Small Steps

In the last few days I have tried sewing at the machine for just a few minutes, which isn't easy with your arm in a sling, and I've been surprised at what I've been able to accomplish! A whole row of charm squares with sashing and corner squares! Maybe doesn't look like much, but I feel like I've done a whole bunch in just a few minutes a day! I don't want to push it so have MADE myself go slowly! Feels so good to be at the machine again! There are really 6 blocks in the row, but one skipped out of the picture! These are packs of charm squares--I have 4 of them--2 each for each quilt I will make and these will go to Project Linus when finished someday.

Besides the flowers yesterday, I had a lovely pick-me-up phone call from the girls at retreat--they were having a wonderful time--I didn't get to go because of my surgery, but next time. According to what a little birdie told me, some serious work got done on the Forever Flowers quilts that were being worked on!!!! Your phone call really lifted my spirits, girls, and I thank you so much!!!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Off to the Quilting Retreat I Go!!!

My sewing room is a mess--I'm packing up for the quilting retreat that starts today at 3:00. Sponsored by Quilt Mercantile and held at the Jan-Kay Ranch in Northeast Texas, it will be 2.5 days of sewing and quilting bliss! Can you tell I'm looking forward to it?! This is the first time I've ever done something like this, so it will be a great learning experience for me. The main theme will be applique with an applique teacher on site.

As he was helping me pack up the car last night and as he left for work this morning my husband told me with a smile, "You're taking too much stuff!!" And here I thought I was packing light compared to some of the stories I've heard!!!

So I'll "see" you in 2 days with lots of stories to tell, I hope.

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan

Do the Funky Chicken (Pin Cushion, that is!!!)

Cute and easy to do---here are my versions of the funky chicken pin cushions. The original pattern called for half square triangles like I did here, but the only pattern I could find now is the log cabin version. But the technique is the same for all of them and once you figure that out, the sky's the limit, so to speak! They each take on their own personality. I thought the biggest one was the mother and her name was Maude and these were her chicklets; Mollie, Mary and Mimi. Their father was from a good neighborhood!!!!

It's fun to take time from quilting and do fun projects like these just for something different to do, plus I wanted to start working on some Christmas gifts for our get togethers at Christmas time. Some of you will know what you are getting now--oh dear, but they were too cute not to show off!

Sometimes it's fun to not leave things until the last minute and as I've said before, I don't always like to do that!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!!

Jan

Sit N Sew Day

Today was Sit N Sew day at the LQS (Local Quilt Shop) in the tiny town of Celeste, Texas, where quite a group of us gather once a week to ---what else----sit and sew and talk and gab and laugh and sometimes eat!!!!!! The store is The Quilt Mercantile and is in my humble opinion one of the best quilt stores in Northern Texas. Run by a mother and daughter team, they carry a wide assortment of fabrics and notions and have all kinds of classes; plus they are just downright NICE! Once a month our Sit N Sew group is treated to lunch and a showing of new gadgets and fabric lines and a demonstration with neat door prizes for show and tell--what fun!

It's a wonderful group of gals of all ages who share one thing in common--a love of everything quilting--if your quilt store has anything like this you would be doing yourself a favor to join in on the fun or start a group of your own!

I worked on Block #1 of the Forever Flowers BOM--the applique part and was glad that a couple of the gals there knew how to do applique and could help me as I muddled along--one of the other great things about Sit N Sew--help as needed!!!

All in all a very fine day!

Let quilting help you make someone smile!

Jan