quilts first so this can really slow my own progress down. I have used my tops to get familiar with the machine and complete some gifts. I have started taking customer quilts and I am so pleased with the quality I am offering. Her is some pics of a few recent tops.

This quilt was for a friend of ours newest little addition. She was so sweet to blog about it. You can see more great pics on her blog. I used a monkey pattern which I loved. I am sure I will use many more times in the future. Quilted on the Gammill

Here is some antique blocks I pieced together for a friend of mine. I just loved the look of this when it was quilted and washed. I love that slight wrinkle a quilt gets when you wash it. I quilted this one on my bernina with a walking foot.

This is a kite quilt that has been waiting a long time to get quilted. This was finished while we still loved in Germany. It is from Quiltmaker Magazine March/April 1998. The quilting made it look like wind was blowing across the quilt. I put the new Love U line of fabric on the back from Moda. Quilted on the Gammill.

This quilt makes me smile every time I see it. I purchased the unfinished top at a quilt shop in Wichita, KS back in 2005. It was made with the Vienna nights collection of fabric. It is too small for my bed but so pretty.

This was the last quilt top I did on my old machine before I upgraded. I think it was a great end to a machine that has been such a benefit to our family. I can't wait to see all the great tops that I complete on the new machine.

Great Bag Pattern

2010-05-23T23:54:00.000-04:00

Recently I had the opportunity to do some pattern testing. I have designed patterns in the past and have had people test for me but never have I pattern tested for someone else. One of my favorite blogs Two Peas in a Pod. Trish asked a few months ago for pattern testers. I have enjoyed seeing her work and thought it would be great fun. She gave me a copy of her new Madison bag to test. I really enjoyed bringing her text to life. Many times when I am given a deadline or a challenge I will wait until the last moment. This bag was more like a mystery to me and I could not wait to see what it looked like finished.

This is how it all started out. I got the pattern in a PDF format so I could print it off and get busy. The actual pattern when it is purchased from her website will have the pattern pieces printed out on one sheet of paper. I had to tape mine together.

I got right to work to solve the mystery. You might not think it was a mystery since I had a picture of the end result but that was her end not mine. My fabrics were different and from the picture I really could not tell the size of the bag.

It said to add a strip of coordinating fabric on the flap but I thought that some pretty ribbon and lace would look oohhh so nice.

I love how the bag came out in the end. My strap is shorter than the pattern instructions. Error on my part not the designer.

I really like how the flap turned out. This flap has a snap closure. I have made many bags but this is only the second one with a snap. Pretty cool! I think many more of my bags are going to have snaps.

A peek at the inside of this cute bag. I have this bag hanging in my quilt room. I just enjoy looking at it. I am not sure who I am going to gift with it yet. Or I might just decide to keep this one. If you would like to purchase a pattern for this great bag or one of Trish's other amazing bag patterns jump over to her blog and snag them up. Trish also designs cute girls dresses and accessories. If you buy one of her patterns let her know that you heard about her from me.

Winner Announced and the Mystery stitcher revealed

2010-05-18T13:24:00.001-04:00

This contest was a lot of fun. Although I was hoping for a little bigger response I am so happy that all of you voted for your favorite turtle. I believe most of you voted based on color and appearance. The person who challenged me said people would "like his turtle better." The construction of the two turtles was quite varying. I purposefully took photos that would flatter the turtles. Since this was a contest of likability and not construction Lenny is clearly the winner. The person responsible for the winning turtle is none other that my hubby!!

I think he did a great job. This is not the first time he has sewn. He has made numerous projects over the years. He has also started longarm quilting with me recently. We upgraded our longarm to a Statler Optimum. The precision is amazing and I am having a blast practicing while learning about this new machine.

Now what you all are really wanting to know is who won the seam ripper. I used random.org to get the number and the winner was: Nici

Nici said...

I cast my vote for Lenny! (Although both are adorable)!

I will contact Nici via e-mail to arrange shipment. If any of you would like to purchase any of my husbands great hand turned sewing and crochet aids please view our etsy shop.

Thank you all again for your comments and votes. Please continue to check back for other giveaways.

Meet Lenny and Josie / Giveaway

2010-05-10T10:47:00.004-04:00

We have a winner. I will announce it on Monday night. I am heading out of town and will be unable to update until then. The suspense will have to hold you over for a little longer.

I had a challenge recently with someone close to me. They said they could make a better turtle. I am always up for a challenge. We stitched away together a few weeks ago and came up with two dashing turtles. We used Heather Bailey's pattern for Henrietta the turtle. I need your help though. Would you please cast your vote for your favorite turtle. I am giving away one of my husbands wood turned seam rippers as a prize to one of my voters. I will use a random number generator to pick the winner from the comments. When the voting ends on Thursday May 14th at Midnight I will post the winner and reveal the maker of each turtle. So without further ado. I give you the turtles

Here is Josie! She likes to bask in the sun on rocks by the lake.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Heres is Lenny. He enjoys relaxing in the shade of the daisies.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I had to show off my pretty daisies in my flower bed by the lake. I planted these the first year we moved in and they have grown so well. They make me smile each time I see them .

The photo shoot was so taxing on the turtles that they fell over from exhaustion or maybe it was the Georgia heat. Either way you can see their bellies and underside of their shells.

Here is a picture of the prize for one of my lucky voters.

Another Great Adventure in Odyssey!!

2010-04-21T00:43:00.000-04:00

I hope this is not the first time you have heard about this great collection of character building stories. Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of the newest album for me to review. Our family has been long time fans. Episode 51 is no exception. It is packed with great stories. There is stories about all kinds of things kids face each day. I find that more than just the kids enjoy these stories. My husband and I enjoy listening with our kids in the car. These adventures lead us to have some great discussions and learning moments. Whit introduces his newest invention The Inspiration Station. Some kinks need to be worked out but I am sure Eugene is up to the challenge. There is some new characters introduced in the this album. I think they are going to be great in the mix. The old favorites are there in all there hairless glory. Hehee ( You have to listen to understand that one.)
Here is just a sample of some of the great stories:

dealing with clutter as a family
bullies and how revenge can hurt more than just the intended target
responsibility in taking care of pets
take a step back into time to learn about the Jubliee singers from Fredrick Douglas himself
good intentions are not always welcomed
a wedding , sort of! ( learn a little about another cultures wedding traditions and the value of family.)

If you haven't listened to an Adventure in Odyssey before this would be a great one to start with.

I like making BAGS!

2010-04-20T11:22:00.000-04:00

I have a great love for bags. My friend DeDee could attest to this. I love to buy them and make them. My mother also has a passion for them. This weekend our quilt guild had a workshop on making a simple tote that could be altered in many ways. I jumped on the chance to take this class. Not because I needed instruction on the how-to part of making bags but for two reasons.
1) I love to gain new ideas by seeing others completed works.
2) Who turns down the opportunity to sew with friends. Not Me!

Here is the bags that my mom and I made this weekend. You can tell our different tastes by just glancing at these bags.

Here is a close up view of my mom's bag. We have had this Asian cat fabric for a long time. We thought we might use it for a pillowcase but this project seemed more fitting. You can't see it in the picture but her front pocket his three divisions. The font and the back is the same.

The teacher of this class wanted everyone to use a light fabric for the inside so it would be easier to find things inside. Well being the rebels that we are we choose differently. I have had this blue for for years and could never find a use for it. This was the perfect use. The fabric looks like it was made for this project. (Or atleast I think so.) She again added multiple pockets on the inside.

So here you can see my bag. I used ACU tops that I purchased off of some of my husbands soldiers. It only cost me one homemade pie apiece. Not a bad deal if I do say so myself. I sewed velcro on the front of one of my pockets so I could add a name tape. The font and back of my bag has two pockets on each side. I did not put as many pockets as mom did. This for me was just a quick fun try a new pattern bag. It is a great basic bag that can be altered and I plan to alter it plenty in the future.

Friday Night Sew In

2010-04-17T18:32:00.000-04:00

Last night I participated in the Friday night sew in for the first time. It was fun to know that gals were sewing around the globe and getting stuff done. They have a group project each month that you can do or you can work on your own stuff. This month I decided I would try to make some progress on some of my many projects I have cluttering my sewing desk.

I have been working on alphabet blocks for my youngest for awhile now. Last night I was able to make some progress. I will be sol glad when I can have these completed. I think Emme will really enjoy them. The ones ?I have already finished she is carrying around with her. If you would like to get the instructions for these great letter blocks you can head over the Moda Bake Shop. They way they made theirs is quite different than mine. I cut out my letters and fussed them onto the charm squares. Then I did a blanket stitch around them to make them wear better.

Last week I posted about all my tumbler blocks that my friend cut out for me. I started putting them together last night. I think this quilt will bring hours of I Spy fun to my girls. I will continue to post pics of this one as I progress on it.
I also worked on putting some antique blocks together as well. I will post pics of that small quilt when I have it completed.
I think this first experience with the Friday Night Sew In was a Success. I am sure I will join in the fun again next month. I hope so of you will join me.

What I have been doing

2010-04-06T13:56:00.000-04:00

March was a busy month. We got a lot done this past month. We started finishing up a lot of our UFO (Unfinished Fabric Objects) projects. My mom and I make a great team. One of us will sew and the other will press and cut. We can get a lot of work done in a little time. I also have had a friend loading quilts for me in my long arm. I have been able to get a lot more quilts done having the extra help. Most of the quilts we have been loading are ones for customers. The quilts mom and I have been finishing are piling up. I will post pictures of them once they have their binding on them.

Here is my March $5 quilt block. Pretty in pink don't you think?

Do you remember the I spy Swap I took part in back in February? When I got my blocks back I decided to have a friend use her accu cut and cut out tumbler blocks for me.

Here they are. I really like the fabrics everyone used. I can't wait to put them altogether along with some other fun kid print tumblers I have. I think this will make a great quilt for the car.

I have had a lot of fun reading other peoples blogs and finding some great patterns. I recently came across a pattern for a cute little bag that is a girls face. The mouth on the girl is where the zipper is. I made one of these for my brothers exchange student. It came out so cute.

Doesn't she look cute. I think she looks very innocent here.

Wouldn't it be great whenever we opened our mouth money came out. If you would like to make one of these great little coin purses you can find the tutorial on Lia's Space. She has some real fun tutorials.

Great Bible and contest from Tyndale

2010-03-23T13:21:00.000-04:00

The New Living Translation Break Through to Clarity Bible Contest and Giveaway

Visit www.facebook.com/NewLivingTranslation and click on the tab that says “Sweepstakes”

Fill out a simple form, take a quick Bible clarity survey, invite your friends to join and you’ll be entered to win one of our exciting prizes.

With each fan number milestone a new prize will be given away.

Grand Prize

Apple iPad 64G and a Life Application Study Bible
Awarded when the NLT Fan Page hits the fifth milestone
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2nd Prize - Already awarded

32G iPod Touch and a Life Application Study Bible
Awarded when the NLT Fan Page hits the fourth milestone
Retail Value: $300.00

3rd Prize – Will be awarded when fan count hits: 3500

Kindle DX and a Life Application Study Bible
Awarded when the NLT Fan Page hits the third milestone
Retail Value: $489.00

4th Prize Will be awarded when fan count hits: TBD

Apple iPad 16G and a Life Application Study Bible
Awarded when the New Living Translation Fan Page hits the second milestone
Retail Value: $499.00

5th Prize Will be awarded when fan count hits: TBD

Apple iPad 32G and a Life Application Study Bible
Awarded when the NLT Fan Page hits the first milestone
Retail Value: $599.00

Prize Eligibility – Recently updated to include more countries

Sweepstakes participants and winner(s) can be U.S. residents of the 50 United States, or residents of any country that is NOT embargoed by the United States, but cannot be residents of Belgium, Norway, Sweden, or India. In addition, participants and winner(s) must be at least 18 years old, as determined by the Company.

Sweepstakes Starts

March 17, 2010 @ 10:24 am (PDT)

Sweepstakes Ends

April 30, 2010 @ 10:24 am (PDT)

Wait, there’s more!

Visit http://biblecontest.newlivingtranslation.com/index.php for a chance to win a trip for two to Hawaii!

Here are the details:

Choose one of six passages of Scripture from the New Living Translation and consider:
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How does this passage apply to your life?

Submit your answer and you’ll be entered to win.

Just for signing up: Everybody Wins! Win a Free .mp3 download from the NLT’s new Red Letters Project. It’s the dynamic, new presentation of the sung and narrated words of the Gospel of Matthew. You win the download just for entering! Or choose to download the NLT Philippians Bible Study, complete with the Book of Philippians in the NLT.

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February catch up

2010-02-24T18:35:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged in a couple weeks. I am going to catch up on it all hopefully in one. Here goes.

My blocks came in for the No Sew swap I did with Kathleen over on her blog. I even got a little bonus Kleenex holder to go with these great blocks. I hope to get them sewn up soon.

This is my little quilt I made for the Sweetheart Rock Swap hosted by Pat Sloan on her blog. This was a blast. I made a new sewing friend Patty in California. She has a neat blog with a lot of her great quilts posted on it. She made me the sweetest heart quilt with redwork on it. I also got a great box filled with all kinds of homemade goodies.

She is truly a Patchwork Princess!!!

Here is my February $5 quilt block from my local shop. I really love how this quilt is coming along. I think it is going to be gorgeous. I need to buy my finishing kit but I just can't decide which fabrics I like the most.

ILY Quilt (I Love You)

2010-02-08T22:09:00.000-05:00

My mom and I made a very special quilt recently. My cousins teenage daughter was severely injured in a car accident the day before Thanksgiving. She suffered some severe head trauma. A lot of her family and friends did different things to reach our to them and show their support. What does a quilter do? She makes a quilt. We used the tossed nine patch pattern from Eleanor Burns to make this quilt.

This picture does not do this quilt justice. It looks like a brand new piece of candy. All bright and fresh. I used one charm pack along with two other small cuts of fabric.

I free motion quilted this quilt but wrote ILY all over it as well. I really like how it came out.

I used my leftover blocks on the back. I really like this look and how it ties it together. This is one of the few quilts I have made that the front and the back of the quilt match. You can kind of see in this photo th binding. It is a cute heart print my friend Joanna gave me that when I put it on the hearts are in a straight row all the way around the quilt.

Here is a picture of the label. I printed this one off on my printer this time instead of hand writing it. There was a lot to write and I wanted it to look real nice.

Letter Challenge!

2010-02-06T21:49:00.000-05:00

I was reading thru some of my favorite blogs yesterday. I came across Block Lotto. This is a virtual block of the month. This year they are doing some non traditional piecing methods. They call it liberated piecing. For February they are free piecing words of affection. I thought this was a great variation to paper piecing letters or doing standard piecing. I thought I should give it a try. Instead of making a word a love I made a name of someone I love. You can find instructions for the wacky type of piecing on Tanya's blog.

I am going to now send this to Celine and challenge her to make something out of it and send me a pic so I can post it. She has not been able to sew much since she went back home to Switzerland so this should give her the boost she needs.

If you try this type of piecing please send me a pic so I can see your spin on this.

I spy swap

2010-02-06T01:17:00.000-05:00

I recently signed up for an I spy swap over on the obsessively stitching blog. I have considered making a quilt like this for quite some time. I thought this would be a fun way to make one and some interesting fabrics from other peoples stashes. Ladies from 13 different states as well as Germany and Greece have signed up for the fun. I mailed my squares off last week.

I can't wait to see what I get back.

Great Read!

2010-01-25T10:51:00.000-05:00

Thicker Than Blood By C J Darlington

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Thicker Than Blood is a prodigal story. Two sisters find each other again after 15 years. The older sister had disappeared after the funeral of their parents, leaving the other in the care of an aunt and wondering why she had left. The younger sister, in the care of her aunt had learned to trust God and had made a life for herself doing what she had always dreamed of doing – ranching. The other sister, while trying to pursue her dreams which included a strong interest in books, has experienced some rocky times and had a lot of set backs along the way. Reconciled after the death of their aunt, the sisters have to deal with the past as well as some very scary things in the present. It’s a story of redemption and God’s forgiveness. But most of all it’s a story of hope. No matter what your past, God loves you anyway. I read this book straight through. It was one of those books you can’t put down. It’s not a romance – there is no romance involved, but it is a love story. the story of the love of family, those who we bring into our lives that become family and the love of God for those who will just accept it. The story ended with hope for the future for both sisters. I can only hope that Ms. Darlington is planning a sequel and I will get the opportunity to find out what happened next!

Quarterly Mystery Quilt Saturday

2010-01-17T21:54:00.000-05:00

Next Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010, I will be hosting a mystery quilt project in my home. This is an all day event from 9:00 - 4:00 with lunch provided. The cost is $20.00, which includes the pattern, personal instruction and some yummy soup for lunch. I have three machines available to be used by students. Please let me know if you need the use of a machine when you RSVP. This pattern is a personal design of mine. You will have a twin size quilt top when you are finished. If you take the class you also get a 20% discount on my machine quilting services for this quilt. Please do not feel that you have to enlist my quilting services. This is just a special discount I give to students. Sign-up deadline is Friday, Jan. 22 at 10:00. Please e-mail me your reservation nikkitty@nikkittyquilts.com If there is a large response I will run a second class the following weekend.

Supply list:
1 jelly roll of fabric ( 40 - 2.5 inch strips that coordinate.) This needs to be a colorful jellyroll for the quilt to have a nice contrast.
2 yards of background ( It will look nice if it is from the same collection but is not a must.)
1 spool of matching thread.
A smile!

No Sew Swap blocks are ready to go.

2010-01-08T22:05:00.001-05:00

Tonight I cut out all my Glory in Scraps blocks. I also went ahead and pieced my block. I really like how it turned out. I have eyed this block for some time.

While I was making this block tonight I was thinking. This is a Red White and Blue swap that doesn't necessarily mean that it is patriotic. I guess being an Army wife this is just what my mind automatically thinks of when I hear Red white and Blue. I hope the gals in Canada and Germany who are taking part in the swap appreciate it. This block is off to be pinned on the design wall to await the other blocks.

Here you can see the other 8 blocks laid out on my sewing desk. I work in my quilt room almost daily so my desk does not stay very neat. The pile to the right is scraps from my most recent projects. My scrap bucket needs to be emptied. On the left you can see an aluminum wrapper on top of the can. It holds a German chocolate bar that helps keep me going. These blocks will be off to Jane next week. I can't wait to see my little baggies I will be getting back in February. I will continue to post the progress of this project.

Sewing progress

2010-01-06T16:13:00.000-05:00

This is my design wall as of today. I have a few projects in the works. The Red and Aqua blocks are from a swap I did over on Jane's blog. They look a little wild and crazy to me when I lay them out. I am thinking of appliquéing Emily's name very large on the front of the whole quilt. This way the blocks will look like more of a background and not just everywhere. Th small block in the top right corner is a scrap quilt I am making for our guest bed. The plan is to make two scrap quilts for the daybed/trundle but I have not decided if I am going to use the same pattern for both. On the far left is a semi truck block that I paper pieced from Paper Panache. It was a mystery block. I love how it turned out! I am going to use it in something very special.

Across the top you will see the $5 quilt blocks that I am making from my local quilt shop.

Here was the block from last month. I am sorry it took me so long to get it posted. I am using Thangles for all of my half square triangles. The only frustration with this is that it takes just a little more fabric than she gives us in our kit each month. So I had to purchase the oops kit the first month. So I have an extra 10 inch square of all the fabrics in the quilt along with a half yard of backing. I woulf much rather purchase the oops kit then have to draw all those lines.

Here is the block for this month. It took quite a bit of time. I worked on it off and on for two days. The fact that it does not have to be done until Saturday and that I am already done is an accomplishment. I usually wait until the night before.

No Sew Swap

2010-01-03T17:29:00.001-05:00

I just joined a great swap hosted by Kathleen. This is a new swapping idea for me. It is a no sew swap. You pick a block out and cut nine kits. Keep one and mail the other 8. You do all the sewing yourself when you get your baggies back in the mail. What a cool idea. I already picked my block and will get cutting this week. I am making the Glory in Scraps block from Quilters Cache.

Current book club selection

2010-01-02T19:25:00.001-05:00

I lead a book club on Ft Benning with PWOC. We choose a different Christian fiction book each month. We are currently reading The Nativity by Angela Hunt. This is the second book we have read by this author. We meet this Thursday to hand out our next book A Bride Most Begrudging by Deanne Gist. I have already read this one because I couldn't wait. I need to get busy and read The Nativity before Thursday. Ahhh busy busy busy! Here is our list for the rest of the semester. These are all great reads.

January A Bride Most Begrudging – Deeanne Gist

February The Face — Angela Hunt

March Blessed is the Busybody – Emilie Richards

April The Yada Yada Prayer Group Neta Jackson

May Petticoat Ranch Mary Connealy

Gifts I made for Christmas this year.

2010-01-02T17:32:00.000-05:00

Here is a Poochie bag I made for my Aunt. I made two of these in different fabrics. They are the perfect size to carry a few books home from the library. It would also make a nice lunch bag. I showed a friend how to make these and she took off. I think she made 20 or more of these. This was only her second sewing project. Check out the tutorial for this great bag on Happy Zombie

This is a chess board that I made using an iron on interfacing grid. The grids are made by Quilt Top Express. This is a great way to make a personalized game board for the chess or checker player in your family.

These are some baby doll buntings I found in the Moda Bake Shop. I altered the pattern because I wanted to make something for my daughter's Beanie Babies. The pattern for the bunting calls for 10 inch squares, but I used a charm pack and the end result was these pictures above which are a perfect size for Beanie Babies.

This is a bundle of gifts I sent to our family in Indiana. From L to R, a tiny poochie bag (just the right size for a gift card), two journal covers that I designed myself, a pig pillowcase, 4 floral coasters, and a personalized towel. I will be posting a tutorial for these great notebook covers in the near future.

I made these father and son pajama pants for our family in DC. They arrived in the nick of time for them to wear these when they watched the playoff games.

This is the first project I ever made from the Moda Bakeshop. The tutorial for it was very simple and it was a lot of fun to make. I had it done within an hour. This is a grocery bag dispenser. This one went to a friend in Kansas.

This little bag takes 20 minutes. I made two of them this year as gifts. The tutorial for this is very general so you can play with the sizes and make one almost any size you want by following the basic instructions on the tutorial.

These were for the females in the house of our DC family. The apron on the left with the ruffle is reversible. The mother's apron is also reversible but there is no ruffle -- just an applique of a crown. There is no specific tutorial for me to lead you to on these because I read multiple tutorials and then winged it. The crown design is mine. I got the courage to try this without a direct pattern at my mother's leading and encouragement. She said I had been sewing for so many years I should be able to know what I want, lay it out and make it. That's what I did. Because of her words, I made six things this year without a pattern. This was a major stepping out of the box for me. However, I believe this opens a new chapter in my quilting and crafting. The chef's hat came from a great tutorial from Michael Miller Fabrics' blog. I was able to make two of these in very little time. On the first one I forgot to put interfacing in the band but it still looks great on -- it just isn't able to stand up by itself when it's not on your head.

The second hat was for my youngest. You can see how impressed she was. LOL

Christmas Garland

2009-12-05T13:11:00.000-05:00

On Friday night we sat down after dinner and got busy making a Christmas light garland from felt. I orginally saw the idea on Cakies Blog . I made mine quite different. Emme picked what colors we used. Grandma, Lil and I cut them out. Then we thought about gluing them but the only glue I had was white school glue. I know from past experience that this does not work well with felt. So we decided to sew them

Lil took on this job and I was so excited. You would think that since she is my daughter that she could sew like a wiz and that she sews all the time. Most of the time she is occupied with other things or she will wait to ask until I am really busy. She has tried a few things in the past but she gets frustrated with herself if she makes any mistakes. She is really good in the kitchen though and I fell in time she will do more sewing. Anyway back to the lights. We kind of raced. I was in charge of pinning and she was in charge of sewing. We got them done in record time.We strung them on red double fold bias tape. We hung them in our kitchen and bathroom. Our whole house is starting to take on a cheery glow.

I just won a great book!

2009-12-04T13:56:00.002-05:00

I have been reading blogs all over the web and have happened on a few that have had a wealth of good ideas and my personal favorite tutorials. I have made my Christmas to-do list from many of these great blogs. One that I enjoy gleanning ideas from is Prudent Baby. They have some great craft ideas posted weekly. Check it out. I just won a book from this blog and I can't wit to receive it and get to baking some great cookies.

2009-11-21T18:23:00.003-05:00

I have completed my second block for the $5.00 quilt project at my local quilt shop Sew Much Fun. I really like the fabrics we are using. Batiks have such a fresh look to me. I have been using Thangles on this project to make it a little easier for me. The only draw back is that I use a little more fabric then they give us in our kit. I had to buy an oops packet at the shop which has 1/2 yard of background along with a 10 inch square of all the fabrics we will be using. So as of today my $5.00 quilt has cost me $30.00. That is not too bad. We will see as I go along if the total increases.

Great Giveaway

2009-11-20T15:01:00.002-05:00

Bagels - Homemade

2009-11-02T21:26:00.003-05:00

Today I was wanting to make some homemade bread so I jumped on the web for some inspiration. I stumbled upon a great website that was helpful and gave me a lot of inspiration. Knead to be Loaved is a great site. She has a lot of different types of breads. I liked the fact that these are not breads you see all the time but some things that are not so frequently offered on cooking websites. I read through her instructions for making bagels and thought I could do that. So I called to my oldest Daughter so we could tackle this project together.

Here is 4 of our bagel dough balls. Each ball was for one bagel. This is during the second rising. It told me to cover them with plastic wrap but I did not spray it so it stuck a little. Once they had risen I poked a hole in the center so I could drop them in the hot water.

These turned out to swell up so much that I could only fit two in the pot at once. Next time I will divide my dough into smaller portions before I start so I can have more bagels.

My daughter held her hand up to the dough so you could have an idea of how big they were when they came out of the boiling water.

This is our finished product. They tasted very good and the texture is a lot better than the store bought ones. I hope in the future I can make them look a little prettier. I am going to punch the holes in the center before I let them rise the last time under the saran wrap so that way all they don't deflate while I am putting the hole in them like this time.

I hope after reading about my experience you will check out her site and try one of her great recipes. I think we should all try to continue learning on a regular basis.

Red and Aqua swap

2009-10-26T11:12:00.002-04:00

I finished my blocks last night for the red and Aqua swap being done on Jane's blog. It was a lot of fun. I can;t wait to see the blocks I get back. I hope I like everyone else's blocks as much as I like mine. I am thinking that I will make a quilt for a special girl I know. These colors are not really me but they are very pretty together none the less. I will post a pic of the blocks I get back when they arrive.

Tonight is quilt guild so I am really excited to go and get inspired.

What I have been up to.

2009-10-21T10:17:00.005-04:00

I have finally took a picture of my bag I made for from the moda bake shop. I am happy with how it turned out. I used Roger's old uniform bottoms. I also used an old belt for the handles. The only new material is the lining and band fabric. It is just the right size for my little one to carry a few toys around with her.

I am also working on a Block of the Month from my local quilt shop Sew Much Fun. They call it $5.00 quilt. You buy the first block for $5.00. Each month they have a special meeting at the shop. If you bring your block completed to the meeting you get your next block free. If you don;t have it done you have to pay $5.00 for your next kit. So you could make all 12 blocks for only $5.00. pretty smart huh! The are smart with this club because while you are at the meeting they show you all the new products in the store and also have a whole list of specials that are just for club members that morning. So your top in the long run will cost you quite a lot. But hay what the heck it is a lot of fun!!

This is the iPod case I made for Lil. I didn't really have a pattern. I just looked at a lot of others people had made online and went to my machine and doodled around. I am pretty happy with the results. I used scraps from other projects. I will most likely make another one sometime. The front of the case has a pocket for money or an ID card. The back yellow pocket with elastic on top is made to hold the ear buds. This is all for now maybe I will have some more to post in a few days.

Great Giveaway

2009-07-30T21:31:00.003-04:00

Head on over to PS I Quilt to sign up for a great giveaway. This is another great quilter that has been featured in the Moda Bake Shop.

2009-07-30T21:31:00.001-04:00

Favorite Blogs

2009-07-29T10:36:00.002-04:00

I am very new to the blogging world. I spend so much time looking at all the great bogs and being filled with ideas that I forget to update mine. I wanted to share with you one of my favorite blogs that I enjoy gettting great quilting ideas from. The link below is for the most recent post. http://www.modabakeshop.com/2009/07/charmed-gift-bag.html
Today they posted a great gift bag made by a fabulous quilter named Kimberly Walus. She also has a very fun blog that I just came across this week. I have added ot to my list of blogs to follow so I can glean from her wealth of ideas. If you have the time you should check her blog out also. She is having a giveaway right now for a cute gift bag.
http://bittybitsandpieces.blogspot.com/
Our family has been making gift bags to use at Christmas for the last few years. We use very little wrapping paper. This was Roger's idea a few years ago becaus ehe thought it was a waste all the paper and tape we used at holidays to just be thrown away. I think this bag would be great for replacing the gift bags we use to give gifts to others. These would be easy to make a few in holiday fabrics to have on hand. I think it makes the gift extra special. I hope to make one in a few days and post a pic along with pics of our gift bags we use each year.

Lasagna Soup

2009-05-25T21:32:00.003-04:00

Tonight I was tired after a day of cleaning. I wanted to make something at home but I was not interested in spending a lot of time in the kitchen. This recipe is another one of those staple recipes I keep the ingredients for in my pantry. I received this recipe from a good friend of mine back in Kansas. This recipe takes a few minutes to throw together.

Lasagna Soup

1 Lasagna dinner kit

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 pkg of hamburger meat

2 cups of frozen corn

5 cups of hot water

1/3 cup of grateed parmessan cheese

1 cup of zucchini (optional)

Brown hamburger with onion and garlic or however you brown hamburger. I do this in the bottom of my soup pot and then I add the other ingredients that way I don't dirty multiple dishes. When the burger is brown I add the water, tomatoes, corn and the seasoning packet from the dinner kit. I let this simmer on the stove for 30 minutes. 5 minutes before serving I add the noodles from the kit, zucchini and the cheese. When the noodles are done enjoy this with your whole family.

Smoky Corn Chowder

2009-05-18T23:15:00.003-04:00

Today was a cool day. I opened my windows to air out the house and enjoy the cooler weather. It made me think of one of my favorite cool weather soups. I keep the items to make this soup in my home at all times.

1 can of cream corn
(I use the cream corn can and refill it with the following ingredients)
1 can of frozen hashbrown potatoes
1 can of frozen corn
1 can of milk
3/4 of a cup of diced ham
1 cap full of liquid smoke

Heat this to a slow boil on the stove.
5 minutes before serving add 1 1/2 cups of shededed cheese to soup. Stir until melted and serve this great soup for lunch to your hungry bunch. This recipe serves 3-4 people. I usually double it and save the leftovers. I have even froze them for a rainy day.

Taco Soup

2009-05-14T17:11:00.003-04:00

This is a favorite recipe of mine that I like to make for dinner. There is usually enough for leftovers the next day which is always a good thing. I hope you enjoy this one.

Nikki’s Taco Soup

1 can Rotel
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion

Puree all ingredients and then add:

1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can creamed corn
2 cups frozen corn or 1 can
1 envelope ranch dressing
1 envelope taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded cheese and sour cream. Optional: Serve over Fritos or Tostitos for a yummy crunch.

2009-05-13T23:34:00.001-04:00

This is a quilt I finished this last weekemd. It is a traditional double Irish chain quilt. I tried a new quilting pattern. I like to freemotion quilt with no set pattern. I basically like to doodle. You can not see the fabric real well but it had slight swirls to it. I liked the look so I repeated it in my quilting. I liked the effect so much I wanted to keep it for myself. It was hard to let it go. The lady in this picture was the reciepnt of this beautiful creation. It was a gift from her daughter for her 50th wedding anniversary. It was a joy to help my friend by making this gift for her mother. You can see more of my quilts at my website. www.nikkittyquilts.com

Here I go!!

2009-05-13T23:29:00.000-04:00

I have always wanted to have a blog and share ideas and news with friends and family. I hope to be able to keep you updated on the crazy adventures of our little military family and also share with you some recipes, patterns and ideas.