New Links

I just put my blog on someone's list, it uses something called Mr. Linky to do this.. but you can link up and have a whole list of blogs to see! Niki is the person who left me her blog to link up with, she can be found at http://justusquilters.blogspot.com/ . Guess this is sorta like a ring except it uses a list! You can click on the sidebar that says "Quilters Get Listed" and it will take you to her site. I think I'm number 54. Linda. It's different than a ring as you have to keep hitting the button on the sidebar to go back. You can click on the names and it will take you to their blogs. Pretty cool. Check out some of the other blogs...Great crafts as well as quilting. Lots of free stuff and tutorials too to check out.

Another blog to check out is the Quilting Gallery, here's the link to that: http://quiltinggallery.com/. This is an amazing listing of blogs, tutorials, websites, freebies, etc. Check that out too.... "Gotta go for now, brain is tired and wants to shut down for the night....til next time. Hugs!

Heart Quilt for Steph-no more a surprise!

The surprise is blown but I'm glad....I've been working on a graduation gift for Stephanie and it's almost finished. I made alot more blocks than I needed and will be making a small quilt with the blocks I didn't use in her quilt. She saw the blocks tonight and said they were great. She asked me who it was for and I told her no one in particular. She looked at me and knew I wasn't telling her the truth....So.....I let her pick out the blocks she really wanted in the quilt and she laid out the quilt like she wanted. She is now so excited. I was disappointed that she saw them and figured out it was going to be for her but....I'm glad too because she is excited about seeing it go together. She asked me when I had time to make all the blocks and was surprised there were so many cute blocks. I've gotten 6 of the 8 rows put together tonight and have used all the fabric from stash!!! I will have to buy fabric (a hot pink or purple) for the border but that's ok. I used alot of fabric in this and the leftovers I cut up in strips for future scrap quilts. I felt really good about using my fabric. Every block is different and I made 48 blocks for this quilt and I have 23 leftover blocks for another quilt! I got started and couldn't stop!

A friend of mine is a LA quilter and she is waiting for me to bring it to her to quilt it. Hopefully, I can have it together by Friday night. (I have a meeting at the quilt store tomorrow night and won't be able to sew). Shelly, the shop owner wants me to make some more samples for the shop. These are new things she found at Spring market. I have to go check out what she got tomorrow. Oh boy, new toys! Anyway, I'm getting off the subject here, I will take pictures as soon as the top is done and post. Almost there!

I Have to Share This!

A friend of mine sent me this and I just have to share this. I have no idea where it came from or who made this up so I can't tell you but I hope whoever started this does not mind us sharing this...I think all quilters will like this...


IMPORTANT NEWS UPDATE! IMPORTANT NEWS UPDATE! IMPORTANT
A recent study has indicated that fabric gives off certain Pheromones, that actually hypnotize women and cause them to purchase ungodly amounts. When stored in large quantities in enclosed spaces, the Pheromones (in the fabric) cause memory loss and induce the nesting syndrome therefore perpetuating the species (aka fabricus maximus). Sound tests have also revealed that these fabrics emit a very high-pitched sound, heard only by a select few breed of women known as quilters. When played backwords on an LP, the sounds are heard as chants "Buy Me" "Cut Me" "Sew Me"! Studies have also indicated that aliens have inhabited the earth helping to spread the effect that these fabrics have on the human population They are called fabric store clerks. It's also been my experience that these same Pheromones cause a pathological need to hide the fabrics away when taken home (or at least blended into the existing stash) and when asked by a significant other if the fabric is new, the reply is "I've had it for awhile".

Friendship

I've seen this several places and I just had to borrow it to put on my blog. It is exactly how I feel about all the friends I have made through the wonderful world of quilting.

Another Giveaway Celebration

Ok, here's another one that wants to celebrate. This is a good one to check out. She has so many blog listings-it's really fun to visit her blog and see what's new all the time. She is celebrating just 6 months of blogging but her blog doesn't look like she's just been doing it 6 months! Check it out, here is a link to her blog: http://quiltinggallery.com/2008/05/10/6-month-anniversary-celebration/

Prize Giveaway for 300th Post

Kristi, the Quilting Cowgirl is having a giveaway at her blog celebrating her 300th blog posting. Here is her link to enter for her giveaway. Go read her blog, lots of fun. http://quiltingcowgirl.blogspot.com/2008/05/300th-post-giveaway.html

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day.

Chisel Quilt - Leader and Ender Quilt

This is a small scrap quilt I have been working on as a Leader and Ender quilt. It's amazing how quickly a quilt will go together when you are working on other quilts at the same time....It's like two for the price of one- what a bargain! I have really enjoyed doing the Leader/Ender method and I suggest you try it. These were scraps of mine that had been setting around for awhile and now here it is! This will make somebody happy, I hope. We are giving to a new charity now and I think they are bigger kids...Hmm, I might have to make it a little bit longer but that's not a problem.

You can find directions for the Leader/Ender method on Bonnie Hunter's website, here is the link. Enjoy! http://www.quiltville.com/leadersenders.shtml

Now that I have finished these, I can get back to my step 2 of the Orange Crush Mystery....While you are on the Quiltville website, check out the mystery. We are on step 3 right now and it would be real easy to catch up if you want to join us. I would show you a picture but....oh, yeah, it's a Mystery! I've done step 1 and step 3 and almost finished with step 2. Gotta hurry and finish so I can work on that Heart quilt for Steph. I only have a little while to do it as she is graduating and it will be her gift....Hurry, hurry, hurry, no time to rest! More later....

Ramblin' Rose Meets Jamestown

This is the quilt I worked on and finished at retreat. I was finally able to take a picture so you could see. This was a Marti Michell BOM last year. I really like this quilt and have finally decided what backing to use. I'm going to take this to the longarm quilter this weekend. I was going to hand quilt this one but it is queen size and I want it for my bed in my lifetime! I think I will get this one machine quilted then work on catching up on my sewing. After that, maybe I can quilt some of my own quilts...

Store Sample - Cheep Housing

This is the store sample that I have been working on, isn't it cute?

This fabric is called The Cheep Housing Collection by Diane Knott, it is a Clothworks fabric. Isn't is sweet? You can't tell it but the borders (not the checkerboard) are all different kinds of birds and the panels are all different kinds of bird houses.

Sewing samples and not enough time for my sewing!

I stopped by the quilt store yesterday and picked up some fabric to make a sample for the shop. Normally, I enjoy making samples but I have so much sewing of my own I want and need to do, it sometimes becomes a chore. I started making this little quilt top last night and it's going pretty quickly. I have enjoyed it and I only have one more border to put on it. It is turning out very cute. The pattern is called Cheep Housing and the fabric is bird fabric....I should finish it tommorow night and I will post a picture when done. It was a free pattern that came with the fabric...
As soon as I'm through with this, I'll be able to get back to my Orange Crush and other things I am chomping at the bit to work on....I have decided to make a heart quilt for my son's girlfriend for graduation. Saska from http://oklacookiemaker.blogspot.com/ has such a cute heart quilt on her blog, I just have to copy. I was going to change the pattern up a bit but after seeing hers, I don't want to change it. I think Steph will love this quilt so now I have to hurry and get busy doing just that....Too many quilts, not enough time! I think I'm going to take a few days off and do some sewing so I can get caught up on projects I want to work on. My civil war diary blocks are calling me and I still need to finish my Carolina Crossroads. I thought I would get to work on these at retreat but alas, no. I ran out of time there too. What's a girl to do but play hooky???

Step 2 still working but 3 is done - Orange Crush

I am working on step 2 a little bit at a time. I have tried different methods for step 2 but I like the Mary's triangle method the best. I first saw this in Scrapmania by Sally Schneider but also one of the girls on the Quiltville site said she used it and gave us a link to see it done too. I looked at it again and am now doing this method as my blocks look more professional and go quicker when I do this method. I had to cut more strips for this and that's why I decided to work on it a little at a time and go on to step 3. There had been alot of talk on the site about different ways to do step 3 and I was afraid it would take me awhile to do it but I went through them quicker that I expected.
I finished step 3 and it wasn't bad at all... I tried it Bonnie's way, Solvi's way, Marete's way and I used Marti Michell templates too. I liked each method and found them to each have their own good points. I used the templates because I could use up smaller scraps (not just with strips but really smaller scrap pieces like for crumbs). I used MM templates from Set A, #6 for the small triangles and #4 for the larger triangles. These templates worked really well for me. I thought about her templates because I had just gotten through with a BOM of hers. I did her Jamestown quilt and finished it at retreat. I am now working on another Marti Michell pattern in between the Orange Crush mystery and everthing else....I will put some pics up tomorrow of my steps and the Jamestown quilt. Good luck to everyone, I am really enjoying this mystery and I am enjoying the time between the steps. It gives me time to breathe and work on other things if I need to...