Almost .................

TGIF already!  Chores finished and lots of sewing accomplished last night and this afternoon. 

Remember those two quilts I told you I was working on to give away as gifts?  Well, here you can see I am almost near the finish line.

I still have to place one more border of unbleached muslin around the plaid border just to give it a bit of quiet, you know tone it done a tad. Then it will be ready to sandwich and quilt!

©2012

Then this one, the one I fashioned after a pattern by Kaffe Fassett and Liza Prior in 2003 named Plaids Squared.  This however is where the adaptation of their combined pattern differs.

I have used brights and will border it with signature flying geese blocks.  I have the flying geese all made, just waiting for the last to be returned as these are being signed, after all this is a gift.

So, what do you think about my patchwork?  I think as gifts their fairly acceptable?

Thank you for coming by and sharing some of your time with me, it is nice to know there are people out there still interested in what I might be up to or have to say.  

Did you find time to visit the Sea Odyssey?  Wasn't it something awesome?

I really also would love to hear from those who were sent Blog Hop gifts, have they arrived in your mail boxes yet?

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.  ~Danny Kaye ........................

NEW FREEBIE BOOKS

Hey Everyone!


Just got notice in my mail that more free books are being offered at Pixel Of Ink time to check it out if you'd like some new reading material. 

AWESOME FANTASY...

Hey there, I am finally up and out of my bed feeling much better than I have for the past few days and already accomplished a great deal of my chores!
I stumbled onto something so awesome, I just have to share this with you.
You have got to see this!  An event which took place in Liverpool this past week and sadly only for three days, but it was captured on film and is nicely put onto You Tube so if you don't catch it all and want to see more you can go here!   It was aptly named The Sea Odyssey!  WOW  I honestly wish I could have been a part of the crowd to witness it first hand.  Spectacular indeed!   There are many more video's to be seen on this fantastic subject so go and enjoy yourselves, it really is worth it if you haven't seen or heard of it yet!  I just love this little (no pun intended) girl's face, she looks so real!!!
I was catching up on some of my favorite bloggers and found this interesting article at Me and My Sister Designs titled "Decorating With Quilts".  What a nifty idea, and her quilt display wall looks so comfy, don't you think?  Now all I would have to do is to find an appropriate space where I could manage to display some of my quilts in this manner.  It sort of reminds me of a comfortable farm house type of display. 
Natalia, a blogger from Bulgeria makes and creates tiny creatures from fabrics, chickens, ducks and geese and her little meeces (mice)  I just love her mice, cause their cute and not real and I don't have to hunt them cause they live in Bulgeria!  
By the way, did anyone find any information on that White Selec-Tronic sewing machine I was telling you all about?  I keep searching but still have found nothing....
Thank you for your patience with me, I have been rather slow in posting these past two weeks, but I promise I will catch up. 
Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.  ~Author Unknown..................................

Time Well Spent.................

Have you missed me?  I have missed you!

It has been a full week to say the very least.  
Last Wednesday it began with a meeting with liaison officer from our Legion to see if we could obtain funds from the Veterans Affairs to assist with costs of lawn care, snow removal and window cleaning, but, as it stands, the answer is positively a huge NO!.  
Thursday the Stitch 'N' Chat both afternoon and evening sessions, at least two women came, one in the afternoon and one in the evening.  It will take some time for the club to catch on, but it is so worth it, don't you think?  
I managed to sew to my hearts content without being interrupted so my quilt blocks are really coming along!

For some reason I am not happy with how these look together without a cohesive sashing, what do you think?  I still have another 10 blocks to make.
Should I sash the blocks or leave them alone as they are?  
A border of flying geese signature blocks will surround them, with a tiny inside floating border to separate the larger blocks from the border and with all of these brights shouting at one another I simply am not certain.  These are so out of my comfort zone. 
Friday was total house cleaning day!  Dusting, vacuuming and washing of all the floors in the main level, as I wanted it to look nice for my mothers' birthday on Saturday.  Around here I am known as the "Last resort" if someone needs help.  With me volunteering everywhere you need to see if I have any time left to help out in an emergency!  LOL.... Well Friday evening as the Last resort I got the call and did the 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. shift over at the retirement residence! 
Saturday morning after an hours kip (sleep) I was scheduled to work for the neighbor across the street looking after her mum while they were away for the weekend.  Saturday being my mothers birthday I shuttled a friend of my mothers from her place to ours so that she could spend some time celebrating with mother. Then back across the street until her niece came to stay the night with her Aunt.  Saturday evening I had already promised to take tickets at the door for a Thank you dance being put on by the Frost Fest Committee.  I can honestly say I slept well Saturday evening after arriving home from the dance!!
Sunday, I did my day with my neighbors mum until after her supper when her daughter arrived home.  
The only sewing I found time for was on Thursday at Stitch 'N' Chat.  
I was given an old sewing machine, a White "Selectronic"!  

It was given in hopes that the group at Stitch 'N' Chat might make some use of it.  This is the cover of the manual that was provided with the sewing machine.  Can you see the picture of the machine on it?
Have any of you every seen or used this type of sewing machine.  I cannot find any information on it at all, other than Husqvarna Viking took over the company many, many years ago.  I am guessing it was manufactured int he 50's, but I cannot be certain.  
I haven't had time to check it out and play with it yet, though the owners' DH says it works!  To bring it upstairs in its portable carry case is a chore as it is so heavy the case is made from solid wood and the machine is all metal. I am going to wait until I am physically well rested before attempting to carry it up the stairs to the sewing room.
SEW the past week while crammed filled with activity was very well spent, don't you think?
Here it is Monday again and I awoke this morning to find snow outside with huge white fluffies falling from the sky - S N O W !!!!!!!!!! Yuck!   My goodness it is almost May and it is snowing!
So ladies, have all of my St. Patrick's' Day gifts arrived at their destinations?  They should have all arrived at your mail boxes by now surely?
You can reach me by e-mail at the address contained within my profile page, so please do let me know!
Thanks you for stopping in to visit with me today and allowing me to bend your ear about my week.  Hopefully some of you know of this White Sewing machine I am asking about and will leave me some information about it.


How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then to rest afterward.  ~Spanish Proverb 

SHOULD HAVE BUT DIDN'T......

The Lions International Clubs 38th annual District Convention was held this past weekend and once again I was a participant.  To do that I had to drive from here to our nations' capital, Ottawa.  In anticipation of the drive, I decided that if I left nice and early I could take a detour and meander through some of the towns in eastern Ontario I have never visited before and take in some of the sights before arriving at my destination. 
Each convention year I invite my friend Liz to come along and keep me company which she did.  I was also supposed to take my friends car to give it a good run, but with idea of just meandering I didn't think it fair to put all those extra kilometers on his car, so instead we took my van, which somehow ended up being crammed lots of "stuff" we just had to take along with us!  LOL 
Not only did we want to meander around Eastern Ontario, but also we wanted to purchase some specially Ontario grown rose bushes which are hardy and absolutely beautiful. 
I chose the towns of Smith Falls  which has, according to its web site three museums, being
1. The Heritage House Museum, 
2. The Rideau Canal Museum  ; and   
3. The Railway Museum  all of which will be once again attracting visitors when they open for business on our Victoria Day celebrations.

Then too there is the Town of Beckwith I thought might be of interest to explore.  Now if I had been clever before leaving the house I should have printed off the driving directions before heading out, which I could have used to find some of the Seven Wonders of Lanark County.  Carelessly thinking that these would all be in and close to the Town of Beckwith I decided I could just drive around and find them, but I never did, why, because these are not all in and directly around the Town itself, but in the County. I really should have printed out those driving directions because

I really would have loved to have seen the Five Stone Span Bridge 

and the

St. Peter Celestine Church.  However these will still be there for another  road trip and I will make certain I print off the driving directions. 

One direction I did take which turned out to be leading me nowhere led me down a dirt side road and once I decided it would not be leading me to any one of the 7 wonders, I decided it was time to backtrack and get back on the highway heading up to Ottawa. 

Once I found a place to make a turn around, this is what I discovered.

Isn't he magnificent?  I just had to stop and capture him on film.  Out there in the middle of almost nowhere, there he is standing ramrod straight in his glory ever watching. 

Then just up from where I spotted The Watcher, I spied this wonderful old log house which might at one time been a cabin....not sure, just guessing at that, however it was interesting enough to grab with my camera.

Even not finding one of the 7 wonders, I at least found the Watcher in the wilds, and I found this lovely log house to share with you.  I saw and heard many wonderful song birds which made the driving off route just as worthwhile. 

After driving around for another 1/2 hour and not finding what it was I wanted Liz and myself to see as tourists, it was time to head on into the City of Ottawa and check into the hotel where our Lions Convention was being hosted. 

After the convention ended on Sunday, we decided to go and have something delicious to eat.  We tried the Keg, but because we didn't have reservations we could not be seated.  Then we found the Lone Star Texas Grill...a very crowded family oriented steak house, with lots and lots of Bronco Billy Birthdays on the go with the birthday guest being seated on a portable horse with saddle and wearing a giant 10 gallon felt cowboy hat, the people all around sang a very loud and boisterous Happy Birthday!!!!  Because I really wanted to eat a STEAK we decided to stay and make the best of the noise which truthfully was ear splitting, but the meal was absolutely delicious and worth sitting through the noise to eat and before we finished our meal the noise levels abated a bit, all in all I really enjoyed the food.  

After the convention we went looking for Mark of Galeta Nursuries who grows only hardy roses for zone 4 in Ontario.  Mark grows 75 varieties of hardy roses.  When we found Mark he told us he was busy getting some of his over 9,000 bushes ready for opening in May. Phew, that was tiring just to listen to.
After we left Mark in search of the Antrim Truck Stop (a place friends said we should try to stop and have a meal at).  Finding it was easy and the place itself should be set up as a tourist destination, why, because it not only looks after truckers, but serves wonderful food, has its own bakery and a gift shop that is verrrrry interesting, and supports our Canadian Troops, quite the destination!  So if ever you are up near Arnprior, Ontario seek out the Antirm Truck Stop and treat yourself, you won't regret the stop.   
While heading for the nursery, we discovered this little church at the side of a road and which I found so interesting.  I just had to take it's photo.  It is named St. John's but I cannot remember whether it was and Anglican or a United Church and sadly I haven't found it on the internet.

The weather was sunny and bright when we left Ottawa but we were to expect the possibility of a thunder storm.  While stopped to take this picture I could also see the changes in the clouds above and soon rain was hitting the windshield. 

While I didn't find what I had set out see I found other interests which tugged at  my heart and these are best defined as the Blessings that were given to me while Liz and I meandered.  Sometimes your led astray to find a blessing you'd never have found otherwise, don't you think?
I realize I have not posted for the last several days, but was enjoying the convention highlights and meeting new friends and catching up with others I hadn't seen since last convention.  

To the Winners of the St. Patricks' Day Blog Hop would you please let me know if your little pressies arrived?  Cindy, a friend is driving to Minnesota on Wednesday from here and will mail your charm pack and bag when she arrives at her destination there, so it will not be too much longer before you receive it, but please let me know when it arrives. 

That is it for today folks, thank you so very much for stopping in and sharing some of your precious time with me.  I hope your day is a very good day.

Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out.  ~Art Linkletter

Bonnie's "What's On Your Bed" Linky Party!!!!

Good Morning, did you sleep well?

I am slowly catching up with my Blog reading.  I always read other bloggers because they are always so interesting and I learn from them.  
This morning I was reminded that  Bonnie Hunters' "Whats On Your Bed" Linky Party. is going on.
Bonnie always gives her readers something new to think about and this idea of changing out her quilts when she changes the bed linens is such a fantastic idea, if for no other reason than to give each quilt equal time to shine....how special is that?  

Thought I may as well join in and share some of the quilts I have made, 
**however my link cannot remain on Bonni'e Linky Party Blog,  because the actual post as several others are missing  which happened when we had Blog problems with Blogger**** so it is only here you will see them. 
Sadly though not all lay about on my bed because most have been given away and no longer live here  with me.  

In 2006 I made a Bear Paw patterned quilt using Kona Black with a sweet calico print in cream with tiny pool playing crickets as the print.  It measures 120" X 120" and I had to have it professionally quilted because I simply wasn't qualified enough to try quilting it on my own sewing machine.  Thought there are quilters out there who have done quilting on such a huge sized quilt using their own sewing machine.

I made this quilt for my son and his bride to be in 3 months.  Sadly, because of their divorce, I now have it back in my possession again.  It made its way out of the wrappings, onto the bed for pictures, and never saw the light of day after that moment...

I decided it needed pillow shams and for those I fashioned one giant paw as the focal point in the pillows because there simply was no time left before the wedding.  

The above quilt was made using a pattern bearing the name of Chicken Feed by Shelby Morris in a McCall's Quilting magazine from August 1999 edition.   I changed the quilts dimensions and called it "Swimming Upstream".  This quilt was also made made in 2006 and professionally quilted by a dear friend Kris Bowyer from Pennsylvania.  She designed quilting patterns of fish in water and waves to match the themed border of Japanese Coy and it turned out so very pretty.  This quilt measured 50" X 72" and was made for my nephew and his wife on the occasion of their wedding, a week before my sons' first wedding day.   I loved what Kris did for my quilt, she made it look fabulous!

I just bet you all have managed to keep pictures of your beautiful quilts, why not join Bonnie's Linky Party and add your own and share these with us?  It would be such fun and who knows who you may influence?
IF you would like to share your quilts but are not a blogger, then please send them to me and I will share these on this blog for you!!!  
I revamped my public profile awhile back and inside there is an e-mail address for me which you may use at any time, and if that route won't do for you, leave me a comment and I promise to get right back to you, my friends and readers are so important to me. 


Thank you for taking time from your activities to visit with me today, I do hope you will share some of your quilts with everyone.  


If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.  ~Betty Reese

HURRY - 5 FREE BOOKS OFFERED

I sometimes get notices of free kindle books, well I do not have a kindle but I have kindle for PC so I go looking to see what I can get, today there are 5 freebies being offered.....go, take a look for yourself, possibly you'll enjoy one or more of these luscious reads.   They, being PIXEL of INK offer freebies every Tuesday - check it out for yourselves...
Here is the one I chose....mmmmmmmmmm a new mystery

LOOK I forgot this one now you all know I can make good use of the information in this book, I think I will keep this one....

Cheers

TUCKERED OUT

Good Tuesday Everyone!
I know I have been missing lately, mia culpa, just haven't had the time to come sit in front of the computer and when bed time finally rolled into view I just had to inspect the pillows.  
Last night I was so tired I fell asleep in my full Lions uniform on and woke during the middle of the black and rainy night cold and sore from where one or more of those pins we Lion Members always seem to have fastened onto our vest was digging into me...LOL  Finally I forced myself to get up, get undressed and literally fall back into bed.  I used to be able to work hard all day long and sew into the wee hours of the morning, but, this getting older took that ability away from me!  Why is it our brains consider ourselves not to be changed from our youthfulness but the physicality of aging robs us?
Gardening can sure make you tired and I was exhausted from all of the physical exertion, sitting in front of the sewing machine or this computer leaves lots to be desired in the exercise department..
The tiny bit of sewing I have been doing is making more of those little sack, you remember, the ones I made for the last Blog Hop as wrappers for the gifts?  That is the extent of my sewing these past many days.  What better way to use up some of the larger scraps that I have?  These take an hour from fabric grab, cutting and completing, so at least I get my sewing fix in as well as some more stash reduction.

These are but a few I have made from my scraps, I am certain there are hundreds more in that section I could make.  Now I have started quilting the bodies of the bags just to give this little article a different look.  These are fun and fast so I am into these when I am physically tuckered out but mentally I still want to do something.  
Do you have such a small project you enjoy making when a larger UFO sits waiting?
I have been giving FREE another look again and once more found something at the Quiltville's Quips & Snips .  Bonnie is so talented and so fast I can never even begin to keep up with her.   I love Bonnie's daily blog posts as well as her web site as a whole.  Bonnie's generosity in sharing her patterns fire me up and I really want to make everything.  Of course that just isn't practical for me because I already have too many UFO's!
You know the scent of fresh baked bread?  The moment your nose gets a whiff of it, you just have to have a warmed slice with fresh butter or jam on it, well that is what Bonnie's site does to my eyes!  I just have to keep exploring and learning from her.  This time it was the pattern for Storytime Stars 

that has me wanting to audition my stash to make this wonderful quilt.  
My Second most favored site is always Scrap Quilts, and here to at this site you can learn all types of interesting skills and how to's.    Needless to say Janet Wickell is a great teacher and also so willing to share and teach and this is exactly what she does at Scrap Quilts.  
Having always been on a tight budget I could never afford to take classes and gradually over the years what little I do know or can accomplish I learned from great women as Bonnie and Janet and Mary Ellen Hopkins and Eleanor Burns.  So who was/is the quilters or person that inspired you in learning a new quilting skill or inspired you to stretch yourself?

DO you have a favorite site that keeps pulling you back time and time again?  A favorite quilt teacher or mentor?  
I would be interested to hear from you as to who the inspirational quilter is in your quilting life.
*****Since I have not heard from the two winners for the Charm pack and the 1/4" Marker from the last Blog Hop I have chosen through the randomizer two new winners, the first for the charm pack is CINDY from Quilt Doodle Doodles whose snail mail addy I already have as I contacted her yesterday!  
The winner of the Quilters' Quarter Marker is KAREN PROPES.  Karen I sent you an e-mail and will await your snail mail addy to send this little gift out to you. 
Thank you all for stopping by to visit with me today, I sincerely hope that spring is in the air where you live and that the sun is shining!  If the sun isn't shining outside, let it shine from within. 
No yesterdays are ever wasted for those who give themselves to today.  ~Brendan Francis

Sharing Fiber Art................

As many of you may remember the person responsible for my having become a quilter stems from my best friend who lives in Holland.  She's quite the  perfectionist when it comes to making and completing her quilts.
Seeing as my dear friend so very kindly shared some pictures with me, I thought I might also share these with you today. 
She made a piece of art from the cover pattern of Quilts Without Corners authored by Cheryl Phillips.  

Now here are but a few pictures of the Art piece my friend Els 

made from Cheryl's first book on this type of quilt art. 


 

Kudo's Els, I never would have chosen those types of fabrics to work with, and look at just how beautiful it turned out.  I could not accomplish this type of art work.  My skill doesn't allow for me being so meticulous.
I am more of a Mary Ellen Hopkins, (whom I adore), type of person. 

Mary Ellen considers herself more of a traditionalist quilter, but who discovers and teaches as many short cuts as can be had to accomplish those difficult tasks with cutting and piecing.   I remember the enjoyment of listening and learning from her on Simply Quilts those many years ago.   Mary Ellen still lectures and gives wonderful work shops, maybe some day I will get lucky and be in the right place to sign up for one of her wonderful lectures. 
Have you made this type of Art piece? 
IF you have, won't you kindly share pictures of your with us?
I noticed in searching for a picture of this Pattern Book that Cheryl Phillips has another book out as a continuation from the first set of patterns, titled "Quilts Without Corners, Encore"

I would love to see pieces you may have made from this pattern selection.  
Cheryl Phillips is a Fiber Artist and has her own line of books and tools to accomplish her amazingly cut pieces of art.  
I can hardly wait until Els finishes the new piece she is working on and shares the pictures with me, this one is a different pattern from the "Quilts Without Corners" book and she'll be using more greens than blues this time.... 
Thank you Els for sharing with us, it is very much appreciated, and thank you readers for stopping by and sharing your time with me, it's always fun for me and I hope interesting and sometimes funny to you!
Your thought and comments are appreciated so go ahead, leave me some!


If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies.  ~Author Unknown........................................

An Era Re-visited

Brrrrrrrr it is chilly this morning, only 35 F, but consolation is that the sun is out and hopefully the temperature will rise a titch more by lunch time. 
As I often tell  you I surf the web for items of interest to me and last night was no exception.  For my surfing I decided it was time to seek more site containing information about the Historical Quilts.  I discovered the International Quilt Study Center and Museum.  Have you ever visited this web site?  WOW what a lovely place to spend some time. Talk about Eye Candy!!!  This site exudes information about the history of quilting, not to mention the pictures of the 1,068 quilts which are represented by 16 countries.   These are quilts that have influenced our quilting of today.  In that era of long ago quilting was a necessity, can you believe it today some call it a hobby!  To me, it is a passion which I am not too good at.  LOL
Then there is this site, The Quilt Index also as informative and exciting as the previous site.  Here you can search the index by date, by style, by collection, by purpose and on and on it goes, why there is even a section on Mourning Prints in the Fabric Prints section at the bottom of the Browse page.  Informative, educational, exciting, and I bet you every block ever seen in a quilt is represented. 

There was a Symposium in Fort Scott, Kansas this year called, "Voices From The Quilts"  so the topic of Historical Pioneer and Civil War Quilts is ever popular to quilters today.
I keep saying I am a lover of the traditional quilt styles and my most favorite are the two color quilts, these I find striking and really show off the actual quilting designs.  I spent hours at the Museum site alone, never mind how many more hours I can still spend without even going into the Quilt Index site.  Totally amazing!!!
You might also be interested in Classica (by Kay) on Twitter she decided to paste pictures of historical and classical quilts with anyone interested in these treasures.
Then another web site so very interesting called "Pioneer Quilt Patterns & The Stories Of Their Names" , which is extremely interesting!   Visions of those women making the time somehow from their chores to actually sit and make these beauties all by hand is not comprehensible  given that in our culture today we have running water, electricity, the sewing,embroidery, and quilting machinery as well as the internet.  These women quilt designers had none of any of what we take for granted in 2012, never mind the 17 and 1800's though some women were fortunate enough to have had Elias Howe invent the first of the lockstitching sewing machines!  But, can you imagine yourself living in that era? Creating those quilts we treasure so greatly today?  I know for a fact I would never have made a good pioneer, nor see myself living in those by gone days where life was hard and cruel, and there were no amenities such as we are privileged to take for granted.  When reading about those women and what they did in that day and age I often feel rather ashamed of myself and the lamentations coming from me just because I have to vacuum, or wash floors (using electrical equipment no less).  I mean really if they could complete what they did in a 16 hour day, how come I cannot compete in a week and still never accomplish what they accomplished?  Makes you stop and think doesn't it?
Lastly on my historical web surfing journeys are my visits to The Heber Valley Civil War Living History Museum site for the sheer pleasure of seeing what is being saved of the history of these quilts and the civil war times.  You may have to highlight the words on that site because it is on a very dark background, but well worth the investment of time if your at all interested in the information shared within it. 
Barbara Brackman, who in my opinion is today's' leading authority on Civil War Quilts has taken great pains and time to reintroduce others to these wonderful patterns.  This sites stimulate my immagination.   Time and again I visit these sites to enjoy the choice of colors and the block combinations of the quilts from so very long ago. 
One of these years  I am going to head on over to Hickory Hill Quilts and order some of those exquisite civil war fabrics, and then return to Barbara's site and learn how to actually make one of those wonderful quilts. 
I hope I have introduced you to some sites which you may not yet have discovered and that you enjoy the information contained on those sites.  
Time for me to get back outside and finish clearing up the yard waste, this week is filled with commitments and while I would love to sit here in front of my sewing machine, I will just have to force myself out of doors. 
Thank you for stopping in today, it is such a pleasure to have coffee with old and dear friends. 


Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.  ~Author Unknown.....................................

PRETTY BLUE...........

The sun was shining, the wind was up and it was chilly today, but, given that the weather was dry I was out all day doing some much needed clean up of the piles around the gardens that need to be taken away.  Yard waste is always a chore to clear up isn't it?  Don't the garden beds look neat and tidy?  You may remember last year all of the overgrown trees and shrubbery were cut away back or even pulled out, now I am hoping it wasn't a mistake and that the growing will begin and it won't look so bare!  Guess we shall just have to wait won't we. 

 Still lots more, but I believe you get what I am trying to explain to you.
This blue is actually what it was today, the sky, I mean,

absolutely a perfect day.  I even caught the moon in the afternoon sky.  Then just because, I decided to take some pictures from around the Bay to share with you how pretty it was. 

I see I caught Mr. Hawk out searching for his family's dinner.

Isn't our tiny Bay pretty today?
While Saturday was a happy day hearing of the birth of my great nephew, it turns out to have also been a sad day in a way, my cousin suffering from pancreatic cancer these past three years passed away.  She was just 62 and had so very much to live for.  Thank the Lord her suffering is over.  She fought the cancer for close to 5 years and finally she had no fight left in her, I am relieved as are her wonderful husband and her children to know she will no longer suffer.   Nancy fought so very hard but finally after her doctors told her there was nothing more modern medicine could do, she allowed herself to leave.  We will all miss her but are grateful she no longer has to suffer pain as she did.
It is time to give myself a rest after such a full day. 
Thank you for dropping in, I would love to hear how your day went!
If by tomorrow I do not hear from the two winners who haven't contacted me I will have Mr. Random choose two new winners and announce that on Wednesday. 
In Memory of Nancy 1950 - 2012 rest in peace.
Giving up doesn't always mean you are weak.  Sometimes it means that you are strong enough to let go.  ~Author Unknown

IT'S ALL ABOUT DESIGN

Another little person has finally made his appearance into the world yesterday!  I am great aunt to a whole new person, with his own unique personalty and character.  His name is Cameron Gregory -------, born March 31st ahead of his mum's plans, cause he was supposed to have been born on Tuesday morning next week!  Already he is proving to have his own indomitable character, he was certainly ready and wasn't going to wait for them to choose his time.  LOL  
I don't enjoy making baby gifts ahead of time until I know for certain that baby is here and all is well with the babe and his mummy.   I know, it's not a natural way to feel, but that is just me!
Seeing as he and I have yet to meet I really have no idea of how this little man is going to evolve, but the Master design seems to be a good one and I am certain this new person will turn out as terrific as his parents. 
Remember, I am not a master at anything, least of all a quilter, but I like making and giving handmade gifts.  Quickly I pulled out two pieces of flannel and have them sewn together with a binding and voila I have a receiving for the little one.  All right it isn't a quilt just a little something to welcome him into the family.  I won't be making big quilts for little people until they are at least 4 or 5.  So this little token will do for a start.  I did a fancy stitch along the binding, with the back being blue with teddy bears on it and the front being white flannel, making it a good thickness.

It needs a Teddy to go along so that he has a cuddly bear, so will place a little one to go with his blankie.


Just as babies are arriving all of the time, so it is in the quilting world!  New patterns and designs seem to be arriving all of the time.  LOL 
These designers must eat, drink and breath designing because what I see that is being presented into the marketplace today for use is terribly exciting. 
For instance one of the new blogs I follow Me and My Sister Designs has some of the cutest quilt designs I have seen in awhile.  I love the comfy feel of this blog and these gals have lots to keep me interested.  Did you know, they design quilt patterns for Moda?  I love the simplicity of their patterns, colorful, clean, crisp and easy.  Also they've been featured in ALL SMALL Magazine from American Patchwork and Quilting magazine in an article on Table Wear.... nice!
Moda has a great crew of people who design for them, with Joanna Figueroa of Fresh Figs Blog being another one of those designers. Joanna has a new book out titled WITH FABRIC & THREAD wow, again newly designed patterns to inspire us all. These selections are so cute and your imagination can really run away with endless possibilities on quilt ideas to put them into. 
Denyse Schmidt is another of those fabric and quilt designers that simply takes my breath away.  The quilts are striking in their design and color choices, and one of her new quilt patterns named "Point Me" is something I really want to try.  Its simplicity is beautiful.   Denyse also has a new book titled "Modern Quilts" and it looks intriguing.   While I consider my likes to lean towards the traditional, these new designers are quickly making me look at fabric, color and design in a whole new light.  
Finally, I love, love, love Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs!  Anne Sutton and Margaret Peters wrote Country Quilts for Friends released in 2006.  You will easily recognize Anne's patterns because their easy and fun and above all whimsical.  Lastly, Kaffe Fassett  remains my most favorite of all designers with his bursts of color and way out plain but explosive designs.  When I read, visit or see anything Fassett, my traditionalism flies out the window!
I would love to hear from some of you on who your favorite designers are and why?  These people are such a huge influence on our passion for fabric and every year more and more designers are being discovered and they in turn are teaching us all new tricks. 
Exciting isn't it.........................................?
Thank you for visiting with me today, sorry I wasn't here yesterday, but, I managed to be busier than I had planned for, things just happened and time, well, there wasn't any left over before the sandman arrived.   Take care, have a wonderful day not matter where you are or what you've planned.


Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out.  ~Art Linkletter...............................................................