Stray Stitches

TGIF

2012-02-17T04:45:00.000-08:00

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?

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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

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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

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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.

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TODAY'S GOAL

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

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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.

AccuQuilt is having a giveaway. You could win a GO! Baby Fabric Cutter Starter Set. This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 22 (I think).

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.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Wednesday = Flowers

2012-02-15T04:45:00.000-08:00

The finest clothing made is a person's skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this.
~Mark Twain

I read on Monday that the Wall Street Journal predicts our cotton fabric prices will be rising once again. Why? Because of the drought in Texas. I don't know if I can keep quilting with the prices continuing to rise on fabric. The price of cotton has risen dramatically over the past year. I won't be able to afford $15 a yard. This may cause the popularity of quilting to decline once again. This increase will also cause raised prices for clothing. Pretty soon I'm going to have to run around naked just so I can continue quilting and that's something nobody wants to happen. What's the highest price you are willing to pay for a yard of fabric?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Cotton

As you slip your favorite pair of comfortable jeans on, you probably, like most of us, take them for granted. Have you ever thought about the cotton that it takes to make those favorite jeans? Here are a few facts about cotton:

* The word "cotton" is an English version of the Arabic "qutun" or "kutun," a generic term meaning fancy fabric. But one of cotton's original popular names was "vegetable wool."

* Cotton was originally grown in several different colors, including brown, rust, and even light purple. However, most of the cotton grown today is white. When mechanical processing methods were introduced it was easier to maintain a consistent color by using only white-fibered plants. Colored cotton is still grown, but on a very small scale.
* It is know that man has made cotton into fabric since at least 3000 BC
* The cotton fiber is slightly over one inch long. It is a single cell, and is the largest cell in the plant kingdom. No other plant anywhere in the world has a cell even close to an inch long.
* Cotton seeds are tough enough to survive travel across oceans on the wind. This could explain how botanists are not sure where the first plants came from, and probably why similar varieties grow sometimes thousands of miles apart.

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TWO MORE FLOWERS

I was able to produce two more flowers this week.......

and

Both of these flowers came from the same fabric. I found this fun fabric at Joann's with the original intent to use some hearts on it, but as you can tell, I went in a totally different direction. I love finding fabric that has lots of possibilities for flowers. And there are even a few more flowers that I can create from this same piece. If you would like to see more hexie flowers, Karen has graciously provided a linky to make your viewing a one stop location. You can check that out HERE.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will make two 6" blocks for a swap

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GIVEAWAYS

Craftsy is having a giveaway. You could win a Mystery Box worth $100. This giveaway ends Monday, February 27.

Victorian Motto Sampler is having a giveaway. You could win some Plum floss. This giveaway ends Tuesday, February 28.

Leona's Quilting Adventure is having a giveaway. You could win a copy of Sonoma Rose, One Vicksburg Civil War charm pack, and one spool of King Tut #50 weight thread from Superior Threads in variegated olive green. This giveaway ends Friday, February 24, at midnight EST.

Little Miss Shabby is having a giveaway. You could win a $25 from Intrepid Threads. This giveaway ends Monday, February 20.

Diary Of A Quilter is having a giveaway. You could win a $25 gift certificate to The Little Fabric Shop. This giveaway ends Friday, February 17, at midnight MST.

Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having her Mystery Monday giveaway. You could win 5 fat quarters in your choice of colorway. This giveaway ends Saturday, February 18, at midnight MT.

With Thread In Hand is having a giveaway. You could win a Key to Wonderland from Shabby Apple. This giveaway ends Friday, February 17, around noon.

Silly Stitching is having a giveaway to celebrate her 300th post. You could win 2 charm packs, or two sweet rolls, or a 26 strip jelly roll. This giveaway ends Saturday, February 18, at 9:00 pm EST.

Nutmegger Stitcher's Works is having a giveaway to celebrate 200+ followers. You could win a $20 gift certificate to 123stitch.com. This giveaway ends Friday, March 2.

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FINAL THOUGHT OF THE DAY

It's Heart Day

2012-02-14T05:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Hugs,

Catching Up On Blocks

2012-02-13T04:45:00.000-08:00

Follow your passion, and success will follow you.
~Terri Guillemets

Friday night we did our monthly run to Costco and Walmart. We were only able to purchase about half the things on our list at Walmart. The person working the register said the last three days had been like the Christmas rush. Is there something big happening that I don't know about? Saturday we ran errands, I had blood drawn by an excellent phlebotomist (no pain, success with the first stick!), attended an ALS support group meeting, and gave Snickerdoodle a bath. Sunday was much more laid back and I was able to get some stitching in along with 5 loads of wash. Now that Monday's here, I'm ready to get back to the sewing machine and maybe get some more stitching in. What will you be working on this week?

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FUN FACT OF THE DAY

Cats

Cats. Some people adore them while others truly detest them. Here are some interesting facts about those adorable furballs with sharp nails:

* Groups of kittens are “kindles,” while groups of adult cats are “clowders

* On average, cats spend 2/3 of every day sleeping. That means a nine-year-old cat has been awake for only three years of its life

* Cats paw (repeatedly treading on a spot - often it's owner) to mark their territory. Cats sweat through the bottom of their paws and rub this off as a marking mechanism

* Cats have 230 bones in their bodies, this is 24 more than humans

* The print on a cat's nose is like that of a fingerprint of a human, each is unique

* The oldest cat ever is/was Creme Puff who was born on August 3, 1967 and lived until August 6, 2005. That's 38 years!

* The longest whisker on a cat measured 17.4 cm (6.8 in) on July 30, 2004 and belong to Mingo, a Maine coon (also the biggest breed of domesticated cats)

* A cat can jump up to five times its own height in a single bound

* Cats have 32 muscles that control the outer ear (humans have only 6). A cat can independently rotate its ears 180 degrees

* The world record for the cat with most toes belongs to Jake Perry of Austin, Texas, who has 28 toes, with 7 on each paw. (Cats with more than 5 toes on a paw is called polydactyl cats)

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BLOCKS

I am behind on sharing blocks that I have made for Bees and swaps. Here are a few that I have made over the last couple of months....

This was a block I made for Anne Mc, my December swap partner in Quilting Block Swaps Australia. Anne requested a Log Cabin block in blues and greens. I was happy with the way this block turned out and Anne was happy with it too.

Karen, my January swap partner in Block Swap Adventure, requested a Signature Star in blacks and reds. This block certainly makes a bold statement. Karen said that this was just what she was looking for.

Lynette was my January swap partner in Quilting Block Swaps Australia. Lynette requested the Solomons Star block in blues and whites. I had never made this block before and will use this design again.

I have more blocks to share but will do so at a later time.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I need to sew labels on the Loving Hands quilts I will be turning in on Thursday.

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GIVEAWAYS

Swim, Bike, Quilt is having a giveaway. You could win a $25 gift certificate to Burgandy Buttons. This giveaway ends ?

Hawthorne Threads is having their weekly giveaway. You could win an Amy Butler Lark fat quarter bundle. This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 15.

My Sister Made Me Do It is having a giveaway. She is ready to send the Traveling Stash on the road again. This giveaway ends Tuesday, February 14.

Lily's Quilts is having a giveaway. You could win a Colourbox of Oakshott shot cottons of 100 F8ths. This giveaway ends Friday, February 24.

Cat Patches is back with her Fun Fact Friday Freebie. You could win a fat quarter. The winner will be announced Friday, February 17.

Val Laird is having a giveaway. You could win country version of Val's Herb Garden wall-hanging, a sweet little Etui, a charm pack of Grace, and a few buttons and charms to embellish your stitching. This giveaway ends Saturday, February 18, at midnight.

I Have A Notion is having a giveaway. You could win a signed copy of Simple Choices. This giveaway ends Tuesday, February 14.

Kate n Libby is having a giveaway. You could win a Lucky Seven pattern. This giveaway ends Saturday, February 18.

Quilt Hollow is having a giveaway. You could win win two or three Debbie Lofgran's Little Stitches patterns. This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 15.

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FINAL THOUGHT

I just got my new mobile phone, - and it's one I understand how to operate!!!
At Last, a Mobile Phone for Seniors!

You REALLY have to be OLD to appreciate THIS joke.

A New Project

2012-02-10T04:45:00.000-08:00

Happiness is never stopping to think if you are.

~Palmer Sondreal

It's off to Costco and Walmart for our monthly shopping excursion. It doesn't seem like it was four weeks ago that we were maneuvering the aisles but it has been and it's time to restock our shelves. The weekend promises to be a busy one with both errands and a support group meeting. We might have a little rain but I doubt that will happen. The forecasters have been trying to make it rain here for the last week with no results. We have trees in full bloom and the leaves are starting to show on the hydrangeas. I think Spring is here whether I'm ready for it or not. Is your weekend going to be wet, white or dry?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Since I've been having trouble with allergies, how about some fun facts about sneezing. Isn't the cartoon above funny? Anyway, here are some of the facts I've found:

* Experts say that you cannot or one is incapable of sneezing while at sleep. In this stage, certain body neurons and reflexes indicators are not stimulated and therefore cannot send the required signal or signals to the brain

* How fast does a sneeze go? 100 miles per hour

* The person who holds the longest sneezing streak of being able to sneeze almost every minute was England’s Donna Griffiths. Her usual day was spent entirely on sneezing. She actually spent the 978 days of her life sneezing

* You cannot possibly sneeze with your eyes open (and don't you remember trying when you were young?)

* Saying “lamp” or “cucumber” repeatedly after sensing a sneeze to be coming, delays or stops it from happening

* Contrary to the myth that your heart stops beating when you sneeze, a scientific study further shows it actually does not

* “Bless You” is usually said soon after a person sneezes. This is believed to be an ancient practice when people used to believe that the soul escaped from the nose. In order to stop the devils from taking away the souls ‘bless you’ was widely said.

*About one in three people sneeze when exposed to bright lights, an inherited trait called photic sneezing or ACHOO (Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst) Syndrome

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A NEW CCS

Monday I started a new counted cross stitch project......

Design: Summer Sampler

Designer: Sandy Orton for Kooler Design Studio

Fabric: 18 count cream Aida cloth

Fiber: 2 strands over 1

The colors are a bit bolder than what was pictured on the pattern cover but hopefully it will all look good at the end.

For those of you who don't stitch, here it is compared to a nickel so you can judge the size of the stitches. Sorry it's a bit blurry but you get the idea.

You may be wondering why I'm using the same fabric as I did for my last project. Well, I bought a roll of the Aida cloth when I found it at 1/2 price last year. Couldn't pass up the deal! My next project will be on linen.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will be working on my applique project and cut some fussy-cut hexies.

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GIVEAWAYS

American Quilting is having a giveaway. You could win a Quilter’s Bunco kit. This giveaway ends Monday, February 13, at midnight. (You must live in Utah to enter this giveaway).

Piece N Quilt is having a giveaway. You could win a $25 gift certificate to Green Fairy Quilts. This giveaway ends Tuesday, February 14.

FabricWorm is having a giveaway. You could win 8 Nature Inspired Fat Quarters. This giveaway ends Monday, February 13, at 8:30 am PST.

Lavender Ridge is celebrating her 3rd blogiversary with a giveaway. You could win two patterns (ends Tuesday, February 14), or 1 metre of fabric (ends Tuesday, February 21), or 4 fat quarters (ends Tuesday, February 28). This giveaway ends on various dates.

A Quilting Life is having a giveaway. You could win a $25 gift certificate to SkyeReve. This giveaway ends Sunday, February 12, at midnight?

The Jolly Jabber is having a giveaway. You could win 5 Rouenneries Deux Charm Packs. This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 15.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Now doesn't that make you smile?

Have a wonderful weekend :)

Stones In My Garden

2012-02-08T04:45:00.000-08:00

Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn and you will.
~Vernon Howard

I finally got around to cleaning up my sewing room. Well, maybe I shouldn't call it cleaning as much as straightening. I did put all the scraps away in their colorway totes and removed the piles from my cutting table. It's so nice not to have to move piles just to cut fabric. I also started two new projects this week - one counted cross stitch and a raw edge applique. It's always fun to start something new. What are you working on this week?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Lipsticks

I've never been a wearer of lipstick. I can't seem to find a color that I really like. And, besides, it gets in the way when you have to lick the end of a thread to get it through a needle's eye. However, I did find some interesting little bits of information about lipstick:

* During the revolution wearing lipstick of any kind was taken as a sign that you sympathized with the aristocracy and could get you sent to the guillotine. This ended the era of men wearing lipstick.

* During her heyday Elizabeth Taylor was so known for her siren red lipstick that, on certain movie sets, no one else was allowed to wear the color.

* Most lipsticks contain fish scales

* The first recorded evidence of lipstick use dates back to the Sumerian city of Ur, 2000 B.C.

* The most important ingredient which creates a shiny film after drying that does not smear easily is the caster oil.* Cosmetics giant Max Factor began life as a servant to Czar Nicholas. Max wasn't that into that. He needed to find a way to escape from the Royal household, so he used tubes of lipstick to make himself look sickly. He was taken to the infirmary, from which he escaped, and made his way to America

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MY GARDEN GROWS

Once again I didn't get any hexie flowers made for One Flower Wednesday but I did make stepping stones.....

Not a lot of fun but a necessary part of a garden. And with some of these stepping stones I was able to add to my Grandmother's Flower Garden/Eye Spy quilt top.......

The garden is growing ever so slowly. Maybe a dose of fertilizer is necessary - lol!

This is where I worked in the garden over the weekend. I see that the peace/rainbow flower didn't go on facing the correct way. Oh well. I think it will stay that way for now.

I was surprised to receive two hexie flowers in the mail.....

These flowers came from Beverly. She was not my swap partner for February's Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap so it was quite a lovely surprise to receive these. Beverly says that she is "hooked on the no template method of piecing" her hexagons. She is much braver than me. I need those templates to make sure everything stays accurate. Thank you so very much, Beverly!

If you would like to see flowers that have been made this week, Karen has created a linky that will take you all over blogland to view beautiful flowers HERE. Thank you, Karen!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will continue with the raw edge applique I'm working on.

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GIVEAWAYS

Fresh Lemons is having a giveaway. You could win 10 fat quarters from Art Gallery’s Modernology line, sponsored by Jacqueline of Canton Village Quilt Works. This giveaway ends Thursday, February 9.

Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having her weekly giveaway. You could win 5 fat quarters. This giveaway ends Saturday, February 11, at midnight MT.

Quiltscapes is having a giveaway. You could win a kit to make a Drunkard's Path Table Topper. This giveaway ends Saturday, February 11.

Quilting Ranny is having a giveaway. You could win a cute tape measure, a pattern, or a darling bag. This giveaway ends Saturday, February 11, at noon PST.

Hanging On By A Thread is having a giveaway. You could win a needlebook. This giveaway ends Tuesday, February 14.

Richard Quilts is having a giveaway. You could win something handmade by Richard and his wife. This giveaway ends on the day of his daughter's birth.

Cloth Stitched is having a giveaway. You could win 4 FQs of the Far Meadow colorway of Aunt Edna by Denyse Schmidt or Picnic Parade FQs. This giveaway ends Saturday, February 11.

All About Applique is having a giveaway. You could win a copy of Quilt Fiesta by Cheryl Lynch. This giveaway ends Friday, February 10.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Lots Of Love

2012-02-06T04:45:00.000-08:00

I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.
~Winston Churchill

I learned something over the weekend. I learned that there are as many colors of white as there are of black. I always knew there were many various shades of blacks; some more red, some more purple, some more blue, etc. Three weekends ago I bought 2 yards of Kona White at Beverly's. The next weekend I bought 4 yards of Kona White at Joann's. When I got home and compared the two purchases I was amazed to find that the Beverly's Kona White was noticeably grayer than the Kona I bought at Joann's. Now I know that there are blue shades, gray shades and even pink shades of white even if they are all called white. Luckily when I returned to Joann's on Saturday, I was able to buy 2 more yards of the same Kona White that I had previously purchased there. Live and learn. I guess this ol' gal can still learn something new.

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Sugar

How many of us love things with sugar on it. I can't eat grapefruit without sugar no matter how sweet it is. Okay, these days I use sugar substitutes but I still love that sweet taste. Here are a few facts about sugar for your Monday:

* Sugar is one of the oldest ingredients, dating back to 326 BC. In 327 BC, Alexander the Great discovered the sugar cane; it then spread through Persia and introduced it in the Mediterranean

* Sugar’s name originated from the Sanskrit word “Sharkara,” which means “material in a granule form

* Sugar was called “White Gold”: Until the late 1700's, sugar was a luxury that European nobility used to validate their rank and social power

* Sugar does help the medicine go down! It’s an important component of many modern medicines

* Some people say that one teaspoon of sugar swallowed “dry” can cure the hiccups

* Sweet is the only taste humans are born desiring (That explains a lot!)
* Sugar cane stalks can reach 30 feet high
* Some plants can make their own sugar— when a banana ripens, it changes starch into sugar, making it sweeter

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LITTLE QUILTS

Last week and over the weekend I completed two little quilts for Loving Hands.....

This is the first one. Probably a little boys quilt.

I did a lot of heart shape free motion quilting on this one. Thought it fit the fabric with the little hearts in the design.

Here's the second one I made. I had planned on making it all green and pink but the half yard of pink I had to work with was not quite a half yard. So I improvised with some coordinating fabric. All of the sides are actually straight but a breeze came up when I clicked the photo making it look all wonky.

I did some fmq large flowers all over this one. Something different and a way to stretch my fmq a little. The stitches are way too small but I will work on that over time.

A wonderful blogging friend emailed me a little over a week ago asking me if she could donate a couple of quilts to Loving Hands. Lisa sent me.......

(breeze caught this one, too)

and

And look what arrived last week from Kentucky!! Aren't they wonderful!!! Lisa also sent me some fabric pieces that I can use for future quilts and also for some hexie flowers. Thank you for your generosity, Lisa!! I know that a preemie and his/her parents will love your quilts. Isn't the blogging/quilting connection something when others take the time to donate their fabrics, time, and ability to help others without even being asked? I certainly think it is!
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?QUESTION?

I have a question for those of you who do a lot of raw edge applique. Do you use a polyester thread or cotton thread. I don't know if I want the shine of the polyester or not. I could use all of the information you wish to give me.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I plan to start something new :)

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GIVEAWAYS

Creative Confessions is having a giveaway. You could win one of Jo Morton's newer books titled Coming Home, a selection of 4 co-coordinating fat quarters of Jo fabrics, and a collection of her Jo's Little Women Club patterns. This giveaway ends Sunday, February 12, at midnight.

Quilt n Queen is having a giveaway. You could win a new Bird Brain Design pattern. This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 8, at midnight.

Paducah Convention is having a giveaway. You could win a $100 Gift Certificate to the NationalQuilt Museum shop, or Honorary "Benefactor" Friend of the Museum Status, or fabric designed by Caryl Bryer Fallert for Benartex. This giveaway ends April 25.

Hawthorne Threads is having their weekly giveaway. You could win an Anna Maria Horner Little Folks bundle. This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 8.

Quilt Story is having a giveaway. You could win a 1/2 yard bundle of Little Apples from Aneela Hooey. This giveaway ends Tuesday, February 7.

Melissa Stramel is having a giveaway. You could win a $25 gift certificate to Green Fairy Quilts. This giveaway ends ?

Mountain Quiltfest is having a giveaway. You could win a trip to a trip to the 18th Annual Mountain Quiltfest in Pigeon Ford, Tennessee. This giveaway ends Thursday, February 23.

123Stitch is having a giveaway. You could win a chart called "Chocolate Cake Sampler" by Casey Buonaugurio Designs. This giveaway ends Thursday, March 1.

Jo's Country Junction is having a giveaway. You could win a copy of Urban Country Quilts by Jeanne Large and Shelley Wicks. This giveaway ends Tuesday, February 7.

Katie's Quilting Corner is having a giveaway. You could win a Hoffman Fabrics Bali Pops – Key Lime. This giveaway ends Friday, February 17, at midnight EST.

Cat Patches is having her Fun Fact Friday Freebie. You could win a fat quarter. The winner will be announced Friday, February 17.

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FINAL THOUGHT

First CCS Completion for 2012

2012-02-03T04:45:00.000-08:00

We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.

~Epictetus

It's too early in the year to be fighting allergies. Isn't that supposed to start around March or April? Not this year. With the lack of rain and warmer temps, there is dust and dried plants and grasses. And I'm starting the spring allergy fight. I didn't even realize that my sinuses were stuffed until I bent over and suddenly felt dizzy yesterday morning. Allergy meds are helping a bit and it's better than having the feeling of having a spacey head. Between sneezing and moving a bit slower, it's hard to be motivated to sew. But that's what I'm going to do anyway. Looks like it's going to be a terrible allergy spring.

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Mosquito

Does the picture above give you the creeps? For some reason this buzzing, blood sucking insect came to mind for the Fact Of The Day. With summer fast approaching it's time to learn a little about these flying pests.

* Only female mosquitoes bite; using proteins from a blood meal to produce eggs. Most species can produce several batches of eggs during their lifetime

* The mosquito's visual picture, produced by various parts of its body, is an infrared view produced by its prey's body temperature

* The average life span of the female mosquito is 3 to 100 days; the male's is 10 to 20 days

* Most mosquitoes remain within 1 mile of their breeding site. A few species may range up to 20 miles or more

* Depending on temperature, mosquitoes can develop from egg to adult in as little as 4-7 days

* An adult female mosquito consumes about 5-millionths of a liter in a single blood meal.

* In the interest of science, Artic researchers uncovered their chests, arms, and legs and reported at many as 9000 mosquito bites per person, per minute. At this rate, an unprotected human would half of his blood supply in approximately 2 hours.

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A CROSS STITCH FINISH

I finished my first cross stitch project for 2012 on Wednesday......

Design: Cirque des Carreaux

Designer: Tracy Horner - Ink Circles

Fabric: 18 count cream Aida cloth

Fibers: 2 strands over 1 DMS #4240

Started: November 2011

Completed: February 1, 2012

This is the first piece I've made using just one floss color, however it was variegated so it added a little bit of change throughout. My favorite part about this piece is that no two designs are exactly alike - well, except for the three littlest designs. It is sort of like a BOM in quilting. Now I need to find a frame for it and get it hung on the wall.

I've gotten through about 2/3 of the floss colors, getting them organized and put away. This is how I do that......

I created a sort of quilted floss binder. I grabbed some fabric from my stash and quilted it. Why did I quilt it with white thread? Because that's what was on the machine. I even tried my hand at a binding that was totally machine stitched. Not my favorite way to do a biding but since this is a strictly utility piece I went with it.

There is an internal flap for added protection for the floss. This keeps it from flopping out the sides.

And here it is all opened. I have added a lot more floss since I took this picture. All floss is cut to approximately 20" lengths. I know that all instructions say never to work with anything longer than 18" but I like the little bit of added length and have never had any troubles with it. When I go to start a project I can select as few or as many strands as I wish of any color. It is also easy to return any unused floss when I'm through. I secured the top flaps with a Velcro square. And, yes, you probably noticed that it's not black like it should have been but I had tan available. Anyway, that's how I store my floss.

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

TODAY'S GOAL

I'm going to finish up a Loving Hands quilt today.

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

GIVEAWAYS

The Empty Nest is having a giveaway. You could win a $30 gift certificate to Fashionable Fabrics. This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 8, at midnight.

Samplings From a Blue Ribbon Gal is having a giveaway. You could win a trio of Blue Ribbon Designs needlework charts. This giveaway ends Saturday, February 4, at 11:59 pm.

Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having a giveaway. She is ready to send one of the other Traveling Stash boxes on its way. This giveaway ends Sunday, February 5, at midnight MT.

A Legacy of Stitches is having a giveaway. You could win 40 charm squares.....all different and also a bit of fabric and a pre-cut wool snowman. This giveaway ends Saturday, February 4.

Quilary is having a giveaway. You could win a sewing kit made to your colour choice and a rainbow charm pack. This giveaway ends Monday, February 20, at midnight AEST.

World of Charity Stitching is having a giveaway. You could win a sampler pack of Aurifil threads. This giveaway ends Friday, February 10.

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having a giveaway. You could win a pdf. cross stitch pattern. This giveaway ends Tuesday, February 14.

13 Woodhouse Road is having a giveaway. You could win a $25 gift certificate to Fashionable Fabrics. This giveaway ends Monday, February 6, at 8:00 am IST.

Happy Quilting is having a giveaway. You could win a $200 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop. This giveaway ends Tuesday, February 14.

Notions is having a giveaway. You could win a copy of Eleanor Burns' new book, Tales of First Ladies. This giveaway ends Sunday, February 5, at 11:59 pm.

The House On The Side Of The Hill is celebrating her birthday with a giveaway. You could win a $25 gift certificate to Want It, Need It, Quilt. This giveaway ends ?

Quilting Dreams is having a giveaway. She is ready to send the Pass It On Box on its way. This giveaway ends Sunday, February 5.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Doesn't it seem like this at times?

It's Wednesday!

2012-02-01T04:45:00.000-08:00

Oh, wouldn't the world seem dull and flat with nothing whatever to grumble at?
~W.S. Gilbert

Last night I cut my finger. Not badly but just enough to sting like crazy and to require a bandage. And this had nothing to do with quilt making or stitching. I received the cut from one of those infernal, tough plastic wrappings that so many things come in these days. I think they should be outlawed!! Or at least they should provide some sort of tear strip to allow the consumer to open the desired plastic to get to the item they purchased. I know they super glue these packages together to prevent theft, but come on! It took me ten minutes to get a package of razors open (multi pack from Costco) using a pair of scissors and lots of muscle. It's just ridiculous that it should be almost impossible to penetrate. Okay. I feel better now. I've had my rant for the day and now I can go sew :)

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

LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Hands

Hands. Where would be without them? We probably wouldn't be doing much sewing or crafting of any sort. However, I have seen some art work created by those who use their feet and I know of at least one quilter out there who uses her feet to create beautiful quilts. Here are a few facts I dug up about hands:

* The skin on the palm of the hand has no fingerprints, hair or color pigmentation.

* Fingernails grow an average of 1/10 of an inch each month. Fingernails grow 4 times faster than toenails.
* There are no muscles in your fingers. The muscles that move your fingers are located in the palm and up in the mid forearm. They're connected to the finger bones by tendons which pull and move the fingers like the strings of a marionette.

* The Hand has been used as a symbol of protection since ancient times

* The longest Fingernails ever belonged to Shidhar Chillal. They were 20 feet, 2.25 inches! It took 48 years to grow them (GROSS!)
* 12.6% of all men are left-handed, while only 9.9% of all women are
* About a quarter of the motor cortex in the human brain (the part of the brain which controls all movement in the body) is devoted to the muscles of the hands.
* Structurally, fingernails are modified hairs.
* Each hand contains: 29 major and minor bones, 29 major joints, at least 123 named ligaments, 34 muscles which move the fingers and thumb, 48 nerves and 30 named arteries.

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

WEDNESDAY'S FLOWERS

I had the best intentions of 1) Putting some flowers into my garden, and 2) Making two new flowers for my garden. Neither happened. But today I can share two flowers I made for someone else......

Lara G is my swap partner for February in the Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap. Lara requested purple/red - the more colorful the better. I think these two flowers fill that request. These will be making their way across the ocean to Australia in today's mail.

If you would like to check out more hexie flowers, be sure to visit Karen's One Flower Wednesday. Karen provides with a linky and you can 'one stop browse'. Thank you, Karen.

A few of you have asked how I am able to create my fussy cut flowers. Without a see-through template, it would very difficult. The company I bought my tool from is located in Australia and had to increase their shipping rates so it has become a rather pricey purchase. However, my friend Mary, found a company in Ohio that has a hexagon template available.....

This allows you to see exactly what will appear on your flower petal. With the cost of shipping, you can purchase this template for just over $10 (USA) from Schoolhouse Quilt Shoppe. If you scroll about half way down the page you will find the 1" hexagon template. There are other templates available too. I'm not advertising nor endorsing this company, just putting the information out there for those who wanted to know.

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

LITTLE BLOCKS

I'm a member of the 6" Block Swaps Australia. I received these beautiful blocks from Ann.....

Ann said "I have just finished by Dear Jane quilt top so I enlarged 2 of the blocks and foundation pieced them for you". Aren't they beautiful?!? It looks like they are different sizes but I think the color causes an optical illusion because they are both 6.5" square. Aren't they gorgeous? Thank you so very much, Ann.

Ann requested any star block in blue and white. This

is the Go-Along #2 block from Quilter's Cache. They look like they are made from the same fabrics but the only fabric that is the same is the white background. I hope Ann enjoys these blocks.

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

TODAY'S GOAL

Today I plan to start working on 2 Loving Hands quilts.

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

GIVEAWAYS

Smashed Peas and Carrots is having a giveaway. You could win a $100 Olive Garden gift card. This giveaway ends Sunday, March 18.

KoolBeenz is having their weekly giveaway. You could win a $25 shoppe credit to The Quilted Castle. This giveaway ends Saturday, February 4, at midnight EST.

SewCalGal is having a giveaway. You could win a set of buttons from Incomparable Buttons. This giveaway ends Thursday, February 2, at midnight PST.

My Patchwork Life is having a giveaway. You could win 3 fat quarters. This giveaway ends Friday, February 3.

Cat Patches is having a giveaway. Barbara is ready to send the Traveling Stash on its way. This giveaway ends Friday, February 2, at 5:00 pm PST.

Quilt Inspirations is having a giveaway. You could win a copy of Passionate Patchwork autographed by KaffeFasset, or a $10 gift card from Joann's, or a Modern Robe pattern, or a 1/2 yard each of "Aurora" and "Splash" batik fabric from Hoffman California International, or a copy of Red and Green : An Applique Tradition by Jeana Kimball, plus red fabrics. This giveaway ends Monday, February 6.

Leona's Quilting Adventure is having a giveaway. You could win 2 pouch patterns from Flutter From Kat. This giveaway ends Friday, February 3, at midnight EST.

Linda's Quiltmania is having a giveaway. You could win a Bali Pop. This giveaway ends Friday, February 3.

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FINAL THOUGHT

This could be my house - lol!! Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Winners

2012-01-30T04:45:00.000-08:00

Life is not about how fast your run or high you climb but how well you bounce.

Vivian Komori

It's a new week and I'm ready to catch up on some obligations that I'm a little behind on. I also hope to try something new this week. The weekend was pretty typical but with some fun thrown in on Saturday (see below). The fog decided to settle in over the last couple of days but the sun did manage to peek out on Saturday to create a little warmth and lots of glare. Do you have your week planned out or are you just going to do whatever strikes you at the moment?

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

LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Volcano

Don't ask me why but I'd thought I'd do a little research on volcanoes today. Here is what I found:

* The word volcano originally comes from the name of the Roman god of fire, Vulcan

* Volcanoes are usually located where tectonic plates meet. This is especially true for the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area around the Pacific Ocean where over 75% of the volcanoes on Earth are found.

* Hot liquid rock under the Earth’s surface is known as magma, it is called lava after it comes out of a volcano

* While we certainly have some big volcanoes here on Earth, the biggest known volcano in our solar system is actually on Mars. Its name is Olympus Mons and it measures a whooping 600km (373 miles) wide and 21km (13 miles) high

* Volcanoes can be found on the ocean floor and even under icecaps, such as those found in Iceland

* Volcanic eruptions can send ash high into the air, over 30km (17 miles) above the Earth’s surface.

* Pumice is a unique volcanic rock that can float in water. It can also be used as an abrasive and is sometimes used in beauty salons for removing dry skin.

* The biggest volcano in the world is Mauna Loa in Hawaii.

* The rock debris carried by the blast of Mount St. Helen’s eruption traveled as fast as 250 miles per hour

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

AND THE WINNERS ARE......

Thank you to everyone who participated in this giveaway! You are all winners in my book but unfortunately there could be only two winners of the Good Fortune charm packs. So without further ramblings, the winners are:

Vesuviusmama said...

Sunny Lush - love it! And I'm not at all surprised that you are at 700 followers - your blog is so inspiring and informative and fun!

and

ShirleyC said...

It's so hard to choose. I think my favorite is the Fly a Kite bundle.

Each of you will receive 2 charm packs of Good Fortune. I will or have sent you an email to get your snail mail information.

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QUILT SHOW

Cotton Patch Quilters of Kern County held their bi-annual quilt show over the weekend. There were 205 entries. I worked at the admissions table in the morning and then DH and I spent over two hours admiring all of the beautiful creations. And, yes, for those of you wondering, my sweet DH really does enjoy looking at all the quilts and sharing his thoughts on them with me. I also bought a couple of new patterns with dreams of the future. Here are just a few of the ones we really liked.....

We really liked use of scraps on this quilt. DH couldn't get back far enough to photograph the entire quilt but I think you get the idea. This quilt received a first place in the Pieced-Large, Professionally Quilted category and was titled Eye Foolery. It was machine pieced by Fran David and professionally quilted by Sandi Collins.

This was a beautiful little quilt received second place in the Pieced-Wall category and is called Space Saver Star. It is pieced and quilted by Cece Westerfield. Cece does some amazing long arm quilting and quilted many of our members quilts throughout the show. If I remember correctly, this little quilt measured around 18" square. (Sorry it's a little blurry).

We both really liked the use of so many bright colors in this quilt. It received a first in the Art Abstract division. The quilt titled The Sunny Wide was made and quilted by Patti Young. It is a paper pieced project she started in our of our guild's workshops with Deb Karasik. Unfortunately, I missed this workshop because it was full before I even knew about it.

This was a 'Display Only' quilt. There are so many things I really liked about this quilt called Circles Squared by Cindy Seitz-Krug. Cindy does amazing work and has won lots of shows including the 2011 AQS Quilt Show & Contest at Paducah with her quilt titled Simply Sante Fe. She said this quilt was made entirely from templates (no paper-piecing).

Isn't this quilt adorable? Vintage Christmas won a second place Applique-Wall, Professionally Quilted category. It was appliqued, pieced and stitched by Pamela Gavin with Lynn Douglas doing the machine quilting.

Isn't this stained glass quilt gorgeous?!? This quilt titled The Window That Colors My World placed first in the Applique-Large category. Everything is done by Celia Ho and it was her first attempt at reverse applique. Just beautiful.

Oh no!!! Blurry!!! Just squint your eyes and it doesn't look quite as bad. But I just had to show you my quilt, A Gardener's Journal won a ribbon! I received Honorable Mention in the category for Mixed-Wall quilt! Woohoo! I'm so pleased :D (you can see a better picture of it here)

And this third place quilt - it's mine too! It placed third in the Pieced-Wall category. It is titled African Triad Variation. I created this from the block I made from the workshop by Sylvia Davis in November. I just did straight line quilting and stitch-in-the-ditch quilting on this quilt. The finished quilt measures 28.5" square. You couldn't erase my smile Saturday. Two quilts entered and two ribbons earned :D I'm already thinking ahead to t

he next show in two years - lol!

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

TODAY'S GOAL

Today I have a swap block to make.

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

GIVEAWAYS

McCall's Quilting is having a giveaway. You could win Heritage Stars Blocks & Fabric. This giveaway ends Thursday, March 1.

A Turtle's Life For Me is having a giveaway. You could win a $25 gift certificate to Poppy Seed Fabrics. This giveaway ends Thursday, February 2.

McCall's Quilting is having another giveaway. You could win a fat quarter pack of Blueberry Crumb Cake fabric by Moda. This giveaway ends Thursday, March 1.

A Hugs Delight is having a giveaway. You could win a copy of Threading The Needle by Marie Bostwick (used copy). This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 1.

SewCalGal is having a giveaway. You could win a set of heart buttons from ButtonMad. This giveaway ends Thursday, January 2, at midnight PST.

Cat Patches is having her Fun Fact Friday Freebie giveaway. You could win fat quarter. The winner will be announced next Friday, February 3.

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

FINAL THOUGHT

A Little This and That

2012-01-27T04:50:00.000-08:00

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.
~Danny Kaye

I turned in my two entries for the quilt show on Wednesday afternoon. We will be attending the show tomorrow and I hope to take lots of photos (I will share on Monday). I will be working the admissions desk in the morning and then we will view the show in the afternoon. There are 205 entries and over 20 vendors for the show. Luckily we don't have a lot of running to do over the weekend. As far as I know, we will only have our weekly visit to the farmer's market as our only errand. The weather has turned boring once again with nothing but sunshine and highs around 60. I know I shouldn't complain but I like variety when it comes to weather. Guess I live in the wrong place for that. Do you have big plans for the weekend?

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

LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

California

I was a total blank when it came to the 'fact' for today so I decided to share a little trivia and obscure facts about my state, California.
* In 1925 a giant sequoia located in California's Kings Canyon National Park was named the nation's national Christmas tree. The tree is over 300 feet in height.
* Alpine County is the eighth smallest of California's 58 counties. It has no high school, ATMs, dentists, banks, or traffic lights.
* In Pacific Grove there is a law on the books establishing a $500 fine for molesting butterflies.
* Demonstrations on making toothpaste from orange by-products were popular attractions at the Los Angeles County fair in 1922. The fair is held in Pomona
* Totaling nearly three million acres, San Bernardino County is the largest county in the country.
* The Country Store in Baker has sold more winning California State Lottery tickets than any outlet in the state.
* Death Valley is recognized as the hottest, driest place in the United States. It isn't uncommon for the summer temperatures to reach more than 115 degrees.
* Inyo National Forest is home to the bristle cone pine, the oldest living species. Some of the gnarled trees are thought to be over 4,600 years old.
* San Francisco Bay is considered the world's largest landlocked harbor.
* One out of every eight United States residents lives in California.
* It is estimated there are approximately 500,000 detectable seismic tremors in California annually.
* The highest and lowest points in the continental United States are within 100 miles of one another. Mount Whitney measures 14,495 feet and Bad Water in Death Valley is 282 feet below sea level.

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

THIS WEEKS STITCHERY REPORT

I was able to get a bit more stitching done on my Cirque des Carreaux.....

You can see where I was last week Here. I've started a new section and hope to have the entire piece completed by this time next week.

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AND THAT - SWAP BLOCKS RECEIVED

This week the mailman delivered two wonderful blocks.....

This beautiful wonky star block was made for me by Karen P. I just love the colors in this block! Karen was my January swap partner in Block Swap Adventure. Thank you so very much, Karen!

This darling block was made for me Lynette. I just love the colors and the adorable little birds! Lynette was my January swap partner in Quilting Block Swaps Australia. Thank you, Lynette!

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

TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will make 2 Bee blocks.

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

GIVEAWAYS

Abby Lane Quilts is having a giveaway. You could win a copy of Simple Choices and 4 yards of Ric Rac. This giveaway ends Sunday, January 29.

Sew Can She is having a giveaway. You could win a jelly roll of Prairie Paisley II from Fat Quarter Shop. This giveaway ends Tuesday, January 31, around midnight.

Fairy Face Designs is having a giveaway. You could win a Scrappy Pouch pattern and a Zipper Pouch pattern. This giveaway ends Sunday, January 29, at 9 pm Irish time.

FabricWorm is having a giveaway. You could win a neutral custom bundle with 12 Fat Quarters. This giveaway ends Monday, January 30, at 8:30 am PST.

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having a giveaway. You could win some beautiful hand dyed floss. This giveaway ends Tuesday, February 28.

Hopeful Threads is having a giveaway. You could win a bundle of Sweet Lush. This giveaway ends Monday, January 30.

My GIVEAWAY ends this Sunday, January 29. If you would like a chance to win 2 charm packs from Fat Quarter Shop, go HERE now!

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

FINAL THOUGHT

Fun and Flowers

2012-01-25T04:45:00.000-08:00

Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.

~Roger Miller

RAIN! We actually had rain Monday! What a welcome sight it was to see wet sidewalks and moisture falling from the sky. We didn't get a lot but we'll take any we can get. They were starting to talk about the "D" word (drought) around here. We need a whole lot more to bring us up to normal but at least this was a start. It was a good day to sit snuggled under my heated lap throw and do some stitching.

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

LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Rain

Let's face it rain is something that not a lot of us desire. However Rain plays a key role in the cycle of returning water back to our earth. So it is obvious that we need rain in order for the world to continue functioning. Here are some fun facts about that wet stuff:

* The umbrella was originally invented to protect people from the hot sun.

* Rain drops can fall at speeds of about 22 miles an hour.
* Rain starts off as ice or snow crystals at cloud level.
* Light rain is classified as being no more then 0.10 inches of rain an hour.
* Heavy rain is classified as being more then 0.30 inches of rain an hour.
* Louisiana is the wettest state in the U.S, which recorded an annual rainfall of 56 inches.
* Rain drops do not fall in a tear drop shape, they originally fall in the shave of a flat oval.
* Rain drops range in size from 0.02 inches to about .031 inches.

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

HEXAGON FLOWERS

As you well know, it is Wednesday. And what does Wednesday mean? Well, One Flower Wednesday, of course.

I'm not a big fan of bugs, but these saxophone playing bugs are an exception. This flower was made with my trumpet playing daughter in mind. Oh, and she has always liked bugs too - lol!

This is a flower for the theater. Or it could be for an early Mardi Gras. Funny how the camera made this a much lighter picture than for the flower above.

Karen (Journey of a Quilter) has provided a linky so that you can go to one spot to see more hexie flowers out there in blog land. Thank you, Karen, for providing this service. Go HERE to see more flowers.

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

SOME FUN

Recently, Barbara (Cat Patches) tempted me with something fun to try......

This was created using Tagxedo. You can create all sorts of shapes with words used in your blog. You can also select a color scheme and the font used. Believe me when I say you can spend quite awhile here experimenting with different shapes and colors. It was a lot of fun. Thanks, Barbara, for letting me know about Tagxedo.

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

TODAY'S GOAL

I still have a block to make for a BEE and two little 6" blocks to make for a swap - that will be my goal today.

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

GIVEAWAYS

The Intrepid Thread is having a giveaway. You could win a kit for a cute table topper. This giveaway ends Friday, January 27.

Kitschy Suburbia (my daughter's blog!) is having a giveaway. You could win two gorgeous Zoya polishes. This giveaway ends Monday, January 30, at 12:01 am EST.

Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having her Mystery Monday giveaway. You could win 5 fat quarters in the color of your choice. This giveaway ends Saturday, January 28, at midnight MT.

Jolly Jabber is having a giveaway. You could win a copy of Sew What You Love by Tanya Whelan. This giveaway ends Thursday, January 26, at midnight CST.

Amanda Murphy is having a giveaway. You could win some Modern Whimsy fabric and a Bejeweled pattern. This giveaway ends Thursday, January 26. The same thing can be won over at Scarlet Fig.

My Sister Made Me do it.... is having her first giveaway. You could win 6 fat quarters from Connecting Threads, a pair of quilting grip gloves, a package of Steam A Seam2, a copy of Fast, Flirty and Fun, and a darling bunny wall hanging made by the blogger, herself. The winner will be drawn on Friday, January 27.

The Raspberry Rabbit is having a giveaway. You could win Love, a wool bunny folk art pillow. This giveaway ends Friday, January 27.

a2(w) is having a giveaway. Ali is ready to send the Traveling Stash on its way. This giveaway ends Friday, January 27, at 11 pm EST.

(SIG)nature Creations is having a giveaway. You could win a $20 credit to SkyeReve and any one pattern from (SIG). This giveaway ends Thursday, January 26, at midnight CST.

There's still time to enter my 700+ Follower Giveaway sponsored by Fat Quarter Shop. Just go HERE before Sunday!

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FINAL THOUGHT

A Day of Little Quilts

2012-01-23T04:45:00.000-08:00

Chase down your passion like it's the last bus of the night.
~Terri Guillemets

I'm ready to start a new week. We had a very relaxing weekend - something I definitely needed. We were going to head down south to attend the Road To California quilt show but I didn't even have the energy to do that. And after reading the paper and seeing the route we would have traveled was closed for several hours because of a multi-car accident, I'm even more glad we didn't go. I missed seeing all of the amazing quilts and visiting all the vendor booths but I will save that for another time. I've already located two quilt shows this spring (not counting my guild's) within a two hour drive heading north (a much easier drive) and am looking forward to those. And there's always the big show in Long Beach, International Quilt Show, in July. Next year we will plan to attend Road To California. How was your weekend?

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

LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Squirrel

Saturday, January 21, was Squirrel Appreciation Day. Sure when you head to the park you'll feed the ducks, but why don't you save a few scraps for the squirrels? Is it because they look like rats with fluffy tails? Or because they get that crazy look in their eye when they notice you unwrapping your sandwich? Give the squirrels of the world a break. They eat all the crumbs you carelessly leave behind on a picnic, they keep your dog entertained, and they've never asked for anything in return. Here are a few facts about those cute, little furry creatures:

* Squirrels can jump a distance of up to 20 feet. They have long, muscular hind legs and short front legs that work together to aid in leaping

* The word "squirrel" means "shadow tail" in Greek

* The hind legs of squirrels are double-jointed. This helps them run up and down trees quickly.

* The hibernating artic ground squirrel is the only warm-blooded mammal able to withstand body temperatures below freezing.

* A male squirrel can smell a female in heat up to a mile away. Mating season is February through May with a 44-day gestation period. Typically 2-4 young are born per liter.

* Squirrels eyes are positioned in such a way that they can see some things behind them

* Squirrels in general are found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia

* Squirrels can eat their own body weight (approximately 1.5 pounds) every week.

* Squirrels can fall up to 100 feet without hurting themselves. They'll use their tail both for balance and as a parachute

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

TWO LITTLE QUILTS

Last week I turned in two more Loving Hands Quilts at my guild meeting.....

This is the second quilt I've made from the blocks made for me by last year's Bee In Oz group. So bright and happy and definitely boy.

While I was doing some FMQ meandering I made my first BIG mistake. I thought I was done until I turned the little quilt over and saw that I had caught the excess backing material while I was quilting. After an hour of picking out all those stitches, I was able to finish it up fairly quickly. I'm sure that this won't the last time I do something like this.

I was able to make one more little quilt from the left over fabric of Hoo's In The Forest. So girly and pink! I didn't have enough of the matching fabric for the binding so I grabbed an apple green fat quarter I had.

Along with the regular meandering I threw in some hearts, or leaves, depending on how you look at them. It was fun to add a little something different.

The guild had a great response to their call for Loving Hands quilts this month. Apparently in December there were 12 preemies born at one hospital and 14 at another here in town and that pretty much depleted our previous stock of little quilts. I'll keep making my two a month and hopefully others will too.

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

TODAY'S GOAL

Today I plan to make a Bee block and two 6" blocks for another swap

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

GIVEAWAYS

Favequilts is having a giveaway. You could win a Aviary Fat Quarter Bundle Designed by Nancy Gere Gifted by Windham Fabrics. This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 1. (you can enter this one daily)

Tales Of Wayne Manor is having a giveaway. You could win 3 half yard cuts of DS Quilts Fabric. This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 25.

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having a giveaway. You could win any one of a large assortment of wonderful things. This giveaway ends Tuesday, February 14.

Samelia's Mum is having another giveaway. You could win a layer cake of Sassy by Sandy Gervais. This giveaway ends Thursday, January 26, at 7:00 pm AEST.

Qubee Quilts is having a giveaway. You could win 12 fat quarters. This giveaway ends Wednesday, January 25.

Sew We Quilt is having a giveaway. You could win a collection of Pellon. The winner will be announced Tuesday, January 24.

Cat Patches is having her FFFF giveaway. You could win a fat quarter. This giveaway ends Friday, January 27.

SewCalGal is having a giveaway. You could win a Sushi Roll bundle from Hoffman Fabrics. This giveaway ends Friday, January 27.

Would you like to win 2 charm packs of Good Fortune by Kate Spain? You must go HERE to enter.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Won't You Help Me Celebrate?

2012-01-20T04:45:00.000-08:00

Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.
~William James

This week has seemed very long for some reason and here it is only Friday. It looks like our weekend will be a quiet one. I'm looking forward to time at home with little to no errand running for a change. I attended the guild meeting last night and was in awe of some of the quilts shared by our members (forgot the camera, again!). I can only imagine what will be shown at the quilt show next weekend. Do you have big plans for the weekend?

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

FUN FACT OF THE DAY

Penguins

You may not give much thought to the noble penguin, but today we give serious consideration to our tuxedo-wearing friends who waddle around in the southern hemisphere for today, January 20, is Penguin Awareness Day. Here are some fun facts about this tuxedo clad creature:

* They live in large colonies called rookeries.

* Penguins communicate with each other through body language.

* They can walk faster than humans.

* They can hold their breath for about 20 minutes under water.

* They pick up stones and store them in their crop. This helps them to float when they are in water.

* The name is derived from Welsh terms ‘pen’, meaning head and ‘gwyn’, meaning white

* They mate for life

* Most penguins can swim about 15 miles per hour

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

WEEK OF STITCHES

This week I started stitching a SAL with a yahoo group I joined this month. Last year they did an adorable SAL with owls. This year it is cats.......

I'm stitching on light blue Hardanger using 1 strand of DMC floss, 1 over 1. This design is provided and created by Tonia of Oak Haven Designs.

I also did some more work on my current project.......

I'm hoping to get some stitching in over the weekend.

A couple of weeks ago I bought myself a late Christmas gift......

A complete set of all of DMC's solid color floss! The stores around here are very hit and miss in their floss selection. This should keep me supplied for at least a little while. Now to get it all sorted and organized - a job unto itself.

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700+ FOLLOWERS CELEBRATION GIVEAWAY

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED
I was totally blown away the other day when I noticed that I had over 700 followers!!!!! I would never have dreamed that was even a remote possibility when I first started blogging just over 18 months ago. I would like to thank each and everyone of you for sticking around and putting up with my ramblings. I have made so many wonderful blogging friends and hope someday to meet at least a few of you in person. Don't you think we should celebrate? Fat Quarter Shop is kindly sponsoring my Celebration Giveaway. They are definitely one of my favorite online stores and have the best customer service there is. What can you win? How about 2 charm packs of Good Fortune by Kate Spain for Moda?

Isn't this a gorgeous line of fabric? Kate Spain is one of my favorite designers and this line will be added to my wish list. But guess what? There will be two winners because Fat Quarter Shop has generously agreed to let me give away a total of 4 charm packs. That's right! Two winners will win 2 charm packs each!!

What do you have to do to win? Easy.....

1. Visit Fat Quarter Shop's What's New Fat Quarter Bundles and tell me what your new favorite collection is for one comment.

2. Sign up for Fat Quarter Shop's newsletter and then come back and tell me you did for a second comment and a second chance. This must be a separate comment - if you combine the two you will only get one entry in the giveaway.

Fine Print:
* You must have a way for me to contact you. If you are a no-reply blogger, then you must leave your email in your comment. If you are not sure if you are a no-reply blogger, please check out my left sidebar. If I can not contact you, you can not win!
* This giveaway will end Sunday, January 29, at 3:00 pm PST. The winner will be announced in my regular Monday post on January 30.
* Only two comments/entries per person!
* You do not have to be a follower to enter but I would like it if you look around and then become a follower if you like what you see.
* This giveaway is open internationally to everyone. Yes, that means no matter where you live you may enter.

Thank you Fat Quarter Shop for once again sponsoring my giveaway!!!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I need to organize my sewing room.....it's one big mess.....AGAIN!

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GIVEAWAYS

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having a giveaway. You could win 15 beautiful skeins of hand dyed floss. Please mention that I sent you over if you go to enter. This giveaway ends Monday, January 30.

World of Charity is having a giveaway. You could win a wonderful gift package from Everything CrossStitch. This giveaway ends Tuesday, January 31.

Samelia's Mum is having a giveaway. You could win "4 x F8th’s of bits n bobs you use while sewing" (fabric, needles and a finger presser). This giveaway ends Thursday, January 26, Australia time.

Samelia's Mum is having another giveaway. You could win a charm pack of Collections for a Cause - Friendship by Howard Marcus for Moda Fabrics. This giveaway also ends Thursday, January 26, Australia time.

American Patchwork and Quilting is having a giveaway. You could win $10,000 cash to stock your stash. This giveaway ends November 14, at 11:59 pm.

Quilts and More is having a giveaway. You could win a $1000 to spend at one of their premier quilt shops. This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 29.

Just One More Stitch is having a giveaway. You could win a complete set of patterns for Shabby Fabrics new BOM, Sweetheart Houses. This giveaway ends Sunday, January 22.

Sandrascraftcorner is having a giveaway. You could win a Saint Patrick's Day Wall Hanging designed by Sandra. This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 1.

Cluck Cluck Sew is having a giveaway. You could win 8 fat quarters from the Kaffe Fassett spot collection. This giveaway ends Monday, January 23.

Linen Closet Quilts is having a giveaway. You could win a copy of Dawn's newly released book, A Year of Cozy Comforts. Not sure when this one ends.

Sewn With Grace is continuing her birthday giveaway. You could win a copy of Not Your Grandmother's Quilt. This giveaway ends ?

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FINAL THOUGHT

Flowers and Late Thank Yous

2012-01-18T04:45:00.000-08:00

One kind word can warm three winter months.
~Japanese Proverb

Monday was such a quiet day. There was no school traffic out front and very little neighborhood activity. I was able to get a lot accomplished. Yesterday was back to normal. Cars coming and going. Buses bouncing down the street. Deliveries being made to the school office. Etc, etc, etc. However, inside my home, it was quiet. I was able to sew and listen to an audio book (Ya-Yas In Bloom by Rebecca Wells). I love days like that when there is nothing more pressing than my iron (tee-hee) and the dogs are snuggled in their bed sleeping the day away. Speaking of snuggled, the cold finally came with our low yesterday morning reaching down to 29*. There was definitely frost on the pumpkin, so to speak.

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Turtle

Turtles have always fascinated me. They are such graceful creatures in water and can move with such speed. Here are a few facts I found about these aquatic beings:

* The first known turtles existed 200 million years ago.

* There are approximately 300 species of turtles.

* Turtles live on every continent except Antarctica.

* Turtles are cold-blooded. One way they regulate their temperature is by basking.

* Some female turtles produce eggs four years after mating.

* Incubation temperature determines the sex of the hatchling.

* The smallest turtle, the Speckled Padloper is 4". The largest is the Leatherback sea turtle, that can

reach up to 10' in length.

* Turtles cannot protrude their tongues from their mouths
* Turtles have good eyesight, seeing in full color and a strong sense of smell. They have excellent hearing and sense of touch. Their shells have feeling due to nerve endings

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WEDNESDAY'S FLOWERS

This week I was able to make 2 hexagon flowers.

This flower reminds me of Spanish tiles. I didn't even notice the green design around the center until I was taking the picture.

This flower could be used for either Valentine's Day or for summer with the watermelon theme. Isn't it bright and happy?

Since it is One Flower Wednesday, Karen (Journey of a Quilter) has provided a linky where you see so many of the great hexie flowers being made out there. Thanks, Karen!

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TIME TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT

Over the holidays I got behind on posting thank yous to the various giveaways I won. It's time to remedy that......

1. Back in October I won this flannel layer cake from Hobbies On A Budget. The fabrics are from Connecting Threads and are so soft. I will probably be making a quilt or two for Loving Hands out of these squares. Thank you, Sharon!!

2. In December, Gene Black put a call out for Quilt Angels. I sent Gene a quilt to add to the pile for his donation. As a result, mine was one of two names drawn in the giveaway. I won a $100 gift certificate to Connecting Threads! With the certificate I purchased 44 half yard cuts of their Mirage fabric line - one of each color available. I had to add a little cash to accomplish this but not much. Aren't there some gorgeous colors? Thank you so very much Gene and Cyndi!!

3. Also in December, I won a giveaway over at Woolie Mammoth. With my renewed interest in embroidery, I look forward to creating this darling Bareroots pattern called Bless the Birds Pillow. Thank you, Anna!!

4. Gosh! This was a giveaway I won back on December 1 from Quilting Ranny. This beautiful quilt pattern is called Sparkle from Open Gate. I may even have everything I need in my stash for this one since it only calls for 3 colors. Thank you, Jean!!

5. And my final win in December is the wonderful charm pack, Summer House. I won this giveaway from NorthernNorthAmerican Bears. I see a Loving Hands Quilt being created from these pretty squares. Thank you, Debbie!

Finally I think I'm caught up. (If I missed someone, please let me know!) I hope you don't think I'm bragging about the wins I received because I'm not. I think it's important to thank those publicly that hold such generous giveaways. Please visit the blogs through the links provided above. You might find something fun to do and you will definitely meet some very nice people.

And while I'm talking about giveaways, be sure to check back here Friday!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I plan to start quilting a project I'm working on.

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GIVEAWAYS

The Intrepid Thread is having a giveaway. You could win a bundle of Primitiva. This giveaway ends Saturday, January 21.

A Ditchin' Time Quilts is having a giveaway. You could win a cute little needle book for a class Stephanie taught last week. This giveaway ends Sunday, January 22.

Sew Bittersweet Designs is having a giveaway. You could win a layer cake of Twirl. This giveaway ends Friday, January 20, at midnight.

Sewn With Grace is having a giveaway. You could win her entire Christmas fabric stash and a book by Piece O'Cake Designs, Quilt a New Christmas. This giveaway ends Thursday, January 19.

Southpaw Stitcher is having a giveaway to celebrate her blogiversary. You could win an issue of Spool and several cross stitch charts. This giveaway ends Friday, January 20, at 11:59 pm Chicago time.

Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having her weekly giveaway. You could win 5 fat quarters. This giveaway ends Saturday, January 21, at midnight MT.

Crazy Quilting For Fun is having a giveaway. You could win a Christmas stitchery pattern from Two Blonde Mice along with background muslin and a ball of DMCperle #8. This giveaway ends Friday, January 20, at midnight EST.

Patchwork Delights is having a giveaway. You could win 3 spools of 100% cotton Egyptian thread and a Cath Kidson book, Sew! This giveaway ends Friday, January 20, at midnight.

Vroomans Quilts is celebrating her 200th post with a giveaway. You could win box full of 2.5" squares. This giveaway ends Monday, January 23.

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FINAL THOUGHT

If you would like to add a smile to your day, click HERE. This is my absolute favorite Pixar Short Film - For The Birds. ( 3 minutes 14 seconds).

It's Finished!

2012-01-16T04:45:00.000-08:00

Buttons and patches and the cold wind blowing,
The days pass quickly when I am sewing.

~Author Unknown

Whew! I'm so glad that the weekend is over. It seems like we ran constantly or had something do due each hour of both days. It actually started Friday night when we did our monthly run to Walmart and Costco. And what better way to start that excursion than with a dinner at Arby's - lol! Walmart was understocked and busy. Costco was quite pleasant in comparison. Saturday continued with errand running and an ALS support group meeting. We visited the Farmer's Market (fresh veggies), the library (had to pick up another 4 audio books), Petsmart (couldn't let the pups run out of their favorite food), Beverly's to pick up some backing fabric and some Kona white, and Rite-Aid to pick up some of the items that Walmart didn't have in stock. Sunday was filled with the weekly washing, a bath for Snickerdoodle, and general pick-up around the house. Hooray for Monday! My house will be cleaned today (and, boy, does it ever need it) and hopefully I will get lots of sewing in.

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Horses

Horses are such majestic creatures. Most of us wished to own a horse at least once in our childhood and I was no exception. Here are some interesting facts about these wonderful animals:

* horses do not lie down together, one stands guard for dangers

* one front leg is shorter then the other and the mane falls to that side

* horses lock their legs when they sleep so they don't fall over

* the ears point where they are looking

* a horse sees two different images from each eye

* The oldest recorded horse was 62 years old when he died. He was a barge horse. He lived from 1760 to 1822.

* Horses only sleep 3-4 hrs in a 24 hr period

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A BIG FINISH FOR ME

I am happy to say that I have finally finished my Gardener's Journal quilt!!!! I started this quilt way back in June of last year. At first I slowly worked on the embroidery part starting with.....

the Gardening Shed. Once I figured out that I would like to enter this quilt in the Cotton Patch Quilters of Kern County (the guild I am a member of) quilt show at the end of January (this month!) I decided I better get serious. And so I did.

This is one of my favorite blocks as I could be found quite often in the same position. It's amazing that no family member took my picture like this. Of course, if they had, they knew there would be H E double toothpicks to pay!

Another favorite block of mine. No garden, story, or home is complete without the family dog - at least it is that way in my life.

After cutting, piecing and and putting borders on, sandwiching and quilting, and finally hand sewing the binding, the quilt is done.......

Ta-da! Here it is in all its all its glory. With all my wishes for weather change, it finally happened. It was cloudy all day so I wasn't able to take a picture of the quilt in the sunshine :(

I changed up the borders from what the pattern showed. I first added a dark blue narrow border before adding the mauve border. For some reason I like the way it set the whole quilt off better than without the first narrow dark blue border.

I made the binding out of the backing fabric. I hardly ever make a lighter binding but I like how it seemed to frame the entire piece.

I did simple stitch-in-the-ditch quilting using a dark cream thread and same in the bobbin (it helps to see it if you squint just little bit - lol).

Finished size: 58.5" X 58.5"
Pattern: A Gardener's Journal by Ami Downs
The Fabric: is a line from Connecting Threads and is called Victoria Parlor. The copyright on the fabric is 2007 so that shows you how long I had it in my stash. I'm so glad that I hadn't split up the line of fat quarters - guess I knew it would be used for something special.
Started: June 2011
Finished: January 2012

My first finish for 2012! Now lets hope I get at least a few nice remarks from the judge at the end of the month.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will continue with my UFO - this is fun!

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GIVEAWAYS

AllFreeSewing is having a giveaway. You could win a set of La Petite Mercerie Fabric. This giveaway ends Monday, January 23, at 11:59:59 pm EST.

Gene Black an Alabama Artist is having a giveaway. You could win a signed copy of Finish Almost Any Quilt by Marguerita McManus. This giveaway ends Friday, January 27.

Hancock's of Paducah is having a giveaway. You could win a Civil Wars Journal kit. This giveaway ends Friday, February 10, at 10:00 am CST.

Such A Sew and Sew is having a giveaway. You could win A cute little decorated tin holding 200 size 1 curved safety pins with easy grip covers, a Quik-Klip tool to help fasten the safety pins, a blue fine-point water soluble marking pen, a white fine-point water soluble marking pen, a package of 5 universal quilting needles, and Machine quilting gloves in your size. This giveaway ends Thursday, January 19, at 10:00 pm MST.

It's Sew Kiki is celebrating her blog's birthday with a giveaway. Kiera is giving away so many wonderful things - too many to list. When you go visit to check out the giveaway, please mention that I sent you over. This giveaway ends Sunday, January 22.

Cat Patches is having her Fun Fact Friday Freebie giveaway. You could win a fat quarter. This giveaway ends Friday, January 20.

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FINAL THOUGHT

My First Craft Love

2012-01-13T04:45:00.000-08:00

There are so many things that we wish we had done yesterday, so few that we feel like doing today.
~Mignon McLaughlin

Thank goodness it's Friday. This has seemed like an eternal week since the previous two weeks were short ones. Listen to me. You would think I worked outside the house. I think that I impose more on myself than any job ever did. I do have less stress but I say that I probably don't have any more idle time than I did before. I'm still trying to get back into 'normal mode' - coming off of the 'vacation' time. Taking time to blog still is seeming like a chore but I know next week things will be back to normal.......if you can ever can consider me normal. Our weekend is brewing up to be extremely busy. We are in town this weekend but it seems as though most of the hours are already occupied with something to do. I'm sure I will be glad when Monday arrives.

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Clock

Sitting here trying to figure out what to write about, I kept hearing the sound 'tic toc, tic toc'. So why not share some interesting facts about clocks......

* Clocks made before 1660 had only one hand. It was the hour hand.

* The minute hand was invented by Jost Burgi. Burgi's invention was part of a clock made for the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe. Brahe needed an accurate clock for his stargazing.

* In 1504, the first portable (but very accurate) timepiece was invented in Nuremberg, Germany by Peter Henlein. The first reported person to actually wear a watch on the wrist was the French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal (1623-1662). With a piece of string he attached a pocket watch to his wrist.

* Horology is the science or art of measuring time. It is a science that started in the days of the Babylonians, who came up with the idea of the sixty second minute and the sixty minute hour

* An early prototype of the alarm clock was invented by the Greeks around 250 B.C. The Greeks built a water clock where the raising waters would both keep time and eventually hit a mechanical bird that triggered an alarming whistle.

* There are no clocks in Las Vegas Casinos. There are no windows either. They don't want you to interrupt your losing streak by realizing what time it is.
* A Grandfather clock is over 6 ft. in height. A Grandmother clock is 6 ft. or under, and a Granddaughter clock is less than 5 ft.
* There are all kinds of phobias in the world. Chronomentrophobia is the fear of clocks

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CONFESSION

I have a confession to make. As far as crafts go, my first ~~addiction~~ love is counted cross stitch. Much like quilting, I like taking a pattern and a blank piece of cloth and watching something develop. I have been cross stitching for over 30 years. I have taken a few breaks but always go back to the craft. And every time I start back up I wonder why I ever stopped - lol! I am currently working on......

Cirque des Carreaux by Tracy Horner for Ink Circles. I am stitching on cream 14 count Aida cloth stitched with two strands of DMC #4240. The floss is a variegated blue to very dark green. I have been working on this for about a month.

Here's a close up hopefully showing the floss color just a little better.

Here is a piece that I stitched about 20 years ago.......

(Sorry about the reflection on the glass)

With this piece I won Best In Show at our local county fair. If I remember correctly, it is stitched on 35 count linen over two with two strands of floss. The pattern is called English Cottage Sampler designed by Teresa Wentzler. While digging through my old books, I found another pattern of hers that I just might have to stitch.

So now I'm trying to divide my time between stitching and quilting. Some days I split the day and spend half the day quilting and half the stitching. Other times I will spend a full day quilting followed by a full day of stitching. Really, I could use more hours in the day to enjoy doing what I do.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I'm going to start working on a UFO!

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GIVEAWAYS

FabricWorm is having a giveaway. You could win 12 Weekend Inspired Fat Quarters. This giveaway ends Monday, January 16, at 8:30 am PST.

Quilt Hollow is having a giveaway. You could win the Sweetheart Houses BOM from Shabby Fabrics. This giveaway ends Sunday, January 15.

Sew Can She is having a giveaway. You could win 2 yards of gorgeous Monaluna Circa 52, Tree Stripes Sun. This giveaway ends Tuesday, January 24, around midnight.

Hawthorne Threads is having their weekly giveaway. You could win a Power Pop fat quarter bundle. This giveaway ends Wednesday, January 18.

Sewing Machines Plus is having a giveaway through Facebook. You could win a $200, $100, or $50 shopping spree either online or at their store in San Marcos, CA. This giveaway ends Monday, January 16, at 10:00 am PST.

Desert Sky Quilting is having a giveaway. You could win the pattern and needed materials for a wonderful pincushion. This giveaway ends Monday, January 16.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Wednesday = Flowers

2012-01-11T04:45:00.000-08:00

To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.
~George Santayana

After taking two weeks off from blogging it's a little hard to get back into the routine. It seems like I posted just yesterday. Oh it was - I don't usually post on Tuesdays - lol! I don't know what the weather is like in your little part of the world but here it is BORING. We have been about 10 degrees above normal (or more) for the last 3 weeks and haven't seen a drop of rain since early December. The only variation we have is a little morning fog. I keep telling Mother Nature that it is still January and we need the cold. The mountains have no snow and the ski areas that are open are having to create their own snow. I have never liked La Nina and that's apparently what is controlling it all. Give me rain, give me cold........I'm not ready for spring - lol!

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Milk

Today, January 11, is Milk Day. How about some fun facts about the white liquid and those wonderful cows who provide it........

* A cow can't give milk until she has given birth to a calf.
* The average cow produces 90 glasses of milk each day — or about 200,000 glasses of milk throughout her life.
* A cow's udder can hold 25 - 50 pounds of milk

* Cows were first brought to Plymouth Colony in 1624
* Most cows give more milk when they listen to music
* Yak's milk is pink.
* It takes 10 pounds of milk to make a pound of cheese, 21 pounds of milk to make a pound of butter, and 12 pounds of milk to make a single gallon of ice cream.
* Milk was delivered in glass bottles until plastic containers were invented in 1964
* Milk would not be frothy without its protein content.
* Milk is the official state beverage of North Dakota
* Camel's milk does not curdle
* Cows have an amazing sense of smell — they can smell something up to 6 miles away, like food

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WEDNESDAY = FLOWERS

Today is One Flower Wednesday. Even though I missed two weeks of sharing, I only managed to make one flower for myself......

These Hawaiian kitties insisted that they be made up into a flower. I don't have a lot of kitty flowers so this will be a great addition to my GFG/I Spy quilt.

Thanks to Karen (Journey of a Quilter), you can visit blogs from all over the world to see what hexie flowers have been created by others. Just click on the link HERE.

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FLOWERS SWAPPED

This month in The Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap, I was paired with Jan, who happens to also live in California. This may be the first time I haven't sent flowers to another country. Monday I received....

these two adorable flowers! Jan followed my preferences for kid bright flowers with a fussy cut center perfectly. Both flowers are soooooo cute! Thank you, Jan!!

I have made Jan's flowers too. She requested brights so I created .....

this one in bright greens, turquoise, and yellow. Then I created.....

this flower of bright pinks, oranges, and yellows. I don't think you could get much brighter than this one. I hope Jan likes these. They are heading up north in today's mail.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I hope to put together a Loving Hands quilt. The guild is down to two little quilts and the hospitals are calling.

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GIVEAWAYS

SewCalGal is having a giveaway. You could win a Sewline mechanical fabric pencil. This giveaway ends Friday, January 13.

We Love Quilting is having their monthly giveaway. You could win the game, Quilt-opoly. This giveaway ends January 31.

Leona's Quilting Adventure is having a giveaway. You could win 5 assorted cuts of Moda Birdie Fabric and one panel, 4 packages of Artgilz wool felt precuts, one Aurifil wool color chart and several spools of Aurifil wool thread, and one copy of "Spring Cleaning" by Atkinson Designs. This giveaway ends Friday, January 20, at midnight EST.

Such A Sew And Sew is celebrating both her blogiversary and her birthday. You could win a collection of things to either get you started with embroidery, or to add to your existing embroidery tools. This giveaway ends Thursday, January 19, at 10:00 pm MST.

Diary of a Quilter is having a sponsored giveaway. You could win a $25 gift certificate to Quilting In The Rain. This giveaway ends Friday, January 13, at midnight MST.

Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having her Mystery Monday giveaway. You could win 5 fat quarters. This giveaway ends Saturday, January 14.

Red Pepper Quilts is having a giveaway. You could win 10 fat quarters of Kaffe Paperweight from Canton Village Quilt Works. This giveaway ends Thursday, January 12, at 9:00 pm Australian EDT.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Blogger's Choice - Mine!

2012-01-10T10:42:00.000-08:00

I'm almost too late but I've decided to jump on board and join in Quokka Quilts and Fat Quarter Shop's Blogger's Choice fun.

Fat Quarter Shop is one of my main "Go To" online stores. I don't think you can find a better selection of fabrics and great sales. I had so much trouble narrowing down my selection to 12 prints and 3 solids but here they are......

Top Row from left to right:

Always and Forever White Chocolate Hearts and Flowers

Annie's Farm Stand Pink Bubble Dot

Paparazzi Black on Red Dots

Redwork Renaissance Porcelain Dots

Tuxedo Collection Black Fun Florals

Middle Row from left to right:

Always and Forever Romantic Red Heart Lockets

Always and Forever Passion Pink Hearts and Flowers

Fleur Noir Black and White Trellis

Heart Garden Red Dotted Hearts on Black

Summer Breeze II Leaf Jacobean

Bottom Row from left to right:

Annie's Farm Stand Pink Pixie Dot

Crazy For Dots and Stripes Black Mini Dots

Bella Solids Pistachio

Bella Solids Peony

Bella Solids Betty's Red

If I could, I would have just selected the whole line of Always and Forever by Deb Strain for Moda. I'm usually not a red person but I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. That's where I started and went from there.

It was a lot of fun to participate and create my own "blogger's choice". If you would like to create your own blogger's choice, you have to do it by January 15. Who knows, maybe you could be the winner and receive a whole half yard of 15 fabrics of your choice. To enter, click on the link above.

Thanks for the fun Laure of Quokka Quilts and Fat Quarter Shop!!

Starting Out In 2012

2012-01-09T04:45:00.000-08:00

Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.
~Hal Borland

Happy New Year! I'm back and ready to get back in to posting and reading all of my favorite blogs out there. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Our was a little quieter than normal but I'm certainly not complaining about that. Our New Year's Eve was not what we had planned. We spent over two hours at the emergency vet. Little Weasley had over a two hour episode of focal seizures. He has a history of infrequent seizures during the past three years (usually not longer than 15 minutes in duration) but nothing like this. We had to leave him at the vet's overnight :( Happily, when we checked in with them the following morning they had good news - no more seizures, he was able to walk again, and had eaten breakfast. We immediately picked him up and are so glad he is back to normal. Poor little guy's body was worn out after such a long episode and he pretty much slept the day away. He had another short seizure last Friday (about 5 minutes) but was back to normal and running around within 20 minutes. Certainly makes you realize how precious life is. Okay, enough with the drama, it's time to get going with 2012!

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

I just couldn't come up with one topic I wanted to share today. As a result, you will now be blessed with some truly strange and completely useless facts:

* Tiger shark embryos fight each other in their mother's womb. The survivor is born.

* Bone is five times stronger than steel.

* Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, never telephoned His wife or mother because they were both deaf.

* It would take 1,200,000 mosquitoes, each sucking once, to completely drain the average human of blood.

* "Bookkeeper" is the only word in English language with three consecutive Double letters.

* Over 4 million cars in Brazil are now running on gasohol instead of petrol. Gasohol is a fuel made from sugar cane.

* 315 entries in Webster's 1996 Dictionary were misspelled.

* 40 percent of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals.

* The only 2 animals that can see behind itself without turning it's head are the rabbit and the parrot.

* Elephant teeth can weigh as much as 9 pounds.

* Giraffes can not swim.

* In the late 19th century, millions of human mummies were used as fuel for locomotives in Egypt where wood and coal was scarce, but mummies were plentiful.

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A GARDENER'S JOURNAL

While I wasn't blogging I was getting some sewing done. I put together all the pieces of the
Gardener's Journal - and there were lots of small squares in this one.

All of the little squares were cut at 1 1/2" each and there were 210 of them. The, of course, there
were large squares and rectangles, too.

Of course, once all of the pieces were sewn together, then I had to quilt it. I took the longest time trying to figure out how I wanted it quilted. I finally decided on stitch-in-the-ditch. Then I had to decide what color thread to use.......cream, black, blue, green? I ended up using a clear nylon thread for the top and a dark cream for the bobbin. That way my mistakes are glaring and everything matched. I did use a smoke nylon thread on the borders to hide it a little better against the dark fabrics.

Now to put the binding on and a label and I can call it FINISHED! I'll post a picture when I'm done with it. It will be finished in time for our local quilt guild's quilt show - I even submitted an entry form on Thursday! My first show ever.......I'm very nervous.

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BLOCKS RECEIVED

Over my Christmas break I received 6" blocks from my swap partner, Maria, in the 6" Block Swaps Australia.

Aren't these such happy blocks? They will work great for the eventual Loving Hands quilt I will create. Thanks, Maria!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I hope to have most of the binding finished on the Gardener's Journal quilt.

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GIVEAWAYS

Primitive Betty's is having a giveaway. You could win a pin box with the top covered in some beautiful primitive cross stitch. This giveaway ends Wednesday, January 11.

Hawthorne Threads is having their weekly giveaway. You could win a layer cake of Sunny Happy Skies. This giveaway ends Wednesday, January 11.

Our Busy Little Bunch is celebrating her birthday with a giveaway. You could win a fat quarter bundles of Patricia Bravo's Bespoken fabric line. This giveaway ends Monday, January 16.

Cat Patches is having her weekly Fun Fact Friday Freebie. You could win a fat quarter just for answering a question. The winner will be announced Friday, January 13.

Blacksheep's bit of the Web is having a giveaway. You could win a very San Francisco-esque Collection of things. This giveaway ends Friday, January 13.

KD-Quilts is having a giveaway. You could win a copy of Electric Quilt 7 (EQ7). This giveaway ends Wednesday, January 11, at 8:00 pm EST.

Love Affair With My Brother is having a giveaway. You could win a sample pack of Aurifil thread. This giveaway ends Friday, January 13, at 11:59 pm PST.

Inch Worm Fabrics is having a giveaway. You could win one kit including the pattern or one pattern by Bejeweled Quilts for a heart table topper. The winner will be chosen Thursday, January 12.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T04:45:00.000-08:00

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.
~Norman Vincent Peale

Only two more big sleeps until Christmas! Well, at least for those of us in the USA. Our Australian friends only have one more big sleep! Good thing Santa has 48 hours to make all of his deliveries - can you imagine?!? I think I'm ready all except for the breakfast roll and ambrosia salad but I don't make those until tomorrow. DD#2 and her husband arrive tomorrow and then the festivities begin. Christmas Eve is spent at my mother's along with my sister and some good family friends. Christmas morning is at our house - it will be small this year - where we will open stocking gifts, have a big breakfast and then open Christmas gifts. Christmas afternoon/evening will be spent at my SIL's house where there will be at least 15 adults in attendance and a couple of little ones. The day after Christmas will be rather relaxing but then we head just south of town for dinner at our nephew's house where we will feast on Christmas dinner leftovers and visit with more family and friends. This is the way it has been for over 38 years. Some traditions never die. Are you ready for Santa's arrival?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Christmas

With Christmas just hours away, I would like to share some little facts I found involving the holiday:

* Most of Santa’s reindeer have male-sounding names, such as Blitzen, Comet, and Cupid. However, male reindeer shed their antlers around Christmas, so the reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh are likely not male, but female

* The Germans made the first artificial Christmas trees out of dyed goose feathers

* All the gifts in the Twelve Days of Christmas would equal 364 gifts
* According to the Guinness world records, the tallest Christmas tree ever cut was a 221-foot Douglas fir that was displayed in 1950 at the Northgate Shopping Center in Seattle, Washington
* Christmas trees have been sold in the U.S. since 1850
* In Poland, spiders or spider webs are common Christmas trees decorations because according to legend, a spider wove a blanket for Baby Jesus. In fact, Polish people consider spiders to be symbols of goodness and prosperity at Christmas
* Alabama was the first state in the United States to officially recognize Christmas in 1836
* President Teddy Roosevelt, an environmentalist, banned Christmas trees from the White House in 1912
* In Germany, Heiligabend, or Christmas Eve, is said to be a magical time when the pure in heart can hear animals talking

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AND A LITTLE FUNNY

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THE TRAVELING STASH WILL GO TO.......

Thank you to those who participated in the Traveling Stash giveaway. This giveaway was fun and quick and enjoyed seeing all the different states where it might travel to.
I am ready to send the Traveling Stash on its way. But where will it go? With the help of random.org, the decision was made. The Traveling Stash will be going to

OREGON

Congratulations to Barbara!

Barbara said "I'm just dying to win the traveling stash. Please send it to me in Oregon."

I will be sending the Traveling Stash out in Saturday's mail.

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TIME OFF

I will be taking the next two weeks off from blogging. I need time to recharge my batteries and to get some projects completed. I plan on not spending a lot of time on the computer but will check in occasionally to see what's going on in blogland and will keep current with my email. Here are two projects I will be working on.....

I've started putting my Gardener's Journal quilt together. I would like to have it all put together by the end of next week. I will then spend time quilting it with stitch-in-the-ditch quilting. As you can see, that will take just a little bit of time with all those 1 inch squares.

I'm also working on this counted cross stitch project. I'm stitching on 18 count cream Aida with a variegated DMC floss. This is so relaxing and a great diversion from quilting.

So I will see you all again when I post on January 9, 2012!

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GIVEAWAYS

My Go-Go Life is having a giveaway. You could win a set of Aurifil thread and a Moda charm pack of Lollipop. This giveaway ends Monday, December 26.

Diary Of A Quilt Maven is having a giveaway. You could win a complete kit for Cobblestone Lane by This & That in reds, teals, and browns. This giveaway ends Wednesday, December 28.

Hawthorne Threads is having their weekly giveaway. You could win a half yard bundle of Feather Your Nest. This giveaway ends Wednesday, December 28.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Merry Christmas, my friends!!

See you next year :)

Peace and Love

2011-12-21T04:45:00.000-08:00

When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness.
~Bob Hope

I finally wrapped the last gift yesterday. One more thing done that can be checked off the 'to do' list. I'm hoping I can get a couple of days of sewing in before I have to clean up the extra bedroom in anticipation of the arrival of our DD#2 and her husband on Saturday. I know there are things I'm forgetting to do. I still have to make the grocery shopping list for tonight. But there are things I can't do yet - make the ambrosia and the breakfast roll - until this weekend. Hopefully I'll remember whatever it is that I'm forgetting - lol! If not, then I guess it wasn't important or meant to be. How about you? Are you sure you have everything in order for Christmas?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Christmas Stockings

The tradition of the Christmas stockings began by a story told since ancient time about a kind noble man who had three daughters. The wife of the nobleman expired and the daughters and their father were left in a state of sorrow. The daughters had to do all the work in the house. When the daughters became young and eligible for marriage, the poor father could not afford to give huge dowries to their husbands.

One evening the daughters, after washing their stockings hung them near the fire place to be dried. Santa Claus being moved by the plight of the daughters came in and put in three bags of gold, one in each of the stocking hanging by the chimney. The next morning the family noticed the gold bags and the nobleman had enough for his daughter’s marriage. The daughters got married and they lived happily ever after. Since then children have been hanging Christmas stockings.

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ONE FLOWER FOR WEDNESDAY

With the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations, I was only able to make one flower this week for One Flower Wednesday.......

This flower reminded me of the season not so much in color as in thought. Peace and love for everyone!

To see more of the creative hexagon flowers in blogland, Karen, of Journey of a Quilter, has provided a linky for One Flower Wednesday. If you should stop by, make sure to thank Karen for all of her hard work this year.

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WINNINGS ARRIVED

Yesterday my mailbox contained a squishy that I had totally forgot was coming.....

I was one of the lucky winners of SewCalGal's Christmas Quilt Show giveaway. I won my choice of 2 charm packs from Sherrod Studio. I'm looking forward to using these charm packs to make two Loving Hands quilts. Thank you to both Darlene and Kim!

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STITCHERIES

I finally finished the last three stitcheries for my Gardener's Journal quilt a couple of weeks ago.

I've just started putting the squares together to make the quilt. Hopefully I will have the top all sewn together by the first of the year.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I plan on sewing some more block together for Gardener's Journal

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GIVEAWAYS

A Stitch In Time is having a giveaway. You could win 20 swivel clips from Charsbeads4U or $10 gift certificate to Zipit. This giveaway ends Thursday, December 22, at 9:00 pm EST.

Confessions of a Fabric Addict is having a giveaway. You could win a True Cut TrueSharp Electric Rotary Blade Sharpener. This giveaway Ends Thursday, December 22.

Joie de Vivre is having a giveaway. You could win a cross stitch pattern. This giveaway ends Sunday, January 1, 2012.

Malt Designs is having a giveaway. You could win a fat quarter bundle of Northcote Range Petite, by Cabbages & Roses. This giveaway ends Saturday, December 31, at 11:00 pm EST.

KoolBeenz is having a giveaway. You could win a $25 shoppe credit to Fat Quarter Shop. This giveaway ends Friday, December 23, at midnight EST.

Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having her weekly Mystery Monday giveaway. You could win 5 fat quarters and a copy of Lost December. This giveaway ends Saturday, December 24, at midnight MT.

McCall's Quilting is having a giveaway. You could win one of three "quilters' candy" pack of stash fabrics including over 8 yards of assorted famous-manufacturer prints. This giveaway ends Monday, December 26.

Have you heard about the Traveling Stash? It's ready to hit the roads and journey to a new home. You can enter the giveaway HERE.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Traveling Stash Is Ready To Hit The Road

2011-12-19T04:45:00.000-08:00

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly.
~Andy Rooney

How was your weekend? My weekend started on Friday evening and as done in the final verse of 12 Days of Christmas version, my weekend went like this: 12 letters written, 11 emails read (probably more), 10 errands completed, 9 gifts wrapped, 8 dog nails trimmed (X2), 7 minutes to take a breather, 6 towels folded, 5 loads of wash done, 4 Christmas stockings hung with care, 3 kinds of cookies made, 2 sweepings of the kitchen, and 1 dog washed! Thank goodness Monday is here!

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Mistletoe

The sprig of mistletoe plant has been associated with the Christmas holiday for ages. The power of mistletoe is known to almost everyone; it makes anyone and everyone kissable around the holiday season - whether it is a friend, a relative or possibly even a stranger. The moment anyone goes under a sprig of mistletoe at a Christmas party, he becomes a target for anyone to kiss him. However, many more things are associated with the mistletoe apart from kissing. Here are some fun facts about mistletoe:

* The American mistletoe plant is the mistletoe species that is mainly associated with kissing. However, it is only one of the two mistletoe plants that are native to the USA, the other being the dwarf mistletoe.

* Not even the mistletoe have been saved from the threat of extinction. About twenty species of mistletoe are on the endangered list.

* The scientific name of American mistletoe is Phoradendron, meaning 'thief of the tree'. Though the mistletoe plant is not classified as parasitic in nature, it comes quite close. It sinks its roots into the host tree and takes away all the nutrients

* The term mistletoe is believed to be derived from an Anglo-Saxon word 'Mistal' and 'Tan', which mean 'dung' and 'twig', respectively. Thus, the meaning of mistletoe comes out to be 'dung on a twig', quite opposite to the sweet kissing tradition with which it is associated.

* The seeds of mistletoe plant are quite sticky and easily glue themselves to the beaks or feathers of birds or the fur of other creatures. They usually fall near a likely host tree and start to germinate.

* The seeds of the dwarf mistletoe can explode from ripe berries and spurt as far as 50 feet.

* Mistletoe is poisonous for human beings, but its berries and leaves serve as a high-protein food to many animals.

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WHERE WILL IT GO NEXT?

This giveaway is now closed.

A couple of weeks ago I won the Traveling Stash over at PhillysBlarney. This is the second Traveling Stash I've won and it's so much fun to go through all the goodies in the box......

Fabric, patterns, tools, and more fabric! I can't show you everything. If I did then you wouldn't have the fun of discovering what's in the Traveling Stash.

This is what I removed. I just love those pinks and the couple pieces of batiks.

Here's what I added. Some more fabric, a couple of patterns and some charm squares. I'm not giving you a full view of most of the fabric - you wouldn't want me to spoil the fun for you. The box is stuffed full! Wouldn't you like to win the Traveling Stash?

Here are the rules:

1. You must have an active blog.

2. You may take whatever you want from the stash but you must replenish the box

3. You agree to host a giveaway on your blog and send the Traveling Stash on to the winner.

4. U.S. friends only please due to the shipping costs.

So, if you are still interested in winning the Traveling Stash and then sending it on, just leave me a comment telling me that you would like the Traveling Stash to come to your house and which state you live in. Easy enough! Only one comment per person - multiple comments will be removed.

I'll draw the winner with the help of random.org on Thursday, December 22 at 8:00pm PST. The winner will be announced in my regular post on Friday, December 23 and if I have their snail mail info, the box will be going out in the mail on the following Saturday. Good luck!!!!

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ANOTHER BEE BLOCK

Earlier this month I received fabric from Lisa, this month's Bee In Oz hostess. With the fabric I made.......

This somewhat wonky log cabin block - at least that's what she called it. As most of you know, wonky and my brain don't mesh well. I did enjoy working with the beautiful fabrics Lisa sent - those luscious blues and greens are some of my favorites. I sure hope this works for what she wanted.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I hope to continue working (once again) on my Gardener's Journal quilt.

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GIVEAWAYS

I'm sorry that I don't have a list of the giveaways available out there in blogland. I didn't have any time to blog hop all weekend long :( I will be back with a list of giveaways on Wednesday.

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FINAL THOUGHT

My son-in-law recently sent this joke too me. I hope I don't offend anyone but I just had to share it.....

ONIONS and CHRISTMAS TREES

          A family is at the dinner table. The son asks his father,
          'Dad, how many kinds of boobs are there?
          The father, surprised, answers,
          'Well, son, there are three kinds of boobs:
          In her 20's, a woman's are like melons, round and firm.
          In her 30's to 40's, they are like pears, still nice but          hanging a bit.
          After 50, they are like onions'.
          'Onions?'

'Yes, you see them and they make you cry.'

        This infuriated his wife and daughter so the daughter said,

        The mother, surprised, smiles and answers,
        'Well dear, a man goes through three phases.
        In his 20's, his willy is like an oak tree, mighty and hard.
        In his 30's and 40's, it is like a birch, flexible but reliable.
        After his 50's, it is like a Christmas Tree.'

'A Christmas tree?'

'Yes - the tree is dead and the balls are just for decoration.'

Party Time Winner!

2011-12-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I'm glad that this giveaway is over. After having two giveaways running at the same time I'm just exhausted from trying to respond to all the comments. Okay, enough griping from me! I've nobody to blame but myself.

I would like to thank all of you who participated in my giveaway! It was so fun reading what you will be eating for your Christmas meals. It made my mouth water and so many meals sounded scrumptious. And welcome to my new followers! I hope that you will continue to enjoy my ramblings and creations in future posts. Now onto the winner......

Congratulations to......

KOcanQuilt

She said "What a pretty kit. I will be bringing veggies and dip to Christmas dinner at my Brothers house. Thank you for the lovely giveaway. Love your blog. "

I will be sending an email to get KOcanQuilt's mailing info.

Once again, thank you for participating and I wish all of you could have been a winner.

Giveaway Day Winner!

2011-12-17T08:20:00.000-08:00

I would like to thank all of you that stopped by to play with me on Sew, Mama, Sew's Giveaway Day. I was amazed at the amount of comments left- 444! And boy did it take me forever to get through all of those and send out replies. Sadly, there were a huge number of No-Reply comments that did not include an email - 39 to be exact.

I would like to send out a welcome to all of my new followers. I hope you like what you find on my normal posts and will be around for awhile - I love making new friends.

Now onto the winner! With the help of random.org the winner of the Pure charm pack is.......

Connie!!!

Connie said "We live with Simon and Bella who keep us entertained daily! They both showed up as stray kittens last summer about a month apart. Thanks for a great giveaway, the fabrics look neat!"

I will be emailing Connie shortly to get all of her snail mail info.

I enjoyed reading all the comments about your furry friends and favorite animals. Thank you all for visiting! And for those of you that live in the USA, I'm giving away the Traveling Stash on Monday!

Secret Santa Arrived!

2011-12-16T04:45:00.000-08:00

It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to.
~Annie Gottlier

I am now sure that I have a screw loose some place in my head. Whoever thought it would be fun to run two giveaways at once?!? Well, me, of course. I never expected to receive almost 600 comments between the two giveaways. I'm still working on responding to each comment left plus I have comments to respond to left for me on my Wednesday post. Now don't get me wrong. I'm glad to have so much participation in the giveaways and I love reading all of the comments but talk about overload. Whew! Never again will I have two giveaways going at the same time. And you know what? I have another giveaway to run next week for the Traveling Stash. Sometimes I never learn.

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Snowflake

Some parts of the country have already seen snow this year. Others will soon be watching fluffy white flakes drift from the sky. I won't be one of those lucky ones. We only receive snow about once every seven to 10 years and so far it's been much too warm. Here are some interesting facts about those little beauties:

* Every snowflake has its own unique shape and is different than all other snowflakes.

* All snowflakes have six sides.

* Snowflakes aren't always white. Years ago, when coal was used in factories and homes, snow was often gray. Why? Because the coal dust entered the air and was absorbed by the clouds.

* The largest snowflakes ever recorded fell in the state of Montana. The snowflakes were 15 inches in diameter. (Can you imagine?)

* The snow capital of the United States is Stampede Pass in Washington State. Each year, the average snowfall is 430 inches.

* In Prince Edward Island, Canada, where the soil is red clay, snowflakes often look pink. Why? Because red dust from the soil is blown into the air and absorbed by the clouds

* The average snowflake falls at a speed of 3.1 miles per hour. (5 kilometers)

* People buy more cakes, cookies and candies than any other food when a blizzard is in the forecast.

* Billions of snowflakes fall during one short snowstorm.

* Snowflakes are made up of ice crystals

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SECRET SANTA SOIREE

In October I signed up to participate in the Secret Santa Soiree being hosted by the Coloradolady. Tuesday a package arrived in the mail......

hmmmmm......only a return address (Colorado) - no name. Now my curiosity got the better of me and I just had to open it........

Look at all those goodies! And isn't the button and thread tissue paper adorable? But do you know what I first noticed? The wonderful scent of cinnamon! My favorite!!

Ten little gifts in all! WOW! And the cutest little card letting me know these were from my Secret Santa.

WOW! My Secret Santa did a wonderful job and must have done some research on me. She knew that my favorite Christmas decoration is snowmen. There is the most darling snowman with the green fleece hat and scarf and real buttons down his front and a cute little snowman ornament with blanket stitching on his hat. There was also a pretty ornament made from ribbon and scrap fabrics (far left), and a darling knitted or crocheted pincushion that looks like a cactus. And there is what was giving off the wonderful scent of cinnamon - two Holiday Cinnamon candles. SS also included four fat quarters - two white on white (they didn't really show up in the picture) and two Christmas prints (designed by Sweetwater). Also included was a set of 6 handmade note cards that have two different hexagons sewn to the front of each card. I'll use these for special notes to very special people. And last but definitely not least is a Bordeaux bar from See's. My absolute favorite and it was quickly devoured soon after its arrival.

Thank you, my Secret Santa, whoever you are!!!! And thank you to Suzanne for making the Secret Santa Soiree a huge success!!

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IT'S TIME TO VOTE

I have entered my Christmas quilt in this week's Quilting Gallery contest.

The title of it is Christmas Mystery. When you go to vote, if you choose to vote for mine, be careful because there is one that looks just like mine. Mine is NOT the first one. Mine is the 9th quilt down. There are loads of gorgeous entries this week with a grand total of 67 submissions from 14 different countries! Please take the time to look over all the gorgeous entries, and if you see fit, please cast a vote for my Christmas Mystery by going HERE.

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BEE BLOCK

I recently completed a block for one of the hostesses for Let's Bee Together in December.....

Marta sent out Christmas fabrics for us to work with and requested a star block - any star block. I finally decided on Go Along Block #2 and changed it up just a bit. Instead of making the points all the same color, I alternated between the two prints. She also requested that we write our name and state on the block, which I did before it was mailed.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Hopefully today I will finish responding to all the wonderful comments left in the giveaways!

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GIVEAWAYS

Tattered Garden is having a giveaway. You could win enough Apple Cores to make your very own Apple Core quilt. This giveaway ends Saturday, December 24.

Sew Kiki is having a giveaway. You could win an Aurifil sampler pack! This giveaway ends Wednesday, December 21.

Canton Village Quilt Works is having a giveaway. You could win 10 beautiful fat quarters. This giveaway ends Sunday, December 18, at 10:00 pm EST.

All About Applique is having a giveaway. You could win a copy of A Year In The Life Of Sunbonnet Sue by Christine Porter and Darra Williamson. This giveaway ends Sunday, December 18, at 7:00 pm.

Hawthorne Threads is having their weekly giveaway. You could win a Joyful Garden fat quarter bundle. This giveaway ends Wednesday, December 21.

Thru The Red Door is having a giveaway. You could win a copy of Tilda's Christmas Ideas, a fat quarter of Christmas red felted wool, a pack of charm squares by Sandy Klop for Moda, some spotty red and white ribbon, Cosmo 2 strand thread and Cosmo hanks in Christmas reds and greens, and some lovely red fabrics as well as fat quarters of delicious green linens. This giveaway ends Wednesday, December 21, Melbourne time.

Quilt Story is having a giveaway. You could win a $40 credit to Five Monkey Fabrics. This giveaway ends Monday, December 19.

Just a quick reminder to enter my giveaways if you haven't already. Go HERE and HERE to enter. They end very, very soon!

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FINAL THOUGHT

Christmas Flowers

2011-12-14T04:45:00.000-08:00

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.
~Peg Bracken

Have you all made it through the seemingly endless list of giveaways the last couple of days? I'm not even half way through Quilting Gallery's Party Blog Hop with Giveaways and have barely put a dent in Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day. There's just not enough hours in the day! I have found some 'new to me' blogs that I have begun following that look like a lot of fun. I'm way behind on responding to comments left for my giveaways. Where was my brain when I decided to run two giveaways at the same time? And once those are through, I have another giveaway coming up for the Traveling Stash. Oh my!

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Candy Canes

One of the most often seen symbols of Christmas is the candy cane. Not only are candy canes used as a sweet Christmastime treat but they are also used for decoration. How did this seasonal candy get its familiar shape, and when did it become part of Christmas tradition?

When the practice of using Christmas trees to celebrate Christmas became popular in Europe the people there began making decorations for their trees. Many of the decorations were food items including cookies and candy. Our modern candy cane appeared at about this time in the seventeenth century. These were straight, white sticks of sugar candy.
Part of the Christmas celebration at the Cologne Cathedral were pageants of living creches. In about 1670 the choirmaster there had sticks of candy bent into the shape of a shepherd’s crook and passed them out to children who attended the ceremonies. This became a popular tradition, and eventually the practice of passing out the sugar canes at living creche ceremonies spread throughout Europe.
The use of candy canes on Christmas trees made its way to America by the 1800′s, however during this time they were still pure white. They are represented this way on Christmas cards made before 1900, and it is not until the early 20th century that they appear with their familiar red stripes.
Many people have given religious meaning to the shape and form of the candy cane. It is said that its shape is like the letter “J” in Jesus’ name. It is also in the shape of the shepherds’ crook, symbolic of how Jesus, like the “Good Shepherd” watches over his children like little lambs. It is a hard candy, solid like a “rock”, the foundation of the Church. The flavor of peppermint is similar to another member of the mint family, hyssop. In the Old Testament hyssop was used for purification and sacrifice, and this is said to symbolize the purity of Jesus and the sacrifice he made.

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FINAL CHRISTMAS FLOWERS

I have decided after these two flowers, I am not going to make anymore Christmas flowers. After all, this isn't a Christmas quilt.

This flower is ablaze with Christmas candles. It could almost be a Halloween flower with the colors that are in it.

Since we have two miniature dachshunds as part of our family, I just couldn't pass up the fabric with the doxie wearing a Santa hat. This pup reminds me of our very first mini doxie, Schnitzel. He was a red, short haired and oh so very smart.

Karen (over at Journey of a Quilter) has organized One Flower Wednesday and provides a linky for all of to share our hexagon flowers. If you would like to see more flowers out there in blogland, just click HERE.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will continue working on my Gardener's Journal

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GIVEAWAYS

Want It, Need It, Quilt is having a giveaway. You could win a California Girl Layer Cake by Fig Tree Quilts. This giveaway ends Saturday, December 31.

Jolly Jabber is having a giveaway. You could win Blackbird Designs’s Designer Select Fat Quarter Bundle. This giveaway ends Friday, December 16.

Sew Kiki is having a giveaway. You could win a $25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop. This giveaway ends Monday, December 19.

The Jolly Jabber is having a giveaway. You could win a mini mason jar pincushion sewing kits from Caroline Simas. This giveaway ends Saturday, December 17.

Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having her Mystery Monday giveaway. You could win 5 fat quarters and a pattern by Rosalie Asby. This giveaway ends Saturday, December 17, at midnight MT.

I currently have two giveaways running. First click HERE for a chance at a table runner kit from Connecting Threads. Then click HERE for a chance at a Pure charm pack.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Posted by Bonnie of Quiltville on FB 12/10/11......

Giveaway Day!

2011-12-12T04:45:00.000-08:00

There aren't enough days in the weekend.
~Rod Schmidt

I'm so glad it's Monday! We were so busy this weekend that we barely had time to enjoy DH's two days off from work. We left the house at 9:30 Saturday morning and didn't return until 4:30 except to drop off a few perishables. DH was kind enough to order dinner delivered from a local Chinese restaurant because I was in no mood to cook. Sunday started a bit more leisurely as I took my time perusing the local paper. We spent the rest of the morning wrapping gifts and boxing them in preparation for shipping out this morning. Added to that was the normal 5 loads of wash and a bit of straightening up and you have the total of our weekend. I'm looking to a more peaceful and quiet day today! How was your weekend?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Poinsettia

Today is Poinsettia Day! All year long there’s hardly a poinsettia to be found, and then suddenly the holiday season rolls around and POOF these bright red plants are showing up in homes and offices all over the country. Here are some fun facts to help you celebrate this day:

* Did you know that the poinsettia's main attraction is not its flowers, but its leaves? The flowers of the plant are the yellow clustered buds in the center. The colored leafy parts are actually bracts or modified leaves.

* Poinsettias come in a variety of colors from red, salmon, and apricot to yellow, cream, and white. There are also unusual speckled or marbled varieties like "Jingle Bells" and "Candy Cane" with several colors blended together.

* Although every state in the United States grows poinsettias commercially, California is the top producer with about 27 million pots grown, followed by Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, and Michigan, each with about 14 million pots.

* Did you know that in the wild, the poinsettia can reach heights of 12 feet with leaves measuring six to eight inches across? It is actually a small tropical tree belonging to the Euphorbia plant family.

* In the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, the Aztecs used the poinsettia leaves to dye fabric for clothing and the sap for medicinal purposes

* True or False? The poinsettia is a poisonous plant. If you answered false, you're correct. The plant has been tested repeatedly and cleared of this charge by the National Poison Center in Atlanta, Georgia, and the American Medical Association. The POINSINDEX Information Service, the main information resource for poison control centers across the country, reports that even if a 50-pound child consumed more than 500 poinsettia bracts--the amount tested in scientific experiments--the consequences would not be fatal. Even at this high level, no toxicity was found.

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MINIS ALL READY FOR GIVING

I finally finished up the two little mini quilts we are giving as a gift to my SIL and BIL.....

First is this snowflake. I was going to go with a Christmas theme but since the time for decorating will basically be over by the time they open it, I figured I should go with something more neutral like winter.

Then I decided the next holiday to create a mini for was Easter. What better way to celebrate than with an Easter basket filled with a dyed egg and chocolate bunny. Both of these little quilts measure 6 1/2 inches square. They will hang on a table top wire stand. I found the patterns for the applique at Fat Cat Patterns and shrunk them down to fit on the size block I wanted. I now need to get these wrapped and in the mail.

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GIVEAWAY DAY !

This giveaway is now closed!

Sew, Mama, Sew! has once again organized Giveaway Day and I am happy to be participating. I'm going to giveaway away......

A charm pack of Pure by Sweetwater for Moda. This is a package of forty-two 5" squares. In case you don't know what fabrics are included in the Pure line, here is a sample picture:

How can you win this charm pack of Pure? Easy! Just leave me a comment telling me whether you have a furry friend(s) in your family and what their name is. If you don't have a furry friend, then tell me what your favorite animal is.

Rules:

1. Only one comment per person

2. You must leave me some way to contact you. If you are a No-Reply blogger, please include your email address in your comment. If I can't contact you, you can not win. If you aren't sure if you are a No-Reply blogger, check out the info in my left sidebar.

3. This giveaway is open to everyone - yes, that means international.

4. This giveaway will end Friday, December 16, at 5:00 pm PST.

5. The winner will be selected with the help of random.org and posted Saturday, December 17, no later than noon.

Now that you've entered my giveaway, don't forget to go to Sew, Mama, Sew! and check out all of the other giveaways!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will continue working on my Gardener's Journal quilt

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GIVEAWAYS

Normally I post giveaways I find here while blog hopping. However, with today's Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day and Friday's Party Hop Blog with Giveaways, I figured you had enough to keep you busy. But don't forget to enter my giveaway from Friday (just in case you missed it) - you can enter that giveaway HERE.

I will return to my normal list of giveaways on Wednesday.

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FINAL THOUGHT

It's Party Time!

2011-12-09T04:45:00.000-08:00

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.
~Burton Hillis

Every time I look at the calender I'm a little surprised how close Christmas is. I think I have all of my shopping done and am only waiting on a few more things to be delivered. Next I have all the wrapping to do. Hopefully I will get some wrapping done this weekend - at least the ones that need to be sent to our daughter's family in New Mexico. We thought about having Amazon wrap the packages and then have them sent directly to her but it was going to cost around $60 to have that done and then there were a couple that wouldn't be wrapped because they were being shipped directly from the seller. (Wow, that sentence was way too long - lol!) I think we can beat that price in shipping alone. Maybe I can convince DH to help with the wrapping - he does a beautiful job. Are all of your gifts wrapped, sent and/or under the tree?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Christmas Cards

Today is Christmas Card Day!
Christmas Cards originally started as letters sent from school children to their families around the holidays. Christmas Cards as we know them today began to be seen after the invention of the steam press in the 1840s.
The first cards printed in England specifically for use at Christmas were designed by John Horsley in 1843 and were sold at Felix Summerly's Home Treasury Office. They featured the greeting, "A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You."
The first signs of people mailing cards to each other in the United States occurred around 1845. Until 1875 Americans had to import their Christmas Cards from Europe, but in 1875 that changed when a German immigrant by the name of Louis Prang published the first line of U.S. Christmas Cards.

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DECEMBER FINALLY FINISHED

I finally finished my December mini quilt and was able to put Mr Turkey away......

Santa was a fun little quilt to make. It ended up measuring 12 1/2" X 12 1/2". His cheeks are supposed to be rosy and created with crayons but I don't have any crayons in the house :( This is a pattern from Count On It by Nancy Halvorsen. Santa is hanging on his wire stand ready to greet everyone who enters our home.

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IT'S BLOG HOP PARTY TIME!

This giveaway is now closed!

Michele over at Quilting Gallery has organized a great Blog Hop Party again this year. Last I looked, there were over 200 participants! That's a lot of giveaways! I'm participating, too. What am I giving away? Well, how about........

A Connecting Threads table runner kit! The pattern is called Louisa May Table Runner and measures 16" X 32". Included with the pattern is.......

this gorgeous assortment of fabric. There are five fat quarters (hmmmm....I see one didn't get in the picture but it is in the package) plus two 1/2 yard cuts of the fabric on the right. This is enough fabric to make the completed table runner - top, bottom and binding.

How can you win? Simple! Just leave me one comment telling me what you will be serving for Christmas dinner. My answer would be - "I don't serve Christmas dinner. We always go over to my SIL's and I ALWAYS bring the fruit salad ambrosia".

RULES

1. Only one comment per person.

2. You must leave me a way to contact you. If you are a No-Reply blogger, then please leave your email address in your comment. If I can't reach you, you CAN NOT win. If you are unsure if you are No-Reply blogger, check out the info in my left sidebar.

3. This giveaway is open to everyone - yes, that means internationally.

3. This giveaway will end on Saturday, December 17, at 4:00 pm PST. The winner will be announced on Sunday, December 18, no later than noon.

After you have entered my giveaway, remember to click on the link above or HERE to take you to all of the other giveaways. The list of links will be available Saturday morning, shortly after midnight. Happy blog hopping!!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I hope to start cutting fabric for my Gardener's Journal quilt

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GIVEAWAYS
(These are not part of the Blog Hop Party)

Dye Candy is having a giveaway. You could win a copy of The Wedding Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini or Chris's stained glass snowflake ornament or a $25.00 credit toward the purchase of Chris's quilt jewelry pieces or hand dyed fabrics from my Dye Candy shop. This giveaway ends Saturday, December 10, at 7:00 pm.

The Q and the U is having a giveaway. You could win a signed copy of Riel's novel The Town That Drowned. This giveaway ends Sunday, December 11, at 7:00 pm AST.

Art Nest is having a giveaway. You could win a quilt made by Susannah on her new machine. This giveaway ends towards the end of December.

Notions is having a giveaway. You could win two fat quarter samplers of Just Desserts from Connecting Threads. This giveaway ends Sunday, December 11, at 11:59 pm.

I Have A Notion is having a giveaway. You could win a signed copy of Square-agonals or a Square-agonals pattern. This giveaway ends Monday, December 12.

Toad U Sew is having a giveaway. You could win a Blue and White Triplets Kit. This giveaway ends Monday, December 12.

McCall's Quilting is having a giveaway. You could win a fat quarter pack of Moda Christmas-themed fabrics. This giveaway ends Monday, December 12.

Quilt Hollow is having a giveaway. You could win two patterns from the designer, Debbie Allen. This giveaway ends Sunday, December 11.

Hawthorne Threads is having their weekly giveaway. You could win a Mod Tod fat quarter bundle. This giveaway ends Wednesday, December 14.

American Quilting is having a giveaway. You could win six Christmas fat quarters. This giveaway ends Wednesday, December 14, at midnight.

Canton Village Quilt Works is having a giveaway. You could win 11 fat quarters of Kaffe Fassett's Aboriginal Dot fabric. This giveaway ends Sunday night, December 11.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Flowers Galore

2011-12-07T04:45:00.000-08:00

Oh sleep! it is a gentle thing,
Beloved from pole to pole.
~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Winter has definitely arrived here - at least in the mornings. We have been down around or just below freezing every morning for almost a week now. In the morning inside the house it gets down to 55 to 58 degrees. Makes for great sleeping weather. We are some of those strange people that turn off the heater and open the windows at night. I love waking up during the night with a cold nose. I just snuggle under the covers, turn up my side of the heated pad, pull a dog (a living, little heater) up next to me and sleep the night away. The only drawback is it forces you to make very quick trips to the bathroom when nature calls during the middle of the night. LOL! I can't sleep in a warm house so winter is the best. Do you sleep with the windows open or do you run your heater all night?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Cotton Candy

Today, November 7, is National Cotton Candy Day. I can't remember the last time I ate some of the melt in your mouth spun sugar. Here are a few fun facts about this sugary delight:

* Cotton Candy was originally called Fairy Floss

* There is only ONE ingredient in cotton candy - sugar

* There is not even enough sugar to provide the person eating it cavities

* there is only just as much sugar because there is in a can of soda

* This sweet treat was introduced by four men named Thomas Patton, Josef Delarose Lascaux, John C. Wharton and William Morrison. Morris and Wharton could patent the very first cotton candy machine in 1899.

* Cotton Candy made its major debut at the 1904 World's Fair

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SENDING HEXIES

Today I will be sending out hexie flowers to my December swap partner in the Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap.

Marie requested flowers in lilacs or dark red. I think these two fit that request. These flowers are headed for Denmark.

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CUTE FLOWERS!

I was Melody's December swap partner for the Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap. She must have received her swap information early because these arrived on the same day that I received the swap information.....

Aren't these flowers adorable?!?! Both flowers will be wonderful additions to my Grandmother's Flower Garden/I Spy quilt. Melody also included a piece of fabric that will definitely be made into hexies, some darling buttons, and a pretty handmade card. Thank you so much, Melody, for everything!!!

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WEDNESDAY'S FLOWERS

Over the weekend I created two more flowers of my own......

Since I love to cross stitch I decided to add this bright flower to my collection. The fabric itself is rather thin but I like the look of the bright orange stitches on the bright pink background. Can you see the shadow cross stitches in the center?

Do you recognize this fabric? I made this flower from the fat quarter I won from Barbara. There are so many I Spy characters all on one flower. I think my favorite petal is the snake with the funny expression on his face.

To see more hexie flowers out there in blogland, Karen has graciously supplied us with a linky to make browsing so easy. Just go HERE to look for more flowers.

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FAT QUARTERS

Recently I was the lucky winner of Annie's Ruby Slipperz Mystery Monday giveaway where I won 5 fat quarters......

Aren't these gorgeous? Annie asked what color(s) I would like and I told her I was sadly lacking in oranges and reds. Each week Annie has a Mystery Monday where you can learn something new and enter her giveaway. It's lots of fun, and who knows, you could be the next lucky winner of 5 fat quarters. Thank you, Annie!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I plan to make a block for December's Bee In Oz hostess.

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GIVEAWAYS

Lily Pad Quilting is having a giveaway. You could win 12 fat quarters and a panel of darling penguins. This giveaway ends Thursday, December 8.

Kelbysews is having a giveaway. Kelly is ready to send the Traveling Stash on its way to a new home. This giveaway ends Friday, December 9, at 11:00 pm.

Jackie's Art Quilts is having a giveaway. You could win a bundle of Jackie's hand dyed fabric - Pastel Petal collection. This giveaway ends Friday, December 9.

SewCalGal is having a giveaway. You could win MyMemories software. This giveaway ends Friday, December 9.

Alderwood Quilts is having a giveaway. You could win a Christmas Jewel pattern designed by Jacqueline de Jonge. This giveaway ends Thursday, January 12, 2012.

The Intrepid Thread is having a giveaway. You could win Petal Pushers fat quarters. This giveaway ends Friday, December 9, at midnight.

World Of Charity Stitching is having a sponsored giveaway. You could win a jelly roll of Moda's Chrysalis by Sanae generously donated by Quilting Lodge. This giveaway ends Sunday, December 11.

Fairy Face Designs is having a giveaway. You could win a bundle of 6 metric FQs of Circa 1934. This giveaway ends Friday, December 9, at 9pm Irish time.

KoolBenz is having a giveaway. You could win your choice of 10 Fat Quarters by Jane Sassaman's Early Birds from Cotton Blossom Farm. This giveaway ends Friday, December 9, at midnight EST.

Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having her Mystery Monday giveaway. You could win 5 fat quarters. This giveaway ends Saturday, December 10, at midnight MT.

The Quilting Booklady is having a giveaway. You could win 2 charm packs of Ruby. This giveaway ends Monday, December 12, at 5:00 pm EST.

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FINAL THOUGHT