All my bags are packed. I'm ready to go......

Well, you know the song. I'm not getting on a jet plane but my little red van is even better since I always get air-sick. YUK!! I'm off to Columbus. The NQA quilt show may never be the same. (LOL) I have birthday money in hand although not much time for shopping until Friday morning(all day hand quilting class on Thursday), camera at the ready so I can report all sorts of goodies and my brushes with quilting fame, and, almost as important, I have checked out all the restaurants in walking distance from the hotel.

So while I am gone....Happy Quilting!!

It just keeps getting better and better!

I got up this morning with a jump in my step chanting "2 more days, 2 more days, 2 more days). I leave Wednesday for Columbus to attend the National Quilting Association's 39th Annual Quilt Show. I will be taking classes on hand quilting, machine quilting and a wool penny rug class with Pat Sloan. Eleanor Burns is also giving a talk at the dinner on Thursday night. I am just toooooo excited! I'm taking my camera and will have loads to report when I get back. I even have money to spend as my birthday is next week!! Now I ask you, what could be better?

But wait, there's even more excitement around here. First let me just say that bloggers are the best. It seems almost daily someone is having a give-away for some reason or another. I can't tell you how many I have entered (usually by just leaving a comment) and not been the lucky winner. Back on June 3rd(which is my sweet mama's birthday) Cheryl from Willowberry Designs posted about one of her new patterns named Cute as a Button (jump on over to see this cute pattern). It is an adorable baby quilt. Today I received an email from Cheryl telling me I was one of the lucky winners. I already know a couple of sweet babies who need this quilt. Make sure you jump on over to Cheryl's blog and check out her cute patterns. She is a talented Aussie who has designed some wonderful quilt and stitchery patterns.

But wait, there's more!!
I also heard from Monica of the Happy Zombie fame. The table runner above was made using her Jolly Jingle pattern (free on her blog). She was asking to post the picture of it in her gallery for that pattern. I think that is too cool!!

On the current sewing front, I have two quilts to the point of hand sewing down the binding. I'll have pictures of them later.

Thanks for stopping by so I could share all my happy news.
Happy Quilting!

Big Finish

Today is the final day for the Color Challenge issued by Natalie of Cinderberry Stitches. Red is her color of choice today. I have shown you many of my reds. Just page back to blue day and you will see that they go together so well that I have combined them in many of my quilts. Here's the first quilt I ever made. It was, in fact, the project from my first ever quilt class. It hangs in my studio.

You can probably tell from my banner that I love '30's reproductions. I think I have mentioned it a time of two (gross understatement). Here are a few of them from my stash.
Ain't they pretty? (Shh, don't tell my sweet kid #3 that I said ain't. She's planning on being a high school english teacher and she just cringes when I say ain't.) It's because of this....
This sign hangs in our kitchen. But let me show you what's red and hangs in our entry hall.


















My husband is an artist(a hobby right now). He's really good if I do say so myself. And you know I am not the least bit biased!! He has done a series of seasonal old barns. This one obviously is fall. It is my favorite of the barns. This barn sits just a little south of the small town we used to live in. If you would like to see more of his art you can check out his website here.

Here are a few more shots from around the house with red, of course.













































Well, if you have stuck it out to the end, thanks. This has been fun.
Happy Quilting!

How about Brown?

When I zoomed on over to Natalie's site to find out what the challenge color for the day would be I thought, "Uh oh, brown. I haven't done much brown." But not wanting to be stumped (this is, after all, a challenge), I grabbed the camera and headed down to my studio. I was pleasantly surprised.

This is a table square using the Winter Rose line of fabric. I've shown you this one before. It was fun and easy to make and includes brown and creams.

Both of these are waiting for my next quarterly installment from the 2008 Thimbleberries Club. Since I chose the "lodge" color-way instead of the "lakeside" color-way there are several browns in the quilt.





























I have a few scraps left of this cute brown polka dotted fabric after making this purse. Aren't pink and brown together just the cutest?




















And this little cutie sits of my sewing table in the studio. My mother-in-law made him for me. Notice the creative little details. I love the little frog on the arm(paw?). And the little red earrings. She had a real knack for making things beautiful. She passed away in 2002 and we miss her very much. She was so very creative and we have several things around our home to remind us of her.

There is only one day left in the Color Challenge. I wonder what color she will choose next? There are so many left to choose from. Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Quilting!

Blue, Blue, My World is Blue

Not really! Natalie over at Cinderberry Stitches has named blue as the color of the day. I am having so much fun with this color challenge. Color is such an integral part of a quilter's world. Now I know some quilter's love to make black and white quilts and they turn out so pretty but how boring would it be if that was it for choices of color. I'm so very, very glad that God didn't create this world in just black and white. Aren't you?

Before we moved here to Ohio most of my home was decorated in blue(mostly Americana). That has changed here but since my stash had so much red and blue in it a large portion of my quilting has been in those colors (until now, as I said - that has changed). Here are a few of my early quilting projects.


























I could go on but I won't. Next come the wonderful tools we have as quilters. Another of my rotary cutters (who can have just one?), seam ripper (not one of favorite tools), and the brush to keep my sewing machine running smoothly and blue thread. There are so many shades of blue.






















Next is a close up of a feed sack I bought at an antique store near here. I would love to begin collecting feed sacks to make quilts from but haven't gotten that far yet.
And last, but certainly not least, is a fun little knick-knack that sits atop my desk in the studio. It was a gift from my bff Claudia. I am a displaced Texan and she doesn't want me to forget it(as if I could). As they say, You can take the girl out of Texas but you can't take the Texas out of a girl. Or something like that!! Yee Haw!!!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Quilting!!

Color Challenge Green

Today's challenge color is green which I found was easy to get from my studio. I really like green. Maybe it takes me back to my high school days where we were the "mean green fighting machine". Maybe it is because it portrays life everywhere in nature. Maybe I just like green. Anyway, below are my offerings today for the color challenge.

What is it about fat quarters that I absolutely love them? Maybe it's because I can have so many different fabrics to fondle without spending an unreal amount of money for them. I don't know but I'm addicted to fat quarters especially when they are the '30 reproductions like these.
Just one of my rotary cutters.
Scissors and thread.
I love this stuff. I use it for my applique. It comes in several different scents. Mine is the Citrus Green. I like it so much better than regular starch. It leaves the pieces lighter and doesn't leave as much residue on my ironing board cover. Check out the link above for more info.
This is the gorgeous view out of my studio windows. Sorry about the screen. It will be even more green once the corn starts coming up. I love this view in the spring and summer.

If you haven't been to Natalie's blog yet you really need to check it out.

Thanks for stopping by. Happy Quilting!

Color Challenge

Natalie over at Cinderberry Stitches has issued a color challenge. Her plan is to share 5 items from her studio in 5 different colors over the next 5 days. Today she chose pink. Use the link above to pop over to see her wonderful photos. If you have never been to her blog you will so thoroughly enjoy it that I'm sure you will bookmark it for daily inspiration. She is so very talented.

I love pink. So it wasn't really a problem to find 5 items in pink to share with you today. Here goes.....
Of course, I have to start with fat quarters. That's a given for a quilter wouldn't you say? I chose the brights but I could have gone with the '30's reproductions also. Maybe even a mixture? Choosing fabric is soooo hard even if it's not for a quilt right now!

Here's a valentine table runner that I need to sandwich and quilt. I guess I don't need to stress too badly over it yet since I won't need it until next February. It's a free pattern from Monica's blog. She's the Happy Zombie and I also love her blog. She's such a talent and so generous to share her patterns. I used charm packs of the All You Need Is Love fabric to make this one.
I wish I could say that I made this doily but I would be a liar if I did. I bought it at an antique store in Texas. I would really love to learn how to make these myself. I do crochet but have not attempted this yet. Maybe one day!!
First, let me apologize for the bad picture. It's dreary here today and I just couldn't get a good photo of Chatty Cathy. I know this is dating myself. I will be fifty-something this month and can I just tell you that Chatty Cathy was one of my all-time favorite Christmas presents. I think I was either 7 or 8 when I got her for Christmas. I'll never forget it. Unfortunately, I don't have the original anymore. My mom gave me this little replica a couple of Christmas's ago. She even has the pull string in the back. So very cute!!
A cup of tea, anyone? This is a cup and saucer from my mom's china. I have the whole set and just love them. Aren't they pretty? They are so light and dainty.

Thanks for stopping by. Happy Quilting!