Kindle Cover

My daughter Jennifer gave me a Kindle for Christmas and of course it needs a cover. So I did some looking around the internet for a pattern and was able to find one that I could tweak a little and make it mine.  Here is the Kindle sleeve pattern I used to make mine.  It came from Elizabeth's Whimsie's.  A site I hadn't visited before so I'll have to go back and take a look when I have more time.  It was a fairly simple pattern to follow.

Here are a few pictures of mine in progress.

Since I already have all of these yellow and orange strips cut for my Orca Bay project I decided to use them for a back.

I don't sew each of my strips to the backing paper.  Just on the first two strips.  The rest of them I leave loose. That way I only have one row of stitching to pull the paper off of. 

This Friendship Star finished at 3". Can you see the bee that I fussy cut for the center?  I found the pattern for the star here at The World Wide Quilting Page .  There were several blocks that gave different size options in their directions. That background fabric is actually brown. Even though it looks somewhat red in this picture.

Here are the front and back before quilting. The fabrics on the left were given to me by daughter Jennifer last year for Christmas. I have been looking for a way to use them.  So this couldn't have been a better solution.  And there is still a lot of fabric to use for something else.

Ta Da.  Here it is.  A Kindle and cover.  Now I'm ready to take it anywhere.

Happy reading.

Julie

On The Wall Today

   Since this post is for design wall Monday I'll start it with my current project.  Which as can be seen by the blocks in the picture above is Orca Bay.  When Bonnie first posted this step I was so disappointed that I did not go with her choice of red.  The blocks with the red center are just amazing.  What I was thrilled to discover though, is that the blocks made with the sunny yellow and orange make me smile just as much.  I still have 9 more of the dark blocks to do and then can get started on the light blocks.  Shouldn't be a problem as I have some extra time off this week.

  I hope everyone had a great Christmas.  I sure did. There was a lot of time spent with family. Which around here usually ends up with a good card game. And we certainly worked a few of those in.
  I'll end this post with some of my favorite gifts. The homemade kind. Be sure to click on the pictures so you can see a larger view.

This is a quilt my mother made for me. I have been eyeing this top for years and I am just thrilled that she quilted it.  And better yet - gave it to me.  Thank you Mom it's great.

Here is a vase that my daughter Jennifer made. Isn't it stunning. Every view of it is a little different with the swirls of color streaking through it. She is lucky to have found a place that she can continue to blow glass and make such beautiful pieces.

And these are some of the ornaments that my 3 year old granddaughter Grace made.  She had a little help from her mom making them but I believe those paint jobs to be all her own. I'm a little concerned over that Jayhawk painted gingerbread man.  So we will have to get her to watch more Kansas Wildcat games. These, of course, will be yearly additions to my Christmas tree. I am already looking forward to "finding" them in one of the boxes next year. Do you forget some of the decorations, only to find them the next year and it's just like getting them all over again.

Be sure to check out all of the great posts at Patchwork Times and Quiltville's Quips & Snips.

Have a happy and safe week to come.

Julie

Orca Bay Progress

This weekend I spent more time getting ready for Christmas then I did at my sewing machine.  Priorities.  There are 80 blocks done for Orca Bay and 60 to be pressed then they can be added to the done pile. That leaves  a whole lot more to be made.  I can see from my picture that the stacks still in the plastic bag exceed the stacks of cut corners.  Guess that means I'll spend a little more time at the cutting mat before these are finished.
It is raining like crazy right now. And the weather men have promised that the rain will turn into snow before morning.  I just hope they are wrong about the sleet and possible freezing rain.  I'd rather have a foot of snow then a skiff of freezing rain.

                               Click on the picture to make it bigger.

I'm sure I will be the only one who can tell from this picture, but that is my 3 year old granddaughter kneeling on the right behind baby Jesus.  She was Mary in the church Christmas skit. She did not have a speaking part but when it came time to sing she knew the words and sang along with the older kids.

I found out later that her mom told her to sit very still. She had been asked to wear her boots and she told her mom that Mary didn't wear boots.  Grace thought Mary would have worn white tennis shoes that flash if you tap your foot.  I never saw a flash coming from under the manger so she never moved her feet. That child is such a good kid.

Have a wonderful week.  Merry Christmas!

Julie

Having Fun

Last night I finished up the 128 triangle string blocks I needed for the Orca Bay mystery quilt.  These were a lot of fun to make. I enjoyed working with the yellows and oranges.  And they were just the right size.  Not as large as the string blocks we made last year for Roll Roll Cotton Boll and 2" larger than the itty bitty 3 /12" string blocks needed for Part 2 of Orca Bay.  Now I'm ready for Part 5.  Bring on Friday.

Since part 4 is ready to go that left me to work on another project. So when I got home from work today I made three more of these blocks that will finish at 5".  These three give me a total of 15 blocks.

The top of the blanket chest that these are being made for measures
25" x 37". So as of right now I am figuring to set these in a three by five setting with something for sashing and a narrow scrappy border.  Tomorrow I'll start messing with some scraps to figure out the sashing.  Right now I'm thinking a four patch where the sashings meet.  Be sure to click on the picture so you can get a larger view of the blocks.  I'm not sure how that black one is going to fit in with all the rest.  But since the whole thing is scrappy it will probably just blend in.  I used the brown with it to tone down that deep purple and the black.  I'm not really sure that helped.

Have fun sewing,

Julie 

On The Wall Today

What a great weekend.  Most of it was spent at my sewing machine.  And when not in the sewing room, I was with family.  It just couldn't have been better.

I was able to finish my cardinal runner/hanging in time to take it to Quilting on the Square in Holton for show and tell. 

The finished size is 38" x 18 1/2". I put a hanging sleeve on the back so it can go on the wall or table top.

Here are a couple of close up pictures.  Which may not be such a good idea.  But here they are anyway.

I was also able to almost finish part 4 of Orca Bay .  I had a lot of fun with this part.  I pulled out most of my yellows and oranges.  There were only a few that just were not going to work for these blocks.  And the next time I need strings of this color there will already be some cut.  Unlike this time when there were almost none pre-cut.

There are just eight blocks left to finish.  So that will be done in no time. Then I will be able to move on to something else until the next part comes out this Friday.

Well since it is Monday it's off to work I go.  Have a great day and a wonderful week.

Julie

Good Morning !!!

It's Friday and I am home and soon to be at my sewing machine.  I realized it's the middle of December and I still have a few vacation days left.  So I decided to treat myself with a "me" day.  And there is no where I would rather be than right here in my sewing room.  And of course I had to take a Friday off instead of let's say a Monday because the next Orca Bay part came out today.  So on to part 4 of Orca Bay.

The boxes are what I have pre-cut and ready for the latest string blocks we are doing. From left to right misc., 1 1/2" and 2".  Yes, nothing is cut.  And with that said...I am off of here and can be found with a rotary cutter in my hand for the next several hours.  Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  No work today.

Have a great day. 

Julie

On The Wall

Here is part three of my Bonnie Hunter Orca Bay mystery quilt.  This is 350 half square blocks that will finish at 1 1/2".  This part was a breeze.  I can't wait for Friday! 

This is my cardinal quilt pinned and ready for its quilting.  I am looking forward to seeing this one done.  I love the way the border turned out. Those flying geese finished at 1" x 2".  They are bonus triangles from my Christmas Tree Quilt that I made last year.  The Tree quilt is a Judy Laquidara pattern.  The cardinal quilt is a couple of Thimbleberry blocks I combined with my flying geese to end up with this.

Have a great Monday and week to come.

Julie