November Stash Report and More Headbands

I don't know about anyone else, but I had a good month of finishes. Four quilts total, and though two are small quilts, it may be the best month of finishes I've had. 

Stash Report for November 2016
Additions and Subtractions	Yards	Projects from stash	Projects in Que
Used this month:		Les Batons (2.5)	two scrap quilts
Added this month:	2	The Quarry—Quilty 365 (6.5)	Moda Noteworthy quilt
Used in 2016:	83.5	LSU (wallhanging) (1)
Added in 2016:	43½	Solicitude (2)

The pink and purple ones are for students;
the red and white one is for a teacher.

This week I also started making warm, fleece headbands for students. I asked one of my students to borrow her headband so I could look at it and get ideas for a pattern. After making the first one, I brought it to school to have a couple of the girls check my pattern. I wanted to make sure it would fit my girls without letting them see it.

Prototype

The pattern is pretty close to what I wanted. But, it turns out, the girls at school loved it. Four begged me to make headbands for them. Then one of my teacher friends saw the prototype and also asked for one. Tonight I have three of the five completed. 

This weekend I'll make the other two--they take only a few minutes--and then I'll be able to concentrate on the ones I want to make for my girls. The little grands will need a smaller pattern, so maybe I'll start there. Regardless, I've no doubt that I'll enjoy my weekend of sewing between the family commitments of a birthday party and Sunday lunch. What are your weekend plans?

Linking up with:

Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts

Fabric Frenzy Friday for Fort Worth Fabric Studio

Off the Wall Fridays at Creations Quilts Art Whatever 

Headband Beginnings

A student in one of my classes wore a cute little headband on Monday. That got me thinking--I could make a few headbands for the girls for Christmas. 

No sooner than I had the idea, Jenny told me that they would like initial tee shirts like I made last year. So now I have to decide which one I'll make. I don't think that I have enough time to make them each two items...there are too many girls!

 In the meantime, I took a few minutes to make one for myself using some of fleece scraps. Just in time, too, since we will have cold weather on Thursday. Very cold weather. 
Rain at 28 degrees. Brrrr!

I will be very happy to have this little ear warmer, especially since the pink side is an extra-thick, fuzzy fleece. 

Not a bad look for a 50-something English teacher, right? Ha! I will not have my hair down, and I probably won't have a smile at 28 degrees. I'm miserable in cold. My skin gets dry, itchy, rough. And that's how it starts. It ends too ugly to describe.

What are you making in this icy, cold weather?

Cheery Cherry Red

When my bloggy friend, Jan-Maree, of Cherry Red Quilter fame, wrote about her friend Marg sending some sewn goodies for the Irish Charity Bazaar, I decided to help out, too.  I really had no idea what to send but decided early on that I needed to keep it small so that I could swing the postage to Australia.  Small items are easy if you choose things for little children, so I decided to go with as many children's items as I could stuff into a box.


I started with really small fleece mittens.

Added some felt scarves with winter themes for dress-up fun.

And tossed in a pile of microfiber bibs.

I think there were a few other items.....maybe some book covers or coin purses, but I didn't get photos of those.  Sorry.

Since Rich wasn't home to add some tape, I put a few extra strips on for him.  He loves to joke that he's the Fleur de Lis shipping and receiving man and knows his job better than I do.  I tend to be conservative with the office supplies.  But I was generous since this little box has to make it all the way to Australia, and I don't want anything spilling out!

Sending Jan-Maree an email about the box was the best part.  Of course we haven't met in person, but we email often and read each other's blogs, so I feel like I sort of know her and send her short, silly emails about very little--you know, my usual.   The box email was like that but with a tiny bit of seriousness and gratitude for her many charitable works.  She shot back a thank you note in no time at all, which is typical Jan-Maree.  She answers every comment and note right away, yet manages the Aussie Hero Quilts among other good works, including making many of the quilts that go to service men and women.  I can't imagine the energy she has!  I just hope that one little box finds its way to her and helps in little ways.


Who do you know that is an angel in disguise?  How much energy do you think it takes to be such an angel? 
Happy quilting,
Mary

Pictures worth a thousand.......ugly words!

I really shouldn't do this!  But I promised, so here they are.  Photos from the craft fair in Natchitoches.  It's amazing the issues with our booth that I can now see.  

Nope, I'm not doing that.  I'm just posting the pics and walking away.  Nuff said!

One week and counting.....

Yes, tomorrow morning will mark one week till the craft fair that I've been so looking forward to.  I must admit at this point that if my booth doesn't do well, I'll be terribly disappointed.  But I'm going with a positive attitude and will have fun, if nothing else.


In the meantime, I thought you might be interested in knowing how I've been preparing.

For one, I've been doing some research.  Actually quite a bit of research.  I've been reading blogs from people who often sell at craft fairs and conversing with members of the quilt board who have been attending craft fairs around their areas.
Another way I've been preparing is by inventorying my stock.  That is not fun.  It's just like doing inventory at a store, but on a much smaller scale.  It's a necessary part of getting ready, though.  I started out by building an Excel program that would fit my needs.  Now I just have to add the name of the items, number on hand, and cost.  Excel does the rest.


Finally, I've been sewing quite a bit.  I picked up some beautiful fleece a week or so ago, and I've been turning that yardage into hats, mittens, and scarves. 


I've made a few other small items, but mostly I'm focusing on those things that I'm hoping will sell as Christmas gifts.



My son, Rory, and his family came by for Thanksgiving supper yesterday and brought this very pretty display rack.  Have you heard the old saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure"?  Well, it definitely fits in this case.



It's fairly heavy, so it can hold quite a few items.  I've decided that I can use it for the smaller items that I'll have on the infant/children's table.  The tooth fairy pillows, mittens and small purses all fit very well.  There's one more shelf, which I hope to fill with more little mittens.


How was your Thanksgiving?  Did you get any Christmas shopping done today?  If so, how close are you to completing your list?

14 and counting....

Two weeks till the crafts fair.  Today I managed to  make several items in preparation for the fair.  I picked up the fabric for two of this little apron yesterday.  So, I started out stitching up both of them.  They turned out pretty cute and since I have some more cute fabric, I'm thinking of making a few more.  


Of course, the fabric can't compete with this cuteness.  Check out pocket part of the apron.  How cute is this?


I guess I was on a kids kick in the studio because I finished the day with a good dozen of these little tooth pillows.

I guess I was on a kids kick in the studio because I finished the day with a good dozen of these little tooth pillows.

In between I made several scarves, including this braided scarf.





As for these polka dotted scarves, if I figure out how to get rid of the fuzzies, I'll be thrilled.  I don't even like to touch them because the stuff goes flying everywhere.  That includes the air so I ended up breathing in some of the fuzz.  I lived, so it wasn't the worst.


This afternoon Richard and I drove into Alex to pick up a few things.  While there, I ran into Hancock Fabrics and picked up this very large bag of fleece (on sale, yea!) which promptly found its way to the floor.  I figured I'd shoot a photo in it's natural state.  Goodness knows, it refuses to sit on the counter.  I'm blaming the bulk and physics, but I could be wrong.

Before you run off to read another blog, please do me a favor and vote for Fleur de Lis Quilts on Picket Fence.  
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Thanks for visiting!  Happy stitching!  Mary