Something About Nothing

We are having our Christmas Dinner today so I'm baking and wrapping and remembering people I should have bought gifts for. Maybe I can make a few last minute things. I've noticed a few great websites I need right now and thought you all might need them as well:   1) Gift Wrapping - Over the past few years we have been trying to cut back on the paper wrapping paper heading off to the recycler and dump by wrapping with fabric. I've found this wonderful website that shows you how to wrap with fabric according to the Japanese style of Furoshiki. 2. I've had the Little Bit Funky blog up for the last week wanting to make these lip balm cozy's to put in my kids stockings. 3.  I also had plans to make a few of these circle zip ear bud pouches but my first one turned out a little wonky and I forgot to put the tag on until I was almost done so I placed it in a different spot.  Ooops!   I'll go back to making more eventually.  Maybe these could be Valent

Are you still making stuff?!? Oops, me too!  But  I'm making more than just the usual stuff I love making.  It's time to take a few minutes and pull together all my best photos from 2012 to make a book with   Blurb .   I get so wrapped up in the book making because it so easy.  I just figured out I can also make a planner for 2013 full of my favorite photos.  So many possibilities!  I have so many fun and crazy pictures to choose from.  This might take a minute or two.  If you need more ideas and inspiration go to:  Blurb.com  or  Blurb.ca.   AND from now through 1/7 you can save 15% on your entire book order with the special code BOOKS15OFF.

I put together a Turning Twenty quilt for my sister and her fiancé.  I had every intention of quilting it myself but I felt so stressed every time I thought about quilting it. Vicky, who is an excellent long arm quilter, had already volunteered her services, if I wanted them, in exchange for some sewing I was doing for her.  My stress levels virtually disappeared when I gave her the quilt!  I got the quilt back in time to sew on one side of the binding.   I brought the quilt in the car and finished the rest of the binding by hand. It only took me from Elko to Reno. I took a photo of the completed quilt in our hotel room in Berkeley. Here are my sister and her wife reading the card after the wedding. Was it selfish of me to track them down and make them open their gift in front of me? Probably. . .sorry about that sis. . . . . .but it was worth seeing their reactions. They loved the quilt. For me the best part of a present is watching it being opened.

Drum roll please. . . . There were 117 comments on my Rag Rug giveaway and the winner selected by Random.org was . . . #96 - Prairie Stitcher, who commented:     Prairie Stitcher   said... Spice cake with maple cream frosting and a glass of milk. I've never made a rug with a toothbrush. Reminds of something the kids are saying lately: "Don't look at me in that tone of voice it smells a funny color." Isn't life and creativity interesting?   I have emailed you Prairie Stitcher and I hope to hear from you soon so that I can put your prize in the mail!

We will never see another 12-12-12 in our lifetime and so to commemorate I am joining other artists in posting sets of 12 fun, artistic items from around the studio.  Here are my twelve 12's: . . .12 Inspiring Books. . .  . . .12 Craft Paint Brushes. . .  . . .12 fabric dyes . . .  . . .12 hand carved stamps. . . . . .12 luscious hand dyed fabrics. . .  . . .12 Inktense Blocks waiting to be played with. . . . . .12 Shiva Paintstiks. . .   . . .12 Signo pens . . .   . . .12 pairs of scissors. . .  . . .12 yummy over-dyed silks waiting for inspiration to strike. . .  . . .12 Superior threads . . .  . . .and finally 12 Twelve by Twelves from The 12x12 Project . I hope you will take the time to photograph 12 of something and post it to your own blog or facebook. It doesn't have to be 12 twelves, just one set will do. Leave me a comment as to where to find your photo and if you don't post a photo leave me a comment anyway.  

I know, I know, I just had a giveaway but it's the holidays, the season of giving so why NOT have another giveaway! Besides, this weeks giveaway is part of Quilting Gallery' 5th Birthday Party Blog Hop and when you celebrate a birthday you should have presents! This weeks gift is a pattern, a tool AND fabric. Wahoo! The winner will receive a copy of Aunt Philly's Toothbrush Oval Rug pattern. . .  . . . one fabulous toothbrush tool to make your rug with. . . . . . AND as many scrappy strips as I can shove into a Priority Post Box!  I'm taking the post office up on their "If it fits, it's ships" motto.  I will keep shoving strips in until I can't seal up the box so I hope you will get enough to start you on your way for a scrappy rug!   Since this giveaway is part of a birthday celebration, just leave a comment telling me what your favorite cake is to have for your birthday and you are entered to win. The giveaway will be open un

Random.org says that the winner from the Sew Mama Sew giveaway is #68!   #68 said her favorite holiday treat is:   SIMPLESEW  said... Ice cream December 5, 2012 4:06 PM   I have emailed SimpleSew and hope that she will email me back right away with her address so I can mail out her beautiful prize of an ice dyed fat quarter and Quilt Scene Magazine! Congratulations SimpleSew!

I'm working on the Quilter's Holladay Challenge Quilt. Our challenge this year is circles and curves. Here is a small peek at one section of Little Blue.  No circles or curves in this piece! I am always the rebel in the group. I am planning on complying with the rules by quilting in some circles and curves - maybe even some hand quilted circles too. I was playing with the idea of adding some dangling circle beads from the bottom so I used some silky poly fabric I had and made some beads. But they just don't have the right feel or color so it's back to the drawing board. Any other brilliant ideas? Perhaps just the quilting will be enough. I'm linking this post up to Nina-Marie's Off the Wall party this week. Stop on over and have a look at what everyone else is creating!

It's Giveaway Day over on Sew Mama Sew.   I love entering all the giveaways and seeing what is out there.  I also LOVE giving stuff away.  This year I am going to giveaway a copy of Quilt Scene magazine and a piece of my ice dyed fabric! Lots and lots of gorgeous quilts and great projects to make inside this magazine, including my article for the quilt "Unexpected Treasure" and a notebook cover called "Renegade Chevron." Sadly I don't have any jelly rolls to giveaway so you could make my quilt but I thought you might enjoy a fat quarter of my ice dyed fabric. Lots of beautiful colors mixed together ready for appliqué, piecing or it could be used as is. Now I'm sure you are wondering what to do to win these fabulous prizes! Just leave a comment for me telling me what your favorite holiday treat is. I know it's not quilt related but I really want to know! I LOVE TREATS. The giveaway will be left open until Midnight Pacific Stand

My first go at scrapbooking in the 80's was in black paged photo albums and then I moved on to acid-free colored papers. These early scrapbooks are some of the ugliest things you have ever seen.  In the mid 1990's I had a wonderful neighbor named  Stacey Julian .  Those of you into scrapbooking might recognize the name.  She was a stamper when I met her and was just starting into scrapbooking.  She and my other friend, Terina , self-published a book called Core Composition  and they used some photos of my kids within their pages. I learned a lot about design from Stacey and Terina.  I also learned that the self-publishing world was hard and expensive!  In the last 20 years that world has completely changed.  It can still be very expensive to come up with the initial investment to publish 10,000 books and then there is the issue of finding a place to store those 10,000 books while you find places and people who want to buy them, but thanks to a company called  Blurb you

We pulled out the Christmas decorations this week and I was reminded of where I started as a quilter and how far I have come.   In the 1970's - I Tied quilts - it was all I knew and it was quick and easy work!  (I was very young) Early 1980's - I learned to hand quilt and hand piece.  I struggled and it took an eternity to finish a project. Late 1980's -  I had moved on to machine piecing and heard about machine quilting. I gave it a try.  No lessons.  I was terrible.  I didn't know to baste A LOT and I used polyester fluffy batting. Yikes. 1990's - I went back to tying or more often than not - no quilting projects at all.  It was a time of tole painting and making clothing for the kid-a-lees.   It was cheap to make clothing then. In the early 2000's I joined a local quilt guild at the urging of my friend, Lorraine.  The ladies were kind and so willing to share their knowledge with poor little me. Little did I realize they would open a whole new world

My friend's daughter got married this week. She is a great friend and her daughter is just awesome. I would just love to make every friend's daughter a quilt.  I really, really, REALLY would like to but I decided I just don't have the money or the time so I had to opt for something smaller. I decided to create this table runner for her.  I really enjoyed making this project. One of the best parts of the project was when I taught my friend Sylvia how to use Skype and then she helped me to pick out the fabrics via a video-chat! The bride's kitchen colors are red and sage.   I hope this will go in her new kitchen! What gifts are you creating?

It's time to make gifts and sometimes I need a gift that is something quick, easy and practical.  Rice bags are one of my go to fun gifts.  I use my own rice bag all the time for those aches and pains that creep up.  I've made rice bags in all shapes and sizes but this year I am opting for the divided long version. I know there are many variations but here is how I make mine: 1.  First I cut a piece of flannel into a rectangle - approximately 12" x 22". 2.  Turn one of the 12" ends under a half inch and press. 3.  Fold the rectangle in half long ways with right sides together.   4.  Starting at the folded edge, stitch a 1/4" seam along the two raw edges.  I like to sew this seam twice, the second seam just inside the first for extra stability. 5.  Turn the tube inside out and push the corners out.  Fold the tube in half and press a crease.  Fold each end to the center and press a crease.  The seams for each section have been