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Friday, January 24, 2014

Grow Your Blog

2 Bags Full

 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.
 
 Blog hops are a great way to be inspired and meet new blogging friends.   I am mostly a quilting blogger, but have been known to craft and also share recipes from time to time.
 
This quilt is Tropical Sunset and was made for the "Wake Up to Kona" blog hop.
 
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.  Madame Samm organizes 2 hops with different themes a month and everyone from beginner to veteran sewists can show projects and cheer on friends.

If you like ruffles, there is a blog hop beginning in March.
Sign up is going on now!
Get all the information to be a part of "Think Ruffles" HERE.
 
 
Swaps, QAL, BOM, Linkys, and Hops.  It's fun to share.
 
Most of the things I participate in are on my side bar.
 
Projects for Season 4, Project Quilting.
 
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 5 is underway.
 
 
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.  My daughter is getting married this year and I will have a lot of wedding posts to share.  She just let me know that the date has been set.
October 18th!!!
 
This is her modeling a pants bag my friend Jen over at Glinda Quilts made for her.   Jen is taking over the world by showering it with pants bags. 
I met Jen by blogging about quilting.  She is one of the most giving quilters I've met.
 
In fact, blogging has brought a lot of wonderful friendships my way.
  
Since you have made it this far, let's have a giveaway.
 
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!
Update
The giveaway is over.
   The winner was Connie!
Thank you to my loyal and new friends for visiting.
 

I don't know why Blogger decided to send an email post written in November just today.  I apologize for sending my email followers old news.  I don't know if it was that delayed or if I pushed a button I shouldn't have...lol 
 
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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Wake Up to Kona Winner

Thank you for all the beautiful comments on my post for the
 
Wake Up to Kona blog hop.
 
I've been overwhelmed by all of the kind words.
 
Comments really are wonderful gifts.

I am really sorry to see the Kona blog hop come to a close.

Thank you to all the participants who inspired us all.
 
 
Drum roll, please...
 
The winner of the Creatin' in the Sticks- Kona giveaway is:
 
Charlotte
 
Oh, Carla. I LOVE all your projects. Now I really want this book so much. Your first quilt is amazing. The pillow is terrific and Your ombre heart...well, I love it too! Thanks so much for showing all today.
 
How sweet is that?  Thank you, Charlotte.  I will contact you by email.
 
Are you ready for another hop?
 
Monday is the start of the
She Who Sews and Don't Let the Door Stop You Blog Hop.
 
 
The schedule is here.
 
 
There will be sewing room decorating and door stopping inspiration.
 
Let the fun begin!
 
 
 
 
 

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Sunday, January 19, 2014

She Who Sews - Don't Let the Door Stop You - Blog Hop Schedule.

2 blog hops in 1

She Who Sews
and
Don't Let The Door Stop You
Blog Hop

Starts January 27th
and
Madame Samm added one more day!

The
Last day will be Feb 7th
 

 
 
Look to see who will be decorating their sewing rooms with the She who Sews collection
of Handmaids
 manufactured by
Quilting Treasures.
 
 
 She Who Sews
Blog Hop
Schedule
 
January 27th
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creatin' in the Sticks


January 29th

 
 
 
 
 
 
The Cosmic Quilter


January 31

 
 
 
 
 
 
 Grandmama's Stories


February 4th

 
 
 

 Look to see who will be stopping doors and blocking drafts.

 
Don't Let the DOOR STOP You
Blog Hop
Schedule

January 28th
 
threads on my socks
 
How ART you?
 
Den syende himmel
 
Moosestash Quilting
 
life, quilts and a cat too


January 30th

Just Let Me Quilt
 
Quilted Delights
 
Meadowbrook
 
Hill Valley Quilter
 
Pampered Pettit
 
Life in the Scrapatch
 
Seams To Be Sew


February 3rd

Why-Knot-Kwilt
 
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
 
Marjorie's Busy Corner
 
Shepody Mountain Crafter
 
Lydsfire Sewing
 
Creatin' in the Sticks


February 5th

More Stars in Comanche
 
Buzzing and Bumbling
 
Sew and Sow Farm
 
Purl Buttons Blog
 
Carretel E Agulha

The Quilting Queen

Pig Tales and Quilts


February 7th

GrammieQs

Pickles Quilting

Made by Me in Red
 
A Passion for Applique

Living With Purpose

Sew We Quilt


 
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Sunday, January 12, 2014

Color Crave - Wake Up to Kona

Is there anything better for January doldrums than color?
 
A quilt flower?
 
Today I'm celebrating color on my day in the
Wake Up to Kona Blog Hop
 
Thank you Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt and Carol at Just Let Me Quilt for putting this hop together.
 
 
Amanda Murphy's new book, Color Essentials, is full of information in color study and has great projects using Kona palettes.   I've almost worn my copy out, already.
 
I love the study of color and use it everyday at home and at work.
 
 
I used my fat quarter bundle of  Kona Sunset by Robert Kaufman to make
"Tropical Sunset."
 
 
I was unable to picture a sunset with this quilt.  Mother nature just didn't give me our usual beautiful sunset.  What she did give me, was the moon.
 
 
 
Color Burst was the first quilt to catch my eye in Color Essentials.  The angles looked like a challenge I wanted to try.
 
 
I used Black Kona as the background.
In her book, Amanda Murphy talks about using "Poison Colors" - colors directly opposite on the color wheel to add interest and movement to a design.  I decided to take that advice and use orange as the binding color. 
 
 
The orange really fits with a sunset and added a little pop.
I quilted the main part with free motion flowers using Aurifil thread and wavy lines on the water (teal) part.
 
Amanda has an excellent tutorial for continuous bias binding on her blog. 
This was my first  bias binding, by the way.  Love.
 
 
Here's a picture of the back with Kona solid.

The quilt is about 70".
 
I couldn't stop with one project from the book. 
 
I had to test the Illusion Pillow.
 
Try, try, again!
It is amazing how one fabric can look a little different by changing the background.
 
I used my word for the year, try, and free motioned it onto the little squares.
 
I love the way Kona solid fabric shows quilting.  I used pebbles in the background and love the texture it gives.
 
 
 
 
 
Once I played with Kona Sunset I really needed to see what I could do with Kona Sunrise.  I had some rollups and made a pattern.
 
"My Ombre Heart"
 
 
The roll up made this quilt easy to do in ombre.  I picked the colors in the order they were in the rollup and used Kona white for the background. 
 

Finally a pretty sky.
 

This one is quilted with hearts and stipple.  It is about 52" square.  The binding is pieced with different colors from the quilt. 
 
bad lighting, but took this picture last minute to show the quilting.
 
Thank you Robert Kaufman, Auriful, and Amanda Murphy for sponsoring this hop.
 
This has been so much fun. 
 
I love the book, I love the fabric, I love the thread.
 
Be sure and visit my day mates for great Kona inspiration:
 
January 13
Creatin’ In The Sticks ME
Meadowbrook
Cathy’s Chatter
Selina Quilts
Sew Fresh Quilts
The Sassy Quilter
 
 If you have made it this far, you deserve a chance to win.  There is a giveaway :)
 
 
A Kona Sunrise rollup.
Anyone can win, just make sure I can reach you if you aren't registered with Google
 
Just leave me a comment.  If you are a new or a faithful follower, leave another comment telling me how you follow.  That's 2 chances to win!
 
Giveaway is now closed.
 
Charlotte is the winner!!
 
The giveaway ends at the end of the hop 11:00 pm est January 21, 2014.
 
Have a colorful week,
 
 
 
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Friday, January 10, 2014

First String Stockings

If you are a regular reader, you are probably thinking I am a one trick pony lately.  Football, football, football...
 
You are right.
 
So one last football / Christmas project (you are saying, "it's January, Carla...").  I'm only a month behind.  I'm thinking, "not bad."  I am more prepared for next Christmas than I was for this last one.   lol
 
This is my project for:
 
 
NFL stockings - First String

These stockings are for two of my favorite NFL football fans - my kids.
 
 
 
They love it when the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs play each other and they try to attend the game together.
 
I had a ton of scraps from making this quilt and this quilt.  When Kim over at Persimon Dreams announced the new season for Project Quilting and it was string quilts, I new it was my chance to make these stockings that have been in the back of my mind for a while.
 
 
I string pieced these on batting and then lined them and string pieced a cuff for the top.  I also made sure to make a big loop for hanging.
 
I've started the year with a little scrap busting with this challenge, too.  YEAH ME!
 
 
A complete finish with labels.
 
 
"First String" Stockings
Made by Carla in Dodge City, Kansas
Size each 9" x 17"
String pieced NFL Christmas Stockings
 
Check out all of the Project Quilting Challenge 1 projects here.  You can vote for your favorite 3.  wink...
 
Have a great weekend,
 
 

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