A finish!

I am so excited I finished my rail fence quilt! Finishing this quilt was my April Goal.
This quilt is a prayer quilt that many bloggy friends sent me blocks for.  A prayer quilt is a quilt made for someone who is either sick or going through a rough time. This quilt was made for a friend who escaped out of an abusive relationship.   I had started the prayer quilt ministry at my church in TX.  Unfortunately I do not have a group of friends here in MO to help me with the ministry, but I do have several bloggy friends to help!

I had fun taking pictures of the quilt outside in my backyard!

I just did quilting in the ditch across the strips going both ways.  I did not mark it so some of the lines are wonky in the off blocks.  I quilted it on my Singer Industrial Treadle who is 124 years old!  She does a great job!

Of course my cats had to model the quilt also.

Tiger

 My husband said he liked all of the different reds in the quilt, I told him that was a scrappy quilt.  My favorite kind!

Oreo

Oreo and his sister Custard

 Warning - a very fuzzy cat butt!  I have never seen such long hair on a cat's behind before, and what a gorgeous tail!

Oreo's butt and Muffin in the window

I used a very soft flannel for the back that I found in my stash.  I had to do some piecing because there was not enough.

This was my first red and white quilt and I really love how it turned out!
SewCalGal is have a red and white quilt challenge and I will be entering mine. Go here.
       
Here is a tutorial if you would like to make your own quilt.  It is a great starter quilt and very quick to make it.  Go here!

Have you ever made a red and white quilt before?

Missy

Basted

I had some difficulty cutting out the batting.

 Then my husband had to put the cats up so we could spray baste the quilt.

 I am almost half way finished with the quilting.  Maybe if I would get off this computer I could get more of it quilted.  I have to be done by Tuesday.

I just had to share this adorable picture of Muffin.  His morning routine is to crawl into my warm spot when I get up in the mornings.  That is his penguin you see on the bed - LOL  He's not spoiled is he?

Have a very blessed Resurrection Sunday tomorrow!  Remember that we live because He lives.

Missy

Mark 16:
4  And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
5  And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
6  And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

Ruffle feet!

I finally added a ruffle to my M.  My sewing room is blue and green so I added a blue border.  I have my three favorite prints:  calico, gingham and polka dots!
I used my ruffle foot and tried it out on my Singer Industrial treadle.  It actually worked better on the treadle then it did on my Janome!

I have four ruffle foots, two of them are vintage.

There are different clamps on sewing machines that hold your feet on the presser bar.  Most of my machines are low clamps.  My electric Janomes and my Singer industrial treadle are.  I have two of those feet.  I have not tried the vintage one yet because the newer one fit better.

I do not think I have any high shank  machines, but I do have the ruffler foot!

I also have a back clamper ruffle foot that I can use on on Singer Red Eye 66.  (which you can see in the background)

The terms are usually low shank and high shank but back clamper.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it is all the same part.  Here is more information on the shanks.

To sew my ruffle on my M, I just sewed one side at a time.

I still need to put batting and a sleeve hanger with backing, but I will do that later.
I'm so happy this is done.  I'm doing a demo on how to use the ruffle foot at the T.O.G.A. next week.  I had to test it out on my treadle first though!
If you love vintage machines, specifically hand cranks and treadles, you need to try to come to the North East Texas T.O.G.A.   Here is more information on it. 

Don't forget to enter my book giveaway here!  Saturday is the last day to enter!

Missy

Finished Top!

I finished the top for the red and white rail fence quilt.  Many blogger friends donated blocks for this prayer quilt.  I need to get my husband to help me get the roll of batting down and I need to spray baste it tonight.  I want to get started on the quilting tomorrow.  I also have to run to the post office and fold a pile of laundry, but I'm hoping to get a lot done.  I want to get this done before I go to the TOGA next week.

Remember the prayer quilt we made for Kenzie last year?  Many bloggy friends helped with that one too!  I see it all the time in pictures her mom posts of her on facebook.  I love seeing quilts I make being used!  Today I received the best gift from her mom.  It is a cross stitched wall hanging.  It has eight cats - 3 calico, 2 sandy and 3 dark - just like my cats!  There is even a cute mouse and bird!  I have to decide how I want to frame it.  For now it is tacked on my wall.

Pippi was watching mey sew today on my treadle.  The book shelf is right behind me.

I added a clip on light and a clip on fan for extra light and air movement.  I can't believe there is not a ceiling fan in there!

What are you working on this week?

Missy

Cookies, Cupcakes and Cheeseburgers

Happy Monday everyone!  I did not get any sewing done last week because I had a cookout on Saturday and had to clean my house when I was home which was not often!  We had a great time, I had around 25 people in my home!  We first had bible study and my screened in porch was great for additional seating for my friends who were allergic to cats.  LOL  With the window and door open it was like they were in the living room with everyone else (and yes the cats were locked up in the bedroom).

This picture was taken through the window and is my front porch.

 My husband, Chris, gave the lesson.  We even had a friend play the organ during music time.  We have home bible study with friends for our church time and moved it to Saturday this week because of the cook out.

I made cheeseburger cookies for the cook out.

These are super easy to make.  The buns are Nilla Wafers, the hamburger patties are grasshopper cookies which is the Keebler brand of Thin Mints.  Take frosting, either store bought or homemade, and tint some yellow and some red.  That is your mustard and ketchup.  You can also use green tinted coconut for lettuce.
I also made cupcakes.  I used the left over "mustard" and "ketchup" to decorate the cupcakes with.

The men said they looked like Wimpy from Popeye eating those small hamburgers.
My husband grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and pineapple.  We had a lot of fun!

Today I need to do a ton of laundry and get some sewing done!

How was your weekend?

Missy

New Cat Blocks received!

I got my cat blocks from the exchange in the mail today!  I so wish I would have had time to make more!  I got blocks from all over the country and even one from the UK!

Here is the last blog post with pictures of my blocks.  I love my blocks!  Here are a couple of close ups of the two cat prints.

Of course as soon as I laid the blocks out one of the fur babies had to lay on them!  There is another one under the coffee table.

When I was unpacking I found a fabric painting my mom made for me when I was little, she used Tri-chem.  It isaround 28-32 years old, maybe?

I love it and want to to hang it in my sewing room.  I have been saving it all of these years to hang in my child's room but the Lord never did bless us with children.  What would be the best way to wash it and hang it?  I was thinking just sponge washing it and putting it in a picture frame.  What do you think?

As many of ya'll know I have only lived in my rental for about six weeks now.  I have had the best surprises in my garden!  This is the only hyacinth.

There have been daffodils popping up all over my garden, front yard and back yard!

 There are also wild onions all over my garden, I'm wondering if they are supposed to keep aay bugs or something, or if it is just a weed?

 The daffodils sure are hardy things!

I have a black thumb and am so happy about my flowers because I love flowers, but just always kill them!

Don't forget to enter my book giveaway here!

Happy Spring!

Missy

Song of Solomon 2:12  The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

Book Giveaway

I just read a new book by Davis Bunn, The Turning.  It was a very good book that really makes you think.  It is about hope in Jesus Christ.  I had never really thought about it before, I looked at my husband and said, what about faith?  He pointed out that hope is listed through out the entire Bible and wrote down all of the passages for me. We have hope in the salvation that Jesus offers us.  Having hope is an amazing thing.   I actually started a devotion about it in my little devotion book.  Davis has several devotions to go with the book also.  I'll be studying those this week!


Five complete strangers hear a message from God and come together as prayer warriors trying to do God's will.  They find that it is not always easy to do what God wants you to do but He is always watching over them and protecting them.  They have to stand against the entertainment industry who is trying to crush their message.  If you want a thought provoking book that is full of suspense, this is it.

Two Videos

• Watch the video book trailer and a video of Davis talking about The Turning:http://theturningbook.com/index.php/audio-video/

Free 40-Day Devotional: Print, E-mail and Audio

To enhance your experience of The Turning and to help you prepare to hear from God,Davis has created a series of devotionals for you to download.

• Sign up to receive 40 daily devotional thoughts via email:http://theturningbook.com/index.php/devotional/
• Download a PDF of the complete 40-day devotional:http://theturningbook.com/index.php/download_file/view/90/194/
• Download 40 audio devotions (MP3 files) http://theturningbook.com/files/TheTurning-Devotional_Audio_files.zip 
• Listen to the audio devotions individually: http://theturningbook.com/index.php/devotional/

If you would like to read the first three chapters for free go here.   It is on Facebook and also has a link for you to order the book.

Help Davis Bunn celebrate the publication of “The Turning.” Enter for a chance to win an iPad Air or a Ryrie Study Bible, Moody Bible Commentary, and $100 Gift Card for ShopMoodyPublishers.com http://woobox.com/m7ur8y. 
You can enter once per email address per day. Rack up bonus entries by sharing the contest with your Facebook and Twitter friends!

I would love to win that sweepstakes!

I have a giveaway of mine own!  How would you like to win a copy of The Turning?  I am giving away a copy, all you have to do to enter is tell me if you feel God has ever talked to you?  Whether it was through a feeling, a thought during prayer time or maybe through a friend's counsel.  I would love to hear about it!  I will keep the giveaway until Easter and draw a name on Easter, please be sure to leave an email add. unless you are positive that you are not a no-reply blogger.  If you do not have your own blog, you will need to leave an email so that I contact you if you win!

Missy

Sewing Room Update

My sewing room is still a work in progress!  The Wal-Mart in my small town was out of book cases for two weeks, I don't know if they ever got any in!  A friend of mine who is moving (so sad, will miss her) had a couple of book cases she was selling so I bought hers.  I have not put my books on them yet, I need to get my quilt sewn up off the floor first!

Now I need to figure out where to put more book shelves because I have hundreds of books!  We have an enclosed back porch, I wish it was insulated because it would make a great library if it was!
I put a cork board/bulletin board behind my cutting table.  It is great for hanging my long rulers on!

And this is what the table cloth hides under my cutting table.  The basket is where I put my strings and Tiger has decided that is a great spot to sleep!

I bought a great soft and fuzzy pillow at Wal-Mart.  It was the green I am wanting in my sewing room, so I put it on the top of the changing table where their cat bed is.

 As you can tell, they love it!  Their would probably be more cats on there if I moved my penguins!  LOL

 I'm thinking of buying one for the couch, but they do not match my living room!  LOL

Even with two windows, my sewing room is kind of dark, especially at night.  I found this chandelier for $3 at a thrift store!

 I want to put canning jars on it for the "chandeliers, but my husband will have to cut holes in the canning lids for my for it to fit because the holders are so small.  I would love to use my blue jars, but I'm afraid it might distort the lighting if I do.  What do you think?  Yes or no on the jars and yes or no on the blue ones?

Well, that is my update so far on my sewing room, still trying to "squeeze things in, but I'm running out of room!

Missy

April Goals

I got behind in posting my goals while moving.  Even though I still have not unpacked everything (we moved all the boxes in the garage when we moved in so they are out of the way) I am ready to start sewing again!  Boy have I missed it!
Back in November after I moved into my temporary rental in Gainesville, MO from TX, I had asked for help in making blocks for a rail fence quilt for the prayer quilt ministry for a friend who had just escaped out of an abusive relationship.  Several bloggy friends took the time out of their busy schedules to send me blocks, I wanted the quilt done in January.  I had a friend who also knows my friend we are making the quilt for.  She said she wanted to make some blocks.  Then her baby got sick, then her machine was broken, she finally made her blocks and had the backing she was supposed to send me - but she never did.  I kept waiting on those dumb blocks that she kept insisting she was going to send to me.  I didn't need her blocks although it would have been nice to make the quilt bigger, but she wanted to help with the quilt since it is for the prayer quilt ministry.  I finally decided in the middle of February that I was not going to wait any longer and go ahead and sew the quilt together.  Then I moved on February 20 and have not had a chance to get back to the quilt until yesterday!

I sewed together the top three rows by the green tablecloth yesterday.  I think it is going to turn out great!  My goal this month is to finish this quilt in it's entirety.  I am going to TX April 25 for the T.O.G.A. and want to see her and give her the quilt.  I still need to make the label and I found some soft white material I will use for the backing.  Do you think it is big enough, or does it need a border?  I was thinking of skipping the border and just adding a solid red binding.
I was short one block and had to make one more block.  I love penguins and try to get a scrap of penguin fabric in my quilts as a sort of signature, this one matched perfectly!

I can't wait to have this quilt finished.  I am going to do a simple quilt in the ditch going across all the lines.  I think that would look nice on this quilt.

I really love this red and white combination!

Missy