Tagged, I'm IT!

Joan over at My Quilt Life has tagged me to list seven random or weird facts about myself. Its taken me five days to compose this post, I've had a hard time coming up with 7 things about myself, perhaps I'm just not all that interesting?

Here are THE RULES:

Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
Post THE RULES on your blog.
Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
Tag 7 people and link to them.
Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

Ok, here goes:


1. I will never hand out love advice. DH and I started dating, moved in together and found out we were pregnant with twins within three months and are still together 18 years later. So who ever really knows?

2.One of the great injustices in my life was when I was in 3rd grade. In 2nd, we were taught a few of our multiplication tables, like ones, twos and threes and were told that we would learn the rest in 3rd grade. When we showed up for 3rd grade they expected us to already know all of them. So I revolted, deciding that I would never learn them. I received my one and only "paddling" and a call to my parents. My mother quizzed me on my times tables non-stop for 3 weeks until I knew them backwards and forwards. I dreaded the weekends because I knew they would be filled with nothing but multiplication tables. If I got the wrong answer I had to go to my bedroom and write it out 30 times while saying it aloud. By the time I finally knew them, my little sister was the only child in kindergarten who knew all of them.

3. I have a tattoo of a rhino on my left hip/butt. DH told me I was hard to buy presents for at holidays and that I should start to "collect" something to make it easier. My collection started with a tattoo. Now I have lots of rhinos hanging around.


4. I hate to talk on the phone. DH has been asked by our provider several times if my phone has been lost because it rarely shows activity on it. If you actually have a conversation with me on the phone consider yourself lucky, its doesn't happen often. This is probably why I dint stay in touch with family and friends like I should.

5. I am planning on a trip to Wales and England in (hopefully)2010. I am an avid reader of medieval novels and spend tons of time online researching various regions and castles I want to visit.

6. I cannot parallel park to save my life. It was never a requirement when I got my license I rarely go anywhere where its necessary and I will park blocks out of my way or illegally to avoid parallel parking.

7. I love tomatoes. I eat them in some form or another just about everyday. When DH and I first started living together he actually pulled my mom aside and asked if I knew how to cook anything that didn't have tomatoes in it! I have since shown him I am able to cook just about anything, but because I am the cook, I choose to cook what I like which just happens to be tomatoes. The poor gravy/Shake and Bake loving guy still hasn't wasted away to nothing!

So now the TagEES!

Rhonda

Becky

Sara

Wendy

SuBee

Annie

Suze

You Make My day Award

I have been awarded the You Make My Day Award by Rhonda over at Patches and Pieces

Thank you Rhonda! You Make My Day Also!

The rules for the "You Make My Day" award, are to re-present it to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know through an email or posting to their blog so they can pass it on.

So I would like to award the following people:

Laurie from Laurie's Blog

Sandy at Thyme for Sewing

Ellen at Cats and Quilts

Judy at Irishlakequilter

Valerie at Quilt Mommy Quilts

Debi at Quilting with Debi

Lisa From the Quiltery

Marlene at Madame Quilter

Nancy at Blogging Near Philadelphia

LuckyBear at The Lucky Lady Quilter

Diane at Big Iron

Thank you guys for making my day with your great blogs!

Bamboo batting

I'm in the process of quilting the secretive Retreat challenge and I found some bamboo batting called Nature-Fil by Fairfield at Joanns that I thought I'd give a try. Perhaps its because I am trying to talk DH on to the bamboo bandwagon here at the house. I want bamboo floors. He wants carpeting but will concede to hardwood floors. I am not waffling, I want bamboo.

Normally I would hate to say that I was enticed to buy based on packaging, but in this case, I definitely was.

From the package:
"Unique and renewable, bamboo is one of a few fibers that are naturally antibacterial.... Often, sprays and chemicals manufacturers add to kill bacteria may cause allergies and skin conditions. Bamboo eliminates the need for these chemicals entirely....
Bamboo plants absorbs 2/3 more carbon dioxide and release 2/3 more oxygen than any other plant on earth."

Thus far, I am loving the way it quilts. I did see a downside in the method required to pre-shrink it, no quick spin in the washer and dryer for this batting. But since I normally like the antique look there will not be a huge problem with the 2 to 3% shrinkage. And although the quilting is fairly close on this particular quilt, bamboo batting can apparently be quilted up to 8" apart.

So, tell me Quilty bloggers, have you tried bamboo batting? How does it wash? What are your opinions?

Recent stuff

What's been happening around here? Well I have been getting some stuff done which is a nice change from my normal moaning that I haven't enough time to do what I want. Of course there isn't enough time in the week to do everything I'd like to, but its nice to see progress.

First thing I'd like to tell you about is that I'm almost done with my challenge project for the May retreat. Whew! All it needs now is a little quilting and a little binding and poof! Done! I'd love to show you what I've done, but it will remain a secret until I return in May.

I have my starter rows for another Row Robin, the only one I plan on participating in this year. A very simple pattern based entirely on the colors of my focus fabric. (hung along the top)

Happy blocks bright and wild. I cant wait to see what I get back once these are all swapped out.
And my entries for this month's lottery at Mailblocks. Pattern is Patience Corners from Quilterscache.

We have a winner!

We have a winner in the One World One Heart Event! I drew a name and the winner is Val from Quilt Mommy Quilts. Congratulations Val! And thank you to everyone who stopped by and said hello!

Help me I'm spinning.....

and spinning, and spinning and I cant get these confounded blocks to go uphill! Oh there we are, I didnt read all the instructions on Quiltville during Bonnie's Bargellobowl and now I just have the makings of a downer of a top. So now I have a decison to make, shall I make pairs of uphills to match? Or just border it and be done?

One world One Heart

Inspired first by an invite by Debi at Quilting with Debi

I have decided to join in on the fun and make my own contribution to One World One Heart.

According to Debi,



"....It is a blog-wide giveaway event. The original idea behind this was to bring bloggers together from around the world who may never ordinarily meet. It closes the gap of the blog community and enables us to interact, discover new and wonderful people, and in the process possibly win a prize or many prizes along the way. Last years event had nearly 100 participants and many connections were made because of it......friendships that are still going strong...."



Which I just thought was a wicked cool idea, so with that, I have decided to offer this package of hand dyed 5" charm squares. I believe there are around 120, but I cannot honestly say for sure, I was counting as I was arranging, and you know how quilters are so easily distracted by the next piece of fabric they see :-)

So here's how it goes, leave a comment on this post by Feb 14, 2008 and you will be entered to win this charm pack. I'll draw a name the morning of Feb 15 and contact that person for their address.

Good Luck!

Getting ready to play with Bonnie

I have started to sort out my 2½" strips for Bonnie at Quiltville's Bargellobowl on Sunday. Her instructions only call for 128 strips, but I think I have at least twice that dug out and pressed, so maybe it will become a full or queen sized top by the time its done.

Just this one new starter project and then back to the UFOs!