Monday, November 24, 2008

Thrifting, Quilting, Teaching, and Quilty Peeps

I know I promised the other day to show you more of my thrifting finds in yesterday's post, but I was too excited/scared/excited about teaching quilt classes to think about what I'd found at the thrift store. So, here's a look:


Canning jars--I've built up quite a collection of these since I started thrifting, but I can't seem to stop buying more!


How much does nostalgia cost? For $2.99, I came home with a picnic basket that looks just like the one my family had when I was a kid. We were only about a 45 minute drive from the Pacific Ocean, so we'd often pack up our picnic basket and head to the beach whenever the weather was nice.


Yeah, another teapot. I love them! And these goofy looking salt and pepper shakers that I think would be fun in my brother's cabin-in-the-woods-decorated home.


Yet another candle holder. I have some crackled glass Christmas balls that are too heavy to hang on a tree, but I think they might look interesting in place of candles. Now, if only I can find them! My son's going to get my Christmas decorations down from the garage rafters this week, so I'll soon find out!


And speaking of Christmas . . . this Santa will likely be tucked into the branches of our Christmas tree.

I've been busy this weekend finishing up the piecing on the tree blocks, sewing the three different projects together, getting the large one pinned, and starting quilting. Here are a few photos:


The big one! This is the one I'm quilting--I need to have it done by Tuesday afternoon. Doesn't it look happy? Just the thing to chase away the winter gloom! Too bad it's not staying in my house, but it's a gift for someone. I'll tell you more about that later.


This one IS staying in my home. It's a good size for a tabletopper or possibly a wallhanging, but I think I'm going to use it on the table. Although I like traditional Christmas colors in most of the house, I get a kick out of keeping the kitchen a little brighter and offbeat.


Finally there's this one--it's a wallhanging that will go on the door of the coat closet, also facing into the kitchen. I added the "Happy Winter!" on the bottom in red wool.

Thank you all so much for commenting on my post about teaching. I'm sure I'll be quite nervous as the time gets closer, but you've given me some good ideas and things to think about as well as friendly moral support. And I'm quite excited that a couple of my quilty peeps from my Thimbleberries Club group--Chris and Imelda--have said they'd take a class from me--or maybe more than one! Imelda knows CPR and, if the worst happens, I've asked Chris to post a comment on my blog letting you all know I stopped breathing, so I think we have it covered!

I'm so happy to NOT have to go to work tomorrow, but it will be a busy day. We'll be celebrating Thanksgiving on Tuesday, so I need to start getting some of the food ready, shampoo carpets, and do my best to get the tree quilt quilted. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Thanks for checking in on me!

18 comments:

Shirley--Knot-y Embroidery Lady said...

Good post and good night!

Julie in the Barn said...

Your tree quilts are just delightful. I love the happy, bright colors. And your thrifty finds are fabulous as usual. I sure wish I lived closer to your excellent thrift stores. They have such good stuff. The stuff at my local place is mostly true junk!

Shanna said...

I know I have said it already...but I love the tree quilts!! You did an amazing job and the colors are just so happy! Happy Thanksgiving!

Anonymous said...

I need to start thrift shopping, it tooks like a lot of fun, now that I'm a grown up. My mom used to drag me there when I was a kid, due to our circumstances that's where most of my clothes came from and I hated it! LOL Love all the tree quilts, especially the wallhanging one! I got my pattern really fast, now I need to get some fabric and try it out.

Jeanne said...

I LOVE the striped border on the middle-sized tree quilt!
Jeanne :)

PunkiePie (Jen) said...

What a cheery wall hanging. Love it!

Happy (early) Turkey Day!

Jen :)

Sherri said...

Love your tree quilts (I know, I've commented before)! I really like the wallhanging you did...so cheery! I could never see too many photos of these quilts; they're just so fun!

MichelleB said...

The trees are so cute! I just love them. I love that striped border - it's perfect with the tree colors.

Carol said...

Your Goodwill store has way better stuff than the ones I've gone to here in AZ. I love the trees! So much, I bought the pattern. If I lived in Sacramento I would totally take a class that you will be teaching. You'll be a great teacher.

Andrea said...

Love the big tree quilt, the medium tree quilt and the little tree quilt - lol ! Some-one is SOO lucky to be getting one of these.

Paula, the quilter said...

I have a picnic basket very similar to the one you show, I use it to cart my projects to/from sew nights. Is that blue teapot Fiestaware? Love it.

Unknown said...

Your tree quilts are wonderful, loving the fabric choices! And congratulations on your teaching job. I have no doubts at all that you will be an excellent teacher and your classes will be lots of fun.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your time off!

Lady of the Cloth said...

You'll do fine at teaching, I'm sure! I am the same way about teaching anything other than quilting. I know my stuff well in that subject and that makes the difference. You will just be sharing something you love with friends, (and getting paid for it) but that's all you have to remember. I love to teach the kids classes, they are a hoot, as long as we just have 4 or so 9-10 year olds.
Carline

Lady of the Cloth said...

oh darn, I hit send before I asked you what i wanted to when I started... What are you going to do with the picnic basket, I can't wait to see how you use it in your decorating, because I have one just like it, gathering dust and I'd love to use it somehow.
Have a great Thanksgiving.

Busy Little Quilter said...

I love the picnic basket. I can't believe you only paid $2.95. I've been in the mood to go thrift shopping. You make me want to go right now (and they're closed!)

I love the tree quilts. I especially love the wallhangings you made with the extra blocks.

I, too, have tradtional Christmas colors, but then I have some bright things, too. I love it all!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Judy said...

Oh I do like how the lighter green makes it happy and quite lovely looking! Great job!

I'm green over those blue jars! They get harder and harder to find around here!

quiltmom anna said...

Kim,
What gorgeous tree quilts- they all look so happy- Your thrift finds are awesome- I have had a similar basket that we used to put magazines in -
I loved your Santa - I have collected some old fashioned Santas for the Mantle- I now have a fair number so I don't put them all out- it gets too crowded..
I almost went thrifting today after our school workshop day.
My mom is sure she had an egg tray in her house that was my grans.

Hope you have a very nice Thanksgiving dinner- I am sure it will be delicious.

Regards,
Anna

The Queen of Fifty Cents said...

What great thrifted finds, and I REALLY love the trees quilts!