I'm Baaaaack!

Sorry for the long absence, but life and illness got in the way for a while! You know you've been bad when your kids tell you you need to sit down and update the blog, lol. This is my official excuse--and I'm stickin' to it! So now I'm trying to catch up with everything at once.

Let's start with the ALQS swap. Kate emailed me to tell me that my quilt to Margaret in Australia was well received and that she loved all her goodies. I had fun making a wallhanging I called "Falling Maple Leaves." Since I live on a street with Maple in the name and it's mile after mile of maple trees, I thought the Maple Leaf block would be perfect for a Fall quilt. Those are my favorite colors, too! I also included a coffee mug with maple and oak leaves on it, some locally made maple sugar candy and fancy coffee, a FQ, and some post-its.
And of course, Katie has to be right in the middle of everything and put her stamp of approval on it! I hope Margaret's not allergic to cats, lol. But so far, I haven't received my quilt yet. I can't stand the suspense of waiting for it to come. Kate (that runs the swap) said it'll be coming along, to just be patient. Does she know who she's talking to???


My next project was the Halloween Trick or Treat swap. Here's the lovely package I received from Roslyn in the UK. A beautiful hand-made padded box, some Halloween pictures that I framed, a bookmark cross-stitched with my name, some yummy chocolates, pretty ribbons and charms, a tissue holder and tissues, and a darling cross-stitched pumpkin.
It was a wonderful package to receive and I starting using the box right away to hold my hand-sewing items. Thanks so much, Roslyn.

In between those, DD had her 40th birthday and we gave her a Turning Twenty lap quilt I made for her, among other things.
Then we went to Outback Steakhouse with her kids for dinner, 'cause that's her favorite place to go. I confess I love their cheese and bacon covered fries! I know they're so bad for me, loaded with fat and cholesterol, but once a year won't hurt, will it?

I was lucky enough to win half of the November Happy Blocks, so after the holidays I'll be starting a great fall quilt. The blocks I've been receiving are just terrific, so I'll have a wonderfully scrappy quilt when I'm done. Thanks to all the ladies who made them.

I mailed out my swap quilt for Chookyblue's Secret Santa Christmas Swap on the 5th of December, so it should be there this week. I hope the person likes it. Katie and I had a difference of opinion when I made it. She thought the decorations on it were for her to play with and bite off, and I told her they weren't! She doesn't like "NO" any better than my kids did, vbg. BAD KITTY ! This was a fun project and I love making my labels on the computer. I received my package for the swap from Tracy in Australia. She takes wonderful photographs and makes them into notecards and post cards and she sent me some of them. She also made me a darling round bucket, a small tote bag with a kitty on it that looks a lot like Katie, and a Christmas hanging pad. Also a zippered pouch that is perfect to keep my cosmetics altogether in my purse. A great package of gifts to receive!
I sent out my package for the Quilted Angels Secret Santa swap last week also, but I forgot to take a picture of the things I sent Debbie. I received a really cute pincushion basket that held lots of spools of thread and a Santa hinged box, with an ornament inside it, wrapped in a fabric bag just perfect for potpourri, from Kat in the same swap.

Next time I should have pics from the Miniature Booty Swap and Doll Quilt Swap 5. I promise it won't be so long before my next post. Until then.........

Happy QuiltingSharon