I...won...???

Okay...I did get up a tad early to check what time banks were open to go get change for the concessions box (duh moment there!) and just happened to check some of the giftaways...

I won the 10 1/2 yard cuts from True Up!  Gracious...that's 5 yards of fabric!  wow...wow...wow! 

http://www.trueup.net/?p=6712

Oh my goodness!  What deliciousness!  These are going to be pictures of my happy place today when things get dicey at the tournament!

If you haven't gone to True Up, you really need to.  She's been showing pictures from the Fall Quilt Market and I've been there vicariously experiencing it with her!

Thank you Kim! 

Happy, happy weekend to you all!

Today's Episode: Cooking a Cow!

It's......Friday.  A day I'm normall happy to see and now, today, that it's here...not so much!  LOL

To Do List:

Register oldest for SAT again (1790 first time out, hoping to break 1800!)

Register oldest for college of choice

Mail packages, bills, and cards

Bake cookies

Bake brownies

Bake more cookies

Bake more brownies

Prep apple cider for fall party

Finish Space Rocks paper with Middlest

Buy Gatorade in huge quantities for basketball jamboree

Make flyer for the Koch girls (more about them later)

Cook a cow

One of my Friday Finishes (click the button on the side to see what we've all been up to) was just to make it to today!

Here we have three plastic serving trays upside down with their lids on filled with spice cookies, huge brownies, and chocolate chip muffins for the jamboree tomorrow morning.  Two swap packages going out and an encouragement card to a college freshman from our church at school in Florida.

The library books Middlest used for his paper on space rocks.

He rocks because he knuckled under yesterday, didn't go out for lunch with Mom and Dad and spent almost the whole day doing his paper, most of it without my help!

This is a tremendous step forward for him!

I had found a cirriculum on writing essays and research papers that was very basic with ethics and grammar thrown in.  We've been working on it faithfully since school started.

I think he's getting it and I couldn't be more happier or prouder!

Remember I told you my mom was an enabler?  Here's why

In a small town 5 & $.10 that still operates, they were having a sale on fabric and Mom scored for me.  A yard each of some of the prettiest mauve and pink and calicos!  My head is turning trying out new ideas to incorporate them into.  Thanks Mom!  Keep up the good work!  LOL

I also managed to get copies made of some more paper foundation piecing patterns that were free on the internet.  I started the Snow Kitty yesterday.  I either need more hours in the day...or less of anything else but sewing in them!

Seriously here!

On Cooking a Cow

Last night, Gerri (she who shall be a bud forever!) and I went out and bagged our limit on hamburger and hotdogs at our local wilderness market.  We had set up game cams (in the form of sales flyers) all over two counties to try and find the perfect cow and ??? dog, turkey, ham, pork, bits and pieces they put in hot dogs...which as I write this sounds really gross and now I probably won't eat any tomorrow...

After verifying our poundage (the hamburger's, not ours), we loaded up the cow, the ???, chips, candy, nacho cheese chips and cheese, ketchup, mustard and sundry purchases in her van and drove back to the Salvation Army gym to divvy up the goods.

I'm cooking the cow today.  Hopefully, it will come out tasty, yummy, somewhat nutritionally sound sloppy joe's.

Tomorrow's games begin at 10:00 with us there much earlier to set up.

This is the day to mom-brag on Middlest, because he made co-captain of the junior high team.

Sniff.

I love him!

Kt and her crew may come thissa way today.  I hope so.  We'll take a recess day and finish up the paper for Middlest to turn in this afternoon.  For those of you who are confused...ahem...Middlest is enrolled in one class at our local junior high.  We're the first family to "break into" the traditional set up there by having a homeschool kid taking a class at a public school.  We're hoping it works out so well, that they will allow other homeschool students to do this again next year.  We petitioned in and so far, so good!

I'm tired.

Hope you and yours have an awesome weekend filled with wonder and lots of love!

This is where I wish I could just elegantly and poshly roll into and sleep the day away.  Ahhhh!

ps here is an awesome giveaway chance at Fresh Poppy Design

http://freshpoppydesign.blogspot.com/2009/10/its-time-to-giveaway.html

a crocheted flower hair clip and a sweet, zipper pouch.  Both of which I would faithfully and thankfully use!

Go visit today and sign up for a chance (but it's really not a chance at all...'cause I'm going to win!)

to win!

400 Word Report Due When?

I love kids!  Really I do.  It's the weird little things in your world they do that drive me batty!  Take the recent Sharpie and vacuum incidents (only two among many, ask my mom or KT).  LOL  Where you just have to swallow whatever was just dying to come out of your mouth from the utter depths of your parenting gland (inherited from your parents and activated when you hear your mother's words come out of your mouth the first time), put your big girl panties on and just deal with whatever's happened or been said by your kids.

So, last night I wore the yellow pair!  LOL  I'm baking brownies, cookies and muffins...making sloppy joe's, nachos, and hot dogs, buying supplies and helping plan concessions for a 4 team basketball tournament S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y morning.  A college child psychology major is coming to our house to use our Middlest as a guinea pig for his classes today, laundry just won't stop no matter how many times I ask it to. 

My to do list is as long as...well...it's long.

So, soccer dude supreme springs "I think there's a 400 page report due tomorrow.  At least, that's what everybody's telling me.  I didn't know anything about it."

I think somebody's bubblegum stuck to my chin when I went to pick it up off the pavement.

"400 pages?"

(here's where the trick about exaggeration he learned from someone cute, cuddly and the other parent comes in)

"Well, maybe only 400 words."

This is supposed to make it all better?????

The car slams into drive and I take him back to school because he says he has no papers or information on what, where, who, when and why.  I make him go back to his science teacher and ask for this.  Meanwhile, a recovering from a heart attack mom starts to look through his folder and notices material related...then the actual assignment sheet.

Sheesh.

He's know about this for a week.  A week people!  So, out comes my mother's voice from my mouth about the usual being a kid gone wrong stuff...laziness, lack of responsibility, procratination...you know the drill.

Back to the library.

A stack of books later.

No Xbox.

Period.

'Til the paper is done.

No.

Yes.  I'm for real.

No.

I'm really not kidding.

No.

No matter how much you've worked on it (ahem....very little).

No.  Not until it's done.

Period.

More later because I like to sit in on the child psychology kid's questions for his class...and the answers my children give them.  I really laugh so hard at some of them.  Like "Do you think a free press is good or bad for a dictatorship?"  "Where do you think marbles come from?"  "Is spaghetti a vegetable or fruit? and how do you feel about it not being either one?" me...spaghetti's not a fruit? 

Bean has also has these question and answer sessions because the student needs kids of all ages.

"What does the free market system contribute to an economy?"

Bean "I don't know what that is." (secretly thinking about his Legos)

"Why do melons have different colors?"

Bean "They do?" (secretly thinking about Gameboy games)

"What does this blob of ink look like to you?"

Bean "A dragon eating a teenager who told his mom he had a 400 word report due tomorrow?"

(shaking my head 'cause it only gets better from here, right?)

As Real As It Gets

There is this blog called A Commonplace Life here that so resonates in my soul.  Keeping life (and blogs) real and authentic.  Well, we are nothing if not real!  Real what???  Well, we'll leave that up to you!  LOL

So, here's my reality.  White tube socks.  Lots of bath towels. 

Having two sons old enough to shave.

Captured bugs displayed proudly with Mom's treasures!

Our educational edification lounge...ahem.

and

finger rockets on the mantle...ready ammo for an unsuspecting someone!

Here is what my sweet KTbug gave me last week when we went a visiting.

Scrumptious scraps from projects she knows I love!

http://ktquilts4fun.blogspot.com/

I can't decide if I want to use the strips in my string quilt...or make a little something different?  The scraps from her fall table quilt and her beautifully made jacket have already been used to make a pincushion for my STUD (Swap 'Til You Drop) bud, Cyndi.

Speaking of which, this is what's getting mailed out Friday

to her.  The card is made from kids in a county school's Special Ed class with all proceeds going right back into benefitting the kids.  They make the most incredible hand made crafts!  I picked fabric from my stash that reminded me of the mountains...earthy colors and the pumpkin farmer was just too dang cute not to picke up and send on an adventure!  Note the fabrics on the pincushion! 

Thank you all for your kind words about the back of the quilt.  I'm sending it as is after your encouragement.  Thanks because it really meant a lot to have all your input!

Some goodies headed for Jenn.  Her quilt, the "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" quilt for Jellybean's baby dolls, cute little mittens that I sewed butterflies on.  A "Sweet Friend" cupcake stamp and another card the Special Ed class kids made.  I buy them in bulk because they're so cute and it's really such a good cause.

In between cleaning up toy parts and pieces on the floor, drying out my vacuum, putting laundry away and planning concessions for a basketball jamboree this weekend (around 360 people! yikes!)...I have managed to take pictures of my new quilt top.  I'm sort of on a fabric buying freeze.  So, I'll be piecing a border for this one out of the same fabrics.  I did buy some fabric this weekend at a shop hop, but it's because I won't be at these places again for a long time, and um...well, they were right there...and um...well...they were such good prices...!  LOL

I fell of the wagon, folks!  Not bad.  Quite a pleasant little bump when I hit the ground.  LOL

Not to mention my mom is an enabler!  I'll tell you why tomorrow!

I

Off to the library!

Ah, Baby It's A New Day!

Another day of possibilities!  Quilting.  Baking.  Laundry.  School.  Basketball.  Luvin'.  Family comin'.  Lunch with hubby pumpkin.

I have been blessed with three wonderful women who are playing Pay It Forward with me!  KT, I know very well.  And still like, I might add!  LOL

Corrinea and Leslie are new friends I'm excited about getting to know better!

This is going to be so much fun!  Thanks ladies!

Bean and I wanted to share with you some of the other candidates for stash guard from this weekend's interview.  Turk from Tarzan rode shotgun on the way to the interview with Tarzan.  Apparently, the leopard was stalking them all the way here and as soon as Tarzan wasn't looking, went in for the kill.  One less candidate and a huge stain on the floor.

Rexy brought a stunt double.

Jar Jar Binks showed up along with the robot from the "Lost in Space" movie.  They were over at the Mos Eisley Cantina and heard there might be work.

The stuffed leopard was very cute, but after seeing the carnage the other leopard was capable of, my stomach was a little queasy and I was having a hard time believing this cute, cuddly pile of fluff with such a sweet little ribbon could be so mean.  But he ate Ice Batman when no one was looking.  No stain, but lots of pieces on the floor!

The other two Batmen were washouts.  One chickened out when Rexy roared and the other one saw the Bat signal on the ceiling and had to leave for another gig.  Something about saving Gotham?

This is Rexy on the job!  Lego Vikings (and their white shark sidekick) raided the stash pile.  Their king is in Rexy's mouth about to become a dinosaur entree and the one in his hand is praying for all he's worth to Odin!  You can see their pals got the idea and are running as fast as they can to escape the jaws of death!

Whew!

Bean decided to decorate his mini pumpkin from church with a Sharpie.  Don't you just love those things in the hands of kids!  I mean, really.  What a neat idea to be able to color anything and everywhere with a marker that's black...and permanent!  Brilliant!

Although, Bean will get to continue breathing after leaving marks on the table and writing diagonal lines on his shirt because of this

Middlest, however, is still on slave duty for trying to turn my regular house sweeper into a wet vac.  Did you know that a regular house sweeper does not like to sweep up the cat's water that was poured on the floor to experiment with?  LOL 

You have to laugh, or you will cry!

Hoping to sew today.  Behind Bean's guilt...er...love offering is a quilt top I'm working on.  I'll share pictures as the week goes by.

Is it Friday yet?

Jam Packed with Tons of Fun Stuff!

Wow!  So much happening right now that's fun and fabulous!  Sewtakeahike is having a giveaway on her blog to celebrate her machine being fixed.  You can find her at

http://sewtakeahike.typepad.com/sewtakeahike/2009/10/the-landing.html

For a chance to win these (only one possible pile of potential!) too cute and fun fabrics!

Make sure you let her know you stopped by!

Also, Brown Paper Packages is having a giveaway to celebrate her 100th post!  Quite a milestone!

You can go here

http://sugarnspicecreations.blogspot.com/2009/10/100th-post-quilt-and-giveaway.html

for a chance to win

such delights!  Oh my...wouldn't this be fun!

Again...if I win, I would share!  LOL

Last week, I was fortunate enough to be one of the first three to leave a comment on Rene Creates to play Pay It Forward with her.  She has 365 days to to make a little something for those first three people who comment and commit to also Pay It Forward.  I will make something fun for the first three people to let me know they want to play along.  You must have a blog and agree to also play Pay It Forward with three other people.  I will have 365 days to make something from my heart to your home. 

So...won't you play with me and while our little corners of the world are brightened by the creativity of those we're receiving little bits of fun from...we can Pay If Forward and help brighten someone else's corner too!

Saturday Stash Guard!

Last week I shared a giveaway from Sew Fantastic.  Remember these little guys?

She uses her little critters as "stash gurads" to guard her precious stash of fabric.  Well, I didn't win the gift certificate which would have allowed me to purchase one or two to protect my own favorite pile of precious and priceless fabric.

So...I went out and hired my own!

This is Rexy!  Out of all the toys in the toy box, he's the one still walking tall with all his body parts still attached and the battery that makes him walk across the floor and roar is an Energizer!

Rexy previously was a lead character in the "Jurassic Park" movie trilogy and understands the need for strict security on a set.

You might have seen a digitalized version of him in the "Toy Story" movies.  Rexy wants you to know that playing the submissive T-rex was a hard gig for him because he's really quite violent and vicious when situations call for it.

He also auditioned for the "Night at the Museum" movie, but they wanted him to do so au natural, and he's not that kind of dinosaur.

I asked Rexy to roar in front of the Lego Stormtroopers, tough dudes one and all for all that they're clones, and he willingly obliged.

Not a one was standing when Rexy was finished.  Even Batman, also interviewing that day, suddenly remembered that the Batmobile needed a wash and wax.

So, welcome Rexy to the team!

He's working for cheap.  Scraps really.

When offered his choice from the selvage bin, he chose Kaffe Fassett.

He'll be sleeping in the den, with the dog...who doesn't do fabric security btw. Just cuteness.

I'll let you know how he works out!

Happy Saturday!

A Passel of Giveaways!

Thanks all for the "get better soon" wishes.  It's working.  I think.  Headachey, but I keep telling myself it's not really anything, then I stand up and "whoomwhoosh" goes the room!  LOL  Kinda fun if you liked that kind of stuff.  The dog's getting a kick out of it!

Down to business.  I'm going to add to the post as the day goes along.  Well, that's my plan anyway.

True Up is having an incredible giveaway of 10, yummy, half-yard cuts (yup, read it again...10) of a line called "My Favorite".

Sew...head on over for a chance to win!

http://www.trueup.net/?p=6712

"Button.  Button.  Who's got the button?"

A Fish in the Water is having a buttonlicious giveaway.

http://afishinthewater.blogspot.com/2009/10/too-many-buttons-and-give-away.html

Loot!  I'm not sure which ones she's gifting away...but aren't these lovely.  Buttons and marbles are the coolest toys in the world.  Not the safest, but the coolest!

Giddy for Paisley is giving away one of the darndest, cutest patterns.  KT, you know I'd love this one!  OOPS, maybe I'm not supposed to read through the other comments?  One in there from KT...I think about me?  LOL

http://giddy4paisley.blogspot.com/2009/10/sweet-tweet-giveaway.html

Sew, check this blogs out for chances to win fun fabric and fooferall.

Chapter one of the blog done.

Check back later for chapter two!

Chapter Two

Wherein I Present My Lame Friday Finish and Share Some Soccer Photos

Floors mopped-check

Dishes started-check

Laundry load one folded, load two in the dryer, load three in the wash-check, check, check

One kid home showered and doing schoolwork-check

'Nother kid home showering and enjoying a day off from classes being cancelled-check

This is my Friday Finish.  Amy hosts a weekly "kick yerself in the pants and get something done" motivational button...it's on the side under "Sew and Tell Fridays".  There is a talented group of women who participate and each week they wow me with what they have managed to accomplish above and beyond surviving the week.

Check it out and make sure to visit these ladies and let them know you visited!

Mine is a bit of a disappointment.  Well, half of a disappointment.  .5 of a disappointment.

I really like the front of my STUD (you should've seen the look on hubby buns face when he heard KT and I discussing this!).

Not much changed since the last picture, but I added the small, white binding.  I had a hard time finding a fabric that didn't take away from the busyness of the quilt itself and so settled on white.  I quilted Tuesday and Wednesday and put the binding on last night.

It's just a swirly, stipple quilting pattern.  Hubby dove calls this one "Aztec" and wonders why I'm only making quilts and things to give away...he wants to keep them all for us!  Wah ha ha!

Here's the problem:

Wonky.  Big time wonky on the back.  When I pin basted the blasted thing, it was perfectly straight.  When I flipped the sucker over to add the binding...wonkiness supreme.  The quilt is supposed to go out November 1st.  Would you send it as is?  Email my swap bud with pictures and offer to do another one for her?  Take all your savings, hubby (maybe kids if they're not fussin') snookums and fly to Tahiti and pretend the rest of the world doesn't exist?

help!  please!

So glad we're done with this:

and this

but so happy to have spent time with

the cutest keeper in the world!

History of Quilts

I have done nothing today but lay in bed.

I now know what Bean was talking about when he said his head hurt.

If this is part of the Swine Flu, shoot me now.

Not really.

Came across some interesting historical facts about quilts and wanted to share them with you.

•The earliest known quilt is carved on an ivory figure of a Pharoh of the Egyptian First Dynasty about 3400 BC

•The oldest surviving example of patchwork is a quilted Egyptian Canopy used by the queen for festive occasions in 980 BC. It now resides in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo

•In 1924 archaeologists discovered a quilted floor covering in Mongolia dating back from first century BC to the second century AD

•As early as the 1300's, Mali warriors wore quilted suits of armor for protection in battle

•In the Sudan, full quilted garments for both warriors and their horses were worn as protective armor in battle

•Until the end of the 19th century, the Fulani calvary wore quilted cloaks (sometime decorated in patchwork) for warmth or ceremonial occasions. They would have been too cumbersome in battle. Under the cloaks, heavy quilted armor (made in several pieces to protect different parts of the body) was worn. These were worn over metal body armour or chainmail.

•Between 1325 AD and 1521 AD, both the Aztecs and Mayans wore quilted cotton body armor (ichcahuipilli) that could withstand a direct arrow impact. The Spaniards were so impressed that they adopted it for their use as well.

•The Smithsonian Institution indicated in its 1989 News Service publication that researchers believe the technique of applique originated in West Africa

•Chikankari (very intricate shadow-work embroidery) in India dates back to the 3rd century BC

•Batik originated in India and can be traced back as far as 2000 years

•India has been renown for its printed and dyed cotton cloth since the 12th century

•India first began trading palampores (printed cotton fabric unglazed chintz) to Europe via Portuguese traders around 1498 early exports to England (occurring a century later) included whole cloths of palampores already quilted to be used as padded coverlets

•Quilting was brought to Europe from the Middle East by Crusaders in the 11th century
 

A quilt (don't even ask where I stole this from, 'cause the brain ain't workin') that beautifully captures Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss".

TTFN

In the Mail, Two Giveaways and Encouragement!

First order of business for the day is to let Joan know her JP is on the way!  Randi over at I Have To Say stocks an incredible Etsy store with all kinds of delicious and scrumptious eye candy for your consumption.  She is a real sweetheart and I highly recommend her for your online fabric needs!  When you read her profile, you'll walk away encouraged and impressed by all that she manages to get done in her day!

You can find her at

http://ihavetosay.typepad.com/randi/

Secondly, Quilt Dad is having a giveaway and today is the last day to sign up.

Visit him here

http://www.quiltdad.com/

for a chance to win a sweet and lovely pillow

and some awesomely cool puppets

This blog, and some other things, has encouraged me to teach the boys to sew.  They've shown interest, and my traditional upbringing is being overthrown by the tiny rebel that lives inside!  I'll share as we go along what the boyos come up with!

Thirdly, Jen over at Little Scraps of Happiness is having a super sweet giveaway.

http://littlescrapsofhappiness.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-about-giveaway.html

She has the cutest little girls and her blog is so much fun to read.  So, head on over for a chance to win and meet a new friend!

Fourthly,

we went to an incredible concert last night by Michael Card.  A Christian recording artist we've liked ever since hubby pumpkin and I started dating.  He spoke of the meaning of the word Master in the time of Christ.  It literally meant "one who owns" and how black slaves who were Christians during that dark time of history in the US took up the title for the Lord as a way of letting themselves (and their human owners) know exactly Who owned them.

The NT is full of references of believers being slaves to Christ.  A Biblical imagery of slavery as a metaphor for Christian discipleship.  Because when we who call ourselves Christians really think about it...get past our 21st century, Western thinking...He really does "own" us.  He bought and paid for us.  And He understood what it meant to be a slave as the Suffering Servant Savior.

To the point of exhaustion.  To the point of exasperation.  Total frustration.  Emotionally and physically draining Himself for those He love and loved Him...and even for those He loved, but didn't love Him.

I know, as a mom-daughter-friend-wife-sister-stranger to those around me exactly how He felt back then, and how He must feel now sometimes.  We are consistently pushed to the brink of our last breath.  The last handhold on our rope.  We are toe edged on the brink of walking away from it all...

but we don't.  And we won't because the same thing that held Him to the Cross when He could have simply stepped down and walked away, holds us to this life and the people we share it with.

Love.

Not the soap opera kind of love.  Not the "Oh, I just love your new sweater!" kind of love.

But a commitment to the very best for those around me no matter what the personal cost is to me.  And that is very hard to do friends.  Very hard.  Especially when we feel isolated and alone (alone as you can be with a house full of kids), neglected, forgotten and taken advantage of.

Aren't these things He felt too.  That He "chained" Himself to...not for His sake, but ours?

The early believers understood personal slavery as a way of understanding Christ.  Paul, Peter, Jude and James boasted about this form of existence.  Something I think we forget, I know I forget, is that we are all slaves.  To something.  The question we must ask ourselves is who or what we are we willing to choose as our Master?

The world?  Our careers?  Ourselves? 

A sister and I talked off and on yesterday.  I had no words of encouragment other than "It will be okay."  Which I know, it won't be.  Not much ever gets better, but our attitudes about situations can change and things end up regaining their balance and Life goes on.  Struggles are chances for us to shake off a little more of "us" and put on a little more of Him.  It's hard.  And depressing.  And frustrating, exhausting, maddening and enraging.

But, so very worth it if you call the One Who suffered willingly, lovingly, completely, and totally "Master".  So, pull up your bootstraps sisters and brothers.  The road is rocky and muddy in spots.  But it's one we've been called to walk.  And one that was walked for us.  For Love, because of Love.

Hang in there.  It really won't get better, but you will.  Better at understanding Who Christ is, was, and will be.  The Savior Who took on the form of a slave so that all we suffer here does have purpose, meaning and hope.

blessings...

We Have a Winner!

Joan...you are so smart for thinking to think like a man!  His thought was "radioactive".  I also told him Rene's guess of "Quilting can be hazardous to your health"...but I said this very, very, very quietly, 'cause I don't want him getting any ideas and thinking I shouldn't.  LOL

So Joan, baby doll! Middlest and I are off on a quest tomorrow to the quilt store for some scrumptious Jennifer Paganelli.  If you email your address to mayhem5@softhome.net, I will make sure some of whatever confectionary, delicious delight we find from her finds it way to your house!

Thanks to all for playing along...I love it when spontanaity strikes and doesn't get me into too much trouble (like it usually does!).

A taste of what yesterday's adventure led me to do.  I went beyond the pattern (hmmm...I do that a lot, don't I?) and added a twist to the hexagons with another strip of fabric that extends out over edge of the bottom of the adjacent triangle.  Then I'm joining them them with a Y-seam.  The pattern had you do half hexes joined in rows.  The extra strip doesn't allow this, so I was off to Googleland for a tutorial on joining seams this way.  Still a bit glitchy and not quite there yet, but I love learning new things!

I like the blends.  Some Heather Bailey, Kaffe Fassett, Wal Mart (lol) and Flea Market Fancy all mixed together.  I sure hope the designer stuff doesn't mind slumming with the Wally World fabric, and I for sure hope the Wally World fabric doesn't get uppity for being in such prestigious company!

In other news, Bean and I were sidelined by something sinister today.  He woke with a low grade temp, cough, and headache.  Me, I had the headache.  I love cold and flu season!  Not!  LOL

A few doses of mommy's healthful elixer for what ails you (aka Motrin and Robitussin) and he was good as new.  No temp the rest of the day and enough energy for me to threaten to send him to his room.  Yikes!  So, it's off to school for him in the morning and a road trip for homeschool!  I'm going to look at it as educationally edifying in that Mom won't go insane because she hasn't had a trip for a long time!

KT...I'm headed to the phone right now to see if you and the posse want to go too!

Thanks guys.  You're the best!

Almost Peed My Pants Giveaway!

I wasn't going to post tonight...but hubby love almost made me pee my pants and I'm holding off a trip to the loo just to get this down so I don't get busy tomorrow and forget.

I have about a gazillion wip's (much to my dismay and delight!) going at any given time.  Plus all the things hamsterwheeling around in my head that keep me awake at night wanting to come out and play.

So, to make a short story long...hubby snookums made template copies today for me to work on a new quilt block.  It's another scrappy variation of a quilt named "Dance With Me" by Marcia Evans Moore.  You can take a look here:

http://www.freespiritfabric.com/graphic-elements/gallerys/t191_1.pdf

Can you guess the name he gave the quilt?  If you can, I will give you something.  I'm not sure what.  Maybe some chocolate.  A Snickers through the mail?  A really cute fat quarter.  I'll figure something out.  Leave me a comment and I will have hubby cupcake draw a name.  Whatever you win, it will be fun!  Another entry for thinking of something I can give as a prize (nothing too shee shee foo foo or expensive) that we can mull over and check with the budget on!  LOL

This should be fun!  Night all!

Giveaway Saturday!

Amber from One Shabby Chick is leaving open entries for a giveaway of a 10"x30" piece of this

to one lucky winner.  This so reminds me of a field trip to Chicago's Museum of Natural History and the King Tut exhibit that was there at the time.  So hustle on over to

http://oneshabbychick.typepad.com/one_shabby_chick/2009/10/this-is-a-good-one.html#comment-6a00e3981dad5f88330120a646bebe970c

and enter to win!

I am not so young anymore!  LOL 

Last night, hubby dearest and I went to a dinner in our state's capitol.  Did you know eyeliner dries up if it's not been used in two years?  That Q-tips make good eyeshadow applicators when you can't find the real thing?  How happy I am we bought a coin necklace from the Atocha that went perfectly with the new gray sweater I bought.  That I could wear nice, warm pants and not a skirt because we lost our car's parking garage...they really should give you GPS for your car when you park! and had to walk around looking for the right garage and the right entrance.  LOL

On a side note...do you help people that you're not sure if they're trying to scam you or not?  A man, nicely dressed, in apparent distress, approached us for $17.11 to pay the rest of a $40 tow bill for his car with a flat tire.  He had his driver's license and seemed sincere.  There was an open bar at the dinner we were at and we had exactly $17.00 from buying one soda with the meal.  So...we gave it to him.

We figure if he's sincere or not is between him and God.  We were given the opportunity to help and answered the call.  I hope he's all right wherever he is.

Beautiful day here.  Below freezing, but the colors are gorgeous!

Happy weekend!

Sew & Tell Friday Finishes!

Or, finish...for me at least.  It's Sew & Tell Friday.  Click on the button on the side for a peek at what we've all been doing this week!

After my hugely satisfied (read OMGolly, I can't believe I pulled it off!) day finishing this:

I was a little hesitant to try my luck again, and on a smaller project.

You can read about my adventure with the 25% reduction (the paper, not me, darn it!)

on Wednesday of this week's post.

No lightening bolts for irreverance.

For which, I'm eternally thankful.

I've been working on my STUD quilt ever since Tuesday night.

It's definitely easier to do the inner arc without string piecing it.  Fussy cutting the center wasn't as hard as I though it might be.  So, I decided to try the corners that way too.  I like the overall effect.  I mentioned I thought of Sue Ross's BOM #1 seen here as beautifully crafted by Cathy of Cabbage Quilts.

I also like Kaffe Fassett fabrics (also used in the block above) and this block reminds me of his color schemes and the movement his fabric has visually.

What do you all think?

It's roughly 13"x13", so it falls within the 15" parameter the administrator of the group set.  I alternated the inner arc fabric with the outer arc, shadowing the fabric.  The points are all from the 2" strips in the jelly roll.  I'm pretty sure I'll use the center fabric for the binding and piece the back.  Just not sure how.

Also this week, we finished up soccer season!  I'll post pictures once I figure out why the ones I downloaded from the camera aren't where they should be?  Head scratch here.

Have the best of weekends and I hope the sun is shining no matter where you are, even if it's only in your heart!

Holey Moley Batman, two giveaways in one blog?

Corrie and Des over at Taffy Talk are having a very woodsy giveaway today, with the winner drawn tonight.

http://quilttaffy.blogspot.com/2009/10/hedge-your-bets-giveaway.html

So, quietly tip toe over to their blog and take a hushed look in awe of all the lovely fabrics they have!

Even if I don't win (and I'm really happy with my sandwich!), the thought of any of you opening your mailbox to find this

just tickles me pink!

Another giveaway I need to let you in on is the one going on over at Sew Fantastic

http://sew-fantastic.blogspot.com/

for a chance to win stash guards and help a young, smart business woman earn money for college!

Follow the prompts for chances to win!

More on paper foundation piecing later, but wanted you to have an early bird chance at the win!

I'm back.

Two words for you...heated seats.  Heated seats in the cold on a wet morning...are the bomb!  One little click of a switch and your buns are warm in minutes!  Cool!  Er...warm.  Wonderful.  Whoever invented heated car seats (bottom and back) needs the Nobel Peace Prize!  Really.  They do.

Today, I'm 60.  60 posts that is.  I know, I know...I look younger than I am, but "Happy Postday" to me!

Now onto paper foundation piecing.  Wah haha.  Please note I am by no means an expert or guru here, just sharing in my own words how I get it to work for me.  There are lots of great Youtube tutorials for learning how to paper piece.  I know they're much better at teaching than I am at showing how I do it.  I apologize for the dark pictures, but we're on day 1,000 it seems of wet, cold, yucky weather with no sunlight.

This block is from Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting, the November/December '09 issue.  The name of the designer of this block is Toby Lischko and her quilt is named "Isabella".  You can find the quilt on page 90.

This is what the pattern looks like.  Harmless.  Safe.  Easy! I use tracing paper to make copies of the pattern.  Each portion of the pattern is numbered to show you the order in which the fabric is sewn onto the paper.

Each triangle is numbered.  The pointed towards the top triangles are your main fabrics (points).  The pointed towards the bottoom are the background fabric.  As usual, there is a 1/4 inch seam allowance given with a dotted line on the inner and outer part of the arc.  The lines between the triangles are dotted and these are what you straight stitch.  Pretend for the sake of this post that the copier boy really didn't place the magazine incorrectly and the solid line on the right continues all the way around the arc.  This solid line is what you eventually trim your paper to.

I rotary cut a strip that is a little bit larger than the triangle and make sure there's at least 1/4" seam allowance over the triangle shape.

I lay this wrong side of the fabric on the printed side of the paper over the traingle labeled #1.  I work with a small table lamp close by and I hold the paper up to the light to make sure my fabric is situated as described.  If I don't feel comfortable sewing the fabric in place unsecured, I can use a pin to secure the fabric to the paper.

This is how it should look with a light source behind.  I cut generously, as you can see!

Now,

I cut a piece of fabric (on this pattern, it's the background-triangle point down) big enough to cover the triangle labeled #2 keeping in mind to allow a 1/4" seam allowance.  I put this piece right sides together on top of the fabric for the triangle labeled #1.  Making sure, using the lightsource, that at least 1/4" of this fabric extends into the triangle labeled #2.

I carefully turn my paper over so that the unprinted side is up.  (On this block, it's okay to work from the printed side up, but on some blocks, working on the unprinted side is required to get the right direction for the block) 

I sew a straight stitch along the dotted line between the triangle labeled #1 and the triangle labeled #2.  After I've sewn the seam I usually fold the paper carefully along the seam line and using my straight edged ruler and rotary cutter, trim the seam allowance to 1/4".

I fold the fabric back over the triangle labeled #2 and finger press the seam open.  Some will tell you you can secure this piece with a small dab of glue, but I use pins to keep it from shifting.  Once again, holding the foundation paper up to the light and checking that it's totally covering the triangle labeled #2 with at least 1/4" extra on all sides.  A quick note to make sure the fabric covers the inner and outer solid line of the arcs as well.

Now I take another of the fabrics I've chosen to make the points (triangles facing up, on this pattern, the triangles facing toward the inner arc are the background) and lay it right sides together over the fabric I've just pinned over the triangle labeled #2.  Turning the paper over again, carefully, and stitching on the dotted line between triangles #2 and #3. 

Folding the paper and trimming the excess to 1/4".

I fold the fabric back over the triangle labeled #3 and finger press open and pin in place for accuracy and non-slippage.  Checking with the light source to make sure triangle #3 is totally covered with at least 1/4" extra extending beyond the triangle.

I keep repeating this process until I've attached fabric to the foundation paper's design.

This is where I give a good pressing to what I've sewn onto the paper foundation.  Trimming the edges of the paper along the solid line.  This gives me the 1/4" seam allowance when I sew this piece to the next using the inner, dotted line.

This is what mine looked like when I was finished.  Most of the time, I leave the paper attached and use their lines to connect pieces.  Sometimes, I will tear the paper off as soon as I've trimmed the piece so I can "wiggle" a bit if needed.

I'm a huge Rachmaninoff fan and decided to name my interpretation "Variations on a Theme of Isabella".  I finished my block for the swap last night.  I think it looks rather like a Sue Ross block with a bit of Kaffe color scheme.  Or I'm having delusions of grandeur.  Which is probably more likely.

Thanks for the read.  Any help, hints, tips and criticism (as long as it's nicely put!  LOL) is greatly appreciated.