Fabric from a coworker

A coworker, Sandra, gave me a very pleasant surprise one day last week:

She said she found this fabric while cleaning out a room in her home.  It's from V.I.P. Fabrics, made at Cranston Print Works, Cranston, Rhode Island, which is sadly no longer in business.  It's a beautiful burgundy on a cream background.  In this pic it looks kind of rose-colored, but it's not.  I LOVE IT!  So nice of her to think of me.  Thank you, Sandra!

Oh, and one more pic.  This is the fabric in a nice little box I found at Michael's last week, and it was 30% off!  Yippee!  I'm going to use to carry around my scissors and whatnot.

Take care everybody, and thanks for stopping by!

~ Jodi ~

Recycled paper basket

 I made and gave this recycled paper basket to my daughter for Valentine's Day.  I'm showing some Denyse Schmidt fabrics and remnants from Joann's in it, but for her I put in a scarf, shirt, and a shirt and new sneaks for Ezra, none of which I took pics of.

 Tara posted the tutorial link for how to make it on her blog, www.thetinyhummingbird.blogspot.com, but here it is if you want to check it out:

http://www.designsponge.com/2012/01/sewing-101-recycled-paper-basket.html

Check out these adorable Babushka ornaments:

A friend at work has dubbed me "Babushka!"  She came up with that title when I was searching for a name for Ezra (my grandson), to call me.  Seeing as I am Irish, I was looking on the internet for what Irish babes call their grandmothers.  I couldn't find anything I could pronounce, for one thing, so she came up with Babushka!  It makes me smile every time she sends me an email addressed to Babushka!  Ha!  I believe it's the Russian name for grandmother.  If I was Russian I would embrace that name, but, alas, I am not, so for now I am Gram, unless Ezra comes up with his own handle for me!

And on that note, I will bid you good night/good day, wherever you may be!

~ Jodi ~

some lovelies and my iPad cover

I fell in love with these before Christmas and, so, bought myself a prezzie, or three or five, of these
and I made this iPad cover for the iPad I won!  I hardly ever win, compared to how many giveaways/raffles I used to enter.

I used a tutorial from www.oneshabbychick.typepad.com to make it.  It was easy and quick.

Gotta run!  I hope your weekend is wonderful!

~ Jodi ~

New curtains...

I bought these panels from Target for $6 and change.  Tara www.thetinyhummingbird.blogspot.com gave me her fabric scraps and I used some of them for the tie-backs.  (January 21, our first real snowfall this winter, can be seen through the window, and today it reached 58 degrees, January 24!)

Aren't they pretty?  I almost didn't buy them, thinking that I can make curtains, but, yeah, okay, I've been "thinking" that for well over a year!  So, thank you, Target, and/or whoever your buyer is.
Have a great weekend, everybody!
~ Jodi ~

lending help or hair?

Can you see Lacey there?  She's showing up very dark in this picture, although she's gray, not black.  Every time I step away from FMQing this quilt she hops up and snuggles in.  Good thing I wash my quilts when they're complete; otherwise, it would be pretty hairy.  I'm almost done with the quilting, then I can put the binding and label on and give it to Kim, finally.  It was supposed to be a Christmas gift, but as you know, my Brother went kaflooey (sp?) shortly before Christmas, so that went out the window.  And I've been so enamored of paper piecing the little houses, that I must admit I've been neglectful of my "obligations."  (Sorry, Kate)  I will get to my sister's quilt, too, after Kim's is done.  And then there's Kathy's blue and white quilt...

another Christmas gift that wasn't.  I gave the top to Kathy to make sure it is big enough for her king-size bed.  She says yes.  I'm not so sure.  The above pic is showing it on my bed while I was laying the blocks out for placement.  And Lacy was helping there, also.  Now I need to get it back from Kathy so I can finish it.  

I hope you all have recovered from the holidays and are back in the swing of things, keeping any resolutions you made, and sewing at least 15 minutes a day!  (Hello, Mary - how that FMQing coming along?)

May you all bless and be blessed!

~ Jodi ~

I've succumbed!

I know I'm not the only one, right, Pokey?  Making these little 3-inch scrappy houses is so much fun.  If you are interested, visit here:  http://buildinghousesfromscraps.blogspot.com/.  Jeanneke from the Netherlands has got us going.   

I've made five so far, but I need to catch up.  The idea is to make 366, one each day this year (a leap year).  Then sew sashing and cornerstones for, a quilt, of course!

Next time I post I hope to have lots more done, along with some quilt finishes and progress on my sister's.

Till then, thanks for tarrying with me a bit!

~ Jodi ~

Is this pretty, or what?  

Or at least these pics, which are better:

 I never realized how nice browns, pinks and reds go together.

My Brother broke at THE worst possible time, four weeks before Christmas.  So plans of giving two people quilts as gifts were foiled.  But I HAD to sew (I'm using a borrowed machine which just does basic stitching).  I used up these scraps and have decided to make a table runner which I will keep for myself.  The strip at the bottom of the above pic is part of a border that I'm still working on.  This pic below is showing my leaders and enders quilt growing.  I just love how bright and cheery it is.  

Thanks for looking!  You know those times when you are so excited and in love with what you're working on that you just HAVE to show someone?  This was one of those times!  My hubs is outside working on his junk antique car(s), so not only is he filthy, but he's not so interested either.  

Take care, everyone - I hope your second day of 2012 is going well.  

~ Jodi ~