Luke, a physician, details a historical account of the life of Jesus – his conception, birth, life, death and resurrection. Summarized by Sandy Trachsel, December 1st thru December 24th, culminating on Christmas Day, December 25, 2023. Luke Chapter 1 I’m reminded that Mary’s cousin Elizabeth gives birth to a son, John the Forerunner (also known…
Today’s Adventure
HANDMADE FABRIC POSTCARDS!
Got fabric scraps? Make postcards! This is a fun little sewing project that can be done by machine or hand; I have to admit I’m still experimenting. But there is no absolute right or wrong way to do. These little works of art can be made from orphan quilt blocks, vintage fabrics, denim – just…
My New 50+ Year Old Sewing Machine!
If you have gotten to know me, you know I love antique malls and flea markets – and auctions. A recent local estate auction offered a couple of vintage sewing machines and lots of fabric. I was lucky enough to get this 1970 era Bernina 830 Record! I did not know much about it, but…
A New Quilt from Vintage Blocks
These past couple of months I’ve had the honor and privilege to complete a quilt that was started a long time ago. Ten (10) Dresden Plates – beautiful feed sack fabric, vibrant colors, machine pieced, hand basted. Ready to appliqué. And then set aside for many years. These belonged to a-friend-of-a-friend. I was reluctant to…
Selling on Etsy
Are you a maker? Or perhaps a collector? Maybe both? Have you ever wondered whether you could make a bit of income from your hobby? Read on, perhaps you can! I opened up my SKYQUILTER Etsy shop a year ago. Honestly, it was just an experiment, but I’ve learned a lot. And I think I’ll…
A Big Finish for 2021
I’ve stretched a bit this year! Lots of little projects, and one very big one! And it is FINISHED! My quilt following a beautiful pattern called “Meadow” designed by Michelle McKillop for Jen Kingwell, pieced and quilted on my BabyLock, with the appliqué done by hand. I mentioned in an earlier post I took a…
A Beginner’s Quilting Guide
Hello! I have come a long way in my quilting hobby. Quite a few years ago, I bought a used sewing machine, determined to learn to quilt. After taking classes, joining a quilt guild and learning from so many online, I finally actually consider myself a “QUILTER”! So I decided it was time to update…
Learning, Selling, Teaching, Doing – and an easy Upcycle!
When I created my little website, my plan was to share simple sewing and quilting tutorials, with an occasional recipe – once or twice a month. I wasn’t sure where it would lead, but I’ve enjoyed every minute. Forty (40) blog posts later, it has been almost two (2) years now! And I recently realized…
The Past and Future of a Special Towel
A couple years ago, I found a pristine piece of cloth in a dark, musty antique store. I was not sure what it was, but liked the colors and the texture. As usual, I tried to purchase for less than the asking, but the owner said he couldn’t budge, so I paid the full price…
Different ways to hang a quilt
What is the best way to hang a quilt? Follow along to learn how to display quilted artwork, large and small, in your home. My walls are never empty. A house is not a home without photographs and interesting artwork on the walls. Our children’s photos take up prominent space in our home. And you’ll…
The “Train Robbery” Quilt
Today’s blog post is all about finding and then preparing vintage and/or old fabric to be used along with new modern fabric – for quilting. But it also involves a “train robbery”! By now you know I search flea markets, antique shops and thrift stores for fabric. On a recent jaunt to a local antique…
Infinity Scarf
Let’s make an infinity scarf – from an unlikely source – a thrift store pillowcase! I bought this cute flannel pillowcase about a year ago, mainly because of the ice skating scene – my friends know, I love to ice skate! At the time, I was not sure what I would do with it, but…
Freezing Herbs
This was the first year for our little garden at our new house. We had a rather large garden for many years, plus a separate herb garden. None the less, the few herbs I planted produced abundantly, as did the tomatoes, sweet green peppers, lettuce and spinach! Truth be told, my husband is the gardener,…
Dizzy, Light-headed, Nausea?
Do you ever get dizzy? Light-headed? Motion sick? Nausea? Vertigo? Room spinning? Yep, I have dealt with all the above! And this year, it has reared its ugly head again. What I have recently learned though, is that all the above maladies are not the same. I had always associated these symptoms with “motion sickness”…
Reversible Infant Bibs
A while back I purchased a couple cute bibs as a gift for a new Mom. I took a good look at them, and realized – “I could make these!” After several iterations, I’ve come up with an easy FREE pattern to share with you. Click here to print a copy! For two bibs, you’ll…
Easy to Make Fabric Trays
Need a simple gift? Fabric trays are easy to make, even for a beginner sewist. This FREE pattern could also be used as a great little lesson for a youngster interested in learning to sew. Follow along as I show you how. Click here for a free copy of my pattern! And stay tuned, as…
My Little Corner
It’s been a while since I’ve done a blog post; over a month ago. I’ve kept busy. But until recently, I was becoming anti-social in more ways than one. The pandemic, Covid-19, kept me away from friends and family, from church, from volunteering… Violence in the news has opened my eyes, scared me, made me…
Easy, Scrappy, Patriotic, No-Seams Quilt
Memorial Day was just a few weeks away. I started going thru my red, white and blue fabrics, thinking I would make something pretty to hang on my front door, or perhaps a new table runner. I have plenty of other projects either in process, or needing started. But red, white and blue was on…
More Curtains!
After 30 plus years in the same home, I’ve been setting up house in our new one – which means new window treatments. I have to admit I hate MEASURING and most of all HANGING curtains! Where we needed privacy, I ordered drapes – tried and true Supreme draperies from JCPenney. Nothing fancy, but very…
Lists
Do you create lists? Many years ago, my sister Carolyn shared with me that creating a list, and then crossing items completed off that list, can bring great satisfaction. My sister JoAnn is incredibly organized, so I can only imagine she is a list maker too. How about a list containing places you want to…
Fabulous Flea Market Finds
Strolling thru an outdoor flea market, or an indoor antique mall, is like visiting a history museum. It gives us a glimpse of what life was like in an earlier time. One of my favorite outdoor flea markets is in Rogers, Ohio. (I hesitate to share this information, because the selfish in me wants to…
Old Becomes New
My love of vintage linens has become a passion. I find them in flea markets and antique malls. Some are in meticulous shape – washed, ironed, starched, carefully folded. I find others that need rescued – dirty, on the ground, torn, wrinkled, stained, back in a corner under a huge pile, very unloved. I can’t…
Simple Scrap Fabric No-Sew Wreath
With Valentine’s Day coming up, I wanted to make a door decoration for my friend in a nursing home. I did not have a lot of time, and her Christmas door decoration needed to come down! Several years ago, I was looking for a simple craft for kids to do at my church. It was…
Emma’s Doll Quilt
Granddaughter Emma has been curious about my sewing room. On her last couple visits she has told me she wants to make a quilt! Music to my ears… Emma’s Mom has won many ribbons at our local county fair for flower arranging and baking. Maybe someday, Emma could win a ribbon in the quilt division….
FREE Pattern – “Melt My Heart” Mug Rug
I keep pushing myself to try new things. There are so many sewing and quilting techniques to learn! One of my goals is to create my own original patterns, and to perhaps teach others to sew and quilt. This is one of my first attempts at creating a pattern! Please accept my gift of a…
Handmade Name Tag
I joined a quilt guild about a year ago. Many of the members have the cutest handmade name tags. I’ve been wanting to make myself one, but never got around to it until today! I’ve been saving selvages from my quilting fabric for quite a few years. I just know there is a fantastic project…
Holiday Stress & Cold/Flu Relief
Holiday Stress? Cold or Flu? A hot bath with Epsom Salt and doTERRA Essential Oils is my go-to for both! There are times in my life when I tend to experience a bit of anxiety and stress. Although my life is fairly calm right now, I do have the start of a nasty cold. I…
DIY Quilt Ruler & Template Storage
Several years ago I treated myself to a really nice sewing table, with lots of drawers, etc. But I quickly realized that storing quilt rulers and templates was not going to work in a drawer. For one thing, they take up too much space. And when they are stacked on top of one another, you…
Have you tried Wool Appliqué?
Wool fabric is great for appliqué projects. There is little fraying. It is great for beginners. Hand-dyed felted wool can be purchased in many colors and textures. It’s also easy to felt wool on your own. My wool stash has grown over the last few years to include already felted hand-dyed wool fat eights (12″x17″)…
DIY Ironing (Pressing) Board – Perfect for Quilters!
When I first started quilting, I quickly realized how important a good iron and ironing board was to the process. I had a decent iron, but I had been using an ironing board that was 40 years old! Like all new quilters, I spent hours on Pinterest, and followed many quilt bloggers. Yes, I took…
What a difference “on point” makes when piecing a quilt!
The concept seemed foreign to me; not sure why… But to me a quilt meant piecing together rows of blocks – horizontally and vertically. But it changes the whole look when you piece together the blocks “on point”! I have learned a lot following Amy Smart from her Diary of a Quilter blog. A while…
Quick & Easy Curtains
As a relatively new sewist, little accomplishments tickle my fancy! Following up on last week’s discussion of Vanessa Arbuthnott’s book – Beginner’s Guide to Making Curtains, Shades, Pillows, Cushions, and More, look what I made! Not certain how this valance would turn out, I did not want to purchase new fabric. Instead I decided to…
Wonderful Beginner’s Sewing Guide
As my passion for quilting and embroidery has grown over the years, so has my desire to learn to sew. I’ve been experimenting with household items such as pillows, cushions and chair covers. Next up – curtains! This book by Vanessa Arbuthnott has been most helpful to me! I purchased this book a while back…
Dynamic, Changeable Wall Hanging!
Do you have a collection of small embroideries? Or maybe mini-quilts? You could try to display them all, or incorporate them into a big quilt. But maybe you don’t have the wall space. How about a dynamic, changeable wall hanging? I completed a year-long series of embroideries designed by Jenny of Elefantz Designs. I have…
Happy Jeans!
We all have that favorite pair of jeans. The comfy ones you wear most often. Well, mine got a bit of paint on them recently. I could have just torn a few holes in them, and I would been right in style! But I had a different idea. I love vintage fabrics. And I especially…
Do you want to learn how to sew?
Maybe you own a sewing machine that you haven’t used in years. Or maybe you want to introduce someone to sewing. This post has a couple of purposes. One, to encourage you to sew a really simple, but useful item. And two, to showcase an organization that is helping kids with serious illnesses. PILLOWCASES!!! Several…
So you want to make a T-Shirt Quilt!
Many years ago, when my son was young, I saw the cutest quilt made from t-shirts. I did not know how to sew, let alone quilt. I had never owned a sewing machine. But I started saving those t-shirts – from daycare, t-ball, soccer, Little League, golf, proms – all of them! Quite a few…
Sometimes it’s all about the fabric…
I saw this fabric and knew I had to have it. The fabric line is titled “Coast to Coast” by Michael Mullen for Windham. I bought the panel and 1 yard each of 3 coordinating fabrics. Having recently moved, I was decorating a spare bedroom, and found myself at Hobby Lobby, picking up some wall…