Maps!

Maps and globes are endless sources of joy to me.  A year or so ago, I found a website called the the Hand Drawn Map Association.  It has a collection of the most fascinating maps drawn on everything from napkins to watercolor paper and showing everything from imaginary locations to how to get to the local grocery store.

This is a map I drew to put in a scrapbook of a trip we took to Quebec and New England.  It is now included in the Hand Drawn Map Association.  I changed my blog header to some pictures from that trip that I thought would be fun for Valentine’s Day.  The heart sculptures are in the Decordova Museum and Sculpture garden in Lincoln, MA.  It is an amazing sculpture garden.  Take a look at the Visitor Station.

Some day a map quilt might be added to the to-do list.  Here’s some excellent inspiration:   map quilts  here and here.

Snip.Sew.Send. for February

February is Kris, of Summer at Grandma’s House, month for the  Snip.Sew.Send. quilting bee.  Her fabric arrived yesterday and since it’s still too cold to get outside this morning, I got busy sewing.  Kris requested tiny houses/trees/buildings inset in a 12.5″ block of  Kona cotton in Sand.

My first idea was to make the Empire State Building.  It came in at 4 1/2″ tall which is slightly over what Kris requested, but it was hard to make it smaller.  I hope that’s ok.   I pieced it together and then added a little stitching to give more definition to the building.

The second block I made was a little tree.  Maybe it’s in Central Park?

I’m adding this to AmyLouWho’s Sew & Tell Friday!  Go take a look at the other fun finishes for this week.

My First Mola and a Sad Tale

My First Mola

Twenty years ago, I was cleaning out our spare bedroom getting ready to set up our daughter’s nursery.  In that spare bedroom was a bag with about 15 beautiful Molas.  My husband had gone sailing through the San Blas Islands when he was in college (not much spare money) and purchased a few lesser quality Molas from some of the Cuna Indian women.

A few years later, he was finished with graduate school and had started working when he got the opportunity to go back.  He was able to see some of the same women and this time, he was able to purchase some of the finest examples of their work.  Someday, we were going to piece them together and make a wall hanging of these treasures.

Well, somehow, in the midst of all the cleaning, organizing, and preparing the nursery, the bag with the molas disappeared.  All I can figure is that it somehow was put in a trash bag and got taken out.  For twenty years, I have felt terrible about it and been very grateful for an understanding husband who has never said a word about it.  Someday, we will go there together on a sailboat, but in the meantime, I decided to learn how to make them!

I looked online and found a couple of resources.  The one that I used for the bug Mola is by Charlotte Patera.  She has a pattern and clear instructions on her website.  It is a good way to improve applique and reverse applique skills which I need.

Here is what it looked like along the way:

This mola is about 8 x 10 inches and is a combination of applique and reverse applique all stitched by hand.

I’ve added this to the “Sew & Tell Fridays” over at Amy Lou Who.  Go on over and see what everyone else has gotten done this week.

Elephants on Parade

On Thursday, our daughter’s college – The University of Alabama, will be playing for the football national championship.  Their mascot is an elephant so here are two recent projects with elephants!

This first one is a little block for “The Great State Quilt” project.  Volunteers were requested to make a block representing their state using a 5×5 inch piece of white cotton/linen.  I asked Elizabeth to sketch out the design for me and then I did the embroidery and reverse applique for the elephant.  The blocks are going to be pieced together and the quilt will be donated to a children’s hospital.

This block is my Snip.Sew.Send block for January.  It is for Robin of Crafty Musings.  She is expecting a new baby in April and since she doesn’t know whether it’s a girl or boy, she sent each participant fabric in one color of the rainbow.  She asked for a log-cabin type of block made however you wanted and adding fabric from your stash if you wanted.  Since it was going to be a baby quilt, I wanted to include an animal, so put in an elephant from my stash.  I thought he needed a house since it is so cold out.  The star fabric is also from my stash and is what I used in my dog quilt.  I hope it is “log cabinish” enough for Robin!

Life has been a little busy since Christmas so this is a little late, but can I show you what our Christmas morning tradition is?

This is called Kugelhopf.  We first had one in Alsace a few years ago and ever since, it just seems right for Christmas morning because it is so pretty and yummy.  The only problem is that I have to get up about 4 AM to get the dough rising.  It doesn’t keep very well, so is best eaten the day it is made.  Doesn’t it look like mountains or trees covered with snow?

While that was baking, we opened Christmas presents and Santa did bring me a wide-format photo printer.  I am loving it so far.  It is the HP B8550 and the print quality is pretty fantastic.  I’m anxious to order some other papers to try out.  Thank you Santa!

Merry Christmas!

On this Christmas, the best gift is to have my family home and good friends close by.   The presents are wrapped and there isn’t too much cooking to be done still.

A little while ago, my next-door neighbor came over.  Not only is she a wonderful neighbor, but she is one of the best friends you could ever hope for.  She is beautiful, sweet, and very talented.  She has done some amazing woodwork and I saw a picture online of these carved wood stands with fruit on them that were so unique.  A couple of months ago, I sent her the link since she does a lot of woodworking.  When she came over today, guess what she brought with her?  A set of the stands that she hand made for me.  Aren’t they beautiful?  She made a tray for them and had it decorated with greenery and Christmas ornaments.  I LOVE these and it is such a treasure to have something that my dear friend, Beth made for me.  Thank you for this treasure!

Merry Christmas everyone and have a Happy New Year, too!

Whew! Done with Christmas Sewing!

Yippee!  The Christmas sewing is all done!  I finished this apron this morning.  It’s the same French-themed fabric that I used for Elizabeth’s apron and that I did as a giveaway.    The pattern is Simplicity 3752 and I think it’s really cute!

These fabric luggage tags got finished yesterday.  The pink and green are the same French fabric as the apron and the black fabric is from Ikea.  I do not have a teflon foot,  so stitching the vinyl for the address card was a little problematic, but the solution was just to stitch it with a little tissue paper on top of it and it moved just fine with a regular foot.

My other big project was putting together a wedding album for my brother and his new wife for their Christmas present.

This is a K & Company album that is really pretty.  It is an unusual size. 8.5 x 8.5.

I printed all of the reception photos I took in black and white.  (The faces are pixelated since I didn’t ask if I could put their pictures on my blog!)  I do not like to use flash, so it was a good opportunity to use my 50mm f1.4 lens.  Those extra couple of stops were invaluable in the limited light.  You can see how it blurs out the background in these last two photos when shooting at such a wide open aperture.  I’m hoping that Santa will bring an archival photo printer this year so that I can get more photos off of my computer and into albums!

I’ve added this to AmyLouWho’s Show and Tell Friday.  Click here to see other people’s finishes for the week!

I Won and More!

My brother got married in Charleston this weekend.  He loves artistic things, so again I called on my husband for help!  I asked him to make an ikebana container for the gift.  A trip to the hardwood center yielded a beautiful block of black walnut.  Pat shaped it and cut a hole for the frog to fit in and I think it’s beautiful!

When we got back in town, I found out that I had won a giveaway!  It is a book called “How Shall I Tell the Dog?” from the Prytz Family blog.  If you like to read like I do, go check out this blog.  She does a lot of book giveaways in addition to some quilting and other posts.

Giveaway Winner!

Wow!  I can’t believe so many entries in the giveaway.  The winner is #52 – Crystal who blogs at Hendrixville.  I’ll be sticking her package in the mail tomorrow.

Some people asked questions that I have tried to answer, but I was out of town for a wedding this weekend and just couldn’t reply personally to so many questions, so I’ll try to here.

The fabric came from Hobby Lobby which is like Michaels, but with a sewing/fabric department.  The selvedge says “Brother Sister Design Studio” which may be an in-house design for Hobby Lobby.  Fabric there is hit and miss, but I have gotten some very cute Michael Miller and Alexander Henry fabrics there at various times.

The rubik’s cube instructions are available if you either click on the rubik’s cube picture or the link provided in the description.

Thank you all for the nice comments about the nativity.  I’m lucky to have such a talented husband!

Finally, Roll Tide!  Our daughter goes to the Univ. of Alabama, so we started following their football team.  Last night, they won the SEC championship and now they’re headed to Pasadena for the National Championship!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year! (and a Giveaway)

Christmas is my favorite time of year . . . the music, food, decorations, finding special presents for loved ones.  I love it all.   It also means more time for our family to pursue some of our hobbies.

Last year, I made photo Rubik’s cubes: 

My husband built a wood sailing dinghy: 

And Elizabeth and I made scrapbooks out of old record albums: 

This year, I’ve been thinking more about sewing and quilting but there is also another new handcrafted idea added to our decorations this year.

Modern Nativity

It is a modern nativity made out of a variety of woods including mahogany, brazilian cherry, black walnut, etc.  I had seen the Oliver Fabel modern nativity and liked the idea of it, but wanted it made with different woods.  I asked my husband if he would cut the pieces for me.  Pat took the idea and added to it by giving the wise men mitered heads and shaping the sheep and donkey to more closely represent their forms.  I love it and it is the perfect counterpoint to our beautiful, traditional, cedar nativity that my parents brought us from the middle east.

To celebrate the Advent season, I decided to participate in the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway.  Here is what I will send to one winner chosen by random (international included):

1/2 yard each of the 4 Christmas fabrics shown above, plus a chipboard album kit to use with some special photographs.

To enter, leave a comment.  That’s it!   Then head over to Sew Mama Sew and check out all the other fun giveaways!

Giveaway ends Dec. 6.

*On a little side note, if anyone is interested in making a quilt block that represents their state which will then be pieced together and donated to a children’s hospital, click here and help out Danielle (of the Starving Art Journal).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the US!  There will be lots of cooking getting started soon, but before I get going, here’s an upcoming event that’s lots of fun.

It is Sew, Mama, Sew’s giveaway day.  I will be participating with a little giveaway and enjoying visiting all the other blogs.  Last year, I won a nice Moleskin sketchbook and cover from QuiltDad.