Even though it is a gloomy Friday, life goes on. The human spirit can always be filled with hope.

We all love houses. Home is where the heart is, where we belong and are accepted. I love fabric with houses, so today for Fabulous Fabric Friday I thought I would show some of my fabrics with houses on them.

The fabric on the far left is a vintage fabric I've had for quite a while. It features little pink and blue houses. So cute. The next one is a village print with churches, stores and homes. The last one is a grouping of houses with all the things that surround them in the outdoors.
Again from left to right is black, red and white city buildings, the turquoise print is Three Little Pigs and what surrounds the story - the piggie houses!, and the last is a Japanese print of things you see in the city including little houses, cars, dogs, trees and the sun.
What collection of houses would be complete without a toile?, next is a feed sack from my collection with doors, windows and shutters printed all over (I really love that one), and the last is another city scene with a lady walking her little dog. These fabrics of homes gave me the inspiration for the Cottage block.

Home should be a happy place. I talked to my family last week about being extra nice and loving in our home when the world has such problems and the news is so dismal. We have to work especially hard on having our homes be a place of refuge right now.

Pam's blog is one of the first blogs I started to read quite a while ago. I was drawn by her humor and her great taste in fabric and print and her lovely sewing and quilting talents. Now I really do not make an effort to copy Pam but I have noticed that we tend to gravitate towards similar items. It really is purely coincidence that today I'm showing my yo yo kit I bought from Jen Duncan and Pam is showing the same thing on her blog! I had no idea she bought this from Jen's Etsy store. And now I realize Monica has one too. I feel like I'm in good company.
I really like Jen's blog. She does such lovely things and has a great point of view. I bought this little yo yo kit for a gift but since it arrived I don't know if I can part with it! Jen has a way of putting things together to make something simple like making yo yos be like having a party.

The girls at Quilt Taffy have such a fun blog and great fabric store. There is always something good going on with Des and Corrie. Every Thursday they have a cool giveaway at their blog. And guess who won yesterday's drawing???? Me! Yep. Yep. Des says I'm way too lucky and I should be called Yes Yes Nanette. Well yesterday she was right. I am going to get this magazine in the mail from the Quilt Taffy girls. I can't wait to get my Quilts and Gifts from them and incorporate some of the ideas into my Christmas sewing. Thanks Des and Corrie. I am so excited.

Make a nice peaceful weekend everyone. We may get some snow in Utah. And don't forget about Melissa's Cottage Warming Party on Monday!!! She's got some sneak peeks there today.

-nanette

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Today there are 2 vitual quilts. Our blocks are growing and growing when we are done we will have more than 600 blocks. That's a lot of cottages!

Another 2 packages with Christmas Cottage blocks came to my house. I can't tell you how sweet it is to open a package with the cottages made so well by the girls in our exchange. The cottages are warm and inviting and really show a fun almost child like spirit of the Christmas holidays. It is like opening a present when I open a package of blocks. These blocks are from Dawn on the left and Chen on the right. Lovely job girls.
Sometimes I participate in Vintage Thursdays -a theme Eileen introduced me to a bit ago. A few weeks ago my husband brought home a box of vintage story/reading books from my MIL. She was a teacher and she is destashing her blooks.
These 2 little books were very loved as you can see. I know why, the stories are so cute and the illustrations are just engaging.

I love the books from the 50s and 60s. They pictures are so charming.
This one is so cute and tells the story of a little girl and a doll.
I received a sweet gift yesterday with great messages of hope and dreams. I really like surrounding myself with inspirational things, it makes the day seem brighter. Such a nice thoughtful surprise.

Bonnie Miles is a legendary quilter and coordinator/teacher. She has a quilt retreat in Bryce Canyon at Ruby's Inn every year. The retreat is in February and I've been invited to be a teacher/presentor and I'm excited but scared.

Sherri is going to the retreat and sent me this link today (thanks Sherri) showing what quilts will be featured. I didn't even know it was on the internet yet. So it's exciting to see who is presenting/teaching and what will be featured. Nedra is teaching and so is her friend Ricci. My friends Flora, Paula and Sherry from our quilt group are teaching too. It's going to be scary to be among such talented people. I'd like to take the Parker Homestead quilt class, (if I can keep it together enough to take a class right before teaching) but it looks so hard and I've never done anything like that.

-nanette

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Kim at True Up posted last week about showing stashes of fabric. Nettie at A Quilt is Nice also posted her stash. I love to see how everyone stores their fabric and what kind of stash they have. I guess I'm nosey.

When I moved into my sewing room after the remodel early this year (above) everything was in perfect order. I love that. But it is hard to use fabric and pull from your stash all the time while keeping it perfect unless you spend lots of time refolding and reorganizing. I do my best to keep it in order but I prefer to sew rather than make sure all the ends of my fabric are exactly lined up. So fast forward to my sewing room today - see below.

This is my semi-organized stash. I have tried all kinds of organization methods over the years and this is my latest one. I just fold and shelf. I don't separate color or type. It is too hard to clean up and put away if I put all the same things together. This way it is a blend of color and styles and I've come to be enjoy looking through fabric when I need a certain color because I end up finding things I forgot about! So that is some of my stash.

So what does your stash look like?

There are some fun things going on around the blogs. Erin is having her first giveaway. Go see her and tell her I sent you. She's a great girl. Jane (another wonderful girl) is having a fat quarter sale for Christmas fabric. What a deal - $1.00 each! Jane and her friend Elaine already sent me their Christmas Cottage Blocks and they are super cute. All those of you that wanted to participate in our exchange but couldn't, go check out Jane's fat quarters. Anyone not in the exchange can send me their cottage pictures too and I'll show them on my blog. And speaking of cottages go see Patty's blog called My Home Made Life. She has the cutest cottage made with Japanese fabric. You've got to see it. It is so darling. And she has some pretty fabulous vintage quilts on the clothes line too. Good work Patty!

And does anyone remember when I told you to go enter Sarah Smith fabulous prize drawing??? That was back in early September. Did you go and enter?? Well I did. And I won 2nd prize!!! Yipee. Go to Sarah Smith blog (scroll down a little) and see what I won. I love their products. I won 4 gifts. I cannot wait to get them. I think I recognize some of the names of other winners. Melissa J. and Polly is that you??? I sure hope so.

So where are your stash pics?
-nanette

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Over the weekend I did finish something. My fall cottages were sewn together and I started machine quilting last week and then had time to finish over the weekend and it is bound! (no label though) So I immediately hung the cottages up in my sewing room to enjoy through Halloween and maybe even into November, what the heck, why not.

It was lots of fun and I just dipped into my stash with fall colors and designs. I love the quilts I don't have to buy anything new for.

There is a ton of machine quilting in this little project. I wanted each house different. The one above has a tile roof.

Each one has different quilting lines in the windows, doors and roof. It was fun to quilt even if I now have to take my machine in for service! (I'm on the back up machine currently)

I quilted around the little people and things in the windows, too. It makes me very happy to look at it on my wall. It is preparing me for things to come as the Christmas Cottage blocks start to arrive.
And speaking of - I have 4 sets so far. We have such fabulous people participating in our exchange. Above are the blocks for Tricia, Flora, Jane and Elaine. (thanks girls) It gives me so much pleasure to look at the completed blocks and I look forward to the arrival of the rest. I've made so many contacts and friends with this exchange. The women particpating are all just so fabulous. I'm sure Terri will agree with me that this has been a wonderful exachange to be involved in. We've just got the greatest assortment of blocks.

And here are the latest! This is Terri's newest master piece. It just warms my heart. I couldn't be more proud of the cottage blocks! Thank you everyone.

-nanette

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A few years ago Paula, in our local quilt group, finished her Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt. It is beautiful. She told me it took something like 10 years go complete from start to finish. And that includes hand quilting. It is truly a work of art. I was so inspired by the beauty of hexagons (as is every quilter) that I vowed to learn. Well time flies. This year my daughter Natalie decided she was going to start a hexagon quilt. Ambitious to say the least. So I ordered these 2 Japanese quilting books on hexagons as inspiration books for both of us.

The book on the right is a beginner book with simple projects and the one on the left has crazy lovely amazing things in it. Both are great books.

The books are full of lovely photography of projects and how to (in Japanese of course) but the pictures seem clear enough to follow.


I decided I could probably make something this simple. And although I have no plans now for a Grandmother's Flower garden, there is no reason I shouldn't learn and applique some pretty flowers like these.

I've been pouring over the beginning book gaining confidence. Somewhat.

This is from the other book, obviously. Not a project for a beginner.

This one is so beautiful. Even the paisley is appliqued! Yes, I said appliqued paisley. (get that Terri).

Here is a Grandmother's Flower Garden varation. See someof the book is in English. But not much.

I love this one. The dark green sets the flower garden hexes off so well. It is just so pretty.

Since getting the books and dreaming about making such a complex hand pieced quilt, I've payed special attention to Cathi's blog Quilt Obsession. If you haven't visted Cathi's blog - go see what she has done with hexagons. Cathi introducted me to Inklingo.

Without really getting into the details. Inklingo is a program where you print the hexagons right on the back of fabric and hand stitch them together with no templates and no basting. You really need to go through Cathi's posts to get the idea. Even though we all know I have many projects in the mix. I decided to start on some hexagons for hand work when I'm not in my sewing room. You can see above the printed lines on the back of my fabric. This template above is for cutting out with scissors. The program also has diagrams for rotary cutting but I was going mobile with it so I printed the scissor cut variety.

Here is my first flower! My hand stitching could be better. (lots) But it was really fun and no templates! Really go to Cathi's to see the back (hers is much neater than mine) and get more details.

Hey, now I might even be able to make some of those lovely projects in my Japanese quilting books! A Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt is still eons away. But it is now more of a possibility. Thanks so much for all your help Cathi.

- nanette

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I had a post all about hexagons for yesterday but due my husband's dental procedure complication yesterday I'll postpone that for another day since today is FFF and I don't want to change my Friday theme. I had to watch my husband closely during the night so I didn't sleep well and I even dreamed about hexagons. Tells you what kind of night it was. But he is hopefully OK.

Today's virtual quilt - They are all so unique and each one is a fun use of fabric and together they make a fun mural. This would make a good Christmas wallpaper on the computer wouldn't it! Thanks again to Terri for her work on this. Be sure to click the picture and look at how cute they all are. And go visit Teresa today at Diddle Daddle Designs blog and enter her cottage giveaway. She's got the sweetest cottage all finished and ready to hang on some one's wall.

Speaking of Christmas cottages, my friend Flora finished hers and brought them over. I have to tell you 4 things about Flora. Flora is one of the founding members of our local quilt group and she and Paula have served all the women that have come and gone for over 20 years (is that right? or is it longer?). Flora is a loyal friend and someone I adore and enjoy. Flora really does not like Christmas fabric and she signed up for our exchange anyway! (now thats a friend) And Flora does NOT like Sunbonnet Sue. Keep that in mind as you look at one of her cottages above and below.

Vintage Sunbonnet Sue Christmas fabric!!! Flora told me this little gem was inside a stack of fat quarters she bought years ago while on a trip. This is the only cottage made with this fabric and it is MINE. Sorry everyone else but I love it. I happen to like Christmas fabric and Sunbonnet Sue. Every time I look at this block I'll think of Flora and what a sweet friend she is to always be there. OK on to FFF.

Last Saturday I was in Material Girls in South Jordan when I walked up to talk to Nadine's daughter at the cash register and there out of the corner of my eye I saw this fabric. Kitchen Fabric. REPRODUCTION VINTAGE KITCHEN FABRIC in several colorways. I fell in love. Then I looked closer and thought, hmmm that looks very familiar. On the left above you'll see 2 feedsack pieces next to the Blank Quilting fabric called Morning Call. Look closely. The light fabric on the left was from Eileen that she sent when we had a vintage fabric exchange.

And look at this comparison photo. This fabric on the bottom is from a piece I got several years ago on Ebay and I've very carefully used bits of it in projects until this is all I have left. I was kind of shocked to see this fabric recreated. It's not exact, of course, but very similar. It's fabulous fabric but it really struck me that they were so similar.

I also bought companion fabric in the teapot design. Look at that! Its worth framing its so beautiful. I am in love with both pieces and I've been admiring them on my table all week long. I want to cut some of the red up and put it in cottages even though its not Christmas fabric.

Also while at Material Girls I picked up this fabric above to make an ironing board cover. I won Nadine's giveaway at the Material Girls blog a bit ago and I got to pick out what fabric I wanted to make my ironing board cover. I know, its spring fabric but it may take me that long to get around to making the cover. The fabric is thick and I like the design and colors. I also like the black background on an ironing board cover because it shows less scorching.

I have had the hardest time with loading pictures and blogger today! whew, this took a while.

-nanette

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Melissa is having a party at her blog October 13, 2008 from 6:00 AM to 10:30 PM - ALL DAY! Go to her invitation post on her blog and check it out and mark your calendars. Melissa is one of the members of our Cottage Exchange group and she is having a house warming party for her cottages. She has prizes and patterns to giveaway that day plus a cute button to show your support of her cottage warming party that you can grab for your blog (double your chances!).

To support Melissa and and add a tad of extra fun to her party I'm offering a little prize to sweeten the deal. Melissa will also be drawing a name for a prize from Freda's Hive. I'll send the winner a little dress kit to make my new pattern 'All Dressed Up'.


The kit includes 32 charm squares (you only need 30, but I couldn't decide which two to take out so I left them in) that includes vintage fabric , Japanese reproduction fabric, unusual fabric, and just plain darling fabric to make the dresses. It is made from fabric you couldn't just go out and buy. Here is a peek.


There is also a little pack with trim, buttons and fun stuff to embellish the dresses as well as little squares that you can use to fussy cut and applique on little areas of the dresses to make them pop. These all come from my stash and several are the same fabrics and trim I used in my dress quilts. And I'll include a little extra "thing" not included in the picture as a surprise. I love surprises.

I hope you go over and look at Melissa's invitation and RSVP for her party. It's a cute idea and she's a talented girl.

Ok last night was our usual quilt group meeting but we held it at an unusual location. A brand new quilt shop has opened less than 5 minutes from my house - uh ohhh, could be trouble. It's called "Just Sew" and it's located in Highland Utah just across from the Kohler's Grocery store and on the corner of the main intersection at Alpine Highway.


We all squeezed in the shop and had an after hours look at the store. It's a cute store, if you are in the area, check it out. Because of the unusual meeting place I didn't get a lot of pictures. But here are a few.


Syd made an "Empty Nest" quilt after seeing an idea from another one of our quilt members. It was really cute and told a story of their family.


Melissa is making quilts for Africa and was showing us all the tops that they have made so far.
She is looking for people to machine quilt them if anyone wants to help. Its a great idea and sweet thing to do.

Sherri finished her "Oh My GOSH" quilt. Can you believe it. The pieces are eensy. I know there are a few other members of our group that are done or very close. Sherri is hand quilting this. It is going to be a very special keepsake.

Here is a view of the one side of the new shop taken while everyone was crowded around Sherri's quilt.

And last but definately NOT least is the latest virtual Christmas Cottage quilt from Terri's clever blog. Not only that but Terri is done with her blocks! I had my first set of blocks delivered to my house today by Tricia in my group. We'll show pictures of hers in one of our next virtual quilts. They are so well made and in 'Mary' Christmas fabric! Darling.

-nanette

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