caught up in the GO! frenzy

Here is yet another giveaway chance for the GO! Good luck to all gazillions of us :-) http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2010/08/accuquilt-go-give-awaylets-go-go-go.html

This blog of SewManyWays is full of ideas and inspiration for uses for the GO! and quilting in general. Even without the Go! giveaway, she is a great blogger to follow!
Happy Tuesday quilters,
Luckypup Quilter

sew many things to post...long read warning! giveaway note at the end

Stash Manicure has a couple of great posts about organizing your fabrics here:http://aquiltinglife.blogspot.com/2010/08/hexagons-and-go-giveaway.html and here: http://stashmanicure.blogspot.com/2010/08/inexpensive-way-to-house-your-stash.html. I have been working on organizing my own stash and was thrilled to see some of the tips mentioned. The huge mess My own stash has been calling out to me for some time to be sorted and put in a more easily found arrangement. I have 2 stashes in a way. I have the prewashed fabric arranged fairly nice in one cabinet and then there is the other stash....The Great Unwashed which seems to grow when I'm not looking.
I purchased some plastic bins and began sorting. One pull out drawer where these fabrics were residing actually broke under the weight when I began to look at them and I just started pulling everything out and throwing it onto my cutting table. When I saw how much was there...well, I was a little freaked out overwhelmed to say the least!
I was too busy holding up the fallen drawer to take a picture of the before...but
here is part of the finished job with the prewashed stash in the left picture. The right picture shows part of the GU separated into projects soon to be started, and with florals separated from fabrics sorted by colorways.




Now this bit of the GU doesn't really scare me all in its own...it is the 8 other plastic bins that now live in my bedroom closet that are a bit much! I organized my novelty fabrics and find that I still have somewhat of a hoarding problem....like with the Debbie Mumm fabrics I fell in love with in the mid 90's. And the animal fabrics. These filled up several bins...dogs, farm animals, Wild animals, cats...I think I'm forgetting some. Then there is the large bins of Christmas and the aforementioned Noah's Ark from DM.
But I made it through and feel much better because at least now I can actually see...and get to...the different colors and styles so I can USE THEM UP or share them with other unsuspecting quilters.
And one bin holds my Cherrywood fabrics for my Psalms blocks. Fortunately, I actually was able to stitch during this fabric 'war' :-)

This is Ocean Waves for Psalms 46.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall in the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Be still, and know that I am God.

This next block is for a ministry quilt for a soldier. I have been blessed to join a friendship group of quilters and this will be one of the first quilts projects that I am participating in.

We also finish blocks for whoever is hosting the monthly meeting. Rana is hosting in September so at the last meeting, she gave us blocks to complete and bring to her house this next month. So this is for you, Rana :-)

Last but not least! Here is a link for yet another GO! giveaway. There is only about 600 entries yet I'm still hoping to be the Luckypup that wins this :-)

http://aquiltinglife.blogspot.com/2010/08/hexagons-and-go-giveaway.html

kind of racing in and out

The past couple of weeks have been kind of a blur with alot going on. I have been hand piecing, doing some applique, crocheting and working on a memory t shirt for a co-worker who lost her son this last spring to diabetes.
Actually, this t shirt quilt has taken up most of my thoughts as it stirs so many feelings looking at the clothing and the muslin pieces family and friends wrote messages on. Not sure that I'll show a picture of it as it is such a personal treasure for this family. I was fortunate to have another nurse come and sew on it with me last week. It was a good thing to share.

In the hand piecing category, I finished block #8 for the Psalms quilt. This is a block called "David and Goliath" for Psalm 27. "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the day of my life...For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock."


Just this morning, I got an email from SewCalGal giving me the news that I had won a prize in the Pet Parade contest. I won a book from Kay MacKenzie

So not only did I get to show off pictures of my animals and see adorable pictures of other quilters animals...I enjoyed receiving fun emails from other bloggers and readers....and got a prize too! I am one luckypup!
SewCalGal Darlene, mentioned animal rescue as many of the photos were of adopted 'used' animals. My own group of fur creatures have come from assorted pasts and have made my life richer. So I put a button up top on my blog for a site where I just click a tab each day to generate donation of food for animals in shelters. I have also found some fun things to purchase from the site as well. Please check out the Animal Rescue Site and perhaps enjoy adding a rescue animal to your own family someday. They are quite grateful !

Complete overload of Pet Pictures

This is not a pet but a 'pet project' which I think fits the rules for this Pets on Quilts contest...It is Izobel which I made from my Nancy Brown workshop. She adorns my quilt room.

However, as any excuse to post pictures of my animals or look at other quilters animals will do...here is another chance to 'shamelessly' brag about my cute critters. The Pets on Quilt Show button on the left bar of this blog will lead you to a variety of wonderful animal themed pictures with quilts. This link may actually make the path easier. Enjoy!

http://www.linkytools.com/contestentry_linky_include.aspx?id=38565

Marianne is a big helper with pressing, block arrangement and general supervision.

Mosley here with the Beach House fabric quilt

The current canines of the household.

Ms Elinor on the Great Gatsby quilt.

The next photos are of previous loves...still in my heart.

Jeff and Simba showing off a quilt for Dad. And Simba enjoying the quilt he thought was made for him.

stitches of another kind

I had so much fun crocheting the dishcloths that I went into our local yarn store and bought some fancy wool yarn and made a simple hat. It amazed me that I could do it and it was great fun. It is has turned cold yet again around here and I've actually been wearing it when I walk the dogs.

Last Saturday, I had invited some friends here to sew. We all worked on projects that we had allow to 'languish'. I started working on a tshirt quilt and actually spent the day cutting and fusing. If these fun ladies weren't here with me...I wouldn't have actually got it started. But with company and some good treats (Rana makes really good salsa!), we made progress. Melanie worked on some beautiful floral diamonds and Rana paper pieced blocks on one of those cool machines that has a thread cutter. Amazing!
I finished another hand pieced block. These blocks are 6 inch blocks. This one is for Psalm 23 and is called Table for four. Ps 23:5 "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies". Or as in The Bible in Today's English Version reads..."You prepare a banquet for me, where all my enemies can see me; you welcome me as an honored guest and fill my cup to the brim." I chose the green and the blue actually for other verses. Vs 2 "He lets me rest in fields of green grass and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water". This is really a favorite Psalm of mine. If ever I picture God, I can't help but think of The Good Shepherd.