Pennsylvania Dutch BOM Drawing Winner

The winner of the first monthly drawing for the Pennsylvania Dutch BOM gift certificate is.......

ERIKA from The Netherlands!!!!!

Congratulations, Erika!! Your gift certificate will be emailed to you tomorrow!

Kimberly and Kevin at The Fat Quarter Shop have generously donated a $25 gift certificate each month for the Pennsylvania Dutch BOM drawing participants. Thank you so much, you two! Making this block each month is going to be so much fun, and your drawing will make it even more so!

It's not too late to sign up for the Pennsylvania Dutch BOM. Don't forget that All BOM members will receive a $25 gift certificate along with their first block!

I loved working with the Wiscasset fabric by Minick & Simpson for Moda. I can't wait for next month! But next month I won't have a bowl of gumbo right before the drawing and fall asleep like I did tonight! Promise!

A New Blog to Visit

I was reading through Judy's stash reporters today, and found a new blog! Brand spanking new! In fact, I left her first comment!

The blog is Quilt2sr5 and her name is Penny! I see Penny loves applique, and is working on a fabulous new project called "Flowers Forever."

My Penny says hi to you, Penny! Congrats on getting a new blog up! I look forward to watching your progress on Flowers, and all of your projects! Penny and I predict that you'll have lots of visitors!

Stash Report Week 49

Pennsylvania Dutch BOM block makers, please go HERE to comment about your finished blocks and to be eligible for the drawing to be held around 6:00 tonight Pacific time, Sunday 11/29! Good luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Judy's weekly stash report has been an interesting one to participate in this year. I failed miserably, but am ending 2009 with new resolve! Judy is the queen of stash busting - my hero! Way to go, Judy!

I'm going to say this next sentence very loudly and boldly -- I DID NOT BUY ANY FABRIC THIS WEEK! No, I'm not sick! And, no, my button poking finger is not broken (although it needs a manicure)! I was busy in my sewing room!



I did bust 8.5 yards because I cut out and sewed about halfway through the Fig Tree Club quilt! 8.5 yards!!! Good grief, I can't even remember the last time I busted anything! One small step for a fabric collector .... well, I don't think that's exactly what Neil Armstrong said when he stepped on the moon! But I'm determined in 2010 that my stash room 'black hole' will be renamed "Tranquility Base."

Can you tell I've just finished reading "Rocket Men" by Craig Nelson? Oh, my! Even though we know how the story ends, it's an extremely good and educational read. I was holding my breath at moon touchdown! July 10, 1969. Where were you that day 40 years ago? Good grief, I'm older than dirt!

Year-to-Date Totals:

Busted: 184.75 yards
Purchased: 749.95 yards
Net YTD: <565.20> yards

Awesome Give-Away!

Vickie E a/k/a Spun Sugar Quilts f/k/a Mid-Ohio Quilter is having an awesome give-away to celebrate her 405th blog! Wow, that girl changed her blog name and had me all confused! But DO NOT go over there to check it out! I want to win! Me!! Thanks, Vickie!

Also a reminder that your Pennsylvania Dutch blocks must be made by Sunday 11/29 afternoon to be eligible for the $25 gift certificate drawing from The Fat Quarter Shop. Please go HERE to leave your comments about your finished block!

Ahhhh, the day after Thanksgiving! I'm about three-quarters through cutting out the Fig Tree Club quilt! I'm SO excited! I'm in my sewing room and am a happy camper! Penny is napping again. And it's only 8:15 a.m. She wore herself out yesterday!

Dancing with the Stars

After dinner, Skippy and Penny took to the dance floor!

Is there a mirrorball trophy in their future?

Happy Thanksgiving 2009!

I was up way too early this morning. I walked in the kitchen and realized I only have one dish to make, smothered squash. Mom used to always say, as she was fluttering around the kitchen, that we had to have squash because that's what the Pilgrims ate. And Dad would always wink at me and say, "She should know. She was there." I miss them so much.

Penny and I are heading over to Jane's later. Penny has a play date with Skippy. Camera is in the car - check! As you can see, she's all ready to go!



Looking back through the three years of blogging this is how my Thanksgivings past shaped up:

2006 - Finished the 100th block on Dutch Treats. There are 196 total blocks. I have 80 something left to applique. I guess I'll finish this one up in The Home.

2007 - Just got out of the hospital. Felt lousy. Spent most of the weekend sleeping.

2008 - Just getting over the flu. Felt lousy, but spent the weekend sitting next to Daisy on the sofa appliqueing and also caught up on BOM blocks.

2009 - Except for a tiny headache, I'm feeling great and looking forward to a wonderful day.

Penny sends her most heartfelt Thanksgiving wishes to everyone and their pets! I do, too!

Every morning ...

Pennsylvania Dutch BOM block makers, please go HERE to post your finished blogs and to read the rules. Drawing is this Sunday, 11/29! Good luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every morning this is how I find Penny's food bowl. I wonder if she thinks she's "saving" it. It used to be her octypus draped across it. The last few days it's been this awfully worn out ball.



Once she left a ball in the bowl of scraps on my cutting table. Maybe she's just marking her territory. I need to find that picture. It was too funny!

Silly dog!

P.S. Those two red bowls were purchased in August of 1980 for Katie, my first doxie. I paid 99 cents each for them. Three doxies and 29 years later they're still going strong. I'd call that a good buy!

Progress Stopped

Progress has stopped at least until after Thanksgiving. The shelves on the right once held Christmas fabric that is now tubbed up in fairly large tubs. I'm still discovering piles and boxes of various fabrics (Minick & Simpson) and those will be added to the stash during the holidays, but for the most part I'm done for now. I'm ready to sew up a storm for at least three straight days!



Penny has a ball when I open the door to the stash room. Tonight I found her sitting on top of a tub surveying her queendom. Well, actually she was probably looking for a Moda bundle to untie. She's so darn cute!

Tomorrow is going to be a bear at work, but I have my eye on the end zone! Four days off will be so wonderful! I'm probably going to cut out this Fig Tree Club quilt, and then work on BOMs. And I'm committed to piecing at least two backings while I'm off!

I'm giddy with anticipation! :)

Oh, I found an unopened box from The Fat Quarter Shop. I might have a guessing game after the holidays - what's in the box? I don't even remember. Stay tuned!

I've received several emails from folks who are completing their Pennsylvania Dutch BOM. Remember to either leave a comment HERE or send me an email when you've finished your block to be entered in the drawing of a $25 gift certificate from The Fat Quarter Shop!

Thanksgiving Week 2009

What a busy day it was today. I'm plumb worn out. The theory of getting a long weekend is good, except I have to cram five days into three.

For those who are making the Pennsylvania Dutch BOM, be sure to leave a comment HERE with a link to your block completion to be entered in the drawing. The rules are all posted on that link.

I worked all weekend on the stash room. I was real disgusted with myself for even thinking about undertaking the project, much less starting it. However, yesterday afternoon things started to shape up a bit in there, so I'm liking what I'm seeing. Now to lug all those heavy tubs of fabrics that were on the shelves down to the garage. It's always something!

I had one whole shelving unit with only Christmas fabrics, and I suspected a good portion of them were Robyn Pandolph Christmas lines. Well, I ended up with four large tubs off of that one section, and three of them were RP. I've made two or three RP Christmas quilts, and there is enough fabric for at least ten more. What was I thinking? Wait, don't answer that!

I'm real excited, though, about having all of the lines I love together in one place. I'm itching to start sewing again! I think I might just do that over the long weekend. I can always finish up in the stash room after Thanksgiving. My goal is still to have it all done by the end of the year. We'll see - but I think I can do it.

Penny has been SO helpful during the process. I stacked a bunch of Moda towers on the floor, and she thought she'd help by untying all of them! Now, some of my readers thought Penny might be a quilting doxie. Well, I now know for certain she's absolutely not! Why you ask? Because a quilter would NEVER untie a Moda bundle! They're too pretty to actually use! (sigh)

I'm pondering what to work on this weekend. Endless possibilities!

Stash Week 47

I didn't sew this week, but I've been organizing. Lordy, what a chore!

Here is a picture of three shelving units in my stash room in 2006. It was like a "color wall." Sounds good in theory but I hardly used anything at all off of it except for neutrals/backgrounds. I wanted fabrics there that I was excited about using - instead of having them shoved into a closet where I never see them.

This is what it looks like this morning.



What you can't see in this picture is the rest of the stash room. I'll save that picture for when it doesn't have tubs of color wall fabric sitting around.

And the above is why I have nothing new on my stash report this week! And may never again!!!

I'd say that's progress, wouldn't you?


Year-to-Date Totals:

Busted: 176.25 yards
Purchased: 749.95 yards
Net YTD: <573.70> yards

P.S. ROFLOL. I just read my post in the 2006 link above. Good grief, I lied!!! "I am committed to using up half (or more realistically a third) of this stuff this year. My goal is for everything to fit on the shelves. I have a closet of bolts for backings so I’m all set there. Perhaps some border fabrics or very small cuts of colors I might need for applique is all I will be purchasing."

Pennsylvania Dutch BOM Block #1

Can you believe it? Mine's done! I'm usually the caboose on the BOM train!

Many bloggers mentioned how much fun they had doing the Simply Sophisticated BOM together. So Kimberly and Kevin at The Fat Quarter Shop have once again offered to donate a $25 gift certificate for monthly drawings for the Pennsylvania Dutch BOM! I tell you, those two are absolutely the greatest!

The rules are real simple! First, and this is the easy part, go immediately to The Fat Quarter Shop and sign up for their exclusive Pennsylvania Dutch BOM! It's out of that gorgeous Wiscasset collection by Minick & Simpson! The blocks will ship around the 6th of each month. As soon as my block comes in and I make it, I'll put up a blog post. To be entered in the monthly drawing, all you have to do is make your block, post a picture of it on your blog, and leave a comment here with a link so we can all go ooh and ahh over your gorgeous block! If you don't have a blog, just email me a picture of your finished block to be entered. It's that simple. I'll announce the date of the drawing each month on the blog post. And if I do other posts before the drawing, I will always give you a link to get back to where you leave your comment.

Since this is the first month, let's have the drawing on, oh, say, Sunday, November 29th at around 6:00 p.m. Pacific time. That'll give you plenty of time to get your block made this month, or to order it if you haven't already done so!

The Fat Quarter Shop is also giving a $25 gift certificate to EVERYONE who signs up for this BOM! You'll receive the gift certificate enclosed with your first block! Mine is sitting right here by my computer. I can't decide what to buy with it! LOL. If that's not an incentive to join, I don't know what is!!

Don't forget to get your backing set while you're ordering! A year from now that fabric won't be available, so get it now while you can!

(Gosh, I use a lot of exclamation points, don't I? Can you tell I'm excited about this BOM?)

I know we're going to have a ton of fun this year making this BOM. And just to spice things up even more - Penny has advised me that three or four times during the year, her mommy should have another surprise drawing for the Pennsylvania Dutch block makers for something out of the stash room! That Penny! She's determined to make me bust fabric one way or another! So there's another little incentive for you!

This is going to be so much fun! So all aboard! This month's Pennsylvania Dutch BOM train is pulling out of the station!

Fig Tree Club

This week I received the first quarterly installment of the Fig Tree Club from The Fat Quarter Shop. I fell in love with the Cobble Stones Quilt when I saw it and had to have it! It's going to be a gift for someone special in my life. Woke up this morning wanting to start cutting it right away!

I wasn't going to join this club, but after talking with a friend about it and then seeing this quilt, I could resist no longer. Wow, am I ever glad I did! Fig Tree has always designed awesome fabric, and the Fig Tree Club is an ideal way for me to enjoy their fabric and make four beautiful projects a year!

I have to say here that I am constantly visiting quilt shops both in person and online. Although I buy from many shops, I keep going back to The Fat Quarter Shop for several reasons. They are the most consistent quilt shop with whom I have ever dealt. By that I mean consistently fast shipping, wonderful customer service, incredible packaging, and good prices. Consistent across the board, and have been for all the years I've been a customer. I first found them years ago when I was looking for an older piece of Robyn Pandolph fabric. At that time they had a special button just for that designer. I was so excited to find what I was looking for, and I think I bought out their entire inventory of the older lines! Yep, that was me!

Only one time in all the years of dealing with them did I find a problem - in a kit packaged by a fabric manufacturer. It was short one small piece of fabric. I emailed the Fat Quarter Shop, and within two days an envelope with that piece of fabric was sitting on my doorstep. I was blown away by their prompt attention and quick resolve. Having just had a two-week battle with another online shop over a totally incorrect order and their refusal to correct the matter, this was so refreshing. It was at that point that I decided The Fat Quarter Shop would be my main source for fabric, and I have never wavered from that decision. The Fat Quarter Shop has their finger on the pulse of quilting, and always carry the latest and best there is to offer. One-stop shopping!!

I bought almost all of my Christmas presents last year from The Fat Quarter Shop. They gift wrapped everything and shipped right to my friends! I didn't have to go to the mall, not once!! It was perfect for me, and I will do that again every year from now on!

I'm delighted with my Fig Tree Club package! February is a table topper project, April/May another quilt, and July/August a home decor project. I haven't done home-dec in years, but I'm looking forward to that! (As long as a zipper isn't involved!)

Every single package from The Fat Quarter Shop is like opening a present! And I chuckled out loud when I saw the little note on the envelope! That's what it's all about!

Stash Report Week 46

8.5 yards in a kit came in this week, 5 yards backing for a BOM, and 2 yards of a checked woven. That's it for the week. Well, a couple of other things came in, but they were purchased as gifts so no harm/no foul.

Year-to-Date Totals:

Busted: 176.25 yards
Purchased: 749.95 yards
Net YTD: <573.70> yards

I did make a quilt over the past two weeks. It's been quilted, bound, and will arrive at its destination early this week. I guess as long as I'm working on UFOs and finishing up odd projects, the sewing will not bust yardage. (sigh) It did feel good to finally sit behind the Bernina. It's been way too long. I'm motivated again, but need to finish up the organization first. I woke up this morning thinking of at least three quilts I want to start cutting immediately. That's a good thing! My goal is to have this place organized by Thanksgiving. I'm going to sew my little heart out over that long weekend!

Check out Judy's blog to see what real stash busters are up to! I'm just a wannabe!

Jolly Jabber Auction for the Children

I've got a lot to talk about this week, but this is the MOST IMPORTANT thing!

Please go visit The Fat Quarter Shop's Jolly Jabber blog and read about Benson and Claire, and the quilt by Camille of Thimble Blossoms that's being auctioned for the second time to raise money for these children who need it so desperately.

If you can, please make a bid on this gorgeous quilt. If you can't make a bid, a donation of a dollar or two would mean so much to this family. There's a link on Jolly Jabber for that.

Thank you!

Stash Report Week 45

I came in here feeling smug because I didn't think purchases were made this week. Wrong! ROFLOL. There were two receipts stuck in my stash report notebook. I picked up four yards of cheddar prints, and nineteen yards of Astor Manor.

Believe it or not, there are only a couple of things left to get this year, and I spotted one of them tonight while suffering insomnia and surfing the net. The other I ordered today. So I'm done. Next year I'll be a stash busting fool! Oh, and a cooking fool, too. I'm determined to cook one weekend a month and live out of the freezer for the remainder of the month. More sewing time!

Year-to-Date Totals:

Busted: 176.25 yards
Purchased: 734.45 yards
Net YTD: <558.20> yards

And I really feel bad about this, but I'm disallowing anonymous comments for a while. Feel free to email me, and I'll be happy to post your comment if you wish. Thanks.

Nabbed!

Keeping the camera handy allowed me to capture a scrap theft in progress.

Anonymous Said ...

On my last blog, Anonymous was back with a nasty comment. Someone emailed me and pointed it out. I'm going to go against my rule of deletion, and leave that one there for all to see this time.

Here it is to keep anyone interested from having to go search for it.

Anonymous said...
There is no way you can pay for all the fabric you get. I figure you are just a PR for Fatquarter shop. Also I never see the amount of completed projects. You must be an attention seeking Nutcase.

This one I WILL respond to. Anonymous went a little too far with this comment by attacking my friends. Sadly, I pretty much know who "anonymous" is because of some recent gossip that came my way. Sick, sick.

There is no way you can pay for all the fabric you get.

Yes, I can and do pay cash for all the fabric I get. I was not born wealthy. I don't sit at home eating bon-bons while someone else supports me. I am a very successful career person and I earn a extremely handsome income. Do I detect a little jealousy here?

I figure you are just a PR for Fatquarter shop.

Nope, don't work for them and am not associated with them in any manner except as a VERY satisfied customer. I pay the same price everyone else does there, or at any other online shop from which I order. I have become friends with the staff there over the years that I have been a customer, but have never met any of them in person. Will have to remedy that some day!

Also I never see the amount of completed projects.

Well, I'd say you haven't read my blog very thoroughly. I have been quilting since August, 2001 and have made approximately 150 quilts. I have six to eight that just need bindings right now, have two more being custom quilted, have another one going to a local quilter this weekend, and I have a stack of probably eight quilts next to my cutting table that need backings pieced. I haven't sewn much this year, I'll admit, because of Daisy being sick and losing her, then getting a new puppy, and because of an illness at work and the extra hours I'm putting in in that regard.

You must be an attention seeking Nutcase.

Attention seeking nutcase? Oh, right. THAT must be why I send secret gifts to folks without mention of who sent them. THAT must be why the majority of my charitable contributions are made without fanfare. THAT must be why I blog several times a day, day in and day out, just to draw attention to myself. Thank you for pointing that out.

Sheesh.......

Comments? Anyone? Might as well get all this over and done with now.

My apologies to The Fat Quarter Shop for being drug into this. There isn't a finer group of folks on the face of the earth.

--------------------------------------------------------

EDIT: The discussion is now closed. To my friends and fellow quilters and bloggers, thank you for your support.

This is So Exciting!!

As everyone who knows me knows -- I'm a HUGE fan of Minick & Simpson fabrics, patterns ... everything! I always carefully scour the market pictures to see what new designs they have coming our way! Kimberly at The Fat Quarter Shop can attest to that because I email her things like, "I want to make that quilt in the Minick & Simpson booth! Order that one, please please!!"

Recently a Moda Designer Half Square Triangle Challenge was held at Fall Market. The designers traded half square triangles, and their challenge was to make a quilt from those HSTs. There were some very pretty quilts made by those talented folks!

Laurie Simpson made this quilt. Yes, THE Laurie Simpson!



When I saw on the Minick & Simpson blog that this quilt was going to be auctioned on eBay, OMG, you can bet I was all over that one! I had been bidding and watching and bidding and watching. I even had it set up to get bid notifications on my Blackberry. The last day of the auction, I ran a bunch of errands and had just walked in Target when my phone beeped. OMG, someone had outbid me, and there were only a few minutes left! I ran out of Target and hightailed it home. Good thing it's very nearby. I got to my computer with only a few minutes to spare, made another bid, and sat chewing on my fake nails. I won the quilt!!! I can't even tell you how excited I was!

Afterwards, Laurie emailed me and asked if I wanted a label! You betcha!!



It's official! I have a LAURIE SIMPSON quilt in my collection!!

I also won a couple of other things from them, and I already have my bedroom planned for Christmas 2010!

Just need to get a sleeve on the quilt, and it's going to be hung in the breakfast room. I'll do that next weekend!

Thank you, Laurie! It was fun! :) :) :)

Stash Report Week 44

Nothing has changed since last week. I am still 535.20 yards in the red. Is anyone surprised at that? (rolls eyes)

Penny had two baby teeth taken out yesterday. They weren't wanting to fall out on their own, so the vet helped them along. He gave me the two teeth in a little vial. Everyone in the reception room laughed when I said, "Oh, look, Penny! You can put these under your pillow tonight!"

I'm sewing a bit this weekend for someone else, but hopefully it'll get me kick started. Miss Bernina needs to go in the shop for some cleaning and maintenance. Maybe I should do that before the end of the year. I have the smaller Bernina I can sew on while she's getting her dip and clip.

Year-to-Date Totals:

Busted: 176.25 yards
Purchased: 711.45 yards
Net YTD: <535.20> yards