QUILT FRIENDS FOREVER

Triadelphia?

2011-11-18T23:04:00.002-05:00

On our way to Triadelphia, West Virginia Saturday morning. Going to pick up a new (to us) car for our daughter. Merry Christmas, Sara!!!

Leaving early and need to be back by noon so I can go to work. Wish me luck.

20th Anniversary Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-30T16:04:00.006-04:00

Hi everyone! It's been awhile again since I blogged. I'm just not very good at this, but I do love reading the blogs I visit!

We have been having a pumpkin carving party since my daughter was 2 years old. I can remember her sitting on the kitchen counter pulling out all the gooey insides. You won't catch her anywhere near that stuff these days. She came home from Columbus this weekend just to be at the party and she brought a handsome young man with her.

Here are a few pics from our party:

This is Sara and Zack!

This is Evan

This is Carynn

Here you can see the pumpkins that we completed

Lots of good food and fun, it doesn't get any better than this.

Halloween and Christmas...Love Them Both!

2011-08-20T19:24:00.004-04:00

So the next phase of my daughter's life has begun. She was able to get a job at a dentist office in Columbus! Very proud of her. There are far too many hygienists from her class that have not been so lucky. Once again, we will be going to Columbus to help her with the move to her "big girl" apartment. At this point, I'm just hoping to live thru the process.

I've been doing a little quilting. I found a cute pattern called "Flurry" on a blog I was visiting. I decided that this quilt needed to be made as soon as possible! I used the "Jingle All The Way" fabric collection and couldn't be more pleased. I have sent it to my longarm quilter already and hope to get it back in time to hang at our quilt show in October. You can see a picture of the pattern (and download it for free) here.

I have a cute Halloween pattern that made last year. It's called Spooks On Parade. As a matter of fact, I made two. You can see what it looks like here. One I gave to my baby sister, and the other one is sitting in a bag in the sewing room just begging to be bound!

That's it for me....hope you are all sewing up a storm!

One Last Ceremony

2011-06-13T09:58:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was the last graduation ceremony for my daughter. The Ohio State University graduated over 9700 students yesterday. We could not have asked for a more beautiful day. Today, however, I'm suffering the consequences of sitting in the sun for 4 hours. I have a major sunburn!

Sara surprised us by decorating her hat in a tribute to us! Here's my favorite picture of the day!

Where To Begin

2011-06-08T22:26:00.006-04:00

That's a great question. Life has been a bit of a roller coaster here.

Sara was home for Memorial Day weekend. We got to spend some time together. Since her college days were almost over, she came home from Thursday thru Tuesday. Lots of shopping and a great picnic at my sister's home.

While Sara was home, Jeff announced that there was something wrong with his toe. Not a good thing, when it is swollen to three times it normal size and is red, red, red! He took antibiotics for five days, and then saw the doctor again on Tuesday. He wanted to admit him immediately, but he felt he could not be admitted until after Sara left to go back to college. I went with him to the doctor on Wednesday, and by 10:30 am he was admitted and by 12:45 he was receiving intravenous antibiotics. They xrayed his foot and found that the bacterial infection had compromised the bone. Hoping for a positive result from the IV's....they gave him a couple of days, but by Thursday night, it had been decided to amputate a portion of his toe. All this is complicated by the fact that he is diabetic and take Coumadin daily. Surgery was Friday morning and he was released Saturday morning. He is still on antibiotics, but he must be feeling good....I can't keep him on the doctor's path to recovery. He is to be non weight bearing for three weeks.

Sunday we left for Columbus. Sara graduated from the College of Dentistry! We convinced him to go in a wheel chair for this one. Not sure what will happen when we go back down this Sunday for her large ceremony.

Does anyone have a chain so I can chain him to his chair??

Quilting has taken a back seat to everything right now, but I'm sure I'll get back to it soon.

This is what you get when you have a wonderful daughter....a magna cum laude graduate of The Ohio State University's Dental program!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Disappearing Nine Patch With A Twist

2011-04-06T16:29:00.004-04:00

Here is one of those projects that has been hanging around my sewing room for far far too long. I'm going to show it to my baby sister and see if she likes it. If she does, it's going to her house! It's not a queen size bed quilt, but it should be great for a couch quilt, especially if she has her two beautiful grandchildren under it with her!

National Board Results Are In!

2011-04-04T17:02:00.002-04:00

We received Sara's board results today in the mail. I'm so very proud of her. She passed this test with flying colors. She even got a better score than her college instructor! This is one of three tests, but it puts her one step closer to being a Registered Dental Hygienst!
I haven't doing much quilting lately. I'm hoping to get back into it soon. I'm only doing what I absolutely have to do. I did finish sewing on the binding for four quilts that belong to my friend.

Opportunity Quilt

2011-03-01T15:23:00.004-05:00

So we've been working on our guild's Fall Opportunity Quilt since last Fall. Our show will be in October and we hope to start selling the tickets in March 2011. The ladies have done a wonderful job on this quilt. The applique in the borders is beautiful. I did have a small part in this quilt. I think I made 27 of the connector blocks. Pat Harmon did all the applique by hand (which is just stunning). I think there were four or five other ladies that made the "flower" blocks.

We took the quilt to a local church last week to get a good photo. We like to give each guild member a copy of the photo to help with the selling of the quilt. Below is what we came up with. The quilt is 116 x 117 and presented a number of challenges during the shoot. The close up of the applique was taken by a local professional studio.

Doing A Happy Dance!

2011-01-31T17:55:00.004-05:00

Although we are expecting about an inch of ice late tonight, I am doing a happy dance! Not because of the ice, but because I was able to go to Best Buys today and retrieve my laptop. Thanks goodness I had purchased their black tie protection plan. They replaced my screen, the cable from the screen to the mother board, and the motherboard at no charge!!! This is the second time I've sent it back for work, and each time it has been at no charge. Unfortunately, my protection plan runs out in July of this year, so keep your fingers crossed that nothing else will go wrong after that date.

So while I was computerless, I really thought I would get lots of sewing done. Nope, just sat around doing nothing!! What a lazy girl.

I did finish a quilt for the Grand Opening of the quilt shop where I work. It was a hit at the opening! Here's my picture of it.

The quilt pattern is called Fire & Ice. How appropriate for the upcoming weather!

Stay safe and warm....

Christmas Rush

2010-12-26T01:13:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was very busy with family and friends. We had our Christmas Eve celebration with my husbands side of the family, and then stopped to visit with the family of the woman who babysat our daughter for many years. Mary is getting up in years now, but she is still as sharp as a tack. We had to cut our visit short with her. I still had a turkey in the kitchen sink thawing so we needed to get home.

I was up til 3 am putting the finishing touches on a quilt I made for my mom. Nothing like waiting til the last minute. I shared a sneak peak of it a couple posts ago, but now I can show you the finished product.

There were a few teary eyes around the tree this year when I presented the quilt to my mom. One of the girls was especially touched to be add to the quilt, she is the significant other of one of my nephew's. I included her and her children, after all they are my nephew's "family". Such sweet memories made today.

So many people here today, we almost had to sit on top of each other...amazing how there always seems to be enough room for everyone.

New Quilt For Christmas

2010-12-14T01:25:00.007-05:00

I finally finished my Christmas quilt. I try to make one new quilt for Christmas each year. So although I have no turkey for Christmas dinner, my house is a total mess, and I still have to finish a quilt for my mom for Christmas, I'm pleased as punch to have this one hanging in our family room! Oh well, it always works out.

This is a picture of three of my favorite people. Looks like Carynn is totally fascinated with Sara's long hair! Maybe she will be a hairdresser when she grows up!

Binding, Binding, Binding

2010-12-06T23:31:00.002-05:00

I love to do binding. It's one of my favorite things to do! In the last three days, I have sewn binding on five quilts. I have hand stitched three of them. The last two I gave back to my friend so she could finish them for Christmas. You see, none of them belong to me!

I'll post a picture of my tree quilt tomorrow. I haven't sewn the binding on it yet, but hope to get that finished tomorrow.

Hope you are all getting your Christmas presents "wrapped" up!

Quietly Plugging Away

2010-12-05T16:31:00.006-05:00

Almost a month since my last post. Where does the time go? I've been busy trying to get my Christmas gifts finished. Not sure that is going so well, but I'm still trying.
I have a quilt that I'm making for my mom this year. It's very whimsical. It involves getting all the handprints of all her grandchildren and great grandchildren. I should have the last four the beginning of this week, then it's full steam ahead. I have 8 blocks finished, just four more to do. Here's a sneak peek:

When I went on our local Shop Hop, I found a wonderful book "Tis The Season" by Jeanne Large and Shelley Wicks. There are at least four projects in this book that I want to make. I have one almost finished. I just need to do the last border and add all the applique (fusible for me). This project is called To All a Good Night. So very very cute. I think I'll go back to making a list. I accomplished so much more with that in hand.

On a happy note, my daughter will be home Tuesday. Only two more finals next week, and she can take a break!

College Life Must Be Great!

2010-11-10T20:30:00.008-05:00

I have a few pictures to show you of my daughter and Ryan. They decided to go to a Halloween party as Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head. I'm not sure how she talked him into this, but he sure is a good sport!

The night before she had a party with her Dental Hygiene class. Doesn't she make the cutest Minnie Mouse!

Just to make this a quilty post, I have a picture of the cutest baby that I made a baby quilt for.....

That's all for tonight!

Looking For A Jelly Roll

2010-11-01T19:35:00.002-04:00

I hope someone out in blogland can help me with this search. I'm looking to purchase an older jelly roll by Sandy Gervais, it's called Holly Jolly. If anyone has one they would like to sell, please let me know.
Thanks!

Under Control - Maybe

2010-09-17T21:03:00.006-04:00

So I think I've got my procrastinatin under control. At least for this month! Lots of things on my list. Didn't realize how many things I needed to finish 25 things in the last three weeks. Happy to say that I've finished all but five!

I guess making a list really does work for me.

Went fabric shopping on Thursday with my daughter. We stopped by Rebecca's for a lunch. Such fun to just be with her, especialy since she is going back to school this Sunday. We bought too much fabric and ate way too much.

We both had a wonderful piece of Carrot Cake, as you can see, she had to take half of hers home!

I just finished a Disappering Nine Patch made with Mickey Mouse fabric that our local group will give away in November. I'll post a picture when I get it back from the quilter.

Procrastination

2010-09-05T16:44:00.002-04:00

Procrastination: to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done.

This seems to be the mantra of my life lately. It's not that I'm lazy, it just seems like there are a ton of things that I need to do or should have done already. I've seen other blogs where they list the things they want to finish, so I decided to try it. I took a notebook and started making a list of things that must be done in a relatively short period of time. So far I'm up to 18 items and I have completed 9 of those. The only really bad thing is that I am doing things that aren't on my list! Guess I forgot to add them.

My lovely daughter is home again before school starts on the 23rd of September, so we have been doing lots of things together. Which doesn't help with getting my list trimmed down, but I do love spending time with her!

Update on Necktie quilt. The lady who received the quilt loved it. Her daughter sent me a picture of her mom opening it, and when she realized that it was made from her husband's ties, the tears flowed. How very gratifying to know that someone really does appreciate the work and effort.

No great plans for the holiday weekend, just gonna keep plugging away at my list! Wish me luck.

Memory Quilt

2010-08-22T11:21:00.006-04:00

This is the quilt I've been working on for a couple of months. A friend asked me if I could do anything with her father's ties, so this is what I came up with. Way more work than I thought it would be. I found a website that makes these for $790.00 for a 57" x 57" size. This quilt is 75" x 94.5". Super glad that it's finished. Just hoping the person that gets it will like it.

Good News!

2010-08-12T19:21:00.007-04:00

Just got home from the doctor's office. Sara had an MRI last week and then we left for Columbus together. So this week she returned for her results. The doctor is still puzzled by the numbness she is experiencing in her leg, but the MRI was just fine! No ruptured disc, No back surgery! They discussed her options and decided to try a shot of cortisone. Within a couple of hours she said she was feeling better. I sure hope this works for her.

To celebrate the good news I took her to her favorite Vera Bradley retail store. Yep, she is now the proud owner of yet another Vera Bradley tote. You can see it here.

Our cable/internet provider is coming to our home tomorrow. Our internet is seriously horrible. I've never seen it this bad. Hoping they can get things back on track.

Later!

Wicked, Wicked, Wicked

2010-08-08T21:50:00.002-04:00

My daughter and I had wonderfully Wicked weekend! I drove to Columbus on Friday so that we could go see the play "Wicked" on Saturday. It was truly amazing. Our seats were in the Loge only four rows back. We could see everything. I think that Sara really enjoyed the play too. It was our first play together.

On Friday we went to a favorite quilt shop of mine, Quilt Trends. It is a great place to shop and get new ideas. They have so many beautiful quilts on display. It's amazing I didn't gain weight from all the eye candy.

On Saturday before the play, we went to a second quilt store. Quilt Beginnings in Bexley. About half the store is devoted to sewing machines. The fabric was lovely. I think I showed a little restraint this time. I did buy a few things. I'll try to add pictures the next time. I still haven't unpacked my car.

Safari So Good

2010-05-16T00:11:00.004-04:00

I'm just not a very good blogger. I guess I don't have the blogging gene.

I found this pattern in a Fons & Porter magazine, Kids Quilts Summer 2010 Issue. I just finished preparing the backing and the binding. I will send it to my longarm quilter this Thursday. What do you think? Is it too busy?

I'll be giving it to my sister. She is giving it to a nephew for his first birthday.

BAD, BAD, BUNNY

2010-04-04T16:17:00.007-04:00

Sara surprised us by coming home for Easter this weekend. Really great to see her again. She made the Dean's List again at Ohio State University!
I have a friend who visted Coblentz's last week. She is the bad, bad bunny! While there, I received a text from her asking if I still did anything for Sara for Easter. I usually do something for her. Not so much chocolate anymore, but this year she picked out a new Vera Bradley handbag. Anyway, my friend had found a tube of toothpaste, and a toothbrush all made out of chocolate. Needless to say, she couldn't resist buying it for me. The pic below shows Sara with her "new" toothbrush and toothpaste.

Those of you that visit my blog know that she is in the Dental Hygiene program at OSU, so you can imagine the grin I got when I presented her with the "Bad Bunny" gift! I'd say Easter and Halloween are a Dental Hygienist's nightmare.
That's it for today.

Finished!

2010-03-30T00:47:00.004-04:00

I finished the bridal quilt. Actually finished it about a week before I needed it. It just kept growing and growing and growing, so it ended up being a King size quilt. I'm not sure why my camera is taking such bad pictures lately, I may need to send it in and have them clean it.

Here's a pic of the finished quilt:

Sara is back from Panama City Beach, Florida. She spent a week there on spring break. Back to the ole grind today. She started classes this morning at 7:30 am. The good news is that she will be coming home for Easater! Can't wait to see her!

Time for bed now.

Quilt Finish

2010-03-22T19:49:00.003-04:00

I've been busy today getting projects finished that have been laying around here far too long.

The picture below is a quilt I made for Charlotte's Garden. Not the best picture, but it went together quickly. A very simple disappearing nine patch.

I used up some fabric that has been in my sewing room quite awhile. Now just need to sew the blocks into rows. My final project was to put together a backing for another disappearing nine patch that will be used in a local quilt show.

That's it for today!

My Girl Boss & The Snowman Project

2010-03-21T19:48:00.006-04:00

There really is a snowman bag in my future. I told the girls that I will be carrying my snowman bag even if it is July when I get it finished. So I'm posting pictures of the snowman bag, just not mine.

Below is a picture of my "girl" boss. She is so cute and young enough to be my daughter.

That's all for now. Hope you all had a great weekend!

edit: My girl boss is the one in pink!!

Amy Butler "Love" For Sale

2010-03-10T16:31:00.003-05:00

So I know it's been awhile since I've posted. Life sometimes just get in the way of my playtime!

I do, however, have a great opportunity for someone. The quilt store where I work is trying to make room for the new collections that are coming in ... seems like daily! We are offering a 5 yard bundle of Amy Butler (five different prints) for $40.00 plus shipping. Most stores are selling this fabric for $8.99! Drop me a comment if you are interested.

Isn't it pretty!

There Is A Snowman In My Future!

2010-02-13T21:56:00.003-05:00

Had a great day on Saturday. Several of my friends, and I got together for a "Sew In". We had so much fun. Four of us are making a Snowman Tote Bag....one of us was smart enough not to start one. Notice I said making, not finished. I spent about three hours cutting fabric (did that til 3 am), and then about three hours sewing that fabric back together. My small pieces are all sewn. I'll try to post pics tomorrow.

Home Sweet Home

2010-02-11T21:47:00.004-05:00

So the snow stopped for a bit today. I took my camera outside and took a picture of the pines in the back and the front of our house. The front porch has three steps and they are completely buried!

Not much progress on the string quilt, only finished five more.

Progress?

2010-02-10T15:34:00.004-05:00

So I've been working on my blocks. Kind of a mind numbing process. Doesn't really take a rocket scientist. So I went from a pile of strings to this:

And then this morning, I put them up on my design wall:

Forty two blocks done!

Here We Go!

2010-02-09T22:28:00.003-05:00

So this is what my pile of strings look like. Now I just need to keep working on them. I'm now up to 43 blocks. This is what my mess looks like:

Do you think I'll make my deadline?

There's A Snowman In My Future!

2010-02-06T12:37:00.004-05:00

NOT! I think I'll just sit here in the house and stay warm. We got about 15" of snow last night! Way too much for us. My husband can't even get the tractor out of our garage to plow the driveway. Seems like when I can leave the house, I don't want to...now that I can't get out, all I want to do is leave.

Should probably go to the sewing room and make a dent on the string blocks I need for a wedding gift. The bridal shower is March 23, and I only have 16 blocks made.

Here's a pic of the back of our property. You can't really tell how deep it is, but the snow looks so pretty hanging on the pines.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

2010-01-17T01:06:00.003-05:00

Yep, she's home again, and yes, there was laundry involved in her arrival! I really don't mind. I like to do laundry.

She got home last night (Friday). I'm always excited to see her. This morning we went to get her bangs cut, then there was the trip to Wal-Mart. I never go on Saturday, but I didn't have much choice today. Tonight we went to see a movie, The Lovely Bones. Not sure it was a favorite of mine. I wanted it to end differently. Tomorrow we are heading north to the mall, where I'm sure she will hit me up for something! Monday a doctor's appointment for her and then by 2:30 pm, she should be on her way back to Columbus :(

I'm trying to finish three quilts. All they need are their bindings. I just can't seem to sit long enough to get them done.

Here's a picture of my lovely daughter on New Year's Eve:

Hope to have more quilt pictures for you later.

Where Does The Time Go?

2009-12-29T21:07:00.002-05:00

It seems almost impossible that it's been a month since I posted last. Where does the time go?

Is anyone else thinking about Spring Break? We are here at our house! Yesterday I helped Sara make arrangements for Spring Break in Panama City, Florida. I did get an invitation to go with her, but when she found out I was going to wear a bikini on the beach, the invitation was rescinded. Whew that was a close one!

Christmas was wonderful. We had all our family here at our home. Maybe all the food didn't get done at the same time, but we didn't really care. The kids were so excited to open their presents. We had a wonderful time together.

So the princess will be going back to Ohio State on Thursday so she can celebrate with friends from college. I think she is coming home the next day...we have to watch the Rose Bowl this year! Then back to college again on the 3rd.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that the New Year will bring you everything you want!

Where

2009-12-29T21:06:00.001-05:00

2009-11-30T22:10:00.002-05:00

So today was a fun day...I ran errands and almost got everything I wanted to do finished.
First I went to the commercial embroidery shop that I use to work at and got a shirt embroidered for a friend. It took longer than I thought it would. My ex boss had to rearrange the stitching. It was great seeing my friend Sherry. She had gone on a red eye trip to NYC over the weekend. Her goal was to buy a knock off purse, and eat a wiener from a street vendor. She accomplished both, good for her.
Then I went to the quilt shop where I work part time, had lunch with my current boss. I don't work till tomorrow, but it's always a fun place to hang out.
After that, I actually got two quilts from my quilter today. I still need to trim them and get the bindings on both of them. They are both charity quilts. They both go to Pennsylvania. One to a lady I signed up to do a quilt for on Charlotte's Garden, and the other is for Quilts For Kids. They sent me material for the top and backing. I just added batting and binding. This is my first quilt for them. I hope to more in the future.
The only thing I didn't get to do was to start another quilt. My brother in law called about two weeks ago and asked me what he needed to do to get a quilt made. He has a co-worker that hasn't been able to work for awhile now and they want to do a benefit for him and his family. I should have started it about a week ago, but you know, some of us just work better under pressure (that's me!).
Tonight I helped with a Girl Scout troop (20 little girls) that is making a purse. Each girl is making a raggedy purse from Girl Scout fabric. This line is so cute.
If you've gotten this far, I still need to let you know about a sale on Fairy Frost. Our shop has it on sale (lots of colors) for just $5.99 per yard. If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll send you the phone number for the quilt shop.
Oh my, that's a long post! Happy quilting!

She's Gone Again

2009-11-29T23:11:00.004-05:00

I had great holiday weekend. I hope you all did too. Sara was home for four days. We had a good time together. We went to see "New Moon" together. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

Of course we had to do some shopping. She hadn't been home since August. We love to shop. She gets it honestly. I love finding things for her. I really don't buy much for me (unless we count fabric!).

Sara is going to a wedding in December so we were looking for something she could wear to that. This is what we found:

I really think my daughter looks better in the dress than the model. I'm probably a bit biased tho.

Giveaway

2009-11-16T22:42:00.001-05:00

Stop by this site for a chance to win her giveaway!

Tired & Broke!

2009-11-05T19:36:00.002-05:00

What a fun two days I've had. The girls that went with me kept me laughing all the way. Good friends, and great company.

My feet hurt, my back hurts from driving for two days, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat! There were so many great samples at the quilt shops, I think I'm on sensory overload. I want to start at least 20 new projects :)..... I just don't know which one to start first!

Now to the broke part. I spent about $130 on the kits to make the quilt that was displayed in each shop. I was buying a kit for one of my friends that couldn't go with us. So really only $65 of that is actually my debt. But I definitely did a fabulous job keeping all the pattern writers and designers in business. I haven't added it all up yet and I don't think I will. Ignorance is bliss!

That's it for me tonight. I'm feeling pretty good about posting two days in a week!

2009 Shop Hop

2009-11-03T22:43:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been a long time again. I'm not sure where all my time goes. I can guarantee you it's not spent cleaning! I wish I could say that I've been busy sewing, but I can't even claim that excuse. Seems like I'm just fiddling away my time.

Tomorrow is going to be a fun time. I am going on the Amish Shop Hop with two of my friends. We will visit nine of the shops, and finish the last three on Thursday. I love going to all the different shops and just looking at all the samples on the walls. The girls that are going with me are so much fun. I hope I don't break the bank. I love to shop!

Maybe I'll post some pictures tomorrow night. Hopefully I won't be too tired!

Giveaway Alert!

2009-10-12T23:37:00.001-04:00

Stop by Blue is Bleu's blog for a really cute tablerunner giveaway.

Quilt Show

2009-10-10T00:56:00.002-04:00

So I've been a bad blogger once again. I can't believe it's been almost a whole month since I posted anything.

We have been in full quilt show mode for the last week. Our guild puts on a show every 18 months. There has been some serious talk about doing it every two years. I'd say the majority of our members are over 50, so it takes us all a lot longer to get everything ready. Tuesday from 4-7 we were to deliver quilts for display at the show. Since the ladies could also bring items for our boutique, I stayed til 7 so the items could be checked in and priced. I had wonderful help with this, it's more complicated than I thought. When we were finished several of us went out to supper. Wednesday I went back at 9 am to help with the quilt judging (my job was to help present the quilts to our judge). I stayed til 5ish, and worked on setting up the rest of the boutique. Again, I had fantastic help! I couldn't have done it without Sherry (no blog). Thursday was our big day. We arrived around 4 and finished up around 7. We have 150 or so quilts on display. All the stanchions had to be assembled and quilts hung. Some of the husbands showed up to help, thankfully. So Friday we open the show at 10 am til 5 pm and Saturday we are open 10 am til 3 pm . I hate to even try to add up all the hours I've spent there.

If anyone lives close enough to visit our show, we'd love to see you!

So that's my excuse and I will try to get back into the swing of this blogging again.

Jelly Roll Giveaway

2009-09-19T13:42:00.001-04:00

http://blog.missouriquiltco.com/2009/09/are-you-ready/

Stop by the above link, The Cutting Table Quilt Blog, to win a free jelly roll!

Giveaway at Just Another Hang Up

2009-09-16T23:27:00.001-04:00

Stop by "Just Another Hang up" for a chance to win a wonderful bag. The fabrics are great!http://justanotherhangup.blogspot.com/2009/09/september-tote-give-away-chocolate.html

Sweet Nostalgia BOM

2009-09-06T14:26:00.002-04:00

I just found a cute free BOM from Dorothy at Dorothy Baker Designs. Stop by and enter her giveaway too!

Blogaversary Winner!

2009-09-04T20:07:00.002-04:00

We just got back from Columbus. I'm so tired I think I could just go to bed for week! What a wild four days. Jeff took me down on Tuesday night and Sara and I started cleaning almost immediately. I can't believe she can cram that much stuff into such a little apartment. Her new roommate is moving in tonight, so we wanted to freshen the apartment a bit. That included washing down all the walls in the apartment. I thought this was a small apartment til we started washing the walls down. Tuesday night, we discovered that the washing machine had stopped working. A call to the emergency repair line was practically worthless. The man on the other end left a message for Sara telling her that it would be 7 days before they could get to her apartment to have a look at it. I wasn't happy with that answer, so I called him back and told him that was unacceptable. He had a repairman there by Friday. So I'm thinking three days is way better than seven! The repairman pronounced her machine dead and then we are told it could be a week before they delivery a replacement. Wrong! James came thru this time. We had a new washer there by 2 pm. Anyway, we clean, picked up a new couch and new end tables, and cleaned some more.

Opps, I got carried away. The winner of my blogaversary jelly roll is Terry. Thanks for commenting Terry. Could you send me your address and I'll try to get it out to you by Monday at the latest.

One Year Blogaversary - Edit

2009-08-30T23:47:00.005-04:00

Wow, it sure doesn't seem like it's been a year since my first post. Where has the time gone? I just looked back at my first post. We were getting Sara ready to move into an apartment in Columbus and the start of her Sophomore year at Ohio State University. She has done amazingly well at the university and we are very proud of her.

So I've had a year to think about what to give away for my anniversary. I think I'll do this in two parts. The first post will be for bloggers who have commented in the last six months. I know I don't get a lot of visit, so this will reward will go to the ones who have been commenting and visiting on a regular basis.

I'll post a picture of my "reward" tomorrow.

My next post will be for all other commentors. Good luck to everyone.

I've found my giveaway!!! It's a Moda Jelly Roll. It's Called Arcadia By Sanae. The owner of the quilt shop where I work just made the Ashley Bag by Amy Butler from this collection. It's really cute

Quilty Picture

2009-08-23T23:35:00.006-04:00

This is the last quilt I finished. I finally finished sewing the sleeve on the back last night. I am getting things done, it just seems to take me forever to take a picture. I don't usually use batiks, but I really like the way this one came out.

Here's college girl. She thought she needed another pair of Uggs. Seriously, how many Uggs do you need? I guess I'm just not into shoes that much. She went back to Columbus on Saturday. Lots to do in the next few weeks. Her roommate is moving out and the new one moves in on September 5th. We are going to try our best to get the carpets cleaned on the 3rd, move her furniture to the other bedroom, build a bookcase for her bedroom, and help the first girl move out (remember the putting her couch thru the window?) Wow, I'm tired just thinking about it all.

I still have a huge box of UFO's. I'm thinking about making a list. Maybe if I saw it in print, it would motivate me to finish more things! Nah, I'd probably just get depressed.

My one year blogaversary is coming up at the end of this month. Not exactly sure what I'll giveaway. I don't like it when bloggers make you jump thru hoops for a giveaway, so I'm sure mine will be very simple. I'm seriously thinking about making only my visitors who have commented in the last 6 months eligible. Your chances should be pretty extremely good!

The ABC's of Me

2009-08-22T21:24:00.003-04:00

The ABC’s of Me…

A – Age: 59

B – Bed size: Queen

C – Chore you hate: Cooking - it never ends

D – Dog’s name: No Pets

E – Essential start your day item: Take A Shower

F – Favorite color: Turquoise (at least this week)

G – Gold or Silver: Gold

H – Height: 5′ 4″

I – Instruments you play: None that I care to mention

J – Job title: Retired

K – Kid(s): Sara

L – Living arrangements: House (too big now that Sara is in college)

M – Mom’s name: Loretta

N – Nicknames: Joycee

O – Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Age 4 – Tonsils out

P – Pet Peeve: People that are late…

Q – Quote from a movie: You work on commission don't you? Big mistake, big, huge!
Vivian (Julia Roberts) says this to some snooty shopkeepers after they would not allow her to shop in the store. She comes back in the store after spending a ton of money elsewhere and tells them what a big mistake they made by turning her away.
***I've always liked this line because it reminds me that you shouldn't always let other peolpe's opinion matter to you. People tend to judge on outward appearances and often miss out on a truly great person by being so narrow minded. ***

R – Right or left handed: Right

S – Siblings: Patty – age 57; Sue - age 55 (wow they are getting old)

T – Time you wake up: Between 9:00 and 11:00 – depends on when I go to bed

U- Underwear: Yep

V – Vegetable you dislike: Egg Plant

W – Workout style: Walking

X – X-rays you’ve had: Back, Teeth, Mammograms

Y – Yesterday’s best moments: Spending time with my daughter. We love to shop

Z – Zoo favorite: Lions, Tigers, and Bears! Oh My!

New Fabric

2009-08-12T00:53:00.003-04:00

I talked to Sara today. She says she is coming home on Monday. She has to work the weekend. This is a picture she sent recently. She was leaving to go to the Ohio State Fair. I'm sure glad we have texting, skyping, and phone calls.

I work at the quilt shop tomorrow. The owner just got in some new fabric. It's by Free Spirit, the Prairie Gothic collection. Some pretty wild fabrics. I made a tote bag tonight from some of the 60" fabric. So cute.

That's all for tonight

Sewing Machine Withdrawal

2009-08-08T22:18:00.002-04:00

Today I took my Pfaff 7570 sewing machine to have it serviced. I think I'm having withdrawal, sweating, shaking, nervousness! I felt so sad when I left it at the shop. It probably will be lonely tonight in that unfamiliar room, with no one to play with! I hope it will forgive me when I go back in two weeks to get it. Wow two weeks! I am use to driving my baby to Pennsylvania and bringing it home with me the same day. Way more expensive than the old shop too.
The good part of the day was when we stopped at two quilt shops. One I had visited before, but the first one was new to me. The shop was Material Obsession in Medina and was very cute. The last one was Fabric Peddler in Wadsworth. I did some major damage to my credit card today. I bought some really cute patterns and a little bit of fabric. Actually the fabric was for a friend of mine.

The Princess is suppose to come home in a week. I hope she doesn't change her mind. It's been almost a month since she was home, and I need some Sara time.

Good Day, Good Friends

2009-07-31T21:57:00.004-04:00

Today was a good day. Two friends and I went to Charm to visit Miller's Dry Goods. It's a great place to do fabric shopping. We didn't buy a lot of fabric, we are trying to only buy in order to complete projects. Like that's gonna last!

I had a surprise in the mail when I got home. There was a package from Terry of Atkinson Designs. I won a giveaway at Terry's blog. Thanks again to Terry for her generosity. I can't wait to try out the patterns.

Tomorrow, our guild is going to decorate the local library with quilts. That's always fun. I think we've done it at least once a year for the past 5 years. Guess I'll have to go to bed early tonight so I can be up early to help.

I should have several quilts to show you in my next post. I've been busy sewing but not taking pics. Soon they will be on here.

Accu Quilter Dies

2009-07-22T20:56:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to let anyone reading this blog know that the quilt shop I work for is having a sale on the dies for the Accu Quilter. She has everything discounted generously. If anyone is interested, please leave me a message and I will let you know the price of the die or dies you are intersted in purchasing.

I did finally finish the Bears In The Farmhouse quilt that I did as a quilt along with Judy. If it hadn't been for this quilt along, I probably would have never put stripes in any of my quilts. Thanks, Judy!

I'm A Winner!

2009-07-09T01:47:00.002-04:00

I couldn't sleep tonight, so I've been hopping around blogland. I just discovered that I won a prize in the Minnesota Quilt Designer Blog Hop. Check out Terry's blog, she has wonderful patterns. I've made several of her quilts.

Five Things Found In Your Purse

2009-07-08T21:15:00.004-04:00

This sounded like fun to me:
Five Things Found in Your *Bag/Purse:

1. Checkbook
2. Cell Phone
3. Key To Quilt Shop
4. Receipts (stuffed everywhere)
5. Calendar

Five Favorite things in your room:

1. Quilt On My Bed
2. My daughter's childhood rocking chair
3. Framed photos of the Princess
4. A necklace and bracelet holder
5. Photo of my mom and dad (dad has passed away)

Five Things you have always wanted to do:

1. Zip Line
2. Sky diving
3. Be better organized
4. Work At a Quilt shop (started that this summer)
5. Be a good role model for the Princess

Five things you are currently into:

1. Quilting
2. Scrapbooking
3. Blogging
4. Trying to keep the deer out of my plants
5. Family & Home & Friends

This isn't as easy as it looks. If you'd like to do it, please let me know you posted your answer on your blog, I'd love to stop over and see if we match on any of my answers.

Where of Where Has My Blog List Gone!

2009-06-25T23:19:00.004-04:00

Great, I just got back online, after a big storm went thru and now my blog list is missing. Sure hope it magically reappears! 'Cause I haven't a clue on how to get it back. I checked my settings and they are all still there.

Ha Ha, I just removed the Feedjit application, and everything is back! Yippee.

Worked at the quilt shop today, just four hours, but I was pretty busy. Makes the day go quickly. Unfortunately, I have four bolts of fabric put back that I want cuts from. Looks like I didn't make any money today. I will probably owe her money!

I know I don't write much, and I don't have a lot of people that visit my blog, but for those of you who do, could you please do me a favor and visit the blog of a young friend of mine and drop her a note of encouragement? Her blog is: http://stealingraindrops.blogspot.com/

Giveaway at Helen's blog

2009-06-25T19:02:00.005-04:00

Since I can't figure out how to hyper link the picture, you'll have to click on "Helen".

A Berry Good Day

2009-06-23T00:03:00.007-04:00

Actually, this was about a week or so ago, but it was a berry good day. Two of my quilting friends came to my house and we made strawberry pie. It's been a long time since I had made a pie crust. The pies looked great, and we all had a piece of pie when we were finished.

This little cutie came to my house today with her mom and sister. I had called Jodie to ask for help with my new Cricut Expression. I was so happy that she could come today. We unpacked the Expression, and checked it out. Thankfully this one worked perfectly! I had purchased one last December and had not unpacked it til about three weeks ago. Unfortunately, it did not cut at all. So Provo craft sent me a replacement! Now I just need to get working on my scrapbook pages.

So all in all, it was a BERRY GOOD DAY!!!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

2009-06-21T16:16:00.004-04:00

This is a picture of my daughter and husband. She didn't have a lot of time to spend with him today, so I made sure to take a pic before she left to go back to college. Happy Father's Day to all the great Dads out there!

NQA - Columbus, Ohio

2009-06-19T21:43:00.002-04:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I updated. I've been busy! I made another shop sample, my daughter has been home for a week, and I got to go to NQA in Columbus.
I love going to the vendors! The quilts where lovely as well. We started at 8 am and didn't get home til 7:30 pm.

What fun! I spent more than I should have, but I've not been buying fabric or patterns for a couple of months. I didn't do too much damage to the credit card. Besides, if I don't help the economy, who will?

Sara and I have had a very busy week. We've been trying to get all her medical visits in the one week. We've done a good job. Now she'll be returning to Columbus to start summer school.

Just checking in with everyone. I'll try to update more regularly after Sara goes back to school.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SARA!

2009-06-09T01:44:00.008-04:00

Today is my lovely daughter's birthday. It is the first time in twenty years that we have not been together. Last year she was able to finish her freshman year at college and return home just in time for her day. Even though we will celebrate when she comes home, I would really like to see her today!

I love you, Sara!

New Day, New Start

2009-05-17T16:23:00.002-04:00

I'm starting a new project today. I'm going to use the "Tom & Jerry" fabric I found at the LQS. I just couldn't resist. I know I have a ton of UFOs, but really, they are UFOs for a reason! Maybe one of these days I'll take an inventory of UFOs. Opps, that might not be a good idea. I've seen the boxes where they are all stored. Maybe I could do a new project and then an old one. Any suggestions? Do I just have to bite the bullet and do them?

I really need to start on my Christmas projects. I read on a blog somewhere that it's only 222 days away. I have at least three Christmas projects I'd like to do before it's time to decorate. Actually, I'd like to have them finished before our guild quilt show.

Sara is Sara. She went to a concert last night with her boyfriend. Dashboard Confessional was playing in downtown Columbus. I guess the tickets were free for OSU students.

Time to run. Maybe I can get Jeff to take me out to eat, and then start my new project!

Finally, Something Quilty

2009-05-14T19:39:00.006-04:00

I just finished this quilt top for our local quilt shop. I'm really not a scrappy kind of girl. I find them hard to do, guess I just need more structure.

While we were out for Mother's Day, I snapped a couple photos of Sara. She's not fond of having her picture taken, and that makes it hard for me, since I love to take pictures of her!

Happy Days

2009-05-09T01:16:00.005-04:00

So the princess did come home this weekend. She wasn't going to, but changed her mind. I know she wants to do some studying this weekend, that should work out just fine. I am going to work at Material Girl on Saturday, so she will have some alone time on Saturday. Then it's off to Amish Door for a Mother's Day celebration. We all decided to go out to eat on Saturday instead of Sunday.

One of the local proms is this weekend, and I think she will probably go watch the walk-ins. Seems like just yesterday that she was going off to prom herself. Hard to believe that she is about finish her second year at OSU.

I spent my day cleaning up my house. Did some deep cleaning. Now I just need to get into my sewing room and dig it out. I'm working on a project for the shop. As soon as I get a few more blocks done, I'll a take a couple of pictures and post them.

Credit Card Woes

2009-05-07T21:13:00.002-04:00

So here we go again! Remember the post about Ticketmaster charging my credit card three times for one transaction? We finally got that all settled. Ticketmaster did credit my account for the $320.00. One disaster averted.

Tonight, I received a phone call from my credit card company fraud unit. Must be my lucky day. Someone used my credit card number on a website for swimsuits to the tune of $1100.00. Who needs that many suits? I'm really glad that the card company is keeping a close look on my account.

Now my next worry will be identity theft.

I'm not sure where or how anyone got my number. I have two possibilities. I recently sent my laptop in for service at Best Buys, and the fiasco with Ticketmaster. I hope it wasn't either of those. Makes me nervous to think that someone is using my card.

I told my daughter about it, and that we can't use our credit card til we receive new ones. I had to laugh, she said "What are you going to do?" My response.....we'll pay the old fashion way....Cash! Kids, they are so use to using plastic for everything.

Quilt Show and Flag Company Tour

2009-05-02T20:34:00.005-04:00

The title just about sums up my Friday. We had a tour of the Coschocton flag company yesterday. They are the largest retail (ie Target and Walmart) flag maker in the United States! The picture of our tour guide is posted. He is a cutie. He told us before we started the tour that he has seven children and then they adopted three more, nine girls and one boy! We were teasing about all the weddings he had to look forward to. His idea of a wedding is a ladder and cash at the top of it. What a funny young man. Here's Joe:

The quilt show was really nice. Not too many people there. Probably the bad economy in our area. I have tons of pics, but nothing super special to show you.

This is a picture of the ladies who when on the tour and to the quilt show. I've got to stop hanging out with all these old people!! gg

Happy Birthday Caren!

2009-04-29T21:39:00.002-04:00

Just got this picture of my great niece, Caren. She had a princess birthday party this last Sunday. Because of a miscommunication, I missed the party, so her grandma sent me these two pictures. The bag is one I got her and filled with swim stuff, new swimsuit, towel, flip flops, and beachball. She's too funny!

Quilt Raffle

2009-04-29T16:20:00.003-04:00

I finally set up my quilt frame so I could photograph the quilt our guild is going to raffle off at the next quilt show. Our show is scheduled for October, so we are way ahead of schedule. This quilt is really large. It measures 111" x 111". It almost didn't fit on my frame. Hope you enjoy the quilt.

I did have a picture of a quilt I made for our LQS, but I think I deleted it by mistake. I'll have to check my photo card. If it's still there, I'll try to post it later.

Ticketmaster Disaster

2009-04-28T00:24:00.003-04:00

Well I still have my cold or whatever it is. It does seem to be better today. My throat is no longer sore, but my head is still full.

I didnt' blog about my ticketmaster disaster when it happened because I thought I needed to calm down a bit and get a more distant perspective of everything. So here goes. You can quit reading here and I won't be offended.

On March 31, I received an email from Sara asking me to please go online on April 1st and make the purchase of her Ohio State football tickets for the the 2009 season. She had classes all day from 7 am til 4:30 pm. Not hard, I had done it before. This year, however, OSU ticket processing was going thru Ticketmaster. So at 10 am I logged onto ticketmaster. Forty five minutes later I am still getting the message " Your wait is 15 minutes or less". So I wait, and wait, and wait. I was finally assigned the tickets. It took me three tries to get the site to actually offer the "Student" tickets. When I go to the history of the tickets purchased, the price doesn't seem right. It's $10 more than it should be. Seriously, they should have paid me the $10 for the inconvenience. I call Sara and tell her she is sitting in "Block O" section. Not good, she doesn't want in Block O, I didn't request Block O and that's why my price was higher. So I call Ticketmaster. Forty five minutes later I am speaking to an actual person. She tells me there is nothing that can be done about it. I call Sara and tell her, she's said don't worry about it. An hour later I get a call from Sara that all her friends are getting regular tickets (not Block O), and why didn't she get them. Ugg. So you guessed it, I called Ticketmaster. This time I get a wonderful woman who has agreed to help me. After an hour and a half and killing the battery on two remote phones, she does get the Block O designation off and it looks like we are in the clear with regular reserve seating. I actually promised to name my first grandchild after her (Katie) if she can get all this mess fixed for me. Sure hope the first one is a girl! So I'm thinking we are done. WRONG.....my credit card bill shows up about 6 days later. Not only is the charge for OSU tickets on my statement, but two other charges for OSU tickets for $320.00. Once again, Ticketmaster, here I come. Yep, forty five minutes later, I am talking to a supervisor who explains to me that they have only run my credit card once, not three times. His advice at this point is to dispute the charges. I did, and we are waiting to see what's going to happen. The credit card company said that the two charges that I say I didn't make were made at a ticketmaster location in Indiana face to face. Yeah, I went there two minutes after my original purchase with ticketmaster. Heck I was still on the phone with them when the other two were made. Today we received two new credit cards in the mail. The reason they gave is because of possible fraudulent use of our card.....Do You Think?????

I didn't give Ticketmaster a very good review when I talked to the OSU Athletic department. I don't understand why TM wasn't prepared for the onslot of 50,000 students all trying to get their tickets at the same time. I'm hoping they make some big changes in the way the students get their tickets in 2010. Next time, Sara can call and get her own tickets! I wasted about six hours total on the phone with TM, CC company, OSU Athlete office.

Wow, that was long, sorry. If anyone can top my TM disaster, I'll send you a fat quarter.

Ok, I'm done.

Sick of Being Sick

2009-04-23T21:07:00.003-04:00

Wow, time really flies when your sick....not! I've managed to acquire the nasty cold that has been swirling around my circle of friends and family. Thanks guys! I've never had anything hit me so fast in my life. One minute I was fine, the next my throat was so sore I could hardly swallow, lucky me the stuffy head and congested sinuses followed. Today, I lost my voice almost completely. Some would consider that a Godsend....(see husband smiling). Enough, hopefully I'll feel better by tomorrow.

Princess Sara called today to tell me about her day at the dental clinic. Apparently they did panoramic view xrays. She hasn't had those since she went to the orthadontist for a retainer. She was laughing cause they told her she has a third molar that hasn't dropped yet. Can't wait for that one to happen (surgery on the horizon). She also still has two baby teeth. Glad she got into the dental profession. Maybe she can get a discount on the work she will need.

The day before they did impressions on each other. She tried to tell her partner that they would need to use the child size equipment, but even the instructor said they could use the adult equipment. Sara was right, after 8 tries at taking the impressions they finally decided to try the kid tray.

On the sewing front, I just started a BQ pattern for the quilt store. The fabric is really pretty. I think it will look really nice together. I have most of the strips put together, just need to subcut and sew it all back together again. I'll try to add a pic later.

Im Back!!!!

2009-04-15T15:26:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been an interesting three weeks. My daughter was home for Spring break and she told me that my laptop was not right. So we took it to the "Great Geek Squad" and they sent it away to be fixed. I just got it back this morning. Had to charge the battery before I could test it out, but it looks like they fixed the issues. Yippee.

So in three weeks I've been doing a lot of nothing. At least that's what it seems like to me. I've missed visting all the blogs, and I'm anxious to get caught back up.

I am currently binding the guild quilt that we will sell opportunities on this fall. As soon as I get a picture of it, I'll post it. It's one of the prettiest quilts we've made.

That's it for now.

Spring Break

2009-03-22T11:13:00.002-04:00

Sara is home for Spring break. I can tell you I'm glad she's not on some beach somewhere doing gosh knows what! We've been entertaining ourselves with"Skype".
Last night she decided that we both needed to download Skype and see how it works. It's amazing. So easy to use. We spent the first half hour "skypeing" each other. She was in her bedroom and I was in mine. Sure doesn't take much to entertain us.

Today we are going north to a local mall. Hopefully my sister and her daughter are going to go with us. Sara wants to hit Old Navy, Sam's Club, and Dillards. I'm just hoping it doesn't hit my wallet too hard.

On the sewing front, not much going on. I still need to finish the sashings for Judy's quilt a long. Maybe today when I get back. I think I have til Tuesday to send my picture.
I did work at the local quilt shop yesterday. I spent six hours cutting fabric, talking to customers, and taking money. The talking and taking money was my favorite part. I did not buy any fabric yesterday! Hard to do when you are there for six hours. I'm trying to console myself with the idea that I got to fondle fabric all day, even if I didn't bring it home. Just need that fabric fix. The quilt shop gives me all the benefits, without the damage to my wallent (so far).

Off to the mall.....hope you are all sewing up a storm!

Quilt Along

2009-03-08T22:33:00.000-04:00

Yippe I finished the third set of intructions. I'm still not thrilled with my sashing, but at this point, I'm just glad to have them finished.

What I Did Today!

2009-03-02T20:42:00.003-05:00

Bet you thought I made this quilt today. Nope, I just put the binding on it for a friend.

Bears In The Farm House

2009-03-01T16:04:00.005-05:00

I just finished my half square triangles for the Quilt A Long I'm doing with Judy L. As usual I wait til the last minute. Sara just left for OSU and I really didn't want to work on them while she was home. We had a great day on Saturday. Just bumming around together.

I watched my great nephew and great niece on Friday. The are such good kids. They were only here for a couple of hours. Thank goodness I kept several of Sara's toys. We got out the doll house and then the Legos. Carynn was very interested in my sewing, so who knows, she may end up being a quilter!! Here's a pic of Carynn, she was fascinated with my thimbles.

Colonia Manor Project Finished

2009-02-24T22:14:00.004-05:00

I just got back home from the Colonial Manor County Home. It was amazing to be a part of this group effort. The residents were so appreciative of the quilts. I hope that having our program was a little bit of sunshine for them. As we entered the center, we were told that the county home will be closing and they had just told the residents today. At least they will be able to take their quilts with them. Some will be moved to nursing home facilities and others to group homes, and still others will go with family. It was so sad to hear some of the residents talk about leaving their friends.

We had a small program for the residents. We sang patriotic songs, played quilt block bingo, had our own "Betsy Ross" tell us about the making of our first flag. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Princess will be home this weekend. Yea!

Quilt Photo Shoot

2009-02-22T00:59:00.005-05:00

Here are the last nine quilts for our county home project. We started this project in July of 2008 and we will deliver our quilts this Tuesday. Everyone has done a fantastic job on the quilts.

While I had the frame up I took several pictures of quilts that are mine. I'll post them tomorrow. I'm not sure blogger can take a dozen pics in one post.

Judy's Quilt Along

2009-02-18T22:15:00.008-05:00

I received the second set of directions for Judy's Bear's in the Farmhouse Quilt Along project. I am a little intimidated by the number of half square triangles. I know I can make them, but that's a lot of half squares.

Above are the fabrics that I've chosen. I usually stay far far away from stripes, but this may be a great opportunity to overcome my aversion to them.

I finished a quilt top for one of my friends. It was a block lottery that she won at our local quilting group. Again, this was an old project. I think I've had it since 2003. I'll have to look at the group's records and see exactly how old it is. It was suppose to be an easy set, but when you are working with blocks from 20 different people, it was definitely a challenge. One that I'm not sure I did well. I'll just be glad to give it back to her. It's been staring me in the face for the last year, mocking me on my design wall. The picture I took is not very good, but I'll post here anyway.

My princess is coming home again in about nine days. I'm sure glad she and her boyfriend travel together. It makes it less stressful for me knowing she is not alone for the trip.

February Finish :)

2009-02-10T15:00:00.007-05:00

A quick post to show you my most recent finish. This quilt was a pattern I received from my friend, Melodye, in 1991. Yep. you read that right. So today I just finished sewing the binding on and hung it in my kitchen.

I had a mini photo shoot today in my family room. I think I photographed 6 quilts. Most of them are mine. I really need to start my scrapbook for my quilting. I have all the necessary papers, just need to get started.

The quilt to the right belongs to my friend, Belinda. She started this quilt last fall with her youth group at church. I think I posted a picture of this one earlier, but I decided it needed a border to make it a nice size for the young man who will be receiving it. Belinda is going to send it to a young man from her church who is serving with the Navy in Korea. I just need to add a label, wash it, and get it back to her for mailing.

I'll try to post more of my photos later.

My Stash

2009-02-05T13:34:00.005-05:00

Here's what I've been working on since January 1. I'm still not finished. There are four more shelving units to the right of these. It takes a serious amount of time to get organized. I sure hope it will be worth it. My friend, Peg, has been helping me fold and stack fabric whenever she has time. Without her, this wouldn't be this far along. I guess this explains why I haven't been sewing much lately.

I just found out that Sew Mama Sew was asking about stashes. Here are my answers to her questions:

What do you usually sew?

Quilts, all sizes

When you shop for fabric, what size cuts do you usually buy? (i.e. If you see something beautiful, but you don’t have a use for it right away, how much do you buy?

Usually at least two yards. If I love it I'll get the rest of the bolt. I don't need a project in mind.

Do you buy on impulse or do you go out looking for something you need?

Usually think I'll only buy what I need and always end up buying fabric for something I think I'll make in the future.

Are you a pre-washer? If you are, do you wash your fabric before you need it, or only when you’re ready to use it?

Yes, I prewash everything as soon as it comes in the house. I serge the top and bottom of my fabric to keep it from fraying and causing a mess in my washing machine and my septic system

Do you iron it?

I partially dry my fabric and then iron it dry.

How do you sort it? (color, print size, collection, etc.)

I sort by color then by project

Do you have any special folding techniques?

I use a method I found on the internet. I can't remember where

How do you store your fabric?

On metal shelving units in my basement

What tips do you have for building up a well-rounded stash?

Just buy what you like

When do you say enough is enough?

I said enough on January 1 when I started folding and sorting my messed up stash

What are some of your favorite stash-busting projects?

If I had any, my stash would not be out of control.

Do you have a current favorite print in your stash? Let’s see it!

They are all favorites it would be liking picking a favorite child

What’s your definition of the perfect stash? (Consider sharing a picture or two of your stash & storage, or direct us to a pic on Flickr!)

When I can go to my stash at 11pm and find exactly what I need.

Superbowl Commercials

2009-02-03T01:30:00.005-05:00

Ok, you will rarely see a picture of me, since I am usually the one behind the camera. This is me and my sister being goofy and getting ready to watch the Superbowl commercials. I think we'll keep it a secret as to which one of these two lovlies is actually me! I sent this picture to my daughter and she sent a text back saying "Oh mom!"

Today I worked on a Valentine table topper for my sister . It has been awhile since I've actually worked on anything. I need to stop reading blogs and get back to my sewing machine.

I am truly impressed with all the wonderful talent out in blogland.

Sorry this picture is turned the wrong way. I forgot to rotate it. I think you can see ok if you click on the picture. This is a quilt I sent down to The Victory Junction Gang Camp. My friend's daughter is in medical school and she volunteers there in the summer. So Alicia took the quilt with her to donate. I hope the child that got it has enjoyed having it.

I just took another look at the picture of me and my sister, and trust me, I should stick to quilt pictures!

Sunday Meeting & Blog Giveaway

2009-02-02T00:01:00.009-05:00

We had our Piecemakers' meeting today. A group of ladies that meeting the first Sunday of each month. We have a "block lottery" each month. This month our hostess chose a paper pieced tea cup. I didn't win the blocks, but I did win last month. My blocks are all Ohio Stars.

I saw a giveaway at Vickie's blog just a couple of minutes ago, please visit her site to enter her drawing.

Community Project

2009-02-01T01:15:00.007-05:00

Our small quilting group, about 10 ladies, decided back in July of 2008 that we would make enough twin size quilts (39) for our local county home. Here are pictures of the four that I made. I also made four "kits" and passed them out. Sure did help with the stash busting (NOT)!

Helping Hands

2009-01-29T21:57:00.011-05:00

I've never been one to wait for someone else to do it. If it needs done, I usually jump in with both feet. Last night while reading Christine's blog, I saw where she was making nine patches for a little girl. Apparently, Christine is willing to make 10 nine patches for every ONE that is donated. Since today was a do nothing kind of day, I started on my nine patches. It really didn't take very long, and I made 19 blocks in no time flat. I really hope she doesn't feel obligated to make 190 patches! If you want to help, please visit Christine's blog for more information.

I am tired of the snow and ice. I snapped a couple of pictures tonight as we went out for dinner. It's very pretty when you don't have to go out for anything. My daughter called on Wednesday at 12:58 am to let me know that The Ohio State University was cancelling classes for Wednesday. That doesn't happen very often. So here are a couple of pictures from the driveway. Nothing fancy. The one tree is about 25 yards from the house so I zoomed in ...hoping to get a good shot of the ice.

That's it for tonight. Stay warm and be safe!

New Giveaway

2009-01-21T23:51:00.003-05:00

Please stop by Chris's blog and register for her new giveaway.

Tonight was guild meeting. We had a wonderful speaker on copyright laws and interpretation. She actually owns a quilt stencil business.

I'll try to post again tomorrow with some quilty pictures.

Oh Yeah, She's Home

2009-01-17T00:27:00.004-05:00

Oh yeah, she's home alright. And along with her came two weeks of laundry. This picture is a partial look at the laundry she brought home with her. I've already done the sheets, mattress pad cover, and a load of towels. I guess it's a good thing that I like to do laundry. As you can see, I still have Christmas decorations up in my house. I really need to get those down! Maybe tomorrow!

We had a bit of scare tonight. Sara left Columbus at 4 pm and was going to stop on her way home to fill her car up with gas. When she stopped about 20 miles out of Columbus, she discovered that someone had tried to gain access to her gas tank. They had inserted something into the locking gas cap and she was unable to put gas in her car. She is still 100 miles from home! After discussing the situation with her dad, they decided that she probably had enough gas to get home (only one quarter of a tank). Thankfully, her boyfriend was traveling home with her. They were in separate cars, so if she did run out of gas at least she wouldn't be sitting on the side of the road alone. She did arrive home safely and with just a whisper of gas in the tank. After her dad checked the gas cap, he decided that there really wasn't anything in the lock except ICE. He had to heat the cap, but once that was done, he could easily insert the key and unlock the cap.

A friend of mine gave me about 100 four patches. She wanted me to donate a quilt top to our "County Home" project. (We are making 40 twin size quilts for the county home.) Well last night I decided to start on them. I only used 48 of the four patches. I bordered each set with a color that complimented the flowers in the patches she had given to me. I think I used five different colors. I will try to post a picture of the top tomorrow. I stayed up til 4 am to finish the top. Then I got up at 9 am. I feel like I should go to bed, but I'm really not sleepy.

I guess as soon as this load of towels is finished spinning, I'll throw them in the dryer and go to bed.

Whirl Into Winter Giveaway Is Over :(

2009-01-15T02:30:00.003-05:00

Since it is January 15th and very early in the morning. I thought I'd take a few quiet moments to do my drawing of winners. I used a random number generator to find my winners. And They Are:::

Shelley - Fish Fandango
Rae Ann - Birdhouses
Sue Cahill - School Days
Susan - Born In The USA

I have sent an email to each winner. I hope to hear from them by Monday. If I don't I will draw another name.

I hope everyone will enjoy their patterns. Thank you to everyone who posted here to be in the drawing. I loved reading each entry and what your last quilt project was. Hope you will decide to visit again.

I Won A Giveaway!!

2009-01-14T14:57:00.006-05:00

The postman brought me a lovely box today! I won a giveaway at We Love Quilting. I knew about the yo-yo maker, but the box was full of other goodies. There was a pot holder, candy, towel, and lots of pre-cut circles. Thank you Chris for your generosity.

I have another picture of a quilt that a friend of mine just finished. It is the Amish Shop Hop blocks. She visited the 12 participating shops, and finished her quilt top this week. Dr. Herald stitched the complete top by hand. She does such a fantastic job! Now I want to start on my blocks. The fabric line is from Elm Creek Quilts. Maybe next week, ggg

GOING BACK TO COLLEGE

2009-01-05T01:06:00.006-05:00

My little darlin' went back to college today. She surprised me by helping me take some of the Christmas tree down. Usually I put it up alone and take it down alone. I told my husband I was glad she went home early so she missed the heavy traffic. His response was "She's not home." I know it's hard to think of her has being home in Columbus, but I doubt if she will ever come back here to live. I'm just glad she was home for Christmas break.

To keep this quilt related the two wall hangings are the ones I had in my house for Christmas. I haven't changed them out yet. Not sure what I will put up next.

New Year's Eve

2009-01-05T00:47:00.002-05:00

Here's a picture of my darling and her boyfriend, Ryan. They were all dressed up and had places to go. They went to a New Year's Eve party at the house of a friend. Silly kids, they drove down to Columbus for the party, and then drove back home the next day. They have more energy than I have!

Whirl into Winter Quilt Bloggers Giveaway

2008-12-31T22:07:00.012-05:00

Ok, so I have a few things set aside for this giveaway and I'll post the pictures below. Some of the patterns are paper pieced, which I really don't think I'll ever get around to doing. So in your post: 1.- Please tell me which pattern you would like to recieve, and 2.- Tell me about the last quilt you finished and where it went. My last finished quilt was my daughters quilt from the book "Allegro" by Atkinson Designs. You can see the quilt in one of my earlier posts. It is now on my daughter's bed here at home. Very bright and cheerful.

Please do not post before January 1, 2009 as those posts will be deleted. You do not have to have a blog, but you must leave your email so I can contact you should you win. I will mail internationally. I will pick four winners. Good luck to everyone!

I hope I didn't forget anything.

What I've Been Working On............

2008-12-31T21:40:00.003-05:00

Bsides cleaning my computer/sewing room, not much. I do have a picture of one of the pillowcases I made today. It took me longer than I expected, but I was trying to do applique embroidery of the Greek letters on the hem area without going thru both side of the hem. I finally figured it out and here is my finished pillowcase:

I am going to give the pillowcase to my daughter's friend who joined this sorority last fall.

I'll post my giveaway a little later. Be back soon!

Christmas Eve

2008-12-25T23:52:00.016-05:00

A quick post to show you some of the family. We have our Christmas Eve gathering with my husband's side of the family. It's always a good time, lots of laughs and good food. My father in law who now lives in Florida, started a Christmas tradition of taking his sons picture in front of the Christmas tree each year. We are well into my husband's 59th Christmas. So since my FIL moved, I've been the designated photographer. We kid the boys (3 of them) that they are all too big and we can barely see the tree. Here's a pic of the "boys"
We have pictures of the boys since Jeff's first Christmas with the exception of one year. My FIL still can't figure out how he missed the one year.

We have started taking pictures of the cousins lately, this is the group, goofing off. Poor Mitch has had his hands full being the only boy in this group of lovely ladies.

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My little Princess ison the far right.

Squishy in the Mail

2008-12-19T22:04:00.003-05:00

My mailman brought me the most fabulous squishy today from Terry. I signed up for her PIF (Pay It Forward). I reposted it here on my blog, so far no takers. I was thrilled with all the items in the envelope. I'll try to take a picture of everything this weekend.

We are traveling to Columbus this weekend. Sara and I are going down Saturday morning. Her roommate has already left for home and we just want to check on everything. Leaving the apartment unattended for any length of time is not a good thing in Columbus. If the plasma tv is still there (please God, let it be there), we are going to bring it home with us. Someone tried to break in at her friend's house with people still in the apartment!

Last Saturday, Sara and I tried making a cute little candy thing for my quilt group. We meet the first Sunday of the month and I was hosting with a friend. Well she had this idea to make the mini pretzels with Hershey kisses on top. You put them in the oven at 275 for about 2-3 minutes then pull them out and place an M&M on top and press down. They were looking great. We had two cookie sheets finished. Sara decided they needed to go in the refrigerator so I was balancing a cookie sheet and talking to her at the same time. I can't do two things at once, obviously, the cookie sheet tipped and I ended up with melted chocolate down the inside wall of my fridge, on the floor, and into the cracks and crevices of my fruit bin. Two and a half hours later, I have the cleanest fridge in Tuscarawas County. We did manage to not drop the other cookie sheet and I took those to the meeting. It's funny now, but if you had talked to me at 3 am, I wasn't finding any of it humorous.

Again, thank you Terry, for the wonderful package.

9 Days til Christmas!

2008-12-16T01:31:00.004-05:00

Where has the time gone. You know how Christmas sort of sneaks up on you? We've only had 364 days to get ready for this day. I'm always running behind. Still have a few things to buy and lots of stuff I want to make before Christmas. It probably won't get done.
The kid is home from college. She drove home in a terrible ice storm last Friday night. It's great to have her home safe. It took her almost an hour longer than usual, but I was just glad to see her.
Guess I need to buy a turkey for Christmas dinner. We are having our celebration here at our house. It's been here for about the last ten years. My mom did have it at her house last year, but after my dad passed away (ten years ago), she just doesn't want to do it anymore.

Here's my great neice playing with a dollhouse that my daughter played with when she was little:

Tree's Up and Lights On!

2008-12-12T02:06:00.003-05:00

I finally took time to take a picture of our tree. I haven't been doing much with my camera, and I can tell you, if I don't use it I lose it. It was amazing how many shots it took to get this one picture. I even had to get out the manual.

I received a lovely card and gift from my new blog friend Terry. Thank you so much Terry. It was a good day to arrive. I really appreciate it.

I still haven't started shopping yet. Well, a few things I bought online for Sara. But the bulk of shopping I have to do. I think my sister and our husbands are going to go to Canton mall on Saturday. I don't know about your husband, but my husband would rather have bamboo shoved under his fingernails than go to any mall. We are hoping to ditch them at a tool store and get the majority of our shopping without them. Then my sister wants to eat at Quaker Steak and Lube, sounds interesting. My husband won't drive across town to eat, so this trip (about 30 miles) will be interesting.

On the Sara front, her roommate told her this week that she was not going to resign the lease for the next school year. Sara is on the hunt for a new roommate. The new lease is suppose to be signed by January 15,2009. It's crazy the way they make these kids decide 9 months early if they want to retain their lease.\

I really should go to bed. I'll try to post more quilty pictures. I just need to transfer them to this lap top. Night to all!

It's Done Finally

2008-12-08T03:06:00.003-05:00

I stayed up late and put all the decorations on my tree last night. Then I slept in this morning. Yeah me.

I took a small road trip to Berlin, Ohio today. My local quilt group had a weekend retreat. They were having a great time. Lots of beautiful quilts being created and lots of good food. They had fried a turkey! Several friends from out of state were there and it was great to catch up with them.

Time for bed now.

Naked Tree!

2008-12-06T22:26:00.015-05:00

My tree still stands in the family room devoid of any decorations. Do you think my family would notice if I don't put anything on it but the lights. Jeff finally fixed the fuse on the plug, but I've been under the weather. My sinuses are so stuffed and swollen, the glands in my neck hurt when you touch them, and my throat is sore. I guess would we call that a triple threat. I called my doctor early this morning, but of course he wasn't in the office. If I can get up enough energy to get off the couch, I'm really going to try to get it decorated tonight. I'm falling so far behind.

Yesterday I helped a friend put a red/white/blue/ rail fence top together for a a young man who is serving his country in Korea. It was originally a project for the teens of her church to do, but there wasn't a lot of interest, so my friend decided to finish herself. We took out more than we sewed. Right now it's 7 blocks by 10 blocks. The blocks are 6" finished. We will and two more borders, so I think it will be an ok size. I don't want it so big that it becomes hard to store for him.

My friend Terry has nominated me for the Kreativ Blogger award. She must be reading someone else's blog gggg! Thank you Terry. I know I need to do a better job of blogging, maybe in the New Year!

1. The rules are to place the logo on your blog (I did that)
2. Link back to the person who nominated you (I did that too!)
3. Nominate 5 people and link back to their blog (see below)
4. Leave a message on the nominee's blog (I'm off to do that now!)

And my five nominees are

1. Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts
2. Terry's Treasures
3. Kim's Big Quilting Adventure
4. Hugs From Helen
5. Oh, fransson

Not A Good Evening

2008-12-05T00:52:00.002-05:00

Why is that when you think you have everything planned, and all your ducks in a row, something goes wrong. My husband, Jeff, was gone all day today. My plan was to either clean or sew. I know the sewing would have won, but I never even turned my sewing machine on today. I had to deliver seven more of the crib sheets I had made for my mom's church, then of course I had to have lunch with my friend. By then it was too late to start sewing, so I stop at the LQS. I managed to stay there the rest of the day.
Things should have gotten better this evening, yeah, right. I decided to put up our Christmas tree (this is really early for me). We have an artificial three that takes me a little over on hour to assemble. I started putting the lights on the tree at 8 pm and finished at 10 pm. I went downstairs to gather up the ornaments and when I got back upstairs, all the lights were off. If I remember correctly, this happened last year too. I think I put too many light strings (12) all together. Jeff says he thinks I blew the fuse at the plug. Of course he has gone to bed and will look at it tomorrow. I can't put ornaments on a tree without lights, so all the boxes are now sitting in my living room till tomorrow. I'll
post a pic of my tree if I ever get it finished!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

2008-11-27T17:02:00.006-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving day. We had a great time with family today. My niece even came home from Columbus. It's always great to see her.

I thought I'd post a picture of a needle keep notebook that I made about a week ago. There are several things I will do differently next time, but that's not going to be for awhile.

Black and White Quilt

2008-11-25T00:36:00.011-05:00

I had a very nice email from Paula over at http://alattequilts.blogspot.com/ asking about black and white quilts, so I thought I'd post a picture of the one I did for my daughter. She has this one on her bed right now.

I've seen several blogs with "Trees Up, Lights On" wallhanging, but I haven't seen one done like my friend, Sharon. This is just too cute in person.