New Year's Eve Partying :-)

My church is having its annual Watchnight service on Thursday. It includes a potluck meal - every family is suppose to bring a dish to share. It usually works out that enough people bring main dishes, side dishes, and desserts. This year, I'm bringing two desserts.

First up: Chocolate Pretzel Buttons from the Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen site. They're easy to make.

Second up: More brownies! Instead of making them with peppermint, I'm going for a cookie flavor. I'm using Hershey's cookies 'n' cream candy bars for the frosting and chopped oreo cookies in place of the chopped peppermint candies. For ease of serving, I'll go ahead and put them in muffin cups like before.

Have a safe New Year's Eve and see you next year!

~QB29

Some Goals for 2010

An email group I'm on has been discussing setting resolutions or goals for the coming year. I've been thinking about them ever since I read the first email regarding the subject. Some of them are quilty, but the ones I've been thinking about today are not quilt related. So here goes ....

1. Lose 10 percent of my body weight.
2. Exercise at least 3 times a week.
3. Eat a balanced diet, with less fast food then I've been eating now.

I'm trying to keep my goals simple so that I actually have a chance of doing them without getting frustrated with one and solving that frustration by doing none :-).

I'll have more later this week, some quilty and some non-quilty.

~QB29

My newest design!

For Christmas I received fabric from 3 different people! My Aunt sent backing fabric plus three different focus fabrics. My mom gave me a charm pack, and my sister gave me a honey bun roll. I've dug into the honey bun roll and here's the design I've come up with:

The 16-patches are made up of 1" squares. The white border to each of the 16 patches are actually the white print that was in the honey bun. The sashing is also 1" wide. The cornerstones will be one of the "lighter" prints in the honey bun. The white inner border will probably have to be a white solid or tone on tone, as there is not enough in the honeybun to do a white inner border. The pink will be one of the prints, but I am ordering a couple yards for the border and binding. The quilt will finish at 39" - 43", depending on how wide I make the outer border. The minimum I'll make it is 4", but I may make it 6", depending on how it looks.

The honey bun was Mary Engelbreit's "Baskets of Flowers" for Moda.

I'll post a pic when I'm done sewing the top. I hope to finish it this weekend. I'm getting the boys tomorrow afternoon and keeping them through supper on Monday to help my sister out. Her daycare is closed all week, but she can't take the whole week off work.

My mom gave me the Critters Charm Pack from Studio E Fabrics.

I'm not sure what pattern I'll use yet.

~QB29

peppermint brownies - another view

I cut them into small rectangles and placed each in a cupcake liner for easy serving. Plus cutting them up meant know one noticed the giant hole left from taste testing one or two or four or 12 (okay, maybe it was just 2).

~QB29

Look what I made ....

Not quilty, but yummy! Peppermint Brownies :-). Bake a box mix of brownies (or your own homemade recipe) as directed. As soon as you pull it out of the oven, top with about 15 Ghiradelli dark chocolate mint filled squares. Pop back into oven about 1 minute. Spread melted chocolate over brownies. Immediately top with chopped peppermint candies (the star light mints or candy canes). Let cool and enjoy!

I'm having them for dessert tonight, but I may have to have a test taste this afternoon. I'll let you know how they are. The recipe is from the Ghiradelli site, but I substituted a box mix for the homemade mix they had.

QB29

win a $20 gift card

Rhonda over at ravelly1 is giving away a $20 gift card to her favorite store, Common Threads. If you would like to win, follow her instructions here.

~QB29

love tracking numbers....

I'm waiting on a package from Fedex. They have excellent tracking info.
At 6:06 PM on Sunday the company electronically sent the info to fedex.
The package arrived at Fedex at 6:00 AM the next morning.
That night at 10:24 PM it left the origin facility heading to another Fedex locatin.
It arrived there at 10:25 am the next morning.
At 6:12 PM it departed for the sort facility that services my area, arriving there at 8:38 PM
It arrived in my city at the local Fedex at 7:42 AM this morning and ....
at 8:36 AM was scanned while being loaded onto the "fedex vehicle for delivery"

Now if I could just GPS the truck to see where it is in my fine city, lol.

Woo hoo, it will be here today :-D.

~QB29

long overdue update

Hi there!

Here is my long overdue update. :-)

School's been working me hard. I'm in the midst of a term project, a group project, and a paper on Computer Ethics, plus lots of other fun homework :-). It's going well, though, and I'm enjoying it.

I came up to my mom's for Thanksgiving. Bubby (my older nephew) spent Wednesday and Thursday nights with us. He "helped" me make the pumpkin pie. I let him dump the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix. My mom also let him help her make break-n-bake cookies. He got to put them on the cookie sheet! He was so excited that he got to help. After we made the pumpkin pie, all day long he wanted his "pumpkin cake" that he helped make. No amount of correction got him to say pie. It was always cake, lol.

Because he was here, I did not go out this morning. I didn't trust him to stay in bed if he woke while I was gone (my mom was back in her room) and I definitely was not taking a three year-old shopping at 4 in the morning. Instead, we slept in some and hung around the house, until we left to go to ... the Fabric Shack! Bubby was really good at the store. He stayed in his stroller like a good boy. He loves to go shopping! He especially loves any fabric store.

I left my camera at the house and mom's batteries are dead, so pics will have to wait. I told myself I was not buying anything, but they had one of their sale carts outside the store and one of the fabrics caught my eye and my "no-buy" was off. I didn't get too much - less than one bagful for a change.

I'm not sure if I'll get to post again before finals week, so if not, check for me in mid-December :-).

Everyone have a great next few weeks!

~ QB29

benefits

So arriving in my work email (which I'm checking via webmail, but most people only check in office), is the "open enrollment coming up" email. It states, "Additional details are on the way in the coming weeks." Yes, weeks as in plural. Problem is, open enrollment starts in a week from Monday. Hello!! Don't we need our information BEFORE open enrollment starts???? Like, duh, that would help! Especially since our medical insurance provider is changing (back to the one we had just before the buyout), our dental insurance provider is changing (not that it matters to me - I have a cheaper plan on my own), our pharmacy benefits are changing to a new provider, and there are new eligibilty criteria for the upcoming year. So it's not like we can just elect to re-up everything we've got, since EVERYTHING is changing. Even our Flex Spend is changing - the max amount is higher now.

Timing, people, timing. It makes a world of a difference.

So once I get my packet (Monday, hopefully????), I'll have to begin the whole "provider search" to make sure my primary care plus my two specialists plus the new specialist I'm seeing the 2nd to last day on the current plan are on the new plan. If the new one is not on the plan, I'll be cancelling her in the next week or two. No sense in going to see her once and then having to turn around and do another "new patient exam" with the next one. Let's just hope this new plan doesn't have anything against allergy shots. According to the reactions I get each time, I'm nowhere near ending them yet.

~QB29

Feeling Better!

Thanks everyone who prayed! My temperature was normal today :-). Let's just pray it stays that way 24 hours. I could tell before I took it that I no longer had a low-grade fever. I've had lots of energy today and even cleaned! I mopped both bathrooms, the entry way, and the hallway. I scrubbed on my hands and knees in front of the washer/dryer and the back entry way (it needed it!). I also vacuumed the stairs and upstairs hallway and cleaned the upstairs bath. I still need to take care of laundry, but that's a never-ending tasking, and rehang the shower curtain liner - I soaked it while cleaning the bathroom.

Hope y'all are have a fantastic weekend!

~QB29

3 words:

GO BIG BLUE!!!

~qb29

The Results

Suspected H1N1 flu. Test was inconclusive, but he said it's possible they just didn't get enough germs to test it. Given my asthma history and the fact that of the 5 co-workers and 4 of their kids who have been sick in the past two weeks, at least 3 of them have test positive for the flu, so he's treating it as such. I'm on Tamiflu, my asthma meds, and as needed, Ibuprofen, unless any complications arise. Of course it goes without saying, lots of fluids and rest. I can return to the land of the living on Monday, providing there are no complications.

~QB29

Fever

My fever was 101.2F when I got home from work today. I didn't realize it was that high! I'd been having chills since after lunch and have been wheezing most of the day. I'm doing a breathing treatment now and then heading to the local walk-in clinic. If it's the flu, I really hope they give me Tamiflu. With asthma, I can't afford any complications. A little ol' sinus infection caused me weeks (maybe months, I lost track) of flareups last year. I don't need any of that this year!

Keep me in your prayers. I'll update later tonight or in the morning.

~QB29

Friendship Bag Swap

Remember the cute green and pink little bag I blogged about a few posts back? Well, here's the cutie that I received in the swap. Jenn at Frugal Front Porch made mine. She also included a handmade Christmas ornament and a cute key chain and some other goodies. Didn't she do a great job? I love the colors of the bag.



~QB29

Pink Baby Quilt Finished!

Picture's not the greatest, but it's finished. Except for the label, lol. I just had to call and check the spelling of the name. Done before the baby shower for a change, though not before the baby's birth. The baby was a preemie and is still in the hospital. They are anticipating she'll go home beginning of November. Our church is hosting a baby shower on the 22nd for the mom. The family had just joined our church when the mom began having complications. The baby was delivered a few weeks later. I machine stitched the binding, but I definitely need practice. I followed the directions that came in a magazine this month - I think the AQS magazine.

~QB29

Finally getting to sew some!

Guess what? I got to sew this week. I made not one thing, but two. First up is a little friendship bag. I participated in an online swap and made this for my partner. Mine came Thursday; I'll post a pic of it soon. My partner liked brights. When I went shopping, the quilt store had these two paired together, and I couldn't resist. I mainly followed the pattern, but used a whole piece in place of the 5 1/2" X 1 1/2" pieced top of the little bag. I also used grosgrain ribbon in place of making fabric handles. I used one of my "fancy" stitches to quilt the top and then 3 parallel lines on the bottom. It was a fun and easy pattern to make a cute little bag.





I also was able to get together with a friend tonight to sew. Another friend from church was there as well. I made a hooded towel. I've been wanting to make one of these for awhile and since my nephew's birthday is this week, I figured now as a good a time as any. At first I was going to do a puppy dog, but then decided Elmo would be better. I swung by Walmart on the way to pick up the towels. I followed these directions. I did modify them a bit, rounding the hood part some (like making the corner on a purse) and added the face.



Doesn't my table lamp make a good model?

I hope to get a baby quilt bound (the one that Jill quilted for me) this week as well. The baby shower will be in two or three weeks. I can't go to the shower since I have class that night, but I'll drop it at church or send it with a friend. I'm also working on a quilt for the lady at church who was hurt in the car accident.

Loving fall break! No classes Monday or Tuesday, though I still have to go to work. No homework in theory. Had two tests this week and 1 coming up the week after fall break. So no massive amounts of homework for a few days!

Hope y'all have a great weekend! I may be too busy enjoying my sewing time to visit any.

~QB29

DRUNK DRIVING

In less than 8 weeks, my church family has been involved in two severe drunk driving incidents. On August 1, John Carr was struck and killed by a drunk driver during the cycling portion of a triathlon. Seven weeks and a day later, Angie Tedder was hit head on by a drunk driver. The driver has died, but Angie is in the hospital. The news is reporting her condition as critical. She's suffered multiple broken bones, including compound fractures of the knees and elbows, both femurs, her pelvis, and other injuries. It's been less than 36 hours since the accident and she's already had 2 surgeries.

Why?? Why do people think it's okay to drink and drive? Why do they think they can just do as they please? Sin is sin. There will ALWAYS be consequences. In the last 8 weeks, 4 children lost their daddy, 2 of them just in elementary school. A wife lost her husband. A husband has to see his wife severely hurt. A family is hurting because their loved one choose to drink and drive and has now died. Is it worth it? All the pain and suffering and heartache you cause? Is ALCOHOL really worth it?

~QB29

Pray for Angie Tedder

If you could pray for Angie Tedder today I would appreciate it. She is a lady from my church. Last night, while she was heading home after the evening service, another vehicle crossed the center line and hit her head-on. Two other vehicles were also involved in the accident, sending Angie, the driver, and two others to the hospital. Her husband was in the vehicle behind her, but was not involved in the accident.

Here is the latest update: Please keep praying for Angie Tedder - broken pelvis, femur, ankle, shattered kneecap, broken arm, many other injuries including cuts and bruises. She had surgery last night, but I'm not sure why. The news media is reporting her condition as "serious". Our local NBC affiliate has listed her condition as critical as of late this morning.

The news is also reporting that the driver of the vehicle that caused the accident by crossing the center line was taken to the hospital in critical condition. His name is Kenneth Carter. Pray for him/his family also. The police are saying that alcohol was involved :-(. He has since died.

There is no word on the two others that were sent to the hospital, so I'm assuming their injuries were minor.

~QB29

riding the rails 9 patch quilt

~QB29

9-11

I will never forget. For my generation, 8 years ago today was our Pearl Harbor, our Nov. 22, 1963. It is a day that was engraved on my brain.

Eight years ago today I was a carefree college junior. Fall semester had started the previous week, but I was home still, packing for my study abroad. I was to leave on the 13th for 3 months in Mexico to further my Spanish studies.

I had worked the night before, the 5pm to 1am shift, at Kroger's, as I had done all summer long. I had only three things planned for that day. I had a haircut scheduled, my last night of work, and a quick trip to my mom's school to visit her classroom. I slept in a little, knowing it would probably be my last chance to do so for awhile. After waking, I made a bowl of cereal and sat down in the family room to watch TV while I ate.

The show "Live with Regis and Kelly" was what came on when I turned on the TV. I saw an image of the Twin Towers, one of them on fire. At first I wondered, "what new movie are they discussing?" After several seconds I realized that the scene was too eerily for a movie. It was too quiet. The screen shot was still. There was no panning like there would be in a movie. I began to pay attention to the TV. Suddenly the second plane hit the towers, and that's when I realized this was live, it was real, it wasn't a promo for an upcoming movie. I hurriedly finished my breakfast and got dressed. By then I had some semblance of knowledge of what was occurring.

I left for my mom's school. She needed the digital camera and had left it at home, so I was taking it to her. As I drove, I listened to the radio. I don't remember which station. It didn't matter. They all had it on. As I drove, one of the towers collapsed. I cried the rest of the way there.

At her school, I signed in at the office, where the staff was gathered around a radio or little TV. I went upstairs to my mom's room, tears streaking me face, wheezing. When I got up there, she became all worried about me. I had just gotten over a case of pneumonia, had asthma, and was getting ready to leave the country. She thought I was sick again, too sick to go on my trip. I tried getting out to her that we had been attacked, but finally managed to say, "You'd be having trouble breathing too if you cried all the way here and then ran up to the third floor." At that, she dragged me out to the hallway, and I was able to tell her we'd been attacked. At first she didn't believe me, but then realized that I had to be telling the truth. She got the TV on her floor and turned it on for her students.

It was a long and sad day. I remember still getting my haircut. Both the stylist and I watched TV the entire time. I worked that night. It was even worse than working Thanksgiving or Christmas. Everyone came in, preparing for the worst. No one knew what tomorrow would bring, and all were stocking up just in case. There were even rumors that the gas supply would be cut off and/or gas would be over $5.00 in the morning.

At some point I received word that my trip was postponed. They were able to reschedule us for 6 days later. Getting on the plane and flying didn't terrify me a bit. Being out of the country when a war started was my fear, but I went anyway.

Life changed for me that morning. I can't put it into words, but my life changed. In an instant I was different. I was still me, but my understanding was different. My view of life was different. I grew up.

I am proud to be an American. I am proud to support my country. I am proud to support those who defend me, who fight for me, who protect me.

To quote Lee Greenwood's song, "God Bless the USA"

And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died
who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

~QB29

Coming Soon to a mail box probably not near you...

Here are my BOM blocks. I was behind and am late getting the August block in. It is the oriental xquisite block. The September block is the churn dash. The floral Jacob's Ladder are the "thank you" blocks we send to the organizers of the swap.


I'm not too sure how much sewing I'll get in this weekend. I'm suppose to be babysitting Bubby and Bubba starting this afternoon, but my sister called and said both are home sick from daycare. So, one of the benefits of being an Aunt is being able to say, "No, not coming, they need their momma!" We'll see if my mom and I can get them tomorrow for the rest of the long weekend. School work's also picking up and my first homeworks are due next week, so I do need to dedicate some time to them. If I sew any, hopefully I'll get to post.

Have a great weekend!
~QB29

FQ Giveaway

My friend Linda is having a series of giveaways. Last week she gave away a UC bag & fabric. This week it's 7 FQ. Check it out!

~QB29

Pay It Forward

A while back, Jill had a Pay-It-Forward on her blog. I was one of the lucky winners!. She gave me my wallet over the weekend. Now, I have to Pay it Forward. I will make a gift for the first 3 bloggers who leave me a comment on this blog and wish to participate. Once you receive my gift, you need to make the same promise on your blog and get 3 bloggers to send a homemade gift to. You do have to have a blog to participate. It’s a nice way to spread the love!

~QB29

driving, driving, driving

me crazy! I get to campus, check me email, check Blackboard for class notes (not up yet), and took an accounting quiz. Then I headed to my classroom to claim my seat - this is the class with 31 students and only 30 desks. I'm certainly not going to be the one that has to cart a desk in, lol. Two other students came in shortly after me and then a third one stuck his head in the door saying class had been canceled. He said he got an email. The guy sitting behind me checked his email on his cell phone. Yep, the department secretary had sent an email saying class was canceled. So two classmates and one's friend and I went out for Mexican. I'm home now, checked my stuff online, and now heading up to sew and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.

~QB29

getting home ...

took me twice as long as usual! We sat still for just shy of 1 1/2 hours on the interstate. From what I could tell, there was a jack-knifed truck or overturned car a couple of miles up in the construction zone, two tiny lanes w/out any shoulders. Needless to say we were not moving any where.

I got home and got everything in and checked my mail. I had a little present from Natalie. It's a little tract holder for my purse and looks really cute. I'll hopefully get a post this week. I'm too tired to dig out my camera. I still need to determine what I'm wearing tomorrow. Too bad the weekend has to end and life has to go back to work and school.

Have a great week!

~QB29

Baby quilt pieced!

Sunday Morning Happenings .... Jill actually sews!


Max (above) and Masiy (below) have been great. Max is squished between my thigh and the chair arm as I type.


And I finished piecing this baby quilt. I started it last night around 10 or so and had the center almost put together before calling it a night about 1:30. I finished the center and got the border cut before heading out to church. When I got back, I added the borders, mitered!



The backing will be the print that's in the border. It was an easy FQ friendly pattern that I picked up at the quilt store liquidation store I stopped by the other week. I had purchased the butterfly print some time ago. I pulled it out of my stash this week and started grabbing coordinating tone-on-tones to use. One more top done! It will go to one of the new baby girls at church.

UPDATE ~ I just found the pattern designer online. Her name is Tammy Tadd. Here is her website, her blog, and the link to the pattern, Fatty-Fatty 2x4. The only change that I made was that in the original pattern, her small 4-patches are the same 2 colors throughout. I alternated the blue and the green to bring in more colors from my focus fabric. Check out her site - she has lots of great patterns. I'm going to have to keep my eyes peeled for her stuff when I look for new patterns.

~QB29

Saturday Happenings

Guess what? I'm Ninja Approved!




I've been a busy beaver here at Jill's. Last night I finished piecing this paramedic/EMT baby quilt. It is for a baby boy at church. Both his momma and his daddy are paramedics/EMT's for a nearby fire station. I found the focus fabric when I visited Indy a couple of weeks ago. The coordinating prints are all from my stash. I did buy some blue marble today to use for the backing. I should have enough of the black to use for the binding.



I also got the yellow borders added to this YBR quilt this morning. When Jill and I went shopping, we picked up backing, binding, and batting for it. I happened to find yardage of one of the purples used in the YBR blocks at the 2nd quilt store we went to. I decided to use if for the binding. The backing I picked up at the first quilt store and is a very light cream, almost white, print. Jill helped me load it on the frame this afternoon and I was done quilting it by 7 PM, including a 30 - 45 minute nap/quiet spell on her couch. I just did a simple meander on it.



I'm going to work on piecing some baby quilts tonight. I'll post pics if I make any progress.

~QB29

fun weekend ahead of me

I am staying with Jill this weekend, and we are having our very own quilt retreat at her place. A couple of friends in the area may drop by as well. She's letting me use her Lenny & Squiggy to quilt some lap sized throws. I'm planning on piecing some baby quilts, too. We're also going to stop by the new fabric store in town. It's actually a yarn place that's expanding into the land of quilting. This weekend's suppose to be the grand opening. I'll try to post pics throughout the weekend.

Hopefully I'll be Ninja-Approved :-D.

~QB29

weekend plans

1. errands (post office, library, quilt store)
2. cleaning (floors, bathroom, laundry)
3. sewing
--->> finish paramedic top (baby size)
--->> add border to YBR (lap size)
--->> cut & piece Disappearing 9-patch (lap size)
--->> baste & quilt paramedic top
--->> swaps sewing (SBS Blue/Brown/Tan & SBS H3 Christmas)


~QB29

My Bonnie Quilt

In all it's glory, but not a great picture, here is "My Bonnie Quilt". I finished piecing it this morning. For some odd reason, I actually got up with my alarm. Usually it takes 4 alarms and an hour to wake me :-(, lol. So I used that extra time to finish adding the purple and to cut and sew the brown border. The purple has more red in it than the picture shows.



~QB29

The Verdict is In ....

It was the soap! There's still a little bit of soap suds covering the drain, but no standing water and no leaked water or suds. I'll add some more vinegar to my walmart list and run the dishwasher again tonight with just the vinegar. From what I saw online, it could take 2 or 3 vinegar runs to get rid of all the dish soap. So glad I caught it when I did. I definitely would not have wanted to deal with the mess had I run an actual load of dishes with dish detergent plus the dish soap residue.

Well, I've got to finish my Walmart list and then off to shop.

~QB29

dishwasher blues

Well, the good news is now I know WHY you don't use dish soap in a dishwasher. No, it wasn't me, it was my roommate. A few weeks ago I noticed the mat by the sink was wet, like someone had dropped a pot of water on it. I assumed my roommate had had a mishap with some water, no big deal. She mentioned to me a few days later that when she had run the dishwasher, some water had leaked out. I had noticed soap "stains" at the base of the dishwasher and realized that's where they came from. I thought, hm, is the dishwasher broken? I told her we'd just keep an eye on it next time the dishwasher ran. A last second thought caused me to ask her what soap she used ... ta da, that's the problem! She used regular dish soap. Apparently, she's not used to dishwashers. I showed her where the dishwasher soap was and let her know to use it and only it from now on.

Fast forward to today. My kitchen needed mopping and sweeping and I thought to wipe off the soap stains from the bottom front of the dishwasher. Of course, that leads me to loading the dishwasher with a couple of plates in the sink and that's when I noticed it ... standing water! Yeah, from the dish soap incident - neither of us eats at home that much. I unloaded the dishwasher, mopped out all the water, and wiped down the insides. I then googled. Apparently, using dish soap can cause this issue. So I decided to run a test run. Within a few minutes there was lots of bubbles in the bottom of the dishwasher, from the remaining dish soap in the pump. I know, an icky thought! From what I googled, I saw that adding white vinegar would help. So I've got an empty dishwasher running with a cup or so of vinegar, waiting for bubbles, water, or nothing. I'm aiming for the nothing. To be safe, I'm babysitting from the kitchen table, lol.

If all goes well, we'll say that was the issue. Then I'll be heading to walmart for a few things I need around here.

I had hoped to finish piecing the wallhanging I'm making from Saturday's workshop, but at this point that's not happening tonight. I took my 16 blocks, laid them out 4 x 4, and added a 1" purple sashing/inner border (totally inspired by Bonnie!). I need to finish sewing the top purple border and then add the bottom purple border - the bobbin ran out of thread and I ran out of time to deal with it this morning. I have a brown that I'm using for the outer border. I think it frames it nicely. I'll probably do a 3" border, maybe 4". It will be around 27" - 30" square. I need to check how much I have of the brown, because I want to use it for my binding as well. Since this is "My Bonnie Quilt", I think I'm going to hand quilt it using Baptist fans, like she does a lot. It will go up on a wall in my sewing room when finished.

So far so good - guess that means I have to mop the floor completely on my own, lol.

~QB29

Sew Many Ways Giveaway

http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2009/08/give-away.html

Check out Sew Many Ways giveaway. It's a bunch of Thimbleberries squares!

~QB29

Bonnie Hunter Workshop - Friday

I had an awesome time this weekend. I met Jill, Linda, and Cathy at Jennifer's guild in Indy. The QGI was hosting a Bonnie Hunter weekend! She spoke at the monthly meeting (which I missed due to a clueless moment getting off the interstate) and two different workshops - one on Friday and one on Saturday. Jill and I stayed with Jennifer's mom, Carol. Jennifer followed us there so we could chat ... I think we kept her up too late, lol. It was rather late by the time we went to bed. We did get to ooh and aah over Carol's quilts - she's does great work!

Friday, Jill and I got breakfast at Denny's before heading to the workshop. We sewed away, working on our blocks. We all got at least one block made. Here are our blocks (borrowed from Jill's Webshots album - a digital camera withOUT a memory card is as good as a digital camera withOUT batteries. I remembered the batteries, but the card was (and still is) in my laptop)

Mine


Linda


Cathy


Jill



Jill and I were about the only people that did not order the boxed lunch. We ran out to eat when the boxes were delivered. We decided that we were not that hungry, but then we spied a Baskin Robbins! Jill teasingly asked if I wanted ice cream for lunch and I told her I was game :-D. She treated me since she was a day late wishing me happy birthday last week. Linda's expression was priceless when we walked in with our ice cream. I think the rest of the ladies wondered where their ice cream was. And in one of my many red moments, here I am:



I ended up getting to two whole blocks sewn. I did get lots of partials put together; they are in my bag waiting for some sewing time this week.

After the workshop, Jill and I checked out a nearby quilt store, Quilts Plus. They are in a strip mall type of place and have two or three of the spaces. They have lots of fabric, which is very beautifuly displayed. I did buy 3 yardages - 1 yard of a paramedic fabric and 1 1/2 yards of each of 2 different stripes that I can use in baby quilts. The stripes were sale/clearance - 30% off. The paramedic fabric is for a couple at church who just had a baby. Both mom and dad are paramedics. We then hit JoAnn's to buy some plastic totes that were on sale before heading back to Carol's. If I think about it tonight, I'll add pics of my purchases.

Once back at Carol's, the three of us headed over to Jennifer's for a cookout. Jennifer graciously hosted all of us for supper. Her kids are super cute and made me miss my Bubby and Bubba :-(. We had a good time. Her dh grilled for us and we had some homemade gaucamolee! After we ate Jennifer showed us her sewing room and her longarm. It's always fun to see other's sewing rooms.

I'll post about Saturday later this week!

~QB29

Weekly Quilt Goals

1. Assemble "My Bonnie Quilt" wallhanging (16 crumb/heart/star/letter blocks from a workshop with Bonnie Hunter)
2. Cut/piece top for gentleman at church (housebound due to Alzheimer's)
3. Add border for lady at church (#2's wife, housebound caring for him)
4. Piece baby boy F quilt (paramedic theme)

~QB29

Bonnie Hunter

Just under 11 hours to go :-).

~QB29

Friends

Last night I updated my facebook status to read:

It's always nice to find out that friends are quilters!

And now for the rest of the story -

Natalie, who attended my church while completing her law degree, found me on FB last night and friended me. We must have been on at the same time, because as I was checking out her page, she was checking out mine. Guess what we noticed? We both quilt! and we both blog! So here's her blog. Pop on over and get to know her.

~QB29

Dillon

Please keep praying for Dillon. He is a 3 year-old boy whose grandma I have known online for several years. He suffered a brain injury at birth and has CP. He and his mommy (and brother and grandma) are in China right now so that he can receive stem cell treatments. These treatments are from "adult" stem cells, not embryonic cells. Pray for the treatments to help him!

Wonderful news was heard today - he rolled over!

~QB29

John Carr

John Carr's funeral is Thursday morning. He is the gentleman who was struck and killed by a drunk driver during a triathlon in Louisville, KY this past Saturday. Please remember his family in your prayers. He leaves behind a wife (Sunni) and 4 kids (Kyle, Jordan, Bethany, and Seth).

His Obituary

~QB29

'Tis so sweet

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
And to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus says the Lord!”

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

"'Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus" words by Louisa M.R. Stead, 1882

Enjoy!

~QB29

August Goals

Finish binding/labeling & gift
1. Zoo Parade - Bubba
2. Dino Quilt - Bubby
3. Tilted Animals - Ian

Hand Quilt
1. Boy Oh Boy

Cut Out/Piece
1. YBR - pansies/yellow/purples - Mrs. L @ church
2. Scrappy Blues/Greens/Tans - Bro. L @ church
3. Baby boy sports - Baby W @ church
4. Baby boy - Baby A @ church
5. Baby girl - Baby T @ church
6. Baby girl - Baby M @ church

Baste/Quilt
1. Charm Pink Girl - baby B @ church
2. Finish Cowboy Rodeo quilting

BOM/Swaps
1. P Classic Oriental Block
2. Block Lotto Log cabins
3. Happy Scrappy
4. Thangles (Teal/Raspberry)
5. SBS Blue/Brown blocks #1-5

~QB29

song on my mind today :-D

My Jesus, My Savior,
Lord, there is none like You;
All of my days,
I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love.

My comfort, my shelter,
Tower of refuge and strength;
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth, Let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King;
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name.
I sing for joy at the work of Your hands,
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand,
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.


"Shout to the Lord" by Darlene Zschech, 1993

~QB29

Where Would You Go?

If you died today, where would you go? This question is very relevant today in light of a man named John Carr. He and his family attended our church a few years ago, before switching to a church closer to their home. They were very active in our church and maintained relationships with several families here. Their two older children attend our Bible college.

Yesterday (Saturday, August 1), he and my Sunday School teacher were participating in a triathlon in Louisville, KY. Without warning, during the bicycle portion of the race, Bro. Carr was struck from behind be a drunk driver. He died at the scene. No one ever expected for a death to occur during this race. It has been run nearly 30 years without serious incident. Bro. Carr had no time to react, no warning that he was about to be killed. One moment he was riding his bicycle, the next, stepping into eternity. His eternity is Heaven. Many years ago he trusted Jesus as his Saviour. He knew where he was headed.

If you have never trusted Jesus as your Saviour, now is the time to do so. None of us know how much time we have left to live. Any moment we could be killed, be it by a drunk driver, a stray bullet, a heart attack. If it had been you on that bicycle, where would you now be for eternity? Do you even know? Would you be in Heaven or would you be in Hell? You can know that you'll be in Heaven. It's your choice, your decision. Only you can make it for yourself. No one can decide for you and you decide for no one. Make it now, for your death may come just as suddenly and without warning as Bro. Carr's did.

1. Know that you are a sinner. The Bible says in Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." and in Romans 3:10 - "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"
2. Know that there is a sin-debt that must be paid. Romans 6:23(a) - "For the wages of sin is death;" and Revelation 20:14-15 - " "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.""
3. Jesus paid the sin-debt for us. Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." and Romans 5:8 - "But God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." and John 14:6 - "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
4. Anyone can trust Jesus as his/her Saviour Romans 10:9 - "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." and Romans 10:13 - "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." John 5:24 - "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

If you would like to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, simply bow your head and humbly:

1. Admit to God that you are a sinner.
2. Tell Him you believe Jesus died for you.
3. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and save your soul.
4. Then believe that He promised to save you.

Don't wait until it's too late to make this decision. You never know what waits around the corner for you. It's your choice - your decision. Make it now.

~QB29

Running through my head all week

This song has been running through my head all week:

I am so glad that our Father in heav'n
Tells of his love in the book he has giv'n:
Wonderful things in the Bible I see;
This is the dearest, that Jesus loves me.

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me,
I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves even me.

Though I forget him, and wander away,
Still he doth love me wherever I stray;
Back to his dear loving arms do I flee,
When I remember that Jesus loves me.

O if there's only one song I can sing,
When in his beauty I see the great King,
This shall my song in eternity be,
"O what a wonder that Jesus loves me."

Border Colors & Starting a Quilt Group

Do you have a favorite color to use for borders? I do. It seems like I use blue a lot. I guess for me blue is a "finishing" color. It mentally frames the quilt and says "the end". If my quilt has blue in it, I tend to use a blue for the border. The darker the better, staying within the color scheme of the quilt. The background of the border print in the Paddington quilt is blue.


The border for the tractor quilt is blue. The border for tilted animals is blue. My nephew's soccer quilt had a navy blue border.

And now the border for "boy oh boy" is blue. I started a piano key border, but it wasn't doing anything for me. I had yardage in a yellow, a mint green, and the blue. I didn't like the yellow a bit. I tried the green, but it didn't say "the end". So I tried the blue and it worked! It gave me the "edge" I was looking for.


And about starting a quilt group ... several ladies at church have commented on the quilts I've been working on/recently finished (most end for church babies). I'm thinking of seeing if anyone is interested in getting together once or twice a month to work on quilts - I can either supply directions/instruction or they can work independently. Any suggestions?

~QB29

Wasps!

Last summer I had a wasp nest on the back of my back steps leading to the kitchen. I killed it with lots of spray. This spring/summer, I paid very close attention and destroyed a couple of nests the first day or two they appeared. After the second (maybe third) destroy, I thought I had killed or scared off the wasp (back like in May). Boy was I wrong. I just noticed as I came in today that they are in my back light fixture over my back door!!!! I have no idea how long they've been there and may be tempted to sleep on the couch tonight, as my bedroom is above the backdoor. I'm terrified of the little things. I know they'll need to be professionally sprayed/checked since they're in the fixture and possibly have access into the house. I just called my LL, but had to leave a message on the office land.

I'm trying to think, does this qualify as an emergency to call her cell/house number? I don't believe I've ever been stung by a wasp, but was stung by a bee as a child (my mom said it was only bees that ever stung me). As far as I know, I'm not allergic, but two years ago I didn't think I was allergic to kiwi and ended up in the ER with my throat swelling shut. My roommate is mildly (but not life-threateningly) allergic. My next-door neighbor and best friend is highly allergic. These are townhouses and are owned/managed by the same people, so she is a concern of theirs too.

Even if I can get ahold of her tonight, I'm sure no one will be able to come until tomorrow sometime, which means time off work for me :-(. Any buzzing I hear, or imagine, tonight is going to freak me out!

~QB29

Update on the baby quilt

I have the top almost completely pieced. The center is done and the side borders are added. The bottom border is made while the top while still rests in pieces, lol. This is actually going to be a backing, not the front, of a quilt. I am using this panel:


As the front of the quilt. But I did not want to use just a plain backing - to me a quilt needs piecing to make it a quilt. (Whole cloth quilts NOT out of panels aside). The panel is only about 29" wide, so I'm adding a piano key style border on each side to bring it to within a couple of inches of the backing. The length is sufficient. The quilt should end up finishing around 38" x 42". I am wanting to do more of a custom-quilting on this rather than the all-over meander that I've been doing. I'll keep you posted :-D.

~QB29

Another Baby Quilt ...

Is on the design wall. Can you believe I went from this somewhat neatly ordered display of small squares, large squares, and rectangles ....



to this much better arrangement of small squares, rectangles, and large squares?....



in only a little bit? Okay, so, if you look closely, the blocks are not actually sewn together. I promise, I do have each of the three center columns sewn together now and am starting to sew the columns together to make the center. I wanted a pic before I started moving stuff to sew to make sure I didn't mess the layout out. (Yeah, really, you thought I couldn't?)

Gotta love this pattern. It's out of a magazine from a couple of years ago. We made it at my very first quilt camp (they gave us all the magazine!). The magazine is now lost in my shelf of magazines, but the pattern was easy to recreate. It's fresh in my mind because the pink baby quilt I just finished binding was the one I made at camp.

BTW - don't forgot about my 100th post giveway". Contest closes at the end of the month.

~QB29

Giveaway alert!

Don't forget about my 100th post giveaway!

And while you're at it, check out PS I Quilt's most totally awesome giveaway of a $50 gift certificate! It is a $50 gift certificate to The Fat Quarter Shop. Enjoy!

~QB29

Just Needs a Label...

Finished the binding on this tonight. Will make the label when I go upstairs and applique it tomorrow. I need to check on the shipping address, but should have it mailed out this week.


And yes, those are mitered corners and yes, they did come out very near to perfect. I was quite OCD about the stripes matching, lol.

~QB29

SBS Swap Layout

Here's my layout for my Pink/Brown SBS Blocks. I designed it at work, using excel, so coloring is very basic. Please don't laugh, lol. It at least gets me headed in the right direction.


Finished size should be about 90" X 105". Huge, I know, but I like it. Of course, by the time I finish sewing it, my plans may change, but we'll deal then. So here's the scoop:
Layout the 80 blocks in an 8 X 10 setting with 1" brown sashing and pink cornerstones. Add a cream border (1" - 2") to get both dimensions divisible by 5 - possibly using pink cornerstones again. Use the signature blocks and a variety of pink fabrics to make square-in-square blocks. (I think it will work right - 3.5" finished center to 5" block- anyone got the measurement handy?). I know that not everyone sent in signature blocks. The inner border accounts for 58 blocks. Then I plan on adding a 10" brown border, using the additional signature blocks/pink fabrics/square-in-a-square blocks for cornerstones. Binding will either be brown or pink. The brown is actually a dark, dark brown, but this was the closest I could approximate.

~QB29

Goals for week

1. Finish quilting Ian's Quilt
2. Bind/label Ian's Quilt - parents will be back in town coming weekend
3. Bind/label Bubby's Dino quilt
4. Cut sashing strips for Pink/Brown SBS blocks
5. Cut strips for Bonnie Hunter workshop
6. Cut fabric for baby Adam's quilt

~QB29

A Finish!

I stayed up to sew the label on. I finished binding it last night. It was the quilt I made at my very first Quilt Retreat - almost two years ago! I finished piecing it at retreat, but did not know how I wanted to quilt it. I ended up taking it to NC with me last summer to do at my aunt's. However, I ran out of time and it was one I had to leave there. She quilted it for me and got the leftovers all sent home. And there it sat, for several months, lol. I pulled it out for Peeps retreat, sewed the binding to the front, but never got it sewn to the back. Well, it's done now, labeled, and awaiting to meet its new owner. I left a message for my friend, so hopefully I'll be able to get together with her soon to gift it. It is for her daughter who will be two in the fall.

~QB29

Fun Saturday

Woo hoo! I had a very fun Saturday. I had Happy Scrappy BOM at Best Friends this morning with my mom. Then we picked up Jill and headed to The Fabric Shack. Thanks to construction, we had to take a detour and got turned the wrong way, but Jill saved the day and pointed out to us that we were headed AWAY from Waynesville. Once we got that figured out, we made it there in no time. Note to anyone visiting Waynesville in the next month or two - US73 is under construction. Check online for detours and/or bring a good map!

Before shopping we ate the Pie Place. No, it's not called the Pie Place, but Jill refers to it as that. Apparently they have really good pies, but we were too full to try any. I had a Turkey Bacon Club and french fries; it was delicious. I definitely recommend this place. I believe the correct name is The Village Family Restaurant, or something close.

At the Fabric Shack, I hit the sale carts hard. Let's just say it's a good thing that I'm not reporting my stash in and out. It would be horrible to have to admit how much I got. I also had ordered off their website, so I had an order waiting for me. I only purchased two yardages that were not on the sale carts. I wanted a backing for the baby quilt I pieced this week, as I really didn't like what I had planned. I got a blue with a small, colorful print to use. I also purchased a brown to use as the sashing for my SBS blocks.

Here's a Pic of Jill & Me while chit-chatting with my mom and cousin.


~QB29

I need a bigger design wall!

Okay folks, I got home from church tonight, and this was waiting on the table:
In it you ask? These ...
Yep, you counted right, that's 80 pink and brown SBS blocks from the recent swap. All are so beautiful - I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow so that I could stay home and go through them. I'm thinking a dark brown for the sashing. Anyone have any other suggestions? If I get a chance, I will be making 8 more so that the ones I sent in are included. Nearly every block has a 4" label that I will somehow use in the quilt.

To wet your appetite, here are some that caught me eye first:
What a beautiful bouquet.

I'm definitely a brights girl.

Isn't this pink scrumptious? I love the hearts.

Such precision!

Hopefully in the next week or so I'll get a spreadsheet of who sent me what so I can credit and thank everyone. Til then, enjoy these photos!

~QB29

Looking forward to the weekend!

Guess where I get to go? I'll give you a hint ... it's a shack. If you guessed Fabric Shack, you're a winner! No prize though - you'll need to wait until post #100 for that giveaway. The blogger count says this is #98 (Yeah, I know #93 was off by one b/c I had an unpublished, and now out-dated and deleted, post. So my count changed.)

And .... it looks like a friend gets to come with me :-D.

Tonight I've got church, but so wishing I could be home quilting. When you're in the mood to quilt, it's hard being away from the machine. Oh well, at least I have a baby quilt with me to work on binding before church starts.

~QB29

top is finished!

Top is all finished. I just need to baste (thank you, oh thank you, 505 :-D) and quilt and bind and label. The backing fabric is the print from which the animals are cut.

I have a primary colored variegated thread I'm planning on using to quilt it. I'm thinking of a basic meander just to get it done so I can gift it while the little guy is in town this week.

Not too sure about binding - there's not enough of the blue left, which doesn't really match the blue in the print (backing). Maybe red? I may have enough of the white w/ colored dots, but I don't want to do a white binding. I'll decide when it's quilted. Any suggestions?

I really do like how this pattern turned out. I may use the floral scraps that are left still to do something like this. I think it would be interesting.

~QB29

I have a design wall!

Look! I put up a design wall. It's just a simple flannel backed vinyl tablecloth. In the hour or so that I've had it, I can't believe I managed this long without one, lol. Here's a pic. You probably can't tell, but the inner border will be the white print that's in each of the blocks. I do have 2 of the strips up there. The outer border will be the blue that's in the blocks. I wanted to get this posted, but I'm heading back up to get the top finished. This is the "Ian" quilt I referenced earlier.

~QB29

Goals for Week

1. Cut strips for Bonnie Hunter workshops in August. Need a gazillion 2 1/2" strips. - half lights, half darks.
2. Piece Baby Ian's quilt.
3. Quilt Baby Ian's quilt. halfway there!
4. Bind/label Ian's quilt.
5. Gift Ian's Quilt. -- he and his mommy and daddy are in town this week visiting her parents. Getting it done this week saves me postage :-D.
6. Attack binding pile. got 1 done!

~QB29

Monday happenings ...

Allergies, gotta love 'em. I went for my weekly (okay, sometimes bi-weekly) shots today. I started a new vial and they bumped it from 1:5000 concentration to 1:1000 concentration. My arm said no. Normally I don't feel anything, but will often get splotchy, sometimes about the size of a fist, around the injection site. This is normal for me. I've done it the last 2 or 3 years of shots. Don't ask, my allergies stopped making sense a long time ago. Every now and then I will feel the splotchiness start to develop but pay it no mind.

The office wants you to wait 20 minutes to make sure no bad reaction will start - usually I wait 10 and then take off since my "normal" reaction has occurred (and is so normal, I don't show them anymore). Today, I felt pain, but didn't think anything of it. As I walked out of the office I glanced at the injection sites - I had a welt on each arm larger than a dime and the one was close to 1/2" thick. I immediately went back in and showed them. They measured, globbed anti-itch cream on me, told me to take an alavert (which I carry in my purse) and told me to advise them of how it progressed. So on my merry way to lunch I go, take the alavert, and smear some more anti-itch cream on by the time I get back to work.

Quitting time rolls along - my arm hurts. It doesn't just itch, the injection site hurts like someone punched me! The welt around the injection site has gone done, but there is a slightly raised area bigger than my first, which burns and hurts and is hard. So back to the Dr.'s I go. Good thing I can almost see their building from my office. The nurse sees me come back and starts toward me. I slightly lift up my sleeve and say "I've still got the reaction". The other two nurses in the area immediately come running. Apparently it was quite a reaction. I guess not many react that way. All 3 check it out, decide it's okay, measure, and tell me that my vial will definitely be diluted. I was advised to take a benedryl when I got home, but I didn't b/c I didn't want to sleep, lol. It's still slightly warm and tender, but the swelling has gone down completely and the color is almost back to normal.

FWIW, I only do this on one side. Only one injection sets it off - I get one in each arm. Yet the other one doesn't do it. I guess I just have to have trouble allergies.

~QB29

A finish!

I finished a baby quilt today. And just in time too. Her daddy and mommy are moving after next weekend to go serve the Lord in a church in Indiana. I'm right on schedule with it - she's going on 6 months old, lol.

The quilt is a scrappy disappearing nine patch. It's so scrappy the disappearing nine-patch really does disappear!. One day I decided I really was not the floral type person, so I dumped all my floral/pastels F.Q. in a box and started cutting squares. This is quilt #2 from round #1 of cutting - enough scraps remain to do at least 2 more baby quilts. The border is the same fabric that was used to back baby Wynter's quilt - told ya I liked it. It was also used to back quilt #1 from the scrappy disappearing nine-patches.

The close-up photo shows one of my favorite fabrics in the quilt. I just didn't think I would ever use it in anything else, so it ended up in the pile. It is the green rectangle with plum and purple and dark pink colored flowers.

Off to sew some more. I'm really loving not having to worry about school work :-). Freedom until August 24th when classes start back up.

~QB29

Post #93

Just thought I'd share ... I'm at post #93. Be on the lookout for post #100. Now that school's out for summer I should get around to posting quite a bit. And when I hit that #100, it'll be a good one.

~QB29

Giveaway Madness

Hi all,

Ryan from "I'm Just a Guy Who Quilts" is having a giveaway to celebrate his birthday. Stop by, check out the goods, and enter for yourselves! Here are some of the cool prizes he's got:

Plus he has one that is at least a complete surprise!

~QB29