Joan's Pink Strings are BEAUTiful!

Charmingsister, your package of Heartstring blocks for Sunshine Quilters arrived one day last week and I have to confess ....... they sat on the front passenger’s seat of my mini van for 2 or 3 days before I brought it into the house. Oops.

I just took their photo and I have to tell you - when I choose pinks around white – THIS is exactly what I had in mind. ;) soft pinks… thank you so much for making extras to send in on behalf of sunshine member PvilleLou!

I love that about the HGTV Sunshine group - if there is a month that you don't really care for or no time to complete - just give a shout out on the message board and chances are in the same day someone will speak up and volunteer to make extras on behalf of you in trade off for her making another month's blocks for you. ;) Pretty cool ea? The Sunshine group is a very relaxed group that works together to make blocks to mail to a different hostess each month - who then uses the blocks to make and complete a quilt and donate to a charity of their choice.

In my case of choosing string blocks for my hostess month - the past 3 years (since having the twins) I've chosen to collect blocks and mail them into Sue at Heartstrings on behalf of our group. in the past couple years, I've sent in over 100 blocks at a time to them.

We’re going to be donating lots of lovely pink around white blocks to http://heartstringsquiltproject.com/ later this summer!

Thank you!

Love from Texas!

Houston we had a problem...

Well for the second time in my hostess history I had the big "OUGHT OH! Where did I put those blocks???" moment. Yep, this weekend I was all set to start swapping when my last package of scrappy 4-patches arrived on Saturday... and when I spread them all out on the Dining Room table (which is still sitting in the computer room - don't ask!) I counted all the packages on the table vs. my spreadsheet I was missing one!!!

the one missing was my blog reader Elanor S who was the very FIRST swapper to mail their blocks to me the first week of July. I looked. ... and looked.... and LOOKED and finally decided to just grab some noodles and start making up some more so that I could use those new 5 sets on behalf of hers that she had sent in...

It didn't take me as long as you might think - as using the strips really goes fast and thankfully I only needed 5 sets of 10 = 50 blocks. During making the 4-patches, I used the gold corner star blocks as leader/enders as I already had them at 3 rows waiting to be set together...

and just as I was turning of fmy machine and lights, WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT, I found Elanor's swap package! (in that larger basket just behind the yellow embroidery hoop)

Yep, there they were just sitting there minding their own business...

right where I had put them, in a "safe spot" when I was rushing to clear out the dining room so that the repair man could come fix the drywall and ceiling. How come i didn't notice it all day Saturday?

Oh well, this now means I have an extra 5 sets of blocks in addition to the 7 sets I already made up to go with the swap...... hum... I have an idea.

Please pardon the messy room - there is a dining room table in the middle of the computer room! STILL... the repairs have been completed for 2 weeks now... but getting my husband motivated to help me move a table is more trouble than it's worth so anyway...

Here are all the blocks laid out. My smallest swap that I've ever hosted only 10 swappers including myself. This is only just under 500 blocks on the table..

Since I only found the missing blocks around midnight I saved the swapping to do for the next day (Monday) while kids napped. and Since I had the 5 extra sets... I decided to give all of my swappers each 5 extra blocks back with the ones they had mailed in ;)

As a hostess I always gift my swappers with a little something "extra" from me... so this worked out perfectly I think. I really hope everyone likes the scrappiness of their blocks.

I'd love to host this same type of swap as an ongoing thing - maybe bimonthly? or quarterly? Because there are several Quiltville patterns that use up scrappy 4-patch units.

above photo I spread out a few of the blocks that were for me... the rest of my 7 sets are upstairs already in the sewing room.. don't they look great just laid out randomly? ;)

So after loading up my chore basket and ready to go to the Post Office I also grabbed the Priority Mail box full of over 100 string blocks to be mailed to Sue at HeartStrings Quilt Project on behalf of all of us "Sunshine Quilters" over on the HGTV Quilters Message Board.... I know they will be happy to receive them. This was my 3rd time to collect from all of us and mail in and we had our best ever participation!! ;)

above photo is a Birthday gift for my friend Heidi who helps me out so much with keeping my kids. She has even offered to let me drop off my 3 on the way to the PO ;) so today I'll take her Bonnie Hunter's Scraps & Shirttails Book that I wrapped in a SHIRT ;) Only thing missing is a bow.

So now that the swap is over with - I'm looking forward to completing Part 2 of "Christmas Lights" as SOON as my magazine gets HERE!!!!! I'm so impatient I really thought it would have been here by now since others started getting theirs on Wednesday last week!

I have the gold cornered stars done, but will have to wait to look at directions for the other block as I have no idea how many individual scrappy blocks I need... I sure hope my mail carrier brings my magazine Monday!

until then -I'll get back to working on making up more Star Struck blocks.

Love from Texas!

Mail call - more strings are here

06.19.09 from charmingsister

06.22.09 from rstraus

I just love collecting string blocks form our HGTV Sunshine Quilters group to send in to Sue with the Heart Strings Quilt Project later next month. I get to open all the packages and take a first hand up close and personal look at all the variety of fabrics used to make up the blocks ;)

The first year I participated in the Sunshine group I hosted a month and put together two Bento Box quilts from blocks made from the members. And while I'd love to put together more quilts, for me it's been easier and as much appreciated to just "collect" blocks and them mail them into Heartstrings on behalf of all of us in the HGTV Sunshine group. The year I was pregnant I collected for two months... one scrappy around red and then in Oct strings that were all pink and white around pink centers.

Last year and this year I'm keeping it simple sister (KISS) and just collecting one month scrappy around red centers ;) and am so pleased there have been so many Sunshine members participate and send me more than their required 2 blocks ;)

Thanks Sunshine friends! I'll be leaving on vacation this coming weekend but while I'm gone my mail lady will hold my mail so any packages that come during that time will be AOK downtown at the PO ;) I won't mail our blocks until the end of July to Sue at Heartstrings - so you all still have plenty of time to make blocks if you haven't already ;) Thanks!

Love from Texas!

Mail Call - String blocks from Sunshine Quilters

Sorry to keep my HGTV Sunshine friends waiting so long for photos... gosh it's been a long day here - it is already 9:35pm and I'm just now getting to come downstairs from our bath/book/prayers routine... the kids got to be much later than usual and I was so ready to jump in the bed myself... but knowing that the kitchen table was a mess is what pulled me back downstairs.

Above are blocks made by faye that were received last Friday 06.05.09 Aren't they great?

I thought I'd better upload photos before I get started on clearing the kitchen table and distracted. Or maybe I'm already distracted if I'm doing computer stuff first? LOL :P

and look at these made by terrimae (also received last Friday)

They even have a strip of our COF Retreat challenge fabric in them! very cute!!! (The royal Blue with cows)

and if anyone else mailed to me that I should have already before now... let me know. Our weekend mail carrier guy was involved in a wreck last Saturday and it totaled the mail truck and they were picking up letters all over the road...

I talked to my regular carrier today and she told me that he was taken to the hospital. We didn't get any mail until Tuesday of this week... poor mail guy had 2 broken ribs and one bone in his leg broke also...... and if that wasn't bad enough...

A witness to the wreck was brave enough to chase down the guy who HIT AND RUN!! and caught him! Can you believe driving off from that kind of accident? what is wrong with people??so if I should have your block already, but haven't reported it as received... let me know so I can be on the look out for it... It should have arrived by now I'd think... we've received mail everyday since Tuesday... but let me know and I'll look into it.

Happy Weekend everyone!

Love from Texas!

Sunshine blocks from Joyce1946

Don't you just love how these red centers really stand out above all the rest of the strings :) You did a Beautiful job Joyce1946. Thanks for making these four blocks for our group contribution to the Heartstrings Quilt Project. They arrived in today's mailbox. (06/03/09)

Officially on the Sunshine Quilter's group I'm the hostess for June and this is the block I chose for everyone to make... however I'm extending the offer and will continue collecting these string blocks (Scrappy around 2" cut red centers) all the way thru July... in case anyone wants to make some more... I'll mail them into Sue at the end of July. ;)

Love from Texas!

Mail Call - strings arrived from zizzybob

Zizzybob!!! Wow, you really outdid yourself! Thanks for all the extra string blocks that you sent in for my hosting June on behalf of the Sunshine quilters! The Heartstrings group are gonna love these along with all of the others that are on the way. ;)

So fun looking at all the fabrics and how fun they all look together. Click on the image to see closer - love the chicken wire fabric... and that black/white fabric at the top left ;) Cool!

Love from Texas!

Blocks from Quiltnanny arrived on 5/26/09

Blocks from Quiltnanny Rec'd 05/26/09

I can't remember if I posted these yet or not... I think I did over on the message board, but just in case I didn't share them here - here is a look at what quiltnanny sent in on behalf of the SunshineQuilters donation to the HeartStrings Quilt Project ;) I'm collecting blocks from all of us thru the month of June to send in. ;)

Thanks Quiltingnanny for sending a few extras :) I love the variety - and I even spot a 1930s fabric ;) Can't wait to see how many everyone sends in all together from our group.... scrappy around red always looks great! ;)

Happy Weekend! ~bonnie

Sash is the early bird for the Sunshine Blocks

I've mentioned before that I like to make blocks for the HGTV Sunshine Quilters. Although I don't have as mcuh time to make as many blocks as I would like - I still try to participate as often as I can. It makes me feel like I'm helping even if it's only a block or two each month.

A while back the organizer asked for hostesses and I thought I'd do the same as I did last year when the twins were born - ask for Heartstring blocks to be made and mailed to me and then I'll collect them and mail all of them on behalf of our HGTV Sunshine Group.

My month to host this year is June.

Looks like Sash is planning ahead and getting blocks done! She sent these lovely 9.5" squared up STRING blocks for the Heatstrings Project that I'm collecting for later on his summer.

Thanks Sash! They are perfect. With your early start on these blocks and the fact that you made several more than the required two blocks - maybe we'll be able to collect enough as a Sunshine group to make an entire top.... or two? ;)




Love from Texas!

Heartstrings Quilt Project

I know several of you have already joined Mary in her Heartstrings Quilt Project - but just in case there are any new people who read my blog that have not heard about it - they have created a new website.

Go to http://heartstringsquiltproject.com/ and you can learn more about it.

One thing I love about it is that anyone can participate on any level. You can make 1 block or 100+ and for those that choose to complete their own top they get to decide where the quilt gets donated - a charity of their choice.

I can't wait to watch this project develop during the year - there will be many quilts donated all across the country I am sure. :)

**********GRATITUDES**********
1. Not having to leave the house and getting to stay in my PJ's all day ;P
2. Finding out yesterday the pains I have been having the last few days are normal and that the tiwns are doing fine.
3. Finding out that we are having 1 boy and 1 girl!
4. Sending an email anouncement out to over 100 friends and family in GA and KY and getting lots of replies back from friends we haven't spoken to in a while.
5. Having over 100 friends and family :) We are so blessed!
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