Calling all Quilters!

I am trying to knock out some UFO's but need some advice. I have completed all of the blocks from Pat Sloan's Good Book Club from last year, and can't decide what color of sashing strips to use. (of course one of the blocks fell off). I want to do the outside border in the dark floral print, but can't decide what color to use for the sashing. I don't want to use the green, just because it isn't my favorite color. I have enough of either the burgundy, rose, blue or the ivory. I have looked at it and looked at it and can't decide which color to go with. I also want to use cornerstones, which I can decide on their color of after I decide on the sashing strips. I know it is hard to tell from a photo, but I would welcome all and any suggestions. I was really pleased with how the blocks came out, they were very easy to make. This is my first sampler quilt and am anxious to finish it.

Sewing with the Thimbles

I posted over the weekend about the great time

I had on Friday night with my sewing group. I now have the photos that show what a great time

we had. Here is Kristie working on her new BOM, Carrie Hall Sampler. It is from Homestead Hearth. I checked it out online and am really thinking about doing it in batiks. Hope you wouldn't mind Kristie. That is Billie Jo in the background working on her project.

Here is Katerine working on her setting blocks for her Santa applique. I think we should start calling her Mrs. Sampler!!! What do you think, Kristie?

This is Marilyn's Santa Block of the month. It is beautiful, she did a wonderful job on the blocks.

Busy Bee Weekend

Weekends are always so busy!! This weekend, and it is only Saturday, has been very busy so far, busy in a mostly fun way. Last night was Thimbles night. This is the second meeting for our group since we became Thimbles instead of Sisters. There was lots of sewing and lots of laughing. (there would be pictures, but I left the cable for my camera at school on Friday). There was a large crowd inspite of the cold weather. Kristie was there working on one of her many applique BOM's, Katherine was working on the setting blocks for her applique Santa's, several of us were working on the kits we started in January. I had not even picked mine up since last month. I finished the quilt I had on my design wall, so I plan on getting out the Pinwheels on Parade from January to finish. Marilyn had some beautiful redwork Santa blocks that she was putting together, it was gorgeous. I love Santas and redwork, several of us wrote down the name of the pattern. The only thing missing last night was our Mother Superior, Pat, who is still at home recovering from surgery. Pat, we missed you!!!! I really thought about going back today, but too much other stuff to do. Now that I am back in school I had a project that is due for my class on Monday night, so I have been working at the computer most of the afternoon. I did take time out this morning to go to Sweet Home. You never know who you are going to run into there. I saw Debbie, one of the AP's from my school. We even bought some of the same fabric, and a pattern. I did try to restrain myself and not buy toooo much. When I left there I went to Gail K's, for fashion fabric. I got a beautiful piece of red linen for a summer dress, a piece of black linen for a dressy dress, and a navy linen and silk blend for a pair of pants and a jacket. That will pretty much be my new summer wardrobe.

What a storm!

Last night we had the worst hail storm. It came

and went very quickly, but by the time it was over the ground was white. It looked like snow. I have never seen pieces of hail so large. My poor husband's car was in the driveway being pounded. I am sure there will be a trip to the body shop in his future. Luckily I don't think we had any major damage. Joe was going to check out the roof today to see if it was damaged. We already had daffodils blooming, and some of our trees were starting to bud. I noticed this morning all of the daffodils were beaten into the ground and the blooms had been knocked off of the trees. Such crazy weather we are having!

Block #2 from Bunny Hill

I am really getting into this applique thing. I just finished Block #2 from Bunny Hill's BOM. I don't really know about the pink bird, it doesn't show up a lot, I really liked the fabric and thought that it would show up more. It does look better in person that it does in the photo.

I am trying to finish up another UFO that I started back in December. It is a Christmas quilt, I am out of the mood, but I have it up on my design wall and want to finish it before I take it down. I had finished one very similar last month for my great nephew, I think I will give this one to his brother. They are exactly the same except the color of the border fabric, and it is the same print just a different color. I want to get it finished so I can drag out another UFO. My husband and I still sleep on a full size bed, we have been talking for a year about getting a queen size and I think the time is finally here. I had started a quilt for it, I guess now I need to get in gear and get it finished and to a quilter.

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day, and if you are lucky enough to be off tomorrow for President's Day, enjoy.

Birthday Rule #1

The rule at my house is as long as there is birthday cake in the house it is still your birthday. I had a tremendous birthday. After celebrating all day at school, while running a book fair, my husband took me out for a wonderful dinner. We went to Alfredo's, my favorite Italian restaurant, I had one of my favorites sausage and peppers while Joe had snapper. Then when we got home I had birthday cake, I love Kroger birthday cake with lots of gooey icing. It is a small cake, but will last the two of us a while hence the birthday rule about cake. After cake it was present time, I got a great denim jacket and a beautiful pearl cross from my husband. My brother sent me two necklaces and a pair of earrings. my niece sent me the last CD that Johnny Cash made, it is really good. I still have presents waiting at my mom's house. My mom has her next chemo treatment tomorrow and I will be heading over to visit her the end of the month. I hope to get some sewing done this weekend, that is something that I haven't done much of in the last couple of weeks.

Big Day!!!

Today is the big day. I am having a wonderful birthday so far. My wonderful husband cooked breakfast for me this morning before I left for school. My wonderful clerk gave me a baby cake and an itunes gift card. The art and music teacher had their students make me posters and they gave me the crown, I already had the boa and since it matched I had to wear it. I am so lucky to work in an elementary school. It has been a great day so far, and it isn't over.

Tag, I'm it.

My friend and fellow blogger Gretchen tagged me with some questions over the weekend, I had to think about them before I could answer them. What are 5 addictions and 10 truthful things about yourself that you haven't blogged about. Ok, here goes the easy ones first, five addictions:
1. books
2. coffee
3. hot chocolate
4. reading
5. collecting cocktail napkins from the 20's, really anything from the 1920's
Now for the 10 hard ones.
1. I hate to be late for anything. I always try to be early for everything, even it means waiting on the other person. 2. I tend to put off the things that I really don't want to do, and do what I enjoy doing 3. I love heavy metal music. I hope to get some for my birthday. 4. I tend to start way too many things at one time, like quilt projects. 5. I love to do target shooting, my husband calls me Annie Oakley. 6. I don't like to be in a meeting where people aren't paying attention then have a million questions. 7. I love flea markets and visit them whenever I can.
8. I enjoy coming home from school in the winter, putting on my sweats and having a huge cup of hot chocolate. 9. I don't really like to talk on the phone, would much rather do email or in person. 10. I sometimes would love to be selfish, and do more things just for me instead of getting wrapped up in doing things for everyone else.
That is probably way more than most of you ever wanted to know about me.
I think that Kristie, Susan and Karen should let us know their deep dark secrets.

Rest and Relaxation

Don't you love it when the rare weekend comes along when you can do absolutely nothing. That is what Joe and I did this weekend. We have a cabin in North Georgia, just outside of Blue Ridge that we try to get to every weekend, but of course we don't make it that often. Usually when we go up, there is a ton of things to do, but this weekend there wasn't. We did some hiking, some target shooting, some more hiking, and in general just hung out. It was wonderful. We didn't get up this morning until 9:30, that is late for us.
I hope to get some of my quilting friends up for a mini-retreat sometime soon. What do you think, girls? Are you up for a weekend in the woods. The cabin is really very comfortable, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fireplace, and a screened in back porch.

Valentine Swap

I am a follower of Pat Sloan and a member of her Yahoo group. A few weeks ago there was the opportunity to sign up for a Valentine swap. I had missed out on the last few swaps that definitely wanted to participate in this one. The rules were simple, you couldn't spend over 10.00 and there had to be a dish towel included in the swap. I thought I can do that, so I sent in my info and a week or so later got the name I would be sending a Valentine to. My goodies which included a machine appliqued towel, stickers, a stamp, a notepad, white chocolate, and a heart wall hanging, went off last week. I was excited today when I came home and found a package from my Sloanie Valentine, Jo Anne in Washington. In the box I found a beautiful appliqued towel, a calendar, candy, a note pad, a stamp, a journal, a heart ornament, a magnet list, and a quilt coloring book. I love all of it. I especially can't wait to color some great quilt patterns. If you ever have the opportunity to participate in a swap like this I would definitely recommend it. Many thanks Jo Anne for the wonderful goodies.

One more project down

I finally finished the quilt I had been working on for my great niece. She was born December 22, so I am not too far behind. Her name is Vivienne Noelle, and I have yet to see her. They live in Nashville, so it will probably be this summer before I can get up to see them. Any days that I take off from work now I use to visit with my mom. Mom is doing OK. She has had two chemo treatments and has made it OK. Her next treatment is scheduled for February 13. I plan on making a trip to Mississippi later this month to spend some time with her. I know she gets really lonesome, the fact that my dad passed away in September and she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in October has been really hard on her plus the fact that she is 78.

Enough depressing news. I made myself a birthday present, a new red scarf. Red is my favorite color and on my last trip to the yarn shop I found some great yarn and a new pattern. Yes I have to have a pattern for a scarf, my knitting skills aren't that great. I definitely needed a scarf this morning. The actual temperature was 15 with a wind chill of 1. Atlanta usually isn't that cold. It looks like tomorrow is going to be another cold day.

Happy Birthday!!

Help me celebrate my birthday month by reading my blog and posting a comment. If you post a comment to my blog between now and the end of the month you will be entered into a drawing for a present. If you mention my give away on your blog your name will be entered twice. The give away includes 5 fat quarters from Lake House Dry goods, a bottle of Gloves in a Bottle, The Gift of Quilting, ( book with great scrap quilt patterns), a package of applique needles, and a pocket calendar.

My birthday month has gotten off to a great start, yesterday Joe and I went to the High Museum to see the Terracotta Warriors exhibit. It was wonderful. I have never been that great of a fan of ancient Chinese art, but it was fantastic. It is hard to believe the detail that was put into the creation of all of those terracotta pieces. And to think that it was created for the tomb of one ruler is unbelievable. They were magnificent as they were, but to have seen them when they were first made and painted would have been awesome. After the exhibit, of course we had to watch the Super Bowl. We are both big football fans. I was hoping that Arizona would win but it was a great game. The halftime show was one of the best. I can't believe that Bruce Springsteen is 59 years old. He definitely doesn't look it. I am celebrating number 49 in a few days and many days, especially recently, I feel every bit of it. Although most days I don't think about age, I think you are as old as you feel and most days I feel about 10. I guess that is why I work in an elementary school. I am starting to think about how I can celebrate Ithe big one next year. I want to do something different. Any suggestions?