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Tag: inspiration

  • (2016) Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Christmas Lights

    Natchitoches Christmas Festival of Lights in Natchitoches, Louisiana. www.NatchitochesChristmas.com:

    We spent this weekend in Natchitoches at the Lights Festival. Natchitoches bills itself as “The City of Lights,” which has been celebrated since 1926. 

    Creole Christmas in Natchitoches - Natchitoches, LA Christmas Festival - One of my favorite events when I lived in LA.:

    One of my fondest memories is of my sisters and me playing and rolling down the hill in front of the lake. I also remember picking stickers out of my clothing, which adds to the humor. 

    1. Natchitoches Christmas Festival of Lights:
    Natchitoches Christmas Lights:

    Now one of my sisters lives on the lake just beyond that hill, and she is loving enough to invite us (the whole crazy family) to her house for the first weekend of December, which happens to be the festival weekend. That means lights, parades, fireworks, a craft fair, boat flotilla, and of course, Santa. 

    Natchitoches Christmas Festival of Lights (Natchitoches, LA):
    Natchitoches Christmas Lights 2013 | Photos of Christmas in Natchitoches, Lousiana:

    And Christmas quilts to go along with the scenes because, believe me, this weekend was cold and wet (and unbelieveably rainy) so anyone out there would have wished for an extra-warm, heavy quilt. The rain was so heavy that the parade was canceled for the first time since 1959.

    Christmas holiday snow globe quilt - Tasha Noel:

    modern Christmas Quilt - trees and stars:

    Christmas… in May? - The Marcus Fabrics Blog:

    Christmas Quilt by Alex Eckert at Ideen Boutique at Flickr. From the Oh My Stars quilt along. For the quilt along see http://thoughtandfound.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/oms3/:

    This is so adorable. From moda bake shop. Great instructions too:

    Another version of Welcome to the North Pole...this one has enough buildings for an advent calendar.:

    Cute Christmas quilt (Flurry) Free pattern here: http://www.beebolt.com/patterns-and-books/quilt-patterns/downloadable-patterns/flurry-free-quilt-pattern.html:

    Looking for your next project? You're going to love Pinetop Quilt by designer Lindsey Neill.:

    My Grinch Christmas Quilt: http://justletmequilt.blogspot.com/2012/01/grinch-christmas-quilt.html:

    My Mother would have loved this idea! She made a baby quilt using reds. (Redwork quilt with a variety of cute fills):

    Though not quilts, these are adorable and certainly would be something that you’d likely see in one of the many boutiques along Front Street. 

    Bring cheer to your mantle this Christmas with the festive Kringle Mantel Scarf that features 13 vivid panels adorned with unique patterns.:

    Here’s hoping you’re getting into the Christmas spirit and enjoying the Advent season. We have not begun decorating, but that’s okay, I prefer to spend time with family. Perhaps next weekend the stuff will come down and someone will put it all together. 

  • Pin It Weekly #337

    I discovered charcuterie boards via Pinterest a while back and have been considering creating a board. Richard and Adam made a few to put in my Griffin’s booth, so there’s even more interest. At the first book signing my beautiful friend Shera had a charcuterie board to rival any Pinterest photo I’ve seen. And so, more and more I’ve been needing to start a board. I will in a minute.

    First I want to tell you this: I decided to feature a few Pinterest followers (it’s been so long since I’ve done that. Sorry.) The very first person on the now very long list is Marlene Pauman and guess what is on the top of her boards! Charcuterie boards. How perfect? Let’s do it!

    A Christmas tree!

    Jeab Chawiwan has the cutest pincushions. I just couldn’t resist. Yes, I pinned half of them. Aren’t you going to?

    Joyce McCracken has some really sweet Christmas diy ideas. We’re quickly running out of time, so here are a few to pull together in those moments you are able to sneak in.

    I hope your last week of Advent is wonderful and blessed and filled with Jesus’ love.

  • Retreat to the River, sort of…

    I am quite far behind on posts, but since this blog is a diary of sorts as well as a way to connect with you, I’m going to at least note it with photos. I’ll start by saying I did not actually go down to the river–we were busy sewing and laughing and eating. A perfect retreat, wouldn’t you agree?

    There were only five of us, so I got a room to myself. In fact, most of us did. That was a good thing for Glen since she and I generally share a room. I snore. And worse, I talk in my sleep. Apparently it’s mostly nonsense and laughing, but imagine trying to sleep while that is going on in the bed next to yours. Richard doesn’t complain about it, but he makes his own share of noises.

    Glen worked on an Advent calendar bags which will go on a tree or limb. Each bag will have a date on it and a gift in it. Just like the Advent calendars that hang on the wall, except that these can hold a variety of items, big and small. That’s because the bags vary in shape and size.

    We couldn’t wait for show and share, so we decided on a sneak peek. Tracy had started this quilt at the last retreat in July and brought it to show us. Oh wow! That’s the front on the left and the back on the right. Yeah, I agree… WOW!

    I still can’t believe this: Crissy sat down at her machine on Thursday facing 2½ strips and some small black sashing. Her machine whirred away and she went home with this beauty! She insisted it wasn’t so bad. According to Crissy having friends beside her working on their own projects kept her going and the task wasn’t so boring as I was certain it would be. “Just look at the beautiful fabrics, though. They make me want to play with them and handle them,” she said in her soft, patient voice.

    Yvonne started this top at the Sherry Lynn Wood class we took last December. She worked on it at the July retreat and completed it at this retreat. See that smile? That’s the smile of accomplishment.

    Jo (above) and Joni (below) joined us for dinner and fun on Saturday evening. They are a mother/daughter team who are prolific quilters. Their quilts are always stunning. I don’t know how they do it, but here’s the proof.

    Part of the fun included door prizes.

    And then it was time for me to pack up and say goodbye. Richard and I had plans for Sunday, so though I could have stayed…

  • Pin It Weekly #336

    I’m just going to pretend that there was never a break from Fleur de Lis Quilts’ Pin It Weekly. Though I honestly haven’t been able to jump onto Pinterest as I normally would, I must admit to stealing a bit of time in the parent pick-up line and occasionally when I can’t sleep. Most recently I’ve been pinning to a new section in my “mixed media” board. I’ve had a little fun drawing and coloring using pages from old books. So the drawings in “flower sketches” are mostly to help me remember what flowers look like. Yes, I know. I like faster inspiration than my brain can provide.

    Can you see how just looking at these sketches and drawings could inspire a person? Sometimes, while Richard is watching a movie I’m not particularly interested in, I pick up my color pencils and just have fun. Most I’ve made into cards for my sisters, but a few I’ve glued onto cardstock to make bookmarks for the kids. If you have ideas of how I might use a few more, I’d appreciate your input. They tend to pile up if all I do is draw and color.