In The Bag - Ugly Fabric Quilt Challenge - Emails have all been sent with swap assignments

All Swap Emails have been sent out with your swap partners information! Please just hit reply and send to that email so I know you received your information.

If you do not see it in your inbox, please check your spam folder.

Thanks again...good luck....and have a great time!!

Final Call for In The Bag Ugly Fabric Quilt Challenge Participants!!!!

I have compiled a list of confirmed swappers for this challenge. If you have not signed up, tomorrow is the cut off!! Please click HERE and check the list of participants and make sure you are on the list.


If you find you are not on the list, you have not emailed me your shipping information and without that you are not confirmed! You must act on this at once if you want to be included!! 

Once I close the swap - I can not add your name to the list! Please don't let that happen to you!!

We are just hours away from a lot of fun taking place in blog land....don't find yourself left behind and wishing you had signed up!! It is going to be a lot of fun!!

Jubilee Quilt Blocks To Date

I mentioned wanting to do a jubilee quilt this year and found this sew along at Randy's blog a little late. It started in February, but I decided I could do this and worked like crazy to catch up! I finally did it! All 25 blocks to date are completed....just in time for the release of the new blocks on Wed. I feel so good getting all caught up on such a short amount of time.

Here are all twenty five of the blocks.....I am liking it more and more! One thing I have discovered is the fact I really love how Randy demonstrated making the flying geese. It sure makes things a lot simpler for me!

This is one of my favorite blocks of the twenty five so far for this set of blocks. LOTS of little pieces....and just for the record, the blocks with lots of little pieces, well.....lets just say I have gotten rather friendly with the seam ripper!!

And because one quilt marking turning fifty is not enough, I decided to use up some Christmas fabric I am saving...ummm hoarding and making a Christmas quilt too! And yes, all twenty five of those blocks are finished too!! I am proud of getting this all done!!

This is one of my favorite Christmas blocks...but I really love them all!

Now that I can breathe a sigh of relief at getting caught up, I am off to finish up a quilt top and back that is way over due to being finished and off to be quilted. Have a great Saturday!!

Vintage Thingie Thursday: More Vintage Dachshunds

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday. If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much.

I always bring home a vintage dachshund no matter what when I spot them on my treasure hunting outings. It does not matter if they do not look like my own dogs, I still know they will be loved and enjoyed at my house. ~ seems to be a running theme here......

I picked up this cute vintage bank a couple of months ago. I thought it was so cute.....but I did not have a white and brown spotted dachshund. It did not matter. This cutie had some crazing, but still had the stopper in the bottom of the bank, usually I don't find them with the stoppers, it was a good find.

This one is most likely a girl, with her girly hat and blushing snout......lovely in my eyes.

Then there is this little guy I found and may have shown him before.....I purchased him even if I did not have a white and brown dachshund.

And this little gem......white with brown spots, but he did not look like any of the dogs that lived with me.....no matter........

All of these little treasures must have knew something I did not know.........I have one now!!!!

This is the scene as I type this out right now.....Sammie never leaves my side.....and when I am busy...boy is he tired by the time we go to bed. He is such a sweetie.....he is happy to be home!!

I always say treasures find me.....guess these treasures were dropping hints that I just failed to notice....I had better pay more attention next time!!! Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday!!!

In The Bag Ugly Fabric Quilt Challenge

If you have signed up for this swap challenge HERE, please check your emails to make sure I received an email from you.

I have responded to all emails I have received and I am still short about 22 swappers and don't have their information.


I am working on getting everyone swapped and I need your information to expedite this process. 


Reminder: Cut off is the last day of April......help get the word out on  your blog or facebook or twitter...don't want a lot of folks disappointed once the swap closes.


Sadly, I don't have time to try and contact everyone personally who has not sent their information. So If I don't receive it by the last day of April, I will not be able to include you in the swap. Please don't let that happen.


Go HERE to read any updates and it would be a good idea to click "follow" on the blog set up for this challenge so you don't miss any updates.


Have a good Wednesday!!

Today I love the..

Smell of: Spring flowers blooming in my yard

Sound of: peace and quiet
Taste of: cold iced tea
Sight of: Sunny day
Feel of: new fabrics on my cutting table

Good Things about Today:

- four dogs are finally getting into a routine with one another
- all the laundry is done
- Sewing a little bit
- allergies are under control today

Tell Me Tuesday: Week Sixteen

Welcome to Tell Me Tuesday.....First off the title is a bit deceiving.....it really is not about you telling me anything.... but answering a question truthfully and maybe telling yourself a little something you had not thought about.

I'd love for you to join me each week, and copy the question onto your blog and answer the question....and link back here. I am sure it will be interesting how there will be many different answers to the same question.....and hopefully give each of us something to think about as this new year progresses. My thought is so many people (including myself) are looking for some answers to various things. I have a feeling that the answers are inside needing to be jiggled loose and maybe a question posed a certain way will have a cause and effect in a good way. We will see how it goes! I have committed to this once a week for the whole year of 2012. I'd love for you to take the challenge with me!

I am keeping the rules simple...I'd love to watch this grow as the year goes on.

1. Grab the button on the sidebar if you like so others can find this new writing experience each week.

2. Once you link in, visit the person who linked in before you and leave them a comment. It would be great to visit and leave comments for as many as you can. But at least try and leave the person ahead of you in the link a comment of support.

3. Please link back to my blog and mention Tell Me Tuesday somewhere in your POST. That is it....easy.

Most of all, look at this writing experience with an open mind. Sometimes the questions will be hard...and require some thought. That is a good thing. Other times it will be easy. You can add photos, or whatever you like to your post. It is about you after all. ~ Thanks for joining me.....I hope you enjoy this each week.
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Week Sixteen Question:

What is the best part of being you?

Goodness.....not easy to answer. First, I need to  define "You"

"You" does not mean, mother, wife, teacher, friend, daughter or any other descriptive word....yes those are all things that we are...but not really the "you" part of that question......


I am going to think on this question....and answer later today. Something to think about and look at your "real" self in order answer honestly.......be back later! 
What are your thoughts? What is the best part of being you???  

~ After thinking on this today, I think the best part of being me is the fact I am able to take the hard things that come my way and still weather the storm until better days come. There have been lots of times I felt I would not make it and that my ship would sink, but somehow, with either sheer grit and determination I always pull through. It is not easy as I have found that there are not really enough people in my life that truly understand or take the time to try and understand to lighten the load. It is more of a pull your boots up by the straps and move forward in the muck if you want to see and smell the flowers again. Is it easy? No. But I have done it time and time again. I know some who don't have it in them and never seem to get to the better things in life, they stay in the mud. I am thankful that there is a part of "me" that is able to do that. I am glad I have it in me to know that sunny skies and beautiful flowers are always around the corner.

When Doing The Right Thing Trumps Logic

I told you last week there might be a post about a dachshund this week, and well, I might as well go ahead and share this story.
My brother sent me, my husband and my daughter a text last week with info about a free dachshund. He said the owner needed a good home for the dog. The dog it seemed got the short end of the stick as a result of a major split between a couple and the dog was not being taken care of. First question I asked was it a boy or a girl.

Of course it was a  boy. Now, I really don't have a thing against male dogs...but I really prefer females as a personal choice......at least in the past.

I spoke with the lady about the dog on the phone. Yes, there had been a split between the couple, she took one dog but could not take both. She said the dog was not being taken care of, had lost lots of weight and was not happy at all and she wanted to find him a good home. there goes the tug on the ole heart strings...ahem.

I told her I'd like to come see the dog before I committed to taking him. I explained to her I had three females who were not fixed and of course this guy had not been fixed either. I told her my oldest dog Sophie was just coming out of heat and I needed to wait until that was over before I could bring him home. She said that was not a problem, they would hold him until I could take him, but I still wanted to see him first so I scheduled a time on Saturday to see him.

We met the man at a parking lot (not his home) which, I did not say anything to my husband at the time, but that sent a red flag for me right away. I really wanted to see the dog in the environment in which he had been living.

When the man got out of the car with the dog, I was shocked at what I saw. Not only is this dog the thinnest dog I have ever seen, but his nails were so long, they curled up under his feet and he was covered in fleas. He clearly was not being fed or properly taken care of and that was all it took for the decision to be made.  I told the guy we were taking him right then and there did he have anything he wanted to send from home with the dog. Of course he did not.

Fist thing we did when we got home was put the three girls outside and cut his nails. Next a bath and then the introductions. It is a fair understatement to say that was a fiasco!  My three girls, one thinking they are the queen (Sophie) and the other two thinking they are princesses (Dora and Bailey) were not having any part of some stranger invading their castle.....but as they say, after a bit of time and Sophie reinforcing who was boss...all sorta calmed down.

Dora does not care much for him, but she has taken on the ignoring stance! Bailey, is so docile that she just sorta snarls when she wants to be left alone. Sophie on the other hand, after she was sure he knew who was boss....decided he might not be so bad. And if you don't think I am worn out by keeping these two apart...well, it has been a sight! So far so good....thank goodness, Sophie is almost out of this heat business and once that happens, it will be a lot calmer. Sleeping arrangements for my husband and I have been slightly altered. But at this point it can not be helped! And no, we don't want to kennel him. We feel he needs lots of love and he is already so attached to me it is like he is my second shadow in line behind Bailey.

The photos don't really show how thin he is. In fact, my brother stopped by our house last night and was shocked as well at how thin he was. He even commented that he did not look so bad in the photos I had posted on facebook. He is on a diet of cooked chicken breast and dog food twice a day. He won't eat treats, but I am sure in time he will figure out what those are in due time. He will be going to the vet as soon as I feel he is back on the road to getting a little meat on his bones. He is still very young, just a little over a year.....and he is sooo sweet!!

Sunday, I wanted to put a collar on him and try to get him used to a leash and collar. I only had girly collars the the other dogs had out grown, and I thought he needed something a little more for a big boy!! So I took this princess collar and added some scraps and turned it into this....

I think it is so cute!!! This is the only sewing I got done over the weekend, besides a doggie diaper for Sophie....it was more like must do sewing -  but it had to be done!!!

Look how cute he is in his new collar! We put a leash  him and well and that was like a bucking bronco show at the rodeo, but he will take to that too, in time.

So this little guy is here to stay, he really is a sweet little guy and he minds well, and learned right away what the doggie door is for! He certainly wrapped himself all around my heart rather quickly....go figure!!

I see at least four trips to the vet in the future.....three spays and one neuter. I am sure once that is all taken care of it will be a lot less stressful!! I just really hope this is the last text message I get about  a free dog that needs a good home.

Logically, we were already full at this inn.....but sometimes logic does not come into play. Sammie (Sam) we already love you and know you will love it with us! After all, it would be hard to find a better home than the one you have landed in....after all.....the dogs here RULE!!

Piecing Blocks - Jubilee Quilt

This is a milestone year for me, as you may recall in March I turned the big 5-0. While it passed without  parades marching and bands playing there are some really stand out moments for me. I think mentally it has been a time for stopping and reevaluating many aspects of my life and shedding things that really don't have a front and center place anymore in my life. I guess it is in passing milestones that spark an interest in trying to figure out how we got to this point and where we'd like to go in the future....especially when you have felt for months that the future is really rather short compared to where you have already been in the past....just sayin'

At the beginning of this year, I read online where several quilters were marking this same milestone in making a Jubilee quilt to commemorate turning 50 in 2012. My friend Lane is taking part in that very quilt along. I knew that these blocks were way over my abilities and have watched it progress and wished I had at least tried the beautiful pieced blocks. But I know my abilities and I really felt this was way out of my skill level.

A couple of weeks ago, I read on Bonnie Hunter's blog where she is making a Jubilee quilt as well, however this one is different from the others I have seen. This quilt along started in February and she was talking about the April addition to the blocks. I decided this was surely doable for me and knew this was what I'd do for my Jubilee 2012 Turning 50 commemorative quilt. The "sow-along" is hosted by Randy at Barrister's Block blog, stop by and have a look. She post new blocks twice a month, the first and third Wednesday of the month, so I knew I was not too terribly far behind.

I went back and printed up all the instructions for the blocks to date and started cutting and sewing. The finished quilt will be a Farmer's wife quilt and I have always admired them but felt like the blocks might be too difficult. Somehow in doing a sew-along, I feel less intimidating, as I am only looking at a small part at one time, and not the whole thing.....it works for me!

Now like this was not enough to take on in between other sewing I am doing, I got a wild idea yesterday as I was out thrifting around town. There is a really nice local resale shop not too far from my home and I love to go look for vintage sheets there once in a while. Yesterday, I was looking in the area where they have all the sheets and there was a huge basket of fat quarters in Christmas fabrics. These were what I would consider vintage as they were from Cloth World and I don't know about where you live, but around here, Cloth World has been gone for a long time!! The fat quarters were 50 cents, and I bought about 10 of them, took them home and washed them, and decided as I was folding them to put away that I just might as well use them. So....guess what I decided to do???

Yep, I am making two of these quilts this year to mark my turning the big 5-0. One out of Christmas fabrics and the other for every day. Crazy I know...but I have made the first six blocks for each and am ready to push forward and get caught up before the first of May. Ambitious? Well certainly it is, but then again....turning the big 5-0 was a rather "ta-da" moment for me and this will be a good project to work on this year!

I am finishing up another special quilt project and hopefully will have it off to the quilter on Monday.....that is a story of itself....one that will be following after the recipient gets the quilt. Stay tuned......

Also, the final weeks of signing up for the "In the bag - Ugly fabric quilt challenge" is winding down. If you have not checked that out, click HERE to sign up and participate! It should be a lot of fun and hope every one enjoys it! I have a new post up on that blog so hop on over and look around!! That will start on May 1st.

Have a great weekend everyone!!! I am thinking next week I will have big news to share here with all of you....it may have something to do with a dachshund.....stay tuned!

Linking up with finished for Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts. 

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage School Reader

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday. If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much.

The last few weeks, my daughter and I have been on a huge shopping quest to build a classroom library. My daughter is graduating in December with her masters in education and is already working on things that she will need in the classroom. So we have been buying books when we find them. It is sorta tough not knowing exactly what grade she will be teaching and kindergarten through sixth grade really is a broad area to cover. I for the most part have purchased books for the younger grades. It has been lots of fun.


Now, lucky for me, my daughter really has no interest in the vintage books.....Oh. But. I. Do!

I found this reader in a recent shopping spree. Copyright 1963. I actually found about 40 vintage books...all with the adorable stories and graphics I remember so well. Lucky for me....my daughter thinks these are too out of date! Ha!! Not for my taste!

Turns out The Big Show is a circus.....love the little pictures beside the sentences.

I love all the colorful pictures on each page......

This is so cute...looks like she found a kitten and wants to keep it!! Too bad it was not a wiener dog!!

It is hard for me to leave these on a shelf when I find them. I have really been amazed at how many of these books I have found lately, as it has been a long time since I ran across any vintage school books. 

The new "in style" books of today ( that my daughter is wanting ) just do not have an appeal for me as these older ones do....and have you thumbed through the pages of new books today????....the pictures are just plain weird!! I am guessing that is what the kids like these days! Not this old sister!!!


Have a great Vintage Thingie Thursday!! I am sure I will share more of my great finds in a few weeks.

Tell Me Tuesday: Week Fifteen

Welcome to Tell Me Tuesday.....First off the title is a bit deceiving.....it really is not about you telling me anything.... but answering a question truthfully and maybe telling yourself a little something you had not thought about.

I'd love for you to join me each week, and copy the question onto your blog and answer the question....and link back here. I am sure it will be interesting how there will be many different answers to the same question.....and hopefully give each of us something to think about as this new year progresses. My thought is so many people (including myself) are looking for some answers to various things. I have a feeling that the answers are inside needing to be jiggled loose and maybe a question posed a certain way will have a cause and effect in a good way. We will see how it goes! I have committed to this once a week for the whole year of 2012. I'd love for you to take the challenge with me!

I am keeping the rules simple...I'd love to watch this grow as the year goes on.

1. Grab the button on the sidebar if you like so others can find this new writing experience each week.

2. Once you link in, visit the person who linked in before you and leave them a comment. It would be great to visit and leave comments for as many as you can. But at least try and leave the person ahead of you in the link a comment of support.

3. Please link back to my blog and mention Tell Me Tuesday somewhere in your POST. That is it....easy.

Most of all, look at this writing experience with an open mind. Sometimes the questions will be hard...and require some thought. That is a good thing. Other times it will be easy. You can add photos, or whatever you like to your post. It is about you after all. ~ Thanks for joining me.....I hope you enjoy this each week.
__________________________________________________

Week Fifteen Question:


What's one simple way to make life less complicated?

The question this week,  provokes a lot of thought for me. Life is complicated at every turn sometimes and other times, we truck right along with smooth sailing. There are many different components that inflict complicated situations often times. 


For me, I think one of the simplest things to do is to let go of expectations I may consciously or subconsciously place on others. I know I often experience great hurt from expecting certain things from others. I tend to measure my self worth against the failed expectations of  others actions and it makes for a lot of complicated and strained relationships. It is tough for me as so often I question why it is I am willing to do or go the extra mile for them and they often do not even acknowledge me.


 I heard a statement on television the other night that was an aahhha  moment for me.  It went something like this...."Just because you love with a gallon size heart does not mean that a person with only a pint size heart can or will give the same love in return. They just don't have it in them. Instead of beating yourself up with actions from the pint size love that a certain person can only provide, it is time to surround yourself with like people...gallon heart loving people." 

That made a lot of sense to me and helped me to realize not to complicate things by internally feeling like others actions are directly influenced by my self worth. It is just not so. Letting go of expectations that others can not, nor will never live up to sure will help with a lot of complications I have faced in the last few months. 


I don't know if this answer truly makes life less complicated, but for me, it should help with a lot of complicated feelings in certain relationships I have been having. What about you?? How would you answer this question today?

Quilt Update: Shannon's & Crew's Quilts Finished and Being Delivered

The quilts for Shannon and Crew have been completed and shipped off to their new homes last week. Sue did a wonderful job on the quilting, they look so wonderful!!

This was a huge undertaking that many participated in....lots of small parts that came together for a whole wonderful finished piece.

Thanks to Sue for all her hard work on getting these quilts finished and off to their new home! They look wonderful!

I just grabbed a few of the pictures that Sue took of the finished quilts. Click HERE to see all the wonderful pictures and all the fantastic detail.

I hope Shannon's family finds comfort in this quilt and knowing so many prayed and held their family close during this time!! I hope Crew's family knows lots of folks are pulling for him to get better and healthy soon!

Thanks again for all your effort in seeing this come to pass! Lots of folks played a part in this and it turned out wonderfully. Thanks so much to Anne for giving all of us a chance to help in some way!!