Gifts and Swaps and a Good Sense of Humor......

As I mentioned in my last post, I've received a few gifts and while I've sent my thanks for the gifts, I want to share photos, too. Who knew that blogging and Yahoo groups could mean so many gifts and fun things would come in the mail?!?! I love to see the mailman pull up and have to come to my door with a package. :-) So, here's a bit of what he has brought these last few weeks............
Renita from Florida is in both my Yahoo groups and we are also in a Yahoo pincushion group (Crazy About Pincushions) and in Pat Sloan's Quilt Mash-up group. Yes, we are never bored. :-) She sent me the plaid pincushion right after Wooly Buddies 2nd Anniversary. I love the size of it ............7" diameter and very plump! I keep it right by my sewing machine. :-) The little pincushion with the gingerbread man arrived this past week and I had no idea he was headed my way. Dorothy from Texas sent him and I put him on display in the Christmas corner of my sewing room. If memory serves me correctly, Dorothy is also in both my groups and the pincushion group. :-) He looks good enough to eat so I better keep him away from Kaiser. Yes, he has eaten a crafty thing or two, so I have to keep the treasured stuff up high where he can't get it.

Then an unexpected envelope arrived that contained that pretty fat quarter from Dianne in Newfoundland. The Friends & Feathers Words of Wisdom booklet came from my good blogging buddy, Pat. She said she saw it at an Amish quilt shop and that it "screamed buy this for Sandi". I understood perfectly. :-) And in that little red bag there is a little heart shaped box filled with little paper bits for cardmaking or scrapbooking. It came from Ramona, who found my blog during the One World One Heart blog event back in February. I'm here to tell you that I have met the coolest people since I started blogging. If you are reading this and you aren't blogging yet, well, think about how much fun you are missing and start blogging ...... soon. LOL!

From gifts, I'll switch to swaps...........I participated in the "Spring Fling Swap" over on Pat Sloan's group and the person I received my swap from was Cindy in Alabama. Look at all the lovely gifts she sent!!!

The swap gifts had to include an appliqued tea towel that used one of Pat's designs from her "Farmer's Market" pattern and a set of coasters and anything else you wanted to send. :-) Oh, and we had to give our favorite color/theme, candy, etc. so our swap partner would have some idea of what to make. I said I loved pink ...... and Cindy covered it to a "T". And I said I love chocolate with hazlenuts.........covered! And they are all gone! Yummy!
The person I sent a swap to was also named Cindy but she is Cindy in New Hampshire. She said she loved anything that had to do with farm life and planting flowers with her granddaughter. Her candy favorites were Hershey's Kisses and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and that's what is wrapped in those rick-rack fabric packs. :-) I chose strawberries for the towel because they just said "spring garden" to me and I included lots of flower seeds and even a silly cow puppet for Cindy's granddaughter. It was really fun putting the swap together and Cindy said she has never had such a great swap package come in the mail!

Back to the Yahoo pincushion group.............There was a spring swap on that group, too, and I thought ........sure, why not? It was called "Link to Spring" and we were challenged to make a pincushion using an Internet link that inspired us. I was partnered with Chris in Michigan. We have been partners before in a Crazy Quilting pincushion swap so I knew her work would be lovely. It was.............take a look........

Chris used a variety of wool pieces to create the pincushion ball and then embroidered on it and added lace embellishments. (Inspiration for her pincushion came from this site.... BirdNestOnTheGround .) She made some pretty pins for it and added a personalized tag. I almost cried when I took this out of the box. It is so lovely, I don't know how she parted with it. She did tell me that she liked it so much she is going to make one for herself now. I can see why! I've already eaten the M&M's and I'm making plans for that jelly bean fat quarter. No, I'm not going to eat it but wouldn't it make a cute little mat for under a candy dish?

So what did I send Chris? Well, I made her a little tulip pincushion from my hand-painted wools that I did with my grandson last summer. I used the pattern for my rose pincushion and just drew a tulip that said "Spring". Her favorite color is blue. :-) Chris said she loved dark chocolate so I chose the best..........Dove eggs. Then I added two fat eighths of strawberry print fabric because everyone knows that chocolate and strawberries go well together!

And now to "a good sense of humor"...........It's not everyone who gets underwear in the mail, so when Norma in Florida sent this to me as thanks for some fabric I sent her, she added........."I hope you have a good sense of humor." I sure do and thought this little "undie shaped" zippered bag was just too cute.

There was even a tissue holder to match! I decided to keep my valuables.......you know, wedding ring, cheap pearl earrings, etc. in my "undies" when I'm traveling. Works for me! Hope you, too, have a "sense of humor".

I love all the gifts, the note cards and the comments that you leave me, and it's all thanks to blogging and on-line groups! And here I thought turning 60 was going to be so awful. I've had more fun this past year than I could ever have imagined!! Thanks sooooo much to all of you!

Sandi

Good things stuffed in the mailbox!

A few days ago, I received two packages in the mail on the same day. They were chock-full packages that my mailman managed to stuff into my mailbox. It was slippery outside and I think he didn't want to have to walk up my driveway. I decided to make a trip to the store for milk so that I could pull up to the mailbox on my way back. I don't think I've ever known a winter when I felt so vulnerable due to the ice that is under the snow that falls every few days. I could hardly wait to get into the house to open the packages. I was expecting one of them but had forgotten that the other one was on it's way.
The tan package came from Laxmi in England. We were swap partners in a pincushion swap on the CAPC yahoo group. We each made little heart pincushions to send to each other (pattern is a Better Homes & Gardens design by Roseanne Kermes) as did all others in the swap. Then little valentine themed gifts were added and I enjoyed them all. The chocolate is long gone, though. :-) Thanks, Laxmi!!



The other package contained this cute bag from blogging friend, Cleary. She sent it to me as a gift, sort of a thank you because she enjoyed the recent "virtual retreat" that I hosted in my Wooly Buddies group.


She filled the bag with goodies, too!
One of the neatest little things in the bag was that blue round thing you can see in the middle of the photo. It's one of those things that when you look through it you see multiple images of whatever you are looking at. My kids had them but this one is consider a quilter's gadget as it gives you an idea of what one quilt block would look like as a quilt just by viewing that block through this little blue thing. I should have kept the card and I could tell you what it's called. LOL!

Thanks, Cleary for a great bag and lots of fun goodies.
I have to come up with a goodie package for a "Pay it forward" project that I signed up for on the "Needled Mom's" blog. I wonder could it be you that I will send a package to..............
It could happen. :-)

That's all for now.
Sandi

Happy New Year's Eve!!!

Hi! and hope you are all enjoying a great evening, the last night of 2009!! I am ready for a new year and a new start. Got my new calendar and making my plans for lots of good things in the year 2010. To make sure the year gets off to a good start, we have been cleaning and sorting and that kind of thing. Not exactly what I was planning for my days after Christmas but it had to be done. Kinda kept me from doing the quilty, bloggy, Yahoo group things I was planning but I am ready to get back at it starting tomorrow!
First, though, there is still snow out there and lots of it. This past Monday morning, I ventured out to mail these.........
yep, finally I sent the packages out that contained the charm squares that I offered up in my Christmas in July giveaway last July!! Better late than never............
On my way to the Post Office, I passed these fellas...........

Somebody that's a lot stronger than I am put these sturdy snowmen together!!! No snow in the forecast for a few days but we are headed into the deep freeze!! Later in the afternoon, the mailman delivered two unexpected little packages and one came from Nanette..............

I love her little three inch square pack and know exactly what I am going to do with it. :-) Thanks, Nanette...........

And then there was this lovely card and gift from Nihal in Istanbul. She made me a pair of "Blue Moon" earrings and I am wearing them as I write this!

Lovely, aren't they? I've checked out the "Blue Moon" that is rising on this New Year's Eve and it is beautiful!! Thanks, Nihal!

If you live here in the Henderson area, you might want to stop in at the Historical Society on Sunday afternoon and check out the quilts on display. I was asked to come and take a peek at the quilts this past Tuesday and help determine names of patterns used in the quilts. I took several pictures and will share on Saturday! :-)

As noted, we have been sorting and such and here are a couple of fun items that I came across when I unpacked boxes that were packed for our move three years ago!!

There were old linens.........my baby book and a magazine given to my mother when I was born and then an old issue of Woman's Day from December, 1960. It belonged to my mother who always bought a copy of Woman's Day and Family Circle each time she went grocery shopping. I'm going to sit down and read this one in a few minutes while my husband is watching some movie, probably an old Clint Eastwood flick. :-) It was fun to go through some of things in the boxes and then again, some of it made me feel like ....."whoa!! where did the time go?!?!"

And speaking of time, that's all the time I have for posting now. I'll be back tomorrow at about 1:00 p.m. - right after the Rose Bowl Parade is over - and I will share the first of a new Redwork block series of Angels and I'll have a little bit of a New Year's Day Giveaway, too. :-) See you then..........

Happy, Happy New Year!!!

Sandi

The tree is trimmed.......

but I forgot to take pictures so I think I will wait til after Thanksgiving to share photos of the finished tree. Actually, there are two decorated trees........the big one in the living room and a smaller one in the family room. The one in the living room has 40 years worth of ornaments on it. The one in the family room is decorated with ornaments that I designed and taught in community education classes and at Murphy's Landing (now known as TheLanding - if you live in or near the Twin Cities make a visit in December as it's a wonderful place to step back in time to Christmas Past!). Many of the ornaments on our big tree are from trips we took when my husband's job took him overseas. I love to visit "far away places". As a kid, I loved that old Perry Como song of the same name. I imagined I would travel someday and I am glad that dream came true. I don't do much traveling these days, except to Iowa to visit my mom but the postman brings me things from "far away places" ......... like this..........

As I mentioned in my previous post, Jenny organized "A Very Quick Christmas Swap". On Friday, I received my package from swap partner, Marlene. I was also swap partner to Jenny. :-) Her package arrived on Saturday afternoon, just when I needed a break from tree-trimming. She sent me an extra fat quarter because she didn't think her ribbon was very "Christmasy". I think it's lovely and it will end up in a crazy quilting project as little florets. :-)


After I took the photo, I almost threw the envelope away and then I realized.....it's an original sketch from Jenny. Can't toss that in the trash so it's going in the scrapbook file. :-) Thanks, Jenny!
On a serious note, my mom is in the hospital. She's developed some issues related to the kidney stones. The doctor wants to keep her for a couple days and run some tests so that surgery can go on as scheduled for next week. I have appreciated all your thoughts and prayers and ask that you keep it up. She's doing well, but what a bumpy journey she is having. We'll know more tomorrow about what the week will hold.
That's all for tonight. Have a great Monday and a good week!
Sandi

A visit to the Gingerbread House and more........

Yes, it was more than a couple of weeks ago that I was home for a visit with my mom in Iowa and I am still posting pictures of the three days I spent there. The day after I presented the quilt program to the Women's Club, my mom and I went shopping. We headed to Webster City and she took me along a "back-roads route" that she had found that has less traffic. Nice thing was the it was also very scenic! We went to Hy-Vee for a good lunch at the deli and then some groceries and a stop at the Dollar Store and around the corner to the Gingerbread House!!!

You'll find the shop at 309 Bank St. in Webster City, Iowa and it's open Mon-Fri from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sat. 9:30 to 2:00 p.m. There are even Gingerbread men waving at you and saying "yes, you can buy all the fabric you like!" :-)

This is such a cute shop, that is chock full of fabrics and bears and all sorts of good gifty items.
I was short on time, so did a quick "look see" and found the cutest little farm boy and tractor fabric and got a fat quarter of each - one for me and one for my mom who was waiting in the car because she was a bit tired.

I've been to the Gingerbread Shop a few times and have bears to prove it, plus some fabric. One fabric I purchased was the "challenge" fabric for our Prior Lake Quilter's group. Each member received a fat quarter of fabric that was chosen by the leader of the group each year (I was the leader at the time) and then the challenge was to make a project that incorporated that fabric. I chose the geranium print fabric that you see in the picture frame below. Edit: Leaders didn't have to cover the cost of the fabric that guild members received. Our dues covered the cost of the fabric and the leader of the group each year got to go out and select a fabric that she felt would be a good challenge in a quilt project. I love to share my fabric but that would be costly to cover fat quarters for the entire group! Sorry if I mislead anyone!

If I remember correctly, I bought almost the whole bolt in order to get enough for the group. I loved this fabric the minute I saw it as it reminded me of my Grandma and the white umbrella like plant holder that sat in the front yard of her farmhouse. Sometime, I will remove the glass and take a close-up of the piece as it's fairly detailed. I fused a section of the fabric to interfacing and then individually cut all the little flowers and leaves to put in the geranium pot. I found the frame at a garage sale for a couple bucks and it was the perfect frame for the little quilt.

Because I am so behind in sharing pictures, I will be jumping all over the place for the next couple of weeks. Here's one, I wanted to show you because I think it would make a great quilt shop. It's "FOR SALE" and it's located in the little town of Vernon Center, MN just off Hwy. 169.

I was telling my son, Devlin, about it because he said he would love to turn an old church into a house. I told him I had the perfect place for him. Unfortunately this would be a long commute to the Twin Cities and his job. Speaking of Devlin, here he is along with his girlfriend, Stacia.

I took this one this past Saturday afternoon when it was a lovely, sunny day but actually a little chilly which explains why they are wearing coats. I was going to give you a sneak peek of the project that we are working on together, but too much of what we are doing shows up in my photos, so I will wait to share those til June.

One last thing for tonight............We're having a "sock swap" on my Wooly Buddies Yahoo group and it all started when someone mentioned colored socks and I posted that I was one who only ever wore white socks. Within minutes, my buddies said that I had to get some colored socks and before you knew it, talk of a "sock swap" began and so socks are crossing the country in our first "sock swap". My moderator for the group, Pat, took pity on me and sent me these cute and comfy socks................

and then, Anett, who is coordinating the swap, sent me these "Quilty Girl" socks and that oh, so awesome bag that she made for me. Yep, just for me!! Don't you love the bumper sticker?

I found some fun socks for my partner at Michael's, of all places. I was looking for totebags and literally "stumbled" upon the cute socks that I ended up buying. I can't show you a picture til I know my partner, Kathy, has received them. Hope she likes them. My package from her is crossing mine in the mail. We were partners in the Egg Swap and by pure chance ended up being partners in this one. Who knew that nearing 60 could be so much fun?

One more last thing............remember the bug bites that bugged me? Well, I went for my yearly physical today and my doctor confirmed they were sand fleas or "Noseeums". Connie, my PostLady mentioned to me last Friday that they might be the bug I encountered. I just know I don't want to encounter them again. I don't like a bug that I "no - see -um" and that bites me and I don't know it til the itching starts!! So, time to turn out the lights and hope those bedbugs don't bite!

Sandi

Back again!

Morning!! I have given my arm, shoulder and elbow a much needed rest and it really helped. That repetitive strain thing can really get you so it was good to step away from the mouse and the computer and the hand-sewing for awhile!!
So what did I do in the meantime? Well, I shopped for groceries on Friday and thought I could beat the snow that was coming but not so......instead, I drove home in crummy conditions but was glad I went when I did as yesterday, the snow that fell was blowing all over because of the wind. I was glad to not have to go out. I also decided not to do any shoveling til today. It actually felt kind of good to be outside shoveling because it was nice and sunny. However, it wasn't warm and sunny so I can't say it was a real joy to do. However, there was a little bit of JOY in my mailbox on Friday afternoon. In fact, it was ROYAL MAIL from England and I knew right away that it was from my partner in JennyFlower's Mug Swap. And here's what was inside.................

Lovely gifts, right, and I really, really like that mug!! When I took the picture of these gifts I remembered that I hadn't taken a photo of the what I received earlier in the week from Nanette .....more JOY in my mailbox. I was so thrilled to find a package with one of her Valentines in it and that adorable pot holder. It's "Showtime" for that potholder. It will never get used. :-)

I can't wait to show the potholder to my mom because when my sister, Judy, and I were kids, she made each of us these full skirts in turquoise with white polka dots and that was the first thing I thought of when I saw this potholder. Talked to my mom a couple times this weekend. Winter is getting long and she was having a bit of a blue weekend. I had time to run off to the post office with another little package so she'll get it in tomorrow's mail. The USPS has a new Priority box, small and just $4.95 to mail so I tucked in a teeny spring birdhouse, some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and a little covered notepad made from the scraps from my recent giveaway project.

I have been busy with details for our crazy quilt show and the ladies in this picture were directly responsible for getting me started in crazy quilting. I made them in the early 80's and will get to their story in a day or so.

It was good to take a couple days away but oh, so much to do. Need to post my Christmas ornament before February is over so that is next on my list, then an update of the BOM requests. I also realize there is a need for me to better organize my posts with labels and whatever so that you all can find past blocks and other projects. I'll get to that. Just takin' one day at a time. :-) And now I'm takin' myself off to bed. Good night and sleep tight........

Sandi
P.S. Did you watch the Oscars tonight? I thought it was the best in years!! Loved the song and dance numbers and the way they presented the best actor/actress and supporting roles with the past winners was really clever!

Keeping the Post Office Solvent

I think that's a fitting title for this post. I used to go out to lunch, bought a lot more fabric and then I started blogging and there were giveaways and swaps so lunch and fabric went by the wayside so I could mail packages. :-) I got lucky and won one of the first giveaways I signed up for over at Mr. Monkeysuit. I was hooked on giveaways and couldn't wait to host my own. SO, in August I hosted my first giveaway. Connie, our Postlady was new (via transfer) and we got to know each other better every time I mailed off a swap or giveaway package. Then there were Christmas cards to send and now Valentines!!! Wow! I have seen her a lot the past week just trying to get all my goodies mailed. First package I sent off last week was one to my son and his girlfriend. I called it the "Good Humor" package as I crammed a $10.35 flat rate box full of everything from Spam to Monkey snack plates and all sorts of stuff. They loved it. :-) Then last Friday, I mailed off the package that contained my swap items for a "Choose 3" pincushion swap.



Here's what I sent off (my partner has received it so I think it'll be okay to share)....... a little cupcake pincushion (that plastic cupcake comes in a two-pack at JoAnn's), a little bundle of spring fat-eighths and in the drawstring bag are about two dozen buttons from my vintage button collection.
I received from Carol, my partner, two fat quarters and those beautiful pieces of tatting that I will either use on a pincushion or in my crazy quilt blocks. That's Propbear doing the "show and tell". :-)
Last weekend, I got serious about sending out Valentines. Here's the result............
On Monday I took these 14 pink envelopes to Connie to mail. Can't tell you what is in them as then the folks they are going to would know what they are getting..............

Monday afternoon I cut fat quarters and then filled 24 envelopes with the fabrics you see in the photo below. Can't give you a clue where these are going either but I can tell you that with Connie's advice, I put them in #10 business envelopes to keep the cost down. I stuffed the envelopes full and took them off to the post office along with............

another $10.35 flat rate Valentine box for my mother. She doesn't read my blog so I can share these things.............

I found a cool puzzle of a covered bridge because my folks lived in southern Iowa for a couple of years, not all that far from some of those old covered bridges. She loves the work of Thomas Kincade so this fat little picture book is perfect. There's a vanilla sachet and in the gold box is a pretty ceramic heart. And I stuffed candy and jam and all sorts of stuff in the box for her to enjoy, too. I'm betting she'll like it just like my son and his girlfriend did. :-)

With all that stuff in the mail, you'd think I'd be done sending off packages but not so. I just finished stuffing seven more little envelopes, some with fat quarters I cut from the fabric in the photo above and on the right, plus wool and other gifties. Then on Thursday, I'll mail a couple wintery themed packages, some patterns and I will have done my part to keep the post office solvent and support the economy. Not bad, huh?

I have one more "show and tell"........Denny from my "Wooly Buddies" group sent me this fabric postcard and the cute coasters and heart. I wasn't expecting anything so it was really fun to see the package in my mailbox.

I have shared a lot of fun with you and now I have a serious note to share with you. Last Friday when I took some of those packages to my Postlady Connie, she had sad news to share. Her little grandaughter, Emma, who is just seven years old has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. I am so sad for her and so, if you wish, please send comforting thoughts or say a little prayer for Emma and her family, too. I'll see Connie often and she will keep me updated. She's working on a quilt for grandaughter, Abby and when it's finished, she's going to bring it in so I can take a photo and post it here. She has to be the coolest Postlady ever!!

End of a long day.........almost tomorrow........

Sandi