Holiday Sewing Projects

 

Merry Christmas table runner

Christmas Table Runner – pattern improvised from a picture in Keepsake Quilting catalog

I made this table runner for my sweet daughter-in-law for her dining room table. The backing is pine cones in shades of browns and golds so she can use it both for Fall and Christmas.

 

Front of Fall placemats

Close up of placemats

Back of placemats

Set of Six Fall Placemats

While I was on a roll I decided to make  placemats to go along with the Christmas table runner. The backing is the same pine cone fabric that is on the runner. I found the fabric at Hobby Lobby and it is perfect for autumn sewing projects.

Are you all getting ready for the upcoming holidays?

Happy Fall Y’all

linked up to: Cooking Up Quilts

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Grandma’s Kitchen Block #17 of 25

Block 17 of the Grandma’s Kitchen Block of the Week by Pat Sloan is named Pantry Goods. My story that goes with the block is all about the garden and all the bounty that we enjoyed from it. My aunt had a huge garden that supplied food for her family (that included me) and my grandparents. The work started in the spring with plowing and planting and continued through the fall with the gathering and canning.

Everyone worked the garden. I remember spreading fertilize when I was very small. I used a little tin bucket that I filled from the bag of fertilize. I walked down the rows behind the plow that was pulled by a team of mules and threw handfuls into the prepared rows. One of my cousins followed behind me with seeds or plants, depending on what was being planted. Another cousin followed him with a hoe and covered the seeds. After all the planting came the hoeing….every day. This kept the weeds away from the plants and the dirt from hardening around the plants.

When the vegetables were ready to be harvested then came the canning.  Going into the cellar (our ‘pantry’) under the house to bring out the empty jars was not one of my favorite jobs. I was always afraid one of the boys would close the door on me. I still do not like going into tight, dark spaces. The jars were washed in hot, soapy water and since my hands were small enough to fit in the jars, I was assigned this task.

I usually sat on the porch and readied the green beans to start the canning process. My cousins would pick the beans and bring them to me so I could pull off the strings and break them into pieces. Each time I would get to the bottom of my basket the boys would bring me more. One time I broke beans for about six hours before we stopped to start making supper. I made the comment to my aunt that I was so tired and glad to stop for supper. In her old country way she looked at me and said, “I don’t know why you are so tired, you have been sitting on the porch all day.”  Those are still some of my fondest memories.

Each Sunday at church the ladies would brag about how many jars they canned that week. Not only did we eat fresh vegetables all summer, but all winter we had the wonderful canned vegetables. This was ‘fast food’ in the olden days. 🙂

 

 

Moda Blockheads BOW #33 and 34 – Catch Up Time

Moda Blockheads blocks #33 and 34.

I have been under the weather lately and just haven’t felt like sewing…believe it or not. Usually I go to my sewing room no matter what because I feel that if I am sick I will be sick anywhere so I may as well be where I enjoy the atmosphere. This was not the case this time and it has been really hard getting my sewing groove back in place.

Block #33 is the Starz block by Jo Morton. I think everyone knows by now that I love the star design in quilts and this is another one to add to my list.

Block #34 is an applique block called (appropriately) House by Jan Patek. I am not good at applique but with Jan’s easy to follow directions and the big pieces, I managed to end up with something that I am not ashamed of.

I really enjoy being a part of this fun block of the week group. The designers have supplied us with beautiful blocks and I’m sure I am not the only one that has learned something along the way.

#modablockheads

 

Grandma’s Kitchen Block of the Week – #16 of 25

This week’s block of the Grandma’s Kitchen series by Pat Sloan is called Small Change and the memories associated with what used to be called, ‘pocket change.’

The only time I remember having money when I was a little girl was when we went to Sunday School and church. As my aunt and uncle were farmers, actual money was not something we had a lot. Each Sunday we would load up and go to Indian Creek Baptist Church on Pinecrest Ridge and my aunt would give me a few pennies to drop in the collection plate when it was passed around. It made me feel very important to think that my pennies were helping the church.

Thanks for visiting with me and reading some of my memories.

 

 

 

Moda Blockheads Block of the Week #32

Moda Blockheads block #32 is called the Dutchman’s Puzzle by Betsy Chutchian. After I figured out the placement of the gold fabrics to make the pinwheel it fell into place like a dream. I used the No-Waste Flying Geese method to make 4 flying geese at a time. Lazy Girl Designs has a good tutorial on making these units.

To find this block pattern or to download the previous blocks go to Moda Fabrics Blog.

#modablockheads

Thank you for visiting with me.

 

Grandma’s Kitchen Quilt A-Long – Block #15 of 25

This week’s block in the Grandma’s Kitchen by Pat Sloan is called Game Show & Soaps to bring up past memories. Here are some of mine:

Mammaw Cooper did not have a television set but her favorite show was the Wide World of Wrestling that came on Saturday afternoons at 2:00. It was broadcast live from the WBIR station out of Knoxville. Saturdays would find Mammaw walking across the field to my aunt’s house where everyone would gather to watch the wrestling and cheer on their favorite. This was not a quiet affair as tensions developed and everyone rooted for the good versus evil, especially if it was a tag team bout. With names like Sam Steamboat, Chief White Cloud, Gentleman Dan, and many others it was a show to be talked about the rest of the week.

Ma Neal had a television purchased for them by their children. The antenna was mounted in a tree up the hill from the house and if you turned it just right it would pick up both of the Knoxville channels. The shows they liked to watch were the Cas Walker Farm and Home Hour (a very young Dolly Partin was a regular guest on his show) that  came on every morning at 6:00 and Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom with Marlon Perkins on Sunday afternoons.

I do not remember any game shows or soaps watched at that time but television did not play the role then as it does now. The radio was on for the local news and you could listen to it and continue to work without interruptions.

It is funny that we had a good variety of shows to watch with only two channels back then. Now we have hundreds of channel and nothing good to watch.

Thanks for reading more of my memories of the ‘good ol’ days’.

 

Moda Blockheads Block of the Week – #31 of 48

Moda Fabrics

I love this block from Designer Lynne Hagmeier of Kansas Troubles Quilters. I chose to make the traditional block but Lynne also supplied the pattern for her layered patchwork technique. I would love to do a quilt using the layered method as it seems much easier to get points even. I was able to complete this block without having to use Jack the Ripper by using Lynne’s detailed instructions. I think the points will pass inspection, if you don’t look too close.

This block and all the others in this Quilt Along can be found at Moda Fabrics.  This is the first block of the week event I tried and it has been such a fun experience that I am now following two others for a total of three. All at one time! Sorry to say that I’m not getting as much of my other quilting done but, oh well. 🙂

Thanks so much for visiting with me.