Wednesday, December 31, 2014

2014 - A YEAR IN REVIEW

2014 was...well all about fabric!

I kept my sewing focus by joining in these challenges!

January
My "personal challenge" in 2014 was to "Bust My Stash"
 I made over 70 (yep seventy) projects
From little fabric coasters to a queen size kwilt!


February
Fell off the "not buying fabric" wagon with $1.50 FQs!!!
No more fabric diets for me...ever!


March
 Moda "2wenty Thr3e" jelly roll to this beauty



April
I was lucky to do some long arm kwilting 
 Baby kwilts for twins - in my Etsy shop



Dancing Dragonflies for me



Jelly Roll "Modern Quilt Blocks"  
finished kwilt in my Etsy store



May
A little fun at kwilt retreat!
I ran my own sweatshop...piecing 5 tops




Entered COMMA.JUST.COMMA 
National Quilt Show (NQA)  "modern category"



 "House Dressings" made from my Mom's house dresses
was proudly displayed in the Recycled Exhibit




June
Time to buy more fabric
Dear Stella's Woodwinked  
I gotta thing for "owls" and "mushroom" 
and these colors!!!


July
Pieced a stack of kwilt tops
 and played in my flower gardens



August
Hot weather - cool polar bear kwilt



September
Made 2 Nested Churn Dash Mini's
using Ghastlies fabric


Hosted my "first" (and successful) on-line swap
 Ghastlies, of course!



October
Vacation....at the beach!
But that doesn't stop my from sewing!
Both kwilts are finished and in my Etsy Shop.




November
Wrapped up the Handmade Christmas Challenge
You can see my post on these finishes here

 Love making pillowcases

and zippy pouches


and by December I was pretty much "burned out"
but managed to finish up a couple Christmas kwilts

A little Crown Royal...all stitched up



 Ohio State Buckeyes kwilt


 

If you want to see all the items I made for my Etsy shop...

What's should you expect from me in 2015?
Stay tuned!



Friday, December 26, 2014

CHRISTMAS QUILTS WRAP UP


I have made sew many kwilts...this year I decided
to gift them as Christmas presents for family.

"Pumpkins Gone Wild"
Gifted to my niece Melissa and her husband Robert  
A fall kwilt will certainly warm their lovely home. 



"Halloween at Christmas"
Gifted to my nephew Alan and his wife Jen
who celebrate their marriage on Halloween!


"Wonky Santa"
Gifted to my great niece, Gemma
(Alan and Jen's daughter) 
I love this little sweet heart and hope she will
remember Aunt Kathy loved Santa too!



"TBDBILITL"
 (The Best Damn Brother in law In The Land)
Gifted to my BIL, Gary, an OSU alumni
He knows how much I love the Buckeyes and 
last Christmas gave me a yard each of
the licensed Ohio State fabrics
Seams only fair he should have an OSU kwilt!


I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!








Monday, December 22, 2014

SWEET CELEBRATION and COOKIE DIVAS!

"Sweet Celebrations" today plates up 
Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fudge
...and a whole lot of Cookie Divas!

If you like nuts in the fudge just add
 1 C of walnuts or pecans to either recipe 





Melt in your mouth goodness


Store in an airtight tin...
THEN HIDE IT cause this fudge will dissappear fast!
2009 marked the end of my cookie exchange parties
10 years of a fun tradition among Cookie Diva's

My final gift to these sweet friends were aprons that read
"COOKIE DIVA" and each had a different 
Lauraleigh Embroidery Designs




And here is the special DIVA that did all the embroidery!
Thank you Joan Keltner!!!



I had my own special apron...cause I am 
The Cookie Queen!





And of course..the group shot!


I hope you have enjoyed these "Sweet Celebrations" recipes.
Perhaps I will have more for Valentines Day!





Saturday, December 20, 2014

BLACK, GOLD and CROWN ROYAL

My hubby is a Cleveland BROWNS fan 
(since the Paul Brown era) 

 Grandaughter Ashleigh, has a thing for 
the Pittsburg STEELERS. 

I don't like either one..

BUT I am surprising Ashleigh this Christmas 
with a little Black and Gold pillow case 
so she can dream about a win and 
wear a fun ruffle scarf on game day! 



Remember this...I was making a top using Crown Royal Bags 



All done for my Step Son, Dave
Love the way flannel crinkles after washing.


More finishes for 2014!  Yay!
I still have more to show ya!
after Christmas!




Monday, December 15, 2014

ORANGE SLICE COOKIES and VINTAGE APPEAL

My recipe for "Sweet Celebrations" is a great one!
If you like orange slice candy...
then hang on to your baking sheet!


My BFF Shirley gave me this recipe a couple years ago
and it is one of my hubby's favorite cookies...any time of year. 

Look closely and you will see the little pieces of
chopped up orange slice candy in the cookies.



I remember orange slice candy back when I was growing up...
so I think it is safe to call it "vintage" 

My 2005 Cookie Party has a "Vintage" theme 
beginning with a vintage lace tablecloth on the cookie table



A vintage tree in the kitchen is FULL of vintage ornaments
and vintage toys under it. 
The curtain over the door is a vintage table cloth



I wore my Mom's apron over her house dress from the 1960s 

I asked all my friends to wear vintage aprons 


These "vintage"glamour girls wore their mink stoles!  


 "Leave it to Beaver" has got nothing on us!



I  asked the girls to wear those aprons and give them to me as my hostess gift.  
They each signed a small muslin square with their name
and the year we met...then
I made a signature kwilt with friendship stars 
using the aprons and signature squares.

"Apron Strings and Cookies" 



I will cherish this kwilt as long as there is sugar in my kitchen!
Forever!