A Variety Of Blocks

Poor, dear, silly Spring, preparing her annual surprise!

 ~Wallace Stevens

Brrrr!  I'm freezing!  For a week now I have been quite comfortable in a short sleeve t-shirt and jeans.  Sometimes with my hoodie on but usually not zipped up.  I usually discard it by early afternoon.  Not so yesterday or today!  The high temp has dropped a good 20 degrees, the clouds have moved in along with a chilling wind and even a few showers.  I feel like we have gone back to February!  I'm back in my corduroy shirt with my hoodie on, zipped up all the way with my hood up, too!  This time the forecasters got it right - they said it would cool down drastically.  I know this sounds like complaining but it's not.  I will take all of the cold days ol' Mother Nature wants to throw our way.  Soon enough we will be sweltering in the heat of summer with only our memories to remind us of this wonderful cold.

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

PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Q-Tips

Upon observing his wife applying wads of cotton to toothpicks, Leo Gerstenzang, the original founder of the Q-tips^® Company, conceived the idea of manufacturing a ready-to-use cotton swab. He found the Leo Gerstenzang Infant Novelty Co., a firm which marketed baby care accessories.  The product was originally called Baby Gays and in 1926, the labels were changed to read Q-tips^® Baby Gays. Later the name Baby Gays was discarded and Q-tips^® became the identifying mark for cotton swabs. The Q in Q-tips^® stands for quality and the word tips describes the cotton swab at the end of the stick. In the 1950's Q-tips^® were recognized by Hollywood glamour and partner with America's top Hollywood makeup artist, Ern Westmore, to create the "Lesson in Loveliness with Q-tips^®" booklet. The most common use for cotton swabs is to clean or scratch the ear canal and/or to remove earwax but this is not a medically recommended method for removing earwax. Cotton swabs are also commonly used for applying and removing makeup, as well as for household uses such as cleaning and arts and crafts.

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

MY LATEST SQUISHY

Yesterday I received a squishy from Doris, my April swap partner for Quilting Block Swaps Australia.

This beautiful block came all the way from Australia and will be a wonderful addition to the previous blocks I have received.  I love the fabric with it's tiny little flowers and Doris' sewing is perfect.  Thank you so very much, Doris!

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

ANOTHER WIN :P

I seem to have been on a winning streak last month :)  Yesterday I received....

This great book.  I was lucky enough to win the giveaway that Alderwood Quilts hosted in March.  There are some great patterns in the book and will be a great resource for a quick project.  Thank you, Sue!

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

ON TO PLAN B

Yesterday I didn't get to start putting together my Layer Cake quilt.  The instructions didn't get posted so I went to plan B.  I started another project....

This is the first block for Secrets Of Life by Art To Heart.  I made the block larger than the end product just in case there was any shrinkage from the applique and/or stitching.  I still have to blanket stitch the flower head and all parts of the house but so far I am enjoying the process. 

I also continued working on my Baltimore block......

Sorry for the dark picture, but with the clouds having moved in I had to rely on artificial light.  Obviously I didn't take the photo in the best location.  I still need to work on perfecting my points as evident by the leaf points.  I have been using a glue stick to help hold the seam allowances in place and so far that seems to work well.

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

TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will finish the blanket stitch on the block I started yesterday.  If the Layer Cake layout is released I will cut out the sashing and border so I'm prepared for Monday.

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

GIVEAWAYS

Hawthorne Threads is having their weekly giveaway.  You could win a complete Carolyn Gavin Spring Street fat quarter bundle.  The winner will be selected Wednesday, April 6.

The Curious Quilter is having a giveaway.  You could win either a set of 80 five-inch squares, or choose a set of 500 two-inch squares.  This giveaway ends Saturday, April 16, at 11:59 pm CDT.

Don't Look Now is having a giveaway.  You could win one of three beautiful patterns.  This giveaway will end April 14.

You still have a chance to enter my 200th Post Celebration Giveaway!  Wouldn't you like to win a $25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop?

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

FINAL THOUGHT

Yesterday evening my DH donated blood.  Well, not really.  He actually was a  Apheresis platelet donor. Platelet transfusions are traditionally given to those undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia, multiple myeloma, bone marrow transplant, radiation treatment, organ transplant or surgeries such as cardiopulmonary bypass.  This process takes about two hours.  I am quite proud of him for doing this.  While he is donating he gets to be in the VIP area where he can watch TV and the nurses give him extra attention.  Unfortunately they do not want my blood.  There are too many unanswered questions about ALS and they don't want to take the risk of possibly passing on the disease.  I don't blame them.  But I'm fully behind my DH.  I hope his platelets are able to help someone who truly needs them.  More donors are always needed as platelets

Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.

~Author Unknown

Friday is here - make it fun and fabulous!!

My Mini Is Ready

Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.
~Peter T. Mcintyre

I read lots and lots of blogs daily.  I love seeing what is going on out there in blogland.  I like to see what others are making, creating, and designing.  I enjoy reading about what's happening in others lives (no, I'm not a stalker).  There are times I wish I could give a hug in times of sorrow and give high fives in times of triumph.  I do my best to leave a comment.  Some of those comments may be just one or two words - beautiful!.....wonderful!  I don't even expect a response to my comments.  There is one thing I don't usually do......I don't generally read the comments left by others.  I like to leave my own thoughts without influence by others.  There are times I have gone back through and read the comments left but not very often.  I was wondering if this is strange.  Should I be reading all of the comments left before mine?  I sometimes will read just the one or two before mine - but always after I have written and posted my comment.  What do you do?  Do you read every comment left for the blogger?  Just curious.

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

PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Tatting

Today is International Tatting Day.  No fooling - it really is!  Tatting is the skill of making delicate, elegant tatted lace. It is enjoyed by thousands of people. On this day, "tatters" around the world have different activities, mostly educational, to celebrate their hobby, and introduce it to others. Often, they celebrate by eating chocolates and making tatted lace. Some believe that tatting may have developed from netting and decorative ropework as sailors and fishers would put together motifs for girlfriends and wives at home. Decorative ropework employed on ships includes techniques (esp. coxcombing) that show striking similarity with tatting.  Some believe tatting originated over 200 years ago, often citing shuttles seen in eighteenth century paintings of women such as Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Madame Adelaide (daughter of Louis XV of France), and Anne, Countess of Albemarle. A close inspection of those paintings shows that the shuttles in question are too large to be tatting shuttles, and that they are actually knotting shuttles. There is no documentation, nor any examples of tatted lace, that date prior to 1800. All of the available evidence shows that tatting originated in the early 19th century."

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

ANOTHER SWAP BLOCK

Yesterday I made another block for my second swap partner in Block Swap Adventure.  As there were an odd number of members this month, and since I am the hostess of this group, I decided that I would be the one to have two swap partners this month.

Heidi requested a log cabin. And as many of you know, this is not my favorite block to make. I should have stopped before I had even begun.........

After putting in just my fourth seam I discovered I had made a mistake.  Why is such a simple block such a nightmare for me?  The ripper did it's magic work, I sewed the piece on the correct side and continued on to make.......

this block.  Heidi had no color preferences other than she does not care for earth tones.  To me this looks like the sky and green hills that are in abundance right now around here.  Can you tell we had sunshine yesterday?  I finally was able to take a picture in natural light.  This block will be going out to Heidi today!

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

APRIL MINI QUILT

Yesterday I finished up my mini quilt for April.  Just in time, don't you think.

This pattern is from Count On It by Art To Heart.  The original pattern shows a much larger ric rack where the yellow is but this was the biggest I could find in the store where I shopped.  I certainly didn't do a good job of curving it - oh well.  Another picture in the sunshine on the green grass this time!

And here it is on its wire holder in my entryway.  I think its quite cheery and it made me smile when I completed it.

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

TODAY'S GOAL

Today the new Birdie Stitches BOM is to be released.  I plan to make the block and trace the picture.  Maybe even start stitching it.  But if not, then I can work on it over the weekend.

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

GIVEAWAYS

Fat Quarterly is have a sponsored giveaway.  They are giving away a $50 gift certificate to Fashionable Fabrics.  The winner will be selected Thursday, April 7.

Hawthorne Threads is having their weekly giveaway.  This week you could win a complete Denyse Schmidt Hope Valley fat quarter bundle.  A winner will be selected on Wednesday, April 6.

Little Lady Patchwork is having a giveaway.  You could win 8 fat quarters from Iz Scott's line of Sugar Pop!  This giveaway ends Monday, April 4 at midnight.

Geta's Quilting Studio is participating in the Quilt Album Blog Hop and Giveaway.  You could be the lucky winner of your very own copy of Quilt Album.  The winner will be drawn Wednesday, April 6.

U Create is having a giveaway.  You could win 5 Amy Butler patterns.  The winner will be announced Tuesday evening, April 5.

Quilt With Us is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of Julie Herman's new pattern, Raspberry Dessert.  This giveaway ends Sunday, April 3 at midnight.

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

FINAL THOUGHT

April 1st.  April Fool's Day.  I haven't played a trick on anybody in quite some time.  My DH usually doesn't fall for 'em and it's way too easy to trick the dogs.  When the DDs were growing up we did the normal kid stuff - "Your hair is turning pink" or "There's no school today" and maybe even "Look! It's snowing!".  I can't think of any foolery that was played when I was still working.  Real estate agents aren't always the most jovial bunch.  I will be cautious of what I read and hear today because you can never tell who might be trying to pull the practical joke.  It's a day to take things lightly and accept the practical jokes with a chuckle.  So be wary out there.  You just never know......

April 1.  This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four. 
~Mark Twain

Start April with a smile :)