Look, Girls! We are famous!

I got a ipod for Valentines day and have just discovered podcasts. Today I downloaded a quilting podcast from Annie Smith's Quilting Stash series called "Best of 2006" to listen to. As I am sewing along, listening to her lists of the best things from 2006, suddenly she says that one of her picks for best quilting blogs is "The Quilt Mavericks" blog ring. Imagine my surprise to hear that we are popular and a little famous!

So if you are looking for something to listen to while you are quilting, you can look on itunes for all kinds of cool podcasts.

2 hours ----- in one day!

Today I had the house to myself for a couple of hours and decided it was time that I get to sew! I haven't sewn anything in several weeks. Everything has been sitting there on my sewing table, just staring at me. It always seems like something else had to get done first. You know what? The dirty house isn't going anywhere - it can wait a while.

I was able to get this top pieced. It is going to be a lap quilt. The colors aren't exactly accurate in the picture but they are close. I am going to piece a few more flying geese for the border and then put them in a wide black border. I am going to quilt it with some varigated thread.

Monday night I am teaching a ladies' bible class. Usually our preacher's wife teaches but she has been asking for volunteers to help her out every once in a while. We are using a book about trying to manage our chaotic lives. The next chapter is called "Is your life a crazy quilt?" The point of the chapter is do you have a plan for your life (a pattern) or do you just take whatever is thrown at you (a crazy quilt). In general the author is saying we need to have goals! Anyway...how could I resist teaching a class that mentions quilts!

20 Yards of fabric

Do you know how much fabric will fit into a 11"x8.5"x5.5" box? One of the flat rate boxes from the post office. Let me tell you - it will hold about 20 yards of fabric. This came to me as a surprise - both good and bad. Good in that it means 20 yards is on its way to someone who will hopefully appreciate it and put it to good use it. Bad news in that such a little space holds that much fabric. That means that I have a whole lot more yardage in my stash than I had thought! I had better get busy!

I went through the stash this afternoon trying to pick out some fabric to mail to my aunt for her birthday. This aunt is my dad's only sister and the person who everyone says I look like. While I don't mind looking like her, I hope that I am as sweet and giving as she is. She has recently gotten into quilting. Her mom (my grandma that passed away a year ago) was a quilter. My aunt somehow got hooked on paper piecing. It is hard to pick out fabric for someone else. She recently had a new grand baby - Evie - so I picked out some things Aunt Faye could use for something cute for the baby.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Some thoughts on strep throat and V-Day lovies

Last week both of my kids came down with strep throat. We got them started on anti-biotics on Monday. So by Friday I thought I was safe - but no. My throat started hurting and Saturday I got to start on medicine too! After spending the entire weekend in bed, my throat is feeling better but I would still like to sleep all day!

Last Friday, before the strep hit, I made this little thing (the one on the right) for my niece for Valentine's day. It is about 6 inches by 7 inches. It is my hand dyed fabrics, fused together and then fused onto some batting. I did a little stitch in the ditch on my feather weight. Then I sewed the front to the back (right sides together) and flipped it around. Then to close that last seam I stitched around the entire edge, about an eighth of an inch in from the edge. DD like it so much that she wanted on too - so her's is the one on the left. The picture should be clickable for a better view.

I am hoping tomorrow to get to work some more on the flying geese quilt. I really like Judy's February quilt but I think I am going to hold off on it for a while. What are you all up to?

Wednesday's progress

Judy's good idea

When I was surfing around the Maverick ring yesterday, I was inspired by Judy's posts about using up her stash, especially about why we buy fabric that we LOVE and then can't bear to cut into it! Judy's February challenge to us is to go cut into that favorite piece and USE IT! This summer I dyed a pile of fat quarters. And then I dyed an even larger pile when Nines and I had our quilting retreat in Tennessee. These have been sitting there in a box, staring at me, begging to be used. But I couldn't bear to use them up. What am I saving them for? I was waiting for some divine intervention I guess.

So this morning I went and dug the box of my hand-dyed fabrics out of my closet and found a couple yards of black in the stash and set to work. I have been oohing and aahhhing over this quilt for some time. Sorry I can't remember whose quilt this is - if it is yours, leave a comment and I will add a link to your blog!

This morning I started working on the flying geese. As you can see, I got quite a few done. I haven't decided if this going to turn into a wall hanging or a lap quilt. Time will tell! Judy - thanks for the inspiration to finally use our prized fabrics!

Success

Yesterday was the baby shower. I got up and made the diaper cake. So far all the diaper cakes I have made have been for baby girls, so this blue one was a new twist. I love the turquoise and brown together. After a wonderful brunch of egg and sausage casserole, sausage balls, three kinds of cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, quiche, and cute little Petit Fores, it was time to open the gifts. The mommy to be received lots of goodies, including some of the Pottery Barn bedding I was trying to match. She received the crib dust ruffle and a baby pillow sham. Finally came the quilt. She loved it - but I was worried it wouldn't match. But it went perfectly! The fabrics were different but the colors were almost exact matches. Not too shabby considering I was working from a two inch by three inch picture I had printed off the computer!

I have started working on another UFO. This one is going to be a surprise present for someone so I can't show any pictures of the work in progress. I finished up the blocks yesterday and got the rows put together. I have got four of the rows sewn together - 5 more to go.

DS was sick last week but we thought he was on the mend. DD woke up this morning with a fever and a sore throat. Now DS is complaining that his throat hurts again too. I guess we will go see the pediatrician tomorrow. DD gets strep throat at the drop of a hat. Fun times!