A give away at p.s.i. quilt is going on, run on over and see what Rachel has to offer.
And another give away at Mama Spark’s World. Go on over and see what she has to offer.
So many give aways lately – they are always nice to see and always nice to win!
Today a friend and I traveled about 35 miles over to another town (Clarksville) to see a quilt shop that we had heard had opened. I had never gone to her shop before – she started out a few years ago in her garage and then moved “up” to a shop. The inventory is not real extensive but she hopes to add more things as she can. For those of you over in Johnson County, Arkansas and near by here is her web site if you haven’t been to the shop. Sew Kountry Fabrics. I got lucky and she had the exact same red batik that I am using in my second Dear Jane “Insanity Revisited” I think 
I have enough of the fabric but when you are making a quilt that you know will take you several years to complete it is always nice to have a little extra for “just in case” — you know what I mean the scissors slip, you cut wrong – you do a block wrong and have to do it over – those kinds of just in case! With these two extra yards my mind will be more at ease 
I also got two different kinds of neutrals – one is a very white and the other is more of a white with a bit of beige and very light gray in it. These two will go really well with scraps for scrap quilts. I am hoping that she will be adding more batiks and moda marbles to her selections and of course a whole lot more 
notions as she was really low on that. It was nice to see what she had though and find a few things that I wanted.
Last night I got busy and quilted more blocks on “Insanity” and I am getting towards the end of another row! It is moving along quickly once I set my mind to it. The block on the left is Row H block 9 and the photo on the right is block 8 & 7.
I had been meaning to leave a link to this site for awhile now and kept forgetting when I would do my post. Quilters Spirit is an interesting site. Kimberly has a free download to a e book of 16 stories by women for women from the early 1900’s and also links to books that are out now. She has a review of a book by Kyra Hicks that sounds really interesting. She writes about anything from antique quilts to art quilts and history. I just thought it was a very interesting blog and 
wanted to pass it on. I just realized that Kimberly has another blog you might be interested in as well it is Women On Quilts. It looks interesting as well.
My neck/shoulder massage felt so good today – if you haven’t had one you should try it – it really helps loosen up a tight neck. I also did stretches today and didn’t quilt for long periods of time without taking a break. I managed to get done with two more blocks on “Insanity” and I’m over half way done with the applique on the 3rd Christmas Baltimore Album border! It is moving right along.
Talk about weird summer weather – we normally are very hot and somewhat dry by this time of summer here in Arkansas. Not this year. I think the weather got turned around somehow and y’all out in Washington & Oregon are getting our weather. Today we had a high of 73! and it rained for a good part of the day once again. Heavy downpours – I think the news said we had about 2 1/2 inches of rain in about 2 1/2 hours! Talk about run off – the far part of the yard was flooded once again. I hear though that we will be back in the 90’s by next week – darn – I could do without that.
I have been busy the last almost 2 hours this evening quilting. When on a roll keep going I say. I usually get up about every hour at least to stretch and tonight I just kept going. I have come to realize it takes me between 20 to 30 minutes to quilt each block and triangle. I really need to stretch more. I’m back for some massage therapy on my neck and shoulders tomorrow. My neck arthritis is starting to become a problem again, and at the rate I sew I guess that is my problem!! 
That’s alright – this too shall pass – it always does. I need to get some more stretches in here I think.
I got done with 4 blocks this evening – actually 3 1/2 as I started one this morning and first got back to it this evening. Row H is coming along great! On the right are blocks 1 and 2 and on the left are blocks 3 and 4.
I checked at the local bookstore for the book “The Time Travelers Wife” and they didn’t have it either. I asked the lady in charge if they were getting any and she said what they had sold all of a sudden and she has 60 more copies on order but has no idea when it will get in so I ordered a copy from Amazon. Should get it within a week or so. Isn’t it amazing how some books can sit around for some time, then all of a sudden they are made into a movie and everyone wants the book. Time will tell if I think it was worth the trouble to get it!
I guess I should start a category on here for books with as much as I read or book reviews or something. I will give it some thought.
I went into the big city of Little Rock today for a doctor appointment, lunch and shopping. Thankfully it hardly rained at all! I really thought I was going to be driving in heavy rain either on the way there or back – or both – but only a light mist in the morning and nothing on the way back!
After the check up -all is well and I was in and out before you know it even with running into someone I knew and chatting for a little bit. After the appointment I ran over to JoAnne’s Fabric to look around and found a few things to buy – of course – I had printed out their 40% off on one item so had to use it right? Went by Books A Million and found a book that someone had recommended awhile back “The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold. I think Nanci told me about it but I could be wrong, awhile back several people were recommending books. I have never read any of her books and will get to it when I finish the current book I am reading. I also looked for but couldn’t find “The Time Travelers Wife” I heard that one was good too – I went to two books stores and it was sold out at both! I was surprised by that. I will check at the local bookstore tomorrow and if I still can’t find it I will order it on line.
I was able to meet my daughter and her hubby for lunch – we went to the Olive Garden. She was working though today so it was just lunch and she had to get back to work and I finished up my shopping and came home.
I have been working on the next row of “Insanity” this evening and have the border triangles done for Row H (#8) done. I will start on the blocks in that row tomorrow.
That’s right Arkansas’s best burger comes from a little place under 10 miles from my door! We
love it – in fact we rarely ever get a hamburger any place else in this area. We were surprised to see it written up though in the current issue of Southern Living that was delivered to my mailbox today. C.J.’s Butcher Boy Burgers – locally known just as “C.J.’s” in Russellville just serves hamburgers, fries, cokes and I’m not sure but maybe shakes (I usually get a coke so haven’t noticed). So glad we discovered them about 6 years ago. This place is a 1950’s – 60’s atmosphere, they have a jukebox that plays music from that time period and has a red and white interior with 1950’s movie stars on the walls. They had been around a couple years before that – now they have two locations. Article is on page 2 of the travel section. I believe this magazine goes region to region so it is possible it won’t be in your issue if you live in a different state.
Ok enough on hamburgers – we do try not to have fast food often but when we do that is the place to go.
Recently I have been seeing a baby bunny rabbit outside near the house and never have the camera handy – until today! Here the bunny is sitting outside the window that is by my computer – this photo is taken through the window and the screen so isn’t the best quality but I have been having fun watching it so thought I would share (of course for all I know there are 4 or more of them out there and I might not be seeing the same one each time!).
I got a little more done on “Insanity” last night and have one triangle left to quilt 
and then I will be starting on Row H which is row #8. I also got one side of the greenery appliqued down on the 3rd Christmas border. I am going to work on cutting out a red flower and get it glue basted in place to start working on next.
Besides my Southern Living magazine that came in the mail today I also got my current issue of American Quilter. I thought the work of Debra Kemball was amazing. Of course I am in awe of her hand applique and hand quilting. Face it us hand piecers/hand applique/hand quilters are starting to be rare in the quilting world. So many are going to machine work as we all know. I can’t find a blog by her or a web page but here is a photo of a quilt of hers that won a prize at the International Quilt Festival. Anyhow if you have a chance to look through the magazine the article and photo’s of her work starts on page 26 and there is a pattern of hers on page 66 with instructions.
Moving right along on my “Insanity” DJ quilt. I got 3 more blocks quilted last night – I’m
getting very close to having the 7th row finished — which means 6 more rows of blocks and one more row of triangles — getting there! One day, maybe by the end of the year? The photo on the left is of # 10 & 11 and the photo on the right is block #12.
I am having to control myself to not start cutting pieces for the new simple quilt that I showed a photo of yesterday – “So Charming” I have already been looking at my small pieces on the shelves wondering what kind of colors I want the blocks to be – a very random choice of colors, maybe all pastels, maybe all brights – a mixture? These fabrics are what I have to chose from on my shelve. Of 
course this is not 
counting the 7 large shoe box size of small pieces or the large stack of big pieces. These photo’s show my selection of fat quarters or smaller that decorate my room at the moment!
I know this is a lot less than some of you have – I have heard of plastic storage containers stacked from floor to ceiling in your houses, closets full to the ceiling, under the beds absolutely full! Although the fabric is crammed in these rectangular wire baskets a lot of you have me beat by a long shot. I have finally put the overflow in this pretty striped bowl that I got from my daughter who use to sell Southern Living at Home items. I wouldn’t even have this much on 
the shelf except when I buy fabric for a quilt I always buy extra in case of mistakes – I do not live close to a quilt shop so have to travel or buy on line. I tend to buy fat quarters when traveling not large pieces. I don’t have a lot of storage room and also I’m never sure what colors I want until I choose a quilt to make and look at it a bit. I don’t like having too much fabric on hand because then it sits for a long time before I finally figure out what to use it for.
a gift certificate from the “Twiddletails Store” Anina has several blogs and is very much into Dear Jane quilts. The 
Twiddletail link will take you to her store and to her twiddletails blog. Her other blog is called “That Quilt“which to a lot of us Dear Jane groupies need no introduction to. “That Quilt” gives detail how to instructions on how to make all of these tiny blocks and triangles that we are so attached to. I know a lot of DJ groupies are so thankful for her help. Thank you Anina for sending me the gift certificate. Of course I had to spend more than she sent I downloaded a pattern of hers – which if you download the pattern cost less – and I also ordered the black with white polka dots fabric that will go great for the black borders in this quilt.
Yes it is a simple pattern — I think as soon as I get done with my Christmas Baltimore Album (of which I started the 3rd border for today) I need a break from the more challenging quilts and need to make a simple quilt top with some of these scraps that are gathering up. Yes it will add to my pile of quilt tops that need to be quilted but there you go – I couldn’t resist. This sweet pattern is simply titled “So Charming”. It should go fast when I start it. I still have thoughts of making the “Little Brown Bird” applique quilt but need a little time off to do something simple.
I got a little more done on “Insanity” last night and a little while ago. I can’t believe I have moved so quickly on this
row after having taking so long to quilt the previous row! I have 4 more blocks on this row – yippee! these are blocks # 8 & 7 in Row G.
At this site there is a give away of bags “Umme Yusuf” from Pakistan. She has some interesting items.
I finished one more border for my Christmas quilt — “Christmas Memories”. I wasn’t sure if I would get it finished this week I had been working on my “Insanity” quilt (Dear Jane) so much. Two more borders to go. I just might get it done by the end of August – still have no idea though if it will get quilted this year. I would like to quilt it on the large frame – so much easier than using a hoop for a quilt that size. This one will measure about 75 x 75 inches. I guess I will just have to get busy and keep on quilting in my spare time (of which I have a lot of!). The corners will be mitered
Continue reading about Christmas Baltimore Album & another give away
I am now half way done quilting”Insanity” !! Took awhile but really got into it the last couple of days. I worked on it a lot the last couple of days. I guess it goes to show if you really concentrate you can keep things moving. Actually I have no 
good book that I have been interested in lately so that helps get me moving
Here are the blocks that I got quilted last night and today.
On the left is Row G #’s 3 & 2
On the right is Row G #’s 5 & 4
And the last one that made this quilting half way done is Row G # 6. When I get done with this blog post I will get back to quilting.
I do thank everyone that has left comments about my quilting. I do enjoy it.
I managed to get a lot done on the quilting last night! Now if I could just stick with it. I did continue for a short time this morning but then there was the house to clean and the list goes on like normal Anyway here are some photo’s of the quilting on Row G. 
On the right are blocks 1 and 2 and on the left are the corners for that row.
I have also been working on the 2nd border for the Christmas quilt and I should be done with that border by the weekend! Moving right along on that. I just finished glue basting the last long green piece on the border – it is ready for stitching. Two more borders to go. I’ll be glad to get done with this top and be able to move on to another. (of course I still have a lot of tops gathering up that need quilting 
)
We had so much rain yesterday – we did need it but it sure went on all day. At least it wasn’t the really bad stuff with the high winds.
