A Tribute To A Symbol

 I have seen this poster all of my life.

I have always loved what it symbolized.

This was a WWII recruitment poster from 1942.

She represented women who were the unsung heroines of WWII.

The women who helped pulled our nation together and worked in the factories, built the planes and were the nurses who cared for the soldiers... and some women- even flew the planes!

 This is the photo that inspired the poster. This is Geraldine Doyler.

She was 17 in this photo.

Geraldine passed away on Sunday, the day after Christmas. Bless her heart. She was born in 1925.

It was only by fate that she became the poster girl.

She had only worked in the factory for a few weeks when this picture was staken and she actually didn't even know that she had become the symbol for women's empowerment  for a long time.  

This is a book that I have had since I started quilting by Blackbird Designs.

(I think I have collected all of their books)

I have always wanted to make the quilt in this book.

It has 12 different blocks and the stories of 12 women who had served our country.

Each  block features a center star. The stars represent the service star that families placed in their windows to recognize sons and daughters in the armed forces.

Why don't we do that anymore?

Anyway,

I think that this will be my first project to start in 2011.

A tribute to a symbol and a tribute to our service men and women.

I wish them a safe return home and I am

wishing you all much happiness in the New Year!

The Run Down on November December Goals:

Boy does it seem like forever that I have been working on the goals for
Holiday Traditions/Charming Girls Club!

My goals for November and December were:

1. Work on Gone to Market

well, I am still working on this
but since I am teaching a class of this pattern soon... I will be getting it done p.d.q.

2. Finish up Victory Garden

(I'll have to add the picture tomorrow)

finished

3. Make Single Stem shop sample

finished

4. A surprise shop sample

Housesitter: finished, for Fat Quarter Shop!

5. Le Petite Project

finished... and actually quilted now.

6. Finish Todd and Jill's wedding quilt (quilting/binding)

It's at the quilters... and I should have it by Sunday.

7. Dig out my Yoyoville project and finish that up

not finished yet.
But honestly, there is a story.
My Pfaff has become very ill and I didn't want to spend my holiday money on it...
so I can't do the blanket stitch on the houses on the outer border until the Pfaff aka
 Betsy is well again.

and lets see...

8. FQS Designer Mystery BOM

made some blocks, but didn't catch up all the way. yet.

and then there were these... projects done that weren't on the list.

The one on the left was a tester for a brand new purse pattern by Becky of Sweet Cottage Dreams

and the table runner was my spin off  from Becky's, made with burlap and muslin... it's really cute

but I needed a little bit of Christmas!

Mosaic Monday

Here are some photos, from a variety of sources, that have given me inspiration
during this past year.
Some are quilty things but some things are just "quality of life" inspirations.
My thanks to those talented people who shared these photos.


Some of these ideas have made their way to my project table... some are still in my mind,
 being cultivated!
 Aren't we so lucky to be able to share all of this creativity?

And speaking of creative people.

This is a photo of a package that came to me just before Christmas.

It came from  someone who has been an amazingly inspiring friend who

is always full of surprises and an unbelievable amount of generosity.

Yeap, it is from a little elf named Carrie Nelson , on behalf of her
 and our favorite mascot Miss Rosie.
A bundle of her new line of fabric, Fresh Palette and another bundle ta'boot!
So, do you think I was tickled pink? Oh yes I was!
Do you think I did a happy dance... well, yes, but not where
people could see me! hehe
Thank you so much Carrie!
But, I am sure what she didn't realize was that she was going to be keeping me up at night thinking about
what I could make out of all of this scrumptious fabric?????
Oh no... I'm not complaining! If you gotta be awake... what could be better than planning a new quilt?

I Hope Your Christmas is Magical

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H10f2w7T5CU

Merry Christmas to you all! May your holiday be magical and your blessings be many!

Lots of Reasons to Celebrate

It's a wonderful thing. When you get up in the morning and you see

your children's shoes in the house.

It's a sign... the holidays are here!

 

(I made the cupcakes to look like Hostess Cupcakes using the recipe from Bake at 350)

But in our house, we first have to concentrate on the graduate!

This is the one! Todd just graduated with a degree in Kinesiology and we couldn't be happier or more proud of him in his achievements. He still has the credential program to go through... but I thought this was well worth celebrating. We had 35-40 people to our home on Saturday for the occasion.

Including my  "surprise" guest.

The boys' soccer coach, Ron, who was their coach from age 5 throughout high school!

 

This is actually Tauren with Ron.

Tomorrow, Winter Solstice, we celebrate Todd & Tauren's birthdays!

Tonight's menu: corned beef and cabbage with potatoes.

Then I can think about Christmas!

On Pins & Needles

 I had one of those wonderful opportunities come my way!

I have been on pins and needles throughout the whole journey...

now, I know what you are thinking, it's the holiday's,

 maybe a trip to Paris? Or

a wonderful old Aunt left me a Chateau in her will?

Well, no, but the next best exciting thing for this homebody

was to be a special worker bee for the Fat Quarter Shop!

I got to play with a new line of fabric... that will be released in

March. It's a wonderful group by French General! Ahggg! can you stand it!

I love French General! I was so excited...

but, having been a bartender

and... having been a Catholic...

I have taken certain vows of silence...

and especially because Kim made me promise too keep it  a secret, I had to play quietly.

But I just got the word... about 10 minutes ago, that I can spill the beans!

So here you are.

It's called Parisian Romance.

The pattern is by Monique of Open Gate.

You know Monica, Carrie's friend.

 The one with the wonderful rulers (Fit to be Geese) that make flying geese a breeze.

This is the picture I took before slipping it in the mail.



This is the picture that is on Fat Quarter Shop's web site RIGHT NOW!

Happy dance!  

Some of My favorite Things

 My friend Patty and I made table runners on Sunday. My wonderful friend Becky at Sweet Cottage Dreams made beautiful table runners out of burlap and white ruffles and I just loved them...

but thought I would copy her wonderful idea and just make it a little Christmas-y.

I found this very old photo of my sister's grandparents and just had to leave it out in a little corner.

I love the way people

 use to really dress for the holiday. Red sweatshirts don't count!

I also have some old Christmas cards with photos that I can't bear to part with... so I just incorporated them in the display.

I really love to have Holiday music playing while I am working away at decorating. I have dozens of Holiday CD's and especially love Jazz but...

My favorite songs are:

1. Baby It's Cold Outside by Dean Martin

2. Let It Snow by Frank Sinatra

3. White Christmas by Bing Crosby

4. You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch

5. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve by Ella Fitzgerald

My favorite Christmas movies are:

1. Miracle on 34th Street

2. White Christmas

3. It's A Wonderful Life

4. Sound of Music (don't know why, just like to watch it over the holidays)

5. How The Grinch Stole Christmas.. I love Dr. Suess

Also, I found out the name of the pattern for the forest of trees that I showed in my last post:

it's by Sweet Treasures and it's called Whimsical Cone Trees. Holly Hill Quilt Shop in West Linn Oregon carries the pattern for 3.50

Catching Up Part II

It's starting to look a little like Christmas.

 The stockings are hung... by the staircase with care?

My FQS BOM is getting a bit of attention too.

My Victory Garden is now waiting for borders.

 

and then I saw these.... ideas that I would like to do:

(is there a special type of A.D.D. for quilters?)

This adorable tree skirt is from I'm a Ginger Monkey.

and how about these? I love them.

From Holly Hill Fabrics in West Linn Oregon.

(note to self: must go there... next time up north)

 Do you think there is time to make a little forest of these?

A Tuff Job

but somebody has to do it!


Every year at my big girl job I hand make Christmas cards for our clients...
for all three of our offices. I just finished and mailed out this year's creations.
I found some wonderful paper by My Mind's Eye. A little of this and a little of that... add a bow,
and whala! 150 cards done.
Now, I ask you, how many of you would like to come to work with me???

Catching Up Part I

This little gem got it's binding on it and got sent off to Cottage Quilts as a sample.

They made a kit out of it too! I just love Quilt Soup patterns and fabrics.

They are just so simple and sweet. 

I am showing the next photos to show you that I made progress

last week on my Charming Girls Club list.

I got my blocks finished but never got a chance to show them to you...

More Quilt Soup fabric but a different pattern.

with the parade last week I got behind on my posting.
I got my rows for Yoyoville finished also, again, last week.

But as much as I love it...

it seems to be the never ending project.

This morning I just realized that the outer border with the houses have trees... that need yoyos.

And I don't see any already made, and I think I made 297. So I guess that means back to making yoyos.

As much as I would love to stray off course and work on these
wonderful little projects, I resist,
because I know that there is no way in *!#*! that I would even
 come close to getting them done in time for Christmas anyway.
I just don't know why I'm not smart enough to get started on these cute holiday projects early in the year... like maybe Spring?

Have You Been Waiting Long Enough?

or the other title I had for this post was "It's All Sherri's Fault".
But really, the day got away from both of us yesterday!




You are going to love making this Prairie Point Christmas wallhanging!
After putting this on the design wall and giving it much thought... I decided to add the extra borders to mine... and add a rustic jingle bell to the top of the tree. I think it's ready to be quilted now!

Sherri and I picked the winners for the Le Petite parade of Butter Churn, and
here is our list of randomly chosen winners:

 Sherrie of This and That Patterns, aka designer of Butter Churn wanted
to help us celebrate our parade and
is giving away a set of 8 patterns to:

Shannon!  Congratulations to you!!!

For the Fat Quarter Shop $25 gift certificate:

Allison at Cardy Girl blog! Yay!

and for the Quilters Paradise $25 gift certificate:

Tonya! Discombobulated Ripples blog! Congratulations!!!

From Quilt Taffy gals there is a $10 gift certificate that goes to:

Gretchen at Stella Bella Quilts blog! Kudos!

From Bear Paw Quilts and More

there is two packages of Robyn Pandolph Fancy Hill Farm charm packs.

I love this Christmas group... and the winner is:

Mary from Mary on Lake Pulaski blog.http://maryonlakepulaski.blogspot.com/. Woohoo!

Now just one more thing...

here is a chance for you to be a winner...

Sherri the designer of This and That patterns... who designed Butter Churn is having a little

giveaway to celebrate our little Le Petite parade. She is at Little Bits blog. Enter her giveaway for

9 patterns! Eight of her new patterns and Butter Churn too!

You have until the end of the week to

enter!

Le Petite and This & That

Ok, can you believe it's parade time again? I wanted to thank everyone who is participating in Le Petite!

You all did amazing projects... they were all so fun to see! So, now Sherri and I get to share them all with you!

But first, we wanted to give you a little news flash!

We changed our minds, at the last minute, for our next project.

We thought we would take pity on our Le Petite group...

with all of the holiday hustle and bustle upon us.

We are going to save our December pick of Mon Ami by Carrie Nelson until January.

Quilt Taffy already has kits available for this project, in case you want one and want to put it under your tree for Christmas, from you to... you!

So that's right... you are getting a heads up!

For our next project we are going to go with

the Moda Bake Shop project by Cara Wilson.

So, the pattern is free... and the fabric requirements are minimal... and it's quick and easy and could even possibly be made as a Christmas gift... or even for yourself, in time for the holiday!

This is Prairie Point Christmas

This is the original quilt by Cara Wilson from the Moda Bake Shop site.

Do you remember the one I made last week or so?

This is really fast and fun... Cara just posted a about this quilt

and showed a group with their completed tops! You might want to check it out!

But now, lets see the Butter Churn Quilts!

The pattern was by Sherri Falls of This and That patterns.

First we have... 

 Linda from the Quilted Pineapple made her version of Butter Churn from the Clermont Farms

fabric group by Minick and Simpson.

This version of Butter Churn was made by Shelley, at Poplun blog, she used the Awesome group by Sandy Gervais.

It amazes me how different these can look!

 Mary on Lake Pulaski made this beautiful Butter Churn
out of Lumiere de Noel by French General. It looks so Spring-y, not
what I would think by the name of the fabric line... did I mention I love it???

 Naomi made her Butter Churn from the Summer's End group from Kansas Troubles.
She, is still deciding on adding the borders. It looks pretty cute the way it is!

 Leah from Quilted Delights blog made hers out of scraps from another holiday project...

this one is for herself!

Here is a fun and bright version made by Shannon! I love the fabrics... she didn't add the name of the group... does anybody know?

 Tonya discombobulated ripples made a gorgeous version of
the quilt... wonderful colors! Quilted and bound too!!!

Michele, a new person to our group, her blog is island life quilts
made her Butter Churn in Island Life colors! Don't they look tropical to you?
Very fun!!!

Here is the version made by Kay Mc C.
It turned out so sweet!

 

 Nathalie at wasteland wallowing blog...  made a fun version...
you can see her post on her blog about it.

 Sandie crazy bout quilts made her Butter Churn, and gave it a whole new look! I love the placement of the red blocks and how they stand out with the center churn dash blocks!

 Sandy F made a great version of this quilt by using strong contrast fabrics. Everything just pops!
She used fabrics with snowmen and some with snowflakes from her stash.


Here is Butter Churn in retro colors made by "Messy Karen"...
I love this color combo!

 Laura at laura loves quilting blog made her festive version of the pattern above!
It looks so dramatic with the dark and light fabrics!

and next....

We have a beautiful version of the This and That pattern made by

 Paulette (no blog). She used a new group by Blackbird fabric group.

Melissa from  melly in stitches decided to make her version
in a two-color way. Added bonus... used up some stash fabrics!

Please go see the other  quilts at Sherrie's blog A Quilting Life...
you won't want to miss them!
We'll be back tomorrow with the winners of the parade!
(and probably back today to add anybody I missed)