Award

YOU MADE MY DAY Award

Gee, Marcie gave this to me the other day. Now I must follow the following directions.

The rules for this award say to choose up to 10 people whose blog brings you happiness & inspiration and makes you feel happy about Blogland. Let them know by posting a note on their blog so they can pass it on.

The very first person I read every day is Bonnie, at Quiltville, yes who doesn't. She is posting all the time and getting ready to move and quilting and giving us these wonderful patterns. I have used several. So thank you Bonnie.

Then of course there is Kim's Big Quilting Adventure, for whom I am ever grateful as I couldn't do this blog without her.

Third is one you might not have visited but should because she happens to be my niece, Joyce at And Sew On, jmquilts.blogsspot. It was wonderful to find that she was blogging also. Haven't had that much contact with her since she grew up, married and I knew she sewed and quilted. Great way to keep in contact. She has an interesting life.

Last but not least is Tazzie, Who doesn't know her. We met many years ago when she briefly was on the Quilters Hollow but left due to the family doing. So surprised that she has gone on to designing quilts and doing such a great job of using her scraps. I have always loved scrappy quilts.

So girls, You have made my day.

Now I want to show you the paper pieced block I have made to use for a in-house round robin which Carol Doak has come up with for her group, which is huge. We are to make a center block. Then each month she will give the instructions on what to do for the next round. This should be fun. The blocks of course have to be hers. I'm going to be hindered a little as I only have one of her early books to use and then of course the ones she has given us as a group and her free online ones from her web site

This block is made up of four sections. I found the backing and the brown fabric which has been in my stash for a long time. Have at least 2 yards of each and then the pinks and green center is from two packages of hand dyes that I bought at a quilt show several years ago and have never used. There are six graduations of colors in each one. So thought this would be a good way to use them. Will keep you posted.

I got my car back today, finally and really sort of hated to give the nice Dodge Caravan back. I loved driving it. Now I have a nice clean car.

ProgressReport

I decided I really wanted a final picture of this runner I made for Briana.. So I ripped open the priority envelope and took one. Thank goodness the Post Office has a good supply of these envelopes. See how the dark blue binding really helps to finish this off..
Now it is on it's way along with the Cover Story quilt for Simile, to Snowy Colorado. That project completed.

Now today I finished quilting the next one and have the binding on so as soon as I get it whipped in place I'll get a picture. Not the best job of quilting but it is very hard for this old time hand quilter to get used to doing it on the machine.

The other day I decided I wanted to try Happy Zombie's Jingle Jolly Runner but with gold stars instead of the black. I had been given a package of the TB Christmas charms and thought this would be a nice runner for an old desk we have. Here's the results
Now I just have them sewn together but the stars do not show up. I will quilt this anyway and bind it in red as that is the one fabric from this line I have enough of. It's the right size. But I wanted to show it so someone else didn't make that mistake. We all do it,. don't we?

This has been like a Spring day here in Maryland today. Got up to 70 degrees. Had a good rain the other day but that storm that is moving east from the west coast will probably bring up more rain and colder weather the end of this week.

I do want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY. to my little girl. She's 49 today. Where has the time gone.

Projects to complete for January

I signed on with May Britt and her finishing up UFO's in January so thought I would list what I plan to get finished.

Well, I have one almost finished, except for finishing the binding. That's my Great Niece, Briana's runner. I showed it on Dec. 29 to get an opinion about the binding or border. I quilted it today and sewed the binding on. So that will be done soon.

Second project is an old one. Clear back in Sept. 29 post I showed my Pint Size Thimbleberries club quilt for the year. I've had it pinned and in the basement waiting to get the urge to quilt it. Started it today.

The third one is the newest and our Quilter's Hollow Mystery quilt which I expanded a bit . It's in Jan. 1 post. But was made in the week after Christmas. I have it marked and just need to get it pinned and quilted. Should be able to finish those by the end of the month.

I'm gradually getting the last border sewn together for the log cabin but it will be a while before I get this finished. Don't know if I can tackle quilting it or not. Sure don't want to ruin it.

Things have finally settled down here after the holidays. I even have a new van to drive for a week.

Last week I was bringing DH home from a Doctor's appointment and pulling up to a stop light when a red van pulled cross traffic right in front of me. Fortunately I was not going very fast or we would have really had a mess. I hit his front tire bending it in so much that he had to call a tow truck. He knew he was wrong and didn't want to call the cops. Gave me his name and insurance and said he would report it. It's a wonder that I didn't smash his right side door with his wife on the other side.

Had a badly scratched up bumper but that was about all. At least my DH hadn't seen him before I did and didn't holler as he always tells me when the car two cars ahead had his break lights on. He was very calm about it all and said on the way home, Guess it wasn't to bad as the air bags didn't go off. LOL

So Wed. I took my car into the body shop and they called Enterprise and I got the loaner. All at the expense of HIS insurance. I should get my car back on Wed. Hope I don't have to take DH any place as I doubt that he can get into this van. Boy, it's nice though. Such is life.

Now, Kim has put the links in for me and I need to report that I finished up the binding on that runner for my niece and FORGOT to take a picture. I was so anxious to get it packaged up with the cute Cover Story quilt and mail it tomorrow. So am not going to unpack it. Just have to take my word for it.

I'm in the process of machine quilting the next one. TB Pint size club quilt for 2007 so will probably have that done in the next few days. Thanks for stopping by.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Hope everyone of my blogging friends have a happy and prosperous year getting many of those UFO's completed this month. I've joined Abyquilt for the month to get what I have on tap finished.

Like the runner I showed the other day for my Great Niece, Briana. Also this past week between Christmas and New years, Kairle led us in Quilters Hollow through another Mystery quilt , but she only went as far as giving us four Card trick blocks . We then had to finish off our quilt as we wanted.

Here is my completed quilt. Wanted it a little different and thought I'd put the blocks on point. Makes for a very different look. Then to fill in the spaces I cut some of the pieces out of the printed Lazy Crazy collection and added my applique. It had the same backing fabric as I had used in my blocks BUT I didn't have enough of that fabric to finish off so went searching through my stash of TB beige's and found the one that blended in the best. Then the outside border was left from a former quilt border and had plenty of length so worked well. My Card Tricks worked into another good floral wall hanging or table topper. I can almost see it on my table.

Now this will be one of the UFO's to finish quilting for the month of January. I'll machine quilt this along with the runner for Brianna and Maybe get the pint size TB quilt quilted. It's been pinned for a month or more. Just need to get down and the Juki busing.

Family Matters

This past week is exactly that "Family Matters"

Christmas Day is always a little sad for me as my daughter's other family, Husbands, has always gotten together for Christmas. So after they were married we started having our Christmas on the 26th.

This year we were fortunate, due to some family changes on my daughter-in-laws family they came East instead of her Mother going to Colorado. So it was a win win situation. I told my son when he said they were coming to be sure and save the 26th for us.

They were the first to arrive. Son, Daughter-in-law and Sara, 16 and Chris, almost 14.

They at least helped get the table ready. We would be 12 altogether. The kids set it and then Daughter and her family arrived. Hubby and kids, Joe, 21, Ashley, 19, Angela, 18 and Dan, almost 14. The three older are in college.

I said before they came they were going to help. and they did. This is a picture of all the kids acting up in the kitchen before dinner. They did this for some reason. I came out to my porch and got my camera. We called Joe to come get in also. So this is the group.

The first two on the left at DS's from Colorado. Chris is the one I showed a picture of a couple months ago that got his very blond hair dyed purple. At least now it is a deep blond.
The other 4 are my DDs. Great kids really

This is the three girls doing the dishes after dinner. They had quite a routine set up. Ashley was washing , Angela, drying and Sara put them away and they were done in no time..You can see how the big window opening over the sink looks out to my sewing porch

Since this was the first time that all the family had been together in my home, the other time had been at the beach. I was sure to get some pictures. I had asked my neighbor to come over and snap with my camera.

So here we are. Hubby in his chair and me with the bare feet. The two boys on either side. They are only 2 days apart in age. and Chris has finally caught up to Dan.
DS is in back with the dark beard and Jeanne and Sara. Then in the red is DD and her hubby with the white beard. and the rest of them.

Hard to tell when we will ever get together again. Sara will be going off to college in the fall to Northern Co. University at Greeley.

Joe the oldest GS will graduate from Salisbury University this spring.
Ashley is in her sophomore year at University of the Arts in, Phila. and Angela is a Freshman at University of Western Florida in Pensacola.

They all went home that night except DS. He said he'd stay overnight if I could take him back to Fairfax, and his MILs home on Thurs.

So this past week has been very busy. But what a wonderful time. The kids all get along so good together.

Family is very special and so are all my online friends and bloggers. I love to hear from you all.

Happy new Year.!!!

One down and one to go

Boy am I behind, This week has gone so fast and It has been so much fun. Before the family came on Wed. I finished up quilting this baby quilt for my Great, great niece in Colorado. It is one of the Cover Story printed tops that Thimbleberry came out with this fall. I just thought it would make a cute gift and could be used or hung. I know her grandmother is making her a quilt but it might be awhile till it is done.

I've had it quilted but the sections around the stars and above the soldiers needed some meandering and I hadn't gotten to do that yet. Scared really. I'm new to machine quilting. So finally went for it. Isn't the best but will be OK. So this is for Samile.

This next is a runner in progress. These are the leftover blocks from the quilt my great niece, Samile's Mother Briana made and I quilted it for her this summer. She had sent everything with it. I used some of the extra blocks for pillowcases for her but thought these would make a neat runner for her dresser. Then what to do. This is what I came up with. remembering how neat the braid looked that Kim made.

Then I didn't know whether to put on another border or not. Here's the rest of the binding laid around it.
It's about 3 inches wide and I think distracts to much. So think I'll just bind it with that. Pin and quilt as it is. What do you all think? Any suggestions?

Tomorrow I hope to talk a little about our Christmas. Have pictures
of my whole family. The first that they have all been here together and might be the last time. So see you tomorrow.

OH, I almost forgot

I said I would give a pattern to someone who would like the Minutures. Only had one ask for it and it way past Christmas so Kathy, you know who you are, send me your address privately and I will send it right out.

Kairle, winning the basket from Red Geranium reminded me. I'm so ingrossed in finishing a mystery quilt for our TB group that I never gave it a thought. Thanks, Pat E for reminding me, and I will need to get your Strips to you also.