Happy Happy Bloggy Bloggy

Well, I had a tough go of it. I cut up all of the comments but it wasn't working, so I googled up a random number generator, but it was so fun I started playing with it and then I couldn't really use any of the numbers. I wanted everyone to win. My solution to this problemo was to call my friend Deb and have HER go to a random generator, you see I can trust her, don't trust me, but I trust her. Deb put the numbers in and gave it a go and BINGO the winning number! A number I can stick to.

25!!! Regina at Bitnbyaquiltingbug

Regina, send me your address and I will put it in the mail, which reminds me, Julia, I haven't forgotten you, your's will be mailed in the same group.

Thank you all so much for your awesome comments, I will try to respond to all of you, but it will take a little time. I still need to tell you about the wonderful weekend we had!! That will have to wait till tomorrow because this day is about to end, and I have an announcement needs to be made TODAY.

The Happy Happy Bloggy Bloggy is because it is my blogaversary tomorrow! One year ago I took the dive. What fun it has been, meeting all of you in this lovely place called blogland. I love seeing everyone's talent and creativity, not to mention that some of you are so funny you should be published! OOO and the pictures, I hope to attain just a tiny bit of what makes you all so awesome & original. I'm just sayin.....

I mentioned last week that I would be having two celebrations, and I also mentioned that the bag I made from this pattern designed by PKM would be making a special repeat appearance. Well, to celebrate my first year of blogging I would love to offer this bag with a couple of surprizes inside.

I won't make you jump through hoops, play games, nor make any guesses. This is not a test, just a give away. Comment any time to this post between now and Sat. nite and I will beg Deb to put the numbers in the generator again and make one stick! I'll post a winner Sunday morning (not too early, I'm a California girl!) Looking forward to another year of having fun with all of you.

xomar

So Happy Together>>>

LOL but oh so tired too. We had a fabo weekend, singing old tunes and rockin the hive. I'm so tired that I'm going to extend this little give away till tomorrow nite, I'm going to climb into the sack early and be fresh for work in the morning. Till tomorrow, xomar

A few things to talk about

I've been putting off this post. I wanted it to be an important one, it's the 100th! My blogaversary is next week also. I was going to combine the celebration, but it's taking too long and I already have things to show you and places to go. So what the heck, I'll just have 2 celebrations! One now and one later.

Last weekend, I managed to finish this little baby boy's quilt. I had purchased this fabric at a quilt shop close out with the intent to make 2 Yellow Brick Road quilts. I cut out both, but got one top made and didn't care for it. The fabric is cute, but I just don't think I like the YBR pattern. I like seeing a design when I look at a quilt. That is unless it's a fabulous scrap quilt, that's different, then there are so many fabrics to dazzle you, you don't need much else. Well anyway, I took the pieces of the top that wasn't finished and added the yellow stars and stripe border. The stripe border was left overs from the placemats I made my staff for Christmas last year! It worked out well, if I would have found that before I made the stars, I might have matched it a little better.

After that was finished, I had to get rid of that mini patch basket bug that I caught from Darlene, and Lorraine and all of the others. I made 3 for little prezzies. They are so much fun to make, I want to make more. I want to make myself one for my desk at work, to put note pads and staple puller and stuff like that.

The week's mail has been a lot of fun, socks are starting to

arrive and a most unexpected gift from my good friend Syl!!

Look at this pumpkin stack. Syl called it a big pumpkin pincushion! LOL, she is so sweet, what a lovely surprise. The best part of this gift was hearing her voice when I called to thank her! This lady is a dear and she makes some beautiful quilts, she just won some ribbons, I'm not surprized at all. We talked about her starting a blog. I think she might!!! Come on Syl, join the fun! Here is a picture of Syl and her quilt that we suprized her with at retreat last year!

So are you still here? Good, I've got a lot to be excited about, I'm packing and planning to leave tomorrow morning to go down the coast to a mini quilting retreat. I will drive down to Aromas and meet up with Holly, we'll trek on down further and meet up with Deb and Pam. I can't wait. I can't stop grinning, we are going to have some fun!! I'm so looking forward to this gettaway!

I was making a list of stuff while at work today, and the list went something like this...

Projects to Pack

Pincushions

Prairie Paisley

PIF's

Potatoe Bags

Other Items to Pack: Pillow

Phone charger

Prezzies

Do you see what I see? How does happen, why am I perpetually plagued by P's??? Well to celebrate my 100th post I thought it would be fitting to offer this perfectly precious 30's fat quarter packet to a random commenter. Yes, they are purple! I'm so sorry the pictures are blurry. They are cute, honest! and I'm not even gonna make you count the p's in this post! I'll pick a name when I get home on Sunday nite.

Hope your weekend is a fun one! xomar

So Tell Me, How Was Your Weekend?

On Saturday I spent the day quilting at my LQS with two very nice ladies, Jo & Di from my Wednesday nite group and of course Susie the shop owner joined us when she could. And then there are the shoppers that sit with us a spell. It's a small world. Both of these ladies (Jo & Di) happen to know my ex-mother-in-law and all were good friends with the family. We shared a lot memories, it was funny to think that we could have actually crossed paths before. We even gave her a call and she was thrilled. Now we are going to plan a little train ride together to visit her. It should be fun! I can imagine all three of us sitting, doing hand work and giggling through the whole trip. While we were there Jo started talking about Verna Mosquera's new pattern. We share a love of applique and Verna's stuff is so beautiful. I knew exactly what pattern she was referring to, Faded Glory! . (My good friend, Deb had called on a Friday while at the Long Beach Quilt show told me to go check it out at Verna's site.) Can we say ADORABLE! O yes we can!. Well Jo was telling me that she ordered the kit from InBetween Stitches. She mentioned that she always liked what they put together. I was sure that I would do this quilt, but I was thinking that maybe I would just pull fabrics myself. Well one by one everyone left and I was still trying to finish the potato bag and Susie tells me that Jo is on the phone and not to leave, she will be right down. OH Boy! What's up? Well Jo went home to find her kit from InBetween Stitches on her doorstep and wanted to show it to me! What an enabler she is and I just met her!!! I kept thinking about that kit all nite. Everytime I try to pull my own fabrics I end up with WAY too much!

The Faded Memories line that I used to make "Rabbits Prefer Chocolate"? Well, I made the bag using only left overs and look! I still have a bunch! I don't mind having it, but I have this problem with using it all up, gosh what happens if I need it for something else? See, if I don't have it in the first place then I won't miss it! But once I have it, I'm in trouble. So all nite I'm thinking about going to Livermore and buying a kit. I talked to Deb and she tells me... don't buy the pattern!! Ooops! My anxiousness spoiled Deb's surprise for me. But she certainly had that gift right!! I called my son and arranged to meet him for dinner decided to hit the road about 2pm. I spent the morning trying to free motion the baby quilt, but actually I spent the morning ripping out whatever I accomplished. I hate it when that happens.

When I got to the shop, I asked for the kits, they asked if I had one on hold, WHAT? NO! They told me the only ones they had were on hold. She opened a drawer and there were the kits and my name wasn't on one of them! DARN DARN DARN....Oh I should have called! Darn! Darn! Darn!, I was so upset! The whole drive over I was thinking that I should have just called and ordered it, with the price of gas, it might have been cheaper, but then I wouldn't have had an excuse to have dinner with my son. So I start looking around to see there was anything else to take my mind off of this I was so focused on getting this kit and was so distressed. There had to be something that would help me feel better. Well, there in a little basket were 3 little kits, only one had borders and they had no patterns left. Ok.. Hello store people! Lookie here!! this little tag says "Faded Glory"! If you don't know what you have, you shouldn't answer!!! So enough said, I bought that and then practically got kicked out of the store because they close at 3pm. But I got my kit!! they did their kits with a few different fabrics and the border are more of 30's look. I like it, and hope I can get to it soon. I just love seasonal quilts.

So at the end of this weekend I'm feeling pretty good, I sure don't want to go back to work tomorrow! I think I would make a very good retiree. That will have to wait.

On Saturday at the shop I finished the bag, here's another pic. It's all DONE! The little stitchery on the front is actually a days of the week tea towel pattern from Crabapple Hill. I just reduced the image and took the day of the week tag off.

Ok, so if you're still with me, you saw that I mentioned a potato bag, well, I'm starting on Christmas gifts for my staff. Right now I have 19. I'm going to make these potato bags and put a grocery gift card inside. I found this perfect fabric at the Fat Quarter shop on clearance. Perfect! This is the first one, I just wanted to see how they went together. If you have any suggestions for a cute wrapping please let me know. Oh wait, maybe I can find some mini brown paper grocery bags! LOL , ok, so have a great week! xomar

Yes, We Have A Winner

And a young one! LOL, Julia was the first to guess "We Can Work It Out". Great detective work Julia! Send me your info and I'll send you a little surprise. I had a giggle at the other guesses, Help! and Hard Days Night would also be appropriate! The more I listen to this song, the more I can see how it fits my quilting. I think this will now be my quilting anthem! Try to see it my way, Do i have to keep on talking till i can't go on? While you see it your way, Run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone.We can work it out,We can work it out. Think of what you're saying. You can get it wrong and still you think that it's alright. Think of what i'm saying,We can work it out and get it straight, or say good night.We can work it out,We can work it out.Life is very short, and there's no time For fussing and fighting, my friend. I have always thought that it's a crime, So i will ask you once again.Try to see it my way,Only time will tell if i am right or i am wrong.While you see it your wayThere's a chance that we may fall apart before too long.We can work it out,We can work it out. Life is very short, and there's no time For fussing and fighting, my friend. I have always thought that it's a crime,So i will ask you once again.Try to see it my way,Only time will tell if i am right or i am wrong.While you see it your wayThere's a chance that we may fall apart before too long.We can work it out, We can work it out. While I was surfing around in You Tube I came across this video of a roof top concert. What fun, hope you enjoy it as much as I did, there are 3 parts. xomar who is still gaga over the Beatles!

Name That Tune

Remember this little wall hanging that Darlene sent me last year? We'll I'll tell ya, I don't listen to music while I quilt, but songs sure pop up in my head and they are usually songs that are of my heart and soul. I'm a child of the 60's and there was some great music during that time. After I show you this picture you will understand why I don't do tutorials. OUCH!, why do I do this? Feel free to use this picture of what NOT to do in tutorial if you like. It's certainly the consequences of borders gone bad or is this a bias based booboo? What ever it is, a little song popped into my mind as I was pin basting this little guy. Can you guess what song it is? I can't get it out of my head now! I'll send a little something to the first correct guess! now back to quilting...xomar

hmmm need a clue or two? The song was written & recorded by the Fab 4 who launched the British Invasion. I was so gaga over this band! My parents thought that they were raising a groupie! The song was recorded in 1965.

Lesson Learned... Again

How many times do I have learn the hard way? A couple of weeks ago while at Beverly's Fabric store, I stopped in to take a peek at the consignment shop next door. On the shelf I found an elf planter. I had it in my hand and put it back. Last week I went back to buy it. It was gone, that was what led me to the Peddler's Fair last Sat. I thought for sure I would get my elf fix. Nope, no luck there either. This is the second time this happened to me at this consignment shop. The last time it was a hutch that would have been perfect for my kitchen. Lesson learned again? buy it when you see it, it will not be there when you return. I'm tired of telling myself that if it isn't there it isn't meant to be.

So about collections, I have a few; tins, elfs, pincushions, other sewing odds and ends. The elf collections started with the little burgundy guy and the little green guy on the tin in the picture on the left below. They were my grandmother's. All of the others have been given to me by friends.

When my maternal grandmother passed, I was asked by my Aunt to help clean her house. She had a few things that I carted home.My grandfather was in the Seabees and brought home a few trinkets.The bowl in the background above, the little coffee puzzle and a coffee pot or two. There were a few pre WWII pieces, cups and saucers, and these adorable little musical pigs. But I have to say that the most unique trinket I found there was this little lady. I've never come across another, there are 4 of the little cups that are next to her, they are the size of a thimble and hang off little hooks on the back of the sofa. Hope you don't mind the x-rated post, LOL.

Ok, so back to the peddlers fair, I have two pictures that I took that I would like to share. Since the booths were all packing up, I went into a couple of antique shops that were still open. The shop where I took this picture had great displays, very artistically arranged. With so many items of odd ranges a shop can look very messy. I took this picture of the shop owners display of Bakelite. So much color contained in one space. Check out the cherry necklace. I love looking at this stuff, but the only jewelry I wear are earrings. So I don't buy, just look. That is the shop owner in the picture, oops.

The other picture is in the same shop, what a find, I have to remember this. I didn't realize I had such a great source for buttons so close! This whole cabinet is full of sorted buttons!!

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm on vacation this week. You would think I would be getting a lot done... NOT! I've been putzing and putzing and not accomplishing much. There are two bloggers that will remain nameless that have been checking on me, I'm starting to feel bad, I don't have anything to report. Hanging my head in shame for my slothfulness. I did manage to get my swap bag just about finished, all it needs is the handle and the lining. I also have a baby quilt just about finished. I will be quilting it tomorrow and show you when I'm done.

I really need to finish all of this stuff so I can start the PINCUSHIONS for the AAQ Retreat. Later...xoxomar