New winner...

Since I didn't hear from the winner of the Fat Quarter Bundle, I went ahead and drew a new name.  Congratulations Shannon!  Again you have 5 days to email me with your address so I can get them in the mail to you.

Although my posting has slowed down a little lately, I'm still plodding along here.  In fact, I managed to finish painting the kitchen ceiling today.  Whew!  I'm SO glad to be done with that task.  Only a couple more painting jobs and I can take a break.  I'm also working on several quilts right now and hope to have another top completed in the next day or two.  I'll share pictures once I hit that point.

Until then, here's a picture of my parent's cat, Cricket.  She sat in this same pose for the longest time, although I think she looks uncomfortable.  Cats are strange creatures...

Cricket in her box

Until later...

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer... 

Psalm 19:14 (NLT)

Stash Report Week #24...

June 11 - 17, 2011

FYI - I'm out of town this week and unable to send email.  If you've commented, please know that I'm reading them, but can't respond until I return home!

This is the first week in a while where I used more than I bought.  And I can safely say, I won't be repeating it next week!  The only incoming fabric was 2 yards of this black stripe.

Out of Africa 5764 Black Wood by Blank Textiles

I used this fabric in the Star Crossed quilt I just finished as well as for the binding.  I'm also using it in another quilt I'm currently working on and didn't have enough to finish.  I really think this fabric is striking - especially when used for the binding.

I somehow managed to finish not one, but two quilts this week!  Wow!  That hasn't happened in like forever.  I'm going to write a separate post for each one so I can quickly refer back to the details in the future.  Therefore, I'll wait until then to show more pictures of them.

The quilts I finished were Star Crossed and Man Cave.  I used 2 yards for the backing and binding of the first and another 4.5 yards for the second.

So...
Purchased-this-week: 2 yards
Used-this-week: 6.5 yards
Purchased-to-date: 140 yards
Used-to-date: 78.5 yards
Net used: -61.5 yards

 I took a picture of Cricket (my parent's cat)  hanging out in a window today.  She's the mom to my Jack and Sam.

Cricket in the library window

Just a reminder that you can still enter my giveaway by leaving a comment on this post.

Until later...

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 

2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)

Stash Report Week #8 (back in the red)...

February 19 - 25, 2011

So I managed to stay in the black for a total of one week. On the positive side, I caught a cold and had to skip going to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival yesterday.  I can only imagine what my totals would have been had I made it to the show (and vendors).

Yesterday I went to Quilts Like Crazy to see if they had any fabric I could use for the backing to my Mystery quilt.  Even though I bought one of the fabrics in the quilt from there, I had it stuck in my head that they didn't have very much of it left.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out I was wrong.  (How often can you say that?)  I bought 6.5 yards of this black batik to use for the backing and binding.

As for what I've accomplished this week, that would be pretty much nothing.  I worked a little on my Winter Wonderland block (see last post), but have spent almost no time at all in my sewing room lately.  I've been very run down this past week and I'm finding it hard enough just to get done the things that have to get done.

So...
Purchased-this-week: 6.5 yards
Used-this-week: 0 yards
Purchased-to-date: 42.5 yards
Used-to-date: 38 yards
Net used: -4.5  yards

I'm not even going to guess if I can make this up next week.  I still feel like crawling right back in bed and pulling the covers over my head.

This is a picture of my parent's cat Cricket from last weekend.  I love these kind of shots...

Until later...

“Trust God all the time. Tell him all your problems, because God is our protection.”  

Psalm 62:8 (NCV)

Cats and boxes, bags and fabric...

If you have a cat, you know how much they love boxes, bags and fabric.  I thought I'd pay a little homage to these creatures and their obsessions... (Note: I took the first three pictures all within the last week.)

David on the freezer

Cricket in a basket

Moses in my duffel bag

David on the washer

Jack on my Christmas table runner

Moses in the laundry basket

David in my sewing box

Jack on my sewing box

David in a cardboard box

I've got lots more pictures, but I think I'll stop here.

Until later...

“Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”  

Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)

Stash Report Week #37...

September  10-16, 2010

Another week has gone by with not a great deal to report.  My poor machine has been in the shop since Monday and I'm not sure when I'll get her back.  Late last week she started acting up and the needle will no longer move to the right.  Because I use my walking foot for piecing and move the needle to get my quarter inch seam, that's an absolute must for me.

While I was dropping her off, I took a look around the store, Carolina Sew-n-Vac.  They've gotten a number of new fabric lines in and they're starting to carry a lot more pre-cuts.  I picked up 2 charm packs while I was there - Pure and Luna Notte.  I already have one of each, but I've noticed that you can make most of the Schnibbles patterns with 2 charm packs and a background.  I find it's a great way to 'inexpensively' try out a new line.

Pure and Luna Notte

There are about 1.5 yards between them.  I also got a package in the mail a couple of days ago with one of my prizes for winning Viewer's Choice for the Pets on Quilts Show.  By the way, thank you to everyone who voted for me!  I won for the category "Dogs on Quilts" and "Other Pets on Quilts".   The Quilted Kitty
donated a ceramic cat mug and coaster along with 4 fat eighths of kitty fabric.

Prize from the Quilted Kitty

The fabric will be great in a charity quilt and my bee is headed to the beach in another week to do just that!

As for what I've used...  That would be nothing.  Between working on my CQ block, a week of jury duty and my favorite machine in the shop, I've been pretty much a bust in this department.

So...
Purchased-this-week: 2 yards
Used-this-week: 0 yards
Purchased-to-date: 199.25 yards
Used-to-date: 328 yards
Net used: 128.75 yards

 Here are another couple of funny pictures of Cricket, my parent's cat.  She's the momma to my Jack and Sam...

She looks just like her daughter!

Until later...

"For nothing is impossible with God."   

Luke 1:37 (NIV)

Home sweet home...

I hope you had a wonderful long Labor Day weekend.  Gabriel and I have returned from our travels where we had a great time with family and were both thoroughly spoiled.

I don't know if I've mentioned before that Gabriel is not a world traveler and she's not very fond of the car either.  By that I mean, she hates to get in it and when I force her, she usually pays me back with copious amounts of puke all over the seats.  Unless Mr. Quilting Bug (aka her hero) is with us, then she's on her best behavior.  But for various reasons it's usually just the 2 of us, a bucket of vomit and a trunk full of cleaning supplies.

I hope I'm not being too graphic for you...

However she was really a perfect angel on the drive down this time.  Thank you Benadryl!  Until we actually arrived.  I brought her to play with my sister's new dog, but she was a pill to anything with a tail.  She was mean and cranky and generally out of sorts.  But with a lot of this...

Gabriel sleeping

and this...

Papa and Gabriel

she perked right up.  And by the next morning she was full of vip and vinegar and ready to take on this one...

Chance and his new collar

Chance was the reason I brought Gabriel down.  They played and played and then played some more.  My plan for Gabriel to drop a pound or two might have worked except I forgot to account for a certain someone's constant need to feed anything that breathes (aka my dad). 

 It's a hard place to be if you're looking to drop some weight.  Or even maintain your current weight.  In fact, it's always best to wear some stretchy pants when you visit.  Luckily, I know the score and packed appropriately.

So I spent the weekend visiting with my family, eating copious amounts of artery clogging food and I even spent a whole day with my mom cleaning out her sewing room.  I love organizing things.  And sewing.  And fabric.  And spending time with my mom.  (Not necessarily in that order.)  So I had a grand time.  And when we were done, we had even found room to hang a few of the wall hangings I've made her...

Mom's sewing room

It turned out to be one of those rare visits where I got to spend a lot of time one on one with each of my parents.  It doesn't happen that often and I really treasure those moments.  I know I'm so blessed to still have both of my parents with me and trust me, I don't take it for granted.

I'll leave you with one last picture from my trip.  This is my parent's cat, Cricket.  She's the momma to my Jack and Sam.

Cricket in the pantry

Until later...

"God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things at all times having all that you need you will abound in every good work."  

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)

Achooo!!!

It's that time of year again.  The weather is warm, plants and trees are blooming and the pollen is making it's annual pilgrimage.

I always have advance warning when it's coming because it shows up at my parents house about 2 weeks before I start to see it.  When I arrived here last week, the layer of yellow was already really apparent on the vehicles.

You have to wash your windshield every time you go somewhere and you get these yellow streaks from the fluid mixing with the pollen.

This is a picture of an outdoor table surface.  The darker blue color is the real color of the surface.  I just moved a tissue box to show you how thick the covering of pollen is.

My doctor says you can develop allergies at any point in your life and the last few years I've started having a problem when this stuff shows up.  I'm very grateful that even though I get a little stuffy, it's nothing compared to some peoples reactions.  This year looks like it's going to be a bad one.  When I walk outside I can actually see it swirling in the air.  I was only outside with the camera for a couple of minutes and I had to wipe it down when I came inside because it had its own layer of the yellow stuff.

I guess that means no more open windows for a while...

I snapped this picture of Cricket while she was napping yesterday.

Isn't her daughter (Jack) the spitting image of her?

Until later...

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God - Philippians 4:6

March's Package...

My hope this year was to put together a 'quilting' package for my mom each month.  Sort of like the secret sister program I participated in last year on the HGTV Quilting & Needlework Forum.  She always been a sewer and made a log cabin quilt probably 20 years ago, but recently she's started to become more interested in quilting (and I'm encouraging that interest).  I hand delivered her March package to her on Thursday (April 1st). 

And now that she's seen it, I can share it with you.  Included in this month's package was block #3 of JoAnn's Imperial Splendor BOM and 2 magazines - The Quilt Life and Threads.

And this month I wanted to teach her how to make HST's (Half-Square Triangles).  It's a very basic quilt block and is used in so many quilt patterns.  To help her, I printed out instructions for making these units and included some tools that make things simpler.  First is the 'Quarter Inch Seam Marker' by Fon's and Porter which is a tool for marking your sewing lines.  Then there's a 4.5" square ruler by Omnigrid which is the perfect size for squaring up HSt's made from 5" charm squares.  And finally, there's the 'Summer Thyme' quilt pattern by This & That.  This pattern uses a lot of HST's so it'll be good practice and the finished quilt is small enough to make pretty quickly.

And what good is a pattern without the fabric?  So I included all the fabric to make the quilt - 80 5" charm squares from Indigo by Timeless Treasures, 2 yards of Navy and 3 yards of Snow Kona Cotton.  And she should have enough left over to use for another project!

And I think no package is complete without something handmade.  I finished 2 small quilts - both with a winter theme.  Here Mom is looking at Mr. Snowman and I also included Snowflakes.

I'm away from home this week - pet sitting while my family travels to Disney World.  (Who has the better end of that deal?)  Actually, I'm glad to do it.  I think my days of amusement parks are long over and pet sitting is more my pace. 

I'm watching 3 dogs and 2 cats while I'm here.  They're all older pets so mostly they just eat and sleep.  But like all animals, they have their quirks.  My sister's dog, Abby, is an American Dingo.  She's 12 or 13 years old but looks much younger.  She's missing my sister and her kids pretty badly and is crying a lot.  She also woke me at 5:30 this morning howling.  Every so often she breaks out in this mournful song.  I wish I could just explain to her that eventually they're coming back.

And then there's my parents cat, Cricket.  She is actually the mom to my Jack and Sam.  She refuses to drink out of a water bowl and has my dad trained to pick her up and put her in the sink whenever she's thirsty.  (I'm so glad mine haven't inherited this trait.)

She lets the water drip down her face before drinking...

She gets all nice and wet by the time she's done...

We repeat this scenario about 3 times a day.

The other 3 pets are fairly camera shy so I don't know that I'll get any pictures of them.

Until later...

'But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!' Romans 5:8