Package from Quilter Jen arrived!

and here's the last post of photos of the packages that arrived while I was on vacation for the 4th of July to Kentucky. There was one card that said I have a package at the PO I have to go pick up... so if you didn't see yours listed below, I've yet to make the trip to town with the kids to go get it but I will. It probably has a few cents due on it... sometimes if it's less than $0.25 my carrier will deliver anyway to me and I leave it for her in the box... but perhaps this one I got a card for required a signature? I duno.

anyway - the last package I opened Monday was from... Quilter Jen. It came while I was in KY last week.

She used 2 quart sized ziplocks and staggered sets so that they were very easy to remove as sets. One baggie had 6 and the other 7 for a total of 13 sets to swap. ;)

Thanks for the cash for postage to return your package to you. I have some boxes just like the one you sent "in stock" here at home ;)

For those readers just stoppin by my blog for a visit, I W-E-L-C-O-M-E you! I know my girlfriend Karen in KY just recently shared my link on her facebook page. ;) Seems there's a group there that are working on making their own One Yard Wonder Stripy Quilts, that I blogged about earlier this year. ****shamefully I have to admit that you won't find a single post about the finished quilt... b/c it's still at the "needs borders sewn" stage :/ sorry.

I hope I'm not boring you with swap photos...from current posts... but I know that myself, I love sneak peaks at all the goodies!!! and as Hostess of the swap = that is something I have fun doing. ;)

I'm already taking signups for ROUND 2 due this fall (Oct. 31st) email me if you'd like more information. This swap filled up fast with 40 participants!

Love from Texas!

Package Rec'd from texana

Here's another package that arrived while I was on vacation - From texana who is a blog reader and first time participant in one of my swaps I've hosted. Look at what she sent. See that little white "Stitchin' Heaven" white looking book... it's a Post-it Note holder of various sizes!

Cool isn't it? A variety of sizes at my fingertips! Thanks texana! These will come in so handy!

And look what else she included from "Stitchin' Heaven" a very nice lanyard I believe they are called! When I saw it I thought, "oooough now when I sew I can pretend I work there!" --you know, the 12 year old in me. LOL

But then in her note she said that SHE DID USE TO WORK THERE! :) how cool is that!?

And if those cool gifts weren't enough - she also wrapped up some "leftovers" in press-n-seal wrap, so they won't go stale.. haha ;) and sent along!

Aren't they all awesome!??! As she mentioned in her letter - she made up all 10 of her sets for the swap, in TRUE "Leader/Ender" style, like our favorite Bonnie teaches... wow! I don't know if I could let go of mine.. as I've been making my own sets using the strip piece method I've been keeping back at least 2 or 3 of each set for me. texana, you are soooo generous! Thank you bunches!

and guess who was the first to try on the lanyard? My little Olivia... isn't she sweet? I tried to help her, but she insisted that it rest on TOP of her head like that! Funny! :P

Still amazed at how suddenly, over night, she and Paul Thomas are now "3 year olds" and not babies anymore.

Love from Texas!

Sunshine Quilter ajne sent in some String Blocks!

We were in KY all of last week - it's our tradition to be "home" for the 4th every year. :)

While we were away our mail was on hold and I couldn't wait to see what had come while I was away. The first package I opened was from "ajne" who is a HGTV Sunshine quilter. She sent me 3 more pink and white string blocks that I'm collecting on behalf of the group to send into Sue at HeartStrings.

and thanks to Paul Thomas I now have lots of "natural light" here at the kitchen table for photo taking... :( His lesson of "DON"T touch that or it will BREAK" probably set us back $100 when we decide to have them replaced... b/c several of the blind slats broke. :(

Love from Texas!

More about my UGLY BAG made of FQs

Last month I showed you my UGLY "Fat Quarter Bag" that I used to take my show-n-tell with me to my guild meeting. I posted about it HERE.

It really does hold a LOT... as in a king sized quilt or if you're more of a visual person - even a small child... actually BOTH Paul Tomas and Olivia were inside it in the first photo above. PT was just crunched down hiding from the camera.

They thought it was too fun - and although they did both fit... they were WAY TOO heavy for me to lift. So dragging them and sliding them was as good as it got for them :P WEeeee!

It's so UGLY... actually I've seen a ton of them made and I'm pretty sure that mine is the UGLIEST ever - but you know what... I don't care. It does what I need it to do = hold A LOT... and it reminds me of way back in 1999 B.C. when I took the class on how to make it. We lived in Sumter, SC at the time... (the BC stands for life Before Children haha)

Even when I was done sliding... they weren't and kept trying to put themselves inside the bag.

Then came along big sister... NO - I'm sorry Nora you can NOT fit too! :(

So she decided to pretend that Olivia was her baby

Yep - it's big enough to smuggle babies... haha! I'm not certain the official name of the pattern - but when I took the class it was called "The Fat Quarter Bag" and I remember that b/c my husband thought that was hilarious at the time... b/c when we were growing up the pot heads called a bag of marijuana that cost $25 a Fat Quarter Bag... and David laughed that I was wanting to make a FQ bag.

I have to admit though - it sat as an UFO for years and years... b/c I didn't finish it in the class... back then I didn't have a sewing machine I could take with me to class and instead of renting one from the store - I sat and watched... then later at home when I got to the elastic part - I was clueless... and gave up.

I moved it at least 6 or 7 times over the years and after I got here to TX and found online quilting sites and groups - there was talk of this pattern over on the yahoo group called Stashbusters. I replied privately to someone on there and ended up sending it to her and she finished it up for me! That was at least 2 or 3 years ago - so sorry I can't remember her name... Barbara? or Sue maybe? sorry. But who ever you are, you know how much I appreciate the help in finishing up the UFO ;) and I hope you are enjoying your own bag you made with some of the fabrics I sent you from my own FQ collection that I selected of your favorite color. ;)

Since that class I've seen the pattern made using disappearing 9 patch blocks instead of the simple FQs sewn together and that version works up SO CUTE! if I were to ever make another - that is how I'd do mine.... with solid RED centers before cutting ;) and the rest all scrap-oh-lishious!

Has it been a month already since my last guild meeting??? WOW - it's the 3rd week already! Guess I better get to thinking about what to take Thursday for Show-N-Tell... I already know what I'm taking for next month when THE Bonnie Hunter is our guest speaker ;)

Love from Texas!

There's no place like home

We're in Kentucky this week enjoying time with family. It's our 4th of July tradition. The kids, David & I had a great time yesterday downtown at the parade and then at David's Aunt Connie's home on the lake for the firework show.

I have photos but haven't uploaded them yet. So stay tuned. :)

Love from Kentucky!