Thursday, January 24, 2013

Bonus Blog P L E A S E B E S A F E ! !

Hello from me again today Ü

I don't usually post personal topics on here but my daughter sent me this just now and I felt I needed to share with as many people as possible.

Please copy and share with your contacts as well.  The more of us that can be helped should we ever be caught in this situation, the better.

Thank you all for your attention to this post.
My only piece of additional advice would be to use the "buddy system" whenever possible.  I know she mentions it, but REALLY try to use it!!!

Be safe out there,
Debra <3


All my friends, please read this. Lots of good information on protecting yourself from danger.
THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. it may save a life.)
THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. it may save a life.)
Through a rapist’s eyes. A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.

3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.

4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.

5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.

6] Number three is public restrooms.

7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.


POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:

1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.

2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh – HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.

5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.

6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.

2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .

b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.

If u have compassion reblog this post.
‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.

REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW
ATLEAST PEOPLES WILL KNOW WATS GOIN IN THIS WORLD.
So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.
I hope you all will Reblog. Lets See how many of you really care for this. 

THIS COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.

SOURCE: http://goo.gl/uzydR

Through a rapist’s eyes. A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun, braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.

3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.

4] The number one place women are abducted from or attacked at is grocery store parking lots.

5] Number two is office parking lots and garages.

6] Number three is public restrooms.

7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas, or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.


POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:

1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: "can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter". Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.

2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh – HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.

5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.

6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.

2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans:  if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car:  Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS, LEAVE.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side, peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .

b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.

If u have compassion reblog this post.
‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.

REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW
AT LEAST PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS WORLD.
So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.
I hope you all will Reblog. Lets See how many of you really care for this.

THIS COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.

SOURCE: http://goo.gl/uzydR

HapPy NeW YeAr!!!


HapPy 2013!!!
I woke up to our first real dusting of snow this morning...  sooooo pretty and serene.  It was hard to get out of my cozy log bed and get going.

I hope everyone's year ended well, with many beautiful Christmas memories made with family and friends.  It was a really busy end of the year for me as I'm sure it was for y'all-- but, in spite of all the craZiness, it's still my favorite time of the year Ü



In October I did my last rug show of the year.  It was at the Brandywine Rug Guild, about 35 min or so east of Lancaster, PA and it's always been a very nice venue to vend at.   This is my booth and this was taken early before we had all canvases in front of the tables but you get the idea.
I thoroughly enjoyed the day and am grateful for the opportunity.


I had one new little rug for the show--


So, on to the new year and new beginnings--
How are y'all doing with your resolutions so far?  I'm happy to report, I'm still all in!!  Woo Hoo!!!
I decided I needed to make better lifestyle choices for myself.  I finally reached a point where I couldn't stand it anymore-- feeling sluggish, eating unhealthy, and always having ortho issues with my knees that were never going to get better if I didn't change something.
So, on that note, I invite y'all to join me in making a difference-- whether it be to yourself or to those around you, let's do this and make this time a WIN/WIN!!!

Your difference will be whatever you choose it to be-- mine is getting more needlework UFO's done, eating healthy, losing weight, getting fit, and being more productive with my new projects. 
I am not setting up myself to fail though... I'm going to start with a small goal and when acheived, set another small goal, and so on until I've achieved my (super secret) bigger goal.  I know I can do this-- we all can, right?  Ü

So, I have finished my first UFO rug wall hanging for 2013... R 190 Night Magic.  It's a larger version of one of my Punch Needle patterns by the same name-- it's actually a little bit bluer than the photo shows.  I hope y'all like it Ü

I love that feeling of accomplishing a goal...
Actually, I still have to bind it but that will take no time at all and can maybe get to it tonight. 
I'm checking this one in the "DONE" pile.  Ü


I'm caught up on my knitting.  For Christmas gifts to all the special ladies in my life, I knitted these cotton towels and gave the towels along with boutique soaps as an extra little gift to go with their bigger gift.  They all loved it but so far no one wants to actually "use" their towel!!!  What???


I made this scarf for my daughter Ashley who lives in Switzerland.  It's one of those big cowls that wraps twice.  I wanted to make something to keep her warm and cozy through the Swiss winter.
She told me it's working Ü



I also have a quilt in the works.  It's a quilt I have been working on for ETERNITY!!  I truly mean eternity.  I lived in a different house when I started it... 
I took it with me on a girlfriends quilt retreat and I had an epiphany.  I hadn't liked something about it for the longest time and couldn't exactly put my finger on what that was but because of that, I couldn't make myself look at it, work on it, NOTHING... and the bottom line is I'd hit a "wall" with it. 
I studied it for a long time that weekend and decided some of it just needed to be redone and there was no way around it. We've all been there at one time or another right?
Here is the progression--  I felt like a quilt surgeon by the time I was finished Ü

This is the block I ignored for SOOOO long...
So out came the dreaded seam ripper and I ended up taking off a major piece of the applique`.  



That heart had to go!!!
After I started ripping the seam out, I realized that seam was the only thing holding the fabric together so as I ripped otherwise I'd have a huge gaping hole in the middle of my block.  If I left it, there would be no way I could work with it and re-attach my new applique` over the hole.  I needed a temporary fix and the solution was to re-sew by hand the cut pieces as I ripped.  I couldn't make it pretty either.  The stitches were VERY "Frankesteinish" I'm embarrassed to say-- OY!! 
 Luckily, all will be covered up and cut out from behind anyway so in the end it won't matter.

From the back...

From the front...


The back all stitched up and ready for round 2!!


From the front...

Here are the hearts, ready for transplant--



The four blocks so far!!  It's coming along Ü  Woo Hoo!!!




I changed the shape and color of the heart and now I LOVE IT!!!!
I'm working on the embroidery now though and the embroidery will be simple stuff-- anyone can do it Ü.  The next design detail to change will be the bird and then I'll be on the homestretch.  Whew!!

Here's a close-up of the heart--  and, did you notice????  It's ORANGE!!!  Woo Hoo!!!

Oh, one more thing about this quilt-- I NEED to have it finished by next month because I'm taking it to the quilter in February when I travel to Austin, Texas for QuiltCon!!!! 
I'll post a picture of the finished quilt when I get it back and bound-- can't wait!!!  Ü 

Curious about QuiltCon????  Go here--  http://www.quiltcon.com/


I'm too excited to go!! It's going to be EVERYTHING Modern Quilting-- OH YAY!!!!!!

While home for Christmas, I picked up the quilt below from the quilter.  I still need to bind it  but I love how it turned out Ü  Geez...  SO much binding to be done ;-/



It was an improvisational quilt and I had the most fun making it.  I have a kazillion scraps left over from previous projects so I bet I could make a basketball court full of these quilts.  Scary huh?  YIKES!!
I named it My Happy Valley--

It's quilted in randomly spaced straight lines.  Danielle Wilkes from San Antonio quilted it and she did a GREAT job!!!  I'm going to bind it scrapPy Ü


My punch needle is still in the works-- I haven't touched it for months although I have more floss on the way so hopefully I'll be finished with that one by next week.
I really LOVE this project and I can't wait to show it to y'all all finished Ü

Next on my creative horizon...  Wool Applique`!!!  Woo Hoo!!
I have so many designs ready to go and so many more in my head--  I sometimes wish days were twice as long or I had a clone of me just so I could get all the needlework done that I dream about.  I think I need 5 of me just to make a dent in it!!  Ü
  
For now though, quilting is going to have to take priority for the next few weeks.  I have committed to a quilt show in Pennsylvania (more on that later), and I have SO many fun things I want to do for that show!!

Be back soon!!

Debra <3



Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Please Help if You Can...

While checking my business email this morning I came across this email post and felt I needed to share it right away as time is of the essence. 

I know there are lot of you who may have attended the International Quilt Show in Houston last week so I hope my posting this will jar your memories or you will post this on other sites to the word gets out to as many people as possible.

I really get sad when I read things like this because I think theft of personal property, especially handwork, is like stealing someone's soul.
Having been a victim of theft like this, although not on this scale, I know how it feels and while it's not crippling, it is heartbreaking.  I hope and pray their trailer and all contents are found in original condition.  

If any of you hear or see anything regarding the property related to this post please call the authorities at the Houston PD and share any information you know so these items can be returned to their proper owner.


I am re-posting this message so that more people may be able to help a valued
member of our quilting community.


Thank you all for your help and assistance--

Debra <3



Hi All,

I am sad to say, that sometime between 9:40AM and 4:10PM today, November
4th, someone cut the lock on the ball hitch of our trailer and removed
it from the limited access parking compound at the George Brown
Convention Center in Houston Texas.

We have lost all the quilts and quilted items that were not on display,
our tools, storage bins, customized crates, electrical equipment,
lighting, tie downs etc. For us this is a severe setback. We will have
to rent a U-Haul tomorrow to try and get our things home. We have filed
a police report but we need the help of the public too!

The trailer is a white 14' Trans American brand with a double axle (two
wheels each side). IT has a back door that drops down into a ramp and a
small side door on the passenger side near the front. The license plate
is 76Z TCN.

It is being treated as an auto theft by the Houston Police Department.
If you should see this trailer or have any information that might help
us find it, please call them!

We will be busy tonight and tomorrow trying to secure a trailer to rent
to bring our things home. The Convention Center is letting us leave
things here overnight, but we are not sure if it will cost us anything
or not. We have been able to get discarded boxes to pack a lot of our
stuff and one of the longarm companies gave us their sewouts to wrap
some of our fragile items.

Thanks so much. I keep praying that the police will find our stuff and
the trailer in one piece. Happy quilting!

--
Ellen Munnich
Pattern Designer, Instructor and Consultant - Quilting Robotics Specialist
http://www.quiltrecipes.com/

http://www.quiltrecipes.com/index.php
Munnich Design's Quilt Recipes - Home Page
www.quiltrecipes.com
Current SpecialsOur 10th anniversary took place on September 19th, 2012. We will be at the Houston Quilt Festival in booth 757 with some

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Falloween 1

 
Good Morning!!

Aren't these BEAUTIFUL flowers and perfect for an October Falloween Post?!  My friend Linnea grows Dahlia's and competes in Dahlia shows with her beautiful flowers.  These particular flowers weren't hers, they were grown by a friend of hers, but she shared the photo on Facebook and I had to borrow it Ü  I LOVE them!!!  I don't have much of a green thumb...  I enjoy everyone else's efforts though and all I can about these is WOW!!!

I love it when my brain engages-- I feel like I'm finally making some progress.
I credit my friends Ü  They inspire me sooooo much!!

Last night we got together to work on our Dear Jane blocks.  I'm up to three-- woo hoo!!
I finished my third in the wee hours, but it's done.  I'm not sure I like my fabric choice for this one though.  I changed the center piece to a dark stripe but I still might have to re-do.  My hand-piecing is coming back though and my new needles were a huge help!! 



I  made some sandpaper boards for last too.  The fabric doesn't shift on the sandpaper and that helps to make your template tracing more accurate.
I bought canvas boards from Jo-Ann's in the art section then I went to Lowe's and got a package of extra-fine sheets of sandpaper and an adhesive spray from 3M. 
I took everything outside and sprayed the back of the sandpaper with the adhesive spray then centered the paper on the front side of the canvas board.  They worked perfectly and are really lightweight, so they won't add much when you take it along to your classes or retreats. One thing I still intend to do with them though is paint the edges with an acrylic paint so if the edges get soiled from handling, they will be easy to wipe off.
I know my table cover is boring, but I learned a lesson on Friday when Wendy came over and we worked on our blocks.  I initially had a cloth down to protect my kitchen table, but it was distracting and it made me crazy to have that backdrop and then try to really see what I was doing.  I felt like my eyes were going buggy!!

So, I decided I needed something neutral and still protective.  While at Jo-Ann's, I picked up a piece of the padded plastic (only white was available), and it worked out perfectly.  Last night I think everyone could see their fabric choices for their blocks so much clearer without all the noise in the background. 
I had so much fun with everyone here!!  (I forgot to take a picture of last night ;-/...)
This week I need to pick out my next three blocks Ü



Sunday was my monthly Rug Hooking Guild meeting--
Stacy got on a "felting" thing over the summer and as you can see, she's still going strong!!  This is a box of Santa's and Gnome's.  She puts so much detail in these adorable little people.  Two months ago she was doing small circus animals.  I LOVE THEM ALL!!!
Here are a few photos from around the room...
I loved the blend of blues and greens on this rug.
Helen's flowers reminded me of "Hullabaloo".  Remember that TV show?  I'm dating myself ;-/  LOL
This was a lightweight frame this girl's husband made for her out of pvc pipe.  Clever Ü
This girl had a "folder" she made out of zip-lock quart size bags and a placemat.  Each bag held a different color of worms and it was a great organizer Ü
She had sewn a wide ribbon on each edge of the placemat so she could pull it up together and tie it in a bow.  I may have to make one of these for me!!
I LOVED the colors in this rug!!!  That starburst pattern was really speaking to me...
This owl was AWESOME!!!  She was doing the edge around the owl's face and the feathers on the body in Proddy syle.  This was the highlight of my afternoon Ü  I NEED to do this!!!!

Be back in a few!!
Stay safe and stay tuned--  I'll be asking a very important question in my next blog...

Debra <3

Monday, October 15, 2012

These last few days...


October is breast cancer awareness month.  This is part of a larger wall-hanging (Q 202 With Faith) I did for breast cancer a few years ago.  Please support and pray for all affected.  One day there WILL be a cure Ü




I joined a year-long swap with my online rug hooking group.  It was a seasonal swap so we didn't need to make 12 mats-- thank goodness.  We only had to make 4  Ü
I decided that all of mine would feature the same tree but with different seasonal birds on them.  I liked having a theme to work with and it made my decision easier when it came time to come up with a new design for the next mat to swap.

This was my winter swap--   R 197 Winter Bird


This was my spring swap-- R  198 Cherry Blossom





This was my summer swap-- R 199 Summer Crow


And this is the Fall mat (8" X8") I just finished and mailed off this last week-- R 200 Night Owl.  I have to say, this one was my favorite of the four I did. 

 
Ok-- not the SAME exact tree, as the first tree is a Cherry Blossom tree (I live in the DC area), and the last tree is an oak tree, but the trunks are same Ü  I want to do them all over again but together in a long piece. 


I received adorable mats in return--

Winter





Spring


Summer

Fall--  I'm still waiting to receive it but will post it when it 's here!!  Ü




On Friday, I finally started my Dear Jane blocks.  If you are unaware of this exquisite quilt (Dear Jane quilt by Brenda Papadakis), the blocks in the quilt are 4 1/2" finished blocks.  There are 225 blocks to this quilt-- very tedious to do but amazing to see!!!  The outer border 'Pies" are about 6' long maybe-- I haven't measured one of those yet.  For the past two January's, I've said that would be one of my New Year Resolutions-- to start a Dear Jane something.  Another January is almost here and guess what???  I still had not started it ;-/  So, I mentioned it to my Quilt Guild, Hayfield Country Quilters and a few showed interest.  YAY!!!
Wendy came over on Friday morning and we selected three blocks to start-- an easy block, an applique`block, and a challenging block.  
I didn't say "quilt" earlier because, to start, I'm thinking maybe just a table runner (how many bed quilts do I really need?????) LOL!!  Also, neither Wendy or I know how many blocks we want to make, so blocks it is.
Of the three blocks we decided on, I finished one while she was here (the green block) and another (the pink block) that afternoon.


What I learned about myself is that I am SOOOO out of practice for hand piecing ;-(  I haven't hand-pieced a block in years!!  I've been rug hooking and doing punch needle for the last two years almost exclusively and just the small little bit of piecing that I did on Friday sure let me know how rusty I am...

I didn't have the right needles, I put a hole in my finger from where  the eye of the needle rested while I made my stitches, and I couldn't find a thimble to save myself.  I did have good thread though Ü  Woo Hoo!!!
I will probably re-make the green block and pay more attention to my seam allowance or my cutting... 

Another note about Dear Jane-- last year my online rug group did Dear Jane rugs!!!  I didn't get around to doing that one either... (read slug).  I have always loved these blocks though and I hope to make a small showing of my appreciation in one form or another.


Along with my hooking and my piecing, I'm in the middle of punching a new design...  I posted a picture of the back a few days ago with a plea for help Ü.  I had drawn the design off a while back and was just getting to punching it.  I decided I didn't really want an owl on it and threw it out to the world to see what suggestions would come up.
A bird was the overall winner and it's punched in!!  I've got the background to go and then fini Ü





 This summer I joined another needlework group "Nelly's Needlers", which is a service organization that supports Woodlawn Plantation. George Washington gave the property to Nelly Custis Lewis, his step-granddaughter, who was an avid stitcher.  The "Nelly's" as they are called, make and sell needlework and operate a Tea Room, with all profits going to the preservation of the Woodlawn home.

Since I live in the DC area, I wanted to take advantage of the historical handwork societies that surround me.  It's a wonderful group of ladies and I'm excited to be a member of the group Ü

I brought home a cross-stitch ornament to stitch and donate-- it's a beast!!!  It has soooo many color changes after every few stitches...  it's driving me nuts!!!  I think I need to find another way to donate my time to this group-- this ornament has taken me forever to do and I'm only 1/2 way done!!
I think the wreath will only measure not quite 3 inches across-- it's tiny!!  Am I insane??  (yes.)





Back to Dear Jane--


Today I'm on block 3...

Until next time...

HapPy StiTchIng!!!
Debra <3