Happy Thanksgiving !!!!

Happy Thanksgiving everybody !!! Have a safe and happy holiday !!! (and don't forget to wear your expandable pants ! )

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Thanksgiving - the overlooked holiday !

Happy Day before Thanksgiving everybody ! We here at MBIAJ Headquarters feel that Thanksgiving gets pretty much overlooked in general. Halloween stuff is out in the stores on the 4th of July, and Christmas stuff is out in time for Halloween !... But just try and find a Pilgrim or turkey decoration ! Yes, maybe you'll find a few little doo dads here or there on the back of some shelf in some store next to the miles and piles of Christmas stuff ! So, we here at MBIAJ Headquarters have been on a little online hunt for Thanksgiving stuff .... specifically something to round out our Thanksgiving outfit to wear over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house .....





.....like a turkey !!!



PERFECT !!!







(I just googled "turkey hats" and these are some of the gems that popped up)





I think any one of these would make a striking addition to any outfit !



Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Project Linus Quilts in time for Christmas

I KNOW , I KNOW ...... start another quilt? ..... NOW? BUT, just like those Quilts of Valor quilts, I have also always wanted to make a Project Linus Quilt. AND, I just happened to come across a call for Project Linus quilts/blankets by December 15th (of THIS year that is .....) on Craftsy Blog. YIKES ..... December 15th OF THIS YEAR !!!!! Well..... MAYBE ..... IF the "MBIAJ Sewing and Quilting Dept" can pull a few tricks out of their sleeves and use a few short cuts like ......




......this stack of charm packs. Really, what could be easier ? These are already cut! ... and add a charm pack of solid white to any one of these charm packs = instant simple patchwork quilt !!! (and as you can see, the "MBIAJ Sewing and Quilting Dept" has quite the love affair with charm packs ..... AND jelly rolls , so I'm sure we can spare a few !)

Now, I'm guessing most of the quilts that are made for Project Linus are probably for babies and toddlers. Unfortunately, big kids also get sick. The teenager population (especially teenage boys) are probably kind of overlooked. SO, the "MBIAJ Sewing and Quilting Dept" has decided their Project Linus Quilt or Quilts (hoping to make more than one in the future) will be made for teenage boys. But, darn if precut charm packs and jelly rolls don't really seem to be made with teenage dudes in mind ..... although I did buy some solid jelly rolls in red, blue, gray, green, black , and white ...... which can be matched up with .....





...maybe some of this fabric







...or this cool stuff or ....












.....or this .... DUDE !!!!









Well, better get moving .... that fabric isn't gonna cut itself ! Think I'll start a campaign for precut fabrics (charm packs and jelly rolls)to be designed with teenage DUDES in mind !!!!

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Valor Quilt Bee in honor of Veteran's Day

Happy Veteran's Day to all service men and women ! The MBIAJ Sewing and Quilting Dept has always wanted to honor veteran's by making a Quilt of Valor ...... however, knowing our track record of UFO's we knew not to start yet ANOTHER project that would most likely wind up in the "best of intentions" and "bright ideas" pile. Well, recently I stumbled across the Valor Quilt Bee blog . This is an online quilting bee that is " a low-maintainance, NO PRESSURE group!
Each person participates WHEN and TO WHAT EXTENT they feel like.
Each person sews whatever style they like best!" You can contribute a few blocks a year or a few blocks a month or just once and done. Blocks should measure 6", 9", or 12" in "Americana" colors. How PERFECT is THAT ?!?!?!!!!!! NO PRESSURE !!! NO complete quilt .... just a quilt block here and there ... or just here ..... I'm telling you, this is the PERFECT set up ! So, I rustled up some of my red , whites, and blues and .....




..stitched up Valor Quilt Bee block #1 (with hopefully many more to follow .... but no pressure .... isn't that GREAT!!)


Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Late Night Sewing Therapy (Zentangle Circles)

AHHHhhhhhhhh.......late night sewing therapy !!!! It's the only way to fly ...or sew ...at least here at MBIAJ Headquarters. It seems if I can get my second wind (and zillionth cup of caffeine) after 10 PM I can get my best, uninterrupted zen sewing rhythm / therapy going . Speaking of "zen", how about ....





Moonbeams Boy Evan's notebook, book cover and binder doodling (which he has been doing for the past few years)


.....his way of "zoning out" during a boring (to him ) class....


... anyway turns out this style of doodling that comes naturally to Evan has a name : Zentangle. I read somewhere that it means "yoga for the mind". I've even found a quilter / zentangler (is that a word?) who has combined the two and blogs about it . This quiltangler (that is definately NOT a word) is Suzanne McNeill. SHEESH !!! Who knew that Evan's "not paying attention in political science class" doodling is actually an art form that other people are paying money for books to learn the technique !! (all Evan needs is a class that has him bored out of his mind .... instant doodling!)



Anyway, I slipped a few white fabric circles under his doodling pen (and switched his pen to a fabric marker) to get some Zentangle Fabric Circles (unique and one of a kind) to ....



.....stitch












.....stitch












.....and stitch onto his ...











....wild and crazy graduation quilt ! Ta da !! So, now this quilt TOP is finished, has been taken down from our cheapo design wall and rolled up to join .....





....three of it's cousin quilt tops ....








......also waiting (and waiting) to be quilted ....


.....hopefully before the turn of the next century and/or when I win the lottery and can quit my day job - you know, whichever comes first ! :)

Oh and P.S. I'm linking up with this month's

(you can too - to meet more bloggers just zip on over there)

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)