New Year's Eve 2009

I've been out and about since 7:00 a.m. Haircut and the market are done and I'm home for four whole days!

Making black-eyed peas and smothered cabbage tomorrow - and gumbo! I know they don't go together, but I figure there will be plenty of leftovers for me and for Jane's family. Besides, it's perfect gumbo weather!

Penny and I would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy Happy New Year! Don't forget to take some stitches tomorrow - because what you do on New Year's Day, you do for the rest of the year!

And Penny sends a special Happy New Year's hug to everyone!

2009 Stash Ponderings

What can I say? I purchased way way way more than I used, and I'm up to my eyeballs in fabric right now. I'm determined to use up a lot of it in 2010, although realistically, I know I won't make a dent in the thousands of yards that are living at my house.

I gathered up all the quilts needing bindings yesterday and there are 11 of them. Quilts needing backings number about eight. Quilts needing a final border or a finish on assembling are another eight. Bindings, backings and borders are the first order of business in 2010.

BOMs are overflowing my sewing room. I have four needing assembly, and need to catch up on eight more. Those will be the second task to accomplish.

Applique projects started number about seven or eight. Those will be a priority focus in early 2010. I also want to make about half of the remaining eighty or so Dutch Treat blocks, and I'd like to make at least 50 basket blocks next year. Both of those are lifetime projects for me, but maybe I'll finish in this lifetime if I focus on them. I'm determined to spend at least one weekend every other month prepping applique blocks. Once they're prepped I know I'll stitch them. Applique is something I really love to do, so why not get them ready to go.

I'm just going to chalk up this year to stash building for retirement. I know I'll purchase fabric in 2010, but I'm going to be more selective and get just the lines I absolutely love and will regret if I don't get.

So I bid adieu to 2009, and welcome 2010 with new resolve.

Year-to-Date Totals:

Busted: 219.625 yards
Purchased: 750.95 yards
Net YTD: <531.325> yards

Pennsylvania Dutch BOM Block 2 Winner

It's Christmas morning, and Santa a/k/a/ The Fat Quarter Shop has a $25 gift certificate for the winner of this month's Pennsylvania Dutch BOM drawing!

And the winner is SANDY at Loves to Quilt! Congratulations, Sandy. Your gift certificate will go out to you in a bit.

Thank you to the Fat Quarter Shop for donating the gift certificates for the monthly drawing, as well as all the wonderful fun they provided this holiday season at Jolly Jabber. I hope everyone takes a moment to email Kimberly and Kevin and say thank you! I know I will!

There are 10 more monthly drawings for the Pennsylvania Dutch participants. We look forward to everyone making their blocks and getting in on the drawing!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

Penny has thoroughly been enjoying the holidays, unwrapping her 12 Days of Christmas packages, and guarding the door for the UPS guy! Such excitement!

The nice bow around her neck didn't last but like 6.8 seconds! Mommy was way too slow with the camera!

Wishes for a joyous Christmas from the LA Quilter household!

Edit: ROFLOL. She looks like she's passed out! No, just caught at an odd moment of chewing on the ribbon!

Stash Report Week 51

Pennsylvania Dutch BOM participants, please go HERE to comment about your finished blocks. The drawing is early Christmas morning, 12/25/09! Good luck!

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4.375 yards out this week. Nothing in. Well, nothing for me! :)

Next year I'm going to be a busting fool!


Year-to-Date Totals:

Busted: 199.625 yards
Purchased: 750.95 yards
Net YTD: <551.325> yards


Penny is still opening her 12 days of Christmas presents. It's hilarious. Today's episode:

Countdown to Christmas

Pennsylvania Dutch BOM participants, please go HERE to comment about your finished blocks. The drawing is early Christmas morning, 12/25/09! Good luck!

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Have I decorated? No. Am I going to? Probably not. I've been really stressed the past couple of months and, besides, I think a tree might prove too tempting for Penny this year. But I have plans for next year, BIG plans I'm going to decorate every room like I used to. I always had so much fun doing Christmas, and I'm definitely going to get rolling on things early in 2010!

A couple of weeks ago, I found a box on the doorstep addressed to Penny. Seriously! I opened it up and there were small packages wrapped in tissue paper and labeled 1 through 12. She received her own 12 days of Christmas packages from her own secret elf!

So each day she's been opening one package. Before I go to bed at night, I put her package on the coffee table. In the morning after our walk, I grab the camera and turn her loose. She has gotten quite good at unwrapping. OMG, there are toys everywhere! What a sweet secret elf she has! Miss Elf may have created a monster, though. During the year I might have to take some old toys and wrap them up just so she can unwrap them! :)

Wish List

The Fat Quarter Shop has come up with a great idea for some Christmas fun! A wish list!

Here's the link to their Jolly Jabber blog where everyone can get in on the fun!!!

It's so much fun reading about what quilters would like to find under their tree this year! I hadn't even noticed some of the neat fabrics until I saw what everyone listed!

Run, do not walk, to Jolly Jabber to make your list! Santa's watching!!

Here's my letter:

Dear Santa,

Two years ago I told you I wanted to win the lottery - I won a free soft drink at Micky D’s. Last year I asked for meals already cooked when I get home at night, and you had a freezer delivered. This year I mentioned I wanted someone cute to snuggle with at night, and you sent me a puppy! Dude, you and I are totally not communicating here! I think I'll just ask for anything to keep an old quilter happy! (This ought to prove interesting!)

Pennsylvania Dutch BOM - Block 2

My internet has been down since yesterday because of the hard rains we've had, but the good news is that I've been sewing!!

This month's Pennsylvania Dutch BOM is a really nice block. I've said this a hundred times, but I love this Wiscasset fabric by Minick & Simpson! This is going to be a dynamite quilt!

December is a tough month to find sewing time, but for those participating in the Pennsylvania Dutch BOM, it'll just take you an hour to make this block! All you have to do is post a picture of your completed block on your blog, and then leave a comment here with a link to your blog to be entered in the drawing for a $25 gift certificate from The Fat Quarter Shop! If you don't have a blog, just simply email me a picture of your block to be entered in the drawing!

There are still some backings sets available, so don't forget to order yours before they're gone. Heck, if you're the winner, you could just apply your gift certificate to that purchase! :) :)

The drawing will be held at around 6:00 a.m. Pacific time on Christmas morning! Winning a $25 gift certificate would be a great way to start off the day!

Thank you to The Fat Quarter Shop for their donation of the monthly gift certificates. You are just the best!!

Quilted Quickies

I was following links one day off of blogs and I happened onto Quilted Quickies blog. The first post had a picture of her gorgeous doxie, Gidget! She looks just like my late sweet Daisy. So I left a comment. I was surprised to find a box on my doorstep from Jere'e a few days later - a gift for being the first commenter! How wonderful is that!

Jere'e is the designer behind Quilted Quickies patterns. She sent along her Darci's Dress Up pattern, and a fabric pack to make a modified wallhanging of the pattern. Also a Fitz and Floyd Glass Menagerie dachshund! Wow, it's gorgeous! And the most adorable Christmas card!



The absolute best thing is Jere'e made a YouTube video of pictures of Penny, and also included a DVD in the package! This is especially precious to me because someone *borrowed* my puppy pictures of Daisy and lost them. I now have Penny's puppy pictures on disk and I will store it safely away.

Click on the link on her blog to view the video. I dare you not to tap your foot to the music!!!

Please go by Quilted Quickie's online shop! Beautiful patterns, kits, and tons of other wonderful goodies! And don't forget to stop by her blog and say hi!

Jere'e, thank you so much for everything! You are SO sweet! Penny sends big hugs to Miss Gidget!!

Stash Report 12/6/09

I did good this week again - considering I went to three quilt shops yesterday! One (1) yard purchased. One of the shops even had a 20% sale off on everything in the store. Jane and I were both kind of lost because we didn't know what we needed or wanted! ROFLOL. If we had known about the sale, we'd have had a plan in place!

Busted 14.5 yards. Again, not too bad.

Year-to-Date Totals:

Busted: 195.25 yards
Purchased: 750.95 yards
Net YTD: <555.70> yards

These totals are awful, but they are what they are. Next year ....

Guess the Contents Winners

Whew, it's a good thing no one guessed what's in the box because I didn't think it through very thoroughly! I would have had to hand out a LOT of $100 gift certificates if it had been a bolt of aged muslin or Rouenneries!

What was in the box ....... a bolt of Moda Solids Cheddar! This is the perfect cheddar, and I've been looking around for it for a very long time! Last week I emailed Kimberly at The Fat Quarter Shop because it wasn't on her site any more. Kimberly said that everyone loved it so much that Moda plumb ran out, but Moda said more has been ordered and should be in in January. So if you're in the market for the perfect cheddar, please check back with The Fat Quarter Shop in January or email them that you're interested.



All the names were written on pieces of paper and put in a bag and shaken-not-stirred. The winner of the bundle of P&B Morning Garden fabrics is BEVERLY! Beverly doesn't have a blog, but she promised that she would check back in to see if she won!

Two people mentioned cheddar, and lots of you said bolts. But there were no exact guesses! Penny and I had a little chat about this - since, after all, it's her allowance on the line here!

Anyway, here's what Penny and I came up with. In the spirit of Christmas, we're going to split up that $100 that nobody won, and we're going to have four more drawings for FOUR $25 GIFT CERTIFICATES from us for the winners to spend at The Fat Quarter Shop!

The winners of the four $25 gift certificates are:

Carol at Brown Quilts

Miss Jean at In the Garden with Miss Jean

Julia at Scrap Happy Quilter

and Quilterbee - who doesn't have a blog but I know how to get in touch with her.

To the gift certificate winners, you'll be getting your gift certificate by email in a day or two. Beverly, please email me your snail mail address!

Congratulations, and thanks to everyone for taking a guess!

Guess the Contents

There's this unopened box sitting here from The Fat Quarter Shop. I remembered this weekend what is in it, and only one other person knows besides the folks at FQS. I guess that disqualifies them!



I thought it might be fun having a guessing contest! All you have to do is leave a comment with your guess and your name will go in the hat for a drawing. The winner of that drawing will get a P & B bundle of Morning Garden fabrics. One guess per person.



Penny didn't think that was good enough, so she insisted I add another layer of fun to this contest. She said that if anyone guesses EXACTLY what is in the box, the PERFECT guess, then they will win a $100 gift certificate from her to spend at The Fat Quarter Shop! It has to be exactly what's in the box. Not just a yard of fabric, but a yard of what fabric. Not just a bundle of fat quarters, but a bundle of what line. Not just a .... well, you get the drift. She's a sneaky little punk, isn't she? I told her this was coming out of her allowance, but she just wagged her tail and looked cute. I think she knows I'm wrapped around her little paw!

The drawing will be held on Sunday morning, 12/6/09, when I get up and have a cup of coffee. Well, let's say at 8 a.m. Pacific time. If I sleep past 8:00 don't call me because that's a rare occurrence and I must be tired! LOL.

I must be able to contact the winner or winners, so if your guess doesn't have a link to your blog, please leave an email address. Good luck, everyone!