Shirley Anne’s Heart

Posted By drsao on March 21, 2008

For a quilter, especially for one who has several quilts in various stages of completion (that probably includes MOST – if not all – quilters) there is nothing quite as sweet as actually being able to put one of our quilts on the QUILTS COMPLETED  IN 2008 LIST!

I did it – today – at our bi-monthly Friday Sit N Stitch at the Quilter’s Corner, I sewed the last stitch on the binding to complete the Carolina Crossroads Mystery Quilt designed by Bonnie K. Hunter of Quiltville.com. 

Do I look HAPPY?  YES I AM.

Valerie, my favorite long arm quilter, from A NEEDLE RUNS THROUGH IT in Goochland, VA did the quilting.  I just LOVE this quilt!

I think one of the reasons why I love it so much is that it is made totally from material that I had in my stash….and most of it was made from excess fabric from the quilt that I made after my first class from Chris at the Quilter’s Corner – where I learned to quilt – on March 10, 2007.

HERE IT IS!!!!!

And….that’s not all (I sound like some infomercial that you hear in the middle of late night TV)……

Yesterday I finished the binding on my Scrappy Bargello Super Bowl 2008 quilt…..also designed by Bonnie K. Hunter of Quiltville.com and quilted by Valerie.  I am mesmerized by this quilt – all made from scraps of quilts that I made in 2007!  It is like my quilt scrapbook!  LOVE IT.

HERE I AM HOLDING IT WITH A SINGING HEART!!!!!

Yes, today was a very good day……spring time is here……we are on spring break……I am over the flu…….I got to spend time with my friends at the Quilter’s Corner……..AND ON TOP OF ALL OF THIS, I got to add 2 quilts to my QUILTS COMPLETED in 2008 LIST – and REALLY, that’s not all

…..TA DA…..

I got TWO MORE QUILTS BACK FROM VALERIE today…..that means that there is going to be a lot of binding going on in Midlothian, VA for awhile…..

……..but I will be finished and excitedly waiting to begin Bonnie’s next MYSTERY QUILT on April 1……….stay tuned for more fun to come!

If you like my two quilts …. and if you want to join in on the next mystery quilt journey ….. go to www.quiltville.com!

Category: Bargello Super Bowl, Quilts Completed 2008 | No Comments »
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Posted By drsao on March 21, 2008

My friend Ginger, and her husband, Carl, gifted my grandangels with some square dance clothing.

Little did they know what adventures that their clothing would have in their new home!

  Actually Ginger gave the girls, Leanna and Sarah, several beautiful outfits (many of them she made herself) with beautiful fluffy petticoats. 

The girs had SO MUCH FUN dressing up and dancing.   The petticoat made the skirt even more twirly!

Cooper, age 4, could barely stand to stand idly by with all of the twirling and giggling going on – so his sisters gladly dressed him up so that he could join in the DANCING fun.

I think Cooper may have felt a little bit embarrassed (maybe his Papa helped him with the concept that boys generally do not wear dresses.)

I noticed later that he had tried to redeem his manhood by dancing in an alternate costume….but somehow that Super Man Costume just didn’t quite fit with his sister Sarah’s square dance costume!

 Thankfully, Carl came to the rescue of Cooper’s manhood – and sense of style – and generously contributed a square dance shirt!  YEAH

Cooper was thriled and ran to get his LIGHT SABRE – and called it his SQUARE DANCING JEDI SHIRT.

Cooper not only had fun being manly – but he wore the shirt all evening –

– it looks like he is about to fall asleep on the floor in front of the TV playing his STAR WARS VIDEO GAME – still wearing the JEDI shirt!

Now you may be wondering where the CATS part of this blog entry comes in……

I had one of Ginger’s petticoats hanging in my closet; however every time I went into my closet that petticoat was off its hanger and was lying  on the floor in a heap.  Day after day – the same thing happened.  I hung the petticoat up and the petticoat somehow ended up back on the floor.

I finally wrapped it around the hanger and pinched the skirt closings down tight – hoping that this would solve the problem.  However, this presented a NEW dilemma – our little kitten Cuddles TINKERBELLE became so distressed – she was in my closet MEOWING at the top of her little lungs – while looking UP intently at that petticoat. 

HM, I said to my “self,”  I wonder what this is all about.  I HAD TO FIND OUT.   She actually appeared to be looking straight up at that petticoat.

So, I loosened the grip of the SKIRT PINCHERS on the  square dance petticoat and stepped back to watch what happened (with my camera in hand.)

Little Cuddles batted that petticoat down onto the floor and plopped right in the middle  where she settled down and stretched out for a nap. 

Now, who would have thought that Ginger’s petticoat would become a VALUED “featherbed” for a little kitty. 

It’s a bit hard to tell from the picture, but she is happily lying upside down amidst the soft ruffles.

Category: Cats and Dogs Furry People, SAO's Grandangels | No Comments »
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Posted By drsao on March 19, 2008

 This was a GOOD NEWS – BAD NEWS DAY. 

The BAD news is that I have the flu. 

The GOOD  news is that I do not like to stay in bed when I am sick.  I like to distract myself and try to PRETEND that I feel great

(and sometimes this even works.)  

I can hardly stand to waste time.  While I am deluding myself into believing that I feel perfectly tremendous,  I have a little sewing vacation. 

The GOOD news is that I got to quilt today.

However, during one of those “I JUST MUST GET INTO BED FOR A few MINUTES MOMENTS”  I started thinking about ZANGIES and Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.com.  Before I explain this connection, I must tell you that Zangies are little people (animals? cloth creatures?) that my grandangel Nanna created from bits of cloth that I have left over from my quilt projects.  I toss everything into two of my favorite TRADER JOE’S – WONDERFUL – baskets.  In fact, as the news has spread into QUILTDOM that I save even the tiniest of scraps,  I even have special friends who save their tiniest of scraps for my grandangels to make ZANGIES from.

Doesn’t this look like fun  – little overflowing baskets of Zangie Parts!   Actally I think my little sewing corner is kind of cute.  I found this old antique table at Midlothian antiques.  I just love it – it is cracked and even has worm holes in it.  (I am not fond of worms – but those little holes are adorable!) 

Sarah (8) and Leanna (11) can both sew their own Zangies……here are some that Leanna and Sarah have made.  Sarah loves to make Zangies with LONG TAILS and the most fun for her is choosing a special fancy stitch to use.  Leanna makes elaborate appendages, long tails and even puts hair on  her Zangy folks.  She gave one to each person in her fifth grade class last year – and even the boys loved them!

Now you may be wondering what Zangies have to do with  a Zangy Chiclet Quilt Block?  This is where my thinking about Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.com comes into the equation.  Bonnie uses every scrap of material – even the tiniest of crumbs, to make quilt blocks.  So I said, “Self, I wonder if I could make a quilt block from scraps in the Zangy baskets.”  My “Self” thought that was a good idea!

I just love the split nine-patch blocks that I am making for an online BLOCK SWAPPERS EXCHANGE – and I had just finished more blocks for this project – putting 4 together makes a CHICLET BLOCK.  Here are the latest nine-patch blocks that I have made for the next exchange.

I think these blocks intrigue me so much because you can take the UGLIEST FABRIC EVER and put it with other UGLY fabric – and voila – it turns out to be cute!  SO – YOU GUESSED IT – I decided to try to make TINY spit nine-patch blocks ….. from scraps in the ZANGY BASKETS.

Thus began my feverish (literally) search for pieces of fabric that could produce a 2″ square!

I did it…….here are FOUR split nine-patch blocks sewn together to make one 9 1/2″ ZANGY CHICLET BLOCK (it has 44 little pieces in it.)

The BAD NEWS is that I have the flu….

The GOOD NEWS is that I also have ONE ZANGY CHICLET BLOCK.

It is so cute, it makes me smile.  SMILING IS GOOD FOR THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.

I am feeling better already.  Maybe I will go DANCE IN THE RAIN!

Category: Quilts in Progress, SAO's Grandangels, Scrappy Chiclet | No Comments »
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Posted By drsao on March 18, 2008

One of my grandangels will be twelve April 16th.  Her name is Leanna – but we call her Nanna (because, when she was born, her little 15-month-old cousin, Harry, could not say LEANNA!)  Sometimes we call her Banana –  and her brother, Cooper 4,  calls her  WEE-NANA.  But whatever we call her, I think she is getting ready to join the world of “TEENAGER-DOM.”  Did you ask what was my first clue?

CLUE 1 – This morning when I woke Nanna up for school, I noticed pictures of NON-FAMILY boys around her room.  HM – come to find out the pictures were  of members of the JONAS BROTHERS BAND.  Nick is her favorite – and his picture was closest to her bed.  How is that for a clue??

CLUE 2 – I got another CLUE recently.  I always put LUNCH BOX MESSAGES in the girls’ lunch boxes.  There is always a picture of them doing something special,  accompanied by a little Dr. Seuss-like rhyme.  For example, yesterday their rhyme was “I HOPE YOU AREN’T WEARING ANYTHING BUT GREEN OR YOU MIGHT GET PINCHED BY A LEPRECHAUN WHO IS MEAN.”  Today the rhyme is simple “TWO, FOUR, SIX, EIGHT, IT’S MARCH  18th, AND YOU LOOK GREAT!”  As of this year, Nanna’s LUNCH BOX MESSAGES are put beside her place at the breakfast table – middle school folks  can’t really be observed reading messages from home tucked into their lunch boxes – HELLO!  Those who are approaching TEENAGER-DOM  have to consider the rules of impression management!

CLUE 3 – My third clue came this morning.  Every school morning, the BREAKFAST FAIRY (an invisible and wonderful soul) sets the breakfast table with china, napkins, little bowls of fruit, egg cups holding vitamins, and at least two lighted candles.  This morning the BREAKFAST FAIRY made the mistake of writing a note to Nanna on her LUNCH BOX MESSAGE.  It said…..

Calcium

Protein

Fruit

Make Good Choices……Listen to the Voices

LOVE, THE BREAKFAST FAIRY

Leanna looked at me and said (WITH A BIG SMILE,) “Grandma, I haven’t believed in the Breakfast Fairy since I was 8.  But it is still ok if she makes the table pretty and lights the candles – but the note from the Breakfast Fairy and STUFF LIKE THAT – you can drop that now if you want!”

I guess we all pass through the LAND OF TEENAGER- DOM before we become adults.  sigh……at least she said it politely and with a SMILE!  🙂

I guess it won’t be long before I can’t call her Nanna Banana either!

But the truth is, I miss her BREAKFAST FAIRY DAYS already!

But wait – no need for alarm……Sarah is only 8 – and Cooper is only 4.  LONG LIVE THE BREAKFAST FAIRY DAYS…..at least for a few more years!  🙂

Category: SAO's Family, SAO's Grandangels | 1 Comment »
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Posted By drsao on March 15, 2008

I downloaded this from www. NATIONALQUILTINGDAY.com!  Who knew that there was actually a National Quilting Day!

Well, there is and it is today!  There is even a logo.  I am impressed!

THIS IS FROM THE SITE….”Join in the celebration of our own special holiday! National Quilting Day is March 15. Do something special! The NQD logo for 2008 is the “Eight Hands Around” block – symbolizing the long tradition of friends joining together to share their love of quilting.”

So……to celebrate I worked on my Moda Piece N Plenty Mystery Quilt (a monthly saga hosted by Betsy at the Quilter’s Corner in Midlothian, VA .)  Each month we make at least one block and then some filler block.  My entire quilt is being done in blue and white-on-white (I substituted the white-on-white because I liked it better than the plain white fabric in our kit.)

I have no idea how these pieces are going to fit together  – but perhaps this is why it is called a MYSTERY QUILT! 

 Here is what I have done so far…..

This is the block for October, 2007 (that was when the MODA project started.)  The small baskets were paper pieced – my first attempt at paper piecing!