My Colorado daughter just left after visiting with us over a 16 day period.  During her visit we primarily busied ourselves with activities focused around fabric.  At all hours of the day, if you stood outside my sewing room and listened, you would have heard the gentle hum of conversation blended with the whirr of my sewing machine.

Pictured below is a photo of our first project in progress.  This fabric was destined for a casserole dish cozy.  Unfortunately I can’t show you what the finished product looked like because I forgot to take a picture.

Next in line were two sets of Pot Pinchers from Vanilla House Designs.  We picked up this pattern while shopping at Life’s A Stitch Quilt Shoppe in Janesville.  My daughter just couldn’t resist buying it.  At first I thought they looked a little tricky but they were super easy.  So easy that my daughter, whom has very little sewing experience, was able to sew the first pair all by herself.  She worked through the assembly process until she reached the binding stage.  That’s when she let me take over.  Once we had the first set finished we quickly started and finished the second one.  My daughter made the yellow pair with ladybugs.  I can’t wait to hear how she likes them.

Third on our list of creations was an adorable little Penny Mat from Buttermilk Basin called Penny Mats thru the Year “April”.  This was another pattern that we purchased from Life’s A Stitch Quilt Shoppe.  As you can see from the picture the Penny Mat is made from wool.  As with the Pot Pinchers I thought this pattern looked rather tedious yet proved to be the most enjoyable and my favorite.

Last on our to do list was a Lazy Girl pattern called Miranda Day Bag.  This pattern had been a part of my collection for quite some time, although I had not yet made one for myself.  My Colorado daughter visited with us last January.  While she was here she took a cruise through my pattern basket.  The Miranda Day Bag caught her attention.  During one of our many excursions to fabric stores she selected and purchased fabric for the pattern.  Unfortunately, as is usually the case, we ran out of time and were not able to get the tote bag constructed.  We left the fabric and pattern sitting on my to do shelf.  I had every intention of getting to the project, before she returned, but it always seemed like something else took precedence.

Not being able to complete the bag, before my daughter visited again, turned out to be a blessing.  You see, when she took a second glance at the colors she was not at all pleased.  If I had gone ahead and created the bag she would have been so disappointed with the outcome.  The first set of fabrics she chose were set aside.  I’m sure they will find their way into some other project.  So now we were back to square one.  New fabrics had to be chosen.

We had a great time searching for and locating a new grouping of fabrics at Loose Threads in Milton.  Choosing fabrics and visualizing how they will commingle is one of my favorite things to do.  The photograph below shows our finished project.  We were absolutely thrilled with the outcome.  The pattern was incredibly easy to follow.  I would highly recommend patterns written by the Lazy Girl company.

Since all of the items we made went back to Colorado, with my daughter, anything that I would like for my own collection will have to be recreated.  The Penny Mat would definitely be one that I would choose as well as the Miranda Day Bag.

Even though my daughter has been back in Colorado for less than four days I miss her dearly.  While she was here we had a wonderful adventure that included visits to numerous fabric stores, a smorgasboard of restaurants, a tour through a botanical garden and hours and hours of conversation.  I will always remember this visit.  I can’t wait for her to return.

One More Thing

Before I let you go I wanted to share with you the items currently waiting on my project list:

*Quilt Tops Ready for Quilting*

My Colorado daughter’s king sized quilt (Finished)

Simple Times quilt by American Crib Quilts

May Night from the Pineapple Passion Collection by Nancy Smith and Lynda Milligan published by That Patchwork Place

Bear’s Paw Quilt by Eleanor Burns from the TRIO of Treasured Quilts Quilt in a Day Series

*Fabric and Quilt Patterns Purchased For*

Autumn Quilt by Heart To Hand

Heart & Home by Heart To Hand

Snowy Days by Heart To Hand

The Bundling Board by Primitive Pieces

First Year Log Cabin by Acorn Quilts

*Quilt Pattern Purchased For*

Cathedral by Villa Rosa Designs

Civil War Battle Series # 2 by Clothesline Quilts

Courthouse Square # 169 by Country Threads

Family * Home * Friends by Cottage Creek Quilts

Joyful Welcome by Threads That Bind

Martin’s Pennies by Civil War Legacies

Snow Drifts by Hanging by a Thread

Sundance by Villa Rosa Designs added 7/31/2012

Tall * Small by Waltzing with Bears

*Fabric and/or Craft Pattern Purchased For*

Chelsea Tote by Lazy Girl

Elf Mittens by Button Stitch Designs

Encore Purse Insert by Studio Kat

Miranda Day Bag by Lazy Girl

Penny Mats thru the Year  January, April and November by Buttermilk Basin

Sunflower Pillow by The Cottage at Cardiff Farms added 7/31/2012

The Sammi Grace Bag by Fishsticks Designs

Tweety Birds by Creative Fiber Expressions added 7/31/2012

I also have fabric purchased to make a quilt for each of my three two grandchildren.  These quilts do not require a pattern.  (One of these quilts is now finished.  Two remain to be sewn.)

I’m linking up with Freshly Pieced.  Make sure you stop by her blog.