...from "Frosty noses" to "Hearts and Roses"!! A red, rosy giveaway!

Just a little something to get in the spirit for Valentines Day..........

Roses are red, Violets are blue,

these fabric roses could be just for you!

Leave a comment and your name,

hope you have fun playing this game!

That's right, fabric roses just for you! I've done this before at a retreat and it was so much fun, I thought, let's do it again. In February of 2003, when my friend Sara and I hosted a Valentine Retreat "Sew Many Blessings", we had a great time gathering fun door prizes with a red, white and pink theme. For our final prize, I made up a dozen long-stemmed fabric roses and Diane was the winner. Oh, she was a wonderful winner because she played it like "Queen for a Day"! How many of you remember that show? I do. My mother watched it. I always thought it would be great if she was on there and won a washer/dryer. :-) Anyway, I "plucked" twelve red fabrics from my stash (cut into fat quarters) and wrapped them around wire stems, then bundled them into the half-yard of green, glittery fabric you see in the photo and tied it all up with a gold bow. I could be "sending you a big bouquet of roses" (as it goes in the Eddy Arnold song) and here is all you have to do.

1. Leave a comment and tell me the name of your first true love. Just first names will do. Then, is he still your first true love? This could get interesting.
2. Please leave your e-mail address in your comment if it is not linked to your blog. Without it, I will not be able to contact you if you win. This giveaway is open to all bloggers. I will ship international but I will be verifying that you meet the rules. :-)
3. You get two chances to enter. Sign up anytime on February 1st. Then, on February 2nd, you may sign up again in celebration of Groundhog Day. It's like a "repeat"vote, sort of like what poor Bill Murray went through in the movie of the same name where every day is a repeat of the day before. Entries begin at 12:00 a.m. February 1st and end at 12:00 midnight on February 2nd. My random number man will draw the winner then and I will post the name at noon on February 3rd.

So, if I were leaving a comment in answer to my question, do you wonder what the answer would be? Well, my kindergarten heartthrob was Ronnie and my junior high sweetheart was David. My first true love was Jim and my lifetime love is my husband Steve. :-) Everyone of those names is a good 1950's name!! Those were the days! I have some fun Valentine memories I'll share in the next week or so, but for now.......get ready to add your name for your chance to win some roses that will "not fade away" (thinking of Buddy Holly there)!!!

Sandi

It's just after midnight and my Random Number Man has done his job.....The winner is JulieQ! I have sent her an e-mail and let her know that I need to hear from her by 6:00 Wednesday to claim the "big bouquet of roses". :-)

February Block for "Seasons of the Heart" BOM

Here it is......the block for February from the original designs I did back in 2003. Each of these designs if very simple to stitch. All are done in cotton fabrics and all are embellished with embroidery stitches.



As you can see in the photo above, I reversed the heart pieces by having the larger heart be plaid and the small one solid. In my sketch, I drew it the opposite way. You take the creative path and do what pleases you! :-) Also, the block colors did not scan "true" and the red is more vibrant than the brick red that it appears in the photo.

Now about the words that come with each design........I'm going to have to ask you to "bear with me" and we will get to that in March............

and that's because I am going to need to address a few other items and can't get to that this month. Hope you will understand! Now I promised a snowman in addition to the heart design and here is what he will look like.....but this is not the pattern you'll need. This is one I gave to students a few years ago and I will enlarge it and create the pattern pieces and post it mid-week.

I have to finish my business taxes, need to get to the dentist, have to get the details finalized on our crazy quilting exhibit and then there are a few family things that take precedence right now. I have a "full plate" but I am happy to share my BOM and the challenge I took to bring you a new snowman design each month, too. It's just going to be a little crazy for the next couple of weeks, so, here's what to watch for.................

*about 8:00 this evening (CST) I'll be posting the photo and info on my "Hearts and Roses Giveaway". It's all ready to go and you will have just 48 hours to pop in and add your name for a chance to win!! You will be able to begin leaving comments at midnight February 1. When you come back, there will also be a new quilt in my blog header. :-)

*next item up will be "Tea and Stitches" on Wednesday, February 4th. My plan is to post the pattern for this snowman design that day, too.

*following that, I'll be posting another ornament on "Christmas is Love - Keeping Christmas all year long"

*then there will be a little Valentine project coming up........and on February 12th my husband will draw the winner of my journal in the "One World-One Heart" Giveaway.

*and I'll be busy in the background working on crazy quilting projects and you'll find more on that when I post to Miss Martha's Crazy Quilting Circle.

*My Grandson is coming at the end of the month, so we'll be posting a project then and I'll also be updating the "Sew and Share" link later this month.

*there's one more thing I wanted to mention and I can't think of what it is..........back soon when it comes to me. :-)

Sandi

OOPS! For those of you that signed up to receive the patterns via e-mail, I have re-sent the February BOM info with the PDF's attached! Sorry, I was so excited at the number of people who have signed up and totally forgot to add the PDF files! Also, if you signed up and you have not received the files please send me an e-mail at stitchinglegacy@gmail.com. I still have about four people that I am unable to send files to because there is no blog or e-mail link in the comment that was left. You may sign up for the BOM at anytime so just send an e-mail and I will add you to the list. :-)

The "Joy" of Giveaways!

I've been a bit busy that last couple of days. Lots of odds and ends to catch up on and I wish I could say that I am "all caught up". Not!! Actually, on Wednesday, I was gone most of the day volunteering at the women's correctional facility. My friend Barb and I spent the afternoon helping the women make valentines to send to their kids and family members. I just bring in cardstock, lots of that 90% off fancy red and gold ribbon I bought last week, some lace and trims, lots of fun fabrics to cut and decorate with, some valentine books with quotes and thoughts to add to the cards and then the creative work begins. Some of the valentines the women made were really lovely and very creative. It was a busy and good afternoon!!! When we were finished we headed over to Panera (sandwich and coffee place) for some really delicious panini sandwiches and a good visit. Great food, great friend, great evening!

Now, I have to backtrack to Tuesday when I received an e-mail from Joy of Joypatch blog. The stocking she won in my Christmas Joy giveaway had arrived! She was very pleased with everything I sent. :-) When I let her know that the package was on it's way, I told her I could post photos of what was in the stocking or wait until she received it. She wanted to be surprised and asked that I wait til she got the package before I posted about it on my blog...... so in the photo above you will see the 25 fat quarters I stuffed into the stocking that I made. I put the stocking in a long box and packed valentine fat quarters around it, tucked in some bells for a little jingle and added a kit and pattern for my Spring Bunny penny rug.
I enJOYed making this stocking and filling it with goodies from my stash/collection. I still marvel over the fact that the winning name my husband drew was JOY's name. What do you suppose the odds are for that happening? My next giveaway was the "Whirl into Winter" giveaway and it would have been really interesting if someone with the first or last name of winter had won. However, the winner was Mary in California who saw lots of snow growing up as a child in Iowa (the great state where I was born and raised!!). Her winning package will go off on Monday. I had to apologise to her for not getting it mailed right away but I said there would be a kit for my snowflake penny rug in one of the tins and then realized I didn't have enough of the pretty periwinkle woolfelt I needed to make the kit. But, yesterday I stopped at EagleCreekQuiltShop and got just what I needed. I'll get it washed, dryed and pack it up with the rest of the winter goodies and send it on it's way. Now interestingly, Mary was not my first winner. Gramma Trish was my first winner but I had no e-mail so couldn't send her a "You are the winner" message. I left comments on her blog but she hadn't read the comments so it was several days later when she replied. She knew the prize had gone to Mary but I said, not to worry, I will send you a little wintery something, too, if you just send along your address. So with just two days left in January, I am going to put together two wintery packages and as I put them in the mail, I would like to think that I am sending winter out west. Not likely, is it? With Groundhog Day coming up next week, I am quite sure the dear little fellow is going to see his shadow and we'll be in for six more weeks of winter. The way this winter has gone, I wouldn't be surprised if it was sixteen more weeks of winter ahead! And with thoughts of Dear Mr. Groundhog and Valentines day, too, I thought we should celebrate with another little giveaway.........please stop by on Saturday, January 31st to learn all the details. I'm calling it the "Hearts and Roses Giveaway". This is a quick giveaway and will only run from 12:00 a.m. February 1st to midnight February 2nd. Hint: there will be a chance to "repeat" your entry. That's all the clues I'll give now. Be sure to come back and see what's up! Also on Saturday, I will also be posting the February block for my "Seasons of the Heart" BOM. I am going to be really busy all day Friday making sure that I get all my "ducks in a row" for these things.

Now, I have one last photo to share and you may have already noticed it on my sidebar as it is the photo you click to join my Yahoo Wooly Buddies group. I haven't mentioned the group on my blog but there are about 130 members now and we chat about penny rugs, wool applique, rugs, wool pincushions, etc. etc. If you enjoy working with wool, you might enjoy our group (just click on the photo on my sidebar to take you there).

Anyway, these wooly little donkeys are a pair that I made sometime in the late 1970's or early 1980's. They were a gift for my son for Christmas one year. The pattern is from either Family Circle or Woman's Day (I still have the magazine packed away in a box) . They are made of gray wool coating and real bits of mink fur were used for their manes and tails. Devlin played with them a bit when he first got them but then they spent more time on the book shelf and, now almost 30 years later, they still look like new. I usually tuck them under the Christmas tree each year but last year I decided to bring them up to the bookshelves in my sewing room so I can enjoy them all year long. I just think they are so cute. The background fabric in the picture is actually wool that has been dyed/painted with Setacolors (found at Michael's etc.). That's all for now. Time to close but I will be back soon with patterns, giveaway info, and more. :-)

Sandi

Gathering Tunes!!!

I was having a blue Monday (it's the weather and it's the same - cold - so I won't bother talking about it) and thought, I have got to do something about this. I need tunes!!! A couple of my favorite blogs - CootieBug and PugYoga have tunes from Playlist so I decided if they could figure out how to do this, so could I!! And just like doing a blog, the whole process is easy as pie - well, almost - and now I have successfully added a ton of my favorite tunes. I started with thoughts of Buddy Holly and then my high school favorite, Bobby Vinton. Then I thought of music that I plunked out on the piano at my Grandma Goldie's, songs I've sung at programs and at church, favorites from the good times and some from the sad times. And one song reminded me of another and is this what it's like to have an IPod? Obviously, you can tell I don't have one!!!
What if you don't like my tunes? If you don't want to listen to them, you can go to the bottom of my blog and turn them off (or turn your volume down). KnitWit has already told me that she likes my selection, so hopefully the rest of you don't mind the tunes too much. I would be curious to know though........do you preferr that people not add tunes? or does it matter. I can delete the playlist from my blog if it's not welcome. Your opinion counts!!! Please let me know.
Sandi

Can you say "90% off!!!!"

It was cold yesterday but I had to go grocery shopping so to make it worth the trip, I, of course, went in search of fabric and bargains. I had no trouble finding either!!! :-) The evidence is all here in the photos. Well, almost some items weren't that exciting for a picture but the price was right so........what did I find? Well, the good stuff at JoAnn's at 90% off actually started when I stopped there on Thursday night after crazy quilting. My big "find" was a 4 foot white pine Christmas tree with lights that only cost me $5.oo! My mom doesn't read my blog so I can tell you why I was so excited to find that tree. She loves blue and white and right after Christmas I found some pretty royal blue glass ornaments that I thought she would like. The mind started to click and I thought, aha, next year for the Christmas at the hotel weekend, I'll decorate a tree with blue and silver. So, you can imagine my excitement when I found the white glittery tree with white lights in place and I could already see it decorated!! I picked up ribbon at 90% off, too. Some there and then some on Friday at the other JoAnn's I regularly visit. That means I was only paying about .19 to .39 cents for ribbon rolls and all those red berry things were only .09 cents each!! They'll show up in a big wreath next year but the ribbon is actually stuff I want to use for Valentine projects.
So, the next stop was the Dollar Tree store where I found these cute little books (some Valentine ones and the neat little Tea and Friendship one), glitter pens for Valentines and then Easter cards and crafts and check out those heart shaped measuring spoons! Too cute to pass up!!
Those fabrics in the picture with the spoons are from River City Quilts in Mankato (MN). I was only looking for a snowman themed fat quarter when I went in......but my friend, Darlene, was working and she reminded me that it was "Fat Quarter Friday" which means if you "buy 5 you get a 6th one free". Well, of course, I bought 5 and that's why you see six. :-) Don't you just love that apron print one. It was the only one I found or I would have bought more.
I also stopped at another quilt shop in Mankato, Firefly Quilt Shop to see if they still had the fabrics I used in the journal I made earlier this week. I was so hoping I could get more of that green polka dot because I bought the fabrics to make a purse and still want to do that. I was so glad when I saw they still had it and the little flower print so picked up some of each. Both shops are great and full of fun fabrics so if you are in the Mankato area, go check them out.
I couldn't resist buying fabric at JoAnn's and found this fat quarter pack of Parisian themed fabrics. I have a definite plan for this one and the spring trims and such you see in the photo. You'll see what it all ends up as in late March.
I also found batting at 50% off and remembered to pick up printer paper, labels, tape and all sorts of office supplies. Remember, if I had to be out in the cold, I was going to make the trip worthwhile!
I did eventually get those groceries and when I was all done, I stopped to fill up the car with gas. That was when I realized just how cold it really was outside. Running back and forth, in and out of stores wasn't too bad but standing in the open, with the wind blowing at about 25-30 MPH and the temperature at about -12............well, let's just say, I do not recall getting so cold so fast in years. My fingers, while covered in gloves, nearly froze and when I first got back in the car, I could not move them!! All this in just the short time it took to put gas in the car! I had to "thaw out" and warm up for a few minutes after I got back in the car and then I was able to drive home. I was so glad to get home!! I never quite warmed up the rest of the evening and was glad to curl up under many blankets with the heating pad to warm me when I went to bed. Cold, cold, cold today, too. It was a good day to do laundry and put on a pot of chili. It's almost ready so time to close.
One more picture, though.......another item that I found at the Dollar Tree are these Scrapbooking plastic page holders. I like to use them to hold "blocks in progress" for quilt projects (you may recognize Nanette's Cottage block patterns). At just a dollar each, it's a great way to keep the blocks clean and organized. Time for supper! Hope you are all warm and cozy wherever you are........
Sandi

An unexpected package and my first Blog Pick of the Week for 2009......

The mailman came to the door yesterday afternoon with a large package that I wasn't expecting. I remembered that my sister said she was going to send along a "little something" but this box was bigger than what I thought she was sending. But, in fact, it was from my sister, Judy. Amazingly, I got a little package off to her before Christmas but we both do a lot of volunteering and family stuff so sometimes don't get anything mailed to each other til after Christmas. I loved what was in the box. It was stuffed full and when I opened the lid, it was as if the box went "poof" and first a quilt popped up. It's the one on the rocking chair. Judy said it's one she no longer wants so she passed it on to me. She knows I am a "good home for orphan quilts".
:-) It needs a wee bit of repair but I really like it and it looks good with the crocheted dresser scarf that was also in the box. Now this piece is a real treasure because it was made by my Grandma Goldie. Judy thought I might like to have it as she had been using it for church things and it didn't fit her color scheme at home. I was thrilled because I knew immediately where it would look great!! The old sewing machine that belonged to my Aunt Bell really needed something and this is perfect, don't you think? I need to change the Christmas teapot to something for Valentines Day but I can't believe how perfect it was for the top of the sewing machine cabinet. Oh, and the machine still works although I don't use it, but I could if I wanted to. My Aunt Bell made clothes for my mother on the machine and my mother made baby clothes for me on the machine.

Also in the package was a book she found at The Crowded Closet in Iowa City. It's a great thrift shop! The book is Christmas in Denmark and she thought it was especially appropriate for us since my husband Steve is a first generation Dane. His dad, Ed, was born in Hals, Denmark. Flipping through the book makes me think I need to do a Danish themed Christmas tree. My list of trees that I want to do is getting mighty long!
The Christmas gifts she sent were wrapped up so prettily that I hated to open them but I did. Inside, I found a new Christmas CD and a book called "Tear Soup". Judy sent it with a note that said she knew how much I'd been missing Daddy and she had given this book to other friends who were grieving. It was a bit hard but I sat down to read the book and I can recommend it to anyone who has had a loss and finds it hard to move on.
Thanks, Judy!! I loved everything in the box!!!

Now, it's time for a Blog Pick of the Week and I haven't done one since before Christmas and that is many weeks ago!! I had already picked Pat of "A*LittleOfThisAndA*LittleOfPat" but it is interesting that my sister would send a package that would arrive at the same time that I was thinking of posting Pat as the Blog of the Week. And why? Because they both offered me ways to deal with sadness. While my blog is about my "stitching legacy" it is also a place where I share lots of personal stories and such. Earlier in the Christmas Season, I did a post about being blue because Christmas would be different without my dad. Following that, I got the nicest message from Pat who encouraged me to share Christmas memories of my dad. And it reminded me of the time he gave me my first sewing machine, so I posted about it (click here ). Since then, Pat and I have e-mailed often and discovered we have several things in common. Pat found my blog because another Pat encouraged me to join her group because we are both on the Pickle group. Do you get the feeling that blogland is a fun place to be? If you don't have a blog, jump in because it's really easy. Send me an e-mail and I'll be glad to help if I can. Also, to get hugely inspired click on the "One World-One Heart" button and you will find 400 blogs to peruse! I am one of those blogs so be sure to go to my post and register for the Journal that I finished last night.

That's all for now. I must gather my things and prepare to head of to crazy quilting this evening. Haven't seen my friends in a couple of months so it will be a fun time.

Sandi

One more thing.........Today my 50th follower signed on.......Thank you so much to those who follow my blog via blogger and to all of you who read my blog, comment or not. I appreciate you!!!

Turn out the lights, the party's over.......

Yes, the end of a very auspicious day has come. The President and the First Lady have danced their last dance of the Inaugural Ball extravaganza and so it's time to say goodnight........almost.

The news media has given their thoughts all day long so I am going to add mine before I toddle off to bed. A day like today will never come again in my lifetime, I am sure so I must share my thoughts. I just have to say that I thought today was just about as historic as a day could be. From the time our country was born, when we fought for freedom from the British, who would have thought it would take more than 200 years to see true equality in our country! Or that it would take more than 100 years to see the vote for women and Native Americans! And the Voting Rights Act that attempted to make it more clear wasn't enacted until 1965! What a long journey it was. And so, yes, we have come a long way, baby, but there is also a long way to go. President Obama has his work cut out for him but if there is one thing that is obvious about him....it is that he is ready to do the job. Oh, Martin Luther King would surely be proud of what transpired these last few months and culminated in today's celebration. And whatever your political leanings, you can be proud of the United States today. Hundreds and thousands of people have been given hope and perhaps that alone will give them cause to contribute their own talents and gifts to caring for the future of this country. As a baby boomer, it is good to see that "the torch will pass" to another generation.

When I look back, I see myself in the 60's, a young girl from a small town in central Iowa. It was a good life. I recall the hope that my parents saw in JFK and then the sadness that came with his death. I started high school one month after Martin Luther King delivered his "I have a dream" speech. I always believed that the day would come when the color of one's skin did not matter. Perhaps I was idealistic.
In the spring of 1968 Martin Luther King was assassinated and I think that for many people hope died or "withered on the vine". Only two months later Bobby Kennedy would be gone and it was hard to understand what was going on in our country. I was 19 and in the fall of that year I married, and then I saw "first-hand" the racism that Martin Luther King and others experienced all their lives. My husband was in the Air Force and assigned to Keesler AFB in Mississippi the summer of 1969. It was a very different place from where I grew up. I can still see in my mind so very clearly the first time I encountered bathrooms that said "men", "women", "colored". It made me so sad. I had never chosen my friends by their race or color. I chose them then, and now, by their laugh, their smile, their authenticity and by their encouragement and love. If you are fortunate to have friends and relationships, who cares the color of their skin, the accent they may speak with, the country where they were born or their religion? I am just glad I have friends and family! I dream that one day our heritage will be a thing of pride but not a barrier. I hope that Martin Luther King is smiling with Joy that perhaps sooner than he dreamed there is an African American in the White House. And yes, I voted for Obama and not because of his race but if I had to say why in one word, it would be "change"....and hope......and the fact that he, too, dreamed and he dreamed big just like Martin Luther King. Dreams and hope in tomorrow are the stuff that keep us going from day to day.

And humor helps in the "day to day", too. I watched a piece on Entertainment Tonight where the First Couple told how they met and what attracted them to each other. Clearly a sense of humor was high on the list and it is obvious that they are relaxed with one another and enjoy each other's company. So in the spirit of celebration and providing some humor, I decided to "dress" for dinner and celebrate like everyone in Washington, D.C. I went to my closet to see what I might have that would be appropriate and came up with this number that I bought at a garage sale when I was home visiting my mom this past summer. I am sure it's a little matronly but I added some "bling" with some vintage rhinestone jewelry (if they were diamonds I wouldn't be cooking, we'd be dining out!), put on some make-up, fluffed my hair, stepped into my black patent leather heels and I was ready for a dance..........but instead, as you can see in the photo, I am cooking. Well, warming up left-over homemade beef stew actually, and there are hot biscuits in the oven (definitely down-home food) for our supper. When my husband walked in from work, he did a "double-take" and asked where I was going? "No where, I'm celebrating and have dressed for the Inaugural Ball. Quick, take my picture so I can use it on my blog." He humored me and took the picture but not before he started to take just a "head shot" and I said "no, take a full view" and he said "but you'll look short." And I laughed and said "but I am short". I guess there's a sense of humor at work in our house, too. It surely does help!! Hope there is humor in your house and hope in your heart.
I leave you with my favorite quote from Martin Luther King and then I am turning out the lights and off to dream.............

Sandi


In the words of, and in a call to action, by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ...........

".......we must learn that to expect God to do everything while we do nothing is not faith but superstition."

........... click here for an article with more info.

A very special giveaway...One World, One Heart

It is a very special day here in the United States - Inauguration Day!
It is a day filled with incredible hope and many, many a heart is bursting with joy at the hope for the future that this day brings. We have inaugurated a new President, Barack Obama. I have spent the day watching this historic moment. In fact, "glued" to the TV would be more appropriate!!

In between all the events, I have been visiting blogs and I linked to SewingSouthpaw and learned of the One World, One Heart Giveaway. I read all the details and decided I wanted to participate. The concept for this giveaway comes from Lisa and if you go here you can read the message that she shares.

The purpose behind the giveaway is to meet and get to know fellow bloggers. I have so enjoyed meeting bloggers all around the country and the world and I would love to meet more! So, what will I offer for a Giveaway? Well, when I signed up, I knew what I would make but it wasn't finished. I promised a photo soon and here it is.......a special journal for keeping those thoughts that are near and dear to your heart. The drawing will be on February 12th at 6:00 p.m. CST.

Rules for the Giveaway and comments........

1. This Giveaway is open to all residents of the blogging world. I will ship anywhere.

2. You must have a blog to participate. In addition, if your e-mail is not included in your blog profile, you must include it in the comment that you post. I will delete comments immediately that do not have contact information.

3. When the winner is drawn, I will post the name on my blog and then e-mail the winner. You will have 48 hours to reply to claim your prize.

Please note.........
If you know that you will be away at the time of the drawing then send me an e-mail to let me know that. I am more than happy to accommodate this if I know it in advance. At the end of 48 hours, if I have not heard from you, another name will be drawn and all claims to the Giveaway for you will end.

In the photo above, you can see the Journal Cover that I made for an ordinary notebook. You can write to your heart's content and fill a notebook, then remove it and insert a new one! In addition, as you can see in the photos on the left, there are pockets on the inside of the journal.

On the inside of the front of the journal there is a larger pocket for envelopes, photos, etc. and a smaller one for business cards or notes.

On the inside of the back cover is one large pocket for important papers, letters, etc. There is a button closure to keep all your notes safe.

As I did with my "JOY" Christmas stocking, I made a journal to giveaway and one for me to keep. That's because I bought this fabric last summer at a nearby quilt shop and just loved it. I knew then it would become a journal cover or a totebag. I think I have enough left that one day I may make into a scrappy totebag!

So, start posting your comments, share those heartfelt memories or just leave your name and contact info.

Sandi

A winner has been drawn and the name is NIKKI !!

She has been contacted and has until Saturday at noon to reply with her name and address. No reply and I will draw another name.

BLOCK OF THE MONTH INFO!!!

Good afternoon, all!! I am almost finished with packing away all the Christmas decorations and getting the tree stuffed in it's box. Why is it so hard to get that tree back in the box that it originally came in?? :-)
Anyway, just wanted to pop in and give you a little update on the BOM that I am offering. Some of you have received the January block that I sent out a few days ago. Many more of you have signed up since then and tomorrow, Monday, I will be mailing the block to all of you that have signed up in the past week. I am so pleased that you want to do this block - even if it means you just print out the pattern and file it in your "someday" file for I do that, too!! So, if you sign up for the block and have not received an e-mail from me by noon, Tuesday, January 20th, please leave a comment on this post or send me an e-mail. I will set up a Flickr account where block photos can be posted. Lots of fun to be had but lots of details to get the snowball rolling, too. Hee hee! The February blocks will be sent at the end of January since February is such a short month. :-) Thereafter blocks will be sent on the 1st of each month.
Back to packing the Christmas decorations.......
Sandi

Ornament Swaps and the Christmas trees come down.......

This weekend I am taking my Christmas trees down. You already know that I am sad to see them come down as I love the twinkling lights and just enjoy looking at all the ornaments and remembering where they came from and all the memories that are hung on the tree. I am not a clothes hound. I do love fabric. I really love my Christmas ornaments, though and always have room for more!! So when I saw a couple of swaps for ornaments, I had to jump in......there was one at Indigo Blue and you can see what I received from Janice and then what I made for her here. Then there was the Kate's Great Ornament Exchange and you just had to send one ornament. I laughed because my partner couldn't send just one and sent the two on the left. At Christmas, my son's girlfriend, Stacia, gave me a similar one. I loved the quilting theme of all of them!! I couldn't send of just one ornament for Kate's exchange so I made three bells and added some fun stuff. Anna in Kansas City mentioned angels and such so I tied some pretty ribbon on these cool bells I found (you'll see more below) that have a snowflake on the bottom of them. Then I glued some pretty angel buttons to the top, tucked in an angel she could paint for next year and a little book of Christmas prayers.

My partner in Emily's Ornament Swap was Rosie from Spain and I made her one of my wool stars and a heart ornament that was sort of three dimensional and cooler on the tree than it looks her on my tablecloth. Rosie really liked that one and could hear it jingle in the package when it arrived. This one also was to be just one ornament but I just had to tuck in some other things. I received the pretty felt ornaments from Lee in Australia that are here.

More jingle bell ornaments went off to Monique in The Netherlands for the Honeypot Ornament Swap. She had a white and silver theme so I made up a dozen of those pretty bells and tied on some of my prettiest silver and white ribbons. I found a pretty metal Noel ornament, a bag of snowflake buttons and an ornament she can paint, too. This was to be an ornament and a handmade card. I had this adhesive backed white and silver ribbon that I had been saving and it worked great for the card that I made and sent along. And here is the pretty patchwork tree that I received in the Honeypot exchange.

I will think of 2008 as the "year I began blogging and the year of the swaps". I never would have imagined that in the months since May when my dad passed away, that I would enjoy so many new friendships around the world. I owe thanks to "sew" many of you. If I could show him all the things I received in exchange he would think it was so cool. He'd probably say "wow, that should be in the newspaper". I'll take them all home the next time I visit my mom and I'll share them all with her. Every crafty, sewing, quilty, stitching talent I have was encouraged by her and all the women in my family. I was thinking earlier tonight as we were chatting on the phone, that I am truly blessed. I hope you are feeling blessed as this new year gets underway. My mom said "Can you believe that it is already the 15th of January?" And I agreed with her that the time has flown by and that's a good thing because it's so doggone cold outside that we need the time to fly by and get some warm spring weather in here!!! On that note, I think it's time to call it a day. The tree is down in the family room and it's all vacuumed and tidy. Tomorrow I'll tackle the tree in the living room and that will be a two day job because I take forever to pack it all up just right. I've taken some photos of ornaments on the tree that I will post on my "Keeping Christmas all year long" blog and will give you a preview either tomorrow or Sunday. Now it's time for lights out. Sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite! :-)

Sandi

The winner of the "Whirl into Winter Giveaway"!

Ah, the suspense was rising as I put the final names in the bucket - something like 400 of them - and I am totally, awesomely pleased with all the comments I received! I did a "collapse comments" that gave me names only and did a copy and paste to Word and then printed out sheets with the names on them. That way no name was missed so everyone's name made it into the bucket.

I called to my husband that the time had come to "lend a hand" for the big drawing. That's his hands after he dumped the comments on the carpet to give them a good "salad mix" like he has done in past drawings. Kaiser was watching and must have thought it was food because in an instant he ran in and scarfed up one of the names between his teeth and took off. Steve yelled "stop" and I grabbed Kaiser and opened his mouth to remove the name. He was not wanting to let go of it but I wasn't going to let him eat it. I won and the name went in the bucket to be mixed with all the others.

This is how unhappy Kaiser was that he couldn't eat the paper strip(that's not a bag of garbage behind him - it's the bag for the fake snow).

SO, the name.................drum roll that can be heard round the world...............And the winner of my "Snowflake Surprise" in the "Whirl into Winter Giveaway" is ..........

.........edited......... looks like we'll have to contact another winner as I have not heard from the name that my husband drew out of the Snowman bucket..........back in an hour with another name........decided that I will announce the name when I hear from the person I e-mailed and left a comment on her blog. That person has until 2:00 CST on Monday to reply. And I have her reply.........The winner is the "NeedledMom"!!!

I have left a comment on her blog and I await a reply as alternate names were drawn in case she does not contact me by midnight Saturday!! Sadly, I must report that the first name drawn did not have any way to contact and so I could not declare her a winner. If you do not have a blog or don't have your e-mail in your profile, there is no way for us to contact you if you win or leave a lovely comment on our blogs to which we wish to reply. I mentioned in a previous post that Purple and Paisely did a great piece on how to add e-mail to your profile and here's the link again - AddingE-MailLinkToProfile. I received a message of thanks from someone who followed "T's" instructions and was very happy to learn how to do this. Check it out so you can get connected with all this blogging fun!!

Okay, so if you didn't win this Giveaway, well......I have another one coming up the first two days of February. The idea came to me last night...........think hearts, roses and Valentines, Groundhog Day and winter and come back on January 31st to learn all the details. The "Hearts and Roses Giveaway" will run from 12:00 a.m. February 1st to midnight February 2nd. I love doing this stuff. :-)

Have a good day!!

Sandi

Winner will be posted at noon CST today!!

My husband will be drawing the name and is excited to fulfill his duty as the "non-partial official drawer of the winning name" for my giveaways. Don't ask me why but he is really getting a kick out of doing this for me. So for those of you checking in early this morning, please come back at noon, CST when the winner will be posted!!
Sandi

What's in Tin # 3? and the last day to enter.........

The last day to enter the "Whirl into Winter" Giveaway is here. I wish I could say it was the last day of winter because right now it is about -20 here in southwest Minnesota. Numerous schools are closed because the wind chill is even worse and it's just too cold to have kids standing at the bus stop! It's been a long time since I remember a day that is this cold!
You probably aren't interested in the weather, only what's in that tin, right? Well, I forgot to take a picture of them but the tin is filled with six fat quarters of snow-themed fabrics and a packet of woolfelt that can be used for pincushion projects, ornaments, etc. This is the last day to sign up. Leave your name here for one more chance to enter. The winner will be drawn at midnight tonight - Thursday, January 15 ( you may leave a comment up til midnight my time which is Central Standard Time) and will be announced tomorrow, January 16th. Best of luck to all of you!! Thanks for all the comments you shared during this great giveaway. It has been fun and while I haven't replied to all the comments, I will eventually reply to each and every one of you!! And a big THANK YOU goes out to Debi who had the idea for this great way to "Whirl into Winter"!!
Sandi

Christmas Swap and Gift photos!

You know what they say - "Better late than never!" And that sure fits today's post. You may remember that a few weeks before Christmas I posted a photo of all the tissue wrapped gifts that I received from Shelley (Australia) in Chookyblue's Secret Santa Swap. I let Shelley know right away that I had received her package. A couple of days after that I let her know that I had peeked in a couple and I was so thrilled. When I opened everything up and layed it all out on the floor on Christmas Day, my daughter was quite taken. We were all impressed with the personalized cookbook that Shelley made and it has my name on it!!! There were so many gifts, I was just amazed.......an apron and matching oven mitt and refrigerator magnets, too. I filled the pocket of the apron with the rick rack trims she sent and there were lace trims and buttons, too (they'll go into my crazy quilting projects ..............and more...............

..........there was a puffy pincushion and patterns and floss and four beautiful black and white fabrics that will go into my "Black and white challenge" quilt. I felt very pampered at receiving such a generous group of gifts. I e-mailed my thanks to Shelley but thank you again!!

My partner was Fiona (England) and I sent the wrapped packages you see above. To see what was in them you can visit Fiona's blog here. I am hoping to participate in Chookyblue's swap this next season and I will definitely up the number of gifts and goodies that I include in my package!!

There were other gifts that I received that I haven't mentioned and while the Christmas tree is still up and the lights are on, I'll tell you about them. The beautiful felted rose pin on the left was a gift from my friend, Deanna. She made two of them and one was for our ornament exchange at our Crazy Quilting Christmas party and the other was just for me. She included a little card that said "thanks for being the glue that holds us together". I am the instigator of our Crazy Quilt group and keep us stuck together by sending out postcard reminders, etc. so I am happy to be called the "glue" and take it as a high compliment. I have never had any success with felting or rughooking (or crocheting or knitting) and so I really appreciate this gift. Thanks, Deanna!!

From another one of my crazy quilting friends, came the little stocking with my name on it. My friend, Sue made it and sent it along in the mail as she lives a couple of hours south now so we don't get to see each other as often. She also made the awesome stocking on the right and I was lucky enough to choose the package with it inside at our Crazy Quilting party three years ago. Thanks, Sue!!

Sue and Deanna read my blog, but my Crazy Quilting friend, Carol, doesn't have a computer so she won't be able to see that I posted the gift she sent along to me. Six of us in our afternoon crazy quilting group did a name exchange and Carol got my name. She made this apron in this vintage Dutch print. The rick rack border is part of the fabric. Too cute, huh. She made the cup cozies and I find them very useful!

Nanette would probably love to have the apron Carol made. She really has a great collection of vintage fabrics. Many of you know Nanette because of the Cottage Block exchange and all the wonderful fabrics and tips she shares on her blog. We have come to "know" each other well the last few months and enjoy sharing e-mails. I sent off a "Joy" package to her at the end of November because she has provided me with much JOY since I began blogging last spring. A package from her arrived on Christmas Eve and inside was the little house ornament, that darling Mary E. teapot pincushion (now I need to finish the Mary E. quilt top to go with it) and a pattern and kit for her "Mixed Bag". Now that I have finally taken the picture of the kit, I can sew it up!! Thanks, Nanette!!

I participated in four ornament exchanges and I posted one of them but will do the other three on Friday. That's the day I'll be taking the tree down and all the ornaments will go away for another year.

The last swap I participated in was Cleary's Twelve Days of Christmas swap........an item a day for the Twelve Days of Christmas beginning on Christmas Day and ending on January 6th, Epiphany. Lots of goodies in tissue wrapped packages and my favorite were the four red and gold tree ornaments for Day #4.

For the first day of Christmas there was one pewter angel for my car visor, two rolls of Christmas ribbon, three cards for floss, four red and gold ornaments, five votive candles, six decks of cross stitch cards, seven pretty doilies, eight bags of tea, nine patterns and sewing notions, ten spools of metallic thread, eleven - well more than eleven - embroidery floss, and twelve cross stitch booklets!!! My thanks went out to her and I say "Thank You again!"

When Cleary's package arrived, I thought that would be the last package I would receive for quite a while. Then I got lucky and won the charm squares on Eileen's blog. The day the mailman delivered them was the day the driveway was the iciest. He perservered as any good mailman would and this is what I found when I opened the package..........

I can hardly wait to take these and stitch up a project that I have in my head. But first, though, I still have to finish that sewing room clean-up. I'm making headway and the path through my room is getting wider. Give me a few days and I'll get it finished and post those "after" pictures!!

Whew! that's all for this post.

Later........

Sandi

Only two more days to enter the "Whirl into Winter Giveaway!

Just a reminder that there are only two days left to enter your name in the drawing for my "Snowflake Surprise" gifties for the "Whirl into Winter Giveaway". Just click on the photo on the right and leave a post there and you will be entered. You can get a second and third chance to win if you go to my posts on January 5th and 10th and leave a comment. And on Thursday, January 15th, there will be another opportunity to get your name in the drawing so be sure to stop by!!

If you don't live in Minnesota, you have probably heard on the news that Minnesota is in the "deep freeze". It was 16 below zero last night and I don't think it got above zero all day. We are going to get at least three more days of this before we warm up into the 20's. Right now, the 20's is looking so good that it will feel as good as 70 on a sunny day. Really!! When it's been this cold, even a bit of a warm-up feels good. Kaiser hates to go out and tries to do his duty on one leg, constantly lifting a leg all the way around because he's a house doggie and his tender paws don't take kindly to the cold. I feel for him but it really is kinda funny to watch.

So what am I doing to keep busy since it's too cold to go out.....well, I am slowly but surely working through the project piles and the chaos that I created in my sewing room these last few months. I know there are a few of you out there in the same situation. I had a great deal of fun with swaps and block projects and volunteer activities and making gifts for friends and family, etc. but, oh, my what a tornado I created in my sewing room!! I have taken a "before picture" but won't post it until I can post the "after" shots!! :-)

I am still enjoying the lights and trees of Christmas. Planning to pack it all away this weekend. I really hate to put it all away as I love the sparkle and the soft glow that radiates from a lighted tree in a dark room, like the one on the right that I never got posted prior to Christmas. It is in the dining room and I am going to leave this one up all year long. I have never done that before but I am going to "Keep Christmas All Year Long" so I have to have a tree up somewhere in the house if I am going to do that. The tree actually has some special significance. Well, not the actual tree because I bought it for just $6 after Christmas last year but it's the red ornaments that are on it that have meaning. Three years ago, my husband was on a six month job assignment in San Diego and had an apartment there. With the best wishes of our kids, I flew out to spend two weeks with him instead of him flying home for Christmas. San Diego is where we lived when we first got married and we loved it! We only lived there exactly one month because the government sent him a "Greetings and Salutation " from the local draft board letter and he ended up in the Air Force. That's another story for another day. Anyway, while out shopping one day, I bought a bag of "jewels" somewhere on Christmas clearance and tucked them away for the day when I would know what to do with them. The time came this year when I mentioned to my mother that I was going to do a silver and gold tree, something different for our 40th anniversary and she said, "oh, you should do a ruby tree because that's the 40th anniversary symbol." And right away, I remembered the bag of "jewels". I used jewelry wire to connect them and make loops and then with a string of red and a string of white lights on the tree it looks really pretty. I wish it looked as good in the picture as it does when I look at it. I'm going to put hearts on it for Valentines day, then take those off and add shamrocks in March, etc. You get the picture. You'll see this tree twelve times this next year but I'll post it on my Christmas blog. :-)
All for tonight except to say that I was thinking earlier tonight just how glad I am that I discovered the world of blogging. Can't even begin to describe how much fun it is!! Again, I say "thanks" to all of you who have read my blog, commented and are joining me in my block of the month. Night and sleep tight!!
Sandi

2009 Block of the Month

The Snowman Block of the month is no longer available as a free project in my Yahoo group. The complete pattern series is $12.00. If you are interested in the patterns, please contact me at stitchinglegacy (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks!

Thank you to everyone who has expressed interest in the block of the month that I am offering for 2009. I have entered almost all of the names and e-mail addresses. However, I am missing e-mails for several of you (see below). It may be that you are planning to download the PDF but if you wish to receive it via e-mail please send me an e-mail with your address so I may add you to the list.
Please note: your address will not show up in the e-mail that is sent to everyone. I learned how to do what is a called a "blind" e-mail so there is no worry about your address being "out there" for everyone to see.
Some of you may not realize that even though you are blogging your e-mail link does not come up when you leave a comment. Terri over a "Purple and Paisley" prepared a great post on how to add the e-mail feature so that you may be contacted. I asked if it was okay to post the link and she agreed so go here to learn how to add the e-mail feature to your blog.
Those who need to send me their e-mail address are Pam, Lyn, Brenda, Liz, GeeGee, tlBrenda, MalibuCat, Jan, NC Fabric Junkie.
I'll be sending out the PDF files for the snowman block later on this evening. Til then, have a good afternoon!!
Sandi

What's in Tin #2?

Oh, my, I'm not paying attention to dates and it is the 10th of January! I need to let you know what is in Tin #2. Well, it's another kit and this one is for the Snowman quilt you see in the photo. It's just a small wall quilt and is another one that I designed for a Community Ed class. This one has a whimsical feature added to it - a pointy carrot nose, eyes of coal, raisins for his mouth and all made out of clay! The quilt is called "Charlie's Snowman" and was inspired when I looked out one winter night and across the street the neighbor boys had built one lone snowman and all I could see was his silhouette in the dark. You'll get all the fabrics needed to complete this and the eyes, nose, and "raisin" mouth pieces. All you need to add is thread to stitch it up and a little piece of batting for it. Please add your name to this post for another chance to get your name in the drawing for my "Snowflake Surprise Giveaway".

Now about this tree on the right. I know Christmas is over but I just have a few more things I have to share with you and this is one of them. When I stopped to visit my daughter a few days after Christmas, my grandson, Jacob was showing me some of the things he got for Christmas. We were in his room and there on the shelf was this little tree. And he said "you gave that to me and we put it there every year". I thought that was so cute. I decorated the little tree in the early 90's and made it thinking of my son because he loved, loved dinosaurs when he was little. He's grown now and not much for decorating for Christmas (one real tiny tree will suffice) so I passed this on to Jacob. I loved all the little dinosaurs but here's the funny part.............you're probably thinking they are just plastic dinosaur toys but look closely...........they are in pairs..........and that's because they were earrings!!! I bought them for about a quarter each and no wonder!! Who would wear dinosaurs on their ears!!! They look much better on this tree and I even had a piece of dinosaur braid to trim the base of the tree for just the right finishing touch! I'm thinking this might be a "one-of-a-kind tree". :-)

So if you leave your name to get in the drawing, tell me ........ what is the most uniquely decorated tree that you have ever done or seen? You don't have to comment to get in the drawing but it's so fun to see what pops up in answer to my questions!!

Have a good Sunday! Going to be in the 20s tomorrow so it's a heat wave in Minnesota. Gotta enjoy it as it'll be a deep freeze here by mid-week if the weatherman is right.

Sandi

It must be 4:00 somewhere!!!

Remember the part in my last post where I said I would be posting to my "Tea and Stitches" blog the first Wednesday of every month at 4:00 CST? We are going to change that right here and now. I will post at 4:00. Now I'm not saying if that will be 4:00 my time or your time but I will at least post on the first Wednesday of the month!! You see, there's life stuff that sometimes happens and my blogging is fun but it takes a "back seat" when I need to give my mom a call, do the laundry, clean the house, etc. And speaking of cleaning the house, funny thing happened today.................I was clicking right along. My cold is almost completely gone, had some laundry going, and I was busy making little Snowball cupcakes for the Tea and Stitches post. I had just finished frosting all the little cakes when the maid popped in. She said it looked like the floors were in a fine state and surely needed a good washing and what about those bathrooms!!! Can't let those bathroom bowl rings build up. Don't you know they tell you on TV that you are missing all sorts of germs if you don't clean your bathroom bowl properly!!! So, I said, "fine, get to the cleaning". So there she was whizzing from one place to the other and all I wanted to do was sit down for tea and stitch on my little project. No stitching yet, she said. Fold that laundry and put it away. So, I folded the towels and put them away. And as I went upstairs what do you think I saw......she was at my computer playing a game of Solitaire. Silly lady, I said, you left the bathroom brush in the bowl. Please go finish the job. And so she did. Pretty soon the bathrooms were done, so it was time to wash the floors. I threw in another load of laundry and then guess where the maid was.......she was in front of the TV watching an old Jane Wyman film!! Well, I am not paying you to watch TV, I said, so off she went to wash the floors. "Would you care for a cup of tea?" I offered to which she replied "oh, no time for tea, must get back to my telly so I can watch my show". And with that, she was gone in a flash and muttering something about "Keeping up her appearances?" Wait, I cried out but I couldn't remember her name. Please, when will you be back? And that's when it hit me.........I don't have a maid! The maid's name is ME!! Hee hee!

So what on earth possessed me to write such silliness? Well, as I was scurrying here and there, it occurred to me that cloning myself or having a maid would really be quite nice. And I can so easily get side-tracked (the Jane Wyman movie was good to watch because I loved the costumes!!)! And then while I was making everything pretty for my tea, thoughts of Hyacinth on "Keeping Up Appearances" popped into my head...........and that's when the silliness I just wrote was born. Plus, a few weeks ago, someone asked me if I had a cleaning lady. This person assumed I did because we live in a two story house and it's just me and my husband. Yes, the house is bigger than two people need but when our kids and family come to visit it is just right. In our old house, we began to feel like sardines. When kids are little they don't take up as much space. Then they grow up. Then when you live someplace for 30 or more years, you accumulate all this stuff that also takes up space. And even when the kids moved out, lots of their stuff stayed behind so it was crowded. Now I feel like Baby Bear when he found Goldilocks house and the bed that was just right. As I said, this house is just right. It's okay to be the maid here. :-)

Enough of my silliness. If you click here you will find the little Coconut Snowball Cupcakes and another Snowman design you can stitch. I'm preparing to do it in Redwork but it could be colored and then highlighted with embroidery, too. Take a peek.

Time to turn out the lights. The maid's got to get some sleep.
Sandi

P.S. No offense intended for anyone who is a maid or a cleaning lady. Also, no offense to anyone who is a real baker as I am telling you how to make something with a boxed cake mix. How hard is that?!? This post was all in fun. Also, most of you are probably familiar with "Keeping Up Apperances" but if not, it is a BBC program that airs here in the States on Public Television. The lovely and very proper Hyacinth is just too divine!!!

Fluffy the Snowman has arrived!

Here he is...Fluffy the Snowman!! I think that's a very appropriate name for him since he is made from fluffy polyester batting. The new "chapter" in my blog is ready so if you go here, you will find a tutorial so that you can make a Fluffy all your own.

I rarely throw anything away. I keep scraps of all sizes, all kinds of odds and ends, shop at garage and clearance sales and buy up all kinds of craft stuff. You know me for sometimes I am you!!! This project uses styrofoam balls which you might have to purchase but the rest is pretty much just scraps. He's really fun to make and goes together very quickly. This was a kids ornament class project so anyone can make this snowman!!

Each month throughout 2009, I will post at least one ornament for you to make for your tree or as gifts for friends. I will feature ornaments made from felt, cotton fabrics, clay, wood, etc. My personal collection of ornaments is over 600 and about 1/3 of them are ornaments I made over the past 40 years! If you make any of the ornaments, I would love to see pictures. :-)

One last thing for today - for all of you who are interested in the block of the month that I am going to be offering....................I will be sending out the PDF files for the January Snowman block on January 12th. Thereafter, blocks will be sent to you on the first of each month. I am amazed that there are so many of you that are interested in my project. Thank you so much for visiting my blog and for all your lovely comments. What a great way to start a new year!!

Oh, and be sure to stop by tomorrow for "Tea and Stitches". On the first Wednesday of every month at 4:00 CST, I will host a little teatime and share a project, a recipe and perhaps a thought for the day or a recommendation for a good book!
Sandi

The Twelfth Day of Christmas!

Today is the Twelfth Day of Christmas and that song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is running through my head. According to my Reader's Digest Merry Christmas Songbook, this song is about the gifts given that celebrated each of the days from Christmas Day up to January 6th, the Epiphany. Life was hard then (I know sometimes it seems hard today but it was physically hard then and remember, there was no deoderant!) and the Christmas holiday was a time when there was a wee bit of celebration to forget those hard times. Wealthy landowners often gave there tenants and workers, a gift each day. And as noted in this RD Songbook, even if you didn't get twelve gifts, well, you could sing about it.

Soooooooooo, on that note.............Ha! did you think I was going to sing? Nope, not today but you never know. One of these days I may pop up on YouTube! What I am going to do is start another new little chapter on my blog. That's what I have decided to call each of the blogs that I add to this, my initial blog "A Legacy of Stitches". I love to craft, sew, create and share what I do. I gather in a lot of friends and fun that way!! I've always talked of writing a book and this is almost a book (especially if you were to read all the posts I've made since I started blogging last May). So, the new chapter is going to be a blog about Christmas. I've called it "Christmas is Love - Keeping Christmas All Year Long". And that's just what I am going to do.

The spirit of Christmas is all about Peace and Love. We need a lot more of that in our world today! So, about once a month (maybe more) I am going to post an ornament and some thoughts that will "keep Christmas all year long". You'll find that chapter here ..........I'll be posting the photos and instructions for the first ornament about 4:00 CST today, January 6th. I hope you enjoy it and that you will keep the spirit of "Christmas in your heart" all year long!!

Sandi

What's in Tin Number 1?

I was almost ready to turn out the lights when I remembered that I needed to post what is in Tin Number 1, the round tin. And in that tin.........you will find.........a complete woolfelt kit to make my "Snowflake Penny Rug".

I have loads of penny rugs that I have designed and only a few in pattern form with completed samples. Many of the designs were drawn during times when I was preoccupied with family health issues. I'd draw sketches, whole series of things and tuck them away in my notebook. Now I finally have the time and the space to get out my supplies and make those designs real!!!

Now, I am almost ready to turn out the lights again, but there's one more thing I must do..........I want to wish my friend, Cindy, a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Cindy is one of those friends that I treasure even though we don't see each other that often. We crossed paths at a time when we were both trying to get more involved in the arts and creative activities and get others involved, too. She was an encourager to me and because of her, I probably took chances that I wouldn't have had I not met her. Because of Cindy, I formed an arts group and at her urging, I taught a couple of quilt classes that I would not have ventured to teach had she not encouraged me. Do you have friends like that? Someone who brings out in you more than you know is there? Sometimes we need those kind of friends. I know that my friendship was good for her, too. I'll be sending her an e-mail later today and I have a little package to send off to her "just because". If you have someone that was an encourager, I'd love to hear who that was but it's not necessary for getting your name in the drawing. All you have to do for another chance for the drawing for the items in my "Snowflake Surprise" package for the "Whirl into Winter Giveaway" is to leave a comment on this post and make sure you leave your e-mail address if you do not have a blog.

Night all!!

Sandi

P.S. Don't miss the info that I posted earlier on the block of the month I'll be offering in 2009. Just read on and you'll learn all about it! :-)

A Block of the month for 2009!

The Snowman Block of the month is no longer available as a free project in my Yahoo group. The complete pattern series is $12.00. If you are interested in the patterns, please contact me at stitchinglegacy (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks!

There are loads of Block of the month projects out there so it occurred to me to wonder if there is a need for another one. But here I am and I am going to share these patterns that I designed for my friends who joined me at my church for Hearthside Quilters. We had so much fun that it would be enjoyable for me to go back through the blocks and recall some of the fun we had as I share the blocks with all of you.
This block of the month series is one I offered in 2003. I cannot tell a lie...........I never finished my blocks. Family health issues kept me hopping that year (as they did for much of 2000 through 2008) but getting together with my friends once a month was an escape from worry. For many in the group it was the same thing - an escape to do something we love - quilting and getting together!! For some it was the release of stress from work, kids, husbands, and for some, it relieved the worry of loved ones serving overseas. I would draw the blocks and got many started but it wasn't until this past year that I finished all the embroidery on the blocks. Now I am ready to sash them and put them into a full-size wall quilt.
If you decide to do the blocks perhaps you'll share photos as you make them. I could set up a Flickr group so that we can all see how differently we stitch and embellish each block.

The block for January is, of course, a snowman. My kids loved to make snowmen. Living in Minnesota there was, and is, almost always an abundance of snow. I got to wondering about who might have invented the snowman and so.......I googled it. Lo and behold, someone did "invent" the snowman. A dear man, Mr. Vernon Paul of Eau Claire, Wisconsin (another state with an abundance of snow) made a snowman for his daughter, Yetty Paul, that would frighten away the Boxing Day elves. This all took place in 1809. Believe it or not, the New York Times dispatched a writer to check out the "snow people" being made in the town and so the humble Snowman was born and provides us with an eternal sign of winter fun!!

Note: There is a reason for the words "Let it Snow!" on the pattern page. I'll tell you what those are for when I post the February block and give you more details on the quilt top.

At the first of each month, I will post a scanned photo of my block and the two pattern pages. As with other patterns that I post, if you cannot save the pages to your computer, just e-mail me and I will send you a pdf file. I would like to start a list of those that would like to receive the blocks and then each month, I can just send you the appropriate block. I will still post here on my blog but that way you will have the right file from the start. Please leave a comment on this post, with your e-mail address, if you would like to have the patterns e-mailed to you each month.

Well, I must close for tonight. I appear to finally be getting over my cold am consuming fewer cough drops, sneezing less, etc. I apologize for being late with posting about this block of the month but the cold just kept me in a fog and I really couldn't think well enough to put together the thoughts I've just shared!!

Time to turn out the lights!

Sandi