Sale! Sale! Sale! (Key West, FL)

Oh My Gosh!  I can't believe it is February and the last time I posted was back in December!  I have been so obsessed with getting old projects done and new projects started that time just got away from me.  Remember last time that I said I probably would not try selling from a table again anytime soon?  Famous last words.  Yep, I signed up again for January's Arts/Crafts Yard Sale except this time the sale did not go as planned.

U.S. Flag Garland

We had several cold fronts spread out over a three to four week time frame.  One right after the other bringing heavy gusts of winds that shook the motorhome and hours of downpours leaving roads looking like ponds throughout the base.  So, after spending every free moment finishing projects, it was announced the Sale Day had to be cancelled.  

A little disappointing, but a major relief since I could not figure out how I was going to keep my items from blowing away in the 25+ mph gusts or to protect them from getting wet during the downpours.

A few days after the cancellation, we received another notice for a new sale day.  Come Saturday morning, we could not have asked for better weather.  A little on the cool side in the morning, but by the afternoon the sun was warming up the ol' bones.

SOLD!

I'm happy to report that I sold four of my quilts between the two sale days.   I finally sold my Sweet Dreams quilt.  I have not had much luck selling them online.  I have tried different prices and I am beginning to think people do not want to buy them because they are afraid to use them.  Being able to touch and see how well they are made along with me explaining they have been pre-washed and were made to be USED helped sale the quilts including my teddy quilt showing below.

A second visit from a young lady (all of eight years of age, but acted more like adult than most adults) asked me how much for this quilt.  I quoted a price expected her to balk and walk away, but she pulled out her money and said she wanted it.  Her mom was watching from a nearby table.  I had a feeling they had already discussed her daughter's purchase.  I asked her if she wanted a bag to store it in..."oh no!".  She walked away with a big smile  and the quilt being hugged in her arms.  I am so happy they all found a new home and someone to love them.

So, here are some of the items I made in the last couple of months from mini wall hangings to more Happy Campers.

mini wall hanging or ornament

mini wall hanging or ornament

The Happy Camper dogs sold quickly.  I need to make more for my shop.  I still have the cat one.  I made so many Happy Campers that I will finish this up with collages.

I guess Hitch was feeling a little ignored one day when he jumped over my light box's wall and glared at me through the camera.

HEY!  Enough with the picture of mug rugs!
Pay attention to me!  Now Lady!

This is what I think of your mug rugs

Great!  Now she is taking my picture.  Boring!

I did take some breaks for walks, chores, and to sign-up for a chance to win a book.  Imagine how shocked I was when I recieved a Facebook PM from Anne Canadeo!  I won!  Yea!  

I received my signed copy in the mail in December.  I did not a lot of time to sit down to read it until this last week.  So far, I am enjoying the story.  Then again, I have always enjoyed this cozy mystery series.  Thank you Anne!  Keep on writing!

All right, back to reality.  My 'To Do' list is growing by the minute.  Until next time...
Happy Quilting!

On The Colorado River (Columbus, TX)

We left Rockport last week and settled into our new campground near Columbus, TX.  

We were sad to leave the coastal area until we arrived and saw the view from our site in among tall pecan trees on the Colorado River.  Every once in awhile, cattle show up on the other side and there are plenty of birds to view....hopefully, I will get a few in some photos too.

View from our new site

This morning, I woke up to what felt like a 20 lb furball with an icy cold nose on my chest relentlessly nudging my chin and hand.  What?  I didn't give you enough attention yesterday?  It might be dark outside, but Max was ready for today to begin.  The cats haven't been outside for two days because of the cold front that came through Texas and they are getting very restless.  They certainly love their new location with lots of grass to chew, tall trees to sniff around and plenty of wildlife to watch.  We will probably take them out today.

Colorado River

Since I haven't taken many photos of our new location, here are a few more from Rockport of the birds having a lazy afternoon...

well, most of them were relaxing.... 

i'm not squawking!!! you are!

Just before we left Rockport, we saw a big White Pelican near the shore.  We are familiar with the small Brown Pelicans, but wow! the White Pelicans are huge!  Okay, granted, I have seen many big birds like the Herons, Egrets, and Cranes, but to see a male White Pelican up close and near people for a comparison was quite a surprise.     

 I had to look up their facts and found out that the male can weigh up to 30 lbs and can be as tall as 70 inches which means he is taller than me.  His wing span can be up to 120 inches....or for me..being a fabric fan ~ over 3 yards!

Too bad the Great Blue Heron wasn't closer

I never got around to posting photos on my blog of the Whooping Cranes that we saw in a farmer's field, so here's a couple of them...

On The Cutting Board

I have been having a blast working on my scrappy quilts.  I have been adding applique to each top.  Special quilts to keep the owners warm and hopefully, make them smile.

For the Christmas Winter theme top, I added a snowman and a pair of mittens.  I got the cute designs from Colleen Parry's Christmas Goodies clipart.

I picked bright colors for a cheerful snowman.

 I had fun embroidering his scarf and face.

Once I finished the snowman, I started working on a teddy bear theme top.  I found this teddy bear online.  Isn't he adorable? 

I anchored all the balloon strings with closely stitched couching.  There's no way a little finger is going to get under the balloon strings or pick one out.

 I used the crayon technique to add a little dimension to teddy's face and belly.  I'm using the freezer paper method for applique.  So, after ironing the freezer paper to the backside of the fabric, I colored in the spots with a regular Crayola crayon.  I melted the crayon into the fabric by putting a piece of muslin over the area and set a hot iron on top until I smelled the melting wax from the crayon.  According to the online instructions, the crayon will not wash out.

Well, I have one more finished top - the transportation theme to applique.  I have already decided to add a train with a few colorful cars.  I have more cut-up quilt kits to sew as well.  I should also start working on some more Happy Campers soon.  Spring is around the corner and many people are starting to plan their warm weather camping trips, so I better get busy and restock!

Happy Quilting!

Not So Wordless Wednesday (La Conner, WA)

We saw our first juvenile Bald Eagle!  He was sitting in the tree on Lone Tree Beach.  A popular spot for Eagles hunting for fish.  Except for his feathers and beak, he looks full grown.

Caught plucking out his white feathers.

And like most typical teenagers, he is in a hurry to grow up and be an adult.  I watched him pluck quite a few of his white feathers out.

Practicing his Regal pose

And to prove he was an adult, he did several regal poses just to impress his viewers.

Lone Tree Beach

California Poppies

On The Cutting Board

Introducing Bear Lee an Angel

Bear Lee is not perfect as you can tell from his crooked halo and droopy wings tied on with twine,....

I used high quality muslin of 200 count

....but that doesn’t keep him from trying with all his heart to put a smile on everyone’s face.

His heart is filled with his favorites: berries and flowers.  A friend visiting Alaska told me about her experience of watching a black bear grazing on dandelion heads.  It had me wondering how many dandelion heads does it take to fill a black bear?

all hand-stitched embroidery

Of course, my flower doesn't look like a dandelion, but I would like to think that Bear Lee would enjoy a variety of flowers to munch.

I used coffee to stain the muslin

Twine is used to keep Bear Lee's wings on his back and his halo upright

Batik backing on the wings for a nice finished look

• Body ~ 16 inches long (doesn't include halo)
• Sitting ~ 12 inches tall  (doesn't include halo)
• Wing span ~ 14 inches
• Heart ~ 2 3/4 x 2 1/4 inches

Bear Lee's arms and legs have minimal movement.
He can stand or sit.

So, what do you think?  Would you pay $35 for him?  Too much?  Too little?  I plan to post Bear Lee in Etsy soon.  I need to work on his photos.  They are not the best.  My light box is too small for him.  Maybe an outdoor photo shoot would be better.

Once Bear Lee has sold I plan to make another one.  I think I'm going to try a different bear pattern.  In the meantime, I'm also thinking of creating some more crazy quilt items.  I had a lot of fun creating Bear Lee's wings and heart.

Happy Quilting!

A Stitch Before Dying (La Conner, WA)

A Stitch Before Dying by Anne Canadeo
This is #3 in the Black Sheep Knitters cozy murder mystery.  This time Maggie - owner and teacher of the Black Sheep Yarn Shop is invited to teach at a new age health spa at a mountain resort over a weekend and she is able to bring all her friends from the knitting circle along for free room and board.  I'd like to have Maggie as my friend.

So, you are probably wondering what a knitting instructor would be teaching at a new age health spa.  Yea, me too!  Meditative knitting or as Anne Canadeo put it - Is knitting the new yoga?  I'll probably stick with my yoga practice, but I do understand where she is going with this idea.  I think anything a person does with their hands that has them meditating to a point of calming their mind, getting rid of their anxieties, and slowing down their heart can give a person a zen feeling.  I often pull out my quilting or crocheting when I am worried.  It is nice to keep my hands busy and let my mind roam free...soon I am breathing deeply and my shoulders have relaxed.

Okay, back to the story.  So, the Black Sheep Knitters are sharing their meditative knitting when one of the guests is found dead....yes, murdered.  Suddenly, the new age health spa doesn't feel so healthy and the zen moment is gone. What's even worse is the fact that no one can leave and that probably includes the murder.   Of course, that doesn't keep Maggie and the others from their knitting with an open invitation for all guests to come join them as they stitch together the clues of who done it.

Source: etsy.com via Sandy on Pinterest

Not only did I enjoy reading this book, I also learned something new. Anne is real good about slipping in lessons about the knitting world while she entertains her readers with her story. This time I learned about Random Knitting. After doing some online searching, I found a perfect website with great examples in Knot Just Knitting and it turns out Prudence is also selling her PDF patterns in Etsy! As you can see from the photos from Etsy via Pinterest, she does some fabulous work. It sort of reminds me of crazy quilting.

Source: etsy.com via Sandy on Pinterest

According to Maggie, you just stitch whatever you feel like doing. If you want to see what can be made from this free-form knitting, click on this Gallery link or the one above. Prudence has some examples of clothing and handbags. They are gorgeous! But, I'm not taking up knitting. I can get plenty of meditative time with my quilting and embroidery projects.

On the Cutting Board
Speaking of quilting....I put it aside for the last couple of day to sew together this little bear.  I finished putting him together last night.

I'm not quite done with him though.  I'm going to give him a coffee bath to age him a little.  I used some high-quality muslin with a tight weave and a 200-thread count.  I hope the coffee gives the muslin a good stain.

Oh, and the bear also has something to do with the crazy quilt from the last post.  If all goes well, this project will be done in time for the next posting.  ;0)

So peaceful

Happy Quilting!