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...

just click here

What's should you expect from me in 2015?

Stay tuned!

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!

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!

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!

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!