To All My Northern Neighbors...

July 1st is Canada Day!!!

I wish all my wonderful friends living north of the U.S. border ...

which happens to be less than 200 miles

... or 321.8688 kilometers ...

due north of my hometown ...

happy, happy, (safe) celebrations!! 

 So truly, we're basically neighbors, 'eh?

One of my "little" rewards to myself (besides the peace and quiet)

for going back to work, was finally gifting myself with one of these:

I KNOW! Flowers, again!! 
But what's a post without my flowers when they are so darn pretty???

Yay me!! LOL!

I bought myself a Kindle :) :) :) 

So ... now ... shall we all help me find time to use it???

LOL

Actually, I'm hoping with my commute into town and "possibly" getting stuck in traffic, lunch time (when I'm not working on hand sewing projects) and late, late at night (again, when I'm not with the kids or hand sewing) I can sneak in a little reading time.

To really knock this one out of the park ... isn't there always "bathroom" time???

LOL LOL LOL

NO!!!  Seriously, you know, the bubble-bath, candles, and glass of wine time???

LOL LOL LOL

OH YEAH! That's not my life ....

LOL anyway....

Anyway, besides lunch time at work, I thought I'd take it with me on my airplane trip to my mom's next weekend for the Sisters' 36th Outdoor Quilt Show!!!

 (remember last year's post? seriously, take a peek ... what a show!!) 

Think I can stay awake long enough to read?  If so, have any books to recommend? 

I've enjoyed books by Lara Adrian, Cindy Gerard, Christeen Feehan, J.D.Robb/

Norah Roberts, Debbie Macomber, and some really fun/light chick-flick types ...

(nothing heavy on the smut stuff ... sweet but not smutty)

I'll leave you now and look forward to your recommendations and

 ... to each and every Canadian friend ~

Happy Canada Day!!

Happy hugs and warm hearted wishes!

P.S. .... wouldn't it be the ultimate in cool accessories to have one of those

Beam n Read lights to go with my new Kindle???? 

You know, there's still a chance to win one on IHAN's blog hop:

Visit these two blogs today and you'll have a chance:

 Patsy Thompson Designs & I Have A Notion

... warning though ... 

I'm trying too, so don't trip on your way over,

or I might just run ya over!!

LOL

Good luck!!!

Another Lifetime ...

To each of my angels and to everyone who left comments of encouragement and support ...

I express my sincerest appreciation and gratitude!!

Thank you!

Every prayer and good thought must have been heard and was certainly felt by me as I had an absolutely wonderful first day back in the work environment ... everyone treated me as if they were so pleased to have be there ... what a treat, I tell you!!

What opportunites this new phase in my life will present .... Dear Lord, I am ready!

 LOL LOL

And coming back for yet another lifetime ...

remember this ol' quilt?

The doggie chew toy?

Well, guess what???

I'm guest posting over at Stash Manicure today ... Yes! ME!!

Head on over there (here, with this link) and you can see the process this quilt takes to live yet another life, sans doggie chew toy possibilities :)

Seriously, run on over, take a look and I do believe there may even be a giveaway opportunity ;)

P.S.  To everyone that left me such wonderfully encouraging words on the previous post, I thank you emmencely and will try my utmost to respond personally, I just cannot guarantee how soon it will be ... but I do so very much appreciate each and every one of you!

A New Chapter

Obviously, my book is still being written,

for today a new chapter in my life starts ...

No longer to be a stay at home mom ... but a working mom :)

Wish me luck ... better yet ...

wish the world luck ... to survive me!

LOL

To The Angels on My Shoulders ...

I Love Each of You!

Thank You!

Happy Hugs and Warm Hearted Wishes ~~

Come Join Me ...

Come join me for a spot of iced tea, or whatever your pleasure be,

and enjoy the scene from my front porch:

Yes, I get to see this beauty from my front porch every day.

Did you know Montana is called the "Big Sky Country?"

The shot below is in the opposite direction, at the same time: 

Isn't that cloud mass the coolest?

No, I did not adjust the color on this picture at all, our sky is that blue.

Summer has finally made it to Western Montana!!

And besides sitting and looking at the clouds ...

My girls enjoyed the outdoors a little themselves:

Slip, slide and away-ay-ay ...

Meanwhile .... this is waiting for me in my sewing room,

Rather, my very patient, kind client is waiting

for what is waiting for me in my sewing room:

Each of these will be a lone star quilt ... client selected backgrounds, using client's mother's clothing for diamonds.  Hope to get all put together this weekend ... need this project off my proverbial plate.

Found this adorable fabric and have plans for it for a special friend. ... 

Saw this book online once upon a time and found several

gift ideas that I just need to make for friends.

Got this charming book in the mail ...

 autographed especially for me,

 thank you very much!!!!

... and found the Me & My Sister Designs polka dot white

yardage to go with the Dilly Dally charm squares for

a project in said book ... what fun!

And, as if that isn't enough .... 

Have this bundle of beauty I have plans for to get

 put together in the next month ....

So, please stay tuned and I'll share when I have an

accomplishment or two or three or four.

No chocolate was consumed before or during fabric purchases ....

Darn it all...

Happy hugs and warm hearted wishes to each of you!

And ... the Winner is ...

ME!

HA!!! 

lol lol lol

No, seriously, everyone was so very nice in their comments and left such good information for me to look at.  You see, my very aged Bernina is showing signs of wanting to stitch it's last stitch so I'm trying to determine if I stick with Bernina or venture out to a different brand ... Janome and Pfaff seem to be among the top favorites, so I might have to go "test" sewing as one of you commented.  Good idea :)

I know, I know, you don't care about my ramblings ... who won right????

:O)

Well, Mr. Random.org bright and early this morning, chose from 1-74 ....

#54

And as my determining eye detects, that would be:  

54 Snoodles ... Jacque in SC

Congratulations Miss Jacque!!!

I wish I had a prize for each of you ... really and sincerely ... you all are so supportive and nice, I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart!

I wanted to share that I finished the t-shirt quilt:

As for my day, well, I'm off to work in the yard and get these planted:

How about you? Want to join me?  Wish you could!!

Until later,

Happy Hugs and Warm Hearted Wishes ~~

My Fortune = Your Good Fortune

Good afternoon!

Well, I was certainly surprised by the Brown Truck

 man today with the receipt of this:

There was no note, or sender's information, other than:

 

So, thinking back, I am guessing that these items: 

must be what I found out via this post on March 1st, 2011

that I won as part of that blog's contest.

Pure, honest conjecture on my part.

So ... I want to pass my fortunate receipt along

to one of you to become your good fortune.

(okay, all but the Sulky Thread ... I'm going to keep the

thread, like the color :) :) and it's verigated ;) ... )

 

I hereby promise if you win this giveaway, it will be promptly dispatched to you and unless you live overseas, I can guarantee you that it will not

take 3 and 1/2 months for you to receive it.

Call me old fashioned, but I believe in communication,

 correspondence, courtesy, promptness, and politeness.

Details and hoops to jump through are minimal ...

Please Read

one entry per person, please

please be one of Why Knot's followers, and let me know

answer either of the following questions,

(as I'd like to know for my inquiring mind):

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LINE OF FABRIC & WHO DESIGNS IT

OR

IF YOU HAVE TO REPLACE YOUR SEWING MACHINE WHAT WOULD YOU BUY?

and ... I will ship internationally.

I will close comments on Friday, June 17th at Midnight (Mountain Time)

That's it.

Happy Hugs and Warm Heart Wishes

EDIT:  I cannot send winner their notice if they

are a no-reply blogger ... (i.e.  Colleen, #2 comment),

so please be sure to leave contact info in your comment,

otherwise I will have to choose an alternate winner.

Communication Pays!!

Remember my previous post ... wherein I said

I had to get a t-shirt quilt done by Wednesday this week?

Well ... here's my progress:

Not too bad, even if I do say so myself ...

{{big cheesy grin!!}}

Well, even though I could have called it done here, me being me, I just wasn't satisfied and wanted to add a border.  The client wanted at least a twin size quilt (approx. 63x87) and this was measuring smaller than that (approx. 60x80).  There was not enough material provided to add a border. So ...

I pulled out my communication skills!  I called the client ...

aren't you finding these days this is becoming a rusty skill to some???

Well!  Score for me ... though I'm sorry for the family of the recipient, but a family situation has come up wherein they will not be in town until next week ... therefore they don't need the quilt finished by tomorrow ... can I here a WooHoo!!! {{I'm the (wo)man, I'm the (wo)man!!}}

In discussing my belief of the need for a border, without costing Grandmother more of the proverbial "green"  I suggested this: 

I'm going to add a one inch "stop" border and then use some of the backing material for a five inch border. ... (Yes, Grandmother and LQS selected all materials ... I did not ... the recipient, an 18 yr old high school graduate, is going to become a music education major at Oregon University in the fall ... thus, the music themed material)  Thus, we enlarge the quilt to desired size by adding 12" on both sides and ends and if I now fall short of backing material, I will substitute left over block sashing fabrics to complete the back.  Still with me??

Well communication worked this time ... Yay!!

So, I'm taking a break and going to enjoy a bit of the sunshine with these two munchkins:

Before the sun quits shining again!

Happy Hugs and Warm Hearted Wishes!!

Sunday's Rush ....

T-Shirt Quilt .. never have done one.

A very nice lady asked me way back in December if I could do one for her grandson for graduation. ... in June.  Sure, I say .... what did I know :) ... and she's already said she can't find anyone else to do this for her ... they must've known something ?  ... .lol

Fast forward to mid-May ... same very nice lady calls me and asks if I can still do quilt for her grandson.  Well, since I already told her yes,  I went into town to LQS to pick up her bundle of fabrics and t-shirts.  Take a look, this is what I started with this morning:

Started here, sorting and determining what I have ...

These are the fabrics I'm to use as sashing ...

This is what I have this afternoon after I've completed ironing fusible web to each shirt and cutting down each t-shirt print.  I'm taking lots of pictures in case I get inspired and some of you would like a tutorial ... I'm winging this and have no pattern or direction ... can you tell?

Oh ... yeah ... the quilt needs to be returned to said very nice lady by June 15th.

Yes, this year.  Yes, in three days.

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

Chocolate, I need choloate!!!!! For some reason, I've seem to run out of chocolate!!

LOL  Coffee anyone???  LOL

Deep breath ... on one of my quick trips out to check on children I've bribed to stay outta mom's way (really for their own safety and sanity ... really!!!)  I took a picture of this piece of God's gorgeousness:

Now, is it just me, or do these flowers say there's a quilt in here waiting to inspire me?

Remember this ... Really, I think these pictures are gonna inspire me to make a very bright and happy quilt. ... um ... sometime.

Yesterday, I did accomplish these: 

Both are patterns designed by Terry Atkinson ... the Sweet Zip and the Zippy Strippy

A month or so ago, I told my very dear and patient friend I would make these for her daughter.  Well, they are soon to be moving to Utah, and I'd really like to get them to her before they leave town ... maybe bribe her into visiting me before she goes ... {{hint hint}}

And, just in case you thought I was resting on my laurels ... well, I was, and while doing said resting, I penciled out this beautiful piece of stitching I hope to do ... in my down time of course ;)

 This beautiful pattern is by Jenny of Elefantz ... you know I love her designs! ... and can be found at her blog here. And even better ... for those of us that need the kindness and generosity of strangers ... she's offering these beautiful BOM patterns for free ... just please leave her some luvin's and thanks for her generosity on her blog letting her know she's appreciated ... Don't we all love that?

Okay ... guess I best be checking on the kiddos and getting dinner started ... I hear laundry buzzer going off too.  Geez ... LOL

Love you all and thank you enormously for stopping by!!

Happy Hugs~



Ribbit! Ribbit! ... zzzzzz

Okay ... pardon the title, but hey, what's a girl to say when there's so much going on???

First and most momentus in our household ... today was the last day of school for my kindergartener, so as a Teacher Appreciation Gift, we decided to make this: 

 I made this by enlarging to 200% Me and My Sister Designs' Frog Patch pattern with their permission.  I actually saw on one of the SLC Quilt Market photos where Me and My Sister did this and had it sitting in their display. ... loved it and just had to do it!  I also used Me and My Sister Designs fabric ... mostly Dilly Dally, I believe, with a few others mixed it.  Doesn't it just look happy? 

Emily certainly thinks so:

Since today was our last day of school, we just had to make the teacher a "thank you" gift and since she decorates with frogs .... what's better for a kindergarten classroom? 

Since I was up until 1:30 am stuffing this "little" froggie as Emily spent all day Wednesday feeling ill on the couch and missing her "unbirthday" party at school ... Mr. Froggie had to help me get some last minute touches finished this morning before school.  Pretty good helper, eh?

Monday was my niece's birthday ... I fell a little behind, so got this made by Tuesday and mailed on Wednesday: 

It's the Swanky Bag by This & That Patterns by Sherri K. Falls.  I used Sandy Gervais' Springtime fabric line.

In between sewing this, and sewing that, and running here and running there, I took a moment to capture these beautiful pansy pictures ....

I considered it my "stop and smell the roses" moment.  Actually, we've had rain just about all week (see the rain drops on the flowers?) so with it so nice outside, I just had to enjoy the moment, and share with you all :)

Tuesday, Emily's kindergarten class put

on a play about the Solar System: 

 Emily was Saturn ...

deep sigh ... we haven't even backtracked to Monday yet.

Monday, Emily's elementary had track and field day:

Even she was tired when the day was over.

Seriously?  It's only Thursday???

I think I'll go to bed and see ya all on Saturday :)

Thanks for sharing my week, backwards-post as it was, and I hope to have lots more to share with you real soon.  Until then, thank you ever so much for stopping by, staying a moment and letting me know you were here. 

I so appreciate you!

OH! And I finally figured out what I'm doing to do for my Blog Followers Appreciation Giveaway!!  Stay tuned!  You are so gonna love this as I do  ... so ... :) :)

Hugs to one and all ...