Old Tobacco Road

Bonnie of Quiltville and Quiltvillechat has started another mystery 'Old Tobacco Road'. I plan to make one, but so far all I've done is choose some fabric. This time I'm going to do a little different from Bonnie's colors as I have been wanting to do a pink and brown quilt for awhile now. My scrappies will be the bottom 2 rows, and I am just hoping that there will be enough contrast, if not I'll learn to love it. I threw in a little bit of black as per Bonnie's suggestion, so we'll see. Her mysteries are always fun.

Forgot the Back and World Record Quilt Label

I almost forgot my Guinness world record contender for largest quilt label. It even looks pretty good now that it's quilted, in person anyway. I love the sunflower fabric, it feels really nice and I like sunflowers. I don't know that my back enhances the front, which was in the previous post, but I like it and no one will know except me, and I guess you, so what the hey as my father would have said. I like my Orange Crush, front and back.

Quilts Back From Longarmer

Yesterday, I got my Orange Crush and my Baby Crazy Big Block back from the longarmer, and I am pleased with them. The baby quilt is already washed, I hope she likes crinkly and doesn't just think it is wrinkly, as it is very crinkly. I love that effect, but I know that all don't. Now I am hoping to finish my Turning Twelve by Tuesday as that is when I have a dentist appointment and am hoping to give them to them that day. They are for the dentist's new baby born July 13 and their 4 year old so he doesn't feel left out.

At some points I didn't know if I was going to like my OC, and had considered making 2 quilts out of it, or setting it straight, and I love all the quilts that were done those ways, but I am glad that I stuck with Bonnie's original plan as now I have a nice big quilt for my bedroom queen sized bed, and I and DH love the way it turned out. Today I hope to get it washed and dried and on my bed and also do a little spiffing up of the actual room so it will do it justice. Sorry about the crooked picture, but the room is small and I was wedged in between furniture.

Embroidered State Quilt

This is what I've been working on since Sunday. There is a wonderful group 123 It's Almost Free Embroidery
where there is absolutely free a new state flower or a filler block each week until you have 56 finished blocks and a queen sized quilt at the finish. I had gotten a bit behind, and so Sunday I did the 4 embroideries, and today I finished up the blocks. I added the state outlines and the flower names, the flower names because I am horrible at flowers and would never have been able to identify them later. The Arizona block just came out this week, and I am anxious to do it, as it is a beautiful cactus and I like cacti. I had wanted to do a state flower quilt, but the designs I have seen were expensive up to $200.00 and more, so this is a wonderful thing to me. Now, I need to get busy on quilting my Turning Twelve. I was thinking this morning that I keep putting it off because of fear, and I need to take a lesson from Nike and just "do it". I will be mowing this morning, but I plan to work on it this afternoon or evening, and hopefully, I will have a finish to share soon. I seem to be the world's worst procrastinator.
Also, for any of you ladies who machine embroider, I tried my new electric screwdriver with my hoop and it was wonderful. It got it nice and tight, but not too tight, and my hooping stayed flatter and nicer as I was handling it less. Then when it was time to undo it, it was a snap, so no more sore fingers.
The one I got was from Sears, less than $40.00, model 9-11398. It is small so it fits a ladies hand well and very light, almost cute. After all, I am female, and I like cute even in tools. When we went tool shopping my grandson was with us, and he said, "you like little things don't you grandma?". He was right.

Amy's Giveaway

Amy of Amy's Passions is having a giveaway for her 100th post. As you can see, there is lots of fabric, and a really cheerful bag and I know she'd love it if you go to her blog and leave a comment. Just so you can be thinking about it, she would like to hear about your favorite quilt. I enjoyed very much reading the comments.

Birthday and Tools

Yesterday was DH and 3rd grandson's birthday, and we along with 9 other family and friends went to Bahama Breeze, our favorite, for lunch. I had hoped my son and his family could meet us there, but my son had to work, so it was just my daughter's part of the family. We had a nice time in spite of 'Fay'. I had been saving state quarters, and decided to cash them in to take everyone out. After we ate, DH and I went to Sears, where he got a new electric screwdriver, and I got a few tools and a toolbox to replace the one that he took over. I already had the hammer, but the other tools are new and just for me. I read how one lady uses an electric screwdriver (drill) to tighten and loosen the hoop on her embroidery machine, and it sounded like a good idea, so I got the smallest lightest one I could find. I'll let you know how it works out. Tightening them manually is hard on the fingers, plus I never feel like I get them quite tight enough. It was a fun day (almost like my birthday as I got a gift, too), but my oldest grandson was having a goodbye dinner with us as he left right after to move to Pennsylvania, so it was sort of sad, also. He is driving by himself, and had to pick up his going away gift from a friend on his way out of town. It turned out to be an 8 week old puppy, rat terrier, the perfect traveling companion?
I've been fortunate, as all my kids and grandkids have been in about a 100 mile radius until recently, and now I have a granddaughter in New Mexico, and a grandson in Pennsylvania, sometimes change is hard.

Fun Giveaway

Susan has a pretty new blog, and a new giveaway. Her blog is "Ape over Quilting" and she is a new quilter with a new machine, starting a new quilt with a beautiful new block. To participate, you just have to leave a comment and tell her about your first quilt. Hurry though, "The deadline is Friday, August 22, 2008 at 8:00PM (PST)".

Giveaways

There are two bags being given away, and I wanted to share pictures with you, but blogger is not cooperating, so I'll give you links instead.
Lurline of Lurline's Place is giving away a Cathedral Window Bag for her 100th blog and if you follow her blog, you know that everything she makes is lovely. Also Bonnie of Calamity Janes Cottage is celebrating "Getting Ready for Fall", and has an adorable bag to giveaway. It is very fallish, and has a cute Halloween button as the catch. Good Luck.
Add one more 100th post blog to the list. Amanda of Amanda's Musings. Hers is still a mystery, but it sounds like it is going to be handcrafted. If you are familiar with Amanda's blog, you know she is always working on beautiful stitchery, bags and quilts.
Wow, I can't believe it I just found another one. This is a new blog to me, but it is celebrating '200' posts. Debi of Quilting With Debi is giving away charm packs, essential thread, and a quilting book. This is a great week for giveaways.

Arte y Pico from Quiltwhinny

What a pleasant surprise to be nominated for this award by Quiltwhinny from Quiltwhinny Trails. The nicest thing was getting the chance to discover and enjoy her beautiful blog.

Here's the 5 rules bit for this award:
1. Choose 5 blogs you consider deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and contribution to the blogging community, regardless of the language.
2. Each award should have the name of the author and a link to his/her blog to be visited by everyone.
3. Each award winner should show the award and put the name and link to the blog that presented him/her with the award.
4. The award winner and the one who has given the award should show the Arte y Pico blog so everyone will know the origin of this award. Translated, it means "the peak of art."
5. Show these rules - done!

Just a note, the picture that she shows referring to my giveaway was actually the giveaway from Marit who had a giveaway about the same time that I had mine.
I have tried to think of who I would like to nominate, and I love so many blogs that I can't decide. As I have seen on other blogs whose writers have had this dilemma, please if you are reading this consider yourself nominated if you would like to accept the honor.

Burger Queen Mystery Quilt

I have a 'flimsy'. I am going to try to quilt it myself, but first I have to do the Turning Twelve and then hopefully, I'll be a little better at the FMQ. It ended up 54 x 78, so will be a nice size for a couch quilt. I think I have green and purple out of my system now, so next quilt probably pink and brown. I'll bet anyone who reads my blog is getting tired of the pink quilt underneath, I think that I need to change that soon.

Supper in the Crockpot - Meatballs

I got this recipe off of the yahoo crockpot group, and made it and liked the concept, but didn't like the result too much. I now have adapted it until it is in my opinion an A+ meatball recipe. I used to make good meatballs from my MIL's recipe, but because they were browned (fried) first, they always seemed to end up triangular instead of round, which wasn't that visually appealing. This recipe produces nice round meatballs and I don't have to do any frying, so the mess and the fat is lots less. I use a cookie scoop, and so they are uniform in size. I like mine small, so I use the 1" size, but you could make them whatever size you prefer. After I descoop them, I round them up a bit with my hands, and I spray the scoop and my hands with cooking spray first. I didn't bother to take a picture, as now all you can see is spaghetti sauce.

CROCKPOT MEATBALLS

1 1/4 pounds low fat ground beef

1 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 Tbsp. minced parsley (fresh or dried)

1-3 cloves minced garlic, or garlic powder

3/4 cup milk

2 or 3 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper, scant

Mix ingredients and form into balls. Any size is ok. Put in crockpot with a couple of jars of sauce, one on the bottom and one on top.

We prefer Bartolli's or Barilla's Basil and Tomatoes Sauce. Cook about 4-6 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. Can be frozen and reheated from the freezer in the crockpot. Makes about 28 1 inch meatballs.

I hope that if you try it you like it.

Giveaway Drawing and Prize

I waited until this morning for the giveaway drawing, just to allow for all the different time zones. Then I had to wait for DH to get up, as he sometimes sleeps in, and then even before he was showered and dressed we did it, that is why all that is showing is his hand, he was a little uncomfortable about being on the internet in his jammies. He picked number 23 Carol VR, who's from Canada, and whose blog is a new one to me. That was one of the nice things about having the giveaway, discovering new to me bloggers. Her blog is No Reason Needed, if you'd like to have a look.

I didn't make anything, but I hope she likes her gifts. There are several fat quarters and some thread from Connecting Threads, a charm pack in a tin from Hancock's of Padukah from a few years ago, I had bought several. All the things needed to wear scissors around your neck so that they don't get lost, the necklace the retracto reel and the scissors which are also seam rippers. I have some and like them a lot, as they are snips and also ready in case there was a boo-boo (not the ouch kind the rip-it kind). And last but not least, a little wooden birdhouse (I had gotten 4 of them and am down to 1, which I think will be for me), and a tiny bone china bowl from Old Country Roses, which would be great as a little pin dish, or even for holding jewelry that you take off in the evening.
Thank you to everyone who left a comment and also to those who put the link on their blogs. You are all wonderful, and I wish I could give everyone a prize.

And Another Two.......

Isn't this adorable! Go sign up on Applique Today, Joanna is having a 100th post giveaway.

Also, Cheryl at Polka Dots & Rick Rack is having her one year blogiversary and is giving away one of Nicole's Raggedy Old Annies.

I would be beyond happy to win either one.

Another Mystery Giveaway

Inger Lise of Lises Hobbyblogg is having a giveaway, too. She's celebrating her 100th post, and has a wonderful blog. You've got until the end of the week to leave a comment.

100th Post

Wow, I just realized that this is my 100th post. I guess that I had better have a giveaway. Not sure what I'm giving away yet, but if you leave a comment you will be in for one chance, and as per the usual rules, a link to my giveaway will get you another chance. I wish that I had thought ahead and had a pretty picture of the prize to display, but as usual I am not completely with it. Since I have to have time to think, I will have the drawing next Wednesday, August 13th, how's that. I can't promise handmade, but I do promise it will be something quilty and nice.

Giveaway

Marit is having a giveaway on her blog Marits Hobbyblogg for her 100th post. As you can see, it is for a beautiful set of potholders and napkin holder. Her blog is very charming and worth a visit just to look around.

Turning Twelve

I've been working on my Turning Twelve (Twenty), and figured since this is my first attempt at FMQ I'd better take a picture now, as this may be the best it ever looks (lol). The sock monkey is machine embroidery, and seemed to go along with the backing material since he's playing basketball. It's about 48 x 62 inches, and that is hopefully a good size for a 4 year old boy, and won't be outgrown for a couple of years. Now, next step is set up my machine for FMQ and practice, practice, practice. If my meandering is bad, I am thinking of doing circles all over using my quilt halo, and if my back stitching looks bad, I may get out the walking foot, and stitch in the ditch. I have plans A, B, and C depending on how my practice goes.

50th Post Giveaway

If you haven't been to Farmyard Crafts in a day or two it's definitely worth a visit. She's celebrating her 50th post, and had added a new wrinkle to the celebration. She has a winner, a runner up, and a surprise present. Hmmm.

Mail, Turning Twelve

Yesterday, I also got 2 other things in the mail, but didn't have the picture handy on the magazine, and just had a cardboard box on the desk. I got the magazine on Amy's recommendation, she made the cover quilt, and plus it has one of Bonnie Hunter's quilts included. I haven't read it yet, but may tonight while my husband watches his Red Sox. The little desk is a cheapie from Target for my Janome Jem. I wanted to keep it in the family room for when we have company using my sewing room to sleep in.

Also, I have picked out the fabrics for a Turning Twelve quilt that I'm making for my dentist's four year old son. I'm going to try to quilt this one myself, worse comes to worse, I guess I can tie it (lol).

Granddaughter, Gifts, Giveaways, and Mail

What a wonderful day today. At 9:00 AM this morning my granddaughter Tabitha came over and we tried to do some crochet. Since it has been years since I have done any serious crochet, and I'm right handed and she's left handed it was a struggle, but she is starting to catch on in spite of me, and I think will be adept soon. She stayed about 6 hours, and it was great to be able to visit with her and have lunch together. DH was here too, and he also enjoyed it, and checked her oil and did manly grandfather things. While she was here the mailman came, and I got to show off a bit. The top picture is a lovely gift from Amanda who has turned into a dear friend. We will probably never meet, as traveling doesn't look to be in the cards for either of us, but it sure is easy to feel like you know her. I'm borrowing the books to learn more about Bath, which she recently visited and the stitchery was a wonderful surprise. It was beautiful on her blog, but even more so in person. Another package was The Quilter's Homecoming and a really pretty fat quarter (I love butterflies) from Erin of Hannie's Annie's. Quilter's are the most generous people in the world. I had won a giveaway on Doni's blog for a fat quarter, and it came today, too. 'Life is good' Doni, and I love the fat quarter. It reminds me of ticking, which I love, and will add to any quilt. Not too many such good mail days around here.


I almost forgot my package that came from Connecting Threads. I got two fat quarter samplers, you can see a sample in the last picture, and also a little gadget to hold rulers steadier, and some Chaco Liner pens to try. Whew, you know it was a good mail day when I forget my Connecting Thread order.