Penny is Such a Doofus!

I bought her a new bed today and she wouldn't get in it. I couldn't figure out why because she was trying to get in Skippy's bed with him over Christmas. I finally put her quilt in with her and she curled up and went to sleep.



Silly Mommy! That baby just needed her quilt!

Oh, I'm teaching Penny to twirl! By George, we've almost got it! Will try to do a video when the trick is perfected. Too funny!

I ran all my errands today, and now I'm home until Monday! Hair cut, UPS Store, Bed Bath & Beyond, the quilt shop, the market .... all in the beautiful sunshine! More rain expected, though, over the weekend. I need to grab a picture of our snow-topped mountains before they're encased in fog and rain again!

Will be cooking traditional Southern fare on New Year's Day. Jane, her sweet DH and Skippy will be coming over to share. Maybe Skippy will give Penny lessons on curling up in her new bed!

Stash Report 2010 - The End!

I was a good girl this year!



Very, very good!



Sure have Jolly Old St. Nick fooled, don't I?


2010 Total:

Busted: 447.98 yards
Purchased: 654.565 yards
Net YTD: (206.585) yards busted :(

Merry Christmas!

How did this ....



Turn into this?









I give up!



Merry Christmas to one and all from Penny and Vicky at LA Quilter!

Stash Report 2010 - Week 50

I surely wasn't good this week. Heck, I haven't been good all year. I was doing good, but then completely fell apart in the last quarter. Story of my life!

La Petite Ecole picture was already posted earlier this week but I'll post it again because I l.o.v.e. looking at that gorgeous stuff. 26 yards.



The automatic shipments got me this week. I'm not reporting a couple of things because they're gifts. However, two of them are in their forever home and I'm selfishly keeping them!

Scrap Basket Surprises Club - this quilt is from the Maison de Garance line by French General. I l.o.v.e. French General. Penny does, too. Of course, I had to again lighten the picture so she doesn't blend into the shadows. 7.45 yards for the kit and 4.33 yards for the backing.



The other one I'm keeping is this month's shipment of Prairie Women's Sewing Circle. Sadly, I haven't done any of these quilts this year, but I want to do all of them next year. (You know, next year when I'm only going to sew on the things I'm excited about.) 7.5 yards for the Prairie Women's kit.



Seriously, though, if Kimberly at the Fat Quarter Shop ever again offers clubs like Scrap Basket Surprises and Prairie Women's Sewing Club again, you all MUST join in. Those were both awesome clubs.

Year-To-Date:

Busted: 428.27 yards
Purchased: 644.565 yards
Net YTD: (216.295) yards busted :(

Oh, yeah, Judy's UFO Challenge 2010 - don't forget to sign up for that. No pressure. If you do them, fine. If you don't, fine. I'm going to try my best to get them done, though, at least to the flimsy stage. There's a button in my sidebar if you want to check out how we're faring through the year. Will be pulling out the rest of the UFO projects to photo and get posted. You know, saying it out loud and in public might make me just get 'em done!

AND my internet is finally fixed, I think, and Direct TV is back on line after being down for two weeks, and I bought my Christmas present to myself, a new TV for the bedroom. Yep, all is well at the LA Quilter household!

Oh oh -- sorry, I keep thinking of things -- I busted another quilt from my stash yesterday. It was a bright quilt on black background, which really isn't my cup of tea, but the recipient was delighted! Just goes back to what I've always said - every quilt deserves to be loved. Just make them and it will happen!

UFO Challenge 2011

Judy at Patchwork Times sure does her best to keep us motivated, involved and sewing, doesn't she? She's been beating us up for three or four years to bust stash. She's providing a ton of gorgeous quilt patterns for us to sew up during Quiltathons and sew-alongs. And now she's insisting we bust our UFO stacks! I have it on good authority that she was a drill sergeant in another lifetime!

Just kidding, Judy! You know I love you more than my luggage! (Name that movie!)

Anyway, there's the new UFO Challenge 2011 that I am determined I'm going to do. I'm not linking very well tonight, but I snagged the click-on button that's over in my sidebar, towards the bottom. Just go over there and click on it and you'll get all the info you need. Please, do it! As Mom used to say ... let's hold hands and do it together. It won't hurt so badly that way!

I'm going to list a few UFOs here that I want to get finished up next year. I'll be changing around the order of them over the next week or so to accommodate my busy life at work the first few months of the year. But after a year of practically no sewing, I'm going to just do it!

1. Bears in the Barnyard -- figure out those pesky mitered borders.



2. Judy's star BOM - blocks are made. Assemble and finish.




3. Designer Mystery BOM from the Fat Quarter Shop. Was that 2008? 2009? That gorgeous Moda Peace on Earth fabric. Blocks are made. Assemble and finish.


4. Rabbits Love Embroidery by Bunnyhill Designs. Figure out appliqued scallops on borders.



5. All Things Christmas by Bunnyhill Designs. Figure out appliqued scallops on borders.



6. A New Day by Brenda Riddle at Acorn Quilts. Assemble and finish.



7. Borders and backing for Diagonal Four-Patch Medley.


8. Borders and backing for Heritage quilt. For my bed!!


9. Holly Jolly quilt -- take apart and fix the border I messed up.



10. Pennsylvania Dutch BOM - finish last two blocks. Assemble and finish.



11. Sweet Treasures BOM - Assemble and finish.




12. Whatever.

Well, that list obviously needs tweaking. It's amazing the amount of unfinished projects sitting around here, most of them just needing a final border. Like Jane says, when we get to that point, we know what the quilt looks like!

I'll come back later and add pictures - so I can remember what they are! :)

Okay, I'm committed! I hope you are, too!

La Petite Ecole

The year's end is coming soon, so surely there can't be too many more boxes landing from the Fat Quarter Shop, right?

I swear, Kimberly packs so neatly. Whodathunk this was 26 yards?

One more box coming and I'm done!

I always say that, don't I?

Stash Report 2010 - Weeks 48 & 49

Nothing much going on here. In fact, nothing at all is going on in the sewing department. I am making headway organizing, and hope to start the new year off with renewed resolve to happily quilt and bust stash.

I only busted two yards in the last two weeks, and only received in 5.25 yards backing for the Paris in Fall BOM. Next week should bring more stash additions as La Petite Ecole yardage has landed at the Fat Quarter Shop! I think the Fig Tree Club is also going to land. Uh oh.

I am going to bust a couple of quilts for gifts out of my quilt stash. That's a good thing! Far too many I've made are piled up here and need to go somewhere to be loved. My goal next year is to gift away more from the quilt stash. It's funny, though, when I was looking through quilts, there are so many I want to keep -- my first quilt, my first applique, first paper piecing ... the list goes on. Oh, well, nowhere is it written that I have to give them all away! And then there are those quilts I've acquired through auction or purchase from my favorite designers. Those are here to stay. They are in their forever home! They ARE loved!

Year-To-Date:

Busted: 414.02 yards
Purchased: 599.28 yards
Net YTD: (185.26) yards busted :(

Ewww..........

Needlework Bag Kit Winner!

There weren't very many folks who entered this time, but that makes it better odds for those of you who did! I hate that there's only one prize to give away!!

Penny didn't cooperate at all tonight in pulling a name. She's in a snit because I wouldn't give her any of my burger. LOL. Oh, gosh, I guess I'm in deep cah-cah now!

The winner of the Needlework Bag kit is ......

COLLEEN of Crazy for Primitive Quilts & Gardens!

Congrats, Colleen. Please email me with your snail mail address and I'll get it off to you tomorrow.

And neither Colleen nor anyone else, for that matter, figured out what I was looking for for the lagniappe prize. Shucks! Maybe it was a little too obscure this time. Today is 12/7/10, the 69th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. I was looking for any reference to that at all. I know this was before our time, but just like 9-11-01, we should never forget!

I'll have probably one or two more give-aways before year end, so stay tuned. I just need to get up in the stash room and root around for something good!

Needlework Bag Kit Give-Away

I pulled this out a month or so ago for a future give-away. No time like the present time!

This is the Needlework Bag pattern by Pat Sloan. I purchased this back some time in the early '00s. I know it was that long ago because I bought it from The Quilted Garden, which is now The Quilted Crow, back when Marianne owned it. Some of you historians should be able to date it.

It's an interesting kit. It has roughly two yards total fabric, ribbons, a neat button, and other stuff to complete the bag - prairie cloth, ticking, a piece of linen. I don't think the floss is included and I didn't check to see if a Velcro fastener is in there, but if they're not, that's all you'll need to pick up to complete the project. There's obviously a little applique and some stitchery involved but I think it's a really cute needlework bag.

Let's make this a short give-away. I'll do the drawing on Tuesday night, 12/7/10, when I get home from work which is usually by 7:30 p.m. My internet connection here at the Quilting Condo has serious issues (grrrr....), and I'm scheduled for *another* tech to come out today. If for some reason I don't post the drawing winner Tuesday night, you'll know why. But it'll be posted by the next morning.

Nothing special about the comment you need to leave this time. Just make sure it either links back to your blog or you give your email address so I can contact you if you're the winner.

AND don't forget the "lagniappe" prize for the winner if she/he has that extra little something special I'm watching for in their comment or on their blog! Hmmm.....

Good luck to everyone!

Is anyone else --

Is anyone else as bored as I am lately?

Surely nothing exciting to report from the LA Quilter household!

Stash Report 2010 - Week 47

I don't even know why I'm continuing to report. Well, there's the comedy factor for my readers!

Busted this week were 9.75 yards that were given away. There has been absolutely no sewing done at all for months on end here.

Nothing purchased. After all, what could I possibly need? I know, I know. Since when has "need" entered into the picture? Seriously, though, I have my eye on one small kit at the Fat Quarter Shop that won't be out until later next year. I have a recipient in mind for that quilt. And I'm sure I'm going to want Charlevoix yardage when it comes out. Maybe some La Petite Ecole yardage. Other than that, I don't plan on getting much else in the coming months. Well, I guess I have a couple of BOMs on order, so the finishing kits and backings for those will be incoming. But my "want" list is much shorter right now.

The first six months of the year are stressful at work but I hope to at least finish up some UFOs and get them quilted during that period. I did that last year and ended up finishing about eight or so quilts. That reduced the bulk in my sewing room - although you can't tell because of all the FQS boxes sitting around.

I'm working on my New Year's goals. I need to get back to my "quilting core" here. Just need to figure out how to do that in a realistic, do-able fashion. It needs to be fun for me again. I need to stess less and enjoy more while sewing. I can do that ... I think!

Year-To-Date:

Busted: 412.02 yards
Purchased: 594.03 yards
Net YTD: (182.01) yards busted :(

Be sure to visit Judy's Patchwork Times to see how the rest of the quilting world is doing on their stash busting!

Snuggie

Penny received a present from her vet yesterday.



Doesn't she look *SO* happy? ROFLOL

Penny's Day

Penny had an exciting day today!

First, a trip to the vet. Since she had a bad reaction to her last shots, she had to have a benadryl shot first, so she was kind of loopy. But here she is coming out from the back with her best friend, Rachel. Even after all the mashed potatoes yesterday, Penny only weighed 10.8 lbs!



Then we stopped by Ginger's for a visit on the way home. In walked Ginger's DIL with a puppy! This puppy is being auctioned in a couple of weeks for a charity event. He's 11 weeks old, and Penny had a ball playing with him.



No, we are NOT going to the auction!

Black Friday. Anyone Shopping?

Me? I'm not. At least I don't think I am. Of course, there's always the Black Friday sale at the Fat Quarter Shop. I think I already have one of everything there, but I'll go mosey around just in case I missed something. There's a code for checkout, blackfriday. Don't forget to put that in like I do half the time!

Decided to get myself a new TV for Christmas. The one I had in my bedroom broke a year ago and I tossed it. I might take the one from downstairs upstairs and get a new one downstairs. Confusing? That's how I talk at 6:45 a.m. after gorging on turkey dinner the evening before.

I also want a laptop, but no rush for that. Maybe after the first of the year.

I also need a new vacuum cleaner. Mine is only about four years old, but the doggone thing is so heavy. Lugging that puppy up and down the stairs isn't good. I think I'm going to get an Oreck - or at least I'll go check them out. Need to find an Oreck store nearby.

Penny needs one more shot to be finished up for the year, so I'll call and see if I can't get her in today. And a mani/pedi. For the dog - not me!

The QuiltMobile needs an oil change and some recall work done. I'll call them but I really hope they'll full up this weekend, or their service department is closed for the holidays. Don't want to waste a couple of hours over there. My middle name is Procrastination!

I decided to clean up the sewing area yesterday. I moved mass around for an hour and then gave up. I'm designing my next house, and my sewing area and stash room will be on the same floor! Those stash report boxes are heavy!

That's it from here. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Countdown to you-know-what in 30 days or so.

Happy Thanksgiving 2010 - and Winner!

Penny, the little snot, woke me up at 3:30 a.m. I went back to bed, but decided that this time I would awaken her! Good morning, sunshine! Up and at 'em!

We're heading over later to have Thanksgiving with Jane and her sweet DH. I'm sure Skippy is SO excited that Penny will be there. Really, I'm sure he's thinking how nice it would be to have a day without her! At least they'll both sleep well tonight!

I picked up a bottle of wine strictly for its interesting label. I don't hold out much hope for it as what's inside is only described as "smooth red wine blend." Also picked up a bottle of white zinfandel just in case. Jane and I really need to decide on another way to pick wine other than the label! But we've had a few laughs over our choices through the years!

Oh, I said I'd tell you my Thanksgiving story, so here goes. It's a sad tale .... so try not to laugh too hard!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Probably has something to do with my favorite thing in the whole world - pumpkins. As a kid, Dad would wake me up really early and we'd share a cup of hot chocolate and sit and watch the Macy's Parade. My dad died when I was 21, so I look back on those early mornings with Dad as so precious.

A couple of years after Dad died, I found that I'd be alone on Thanksgiving. So I went to the market the night before and got everything I'd need to cook the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. I got up at 4:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning and started cooking. I cooked and cooked all day. Made enough food to feed an army. About 3:00 everything was ready but I wanted to wait until 5:00 to eat. I was in my new little house and I didn't have a dining room table yet. So I set the table on the bar in the kitchen, left the turkey and food in the oven on warm, and sat on a bar stool to comtemplate what a fine job I had done. I woke up at 10:00 that night when I fell off the stool. My dinner was "warmed" to cardboard status and almost everything went in the garbage. My Thanksgiving dinner at 10:30 that night consisted of scrambled eggs and some smothered green beans that hadn't been warmed to death.

I told you it was a sad story. Now quit laughing!

It's time to announce the winner of the Primrose Lane quilt kit. It was thoroughly touching to read all of your Thanksgiving memories. A few of you even made me cry. The little snot a/k/a Penny finally cooperated after much coaxing and pulled a name from the bag. The winner of the quilt kit is ....... GWEN!

Gwen said...
One of our most memorable Thanksgivings was during Desert Storm. Our youngest son was in the Navy and in the Gulf. We celebrated with longtime friends. One family's son was also in the Navy, the other's in the Air Force. That one was the only one at home. We all hosted trainees from local military bases. Signed up for 2 per family. When my DH went to pick up our guest he was told they needed hosts for another group that had just arrived the night before. He filled up the car and brought those home. Then he and the other husbands retuned to get four more each. 6 became 20! We had plenty of food, lots of fun and everyone called home after dessert!

Congratulations, Gwen! Since you don't have a blog, please email me with your mailing address!

But there was one more element to this give-away. I said that I'd be looking for something in the winner's comment or on her blog, and if I found it, then there would be an extra surprise in her package. A couple of posts back, I talked about Minick and Simpson and an auction they had for the Semper Fi Fund. So in that spirit, I wrote the word "military" on a Post-It Note and stuck it to my computer screen.

As you can see from Gwen's comment above, she totally met the criteria for the extra surprise. Gwen, I'm going to add seven yards of matching Primrose Lane fabric to your package for the backing for your quilt! Congratulations! And thank you for YOUR service on that Thanksgiving Day!

Thank you to everyone who participated. I'll host a couple of more give-aways before the end of the year. Please check back!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Quilt Kit Give-Away

The promised give-way is Primrose Lane quilt kit. I love this gorgeous quilt, and it was a tough call on giving it away. But I finally realized that it may sit for years longer here, but someone else may make it up and enjoy it a lot sooner.



The kit contains 14.82 yards of Primrose Lane by Ro Gregg for Northcott/Monarch. The pattern is from Timeless Designs by Elaine Waldschmitt. A fabric key card and full size applique template pattern are included in the pattern folder. The kit comes in a zippered bag. Backing is not included. The kit was priced at $175.00.



The reason I chose this one is because of the applique. In my October give-away, the focus was on fusible applique versus needleturn. This quilt can be done either way, and the winner might choose a method different from what she/he normally would do. For me, the joy of quilting is all about stretching and learning new techniques!

To be entered in the drawing, just leave a comment here about your most memorable Thanksgiving! (My story is kinda funny, but I'll tell it when I announce the give-away.) The drawing will be random but it must contain your Thanksgiving memory to be eligible.

The drawing will be held on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday 11/25/10, at around 7:00 a.m. But don't call me if I haven't posted by then because I might be sleeping in for another ten minutes or so! Remember - if your comment doesn't link back to your blog, you must leave your email address so I can contact you if you're the winner.

ALSO, remember I said in the last give-away that I'll be looking for something in your comment or on your blog. If the winner has that, then an extra goody that I think is kind of nice will be added to the package! Hmmm, I wonder what it could be?

Good luck to everyone!

Stash Report 2010 - Weeks 45 and 46

I knew it was going to be bad, but even I was surprised.

Let's see if I can find links to everything that came in from the Fat Quarter Shop!

Luna Notte - six yards. That's three yards each of 108" backing fabric. Backings for two quilts. A good buy!

Prairie Women's Sewing Circle Kit - four yards. I love this club. If they ever offer something like this again, you must jump in feet first!

Civil War Chronicles - nine yards. It's 108", so backings for three quilts. I love this wide yardage because I hate hate hate piecing backings. Another good buy!

La Petite Ecole fat quarter bundle - ten yards. It's French General, after all, so another good buy!

Maison de Garance - 6.46 yards of layer cakes and charm packs. These things are like potato chips. Betcha you can't get just one!

And finally -- ta dah! -- Aurelia's Journey Kit! It's 14 yards and I don't even care! Fell in love with the book and bugged Kimberly to kit it. And since I have that bolt (rolls eyes) of cheddar, that will be the perfect backing! Or one of those wide backings mentioned above. Whatever! I am going to start this on New Year's weekend and I can't wait!

So there you have it, all 49.71 yards. Good thing there's a give-away starting here real soon of 16.82 yards. That nets me out for the week only 32.89 yards further in the hole.

Year-To-Date:

Busted: 402.27 yards
Purchased: 594.03 yards
Net YTD: (191.76) yards busted :(

I was hoping that within the next year I'd get over Kimberly's way to finally get to meet her. But judging from my buying habits, if I got anywhere near Austin, I'd best have borrowed this from my brother in Louisiana to haul the loot home!



I'm SO bad!

The next post up will be the give-away! Might do it tonight instead of tomorrow since I have this nasty report done. Stay tuned!

Minick and Simpson

That title sure got your attention, didn't it? :)

Well, I have to say ... I'm over the moon about the box that arrived while I was in Louisiana.

Back in October, Polly Minick and Laurie Simpson had an auction on their Minick and Simpson blog. The auction was for the Semper Fi Fund, an organization dedicated to serving wounded Marines and their families. I never in a million years thought that I'd win the auction, but wanted to help this very worthy cause.

Long story short -- I won both items! As my friends and readers know, I'm a huge Minick and Simpson fan. I love their designs, their fabrics, their colors. Okay, I'm a groupie! I'll admit it!

The quilt by Laurie Simpson is absolutely gorgeous! I have been collecting wool forever but was slightly afraid of working with it. After pouring over this quilt, I'm now ready to dive right in. I even have a bolt (or two) of this dark blue wool. The prairie points add an interesting touch to the quilt, and Laurie's hand quilting and hand applique are fabulous!



Polly's wool rug is stunning! My flash washed out the dark blue, but the picture on their blog is true color. I'm so in awe of rug hookers, especially Polly! She makes it look so easy, but it's not. Oh, how I wish I could make something this beautiful!



I received emails from both Laurie and Polly after the auction. Polly also sent a letter saying that the Semper Fi Fund is a labor of love for her as her son is a Marine Colonel.

Semper Fi Fund has been added to my list of annual donations. I hope that everyone can find a few dollars during this holiday season to send to the Fund. Those Marines, and all of our service men and women, are what make America the wonderful country that it is! God bless you, Colonel, and thank you!

Laurie and Polly, thank you for bringing the Semper Fi Fund to our attention. You are both totally awesome! Your rug and quilt will be cherished forever!

Only Took Four Pictures

I usually fill up a camera card on vacation in Louisiana, but this year I only took four pictures.

I've totally fallen in love with my brother's Jeep. I drove it every day back and forth to the hospital. I keep telling Don I want it, and he keeps laughing. Oh, well, I tried.



The last night I was there, my nephew's girlfriend and her mother took Gail and I out to eat here:



And we had this:



I won't bore everyone with another picture of crabs! :)

My internet is finally up tonight. Well, it was up when I got home, then went down again, and then back up. They're still working on the lines outside now. Everyone in the area was down. I hope it's fixed tonight for good.

This morning I pulled the next give-away out of the stash room. I'll get that up on Sunday. My heartstrings tugged a bit at the thought of giving it away, but I'm just going to do it. And the reason I'm waiting until Sunday is because it will push my stash report (gasp) one post down. :)

Adjusting to Home

I got home Saturday evening from Louisiana, and Jane and Penny were there at the house waiting for me. Penny is a little snot! When Jane left, she stood whining at the door for 30 minutes. She wanted to go back to play with Skippy.

I'm wondering how my brother did today with his blood work and doctor's visit. Still have my fingers crossed that he won't need surgery again. I'll call him in a little while.

My internet is down at home. I called the company and it seems the whole area is down. Expected to be back up hopefully by Wednesday. We'll see. Meanwhile, it's weird to have coffee in the morning alone. I'm used to drinking it with everyone in blogland!

When everything is back up and running, I'll pull together a give-away. Be looking for that by the weekend.

Oh, and I was wide awake at 3:00 this morning. My body is still on Central time.

Greetings from Louisiana

This has been a difficult trip. The day before I got here, my brother was admitted to the hospital. This is a repeat of a problem he had about three years ago. It looks like he might not have to have a very difficult surgery, but we're taking it a day at a time. Please keep good thoughts on this one.

Needless to say, I haven't been doing any sightseeing or picture taking. However, I did screw up their house alarm today and had the cops come pay me a visit. Sheesh! You just can't take me anywhere!

I've been driving his cute little Jeep Wrangler back and forth to the hospital, about 25-30 miles - down country roads - with sugarcane trucks pulling out in front of me - and getting behind them doing five miles an hour for ten mile stretches. The joys of country living. Driving, though, has given me the opportunity to see a little of the back country. There are some gorgeous homes off the beaten track. I would love to live down here. There's nothing prettier than tall sugarcane swaying in the breeze, the field surrounded by hundred year old oaks dripping in moss.

I did stop last night on the way home at a country grocery store that has the best fried catfish and shrimp in the whole world. Lordy, that was good! Will have to do that one more time before I leave.

I might venture around a bit tomorrow when I leave the hospital and see if I can't fine a few interesting things to photo. There are a couple of street signs in New Iberia that I want to see if I can find again. Too funny!

Early Stash Report - Week 44

I'm so excited. My vacation begins Saturday, and I'm going HOME! For those of you who don't know where that is, Louisiana! Where everyone talks right and I don't have an accent! :) I'll be gone for a week.

No boxes came in this week, so my report remains the same as last week. I'm in the hole 158.865 yards. Still way the best report I've ever had for this time of year.

However .....

Isn't there always something else with me?

..... I poked a bunch of buttons this week. I really have to say that it's all Kimberly's fault. They have this feature where they taunt us with new things coming in the future. Oh, don't look puzzled. You know exactly what I'm talking about. It's that feature that says "Click here to receive notification when this item is available." Oh, yeah, THAT little button!

Of course, poking that button months and months before something is available is kinda fun! Apparently I was poking away some months ago - and I received a ton of "notifications" in the last couple of days. Sheesh!

And I totally forgot that I wouldn't be here next week. No way was I going to let Fat Quarter Shop boxes languish on my doorstep! Not a problem. I just asked them to hold and ship later, which they were happy to do! Of course, Kimberly asked me if I wanted it all in one box! ROFLOL. Yeah, I have a dolly that I can use to hoist that puppy over the door sill and into the foyer. A really big dolly!

So there you have it. Nothing ventured or gained this week. Maybe next week, too! But batten down the hatches for the week after that when the box(es) arrive!

Hope everyone gets lots of sewing done next week. I'll definitely have to figure out a give-away when I get back. Stay tuned!

Stash Report 2010 - Week 43

The only thing busted was last week's give-away.

I was feeling all righteous because I didn't poke any buttons this week - but yet looky what landed from the prior week's button poking!

French Reel kit and backing - 10.25 yards. I know, I know, there's enough Maison de Garance in my stash room to make fifty of these. But isn't that quilt cute? I'm thinking it'll be quick to put together (and then I won't have to cut into that other luscious yardage that I'm saving for just the right project).



See why my stash room isn't big enough?

Then there were 13 yards of Bliss that landed. I belong to the Moda Layer Cake Club and the Moda Charm Park Club at the Fat Quarter Shop. Mostly I give those away or trade them off with Jane, but I decided to keep these and needed yardage go-withs. Needed? Well, just in case I ever actually make anything out of them.



See why my stash room isn't big enough? Oh, yeah, I already said that.

Well, on second thought, I did poke *one* button this week, so I expect a package next week. The 108" backing of Luna Notte finally arrived at Kimberly's, so I had to get some of that. You know, to go with that Luna Notte that I stocked up on several weeks ago.

I finally figured it out. It's like a domino effect. I buy this one simple little layer cake or something, and then I end up with 986 yards of go-withs - because I never know what I'll need when I decide what to make out of it.

I've said this before, too -- I'm the marketer's dream customer!

Oh oh oh, speaking of Market ... I mean, we were talking about Market, right? ... Jane is there getting all full of inspiration and everything. I can't wait to hear her take on it and all the wonderful designers she's met. All I can say is it's probably a good thing I can't go to Market!

And on a sad note, for those of you who live down in this area, Ginger's husband passed away this weekend. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Year-To-Date:

Busted: 385.455 yards
Purchased: 544.32 yards
Net YTD: (158.865) yards busted :(

Christmas Past Kit Winner!

My modem is working for the moment, so I'd better get this posted quickly!

Penny sort of cooperated tonight.... she is kind of sad because she isn't in Houston at Market with her Aunt Jane! :) Her mommy is kind of sad, too!

Anyway, she pulled a name, but then I had to chase her all around the house to get it from her. Silly dog!

The winner of the Christmas Past kit is -----

Sandie at Crazy 'Bout Quilts!

And a little something extra will be in the packge for Sandie because she had LA Quilter down as a blog she follows in her profile!

Congrats, Sandie! Please email me your mailing address and I'll get this kit right off to you. Enjoy!

I'm going to be having a few more give-aways between now and the end of the year, so check back. Next time there will be something different that I'll be looking for. If the winner has that either in her blog or her comment, she'll get a little something extra in her prize package, too! Hmmmm, I wonder what it could be?

Christmas Past Give-Away

Nothing like doing the weekly stash report to motivate me to move stuff out of the Quilting Condo!



This kit is from the book by Mount Redoubt Designs titled "The Spirit of Christmas." The kit contains 8.535 yards of 36 different and beautiful batiks and the book is included. The quilt finishes at 47 x 56, or can be made into four smaller wallhangings. Instructions for doing it both ways are included.

I bought this in 2007, I think, but decided that I'm not real good at fusible web applique. I know it goes quickly, but I guess I'm just from the old school. (Maybe I'm just old!) I love needleturn applique. So the kit sat untouched.

Perhaps one of you will want to own it and love it! If so, leave a comment here and tell me why you prefer fusible applique over the other methods. I'm open to changing my mind on my preferred method! Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks after all! The drawing will be random, but you must talk about fusible applique in the comment to be eligible. And don't forget to leave your email address or a link to your blog so that I can get in touch with you if you're the winner.

The drawing will be held on Wednesday, 10/27/10, when I get home from work. Let's say 8:00 p.m. California time. That will give me a chance to walk Penny before she has to pull a name out of the bowl!

Maybe she'll cooperate this time since she seemed VERY interested in this kit!



Tuesday night note: The drawing is tomorrow night, and my modem is acting up again. So if you don't see a winner announced, that means it was out and I'll post the winner when I get to work on Thursday morning. Good luck to everyone!

Stash Report 2010 - Week 42

Well, what can I say? I've totally blown any hope of ending this year even! But, you know, that's okay. The numbers are much better than they were for the past two years, so progress has been made!

The Maison de Garance box came in this week that I blogged about earlier. Also included in there was a half yard of shirting. All total, 49.5 yards in.

There were some fabrics outgoing to friends, so 13.42 yards busted.

Before anyone judges my numbers too harshly, a little history for you.

In 2008, I ended the year 283 yards in the hole.

In 2009, the number was (gasp) 393 yards in the hole.

This year doesn't look so bad after all!

Year-To-Date:

Busted: 376.92 yards
Purchased: 521.01 yards
Net YTD: (144.09) yards busted :(

Pennsylvania Dutch BOM #12 - Winner!

This year working on the Pennsylvania Dutch BOM from the Fat Quarter Shop has been such a joy! Okay, so I'm behind on two of the months. I plan to get those done - maybe today. But first I have to find my sewing table hidden under piles of fabric!

I hope everything who participated found this BOM as much fun as I did! The blocks were beautiful and easy, and they were out of Minick & Simpson fabric! As far as I'm concerned, it just doesn't get much better!

The winner of the final $25 gift certificate from the Fat Quarter Shop is ....

CAROL!

Congrats, Carol. I'll email you in a few minutes.

I see that a few of you have already finished up your quilt tops! I am SO impressed! Good for you!

Again and again this year I've thanked Kimberly at the Fat Quarter Shop for generously donating the monthly gift certificates! You are so awesome, and you have the absolutely BEST online quilt shop! Your BOMs are perfectly packaged with more than enough fabric, and because you've tested each and every block, we can start sewing with confidence that the instructions are perfect! I have done a ton of BOMs from the Fat Quarter Shop, and each and everyone of them was a delight to sew! Thank you so much!

For those of you who are looking around for a new BOM to start, go check out what the Fat Quarter Shop is now offering in their Blocks of the Month section! There are three new ones I'm going to be doing: Night Before Christmas by Bunnyhill Designs, Paris in the Fall with the gorgeous Maison de Garance fabric by French General, and Civil War Chronicles with Judie Rothermel fabrics. There are several others there that are equally awesome, but I finally realized I can't do them all! LOL

So thank you to everyone who participated this year! I had a blast, and I hope you did, too!

Oh, Good Grief!

Another box arrived today! Maison de Garance. With the exception of one small box arriving next week, I'm pretty much done.



At least until after Market.....

It's time to start sewing up some of this gorgeous stuff!

Pennsylvania Dutch BOM #12

Yes, #12! It's been a whole year since we started this beauty!

I received a reminder tonight that I hadn't posted anything about this yet. Well, I was going to reply, I haven't received my block yet! But then I thought I'd best look in the finishing kit. Yep, there it was!

So the drawing for the $25 gift certificate from the Fat Quarter Shop will be held on Sunday morning, 10/24/10, when I get up and moving, probably around 7:00 California time.

Kimberly and Kevin, the owners of the Fat Quarter Shop, have been just absolutely fabulous to us this year with the monthly gift certificate give-aways. But more than that, they've packaged our monthly blocks beautifully - and they are always so generous with the fabric in each block! Thank you both so much! You've made this year unbelievably fun, and have certainly been a motivating factor to us to get our blocks made in a timely manner! You are THE best!!!!

So you all know the rules by now. Just post a picture of your finished block on your blog and leave a link here so we can go check it out. If you don't have a blog, just email me a picture and you're entered in the drawing!

This has been fun, ladies! Thank you for poking me when I got slow, and understanding when life happened this year.

Stash Report 2010 - Week 41

I have to do some serious moving around of stuff in my sewing room and stash room, so I decided to do my stash report today. Then I can get all of this put away.

Do you know what 100.58 yards look like?



Now you do!



Oops! I forgot to put the bolt of Clermont Farms in the picture. Now it's complete!

This is everything that came in this week, plus that kit that I hadn't counted before.

Starting on the left:

- The Twinkle kit for the Second Annual Fig Tree Club. Love those Fig Tree fabrics! And a layer cake and charm packs of Bliss. I probably need some yardage to go with those. Yes? No? You've got to be kidding?

- Clermont Farms yardage, lots and lots of yardage. One can never have too much Minick & Simpson!! That's my story anyway! And a Hope tower and tons of yardage. I spotted the Hope fabric when you all were listing your favorite fabrics last week in the give-away. You know who you are! Don't deny it! It's all your fault!

- That red, white and blue pail could only mean Minick & Simpson. It's the La Playa kit! I missed it the first time they made some up, so grabbed it pronto when they rekitted it! I just love that pattern! Below that is the finishing kit for the Pennsylvania Dutch BOM that a group of us having been working on all year out of, what else, M&S fabric! Then below that is the Prairie Women's Sewing Circle. This was a quarterly club offered at the Fat Quarter Shop that must be sold out because it's not on there any more. Lots of beautiful Civil War fabrics in that package.

- The last section over is that Robyn Pandolph kit that I finally got counted in, and a few BOMs installments. See those polka dots! That's the Tiny Town BOM by Anne Sutton that was offered by the Fat Quarter Shop. I haven't started it yet, but I'm itching to get stitching on it. I am going to personalize it, putting my old high school name on one of the buildings, probably change out that puppy to a doxie. I can't wait to start!

There's just one more little thing I skipped in the picture. See that lonesome charm pack there with the yellow square on top!



Charlevoix!!

It's official! I just died and went to Heaven!!!

Year-To-Date:

Busted: 363.55 yards
Purchased: 507.59 yards
Net YTD: (144.09) yards busted :(

To see how much better everyone else in the world did, go to Judy's Patchwork Times. Those folks are real stash busters!

I'm Done

For this week, at least. The last box (I think) arrived. 22 yards.

Unfortunately for my stash report, Maison de Garance has hit the shelves at the Fat Quarter Shop, so I had to load up. But that will be on another stash report, probably next week. So for now I'll just pretend I'm Scarlett and worry about it later at Tara!

Yep, I'm done.

For this week.

Until after Market.

:) :)

I Mean B-I-G-G-G-G Time Trouble!

As in Geez Louise!

48.5 yards in today.

Good news is I think there's only one more box winging its way to me.

I think.

But I'm happy as a pig in mud.

Today was a 100% Minick & Simpson kinda day!!!!!!

Can't wait to show you!!!

Pictures Sunday...........

I'm in B-I-G Trouble!

There was a box on my doorstep tonight from the Fat Quarter Shop. Good, one of the two or three I was expecting.

Wrong.

It was a whole big box of various clubs, finishing kits, charms, layer cakes, kits.

Tonight I sat down and figured out the yardage in that Robyn Pandolph kit that came in a few weeks ago, A Charmed Life.



Penny likes it! This is a lousy picture. It's a gorgeous quilt.

Anyway, altogether with that kit plus what came in today - 40.58 yards. And I've still have two or three more boxes coming this week.

What happened?

I'm surely set for life in the fabric category, right?

My retirement stash runneth over!

Oh, geez, I just remembered something else that will probably arrive this week......

I don't know. I just don't know.

Tonight I Scrub the Kitchen

Why, you ask?

Well, I had just taken the ham out of the oven, and sliced up a gigantic sandwich on a hoagie bun with really fresh tomatoes. I grabbed a Dr. Pepper out of the fridge and started popping open the tab. It exploded. Right in my face. And all over the kitchen, the walls, the floor, the cabinets.

I wiped up everything last night and mopped the floor. This morning the floor is sticky, so I obviously didn't do such a good job. The coffee pot is sticky. The canisters are sticky. The stove is sticky. The cabinets are sticky. So I have to scrub down everything tonight.

I had to wash my glasses three times to get the sticky off. Then I got in the shower and just rinsed my hair without shampooing it. This morning, you guessed it, sticky.

Kinda makes me wonder what that stuff is doing to my insides........

Oh, this is funny. When I posted the winner on the 10-10-10 give-away, I just noticed that my post was made at 10:10 a.m. That was purely chance. Reminds me of the time in the early '70s that I ran in the 7-Eleven by my house and grabbed a couple of things. Then I wrote the check, on 7/11 to 7-Eleven for $7.11. I wonder if something strange happened to me on that day, too!

Stash Report 2010 - Week 40

Another neutral week - nothing in, nothing out.

But, boy, do I have a couple of humdinger boxes coming in next week! It's scary!

It's okay. I'll bust them before year end. ROFLOL. I always say that, don't I?



Try taking a picture of a doxie who is so excited that I've been home all weekend. Every time I snapped, she started to jump down! Blurry and on the move - the story of my life with that puppy!

Year-To-Date:

Busted: 363.55 yards
Purchased: 407.01 yards
Net YTD: (43.51) yards busted :(

10-10-10 Winner!

What a fun group of fabric designers and pattern designers you all listed! Some of them were new to me, so I had a blast checking them all out. And, yes, I poked a few buttons in the process. Thanks a lot!! ;)

But the important thing is that, with Penny's help, I've drawn a name from the hat for the $50 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop! Yes, I have!

And the winner -- who I'm taking to Vegas because she's so darn lucky -- is:

DARLENE at Quilting Daze!

Congratulations, Darlene! I'll be emailing you in a little bit.

Thank you to everyone who played along. I'll be having a few more give-aways before the end of the year, so stay tuned!

I've Been Pondering

Uh oh!!!!!

It's okay. You can say it. I know what you're thinking.

Anyway, here's what I was pondering last night... my favorite fabric and pattern designers.

For years it was Robyn Pandolph. I still love her stuff, but her most gorgeous collections, in my opinion, were when she was with Moda. I love Camille Roskelly, Brenda Riddle, Joanne Figueroa, Judie Rothermel, Sandy Klop, Blackbird Designs, French General. These are the ones I search for first when the urge to poke buttons becomes too strong to resist.

But the fabric design team I keep going back to over and over again is Minick & Simpson. I love their colorways in the last several collections and that draws me back again and again.

I always think Prairie Paisley is my all-time favorite line, but then they come out with something else that immediately becomes my favorite. I can't wait for Charlevoix to hit the store shelves in January. I guess it's a good thing it's next year - new stash report and all!

The one pattern designer I follow like a groupie is Anne Sutton at Bunny Hill. I always get her BOMs and have made quite a few of them, and I look forward to stocking up on her new Moda fabrics, too. Anne has just the right touch of whimsy in her patterns to make needleturning such a joy. I smile a lot when working on a Bunny Hill pattern!

Of course, I'd be remiss not to mention Carrie Nelson at Miss Rosie's. Who doesn't love her patterns! And Judy Laquidara at Patchwork Times. We all love her designs and her blog!

So here's what I was really thinking. It's time for a give-away. It's an easy one. Just leave a comment with 1) your all-time favorite fabric designer, and 2) your all-time favorite pattern designer, and you'll be in the drawing to win something. ROFLOL. I don't know what yet. I mean, it's 5:50 in the a.m. on a Saturday. I haven't thought it all out. The drawing will be random but you must have the two choices in your comments to be eligible.

Oh, oh, wait -- how about a $50 gift certificate to my favorite store, the Fat Quarter Shop! I adore that store!!
Yeah, that'll work!

This will be a quickie -- tomorrow morning, Sunday 10-10-10 at, when else, 10:00!! I didn't even realize that date until I just glanced at the calendar! Perfect time for a give-away!!

Good luck!! And you can thank Penny for waking me up so early!

Busted!

Me. I'm busted. You all busted me!

I used a gift certificate all right. Okay, so you threw in that caveat that I had to count it as stash if it was a gift cert *I* had purchased.

Sheesh ... give a gal a break, will ya!

As to what I purchased, I'll just say this -- if there's a shortage of Clermont Farms by Minick & Simpson, you'll know why.

It might not arrive this week, so I may have dispensation for another seven days. However, Kimberly emailed me yesterday. She decided just to order me a bolt of one of the fabrics. ROFLOL. Enabler!!!!!!!

But are you sure, really sure, that it really really matters where the gift cert came from? I mean, really?

(sigh) Sticklers!!

Question?

Does it count as stash if you used a gift card?

I'm in deep cah-cah on my next stash report!

240 Thimbles

Or approximately 240. Those things have so much static in them when they come off the cutter that they are hard to count.

I'm done cutting on these until I start sewing them together and figure out how many more I need.

Of course, I know I will have to replace the bottom one that Penny decided she would do a taste test on........

...... I love my dog!

Stash Report 2010 - Week 39

Nothing in; nothing out. But I did sleep away most of the day yesterday, so that must count for something!

Today while laundry is going, I hope to finish up cutting those thimbles/tumblers. Mainly to get a little bust, but also to get that mess off my dining room table.

The next two weeks will prove busy at work with the quarter-end financials, but after that, I plan on getting my negative numbers taken care of - and ending this year in the black.

But, of course, there's this little thing called "Market" between now and the end of the year.......

Year-To-Date:

Busted: 363.55 yards
Purchased: 407.01 yards
Net YTD: (43.51) yards busted :(

Emotional Times

I want to again thank everyone who have emailed me over the past few days with your condolences and prayers for Joe's passing. You all have been such a comfort to me, and your thoughts and prayers have been passed along to his family.

The funeral service yesterday at the Church was so beautiful. It started thundering and raining just as the casket was brought in the Church. Father said that when he was a kid and was scared of the thunder, that the nuns told him not to be scared, that it was just the angels bowling in heaven! (Later I told him that it was really Joe's reaction to finding out we had closed the company for the day!) The reception after had over 100 people there. All in all, everything was as perfect as it could be. This weekend will be spent resting and making order out of my house. I've barely been here for the last three weeks. Please continue to keep Joe's wife in your prayers. They were married for almost 49 years, and I know this period of adjustment to being alone will be difficult for her.

I need to get back to sewing a bit, and I hope to do that maybe tomorrow. I have one or two things that I would like to finish up just to get them off my sewing table. I'm really not going to push myself much. Things will get done when they get done.

Penny is being real clingy now. Bless her heart, she's been alone for what must seem years to her. I think some quality puppy time is in order! And putting away that stack of books next to the sofa that I started organizing!


Belly rubs make her yawn!

Stash Report 2010 - Weeks 37 and 38

I was going to just give up on these reports as I'm so far behind on everything, but I'm not a quitter (nor a quilter these days). So here is a two-week report.

Awesome by Sandy Gervais for Moda - 5 yards for borders, whatever, to go with the charm packs and layer cake that came in a couple of months ago. I have no clue what I'll do with this, but these are wonderful fall fabrics that I really wanted. BTW, if any of you haven't taken advantage of the weekly specials that Kimberly has on Twitter and Facebook, you must do so. These were purchased at 40% off because I plugged in their code word at checkout. Keep an eye on the Jolly Jabber blog and you'll see the announcements on the sidebar on the Twitter feed. Just click on "Follow me on Twitter" for the feed to come up and see what the weekly special is. It's definitely a must-do!

And just to make this perfectly clear again -- I do not work for the Fat Quarter Shop! (Although I'm sure there's a rotary cutter somewhere in there dedicated just to me!)

Then another box arrived with the next installment of the Scrap Basket Surprises Quilt Club Kit. I went ahead and got the backing, too, so that's another 11.125 yards in.



Okay, this picture is lousy but I needed a picture.

Last week or maybe the week before - I've completely lost track of time now - I cut an additional 10.25 yards of thimbles/tumblers on the Go cutter. That's a total of 151 pieces cut. I need more. I need a plan. I need time in my sewing room. I need a vacation. I need ...

Year-To-Date:

Busted: 363.55 yards
Purchased: 407.01 yards
Net YTD: (43.51) yards busted :(

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT: The Jolly Jabber feature today is Robyn Pandolph's new line, and there's a new BOM on there. I actually got that in as a kit at some point over the last two weeks, but have not had time to take it apart and see how much yardage is there. I will get that reported as incoming before year's end, promise!

THANK YOU to all of you who have written and emailed about Joe's passing. This has been so incredibly hard, but a sense of peace is with his family now. Thank you all so very much.

Pennsylvania Dutch BOM #11 - Winner

I hope everyone who is doing the Pennsylvania Dutch BOM from the Fat Quarter Shop is keeping up, even if you are not reporting your finishes. This will be the most wonderful quilt, and certainly one that I will hold dear for a number of reasons.

The winner of this month's drawing for the $25 from the Fat Quarter Shop is .... ERIKA! Congratulations, Erika. I will email you your certificate in a few minutes.

I can't thank the Fat Quarter Shop enough for their support this year to our little sew-along! You all are so wonderful!

And a reminder -- since this BOM is almost ended -- there are some awfully gorgeous ones beginning shortly! If you don't believe me, check them out for yourself! I'm personally waiting for two of those to begin! :)

On a personal note, thank you to everyone who has emailed me with your concern for my work person. I feel it's okay now to tell you that this is my boss, the founder and Chairman of the Board of our company. I have worked directly for him for over sixteen years. Even though we knew he was sick, his rapid decline the past few weeks has us reeling. At this writing he is still with us, but the end is very near and could come at any moment. Please keep his wife and family in your prayers as they go through this difficult time. We will miss him so much.

UPDATE: I received a call from his wife shortly after I made this post that he was gone. I've been over there since she called and just got home to clean up a bit and go back over there. Thank you all so much. This has been a difficult week, a difficult day, and next week will be likewise. He looked so peaceful, and for that I will be forever grateful.

Pennsylvania Dutch BOM #11

I haven't made my Pennsylvania Dutch BOM block yet, but I didn't want to hold up the give-away just because of me.

The drawing for the BOM participants for the $25 gift certificate again so generously donated by the Fat Quarter Shop will be held on Saturday 9/25/10 in the morning when I get up.

To be entered, please post a copy of your completed block on your blog and comment here with a link back to your blog. If you're not a blogger, just email me a picture of your block to be entered in the drawing.

Please note there might be a change to the give-away time. The work person about whom I have been so worried is failing fast, and we expect the end to be today. The burial will be back in Pennsylvania, so I might not be here next Saturday. If I am not, then I will hold the drawing as soon as I return.

Good luck to everyone. Kimberly and Kevin -- we all think you're absolutely wonderful for giving us the drawings this year! You've enticed us to finish our blocks in a timely fashion! Nothing like incentive to just get 'er done! Thank you!!