Bryce Canyon Quilt Retreat '09

I attended the Bryce Canyon Quilt retreat hosted by Bonnie Miles. What a fabulous time I had! The theme this year was "In Sunshine and Shadow". Bonnie couldn't have picked a more perfect theme, for me especially. As you know, my mom passed away on January 1 and since then 4 other family members I haven't mentioned in any of my posts passed away also. (2 aunts, an uncle and one cousin) Now on to the sunshine!!


This is the cozy hotel where we stayed. It is dated back to the early 1900's. Ruby's is like walking back in time. And the scenery is absolutely breathtaking.


I only took one class this year. I learned my lesson two years ago when I took three classes....way to much! I took Nanette's All Dressed-Up class. I love this pattern. Every time I made a new block it became my new favorite. I was even more excited to incorporate my mom's fabrics with mine. Kind of a mother-daughter adventure.

Nanette is just as lovely in person as she is on her blog. She did a fantastic job teaching us how to applique using the freezer paper method. Incidentally, it is the method without cutting the back of your block! Zip a dee doo dah day!!


By BFF's ...me, Nanette and Sherri. Do we all look tired?? Yes, you say, that's because we were!! And I met Mr. Hive and daughter Shelbie. Daughter like mother...sweet as can be!! I also met Nedra over at Cactus Needle Quilts.... Nedra is just peachy. I love this world of quilters! I wish I would have snapped a pic. Nedra has pics of the retreat on her blog ...go take a look!


Nanette also did a truck show. What a treat!! Talk about eye candy. Here are just a few of my favs! Most of her quilts are made with vintage fabrics. Pictures just don't do them justice. But I can assure you there was plenty of oohing and aahing!!


Here are a few finds I couldn't live without!!

Upper left corner...another surprise from Nanette. I'm tellin' ya she is one of the most generous people I know! Sherri and I crashed her In The Leafy Tree Tops class and we both bought a kit enough to make a panel and the next thing ya know more gifts come our way!! Thanks Nanette, you're the best!!

Upper right corner...I bought Heather's Livin' Large, a few FQ's with tea cup prints on them (hummmm), and Love Pinwheel Pastry pincushion pattern by Pine Mountain Designs.

Lower left corner...the doughnut thing by Superior Threads Carrie turned me on to along with the applique pins from Clover. Thanks Carrie they work great!!

Lower right corner...a blue block from Nanette's kit. It has Little Red Hen on it. I love Little Red Hen! I tried to google it (Nanette's suggestion) to see if I could find more of this fabric. If anyone knows who the manufacturer is, please let me know.


More quilts I oohed over!


And a few I aahed over!!

I had a great time!! I hope I will be able to go next year! There is nothing like being in a room full of quilters!

Piece & love,
Dawn

Happy Valentine's Day !

I sent Hubby into the attic to retrieve the Valentine/St. Patrick's/Independence Day box and he informed me that there was only Independence items in the box...What happened to my decorations??? Did I get rid of them???...Did I relocate them??? I am afraid of heights so I won't go in the attic until Hubby puts in 'real' stairs. Right now he climbs this old rickety ladder!! Hummmmm....


Here is the only Valentine decoration I have. Well, except for the table topper I made a few weeks ago. This table runner is designed by Bonnie Olaveson of Cotton Way. It was fast and fun. I hand quilted it with little hearts in the boarder. I also have some stitchery in the blocks. It is one of my favorites! Can you see my wedding picture?... just in time for Valentine's Day!!



I saw Stephanie made potholders this week and thought I would dabble and make a few with some of my Valentine fabric's. And I couldn't resist making a few houses too!!

I hope you have many 'loves' in your life!
Piece & love,
Dawn

Ode to Nanette

It has been a week of Nanette's patterns!! A few months ago I ordered one of Nanette's vintage bag kits and pattern from her Etsy store. Actually, I ordered it as a Christmas present for myself. She has the greatest vintage fabrics!!


This is her Mixed Bag to Quilt. I love this bag! It has pockets inside for my keys and cell phone. I will be sporting it when I attend a quilt retreat at Ruby's Inn in Bryce Canyon, Utah next weekend. Speaking of Ruby's...guess who's teaching?...


I signed up to take Nanette's All Dressed-up Quilt class. I won a kit (donated by Nanette) from Mel's Own Place when she hosted a party! Lucky me!! But I decided to use my mom's vintage fabrics I inherited. So I'm thinking now I will just have to make two quilts: one using my mom's fabrics and the one using the fabrics I won from Mel.


These are the left-overs when you cut off the squares from the Dressed-up quilt. I could not let them go to waste so I made little pinwheels. It think it will make a cute wall hanging or baby quilt.

Now on a more serious note...my heart and prayers go out to my Aussie friends who are plagued by terrible fires and flooding. If you want to help go see Stephanie's blog.

Piece & love,
Dawn

Snap Happy & A Preview

There are darling snap wallets popping up throughout blogland. Kimberly over at Niesz Vintage Home...and fabric has a great tutorial on how to make them. Thanks Kimberly!! And then Stephanie made hers into tea wallets!! Off to Joanns I went to purchase some snaps!!


Now I am snap happy too!! I can see why these snap wallets are so addicting! I will definitely be making more.

One of the reasons I enjoy watching a movie on the big screen is to see the trailers before the movie starts. Previews of the new and upcoming movie leave me wanting more!! So here is a preview of something I'm working on for the Time for Tea Swap I am participating in!


I hope it leaves you wanting more!!

Piece & love,
Dawn

Our Place of Worship--Gone

Wednesday, February 4, just after 4 am. My hubby was on his way to work in Las Vegas when the call came...our church was on fire! He immediately turned around as he is a local volunteer firefighter/EMT. Pictures speak a thousand words....


This is the front of our building. The fire is coming through the windows of the chapel.





Hooray for our firefighters!! We had firefighters come from Mesquite and North Las Vegas to help put out the fire.


Fire was all around the steeple, but it stood strong!


This is looking down into what was the chapel.



Many of our long time residents mixed concrete to make bricks for the church.




This is the room where a group of us women quilted once a month...women of all faiths. We have a morning group and an evening group. The morning group will now meet at the volunteer fire station and the evening group will meet at our local elementary school.

Our church was built and dedicated in 1951, and has been worshipped in every Sunday since. It is the second oldest LDS church in Clark County. Las Vegas has the oldest.

What a great community we live in! We are sad to lose our place of worship, but we have not lost our faith.

Piece & love,
Dawn