Ahhh Don't you love Fridays? Especially if you don't have to go to work? I had a great day, I pieced the back of the turtle quilt, took it down to the LQS, Main Street Quilts in Martinez, and got it pin basted. Spent hours there just chatting with the owner, Susie and customers as they came and went. It's always so inspiring. Didn't bring much home , just some thread for quilting the turtles and a pattern. I won a jelly roll of the Strawberry Lemonade line a while back and haven't made up my mind what to make with it yet. Maybe this pattern? Split Decision - No need to make up my mind now. Too many other irons in the fire. I was going to meet some good quilting friends and go to a quilt show in Watsonville tomorrow, but I keep hearing that there is going to be a big storm coming in tonite and will be with us through Sunday. I think I will just snuggle up and stay in. Not a good time to be on the road. I stopped at the grocery on the way home and got some ingredients for soup, my netflix movie selection "Becoming Jane" was in my mail box and there is the turtle quilt to get quilted! Not to mention that I have 59 of 60 socks to work on. My friend over at Rabbit Stitchings asked if I was knitting. Nooooo these are of fabric and they are blocks not real socks, for this: Lost Socks quilt. I'm doing a swap with some close friends. Here's my first.I've decided to try the starch method that everyone uses. Being a needle turner I thought it was too much prep time, but I'm finding that I like having them sooo ready to go! But the jury is still out on this method. This is a very simple pattern and I think that corners are easier to needle turn. I'm going to go get cozy! Happy stitching!

Doin the Turtle Dance

The turtle top is done!

It's really wonky, I sure hope the little waves will quilt out. I know you perfectionists and long armers will cringe when you read that. I have a few excuses of the wonkiness; curves, on point, pieced border, yadda yadda.. But besides the little waves, I really like how it turned out. I will probably bind it with the dark pink. I was having issues with green again, that is why it took so long to get done. Umm now to get it quilted. If I wasn't so embarassed about the wonkiness I'd have someone do it for me.

Wait, that's not all I've accomplished! I also finished the Piece & Plenty BOM #3. This block is designed by Brannock & Patek and is primitive. I love primitive, but I didn't realize how difficult it would be for me to DO primitive. I thought I needed more guidance, but now that I'm done, I think it was a good experience. Now I know I can do it!

So, have you signed up for the new Designer Mystery BOM that Kimberly has going over at the Fatquarter shop? I couldn't resist. They go fast and I know I'd be heartbroken if I missed out. Good thing Vicky catches these, cause I would have missed it for sure.

I'm moving on to some new things, I've started another swap that I need to make 60 socks for. The pattern is called Lost Socks, it's adorable and easy so it should be fun. I guess I'm just one of those gals that need at least 3 0r 4 balls in the air. I can't settle down to one project. That would just be too boring!

Have fun stitchin!

It's Been Awhile

Today really is Valentines Day! I hosted a meeting at work today and here are the goodies I brought (dependable pretzels and tissue holders) with the table runner that I managed to get bound and quilted!

I managed to mess up my computer, doing something as simple as putting password protection on it so that a guest could use it while I was away. DUH DUH DUH!!! I set to password protect and didn't have the administrator password. Sure messed me up. I ended up having to do a recovery on the computer and since I only know enough to make me dangerous, I haven't been able to re-establish what I had. It feels like I'm using somebody else's computer!

Other than that I haven't been able to accomplish much, just working at work and then petsitting. I'm still working on bock #3 of my P&P BOM and the ever lovin turtles. I've got a plan for those turtles tho, and I've been working on that, it's getting there. I'm just soooo sllloooowww (hmm kinda like those turtles!). Here's a little of the turtle progress..

And... While I was gone it looks like Kris came over and Tagged me for the 7 weird/strange things meme. I hope these few items don't make you think I'm even stranger than you already thought!

The Rules: 1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you. 2. Post THE RULES on your blog. 3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog. 4. Tag 7 people and link to them. 5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged. Here we go.... 1. If you give me a plate of food, I will eat it all. But only one item at a time and I save what I like best for last.

2. I've lived in Houma, Louisianna and Katy, Texas for short periods of time, 20 years ago. Other than that I've only lived in the San Francisco Bay Area.

3. I was born in Berkeley, California. (see! I had weird beginnings!)

4. My grandparents homesteaded desert property outside of Las Vegas Nevada. They both worked in the casinos. As a child I slept on their roof!

5. I've only ridden a horse once and that was a pony in the park (same with riding a train!)

6. I've never been on ice skates or snow skiis

7. I have to read at least a page or two every nite before I go to sleep.(my sleeping pill)

ok thats it. Now for my tags.... hmm I need to find somone who hasn't been tagged.

SuBee, Vicky(she's havin a blogaversary giveaway!,Alison, Bon, and Laurie

I think I'm at the end of this game, so if I tag you and you've already done it... OH WELL!!! I'll be back home on Saturday, hope my computer finds it way home. Toodles!

It's FebRuary!

and that's the month with the extra R, what a waste of a good R. I thought this week would never end, it just kept happening. I'm so glad it's FRIDAY ! I won't be able to accomplish too much this weekend and It'll be hit and miss for my blog for thenext two weeks. I will be petsitting in Benicia along with my other day job. You know, the one that pays the bills. The up side is that this is my quilting money and we still need to stoke up this economy!

I haven't accomplished much this week, only prepped my 3rd block for the Piece & Plenty mystery. The turtles are still on the wall and they brought the baby in to the office yesterday for show and tell. I need get that done! I stopped by ThimbleCreek last nite to look for a book for Deb. Nope, sorry Deb, they didn't have it, but I did manage to pick up a new American Jane pattern and one lone fat quarter. This pattern gave me an idea to maybe quench the desire I have to make a hexagon quilt. Time will tell. Thimble Creek is having a super bowl sale on Sunday, so I'm reserving my lust for fat quarters until then. Why pay full price? Last week I stopped in for the same reason (Deb's book) and ended up getting about 10 fat quarters only to have them go on sale last weekend too! I mentioned that to Joe and he gave me a few extra punches on my card. Such a nice guy. He was working on a yummy quilt made with Fig Tree fabrics with a machine appliqued medallion of his own design. Please don't hate me for not having pictures, I'm not one of those bloggers that carries a camera around (mines too lumpy). I'll try to take my camera with me when I walk the dog this week.

What I do have to show you is a wallhanging that will be in my office for the month. I finished this last year. It's a Bunnyhill Design and it was a joy to do! Hope you have a sweet weekend! xoxomar

Awards and Give Aways

I'm probably too late for this, but want you to know that Brenda over at Acorn Quilts is having a little give-away to celebrate her new book!Hope you can get there in time and check out her new blog. I thought I'd lost her!

I tell ya I haven't had my head on straight, my blogging buddie Sharon bestowed an award to MOI!!! I'm so thrilled and honored. Thank you Sharon! Ya know if Sharon is quiet, something must be wrong, so please email her!!!!

As for awarding who makes my day?? who who who... you, you, & you!!!

xoxomar

No, Not A Rebel

Thank you Kim, for showing us the light. I'm not a rebel, no no no.... I'm a PATRIOT! I'm doing my part to stimulate the economy in my own small way. I'm wondering if it was something in that Los Angeles water that gave me the urge buy fabric? I have no excuses for my purchases, other than that Roman Holiday piece was 50% off, it will be the backing for my All Things Christmas. Oh and I'm really wanting to do a hexagon quilt out of Fig Tree fabrics and then there is the swap that I need stuff for. On the stash busting side I did manage to turn the charm pack that Darlene sent me into a little table runner. Note, that I have the backing up there. I'll machine quilt it next weekend.

I also finished the 2nd block of the Piece and Plenty Moda U Mystery. This basket is designed by Joanna of Fig Tree fame. Love doing these blocks, I'm going to start prepping the next one tomorrow nite. Have a good week everyone, hope you get some stitches in! xoxomar

A Rebel?

I thought I would slip this stash busting report in here quickly, before the next one is due. Yup, I'm late again. That's because I'm feeling like a rebel. There is a song from the 60's that keeps going through my head and I did a little research on it. It's called He's A Rebel by the Crystals. I wasn't even a teenager when this came out, but I remember it just the same. So in my research I found that the Crystals didn't even record the version that became a number one tune. It was the Blossoms. Just a little bit of Trivia for you. And if you watched the video in the link for He's A Rebel, who does that remind you of? First thing I thought of was Heath Ledger. I don't know if Heath was a rebel, but I would think for a straight guy to play a gay man in a movie, he would have to have a little bit of a rebel in him. I really liked Heath, I thought he was a great actor. I loved watching him in " A Knights Tale" or "Cassanova" and "The Patriot". What a sad loss. Oh yeah, this is supposed to be my stash report.... I have only acquisitions to report. As I mentioned in my last post 28.5 yards of Vicky's stash followed me home. It all happened quite innocently. She plopped some bags of fabric on the table and told Judy and I to go through it and take want we wanted. It sat there for 2 days and finally I started to look through it thinking I would take the neutrals for a swap that I'm in. Once I was done, Judy said she didn't have room in her suitcase to take it home. Well, I couldn't say I didn't want it, could I? This just doesn't look like 28.5 yards, but it really is! Do I get any points for taking it off of Vicky's hands? And this trip was all about going to one of the biggest quilt shows in California right? So a girl has to shop a little! We also went to a couple of quilt shops in our travels. Ginger's and Bolts In the Bathtub. So here is a pic of another 10.25 yards that came home north with me and the other stuff I acquired. Sharon you must be special, cause I didn't get a fat quarter in my goodie bag from Kris like you did! Ok, so it's Saturday, and tomorrow is time for another stash report, I need to go accomplish something so that I will have more to report than my fabric gluttony! I such a rebel!