Happy New Year

Hi everyone in Blog land... I want to wish everyone out there a VERY HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR... My we all get our projects finished and start new ones... Keep up all the wonderful blogs and I want to THANK everyone who has left me comments... I feel so humble when I read them as well as I enjoy all the Comments left... If you are going to a party PLEASE drive safe and get home safe, or sleep where you are... I tip my glass to all my Blogging Friends that I made this year... Looking forward to 2011...:)

Christmas Gifts

 Here is three sewing caddies.... It is a pattern I got free from "The Painted Quilt" blog.... Kaarn offers a free pattern "The First Friday" of every month..  I made these for three of my friends and as you see in the pictures below a closer shot of each section... There are two large pockets to hold all you sewing needs ...I included a pair of scissors and made a fob for it with their name and beads.... I also included some pins and a few sewing needles....I made two of the caddies wider than the pattern called for ... Now, I need to make one for myself... Thanks Kaarn Johnston at "The Painted Quilt" for such a lovely pattern... You can get to Kaarn blog by clicking (First Friday Freebie logo) on my left side of my blog.... :)

Hi, as you know I made one of these pincushion before for myself... I had made 4 more "Buckshot Pincushion" for my friends and my sister (Debbie) for Christmas ... I took a close shot of the two colors that I made so you can see the material that I used... The pattern calls for a button on the top, but I wanted to dress it up and place a bow on it... I uses "Silca Gel" for the filler and before I closed the opening I also add a small amount of  Fiber Fill to push into the middle so the Gel will stay at the top... Silca Gel you can find in a floral department and it will sharpen your needles when you use it....It is heavy and will stay put, that is why I put mine near my sewing machine.... This way my pins are at hands reach... Hope you ladies all enjoy them... :)

Merry Christmas Everyone

I want to wish everyone in Blog land as well all my friends and family a Very Merry Christmas.... I hope everyone is enjoying their day with their friends and family... If you are traveling, please go safely and return home safely as well.... Remember why we celebrate Christmas this day.... I also wanted to remind everyone to take time on Christmas to remember our service men and women, in how they are keeping our land safe and may they return safely.... Thank to all the service men and women, and Merry Christmas from our house to yours and where ever you may be.... I also wanted to Thanks everyone who ever left me comments on my blog.... I have enjoyed reading all the wonderful comments and you all have touched my heart, So, THANK YOU Very Much for being my Blogging Friend..........  Peace to all  .... :)

Baby Blanket

The Cape Cod Quilter's Guild will hold a Quilt Show in October 2011... They were looking for idea's for their Boutique Room... I decided to make this Baby Blanket, they will get it later on because I want to make a few other thing to donate... But, it was finished and I wanted to show you all.... I have made so many of these blankets this year that I think I could do them in my sleep, L.O.L.  .... :)

Country Cousins Block #8

This is block #8 of the Country Cousin's  (Baltimore's Album)... This block is called "Unbroken Circle", it was easy to do .... I thought that it would take a longer time to do because of all the leaves... The leaves are small and they went quilkly....You can click on the picture to get a better look at it... Now, I have to prepare the next block and get started on it... :)

Keith's Quilt

This is a Quilt that I made for my son (Keith) for Christmas... It will fit a King size bed but, he has a queen... Keith requested a quilt that will be larger than his bed.... He also wanted a black and white quilt but, I had to add another color...The white and red is printed like it is cracked paint... The back of the quilt is black flannel, this way I know he will be warm....The red is like a burnt red , I did not want a red too bright... If you enlarge the picture by clicking on the picture you can see the detail on the prints.... The quilt was quilted (stippling) by a good friend on the Cape (Katy)... She did a wonderful job... I quilted the border and did the binding.... It came out wonderful and I am proud of it.....The first picture is the label I put on the back... The name of the pattern is called "B Q"... :)

VANILLA EXTRACT

Hi Everyone...  While I was visiting John'aLee's blog at Scrappy Appleyard, we were chatting about Vanilla Extract she got... I was telling her that I make my own Vanilla... I had got the recipe from "Atlantic Spice Shop" in Turro MA., It is located on Cape Cod.... I then got many request on how to make Vanilla Extract... So, I decided to put the recipe here on my Blog... Please read through the end of the recipe, because I will give you some extra tips.... It makes wonderful Christmas gifts.... :)

VANILLA EXTRACT

20 Vanilla Beans

1/2 gallon Vodka or Brandy

1 gallon jar

Split Vanilla beans with a sharp knife. Add beans and liquor to container. Seal jar and shake. Cure for 3-4 months, inverting jar twice a week. Extract should be rich in Vanilla flavor and more concentrated than commercial extracts.

FOR SMALLER AMOUNTS:

Use 1 bean for every 2oz. of liquor.

Shake twice a week. Cure at least 3 weeks.

**** I uses St. Remy Napoleon Brandy... If you can not find this Brandy then ask for French Brandy .... The Salesperson at the Spice Shop said to use Brandy because it will give a richer color and a better flavor...I will add extra Vanilla beans because I love the stronger vanilla flavor... I get my jars at yard sales or at Bed Bath and Beyond... I find jars with lids that will clip tight.... If you click on the picture you can see the stopper that I used... I got the stopper at Bed Bath and Beyond..... The longer you cure the better it is and it is Wonderful in thing that you bake... The bottle in the picture has cured about 2 years... I make at least 2 to 3 of these jars at a time so I could use the Vanilla as gifts to friend... Have fun with this and enjoy :)

Baby Quilt

This is a quilt that Debbie made for her co-worker (Chris).... Chris will be a grandmother for the first time in February... Her daughter knows that it will be a boy ... If you click on the first picture you can get a better look at the print that she used... Sorry, the second picture did not come out to good...Debbie did a great job on this quilt and I am very proud of her... She is doing more quilting than she has ever done...:)

Country Cousins Block #7

This block is Country Cousins number 7 that I have completed... This block is called "Leaves and Berries"... I have been plugging along with the Country Cousins blocks ... I think I am half way through... I have enjoyed appliqueing ... One day I will have this project finished... :)
On another note, I have been busy finishing up my Christmas gifts and I will not be able to post them yet...  The people who I made gifts for read my blog.. So, everyone will have to wait to see what I have been doing... :)
I hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy being with the people you had your Turkey dinner with... I am Thankful for all the family and Friends that I have... I pray that the service men and women come home safely... and that they keep safe while protecting our country... :)

 

Happy Thanksgiving

I wanted to wish all my Family and Friends a "Happy Thanksgiving"... as well all my friends in Blogland... I give Thanks for all the wonderful people who has came into my life.... You all have a Special place in my heart and I Cherish each and every one of you... If you are traveling... Please be safe and arrive back safe... Enjoy your Thanksgiving and be Thankful for Family... :)

Braeden's Brother Arrived

Here is Braeden with his Brother.... Chance Matthew MeCarville arrived on November 13, 2010 at 4:23 am... He weighed 6lbs 8oz, and was 19 1/2 inches long... He was about 2 weeks early... :)

 Here I am with Chance... It just feels so diffrent to hold a baby so light... I am use to picking up braeden... He is so sweet... :)

This is a close shot of Chance.... Mom and Dad are all doing fine and they all will be able to come home on Wed. ... Nana is so happy to hold her secon Grandson and is so proud.... Braeden and Chance are 14 months apart....  Welcom to the World Chance and Congraulations to Mom and Dad as well as Braeden... :)

Quilt Retreat Weekend at Cape Cod, MA.

I traveled to Cape Cod, MA from Wisconsin to attended a Quilt Retreat for the weekend....The name of the Retreat is called "Joy of Quilting".... We stayed at Cape Point Motel..... I met up with lots of my friends and we had a wonderful time... I also met a lot of nice ladies from CT.... One of the ladies I use to work with and we caught up on loss times... The last time I saw Jeannie was about 12 to 15 years ago... :)

This is Lorraine and Sunny puts this retreat together every year.... Sunny is her best friend worked with heard to put  this weekend together... Her picture is below.... :)

This is some of the ladies quilting and working very hard to get their projects finished... :)

Janice is a friend of Luanne and she came to give massages to anyone who wanted it... This is my friend Lyn getting her massage.... We all felt wonderful after the massage... Janice worked steady for about 4 or 5 hours....  Thanks Janice for coming and offering the massages to all of us... :)

In the pictures above are some of the finish projects that we all had worked on... There was a clothesline hung at the both ends of the room and we hung our finished projects on.... What a wonderful idea and we were able to see everyone finished projects....  I did the bear quilt.....:)

Since it was Halloween on Sunday.... I brought the two costumes with me and my friend (Lynn) and I wore them on Saturday night and handed out candy to all the ladies... I was Pooh and Lyn was Tiger.... We did not tell anyone we were going to do this and you should of seen everyone faces when we came into the room....We had so much fun and lots of laughs .... Everyone love the costumes.... :)

Country Cousins Block #6

This block number 6 to the "Country Cousins".... This block is called "Bowl of Tulips"... It was a different to applique.. as all the others that I did, I enjoy appliqueing... There is something about how relaxing it is to sew... This block took a while because of the many pieces... Now, I am preparing the next block and I will start it soon.... :)

This is a pin cushion called "Buckshot" .... If you click on the picture you will see the fabric I used... It is 8 tri-angles filled with "Silica Gel".... This product is used for drying flowers, but I read somewhere that it is good to use in pin cushions... It is glandular and it will sharpen you needles as you place them in the pin cushion... Instead of a button on the top, I put this ribbon... I had got the ribbon off the web at "Create for Less" ... There prices are reasonable.... They have a lot of items that a sewer of any kind could use.... It was a fun and quick  project and I got this pattern off the web as well... :)

The Christmas Story Quilt

Well, everyone has followed me in the completion of the Christmas Story blocks... I finished the quilt on Friday ... I had to wash it and now I will be putting a label on it... This is another Christmas gift for my cousin John and Lisa.... I enjoyed making this quilt and the challenge to do something different... if you click on the pictures you will get a better view of the blocks...Thanks for waiting so long to see the end results.... Now, I have to finish some other Christmas gifts.... They will be posted a later date, due to the fact that my friends read my blog.... Just to let you know I have been busy.... :)