Super Start to my Saturday

It's true, I can't decide on what template to use. I can make my own graphics, but don't know how to incorporate them on to this blog. If you know how to place your own graphic (and what the best size might be) into the main title space or one for the background, please pass the info on to me.

Just got back from Gentry's soccer game. He looks so big, but in fact isn't even 4 feet tall yet, and possibly the shortest one on his team. He looks like he might just take flight. It was such a nice morning, the sun was shining and the weather was cool. Just perfect to remind you to count your blessings.

What next?

Too many projects to work on and I can't quite decide what to do first! I guess I need to work on my sister's quilt, at least finish quilting the center part. And I really do want to finish the Fall wall-hanging, so perhaps I could at least trim it up and cut out the borders. I also have a brand new Halloween panel. It is begging me to cut it up and make a throw from it!

However, Christmas is just around the corner and I just acquired Melinda's Santa Table Runner pattern, some awesome penguin fabric, and I have another Christmas table topper needing attention. That's three different projects right there!

And well, yes, there is the BOM and the QOYO block and well, so many other things. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what yells at me the most to be worked on.

Here she is....

...Miss Published! And now, Miss Melinda also has a blog too, so be sure to go visit her. She is so creative and sweet and talented! I took this picture of her at the retreat. You can't see it very well, but she is holding the McCall's Quilting with her pattern in it. I think those of us without subscriptions can find it in the stores in October.

I swear I accomplished something...

I know it won't look like much, but here it is anyway. The first night I spent most of my time quilting on the Autumn version of the Sassy Sixteen for my sis. I don't have a picture of that of that part. The next day, I worked a bit on the beginning of my step-mom's quilt. She picked out all the wonderful fabrics and I think it will be beautiful when it is done.

Saturday evening I finally started working on something for "me". It was such an old UFO that it had dust bunnies like you wouldn't believe. But I made some good progress on it... I hope to finish it soon so I can hang it up this year.

Finally on Sunday I pulled out my old Ostrich Challenge. I was so tired I barely managed to put the yellow border on it. I still have so much to do!

Back from Retreat (Photo Heavy)

Well, I have been back since Sunday night, but have been completely exhausted from having such a great time! We are already talking about doing it again in the Spring. :)

Is all of this really necessary? Well, the answer is "Yes, absolutely!" You can't even see my luggage which is behind my machine, under the bedding. Some of those bags contain a single project. I took five UFOs to work on, but only managed to work on four of them. Didn't actually finish any, but at least they are closer to completion.

It didn't take long to settle in, but I'll admit making the bed on the top bunk on the right wasn't as easy as I would have liked. Cute rooms, huh. They were so rustic looking and cozy, but everything was very modern and clean!

Then it was all about the quilting... okay, maybe a little about the socializing. We had a great big room to work with so we really spread out....

Doesn't that look like fun? That first night, I didn't sleep well... defective mattress that I would swear was made of nothing but rusty metal. So, I got to move to different bunk the second day and oh, it was so much better! And don't you think my Jelly Maker's Cabin quilt looked perfect in that setting? And here are some of the great things that just a few of the ladies worked on....

This is truly just the tip of the iceberg of what wonderful things were accomplished. What did "I" do? Well, I'm out of time at the moment, but I'll post my stuff next time.

QOYO #3 and Bonus QOYO

Okay, one more post before I finish packing up. Here is my third QOYO block. It is supposed to be Chinese Coin but I changed it to make it more my own. I also have a "bonus" block too. It is really just a block made from scraps from my 2nd block.

Kudos for Melinda!

Christmas is coming and you will have to check out her first published work in McCalls Quilting. She is so creative and talented and sweet. She is a blessing to all who know her and she is a huge inspiration to me. Take a sneak peek at her work... "Snacks With Santa". She doesn't have a blog yet, so feel free to post here for her.

In response to Linda's question... Melinda is a member of the quilt guild I belong to. She is pictured in a post below, holding the precious animal quilt. I have a feeling we will be seeing her name more and more in the quilt world.

Guess what I got???

Yes, I have a camera now! Very reasonably priced! I've only taken a few pictures so far... but this looks good to me....

Letha's Electric Fan block for our guild's BOM.

Now, I need to see what all I need to take pictures of... I feel like a kid in a candy store. It is all I can do not to wake up the kids so they can pose for me. LOL!

The best part is that I found it on the Wal-mart website with all good reviews and it had what I wanted, which wasn't very much. Then Rose posted that website with reviews, where I found that it was less expensive (than what I already thought was reasonable) at Best Buy. They were all out there and so I got the floor model with a discount! I thank God that the price just kept going down and down!

So, now I'm even more excited about the retreat this weekend as I can take pics to share with all of you!

Oh, and the camera I picked... HP Photosmart M537, 6 MP with anti-shake mode.

Church was nice. Saw two friends that I hadn't seen in months! Both of them are two of my favorite people. Started on my sister's placemats, but didn't get too far as I spent too much time visiting. Dinner was good, but we didn't have our class tonight as the materials haven't come in yet. But that is when we went to Best Buy, so it all worked out just fine.

Time to go quilt now and take more pics to share. ;-)

Happy Hump Day!

I'm so glad it is Wednesday. I usually go to the church on Wednesday to do a bit of quilting. After that we'll have WNA (Wednesday Night Alive). It is the first one for the Fall season. Hailey will have Youth Club consisting of Bible Study, Choir, Crafts and recreation. Gentry will have Cherub Choir and play time. Rene' and I are taking a class on Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace. We also have dinner at the church, so I love not having to decide on what to cook. The fellowship is wonderful also. Each night has a theme and this week's is "School Spirit" and the kids wear their school shirts or colors. It's a full day, but oh so great!

The Autumn SS is basted now. And last night I made the Letha's Electric Fan block. Gotta tell ya, not so fun! I'm glad I did it, but I don't think I'll ever be doing it again. Picture coming soon. I haven't decided what to work on at the church. Probably the 2nd bonus QOYO block. And either my sister's placemats or another Angel Hug quilt. (24" quilts used to present the babies that didn't make it to their mothers. Sometimes they are buried with them, other times it gives the mom something to take home.)

I'm bored with my blog look, so don't be surprised if it changes several times over the next couple of weeks. Just need to find the right fit.

Thank you all so much for sharing your camera info with me. I think I have an idea of one I want. Perhaps I might get one today... you all will be the first to know.

I'm subscribed to Joel Osteen's daily scripture and I really liked the one for today...
"For I know the plans I have for you,”declares the Lord”, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). That really speaks to me today.

Quick Question...

I really need to have my own digital camera! I would love to know what all of you use. Please tell me the brand/model, if it has the anti-shake feature, and how many MPs. I went looking and felt so overwhelmed. I know there have to be some decent cameras with a reasonable price. Please help!!!!!

Great Job, Hailey & Gentry

My smart girl just had her first two tests in school today. She got 100% on both! I'm taking that as a good sign. And Gentry has his first test tomorrow with me.... in math. And oh, I was so pleased today when we were working on his reading, which he swore he didn't want to learn how to do! He has changed his mind and couldn't wait to start on it today! He did really well and even commented on how "easy" and "fast" he read his pages. I love it when God blesses the children, and myself, with good school days!

This weekend I finished the 3rd QOYO block, my version of it anyway. I made a bonus block from scraps of the 2nd block and am half way through another bonus block from scraps of the 1st block. That wasn't confusing was it? I'll see if my friend will take some pics and I'll post them for you.

Also went shopping yesterday and got new jammies for the retreat next weekend. I'm so excited and can't wait to go!!!!! Now, if only I can make a decision as to what UFO's to bring... hmm.

I also got some great mail last week. A package from Batik's Plus. Wow, they really know how to package orders, very impressive. I won't tell you about it though, as I really think you should "see" it.

And finally, a bit more wonderful news. My patterns are now being sold in 10 states! Hubby got me a map so I can put pins in each location. Isn't that sweet? I'm thinking of a promotional idea... maybe if someone helps a LQS in their state place an order, I'll send them a free pattern? I really would love to have at least one store in all 50 states, but I would be thrilled with 25! What do you think? Next time I'll post the 10 states, but for now I have a block that I really must work on. I know some of you are familiar with it... Letha's Electric Fan. I found the perfect colors for it... I think.

I hope your week is off to a great start. Oh, and I have an inspirational though to share before I sign off...
"Find what you are passionate about and use it to bless others."

Animals & Autumn

This is a quilt that our guild made from our September BOM. We each make a block and then it is put together for a charity quilt. This one was made for the Humane Society. Isn't it fun! We had to make a cat or dog block and use bright colors and at least one polka dot fabric. My block is the 4th one on the top row, yellow cat with big green bow. I wish you could see all of the great details our creative members put into it. Oh, and take notice of the pretty lady holding the quilt... she's being published in McCall's Special Christmas Issue , coming out in October. I'll keep you posted...

I finished the top for my sister's Autumn Sassy Sixteen. It's a demo for her store. You can't see the fabric details very well here, I'll try to get some more pics soon. She is going to put together some kits. I just love Autumn and the colors. I can hardly wait until the first day of Fall, September 23, and I will pull out all of my decorations, maybe even buy some more, and make the whole house look like a harvest festival. Okay, well, I might not really do it then, as I'll be coming home from the UFO retreat. I'm sure I'll be worn out from all that I hope I'll get done and the fun and laughter with all the ladies. So, maybe it'll be on Monday.

Gentry and I are really getting in the swing of things of our home-schooling routine. I had forgotten how much easier it can be with only one child. School seems to be going well for Hailey also, which is a relief. It still isn't great, but apparently you can't expect very much from the schools in this area. Really is a shame! Which leads me in search of states where public education is a good thing instead of a blemish. Also, I've been told that the majority of private schools aren't really any better, teaching exactly the same limited curriculum. Very, very disappointing! So, do you know what the top 10 states are for public schools? Feel free to let me know. I could definitely see us moving over this issue alone! Enough of that for now...

I have still been cutting up a storm. Tonight I hope to work on cutting the blocks for the next guild's BOM. It is all template stuff, which isn't really a strong attribute for me. The sooner I get it done, the sooner I can stop brooding over it. LOL!

Blessing in Abundance...

Did you have a good holiday weekend? I did and feel very blessed. Actually, all of last week was wonderful. My new pattern is doing very well. I need to post a list of online stores that are carrying it. Maybe not tonight, but tomorrow for sure. A friend of mine pointed out that the first prize on the prize list for the Mall Crawl is a "Sassy Sixteen" kit. It is a little odd to see something you put so much into popping in places you don't expect.

Which brings me to the name of my company... Divine Inspirations. I've been asked about the name and the answer is very simple. I want to honor God in everything I do. And the designs for both patterns came to me in such an amazingly fast way, like lightning striking (but in a good way) that I know without a doubt that He is the one who really deserves the credit. So, that is why I named the business Divine Inspirations.

I also felt blessed today with the Labor Day sales! Went to Hancock's and every single item I got was 50% off! One of the items I acquired was the Clover Bias Tape Maker. I hope it works well as I have needed to put some vines on a quilt forever.

Here is the second block in the "Quilt of Your Own" (QOYO) series.... sort of. I changed it quite a bit from it's original "Roman Stripe" pattern. I didn't want to make so many little squares, so I made them larger. And I didn't want to waste so much of the white fabric, so I just cut squares in half on the diagonal. Made long stripes and cut the triangles from those. I did have some leftover scraps from the stripes and will make a different block from those.

I'm obsessed with cutting right now. I cut the pieces for the next QOYO block. I'm working on the templates for the next BOM for the guild. I started cutting the FQs for my step-mom's next quilt. And tonight I'm going to cut some FQs for a demo for my sister's store. If time allows, I might even cut squares for some tessellated placemats. Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut.....

Little tote bag...

I made this earlier this summer. It is from the Quiltsmart pattern and is so easy, just two FQs and you are set to go...

I finished a BOM for our guild this week. I was actually turning it in late. It is called Star Spangled I think and is filled with those set-in seams... not a favorite of mine. But it turned out pretty well and now I can start thinking about the next one... Letha's Electric Fan. I'm having trouble deciding what fabrics to use.

I got a big box of fabric from my sister's store yesterday. :) It was mostly filled with Autumn fabrics. I'm going to make a "Sassy Sixteen" with them as a demo for her store. I hope to start working on it today.

However, first I need to add some leaves "appearing in a random fashion" to my Raspberry Tea in Tuscany quilt. Only three of them, all different.

I also wanted to start working on my third Quilt of Your Own block, however, I'm thinking of changing it around so my brain still needs to work a bit on that one.

I also want to start working on my step-mom's next quilt. It has a lot of Asian prints and I'm looking forward to it!

Oh, so many quilts, so little time....

A Quilt Of Your Own

A good friend of mine has challenged our guild members and I'd like to pass it on to all of you. We are to make a "quilt of your own", and you can't buy any fabrics to do it. Each month she'll give us a new block to do. We have only done two months so far, so you have plenty of time to catch up. The first one is Patience Corners. I changed the fabric placement a bit on mine, but it is a quilt "of my own" so I can do what I want with it. I encourage any of you who want to give it a try to do the same. But definitely make it "all about you".

SIL

Look at my gorgeous sister-in-law! We got this magazine from Northern CA in the mail a week or so ago. And right there on the back cover for this jewelry store ad was Jenai. The best part about her... she is even more beautiful on the inside.

The Jelly Maker's Cabin

Well it's official, my second pattern, "The Jelly Maker's Cabin" is now available. Several stores have already placed orders and I'll post a list of them soon. You can always get it directly from me though. The top is made entirely from 2 1/2" strips and goes together so quickly! I have to take a moment to thank my testers, couldn't have done it without you! While I think the color scheme I've used for the demo is perfect for the title and pattern, I can't help but wonder how lovely it might be in some light, romantic pastels...

Pay It Forward...

Okay, I'm ready to "Pay It Forward". I've been blessed by so much lately that I feel the need to bless others as well. Inspired from Jane's blog... http://piecefuljane.blogspot.com/ .

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I have no idea what this gift will be, but I promise to my heart and mind into it and that it will be done within a year's time... probably a lot less, but let's give myself some extra time just in case.

The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. It is that simple, you just pay it forward to three more people. So if anyone is interested and wants to join in feel free. It is always fun to receive and even more fun to give, so don't make me wait too long... join in the fun!

Happy Feet

Gentry wanted a penguin quilt for his birthday because he loves Happy Feet. I had a terrible time finding a cute penguin fabric. Finally found the dancing penguins on blue fabric at the AQS show in Paducah, but it was part of a pillowcase kit along with the red and the black/white striped. So, I got two kits. Then I found an applique pattern of the dancing penguins, it was very "folk art" looking with earthy tones, felt and button hole stitches, but they were dancing so I knew I could use it. I decided to do the watercolor technique for the water, ice, mountains and sky. And the bow tie blocks were a must because I kept thinking... penguins... tuxedos. I added snowflake buttons and then some penguin buttons on mountain in the background. He loved it. I'm so glad as it was a bit of work.

Gentry's Birthday

Another month gone by again? How does that happen? I guess we all get busy though don't we? I have lots to share though... I promise to post each day until I'm all caught up!

First of all, my sweet little man turned 6! Here are his birthday pics...

Wow, when did he get so big?

Well, since my babies are growing so fast we considered getting a puppy... something little that wouldn't get very big, unlike my children. We had an opportunity to have the most beautiful Chihuahua I've ever seen, we all fell madly in love with her. Next thing you know, my face is swollen up like a balloon, my eyes just slits. So, no puppy and we were all heartbroken. We already knew cats were not an option, both Hailey and I are allergic. But the dog allergy was a new one!

Okay, next post will have some quilty pics, I promise!