Aahh! Therapy!

I know that I'm posting this long after JudyL's Design Wall Monday - but yesterday like so many Mondays, there were just other things to accomplish and sewing wasn't one of them.  After picking up Nora from school and overseeing her homework, it was then time to quickly help get the kids changed for gymnastics so they'd have time to eat before their classes started.  I then spent the next 2 hours with them at the Gym, and because I promised them that if they did well during their class - as in pay attention to their teacher and follow instructions - that I'd go by McDonald's and buy them a dessert - it was 8:45pm by the time we made it home last night and just one look at my husband after walking in the door told him that "I had reached my limit of kid time."

They still needed their doses of antibiotics, and baths.... oh, did I forget to mention that last week Paul Thomas had ear ache pain come on strong one afternoon and so we found a Walgreen's Take Care Clinic and yes, he indeed had double ear infections and tested positive for STREP and so did Nora, Olivia and I. 

Anyway, back to last night....  David said, "I'll give the baths to the kids and oversee books and prayers, why don't you go do something for you..... go relax."  Well maybe not exactly those words... and maybe it wasn't his idea to even offer the baths ;) but in the end he obliged and all was good.  I got to spend some time "In Therapy" with my sewing machine and I made some blocks for charity. 

The double pinwheel blocks will be mailed to KC1930 for the HGTV Sunshine Quilters. She uses this "Louisiana" block often and makes up the cutest quilts for children. The other 2 at the top are for the April drawing for the www.BlockLotto.com and are called "Hot Cross 9-patch"

After I saw her post showing the blocks set on point I couldn't resist! Don't they look nice? And this setting only takes 13 blocks to make.  They are so easy to make!  Hope to make up a few more to increase my chances of winning ;) maximum is 9.  

http://www.blocklotto.com/2012/04/sophies-bakers-dozen/

So I'd say my therapy session was a success wouldn't you?  Tonight is swimming and *maybe* just *maybe* I can talk David into another night of overseeing baths???  Well I won't hold my breath.... lol but I do hope to do some more sewing and make more blocks for the BlockLotto.com

Love from Indiana!

Just One Star

While reading the Moda The Cutting Table newsletter I came across a challenge from Moda called Just One Star can comfort a soldier.

The Moda challenge is to piece, quilt and bind 100 quilts in 100 days using the Flag of Valor pattern by Minick and Simpson.

Moda needs 1800 star blocks to reach this goal.

The deadline for star blocks is May 1, 2011 so that they can meet their quilt deadline by Flag Day, June 14, 2011. Moda has requested that you send your untrimmed blocks to:

United Notions/Moda Fabrics

Attn: Just One Star Project

13800 Hutton

Dallas, TX 75234

There is a tutorial/pattern for stars. What a great way to be part of something BIG for our soldiers!

Love from Texas!

Mississippi Star

Not affiliate with any quilt group or guild... just a good friend of Gotthebug is putting together a charity quilt(s) and providing the fabric to mail out in hopes that quilters will return a block to her.

She mails you an envelope with a fat 8th of the Blue Batik and the background white fabrics... and the sky is the limit - you can add whatever you wish with it and choose any pattern to make as long as it finishes at 12"

If you'd like to participate let me know and I'll be happy to share her email with you. She's hoping to get blocks from every state....and maybe a few from around the globe too! :)

So what do you all think about my block I sent? It's called "Mississippi Star" - what do you think about the bright orange I added? I thought it would work since the blue/green batik was a bright one... and that way she'd know at a glance that this block was made in "Orange, TX" ;)


Love from Texas!

Strings from Wednesday and sewing on Friday

Yep, that's what this post is about -pretty original title don't ya think? LOL
Look what arrived Wednesday of this week -4 more string blocks from HappyErm. She had the cutest little sticker on the back side of my name and address - see it with the smiley face and shades? It says: "I aim to please. Please let me know if anything is wrong. I will be happy to try again. Happy Erm."


Isn't that a cute idea! ?? I love it. and she included two extra strings for me! How cool! I wonder if she's read my blog and how I la,la,love leftovers ;)


and now to the sewing part... but wait! First things first..Recently I was reading Leah's Blog and saw where she had changed hr needle and oiled her machine and had to confess - I don't know WHEN the last time I took off my stitch plate and gave my machine a good dusting.. and the last time I changed the needle was the last time it broke :P but no idea on when??? months?


aaahhh... that's better. and I don't know why I wait so long in between - it's not hard.. and actually the longest pat is walking upstairs to the sewing room and find the oil.

So today, Friday, I've had some sewing time in the dining room with the kids nearby watching videos. Take a look at these HST's ready for pressing and trimming.. I know the photo isn't large enough to tell - but i used striped fabric (the green) and as long as you make sure you sew 2 of them diagonal "one way" and 2 the "opposite" - matching up strips is never a problem!

I know it may drives some nuts -(like myself) when strips are going all the same way except for one block.. that's why I check and double check before sewing together. It doesn't take that much longer and the finished product is perfect! ;)

see.. look below at those stripes.. two going up and down and two going side to side... Not good..

but if you made sure that you sewed half of your HST's one direction and the other two the OPPOSITE direction.. then all is good :) Just simply trade the top and one on the right with one another.. and...
ta-Da! all is perfect - ready to sew. Here below they are lined up with their background rectangles...

here they are laid out... now they are like huge 4 patch blocks..

only two more seams to go and they'll be done!

...and here you go - two blocks. :) made and ready to mail to the January Sunshine Hostess.

So I bet you are wondering... "What's next??" - oh I've got LOTSA plans... :) so stay tuned! You just never know what you may see. ;)

Love from Texas!

Blocks for Sunshine Group

I often make blocks and donate to the HGTV Quilters' Sunshine Group - who's members take turns collecting blocks and making quilts for charity. Here is the link to hostess block requests for 2009 and if you'd like to follow the discussion on the HGTV Message board and see other blocks members are making click here on the current thread for Sunshine project.

Lucky for me, they are a VERY casual group - make 2 blocks for the months you can and mail in to the hostess.. and when you can't don't stress about it - join in when you can... ;) (my kind of group)

The January Sunshine hostess, San, requested 12.5" blocks that remind people of Sunny Days, Sunshine, Happy Times, Favorite times or Events. They can be paper-pieced, applique', regular piecing, or personally designed blocks. I want these quilts to remind the receivers of happy times and bright, sunshiny days. Quilter's Choice.(San)

In the photo above, are the ones Elainetoo made and posted.. and I thought oooogh! How bright and cheerful I love 'em! Her pinwheels remind me of those my dad use to buy me at the 4th of July parade or festivals we went too...and I'd like to make these blocks too - Thanks Elainetoo for the inspiration!!!

After pulling fabrics and looking again -today I posted a question for Elainetoo - I wonder if she made her block with flying geese blocks 3x6??

I'm tyring to figure out the best way to put this block together.. I always like to use the Eleanor Burnes Rulers to make Flying Geese.. and can't quite figure out what I need to do different to get different back ground fabrics... any advice? that's why I'm considering just doing HST's instead..

Love from Texas!

a photo to share

Well what do you know..?

While looking for somehting else this afternoon, I found the digital camera David broke in May (rollin around on floor playing with kids with camera and KEYS in his pants pocket - smash = broken screen)

Anyway it does still tke photos you just don't know what you are getting until you download them on the computer...and had I known I had so much carpet in the photo I would have moved in closer.

But on a good note... WHEW! at least we'll have a back up for Halloween!! and taking photos of the kids! :) also Kathy suggested buying a disposable camera ((good idea)) and I still may do that too ;) thanks!

So the block is one of two that I made for the November HGTV Sunshine Quilters hostess. (They were both exactly alike) Other than sewing flannel Bonnie Blankets, this was the first time I had used flannel to make quilt blocks. ..... andalthought i washed and ironed many more colros in hopes to make more than the required two blocks... I doubt I will bother as I just didn't enjoy using the flannel to piece with. :( just not my thing. I do like flannel quilts that I have seen, I just dont' prefer to use it myself.

I think I will contact ssharon334 and see if she'd accept my extra flannel to use either fo rmore blocks and if so, I could precut.. or perhaps to use as scrappy backings for the quit tops she plans to put together?

Wish us luck with Cannon - while meeting David for lunch otday I whined about th ecamera and he contacted Circut City and of course there is NOTHING they will do for us since we didn't buy the extended warranty on the camera... but since we purchased it in June, we should be covered under the warranty... let's hope!

Until now we've had only Cannon's. We love them! Since 1997 we have owned 4 of them... I don't know why we didn't buy the extended warranity??? You'd think as rough as we are on them, we would have!#^!**$#>

Love from Texas!

Nora is loving school and SO am I :c)

Now that school has started for Nora - read all about it here - I am loving our NEW daily routine! It's especially nice that BOTH babies are napping at the SAME times both in both the morning while Nora is at school and also again in the late afternoon... when she is home napping too!! :) :) :)

I can't tell you how happy that makes me and how I am now able to enjoy some much needed peace and quiet around here every day!!! :P Perhaps now that Naps are becoming more regular... there may more postings on Nap Time News! :P

So here are a few things I have been working on so far this week while Nora is at school.

Star blocks for the Sunshine Quilters from the HGTV quilter's board. I need to make one more friendship star block...then they'll be ready to mail out.

ssharon334 (Sept) asked for Friendship Stars made with a novelty print and coordinating print for background.

Below are two more Sawtooth stars I made for jane_kiwi (Oct) who requested any star pattern made using bright animal print stars.

The Sunshine group is very casual - no one keeps records if you make blocks or not -you don't get in trouble if you skip a month.. some make only 1, most make 2 when they are able... and others mail in more. I'm planning to mail 2 each month and 3 for October b/c a "traveling box swap" I was in recently, the hostess or rather coordinator... requested no gifts but instead to make a block and donate it to charity in honor of her... so that White cat fabric block is in honor of LisaP8! :) I don't know if she likes cats or not, but I do think she likes brights and while I wasn't sure if the polka dot background would be too busy or not, I took a chance and made my 3rd sawtooth block using it - and I think it turned out just fine. Don't you? :) All of them are pretty fun colors hua? ;c)

I even made a couple sets of green mini 9 patches for my quarterly swap I host... Here's a pic of the first set. This was my first day of sewing while Nora was in school... so I sat her "Dora" up to keep me company. I sure do miss her and I've even shed a tear or two realizing that the Hero she sees in me will from now on change... as she gets older she will begin to value the opinion of her peers and their acceptance more than mine or her dads. sad but true... it's just how it is. I do pray that our bond we have created will last a lifetime and that she will have many fond memories of these years she spent at home with me (her Stay at home Mom.)

and in anticipation of Bonnie Hunter's new book release, I've also been finding time to cut up some of the shirts I have collected in the past year. I was gonna working on a binding during the Olympics... but I just can't do that and keep my eyes on the TV too. :P So for me, shirts are easier and faster!

I wonder how many other faithful readers of http://www.quiltville.blogspot.com/ are also cutting up shirts while we wait for the book to be released?? Have you not seen her cute cover? no? well check out her post she shared on 08/14/08

Love from Texas!

I love Friday!

OK, it's a week late but I still want to report in and show you what I got to spend the day doing last Friday!!! I loooooove Friday's!!! It's my "I don't have to leave the house day!"



After the morning breathing treatments both babies napped at the same time!!! Boy did I ever feel like the super mom! LOL During that time, Nora and I quietly spent some time in the sewing room!!!



This pink block was first on the agenda. :) My friend "ithinksew" from the HGTV quilters message board put out a call for donation blocks to be used to make quilts for 3 sisters who lost their mom to cancer...... and since I had used this pattern the week before for Quiltaholic's children's charity project and liked the pattern I decided to use it again. :)





All the fabric used, was from my FQ Stash - funny how you have to make due with what you have and end up using fabrics that you never thought would go together but in the end they do! :) I am very pleased with how the block turned out... and am very happy to make a contribution to the donation quilts. I even cut out for a 2nd block and may even get a third made before mailing in before the due date... but the 3rd will have to have different fabric as I used up every bit of the "Quilt for a Cure" fabric.




ok, WARNING, I am about to show you my quilting/guest room... which is totally UGLY compared to all the fantastic sewing areas I have seen on the internet...



Next I pulled out my Friendship Star Siggy Blocks from "Brandyquilter" swap she hosted back last fall. The board members are having their 2nd annual Circle of Friends Retreat next month and this year it is in HOUSTON!!! my own back yard basically!!! :c) I was so psyched when I found out last year where the 2008 location was going to be held! I even began prepping David that the babies would be 9 months old by then... and easier to handle... hint hint :)



Well, he more than agreed to make it our long weekend vacation so that I could go to the retreat... while he and the kids explored the zoo and other Houston happenings...but in December we had to make a very important decision concerning the health of the babies... therefore I was not able to send in my money by the deadline... too long to go into here... but let's just say that GOD plan is always best and we later found out that after a special review committee meeting with the insurance company, the twins got approved for their RSV monthly shots!!! That saves us nearly THREE GRAND!!! Yeahhhh!!!



So now without the high costs of the shots... (yeah) can "afford" to go... but the deadline has passed... however there is a waiting list for anyone who drops out between now and retreat... but where David works they are preparing for a union strike in MARCH of all times! and since he is salary, if the workers strike he will have to work mandatory 12 hour shifts 7 days a week... so I wouldn't be available to go to a retreat in March if they are on strike :( Another reason I dislike TX - the standby babysitters, uham, I mean grandparents, are toooo far away in KY! :P



so enough about all that - sorry so long winded...((roll eyes))

To cheer myself up I got out my blocks and put them on my design wall aka GUEST BED :P LOL. It is making me a little bit happier to see my HGTV board friends names on the blocks :)



and does anyone out there have one of these??? I found it on clearance at Joann's last year... for under $2.


Here is an example of how it works! Boy my mother sure could have used one of these when she was living! I don't know how many times we made fun of her for stretching out her arm and holding things out as far as she could so she could read them. Something we kids totally didn't understand - hold it out farther??? what!??? LOL
isn't it cool??? makes it look like I have a mini ironing board by my big one and there is only one in the room.....OK well that isn't true... there is a 2nd behind that chest folded up between the chest and the wall. I have a feeling this might have been my FIRST and LAST time to use it... Nora claimed it as "her looking glass" :P but it was so useful to make sure those gold squares were evenly placed about.

See, I WARNED you that my room was a mess... even when it is neat it still look like a mess. I so wish I had one of these portable design walls like Mary J bought last year... but honestly I don't know where I would stand it up.. and the twins are crawling and pulling up these days so it would be bound to get knocked over. So for now I guess the design wall/guest bed is the safest place. ;)

I don't know how long it will take me as it's been a week since I was in the sewing room... but as soon as I get these sewn together I am gonna order "the perfect" backing fabric for it!!! Look at this Bingo fabric I found on line!!! Perfect, b/c over on the HGTV board I am known as bingo~bonnie :c)

and speaking of bingo... yep, it's that time of year again!!! I am in the middle of hosting the 3rd annual HGTV Fat Quarter Bingo and hot dog, I am LOVIN' it!!!

We currently have over 1800 FQs pledged for this year's jackpot!!! I am so amazed!!!#@! 1st year we had 770, last year I threw in a handful of my own to make it an even 1600 and this year we are over 1800 and still g-r-o-w-i-n-g each and every week! Whoo knows how many we will have come game day on April 1st! ?? amazing hua? and the best part is - is that I get to receive it all here at my home package by package!!! Oh happy day!!! Going to the mail box becomes the highlight of my day and seeing and feeling all of this fabric is sew much fun!! Not to mention how I so enjoy the nerdyness of keeping a spreadsheet and tracking and organizing it all!!! I guess it takes me back to my working days, when I could see the progress I had made at the end of the day... where as now, as a stay@home mom, I feel like I take one step forward and 10 steps back at the end of the day...

The big question pending is, Where to store it all... last year I used the dining room table but this year it's off limits, b/c that is my perpetual laundry folding center and baby stuff catch all... you can bet i am saving all of my diaper boxes for shipping to the winners!

and to wrap this post up... since I'm in a reveal all mode... why not show you a quick pic of me and the twins! :P This was taken in front of Nora's bathroom mirror last Friday (my PJ/no makeup day)

While I am embarrassed at the clutter on the counter top.....I am most impressed that the mirror didn't show any fingerprints or smudges as it usually does! :P I'm guessng Clara (stepmom) windexed it while she was here last month :) b/c I know I didn't and I highly doubt David did either!

Paul Thomas to your left, Olivia on the right.

Well, I will close for now! Hope tomorrow I get to have another Fun Friday at home and will get some time in the sewing room if the kids cooperate!

Love from Texas!! ~bonnie

Another Charity block for Quiltaholic

I really enjoy doing charity blocks for quilters putting together a quilt for a good cause :) Here is the latest one I have made for a friend of mine over on the HGTV quilters message board.

This time Quiltaholic specified a pattern for all of us to use and what colors to place where. I didn't know at first, but after shopping my stash and cutting out the block - I must say I am WOWed at this color combination! I really like it and regretted not double cutting so I'd end up with a block for me! ;)

Well,, last night after sewing I sort of made my wish come true.... :P I was surprised to find that after placing my 12.5" ruler on top of it - IT just didn't measure up! to 12.5" that is... and I was so careful to use a scant seam and still managed to rip and re-rip several seams and some more than once! Finally, I just said, " Come-pluah-iieeee on this, I will start over and this time I will NOT cut triangles!" :P

I can't send this block in with one side being off 1/8" and another side off by 1/4"! So what to do??? Start over! So this time I did things a little differently. I took a closer look at the block and noticed the flying goose finishes at 3x6 so I made them like I prefer (Eleanor Burns method).

And the best part, besides everything matching perfectly and measuring 12.5", is that I made myself a block too! ;) So now I have one to keep that is perfect like the one I mailed to Quiltaholic, and the first one that doesn't quite measure up... I guess I will set them aside to be used several years from now on an orphan quilt that Finn is so famous for ;)

Love from Texas!!!

~bonnie

Voter's Choice for Charity Quilt

I love helping out for a quilt charity project, as do most quilters. For me, it's simply easier to make a block and mail off than make and finish an entire quilt. I just don't have time or motivation to do that right now in my life.. but this way I still am helping and it makes me feel good to see my work in a FINISHED quilt occasionally! :) I get more done that way than I do here at home! LOL

As you may have read I am a member of the HGTV quilters message board and participate over there on a lot of things..... I have calmed down a lot on the swaps since joining, but occasionally find one I can't pass by ;) Also, I host an annual FAT QUARTER Bingo in the spring each year... and love to read the threads and show and tell. The members there are really great and several I am personal friends with. :)

Shown in the photo is one of the latest charity projects that the board members have completed. (not quilted yet, but will be soon.) Quiltaholic coordinated the project. She took 40 participants and assigned us either blue or pink. I was in the blue group.

We were to make any finished 12" block from blue or pink fabrics and then after they were mailed in she would post them all anonymously and the HGTV board members would vote on an open poll for viewer's choice. I am not sure what the prize is...? but because of the great voter turn out she announced she would be sending little gifts to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th places. :)

The pink quilt will be shown soon and voting on it will take place the same way she did for the blue group.

If I had been a good blogger I would have told you about this way back when... and even showed you my progress on my block... but I didn't. Not b/c I didn't want to - but b/c I'm not good at managing my time and juggle all my mommy tasks and still play on the computer. But I am working on that.

So since you don't know which I made, I will take a vote - by comment section only b/c I have no idea on how to set up cool polls in the side bar like Judy L does.. nor do I have time today to figure it out. Plus I am curious to see how many will leave a comment and vote. :) and if you are an HGTV board reader leave your HGTV name when you post. :)

Which one would you have voted for?? Tell me which row and which block. I wonder if you all will vote similar to the HGTV voters?

A little information about the charity the quilt:
In North Carolina where Quiltaholic lives there is a Masonic Home for Children in her hometown. This orphanage houses children from 6 weeks of age to 18 year olds. We have given 10 quilts so far and have 5 more ready to go but there will still be around 55 more children that live there.These children get their names put on the label of these quilts and when they are old enough to leave the orphanage, they can take their quilt with them. Some of these children are very lonely and this is a way of reaching out to them to show that someone does care.

It is my understanding that a boy will get the blue block quilt and a girl will receive the pink block quilt. I will share a photo of it with you when it is posted.

ALSO in a few days, I will reveal which block I made in the blue group - I did not receive 1st place but did qualify for a prize. I have no idea what it will be... but waiting for it to arrive is fun :)

Love from Texas! ~Bonnie

EDITED TO ADD: I made the next to last block (or 3rd from left) in the top row. I forget where I saw it or the name of the block. sorry.

What I have been sewing on

A few days ago, Halloween I think it was... what ever day it was I posted the quilty list I had a note at the end of it about a project I was helping a friend complete... Well I didn't have a photo at the time of the blocks but now I do! :c)

I'm not sure what this pattern is called - it isn't so hard but was the most difficult of the three patterns so I was asked to work on it. It would have been nice if I could have been handed the project before the lightest fabric was all cut out - then I could have did it the easy way of making QST's and not have had to sew all those actual triangle pieces!!! :P I have 6 blocks complete and the rest are ready to put together I have the 3 rows of the 9 patch together and just have to assemble rows 1, 2 & 3 and they will be done.

Yesterday as I was clearing the dining room table to get ready for craft night, Nora was in there with me "helping" and before I knew it I had my back turned and she was under the table sitting ont he machine's foot petal! I shouted "No, Nora!" and she quickly got off but it broke the needle in the machine. I am so glad that no one was hurt! However the needle broke into all sorts of pieces and I have taken it apart - removed stitch plate and dusted and cleaned it all out. I think it will be ok but right now I do not have any other needles in the house so I will have to go to buy some more soon!!!

Hope all of you have a Happy Weekend!! I am so glad today is Friday!!! ~Bonnie

Quilt Pink

OK, so this is a week late but I thought I would share that I sort of participated in the Quilt Pink project this year. I didn't make a whole top, but I helped make a block. After seeing Mary's Pink Quilt at her blog
it gives me inspriation for next year! Her churn dashes are ADORABLE - twisting & turning all over the quilt top! Take a look if you haven't seen it already. (I still do not know how to make a person's blog name appear as just their name as a hyper link to click on....???...)

Here's my Snails Tail Block. My first time ever to use paper templates! I love the bright pinks from Moda that they selected.

I did make a block but didn't get to participate last Saturday in sewing the blocks together. I hope I get to see the final quilt after the top is quilted before sending in to Quilt Pink. We each paid $5 for a block kit (pattern and fabric) and made the block and when we turned it in we got our $5 back.

What a smart marketing plan for the store... b/c it ended up when I took my block to turn it in before the deadline - instead of walking out with my $5, I came out with a bag of fabrics and they kept my $5 along with about $40 more of my own! LOL