I'm back people. It is kind of hard to get going again. But I'm working on it. In the mean time, please go to the Riley Blake FaceBook page and vote for my quilt (if you want to). I've entered their contest with my Cherry Cheesecake quilt. If you don't want to vote for me, vote for Robyn. Her's is great.
-nanette
I showed you my Asterisk Union Jack made from the tutorial on Selvage blog found here.
The quilt made by Karen (shown above) was featured in QuiltMaker magazine. Isn't it fabulous. I really love it. I want to make this quilt.
In review, I used the tutorial and changed up the size to 6.5"x9" to make the Union Jacks. And I made several of them. I'm making a tiny table top version of my personal flag quilt.
I made mini Slovakian flags in the same 6.5"x9" size. I actually used fusible for the shield, cross and mountain part of the flag. I hardly ever use fusible but for this application it worked perfectly.
I made mini Danish flags.
And I made mini USA flags. They all went together fairly quickly. Now I need to sash them, border them and machine quilt into the mini table toppers I have planned.
I got these new craft cans online a while ago for buttons small bits of this and that, so I decided to try making a few covered cans. I used Elmer's extra strong spray adhesive that I knew would hold fabric on metal. I used Annie's Farm Stand fabric for the body of the can. And Lori's Sew Cherry red gingham for the top, folded like a seam binding.
Recently I had lunch with Lori and Rae Ann. You know how we always bring treats to share, well I filled the cans with some little fat 16ths, trim and goodies. I think they turned out really sweet. The cans are a great idea for a make-it take-it or a n0 sew craft for friends. Anyone can make these.
Rae Ann brought Lori and me a cute box.
Inside was this big pincushion with home made pins. It is a really sweet Dresden pin design and I love the ruffle. Thanks Rae Ann.
Lori made these really great crochet apple cozies for us. I've never seen anything like it. I love that color with the red apple and the covered button gives it a nice accent. Thanks Lori.
At lunch I brought this box stuffed full of vintage aprons. The box was sent to me by Barbara, a darling blog reader who won a giveaway of market fabric recently and has been a reader of my blog for more than 3 years. It was so nice of her. The aprons are all her mother's aprons. Barbara's mom was the real life June Cleaver and wore aprons everyday (and never wore pants!). Barbara's mom recently passed away and Barbara wanted to share some of the aprons with me, Lori and Rae Ann. Wasn't that so sweet.
After lunch we oohed and ahhed over all the fabrics and the lovely mix of aprons. The aprons are keepsakes of the past made with delightful fabrics. Thank you again, Barbara for thinking of us and sharing with us. We each got to pick and choose and take some of the vintage aprons home.
While I was at lunch I picked out this really cute skirt (on sale) for Allison. I am sure the fabric cost as much as I paid for this skirt so I couldn't pass it by. It is a little big yet but will be cute on her.
Allison spent a few days at our house last week. We had a great time with her. She is obsessed with being outside. I love when she comes. She's growing up so fast.
Last month I finished my family history flag quilt and the flags were really very simple. The trickiest flag was the Union Jack. And it wasn't hard to make but while I was reading the directions and looking at the diagrams in that particular pattern I kept thinking "there is an easier way to do this". And I've been thinking about that.....
So I printed off the instructions to make the asterisk block and by changing the dimensions and using some of my red and white striped fabric the asterisk became....
...this very simple fussy cut Union Jack in mini flag block.
I fussy cut a red and white striped fabric. This allowed me to eliminate the step from my original Union Jack block of stitching a white fabric next to a red fabric. The instructions said to cut block 6X6". But to make it flag sized I cut the blue fabric 6x9". The intersecting stripe I cut slightly larger than the instructions in the asterisk block stated.
Looking at my red and white striped fabric that I had on hand, I realized that fussing cutting any red and white striped fabric would work to faux the white strip next to the red. (I hope this makes sense.)I followed the simple instructions from the tutorial for making the block by cutting and then sewing as it went along. I want to make lots more of these little Union Jacks. Sometimes my stash comes in handy when I can just get an idea, go to my shelves, and make something as inspiration hits. Go red and white fabric!
I love this photo of Laurie mostly because it is one of the only times I've seen her in heels. See that basketball in the background? That is much more descriptive of Laurie's personality than those heels.
Laurie is one of those great kids that I take no pats on the back for. She pretty much came that way. Laurie keeps the family in line and I'm grateful for that.
Here is my reason for finally posting her graduation - I finished her graduation/dorm quilt. Obviously Laurie's name was the inspiration for the quilt.
The Ls are backwards and forwards and sideways, sorta. The border is kind of Nintendo inspired. See, I can do modern! Modern was the biggest stipulation when Laurie told me what she wanted in a dorm quilt.
She wanted modern boxy quilting, too. And she likes purple. 
She could probably be my complete and total opposite in textiles. And sometimes in personality. I certainly didn't earn a full freshman year tuition scholarship from the University of Utah School of Business when I was in college. (sorry for the bragging) She starts school in 2 weeks! Yipes.
I just get such a kick out of these photos with heels that I had to post another one. It makes me laugh. And see her beautiful hair? She didn't get that thick chestnut hair from my side of the family. But her hair is naturally curly like mine. Can you believe she straightens it? Crazy. I'm really going to miss Laurie, even though she's only going to be 45 min. away.
The fabric is from Lori's line with Riley Blake. I loved making this quilt and can't wait to hang it up in my home.
I am really happy I used the striped fabric for the border. I like these photos of the quilt Shelbie took in our front yard.
In the corners of the outside border I used the red gingham squares in the corners and I bound it in the red gingham. 
I used a really nice crisp vintage sheet for the back of the quilt. The sheet is in great shape and reminds me of the thick linens of my childhood. The daisies on the sheet are perfect to tie in the daisies appliqued on the front of the quilt.
I really love my quilt and I'm so glad it is all done. I'm going to enter it in the Alpine Days Quilt Show on August 13.
Nanette I'm a quilter, mother to 8, and Nanny to 3