I Have Been Tagged and Happy Heart Day!

Julia from http://scraphappyquilter.blogspot.com/ and Kimberly from Kimberly's Quilts http://kcamouquilts.blogspot.com/ have both tagged me with the 7 Random/Weird things about me.
Here are the rules of this tag----1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you. 2. Post THE RULES on your blog. 3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog. 4. Tag 7 people and link to them. 5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

Now my random/weird things:::

1 I am the oldest of four children. I have two sisters and a brother.

2 I met my husband at work. I worked in the ER of our local hospital. Jim was a fire fighter for the city and brought sick and injured patients to the ER. We have been married for 37 years.

3 I have two children. My daughter is a Speech Therapist and my son is a high school HistoryTeacher.

4 I have two of the greatest grandchildren ever born. A girl and a boy.

5 I could spend hours and hours in a quilt shop, bookstore or an office supply store. I love them!

6 I dislike cats!!!

7 I love chocolate and I love ice cream. But I don't like chocolate ice cream.

There I am in a nutshell!!

So many of you have been tagged already, I am not going to tag anyone. I am going to leave this open to anyone that would like to join in . Have fun. I would also like to wish everyone a very Happy Valentines Day! I will chat soon.
Pat

A Bit Of Catching Up!

I would like to catch you up on a few things from before Christmas, but first I want to show you what I got yesterday. I know that I have told you before that this is my most favorite quilting magazine ever. It is the only one that I read from cover to cover. If you have never read this magazine, you are missing out on a load of laughs. Mark is a HOOT! I was so excited I wasn't able to focus my camera on the book. (Therefore, the picture below.)

These are some give aways that I received before Christmas. The pin cushion is from Mar at Moonbeams in a Jar. I love it and use it all the time. From Melly and Me there is a pattern for their new purse, Toffee Apple. Love it! There is a book and a pattern from Kerry at Cottage on the Hill. The book Blackberry Jam and Cream, doesn't it sound delish? There are some recipes and some patterns inside. Also from Kerry is a pattern for a sewing machine mat. It has little pockets on the front to keep scissors, seam ripper and such right at your finger tips. There is a pin cushion on the side. I think that this is a very clever idea. I can't wait to make it. Last but not least there is a charm pack from Vickie At Mid Ohio Knitter. I have one other gift that is not in the picture (I will post it.) It is a group of stitcheries from Karen at Cotten Spice. She designed under a different pattern company( which I can't remember right now, but I will.) There were several patterns that were duplicates. I will post them soon and If anyone would like one I will send it to them. More about that later. Thank you again everyone.

I do have a finish here! This is the second block of Primitive Garden BOM from Primitive Gatherings. I love this quilt and I can' wait to finish it. I was very disappointed when I found out that only the wool version was available. Now I am thanking my stars! There are so many small pieces. I don't know if I ever would have finished it.

Now I am on to block three. ( below) I am going to try to get it cut out and ironed on this afternoon. I am off to try and get this done and I also have a Christmas gift to finish (from last year). It needs a bit more stitchery and then made into a pillow.

I will be back to chat soon.

Pat

Hello Everyone! I'm Back!

It is so good to be back in blogland! My sister is doing great. She has been through her first round of chemo with very few side effects. She is back at work full days. She is back to her "normal " self. "Normal" is not a word that I usually use to describe my sister. In my family I am not sure what normal is!! We both want to thank everyone for their prayers and kind words. We both appreciated them very much. Positive thoughts are so powerful. I can not say thank you enough. Her next round of chemo starts the 25th of January and this time it should be even easier on her. She will be finished her therapy in June hopefully.



The last few days I have caught up on some blog reading, answering e-mails, running errands and catching up on some much needed house cleaning and laundry. I have even had some time to do a bit of stitching. One of the projects that I am working on, was to be and still is, a Christmas gift for last year. My friend Colleen and I have not exchanged our gifts yet. Hopefully by the end of the weekend I will be ready. She is very organized. She was probably ready to exchange last July! She is also very understanding.



I have ordered some fabric, patterns and supplies to start some new projects for this year. I have also decided on gifts for my PIF. I hope that Julia from http://scraphappyquilter.blogspot.com/ and Lynn from http://therosecottage.blogspot.com/ don't think that I have forgotten them.



It has been snowing here for two days. We had about 12" this morning and it had been snowing all day. The children were happy, they had a snow day! Because of snowy weather I am unable to take pictures. Hopefully tomorrow. I can't wait to share what I have been working on and my new purchases. Hope everyone is having a great day! I will chat later.

Hugs,

Pat

Thank You!

I would like to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers for my sister. I have not been blogging because we have been very busy here. We have been off for tests, scans, blood work, xrays, more tests, Dr. appointments, a biopsy and a month of waiting and many sleepless nights. But no more! Yesterday we found out some bad but good news. She does have Hodgkin's Lymphoma. It is cancer, but one of the easiest forms to treat and with the best results. We are all very thankful. Again thank you for the kind comments and the e-mails. They were appreciated very much. I will chat soon.

Hugs
Pat

Happy New Year!

I have met so many kind, wonderful, helpful and caring friends in the short few months that I have been in blogland. I would like to wish each and every one of you a year filled with joy, freedom from stress and worry, special times, memory making, new adventures , more time to quilt and peace in our world. Goodbye 2007. Welcome 2008! I have so many expectations for this year and I hope that it is at least 30 days longer that last year. Then maybe I will be ready on time for 2009! Hugs to all. I will chat soon.

Pat

To all my blogging friends

As many of you know I have not posted in quite a while. I am going through a difficult time with a serious medical issue with my sister. In addition I am amidst the Christmas rush as I am sure most of you are also. I hope to be back blogging soon.

I would like to wish each and everyone of you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year. I will chat soon.



Hugs,

Pat

Works In Progress

I have been working on a few things for my friends and family for Christmas. I can't show everything because I am not sure if they have found out about my blog yet. I feel like an undercover agent-having to be careful of what I say and sneaking away to blog. First this pillow is for my granddaughter. I just love the fabrics which are by Buggy Barn. I’m pretty sure she will love it too.

I have never attempted machine applique before, but there is a first time for everything and I'm going to try it on this project. Wish me luck! I am going to use invisible thread and one of the million stitches I have to choose from. Does anyone have advice? Jump in here whenever- I would appreciate it!

The next project is a little stitchery that I just love and is so fitting for most of my friends. The pattern was on the back of a cross stitch book from several years back. I think it may have been" Sisters And Best Friends" but I am not sure. As you can see I still have to frame them. I will post a picture after. The frame is cute.











The next project is a pattern from a Nancy Halvorsen book Santa's Coming. These are" just in case gifts." -Just in case I have forgotten someone or someone unexpected stops by during the holidays.

I think that this is enough for now, and I really must get back to my other stitching. I am also trying to decorate our home for Christmas tonight. I hope to have it all done by tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest.

I still have room for one more in the PIF if anyone is interested.

I will chat later.

Pat

Happy Thanksgiving!

Every year my family goes to my brothers for Thanksgiving. . This year I will be making a new salad at the request of my niece. The recipe follows:


Red Grape Salad

8 oz whipped cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 t vanilla
8 oz sour cream
1 large bag of red seedless grapes
brown sugar
walnuts chopped

Wash grapes
Mix cream cheese, white sugar,vanilla and sour cream together. Add red grapes. Cut up a few walnuts and mix with some brown sugar. Sprinkle the sugar and nuts on top of salad just before serving.

I hope that however you spend your day tomorrow, it will be wonderful.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Pat

Pay It Forward

Pay It Forward

I saw this sign 0n Hanne 's blog today, and found that maybe I was one of the first to leave a comment on this post, so I thought, why not play along! And so I did! I've seen PIF's on other blogs, but never early enough to sign up, until now!

Come join the fun and make the world a happier place :-) So this is how it goes...It’s the Pay It Forward Exchange. It’s based of the concept of the movie “Pay it Forward” where acts or deeds of kindness are done without expecting something in return, just passing it on, with hope that the recipients of the acts of kindness are passed on.

You all know I’m already a PIF type of person. So here’s how it works:I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange.I do not know what that gift will be yet, and it won’t be sent this month, probably not next month, but it will be sent (within 6 months) and that’s a promise!

What YOU have to do in return, then, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Please come join the fun!

Pat

Off To The Closet!

I really enjoy working on my Primitive Garden block of the month quilt, but Christmas is coming faster than I can stitch. This is a block of the month from Primitive Gatherings which has a great website. If you would like to visit the site, the address is http://www.primitivegatherings.us/shop/. I have finished Block 1, and I just need to stitch Block 2 down.





I have also received blocks 3 & 4.

As much as I would love to be working on these, they have to go off to the closet until after Christmas.

Hope everyone is having a great day. Will chat later.

Pat

365 Day Challenge Quilt

I started journaling on my 365 Day Challenge Quilt on August 4, 2007. It was just a regular old day, nothing special happened. I was waiting and waiting to start, but I am not sure for what. So I just started on that day. This is a Challenge Quilt that I am sure most of you know about. For the one or two of you that don't know, I will tell you. Leanne Beasley from Leanne's House (Love Her!) started this idea this year. She has a tutorial on her blog to help you with making the quilt . You journal everyday for one year and then you make a quilt from your daily journals. I have journaled every day, and I have my background fabrics all pulled. I have my freezer paper and my marking pens also. That is as far as I have gotten on it, so I guess that I have most of the hard work done. I believe that I will continue to journal and hold off on the cutting of the fabrics until after Christmas, which is really coming quickly. I thought that I had a good hold on Christmas this year, but I am not sure what happened. (Did we miss a month or two?) I have fabrics picked for fall, for the start of winter, the holidays, birthdays, and I have some small embroidery patterns picked out to use on some of the blocks. I can't wait to start them. But I must get going on my Christmas, so I will be done in time for Santa! If anyone is making this quilt, I would love to hear about it. Are you doing anything special on it? Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated. I would love to do one of these quilts for each of my Grandchildren. They are six and ten years old. Some of the things that they do, say and come home from school with are so funny I must capture them.

I think this project is on its way to the closet.

I hope everyone is having a great day. Will chat later.



Pat

A Cute Fall Decoration.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Mine has been busy. I know that it is quite late in the season but I wanted to show you a cute decoration for fall. I purchased this kit at the last quilt show that I went to. It's a quick project that is easy to make.

You need :

a fat quarter of fabric

a brown lunch bag

a roll of toilet paper

enough batting to wrap around roll

small piece of jute

artificial leaves

Roll and twist lunch bag and wrap with jute. Wrap toilet paper roll with batting (not to puffy). Set it in the center of the fat quarter right side down. Draw the short sides of the fat quarter up and hold in place. Take the longer of the ends and tuck them into center of roll. Push lunch bag into center and lastly add leaves into center. Place it on the back of your toilet or any place that you would like. Enjoy!

I will chat later.

Pat