"A joyful spirit is evidence of a grateful heart" - Maya Angelou

My spirit is full of joy and my heart is definitely grateful because I have received so many wonderful comments, compliments, suggestions, etc to my quilting slump and "insult". I appreciate your encouraging and kind words - thank you my friends! I hope to return to my regular scheduled quilting soon but for now I truly have no interest or desire. I have to admit that Judy's Hour A Day project has me very intrigued. When I saw Jeanne's quilt I fell in love with it so it might be "the" project that jump starts my desire to quilt. We'll see!

In the meantime I will be visiting blogs and living vicariously through all of you. :-)

A Quilting "Have You Ever"? (just for fun)
I loved this idea from Shelina's blog and want to play along... The things in bold are what I've done. Play along if you dare!

Have You Ever?

1. Taken a quilting class
2. Paper pieced
3. Hand quilted
4. Hand pieced
5. Created your own pattern
6. Published a pattern in a magazine or book
7. Gone on a quilting retreat
8. Gone to a quilting convention
9. Met someone who wrote a quilting book
10 combined your quilting with some other craft
11. Done any three dimensional quilting - like fabric origami
12. Made something using Thimbleberries fabric
13. Made something using batiks
14. Dyed your own fabric
15. Made a landscape hanging
16. Made a New York Beauty quilt
17. Made a baby quilt
18. Made a wall hanging
19. Made a journal quilt
20. Submitted your journal quilt for viewing
21. Made a fabric postcard
22. Made a artistic trading card (ATC)
23. Exchanged artistic trading cards
24. Mailed your own postcard
25. Made a lap quilt
26. Made a twin size quilt
27. Made a full size quilt
28. Made a queen size quilt
29. Made a king size quilt
30. Donated a quilt to charity
31. Sent a quilt out to a quilter
32. Thrown away a UFO
33. Given away a UFO
34. Cut up a UFO and made something else with it
35. Ripped fabric instead of cutting it
36. Made a quilt exactly like the pattern, with no changes whatsoever
37. Done any Sashiko
38. Quilted your own quilt
39. Did free motion quilting
40. Put any embroidery or beads on your quilt
41. Given away your quilt to a stranger
42. Swapped fabric
43. swapped blocks
44. participated in a round robin
45. Participated in an ostrich round robin
46. kept a journal about your quilting
47. Written a letter to someone who made an antique quilt
48. kept a blog about your quilting
49. participated in a gift exchange
51 sent a quilting random act of kindness
52 joined a newsgroup about quilting
53 made a quilt using a pattern from quilterscache
54 joined an online block of the month
55 made a block of the month quilt
56 subscribed to a fabric of the month club
57 bought fabric at an online store
58 bought fabric from ebay
59 own more than one sewing machine
60 have a room dedicated solely to sewing
61 hide a fabric purchase
62 finished making a holiday gift before July
63 spent more than $200 in one quilt shopping trip
64 made a quilt using a book from the library
65 worked with someone else to make a quilt
66. Joined a quilt guild
67 become president of a quilt guild
68 taught a quilting class
69 helped someone else get the quilting bug
70 taught a child to sew
71 made a Dear Jane block
72 Made a miniature quilt
73 watch QNN - quilters news network
73 subscribe to a quilting magazine from your own country
74 subscribe to a quilting magazine from another country
75 buy fabric from another country
76 swapped completed quilts with someone else
77 asked for quilting help online
78 gone to a quilt shop to ask for quilting help
79 bought fabric at a local quilt shop
80 traveled more than 100 miles to go to a quilt shop
81 used nontraditional fabric for a quilt - something other than cotton or flannel
82 made a quilt using instructions given to you on a blog
83 make comments on someone's quilting blog
84 meet a quilter in person after only having talked online
85 had a quilting retreat in your home
86 own quilting software
87 made a quilt you designed on your quilting software
88 done any quilt research - history, interviewing quilters, etc.
89 had any quilt related subject published anywhere
90 donated a quilt to a museum
91 bought a quilt from a thrift store
92 made a quilt using fabric from a thrift store
93 made a quilt using photos
94 made a pastel quilt
95 made a quilt using brights
96 made a quilt using ethnic fabric from another country - African, Asian, etc.
97 made a quilt using leftover blocks from other quilts
98 had your quilt in a magazine, newspaper, newsletter, TV, etc.
99. Submitted your quilt to a quilt show
100. Won any ribbons with your quilts
101 had more finished quilts than UFOs
102 made a quilt using reproduction fabrics
103 took a break from quilting that was longer than a year
104 made money with your quilting
105 had a job in the fabric / quilting industry

RAMBLINGS

Since I'm not doing anything quilty I thought I'd share picture Miss Froggy. Isn't she (of course it could be a he) cute! My friends, Barb and Mary, of Me and My Sister Designs made this little cutie for me. The fabric is their new Moda line they're introducing at the Houston Market right now called Spring Fling. I had to take a picture of his belly cuz I love the way they used a button in the center of one of large flowers and buttons on his toes. :-)

The quilting slump continues and now it's getting serious! I have not done anything since I went on my retreat earlier this month. I don't know what's wrong with me but I'm just not interested - believe me that's not like me. It started before I left on my retreat and then I forced myself to do some power sewing at the retreat and now NOTHING! Sitting at my machine does not sound like fun right now! What is wrong with me???? Sigh!!! My DH commented about my lack of sewing the other day and I told him that I need a new hobby! Oh, you should have seen the look on his face - LOL - he knows how compulsive I am. LOL I've considered trying scrap booking - nah - tried that and I'm not good at it. Maybe knitting - strong possibility but still on the fence. Anyway, while I've been thinking about this slump I've also been thinking about my quilting style. I've always loved my style and yet sometimes I feel that I have to apologize for it. Why? Well, I happen to enjoy making quilts using those fat quarter bundles/towers that Moda and other fabric companies put together. I've done some adorable and beautiful quilts with those - a controlled scrappy style. :-) I also enjoy the charm squares that are popular right now and just sewing them together to do a simple throw style quilt. I've been told that I lack imagination; that my quilts can be boring because I like the controlled scrappy style. (maybe this is the reason for my slump - I was insulted!) I've only been quilting since late 1999 but I've been very prolific since then. I took classes at the local shop from a very talented teacher however the style of the shop was using those fat quarter bundles, etc. I'm not good at going into a shop and buying a variety of fabric to make a quilt - just don't have that vision. Maybe the fabric companies have done some of us a serious injustice by introducing those coordinated fabric lines that I seem to enjoy so much. Makes me wonder! So, can I cast aside the comments about my style and just continue to enjoy?

I read so many inspirational blogs where “you” have taken your scraps and made some adorable quilts. I can’t seem to do that! Let me tell you about my Rubbermaid bins that are full of my “scraps”. When I have finished a quilt I take the leftovers i.e. scraps and put them into a ziplock bag then toss the bag into a Rubbermaid bin – when the bin is full I buy another bin and continue this process. You should see the stack of bins that are full of scraps – great scraps, too. LOL I’ve had friends and acquaintances beg me for my bins (well, NO, they might make a really cute quilt – LOL) They have even promised to make a cute scrappy quilt for me if I’ll just surrender these bins. UMMMMM – NO! So, there they sit and I know I could probably make some wonderful quilts – just not sure of myself to do that. Many, many months ago I sent an e-mail to Bonnie and asked her for suggestions for my scrap bins – she was stumped! LOL I chatted via e-mail with Patti and she had some great suggestions but that was a few months ago and we were suppose to get back to it and didn’t. SIGH!!!!

So, here I sit STUMPED about my quilting style. In an e-mail from Bernina and Alex Anderson she said the following: (this is just an excerpt from the e-mail) “One day, while sharing my work with Diana Mc Clunn, she asked if I would be willing to allow my quilt to be published in her and Laura Nownes first book Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! I couldn't believe it! The quilt was a classic saw tooth star out of solid fabrics. How could any quilt so traditional and simple in nature be worthy of publication? It was a lightening bolt moment (we have all had them), and I realized it was not only OK but important to pursue the style of quilt making that feeds your soul.
Webster defines quilting as : 1. The process of quilting. 2. material that is quilted or used for making quilts. Sounds like all's fair with that definition.
I define a quilts as: Three layers of fiber, typically, but not necessarily, cotton on both sides filled with batting, held in place with stitches.
All quilts are created for their own purpose and reasons, each unique to itself. The quilt might be for a child to snuggle under or purely for decorative reasons. Perhaps the quilt has no specific intent or purpose other than to celebrate your latest fabric acquisition. The quilt might be created as the result or to endure an experience. Quilts are made to give in love and receive with honor. Quilts delight and feed our spirits. Quilts bond and bind us as a community that has no gender or age limitations. Through quilting we help define who we are.”
I’ve saved this e-mail and find myself reading it over and over trying to help myself with my dilemma and slump and yet there I sit.
Now that I’ve rambled and rambled I’m going to attempt to spend the rest of the day in my sewing room and “play”. We’ll see if it works!

Just for Fun!!!!!!


While visiting Bonnie's blog I came across this and thought it would be fun. Consider yourself tagged.

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said "I love you" and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
89. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Ridden a bike
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

Just Stuff

See my new toy! Yep, it's my new bike - very similar to one I had when I was a young girl. One speed - ME. LOL I live in a gated retirement community with very little traffic and I'd been thinking that it would be fun to have a bike to "just ride". So, yesterday afternoon my sweetie took me to lunch and then to Wal-Mart to look at bikes. We came home with this pretty and I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had yesterday afternoon riding it. Oh, my goodness I felt like a little girl with the breeze in my face and my hair blowing. I'm so excited to have this new beauty. I'm a little sore today however I'm ready to get back on it later today! :-)

Quilting Update

There has been no sewing happening in this house! Serious slump however I feel that it might be lifting as I've have felt the urge to sew today. So, after I finish playing here, I might take a look around my sewing room and see what kind of trouble I can get into. Wish me luck!

Internet Woes

It appears that our internet woes may be a thing of the past - finally! Whew! I've been able to stay on-line longer than 10 minutes. I've been able to peek in some of favorite blogs but been leery of leaving a comment for fear that I'd get kicked out in the middle of my comment. I think I can get back to normal now. LOL The dreaded red X is still around but in some cases I can click on the X and see the picture. I hope that goes away soon, too. Not sure what's causing that problem. Ugh!

Gratitudes:

Quiet Sundays; a sweet hubby that spoils me; my new bike; and fabric that waits for me.

Internet Woes and More!

We've been experiencing woes with our local internet provider - something about new modems and then an overheating power supply. Oh, please just fix it already. I've been in the middle of doing something and then suddenly "I'm outta here" - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr My DH has been on-line for quite awhile this morning so I've decided that I would try to get some e-mail answered and post an update here.

I've been visiting quite a few blogs when I can and have been met with the dreaded RED X in so many pictures that have been posted. I don't know why but it's frustrating. Somewhere I've lost a "cookie or two" so I can't see what you've all been up to. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR So, if I don't leave a comment know that it's because I can't see what you've done. I'm sorry!

On the quilting front I have nothing new to show. I did finally finish block #3 of my Country Cousins BOM but I've gotten so far behind now - received blocks 7 & 8 yesterday and I have 4, 5 & 6 in the wings. I told myself that I would keep up with this project and I've been incredibly remiss. SIGH! I haven't even touched my sewing machine since I returned from my retreat over a week ago. Another BIG SIGH!!!! So, I guess it's back to my regularly scheduled sewing/quilting slump. :-(

Thought for today: Seize the day!

I'm Back!

I got back Sunday evening from my sewing retreat in the mountains. Very tired (it's a long drive) but with three completed projects. WooHoo!

I put borders on the quilt I made recently with 6 1/2" Chelsea Lane squares - don't have a picture but trust me when I say it's super cute. :-) Apparently I left some of the blocks from my Vintage Patches quilt top when we were there in August. I'd forgotten about that project but realized my faux pas when I was confirming our reservations etc. So, I found the other blocks, still packed and finished it, too. And, last but not least I completed the "guts" of the quilt top with my mystery half square triangles. It's the Pretty Maids pattern by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co and I've decided to do the outer border in one of the matching florals rather than what she suggests in the pattern. So, I need to shop for the border, backing and binding fabrics and finish it soon for my daughter, Kristie. It's perfect for her home and she fell in love with it when she saw the pieces parts in my sewing room. Additionally, I managed to prep one of my Country Cousins blocks so I'm ready to get back to my applique projects.

All in all it was a great week end - perfect sewing weather for me - we had rain all night Thursday and all day Friday - I crave rain. LOL

I haven't had much time to spend on the computer since I got home however I'm hoping to get to all the blogs and catch up on everyone's doings.

Off to the Mountains!

It's been a super busy week and I won't bore you with the details. Thankfully everything on my "to do" list has been done. I'm leaving later today for my sewing in the mountains week end and I can do it with a happy heart. I'll be back on Sunday afternoon and hopefully early next week I'll have some show and tell pictures to share. Especially pictures of my half square triangle teaser project :-)

See you next week!