Mini Snowzilla...and keeping busy...

This has been a busy week! Not only did I get a job at Webfabrics, I also got my desktop back online (motherboard fried out on laptop) and we had another snowstorm! We were only supposed to have a dusting to 2" and we had over 7"! And of course with said storm comes mega production on the sewing machine!

I finished this ticker tape quilt...I call it "Frame Me". But I did it wrong. That's what happens when my computer is on the blink and I can't look up the correct instructions....and I am impatient! I didn't know you are supposed to make a fabric/backing sandwich and THEN start sewing on the scraps so you are quilting front to back at the same time. I cut out 12 1/2" squares, sewed the scraps on and then sewed those all together...then I was back online and found instructions.....oops. Too late now!:) So I quilted the center and outlined each 12" square and thought about tying each square...but I'm lazy and washed it and it's perfectly fine!:)

Too tell the truth...I think if I had read the instructions first I wouldn't have done it because I really wouldn't have wanted to pull all that fabric through the machine to sew each itty bitty scrap on!;)

Both of the quilts I donated to Craft Hope for Haiti sold. One went to Canada and the other to Lynz in Scotland. Lynz has an adorable 7 year old and I wanted to make something for her so I found some scraps from the Maverick Animals and made this little gem...I sure love doing this small stuff and it only took 1.5 hours start to finish!!:) Here is a link to Lynz's blog she posted when they recieved the package!

And speaking of little...still working on my Doll Quilt Swap 8 quilt....here is the label I x-stitched yesterday...during the snow...hiding who is getting it!;0

I'm Happy Stitching!

~d

My Head is Going to Explode With Excitement!!

OK....my first post without pictures...sorry...downloading free anti-virus with dial-up and it is going to take about 7 hours!:O

But I just couldn't wait to tell you all....I don't think it is a dream is it Dena? No, if it is please don't wake me up!!

All right...I'll spit it out....I got a JOB today...and not just any job....I got a job at Webfabrics!!! Yep the one and the same online store that many of you have purchased basics, blenders and wonderful fat quarters...that is our LQS. Dena and I had a date there today so she is my witness!!

I'll be working there on Tuesdays and Fridays starting next week so send good thoughts my way next Tuesday!!:)

Dena...having you there made it even more extra special....and kept me from screaming!:)

~d

It's Here....Finally!!

The waiting is over...Maria finally received her letter from Oxford Brookes!! She will be going to Grad school there in the Fall to get her MA in Creative Writing....now she needs to pay the deposit!:)

And here are the last four of the twelve small quilts I pieced last year. I put the one with the stars on Craft Hope for Haiti and it sold right away....Thanks Lynz!! The other one I donated is Whimsical Trees. In only a few days they have made over $15,000.00 for Doctors Without Borders in Haiti....go visit and buy something!:)


Scissors-- a Christmas gift from my momma...
Thread clippers-- a Christmas gift from Maria...
I am a lucky person!
~d

The Road Well Travel Part II.....and the Winner!

Yesterday Don and I went on another hike since we knew it was supposed to rain all day today...and it did and still is. We went back to Harper's Ferry and walked across the walking bridge to Maryland's C & O Canal Towpath but before crossing we watched the water flowing over the Shenandoah River. There are some old bridge trestles there that have cedar trees growing in them....how do they do that, especially in the summer! Must have LONG roots.

Old train trestle bridge from WV into MD with a view of VA on the right!:)

The Tunnel going under Maryland Heights, MD...
a hike we haven't tried yet because I'm a big chicken!:)

Maybe next sunny weekend...will have to pack a
backpack and carry lots of water and snacks for the
stopping and resting will be often!

Walking back across the Potomac to Harper's Ferry. Then Pumpkin Spiced coffee and a trip to the grocery store.....priceless!:)

Oh yeah...what you really want to know is who is who won the runner...Don picked a piece of paper out of Maria's Easter basket and the winner of the Wonky Runner is........yep....Lynne of Oz!! Yippee!:) Dear Lynne...I'll be emailing you soon to get your mailing info. Hopefully I can get it in the mail tomorrow!! Thank you all for your lovely comments and yes, as far as I'm concerned...if you are walking anywhere you are hiking!

And lastly but more importantly, Craft Hope for Haiti is an
etsy.com shop that is accepting handcrafted donations that they
will post and sell and all the money from the sale (minus etsy fees)
goes to Doctors Without Borders in Haiti! I am going to put two of
my small quilts on the site...just giving you a heads up!:)
If you don't want a quilt...go see what else they have for sale or donate something yourself....it feels good!

Loving this aqau colored door!

~ d

The Road Well Traveled.....and a Giveaway!

This past weekend was COLD, we have basically been in a deep freeze since the blizzard last month. But we had to get out of the house so Don (Dear Husband) suggested a hike up to Jefferson's Rock in Harper's Ferry, WV. It's only a 20 minute drive from our house....north over the Potomac River into Maryland, back south over the Potomac again into VA and then to WV going over the Shenandoah River. Love, love, love that drive.

And once you get to the rock this is the view you see...that bridge is the second one of the three we went over. To the right is Virginia, to the left is Maryland and we were standing in WV!


And further up the stone steps is Harper Cemetery...very beautiful, simple and peaceful.


Something else fun I am doing is this
Doll Quilt Swap 8...yes, there have been 7 of them that I missed but I'm so glad to be participating now!:) It is already so much fun and all we have done is received our partners. I have to make, by the end of February, a quilt anywhere in size from 12"x 12" to 24"x 24" and send it to my secret partner...he/she doesn't know it will be coming from me! And in turn I will be getting a quilt at the same time from whoever got me...I guess this is like a Round-Robin but we keep what we are sent! We leave hints and comments on the DQS8 Flickr group and just generally have fun....I got my idea in a dream....need to leave another hint!;)


Ok....now for what you've been waiting for...the Giveaway!! Here is a tablerunner I made out

of some leftover squares from my Whimsical Wonky Quilt which is now resting happily at my parent's house!:) Here's all you have to do....leave me a comment...tell me where you have been hiking lately, and if you let people know about this giveaway on your blog you can come back and leave another comment letting me know!:) Make sure you leave some way for me to let you know you are the winner! Easy Peasy!!:o)

Let's see.....umm....how about I use the Random Generator on Sunday at 6pm EST. Okay?:)

See you Sunday!!
~d

PS.....just watched the first episode of the new season of American Idol and that young girl, Maddy Curtis, goes to our local High School!:) And Marguerite...you best be feeling better!;)

Measure Twice, Cut Once....Ooops!

I should know that carpenter's golden rule since I am married to a fanfreakintastic carpenter. I should follow it faithfully, but alas I didn't. Above is the project I started last week...looks good laying there on my cutting mat, love the embroidery on around the "Love" panel, love the scrappy piecing and fun stippling that I still haven't mastered.....

....but this is what things look like when you don't follow directions and are in a hurry or think you can just eyeball it...you get a bump on the side of your cover and it won't lay flat! But you know what....I love it!! Even if I didn't make the hole on the top big enough to pull the handle through!!

This is the back of the cover....cute, cute, cute! I just want to thank Marguerite for the "Love is..." panels and the embroidery thread, Stephanie for the fabric scraps and Susan for the Tutorial...sorry I didn't follow it like I should have for it is a very good one!!;)


Our tuba playing, creative writing daughter and
our cartoon drawing, punk rocking son showing off
their stripes!:)

LOve them bunches!

~d




PS....next post is a GIVEAWAY....pass it on!!

Last and First....

Happy New Year everyone!!















2009 was a very busy year creatively and the last project I worked on was this purse for Dear Daughter's friend Nicole. They have this fictitious (they wish it was real, maybe one day...) production company called Catfish Productions and Nicole drew this combo cat/fish picture. I copied it onto some suiting and embroidered it and added a few star buttons. A little flower print here, a bit more suiting, D-ring and slider there and presto...we have a purse....with a couple pockets inside!

I hope she likes it!:)




Also...I was a winner at the end of last year. My new friend Marguerite had a giveaway and I was one of the winners... I started this new year in a great way by finding her package in the mailbox this afternoon!! I won this wonderful panel of LOVE inspirations and for extra fun she included this adorable felt heart ornament and three skeins of thread....and then I was inspired!!

The pile of scrap fabric on the left was graciously sent to me by Stephanie and below is what I started working on this afternoon using those scraps and several sections of the panel I received from Marg...

....can you guess what this is going to be?:)

~d

PS....I met these wonderful women at this group started by the fabulous Dana called
the Old Red Barn Co. Quilt-Along....why don't you come join us?!!:)