Being the youngest of 5 sisters I was the bratty one growing up. So in my typical bratty self I'm posting S.I.C.S. = stuff I can't show. Don't you hate when bloggers do that? Sorry. I do have a love/dislike relationship with teaser posts like this. Especially since I'm the type to want to know the end of a movie before I enter the theater. So here I am teasing you.
This may look like a crumpled up bunch of fabric but it actually is a flimsy. And I bunched it up on purpose to disguise the block identity. (Since the last time I used the flimsy word several people e-mailed me asking what a flimsy is, I'll define it. A flimsy is a finished quilt top ready to be quilted by machine or hand)
There, this photo is a little bit less annoying. You can see the colors and scrappiness (not a real word but it should be). So you know it must be a quilt top I made.
Here is just a little more. And look, no cut off points! I wish I could do that for every block every time.

This baby is going to the machine quilter Thursday morning at Broadbent's. Meet me there and I'll show it to you. (ha) But you have to promise not to tell what my new quilt/pattern looks like. Some of you may be good at figuring it out.

-nanette

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I've been working on keeping up or getting caught up with some projects. I've been participating with Konda and her Jelly Roll Sampler Roll Along project. I am amazed how quickly each block has come together. It really has been a fun project. I'm so glad she asked me to join her. Here is my progress:
Block number 7 by Becky from Posse Boss.
Block number 8 by Judi from the Green Fairy.
Block number 9 by Toby from Gateway Quilts.
Block number 10 by Kari from Fresh Cut Quilts.

I'm caught up and waiting for the newest blocks. I think there are just 2 more to go. You can print out all the instructions from Konda's blog. It is never too late to make this fun and easy quilt from a jelly roll.

-nanette

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It is Friday again. How does Friday keep coming around so quickly?
I have resisted the new fabric precuts for awhile thinking them not a fabulous value. But when I saw this 2 1/2" x 5" candy sampler I thought it was right for an impulse buy. I like all 4 lines of fabric but I rarely will buy a complete line of any fabric. Getting fabric this way was like having just a sweet taste. My favorite is Bliss, though, of course.
I actually have a few ideas for these specialty cuts. So I hope they won't just sit on my shelf.
I also managed a few new fat quarters. I have already had 4 of the 5 fat quarters and used them up. The fifth - the word print on the right - I have in another color and I like it so I acquired the neutral print when I saw it. I've already started cutting into several of these fat quarters.
Sherri is in town and we met with a few of the gals for lunch and a quick shop stop the other day. This hexie gift is from Sherri.
That Lori! She always sees potential in everything. When Lori saw these little bees on the shelf she thought "How cute! But they are naked." I would just think "How cute". She made aprons for them. So clever.
This is from RaeAnn. I actually cut into the orange and blue already. RaeAnn is so thoughtful. Look how cute this package is.

Thanks so much girls. My friends are great. It is so fun to meet up with them. I nearly didn't make it to see them yesterday, though. I was directly behind a one-car accident on the freeway as I was traveling north. Scary! I still haven't recovered yet from the terror. Gratefully I was able to stop in time.

I have lots to show next week. I've been actually sewing!

-nanette

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My oldest daughter Natalie likes applique and is a sometimes quilter. Natalie is funny. When she does something, she really does it.
Natalie and her husband Justin like to camp and like to go to the desert. When they were on vacation in Arizona, a while back, she was struck by the colors and the shapes of cacti. I think she cut out nearly 1000 (not kidding) cactus in all different colors. I believe she has 5 cactus quilts planned, but she could do so many more with all she has cut out. Natalie has her own style and I like that. She likes vintage but modern, too. Above are 2 baby quilts she recently made for friends. (I wish they were for her!)
Monday when we both had time off work, I helped her get these 2 quilts finished. She hand appliqued the cacti and sewed the blocks together. Then I machine quilted them.
I sewed the binding on for her and then she hand stitched it. I think the baby quilts turned out so cool. She wanted straight stitch quilting to enhance the modern feel to the quilt.
I'm really proud she likes to make quilts. I'm glad I could hand down some of the skills my mother taught me.

-nanette

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A few weeks ago I showed you this cute little onesie above that I purchased at the Beehive Bazaar for Allison. Well, while she stayed at our house I finally got the skirt made. It was so much fun to sew something so tiny.
We took Allison to church with us while she was here and she wore my skirt. It is a little big but that is ok. She's growing fast.

Whitney is back home and making progress, though she still can't walk on her foot but she's learning to manage with crutches and a wheelchair and a hopping on her heel. Thanks for all your well wishes for her. It was fun having them at home.

-nanette

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Time is always a problem for me. With my big family, job, hobbies, home and everything else I juggle I have a hard time fitting in fun things I want to do with tasks I need to do or must do. But when the opportunity rises, it is hard to say no to a quilt shop meeting with the girls. Isn't that clock stitchery above fantastic.
Last week I met my friends at Material Girls to catch up and look around at Nadine's. It is always fun to get together and look at fabric and talk about our latest projects.
Judi, Me, RaeAnn, Jodi and Lori in the back room of Material Girls. Nadine is taking the photo. Jodi came from Washington on vacation and arranged to meet us. Not pictured is Kim, who came a bit later.
We have a "terrible" habit of exchanging sweet gifts. This one is from Jodi. Jodi and I have been blog friends for more than 3 years or so but met for the first time this week.
Jodi is always full of great ideas. She is a fantastic photographer and quilter. These are cards that combine the two. At the bottom left edge of the photo is a sweet custom charm pack.
Kim is someone that does everything better than most everyone, including me. I admire her so much, and I always have.She made me this sweet bird, gave me the pattern, a treat and look at the beaded scissors charm. I love it and it has my initial on it.
RaeAnn is a sweetheart. She always makes me feel included and special.
Wonderful treats from RaeAnn. You may know RaeAnn from her other blog Stash Manicure.
Then there is Lori. Did you see her tutorial/giveaway on her blog for this great pincushion she gave me.

Thanks girls for all the gifts/treats. I love them. We are all really busy women. So time is important to all of us. But whenever we can we squeeze in a visit together, we try. Sherri is going to be in town this week so we'll see if we can swing a visit.

-nanette

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Sarah's Placemat Blog Party has been great success this week. Don't forget to check her blog to see if you won a prize there. For my giveaway to go along with Sarah's Party I had some really great and thoughtful comments as usual. I didn't attempt to reply to all comments and I apologize for that but I read them and smiled, laughed and blushed. Thank you everyone for participating. I know this sounds really corny but I do wish I could send each of you a bag kit and patterns.
I drew 1 number/name and then because I had another extra kit and I just felt like giving away 2 kits (since your comments touched me so much), I drew another winner. The winners are:

Kit #1 - Brandie, of ABC Quilts, writes: "I love your bag! I hope I'm lucky this year. Luck seems to revolve around every 4 years for me and I don't know what year I'm on. Great place mats. I love the Halloween one the best." Well, Brandie, you are lucky this time! Good for you.

Kit #2 - Susan in NC (reader not a blogger, and that is ok!), writes: "I love all the different variations of your placemats - this looks like a really fun pattern. Great giveaway - I really enjoy your blog and seeing your creativity."

Brandie and Susan please send me your home addresses. I have email addresses for both of you, too so I can get a hold of you as well.

Again, thanks everyone. This was fun.
Today's Fabric Friday is short and sweet. Allison will be going back home very soon since my daughter's foot is doing better. We will miss having her here everyday. Allison's outfit is the theme for Fabric Friday today. Pink, Green and a little bit of yellow. (Just in case you wonder who Allison is smiling at, I'll tell you. ME!)
Recently I met some of my girl friends including my BFF Lori Holt, who helped me pull some fabrics together for a new pattern I'm working on. She and I like many of the same things and Lori has a fantastic eye. It is great to get help from her. She's just so amazing and creative. These fabrics are the green and a little bit of yellow to weigh out the great amount of pink in this new quilt.
I'm really excited about this project. I just haven't had enough time to develop some of the projects rolling around inside my brain so when I get a chance I get really excited and focused.

Next week: More on Lori and the girls as we met at Material Girls Shop with Nadine. Also, who would like to attend a retreat in October in Alpine, Utah? I'll be teaching a class at a fabulous local quilt retreat destination spot. (details pending).

Have a great long weekend everyone. Be safe! I'm helping Natalie with some of her quilt projects and want to spend some solid all day sewing time on Monday.

-nanette

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