Christmas Surprises!

Marylou brought this wonderful quilt to sewing the other night. Her daughter had sent the material to have her make a quilt for her father-in-law. Marylou is so good and agreed to piece and quilt it. It is not quite the pattern her daughter wanted, but Marylou used her artistic license to create this wonderful quilt.



She is flying to Texas to deliver the quilt in person. How fun is that!

I wanted to make something special for my mom this year. He mother had died when she was 15 and she helped her dad raise her 3 brothers. Her mom had died in childbirth and her sister went to live with my grandmother's sister.I found this picture of my grandparents together, so using this as the base of my idea I completed this little vignette.






The poem in the picture was one that hung by the door in m Grandmother Gladys' home.

There are 5 little words
I would like you to know;
They are:
Pardon me
Thank you
and Please.
Oh, use them so often
wherever you go
There are few words as
important as these.

Unknown

I hope my mother likes it. I think it turned out pretty fun. I love Christmas surprises! Don't you?? Hope you are getting your surprises done!

Claudia

MY NEW FAVORITE THING!

I love these socks! They make me smile everytime I put them on. They're called Little Miss Mismatched and they are so fun. You get 12 socks all different but co-ordinated so you can wear what you want. Stripes, polkadots, stars, puzzle pieces it's hard to decide. All I know is that when I wear them, and have a hectic day, they make me smile and relax a little when I see them on my feet!

Just because I'm 58 or maybe BECAUSE I"M 58 I can wear these and not care what people think! Life is so short and precious, why not smile and enjoy every second!


This time of year when we all run around like chickens with our heads cut off, take time to remember that feeling of magic we had when we were children. Christmas lights took our breath away. The smell of gingerbread baking warmed our hearts and the sound of jingle bells at the door was way over the top. (one year when I was growing up 3 Santas visited our house in one night!) Don't forget the reason for the season. Be grateful for what we have, who we can help, and the grace of God for all!
But do it all in fun socks!
Claudia

HOW THANKFUL ARE WE!!

Last Sunday I woke to the most beautiful scene in my yard. I love the snow. Granted I came home from SLC earlier than planned to beat this storm. I am definitely not a big fan of driving in the snow! But to wake up in your own bed, the world white with snow, with not major drive ahead of you is so wonderful!


This cabin is in my backyard and is one of my favorite things! We moved this cabin from Huntington, by taking it apart and numbering the logs, then reconstructing it here.



I think it is time to put my bike away. My sister Jodi is awesome in restoring bikes and fixed up my C J Higgins and I love it. I love to ride the old style bikes. There is something about riding them that grounds you and brings you back home again.

This was the year all of our children went to other family for Thanksgiving. Leon and I could have gone to SLC, to have dinner with my mom, or his sister, but we have not been able to stay home for a number of years. We were still debating what to do when Mack ask if we were going to be around for Thanksgiving and if we would like to help with the dinner at the Senior Citizen's center. Last year we had gone up to SLC and helped a friend who does dinner for the homeless under the viaduct. That was such a great experience that we wanted to continue doing something like that. This was just the ticket.

Leon woke up early and put the turkeys on(I got to sleep in). I got up and went in my sewing room and was met by this wonderful surprise. Ice had made lacey patterns on the windows. Later we heard it was 29 below in Panguitch. No wonder I had this wonderful ice display on my window.




We went down to the Senior Center at 10:00 and got busy setting up the place for dinner. Leon loves to cook and he set off making stuffing and gravy. We had cooked 2 turkeys that morning and others had cooked 5 more. I love the smell of Thanksgiving. It just warms you all the way through. Pat and Mack had it so organized that we had everything done and ready for dinner by 1:05. It was so nice to see those who came and shared Thanksgiving with us. Wonderful food, visiting with friends old and new, great music by Brad and his family, what more could we want. We shared dinner with about 80 folks and many dinners went out to those who couldn't come in. Truly the spirit of Thanksgiving was evident here. Leon and I were so glad to be a small part of it.



Pat checking Leon's progress on the stuffing.



This was the only bump in the road the whole day and I didn't even think it was a bump. This is the way I love my marshmallows any time. So I sacrificed and spooned all the burnt marshmallows off into a bowl and ate them(can't waste anything). The only thing missing was chocolate and graham crackers! Loved it!



Leon is giving Shawn a hard time about making the potatoes(which turned out awesome by the way!)



A big thank you for all the hard work that Mack and Pat do to make this a great event. We felt very blessed to be part of this fun day.

I do have to say though I went home got into the tub, promptly fell asleep, woke when the water was cold and got into bed at 7:30. 7:40 I was sound to sleep! Woke up at 6:00 got up and got ready for work. Amazing what a little sleep can do for you!

I hope that all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and travel safe where ever you must go. I will leave you with this quote I love from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

"The only gift is a portion of thyself."

May we give thanks every day for the blessings we have and remember those in need of a friend, food, a hug, a moment of time, a kind word, a smile and a listening ear.

Claudia

MY! HOW TIME FLIES!!

Has it been a week since I had time to sit down and write a note? Lots of things going on this time of year to fill up the night. I have really good intentions and by 10:00 I am saying "Tommorrow's another day." I have been really busy and gone alot, but now I'm home and can get caught up.

Panguitch has a big craft fair each November and today was the day. I don't make candy, or cookies or fun things like that to help support the Sub for Santa drive, so I made a Christmas throw to donate for a raffle. I have had the kit for probably four years and finally got around to making it. It turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself. I think they are having the drawing for it on the 17th of Dec.


I finished my turkey wallhangings. I had three to do and got them finished and given away. Love these cute turkeys. They just make you smile. They were done except for the buttonhole stitching, quilting and binding. Check that off the list of things to finish.!



Quilt Walk 2011 News flash!! I will be showing various classes that will be on the Quilt Walk schedule for the next few months. I want to entice you into planning on come to Panguitch and bringing your friends to have a wonderful time with us. So follow this blog to get a sneak peak!

One of my best friends is having a new granddaughter at the end of the month. I wanted to do something special to give her to commemorate this wonderful event. Then I remembered that Holly is teaching this wonderful class at the Quilt Walk this June and wanted to try it out on us to see what we thought. So I got her lined up to teach a few of us and I must say I have not had that much fun in a long time. I am not a scrapbook person, never have done it, have no clue how to get started and am frankly out of my element doing it! But guess what! I had never been taught by the likes of Holly before! Amazing! She is so awesome and patient and encouraging that I really didn't feel any pain at all! Check out the fun book I MADE!!!

We made all the pages put them together in book form, and decorated the pages. Too much fun!





The pages have cornerstones and slots for putting pictures in and the pages themselves have slots in the top and note cards for you to write down those special memories. Cool right??



Don't you think this will be a fun gift for a new grandma to fill with all sorts of pictures and memories??

I stopped by H & R to get some embroidery kits for my sister and JeriLu showed me this new line of fabric she just got in. Now I am not a flowery person, but I fell in love with this wonderful floral by Henry Glass. It's called "Fresh Palette" by Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie's quilt Company.


So I bought some of all that JeriLu had and added a couple more pieces out of my stash and came up with enough to do this wonderful block that I found on Wendy's blog.


Love this block and love Wendy's website! So here's my sample block and I love it so much I am going to get busy and make 15 more (they're 14") and sash them to make a queensize quilt. Best of all... It's just for me!!!

So guess what I'm doing the rest of the weekend?? I am just going to take time for me! Hope you all do that too!

Claudia

My Favorite Quilt

Many thanks to Amy for the wonderful Bloggers Quilt Festival. It is so fun to see all the quilts and read about them.

I have made this quilt a zillion times in my mind the last 13 years. I based it on the story of the pioneer Quilt Walkers who walked on quilts over the mountains from Panguitch to Parowan to get food for the starving settlers of Panguitch. I drew it and drew it and each year I thought would make it. This last spring I finally got around to starting it. I wanted it finished before the Panguitch Quilt Walk Festival in June and before we dedicated our statue and park to the Quilt Walkers.

This festival is such a part of my life that I knew I had to do a quilt to represent how I felt about it. We now have a wonderful park to commemorate this incredible journey and the 7 men who made it. And I have a quilt that when I look at it gives me chills to think of the struggles these men had walking 40 miles each way in deep snow to bring supplies to their families. I am very blessed to live in such a wonderful town and have them many quilting friends who fill my life!




Thanks for stopping by.

Claudia

Enjoy the View!

My view the last ten days has taken in every one's projects. There are so many talented ladies in Panguitch and in the blogging world that I have just taken a week off to check everyone out.

Last week at sewing night we had several fun projects shown and then we worked on a special one.

Donna brought her baby quilt to show us. How sweet is this!!


LaVee finished her beautiful star quilt. It's all hand quilted to boot! She also did the Christmas trees. We love those trees.





Becky finished her UFO for guild. It is awesome and how great is that to have it finished! She also finished a block while she was here!


I quilted my baby quilt and it now has the binding on it ready to take in the car this weekend.


Shannon is doing this spectacular Nativity scene out of wool. She hand dyes her fabric and it is amazing what she does with this wool.


She also brought tonight a fall table runner out of wool. The colors are so rich.


Holly is teaching us a class that she will be teaching at the Quilt Walk. It is the most amazing memory book. Here is a picture of her getting us started and I will show you pictures as soon as we finish . It is incredible! Love it!



Tonight Marylou taught us the clothesline baskets. There should be a law against having this much fun(NOT)! We all enjoyed ourselves and finished our baskets! Here are Marylou"s:


And here is mine and my new iron!



See how much fun I had and I didn't even get to the blogs. More next time!
Claudia

A Productive Weekend!!!

This weekend I had numerous projects to finish.. You know that feeling...you have a schedule and no one around to bother you and you're off. I had three Turning Twenty quilts to sew together and get quilted, a baby quilt to quilt and a patriot star throw. My quilting machine is in a building in my back yard that has no heat and in the winter when I quilt, I plug in an electric heater. Now depending on how cold it is, it takes a while to heat up. So my theory this year was to get most of my Christmas quilting done now. It is warm outside and inside and peaceful. Give me a book on tape and I am set.
Saturday I quilted the king sized Turning Twenty. I love to quilt on my machine. This quilt is for a friend of mine who is getting married in two weeks. Western Boots and hats fit Justin perfectly and that's what the pattern was I used to quilt it.


Sunday I quilted the patriotic throw. I am just loving practicing free hand quilting. There are so many wonderful ideas to us. After I got done with the quilting I finished embroidering a sampler.



Today the last day of my three days off, I quilted the baby quilt. It's bright and colorful and for a wonderful friend's daughter who is having her first child. It's a little girl and I think this will be really fun for her. Now I just have bindings to put on all of them. Yes I didn't get the other two Turning Twenty quilts sewed together, but I am loving making something and quilting it in the same week. Amazing!


The best surprise this weekend came in the mail from Canada. Cathy Miller the Singing Quilter wrote a song about the Quilt Walk and put it on her new cd. She used my Quilt walker quilt as part of the inside cd cover. She sent me a copy and I love it! She is coming to the Quilt Walk next summer to teach and do a trunk show and of course sing the song! I'm really excited about that!



Now was that a busy weekend or what. Leon was in SLC, and so I just sewed along all weekend. I love it when I can see progress. I am excited with all the possibilities that I have to do. Oh and guess what I found while looking for a back for the baby quilt? 4 flannel quilt tops (throw size) that I totally forgot I had. I really like to have some on hand to give away when needed and so now I just need to quilt them up. It is pretty scary that I have that much stuff that I couldn't even remember doing them. How about you...have you come across hidden treasures you forgot?

It was such a beautiful weekend, I did get out and go for a walk each day and lunch with friends two days., so I wasn't a total hermit. But I really love my sewing weekends. Don't we all?

Claudia

Rainy Days and Family

It has been raining in Panguitch for 3 days. We have had over 3" of rain. Incredible! I tried to get a picture of the rain running off the house, but it doesn't show up. The air smells so good, pine trees, dirt, wood, all equals fall is here.My front porch is full of wood, there is a stack outside the fence thanks to Joe and Alex, and a load of coal. We owe them big time. Let winter come.


A couple of weeks ago we took my sister and mom to Thanksgiving point for the afternoon. Leon, myself, our daughter, grandaughter, mother, sister had a great afternoon. I have been wanting to get a special picture of the 4 generations and we were lucky enough to get it done. We added my sister to the mix so there is 4 generations and one extra special hand. Love this. A mile stone that we needed to document.


I have a major sewing weekend planned. I am not going to show you pictures today, but hopefully by next Monday night I will have a bunch of fun things to pull out of my hat for you! I love 3 day weekends that I have no plans except sewing. I will be quilting them on my longarm and hopefully get done what I plan.

What are your plans for the long weekend??? Take time for yourself and enjoy the weekend!

Claudia

DEDICATION!!!!!!

Who knew that 7 men fighting to save their families and way of life over a 150 years ago could make such an impact on us today? These 7 men saved this town and made it possible for all of us to live... no I think to really enjoy life in Panguitch, Utah.




Our Quilt Walk Park will be dedicated tommorrow at 1:00 p.m. and we are so excited!! We would invite all of you to come and share our excitement!




This project has been 13 years in the making. Each and everyone of you, who has attended the Quilt Walk, took classes, donated chocolate to the Chocolate Fest, donated to the jars in the stores, bought bricks, attended fund raisers, volunteered your time and talents, encouraged, supported and rallied us... we will never be able to thank you enough! We are so blessed and humbled by everyone around us.




The Quilt Walk Festival is held the second week of June each year. It is an all volunteer organization and it is really a fun event. I truly appreciate all the people that help to make it a fun time for all that come! Thank you to everyone!

Claudia

WHERE DID THIS ALL COME FROM???

Nan called and told me to run up and see her sewing room. "It's almost back together again, but I have alot of stuff!" Now just what quilter doesn't! We love stuff. I love all the newest gadgets, a new ruler or pattern will give me a sleepless night, yardage...well we won't go down that road. These are the things I pondered as I drove up the road to Nan's house. Now Nan and I are alot alike. You can never have too much stuff. Our only problem is the time we need to do something with that wonderful "stuff". Nan just took everything out of her sewing room, repainted, carpeted, put up in new shelving, new totes for various fun things and sorted for days. I was excited to see the results!

Nan got an incredible sewing table and chair. We all need room to spread out! It's perfect! Check out the shelves with totes all labeled with what's inside (how great is that?). There are boxes and bins with all of the same things, Jenny Beyer kits, levis that are sewn for a rag quilt, levis that are cut for one, squares, strips, patterns, fat quarters have all found a new home in this wonderful room.



Now Nan's favorite color is red, and if you are ever looking for extra red, you might want to check with her... she probably has it! I love it! It is so good to see someone else with the addiction that I have! As I have said before "You can't have too much fabric".







Now I am inspired to do something with my spaces.(notice I said spaces) I don't know as I will go to the extreme of painting etc, but I do have a bunch of totes waiting to be filled. I just love Nan and she always inspires me to be a better person and a better quilter, and if I haven't seen some new fabric, blog, book or pattern she keeps me updated on that too! Now who could ask for more! Thanks Nan for sharing your sewing room!

Isn't it fun to see where we sew? I don't think it matters where we sew as much as it matters that we sew. With the events in my life in the past few weeks I realize how lucky I am that I have something that literally takes my breath away and I have friends like Nan to share it with. Life is so very good! Make sure you breathe deep and enjoy every day!
Claudia