Sampler Quilt Along

String Quilt block
Originally uploaded by ravenramandmoon

This is my third block for the 2009 Sampler Quilt Along. I think it turned out pretty good! It did not take me very long to do either. I do have to say I used a heavy cardstock paper for the backing and it made it a little difficult to tear it off after I got done sewing it. Next time I will use something thiner. This string quilt block was for August but I joined the group in November so I'm behind. I'm learning alot as I go and the tutorials are great I have not had problems following along. I e-mailed Christina when I first joined the group and she is very nice and extremely helpful! I was surprised and happy she is available for questions.

I'm in the process of clearing out the extra bedroom and organizing it so hopefully soon I should be cranking out the projects. It will be the workout/sewing/play room...hehe! It's a small house we need to share.

more snow and letter writing

Weather update, Snow!

We had been under a winter advisory since Thursday and it was not as bad as it was suppose to be. We had some freezing rain, at least I got home before it got bad...today we have snow it started around noon on Friday and fell all day. I worked from home and got to enjoy watching it come down with a glass of canela (cinnamon tea). Roger made some chili for dinner...yummy!May be good sledding today! Hopefully everyone has power and is staying warm!

Here are some pictures from Friday.

Letter Writing

I bought Good Mail Day at the bookstore while I was looking for a sewing book, but they had been picked over, and always the book lover I had to keep looking at other stuff. I love it, the pictures, the feel, the look and it's a pretty easy read. It has information about the lost art of sending mail through the post office and how to send mail art with lots of ideas and websites on how to get started. It's also a great sources of inspiration with all the pictues of different correspondances. I love getting mail and I have noticed lately I do not get anything besides a few junk pieces and bills...??? Even the junk mail has dwindled quit a bit lately. Well I'm going to initiate a new practice of sending more mail and loving our USPS! Their motto is "neither snow nor ran nor heat nor gloom" mine will be "neither postal price nor size of object nor uncreativity" haha! So I'm going to start sending mail, maybe not as fancy and artsy as some of the ones in the book but it will be a start for me. I have actually already sent my sister a postcard which I did not take a picture off (maybe she will and send it to me) and I have another postcard getting ready to go out to my other sister. That's more writing than I have done in awhile.

One of the Ten Commandments of Mail Art

Thou shalt reciprocate.

The boys and their no school activities.

Ram drawing a rocket and holding one of his many airplanes. They have a HUGE collection.

Rem watching TV. I took the opportunity to take a quick shot of him with the snow in the background.

sewing machine and calendars

Just a quick note to everyone. I got a new sewing machine!! Actually I have had it for almost a week now...long story but I used it just once at a workshop at the OKC quilt show and I fell in love. Roger...just spoiled me...! I'm feeling the love! He really didn't like going to the quilt shop to pick it up...haha! But he did and I'm happy. It cost an arm and a leg and I don't think I'm going to ask for anything for awhile...haha!

Here it is...

Bernina Aurora 440QE

I didn't shop around, but I did go online and check out the reviews, it got great reviews. It sews like a dream! (Now I know how men feel about cars.) It's quiet and it threads itself...WOW! Since I'm getting old and my eyes get tired quick...haha! It does a whole lot more but I have not played with all the features, embroider, quilting, button holes, my old sewing machine didn't do this much so I'm quite amazed. The metal stick coming out of the machine towards the table is a hands free lever to lift the presser foot, you hit it with your knee. I thought I wouldn't use it until I tried it...love it! So although I have not had a chance to try all the features I give it a thumps up.

The pin cushion in the front is the pattern I had bought at the quilt show. Yes, I finished a project! It's a pin cushion and trash bag in one. I used some Alexander Henry fabric I got at JoAnn's. One of my favorite fabric designers and places to shop.

Calendars, Karla we talked about calendars and here are the ones I have at home...

I bought this one from esty.com the store, Merry Blues Art, the artist made a calendar from her artwork and I think it's neat looking I bought it. I also bought some winter greetings postcards.

This is one of the months, May, all the months are done in different languages, this one is Indonesia.

This calendar is in the kitchen this was a Christmas gift for Remington from his aunt Kelli. Yes it's about airplanes, fighter jets.

This calendar, we have not put up yet, is Ramsey's Christmas present from his aunt Kelli. More fighter jets... This one will go in the boys room was I am done moving their furniture around.

This calendar we got free from the oriental fast food, Kuaizi, love their food, the bottom section is the menu! It's by the door to the backyard.

This is my planner that I carry around, I have bought one for the past 5 years, it's a MomAgenda.

This is the background on my laptop, it's a calendar I downloaded from the web. At this moment I cannot remember which site but I will have to look because I will soon need to download February.

This one is my own artwork. I started doing these last year when I was home on maternity leave and I came across this artist on flickr. I love to draw (I know you do too Karla) so I used her idea and started drawing one a month. This is my sketch pad, Christine uses a larger piece of paper.

This Astronomical Calendar I have been buying for years, you might remember one I had at home. I don't use this to plan events like a planner but it's got daily information about astronomy. I used to buy them at Borders but the have stopped carrying them now I buy them from the author's website. I love the artwork on the covers. This one has the Mayan pyramids at Palenque, Mexico.

This is January's page, there is a lot of information and it's nice to know when an eclipse or meteor shower is going to happen. January 30th will be a full moon.

This one I use for my library books I got it at Etsy.com, from auntjune shop. It's a pdf file.

Also I use the calendar in my Treo phone and Yahoo Calendar. Yahoo saves things much longer and it sends reminders to my phone.

Karla, you said you didn't have a calendar although I will not part with any of mine, I will send a new one in the mail.

Sorry this post ended up being longer than I had planned!!