I love this pattern!

I purchased this pattern at least 10 years ago and have used it and used it and used it. I think I paid 99 cents for it, so I think you would agree that I got my money's worth out of it. I usually make Bag B (upper right photo). I think I have it down to about 20 minutes total from cutting out the fabric to sewing a bag.

I've made this bag for gifts and for swaps and for Holidays-one year I made all the girls in the family one in pastels to hold Easter goodies, instead of a traditional basket.

Here is a current photo of three of the bags I made yesterday. I am sending them along, with some more bags I will (hopefully) sew today, to American Samoa to a blog friend named Barb. She has been giving out bags & clothes & lava lava's & pillowcases to her neighbors & others who lost everything in the Earthquake & Tsunami last month.

If you have any extra to give yourself, I know Barb or anyone in American or Western Samoa would appreciate it!

I love vintage!

I definitely need to improve my photography skills! This is a beautiful hat, but my photo sure doesn't show it....sorry!

I found this little gem at an consignment/second hand/junk store. I had never shopped at this particular shop before. They had alot of great vintage fashions & linen's but the shop was so crammed full, that I probably missed alot of good items.

The hat is a light coral pink felt with a bow & bead flower across the front. There is also a small veil attached that is in great shape. The inside is printed with the logo: neumann-endler inc. Fair Field Felts.

I love hats...wish they were worn more often then just Easter or at a wedding.......

Fall is in the air!

Growing up in a beach community, I never really experienced the four seasons of the year. After 27 plus years in the Rocky Mountains, I still love all four seasons...well, maybe not alot of the cold Winter.

I got out the Fall/Halloween decorations this last weekend. The produce is from our garden and a local farmers market. The little trick or treater is one of my Mom's old decorations I inherited a few years ago...the candy in her little sack is probably 20 years old!
I always wanted to have a quilt to put out for each season, but I've never seemed to manage making & keeping the quilts for myself. This quilt I won at a open house for a quilt shop in Centerville (Utah). The shop doesn't exist any longer, unfortunately. I always put this quilt out to decorate each Fall for about 10 years now.

Happy Fall!

Fabric stash busting report

I should just keep bumping up the last report.....all the sewing I am doing is for Christmas & not finished yet & can't be seen.

Fabric in YTD: 80 yards
Fabric used YTD: 130 yards

New light on the subject of Quilting

I went to a wonderful lecture on Quilting and the place it holds in History, especially Women's view of History. First though, my photos got loaded backwards (dumb computer!), so you get these photos first..... My family has lived in our current house a little over 12 years now. We took over the building of this house after alot of the actual building and planning had been done. I didn't get to choose alot of the fun things, like lights and paint color, so I have had the lights (pictured above) on the front of my house for 12 years. Well, the light at the front door died, so we had to buy something new....
How do you like the new light....I love it! We are going to get two more of the same design but larger in size for the front of the garage.

Now on to the subject: The Lecture....

I attended a lecture called "Text & Textile" at Weber State (Ogden, Utah) by Dr. Judy Elsley, Professor of English. She compared writing a text with creating a quilt and it was an absolutely wonderful lecture.

She is a self taught quilter who dyes her own fabrics for her creations. Her dye/formula book was about 4 inches thick! She also makes her own stamps and other items for printing on the fabric. The picture above is of Dr. Elsley and one of her quilts from the her University website:
www.weber.edu/jelsley

This quilt, also from her website, is called "Midday". Beautiful!!!!!!!

I had a "AH-HA" moment at her lecture, when she said she dyes the fabric, then waits until the fabric tells her what to create. I try to do that myself, though there are times I fall into the "it will be just faster & easier to use this printed pattern & get it done" mode. I hope to be able to take one of her college textile classes in the near future!

Fabric stash busting report

I didn't use anything new this week...tho I did the binding on multiple quilts for the new VA Hospital that is being built North of me.

Fabric in YTD: 80 yards

Fabric out YTD: 130 yards

The Samoa I knew & loved!

I stole this photo from my Brother's Facebook photo album. It's me as a teenager (about 1978) when I was in High School in Pesega, Western Samoa at CCWS. I know, I'm not a happy camperin the photo. I am holding my nephew, Samasoni..isn't he cute! I've been thinking about Samoa the fast couple of weeks since the earthquake & tsunami. As far as I know, all my friends are okay, tho some of them are without any earthly possessions to speak of.

Living is Samoa wasn't always great, but I do miss the simpleness of the culture & lifestyle there. Everything was very laid back & casual & unhurried. The people were very friendly & accepting, excepting most thought I was too skinny & tried to feed me constantly(...yeah, that wouldn't happen now!)

I need to get back to that feeling in my sewing & family & life......

Tempting free Patterns

I know I said I wouldn't start anything new, but the wonderful designers at http://gumtreedesigners.blogspot.com are posting a new free pattern for Christmas each Monday for 9 weeks.....it started this last Monday and this weeks design is really nice. Go check them out!

Weekend trip-Utah & Idaho

Hubby and I went on a quick two day trip out of town this last weekend. The public schools were shut down for UEA, so since Hubby is a teacher, we had Thursday and Friday off for a fun getaway. We had planned to leave early, but our daughter had car problems, so we didn't get away until later in the afternoon. Headed North, we made our usual stop at Smith & Edwards (pictured above). It's a army surplus, grocery, clothing, outdoors, hardware, plus a little of this & that store. As they say, if Smith & Edwards doesn't have it, you probably don't need it....they don't have fabric...hhmmmm.
We drove thru Logan Canyon to the town of Providence, which is just south of the city of Logan. We stayed at the Providence Inn...we've stayed there before and really like it. The place was practically empty for a Thursday Night, so the manager upgraded us from a small Queen room to a huge King suite. I loved the fireplace and wonderful jet tub.

Breakfast was yummy...I took a photo of our breakfast but it came out awful, so I copied this photo over from the website. The photo shows the exact breakfast we had (except the coffee)...I had the raspberry french toast on the left & Hubby had the California Eggs on the right. We even had orange juice!

We headed North to Idaho on Friday morning on Hwy 89.

Lots of farms and small communities along the way. I know you can't really read the sign at the top of the barn, but it say "Fabric Farm" with the address & phone number. We found the fabric farm...it was a metal barn that had been turned into a fabric store/long arm machining business. I purchased some new fabric for Kitchen curtains

We stopped in the town of Lewiston-population about 600. A sign directed us to Theurer's Fabric store on 1 Main. We found the address, but could only see a gas station and grocery store. Then my Hubby read the print on the side of the grocery store...Fresh produce...Groceries...Fine Meats....FABRIC! The fabric was on the left and the groceries were on the right. Extremely friendly folks!

We looked at a few lots of land to buy, but couldn't see anything that we were definite about. I guess we'll just have to keep going back to find that perfect spot. Above is a photo (sorry it isn't too good) of the changing Fall colors & snow on the upper pine trees. Ah, Fall in Utah!

Stash Busting report

Fabric in YTD: 80 yards

Fabric used this week: 12.5 yards
Fabric used YTD: 130 yards

Two charity quilt tops and backings to the VA hospital, plus more Christmas sewing!