My Watermelon Quilt

This is what is on my design wall today.  Trying to figure out how to put my BOM all together.  The blocks are the 2011's BOM from our LQS.  Will talk about it all later once I get it sewn together.  I'm pulling from everywhere to make this into a quilt.  Hope it comes together like I envision!

One Down and One To Go!

Finished one BOM from our LQS a few days ago.  Now trying to get my mind and body in gear to finish the 2nd one (different from this one).  This one is called "It's a Wonderful Life" designed by our local quilt designer Geralyn Powers.  She is so creative!  It was always fun to attend the Saturday Sampler each month during the year to see what the next block would look like.  I think I only missed one Saturday out of the year so this quilt only cost me $12 to make, excluding sashing and border fabric.  You pay for the first block in January and then your next block is free if you bring it back the next month finished.  If you miss a meeting, you also have to pay for the next block.  Not too bad!

Let it Snow!

Winter has still not come to Wyoming.  We are hoping for some good storms in the next few days.  I'm afraid no snow now means we will have our Winter in Spring and then our Summer will be cold....once again.  Having no snow does not mean we don't have the cold temperatures though!  High today in the 20's with nights below zero.  Wind is already blowing hard so the temp won't even feel in the 20's today.

Here's a lil' quilt I made a couple of months ago but haven't shown.  I let it sit in the closet for a year before finishing it.  It's a cute little tabletopper but a new quilter showed her over zealous handiwork and went to town on it.  I guess since I hadn't already put the buttons on for the eyes, she figured she would help me finish the snowmen.  LOL!  I think of them as wearing goggles now, waiting for the next big storm!  :)

Kinsley

My daughter is a secretive one, that's for sure!  She called me the other day and asked if I had any mod podge.  Of course I do....that stuff seems to multiply in the bottle!  I can't seem to find enough projects to use it all up.  While she was picking up the bottle, being the curious mom that I am, I asked what she was doing with it....she said I would have to wait and see.  

So now we all know the name of the newest addition coming in April!  Janessa cut all the wood by herself then painted each block black.  She then mod podged each letter onto the blocks.  She found the letters on flickr.  Some guy likes to take pictures of the alphabet so you can find any kind of letter you need.  

Little Kinsley has a pretty special mommy!

Kinsley's baby quilt is coming right along.  One more border to go with some appliqued wording on it and then it is finished.  Janessa has done a great job!  Reminds me that I need to start thinking of what kind of baby quilt I want to make for this baby. 

Winter Welcome

I use to subscribe to several different quilting magazines.  As the time came and went to renew each one, I usually opted to not renew.  There are a couple of magazines though that I really love and hold on to.  One of those is McCall's Quilting magazine.  In the Holiday issue (Nov/Dec) 2009, I spotted this quilt pattern designed by Susan Guzman.  I have been wanting another Christmas quilt and loved how different this one was.  I used only fabric I had on hand.  It's called Winter Welcome.

Cute Hootin' Owls!

What a surprise we had while eating at Olive Garden last month!  My daughter pulled 3 of these cute owl blocks out of her purse while we were waiting for our food.  So CUTE and of course I was oohing and aahing over them but in my mind I was wondering how and why she kept this new quilt a secret especially since she knows I have a owl quilt pattern she could have if she wanted it.

THEN........

She pulled out an ultrasound picture of a lil' baby and at the top of the ultasound was Janessa's name!  Yea!!!  A new baby for grammie to love!  It is also Baby #1 for the happy couple!  I am so excited for them!  

I asked Janessa several weeks before she told us if she was pregnant but the lil' stinker opened her eyes so huge like "how could you even ask that mom???!!!" that I let it drop......I can't believe she kept it a secret so long!  Of course it makes the 9 months go by alot faster for me this way.  :)  Here she is at 17 weeks.

This was taken December 2.  She is due April 9th so that would make her 5 months along.

AND.....it's a GIRL!!!!  Now I can start shopping!

Thankfulness

On Thursday we will be celebrating Thanksgiving.  I would like to take this time to share a few of my blessings.

My family.  I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family!  I was blessed with 5 great children and as they have married, I have been able to gain daughter's and son in laws.  I couldn't ask for better spouses for my children.  I love each and everyone of these family members!

Oh the grandbabies!  Nothing is better than being able to be around these little people and love on them!  I enjoy so much being a grammie to these 4...soon to be 5 beautiful babies!  They bring so much joy, laughter and happiness to our lives!

I am usually not one to shout my religion but I do need to say how grateful I am for it!  It is a big part of my life.  It helps shape me and hopefully helps me be a better person.  I am thankful for the privilege to be able to worship as I want.  I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I am also most grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ and all that He has done for me.  

I am also thankful for living in this beautiful country.  

I am blessed with a warm home when it's cold and a cool home when it's warm.  There is no place like HOME.

I am grateful for our lil' cabin...our home away from home...where we can hang out as a family, play on the beach or ski the slopes.  It is a place where hopefully many memories will be made for our family. 

I am grateful for being at this point in my life where I can travel with my husband, even if it means the ride isn't always the smoothest!  We love to travel so I will take it however it comes!

I am so thankful for new hobbies!  Gardening is becoming a passion and I am thankful I am learning how to grow some of our own food.  I was blessed with a bountiful harvest this year, even when I didn't know exactly what I was doing.

I was blessed to have wonderful parents, who have since passed on but are still with me in my heart.  After my mother passed away, my dad gave me some money as an inheritance from one of my mom's saving's accounts.  In honor of my mother, who taught me how to sew so many years ago, I bought this sewing machine along with a sewing cabinet.  This sewing machine made it so much easier to sew and helped develop a passion for fabric and quilting!

Last....but certainly not least....I am most thankful for my dear husband.  We have been together almost 34 years now and I couldn't ask for a better friend.  He has made me truly love.

At this time of the year I hope you also take time to reflect on those things that you are most grateful for. Please have a wonderful Thanksgiving!