Tag Archives: Tu-Na

Tu-Na Quilts: Mixing Around and Having a Lot of Fun

I’ve always said that spending the winter in Arizona is like going to winter camp for seniors. There’s 92 different clubs and activities offered in our 55+ active adult community and that’s not counting the flu that’s also going around. Tu-Na Helper and I have been busy and enjoying every minute of our time here.

I did spend some time this week mixing things up a bit and produced this cute little block. I thought you’d like to see what I’ve been up to as far as sewing related. No, I have not started a new project. But more about that later.

This little beauty is 7 3/4″ X 9 3/4.” Tu-Na Helper says this one is a new digital model since it’s missing the lever. Some things just have to be left to the imagination. You can find the free pattern here on Why Not Sew.

I changed the pattern a bit. I treated it like paper piecing and not sewed as shown on the pattern for two reasons; I needed it to be facing this direction and I just couldn’t see myself fussing over little pieces of freezer paper. It actually worked amazingly well.

What I Learned Today:

I’ve been missed. I received 4 emails from my dear readers asking if I was ok since it’s been awhile since I’ve posted. Rest assured all is well but I did enjoy knowing that I was missed. There is much fun in the sun around here taking my time.
The more time lapsed between posts makes sitting down and writing more difficult.
I need to use my “real” Kitchen-Aid to whip up another lemon meringue pie. The lemons on our tree are ripe! I’ve already made three pies and we’ve had some company.
Some of those lemons are so big that it only took 1 and 1/2 to make a 1/2 cup of juice.
There’s no comparison between homemade fresh lemon meringue pie and lemon pie made from a box of lemon pie filling.
Find another piece of fabric to use for the background in my pictures. I got a new camera for Christmas from my kids and a new light/camera stand from Tu-Na Helper. I’m still learning to use both.

Question: Do you whip things up by whisk, hand mixer, or a fancy stand mixer like the one pictured? I tried whipping cream with a whisk, once. After 30 seconds, I decided it definitely is worth using something that’s a whole lot faster.

Thanks for stopping by and do come again.

Karen,

Tu-Na Quilts

Linking with:

Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

2018 Monthly Color Challenge (January is red) at Patterns by Jen (PB &J)

Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River

Let’s Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts

Tu-Na Quilts: My Three Month Plan

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Before I started my blog, I joined the finish-a-long party but haven’t been back since. Life happens. Because I need all the motivation and encouragement I can muster, I am linking once again. It’s an International affair hosted by a group of bloggers from around the world. You will find the link at the bottom of this post. Look out party goers, Tu-Na’s back!

Tu-Na’s January, February, and March Finish-A-Long projects

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Tu-Na Quilts: Let’s Talk About the Elephant in the Closet

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Yes, lets’ talk about that elephant quilt lurking in my closet. I’m making it for my best friend’s granddaughter who already celebrated her first birthday in November. So it’s officially not a baby quilt anymore. And I’m officially very late with it.

This project became shelved when I began having eye issues. It needs a bit of seam adjustment to make the rows match.

Everyone (well, at least the blogs that I follow) talks about their one monthly goals and up to now I figured I didn’t need to set myself one goal a month. But after last year, I do need an incentive or something to help me move some projects along. So I figured I’d join the party.

The rules are to write a post about the one item you want to move along or finish this month and link to the party at Elm Street Quilts. Then at the end of the month, write a post about your progress and link to the finish party. I figure it may be just the incentive I need to move along a few projects. Oh, and there are prizes to win, too.

I started this quilt last spring. You can read about the exciting birth of that baby elephant here as Dr. Tu-Na was present in the delivery (sewing) room. I posted about this quilt’s progress here in Let’s Make Elephants, and here in We Have an Elephant Parade, and here in Progress on She Has Her Mommy’s Nose.

I’ll post about my progress on this Elephant at the end of the month or sooner if I actually get it done. Yes, completely done: pieced, sandwiched, quilted, bound, and in the mail.

What I Learned Today:

There are 25 days left in January. I better not wait until the last week to work on this project.
It gets cold in North Dakota in the winter. We braved the cold temps and spent the holidays with our family in North Dakota. The coldest it got was -28°F with at least two days of never getting above 0°.
My plants in the sunroom don’t like the cold. The dieffenbachia froze.
It’s time to bring on the heat and head back to Arizona.
I’m thinking an Arizona Family Christmas next year just might be perfect.

Question: What project do you have that’s been hiding in the closet? Oh, I have others that will hopefully make their appearances this year but this is the one that really needs to get done so someone cute and little can snuggle with it.

Thanks for stopping by and do come again.

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts

Linking to:

One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts

Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts

Moving It Forward at Em’s Scrapbag

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River

Tu-Na Quilts: A Christmas Tree for the Kids

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I didn’t want to bring up all the Christmas decorations this year when we arrived back at the northern house just two days before Christmas. But I didn’t want to be nicknamed “Tu-Na the Grinch” or “Tu-Na Scrooge” if I didn’t at least do something to decorate the house for the holiday.

So I thought I’d use some felt and make a tree to put on the wall. I cut lots of circles: large, medium, and small for the decorations, while my daughter-in-law cut the tree shape. She made it a very full tree to hold lots of felt circles.

Tu-Na Helper used Command strips to hang it on the wall.

It is a big hit with all the little kids and the big ones as well. They can decorate and redecorate the tree as much as they wish.

What I Learned Today:

One is never too old to decorate a tree. Even I had fun decorating this tree.
My daughter is a very good cook. She is baking homemade Biscotti right now.

Question: Did you put up a tree or not this year? You’ve seen the extent of my Christmas decorations for this year above.

Thanks for stopping by and do come again.

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts

Linking to:

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilt

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Tu-Na Quilts: The Best of 2017

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Visitors from 72 countries stopped by Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats and have left over 1600 comments on the 98 posts I published this year. I was honored to receive 453 comments on the twelve 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop posts. I’ve been unable to reply to all of them but know that I have read and appreciated every one of them. Thank you for taking the time to stop and chat, ask a question, leave an answer, or offer some help. I’ve learned so much from my readers.

I’m excited to have almost 450 followers by email, WordPress, and Bloglovin. Thank you for taking the time to not only read what I write but want to follow so you don’t miss a post. I’ve only been blogging for 1 and 1/2 years and strive to make my posts interesting and entertaining. If they sometimes read a bit humorous, it’s an added bonus for both of us.

There’s a year-end party happening over at Meadow Mist Designs. Cheryl has invited us to reflect on our year by sharing five of our top posts.

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Tu-Na Travels: ♪ I Want To Wish You A Merry Christmas ♪ – Arizona Style #13

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We went to the Mormon Temple in Mesa, Arizona to see their light display. There are over 20,000 bulbs on this star.

We got there early as parking is always a problem.

The good news is that we had no problem finding a place to park but the bad news was that the sun would not be setting for an hour and a half. We got to watch the lights come on, the sky darken, and the grounds fill with hundreds of people. This is one very small part of the display.

It was beautiful after dark. It was just one of those places and times where you really have to be there to appreciate it.

Here’s some really tall lighted palm trees. I was told that they take all the lights down after Christmas to repair and replace bulbs and then start putting them back up in April. This is one massive light display.

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Tu-Na Travels: ♪ I Want To Wish You A Merry Christmas ♪ – Arizona Style #11

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This is what the inside of a Saguaro looks like.

Tu-Na Quilts: Tish to the Rescue

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Tish, who blogs at Tish’s Adventure in Wonderland, has begun a project to help us get our UFO’s to completion.

This is a super cute button!

Since I previously said that 2018 was going to be the year of finishes rather than new project starts, it seems natural to join Tish for some added encouragement. Plus, it’s nice to have cheerleaders and coaches urging one to move forward, to reach higher, to cross the finish line. Besides, I got to meet Tish in person in October at the Quilt Blogger’s Retreat in Ohio and I know that she’ll make a great coach.

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Be sure and check the comments as Wendy from Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life has been naming and giving a witty little description of each of the pictures I’ve been posting for the last 10 days. Thanks Wendy!

Linking to:

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict