It's Done and On the Wall!

...and look at this humungous plant! I thought it looked cool, so I snapped a photo.


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Photo Frustrations! (Warning: if you don't want to listen to me complaining, stop reading now.)
Do I have a screwed up system? Is it my software? My computer? Or is it Blogger? Do any of you go through this annoying photo-uploading process? Look at what I went through to get those above two photos posted correctly. I had to try many times and got these results before they finally came out right.



If I correctly understand how this all works, I'm getting screwed out of a zillion photo postings. I think these all go into some server somewhere, and they are "counted" toward my quota.



I know this happens, because a couple years ago I hit my limit and had to start paying for blogger space. Admittedly, it's not much money, and the next limit they gave me is HUGE. In two years, I have used up only 12% of my allotted space.



But if I have to upload photos ten+ times to get it posted correctly once (and that happens VERY frequently) I'll be using up my server space way faster than I should have to worry about.



Please tell me I'm not the only one with this weird and frustrating problem!?? I used to think these problem uploads were only on pictures that I "photo-shopped," but these two were not, other than a little cropping.



Each of these takes several seconds to upload... too much time when I have multiple photos. But the time is unpredictable, too... and sometimes a picture uploads 100 rotten versions of itself, and then all the rest come up correctly on the first try. It's very weird.



Thanks for listening to my witchy complaints!!! Now that I got that off my chest. I'm feeling better already!!

Blocks Pouring In

Today I got blocks from Jessie C! Wow, my mail is such fun these days. I love getting all these squishies.

I'm sending another packet of blocks to Clare soon... 22 red and white blocks!

Ann's Blocks

I got EIGHT quilts in the mail today. I'll be taking them with me to Rosebud Reservation. Unfortunately Blogger was uncooperative in my attempts to upload them, so you don't get to see them. Maybe tomorrow Blogger will be in a better mood. All you get to see is Ann's red/white blocks. She made 9 sets! Wow! Thanks, Ann. I can probably make another red/white quilt top pretty soon.

A Perfect Day.. and 2 quilt questions

What a gorgeous day it was today! Weather was PERFECT. I attended a picnic at my friend's beautiful home on a lake. Everyone stayed way longer than expected, because the day was so great to just sit outside enjoying the sunshine and breezes. (Well, the friendly chatter was good, too.) This was one more heavenly day in my Most Fabulous Summer experience.









How's THIS for a beautiful view from a kitchen window?






She showed me these two quilts she owns. They are both gorgeous! This first one won a prize of some kind in West Virginia back in ??? Can anyone tell me how old you think this quilt is? The fabrics look like 50's & 60's to me, but dating quilts is something I'm not so good at. It's in good shape except for one block that is worn thin and raveled. She wonders about repair. That's another question I can't answer well. What's your advice on repairing vintage quilts.. is it worth doing? Does it make the quilt less valuable? More valuable? I've heard it would no longer be considered "vintage" with modern fabrics used in a repair. What might you advise her to do in this case? (They use the quilt - it's not on a wall or anything.)

Help Flooded-Out Quilters

Here's a chance to help quilters from Iowa who lost everything in recent devastating floods. Check out this blog where she gives her plea for help, and an address to which you can send donations:

http://gudrun.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/07/quilters-in-need.html

Hey, These Aren't Nine-Patches!

The other day I started working with nine-patches. Usually I enjoy making nine-patches, but these were really boring me! So to entertain myself, I made these liberated log cabin blocks. At first I thought about interspersing these with the nine-patches, to spice them up.



Instead I decided I wanted to make some letters and a free-pieced heart. And before you know it, I had made this little top.



In the 4 corners I used my sewing machine alphabet to sew in my husband's name, my name, our wedding date, and this little thought:

(I wish I'd written "and beyond" instead of "and on...". oh, well.)

Today I quilted it. I experimented with quilting some new shapes. I need more practice, but I had fun, and I like my first attempts at flowers and leafy/viney things.



My husband often doesn't "get" my quilts and I've given up trying to get feedback from him. But to his credit, this one got a positive "humphf" out of him, and he obligingly took some time to look at my quilting and make a happy face. (He knew he better at least look interested, as it's a quilt that celebrates US!) What a good sport!

I still have a pile of boring nine-patches... one of these days, they'll fit my mood.

Another Fun Mail Day

Today I hit the postal service jackpot: red and white blocks from Nancy Z., 3 quilts from Betty H., and 2 quilts from Kathy T. (The quilts will go with me to Rosebud.) Thanks, ladies!


(double sets... I stacked them on themselves to save space)


(See that little bunny? About the size of a beanie baby... to show you the scale of those tiny pieced shoofly blocks! Wow!)

Summer Sewing

I am having a fabulous summer! I've had fun with friends, had a great vacation with my family, enjoyed gorgeous weather (not too hot so far this year), AND I have plenty of time off for sewing. I'm loving it! This is a few tops I have finished lately. They are mostly for Sunshine. Other super helpful people (quilting angels - thank heaven for them!) will be quilting them for me.









This is the first red/white top I made from challenge blocks. I'm still accepting challenge blocks! 8.5" red & white, half go to Quilts 4 Leukemia, half to Sunshine.

Stunning!

The guild where my sister is a member (Lakes Area Quilters in MN) made this raffle quilt. It is a generous queen size. All the blocks are paper pieced 50-State star patterns by Carol Doak, made by various members of the guild. I have seen this quilt in person, and it is GORGEOUS. This is definitely one quilt that doesn't photograph well. I mean, it is pretty in a photo but STUNNING in person. (This photo was taken before the quilt was bound.)

If you are interested in getting a ticket for this quilt (only $1 each), let me know and be sure I can see your e-mail address so I can get back to you. I believe the drawing is in late July, so you have only a couple weeks to get your $1 to me. Of course, this is totally your option. I'm just showing you this quilt because it's so beautiful!

Love Sampler

WOWIE!! Darcie G. quilted this for me, and I LOVE what she did!













You're the greatest, Darcie!

Happy 4th!

Happy Independence Day, USA readers! I'm staying home and having a quiet weekend, so I decided to hang out my "flag." First I hung it near the front door of our house. Then I decided it was too hard to see from the street, so I hung it in a tree in our jungly yard. Next, I remembered that I have a magnetic curtain rod, so I hung it on the garage door. The curtain rod is a little short, but I like that location the best.





This was fun, so I'm thinking I should rig up a permanent hanger of some kind to occasionally display seasonal quilts when the conditions are right. Do any of you hang quilts outside for decoration? If so, what system do you use?

Le Rouge et Le Blanc

I've been collecting some fun red and white blocks for Quilts 4 Leukemia. I'm still collecting them, so keep sewing! I decided to send a batch to Clare so she can start using them if needed. I have 19 blocks packaged up to send to her. And I have that many here at home that I will use for Sunshine Quilts. Exciting what we can do when we work together, isn't it??

I made some blocks to send to another group I'm in: To The Top Project. It's a Yahoo group that makes quilts for vets. The quilts are distributed mostly in New England. So far most of them have gone to older vets such as from Viet Nam and even WWII. As times change, they'll start going to some vets from the middle east wars. This project is run by Barbara, mother of Evan who died in Afghanistan in 2003.



And finally, I made some blocks and found some leftover blocks that I'll send to people who are making Quilts of Valor (for people injured in the current war).





Now, back to my sewing machine. (I sure am enjoying my summer vacation!)