EVERYBODY WINS!!!

hee-hee

What fun!

Based on your requests, 

it turns out that I am able and happy to have Everybody win!

Maree wins Tango

Gil wins Freshcut

Duff wins Freshcut II

Ali wins picnic fabric

Quiltrestorer wins Tango II

Kathy wins space fabric

Judy wins shoe fabric

Congratulations!

Please email me your address!!

GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA!!!

I love to watch the Ellen show 

because it makes me chuckle, laugh, smile, and occasionally cry. 

This past week she had a guest, 

Tom Shadyac, 

who made the very touching and joyfull movie called Happy.

(available for free download from itunes)

On the Ellen show, 

when Tom said, 

"Move into your own heart and find out what brings you joy." 

my heart skipped a beat and 

I knew right then what this week's "little" would be...

My house of love set up in my heart, open to new deliveries of love!

Limited sewing this week as it was SUNNY 

and the outside was calling!!!

We went down to Seattle for the 50th anniversary of the Space Needle

and again inspiration struck as I thought about this month's giveaway.

1. SEVEN FAT QUARTERS OF SPACE THEMED FABRIC!

As I was searching for my space themed fabric pile (get it?! Space Needle), 

the happy sunshine bug must have bit me 

because I created... 

FOUR MORE GIVEAWAY SELECTIONS!!!

(all goofily tied into our Seattle trip -

five total giveaway choices since the Space Needle is five decades old!)

2. FIVE FAT QUARTERS OF THE LOVELY  "TANGO" BY PAMELA MOSTEK

(since we saw so many great spring flowers)

3. SIX FAT QUARTERS AND ONE 1/2YARD OF PICNIC THEMED FABRIC

(Since we ate delicious burgers from a food truck named Charlie's)

4. SEVEN FAT QUARTERS OF SHOE THEMED FABRIC!!!

(Since we took the Monorail to Pikes Place Market and hiked...and hiked...and hiked)

5. EIGHT FAT QUARTERS OF HEATHER BAILEY'S FRESHCUT LINE

(This line is quite sweet. I think we had a sweet time and I know all of you who read my blog are sweet!)

OK! Here's the nitty gritty - 

Everyone can play! 

One chance - Leave a comment sharing a cool tourist attraction where you live and if you ever visit.

Also, tell your first and second choice of fabric. I will try very hard to give you what you want.

Second chance - become a follower.

Third chance - tell someone new about my blog.

Son number 2 will pick winners next Sunday night.

Enjoy!!!

NO LIMITS

In between all the momming moments, 

I was able to eke out a time to sew this week!

Ahhh...finished at last! 

A quilted postcard 

for a very dear friend who had surgery and waits to hear if she has cancer.

The writing on the sign is a line from a Grateful Dead song,

"Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile."

:)

Here's this week's "litle".

What if I was 

one with love?

It's in me,

I am in it.

It's radiating.

I am smiling.

I am dancing.

How wonderful 

!!!!

Saw these basking turtles at Green Lake.

The 3 mile path around Green Lake is such a treat!

Happy exercising people, dogs, kids, all oozing great energy!

The turtle’s whole life is one of steadfastness, effort, and patience. 

It lives a slow and steady life of “non-doing.” 

There is a saying, 

“Home is where the heart is” — the turtle is always at home within itself. 

taken from: http://www.lifebalanceinstitute.com/institute/about-turtle

I have lived in the Pacific Northwest for more than a decade. 

I love going to the beach 

and have visited it at least three hundred times.

Before today,

I had never seen a whale.

So many times people would tell me how we "just missed them."

Once, we just missed a mom nursing it's baby!

Today, when we first arrived at the beach,

a lady said, 

"Oh, we saw a pod of Orcas about an hour ago."

sigh...

Later,

with no expectations,

we saw a fin...

and a spouting of water!

a Gray Whale!

 The whale urges you to step into using the wisest, most profound, most creative and spiritual aspects of yourself in your daily life. 

taken from:http://www.lipstickmystic.com/tea/free_tea_leaf_reading_6_13_06.html

We would do well to follow the example of these creatures, and live as if we have no limits.

taken from: http://www.whats-your-sign.com/water-animal-totems.html

OK, back to sewing...

One of my favorite lines of fabric is Jennifer Sampou's Color Rhythm.

A while back,

I used what I had of that line 

and made these blocks 

after being inspired by -

Today, after the beach,

I put them up on my design wall and thought, 

"now what?"

The line has some solid-like pieces 

(remember the "modern" movement?)

so I am beginning to play! 

Like the whale!!

Without limits!

How do you like to play?

SPRING!!!!

Spring has most definitely sprung in the Pacific Northwest!

Our favorite pair of ducks returned to our bird feeder!

(I like to think mushy love thoughts when they return.)

We had some time (with mostly blue skys!) at the beach.

And spotted this bald eagle - also part of a nesting pair!

(More mushy love thoughts were enjoyed!)

The birds are happy

and the flowers are blooming!

I had to pull over and sit under this fabulous tree...

and snap these orange centered lovelies!

Simple daisies are one of my favorites.

The warm weather made us think of ice cream,

so we trekked to a place called Molly Moon's.

I have read about Molly Moon's

in many differnet magazines

as having the best and freshest ice cream. 

It was super yummy!

Speaking of ice cream,

I put off going for a check up for four years.

I know...not a great idea,

but there was so much imagined judgement

a huge story I made up.

I just kept waiting to loose

a few

or a lot

of pounds.

But in the middle of the night

the whisper got too loud...

"you really need to go for a check up."

So...

I am happy to say I found a very kind doctor

and together with her,

I will be able to work on a few minor kinks in my health!

(yes, those extra pounds might have to be part of it.)

As I wallowed in the immense relief

I remebered that scene from the book Eat, Pray, Love

where the wise man say that Elizabeth should picture

her liver smiling.

And I think...

that I would like...

all of my self smiling!

All my cells happy and healthy...

Here they are!

(8 1/2 x 11)

I found this piece from a while back.

And finished it up with some of my favorite fabric - Kaffe's Paperweight

Then I tried something modern for the fabulous lady

who suffers through our Bassett Hound's toenail cut

every six weeks.

Fred howls so loud everybody thinks he is dying!

She loves green

so I tried this lap size idea inspired from Denise Schmidt's new book.

I think it's going to pop after some quilting.

I sent this lone star to an old student of mine

who grew up

into a beautiful, intelligent, and powerful young woman!

Lastly,

I pulled these out and am determined to finished this one this week.

Is it spring where you are?

Did you love Eat, Pray Love?

Do you go to the doctor regularly?

What are you working on?

ACCUMULATED SUNSHINE

"Freddy Inspired Freeform Fun at Judy's"

Judy Irish quilts for Freddy Moran. 

Last last Friday when I was sewing with Judy,

 she shared a bit of a less than one inch strip 

leftover from one of Freddy's quilts!

I chopped my piece up,

sewed these parts together, 

and created the center background of the above fun "little"

I rummaged in her scrap box,

added the flowers

and then Judy swiped and quilted for me!!!

This week's "little" ( 8 1/2 x 11)

was inspired by a conversation I had with my oldest son 

during another long stretch of 

gray days.

"What if you could accumulate sunshine?" he asked...

what if?

Here's my new NY beauty block

http://www.sewsweetness.com/2012/03/new-york-beauty-quilt-along-week-4.html

There's a lovely group on flickr if you want to check out other gal's blocks.

I am a week behind, but figure I'll just keep chugging along...

I finished my Granny Square quilt!

 http://www.flickr.com/groups/oldredbarncoquiltalong2009/

I discovered a few things in the process of making this quilt...

I really don't like white fabric

crisp? yes

boring? perhaps

easily dirtied? yes, quite impractical

I don't really enjoy making the same block over and over

it just doesn't zing me creatively

so...

I made one block bigger (center)

Then I made four more of those (around the center)

And then I decided to make a BIG granny square

like my BIG Swoon in a Swoon

better...

maybe

I am going to interrupt this rambling with a picture of my Bassett Hound, 

Fred, 

on the left, 

trying to enjoy himself at a

Bassett Hound Bash

with over 30 other Bassetts!

We humans shared some great laughs but,

Fred,

who thinks he is a cat,

didn't have such a great time.

OK, back to quilting.

Speaking of quilting with white,

I keep considering the modern movement.

I bought this book and really love some of the blocks.

I bought a few new Kaffe fat quarters from Aunt Mary's Quilt Shop

and would like to try the bottom left picture on the cover

as a big quilt.

Maybe with pink and purple solids?

Will I like pink and purple solid

better than white?

Maybe this stripe I found at The Quilt Loft in Seattle

The Quilt Loft is my new trek-to quilt shop

when I catch a few hours to myself.

I also bought these two books...

some of this yummy Alexander Henry...

and this Japanese import.

It's spring break for my boys.

Not sure if that's going to mean

more

or less

time to quilt.

What's your opinion on solids and/or the modern movement?