Janette & Bentley

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Garden Charm Quilt

I am a sucker for a sale. When this quilt kit went on sale, I had to buy it. It was a block of the month quilt, so every month (starting in January), I got instructions on making a little more of the quilt. I love the colors, fabrics, the interest of the different quilt elements/patterns. It was a lot of fun to make and I am so happy with how it turned out. I had the same long-arm quilter at The Quilting Mill do the quilting on this one, and I love her work!

This cat is attracted to quilts like a magnet. I had a hard time binding this around him.

Sunday, July 17, 2016

New Baby

My sister has such a cute family! On June 28th, this little one was born. My sister invited me to be in the hospital with her for his birth. Baby J was born weighing 8 lb 4 oz, and 20 inches long, with lots of dark hair and such a sweet temperment. He really is a good baby!

Congratulations, momma! He is perfect!

Cousin Maren meeting Baby J for the first time.

She's a natural!

Uncle Ben having some sleepy baby-time!

Hard to believe ours were ever this small!

No longer the baby! A is such a cute little boy, and now a big brother!

My little buddy! (Hard at work becoming the favorite aunt!)

Star of Wonder

Several months ago, I found a quilt kit for this beautiful quilt--the Star of Wonder. I was in love with the fabrics and the pattern. But the kit was out of stock. So I had to find the fabric and pattern from several different places, but I love how it came together!

Nearly all pieced together

Coming together

Top finished and laid out on my dining room table, which wasn't nearly wide enough to show the whole thing.

I decided I wanted to have someone professional machine-quilt this for me. It turned out to be a twin-size quilt, and I wasn't comfortable with my quilting skills on my home machine. I am still a learner/beginner on it, and I didn't want to attempt this large of a quilt quite yet. I had the quilting done by a very talented long-armer who does all her work free-style (it's not a set pattern that you would set the machine to do on it's own).

Home from the long-armer, not yet trimmed.

Detail of the all-over flower pattern she quilted.

Detal showing the quilting on the back.

Bound and finished and so, so pretty!

Detail in the sunshine

I am so pleased with how it turned out!

I'm excited to enter this quilt into the county and state fair. I usually wash all my quilts when they're done, because I love the crinkly nature of quilts after they've been laundered. I am keeping this one all starched and crisp until after the fairs, though! I had to hang it up where I could admire it and where a cat wouldn't sleep all over it. (For some reason, one of my cats has decided that every quilt--whether completed or not--is for him to bed down on/in.)

Fabric is Ambleside by Brenda Riddle for Moda Fabrics.

My long-arming was done at The Quilting Mill.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

A Few Pictures from England

This spring Maren and I took a trip to England. I had promised her (and Erik) a trip after their senior year of High School. Last summer, with getting Erik ready for his mission, and getting Maren ready for BYU, we didn't have time for this. So we went after she finished her first year of college. (Erik will get his trip when he gets home..I'm thinking he will want to go to Mexico.)

Here are some pictures, in no particular order.

On the ancient wall surrounding the city of York

At the ruins of St. Mary's in York

York Minster in the background

In Bronte country, at the Wuthering Heights pub

A friend I have known online for about 6 or 7 years. It was great to finally meet him in person!

At the Roman Baths in Bath

Outside the cathedral in Bath.

This is the car we rented and put 1200 miles on. 1200 scary miles.

Westminster

Hampton Court Palace

Buckingham Palace

The White Tower at the Tower of London

Winsdor castle

The Round Tower at Winsdor

A cat we found in York. Maren named her Tulip

A cat we found in Haworth. This one got the name Apricot

Stonehenge. Windy both times I've been there

Maren at the big ring of rocks

This (and the next picture) is at a place called Lulworth Cove, along England's Jurassic coast.

Durdle Door

Snelsmore Common

Another picture of our little Ford Focus. At one point (day 1 or 2 of me trying to drive it...throw a (left-handed) stick shift on top of being on the wrong side of the car and on the wrong side of the road and you can understand the terror) Maren said to me "Why did we leave London? Why did we think this was going to be a good idea?" Once day 3 in the car hit, I was doing better and it was slightly less terrifying. I was so relieved when we turned it in and hadn't hit anything with my passenger-side wing mirror!