Blocks and Flowers

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
~Mark Twain

I give up.  I admit it.......I am an addict.  I have discovered I am addicted to Diet 7-Up.  How can that clear bubbly, lemon-lime liquid be addicting?  I don't know but it is!  I had decided to give it up and have been drinking water since Sunday.  I have never felt so hungry in all my life!  I think all of those little bubbles take up space in my stomach causing me to feel full.  No matter how much water I drink I still feel hungry and eating more is not an option.  I didn't have that trouble when I was drinking 7-Up.  So I caved.  I sent my DH a text asking him to PLEASE pick up a 12 pack on  his way home from work.  I know all of those fake sweeteners are bad for you - my daughters remind me constantly.  They tell me I'm turning my insides into formaldehyde.  Great - one last thing they will have to take care of when I die!  Give me back my Diet 7-Up.......I'm hooked and I admit it.  There are certainly worse things I could be sending through my veins.

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Thrift Shop

Today, August 17, is National Thrift Shop Day.  If you didn't take advantage of Garage Sale Day on the 13th, here's another chance for you to get rid of all your old stuff. Thrift shops are full of old clothes, furniture, toys, and all kinds of odds and ends. And if you've ever visited a thrift shop, you know you can find one of a kind treasures like a leisure suit or a picture of Elvis painted on black velvet. The best part is, the proceeds go to charity, and so you can feel better about coming home with that 80's bridesmaids dress you're sure you'll find a use for some day.

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FLOWERS FOR WEDNESDAY

Today being Wednesday means it's One Flower Wednesday.  Once again I managed to make more than one........

I just love blue and yellow together.  Maybe it's because it reminds me of clear blue skies and bright sunny days.  I know this is a bit of the ordinary from my fussy cutting but I still like the crisp feel of this flower.

Here is my fussy cut for this week.  The party snails were almost too big to fit but you can pretty much see their happy little faces.

I was only able to make one of the 3/4" hexie flowers for my Aunt Sarah quilt this week.  I really need to get a move on these.

If you would like to see more beautiful and fun hexies out there in blogland, Karen of Journey of a Quilter has provided a linky hook-up for all of the participants.  Take a gander....you just might get hooked, too.  Thank you, Karen, for keeping me inspired!

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TWO LITTLE BLOCKS

Yesterday I received a squishy from Janet.  She sent me two 6 inch blocks for our July swap in the 6 Inch Block Swaps Australia......

She certainly met my request of red, white, and blue with these beautiful blocks!  Love the fabrics she used to create these pretties.  Thank you so very much, Janet!!

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FMQ PRACTICE

Two more days of FMQ practice under my belt......

First was this spiral wonder called Stomach Lining.  Yucky name but I like the flower effect.  Don't look too closely because you will see where either my fingers shifted or my mind wondered, or possibly both.

Yesterday was Leaf Veins......

I can definitely see how the name fits this one.  Makes me wish for fall and the change of colors.

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TODAY'S GOAL

I still have two more QOV quilt tops to put borders on.  I better finish those today!!

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GIVEAWAYS

Chasing Cottons in having a giveaway.  Here is your chance to win a GO! Baby Cutter and your choice of 3 dies.  This giveaway ends Thursday night, August 18, Aussie time.

Hand Quilting is having a giveaway to celebrate her fourth blogiversary.  She is giving away fat quarters of the Canterbury Collection by Connecting Threads and please let Violette know that you heard about her giveaway from me.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, August 31, at 11:59 pm CST.

The Average Quilter is having a giveaway.  You could win a Complete Guide to Quilting and Iron On Transfers for Quilt Labels.  This giveaway ends Monday, August 22.

Craizee Corners is having a giveaway.  You could win Prince Charming Design Roll from Fat Quarter Shop, patterns from Atkinson Designs, patterns from Tula Pink, or Aurifil Thread.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, August 30.

Fairy Face Designs is celebrating her blogiversary with a giveaway.  You could win  6 pieces of fabric from the "Love" line by Amy Butler.  This giveaway ends Friday, August 19, at 1:00 pm Irish time.

Fabric Worm is having their weekly giveaway.  This week you could win a FabricWorm Custom Bundle Autumn Nest in 8 Fat Quarters.  This giveaway ends Monday, August 22, at 8:30 am PST.

Kathy's Stitching and Other Stuff is having a giveaway.  If you like cats then this giveaway is for you -
you could win 11 unopened stitchery kits.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, August 31. 

Primitive Quilts and Projects is having a giveaway.  You could win a pattern for a quilt or wool applique.  This giveaway ends Monday, August 22.

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FINAL THOUGHT

It's grocery shopping this evening.  One of my least favorite chores.  The dollar buys so little these days at the grocery store.  I think the price of breakfast cereal is obscene.  A dozen eggs is not cheap either.  At our store, there is always a long line for their fried chicken meal from the deli.  I think it may be one of the best deals in the store.  Our store is in not the best part of town.  How can you tell?  They lock up the baby formula next to the high end alcohol.  They have one of the largest beer aisles I have ever seen in a grocery store.  Let's guess where their biggest profit margin is.  Can you tell I'm not happy to be going grocery shopping this evening.  At least our store is clean and most of the clerks are pleasant and helpful.  We usually can make it from our front door and back in about 45 minutes.  It's something that has to be done and so I will slap a smile on my face and make the best of it.  Who knows, maybe we'll find some awesome deals.

Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.
~Voltaire

Weasley and Snickerdoodle - Pets On Quilts Show

WOW! Two posts in one day.  But I just couldn't pass on the opportunity to participate in.....

 

Sew Cal Gal is hosting Pets On Quilts Show this week.  Weasley and Snickerdoodle are so excited to be connected to all the fun through the linky.......

This is Weasley. 

 "Does everyone know that it's Pets On Quilts Show Week, Mom?"

"Maybe I'll just lay here and think about all of the prizes that Sew Cal Gal has arranged....."

"But maybe a nice nap here on Mom's quilt would be a better idea......"

Snickerdoodle - "I'm here now!  We'll just let Weasley sleep since that's all he ever seems to do anyway."

"Gee this quilt has lots of colors on it.  But now we are putting our colors on it too.  Hope Mom won't mind"

"Hey Mom!  Thanks for making this great quilt for us.  You don't think Dad really wanted it do you?"

"Hey, Weasley.  Do you really think Mom made this quilt just for us?  Maybe just this once?"

Weasley - "Can't you just go to sleep?"  Snickerdoodle - "How can you sleep with all of the bright colors?"

"Well, maybe I can give it a try.  After all, this quilt is sooooo comfy"

Weasley and Snickerdoodle are the little furry loves of our family.  I hope you enjoyed their little photo parade.  If you would like to see more Pets On Quilts, just visit Sew Cal Gal and click through all of the links that have been added.

Hugs,

It's A Block

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.
~Mary Engelbreit

Have you ever started your day mad at the world but you just don't know why?  That's how my Sunday started.  I scowled at the dogs and snapped at my poor husband.  I felt like throwing something against the wall.  Nothing caused this feeling, it just happened.  Luckily it slowly disappaited over the morning and by noon I was fine.  Maybe it was knowing it was another day of wash.  Maybe it was feeling the pressure of having to complete certain things by Thursday.  I don't think I will ever figure it out.  Sometimes it just happens.  But, luckily, today is a better day and I'm ready for a brand new week!

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Scrabble

Why are Scrabble letters distributed the way they are?

Scrabble Any Scrabble pro can tell you there are 12 Es, six Rs, and one Z in the game, but can they tell you why? Formulated by its creator Alfred Mosher Butts, Scrabble's curious letter distribution owes a debt to the New York Times. Butts wanted the spread to reflect the English language as it was used at the time, so he studied the relative frequency of each letter on the front page of the paper, and used the resulting data to guide the development of his new game. He made a tweak, though. The letter "S" appears very frequently in English -- it's around the seventh most common -- but Butts decided to only include four in Scrabble in order to make the game harder and limit the use of plurals.All that only applies to the English version, of course. Localized Scrabble versions -- of which there are many -- use letter frequencies appropriate to the language and add accented letters and characters that aren't used in the English game.

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BEE BLOCK

A while back I made a block for Sue, this months hostess for the Bee In Oz group.

This block is called Interlocking Seasons.  It is a large block and ended up measuring 22.5" square.  Sue sent out Kaffe Fasset and Kona white fabrics to work with.  I'm not fond of Kaffe Fasset (yes, I really did say that) but it worked up nicely into this block.  You really had to concentrate on this block to make sure you were getting each piece in the appropriate place but I like the interwoven look.

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A LITTLE HELP

Marydon of Blushing Rose is participating in Miracle Makeover.  Please help her reach her goal of 5,000 comments.  Each comment results in a dollar donation to this worthy cause.  It just takes a moment to leave a comment and could mean so much.

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ANOTHER PRACTICE

You are probably getting sick and tired of seeing my daily FMQ practice.  But guess what?  Here's another one......

Most of my circles aren't real round but at least they were consistent.  This practice is called Concentric Circles.  I can see this being used as a filler on a quilt.  I actually had fun with this one.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I need to put borders on QOV tops that were made by others.  I should be able to complete the three tops today.

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GIVEAWAYS

Cat Patches is continuing with her Fun Fact Friday Freebie.  You could win a fat quarter just for answering her question of the week.  A winner will be announced on Friday, August 19.

The Raspberry Rabbits is having a giveaway.  Shell is giving away two darling white ceramic bunnies.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, August 17.

Qubee Quilts is having a giveaway.  You could win a book called Log Cabins Today.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, August 16, at 11:59 pm CST.

I'm Just A Guy Who Quilts is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win a charm pack giveaway of Flurry.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, August 17.

Samelia's Mum is having a giveaway.  You could win 6 patterns from Sally Giblin Stitcheries.  This giveaway ends Sunday, August 21, midday Australian time.

Quilting Block Swaps Australia is having a giveaway to celebrate 100+  followers.  You could win a 12 1/2 inch ruler plus a bundle of Fat Quarters.  Not sure exactly when this giveaway ends :(

Leona's Quilting Adventure is having a giveaway.  You could win two charm packs from Westwood Acres.  This giveaway ends Saturday, August 20, at midnight. 

Sew Fun Quilts is having a giveaway.  You could win one of three great prizes.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, August 16, at midnight.

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FINAL THOUGHT

It's Monday once again.  As if you needed me to remind you of that little fact.  My week looks to be a busy one with grocery shopping and a guild meeting happening later in the week.  I'm hoping the beginning will be at least a little quiet.  Last week I took the plunge and sent in my entry for the local county fair that happens next month.  I have entered two of my quilts and a counted cross stitch picture.  I have hopes for one quilt but not for the other.  Sort of silly to enter when you feel that way isn't it.  Oh well, it was only $1 an entry.  I used to enter counted cross stitch several years back and even won Best In Show two years in a row.  I'm not expecting anything this time.  Thought this might be a good place to get my feet wet before the guild show in January.  I feel like I'm jumping off into the deep end and don't know how to swim - lol!  Do you have your week all planned out?

You should listen to your heart, and not the voices in your head.
~Matt Groening

We Have A Winner

We have a winner!!!  But first I would like you thank you all for helping my celebrate by one year of blogging!  You have made it all worth while.  I have met so many wonderful people through this venture and hope to meet many more in the future.  Thank you for always being there to give me encouragement and for helping when I've asked.  Okay, I know, I know!  You want to know who the winner is.  Well, with the help of random.org the winner is........

Connie said...

Happy Blogiversary! I always enjoy your great posts!

I will be sending out an email to  Connie  for her snail mail information.  This time I only had 3 'no-reply bloggers'.  The blogging world is finally catching on - and that's a good thing. 

Once again, thank you for sharing my year with me!!!

Hugs,

A Little Stitching And Some Boo

Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task. 

~William James

I'm in the middle of three projects and two of them need to be completed within a week.  I have no fear that I will get them done but it is going slower than I anticipated.  I don't know why I don't start these projects earlier in the month - it's not like I don't know they have to be done.  I guess because what I'm working with does not excite me.  I'm a great procrastinator when it comes to un-fun things.  I am already looking forward to next month's Loving Hands quilts as I will be working with new little squares but this month I did a repeat of last month with the jelly roll race quilt and I'm not all that fond of the fabrics I selected.  They still need to be made as there are always new preemies in the NICU, so I'm off to finish up the three little quilts I'm making. 

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

National Navajo Code Talkers Day - August 14

Sunday is the day chosen to honor the Navajo Code Talkers.  Code talkers was a term used to describe people who talk using a coded language. It is frequently used to describe Native Americans who served in the United States Marine Corps whose primary job was the transmission of secret tactical messages. Code talkers transmitted these messages over military telephone or radio communications nets using formal or informally developed codes built upon their native languages. Their service was very valuable because it enhanced the communications security of vital front line operations during World War II.

The name code talkers is strongly associated with bilingual Navajo speakers specially recruited during World War II by the Marines to serve in their standard communications units in the Pacific Theater. Code talking, however, was pioneered by Choctaw Indians serving in the U.S. Army during World War I. These soldiers are referred to as Choctaw Code Talkers.

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LINT REMOVAL

I forgot to share this pictures of the lint and thread that I removed from my sewing machine after I finished with the Colors Thru The Window quilt.  Would you believe most of this was under the bobbin case and from just one quilt?  This just goes to show you how important it is to remove your bobbin case and clean out underneath it.  Don't just brush out the top of the case and call it good.  It wouldn't take long at all for this lint mess to clog up your machine.

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TABLE RUNNER SWAP

Wednesday I finished up a table runner for the Quilted Table Fall/Halloween swap that I'm involved in.  For this swap, you send your swap partner 9 fat quarters of your fabric and they in turn will make you a table topper or table runner.  Joan sent me some wonderful fat quarters to work with and I created this table runner.....

Joan included a note with the fabric that stated Halloween is one of her most favorite time of year.

The colors are bit off in this picture (took it inside under artificial light) but you can see the quilting I did.  For the body of the runner I just stitched 1/4" away from the seam allowance.  In the border and border triangles, I did a echo straight stitch.

Again with the poor color and inside lighting but this shows the fussy cut I did for the center block.  I hope Joan likes what I created with her fat quarters.  I need to buy a couple of little extras and put a label on the back and then this will go out in the mail next week.

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A COUPLE OF STITCHERIES

I have been diligently working on the Gardener's Journal stitchery blocks.

This block is called Potting Plants and will end up to be 4 1/2" X 5 1/2".  I have been over sizing the blocks so that they fit in my hoop easier and will cut them down when it is time to assemble the quilt.

These three little seed packets were fun to stitch.  And, not surprisingly, this is called Seed Packets.  This block will be 2 1/2" X 4 1/2" when cut down to size.

Annie Downs includes a fun little story with each block that has me giggling each time I read them.

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TWO MORE PRACTICES

You are probably getting bored with all of these FMQ squares.  But I want to document them so I can look back and see how I've progressed or regressed, depending on the situation.

Wednesday was Hardwood Floors (I almost wrote/sewed Hardwood Floods).  Some of my wood planks were rather rough cut and you could probably lose something valuable in some of the spaces between the boards.  Oh, and I wouldn't have to worry about water puddling with the slope I ended up with - LOL!  At least it didn't tax my brain and I felt rather comfortable with this practice.

Yesterday was Dresden Daisy.  This was a fun practice.  Some of my daisies are really original in their shapes but it was still fun to make and my lines across ended up fairly straight.

I have decided to skip some of the designs that I know I will never use and seem to be repeats with just a slight variation.  I want to practice but I don't want to be bored.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I hope to finish quilting the three Loving Hands quilts so that I can maybe sew the binding on over the weekend.

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GIVEAWAYS

Everyday Beautiful is having a giveaway.  You could win a bundle of Heirloom fabrics in the Amethyst colorway.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, August 17.

The House on the Side of the HillWant it Need It Quilt.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, August 17.

Hawthorne Threads is having a giveaway.  You could win a Farm Fresh layer cake.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, August 17.

A Quilting Reader's Garden is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of Poster Quilts by Patrick Lose.  A winner will be selected Wednesday, August 17.

Country Creations by Denise is having a giveaway.  You could win one of Denise's Happy Halloween trees.  This giveaway ends Thursday, September 1.

The Drawing Board is having a giveaway.  Here is another chance for you to win a GO! Baby cutter.  The winner will be drawn on Monday, August 15.

Jackie's Art Quilts is having a giveaway!  You could win a surprise bundle of fat quarters.  This giveaway ends ?

Random Thoughts do or "di" is having a giveaway.  You could win a Little Apples Jelly Roll from the Intrepid Thread.  This giveaway ends Thursday, August 18, at midnight PST.

Woolie Mammoth is having a giveaway.  You could win a sweet kit I put together with Coffee fabrics.  This giveaway ends possibly Saturday, August 13.

Have you entered my Blogiversary Giveaway?  You only have a couple of days left to enter.  This giveaway ends Sunday, August 14, at 8:00 pm PST.

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FINAL THOUGHT

The weekend is once again upon us.  So much for the relaxing weekend like we had last week.  Saturday is a go-go day.  Many little errands that have to be done along with an ALS Support Group meeting and getting some blood work done (hopefully I'll get somebody that can draw blood with the first stick).  Sunday will probably be a stay at home day but then there's those loads of wash to do and general picking up around the house that I let slide during the week.  I hope to get some hand sewing time in - it might be a must just to keep me awake in front of the TV.  Do you have big plans for the weekend?  Are you going to do something fun?

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

Flowers and Happiness

If a man had as many ideas during the day as he does when he has insomnia, he'd make a fortune.

~Griff Niblack

I think I have been practicing too many different FMQ designs.  Monday night I woke up thinking about FMQ.  I had had a devil of a time with the practice the previous day and it really must have been haunting me.  For over an hour, every time I shut my eyes I kept seeing the silly design.  My fingers kept trying to come up with the proper direction to go.  Over and over that design came up.  Maybe I should have gotten up and just tried it once again.  I know that you can sometimes solve problems with dreams but this was ridiculous.  I would love a dreamless night - or at least a night where I don't remember the dreams I'm having.  Maybe if the weather would ever cool down I could get a good night's sleep.

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

S'mores

Today is S'mores day!!  Doesn't that picture just make your mouth water?  When you go camping there's a lot of things you need s'more of: s'more bug spray, s'more blankets for cold nights in the tent, and s'more batteries in the flashlight before you go trudging through the woods to the bathroom after one of your friends insisted on telling s'more ghost stories. But the fantastic sandwiches of graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows are the one thing you will be happy to want s'more of.

The name of the treat comes from the two words "some more," clearly combined because people often wanted to have at least a second serving after having one s'more. The treat was developed by campers in the early part of the 20th century, making use of the fairly new mass-produced marshmallows. Marshmallows were easy to transport, as were candy bars and graham crackers, and the marshmallows could be warmed easily over a fire to make a delicious treat in a situation where other types of sweets would have been difficult to come by.

The true origin of the snack is unknown, as camping recipes tended to be passed from person to person and family to family - often over the campfire itself. The first recipe for s'mores was published in 1927 in the Girl Scout Handbook and the event marked the official introduction of the s'more into popular culture.

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LITTLE FLOWERS

Over the weekend I made two more hexagon flowers for my Aunt Sarah quilt.

This is one of the background flowers.  The dots you see are not on the fabric but are center holes in the hexagon templates.

Here is my second actual flower for the some-day-to-be quilt.  It seems so strange working in muted colors when making these flowers.

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FMQ - DAYS 20 and 21

This was the cause of my lack of sleep on Monday night.  I could go one direction with absolutely no problem.  But to go back the opposite way just caused me all sorts of trouble.  You can tell by just looking at my practice.  Jeesh.....who knew such a simple design could wreck havoc with my brain.  This pattern is called Curvy Key.

These don't really look too much like flames.  You would think with all of the Nascar stuff I watch with DH that flames would come naturally.  Mine look more like the Swiss Alps.  Oh well.  My stitches were more consistent at least.  This practice is called Flame Key.

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TWO FLOWERS FOR WEDNESDAY

Over the weekend I made two more flowers for my GFG and for One Flower Wednesday. 

This flower reminded me of camping.  Aren't the raccoon and opossum cute?  I remember watching the raccoons raid the trash cans outside the cabins we would rent up above Yosemite. 

This flower just said Summer to me.  I know it has hearts and should remind me of Valentine's day but it doesn't.  It made me think of shells at the beach.  Yes, I have a weird mind - lol!

To see more wonderful and creative hexagon flowers, Karen has provided a linky tool where you can pop in to see more.  And drop a thank you to Karen while  you are there for keeping us all motivated and organized!

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I AM SO LUCKY!!!

Yesterday I received a large squishy in the mail.  I saw where it was from and gave a little yelp of glee!

Look at this stack of fat quarters!  23 to be exact.

Our Busy Little Bunch had a giveaway last month that I won!!  A complete set of Hoo's in the Forest by Doohikey Designs for Riley Blake Designs.  Do you realize this is the first time I have ever had a complete set of any line of fabric?  I felt like it was my birthday or Christmas!  I'm having so much fun just looking at all of the gorgeous pieces but don't have the faintest idea what I will be making with it yet.  Thank you so very much, Rebecca!!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will quilt and bind the table runner I am making for my swap partner.

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GIVEAWAYS

As Sweet As Cinnamon is having a Happy Day giveaway.  Dawn's giveaway is a surprise but she does let us know that it is a craft-y, fabric-y sort of Happy Surprise.  This giveaway ends Sunday, August 15, at 8:00 pm South Australia time.

A Quilting Life is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win a $50 gift certificate or one of two $25 gift certificates to Shabby Fabrics.  This giveaway ends Friday night, August 12.

Pots and Pins is having a giveaway.  You could win a darling sewing machine clock.  This giveaway ends tonight, Wednesday, August 10, at 9:00 pm.

My and My Sister's Design is having a giveaway.  You could win a fat eighth bundle of “Amelia”.  This giveaway ends Thursday, August 11.

Jolly Jabber is having a giveaway.  You could win a Me & My Sister Designs’ Designer Select Fat Quarter Bundle.  This giveaway ends Monday, August 15.

Pigtales and Quilts is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of Stupid Is As Stupid Does or a copy of Cooking With Character, both by Bill Griffin.  This giveaway ends Sunday, April 14, at 2:00 pm EST.

Fabric Worm is having their weekly giveaway.  This week you could win Diana Kappa Bonjour in 8 Fat Quarters.  The giveaway ends Monday, August 15, at 8:30 am PST.

Bitty Bits and Pieces is having a giveaway.  You could win a beautiful Quilt Lover's Heart necklace.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, August 16, at midnight.

Love Affair With My Brother is having a giveaway.  You could win a GO! Baby cutter and your choice of 3 dies.  This giveaway ends Thursday, August 18.

And then there's this Blogiversary Giveaway that you still have time to enter.  My giveaway will end Sunday, August 14, at 8:00 pm PST.

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FINAL THOUGHT

I did it again.  I bought another pattern to try out another type of quilt making.  I'm going to try some foundation paper piecing.  I blame this all on Tonya over at Hillbilly Handiworks.  She put the bug in my ear and it just kept buzzing around.  After a couple of days searching on the net, I finally found a pattern I just couldn't pass up.  It's a mountain landscape that just said "buy me!" - and, of course, I did.  It's not here yet but should arrive within the week.  Do any of you have a good source for landscape paper piecing patterns?  Can you recommend a book that might have good patterns?  I'm not talented enough to take a picture of my own and create a pattern from it.  And don't tell me it's easy, because I just don't have an artistic thread in my brain.  I follow patterns with no trouble but as you know from previous posts, I am unable to just wing it.  I can't wait to start something new :)

Optimist: someone who figures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster, it's a cha-cha. 
~Robert Brault

Finished Colors

For fast-acting relief, try slowing down. 
~Lily Tomlin

Our weekend was rather quiet and relaxed.  A much needed respite after the last couple weekends of running and traveling.  Saturday we visited a relatively new quilt shop in town where I purchased a pattern and and my first bottle of Best Press.  I checked out their fabric selection, which was limited, but they seemed to cover a wide range from civil war to modern.  I wished I had known about a class that was going on that day - a class with Nancy Rink, one of my favorites.  Anyway, got signed up for their emails so I won't miss out on any future classes.  Also made a run to the library where I picked up 5 books on CD that were on hold for me.  Lunch out at our favorite spot and then a run to Kohl's for new work shirts for DH.  And then home!  Sunday was spent doing the weekly wash and plying needle and thread to fabric.  All in all a wonderful weekend.  How was your weekend?

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

National Dollar Day

We've heard the expression "the buck stops here," but where did the buck start in the first place? Well it started on this day in 1786, when Continental Congress established the United States monetary system. Of course back then the dollar could probably buy you a horse and now you're lucky if it gets you a pack or gum.  Here some some facts I discovered about the dollar bill:

* The average life of a dollar bill is just 18 months

* 97% of all paper money contains traces of cocaine (another reason to wash your hands after handling money)

* Martha Washington is the only woman whose portrait has appeared on a U.S. currency note. It appeared on the face of the $1 Silver Certificate of 1886 and 1891, along with the back of the $1 Silver Certificate issued in 1896
* The number 13 (corresponding to the 13 colonies) figures prominently on the $1 bill in honor of the original 13 colonies:

- The dollar has 13 stars above the eagle
- There are 13 steps on the Pyramid
- There are 13 letters in ANNUIT COEPTIS
- E PLURIBUS UNUM contains 13 letters

- There are 13 vertical bars on the shield
- The top of the shield has 13 horizontal stripes
- You can count 13 leaves on the olive branch
- There are 13 berries on the olive branch
- The dollar bill also features 13 arrows and 13 hats

* Money isn't made out of paper, it's actually made out of linen

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FMQ - DAYS 17, 18, and 19

This practice was very similar to Sea Algae.  The only real difference is the little loop added to the end of each curve.  This practice is called Sea Oats.

As you can see, I had quilt a bit of trouble keeping my size uniform with the Basic Chevron.  At least they were consistently uneven so the rows worked well on top of one another - lol!

Radio Static gave me some starts and fits at the beginning.  Looking back at Leah's example, I should have made the big peaks larger and made more of a definition in size between the medium and small peaks.  I also tended to round off the points on several of the peaks and valleys.

Question for you experienced domestic machine quilters......How many stitches per inch do you aim for with FMQ?  My stitches tend to be quite small.

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FINISHED COLORS

On Friday I finished my Colors Thru The Window Quilt.........

I did some FMQ on the side color border and did some meandering on the black border

I didn't have enough of any one piece of black fabric or black print to make the backing so it is a truly scrappy backing.  I even threw in the last three blocks I had...

Ignore all of the dog hairs that you see.  I couldn't both sides brushed with the lint brush.  That's the trouble of living with dogs and working with black - every little dog hair collects on it!

I still have to make a label for this quilt.  On Thursday, when DH saw me working on the binding, I told him I didn't know if I would keep the quilt or give it to Project Linus.  You should have seen the hurt look on his face!  OMG - you would have thought I was giving away his favorite blankie.  So, guess who this quilt is going to be for.  Made with mistakes but made with love for my sweet husband!

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A SWEET GIFT

Last week I received an email from Corina telling me that she had won a bouquet of lavender in a giveaway from Alderwood Quilts.  As she lives in Canada, they were unable to ship the lavender to her - you know, those crossing national borders rules with live things.  Anyway, she said that she would like to gift the lavender bouquet to me!  How sweet is that?

It arrived in the mail on Friday!  Take a big smell.  Oh, you can't smell anything?  Sorry!  You will have to believe me when I say it smells heavenly.  The beautiful aroma has filled my kitchen.  Thank you so very much for your generosity, Corina.  And thank you for being my friend!

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TODAY'S GOAL

I have a table runner I need to start working on for the Quilted Table Fall swap

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GIVEAWAYS

The Jolly Jabber (Fat Quarter Shop's blog) is having a giveaway.  You could win a fat quarter bundle of Simple Pleasures.  This giveaway ends Thursday, August 11.

The Traveling Stash is ready to hit the road again.  Diary of a Quilt Maven is ready to send the box on it's way.  The winner will be drawn on Thursday, August 11.

The Intrepid Thread is having a giveaway.  You could win a Wrenly Charm Pack.  This giveaway ends Friday, August 12, at midnight.

Happy Quilting is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win an entire Off The Rail Quilt Kit from Fat Quarter Shop.  This giveaway ends Thursday, August 11.

Little Island Quilting is having an 'old fashioned giveaway'.  You could win a copy of Quilting Line + Color, or a copy of Zen and the Art of Quilting, or a copy of Rowan Junior, or a copy of Rowan Knitting and Crocheting.  This giveaway ends Friday, August 12, at noon.

Val Laird is celebrating 400 followers with a giveaway.  You could win "My Sewing Room" wall hanging, a selection of 14 fabrics in 10 inch squares, and a pretty mug bag.  This giveaway ends Saturday, August 13, midday (Eastern Australian time).

All About Applique is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of Quiltin' Happy.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, August 10, at 7:00 pm PST.

Have you entered my Blogiversary Giveaway?  This ends Sunday, August 14, at 8:00 pm PST.

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FINAL THOUGHT

It's Monday once again.  I already have my week planned out as far as sewing goes.  I will be working on a table runner for a swap and then work on the Loving Hands quilts that I need to be made before the third Thursday of the month.  I just might try some FMQ on those LH quilts :)  I'm once again thinking ahead of projects I would like to make.  Why, oh why, can't there be more hours in the day?  I have all of these little piles waiting for me - all organized with pattern and fabrics.  Wouldn't it be fun if we could clone ourselves for just a few hours at a time.  Being two or three of me would let me make so much more.  But it's not to be.  It's just me and there are still only 24 hours in a day.  One project at a time and the other's will happen........someday.

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