Lots and Lots of Fun Mail :-)

You can't help but smile when you look at my "sewing sitters". Aren't they cute? I saw these on Tammie's blog recently and decided I needed a set for my sewing room. :-) Thank you, Tammie!
Edit: Sewing Sitters here - http://www.collectionsetc.com/Item75077.aspx?esalsritm=1 the shipping is alot more than the sitters but well worth the price. LOL

This package contained new patterns from Nan - she's launched her new pattern business and these are first two adorable patterns. Take a look at the corner of the pink envelope - the stamp is a picture of Nan and her friend. Isn't that great! Nan, great job on the patterns - they are incredible. I can't wait to see lots and lots more!

Wendy and I have been exchanging 3" nine patches since August and this was her January package to me. Besides the nine patches she included an adorable pin cushion that she made and the cute doll. The sentiment on the tag hanging off the doll's hat says "Experience the inspiration of every moment of happiness". Isn't that great? Wendy and I have been having so much fun with this swap and it's almost over. She's been working on her quilt and I have yet to decide on my fabric for the alternate blocks. AARRGGHHH!! :-)

And, last but definitely not least! I received my beautiful Winter Swap Quilt from Suzanne B. She does not have a blog but reads them on a regular basis. Thank you Suzanne so much for this gift from your heart and hands!

I can't believe that we've reached the end of January! I hope that you've had a month full of JOY in your corner of the world. Thank you for stopping by - do come again!

In Friendship!

An Award!

Thank you, Sharon, for giving me this award recently! You really made my day and made me smile. :-)

I've been perplexed about who to give this award to. If you read my blog and enjoy it then you deserve this award. Consider yourself awarded. :-) You make my day everyday!

I do want to present this award to one special person in my life - my Sweetie, Ron! Ron makes my day everyday - it's his personal goal to make sure I'm happy in everything I do. I usually refer to him as my personal cheerleader. He encourages me to find JOY everyday. He tells me to buy all the fabric I want and think I need, to quilt, to blog, to take a nap if I need one, to sit and do nothing if that's what I want to do, etc. I could go on and on but I think you get the idea. We will be celebrating our 31st anniversary in a couple of weeks and I can't imagine life without him. Thank you, Sweetheart!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you've found JOY in your corner of the world!

In Friendship!

I Heart This!

I'd seen this freebie pattern offered on Nanette's blog (Freda's Hive) via The Fat Quarter Shop Blog and fell instantly in love with it. Yesterday I could no longer resist it. LOL I pulled many red and white and creams/whites and started sewing. I made the hearts and then we scooted off to a going away party for some friends. When we got home I started sewing again and didn't stop until it was done. I remembered that somewhere deep, deep, deep in a drawer in my closet I had that adorable border print. After a bit of searching I found it - Serendipity - I was meant to make it. :-)

I quilted Duck, Duck, Goose last week and plan to quilt this today.

Please visit Freda's Hive, Nanette has more wonderful seasonal patterns for sale in her Etsy shop.

I'm loving the rain we're having here on the Surface of the Sun today. I have a tendency to crave rain!!

I hope that you're finding joy in your corner of the world, I am! I appreciate that you stop by to visit, thank you!

In Friendship!

THIMBLES :-)

Thank you so much for all the wonderful suggestions for a name for my "Thimbleanna Bunny". This morning my DH asked me if I'd decided on a name and I said I was thinking about "Thimbleanna" and then he suggested "Thimbles" - PERFECT!

Please say hello to Thimbles!

I hope you're having a wonderful day! Thanks for having fun with me!

Edit: I just realized that this my 300th post - woohoo! I'm off to celebrate with Thimbles! :-)

In Friendship!

What's In A Name?

This cutie has taken up residence in my sewing room on the lamp base on my cutting table. She arrived a few days ago from Thimbleanna (I was the lucky winner earlier this month - woohoo). I've been trying to win one of these bunnies from Thimbleanna for quite awhile - if you know my e-mail address then you know I love bunnies (wabbits). You should know, too, that I'm not fond of Elmer Fudd - he loves to hunt for wabbits. ;-p

My cutie and I have a slight problem and could use some help. I like to name my bunnies and such and I can't think of what to call her. Sigh! Please help us! Do you have any suggestions?

I look forward to your suggestions and thank you so much for visiting!

In Friendship!

Quietly Determined! :-)

Another full day in my sewing room and I've finished 'Duck, Duck, Goose' from Simple Seasons by Kim Diehl. I took Libby, Patti and Dawn's advice and included my Humilty Block in the quilt top. It was meant to be there because it made itself right at home. :-)

I'm very proud to say that I made this entirely from my stash. WooHoo! I'm not on a fabric diet however unpacking box after box of fabric and trying to find spots to store it, has made me very aware of how much I have. I'm not going to chastise myself however I do need to think about using it. It's actually a fun little challenge.

By the way, I'm a quilter however I obviously cannot count - there are only 30 blocks in this quilt, not 60. Duh! LOL

Thanks for popping in!

In Friendship!

Where's That Design Wall????? :-)

Yesterday I rolled out of bed and rolled into my sewing room - rolled out long enough to throw some dinner in a pot, eat and clean the kitchen. I sewed and sewed and sewed some more - finally shut it all down at 10:30pm. A great day and much accomplished! WooHoo!!!

60 blocks completed - now where's that design wall? LOL I must get this quilt assembled very, very soon because I received a new pattern in the mail yesterday that I'm very anxious to do. BUT.............I made a silent promise to myself that in 2008 I would quilt my flimsies as I got them pieced. I've been sewing a ton so the 2008 pile of flimsies is growing and there's the one from 2007 that I finished earlier this week. Sigh! What's a girl to do?????? lol

BTW, if you look at my blocks in my previous post you'll notice that I have a Humility Block - yep I confused my light and med tans. Maybe I'll include that lonely block in the backing.

I hope that you've found a few minutes to play with your needles and thread! And, as always, thank you for popping by to see what I'm up to.

In Friendship!

New Project! :-)

I thought and I thought and then I thought some more. Then I dug and I dug and then I dug some more! There I was thinking and digging looking for "the" next project. Something simple and quick or something that requires lots of time. This one is going to take a little time. :-) Stay tuned for more progress. I really must put up a design wall - would be so much easier than laying my blocks out on the floor. (psst - Sweetie, are you reading this??? teehee)

Here's a before picture of my cutting surface - UGH!

Thanks so much for stopping by - your visits and comments make my day!

In Friendship!

Bliss!

I spent the day cleaning my sewing room and this is my spotless cutting surface. I'm ready for a new project - I'm off to dig!

Thanks for visiting - please come again!

In Friendship!

It's Too Big!

It just needed the borders!

I stumbled across this quilt top today - it was waiting for borders. I made it when I attended a retreat in May '07. It's quite large and too big to get a decent picture of the whole thing!

I fell in love with this quilt when I saw it on Doe's blog and she gave me permission to make it similar to hers (her centers are yellow). Thank you, Doe!

I had another surprise phone call this week! WooHoo! Linda called on Monday to tell me that she'd received a package I popped in the mail on Saturday. I couldn't believe it when she told me who she was - I was on Cloud 9. LOL

Thank you for letting me share and thank you for visiting my blog - come again soon!

In Friendship!

A Little Sewing!

Just a little sewing on a Sunday afternoon!

This little project is only 16 1/2" x 20 1/2" from "Bits and Pieces" by Karen Costello Soltys/That Patchwork Place. The quilt in the book is done in pinks and browns and called Box of Chocolates. Obviously mine is red, white and blue, so I'm calling mine Box of Stars (very original - LOL)

Time to shut everything down in the sewing room, cook dinner and then we're off to a Blue Man Group concert (these were tickets from our DD, Kris for Christmas) WooHoo!!!!

I hope you're having a wonderful Sunday and doing a little sewing, too.

I had a wonderful surprise phone call from Carole at Carole's Quilting Adventures. All in all a perfect Sunday!

Thanks for visiting - do come again!

In Friendship!

Fini, Finito, Finished!

Another "flimsy" done! This is an easy peasy quilt but I really like it. I made one for a friend's birthday last Fall and vowed that I'd make one for me. Sixteen Yuletide Blessing fat quarters, by Fig Tree Quilts, cut into 2 1/2" strips. Pattern is Fields of Flowers by Pieces From My Heart.

I've made another little promise to myself but I'm not ready to say it out loud for the whole world to hear me. LOL I'll let you know when and if I fulfill my promise.

Need to start thinking about the next project - hand applique, embroidery, or more piecing! Decision, decisions. LOL

Thanks for stopping by - come again!

In Friendship!

Two Posts, Two Posts in One!

Very Productive!

Some local friends and I meet once a month at one of the local quilt stores and sew from 6:00pm til midnight. The past few months I haven't done much sewing; choosing instead to either just sit and chat or do some handwork. We gathered last night and I was very productive - woohoo!

I cut these strips sometime in early December and then cast them aside when the Prairie Sweets pattern arrived. I threw them in my tote bag and assembled all the blocks while I was there. I bought some fabric for the setting triangles and I'm hoping to assemble the top today. :-)

Packages, Packages!

Have you been patiently waiting for a little something from me? Could your goodies and/or treasures be one of these packages? I started my day at the post office today and will visit again early next week with more. These packages are blog winnings and two "just because packages"! I have a few more "just because packages" to mail and I'm going to try to get my Pay It Forward surprises out the door next week, too. So, if you have been patiently waiting for something - thank you for your patience! :-)

It's been a very productive week, indeed!

I appreciate that you stop by to visit! Come again soon!

In Friendship!

Spinning My Wheels!

Have you ever had one of those days - you know the type - where you feel like you've been spinning your wheels all day. You've just been flitting from one thing to another and accomplishing absolutely nothing. That's the kind of day I was having today. Ugh!

Then late this afternoon I decided that it was time to lay out my Prairie Sweets blocks. After all, I finished appliqueing the last two last night. Once I got all the blocks laid out I started sewing them together and it's now finished and officially a "flimsy". WooHoo!

This quilt was such a change of pace and I can't begin to express how much fun I had making it.

It's an all Fig Tree quilt - LOL. I used my Allspice Tapestry fat quarter bundle and three different background prints. The pattern is by Fig Tree Quilts and featured in Fresh Vintage issue #6. (please pardon the wrinkles - it needs a good pressing).

Thank you for stopping by - please come again!

In Friendship!!!

Time in my sewing room :-)


Remember the cute vintage styled Valentine's Day fabric I showed you last week? I spent the better part of the week thinking about what do make. (cue the Jeopardy music) I knew I had yardage and more of the same fat quarters but where. I spent Friday afternoon and Saturday morning digging in boxes but NOTHING! grrrrr! And, then Saturday evening it hit me. I pulled the step ladder into my sewing room and climbed to reach the highest shelf in my sewing room and right there in the far corner, away from prying eyes was the second pile of fat quarters and yardage. WooHoo! I had more fat quarters and yardage but still no plan. (the Jeopardy music is still playing) I looked through patterns and books but still nothing! The fabric is primarily pink and creams/whites with a couple of red and tan fat quarers! Snowballs!!!! Late Saturday evening I skipped off into my sewing room, introduced myself to my cluttered cutting table, rotary cutter, ruler, pressing surface, iron and sewing machine. They'd really been missing me! LOL The busyness started - cutting, sewing, pressing, cutting, sewing, etc. Late Saturday night I was still sewing and my DH was watching TV in the other room and he commented about how nice it was to hear the sound of my machine. (I'm keeping him) I got completed one set of blocks - went to bed and Sunday afternoon I started sewing again. Cutting, sewing, pressing, cutting, sewing, pressing and then it was DONE! :-) Sometimes simple is THE way to go. The quilt rack in the entry to my home is bare so I need to quilt this one ASAP.

I had several e-mails asking what line this is, etc. It's called "For The One I Love" by Moda and Indigo Junction (Vintage Workshop) and I think I've had it about four years.

Prairie Sweets update - only 9 blocks left to applique. This could be a flimsey sometime this week!

I hope that you're keeping your needle threaded! Thank you for visiting - come again!

In Friendship!

I Won!!! :-)

Jeanne at Luv2Stitch had a drawing recently and I won. I was stunned, shocked and excited when she sent an e-mail to tell me that I'd won. I love this pattern and kit so much that I'd already made up my mind to order the pattern if I didn't win. The package arrived today - WOOHOO!!!! Look at the adorable tag on the package and then look at my new kit. Tisket A Tasket by Renee Plains/Liberty Star.

I have been wanting to make a pink and brown quilt for a long time. I have

a big stack of pink and brown fabrics but have not been able to settle on a pattern. I think I'll work on this one right away. :-)

I'm going to go read the directions, fondle the fabric and hopefully get busy.

It's a joyful day!

Thanks for visiting with me!

In Friendship!

IF YOU WERE TO?????

I was chatting with my DD, Kris on the phone today and she was asking how far along I was on my Prairie Sweets project - you might recall that I'm hand appliquing the rings. Anyway, she wondered if I was doing the entire thing by hand - no just the hand applique. She asked if I'd ever considered doing an entire quilt by hand - well yes, but hadn't ever settled on a pattern, etc. After we were finished chatting I spent the rest of the day contemplating a long term handpieced project.

I could use a little advice!

If you were to hand piece a quilt - which pattern would you use and why?

I'll be waiting anxiously for your comments! Thanks for stopping by - it's such a pleasure when you do.

Did you laugh today? :-)

In Friendship

Valentine's Day Warmth :-)

When I was digging, diving and unpacking one of my stored boxes of fabric I discovered this delightful pile of fat quarters! Aren't they cute? I've never made a quilt in honor of Valentine's Day - it's time to cut up these fat quarters and produce a little bit of Valentine's Day warmth! I know I have some inner/outer border, backing and binding fabric to match - hmmmm wonder where that pile is???? It's time to do a little more digging. LOL

I hope you did something today to make your heart smile!

In Friendship!

Happy New Year!
I wish you a year filled with peace, happiness and joy. We rang in 2008 with good food, good friends and lots of fun. (dancing to "She's A Brick House", "YMCA", and the like - I'm a bit sore this morning - LOL) 2007 was a year full of challenges however I know for a fact that when God closes one door, he opens a window. We've survived the challenges and come out of it with wonderful friends. Friends to cherish and enjoy!

I've spent the past week reflecting about 2007 and mentally making plans for 2008. I made a long mental list of everything I want to accomplish in 2008 and was feeling very proud of myself. And, then yesterday I read an e-mail from the spouse of a client/friend informing me that my client/friend passed away peacefully in her sleep the day after Christmas. Stunned and shocked are words to express how I felt. After I shook off the feelings of being stunned and shocked I spent time with my thoughts. I thought about that same ole cliche about life being too short, etc. So, I've made one and only one resolution for 2008 to seek joy to fill every day. I wear my heart on my sleeve, as so many of you know, so seeking joy to fill every day is going to be a challenge for me. I'm going to try very hard not to let the "quiltzillas" and "nay sayers" of the world disrupt my life. Can I do this? I don't know but I'm going to try.

In seeking joy to fill every day I'm going to attempt to stop fretting about how many quilts I own, how many flimsies need to be quilted, how many projects I have started or want to start or how much fabric I own. In the grand scheme of things it just doesn't matter as long as my world is filled with joy. :-)

Sometime in 2007 I was chastised for blogging and I have thought long and hard about discontinuing my blog. I've asked myself if discontinuing my blog would make me happy - the answer is NO! I'd miss so much about my blogging - the friends I've made all over the world; the sharing; the inspiration; the laughter I've shared with so many; the tears I've shed for and with some of you - enough said!

Thank you so much for being my "International Friendship and Quilting Guild".

Happy New Year, In Friendship!