2/27/13

Lost and Found...Wed WIP's

Look what I found rummaging around in my Ancestor Family Tree and my Stitched Stash Closet.  From my Georgia Ancestors...Eula Belle, and from my SS Closet....LeMoyne Bordered Star.
 
I couldn't help but put the two 'Pieces' together.  I'm sure you will agree that they compliment each other even though they are from oh so different eras.  They do have several things in common, however.
Both have been Lost and Found
Eula Belle is the mother-in-law of a Lost First Cousin 2x Removed from Georgia.  That's how her relationship is categorized in Ancestory Lingo, but I'll break it down to a more familiar family line.
 
Eula's daughter Bessie married Lost Cousin John who was the nephew of my Great Grandfather George who was the father of my Grandfather Chappo...making John and Chappo First Cousins.  Then Chappo's son...Willard...my father...and John First Cousins once removed and then me...First Cousin 2xRemoved.  That makes Eula absolutely NoBlood Relation at all, but a key 'Piece' in finding out....Who were John and Bessie, What happened to John and Where is Bessie!!!
Eula, Bessie and John's story has more 'Pieces' than this LeMoyne Star which was lost in 'The Stitched Stash' Closet, let's talk about it's significance in all this 'Hi-Drama' of Distant Cousins.  First, it was a UFO made for practicing 'Inset Piecing'...black background around star...second, it was practice in 'Kalediscope Piecing', and lastly, practice in mitered cornering a border print.  Once that was accomplished it was folded and filed and sent to the closet.  Really, Sue, practice may make perfect, but not finishing is....well, sad and probably an inherited characteristic!
 
John and Bessie's story was recently brought to my attention by Carolyn, a Georgia Cousin more times removed than I can figure out.  Carolyn has been digging around in our Howell Family Cemetery, figuratively speaking, and  found John's headstone which lead to the Who, What, and Where's.  Since John's last name was the same as mine...maiden...and he was a closer cousin to me than Carolyn, I got to do the rest of the digging.
 
Now as you know if you followed the Tracking of my Ancestors most of last year, I love Genealogy Detective work, and John and Bessie's story was definately a test of my Sleuthing Skills.  Here's what I FOUND out about John and Bessie...so far.
~John and Bessie married in 1909, lived in Atlanta where John was a Street Car Conductor. 
~In 1915  Bessie gave birth to a baby boy and the couple named him John. 
~In 1917 at the age of two, John Jr. died and was buried in the Howell Family Cemetery near his Great Grandfather Howell.
~In the 1920 Census John is listed as living with his parents in Cobb County and employed as a merchant in a General Store.  Bessie is listed with her Grandmother and living in Atlanta.
~In 1922 John died and was buried beside his son in the Howell Family Cemetery.  He was 39 years old and died from complications of Tuberculosis. 
~Bessie is LOST!!!
 The Lost UFO LeMoyne Star is now a FFO...Finally Finished Object...at least the piecing.
The quilting is a Work In Progress this Wednesday, February 27th, 2013.
Cousin John's story and documentation is Finished. 
His LOST wife Bessie's story is a Work In Progress this Wednesday, February 27th, 2013.
 Don't you just love knowing about OtherPeople's Lost and Found Relations?

2/19/13

Country Kitchen Aprons New on ETSY~SOLD~

Newly listed in

A Quilt Store and More
Country Kitchen Apron with Ruffle Skirt
and
Country Kitchen Apron with Piping
A One Size Fits All Apron featuring a ONE piece adjustable neck and tie strap. The extra long strap is threaded through the side casings and allows for a comfortable fit and tying for generous waist sizes to petites by tying in the back or wraping the ties and tying in the front. This Country Kitchen themed fabric is accented with a coordinating solid and a stripped fabric, rick rack and decorative bias tapes. The generous pockets are placed in a position that makes them easy to use.

Fabrics are 100 percent cotton and have not been prewashed. The apron is machine stitched with attention to detail, expert craftsmanship and design and made by CollectInTexas Gal.

Aprons are $24.95  with $3.00 shipping in the US.
Available through my ETSY Store with PayPal
or
More Photos available on A Quilt Store and More
Be sure and check out the Quilts and Bags for sale!
Thanks for looking!
Linking To:

2/18/13

MODA Friendship QuiltAlong...DayOne

Have you been anxiously waiting for Moda's Friendship Quilt Along?
I have and TODAY is the First Day with the First Three Moda Designers.
My first visit was to Barbara Brackman....HERE
Barbara is giving away a Bundle of ...
...just answer one question to enter....How many Friendship Quilts have you participated in?
So, I said to Barbara....
 
With Texas known as 'The Friendship State' it would be only natural for a Texas Quilter like me to have participated in a Friendship Quilt....and I have. SIX of them with friends on the internet from all over the world, from the great state of Texas, and already this year in a Winter White Friendship Exchange.

Can't wait to get started on this one, and would LOVE to win your Collection fom William Morris Co. Thank-you for the opportunity.
Sue
Barbara's Friendship Block is a version of Flying Geese with a center square for the Signature. 
It's an easy PDF download.  I made a Folder "ModaFriendshipQlt" and downloaded the PDF.
I will download each of the Designers Blocks to the folder so that I have the pattern and instructions when I'm ready to make the blocks.
Which I hope will be sometime later TODAY.
The next TWO Designers  for TODAY are:

2/15/13

Aprons Outta Stash To Store~SOLD~

 There has been quite alot of This and That going on about Aprons lately.
All the pattern books have Aprons.  This I know as I have quite a few which I bought when
 Simplicity and Butterick patterns were on sale for 5 for $5.
I added them to my Apron Pattern Collection....I did need a few more...especially the Retro Look ones.

 
Have you priced patterns?  I hadn't in a long time, and was AGHAST at the cost...I like that word...aghast...it really gives you a sense of outrageousness, which is what I thought about a pattern for a simple apron costing $16.95.  Of course to soften the blow, stores offer an 'Everyday 40%Off'....REALLY???....why jack up the price to Outrageous then cut it 40% so it seems LessOutrageous when 'Savy Sewers' are going to wait for the 'Ridiculous 5 for $5 Sale'.  Where's the Marketing Sense in that?   I'm sure the 'MBA Pattern Gurus' have their reasons and ideas of how we 'Savy Sewers' think and spend our dollars.  
 
Anyway, it's a lost cause to try and make sense of it all, so I just don't buy patterns or even think about them until I see a Sale that takes me 'BackInTheDays' of pattern buying for $1 or less.  That'd be around 1970ish.  Remember those days?

I still have patterns from 'BackInTheDay'.  I bet you do, too.  I remember when going to the Fabric Store to just sit and look at the pattern books was a fun and relaxing way to spend a few hours.  Same thing went for just browsing through the bolts of Fabric. 

So, are you wondering what all that has to do with the this new apron hot off my Janome.  Well, you'd think with a collection of BackInTheDay and Five for Five Dollars patterns, I'd have made this Kitchen Kettle Apron from one of them.  I didn't!  I cut a butcher block paper pattern off of an Apron I got for my Birthday. 
 I mentioned HERE about having an Apron Fabric Stash.  This Kitchen Kettle Fabric is some of that Collection.
Along with my Apron Fabrics, I have quite a stash of Rick Rack, Bias Tape and all kinds of Trims and Lace.
I'm having FUN using what I have to make Aprons, and I'm economizing my time by making TwoAtATime!
These Two Aprons are listed in my ETSY Store.
HERE is the Link to the Aprons.
And here are the next TwoAtATime Aprons cutout and waiting to be made.
Notice the Notions price? 
Yep, BackInTheDay Red Rick Rack was 35 cents and 3 yards of Bias Tape was 39 cents.
That along with the Butcher Paper Pattern and Remnant priced fabric makes me
A Marketing Genius Guru Apronista!

2/13/13

My Behind Assessment for WIP Wed

Boy, did my 'OverDoSueness' in January put me BEHIND in February!!!
It's not that I didn't KeepUp, Finish, and CheckOff the SewIn's, FinishAlongs, OnLine Classes, Swaps, SewAlongs, WIP's, several 'GottaStarts',and BloggedItAll...I did ALL that. Whew!!!  But in the process,  'OverDoSue' kind of got 'Sew/BloggedOut'. 
 
The result?  SlowDown February!!
 
It's a short month afterall, and if there is going to be a time to get Behind...well, at least there are fewer days to Assess My Behind...projects.  On the bright side, March is coming with it's two more days than February, so I should be all caught up by April.  That's when the AtoZ April Challenge starts on CollectInTexas Gal.  But, I'm getting ahead of myself which is counter productive to focusing on my behindness...so back to February.   (More about AtoZ later...in the meantime check it out....link on the SideBar).
Here's what's on my machine for WIP Wednesday!
APRONS!
Sewing Aprons is part of my 'UseIt or LoseIt'...'GetErDone' In 2013....afterall
 the Fabrics have been in my STASH for way over at least THREE years. 
 Isn't this too cute fabric?  Perfect for Aprons!
I made this one for my Sister....she sent me one for my Birthday that inspired me to get into
 'The Apron Fabric Stash' and GetEmDone.
And then there was her followup Text and Pic that said...
'Luv this fabric and colors.  I need an Apron'.
I put hers in the mail yesterday and cut out and started sewing on TWO more.
Watch for them in my ETSY shop...A Quilt Store and More!
Taking a break from and getting Behind in Quiltmaker Projects, Curves Class and Blogging
 in February will work out okay.
Afterall, I have March!
Who knows, I may be 'Marching' to the Beat of....who knows what?
Oh well, at least I've Assessed my Behind....Projects....and have my Front covered....with Aprons!

2/7/13

Remnants-Poplin and Voilette Sale In 1917

My Great Grandmother Martha Jane probably never owned a Silk Finished Messaline dress and more than likely she didn't order remnants even with the PrePay Postage and the unheard of inclusion of  2 1/2 yards of SILK in each Remnant Bundle for $1.00.  What she probably did was study every picture and page of this W. and H. Walker mail order catalog and then shopped the local Texas Mercantile for cotton yardage that would make three dresses for her, Stella and Ella.  Stella was my grandmother, and in 1917 she probably wished for the '3 for $1.39' dresses.
I am my Great Grandmother Martha Jane's 'Remnant Collecting Granddaughter'.
And like Martha Jane, I am a 'Picky Remnant Collector'
with 100 percent Cottons being my #One Choice.
The Remnant Shelf is the first place I head these days at my local fabric store.
It's not that I really NEED these wrapped bundles....I just really love the way they look in my
 Sewing Room and the Basket that reminds me of my Great Grandmother.
Besides, much like in 1917,  these bundles are a bargin even without the
2 1/2 yards of SILK!
Linking To:
BTW Suzanne...I thought of you...can you can guess which Remnant it was?


2/6/13

QLTMaker Inspired for WIP Wednesday

 One of the advantages of having a magazine subscription is getting it in the mail BEFORE it hits the Newstand Magazine Racks.  My March/April QUILTMAKER issue arrived several days ago and Wow...it's only the first of February...a month early.  I still have Works In Progress from the January/February issue.  I talked about them HERE.  Not that it matters...having WIP's that are UnFinished or still in the planning stages...when it comes to STARTING ANOTHER NEW project.
 I couldn't wait to make the Big Block Baby Top that is one of the patterns in every 2013 issue, and even though the fabric I'm using is not about a Zoo Parade and not destined to be a Baby Blankee, it's close.  What really caught my attention about this pattern was the idea of using a Border Print for the outside border.  So, I went digging in my 'Stash' and came up with the Flower Pot Border print designed by Debbie Mumm 'BackInTheDay'...like the early 1990's.  There was just enough for background and borders...if I finagle a few corner blocks and insert blocks around the flower pot border.
Here's the center piece of what will be 48x48 when the borders are added.
I'm still finagling around with the borders.
Isn't that a funny word...finagle?
I'm thinking I'll try and finagle this quilt onto my round kitchen table or maybe
onto YOUR round kitchen table.
Yep, I think it will end up in my ETSY Store... A Quilt Store and More!
Check it out...Link and Thumbnails on the SideBar.

2/4/13

A Quilt Store and More

Is there such a thing as having TOO MANY QUILTS????
Is there such a thing as having TOO MUCH FABRIC????
Is parting with SUCH STUFF Sweet Sorrow????
MAYBE...NO...SORTA!!!
YES...YES...A Little!!!
Before I change my mind again...I'd better 'GetErDone'...Announcing the Opening of
It's a START...There will be MORE...Thanks for LOOKING!
Here's the LINK

2/1/13

Hey Diddle Diddle...I Don't Fiddle Around

No Siree, Bob...I don't Fiddle Around when it comes to 'QUILTMAKER' and making a decision on what this Quilt maker will Make! 
 A little background on my history with QUILTMAKER...I have a collection of QUILTMAKER Magazines from BackIn My QuiltShop Proprietoress Days.  I know that won't surprise you...knowing my history of being a collector of any and everything from Art to Zippers, but what might give you a bit of a shock is that after 10 Years or so of Selling and Collecting...I let my Subscription EXPIRE!
 I do have a reasonable explanation...I ran away with my 'Dishy HiHoney'!
Yep, we moved, my shop moved to a 'Home Studio, and the
Quiltmaker Renewal got lost in the PO's 'Not At This Address' File.
That was 5 1/2 years ago...doesn't that sound like a pre-schooler telling her age...but at my age those  halves
 have a way of being important in keeping track of retirement, pill taking, and mamograms...Yikes!
 So anyway, with 2013 being my 'UseIt or LoseIt' and 'GetErDone' Quilt/Sewing Year, I renewed my QUILTMAKER Subscription.  They were  glad to have me back and I've been expanding my 'Geekette Skills' with all QUILTMAKER offers on the www, like their BLOG...Quilty Pleasures.   As before 'BackInTheDay',  the MAG is chocked full of great projects like this (my 'Over The Moon' version) 'Big Block Baby Quilt' which will be a Feature included in each of 2013's magazines along with the other MAG Features I've decided to DO this year. 
Yes, I know, I'm living upto my OverDoSueness!
But Hey Diddle Diddle....I Don't Fiddle Around!