Have you seen what's new over at The Painted Quilt??

Just wanted to share with you the news of the newest BOM being offered by Kaaren over at The Painted Quilt - her Raggedy Ann BOM!

Perhaps you have already seen this button around blog land that she shared for participants to add to their sidebars?

Click the logo to take you to the first pattern.

Raggedy & Friends is comprised of 12 individual blocks. Nine of the 12 blocks include two stitcheries each and three of the 12 blocks have one stitchery in each. In the seventh month, I will release blocks 7, 8 and 9 together as they are the ones that have only one stitched design in each. The tenth and final month will include the last block and finishing instructions. The button will also act as a reminder that on the 20th day of each month for the next 10 months I will be posting a new block

Love from Texas!

What gives you Joy?

Today after Mass, we did what we always did. Drove thru Chicken Express drive thru... it's our weekly routine! Claiming Sunday as 'Mommy's Pick' day was such a smart thing I did a while back...

While we waited for our order, I was over on the passengers side doing what I love to do at drive thru's... stitch. This is a free BOM from last year but STILL available by Gail Pan, called Christmas Wishes. I've shared it before.. when I was at MickyD's a while back :P but I was thinking of what it meant to have "Joy." You know true joy.

Then without saying a word... I turned around in my seat and look at the twins who were both asleep and then at Nora as she was gazing out her window.

and it was so obvious. For me, real JOY is being a mother! I have been so blessed. For so many years I worried and thought I'd never know what it was like to be a mother.

Then Nora turned and spotted me looking at her. I know I had to have been smiling as I looked at her...because... she smiled back at me. and. my. heart. melted.

A true smile from her.

Directly at my camera!

and I didn't even have to beg, bribe or threaten to beat her.

Just a warm generous smile from her to me.

JOY!

Love from Texas!

Do you know what today is?

Today is the First Friday of March and you know what that means.... time to click on over to The Painted Quilt to see the beautiful stitchery free pattern that Kaaren is sharing with us!

Oh how it seems like forever since I've worked on any stitchery. *sigh* This Easter Sampler is too cute and I love how she framed it... this reminds me of my wall in the kitchen that has nothing hanging on it except the new flat screen TV by the table... hummmm. ;)

Love from Texas!

When life gives you a lemon tree...

you pick em! and....

you share them! Read all about the ones that I mailed to my friend Quiltaholic here. ;) She did a great job posting about them.. On facebook she had asked if I could mail her 6 to use to make a pie.... and I didn't even respond to her wall post... but instead tried to surprise her and I mailed her a whole box full!

And speaking of my friend Quiltaholic - I don't think I ever shared on my blog that I made this block for her. I may have shown a peak of a photo while it was in progress, but at the time couldn't tell about it b/c it was a big surprise that all of us on the HGTV board was planning for her. Over 100 of us contributed to a beautiful quilt for her after her mother passed away.

The block stitched up in a matter of a few days and the whole time I worked on it, I couldn't help but remember my own mother that I lost to cancer in 1999. The different shades blues were symbolic for memories between a mother and daughter.. and of course the woven part in the middle shows just how bound we are by our mother's love for us... I included a card with my block to explain some of the things I thought of while working on this for her.

Read about Q's Love of Friends Quilt here... and see photos of what we all made for her. I was so happy to be a part of such a loving project for a wonderful person and friend!! We love you Q!

Also today I mailed a couple other things to share with some other friends...

I can't show you what's inside the bag... but I'll give you a hint. It's on it's way to Crazy'boutquilts and this time I didn't use any tape! :P

EDITED TO ADD - clicking on Crazy's name above will take you to her post of what's inside and you can see! ;)

Also I mailed these blocks to my friend IowaLisa for a special project she is working on for another HGTV board member friend

and the last package I mailed today went to Missmikol in Utah. Over 4 yards to be used as the backing of her Round Robin Quilt

Well that's about it for today... I hope all of you have a great weekend! ;)

Love from Texas!

drive thru = stitchin time

These photos were taken about a week ago - sorry I'm late in blogging about it.

Maybe for most people when they pull into McD's and see this car on the right - they'd get mad ... b/c they are pulling out and going the wrong way making it hard for people like me to get to the looooong drive thru line...

but not for me! b/c long drive thru line = more stitchin time!!! ;)

and I love sticking the camera up over my shoulder to see what I can capture... lookie here at these sweet little piggies of Olivia's! :) I even caught Paul Thomas spying on me...

Can you believe this was the only brown I had in my collection???

Good thing we ate in the car on the way home, b/c the twins fell asleep soon after their last bite. Which meant that I got to sit and stitch for a while while they napped! ;)

the "winter friend snowman" printed out on the paper (in the back on the table) I got from Sunshine Yellow's blog - she shared a FREE stitchery - click over to her blog to see her adorable pillow!

and the Cute Christmas Tree was a FREE stitchery designed by Andrea Zuill over at her blog where she offers a free pattern every month. Her designs are also what are in the hoop - her Christmas Embroidery Pattern Set

and I've not printed them yet - but I do plan to print out these FREE cute little angels (9 to a page) and stitch them up too!


Love from Texas!

a blue heart

Here are a couple photos of a project I just started Monday and have been spending lots of time with this week.

In the carpool line, drive thru, and at soccer practice... even at the kitchen table while waiting on the chicken to boil last night.

It's coming along - just need to finish up the center part. I pulled out all of my blue threads and used a variety of them starting with the lightest shades at the top and darkest at the bottom.

The Red Circle indicates the very first stitches made by Nora ;) I'm hoping the photos can be clicked on to be made larger..?


Love from Texas!

Mailbox full of squishies

It's been forever since I've had a redwork show-n-tell but here's one for ya! ;) Who doesn't love a mailbox full of squishies!??! ;)

and take a look at what arrived in my mailbox today.... this package was LOADED from jamauk - actually most of you know her as Jessica from Jessica's Quilting Corner

Remember the CYOC string swap I participated in last year...? 30's around a cut 2" white center.... well I recently missed the sign up deadline for the current CYOC swap that is now underway... (which is probably for the best since I've been busy with several other things)

Anyway - look what extras she included??? Just for me - just because! :) Isn't that awesome!? She knows that I plan to make 2 matching twin size quilts for my girls for when they one day share a bedroom ;) and although I'm not exactly sure how many I "need" I just know I need a lot of them ;)

and look in the pic above the blocks.... she sent me some extra of that brown fabric I commented on a while back! la,la,love it!!! Thanks Jessica! And below are larger 9.5" strings around red that she sent in for the Heartstrings donation from our Sunshine Quilter's group... ;)

Also in the mail box today were these scrappy 4-patches from gracie/ohio ;) That makes

and although my Quiltmaker didn't arrive.... I did get something else quilt related... My Joann's flyer... and take a look at the insert.

I doubt I'll be buying $66 wort to earn the $10 gift card... but I thought it was super cool that inside the insert they have DMC floss buy 3 get 1 free. ;) I've searched all of the flyers each time they have come and this is the first time I've seen the DMC floss on sale since I started my collection.

oh and for those of you participating in the "Christmas Lights Mystery" in Quiltmaker.... have you seen this??? Only look if you don't mind the surprise being spoiled for part 2 - I know I'm not the only one who can't wait for their magazine to arrive! This is what I will be working on tomorrow during the twins' nap time!

Love from Texas!

A more than 24 hour day

This year I've had a great time learning embroidery and as you know I'm working on a redwork Block of the month project. The pattern is called "Quilter's Blessings" designed by Bea in Germany. Thanks Bea for the patterns! I'm lovin them!!!

And lookie at the two little girls that had a grand time playing with the water hose and sandbox turtle shell top in the backyard today? ;)

Love from Texas!

We're having a Stay-ation here at home

If you're one of my few faithful followers... you already know that I've recently fallen in love with red work. ;) and this block I'm working on called "A more than 24 hour day" is certainly taking me forever to finish up!

My hoope was in the van everyday in hopes to be worked before Nora let out for school... but I have to admit, I was late most days or just in the nick of time so needless to say I really do need more than a 24 hour day. ;) This is my 4th or 5th block in this "Quilter's Blessings"Block of the Month Series from my friend Bea in Germany.

So what are your plans...Where are you going? or what are you doing this Memorial Day Weekend? Instead of a vacation for the long weekend, we are staying right here at home. "Stay-cation"

Did you notice the two little BEhineys in the background??? To read all about the girls fun today click on over to our family blog.

Happy Weekend & Love from Texas!

Sew Much Sewing

I've had so many compliments on my "Quilter's Blessings" BOM that I've started recently.... both here and over on the show-n-tell thread at the HGTV boad. Thanks everyone. :)

Today I was revisiting Bea's blog and read today's post about how she's received so many requests for the now retired BOM pattern... and for those of you who missed downloading it each month alst year - you get a 2nd chance to receive the patterns! Click here to read about Bea's offer.

Above is a photo of where I am on block 2 "Sew Much Sewing" aren't Olivia's shoes so cute there holding up my hoop? ;)

Love from Texas!

Redwork Progress Report

Below is a link to the current thread of everyone at the HGTV Board who is chatting about red work. Appears I'm not the only one who's falling in love with stitchery. ;)

http://boards.hgtv.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5894011632/m/6241052293/p/1

That thread is locked as of now.. but you can find a current one from the main board. Brandyquilter has offered to keep a thread going for us to chat about our current red work show-n-tell or questions... and already there are some great photos that everyone is sharing! :)

I'm so addicted to stitchin anytime I have any stopped and parked wait time in the van. I find myself disappointed when I don't get in a long line at McD's drive thru, I'd rather be the 4th or 5th car back waiting so I have more time to work on my stitchery BOM! :P

Oh and guess what - speaking of being in line.. today I was driving by the car wash and the attendant was on duty so I turned around and went back to get my van washed and I was 3rd in line so happy! more time to stitch!

It may appear that I'm "scatter brained" as I work...but actually it all makes sense to me..:P LOL I skipped the "r" in quilter b/c I am not sure that is the way I want to make my r.... and then after the "n" in Blessings.. I decided to start the inner circle on the scissor handle b/c my thread I had at the time was too short to start the big letter "g"as you see in the photo above..holding it up in the light at the car wash makes all the back threads show.. but under normal light they don't.

and as you will notice in the photo below = I checked and just by luck I did use 2 layers of the white bleached muslin yeaaa! Several quilters have recommended using flannel or batting or another piece.. helps to hide the threads..

Ta-Da! Block 1 DONE! :) Looks pretty good - from a distance... LOL ;)


and lookin ahead...here is the block I choose to work on next. It has a sewing machine and says "Much Stitching"

Love from Texas!