Guess Who's Going to "Big D" Next Friday!

I'm so excited!  I received a call this morning from the friend with whom I've gone to the Dallas Quilt Show the past several years, and she invited me to go with the group again, with her husband driving seven of us old ladies right up to the front door of Market Hall!  I can hardly wait; that is always such a great show!  I'll be looking for Theri's name on a pretty something somewhere.  Check out all the vendors on this website!  http://www.quiltersguildofdallas.org/quiltcelebration2010/default.htm  Wish I were rich!

I've noticed several of you have mentioned you dread writing on your swap blocks after you've finished them.  May I suggest that after you cut your next blocks, but before you sew them together,  look back at your first blocks for the place you wrote on them, and then write on just those little pieces that go in the new blocks, BEFORE you sew them all together.  Just be sure not to write into the seam allowance.  That way, if the pen messes up, you've lost only those little pieces, not the whole block and your time!  Then gently rinse just the pieces you wrote on.  Then put the block together.  Seems to me that might avoid some anxiety and/or frustration. 

My "Walmart Friend", who has moved to Missouri, was still visiting in Texas today and stopped by for a short visit.  She made this for me.
It folds over and closes with Velcro, and has a zipper pocket on the other side for needles, thimbles, etc.  A six-inch ruler fits perfectly.  It holds all the little tools I take to quilt at the church.  Everytime she visits, she brings a neat little gift, sometimes crocheted or knitted; she a very talented lady!  My quilting buddies will be jealous!

The church quilters got our Stack and Whack blocks stitched into rows yesterday.  Here's just a couple of the blocks;  I think they are beautiful!    Sorry I don't have a picture of the fabric before it was cut.

Wish I could win the raffle!

It's going to be a gorgeous quilt!

I stitched together the backing for my own Stack and Whack today.  After watching that Sharon Schamber video on sandwiching quilts that Ruth recommended, [  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNylePFAA  , both parts, ], I went to Home Depot and bought my boards!  One set will handle up to 96", and I had two other boards cut at 60" and 36", so I could use them on smaller quilts.  Now I just have to get busy; no more excuses!   I hope I can make that method work for me;  looks much easier to me than what I've been doing! 

Now for the joke of the day (giggling and blushing) --- I worked ALL day Wednesday, literally until after dark, in the back yard, and when I came in almost too exhausted to eat or bathe, I missed my portable house phone.  I had it in my sweat jacket pocket, but it was no where to be found!  I had the outside lights on, and was walking around the yard with a flashlight, to no avail.  I came in and called a friend and asked that she call my phone and let it ring until it went to message.  Well, I followed the ringing, and found the phone in the middle of a big bag of leaves, ready for the trash man the next morning!  I guess it fell out of my pocket when I bent over to put leaves in the bag.  I'm just grateful that I found it!  --- This crazy old lady needs a keeper ---- or at least a yard man!  *wink*

Hope everyone has a great week-end, and gets some quilting done.  I'm not sure yet whether I will or not, but I'll try, really I will. 

---"Love"