Think Rectangle

I've been working on some blocks using Judy L's Peaches and Dreams Pattern with some changes here and there. I'm using the Tina Givens Zazu fabric line that my friend Beth carries in her new online store. Be sure to check out her blog where you can find links to her etsy and ebay stores as well as all things elinor peace bailey.

This is a fun design and I'm using crazy fabric so it should definitely be colorful! I think it will become a present for our nephew who married last year. Better late than never!!!

Another job well done!

Awhile back I was searching for a specific flannel fabric online. I searched in all the conventional places to no avail. I think this fabric line has been around for awhile. I found it in a different color, but that wouldn't do. You see, it had to match an item I purchased while in Idaho. I bought a burp cloth with 'ready to finish' edges. It had the holes punched on it around the edges and all I had to do was to finish the edges with a crochet pattern of my choosing.
My Grandmother used to do this kind of handwork. She has been gone for a couple of decades now and I would love to carry on the tradition she has given us.
I finished the burp cloth but cannot picture it here until after the baby shower at the end of September being held in honor of the upcoming birth of our third grandchild! This is the fanciest 'burp' cloth I've ever seen and thought it would be nice to make a few other items to go along with it. Thus the search for the fabric ensued. Having been unsuccessful in my search, I turned to Etsy and did a search there. I found it in one of the Etsy stores called Tattletale Boutique. This is a link to the store not the item. She had sufficient quantity of this fabric and after sending her a message letting her know how much I needed, she set up a special order for me which I then purchased.
Now, I have purchased probably hundreds of yards of fabric either online or through mail order and never did I expect what I received in the mail a couple of days after ordering. This is what I found after opening the box!

A perfect bundle of fabric wrapped carefully in tissue paper, tied with a cute blue polka dot fabric ribbon, complete with swirly lollipop, red curling ribbon, and custom thank you card! I didn't want to unwrap it, it was just too pretty!!! Sherrie at Tattletale Boutique went above and beyond to make my order extra special. Thanks Sherrie! Oh yeah, the fabric was just what I needed.

My Favorite Quilting Tool

There are a few quiltmaking tools that I just can't live without. One is my Roxanne Thimble. I've had my Roxanne Thimble for probably 15 years now. Mine is sterling silver, which they no longer sell because it was quite cost prohibitive, but they do have gold and silver plated bronze along with polished bronze thimbles.

Pictured above is by far my favorite rotary cutter. I cannot cut without this cutter. Oh, sure I have other rotary cutters, but none of them hold a candle to this design. It does take some getting used to. It took me a few months after I bought it to even take it out of it's packaging and try to use it. This was all psychological hindrance. Once I actually started using it I found that it was highly superior (in my opinion) to all the others I had tried. I took the above picture from Martelli's Website. It appears they are having a sale! This is the website that showcases all their products. They have an online store where they offer them for sale too.

I believe this is a family company and my personal experience is that they have excellent customer service.

What's your favorite quiltmaking tool?

Editor's Note: I sent an email to the Martelli Company to let them know I was posting about their product and give them the opportunity to correct anything I may have posted in error. The following was their gracious response:

[The Martelli family would like to thank you from the bottom of our heart for the support!!!!! We hope the cutter will help those who desperately need it. My Dad designed it for my grandmother who was in desperate need of an ergonomic cutter.Thanks again for the kind words]

Jackpot! The blog lives!!!

I've been AWOL from this blog for quite some time now. It's been a busy time for the past few months. Above is a gratuitous shot of my grandson posing with his jackpot on our antique slot machine. This kid is a master at expressions. Even though we have a slot machine, we are not the type to gamble at all! I think this machine actually taught our kids that gambling doesn't pay. In the 15 years that we have owned this machine, I think that there have maybe been a handful of jackpot winners.
Brandon hasn't yet learned this lesson. He discovered the joys of the slot machine on his family's visit from Idaho on the occasion of his fourth birthday and during their stay he hit the jackpot.

Brandon is obsessed with "Emergency Men". Actually, he calls them emergency men, but he loves anyone that is in the armed services or is in public safety such as Firemen and Policemen and Sheriff Deputies. He can play for hours with his little plastic Emergency Men (Army guys). This is the cake we came up with for his fourth Birthday Party.

I've been away from posting for awhile mainly because I've been busy with my mother with Alzheimer's Disease. After having her live with us for over 7 months, I have placed her in a board and care home close by. She could theoretically live for another 15 years and I really do need to be able to have my own life. When she was here, I couldn't go anywhere without having someone here to watch her. She made it difficult because she didn't want anyone else here watching her. She would argue with me about this and it just became easier not to go anywhere. It was a bit depressing to say the least.

Now, I have my life back and my husband has his wife back. She still takes up a good portion of my time making sure she is okay in this new environment. She won't be getting the level of care I gave her, but she's not going to die if her clothes don't match. : ) It's terribly hard watching the slow deterioration and dealing with her realities that have no basis in actual reality. I just hope that the home she is in will be able to care for her for awhile. People with Alzheimer's don't do well at all with change.

Now that I can take a deep breath and feel somewhat free, I can concentrate on posting a bit more regularly and more importantly, enjoy some colorful creations!