Toddlerless Tuesday #3! Tuesday's Treasures, Too!

Hi, all!

It was certainly a different Toddlerless Tuesday - I didn't get what I thought I'd finish done, but sometimes plans are just made to be changed!

I started out the day thinking I would get a quilt finished, but only got a little of the quilting done on it.  I like what I did, though - it's close-together straight line quilting, and it looks great! Now I just need to get the rest done so I can show you all the quilt.....

A friend was coming over to pick up some fabric for a border and backing, and while we were talking, she told me that she had never done any free motion quilting with a regular sewing machine.   So - - - out came the test sandwich, and I gave her a quick lesson!    It always amazes people when they see how really simple FMQ is - it just takes practice!

Then a friend came over who needed help on a pillow cover for her son, who just left for college - but help turned out to be sewing it up for her, as she doesn't machine piece - she's one of those folks who does beautiful hand piecing, but doesn't feel comfortable using a sewing machine!  Since she wants to get the pillow to her son this weekend, we whipped it up this morning - and I think it came out nice, even though this isn't the best photograph....

Deb's Pillow!

I love the reason she chose this pattern - a Jacob's Ladder variation - because her son's middle name is Jacob!  It's in his new school colors, too!

So all in all, it was a productive Toddlerless Tuesday, even though I didn't do what I set out to do!

And now, for my Tuesday Treasure.....


I want to show you the gift I received last Christmas from my two wonderfully creative (and wonderfully wicked) nieces!  First of all, though, I need to explain to you that for my birthday last year, they sent me a straw handbag covered with silk flowers, with a note saying that they hoped it would inspire me in my purse-making endeavors (this was pre-quilting mania!).   Then, thinking that I would do something equally wicked to them for Christmas, they set out to find the most kitschy present they could find for me, to offset what they were sure I would do to them.  And here's what they found......

And you want to know the funniest thing about this hat?  I absolutely love it!!!  It is positively the silliest thing I've ever seen - all of those "things" you can see reflecting light are little sequin-like things, all different shapes - angel wings, flowers, leaves, you name it, it's probably on there!    I would wear it if I wasn't afraid it would fall apart - the straw hat underneath the fishnet is crumbling away - so it just sits in a place of honor on my china cabinet, inspiring me every day!  (Of course, some days it just inspires me to look for something equally kitschy to send back to them for Christmas this year....... but how can I ever top this???)

So that's my Tuesday Treasure for this week!  I hope you like it as much as I do!!

Later!

Sarah