Happy New Year!

I am back from my uncles funeral. It was very nice, but I think I may have already said that. My mother, Aunt, older sister and I spent new Year's Eve together and it was lovely too. My dad was there technically, but he went to bed about 2030 (8:30 PM for you non military type) with the kitten I gave them and their chijuajua. My mom, Dad and I drove from Kansas to North Carolina and I flew back to my husband and children on the 2nd of January. I have never been away from my children before and it was very odd. I kept looking around for someone getting into trouble or for a child that needed to be scooped up and hugged. I am making up for lost time now. My mom and I stopped the first night in Paducah, Kentucky. For those of you who like to shop online for fabric you may recognize the town.....Hancock's of Paducah!!!!!!!! Holy Cow. It was amazing. I spent the first hour wondering down the many many isles touching the fabric. It was like meeting old friends! I spent the next 30 minutes selecting the prints the spoke to me the loudest. Some were shouting, so they got put back, but the friendly ones I bought a yard of. The most fun spot was the bolt end tables. We went to my favorite shoe store in the world (discount shoes in Asheville/Hendersonville, NC) and got an awesome deal on some tall green boots. They had a bad seam down near the zipper. I presented them to the store manager and asked what sort of deal he had in mind. 80% off is a good deal if I do say so myself. It sure pays to be able to stitch a bit! It was so wonderful to be able to spend some time with my mother and father. I don't think I have done that by myself since I was in college, the trips back as meddevac nurse don't count. My mom and I are going to Beaver Island in September to attend a workshop with Gwen Marston!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so freaking excited. We are going to have a blast!


What a wonderful year 2009 was. I sure hope 2010 is half as productive!

I was moved by the bush fires in Victoria and asked for a couple folks to help me out by sending some liberated star quilt blocks so I could make a few quilts for the people who had lost everything to the inferno....well sir, 140 quilts later we had a massive shipment to send to the bushfire victims. This project was such an amazing project for me. How can there be that much love on the planet and still be war? Well, I guess we need more quilters in the world, don't we? What a great bunch of ladies I got to meet through this project. Thank you all again for being willing to help out. You all made a fantastic difference.


*** here is one last update on the bushfire project. Back in July I heard from a lady in Europe. I can not remember which country, and I apologize for that. I have gone back through my email and can't find the one she sent me. She wanted to know if I had gotten the quilts she sent from her guild or group. She sent them the day I flew out of the country and they were never forwarded on to me. I wrote some emails to friends who were still in Alice Springs and asked if they could go by my house and see if there was a big international parcel for me at my house. Well, there was nothing and I just figured that they were returned to the lady who sent them. Well, 5 months pass. My best friend from Australia called me and had a couple housekeeping questions and an "oh, by the way! Housing found a bunch of quilts on your old doorstep. What should I tell them to do with them?" THAT MUST BE THE EUROPEAN QUILTS! Well, they were given to Apples (the president of the Alice Springs quilting Club) and I am sure they were sent on the Jan to be given out to the bush fire victims. SO that was a happy ending! I do not have any pictures of the quilts since I am in Kansas and the quilts are in Australia. But I am sure they are AWESOME.

Here are some of my Camp Follower Bags I finished in 2009. I did not make as many as I did in 2008, but I was tied up with making quilts for the Bushfire quilt project and moving back to the US.

I also made a couple other quilts in 2009 for family and friends....well now that I look at these pictures some are Bushfire quilts. Please ignore those as quilts for myself and just enjoy them as quilts for others.

I have put some miles on my sweet Berninas. What a great couple of machines I have. I swear no other machine could work like mine work with so little fuss. I am really wanting the Bernina 820 in a bad way, but that will have to wait a bit until I can figure out the logistics of trading in or financing....or maybe the lottery ;o) That long graceful neck and all that extra height gives me shivers! Do any of you have one? I know Jacquie has one and so does Mrs Porkchop as well as Don't Look Now ( I have no clue what her real live name is, sorry, but she is a rock star quilter!).

Since it is 2010, I am back at the bags! I need to make some $$ to buy my new machine! LOL. Anyway I finished these Backpacks yesterday.

I almost finished A. Chase's Stu tote, but had to drop off a machine for cleaning and servicing before the winter Storm hits town. Burrr. My husband sent me the weather warning for tomorrow and Thursday and I started laughing out loud when I read the last line. The Air Force weather official said "let me know if you have any questions." that was right after she said it was going to get so cold you will die if you are outside in the frigid wind. Oh....I think I might miss Alice Springs and the steaming heat tomorrow evening!

Stay warm everyone!

xo,

Tia