Challenge Quilt Revealed

Finally, after 2 months our challenge quilts are finished. Lisa , Nicole,Cindy and I have finished the blended quilt project we agreed upon in November of last year. From the glimpses I have seen in our progress reports I believe we have all come up with different interpretations of blended quilts, and all of the patterns are different.

I chose to use Windsor, a very dark dramatic fabric collection from Sentimental Studios that I found a couple of years ago. At the time I bought it I had this quilt pattern in mind because I wanted to achieve an old world tapestry look. I don't think this quilt will appeal to everyone, but it is done, and it looks like it is supposed to, lol. Maybe you will like it too.

I Just Went In For 3 Patterns........

I really did. I just went in for 3 patterns to add to my Elegant Garden that I am going to make. I let my oldest daughter talk me into babysitting Friday and Saturday (not sure you "babysit" a 12 year old, lol)and since I don't want to take my sewing machine with me I wanted some handwork to do. All of the patterns are available from Laundry Basket Quilts .

I am going to do this quilt in fossil ferns. I have been collecting fossil ferns a little at a time from The Cotton Club and now have fat quarters of all of them, and I always fall back on using them when I have to have a "special" color or whatever. Anyway, I have the whole enchilada color wise of them, and I think they will be gorgeous done in these patterns. I am using a fossil fern background for them.














Here are some of the colors in the fossil ferns, just to give you an example of what is available. And, I am using from stash! Yea!!














I was standing in the quilt store talking to one of the employees while another was hanging this quilt up. It is the Web Sampler Celebration quilt that is being done on the internet by 12 quilt stores. This quilt is absolutely gorgeous. The pictures do not do it justice, that's for sure. Even though I took these, it is difficult to see how pretty this quilt really is.







Cindy Lisa , Carol and I are going to do this one. Nicole is still on the fence. If you are going to do this sampler join us. I think 3 months should be ample time to finish it, which would give us until May 1.

Blended Quilt Challenge Deadline Changed

The Blended Quilt Challenge deadline that Lisa, Nicole, and Cindy and I are doing has been changed to the 31st due to "technical difficulties", lol.

You'll just have to wait a few more days, but I am sure the wait will be worth it. Meanwhile, I am going down the Rabbit Hole for a couple of days to read a book. Ciao!

I Am Touched

I received a Blog Award from Kimberly and I am really touched. It is an honor to be told that something you have done has made a person smile, or pause, in their daily life to share something you have written about, and enjoy it. Thank you Kimberly!

I have to pass this award along, and that is the hard part. I would like to give everyone I have shared a post or story with an award, but I can't do that. Just know that each and every one of you who has shared your life with me in some way has "made my day" at one time or another.

Cindy is the person that convinced me I need to blog, so I have to give her one. Without her nagging me I would never have met any of you. Sharon has to have one because she always seems to enjoy life and shares her joy with everyone, and truly makes me laugh. Juliann should get one for giving me things to think about that I might not if it weren't for her. Andrea always has some new and exciting crafty thing to share and I love to see what she comes up with. And then there is Susanne who can always be counted on for the unusual, lol. And last, but not least, Nicole and Lisa , along with Cindy have challenged me to produce a finished project in a timely manner. They are trying to get these old bones moving faster, lol.

Thanks to everyone in Blogland for giving me peaks into your lives. I thoroughly enjoy your company!

"I Am Certainly Healthy for my Age"

Ok, I can do a little dance. The dermatologist, who is a gorgeous long legged blonde, took one look at my cheek, grabbed her can of freeze, and froze me! I am now the owner of a dime sized spot that itches like you know what and weeps white tears when I cover it with Neosporin.

"I want to see you in a year, unless you have any further problems." So much for fighting windmills, lol. And another quote from the gorgeous blonde, "You are certainly healthy for your age"....hmmm, no sympathy there, lol.

So I can merrily go my way having Mad Hatter days or fight the windmills anyway or whatever the heck I want to. Thank you for your sympathy posts and asking about my health. Evidently we all worried in vain. Everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

I am working feverishly on my challenge quilt and, somehow or another, I can't make it look like the picture I had posted before. I still hope to have it finished by the deadline.

I picked up my Bernina today. That was a quick two weeks, thank goodness. I had the technician put an automatic threader on that, which will certainly save me some frustration.

I picked up a quilt from my quilter last week and am working on the binding. My daughter came by at lunch and was talking about Katy (4) needing a quilt for her bed. Did I have her on my radar for a quilt? Hah...sometimes I think she knows when I have one ready. She took one look at the one I am binding, and said, oh this one will be wonderful, just the right color. Lol. I will take a picture of it before it goes. And it is a big one, 90" square.

I hope everyone is having a great week so far. I think all I have done this week is run errands. Everyone stay warm!

Just Stuff

I have a friend and another somebody that tried to scare me about my boy, Tom Brady. His father says he is fine, and you know that boy's father wouldn't lie, so I am not getting upset and flying around the room at the moment. Maybe a week from now, but not at the moment. I have too much to do, the challenge quilt deadline is rearing its' ugly head, and my blocks are behaving badly.

I had to go buy a new mouse today for my computer. My old one took a 3 foot dive onto a tile floor and said "bye bye". So I went to Best Buy, and bought a holder for my ITouch while I was there. Now if I can just get that thing to do all it is supposed to do, that will be something. I just need time. Hah....

Speaking of, Shelina and Dot are going to do Judy Martin's Shakespeare in the Park quilt. It is in her The Creative Pattern Book, and you can buy it here. Here is what it looks like.

Isn't this gorgeous? I think I am going to join them in their challenge if they don't care. After all, they are giving themselves a year to do it, so I thought it might be a good way to reduce my stash. I have lots of blues and creams. I surely could do that in a year, right? Does somebody want to get in on this too?

Also, Kathy from OKC, please email me. You mentioned your husband was buying you a new toy at the OKC quilt show, but you never said what it was, and your email didn't have a good return on it so I could ask you. Enquiring bloggers want to know, lol.

In other news, my poor Bernina is in the shop. During one of my Mad Hatter days last week, I was trying to do some applique, and bernie was moaning. Somewhere in this house are 3 vials of oil for him and I could not find them. Finally, I discovered an old bottle ( I know it was old because it was yellow) and decided to use it. But, when I turned it up and pushed on it to dispense one drop, I got nothing. Remember now, I said it was a Mad Hatter day. I fixed that bottle of oil, I just cut the tip of it off. Then when I turned it up to oil the machine, a whole tablespoon at least ran out into my bobbin mechanism....taught that sucker to holler didn't I? lol Long story kinda short, I got as much of it out as I could, and then it really started making noise. It is now living at the Bernina shop. Supposedly I will get it back in 2 weeks. I am having them put an automatic threader on there while it is there. My eyes are getting worse and I can't seem to thread that thing anymore. I was already frustrated that day because I had been trying to thread the darn thing for about 30 minutes and had spent another 30 minutes looking for the manual needle threader I use on my serger. Just a really bad scene, lol. Still shaking my head over that one.

And today I have an appt with a dermatologist. I have a patch that has come up on my cheek and one on my neck I am not real fond of and want to have them checked out. Since I had breast cancer I get a little frantic if something appears not quite right. I have been cancer free for 1 1/2 years now and I want to keep it that way. Everytime my bones hurt, I am afraid I have bone cancer as it is. That is one of the things that supposedly you are more succeptable to when you have had breast cancer. So between fighting at windmills over something I can do nothing about and having reactions to the preventative cancer medicine I have to take, some days are just Mad Hatter days around here. BUT, I am alive and well and not living in Canada, lol.

And that is the end of this post!

Busted!

I got busted by the RGC kid and the whirling dervish from Florida. You would think that anyone that wears a pink tiara (with glitter yet!) wouldn't have the nerve to tease a poor old lady with purple hair, would you? How do they know? Maybe the purple is heriditary! I'm just saying.....

Anyway, I did watch the Patriots whip whoever they played Sunday, and then I watched the younger Manning beat the other team...see, my "no memory" is failing me again, lol, so I know the Patriots and whoever Manning plays for are playing in the Super Bowl "soon" .

AND, YES, I AM DELIRIOUS THAT THE PATRIOTS WON! AND I WANT ONE OF THE SKULL CAPS LIKE THOSE WONDERFUL YOUNG MEN WEAR AND I AM JUMPING UP AND DOWN AND ALL THAT STUFF AND

THERE IS JOY IN OKLAHOMA!!!!!!

However, life got in the way this weekend and I did not feel like expending the energy to express my joy!!! In other words, I felt like #$@^&$#@!!!

Challenge Week # 7

I did get to do a little work this week on my challenge quilt, but not much. I had taken it down from the design wall and am having a terrible time figuring out how I had it laid out, lol. I did mark the rows, but I screwed up some and had to take most of it out.

This is the pitiual progress I have made this week. Oh, well, I have until next Monday. Looks like it is going to take it to get it finished.

Update: I forgot to mention my partners in crime. I am sure they are through, and just waiting on me. Be sure to visit Lisa , Nicole and Cindy to see their progress.

Challenge #6, Tag and Other Stuff

I promise I will never NOT eat black eyed peas on New Year's Day! I thought I would try it to see if there is anything to the "luck" you get from eating them. HAH! BIG Mistake!!! I think the answer is yes!

Ok, on to other things. Nicole wanted pictures of sewing tables. Here it is. I know there are at least 15 things on here, because I think I have that many rulers on the end, lol.

I keep my projects in plastic containers. Open ones for current stuff that I intend to finish when I start them. (That's a laugh!) The ones with lids are usually the ones that I find myself working on a little at a time, and they go back into my closet periodically. There are some tools, pencils, paper, a fabric bowl full of some scraps that I will give to a friend of mine for applique when I get a few, some batiks I am working with, my poor challenge quilt, marked for row sewing and ready to go, and some more of the stuff I got at the quilt show. Several mats, some acrylic sheets I use to organize my piecing, a jar of peanuts in this nifty little twirling container I have, and my new rotary cutter that I adore. I probably missed something, but that is the general look of it at the moment.

I haven't found "the place" for some of the smaller stuff I picked up at the quilt show. That is why it is still on my work table. However, Lisa , I thought of you when I bought this pattern. This pattern came from Patchwork Place and the sample they made up of it was darling.

This is a book called EveryMonth and it is available here . I bought the pumpkin kit. These are really cute patterns.

This is Stir Crazy from Buggy Barn. I bought this book because of the rabbits and santas patterns. I am sure one of these years I will make them, :>)

I figure I will make the santa one with the scraps from the tree and present quilt I intend to make "soon".

And who couldn't resist these bunnies, lol.

These are some odds and ends of patterns and a couple of kits. The tree and snowman are also from the Jeri Kelly site.

My challenge quilt has had to take a backseat again this past week, but I am determined to have the top finished by the 28th. Hope I make it. All I need is 2 good days of sewing, surely I can find them somewhere before my clock runs out. Check out Nicole , Lisa , and Cindy for their progress. I am pretty sure they are all just about finished. It is me holding up the parade. Sorry, my friends, lack of black eyed peas! lol

And that is all I am up to for now. I had a very interesting day, but it is now 2 am. Tuesday has all the earmarks of another day like today, so I need some sleep. I hope this day is a wonderful one for everyone!

Curious Things

There are really some curious things happening lately. Oklahoma is home to one of the primary weather gathering stations in the USA. We also have a school for weather forecasters and lots of tornado chasers etc live in the area.

Anyway, there has been talk all this past week about the curious weather phenomenon going on around Orlando. Seems there is a light source that keeps rising up in the air and then it goes back down and seems to whirl around at times and isn't consistent enough to gather any data on it as of yet. Anyone heard anything about this, or is it just the local weather people who have noticed this?

Another thing that is REALLY strange, is there is also a shortage of small paper sacks in this same area. That really has people that watch for strange things concerned. Do you think there might be a correlation? Maybe someone is trying to make themselves rise up by blowing hot air in the paper sack! lol, that's a thought.

I have some pictures to share and I need to take a picture of my cutting table for Nicole's tag. I have had a very busy day so I am just too tired to do it tonight. I will make another post sometime tomorrow.

I Just Went In For Some Thread...........

And, I fell down the rabbit hole just like Alice in Wonderland on another adventure. First of all I had seen this set of patterns at the OKC quilt show, and wanted to look at the samples at Oklahoma Quiltworks , but I knew I wanted to start doing this. I can take my time with it and use up some of my stash. The blocks are 9". This is block 1.

Here are some samples that some of the employees at the quilt store are doing. They meet once a week early in the morning and work on them. The difference in the fabric being used sure gives a different look to them.

And, of course I saw this fabric and it called my name. This is Kashmir II by Sentimental Studios. Somebody hasn't seen this yet, but I have a feeling she is going to just love it. I bought a Jelly Roll and yardage. The stripe on the bottom is what I am going to use for the border. The red is for the block backgrounds, teal is for the inner border and the beige is for the setting triangles. This is the book the pattern I am going to use is in. You can buy it online here .

This is the pattern I am going to use. It is called Raspberry Jelly and makes a quilt 74" x 85" which will just have to be big enough.
Nicole had mentioned on her blog about the ruler she uses for squaring up quarter square triangles. I had ordered these rulers last week before her post, and they came in today. Great minds run in the same track, huh. I also added one from Judy Hopkins called Stash Master. I have wanted these for sometime and found out when I was doing the challenge quilt that I really would benefit from them. The ScrapMaster is usful if you are cutting hsts or qsts out of scraps. And every one needs one of these I think, especially since I have read the information that came with it. All three will be a wonderful addition to my evergrowing ruler collection. :>) They are available here .
I also met the nicest lady at the quilt store today. Her name is Kathy and she told me she recognized me and she read my blog. I asked her how she knew who I was, and she said from my hair, ROFLOL!!!! See, it does pay to have purple in your hair! :>)

And last, but not least, NEW ENGLAND WON THEIR FIRST PLAYOFF GAME AGAINST THE JAGUARS!!!!! All is right with the world in Oklahoma!!!!!!

Oklahoma City Quilt Show

Ok, I went, I saw, and I made the vendors very happy. It was an excellent quilt show and for its size, was very, very well represented by a good variety of vendors. There was truly something for everyone. This show is put on every January by the owner, Randa Parish, from Prairie Quilts in Hennessey, Oklahoma. She puts a lot of work into it, and I have seen it grow since she started it about 4 or 5 years ago. If you are in the area this time of year, you might plan to go. I didn't take any pictures of the quilts, but there were some very pretty ones. By the time I got to them I was worn out, lol.

This is the first time I had seen this shop. The women that worked the booth were so helpful, and there kit prices are very reasonable. Their shop is going to be one of the ones featured in the Quilt Sampler in May, and this quilt is going to be featured in their spread. You can pre-order the kit now by calling 620-331-4690. I know somebody who has already done so, :>) .



This is the kit I bought. When somebody called me and asked where I was, and I told her I was at the quilt show and had just bought this kit, she "made" me make sure she got one too. And I don't blame her. It is just scrumptious! I thought I had a picture of it, but it disappeared from my camera.

This is a kit made from Chelsea Boutique using the Bella Rosa pattern by Ms. Rosie. It is just gorgeous and I am going to have to make it.


Here is another one that I drooled over, but didn't buy. It is made with Windham fabrics. I don't remember the name of the group or the pattern, but you can call Lillie's and I am sure they will be glad to tell you. It was all I could do not to make sure it came home with me, but I have willpower! ROFLOL!!!!

These next two little ones are made with Snibbles patterns by Ms. Rosie using Allspice Tapestry. Really, really pretty. This particular collection is probably my favorite from Fig Tree.

For those of you that "might" be interested in blended quilts, Piece Keepers

has a great selection of kits cut from Blended Quilt patterns. And the fabric used in

the kits is available from them. I love the way she puts her fabrics together. Here are three of the kits she had in her booth. You can see others on her internet site.

These rotary cutters and mat and ruler are from Martelli's. I was very impressed with all of them. I also bought extra blades for both cutters. The cutters are ergonomic and have great safety features on them. The mat is welled marked on both sides and this ruler is grooved with 3 slots (the size strips you seem to need the most) and has some kind of backing on it that keeps it from sliding, and it matches the purple in my hair, ROFLOL!!!!



I went with some of my quilty friends, and when we couldn't carry anymore, and one of them bought a chair, and we were able to wheel some of our goodies out on it, we left. By then we had been there over 5 hours. We went to Panera's and had soup and salad, and relaxed and just talked for about an hour. It was so relaxing and we had such a good time. It's nice to get out and do that sometimes, that's for sure. I actually went to bed at 1 last night instead of being up until 2, I was so tired.

Thursday Already!

Oh my goodness. My counter for the challenge quilt is almost down to two weeks! And I will not get anything done on my challenge quilt the rest of this week. Too much going on I fear. I will have to put in "overtime" the next two weeks to get finished.

I am whole again, all is well in my computer and printer world. Now I need to get the IPodTouch I got for Christmas hooked up to my network. lol...That is the next step in the wireless world I am living in.

My oldest daughter is staying the night and she offered to help me with it, but instead, we opted to watch "The Kingdom" with Jame Foxx. That is a terrific movie!!! If you rent it, watch the extra features. They helped me understand it a little better. There is a message in this movie, and it is really frightening, but so true.

Tomorrow there is a quilt show in town. I hate to spend the money to go because I really don't want to buy anything, but I haven't been in 3 years and I haven't been to Houston in 4, so I guess I need to actually "see" if there is anything new instead of buying on the internet. I am being so good for the last couple of months as far as not buying fabric and stuff, I think I will just leave my credit card at home. What am I saying here!!! I might find the perfect piece that I NEED so that would never do. See, it is a losing battle before I have begun, lol.

Lemon Pie and Computer Woes cont.

I was reading the Jolly Jabber last night and catching up on what was going on with Kimberly's guest writers, and ran across Debbie's Grasshopper Pie. I remember eating those a long time ago, but seeing that recipe made me really hungry for the lemon pie I used to make with Eagle Brand. The more I thought of that pie, the more I "had" to make one. So I did. Is this not a gorgeous pie? And it tastes so good!!! Sorry, I am not saving you a piece of it.

It has been so long since I have really done very much cooking, but as Aud gets older and her stamina goes down I find myself cooking more often. Sure cuts into my quilting or goofing off time though. I also made some little cocktail weiners to take to a Christmas party with my Quilting Bee that didn't happen when the ice storm came through in December. Didn't take a picture of them, they weren't real interesting, lol.

And the latest with the printer installation. I was talking to someone earlier and they asked me what I was doing. I said I was gathering up my nerve to attempt to install the printer on my network. She laughed and said, bye, I don't want to talk to you while you are doing that. Wonder why? EODLOL

First of all, I had to find the cable to connect via USB ports. Ok, I found that, and tried my old CD that I finally found this weekend. It is asking me all of these questions that I don't know, so I decide to open the Fed Ex envelope that finally came today and get the new CD out, thinking that "might" solve my problems.

Are you ready for this? Guess what was in there? A CD to install Bluetooth. Can you believe it? I was so "___________"(you put whatever words you want to in there, I think I said them all)
I was ready to scream. So I called HP and one hour and 20 minutes later "supposedly" they are going to refund my money and I don't have to mail the Bluetooth CD back.

I talked to the supervisor, and I couldn't understand him very well either, and asked him if he was in India, and he said "yes". I don't want to step on anyone's toes, and I don't care that the techs are in India, but HP is hiring people that can't speak English very well and don't understand the US vernacular of English well enough to converse with me. I have a Texas and southern accent and evidently they don't understand ME at all. You should have seen the name on the package I got from them. I can't even pronounce it.

I still can't find the HP manual I need to install this CD with, so I emailed my computer smart daughter and asked her to stop by tomorrow and pretty please install this thing before I go bananas. She is so busy I am not sure she will, so I am not real sure what I will do then. I can't believe I can't even install my own printer.....I will never, ever have The Geek Squad from Best Buy set up anything for me anymore. They charge too much, don't know what they are doing, and you can't follow what they have done when you need to make changes. Live and learn. I think I am too old to have to be learning. Ok, enough ranting for this night. I am going to get off of here and play some Word Whomp to calm me down before I go to bed.

UPDATE: My wonderful daughter came by and fixed my wireless printer connection Monday afternoon!!! I am so excited. I can function again!!! YEA!!!!

For those of you who are fans of LSU, they won the BCS bowl. Congratulations. However, I am really sorry about that, as I don't care for Les Miles, lol. Oh well, like I said about the Sooners, there is always next year.

Quilt Challenge Week 5 and Grandchildren

Since I got nothing else done on my quilt for the challenge that I am doing with Lisa, Nicole, and Cindy I decided to show you Arabella. She was my Quilt of the Month for December and she is made from a pattern in Blended Quilts by In The Beginning. I have this one hanging in my sewing room so I can enjoy it. Mother wants it for the table, lol, but so far I have said no.

The families have all come and gone for the holidays, the living area is straight one more time, the towels and sheets are washed and put away, and Aud and I are tired, lol.

Below are pictures of my grandchildren.

This is Keith, he is 14 and is playing Halo 3 with someone online.

This is Jackson, he is 17, and will graduate from high school in June

The younger ones, Kyra, Kyle, and Katy. The girls always flock to Kyle when they are together. He has a devilish grin, lol, and is going to be a true lady's man when he grows up. Kyle and Jackson are brothers, and Kyra and Katy are sisters. Keith is an only child.

This is Kyle. See what I mean about the devilish grin? :>)

And last, but not least by any means, are Kyra and Katy opening their Annie dolls I got them for Christmas. I think they like them.

AND, I won my bet with myself. My printer driver CD did NOT come in Saturday. However, when I was looking for something else, I found the one I had searched for for 2 days, lol. I just haven't had time to load them yet. Maybe tomorrow.

Piece and Plenty BOM Block 3

I finally got the block and filler block done for the 3rd installment. It's a good thing, four and five have arrived now. They are going to take some time and that seems to be in short supply around here at the moment.

And a funny thing happend on the way to having my printer up and running. I was trying to get some Southern Living and National Geographic magazines together today for one of my daughters and I found that HP driver CD I had searched the house over several times! It was in the stack of magazines I was looking for. Don't even ask how in the world it got there. I have no idea. BUT, I can hopefully install the drivers tomorrow and have printer power again, YEA!!!

And the best part is, I don't have to be mad when I don't get my CD from HP tomorrow, lol.

More YUK!!!

I must have done something wrong, like not eat black eyed peas on New Year's Day. I decided to try that to change my luck! Hah! It made it worse I think.

My 2Wire modem finally came in this morning. By 5 pm when my daughter came by and I asked her a question about it, I had had it. I had spent 2 hours on the phone with AT&T and 30 minutes on the phone with their "solution" which was to spend 99.00 for a year's online support. It would not be nice to tell you what I told her, I guarantee, lol. The tech could not figure out why it wouldn't connect like "they" guaranteed it would.

She finally figured out what was wrong with it and got both mine and Aud's on wireless again. However, since I have become the Mad Hatter from Hell as far as keeping up with where I put things and not being able to remember when I find something, where I put it so I can "find it", I am not able to get my wireless printer to connect because I can't find the "you know what kind of" installation cd. So another fruitless 2 hours on the phone with HP and tech staff that I can't understand and they can't understand my southern accent, we finally agreed to send me an installation CD for a "small" fee.... The poor person dealing with me says it will be there in 2 days, on the 9th. I asked for his supervisor, he puts me on hold for the umpteenth time, comes back on the phone and says it will be here on Saturday.

Anybody that believes that is as nutty as I am....I will almost guarantee I will not get it until at least Monday. So I am at least not tied to a land line, but I can't print! And that means it has been 2 weeks since I have been able to print, and will be one more! AAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!

My purple hair looks real good with my red face!!!!! And to top it all off, I have lost my weather pixie on my blog.

YUK!!!

I may have to switch my football allegiance to Mizzou, lol. The Sooners played West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl tonight and they were just flat outplayed. They lost 48 to 21, or some unreal number close to that. I finally turned the sound off at half time and finished reading a Nora Roberts novel, looking at the score out of the corner of my eye ever so often. I am totally disgusted. That is the fourth bowl game in a row that OU has lost. They may never live that one down.

So, this football madness is over with until the Patriots play. So far they have managed to win, and I hope they continue to. Then I can survive Sundays until golf heats up. ROFLOL.