Freindship Stars Update

My dear friend Ann sent me this photo along with some statistics.....................

The swap was 9 months, we started with 22 the first month then it hit an average of 36 per month so I set the swap quantity at 20 per month the last 4 or 5 months. I think it was around 6500 blocks total.

I wonder if this is the only finished quilt from this swap?

Strings

The reason for this rather yukky photo is twofold. First of all Libby is having a giveaway. Her rules is that you have to show a picture of your ironing board. It's kind of obvious that when I iron blocks it is always in the same spot. I could really use a new cover but I can't find one. My ironing board is extra wide (18") and most covers are for an ironing board 15". I guess I'm going to have to break down and make one (Oh yeah, I'll jump right on it).


The other reason for the photo is to show you the string box. Well, not exactly the box, but the box cover. As I have mentioned before, I am making quilts for the Heartstring Project. I have a large box which contains pieces of fabric suitable for this project. I started with a lot of small pieces, better for crumb blocks than strings, so I posted a note on the Heartstring website asking for some string. I posted previously that Deb in AZ sent me a big bunch of some great fabrics. Then my friend Ann sent me some yardage. In the meantime, I participated in block swap on the HGTV site. I asked some of the gals if it would be all right if I kept some of the scraps. Many said yes. Yesterday, I received a package from Elaine with some gorgeous scraps and Lilly in NY says she is going to send me some too. I have been making strings blocks like crazy yet the fabric in the box seems to keep multiplying.

Incoming this week

There was not alot in this weeks mail, not even alot of bills. First is a postcard from Beth in New Jersey. N is for Nine patch, very clever, and what cute fabric.

And all the way from Istanbul Turkey, this Metallic card from Dawn.

I ordered some 505 Spray from Connecting Thread. I don't know why I ordered this thread, maybe because it just looked pretty, but it came this week too.

Friendship Stars

Once upon a time, there was a happy web site called Alex Anderson Quilts. There was also a message board where everyone had cute names and personal icons. Back in 2000, a block swap was organized by Auntann. Each month many of us would make a bunch (sorry, I don't remember the exact rules) of Friendship star blocks in a certain color. This went on for almost a year. Many of us also made an extra block each month for Alex. The blocks were put together and a beautiful quilt top was presented to Alex at her first retreat in October 2001. There once was a photo of this quilt posted somewhere but I can no longer find it.

The reason I bring all this up after all these years is because my blocks remain as you see them, one big pile of blocks. I had always wanted to copy Alex's quilt but I can't find the picture. I would love to make a charity quilt, or two, or three, but I could never find a setting I liked. All of these blocks are signed with the makers name and city/state. Some are even dated.

Does anyone have a picture of Alex's quilt that they would share with me? Does anyone have a nice setting they would like to suggest?

This is what 170 6" Friendship Star blocks looks like.

Zizzy-Dot Challenge Swap #6

Bleach, discharge dyeing......Yup, this one was certainly a challenge. I can't tell you how many tries it took me to get it right.


Here's mine








And here's Dotti's

Dotti says that this is a petroglyph, I think I'm going to have to look that up in the dictionary. Also sorry to say I don't know which way is up on this card. But it sure is a cool card, and our colors came out almost identical.

It's Dotti's turn to pick a challenge, wonder what it will be.

Happy President's Day

I Dare You

This is another large hunk of fabric Auntann gave me. I am sure you have heard people say "let the fabric speak to you". This one spoke to me and said "I dare you to use me". So what else could I do but make another D9P. Again I used this fabric for the centers of the 9 patches and borders, and I used up a bunch of nickell squares from my collection.

Now that I think about it, Auntann also gave me the cheddar colored inner border fabric. It was a few years ago when Joanns made a mistake and put a riduculously low price on solid colored quilters cotton. Ann went a little nuts and bought tons of it which she shared with me. Maybe, Ann will post and tell us exactly how much of that stuff she really bought.

9 Patches

Then I took those blocks and made this.............................

I'm sure you guessed it, I was making a Disappearing 9 Patch. I think I really like this pattern as it is pretty quick, easy and I can use up all those nickell square that I have been collecting.

appearing

..........................then I'll twist them around and sew them back together again.

Dis-

So what shall I do with this very busy fabric from Auntann?

I think I will cut it up into 5" squares. I will put it together with some of that eye chart fabric , some patriotic fabric I have, along with some traded nickell squares and make some really big nine patches. I will cut up the nine patches and .......................................



Stay tuned.................................

Incoming

Two postcards in today's mail from the Fiber Arts Postcard swap called Glitter.

This first one is from Hannah in Sweden. It's too bad that shiny, sparkly stuff doesn't show up well online because this is shiny. Lots of Angelina with some beads and flowers. Really prettier in person.

This one is from Nancy in Connecticut (bet you didn't think I could spell that). She writes that she painted the fabric. I sure wouldn't mind having some yardage of that. Again, much prettier in person. Thank you both.

Sure wish blogger would fix the spellcheck.

I've been tagged

I have been tagged by Barb at Ruminations and Reflections. Her rules say

1. When tagged place the name of the person and URL on your blog
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Write 7 things about yourself
4. Name 7 of your favorite weblogs
5. Send an email letting those bloggers know they have been tagged!

Looks like I have already completed rules 1 and 2, so on to 3

1. I don't like following rules, so forget rule 5. Besides everyone I know has already been tagged this week. As for rule 4, there's my list over there on the right, those are my most favorite.

2. My most favorite piece of music is George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.

3. I am always on time, in fact I am usually early. It drives me crazy when everyone else is late. That's one of the main reason I am taking a break from swapping, I am still waiting for stuff that was due two months ago.

4. My feeling are easily hurt.

5. Don't ask me a question if you don't want an honest answer.

6. I do not believe all quilters are nice people, I have the scars to prove it.

7. I am not easily impressed.

Stay tuned, there will be photos this weekend.

Happy Valentines Day

Eye chart fabric

Bingo Bonnie commented that she liked this fabric that my friend Auntann gave me. I hadn't notice at first but look a little closer (no joke intended). It says "Quilting and sewing make me happy love to buy beautiful fabric". Bonnie is right, fun fun fun.

Map

I'm just loving my map locator (scroll on down). So I would like to say HELLO to few of you who keep coming back.

Hello Nara Japan, Austria, Italy, Australia, San Luis Opisbo CA, El Dorado AR and a place I know well, Bronx NY.

Won't you leave a comment and let me know who is from where?

Cyber Fyber

These photos in no way show the beauty of this card. There are many colors and textures along with alot of beads and hand stitching. I think I got the better end of this deal. If you haven't seen Susan's beautiful work, check out her website and check out her collection of postcards, many which are still available for trade .

R.A.K.

Another R.A.K. arrived yesteray. Missmikol , who is another participant in the HGTV Romantic F8 swap has sent me some of her scraps. Several of the gals have let me keep the leftovers. Here's her fabric.

But the big surprise of the day is from my best friend AuntAnn. We have been cyber buddies since 2000 and have never met face to face. We have been through all sorts of things together including some serious illnesses. I am so very grateful she is my friend.

Anyway, here is what she sent me. These are some pretty large hunks of fabric. I carelessly measured one piece ( the black with orange) and it is about 6 yards. I have no idea how she managed to get all this crammed into a flat rate box. Thank you my dear friend.

Incoming

I got some really cool stuff in the mail the last two days. First, there is a clever postcard from Kate. N is for Night. I'm not sure if you can tell, but this card was sent in a clear plastic envelope. That is because Kate added some stars which float around inside (kind of like a snowglobe). Can you see them down on the bottom. She is so clever, I just love her stuff.







I also got a lovely Heart card from Hannah in Sweden. I still flips me out to get mail from outside the US. I don't know why.

And for those of you who are stuck inside because of the snow and cold, here is a pic of one of my orchids that just bloomed. Don't envy our weather too much though, it is so warm and humid, we have had to put the a/c on again.

100th Blog Post

Due to a lack of interest, there will not be a 100th post giveaway nor will there be a contest.

Sorry!

Scrappy Elegance

I love getting mail, not bills, not advertisements, but quilty stuff, greeting cards and postcards. I guess that's why I signed up for so many swaps. I have had to stop swapping as it was making me crazy. There are so many postcards and blocks that are due to me (and past their deadlines) that I think I just would rather look forward to the junk mail.
Last year I signed up for a block of the month (more about that in another post). When it was over I got sad that I would not be receiving my monthly package, so I signed up at Keepsake Quiltings medley of the month club. I received this one yesterday and it is called Scrappy Elegance. I have not idea what I will be doing with it. I will most likely cut it up and use it in a charity quilt.

Whole cloth

I cannot machine quilt to save my life. I am especially bad at free motion. So, I either send my tops to a longarmer or I quilt by hand. I bought a template about a year ago, for a crib sized whole cloth quilt. I finally got around to making the quilt. I used some natural colored muslin. It took me about two hours to draw out the design (I took alot of rest your back breaks). I could not decide if I wanted to use white thread on the whole thing or use colored threads. I asked my husband and he said use different colors, so here is the start of my quilting. It is hard to tell (even up close & personal) that I have used pink for the flowers, green for the leaves, a lighter green for the buds, white for the grid and violet on the feathers. I was thinking I might enter this in the 2009 Broward Quilt Expo. Seeing as how almost no one hand quilts anymore (not around here anyway) I just might stand a chance at winning the hand quiliting award by default. When finished, this quilt will be for sale.

Block Lotto

I discoved a block lotto over at the about.com site. I thought maybe if I win some blocks I could make a charity quilt a lot quicker. The rules say I have to post a picture of the blocks so here they are........................

Cute block isn't it?

I was kind of busy yesterday working on these heart blocks and I finished the Roman Stripe I started earlier.

I am fast approaching the 100 blog post mark. I am thinking I might have a contest. No, not just another "post a comment and win a prize" kind of giveaway but a real contest. You make a block for one of my charity quilts, I will post pictures, you vote, winner gets a prize , kind of contest. What do you think? Are there enough of you out there reading this blog who might be interested? Please let me know if you think this is a good idea or not.