Premier of the GO Cutter

Happy Birthday to me!  I can today officially write about my birthday gift from my family....my new Accuquilt GO Cutter!  It's really cool - have completed my first scrappy quilt made from 2 1/2" squares cut with the cutter - much faster and more accurate than using my rotary cutter!  I posted photos of it yesterday.  Today, I'm making pinwheel squares with half-square triangles made with the cutter!  Here's my cutter, me winding the die through the cutter, and the end result!

I'll reveal the pinwheel quilt soon!

Thank you dear family for thinking of me!!!!

Beautiful mountain morning...

There are benefits to living most places in this world probably, but here are a couple of photos taken from our gate and from my living room that surely share just why I love it here in Nevada.  If you get the entire photos, you'll see across the field the Starbuck's roasting plant - not allowed to put any smells into the air :(  I thought it would be a GREAT idea when they built it to have a kiosk out in their front drive selling coffees or or even a syringe hookup to save time!!

 We actually had RAIN yesterday - everyone was so excited!  It didn't last very long but we did get wet!!  Much needed!

Here are a few photos of the newest Jacob's Ladder quilt since it's now completed.  I really like it!  The last one has a back side view of Beau (he wouldn't cooperate with me) but you can see his new haircut!  SO cute!!

I've been working the last few days on some excel work for Mindy.  I've enjoyed it as a change of pace, but my quilting has taken back-seat for a few days.  I have another quilt I'm quilting now.  Looking forward to sharing photos once it's complete.

I'm planning to have a Mother's Day craft sale in our yard this weekend (but Saturday looks iffy).  I'm making signs and organizing all the finished stuff I have - in case we can do it on Saturday.  If not, I suppose we can do it on Friday/Saturday next week, still in time for Mother's Day.

I really need to "share" some of my finished projects with others and I'm hoping this will be the way!  More later....

I'm such a LUCKY girl!!!!

It's almost another birthday for me....I'm not so sure I LIKE that bigger number but then, not much I can do about it either!  My family surprised me with a WONDERFUL early birthday gift!  Here's the firsts result

See all of the small squares?  They are actually 2 1/2" squares and I cut them with my NEW Accuquilt Go Cutter!  SO much fun and much quicker and easier on my hands than the old way.  It's really FUN to cut with the cutter (more photos of the actual cutter in action I'm hoping for tomorrow) and it's surely something I wouldn't have purchased for myself! 

Big THANK YOU's and loving hugs to my family for the wonderful gift!  Jamie and Ernie, Mike and Peggy, Mom, Cathy and Gary, Carin, and Mindy and Kyle!  I love you all!!!  I'm now pulling out LOTS of fabrics to cut more squares and half-triangles.  No telling just how much trouble I might be able to get into!!

This pattern is called Jacob's Ladder - I'm loving it!  The black with pink dots is the left-overs from a quilt I made for Marianne's 60th birthday - we're not saying how old she is today!!!  Anyway, it's really girly and I love it!

And, of course, Beau had to be in the center of the quilt!  He loves all of my tops as they are finished!  Time for a haircut Beau!!!

New quilts to share

Okay, I almost completed this post and then deleted the entire thing!!  Maybe someday I'll be an expert at NOT deleting??

Anyway, I think I forgot to post final photos of my "Palindromes" quilt, made from a "jelly roll" of that name- fabric by Paula Nadelstern for Benartex.  I've had the jelly roll in my stash for awhile and decided I needed to do a half-square triangle quilt so I paired the jelly roll with another "white" one and voila....

I love the deep, righ colors in this one.  It's hanging in the family room at the moment so I can enjoy it!!  Notice the loom standing next to the first photo?  Perhaps this spring I should get that out and finish up the warp on it!  How many years ago now did I do all of those "looper" rugs?  I think I have enough loopers for another couple rugs and I'm SURE there's enough warp for at least another couple!  We'll see...

And now for the latest.  This is one of the string quilts I just love!!  This one in medium gray to white for Cheryl and Larry.  I've been planning it since I returned from Montana.  Their new home is contemporary - lots of white and crystal - I did get the info from Cheryl that she was going to accent one wall of the entry with a light gray - so here we are!  I'm hoping they will like this quilt and enjoy it for years to come in their new home.  AND, remember just how much I enjoyed my recent visit and our getting to know each other while I was there.

Pattern testing

So, about 2 weeks ago I had the opportunity to test a new pattern by Connie at Freemotion by the River.  I have followed her blog for quite some time now and I enjoy seeing all of her projects.  This new pattern is called Aruba Sunset.  She did her samples in pink/orange,cream and a pink/orange print.

I needed a table topper in my kitchen that might use some of my blue/white In The Beginning fabric I love.  SOOO, here it is:

My first chance to test a new pattern and I loved it.  Although, with Mom's hip "issues" the last week or so, I almost missed the deadline. 

My trip to Montana....

So, My trip to Montana was wonderful!  My first gig working in a restaurant and although I was tired a couple of the days, I enjoyed all of it!  I welcomed customers, brought them chips and salsa, took their drink orders, delivered the drinks, checked on them during their meals, and then bussed the tables.  I even did some dish washing (and pots), cut veggies, measured out the beans....well,  you probably get the idea by now.  I really enjoyed it.

I got the tour of Cheryl and Larry's new home under the last bit of construction (it's going to be absolutely beautiful) and they took me for a cruise to view wild sheep (mostly rams) and deer.  They were all well within the city limits casually walking through residents yards!

Cheryl and Larry are Kyle's parents and it's unbelievable that although the kids have been married almost 11 years, this was the first real chance I had to get to know them.  I'm looking forward to more visits to Montana and spending more time with all of them.

Carlos (our nickname for the chef, Kyle) cooks up some delicious Mexican food and Mindy is terrific with customers - AND she's unbelievably ORGANIZED and CLEAN!  She says it's OCD but whatever it is, I'm very proud of both of them and their hard work.  If you're ever in Libby, MT, be sure to stop by Rosita's for lunch or dinner and tell them I said hello!!!

Here's a photo of the birdhouse quilt on the new bed Kyle and Mindy purchased - it's a pole bed made from wood from the Yak in Northern most Montana.  Looks pretty perfect don't you think???

Birdhouse quilt is finished!!

AMAZING!  I finally finished the birdhouse quilt!!!!

I was given the squares as a housewarming gift from my friends Teri Chandler and Connie Spurlock back in 2000!!!  They also gave me the white on white fabric and brown post fabrics - all I had to do was finish up the blocks, add some sashing and quilt it!  Oh, and I also made all of the yo-yo's and sewed them onto the birdhouses.  And to think it only took me 15 YEARS!!

I guess there must have been a plan in effect though as I plan to take this quilt with me to Mindy's when I go next week.  They just bought a new bed (for me, of course) - It's a log bed made from wood from the Yak!  I think these birdhouses will look great on that bed and it will be waiting for me to visit the next time, too!

Speaking of my trip, I'm really excited about it!  Mike and Peggy will arrive sometime this week, in time to be trained to help Don with Mom and Stefani will be here most of the week, too.  Anyway, I'm flying off to Kalispell, MT, and then on to Libby for a week playing at Mindy and Kyle's restaurant!  I'm so looking forward to it.  It will be the first time I've been away from Mom for even an overnight, so I'm a little anxious, but still looking forward to it!

THANK YOU Teri and Connie for the quilt squares!  I really love this quilt!!