SONOMA ROSE : Publication Day

Well actually, it was yesterday! 

I had received the new issue of Jennifer Chiaverini's book, Sonoma Rose from the library yesterday.  It has been since this last November when her last book had come out and I have been anxiously waiting for this new one.  It continues the story from The Quilter's Homecoming.  It continues the story with Rosa, as she disappears in the last book.

And it seems that I'm going to have a lot of reading to do.  My older son had started reading the Hunger Games book series.  He had found out that a movie had been made from the first book and it will be released next month. He is wanting me to read the book before we watch it at the theater together.

My younger son is wanting me to take him to watch The Secret World Arietty, at the movie theater, this weekend.  Since the movie is based from the book The Borrows, we have made a deal with each other that we will read it this summer (we have a few books to read before we can start with this one!).

I am so fortunate that my children love reading and engross themselves into their stories.  I hadn't found my love of books until later in my life, but yet, I can now accompany them in this journey right along with them.

Jane  <3

Hexie Hand-work

Although I love many different aspects of quiltmaking, I believe my whole heart is into hand-work, particularly hand-piecing and hand-applique.  I think it goes back when I was a young girl and I wasn't allowed to use my mother's sewing machine.  If I wanted to sew anything, I had to do it by hand.

I have really enjoyed making my hexagons.  I love the tedious work in marking the lines, to folding the seams, and sewing the hexagons together.

I had made two hexagon flowers each of the Nancy Halvorsen's fabrics (William's Inn).  I hadn't much left because I had used it in two other quilts.

This weekend, my son basketball games were in the same city as one of my favorite quilt stores.  How lucky was that!  He had some time between games, so I had to make a visit.  They have a HUGE assortment of Nancy Halvorsen fabric, so I was in heaven.  Unfortunately, I couldn't stay very long.  I couldn't have my son late for warm-ups.

I only got a few fabrics so I'm looking forward to going back when I have more time to shop!

Another part of this quilts will use hexagons with hand embroidered flowers.

More hand-work!!

Now, I'm needing to mark the new fabrics so I can prepare the hexagons.  I'm hoping to have a photo tutorial on how I make my hexagons because I'm not sure if many people do it the way I do.

Be back soon!

Jane  <3

Happy Valentine's Day

I just had to place a post about my busy day yesterday.  Being Valentine's Day, I wanted  to make some treats for my younger son's party at school.  And regretfully, my older son is no romantic (but I shouldn't expect too much from a young teenager).  I had to make his gift for his girlfriend.

I was asked to make brownies for the school's party, so I decided that they had to be heart-shaped brownies.

We had some snow this morning so getting to school was a little rushed.  I had to take the photo from the car!

My older son couldn't  give an idea of what he wanted to give his girlfriend for Valentine's Day.  They hadn't been together for very long and I don't think he should spending big $$$ for roses.  So I had an idea that combined both candy and flowers...Hershey's Kiss rose buds.

I made a dozen.

Placed in white gift box and tied with a big red bow.

Although he was unable to help me make a few (because of basketball practice and homework), I hope she's a girl that appreciates a handmade gift.

The things we do for our babies!

And I had a few fabric roses from last year's Valentine's Day.  My younger son had picked on to give to his teacher today.

I've gotten some more progress on the hexagon quilt.  I'll be posting those photos soon.

Jane  <3

Fun and Busy Weekend

It is a few times that my family and I have a fun and productive weekend.  I'm usually left drained and spent after a day like this (okay, perhaps I'm a little beat) but today, I am grinning ear to ear!

Our day started early this morning with some tournament games that my older son played with his basketball team.  He was done with his games by mid-afternoon, just in time to go to my younger son's first Pinewood Derby with his Cub Scout pack.

We had left the basketball games with the news that we were ranked second overall and we are to come back tomorrow to play against the first seed team!

And this was my younger son's first Pinewood Derby as a Cub Scout.  My husband and I were a little worried about the outcome of the race - if his car performs badly, he could get upset and cry, and may lose his dedication to the whole Cub Scout organization.  But it turned out all good.  He had placed first in his Tiger den and received a trophy.

Even my older son had entered a car into our "Anything Goes" race (a race for parents, and older siblings) and he had the fastest car!

I now have a big smile on me face for our successful day that we all shared together.

Jane  <3

Backtracking A Bit

I wanted to go over a past post that I had not finished.  The post was on December 1, 2011, and at that time, I was having a few frustrations with this particular project.

I was wanting to enter the Bernina Fall Bag Contest, back in October-November.  I had finished my bags just prior to the deadline and then I had problems downloading my photos to their website, so that I could enter them into the contest.

Well, that was a few months ago, and it's obvious that I was not able to enter my bags into the contest.  At that post, I only gave a sneak peak of what I was making.  So now, I'd like to show of the finished bags.

These were the two photos that I was wanting to submit into the contest.

The concept of the contest was to make a mini tote bag (pattern was provided by the website).  I wanted to create mine as a treat bag for the hand-quilter.  I had filled it with sewing needles, thread, pins, and pincushion, as an example.

Since it was a "fall bag contest," I thought it was appropriate to place a patchwork maple leaf on the front pocket.

I had made 8 altogether, that's 2 each of 4 different colorways.

I had added a drawstring to mine.  I couldn't help myself.

Please take a peek at the contest at allpeoplequilt.com.  There were over 100 entries and the judges chose their top 10 and then it was up to the viewers to chose who the winner was.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with mine, now that Spring will be approaching around the corner. By the way, where did January go?!  I think I may just pack them away and bring them back out again next fall time and see what they may inspire!

Jane  <3

Back from a Breather

Sorry for the long absence.

My last post was the first part of December and with the busyness that comes with the holidays, I had decided to take a short break until the chaos had ceased.  I believe that every blogger takes a little down-time from time to time.  Before I knew it, it was already half way through January!

So I told myself that I had to come back.  Too much time had passed already and I need to get back into the blogging routine again.

Currently, I'm starting a hexagon (grandmother's flower garden) quilt.  I had seen a photo of this particular quilt but I don't remember where I had seen it.  It may have been on pinterest or flicker.  It even looked as if they had used the same fabrics as mine!  I had fallen in love with the quilt and I would acknowledge the quilter if I knew who had created the original quilt from those photos.

I had used the Nancy Halvorsen fabric scraps from two of the quilt-tops that I'm working on (they are almost finished!!).

I had initially purchased the fabric for the Bee Attitudes quilts (I'm naming mine Jordan's Lessons) and used those scraps in my Reminiscence quilt.  And now, with the little bit of fabric that I have left,
I'm using it with another quilt.

I am planning on making two flowers with each fabric. Each flower will have a different center so that each one will not be identical.

This will not nearly be enough to complete the size that I am wanting, so I'm looking forward to visiting the quilt store and getting more Nancy Halvorsen fabrics!!

I'll post more details of my new quilt soon.  I still have to post some projects that I had worked on during my hiatus.

Jane   <3

Frustrations

Frustrating... 

Have you ever worked on a project and it didn't work out the way you wanted?  Putting a lot of work and creativity into it and having nothing to show for it?  At least not the initial result I was wanting...

Let me explain. 

I was working on project that was to be entered into a on-line contest.  The prizes were impressive, so I diligently picked fabrics that I thought would fit in perfectly into the official rules.  I tried to make my entry original, to attract the attention of the judges, so I spend a lot of my time (in between basketball practices and games, Cub Scout meetings...) on it.  It turned out very cute and I am proud with the finished product.  I had taken the photos and then tried to upload them into the website to officially enter them into the contest...

And that is where the trouble began.  It seemed at the last step of entering the contest, the screen just went blank.  Nothing.  I tried at different times of the day with the same result.  I was still trying to upload the photos right up to the deadline time.  Still nothing.  My photos never appeared in the photo gallery of the other entrants' projects.  

Now I have a project that I'm not sure what to do with.  Since I wasn't able to vie for the prizes that I was hoping to win, I just want to complain and moan about it!  I know that I have several quilts that I've never finished because it didn't turn out like the vision that I had in my head.  But this seems different.

I had emailed the website with the problem I had and I'm hoping (hope, hope, hope...) to still be able to enter.  That is the reason why I'm not going to show a photo of it.  I'll just tease you with this one. 

But once I know for sure that it is too late and they are unable to do anything for me, I may just have to have a giveaway.  Passing it on the you just might make it all better.

I'm going to keep my fingers crossed although I have a feeling that my heart will be broken in the end.  Once I know that the first round of judging has passed and I haven't recieved some resolution from the e-mail I sent them, I'll post some photos.  And perhaps you all can help me figure out what I should do with it!

Boo hoo hoo...whimper, whimper, whimper...

Jane   <3