On a winning streak

Boy oh boy, I am going to run out and buy some lottery tickets. Saturday I went to the Gathering of quilters and I won one of their larger door prizes, no not the sewing machine but this wonderful tote bag filled with goodies. Here is the bag and some of the goodies. One of those Snap bags and I put it to use right away. I got the new camera right after Christmas and needed a bag for it. So this Snap bag is nice a padded and just the right size. It is now a camera case. The little card holder is Vera Bradley, Fresh Apple butter and a coffee mug, there were other things pen note pads and gosh a few other things.

The tote is nice and sturdy front pocket and has a zippered pocket in side. It is big enough I can carry a quilt in or all supplies for a class. Just pretty pleased with my winnings.










Then on Sunday my name was drawn for one of the winners of the Friday Night Sew In. Now I have to tell you I have never checked to see if I have won in the past for I never win anything. I wouldn't have checked this time but some wonderful people emailed me congratulations for winning FNSI. so of course I had to go check it out. And by George I did win.

I get a copy of this new book. Wahoo more patterns to drool over. Once again Thanks to Heidi and to Bobbi for hosting this. I do this Sew In quite often and it seems to help me get some things done. The book is authored by another blogger here.Check out Amanda Jean she has some really cool stuff on her blog. Be sure to go to Heidi and Bobbi's to sign up for the next FNSI. Thanks again to both ladies for hosting!!!! and to random.org for picking me!









Nope it's not done but one step closer. This is Friendship flowers and yesterday watching basketball I
finished appliqueing all the leaves on. This is an original pattern. Last NOV at a retreat that I attend we had a challenge we had swapped out some Navy fabrics and were given the split 9-patch block and the friendship star block. We had to use the navy's and the 2 blocks. We could add any other color we wanted and we could use the blocks as many times or as little times as we wanted. This is what  came up with.





As I look at this I see this block to the left yes that black and pink one. It has been hanging there for years. It is a BOM that was given to me by a secret sister years and years ago. I really ought to take it down and make it. I wonder how long it will stay there? Well I have laundry to do so I better get to it.

Friday Night Sew In

Last night was Friday Night Sew In and it started out slow. Hubby and I took the grand kids out to eat and then they came home with me for awhile. My little Savanah is going to do Mini 4-H this year and wants to sew so we sat and read the paper on her projects. I hope I have the patience for it. After they left I got to work on this baby quilt I call 'And one Flew South' this is for my great nephew Kevin. He lives in Joplin, Mo and is already a month old. I try to give to the niece and nephew's first born, can't keep up with any more than that! But I have to get my butt in gear or this one will graduate before I  get this done.

This is Margie's Big Splash and she wanted to tie this! TIE it on no. So I conned her into letting me quilt this, well then you know it had to live up to the 'you gotta have it quilted', I guess maybe she will comment on here if she liked it or not.






Well headed off to Northern Indiana Gathering of Quilters, so be back later.

Grilling time

Yep the grill is fired up and the T-Bones are on! It seems I got nothing done this winter, but I know I am ready for the change of seasons. Winter was mild but my mood was frozen! I have to climb out of the funk and get busy. So far this year I have had this virus twice, and neither time has it been fun. I am not one that normally gets sick but twice already this year!. Not a good sign of things to come. I did get Devons birthday quilt done for him, I can't believe he turned 13. It seems like just yesterday this little cutie came up to me and puthis little chin in his hands and asked me to be his grandma. Oh how special is that, he chose ME! He wasn't even two when my son started dating his mother and now all these years later he still has that special place in my heart as my oldest grandchild.

He  seemed to have liked it! Dragons and Flames is what he wanted and that is what he got. I had this top lying around for years now just waiting to do something with it. So this was the time. Add some more dragons and redo some of the blocks. This top in the most part was made by Darlene Krake for me in a bag challenge. I gave her lots of scraps to work with, which is not an easy task, then she had a death in her family. She was so worried that I didn't like the top, nope just waiting for the right time to give it out. I thought when the boys were younger but I am glad I saved it for he loved it. Thanks Darlene for all the hard work you put in on the top. As you can see by his smile he was happy!

Here is the Maple Leaf Fall Row by Row that I am doing. These leaves belong to Marti. Only 5 of us joined in so we are doing one row plus one block. So the second row is mine and the second leaf also.

This next Row by Row is Kathy's, she chose the Split star pattern and to do it in light and dark batiks! What a stunner this will be when finished.

This Row by row is Carols, she took her top outside the box. Instead of making a starter row she made all the weeping willows. Then as we made our rows we made 6 houses but some of us added our house to the top row and took one of her willows and put it to our row. I don't know sometimes these people make me think way to much. lol  So those are the ones I have done right now.

This is a top I have been wanting to make for years now. It is made with the X-block from quiltqueendesigns. Nope not affiliated with them but check em out. I love their pattens and the template. Maybe someday I will get it quilted. I hope by the 4th of July so I can have it outside on the porch.

This is Diana's, I know she made this for a wedding quilt and I want to say Wow, she must have been collecting those batiks for awhile!  And thent he time in piecing this baby! but what a wonderful quilt!

And here is Rose's. We did this as a group at a retreat. It used to be on the internet as a free pattern but since I didn't do it. (Yes I worked on UFO instead, and I didn't get the pattern thinking I would just look it up someday) I can't tell you the name of the pattern.  rose loved this easy to piece pattern and made a couple of them, I think! Red is her favorite color and so she is keeping this one for herself.

Well now that sort of catches you up on what I have been doing but not quite, I still have a few things to show you but I am still learning my new camera and I think I may have deleted a few but I still have to go and figure that out too. Sew bye for now