A giveaway!! Sandra Dallas...her newest book!!

Hi everyone!!!

I am so happy to be able to give away a copy, hot off the presses, of "A Quilt for Christmas", by Sandra Dallas.  What fun to be contacted by her publicists to receive a copy!!  And it can be yours...just in time for Christmas!!  Here is a little about the book...

This year marks the 20^Th anniversary of The Persian Pickle Club, New York Times bestselling author Sandra Dallas’ beloved historical novel about a group of women in 1930s Kansas who form a quilting group and share not only their sewing skills, but lively town gossip and loyal friendships.  Dallas’ legion of fans have long been asking her to write another quilting story, and now, in her latest book, A Quilt for Christmas, Dallas has created a wonderful story about a Civil War-era quilting group, whose members are actually the grandmothers of the Persian Pickle Club ladies.

It is 1864, and Eliza Spooner’s husband Will has joined the Kansas volunteers to fight the Confederates, leaving her with their two children and in charge of their home and land.  Eliza is confident that Will will return home, and she helps pass the months making a special quilt to keep her husband warm during his winter months in the army.  When the unthinkable happens, she takes in a woman and child who have been left alone and made vulnerable by the war, and she finds solace and camaraderie amongst the women of her quilting group. But when she is asked to help hide an escaped slave, she must decide for herself what is right and who she can count on to help her.

Sounds intriguing!!  I have to say, I love Sandra's books, and have several.  Just leave me a comment and I will give this one away in the next week or so.  Hey, is there a current day Persian Pickle club?  Just wondering!!  Do you know?

Have a great day!

Julie

Sometimes life is just like that, isn't it!!?

 Well, this is it, folks. The best I can do.  The blue is much more blue in the picture than it actually is, but it is done.  That is IT!  I looked and looked through what fabric I had to work with, and this is the best I have.  I found on the net that blue and cheddar compliment each other, so I went for it!

 The blue does brings out the bright blues in the flying geese, and makes the other colors a little brighter too.  I learned that I really love appliquing these simple leaves, so watch for more of that kind of quilting coming up.

I wanted a six inch border, and cut for that, only to find that the fabric was already cut into (a little self sabotage)...so I was short.  Grrr....so I made 3 inch borders.  And I am calling it good!!  and I do like it....much better than the brown of last post.  I have learned a lot...you said to me, " lay it aside and look at it awhile.  Figure out what you really want!"  Thank you, each of you, for your sage and good advice.  Some liked it, some did not, but I learned from each one of you and so appreciate your frank, honest opinions!

Isn't life kind of like that?  We plan as kids what we are going to do...and life happens anyway, and I doubt many of us have done everything just like we planned.  But it is good anyway!!  

I wish each of you a wonderful day!

Julie

Well, looks like I have a falltime quilt!

 Well, hmmmmmmm...I really have been working on this quilt quite steadily, trying to get this "old lady UFO" to the flimsy stage.  I went to the quilt shop to pick a border, and the ladies chose this.  Really, they did...I had very little to do with it.  I completed all the applique this morning, and sewed the border on this afternoon.

 I have a decidedly brown quilt now.  Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

The sprightliness and lightness is all gone.  It is BROWN!!!!!  So...is that OK?  HELP!!!  Is it OK to have a brown quilt??  Or should I do reconstructive surgery?



Snort!!  I act like this is the most important thing in the world, which of course it is not...




Have a wonderful day, everyone!!!

Julie

Making hay while the sun shines!

 I am making progress on Jeni in the Willow's quilt along.  Of course I change things up as I go...that is just me.  I am so enjoying making these blocks!!  There is no heart so far in Jeni's quilt, but a pumpkin instead.  I made a heart, 'cause I am a heart nurse!  I also changed out the original blocks for nine patches...they may change as the quilt tells me what it needs.

 This is my postage stamp quilt.  I am making progress...I have tons of "twosies" made.  At least five rows worth...this is a long term project for sure, with one inch finished squares.

 Tons of twosies!!

And this quilt...is one of four.  I am helping a friend of mine at work, to finish her grandmother's quilts.  Millie of Millie's quilting quilted this quilt.  Many thanks, Millie!!


And back to work for me, soon...so I hope everyone has a wonderful week!!


Julie

Doesn't seem like a lot, but!!

 All the leaves are prepped!!  And all the vines are appliqued into place, and half of the leaves too. Whoop!!  So I am making progress...slow quilty-type progress.

 Rosie says, "Good morning!" to everyone!!

And I found two shirts from the thrift...99 cents each.  



Have a great day, everyone!!

Julie

Hand work on the road

 We recently took a little road trip.  While riding, I worked on big stitching this, just the final little bit.  And the binding too. Rosie likes it!

 Big stitches...if you have not tried it, maybe you should!  It is great fun!

 I hand quilted this little quilt, and bound it.  It is a duplicate of a quilt I made last month, in different colors.

 I also bound these hot pads, made all from strings.  They are thick and just right for taking a hot pan of cookies out of the oven.

And at last finished the binding on this quilt too.  So that was my work this past week.  All hand work!




****************************Ebola**************************

Since this is all over the news, I feel I can talk about this case.  The young nurse that has Ebola is one of our nurses. She is part of our health care system here in Texas.  I ask with all my heart that you pray for her safety and that she regains her health, and that this terrible disease does not spread further.  Thank you for all your positive energy, sent through the air, to her bedside and into her heart.



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Julie

The next focus!!

 Twinkling!  These stars are twinkling stars!  I have lots of the colorful ones made, and I decided to make opposite blocks, to go between.  These are 6 inch finished, and they are my next focus project.

I am trying to make progress with these, but sure enough, the minute I pulled them out, my focus vanished on the first project, and I accomplished little on either.   So the first project is where I am going to concentrate my energies next!!



*********************The next Bonnie Mystery*************************

My question for you...are you doing the next Quiltville mystery quilt?  The colors were revealed on Bonnie's blog today...see HERE!!    Sounds intriguing, doesn't it??



Have a great day, everyone!!

Julie

Sticking to just one project works wonders! Who da thunk it?

 Yahoo!!  I have found my grove!  By just sticking to one project, I have finished something...at least to the flimsy stage, LOL!  I thought the orange border would be it...but the quilt demanded to have an infusion of light in it.  I added the white border, then the string border, then the second white border.  The quilt says it is now finished, thank you very much.

 The whole thing.  A challenge I encountered was to use every string.  Straight or wonky, I used them all.   This ends up to be a quite wonky border!  So I took strange seam allowances and tried to make it  all as straight as I could...some strings were two inches wide on one side and 1 inch wide at the other end.  But I used everything in the bag...well some of everything.  There are still more 6 inch cut border pieces.  Quite a few more, so I anticipate another quilt or two from this same batch of scraps.  My imagination is running, designing those.

 I prepped a few more leaves for the flying goose quilt too.  Multi-colored leaves!!  Love that...using up scraps here, and it is so much fun!!



Hope each of you is having a marvelous day!

Julie

Storm stories and Focus!!

 Well, I wrote earlier about being adrift with too many projects on the brain...so I decided on one hand project, and two piecing projects to go for!!  I mean to really focus on...and one had to be a UFO.  so...TADA!!!  I am working on my flying geese quilt!!  I am working on the applique.  The quilt will have a top and bottom border of the cheddar fabric, and then a pretty fabric outer border...which I don't have.  But I will have it...maybe I will have to go SHOPPING!!!  Hee!

 Another view...the geese are 3 x 6 inches finished.

 And I love the multi-colored leaves!!  This is all needle turn applique.  Since I have a couple not-good results from my blanket stitched and fused applique, I am going to try and stick with needle turn.  I love it too!  Just takes longer...

 And these stars...I added 12 new ones, completed this morning.  It is still pretty small...so I will keep going until I run out of squares that I have cut out.

And the border on last post's quilt...working on that one too!!

So...I focused!  And feel so much better, and much more productive than dithering hither, thither and yon....




*****************************The STORM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was at the hospital, at work, last Thursday.  Just a busy day...people on the ventilator, lots of drips, some sick, sick patients there.  Busy and just a normal kinda day.  Then the operator announced, " Code Black!".  This means there is a tornado in the immediate area!  So we all ran...moving the patients to the center hallways, shutting blinds and windows and doors...and all stuck together, close and listened to the wind.  The windows bowed in and out...seemed like a couple inches...I did not know glass could give like that!  But it was the pressure changes. Debris swirled by...huge oak trees in front of the hospital came down...not on the building, thank goodness!  The air was full of darkness and trees limbs and the trees were just sideways.  (yes, we went into an empty room and watched out the window for a time.) Electricity went out...the generator kicked on thankfully. We made sure every patient had slippers or socks or shoes on their feet, so if glass were broken, their feet would be OK.  We monitored the vents and iv pumps and reassured patients too.  Counted wheelchairs, gurneys and decided how we would get patients out if need be.  Who was sickest...who could walk...who needed oxygen, etc.  Then....it was silent.  And the sun came out so quickly!!  

Buildings collapsed up the street.  Many, many trees down.  I did not even think about my own house because I was too busy!  But we lost several large limbs, and our old, old cedar tree...thanks be to God, it went toward the street and not on our house.  I came home and immediate started helping dear husband clean up the tree...and a neighbor came with a chain saw and cut up the parts that was blocking the road.  Next day I raked and picked up debris all day long.

And now?  what a glorious day!!  And I feel so blessed...no damage to the house, and we have our electricity back...it only took four days...snort!!!  A hot shower feels amazing, doesn't it??  instead of a cold spit bath....

Many people had significant damage and lots of injuries were told of...but no deaths that I know of.  We were quite lucky indeed.  Praying for those who had worse trouble...and guess what?  The day after, lots of church men from lots of churches came through the neighborhoods looking for people they could help!!  Loved seeing that too!

click HERE to see a crazy picture of the storm cloud


So that is my storm story!   One news agency said 2 tornadoes touched down.  Another said straight line winds 90-100 MPH.  I don't know...but it was a big Storm to this girlie!!!
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\Have a great day, all!!


Julie