Little Mama Hen

MaoMao will be 7 years old this April.  SEVEN!  The kids were so little when we first found him.  He was so tiny too.  He was lost and dirty and found our kitchen window to meow beneath.  It took us about an hour to catch him.  He so much wanted to be caught, but he was scared. Trusting that someone else wouldn't throw him away was hard for him to accept.  Finally, with some help from a box of Yoohoo (we were out of milk) and my two littles 'meowing' at him like they were his brother and sister, he came out of the bushes just long enough for me to sweep him up in my arms.   He is intelligent and sweet and does not love anyone but his family.  He's funny and playful... lazy and naughty ... and he very much considers himself an equal in this family.  I never knew I was a cat person, until he crawled up into heart.   I've been so busy lately, but I did have time to make 50 little coin purses for a friend.  She's using them for her daughter and son'

The holidays are always busy with delightful scurrying around; however, my soul requires quiet to restore and refocus.  Sometimes those moments are few and I must search for them.  MaoMao on the other hand is always napping and restoring his energies...especially at Christmas time when he needs all his strength for redecorating the Christmas tree on a daily basis.   A very sweet friend of mine lost her sweet Mama recently.  Her Mama was a quilter and loved fabric.  My friend brought me a tin case full of Chocolate Moda fabric by 3 Sisters.  After drying my eyes, thinking about her sweet family, I sat down and tried to think of what I could do.  I have this idea formulating somewhere in the creative side of my brain...I will make a quilt in her Mama's honor and donate it.  I have a pretty good idea how I want to donate it, but that'll be another story for another day...  I started thinking what pattern should I use.  My favorite is the Dresden, but I wanted t

I finished another toddler quilt.  I'm really not sure where I found the time, except that quilting makes me happy and feel accomplished.  I really love this fabric line.  It's very girly and yet very bold.  I bought the fabric when we were on our way to the Rocky Mountains.  We had stopped over in a small town called Hamilton in Missouri...ever hear of it?  It's where Missouri Star Quilt Company is.  I learned to quilt and not be afraid of quilting from Jenny Doan.  I really miss the Rockies, but we made so many good memories!  I can't wait to go back.  Well, motherhood calls and I need to go cook something and clean something and love on two little sweeties.  Have a great weekend - April @Little Mama Hen

It all started with an ole grits bag.  My sister, Peaches, had visited Helen, GA and she brought me back some wine and grits.  The wine was so delicious and the grits were so tasty.  Neither one lasted very long. ha!  Well, when I got down to the end of my grits bag, I thought, hmmm this is fabric, I wonder what I could make with it. It was a small piece of fabric just big enough to make a zipper pouch for my phone...then I added a strap and I had my very own crossbody phone purse. The back of the purse is the nutritional information of the grits.  lol.  I didn't really think much about it until people started commenting on my 'phone purse'.  I guess it's pretty unique to wear a grits bag.  :) It's actually very convenient to have.  I use to carry my phone in my back pocket, but after 'butt' calling people I knew I needed to think of something else.  It's just big enough for my keys, phone, and wallet.  Since it's a crossbody, I don't leave

The Rockies are an amazing place to visit!  You know what else is amazing? A husband that will plan your route, so that you drive straight through Hamilton, MO. If you're not aware, then Missouri Star Quilt Company is there.  I started quilting about 6-7 years ago and I learned a lot from watching Jenny Doan's tutorials.  She loves to tell little stories while she's videoing and she encourages you to have fun quilting and not worry about being perfect.  Well, I found inspiration and confidence in that line of thinking and I've enjoyed making/sewing oh so many things.  And you can't go to a fabric shop without picking up a little something. ;) I started quilting as soon as we got home! Look at the Dresdens!!  my favorite!  They started out in an ole brick building and now they have over 12 fabric shops.  It was SO MUCH FUN!  I sent my Husband and kids out on their own, because I needed to soak in all the beauty!  Lucky for them there is

Margreta's and Mira's Swedish Granmother Quilts...  They are complete and ready for their new homes.  It's been a short six months preparing these two quilts for Margreta and Mira.  Their Swedish Grandmother passed away back in 1962 and left behind 62 dresden petals. I went shopping with Margreta at a local fabric shop and she picked out the extra fabric needed to complete the quilts.  I attached the petals to cream and white squares and dogeared the corners, lightly quilted them in echo stitching as to give them a very 'antique' look.   They are so pretty and I will miss working on them; however, I'm so very pleased to have brought them to completion. Swedish Grandmother must have been a pretty amazing person.  Stories have been passed down about her; sweet memories of games, dress styles, and of course Christmas time.  When her daughters were older, Swedish Grandmother would give them 5 cents to go to the park and swim.  The girls