You will just never, ever believe what happened to me this past week at work!! I had a darling patient at work at the hospital...just a sweetheart. I met her daughter, and she looked familiar to me. So I asked if she or her mom were quilters...and she politely asked, "Have you heard of
Turning Twenty Quilting?" WELL OF COURSE I HAD!!! I was speaking to Tricia Cribbs!! My heart just flip-flopped...I was speaking to QUILTING ROYALTY!!! To make a long story longer, Tricia is just the soul of kindness and gentleness and goodness...she was so sweet to answer all my silly questions about her life and career, and guess what?? Tricia gave us one of her NEWEST BOOKS to give away on the blog!! Now how nice is that?? So just leave a comment about anything, really...how about a fun Christmas experience...those comments will be extra fun to read! And you will be entered in the drawing. Please go see Tricia's website
HERE. You will just go crazy like I did...she is truly a talented quilter, designer and person. Please see her blog
HERE!! I just have never had such a wonderful time at work...I could hardly keep my eye on the ball and get my duties done at work!
Well, I am back at hand quilting this quilt. I do love it so much, with all it's imperfections. I don't know how to photograph quilting lines... I outline quilted all the blocks, and the outside border...and then I bound it. I know, I know, I am not supposed to bind until the very end...but it was ravelling and I pinned carefully and thoroughly...and it turned out just fine. I am doing double line quilting in all the blocks. It is super fun, although quite slow. I have a blister right now from quilting, so have to wait for that to heal up so I can quilt some more.
All the swap blocks are pieced!! I just love all these pretty nine patches you sent...and these are the blocks I designed with them. Now what to do to set them all together...? 100 nine patches means 25 blocks...so one will be a pillow, I am sure.
The wheels are turning!!!! Stay tuned...I am thinking of a unique way to sash them, or set them together. It is strange that all these little nine patches came from different quilters...they all go together just perfectly!!
And the BIG THING!! I have been piecing...and piecing...and piecing....on my postage stamp quilt. Seriously, hours of piecing. And the rest of the hours have been spent on cleaning and getting ready for Christmas. Tricia had an amazing postage stamp quilt with her at the hospital...and it just really inspired me to get after mine and GETERDUN!!!!
Have a great day, everyone!!!
Julie
67 comments:
What a small world! I don't have many funny Xmas stories but I do have fond memories of wrapping paper fights.
I too have been trying to put my sewing space back in order today. We are expecting a grandchild to be born in the next week or so. I thought I would clean up because I will probably be out of the sewing room for a little while. Hope Tricia's mom will be feeling better very soon. Thank you.
One of my favorite Christmas things is eggnog. A good thing it's not available year round. I'd weigh a ton! Love your hand quilting.
What a sweet story. I really love the setting idea you used for your nine patches! Such a fun way to tie them all together. My favorite Christmas memory was the year we got our first dog ever for the kids. She showed up under the tree with a big bow around her neck. Best Christmas present ever.
That is just precious! Praying that she is feeling better real soon. It is a small world. :) One Christmas memory that we will always have is one Christmas morning as the kids were coming into the room to open gifts the pup chased the cat up the tree and turned the tree over! I cried, the kids laughed and they opened gifts by an overturned tree. :( That made for some really odd photos. :)
Kristie
What a small world and a great story! My funniest Christmas memory was that before the day of the tiny Christmas lights my Dad always insisted on a tree with only blue lights. My brother and I were so thrilled when the little lights came out so we could get multi-colored lights like everyone else. I tell my Mom that I'm still traumatized by the blue light special tree!
I want to make a turning 20 quilt so badly but need the book. It is so neat that you got 50 meet Tricia.
Holiday story- one of my favorite Christmas memories is when I got a little record playerfrom Santa. He even inludo some "kiddie" albums. I'm sure my parents were so tired of hearing me sing along at the top of my lungs after an hour or so.☺
I just want to tell you how much I love your blog, you impress me by how much you get done. My other fav is Teresa at Fabric Therapy.
Years ago we had a silver metal Christmas tree. When the cat decided to run across the wool carpet and jump onto the tree, she go the surprise of her life! The static electricity created by the carpet as she ran caused her to do back flips when she touched that metal tree. She was never especially bright, but much stranger after that experience!
Isn't it amazing what life brings to us. It's just such a great thing to happen to you.
A great Christmas story from my family...We had just moved to a small town, my niece had just turned seven and was at that age where she wasn't sure about Santa being real. We took a weekend trip to Branson, Mo and went to see Santa. Somehow he knew who she was, exactly which house her Grandmother lived in and even that she didn't have a fireplace but he would still be able to leave presents because he knew she would be spending Christmas eve at grandma's house. She was amazed as was I. He belief in Santa was firmly established. When her mother led her away I stayed behind to try and figure out how Santa knew all this. Turns out he lived in the same town as we did and it was a small town everyone knew each others business and he was no different. He had even helped build our house so knew about the fireplace. Talk about a small world. She is now 26 and still talks about that trip and meeting the real Santa.
Thanks for the great giveaway. I remember one year my parents bought my niece & nephew a child sized table/chairs set for Christmas. The kids liked the table & chairs but, as usually happens, the box the set came in was the best present ever as far as they were concerned.
Quilting royalty, how fun and exciting! I've made a couple of Turning Twenty quilts and they were easy peasy!
A funny Christmas story was my son's reaction to every gift he opened the year he was two: "Oh, cute!" He had obviously listened to me open gifts for his baby sister's arrival too many times!
I spot my 9 patch blocks there--great layout! I have one of the 3 quilts I made from the swap hanging on my railing now.
Happy Quilting!
What a great story. I love reading your blog and am somewhat new to quilting.
Oh my... that would be exciting! Were you flummoxed or calm, cool and collected?
I remember the Christmas Eve we stayed up most of the night building toys for the kids that said "some assembly required"! We never left it until the last minute again!
How fun to meet quilting 'royalty' and in such an unexpected place! Loving the 9 patches :)
Great story and lovely for you to meet 'royalty'! Love the little nine patches.
How fun for you! My kids are really into the homemade Christmas and are busy working on gifts for their siblings. My daughter has been crocheting like crazy, and one son is busy making a computer game for his older brother. It's always fun to see the results of their industry on Christmas morning!
When I was five, a noise in the attic woke me up. My first thought of course was "Santa Claus!" But then I recognized my father's voice. He was trying to assemble a doll's house and obviously it wasn't going well. That was the end of the Santa story for me!
How fun!!! I used to love meeting patients who were also quilters. Working in IV Therapy sometimes gave me enough time to sit and talk. And we would show each other our things. One part of working that I miss!! Having the book would be great.
Great quilting idea.
Late this summer, sitting having coffee with our quilting friends, the granddaughter of one that has special needs, came in - took one look at me and thought I was Santa. (I have a white beard similar to Santa's.) I played along with her telling she needed to be good and made her day. Oh it was rewarding for both her and me. Thanks - Robert, from northern Iowa. . . .
What a great story, thanks for sharing and thank you to Tricia for sharing one of her books. I have been crazy busy cleaning for Christmas and haven't been able to stitch at all. I hope I can get back to it soon. Have a wonderful Christmas!
Well, there's an unexpected Christmas gift! Yeah! Thank you Julie for the links. I am glad I met Tricia and her wonderful quilts. Hope her mama is doing better. :)
I don't recall Christmas' morning. To me it was Christmas evening!! Oh! Santa did came to my house and leave beautiful gifts under the tree but I had to wait til the evening to open my present. In my foster home, we waited for all my foster parents children to arrive in the afternoon with their children. (There's a big age difference between them and me.) Then we would eat, then we would do the dishes. I remember some years it felt like I would never see what Santa left under the tree which I've been looking at and trying to guess what it was since the early morning. It was maddening! lol
I absolutely love small world stories like this - chance encounters can make such a difference! I would love to be in the drawing for her new book - and I am SO glad you had such a great day at work!!
Christmas - my favorite is the simple beauty of the white lights . . . especially when I take off my glasses. (of course I used to crawl UNDER the tree when I was a little girl, lay flat on my back, and look up through the branches . . . it was magical)
One special Christmas was when we came to visit our son & family in Oregon about 10 years ago. It snowed a lot and was absolutely gorgeous! Our grandchildren had so much fun sliding down the hill with their cousins on Christmas day. It was a memorable Christmas. You have been busy and already have your 9-patches almost put together! I haven't even started. I checked out Tricia's blog and web site and was very impressed with her patterns. Love the red work! I would LOVE to win the book, so enter me in the drawing. Thanks!
When I was about 8 or 9 years old, my father was manager of a lumber yard. He had to work on Christmas Eve, and I got to go with him to work. We were the last ones to leave, after 6pm. As my father was locking the front door, a man drove up and begged to get in the store for something to finish his daughters dollhouse that he was making her for Christmas. My father turned around, and we spent the next half hour helping the man get what he needed to finish the doll house. My father taught me that helping others, instead of rushing home, was more important, especially at Christmas. I've always remembered that lesson, and have tried to follow it.
What a wonderful story, Julie! How lucky for you!!
I love what you have done with the swap blocks. Such a clever setting. : )
Your quilting is lovely and it is nice when the parts of our life--professional and recreational--fit together. Enjoy!
Well, that was a fun meet! Not sure my Christmas stories are that interesting....cats climbing the tree, dogs eating the pine cones in the garland along the stair rail. But once I cared for one of the artists that drew Winnie the Pooh characters for Disney! He sketched out Winnie for me :-) Happy Piecing!
I'm off to check out Tricia's website!
WOW! Quilters are just the nicest people. Your quilts in process are beautiful
I love turning twenty books. I have several kits for turning twenty quilts that I hate to cut into. Maybe if I won the new book I could get inspired or at least over get courage to cut into the kits. If I don't win (probably not)I will buy the book. Glad you got to meet her.
More than several years ago, Christmas Eve...I am frantically trying to finish a quilt for my eldest son. I think he is fast asleep in his bed and I am zippy along quilting this thing and all of a sudden he's there talking to me! I just kept on doing what I'm doing, He was oblivious and surprised the next morning.
Christmas is a magical time, and your recent experience illustrates that.
Lots of fun memories from childhood surrounding Christmas, especially the day the catalogs arrived. Oh my how I devoured every page of those precious books, dreaming and wishing. Browsing the Internet is just NOT the same!
Wow! What an exciting story!
I really love your quilts. You do such amazing work.
I know how you feel, probably the same way I felt when I got to meet Bonnie Hunter. Would love to win this Turning Twenty book.
would love to win, thanks
Woo Hoo! Look at you rubbing elbows ( or in your case bed pans ) with celebrities!! How fun for you to meet her!
Well, darn…I am swooning over your 9 patches. Mine are all trimmed and in a bag waiting for me to play! I really like you setting yours in the light fabric!
Of course I love the hand quilting too! GO GO GO!!!
I like what you've been doing with your swap blocks. It's a great setting. And I love the fact that your kindness to your patient gave you some joy back. I like it when the world revolves in a good way. Thanks for sharing.
Wow! How fun! I love that cover quilt! I can count on one hand the number of times we got to have Christmas with our extended families after we were married... each time was just magical! Best memories of the kids with their grands. Thanks for the fun!
I love the turning twenty books. My favorite memory is when I was really sneeky. One year as kids we decide to open our presents before Christmas without our parents knowing. I read a whole book. However, I learned a good lesson. I like to be surprised so I now I never want to know what I am getting for Christmas.
So enjoyed your post Julie today...always love seeing your projects..hugs O'faigh
What a fun thing to happen! Right now I am in the middle of Christmas stuff AND Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt. PLus the hospital is packed- yes literally and thus Blood Bank is hopping!
We've made several Turning 20 quilts at our church quilt group for donations. Love the ease of them for even the most novice of quilters. Thanks for the giveaway.
How exciting! I have an unfunny Christmas story. My Mom was running to town right after lunch on Cmas eve. It had snowed, and then melted so it was muddy (we lived on a farm). She started to slip, but didn't want to get muddy, have to change clothes, etc. She grabbed the car door handle, and instead of falling, broke her ankle. Not a real great Christmas that year.
Thanks for such a nice giveaway. Good to see that you were inspired to get back to your postage stamp quilt.
Love Turning Twenty! I do not have any interesting stories, but it was the time of the year that I got to spend some time with my sewing/quilting grandmother. I do not remember any gifts, but I remember things we did together while I was there.
How exciting for you! I hope her Mom recovers quickly. I have never made a Turning Twenty quilt, but several of my fellow guild members have and rave about them. A Christmas memory, I guess it would be the winter my husband was out of work and my Mom sent my children everything they could have wanted for Christmas , even stockings she had knitted full of goodies!
I remember the year where the last gift was a small envelope. Inside was the message that we were going to be grandparents!! 181
What a fun hospital distraction! I hope they are gone by now.
Looking forward to seeing your postage stamp quilt.
What an interesting day for you! One year I wrapped a large box and put a note in the bottom for my son to find his (very large) present on the bed in our bedroom. It was pretty funny seeing the look on his face to get a note instead of the gift.:)
What a buzz to meet a famous person like that!
My Christmas story is from Christmas 1970. I was a raw green Aussie visiting "Mother England" and working in a big factory outside of Colchester, Essex. I had been muttering about a white Christmas for weeks, and suddenly on Christmas Eve, just before we were to finish work, someone shouted out to me from across the room - "its snowing". I was so excited and hurtled to the window to see for myself! That afternoon my friends & I (all Aussies) went to one of the pubs in the village and sat near the open fire watching the snow come down, and later played with snow balls in the village square, much to the amusement of the locals.
Dear Julie,
what a wonderful experience you had at work. I would have been in awe as well.
Very nice projects you have been working on, quiltlines are hard to photograph.
Thank you for the give-away.
Greetings,
Sylvia
How wonderful! 12 years ago my dad had surgery, and I went to hep my mom care for my dad in the days following his surgery at home. We spent that time making a turning twenty quilt. Great memories, and Dad is still going strong @ 89!
How cool to have met them!
A new Christmas memory for this year. We got the tree all decorated on Friday. Then DH was rooting around in the Christmas closet and he found a tin. In it was two handprint ornaments from the two grandkids that were gifted to us last year. I totally forgot about them! Note to self, put them with the other ornaments so they don't end up staying in the closet.
Its always fun to connect to another quilter--happy Christmas sewing--finishing one last stocking. Lois
I love your post, Tricia was generous and nice too. I really like your 9 patch quilt, I just love scrappy.
Whooo boy, blisters are no fun! But the quilting is gorgeous. The nines are so great in all their scrappiness!
My Dad only made his chestnut stuffing on Xmas. Got to tell you I love your scrappy quilts. I have made two of the one you have at the top of your blog and all out of donation or scrap fabrics. Got a lot of ideas from your quilt blog. Thanks,
When I was finally a teenager I realized that the "new" doll I got every year was really the same one in new handmade clothes. One year she had a brides dress and I felt overjoyed. As an adult I realize that we weren't especially well off financially but we were comfortable, warm and happy. Those things are what my memories are made of.
You are such a lucky girl!! You are making great progress on your projects. No funny Xmas stories come to mind this early in the morning, but I love to revisit my memories of traveling cross country from New England to TX to spend Xmas with my dad's family when I was a child.
Not sure if this is still open, but if it is, please enter me. BTW, I always enjoy your nursing stories! Christmas was fun the last few years, my sisters & brother & their kids were all st my mom's, as were my kids. First time in a long while. We had a blast playing this silly little game found at Walmart, called Spot It! Super fun and it got very competitive and loud. It will not be the same this year, everyone will be scattered & not all together. It will be very low-key. :-( annesimonot@sasktel.net
I would love to win her book! The quilt on the cover is calling my name. I'm wrapping presents today, getting ready for the big day. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to you.
Seeing a familiar face at work must be one of those professional hazards. So glad you found out Tricia's identity.
Our son had an uncanny ability to accurately predict the contents inside most of his Christmas packages. I would try to disguise contents, but he was pretty much unstoppable. But one year he had absolutely NO idea what was in one box. It was noisy, it was moderate sized, and he was stumped. I'd wrapped 4 boxes of his favorite food--Kraft Mac and Cheese, and he was hearing the dry macaroni in the boxes. Santa Mom won that round.
Well, it's after Christmas for us here, and so this Christmas is fresh in my mind... my children are still small, and every little thing was wonderful to them -- the light in kids eyes when they get to open presents is wonderful! What made Christmas so beautiful this year was the generosity of people who showered us with love; we bought 1 small present for each child, and yet our tree was full of presents. We played all day -- lego, pickupsticks, paperdolls, coloring, story books and craft sets! sarah@forrussia.org
Love that your work and your relaxation came full circle so close to Christmas. I have long admired you work and wonder how you get so much done. Our Christmases are always snowy and driving through the city and country to admire the holiday lights is still one of the best Christmas stories. The year the ice storm hit and there were no colorful lights, just candles, is still my childrens most talked about Christmas yet!
Isn't it funny how we have trouble recognizing someone outside their pew so to speak :)
Love this. You always do the BEST sashings!!
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