plants, oranges, voodoo doll tutorial, roses

Hello again my Friends,
Today I have lots of pictures of my side interests... I've been playing hooky from quilting.

4 new jade plants and a Christmas cactus for the Halloween give away... See the yellow snowflake I made for my hubby.  (He likes my "artworks".)

The two oranges on the right are the size you might get in the store... although mine are still better because they are tree ripened (a couple of extra months on the tree... much sweeter!) The 2 on the left are some of the larger ones we picked, and the little fella in the center is a tangerine?  We've been told they are something else, but we call them tangerines. They are yummy.

The big ones are suitable for carving...

Handsome, nutritious and DELICIOUS.  None so far were woody either.



 Now for the Voodoo Doll Tutorial....  You know my daughter has cancer... and there is nothing I can do about it either....         
Anyway, a while ago I made her a cancer voodoo  doll.  Then I made one for me, too, because even though she has gone through so much the disease is back... So I'm taking some of my frustrations out on this:

Several views of it. It's the ugliest fabric I have, stuffed with some batting and tied round and round with the ends of the piece. I kick it, scream at it, punch it, stab it with the scissors, poke in pins, pinch it in a door or drawer as below. (I think the violence of my acts are frightening to the hubby, but I don't care.

It does seem to help me. I just wish it was helping my daughter. Die cancer cells, die!!!!

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But now we can't end our blog on such a note. Today we went to Costco - that means pizza lunch, purchasing gas (it's a little cheaper there) and chocolate covered almonds.... and today....

2 dozen roses! One flower went into his bathroom and the stem was planted to try to grow this color. You can't see from the picture, but they are a gorgeous rust color... very different than a regular red, and this pretty yellow down below.

Better picture?  Notice on our kitchen (breakfast) table there is a paper plate of tangerine seeds?  That's what will get put into envelopes for Halloween seeds. Gotta start early.

Final picture is the stem being rooted... hopefully!

If it works out in a couple of years I'll make some more and offer those for Halloween, too.

No sewing today... I do have my bingo card almost finished, but for the hand stitching on the binding. I was so proud of the binding going on so easily... no problems. Some time I'll let you in on my (secret) method.

Thanks for stopping by.  Hugs to you all!

Terri

I hope you have noticed...

 Tuesday is the Master Sergeant's 40th birthday! This is why we called him the Turtle.

Happy Birthday Scot!

Hellooooo Dear Friends,
I hope you have noticed the two new buttons on my side bar.  (I finally figured out how to get them to stick, with the help of the blog  "Sew Many Ways" - look for that blog on my list and go there. She has lots of different tutorials on blogging... you may have to look for the list at the top.)

One of the buttons is strictly for fun. "May for Me" is a Bingo game and you can win prizes... first you need to make a Bingo card (a mini quilt)... well, use the button and go see how it all works. (Please let me know if the button doesn't work.)

The top button is a charity quilt challenge... make a quilt or two for one of the two charities. One charity is for grade school kids in the New Orleans area hit hard by Hurricane Katrina, and the other charity is for cancer patients.  You know that the second one is the one I'm choosing. There are prizes and other ways to participate all along the way... comments to leave, etc. So how about joining in? There is still time to sign up.  Again use my button and see if it works.... and please let me know if it doesn't.

Well, I'm off (like a dirty shirt) to go make a Bingo card, and plan my charity quilt for cancer (in honor of "you know who").

Hugs to you all especially the Birthday Man,
Terri (aka Mom)

YES! We Have a WINNER!!!!

Howdeeeeee!


I am so excited to proclaim the winner of the "What Block is This" contest!   The winning guess is

"Ok, here is my next guess, I guess that it is 'Lily'. I still like your blue background much better than the green one." by Cheryl of Cheryls Teapots 2 Quilting.

She was the first correct guess. She took my clues and went to Fandom in Stitches to look for the pattern.  That's just what I wanted you all to do.  So Congratulations Cheryl!!!  The Lily block is headed your way. That concludes the contest. Thank you to all who played. I appreciate your indulgence with my little game.
For those of you just tuning in, here is half of the contest square to identify. It was the last clue, I think.

And here is the finished block that Cheryl will be receiving:

It's not a real difficult block to make (not the easiest either). You can find a free pattern for it at Fandom in Stitches. Jennifer is the hostess and designer extraordinaire. She has all kinds of fan based designs like Harry Potter, Vampire, Sesame Street, SiFy, Sports, and more. These are just some of the topics, and she has directions for paper piecing, too.  So if you have ever wanted to try pp, go over there, or to her other blog, Sewhooked where she has more free patterns like hearts, that aren't part of a show. She also sells (quite reasonably) other original paper pieced designs you can use for personal or charity quilts and other items.

Well, that's it for today... I've gotta go pick all the rest of the oranges and tangerines quickly before the bees start to find flowers there to pollinate. I don't want to be gathering along with them.  Until next time.....
Congrats again Cheryl!!!

Hugs,

Terri

P.S. Please remember my Daughter, Chrissy, in your prayers today (and every day). She's been such a trooper, going through all the ways to beat the breast cancer and now it's a tumor on her liver to fight.....She can use all the help she can get!  Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!

Contest open until Saturday...

Hello dear friends,
I know you are just sitting on pins and needles, waiting to find out what block I'm giving away in my contest... well, I decided to leave the contest open until Saturday when I will reveal the block... but I'm hoping someone will guess correctly by then, and we can annouce the winner sooner.  You can guess as many times as you would like....
In the mean time I've got 2 more blocks done... one is Harry Potter, and the other is for a birthday card.
Here's the pics:

You can eliminate the bowtruckle from your contest quest. Here's the one I made, and you can plainly see that it isn't the contest block. (So there's another clue for you... it's not the bow truckle.)

And this is the block that went on a card... I won't tell you who it is for, but the close family will know who's birthday is coming up.

While crusing the blogosphere today I found a quilt made with blocks that I donated. If you'd like to see it, go to Confessions of a Fabric Addict. It's the first quilt pictured - the one with the blue border. They sure did a good job with the blocks. I am really pleased to see it there, and going to a young woman with cancer.... well they know what gets to me, don't they. (Please pray for my daughter. She is having low dose chemo now, in preparation for her next ( her 4th) surgery on March 20th.) Lately, anything cancer gets my donation, if I can manage it. 4patches4hope is another place to send some blocks... they only want 4 patches... well, go there and find out the dimensions and colors that they prefer. It's another cancer charity that will welcome a donation of pieced blocks. Who knows, the good will could help my baby, too.  A little good Karma sent out into the Universe... it couldn't "hoit". And please notice a new button on my blog. It's an upcoming chance to make a quilt for charity - there will be two charities, and one of them is to cancer people. Check it out! They haven't started yet so you have time.
Summing up -
1. check out and guess my block on the blog here.  Leave a comment with your best "guess" and you could win that block.
2. check out my blocks made into a quilt for charity here.
3. check out 4patches4hope
You have your assignments now, report back next time.

You all are my bright spots in life, right now.  Keep on keeping on!

Hugs,

Terri

While you are thinking...

I know you are working out the clues I gave you on the last blog....

Meanwhile, I made a Hot/Cold pad for my Daughter.  It's a muslin bag of rice inside a Felix Felicis decorated bag.  Here's the "police" photos: (you know, one this way, and one that way)

This is the first bag of rice I made.  Then after sleeping on it - not on the rice bag, but on the aftermath of making it - I realized that the glue that I used to put on the heart might leave some nasty fumes and scum in my daughter's microwave.  Can't have that!  So I made a second bag, without the glue, and unfortunately without the heart.  Sorry Honey, but you can see we were thinking about you. Sew the real one is going out without glue!

Once the rice bag is inside the blue bag there is a flap that comes over (from the left in this pic) and attaches to close the outside bag with Velcro.  (Already done!)

(You can see the flap on either side!  It was my own design, and I didn't take into account that the front would bulge out from the rice bag... well, it was my first one.) This is the good luck side - place the liquid luck on your boo-boo.  It can be used cold from the freezer (freeze for 2 hours before using) or hot (from the microwave on high for 1 or 2 minutes) depending on what kind of boo-boo you have. Consult with your physician.

You remember the "correctly colored" FF... This is where it went.

Remember to leave your guess - I gave you lots of "cheats" - on the previous post.  You might win a Harry Potter paper pieced block.

I'm linking this up to Sew Darn Crafty Party, sorry I just can't get the directions for copying her button.  I'll have to try again, some other time.


Have a wonderful Sunday.... Remember to pray for my Daughter!! and now add all those homeless people created by the tornadoes.  They, too, are going to need all the help they can get.

Hugs!!!!

Terri

Here's the game!

I have a huge, but not complete, collection of the Harry Potter Paper Piecing Patterns from Fandom in Stitches. So the other night I put them in a file, so I could find what I wanted to make next without the Internet, which, lets face it, is less than reliable. I filed, and while putting them all away neatly (really - me!?) I showed them to my hubby to see if he cold tell what the pattern would work into... It was a fun game. There were a few he could define, but most - nope!  But I got this idea for a little contest... could my peeps (that'd be you all) figure out what the pattern would turn into...?  So I'll show you a few pictures I took while sewing it up, and you decide what it might be.  First to guess correctly will win the block - that's when I'll show it.
 I guess you should recuse yourself, Jennifer... Sorry, but you would know right off, wouldn't you?

Here we go:

All done, just needs some trimming and a press.
 Now you leave a comment with your guess.  Good Luck!

I'm linking up to the:

Sew Darn Crafty Party

Hugs,

Terri

So much to share!

First a welcome to new followers! Thanks for the vote of confidence. Hope you will find some fun here, and some inspiration.

Next: You know my daughter has 4th stage breast cancer....
She had a "port" put into her chest today for blood taking and chemo input.  Yes, she has to go for more chemo.  After all she has been through chemo, a double mastectomy, radiation, reconstructive surgery, and now the "port" she is still in great spirits... looking for a "cure" in the coming months.... chemo and liver surgery to remove another tumor metastasized there from the breast cancer.  I admired her before all this. (It's okay for a Mom to admire their child.)  She is a Mom to 4 school agers (and assorted pets) and was a volunteer at their schools, at a local nursing home and at the local food bank. (All while keeping a home immaculate and doing all that laundry, shopping, etc.) Now all this and demonstrating a cheery disposition - at least for her friends and followers.  I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of her.  Please, please keep Chrissy on your list of people to pray for.  She can use all the help she can get.  Thanks to those who have been praying, and helping her in lots of different ways. You all are amazing.


Now to brighten up this place we have a work of quilting art. (No, I did not make it.)  I got a beautiful gift from a Blogger Buddy this week.  Nina Lise Moen, better known by her blog name,  Mrs. Moen sent me a gorgeous mini quilt which I am going to hang as inspiration.  I want it in the livingroom, but the sun comes in so bright there and will fade it over time. I think I'll put it in the hallway where I pass by many times during the day, and the sun won't ruin it.

She has quilted it with sparkling threads, and the roses are added after. There are yarns caught in the quilting, and she did some kind of painting on it, too. Notice the binding is put on with a decorative stitch.... I love it Nina! Thank you so much!

This is the back.... Isn't it lovely, too?

I did finish a block this week.... they just should not take that long, but I spend a good portion of my life reading blogs and getting inspiration from all of you.  This week I got a great recipe from Susan Branch for Banana Fritters;  a new paper piecing pattern called Aperture Science from the Games/Tech file at Fandom in Stitches.  It looks like the iris of a camera....  Then there was the pattern for a movable iris I could use to make a card. I got quotes from Dr. Seuss for cards, and the Irish Blessing for the shamrock cards for my Irish grandkids.... So much I learn and am inspired by on the blogs that I follow... It's just too wonderful, and keeps me occupied and off the streets... You know us old ladies would be running a muck if we didn't have hobbies. Well, here is the block I finished.

It's another HP block from Fandom in Stitches.  Slughorn's Crystalized Pineapple.  I messed up somehow, the circle should be rounder in the center. Maybe I'll figure it out on the next one. I like the piece at the bottom right... it's from a muted rose print. - couldn't tell, could you?

I'm preparing a little game for you all next time... maybe there will be a little prize, too.

Thanks for stopping by. I may not be answering comments much anymore, but that's because of time constraints. I still love to get them, and I do try to answer any questions you might have. See you next time.

Hugs,

Terri