Secret Pal

Well I know that my secret pal is no longer a secret!! Jill has posted on her blog about all the super awesome things that she made and sent to me. I couldn't have recieved a better christmas present from a quilty friend. I came down with the bronchitis icky's and am still trying to get over it so her goodies are pretty late considering. Keith has come up with some other goodies to add to the mix and I think that we are actually going to have to get another box so that we can fit them all in.

The fabric has been pulled for several goodies.. some has been cut and others waiting to be cut in circles. (we had to find the right size circle template.. smiles) .. there are other things that I'm hoping she will be on pins and needles waiting for (hint.. hint). Then of course there will be some sugar and spice and everything nice thrown in there.. maybe a little cream too if she has been a good girl.

I'm hoping that the extra time off that I am getting for the new years holiday will give me the time to complete the things left to finish and then get them in the mail the Saterday after new years. I think that mom and dad will be up this weekend too so there will be some one to help me cut and wrap some things.

But I'm still thinking about those goodies and can't wait until she recieves them. I hope that she enjoys them as much as I loved the ones that she sent me.

I got to sew!!

I am super excited! Just before Keith left he made a comment to me about he wondered if my friends would make him a welcome home from deployment quilt like they made me last year. As always he had that cute little boy grin. Well it just didn't feel right to ask one of my quilting groups to help me out and I hadn't been sewing much at all not because I didn't want to but because I didn't feel up to it. Sewing is something that I love and with all the issues with my arm some days it just felt like a chore and I didn't want to associate the two.

Anyway I have been talking to my friend Jill alot more the last couple months than I have in the last year or so. Together we decided to put together a quilt for Keith a block sampler like mine but different so that we could both curl up on the couch together with our own quilts when he gets back.

I just want to send out a great big hug and thank you again to all the ladies that helped to put together my quilt. Quilts really do make things better. There is not a day that goes by that I dont look at or lay with the quilt and think about the love that went into my quilt. Alot of days when I get home from work and don't feel well I curl up with it and a few minutes later Lillybeth is curled up with me.. smiles.

Ok back to my sewing... This weekend I pulled out my Carol Doak "Learn to paper piece" DVD and decided that I was going to learn to paper piece. To top it off I am a glutten for punishment.. I couldn't pick an easy block to learn on I picked one that had like 500 pieces to it. (okay not really but it had alot). I finished it about midnight last night and you know what? I really liked it! Here are a couple pictures of the blocks that I finished this weekend. Hoping to finish more tonight.

Here are the 2 blocks that my mom made. Yes your seeing those right they are both cross stitch and I think that they look fantastic. (The first one is actually cream fabric not yellow but I couldn't get my camera to take a good picture.) They will both get borders before being added to the quilt.

Thats all for now!! :-)