Last entry for 2009

Good morning, it is early in the morning 6:10am on Dec. 18th. I am at the computer and I turned on the christmas tree lights. Gigi is at my feet (with her toy) and it is still very dark outside. Our sunrises have been around 7am lately. Tonight Adam and Marisa will be coming over to share our christmas together. Marisa leaves for her home in WA Sunday and won't be back until mid January. Adam is working hard and seems to be enjoying his new job. Bill and I will go for a golf game today at Canoa Ranch Golf Club, then there is a dinner following. Bill will stay for the cocktail hour and dinner, but I will go home and prepare for Adam and Marisa's arrival.
So another year has come and almost gone- I have had a busy and fruitful year- I have enjoyed every minute of my sewing experiences and have learned a great deal more towards perfecting the craft.
The last photo of this year is a Gingerbread themed tree skirt.
All of my children should remember the Gingerbread houses we made when you were younger. What fun we had, and what a mess we made.

Holiday sewing

Happy Holidays to all. It seems this year has flown by, and I still have projects up the ying yang. Whew... well if I get it all done it will be a happy day.
OK, so here is the thing- I prepped for a small craft sale here in Southern AZ (Nina at Hearts and Hands Quilts-where I work) offered us the opportunity to make items for the craft/art sale. Some items sold some didn't- so I decided to give them as gifts this year and cut back on my stress of creating new things for those I want to gift. Well hopefully those of you who receive items from me, handmade, will appreciate them and like them- if not just regift them to someone else- but please give it/the gift a nice home.
I tried to take a photo of our christmas tree, but the darn thing was blurry each time, any ideas from you camera buffs?
I would like it if you checked out my whole site one day to review the year of sewing, and please pass it on to your friends/family. Apparently I can only have 10 folks listed on my email out list from this site, so it would be helpful if you sent this page on too.
Thanks, Mom (Jacquelyn to some)

Jordan's Giraffes

In August when I visited the Burt family in Oklahoma, the girls willingly and happily went 'shop hopping' with me. While there I asked Jordan to pick out fabric that she would like her giraffes to made from. She chose the perfect piece of fabric. The golden yellow has a lot of textured color and was the perfect choice for a giraffe.

The quilt was designed from a giraffe template that I found on Michael Miller Fabrics- pattern designs. The girls in the quilt shop,here in Green Valley, really fell in love with the quilt.

Jordan called me to say that she had received the quilt, and when I asked her if it was what she expected, her reply was "It is even more and better than I expected"; I am so happy she enjoys it and loves it.

Arizona Roadrunner

These are the photos of my latest creation, taken from a pattern by Susan Cranshaw. I just love the roadrunners look in this wall hanging. The piece of art has 110 tiny pieces of cut fabric that make up the design. Each had to be cut and placed precisely. The small pieces of the bird had to be overlapped enough to add the layered feather look.


I am particularly happy with the head feathers.

Comment section

Well it seems that no one seems to be able to figure out how to leave a comment. At the end of each blog entry are small icons. The '0 comment' that you see, is where you can enter comments. I would love to have feedback from you all. So give it a try okay?
Thanks, Jacquelyn

Christmas is coming soon....

Isn't it hard to believe that Christmas of 2009 is almost upon us? I am well into the swing of thinking of ideas and gifts for the holiday season. I am preparing for a craft fair that I will have products to sell. This is a set of 4 placemats. Green placemat with a poinsetta embroidered onto the front portion. I used metallic embroidery thread for them. Click on the photo to get a good look.

Lighthouse

To those of you who know me, you know that I have a love for the lighthouse.
I had an opportunity to design a placemat for a friend. Here it is. I will be making it a pattern, and then perhaps be making a variety of the lighthouses, that I have been priveleged to visit. I may start with Haceta Head- Oregon lighthouse. Which I saw when I visited my sister in 2001.

Caitlyn's finished project

The learning process was a success. Here is proof that Caitlyn made the quilt- assisted by me, Gramma Jackie. It is beautiful She also learned to finish the binding-by hand- not machine. She never once complained that something was 'too hard' or 'too boring'. It was a pleasure to work with her this last week.

Granddaughters learn to sew- Part 2

This week we have Caitlyn Cassille- Bill's granddaughter visiting us from North Andover, Mass. She asked to learn to sew. Last saturday we went to the quilt store and chose the fabrics. Our first project was a simple Pillowcase. We did it in one evening. Even the seams were straight.

Great job Caitlyn. Now on to the hard stuff, which she learned quickly. On Monday we started the cutting and sewing of this quilt top. It is a 'railfence' pattern, and a good design for a beginning sewer/quilter. Well yesterday I worked and was gone, she got to the machine and by the time I got home she had almost the whole top finished. I am sure that by this afternoon, she will have completed it. Then we will put the layers together and quilt it, and apply the binding in time for her to take it home with her.

Granddaughters learn to sew- Part 1

Sew busy Sewing.... The legacy, hopefully, will be passed on. At least 2 girls are enjoying the art of piecing fabric together.
This is Tori Burt, at this time she lives in Oklahoma. I was recently there for a visit and she helped me finish the quilt I designed and made for her.



This is the final product

Kordale Jade Burt

Kordales likes his blanket.

This is Kordale. He is now 6 weeks old.

A fun day with a friend

My friend Barbara and I decided to do the sweatshirt jackets. IT was great fun to sew with a friend. Here is the result. She chose a beautiful batik fabric and I used the UofA themed fabric (afterall, Football season is upon us)....

Sunflowers

I received a gift of fabric from my neighbors. It is a sunflower design on African Batik fabric. I quilted it and it is a wall hanging for my living room.

Shawl

I found this pattern in Sedona, AZ. Here it modeled by my young and beautiful friend, Marilee.




It is a beautiful shawl. This is the first one I have made. It is of Domestic Batik fabrics. It is considered a 'whole cloth' shawl. The pattern also has a 2nd version which I will do next (after my return from Aaron's wedding). It will be pieced and quilted.

Christina is College Bound

Christina Goes to College

Quilt designed and personally created, for Christina Lee Cassille. She will be attending Arizona State University (ASU) in the fall of 2009. This quilt represents the ASU colors and Mascot “Sparky”. As a freshman at the university, she will experience many new and exciting times. It is our hope that this little quilt will not only keep her warm, but that she will feel that she is wrapped with our love and pride for her accomplishments.
Quilt started April 26, 2009. Hours to complete the quilt were 41 ¾ hours. .
Quilt material- 100% domestic cottons.
Techniques used: Rail Fence pieced 10” quilt blocks from four different patterned fabrics, staggered between gold or maroon colored 10” blocks. Stencil design with drawn and painted with ‘fabric paint’ to make the Sparky’ block.
Machine quilted stars in each of the large 10” blocks. Decorative stitching was applied between the blocks and added to border as a design.
Hand work- to the border hems. Christina’s maternal grandfather- William Smith put his touch to the quilt and sewed down half of the handwork to finish the borders.
Machine pieced and machine quilted by Jacquelyn Morris-Smith.
Completed handwork by William H. Smith and Jacquelyn Morris-Smith

J. Michelle Watts class

I recently, actually on my birthday, went to a class taught by the national author and quilt fabric designer J. Michelle Watts. What a great experience for me. She is so sweet and down to earth. Even though she is known throughout the world by quilters and fabric designers she is a very humble person.
Above is a photo of the project I did in her stenciling class. We were given different patterns to use and taught how to transfer the images to a stencil and then paint the fabric. I chose to shade my image.
Then we were taught how to design our own stencils. The result of my designs are shown on black fabric with a silver paint and another with green paint.

Makinsi is 15

I failed in remembering a birthday, hopefully this little gift will make up for my oops.
Makinsi Gregory is the daughter of my son's fiancee-Sonya. They all live in Oregon now, and I don't get to see them, but I hope she had a terrific birthday.

Happy Birthday Makinsi, Love you, Gramma Jackie

I've been busy lately

Hi to all,

I returned from a trip to see several family members. You can get the pictures and the information on Michelle's blog at http://thejackson9.blogspot.com/ it was a wonderful time but I did feel a bit of a tug to hearth, home, Bill and my sewing machine.
However, the creative juices are back and I am now on a roll. I was able to finish the second of my Let's play ball quilt-I was commissioned to do two identical quilts. Here is the second one and it will be delivered today.

Purse for Rachel

I have just returned from my trip to MO, TN & TX. Had a great time seeing my two daughters April and Michelle- along with their families. Spent time with my sister Bettye Kay and her adult children/grandchildren too.
There were birthdays at the Jackson home and so I made a gift for my granddaughter Rachel.
She loves the color yellow and so this purse was designed especially for her.

Quilt show was a BIG surprise

I took a second place ribbon for the quilt-Bill's sunset Deck.
Shocked me that it got such a good place, but so very pleased am I.

A little GRAMMA bragging

My granddaughter, Makinsi Gregory (Aaron and Sonya) is running in track. She managed to come in 1st place on her first competitve relay race and 2nd place in the 100 and 200 meter runs. I am so proud of her and of course of all my grandkids. It is wonderful to hear of their life experiences. Keep up the good work Kinsi.

Makinsi is the younger one on the right...her MOMis Sonya on the left...I don't have a more current picture (hint hint)...

Guest hand towels

Southwest themed hand towels. These can be done in any choice of patterns/themes. I chose the southwest due to the fact that I live in AZ. However, I do plan to change themes for holiday events, etc.


I wouldn't want anyone to get bored with this site.... so here is another fun towel set...Kokopeli's


Dont' forget to double click on photos for larger image viewing.