Fun Flowers

If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it.
 ~Olin Miller

Why is it when I feel pressured by a deadline, I will work on anything but what I'm supposed to?  Or why do I waste precious time on the computer doing nothing of importance?  I get so mad at myself.  Nobody else to blame.  It's something I've always seemed to do.  I really do hate the feeling of "have to".  I have set these demands and deadlines on myself.  Each day I tell myself "you will get 'item with deadline' right from the beginning with no messing around".  But NO!  Not me!  I guess it's something I should be used to by now and should have learned to correct.  It's definitely a flaw in my personality.  Oh well..........  Do you put off doing what should be done right away?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Buttons

Today, November 16, is National Button Day.Often when you buy a jacket or cardigan, the garment will come with a bonus button to hang on to for later repairs. Of course, we usually just toss this button in a box somewhere and then by the time we need it we forgot we ever had it in the first place. Okay, maybe this doesn't happen to everyone, but for those of us with a box of misfit buttons, today's the day to put them to good use.  Here are a few facts about buttons:
* Archeologists have discovered button-like objects dating as far back as 2000 BC, which were most likely used more for decoration than for fastening.
* Button holes were not used in Europe until some 3,500 years after the first buttons.
*  In the 18^th century, only men sported highly decorated buttons on their frock coats, while women still fastened their gowns with lacing or hooks and eyes.
* France’s King Louis XIV, the infamous Sun King, reached the zenith of button excess by spending $6 million on buttons during his reign, and $600,000 in one year alone!
* In 1520, King Francis I of France ordered 13,400 buttons from his jewelry, ALL of which were sewn onto a black velveteen suit, which he wore to a meeting with King Henry VIII of England, hoping to form an alliance.

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FLOWERS FOR SWAPPING

Over the weekend I sewed two hexie flowers for my swap partner in the Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap.....

Shannon requested red, orange, or yellow flower petals with the same color center only lighter.  I have such a small selection of red that I had to go with the yellow and orange.  These will be on their way to Shannon tomorrow.

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WEDNESDAY'S FLOWERS

It's time for One Flower Wednesday, and as is my usual routine, I made two.......

I know it's not yet Thanksgiving, and I really dislike seeing Christmas items prior to Turkey Day, but I couldn't help myself.  These California Santa's just screamed to be made into a hexie flower.  Don't you just love the sunglasses?

And keeping with the holiday theme, Santa just had to bring presents.  I made this hexie flower with scraps left over from the Loving Hands challenge quilt I made last month.  I really like the look of this flower.

Thanks to Karen (Journey of a Quilter) you can go to one easy spot to check out more hexie flowers.  Karen provides links to everyone who has joined in the One Flower Wednesday fun.

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FMQ

With my own time crunch dilemma, I was only able to practice free motion quilting once over the last two days.....

Spiral Petals was fun today but I think I did it in too much of a rush.  A few of my swirls were nice and smooth but many have points where they don't belong.  This design reminded me of the North Wind blowing around.  I can see this design being used in a regular quilt.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Well, I finished the Loving Hands quilt so now I need to work on the baby quilt that I have to have done by Monday afternoon.

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GIVEAWAYS

Our Busy Little Bunch is having a giveaway.  You could win 9 yards of Pellons new Eco-Cotton blend batting.  This giveaway ends Monday, November 28.

Sew Kiki is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win Sarah Jane's Make It Do pattern/kit.  This giveaway ends Saturday, November 19.

A Spoonful of Sugar is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win a set of buttons from Incomparable Buttons.  This giveaway ends Sunday, November 20.

Kool Beenz is having a giveaway.  You could win a 4 Fat Quarter bundle set of Michael Miller Holiday Fabrics.  This giveaway ends Friday, November 18, at midnight EST.

McCall's Quilting is having a giveaway.  You could win a McCall's Quilting blank journal, plus 2 different packs of 6 Troy Riverwoods Modern Textures fat quarters.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, January 3. 2012.

Quilting Ranny is having a giveaway.  You could win one of four prizes.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, November 30, at 11:30 pm MST.  Please mention that you learned about the giveaway on my blog :)

I Have A Notion is having a giveaway.  You could win a Beam n Read.  This giveaway ends Monday, November 21, at midnight.

Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having her weekly Monday Mystery giveaway.  You could win five fat quarters.  This giveaway ends Saturday, November 19.

Sew Bittersweet Designs is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win a jelly roll of Flora and an Easy Star and Geese Ruler from Fat Quarter.  This giveaway ends Sunday, November 20.

Nunu's Quilt World is having a giveaway.  Shannon is ready to send the Traveling Stash on its way.  This giveaway ends Thursday, November 17.

Hawthorne Threads is having a giveaway.  You could win a Fat Quarter bundle of the complete Woodlands line, a 2012 Calendar, and a Woodlands Print suitable for framing OR a Fat Quarter bundle of the complete Woodlands line, and a 2012 Calendar.  This giveaway ends Friday, November 18.

One More Quilt is having a mini giveaway.  You could win 3 yards of fabric.  This giveaway ends Thursday, November 17, at 10 am.

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FINAL THOUGHT