DESIGN WALL MONDAY

The Summer Breezes top is near completion.  All the pinwheels are done.  I have to cut the white strips for the border and then sew everything together.  Here it is on my design wall.

The Easter dresses are coming along nicely.  Here is Mara's dress and panties. 

And the beginnings of the pinafore.

Here are Kayla's dress and panties.  I have not yet cut out the pinafore for this one.

I still have handwork and elastics to insert, but I think you get the idea.

What's on your design wall?  Hop on over to The Patchwork Times to see what everyone else is doing.

Love from Liri

THRIFTY FINDS

So, we went out to do errands today and, as usual, stopped in at St. Vincent de Pauls' Thrift Shop.  Here is what came home with me today.

This adorable little pattern for little girls dresses.  I love this pattern because they made it so versatile.  Six versions are shown on the cover and there are 9 more inside.  I may not need another pattern until they outgrow size 6X!

Farberware pots!  I am not usually brand loyal but not when it comes to cookware!  I've been using Farberware for many, many years and it has stood the test of time.  I don't know if you remember my dear Luis, but he told me he needed new pots and pans.  I promised him Farberware if he would give me the summer to accumulate it.  Here are the first two!  One is a 2 quart and one is 2-1/2 quarts.  They were only $3.00 a piece.

Fabric!  I think the next two items are actually rectangular table cloths.  There is at least 2 to 2-1/2 yards of fabric in each one.  Here is the first - I fell in love with the colors and Flit squealed when she saw it (so embarrassing)!  She called first dibs, too!

I don't think it was used very much, there are no worn spots or fold creases.

I think this next one was a rectangular table cloth, too.  It's brand new and I love it!

The fabric is muslin and it looks like someone stamped it with fabric paint!  Not sure what to do with it yet, but Christmas is coming, LOL.

All told, I spent $10.00 today.  Pretty good, huh?

Love from Liri

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

Here is my design wall today.

This quilt is called "Summer Breezes" and is loosely based on a quilt titled "Pinwheels in the Breeze".  I say loosely because the original has a lot more white.  These pinwheels are the leftovers from my "Rita's Water Ice".  Some were already sewn and others were cut and ready for stitching.  Its about half way there.

Here are the beginnings of the 3 Easter dresses I am making for Autumn, Mara and Kayla.

This is Autumn's dress.  I have to finish the sleeve bottoms, hem and put on the buttons.

This is the pattern I am using for Mara and Kayla's dresses.  Here is Mara's dress so far.  It is a really fussy pattern.

I haven't yet cut out Kayla's dress or the pinafores, but things are going well and I think I will  have everything finished by April 1st.

So what's on your design wall?  Hop on over to The Patchwork Times to view more.

Love from Liri

FIRST BLOOMS!

My first daffodils bloomed yesterday.  I was expecting only one blossom but I got a bonus!

These are Tete-a-tete's, a miniature daffodil.  I am sure you have seen them sold in pots at garden centers.  They are just as hardy as the big ones!  Here they are planted in a small bed in the chimney corner of my neighbors house (our yards adjoin).  I do mixed flower beds so these are planted in with black mondo grass, crocuses and pansies.  There are some violets in there (just tiny little leaves yet) and in back is a chartreuse hosta (hasn't started yet).  I will probably add coleus later in the season!   Ah, Spring!

Love from Liri

EASTER DRESSES!

Well, I have to tell you that I get to make three, yes, three Easter dresses this year.  One for Autumn, one for Mara and one for Kayla.  Kayla?  Kayla is a year old, give or take a month or so, and her mommy is my daughter's best friend.  Jess (my daughter) and Jen have been friends since they were three or four years old.  (I can't believe my daughter has a 20 year old friendship!)  In any case, Jen had a St. Patty's party and overheard Jess and I discussing the Easter dresses.  And she so wanted a handmade dress for Kayla.  So now I get to make three!  Hooray! 

I've decided on pink and white for the dresses (what else?) and started Autumn's dress on Tuesday.  Here is the pattern.

I am making View 1, the pink and white one in the corner, using this fabric and white trim for the collar.

I tried to get a better picture, but the camera just would not cooperate.  The trim is white, the fabric is pink with white roses.  I cut the dress out on Tuesday and got this far yesterday.

Today I hope to get the collar on and maybe the sleeves. 

Tomorrow I will show you the pattern for the other two dresses.  Those two will be the same and yet different because it is a dress/pinafore pattern.  Mara's will be made with the same fabric as this one but I have other fabric picked out for Kayla.

Love from Liri

TEDDY BEARS PICNIC AT THE HOUSE ON THE SIDE OF THE HILL

Oh, can I come too?  I just had my hair done and I am wearing my picnic outfit!

I picked up this little cutie at a St. Vincent de Paul $5.00 bag sale.  She's only about 5 inches high.  I don't have a lot of softies, but I had just purchased this embroidery pattern for a quilt I am planning.

I intended to embroider the poodles in pink, too!  So the little lady above had to come home with me.  When the quilt is done and I decide who to give it to, she will go with it to a new home.

Visit the The House on the Side of the Hill to attend the Teddy Bears Picnic!

Love from Liri

TUESDAY TREASURES

Daffodils!  I have been in love with this flower since I was a little girl.  I don't know what it is that attracts me, maybe because I am a March baby!  They only bloom once a year but they are so worth it.  Although my garden is just now waking up (the first daffodil will be opening today), here are pictures of what is to come that I took a few seasons ago.  There are very large ones, miniatures, singles, doubles -  I think you get the idea.  And each year I add more, LOL.  I just can't help it!

Stop over at Melody's blog at The House on the Side of the Hill to see more Treasures.

Love from Liri

EVERYTHING OLD...

is new again!  You'll recall that my iron just up and died for no good reason sometime last month.  So I had to use the "backup" iron.  This is the backup iron.

You see that little chunk missing from the top?  I dropped it accidentally, once.

There is also an annoying groove opening between the faceplate and the plastic cover along the side.  All kinds of stuff gets stuck in there and it catches the edge of my fabrics, too.  Especially triangle points which promptly accordion on me.

It's a steam iron.  It spits water and if you leave it sit too long, the water leaks out all over everywhere.

So, I decided I needed a new iron.  I didn't want another Walmart special (that's what this one was) and I didn't want a top of the line like Oliso or Rowenta.  Besides being too expensive, sometimes the hubby borrows it (need I say more?).  I wanted an iron like my mom used to have.  No steam (I burn my fingers), heavy metal faceplate, all in one piece with a really strong cord and, if dropped, it was more likely to go through the floor rather than break.  In other words, I needed a new, old, iron.  I've been searching for a couple of months but all the old irons I found either had frayed cords or the faceplates were pitted or rusted and some had nicks around the edges.  A lot of them didn't even look like they would heat up.  But I found one today - literally!

See my new iron?

It's a Sunbeam, made in the USA.  It does not steam.  It has settings for silk, wool, cotton and linen.  It takes a little while to heat up, but it holds the heat even after you unplug it.  It has a heavy cord.  The faceplate is clean with just a few light scratches which is to be expected.  It is still shiny.  There is no grooved opening along the edge.  It is smaller than the iron I have been using but a lot heavier.

I found it!  St. Vincent's Thrift store has a new manager.  She has been going through the store and throwing stuff away.  Anything that has been on the shelf too long or in storage too long or whatever she deems unsaleable, she throws out.  This iron was thrown away!  I never saw it on any of the shelves (and you know I go at least 2-3 times a week).  I am on an iron high, LOL!

How do you like it?

Love from Liri

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

Hello all, this is my first Design Wall Monday post.  Here is what is on my wall this morning:

I call this Patriotic Denim.   The cards in the block are patriotic fabrics and the blue is reclaimed denim.  This quilt has been in my head for quite a few years.  Here are close ups of some of the blocks.

I have 24 blocks complete, two more cut out and 4 more blocks to cut.  Two-inch denim sashings will go between the blocks with (hopefully) white stars as cornerstones.  A full design wall equals a queen-size quilt.  I've not yet decided how to finish the borders but I have a couple of ideas.

What's on your design wall?  Go check out Judy's blog for more!

Liriopia

FEBRUARY WIP UPDATE

Yeah, I know, I called the last update post February but it was really January.  Here is how things stand at the end of February/beginning of March.  I will get my months figured out for the next one, LOL.

The Patriotic Denim is coming along quite nicely.  Here are the blocks that are finished.

Here is what they look like on my design wall.

When the rest of the empty space is full it will be big enough for a queen size quilt.  The sashings will be 2 inches wide, made of denim and, hopefully their will be white stars as the cornerstones.  I haven't figured out the borders yet!  This quilt won't be sandwiched.  Denim is too heavy for that.  So I am looking for a king-size flannel sheet in either navy blue or red for the backing.  Then, of course, the pillow shams have to be done.  But it's getting there! 

A Tisket, A Tasket is coming along.  I haven't stitched anything down yet, but I cut bits and pieces as the inspiration strikes.  Here are the blocks now, but some of the pieces may change.

The laces you see pinned up are possible basket trims!  Embellishments will come after the stitiching.

Four more embroideries for the Delectable Diamonds.  That makes eight so far that need to be mounted and trimmed.  Another 4 are almost complete!

I am so into leaders/enders now, they have become a habit and a session at the sewing machine just doesn't feel productive without them.  I have my Precision Built loaded with navy blue thread for the denim quilt and sashings for Fabric Frolic are my leader/ender pieces.   Have a nice little pile now but need a lot more before I can lay out those two quilts.  That left me with what to do with my New Home.  I had a lot of leftover pinwheels cut from Rita's Water Ice and decided to make another quilt I've titled Summer Breezes.  At first I thought I would use them as leaders/enders but I want to get this one done.  I am so tired of making pinwheels, LOL!  So I decided to make them the main project but I still needed leaders/enders!  Do you remember that box of Barbie clothes and how much I hate making Barbie clothes?  I think they have been in their box for more than 10 years.  Well, I have turned them into leaders/enders!  Getting them sewn is just a little less stressful this way.  Here is what I have completed.  By completed I mean all the handsewing, too.  I have a small box of almost-dones now.  They are in the sewing basket behind Barbie!

The Barbie in the picture is a thrift store find.  I think I paid a dollar for her and she is the most annoying Barbie in the world.  She has this little talkie button on her tummy that always gets pushed at least three or four times as I am fitting the clothes.  If I could find a battery somewhere, I would pull it, LOL!  When I am done with these clothes, I am giving them to someone (I don't know who yet) and the doll is going with them!

On Tuesday, I spent the afternoon with my Aunt Mary.  We had a great time!  I showed her my blog and she showed me her one and only attempt at embroidery.  Please understand that when my Aunt was growing up, all girls were expected to learn how to sew, embroider, crochet and knit.  In any case, she had started this embroidery many, many years ago (talk about UFO's, LOL).  I offered to "finish" for her!

See the shutters on the window?  That's how far she got!  Thing is, despite the fact that only that much is done, she had/has a very fine hand!  Her stitching is/was superb!  We decided on a red door with matching window boxes, a black railing and purple flowers.  That's just to get it started.  I will fill in other details along the way and then we will consult on colors again.  I think it is going to be lovely!

I got the batting and backing for Rita's Water Ice.  The backing still has to be washed.  I have not forgotten I promised a tutorial showing how I sandwich and baste a quilt without crawling on the floor!  I intend to honor that promise this month!

On another note, my Aunt introduced me to a blog by my cousin(?) Nichole.  Nichole is the wife of my Aunt's grandson and I think that makes him my second cousin.  In any case, here is a link http://veggie-365.blogspot.com/.  My cousin lives on a 25 acre farm and they are trying to become self-sufficient.  Whatever her husband brings home from the farmer's market or grows in their garden is what she cooks!  Some of her recipes sound simply scrumptious and I can't wait to try them!

Love from Liri