Friendship Block #3

Yesterday my friends and I swapped our August Friendship blocks. We had to postpone one week due to a family emergency last week, but all is well (kinda) and we got to swap blocks.

Carol made the very elegant tulip block. You got to love these fabrics and she did a great job. Cheryls is the sewing machine - don't you just love it! Carol and Cheryl are both new to paper piecing, but they look like pros with these blocks. Mine is the dresden plate that I used English paper piecing to make.

I have started quilting my granddaughter Tess's quilt and its about time, don't you think Tess? I have really been having a time marking this quilt - started with a blue water soluble pen, but ran out of ink. Went through three chalk pencils that I could not find a pencil sharpener to fix the point. I was about to give it up, when I remembered someone blogging about using the Golden Threads (I think I have that right) paper to draw their quilting patterns - and don't you know, I have some of that! So I am going to try that today and I will let you know how it goes.

And yeehaw..I am staying home today to quilt! I was supposed to be off this week for my summer vacation, but gas prices got in the way and we decided to stay home and spend the money on the house. Fred did take his week to do some family research in West Virginia, staying for a week after our family reunion, but I have not taken time off this summer and I think I am due. I was off Thursday - Monday as planned, but geez I worked so hard on the carpet installation, I don't call that a vacation!

Happy stitchin!

Work..work..work.....boy am I tired!

These last couple of days have been physically hard (I think my age is showing). We had new carpet installed throughout the house and I did not stop to think what that meant in terms of work for my husband and I. All the closets had to be cleaned out, clothes moved somewhere, bookcases and cabinets that would be moved by the installers had to be cleaned out. We took down the beds ourselves. Fortunately we have a dining room and our sewing room/study to put stuff in, and the installers had to play musical rooms with some of the furniture - but we got it done. Now, we have to put it all back in place (a lot of groaning going on here). The work is worth it though as the carpet looks great and feels sooooooo cushy. Our old carpet was 30 years old, original to the house when we built it. Time, don't you think, for new carpet!

One BIG bonus in all of this was I found a treasure - my baby quilt! Well its mine now, anyway, I think my mom made it for my oldest brother and since I am the youngest, it got passed down to me and I am claiming it. Momma told me the other day this was the first quilt she ever made, and she is a master quilter now. She mostly hand pieces and hand quilts and her work is superb. She made it from an airport wind sock (yellow fabric) and a GI Sheet (white fabric). This was done in 1946's, after WWII. She and Daddy were both Marines serving in Pearl Harbor and married when they were discharged. She gave me this quilt when I started my family as she wanted each of grandchildren to sleep under it. Sorry Joy and Cindy - but I kept it after and did not pass it on - you both had your turn laying on it at my house. (That's my new living room carpet underneath the quilt.)

Forever Friends...

I just noticed that I had not posted since last Thursday. Good grief, where do my days go? The weekend has come and gone and I am not sure what happened to my days. I did work on a table runner that I designed and will be preparing kits for my club to work on in October. The block I call Forever Friends, as it looks like two interlocking friendships stars to me. The runner is to be a Fall runner and the colors are just magnificant in the fabrics with lots of sparkle. I hope my club likes my choices in fabrics! I also started piecing the Be Respectful block for my Golden Rules of Attitudes.
Thanks for stopping by!

Free stitchery pattern by Helena

Check out Helena's site for a free stitchery pattern and sign up for her pretty giveaway.

Busatti

I work at a University and recently one of our faculty traveled to Italy to photograph the Busatti Weaving process. This is a family owned business located in Anghiari, Italy and believe it or not, they import their cotton from Arizona where they say the best cotton in the world originates.

He brought me some samples of their woven textiles and they are just beautiful. I thought you might enjoy a glimpse of these marvelous works of art! Such lovely pieces, and I think I will just frame them.

Giveaways galore....

Here's another that Carin is sponsoring for her 200th post...check it out at: http://mcmawblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/it-must-be-time-for-give-away.html.

Debi's giveaway...

Debi at Quilting with Debi is having a terrific giveaway - check it out!

Flower Garden Cathedral Window

I am going to be teaching a class in Cathedral Window quilts in the fall using a technique I have developed where everything is done on the machine, except sewing the window inserts, which I still enjoy doing by hand. I needed to start a class sample to teach with, and I had planned to just do a small wall hanging size, but that did not last for long. So here is what I have come up with - what do you think of this design. For now, I am calling it Flower Garden Cathedral Window, but that will change with time. All the inserts in the green blocks will be floral. Then a border of sunshine blocks, with yellow floral inserts surrounded by blue sky blocks with the yellow sunshine for inserts. This is an EQ6 drawing of what I have in mind. The quilt will measure 80" x 89" when done, just a tad bigger than what you normally hang on the wall, LOL. If you are interested, I do have this technique out in a copyrighted pattern that sells for $8 - if you want one, send me an email and I will give you mailing information for your payment.

This is very different from my original quilt, which was done in Amish tone solids.

Thanks for stopping by!

And the winner is......

Mary, at Scottishnanna! Congratulations Mary, and as soon as you send me your address I will put the blocks in the mail to you.

Thank you all for entering my give-a-way and for your great comments. I hope you will come back and see me often.

Last call for Dear Jane Block Give-a-way

I will be drawing a name for a winner tonight at 8:00pm South Carolina time - so leave me a comment if you have not already done so letting me know you would like to win these blocks: Dear Jane Block give-a-way .

And thank you to all of you that have already asked to be in the drawing. These lucky blocks are going to find a good home soon!

Being Patient....

Here is my most recent block on the Golden Rules of Attitudes blocks (Be Attitudes Pattern). Its all done with the exception of flower buttons on the seed packs and on the side. I have been looking for some buttons that I like - but the ones I like are so darn expensive. $4.90 for 3 little plastic buttons - unreal! So I will keep looking and may just have to do some embroidered buttons or just leave the block as is. It requires 3 small buttons and 3 large buttons, which are even more costly - and I just can't bring myself to pay $10 (after taxes) for buttons for one block.

Several of you have asked how the kitchen is coming. Nothing has been done for a couple of weeks now as we have been trying to get the water situation corrected with our well. That is DONE! So Saturday - demolition starts on this wall you see right here. On the other side of that wall is my dining room and we are going to put a door way right about where you see that calendar. Right now you either have to go through my laundry room or through the living room and the music room (soon to be toy room for the grand kids) to get to the dining room. Our house has kind of evolved over the years, and the dining room is actually a converted deck that was on the back side of our house. That apple border is a stencil that my two daughters and I did many years ago and then we sponge painted the blue section of the wall. Its kind of sad to see that go, as we sure had fun doing it. But this will give way to a fresh coat of paint - color is "Painted Turtle." Appropriate name for this renovation as it is sure going as slow as a turtle. Once again, my Be Attitudes are talking to me - BE PATIENT!

Name that Quilt...

Hey, Lyn over at Bluebird Quilts is playing a game..Name that Quilt...if she picks your name, you get a prize..hurry on over and play. While you are there, check out her blog, its a great one!

French Braids

Saturday my club Stitchin' Friends and 5 of the members came to work on their braid quilts. Each chose their own fabrics and there were several different patterns, but all are just beautiful, showing the versatility of this pattern. So, Ta Da..........here they are:


This is Brenda R's braid. Beautifully done in batiks of blues and purples. All set for a dip in the cool refreshing water of a sparkling pool on a hot day.


Then we have Brenda W's - a shading of greens. Looks like a walk in the park with flowers and sunshine on grass and shade under the trees. Very lovely.




Donna did a study in Grey with a green accent block down the center. A masculine quilt if I ever saw one, and I think she has someone special in mind for this quilt.

This one is Mary's. She has the flowers in bloom with greens, golds and purples. Mary also finished her separator bands and has one here beside her band - but not sewn on yet. Mary is making great progress on her quilt!


And last, but certainly not least, is Vicki's beauty of gold, rust and greens with a elegant red floral center. This one just makes me think of a beautiful Victorian Christmas. Great job, Vicki.

So there they are - aren't they a talented bunch!!! We have an active group of 14 in our club - so there will be more braids to show in the future. Stay tuned, next month I am sure I will have some gorgeous quilt tops to show.

And don't forget the Dear Jane Block give-a-way on my blog. Just leave me a comment saying to put your name in the draw and you are in. Drawing is the 15th!

And here's some links to some other contests:
Lila Tueller is giving away fabulous bags and fabric - hurry on over, drawing on the 15th!
Candace over a WraggedyPatches is hosting a 100th post give-a-way!
Lise of Lise's Hobbyblog is also celebrating the 100th post with a contest!
Cheryl out in California of Polka Dots and Rick Rack is celebrating 1 year of blogging!

Blog Award

Thanks Robyn and Debi for this award. It means a lot to know you thought of me.

And now for my 5 nominees -

1. Nice People Nice Things; I have been inspired by this group of women and this wonderful pattern to begin this project.

2. Judy at Patchworktimes, an organizer and motivator.

3. Quiltnut Creations: Luscious recipes and a friendly blog.

4. Quilt Obsession: This award partly goes to Lester and Smudge for posing for so many pictures.

5. Quilting Daze: Always something to inspire and delight at this page.

I really wish I could give this to you all as you all inspire me, entertain me and make me very happy when you visit my blog !

Did you watch the Opening Event of the Olympics? I did and thought it was fantastic! I especially liked the torch lighting. I did not have idle hands though. I finished my first block on the Nice People Nice Things, a Lollipop block. The colors did not come out right in this picture as the first balloon is a bright yellow and the one on the right is puple, but you get the idea.


And then I also pin basted a quilt for my granddaughter's first big bed. My daughter and her family moved into their new home today after being with us for a year now. I am sure going to miss having them here, but am so excited for them in their new home. Tess, my granddaughter, will move from a toddler bed to a twin size bed soon and this will be her quilt for the big girls bed, as she puts it. She just loves the quilt and hugs it everytime she sees me working on it. Ahhh...just melts this Granny's heart.

A few more days to sign up for the Dear Jane Block give-a-way on my blog. Just leave me a comment saying to put your name in the draw and you are in. Drawing is the 15th!

So what did you do while watching the Olympics?