An Interesting Way To Use Your Fabric Strings

I ran across this cool You Tube video about how to make fabric twine. 

 It uses your 1" or less fabric strings to twist into twine.  

I think this would be perfect for wrapping up gifts.  

How cool would it look holding up tomato plants or such in your garden?  

I bet you can figure out some amazing things to use it for.  

I will be saving my strings from now on to twist into twine.  

How about you??

Have a happy Hump Day and enjoy the video!

~XOP~

Goal Setting For May

I am participating in ALYOF and have to set my goal for May.  

I am working on completing another quilt for market and need to finish the binding this week.  

It is with the  Color Inspirations Club that RJR is running.  

This quilt is the quilt for January.  

They entitled it Snow Globes but the color inspiration palette is called Forest Floor 

and that's what I would have called it.  

The pattern will be available as well as a kit.

It is also how Kathy quilted it!  

As if it were a pathway in the forest. 

 I have to pick it up tonight so only have a sneak peek of the top pre quilting to show you.

I wasn't sure how I felt about the colors until I actually made the top.  

It looks so beautiful.  

I can't wait to show you the quilting too. 

 Hopefully I will be able to get some good pics tonight. 

 Finally the sun is shining so maybe, fingers crossed, photos can happen!!

Linking up to ALYOF goal setting party for May.

~XOP~

AAMQG Meeting And Pin Cushion Swap

We had our monthly meeting last night and our pin cushion swap. 

 If you remember I made a circle of geese as my swap pin cushion.

I loved this so much that I am making another one to keep for myself!

Then you all saw the bra block that I made for my friend at the DAMQG in my last post. 

 I decided to see if I could make a teeny, tiny one into a pin cushion for her.  

I think it came out pretty cute too. 

 It took me about 2 hours from start to finish.  

Not too bad!

We did our pin cushion Yankee swap style so there was stealing! 

There were so many beautiful ones it was difficult not to want them all!!

Of course the "Marie" cat one was my absolute favorite.  

You all know how nuts I am about my cats!

We have five of our own!!  

That mouse was pretty darned cute as well!

My friend Vicky made this amazing doggie one. 

 If you remember, she made me a similar one but with a little cat figurine on top of it.

Apparently I was not the only one that thought "Marie" was stunning.

  She was stolen 2 times before it was my turn.  

If I stole her she would stay with me as 3 steals are all that were allowed. 

 She was with another avid cat lover but I just could not resist her!!  

(Sorry Emily) 

 So now Marie (made by Marie) is now living with me!!!

Seriously could she be any cuter???

This is one super talented group of women. 

 I am so happy to be a part of all this positive, creative energy!!!

When I got home I was babbling on and on to hubby about her.  

He has been gone most of the week and he was like "whatever" but I felt like I won gold!!

Of course you know it was not long before the "inspector" was over to check her out.

 "It's ok, mom.  She can stay."  

Thanks for the approval Aiden!

I so look forward to these monthly meetings!  

I also got to talk with my friend Kathy that is long arming my next Color Inspirations Quilt.  

Can't wait to see it! 

 I actually gave some suggestions for the quilting on this and she totally expanded on them.  

It should be incredible!!

How was your night?

~XOP~

Helping Out The Detroit Area Modern Quilt Guild

My friend Vicky is the president of the DAMQG and they are making a quilt(s) for charity. 

 It is to support a cure for breast cancer and the blocks are super cute and paper pieced bras! 

Yes you read that right.  

There were 2 sizes and we were supposed to paper piece the larger size.

  I can't say I am the biggest fan of pp but I wanted to contribute to the cause

 so I sat down last night and made this.

It is difficult to tell but the trim is actually a metallic purple.  

While I love my friend Vicky, I have to say I did not love making this block. 

 It has made me realize I actually like to paper piece really small things

 not large things...at all!!  

I am glad to have made one and hope my small contribution will help!

Have a wonderful day.

~XOP~

RJR Color Inspirations Club

Have you heard about this club?  

It is a monthly solids club using the RJR solids.  

Brenda at Pink Castle is the person that got this set up and

 had some of people do some pattern designing for.  

There were 12 color pallettes chosen by Brenda and the quilts designed around those fabrics.  

One of the months I had was March, the Daisy Field colors. 

 I fell in love with these fabrics!! 

 My quilt was entitled Daisy Field.  

I don't have very many photos of the quilt as I just finished the binding on it this weekend and it has to be ready to be mailed off for spring market soon. 

There will be kits available for this quilt and the pattern will be available for sale as well.
Pattern is available here.

There are FQ bundles of each of the month's colors available for sale too.

Here is what I have for photos so far.

A photo taken by Brenda with her son David on the quilt just after it came back from the quilter. 

 He just might be showing up the quilt!

Some of Librkat's (Kathy) amazing quilting!!

This weekend I was putting the binding on and had a little "help"

So NOW this means me spending a lot of time today getting all the car hair off the quilt

 before I can send it = )

How was your weekend?

Linking to ALYOF here.

~XOP~

Flat Jack Needs Our Help

I just have a few minutes but wanted to write a post asking for my friends in Blog land's help.

I have a co-worker that has a grandson named Jack.  

Jack is in the second grade and his class is doing a geography project.  

Each student in the class made a "flat" version of themselves to be send around the US and the rest of the world. 

 I printed Flat Jack (FJ) out and put him on a stick. 

 I took FJ to Canada and then to St Thomas with me. 

 I wrote a little tale about where he went and what he did. 

 Jack's class is competing with another second grade class to see which class can log the most miles.  

I am asking anyone out there that might have a few minutes to print out a copy of FJ and take some photos around where you live, write the story and send it to his teacher, Mrs Pipkorn 

(I would love a copy too).  

Her email address is apipkorn@fils.org

It does not need to be anything too elaborate, just where he "visited" and what he did.  

Unfortunately my FJ washed out to sea in St Thomas!  LOL

Here is the link to the pdf of Flat Jack and here is the link to the teacher's note. 

 If you can't print it from that just email me at

mamaspark@gmail.com

and I will send you a copy of FJ and the note from his teacher.

So far that I know he has been to Japan, China, Brazil, St Thomas, Canada, the Netherlands, Oklahoma and Michigan.  

So if you are willing to help out a wee second grader and help him learn geography and win the contest please let me know!

FJ's travel needs to be finished by May 15th.

All of the miles add up!!

Just so you can see him  here he is on the beach

And here he is with Sammy Swan at the swan festival

It was a great conversation starter! 

Thanks in advance to anyone that can help!!

~XOP~

Want To Go To Saint Thomas For The Weekend?

That's what my hubby said to me last week.  His company had a trip and I got to tag along.  We were there just 24 hours but it was fabulous!

The day we arrived it was cloudy and overcast but so warm!  We headed right to our hotel and then to the pool.  Here is hubby and I on our balcony as we headed to the pool

I wanted to go to this pool, an infinity pool with a swim up bar.

There were these little birds there and the bartender was feeding them some kind of juice.

When I asked her about it she said if they didn't the birds would be in our drinks!

They were called Bananaquit birds.

They were like a cross between a golden finch and humming bird.

Quite charming.

As we swam around I noticed some odd things in the bushes

 As we swam around I noticed some odd things in the bushes.

There were Iguana's everywhere!

Sunset from our room after the rain.

There were some beautiful boats sailing around the island too.

We walked to the beach on both days but it was much sunnier on Sunday.  

The water is so amazingly blue!

~I think this was my favorite photo of the beach~

If you look closely you can see an amazing number of Iguanas hiding in these bushes!

Here were two of my favorites.  This photo almost looks fake with such blue water in the background!

The flowers all around were so vibrantly PINK!

I love this fellow's striped tail!

Well 24 hours was not long enough, but it was enough to re-charge my batteries.

This is out the airplane window as we were leaving.

 ~XOP~

Wordless Wednesday

~XOP~