Yee Haw!

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

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

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

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!

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?

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

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.