THE EAGLE HAS LANDED

I have been stitching away on another eagle project. The first project was God Bless America, which you can see by clicking on that link. I decided I wanted to make the same eagle in wool and see how it turned out. I reduced the size and changed it a little, and I love it! In fact, I love it so much that I decided to offer you a little tutorial, as well as the pattern, in case you would like to make one for your own. Make a pillow, or frame it, or whatever you like.
I use Heat n Bond Lite to trace the eagle and the stars. This is optional, but it holds the edges so they don't fray. Don't use too much heat or you will get crispy fried wool, which I have done. The eagle needs his head reversed if you trace it on the paper side of the HnB. (You can use a Sharpie pen and trace on the fusible side, then re-trace to the front for cutting, thus reversing the image). Leave the paper on the back of the cut out eagle, remove paper from the back of the stars and fuse the stars in place. Now remove the paper from the eagle and, using matching gold thread, stitch the stars to the eagle. Embroider U-S-A on the stars in black floss. Do this free hand, or see the directions below for transferring the lettering. Center the eagle on an 11" x 13" piece of black wool. Use your printed pattern to adjust the placement. Fuse and stitch down in red thread. I just use a little whip stitch. To transfer the embroidery design you will need: a Sharpie permanent marker, a chalk pencil, and tulle, or netting, -not the really fine stuff.
Cut an 8" square of tulle. Lay it on the pattern, and with the Sharpie, trace the lettering and the embroidery design. Lay the tulle on the black wool and position the embroidery in place. Trace over the tulle pattern with a chalk marker to transfer the design and lettering onto the wool. The chalk brushes off easily, so transfer a little at a time, embroider over the chalk design, then chalk on more of the pattern. etc.
The chalk doesn't show up too well in the photo, but you get the idea. Don't worry about getting the embroidery or lettering too exact. This is folk art, just have fun with it!
I decided to add fringe to mine. First I sewed a backing fabric on it, and turned the pillow inside out. Leave an opening and stuff it, then stitch it closed. I then hand stitched the fringe around the outside. I have been thinking of other ways I could finish the edge, possibly making wool fringe, or just sew a colored binding on as you would a quilt. Finish yours however you would like! Follow this link for the pattern: SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

I think I am done! At least I am done with the houses. I have them all assembled and now I have the border to do, but I am putting that off for a while so my friends can catch up with me. At least that is my excuse. I really just need to take a break and work on other stuff for a while.

This is the UFO that I am working on. I have had these blocks made for a while and need many more 9-patches to finish the quilt. I love 9-patches. They are totally mindless and always look so cute. I am using scraps and drawing on my stash to build the blocks. If I can weasel in any little homeless piece, I do! I will show more on this as I progress. I am also working up my little eagle in wool, so we shall see how that goes. I am a hands on designer. If I could only create it in my mind and then reproduce it! But no! I have to make part of a design and then let it stew to see what will come next. It is a slow and painful birth! The good news, and the bad news, is that I have no deadline, if you get my drift.
By the way, I just thought I should take a minute to mention that I haven't ever added any blogs that I read on my sidebar. The reason is that I read so many blogs (though not every day) that I am afraid I would leave someone out and I don't want anyone to feel bad. I really enjoy and appreciate all of you! I am a member of the Stash ring, and am connected to all of those quilters through clicking on that. I also have an extensive list on Bloglines that I go to. If you like to cruise blogs and haven't connected to Bloglines, just click on the icon on my sidebar and you can sign up. It is easy! This enables you to list all the blogs that you like to visit. It shows which blogs have updated entries. You can go there and click on your favorite blogs anytime.
Did you get a laugh out of my dog and cat diary post yesterday? Someone sent it to me I got a kick out of it. It really fits those animals, doesn't it? Have a happy day!

DIARY ENTRY FROM YOUR PET

EXCERPTS FROM A DOG'S DIARY:
8:00 am- Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am- A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am- A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am- Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm- Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm- Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm- Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm- Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm- Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm- Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm- Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

EXCERPTS FROM A CAT'S DIARY:
Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.
They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed Hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.
The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.
Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am.
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.
The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now...

ROYALTY IN VIRGINIA

I am a Yankee transplated on southern soil. We have lived here in Virginia for almost seven years. I find the history in this area to be quite facinating. For example, less than a mile down the beach from where we live is the site where the first English ships landed in 1607. This spot is located at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. There are two lighthouses that mark the spot now. The old one is brick and visitors can climb up the narrow stairway to the top and look out. The second is the "new" lighthouse. It was built in around 1887, I believe. I don't think it is operational any more. GPS technology has taken over. But to recall this local history:

Four hundred years ago three ships set sail from London. Four months later they landed here on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Captain John Smith, of the Pocahontas story, was on one of them. Bet you thought that was at Plymouth Rock, didn't you? I know I did, until we moved here. In April of 1607 these ships came in and planted a wooden cross and named the spot Cape Henry, in honor of Henry, the Prince of Wales, elder son of King James I.
The expedition moved on up the bay and found what is now the James River, which took them farther inland. They settled at a spot which they named Jamestown, and it became the first permanent English colony in the new world. That is the history in a nutshell.
Lots more information available at http://www.jamestown1607.org/
This is a year of big celebrations in this area. On April 29th there was a reenactment of the cross being erected at Cape Henry. Jamestown has been rebuilt and preparing for lots of visitors also. In fact, yesterday Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip arrived here in Virginia! They have come to visit Jamestown and see what the big fuss is all about. At 81 years of age, the Queen is so gracious and energetic. I wish the weather was a little more pleasant for her visit. It has been cool and overcast the past two days. She probably gets enough of that back home. I wonder if she was hoping to go to the beach?

Also of historical note is this really cool quilt book, Quilts of Virginia 1607-1899. Not only does it contain lots of historical information about the history in this state, but it has lots of pictures of wonderful old quilts. I love traditional old quilts and could happily work on any number of the quilts that this book contains. For me, all roads lead back to quilts!

LAST HOUSES FINISHED!!!

I am happy to report that the last two houses of my Home Sweet Home quilt are completed! I have enjoyed every minute of it--now comes the border, which, I am afraid, will be long and boring. But I digress...


This block is on the bottom row in the middle. I changed it from the original Blackbird Design's Home Sweet Home pattern. (Click the link and scroll down to see what their actual original quilt looks like). I moved the year to the right side and added a flag. The two blocks are sewn together and the the flag overlaps from one block into the next. As you can see, there are lots of vines and stems in the quilt and they have been made using the Clover Bias Tape Maker. I have come to love this little gizmo. It tucks the edges of the tape under so nicely. I mentioned before that I spray it with starch and press it as it comes out of the tape maker. This gives it a nice sharp edge. I used the bias tape to form my initials and the year and it worked very well. They need to be smaller than the original design. I should have sewn the flag on first and then adapted the tulip and made it bushier, but I am just going to be happy with it the way it is. Once it is quilted I think it will be fine.

This second block may well be my favorite in the whole quilt. I love the design of it with the pieced stars and flowers. In this block I added a bit more yellow to brighten up the quilt. This is actually the center block of the quilt. Aren't those Blackbird ladies great designers?!

HOME AGAIN

I arrived home from Arizona late last night. Now I have to adjust to the three hour time change. Ugh! First thing I did was sleep till 11:00am Eastern time. Second thing was to throw in a load of laundry. and third--well, here I am! Back in blogland! My computer is as slow as I am today. But at least it is working. My son's phone, cable and internet connection was out before I left. He has the Cox package for all three. So if one goes out, they all go out. We have Cox for our cable TV connection and every time it goes out it is because a repairman was working on someone elses installation and disconnected ours! That has happened a dozen times. Next time it happens it will be bye-bye Cox. My son said there was a Cox repair truck working down the street from his house. What do you want to bet...

That darling girl in the photo is my Arizona granddaughter. She is a cutie! Almost 11 years old. The quilt is a log cabin design by Alice Berg that was in American Patchwork and Quilting a few years ago. I enlarged it to fit a queen size bed. It has little stars at the intersections. You would think I would get sick of red, white and blue, but I never seem to. Thanks for all your nice comments on my eagle, by the way. Those of you outside of America probably get sick of seeing "God Bless America", but it seems we need it more and more! Maybe we should come up with a new slogan, like "God Bless Our Patchwork World"! Any suggestions out there?

Along that same international thought, I found my signature blocks here from Cynthia in Australia when I got home. Wow, I can't believe all the countries represented! It is wonderful! Many added their blog address to their block, which I wish I had done. I will have to go through and see who I can find on line. Thanks to everyone who participated and a big thanks to Cynthia for doing all the work!

I suppose I should go now and do #4 on my list today: UNPACK I hate that part.

PVC FRAME QUESTION, etc.

Greetings from Mesa, Arizona, where the weather is sunny and breezy. Just about perfect, in fact! Time is speeding by. I arrived here last Thursday night, April 11. I'll be here for a while visiting my family. Both my sons live here, as well as my sister, aunts and uncles, dozens of cousins, and even my Dad, who moved here last October. I am happy to come here and visit with everyone. There are always projects here for "the sewer in the family". People think that if you know how to work a sewing machine you can do anything that needs to be done in that realm. I am happy to do what I can, but we all know where the real pleasure comes from, right? So I do what I can, and then I have to feed my own addiction! So yes, I brought projects to work on! I finished up my little eagle top. Now I have to quilt him, but he will be ready for the 4th of July or whatever. I also brought a UFO to work on. I am excited to work on it. I will show you that later, after I figure out how to load pictures from their computer. My DIL took my camera to work to load this Eagle photo for me.

I had more time when I first got here, so I have been going through my bloglines to check up on everyone. I still have quite a ways to go to get through, but it is nice to see what everyone is doing. The past few days I have been real busy going to lunch, etc. Oh poor me. I started writing this post several days ago, and can't seem to make it through and get it posted. Draft-edit-draft-edit, etc.

I had a question from a reader the other day who needs advice on loading her quilt on a PVC frame that she just bought and I thought I would pose the question to whomever has had experience with this. Janelle has an adjustable PVC quilt frame that is opened to 34" x 4o" and has a quilt top that measures 60" x 84". She doesn't know how to put the quilt on and get it nice and tight. She has spring type clamps rather than the half pipes. I know very little about this, so I am putting out a call for her. If you have some advice to offer, leave me a comment. I know she will appreciate any help. I am the last person to run an advice column, but I know there are many of you in blogland who have great solutions. Thank you, thank you!

KNOCK-KNOCK

Spring is in the air! Around here there are trees budding and others in full bloom! The sun is shining and happiness abounds! I am even doing some spring cleaning in anticipation of company coming for the weekend. That is my big motivator, anyway. But it feels good to shine things up and wipe away layers of dust. The truth is, I don't know if I got it all or not. My eyes don't notice such minor details anymore. I am a lot more relaxed about that stuff than I used to be. I guess I am good with who I am and past worrying about what people will think. Mostly because I have learned that most people don't really care! It is not that I think I am perfect, or above it all. I am over weight and frumpy. People look at me and feel better about themselves! So in a morose kind of way, I spread good cheer! Wow, I am way off the track...and sounding like Rodney Dangerfield! :)



So, speaking of spring, I finished my house block that has the holly and snowflakes! Seven houses done out of nine. When this quilt is finished I will be searching for a new identity. I have been so wrapped up in it.
On the other hand, I am working on a new project as well. I saw an eagle in an antique quilt in a book and drew up my own interpretation. I added the embroidered banner, etc. A really cute border is in the works.
My 23 month old granddaughter (The pink plumpkin from past post) has discovered knock-knock jokes. Yesterday she said to her mother, "knock, knock". Mom says, "who's there?" Plumpkin says, "Jack, it's time to get out of the shower!" Yes, every day she hears her mother knock on the bathroom door and yell to her brother to get out of the shower. Kids are so hilarious! I love it!
I hope you are all doing well. I haven't been blogging too much lately, in an effort to accomplish something in my life. But I try to run through my Bloglines at least once a week. I enjoy touching base with so many of you and admiring your handiwork. I am always happy to hear from you also. I have noticed some new people coming around, and that is fun too. Wow, my list is growing--no wonder I need a whole week to get through it! Have a happy holiday week celebrating Easter and Passover!

MORE HOUSES

Greeting from sunny south east Virginia, USA! Fabulous weather here! Yesterday my friend Sue and I went to lunch at a place that sits on the water of an inlet just off the Chesapeake Bay. It was so warm and delightful that we sat out on their deck. As you can imagine, they have great sea food around here. We had Greek salads and blackened salmon. We love these outdoor restaurants! You never know when a warm spell will come along, and in fact, we even sat outside one time in January! Hey, we are from Minnesota! That is a big deal! The ice is just starting to break up on the lakes back home!

I have been working on my Home Sweet Home blocks. I get so excited every time I complete a block! Since I last posted I have finished "dressing" these three house. I really am pleased with the way the red berries brighten up the first block! And I love the yellow sunflower! I need to find a way to add a little more yellow to the quilt. I love some of the fabric choices, and others - not so much. Hopefully in the end the total combination will be good. I actually changed the vase fabric in block #3, three times until I was satisfied. I mean I had the vase all prepped to sew down three times. Sue and I were talking about second guessing ourselves yesterday. I guess we all do that. I suppose there are people out there who can make choices without always questioning and re-questioning their decisions. If you are like that, please do NOT comment on my blog! Leave me some sense of normalcy.

I am also in the midst of making more 3 inch 9-patch blocks to finish a UFO. So many of you are making great progress on your UFOs. I offer my congratulations! I hope I can focus in on some of mine also. I wish I had been in a 9-patch exchange for this quilt. There are sooo many 9-patches! I have about 200 left to make. Of course we are going for variety here, so I am digging through scraps and strips. I actually like that part, but it can be rather slow going. It feels good to sit at my machine and sew little pieces together. I feel like all I have been doing lately is applique prep work. That is OK too. But I do love to piece blocks. Wow, the choices I have to make: should I applique or piece today??? I LOVE doing this stuff!

NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRESSION

Just thought I would post a little bit about the progress of my "neighborhood". I mentioned previously that after we had each made a couple blocks, my little group decided it would be a good idea to construct the houses, then proceed with the trimming. We thought, and I agree, that it would help us achieve some balance of color, etc. So here is how my blocks look at this point. Three blocks are completed, and all the houses are constructed. The small house needs windows sewn in place, (they are glued now). Except for the small house, all are sewn to a block base. The two center, lower blocks look odd right now because they have lots of trim to be added to fill all that space. But they are all progressing! Can you see that there are two alternating background fabrics? One is the Blackbird Designs Sampler fabric, which is adorable, but I am second guessing myself and wondering if I should have used the background from their "Nell's Flower Garden" line. Decisions, decisions. Too late now, so I will be happy with this. I am excited to see this quilt moving along (because I have so many others pushing and shoving their way to the front of the line!)

Did you see the meme on Yankee Quilter's blog? It also appears on Quilting Bebbs' blog and Clare's blog. (Dordogne Quilter). Probably others, but those are the ones I have seen. It is a list of 100 books. Go to one of those blogs to see it. I have read 38 books on the list. I am interested in the comments on those that I haven't read to see which ones I should pick up. There were a few I have not heard of. Some really good books on that list! Here are a few of my all time favorites that are not on the list: From Sea to Shining Sea, by James Alexander Thom (and everything else he has written!); These is My Words, by Nancy Turner (and also Sarah's Quilt, a follow-up); Katherine by Anya Seton (I should read that one again!). Also, if you are looking for something uplifting and faith promoting with Easter coming up, try The Robe and/or The Big Fisherman, by Lloyd C. Douglas. Two very old books, but well worth reading (try the library). There are so many good books out there! I get caught up in Vince Flynn, Harlan Coban, Jeffery Deaver, Preston-Childs, and I also love Belva Plain and Maeve Binchy. Talk about variety! Never enough time to do all the things we love. But I try, I really do!

ANTIQUE LOG CABIN QUILT TOP

I have this antique quilt top that I just love. I think it is interesting that each block is so unique. A half-square triangle is placed in the center of each Log Cabin block. According to some of the blocks, it really didn't matter if the HSTs were all the same size or not. The maker just added logs to bring the block to the right size. Also of note is that the logs are not all the same width. Another display of frugality, I imagine. My favorite, however, is the pieced strips. This is especially noticable in the black check. Oh, and look at the strips in photo #2 where the logs were pieced to make them long enough.

This quilt is so fragile. I wish it was quilted, but it's a little late for that! Can you see the strip that has decayed down to the threads? I am no quilt historian, and I can't remember which color was famous for doing that. Was it purple? Does anyone want to hazard a guess as to when this top was constructed?

LOVIN' SPOOLFUL

Remember this quilt from a few months ago? I just got it back from my quilter friend and look what a nice job she did! Thanks Marae!
This is a design from Teri Christopherson, of Black Mountain Quilts. She does darling stuff! She has a very nice web site that shows all her books as well as the quilts in them. This one is from her book Sunflower Patch. Check 'em out! Don't you think every quilter should have a spool quilt for her very own?

Wednesday I got together with my two friends to work on our Home Sweet Home quilts. (The one pictured here is Alma Allen's from Blackbird Designs.) We are all at different stages at this point, but we love to get together and feed off each others energy. Since we met I have been in my sewing room choosing fabrics, etc.
After making a couple blocks, we decided it made more sense to choose all the house fabrics, and then accessorize with the trees, flowers, etc. This way it should be easier to coordinate the detail colors. We learn as we go, right? I am trying to get as much of this completed, or at least prepped, as I can while I have a momentum going.
My friend Joan figured out that it is easier to spray starch the edges and press them in place over the freezer paper templates than to glue them. Cut your template. Press it onto the back of the fabric. Trim to include a seam allowance. Spray the fabric edges and press over the edge of the paper. Remove the paper and give the shape one more press. This works for most shapes, and you don't have to cut the back to pull the paper out. I like it! We are all excited about this quilt! It was so gorgeous to see it in person. I hope some day I can show you MY finished quilt. It takes so much time, but I do enjoy the whole journey!

ATTIC TREASURE

"Moving right along", as Kermit the Frog used to say/sing---isn't it funny how some things stay embedded in your brain?

I completed my little medallion quilt, now named Attic Treasure. I made two, in fact. This is the second, and it made up quicker, since I already had the design and fabrics in mind. With the second quilt I tried using a controlled amount of fabric as if from a kit. I tried not to over-duplicate. In the end, I couldn't help myself--I had to add a few more little pieces, especially around the outside border.

The shop always keeps my quilts on display forever, and so if I want to keep one myself to enjoy, I must make two! Which is not at all that difficult when they are only 18 inches square. I love the look of lots of busy fabrics. I guess you can see that! As always, my quilt contains old and new fabrics mixed. There are a few in there from Windham's Harriet Beecher Stowe collection, and always lots of Judie Rothermels fabrics. I learned a long time ago that I am not the only one who loves to look at quilts and point to fabric pieces that I recognize and perhaps own. Aren't we funny?

LITTLE PINK PLUMPKIN

I don't often post pictures of my family, but I couldn't resist this one. This is my youngest grandchild atop a snow bank at her house in Minnesota. Or Minnesnowta, as they call it this time of year. Doesn't she look like a little pink plumpkin? I love that we can exchange photos so easily by email these days. She will be two years old in May. Look out Patti at Quilting is my Passion and Carol at Brown Quilts (both new grandmothers) these babies don't last nearly as long as we would like.
It wasn't that long ago that my first grandchild was born (pictured in the 2nd photo). She is now almost 18 and a senior in high school. She has been accepted to Brigham Young University and will be on her way in the fall. Does she look old enough to leave home? Was I really that young when I left home for college? It doesn't seem possible. I was a kid when rock and roll was born! Now it is something I do while trying to raise myself out of a chair! Not that I am really complaining. Life has its seasons and I have enjoyed them all and whatever season I am in right now, I am enjoying that too! (I just have to be more careful!)

I thought I would mention a couple of good books that I have read lately, in case anyone out there is interested. I recently finished THE WIDOW OF THE SOUTH. It is a story of a woman in deep depression due to the death of her children. When a general of the Confederacy comes to her door she is told that her home is being taken over as a hospital for the wounded soldiers in her area. It is not her desire to nurse them, but she does what she must, and it becomes a driving force in her life. In the end, she has thousands of soldiers buried in her backyard and she has painstakingly identified and marked each grave. It is a fictional account of a true story. Absolutely amazing.
Another book that I thoroughly enjoyed is PEACE LIKE A RIVER, by Leif Enger. It tells the story of three children being raised by their father in Minnesota during the 1960's. The story is told by the middle child. He describes himself as a witness to miracles that his father seems to perform. The characters in this book are so endearing and well defined. The little sister writes poetry and by the end of the book you are hanging on her every word. This is definitely a book I will read over and over. I read lots of murder mysteries and enjoy them, but a book like this will become a classic in our family library. Let me know if you read these or have read them, and what you think.

HOME WITH LOOT

Previously I mentioned that I would display my Quilt Fest finds. Here is most of it. I found some repros that I had not seen before and could not resist. I also bought the book Prairie Children and Their Quilts and a Lori Smith pattern. I loved the Liberty Homestead booth and got a beautiful "straw" colored hand dyed piece. Also a couple of pieces of wool, etc. The Olde Green Cupboard, from Jacksonville, FL had a booth that was sensational. They bought patterns from me a while back, so we renewed acquaintances.

I finished another house from the HOME SWEET HOME book, so that is coming along amidst everything else.

And now, it is back to the sewing room!

QUILT FEST CATS

For all you cat lovers out there, I wish you could have seen the beautiful display of quilts at the show featuring cats, made by Ann Fahl. She should do a line of greeting cards or something. They are so adorable! (I added her name to the quilts for my album).
I don't have much to report, except that Quilt Fest is over for another year. Now it is time to get busy and put all that wonderful fabric to work! Maybe I will show you a glimpse of that tomorrow.

MID-ATLANTIC QUILT FEST

Did anyone notice that I used Fiona’s blog title, Scraps in Progress, as the title of my last post? I realized it when I was visiting her blog. Just goes to show that I never have an original thought. Thanks for sharing, Fiona!
I finished the second round on my little quilt the other day. Ain’t it purdy? I am working on a second one like it so that I can give the shop accurate kitting instructions. I love using up all my little pieces, but people love to buy kits. I can understand that.
This is as big as it is going to get. It is another Patchalittle Project. It is 16 inches square. Big enough to put a lamp on, or a plant, etc. All the cute patches show around the edges. I played with the idea of a plain border on the outside, but decided against it. Easy enough to add if anyone chooses to do so.
My friends and I went to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton yesterday. It is a Mancuso Brothers event. It was previously held in Williamsburg, VA, but starting last year, it was moved to the coliseum in Hampton. It is much more spacious. I think it is the best show I have been to since I moved here from Seattle 6-1/2 years ago. I have gone to this event for the past 6 years and the quilts shown have always been quite artsy. Not my taste. This year there was a nice mix. There were some outstanding traditional quilts with fabulous hand quilting. I will share a few over the next few days. I know there were others in our blog ring that attended, so I am anxious to see what impressed them and what they show on their blogs. The vendors were great, of course. I found a huge roll of shirtings that I had to buy. I didn’t recognize any of them! I love shirtings and find that quilt shows are the best place to get a good variety.
Now that I have discussed how much I love traditional quilts, the quilt pictured is far from traditional. Look closely. They are all little stuffed goldfish. It is called Synchronized Swimming, and the creator is Kathy York from Austin, TX. I think she really had a good time making this. It is a riot! I was so busy looking at the fish that I didn’t notice, until I put the picture on my computer, that the background fabric is dyed with the rings appearing to be little waves in the water. Very clever! Very, very fun day! More later!

SCRAPS IN PROGRESS

I have a new small project in progress. This is the center. It will be a small medallion quilt without a pieced center. The fabric center is six inches. Actually at this point it is the size of a block. The fabric in the center is from a recent Jo Morton line and I think it lends itself to this type of focus. It is like old fashioned elegance. Then add lots of wonderful reproduction scraps and I can hardly keep from drooling all over it. The LQS loves my projects, but hates kitting them. Guess why? Too many fabrics--it drives them nuts! I just counted 21 different fabrics in this piece. I LOVE playing with my scraps! Tune in again for the next installation. I have to get to the sewing room and create!

HOME SWEET HOME IN PROGRESS

As usual, I keep jumping around on projects. Anyone out there identify? I am almost done with the signature blocks! yay! I can't mail them Monday, because it is President's Day and there is no mail service. But Tuesday for sure, they will be off to Cynthia in Australia. Bless her heart for taking this on! All the sorting and shipping for 40 of us quilt bloggers-we appreciate it Cynthia!

I have been working on the Home Sweet Home quilt with my friends. I have two blocks done. This quilt is so much fun that it is an effort to force myself to do other stuff. I am not an accomplished appliquer, but I do enjoy it, and hopefully, after this is quilted, I will have a quilt that I am happy with. It all takes time: choosing fabrics, preparing the pieces, etc. We all must love the process or we would just buy something pre-made. Right? I do love the process. I love to dig through my stash looking for the piece of fabric that is just right. Sometimes it takes a while, and I change my mind a couple of times before I am satified. I love being able to machine stitch the bigger pieces and then hand stitch the smaller pieces. I am using the method of machine applique that the Blackbird Design girls taught us, and I know Barbara Brackman and others teach it as well. But for the smaller or trickier pieces I am happy to use a needle and thread. There is satifaction in using a needle and thread that you don't get from a machine. And I say that while having great love for my sewing machine. In fact, I would be lost without my sewing machine! But handwork is a whole 'nother love.

Also pictured is my friend Sue, and the beautiful bird she just finished from the BBD book, Birds of a Feather. Take a close up look of how she placed the bird fabric so the eye is in the right place. Then she added a teeny-tiny piping around the block as a frame. Really nicely done!

Well, I am off to see what today holds. Hopefully I will get some sewing in!

CIVIL WAR BLOCK EXCHANGE

It seems that I haven't posted any actual quilts for a while, so I thought I would share two that I made a couple years ago from a block exchange. I can't remember how many of us were involved, but we had a nice sized group here locally that I swapped with. The rules were that we use quilt shop quality fabric that was a 19th Century reproduction. This was the first such project I was ever involved in and it is responsible for my head over heels attraction to the Civil War fabrics. It is amazing how many truly ugly fabrics it takes to make a fabulous quilt. The blocks in this quilt are six inch finished. We traded the HSTs and some geese for this project also. When we all got together to exchange blocks, it was a riot! The squeals of delight as we pored over our new stash! So many cool fabrics that I had never seen before. Our local shop here in V.B. (What's Your Stitch) has great repros, but I was amazed at the variety from other sources as well.
We did several block exchanges before I dropped out from exhaustion. I have a couple other quilts in stages of incompletion that I would love to finish this year. That sounds like such a "glass half empty" comment. I should say that I have a couple quilts that I have made quite a bit of progress on. Yes. Much better. I WILL get them out and finish them this year!
The other quilt that I finished from this group exchange is the Lady of the Lake quilt. I loved this one so much that I made extra blocks and I hand quilted it. Hand quilting is something I rarely do on large projects anymore. I love the look of it, but I am slow and I am afraid if I start something big I may never complete it. Between the achy eyes and the achy hands...it slows you down! But this quilt demanded that I hand quilt it, and I am so glad that I did. Again, you can see some strange fabric in this quilt. It is funny, but everyone loves the lime green block at the bottom. It is a weird one. What do you think? Can you pick a favorite block?

OLD CROW SAMPLER

I finished this cute little Blackbird Designs project called Old Crow Sampler and framed it this past weekend. I happened to find a frame at Michael's that worked great! He turned out pretty cute, didn't he? Even my husband likes him! He is from the book Fresh From the Garden; published in 2000. I bought it recently when the BB girls were in town. It was suggested in the book that the alphabet could be done free hand, and so I gave it a try and it turned out great. It actually wasn't difficult. I think the material that I used was helpful because the threads were large and I could actually follow the weave somewhat.

Yesterday two of my friends came over and we had an all day workshop playing with fabric. We are planning to make the Blackbird Designs quilt Home Sweet Home. We are hoping that if we work on it together we will keep each other motivated. Plus, it is fun to do projects with friends. We select fabric together and share tips and opinions and ideas, etc. We all picked our fabric for our first block. I worked on mine last night and am getting excited about the whole project. This whole applique thing is a new venue for me, and I am enjoying it.

My sewing room actually was presentable for my company yesterday. It really helps so much to have shelves and storage convenient for knowing where to put things away. I have never had that before this year! Isn't that nuts? I am so thrilled with it! My fabric is sorted by color, mostly. Wow, what a concept! Organization--it really works!

I haven't been spending as much time blog hopping as I did before Christmas. I try to catch up a little every day. But I need to focus on my projects too, so please forgive me if you don't hear from me quite so often. I will stop by your blog when I get a chance. I really enjoy the blogs, but it sure can soak up time so that nothing else gets done. I am striving for balance. Is that possible?

HAPPY GROUNDHOGS DAY!

Lemon Chambers: Born 27 August 1869, Died 20 November 1916- Great-grampa Lemon (seriously)was a local merchant of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, who ran a billiard hall. Notice the cigar in his hand. He had a pet crow, or raven, that would sit on his shoulder and actually spoke a few words. He must have been quite the character in that little town.
Of course everyone in our family remembers that today is GROUNDHOG'S DAY! Our family has been celebrating this day, literally, for generations. Long before Bill Murray made it so famous with his hilarious movie. My great-grandfather, Lemon Chambers, was one of the original founders of Groundhog's Day in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. It has changed a bit over the years. According to my grandfather, in the old days they had tables in the park loaded with groundhogs that they roasted for everyone to eat. Not exactly the way Walt Disney might portray the event. These days we look to the TV to return us to Punxy and watch the locals who are watching the groundhog, to prognosticate the weather. Will we have six more weeks of winter? It is all determined by whether the groundhog sees his shadow. I don't know about Punxy, but if their weather is like ours in Virginia, there will be no shadow today! Will we have six weeks more of winter or not? My guess is "yes"! I wonder if the groundhog knows about global warming? I wonder if most of the country knows about global warming? Everyone has been experiencing winter storms. Happy Groundhog's Day folks, where ever you are celebrating! (Our friends over seas must think we are nuts! Well,if Bill Murray is any indication...)

STILL PATCHING-A-LITTLE

Just thought I would post a picture of the little medallion quilt with the new birdie! I made yet another in order to have the correct bird in the center. I am getting quite good at making this little quilt. They go together now with my eyes closed. This is #5. Sigh. I really need to move on.
The second photo is of project #2 for Patchalittle. See the little red bird on the branch? This was lots of fun to design. It is approx. 15" x 17". I have got an idea I would like to try for project #3, if I can ever get that far. I still need to finish up on pattern directions for one and two. And no, I still didn't finish cleaning my sewing room. I don't know how Judy L. gets all the quilts designed, stitched, quilted, and then posts directions on her blog for us. She is amazing. But then I say that about so many of you. I just keep plodding along. I will probably come back in my next life as a turtle.
I am waiting for the repairman to come and fix our heat pump unit. We called them Thursday and they finally said they would be out today. It is supposed to be under a policy warranty. I get much better service when I call my regular guy.
Leftovers for dinner tonight, so at least that is not a pressing issue.
OK, I will go to my room and put scraps and things in their appointed place while I wait for this guy. Have a Happy!

EQ6

I have done some stitching this week. I need to get batteries for my camera and then I can show you my new Patchalittle Project. I love it! These digital cameras eat up the batteries, don't they? I prepared directions for my little bird medallion quilt for class. This is the EQ illustration. They have a wonderful new feature in EQ6 where you can just pop a picture from your computer photo file right into a block! I was so thrilled! I took a picture of my little birdie center, clicked the button, and presto change-o, it appears! It is so fun to learn something new that you can use. So much easier than cutting and pasting. I mean literally cutting and pasting! We all did that for years! Now I am making this little quilt for the fifth time! I already made two for gifts and one for me, and one for the shop to display. But now that I have changed the bird I am making another one for the shop. They go together so quickly. Especially whan you have made so many!

I started another little Blackbird Design project last night. It has an alphabet embroidered on it, so that has to be done first. Alma Allen says in the book that she just freehand emboidered it. I didn't have the confidence that I could do that, but I am doing it just fine. It is turning out well. Sometimes I just have to dive in, then I do better than I would have expected. I wonder where all the insecurity comes from?

Sometime, in between these projects that I just can't pull myself away from, I am going to have to clean my sewing room! It is out of control again. I love seeing everyone's work spaces in various conditions. Mine tends to get buried, but I can handle that for only so long. After a few months it gets to me. Ha! My husband has this joke about closing the door and pretending it is a closet. We are there.

SIGNATURE BLOCKS

I picked up a Quilt It for Keepsakes magazine this weekend, and surprise! It has a couple of nice signature quilts in it! There is no date on the cover, so it must be a special edition. I EQed one of the blocks for you. I wonder if it is the same one that Patti mentioned? I thought this was a really cool setting. The block is so simple, especially if you need to make a ton of them.
While at Jo-Ann Fabrics I noticed that they carry that cute little iron that I showed a while ago. It is the same price as the LQS, $9.99, but if you have a coupon... Lightbulb moment: they also have regular sized irons that you could use a coupon on. Hmmm.

I made a really easy TACO SOUP this weekend. I thought I would share the recipe. It is one of those things that you can throw together in five minutes, and you could easily have all the ingredients on hand. The recipe comes from my aunt in Arizona.


EASY TACO SOUP
In a large saucepan combine:
2 cans (13-3/4 oz) chicken broth
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 jar(11-1/2 oz) Pace Thick & Chunky Salsa
1 can Mexican style corn (11 oz) drained
Simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Pour into bowls and top with Crushed tortilla chips, grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream, if you wish. Sooo yummy!

A NEW BIRD ON THE BLOCK

Not a very clear picture, but at least you can get an idea of the bird I came up with to go in the center of the Medallion Doll Quilt for my class next week. (Remember the bird I originally used was not my own). The shop is doing up kits for the class, so that makes it easy for people. It seems like everyone loves kits lately. I love it when they make them for my designs because then I sell patterns! February is always a good month because of the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival. The local quilt shops get lots of people coming through on their way to the show.
I have a new little project for my Patchalittle class in February. It is still under construction, but by next week I have to have it finished to show the class. My friend, Joan, saw it yesterday and got all excited, so that is a good sign! The past couple of weeks seem to have moved in slow motion, as I was not feeling well. But I think I am about back to normal, which is to say I am more sluggish, but not is slow motion. No, really, I feel lots better! I actually went grocery shopping and cooked a meal!
Did I mention that I got a perm last week? I haven't had one in years, but my hair is so straight and so flat that I thought I would give it a try again. I looked pretty funny for the first week, but I think it is finally calming down. It actually looks ok now. By the end of the month it will probably be flat again. I can't win, I know that, but every once in a while I try. Have a good weekend everyone!

RESURFACING

I have had a yukky week. I was feeling better after my trip, then BAM, I got hit with a head cold. So my week has progressed slowly. Yesterday my husband made me leave the house and we went for lunch at Bubbas, a local seafood place on the bay. It was actually nice enough to sit out on the deck to eat, although it was quite breezy. But still, we are Minnesotans, and to sit outside in January is rather unheard of. I opened the widows at home in hopes of eliminating all my coughing germs. Nice to feel some fresh air. I am still on the nightly Nyquil routine, so my energy is lacking during the day. I know, it's only a cold and will pass. Thank Heavens!

I actually did some sewing yesterday. I have bounced around the blogs a bit and saw what Tonya and Bonnie were doing on their retreat. Such fun! So on the spur of the moment, I pulled a scrap box of florals out and started jamming. Not nearly as vibrant as what they were doing, but it was sure fun to do. No concentrating on blocks turning out just right, just totally free form. This is a fun project for when my brain is OTL. Actually, that is quite often the case.

I also got a kick out of Judy's blog showing her design wall. I agree, a bigger wall would be nice. My projects are getting laid out on the floor currently. But the wall shows WISPs that I really need to work on, so I leave them up to remind me. Life so often interrupts. Can you see my little bitty iron there? It is a new purchase and I love it. It is only about 6 inches big and perfect for pressing little pieces. Plus the whole big iron doesn't have to heat up the joint.
I have also been playing with my EQ6. My first thought upon loading the program to the computer was, "I think I am too old to keep learning new tricks". But after spending a good part of the day experimenting with it, I can say, "I know I am too old to learn new tricks". Really, I will need lots of training, but there is some really cool stuff on there. My work is cut out for me, so to speak.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Goodbye Arizona, hello Virginia! (That's the desert waving goodbye to me). I am finally back home! We had a great Christmas holiday with our four kids and six grandkids, my Dad, and other relatives. Also Lisa, our Hong Kong "granddaughter", was with us. Lisa took the cactus photo, actually. She has lots of desert photos to share with those back home in HK.

Unfortunately, some of us did get sick, and I am still feeling the effects of some flu bug. It never fails--we always seems to get sick at Christmas. Ugh!

I haven't been on the computer for almost a month and I have a lot of blog hopping to catch up on. I also am anxious to get back into my sewing room and "create"! So many ideas are spinning in my head that I really need to focus and decide where to start...and in some cases finish! I am doing a series of classes at the local quilt shop this spring that I am calling "Patchalittle Projects". (Remember my pattern company is Patchalot Patterns?) I have a project for January, the little medallion quilt I posted a while back, but I have to design a new center for it because I borrowed a bird from Jo Morton and obviously I can't give her design away. Then I have two more little projects to create for February and March. I always have lots of ideas that I want to do, but it is always a puzzle knowing what will go as a class. I found an interesting little doll quilt (blue and white) on a really cool website today. I love getting ideas from old quilts, so maybe something there will inspire me. Check it out, if you like. http://www.quiltstudy.org/about_us/index.html

Now I need to run some errands and accomplish something today. It will take me several days to catch up on everyone's blog.I look forward to seeing what you have been doing. Happy New Year!