Archive for January 2013

What to do with all those little pins you collect? A pin quilt!

If you are anything like me (and I am really hoping you aren’t, for your sake) then you have a bunch of little pins you have gotten over the course of your lifetime.  I guess I am thinking there will be some sort of checking up process (What, you don’t have your Spanish National Honor... Read more »
By Kathy Mathews,
January 30, 2013 at 8:43 pm • 

Sewing for Hemingway book club Grand Finale

Today was the Grand Finale for our Farewell to Arms book club.  Last week I posted pictures of the Italian aprons I made for our Hemingway discussion.  I had to really sew like crazy to get two table runners done because one of them was reversible.  Here is how the table looked when it was... Read more »
By Kathy Mathews,
January 27, 2013 at 6:04 pm • 

Easy knit scarf for my husband finished

I retired on a Friday from teaching school for 35 years.  Two days later, the first Monday of my retirement I started my Knitting 101 class.  I was very enthused about adding another skill to my arsenal of home made goodies. I really sucked at knitting.  I mean I was really really bad.  I could... Read more »
By Kathy Mathews,
January 24, 2013 at 8:25 pm • 
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Martin Luther King Jr. and Quilts

Today is the federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as the celebration of the inauguration of President Obama’s second term.  It is such an important holiday that I knew there had to be many examples out there of quilts for MLK.  I decided to google him and quilts and was happy... Read more »
By Kathy Mathews,
January 21, 2013 at 11:09 am • 

Sewing for Ernest Hemingway book club - A Farewell to Arms

Next Sunday is book club at my house. Three times a year we meet to discuss a classic book which we discuss on Facebook ahead of time. I started this Facebook Book club so that once and for all, I would read Anna Karenina and we have just kept going since then. We were even... Read more »
By Kathy Mathews,
January 20, 2013 at 4:14 pm • 

Want more snow? Quilt or sew it!

I’ve lived in Chicago all my life and we like to think that we have really blustery, snowy, character inducing winters.  This year has been a a bust, basically no snow.  What is this, Arkansas?  Chicago in the winter looks like this picture from the Snowmaggedon storm of 2011.  Now that was a storm!  Heck,... Read more »
By Kathy Mathews,
January 15, 2013 at 5:13 pm • 
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Small sewing projects after shortening pants

I am 5’9″ tall and my daughters are 4’9″ and 5’4″; my pants are always too short and theirs are generally too long.  As long as they wear pants I will not lack for things to sew.  It is the kind of sewing that makes my teeth hurt.  Yes, I know it helps them and... Read more »
By Kathy Mathews,
January 11, 2013 at 1:00 pm • 

How to make a bib for first year month markers

I like sewing things and I like making things that are just a little different or why else bother making it yourself?   I love making items for my granddaughter and I noticed those monthly photos on Facebook.  Everyone seemed to have the same month stickers from Etsy which are cute but why not mix it... Read more »
By Kathy Mathews,
January 3, 2013 at 11:16 pm •