Still alive...but not kicking much

I'm still sick. Coughing and wheezing. Hoping at this point that I don't have bronchitis or pneumonia. I could use spell check to see how I did with my spelling of those horrible words, but it's too much trouble. Anyway, I'm sure I'll live, but I'll just be miserable for a while. So, enough about ME....let's talk about snowballs.....

Linda is my partner in this adventure. She and I had decided to do a pattern together. When we decided on this one, we thought it would be fun to get others to do it with us. So, we've got quite a group of great women doing it now. Have a look at her blocks. They are great and I love that her dark fabric is in the center of the snowballs. http://piwacketquilts.blogspot.com/2010/01/goal-met-plus-one.html

Andee has come up with some great snowballs! Orange! I love orange! I love this one. What do you think? http://moderndiary.blogspot.com/2010/01/little-quilt-along.html

Barb is participating in our snowball quilt and I just got a peek at her blocks and let me just say "WOW". Very nice. Wanna peek for yourself? It's right here: http://bejeweledquilts.blogspot.com/2010/01/is-it-possible-to-have-snow-in-amerika.html

Becky has been hard at this project, too. She's using Christmas fabrics and it's looking great! Here's a link to look at hers: http://auntbekky.blogspot.com/2010/01/design-wall.html

My friend, Cindy has been throwing some snowballs, too. She's using my current favorite color combo, aqua and brown! Wanna see her blocks too? Ok.... http://snippysewssometimes.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-first-snowballs-have-been-thrown.html

And then, there's Jen. What can I say? She is the most Cre8tive person I know. She outdone herself on this design and I'm so tickled that she's joining in on this project. You really need to see her blocks. Have a look: http://cre8tivequilter.blogspot.com/2010/01/januarys-rotating-snowball-quiltalong.html If you haven't visited her blog before, be prepared for some serious inspiration. Jen's one of the first people, online, who really helped me when I decided I was going to learn to quilt. You'll need a big cuppa coffee when you visit her blog, and don't plan to do anything else for the rest of the day!

Lori has done something I've been wanting to do for quite some time. She's using black in her snowball blocks. I love a black background on a quilt! Here's the link, you'll love this one! http://oodlesofnoodles-lori.blogspot.com/2010/01/rotating-snowball-quilt-along.html

Lori R. has jumped right in with a quilt that is right up my alley! Scrappy! And from her stash! Love it! Lori R. is a new blogger person to me, so I'm thrilled to get a new quilty friend from this. Have a look at what she's come up with so far.... http://projectsandsuch.blogspot.com/2010/01/january-snowballs.html

Michele has chosen to go with black and white fabrics....so far! I love a black and white quilt too! Of course, don't take my word for it....have a look! http://barrels-of-monkeys.blogspot.com/2010/01/some-sewing-with-pictures.html
Update: Michele emailed me with a link to her blocks! She's added red and you can't go wrong with black/white/red! Here's the link: http://barrels-of-monkeys.blogspot.com/2010/01/shoulda-been-snow-day.html

Moneiks' thrown a few snowballs, too! She's another one of my first online quilting friends. She's always got a million things going and gets so much done! Have a look at her snowballs here: http://moneik.blogspot.com/2010/01/snowball-quilt-along.html Take a few and look at some of her other projects. Amazing!

Now, let's talk about Patti! Just in case you don't know this, Patti is one of my BFFL's in real life! That's right. She lives on the same road I do, on the other side of my tiny town. She's playing along with us, throwing some snowballs of her own! Here they are: http://piecesofpatti.blogspot.com/2010/01/productive-day.html Now, I could tell lots of stuff to you all about Patti. I have all kinds of gossip about her, but ... I won't. Ha! Ha! Ok, I don't have any good gossip on her, but we do tend to get into a few things now and then. She is my sewing buddy and comes over regularly to sew with me. We also go to church together and talk on the phone a lot! In fact, Garry, the man here, only refers to her as Tina....."Talking Tina"! Cute, huh? We usually have so much to talk about! We've solved all the problems of the world numerous times on the phone, but no one with any power would listen to us anyway!

SewCalGal is playing along with us, too! I haven't seen her blocks yet, but I have peeked at her fabrics. She's a busy, busy lady from looking at her blog. I'm already jealous of her because she's got one of those fancy fabric cutters. Yeah, I admit it! I want one :) I can't have one. :) Oh well, I digress....this part is not suppose to be all about ME again....lol Here her link: http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2010/01/snowball-quilt-long.html

Now Trish, who I got to meet last year, has no blocks posted. I know this because that woman is in Jamaica! That's right! She's off sunning herself on the beach! The nerve of her. Trish drove to my house last April and then rode to a retreat some of us attended with Patti and I. She's funny! Here's a good story. I tend to drive a bit over the speed limit. After riding to Ohio with me, she told her husband that speed limit signs in the US are merely a suggestion. Ha! Love it! Some day I'll tell you all the story of driving for 13 months with no license! It could only happen to me! Oh....this isn't about me now, is it? So, we'll have to push Trish to throw some snowballs when she gets back from her vacation!

And finally, Val. Val has created a blog. That alone shocked me. Val is my other real life BFFL. I'm sure if you've read my blog long, you'll remember I asked for prayers for her a while back. I'm happy to say, she's doing well. She was gone all week to a convention somewhere, but she's always got her calendar full. I don't mean a little full, I mean she never has a free day! She and I do have a girls weekend planned in April though. Our husbands are going away, with some other men, to see some dirtbike races in Toronto. Wooohoooo! I'll be after her soon to get some snowballs made though. Fair warning Val! Pick some fabrics Woman!

So, If I didn't list you, I couldn't find your snowball blocks. Remember that I'm on cold meds and my head is full of yucky stuff. Actually my entire body feels full of yucky stuff, but...whatever! My sewing room is downstairs in our finished basement. It's cold down there. I don't think it's a good thing for me to be down there while I'm sick, but do you have any idea how much I could have accomplished this week? Oh well. It'll be there when I'm well and it'll be like all new fabrics to me after all this time apart. Have yourselves a great weekend! Happy quilting!

If I survive, I'll be back.....

Cold, runny nose, fever, chest hurts....tis the season.

Stash Report Week 4

Does the word "ditto" work? Because nuttins' changed. Not much sewing this week.

So.....ditto last week! But look out next week. I have a week of sewing planned! Quite of bit of it won't affect my Stash Report for next week...because of all the UFO's. But...done will be good!

Used this week: 0.00
Used year to date: 16.5 yards
Added this week: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 6.00 yards
Net Used 2010: 10.5 yards

Val creates blog! Woooooohooooo

So...you all know my friend, Val, that I have mentioned in the past? Well, she's done it. We went to her house for breakfast this fine Saturday morning and I was telling her about our Snowballs. I showed her several of our blocks on our blogs and then next thing I know.....she actually made herself a blog. http://loftyintentions.blogspot.com/ There is nothing this woman can't do...and do very well by the way. Now, all of you need to stop over there and welcome her to the Land O'Blog! She's joining us in the Snowballs quilt along! Let's all encourage her to actually sew the mountains and mountains of stash fabric she has in her sewing room. I'll have to take some pics....or teach her to do that!

No other progress here on anything. I'm not sleeping and I am a cranky mess. I'm even starting to get all weepy from not sleeping. I do not like being weepy. I managed to sleep one whole night in the past week. I did go to Curves and work out after breakfast this morning. Easy to do, since Val owns the joint! Ha! I would say that she needs to push me harder to go there, but I won't say that...because I know she would! Val, and her hubby, Terry, and Garry and I are going to dinner and a movie tonight. Going to see the new Harrison Ford movie. Hope I don't sleep thru it!

Happy weekend, Ya'll.....

No time.....

to sew this week. Business is booming, so that means I'm pulling permits, invoicing, answering phones, keeping the guys moving. I'm not complaining because more business equals more fabric!

A few new people hav joined in the Rotating Snowballs Quilt-Along. It's not too late. In fact, with the "no pressure" status of this quilt along, it may never be too late to join in. Just drop me an line and I'll add you. The more the merrier! I'm so glad we are doing this. I'm "meeting" new quilters online and that's always a great thing.

Well, off to the post office, grocery store....errands. Ughhhhh....but as soon as I get 'er done, I can sew today. I'm off......

Stash Report Week 3

Still not too bad....

Used this week: 1.5
Used year to date: 16.5 yards
Added this week: 6.00 yards
Added year to date: 6.00 yards
Net Used 2010: 10.5 yards

I'm just trying to stay ahead of the game. I'm working on several UFO's currently. That means I'm not cutting into my stash. But ... I'll get there! Hope everyone else is sewing away!

Rotating Snowballs....update!

Well .. well....it's certainly winter here in Michigan. Just makes it the perfect time for our snowballs quilts. I love the group that is participating and I think it's interesting to see all the different fabric and setting choices. My mentor, Jen, has exceeded my expectations with her Cre8tivity, as usual. Hop on over and have a look at her plan. There are links to all the participants in the sidebar. Jen may not do scrappy, but she makes up for it! Ha! Well, ladies the hard part for me is not going nuts and making all the blocks in one month. But, I can hold out. I really want this to be something we can do together and it will be interesting along the way.

There's still plenty of time to join in, so grab your fabrics, send me an email and let's throw some snowballs at each other. I'll be in the sewing cellar, sewing my brains out on Friday. Well, it is Friday now, but I can't sleep, so I'm blogging. And now....I'm off to try for some more zzzzzz's.

Some interest in a quilt along?

I put this pic up yesterday. My friend, Linda, and I are doing this together. It's a very simple pattern. Nine patches made from 2.5" squares and Snowball blocks at 6.5". Just rotate. Linda is making hers a bit different. She's rotating the snowball block with the shoo fly block. That would work the same. You would need 2.5" half square triangles to make the shoe fly block and the snowball would remain the same.

Linda and I have both had interest from some of you who would like to join in. Sounds great! If you'd like to join in, we'd love it! This is going to be a rather long term project for Linda and I. We're in no hurry to finish, and just thought we'd do a few blocks a month. Planned fabrics or scrappy works for this. What a great way to use up some scraps. Leave me a comment to this post and I'll add you to list on my sidebar. Then we can oooooohhhhhh and ahhhhh over each others blocks! I love to "ooooohhhhh" and "ahhhhhhh"! This is a seriously "no pressure" project. Work at your own pace. No size restrictions. Easy and just fun!

Design wall.....

That's it!

Stash Report. Week 2

Used this week: 2.0
Used year to date: 15.0 yards
Added this week: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 0.00 yards
Net Used 2010: 15.0 yards

I can live with this one! I have pulled six yards worth of fat quarters out for a project and started cutting them, but I'm not going to count those until I actually start sewing them. I think it's going to be a good project, but a long one. Just a few blocks each month. I'm doing this one with a friend, so that's our plan. I'm still in the black! Wooohooo!

Rambling on....and on....and on......

Got all 24 of these blocks finished today. I need to get them together before Saturday, as it's our monthly church group craft day. I can do that! Easy!


After I finished those, I put these together.



Couple of things I've been meaning to mention....
AmandaJean of Crazy Mom has decided to quit her current blog. I will miss her blog more that I can say. She's inspired me and thanks to her video tutorial, I can stipple. All the credit goes to her for that. She's also the reason I am totally addicted to bright white background fabric. I just love how the fabrics pop out from the background when it's white. So, I wanted to publicly "Thank You, Amanda Jean". I wish you much happiness and creativity in your future! You'll surely be missed.

Next up....I'm just itching to make a Shoo Fly quilt. Such a simple and traditional pattern. I just don't really know why I'm so taken with it, but I am. I've made a deal with myself (yeah, I do that) that I have to finish a couple of quilts before I can start it. I did finish several in the past few weeks, so ... any time now I may start the new one.

Now...I'm off to decide on borders on my boxes top (pic above).....hmmmmmm

Stash Report? Me? Why not?

I'm jumping on this bandwagon. I have bought and bought and bought fabric. Now, I need to use it. I need to hold myself more accountable for all the fabric I'm bringing into this house. So...here we go.....

Used this week: 13.0 yards
Used year to date: 13.0 yards
Added this week: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 0.00 yards
Net Used 2010: 13.0 yards.

Ok...well....that was easy. ONLY because I didn't buy any fabric this week, cause I went insane prior to Christmas and bought a boatload. Ok...only about 50 or 60 yards. (hanging head)...and some thread. I stocked up on thread for the next six-twelve months. I had to have it since I have all this fabric, right? Ok....I know it's a no-guilt kinda stash reporting thing...but I've been very very bad about how much fabric I buy. 2010 is the year of using, not buying every thing I see. I feel good about this. Really, I do.

Happy Quilting Ya'll!

Day 2 of 2010 ... and the sewing continues....

Still sewing along. Working on these blocks.....
I'm liking it so far. This was one of my "it's too good to cut" fabrics. I've decided to turn over a new leaf and use it....there's more where it came from!

A couple of days ago, I started these blocks. They are addictive and so easy....

Patti and I met up at the church building and did a bit of cleaning. We've had a lot of stuff going on there lately so the kitchen really needed some scrubbing. Felt good to do it. We're so blessed to have such a great space to use for crafting and events. We had out New Years Eve party there, too. We've got another get together after services tomorrow and then pot luck on Sunday night. The space is large and gets used a lot. Well, I think it's about time to call it a day....a great day even! Loving the new year so far.

The perfect way to start a new year.....

No pics. Sorry! I was having way too much fun to remember to take pics. A bunch of us got together at the church building, and sewed all day today! We arrived about 10:30, set up and got busy. The "men folk" all headed to my friend Val's and watched football with her husband. They did manage to come and have pot luck with us about 2 this afternoon. We finally headed for home about 9 tonight. I'm tired, but it was an awesome way to start a new year.

I hope your first day of 2010 was everything you'd hoped for. We had a party at the church last night and since I knew I was going to be busy today, Garry and I came home about 10:30 last night. We did manage to stay up until 12:05. We are a wild couple! Ok....not so much. I'm beat and going to head for bed now. Tomorrow could be another sewing marathon! Wanna be ready!