Dino-Rawr

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

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

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!

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

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!

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!

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

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!

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)

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!

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!

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.