WIP Wednesday

I first blogged about this project back in May.  You can read about it HERE   I am almost finished!  Hopefully this will be done by Christmas for my oldest son.  Maybe tomorrow work will be closed due to the huge storm that is supposed to hit southwestern Wisconsin tonight and tomorrow.  There is a possibility of up to 18 inches of snow and blizzard conditions for my area.  Quilting through that sounds good to me!!!

Here is the link on youtube for directions to make this quilt and a bonus quilt too Missouri Star Quilt Company Serendipity Quilt  Two quilts from one block!!




I'm linking up with Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday

Winter in Wisconsin....

Ya gotta love winter in Wisconsin!!!  This is what the weatherman is predicting for my neck of the woods, I sure hope he is wrong like he usually is!

BLIZZARD WARNING:

Issued at: 7:34 PM CST on December 19, 2012, expires at: 12:00 AM CST on December 21, 2012

• ...Blizzard Warning remains in effect until midnight CST Thursday night...
• heavy snow will fall tonight into Thursday afternoon.
• 14 to 18 inches of snow will fall...with locally higher amounts possible.
• Winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 45 mph will accompany the heavy snowfall...particularly Thursday. Blizzard and whiteout conditions will occur with near zero visibility.
• Significant blowing and drifting snow will cause 2 to 4 foot snow drifts...especially in open areas and on ridge tops.
• Travel will become impossible and life threatening if you become stranded. Do not travel late tonight through Thursday morning.
• Emergency services and rescues are likely to be halted for a period during the height of the storm. Precautionary/preparedness actions... A Blizzard Warning means severe winter weather conditions are expected or occurring. Falling and blowing snow with strong winds and poor visibility are likely. If you get stranded...stay with your vehicle.

They closed school this afternoon already!  The kids are so happy...

A finish and a plea for help...

Here is my finish for this week... One box of 35 scarves!  My daughter helped me make these simple scarves and we will be making many more in the next few weeks.  These will be going to an Indian Reservation in Wanblee, South Dakota.

Have you ever found out something that just tears you up and you feel that God has put you on a path to make a difference in the lives of people who are in desperate need of basic everyday things that we take for granted???  Things like running water, a warm home, a bed with cozy blankets, where your next meal is coming from, how you will diaper your baby and clothe your children.  Would you believe that right here in our country there is third world poverty and starving children???  I have family that has been doing mission trips to Wanblee, SD (part of Pine Ridge Reservation) for the past five years and recently my aunt and uncle have also gone out to help.  The things they told me had me awake nights and spending my days getting donations, going through my house and sending anything I can spare to help.  The one thing that hit me the hardest was hearing about parents/grandparents having to use news paper for diapers.  One baby's Grandpa walked in the freezing cold without a coat because he had wrapped the baby in it so he could try to get a couple diapers.  Can you imagine five kids sharing one pencil to do schoolwork because there is no money to buy school supplies?  Could you imagine not having a bed or blankets to tuck your children in at bedtime?  Or not having food to feed your hungry kids?  Or having to put plywood over your windows to keep the snow and animals out of your house in the winter?  These people are in need of everything.  Mary Ann and Bob Epps (my wonderful family) are working on starting a non profit organization called Families Working Together.  They have all the necessary papers filed and are waiting on the government to finalize everything.  Mary Ann set a goal to have 400 Christmas boxes to give to each child and though generous donations they have met that and are leaving this coming week to deliver them personally to each and every child.  They have already bought lots in the town and have hopes of building a community center so people will have a place to go for help.  There is also a very high rate of diabetes among the Indians and because of the lack of health care many have failing kidneys so they are on dialysis.  They are in need of blankets and quilts to keep them warm during the many hours they have to spend hooked up to an I.V.

Is anyone willing to help?  In my travels through my quilting journey, I have found that quilters are very generous and I'm hoping that some of you will find it in your heart to help in some way.  Here is a list of some of the things have been given...

Quilts (and I bought a whole bunch more fabric to make quilts for kids!)

Clothing-baby, kids, adult

Mittens

Hats

Scarves

Coats

Socks 

Undies

Blankets

Shoes/Boots

Feminine Care items

shampoo

bar soap

laundry soap

dishes

diapers (I'm now going to buy a pack every shopping trip)

non perishable food items

toothpaste/brushes

and anything and everything else!

Here is Mary Ann's address if you would like send quilts or other items to help 

Mary Ann Epps

409 Yahara Ave.

Deforest, WI.  53532

or you can email her... mgrimmeepps@yahoo.com

To get the word out could any of you make a mention of the needs in Wanblee in your blogs?  I am praying every day that God will bless this and bring in the help that is so greatly needed.  I will also be posting updates periodically to show the progress.

Merry Christmas and God bless!!

 

My awesome find!!!!

Last Thursday I went to Goodwill with family and found something I have been wanting for years!  On the way out the door I saw out of the corner of my eye "sewing table $9.99".  I walked out and then stopped and went back in.  The table was ugly and from the 60's or 70's but I thought "that might fit my old sewing machine so my daughter could use it"... I flipped the top and guess what I found!!!!!!!

My mom in law asked if I wanted it for Christmas and I said heck yeah!!!!  It's a 1902 Singer hand crank!!! For only $9.99!!!!  It's dirty but all parts move free and smooth... Now I have to figure out how to clean it and what to clean it with.

Here's the serial number....
Any advice would be appreciated on cleaning!!

Confessions of the Pickle Quilt

I must confess!!  I love this quilt...BUT...I also hate it!  I will explain.  In our family at Christmas, we have a pickle that gets passed around each year.  The only catch is if you get the pickle you have to bring a gift the next year for the next person that gets the pickle and it has to be a handmade gift.  The last two years I have made a quilt for the pickle gift.  Last year (2011) was this quilt.  I had the top all done and I started the quilting and halfway through I realized there was trouble, so I tore out ALL the quilting, redid the pin basting and set to quilting again...More trouble!!  I had to rip out the quilting again!  So I redid all the basting again and quilted only to realize I had the same problem!!  The backing as supposed to be a soft almost like minky fabric but I bought the end of the bolt and it was woven wrong.  One half of the quilt quilted beautifully and the other half was horrible.  I had to take just the quilt top to show whoever got the pickle.  My cousins boyfriend got the pickle and asked for the quilt to be longer. Our family is on the short side so I had only enough fabric to make a quilt for a short person!  And to make matters worse I would not have enough binding fabric either!  Off to Joann's to find more fabric.  When I got there it was all gone, so I tried to order it.  No luck, they told me it was not longer being made!  The top stared at me and taunted me every time I went into my sewing room.  I spent the last 10 months trying to find more fabric to match something in this quilt and in October, finally,  I found it in the red tag bin!!!  And the best news of all is the boyfriend is now my cousin's husband and their wedding colors match the quilt.  The pickle quilt is now also a wedding quilt for them.  Congratulations Tina and Lenin!!!!

Thank God no one was home when I finished this quilt cuz there was some crazy dancin' going on to this awesome song and now all the blood, sweat and tears and a few choice words seems worth it!

This is the feature fabric my mom in law chose and it is sooo true!!!

Other quilting confessions...

I almost never use pins

If it doesn't match up, I fudge it till it does

I am afraid to try free motion quilting even though I have had all  the tools for the last year

I love my Accuquilt Go cutter!

I always put my binding on by machine

My sewing room is always a mess

My Ipod is my favorite quilting tool

I am a self taught quilter and I do things wrong but in the end the quilt looks good so it doesn't matter, RIGHT!  Sure,as long as a pro isn't looking at your quilt

The best advice I was given when I started my first real quilt:

"Remember Only God Is Perfect

Our Quilts Don't Need To Be"

This is on my wall and has kept me sane for the last year

Linking up to finish it up Friday with crazymomquilts

and

Can I get a whoop whoop! at confessions of a fabric addict

Four things that made me smile today.........

These kids of mine...

This song- Colors by April Smith  If you have a TV then you've probably heard parts of this awesome song!!

These dogs of mine...They love to chew on golf balls and my Boston Terrier is afraid of the vacuum!

And the one that made me smile the most...Women in their 70's talking about learning the dance to this SONG  This one takes the cake!!!!

What made you smile today?

Releasing the BEAST!!!!

This little beast is finally getting released from all restrictions from his surgery today!!!  On September 20th he had a bone tumor removed from his fibula (the bone that make the "bump" on the outside of your ankle- you can see his surgery quilts here) and has been restricted to walking only for the last 6 weeks.  He told me he "just wants to run!!!" so that is what we did in the doctors parking lot when we were done with his appointment.....

Then he had to race his little sister!!

He won...now we can all work off all the Halloween candy we've been pigging out on!!

I'm linking up with Live a Colorful Life for Really Random Thursday!