Snow !!! (and pillow cases)

Well it's snowing here in Jim Thorpe, Pa !!!  Makes everything look so pretty and Christmasy.  I took this picture of our house from far enough away so you can't tell that wreath on the front door is an Autumn wreath with orange and yellow leaves  ...... hoping this can pass for our Christmas card picture (that is if I'm organized enough this year to actually send Christmas cards out !)

....and speaking of left over Autumn decorations ...... that's a pumpkin under that snow.

My favorite live "Christmas Tree" right outside of the kitchen ..... a little too tall (taller than the house) to decorate, so I just keep the bird feeder full and the tree is decorated with cardinals , blue jays, chickadees, nuthatches, and of course squirrels !

....... oh, and look ...... here is the reason why it is just a LITTLE annoying that even with a 2 car garage, there is NO ROOM FOR THE CAR !!!!! GGGGRRRRRRrrrrrrrrr ........ the dirtbikes and many bicycles get preference ...... heaven forbid THEY get snowed on !!!!!

.......and whose idea was it to have such a LONG driveway ...... takes forever to shovel!!!   (oh, wait ....... that WAS my idea .........)          :)

Anyway, instead of listening to me whine and complain about clearing snow off of my car and starting to shovel the driveway,  thought I'd share this Missouri Star Quilt Co. pillow case video/tutorial I saw posted this morning on facebook.  Pillow cases are so quick and fun to make , especially picking out the fabric !!! (isn't that always the best part !!!!)  ENJOY !!!

Pillow case tutorial

P.S.  Also , my friend Sharon has pillow case kits with these exact instructions included with the kit at her fun online store Daisy Cottage Quilting

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

Burlap !!! I BELIEVE I love it !!!

Well,  here we are 3 days after Thanksgiving and I'm actually, kind of starting to think about Christmas projects ..... that is , of course, after I finish one or two Fall projects still lingering on my sewing table ..... actually, they collapsed in exhaustion over the sewing machine ...... waiting and waiting and waiting for me to get back to them ....... anyhow, I have a new found love of burlap ..... especially burlap with words printed on it !!!!  I found this fun stuff at JoAnn's back in October when I was searching for some fabric to finish the afore mentioned Fall projects ......

 

Burlap !!! = Pinterest

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Happy Thanksgiving Eve !!!

Does this look familiar ?  I have at least 3 extra folding tables plus a card table ..... and do you think there is at least one that isn't covered with fabric, partially finished projects , and other sewing paraphernalia?  NOPE !!  Not a single one !!!   (Love this little cartoon since I can relate to it so well.  I wish I could give the author/artist credit, but I don't know where it came from other than on facebook.).  Anyway,  hope you all can put Christmas off at least another day and just sit and enjoy Thanksgiving Day with friends and family.

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!!!

 

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

A quilter is born !!!!

I am THRILLED to announce the birth of a quilter !!!!! 

My niece Stephie ...... TA DA !!!!!   It was my pleasure to spend a fun evening teaching Steph the basics of sewing, piecing and quilting .  With the assistance of Betty, my Featherweight sewing machine, Steph made a "Mug and Muffin Rug"  (i.e it's bigger than a "Mug Rug" but too small to be a placemat).  Anyhow,  Steph did a GREAT job !!!! Took to it like a duck to water !!!  This girl has a bright sewing future ahead !!!!    (Maybe I'll let her finish that graduation quilt I started for her a loooooooong time ago ..... we're talking high school graduation ..... Steph not only graduated from high school, she also  went and graduated from college with a BSRN while I was procrastinating and piddling around not finishing her quilt ........ oh well !)

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

CURSES !!!! Halloween was yesterday ????

 Happy (belated) Halloween !!!!  We've been a little distracted by a witch named "Sandy"  here on the east coast and almost forgot about Halloween!!!   I am thrilled to say that I am one of the lucky ones ....... we didn't even lose power through the hurricane !!!!  You have no idea how amazing that is  - - in the past, our area has ALWAYS lost power for the least little thing ..... and it would be DAYS before we'd get it back  - - so I am grateful and in awe that we came through this storm without a problem.   My elderly parents,  who live only 20 minutes away from me, however, are without power since Monday night.  They might not have power for a couple more days.   So, after emptying out their fridge and freezer and putting everything in coolers to put in my fridge and freezer,  they finally agreed to come to my house ...... but took lots of coaxing because  they felt they were imposing . Love my parents !!! They are the nicest people on the planet ..... but sometimes they just drive me NUTS !!!!  :)   (and I can say that because I'm their favorite !)

 

So, thankful as I am for getting through this storm without a problem, my heart goes out to all those who are facing hardships and in many cases total devastation. 

 

Be back soon!

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

 

 

Oh Sandy Baby ....... please don't stay !!!!!

Well, unless you've been living under a rock, you know that  Hurricane Sandy is lumbering up the east coast and plans on taking a left turn somewhere around Atlantic City, NJ tomorrow.   Then, she may be strolling right smack into Pennsylvania .......

in the vicinity of MBIAJ Headquarters (see arrow).   I've heard this storm described as "Frankenstorm"  or another "Perfect Storm" ........THAT is NOT good !!!!!  I went to Walmart yesterday to stock up on batteries (none to be found),  sterno and matches (none), and gallons of water (lots still left thank goodness!).    Since our power goes out when somebody sneezes, I'm enjoying my electricity now while I've got it (not to mention running water and flushing toilets  -- we live in the woods and have a well and septic which depend on electricity to work).    So,  I'm hoping "Sandy" cools off and turns into nothing but a sweet innocent little drizzle  wearing a Peter Pan collar and a poodle skirt !

 

Well,  I better go fill up my bathtub with toilet flushing water ......... if you are in the path of Sandy, please stay safe !!!! ....... and we'll all meet back here as soon as our power comes back on  ....... or MAYBE it won't go out at all !!!!  

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Machine Quilting ~ Walking Foot Style !!!!

GREAT news for people like me who are free motion quilting wanna bees (i.e. really wanna be good at free motion quilting, but just isn't happening at this point .... ).   Norma at Petit Design Co.  is in the middle of her "31 days of Walking Foot Quilting" project on her blog.  She has been showing some FABULOUS ideas for machine quilting with a walking foot !!! Now THAT I can do !!!!   These designs are so great that my free motion quilting foot is jealous !!!

.....and all of Norma's ideas couldn't have come at a better time since I've been stalling on quilting my son's overdue (wild) graduation quilt .......

....not to mention some of it's pals rolled up and waiting patiently in this basket for their turn to be quilted (before they disintegrate ! )

 

Anyhow, you should zip on over to Norma's blog to see all of her ideas for zig zags,  random lines,  cross hatches, and  different circles ..... YES even CIRCLES can be machine quilted with a walking foot !!!!!!! YIPEEEEEEEE !!!!!!!!!

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)