Monday, March 18, 2013

Last week was a very Quilty Busy week!

My Two Owls mug rug received from Anola in Canada

My Winter Birdhouse mug rug Mug Rug Swap
 



Winter Birdhouse Mug Rugs Quilted by me
Two Owls
4" pinwheel blocks to represent the 23 Union States
Civil War Sampler Pattern
It has been a very busy and exciting week for me between Family Tree updates and Quilting.  In Monday's mail I received my 2 Mug Rugs from my Anola in Canada; a swap I participated in hosted by Michelle at the Quilting Gallery - wow she even included some other goodies for me.  Thank you - I love my new mug rugs - and in my favorite color scheme of tans and browns - the fabric, pattern and note card were so special.  I emailed her right away to say thanks. The patterns for the mug Rugs was from The Patchsmith.  I had sent my mine off to my partner in Brazil on the 11th so she should be getting them soon.  I will upload pictures of them to for all to see.  On Tuesday I got visits from my 2 girls Elizabeth and Nancy,  what a wonderful surprise,  I both of them are super busy and I was so delighted that they took time from their busy schedules to visit me. To top it off my youngest delivered a Christmas present from my daughter Marie.  Wow - it was a plethora of antique pins that she had gathered from her forays to thrift stores and garage sales...Wonderful, she knows I love these...and she has a great eye for picking them out.  one pin was a little sewing machine that I am going to pin to my Name Tag I have for my guild meetings.  Wednesday I spent  piecing my pin wheel blocks for my the Civil War Quilt I am making - 23 4" blocks in blue and gold.  I plan to square them up and sew the rows together tomorrow when I have my Civil War Club mtg.  So Thursday I finally was able to attend The Civil War Club at my LQS - my 1st time being there, it was so fun quilting with the ladies in my group, Carol Lee, Carol .  We meet 2x a month.  Then Friday I went to my monthly ASG (American Sewing Guild) mtg.  I needed to bring a jelly roll since we were going to be making a  strip quilt top.  So fun - I finished up my quilt top at home...(a little slow I was).  On Saturday morning I attended my Hudson Heritage Quilters monthly meeting.  Mary St John did the presentation on Fabric Embellishments - wow! she has great boards on Mary St John - Pintrest so click and enjoy her boards.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

And the Winner is!!!!

 

CONGRATULATIONS!

The Beat the Winter Blues Giveaway Winner is!

Goodie Bag


GAIL ONLEY - You are my Winner (# 80)  March 12 2013 @ 6:10am -
 Wow!  There were 113 comments in all and you all had great ways to beat the winter blues.  I loved the tips for new quilters you left. 

Gail's Tip for new quilters: CUT PRECISLEY, TRIM YOUR BLOCKS BEFORE SEAMING ROWS.  She beats the winter blues by going to the beach for a week in January.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Civil War Club

It's snowing here in Hudson Wisconsin this morning but it won't stop me.  I'm going to my Civil War Quilting Club down at my LQS "Sew little time"  I am looking forward to being there with my quilting buddies from the "Girls Night Out" retreat this past Feb.  I missed one meeting because I was sick but I am so ready for this one despite the snow.... I will update you later with pictures....:)

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

What lovley day today!

I am sitting here at the computer just checking out all the lovley responses to my giveaway!  wow almost 100 with so many great tips for new quilters.  I plan to compile your tips on a tip page - to come soon. yesterday I was quilting and working on my civil war quilt.  made some small items - I will share pictures of what I did yesterday..can't now it would spoil the surprize I have for my giveaway winner.  I enjoy reading the comments so much - you also had great tips for chasing away the winter blues.  I haven't been doing a lot of quilting this past week tho because I have been excittedly looking at old photos of my mothers family....Wow brings back pleasant memories.

last thursday I was talking with my brother Eddie in NY and he told me he had met a cousin by chance.  He was in a car dealership the week before and overheard one of the salesman spelling his last name to the person on the phone.  C-U-CC-I-A!  My mom's madien name.  He went over after the salesman got off the phone.  " Hey cousin I belive we are related"  he said, turns out he was our 2nd cousin after all.  He gave my brother his father's phone # and addrress.  Well Eddie did call him up and they spoke for some time.  My cousin Frank My mom's Nephew!  OMG how exciting.  Eddie gave me the phone # and I called - My cousin called back and we spoke for over an hour.  He emailed me some pictures of mom with her family - all my aunts and uncles, and my grandma and grandpa.  put a big smile on my face that day.  I knew mom was doing the bunny hop in heaven knowing that I was talking to someone from here side of the family.  You can guess what I was up to for the past week.  Updating my family tree! Yeah!  My mom died in 1964 so my memory of her family is very sketchy.  we did loose contatct with them after that. 

That's what I've been up to - how about You?

Dont forget the Blog Hop & Giveaway that is running for 2 more day's...Head over to the Quilting Galleryy to see all the participants.  Don't forget to enter for the prizes...

                                                                                                                          Diane

Friday, March 8, 2013

Quilter’s Blog Hop Party with Give-Aways

Beat the Winter Blues – Quilters’ Blog Hop Party



Welcome!  if you are new to my blog I hope you will take some time and look around.  I am fairly new to the blogging scene and have only been quilting for 2 yrs.  This Past January I made my 1st Pattern, a Piano Runner.  I had so much fun putting this together.   Check out my other Blogs too.  Creative Lady's Enthusiastic Thoughts and Quilting and Sewing Arts Studio  


It seems like this Winter will never end!! I’m definitely dreaming of Spring! To help chase away the Winter Blues, join me for a Quilters’ Blog Hop Party.  Like Michelle at the Quilting Gallery says, "This is the Winter that just doesn’t want to end."  I agree! so lets chase those blues away by visiting theses other blogs too....

Thanks to Michelle At the Quilting Gallery for hosting this. 
 

Now for my Give - Away!

 
I am putting together some neat items for my give away and I am sure you will be delighted with them.  For each 20 comments I will be adding an Item into a quilted Bag similar to the one in the picture below,  up to 10 items in all.  Enjoy the Hop! 


To enter the give-away: share your favorite way of getting rid of the winter blues in the comments below.  What’s the best advice you’d give to a new quilter?  The Winner will be randomly chosen on March 15th.  Duplicate entries will be deleted.  Sorry! but I won't be able to send ship internationally.  I will email the winner so make sure to leave me your e-mail.


Click on the Button below  to visit the list of participating bloggers:

Blog Hop Party with Give-Aways

Saturday, March 2, 2013

March's Lovely Finish choice

Thanks To:
Melissa of Sew BitterSweet Designs and Shanna of Fiber of All Sorts for hosting this Year of Lovely Finishes.

 

A Lovely Year of Finishes I was unable to finish my Meadowlark Row Quilt top in Feb so I will have it as my March Finish. But Thankfully I was able to do a lot at the "Ladies Night Out" Retreat I attended Early February.  I feel I did do a lot in those few days and I loved getting to know everyone. 
I really like this pattern it has challenged my quilting muscles.


Center Panel Row 3 - I will do some Trapunto on this piece.

Block #1 Row 2

Block # 3 Row 2

Row # 2 completed

Block #4 Row 2 completed with the Snail in the Center


These are my finished rows up on the Design Wall that need to be squared

On the center panel I was able to do some Trapunto.  As seen here on the Bird and below on the Butterfly

I really enjoyed doing some surface Trapunto and free motion quilting on the center panel.
 I have been out of commission for the past 2 weeks.  (It feels like 2 months).  I started out with a head cold the Sunday after retreat, OK, nothing much then on the 21st my eardrum burst and I was now fighting a raging ear and sinus infection with it's pain and dizziness.  I think the dizziness really got the better of me.  I was using my 4 prong cane inside my home and had to have my daughter drive me to see the Dr.  I am very independent and it is difficult for me to ask for assist.  Thankfully my daughter understands this and offers help freely when she sees I need it.  I am truly Blessed.  Today after a week of Zithro and ear drops I am feeling better.  much less dizziness and I am feeling more like myself.  Yesterday the Dr.  said that I still had fluid behind the eardrum (no more drainage) and that it should completely drain in a week or 2.  Whew! 
I have been able to do a small amount of sewing during this time but mostly been in bed or watching TV.  You could call me the preverbal "DIZZY DAME" lol! 

I almost feel that I can get something accomplished in my Sewing Studio today, Maybe.  I am taking it a day at a time.... I do need to finish my mug rug for send out on Monday.... So I am hopeful.  :)