Gone with June

June!  and yes MaoMao is in the middle of it all!

It's so amazing that June is over and July has begun!  My Little Ladybug is already keeping track of the calendar.  She is on a count down until her 6th birthday (sniff sniff, wiping my eyes with a tissue-wasn't I just pregnant with her?).  Her birthday isn't until August; however, this is the first year that she is old enough to anticipate it!  And she's EXCITED!  Who can blame her, birthday's are the best!

I'm pretty sure that I started more projects than I finished this month, but that's ok.  There are so many sewing/quilting ideas that I want to 'try-out', it' so hard to concentrate on one task at a time.  Of course, for me creating is part of the fun.  What did you get started on/finish this month?  I'm going over to Lily's Quilts to see what everyone else is up to.  It's a great place to be inspired and share.  She has a darling little purse that I just must try to make...sometime. :)   But for now, I think I'll go drink some chocolate milk with my Little Ladybug; you're never to old for chocolate milk!  -Little Mama Hen.

Operation Wood Hollow

I was visiting Myra's blog She Taught Me to Love It and she was talking about Operation Wood Hollow.  So then I jumped over to Having Fun Quilting and Julie was/is calling for quilters to help her.    Julie lives in Utah and devastation from the wildfires are all around her.  What's a quilter to do when we see someone in need?!  We make quilts!  She is calling for 29 quilts for 29 homes that she knows have been destroyed from the fires.  Go on over to Julie's website for more information on how you can help.  If you leave her a comment, she will send you the address to send your quilts/supplies.

I cannot even imagine the feeling of loss, but I hope this little pink quilt will help a little girl feel safe and have hope that "there is nothing that is lost, that cannot be found, if sought." (words from one of Jane Austen's books).

Also, a quick peek at another celtic block (more about celtic block here)!  Ohhhh I'm gonna love it!  You know it would make a beautiful nautical theme with red, white, and blue...hmmmmm Oh the possibilities!  Have a super fun weekend.  Little Mama Hen

Finding inspiration over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Hudson Bay Point Quilt

Just getting started on a Point Blanket!

Have you ever heard of the Hudson Bay Point Blanket?  When I was a little girl we called them beaver blankets.  Ours was big and itchy but really warm.

The blankets were very popular for trading during the 18th and 19th century in (what is now) Canada and the United States.  Frontiers men would trade the blankets for beaver pelts (or other furs) from the Native Americans.

There are lots of wonderful websites giving history and stories about the blanket.  Hudson Bay is a company that makes the blankets and there are/were others too.  For more history, a great place to start is Wiki Pedia.

I've been wanting to make one of these for awhile now; I've just been looking for a good excuse to get started.  My wonderful husband loves the outdoors and anything historical.  Last week he mentioned wanting a frontier themed quilt.  My ears perked up and I had just the quilt for him!!  So, off to the fabric store I went and I am loving working on this quilt.   I wanted to replicate the blanket, but still make it very quilty and patchworky. (new and invented words!)

I thought I had an 'Original' idea about turning the famous Blanket into a quilt form, but there are others that have already thought of it and completed some beautiful replicas!  Check them out!

Making Lemonade
Miss Make
I love you Because

He looks so innocent!

Oh, and did you know that sewing, cutting, ironing, and anything to do with quilting is nearly impossible with a little kitten interested in every little string or fabric or movement that you make!  My little MaoMao is so darn cute!  Well, I'm off to play 'Spy kids' with the kiddos and maybe splash in some water puddles!  -Little Mama Hen

Going over to Tea Rose Home and Freshly Pieced and Quilting by the River and Quilt Storyto find some inspiration!

To Dresden or Not to Dresden

There are some that love Dresden quilts and there are some that don't.  I will always love the Dresden pattern, because she was my first pattern.  I blogged about that lovely quilt here.

I've learned a lot since that little lovely and I have a lot more to learn. :)  Sometimes I forget that the treasure is not always at the finish line, but instead is discovered along the way.  Some of my greatest memories are from forgetting about the finish line and just playing along the way.

The Salt Lake Modern Quilt Guild is having a Dresden Challenge.  They are celebrating Darlene Zimmerman's 20th Anniversary designing quilting tools.  I used her Dresden ruler and pattern for my first quilt.   I don't know if I'll actually enter the contest.  The deadline is not until September, that seems like lots of time, doesn't it?  In any case, I've been inspired to make another Dresden Quilt.  Mama has already been spying it and asking if it's hers. ha!  She knows that I'm secretly working on her Birthday Quilt too.


Below are some pictures of what I've got so far.  Little Ladybug has been helping me too.  She likes all the tiny petals.

Rooftop Garden by Moda

Cutting and sewing tiny petals!  Melissa's quilt at Happy Quilting gave me the idea of sewing both ends of the petal. They remind me of tiny little Dutch shoes. :)

Ironed all the petals!!

And now I'm trying to decide what I want to do.  I thought I knew but I never follow the plan.   ;)  I can feel and see it in my mind, I just have to find it.  And I will, I always do.  Sometimes I just have to wait.  Some call my waiting procrastination; I call it mentally creating. ;)  Boy, I wish I would have thought of that line back in high school!  I remember be scolded once in school.  The teacher told me I hadn't done any of my English work; I told her I had it all done and pointed to my mind.  She did not appreciate my ability to compose volumes of literature without any outlines or rough drafts.  lol   

So, Do you Dresden? -Little Mama Hen

  

Charity Blocks and Summer Stuff

It's boiling hot here, so we've been heading to the pool this past week!  The water is perfect and so refreshing!  I have been able to steal a few minutes here and there to sew!

Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts is teaming up with Margret's Hope Chest to make some blocks for charity quilts.  There are tutorial links and information on both websites for the type of blocks they need.  The blocks are to be monochromatic.  Mine are for the most part, but not perfectly one color, because my stash just isn't that big yet.  Hopefully, they'll be workable; if not, I'm sure they can work them into a different style quilt.  The blocks are super quick, easy, and ohhh so cute.  :)

Charity Blocks!

I'm also working on some Lanyards for my sister, she's a teacher.  One of the best, I might add!  I also made her a mug rug, just because.  :)  Did you know that it's nearly impossible to make lanyards with a little kitten running around!  He was jumping and crawling all over me trying to grab one of those things. ha!      So progress on these will probably be slow.

Front of Mug Rug

Back of Mug Rug

Mao Mao and the Lanyards

I found a new block that I love!  It's called a Celtic Twist (tutorial here).  The illustration used green fabric, but I switched up and tried some red!  Love it!  It was fun to put together, lots of steps but not hard.  I'll make several more and make a little lap quilt.

I've also worked on Mama's Birthday quilt; however, I can't show pictures because she reads my Blog!  Mom's are always our number one fans.  :)  Love ya Mama!  ;)

Well, my children have discovered that I'm missing.  I hear them calling me.  It's like hide and seek, for blogging Mamas.  Have a wonderful weekend.  If you have kids, kiss 'em and squeeze those little cheeks!    -Little Mama Hen

Little Man's Quilt

Little Man - He told me I couldn't see him. :)

My Little Man is 3 years old.  He is in a constant state of motion, except when he first wakes up.  He is  a sleepy boy when he first wakes up and he loves to sit by Mommy and hold my hand.  When he was first born he spent over a month in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).  I don't usually talk about those times; there was much stress and anxiety and just complete helplessness.  It's just too much. Hopefully, I'll share a little here and there on occasion; I think it will be good for me.   But for now, what I meant to talk about was how much I love my Little Man.  He is quick to laugh even when he's mad, he's wild and he's gentle.  He can be so rough but then turn right around and be so gentle and sweet.  You know, he's ALL Boy! haha

Black butterflies! perfect for Little Man

So of course, a quilting Mama must make Quilts for her babies!  Little Man loves orange.  For some reason he hasn't picked up on all the colors yet.  We practice, but he just doesn't ever seem very sure.  His sister learned her colors like she was on a mission; however, I don't want to compare them.  Everyone is different and I'm not the type of Mama to 'push'.  Don't get me wrong, my kiddos are enriched with education EVERY day.  I just don't get a crick in my neck about it.  In the BIG picture of life, I always opt for what fits, what's comfortable, what's useful etc.

What's wrong with my uneven ends!!??

So Little Man not knowing all his colors yet is ok with me.    Except for Orange, he LOVES orange and knows that color perfectly.  So an Orange quilt seems very appropriate! He also loves butterflies and just about anything that wiggles, crawls, hops, or flies.

My Mama brought me some beautiful fabric a while back and it was Perfect!  I started piecing the top almost immediately.  Little Man happened to wonder in and declared that this should be his quilt.  His excitement sealed the deal.

It's a very simple patchwork pattern, but I'm having difficulty understanding why my ends don't meet up.  I'm sewing long strips together and even though the strips are the same length, when I get to the end there is an inch or so discrepancy.  ????  I don't use pins, so I'm thinking maybe I'm just hurrying too fast and letting the fabric slip.  Do you ever have these issues?

Well, I'm off to have some summer fun with my sweet ones.  Have a great Tuesday!
Go kiss someone like you mean it!  They're sure to smile and it will fill your heart!  - Little Mama Hen

I'm going over to Quilt Story and Quilting by the River and Freshly Pieced for some inspiration. Come along, I always find inspiration there.  :)

Bunny Squares

Vintage Bunny fabric

I found some really cute vintage bunny fabric on Ebay and I've been trying to decide what to make with it.  It's so cute, I just know it will make a cute baby blanket.

I started with a simple 9 patch. One patch purple and one patch pink.  There are tiny pink and purple flowers in the bunny fabric. I then cut the 9 patches and rearranged the pieces to mix and match the purple and pink squares.  I think it's looking cute, but I'm not sure this is the best pattern to show off the cute bunny fabric.  I think I'll keep going until it's a nice size toddler quilt.  Maybe I'll back it with some soft minky white or pink fabric.

Today is also the first day of Summer Vacation!  So far so good!  However, sometimes I feel like a full time referee with a 3 year old and a 5 year old!  :)  

Little Ladybug's Teacher

Teacher's Quilt

I did it!  Today is my Little Ladybug's last day of Kindergarten and I finished the quilt for her teacher!  Talk about last minute, I was trimming threads this very morning. Little Ladybug's teacher has been such a great influence in her life.  She loves her teacher very much.  So what's a Mama to do, but  love what her daughter loves.  

I started this quilt months ago.  It didn't really have a home intended when I started it; I  just liked the colors.  I had been at my local quilt shop and saw the lovely aqua/turquoise colors calling out to me.  It was just a few scrap remnants in a bin.  I saw an easy tutorial video for pinwheels by Missouri Star Quilt Co.  The pattern fit well with the fabrics I had chosen.   I'm going to link up over at AmyLouWho and Confessions of a Fabric Addict  and Pieceful Lifeand browse around to see what you all are up to.  

Happy Friday, find something funny and share it with someone just to hear their beautiful laughter. April -  Little Mama Hen

Tuesday Rain

Well, it's Tuesday and raining and thundering outside.  Most people don't seem to like rain and thunder.  I guess I'm not most people.  Something alive sparks inside me when I hear thunder and smell the rain.  When I was little and a storm was approaching, everyone would head to the house except me. I'd run outside and into the field, throwing my arms up to the loud voice of heaven.  My entire world opens up during a storm and for a moment, I am everything that is beautiful and peaceful.

Anyway, on to real life.  This is my little Ladybug's last week of kindergarten.  I can't believe it!  It seems I was just pregnant with her.  She has learned so much this year.  Of course, the only thing she really wants, is to know when she can "do anything she wants".  Our conversation kinda went like this..

Ladybug:  Mama, when I'm 11 can I do anything I want?
Me: No sweetie.
Ladybug: What!  What about when I'm 16?
Me: Definitely NOT!
Ladybug: Gee Mama when are you going to stop telling me what to do?  What about when I'm grown?
Me: Maybe
Ladybug:  What about when I'm a Mama?
Me: *silence for a moment*  Yes, when you're a Mama you can do anything you want And you can tell your little ones what to do!

Oh she liked that!  It suited her just fine knowing that she'd be able to be the big Bosslady one day!

I still haven't finished her teacher's quilt. *sign.  But I have completed a few things

X and O quilt - So fun to make!

X and O quilt

My X and O quilt is done and ready for the shop.



























And Mao Mao's little quilt is ready.  Of course, he thinks himself above sleeping in a little box on a mere piece of cloth.  He has elevated his household position to King or maybe Emperor.  In any case, he won't sleep on the blanket I made him.  *sign.  It's such a soft and cute blanket.

Mao Mao's quilt

Mama's yard flag

I also finished a yard flag for Mama.  I made it patriotic for Summer.











And I finished a first-aid pouch for my purse.  My little ones love band-aids!  The slightest scratch and Mickey Mouse, Dora, Toy Story, or Barbie band-aid is the only cure.  I can live with that.  :)








I hope your Tuesday is as beautiful as mine.  April@Little Mama Hen

Sharing at

Quilting by the River
Canoe Ridge Creations
Quilt Story

Finding Fun Stuff

Valori Wells Give-away

I love the designer Valori Wells' fabric and patterns.  Her blog is always so personal and inspirational.

Well, today I noticed that she is having a give-away of the book We Love Colors.  The book shows off the work of 16 quilt designers with Kona Solids!

Hop on over for a chance to win!  There are no rules, just leave a comment.  And check out her cute and oh so Mommy way of picking the winner!  love it!

Valor Wells Fabric Designer Give-Away!!

Tanya's Dresden inspired Quilt @ Squares and Triangles

Another Fun item I found is the EZ Dresden Challenge.  It looks simple and no follow along deadline except for the entry deadline in September!  I think I can do that.  Great give-aways and they have a blog hop over the next few weeks for inspiration.  I'm especially loving Tanya's inspiration at Squares and Triangles.  Check out the Challenge and see if it looks fun to you!

EZ Dresden Challenge

I mentioned earlier how I've discovered Ebay and how much fun I was having finding vintage fabric.  Well, I wanted to share one of those stores with you and another I found on Etsy.  I'm not getting any kind of kick-back on any of this stuff, I just like to share.

Newberry Boulevard

The first store is Newberry Boulevard.  They have fat quarter bundles that are really cute.  They even have some Moda fabrics.  They had some sweet bunny fabric that I ordered and when I contacted them wanting more, she found some for me!  They have fast delivery time too.  They have some Red fabric with white geese that I'm eyeing at the moment!






Land of Oz Fabric Shop is another fun one on ebay!  Moda fabric! yay!

The Etsy shop that I found is Tessy Lou Co. I love her Moda Fabric and she has the best prices I've found so far.  She also gave me 2 extra inches on my yardage and my edges were already pinking sheared for prewashing!  Now that's service I like!

What good deals and fun have you discovered?

Find something fun to do today! Little Mama Hen

Happy June! Old Lists New Ideas

Ok, so I didn't get my List for May completed; however, I had a lot of fun looking at it and thinking 'Gee what was I thinking!"  Now, if I had paid more attention to the list and not wandered of the given course, I might have actually finished it.  Of course, as I've mentioned, I lack the linear skills to stay on course.  I like to wander off, it's amazing what you discover when you do!  


List for May
1. Make Little Dress for Africa - Charity  Yay!
2. Pillowcase Challenge (make more) - Charity  :( but these are so fun, I know I'll do more soon!
3. Finish and mail my quilt for Bumble Beans Inc. Charity   Yay!
4. Finish my sister's quilt!  I'd better!  Her birthday is this month!!!  Yay!
5. Finish Mama's mother's day gift! oh she's gonna love it! oh Yay!  she did love it! Pic below!
6. Complete quilt for my Little Ladybug's Kindergarten teacher I'm SO close!  I've got one week before Summer Vac.!
7. Make Pillow Shams for Family Room chairs - I've never made shams before.  Didn't even come close! lol
8. Make quilted kitchen towel holders - Any good ideas out there?  Still looking for a cute pattern
9. Make trash bag holders for bathrooms  Nope
10. Make trash tote and bag holders for sis and mama Nope
11. Make a scrap quilt top (just the top!)  Started it!  
12. Make something for my honey!  It's his birthday this month!  Yay!    Peanut Butter Pie checkout  this easy and soooooo yummy recipe!

Even though I didn't finish my list, I did accomplish a lot!   Thanks Amanda Jean / Crazy Mom Quilts for the wonderful idea, it was a lot of fun!  Below are somethings I discovered/accomplished while wondering of the path of my List for May!

1. Made Mama and Sis Soap Bottle Aprons!  so fun!  I still need to do a tutorial on this
2. Opened an Etsy shop! no way, right!  haha well, now that I'm addicted to sewing I've got to find a way to earn my keep. ;)
3. Discovered EBAY!!!  OMG! It is such a good thing that I don't Gamble!  Bidding is such an addiction. And oh the fabric and deals I found!  example: 5 yards of Thomas Strahan vintage fabric for $8! Beautiful!
4. Decorated some towels for Mama.
5. Made Dresden Coasters and a Daisy Mug Rug
6. Made coin/ring purses
7.  Adopted a homeless kitten! Mao Mao
8. Finished another baby quilt, well almost.  I'm just hand binding it.

For June, I'm considering joining a Quilt Along or Dresden Challenge.  I'm not sure though, since I don't do well with deadlines and schedules.  Have you ever joined a Quilt Along?  Is it fun?

I hope you all have a great weekend!  Find something new and try it!  April@Little Mama Hen

Sharing over at
Crazy Mom Quilts
Lily's Quilts
Amy Lou Who
Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Decorated towels for Mama

Mao Mao

Dresden Coasters

Thomas Strahan Vintage Fabric

More vintage fabric.  Love the Bunny!

Mama's Mother's day gift

My new ring purses!

Soap Bottle Aprons

Baby/Lap Quilt. Love the colors!

Daisy Mug Rug.