Not sure what the problem is...I am trying to post, and am having trouble!! This is a test...

 These are the quilts I made yesterday to send to Newtown, CT for the families affected by the shootings at Sandy Hook School. I have finished two, and plan to make 18 more. I have the tops of two more quilts put together, and the squares for 12 more cut out. I wish the batting wasn't so expensive.

 

The pictures don't do the quilts justice. There is a halo that is 3 - dimentional. One of the quilts has praying hands.

 

Rest in Peace little ones...

I just posted pictures on the Apron swap site that I swap on regularly!!

I got gifts for the word SANTA!! My Secret Santa was Cynthia Matzat!!

S: socks to keep my feet warm!!
A: Assortment of Coffees!! Everyone knows I love coffe!!
N: Novel to get me in the X-mas Spirit!! "1225 Christmas Tree Lane" by, Debbie Macomber
T: Terrific Homemade tote that I will cherish forever!!
A: a BERRY x-mas tree ornament

Cynthia made this beautiful tote that I will use everyday!!

Rocco walked right in front of me while I was taking pictures!! He is very needy!! Only a mom could love this face!!

My so cute Hoot Hoot Hot Pad!!

My Flirty not Naughty  Apron!!

I am so finished with this Secret Santa Swap!! Just look at my pictures!!

I am off to the Post Office this morning, then off to the Historicak Museum to help with the Christmas Tree Display!!

Shawnee, you host  very special swaps!! Just wanted you to know!!

Shawnee sent off our Secret Santa Swap Partners, and today I am going to be a sewing Busy Bee!!

Last night my grandson Tony came over for a sleep-over...we had a great time!! He will be heading home soon, so I can get started on my Package for...!~:;"%#@*... Sorry, you have to be surprised!!!

Friday night Joe and I attended the LARC Dinner Fish Fry! We invited past neighbors, Bob and Linda, over for homemade Cherry Pie and ice cream. We should get together more often. When they left, I stayed up and made a dress.

The Dress...let me explain. This very nice young girl called and asked me if I would make her bridesmaid dresses, 5 in all, the wedding is next July. I said sure!! I told her I would want a separate pattern for each girl, stricktly for alteration ease. Not a problem. She asked if she could come over with her mother to discuss all the details. They came over on Monday late afternoon. We talked for awhile, and it was decided that they would go to a fabric store in Chicago and pick out the fabric they wanted and bring it back to me. The next day they came back with fabric. Also they asked if I would just make one dress so they could see if I new wht I was doing!! Can you believe this?  I can't believe I agreed!! I am nuts!! Certifiable!! Anyway, they then told me they wanted me to copy a dress they had without a pattern!! Be sure not to take apart this dress, because this little girl may still want to wear it!! This is all what this MOM was saying to me.

Okay, I have cooled down...

Friday afternoon while I was getting ready to go to the LARC Fish Fry, this little girl called, and asked if her sample dress was completed. Her bridesmaids were coming in for the weekend, and she needed the dress to show to them. Can you believe this...I'm still amazed that I haven't hung up the phone...I politely say to her...give me a call tomorrow afternoon, and we will work something out .

I haven't even thought about how I was going to make this dress...So now it is Friday night at 9:00pm.

I lay out the fabric, lay the back side of the dress down, and trace the outline of the dress with tailor chalk. Do the same with the front side, estimating the wideth of the neck line, because it is gathered into the collar. I cut the pieces  out, and then use those pieces to cut out the lining. Really a simple process, Cut out a collar, and start sewing.

The Process...I sewed the side seams of both the dress and lining separately, Put the lining inside the dress, lining up the side seams. Gathered the neckline to fit the collar and stitched them together. I hemmed both the lining and dress, and now I am finished...it is now 12:00am.  I waited until 2:00pm to call her. She loved the dress.

I have three pictures that I took of the Friendship Quilt that I put together and hand-quilted!!

This is one of eight counted cross-stitched squares that were provided to me to be included in the quilt!! Sew pretty, don't you think?

It took me 13 days from start to finish!!

Fits beautifully on a King Size Bed!!

 

After I finished this quilt, I started the Memory Quilt that I am making for my brother's second child, Valerie!! She graduates from High School this next June!!

 

 

Valerie is going to love her quilt, and I am very happy to be so far ahead of my schedule!!

 

This is what happens when I am waiting for my swap partner info!!!

 

Decided to post this on my blog too!! Christmas is just around the corner, so be nice and not naughty!! You never know who is watching!! HO!HO!HO!