The little girl on the right...is our new baby.  Her name is Jazzy!  Our little Daisey girl passed away a few weeks ago and my husband was missing her so much...I had to do something.  This is what I did!  She is just 4 weeks old...and we have to wait 4 more weeks to get her.  She is just precious!   The beautiful boy on the left is my buddy Chance....he is 11 this year..so he will be around for a while to teach his new sister the ropes!


Life is busy here as usual........



Anett

Tomorrow will be an exciting day!

I recently started attending a new church with our friends.  It feels really good to get back into a church that I am comfortably attending.  We have met some wonderful people and everyone so far has been great.  One lady in particular, I have a lot in common with.  She is a quilter!  Not only that, but she has a long arm quilter that is she is willing to allow me to use and teach me how to use it.  I am taking some me time tomorrow to go see her and get better acquainted...big step for me....I rarely go out of my comfort zone to meet new friends.  I am very excited to get to know her and I can't wait to receive lessons on the long arm.  I have five quilts that have needed the quilting done for about 2 years now and I have not had time to finish them....now maybe I will.

One last thing before I have to get back to work.  I had the most awesome time on my trip to Hawaii.  I am going back again next year.  Only no site seeing this next trip....I am going to do as much snorkeling as I can fit in.  It is by far the coolest thing I have ever done and I want to do it more!!!   The above picture is one that I took while snorkeling.  There was a little bit of a miss adventure while trying to get this photo.  The dang fish kept going deeper and so did I!  Well...I went a little deeper than the top of my snorkel tube...needless to say...salt water poured in...went up my nose...down my throat.  I came up rather quickly and was laughing and coughing so hard....but I got the picture!!!  So...next trip we are going to see how many beaches we can snorkel at!

Have a great week everyone...until next time!!


Anett

Wow...it's been a year

It doesn't seem like a year since I have posted to my blog.  But what a year it has been.  Work has kept me busier than I ever thought it would this year.  I have been working many many hours and it has been exhausting.  I went home to Colorado for 10 days in July....I spent most of my time helping my niece with her house.  We did get to spend some time with our Grandson and Great Grandson...it was awesome.  Also spent time with our Granddaughter and her family...what a blast that was.  We hadn't seen her in more years than I care to think about...but it was like we had seen her yesterday.  Also spent time with her Mother...who we have always loved like a daughter..even after she divorced our son.  So all in all it was a good trip.  I did get a quilt or two done this last year and I have one on the design wall and another I just got the pattern for.  Hope to get the later one done first.  I want to enter it in the quilt show this year.  Hopefully I will get it started this week.

This years is going to be interesting.  I am doing some more traveling.  A short (5) day trip home to Colorado next month but then I will be going to HAWAII for 8 days in March.  I have never been to Hawaii and I am really looking forward to it.  I am going with my friend Jean and her mother.  Jean's daughter lives there, so we will be staying with her.  I am making a list of everything I want to see and do and I am sure we will not be getting much sleep.  I am making a list of fabric I want to complete a quilt with all of the rest of the fabric that Beth has sent me since she has lived there.  I have received a package of fabric every year for the past couple of years...so I have quite a bit stored up.

I craft when I can...but I am trying to arrange my work schedule to make more time for crafting this years.  I miss it and need to get back to it.

Hope all is well with everyone and I plan to post more here this year.

Aloha,

Anett

I am Obsessed!

With making these little bags.  This is the latest in the series from Embroidery Garden.  The are so much fun to make and I can't wait to see what Reen comes up with next.  They are easy...fast and adorable.

If you go to this link, you will see the Penguin I made.  Reen put it up on her website...it was very exciting to see something I created on a wonderful website.

http://www.embroiderygarden.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=669


Happy Tuesday Everyone!


Anett

My Little Penguin Bag

This is a little Penguin Bag I made using a design from Embroidery Garden.  He is made out of a really cool black fabric I found....the white is Minky...the purple is a fur like fabric someone sent me because they know I like purple.  This little guy really turned out cute and I just love him.  He will be on his way to my niece Deanna, this afternoon.  She loves purple also...BUT the really exciting thing is....my little purple penguin ended up being featured on the Embroidery Garden website.  I am so excited and proud to see him there.  Go have a look.

http://www.embroiderygarden.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=669

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving...it was just me and Hubby...so it was nice and quiet.



Happy Monday everyone!

Anett

I have something to share

Two posts in one day...a miracle!

I have something totally cool to share.  The above quilt was made by my Granddaughter Michelle.  Now I am sure you are asking yourself what is so special about it....well I am going to tell you.  A couple of month's ago...Michelle decided she wanted to sew....I found a machine for her, sent it to her...sent her some you tube videos...she did some research on her own and ended up making this wonderful quilt, without ever having turned on a machine in her life!  She had lots of trials and tribulations along the way and almost gave up a couple of time....I am so glad she didn't, because look what she created...this is using no pattern...no idea how to cut fabric..how to use a rotary cutter...nothing!  She just went for it and I am so proud of her I could bust! Can anyone see a mistake in it NO!  All I can see is a wonderful quilt that when it is finished....something she can be totally proud of!!!

Great Job Michelle!  You rock!!!

Hope you all leave comments to encourage her to make more wonderful projects like this.


Anett

A few things for sale

 I have the above cell phone, what not bags for sale.  They may not be in these exact fabrics, but they will be close.  They are $7.00 each and the shipping will depend on how many you buy.  These are so much fun to make and I am hoping to sell some of them

You can email me at anett.redding@gmail.com to order.

Thanks,

Anett

Paying it Forward

I am participating in a pay it forward blog hop.  I signed up with Norma at
www.creativityhasnolimits.blogspot.com


a few months ago.  I received her package a few days ago.  I have not been able to post about it, because I had a heck of a week at work....was preparing to sell some craft items at a fair and trying to find time to shop for Thanksgiving dinner.  This is what I received from Norma....thank you very much.  I will now be picking three people to pay it forward to.......who know who that will be......I am picking people from amongst my followers and friends with blogs....Stay tuned....maybe it will be you!

A great Giveaway

can be found here

http://lavenderridge.blogspot.com/

Design Wall Wednesday

I have wanted a Sunbonnet quilt for as long as I can remember and was just to lazy to make one...however I started one sometime ago and it is now almost complete.

Somewhere in my brain I decided to do this on point!  I have no idea what I was thinking, but there you have it.  I am not sure I will ever do another one this way, but then again you never know what the mind will do.  I still have to decide on a final border...I am thinking a solid, but I may just take the border that's on there now off and redo it too.  I may have to consult with my quilt guru (Pat) and see what she has to say.  I want this to fit my queen sized bed so it is going to be a large quilt.  I was going to do the quilting on it, but I am thinking maybe not now.  So as you can see I am very decisive about this quilt!  It was fun...I learned a lot about my skills and hopefully it will be completely finished in the next couple of months.

Later gators...



Anett

Design Wall Wednesday

I found out last Wednesday that one of the children of my Grand Daughter Michelle, who I have just reconnected with was having a birthday this coming Friday.  Well my first thought was she needed a quilt.  I had made pillowcases for all of the kids a couple of weeks ago and Tristan..the youngest thought it was a blanket.  Michelle has since found her curled up in it, I made them rather big and she is just a little bitty thing, so she fits inside!  LOL  So last Thursday I quickly and I do mean quickly made a quilt top.  Had lots to do on Friday and Saturday, so I started to quilt this on Sunday

and finished the quilting on Sunday..I started sewing the binding down last night and finally finished it this morning.  The quilting is pathetic and I am not very proud of it, but the whole thing is made out of Flannel and I am hoping that Tristan will love it.

I am however kind of proud of the label...below

I watched a you tube video on how to do the blanket stitch this morning and I think for a first try...it came out pretty good. This quilt and some craft stuff for my grand daughter will be off in the mail this morning...I am just hoping it arrives on Friday for Tristan's birthday.


Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday.


Anett

Design Wall Wednesday

I have been using up scraps and making 4 patches....I did these in about an hour.  4 patches are one of the blocks that I enjoy making the most.  They are easy and almost always come out perfect the first time.  I have no idea what they are going to be, as I am going to make many, many more of them before I decide what to do with them.  My granddaughter Michelle is learning to sew and quilt.  this is the block she has chosen for her first quilt.  It has been an absolute joy to listen to her talk about fabric and colors and the process of making a block.  We have shared much laughter over her process of learning.  She learning about having a stash of fabric, how easy it is to want every yard of fabric you see and most importantly, how to conceal the fact that you have bought a bunch of fabric from your husband...LOL.

This is what is up on the design wall.  I am trying to get the other four sunbonnets done, so that I can start putting together my "calendar" sunbonnet quilt.  I am trying to match the fabric with a theme for every month.  8 down...4 to go.  Also on the design wall are some flying geese blocks that I make...my first attempt ever...they came out great..and I am no longer intimidated about making them.  Lastly on the design wall is a "table" runner that I made for my dining room table.  It ended up being wider than I thought it was going to be...so I have decided that instead of going on my table...I am going to finish this and use it as a cover on one of the old singers I have in a cabinet.  I love the colors and I was able to find the perfect machine embroidery design to fill in the white spaces.

Happy Wednesday Everyone.



Anett

I must be out of my mind!

I tried a few years ago to sell some of my crafts at a bazaar....I was unsuccessful and swore I would never do it again.....wellllll....here we go again.  I was asked by a very dear friend of mine to once again sell stuff at a bazaar.  How could I say no...right!  WRONG...I should have run...not walked away.  So this weekend, I will be sewing overtime to get enough stuff together to take to the bazaar.  I am going to be making "humbug bags", some pincushions...some machine embroidered dish towels and anything else I can make fast.  If nothing sells, I figure I will be way ahead on my Christmas sewing...guys like pincushions right!  lol.  I am going to make some sets of the "humbug" bags and some singles.  A few years ago..I learned how to make these bags.  I was so intimidated by the zipper, but not..if I have the fabric quilted...I can make one in less than 10 minutes.  I have literally made tons of these bags and I think everyone I know has one.  So I know I can churn those out in not time flat.  Hubby is on food duty this weekend...I am only stopping for food and potty breaks, but I want to make sure I have a good selection of all the stuff I want to take.  the fair isn't until next month, so I do have sometime to get my "act" together, but I am a major procrastinator and I don't want to make myself crazy...I am going to get started early.

Hope everyone has a great, relaxing weekend.

Hugs and love,


Anett

A Reconnection

When we decided to leave our home state of Colorado back in 1986, we knew we would be giving up a lot of things.  We were leaving our entire family and our kids for a new life in Oregon.  Over the years it has not always been easy being totally away from family and all the friends we left behind.  But we have made some new friends along the way and we have survived.  Until the last few weeks, I have been really OK with the move.  I have recently reconnected with our Granddaughter Michelle..now 30 and we have something in common....crafting!  You all know that really is the heart of me.  I love to craft, I love to share my crafts and it brings me a great deal of joy. 

I found out that Michelle wanted to learn to sew...I went on a hunt for a sewing machine for her.  I was talking to my friend Jean and found out that her daughter had left behind her old machine and it was up for grabs.  Well I immediately went to get it and got somethings together for Michelle and off the package went to Colorado.  It arrived yesterday and Michelle is already working on some coasters this morning.  I directed her to You Tube for tutorials and she is going for it.  So although Michelle and I have not kept in touch over the last few years, we have now reconnected over something that gives us both a lot of joy.  Now comes the part that is hard...I am not there to really help her get started on her sewing journey.  We are doing out best to email and text, but it just isn't the same as being there.  Also, my favorite niece is starting to sew again and I can just see the three of us having a ton of fun together.  We are not in a position to move at this moment, but it is something to think about!

Happy Stitching everyone.


Anett

I have a headache now

I decided to be brave and participate in a 9 patch block swap over at http://juliekquilts.blogspot.com/.....well little did I know that I was going to have such a terrible time making these blocks.  Now I have made 9 patch blocks before without a lick of problems.  They were to be made out of civil war fabrics...totally out of my comfort zone.  But, thanks to a wonderful friend of mine, I had some fabric and I went to my favorite and beloved Fabric Depot and bought some more.  This is the result of my efforts.  I had to make 78 blocks of the 6.5 inch size and 50 of the 3.5 inch size (not shown) I used three different machines and a ton of fabric that went in the trash.  But they are now done and if the post office does its job, they will arrive in time, so I won't be a late sender. 

New giveaway - October 1st - UPDATE!!!!

UNFORTUNATELY MY NAME AND BLOG NAME WAS LEFT OFF THE LIST.

SORRY FOLKS,

ANETT


I will be participating in a give away with a whole bunch of other bloggers...stay tuned and I will get it all together this weekend and let you know what I will be giving away and where to participate with the rest of the bloggers.  I have to figure out how to save the button on my blog!

Stay tuned,....


Anett

wonderful give away

Check out this give away ...it is for an accuquilt.


http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2010/08/accuquilt-go-give-awaylets-go-go-go.html


If I had one of these, the first template I would choose would be the Sunbonnet....big surprise there....right!


Anett 

Great giveaway

Take a peek at Mary's giveaway....it is wonderful.  I just found her blog through the Painted Quilt blog and it looks like a great blog.



Everyone have a great week.



Anett

A Great Giveaway

Doreen over at this blog is having a great give away of some prime dolls.  They are adorable....take a look.


Anett



http://priviesandprimsblog.blogspot.com/

Going home

On May 13th I leave for Colorado...Home.....  I can't wait to get there and I will probably be anxious to get back to Oregon once I am there....sometimes it's a no win situation.  In preparing to go, I decided to make some of my family something.  My Mentor (Pat) has been making pillowcases using the sausage method.  She talked me into trying it and now I am hooked big time.  I have made 8 so far and I have 4 more cut out and pinned to sew.  They are so much fun and I love trying to find fabric combinations from my stash.  Most of the ones I have finished, I have used my stash, but I did buy fabric for a couple of them.  Trying to match the fabric to the person I am giving them to.  Below is one of the photos of what I have done so far.

I am totally addicted to this method of making pillowcases!

Happy Saturday Everyone,



Anett