As the bobbin turns….

How interesting that I moved to a paid site, inly to come back almost exactly 6 years later!! I moved to try and make a storefront. Paid a lot of money for several years, and never ever figured out how to market my own patterns, and my soaps, and anything else.

I have had some interesting things happen this past week, and decided to reopen the blog. I doubt I have a single follower left, but IF you happen to see this, please let me know!

Stars and stripes

This did not start out patriotic at all.   Even thought it DID turn out that way.  Sort of.  I bought the Fat Quarters from Connecting Threads WAY back when, with my Father In Law in mind.   He loves Blue.

That is the unfinished version.   I didn’t get real good pictures of it finished!!   Except this..

I put a pocket in this….Father In Law likes to keep his feet warm when he’s in the recliner! 

The kids personalized it. 

This poor quilt was supposed to be just big stars.   No stripes.   But I stopped sewing with 6 blocks left.  When I got back to it, I FORGOT that I had already hacked of the fat Quarter to make it square.   Oops.   SO I had to add the log cabin-ish piece to get them up to size.   And you know what??   I LOVE IT!!

There is no OOPS in quilting—-simply an opportunity to do something different!!

BrownEyed Boy loves it too!!

peace and pieces,
amy

Foot Pocket tutorial

Have you ever snuggled into your recliner, only to have your quilt slip off your feet?  Or get all tangled in the mechanism when you put the footrest back down?  Try making a long, skinny quilt with a pocket!  It works!  For REAL!

Making a pocket is easy.   For THIS quilt, I made 15″ blocks.   This is it after quilting, but before binding/pocket.

Bind the bottom edge ONLY.  I sew to the back, flip to the front, and sew it down. 

Now flip up your pocket and pin.  The depth of your pocket is up to you.   This one is about 15 inches. 

Open up your binding, fold under the end, and then refold.  This encases the raw edges.

Lay it on the edge of the underside of your quilt.  Let it hang over just a tiny bit……about 1/4 – 1/8th inch.  Sew all the way around, folding over the end on the other side of the pocket. 

Another view.

Flip the binding to the front.  Pin tightly.  See that little overhang?   You will sew across that FIRST. 

Then turn the corner, and keep going.  

Doesn’t that make a nice little end??

Do the same when you reach the opposite end, and you’re done!! 

WildChild demonstrates how simple the foot pocket is to use!!!!

If you have any questions, please either leave a comment, or email me at squeegeatc at aol dot com.

peace and pieces,
amy

Email list

I’m letting all my current subscribers know that as of now, the list has NOT transfered to the new website. http://www.butterflyangelsquilting.com I’m trying to contact wordpress about the issue. If they can’t help me, I will be hand-adding each and every one of you. You will need to find a Confirmation Email from WordPress and click on the link inside it. If I have to take this step, I will send another email. Just a warning!! LOL Thank you all for being patient with this move. The new website is up and running, with the exception of the darn email list. So far, no new content has been posted. So you’re not missing anything!

peace and pieces,
amy

NEW BLOG!!

I am in the process of working the redirect, and importing all of you email followers, but I am now at www.butterflyangelsquilting.com   PLEASE come visit me over there!!   And a special thanks to the JustHost team for moving my blog.   Let’s hope WordPress comes through with the last few steps!!   The new site still needs some tweaks, but I’m afraid to lose any new posts!  I’m already lost a few new comments.

So come on over and see the new site!   I’m fairly pleased!

peace and pieces,
amy

Blog/Website update

Ugh—SO frustrated.   Apparently, WordPress doesn’t make it easy for you to leave them.   Unless you use one of their affiliated hosting sites, of course.  And pay them.

My blog won’t export into the new WordPress template for the .com site.  I started in 2009.   That is a LOT of content……….I’m sick.

The other half of Stitches and Kisses……

crossing the border

So, the other half of Stitches and Kisses flew home to Texas for a visit.

Brown Eyed Boy LOVES road trips

Think she’s comfy??

Me and my crew loaded up and headed her way.

These people put stars on EVERYTHING!

It was a LONG trip for a day, but she is SO worth it!!  I miss my Mrs Dot.

Go Fish

Ring Around the Rosie

Duck, Duck, GOOSE

The kids got along really well.  7 kids, ages 12-2…….I was impressed!  Card games, Duck Duck Goose, and some Xbox.

Mrs Dot, aka Stitches

The Crew

I had some nasty traffic coming home though!!  Geesh!   What moron plans to go through Beaumont at Rush hour?!!  oh yeah—that’s me.

rush hour

Sure wish we had more time to spend together!!   But it was worth it.   Hubby said he’d take a week of vacation and let me fly to visit her.   This summer is already booked.   But NEXT year……!

peace and pieces,
amy

Gone Fishin’ Sue

A tad later in the day than usual, but there she is!!!  Even an embroidered line!!!    I HATE embroidery!  LOL   But hey—sometimes a project just needs it.  

The only tiny button I had on hand was a  heart.   Feel free to use a google eye, or even scraps of flannel or felt.

Being from Louisiana, there is a LOT of fishing going on over here.   And SHRIMPING.  So I gave my girl shrimp boots!  

Unfortunately, I ended up covering them up with the canoe, BUT you could easily forgo the canoe and just have her fishin’ in the bayou!

Feel free to share and down load until July 1st!  Download the PDF file here———->  Gone Fishin

peace and pieces,
amy

Help me out!

I think I am FINALLY getting somewhere with the new website.  But I need YOUR help!  It looks like I will have to redo the entire .com site.  I ask for two things….

First, go visit www.butterflyangelsquilting.com    Tell me what you like, what you don’t, what to dump, what to keep.   The site was never fully finished, but there is still a lot there.

Second, this site.   What about THIS blog do you like?  What to keep, what to toss.  For the most part, I’m really pleased with this blog.  The stuff already on it will be imported, and HOPEFULLY my subscribers too.   But what new can I add?

And should I add an RSS feed like BlogLoving or similar?  Personally, I ONLY subscribe to those blogs that offer an email option.  I never remember to visit the blog reader.  What do YOU prefer?

My current plan is a main page with other pages.   I want my tutorials and free patterns in an easy-to-find place, and obvious links to the social media sites, the Etsy Store, BOM SunBonnet Sue (or OTHER BOMs!).

It’s going to be a long process.   As it is, the boys have made this single post take 2 hours.  Factor in vacation, quick trips to switch kids, my niece visiting, art class, 4H ect…….Don’t look for the new improved site to go live until school starts!  LOL

Oh—and I’m WAY behind on Sue.   I will sew her today.  Hopefully, the pattern will go up tonight, or tomorrow.

peace and pieces,amy

 

PS—-What questions would you like to see answered on the About Me page?

Baby pelican

So, it isnt done, but here is a baby pelican for next weekend.  I just need to figure out how to do a beak.  Bonus…Oreo will have 3 new doggy toys after next weekend!

peace and pieces,
amy