Goals for 2010

I had 3 goals for 2010, (1) I would cut my long hair, (2) I would complete one UFO per month, and (3) I would lose 10 pounds every month.

The hair never made it to 2010, it was cut in the latter part of November and 15 inches was donated to the Locks Of Love program. Our daughter, donated 14 inches in January. As a twice survivor of cancer, I wanted to give something back for my blessings. My husband recently had cancer surgery and will begin radiation treatments in January 2010. It takes, 10-12 heads of hair, measuring 10 inches or more for one wig. These wigs are made for our cancer children survivors.

When my husband was diagnosed with cancer, I begin hand stitching a printed fusible web flower design during hospital and doctor visits, which brought people from everywhere to see what I was doing. During my "show and tell," I taught many how to make a quilters knot, how to piece, and how to "create the magic of quilting." I do, love to create, and as my husband and friends will tell you, I change a pattern so often one never knows what it looked like originally.
****Lynnita S. in Lutz, Florida



UFO's

In 2009, I completed 7 UFO's, and as my daughter and grandsons will tell you, if I quit starting new projects, I wouldn't have so many UFO's. Doesn't it tell us, in the Bible, to go forth and multiply? Well, that's what I'm doing; I'm multiplying my UFO's!|
****Lynnita S. in Lutz, Florida



For the Love of Hand Piecing

I’ve rediscovered a love of hand piecing too! I have a Dear Jane, a Quilted Diamonds and several appliqué projects in the works. I do know that some don’t need to ever be finished so I’m not worried.

I got an Intelliquilter this year so keeping up with customer quilts won’t be so painful anymore. One of my goals for 2010 is to get more and more proficient so the quilts look fantastic.

I’ll also be busy with an I Spy quilt for my little grandson who will be 1 on April 18th.

****Eileen Keane
Maybrook, NY

2 Peas in a Pod?

Love your newsletter.

Totally agree with you and am similar to you in that:

• Believe in God Trinity
• easily amused
• contented
• love scrappy patchwork (definitely going to try that bricks-quilt)
• re-discovered love for hand stitching

Rather ‘weird’ isn’t it!

****Dorothy



No Medication Required!!

What I learned about myself in regards to quilting, is that I /_can_/ make a scrap quilt.  I even enjoy making scrap quilts! 

Before this year, I almost had to take medication before trying to make anything that wasn't matchy-matchy  - and now I've made 3 or 4 scrap quilts, and I can't fugure out why I had such a problem!

****Jannette

Guilt Free!

Don't let anyone give you the guilts about having unfinished projects.  I love the process, too.  And that includes the excitement of starting something new.

Happy New year and enjoy all that you do!

****Anon




Peace-Filled Quilts

I was working frantically doing bindings Christmas Eve for quilts for my three grandchildren. I stopped and thought why am I so stressed, come on girl, enjoy this! So with each stitch I prayed for the grandchild, and remembered the day they were born and how may blessings they have brought me. Oh how much I enjoyed those sewing those bindings.  :)  

Some Thoughts on Quilting

Hi!  I don't remember who told me about Ami Simms, but I do remember the book that my husband was reading to me as I drove him to his college classes in 1984.  Ami wrote in that book, "once your family gives you space for your quilting, NEVER, NEVER give it back" - - - -this one worried my husband for a moment, then he asked if that meant that the ironing board was a permanent fixture.  My son answered "you mean someone lives in a house without one?" 
 
Along the way, I have learned to have a sense of humor when quilting and in teaching others to quilt.  At times I teach in some unusual places - - -like a center for visually impaired, group home for troubled teens, and the local nutritional center. (The nutritional center feeds anyone from several sheltered group home, seniors and does the meals-on-wheels program so when teaching here I get a real mixed group of folks) 

There are days when I wish I had a recorder to repeat over and over the same instructions - - -even if I just repeated it a few minutes before!  Not long ago we basted a group quilt, and I had to literally assign corners of the quilt to baste because there were a couple of ladies taking out basting stitches because they were too big!  (Not done how they wanted them done.  It also took 2 days to get the quilt basted).  Some of the nutritional staff has told me they would be inclined to not work with this group!  I just chuckle and take the next step - - -putting the quilt in the frame to quilt.  Any ideas how to get the quilt stitch across?  I know it is going to be a fun trip quilting with the group.  And, NO, I do not remove stitches as that is counter productive!

****Marilyn

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