Parisville and a favorite tool

I made a block for Michelle last night, for the One Block Over Bee.  I used one of my favorite notions/tools, and I don’t believe I’ve ever raved about them here before… so here you go!

I call them fork pins, but I think the commercial name for them is U-pins.  I bought mine from aquilt store, but they are also used in jewelry display, so can be purchased through a jewelry making supplier as well.  They come in this little blue box, and are used to pin seams, to keep your seam lines or points lined up as you sew your seam.  You can safely sew over them, because they are even finer than glass head straight pins.  

You place the pin through the seam allowances on both ides of your seam….

Sew your seam without removing the pin (you can remove it just before you sew over that area, if you really can’t make yourself sew over a pin), and voila!  Perfectly matched seams:

Michelle’s block is made from Tula Pink’s Parisville line, gorgeous colors and prints (even though the center medallion fabric kind of freaks me out)….

Here is the completed block:

On a totally separate note, I’ve been enjoying scones I made this weekend, from a 1996 recipe I dug out for a friend that asked if I still had it. 

We studied together in Yorkshire, England, for four weeks in 1996, and a lovely local woman shopped and cooked for us.  She brought us fresh scones every. single. day, and quite often a made-from-scratch chocolate cake.  Thank goodness for all the hiking and walking we did daily, or I would have came home ten pounds heavier!   I had completely forgotten about these recipes until Vicki asked me for them.  Next weekend, chocolate layer cake!

Wedding Wednesday #6

I posted some inspiration photos for what to do with my hair (veil? fascinator? hair jewelry? no headpiece?) a few weeks ago.  Since then, I purchased a vintage veil on eBay.  The tulle had turned a light grey over the years, which the seller had disclosed…

But the headpiece portion of it is in amazing shape, only missing one of the small plastic combs…

So, I found some tulle to make a replacement veil, which I am planning to attach with tiny, clear plastic snaps, so when I get sick of the veil hanging down, I can have someone remove that portion of my headpiece and still have the decorative part in my hair:

I think I may add a few pearly seed beads to the tulle to add some sparkle and interest, but really, this was a simple and quick DIY project.

Sugar and Spice

Last weekend, we drove to the Twin Cities to see family, and meet this three-week old sweetheart:

Here she is with her proud Papa, my sweetie’s nephew, Jeff:

I gifted her a quilt, with pieced front and monogrammed reverse side:

On the road trip, I managed to finish five more hexagon blocks:

and we hit a Paper Source (yeah!) and a great bookstore in Minneapolis, just a few doors down. I also found some fun Measuring Spoons to match the Measuring Cups I got in my Christmas stocking:

 

Fun, huh?  Coming home and heading into work on a Monday following a weekend like that is bound to be a let down.  Thank goodness Monday was Valentine’s Day, and my sweetie didn’t let me down…. (please ignore the kitty on the tablecloth–we don’t let him get up there when guests are coming!)

Wedding Wednesday #5

73 days and counting.  (I really only know how many days away our wedding is because we are getting married the day after the Royal Wedding, so the press kindly keeps me abreast of just how many days we have left!) 

Much of our wedding will be a DIY affair.  The rehearsal dinner and party will be self-catered; we are doing the flowers; the cake; the favors; I’m making my veil (yes, I found a solution, planning to post the finished photos next Wednesday!); a friend is doing our photography for us; we are creating and printing our own invitations; and I’m creating a combination guest book and wedding album. 

This weekend, on a trip to the Minneapolis Paper Source store (swoon!) I bought a book binding kit for the album, business cards (in Quartz Stardream) and mini envelopes (in Bluebell): 

We plan to have guests sign a mini card, including a piece of advice, a wish for our marriage, or a favorite quote.  They’ll tuck their card into a mini envelope and drop it in a box or basket.  The envelopes will be pasted into our wedding album, three on a page, along with photos of Our Day.

Every anniversary, we plan to look through the album, while sharing a bottle of wine, pull out some of the mini cards and read through the wishes and comments made on that Day.  Both of us will write something to each other, as well, and tuck it in a little envelope to be read on our first Anniversary. 

What do you think?  Have you seen any other clever or creative guest book ideas that you really liked?  I first got this idea from Elise, who I also lifted borrowed my Wedding Wednesday idea from.  Elise got married last year, had a beautiful orange and grey wedding, and has an even more lovely website and blog.

Many more creative ideas here.  Have fun browsing…

Happy Wednesday!

My First Quilt…and a WINNER!

I always have a hard time giving a simple answer to the question, “when did you start quilting?”  Because, it was somewhat of a gradual process.  I learned to sew garments as a little girl, and I learned to hand quilt as a pre-teen, quilting part of a hideous cheater cloth quilt (never finished it, and I’m sure it’s in a landfill somewhere) and then, an antique bedspread that my Grandma had given me; then I STARTED piecing and quilting, as a hobby and an obsession, about eight years ago.

The bedspread Grandma gave me was a typical white, woven bedspread from the early 20th Century.  It was well used and well worn.  I guess this is what I would have to call my first quilt.  A whole-cloth quilt of sorts, quilted by hand, with a large oval hoop, by a total beginner…a teenage Doris.

Here it is spread out on a Queen size bed.  The angled corners are where there used to be notches for a four-poster bed, which were tattered and worn, so I cut them at angles.  It fits a Twin size bed perfectly now.

I quilted the details, fleur de lis, a Mariner’s Compass medallion….

 

Scrollwork, lattice grid borders….

I even got crazy wild and did the binding along the zig zag edge…(I suspect my Mom did most, if not all of the binding for me)!

It’s plain bleached muslin on the back:

Not too bad, stitch-wise, for a teenager, huh?!

This lived on my bed for many years, moving with me from apartment to apartment through my single girl years.  I guess now it’s a treasured heirloom. 

Thanks to all of you who visited from Amy’s blog and left comments on my posts.  The winner of the giveaway is Pokey, of pokeydotquilting. Pokey will receive a Moda Charm Pack of her choice in a zipper tool bag along with a few surprises.  So Pokey, take your pick of Giddy by Sandy Gervais, Fresh Flowers by Deb Strain, or Dilly Dally by Me & My Sister! 

Have A GREAT Tuesday, and come back tomorrow!

Thanks, Amy!

Today, I am a featured blogger over at Amy’s Creative Side. In honor of that, I’m putting together a little giveaway (gifties to be revealed on Tuesday, along with the winner, so leave me a comment on ANY post before Midnight CST Monday, February 14th…)

Amy has been hosting the Blogger’s Quilt Festival for a few years now. I’ve entered three or four of my quilts in her festival, which has grown RIDICULOUSLY to over 600 entries each Spring and Fall. Sadly, I usually don’t find the time to go view them all. But I have found some wonderful blogs through her links, and other people have found me and my blog.  It’s a great community here online, great support, great feedback and great motivation! Who doesn’t need more of that!?!

I’m going to post on Tuesday about a quilt I mentioned to Amy when she asked me about when I started quilting:

“…and I learned to hand quilt as a pre-teen, quilting a hideous cheater cloth quilt and an antique bedspread that my Grandma had given me; then I STARTED quilting, as a hobby and an obsession, about eight years ago”

I realized when I answered that question, I have never posted about that quilting experience.  Then I realized why, I have NO photos of it.  So browse the blog, leave me some comments and come back on Tuesday, to see my Grandma’s Bedspread Quilt and see if you won anything!

On a side note, I have to tell you, today I am on cloud nine because my dear friend Dawn, who is currently deployed to Afghanistan, and who we made this quilt for just prior to her deployment, is home for a few days of R & R, and I get to see her and give her a big hug tonight!  yippeee!!