Group 1 Red/White/Blue Swap

Friendship Star 12 inch block.

Group 4 Pink/Green/White Swap

Here's the block everyone will be making who is in Kathleens Group 4 swap. It's just your basic Shoofly. I hope the group likes it.

WooHoo!!

I found this email in my box this morning. Thanks Jennifer!

SCORE! Hey -- after we talked, I hit the Quiltmaker Magazine JACKPOT at the Elmhurst Public Library today!!!!!! (see attached photo)They had them in the sale room for 25cents each. I grabbed ALL of them! They are issues from 2004 and 2006. (Strangely, there isn't a single issue from 2005. I wonder if someone got to those before me.) Anyway, there are 16 issues here...hopefully they'll have plenty of inspiration for you.

Baby Greta

Another friend and co-worker had a baby last week. This is baby Greta with big sister Kendall all snuggled up under their new purple quilt. Sweet.

better late then never....

.....Happy Birthday, Penny! Hope you had a good one!

WIP Quilt for Baby S

Step 1: Baby S's mom (aka Jennifer) says, "I want a baby quilt for my new baby and this is what I want it to look like."

Step 2: Agree to step one and make a plan.

Step 3: Pull fabrics from stash. Make sure Baby S's mom approves. She does.

Step 4: Cut fabric into 6 inch squares. Cut extra to make a donation quilt as well.



Step 5: Lay out squares in a pleasing manner and again make sure Baby S's mom approves. She does. (See comment.)



....to be continued....

Special Post for Auntie Col

Yes, Auntie Col, I'm still on the 30 minute thing (its only day 3, so I'm still going strong!) Altho...it only applies first thing in the morning. To be more specific, the rule states the following: 30 mins 1st thing in morning then sewing for at least an hour.....then I can peek back at the Internet..... but by then, I'm usually caught up in a project so I keep sewing and forget about the dumb Internet....sometimes. Anyway....I only have 12 minutes left so I gotta go!

Baby Computer Bunting

Well, the computer jacket ended up looking like baby bunting but its not too bad. It does the job. I probably should have found a pattern to follow. I still need to put a closure on the flap so the cords don't fall out.
(I did think I was rather ingenious by making the pocket for the cords;)

Time Flies......

.....really, really fast in the morning. Morning time is my most productive time of the day. Unfortunately, if I'm not careful...which I'm usually not, I'll spend and hour or an hour and a half (or more)on the Internet fooling around.....looking at blogs...searching for clock images .....wasting time on Facebook....I'm sure you all know what I mean. I love the Internet (Hi, my name is Karen and I'm an Internetaholic.....(note to self....must find Internet 12 step program) but I should be sewing at this time!! AANNNYYYWWAAAYY....I made another (very loose) NY's resolution. 30 minutes. THAT'S IT. I get 30 minutes to do whatever on the Internet, then its off to craft. I can Internet other times of the day when I'm not so productive...like after 12p. That is all. I've already exceeded my time limit be 6 minutes.

Merry Xmas to me!

I've been working a lot the last few months including Christmas Eve and New Years Day so I decided to get myself a little something and here she is! Oh, she's so cute! I love her ...she's so tiny and petite and weighs less then five pounds. I just want to bring her everywhere with me...and I shall! She needs to be fed often...about every 2 hours but then she's ready to go! I can't wait to show her off to friends and family! I haven't decided on a name yet....any suggestions? Chuck likes her too, so she's here to stay! I'm going to make a little jacket for her today so she stays toasty warm on these freezing winter days.

Ain't she a beaut!

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For her little jacket, I drew a simple pattern......

...and picked some fabric.

Hopefully I'll have that to show you in the next couple days.

Birdies...tweet, tweet

I was going to make a bunch of these into xmas ornaments and give them out as xmas gifts but when one start making them around the 23rd of December one finds one can't get many done......oh well, next year. Actually, these would be cute as birthday present toppers.

2009 Finished Quilts & Projects

Vintage (and some not) Linen Collection

....all from thrift stores. I need more ;)

Hard at Work

This is what I look like when I'm at work. I got the empathetic look down pat.

Altho, its not hard to look empathetic as all my mama's work so very hard. This is my friend from work....who really is working hard. She'll tell you it was all worth it in the end!

Have a Happy (and Quilty) New Year!!!

...I'm off to catch a New Year's day baby!! It's going to be a great year!

Kiddie Christmas cards

I only got a few xmas pics this year. I love getting these pics of family and friends at the end of the year. Thanks to everyone who sent one.

Neck Warmer

.....SCORE!!!!!

So there I was at my favorite thrift store in the world when I saw it. Unfortunately, so did another lady. And she wouldn't move away from it. So I milled about looking at other people's castoffs but keeping a close eye on it and her. I tried not to look at her or it. Telepathically I was sending her messages like,"....hey lady, that's mine"and "Move away quickly so no one gets hurt". I don't think she heard me. Next thing you know she's calling her husband over. Uh oh. With my heart pounding hard and beads of sweat slipping down the side of my face, I watched the lady ask her husband if she should get it. Well....well....he's looking at it, he's touching it, then.........he's shaking his head. Woo Hoo!!! Slowly they walk away. I wait til they are a good ten feet away and I SWOOP in and grab it. Yes!! Mine!! Mine!! I plug 'er in and set 'er up...step on the gas and puuuuurrrrrrrr she goes. Beautiful!

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She's clearly brand new.Except for the grease marks from where the store wrote the price on it, it seems perfect. It looks like someone tried to use it but broke the needle. I opened up the storage box and found all the attachments plus new needles.I replaced the needle, threaded her up, grabbed some fabric that I was going to buy and.......she runs like a dream. Pretty quiet, too. I looked it up on the internet and she usually runs about $130.00 brand new. I've wanted to get a basic machine to have just in case the one I'm using now gives me trouble. Also, I was thinking I would set up a dedicated machine just for quilting. The only thing she's missing is the box she came in and the manual. This was a big purchase from the thrift store. The cost? $24.00. Not bad!

No Sew Block Swap

Auntie Kath is hostessing a 'No Sew Block Swap'. Jump over to her blog, Welcome to my world, and check it out. Fun times! Woo Hoo! Let the New Year begin! I gotta get more coffee....

Quilts I'd like to (almost) finish in 2009 ...UPDATE 2010

#1 was started back in July in South Haven. The top is done. It needs a back. It needs quilting. It needs binding.
#2 is a xmas quilt. I started quilting this with the Flynn quilt frame and its almost done. I stopped using the frame because I got so frustrated with it. It was my first time freestlye quilting and it looks horrendous. oh well.I'll finish quilting it without the frame. Needs binding.
#3 is the Scraps, 2009 quilt. The rows need to be sewn together and it needs a back. and binding. and quilting.
#4 has a lot of work left to be done. It won't be finished in 2009. Guaranteed.
#5 is a wall hanging. Needs a back . Needs to be quilted. Needs binding.

Numbers 1 and 3 are going to be sent to Auntie Kath for professional quilting....hopefully by Tuesday. (to be worked on in 2010)

Of course I realize none of these will be totally complete in 2009, but they'll be close! I'm going to try not to start anything new 'til these are done or out the door for quilting. Amen.

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UPDATE:Jan 1, 2010

....yeah....nothing got finished...work, life and being under the weather put a halt to everything.