The first block, in the upper left corner was made by Sherri-"Sue" who works at the Quilt Shop where the quilty girls meet weekly, oooh and aaaah over fabric, pull bolts and play, plan our quilts and help each other with design issues. Sherri is calm and maybe that tea she drinks has something to do with it.

Block 2 was made by Debbie-"Sue" and her Sue is Wild (see the black and white dress) and loves travel. Her Sue is holding an actual little bitty quilt with an itty-bitty angel charm in the corner. Debbie has moved to South Carolina but still gets back to the group from time to time. I was sad to hear that she was leaving too.

Block 3 was made by Sonja-"Sue" and is probably the most traditional of all the blocks. Her bonnet is embellished with lace and Sue is carrying her fabric in an actual little basket with a little scissors charm tied on! Isn't that the sweetest! Sonja always came to our Wednesday work group with her latest project and supplies in a big basket. I remember when I wandered in to the Quilt shop on a Wednesday for the first time and saw that small group working at the tables in the back...Sonja invited me to sit down and that was the beginning.

Block 4 was made by Sandy-"Sue" and says Shrimp Boil Sue in reference to the wonderful meal that she and her husband put together for us. A traditional Southern Shrimp Boil is a layered meal of Potatoes, Corn on the cob, Shrimp, and I forget what all else. Oh my gosh, it was not only beautiful, but we hurt ourselves eating it. Her Sue has braids and a little ribbon rose on her bonnet. I love the detail!
The Center block is "Stripper Sue" and was a collaborative effort. I can't remember if it came about because I told the girls I had once worked as a stripper. (I stripped cars in a salvage yard in my younger/stronger years when work was scarce) But I love this block because it shows Sue in a whole new light. In the audience are skeletons from some Dia de los Muertos fabric I had and had shared. The stripper pole is 3 dimensional from really shiny fabric. Sue has a tattoo on her hiney that says "Slappy" which is in reference to my imaginary boyfriend, "Slappy the Bait Shop Guy".

Block 6 was made by Ann B and is all about making a home a wonderful place. We refer to her as "Martha-Sue" (she is the most like Martha Stewart) and her SBS shows all of the traditional home making things that she enjoys and does so well. Martha-Sue is my bread guru.

Block 7, was made by our fearless leader and local quilt shop owner, Tod. She chose to make a block representing Sunbonnet "Slappy the Bait Shop Guy" who featured largely in my stories about "love gone wrong" that I shared with the group. Tod is a Kaffe Fasset Groupie and you'll notice that the overalls are from his line of fabric.

Block 8 was created by Annie-"Sue" and features her love of gardening, nature, comfortable birkenstock shoes and unshaven legs (hey, I only report the truth!)

Block #9 was signed by all and reads:
"Made by the Ladies at Tod's Sweet Tater Quilts, Funeral Parlor, and Tea Room."
There is an image of the cover of the book, Sweet Potato Queens Book of Love by Jill Connor Browne which is a collection of stories that we received "readings" from. They're a hoot and are decidedly "southern".I will never forget them. Never. And just to make sure, they made me this quilt...lol.

Sun Bonnet Sue ~ Love from the Quilty Gurlz

Do you remember that lovely package I got earlier this week? It was a much-anticipated box from the Quilty Gurlz in Boone, NC. We met together every week on Wednesday and by the time I knew I was leaving, I was already sad to be saying goodbye.

They threatened me with a Sun Bonnet Sue quilt! I had let it be known during one of our meetings that I didn't care much for that much-loved iconic quilt and that I knew I'd never make one or even have one in my house. Gleefully they set to work and I got sporadic reports when I'd call back there on Wednesday! Oh, they were having waaaaaay too much fun with Sue.

I opened the box on Wednesday, while I was on the phone with them....thanks Tod, for letting us be on speaker-phone! We laughed, giggled, hooted and I knew whose block was whose even without seeing the signature.

On Thursday, I went to Tap Plastics to have a clear plastic rod made and drilled so I could hang it. My neighbors, Mike and Dana, said that they could come down on Friday after work to put it up.

After figuring out how far down from the ceiling I wanted it to hang, Mike got to work and in about 5 minutes it was up.

I think I got up 2 or 3 times last night and had to turn on the light just so I could admire it all over again. There is significance to each block. I'll share them with you tomorrow.

Thank you Quilty Gurlz ~ I love you back!

Friday.....

Not much happening today, but I seem to be on a roll blogging, so here I am today.
I watched this movie ~ Mad Love ~ last night. I had never heard of it, but was browsing the foreign films section of the local video store yesterday and found it along with two others.

"The true story of Juana de Castilla (Pilar Lopez de Ayala), daughter of Queen Isabella of Spain, who married (and fell passionately in love with) Archduke Fernando of Austria. When Juana's mother and older brothers die in 1504, Juana becomes queen, but her discovery of her husband's many lovers leads to erratic behavior. It's the perfect opportunity for her cheating husband to declare Juana insane and himself king."

She seriously was crazy with love. Have you ever been crazy about something/someone?
Fabric!!!

what is your style???

While reading the How About Orange blog today, I took a quiz that they linked to to determine what my "design" style is. While taking it I found that I didn't care for a lot of the designed rooms they showed, and that being said, that I'm "picky". hehehe Didn't need a test to determine that!

This is what it said I am...

Your personal style is a mix of 3 specific styles:

42% Cottage Chic

42% Vintage Modern

16% Zen Style

What are you????

Leftovers...

I've got plenty of blocks left over from the zig-zag quilt top. I can get two good sized crib quilts out of them, and I like to have a few on hand so I'm not caught up in a rush when I hear of a new baby on the way.

I haven't figured out the layout yet, but have been playing with a few ideas. It won't take me long to knock them out once I get started.

I'm still looking at the Flea Market Fancy fabrics that I'm going to use in my next quilt, and trying to figure out how I will use them.
I don't want anything complex...the simpler the better...because the fabrics should be the focus. Maybe coins? Maybe a zipper quilt?

The fabric will tell me what it wants.

Wednesday with the Quilty Girls

Our little group met on Wednesdays at The Quilt Shop in Boone, NC. Even though I'm not there, they continue to meet and I think of them every Wednesday and many days in between. They are the best bunch of Quilt Queens and I was so lucky to be there with them for 2 years. We spent the day chatting, sewing, and we often pot-lucked so there was a fair amount of eating too. We came to know each other's preferences and I think expanded each other's comfort zones. As for mine, I told them that while I admired many kinds of quilts I was pretty sure that I would never come to love Sunbonnet Sue. They promised to make me one...lol.

Look what came in the mail yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!

I knew it was coming and I know it's Sunbonnet Sue, but I promised not to open the box until I had them on the phone on a Wednesday. That's today!!! I called a while ago and they are iced in, so will call them back in a couple of hours to see if any of the girls have made it in. I'll open it then. I'm so excited!!

I'm A Winner!

Yesterday, on Skinny laMinx Blog, I was one of the winners of her fabulous giveaway! She is giving away some wonderful stuff and I can't believe some of it is coming my way. Heather Moore lives in South Africa, works for Elle Decor, SA and is a graphic designer/fabric designer as well! Quite impressive. She recently designed a dish towel with images of IKEA furniture on it....I love IKEA, so I love the towel as well.

Go take a look at her blog, and check out the Elle Decor, SA blog too for their take on design trends.

I enter a lot of giveaways on various blogs, but this is a first-time win for me! YAY! And thanks to Heather for making my day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope yours includes some chocolate!

I'm still assembling blocks for the zig-zag quilt and tomorrow I'm going to see "Slumdog Millionaire" with a friend.

What are you up to today?

Drizzle, Drizzle.....Cheer up Chum!

This is the kind of day it is today....wet, drizzly, cold, and generally the sort of day that makes you find stuff to cheer yourself up with.

The tree across the street is abloom to cheer itself up, and it cheers me up too.

The mirror in the entry hall always cheers me up when I come in from outside. It is totally made from tin, embossed, then treated to darken parts of it, and I love it

The tulips I got from the market today were just begging me to take them home and promised if I would that they would be cheery. I did and they have.

This little vignette on top of my stash cabinet is cheery too.












I have a picture in my files of a quilt that might be next up on my to do list. I've printed it out and am looking at it as I work on the zig zag.

These fabrics have been auditioning for the part. I pulled them yesterday and have been looking at them every time I pass the dining room table. They are cheery too, don't you think?

My most favorite cheerful color is orange, and I've been collecting orange fabrics for a while. Still thinking on that quilt.

Working again....YAY!

I started thinking of this quilt over a year ago and got as far as cutting the strips in anticipation of making the half square triangles. Then I put it away as I knew I'd be getting ready to move. I've really been in a creative slump since I got here. I did make one king-size bed quilt as a commission, but it didn't inspire me in any way and I was just stuck.

Bumblebeans got my motor running again when she asked for some 9 patch blocks. I got them made and while working on them I started thinking about the 2 color planned scrappy zig zag quilt I had wanted to make. I dug out the parts, and started making those blocks.

Now they are made and I've been sewing the blocks together today. It feels good to be working again. I've pulled out some fabric for the next quilt and it's ready to cut. The zig-zag quilt will be about 75" square, and I'm going to machine quilt it myself.

Tonight's Menu

Same group of friends....relaxing good time and good food.
The Menu:
Asparagus and Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Green Salad
Scalloped Potatoes
Dessert ~ Amish Friendship Bread
Yum!

Remember This?

My post yesterday was full of accomplishment....I got the 9 patch blocks done and ready to mail. I took another look at Bumblebeans blog to compare my blocks to the one she posted.

It was only then that I realized I'd cut the squares too big. My blocks are bigger than she called for. I wrote to her with big apologies and she said send them anyway.

What is it carpenter's say...measure twice, cut once? In my case, re-read the blog entry before making blocks.

So, I'm off to the post office with an envelope full of too-big blocks and a shovel full of regret thrown in for good measure. I'm hopeful that she can find a way to use them.

Industrial Accordian Accident

Okay, I have to tell on my friend, Ann. I called her yesterday to report that Barb had been here and gone, and Annie's hubby, honey-bunnie, told me that he and Ann had just come from the Emergency Room. When I asked what that was about he said that Ann had been in an Accordian-related accident.

Ann, like me is a women of substance and her chestal area is not lacking, if you get my drift. Well, I put together her endowments and the image of an accordian and my mind went to places we probably shouldn't even talk about.

When I stopped giggling long enough to get the details, it was so much tamer than my imagination. She and Rick were clearing out his mom's house, and Ann was carrying up an accordian from the basement. She somehow got her hand caught between the accordian and the wall and got a laceration that required stitches. See, I told you it was tame. Anyway, I couldn't wait to call the Quilt Shop back in Boone where we all meet on Wednesdays, and where they still meet without me (boo-hoo!)....because I had some embellishments to that story that I wanted to share with the Punkin Haid Quilty Gurlz there. No such luck...the shop was closed today due to weather.

That story is just too good to wait, so you get it.

9 Patch Blocks Done

Bumblebeans put the call out for 9 patch blocks and quilters scrambled to respond. Rotary cutters whirred, fabric flew, and sewing machines all over the land hummed.

Be careful what you ask for, because shortly thereafter she closed the request....lol. I squeeked in under the wire.

After some false starts and interruptions, I finally got the blocks put together today. I'm going to the post office tomorrow and get them on their way.

These simple blocks have got me out of the doldrums, and I'm happy to be busy again. She posted a very simple pattern on her site in the last couple of days and I'm yearning to get going on that.

And, I also have pulled out some squares that I plan to cut and make half triangle blocks for a zig zag two-color quilt that's been fermenting back there in my head.

Thanks Victoria for moving me on down the path.

On other fronts, I baked another loaf of bread....put together a grocery list for shopping tomorrow.....pulled my stuff together to meet with Bob the tax preparer on Friday noon.....and had a good walk with Maya this morning.

Thankful today for being able to do all those things.

Guess what? Chicken Butt!

Okay, that's the mood I'm in today. My friend, Barbie, from North Carolina came to visit me yesterday and what a visit it was! Too short. But sweeeeeeeet!
(click on this picture to read it....sorry it didn't post big enough)


She and I laughed, chortled, hooted, snorted, giggled and, oh my.... how I loved that she took the time. She was visiting some friends in Reno who generously lent her their car so she could drive down here.

She only had a day, so she came yesterday, and had to leave this morning. We went to IKEA! We picked up our conversations like we'd just seen each other yesterday. I love an easy friendship like that.

Then after I got her on the road today, I was just marveling about how lucky I am. Those Sweet 'Tater Haid, Qwilty Gurlz in NC just folded me up in their hearts and haven't let go. I miss them.

I've got a bowl full of yeast dough rising to make another loaf of no-knead bread, and am still making 9 patch blocks for Bumblebeans. They're fun.

Also, today on the True Up blog I read one of the best articles on stash building and color mastery. It is really helpful. I think I'll buy the book she references, and for sure I'll pay attention to what I buy for my stash. I have a ton of material....so why do I need to buy something for what is lacking in my stash that I need in my current project. It's not that I don't have enough, but it's that I have too much of the same stuff and not enough of the fillers.