GOTTA GIVE SOME LOVE TO THESE DOG AND CAT FEEDING MATS...

As you have seen from the previous post that I went crazy making dish drain mats.

Well....

as I was making them I was thinking

why not make some for the dog and cat dishes??

When my son and his wife were living with us they had a small dog.  I placed a dish towel under his bowls.  Helped keep the water in one spot and food.  Also made a designated space for the bowls instead of finding them in the kitchen, dinning room etc.  I liked his bowls in the laundry room.  

So why not make some food mats for them?

Let's not forget our cats...notice the cat fabric?  I got that from Sew Fun Quilts.

Here is a smaller mat if you don't have much space.

I made a pattern for my craftsy store if you are interested.  These are simple to make and if you are crazy about keeping your floors clean and have animals, these sure will help.

DRESSING UP MY KITCHEN - COME TAKE A LOOK!

I have gone crazy!!!  !!!


You have heard it here first!!!

I decided that I wanted a pretty dish drain mat.  Don't you just love it?

I do.

Talk about putting a little sunshine in the kitchen.

Well...I couldn't stop there.  I made these this morning.  The chevron ones have a towel backing for  absorbing more.

The other two just have a pretty backing fabric

.  I like the towels on the back but in the same breath I love the fabric backing because they dry quicker.

Here  are some that I made Friday -  up close and personal.

 Here are the backs of them.

Why am I making so many?  Don't know...just love them.  Will probably put them in my booth but that is not why I am making them....just making them to make them.

Okay, now it is verified that I am strange.....

These measure 18 1/2" x 16", with batting in the middle, quilted and then regular binding.  So fun.  great way to do some FMQ

2 FAT QUARTERS
BATTING
BINDING - using one and  a half strips 2 1/2" wide the length of the fabric
---------------------------

or

1 FAT QUARTER
1 TOWEL (YOU WILL ONLY NEED HALF)
BINDING AS ABOVE.

You can even use the remaining towel scraps to make pot holder backs.

If you like the corners rounded, I would just get a bowl and do it that way.  I have an old dish mat (GRAY an ugly) for my template.

EASY!!

QUILT AND BLANKET FOR BABIES THAT DO NOT MAKE IT TO TERM

A long time ago I had a wonderful friend.  She was expecting a baby.  The baby never lived to even take it's first breath.

The mom was so devastated and so were most of us.  Wanting to ease the pain I made matching little quilts, only about 12 1/2" square.  The baby was buried with one and the mom took one home as a sweet memory.

Many years later I move to Atlanta, TX where my sweet cousin Tracy owns a funeral home.  She is telling me that she buries babies for free.

That is when I decided to make these little blankets and quilt for her funeral home (free of charge) since she does her end free.

A few weeks ago she had to use a set, the baby only made it to seven months for some reason it just died, mom had to deliver it.  So very sad.

The bigger blanket the baby is to be wrapped in  and the smaller one lies on top until the baby is ready to bury.  The mother takes this one.  She can even have someone embroider on it if she chooses.

My cousin said the mother took that little quilt and was holding it up to her face the whole way to her car.

Sometimes even when we know we can not take some one's pain way but maybe in a simple way we can ease it a little.

TIPTOE THROUGH THE TULIPS

Remember Tiny Tim?

Singing Tip Toe Through the Tulips?

Well...here are my tulips.

I  made this wall hanging a few years ago with the Accuquilt Go Cutter.  This is my most favorite of favorites and you will see it hanging on my wall in the previous post.

Here is the newest version using Island Batik Fabric's.  This pattern works so well with Batik's.

As you know, this week is the Tour of all of the Island Batik Ambassadors...today's room is

07/16 – Christine Martinez of Made In Scraps   hop on over there and check out her room.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS BLOG HOP TOUR - ISLAND BATIK AMBASSADORS

What a fun tour Linda Pearl has put together for the Island Batik Ambassadors. 

 She thought it would be fun and so did we if we showed you our sewing space with our favorite things.

First I want to show you what my room looks like when a creative moment hits.  As you can see it is a total mess.  I didn't show you the floor (blushing here).  I have a place for my Accuquilt Go cutter but I had such a creative mess in that space that I had to move it.

So here it is all cleaned up...or as clean as I know how.  I really admire people who's spaces look so organize and put together.  

All I can say is, I am happy with it for now and

I can only be me.

I love love my cutting table...it was a great deal at Big Lots a while back.  Notice the scraps under the table....it has grown from one tub to about four. 

This is my actual work space.  Trust me when I tell you that I can not keep my fabrics straight.

  As you can tell, I love Pfaff's and then on the other side of one I have my computer....that is where I am right now.  In a minute cupcake wars is going to come on.  Wish I could be a judge!

Just saying...ummm ummmm good.

My husband put up these rods for my quilts.  This space is for finished items and I usually have a quilt up that I have just finished or put up a seasonal one.  This is the Henry Glass line.
 

The Accuquilt Go cutter is back in it's own space now.

I love this rod as well and usually I put things on here that I need to complete.  Unfortunately I would have to have about 30 of these rods for all the unfinished items... (...blushing again.)  You see that little bird pillow, that is one of my all time favorite items.  I won that when I first started blogging, wish I could tell you what blog but I love love love it!

There you have it....clean for a day,

Here is the list of bloggers for the rest of this hop.....enjoy their spaces.  

Get some creative ideas!

Get motivated!

Get moving!

Linda Started it off yesterday, so if you missed it, hope on over....

07/15 – Maryellen McAuliffe of Mary Mack’s Blog

07/16 – Christine Martinez of Made In Scraps

07/17 – Maria Hrabovsky of Maria’s Quilt Scraps and Quilts For Sale 

07/18 – Tammy Silvers of Tamarinis

07/19 – Joan Kawando of Moosestash Quilting

07/20 – Marlene Oddie of Kissed Quilts

07/21 – Nan Baker  of Purrfect Spots Blog

07/22 – Adele Mogavero of Adelemogravero.com

07/23 – Pam Geisel of For Quilts Sake

07/24 – Bea Lee of Beaquilter

07/25 – Connie Campbell of Freemotion by the River 

07/26 – Pam Boatright of Pamela Quilts

07/27 –  Connie Kauffmann of Kauffmann Designs

07/28 – Patti Bochey of Lemon Tree Snippets

07/29 – Carol Steely of Funthread Designs, LLC

CAN'T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES!!

I have so been wanting to make this runner with Island Batik Fabrics!

Decided that last night was the night!!

Pulled out some 12" x 12" scraps..

and went to town!!!

HENRY GLASS - DESIRE TO INSPIRE

I was sent a bundle of Jan Shade "Holiday Magic" a few months ago for Henry Glass Desire to Inspire feature on their blog.  Here they are....aren't they fabulous?

I immediately fell in love with the fabrics. Just love the red, black and white combinations.

Was given 3 weeks turn around time.

You can find what all I created here on the Henry Glass blog

One thing that was not mentioned on the Henry Glass blog was what I did with the rest of the fabrics.

 What you see here is the panel with two borders added and quilted.  What a fabulous quilt.  Anyone who comes in my home just loves this quilt.  I always hang my newly finished quilt on my wall for a while, had to explain why I had a Christmas Quilt on my wall...

Then from one of the stocking panels I made this Kitchen towel.  If you are interested in the other things I made do visit Henry Glass's Blog

Also if you love to create with new fabrics this Desire to Inspire program is awesome.  It allows you the freedom to create at will with the awesome fabrics they send you.  I would encourage anyone to go and apply.

TWO QUILTS IN ONE

I told you yesterday how a friend gave me some remnants.  I was able to get some 11" x 3 1/2" strips out of them.   I have had them for  quite a while and in the process of time moved them countless times from one place to another saying one day I am going to do something with these.

So a few days ago I went to my scrap stash (rather large scraps) and cut strips the same size but different lengths.

Then I just started sewing the strips randomly.    I had this yesterday on my post




This is what I got last night.  Reminds me of skittles.

 Since I sewed the strips together on the bias I just did another seam as I was sewing and was able to get these half square triangles.

  I ironed them all out and trimmed them down to 2 1/2" squares and now I am playing.  I might have enough for a small quilt or a long table runner...

what to do, what to do?

MY BOOTH..... Jelly Roll Race Quilt

Here is the picture of my booth.  I am thinking of scrunching up the large quilt so I can hang up more items.

My husband made the back drop.  Now I am wondering if we should not have put sides on this??  He will kill me if he hears me say that.....    He made the back drop so it folds to make it easy to transport.  Pretty smart huh???

Well....the booth is still in the works but for now that is where we are.  I have tons more stuff to put in there but don't want to overload it.

Today I am working with these strips.  They measure 11" x 3 1/2".  A friend sent me some remnants and so I cut them down to this size.

I went in my scrap bin and cut up a bunch of 3 1/2" strips so I can do my version of a jelly roll race quilt.  We will see how it turns out.

Here is what it looks like now.....(smiling here).

SIGNATURE QUILT

Several months ago a young mother of three came to the ladies at church and told us that she had a lump in her throat and that the Dr's said that it was just a matter of what stage cancer she had.

So.....being the quilter that I am and doing what quilters do.

I set out and made a ton of signature blocks from my 2 1/2" strips I made a while back from scraps.

Boy they sure came in handy.

Then I set out with a friend and got the signatures.

Here is the quilt.

I have not given it to her yet.

You know we all have in our minds the discomfort, pain, and stress cancer causes a family.

Well...she comes back three weeks later.

The lump is removed

and a miracle has happened.

She has no signs of cancer.  It was so amazing.  She even prepared her kids, she never told them it was cancer but that Mommy was going to be tired and Mommy might not be able to do too much for a while.

What wonderful news but in the mean time.....these squares are being signed...

I am sure this will be a reminder to her that there were people out there pulling for her, praying for her, and wishing her well.

------------------------------------------------------

On a second note:  I have opened a booth in one of the local stores.  I have so many quilts, runners, pouches etc that I really need to do something with them.  My poor husband is out side right now making a back drop for my larger quilts.  YEA ME!

--------------------------