Crafty goodness

Today is about Christmas crafting. .. its been a while since Frankie and I did some crafts, I think this is the last one we did together.. that I can remember anyway. Inspired by Alicia's pompoms and some Japanese craft books. Its a fun project, very happy and colorful. Alicia references this tutorial, over at Kiddley. Perfect for young and old. And even grinches.

I wonder where my mom got all her great craft ideas when we were growing up, you know, without the internet! Was there some secret mom underground where the instructions for soap fish were passed around? You know, those oval shaped bars with matching tulle over them to make a big fishy tail, sequins glued on. The little pearl headed pins we used for them to stand on? Any one? sound familiar? I know other people made the mosaic ashtrays, I've seen those in antique stores. I think those were kits. Leather laced wallets? Embossed Copper? WOODBURNING????

Ok, well that's enough of that. I guess we'll end this holiday blog hop on that slightly scary note!!

Today is Linda's day!! I know she' s cooking up something good for us. Check it out.

So hoppers, thanks for coming by and listening to my crazy Christmas stories. I hadn't thought of so many of them in ages. Gudrun will be tallying up the comments and announcing the winner in a couple of days, so stay tuned.

And starting Monday, back to our regularly scheduled program. Yikes, it's almost Thanksgiving! Thanks again everyone. You guys are the greatest. xo

Favorite Christmas Quilt

Good morning peeps! First off a special good morning to my sweet little Frankie, today she turns 22!! I'm so proud of her and love her so much. Happy Birthday!!

Now back to our regularly schedule day of the Cross Country Blog hop. Tomorrow is the last day, make sure you've made your comments on everyone's special day so you can be entered into the big drawing. It's Roseann's day and get out the Kleenex, I know she' s going to be tugging at our heartstrings again today.

Today's topic is about our favorite Christmas quilts. R is for Rose isn't a Christmas pattern, but when I saw this wonderful border print from a 3 Sisters Christmas line a few years back I knew it would be perfect. Elizabeth helped me out doing the embroidery, she didn't like my puffy paint idea (just kidding).

Ok, I think there' s just one more day to hop. Good thing, I need to go get a turkey. xop

The Mixed Up Day

There's no turning back now, I'm all mixed up on my days. So how about a gift story about a child?? I mean it's close, right? Here's Frankie and Buster. He was our wonderful dog, seen here maybe at 8 months old. We got him 'used', long story, you know the type. Anyway, he was the greatest dog ever in the history of our family.(But don't tell Peep and Rocket) His genius was legendary. You can ask anyone in Frankie's elementary school. Buster was a shopping dog. He, not unlike Santa, could be counted on to get those gifts that weren't mom approved. The best year ever was the year Buster bought a fancy feathered fan from Nordstrom. You know,moms all find that kind of thing impractical and refused to buy it but dogs, well I think we all know dogs love those. Frankie was so in love with that fan. He carried that box with the big silver ribbon some how.. I'm not sure how he got to the mall (and some things are better left unsaid) but you could tell from the box, it was scrunched and there were teeth marks in one corner.

Santa and Buster were in constant communication over the years. CD's with questionable lyrics, Buster was on it. Makeup, Buster told Santa mom didn't approve. That's how it was with them. It was magic I tell you.

So that's today people. I just remembered that fan and it cracked me up. Its in a box in the garage, the original crunched box I think.

Today is Carrie's day. She has a dog, she'll understand. Hop and over and check out what she's up to. And come back tomorrow. Who knows what I'll have in store!

The Kid Story Day

So people, I'm not going to lie, it's getting harder and harder to figure out Christmas stories to tell. Today is a kid story day so I called my actual kid (seen here talking with me on the phone!!)(yes, while we're talking!! for real!) and we could not come up with a good kid story. Her suggestion was to retell the story of that "movie on 34nd street" like it actually happened. Uh, Frankie, people are not going to fall for that!

So, no cool kid story today. I guess there's no hiding the fact that we are total grinches when it comes to Christmas sometimes.

You know who is going to have a really good kid story today? Sherri!!! Today is her day. She's just another reason to LOVE MINNESOTA my friends. What a delightful young woman she is. I tell you seriously, my Christmas (and all-year-round) blessing is getting to know so many wonderful people. I get the chills just thinking about it.

So hop on over there an check out her project. Come back again tomorrow. It's favorite gift from a child!! HOLY COW I JUMPED THE GUN WITH MY SNOWMAN STORY. I don' t know what I'll come up with for that!

Blog Hopping Monday!

I can't believe it's been a whole blog hopping week! I think my regular peeps know I'm a bit grinchy so all this Christmas talk is way out of line for me! Between the remembering and Elizabeth's Big Christmas Decorating Plans (yes, its a plan that requires a fully capitalized name) I'm really in a Christmas Frenzy.
But fortunately, I do actually remember my first Christmas on my own. Well, make that the first year I had a tree. While I never lived at home more than a couple of months after I left for college in (gasp) 1972, I always lived close to my parents and never had my own tree. But in 1982 my parents were living farther away, both my sister and brother were newly married and living closer to me, so I ended up having family Christmas at my house.

My tree was a spindly Douglas Fir from Payless. I remember trying to jam it in the back of my car after work one night. I had absolutely no Christmas decorations, save the box of weird little terra cotta things.. don't even know what they are, but I still have some, and a couple of cheap boxes of ordinary shiny ornaments. Maybe 1 string of lights. And no tree stand, just that little wood "X" stand thing they came nailed on back in the day.

My parents came to stay with me, I slept in my guest room and I had just started seeing Bret so he stayed on the couch. We had a wonderful Christmas Eve family dinner and then Christmas morning my parents headed back home, Bret left and there I was all alone. Kind of sad. But, as luck would have it Bret called, his family had invited me to come for their Christmas. Happy Ending. Or rather beginning, since Bret and I were married in 1985!

So that's my first Christmas story peeps! Today is Terri's day, so hop and over and hear her story!

More Christmas

Good morning my special peeps, how are you? It's another blog hopping day here in PKMLand and its all about a special gift or decoration day. Here's my special gift and decoration, my cool vintage snowman. Frankie gave me this wonderful old plastic vintage snowman last year and I love him. I can't wait to get him out. Of course my kid ornaments are my favorite, the school days crafts are the best, and over the years they've always been on the tree in spite of the teenage eye rolling. I'm pretty sure if those ornaments weren't on the tree, I'd be hearing about it!

Thank you thank you for all the wonderful comments yesterday!!! All so thoughtful and enthusiastic. Late last night Bret picked a number and I counted and Annemarie is the winner...

"What a fun Christmas Blog Hop. Thanks for the Coffee mat pattern - would love to win a prize - I LOVE COFFEE TOO!!! Annemarie."

Well Annemarie, its your lucky day! Email me your snail mail address and I'll get your prize packed up and in the mail. Thanks again to Elizabeth and Alex for the lovely additions.

Today is Kari's day of the blog hop... hop on over and see what she's up to! See you tomorrow!

A family tradition

Hey welcome to PamKittyMorning day of the Cross Country Christmas blog hop. My regular peeps already know me, so for you new peeps, my name is Pam and I like coffee. A lot. I design a few patterns for Late Bloomer Quilts which is my friend Elizabeth's pattern company but mostly I sit around, drink coffee and sew!

Today we're talking about Family Traditions. I think our most long lasting tradition is the Christmas Eve ride to look at the lights. It's my favorite part of Christmas, we all pile into the car after dinner and drive around, we have our favorite spots, like this house on a hill in Pleasanton. Its HUGE and they have a big window you can see in from the car, and they have music playing. Its in a swanky neighborhood and on Christmas Eve the streets are lined with paper bag luminaries and people turn their car lights off and drive around looking at the lights. They're amazing. From the top of the hill you can look out and see all the way to delta on one side and across the Livermore Valley from the other. Beautiful.

Of course I always try to get good photos, never have good of luck. Our absolute favorite is the 'old guy' downtown. He's already on his lighting now, we start driving by his place on Halloween to check his progress.
He goes all out, and the past few years he's even had a Santa out there passing out candy canes. It's a lot of fun and I'm already looking forward to going out this year. I usually drive around previewing the neighborhoods because I really love the lights.

But on to my project. For my regular peeps, you know I love coffee. LOVE COFFEE. Well this little table mat is about coffee and I call it Come Around for Coffee. It doesn't take much time, and I only did some in the ditch quilting.. making it a pretty quick finish. I used some of my precious LakeHouse Doll Dresses in the geese units and my other precious Lecien 30's for the rest of the quilt. Thanks to Lecien for providing a fat quarter bundle of their Spaicy Scrap fabric for the Grand Prize giveaway basket!!


The Come Around For Coffee pattern can be found here as a pdf, print it and either get sewing or maybe put it off for a while. I think this will make a great spring time gift for all you people who have everything done!! (and for those of us who won't get it done before Christmas!)

Leave me a comment today an not only will you be entered into the Grand Prize drawing, I'll also draw a name, the winner will receive a little kit for this quilt, plus Elizabeth's Sweet Pea Trellis pattern and some fat quarters of the soon to be released Sweet Pea fabric from RJR. Also, Alex gave me a 6 month gift membership to The Quilt Show to share, I have some pretty cool friends huh?

There's still half the hop left, so see you tomorrow! xo

Ho Ho Ho

Good morning everybody! Thanks for coming back here for the hop! Today we're talking Santa. Do you have a good Santa Story? I think this is the last time Frankie sat on Santa's lap. She's not one for that kind of thing, then or now! She's 4 here. The Cross Country Blog hop has been a lot of fun, hasn't it... and there's still so many days to go. All this Christmas talk has gotten me all fired up and I've started thinking about Christmas shopping. Today is Heather's day, so hop on over to her blog and see what she is sharing with us. And be sure and come back tomorrow.. its MY DAY!!

Christmas Trees

Good morning how goes it? Exhausted from the hopping? Me too! But today is a favorite topic, the Christmas tree. I get excited just thinking about it. I love Christmas trees. This is a picture of our 1959 Christmas tree. I don't think we ever strayed from this style and I have to confess, its my favorite. That kind of stick tree.. a bit Charlie Brownish, and lots of tinsel, and all the ornaments we ever had.. Christmas trees since I've been married have varied from my style to Bret's, he likes the big fat full Noble Firs, and tons of lights. We've done colored and white, fat, bubble, combos.. love them all. Since Frankie was born we started adding kid ornaments to the tree, and now nothing says Christmas like our Star of David popsicle stick topper.

Elizabeth was dying for me to show you our tree, as she cracks up over the United Federation of Planets battle that takes place each year, with the complete set of Star Trek ornaments blinking around the tree. Sadly, I can't find one picture really showing off those ships. Come back at Christmas time this year and I'll really get a good shot. Because AMAZING!

Ok, enough of the nerd fest. Today is the day to hop on over to Pat's and see what she's up to. Hope you're enjoying all the projects! They're so cute, aren't they? Ok, see you here tomorrow!

P.S. Pat has set up a flickr group so you can show off your projects. Rumor has it some of you have been busy!

The Gift Post

Good morning!!! Day three of the hop! Today is Terry Atkinson's day and I can't tell you how much I have admired Terry. I think her instructions and graphics are some of the best out there, and I'm pretty sure I own almost all of her books. And I have made tons of her projects for myself and as gifts.

This pile of junky worn looking fabric represents the most popular gift I ever made. TO THIS DAY!!! QUILLOWS. Crazy huh?

I think one thing you'll notice about the photo (besides the dog fur) is that they're not folded in their pillow form. One year I found cute novelty fabric and made Frankie, and my nieces and nephew each a quillow. It seemed like a fun kid thing. Kind of a pain to make and when they were done I was glad to be finished because sewing that pillow part onto the blanket part was a bit of a pain. And let me backtrack and say I'm thinking by the time I had gotten to quillow, I'd made everyone a nice pieced quilt, including the adults.

The adults were NUTS over them and the next year I had to make quillows for all of them. And of course find themed novelty flannel to go with each adult, my brother-in-law liked the Taz, my sister-in-law collects penguins.. you get the idea. I couldn't believe it then and still can't believe it now. I guess I should have known, they are gadget people and I think that quillow's are the gadget of the quilting world. A quilt that turns into a pillow.. or is that visa versa? I think you can search and find many many patterns out there so you too can make a Christmas sensation.

So that's my crazy gift making story. Now lets all head over and check out Terry's blog and see what she has in store for us! See you tomorrow!

P.S. Carol in Rock Hill, SC you are the magazine winner, please email me your info!

Hop to It

Today is a double blog hop day here in PamKittyland... It's my lucky day, I've been included in the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Collector's Edition Magazine! I can hardly believe my good fortune.

What's extra exciting to me is, I'm right next door to our favorite Zombie.. look at us using some of our favorite fabrics.. we know the Urban Chiks you know. (did I mention that before?)

The magazine is chock full of some of my friends and some of the prettiest quilt blocks so follow the 100 Blocks Blog Tour daily through November 13 at Quiltmaker. There will be inspiration, ideas and giveaways galore! Look for 100 Blocks from Today’s Top Designers in your local quilt shop, or purchase it at Quiltmaker.com.

And just because its all so exciting, leave me a comment and I'll draw name tonight .. Quiltmaker is giving away a magazine for each designer!!!

Ok peeps, phew. I need a cup of coffee! Have a great day.

Blog Hopping Galore!

Good morning blog hopping friends, how are you today? I'm very excited, today is Sandy's day to share a project. I've admired her work for years and we all know her fabric for Moda is delicious!

Yesterday I loved all the stories and old photos. Maybe it's because I grew up here in the Wild West , but I have only a few childhood pictures of Christmas. Maybe it's because in California the weather is always nice and I can't tell the Christmas pictures from any others?

Today we're sharing recipes. YUM. There are lots of picky eaters in my family, so after a few years, I ended up just keeping it pretty basic. Not that I didn't spend a few years channeling my inner Martha Stewart way back when she was on PBS. I could go on and on about her Tobacco Barn all decorated for the holidays. But back to today! I'm sharing my Sour Cream Coffee Cake recipe. It's great served right from the oven or bake it ahead and serve it up Christmas morning so you don't have so much to do first thing!

1/2 cup walnuts

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 c sugar

2 1/4 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/3 c butter

1/3 c vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 c sour cream

2 tsp vanilla

Mix walnuts, cinnamon and 1/2 cup of the sugar and set aside.

Grease an 9 inch spring form pan. This can also be baked in a 10 in tube pan.

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda in a small bowl.

Mix butter, oil and sugar till well mixed, add eggs one at a time. With mixer on low, add flour mix, sour cream and vanilla. Pour half in a pan, sprinkle with half sugar/nut mixture, spoon dollops of batter to cover and sprinkle with remaining sugar/nut mix.

Bake 60 -65 minutes till tester comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan.

Sorry that I didn't make one up for you to show it off. But it's just Bret and I here and neither of us needs to be eating a whole coffee cake!

See you back here tomorrow peeps.

Blog Hopping Monday!

Good morning Peeps, how was the weekend? It was another wonderful weather weekend here, and we spent some time outside enjoying the sunshine and catching up on fall tasks. As everyone knows, the holiday season will be in high gear soon, so no time like the present to get to thinking about holiday gift giving. And how convenient, the next 12 days will be filled with Christmas Cheer and quick holiday projects. Perfect timing, I've put off all my holiday sewing till the last minute as usual.

The holidays are great aren't they? I remember the anticipation mostly. The tree, the tinsel.. SANTA. Very exciting.

Today's featured blog is Gudrun's World. Click your way over to her blog, I can't wait to see what she has in store, what about you? Be sure and leave a comment to be entered in the big prize drawing. See you tomorrow peeps. xo

The Waiting is Over.

The mystery is finally solved. This beautiful little blond baby grew up to be... This beautiful and talented very brunette designer Gudrun !!! Here's the photo she sent me... so very glamorous. This is how I think of her... full of fun, always laughing, and just a pleasure to know. Here she is showing off her latest book, Strip On. There are 10 quilts in this book made with 2 1/2 or 1 1/2 inch strips. Check it out, darling projects.

Holy cow though people, wasn't picking hard? I have to be honest, the only two I got were of course me (although really in the end even I wasn't sure) and Gudrun. I'm going to be checking out all the blogs to figure out who's who.

So out of the very few who guessed correctly, the name we pulled out of the hat is Corky. Send me your address Corky and I'll send you my three new patterns, with a little bonus kit for the Patchy bag I made myself for market shown here... I'm including the left over handkerchief even!!

I enjoyed reading all the comments, not only here, but on the other blogs as well. Come back tomorrow for the Official start of the hop. Be sure and let me know how many you got right!!!

End of the week report

Hey peeps! It's the end of a fun and busy week here. I'm off to Alex's today. She's traveling so she's turning me loose in her studio to do some work for her. Hmm, wonder if I can get into any trouble?

Had to grab this shot while I could, I was jetting across town to get Elizabeth. See we have fall color. We went and met up for some sightseeing and lunch with Holly earlier this week.

She took us over to Fort Baker for lunch. Wow. I mean really, the views are amazing. I wish the picture could capture just how huge and close the Golden Gate Bridge looked .


The weather here in the bay area has been beyond perfect, we were able to sit outside on the terrace for lunch at Murray Circle at the Lodge.

This is one of those crazy stitched photos of my view. I wish it could capture the beauty of the day. And not only was the day perfect, there was no traffic on the way back. Miracle people.

But that kind of a glamour day is few and far between. Although why? I'm not really sure. I should make more of an effort to enjoy the surrounding areas. And OMG I saw Doug McConnell there! Local celebrity and environmentalist, I have watched him on Bay Area Backroads for years. Don't worry, I was cool.

Hope you've all made a guess on just who that cute little baby is. Saturday night I'll be picking a winner from the people who've guessed correctly and letting you know just who it is on Sunday!!! Next week is the start of the hop, and believe me, there will be stories, projects and chances to win prizes. So see you then. xo

P.S. Yes, I did put the ironing board cover on the actual ironing board. No I did not turn on the iron yet.