FREE PATTERN and SWAP GIFTS!

Hey thanks everyone for all your sweet comments about my Oh-Cherry-Oh table topper, you can get the free pattern on Moda Bake Shop, the pattern is called, CHERRIES and BLOSSOMS or click on the link on my blog "I was featured on the Moda Bake Shop. " Thanks so much Angela and Lissa!

Now for all the great gifts I received from Diane on our SPRING SWAP. Everyone was very generous. I opened this huge box, and everything was wrapped in lavender tissue or cute gift bags. The one that intrigued me the most was the round ball....."What could it be?"
One thing was this really CUTE PINK box of Hot Chocolate. PINK and CHOCOLATE!!! It snowed here last night, I had hot chocolate this morning!!!

The I opened another package and found spring colored FABRIC!!! HOORAY!

And then I happened onto not one, but TWO truffles! I have already eaten one, and oh my goodness, they are SOOOOOOOOOOOOO smooth!!!

I finally opened the round ball, and look what was inside! A little basket with sparkle eggs! A PINK basket and sparkles! Two more of my favorite things. I just kept smiling more and more with each package!

Then to top off all of that, I opened this little stack of condiment bowls in spring colors....I was smiling so BIG by now! I opened them up and set them out on my counter, they look so cute!

Then, I opened.......(I know you are thinking what I was thinking,) "How many more can there be?" There were these very pretty silky photo albums. I am putting my quilt pictures in one.

Then, I know, hold on...... the cutest thing, a file folder with a handle so you can carry it around where you need to go......like to quilt market in May!!

It is so FUN!!! And Aqua, which is just about my second favorite color....(after pink and red!)

And finally some really pretty file folders, (this is a bad photo,) the folders are a really pretty greenish color....WOW, I am not kidding, there was more presents than a person gets at Christmas!

Diane, you were really really generous! I LOVED EVERYTHING..... THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Thank you so much everyone for visiting my blog. You are all WONDERFUL!!!

NEW MOTTO!

Thank you everyone for your nice comments about my Oh Cherry Oh table topper, I am working on the pattern!

Jennifer Paganelli has a wonderful list of inspirational words to think about everyday. Check out her blog, Sis Boom Day Dreams. She offered a workshop at her house this past weekend, I wanted to go sooooooooooooo bad, but alas, I could not. Read about what they did. I have always loved to make collages, and I started a serious one of my own. This is a saying I found in a magazine recently and that is my NEW MOTTO. "Live with what you LOVE and get rid of the rest!" I think it applys to fabric as well. I am going through my fabric and giving to charity all the fabric I thought I loved when I bought it, but now I don't!!!! It will free up more space for more fabric!!
It is on the first page of my new collage book! ~ notice the PINK dresser~ hey cool, I just found this little squiggle thing on my computer~~

If you are in a creative slump, check out Jennifer's blog for inspiration. I have pasted a picture of the beach above my computer...(yes in the kitchen)....to inspire me not to be depressed about our weather.... I also put on my favorite music, VERY LOUD....(as I am from the hard rock era!) I love to listen to a softer CD called, Return to the Grand Canyon by Nicholas Gunn, but I do like to listen to it LOUD! What kinds of things do you do to get creative??????

p.s I am going to post my swap gifts next...you won't believe what I got!

OH CHERRY OH, OH, OH!

This is the table topper I made with my Charm Pack of OH, CHERRY OH from Moda by Me and My Sister Designs..you should feel it, it has such a nice texture!

How would you feel about a free pattern of this table topper? It is 36" x 36" and very easy! Let me know! :) Sheri

MAKING A BIAS BINDING TUTORIAL

Take any size fabric, if you are using 42"-44" wide press out the fold. 7/8 yard of 42"-44" wide will be enough for a queen size quilt (90 x 108.)

1. Lay out fabric wrong side up.

2. Take top right corner and fold down to meet front edge of fabric.

3. Now take the bottom right corner and fold toward back matching corner.

Like this.

4. Take right corner and put to same corner as before.

Like this.

5. You are folding the fabric back onto itself each time.

6. Fold the little tail that is left over toward fabric on to itself.

7. Cut 1/4" off the folds. You will not be using these.

8. Turn fabric carefully so the cut edge is on the left if you are right handed. Cut 2 1/2" strips. OR 2 1/4" strips whatever you prefer.

Like this.

When you open out the strips they will be separate pieces of bias. You will need to sew them together end to end. Like this.

Press the seams one way. Then press the entire strip in half length wise and now you have a bias strip for binding! IT IS SO GREAT FOR STRIPES!!! Sorry the photos are not that great....I have never really wanted a really good camera until I started blogging!

THIS IS WHAT ??? GETS!

These are the fabrics I bought for ???????? my swap partner! I hope she likes them! Of course she will get some chocolate! I must get busy and finish my gift so I can package it up and send it out this WEEK! Sorry we missed some of you for our swap, next time?

FABRIC-AHOLIC

LONG POST BEWARE!
Okay it is true that I am a fabric-aholic. It is hard to admit but it is true, although I do not buy it and store it, I buy it and use it...therefore I do not have a lot sitting on the shelf. Mostly the shelf has scraps that I just can't throw away!

It is because of people like me that the fabric companies are still in business and also because of pretty fabrics like this by Barbara Jones from Henry Glass called, BUBBLE GUM BASICS .(This is her blog, you will love it.) Barbara Jones is the lady who has the DARLING pattern company called, Quilt Soup. I know many of you have seen her patterns. Barbara is GIVING AWAY A WHOLE STACK OF FAT QUARTERS...WOW, I shouldn't tell you, but you should go check out her blog!!!

Today is the FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!! Even though the calender says that it is Spring, it is only mostly Spring here. My snow is almost gone! Because today is Spring, I am changing my flannel sheet to my regular sheets. I am changing my black purse for my spring green one! I am putting away the winter coats and getting out my spring jackets! I noticed the PINK tulips I planted last fall are starting to come up!

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I have to show you something funny! I have had my grandchildren for a few days. This SWEETIE asked if I had any "Dress up shoes?" I said, "No, sorry." A few minutes later she comes walking into the kitchen to show me her princess shoes....I laughed.....

Children are so ingenious!

Then I looked down at the doll in the stroller and laughed even harder...the dolly had on "princess shoes too!!

Okay, one last random thing....TV adds really do sell things. I bought and used these Crest Advanced White Strips. They really adhere nice, and really do work....just thought you'd like to know in case.....

HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!!!

SWEET or NOT...and a give away!!!

NOT!! It is official, none of the shops in my area ordered the Moda line SWEET. I will have to order it. Also, here is the real photo of these darling Sweet Treat Boxes. I hope your fabric shops ordered them...if not, do like me and get one from the Fat Quarter Shop. Order two, one to use, and one to look at! I think they are one of Moda's cutest things.Here is the darling Tisket block that I am drooling over by Sherri at A Quilting Life. I truly love these colors. Check out her blog, it is a very happy place...and I love your music Sherri! I am ordering my SWEET today! Praise the heavens above for the Internet...I don't even have to go out!

Check out Camille's blog, Simplify for a give away!!!

SWAP OFFICIALLY OVER....BEGIN SWAPPING!

THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO SIGNED UP FOR OUR SPRING SWAP! IT WILL SO FUN TO RECEIVE SOMETHING THAT FEELS LIKE SPRING. SO EVERYONE BEGIN SWAPPING!

Is anyone doing the Tisket-a tasket block of the month by Anne at Bunny Hill Designs? I have always been a numbers person, I think it would be fun to know how many are dong this....but after doing my first two....I don't like them, I love everyone else's...do you ever feel that way?


I had intended to use all scraps and not buy anymore fabric, but I am changing my mind, and I think I love that Sweet fabric from Moda by Urban Chicks. ......I used background fabric that I have had probably 10 years...but I don't like it either....so I am making an executive decision and go buy some sweet, SWEET fabric!!!

2004 Moda Challenge

I love a full moon at night. It always seems so friendly and makes me feel like I am not alone in the universe. It made me think of this little saying. I loved it so much that I put it on the quilt I made for the 2004 Moda quilt challenge. You had to use all 13 background prints, and anything else you wanted but the whole thing, front and back had to be Moda fabrics. Mine of course had miles of applique, (I can't help it,) and it was pretty....until my friend Wendy Morris-Anspach quilted it, then it was beautiful.

She even quilted Moda's name in the piece that already had it printed.
She does all free motion quilting, trust me, the quilting is truly magnificent.
The quilt won 1st place, I think because of the quilting!
Machine quilting is something I don't do. That is a totally different skill, and I have tried it a few times but it is not my cup of tea, I am SO glad other people do, and do it well. Thanks to all the machine quilters out there, you are GREAT!

BRAG!

Okay now a little bragging about my talented children.

My son Adam is a welder and has a welding business where he makes snow mobile trailers from scratch...it is a lot of work. He also has a vinyl sign business called Custom Graphix...he does very large, full coverage signs for very large trucks and vans and installs them, he is very talented. Adam also runs the shipping and receiving department of Heaven's Best, ( my husbands business.)

My daughter Holly is a photographer, she does a lot of wedding photos.....this is some of her work. She has a little photography business called, Holly Munns Photography and she does computer/payroll work for her dad part time from home and plays with her little son.
My daughter Natasha is a self taught knitter.......go figure, most people can't even knit after they learn. Natasha knits little tiny preemie baby burial gowns... this may sound sad, but it is so nice for people who loose a preemie baby to have something pretty to bury them in...she knitted this little elephant for me. Who knew you could knit an elephant? Natasha also edits her dad's business newsletters via computer.It has a little tail! I know everyone thinks their children are talented, SO DO I!!!

PILLOW

Here is it....a pillow, okay, almost a pillow...for someone who reads my blog, so I can't tell you who. But soon! I am telling you, this fabric was so cheerful and made all my winter days this week seem far away! Plus, when you are making something for someone else you think of that person and not your own life. Hope your week is a happy one. What has everyone else been doing that has made them happy? I played with my grandchildren and sewed, what could be better than that?