Christmas Holiday

Having a Happy Christmas with lots of family!
No quilting yet...being sociable :)

I'm alive...barely

Busy, busy fall semester...no time for blogging or quilting :(

Baby Wedding Ring wins blue

This weekend is the local quilt show and what a beautiful show it is! So many very talented quilters around here! I was thrilled to be the recipient of one of the home-made quilt ribbons for my "Baby Wedding Ring" quilt. I decided to make it when I had no clue about quilting or how hard it would to piece curves for a first pieced pattern. Also I used poly-cotton for the "rings." Again, no clue about quilt making but I did know that I love to hand quilt and design.

Each of the quilting designs are different inside each block. It was fun to figure out many different designs. One special design was drawn by my (then) 6 year old son after he saw me working on this quilt all the time he wanted to help. I let him draw his design right on the quilt then quilted it exactly as he drew it. YIKES! But it is now priceless :)

PS. College update. Yes, son stops by the house about every day or two for some food or some computer time or something! We don't often actually SEE him when he comes by as it may be 11:30 PM or during the times we are out. I think he is liking it and is definitely keeping busy with various ventures.

Water Lily Progress

No work has taken place due to the beginning of school and teaching a new course in Aug. But, Before that I did a little more including lay out some fabric to audition borders. Here it is! I can't wait to get back to it!

Son to college today

Well, he packed a few clothes and notebooks and things and headed off to college....just down the street. We helped him get things arranged (slightly) in the room and met his roommate and parents. I am sure they will have more success in arranging things now that moms are out of the picture!Next few days are "Welcome Week" activities and orientation and classes begin Wed. I think he will like it. Hope he will study. Sure we will see him often :)


The Water Lily has had to take a back seat to all the college prep. and first week of classes planning. But, before that...a little more work was done and some auditioning fabric for borders. Too bad cannot have it done in time for the quilt show! The photo above are fabric swatches...more gifts from the family in Japan who hosted our daughter in the Sister City exchange. I must come up with a good plan for them.Right now...no clue!

Japanese Fans

These are more gifts from my daughter's trip to Japan. They are fabric fans about 8 inches in size. Pretty Neat!

Quilting & Sewing gifts from Japan

These are about 4 & 1/2 inches square, flat like a coaster. Hand sewn.



These are the generous gifts from the host family and neighbors to Jasmine on her recent trip. Way cool! I have 2 more items to post in the next few days too!
Now, I must think of a good plan with them and prepare gifts for the Japanese delegation coming in Sept/Oct.

Water Lily takes shape

This is tooooo much fun! I ration my time working on it every few days AFTER other real life work is done (grading papers, teaching classes online, cooking dinner :)
It is coming along great!

The waterlily continues......

Oh how I love this type of quilting! It is a process oriented procedure to make the art quilt using Ruth McDowell's techniques. It's like designing each step of the way...the pattern, fabric selection digging through vast stash & scraps, auditioning choices, precise and tediously piecing (but a fun challenge) and each piece is different. No 2 pattern pieces are the same. FUN! I can't wait to find out if I can design my own pattern from some picture I have been taking of flora. But for now, I will finish this. I want to add a pieced border that will compliment the look...we''l see. Right now the challenge is getting the right "look" with the color of the water lily flower. This is tough :)

2 Pink polka dot bags finished & Water Lily Progress - preparing pattern

I pulled an "all-nighter" reminiscent of the college days when I stayed up to make another bag for my daughter to take to Japan as a gift to her host family. The "purse" bag "Nouveau Hobo Bag " by Indygo Junction is used as THE favorite carry all/carry on by my daughter... sports bag with style [basketball shoes etc.], sleep-over bag, car trips, etc. ) So we made a new bag of the same pattern to match the luggage AND...it turned out great and so she just had to have another one to match it, to give to the 14-year-old girl in Japan at the home where she will stay as guest. It is a black bag with pink polka-dots and a pink daisy flowered lining and a pocket. Very cute! Unfortunately no photo of the twin bags before she left on the trip. Maybe as photo-happy as she is she will take photos there. She should be arriving in about 3 more hours after a 13+ hour flight. Hope she has the time of her life :)

Below is the Water Lily pattern in progress that I mentioned in last posting. It is from Ruth McDowell's book (see link on previous post).




What a challenge in paper piecing. Can't wait to begin pulling out the fabric!
Size is approx. 2'x3' as I am working on adding borders as extensions of the design.

New Project Direction - Art Quilt

I really enjoyed the links to quilters that other quilt bloggers have on their sites! I must add this to my site too. Through visiting several links this way I found my way to Ruth McDowell's site and have since ordered every book that the libraries have in 2 counties! I have not been able to put them down! Ruth is an artist and has a technique and style for pieced art quilts. I was especially captivated by the flowers and the people! She offers weeklong workshops in Mass. Oh my.... do I want to GO! But wait, they are not until NEXT year 2009 (July/Aug & Oct) and I could NOT wait that long (assuming I could afford to go anyway :)

After reading her books instructions and diagrams in Piecing and Design Workshops particularly and studying her technique and samples on the web, I was ready to try to make one of her sample quilts to see how I like (and if I can be successful with) the technique. Although it is not my prefernce to make a quilt the same as someone else's, I am allowing myself to do this as a study of the technique...and I can see this will take some patient study!

The pattern is the "Water Lily" which was inspired by my friend's backyard Koi pond with water lilies growing in it! In that pond there were white ones (like in the design) and a purple one...humm I might try that. Well here is the beginning step....creating (in this case tracing) the pattern and adding markings. Next (the BEST Part) will be making fabric selections. I already know I want to use more of a bright Carribean ocean blue color fabrics (and have some variety from scraps of a Jan Mullen "Butterfliez" quilt made a few years ago). Here is the photo of that quilt.

Here's the photo of the pattern....Then I won't be able to post any more photos since my daughter is taking the camera to Japan with her!

Quilting related projects

So, my daughter is going on a "Sister City" trip to Japan and we have been working on crafts. You can see a completed red, white & blue bag. Pattern is "Biz Bag" from Seams N Dreams) Also, I have been working on the "in progress" batik quilted backpack. We are making pillow cases for each family member of the home she will be staying in. We found out that Japanese pillow case sizes are different than US 20"x14" I will post the completed projects soon! (She leaves for Japan in less than a week!)

Sweet Pea - Simply Delicious

Just thought I would post this so I could admire it today...while awaiting upload of photos from more recent work. Pattern is from Piece O'Cake deisgns, and it is hand applique. It looks like someone else did it, not me. HA! I love it! These are my my "Baltimore" blocks.
Happy Day Everyone :)

New Elements Added

Just for fun I have added 2 new elements to the site:
A visitor counter and the Quilt Blogger link/logo.
It will be fun to see if anyone comes to visit :)
I tried to add a world location map for visitors but it did not work out well as only 1/2 of the world showed up. Any suggestions?
Have a nice day!

Summer Quilting

Wow, my last post was April 8th...where has the time gone!
Since then a little quilting has been accomplished and a LOT of other things...

(Pot holder I mafe from scraps for last fall's Quilt Quild Pot Holder exchange)
Son graduated from high school
Planted a small garden (1st in years!)
Graduation vacation to California
2 week Language Camp in Minnesota
Family vacation in Estes Park, CO
Hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park
White water rafting on Cache la Poudre river,
Daughter selected for "Sister Cities" program in Japan (leaving soon!)
Husband starting a new business
Hosting 2 international students (Brazil & Taiwan) March to May
Hosting a USA summer student intern at a local manufacturing co.
Son currently in Quito, Ecuador (basketball camp w/ church)
...and more!

But, no majors progress on home improvement/repairs (except wash machine and back door repairs by student summer mechanical engineering intern...Thanks Josh!!). Otherwise, the holes are still in the ceilings!

For today... I am back! My "bored-on-summer vacation" daughter will photograph some projects that I have been working on so I can post photos soon.

More Spring...California Rose from DJ's garden

No time for blogging...it's too nice outdoors and school is at the crunch point...so here is a Spring photo.

Spring Flowers

The flowers are blooming and they match the feeling of the Blended Spring quilt so nicely. Just wanted to post some photos I just took from my yard...just to get something posted this week.
ENJOY!

A hole in the middle?

Another week has flown by... I like how the Blended Spring looks in the photo. It really gives a different perspective than in real-life. The photo seems to me to show a "hole" in color in the middle of the quilt and I am thinking about replacing at least one piece to soften the eye-catching spot. What do you think?

Blended Spring Progress

The long awaited Blended Spring quilt photo is here!

Finally I put the borders on a week or so ago and now have the photo uploaded! Doesn't it look lovely!

And, here is to progress on the plumbing. As you can see the hole in the ceiling is LARGER now. However, also new (red) water lines have been inserted. Plus you can see drywall progress too! It is slow going...but persistence is required.

Weekly blogging

It looks like I am down to once a week for blogging. I forget how busy I am with a full-time job, jobs on the side, school, church, community, a family and friends that I see now and then!

Thanks "Dotty" for the contributions to the blog this week. I was excited to see the binding cut for my quilt! I recognized it right away. I am thrilled with how great the quilt looks and now will be finished soon! What an awesome friend! Although I have quite a bit of work needed to get ready for two new classes starting this week, I am thinking about sneaking in a little quiltling today. The weather is so beautiful too and I am hoping to get my family out in the yard for at least an hour too. Maybe I can get a photo of Blended Spring quilt-with borders posted. It is looking good. Happy Scrap Quilting everyone!

Can you guess what this is?

It has begun !................dotty...

Another week FLEW by...

So here it is...Sunday night and another week has flown by. This week went extra fast as I missed some time due to some brief stomach virus. However, progress on the bathroom has been good. Plumbing and electrical are 95%, enouogh to allow for drywalling and one coat of bed and taping. More to come on that this week. I also need to make some major decisions for the sink and find the proper shower pan/tray to fit. This is turning into a big obstacle.

Here is the quilt photo inspiration for today...It is "Flutterby" with Moda prints. The pattern was shown to be downloadable by pdf from Hancock's site but the link never worked :( So I guesss I can' make it only admire it :(

As far as my quilting goes, I managed to put on the borders for the Blended Spring quilt. It is looking good! Must download a photo! Now selecting the backing and it will be ready to quilt. Yipee! I will send out for machine quilting. This is NOT my usual option but one that I think fits this quilt for the overall look. Of course I have not proper backing that is the right size without much piecing so need to work on getting that. I finaly took the old Mystery Quilt to Dot for mcuh awaited binding. Has the quilt been finished for 3 or 4 years? Maybe not that long...

This week I also worked a bit on several old projects in progress...an old Baby Boston commons that I adore the taupe gradiated to rich maroon color progression, my son's flannel No Y Seams star. (Really I am working on little stars to finish out the size needed before the border.) And, I finished sewing our baby boy cousin's quilt top minus borders (last Saturday). Still need to find satisfactory borders to finish it off and send to sister-in-law Aimee to quilt. Guess that is this week's update on quilting.

In my other life I have been very productive with more refined migration to Evolve Learning System Course Mgt for various assignments and even did the full online exam last Monday. This is a very satisfying accomplishment! Now...when am I going to get motivated for dissertation work! It better be soon or else!

Quilting (Piecing) on a rainy day...

Wow..It is Saturday already (actually it is almost Sunday!) The week has gone by so quickly. No new progress to report on the re-construction of the bathroom...but I did quilt a little today! I put the borders on the Blended Spring quilt. Now I need to get a photo and get it posted for the world (or whoever looks) to see! It was an enjoyable time today sewing as the rain poured and occasionally some thunder and lightening. Thankfully, it did not get as cold here as expected so no ice or freezing rain here.

I was "home alone" which was also nice as the family each had activities away from here that they were involved in. Of course, my 13 year old called me 5-6-7 times (maybe more) and I carted her around to the various activities she was involved in from church to choir to "The Amazing race" back to choir back to church for dinner and more fun. Jordan-son was at "ground school" in the city. Dad was the transportation due to expected sleet/ice..which however, did not appear. "Crazy Horse" audio book kept me company. It is a narrative tale of the Indian Warrior told by a Lakota Indian from an Indian point of view and offers a whole other perspective on the historical events. Fascinating!


Ok...Since I have no new photos to show I still HAVE to put some photo up here...so here is a quilted pot holder that I made in the fall for out local quilt guild pot-holder exchange and 20 year Anniversary of the Spinning Spools Quilt Guild. (Hummm.......as I link ther site I see they need to update it! I haven't looked at it for awhile and it seems to still be in 2007!) Anyway...
As luck would have it, my dear quilting friend (who helped me find the pattern for the pot holder to begin with was the one who got it when the exchanges were made. FUN!

Blended blocks & Design Wall

Here is a picture I know you have been waiting for....some of the blended blocks layed out side by side. However, this is not the plan for how I will put them together. I have an alternate block fabric that is fabulous and I actually used it to help me envisioin a color palette in line with that fabric. I will have to take another photos of that...but maybe I will do it after it is sewed together. The next challenge will be starting on the borders....Ahhh but designing is always the fun part...esp. designing as I go... The design wall will help with this. It is a good size 48x48 and I have it proped up on the table against the wall behind the sewing machine. It was made (by Supermom as you know...out of light weight insulation board from a local hardware store covered with felty-flannel fabric. Fabric pieces stick to it and I can stick pins in it if desired too.

PS. No more raining water leaks :) Hopefully repairs are final!

Looks like rain...water leak!

Water drips outside of the front entry door creating a puddle and splashing the door and vertical windows on each side of the door. It looks like a nice spring rain...but it is not raining...only in front of my door from some unknown water leak on the second floor...no doubt as a result of Friday's repairs. However, the good news is that all the inside areas remain dry and only the overhang above the door outside is wet. Bad new...the outside entry ceiling will likely need replacing and may be the only way to access the leaky pipes.
These things are never simple!

So, the plumber will be here first thing Monday...since it is not an emergency...we have shut off the water to the entire house except for turning it back on for about an hour when we all shower, fill water containers and flush and observe the rain shower again in the entry alcove.

For a more pleasant sight...you can see blended star block #9 in the photo. I have also worked on Baby Cousin's homespun quilt a little this weekend. It is NOT very baby-ish but is very masculine with homespun plaids and a few truck and golf novelty prints sprinkled in. Not sure I like the borders I have planned...but my 13 yr old says it is good. That does not decrease my skepticism as her color and design sense are quite different from mine!

Blended Star block # 8

Well, now that the first 2 weeks of school are complete and basketball tounaments and band programs are over for the time being.... I am hoping that things slow down a little so I can sew again! Thanks to Supermom I have a nice design wall to audition fabric choices for more blended blocks. I also want to work on the homespun baby boy quilt, piecing the top so I can send to my fav sister-in-law to quilt and send on to baby cousin in Wisconsin.

After and Before

The gutted shower after... demolition and before repair...I hope to have another after shot in a few weeks when it is re-assembled. (This could take awhile!)

Here is the missing blended star block #5...another favorite but similar to #4 so I spaced out posting them over a few days. Soon I will post the blocks layed out together for a different look than individually. It looks awesome!

Low Contrast Blended star block

The first week back to work has been non-stop!
The only quilting that has been done is looking at a quilt magazine bleary-eyed as I fall asleep! And, I still have my blended blocks to admire. Here is block #7, a low contrast star. Enjoy!

Back in Metropolis....

Not much time for blogging now that I am back to work and school. Back home in Metropolis, Supermom saw the blog for the first time yesterday. She liked her new name and it is so fitting! Thanks to Debra O' for recognizing that DJ was "Supermom". Now the secret it out to the whole world!

Blended star block #6 is posted below. This block is of medium contrast. If you are keeping track...yes I skipped #5. Happy Quilting!

Today's Blended Block #4

Now to get it put back together!....

This is a piece of the concrete floor! HEAVY

Supermom is gone...& so is ALL the tile & concrete!

This is how it WAS....I am chipping away at the tile....and Supermom (with more gray hair than me)...is at work taking out the ceiling.











Bye-bye Supermom...see you in a few months!

Supermom leaves Sunday!

We did it! and just in time..."Supermom" leaves Sunday. All tile and concrete and drywall and squirrels nests have been removed from the bathroom. It is completely down to the studs and the roof! The electrical got capped off so we had no limitations to finish the job. It is soooo bare. We will definitely have to add some insulation before re-constructing. It took the whole day yesterday to finish up and I am sore with so much work overhead on getting the ceiling out with crow bars. It was some kind of old sheet rock stuff that was TOUGH! Today is massive clean up of debris. I really must download some photos....maybe later today.
Anyway...here is the inspirational blended quilt block photo for today, #3. It is of medium contrast...toward the higher end of medium. If only I was working on these instead of the bathroom. But, soon!

It's Friday...No time to waste!

Today we tackle the rest of the cement floor...chipping piece by piece. Mom leaves Sunday so the time is short and I need her help and moral support on this project! We are not too happy with the stalling that is delaying hauling out of debris and our overall progress. The tile and concrete are SOOOO heavy it is hard for us women to carry it downstairs and out. But we are determined!... and if we have make 100 trips up and down the stairs carrying the stuff in paper bags to get it done, WE WILL DO IT!

Here is the lovely vision I will dwell on today (another in the series of the blended star blocks with low contrast...I just LOVE it!)....as I put on the grubby clothes, work gloves, mask,goggles and bandanna to protect from the dust and flying concrete debris..... I have to get a picture of that outfit posted sometime!

I'm showing my face again....& progress continues...

By popular request (by granny lyn), I have added my face back on the front of the blog instead of just in my profile. In the profile is the "big" picture from which I cropped this goofy face!

This week has been full of sledge hammering and prying with crow-bar to break out the tile in the shower above the hole shown in the last post. All the ceramic tile had to come out and the ceramic tile floor. Did you know they CEMENT that stuff in with a couple inches of concrete! YIKES! But we did it. Hubby and son have been hauling away the mounds of debris each night after "Supermom" (my mom in from California for a working vacation) and I tear things up! The floor pan under the tile was completely rotted as were the wood beams. Thankfully none appear load-bearing supports.

Tomorrow the professionals come for electrical and re-construction plans. (No,we DO NOT play with electricity!) I only do deconstruction!...and some re-grouting around the tub in another bathroom. Many improvements are being made! So while we work, "Supermom" listens to books on tape and I fantasize about quilting (and dread going back to work on Monday).

Above is one block in my other blended project. It is one of the blocks with high contrast. I will post another block each day or so and then some photos with many blocks together for the BEAUTIFUL blended look. Can't wait to quilt again soon!

The "In Progress" list

Earlier in the week I began a list of "in progress" quilts...Isn't that a nice euphamism? It is quite a lengthy list. I also gave a short description of where I was in the process and assigned a prioirty number to each project on a scale of 1-10. I even decided which pieces to focus attention on so they will be ready for OKC show later in the summer. How fun!....

but wait....
....Where is the lovely quilt photo to highlight the quilt progress? This photo does not look ANYTHING like a quilt......Well, that's because it's a hole in the CEILING of the beautiful front entry inside our home exposing the OLD leaky pipes that have rotted out. But the bigger thrill is knowing that the leak is from above these nice solid copper pipes and is coming from the ceramic tiled bathroom shower. That called for a 5lb sledge hammer and lots of might to tear through 2" of concrete after cracking through the "tough-as-nails" tile!
"Supermom" (my mom) from California is here to the rescue. More photos to follow...and quilting goes to the bottom of the list.

"Blended Spring" Borders

Back to the needed borders for the Blended Spring quilt...It took awhile to figure out just how I would use the fabric to make borders! Just buying 2 yards of fabric left a lot of planning undone! The border still needed a tiny "stopper" (i think I will do it 1'). It took me about 15 fabric auditions until I found something in my stash that I like. I will use the new fabric to make the next border after the tiny stopper... width of the border will be based on the amount of fabric I have to work and what looks right to me. I have also decided to do the corners different than the side and top borders.

In the meantime I have sewn together some of the Teacher's Pet (dark) pieces and I am not altogether happy with the look. I laid out the pieces and arranged and re-arranged and it just looks kind of ugly! Maybe it needs to rest a few days and I will see it differently.

OKC WInter Quilt Show inspiration!

Today my good friends told me that they had an extra ticket to Elsie Campbell's lecture and trunk show on hand quilting at the OKC Winter Quilt Show. So, I jumped in my car and headed out. She was a delightful speaker and had some good tips and beautiful workmanship. At the wonderful vendors I found THE soft sage green toile that was perfect for my Blended Spring borders. YIPEE! I should have known that Piecekeepers would have just what I wanted as Blended quilts is their speciality!

There were many fun and amazing Oklahoma Centennial Quilts on display and many other quilting inspirations!

Next tasks...

Besides quilting, I want to figure out how to set up my personal log...like in Star Trek! I think writing will help me sort out my professional career dilemma. In the meantime...I have sewed and pressed about half of the pieces for the dark quilt and I have auditioned several more fabrics for the spring blended...but to no satisfactory end yet. And, I have exercised about every other day (or more often) since Jan. 1. GO Wanda!

A new dark-colored design

While the pretty "Spring-themed" blended quilt sits awaiting some border inspiration... I have started yet another project! (and it is always so much fun to start something new!)

Perhaps influenced by the dark scenes of the Lord of the Rings movies that our family have been watching over New Year's week break...and from a stash of dark Civil war era type colors, I began cutting out a "Teacher's Pet lap quilt (67"x76") from More Laps from Fats book. This project is unusual for me because I am using a book with a pattern and am following the directions...exactly (so far). I am not sure this has ever happened before in all my years of quilting. (Hummm...how many years has that been...I will have to figure that out later). Ok, well maybe I haven't done it exactly the way they say...I used some other fabric besides just fat quarters!

Anyway, following the directions made this a workable project while watching the Lord of the Rings movies because there was little brain work or creativity required for either activity. So, both activities could be accomplished at once. Since I had seen all three movies before, I did not have to watch each moment but I still paid enough attention that it took all 3 movies to cut out the whole quilt (and these are long movies). This included ironing pieces so I could cut, and stacking the pieces together so I am ready to sew. I would have begun sewing too, but the noise would have caused too much disagreement from the family...who were already dissatisfied with the one one dim corner light I had on because it "made a glare" on the screen!

Now, forevermore I will associate this movie and this project. This dual approach was a good use of time, free (well at least the movies - checked out from the local library) and for the most part everyone was happy. I was not bored or stir crazy, got to "quilt" and was productive, while they felt I was "participating" with a family activity so we could all share in the stories and discussions about the symbolism, themes and plots and all that meaningful dialog...which we have avidly done. All the high school English teachers would be proud. Next to get sewing...
and listening to the conclusion of C.S. Lewis book "Out of the Silent Planet." I might need earphones to listen in case the sewing machine is too loud! LOL

Blended Spring...in progress

This is my first attempt with officially "blending" a quilt as inspired by Marsha McCloskey's book "Blended Quilts II" (2004) "Stepping Stones" pattern. Of course I can never make a quilt like any pattern so it was re-figured and re-sized to fit the amount of background fabric that I was working with. Plus, the borders are yet undetermined..many fabric auditions have not made the cut!

Maybe showing this here will help me work on it more...or maybe you have some ideas to help me finish the borders... so I have included a photo with the basic diagram made the old-fashioned way with grid paper and colored pencils. (But, I did custom-make and download the grid paper from the Internet so I could have it the size I wanted and "on point.")

The fabric with the green background above the sketching is one of my fav's for more border. I would like a toile but have not found the right colors to blend. Has anyone seen a nice soft green or white background multi-colored soft pastel toile anywhere?...I guess that is as close as I will come to "cheating" from one who I would call a "vintage blended quilter" --using what I have on hand....not unlike the gals in years past who made beauty out of ordinary and even out of ugly! Plus...I do have a HUGE beautiful stash to work with. There is no excuse!
I just need to be more creative with the vision.
Happy Quilting!

"Sweet Cantaloupe"

Here is the first block I hand appliqued of the Piece O'Cake Design, Inc. pattern "Simply Delicious" (1996). I made it in summer 2006. I am working on my 8th block these days. The patterns have been out of print and before the designers made all the patterns available as downloads, I spent a few weeks tracking down the patterns one or two at a time from quilt shops across the country (online of course!)

Living and breathing quilting

Wow...here it is a real blog that I created and even put my own quilt (and face) out for the world to see. (of course I have just usurped a few hours doing it that I could have been quilting...or more likely SLEEPING! it is 3am)

Quilting really is a journey for me, of creativity and process. Finishing something is not the ultimate goal, yet I really admire those quilters who have made so many quilts. Instead I savor the envisioning of the quilt, the design, auditioning of fabrics and arrangements. The challenge of figuring out what fabric or element or design direction will the quilt go next...

This also means that I get nowhere fast. And it challenges me to find just the right "look" or "feeling" from the item in progress...dig through my stash. This brings me to the love of "blended" quilts. It is all about these elements and pushing outside the box of any designer line of fabric and using "ugly" fabric pieces to make a beautiful whole.

Next, for the blog, I will have to figure out how to make a slide show to "show" off my Simply Delicious applique blocks. They are truly a labor of love. I don't work on them often but when I do it is so addicting and fun, restful and enjoyable.

Too bad I have to go back to real life (and to sleep) and do all the things a person must do in that other uninspired day to day life. Dreaming quilts and scheming what I will do next puts a happy spark in my mind. Ahhh, the quilting that I do in my head!

I am so inspired by quilters who have time and knolwedge how to blog too! I want to catch up with this technology and get connected to the bigger wonderful quilting world. This is will be my New Year's adventure!