Favorite Scripture

FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU, DECLARES THE LORD...PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT TO HARM YOU...PLANS TO GIVE YOU A HOPE AND A FUTURE.
JEREMIAH 29:11 (NIV)

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Get Your Pom Poms On!!!


ARE YOU READY TO LAUGH?
CHECK OUT
THIS....




OH YES...YOU MAY LAUGH!
I DID NOT MAKE THIS BUT 
POM POM FRIEND MADE IT FOR THE 
"SHAKE YOUR POM POMS"
BLOG HOP


IF YOU WANT SOME GREAT IDEAS, INSPIRATIONS, AND LAUGHS, 
GO TO THEARICA'S BLOG FOR THE DAILY SCHEDULE
OF BLOGS TO VISIT.

I'M JUST A SPECTATOR THIS TIME AROUND BUT I PROMISE, IT IS SO WORTH YOUR TIME TO VISIT EACH OF THESE LADIES AND SEE HOW EACH ONE INTERPRETED THE POM POM THEME.


I'VE BEEN THINKING......
ABOUT....... dipping my toes into the world of "quilting for others"
 and
 I actually have my first 2 clients
 with a waiting list if you can believe that?????!!!!!

I've been asked to quilt for others the past 2-3 yrs and I've always declined thinking I wasn't good enough, or I wasn't fast enough, or I wouldn't have time for my own fun quilting, blah, blah, blah,....
HOWEVER...
Fabric is Expensive!
AND
I need a new sewing machine with a large throat area for machine quilting
SO......
I'm making a T-shirt quilt and a Throw quilt in the next 6 weeks.
Wish Me Luck!!

BLESSINGS

and 
FARMHOUSE QUILTS
BY
GMAMA JANE


Tuesday, April 23, 2013

SPRING QUILTING FEVER


QUILTING FEVER

CATHEDRAL WINDOW PINCUSHION
Isn't this simply yummy?
In my need to sew fever, I Googled and found this wonderful tutorial loaded with step by step pictures HERE at MODA BAKESHOP

I NEED Pictures in my tutorials...LOTS of PICTURES
This one has it all!
 The Back of the Pincushion

You will LOVE LOVE LOVE this tutorial and pattern, PLUS if you GOOGLE, Cathedral Window Pin Cushion Images, you will get a whole Plethora of images of this little yummy pincushion!  I made 3 more but gave them away as door prizes to members of my Sassy Sewers group....which by the way they LOVED!! Now I have to make more because everyone wants one...Geesh, do you think my sewing Galfriends may be a Teeny bit Spoiled!
Let's move on and see what else I've been up to:

A "HUGS" QUILT

A "HUGS" quilt is given to someone close to me who is battling cancer, another illness, or any challenge in their life where I wish I could simply give them a BIG HUG!  I've shown this quilt i it's earlier stages and before I knew who was going to be the recipient.  
THE JEREMIAH 29:11 HUGS QUILT
IS FOR ALY J., A BELOVED YOUNG WOMAN BATTLING BREAST CANCER.
You can see where I embroidered the Scripture verse in the white strips.  This particular young lady was a member of my Sunday School classes all throughout Middle and High School and Jeremiah 29:11 was the class Scripture as well as my personal favorite for over 30 yrs.  
The girls always called me "Ms. Jane" which is more of a southern term of respect toward a woman older than you and considered disrespectful by most to call her by her first name and too formal to call her Mrs. *Last Name"...it's a southern thing I suppose.

NOW...My FIRST attempt to make String Quilt Blocks strictly from my SCRAP BOX!
 I used pages from my 2012 phone book to cut 6.5 and 8.0 size blocks
 Oooo...This is FUN!!
  I stayed up past midnight making String Quilt Blocks while switching the channel back and forth between FOX NEWS and CNN.  I'm a News Junky and with the Horrible BombingTragedy in  Boston  last week, I've been sewing along with TV watching making sure I was there for every bit of Breaking News!

SEW...
That's a Tidbit of what I've been up to this past week.
Here in America, the Boston Bombing has been Front and Center on the Hearts and Minds of every American Citizen.  My needle and thread, once again, has been my solace, my refuge in times of tragedy.  Of course, I turn to God in prayer but it is He that has given me this gift, this wonderful *hobby* for lack of a better term to turn to when I need to settle my soul.  
YOU UNDERSTAND
DON'T YOU??








Wednesday, April 17, 2013

APRIL SHOWERS MUG RUG SHOW


This is what you call sliding into Home Base on a wing and a prayer....
I have looked for my camera for the last 4 hours!!
Found it in a cup on my sewing desk...Geez Louise!!!
It is now 2:00 a.m. CST and I'm FINALLY posting my MUG RUG Pictures.
You are getting the unedited versions...trust me...I'm a little punchy right now.
So here goes...

You know me by now...everything comes with a story.
DD needs some Fancy Mug Rugs for her new Photography Studio.
She serves her clients Tea/Lemonade with a sweet while they look at recent photos DD took of their child/children/family, etc...
 Thus,
LIGHTHOUSE
PHOTOGRAPHY
is either Hand or Machine Embroidered on each one.
APRIL SHOWERS

 I want you to see the ruffles...(I'm not finished embroidering some)

 Hmmm...I need to clip some threads, don't I?



Where do those stray threads come from when you're taking pictures?

My little frog was traced, outlined w. fabric pen, and colored w/ crayons
Can you see the rain drops I FMQ?
Maybe you can see better in this photo

One More Finished Mug Rug.  
In all I have over 15 ready for binding 

My favorite china cup, Lefton...isn't it lovely?  Any beverage tastes better in this little beauty!

Polka Dots, Black & Red, Ruffles
WINNING COMBINATION!

MUG RUG BLOG HOP 2013
APRIL SHOWERS


MY WISH FOR MADAME SAMM AND ERIN FOR ALL THEIR CREATIVE JUICES AND ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS IN PULLING OUR BLOG HOPS TOGETHER:

SUNNY SKIES
WARM RAIN WITH RAINBOWS
AND
BEAUTIFUL UMBRELLAS

Now go jump over a few rain puddles and check out today's crop pf Mug Rugs with the following artists:


Wednesday, April 17   
Jen @ Quilter in the Closet
Marjorie @ Marjorie's Busy Corner
Elita @ A Pieceful Perspective
Green @ So Sew Green
Mara @ Greco Mara
Wendy @ Why Knot Kwilt?
Gmama Jane @ GrandMama's Stories (ME!)
Debby @ Debby Kratovil Quilts
Britt-Inger @ Hill Valley Quilter
Connie @ Freemotion by the River
Beth @ Words and Stitches
Kathy @ iHeartSquishy

                                         Blessings
                                                                                                          Gmama Jane
                     
     

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

APRIL SHOWERS MUG RUG HOP


HOP OVER A FEW "MUG-RUG" PUDDLES
AND
ENJOY VIEWING
 SOME OF THE 
CUTEST LITTLE MUG RUG BABIES
 YOU'VE EVER SEEN

I HAVE MADE A FEW
FOR YOU TO SEE 
ON 
APRIL 17TH

HERE ARE A FEW TO PEAK YOUR INTEREST 
PLUS
A LINK TO THE ENTIRE SCHEDULE

APRIL SHOWERS

I'M IN LOVE WITH THIS MUG RUG BAG

April Showers
at 

Monday, April 8, 2013

SEWING CIRCLE..BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME



 BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME

 Yes, 
believe it or not, 
YOU can start your OWN
 Quilting, Sewing, Stitching Circle of Friends

I am a member of
Heritage Quilters of  Huntsville
But, I needed more...
a SMALL group of Stitching Minded Ladies
to meet with on a regular basis.

NO, Not These Ladies

You Know, More Like This

Women all over the world need Stitching Friends..!

Quilting Bees were the Social Center
of a Community.
 But Community is Different Nowadays
People move, retire, relocate, and often we don't know our own neighbors much less meet together for coffee or sewing.

WHAT TO DO?
FORM YOUR OWN!
I had been Whining Discussing with #1 Husband
about wanting a few lady friends to quilt with and you know what he said?  Make your OWN group...
well, how on earth do I do that?  I don't know who likes to sew/quilt?

Of Course!

AND


I USED THESE TWO FORMS 
OF "
"GETTING OUT THE WORD"
AND SAID......
"Would you like to meet with other Quilters or other Stitching friends on a regular basis?  Do you already quilt?  Do you want to learn to quilt?  A local group of ladies are forming a Stitching/Quilting Group to meet on a regular basis?  All skill levels welcome!  Please come to our organizational meeting (state time, date, location, directions)  For further information please email (insert name, email, or FB info)

THAT WAS LAST AUGUST

BY SEPTEMBER WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETING
10 LADIES SHOWED UP!

FAST FORWARD
TO
APRIL, 2013
MEET
SASSY SEWERS
We meet the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month in a large local community room (Dist. County Shed/Road Commission/Polling Place), free of charge, complete with full service kitchen, tables (the local road crew guys set up and take down our tables!) lots of electrical outlets, and storage space for our supplies.
The group has a total of about 12-15 members but a solid core of 8-9 ladies who come all the time (unless vacationing,sick, surgery, family illness, etc).  Most of these ladies never knew each other before last Sept. and we are now a full blown sisterhood!
Yes, indeed, THE BEST THING, I've done since retiring in Dec. 2008.

Not only do we Stitch, but we EAT well.  It has become quite the CENTER  of discussion as to what our next meeting's menu will be...we have some fantastic cooks!

SEW, You See...
YOU can do it too! 
 Don't sit around wishing you had some friends to sew with...
MAKE YOUR OWN
THEY WILL COME

RIGHT, SASSY SEWERS?
JANICE
JAN
TAMARA
STEPHANIE
SHIRLEY
ELLEN
DANNAH
JANNETE
KRISTY
TINA
JANE

BLESSINGS




Monday, April 1, 2013

KITCHEN REMODEL...BEFORE AND AFTER

 FARMHOUSE KITCHEN 
MAKEOVER
Finally, I'm getting around to posting some remodel pictures
Look at the Before pictures, circa 1987-2012 and you can see how much the farmhouse needed an update.

We did a lot on our own but we had a contractor to lay the bamboo wood floor and a cabinet maker to make the country cottage cabinets.  I originally thought I would simply redo the old cabinets but for not a whole lot more, I got custom made cabinets that I REALLY love.
 AFTER

BEFORE
Look at that hideous wall paper back splash!  That was layer #2.
My budget wouldn't let me have all new appliances but I did get a new dishwasher.  I'm saving for a new stove as we speak.  I do everything on a cash only basis...NO CREDIT...for ANYTHING!!
If I want something, I have to save for it and once I got used to the concept, I really like living 
Debt Free!

AFTER

My kitchen curtain over the sink will be from the same fabric on the chairs.
 Are you ready for more pictures?  You can stop reading now or keep going for more remodel details and some frugal tips.
 The island drawers are large and deep!  I thought I wanted shelving with pull out shelves on rollers...my cabinet maker convinced me to go with drawers.  I am THRILLED with the drawers!
This hold ALL my baking dishes, bowls, utensils and even the Flour!

Countertops are Formica w/ granite look...very affordable and I think they look great.
My 25 yr, old formica tops held up exceptionally well.  I couldn't afford those pricey counter tops so I had to compromise.

This is my Rescued Sink!  Found it at the Habitat for Humanity Restore
for $50 bucks.  I WANTED a FARMHOUSE SINK, BUT>>>if you don't have granite or stone type counter tops a farmhouse sink will leak due to the front overhang.  Don't ask me why, my eyes glazed over as my contractor was explaining to me why I COULD NOT have a Farmhouse Sink.  I was pouting until I found this little beauty taken out of an historical home here in Alabama.  I needed alabaster colored porcelain as my Plan B but hubby was telling me I wouldn't find it so just go ahead and take the white one we found or better yet, go cheaper and get the stainless steel.
That's when I found HER...Double sink...Alabaster...Porcelain...minute chip here in 2 places (I'm talking teeny tiny) and all for 50 bucks!!  High Five!!
  
Let's Keep going...

Bar Stools came out of a real bar, brown, yucky colored upholstery,...
COST?       $15 !!!!!!!
#1 Husband painted them with Spray Sink Porcelain Paint ( I know, who knew?)
Fabric from Hobby Lobby...regular $22 per yd...on sale for 33% off PLUS 40% off coupon made 
2 yds cost me $12!!  SCORE!!

Wall Decal..........
Christmas Present from Baby Daughter who is Office Manager at Dixie Sign Co.
Thsi is such a Nice Decal.
Sign from Hobby Lobby  $10 (on sale + coupon)

My Pot Lights...love love love...$20 a piece + $50 installation per light...OUCH
Most electricians charge $100 per "drop" 
I need a new line of work

New Dinette Set by Broyhill...seats 6 w/ leaf...4 without.
LOVE IT

Pendant Light
Kitchen Curtain Forthcoming (same fabric as on bar stools)
Sign, Hobby Lobby...? can't remember but it was on sale plus a coupon

The opening was made by knocking out a small wall.
I can see all the way to the bay window from the front door.

Gotta put in Back Splash ASAP and Hang Curtain!
#1 Husband wants to hire someone.  I say we can do it ourselves.
What do you think?

Family Picture Wall

I knew as soon as I saw this light fixture at Lowes, it was the one!!
Or was it Home Depot?  Hmmm gotta go look that receipt up....

MY FAVORITE DECORATION
"ALL BECAUSE TWO PEOPLE FELL IN LOVE"

THAT'S ALL FOLKS!
I DON'T MIND IF YOU PIN ANY OF THESE PICTURES
PIN AWAY...JUST LINK IT BACK TO MY BLOG



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...