Shirley Anne’s Heart

Posted By drsao on March 6, 2008

Last April (2007) I decided to participate in an ALL THE RAGE QUILT BLOCK OF THE MONTH bit of fun. 

Quilter’s Corner – still my favorite quilt store in Midlothian, VA – promised a beautiful ALL THE RAGE quilt at the end of one year of participation (how hard could that be, self, I asked?)  I had only learned to quilt a few weeks before (March 10, 2007 – to be exact) but since the pattern was free and the only cost was for the material, I decided that a NEWBIE quilter HAD LITTLE TO RISK – so I took the plunge and joined the fun. 

So starting April 1, 2007  and each month thereafter until March 1, 2008,  a 12 1/2″ block featuring a different black, white-on-white, and a third fabric color that would be different each month appeared.   

True to myself (whether it be quilting or cooking – always having fun making my own rules!) I decided that I would make my blocks black, white-on-white, and red (instead of multi-colors.)  I looked forward to getting the MYSTERY PATTERN each month – sometimes almost camping on the doorstep of the Quilter’s Corner to get my pattern and fabric on the first day of each month!  🙂

Here are some close ups of my favorite blocks!

I also decided that on the months that I really LOVED the block that I would make two, so that at the end of the year I would have a larger quilt.  Of course I tend to LOVE almost everything…… 🙂

TA DA – March 1, the last pattern came out and I happily put my years worth of 12 X 2 (actually I ended up with 20) ALL THE RAGE blocks together.

I really LOVE IT!

The top is all put together and has been delivered to my longarm quilter, Valerie, at A NEEDLE RUNS THROUGH IT!

I made it for someone special, but I won’t say who yet – it is a surprise!

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Posted By drsao on March 4, 2008

Happy Birthday William 10

Today sweet Grandangel William turns the corner into double digits.

March 4, 1998 was a very good day when the angels brought William into our lives!

I wish him PROBITY and HAPPINESS today and always.

LOVE ON THE WAY TO CALIFORNIA TODAY FROM GRANDMA SHIRLEY

In case you need a little help from DICTIONARY.COM……

Word of the Day for Tuesday, March 4, 2008
probity \PRO-buh-tee\, noun:

Complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness.

Unless some light is shed on shady dealings and some probity restored, more young lives will be blighted and careers choked off.
— Norman Lebrecht, Who Killed Classical Music?

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Posted By drsao on March 2, 2008

There are many things that one can do with strings of material.

Thanks to my friend’s, (Sheddy) recommendation, I was inspired by the many creative scrappy quilts designed by Bonnie Hunter (shown on her QUILTVILLE.COM site) so I decided that I would just have to make a few heart string blocks with some of my left over scraps of material – and true to the Bonnie Hunter STYLE, I foundation pieced these strips onto newsprint.

Some of my heart string blocks have a teal 2″ strip down the diagonal……and I have made quite a few of these blocks 9 1/2 inch blocks so far.

This was so much fun to do – and it was MINDLESS and creative.  I have discovered that I love foundation piecing!

I am not sure how difficult this will be to REMOVE the paper later – this is my FIRST TIME to paper piece.

I had so much fun making these blocks that I decided to try to make some more heart string blocks with leftover scraps of red, white and black material – and this time I foundation pieced onto used computer paper – again taking the example of Bonnie Hunter!  I used the whole sheet of used computer paper  – making 8 1/2 inch blocks and then 3 1/2 inch border strips.

And THEN – I just had to make a few pastel heart string blocks with 2″ yellow diagonal centers … 

 I had TOO MUCH FUN and now I can TRULY say that I am contributing to a GREEN AMERICA….using up scrap material and scrap computer paper…….

But wait – there is ONE MORE THING that one can do with strings of material. 

I don’t imagine that many of you have done this!

My grandangel, Nanna, tied very long strings of fabric to the five blades of my ceiling fan – and VOILA – she produced a spinning cat toy. 

Our cats, Oreo CHIPPIE Cookie, Midnight Junior, and Cuddles TinkerBELLE had SO MUCH FUN with their own version of SPINNING HEART STRINGS!

Leanna and I both had the flu this past week – and this is how we kept ourselves from being bored and from feeling sorry for ourselves!

And my room is now in PARTY MODE! 

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Posted By drsao on March 2, 2008

It is March – and I have already happily put my log cabin (actually court house step)  blocks into the mail for my online block exchange group members.  Now I can happily await getting those squishy envelopes (stuffed with quilt blocks) in the mail from the others who are participating. 

I wonder what I will do with all of these blocks? 

I am guessing that I will put them into one glorious scrappy quilt!  What else would one do with quilt blocks…….HELLO!  🙂 

It sure is interesting to see the blocks that I get from the others (sounds a bit like an episode of LOST!!)

Here are my twelve blocks that I sent to friends (I don’t really know any of them) far and wide (from Virginia to California.)

Because February was a short month – and it flew by quickly, I haven’t received many blocks for February

– so this will be a windfall month – it is good to keep a POSITIVE ATTITUDE!  🙂

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Posted By drsao on February 27, 2008

I am a substitute teacher for elementary and middle schools here in VA.  Every day is an adventure – and one day in elementary school tends to be MORE eventful than a week (or month?) of teaching at the university level!  🙂

Yesterday I pointed out to the fifth graders that soon it will be FEBRUARY 29th – and when we have LEAP YEAR we get an extra day in our year. 

Now it seems to me that when we have a GIFT of an extra 24 hours, and when that GIFT only presents itself once every four years, that we SHOULD DO SOMETHING with it that is OUT OF THE ORDINARY.

First, I suggest that it become a school holiday (the fifth graders unanimously agreed with this idea and encouraged me to change the school calendar….I am sure that someone with that POWER will read my blog and run with the idea.)

Second, I think that the adults should take a holiday from work too (I just heard a little echo of appreciative applause from cyberspace.)

This idea could become a bit problematic -what would our special day be like if no one cooked, sold groceries or gasoline….ya da ya da! 

Well, it seemed like a good idea on paper.

How about this – everyone should use this special day to do at least one thing that will make someone else happy.   HM – A SPREAD THE CHEER DAY!  Yes, I like that idea…..but I don’t think it will make the 5th graders laugh and clap like my original idea of deleting school from the Feb. 29th agenda!

Happy Leap Year – let me know how you spent your SPREAD THE CHEER day!

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