I've Been Quilting

I sure haven't been blogging much lately.  Not a lot to share.  We went to the Ozark Piecemaker's Quilt Show in Springfield, MO last Thursday and eventually I'll have some pictures from that.

In the meantime I've been making steady progress quilting Dutch Treat #2.  I started September 19 and last night I finished the third row.  I wish I could get decent pictures that actually show the quilting stitches but never seem to be able to. This is the best I could do.

First three rows quilting and ready to add more batting before I start row 4.

Tried without a flash hoping to show the quilting better

Dare I hope to have it quilted by year's end?

Miniatures In Minutes--Giveaway

Micki at Irish Muses is hosting a great giveaway. Hop on over to her blog and you can enter to win this book with 24 miniature quilt patterns by Terrie Sandelin.  Read Micki's instructions and you can have up to three chances!

Catching Up With Siggies

I've fallen behind posting the siggies we've received recently.

A dainty daisy from Annette in Utah

 A spider, web, and Christmas wish from Elfriede in Austria

Her church in embroidery from Lilo in Switzerland

And a beautiful Dutch windmill from Mia in The Netherlands

Thank you all so much.  I love getting the siggies and reading the notes about your lives.

Kansas Troubles

Monday night our guild had the pleasure of viewing a trunk show by Lynne Hagmeier of Kansas Troubles Quilts. It was wonderful! So many pretty quilts and so much inspiration. Lynne is an excellent speaker and very funny at times.  Many, if not most of the quilts, feature Lynne's trademark raw edge applique. I'm sorry I had to miss the workshop earlier in the day when the participants made quick and easy table runners using this method.

You can see all of the pictures I took here. 

Lynne also has a blog that you might want to add to your list if you aren't already  reading it.

I apologize for the terseness of this post but I've been battling an intermittent connection problem all week and I'm hoping to get this posted before I get booted offline again.  AT&T finally showed up today only to announce they could find nothing wrong. Of course for that MOMENT things were working.  We'll see.  If problems persist I think it is time to say goodbye to AT&T and hello to Cox.

BTW..I started quilting on Dutch Treat #2 Sunday night and have one row and 2 blocks in the second row quilted!

Raggedy and Friends Block Two

I forgot that I finished Block Two of my Raggedy and Friends BOM the night before last. I was lost last night..no hand work ....need to get the Dutch Treat #2 ready to quilt.

Jasper, MO Quilt Show

Got to see some awesome quilts and take part in the quilt show in Jasper, MO this weekend. 

The judge was Carol Owens, from St. Louis.  I'd met her a few years ago when she visited our guild and did a trunk show.  She had this gorgeous quilt on display using lots of vintage needlework that she rescued.

Great re-purposing!

My Dutch Treat earned another blue ribbon!

I took six quilts and four brought home ribbons. 

There were so many pretty quilts..so many this year that they had to drap many of them over chairs to display. It's a small show and not a lot of room for display.

There were a LOT of antique quilts on display and I drooled over them all.  This one had everyone puzzled as no one could identify the pattern.

It's similar to Star and Crescent but has additional piecing.  I love and would love to make it!

This was Viewer's Choice and I sure can understand why..it's beautiful!

Dutch Treat came in second in viewer voting..again. LOL.

You can see all of the pictures I took here



Sunshine Award

Emily at Quiltdoodles surprised me with a Sunshine Award today

I'm flattered and grateful to be chosen, but I find it so hard..impossible really, to follow the rules for these blog awards.  How can I possibly pick just 12 blogs to pass the award on to?  And since so many of us tend to read the same blogs, it gets even more difficult trying to give it to someone who hasn't been named already.  

I hope this doesn't seem like I'm ungrateful..or wimping out, but my decision is that everyone on my blog list on the right hand sidebar deserves a Sunshine award!  Each and every one of them brings a smile to my face and brightens each day.  So I am not going to officially list 12 or even 20.  I'm just going to suggest you visit any of those on my sidebar that aren't already on your daily rounds.  They are there for a reason..because they are great blogs! 

Thanks again, Emily.



From A to Z

April 1, 2010 I made this block

(doesn't actually start with an "A". It is called "5 of Diamonds" so comes first in the book alphabetically before the A's.)

Yesterday afternoon and evening I made these:

#193 Wooden Shoe

#194 Wrought Iron

#195 Zig Zag

#196 Zygote

And that is the end of the blocks!

Here they all are laying on the floor.  Not all rows are joined as I will be  hand quilting this is sections in a "quilt as you go" fashion.

A little closer and the color change in the bottom fabric shows better

And I found this fabric in Joplin today.  I hadn't been thinking of quite this large of a print, but the colors were a perfect match!

Now I can start quilting this one, while I keep my eyes open for the perfect fabric(s) for #3!  Can you tell I love this quilt pattern?



Entering the Home Stretch

It was a busy weekend around here.  My sister, Judy,  and brother-in-law, Bob, from Iowa visited for a couple of days.

Actually my Bob didn't visit with us as much since he ended up in our local hospital with a 24-hour stomach virus.  At least we think it was that and not my cooking!

Tom had a bit of the bed head going on when this picture was snapped.

Any Red Green fans out there?  Bob looks and sounds so much like him that he convinced co-workers that when he goes on vacation it is to film episodes of the Red Green Show for PBS.

Sunday afternoon we drove to Neosho to celebrate the 5th birthday of great-grandson, Maison.

Grandpa Tom has to try and keep the boys Gorilla Fans despite the fact their mom graduated from Missouri Southern!  Arch rivalry there!!!!

It was amazing watching both boys in their pool....a couple of fishes!

Two siggies received this week from sisters, Boua and Pia in The Netherlands

And more progress on the Dutch Treat front.  Only four more left!!!

#187 Waiting For Life

#188 ?Wall Paper

#189 Water Lily

#190 Wheels On Fire

#191 Windmill

#192 Window



4 Dutch Treats & A Siggie

Dropping in just long enough to post some blocks this morning.

#183 Twizzler.  This is probably my least favorite block to make in the whole project.  I see that I left it until 3rd to last my first time around.  And doing them alphabetically it comes very close to the end this time.  So I have been dreading it.  But now it's done and most will be a breeze from now on!

#184 Undergrowth

#185 Valentine

#186 Violets

Only 10 more Dutch Treat blocks left to do!!!!!




And a siggie from Linda in Texas.  I love the pretty flowers, especially the Bluebonnets.  You can catch Linda's great blog here