A Funny Thing Happened

I worked a LONG day on Wednesday.  

Met my daughter for dinner in Ann Arbor because 

I was going to stay for the AA Modern Quilt Guild meeting.  

The meeting was great!  

Brenda, of Pink Castle, had moved into her shop and was having the meeting there. 

 At the end of the meeting we did a stash swap.  

Everyone brought fabrics and we put them all on one big sheet. 

 Then on "GO!" we all leapt into the fray for fabric.  

You know we don't have enough at home right?  

This is the stash I went home with.

Can you SEE all those Tula Pink strips?  

Two Neptune squares some Hope Valley and some AMH.  

Not to mention the adorable foxes and some Kaffe.  

I was so happy! 

 It was such a fun thing to do. 

 I got rid of 2 grocery bags of my fabric and only brought a wee bit home.

So by the time I got to my home it was after 9pm and I was exhausted! 

 I picked up the mail, put some chicken in the oven to make chicken salad for my lunch on Thursday and sat down to watch the latest episode of Supernatural (Love me some Sam and Dean!!)  

I realized I had not opened the mail so went back to where I had dropped the mail 

to find an envelope. 

 I was thinking it was some of the Swap packages I have been waiting for 

to close up round 4/5 in the Tula Pink swap.  

I looked at the return address and it said it was from United Notions. 

 What on Earth would they be sending me?

Inside was a magazine.  

OK, nice but a magazine?  

There was a post-it note inside (I put it on the outside for you to see)

I opened the magazine up to the inside front cover (the post-it was on the right side)

 and this is what I saw...

A photo of ME in the Moda Bake Shop advertisement!!!

I am in some pretty awesome company too I might add!

I had no idea they were going to do this and it was so exciting!!  

How fun to be part of the Moda Bake Shop!!  

Thank you for including me in the ad, you made my week!!!

I hope you are having a good week too.

Weekend plans? 

  I may be working on a super special QAL with my daughter and some quilting friends 

so there's that.  

~XOP~

Do You Swap?

I have found that swapping and trading on the internet is so much fun! 

 I had a few recent swaps that turned out well and 

also had a friend pick up some HTF OOP fabric she saw for me too.

Here are some of the things I received recently.

Some Tula Pink goodies, with a smattering of Urban Chicks just for fun!

Some more Urban Chicks and some original FMF with a little Tula on the side.

I don't know if you ever fall for a fabric line but I have been anxiously awaiting one I found online. 

 It was in Hawthorne Threads "coming soon" section for quite some time and now it is here!! 

 Let me introduce you to Full Moon Lagoon.

When I first saw this line the purples reminded me of Heather Ross's Mendocino line. 

 I can't wait to figure out what I want to make with it but in the mean time I am happy just to have some. 

 It's available at Hawthorne Threads right now. 

 This line is even more beautiful in person and has a great hand.

I thought you might like to peek at how the cubbies are filling up in my sewing room. 

 I have been working away on emptying some bins, although not this weekend.  

You can see round 3 swap packages for the Tula Pink swap falling out of one of the bottom cubbies! 

 I think my favorite color is blue, by the looks of things.

Off to get ready to go to a bridal shower. 

 Have a wonderful Sunday!

~XOP~

Whatever You Do On New Year's Day...

You will do for the entire year! 

 Ever heard that?  

I was trying very hard to do some things today that I want to be doing throughout the year, for sure. 

 I started off the morning by making a new waffle recipe.  

They were fantastic. 

 I can see I will be experimenting with cooking more this year.

Check!

I was uploading photos and had a cat helper.

 (love the fact that my hair was wet from the shower, so flattering!)  

Hallie would not leave my lap so I used her as my table. 

 Cat at my side all year? 

 Check!

I did some stuff no one wants to hear about (boring, but necessary). 

 I decided it was time to get into the new sewing room and 

see how my machine would fit and it which position.  

So I was moving stuff around and I think this is going to be the arrangement.

I will end up facing the IKEA shelves once I have them. 

 This is the only way, if I want to open up my whole table that I can do so.  

See that low dresser? 

I wrenched my back moving it toward the window! 

It feels like a pulled muscle on my right side.

 YIKES!

Then because I wanted to do something quilty, I cut my 10" squares for the Kokka fabric swap.

  I think it means I will be swapping all year too! 

 Woo Hoo! 

 I also think it means I will be spending some time in my sewing space. 

 Check!

I went to see Les Mis tonight with a good friend, so spending time with friends? 

 Check!!

Taking pictures of my kitties? 

 Check!

Last but not least?  

Why blogging of course! 

 Welcome 2013, I hope you will be a great year!!

~XOP~

Swaps Are Fantastic!

I had a FQ bundle of Little Apples I was looking to swap out for *something*. 

 I was not sure what, but my new friend Jayme knew what.  

She had a FQ bundle of A Walk in the Woods.  

So we swapped.

This is what she sent me.  

She added in 2 FQ from Vintage Modern too to make up the difference.

I had to giggle when I opened my fortune cookie the other day and found this fortune!

I guess making my sewing room successful is preordained!

Have a wonderful, stitchy day!

~XOP~

Swappin' Mama

I just LOVE to do swaps with my fellow bloggers.
 Have you done any swappin'?
 You can get some great stuff and I mean GREAT
 by swapping something you are not in love with for something you can't wait to work with.
I "met" Lisa online and we just recently did a swap.
 I sent her a ton (several pounds anyway) of vintage buttons.
 My LAQ, Liz, contributed about half of them I think.
Mine were in a tin in the basement not being used so I thought
why not let someone that will use them have them, right?
I got the greatest package from Tasmania from Lisa.

Love those mermaids, I just can't seem to get enough of them!

 I am still ISO a few prints in that line though if anyone has some to swap!!

When I opened up the package this is the first thing I saw, a card that said,

"Porn for Women"

Thanks for a great swap Lisa.

Oh and for the chuckle too!

~XOP~

Geese In A Ring Swap

As you can see from my new banner I have received my geese in a ring from the swap I was in.  Mosen is shedding his black fur all over them  guarding them with his life!

Oh Cats...gotta love them!

Here is a quick pic of them all together

I have to decide how many more I want/need to make in order to make myself a quilt from them. Aren't they great? 

 I am so happy with them all!!

 Thanks fellow swappers for such beautiful blocks!!

I am thinking about starting a Bee group with my friend Jeannette.

 We both love the Mod Mosaic block (Oh Fransson) so we were thinking about doing that block. 

Have you participated in a swap? 

 Or an online BEE?

 If so what did you like or dislike about it? 

What things would you include and not include?

Any runners out there? 

 I can't say I like to run but I do like to walk on the treadmill or outside. 

 I found a great game/running aid. 

 Right now it is available for your iPhone with an Android version to be out sometime this month. 

 It's called

Zombies, Run! 

 It looks like great fun!

This is part of what they say on their website:

"You’re Runner 5. Hundreds of lives are counting on you. You've got to help your base rebuild from the ruins of civilization by collecting critical supplies while avoiding roving zombie hordes. Can you save them and learn the truth about the zombie apocalypse?"

You complete missions, and you collect items and 

when you are finished you give them to the doctors or survivors that need them. 

You actually build a base and interact with it. 

 I'm thinking this might actually get my sorry butt exercising on non-Zumba days! 

Anyone out there already using this app?

~XOP~