TGIF

My mind contains many good ideas, but it's not always easy to squeeze one out.
~Ashleigh Brilliant

I'm glad the weekend is only one day away.  For some reason, this week has been tiring and seemed longer than normal.  I'm ready for some quiet time and the three day weekend.  Speaking of which, I will not be posting on Monday but will be enjoying the President's holiday with my hubby.  No big plans.  We will just be enjoying the extra day together.  Do you have big plans for the 3 day weekend?

===============================

LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Strawberry

Here's a list of fun and interesting strawberry facts and trivia:

* Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside. It is argued that for this reason, it cannot be considered a real berry, since berries carry seeds on the inside

* A strawberry has, on average, 200 seeds

* A French noblewoman at the time of Napoleon, Madame Tallien, used to bathe regularly in strawberry juice, using 22 pounds per basin. She didn't bathe daily though

* There is a legend that strawberries were named in the nineteenth-century by English children who picked the fruit, strung them on grass straws and sold them as "Straws of berries".  Another theory is the name was derived from the nineteenth-century practice (and still today, although most farms use raised beds, enclosed in plastic) of placing straw around the growing berry plants to protect the ripening fruit. But the most widely held view is that the name Strawberry was derived from the berries that are "strewn" about on the plants, and the name "strewn berry" eventually morphed into "Strawberry".

* Strawberries for headaches??? They contain natural salicylates, an ingredient that's found in aspirin

* In some parts of Europe, people once believed elves could control how much milk cows produced and that the elves loved strawberries. Farmers tied baskets of strawberries to their cows' horns as an offering to them.

* Strawberries were a symbol of perfection and love: for instance, folklore says that if you split a double strawberry in half and share it with a member of the opposite sex, you'll soon fall in love. Medieval stonemasons carved strawberry designs on altars and around the tops of pillars in sacred places such as churches, as a symbol of perfection

========================

PROGRESS

During the past week, I managed to put in a few hours of stitching.  I progressed from this point last Friday....

To this........

I added the center circular area.  As you can see, I have more work to do on this part but aren't the children cute playing in the sand?  I hope to get some stitching hours in over the weekend. 

Design: Summer Sampler

Designer: Sandy Orton for Kooler Design Studio

Fabric: 18 count cream Aida cloth

Fiber: 2 strands over 1 - DMC floss

==========================

2 MORE BLOCKS

Earlier this month I made a Bee block and a swap block......

This was the first string block of any kind I've made.  Carolyn said this was called Spider Web.  She was our hostess for January for Let's Bee Together.  Carolyn had all the strips cut to the correct width so it was just a matter of putting everything together.  She is going to have an amazing quilt.

Teresa was my swap partner for Quilting Block Swaps Australia.   She requested the Autograph Star in blues and creams.  Even though the photo made the background fabric look white, it really is cream.  Teresa didn't specify that we should sign the block so I included a card with my signature including my city and state that she could trace over if she wanted.  And that's exactly what she did. 

========================

TODAY'S GOAL

Today I plan to get a block sewn for a swap and then spend the rest of the stitching.

========================

GIVEAWAYS

The Rusty Thimble is having a giveaway.  You could win an American Apron Pocket.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 29.

Primitive and Folk Artists is having a giveaway.  You could win one of 33 different items.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 29.

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having a giveaway.  You could win one of 9 different items.  This giveaway ends Thursday, March 15.

Lindsey at Quilting Daily is having a giveaway.  You could win a bundle of Cabbage and Roses fabric from Moda.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 22.

Favequilts is having a giveaway.  You could win Sweetheart Houses Quilt Pattern Designed by Jennifer Bosworth from Shabby Fabrics Gifted by Shabby Fabrics.  This giveaway ends Monday, February 21.

Pat Sloan is having a giveaway.  You could win a FQ Bundle of Amy Butler "Lark", plus  Aurifil Thread and the EXCLUSIVE APQ Radio show Earbuds.  This giveaway ends Saturday, February 18.

Jolly Jabber is having a giveaway.  You could win Kim Kight's Bloggers Choice fat quarter bundle.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 22.

Hawthorne Threads is having their weekly giveaway.  You could win a Washi fat quarter bundle.  This giveaway Wednesday, February 22.


========================

FINAL THOUGHT