Saturday's Smile!!

 

Saturday's Smile!!

Saturday's Smile!!

Saturday's Smile!!

 

First Alaska's Healing Hearts Quilt . . .

 is winging it's way to Alaska today!!

I finally decided on the label I wanted and got it on today and then boxed up and shipped out!!

And then I got the top done from the blocks we gathered from the gals at the Bandon Quilt Guild!!  

Now to pick a back for it and get it quilted!!  Janice is working on the third quilt.  She will get the rest of the blocks on Wednesday, December 2nd and get the top done lickity split.

We have all the supplies we need for quite a few more quilts but we are in need of postage funds.  I didn't realize how expensive it would be to send quilts up to Alaska.  The one today was $17.00 and that was with my commercial rate.

This a pretty exciting day!!

Saturday's Smile!!

Saturday's Smile!!

 

Happy Veterans' Day!!

First of all, thank you to all our military, both Veterans and active duty personnel for protecting this United States of America and all of us that live here!!  May we continue to be a healthy Republic for many years to come!!

I am excited to share our first finished quilt for the Alaska's Healing Hearts project!!  And how appropriate that we were able to get it finished today of all days!!

At our first Guild meeting this month, Janice picked the block that we are going to work on for the month of November and then at the first meeting in December we will give her all the blocks that were made through the month of November and then she will put the tops together.  Hopefully we will have enough blocks for at least two tops!!

Also, we have an almost finished top on the design wall using October's block ~

Right now we have enough of these blocks to make 2 quilt tops!!

I am so grateful for all the help I am receiving on this project that is so close to my heart!!  The quilt blocks, the fabric donations, the cash donations and all the Gofundme donations.  This is a dream come true to be able to help some of the Veterans and active duty personnel that so willingly gave their time and sometimes even their lives to protect us!!

If any of you would like to donate a bit to help with postage it would be wonderful!!  You can find the Gofundme HERE or on the side bar.  Anything would be so appreciated and we believe it is going to cost about $12.00 per quilt to send to Alaska!!  Please just share what is in your heart!! 

Finally, I always love to share this Youtube on Veterans' Day ~

Hopefully this will work - it did not when I posted it this afternoon, but then nothing on Youtube was working!!

Saturday's Smile!!

 

Saturday's Smile!!

 

Saturday's Smile!!

 

I Found A Project I Can Really Sink My Teeth Into . . .

While watching an episode of the TV show called Fixers on BYU TV, my heart was touched as I watched a group of loving folks who have created a national organization, Alaska’s Healing Hearts, offering year-round outdoor recreational opportunities for America’s brave wounded warriors and their families. Rehabilitation activities include fishing, skiing, rodeo, dog, and various other outdoor pursuits. They work to provide new and challenging options and experiences in an effort to contribute to social reintegration necessary for our nation’s heroes. They strive to reach beyond the clinical rehabilitation offered to injured military personnel and provide hope for warriors to continue to live active and productive lives. While watching the Pavilion with the fire pit being built I thought how wonderful it would be if I could make quilts for these Warriors to wrap themselves up in while they sit around the fire and discuss how they can reintegrate safely into their communities and homes. 

I have a ton of fabric like we all do and I thought, instead of waiting until I die to share my fabric with whomever Kelly or someone else decides needs it, I would share now!!  Above is my first block!!  Right now the brown around the edges is the floor but there is going to be white sashing with cornerstones!!

My Quilt Guild here in Bandon is going to help make some blocks and then I am going to quilt them on my longarm.  I started a Gofunfme page for the big items: Batting, 108" backings and POSTAGE and I was thrilled this morning to see some of the money donated already in my checking account without even having to ask for it!!  So, I ordered a roll of batting and 4 - 108" backings ~

Arn't they gorgeous??

Saturday's Smile!!

Benjamin Moore Color of the Year - 2021

Well, yay!!  The 2021 Color of the Year has been chosen by Benjamin Moore, so that means 2020 is almost over!!  

Drum roll . . . . . . Aegean Teal!!

I always love when Benjamin Moore reveals the new color!!  Sometimes I agree and sometimes I don't!!  I LOVE 2021.  Hopefully the quilt designers will incorporate the new color wildly in their new designs!!

Saturday's Smile!!

4-Patch Stack & Whack Blocks Done!!

My goal was to get all 28 blocks done by yesterday for our mid-month Quilt Guild meeting so I could put them up on the design wall and get the placement right before I starting sewing sashing on.  

As we were putting the blocks up the regular way, Susan said they would be gorgeous on point!!  And man, was she right!!

Also, while we were putting them up and changing them around we kept saying, this doesn't quite look right, this doesn't quite look right.  So today I Googled "setting blocks with sashing on point" and realized I can only use 25 of the blocks.  Which is good because after seeing them all up on the wall there are three that I could take out.

Now, these are 12 inch finished blocks.  Would you guys chime in and let me know how wide you think the sashing should be?  Is there a formula to use?  Does it depend on how big the quilt needs to be?  Is it personal preference?  HELP!!

Look forward to your suggestions!!

Saturday's Smile!!

Saturday's Smile!!

 

And Let Retirement Resume . . .

Ok, yay team!! My last day working for the government at the 2020 Census was Monday and now I am hoping to get caught up on my longarm quilting jobs and get some of my own projects completed!!

I went to Guild on Wednesday and Janice was working on a Stack and Whack.  It was gorgeous and so, of course I wanted to start one.  I know, I know, starting a new project is not completing an old one, but then once I start it, it'll need to be completed, right?  And in my defense, the fabric I am using is really old and was just crying out to become a magnificent Stack and Whack!!

This is the fabric ~

And I was hoping that I was going to be making the 8-sided Stack and Whack blocks like this one:

But, alas, I totally goofed up and I am only going to be able to make the 4-patch Stack and Whack!!  Dang!!

They will be pretty but not as spectacular as the 8-sided beauties!!  Here are a few that I have already completed!!

So, as I complete this UFO, I'll be on the look out for another piece of fabric in my stash that will produce the amazing 8-sided Stack and Whack that I am in search of!!

Who ever came up with this Stack and Whack idea was a design genius!!

Until next time, stay safe, enjoy life and God bless America!!

Saturday's Smile!!

Saturday's Smile!!

Happy Labor Day - A Little Bit of History . . .

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday.

Have a Safe, Fun Day!!

Saturday's Smile!!

Saturday's Smile!!

Saturday's Smile!!

Saturday's Smile!!

Slow Sunday Stitching!!

Yay, Yay!! I have to say that I am soooo proud of myself for completing February today!! Usually, I start these SALs and then poop out after a couple of days!! Yay me for getting all the way through February!!

And if you look down in the left bottom corner where my needle is - well, dang if I haven't already started March!! Woo! Hoo!!

I'm hooking up with Kathy over at Kathy's Quilts for her Slow Sunday Stitching hookup!1 Come see what everyone is working on!!

Saturday's Smile!!

This Time It's Not a Box . . . .

Instead it is the countertop where I do all my shipping for my Etsy shop. The corner was the perfect place to drop something off and then just leave it there for days and weeks on end.

So, here is how it looks after several hours of actually putting things away and not just moving them to another pile!! 

The wall is the outside shiplapped wall of the original house that was built in 1950, just a year younger than me.  I love it so much I have decided to just leave it in it's original condition.  

When we were tearing out walls months ago, this wall was covered with drywall and I cried out in glee when I found the shiplap!!

Now, the trick will be to keep this area clear!!

I am trying to figure out a name for my new box game and I am thinking I would like to call it "Operation  . . . . . "  I would love if you would leave a comment with a name suggestion using the word Operation and I will pick a winning name and then send you a thank you gift for your help!!

Saturday's Smile!!

A Late Saturday's Smile!!

And a Second Bin Bites the Dust . . .

Some of these bins have sooooo many little tiny scraps in them that I have been saving for years, thinking I would use them some how some day.

Well, I have come to the realization that those teenie tiny pieces are never going to turn into a quilt of any kind!!  So, I got together with me, myself and I and we made the executive decision to just throw those little pieces away.

Oh, my, it nearly broke my heart, but I put on my big girl panties and just did it!!  Here is proof ~

Now, all the fabric I am taking from the bins is being separated into groups for other projects!!

The pile above are narrow strings that will be used for my coiled bowls.

In this pile, the strings are wider so they will be used in my on-going  string block project ~

These are the 2-1/2 inch strips I have cut up for various projects!!

Yikes, as I am posting these pictures, I just realized that the bins I have been emptying are being replaced by new bins of fabric.  I think this is what my brother calls the moving of deck chairs on the Titanic.

I'd better get to work using some of these new bins of fabric!!  But not so much right now.  I am still working for the 2020 Census and this week we are up to full speed ahead!!  So, for the most part, the sewing will be in my head!!

Hope you are all enjoying life and staying safe and healthy!!