Dia de los Muertos

This year I'm using the theme Dia di los Muertos for my Halloween decorations!  I made a yard flag, quilted some table toppers, planted Marigolds, orange is the desired color. bought a skull yard stake!  I Love the colors and the idea that I celebrate my family who are in heaven.   This theme has brought back memories of my dad,  mom, my moms parents and all my aunts and uncles who have died.

* Mom had a wonderful sewing talent and encourage me to always try for my best
* Dad always encouraged my faith and was proud I became a Christian Day School Teacher
* Uncle Harold's outlook encouraged being positive, gave me juicy fruit gum when I was little
* Aunt Elsie was gracious and made the BEST cookies
* Aunt Arlene was support and had an awesome laugh and made my day joyful
* Grandma Steinert was a talented baker and crocheter
* Grandpa Steinert was an awesome builder.

 I was so blessed to have them in my life and the celebration of Dia di los Muertos helped me remember so many happy times, strong bonds to my family and joyful times with family.

So today I decorated skull cookies!  Thanks to Linda Hoyt Divine for the skull shaped cookie cutter.
 I should have purchased black icing.  Mixing colors does not make black, believe me.  BUT it is what it is and this is what it is this year.  I had a great time! 

Civil War Hard Crackers Quilt

Hard Crackers is a quilt designed by Carol Hopkins.  The finished size is 17" X 19".  Not my ususal quilt size, the small squares finish at 2" X 2".  Was a challenge but always good to stretch yourself in your  craft.   I chose blue for the outer borders, a a dark beige for the inner border, just seemed right for the blocks.  Not all the fabrics are reproduction Civil War fabrics but for 2016 my motto is "use what you have".

"Crackers" is the historical name for this quilt block, since crackers played a role in feeding the soldiers during the Civil War.  Soldiers were given a three-day ration of six to eight crackers. These dry thick biscuits, sometimes called hardtack were baked in northern factories, packed in wooden crates and shipped to locations occupied by the troops.

By the time they reached the soldiers they were hard and bug infested, leading soldiers to refer to them as "tooth dullers" or "worm castles".  Others described them as indestructible, "too small to shoe a mule and too big to use as bullets"

For a blending effect, I used a dark beige thread for the free motion quilting. This small quilt will be donated to the Friendship Quilters fund raiser, Tulip Tea and Quilt Sale, which will be held on

 March 25, 2017.

Two Project Completed

Today I finished two projects!  Yeah!  The new pillow for the bedroom is a Cathedral Window.  Always wanted to make a Cathedral Window quilt  but it looked to complicated and too time consuming. I watched a video by Shabby Fabrics on Youtube and just went after it.  The step by step process in an easy uncomplicated process was so helpful.  It was like doing an Origami paper fold only with fabric.  Tough part was getting the pieces (just like the paper ones) to be exact.  So here's the result.  TaDah!  Oh, just thought I'd say, not making a quilt, pillow will do.

Well it was supposed to go with the new bedspread and blend with the picture above the bed.  Well,  it's okay and will stay on the bed but goodness now the bedspread, picture and the pillow don't match  exactly and I live with a person who loves things to match exactly.  So it's staying on the bed.  Happy Me!

PROJECT NUMBER TWO

The second project was an I Spy quilt that I made from left over tumbler pieces.  The first I Spy quilt was completed about a year ago and I got tired of shuffling the extra tumbler pieces. Kids love colors and add animals, hearts, bugs, dogs and stars and you hit a home run. The tumbler blocks made panel and then added borders. It will be donated to a home for children who have not been fortunate to have lots of love and special care.  I hope the little person who receives this quilt will know that there is a BIG Hug to wrap around them each time they use the quilt.