100th Post Give-away

I'm a little late with this give-away, but December was just not a good time to do it.

I am giving away 1/2 yard each of 3 different designs of Moda Twill. This is soft fabric, can be used for a quilt, book covers, tote bag, roll ups for all different uses or even an apron. Maybe you want to make Dad an apron for Father's Day. It's great when lined with a heavier fabric.

I am including a roll of heavy plastic for making photo pockets or label pockets. Maybe you want to make a makeup case and line it? Fun trims too! About 2 yards of each. A cute pin cushion and a plastic baggy half full of buttons, some vintage, some new and some just fun!

Just leave a comment and tell me what you might use these items for, make sure I can contact you by email.

I'll pick a name on Friday, February 6th. If you mention this give-away on your blog and let me know in your comment, I'll put your name in an extra 5 times.



Here is today's ice up date. We are waiting on one huge storm on Monday. The thought of it makes my toes curl!
Try getting out the back door with 40 inch long icicles hanging down!

AT LAST, A MIXER COVER THAT FITS!

I am on my 3rd Kitchen Aid Mixer. The first one I bought the cover for but it was ugly plastic. All of the covers I bought after that just never fit the mixer, were too short and not wide enough.

I had a small piece of the red plaid I used on the Kitchen curtains and thought I'd put together a cover. It didn't have to be a great fit, as long as it actually covered the entire Mixer. Here's what I came up with. I love it!

Weather Bug is doing an awful job of forcasting. The 3 inches for last night turned into 12. Then this morning it rained and sleeted for an hour before it turned back into snow. It looks like there is another 6 inches on top of the ice and it's still coming down heavy. Back to sewing. I won't think about this today, I'll think about it tomorrow!

HERE'S THE MINI...SPRING GARDEN

After fooling around with some extra blocks, a butterfly ended up being the center of this little quilt. Now off to quilt it!

WHERE TO GO WITH THIS LITTLE QUILT?

I rarely use a pattern. I have all the fancy software and have never tried to learn to use it. I just get one block in mind and then let the quilt take me to wherever it wants to go.

I am swap mama on HGTV for a mini swap. I have 2 partners for this one because there was an odd number of ladies swapping. The mini is a secret but we shared colors we liked or didn't like. My first partner asked for pinks or pastels.

Since these are due the beginning of April I wanted to do spring. The first block that came to mind was a tulip. It's amazing how many designs you can get out of 20 little 3 1/2 inch blocks!

After looking at all of them I came up with a few more options but will have to make a few more blocks to see how they look. I still want to stay with the garden theme so the stars will be out. For now I don't know where this little quilt will take me. I only know that I'll hand quilt it.

The second little quilt will be blue's. That one I won't be able to show because that partner does come to blog land. I already have that one half done. It's turning out pretty cute!

THANK YOU & PILLOW CASES

Not much to post this weekend. I've been busy, but until I get the gifts sent off, I won't be posting photo's of the mini's I've been working on.

I did get the package from Bren. because of the 0 degree weather, my sewing room is too cold so I've been working on the dining room table. Bren's gift is just to pretty to have it folded away so I hung it on the wall until I clear up the sewing. Thanks so much Bren, I just love it!

I did manage to get 9 of the pillow cases for Con Kerr Cancer done. I have 2 dozen more cut out. After reading the instructions again I realized that you can use cotton flannel. I had a ton of flannel left over from many quilt backs.

Tomorrow I'll be starting a mini for a swap. It's pink and pink roses so I'll really enjoy working on this one! Maybe I'll have something to post tomorrow night!

The Castle Quilt

A Castle Story

Somewhere in an Ocean, Upon a pedistool of rocks, sits the Castle of Little and Big girls dreams. The Castle where maidens are saved by a Prince, where they dance and leave behind a shoe, those who fall asleep and wake with a kiss or have a bad sleep because of a pea under the mattress.

Here sits the Castle among the bright colors of life, greens and blues from the ocean and skies that surround it, vivid yellow, oranges and reds from the rays of the sun and darks from the night driven by Mr. Moon.



The castle is cared for by 3 Fairy's, Latanya, Tiania & Shaylee. It is protected by 3 mermaids, Isme, Shene and the Queen maid, Oceandia.

Latanya, Fairy of the gardens, spends her day seeing to the flowers and bringing the treasures of the sea to the castle grounds, giving it sweet smells and sparkles of gems. Her sister fairies, Tiania, Queen of the Fairies, and Shaylee dance and sing for Mr. Moon, keeping him happy and calm. Mr. Moon controls the skies and oceans that surround the castle. Any unhappiness can cause bolts of lightning from the sky and thrashing waves against the castle walls, turning a dream of princesses into a nightmare!

Oceandia is not only the Queen of maids, but her beautiful songs control the sea creatures, calling them to her side and causing the ocean to dance with waves of beauty.

Shene is the keeper of sea serpents, sending them out to protect the castle waters and search for the treasures of the sea. Isme, along with her sister maids, bring the gems of the sea to the mountains base where they await the next dream, turning pumpkins into gems of gold and princesses dressed in sparkling gowns and crystal slippers.

Next time you lay down your head for a night of sleep and find a nightmare about to take you into the dark, put your thoughts to the Castle and float away on the back of a unicorn to a magical dream of sparkles and princesses.

GO TEAM GO..BUT, WHICH ONE?

GREAT GAME EAGLES! Next year maybe!


http://www.allposters.com/

I'll be watching the Eagles and Steelers tonight. I hope both teams win. If they do, I'll find myself in a position of being torn between teams.

Born and raised in Philly, the Eagles, Phillies, Sixer's & Flyers were household names. When I had 4 sons it never mattered if they were winning or not, they were our teams and there was always next year.

Four years ago we moved to Steelers country. When they won we cheered them on. After all, we do still live in Pennsylvania and that makes them our team. Well at least it makes them one of our teams.

If both Pa. teams win tonight we'll be sitting among Steelers fans wearing our Green Eagles shirts. Home is where the Heart is.

So for now.....GO TEAMS GO!

SAVED BY HEAT TAPE!

All week it's been below freezing. Last night it went to -24. Even with all the insulation we stuffed this old house with, the pipes froze at this temp.

Out with the heat tape! While we saw neighbors crawling in deep snow to get under their houses to defrost or replace burst pipes, my son has experience with heat tape from his days working on Septa in Philly and enviromental spills. Almost immediately after attaching the heat tape to the cold water, it began to run free into the sink.

Funny how people won't listen. Here is western Pa., people don't believe in insulation and laughed at "tape" to defrost pipes. While they were still knee deep in snow and ice, we were fixed and off to the mall for batting and thread.

If you've never seen what -24 looks like, I took some photo's along the way to the mall.

MY LUCKY DAY! THANKS BREN!

I've been busy all morning working on mini quilts. I was delighted when I opened my mail and found a note from Bren http://piecesfromme.blogspot.com/ telling me I had won her Whirl into Winter give-away.

I've been so caught up in making gifts for people who have helped me out in 2008 that some how I missed out on this give away, I was a Johnny come lately for sure! While visiting the blogs in my side bar I came across Bren's offer of a wonderful Amish table runner and coasters.

I think I've expressed in the past how much I long to be back home in Lancaster, Pa. Bren's offer just pulled me in. I've seen this pattern and colors so often on the tables of my Amish friends in Lancaster. This gift just wrapped itself around my heart and called out..take a chance.

Thank You Bren for giving me a piece of home to look at everyday.

I cut out 2 more pillow cases for Con Kerr Cancer. I used the Debbie Mum Polar Bear fabric and red for the border.

And here's a look at our weather..Snow, Snow, go away...

Pillow Cases for Kids, Canada & South Africa Too!

I thought I would explain the ConKerr Cancer program a little better. This is NOT just a program in the United States.

Pillow cases can be made and sent to the regional offices in Canada and South Africa!

United States regional offices are in these states:

Arizonia *********New Hamp.
Calif.************NJ
Colo.************New Mex
Conn.***********New York
Delaware********NC
DC*************Pa.
Fl.*************Ok.
Georgia********Ohio
Ind.***********RI
Ill.************SC
Kent.*********Tenn.
Lou.**********TX
Maine********Virg.
Mass.********Wash.
Mich.********Wisc.
Miss.
Neb.

This list and the people to contact are found on the ConKerr Cancer site along with the hospitals that will benefit from your sewing project. Just click on the purple pillow cases at the top of my blog for the addresses.

WHEN IT POURS SNOW, I SEW

It's been snowing since Wednesday. Ten inches expected today..ugh! I've been busy this week, even fit in some out patient surgery. Don't ask, it should have been on a video for worlds worst nurse!

Any how, I got a lot of fabric in the mail this week. First here are some pastels and browns I am using for mini quilts, some for a swap I'm running on HGTV and some for gifts.

I also got this cute Debbie Mum Polar bear fabric which I'll use some to make 2 kids pillow cases out of for Con Kerr Cancer. The rest will be part of my February blog give-away.

I also got some wonderful Moda Twill. I am doing a very "male" project that just calls for this twill. Here are the backs of the project...2 large and 3 smaller wall hangings. I can't show them yet because I want them to be a surprise. This twill will also make bookcovers and great bags!

Remember the Quilt in the Bag mini quilt project that's due Jan.31st? I'm quilting it today and putting on the binding. My story about the castle just would not fit on a 20 x 20 inch project. It grew & grew, so now there are 2 20 x 20 inch quilts that tell the story! I can't show these either until the ower see's them first.

I've entered 2 give-aways and want to mention them here. First there is Kathyrn who is giving away a wonder very Pink gift. I tried to take the photo to post here but for some reason it just wouldn't post.
http://ourshabbycottage.blogspot.com/

Over at Bingo Bonnie's, she is giving away CASH. Now to get this you have to do a 15 minute project in your house...a clean up of sorts. Then post it to your blog and tell her.

http://bingobonnie.blogspot.com/

So Bonnie, here is my clean up. It took the entire 15 minutes to do the food cabinet so I'll save the medicine cabinet for another day. I tried to get a photo of the pancake mix date...Oct 2007! It wouldn't show up, but this means when I moved last August, I moved this very out of date box with me! It certainly was time to clean out! Now I need to re-stock when the darn snow stops!

I sure would like to get the money to put towards fabric for kids pillow cases!

To finish off this post, I cut out 2 pillow cases for Con Kerr Cancer. This fabric is from Universal Studio's, I suppose an older movie because I got it for $1. a yard. I'm sure some little boy will love the apes. I didn't sew them together yet. I think I'll wait until I get a dozen cut out and do them all at once.

ONE MORE VERY IMPORTANT THING TO SAY.

Kevin http://lesliekamm.blogspot.com/ had his surgery to replace his skull. He came through the surgery fine but they did a MESS UP job. His head is still skunken in and his ear is below his other ear. He became very up set when he put his hand up and felt the poor job that was done. This could set him back emotionally for a long time. Please, everyone pray for this injured soldier that they will find a way to fix what went wrong.

I don't know how this could happen. I have a friend who had a motorcycle accident and looked a lot like Kevin did. When the surgery was done he looked normal. The only way this can be explained is that it was POORLY done. I think we expect more from the doctors who are taking care of our wounded.

I KNOW YOU CARE!

Recently I was looking for a special fabric and found Beaver Creek quilt company on line.
http://www.beavercreekquiltcompany.com/

Did you ever feel like you have been sent somewhere? While clicking around the site to see what else they had, I clicked on "show & tell". http://www.beavercreekquiltcompany.com/showntell.html

This took me to a video at CONKERR CANCER http://www.conkerrcancer.org/ Don't foget to look at the Martha Stewart video on this subject!

This is a no brainer project! Who can't make 6 pillow cases this year? I think we all can do that little thing and I bet if we piled them all up we could have a small mountain of cases made by years end!

I know I was sent to Beaver Creek. Besides getting the wonderful Moda fabric I was looking for, I found a place to use up all those fabric's that never made it into a quilt! I will be surfing and hoping to see lots of pillow cases being made!

Remember my prize of a Moda covered book from Angela? I'm putting it to use! If you post a picture of the pillow cases on your blog & comment anywhere on my blog about the chapter you will be sending them too or sending them to Beaver Creek, the person who makes the most pillow cases by May 1st, will get a yard of fabric and a needle case! I'll be keeping track in my Moda covered book! If we have a tie, I'll pick a winner & decide on other prizes for the runner or runners up.

Five Windows Ago....

Thought I'd never finish the curtains for the large kitchen windows. This kitchen is right out of the 1930's so I made the curtains fit the kitchen.

Now I can start on some real fun, like all the mini's for swaps!