Checking in....

Hatching dragon eggs! and aren't these the cutest little dragons???

I managed to have a major allergy attack all of last week, or a virus...who knows which one?  Anyone that lives in the Midwest knows that we had a huge "pollen explosion" last week, one day it broke a record...it was 8000!  Anyway, no sewing for me...laid low and tried to breathe!  This week is much better!   I'm ready to work in the flower beds in spite of the allergies.  Hope everyone is enjoying Spring!

WIPS

Look what I dug out of the UFO box!  It has to have been at least 10 years ago that I made these blocks!  It's all set together now with a border, the backing is ready and I just need to pin it and quilt it.  I had a few blocks left over...so I made a pillow as well. 

It's Friday, and I am getting ready to go to a mini-quilt retreat tomorrow.  I joined the local quilt guild, Nimble Thimbles, and this will be a good opportunity to get to know the rest of the ladies.  I am going to work on "Summer Breeze" from Kim Brackett's book Scrap-Basket Surprises.  I cut up all of my pastel scraps into 2 1/2" strips and this will be my first project from this wonderful book.  It's nice to try to get my scraps more manageable, and I love Kim's ideas on sorting and storage.

Quilts for Kids

Downy is sponsoring a quilt project for kids.  I decided to make a quilt, and contacted them. 

 Look at the darling fabric they sent to me!  Won't some little girl just love these "Kool Kats"?  It's quilted, bound and washed....now off the the post office to get it in the mail.    

Check out their website: Quilts for Kids.   Your heart will feel good looking at the pictures of the children with their quilts.

Little Nine Patch doll quilt

One more OPAM finish for March...where did the month go?   I got this cute little doll quilt pattern from the Fairfield website, it is a free pattern from Kathy Tracy. She designs wonderful little quilts...you need to visit her delightful blog and be inspired!

Little helper!

I had a great little helper today.  Jack likes to sit at his little table and color, while I sew.  Sometimes I let him sit on my lap while I am sewing on binding at the machine.  He thinks he is such a big boy!  I managed to get bindings sewn on two little quilts today, so now I can spend "quality" time with my husband this evening watching movies and get the bindings tacked down.

And look what I made this week! 

 I went to a class at the Prairie Point quilt shop and made this neat Penny Blooms table topper.  Lynne Hagmeier of Kansas Troubles Quilters spent the afternoon showing us how to do raw edge applique.  It is fast and easy!  I started this little table topper at 1 p.m. and had it finished by 4:30 p.m.  It was pouring down rain all day, so what a great way to spend a rainy afternoon.  On Thursday evening, Lynne came to our Nimble Thimbles Quilt Guild and gave a wonderful program...we got to see all kind of wonderful quilts from Kansas Troubles Quilters.   It has always been one of my favorite lines of fabric...guess I just like that old, dirty look!

Rush over to Fresh Cut Quilts for a lovely spring giveaway.  It ends today, so I do mean rush! 
Here is what you can win......

 Layer Cake of Fig Tree Quilts' Fresh Cottons line (simply gorgeous fabric)

AND

2 of her patterns (because she couldn't decide which one, and they both work great with a layer cake or charm squares)

All you have to do is leave a comment on what your favorite spring activity is.  One of my favorite things to do in the spring is digging in the dirt, planting my flower beds....love the smell!  It is still to muddy to do much digging, and the weatherman is forcasting a snowstorm tonight...just in time for the first day of spring.  Oh well, the sun was shining yesterday and it is supposed to reach 60 again today.  My grandsons are coming over today, so I think we will go out and play!

Wishing for spring!

Will the sun ever shine again? I cannot remember a winter with so many dark, dreary days!  As I drove to work today, I heard that the next 2 days are supposed to be better...a bit of sun and warm up to the 60's.  And on Saturday, the first day of Spring...SNOW! 

In an effort to brighten up the house a bit, I have brought out the Easter decorations, and have discovered I really don't have a lot of little spring quilts.  Guess I will have to do something about that!  The one in the photo above is from Jo's Little Women club, I think it was called "Summertime". 

I have the next 4 days off....a bit of a spring break.  Hope to get a couple of quilts finished and get some walking in.  I tend to make excuses not to walk...the weather is to wet, too much snow, too cold, too dreary, don't want to walk alone, etc......and I know I would feel so much better if I stuck to it!  I read on another blog that the first 10 days of any resolution are the most important, if we stick to it for 10 days it will become more of a habit.  I used to walk everyday and go to yoga classes once or twice a week, then I broke my foot (walking...a stress fracture) and got out of the habit!  I'm thinking I better get the umbrella out and walk no matter what!

And remember...

To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance. Oscar Wilde