We interupt this stitching to....

Refill the bobbin...
Don't you just hate when you are busy sewing away, to find that after you've carefully lined up and fed multiple fabric layers through your machine, that you've stitched about 30 inches without stitching anything!?! All due to an "empty" bobbin!?!! Especially when you are on the home-stretch of finishing a quilt top!!! Grrrrrr.......

After posting a lot of my quilt group's wonderful "sew, show & tell" quilts, I finally have something to show for myself now!!!! I just finished putting on the borders tonight...
Here is my "Sunday Sampler" quilt...
Finally done!
A monkey off my back for sure!
My BOM started in 2006...
You can see all the posts on this quilt here...
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DH and I brought DD1 down to Grand Forks, to to catch a bus down to her sweetie, MrFarmer in Wisconsin... and since we were there anyway, we did some shopping! 8-)

Some of the fabrics I bought here....
I can't show you the other "9 fabrics" I bought, as it is for DD2 and MrRose's wedding quilt. We must keep that secret until the quilt lands in their hands... Just like DD1 and MrFarmer's quilt. Just about done that quilt top too.... Tis a shame I can't share photos with you right now... 8-(

This is Rosco, a friend's new adoption from the Humane Center. He is now 7 months old. A very sweet dog... 8-)
They think he is part Rotti and part black lab...

And finally my last photo from my group's latest retreat, a photo of Quilter Going Bananas', "Bananas in Pajamas"!!! We always come up with something to sneak onto them, to surprise her... She was not impressed with "the smoke" we made...
But it was all in fun!! lol! We removed the "smoke" before she brought them back home to her children... 8-)

For those that have inquired, my mother is doing really well. Pretty much her ol' self again. Still managing some pain, which apparently she will experience for up to a year after surgery...

I do apologize to my friends, home and in blogland, for my lack of contact/visits, and email/comments... Life seems all consuming to me these days... Besides the wedding stuff/quilts, unplanned small trips, and my normal routine, right now bridal shower plans are in the forefront... sigh... 2010 is a busy year...

Happy stitchings!
Myra

Sunday Sampler @ Six - Blocks 11 & 12

Showing them on a Monday yet!!! Tsk-tsk!!!

I just got home a few hours ago from our Spring Retreat. Amongst some other things (couldn't work on the wedding quilts as DD1 and DD2 were around to much), I worked on blocks 11 and 12 there, and I finally have these BOM blocks completed!!!
It only took 4 years... 8-/

Block #11
Block #12
It took me a while to get them done as the directions and sizes were wrong, and the fabrics included weren't working out right!!!
But, they are now done!!!!
Woohoo!!!
Since all the supposed 12.5" blocks turned out to be between 11.5" and 12.75" in size, I decided to use some of the finishing kit fabrics to "frame" each block, and cut them all down to the same size, which turned out to be 14.25"...
A few of us stopped off at Oma's Quilt Shop on the way home from the retreat. I bought some off-white fabric that matched the background fabric really well, with the intent to use it for the sashing...
Now to sash and border (hopefully this week), and then it is another quilt top completed!!! Woohoo!!! 8-)
{I would have really liked to work on wedding quilts at the retreat, but... the "snooperson sisters" were there...}

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!
I'll be by this week for a visit to catch up with you... 8-)
Myra

PS: To DD1 and DD2, thanks so very much for giving us your time to cook for us!!! You both did an awesome job of feeding us over the weekend!!! Now remember to email me the requested recipes for the ladies please... wink,wink!!! 8-)

Sunday Sampler @ Six - Block 10

Half Square Triangles - Optional Settings

The making of this block was fun. I played with the sections for a bit, because they could be laid out in different ways, thus "optional settings" to make different looking blocks...
So this is what I ended up with... 8-)
You can find the first 9 blocks here, and can you believe it!?! I still haven't put blocks 11 and 12 from this 2006 BOM together as of yet!!! I best get to that this week to finish off this "Sunday Sampler" series!! After this BOM, I have another to continue on with my Sunday Sampler posts... 8-)
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DH brought me a small gift yesterday...
Does he know me or what!?!
LOL! 8-)
Do you think it could possibly "have" a bigger handle on it!!?!
It's huge!!! Wow!

Hope you all had a great weekend!
Happy stitchings!
Myra

Sunday Sampler @ Six - Block 9

Another scheduled post...

Fifty Four - Forty

Other 8 blocks from this BOM can be seen here...

I will be "just home" from our trip to Vegas as this post comes up...

Happy stitchings!
Myra

Sunday Sampler @ Six - Block 8

Four Star - Directional Triangles

You can see the first 7 blocks of this BOM here, and the story behind it...

Happy stitchings!
Myra

Sunday Sampler @ Six - Block 7

Corner Triangles- Triangle Tricks
You can find the story behind this BOM, and the first 6 blocks here...
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Hi all!

Been laying low in my corner of the world here... Overwhelmed with the realities of what life has brought us for 2010... Closed my Facebook account, not keeping up with my email, blog visiting, blog postings, sewing, and much more... Just taking 1 day at a time right now. I am hoping our getaway to Vegas will be good for me, to recharge me somehow... 8-)

Hope all is well with you and yours!
May your stitches be true and thoughtful.
May your PhD, UFO, and WIP piles/lists grow smaller.
May you find happiness in the little things in life...

To those involved, keep up with the PhD Challenge, and I'll be in touch sometime soon...
Happy stitchings! 8-)
Myra

Sunday Sampler @ Six - Block 6 & PhD Update

Corner Rose - Paper PiecingMore on this sampler here...

I seem to have forgotten I had this "scheduled" post ready for tonight from a month ago!!! LOL!
More added...
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This week I've been overwhelmed by the reality that both my daughters are getting married very soon... I mentioned in the last post DD2's wedding is in September, and now we've learned that DD1's wedding is booked for August.... No rest for the wicked!!! 8-/

I have also been struggling with...
"do I carry on with my PhD Challenge, that I initiated"?
or
"dedicate my time and energies to making 2 queen sized wedding quilts"?
Hands down the wedding quilts take priority right now... I guess this is all part of our creative craft, to change directions when we need to...
So, those that have joined in on my PhD Challenge, do carry on cause you are doing great! I shall keep track still, but sadly, I do feel I have to bow out of my Challenge... Too bad cause I was all gung-ho to "get'er done!" too... At least I have 1 big one done!!! 8-)
Perhaps I can look forward to tackling them again in October...

I also have to get a move on my Row Robin piece...
When it rains, it pours... 8-(
Happy stitchings ladies!
Myra
PS: No Sew & Tell photos from this past week as I didn't make it to my quilt night...

Sunday Sampler @ Six - Block 5

First let me say....
"HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!"
Hope you all had a good one! 8-)
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Block 6 - Tulip Bowl - AppliqueI believe this was my first try at machine applique...
You can see the other 4 blocks I've posted already, and the write up behind it all with block #1 right here...
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Oh my gosh! I'm some excited here! I just have to share this as I know there are more quilters out there that are fans of this!!! Through some hopping around I came to some Harry Potter paper-pieceing patterns here...
Do check it out! Fun stuff! 8-)
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We went out on Friday night to Olive Garden for a dinner meeting with DD2's future in-laws and our engaged children. We had a lovely meal and time together. I look forward to getting to know MrRose's parents better in the future! 8-)

Last night good friends W & J popped in for a visit!
They are what we call "life friends". They are the kind that are always there for you, you enjoy their company, and you never run out of things to talk about!
These are the friends we are headed to Las Vegas with in March... We are thinking that this trip will be a "much needed" getaway from "life" for a short while... Especially for me! 8-)

Hope you all had a great day and spoiled your sweethearts lots!

Happy stitchings!
Myra

Sunday Sampler @ Six - Block 4 & updates...

Steeplechase (Curved Piecing)
This is what the BOM instruction sheet called this block...
You can find the first 3 blocks and info on this BOM here...

For those inquiring, my mom is doing well. Her stomach is not agreeing with the T3s though, as she's been sick quite a few times now... Mom's stitches come out tomorrow, and then she visits physio to find out her appointment schedule. Then the real efforts begin!

Lots of snowfall last night and today... 8-(
Impatiently waiting for Spring...

My Aunt R (at ripe age of 95 years young) in British Columbia, Canada, had surgery yesterday to repair a broken hip. I am so very glad that all went well... 8-)
I pray all goes well for her recovery now...
Love you Auntie R! 8-)

To those of you that have joined in on my PhD challenge, I hope you are all able to keep up with yours! I'm not getting as far as I had hoped on my PhDs, so I'm hoping that the closet elves will complete them for me!!! lol! Wouldn't that be nice!?! I wish!!! 8-)

I also have to put some effort into my "starting row" of my group's Row Robin Projects this week! I've only been giving it "lots of thoughts" this last couple of weeks... 8-)

Happy stitchings!
Myra

Sunday Sampler @ Six - Block 3 + M&D update...

"Fast Flying Geese Piecing"

That is all this block had for a heading on the BOM instruction sheet...
The one thing I don't like about this block, is that it doesn't have any of the off-white background fabric as the other blocks do... I may have to change that when I am ready to put the blocks together...

You can find the first block with the info about this BOM, as well as second block, under "Sunday Sampler BOM" (label), but I linked it here for you already...

Mom is doing great! Needing much less care than I thought she would need. I do spend about 3-4 hours a day there. If I have plans for a day, she does without me and one of my daughters fills in... 8-)
Mom hasn't had her stitches removed or started physio as of yet. That gets done on Feb 8th, so we will have 3 appointments a week to go to for a while after that...

Dad has a very early appointment for an ultrasound test this week, at our city's biggest hospital. A good place to get lost in... LOL! After that we will wait for an appointment with a Vascular Specialist to see what the test shows, and we are still waiting for a appointment with a Neurologist.

Happy stitchings! 8-)
Myra

Sunday Sampler @ Six - Block 2

"Quarter Square Triangle Practice"
That is all this block had for a heading on the BOM instruction sheet...

You can find the first block here with the write up of this project...

This post was a pre-scheduled publishing, due to not knowing how much time I would have for blogging, while caring for my parents...

Happy stitchings! 8-)
Myra

Edited add on @ 8:30am: I got my parents settled in at their home nicely yesterday, and Mom is doing really great! As I type this I am preparing to head on back there soon...

Sunday Sampler @ Six - Block 1

Firstly, check out this post on Brenda's blog, if you have an interest in helping those in need, primarily those in Haiti right now...
Brenda does a lot of utility charity quilts, and is inviting others to help where the can...
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Yup! I thought I'd piggyback on friend K's, QGB, "Saturday Sampler Series", by posting mine on Sundays! lol! 8-)

K has been doing her Saturday Sampler Block posts for the last 20 Saturdays. Yesterday was the final block in that series...she things! I believe she has another set of blocks up her sleeve though, so stay tuned!! 8-)

Here is my first Sunday Sampler block!
I can't even give you a name of this block as the instruction page from this local BOM doesn't give one, except to say "Half Square Triangle Practice"!
I may have to hunt down this block on the internet to find a name... Unless one of my lovely readers knows it? 8-)I believe this was a 2006 BOM...
Wow! It is an old PhD!!! One of my many, and not on my Challenge list at this time... 8-)
I have 10 of the 12 blocks made, and bought the finishing kit...?... That, I have no idea of where it is at the moment!?! Hmmmm...? Another hunting trip/dive/dig!!! 8-)

I must say, I have not been very happy with this BOM. Many of the block instructions had major errors on them, or I had to read them 3-4 times to figure them out because of the way they were written. Also, seems that one of the blocks ended up much bigger, and a couple a tad smaller than the majority... This was not a great experience as it was one of my first in true patchwork piecing... 8-(
I will figure out what to do with these blocks in the end though!!! 8-)

I will post a new block from this BOM every Sunday @ Six, and maybe I will have the last 2 blocks done in time to show you on the 11th and 12th Sunday from now...
Here's hoping! 8-)
Myra