This Has Been a Tough Week . . .

but I finally went to the doctor today and he thinks I either have bronchitis or sinusitis.  So, now on to getting better!!

The day before I got sick last week I went to lunch with Janet O. from The Rogue Quilter and she brought me a present!!  Was I ever surprised!!  A couple of months ago she had been over to my house looking for a varigated thread to do some free motion quilting on a little quilt she had just finished.  Well, I gushed about how much I loved it and look what was inside the bag ~

Oh, my gosh!!  Now those of you that know Janet, know she is more of a dark and dirty kinda gal when it come to her quilt colors.  And I am a bright and never dirty kinda gal - so it was such a perfect present!!

 Here is a peek at some of the gorgeous quilting she did with the thread she picked out.

And the cute, cute label she added to the back!!  Thanks, Janet, I LOVE it!!

The one thing I did get finished and in the mail this past week was my May Doll Quilt Swap quilt to Sher.  These little quilts take me so much time as I am sure you all know and so I have decided that this May quilt is my last one in this swap.  I hope Sher enjoys it as much as I enjoyed making it for her.

I am hoping that the rest of this week and next will have more quilting time!!  I hate being sick and I just do not do it very well!!

Happy Memorial Day!!

These are the little cemetery pots I made from my garden to put on the graves of my maternal Grandmother and Grandfather (Nana and Gramps) in the Brigham City Cemetery.  It has been many years since I lived near a cemetery where relatives are buried and I am really looking forward to visiting!!

Because my parents are buried down at the Riverside National Cemetery in Southern California, over 700 miles from here, I am honoring them with my Grandparents in Brigham City.

I also want to honor all of the brave men and women from all the Wars and skirmishes and battles who lost their lives or were severely wounded in order to protect this great country!!  And I want to especially thank my brother, Greg Young, for his service during the Vietnam War.  Greg was exposed to Agent Orange while over there and for the past decade has lived with the ramifications of that nasty poison.  But what I love most about Greg is that he NEVER complains!!  I love you, Greg!!

And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; 

that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow

beings ye are only in the service of your God.

Mosiah 2:17

Saturday's Smile

I have been absent all week as I have been sick and have nothing to show :-(( except this!!

Saturday's Smile!!

For my friend, Tag!!  :-)

Busy, Busy Week!!

Oh, wow, this has been such a busy week but I got a lot done!!

I finally got all 36 of Lynne's blocks done and in the mail!!  That was the biggest quilting project of my quilting career and I am thinking it might be the last huge project like that as it was so stressful to get it finished!!  Gratefully, Lynne was so nice about the job taking so long!!

Next, we got a real good start on my friend Chris's son and his new bride's wedding gift.  Chris does not sew but she is a dang good pinner!!

Then, I got all the 9-patches done for the baby shower gift.  When Shannon told me she wanted blue, brown and green, I said what??????  Yuk!!  But look what we found and it is going to be darling for her daughter that is coming into the world the end of June!!

And finally, I just about got Pat's April Doll Quilt done but then I decided I wanted to put sprinkles on the cupcakes, so I am keeping it until tomorrow and then off in the mail it goes!!

Now it is bedtime and I think I am going to sleep like a baby tonight!!

Saturday's Smile

Working on My April Doll Quilt

and the theme for April is Birthday.  My partner asked for a table runner for all the birthdays she has coming up this summer, so here is what I have at this point ~

Loving it so far!!

Birthday Present on Its Way . . .

to my "Dear Jane" Secret Pal!!  Woo!  Hoo!!  And it should actually get there on time - May 9!!  And today is my Mom's birthday - she would have been 95 years old!!  Happy birthday, Mom!!

This picture is sorta blurry - sorry, but the package is already in the mail so I can't get another.  It measures about 25" x 25" and so hope fully my Secret Pal will use it for a table topper and put her birthday cake on it!!

And look at the cute label I sewed into the binding.  It is cotton twill and comes by the yard from Lilla Lotta Handmade Goodness.  What a fun touch!!

P.S.  And check out the snow drops as you move your mouse around the blog - especially fun on the lavender sides!!  :-)

Saturday's Smile!!

March Doll Quilt for Mary

Ok, so I am a little late on this one and I guess the April doll quilt is late too, but I am hoping that Mary has received her quilt and that she enjoys it as much as I enjoyed making it for her!!

This is one that I tried the HSTs by sewing all the way around the sandwiched blocks and then cutting the block in 4ths.  I have always had an aversion to HSTs because everyone has always said they were so difficult.  So, when I saw this technique, I thought I would give my first ones a try.

I used some vintage Barbara Brackman Morris and Company fabrics and then got a chance to use my new sit-down long arm, Fred.  Actually, her full name is Fredericka II but Janet O. from Roque Quilter and I just call her Fred.  Janet is Fred's Godmother because if it weren't for Janet, Fred would not be living downstairs in the Studio.

Oh, boy, do I love this little baby!!  Now, it is just practice, practice, practice!!

And here you can see some of my quilting, it's still just meandering, but it is so much more fun on Fred than on my old machine!!