community · daily life · fabric baskets · longarm quilting · machine quilting · pretty fabric · quilts · sewing

Time’s Up! And the winner is…..


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Congratulations Deb Levy! Email me your snail mail, and I will be sending you your fabric prize.  I chose five of my favorite “blender” fabrics from my stash and cut one yard pieces from each.

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Thank you to all of the 22 entries in my blog contest! I wish I could send you all a prize.  I will have to think of more reasons for future contests!

Notice that I used my newly made basket to hold your names!

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I think it’s not too bad for a first try, though I’m not convinced I’m finished with it just yet.  I think it needs some kind of handles added.  I hope to get a few smaller ones made up for some handmade Christmas gifts this year.

I haven’t signed up to be an official PIF participant, (the Pay It Forward movement that is going around on many of the blogs) simply because I have so many obligations to meet in my life already, that I didn’t want to sign up, fail, and feel badly.  However, I intend to unofficially participate, and look for ways to bless others with my handiwork.  I just don’t want it to feel like another thing I “have” to get done.  I hope that doesn’t sound terrible, I’m just being honest.  Most days I’m already stretched about as thin as I can go, as I know most of you are, too.  I really admire those of you that find ways to handle it all, and still find time and energy to give so much of yourselves. 

I am also happy to report that my stepdaughter is going home from the hospital as I type! She had her surgery Thursday and all went well.  The doctor didn’t see anything that looks suspicious, but we won’t have the official report til next week.  That is such a huge relief! I just wish she didn’t have to go through the discomfort that follows.  She is such a special young woman and I love her very much! Thank you for your prayers for her.

Have a wonderful Saturday!

daily life · longarm quilting · machine quilting · pretty fabric · quilt top · quilting · quilts · sewing

Saturday Posting


I love Saturdays.  This was a good week/bad week.  DS & I had a nice visit with my parents, and got our yearly eye exams done.  New contacts and new sunglasses for us both.  I went to the LQS, bought some more colors of thread to have on hand for stitching bindings.  Ya never know what color you might need and not have it on hand.  And for me, it’s about an hour drive to get more. 

My roll of batting and batting samples came from Quilter’s Dream.  I have decided to place a fairly large order of assorted packaged battings, and keep a stock of them in our store front at the glass shop.  There are several quilters here, and no place to buy good batting here in town.  I think it might be a good thing to do.  I did email them for a “suggested retail” list, but have not heard back from them.  Michelle W. gave some pricing advice in a post I have on MQR, and I really like the way she does it, but just wondered if they have any guidelines. 

I did complete a customer lap quilt.  Beautiful fabrics.

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I got so lucky on this one.  Once, I noticed that my thread was not threaded over the check spring.  My heart sank…I did not want to look at the stitches on the underside of the quilt.  They were perfect!  Then about 2 rows later, a piece of my check spring plopped down on the quilt top.  Oh joy, I thought!  When that happened to me with my premier, I had to frog a whole 80-something inch row of Linda Taylor’s Feather Meander panto.  Not fun!  I finished stitching the row, as I was close to the end, and guess what!  It did not mess up the tension!  How lucky was that?!

The bad week part, is that whatever it is that ails me, which I think is fibromyalgia, is really flaring up this week.  I have been so tired, and I hurt, hurt, hurt.  My shoulder, my right arm, right hand, legs, hips…whine, whine, whine.  I called in sick yesterday, and stayed in bed extra long.  My hand & wrist haven’t felt this bad before.  My palm is very sore to put pressure on.  Typing doesn’t really hurt, but using my mouse does, and if I try to twist off a lid, or lift something, OUCH!

Oh, another good thing…my new furniture arrived.  Karen K. wanted me to post pics, so here it is.  I love it.

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Now I am going to so do some sewing.  Have a great day!

longarm quilting · machine quilting · pretty fabric · quilt top · quilting · quilts · sewing

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:

000_5039.jpg000_5043.jpgThis quilt is big!  The top started at 115″ square.  I think it’s around 113″ after quilting.000_5057.jpg  000_5034.jpg 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:-)!

000_5059.jpgI 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….

000_5060.jpg  Just scrumptious!  The pic does not do it justice!

butterflies · caterpillars · daily life · food · NASCAR · photos · pretty fabric · quilting

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.000_4813.jpg 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!000_4819.jpg000_4820.jpg

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. 000_4871.jpg000_4874.jpgHere is a shot with the butterfly and the caterpillars in it. 000_4900.jpg 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!

family · pretty fabric · quilting

From “0 to 16” in the Blink of an Eye


Where did my little boy go so fast?  All of sudden it seems, he is gone, but there is this wonderful young man where he used to be.  I miss that little boy sometimes.  That’s something you don’t know about before you have them.  How do you miss someone, who technically, is still here?  But you do.  Hard to put into words, but I know that every mother reading this will know exactly what I’m trying to say. 

He had a much better day in the 2nd golf tournament.  However, he still didn’t place in the medals.  I believe he ended up in 5th, the second day.  He shot a 75, which was four over par.  The winner posted a 69, and there was a 71, and three 72’s.  As badly as he scored the first day, he still ended up 8th.  The low score that day was a 78. 

Yesterday, we went out for birthday lunch with my parents.  DH traveled down to join us, and we all got back home around 3:oo yesterday.  I really enjoyed the time with my parents.  Mom & I got to play some Skip-Bo. 

These are my new batiks.  I need some ideas for a project to use them in.  They are so pretty, and I’d like a pattern that will really show them off.  Actually, I think they’d make a cool pineapple quilt, but I hate to cut some of them up so small the pattern doesn’t show.  Especially the one on top.  I’d love to hear your suggestions.

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Happy birthday, D!  I love you!

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