FREE MOTION QUILTING

I found this wonderful, most awesome, truly informative, and very very very.......amazing site from visiting "That man's quilts".....he suggested a site that is totally awesome and I just have to share it with you.....can you tell I am jumping in my seat?

Can you tell that I am thinking faster than I can type?

Can you tell that my heart is beating faster than I am typing (I can type pretty fast)....Can you just tell???? CAN YOU!!!

If you are wanting to learn how to do different designs in free motion quilting besides just stippling you really really really....yes, really should go here, it is called Day style designs.....go now...

don't shower,

don't stop to eat,

drink or

go to the bathroom....just go!!!

You will be just as excited as I am...well...maybe not.

Thanks quilt fool!!

FINALLY MADE IT HOME!!

Seventeen hours later.....oh my goodness....thought we were going to die!!! What a long trip. The life saver was that on the plane from Hawaii to American Samoa there were only 65 passengers....oh....how lovely was that? I felt we were in first class.

Sad part about this, no luggage. I had great plans for today with all my fun stuff....the next plane will be Thursday. Soon they will stop the Tuesday flights. But.....I am home, sitting in my sewing room...trying to catch up on blogs but I have to stop for now or I will not get anything done.


Sorry I have not returned your emails or commented on your blogs, sometimes I would just read and leave (how rude is that)? I will try not to be so rude...but...I was going to post a picture and well....my cord that allows me to do so is in the luggage.....hummmmmm

Thanks for all of your wonderful comments and well wishes.


Funny story...

I was so dog tired last night....so very tired....well....in the middle of the night I sat upright and yelled at my husband "What are you doing in my bed!"...I did this three times.....I am laughing now....he came to me this morning and said do you remember yelling at me last night. He said I hurt his feeling, I a still laughing because I was so disoriented that I didnt' even know where I was at that time. I had to apologize and I dont think he has quite forgiven me yet...probably scared him out of a deep sleep. so sorry.....but sooo funny. I wonder if he thought I was going to hurt him...... I am such a bad girl....I will try to be better next year.

Wonderful Bag

A big thankyou goes to my friend Nancy, at Patchwork Penquin, she made this beautiful bag, had a giveaway and I won.....

Lucky me....

she sent it to my son and I just got it today...good thing, we leave tomorrow.

The picture does not do it justice, it is awesome. What a great job and great colors. If some of you are not familiar with her blog, you need to go over and get aquainted. She is one talented lady and a great friend.


Notice my counter, I will reach about 30,000 hits real soon, probably tomorrow. I need to celebrate......which means giveaway time!!! I told myself I was going to cut back on the amount of giveaways I do but....I do have to celebrate this one.....so stay tuned!!

ROW BY ROW ROUND ROBIN

Anyone interested in doing a row by row round robin? Go here for details. We need about 8 people.

Here is a sample of a row by row quilt

If you would like to join, just leave a comment and we can work from there.

MY VERY FIRST PIECED AND HAND QUILTED QUILT

When my third son left home he took this quilt with him. Just now got a picture.

I made this quilt about 18 years ago. I had hand quilted each boy a quilt but did very little piecing.

My husband had just switched jobs and we were soooooooooooooooo poor. The black is a black sheet, and I used a black sheet for the back. This is a queen sized quilt. I made it for our bed. I used scraps from clothes I had made for the boys and myself.

I did not have a pattern. I did not use a book... I just used the quilt my grandmother had made for me as a guide to making the blocks.

I used a school ruler, pencil .... I designed the quilt because I loved black at the time. So I sat for hours drawing and making the templates. I used an old embroidery hoop to hand quilt it. If you look close, there are hearts in each of the black blocks.





I even used an old comforter for the batting...it is funny because it buldges in spots. Remember I told you we were poor and I had to do this as cheaply as I could. Later I made a sky blue ruffle for the bed, pillow shams and cases. It looked pretty good if you asked me. We had this on our bed for years. I tell my son to take care of this quilt because those scraps have a history.

I JOINED THE LAND OF THE LIVING YESTERDAY!!

It is amazing how one views the world in a different light when wellness is in sight.....finally turned the corner yesterday....and sooooooooooooooooooooo went to a quilt shop.....

I must tell you....I truly thought I died and went to heaven. Walking into that store, seeing all the wonderful fabric, kits, notions, and then their sewing room.....oh my goodness. I truly wanted to cry.....it was a total Euphoric experience. If you have lived where there are no quilting stores, or even the food stores...you would know what I mean.

So no more delays...feast your eyes!!!

This was a scrap bag....now I don't know about you but my scraps don't look like this...I thought it was a good bargain.



More material for my Texas quilt (yes, I plan to finish it).....no comments please.


Got a Christmas quilt pattern, I was shamed by Sew Cal Gal when she did her virtual post of your favorite Christmas quilt and I not have one.....hummmmmm bad girl!!
I have only a few more days to be bad and then I will have to try to be good for next year....I surely want Santa to visit me.....



I brought this as an idea for ladies to make and sell on the island.



This is from Walmart...had to go and buy packing material.....don't know how this got in the post....talk about crying...walking into Walmart is an out of body experience......my husband and I just walk around with our mouths open...touching everything and commenting on how cheap things are.....


Then I just could not stay away...had to go back again to the fabric store and I found the next two patterns on sale.....have I told you all how I love Thimbleberries? Infact if you see the title of my blog, behind it is a Thimbleberry project.

HAWAIIAN APPLIQUE

Third time is a charm....so you all know I messed up the first time...the second time I did not have a big enough background piece. Sheweeeeee

Now don't go and critized how I have it basted down.....it is what it is...

So.....my husband and sons go to a movie...I stayed in the hotel.....still feeling pretty bad and so...I thought I would applique.....NOT!!!! Doing such a poor job, I emailed Chris from Crispy Quilts begging for help...how pathetic is that....yes...begging. My points are horrible....and one is frayed.

She came to the rescue and apologized for not answering sooner....now for all of you out there...when I email you and am begging for help...you need to be there for me.....I need to have your phone numbers so I can call....maybe we can set up a quilting emergency site QES and have a 24 hour service.....what I am trying to say...is...I was so grateful when she did answer....did I expect her to answer me NOW!!! It would have been nice but unrealistic...but she is so sweet to have said that and so.....(making this longer than it should be)....I quit!!! Yep....stopped working on it. She did give me a wonderful site to go to infact this person is on my blog list "Quiltsalot" go there for you applique needs...she has some great tutorials.


I will pick it up again, maybe later today???

Thanks for your help Chris.... What wonderful bloggers you all are, I know where to go for help...each of you are so diverse in your fields and so wonderful at what you do, if you don't know the answer you go out of your way to find it. There is no place I would rather be than among such wonderful talented people, sometimes I feel like I don't belong among such talent and greatness but you don't see me backing out??? Thanks to all of you....whether I am having a bad day, bad week, suffering silently, or jumping up and down...all of you are jumping with me. Thanks.....so much for the jump!! You all are soooooooooooooooooooo awesome and I truly appreciate each one of you. If you don't know who you are...just look on my blog list.

If you are not on my blog list....let us get you there!!

PS>>>>MY HUSBAND IS DOING THE LAUNDRY....YEPEEEEEE....he never does laundry but has been since on vacation...I think he is worried about me...one for being sick for so long...and two...he is worried I might stay here and not return with him.....

BED AND BREAKFAST CHARM PACK

When I ordered from Connecting threads, if I ordered 50 dollars worth, the shipping would be free......well....I ordered this charm pack to get the shipping free. So....if any of you would like this charm pack....just leave a message. When I am feeling better, I will pick a winner. I will probably not put anything extra in there so...sorry.

COVER YOUR MOUTH WHEN YOU COUGH!!

This is me.....and my poor husband...we are held up in a hotel waiting for the


coughing, sneezing, sniffling, and runny nose to go away. We cant do much without getting soooooo tired.

I do have a confession, I wasn't too tired to go over to "I have a notion" and take advantage of her 25% off sell...but now I must lay down.....

We have seen our son from Iraq and the two sons that live here, they will be by later....so all is not lost...just alittle set back. Please ask my mother not to be angry if we can't make it by her place in Lousianna....we are sorry....truly sorry...

And with that I will add my letter to Santa,

Dear Santa,

I guess it will make me a bad girl to not be able to go and visit my mother. I did buy her gifts and really wanted to see her...will still try. Does that make me really really bad? Can't I atleast get one gift? I promise to be good next year.

oh...also Santa, I am not in American Samoa right now, will you be able to find me? You can leave my gift at my sons apartment (oh...he hasn't been good either.....well....I have three sons here in Texas....isn't one of them any good?)...Oh...okay, my son from Iraq, he was doing a good thing for our country....so surely you will drop something off for him and a little something for his mom? You will see what I want below....oh...please...please...please......I really will be good.

the fat quarter bundle...

Brought to you by Jolly Jabber and the Fat quarter Shop

HAWAIIAN BOOK

I have the first two volumes and now I have the third. Got this at the airport while waiting for my husband to join me. I was actually looking for Sarah Palin's book "Going Rogue"....and yes, I am not ashamed of wanting to read her book...what of it...what you going to do about it??? Hurt me? I think not.....anyways, they didn't have it but had this quilting book.

So.....wanting something to do...I went to Walmart, yes Walmart....gonna make something of it????...... to get a piece of material or two for a project from said book. Got two fat quarters, needles (sure wish I had the stuff Chris sent me) scissors, and


already had thread sent to my son from Connecting Threads (30 percent off threads, free shipping and knowing I was coming to my sons...well....worked out perfect...think I have enough thread?)....so there you have it...all set....

well....................................... I folded it wrong...have you ever started a project and that little voice speaks to you and says...you are doing it wrong and then you just go ahead and do it wrong and later wish you had listened to that voice....POOOOEEEY>........

I am so upset...

material ruined....

project aborted....

momma unhappy.

We are depending on our sons to drive us around for a while until our one son brings us his car (trying to save money....what....got something wrong with that tooo?)...Man...you have an attitude!!

Anyways...will have to wait until Monday to get more material....have alot of free time and





yes...did find that Sarah Palin book....yepeeeeeeeee

moma happy now.....doesn't take much!!

LEAVING YOU WITH SOME CHRISTMAS CHEER AS I FLY AWAY FROM HAWAII TO TEXAS

The above picture is in the cubby of the elevators



This is in the hotel lobby.

HAWAIIAN QUILTS - FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE

If any of you have been to the Hilton Hawaiian Village, you will know that it is almost a city within itself. As you walk around there are stores and display cases and this is a quilt I have long admired and wanted to share it with you. Sorry about the glare on the glass.



The next stop is a little store "Moana Quilts", they have kinds of Hawaiian quilts, pillow, purses etc.... and did have a pillow quilt kit but that is all as far as quilting supplies.









The next two pictures are from "The Country Store"


My husband told me to leave all money and credit cards in the hotel....hummmmm didn't listen. Told him I had not plans to buy anything.....oooopssss until I came across this pin cushion....hummmm

TODAY IS DECEMBER 9TH

My giveaway day over at SEW Fantastic....don't comment here...go to Sew Fantastic blog.

VIEW FROM MY HOTEL WINDOW

SADDLE BAG

I got the pattern from e-Pattern Central. It goes over a walker and has pockets, don't know if that is a good picture or not. This is for a dear friend of mine, we call her Grandma Peters. I had extra fabric so I made a little cosmetic bag.


I am having seperation anxiety from Mr. Pfaff. What will he ever do without me?

Probably up in the air as you are reading this....I sure hate to fly.....truly.

WHAT DID I SO FIRDAY INSTEAD OF PACKING???

Totes and more totes....but I have found it fun to try and do free motion quilting...The machine did not like sewing on this material...it has those funny flowers that have a plastic feel to them.



No stippling here but matching accessories..



This batik was so awesome to try my free motion quilting...turned out lovely. I made the one small bag the other day...thought I would match everything up since I loved the batik so much.



A little Christmas around the house......Got this tree (the cut out) at a garage sell a few years back and well....it was calling out to me to make...so I answered the call.



Oh yes.....I know what you are thinking....Glad Barb finally got off that towel jag.....well.......you just know I couldn't....not sick of them yet.


So this is what I am doing instead of cleaning and packing....Shame on me...I have one more project Saturday too... Yep, this gal is going to be running around like a chicken with its head cut off tonght (Saturday) to get packed.

If I do not post before Christmas...I am hoping you all have a wonderful time with family and friends and take a few moments to ponder the real meaning of Christmas....it is not the gifts, it is not the food, where you live or what you do, it is all about one person and that is our Beloved Savior and a loving Heavenly Father that sent his son as a gift to us.

MERRY CHRISTAS EVERYONE!!!!

Thanks Millie

More items for the tsunami victims....


Lovely quilts....Thanks sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!

Aren't these quilts adorable?


Millie does fabulous work go to her blog Millies quiltingand see for yourself.

MAIL, MOUNTAIN AND POUCH

I spent what little time I had yesterday making these pouches for the pattern I made. I tried to get those plastic ziplock bags but because of where I live they would not send or the mailing was too high(we have US shipping rates, they don't know that)...so I gave up and just decided to do this for now.




Then I got all these books in the mail...they were 3 - 4 dollars, the most expensive part was the shipping www.daedalusbooks.com



Then we hit that mountain again...determined to make it to the finish!

We walked past where we left off......and walked up hill, down hill, slid sidways...yes..it did rain some on the way to the end.



Got to a point where you would go to one side of the mountain ridge and you would see Pago harbour and then to the other side and see the back of the Coxcomb (no pictures)

At one point we were literally going straight up...okay not straight but that was an amazing incline....but still not there yet...


We finally made it....yepeeeeeeee Then came the down pour.....we were soaked from head to foot...Took us four hours total....but...was too sore to post last night....can barely stand for long lengths of time right now...but oh...it feels ooooohhhhh sooo good!!!

What fun mail and fun day on Monday!!

I forgot about this win over at Crazy Old Ladies, so when it came in the mail I was sooooooo surprised and Happy!!! thanks sooo much and if any of you have time, go check out their wonderful blog!!



Then Tuesday I got up early and starting sewing right off the bat....and sewed and sewed. I met my husband in town and we climbed that mountain again and took an hour off our time....no huge backpack and the weather was cooler. Then came home again and sewed again...don't you just love them? I got the pattern off e-pattern.com