Scraps from Sheryl

A Little Quilt for a Patriot

2012-01-22T11:12:00.000-06:00

Here's the next doll quilt I've made in the series of swaps on the Quilting Bee Forum. This month the theme was hearts. I worked a few hearts into this quilt because I wanted to be able to make it for Lynn W., a true patriot. (I had been waiting to be assigned her name for months!)

Lynn is very commited to making quilts for Quilts of Valor and has made some beauties. She participates in a QOV group in California. She also makes small quilts for newborn babies in a California naval hospital. Add to that--her husband is a veteran and her grandson is in active service. Lynn deserved a patriotic quilt!

(If you look at the message below, you'll see what inspired the center block of this little quilt--Sandy Gervais' panel design.)

News in the New Year

2012-01-21T14:13:00.000-06:00

I am thrilled that my second Quilt of Valor is going on tour! The Original Sewing and Quilt Expo organization is adding an exhibit of 35 quilts of valor to their expos this year. The purpose is to recruit new quilters to the Quilts of Valor project. After the shows, the quilts will all be donated to wounded warriors as originally intended.

Check out the link for locations around the country. They have classes, exhibits, and free stages shows.

(This quilt was longarm quilted by Judi Thelander of Omaha, Nebraska.)

Happy New Year!

2011-12-29T16:52:00.000-06:00

I haven't been a very good blogger this year but still want to wish those who may see this a very happy new year full of good health, peace of mind, and plenty of purpose for your lives. Quilters always seem to find ways to do good things with their time, and I'm sure my readers are no exception. Keep up the good work!

Here's another doll quilt I made to swap. The theme this month was Patchwork. I decided to do a one-patch, "I Spy" type of quilt. Thank goodness I'm not looking at all these treats on a daily basis! Kim in West Virginia has to resist those suggestions because I mailed it to her.

My Quilting "Mojo" is Coming Back...

2011-12-04T15:09:00.001-06:00

...finally! I hadn't quilted much at all for about four months. I did get heavily into knitting and made 8 pairs of socks. (laughing at myself) I had started knitting towards the end of the baseball season and knitted while our St. Louis Cardinals played their way into winning the wild card on the last day of the season and continued to win until they had the World Series trophy. By that time we all had these socks and my hands were very sore. They still haven't recovered completely, and I have to operate the computer with my left hand some of the time.

Participating in the doll quilt swaps on the Quilting Bee Forum has kept me involved in quilting, and my interest is returning, especially for Project Linus. I have a stash to use! These are the last two little quilts I've made for the swaps, and I need to start a new one soon in a patchwork design.

Kittens Doll Quilt

2011-09-19T17:30:00.000-05:00

Today Peggy in North Carolina received this doll quilt from me in our swap on The Quilting Bee forum, so I can show it to you. It's 16 inches square. The frames around the kittens' faces are done in reverse applique. It didn't take long to hand quilt around the hearts and on the seam lines, and soon it was ready to mail. I received a darling quilt from Freida which has foundation-pieced jungle animals.

Some More Doll Quilts

2011-08-22T15:27:00.001-05:00

In between all of the Project Linus quilts, I joined some more doll quilt swaps at The Quilting Bee Forum. (It's on Delphi--see link at the upper right corner of the page.) Our hostess-with-the-mostest, Debbie, thinks up new themes every month. Here are my quilts for the patriotic and polka-dot themes.

Of course, I receive darling quilts in these swaps, and DH and I have found a way to display them in my sewing room. They are pinned to a tack strip that has a cork insert. I'm really enjoying them in my room.

I must give credit and thanks for the eagle and purse patterns to Sindy Rodenmayer, a generous and creative woman whose website is Fat Cat Patterns.

Speech is Over and I'm Burned Out!

2011-08-16T14:15:00.000-05:00

Well, the long-anticipated (and feared) speaking engagement has come and gone, and the relief is huge! It actually went pretty well. I managed to fill 45 minutes and could have talked more, but my quilt holders were moving too quickly. They had each quilt folded and put away before I could talk as much as I wanted! Some of the ladies in the audience asked good questions. In fact, one lady seemed determined to challenge my knowledge of quilting, but I think my credibility survived.

After the speaking engagement I delivered 16 quilts to the pediatrics department at the hospital and began a break from quilting. I worked so long getting those 16 ready that I am kind of sick of it.

The hands can't stay idle, though. I'm knitting again! I have just completed my first sock. When I got the heel turn to work, I was so thrilled.

More Show and Tell

2011-05-30T19:16:00.000-05:00

for my long dreaded--I mean anticipated--talk on charity quilting. (That's coming up on August 1.) I've been busy quilting tops that had been hanging in the closet and also trying to make new tops. Here are the latest:

The ballerina bear was taken from a dress-up bear pattern from Sindy Rodenmayer at www.fatcatpatterns.com

These little monsters were taken from a much more complex pattern by an Australian designer.

The animals on this quilt were also designed by Sindy Rodenmayer. They were part of her African quilt pattern.

Every turtle on this quilt has a twin, so it's not just a quilt--it's a game!

I was inspired by quilts made by my friends, Debi and Jan, to make my own version of the Ritzy Crackers quilt. Rather than using charm squares, I cut the pieces from scraps of animal prints.

And So, You Ask, What Have I Been Doing...

2011-05-09T18:32:00.000-05:00

'cause I sure haven't been blogging. That's so true...but remember I still have that speech to the ladies' group hanging over me, and they moved the date up a month. Therefore, I stitch away on more Project Linus quilts so I'll have plenty of Show & Tell for my talk on charity quilting. Readers of this blog will get a preview...enjoy and let me know which ones you like.

Credit for the Cowboy Bear pattern goes to (who else?) Sindy Rodenmayer at www.fatcatpatterns.com

It's included in her Halloween Row by Row quilt pattern.

Colorful Finishes

2011-04-01T15:44:00.000-05:00

The pile of quilts is growing as I prepare to give a speech to a local women's group about quilting for charity. I need lots of show and tell to make the speech more interesting and to make me more comfortable!

This first one is a rarity for me--made on the sewing machine! I got a charm pack and roll of strips from Connecting Threads in their Quilter's Candy prints. I removed a few because I didn't like brown and black with this collection and then made this quilt with the remainders. It took almost every square inch of the fabric.

This is one of my favorites of all time! The fish patterns are from Sindy Rodenmayer at Fat Cat Patterns. The other animal shapes are taken from the border fabric, which is exceptionally cute and of course, completely unavailable now!

I call this one "Mitten Match". It has 20 matching pairs. One pair is actually two left mittens. I plan to put a label on the back to tell the recipient that it is a matching game.

Bear Family Doll Quilt

2011-03-19T15:33:00.000-05:00

Here's the doll quilt I made for this month's swap. It is now in the home of a quilter in Tennessee. The cute bear patterns are from Sindy Rodenmayer at www.fatcatpatterns.com (Her patterns are for 12-inch blocks, but I scaled them down to 6 inches.) The little family is modeled after my son's family with their two little girls.

I've really been enjoying these swaps. This size quilt is just the right size to try out a theme or idea and get it done quickly. My quilt this month came from Oregon and is so darn cute! I will have to post a picture soon of all the quilts I've received to date.

This isn't all of the sewing I'm doing. I'm still making quilts for Project Linus, with a little extra push on getting a bunch done before I have to make a speech to a women's group in September. I'm a little nervous about the speech, so I want to have lots of show and tell to get me through it! So far I have 9 quilts made for that day and hope to have 20 by that date.

Another Doll Quilt

2011-02-17T11:50:00.001-06:00

I'm having a lot of fun with the Doll Quilt Swap on the Quilting Bee Forum! Our theme this month, set by capable host Debbie, was applique, so I made a winter mitten quilt with a snowflake background. It flew to New York, and its recipient seems to like it a lot. I wonder what Debbie will suggest for next month's theme.

My quilt this month was from host Debbie in Idaho. She used the darling paper doll prints, including a large doll on the front of the quilt. I'm afraid to show it to my granddaughters, because they'll want to take it home.

Doll Quilts

2011-02-01T15:19:00.000-06:00

As a member of the Quilting Bee Forum on Delphi Forums, I have the opportunity to participate in some really interesting swaps and group projects. One of our swap hostesses, Debbie, has sponsored five swaps of doll quilts, which range in size from 16 to 20 inches. I have participated in the last two, and these are my contributions to the wholecloth and winter blues swaps. They went to quilters in Idaho and New York. I received darling quilts from North Carolina and California.

We just started the sixth swap, an applique swap. I have already gotten a good start on my quilt, which will feature bright colors.

Fingers Are Cold but Still Busy

2011-01-09T12:29:00.000-06:00

I know many people hate winter, but since I started quilting (26 years ago), I have had a special appreciation for these months. Being stuck inside provides extra time for quilting. I particularly love doing my hand applique or hand quilting by the fire in our family room. That would explain these two quilts that I'll deliver to the children's hospital this week.

The first one is adapted from a pattern in a Debbie Mumm book. I had everything in my stash except the border print.

This bull frog design is from my favorite designer, Sindy Rodenmayer. You can click on the cat on the right side of the screen to see her amazing site, Fat Cat Patterns.

Goodbye for now! My fingers are warmed up, so I think I'll stitch a little more on my newest applique project while I listen to the Chiefs/Ravens game.

Back in Action

2010-12-14T19:42:00.000-06:00

It felt good to be back at my volunteer job at the hospital today and to deliver a quilt for Project Linus. The Child Life employee said she had a teenage girl in mind for it already. She just had surgery and will probably be hospitalized through Christmas. It's probably already on her bed. Things just work out!

This quilt top was made totally of scraps. All I had to buy was the backing. The levels in my bright fabric bins have really gone down! Now here's my dilemma--should I work them all the way down making scrap quilts or go shopping to replenish them?

What Happened to November?

2010-11-29T14:32:00.000-06:00

I just realized that I need to post right away or I will miss the whole month of November. Ah, yes, November, the month I parted company with my gallbladder. It turns out that all of those stomach aches and back pains were trying to tell me something!

This post is your anatomy lesson for today. Know your digestive system and pay attention if you have pains under your right ribcage. I gave up my gallbladder a week ago and feel much better!

Newest Finishes

2010-10-24T18:08:00.000-05:00

It's always good to finish things. I love to start projects, especially with applique blocks. I'll whip up the blocks and stick them in a drawer--or I'll make a top and then hang it in my UFO closet. (There are way too many in there.) However, in the past week or so, I've finished three things!

First is this little quilt (about 21 x 29) that I am donating at the hospital where I volunteer. They're having a raffle to raise money for benevolence projects. I hope it stimulates some ticket sales.

Next is this child's quilt that went to Project Linus. The animal shapes are from a book called Polka-Dot Quilts.

This last quilt also went to Project Linus. It's special because I got the border and backing fabrics on trips to Dallas to visit friends from my internet quilting forum.

Yet Another Chance to Vote!

2010-10-02T12:47:00.000-05:00

I've entered the Weekly Themed Quilt Contest on Quilting Gallery. Here's the link if you'd like to view the teddy bear quilts: http://quiltinggallery.com/tag/weekly-themed-quilt-contest/
As always, if you feel I deserve your vote, I'd appreciate it. Anything I win is funneled back into my charity quilting.

The bear pattern was designed by Sindy Rodenmayer at www.fatcatpatterns.com

Finished Quilts=Eye Candy

2010-09-27T13:21:00.000-05:00

Lots of pictures today! I have finished several Project Linus quilts lately. This is the way I always seem to work--start several quilts within the span of a few weeks, work on them all at the same time, and then finish them within a few weeks. The first two quilts will go to the hospital with me tomorrow.

The last two quilts went last week. I got to give the sea life quilt to the mother of a three-week-old baby who had been very sick in Pediatric Intensive Care but had survived and was going home that day.

My Most-Traveled Quilt

2010-09-02T14:21:00.000-05:00

While browsing through the file of quilts I've made, I paused on this one and thought about how far it had traveled to find its recipient. My quilts have gone all over the USA, but this one, amazingly, went to an orphanage in Bangladesh! (There was an opportunity to donate through a member of my quilting forum.)

That little cutie on the right in the front row is now the owner of a jungle animal quilt I made. His smile has kept me going for a long time.

Quilts for Beautiful Granddaughters

2010-08-21T15:12:00.000-05:00

On Monday I will spend the night with my darling granddaughters, ages 4 1/2 and 2, and I will be giving them their new quilts. I've had them ready for several months but was saving them for cooler weather. However, the older DGD called and asked for hers, knowing that I had been working on it! That made me feel so great that I'll be delivering their nice, warm quilts in 95-degree weather!

First is the two-year-old's quilt, full of hearts and little rag dolls. Each doll has a different embroidered facial expression, from extremely happy to mad as @#$%. This little doll loves to play with dolls and has a very nurturing way about her. I hope she likes her dolly "banky".

This next quilt is for Miss Four-Going-on-Sixteen. She chose a big fat quarter pack for me last Christmas. After a little editing and adding some more fabrics (had to shop--darn), I made this daisy quilt for her. I was lucky to find one of the prints for the backing, too, as well as finding my favorite Fossil Fern for the flower petals.

Monday night I might have to turn down the AC and tuck my DGDs in with their new quilts!

Dino-Rawr

2010-08-10T19:13:00.000-05:00

Once again I must pay homage to the creative talents of Sindy Rodenmayer at Fat Cat Patterns. This is her darling design, and I enjoyed making the little dinos with some unusual batiks for whch I thought I'd never find a use! It has gone to the hospital to do its good work with a Project Linus tag attached.

My Entry for Pets on Quilts Show

2010-08-07T14:45:00.000-05:00

The quilt shown here is my entry into SewCalGal's Pets on Quilts Show. The cat on this quilt was inspired by Spencer, Max, Ashley, and Quincy--the four cats whom we have loved over the years. Only Quincy is still with us, but we have such happy memories of our curious furbabies and their funny, charming ways.

This quilt went to Project Linus, and I am fortunate to know what happened to it. It was given to a young girl who had scoliosis surgery. Her ambition is to be a veterinarian.

Pets on Quilts Show

2010-08-06T15:23:00.000-05:00

I have just heard about SewGalCal's Pets on Quilts Show that is starting tomorrow. Take a look at her blog to see if you want to enter a quilt yourself. If you do any sewing for children's charities, you probably have made at least one quilt with a cat, dog, horse, or other kind of pet on it. She has sponsors and prizes!

We Won a Homer!

2010-08-05T11:27:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: This has nothing to do with that odd little cartoon dude, Homer Simpson.

We are so proud to be notified that our room addition project, the suite for my mother-in-law, has been selected for a Homer Award by the St. Louis Home Builders Association. This award is like the "Oscar" to people who are in the building trades in this area.

We think that this award recognizes a great collaboration between an excellent remodeling business, Mosby Building Arts, and our family. We look forward to displaying our Homer statuette in our home and are very glad it doesn't look like the cartoon guy mentioned above.

On the Wall Today

2010-08-01T17:52:00.000-05:00

The last few days I've had fun working with the fabrics I won from Jojo's in the online quilt contest. I also bought some coordinating fabrics to supplement the prize package. At first I was making dark stars on light backgrounds, but today I started to make some in the reverse and I'm happy with the effect. Unfortunately, these stars are gobbling fabric, so I think I'll be shopping some more. Oh, darn, I just "hate" fabric shopping!

Yet Another Chance to Vote!

2010-07-23T15:11:00.002-05:00

A big "thank you" to anyone who voted for Wilma's quilt last week. She won! Our friend, Linda, who also frequents The Quilting Bee Forum, was encouraged by our wins and decided to enter this week's contest with this beautiful quilt that she calls, "Beyond the Seashore". If you love it as much as I do, you'll want to go to this week's Weekly Themed Quilt Contest and vote right away! Thank you!

Another Chance to Vote!

2010-07-16T18:44:00.003-05:00

After my good fortune in last week's Weekly Themed Quilt Contest at Quilting Gallery, I hope to pass on that success to my friend, Wilma, from the Quilting Bee Forum. Wilma has entered under the theme "Picnics", and her watermelon quilt (left) is simply luscious! Click here to see the entries, and I hope you'll consider voting for Wilma.

Be sure to click on the picture to enlarge it so you can see the seeds!

New Volunteer Job

2010-07-13T15:22:00.003-05:00

I went to my orientation at the hospital today for my new volunteer job. I was asked to work at the front desk of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, monitoring visitors and assisting nursing staff. They are moving into a new building next week with a new nurse call system, so we will all be learning to use it together. I'm really looking forward to this, as this is the place to which I deliver my Project Linus quilts, including the one shown above. (Cat pattern by Fat Cat Patterns.)

Thanks for the Votes!

2010-07-12T17:33:00.002-05:00

Thanks to anyone who voted for my patriotic quilt in last weekend's contest. I was so fortunate to win this wonderful bundle of fabrics from Jojo's Quilt and Gift Shoppe. They will make a pretty Quilt of Valor for a brave female soldier. I can't wait to get started!

I Need Your Vote (Again)

2010-07-06T14:23:00.004-05:00

I decided to enter this quilt in the Weekly Themed Quilt Contest. This week's category is "Patriotism". It's the first quilt I've made to donate to Quilts of Valor and was given to a wounded soldier at Fort Bragg. Our military personnel and their families deserve more appreciation than we could ever adequately express, but this is my own small way to trying to do so.

If you'd like to see the contest entries, click here between July 9 and 11. If you think I deserve your vote, I would greatly appreciate it. If I win any free quilting supplies, I will use them to make more quilts for Project Linus or Quilts of Valor.

Good Luck, Dori!

2010-06-24T12:50:00.003-05:00

Today I'm thinking a lot about my quilting buddy, Dori, as she has surgery in Oregon. This is the "Good Vibrations" quilt that I made for her to snuggle in and remind herself of how many people care about her.

Here at our house we are adjusting to having another person in residence. DMIL moved in about two months ago. She likes her new space. As soon as the closing is complete on her old house (hopefully on Monday), I think we will all be able to relax. It's been a tricky process to sell a house that is 400 miles away.

Our Room Addition is Finished!

2010-04-06T14:18:00.009-05:00

I am thrilled to report that our room addition is finished and is ready for DMIL to move in. The only sad part is that our crew from Mosby Building Arts has moved on to another job, and we miss them! The whole organization is first class, and we highly recommend them to anyone in the St. Louis area who has home improvement needs.

How about a little tour? My camera doesn't really have the right kind of lens for this kind of photography, but you can get a peek at our new space. First is the hallway into the new space. This used to be my laundry room, but now it is my wonderful pantry. I love this space! I love everything about it.
The hall leads into this bright and airy living space. This next picture shows the sitting area, which will have two recliner chairs there in front of the gas stove and TV.

On the opposite end of this space is the bed area. I made a birdhouse quilt for her bed.

This is part of the bathroom.

Here's part of the walk-in shower with bench.

Finally, here is an exterior view of the addition, waiting for landscaping! Now comes the big move for DMIL, and we are hoping she loves her new space as much as we do.

Rocket Man Quilt Completed

2010-03-18T09:02:00.003-05:00

Isn't this a darling design? Of course, it's from the creative mind of my favorite designer, Sindy Rodenmayer, at Fat Cat Patterns. When I met Sindy, I suggested that outer space would be a good theme for a quilt because she hadn't done it before and I had a box of space-themed fabric! I was so thrilled when she created this pattern. Even the back of this quilt is cool. I used a print that has a navy background and planets, some of which are 4-6 inches in diameter.

I will be donating this quilt through Project Linus soon.

Construction Update!

2010-03-10T10:18:00.006-06:00

This is a HUGE day at our house! I'm doing laundry at home again! Woo hoo! The guys finished the laundry room first to help me. My four months at the laundromat have ended. (The window looks out on the front yard.)
I want to introduce you to our guys from Mosby Building Arts who have done most of the work on this project. (Many subcontractors have come and gone, but these have been our guys all the way through.) First is James, our project manager, who is willing to do any job, including washing windows. Those are bookcases on that wall, and there will be a little gas stove in between.

Here are Steve and Steve, who are working outside because it is finally warm enough to work on the deck. These guys are so funny!
This is Tony, our painter. The picture is taken from the new room, in front of the bookcases, looking toward the laundry room.

As you can see, the project is moving right along! We'll probably be finished in a couple of weeks.

On an unrelated note, the song in my head today is "Hillbilly Bone" by Blake Shelton. This song has such a good beat (sounds like I'm on "American Bandstand") that I feel like I could do the Texas two-step to it--and I've never tried that before!

I Need Your Vote!

2010-02-26T12:02:00.003-06:00

Quilting Gallery sponsors a weekly themed quilt contest, and the theme this week is "Little Boys". I decided to enter to try to win supplies to support my Project Linus work. (I've made about 160 so far, which requires plenty of thread and batting as well as fabric.)

The contest can be found here. If you feel I deserve your vote, I would really appreciate it! Thank you!

It Looks Like a House Now!

2010-02-22T11:01:00.003-06:00

We still have a long way to go, but I wanted to show our addition now that it is clad in the same siding as the house. (The trim isn't quite finished.) There is a lot of activity inside now as tile setters, painters, plumbers, and finish carpenters dance around each other. Hopefully it will soon be warm enough to add the deck connecting our back porch to the addition. We are hoping to move DMIL in April.

Redecorating

2010-02-11T09:46:00.002-06:00

I've been having fun redecorating my blog today. With so much mess in my house it is a pleasure to be able to change the "decor" of something without creating dust and drips. Today the men are sanding the drywall in the addition. They taped everything up tightly. There is still thick plaster dust on everything! How does that happen?

The song in my head of the day is "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson. I have a very strange mind.

Don't You Wish Your Dining Room Was Hot Like Mine?

2010-02-05T10:50:00.003-06:00

Don't you wish your home was as lovely as mine? Do you remember this room from my Christmas picture? Now it's a storeroom for faucets, a toilet, sinks, a shower drain, a ceiling fan, light fixtures, many tubes of caulk, etc. On the other side of the room are stacks of boxes of collectibles from DMIL's house. They say that in a few weeks all of the building supplies will be installed in our room addition. It'll be sad in a way. Then I'll have to start cleaning again.

That Song in My Head Today

2010-01-29T15:19:00.002-06:00

It's driving me absolutely crazy! I have had this same song in my head for days. I even hear it when I get up in the night to go potty! I hear it in Smokey Robinson's voice:

"Ooh baby baby

Ooh baby baby"

This particular part is repeating the most frequently:

"I'm just about at the end of my rope

But I can't stop tryin' I can't give up hope

'Cause I feel that one day I'll hold you near

Whisper I still love you

Until the day is here

Ooh I'm cryin'"

For crying out loud, I want to know why this song is haunting me! Any theories? I'm hoping that by typing this here, I'll give "Ooh baby baby" to YOU!

Interior Views of Construction

2010-01-24T11:14:00.002-06:00

DH has been taking pictures in our room addition before the drywall goes up so he can remember where all the pipes and wires are. I guess this is a good idea in case you need to drive nails or cut into the walls for some reason.

This is my favorite wall--where my washer and dryer will go. I miss them so much!

This is the wall in the sitting area of the addition. A cute little gas stove will go between the windows with bookcases on either side. Mom is going to put two recliners in front of the stove. What she doesn't know yet is there will be a TV on the wall above the stove.

This is the bathroom wall where the vanities will go--see the mounts for the sconces? This wall backs up to the garage, so a lot of insulation, drywall, and firewall will go in that wall this week. Some day we will have a garage again, and we can move all the garage junk off our back porch!

I feel like we're at the stage of this project where you just give up and accept that it's going to go on forever--kind of like the ninth month of pregnancy.

Now You've Seen It All

2010-01-23T11:15:00.002-06:00

This is the third quilt I've made for an animal--yes, an animal. I can't believe I said that. These are all very special pets, pampered furbabies who love being warm and comfy like the rest of the family. The first quilt for my DS and DDIL's dog, Jack, and the second was for DMIL's cat, Ginger. These pets really use their quilts!

DH has recently been placing a load of guilt on me because our 13-year-old cat, Quincy, didn't have a quilt. He is a heat-seeking orange tabby who always goes where he can steal some warmth from someone. I finally got with it and made a quiilt for Quincy, picturing him being more active than he actually is! He started using it the first day it was finished! (I think my pet quilt recipients have actually appreciated their quilts more than some of the human recipients. LOL)

My Christmas Table

2010-01-21T17:19:00.002-06:00

This picture shows my table just before we sat down for Christmas dinner. I wanted my dear friend Debi to see the table runner she made for me, as it was the centerpiece! The colors were perfect!

Finished Some PL Quilts

2010-01-21T16:55:00.002-06:00

While the carpenters and other tradesmen are banging away outside, I've been sewing inside (which is a much better place to be, trust me!) We have been having lots of rain, and it's a cold sea of mud out there. This first quilt I've finished is called "Silly Zoo" and was designed by Sindy Rodenmayer at Fat Cat Patterns. There are other darling animal patterns there, too. If you look on the Home page, you will see her brand new pattern, "Rocket Man". (That "Sheryl" she mentions as her biggest fan is moi!)
The second quilt is "Beach Fun". I found the blocks in a book called "Travelin' America in Applique", which I found late last year at Jo Ann Fabrics. I really like this quilt except for one thing. I used a puffy batting because my Project Linus coordinator gave it to me, but hand quilting it was a big fight, and I don't like the puffiness. I doubt if that will bother the recipient, though. Hope not!

The third quilt is from a pattern by Annie Unrein called "Wicked Easy". I like it because it's easy piecing, and some of the pieces are big enough to allow space for applique.

These quilts are going to the hospital tomorrow, and I send them off with prayers that they will do good work.

We Are Under Roof

2010-01-10T14:00:00.002-06:00

Here's our room addition with walls, windows, and a roof! The guys have made so much progress in this frigid weather. What you cannot see is the plumbing, and HVAC work that has been done inside. The electrician should be coming out this week. Construction is such hard work. I really admire all of these people who are working for us.

I took the picture from the porch outside our family room. It will be joined to the room addition by a deck. Sometime this spring we will be sitting out there--after we put the yard and perennial garden back together!

Merry Christmas to All!

2009-12-25T20:41:00.002-06:00

I'm writing tonight with a full heart (and a full tummy) at the end of a wonderful Christmas Day. I hope that all of you had a great day, too. We hosted our children, granddaughters, DMIL, my sister, her husband, and their son. Everything I planned for dinner turned out great, thanks to my nephew, Karl, who sauted the broccoli dish at the last minute. It was like herding cats, trying to get everyone to the table! There was a phone call, a diaper change, an intense conversation about a medical matter--but they all made it in and we enjoyed our meal. The younger granddaughter stuffed her face, and the older one would only eat Wheat Thins. Everyone else tried everything!

The best part of the day was watching the girls open their presents. Avery can read her name on the tags, so she delighted in finding the ones for her. Addison ripped away on the paper. Both of them rewarded us with smiles and gasps of surprise when they saw their new toys. Then we got to play with all of them!

I received a gift certificate to a quilt shop and a bundle of fat quarters selected by Avery. It was a great day!

Construction Progress

2009-12-15T15:23:00.002-06:00

Look at this! I'm posting two days in a row!

We have a lot going on around here. DMIL is going to move here from Tulsa next spring. She will be 89 by then, and it is just time, if you know what I mean. She refuses to live in an apartment or senior residence so....we're building on to our house, with her help. She will have a suite with bedroom, sitting area with small gas fireplace, luxury bath, and walk-in closet.

The builders are at a stage now where we are seeing a lot of progress. Yesterday two exterior walls went up, and today they built the interior walls. Tomorrow the third wall will go up, and we'll be ready for the roof trusses. (The fourth wall is already there, as the addition will join on to the back of the garage and will be accessed through our former back door. My old laundry room will turn into a hall, and I'll get a new laundry area.)

I'm Back with "Eye Candy"

2009-12-14T10:26:00.001-06:00

I'm baaaaack! Poor neglected blog! I recently returned from a weekend trip to Dallas, where it was mentioned that my blog was severly neglected, so I will try to do better. At least I know a few people were reading it! (You like me, you really, really like me! Apologies to Sally Field.)

I had a marvelous time on my adventure to Dallas. Of course, it was made much easier by my hostess, Debi, who graciously chauffeured me all over the area and allowed me to stay in her beautiful home. Many thanks to Debi for a wonderful weekend and also to her husband, Kit, and her sweet dogs who accepted me immediately. (And thanks to that nice guy who got my carryon into the overhead compartment for the trip home. It was heavy!)

While in the Dallas area, I got to visit four quilt shops and attend the Christmas party of the DFW Gang, whose members all met on the quilting forum I frequent. It was great fun! As a huge surprise, Debi arranged for a visit from my favorite pattern designer, Sindy Rodenmayer of Fat Cat Patterns. She is such a sweet, modest person, and it was such a pleasure to have several hours to get to know her while also visiting with my online buddies.

Since returning home, I have turned over three new quilts to Project Linus: Dinos, Hound Dogs, and Bright Barnraising. I'm also working on a pattern from Sindy's site, "Silly Zoo", as well as two of the BOM series that she shares on her website.

The building of the room addition to our home is in full swing. This is a suite for my DMIL, who will be moving here from Tulsa. I'll post some pictures soon. Today they are constructing the walls, reminding me of a barnraising, although we only have three guys working, not the dozens that help with an Amish barn!

That Song in My Head

2009-09-15T13:37:00.004-05:00

I always seem to have some kind of song running through my head. Do you? Today I had to do some yard work with my husband, Larry, which I really didn't enjoy. He was cutting down a redbud tree to make room for an addition to our house and asked me to help. My job was to cut up the branches into short lengths and tie them into bundles for the composting truck pickup. He is a real DIY guy and saves us lots of $$ by being that way, so I felt I should help. While I was working, this old song started running through my head:

THE GIRL THAT I MARRY

(Irving Berlin)

Eddy Howard - 1947

"The girl that I marry will have to be

As soft and as pink as a nursery

The girl I call my own

Will wear satins and laces and smell of cologne

Her nails will be polished and, in her hair,

She'll wear a gardenia and I'll be there

`stead of flittin', I'll be sittin'

Next to her and she'll purr like a kitten

A doll I can carry, the girl that I marry must be" (Note: My mom played a lot of old songs on the Hi-Fi when I was a kid!)

So...I'm working away and thinking that Larry must not have heard this lovely song during his childhood. In Tulsa they must have been playing this version:

"The girl that I marry will have to be

Able to work in the yard with me

The girl I call my own

Will wear old clothes and sneakers and smell of outdoors

Her nails will be broken and in her hair

A sweaty bandana is what she'll wear

'Stead of sittin' inside stitching

She'll get bug bites and be out here itching

A load she will carry, the girl that I marry must be"

Oh, it's not that bad...I burned some calories and will sleep like a baby tonight! What song is in your head today?

Poor Neglected Blog!

2009-09-14T10:43:00.003-05:00

I hardly ever remember that I have a blog! When I do remember, I feel guilty! It just seems like my life isn't that newsworthy. I continue to quilt or do some needlework every day, though. Here are a couple of quilts I just finished for Project Linus. (I took the first one as Show and Tell to my first guild meeting. It was my security blanket that night!)

A Good Summer for Sewing

2009-08-06T20:45:00.006-05:00

I have a lot to show this time, and it's probably because this has been a relatively cool summer for us here in Missouri. Friends in the Pacific Northwest have been sweltering, but we haven't had it so bad! (That has been a really pleasant surprise for us.)

Usually in the summer I make tops and save them for quilting in cooler months. This year I've been quilting and finishing lots of things.

The quilts are for donation to Project Linus, and the tote bag is for my sister.

Project Linus quilts

2009-06-26T15:56:00.005-05:00

Let's hope they really have the air conditioning cranked up on the pediatrics floor at St. John's Mercy so the kids can use these quilts I took in today! It's so hot here that I didn't even like having them over my arm at 8:30 a.m.!

(The Sea Turtle is from http://www.fatcatpatterns.com/)

Hotter Than Blue Blazes

2009-06-21T17:37:00.005-05:00

Is anyone willing to admit--along with moi--that they don't like summer? I have always been sensitive to heat, even as a child, so I know it's not just a "weight thing". Also, as of the last ten years or so, it has been a lot worse. Menopause=always hot! So...living smack in the middle of the Midwest isn't the greatest place to have your summer home! (It's great the rest of the year.) Thank God for AC and the ability to pay the electric bill!

Meanwhile, there is fabric to be used in the Wonderstash, and some of the bins aren't as full as they used to be. The bin of fish fabrics went down a little bit for this quilt, "Kitty Goes Fishing". I don't think you can tell from this pic, but the border shows cats gazing longingly at goldfish in their bowls, as well as a few fish bones! I like the way this one turned out. I actually got to meet the girl who received it on a day when I was volunteering at the hospital. She loves animals, especially cats, and wants to be a vet.

Still Here!

2009-05-27T14:31:00.005-05:00

Doggone it, I forgot I had a blog again! I'm asking myself, "How can I expect anyone to follow my blog if I don't follow it myself?" Well, for the few of you still checking in, I have never stopped sewing! We have been busy, including a trip to Oklahoma to check in on DMIL, who is 88 and adamantly refusing to move. Everywhere we go, I have a project bag beside me. I can't sit still without something to do with my hands!

I've delivered a couple of Project Linus quilts to the hospital. The animal patterns on the left are from a book called "Polka-Dot Kids' Quilts". I enlarged them to 200% on a copier. The fish patterns are on Fat Cat Patterns.

I just mailed the following quilt to a quilt guild that is providing Quilts of Valor to soldiers in the Warriors in Transition Battalion at Ft. Bragg, NC. I hope it brings some comfort and encouragement. It's such a small thing to do for someone who has given so much.

I'm also keeping up with two BOMs on Fat Cat Patterns, Baltimore Bliss and Bird Houses.

My best days have been spent with my darling granddaughters, Avery and Addison. Avery is three now and is such a helper. I always try to have a simple cooking project set up when she is coming over. Saturday she helped me make Rice Krispy Treats--and then wouldn't taste them! (It looks like she may be a picky eater like my son, although I would never mention it.) She is a little parrot now and would tell anyone who would listen that she is a picky eater! Addison is ten months old now and just a darling little cherub. She isn't sure if she likes me, though. She much prefers her Papa Bear (Grandpa)! Of course, we know this could change at any minute.

2009-04-08T12:19:00.002-05:00

Here's the quilt I'm giving to my nephew, Karl, for his 21st birthday. I thought we would see him Sunday but didn't, so we'll give it to him this coming Saturday, his actual birthday. I wrote up care instructions for him, hoping that he would see this as an heirloom and not just another bedspread that you use for a couple of years and then wrap around the dresser when you move to the new apartment! At the end, I wrote: " P.S. Karl, if you ever use this quilt as a moving blanket, pet bed, or picnic blanket, somehow I will know!"

Since this quilt has been finished, I have done almost nothing but hand applique! I definitely won't be machine piecing any stars for awhile.

The Good News Is...

2009-03-29T18:53:00.003-05:00

that the Star Struck quilt for my nephew, Karl, (mentioned in my previous post) is finished and ready to deliver next Sunday. I'll post a picture soon. Fortunately, my hands are recovering from the breakneck pace I set for quilting it.

The bad news is that I forgot I had a blog! I was reading a friend's blog and noticed a link to my blog that said I hadn't posted on it for four weeks! You know what I was doing, though.

As breaks from the hand quilting, I made the first two blocks from Sindy Rodenmayer's new BOM series, "Baltimore Bliss". You can find them at www.fatcatpatterns.com

My Hands Hurt...

2009-02-25T12:26:00.005-06:00

...my wrists are sore, and the fingertips on my left hand are raw, but by golly my nephew, Karl, is going to have this quilt for his 21st birthday on April 11!

The pattern is called "Star Struck" by Bonnie Hunter. Bonnie's patterns really help you use up scraps. I kept the gold and ivory fabrics consistent in all of the small quarter square triangles, but the quilt could be done completely scrappy. I was inspired to use this pattern when I saw Val's version on our quilting forum. She used Christmas reds and greens, and I'm sure it'll become an heirloom in her family.

Karl is a great young man. He's a junior in college right now in Fulton, Missouri. He and his parents moved up here from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and it is really great to see more of him now. I pumped him for color preferences at Christmas!

From now until April 11 I will be hand quilting this quilt! I haven't made a queen-sized quilt for a long time, so it's quite a change for me.

And now an invitation...

A very sweet friend of mine, Kimberly, has started a new quilting forum on Delphi, The Quilting Bee. I already know a lot of the quilters there and have even met some of them in person. They are good people! However, we welcome new members with open arms and look forward to what we can share with them and learn from them. Click on the logo at the right to join us!

Four Guys Went to the Hospital and...

2009-02-18T13:55:00.001-06:00

...made someone happy! At least, that was the goal of making this quilt, "Sesame Street Quartet". He went to the hospital as a Project Linus donation last week.

This is my second quilt with these applique patterns. The first was ready to donate when my first granddaughter went into that very hospital with RSV two years ago. Of course, I took it to her since she was crazy about "Mo-mo" (Elmo). She still sleeps with it.

I didn't have to buy these patterns. I found them as coloring pages on free internet sites. The pages take some time to search, but they are great pattern sources.

Mitten Match

2009-02-02T15:53:00.002-06:00

On Friday I finally delivered this quilt to the hospital for Project Linus. It had been hanging in my closet for three years, and I couldn't let go of it! For some reason I just really liked it and thought I would have some special use for it. I finally decided that three years was enough--that it was aged to perfection! Hopefully, it is doing good work on a hospital bed today. It's not just a quilt--it's a game, too! Each mitten has a mate on the quilt, and it could take someone a while to match them up.

Blog Award

2009-01-25T12:41:00.002-06:00

Thanks to Debi at Quilting with Debi (see link at right) for giving me this blog award! (I better post more so I deserve it!) Debi says that I have to list five addictions that I have, so here they are (in no particular order):

1. Granddaughter smiles and "I love you, Nana"s

2. Hugs from DH

3. Iced tea with lemon or lime

4. Hand applique

5. Chocolate

Wear Warm Clothes

2009-01-25T12:21:00.003-06:00

It's about 15 degrees here today and snowing, so it's a perfect time to hang up my new wall hanging for the first time. Yes, I actually made a quilt that I am going to keep, and I finished a UFO that I think I started in the 90s. This quilt is from the Country Threads book, "Wear Warm Clothes", and is an abbreviated version of the one shown in the book because I had to make it fit in a certain spot in my home.

When I started this quilt, I enthusiastically made all of the applique blocks and then faltered when it came time to piece the cabin, the boots, the trees, the mugs, and the snowman. This month I made myself piece them and used Bonnie Hunter's "Leaders and Enders" technique to make it possible to string piece all of them. At the same time, I pieced several blocks of a new scrap quilt I'm making for my nephew from Bonnie's Star Struck pattern. I know it saved a bunch of thread, and it helped me enjoy the piecing more since I didn't have to stop and start so much.

Penguins to Make Kids Smile

2009-01-12T12:11:00.004-06:00

These little penguins are ready to fly to the hospital with me for donation. Isn't that a cute pattern? It's from a Fons and Porter magazine called "Baby Quilts" which may still be on the newsstands. I bought the penguin border fabric in Dallas when I visited the DFW Gang from the Quilting Passion Forum in December 2007. I found snowflake prints on sale at JoAnn's for the backs. (I was so excited that I used up the penguin print by making the binding out of it! Yay, I used up something!!!)

I always seem to do this--start three or four projects at one time and finish them all within a couple of weeks of each other! It's wacky but it works for me.

How do you handle your quilt projects--One at a time or several in progress at once?

Happy New Year!

2009-01-09T15:34:00.003-06:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm glad the holidays are over! I had about shopped, wrapped, and cooked myself into a "Mom at the holidays" frenzy! It would be just fine with me if I didn't have to cook again for another year. (If only I could get the people at my house to stop wanting to eat.)

For me, getting back to normal means more time to quilt and start new projects. I've finished two more quilts for Project Linus--my second time to make the "Doggy Days" pattern and my fourth version of the "Wicked Easy" pattern. They went to the hospital with me today to do their good work. They said the Pediatric rooms are full--lots of cases of pneumonia and RSV. Poor babies.

I Haven't Been Blogging....

2008-12-06T12:38:00.006-06:00

but I have been busy! Thanksgiving was great! There were ten of us here, including baby Addison, who got her dinner early and didn't come to the table for the big meal. Granddaughter Avery helped me cook by rolling up the crescent rolls and proclaimed, "Thanksgiving is ready!" when the oven timer beeped.

On Thanksgiving Day I sent home Addison's recently-completed Christmas stocking, shown here with Avery's. The angels are cross stitched from a pattern I found in a book on bread cloths.

This week I delivered the following two quilts to the hospital. We have a new Project Linus coordinator in St. Louis, so I can call them Project Linus quilts again! The first was made with the last of a pile of pastel scraps that have been living in my house since the 80's! (There were two other quilts with these fabrics that I put in previous posts. Both had teddy bears on them.) I am not sad to see these fabrics go! It is fun to actually use up something.The dump truck quilt is a pattern I have made once before. The backing fabric is one I've had for a long time and has roads and construction sites. Again, it's good to use up something! (Makes room for new!!!)

My final recent project was to make these two coats for tiny dogs. One of the security guards at the hospital where I volunteer is so nice. He's about my son's age and has a girlfriend and two itty-bitty dogs that are not enjoying their first winter! I offered to make quilted coats, so he brought in one they had purchased and I traced it for a pattern. I couldn't resist using that dog fabric on the right for the little male dog. A three-pound boy dog needs a little help with the machismo! Maybe this will help him seem a little tougher when they visit the dog park.

Three More Suz Guz Blocks

2008-11-11T15:41:00.004-06:00

This is how I really look, for better or worse. My darling granddaughter, Avery, took this picture of me yesterday. I think she did a really good job, considering that she is only 2 1/2 years old! I can see plenty of things to criticize in my picture, but she must think I'm OK! She is so sweet and affectionate to us now. The baby, Addison, doesn't like us yet, but she'll get to know us in time.

For Christmas we got Avery the new Fisher-Price Kid-Touch Digital Camera. She should have a blast with it because she tries to make a camera out of everything she picks up. I just know that she will learn how to use it quickly, as all kids do with modern gadgets. She plays with an old cell phone, and I noticed yesterday that she was pushing the buttons with her thumb, just like her parents.

Here are three more blocks in the Susan Guzman BOM series. (If you get these patterns, you will see that I have streamlined a couple of them. The top two blocks had little squares dripping off the outside edges--well, they just dripped right off of my blocks!) I can see now that I will need to devise an on-point setting. Just one more block, and the series will be finished!

Long-Term Project

2008-10-20T14:35:00.004-05:00

Oh, baby, is that an understatement! I have begun to make a king-sized quilt for our bed--the one we bought three years ago. It is using the Baby Honu pattern by Lisa Boyer that DS and DDIL brought back from their honeymoon in Hawaii (four years ago). They also brought back a three-yard piece of a gorgeous navy, purple, and green batik with sea turtles in the pattern, which will make a perfect border.

After years of producing kid quilts for Project Linus, this big quilt is a little daunting. I've deviated from the pattern to appease my preferences in quiltmaking. I'm doing the turtles in hand applique--not the 3D way that Lisa suggests on the sewing machine. I'm not paper piecing the wave blocks, because I can't bear that technique, but have figured out the sizes to cut triangles and assemble them the square-in-a-square way. Methods aside, the quilter side of myself is arguing with the critic side of myself about the color combinations, which are much different than Lisa's picture on the pattern!

Critic Sheryl: Those waves don't look like any water I've ever seen!

Quilter Sheryl: The fabrics are to give the impression of water.

Critic Sheryl: Don't the waves swirl in a counterclockwise manner on the pattern?

Quilter Sheryl: Well, yes, but I made the first two blocks the wrong way and decided not to look back!

Critic Sheryl: Still...some of them are awfully dark!

Quilter Sheryl: Ocean water looks pretty dark from the deck of a cruise ship after sunset. Don't you remember wanting to stand back from the rail and all the suspicious glances you gave DH?

Critic Sheryl: But that bright green? Where does that come from?

Quilter Sheryl: Algae?

Critic Sheryl: I don't get the red, either.

Quilter Sheryl: Shark-infested waters?

Critic Sheryl: I still don't think it looks like water.

Quilter Sheryl: Haven't you ever heard of Impressionism?

There...I feel better! No, I don't have multiple personalities...just a little conflicting self-talk now and then! Now I can proceed to make about 25 more turtle blocks and about 20 more wave blocks so I can assemble this monster and start the hand quilting. (Yes, you read that right!)

Giveaway Drawing Today!

2008-10-15T12:22:00.002-05:00

It's here--the day when all of the bloggers participating in the Fall into Fall Giveaway will be drawing the names of the lucky prize winners! DH and I are ready to choose the winner of my pack of I Spy squares.

We're doing this the old-fashioned way--everyone's name is on a slip of paper in a Wal-Mart bag! Drum roll please.....the winner is Beth of The Jury is Still Out! I just went to your blog, Beth, and found out a little bit about you. Could these squares become a quilt for the Dyl Pickle? That would be cool! (Coincidentally, my daughter's name is Beth, but DH couldn't see that when he closed his eyes and drew your name out of the bag.) Congrats to Beth, and thanks to everyone for entering. I got some great recipes and menu ideas from this drawing!

I will email Beth right away so she can send me her snail mail address.

Delivered three more quilts

2008-10-08T12:38:00.005-05:00

These are the last three quilts I delivered to the Pediatrics floor. With their delivery, I celebrated my 98th, 99th, and 100th quilts to this hospital by ordering some fabric!

Lots of Entries!

2008-10-08T12:32:00.002-05:00

What fun to receive so many entries in my giveaway, even though I started late! My DH is amazed that so many quilters have blogs and that so many found my little offering. He will be picking the winner on October 15, so be sure to enter by commenting on the previous post. Tell me what you like to cook in the fall. I already have two wonderful recipes from this!

From reading the comments, I gather that there is a lot of chili and apple crisp being consumed this time of year. I think I'll be making them soon, too!

Fall into Fall Giveaway

2008-10-05T13:20:00.005-05:00

I am happy to be joining (a little late) Debi's Fall into Fall Giveaway. I will be drawing on October 15 from among all of the people who leave a comment on this post. There are only two requirements to be entered into my drawing:
1) You must answer the question: What is your favorite thing to cook or bake in the fall? (I might want the recipe!)
2) If you do not have a blog, you must leave your email address for me to use in contacting you if you win.

If any messages don't meet these requirements, I will have to delete them. Sorry!

Anyway, here is what you can win! (the best part) I am offering a collection of 35 I Spy squares. Each is 6 1/2" square. These are perfect for a quilt for a boy in your life or for making a quilt to donate to Project Linus. They include sports, animals, dinosaurs, astronauts, and many kinds of foods that kids love.

Here's my inspiration for offering this as a prize: I recently donated a boy's I Spy quilt to our local hospital. I got the most wonderful feedback! It was given to an 8-year-old boy who was there for a surgery connected with his Cerebral Palsy. He cannot speak well but has a very active mind, and he and his parents thoroughly enjoyed playing games with his new quilt. They would ask a question, and he would point to the answer. He left the hospital with the quilt over his lap in the wheelchair and a big grin on his face!

Please enter my drawing! Maybe you can make an I Spy quilt for a special kid in your life. Also, click on the scarecrow link at the right to find a list of other blogs having fall giveaway drawings.

Where Did That Month Go?

2008-09-25T13:21:00.004-05:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been almost a month since I posted anything here! I apologize to anyone who has wasted their time checking in here and finding nothing new.

Early in September I had a busy, fun-filled visit from two friends I made on the Quilting Passion Forum. I so appreciate the great effort they made to come all the way to St. Louis. It was wonderful!

Shortly after they had to go home, my mother-in-law and her cat came to stay for two weeks. We are trying to persuade her to sell her home and move here, because she is 87 and lives 400 miles away. We aren't making any progress there. She just wants to go back and sit in her own house--too much change to think about.

I don't seem to get much done when she is here as far as housekeeping goes, but I do spend time in my sewing room! I finished these two quilts to deliver to the Pediatrics Department at the hospital where I volunteer. (We don't have a Project Linus chapter here any more, so I just keep taking them myself.) I have two more finished and in the washer and am sewing down the binding on a third. I'll try to post them soon.

The Cowboy pattern is from Sindy Rodenmayer at http://www.fatcatpatterns.com/

Spiral Roses quilt top

2008-08-27T19:38:00.002-05:00

I finished this top today. This is a true scrapquilter project! Nothing was used that was any bigger than a fat quarter (except a long scrap I used for the border), and nothing was purchased to make it. I had cut out the blocks just to have around when I was between projects. Well, darn, the applique all got finished and I had to put the top together! I'll hang it in the closet with my other tops that are ready to quilt.

I'm cleaning out my sewing room because I'm having guests next week, and Debi is going to sleep in that room. She should have sweet dreams in there with my fabric, books, and magazines--that is if the UFOs don't haunt her at night!

Finished SuzGuz block 8

2008-08-19T10:32:00.002-05:00

Here's my block 8 from the Susan Guzman series. I'm not crazy about this one--can't quite figure out why! Somehow it looks like an inkblot test to me. Whatever! It'll go in the quilt with the prettier ones.

My hands have been busy here making gifts. I'm also working on a seaside themed quilt for Project Linus.

There's a little bit of fall in the air here, which always invigorates me. I guess I worked in the public schools and then the university for so long that my inner calendar kicks into overdrive at the beginning of the school year. Just hearing the school buses running gets me keyed up!

Addison's Quilt

2008-08-04T10:47:00.003-05:00

Baby Addison's quilt is finished! I used a center medallion like I did with Avery's quilt but had to get a little funky with the lettering because the name is a little longer. I just need to sew on the label, and then it'll be hers forever. I wish I had something that either of my grandmothers had made, but I don't think either one of them sewed very much. (Neither of them drove a car, either!)

My next project is in full swing--a totally pieced quilt (gasp!) that I made from a book of patterns for jelly roll strips. I used bright noodles from a swap on the Quilting Passion forum, and it is very wild!

Who Doesn't Love Elmo?

2008-08-02T14:47:00.002-05:00

We visited our kids for a few hours today. We got to hold tiny Addison and play with Avery in her new playhouse (which was a present from Addison! I bet that helps sibling relationships.)

I also got to deliver this little top to Avery, try it on her, and get the straps adjusted. When she saw it, she said, "Mine!" It has an elasticized casing in the back and fits really cute. Wish I looked that cute in a little top and a pair of jean shorts.

Welcome to the world, Addison Rose!

2008-07-21T10:48:00.002-05:00

This grandmother is very proud to announce the birth of our new granddaughter, Addison Rose, who was born early this morning! Mother and baby are doing well, and we can't wait to meet our new angel, as well as to see the reaction of her big sister, Avery. I need to finish her quilt!

Another Guzman Applique Block

2008-07-12T12:43:00.002-05:00

Here's block 7 from Susan Guzman's BOM. (I am determined to finish this one, since I fizzled out on the last two BOMs I started!) I decided to incorporate some of my black dot print, since I realized from the picture of the first six blocks that I had only used black in one block. I'll be using it again in the next 3 or 4 blocks so it'll be distributed throughout the quilt and I'll have the option of using black in the sashing. This quilt is going to need a calming influence!

It's gotten really hot here, darn it, and even in the air-conditioned house I only want to work on applique now. Quilting or binding sounds suffocating! The one thing that will get me going, though, is working on the baby quilt for our new granddaughter #2! She is due to be born in the next week. I can hardly wait to meet her.

It's an Applique Day

2008-07-07T15:38:00.006-05:00

I continue to be delighted by the free block of the month designed by Susan Guzman. She even sends you an email when the new pattern is ready! I'm having a lot of fun using my dotted fabrics. I have one terrific fabric that provides several different sized dots. It has dots printed inside other dots! For instance, in the small picture of block 6, the center square is cut from this fabric, as well as the blue circles and the "flower" circles. Great stuff!

The second picture shows the January through June blocks. There will be 6 more, and she says she's designing a center medallion and scalloped border, too, that we can buy. I may be so sick of appliqueing circles that I decide to call it quits with the 12 blocks!

I Spy Quilt

2008-07-02T11:01:00.003-05:00

This "I Spy" quilt was really fun to make! I chose novelty fabrics that would be of interest to a boy, since the Project Linus people say that they always need quilts for boys. I can imagine a boy who has to remain in bed at the hospital playing a game with his parents using this quilt. I'd ask him, "How many blocks show something you can eat?" "How many blocks show underwater pictures?" "How many blocks show animals that you could have for pets?" "How many blocks show things that can fly?" "How many blocks show sports?" "How many blocks show something you can drive?" Hopefully, it will keep someone warm and busy!

My Beautiful Gift Quilt

2008-07-01T10:45:00.005-05:00

Look at the beautiful quilt I was given by the members of the Quilting Passion Forum! I am so honored to have this quilt, knowing the love, work, and expense that went into it. It will always be a cherished possession, and I can't wait for cold weather so I can take some naps under it!!! My deepest thanks to all who had a part in it.

Peggy organized this project and assembled the quilt top. She sent it to Debi, who quilted and bound it. Val designed and printed the label.

Here is a close shot of Debi's beautiful quilting.

Last, but not least, is a beautiful throw pillow, made from an extra block. It was made by Mara Del, a dear friend of forum member, Dorothy. Dorothy mailed it to me. (I was fortunate to meet both of them when we all visited Dallas last fall.)

Little Dresses are for Twirling!

2008-06-30T12:16:00.005-05:00

Garment sewing is just not my thing! I made my clothes for years, and the results never truly satisfied me. (Maybe it's the fact that my short body doesn't look like the drawings on the pattern envelopes!) Since I caught the quilting bug (and my case is terminal), I haven't made any garments at all.

But....God blessed me with a beautiful granddaughter who is now 2 years 4 months old. Her little sister will be born in the next few weeks. Nothing else could lure me back into garment sewing than little granddaughters!

I bought this fabric and pattern a couple of months ago, and they sat on my cutting table all that time. I became the queen of procrastination! However, when we had a request to babysit last Friday, I knew that would be my impetus to "git 'er done"! I finished the dress Thursday night, and she was twirling in it on Friday morning! What girl doesn't want to hear that she looks pretty? We loved hearing her talk about her "pwetty dwess".

Cuddly Bunny Went to the Hospital Today

2008-06-20T15:04:00.004-05:00

This guy went from a medallion to a finished quilt yesterday. I actually machine quilted it, and it wasn't too bad. The pattern is another by Sindy Rodenmayer at Fat Cat Patterns. (It may be boring to keep reading that in so many posts, but I always want to give her credit for the great patterns.) I'm glad I got it done because it's heating up here again, and my "treehouse" sewing room isn't so comfortable for sewing any more, even with the air conditioning on.

I received the yellow fabric as a donation. I know you can't tell, but the print has rabbits all over it. There was plenty of it, so I used it for the back, too, and almost used it all up. There is a lot left in the donation bag, which makes me feel pressured! I feel like I have to use it, although none of it "turns me on" the way it would if I chose it myself. Still...you can't beat free.

Bunny went to St. John's today, and the staff said he'd be on a bed this weekend. Go, bunny--make someone smile!

Four Teddy Bears

2008-06-18T09:39:00.002-05:00

This teddy bear quilt is ready to go to the hospital. The pattern is, of course, from Sindy Rodenmayer at Fat Cat Patterns. This is the second quilt I've made using the old pastels from my stash. (There is one more top from the same fabrics, but I need to do something else before I face those fabrics again!) Someone gave me a big piece of lavender gingham, so I used it for the back and binding.

We are enjoying unseasonably cool temperatures this week and loving every minute! My sewing room is upstairs and can be pretty hot in the summer, so I am taking advantage of the coolness and working up there with the window open. We have mature trees, and it's like sewing in a tree house!

Two Sweeties on Fathers' Day

2008-06-16T11:12:00.003-05:00

My DH had a Fathers' Day visit from his little angel yesterday, so I thought I'd feature these two sweeties today. (I would love to show you her beautiful smiling face, but don't have permission of her parents to show it online so I cut it out.) I love the expression on his face, though! The man turns to Silly Putty when he is around his granddaughter!

Last week they came over for DH's birthday party, and there were four rabbits chasing around in our back yard. She evidently hadn't ever seen a wild rabbit and was fascinated. She and DH sat on the grass and watched them for a long time. She would put both hands on her cheeks and her mouth made a big "O". Well, as soon as she got here yesterday, she wanted to see rabbits! They searched around all the nearby yards, even shaking the bushes, but they couldn't find a single one, even though she called out, "I love you, rabbits!"

We are such silly, crazy-in-love grandparents! And just think...we get another little angel next month!

Tagged! Getting to Know Each Other

2008-06-11T12:24:00.003-05:00

Brenda tagged me recently and gave me some questions to answer about myself. In turn, I am going to tag five people who have commented on my blog, asking you to answer these same questions on your own blogs.

Here are the rules, as stated on Brenda's blog:

Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

Now the questions:

1. What was I doing ten years ago? Oh, I remember that summer very well. For about ten years before that, I had been working in our school district's Title I program, doing one-on-one instruction in reading and language with at-risk kindergarteners, first graders, and second graders. I worked only when school was in session, thus giving me every summer off. In the fall of 1997 my son started attending a private university here in the St. Louis area. I learned that they offered full tuition benefits for the children of employees so I applied for and got a full-time secretarial job. Therefore, in June of 1998 I was working in the summer for the first time since 1973! Let's just say it was an adjustment! Also, the AC on my car wasn't working.

2. What 5 things are on my to do list for today?

Help DH cut down and bundle dead branches on trees in our yard.

Join blocks of I Spy quilt into rows and then join the rows into a top.

Hand quilt on teddy bear quilt.

Return video (The Bucket List--very good!)

Laundry

3. What snacks do I enjoy? I'm trying not to think about snacks! But since I must--I love chocolate chip cookies, Cheez-It crackers, raw veggies and the dip I make with fat-free sour cream and Lipton Vegetable Soup Mix.

4. What would I do if I was a billionaire? I would buy my husband the "hobby farm" that he has always wanted, with one normal horse for DH and two short, slow-moving horses for my daughter and me! I would make sure that it was within easy driving distance from our two granddaughters so we could introduce them to the horses and country life.

I would also research charities and donate money to the ones who used their money the most efficiently for causes that are meaningful to us.

I'd make sure that both GDs had college funds that could send them anywhere they wanted to go.

5. Where have I lived? I was born in Chicago. We moved to Calumet, Michigan, on the Upper Peninsula when I was four. When I was in first grade we moved to Centralia, Missouri, where my mother still lives. I lived in Columbia, Missouri, when I was a student at the University of Missouri. After graduation I moved to the St. Louis area and have lived in two apartments and two houses here. (I met DH here.) We have lived in our current home for 30 years! (Amazing!!)

Now...I'm going to ask Debi, Texas Jan, Myra, Jeanne, and Peggy to answer the same questions. Tag, girls, you're it now!

Designer Flipflops

2008-06-10T20:12:00.004-05:00

This isn't the first flipflop quilt I have made with this pattern--in fact, it's the third. The two previous quilts went to the hospital where I volunteer and according to the Child Life Director, they were very well received.

One day about a month ago I was looking at the ads in the Sunday paper and saw an ad for fancy flipflops. These weren't rubber shower shoes! Oh, no, they were embellished with sequins, beads, flowers, and all sorts of things. I thought--with all the novelty fabric I have, I should be able to design some very cool flipflops. So this quilt was born!

I'm almost out of the applique background--it's a sandy beach dotted with little shells. I need some more of that!

Here's the story of the last flipflop quilt I donated: A mom was in her 17-year-old daughter's room at St. John's Pediatrics floor, very distraught because the daughter had been in a car accident and was in a coma. The Child Life volunteer showed her three quilts and asked if she'd like to pick one for her daughter. She chose the flipflop quilt because her daughter lived in them all summer and had a pair to match every outfit. The mom wrapped herself in the quilt for comfort. Fortunately, the daughter awoke and her mom gave her the quilt!

With that in mind, I will happily deliver this quilt on Friday and set it free to do its good work.

Tired of Thunder!!

2008-06-06T15:54:00.003-05:00

This afternoon another big, nasty, window-rattling thunderstorm passed through the St. Louis area. Man, are we ever sick of this rain! I think I heard that we have gotten over 12 inches more rain this year than we usually do. Everything is so soggy, and when the sun does come out, the air becomes steamy. I guess by August we will be wishing it would come back--oh, no, there goes the weather alert again! (I call it "The Squawker". It's a radio tuned into the National Weather Service. I would love to bash it some nights!!) Another line of storms is headed our way tonight.

Meanwhile, another UFO has bitten the dust! If this looks familiar, it's probably because you saw it on Planet Patchwork. It was a Block of the Month series called "Galactic Twinkle". I ran out of twinkle in September of that year! While prowling through my UFOs, I found 8 blocks and the 9th one cut out but not sewn. (The brights are all Fossil Ferns.) Those blocks became this quilt for Project Linus, a quilt that I think a boy would like. There's nothing sissy about it!

Back from Branson

2008-05-27T15:10:00.006-05:00

Hmmmm....I wonder if anyone will read this, since you have all probably given up on me! We returned a couple of days ago from a vacation in Branson, Missouri, the entertainment mecca of the Midwest in the Ozark Mountains near Tablerock Lake. We went there on that particular week because the Silver Dollar City theme park was hosting their annual Bluegrass and BBQ festival. We got to enjoy 6 bluegrass groups and eat a wonderful beef brisket lunch.

When traveling I always carry a bag full of applique projects, and this trip was no exception. I finished Block 5 in Susan Guzman's free block of the month series as well as several daisy blocks for a quilt for our second granddaughter, who will be born in about two months. I'm also making flip flop blocks. They're going to be "designer flip flops" because I'm using my novelty fabrics to make each one different--animal print flip flop, western flip flop, ladybug flip flop, etc. You'll see!

Another of my favorite things on the trip was getting to see Yakov Smirnoff, the smiling guy on the left. Yakov is a comedian who immigrated from Russia at the age of 26, having little money and knowing no English. His perspective on American life from the immigrant perspective is insightful and hilarious! (He has made a darn good living with it, too!) We went back to the theater another night to be in the audience for a talk show pilot hosted by Yakov. We got to give feedback, and I really hope that his show will be picked up. It wouldn't be all comedy. Two years ago he earned a Master's degree in Psychology from Penn, and he is very interested in using it as part of the show.

Finished Some Stuff!

2008-05-05T12:27:00.003-05:00

I just finished the binding on this quilt last night during "Desperate Housewives". (Is it just me or does Justine Bateman look really old all of a sudden? Oh, well, so do I!) This quilt will go to St. John's Mercy via Project Linus. The pattern is by Sindy Rodenmayer, my favorite applique designer. I enjoyed dipping into my stash of "food fabric" to find carrots, cabbage, lettuce, and radishes for the bunny to snack on.

This is the April row from Debi's BOM. It is starting to get a little ahead of me--I didn't get finished during the month it was issued. Now I am already behind on May's row!

If you are making this quilt, would you tell me your plans for setting the rows together? Are you going to put strips of sashing between the rows or just sew the rows together? (I was thinking that the sashing would prevent having to match up a lot of seam lines.)

Yee Haw!

2008-04-30T14:11:00.003-05:00

After getting the link for this free pattern from Debi on the Quilting Passion forum, I knew exactly which fabrics I would use to make it. I've been looking for just the right way to use some cowboy fabrics since buying them on the shop hop day of the DFW Gang's get-together in Dallas last fall.

It's an easy pattern, and I want to use it again. After quilting it, I want to donate it in memory of Jan Jackson to the Texas Project Linus chapter in her area. Jan and I were shopping together when I bought two of these fabrics, and I think a little cowboy in Texas would like it, especially since one of the fabrics has the word "Texas" all over it! (That fabric was a gift from our hostess, Debi.)

It also reminds me of all the cowboys I did not see in Texas!! LOL

Funky Fish for Project Linus

2008-04-24T09:16:00.003-05:00

Here's my most recent quilt made from Sindy Rodenmayer's patterns. I'll be donating it to Project Linus in memory of Jan Jackson, a quilting buddy from the Quilting Passion Forum.

The two turquoise fabrics have an interesting story. In 2002 the public relations guy at the university where I worked asked me if he could do a little story and picture in the employee newsletter about the PL quilts I was making and donating. After publishing it there, he decided to send it as a news release to the local community journal paper. They published it on the front page.

A retiring fabric salesman (who represented the Alexander Henry line) saw the article and called the university, asking for me. He offered me his sample books! These are pretty good-sized pieces of fabric, showing all the colorways. When I tore apart all of the sample books, I had a pile of fabric pieces about 3 feet high and 4 feet wide!

About half of these fabrics were inappropriate for children's quilts. Many were dark florals. I posted about my good fortune on the QP forum, and a woman from Hawaii answered, saying that she collected those dark florals! She owned a quilt fabric shop and offered me a trade for new fabric! What a deal! I packed up a huge box, which cost me over $50 to mail to Hawaii, and she let me choose an equivalent weight in fabric from her website. The two turquoise fabrics in the above quilt were part of that deal. Amazing!! I got fabrics I could use for Project Linus, as the salesman had intended. (An additional note: I got $25 of the postage by making a talk about PL to a civic group. They also gave me thread and fabric!) I have received so many blessings through Project Linus work.

Mail Call! Fabric for Granddaughter's Quilt

2008-04-22T12:27:00.004-05:00

The mail carrier just brought me my order of Country Essentials Spring fabrics from Connecting Threads. I'm really excited to get this because tiny granddaughter #2 is going to be born in three months! The fabrics shown are (from left): the backing, the outer border, the inner border, applique backgrounds, and assorted fabrics for 9-patches. (The colors are much truer on their website.) The bundle in plastic is a jelly roll of every fabric in the collection. My first jelly roll! I plan to use some of the strips in the jelly roll to add variety to the 9-patches--it has to be scrappy, or it wouldn't be from this Nana.

The plan is to make an applique center, set on point, with the baby's name, and then surround it with alternating 9-patches and daisy appliques. It will be similar to DGD #1's quilt, but with a different color scheme. I used butterflies for that one rather than the daisies.

DS told me the name they are planning to use, but I won't sew it on the block until she is born and officially named, in case they change their minds! I love the name and hope they don't decide on something else.

In case you were wondering, these fabrics are very nice quality IMHO for $5.96 a yard. I really had my doubts, considering the price, but they are good stuff. (No connection with the company, just a satisfied customer. I also didn't have to pay shipping because my order was over $50.)

More Kitchen and SuzGuz4

2008-04-20T13:54:00.005-05:00

This week I made Block 4 from Susan Guzman's 2008 BOM series, and here it is. I've been told that it appears to be looking at you, and I now realize that it does look like it has nine eyeballs on it. Oh, well, I'm not doing it again! It will only be one of twelve blocks.

Here's the final side of the kitchen that you haven't seen yet. There are a few crumbs on the table, but you can't see that, right? I used to have small quilts hanging on that wall, but they just didn't fit with the new look. I plan to make a table runner soon. We can't have this room going "quiltless"!

The Kitchen is Finished!

2008-04-15T16:09:00.005-05:00

As promised, here are some pictures of our finished kitchen "spruce up". I can't call it a remodel because we didn't change the cabinets or floor. However, we are very pleased with our new counters, back splash, wall color, and valances.

I am most proud of this part of the room. (It's directly opposite the sink wall.) We used to have double ovens on this wall. My dear husband did all the carpentry work to make the platter rack, microwave shelf, and storage drawer in their place, as well as installing our new oven. I think he's amazing!

That's the pantry on the right. The opening to the dining room is on the left.

Here is my new desk area, with its new counter top and tile. Now it's my job to keep from piling up any junk on the desk--very challenging!

In my next post, I'll turn the camera another way and show the table and far wall of the kitchen. (First, I have to clean all the mail off the table!)

What's on your wall?

2008-04-11T14:34:00.003-05:00

There's a place on the wall at the top of the stairs where I hang seasonal quilts. Here's the one that is hanging there now. It was made from a Country Threads pattern, but if I remember correctly, I didn't make the whole pattern, just selected the elements I liked best. Actually, it should have some squirrels on it, because our back yard is full of those little frolicking critters this week. I think young squirrels' fancies have turned to thoughts of love!

What's on your wall?

Big Teddy--for Jan J

2008-04-07T22:07:00.003-05:00

Wouldn't you just love to hug this big guy? Hopefully, that is what some sick child will do, and it will make her feel a little better.

(The bear design is by Sindy Rodemayer at www.fatcatpatterns.com The border is part of my effort to beat my stash into submission. Some of these prints are from the 1980's!)

The members of Quilting Passion Forum have been grieving recently because of the loss of a dear member, Jan Jackson of Texas. I just met her in person last December, at which time she seemed quite well. and I really enjoyed the time I got to spend with her. Her illness was short but devastating. Our forum is making and donating quilts to Project Linus in her memory, and this is one of them. He is going to the hospital with me on Friday to do his good work. I think Jan would like that.

Are you Left Brained or Right Brained?

2008-03-29T16:35:00.005-05:00

You Are 65% Left Brained, 35% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning.
Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.
If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic.
Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet.

The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility.
Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way.
If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art.
Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

http://www.blogthings.com/areyourightorleftbrainedquiz/">Are You Right or Left Brained?

Two posts in one day! Amazing!

When I was taking the personality quiz that ends my blog page, I saw this one about left brain vs. right brain. (In case you can't read the results at the top, it said I am 65% left-brained and 35% right-brained.) I was pretty sure I knew what I was from taking previous inventories and also because I have become very aware of my learning style. I've also worked in some jobs that would be intolerable to a totally right-brained person! However, I was happy to see that this quiz gave me credit for some right brain function! I give quilting the credit for helping me expand my creativity and helping me to see things in pictures as well as words.

Why don't you take this quiz and post the results on your blog. If you do, would you post a comment to tell me you've done that?

Quilt Show Loot

2008-03-29T16:20:00.003-05:00

It's not a big haul, but I'm happy. I went to the Bits 'n Pieces Guild's show today at Queeny Park in St. Louis County. It was a really good show this year, and they had almost all the vendors I wanted to see. (Last year That Thread Shop was there, and I got Aurifil thread, but they weren't there today.) I was invited to attend the next guild meeting, and I think I will probably go. As much as I love my internet buddies, I need some local quiting friends, too.

One of the features of the show was a group of quilts all made from the same pattern, one I bought in Dallas. It's called "Enchanted Autumn", and seeing those quilts inspired me to think about actually making that pattern. LOL

I had been thinking about the Nancy Halvorsen book and was happy to get it at a discount today. I'd like to do the Hearts Entwined table runner and maybe the tote bag. It's darling but really huge (22 x 18 x 10!) I got the bag pattern, "My Mom and Me" by This & That, two yellow fat quarters at only $1.25 apiece, quilt labels, and a cute stencil of a star and smiling crescent moon.

On a side note, I saw a personality test on Debi's blog and decided to take the test myself. The results are posted way down at the bottom of my blog. I'm a Type B+, they say. Debi is a Type A. I guess that makes me a lot like Debi, only with a lower energy level! I wish she could give me a transfusion!!

Row 3 of Debi's Roosting Robin Row by Row

2008-03-27T17:24:00.003-05:00

I finally finished Row 3 of Debi's Roosting Round Robin Row by Row mystery quilt. This block is called "Carrie Nation". I call it "the block with too many pieces"! LOL Just what you would expect from an applique fiend!

I haven't purchased any fabric for this quilt and don't intend to do so. My goal was to make a little dent in my stash, primarly the plaids. (I had more plaids than any human needs.) Actually, I am going through them faster than I had anticipated, so I may have to go stash diving for more complementary fabrics.

Many of my plaids were also used recently in a brick pattern scrap quilt for my DD's job coach. She presented it to him today and said, "He didn't cry, Mom, but his eyes looked very wet." He just called to thank me profusely. I wish I had remembered to photograph that quilt!

Back to the row by row--here are my first three rows. This quilt is just not photographing well! It looks so much prettier in person, and the difference between the two light backgrounds I am using doesn't seem as great. I wish you could really see all the pretty plaids I am using, but they just don't show up. As you can see, I set the third row kind of differently. I kind of liked the zigzag effect, especially since the first row also has this look. At least I finished before the end of March and can't wait to see what Debi has in store for April!

Lots of Sewing, Not Much Blogging

2008-03-26T11:43:00.004-05:00

Lots of sewing going on here--obviously not much blogging! I got sick of looking at piles in my sewing room and decided to put my head down and finish some stuff!

Here's a set of spiral flower blocks that I hand appliqued. I wish I could credit someone for the pattern, but I've used it many times and the templates are in the bag with all of my other frequently-used templates. I have no specific plans for these blocks--just wanted to make them! I have a drawer full of blocks like that. :>( Those that know me will remember that I like to applique much more than I like to piece!

Here's another Bob the Builder quilt for Project Linus. It's the third I have made from fabrics given to me by Barb V. on the Quilting Passion Forum. I've always had a thing for Bob, and I think it's because he reminds me of my DH! I hope little boys still like Bob!

The plaid brick quilt that I started a couple of months ago is in the dryer and will go to its deserving recipient tomorrow when DD goes to her volunteer job. (Her job coach is the recipient.)

My generous friend, Debi, is celebrating her birthday by posting a giveaway on her blog, Quilting with Debi. Post a comment on her blog to register!