Grow Your Blog 2015

 I'm a touch late to the party.

I've been working on a deadline for several quilt challenges.

I'm Carla and am so happy to have you here. Thank you to Vicki at 2 Bags Full for helping us all Grow Our Blogs.

  I am mostly a quilting blogger, but have been known to craft and also share recipes from time to time.

Rush Hour

You will find me trying to be a part of as many blog hops as possible.  In fact, one of my favorite places to hop is over at Sew We Quilt with hops of different themes and everyone from beginner to veteran sewists can show projects and cheer on friends.

This quilt is Tropical Sunset and was made for the "Wake Up to Kona" blog hop.

Swaps, QAL, BOM, Linkys, and Hops.  It's fun to share.

  

Project Quilting is an event I enjoy at this time of year.  You have one week to make a quilt after the challenge is announced. 

 If you are interested in a fun quilting challenge, this one will make you think out of the box.  

Season 6 is underway.

 Swiftly Fly the Years:  Project Quilting Season 6 - Challenge 2 

My most current finish.

I really enjoy the photography part of blogging and have been exploring it a little.

I hope to keep getting better.

This is where my blog name came from - I'm always telling people that I live in the sticks. 

I actually live in the wild, wild west. 

Dodge City, Kansas

It's no so wild, anymore.

I'm one of THOSE bloggers that walks away feeling good about a post and then.... oh wait.  I wanted to say that.  I'm always adding and rewording.  lol

This is my family.  This photo was taken a few days before my daughter was married last year.

I'm a mother-in-law now and I love it.

Blogging has brought a lot of wonderful life long friendships my way.

  And my mailbox seems to always surprise me with cards and letters from all over the world.

It's a wonderful thing.

Speaking of wonderful things, how about a giveaway?
Update:  Giveaway is over.

The winner is:

Rose Marie

Rose Marie Andreozzi said...

Wow you are one prolific quilter and to blog about it too, I just can't imagine doing it all. One thing I can do is follow from now on! Thanks for the giveaway.

Congratulations!!

A pack of Charm Squares: Kona® Cotton, Sunset palette

It's open to anyone and all you have to do is leave a comment telling me something about yourself.  Let's grow our blogs.

If you are a follower, new or loyal, you can leave a second comment saying you follow.

That is 2 chances to win.

The giveaway is open until February 15th

when the winner will be announced.

Good luck!

Thank you to my loyal and new friends for visiting.

Swiftly Fly the Years - Project Quilting Season 6 / Challenge 2 - Sunrise/Sunset

Several years ago I came across this exciting way to challenge my brain and creativity

in quilting.

Kim at Persimon Dreams hosts Project Quilting.

She announces a challenge and you have one week to create something quilty.

Prizes can be won and it's a great way to meet new blogging friends.

Season 6, Project QUILTING, Challenge 2 - Sunrise/Sunset

The Challenge:

Sunrise/Sunset

1. Your inspiration for this challenge is Sunrise/Sunset.   Use what inspires you…the colors...the images...the things you do at this time of day.’
2. Your project does not need to be a traditional quilt, but must meet at least one of these requirements:
   1. Include patchwork.
   2. Include applique.
   3. Have 3 layers stitched together by hand or machine.
3. Your project must have a name.
4. Please remember that these projects need to be created during the week of the challenge.
5. Link up your FINISHED challenge piece to the linky bySunday, January 25th, 2015, at noon

Whoo, just made the deadline...

The first thing that came to mind when I saw the challenge was 

The Fiddler on the Roof

and

one of my favorites! When I was in elementary school we performed some of the songs from The Fiddler on the Roof  and I can still can remember most of the words to the songs. (I just don't sing out loud anymore..) lol

I used my snow dyed fabric as the sunrise/sunset fabric because I always thought it would be perfect for such a quilt.

It's only taken me 2 years to cut into this fabric.

Link to the dyeing process.

The pattern is my own.  The suns were heat appliqued and then cut in half and sewn back together.

(I had added a 1/4 inch at the bottom of each half circle so when they were sewn back together they remained round.)

Then I blanket stitched around the designs.

The roof and chimney are raw edge applique and the fiddler is part applique and part thread painting.

Painting with thread - his bow and the neck of the violin.
I liked the way the blocks looked set on point.

The quilting is freemotion echo on most of the quilt.  The inside of the suns are a swirl design.

The above picture is after the quilt was washed.

BUMPY GOODNESS...my favorite part.

Swiftly Fly the Years

Sunrise/Sunset Challenge 2–Project QUILTING - Season 6

Made by Carla in Dodge City, Kansas

http://www.createinthesticks.blogspot.com/

Size:  48" x 48"

Patchwork, Applique, Thread painting
Freemotion quilting 
Fabric - cotton hand dyed

You can see all the other challenge projects and vote for your favorites starting at noon central on

January 25th

by clicking 

HERE.
(If you voted for #64 before Friday, January 30th, 2015 it would be so nice.)

Labeled and ready to hang on my wall. 

This one is mine.

(I can't let go of the fabrics)

Tammy 4 All Seasons Blog Hop - Looking Forward to Summer

Welcome to 

Creatin' in the Sticks

and 

my day in the 

Tammy 4 all Seasons blog hop.

Every participant had the choice of one of 4 different seasonal designs by Brooke Nolan to cross stitch

and

the choice of one of 4 seasonal designs of the
Pretty Pinny (a thread, needle, and scissor keeper) by Cory Blunt to stitch

and

Madame Samm's  Tammy Bag pattern to put everything together.

Lots of thanks to

Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt

and 

Mary at I Piece 2 Mary

for putting this blog hop together

and 

All of these wonderful sponsors:

BEAM N READ ( led light)

Brooke's Books ( seasonal vintage counted cross stitch designs)

Chitter Chatter ( applique and embroidered pinnies)

DMC ( heads and aida cloth)

H.A.KIDD ( monaco fabric)

MsAppleHeart ( Tammy Bag Pattern)

READERS ( best readers on the market for those who need to see their patterns

up close and personal) 

SNAP SOURCE  ( great gadget for adding snaps to our bags)

Yarn TREE  ( q-snaps)

My favorite season is summer so it was a "no brainer" which cross stitch pattern I would do.

Because I love to cross stitch but am quite slow at it, I started stitching this right after I received the pattern.

I just love Brooke's pattern and it was very easy to follow.

Later it occurred to me that I hadn't read the fabric requirements before... 

 oops

My stitches were a little bigger and I didn't want to start over...

SO, I did what anyone would do,

I enlarged the Tammy Bag pattern by 125% .

I can carry even more stuff than before.  win-win!!!

Vacationing in the summer

 you will find me out by the pool with a cup of coffee at the crack of dawn.  

I mixed it up a bit and chose the fall pinny with that sweet little cup of steaming joe.

I drink coffee every season...but love it in the summer by the pool in the sun.

I chose a red polka dot fabric to match the cross stitched swim suit for the bag

and a smaller dot fabric in black for the ruffle on the bag and pinny.

I stitched the cup with DMC floss and used the black dot fabric for the applique.

There is a magnet above the ruffled pocket on the back of the bag to hold the Pretty Pinny.

The pinny holds needles and and has a sweet little pocket on the back.

Fun in the sun.

I'm ready for summertime stitching with my readers to see all those little stitches,

DMC floss for the best stitches,

and my q-snap frame which I can never do without.

There are more seasons to see at my fellow hoppers today:

January 19, 2015

KrisLovesFabric

Ga's House

Secretly Stitching

Creatin' in the Sticks

Grandmama's Stories

WHY-KNOT-KWILT
CeLynn's Sunflower Patch

Leave them love with super sweet comments. 

 They spent a lot of time building these beautiful Tammy Bags to inspire you.

Happy Hopping!

ON A SIDE NOTE:

I need to thank my sweet son for taking me out to find sand and pools in Lawrence, Kansas for these pictures.  I don't think I've visited him without needing to do a photo shoot and he is always willing to help me.

This is us this afternoon before DH and I made the 5 hour drive home.

  Hubby, me, Randy and his girlfriend, Andie.

Diamond Shade - Project Quilting Season 6, Challenge 1 - Trees

Several years ago I came across this exciting way to challenge my brain and creativity

in quilting.

Kim at Persimon Dreams hosts Project Quilting.

She announces a challenge and you have one week to create something quilty.

Prizes can be won and it's a great way to meet new blogging friends.

Season 6 of Project Quilting has just begun and there will be 6 challenges.

Season 6, Project QUILTING, Challenge 1-Trees

The Challenge:

1. Your inspiration for this challenge is trees.

2. Your project does NOT need to include a tree (but certainly can).

3.  Your project does not need to be a traditional quilt, but must meet at least one of these requirements: 

1. Include patchwork.
2. Include appliqué.
3. Have 3 layers stitched together by hand or machine.

4.  Your project must have a name. 

I chose to make diamond trees in different colors (scrappy) and sizes.

I had seen these trees before in the EQ7 library but I wanted to use some scrap strips,

so I sewed the strips together and cut out 60 degree blocks to put the tops of the trees together.

The tree at the very top is 4" and the bottom large trees are 16".

My decision to make a quilt was crazy, but it's been ages since I made a sizable project and felt the need to see if I could still do it.  lol

Not only finished in a week, but labeled too.

My first finish of the year!!! 

Diamond Shade

Project QUILTING, Season 6 - Challenge 1 - TREES
Made by Carla in Dodge City, Kansas
http://www.createinthesticks.blogspot.com/
Size:  48" x 48"

Patchwork
Freemotion quilting with Aurifil 50 (from the Riley Blake Basic Colors collection)
Batting - Quilters Dream Poly mid loft (first time using - love it)

You can see all the other challenge projects and vote for your favorites starting at noon central on

January 11th

by clicking 

HERE.

One more week of crazy at work and then I will be back more regularly...promise.