Quilts and Thoughts…

margaret | March 4, 2010

My Starburst pattern is a continuous line stitching pattern for a block. Size is 6.5″ x 5.8″.

You can pick it up at my pattern website:  www.patterns2quilt.com.

Category: Free patterns, General, Patterns | No Comments »
Tags: Free patterns, free stitching block patten

margaret | February 18, 2010

You know the old saying, “If you don’t use it, you lose it”…well…I lost it!

I unearthed my tatting shuttle the other day to show a friend how to use it. Oops…it’s supposed to look like this!

According to Wikipedia tatting dates to the early 19th century. It is a series of knots and loops and believe me, if you don’t “fling” your hand the correct way, you get a knot instead of a loop!

You wrap the thread around your left hand and use the shuttle to go over and under the loop on your hand. Next, you “fling” your fingers to move the stitch (if you are lucky) down onto the loop around your hand. That’s only half of the stitch. The shuttle is then put through the big loop on your left hand and once again you “fling” your fingers out to put the last half of the stitch on the big loop around your hand. Basically, that’s all there is to it! The stitches you have just created slide up and down on the big loop around your left hand. This movement allows you to make lots of stitches and slide them down the big loop until they form designs.

The problem arises with the “fling” of your left fingers. If you don’t “fling” properly you create one big knot. No movement, no design and it looks like mine above!

My husband’s grandmother, Mildred, took the time (and patience) to teach me to tat in 1968. I remember the year because she was born in 1800 and she was 68 at the time. Grandma told me she had tried all of her adult life to teach others to tat, but I was the first one to get it right! I sat on the couch for about six hours just “flinging” my left fingers and cutting off knots until I finally got the stitches to move!

I’ll never be as good at tatting as Grandma. She would sit and visit or watch tv and keep her shuttle going, creating yards and yards of tatting to give to friends. All of her pillow cases and towels had tatting attached, mine as well.

I’m going to buy more thread and revive my tatting fun. It really is a beautiful lace, created with just the shuttle and a “fling”.

Category: Current projects, General | 9 Comments »
Tags: tatting

margaret | February 13, 2010

It was announced yesterday that for the first time since records have been kept, it was snowing in 49 states! Well, here are three pics from Texas. We had a record breaking 14″!

Category: General | No Comments »
Tags: just for fun

margaret | February 6, 2010

I thought I’d introduce you to a few of my puppets. I really enjoy writing puppet scripts, which of course, means I must make puppets to go along with them. This is “Deplorabull” and his friend, “Imaheffer”. They were the first two puppets I made, and were in my first script. The scripts are humorous, uplifting and based on Scripture.

Deplorabull was about to be put out to “pasture” because it was his last rodeo and he was depressed. His friend Imaheffer was there to cheer him on and between the two of them, and a few other friends, they explained that with God you are “Unstoppable”. It happened to be the theme for that year’s LTC.

They also appear in other scripts with additional farm animals to make learning about values, parables, and Scripture fun, funny, and entertaining.

Next, is “Sycamore” he is obviously a tree, but a tree with good roots. The flowers are, “Lifeless”, “Wilted”, and “Droopy” and they represent the parable of seeds being scattered on rocky, poor soil. In this script they are “nourished” in a fun and exciting way to show children the value of reading the Bible.

In the play “Seeds”, the three scarecrows and the crow are in a “deep” conversation and the crow calls them a bunch of dummies on wooden crosses, but the “dummies” get the last laugh!

I use the scripts to help children learn how to behave in church, lessons from the Bible, what goes on in the morning services, the importance of regular attendance and how God is important in their lives. Children (and parents) are very receptive to the characters and scripts; they hardly know they are being taught!

Category: Current projects, General | 2 Comments »
Tags: just for fun, leadership training for Christ, ongoing projects, puppets

margaret | February 1, 2010

I’ve offered the rotary cutter as a separate graphic freebie, but this time I have put it with the cutting mat, ruler, and a piece of fabric. The mat, fabric, ruler, and rotary cutter are all together as one graphic. This graphic is free at my pattern website:  www.patterns2quilt.com.

Category: General | 1 Comment »
Tags: free quilting graphic

margaret | January 23, 2010

Have you seen the commercial with the smiley faces in unexpected places? They probably set them up, but I thought it would be fun to go around to see if I could find faces without set ups. I happened to be sitting at the sewing machine when the idea hit me and I didn’t have to look too far for the first face to appear. It was just to my right in the thread catcher.

Of course, this set me in motion to see if I could find more…and I did. They were everywhere, and yet I had passed them by so many times. What an opportunity to have a smiley face just to brighten your day.

You might have to look a little longer at your walls or outside, but enjoy the fun of discovery!

When you find one…it puts a smile on YOUR face!

We could all enjoy smiles, even from inanimate objects!

Those smiley faces might even bring back fond memories.

Inside these cups are a couple of my Mother’s favorite pot holders. She’s gone now, but I can look at the pot holders and remember the times I saw her using them and the great food she prepared. Ahhh…the memories of Mother.

I love this old tractor. It is a Ford 9N tractor that is well over forty years old. She has been though some tough times and one of her headlights needs replacing, but she still has a smile on her face. If you need a little comfort, just look around…there is someone or something ready to put a smile on your face, and in your heart.

Category: General | 3 Comments »
Tags: just for fun

margaret | January 8, 2010

This free stitching block called, Lovebird Cottage might look sweet stitched into a block of your Valentine’s Day quilt. It should be an easy block design to follow. It is a continuous line pattern with no overlapping lines;  if you look at it closely I think you’ll find it to be a simple block to complete.

The size is 7″ x 6.2″.

If you would like the free pattern it is located on my patterns website: www.patterns2quilt.com.

I also added the free (full length of 120″) pattern for “Sprinkles”. www.patterns2quilt.com

Category: General | No Comments »
Tags: Free patterns, free stitching block patten

margaret | January 7, 2010

Ruby Magazine, a new ezine for women, is having a contest during the month of January and into February. It sounds like lots of fun and a chance to not only win cool prizes, but subscribe to the magazine.

This is some information about the contest from the editor Karen Gass:

“For the month of Jan until Feb 5. Every 3^rd subscriber will receive a prize AND on top of that, every 7^th subscriber will get a refund on their subscription!!!! And On top of all that – on Feb 6, we’ll hold a Grand Prize drawing from everyone who subscribed during this period. They will win a Super Duper Craft Supplies Box!!!! It will have buttons, lace, FQ’s, nice yarn, and goodies galore!

If you’ve been wanting to subscribe to Ruby – now is the time!!!”

The ezine is chocked full of information about the home, recipes, devotions, patterns, gardening and so much more. Looks like a chance to win and win again.

Category: General | 1 Comment »
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