Ashton's Attic Reopens

I always love helping people promote their new businesses, but when it is my own daughter's, well, that makes it even more special.

I do not remember when exactly we discovered Ashton had a love for sewing.  I do remember that I made her take a home ec. class for school and one of the things she had to do was a quilt.  It turned out beautifully.

At the same time she also began sewing prairie skirts under the teaching of another homeschooling mom just for fun.  She hasn't stopped sewing since.

Yes, she has taken a few lessons here and there, but for the most part she is self-taught.  And determined.

She also had wonderful mentor and teacher while she was in school and working in their costume shop.  Once she graduated from college her love of sewing continued and she got a job working at a dry cleaners doing all of their alterations.  That job broadened her skills and allowed her to do private fittings, bridal alterations, and more.  Ashton also found a passion for teaching and has enjoyed teaching private sewing lessons to numerous students of all ages.

Now that we have moved and are settling in, Ashton has expanded her private sewing (in which she does clothes and alterations) and reopened her Etsy shop featuring quilts, with new branding for her business by Jamie Kientz, who did a wonderful job! You can see her work on her Facebook page and if you need any branding or design work done, I know Ashton would highly recommend her!

Ashton sells three kinds of quilts, T-shirt quilts, Memory and Baby clothes quilts, and Rag T-shirt quilts. I have to say, the rag T-shirt quilts are my favorite, they are so soft and cuddly!

These are just a few of the quilts she has done!

My first experience with a T-shirt quilt was years ago when I had someone make one for Ashton's graduation.  The irony, I know!  I sent a bunch of T-shirts away to a stranger and hoped for the best. Thankfully, all worked out well and other than the hefty price tag, I was happy.  It was then I realized how precious these quilts are with the memories they hold.  From graduations to baby memories to special events, each quilt tells a story to the one they are presented to.  A perfect gift!

So, now you have a name!  And a face!  And a mom's recommendation.  Go gather your shirts!!

You can see her quilts at her Etsy Store or on her Facebook page, and see what else she is up to on Pinterest and Instagram 

Blessings,

Multiple Projects!- Sewing to Summer

Now that my daughter is living back at home, we have gotten back to sewing.  Well, she has been sewing all along but when she is not around I am just not as motivated.

I am not sure really what got her started with sewing.  We were blessed to have two separate people in Wyoming that helped teach her a lot of the skills she has.  She also had a home economics class in which she made her first quilt.  I taught her a few additional quilting skills, but most she picked up on her own.  She was also blessed to be hired at a costuming shop on campus where she attended school for a year and a half and learned from a wonderful teacher and mentor there.

Between all of that and running an online sewing business as well, you could just say this-girl-sews!  I have fun sewing.  It is her passion.  Which explains why she is good at it and makes money and I do not.

It also explains why she works on multiple projects at one time.

Multiple!

Let me show you-

A formal dress that she designed.  Yep, she designed it.  Drives me crazy when she does that.  I want to just find a nice pattern and be done.  She wants to be original.  Ugh!

And this quilt she is working on.  Actually she came upon the blocks at a local antique store and is now putting them together for a quilt for me.  Ok, it is a quilt for her, but a momma can dream, right?

And then there is this project for a friend who is working on a business endeavor.  Can't give away his project yet, but when he gets famous, I will let Ashton share with you about her tiny role in it!

And then there is this....

Well, that is mostly my project, but it is a secret for now.

See what I mean!  Multiple projects!

We are so excited to start linking up monthly with Jennifer at Milk and Honey Mommy for her Sewing to Summer Series.  If you have a sewing project, or two, you would like to share, I know she would like to have you join us.

Hey, maybe next month I will have a finished project to share as well.

If Ashton will let me use her machine!

Blessings,

Every Quilt Tells a Story

Recently a friend of mine was looking through primitive quilt magazines and messaged me that she was thinking of me.  She was even brave enough to ask me to share some of the stories about my quilts.  Why, I would love to Angela! ;)

You see, she knows I love fabric.  And quilts.  And more fabric.  I started making quilts about 20 years ago when I decided I could not just buy fabric and never use it.  Eventually my hubby would start to notice. So instead, I buy fabric and make random quilts.  For me, for friends, for family, a few more for me!  It's an addiction, as you may have noticed from the post I wrote about my quilt ladder.  I need about 10 more.

Angela got me thinking about all of those quilts and the stories they hold.  For ages, people have been encouraged to at least sign their quilts and put a date on them.  I am bad about that. I just tend to forget.  But, oh how I would love it if you had to put the story of every quilt on the back it.  Can you imagine the stories we could read?  Quilts crafted during wars, for weddings, for babies, in honor of sometime, to help with the healing process.

Yes, every quilt tells a story!

Here are a few of mine...

This is my first quilt, and my favorite.

It is simple, but the flannel is what makes it wonderful.  To me!  I love snuggling in it and our family often fights for who can use it on any given wintry night.  I actually took a class to learn how to make it.  I showed up to class, clearly the youngest person there, picked out fabric, really the only thing I was interested in doing anyway, and sat down.  I listened to all the directions and then watched everyone get started. Then I raised my hand and asked if the teacher could teach me how to thread my sewing machine.  Yep, really!  She stood there looking at me with a mildly concerned look and then sweetly told me that maybe I should not be in that class.  I sweetly told her that I could do it if she could just show me how to thread the machine.  She did, and I did!  Yay me!  It may be simple, and it may not be perfect (OK, it's NOT perfect), but it was my first project and I still love it!

Next up, my oldest's Sunbonnet Sue quilt.  I made this when she was about 2 1/2 years old.  She was still in a crib and this is a full size quilt- makes perfect sense, right?  HA  I had a thing with calico prints. I had collected WAY. TOO. MANY. and decided that this would be a good idea.  Some of my plans are better than others, let's just say.  I did have a great time matching up all the fabrics.  Starting to see a theme here?  I did NOT have fun cutting all those pieces, and sewing them.  As a matter of fact, at some point I took out the stitching that held them all in place because it was not right.  If I close my eyes, I can remember standing at the ironing board in our little rental house while she played nearby and ironing on fusible webbing to every little piece.  That was right before my husband was deployed for a year and it gave my mind something else to think about rather than dwell on the upcoming year alone raising a three year old. She did eventually sleep under it for several years and it stays in her stuff these days.  Maybe someday she will have a little girl who loves pink.

I had a hard time picking a quilt of my second daughters' to share with you.  Why?  Because she has SEVERAL!  Not because she is my favorite, right, Roo? ;), but because she is like a chameleon that changes styles faster than well, you can change styles.  She too has a pink and green quilt and somewhere around here is one with horses on it that she used for several years.  These days she has a New York style theme going on so these are my latest creations.  My oldest daughter actually took part in these two and Roo picked out most of the fabric, so it really was a group effort.  I love being able to work with my daughters on projects and this one was no exception.  Lots of laughter went into making those.  Every time I walk into her room and see them, it makes me think of the three of us together- something that is not as common now that the oldest is away at college. (Just for the record, if my eldest ever suggests working with three inch squares again, remind me to run away screaming!  I am too old for that silliness!)  For now, they are each on a twin bed...if she moves back to her big bed whenever we move she will have to figure out a way to put them together and pretend they are a queen size.  Seriously!  Hey, that might be a whole new quilt story!

This one is my sons'.  Pick either son, because actually there are two of them- one for each.  I saw this pattern done in train fabric in a quilt store when we lived in Wyoming and fell in love with it.  Since we were in Cowboy country, I decided to use cowboy fabric.  Again, a pretty simple pattern, but fun to do.  My oldest son used both quilts for a time on his bunk beds and now the youngest has a cowboy themed room and has his on his bed.  The story behind them... wow!  We spent a long time waiting for our youngest to come home.  17 months, to be exact.  It was a long, rough road.  BUT, God and a lot of prayers from faithful friends and family finally brought him home while we were living in Wyoming.  Every time I look at those quilts, especially now with that little guy tucked underneath it, I remember how faithful God was.  And is!

As I walked around my house while getting ready to write this post I wondered about all the quilts I own and the stories that must surround them.  Don't you wish you could hear them all?  I do.  Thank you, my friend, for reminding me that all of our quilts have stories and that as with any story, they are only remembered if we share them!  Thank you for letting me share just a few.

Maybe I can get my oldest to share hers sometime soon. ;)

Blessings,



Linking up with Amy at Raising Arrows today!

The ladder is done!

Remember a few weeks ago I showed you my ladder?  Well, I am a little slow, but I finally got it cleaned up and quilts hung.  I think I like the natural color for now...or maybe I am just too lazy to paint it right now.  Regardless, I am pretty sure my oldest daughter will rearrange the quilts when she comes home, seeing as how half came from her room, but either way, I LOVE IT!  (Disregard the terracotta walls. remember, it's a rental!) 

What 'cha think?

 

Wonder how many ladders in a house one can use.  ;)

 

See you on Wednesday for another Project Organize post.  We spent all of yesterday working on the project for next week.  Can't wait to share with you.  This house is shaping up!  How about yours?

Quilts and Ladders

Nope- this is not a new game or a new obsession.  My love for fabric somehow led to the love of quilts.  Or was it the other way around?  Either way, I like both and I own a lot of both.  Some of our quilts are store bought, some are homemade by me or others, but there are some in about every room in the house! (with 3 quilts in the process.  Yes, at one time.)

And then one day I saw something like this...

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/86764730293433315/

Oh, my heart be still.  I. LOVE. THIS!

So, I put a bug in my father-in-law's ear since his passion is antiques and low and behold- look what I got for Christmas!

It is so tall we are going to cut it down and it needs some cleaning up and maybe a stain or paint (black maybe?), but I have plans! ;)

See all of these...

 They will have a new home soon.  Instead of in places and piles all over the house.

Can't wait to share the finished project with you.  February, maybe!