Happy Valentines Day

I hope you all are having a lovely day. Full of laughter and fun. It's chilly here in N. Cal. But no snow in the valley, just up on the mountains. A good day for hanging out in the sewing room. I have been getting some projects done and out the door. Making room for more :)

On the Q&N, we make baby quilts for our expecting Moms or for our members Grandchildren. The latest one, I've just finished putting Prairie points on and got it sent off. This is for BJ's newest Granddaughter, born just a few weeks ago. Isn't is precious!





We've also started making quilts for our charity groups again. We are going into our 3rd year doing this! We have three different charity organizations that we make quilts for. We have volunteers to make the blocks, donate the batting and backing, someone pieces it and another quilts it. I am so proud to be part of this great group of Woman who devote some of their precious sewing time to making quilts for needy children, families and Veterans. We've made over 100 quilts so far!!!

And I've been working on a border for a round robin medallion that I have. We have started our second robin and are just having a blast. We have 3 groups, and my group is going fast, as two of the Ladies in it are expecting babies later in the year, and we want to get these done before they have bundles of joy to care for :)

On the personnal front, I am being remiss in getting my window quilt done. My excuse is that I just don't have the right fabric to finish it :) Maybe I'll have to do some shopping to see what I can find. I have ordered 3 patterns though, that I would like to do sometime this year. And I am anxiously awaiting our next Mystery quilt, which will be next month. If you haven't done one of Jess's mysteries, now is the time to start. Her's are always gorgeous!

So many patterns, so little time....as my good friend Pat is always saying. I hope you find something crafty to do with your day. Enjoy it and enjoy your family.

Till next time,

Dorian

Rainy Day Blues

The rain is our Winter here in Far Northern California. I live down too low to get snow, although every once in a blue moon we'll get a half an inch or so. That hasn't happened for about 7yrs though. But our mountains are covered with the beautiful white stuff. And just looking at it makes me want to snuggle under a quilt or two.

I am in the process of making a window quilt. Our house is small, so there isn't much room for wall quilts. I need a new curtain on this particular window anyway, so why not make it a quilt! Then I have a cover for my window from the cool air trying to come in AND make a pretty for the 'wall'. I wont quilt this, just 'tack' it every so often, so it gets done and on the window, instead of getting put away with all my other quilt tops.

The round robins we are doing on the forum and coming along so nicely. I love seeing what borders people are putting on these. And the Gals doing the Easter bunny swaps are having fun deciding how they are going to decorate their fabric egg blocks.

We are also getting our charity quilts under way for this year. We've decided to cut back a few months, so that we have time to catch up. The quilt tops tend to pile up as they are all voluteer's doing the quilting and they only have so much time to devote to these. I so enjoy looking thru the albums though, and seeing all the pretty quilts we make for the three groups we donate them to.

Well that's all the news from my rainy part of the world. I hope all your machines are stitching nicely, and pretty things are being made.

Till next time.

Dorian

To make a resolution...or not...

Here's hoping you all had a wonderful Holiday season. Now is the time that people start thinking about resolutions. I've never been a resolution type gal myself...but yesterday I was sitting on my bed contemplating all the beautiful quilt tops I have. And I started thinking that maybe it's time to make a resolution to get them all quilted.

I have ELEVEN tops that need quilting! I am not a machine quilter. I own two sewing machines and they are both about 100 yrs old. I love sewing with these machines. They are strong and built to last! But I've never been good at actually quilting on them. Piecing yes, quilting no. And besides that, I enjoy hand quilting. I can sit and rest my weary bod and do something useful at the same time. The problem is, this past year I've had a lot of physical problems, and they are not letting me do much hand quilting. Hence, a bunch of tops...as I just can't resist testing Jess's beautiful quilt patterns!

I took all my tops and laid them out one by one on the bed. And I've decided that I love each and every one of them. The next one always seem to be my 'favorite'. And I have tons of ideas as to color for making these quilts all over again. The patterns are fabulous! So what's a girl to do?.....Go on making more tops, and hope one day I can quilt them all!! LOL

We have a new swap starting on the forum. An Easter one, full of colorful fabric eggs and chocolate bunnies http://www.thequiltandneedle.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1371&posts=9&start=1 We would love for you to join us.

The Round robin is also off to a good start. I've finished my first border already...I am weeks early!....but it's so much fun. I just couldn't have this darling medallion sitting around without doing something with it. We have 3 different groups going, 6 or 7 people in each group. You can visit our albums and see the medallions and follow along with their progress here: http://www.thequiltandneedle.com/forums/photos/photo-main.asp

Our Round robin we completed last year is one of my quilt tops I was admiring yesterday. I am considering making a window quilt out of it...to cover our window in the living room. Then not only would I have a heavy curtain to keep the cold out...but it would be a beautiful quilt on the wall to admire too....decisions, decisions...make a resolution to get these beauties quilted...or just going on making more to add to the pile! ...maybe a little of both... :)

Happy quilting to you all.

Dorian

Merry Christmas

A very merry Christmas to you all out there. I hope you've got your shopping done, and family is drawing close.

My stockings are done and hanging up. They sure do brighten the room with their Christmas-y colors. And most of my hand made gifts are done too. I am still working on my husbands birthday present, his birthday is the day after Christmas, so I better hurry!

His birthday gift is made from an 'ugly' fat quarter I was sent, in our yearly 'ugly' fat quarter challenge. This year Jess gave us a twist on it. We all sent her our 'ugly' FQ's and she swapped them around and sent them back out. So we all ended up with an FQ that someone didn't want. Luckily, the one sent to me is not ugly to my husband. You can read about it and follow us along here: http://www.thequiltandneedle.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1222&posts=204&start=1

Another of my favorite swaps going on, it's turning out to be a yearly thing too, is our Round Robin. We have our groups picked and getting our medallions made. I already have my first medallion to put a border on. So I can get right to that after Christmas.

Here's wishing you all a wonderful holiday season, and a terrific, crafty New Year!!

Dorian

Busy Little Bees....

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, and are continuing to have a great weekend. We are all so busy around the forum this time of year. We have so many fun swaps going, plus our own creations for our home and family. By the end of the year, we'll all be happy for some rest! LOL

It's cool now, in my part of the world. The days have been sunny, but the evenings are cool enough for a fire. I've been enjoying sitting in my rocking chair, hand sewing on my lap. I'm working on my Secret Santa gift, I have to hurry and finish, as the deadline for sending it is drawing near.


I've also finished a Christmas stocking, only 4 more to do for my family. We had a Saturday Special on the forum, in which we made stockings and posted pictures and 'talked'. Here is mine.



Our Fall table runner swap is over with, and boy are there some beauties! What a lot of talent there is in on the forum! This one is mine, made by my friend Colleen. If you would like to see more of them, you can find the album here:
http://www.thequiltandneedle.com/forums/photos/photo-thumbnails.asp?albumid=82











And we are all gearing up for next years Round Robin too!! I love Round Robins. You get to add borders to your friends medallions, and have them add to yours. Then you have a lovely wall hanging or quilt, and everytime you look at it, you'll think of your friends. It also helps you to think outside your own box. You might have to work with colors you don't normally. You have to consider what has been done by someone else before you, hoping that the border you chose to do will be just right. It's lots of fun. I think that my medallion this time, will be the Carpenters wheel, and I'll make it with some gorgeous died fabric that Connie made. Her products are in the quilt and needle store. It's going to be lovely! I can't wait to get started on it....But I still have stockings to make, secret santa gift to finish, an armchair cozy to finish....

It's a windy day, perfect for sitting inside with the radio on....sewing machine humming! Have a great day everyone.

Dorian