Taming Two inches

I've been trying to tame the 2" square over here.

I've finally corralled it into a

64"x82" rectangle.

I'm cheering!!!!

Some of these little guys did not want to

MATCH up though!

I'm just going to have the leave the rebellious little things

where they are!!!

I don't have the patience for that!

Most of them GOT along with me....

But you know.......

There's always a few who just

won't be penned in.....

The ones who don't want to be corralled....

You know...

 the independent type!!!

Only a few more blocks to add...

The END is near!!

I can see it!!!

I can FEEL it!!!!

Woo Hoo!!!

TWO!

Two quilts for JAPAN!!!

All because of

YOU!!!!

Thank you for supporting this little effort

over here

in this corner of blogland!

I know there's one more quilt top at Linda's house....

and enough blocks for another quilt here at my house!!

WOW!!!

See what you AMAZING quilters are accomplishing????

 

CLICKETY

CLICKETY...CLICK...CLICK...CLICK...

CLICKETY.....

This is NOT what your sewing machine should sound like!!!!

Mine did.

I did the ol' dust the lint routine.....

with a toothbrush......

 I even opened the bottom of the machine

and did a thorough cleaning.

I call this a sewing machine OPERATION!!

CLICKETY...CLICK..CLICK.....

I did the oil the machine routine in all the approriate places...

I think....Maybe I missed a couple....

CLICKETY....CLICK....CLICK...CLICK....

oH yeah!!!!!!!

A new NEEDLE!!!!

That's what we need here!

Now when was the last time I changed the needle???

Hmmm.......Can't remember.....

Guess.......

It's TIME!!!!

We're humming along now!!!

HMMMMMMMM...........

Life is GOOD!!!!

Soft lavender

My friend, who ordered this for her friend, said....

"It's JUST right."

Oh good!

I struggled a bit with the lavender....

But....she knew what she wanted...

and this is it!!!

I did find the perfect backing and gingham binding....

Don't ya' think??

This quilt will be cuddling soon...

with a Mom who's very ill....

sitting right next to her children...

Reading a book!

I need to speed it on it's way.....

Quilt for Japan.

Here's OUR first quilt.

Linda (no blog) did some piecing.

I need to do some quilting.

We ALL have to do some cheering!

musical chairs

Remember the game called Musical chairs??

That's what I've been playing over here...

except it's called

MUSICAL QUILTS!

I work on one a little.....

and then work on another one a little....

and on and on it goes.....

This quilt really IS musical!!!

It began with that ONE little piece of fabric in the middle.

Can you see all the instruments???

It's going to be a GREAT

RAFFLE quilt

for a middle school band teacher I'm friends with.

I was even able to add some little tiny stars.

I'm sort of attached to little stars these days!

:)

This one is pieced.....

Ready to be quilted!!!

Then there are your blocks for Japan.

 I sew a little on these...

then.....

I quilt some donation quilts for a while...

Next up:

Binding on these guys.

Musical quilts.

I'm humming along as I work!!

;)

Amazed

This is yesterday's mail.

Lots of blocks for our quilt to Japan!!!!

This is TODAY's mail!!!

Blocks for our quilt to Japan!!!

I never DREAMed that I would get

such an overwhelming response.

I'm happy.

I'm scared.

I'm excited!!!!

I'd better get going and finish this quilt that's taking up space

on my Design floor....

So that I can make

room for.......

some quilts for Japan!!!

How many quilts do you think we'll get

out of all the blocks coming in????

That's the MILLION dollar question!!!

Words on Wednesday

For Tonya.

For Brenda.

Happy birthday!!!

And.....

My ADVICE to YOU!!!!

Lavender Lament.

I spent ALL morning making a very

B.O.R.I.N.G.

quilt.

I didn't realize how hard lavender is to get along with.

Now I know.

After deciding this was way to blah....

I began adding some white to

the leftover scraps.

I made another quilt top.

:/

My friend who ordered this

will now have TWO to choose from!!!

Maybe contrast will help??

It does.

A little.

I still don't love lavender...

and neither does my camera.

Wow!!!

It's hard to take pictures of this color!!!

Are there other difficult colors I need to beware of???

Lavender

My friend asked me to make a quilt for her friend who is ill.

A LAVENDeR quilt.

Hmmmm......

I've got lots of lavender inspiration in my garden.

It's really my HUSBAND's garden.

I just get to enjoy the Fruit of his labors!!!

I get to look at this outside my kitchen window every morning!!!

Yes.

Lots of inspiration out there!!!

NOT in my fabric cupboard.

These are pretty....but...

 kind of blah...I think.

There's not a lot of singing going on in this fabric..

IS there???

Aaaaah!!!!

That's better.

I went shopping and found this.

This fabric is singing MY kind of song!!!

+++++++++++++++

NOTE!!!

I'm still getting comments with a NO REPLY setting.

That's O.K.....

Unless you need my address to send a quilt block!!! ;)

If you didn't get my address via email...

That means....

You're a NO REPLY blogger.

I couldn't send it to you!!

:(

Great news!!

I think we've got lots of blocks coming in the mail.

QUILT(s?) TO JAPAN....

HERE WE COME!!!

Let's Make A QUILT!!!

Have you wondered how you might help Japan?

I Have too.

I want to make a quilt...

AND...

I'd like YOU to help me!!!

Group projects are always MORE FUN!!!

Quilter's Newsletter is partnering with

Patchwork Tsushin.

They are collecting quilts of any size

until April 30th.

I'd love to work together with

YOU

and make a quilt!!!

Let's DO IT!!

Make two of these four patches

using 2 1/2" squares.

Use Two DARKS and Two Light or Mediums

for each four patch!!!

These squares measure 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"when you're done.

Add Two CREAM squares 4 1/2" x 4 1/2".

Your block should measure 8 1/2" x 8 1/2".

Ta DAH!!!

Sign your name with state/country if you like on the front.

Here are some DARK samples I thought would work...

Just to give you an idea of what I was thinking.

Anything goes if it kind of goes with this!!!

It will be a

SCRAPPY.

BEAUTIFUL.

WONDERFUL.

QUILT!!!

Making ONE block is a cinch. Right??

Let me know you'll help.

Leave a comment and I'll send you my address!!

I can't wait to make this quilt and put all this love together!!!

DUE DATE for your block...

TWO WEEKS!!!

April 4, 2011!!!

That probably means you should go make it right now.

:0

Remember: It's National quilting day today!

What a GOOD Day to donate a quilt block!!!

Make sure I can REPLY to your comment with my address!!

Are you a NO REPLY commentor???

Include your email address in your comment

and you can.....

Read this if you're not sure!!!

+++++++++++++++++++++

UPDATE!!!!

I have received an overwhelming response to my request!

I'm a little worried about having

TOO MANY QUILTS TO MAKE

before the deadline

established by Quilter's newsletter.

IF you still want to comment and send blocks you MAY

but....

I want you to know that I may not

be able to get ALL of them in

this time!I plan to keep receiving blocks and use them

for a FUTURE quilting opportunity!!!

An opportunity to

GIVE to others.

If you're o.k. with that...

then go ahead and comment and

I'll send you my address!

I am so impressed with this quilting community!!

I am so happy I live in this neighborhood!!!

I'm feeling the love........and so will JAPAN!!!

You're the best!!!!

random stuff on friday

TODAY:

I created this...

with some fabric scraps....

Out of this.

It IS the same sweatshirt.

What a difference lighting makes, huh?

I'm not a fancy dresser.

I like warm and comfortable....

and this sweatshirt (found at the thrift store)

is....

WARM.

COMFORTABLE.

And now...

Long enough to SUIT me.

If I had purchased it NEW.....

I would have been too afraid to cut into it!!

Wouldn't you??

When it only cost a couple of dollars...

I didn't worry.

I chalked up my purchase to:

Entertainment!!!!

TODAY:

My table looked normal again.

TODAY:

I gave some cookies to a neighbor

Inspired by this post and ARTICLE!!!

Read Brenda's article and BE INSPIRED!!!

spring.

I had a lovely FINISH today!

Isn't it springy??

All those little tiny pieces of fabric can now shine together!!

Can you see my hand quilting?

I used #20 embroidery floss.....

Followed painters tape placed diagonally.

Very. Easy.

Very. Portable.

Here's the back.

Sweet.

And this is why I sometimes make these table toppers small.

It sits in the middle of this

BUSY table.

Someday...

I may show you what BUSY really looks like!!!

I would have today...

But I had already cleaned it off for company.

;)

one a day.

I have a few quilts going at one time.

Do you??

Well...these three quilts I have going don't have a deadline....

They have little pieces...

and I want them to grow.

Sometimes thinking about the number of blocks overwhelms me.

And often times other projects with deadlines get in the way.

Guess what my little pea brain realized this past weekend??

"If I make ONE block a day...

The blocks will add up...

and I'll someday have enough for a quilt!""

I know.

LIGHTBULB moment. :0

So...

I've been making about one block a day on all three of these quilts.

I love all of them equally.

So I'm giving them all EQUAL time.

These are the quilts I'm making for me.

Just because.

So....I"ll make just one block a day (or a few more).....

when I'm able.

And someday...

I'll have enough for a quilt.

One a day.

What a concept!

;)