I heart the mail man [sic].

It was definitely a good mail day!  First up, a Kona color card I won over at The Purl Bee.  Just think, they were busy moving into their new space, and they still found time to stick my prize in the mail.  Thanks, guys!  BTW, have you seen the pics of their new shop?  I'm dying to visit.  Makes me want to do some handwork....as if I don't have a bajillion bindings to do.

Also, remember how I said I needed to find a way for my quilting addiction to pay for itself?  Well, I ordered mini moo cards after I saw how cute Carla Barrett's were.  All business people have cards, right?  Yes, I needed some. First I saw the cute box which whispered, "Open them. Quick!"

And I did.  I love that they put a little divider for "mine" and "theirs."  That's so optimistic!  They think I'm going to have friends who have  mini moo cards:-)  If you have one, will you send it to me?  That way I can have at least one behind the tab!

But then I pulled out the little cards (they are only 3x1 inches!!).

Yes, those are pictures of my quilts on the back, with my detail information on the front.  Aren't those moo people clever?!  They are also very affordable.  (No, they aren't my sponsors.)  They also estimated that it would take almost two weeks.  Nope.  They arrived in one.  I went to the mailbox thinking I'd get grocery ads, but no, I got moo cards.  Yea, me!

I think the cards are working, too, despite the fact that I haven't passed out a single one.  Yes, people have been paying me to quilt lately.  Heck, I just thought if I put "professional" that people would assume it was true since "rookie" longarm quilter seems less enticing.  Oh, well!  Anyway, I just feel like such a big girl!

Wordless WIP Wednesday- such a thing?

Lila Tueller

I've been carrying this Lila Tueller jellyroll for a while, and I finally found something to do with it!  yea!  I'm going to use it in my next mystery class.  No, the other two fabrics aren't from the same line; however, the green fabric is another Lila Tueller-- just another line.

Don't forget about the giveaway.  It ends May 4 at 8pm CST.

Giveaway- 50th Post!

50 posts already?  This is my first giveaway, and I had the hardest time trying to come up with something.  I ended up gathering some things that were special to Texas/San Antonio/me.  If you haven't been here, please come visit.  I'll go ahead and send your souvenirs now.  All you have to do is leave a comment.  I'll (try to) use a random generator to pick a winner on Tuesday, May 4 at 8pm-ish (CST).  

Here's what's in the giveaway:

1.  Your very own San Antonio Riverwalk reusable grocery bag (never been used!)
2.  Julio's tortilla chips (let me know if you need a good salsa or chile con queso recipe to go with them.)
3.  Mexican vanilla (use this in place of vanilla extract).  It. will. change. your. life.  No kidding.
4.  Two Texas fat quarters (Moda)
5.  Two Dia De Los Muertos fat quarters (Alexander Henry)
6.  A bluebonnet fat quarter-- our state flower! (Moda)
7.  One of my coveted Virgin Mary (Love her!) panels (Robert Kaufman)

Good Luck!

Giveaway FAQ's
Q:  If we're related, can I still win?
A:  Yes, Mom.

Q:  If I don't like Texas, can I have something else?
A:  What did you have in mind?

Q:  Why didn't you put any Texas A&M things in here?
A:  Accident.

Q:  When I come to San Antonio, may I take you to lunch?
A:  Yes, please!

Any other questions?  Just e-mail me or leave them in the comments. 

Fiesta & Fruit

This is my favorite time of year.  For the next several months, it's all about fresh fruit, veggies, and farmer's markets.

It's also time for Fiesta in San Antonio! Everyone was out of school Friday for Battle of the Flowers parade.  The city is vibrant-- parties everywhere, girls with flowers in their hair, embroidered Mexican cotton dresses and skirts, and floral wreaths adorn the doors on our homes.  Have you been to San Antonio before?  This is indeed the best time of year to visit-- during Fiesta.

Three Guesses

Three guesses what I've been doing this week...

... yep.  More feathering.  I quilted 4 quilts this week.  Anyway, three quilts were for one of my gal pals, and this one will hopefully be done tomorrow.  I loaded this big sucker last night, and I worked on it for about 8-9 hours today.  Really.  So, when I have something big to show you, I'll be back!

Other excitement?  Well, this is my 50th post, so there will be a giveaway.  I have part of the prize, so let me gather the rest, and I'll meet you back here:-)

I'm a feathering fool, and I'm not talking hair!

 I was determined to figure out how to feather quilt, so I used the Sally Terry Hooked on Feathers method, and after the test panel, I jumped right in and feathered one of Kim's quilts (Fabric is Astor Manor).

I do have a lot of practice and learning ahead of me.  For instance, I don't know how to bury my knots. Yeah, need to figure that out.  And I need to work on my points.  Oh, and my hand-eye coordination still isn't where it needs to be.  But I do like the overall effect.

Oh, and Mom, you can click on the pics to enlarge them.

This is a throw-sized quilt with about seven hours of labor involved on the long arm.  That includes loading it and winding bobbins, too.  I had to load it twice in order to get the side borders as a continuous layout.

How are you spending your Sunday afternoon?  I heard golf is going to be on my tv from 1pm until forever.  I guess that means I'm sewing.

The "Before" Shot- feather quilting

It's always important to take photos before and after your diet, right?  Well, you sure aren't getting a photo of me in spandex biker shorts and a sports bra, but I will give you my "before" pic of my feather quilting. 

One of the thing I love about long arm quilting is that your improvement rate is exponential. In fact, I can tell which end of practically any quilt I started quilting because the other end looks so much better.  Anyway, this was my first try quilting feathers, and I wanted to document the occasion.  They look way better than I had anticipated.  By the time I finish this 4 yard piece of practice fabric, I'm thinking I'll be ready to use real fabric.

Oh, and regarding the photo-- please ignore the gimp feather on the right.  You know the one.  I ran out of thread there and apparently I messed up my mojo.  Oh, and ignore my chalk lines.  But hey, pretend this was on a busy piece of fabric.  It would look 1000 times better, I'm sure!

Diets:-(

Did I mention my husband and I started a diet a month ago?  He lost 11 pounds the first two weeks, and I lost 1 1/2.    I think I've since found the lost pound.  Anyway, aside from us dieting, we have a new diet in mind.  A fabric diet.  Yes, you heard me. 

Here's the issue.  We want a farm.  Well, not 40 acres, but maybe 10.  I want to be able to have some chickens so I can have fresh eggs.  Yes, I've heard chickens are disgusting, but please, let me hang on to this dream.  If they're too disgusting, I'll eat them.  and the rooster, too.  Besides chickens, I want to garden and of course, compost.  But I want enough room to not have to smell the compost.  Anyway, if we are going to have our own little farm, we need the money to buy it.

I looked at our budget trying to figure out where I can make some changes.  You don't even want to know what my tab is for my quilting lifestyle.  It's a lot.  So I need to find a way for my hobby to pay for itself.  I think it's time I take on long arming some quilts to support my addiction.  Unless you have a better idea.