A Little Treasure

Today I received a little package from my 7 year old cousin, Paige.  (Okay, cousin once removed, but really who says all that all the time, and try explaining that to a 4 year old!)  She's adorable.  She loves to dance.  Miss P also loves to collect treasures.  In fact, the first day I met her (I think she was 4 then), she was finding special treasures to keep.   It was September and so the current treasure was fall leaves.  Miss P loves to collect little bits of "special" found in unexpected places.  When I visited last time, she showed me her rock collection.  So, of course, I sent her and her sister, Ashley, who also collects rocks and treasures, each a polished jasper stone, a black stone and an Australian coin. 

Although both told me thank you on the phone, after singing me "Happy Birthday", Paige also sent a note and a treasure for me to keep in return.

It says:  "Dear Shala thank you for the butfll pakig you sent me.  I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  You are the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is for you! "  (That's "beautiful package" for those who don't read 7-year-old.)  The arrows pointed to the right for me to turn it around where a small item wrapped in kleenex and plenty of tape was attached.  Inside was this piece of what looks like lampworked glass.

The piece of glass is clear with lovely blue striping inside.  A true treasure given to me by an even greater one!  Thanks Paige--I'll keep it forever!

DQS 9 Fabrics

Well, as you know, I was accepted into the Doll Quilt Swap 9 this year.  While I can't say anything about who the quilt will go to (top secret), I can show the quilt as I go.  So, here are my fabric choices after reading my partners blog (the whole thing), looking at her favorites and comments on other quilts, etc.

Left to Right:  Kona Solids Coal and Ash, 2 Cara Collection Gelatos

Pretty right?  The idea right now is a miniature double wedding ring quilt, but we'll see as we progress.  I'll begin cutting right after I finish up a couple of mini quilts for two other swaps.  Photos to be shown after they are received as those are swaps where partners are known, but results are secret until received.  July blocks coming up as fabric arrives.

Enjoy the sunshine everyone!

Mine, All Mine!

Today, after slaving away canning cherries (which I might add are delicious this year, but way overpriced), I got a package in the mail!  Wohoo!  It was my Swap Til You Drop (S.T.U.D.) package from quiltinkimmie (Kim Burley) who, awesomely enough, lives right here in Oregon too (the chorus to It's a Small World runs in the background).

Want to know what I got?  Of course you do.  Well, too bad.


Just kidding!  Here's a pic of the package:

She also included a package of delicious smelling herbal bath salts (I may just carry these around and sniff them randomly), notecards that say "cute as a" with an image of a button, and embroidery transfers of day of the week images with little turtles. 

The miniature quilt has a pieced border in vibrant floral fabrics--kind of like the enchanted world Alice finds herself in--and a hand embroidered scene from the story.  In this case, the tea party.  Kimmie didn't know it, but that was my favorite part of the story as a child.  How cool is that?

Check out her embroidery work!  She also quilted around the scene so that it really stands out on the quilt.

The colored portions were tinted using crayons (I'm pretty sure anyway) for just the right touch of color.  Here's a shot of the back, again vibrant flower fabric that fits right in with the enchanted world of Wonderland.

Lovely work Kimmie!  Thank you so much.

I'm dying to show you hers, but mum's the word until its finished and sent.  The other swap quilt should be arriving at its new home shortly so I can show you that one soon.

Kona Solids Giveaway!

Who doesn't want to add to their fabric stash?  And 22 fat quarters of Kona solids would definitely do the trick!  Well, head on over to my Doll Quilt Swap friend's site (Lily's Quilts) and leave a comment to be added into the drawing.  Hurry, the drawing is July 2, 2010--you don't want to be left out.

And while you're there, become a follower and enjoy a great blog from the UK.

A Great Week!

Well, this week has been full and eventful.  Here's the fun I had--in no particular order of awesome.
For starters, we finally had warm summer weather here in Oregon--and my golden potatoes are growing nicely!  I am so looking forward to finally being able to get in and garden after all this rain (not complaining about the rain, because it saves me from lugging the hose around, so that's a good thing--just need a few breaks so that I'm not out trying to dig in the mud).

Then, I got to go see my little cousin dance in her ballet recital--talk about adorable and precious! (And the grilled salmon sandwich at Red Robin with strawberry lemonade was pretty good too.)  Afterwards, I got to help tuck both little girls in and tell them stories and pretend that we were "really trying" to be quiet and not giggle.  Yeah right.  I'd keep 'em if their parents would let me.  :)

I've been having fun working on my S.T.U.D. (Swap Til You Drop) quilts--can't wait to post pictures for you to see!

I received a sweet little mini quilt from one of my S.T.U.D. partners (see earlier post).  Still admiring it with ohs and ahs.  I just can't get over how tiny some of the pieces are!

I found some great old quilting magazines and interesting stuff at the local thrift store.  Check out my haul of awesome:

I'd say more, but some of it has to do with swap goodies, so my lips are sealed.  I will however post photos and give information about items once they've been received and I can be sure of not spoiling the surprise.

A friend came down for her birthday and my sister and I made her a cut-out cake (I think her first one ever).  She likes to hunt mushrooms so it was a big mushroom!  (Okay, okay, we got a bit crazy with the sprinkles--but it's a cake after all!) 

Oh, and the little holes were where the candle were--which, by the way, she blew all out on the first try.  (Hmm, wonder what she wished for...)

Let's see, what else.  Oh, yeah...

I GOT INTO DQS9!!!!!!

Here's the calmer version:  I was selected to participate in the elite virtual doll quilt swap for the ninth round. 

Go me, go me!  Oh, you're wondering what it's all about? 

Well, besides being the swap to be in for doll quilts (and we're not talking things you wrap a five-year-old's toy in, we're talking mini works of art), it is also a group of really talented and fun ladies (and gents) who have secret swap partners who they send a lovely little quilt to (and usually some other goodies too) after working on them for a few months.

I just got the email letting me know who I will send to---sorry, can't tell--it's top secret!  (No, really, it is--you can be thrown out for blabbing!)  But I will give sneak peeks as I create.  I don't know who has my name so I can't tell you that either. 

Now is the part where I "cyberstalk" my victim partner for ideas about what he/she likes in order to gather inspiration for my creation!  (insert evil scientist laughter)  Basically, reading blogs, checking out Flickr favorites, etc. to find out who they really are and what they might like--honestly, no real criminal or psycho behavior will take place, promise!

This coming week, I've got fabric all over the place, three mini quilts to finish this month, dehydrating bananas to rotate, vegetables to plant in a garden that needs to be cleared and historic photos to restore!  But, Stars has been a good sport through all the busy craziness of the week--time for something special for the border collie.  (I wonder if he'd want some fat quarters...oh wait, that's me.)

Have a great week!

Something Delightful from the Post Office!

Look what arrived today!  My first ever swap package--awesome!  All the way from North Caronlina, this pretty envelope arrived from CaryQuilter filled with goodies and a sweet mini quilt!

CaryQuilter is my swap partner for the June Anything Goes category in the Swap Til You Drop (S.T.U.D.) group.  And she filled the envelope with sweetness.  Check it out!

Of course, the real treasure is the adorable mini quilt that she made!  Here it is (the photo doesn't do it justice--blame it on a dying camera!) with lovely burgandies, rose, cream, tan, black and gold.  She used the miniature decorative stitching for decoration and quilting.

Such a lovely itty bitty wonder!  Wow, can you imagine working with such tiny pieces?  The whole quilt is only 5.5" x 8.25" so about half a sheet of paper!  (And for those of you new to quilting, the blocks are in what's called a crazy quilt style.)  Here's a closer look at those tiny blocks.

And of course, the back is super cute too!  I just love the fabric she chose.

Pretty awesome!  I'm sure you're wondering what CaryQuilter gets from me--but I can't show you yet!  I have to keep it a surprise until she receives it from me.  But don't worry, it won't be too much longer!

Four and Twenty Blackbirds

No, it isn't the nursery rhyme.  It's a paper pieced quilt block!  This one has been sent on its way to the lovely quiltedoma (Andrea) of the Bee White Black quilting bee group.  She sent us lovely black, white and gray fabrics for her black and white quilt with the only instructions being to use the cat fabric and make whatever block we wished.
I debated between three different blocks, but I kept coming back to this one--it's just so cool in black and white!

This pattern was designed by Marcia Hohn of Quilter's Cache.  It's a free paper piecing (or foundation pieced) pattern called Four and Twenty Blackbirds.  (Tip:  When printing out the templates, check the sizing square to make sure it really is one inch!  On my computer two of the pages printed just fine as is, but the third one needed the right and left margins to be reduced to .45 to print out at exactly the correct size.)

Here is the result: 

I think it turned out rather well.  In fact, I may just have to make some up for myself!

1930's Wonky Stars

One of the quilting bees I admin over on Flickr is called Sew Buzzy.  Our first month is this June and AntiqueRoses (Kristin) has started us off with a request for wonky stars made in 1930's reproduction fabrics.  Each person in the bee was mailed some white Kona cotton and a mix of 1930's repro fabric in one color--I received purple.  Everyone was assigned either one 12.5 inch block or two 6.5 inch blocks.  We could make additional blocks with the extra fabric if we wanted.  (You might be wondering who'd do the extra work, but you should know that we quilters are not only very helpful but very enthusiastic about quilts--so yes, most actually would!)  I completed mine over the Memorial Day weekend and they are already on their way to their new home.

Here is my 12.5 inch wonky star block in 1930's purples:

There was just enough extra white for a little 6.5 inch wonky star--I couldn't resist!  (Isn't it a cutie.)