FCE Camp

I belong to a group called FCE (Family Community Educatition)run by an extension officer from the University of Tennessee. One of the many activities we do throughout the year is to hold an annual "camp" to teach classes and share our skills with each other and the community.

This year, I will be teaching a quilt block sewing class and have been busy making samples. I decided to do this when I heard that the theme this year was something about crossroads... (I forget what the exact words are) I remembered there was a quilt block named crossroads so I thought it would make a perfect fit! Everyone from beginner to experienced sewists could come out of class with a completed block!



After making the sample block I thought it was nice, but what would anyone do with just one block? So I decided to make a few more blocks and offer a second class with kits and instructions to make additional blocks that could be made into a tablerunner or even a set of placemats. I decided on the Basket, Shoofly and Bowtie blocks.



And here are the four blocks sewn together into a table runner. I'm still debating adding a cream color border all the way around before quilting...or even changing the cream to something else.



****update*****
I decided to add the cream border and love the way it looks now!

Addicted to Quilting

Found this on the internet and wanted to share:



She learned to quilt on MONDAY.
Her stitches all were fine.
She forgot to make us dinner
So we all went out to dine.

She quilted miniatures on TUESDAY;
she says they are a must.
They really were quite lovely
But SHE forgot to dust.

On WEDNESDAY, it was a sampler.
She says stippling's fun.
What highlights! What shadows!
But the laundry wasn't done.

Nine Patches were on THURSDAY -
Green, yellow, blue and red.
I guess she really was engrossed;
She never made the bed.

It was wall hangings on FRIDAY,
In colors she adores.
It never bothered her at all
That crumbs were on the floor.

I found a maid on SATURDAY.
My week is now complete.
My wife can quilt the hours away;
The house will still be neat.

Well, now its only SUNDAY.
I think I'm about to wilt.
I cursed, I raved, I ranted
Cuz the maid has learned to QUILT!

Just For Today

JUST FOR TODAY I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once. I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.

JUST FOR TODAY I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me.
If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.

JUST FOR TODAY I will accept what is. i will face reality. I will correct those things that I can and accept those I cannot.

JUST FOR TODAY I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.

JUST FOR TODAY I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind an courteous to those who cross my path and I will not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly and not interrupt when someone else is talking. I will refrain from improving anybody but myself.

JUST FOR TODAY I will do something positive to improve my health. If I am a smoker, I will quit. If I am overweight, I will eat more healthfully and also get off the couch and take a brisk walk.

JUST FOR TODAY I will gather the courage to do what is right and take the responsibility for my own actions.

(Taken from Dear Abby)

New Year Starts With a BANG!

Last Thursday was a beautiful clear-blue sky, sunny, warm day.
I was having a good day....getting many little errands accomplished.
I was just minutes from home.
I slowed down to make my turn off the main drag.
I'm almost around and through the turn when....
I hear squealing brakes!
I see a flash of yellow in the rear view mirror.
BANG!
A guy in a yellow F150 pick-up was drinking coffee on the way to work when the top slipped off his cup and he spilled it in his lap! He, of course, was distracted by that for "just a second" and when he looked up my bumper was way too close! Thankfully he was able to slow down some and didn't hit me at 50mph, so no one was hurt. But he did mess up my bumper and break my tail light....as well as his headlight.


No major damage, just one more thing to deal with!

We both pulled off the road into the corner market parking lot and he just sat there. I kept waiting for him to come over to me and apologize... it was clearly his fault... but he didn't. So I got out and cautiously went over toward him. He was talking on one of those earphone things. When he did get out he asked me if I was ok and then stated that he was late for work and could we just exchange information. He handed me an envelope with what he said was his insurance number written on it and was pulling his lisence out of his wallet. I looked and the envelope was marked Past Due. He had his lisence but not his insurance card. I took one look at the envelope and told him no... my insurance adjuster has told me to always call the police and get a report. He rolled his eyes, sighed and got back in the truck.

I called the local police and about 30 minutes later THP came to take the report. He was cited for following too close and not having proof of insurance. With the way things have turned out so far, I'm really glad I called. I picked up the report from THP earlier this week and took it to my insurance agent. They have been unsuccessful in their attempts over the last few days to contact this guy to get his insurance information (maybe I should have kept the envelope). I have had to file a claim with my insurance for an uninsured driver and it is going to cost me the $200 deductible. My claims adjuster will be here in the morning.

If I am really lucky, the guy will come through with insurance and all will be covered. If not, I'm out the $200 deductible unless I want to try and sue him in small claims court.

The new year is staring off with a real bang!

Cheddar Bow Tie Challenge Update

Bonnie has asked us to Link Up and show updates on our Bow Ties. For new visitors to my blog that don't know what I'm talking about... I'll start with links to earlier posts I have written about this...

Back in July 2011 Bonnie Hunter issued a Cheddar Challenge to all quilters. The initial challenge for me was finding Cheddar and I posted about it here:

http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4545104586551376905&postID=1166349478086304668

Because of work, projects in progress, family distractions, etc. I didn't have time to begin making blocks until an opportunity presented itself in November resulting in these two posts:

http://madakamom.blogspot.com/2011/11/california-bound.html

http://madakamom.blogspot.com/2011/11/cheddar-on-plane_12.html

Since returning from California I have enjoyed carrying my kit and working on blocks while waiting for appointments, between frames at bowling, at guild work-day meetings and have even done a few while watching TV in the evening. I have had to cut more fabric to refill the kit and have, thus far, completed 63 blocks. My progress is slow because I'm doing them by hand... and like Bonnie's Hexies, this may take me years to complete... but I'm having fun! ...And that is what quilting is all about!

Shirts

Last year I discovered Bonnie Hunter's blog and mystery quilts. Her quilts are made from recycled materials... clothing, scraps and leftovers from projects and fabrics donated to her by her adoring fans! I don't know exactly where I read it, but it was suggested that recycled fabrics could be gotten by purchasing shirts from Goodwill. Each size L shirt contains approximately one yard of fabric and with a cost of $.99-$2.50 per shirt, quilting could be very affordable and economical! I went to our local Goodwill in search of shirts to use for the neutrals needed to make Roll Roll Cotton Boll (here is the finished quilt I sent my niece for a wedding gift) Unfortunately, our local store carried mostly flannel or denim. I called my SIL in Baltimore who searched her local Goodwill and found 20 shirts for me! Enough to cut up for RRCB and still have leftovers for the next project. (see them on top of the pink boxes!)

Over the past year I have found 15 suitable to be use as neutrals and also purchased some denim and flannels for other projects.

But, on a recent trip we drove through Kentucky and I convinced my husband to stop at the Goodwill store we passed so I could look for a few shirts. I was absolutely amazed at what I found! 75 shirts in a variety of colors and neutrals! I am especially fond of the orange/reds!

Here they are color sorted and laid out on the floor and then placed on my shelves.
I will be spending many evenings deconstructing and deciding on how to cut them and make them into nice warm quilts!

Michael T's Quilt

Way back in February 2011, while I was in the middle of making RRCB for Kim's wedding gift, I "met" my cousin/Godson on facebook. During our conversations he mentioned that he would love to have a quilt made by me and told me his color preference. I found and downloaded a pattern off the web and the next time I was in the LQS I found these fabrics and set them aside thinking if the stars aligned just so I might be able to complete it for his birthday in June.


Well, the stars were not in my favor... too much going on with immediate famiy. I didn't even finish Kim's quilt until months after the wedding. I did pull out the fabrics to cut and sew whenever I had a spare minute. Here is a pictorial diary of how I put his quilt together.


sewing the light and dark strips into blocks


layer, mark, pin, sew and cut the blocks


press open blocks and stitch them together.



I finished the quilting and bind last week and added the label during Pat's UFO weekend challenge.


Now I'm off to the Post Office.

UFO Weekend ... Part Two

Today, once again, I was distracted by my grandson and didn't get a lot of sewing done. He was fascinated by the snow flurries that fell today and kept wanting to go out and play and leave footprints everywhere! I showed him how to scoop up some snow and squeeze it into a snowball to play catch with, but it was too cold for his bare hands and I didn't have any mittens or gloves for him.... Note to self... make kid-size mittens!

I finished the binding on Michael T's quilt last week and today I made the label and stitched it on the back. I'll go to the Post Office tomorrow and send it on it's way to California.


I completed the Shoofly block for my class sample and pieced the three blocks into a tablerunner. I can't decide on a pattern for a fourth block so I may just add a strip of muslin to each end to surround the blocks and call it done.


I can now declare this weekend a success with three completed UFOs and lots play time with the grandson.

UFO Weekend

Pat Sloan's UFO Challenge began at 8am EST Saturday morning and continues through Monday night...or is it Tuesday morning? You can read details about it here:

http://blog.patsloan.com/2011/12/pat-sloan-new-years-eve-ufo-luau.html

Participants make a list of projects they believe can be finished and work as fast and furiously as possible to get them done before the long weekend is over.

I had a delayed start because of a visit from my grandson, and I just had to make a crabcake dinner with fresh crabmeat bought on our trip to see family in Maryland.


I did manage to load Oklahoma Backroads on the quilter and get started quilting. I had to quit to watch the ball drop and toast in the new year and get a few hours sleep. I finally finished the quilting by 2pm Sunday.


I have several other tops that have been waiting patiently to be quilted. I did plan to work on them, but I remembered that sample blocks needed to be made for a class I'm teaching in May. I should have just shopped my stash, but the LQS 50% off sale called to me and a succumed. I found a lovely purple Civil War fabric (my favorite!) and a contrasting rust and after a late lunch and a couple hours work I had two sample blocks made and some kits cut. I still have the Shoofly block and one other as yet undecided block to make tomorrow.



I spent the evening adding the binding and handstitching it down to complete this UFO! It will make a nice present for Mom on little Christmas (the Epiphany).



Now off to catch a few hours sleep before beginning work on the remaing two sample blocks and hopefully complete another quilt before this long weekend is over.

New Year's Eve

Pat Sloan is hosting a weekend long UFO sew along to ring in the new year...the idea is to finish up as many UFOs as possible this weekend. So I pulled out several projects and loaded up my quilter and planned to quilt all weekend hoping to finish up three wall hangings and maybe a quilt too.


But I was sidetracked for most of the day by a visit from my grandson. Instead of quilting all day we walked the dog, read books, watched Scooby-Doo movies and I pushed and pulled him along on his new bike so he could have a ride!


After his Mom picked him up I made a dinner of broccoli salad and home-made Maryland crabcakes! YUM!


After dinner I headed downstairs to quilt. By 9pm, I did get the center and one side of the Oklahoma Backroads wall hanging done but then my grandson comes walking in shouting... "Nana, I'm here!" Mom wanted to meet some friends for dinner so we were back on duty again. So instead of quilting and watching Dick Clark, I supervised a nice warm bubble bath, put on his favorite pair of pajamas and watched more Scooby-Doo!


Mom was home before midnight to watch the ball drop and toast in the new year, but it as too late for this little one.

And now it's too late for Nana too! I didn't finish any UFOs today, but there is always tomorrow!

Christmas

The decorations were finally put on the tree December 23rd. Mom didn't want to stay up late so instead of the usual Midnight Mass, we decided to go to the 9am Mass with her on Christmas morning. That worked out really well as it gave me extra time to get all that "last minute" wrapping done.

Mom went home after mass to start cooking for dinner and the three of us went home to open presents. My "big" present this year was a Kindle Fire. I love it for reading books.... I started my fourth book this afternoon. Having trouble getting online and checking emails with it though. Wish they would give you an instruction booklet. I'll have to go online with the desktop and download one when I get a chance.

Matthew was thrilled with his new digital camera and is having fun taking pictures of everything!


Hubby's Garmin came in handy on the trip to grandma's house when a traffic accident had the beltway at a standstill six exits before our regular turn off. We were able to exit just before getting trapped in traffic and Garmin helped us find our way through Baltimore rather than around it.


D and her boyfriend brought our grandson over after lunch and opened their presents. It was a workout for all the adults trying to teach him to pedal his new bike... he preferred sitting on it and letting us push him around! He is really enjoying his Leggo blocks and cars of all shapes, colors and sizes.


Dinner at Moms was set for 6pm. K and her boyfriend arrived early and the next round of presents were opened.


We all worked together and enoyed a wonderful dinner of ham, roast beef and yorkshire pudding, an assorment of vegetables and three different deserts...apple pie, key lime pie and eclair cups! It was great having the entire family together!

T'was the Night Before Christmas,
Quilters' Version (author unknown)

'T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house,
The only one sleeping was a Quilter's dear spouse
The Log Cabin stockings were almost completed,
"Just a few stitches left," our sweet quilter repeated.
"Then I can hang them and head off to finish
The pillows I'm making, fulfilling Mom's wish
For something quilted to put on her couch",
As she pricked her poor finger, our quilter said, "Ouch!"
When from out in the kitchen there arose such a crashing,
She sprang from her work, and she dropped all her sashing.
Away to the doorway she flew like a plane,
Wondering just what was happening and who she would blame.
When, what to her wandering eyes should appear,
But Old Mrs. Claus and her bag of quilt-gear...
With her elves bearing gifts, through the kitchen she came,
She directed and pointed and called them by name.
"Now Elna, now Pfaff, now Bernina and Viking,
The Hoffman and Mumm should be just to her liking.
To the sewing room - there, it's just back of the hall,
Now dash away, dash away, dash away all!"
"My Dear," said The Claus (as she liked to be called),
"There really is no need to worry at all.
Your projects will all be completed this night,
I'm terribly sorry we gave you a fright."
"Sit down. Have some tea. It's relaxing, you'll see.
My friends and I've come a long way to help thee."
She thought she was dreaming, our dear Quilter did,
In fact she quite feared that she'd near flipped her lid!
But the flash of the needles and the twist of the thread
Soon gave her to know she had nothing to dread.
They spoke no more words, but went straight to their sewing.
How the work went so quickly she had no way of knowing.
The stitches, how fine! The corners, how straight!
This Claus-woman's talent was awfully great.
They finished the pillows, then started to quilt.
Before they all knew it, the whole thing was built!
Now old Mrs. Claus, she knew quilters real well,
And she knew they'd need help on this night most of all
So she said to our quilter, "Just move over dear,
I've brought my own needle. We'll get done, never fear.
I told dear old Santa about what quilters do.
How they plan all these projects but have other work too.
So he taught me his magic for doing things fast.
There, that pillow's done. Now this is the last."
They tidied their thread snips, and picked up the scraps
And chased our dear quilter's six cats from their laps.
As they scurried away with their thimbles still gleaming
Dear Mrs. Claus paused, her cap ribbons streaming.
"Merry Christmas, my dear, now just have a ball!"

Early Christmas Surprise

This past weekend we had an early Christmas surprise for Matthew. We packed him into the car after lunch on Saturday, driving about 6 hours, with him having no idea where we were going or what we were doing. It was a beautiful leisurely drive and he was a good sport trying to guess where we were going.

We stopped near Louisville for dinner at Ermas where we chose nachos, burger, ruben, steak and french onion soup. We checked into the Embassy Suites (thank goodness for credit card hotel points!). In the morning we enjoyed a complimentary breakfast of made to order omlettes! At this point Matthew is getting antsy wanting to know what the surpise was so back in our room I opened my suitcase and pulled out a couple of his Titans shirts to wear. Clue #1. We headed out to walk the few blocks to the statium and got a nice view of the state capital building and clue #2

He was now, officially excited!


The Titans did not play well and the Colts won their first game of the season.
But we enjoyed stadium brats and had a great weekend together!

Surprise Packages, Drawings and Swaps

I unexpectedly received this package of home made ornaments and gifts from my online friend Dixie. I had sent her a package of assorted fabric scraps and she just wanted to thank me.


I participated in my local guild's Christmas drawing and swap. To participate, we each made a 12.5inch Ohio Star block(see quilterscache.com for the pattern) using traditional Christmas red, green and white and/or brought in a small bundle of fat quarters to swap. Our names were all put in a basket. As each name was called you chose a Fat Quarter bundle from the pile. The last name called wins all the blocks... and my name was called last! Now I have orphan blocks to assemble into my first Christmas quilt for me!


I also participated in an online Secret Santa Swap. We were instructed to make a home made gift and up to $15 purchased gift. This package arived in the mail. Wanda is from Alaska and included a jar of Alaskan Salmon and some Salmon Jerky! She made a beautiful blue/silver tablerunner and a friendship star pot holder and crafted some lovely notecards!

Christmas Cookie Rules

I copied this from somewhere on the net and decided to post it here to remind myself to enjoy those cookies!

Christmas Cookie Rules...


1. If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free.

2. If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.

3. If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend. Because your friend's first cookie is calories free, (rule #1) yours is also. It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and, being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free.

4. Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move. This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.

5. Any calories consumed during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.

6. Cookies colored red or green have very few calories. Red ones have three and green ones have five - one calorie for each letter. Make more red ones!

7. Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on 34th Street " have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.

8. As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking Causes calorie leakage.

9. Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate. We all know how calories like to CLING!

10. Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories. It's a rule!

So, go out and enjoy those Christmas Cookies - we only get them this time of year!

A Santa Story....I Believe

I received this in an email recently and wanted to share:



I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," shejeered. "Even dummies know that!"

My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said
so. It had to be true.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" she snorted...."Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go."

"Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.

I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping.

For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for.

I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church.

I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat!

I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.

"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby."

The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it.

Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers.

Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."

I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.

Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.

Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were -- ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.

I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.

May you always have LOVE to share,
HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care...
And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus!


Merry Christmas to all . . .