A Wonderful Spring Day!

I know that some people still have frigid temperatures and snow on the ground, but here in North Florida the sun has shown up.   We have had beautiful warm days and the sun has been shining.    I even got a little bit of a sunburn today.  
I took a day trip (2 hour drive) to visit my sisters. I made my sister a quilt for her 50th birthday, but it was a little late and I finished it a few weeks ago. See my finishes post here. I had yet to deliver it to her. I gave it to her today, and made her take a picture with it.

We had a great day.   We went to Downtown Alachua, FL and walked around looking in all the shops.   There is a quilt shop there.    I bought  2 half yard pieces of fabric and a wedge ruler.   We ate lunch at The Ivy House, a neat restaurant located in a restored old home, that is on the national historical register.   There are alot of cute gift shops, consignment stores, and antique stores on Main Street.    Then we went back to my sister's house and sat on the porch talking and laughing, and soaking in the sunshine.     It was a good day.

I Love Water!

Since I am allergic to artificial sweetners and I am always on a diet, trying to eat healthy, and stay away from the dreaded "soda".   I almost never drink soda, I might sneak a Mountain Dew in there every once in a blue moon.   For the most part I drink water, and with all the new info coming out about plastic bottles and how bad they are for the environment, and they may cause cancer, etc... I drink filtered water.   We have a Brita filter pitcher that stays in our fridge, 24/7.    While it is a good thing, it is not my favorite thing. 

My favorite thing is this:

This is only a small sample of the water bottles that I have.   I collect them.   I have them in my fridge, in my car, by my bed, in my backpack, by my sewing machine and every where else that I go.    I rotate them continually and always have one with me.    I love water!    It's a good thing, as I can't really drink anything else.    The butterfly one is my favorite, this week.

Don't forget to head on over to Shay's place "Quilting in My Pajama's"   and tell us about your favorite thing.

I am back!

It has been nearly two weeks since I have posted.    My card reader for my camera was borrowed and I had to give it back.    It just became so hard to get to someplace I could download the pics, transfer to a flash drive, download to my computer and then write a blog.  

Sorry I have been gone so long.    I just got a new card reader, (my own this time), so I am back.  

I have the my most current UFO on the frame to be quilted and it will be done by the end of February.   The blue work flying machines for my grandson's 9th birthday.   I hope he will enjoy it.     I had lots of fun with the bluework, but got stuck on the design for a while, but once I put my 15 minutes resolution in place, it has come together quickly.

He loves airplanes and helicopters, and all things flying.

I am ready for the quilting to be done and get this one in the shipping box on it's way to Kansas City, MO.   It is going to the smartest, cutest, and most loving grandson.    He loves Jesus and it shows in everything he does. 

What a Screen! One of my favorite things!

I have an iMac.   I am one of those converted PC folks.    My work computer used to be a Window machine and I thought it was great, as I love all things electronic.  But then I got my 27 inch iMac
 and I am now a Mac person at work and a PC person at home.    I can't convince my husband that "Because I want one!" is a good enough reason to abandon my perfectly good PC laptop for a new MacBook Pro.   So for now one of my favorite things is this wonderful Mac sitting on my desk at work.
 It looks just like this one.
 






 Come join us at Favourite Things Friday.    Thanks Shay for hosting this linky party. 

I Won!

I am so excited!   I won a $25.00 gift certificate to Hawthorne Threads.

http://www.hawthornethreads.com/home

They have lots of wonderful fabric, but I fell in love with this one.

This fabric will become a new quilt for my camper, my husband is going to love it.   We have both fallen in love with RVing and pack up our pop-up as often as we are able.   We have a trip coming up that I will tell you about soon.   It involves clear spring fed rivers, sea cows, and a quilt show.  What more could a girl want?

Thank you so much, P. at 

As I Sew It

Favorite Things Friday!

My post today is about my favorite thing to use to do my least favorite thing.   UnSew!  UGH!!


I am not a total perfectionist when it comes to piecing.    If I cut off points or my seams don't nest perfectly,  I look at the square and say  " Could I see this from the back of a moving horse?"   If the answer is no, then I will probably leave it the way it is, depending on the purpose of the quilt and my mood at the time.    But everyone who sews knows, that there are times when you just have to unsew.


Well on a road trip a few years ago, I found this!  

It is a cheap seam ripper, mounted in a hand carved polished handle.   It is so much easier to work with because of it's longer handle.   I love it and it is one of my favorite quilting tools.

Have a great weekend and if you haven't joined in, think about linking up with us at 



Shay at Quilting in My Pajamas, host our weekly link party and we appreciate her.   Come join us!

Aunt Cynthy Got it Right!

I'd rather piece as eat, and I'd rather patch as piece, but I take natcherally delight in quilting'….. Whenst I war a new-married woman with children round my feet, hit 'peraed like I'd git so wearied

I couldn't take delight in nothing: and I'd git ill to my man and the children, and what do you reckon I done them times?

I just put down the breeches I was patchin' and tuk out my quilt squar'. Hit wuz better than prayin', child, hit wuz reason.

Aunt Cynthy…1900

Check out this post from Patchwork Posse

Her post is about a book and the history of women in Art, but I remember the times when my husband ( who is definitely a keeper) would say to me. "Go Quilt!"   He meant go do something that relaxes and destresses you, so you will quit being so grouchy.     This little tidbit of prose sums up my feelings exactly.

WIP Wednesday

I have never been an on demand quilter.   I don't do many baby quilts, because I want to work on what I want to work on, when I want to work on it.   So of my 10 grandchildren only 3 of them have quilts made by Grandma.  The sad thing is, is that it is not even the oldest 3.    I know this is a tragedy and my DIL's remind me of it all the time.   Just kidding.   I have quilts in mind for all of them, and more than half of the remaining quilts to be made are on my UFO/WIP/PHD list . 

I am hoping to get most of them to my 2011 Finishes list,  and the current WIP onto the February finish list.    My #2 grandson, who is 8 years old, will be getting this quilt on his 9th Birthday.    That is coming up on March 15th.    I am really good if I have a deadline, but it has to be one that I give myself.  

The fabrics and the embroidered planes look more black & gray than the blue they really are.   The only truly black fabric is the sashing.     Each plane or flying machine, is a different blue and there are 6 of them.   They are all done.   There are 6 pieced blocks and 3 of those are done and the others finished tonight.   It is my goal to have the top finished and loaded onto the mid-arm frame by Sunday afternoon.

I think I can do it!

Then on to the next grandchild UFO.   I am really trying to be a better grandma.   But they won't quit having babies.   We have 2 more on the way, one in April and one in July.    Their baby quilts won't be finished either, but they will get a larger quilt if they have to wait a few years.

A Fabric Diet!

I have tried to put myself on a fabric diet, but it isn't working very well.    It would help if I would stay out of my LQS, but I have to go to my monthly applique meeting don't I?

These batik fat quarters called out to me as I passed by the cart, while turning my head, trying to avoid looking at their lusciousness.

This one is my favorite, until I see the next one.

 

And next month will probably not be any easier.    I have the Suwannee Valley Quilt & Old Time Craft Festival, to be held on March 12, in Trenton FL.    They have the best quilt shop there.   I can't imagine not buying at least a few yards fat quarters.    Not to mention the following weekend, I am going to the Lakeland, Sewing Expo.   How am I suppose to get out of there without buying any fabric???

I guess I need a 12 step program.    They tell an alcoholic the first thing they have to do is stop hanging out in bars.    But seeing as my addiction is neither, illegal, immoral or fattening, I can't seem to convince myself that buying fabric is bad.    It's not like I am spending the rent money.

I really am going to stop buying fabric, I am running out of room.   But we really could use a bigger house, with 2 bathrooms.

But for now, I am thinking about heading for my local Walmart.   One of the ladies in my group said they tripled the size of the fabric department and I really need to make sure they are telling the truth.  The hand on that 1/2 yard my friend bought was very nice.  

Maybe I should call my sponsor.   Oh! She is at Walmart.  I guess I haven't got a chance!