Thanks and This and That

Look at these great wash clothes Trisha sent me. Aren't they the greatest. Isn't she so nice. She knit them for me. Since the only knitting I can do is on the looms I showed yesterday. And look at this sooo cute card she made for me. What a talented lady you are Trisha. Thank you, Thank you for your kindness.Here is what I have been working on. Strawberry Zing is almost all quilted. Yippee! Yippee! Here is how the hearts have progressed since last week.

Not much but still it is progress.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with all that brings you joy!

Em

Peace while Gaming

What's a mother to do? The wii has two controllers I have four children that does not include all the friends that migrate and settle in. All these bodies want a turn. Fortunately for me my oldest son's friend started a service project the week after Christmas collecting items for the homeless. One of those items was hats. Grandma had given us a set of knitting looms for Christmas a few years back. I pulled them out and while they gamed I sat down there and started making hats. It was a way to keep the peace, making sure everyone got a fair turn. When the kids saw the hats made up they wanted one so they joined in. It became something for them to do while they waited their turn to play. Everyone made themselves a hat. We also made 13 for the homeless. They are still making them. Thank goodness yarn is going on sale at JoAnns next month.

Ghana

My friend, Lea, stopped by today. Lea spent a couple years in Ghana a few years ago serving the people there. She continues to love and serve these amazing people. She opens her home to them when they come to visit or for their work. Her grandson just finished his eagle project for Boy Scouts he collected glasses for people in Ghana.
Just before Lea returned she asked the dressmaker if she could have some of her scraps. She gave her a bag of lovely fabric. She only used her scraps to make erasers that she would sell for pennies to schools there. Lea asked me if I would help her make a quilt. I was thrilled to work with this awesome fabric. I helped Lea make this quilt. I quilted African symbols in the solid rows for her. It was neat to learn the meaning of the different symbols. When Lea told me about what the dress maker did with her scraps and how poor she was I wanted to help. I collected money from my quilt guild. They were very generous. We were able to purchase a sewing machine and cutting tools. I drew up some simple patterns and instructions for pillows and runners. (It is a little warm in Ghana to need or want quilts.) I thought this way she and other women could use the machine to make these and sell them to tourists, to improve their situation. I was so thankful to Lea for this opportunity. It was very fulfilling.
Well, Lea has gotten some more gorgeous African fabric. One of the men she knew in Ghana brought it to her recently. Here it is below.
Don't you just love how vibrant it is.

It contains so many wonderful possibilities.

I showed Lea the rail fence runners and quilt I have been working on. I also showed her on EQ what it might look like with her beautiful fabric. So with a little instruction I sent her on her way. I look forward to seeing what she does this time.

Fat Quarters

I have heard it said fat quarters are what you get from sitting and sewing to long. Now whether this is true or not, I have some unwanted fat quarters on my person. In an attempt to get some help and to celebrate when I accomplish this I have here 15 fat quarters. Each one representing a pound I would like to lose. They are bright happy colors for it will be joyous when I meet this goal. Each Monday for the next three month (I am hoping that I can accomplish this by then) I will let you know how many fat quarters I have lost. Anyone who leaves a word of encouragement here is entitled to a chance at these lost fat quarters. If I lose more than one fat quarter during the week I will have more than one winner. So there will be fifteen chances to win. Thanks for your help may we all be successful in our fat quarter quest.
Em

Lovin' It

I have been putting a dent in my red scraps and this is what I have to show so far. I must be a slow sewer because this does not seem like a lot. But it takes me a while to get these bitty pieces cut and then sewn together. The strips in the hearts finish at 1/2" and I know Nanette's scrappy hearts called for 2 1/2" squares but I wanted my hearts to be smaller when finished so mine are 1 1/2" squares. But oh do I love these great hearts. They are going to be great hanging on my wall.

Here is another one in the works. And I have more squares cut to make a few more. I have also been working on another improve block. Here are the two I have done.

And here are my blocks from the Friday Block Party. I am using my pastel, bright scraps for these blocks. I really am trying to put a dent in my overflowing scrap bag.

So here are all my recent projects on my wonderful, new design wall. Thanks to hubby and boys. Everything on this wall has come from the scrap bag. Little by little we will use up those precious pieces of fabric.

Have a great weekend!!!

Em

Plans and a Peak

I have been seeing a lot of fun Valentiney things out in blog land. Sadly this is an area that I am lacking in. So I dumped out my scrap bag.

Pulled out all my fun bright reds. Nothing says I love you like a great red. I plan today to put them to good use. Maybe I'll make some of Nanette's fun little hearts, or Jacquie's cute little hearts, then again there are Heleen's sweethearts. Oh the possibilities. Needless to say we are going to have fun sewing today. And a little sneak peak of my newest design. I'm calling it Strawberry Zing. DD can't wait to claim it her own.

Hope you have a great day!

Em

Project Improv

I am having so much fun with project improv. Over the weekend I made a journal cover. I started by cutting strips. and sewing them together in strips of two. Then I set the strips on top of each other so that opposite strips were on top of each other.

Then I took my ruler and rotary cutter and cut these stacked strips at a diagonal.

I separated them and put the top side of one with the bottom side of the other.

Then sewed them together

I repeated this process until I had a piece big enough to cover the journal.

I sew three brown strips to the bottom, added red flowers and embroidered stems. I am quite pleased with how it turned out.

My Talented Friends

First I would like to thank Shari for this award. It was so nice of her and a great compliment. Thank you Shari. The meaning of this award:
This blog invests and believes in Proximity- nearness in space, time and relationships.
These blogs are exceedingly charming.
These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends .
They are not interested in prizes for self-aggrandizement!
Our hope is that when the ribbon of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated.
I'm supposed to pass this award on to fellow bloggers, to include the above text in their blog.

Those I would like to pass it on to are:

Tina, Peg, Trisha, Donna, Marleen, Bren and Karen. These wonderful women have been generous, kind and supportive of me. Check out their blogs and get to know them.

Now as promised show and tell from my quilt guild meeting Thursday. This sweet baby quilt was made by Lou. Look at all her wonderful machine embroidery.

Next these fun frogs from Denise.

These lovely fall stars by Sue

And by the lovely Delores who told us, that her fabric has taken over her closet so she is stash busting this year, this red, white and black quilt.

And this beautiful scrappy.

And from my ever so generous friend Sue this lovely red and white.

And this cozy feeling quilt.

And this lovely table topper
Look how lovely her quilting is. She is going to teach this in our next quilt meeting. Exciting!
And from Sue T these darling little Santas. Aren't they just precious. And look how lovely Sue's nails are. Pretty, pretty.

And from Michelle this wonderful southwest quilt. I just love this.

And this little beauty,

And this gorgeous quilt.

So there you have the beautiful handiwork of my most wonderful friends.

Have a great day!

Em

It's Like Christmas

You know my sister Julie, the scrapbooker. My sister Becky, the photographer. Now I'd like to introduce you to my sister Lori, the cook. She just started her cooking blog. So go and welcome her to blog land. Then you will know all my lovely sisters. I also have a wonderful brother who somehow survived all this femininity. My boys think he is the greatest! I don't think they are to far off their mark. He is pretty neat. But your chances of meeting him in blog land are very slim. If on the other had you want to go jeeping, rifle shooting, camping or motorcycle riding. He'll be there for ya.

Yesterday was quilt guild day. YEAH!!! I left a little early so I could make some copies and pick up some fabric for a quilt I am working on. I got this fun green dot and hot pink ric rac. There is just a small piece of it here I started using the rest on my quilt. Silly me, I figured how may blocks I had down one side and how many I had along the top. But forgot that there are two sides and a bottom so I only go half of what I needed. Fortunately I'll be going that way again tomorrow and can get the other half. I also stopped at a thrift shop I really like to look for wool. A certain color tag is 50% of on Thursdays. Yesterday it was green tags so I found these sweaters. I'm going to try felting them. I've been wanting to try this for a while now. If I'm successful I'll do a little tute on it.

Had a wonderful time at guild meeting. I'll show pics of that Monday. But I just have to show you the lovely gift my friend, Sue gave me. Just as I was about to sneak out. I had to get back to pick up jr. high carpool. Which reminds me I just got a double bonus. My friend Heidi is back from Israel. It has gotten to scary over there so she and her children have returned. They are safe and here. First part of the great bonus. Second part she has joined our carpool and will be picking up on Thursdays so I won't have to leave quilt guild early anymore. Yippee! Yippee! Now back to Sue. She sees me leaving and tells me to wait she has something for me. I walk out with her to her car and look at what all she gave me. This pretty box.

And just guess what was in it. Come on now guess...

Okay I'll show you. Look at all this pretty fabric.

But that is not all. She had a bag with all this great southwest fabric.

And this bundle of fat 1/8th

Then there was another box full of these little pretties.

Don't you just love the softness of these pinks, greens, and browns.

Now how did I get so lucky? I'll never know. THANK YOU! THANK YOU, SUE!

Becoming a beautiful flower

Do you remember a while ago I told you of a dear friend that through no fault of her own was going through some hard times. Well look what she brought me. These beautiful paper whites. She wanted to thank me, though I have not done anything for her that she would not done for me. As I look at these lovely flowers I think of how they came to be so. These little bulbs where once safe in a warm bin at the garden center. But they were rudely taken from their comfort zone and put into a cold, dark environment where they stayed for weeks. This treatment causes them to put out roots and tiny shoots. As they peek their tiny shoots up they are moved to a warmer location and they grow some more. Finally they are brought out to shine and show all their glory.
Isn't this process so much like life. How often are we pulled out of our comfort zone into a cold and dark environment. As we struggle we put out roots to keep us stead and shoots to reach to new heights. And slowly we become the beautiful flower we were created to be.