It's not Labor Day without work!
My to-do list was pretty long for this weekend. It started on Saturday with a list of things that Jeff wanted me to buy at a local auction. Thank goodness Grandma McNutt was here. She stayed with the girls while Henry and I went to the sale. It was a beautiful day. We spent 4 hours at the auction but came home with the list checked off...new crawler (think mini-bulldozer), two JD L tires and rims, a JD L radiator, a forge for our friend Mike, and a nice long extension cord for the house! If you're wondering why Jeff wasn't buying all these goodies, it was because he was on several planes coming home from salmon fishing in Alaska.
I was determined to get things done on MY list, too! On Sunday, Henry went with Jeff to do chores. So, I took the girls in their room and shut the door for complete control. For two hours I sat and put binding on Henry's new blanket while the girls played. I could tell you two hours of funnies about the things they did...like Goldie hanging from the outside of her crib (yes, I got up and got her down)...to Virginia getting stuck in the Bumbo seat. I suggested to Goldie that she help her sister get out. Goldie walks over and grabs Virginia's shirt and pulls up. Too funny!! And, then there was the moment that Virginia came over to my chair and laid her head against the soft Minkee backing of the blanket. I softly ran my fingers through her hair for several minutes. Then she was off to play.
When Henry got home he was so excited his new quilt was done. We love to snuggle! It even went on the backyard camp out last night.
And, the girls' love to lay down on the floor and see just how soft the blanket is.
5 years later....and if a quilt could talk.
And, I still love the quilt as much as when I started it. This quilt has so many memories for me. In November 2000, I spoke to the quilt guild in Littleton, CO. I got a chance to visit the local quilt shops including Great American Quilt Factory. Laurene Sinema's new fabric line had just come out and was in the shop. It was based on some 1800s prints and colors, but was right up my alley...red, golds, and green. I bought 10 yards of the large repeat for the backing and a yard of each of the prints in the line. What was I going to do with it?? Who knew! I just thought it would be a nice way to remember my trip.
Then fast forward to a 2001 road trip with my then senior editor Jennifer Keltner in Wisconsin when we challenged each other to make three projects with patterns and fabric that we had in our stash in 2002. In preparation for that I searched high and low in my stash for fabric (ha-ha) and then looked through all of the American Patchwork & Quilting magazines for inspiration. After days of pulling out fabrics and tagging patterns, I married the two, matching a fabric pile to a pattern. That was SO much fun. This particular project was made by Alice Berg as a wall hanging. Well, I had enough fabric for a bed-size quilt so why not. I made this my third project for our challenge.
Work began on my challenge projects. Project 1 got done. Project 2 got done. Project 3 (this one) got started in the late part of 2002, but it didn't get done. Throughout 2003 I messed with it on and off, but it was in February 2004 and 7 months pregnant that I went to a retreat in Minnesota. I worked so hard on that project all weekend, but still not done. Then there was Henry...then there was the building of our house...then there was the arrival of the twins. Here and there I would work on it, but never getting it done! Somewhere in there Laurene died and it gave the quilt another memory.
So finally, it was my retreat in July when I said...Enough! I must be done. My friend Connie had offered to quilt it and I eagerly said yes. (I love her comment that she had never quilted such a red quilt. I love red.) And, she quilted it beautifully.
This morning I again locked the girls and me in their room and I finished the binding on this quilt. So, here it is in our bed room. (Ignore the pillows...I'll need to get new ones for this quilt!)
The girls were helping me! Virginia on the left, Goldie on the right.
And, if that wasn't enough to get done, I needed to work on a project for a video segment I'm taping for Fons & Porter later this month. So, into my sewing room to find some fabric. I picked this bundle of fat quarters from Moda. It felt very fresh and pretty. More in the future as to what I did with them!
So, the weekend is over and it's time to go snuggle under my new quilt. Don't forget to sign-up for the drawing on my previous post.
I was determined to get things done on MY list, too! On Sunday, Henry went with Jeff to do chores. So, I took the girls in their room and shut the door for complete control. For two hours I sat and put binding on Henry's new blanket while the girls played. I could tell you two hours of funnies about the things they did...like Goldie hanging from the outside of her crib (yes, I got up and got her down)...to Virginia getting stuck in the Bumbo seat. I suggested to Goldie that she help her sister get out. Goldie walks over and grabs Virginia's shirt and pulls up. Too funny!! And, then there was the moment that Virginia came over to my chair and laid her head against the soft Minkee backing of the blanket. I softly ran my fingers through her hair for several minutes. Then she was off to play.
When Henry got home he was so excited his new quilt was done. We love to snuggle! It even went on the backyard camp out last night.
And, the girls' love to lay down on the floor and see just how soft the blanket is.
5 years later....and if a quilt could talk.
And, I still love the quilt as much as when I started it. This quilt has so many memories for me. In November 2000, I spoke to the quilt guild in Littleton, CO. I got a chance to visit the local quilt shops including Great American Quilt Factory. Laurene Sinema's new fabric line had just come out and was in the shop. It was based on some 1800s prints and colors, but was right up my alley...red, golds, and green. I bought 10 yards of the large repeat for the backing and a yard of each of the prints in the line. What was I going to do with it?? Who knew! I just thought it would be a nice way to remember my trip.
Then fast forward to a 2001 road trip with my then senior editor Jennifer Keltner in Wisconsin when we challenged each other to make three projects with patterns and fabric that we had in our stash in 2002. In preparation for that I searched high and low in my stash for fabric (ha-ha) and then looked through all of the American Patchwork & Quilting magazines for inspiration. After days of pulling out fabrics and tagging patterns, I married the two, matching a fabric pile to a pattern. That was SO much fun. This particular project was made by Alice Berg as a wall hanging. Well, I had enough fabric for a bed-size quilt so why not. I made this my third project for our challenge.
Work began on my challenge projects. Project 1 got done. Project 2 got done. Project 3 (this one) got started in the late part of 2002, but it didn't get done. Throughout 2003 I messed with it on and off, but it was in February 2004 and 7 months pregnant that I went to a retreat in Minnesota. I worked so hard on that project all weekend, but still not done. Then there was Henry...then there was the building of our house...then there was the arrival of the twins. Here and there I would work on it, but never getting it done! Somewhere in there Laurene died and it gave the quilt another memory.
So finally, it was my retreat in July when I said...Enough! I must be done. My friend Connie had offered to quilt it and I eagerly said yes. (I love her comment that she had never quilted such a red quilt. I love red.) And, she quilted it beautifully.
This morning I again locked the girls and me in their room and I finished the binding on this quilt. So, here it is in our bed room. (Ignore the pillows...I'll need to get new ones for this quilt!)
The girls were helping me! Virginia on the left, Goldie on the right.
And, if that wasn't enough to get done, I needed to work on a project for a video segment I'm taping for Fons & Porter later this month. So, into my sewing room to find some fabric. I picked this bundle of fat quarters from Moda. It felt very fresh and pretty. More in the future as to what I did with them!
So, the weekend is over and it's time to go snuggle under my new quilt. Don't forget to sign-up for the drawing on my previous post.
Pretty quilts. ANd how cute are those girls. And the peeking Henry, well he's just a charmer isn't he.
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Love the quilt you made for yourself!
Its one I have wanted to make for a long time, just love the colors/fabrics you chose.
The girls are getting so big..adorable.
Henry looks so happy even if he is hiding under his new quilt...so did he take a nap?????
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I remember that quilt on your bed. Why did I think you'd finished it already? It's truly beautiful and I don't think it's too red at all! You really were busy this weekend, weren't you.
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Good morning!! It always amazes me how much you get done in a weekend. Especially when you have 3 children at your feet. I can't imagine the "stash" of fabric you have to choose from when you need to start another project. Will be anxious to see you on Fons and Porter. JoAnn
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Love your red quilt. I also love those colors and have them all over the main floor of my house
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Heidi,
Nice to catch up through your blog. I can't wait to see what you do with Nest fabrics.
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The quilt on the bed is just gorgeous and the picture with the girls on it is just too precious.
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The red, gold and green is gorgeous! after all that time, it has to bring a smile!
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