celebrate handmade

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Another favorite

Have I mentioned TipNut? This is such fun thing: each day, I get an email with one or two handy tips or ideas for all sorts of things. Today's was a list of (& links for) 26 needle cases! Sometimes it's a household tip, sometimes it's sewing or knitting or crocheting. Whatever the day's tip, it's always fun to see. Click on the post title to go to TipNut.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Creative Challenge

After following a link on Abi's blog http://moxyideas.com(which I love, btw -- so much content!!), I found this great challenge: to be creative every day, in some way. Silly that I feel the need to be challenged to do this thing that makes me so happy in the doing, but there it is. So! I'm taking up the challenge & I invite you to do the same. I also liked the references to Simple Abundance & The Artist's Way, both of which I heartily endorse. So, whether I sew, paint, knit or write, I will try to do something each day that involves creativity. It really shouldn't be all that hard, now, should it? Click on the title of this post to go to the Creative Challenge site.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

I know: twice in one day!

Well, sometimes there's more to tell. For instance, by clicking on this link http://www.truelemon.com/sample.html you can get free samples of some yummy new stuff: True Lemon, True Lime & True Orange. This is good stuff, people. It's all the great citrus flavor, but no sugar or other sweeteners, & no disgusting chemical taste, either. Just good. Give it a try. We've used it in water, but also in hot tea. When Alan was home sick, I put it in hot water with honey to soothe his sore throat. There are recipes for all 3 flavors on the website, too. Go ahead! Give it a shot. What've you got to lose, hmmm? These people also send their product to our troops in Iraq & Afganistan, reason enough to visit their site & see what they're about, eh?

It's time. . . .

I've been away too long, it seems. I'm getting complaints (OK; Pauline complained) that I don't post often enough. Well! There doesn't seem much to tell at the moment. I haven't been all that productive in the past month or so, although I am nearly finished quilting that Cabin in the Woods, & I did actually MITER the corners of a quick 'n easy top that's now ready to be quilted. Guess those do count, huh?



The 2nd applique block has been completed, just in time for tomorrow's 3rd class. That's big: I'm still interested!



Still loving the Jo's Little Women group that meets at Temecula Quilt Co. monthly, & I'm devoted to Stashbusters at Calico monthly, as well.



The big news is that I've started teaching a beginning quilting class at TQC! Starting with 2 students this week, I'm on the road to a new "career" in teaching. So far, so good -- I loved the first class & look forward to round 2 on Monday. There's not much $$ involved -- probably enough to pay for the gas to get there & back -- but it is fun & rewarding, & of course, teaching is a learning experience for all concerned.



After getting blown around in the godawful weather 2 weekends ago at the Bluegrass Festival in Old Town Temecula, a bunch of us are embarking on an exciting & slightly scary new venture: we've been invited to vend at the Huck Finn Jubilee (http://www.huckfinn.com/) in Victorville, CA, over Father's Day weekend this year. As we'll be the only quilty-type vendor, we couldn't pass this up as a way to earn some income for the guild. Time is short, though, so I'm hoping we can get our acts together & produce some great stuff for the booth. If nothing else, we'll have a good time, I think. This is another bluegrass event, apparently very well known, as 15-20K folks are expected to attend. WOW! We'll spend the next couple of months making & soliciting quilts & quilty things to sell. If you're interested in contributing, please contact me here.

It's also time to think about the next Girlfriends Retreat at Patty's in May. I've figured out when to travel, so now I need to decide what I'll work on. Maybe one of the BOMs that are lurking on the shelf? Wouldn't take up much space, & the row-by-row one would certainly occupy me fully. Yikes! I'd forgotten about the group project we decided to do at the last retreat: It's another MH Designs, if I remember correctly -- pp women that we will personalize to resemble ourselves. And we have to make 4 of "ourselves" so that we can swap. Guess I'd better find that & get it done, huh?