Chicks and Integrity

No one is listening until you fart.
~Author Unknown

 Did the quote make you smile?  It did me and I love starting the day with a smile!  I did absolutely no sewing yesterday.  My foot didn't touch the pedal and my fingers touched neither needle nor thread.  I did touch fabric but only to put completed blocks into envelopes to send them on their way to swap partners.  It was a computer day.  A day to prep work for Block Swap Adventure and April swap partner assignments.  It took me a little longer than last month - both a good thing and a bad thing.  Good because we have more members this month (we're up to 66!) and bad because I had some trouble with a couple of emails.  Ended up taking about 4 hours! Whew!  But it's done and the emails will go out this morning.  Then I had to prepare packages for shipping.  The mailman will be picking up 5 large envelopes and one box.  So back to normal today.  My sewing machine awaits.

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

International Waffle Day

Like many of Western civilization's finest achievements, the long and scrumptious history of waffles can be traced to ancient Greece, when Athenians cooked obelios — flat cakes between two metal plates — over burning embers. The word waffle is related to wafer, as in the communion wafer — one of the only victuals that early Catholics could eat during fasting periods since wafers didn't contain animal fats, eggs or dairy products. During the Middle Ages, when bakeries decided to compete with monasteries in the wafer market, the secular — and considerably tastier — waffle was born.  Eventually, waffle irons engraved with coats of arms, religious symbols and the familiar honeycomb pattern (said to resemble interlocking crosses) were used to brand the baked treats. In medieval France, an entire guild was established in 1270 to train the vendors who sold waffles on the street. Because the simplest version only called for flour and water, it soon became a staple of country cooking, though wealthier peasants would add honey, eggs and aromatized wine.
The Pilgrims discovered waffles in Holland, where they spent time before arriving in America, and brought them across the Atlantic in 1620. Dutch immigrants popularized the dish in New Amsterdam before it was taken over by the British in 1803 and became New York City. Thomas Jefferson, as legend has it, bought a waffle iron in France as a sort of culinary souvenir and began serving waffles in the White House, helping spark a fad for "waffle parties" nationwide.

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CANDLE MAT

Remember that spoiled egg with the chick embryos in it? 

Over the weekend I finished my wool Chicks Candle Mat.

You can't see it but the little chicks bodies were first whip-stitched into place before adding the 'feathers' and 'wings'.  Lots and lots of tiny stitches.  Some of the stitching was done in the car while hitting bumps and curves so some of their little legs ended up a little wobbly.  We'll just pretend that they are the newer chicks and just learning to stand ;)

And here it is on the living room table doing what it's supposed to do - holding a candle. 

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INTEGRITY

Last week while cruising through blogs I discovered Tiffany at Lower Columbia Modern Quilting and Crafting.  She talked about Swapping Integrity. 

Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness of one's actions.

On her blog she had a pledge that I took and hope you will consider taking:

I, Linda, pledge to do my very best to have integrity and honesty in my swap commitments. To be on time, to participate in discussions, and to communicate if I am going to be late or unable to complete my obligations to my swap partner.

If you would like to take this pledge publicly, you can connect to Tiffany's blog either at the link above or on the button on the sidebar.  Even if you don't, I hope you strongly believe and follow the pledge to the best of your ability.

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TODAY'S GOAL

OK. So I didn't do to well on yesterday's goal of working on the hot pad.  So, once again, that will be my goal.  With an emphasis on finishing it.

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GIVEAWAYS

QuiltStory is celebrating their new sponsor, Fat Quarter Shop, with a giveaway.  You could win 5 yards of Sugar and Spice-winner's choice.  Ends ?

Jackie's Art Quilts is having a giveaway to celebrate reaching 150 followers.  Jackie is giving away 5 beautiful fat quarters.  She will draw the winner on Thursday, March 31.

Gene Black an Alabama Artist is having a giveaway.  You could win an adorable zip bag that Gene made plus the rest of the half yard of fabric he used to make it.  This giveaway ends Saturday, March 26.

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FINAL THOUGHT
I have made myself a promise.  No more fabric purchases for at least one month.  31 days!  I can do this!  I know I can.  I really have enough material to last me probably a life time.  I would maybe have to by some white or cream background fabric at times, but really nothing else is needed.  This is a challenge to myself.  I can't keep buying fabric just because......just because it's on sale......just because it's cute......just because I haven't bought any in 3 days.........  I'm even going to mark the date on the calendar so I can't cheat and say "I don't remember what day I made that promise".  Now that I have put this promise out there for the world to see I will definitely stick to it.  I think I can.....I know I can.....I will succeed!!!!

To promise not to do a thing is the surest way in the world to make a body want to go and do that very thing. 
~Mark Twain

Friday is finally here - enjoy it and your weekend!!

Stars And Eggs - Green!

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,

May good luck pursue you each morning and night.

~Irish Blessing

It's St. Patrick's Day!  Do you have on your green?  Do green eyes count?  If so, then I am covered.  If not, then get your pinches ready because I'm not wearing green - at least not where it shows!  Neither my DH nor I are Irish.  Our only bit of celebration is usually my making corned beef and cabbage - gag me with a spoon.  I dutifully make this each year as my DH likes LOVES it.  How can you like boiled meat?  The cabbage is passable and I do like the carrots and the new potatoes.  And who can stand that smell?  DH says it is the perfume of the Irish.  (Again - gag me).  This year will be a little different.  My sweet DH is taking me out to dinner (happy dance).  He can order his corned beef and cabbage and I can have whatever my little heart desires.  And, best of all, we can come to a house that doesn't reek of boiled meat!

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Kissing the Blarney Stone

Five miles north west of the small city of Cork is the village of Blarney. Near the village, standing almost 90 feet in height is the castle of Blarney with its world-famous Blarney Stone. More than 300,000 people come to kiss the Blarney Stone each year, in the hopes of gaining more eloquent speech.  While the Blarney Castle that visitors see today was constructed in 1446, the history of the place goes back two centuries before that time. The story begins with a magical stone, its origins shrouded in mystery. One legend says it was the rock that Moses struck with his staff to produce water for the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. Another legend relates that it had once been Jacob’s Pillow and that the prophet Jeremiah had brought it to Ireland. According to this telling it became the Lia Fail, or ‘Fatal Stone’ and was used as an oracular throne of the Irish kings. 

It is known, however, when and how the word Blarney entered the English language and the dictionary. During the time of Queen Elizabeth I, Dermot McCarthy, the ruler of the castle, was required to surrender his fortress to the Queen as proof of his loyalty. He said he would be delighted to do so, but something always happened at the last moment to prevent his surrender. His excuses became so frequent and indeed so plausible that the official who had been demanding the castle in the name of the Queen became a joke at the Court. Once, when the eloquent excuses of McCarthy were repeated to the Queen, she said "Odds bodikins, more Blarney talk!" The term Blarney has thus come to mean 'the ability to influence and coax with fair words and soft speech without giving offense'.

 

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JUST ONE STAR

Moda staff and designers would like to invite you to join their newest challenge:  Just One Star can comfort a soldier.  The challenge is to piece, quilt and bind 100 quilts in 100 days using the Flag of Valor pattern by Minick and Simpson.  As the saying goes "many hands make light work".  They need 1800 star blocks to reach their goal.  You can be involved too!  You simply need to make a quilt block(s) to support moda and Semper Fi's efforts. 

Please take a few minutes to piece Just One Star block (click here for pattern) using a medium red or blue and a cream background.  Sign each block with your name and state.  Moda will coordinate the donation of the 100 quilts thru the Semper Fi Fund.  The deadline for blocks is May 1, 2011 so that moda can meet their quilt deadline by Flag Day, June 14, 2011.

Yesterday I made two of the stars.....

and my brown pigma pen arrived in the mail so I could sign the blocks with my name and state.  They are on the road to moda today!

Won't you help this very worthy cause?  Support our troops!  Let's help moda make more than 100 quilts!

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SPRING IS COMING

Today the gold finches arrived at my thistle feeder.

Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera nearby when there were over 15 of these precious little birds on the feeder.  They are such flighty birds that it is hard to catch them in a good shot.  This is a sure sign that spring is just around the corner.

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WOOL CANDLE MAT

Yesterday I prepped and cut the wool for the Chicks Candle mat that I want made before April.  It is a darling pattern by Bareroots.

Doesn't this remind you of a rotten broken egg with little chick embryos floating in it?  Gross - I know.  Don't ask me why my mind went there.  It just did.  I will be stitching the little chicks in the proper places over the weekend so next time you see them, they should look a whole lot better.

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ANOTHER START

Yesterday I also started working on my second Baltimore Album block.

Not much to see yet.  I found making inside curves much easier to make smooth than the outside curves.  The next four pieces have both inside and outside curves.

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TODAY'S GOAL

A while back I signed up for a hot pad swap.  I plan to start working on it today - at least get the pieces cut out.

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GIVEAWAYS

Such a Sew and Sew is having a giveaway.  Elizabeth is helping her friend, Wanda, get organized by is giving away 10 1/2 yards of Civil War Reproduction fabrics and a copy of the book, The Civil War Diary Quilt.  This giveaway ends on Friday, March 18, at 11:30 pm MST.

Amy's Creative Side is having a giveaway.  She is giving away a collection of 6 Indygo Junction Patterns.  This giveaway ends Monday, March 21st.

Bee In My Bonnet is having a fabric giveaway.  Lori is giving away 2 sets of 1930's repro fat quarters - 22 fat quarters in each set.  This giveaway ends Saturday, March 19.

Stitched In Color is having a batting giveaway!  Rachel is giving away a package of Warm & Natural batting, 90" X 96" (full size).  She will draw a random winner on Saturday, March 19.

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FINAL THOUGHT

There are so many charities and wonderful organizations out there, how do you know which one(s) to get involved with.  I say to pick by what feels closest to your heart.  I crochet afghans for Project Linus, an organization whose mission is to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer "blanketeers".  I am also involved with the Golden West Chapter of the ALS Association.  This is a much more personal reason as I have the disease.  I give monthly to our local homeless shelter that provides meals to those who live on the street no matter what caused them to end up there.  There are other charities that I participate in yearly either by donations or attending walks.  With so many it is often hard to decide where to spend my time and money.  Do you get involved?  What charities and/or organizations to you participate in?

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
~Mark Twain

'Tis St. Patrick's Day! May the luck of the Irish be with ya!