New Shoes & Going Home

If I click my heels together three times and say "There is no place like home," maybe I can get back to here.



That is me and my family in 1966, give or take.

Dear Mr Postman.....I think I love you!

A free can of cat food, voter registration cards, a giant polka dotted package....hmmm...which do I love most?

Notice which object has been moved.

Eeek! Tiny wooden spools in a purple pouch. Adorable.

Very cool log cabin-esque quilty....

made just for this space by JGmehlin as part of the March/April 2012 STUD swap themed "For a place."

It looks fantastic.

But oh, there is more! Sweet Julie couldn't decide which space she wanted to make a quilt for. (Yes,my home needs a lot of help in the decor department.). So, she made two. Lucky me!

Notice the cat food is still untouched.

 

I call that perfection. What do you think?

She sent scraps too...and look at that gorgeous card!

Thank you Ms Julie. You, as always, are one awesome partner.

Untitled

I've entered this little darling in the weekly Quilting Gallery contest. Each week they host a contest with a different theme. This week the theme is wall hangings.



I'm not sure what the definition of a wall hanging is....but this baby is too big to be a mini and too small to be a throw. It measures 23" x 23" and hangs on my living room wall. I love the way the scrappy background adds dimension to the stars and the quilting adds some twisting and turning that I hadn't noticed in the pre-quilted top.

Voting goes through the weekend. Please stop by and vote for my baby.

 

 

If you go into the woods today....

You're in for a big surprise! Today's the day if every there was, today's the day I'm certain because, today is the day the teddy bears have their picnic?

It just happens to be my big brother's birthday. (No he doesn't have mental issues. The photos are misleading. Me thinks there was a method in his madness of becoming a photographer). This means two things.

1. My Richard is one year closer to being almost 60. (That was for him. He doesn't read this blog any more than my little brother reads it. I have to get my pokes in when I can, because believe me He will get his.)

AND

2.

This baby is now on Moda Bakeshop. (Have I told you yet that I love this quilt?). And my blog gets to wear a new button. Cool beans!

Itchy Pits

Remember this?!

You can read all about it here, and here, and here.

I love this quilt.



Guess where it is going?!

I'll give you a hit....



I'm so excited...."my pits itch".  (That was for my little brother who once told me that when I knew what my birthday gift was I would be "so excited my pits itch."  But I seriously doubt he reads my blog.  No matter.  I am that excited.)

Look for it very soon.  (Like later this week kind of soon....like on my big brother's birthday kind of soon...eeeeeeee!)

Orange you glad....

I found a new shop in the city. Citycraft is small, but nice, with a selection of fabrics that I haven't seen in other LQS in the area. I don't think they would call themselves a quilt shop, more likely a Sewing Lounge.

While we were there I picked out a few oranges for my Dresdin W.I.P. I've got the design in my head, and on paper, but haven't started on the actual quilt yet.


Aren't they yummy?

I have to take care of a few irons in the fire before I can work on this one.

First off is getting boy #2 licensed to drive.



Hmmm, I'll have to get him out of the chair first.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Breath....now....

So much has been going on lately, it seems like I hardly catch my breath and something else needs attending to.  So, right this minute I am taking a moment to breath.

In

Out

In

Out

That feels so much better. 

Great stuff has been happening!

Lets see.....



Have I shared this with you?  I won it over at Sandra Kaye Designs.  This lovely is about the size of a postcard...and not quite as bright as the picture makes it seem. 



And I got my birthday quilt finished.  It looks so good.  Like I spent hours and hours cutting out tiny blocks and sewing them back together.



He, he, he, gotta love panels!  I've heard them called "cheater cloth" and I've heard them called "convenience quilts".  Either way they are tons of fun.



AND I love my little label.  I got the bunny from Urban Threads.

I've got some exciting things brewing over here...including a nice bit of drought...some of you will know what I'm talking about...lets just say that the water restrictions ought to be lifted any day now.

Boy #2 should get his driver's licence on Monday.  Oh dear.  Today was my "last" day of driving the Mom taxi for him.  I will miss our conversations.  I'll have to start baking cookies to trap him with at the end of the day...make him stop and visit.

Boy #3 starts his High School career in a few weeks.  No, he hasn't jumped ahead a term.  He has gotten accepted into the Athletic Training program at the HS and gets to participate in Spring Football.  It will be good for him.

Still haven't gotten my Patchwork Party block sewn together.  I can't believe it.  The pieces are sitting on the table right behind me glowering...if looks could kill I'd be dead from blood loss.

One more picture before I go....


My damaged boy receiving CPR from a wee bit of a dog.  "Cute Puppy Rehab" will help fix anything.  Noah says so!  You can see a bit of the purple cast in the corner....

I asked him if having two heads will help keep him from getting hurt.  Give him more grey cells to think before he jumps into things.  His response....."Naw, it just helps me think of dumb stuff to do twice as fast."

Have a great weekend!

Really?! What is a Mom to do?

I thought we were entering a new phase. We'd gone a whole year without any broken bones. I should have known something was coming. It always does.




That is my boy. Noah. He is 19 and enrolled as an Athletic Trainer at Howard College. He loves anything that has a ball in it, but most especially Baseball. Howard has a great team. They are, last I heard, #8 in the country. Go Hawks!

So, Noah now knows with some certainty that having a game of catch to warm up a pitcher, without the aid of a catchers mitt, is a BAD idea. Ya think?!




My sweet husband broke himself last night as well. Although not quite as dramatic as Noah's purple cast and broken wrist, his little toe is cramping his style just a tad. He broke it last night when he walked into a kitchen chair while checking to see if the dogs had water. (I'd a let them drink out of the toilet.)

With luck, I'll be back to my quilty realm tomorrow.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Slow going....

I did very little but play yesterday....it was great.

I did manage to cut out one of my Patchwork Party blocks.

Remember these? I cut out one block using the Marti Michell templates. There were 65 pieces. It took me about an hour and a half.

The rest of the day was spent eating giant Smash Burgers; buying a new I-phone (supposedly my birthday gift from my husband, but we both know it was because son #3 needed a new one and he wasn't going to get one unless he got my old one.). Today the second half of my gift came - a case from Quilt My Phone. Now Siri will stay nice and warm under an "antique" fan quilt.; eating ice cream from Marble Slab; and designing son #2's high school ring.

Today I must work.....

I've quilted for this customer before....before you pass judgement...she didn't like this quilt either. Those are her granddaughter's clothes. My friend may this quilt by special request.

There has been some speculation of late about making something really beautiful, something that those who inherit our work will be proud of. I'd wager that the owner of this quilt will be thrilled to have it - not because it is a work of art, but because it is a work from her Grandma's heart. Grandma made what was asked for, not what she wanted to make.

That takes a special kind of grace...the kind of grace that gets remembered long after our bones are dust.

Birthday Shopping Trip with Mom

I just got back from having lunch with my Mom and shopping with the gift card she gave me.  This is what I got.....

I love the "cheater" cloth.  It is so bright and springy and 110% girly.  There is no mistaking this for a quilt belonging to one of the boys.  I got two of the coordinates - the blue paisley for a border, and the red polka dot for a binding.  (The line is Leila Rose by Alex Anderson for P&B Textiles)

The bunny fabric - I'm seeing Monty Python's killer bunnies here (not girly) - are for the back, because they made me laugh.

I also picked up a yard of backing for this....(it is the third cut of fabric I have purchased to back this....I think I have finally gotten it right this time.)


And set C of the Marti Michell templates.  Would you believe I went to work on my Yester-Year UFO and discovered that I didn't have the templates to finish it?!  They are half off at Quilt Country - if you are interested in obtaining them.  They didn't have all of the sets, but they had A, B, C and a few of the later ones.

I kind of went over my $50 limit.  But I had two $50 gifts to spend so I'm okay.  (Like my dh would care.)

Oh...and check out this virtual cake I was sent.....



Cute isn't it!

And the Winner is.....

Me!  I love giving good gifts to people!!

However, the person who is going to get a package in the mail is about to be picked.  I found a free random number generator for my i-phone, and entered 11 for the max. number.  I had 11 entries.

I pushed the Go button and #1 is the number it selected.

The winner is.....Christie who said....

Christine LApr 1, 2012 04:43 PM

Happy Birthday To YOU!!! Happy Birthday to YoU!! Happy birthday Dear Cindy... Happy birthday to you :)

So kind of you to do a giveaway. I like the bright one.

I'll be sending this out to her as soon as I get her address.

What to do....

I've been given a check for $50 and told to buy something "quilty" for myself. What do I buy?

Got any suggestions?

Easter...

How deep the Father's love for us,

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the chosen One,

Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that left Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

By Stuart Townend

Jesus Christ is not on the cross.

He is not in the tomb, or buried in the ground.

He is Risen!

And seated at the right hand of God the Father

Interceding for us....all of us who accept his free gift.

May this Easter find you with friends and family, secure in the love of Christ.

Happy Birthday 'lil Brother

Last night we went to a "surprise party" for my little brother. He is bigger than me, so I guess he isn't my little brother any more. His birthday is the day before mine. Yup, we are 356 days apart. What were my parents thinking?!
He is a graduate of Virginia Tech. Go Hokies! And has a doctorate in Marriage and Family Counseling. He's just Pete to me.....but some people call him Dr. He runs a clinic and teaches at a university.
I spent yesterday working on a silly gift.

I started by designing an embroidery pattern. Thank you to the brilliant designers at Urban Threads. Isn't this feather gorgeous?! (For those of you who don't know, Virginia Tech's mascot is a Turkey....really)

Then I added some words - Hokie Pokey Clinic, The Place to Turn Yourself Around -

fabric border, and quilted it in swirls and "turkey tracks"

I finished it like an envelope, and bound it like a quilt so the corners would be square, and stuffed in a pillow form.

I'm not sure what Pete thought. He is kind of quiet and keeps things close to the chest. But I did get a snicker out of him.

Linking Up with Yester-Year

Christine over at Quilt Monster in My Closet has come up with a great idea.  It is a WIP Challenge to finish those really old projects we all have hiding in our "studios"  Check out the challenge details here. 

Books, books, books

I am such a junkie. Life is good and I treated myself to a few new reads.

I really like this one. I may have to rethink my scrap box.

I've been eyeing this one for quite a while. Love it!

After making my In & Out quilt I discovered that this fabric designer has more going on. I had to check out her book.

This one I bought on a whim....hmmm....good idea. Great inspiration!

And just so you know I did something today besides write 11 distracting questions and fold a load of laundry here are a few snaps of some pretties I was working on.

I'm thinking about quilting this in bubbles.

I did a little paper piecing and part of the pattern was backward. I turned my extra piecing into a teeny tiny pin cushion.

I seriously love this mini. I think it needs to hang in the studio....next to big jar of dark chocolate peanut m&ms.