Notice the link in my sidebar to a new blog ring, for MQ Resource. Suzanne Earley started it, in conjunction with her new online machine quilting forum, MQ Resource. Come join the party!
Author: Wild Rose Quilter
I’m a simple woman…at least that what my DH (Dear Husband) used to say about me…I was a wife, I am now a widow, mother, step-mother & step-grandmother, quilter, and have a full time job in criminal justice. I lost my DH on May 22nd, 2011. I live in a small town in Texas. I love piecing quilts, I love quilting quilts. I have a serious addiction to fabric. I’ve been quilting since 1998, and purchased my first longarm, a Gammill Premier, in 2004. I upgraded to an A-1 Elite, named Corky, in March, 2007. I am in the process of rebuilding my life after losing my spouse. All photos and content in this blog are my own, and I request that you not download, copy or otherwise use anything here without my permission. I hope you enjoy visiting my blog and would love to hear your comments. Thanks for stopping by!
Favorites Meme
Ok, it’s taken me days and days, but I think I finally have the favorites meme done! Today, after I got off work, I loaded a customer top. A “Hidden Star” sampler. I’m actually very excited about quilting it. I’m not freaking out nervous! Can you believe it? I want to do some fun feathers in it. First, I have to finish the SID around the blocks for stabilizing. Then the fun can begin!
A – A-1 quilting machine named Corky!
B – Bears
C – coffee
D – Derek
E – Eggplant Parmigiana
F – Fabric!!!
G – Greg
H – Home
I – internet quilting friends 🙂
J – jerky
K – kitties
L – Libby & Lulu
M – Money! Lots of it! 😉
N – NASCAR
O – olives
P – pumpkins
Q – Quilts!!!!!!!!
R – rice krispy treats
S – Salsa & chips
T – toads
U – Upside Down Pineapple Cake
V – Vacation days
W – weekends
X – Xtra fabric yardage
Y – yards & yards of fabric
Z – zucchini
Finished Mom’s Quilt and Gayle’s Yummy Fabric
I finished the quilting on Mom’s quilt yesterday. I cannot get a good pic of the whole quilt, without taking it outside, and it’s been too windy. So, after I get it bound and delivered to Mom’s, I will probably get some better pics on her bed. I am really pleased with how it turned out, if I say so myself. I’m not used to feeling that way:-). The only part I’m not sure I really like is the quilting on the outside border, but I was trying to kinda of match the flowing viney pattern in the fabric. Border and cornerstone:
This quilt is big! The top started at 115″ square. I think it’s around 113″ after quilting.
And while we’re in my bedroom, this would be a good time to slip in one of my favorite things, that makes me happy. My king size pine log canopy bed. I saw it on a trip to Nebraska and fell in love with it. DH ordered it after we got home, and surpised me with it for my birthday that year. I had gone to my parent’s for a 2 day visit, and when I came home, he had it all put together. I love it! And him, too:-)!
I got a wonderful treat in today’s mail! Gayle sent me some of her gorgeous hand dyed fabric as my prize for winning her contest on her blog. It is so yummy! I love it! Thank you, Gayle! I may have to take up this fabric dyeing…as if I have time for another project….
Just scrumptious! The pic does not do it justice!
Sunday Ramblings
Mom’s quilt is coming right along, and I’m really liking it. I hope to get all the purple areas done today. Then on to yellow. 
Yesterday, I finally got fed up looking at our beaten down, dilapidated, much used and abused sofa. DH & I took a trip downtown to the local furniture store. I have a pretty, dark brown leather sofa and chair and ottoman coming. Woohoo! I can’t wait til they are here. He had a sofa and loveseat on the showroom floor, but I wanted a chair, so he ordered them both in so the dye lot would match. I was hoping to have a sofa yesterday, but oh well, what’s another couple of weeks.
Jan had this in her blog, and since you get more chances to win by referring others, I am posting it in my blog, also. 😉Sharon Schamber is giving away a quilt! How cool would it be to win a Sharon Schamber quilt?! All you have to do is sign up for her new network. Click on her name for details.
Also, I want to give a shout out to one of my favorite blogs to visit. Carla is a very talented artist and all around good people! Her blog is always a great time. She can be found at Feathered Fibers.
Enjoy your Sunday!
Quilting in Progress
Yea, it’s finally Saturday! I love Saturdays! I tried to take some pics of the quilting in progress on my Mom’s quilt. I had trouble getting a very good shot, but I think you can see well enough.
I remember, not so very long ago, when I thought I would NEVER be able to do freehand CC. I am finally getting so much better at it. Not perfect, but it’s so much better. I say this, not to be bragging, but as an encouragement to newbies to keep PPP-ing. It will get better!:-)
BTW, if you are new at this blogging stuff, if you click on the small pics, or the preview box that pops up, you will be able to see the bigger picture, and can even zoom in.
Next, I want to play along with Gayle’s quilting meme.
Here are the rules:
Bold for things you’ve done
italic for things you want to do, and leave the rest normal.
4 patch
nine patch
log cabin
curved piecing by hand
curved piecing by machine
hand applique
hand applique with fusible / blanket stitch
reverse applique [ hand or machine ]
hawaiian applique
machine applique
trapunto
whole cloth
english paper piecing by hand
strip or string piecing
kaleidoscope or mandala [ not stack and whack]
stencilled quilt
hand quilting
machine quilting
McTavishing
quilted commercially with a longarm machine
3D folded flowers
made a quilt on commission
sold a quilt other than a commission piece
taught quilting at any level
stack and whack
stack and slash
embellished with embroidery, beads, etc
celtic applique / bias work
Amish style quilt
Cathedral Windows
stained glass quilt [ any method ]
had an original design published
written a quilt book
scrap quilt
baltimore applique
sampler quilt
japanese design
foundation piecing
crazy patchwork
silk fabrics
cotton fabrics
woollen fabrics
colourwash
row quilt
1930s or feedsack fabric
1880s reproduction fabric
tea cosy
item for an animal
hand dyed fabric
round robin
quilt-as-you-go
non-traditional quilt
traditional quilt
miniature
full sized bed quilt
sashiko
seminole
quillow
bag or purse
patchwork or quilted clothing
pillow
christmas themed [ quilt, wallhanging, stocking, etc ]
medallion quilt
I-spy
baby quilt
landscape quilt
participated in a group challenge
exhibited a quilt overseas
made a prize winning quilt
patchwork balls
flannel quilts
bargello
alphabet quilt
embroidered quilt
If you want to play along, copy this list to your blog and then follow the rules. (Here is a tip: copy and paste it into a Word document for easier formatting. If you highlight the list in Word, then click Edit, then Clear formatting, it will speed up the process.) Have fun!
Of course, I did not follow the instructions. I simply copied and pasted from Gayle’s blog to mine, and went down the list. So if it looks a little messed up, you might want to copy from Gayle’s blog.
Hope you have a great weekend!
Toadies!
Since Jan brought the subject up today, I thought I would blog about toad frogs today. These would fall in the category of “things that make me smile” or favorite things, a topic started by Ronda. I was going to do a whole post of things, but haven’t seemed to find time, so I will just sprinkle them out over a few blogs, here and there. My love of toads is one of the reasons my DH says I’m a simple woman. 🙂 I can sit outside and watch the toads on the patio and be completely amused. And yes, I’ve taken pics of them. This one I referred to as Mr Green Jeans, as he was more green in color than the others. 
These pics are from a couple years ago. It was a good toad year. On a good night, I would have around 15 toads on the patio. I even turned on the light to attract more bugs for them to eat. Before DS could mow, I would go around the yard, collecting them in a bucket so he wouldn’t run over them. I know…you are shaking your head right now, thinking, “is she serious?” Yes, I’m afraid so. This is a little trait I have that drives my DH & DS a little nuts at times. And when I comment that I can’t find a particular one, that’s when DH says “are you serious? You can tell them apart now?” Sigh….
These cuties are indoor toadies. I bought this one just because he’s cute and he makes me smile when I look at him. 
This one is special because he was a gift from a friend. She got him for me to put in the yard, but he is so cute, I kept him inside, where I see him more often.
And this one, Dodie the Toad Fairy, is very special because she was made by one of my online quilting friends, Peggy H., from Montana. I was fortunate to be able to purchase Dodie from her. Isn’t she too cute?
Now then, I think I shall go clean the kitchen up from dinner, and hopefully, the thunderstorm we are having will end, so I can go turn on Corky, my quilting machine! We just got about three inches of rain in the last 1.5 hours. I am working on my Mom’s quilt, and had hoped to work on it some right after I got home from work. But, that’s right when the storm came. I am having a little trouble with the last border. It looks a littly “wonky”. Could it possibly be my piecing???? Surely not! 😉 Oh, I hope it looks ok after I get it off the machine.
A butterfly, good food, and more FABRIC??!!
I had hoped to blog this stuff yesterday, but spent most of the day battling round 2 of a headache. My shoulder is really flaring up, and I believe it causes part of my migraines. I don’t get to go the chiro again til Wednesday. Not soon enough!
Now for the fun stuff! Did I say I wasn’t going to buy more fabric, til I had used up some of my stash? I know some of you have seen that stash in my other blog. I had a moment of weakness. I’m blaming it on my Mom, for getting the ball rolling with those batiks she bought for me, the email I got tempting me with words like “blowout sale” and “FREE shipping”. What’s an addict to do? Buy SIX more BOLTS of fabric, that’s what! It was $2.50 a yard! And it’s the good stuff…last year’s line or whatever, but hey, I have clothes in my closet way older than that, so why would I care if my fabric is a little “aged”? $2.50 a yard and FREE shipping…there really was no other option but to buy, buy, buy….right? I was a little embarassed by my weakness, so I thought I had changed the usual shipping address from my husbands shop to the home address, where I might have a chance to slip it onto my fabric shelves unnoticed. Mind you, he never complains about my fabric purchases. He is worth his weight in gold, and my DH is a BIG guy. He comes in after work Friday evening, toting it in the door. “You got packages.” I did? Ohhhhh yea. Hmmm….Two new western fabs to go with the two I already have. Here in Texas, cowboy fabrics will never go out of style. Paid for the other two bolts with only one baby quilt. The three pastels are Robyn Randolph’s. I needed more fabrics that I can use as background’s or coordinating fabrics to go with busier prints. And lastly, a pretty Tuscan textured fabric. I also ordered it in a pretty green, but alas, it was all sold out.
Next, I thought I’d share our brunch with you. Another thing about living in Texas, if you like Mexican food, you can find it here. Whether you prefer authentic, TexMex, mild or smoking hot, we’ve got it. This would fall under the category of authentic, and once the green sauce is liberally applied on top, smoking hot. It comes from a local restaurant, La Casita. Started by a woman in one of those little snow cone type stands, serving some of the yummiest breakfast burritos. She quickly outgrew that little stand, and now has a walk-in restaurant. We ordered the huevos rancheros, for take out, yesterday. Here it is in the takeout box, two eggs on crispy corn tortillas, spicy shredded beef, refried beans, a homemade flour tortilla, hot green sauce, and a cheese quesadilla in a crispy corn tortilla, that you will see on my plate, once I moved it all over for easier eatin’. By the time I was finished, my tounge was burning and my nose was running. Yummy!
I know that Carla R., Jan & Michelle will especially love this next part. I got pics of a beautiful Swallowtail butterfly, laying more eggs, I think, on my dill yesterday. This is what the caterpillars will eventually turn into. I’m getting concerned that my dill supply is not staying up to the rate of demand. I planted more but it isn’t coming up too good. I was thrilled to finally get some butterfly pics. 
Here is a shot with the butterfly and the caterpillars in it. 
If you find these guys on your dill, parsley or whatever, please don’t see them as pests. Try to spare a bit of your garden for them, and let them have a chance to find their wings.
I did manage to get the backing sewn together for Mom’s quilt. I am going to get it loaded today. Not sure if I will get anywhere on the quilting. NASCAR is at the Brickyard today. I will be watching the race this afternoon. Go Bobby!
Just Yard Stuff Pics
Well, I don’t have anything new to report on the quilting front, so how about the rest of those piddling around the yard photos I promised.
This is my little plum tree.
I just thought these leaves at the tip top of it looked pretty. Reminded me of pretty fabric, or a pretty art quilt. This pic is just to give you a perspective of where they are on the tree.
Day lillies that came from one little sprig, in a stryrofoam cup, brought home by a 1st grader, for Mother’s Day. These are also one of the things that make me happy when I see them.
And lastly, a hosta blooming.
Storm at Sea Top Finished!
I finished my Storm at Sea top last night. Not the best piecing job, but hey, it’s done. I did discover that those points really do match up much better if you take the time to put a pin in them! LOL! Who knew? This one will be challenging to me when it comes quilting time. I am running way late this morning, and have to drive to our Borger office for work today. Firearms inspection and requalifying is today. So no sewing on my lunch break today. 😦 Guess I better run!
Not Much Progress to Report
I managed to get one more row sewed together on my lunch hour yesterday. I did one more while cooking dinner last night. That’s as far as I got on any quilting projects. I did peruse some books & magazines, looking for a good project for my batiks. Right now, I’m leaning toward a jewel box quilt. Today, on my lunch hour, I sewed the remaining 2 rows, and got all the backing fabric for my Mom’s quilt pressed. I don’t know if I will get to do anymore later or not, depends on how I feel after work, fixin’ dinner, cleanin’ up dinner, and doing a little cleaning in my bedroom/bathroom.
Another online friend asked in a recent blog about what things make you happy on a daily basis. That query, thank you Ronda, along with reading a couple of blogs by cancer patients, reading about a mother losing a son in another friend’s blog, and a couple of friends close to me going through some difficult situations recently, have really made me count my blessings the last couple of days. Just to start, this is not my official blog yet of things that make me happy, that will come when I have more time to put into it, I have to say how happy my family makes me. Also, knowing that He who is in me, is greater than he who is in the world. During your visit with me today, notice the new box in the sidebar, Soul Food. I’m not sure how often it will change, but I wanted a space to share verses, etc., that really touch me, or speak to me, from time to time. I absolutely love this first verse. When I came across it during a personal devotional time, it was an AHA! moment for me. If you have one you would like to share with me, always feel free to add it to the comments of the current post, whether it’s relevant to the post or not. I’d love to read them. Thanks for stopping by!
Ramblings From Randi, The Wild Rose Quilter 