Dorthy

Kristin bought a car.....NEW car! Her name is Dorthy and she's a Mazda 2. Great gas milage and easy to drive. Parking is no problem either. Dorthy's ruby red slippers is when the dash lights come on and glow "ruby red". I was hoping Dorthy could click her tires together and wish her way home but Kristin is hoping Dorthy takes her anywhere but "home".    I know Kristin is looking forward to saying "We're not in Nebraska anymore".

West, Texas Quilts

I stole these pic's off of Linda's blog, if I knew how to link I would send you there..........she got them off of Judy L.
Linda sent them to Judy to take to West Tx after the fertilizer blast that has affected that area. I love string blocks and I love making them but it sure was nice having Linda quilt them and mail them off! Thanks Linda for the quilting and binding, Kristin and Sara for the sewing, and the Orchard Quilters for the sewing and fabric. I am truly grateful for all the supportive quilters in this world who make a difference in the lives of so many by their selfless acts of kindness.http://quiltinlibrarylady.blogspot.com/  oh I think I got the link thing going, check out Linda's blog.

prom cost

 I was reading on the net about how much prom is costing parents. The article says over a $1000 is average......wow! Who has that kind of money to spend on one night a year? So I did a little addition and here's what my kids cost.

Sara's dress was a hand me down from Kristin, when she was asked to prom I told her she could go but I wouldn't buy a dress. She could pick from the 4 or 5 we have in the house. I paid $15.00 for it 5 years ago when Kristin wore it for graduation. Sara and Kristin took it out to my studio and remade it with a little help from Mrs. Potter(dentist wife in O'Neill whose estate sale I bought 5 totes of fabric) Kristin added two skirts, sash and trim. I paid $4 a tote so way less than a dollar for added fabric.

Shoes were $25 on clearance at Shoe Carnival

Vintage clutch came from my stash

Jewelry also came from my stash, the vintage butterfly pin on the back of the dress and matching earrings she wore in her hair might be family heirlooms? Or I might have bought them at a garage sale.....now they are Sara heirlooms. The pearl strand is another stash find. The pearl earring are hers from Grandma Flicsha.

I made 4 garters for less than $3 so Sara's two cost $1.25 each

Flowers were $22.98 for all (kids and dates) because Grandma Flicsha is premo florist!

 

Brad's tux jacket was from the thrift store costing $2

Tie and vest ordered off the net for $24.95 plus shipping

Shirt and pants bought at Dillards outlet each $14.99  minus 70%

Shoes borrowed from cousin

alterations by Kristin

I did have to pay $40 for post prom (they gave $20 to the kid at the end of the night)

Kevin and I took Sara to Norfolk (server dates were not included in bus ride or dinner at prom) and we had a very nice dinner at Village Inn for around $30 for the three of us. So add $20 in gas because we took the pickup. I let Brad drive my car to Clearwater to pick up Chelsea and return her in the morning so maybe $3 in gas.

Oh and I almost forgot the pictures we don't have yet...$45

I do have to thank Anna for coming up to do Sara's hair, it was alot of work to make that mane all curls and for saving Brad's haircut......so don't let me have clippers before important events!

 

So for around a little over $200 I sent two kids to prom.

Prom 2013

 Brad and Chelsea

 Sara and Tyson

 Kaylee and Jordan

 Kaylee showing off her boots and garter.

My kids, Brad and Sara before leaving the house.

 

So I think they all had a good time........at least the girls did.

Flowers by Grandma Flicsha.

Sara's hair by Anna.

Sara's dress by Kristin

Kaylee's hair done by Jill and flowers by Lucy's in Neligh.

Brad's tux altered by Kristin

AND all paid for by Mom.

(and Kaylee's Mom)

 



Shoppe sewing

 Here's a pic of of our free pattern for Shop Hop 2013. The boss asked for a small project, what's smaller than hot pads? They have went over great as a free pattern and I've had people ask if the finished hot pads are for sale too. I love these, even made some with other fabrics, the center is a 5" square so it's easy to fussy cut or put an applique in the center.

 I also made a pattern for Microwave Bowl Coozy's, Love these for hot or cold bowls, great for putting your bowl in when it's full of ice cream and you want to eat it while sitting in your lazy boy.

 Sara is modeling my newest apron pattern, the half apron is reversible with pockets on both sides. It's available at the Shoppe as a pattern or a kit.

The full apron is  made, just no pattern yet. I'm hoping to write it up this week. Shop Hop has been great and the last day is tomorrow.

Quilts

 Since this is supposed to be a quilting blog I guess I will show some quilts. The top blue quilt is Roseanne's, it's a 4 Patch Poesy Quilt pattern. This one is done and delivered.

 This one is the same pattern as the top quilt, also Roseanne's. She said this one looks like an old lady quilt. Hmmmmm I kind of  like it..........does that mean I'm an old lady?

I am presently working on this quilt. Luanne is making graduation quilts. I'm right in the middle of quilting this one and my machine wanted to give me fits so I walked away. Maybe a little time apart will make the heart grow fonder?

Shop Hop is starting this week so we have been BUSY getting the shoppe shaped up for visitors. I'm looking forward to the new samples we are hanging tomorrow and the new line of Christmas fabric is soooooo nice! I sure am getting tired.........but it's good to be busy!

Baby gift

 Just a request for a baby gift. My brother's girlfriend Jamie has a new nephew! I'm more than happy to send this special quilt to the new baby and his lucky family.

I was messing around with my machine when I got the call for the baby quilt, this is what I was doing. I layered low loft batting with felt and stitched a few butterflies. I was wondering how much the stitches would bury themselves in felt. I think it's ok so I am going to make hot pads out of these. I have a bag of felt, all different colors and I'm sure I have no other use for felt......

April.........

Well it's Spring around here, just had our new batch of kittens this week. Spring cleaning is well underway and I have a finished roof on my house. My niece and her family have finished moving into their house and I will start filling the building in town with stuff to sell. April will be busy!

Rylee's Room

 My niece Rylee is finally getting her own room! It's not a very big room so Brad and I tackled the painting, well the first coat anyway and ceiling. I didn't get a "before" picture but it's not great with just one coat so Kristin and Sara helped the next day. We added a purple stripe at the top of the wall because there were so many colors up there that the paint would not cover. I guess the last 3 to paint didn't know how to edge the ceiling to the wall. I found pink, lavender and brown. The brown would not cover and Kristin has banned wallpaper so up went purple paint.We also did the baseboard in purple and painted the floor. We trimmed the window and door frame the same as the walls because I was cheap and only bought a pint of purple.

 The dresser and bed were found in the house so we used them and Kristin gave her the sheets and pillows. Sara gave her the pink trash can, lots of pink hangers and a lavender basket. Oh and I added two fluffy white rugs also. Now all Rylee has to do is move her stuff in. I'm sure she'll have a ball decorating her very own room.

Finished quilts

 My Mom has been waiting for me to quilt some of her quilts............a long time!!! This is a fan quilt she did 12 years ago or so, finished it while living in Florida and sent it to me to quilt. Well she finally got it last month. (ok the only reason I quilted this one first is I had something to put on the back, I'm trying to use "what I have")

 And the foot ball coach's quilt is finished and delivered! He loved it!

My friend Janie made this little quilt for a friends new baby, alot of work went into those blocks!

Jewelry

 I fixed a few more stretch bracelets last week. The top one and earrings are just fine the way they are and going in my jewelry box. The first one on the left side was a necklace that broke. The pink one was my favorite rose quartz with my initial on the heart that my mom gave me. The center is aquamarine and the stretch cord was so worn out it was splitting like hair and it was just a matter of time before it broke. The light blue one I picked up at the thrift store. I added the small glass beads and had just enough to make matching earrings.

I am on a green kick, guess it has to do with it being March and St. Patty's day and all. The brown set is another from the thrift store that had ugly plastic gold beads. I like the gold glass much better and even earrings out of it too. The silver charm bracelet is charms I bought from a trip to Santa Fe almost 17 years ago. I am thinking about making a light box to take pic's of small things, like jewelry. We'll see if I ever get it done.

Windows again

 Ok so it's not so easy to take pic's of the windows at the Shoppe from the outside. I added a few framed prints, hanging shamrocks and green candy and a few wire shamrock garlands along with my easy shamrock green throw quilt.

This window has two flannel quilts along with kits for them and a couple framed prints and a few hanging shamrocks again. O'Neill is the Irish Capital of Nebraska! 

Window

At the Shoppe we have two nice big windows. We added this quilt top the other day in hopes of selling kits. I really thought this one would be a big hit and the kits would sell out............uggggh! I really really want the kits to sell so I can bring it home. It would look fantastic in my living room all quilted up with snuggly flannel on the back. I can say the pattern was great and it went together just like it was supposed to, no mistakes. Oh and since our windows are such great display places always check out whats in them on the drive by, sometimes they change weekly.

Jewelry

I've been in the mood to create jewelry lately so I finally made a work station out in my studio. My first job was to "fix" my favorite bracelets. The peachy colored one at the top was a stretch bracelet that was tight. I added the peach glass beads and it made the pinkish stones look peachish. I sometimes make earrings to match  and since I had two stones left I added butterfly charms to make them look sweet for Spring. The bright pink earrings I made to match a necklace, not sure I'll ever wear them together but I do wear lots of pink. The blue/purple set was leftovers from another project, perfect for the colors I wear in the summer. The bottom bracelet was a string of glass beads I got on clearance sale somewhere in my travels. I spaced them with random colored glass beads. I like to wear my bracelets loose and more than one at a time so this will add some variety and color to my jewelry wardrobe. I have made more (lots more) but at this time no pic's.   I am on a mission to rid my life of stretch bracelets so I'm sure I'll be showing more later.

Newton

Newton is just a little sheep looking for mischief. I whipped up this panel in no time for kits at the Shoppe. I love stripped binding!

Puppy treats

Sammy and Josie are spoiled! I make them treats but I never make my kids any....oh I offer to let them taste these but they always decline. Hmmmmm I wonder why? I dump broken eggs (Kev leaves the cracked or damaged eggs for me from his hens) peanut butter, bacon or chicken grease and whole wheat flour in the mixer and work it till it's ready to roll out. Nope I don't measure. The only trick is not to much grease or they broil on the cookie sheet instead of bake. I bake the small treats on a sheet at 200 degree's for 20 or 25 minutes. They come out soft and I leave them set overnight to dry out a bit then pop into baggies. Only 20 or so to a bag because they need to be put in the fridge or freezer or they mold if you leave them out to long. My dogs like them and Anna's dogs LOVE them. Julie's dogs were impressed too. Now Spike not so much....but my Mom makes him shortbread cookies with real butter........talk about spoiled.

Baby quilts

These three baby quilts were part of an order from a grandmother up north. She picked the party fabric and the farm fabric, wanted them gender neutral and good sized. I left them at work and she picked out 6! Yes she bought 6 baby quilts but I have no idea which she choose because Roseanne sold them for me. So now I only have 20 or 30 left to sell..................

gifts

 I made my niece and nephew little pillows for Valentine's Day. My friend Angel gave me a bag of scrap fleece left over from Boy Scout projects. These two pillows were never finished so while waiting for my shop to warm up I tied and stuffed, oh and I sewed around them before cutting and tying, what can I say, I'm a quilter.....every project involves a sewing machine for me.

 This is another waiting project, I sew on it while waiting for  heat in my quilting room or in between rows on a quilt. (sometimes I have to walk away from something I'm quilting in order to keep my calm and not cuss and throw things)

 This quilt will be a gift for one of Sara's friends new cousin. The one below Sara made for the same family, just the older brother. She will be delivering them this weekend.

Winter Storm Q and Rocky

 Well this is Winter Storm Q last Friday, we lucked out on missing most of the heavy snow.

This is what Winter Storm Rocky brought us, fog and frost. Northeast Nebraska was very lucky with both of these storms, very little damage or destruction. I love frosty mornings, to bad they don't last all day.

Brad

This is the pic that's going in the yearbook, deadline was today. Thanks Kristin for forcing him out the door and into a pose long enough to snap a pic. We'll do more this weekend just me and him.
   I am home sick with kidney stones so I'm not leaving the house today again. Got pain pills, asparagus and coke,(the worst tasting home remedy ever!!!) and shots of apple cider vinegar so I should be on the road to recovery! Oh and lots of water!

Scarves

Needed just a little something under my new red coat. I made this B/W scarf with a pack of 2.5 strips from Quilters Candy Shoppe and backed it with polar fleece. It's about 58 inches long, I didn't want to have to wrap it around my neck and I didn't want it hanging out the bottom of my coat when I buttoned it up. My coat is just a little itchy around the neck and this sure does feel snuggly......just like wearing a cuddly quilt.

My Mom made me a Valentine's present last week. I asked for a Valentine Scarf and she whipped one out the next day. It's about 80 inches long, perfect for a loop thru look. She backed it with cotton (she's sure Spring starts the 14th and who needs a fleece scarf when it's Spring?) It sure didn't feel like Spring today........don't think it's gonna feel like Spring next week either.