Oh Look - More Flowers!

Cookies are made of butter and love.  

~Norwegian Proverb 



I've been enjoying the last couple of mornings with the temperatures down in the upper 30's.  It certainly makes for great sleeping weather.  But once again we are to shoot back up with our highs nearing 80 degrees.  It's definitely the roller coaster of spring weather.  Yesterday was rather quiet and I was able to get some stitching in.  I like days when there is nothing much going on.  It's good for the soul, not to mention what you can get accomplished.  I'm looking forward to a good day today too.

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Girl Scout Cookies

It's that time of year when buying cookies is a necessity in our house.  We can never seem to pass up those Thin Mints.  My favorite are the Lemonades and my husband's are Peanut Butter Patties.  I was a Girl Scout growing up and sold many boxes of these sweet treats to neighbors and family members.  At the time (in the 60's, the cookies sold for 50 cents a box!  While you are munching on your favorite, here are some things I learned about Girl Scout Cookies:

* Girl Scout cookie sales began in 1917 in Muskogee, Okla., when the Mistletoe troop began baking and selling cookies in its high school cafeteria as a service project. 

* The first cookies were sold by troops for 25 or 30 cents per dozen. 

* In 1934, Greater Philadelphia became the first council to sell commercially baked cookies.

* In 1951, Girl Scout Cookies came in three varieties: Sandwich, Shortbread, and Chocolate Mints (now known as Thin Mints)

* All Girl Scout cookies are kosher

* In 1942, Girl Scouts sold calendars in lieu of cookies due to sugar, flour and butter shortages during World War II.

* Thin Mints are the biggest seller, making up 25 percent of all sales, followed by Samoas/Caramel deLites at 19 percent.

* Jennifer Sharpe, age 15, of Dearborn, Mich., holds the record for most cookies ever sold, with 17,328 boxes in 2008. Of the $21,000 her troop raised to go on a 10-day tour of Europe, $14,000 was due to Sharpe.

* Different types of cookies are sold in different regions at varying prices set by individual Girl Scout councils. And sometimes even the same cookies have different names.  For example, Do-Si-Dos, formerly called Gauchos, are also called Peanut Butter Sandwiches in other areas. Confusing, right? This is because there are two licensed bakers, ABC and Little Brownie, that get to propose and name the cookies that they bake. 

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WEDNESDAY AND THE CONTINUING FLOWER SAGA

It's time again to share hexie flowers that I made during the last week....

This flower is sort of hypnotizing.  DH says it reminds him of the painting "The Scream".  

Sing along with me....'One of these bugs is not like the other'.  LOL!  I didn't even notice the mistake until I was taking the picture.  Looks like one of the bugs is trying to make an escape.  Guess it's time to unsew that petal and straighten out that poor little bug.

Once again I didn't get any flowers added to my GFG quilt.  *Sigh*  Maybe I should just collect all my flowers together and give them to someone who would spend the time sewing them all together.  

To see more hexie flowers out in blogland, Karen (of Journey of a Quilter) has put together a linky page.  You can visit that page HERE.

The creator and hostess of The Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap was my swap partner for March.

Jane sent me two of the cutest flowers.  With Easter just around the corner, these are perfect.  Jane's fussy cutting is perfect and both flowers will be a wonderful addition to my GFG/Eye Spy quilt.  Jane also included a scrap of the hen fabric.  Thank you so very much, Jane!

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ANOTHER FEBRUARY BLOCK

I'm still behind on sharing blocks so here is my Block Swap Adventure block for February....

Linda B requested a log cabin block made with "cream on one side and either purples, blues or greens on the other".  I have a very limited supply of purple fabrics and just couldn't find the blues I wanted to work with so ended up working with greens.  Wouldn't this make a pretty quilt?  Linda B was pleased with the block and so was I.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I hope to start a new project

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GIVEAWAYS

Seriously..I think it needs stitches is having a giveaway.  You could win a 9 fat quarters of Pee Wee Parade.  This giveaway ends Friday, March 23.

Sew Bittersweet Designs is having a giveaway.  You could win a Fat Quarter Bundle of Desert Daydreams in Santa Fe Sky.  This giveaway ends Friday, March 23, at 9:00 pm PDT.


World Of Charity Stitching is having a giveaway.  You could win 30 6x9" sheets of Benzie Blend Felt.  This giveaway ends Sunday, March 25.


Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having a giveaway.  You could win a GO! Baby.  This giveaway ends Saturday, March 24, at midnight MT.


Quilty Pleasures is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of EQ7.  This giveaway ends Monday, March 26.


Desertsky Quilting is having a giveaway.  You could win an e-pattern for a darling daffodil pincushion.  This giveaway ends Thursday, March 22.


Jaybird Quilts is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win a Kona Classic Fat Quarter Bundle from Mad About Patchwork.  This giveaway ends Friday, March 23, at 9:00 pm PDT.


Contemporary Cloth is having a giveaway.  You could win a $17 gift certificate.  This giveaway ends Friday, March 23, at midnight.

Don't forget about my giveaway.  You can enter HERE.  And, of course, there's all those other wonderful giveaways at the Blog Hop Party With Giveaways.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Stones In My Garden

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

Wednesday = Flowers

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

Flowers Galore

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

Flowers Are Free

Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritation and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place.
  ~Mark Twain

Well, it's Wednesday.  The middle of the week and I'm in the middle of lots of projects.  But then that's nothing new.  Life has been pretty calm around here lately.  Not much happening - just day to day life.  So where am I going with this?  I'm really not sure.  So it's off to the sewing machine for a little mental therapy and hopefully get to get closer to the end of a project instead of stuck in the middle.  I think I need a little bit of the top quote today.   Hopefully Wednesday is where you want to be.

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Mules

Today is National Mule Day.  A mule is a hybrid animal, which is created by the mating of a jack (male donkey) with a mare (female horse). A female mule, known as hinny, is formed as the result of the breeding between a jennet (female donkey) and a stallion (male horse). Hinny is much rarer in comparison to a mule, owing to the fact that it is difficult to produce hinny. Though the breeding process is different, mule and hinny look similar in appearance. Since the prehistoric times, the mule is being used as a ‘pack and draft’ animal. It is also used for riding, farming and transportation of agricultural products. The animal finds great use in United States. It was George Washington who first bred a mule in the United States and now, it is mainly found in the southeastern states.

* A mule has hard skin, which is not much sensitive to sun and rain. It has hard hooves and can carry large weights on its back. It is naturally resistant to diseases and insects. Hence, it is more preferred to horses.
* Mule is similar to both donkey and horse, not only in terms of appearance, but also in nature and behavior. It is highly patient, sober and tolerant like a donkey and courageous, vigorous and strong like a horse.
* In comparison to its parents, mule is more intelligent. It is highly curious in nature and generally does not allow the rider to lead it into any dangerous path.

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SWAP FLOWERS

Last weekend I received late blooming flowers......

Lori was my July swap partner in the Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap and got a little behind in flower making.  To make it up to me, she made me a bouquet of flowers.  Aren't they great?!?  I especially like the cat flower in the lower right corner.  Those faces are just adorable and I like the way Lori fussy cut the names, too.  Thank you, Lori!!

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FINAL HALLOWEEN HEXIES

For One Flower Wednesday, I made two more Halloween flowers....

Bats, bats and more bats.  These are rather evil looking bats but they made up into a great flower. 

Here's Looking At You, Kid.....They Eyes Have It......sorry, I couldn't resist.  This is just a fun flower with eyes galore.  That's the end of my Halloween flowers.  I think my Grandmother's Flower Garden/I Spy quilt will have plenty of Halloween themed flowers in it.

Don't forget to give Karen a shout of thanks when you click on the link to see more hexie flowers out there in blogland.

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FREE MOTION QUILTING

Yes, I've been practicing.  For some reason I forgot to share one on Monday.  Didn't realize it until I hit the Publish Post button and then I was too lazy to go back and fix it.  So here is what I've been doing.....

Friday's practice piece is called Grapevine.  This was fun but some of my grapes look like they've already withered into raisins.

This practice called Heart Vine went rather quickly.  My hearts ended up being fatter than they should have been.  I wasn't at all happy with my tracing over the vine lines so I added lots and lots of thread lines, adding texture to the vine. 

Mitosis was my favorite practice of the three days.  Mine turned out a bit different than Leah's but I still like the effect.  I can see this pattern used in a sashing.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I hope to get a little more organized.  I have mega piles once again and can't seem to find what I'm looking for.

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GIVEAWAYS

A Crafty Fox is having a giveaway.  You could win a $30 gift certificate to WestWoodAcres on etsy.  This giveaway ends today, Wednesday, October 26.

Craft Buds is having a giveaway.  You could win a $50 gift certificate to Mountain Of The Dragon.  This giveaway ends today, Wednesday, October 26.

A Stitch In Time is celebrating her first year blogiversary with a giveaway.  You could win a charm pack of Rose Parade by Moda.  This giveaway ends Monday, October 31, at 7:00 am EST.

Love Affair With My Brother is having a giveaway.  You could win 4 charm packs of Etchings.  This giveaway ends Monday, October 31, at 11:59 pm PST.

Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having her weekly Mystery Monday giveaway.  You could win 5 fat quarters in your favorite color.  This giveaway ends Saturday, October 29, at midnight MT.

The Pickledish Patch is having a giveaway.  You could win a GO! Baby Cutter and 3 dies of your choice.  This giveaway ends Sunday, November 6, AEST.

Quilty Habbit is having a giveaway.  You could win MyMemories software.  This giveaway ends Sunday, October 30.

Jackie's Art Quilts is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of The Devil's Puzzle by Clare O'Donohue.  This giveaway ends Monday, October 31.

The Mad Quilting Librarian is having a giveaway.  You could win two charm packs of Chez Moi for Moda.  This giveaway ends later this week?

The White Weathered Hutch is having a giveaway.  You could win set of burlap placemats.  This giveaway ends Monday, October 31.

I {heart} Nap Time is having a giveaway.  You could win a $50 gift certificate to Poppy Seed Fabric.  This giveaway ends Saturday, November 5.

Living The Dream is having a giveaway.  You could win a $25 gift voucher to Intrepid Thread.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, November 1.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Thought I would leave you with a chuckle today......



So Many Flowers!

One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it. 
~Sidney Howard

I have so many projects I want to work on.  So many that it's almost putting me into a funk because I know that I can't work on all of them.  I really do like what I'm working on but for some reason my mind keeps going to all of those projects waiting in the wings.  Some are waiting for me to get back to them and others are waiting to get started.  Why can't I be happy just working on what is currently at my sewing machine or on the hand stitching project I have going?  Why do I always have to be thinking ahead.......what if.......?  How do you handle these urges?  Any suggestions would be appreciated.  I'm keeping to the current projects so far but.........

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Chicken

Did you know September is designated as National Chicken Month?  Neither did I!  In honor of this domestic fowl, here are few facts you might find interesting:

* There are over 150 varieties of domestic chickens

 * A rooster takes 18-20 breaths a minute, a hen takes 30-35.
* It takes a hen 24-26 hours to lay an egg.
* A chicken can have 4 or 5 toes on each foot.
* Grocery store chickens are 5-8 weeks old.
* In 1979, the World Record was set by a White Leghorn who laid 371 eggs in 364 days!!!
* Chickens are not capable of sustained flight.
* A chicken takes 21 days to hatch.

* "Alektorophobia" is the fear of chickens.

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SWAP BLOCK RECEIVED

Yesterday I received a wonderful block in the mail......

Susan is a new member of Block Swap Adventure and was my swap partner this month.  I just love the red, white and blue double star she made for me!  This will go so well with the other blocks I've received.  Thank you so very much, Susan!!

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FLOWERS IN THE MAIL

I received two squishy packages this week that contained hexie flowers from the Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap......

These adorable flowers came all the way from Croatia!  Simona made these fun flowers for the August swap.  She included a beautiful lace flower and a postcard.  Thanks so very much, Simona!!

These two happy flowers were made for me by Kristina for the September swap.  I couldn't help but smile at the cute center of the pink flower :)  The colors of the flowers just pop on the other one with the black background.  Kris also included two squares that I can't wait to incorporate into something - perhaps a mug rug.  Does the card remind you of yourself and some quilting friends?  Thank you so much for the fantastic flowers, Kris!

All four of these flowers are going to fit so well into my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt! 

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MY FLOWERS FOR THE WEEK

I was only able to make two flowers this week for my GFG.  Unfortunately, my Aunt Sarah quilt did not grow at all.

Now I'm sure you all recognize this fabric.  Remember?  I used it to make a Loving Hands little quilt.  How could I pass up using this John Deere Fabric in a flower?  Doesn't the center sort of look like a badly plowed field?

Then I found the cutest frog fabric when looking through my multitudes of fat quarters I have stashed away out of sight under the bed (in a storage unit, of course).  My first thought was "Those frogs are just too big to work into a flower."  But I pulled the fat quarter out and started playing with it and made it work.  Looks like they are all trying to escape - lol!  Can you tell I had little boys on my mind when I made my flowers this week?

If you would like to see more hexagon flowers out in blogland, Karen, of Journey Of A Quilter, created One Flower Wednesday and has provided a linky where lots of us connect.  Thanks to Karen for keeping my garden growing!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I hope to make a Loving Hands quilt.

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GIVEAWAYS

Comfortstitching is having a giveaway.  You could win a fat quarter set of Little Apples.  This giveaway ends later this week (no specific date given).

Two More Seconds is having a giveaway.  You could win two charm packs of Countdown to Christmas or Ready Set Snow.  This giveaway ends Friday, September 23.

Love Affair With My Brother is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win a jelly roll of Ruby by Bonnie & Camille from Fat Quarter Shop.  This giveaway ends Monday, September 26.

Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having her weekly Monday Mystery giveaway.  You could win 5 fat quarters.  This giveaway ends Saturday, September 24.

Crap I've Made is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win a Kona Cotton bundle from Canton Village Quilt Works.  This giveaway ends Friday, September 23, at 10:00 pm MST.

A Quilting Life is having a giveaway.  You could win a fat quarter bundle of Tea Time Garden.  This giveaway ends ?

Fiber of All Sorts if having a giveaway.  You could win  some DS Quilts fabric, or Square it Up a pattern by Sew Happy Geek, or $25 gift certificate at the Intrepid Thread.  This giveaway ends Friday, September 23, at 22:00 PST.

Tilda's Twisted Life is having a giveaway.  You could win MyMemories software.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, September 27, at midnight EST.

Blackbird Designs is having a giveaway.  You could win a bundle of Blueberry Crumb Cake.  This giveaway ends Sunday, September 25.

Cotton Way Blog is having a giveaway.  You could win some RUBY fabric and Moda goodies.  This giveaway ends Monday, September 26.

The Jolly Jabber is having a giveaway.  You could win Kate Spain’s Designer Select Fat Quarter Bundle.  This giveaway ends Monday, September 26.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Ta-ta for today.  More thoughts on Friday (maybe).

Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain. 
~Carl G. Jung

Hugs,