Alphabet Letters

I love blogs! Truly. I have gotten so many fabulous ideas and created some great projects, from lurking in blog land.

Last fall I ran across this post about quilted alphabet letters at the cutest blog - Happy Together. I thought - hmmm, I could do that for my bug. And then I thought - I could do that for the play group, and a cousin, and another friend. Pretty soon I was up to 7 sets of letters. That is 182 letters people. And it was great!



All of the kids loved them. And it really wasn't that bad to make so many. I did a few sets at a time. But I did learn a few things. Let me share. I did use batting as a layer and I highly recommend that versus just the front and the back. I spray basted mine after the first set was pinned. Well worth it - so much easier. I used chenille from an old robe on 2 sets, denim on the three boys sets, a fuzzy minky like fabric from a thrift store robe on 1 set and then flannel on the last set. All worked out great for the backing. The flannel was the easiest and still turned out great. I did not clip my edges and they frayed very nicely. I did the outline and then a few echo lines within the letters. Until the last two sets. By then I was tired so I just did the outline quilting. And I have to say, I think I like just the outline the best.




So when I do the numbers I think I'll just do the outline. :-)

Rag Quilt Love

I should ammend that to say Rag Quilt Dye Cutter Love. Another Christmas gift I made, this one for my (husband's) first cousin once removed. Hah. That is a cousin's kid. She and her sister live with her Grandma, the aforementioned Aunt-in-Law. (Argh - saga, family yucks, etc.) But the blanket is super cute!


I do like rag quilts, but I don't like the cutting. Duh, most people don't. One of the stores near me has one of those accu cutter thingys with a 10" fringe cut square. You rent the machine for like $5 an hour. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY I COULD GET CUT IN 1 HOUR? Gobs! And the fringe is longer, skinnier and much more consistent than I could ever do. Then you whip that puppy up in less than an hour of sewing time. Just love it. Need to do more of these. On my list...

(That seems to be my new mantra, On my list.... And I really do have one, in my head, of all the things I want to do. I think I need to put it down on paper somewhere. Or maybe on this blog somewhere. Yep. Look for it soon.)

Pennies for Penny

Today is the day! Today is the media blitz day for Pennies for Penny.

This wonderful family, and extended family, and virtual family, is asking that today we spread the word about Penny and her fight with Neuroblastoma. She was diagnosed just recently with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. She is only 11 months old. If there is an 'upside' (or any kind of positive word you can insert here and have it be appropriate), children under 12 months of age have a better chance of beating this disease and living a full and happy life. That is the outcome we are working toward.

Friday March 19 there will be an auction to help raise money to deflect the overwhelming medical costs associated with saving this little girls' life.

Go to http://pennies4penny.org/ to read about her, her family and for the auction details as they unfold.

Please spread the word. And keep her in your prayers.



To Penelope's family, I wish you love and strength through this battle.

Disappearing Figgy Nine Pudding Patch - or something like that

I am finally catching up on posting about some of my Christmas gifts - that I made, not that I received. Well, actually this picture is one I made for myself but I made one from the same fabric for my Aunt. (Okay, really she is my husband's Aunt. Can I call her mine? How does that work? Is she an Aunt-in-Law, or something absurd like that?)

I got the idea from this post way back last spring. (in true p.s. i quilt fasion i really need to loose the caps key from my keyboard.) i know this has been around and do you know how i know this? i was going through my sewing room, attempting to clean and i ran across a Quilt in a Day pattern called the Tossed Nine Patch which is basically the same thing, right? (getting rid of the caps key is very difficult for me, obviously.)


i have found lately that i am enjoying making things up as i go. i do like having a place to start, like the d9p. and then seeing what i can make from that. i think i am trending to modern quilting. and i am good with that.

Productivity - simplified

I have decided I need to be more productive. Or maybe it is more of a desire to be more productive - in all aspects of my life - with work, with family and around the house, and with creating.

And the big enlightenment, the epiphany, the ta-da moment has come. Drumroll please...I need to DO more things.

That is a sure way to be more productive.

Not just think about it, plan for it, research (aka blog lurk), wish I was doing, whine about not doing, none of that. Nike had it right - just do it.

So, I'm off to go do things. I'll keep you posted.

Roundabout quilt history story.

This is a wonderful historic story about quilting that I found in a round about kind of way. It is a bit long, but stick with it as the sentiment is strong.

I think it is amazing how life works some times. I work for a magazine printer. I often research different magazines and try to find out how to contact them (not for stalking reasons, strictly business here). I happen to run across a religious magazine that I would otherwise not have read (or realy even picked up for fear of being struck by lightening immediately) and saw this article. And it is National Quilting Month. (I wonder if they know that.) So many coincidences come together so nicely some times. (Okay this one really doesn't register that high on the weird coincidence meter, but still, I'm working with what I've got here.)

I've got a really good coincidence story. I'll be back with that one. I have to get back to work. (Yeah me.)

This is why I needed the geometry.

I was not going to disturb this as it was our prototype, and it took a while to get it where we wanted it.




And we needed to make 30 of them.

And we did. Thank you very much to my sister.

March is National Quilting Month

Who knew? Well, obviously a few people. (Namely Judy at Patchwork Times.) But now I know. And now you know.

So what are you going to do about it?

I guess we need to go quilt.

I'm in!

I get so inspired by so many different things I read on line. Especially on the quilt blogs where I lurk. Judy at Patchwork Times relays a touching story and follows up with this -

"Life is short! We never know how many days we have left, nor the circumstances we’ll face but my plan is to make the best of every day I have left. Join me and do the same, ok? Let’s all do it for Wanda!"

I'm in!