Simply Sophisticated BOM Month #9 Winner

The Simply Sophisticated winner of Month #9 drawing for a $25 gift certificate from The Fat Quarter Shop is...............

MERUMO!!!!!

Congratulations, Merumo! I'll be sending your gift certificate to you in a few minutes!

Thank you to Kimberly and Kevin at The Fat Quarter Shop for so generously donating the monthly gift certificates to the drawing winners! You two are the absolute BEST!

Stash Report Week 26

Simply Sophisticated BOM makers, go HERE for entry into the prize drawing this evening. Good luck!

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The year is half over, as Judy pointed out. It's time for me to bust - well, after this reporting of purchases. And maybe next week's reporting, too.

I'm about to get back into the sewing room, if for no other reason than I'm out of project tubs and I'm NOT buying any more. It's time to finish up some UFOs and recycle those! I have two or three BOMs that the blocks are all made. Those need to be assembled, and the finishing kits will provide some much needed busts. Well, they will be worked on after I clean out the garage and do some things around the house. Hopefully all of that will get done today so that next weekend I can pretend I'm a quilter (instead of a fabric collector) and actually get some things done!

This week the Frosted Windowpanes kit came in that I was anxiously awaiting! It's going to be tough today not to sit down and play with that, but other matters are needing to be done. Have I mentioned I need to clean out the garage? I thought so. I excel at procrastination! Anyway, the Frosted Windowpanes kit is 12.5 yards and is going to be gorgeous!



Penny had her vet appointment yesterday. She gained another 1.5 lbs, and is now a big, whopping 6.6 lbs! The puppy shots made her sleepy, so I had the rare opportunity to snuggle with her for a while yesterday afternoon. She's usually not still long enough for snuggles! This morning as soon as I opened her kennel door, she dashed upstairs to see if the puppy was still in the mirror in my bedroom! I think I'm going to be disappointed when she doesn't see it there any more. It's too cute to watch her. She's at such a gonky stage now, both in looks and action!

Year-to-Date Totals:

Busted: 124.75 yards
Purchased: 418.875 yards
Net YTD: <294.125> yards

I Guess I'll Be Cooking

Bought a new freezer today. It'll be delivered next Saturday. Note to self: Clean out the garage! New Cuisinart came in yesterday.

Delivery of appliances - what a crock. It takes so long to get anything delivered out here because I'm not home during the week. $60 to deliver in two weeks - nope, don't think so; goodbye. A different store, $30 to deliver in two weeks - nope, don't think so. Wait, wait, ma'am, don't leave. We can deliver for free next weekend. Why didn't you just say that to begin with? (Insert sheepish grin from the salesguy.)

Hotdog, I'm ready!! It'll be nice to come home to food already cooked.

Simply Sophisticated BOM participants - drawing is tomorrow, Sunday 6/28, 6:00 p.m. Pacific time. Post your completions HERE to be entered in the drawing.

I Sewed

Okay, it was just two blocks for the Simply Sophisticated BOM, but still --

I'm heading in there to vacuum again, get laundry going, and then I'm heading back to the sewing machine. It feels good.

For those who are doing the Simply Sophisticated BOM and want to be entered in the monthly drawing, please post HERE.

UPDATE: Month 8 is done, so now I'm caught up on Simply Sophisticated. I am NEVER getting behind again on a BOM! LOL

Stash Report Week 25

I'm probably not going to continue stash reports much longer - at least until I start busting some things. It's a habit to write down the numbers, so I'll continue doing that. If I could just make myself sew all those backings that are sitting there, I could make a sizable dent in the minus column.

This week 25 yards of Glace fabric came in. I have the Frosted Windowpanes quilt kit coming in next week, so its backing was purchased this week. I'll most likely start that one fairly quickly as I love Brenda Riddle's patterns. I also purchased the American Patriot kit and backing, 12.25 yards. Love patriotics!

So a total of 37.25 yards in this week.

I ordered the Green Piece BOM and backing, so I imagine that will arrive next week also. I'm looking forward to working with the wool on this project.

No busts this week again, but my mojo is returning. I sewed on a BOM yesterday and will continue working on that today. I vacuumed last evening and, alas, need to do it again today. Penny is having so much fun running in and out of the house and onto the patio that I really don't mind. I also swept the patio last night and picked up all the leaves, but as there's a tree at one end, it's a never-ending battle. I'm just not going to get hung up on sticks and leaves on the carpet now. It's just too much fun watching her.

Year-to-Date Totals:

Busted: 124.75 yards
Purchased: 406.75 yards
Net YTD: <281.625> yards

Simply Sophisticated Month 9

I've received so many emails from folks who have done their Month 9 Simply Sophisticated blocks from The Fat Quarter Shop. "Where is the blog post? Here's my picture of the completed blocks. Get with the program, woman!" Well, I made up that last part, but (sigh) if the shoe fits .......



Okay, so mine are not done - again. But THIS weekend I'm going to do this month (and last month) and get all caught up.

So please leave a comment on this post, or email me a picture of your completed blocks to be entered in this month's drawing for the $25 gift certificate from The Fat Quarter Shop! Kimberly, Kevin and Miss Emma have been so kind to us this year. I hope before the BOM ends, that everyone who participated in this BOM will email them to tell them THANK YOU for the monthly prizes! That was extremely generous of The Fat Quarter Shop!

There are a few backing sets left. If you haven't gotten yours, now is the time before they're gone forever!

I can't wait to get the last three blocks in and get this quilt put together!

But just in case there's a small delay in my doing that, it's probably because I'm vacuuming carpet again! Because Little Miss Penny loves to drag in leaves or whatever off the patio and chew it up on the carpet! See all those brown pieces amongst the toys - leaves! It takes a bit of picking up of toys before I can vacuum. If I'm at the computer, she hauls them all in there to me. If I'm in the living room, the toys are drug in there. Puppies!! :)



But I digress .......

Good luck to everyone entered in this month's drawing. The drawing will be held on Sunday, June 28th, around 6:00 p.m. Pacific time. You have a week. Get 'em done!!

Patchwork Party Spring 2009

Isn't this quilt gorgeous?!! This is the Patchwork Party Spring 2009 quilt. The finishing kit is from The Fat Quarter Shop and was designed by Vicki Bellino.

A very dear friend sent this to me .... needless to say I was totally shocked! We had earlier discussed enrolling in this PP, and she gently discouraged me from doing so. Now I know why!

If you've ordered the blocks from the participating shops but not the finishing kit, now is the time to get this finishing kit before it's too late! I think the program ends on June 15th! You surely don't want to miss out on making this gorgeous quilt. The Fat Quarter Shop still has finishing kits available - but don't delay!!

Thank you, my dear sweet friend! This is going on the trundle bed in the stash room - as soon as I clear it off of all those fabric purchases that seem to always land there!

Stash Report Week 24

Seriously - my stash reporting is a joke.

I have bundled up 5.25 yards to give to a friend who is making a quilt out of that particular fabric. That's it for stashbusting. I guess that's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

Except for the Prairie Paisley borders I did a few weeks back, I haven't done any sewing at all. Since Daisy first got sick. I'm behind on deadlines, behind on BOMs. I guess I'll catch up eventually, but it's not happening now. Have I run out of inspiration? Am I a wantabe quilter? Am I talking the talk but not walking the walk? Is it burn-out? I don't know.

Poked buttons twice this week on Glace yardage. I knew that was going to happen. I also have this kit ordered. The buttons I poked were for backings for two quilts, borders for one, and some of those tone-on-tones that work so well in my applique. When I do applique. Which hasn't been for like forever. Sigh.

Year-to-Date Totals:

Busted: 124.15 yards
Purchased: 369.125 yards
Net YTD: <244.375> yards

Katy's Hope III Quilt Raffle

Peri has a beautiful granddaughter named Katy who has cystic fibrosis. Each year a quilt is raffled to raise money to fight cystic fibrosis - Katy's Hope Quilt Raffle.

This year I was the winner of this gorgeous quilt that was pieced and quilted by Judy Laquidara and so generously donated to Katy's Hope. I'll tell you -- the tears were flowing as I opened the box and read the lovely card from Dana, Katy's mother.





I made a decision tonight that my donations, as big or as small as they may be this year, will be to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I will contact Peri to thank her for the quilt, and to also ask her for a good link for donations that I will make throughout the year. I'll come back in and add that link when I get it.

EDIT: The link is Katy's Great Strides.

I sincerely hope that everyone reading this blog, and who will go to Peri's blog and watch the video of Katy, will find it in their hearts to make a donation. Only through funding for research will this horrible disease be wiped off the face of the earth!

Judy, thank you also for donating this absolutely stunning quilt! You have a wonderful heart!

Penny's First Bone

I just found a little bitty bone in the package from Sally and Nicky.

This is one happy puppy!

Oh, excuse the bits of paper on the carpet, which will be vacuumed in about two seconds. She decided a piece of paper towel would be tons of fun to tear apart!

Stash Report Week 23

This week a mysterious package arrived, and in it were two quilts from my very dear friends, Sally and Nicky. One is for Penny and one for me! They are so so so beautiful! They also tucked inside the package a purse for Penny. It's her new favorite toy. So cute running around with the purse in her mouth. In this picture she's trying to figure out the squeaker in it. (I had to lighten the picture. It's hard to photo a black dog!)

Sally and Nicky, thank you SO much for your friendship and love. These quilts will always be cherished by me! I love you both very much!

On the sewing front, not much going on! I tried to sneak down this morning without waking up Penny. I almost had the coffee pot together when I accidentally hit the talking ball with my foot. She heard it and was awake! For the next two hours it'll be play time until she wears out and I can put her in her kennel for a nap. I love this little puppy and she's so much fun, but she's also a lot of work! Oh, we had her second vet appointment yesterday. She gained exactly two pounds from her appointment three weeks ago. She's all of 5.1 pounds now!!

I want to work on an old quilt top that my sister-in-law, Gail, wants to have finished. It was put together by her grandmother I'm guessing as a utility quilt. The fabric strips are from clothing and are hand sewn. Gail said she recognized some of the fabric. Several of the long seams are really crooked and the quilt top doesn't lay flat. I'm going to give it a good steam pressing this afternoon and assess what I'll have to take apart and resew to get it flat and square. I'm going to get my local longarmer to just do an overall on it. I really want to finish this for Gail, but the quilter in me needs to fix it. It'll be fun to work on, and will be an easy project. Maybe I can get that accomplished today.

I'm really bored with getting UFOs done. Time to start a new project, I guess. But which one? Ginger asked me to look at an applique project that they might want to offer as a BOM at the shop. I'll do that today, too. I need to figure out how I can work that into my life right now. Hey, maybe sitting on the sofa stitching will give me play time with Penny and also something accomplished on the quilty front.

I've delayed the stash report long enough. It's not pretty - but what else is new. The box I hadn't opened last week contained mostly Roses de Noel as I thought. 16 yards of it. :) There was also 5 yards of a dotted cream background from the Pumpkin Patch line. I had used the Halloween background from my stash in Judy's Bears in the Barnyard project. That definitely needed to be replaced as I have a Halloween project that I'm wanting to do. So 21 yards purchased to report this week. Well, actually last week ..... oh, heck, what does it matter when!

I'm so motivated right now, but there are too many quilt projects sitting around. I just need to focus on one until it's finished.

Year-to-Date Totals:

Busted: 119.50 yards
Purchased: 369.125 yards
Net YTD: <249.625> yards

ALERT!

If you get something that says you're "tagged" by me or anyone else, please DO NOT click on it. I just emailed Yvonne because one had her name on it, and she didn't know anything about it. I've received several this afternoon.

I've sent them all to spam, and will run the virus protection again when I get home.

Thanks!

Ah, Puppies!

They sure keep you on your toes. Or at least this one does.

She was sneaking upstairs - so Jane suggested I put my SewEzi table across the bottom of the staircase until I could get a pet gate. It works perfectly, except when I forget to put it there.

Penny makes noise. I can hear her anywhere I am downstairs. She usually has the talking ball in her mouth while she's running around.

I was checking emails tonight and I noticed it was awfully quiet. And then I heard barking - coming from upstairs!

Seems she discovered another puppy up there - in the closet mirrors in my bedroom!




Oh, my, she barked so loudly trying to chase that other puppy away! The nerve of that other dog!