Happy New Year!

Wishing all my friends and family a very Happy New Year! May all your wishes and dreams come true in the new year. And don`t forget to write 2009! :)
See yah next year.

A great Christmas!

Well Christmas is over for another year, except of course for the Greek Orthodox. They will celebrate their Christmas on January 7th. They use the old calender. I always remember theirs, because that is also my birthday! I will be 51 this year. Anyway back to Christmas.
As you all know, my mother in law passed away in the beginning of December. She had made all these different kinds of cookies for the holidays as long as I can remember. But she always made my husband "orange cookies". Sometime after she passed, I heard my husband remark to someone that he would never get orange cookies again. So I did some searching online, and found what I believed to be the cookie he was talking about. On Christmas Eve, he had to work until 8pm. So my youngest son Joey, and I spent the whole day making cookies. I made up a tray of the orange cookies and set them on the counter. When my husband got home from work, that was the first thing he saw! I told him Merry Christmas, this is one of your gifts. He actually got tears in his eyes when I told him what kind they were and why I had made them for him. So for all the things he got, the orange cookies were his favorite gift.
And if you want to get a few tears of your own, check out my friends blog and see her Christmas miracle. It is Sew Happy Quilting in my list on the right. I still can`t seem to make links in my postings.
Tammy

Merry Christmas!

To all my family, friends and anyone that happens upon my postings! MAy you all have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah or whatever you celebrate. May you be surrounded by your family and friends! I hope for you that all your dreams and wishes come true in the new year. And I thank you for stopping by now and then.
C is for children
H is for happiness
R is for reaching out to those less fortunate
I is for imagination, which without it, what would this world be
S is for Santa of course
T is for treasuring the memories
M is for all the Mothers that work so hard to make our holiday
A is for After Christmas fabric sales
S is for sewing up those fabrics
:) Just my little thoughts for the day!

I finally got my tree done!

Well Christmas really snuck up on me this year! (like usual) I finally finished my tree on Thursday night. I always get a real one. My son Justin and I went out to the tree farm on Sunday and picked out our tree and cut it down. I always like doing that with at least one of the kids. We have been doing this since Justin was born. He is 22. Wow, time really does go by so quickly. My youngest son will be 16 in just a few weeks. His birthday is one day before mine.
While Christmas shopping the other day, I had an exact list of what each person wanted and only bought from the list. I was thinking how much I miss buying toys and little gifts for the stockings. Someday, I hope to get a granddaughter! Since I have four sons, I never got to buy dolls and dresses and little girl things. I can`t wait! Well yes I can. I don`t think my two younger ones are ready for kids and one of my sons will probably never settle down and get married. The other one has a son, who is going to be 15!!
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah!
Family is what it is all about!

Sharon Bs challenge for 2009

http://www.pintangle.com/community-challenges/2008/12/11/stitch-explorer-2009.html?lastPage=true&postSubmitted=true
I really hope that link works!
Go to her website and sign up for the challenge in needlework. Any and all CQers will love seeing her work, and what a great way to expand your knowledge!
Tammy

A giveaway I found!

This was on Huntres9 brand new blog. Check out her blog and then go enter the giveaway she linked to. What a great bunch of goodies she has.
http://daisyquilts.blogspot.com/2008/11/thanksand-giveaway.html
here is her link

A great giveaway!!

Holee linked this site on her blog and what a great giveaway it is! You need to comment on your favorite charity and tell a little about why. That is all that has to be done to be entered for a chance at an awesome bunch of stuff!
http://confessionsofacraftaddict.com/2008/12/have-a-craft-addict-christmas/#comment-4508

My purse!!

Today was a great mail day! I joined an exchange on the crochet boards for a one time swap of a gift to a fellow crocheter. I got a name and someone got my name, but noone knew who they had until they received their gifts. I had Kobus, who lives in the Netherlands. I made her a filet crocheted hot pad and some small ornaments for on her tree. Well today I got my gift!! The neatest thing was she had ME!! She made me this awesome felted purse and flower pins! I love exchanging gifts with people and NOW I have this! Thanks Kobus!

Needlebook from Holee

Here it is opened up and with the little scissors my husband just got me.

Great Friends First Today!!

I have made such good friends on this computer, and as everyone knows NTQuilter is my best friend of all. I am working on a little surprise for her for Christmas and hope she really likes it. I also have become friends with everythingquilts and Holee from the HGTV boards. Well yesterday in the mail came the best needlebook, and the cutest little Russian doll ornament from Holee. She made a bunch of these dolls for a swap, but because of her health, did not get them done in time to swap. BUT she sent me one and I can`t wait to get her a ornament or two done up and sent to her. Here is my pics of them. I didn`t have a needlebook for embroidery things, but now I do!

everythingquilts tagged me today

I was tagged today and now I need to tell you six things about me, you may not know.
I also have to link back to my taggee who is everythingquilts.
ok six things
1. I turned 50 this year!
2. My best friend is NTQuilter.
3. I am one of three kids, I am the oldest and both of my siblings suffer from Huntingtons Chorea which is a hereditary disease. I don`t have it.
4. I have 4 sons and one grandson. I WANT a granddaughter.
5. My sister gave me a Bichon Frise puppy for my birthday last year, she was born on my birthday. Her name is Misty and I love her to pieces!
6. I have been quilting for about two years, my grandmother quilted for her whole
life and would love that I am a quilter.

Here are the rules
1. you must link back to me on your blog
2. post the rules on your blog
3. state 6 things about you we don`t know
4. tag 6 more people
5. let the person that tagged you know that you responded as well
6. tell the 6 people you tagged by posting it on thier blog.

Day started out great! BUT

Well today was my only day off for the next 8-9 days. I started out great, got my exchange gift finished up for the crochet board and mailed it out. I finished stuffing a box for my friend Donna and got that in the mail finally. She is just starting out CQing and I wanted to send her some things in that line. I sponsored her in the CQ embellishment swap that I host several times a year, so her and I split all the bags I had coming to me. I crocheted a small snowflake for my best friend and just need to stiffen it up and pack her Christmas box up and mail it.
THEN the bottom of my day fell out. The nursing home where my mother in law has been for the last month or so called and said she was doing very badly and non responsive.
I called my husband at work around two this afternoon to tell him. He called me back a little bit ago and my dear mother in law passed away. She has had Alzheimers for a little while now. Still it is hard dealing with her passing. She was in her 80s, and was really a good person. She helped my husband and I buy our first home, which we still live in. She use to cook these great Sunday dinners and then send us home with care packages that would last us almost till the next Sunday. She was that kind of person! I will miss her!
Tammy

Winter Giveaway!

THis is going to be the Winter giveaway which will be starting in January. I will also post it in the sidebar. Check out the site and decide if you want to play, and if you want to be part of the giveaway. I won two gifts in the Fall into Fall giveaway and what a great way to find new blogs to read.

Sew Happy Quilting: Pay It Forward

Sew Happy Quilting: Pay It Forward
This is the Pay it forward link back to Donna`s site. She got me started on this. And she taught me how to post the link!!! Thanks Donna.
Any questions on how this works, just ask and I will try to help you out.
Now I need three people to sign up on my site.

last two

I loved these little Christmas buttons!

close ups

CQ ornaments DONE!!

Well these four small ornaments are finally done! And they really did work out, although when I started piecing them, I thought they would never get done. I tried about five new things and maybe two worked out. But they are really cute. Thanks to Talia for the rhinestone embellishments on the mittens. I found the cutest little lightbulbs and added them to my tree. Now that I know how things worked I want to make a few more for some special friends!

Pay it Forward

I am a member of the growing group of Pay it Forward!! I am committing to sending three homemade gifts to three people in the next six to twelve months. Would you like to join? I will have a link so you can read all about it. As soon as I figure out how to get that link on here. The premise is real easy, you sign up here with me, and then you post it on your blog and get three more people to sign up and on and on. The first three that sign up get your gift. I think that the way you get your gifts is to also look for others that sign up and let them know you are one of the players. That way you get the three items. When I post the link, it will give you more info if needed.
Tammy

What I am working on

Well I did quite a bit of hand work this week. I did a lot of embroidery and beading on a Crazy Quilt round robin that I am in. I can`t show it, as it is not to be shown until the end of this RR. That will be in about seven months.
I am also doing a crochet item for a swap on the crochet boards, and that will be a surprise for the recipient around the first of December. I will post some pics of that as soon as she recieves it.
I bought a 1/4 inch foot for my sewing machine and am going to work on doing red and white blocks for a swap as soon as I unbury my machine from all the CQing I am working on.
I don`t know about the rest of the CQers out there, but when I work on CQing, I make a huge mess!! I have so much stuff for embellishing, and fabrics. I get out all my boxes and decide want I want to use. Sometimes I get ideas real fast and sometimes it takes a few days or weeks to make up my mind. I lay things against the fabrics and sometimes I just start stitching and go from there. I bought those plastic shoe boxes from the local dollar store and at this time, have about 20 of them full of stuff. Everytime I try to organize, I get tired of it and start just shoving things in the boxes! That is great until I am looking for something, that I KNOW I have and can not find it. Oh well at sometime I will get them all organized. And the good thing is that I find things I forgot I had! lol
Well back to working on the last of my CQ ornaments for mailing this week.

giveaway

I found a great quilt giveaway on everythingquilts blog and am going to try and link it here, so here goes!!

Family Trials

Today was a hard day for me. My MIL had to go into a nursing home a month or so ago. She has Alzheimers and was getting very bad. Well today we had an auction at her home. My husband Steve is one of four brothers and three of them came to the auction, one from Florida, one from Virginia and my husband and I attended the auction. I cried when we got to the house and most of the items had already been moved outside or to the basement for the sale. I think it was because it seemed real to me for the first time. I am the total optimist! I think things are never that bad until I actually see it. And for me, seeing that empty house made me realize that my mother in law is really in a home, and does not know anyone anymore. My husbands one brother that lives right near there could not bother to come. That seemed wrong and Steve was upset, but that is another whole story. I think one of the things that bothered me most was knowing how hard she had worked all her life, raising four sons on her own. She was a great lady and I will miss that part of her. But she is happy, she loves for anyone to come see her. She does not miss us when we don`t get up, because she does not remember us. Everything is brand new to her. Kevin, the yougest son took her some ice cream and she was delighted with it, it was like something she had never eaten or even seen.
Maybe that is the best thing about this horrible disease.

Vacation at last

I had a few days of vacation that I needed to use before the end of the year. I decided this was a great week to take them. I got to go to a new quilt shop yesterday and a Harley shop with DH. What a beautiful day it was. The weather was just perfect for a drive. First stop was a store about one hour from us called Surplus City. It is just the neatest place. One half of it is mens stuff, tools, hardware, paint, stuff like that. The other half is fabric, crafts, decorative items. I got several yards of fabric, some rick rack and also some yardage of laces. Then it was on to the quilt shop I had seen advertised on Quilting Arts tv show on PBS. It was a cute shop with lots of goodies squeezed into a small shop. I bought some great batiks, and a new pattern. I also bought some more beading needles. Then we went to the State College Harley shop, OMG, if you ever are in that area, stop in and see that shop. It is huge and very nicely laid out. The people there were very nice too. I found a coat that I loved and told him to get me one for Christmas. There was only one there and in my size. He said if we don`t get it now, it will be gone. So we did!! Maybe tomorrow I will get him to take a picture of me with it on and post it.
Well when we got outside, we almost had a flat tire, there was a guy that worked out there got us and airhose and we pumped up the tire and headed home! It was a great day!
Tammy

another giveaway

I found another site that is a really cool site to visit with an awesome giveaway, I am posting here also
http://simple-needs.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-10-29T15%3A25%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=7

great site

I was just out wandering around in blog land and found this site. They give directions for a new gift every day in November. And there are some great giveaways at the same time.
Check it out!!
http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/

Friends

I love the computer! Want to know why?? Because of the great friends you meet. Today got me thinking about how many wonderful woman I have met because of the computer. Woman from all over the world, from all walks of life, woman like me with a love of quilting, crocheting, whatever. With the way we work nowadays, we hardly have time for anything besides that and family. Friendships are so hard to keep up with in this modern day, we are tired after work, we don`t get out as much, or have the time to "do lunch, go shopping, just sit and talk" but we can "visit" with all our friends every night right in our living room, wearing our pj`s! What more could we ask. And the friendships are real! We truly care about each other, we share hopes, dreams and joys and sorrows, right here and now!! Don`t ever tell me that my friends on this computer are not real, because we all know they are. I laugh and I cry right along with them.
I would do whatever I could for them and know they feel the same way. Some I will meet face to face, lots I already have, some I will never see their faces, but they are as important to me as the ones I have met. Guess I just wanted to let all my friends know how much they mean to me!!
Tammy

Bad Sue

Here is one of the Bad Sue blocks I just received. There are only two more to go and then I will have to start working on this quilt. This is Headielamarr`s Cow Tipping quilt block!! lol
She says it took twin Sue`s to knock that cow over. :)

Halloween posting

Well since it is Halloween in two days, I decided to update my blog in this way. I am not sure of the colors for the text, but love the witch. And what better thing could there be then weird news for the corner. lol
Thanks Donna, I found these things with the link on your blog.
Tammy

an art test I found on Pennys site

Non-conformist, Visionary, and Independent

6 Abstract, 4 Islamic, -9 Ukiyo-e, 5 Cubist, -1 Impressionist and -18 Renaissance!

Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which exists independently of what may appear to others as visual realities. Western had been underpinned by the logic of perspective and an attempt to reproduce an illusion of visible reality. It allowed the progressive thinking artists to show a different side to the world around them. By the end of the 19th century many artists felt a need to create a 'new kind of art' which would encompass the fundamental changes taking place in technology, science and philosophy. Abstract artists created art that was diverse and reflected the social and intellectual turmoil in all areas of Western culture.

People that chose abstract art as their preferred artform tend to be visionsaries. They see things in the world around them and in people that others may miss because they look beyond what is visual only with the eye. They rely on their inner thoughts and feelings in dealing with the world around them instead of on what they are told they should think and feel. They feel freed from the tendancy to be bound by traditional thought and experiences. They look more toward their own ideas and experiences than what they are told by their religious upbringing or from scientific evidence. They tend to like to prove theories themselves instead of relying on the insight or ideas of others. They are not bound by common and mundane, but like to travel and have new experiences. They value intelligence, but they also enjoy a challenge. They can be rather argumentative when they are being forced or feel as if they are being forced to conform.

This was my results. Hmmmm ok, I think this is somewhat like me.

A great giveaway and great friends

I popped onto my friend Talia`s blog to see what she was up too, and found this great giveaway for a watercolor painting of one child or infant. This ladies work is awesome and I would love to win! She is taking comments for the drawing until the end of October, so if you hurry over there and enter, maybe you will win. I must be crazy to post this as I want to WIN!! lol
I don`t know if my link will work or not so try it and if not go to
//sittingprettystudio.blogspot.com/2008/10/watercolor-portrait-giveaway.html#comment-form just copy and paste if the link does not work. Please mention you found out about the giveaway from me so I get lots of entries.
On one other note, I have been gathering up healing hearts and different items for a friend of ours from the HGTV quilting message board. This lady was in a lot of our swaps and was the first one to send me a Demise of Sunbonnet Sue block. She made the Death by Stash block that is posted here.
Her husband was killed by a drunk driver and she is hurting very badly. We all at the message board wanted her to know, WE care!! So if you happen to read this and want to send a card, just leave me a note with your email or email me and I will give you my real address.
Till next time
Tammy

close up of pumpkins

Here is a close up of the machine applique! Don`t look to close.

Pumpkin Table Runner

Well. I finally took a whole weekend off! I had taken this weekend off to go to the Bedford Fall Festival, which of course was last weekend. I should have known not to start a project this weekend after that screw-up, but decided on Saturday to make a pumpkin table runner for my small kitchen table. I could only find a pattern that was for a placemat, but decided I could just enlarge, add some of my own ideas and it would work out fine.
First thing I realized was I do not have that many fall colors, and almost no orange, but not to be defeated, I found enough to think it would be ok. Next thing on the pattern was use fusible webbing, well the only kind of that I had was heavy duty Heat and Bond, so went right ahead and did that.
Now I don`t know that much about machine appliqueing, but started out fine, and then my needle kept gumming up and the thread breaking! So after about 3 needles, rubbing alcohol, rethreading alot!!! I finally got that done. Now I am finally at the end zone, (son is watching football right now)
I want to sew it together pillowcase style and put a binding just at the one end. Lay it all out, sew it all, looked great, no puckers, flip it right side out, BATTING is on the outside. I want to throw the whole thing in the garbage and go take a nap!! Unsew the whole thing, sew it the right way, after reading the directions, of course. And WALAAA, here it is just needing quilted. NOW, I am going to go take a nap!! lo

Sunbonnet Sue more blocks

I got some more pics taken and came on to post and guess what!! I won a prize from Sunny! What a great day off this is turning out to be.
Here are all the blocks laid out so far.

RR for us Crazy Quilters , Sunbonnet Sue

ok, well I am so far behind with this, it is not even funny. But today I am off work and plan on adding all the Sunbonnet Sue blocks that have come in. This has just been so much fun.
But the big news is that a bunch of us are doing a RR crazy quilt block. The idea was that everyone makes a block or whatever they want within a certain size. We are in groups of 7-8, and it will be mailed around for everyone to embellish. I am doing a purse with my pieces. I just need to add a few things and then get it delivered tomorrow.
What else is going on in my life? Way to much, lol
I have entered into about 40 giveaways from various sites for a Fall into Fall giveaway and am so hoping to win one. It would not matter which one, since all the prizes were so great, I would love any one of them. Today is the day for the drawing!!
Tammy

Sheriff Sam arrests Jailbird Sue

I got everythingquilts block the other day, but have been sick as a dog with the flu. Wouldn`t you know it, I get a vacation and spend two days laying on the couch! Yuck.
Well anyway Everythingquilts did an awesome job on her blocks. She decided to turn Sue into a jailbird. I love the ball and chain she added to it.
Isn`t it great!!

Adding my HGTV friends blog links

Well I figured out tonight how to add links to other blogs!! So here are some of the ladies that are on HGTV quilting message boards. They are all great ladies, and we sure have a ball on there.
Next thing I want to do is add some pictures from our quilting retreat. We went to Houston this year, and the weather was perfect. Three of us left this cold state and headed to 80 plus degree weather. And what a wonderful time we had. All of the fellow quilters we met were great. We talk to each other so often, we were old friends way before we got there! BUT meeting and spending a weekend together, quilting, eating and shopping was one of the best things I have ever done.
Now on to New Hampshire next year and meet back up with all the old friends and from the looks of the group going, lots of new ones.

everythingquilts gifts

A while back I hosted a pincushion swap. A newbie to our message board joined in and did a great job on her pincushions. It was her first swap and she really liked it. Not long after that she posted a picture of a clown dotee doll, she had made. I really liked it and asked her if she would trade me something for it. WELL, She not only sent me the clown, she made me this great turtle tote after she saw that I collected turtles. Now let me tell you, this lady is very talented!!! I can`t wait to see more pics of her work, it has all been wonderful so far.
Thanks Donna!

Death by Stash

This is one of Sweet Tea`s blocks

One of the Bad Sunbonnet Kids block

This is Bad Sam, peeing on the campfire!!! This block was made by NoTimeQuilter, for my charity quilts.

Joyce sent me this little Dottee Doll! Isn`t she darling.

Dear Friends

My dear friend from Ohio sent me a great surprise package today!! In it was some totally beautiful batik fabrics. And since she knew I collected turtles, she sent me a darling tiny carved turtle and some great sea turtle fabric. She also sent me a dottee doll. If you don`t know what a dottee doll is, just google it and see the great ideas people have come up with from all over the world!
I am going to add a picture of hers here.
This is one of the best things about the internet, the wonderful friends you can find and how they just seem to fit so well into your life. Some you get to meet, as I will soon meet my friend in Ohio. Her name is Joyce and we plan on spending a whole day at the Sewing Expo in Sharenville, Ohio a little later this month. I have also met some great ladies from other parts of the world and am sure I will never get the chance to meet in person. But the friendships are there, and that is what counts!

Bad Sue Quilt

A few of us ladies on HGTV quilting message board are doing a Bad Sue or Sam or Bill block, to be put together for charity and one for my sister who has Huntingtons Disease. She will love the humor of a quilt like this. I will be posting pics of the blocks as they come in. My dear sweet friend Joyce is going to long arm the quilts for free.
One of the blocks I have already received is Sue drowning in her fabric stash. Now anyone that quilts can understand this!

My first post

Well I decided if everyone else on HGTV is getting one of these, then I need to have one too!!
I like doing anything with thread and needles. I crochet, quilt, and a lot of Crazy Quilting. I love the quilting board at HGTV, the friends I have met there are some of the nicest ladies. I like doing swaps and seeing the pictures they all post. I am so glad I found that site.