Have you heard??

Maybe you've already heard and maybe you've already done something about it, if so - YEAH YOU!!! If not then read on. I came across a blog that talked about Iraqi Bundles of Love in passing. There was just a mention of the name so I did a BING search to see what it was all about. In a nutshell, a Major stationed in Iraq happens to be the husband of a quilter (also son of and brother of one too!) and his time in Iraq is coming to an end. He came up with Iraqi Bundles of Love as a way to leave something behind with the Iraqi people. Something that they can use, something that they might possibly need. Basically what you do - if in the USA you can get a USPS Flat Rate priority box from the post office, fill it with sewing, quilting or knitting supplies, bundle it up (he tells you just how to pack it!) and send it off. Since it is going to an APO address, if you are in the USA you only need to pay $11.95 for shipping no matter how heavy your box is. You can participate if you are not a resident of the USA, just check his site for more information. Here is a link to his intro page. Once there you will find links for a FAQ page, a BUILD A BUNDLE page, what to send and what not to send and other information. There are pictures of the first 6 bundles that they just received too! The boxes MUST be postmarked by Sept 7th to get there in time for distribution. To get the address either post a comment at his site or ask me for it in a comment here and I can pass it along via email (there was some reason that he doesn't just post the address but I don't remember what it was). There are Iraqi Bundles of Love blog buttons as well but I could not get either one of them to work.

Let me know if you are taking part in this. I have been going through my things tonight and have quite the collection so far - fabrics,trims,threads,scissors. I might have to get two boxes from the post office!

EDITED to ADD - I am going to challenge all the CHARMING GIRLS QUILT CLUB members to build a bundle and ship it off! I know you gals have some fabric lying around. ;)

Praise - That U.S. military personnel would take the time and make the effort to go above & beyond their required duties to help the people of Iraq.

Prayers - that the quilting/crafting online community will rally together to share their bounty with the people of Iraq and that these bundles would be sent & received with love.

First August finish

The month is more than halfway gone.I started this skirt on the first, worked on it on the second and then lost steam. Ugh. Well it has been finished for a few days now but I needed to get college girl to model it for me so that I could get a picture. Every time she puts it on she twirls around.



Now if I could just quit procrastinating on my other projects that I set as goals for the Charming Girls Quilt Club...

Praise - one of the girls that is returning to college was going to have to drive back to Illinois alone but God has provided someone to make the trip with her!

Prayers - for the safety of my hubby while he is working alone on an addition to his shop.

Tagged Again

As part of our participation in the Charming Girls Quilt Club, Kelly tags us each month and if we want an extra entry for her drawing then we answer the questions. Easy enough right? Bonus - it got me back to my blog!!!

1. Share your favorite quilting or sewing tip - if you didn't use the fabric and pattern for that cute outfit you planned for your own toddlers, save it - someday you might have grandchildren and more time to sew.

2. Share your best tip for managing time more effectively (what works best for you)! Ohhhhh, if I only had a good answer for this - my quilts would be sewn, my college girl's dresses and skirts would be finished, all purses and totes would be sewn and I wouldn't have much fabric left in my stash. Best tip - limit time on the computer. If need be, make your computer time a reward after you have done the things you want or need to do.

3. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Newfoundland. I have been to all the other provinces (well I think they added one somewhere along the line but I am not counting that) and have ALMOST been to Newfoundland twice.

Praise - the weather has cooled off the last couple of days. There seems to be more hot temperatures for us this August but this little cool down is much appreciated.

Prayers - a couple girls from our church will be returning to college this week. Prayers for their safe travels and for the school year ahead of them.

August TO DO LIST

I really liked being pushed to get some things done in July by the Charming Girls Quilt Club. I didn't finish everything I set out to though.

Part of that was not my fault - if there is no Warm & White to be found what's a girl to do?

So once again on my list (and I am already working on it!), this pattern

to be made up in this Rebel Roses fabric by Henry Glass;


Warm & White has been obtained so back on the list is this quilt - top is done so now I need to make the quilt sandwich, stipple and bind. This is made with my leftovers from the Old Red Barn Quilt-Along Quilt.

Which brings me to the Old Red Barn Quilt-Along Quilt; needs the edges trimmed and binding made and attached. I was waiting for the above quilt to be at the point where I could measure and then make the binding for both quilts at the same time.


Adding to the list is a dress,for college girl, made out of this fabric, Pink Pareo by Alexander Henry. I am using Simplicity 2616, view A, but shorter than that.


I can't wait to see what everyone else is going to be working on this month!

Praise - I have been HOME ALONE! basically since the 31st. All is going well so far.

Prayers - That everything on the home front would continue to go well but more importantly that the rest of my family and our friends would be safe on their river rafting trip.

Another finish - in the nick of time

I finished the Cotton Blossom quilt top! I think it took me longer to get the photo off of the camera and on to the computer and find it and resize it than to sew the quilt top!



Thanks for the July Challenge Kelly! I have a list building in my head of my August projects.

Prayers - for my family and all the other church members that are camping together this weekend.

Where does the time go?

I have no idea how it has been over a week since my last post. I have been doing a few things in that time but I'm sure I could have posted. Time just flies faster and faster the older I get.
Finally the raspberries are ripe! I buy my raspberries from a lady that grows them in her backyard. She picks them and puts them in pint baskets and calls me when they are ready. Aren't they beautiful?

I took all she had from her first picking. 35 pints.

I made 7 pints of Raspberry Jam and froze a LOT of the berries. I couldn't find anymore of my canning jars. Hubby says they are out in the shop so I will venture out there to see if I can find them. It is too hot to can anymore right now anyway so I will pull them out of the freezer on a cool fall day and make some more jam. The kids and I ate some of them fresh as well and I also made a simple syrup and froze them in ice cube trays to drop into our iced tea or lemonade!

Very early on Friday morning we left for the airport. It was so early in fact that I never went to bed! So by Friday night, when it was time for bed, I had been up since 8 a.m. Thursday morning. Let's just say I was TIRED! A quick trip to southern California to see these two be wed on Saturday.

The groom is the oldest nephew on my hubby's side of the family. It was a lovely ceremony, and since it was near water it was not unbearably hot. We stayed with a nephew on my side of the family, in Rancho Cucamonga. HOT! It did cool off to 80 degrees by midnight though. CRAZY!! We were back at the airport before noon on Sunday.

We're having some hot temperatures here and I'm so happy that the coolest room in the house is my sewing room. Or shall I call it a studio? Good excuse to sew right?

Praise - that all of our travels went smoothly and safely. That our time with family was peaceful and fun.

Prayers - for the newlyweds. That their honeymoon would be safe but more importantly that their marriage would be long and honoring to God.

I've been tagged!

By Kelly over at Charming Chatter. Actually anyone taking part in the;
was tagged.

5 Things

1. My Favorite Fabric is: oh man this is TOUGH! The fabric that I drool the most over right now is Patisserie by Fig & Plum for Moda. I don't even own any of it...yet.

2. The pattern I'm most looking forward to sewing is: again, tough decision the list is long but I will say this one;
I even have all the fabric! This line was first done in scrapbook papers by Cosmo Cricket.

3. The food that is my weakness: Chocolate and baked goods. No peanuts in my M&M's please. (okay, cake frosting is also a major weakness :S )

4. If I knew I couldn't fail, I'd: be a contestant on The Biggest Loser??

5. The Best "Life" Advice I know is: Serious - Romans 10:9: that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved

Lighthearted - When you are on a road trip -Use a clean bathroom every chance you get, you never know how long it will be before you see another one.

Praise - I praise God for my daughter who has had to DO HARD THINGS recently. She knew in each instance it was the right thing to do.

Prayers - Thursday we need to get packed and get some sort of sleep before we leave very early on Friday. Prayers for safe travel.