Just taking a minute

I'm caught up on my swaps for quilting at the moment.  I am trying to do too much.  I tried Subee's group to swap 1 1/2" squares and am expecting those to arrive back today...whooo hoo!  I'll use those for leaders and enders Bonnie Hunter style.  I do a 3.5 inch "niblet" ninepatch swap almost every month also on yahoo, and I also enjoy the postcard (4.5" by 6.5") themed swaps Christine does on about.com.  I've also been swapping vintage sheet fat quarters and am waiting on 80 (!!!) of those to be swapped and sent back soon.  It is like Christmas when some of these come.   Sometimes though, I realize I need to be QUILTING with these instead of preparing to quilt. 

My list of ongoing projects is kept in a place nobody can find.  Some only need bindings!  I have a lot of tops done just awaiting quilting.  Several are even marked. 

I *HAVE TO* quilt.  This is SO delightful.  And, when I go into one of my children's room and see them snuggled under one of my creations...oh, the delight!  SO worth it!  They love the feel of my quilts.  It is SO different than anything you can purchase.  I have yet to figure out why even.  I use whatever I have, recycled fabrics, swapped items, and secondhand all cotton blankets as batting.  Sometimes, I use all cotton sheets on the back (I am loving that more and more as I try it), but sometimes I use up leftover blocks and chunks of fabric.  It doesn't matter...they all have that homey loving feel.  Like my grandma's old scrappy quilts had for me before I wore them totally to shreds.  She'd used feedsacks and the batting under my favorite one (revealed as it finally wore totally apart) was two holey stained tablecloths folded in half and sewn together.  It was CUDDLY and comfy.  I loved it when I could peek in and see what the "magician's secret" was...those tablecloths.  But, it was NOT the tablecloths.  Some of my quilts have had the same "feel".  It is clearly the LOVE sewn in.  I've heard of some women putting a strand of their hair into the batting of their quilt so they could tell their loved ones that they put a "bit of themselves" into the quilt.  LOL, but I am pretty sure when my children see the silly things I do, like fussy cutting, or sewing a favorite fabrics bits together to make enough usable, they'll know Mom was there.  I hope they always feel my love through my quilts...that is why I do it.  They don't always see that, but I do.  I know it when I'm shopping and I see the color, or a novelty that reminds me of the one I love and all the way through the process to the point I have the last stitch in the label.

I'm GOING to get a little more time in to quilt today...after I wash the hair on the two little ones (4yo and 6yo) playing in the tub while I type.  And, after I make sure the chores are going with the teens.  There are ALWAYS zillions of things to do, but quilting really is one of the ~best~!

Happy 4th of July weekend.  This is always a special weekend for my family.  I hope it is for you too.~

Lucy~

Deb Robertson  of  http://deb-robertson.blogspot.com/2010/06/today-is-day-i-giveaway-quilt.html    is giving away a GORGEEEEEEEEEEEOUS vintage sheet (actually pillowcases) quilt.~

Only a week to sign up.  Wow, I would love to win that pretty quilt.

Go and sign up.

Lucy~

Outside my window. . .it is getting very warm.  I'm trying to cut utilities down, so laundry goes on the line, and we get hot when it hits the 90s as it has the last few days.




I am thinking. . . of ways to organize my lovely vintage sheets from Katie's swap.  I can't decide where to put them and the kitchen table is NOT working.. .





From the kitchen. . . coffee . . . so far.  Yesterday, we had this (except with beef sausage rings cut up)http://flashbangfibers.blogspot.com/2010/05/roasted-italian-sausages-and-potatoes.html
It was SO delicious!  I haven't decided what to have today, but we have leftover spaghetti and a bit of leftover meatloaf, so I will, likely, redo that...make it cheesy?  Grilled cheese sounds good too.




I am wearing. . . a dark turquoise dress, A DRESS (!), whooo hooo (as in happy, not sexy)...I couldn't wear dresses while nursing for over 21 years straight, but I can wear dresses now and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!  Dresses used to be impossible to nurse in unless I happened to be wearing a nursing dress ($$$ and not really comfy).  My cotton knit Old Navy (from the thriftstore...thank you whoever donated it) dress is utter delight...nothing binding on my tummy and loose and cool.~  I feel pretty.~  It has detail at the collar of little sewn tucks.  I love Old Navy for LOTS of cottons and a little artsy detail (but then, I thrift and just happen to notice lots of items I love are from Old Navy).  Dark colors aren't usually my thing, but I don't intend to be in the sun much today, since the garden is DONE waiting on God-designed growth.  We finished planting YESTERDAY!  I'm still achy.





I am creating. . . some rows for a couple row robins my friends and I are doing here in my hometown. . .I'd like to get a quilt for my firstborn, Gabriel, done soon for his birthday...





I am remembering. . .how my dad put his garden in.  I wonder if there was a reason he used a coffee can to pour water into each hole for tomato plants.  And, did he ever try different kinds of lettuce?  He liked experimenting.  When I am telling the children the new things we are going to try with the garden, I remember Dad and his, "Hey, it's dirt and a few pennies of seeds" philosophy for trying new gardening ideas.




I am reading. . . a stack of old Country Living magazines from the Salvation Army.  The older ones are DEFINITELY better than the new.





I am hoping . . .dh gets a job soon.  He had an interview Monday.  I'm SO grateful to God for peace during this time.





I am hearing. . . Birds chirping and frogs croaking.  Mil's old farberware camp coffee pot perking...mmmm...I enjoy this coffee pot SO much.  I'm the only coffee drinker here, so I made the 2 cups it makes and refrigerate one for the next morning to have over ice.  LOL, I'm NOT picky about coffee.  I'm putting half decaf in lately.



I don't want to. . .clean up my counter.  I spilled a little coffee mixing decaf with regular (much cheaper to mix myself).  Karilee has morning dishes and won't be happy with me...but, I can either type this OR clean it up...ACK!





Around the house. . . vintage sheets and fabrics everywhere, EVERYWHERE...a few schoolbooks found thrifting that looked fun (AND, the little ones DELIGHTED in them...we were laughing and loving doing some "new" books), and NO muddy garden shoes...they are still out by the garden!  We are even less tidy than usual since the garden took time.





I am going. . . to stay home today, even though I am aching to get out and thrift a bit.   Hmmm...dh just NOW said I could go along with him to the next town over.  He has some paperwork to get taken care of and will then go to the hardware while I check out the thriftstore there!  HURRAH!





One of my favorite things. . . my porchswing.  Darling man had Caleb stain and put together a glider swing on my front porch.  I love how cool it is out there on the westside of the house, and nowadays, I love remembering holding the youngest little ones and nursing many hours away out there while caressing little toes and gazing into the eyes of my sweeties.  I sure don't regret nursing.



Plans for the rest of the week. . .just trying to organize mostly.  I have to plan a birthday gift and some sewing for next week's time with friends.  I'll miss LOST.  I hope to see little plants poking up soon!  It looks like I didn't lose tomato plants.  We didn't have to purchase plants...the garden volunteered TONS of plants from the few tomatos that got frosted at the end of last season!  I had started seedlings, but they got tipped over (a few times) by a little one anxious to help mama.  We put the seedlings back in, but they are still small...probably SCARED to grow!  LOL!

OOooo...darling man says, "Let's go", so I'd better run.  I miss blogging.  Will try to get Caleb to help me get some pics up later.

Go forth and CONQUER today!   Lucy~

I've known this sweet friend for years and she is always cooking lovely smelling stuff when I run by there.  LOL, look around her blog and try to win her recipes.~   I'm sure they'll delight!


http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/menu/779797/
 
Lucy~

More sheets being gifted:

http://vintagesheets.blogspot.com/2010/04/grand-opening-giveaway-day-seven.html

L~

An entire sheet being given away!

Jen has another blogger gifting those of us who enjoy vintage sheets (VS) again:

http://vintagesheets.blogspot.com/2010/04/grand-opening-giveaway-day-five.html

Lucy~

Jen, from here http://vintagesheets.blogspot.com/ posted another giveaway.

My friend took me to the Chicago International Quiltshow. It was amazing and OVERWHELMING. I have SO many ideas I'll be sharing bits of...later.

Lucy~

Need sheets?

The sheets I found today! Oooooeeee, aren't they pretty!?!?!

I have another vintage sheet (VS) swap I get to participate in. And, I've found a lovely little blog for such fun. Jen has been working SO hard to make vintage sheet swappers a cozy little home. Check out the giveaways she has organized for everyday:

http://vintagesheets.blogspot.com/

Oooo...I hope I win! I'm participating in Jen's 5" charm swap too.~

I went shopping out of town today and found the vintage sheets to swap. It is SUCH a thrill walking up to the sheets section of a thrift store and trying not to run like a child to a candy store. And, then to find a few pretties and see how inexpensively some can be found. Delightful...but ***WARNING*** it is VERY addictive and takes up room! I'm concerned that at this price and with the kind of addictive thrill it brings, I may never have time to sew the pretties together instead choosing to seek MORE sheets!

Lucy~

My memory sheet quilt

Ta Da! Ds helped me get the photo of the quilt in the last post up for ya'll. I love it...so comfy, soft and cozy. I backed it with a cotton vintage sheet and quilted it with wavy lines. Yes, my teens are dragging it in magnolia blossoms, but that's okay, because they stood a LONG time 'til I could figure the camera out!

Lucy~

Sheets and memories.

It's as lovely a day as it comes here today.~ Sunny and up to 84 degrees. My 6yo is bugging to swim.

I have my fat quarters for the swap more than half ready and am enjoying the neatly folded vintage look of them mixed together. They are a DELIGHT to work with. I've been buying sheets from the Salvation Army and Goodwill GALORE, but found a whole bunch in another town at a church thriftstore the other day for a quarter each pillowcase! $1 or $2 each sheet. WHOO HOO!

I almost didn't decide to use sheets in quilting, but I had a pink floral sheet from when I was a little girl that I just couldn't part with, but that doesn't work in the room decor here. I homebirthed my babies on the same blue sheet (one from clearance with a dye problem in one corner so it wouldn't matter if it stained) and washed it over and over, but it is still in great shape with NO staining. It's been washed and washed, but still is in great shape and, now, it has so many sweet memories of my long labors, but there won't be more babies...so, it went into my quilt. And, the sheet from the first night of our honeymoon and our newlywed years had some edges that were like new when I was sorting out the linen closet...certainly some good memories of whispered words and sweet loving come from those scraps in my quilt. LOL, I'll say it, this is my blog, passion is remembered when I look at that print!

I'm positive my darling man wouldn't have ANY idea why any of those scraps are romantic to me. Except for a heart pillowcase with his name embroidered on that I made him for Valentine's Day long ago, he's NEVER noticed linen at all. I love that I care though. I love that I can look at each square and remember snuggling a sweet smelling wet newborn or my sister HATING the pink floral of our old victorian bedroom we shared three to the bed. Rich memories of snuggles and smells...good peaceful smells remembered. I love to finger each piece and put words to what it makes me think of.

Will the new quilts I make from traded vintage sheets make me wonder about the people who slept under them? Or, will they remind me of other things in my life? I can't wait to see!

I have another swap coming up from 5" charms too...I intend to swap 500! Won't that be an amazing quilt!
http://vintagesheets.blogspot.com/2010/04/charm-square-swap-sign-ups.html

I'm off to play with old...er, "vintage" sheets, Lucy~

Resurrection Sunday

I'm up late cleaning up the kitchen and waiting to secretly set up baskets for the children and my husband. We've NEVER once done that because my darling man didn't want Easter to be about candy and treats, but I decided they needed that treat this year when I found cute baskets for a dime each...I bought 10 baskets, one for each of my children, even the adults, and one for dh. Some of them are getting a pair of socks and a bit of candy. But, I think it'll be fun, and hope they'll like it. I tried a few jolly rancher jelly beans...Ooooeee, YUM! That SOLD ME on setting up baskets this year! I delighted in getting an Easter basket when I was a child...I hope this works out as well.
I likely wouldn't sleep if I were in bed. My oldest dd, 19yo Joy, called because she is sick and also upset about a speeding ticket and life being hard to get kick started. Things have been rough for her lately. Her roommate is on a trip, and I'm praying she gets a good night's sleep and is recuperated in the AM. She's been working two jobs...too much. She's thinking she'll move back home and go to college from there.

I'm looking forward to doing the sheet swap on here http://www.flickr.com/groups/792015@N22/discuss/72157623741608882/
When Oh, Fransson http://www.ohfransson.bigcartel.com/ did one last year, I missed out, but have been watching for sheets at thriftstores ever since. I think I will easily get 80 fat quarters to swap out! Look at this fun photo of the type sheets swapped out previously
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24001748@N06/2699011945/in/pool-792015@N22/

My guild is swapping 6" charms of I Spy fabrics and I'm cutting florals for a postcard size (4.5" by 6.5") swap on About.com. I'd better finish getting organized quick!

I hope your Sunday is full of loving family and peace. Time to CELEBRATE! He is risen!

Blessings, Lucy~

Getting Started...maybe?

Well, should I blog?
LOL, I chose the title "quiltmom9" because my firstborn was trying to help me sign up for email when I was pregnant with child #8. He accidentally put qltmom9 instead of the 8 I'd asked for, but when child #9 came along, I thought it was prophetic that I was already typing qltmom9.

Computer work isn't my forte. Being wordy is.

I hope I can get pictures up someday. I'm shocked that I have started this at all though.

It is sunny and lovely outside. Enjoy your today.~

qltmom9