First day of 2009 fun

Here is how I spent the first day of the year. It has been exactly 3 years today since I made my first quilt block. Today I finished up the second set of red and cream stars for a swap I'm hosting at the Quilt Shoppe Forum. I was inspired by a fellow blogger (Becca) for this idea. Here are my blocks for the swap.



This is a 16 x16 inch wall hanging/doll quilt for a swap I'm participating in on the about quilting forum. Bonnie is the hostess for this one. It is winter themed, and although this may not look very winter to some. I have to say its my favorite way to spend winter. Cuddled up with a hot cuppa something and dreaming of purple spring flowers to come.



I made this little box with scraps today as well. It is the perfect size to fit dvd's or paperback books in it, to cozy up and read or watch while drinking a hot cuppa something.



And last for show and tell today, I have the progress I've made on my fitness quilt. Each week that I've worked out X amount of times, and also each week I stuck to my diet I have made a block. 2 blocks possible each week. So far its looking good and I'm looking better. My cholesterol is down, as well as I'm down 24 lbs, and 3 pant sizes. Yay! Still a long way to go, but definately making good progress.

The quilt pattern is by Quilt Soup and I believe it is called Flower Shoppe!

Christmas Quilt for Dad and Susan

I just finished at the last minute for mailing, this Christmas quilt for my Dad and his Wife. I like how it turned out! The big white blobs on it are actually Huge snowflakes coming down today.

Twisted Mystery Quilt Received

I am the lucky recipient of this quilt made by Kate. We were in the twisted mystery swap together, and she got my fabrics. I thought she might have mine as she had commented the fabrics she received called for a certain kind of quilt and it wasn't something she would usually make. I was right, it was my fabrics. She did a wonderful job. Husband has stolen the quilt as his own already!

Work Christmas Quilt

I have finished my quilt for the Christmas giveaway at work. Each year I try to make a quilt and then we draw a name from the regular clients at work and someone gets to take it home. The drawing is held during the Christmas party, and it is so fun to see the response of the winner. Last year's winner wore the quilt around his shoulders all day with a big grin on his face. You just can't beat that!




Yesterday I delivered a finished spring fling round robin quilt to Julia. She lives only about 20 miles from me. Unfortunately she wasn't home and I didn't get to meet her, but I have heard from her and she really liked the quilt! Here is is the back and the front.

Blogger Fun

Sophie shared this fun quiz on the quilting forum. I like to do these for fun sometimes. This one I would like to think is right on the money. LOL

You Are Olive Green

You are the most real of all the green shades. You're always true to yourself. For you, authenticity and honesty are very important... both in others and yourself. You are grounded and secure. It takes a lot to shake you. People see you as dependable, probably the most dependable person they know.

What Color Green Are You?

Fitness Quilt

I haven't been doing much quilting lately. I've been working on getting healthier and have had less time for quilting. I am making a fitness quilt. Each week I stick to my diet for a specified amount of days I get to make a block in the quilt, and each week I work out a specified amount I get to make another block. It is going well! So far I've lost way more than my goal for that month, and am starting my second month. Also I got my c-pap machine today, and am looking forward to some good sleep tonight.

Fall Canning Time

No quilty content or pics as my batteries are dead AGAIN! I really need new rechargable batteries for my camera, but keep forgetting to buy them. Anyhoo! Today I canned batch #3 of Salsa for the season. It is also the last Yay! I think Tony and his work buddies eat it as fast as I can it. Also everyday when I take Murphy for a walk in the local park I pass two apple trees in a yard bordering the park. Many many apples fall onto the ground on the park side of the fence. Being my father's daughter I kept thinking, "You know a guy (or gal in my case) could pick up those apples and make something out of them." So, one day I picked one up and took it home. Yummo! Sweet as can be. No wormies. A couple days later I saw a lady drag a ladder down the street to the apple trees on the park side and picked a bunch. Again I thought a guy/gal could do something with those. Next day I brought a cloth grocery bag and filled it up with apples. I have been thinking about what to do with them for about a week. Today, 6 quarts of apple pie filling! Yay!

Snow Day!

I almost forgot, to mark the first snow of the season in the blog. It was a little later this year than last, but still too early for my tastes, and my tomatos. They are covered up, but I doubt they will make it, as it snowed last night and most of the day today. Not much has accumulated as it rained between the snows. According to the weather channel desktop its a whopping 28 degrees right now! No wonder I'm cold, guess I should turn up the heat. grrrr.

spring fling round robin 2 finished

I received the flimsy and was able to quilt, bind and label this sweet quilt today. I hope the recipient likes the quilting.

Inspired by

Dorothy and her quilt for Bevin. I loved the browns and blacks she used in her quilt and thought I would make a similar one for myself. Clearly not my usual color choice, but I love how it turned out.

anyway, here is my version.

Holiday Apron Swap

The ladies on the about.com quilting forum are having a holiday apron swap. My partner asked for fall/Thanksgiving for her theme. I used the same pattern I used on the last apron, Church Ladies Apron, and of course the big ric rac I love so much. I think it turned out cute. Pumpkins on one side, and cute turkeys on the other side.

Apron Finish

I made this fun apron recently. I love the fabric even though its not my usual box of crayons. I may have to make one just like it for myself. I really love that HUGE Ric Rac.
Its reversible and I used the Church Lady Apron pattern by Mary's Productions and the fabric I believe is called Marrakesh, by Blank textiles.

What to Do?

I am needing some advice regarding a little quilt swap. I'm participating in round 4 (I think its 4) of a doll quilt swap on about.com quilting forum. I have attempted to make a Lone Star in miniature for my partner. I worked really hard on this, and took it apart more times than I care to mention. Still, I have lost 3 of the 8 star points. Now, I don't know if I should finish it and send it, or finish it and keep it as it has missing points.
Please tell me what you think, be brutally honest here please.
Here it is. I think if you click on the picture you can see it larger in webshots.

Little Swap Quilts

Toni has challenged us to show all the little quilts from all the little quilt swaps we've participated in. I will attempt this.
The first one I received from Ginger in about.com's doll quilt swap I.



I made this one for Lou in the same swap



I made this one for the winter swap



and received this one in the winter swap


I made this for the doll quilt swap II on about


and received this one


I received this lovely in the spring swap


and sent this one to my partner


I made this for the summer swap


and received this lovely back


I made this for the doll quilt swap III on about


and received this beautiful quilt in return


I received this in the ALQS I swap

and made this one for my partner in the ALQS I swap


I made this one for the Miniature Booty 2 swap


and received this beautiful quilt just yesterday



I made this for ALQS 2 but have not sent it yet, and of course haven't received one back yet.


I have most of these hanging in my living room on a wall, one in the hallway, one in the bedroom and one is headed for my office wall.

What an incredible 24 hours

I am a grandma! Yay! Mason arrived at 5:12 am on August 29, 2008 I have started a new blog for him here. Dot has won the baby guessing game! I will send you an e mail to gather up your mailing info. congratulations for winning.
Also in the mail today, an extra added bonus to a great day was my miniature booty swap quilt from Shelly, I absolutely love it, and have just the perfect spot to hang it in my office. thanks so much. blogger is not letting me post pictures of baby or quilt. bummer. maybe later it will work.

Baby Guessing Give Away

My first grandchild is due on September 2nd. I've decided to have a contest. The winner will get an assortment of quilty items, yet to be gathered up. (I promise good stuff here) Here are the rules:
Post a comment on this post with your guess on the date and time of birth of the baby, this will be Mountain time, USA. Whoever comes closest to guessing the correct date/time of birth will win the prize. Be sure that you have your comments set so that I can notify you if you win. Otherwise you need to post your e mail address in the text of your comment so I can contact you if you win.
Let the games begin!
Here is a pic of Mason waving hello to us a few months ago.

Almost Finished

I just need to sew these little dimensional flowers down, as well as the stem, and label the quilt, and I can call it done. I did remember the little triangles on the back for hanging this time. Then I will stare at this until October when I can send it to my partner in the ALQS2 swap. Yay! I'm loving how this is turning out, and hope my recipient will as well.

First folded flower

I have completed my first folded flower. I like how it turned out. This book has great instructions, and even tells a person how to sew on the little beads in the center of the flower. I think the finished flower measures about 2 1/4 inches. I'm guessing now.

New Book

I purchased a new book tonight, and I'm so excited about it! You can see it here on Amazon. I can hardly wait for the weekend to get here and try out some of these flowers. Maybe if I love doing it, and its not such a pita I might make some for my alqs swap quilt. Anybody made any of these before? Was it fun? Please comment if you have tried these or seen them, or any other info. about them. I wish I would have had this book a few weeks ago for the spring fling round robin center block. There is a perfect one in the book. Darn!

What a bum I am

I have been quite the slacker with no posts since July. No excuses really. I've been working on a scrap quilt I started a while back, not ready for a pic yet. I did make the alternate blocks this past weekend, so it is closer to being done than before when it was just sitting there staring at me. Lots going on with family. Had a reunion on the 9th. My son is planning to get married next week. Congrats to Cody. And just in time as we are expecting his soon to be wife to deliver their first child around Sept. 2nd. Yay! I am scheduled for jury duty in September and am not looking forward to that. Still whining about it. feeling rather blah, I guess all in all. Had a rough weekend with dh, and his issues. I'm just pulling myself up from that trench today really.

Snippet of the second try

I made a second attempt at my center block for the Spring Fling Round Robin 2 quilt. I like this second attempt much better than the first.

Miniature Booty Swap 2

When I received my swap partner's preferences I thought polka dots and cherries. I had been wanting to try these fun little pieced flowers, and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to do so. The cherries ended up on the back but I added gingham to the front, and I think it turned out cute! I made a similar one for myself, and will hang it in my kitchen.

Oh Yoo Hoo Nellie Girl!

Looky looky what I finished today! I love how it turned out. I hope you love it too. It is drying right now, but will be dry in no time with today's heat.
Love you,
Mom

(Pattern is Happy Hour by Atkinson's Designs)

Summons!

That is what it said on the outside of the envelope I received yesterday. Summons to Jury Duty. Drag..... I hate this. I know I should feel privileged to participate in the system, but truly its a pita. Having to call in all the time. Going in and sitting while they draw numbers, having to answer a bunch of questions. I don't get paid at work for being at jury duty. Its a financial drag as well as in other respects. I don't want to. (that was my whiniest voice)

Fun and Easy!

My old clothespin holder was rotting away, and getting holes in it. I searched for patterns and tutorials online until I found the easiest one I could find. I hit the thrift store, and found a cute little osh kosh blouse for 50 cents. Lickety split here's what I ended up with.



Re-purposing at its finest!

It is my first!

Tonight after a long long day, I thought I would unwind in my usual way, reading blogs of quilters, and just enjoying the eye candy. Lately I've seen a surge in blog awards being handed out left and right, and tonight I've been awarded my first. Thanks Betsy (aka Fiesta) I appreciate you too!
I believe I am to nominate those blogs I read now. I read a lot of blogs. Here are some of my favorites, I will pass this award onto. I hope you stop by their blogs and see what I see.
Grace at Cityquilter's blog. I love how she is all about what is going on in her life. Ups and downs both.
Kim and her big quilting adventures are always fun. She has addicted me to thrifting for wonderful objects that I surely can't live without.
Lisa Jo at Life at the blackbear cabin. I love her take on mountain life. Bears and all, and of course there is wonderful eye candy to be had as well.
Desi at Go to your studio and make stuff. I love the title of her blog, and she is always inspiring me to make stuff, as it were. :)
And last but definately not least, Sophie at Sophie Junction, my first blog I ever read, and truly someone who always inspires.
Thanks Betsy, Its nice to know someone is out there reading the blog, I sometimes wonder if its just me and my family reading it.
Colene

Misc.

What a fun quilty day today. It was the guild picnic and we had a great time. We exchanged bags in brown paper bags, I ended up with 2. The person had purchased this really cool bag made of a great big long zipper, and then found out we were to make the bag, so she made the second bag and put it inside the purchased bag.




We also played bingo and won lots of fabric and stuff like black and white yo yo's. I'm trying to figure out what I can do with the yo yo's, any great ideas?



Then when I got home, I had a message from a friend telling me she was at a yard sale that had a whole yard full of fabric. Of course the message was 6 hours old. I went anyway. There was a ton of holiday fabric, but I found some others I liked, and you can't beat $1 yard. Some was even Kaufman fabric.





And now for what I've really been wanting to show..... My apron for the apron swap is done. I waited for my daughter Nellie to get here today and she modeled it for me. I love how it turned out, and I really hope the recipient likes it also. I can't mail until August though, so I will just have to admire it until then.