Good things Do come in Small Packages!

Shortly after arriving at work today, the UPS man arrived. Can I just tell you, we love our man in brown! Today he was carrying only one small box, so he was greeted with the usual banter..."What? That's it?" Much to his relief...that was in fact..."It." But inside the box. was the new issue of Quilting Celebrations...which is reason enough for some excitement! A magazine filled with "fun and festive projects" by Patrick Lose. So, of course, I have to flip through the magazine quickly to see what Patrick has come up with for this issue. As usual...no disappointments here! Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years projects! The magazine also has recipes and other fun stuff. As I'm flipping through the magazine....I find I have been quoted TWICE! Patrick had posted some questions on his Facebook page that I had responded to! So technically...it's just my first name....but I squealed with delight...okay, probably more of a shrill scream (sorry to my co-worker, Lesley as she was standing right beside me). It was a thrill for me!  I'm not going to tell you what I was quoted as saying...you'll just have to buy your copy to see!!

If you are not familiar with Patrick Lose fabrics....let me introduce you to a few of my favorites! (truly...i can't choose just one) Patrick currently has several lines of fabric available in your local quilt shops and online. If you are looking for great blenders to accent a print, Patrick's fabrics are a great place to start.

Monochromatix - 46 different colors!  Can you believe that?  These fabrics are so much fun.  I think I love every single color!





Dot to Dot - Now, I have to say...the photo just doesn't do justice to the actual fabric.  Every color of this Dot to Dot is rich and vibrant.



Luminescence - Um, yeah...the name really speaks for itself, doesn't it?





Scribbles Meander - I love this line too...and I love every single color....and there are so many colors to choose from.  Every one is bright and cheery.




Fizz - This line makes me feel good...and again...I love every single color!  And I'm pretty sure I have several of those colors in my stash!





Satinesque - Okay...I am totally head over heels in love with this line.  It has to be my most favorite of Patrick's fabrics.  So beautiful.





If you can't find these fabrics at your local quilt shop, you can visit Patrick's  page
http://www.patricklose.net/   And...he told me today there are MORE fabrics coming very soon!  I can hardly wait! 

Quilts for Blank Children's Hospital - Des Moines

Recently, I had a conversation with a gal who works at Blank Children's Hospital in Des Moines about donating some quilts.  I admit, I was thinking about making cute little baby quilts to donate.  I was told that they already receive a lot of baby quilts, and really have a need for quilts for older children.  I organized a sewing day with friends and here's the quilt top I finished.   Perhaps the child that receives this one will feel stronger with Superman wrapped around him. 



Girl quilt made by my friend Ann

I think my friends and I will have about 10 quilts to donate.  My goal is to get all of the quilt tops machine quilted and back to their creators for bindings so that they will be ready to deliver by the end of the month.  <insert finger crossing here>  Promise I'll post pics when they are all done. 

Grandparent's Day 2011

 
Grandparent’s Day 2011, fell on a day in which most events were geared towards a rememberance of that fateful day… 9/11/01. My confession…I didn’t watch any of the tributes. I can’t. It’s still too incredibly painful for me to allow myself to go there.

Instead…I spent my day celebrating Grandparent’s Day. It’s not that I don’t “remember”. It’s not that I don’t think about that day, almost every day. But, today…I chose to celebrate life. Spending the day with Finn, my two year old grandson, reminds me too… of just how precious and beautiful life can be. Today was a reminder to me…to live life…to the fullest…every day. As we played and ran in and around the Rose Garden at the Des Moines Arts Center, I thought to myself…this is how we should live our lives every day….not tiptoeing through the tulips as the song goes…but fearlessly running through the roses. Not afraid of the thorns that may come our way but, reveling instead…in the beauty and the music that surrounds us.