Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Can I get a Whoop-Whoop?? No finish for me...

2012-02-10T00:01:00.001-06:00

Hi, all!

OK, I confess - I've been a total slacker this week! Oh, well, maybe not a total slacker, but I don't have any finishes since the ones I posted on Wednesday's Sweatshop update. Some things are in process, but no finishes. And instead of finishing something today, I spent time with ......

...... Miss Lilli, who wanted to play in the playground at Chick-Fil-A, and have an ice cream cone and some waffle fries! It was definitely worth not finishing something - we had a wonderful time!!

And here's a reminder - the linky party for the Scrappy Block Challenge will be open until Saturday night at midnight, so you still have time to pull together a block and enter! There are some great prizes - you can check out the guidelines and the available loot here - and I hope you'll join in if you haven't already, or just check out the wonderful blocks that people have already linked up!!

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So now it's your turn!

What have you been working on this week?

Please show us!

We want to cheer you on!!

The linky party stays open until Saturday night,

so there's lots of time to join in.

Get your whoop whoop on!!

Hugs!

Sarah

What's Cookin' at The Sweatshop, Week #20 - Link Up Your Scrappy Blocks!

2012-02-08T10:59:00.000-06:00

Hi, all!

Well, it's been two weeks - have you got a scrappy block to link up? I'm so excited to see what you've come up with! I tried to find time this week to play with some designs, and while I've got some in my head, I haven't had a chance to put them to thread and needle....

But here's what we've been working on at the Sweatshop in the meantime - - -

This beautiful quilt top, which was donated by Deb, (who doesn't have a blog), is going to find a home with a couple who recently lost both of their twin newborn babies. Because it is much larger than the quilts we usually make, Diane agreed to quilt it on her long arm machine. She did a fabulous job...

...look at that beautiful quilting! Diane took so much time to make this a really special quilt. And here's one last shot...

....just because it's pretty!

This quilt...

...is being delivered today to a man who is undergoing triple bypass surgery this afternoon. Diane pieced and quilted this very manly quilt...

And Cindy pieced this beautiful top and back, which I managed to get quilted yesterday...

And quite a few of the ladies who took kits last Wednesday brought me their finished tops, so I've got this lovely stack to quilt...

Looks like it's going to be a busy spring!!

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But now it's time for the scrappy block challenge!!

If you didn't see the post two weeks ago, I challenged my readers to create a block using the system in Joan Ford's book,

Cut The Scraps!

You can read more about the challenge here.....

And today is the day to link up your blocks!

I can't wait to see what you have all created!!

And don't forget, there are prizes!!

A copy of the book...

and three great prize packs

donated by Shannon at FabricsNQuilts!

You have until Saturday at midnight to link up

your blogpost, and I'll draw the winners Sunday and

announce them in my Monday blogpost.

(I'll also send each of you an e-mail,

provided I have an address for you!)

So post your link, and be sure to check out

everyone's entries! There are some

great ideas out there!!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday #81!

2012-02-06T20:08:00.000-06:00

Hi, all!

I'm not sure where last week went - it seems like I didn't get a whole lot done! But I got to play with my granddaughter a good bit, so I think that's a fair trade-off......

Here's how I did on last week's list....

1. Finish hand-stitching the bindings on

two of the quilts from last week.

Done! I finished these three quilts...

2. Add borders to a donated pieced top for a ministry quilt.

3. Quilt that finished top.

Not done.... I ended up putting together kits for ministry

members in the time I would have done this....

4. Make another chevron quilt for the quilt ministry.

Done! Well, at least the top is done. I'm waiting for

a signature piece to be finished for the back...

5. Find that chair!!

Still not done, although I did cut down some of the

fabric scraps that are cluttering up that chair!

I also put binding on a beautiful quilt that Diane quilted for the ministry - I'll be showing pictures of it on Wednesday.

So what's on tap for this week?

1. Quilt the pink and orange ministry quilt.

2. Quilt the skateboard ministry quilt.

3. Bind the friendship star ministry quilt.

4. Make up more kits.

5. Clean up the house for Sewing Sisters Saturday!

That may be more than I can get to this week, but it's worth a try. I've got Lilli a bit more than usual this week, plus I've started a workout class run by a friend of mine from church - hopefully it will start to energize me rather than wear me out! It's fun, anyway, and certainly something I need to do - so wish me luck!

And here's a reminder - please join us in the scrappy block challenge (you can read about it here!) Blocks are due this Wednesday - and there are prizes! Put pencil to paper and see what you can come up with, then link up on Wednesday!

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I get a Whoop-Whoop?? Everyone needs a little chocolate....

2012-02-03T00:01:00.000-06:00

Hi, all!

Friday rolls around again - and it feels like spring here in Middle Tennessee! The sun is shining, the daffodils are blooming, and it's absolutely gorgeous outside! I don't know how long it will last, but it sure is fun while it's here! It makes me happy when the weather's pretty - how about you?

I'm going to share an in-progress quilt today - I managed to get the top pieced this morning, and hope to get it quilted before the end of the weekend. We had a request for a brown and teal quilt, more modern than traditional...

...so I thought I'd use the chevron quilt design by Crazy Quilt Mom again. It's such a wonderful quilt design - easy and quick!

And as you can see I had my little photography assistant back today - and she had an umbrella! Of course, it's an absolute necessity on a pretty sunny spring day!

So that's what I've been working on this week -

how about you?

Link up and show off your projects!

And don't forget to share the love

and check out everyone's links!!

Whoop whoop!!!

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And just a reminder - there's still time to participate in the scrap block challenge (you can read about it here) and be in the running for some great giveaway items!!

Hugs!

Sarah

What's Cookin' at The Sweatshop, Week #19 - A Busy Week!!

2012-02-01T21:11:00.001-06:00

Hi, all!

Once again, another busy week at the Sweatshop!! It really felt like one tonight at church - I think we had 12-14 ladies crammed in one classroom sewing! It's so good when we get together, though - we have a great time! We've got lots of new ladies on Wednesday nights, too - and they keep coming back! Woohoo!!

Here are the quilts we delivered this week...

This pretty quilt, made by ministry member Robin, was given to an elderly woman with COPD and heart issues. Here's a shot of the back...

Robin's a new quilter, but she's definitely got a knack for it!

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This pretty quilt, made from donated blocks sent by Terri of QuiltNCards, has found a new home with a young man recently diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma. Joanna made the beautiful back of this quilt...

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Here's a finished shot of the Funky Geese quilt - it was delivered to a 14-year old boy undergoing treatment for lymphoma. His mom says it arrived at just the right time! Here's a shot of the back...

Believe me when I say that purple, lime green and red is an odd combination of colors - but thankfully his mom said it is perfect!

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Aren't the colors in this wonderful? Ministry member Kathy and her daughter Anna worked on this one for a 17-year old girl in our church youth group who had to have surgery for a large brain tumor today. And here's the back - with a little extra punch from the sun!

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This beauty was pieced by ministry member Joanna, and went to an older woman recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. It's another 1600 quilt - such a simple design, but always beautiful!!

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So those are the quilts that were delivered this week. We've got six more identified needs that we're working on, two more I think will be added to the list this week, and I handed out ten quilt kits tonight for the ladies to work on! I'm so thankful for the many many willing hands that work with this ministry!!

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And now, a reminder of the scrappy block challenge that's going on right now. You can read about it here - and there's still time to pull a block design together before the linky party on Wednesday, February 8th!! I hope you'll join in - there are prizes!!!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday #80! A Quilting Fool....

2012-01-30T17:01:00.000-06:00

Hi, all!

Well, it's Monday, the sun is shining, and the Internet is cooperating! Woohoo!!! I had a good week last week - so much quilting that my husband called me a quilting fool!! But that's ok - I can think of worse things to be called!

So here's how I did on last week's list....

1. Finish piecing the flying geese top.

Done! And not only pieced, but quilted! Here's a sneak peek - I'll show the finished version on Wednesday in the ministry update...

2. Quilt at least two more quilts for the ministry.

Done! These three were quilted this week,

and one was completely finished and delivered...

3. Cut down more scraps.

I did a little bit on this, but not nearly enough!

4. Try to dig through and store the fabric in piles in my studio! (Find the chair again!!)

This is the view from my sofa seat - I think I see

the chair under there, but it's still buried!!

I think we can call this a fail.... ;-)

So that's how I did last week. Not perfect, but pretty good considering how many quilt requests came in! Here's my plan for this week...

1. Finish hand-stitching the bindings on

two of the quilts from last week.

2. Add borders to a donated pieced top for a ministry quilt.

3. Quilt that finished top.

4. Make another chevron quilt for the quilt ministry.

5. Find that chair!!

I think that's enough to keep me busy for the week!!

And now, I've got something I hope you'll put on your to-do list for the week! I hope you saw my post last Wednesday (but if not, you can see it here) and will join in a scrappy block challenge! Just one block - quick and easy - to be finished and posted at a linky party on February 8th! You can see all the guidelines on the post linked above, and I hope you'll join in! There are GIVEAWAYS!! Woohoo!!

So tell me - what are you working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I get a Whoop-Whoop?? Funky Geese!

2012-01-27T00:01:00.001-06:00

Hi, all!

It's finally Friday! I hope you've had a great week - I feel like I got a lot accomplished this week, even though I've only got one near-finish to show off today.....

This quilt is being made for a young man, 14 years old, who was diagnosed with lymphoma recently. His colors of choice? Red, purple and lime green!! So here's what I came up with....

Sorry about the picture - it rained here all day long!

The red and purple piece behind the grey top is the backing - but it looks pretty interesting as a border! I'm hoping to get this quilt on the frame and quilted tomorrow, although I'm still trying to decide exactly how to quilt it. I'd like to have it ready to deliver by Monday. I'm thinking about binding it in a semi-scrappy binding - strips of Kona Coal interspersed with scraps of the lime, red, and purple fabrics. What do you think?

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So that's my accomplishment for the week...

What have you been working on?

As you can see, it doesn't have to be a finish...

So write a post and link up!

(If you don't have a blog, you can link to a pic in Flickr)

We can't wait to cheer you on!!

Hugs!

Sarah

PS If you don't already know about it, check out this post which talks about my scrappy block challenge - there are prizes!! Join in!

What's Cookin' at The Sweatshop, Week #18 - Lots of Quilts and a Challenge/Giveaway!!

2012-01-25T12:06:00.001-06:00

Hi, all!

Well, we're finally off to the races at the Sweatshop this year! We've finished six quilts and have a bunch more in the works - but before I show them to you, I'd like to extend a challenge to you!!

You may recall my blogpost where I talked about this great book that I got for Christmas...

Cut The Scraps!, written by Joan Ford and published by The Taunton Press, is the most useful book I've found for organizing and using your scraps. She recommends cutting your scraps into 5", 3.5", and 2" squares, and then provides about 20 patterns that use those sizes. Most of the patterns are quilts, but there are a few bags, table runners and other things in the patterns too.

One of my commenters asked if I was going to do a scrappy challenge, and the thought kind of stuck in my head. There are lots of scrappy quilt challenges going on right now, though, and if you're like me, you don't have time to enter all of them, unfortunately... So I thought it might be fun to have a scrappy block challenge! Short and sweet, no long term commitment.

So my challenge is this - using the three sizes in Cut The Scraps!, create a block! Here are the guidelines:

1. You can cut the squares down from the designated sizes,

but you can't use any larger.

2. You can add solids if you want.

3. Finished blocks can be any size.

4. We'd like your permission to use your block

creation in quilts for the quilt ministry

in the future.
5. And for you overachievers out there,
yes you can enter more than one block!

There will be a linky party on Wednesday, February 8th to show off your finished blocks (that's two weeks - is it enough time? If not, let me know - if enough people need more time, I'll push back the linky party date!) Each block you link up will become an entry in the giveaway - plus if you promote the giveaway on your blog, you'll get an extra entry - just leave me a comment on this post to let me know you've done it!

And did I mention prizes? When I thought about this challenge, I decided it would be great to be able to give away a copy of the book - so I wrote The Taunton Press and asked them if they would donate a copy. And guess what showed up in my mail yesterday?

That's right - a copy of the book for one of you!!

And Shannon from Fabrics N Quilts is donating three prize packages just like this one:

Check that out - a Moda charm pack, a pattern, and a spool of Aurifil thread! Woohoo!! So we'll have four giveaway winners for this challenge......

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And now, it's time for an update on the quilts we made this week!

First up is this cute charm quilt, made by quilt ministry member Debora. It went to a 3-year old boy in Florida who has a tumor in his eye, and had to have his eye removed.

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Next is this gorgeous postage stamp quilt, pieced by Sharon and finished here in Nashville. This quilt is going to a gentleman in Arkansas suffering from cancer.

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Here's another quilt pieced by Debora - the pattern is Bricks and Blocks and she highly recommends it as an easy quilt! This one is going to an older gentleman who is dealing with the end stages of cancer.

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And oh, this beauty! How I wish I had Sharon's piecing skills.... This one is going to a member of our church who is suffering from multiple serious health issues.

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This pretty quilt uses some scraps that one of you lovely readers sent me after I commented on how cute her quilt was - they've been sitting here waiting for just the right home for a while! When Deborah (yes, another one - we have about five in the group!) spotted them, she wanted to use them in a quilt, so we came up with this design (I saw a similar quilt out there in blogland, but can't remember where - sorry I can't attribute!) and she put it together! I love the whirligigs and bow ties.... And check out the back!

This quilt is going to a woman who just found out that her cancer prognosis depends on how aggressive she's willing to be in her treatment. We hope this quilt gives her comfort and courage for the days ahead!

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And this quilt, also pieced by Sharon, is going to a gentleman with cancer of the bladder, liver and bones. I love the bow ties on this quilt!

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We've also had some great donations in the last few weeks - one of which are these two dies for the AccuQuilt GO! Cutter...

I can't wait to use these - they look like fun, don't they?

And I processed a huge fabric donation that came from the lovely Carmen, who I don't think has a blog of her own - here's just a sampling of the beautiful fabrics she sent...

Look at all those beautiful batiks!! I can't wait to plan a quilt around these...

And here's another piece that came in just the nick of time (or in God's time - which is probably truer!) I had a quilt back that needed to be about 10 inches larger, but couldn't find just the right piece of fabric to enlarge it in the stash. I set it to one side and opened up the boxes from Carmen - and found the piece on the left side of this picture!

The color is perfect, the words on it are comforting - it's perfect! And just the right amount to finish off the back of this quilt!

So that's what we've finished this week. We've got six more quilts in the works right now - lots going on at the Sweatshop! And always scraps to cut up - so I don't think we'll be getting bored any time soon.... And we found out this week that we will be getting permanent space for the Sweatshop at church, where we can store all our fabric and keep our sewing machines up all the time!! Woohoo!! Of course, that's probably some months in the future, as they need to shift around all kinds of things (we're just part of a major reworking of our space at church) but it's coming! I'll keep you updated as things move along - - - I'm excited!!

Thanks to all of you who participate in this ministry - whether you sew, donate, cut, pray, find us space to work, or just cheer us on!! We couldn't do it without you!!

Hugs!

Sarah

PS If you're planning on participating in the Scrap Block Challenge, I'd love to know! Let me know in a comment.... ;-)

Make-A-List Monday #79! It's only Tuesday because of the storms...

2012-01-24T09:31:00.001-06:00

Hi, all!

Well, Monday morning came - and I was ready to do a blogpost - but my internet wasn't! I think the storms on Sunday night really did a number on my ISP's system... I waited all day for it to come back up, and I'd get it for about thirty seconds, then it would pop back out again. So - - - thank heavens for Panera and free Wi-Fi!!

With my hot chocolate in hand and a speedy internet connection, I'm ready to confess how I did on last week's list and share the list for this week! Here's the rundown on last week...

1. Quilt the five quilts needed for the ministry.

Done! I not only got five of them quilted, all are bound

and one has been delivered! I'll show pics of all five

finished in tomorrow's Sweatshop post, but here's a recap

of what I worked on...

2. Piece the flying geese top.

Partially done. I've got about half the flying geese pieced,

and I'm working on squaring them up. Hopefully I'll

get this top finished today!

3. Put together kits for quilt ministry members.

Done! I put together seven kits before last Wednesday

night's meeting so that new members would

have a project to work on. Sorry I don't have a

pic, but I forgot to take one before coming to Panera!

So that was last week. Not too bad! I wish I'd gotten the piecing done, but I'm really glad I finished up those five quilts - they've already got homes waiting for them so I can deliver them all this week. Here's the list for this week...

1. Finish piecing the flying geese top.

2. Quilt at least two more quilts for the ministry.

3. Cut down more scraps.

4. Try to dig through and store the fabric in piles in my studio! (Find the chair again!!)

Well, I should be able to get through that, and maybe a little more! Here's hoping, anyway! My quilting time's a little limited this week because I'm picking up Lilli after school all week so I just have to get going a bit earlier to get everything done!

And because this post is a little picture-poor, here's a shot I took of Lillibug yesterday - can you tell she really didn't want her picture taken?

And be sure to tune in tomorrow for the Sweatshop update -

I've got a challenge for you, with prizes!!

I'm really excited about this and hope you will be too!

So - - - what are you working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

PS - If you commented in the last few days and I haven't responded, it's not because I don't want to - I haven't been able to get on the Internet long enough to respond to my emails and they are stacking up! But I hope to get back to all of you soon..... Hugs!

Can I get a Whoop-Whoop?? Making Progress....

2012-01-20T00:01:00.002-06:00

Hi, all!

Can you believe it's Friday again already? Seems like this week has just flown by! But I've made some serious progress on a bunch of projects.... No finishes, but progress! So here's what I've been working on this week...

This pretty quilt was pieced by quilt ministry member Debora, and this week I quilted it and prepared the binding...

...and I also quilted this beauty, pieced by Sharon, and prepared the binding for it....

....quilted this great postage stamp quilt (again pieced by Sharon) and prepared the binding for it (I'm so glad ministry member Pam took it home to bind!)...

...and Sharon also pieced this scrappy bow tie quilt, which I quilted today. No binding yet for this one!

I've got one more quilt to put on the frame tomorrow, then I can take my sewing machine off and go to sewing on the bindings. Guess what I'll be doing this weekend! Handwork!!

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So what have you been working on this week?

Remember - it doesn't have to be a finish!

(Thank goodness!!)

Link up and show off -

We want to cheer you on!!

You have until Saturday at midnight to link up.

Join in the fun!!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday #78! A Busy Week Ahead.....

2012-01-16T20:50:00.000-06:00

Hi, all!

Are you getting back into your normal routine after the holidays? It always seems to take a while - at least for me! - but eventually, things start falling back into place. I hope it's the same for you!

Here's how I did on last week's list...

1. Cut out a quilt for a boy with Hodgkins' lymphoma.

Done! Now I just need to get sewing on it!

2. Put borders on a donated quilt center for a man's quilt.

3. Make a backing for that same quilt.

I actually got three quilts ready for quilting,

and my sewing sisters brought two more that are ready

and now have backs. So I have five quilts ready to quilt now!

4. Organize and put away some of the fabric in my studio!

Done! I've made a little bit of a dent in the stacks,

and a big dent in the tubs of scraps

(3 people took home large sacks of scraps to cut up)

so it's coming along!

So not too bad on last week's list! But here's what's on the list for this week...

1. Quilt the five quilts needed for the ministry.

2. Piece the flying geese top.

3. Put together kits for quilt ministry members.

And that's where I'm going to stop, because while it's a short list, it's a fat one! Plenty to keep me busy this week.....

What are you planning on working on this week?

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And now, on a separate note, I want to share my favorite pin cushion with you - as requested by my friend Beth over at Love Laugh Quilt! She's hosting a Pincushion Parade to see everyone's pincushions - fun!

This cute little pincushion was made for me by a lady in our sewing group at church - it's completely hand pieced and made out of tiny log cabin blocks. It's not very big - just about the size of a real baby chick! Isn't it adorable?

I hope you have a great week!!

Hugs!

Sarah

Check This Out!!

2012-01-15T19:33:00.000-06:00

Hi, all!

I hope you'll go check out my friend Annie's blog - she's starting a new Saturday linky party designed to help you keep all those ambitious New Year's resolutions - you know the ones:

1. I want to lose weight!

2. I want to exercise more!

3. I should eat better and healthier!

Lots of good information, encouragement, sometimes even recipes - and there are prizes, too! So go check it out!!

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I get a Whoop-Whoop?? New Beginnings...

2012-01-13T06:55:00.000-06:00

Hi, all!

A new year has arrived, and that means new beginnings, doesn't it? I haven't finished much this week, but I have started on a couple of things - one a long term project, for sure!

The first thing I've been working on is a quilt for a 14 year old boy with Hodgkins' lymphoma. His choice of colors is red, purple and lime green, so I'll be making that great flying geese quilt with those colors set in Kona Coal. That whole quilt has been cut out, just needs to be sewn together!

And here's my long-term project - I recently purchased this book, Cut The Scraps! And I highly recommend it.... not only does it recommend a system for cutting down your scraps, but it gives twenty patterns that use those scraps! So this year I'm tackling the tubs of scraps that we've accumulated since starting the quilt ministry.. This is only the beginning....

...because (keeping it real) this is what my sewing studio looks like right now!

So I think it's time to dig out!!! Wish me luck.....

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So now it's your turn!

What have you been working on this week?

Show us! We want to know!!

Anything is worth a whoop whoop...

even unfinished!

You have until Saturday night to link up!

Join the party!!!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday #77! A New Year....

2012-01-09T20:39:00.000-06:00

Hi, all!

Well, it's a new year - and time to clean up that studio and get a fresh start on all those ongoing projects! So far neither of those things has gotten done, but I'm hopeful.... It would be so nice to finish up some of my UFOs this year! But ministry quilts come first, of course.

Here's what I'm going to be working on this week....

1. Cut out a quilt for a boy with Hodgkins' lymphoma.

2. Put borders on a donated quilt center for a man's quilt.

3. Make a backing for that same quilt.

4. Organize and put away some of the fabric in my studio!

I think that's enough for this week - maybe I'll get more done than that, but the Bug is coming over for a sleepover on Friday night, and my Sewing Sisters are coming over Saturday morning, so I'm not holding my breath!

And since this post is short on pics, here are some pics of my favorite girls...

Lilli on Christmas morning with her Sherbet Pips quilt....

Daughter Nancy, excited that she doesn't have to steal

the Charlie Brown quilt now!

And just because I came across this pic and remembered how much I love it, here's a blast from the past....

It's amazing how fast they grow up, isn't it?

So what are you working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I get a Whoop-Whoop?? Fun and Bright....

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000-06:00

Hi, all!

Well, it's Friday again - the first one of 2012! I'm excited to see what everyone's been working on - whether it's cleaning up your sewing space, finishing up old UFOs, or starting some new-FOs!

The quilt I want to share is one I made as a commission for a friend's daughter. The mom and daughter chose the fabrics for a sudoku quilt - then mom decided she wanted the quilt to be twin sized. After much figuring on graph paper, I came up with a way to make the sudoku pattern work in a twin size.....

With the addition of extra borders, and a piano key border, I got it up to twin size. The piano key border was fun - I took all the leftover fabrics from the sudoku blocks, cut them into 2" strips, sewed them together in one long strip, and basically did a 1600 quilt top with them - then cut it into the strips for the piano key borders. It was a fast and easy way to create the look, and use up all the scraps!

I love the quilting, too - I was debating what color to use, black or white - then the mom suggested lime green - brilliant! It looks so nice on all the fabrics....

And I used the last few pieces of the 1600 quilt top to enhance the pieced back. I love using up scraps!!

So that's my whoop whoop for the week (although I finished it before Christmas!) Now it's your turn - what have you been working on this week? Link up and share - you've got until Saturday night to join in! Be sure and check out your fellow linkers, too - it's a great way to get inspiration!!

Hugs!

Sarah

Back in the Saddle Again....

2012-01-04T08:35:00.000-06:00

Hi, all!

Well, I've been a bad, bad blogger - but I promise to get back in the swing of things this week! I don't have a quilt ministry update - it's been quiet over the holidays - but I do want to show you the Blogger' Choice Bundle that I put together in response to the challenge posted by Laura over at Quokka Quilts!

The fabrics are, as follows:

1. Michael Miller Baby Gray Bicycles

2. Children At Play Cotton Aqua On The Go

3. Children At Play Cotton Coral On The Go

4. Michael Miller Baby Haze Bicycles

5. Extreme Team Haze Wheel Dot

6. It's a Girl Thing Bloom Bicycles

7. J'Adore Stella Multi Bicyclette

8. Extreme Team Charcoal Wheel Dot

9. L'Amour de la Vie Red Velo Fleurs Tossed Bicycles

10. L'Amour de la Vie Pink Velo Fleurs Tossed Bicycles

11. Timeless Treasures Black Flower Bikes

12. Now We're Going Places White Tossed Bicycles

13. Bella Solids Robins Egg

14. Bella Solids Amelia Pink

15. Bella Solids Silver

16. My name for this bundle - Free Wheeling!

Do you sense a theme? I just love all the bicycle fabrics that have popped up lately, and would love to make a quilt from them. Imagine my surprise when I found twelve similarly themed fabrics at The Fat Quarter Shop, the sponsor for this challenge! And you know what "sponsor" means - there are prizes! So hop over to Quokka Quilts and read the rules, then put together your own bundle! It's fun!!

Hope to see you Friday for "Can I Get A Whoop Whoop" Friday! Come back and show us what you've been working on!!

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I get a Whoop-Whoop?? Time to Show Your Best...

2011-12-30T00:01:00.001-06:00

Hi, all!

Well it's been a very quiet week here - no sewing going on for me! But I thought, with it being the last Whoop Whoop Friday of the year, that we might do something a little different. If, like me, you haven't been crafting much this week, why not show us your favorite accomplishment from the last year? A little recap, so to speak...

And so, here's what I'll share...

The Charlie Brown quilt, front and back. The front is made with some fabrics I won from Form and Fabric earlier in the year, combined with Kona Coal; the back is leftover patches from the front and a great word print from IKEA. I'm very happy to say that my daughter absolutely fell in love with this quilt - something very unusual for her, as our tastes are very different - and so now it lives at her house! I think she was surprised to find it under the Christmas tree with her name on it, but I think it was meant to be!

So now, it's your turn - share something new that you created this week, or your favorite project from 2011!! We all want to see.....

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I get a Whoop-Whoop?? We Have A Winner!!

2011-12-23T00:01:00.014-06:00

Hi, all!

Well, I haven't accomplished much this week except managing to drive myself and my husband crazy trying to sit still and recuperate..... but I did have a great time reading all of your Christmas memories! Some were funny, some were touching, and all were interesting! So today I got in touch with Little Miss Random so she could pick a winner for the 500 followers giveaway! Little Miss Random came up with #40....

Jennifer Gail said...

One Christmas I put a fake cricket under the food table.My Daddy had a thing about crickets. Hee hee he He keep looking and when he found it I think he knew it was me who put it there,

December 18, 2011 2:47 PM

Jennifer Gail said...

I follow:)

December 18, 2011 2:48 PM

Jennifer Gail said...

I did I did.

December 18, 2011 2:49 PM

Jennifer Gail, who blogs over at Hoodies and Flipflops, is the winner! Congratulations, Jennifer, and thanks for helping me get over that 500 mark! Just a reminder, here's what I'll be sending you as soon as I receive your snail mail address....

I wish I had one of these to send each and every one of you - I appreciate you all so much and love the new friends I've made through blogging these past two years! And I can't wait to get to know all you new followers too - please leave comments!! It's the best way to get to know each other - I always respond if there's an e-mail address attached to your profile!

*)(*)(*)(*

And now it's your turn!

Have you worked on anything this week...

That you can show without giving away a surprise?

Please share!!!

Blogging is about all I can do for the next few days...

And I need the entertainment!!

Remember - you can link up until Saturday at midnight...

*)(*)(*)(*

And for your viewing pleasure, here's one of my favorite little Christmas video clips....

Have a wonderful Christmas!!

Sarah

What's Cookin' at The Sweatshop, Week #17 - The Year In Review

2011-12-21T12:35:00.000-06:00

Hi, all!

Well, we don't have any new quilts to show this week, so I thought I'd show you just a few of the 115 quilts we made and distributed this year....

(this represents only about half of the quilts we made this year...)

Many many thanks to all the hands that participated in our quilt ministry this year - those who sorted, pieced, quilted, and delivered, and those who donated fabric, scraps, blocks, WIPs and UFOs. This quilt ministry would not have touched nearly as many lives without each one of you!! I can't wait to see what we accomplish in the coming year........

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday #76! Are you ready for Christmas?

2011-12-19T00:01:00.001-06:00

Hi, all!

Well, it's the home stretch - only 6 more days until Christmas!! Are you ready? Or are you still working hard on those last minute projects? For the first time in my life, I think, I can honestly say that there are no last-minute projects I am working on - but I wouldn't recommend my method of getting here!

Let's take a look at last week's list and see how I did...

1. Pay all the bills through the end of the month.

(Hubby hasn't done this for years -

now is not a good time for him to start!)

Done! (For which hubby is very grateful...)

2. Clean up the house a little! (Really, just a little...

I don't want to go off the deep end!)

Done! I managed to clean up just enough, but not too much...

Gotta leave something for the hubs to do to keep him

occupied while I'm recuperating.... (lol)

3. Finish up the stocking stuffer shopping! (Retail therapy...)

Also done - and even wrapped

(yes, we wrap our stocking gifts!)

4. Keep a good sense of humor!

I think I've done well with this - the folks at the hospital

thought I was nuts!

5. Surprise my doctor by how soon I get to go home!

It only took him five minutes to decide I could go home...

6. Follow all the doctor's orders about restrictions -

I'll get to sew again soon!

Hard, but I'm doing it! I sure hope he lifts the restrictions

soon, though - I'm getting bored!

But I have been working on a little project....

...a stocking for my future granddaughter

Emmalyn Elise!

OK, so what's on the list for this week? Not much, but I do have a few things....

1. Behave myself and stay within my restrictions...

2. Work on a cross-stitch Christmas stocking for my soon-to-be 2nd granddaughter (due in April!)

3. Keep up-to-date on my blog reading!

So that's what I'll be working on this week, while planning my future sewing as soon as my restrictions are lifted!

And I thought I'd share a picture of my company from Sunday morning - who sat with me and watched movies while hubby went to church....

Aren't they cute?

One last thing - be sure to check out my giveaway here if you haven't entered already - I'm celebrating 500 followers!!

Have a wonderful week!

Hugs!

Sarah

It's Giveaway Time!!!

2011-12-18T00:01:00.002-06:00

Hi, all!!

Well, as you can see from the picture above, Lilli is excited! I'll leave it up to you to decide whether she's excited about being 4, or about Nana reaching 500 followers - but I'll tell you, I'm excited about both!

Lilli got all the giveaway items for her birthday, but I've got one to share with you to celebrate hitting 500 followers - and it's a goodie! First, the story - my husband has a hard time leaving any items unpurchased on my Christmas wish list. (Good hubby, right? ;-) I sent him a couple of wish lists from different places, and one item was duplicated on two lists - and he bought it from both places! When he realized what he had done, he suggested that I use the duplicate as a giveaway on my blog. Great idea! Here's what he bought......

A True Cut TrueSharp Electric Rotary Blade Sharpener! Since mine is a Christmas present, I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but I know if you're like me you hang on to your old dull rotary blades "just in case" - so I've got a bunch to sharpen and re-use! You can read a review of it and see more pictures of it here, on the I Have A Notion blogsite. It sharpens 28mm, 45mm, and 60 mm rotary blades, which I find really handy, since my little "hand-powered" sharpener only sharpens the 45mm blades.

So - - - do you want it? Imagine the joy of having a freshly sharpened blade the next time you cut out a new quilt - without the expense of new blades! Here's what you do to enter...

1. Leave a comment telling me

your favorite funny Christmas memory.

2. If you're already a follower, or decide to become a new follower, leave another comment!

3. If you helped spread the word to help reach the 500 follower mark, leave another comment!

4. If you post to spread the news about the giveaway,

leave another comment!

I'll pick a winner next Thursday, 12/22, and announce the winner on Can I Get A Whoop Whoop Friday, 12/23!

And just to join in the fun, I'll share my favorite funny Christmas memory. When I was a kid, we would always go to my great-grandmother's house in North Carolina for Christmas. My great-aunt would make the eggnog from scratch, and it was locally famous. I never really knew why until the year I helped her make it. I was reading the recipe to her, and she was carefully measuring the ingredients in - - - until she got to the liquor. I read out the amount in the recipe, but she just up-ended the bottle and poured until it made her happy! Suddenly I understood the ritual of receiving a drinking straw in your stocking when you reached a certain age.....

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I get a Whoop-Whoop?? A Gift For A Friend

2011-12-16T00:01:00.002-06:00

Hi, all!

I hope everyone's had a good week! Are you ready to share your accomplishments for the week? Even if it's small, we want to hear about it! So grab your camera, write a quick post, and show off a little!

%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%

Today I want to share a special quilt with you, made for a special friend. Cindy, a friend of mine at church and member of the quilt ministry, gave up her days off over four months to go with me to my chemo treatments. Together we worked on binding ministry quilts while talking to the other people there receiving their chemo treatments. She turned what could have been at the very least a boring time, and at the worst a frightening and unpleasant one, into a pleasurable few hours spent in the company of friends. So I wanted to make a quilt for her to thank her for taking those hours that she could have used for much more pleasant purposes and spending them with me!

You may remember the Charlie Brown quilt I made a few weeks ago - this quilt is made by the same design. There is a tutorial by AmandaJean (aka Crazy Quilt Mom) that you can see here. It's super simple and easily adaptable for different sizes. This one is made with 30 WOF strips in prints (3 of each print makes one row) and 30 WOF strips in the background solid. It makes this quilt approximately 60" square, and even leaves a few blocks for the back of the quilt.

The fabrics in this quilt are some of the Denise Schmidt prints from Joann Fabrics and Kona White. The binding is a Michael Miller print, I think called Confetti. The colors blended very nicely with the Denise Schmidt prints, with a tiny pop of purple for spice!

I really had fun quilting this one - using the Juki on the quilting frame, I did strings of curlicues in each band of zig zags. It kind of reminds me of a string of Christmas lights!

I like the way it looks on the back, too. It wasn't very hard to do, unless I started thinking about which direction the loop had to go, then I almost always messed it up!

And here's the back in all it's glory - simple but pretty! Thanks for letting me share this special quilt with you!!

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So now it's your chance!

Link up and share your accomplishments!

We all want to see and give a little

Whoop Whoop!!

Hugs!

Sarah

PS - Remember that I'm going to have a really great giveaway when the followers counter hits 500 - only 6 more to go!! My adorable husband bought one item on my Christmas wish list twice, and suggested that I use the duplicate for a giveaway - and it's a really great item! So spread the word and be sure to join in when that number rolls up!!

Home again, home again....

2011-12-15T08:51:00.000-06:00

Hi, all!

The title says it all - I'm home again! Got to come home last night - hooray!!! My bed may not be as fancy as the hospital bed, but it's a lot quieter.....

So since all I'm allowed to do for the next week or so is stuff with my hands in my lap, I'll be checking in on everyone's blogs that I've been remiss in reading for the past couple of weeks! Yipee! I can't wait to see what you all have been up to....

And don't forget - when I hit 500 followers (only 14 more needed!) I've got a great giveaway planned! My hubby overindulged me and bought one item on my Christmas gift list twice - then suggested that I use it for a giveaway - great idea!! So spread the word to your friends - I'd love to do this before the end of the year!! (There's an extra entry in the giveaway for you if you spread the word beforehand to get that number up!!)

And just because I need a pic for this post, here's two of my favorite faces - my beautiful daughter and lovely granddaughter!

Oh, and one last thing - if you are in need of some retail therapy to get you through the stress of the holidays, Hawthorne Threads just got a restock of Joel Dewberry's Heirloom in all three colorways!! Woohoo!!

Hugs!

Sarah

What's Cookin' at The Sweatshop, Week #16

2011-12-14T00:01:00.004-06:00

Hi, all!

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted for The Sweatshop - the last post was on Thanksgiving, and that was a repeat post of how our ministry started! Well, it's time to do some catching up!

Here's what we've been working on since the last post....

This beauty, pieced by Sharon, was given to a man recently diagnosed with prostate cancer...

This pretty quilt was made by ministry member Cindy for her mother, who suffered a serious broken ankle. Cindy had to go spend time with her in Texas, and made her quilt while she was visiting! Cindy named this one "My Favorite Square" because of one of the squares she put on the back...

This lovely scrap quilt, pieced by Sharon, was taken to church to be available if needed for the monthly prayer meeting...

This pretty pink quilt, also pieced by Sharon, was given to a woman battling cancer....

This cute pair of baby quilts were made by Debora, a ministry member, and are going to a set of twin boys who were born early and have to spend the next three weeks in the hospital.....

And this adorable quilt, made by Joanna, a ministry member, is going to a newborn baby boy in our church!

Those are the quilts we've made lately. We're also working on several others right now - one for a 3-year old boy with eye cancer, another for a young woman with cervical cancer, and one for a 14-year old boy recently diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma. So it's still staying busy at The Sweatshop! Many many thanks to those of you who send donations of fabric, blocks or flimsies - they are much appreciated, well used and well loved as they are passed on to their eventual owners!

Hugs!

Sarah

alive and kicking

2011-12-13T19:34:00.000-06:00

Hi all! Just wanted to let you all know that I made it through surgery with flying colors. Will update more later.

Hugs, Sarah

Make-A-List Monday #75! In the home stretch...

2011-12-12T06:00:00.002-06:00

Hi, all!

Well, we had a big weekend here - Lilli celebrated her fourth birthday with a birthday breakfast on Saturday! It's hard to believe that it's been that long - but she's bright and funny and absolutely adorable! (Of course, she's also opinionated and bossy, but I can't imagine where she got those traits from..... ;-)

Lilli, Day 1

Lilli Now!

On the sewing front, let's take a look at my list from last week...

1. Quilt my friend's quilt top.

I didn't get to this one, unfortunately....

2. Make a quilt for a gift.

I did do this, and will share pictures and story on Friday!

3. Finish up the Christmas shopping.

Almost done! I've got a few stocking stuffers to pick up, and a few more things to order on-line, and then I'm done. Whew!

4. Sew up the dress for Lilli.

Done! This one's for Christmas...

5. Sew up the upholstery pieces for my friend.

I haven't gotten around to sewing these up yet, but I did pick up the zippers this weekend!

6. Wrap all the Christmas presents.

Done! Woohoo!!! One less thing to do before Christmas!

As some of you already know, my surgery is scheduled for this Tuesday, so I don't think I'll have much time to work on a list this week. But it seems odd not to have one at all, so here's my list for the week....

1. Pay all the bills through the end of the month. (Hubby hasn't done this for years - now is not a good time for him to start!)

2. Clean up the house a little! (Really, just a little... I don't want to go off the deep end!)

3. Finish up the stocking stuffer shopping! (Retail therapy...)

4. Keep a good sense of humor!

5. Surprise my doctor by how soon I get to go home!

6. Follow all the doctor's orders about restrictions - I'll get to sew again soon!

So that's what I'm working on this week! What are you working on?

Hugs!

Sarah

PS - One other thing - see the Followers count on the left side of my blog? Notice how close it is to 500? Well, there'll be a giveaway when it hits 500 - and it's a really good one! I'm not telling what the giveaway will be yet, but you can thank my hubby for it, because he ordered an item on my wish list twice - and then suggested that I give the second one away on my blog! So stay tuned, and keep an eye on that Follower count!

Can I get a Whoop-Whoop?? Almost Ready For Christmas!

2011-12-09T00:01:00.001-06:00

Hi, all!!

I'm trying desperately not to think about how many days are left until Christmas - how about you?? But I am very happy to say that I have managed to finish two Christmas presents this week!! Whoop whoop!!

As promised, here are more pics of my Christmas present for Lilli - named "Lilli's Pips"! What's showing in the picture is only part of the quilt - this one is twin bed sized and the only way I could get pictures of it was to fold it over the line!

The Sherbet Pips line is so wonderful to work with - the fabrics are so soft and the colors are very vibrant!

I chose this fabric because it has so much in it that appealed to Lilli this year - kids on scooters, puppy dogs, little girls on swings, and scarves (she loves to get in my scarf drawer and wear piles of them around the house!)

This was also the first quilt I ever hand-quilted - and I love the way it added to the design of the quilt! Simple running stitches in all the white framing pieces - it kind of reminds me of the center line of a road. I'm very pleased with the way it turned out! I had originally planned to hand quilt the borders too, but time caught up with me, so there are three lines of organic straight line quilting that grid up at each corner, and a pale pink solid binding.

And here's the back - a large piece of the Pips fabric with the little girls swinging, and all the leftover scraps from the jelly roll. The rest of the fabrics are pieces from the stash - nothing bought for this backing!! Woohoo!!

I had one more finish today, too - - - and you might recognize the fabric in the dress...

Remember that cute fabric I took from the Traveling Stash with the vintage looking children on it? As soon as I saw that piece of fabric, I knew I would make Lilli a dress with it - and this is the pattern that she chose!

I love that the apron is removable - giving basically two dresses in one!

Here's the dress without the apron - don't you love the little knotted shoulder straps? I hope Lilli likes this - I can't wait to see her twirl around in it!!

(Speaking of Lilli, we'll be celebrating her 4th birthday this weekend with a birthday breakfast. She's informed me that I'm supposed to bring dessert - fudge! Her birthday's actually not for another week, but we wanted to get the party in before my surgery. She's very excited!)

&%&%&%&%&%&%%&

So now it's your turn!

What have you been working on this week?

We're ready to give you a whoop whoop -

Just link up and share!!

You have until Saturday at midnight to link up -

So take your pictures and write your post!!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday #74! Hard at work....

2011-12-05T00:01:00.005-06:00

Hi, all!

Are you busy getting all your Christmas sewing finished up? I know I am! It's been a productive week, thankfully - I'm glad to be able to say I've finished some things I needed to get done! Let's look at last week's list.....

1. Finish a quilt for the Monday night prayer service.

Done! This was a lovely top, pieced by Sharon, that I bordered and quilted...

2. Finish a quilt for a woman with cancer.

Done! Another top pieced by Sharon...

3. Finish Lilli's quilt.

Hallelujah - - - Done!!! I'll post more pics later this week,

but here's one quick shot...

4. Bind and deliver the commission quilt.

Done and delivered! More pics after Christmas...

5. Cut out my friend's upholstery pieces.

Done! No pics, because it's just a big pile of fabric right now...

6. Quilt my friend's quilt top.

Not yet - this one's on this week's list...

7. Make a quilt for a gift.

Also on this week's list....

8. Christmas shop.

Some of it's done, but I've got a bit more to go...

9. Make a dress for Lilli.

Partially done - I got it cut out last night!

10. Get the house ready for the quilt ministry's

Christmas party!

Done! We had a wonderful time - good food,

lots of talking, and playing Dirty Santa for fabric!

So this week's list is....

1. Quilt my friend's quilt top.

2. Make a quilt for a gift.

3. Finish up the Christmas shopping.

4. Sew up the dress for Lilli.

5. Sew up the upholstery pieces for my friend.

6. Wrap all the Christmas presents.

So now, please share - what are you working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I get a Whoop-Whoop?? I've been AWOL...

2011-12-02T00:01:00.002-06:00

Hi, all!

Wow, it has been a week! I was so busy getting caught up on stuff, and trying to get things done before my surgery, that I didn't have time to do any blog posts during the day - and then I kept falling asleep in the evenings when I could have been writing blogposts and catching up on everyone's blog! So today's post will be sort of a combination of all my posts for the week...

First of all, here's the recap on last week's to-do list...

1. Make a back for and quilt the commission quilt.

Done! Here's just a teaser (since it's a gift - I'll show more after Christmas....)

2. Work on hand-quilting Lilli's quilt.

Done! The hand quilting is finished - now I just have to quilt the borders and bind it and it'll be finished!

3. Quilt one quilt for the ministry.

Done! This one went to an older gentleman with cancer...

4. Decorate the house for Christmas!

Done! The kids (daughter, son-in-law, and Lilli) came over last Friday for "Decorate Nana's House For Christmas Day"! Here's just a small sample of what we worked on...

So that's what I got done on last week's list. This week, my list was very long, because it's filled with stuff I need to get done before my surgery on the 13th.

1. Finish a quilt for the Monday night prayer service.

2. Finish a quilt for a woman with cancer.

3. Finish Lilli's quilt.

4. Bind and deliver the commission quilt.

5. Cut out my friend's upholstery pieces.

6. Quilt my friend's quilt top.

7. Make a quilt for a gift.

8. Christmas shop.

9. Make a dress for Lilli.

10. Get the house ready for the quilt ministry's

Christmas party!

I don't know if I'll get all this done this week, but it's kind of my running list for the next two weeks. So far, though, I finished this quilt for the ministry (one of Sharon's pretty scrappy tops)...

.... and this one, also for the ministry (another of Sharon's tops!)....

As you can see, my little assistant is helping me "light up" the quilt - the last one didn't come out of the dryer until after the sun had set, so I had to take these pics in the house, where the lighting isn't so good. Lilli brought her princess flashlight into play to help me out! She was in the mood to have her picture taken today, though, and I caught this cute one...

So that's what I've been working on all week, and why I've been AWOL - I sure have missed all those emails that come from comments received and comments I've made - so I hope I won't be so busy that I can't blog soon!

And now it's your turn!

What have you been working on this week?

Are you working on Christmas presents, or are you

one of those amazing people who gets it all done early

and can sit back and relax in December?

Share your accomplishments with us by linking up below -

and don't forget to cheer on your fellow

linky party participants!

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I get a Whoop-Whoop?? Something different....

2011-11-25T00:01:00.004-06:00

Hi, all!

Did Friday just jump a few days this week? It seems like it's come sooner than usual! I hope each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and if you're off shopping today for Black Friday, I hope you'll still join us at the linky party before Saturday at midnight!

This week I have a very different thing to show you - as you may know, I was in Tampa most of the week last week and over the weekend, so I wasn't able to do any quilting. But I decided to try some knitting, since it's easy to take and fairly small and portable. Here's a pic of what I made this weekend - actually, I made about six of them, in several different colors (a pair of each)....

Brownie points if you can guess what it is! I found the pattern here - and the story at the beginning is funny and worth reading!

I actually found these amazingly easy to make, even though I hadn't done four-needle knitting in probably 30 years. I will say, though, that at the start and the end, it's rather like wrestling a small octopus.....

OK, so that's my small finish for the week!

What have you been working on?

We ALL want to see!

Link up and show off!

You deserve a Whoop Whoop!!

Hugs!

Sarah

What's Cookin' at The Sweatshop, Week #15

2011-11-23T21:02:00.001-06:00

Hi, all!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving - and I have so many things to be thankful for! But one thing I am especially thankful for is the quilt ministry I work with, and the wonderful ladies, both here in Tennessee and those of you bloggers who have become part of the ministry around the world. For those of you who aren't familiar with our quilt ministry, this Thanksgiving weekend marks our second anniversary.

The following post is a reprint from last year and tells the story of how and why our quilt ministry got started. I've updated it a little with some more current information...

@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@

Several of you have asked about how our quilt ministry began, and after checking with the parties involved to be sure they didn't mind me posting about it on my blog, I'm ready to tell. It's a good story but a little long, so grab a cup of coffee and settle in...

When I was leading a Beth Moore study group at church in the spring of 2009, a couple of the young women in the group were talking before class about how much they wished they had learned to sew, so that they could sew for their daughters. Overhearing their conversation, I asked if they would come to a Saturday sewing group if we set one up through church, and they sad they would. So in August, we started a once-a-month sewing group to learn basic sewing. Another group started on Wednesday nights, also teaching basics. Between the two classes, we had about 20 people learning how to sew, led by about four of us who were experienced, mostly in making clothing. We taught them how to make purses, simple children's dresses, and other easy projects.

Last November, Kelley, the wife of our youth minister, was told she had an abnormal PAP smear, and they wanted to check it again. On the Monday before Thanksgiving, Kelley was told that she had cervical cancer and needed to have a total hysterectomy. The results from her tests came back on Wednesday, confirming a rare and aggressive form of cancer, and her surgery was scheduled for the Monday following Thanksgiving weekend. One of the other pastors' wives and I spoke on Wednesday, wanting to do something for Kelley, but not knowing exactly what to do. Being involved with the youth, Kelley didn't spend a lot of time with the other women at church, so we didn't know her very well. We both agreed that we ought to do something, and that we would think about it and talk later.

Cut to Thanksgiving morning, 5 a.m. The house is quiet - dogs and husband still asleep. I've put my turkey in the oven and I settle down at my sewing table to cut out the pieces for a quilt I want to make for my granddaughter for Christmas. (This would be the first quilt I'd made in about 25 years, and only about the fifth ever!)

Now it gets a little strange, and is certainly indicative of the sense of humor God endowed me with.... As I 'm sitting there working, I hear, "Make Kelley a quilt." (I say "hear" but no, I'm not hearing voices, it's just the easiest way to describe it! I thought it was just a wild idea that popped in my head...) And I snorted, thinking yeah, right, there's no time to make Kelley a quilt! A few minutes later, I hear again, "Make Kelley a quilt." OK, this is getting weird now - obviously this is a little more than just a wild idea that I'm coming up with - but I think again that there's no way I can get one done before she goes in the hospital in five days.

You would think that would be the end of it, wouldn't you? But no! The next thing I hear is "Get your friends to help you!" (And now you see why I told you about starting our sewing classes. If we hadn't started those classes, there wouldn't have been anyone to call on!) OK, that's maybe possible - but it's still a wild idea. And it's Thanksgiving weekend - who's going to give up any of their holiday time on the biggest shopping weekend of the year to come and sew?

And you know what I heard then? "If you feed them, they will come!" (I told you God gave me a weird sense of humor!)

From the movie "Field of Dreams"

About that time, my husband came in looking for coffee, and I asked him what he'd think if I took over the house on Saturday, filling it with women and making a quilt, something we'd never done before. He said, "I think that's a great idea!" Proof positive that this was not just some wild idea I came up with - this was God's idea! (Bill really likes his nice quiet Saturdays!) So my next step was to get on Facebook and e-mail, and check to see who would be interested in helping in a project for Kelley - - - and within a couple of hours, I had over a dozen people who were willing to help, without even knowing what we were going to do! We arranged to meet at my house on Saturday morning to make a quilt.

Friday morning rolls around, and I brave the Black Friday crowds to go to the store to buy fabric for the quilt. Because of the time constraint I decide to use the same pattern I was looking at for my granddaughter's quilt, a mystery quilt by M'Liss Hawley that has nine different blocks, all made from fat quarters. I figured this would be easy for a group of women to work on - each could work on one specific block design. But I had no idea what colors Kelley liked, and I couldn't get any guidance anywhere. So I went in blind, and chose an earth tone pack containing six fat quarters, to which I added more fat quarters, background fabric, and borders. I also picked up solid Kona cream for the backing, which I had a special plan for. Went home and cut out all the pieces we would need for the quilt. Got to work making food for the next morning - we are Baptist, and literally, if you feed us, we will show up for almost anything!

Saturday morning dawns, and fifteen women show up at my house to help out! Two ladies didn't sew at all, but one is an artist and the other is an editor with beautiful handwriting. They got to work on the back of the quilt, writing Bible verses and song lyrics and drawing beautiful flower bouquets, all designed to encourage Kelley when she read them, and to feel like she was wrapping herself in God's promises and love every time she used the quilt.

The rest of us started putting together the quilt top. Fortune favors the brave - and the uninformed! I had no idea then how difficult it should be to assemble a quilt sewed by so many different people, none of whom were experienced quilters! But this was an excellent pattern to use, because it was very forgiving.

The top was finished by mid-afternoon, and the quilt was completed and given to the girl who would be delivering it on Sunday morning. I named this quilt “Field of Dreams” to reflect the references from the Kevin Costner movie - it just seemed appropriate!

I’m pleased to say that Kelley had an excellent result from her surgery, which ended up not being as radical as they originally thought it would need to be, and they caught her cancer so early that there was no need for chemo or radiation!

About a month after her surgery, Kelley asked me how I knew that her design notebook was covered with the exact colors in the quilt we made - all her favorites! I told her it must have been a God thing - because I certainly didn't know what colors she liked when I picked them out!

Kelley is involved in the ministry now - she's not a sewer, but she makes beautiful stamped cards and makes all the note cards that we send with our quilts as her contribution to the ministry.

After Christmas 2009, the ladies started asking me when we would be making another quilt. Boy, was I surprised! But I had begun making quilts for Quilts For Kids, so I ordered some kits for us to work on during our January meeting, and cut some more out of my fabric stash. We made nine quilts that day!

One of those quilts went to a little girl we found out about through the church prayer list.

A couple of weeks later, one of the pastors asked for a quilt for a woman in our church with brain cancer, so we made a quilt for her.

From those humble beginnings, our ministry has expanded. We still have quilting bees occasionally, but the need is usually greater than we can meet just with quilting bees, so many of our quilts are made by individuals on their own. We now have about fifteen women who have made at least one quilt for the ministry from start to finish, and more are learning every day! In addition to making quilts for people battling health issues, we are now making quilts for newborns in our church and families that we are ministering to. As of today, we have made and distributed 170 quilts since two years ago!

And our ministry would have been so much more difficult without the help of so many wonderful quilt bloggers - many of you have stepped forward and donated fabric, finished quilts, and UFOs by the boxful!

Because we are a relatively new and as-yet unfunded ministry (at least for right now!) we had been working with fabric from our own fabric stashes and what we could afford to buy. The many many yards of fabric and the UFOs that were donated have made it possible for our ministry to grow and expand beyond anything I could have every dreamed of just two years ago. And the completed quilts that were donated gave us some breathing space to get ahead of the need right at holiday time, when everyone's time is stretched thin anyway! To each of you who have donated to our ministry, please know you are an important and much-appreciated partner in the ministry.

We call our ministry "Piece*Love*Quilt" - three little verbs that form our mission statement - we piece, we love, we quilt. And while doing so we have expanded our little world to include so many people. Women who said, "I can't quilt!" are now saying, "Do you need me to make another quilt?" I have seen God at work in ways I would never have imagined before we started this ministry. I can't wait to see what happens in the years to come as we continue to grow!

Look at those wonderful ladies!

It's been a long post, as promised, and I appreciate everyone who stuck with me all the way to the end! I am so thankful for each and every one of you!!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday #73! Home again....

2011-11-21T20:27:00.000-06:00

Hi, all!

I am home again, back from a wonderful six days in warm, sunny, Tampa, Florida! Which means that I didn't get a lot done on the quilting front this week - but I got to spend lots of quality time with my husband, which was wonderful!! We saw a lot of this....

...spent a good bit of time sitting in chairs like this....

....and ate breakfast one morning here....

....which was memorable because we paid $2.99 for two eggs, two pieces of bacon and two slices of toast, and 99 cents for a huge plate of the best home fries I've had in years, more than my hubby and I could eat between us! I haven't seen prices like that in years....

I did work on one crafty (non-quilty) project, but I haven't quite finished it to take pictures - so I'll have to show those later. And that's the only thing I got done on last week's list - I didn't have room to take Lilli's quilt with me, so no quilting on it, and I didn't work on sorting out the pictures on my computer, because the non-quilty project was so much fun! But here's my list for this week...

1. Make a back for and quilt the commission quilt.

2. Work on hand-quilting Lilli's quilt.

3. Quilt one quilt for the ministry.

4. Decorate the house for Christmas!

There's lots of other stuff going on here this week, so the list is short, but possibly do-able. Here's hoping!

So what are you working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I get a Whoop-Whoop?? Another pretty quilt....

2011-11-18T00:01:00.002-06:00

Hi, all!

Did your week fly as quickly as mine did? Seems like it was just yesterday I was getting my whoop whoop on! But it's time again - I hope you're ready!

This is another pretty top pieced by Sharon and quilted by me. I love the play of colors and fabrics on this quilt...

.....the friendship stars....

...and these blocks - I think they're called monkey wrench blocks?

This seems like such a neat way to use orphan blocks - all mixed, yet unified by the top and bottom borders. And so scrappy!

So that's my whoop whoop for the week - what do you think?

Now it's your turn! Link up to the party, tell us about your accomplishments for the week, then go visit the other participants and give out some whoop whoops!!

Hugs!

Sarah