Have A Great Tuesday

Well it is Tuesday and I will be going back to work today.  I am a little excited about how the events of my life are working out at this point.  I am so enjoying work at TJ Maxx and I am very happy that my CQ work is starting to take off.  I love having the time to do what I want to do.  It is almost like waking up from a dream state and just getting back to the life you enjoy.  I really can't complain about the past 8 years.  I have learned a lot.  I mean really learned a lot.  Now I get to move on with my life and do the things that I set back for the time that I was learning the things that I need to know.  Now I get to have time for what I love to do.

I wake up every morning and just get really excited about what I have time to do.  I get to decorate for the holidays like I really like to do.  I get to bake for Christmas!  The "I get to's" just keep rolling off.  Here is one wish for every one out there:  I wish that you all learn what it is like to wake up and smile everyday and get to do what it is you want to do!  It is wonderful!

Here are three more pictures for you to use in your crafting:

 

 

Here is hoping that you get to do what you want today!!

TTFN
The Lion

Yo-Yo Flower Project

 

This is a quick and easy project.  It is perfect for a short break from that big project that you have going on.

The supplies that you will need are:

1 3 1/2 x 5 picture frame
1 piece of backing fabric

1 piece of silk or cotton fabric
1 piece of lace about 3 inches wide

3 pieces of fabric different colors ( This should be a light weight or sheer fabric.)
1 spool of quilting thread
#5 perle cotton thread green and one other color

Directions:

1) Cut the backing piece of fabric to 6 and a half inches x 7 inches.

2) Take the back of the picture frame and draw a line around it with a pen on the backing fabric.

3) Turn the backing fabric so that your 3 1/2 x 5 inch square is on the back.

4) Find a piece of silk/cotton.  A solid color is preferable for this project.  Cut this fabric to the size of the backing fabric square.

5)  With a sewing machine sew around the outside of the backing fabric and the silk fabric making one piece of layered fabric.  Then sew around the 3 1/2 x 5 inch block making sure that you sew on the ink drawn lines.

6) Cut a piece of lace to the size of your block lengthwise.  place the piece of lace where the scalloped part of the lace is half way through the 3 1/2 x 5 inch square in your block.  Sew it in so that it does not move while you are working with the block.

 7) Take your three pieces of fabric and cut 1 strip out of each about 8 inches long and 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide.

8)  Fashion these into yo-yo's by folding them in half lengthwise and hand sewing with the quilting thread the raw edges together.  (The 1 to 1 1/2 inch side is the one that is sewn together by the raw edges.  This makes a circle.)  You then fold the circles in half with the raw edges from the small end  on the inside.  You then with the quilting thread and needle in hand gather together the raw edges and make sure you secure them into the yo-yo knotting the thread off.

9) Take your fabric and lace block and put into an embroidery hoop.  with the perle cotton thread embroider with the feather stitch "vines" with the green then with the other color you can combine with the feather stitch the lazy daisy stitch for "flowers".

10) Arrange the yo-yo flowers onto your block in the 3 1/2 inch by 5 inch square then sew them in with some perle cotton floss.  Attach them to your block by the center of the yo-yo flower.  Because you will be attaching the yo-yo's by the center you can use a different color floss to make some color for the center of your flower.

11) After all this is done you will put the square into the picture frame.  Your project is done.

I hope that you enjoyed my tutorial and if you have any questions let me know.

TTFN
The Lion

Good Saturday Morning

Happy Saturday to you all!  I have another day off!  Whoot, Whoot!  I am on a roll here!  I thought that before I went to my CQ group today I would share some more pretty awesome pictures with you.  I hope that you all are able to use these pictures in your special projects.

Make sure that you look this afternoon for my yo-yo flower tutorial.

TTFN
The Lion

All Done

Ok, everyone.  I am done.  I have finished my tutorial.  I am going to teach it this Saturday at my CQ group meeting.  After the meeting I will post it here on my blog.  So make sure you take a look Saturday to see a great tutorial!

In the mean time here is a little more of my special project.

TTFN
The Lion

My Day Off

Finally a day off!  I have been working 8 days now.  Retail!  Well anyway it is still a very refreshing job!  Today I will be working on a tutorial for yo-yo flowers.  I am very seriously thinking of putting it on my blog.  I will be teaching it this Saturday for my CQ group.

I want to share today some more photos with you and put myself back on track with my blogging.  Here are three AWESOME photos!

Talk to ya'll later!

TTFN
The Lion

Just Thinking

As the reorganizing of my sewing room keeps going slowly I have been thinking about working on another swap.  Right now we have my Christmas Stocking Swap going on.  This swap will conclude at the beginning of November.  (Please look two posts back for information on the swap.)  This swap is going to be wonderful this year!  Please be sure and email me to let me know if you want to participate. 

Now back to my thoughts.  The beginning of the year is so slow with the groups and a few ladies tend to get bored.  How about a swap at that time?  Now the problem is: What kind of a swap?  It has been years since Lisa in Nevada has done her AWESOME baggie swaps.  How about a baggie swap?  What about a Banner Swap?  Tag Swap? Pin Keeper Swap?  The possibilities are endless!  What do you think?  What kind of swap do you want to see?

Leave me a comment.

TTFN
The Lion

What I Have Been Up To

I have been up to quite a lot here in the past week.  First of all I want to announce that I am rearranging my sewing room.  I have laid hands on some shelves and an entertainment center.  I have put those in my room and moved my sewing machine.  I am now in the process of organizing my fabrics again.  Everyone who is a quilter knows how big THAT task is!  I am quite happy with how the room is turning out.

Also did I tell you about the sewing machine that I found at Goodwill?  It is a Dressmaker and I bought it for $16.00.  Have I told you yet that it works?  Awesome find if I do say so myself!

The next thing I would like to announce is my landing a promotion.  Yeah!  I interviewed for a part time CEC position and I wound up being offered a full time CEC position!  I am pretty happy with that.  Just a few more hours and a raise.  I am pretty content with life at this time.

Now some finished projects.  Here are pictures of the pin keeper that I made for Denise and a tag I made for Kriss.

Enjoy your day!

TTFN
The Lion

The Lion's Christmas Stocking Swap 2013

It is time!  Yes, it is that time of the year to announce The Lion's Christmas Stocking Swap!  It has been quite an exciting year so far and it is hard to believe that it is now July.

 

Last year we had such a wonderful swap and I am looking towards another GREAT swap!

 

 

 

Last year my friend Arlene selected the theme for the Stocking exchange.  It was Silver.  As you can see from all the stockings that I am putting up on this post they all turned out AWESOME!

 

 

 

Now on to this years theme.  My friend Denise picked out this years theme.  As all of you know I had a contest for the theme where I asked for suggestions.  I gave them all a number in the order that they came in.  Some ladies had more then one number because they had more than one suggestion.  I then used a random number generator and pulled out the winning theme.

 

 

 

That theme is...............Drum roll please!......................... All That Glitters!

 

I can not wait to see what everyone does with the Glitter!  What flashy stockings that we will see with this theme!

 

 

Now on to the guidelines for the swap!

 

 

Height: Stockings should be no taller then 11 inches high and no shorter than 8 inches high.


Width: Stockings should be no wider then 8 inches wide and no narrower then 4 and 1/2 inches wide.

Attention: Please, line the stockings in case your swap partner would like to use them for more than decorations!

You can send up to 4 stockings, stockings are to be hand embellished.(please no glue)

This swap will be a centralized swap. Stockings are to be mailed to me no later than October 15, 2013. I will mail them back to you on November 1, 2013. Sign up will be from now until September 1, 2013. Please do not forget the return postage, Swappers from other countries can send  bribe goodies and I will pay your return postage.

You can email me privately for my address at 2quilt12@gmail.com .

 

 

TTFN

The Lion

And Another Picture

TTFN
The Lion

Happy Fourth of July!

To my little sister a VERY happy birthday!  I was 7 years old when she was born.  I quite remember most of what went on that day.  My dad woke up my sister Kara and I got us dressed and sat us on the porch with a banana each and told us he and mom had to go and that our God Mother would be there to get us soon.  She was there not too long after that.  Kara and I went and spent a very rainy 4th of July with our God parents.  I remember mom had canned corn the day before and it was sitting on the counter of the kitchen.  I also remember dad coming and picking us up and telling us that we had a little sister.  He described her as red and white and screaming the blues.  I also remember dad making me and Kara pancakes the next morning.  That all happened 37 years ago today.

Happy birthday Brandi Joy!

With this being Independence Day and Brandi's birthday I thought that I would put up pictures saluting the women who served in the armed forces.  Brandi served in the Army.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a awesome and happy 4th of July America!

TTFN
The Lion