Row by row

Here it is finally - my row by row. Of course there is back story to this one. A bit more than a year ago my quilting group decided to do a round robin and a row by row swap. Since I had never done any of these before I decided to do the row by row. I figured on a row by row if I messed up terribly my row could just be left out. Whereas on the round robin if I messed up it was there and would have to stay.

So I did the row by row. I found some gorgeous Christmas fabric - poinsettias but in shades of pink, cream and sage green rather than the normal Christmas green and red and made up my row and sent it off. We had five or six people in each group although because of the way it was set up I did an extra row because I was sent one I wasn't supposed to get and I had done the row before I realized it.

The finished rows were due back to their owners by April 15 this year. All the rows for my project were done and it was sent to the last lady to do a row and then send it back to me. Unfortunately she won't send it back to me. She has acknowledged that she has it and she has promised more times than I can count to send it back but she still hasn't. I have offered numerous times to send her a postage paid envelope so she can send it back at my expense but she won't even reply to me.

Some of the lovely ladies on the group are such angels - they felt bad that everyone but me got their projects back - I should add that this same lady had three of the round robins way past their due date but she did eventually send them on. So anyhow these ladies made me some rows to replace the ones she never sent back.

I've had three of the rows for a couple of months - waiting because another lady was to make me one more row. About a week or so ago I decided the fourth lady apparently is not sending me the other row so I made some rows and finished it up myself. It's just the top and will need to go on the "to be quilted" pile but I'm rather happy with it.



Top row was done by Carol in Texas - the paper piecing queen of our quilting group. The second row - the trees - I did. The next row was done by Annie and uses blocks from a swap that we did a year ago (the one on the far left is one that I made), next is a pattern that I believe is called Crossroads. It's from Eleanor Burns UGRR book and is one that I made. Then is the row from Juanita from Australia and the last row is Maple Leaves that I made.

Huge thanks to Carol, Annie and Juanita for not only wanting me to have something out of this swap but for making it happen. I love you ladies.

Now on to other things (is there really anything other than quilting?).

We're finally finished with Ryan's room. He's coming home from college at the end of the semester to stay. He's decided to change his major and will need to go to another college. We were hoping he would finish out the year but he's decided to come home and work full time and start at a new college in the fall.

This is what his room looked like almost at the beginning - we had already stripped the wallpaper and removed the trim.



And this is the same section of the room finished.



Now to cleaning up the boxes and piles of stuff that we moved out of his room to do the work. Some of the stuff did find its way to the trash (of course it had to make its escape while he wasn't here lol). But most of it he's planning to stuff back in there somehow.

Well its time to hit the sewing room (aka my bedroom) and find something else to create.

Until next time, hugs and stitches. Jody

The "Dream" Quilt

You know I can't really remember when I discovered quilts. I think it was probably on a trip to Grandma Baker's house when I was a little girl. As far as I know other than her sister, my Great Aunt Mabel, no one else in the family quilted. Maybe it was on a trip to Lancaster. I can't remember when but I can remember being fascinated by the patterns, the colors and the fabrics. They all looked so complicated. Now I can look at the complicated ones and pick them apart and see they are really just a bunch of squares and half-square triangles, etc.

Anyhow I found a lot of patterns that I simply loved but there was one I like better than any of the rest of them. I wanted to learn to quilt to make one specific quilt. And then when I learned to quilt I learned that my favorite pattern was done in ~gasp~ applique! It seemed the end of the dream was in sight. Applique is not my friend.

Then one day, I was looking through a magazine and found my pattern done in paper piecing! Now paper piecing is not my friend either - but we are at least acquainted. But looking closely at the samples I realized it just wasn't the same. I needed to do this one by applique.

Over the past two or three years I have made modest attempts at machine applique. I'm feeling more comfortable with it. In fact I'm doing two round robins with online groups and each one I did machine applique on my center.

Last week I made a sample block and really got bit. It was time. I knew I was ready.

So here they are - the blocks of my "Dream" quilt. The quilt I have been wanting to make for more than 30 years. They are laid out as I will place them in the quilt but I am going to put sashing in between the rows.

"DREAMS DO COME TRUE"



So I thank God for giving me the chance to learn to quilt. And to make this special quilt. Good things are worth waiting for.

Till next time, hugs and stitches. Jody

It's been a while

but I have actually been productive. One of my biggest accomplishments was finishing my round on a round robin from my quilting group. Unfortunately I can't post a picture because these things are supposed to be surprises. But this one was very bright and simply gorgeous. After trying three or four things I decided it needed some simplicity. I hesitated with that because I didn't want it to seem like I didn't make an effort. But sometimes you have to do what the quilt needs - not what you'd like to do. I have another one coming in the mail right now. I've seen pictures of it and it is very, very bright. I have to do a pieced border so it should be fun.

I have finished a couple of things. The first is my Log Cabin Christmas Wreath. I wanted to add a pink velvet bow to it but I can't find anything around here but red and burgandy. So I found this gold poofy bow. I think it should be a bit larger but since it's not permanently attached I can always change it if I can find something better.



I also made my name tag for my quilting guild. When you join you need to make a Sunbonnet Sue name tag. Some of the ladies just have Sue and their name on it. Some put their pins from quilt shows. And most of them have their golden safety pins. For each completed project you bring for show and tell you get a golden safety pin. I have three things to take to the next meeting - if they count the name tag I'll have four. It's next Monday and I doubt I'll finish anything else before then.



On the home front - we're getting things ready to paint Ryan's room. He's made a change in his college plans. He wants to change his major and his current college doesn't offer what he wants. He'd like to do phys ed for elementary age kids. So he's talked to his adviser, taken some aptitude tests and decided to come home at the end of the semester and work full-time until next fall's semester.

He was coming home this past weekend and I told Rodger he should call his cell phone to see how much longer he would be - Timmy had fallen asleep on the couch and when Ryan's here he always carries Timmy to bed when he falls asleep on the couch. Oh those memories. Rodger carried him back. It's hard to believe my baby is so big.



Report cards came home yesterday. Joe and Timmy both made the honor roll. This is Timmy's first time because they don't do honor roll until 3rd grade. They both also got perfect attendance for the first marking period. Joe will have to miss at least one day this coming marking period because we have a doctor appointment with his endocrinologist in December.

Well it's time to get the boys up and moving and ready for school so until next time

Hugs and Stitches, Jody