I Won a Prize!!

I won a prize from T at Fiber Babble. After being told for years that being nosey is not a good thing, it finally paid off for me. I asked T a question about something on her sidebar. She told me no one had ever asked her about it before and so she was going to send me a little present. Well, let me tell you, it was NOT a LITTLE something. It was NICE!! I got fabric, chocolate, coffee, a pretty needle case, and a sweet little journal. I apologize for the terrible condition of the photos. I just wasn't having a good photo day. Thank you so much, T. I love my goodies. The edible ones are already gone. I did not miss the significance of the little quote you had marked in the journal! LOL.


This last photo is my very first punchneedle project. I still have to frame it, but isn't it cute? I am already working on my second one. These are addictive.

Also, please notice the icon for Kate's Housewarming on my sidebar. She has switched from Blogger to Wordpress and is sort of having a blog warming. She recently moved to a new house and is having a real life housewarming too. It sounds like fun and a good chance to get to know some new bloggers so pop on over and RSVP that you will attend!
Julie

Update!! A Solution for Tracker and Shooter has been found.

Here's the update on the dogs.
They will be adopted by friends of Cindy.
They are building a fence and looking for donations if one feels led
to do so...or food, drink, whatever.

Thank you all for your concerns and getting the message out!

This is the miracle we were praying for!
Julie

Do you know of someone who can help? Cindy's dogs will be euthanized Jan. 14th!

Hello, My name is Shooter Wall. I am a 12 year old Labrador Retriever. I have a 10 year old brother, Tracker, a lab and Chesapeake Bay retriever "combo." Recently our world was turned upside down when our mom, Cindy Wall, left for work one morning, and we have not seen her since. There was a lot of activity at our house for a while, with many people coming and going. They were very upset.
We heard someone say that Mom had died suddenly (we are not sure just what that means.) Our veterinarian, Dr. Mary Smith, came and took us to her office and we have been staying here ever since. We are very well cared for here, but it is not the same as being at home. (Who wants to live at a hospital?) Our friend Belle's mom is trying to find a family who are willing to adopt us and give us a new home....or even two families, each taking one of us.
We have been described as sweet, loving and well mannered. Dr. Smith does not know of any serious health issues. Tracker has some arthritis, so he likes to sleep on a cushioned bed; he takes medicine for his arthritis and thyroid.
At 70 pounds I have allergies that I take antihistamines to help; I also do not like thunderstorms, but have gotten more used to them... don't hear as well as I used to! (Just like my mom's friend Melissa! - the allergies, thunderstorms & hearing that is - she only wishes she looked like me!)
We miss Mom Cindy so much!! We want a family to love and share our time with. Please, if you know of someone who would like to adopt us, have them call Dr. Mary's office at 821-7810 and she will tell you about us. Thank you for any help you can give us.
---Linda Bayse, Shooter's Secretary
P.S. Cindy died in September and her dogs are boarded at the vet since then. Unless we can find a place for them, they will be put down on Wednesday, Jan.14th. Her brother can't keep paying the fee to board them ...... they have to go. Please, think hard. Cindy had such an impact on our community in so many ways, and I am certain that if we can just make more people aware of this situation, a home (or 2 homes) can be found. Perhaps someone can provide a foster home until an adoption can be arranged. Do you know of a foster home?
They do not have to go together; they can be fostered separately. These are such sweet, old dogs; we know that Cindy's wishes were that her dogs not be killed. Linda can be reached at 334-728-1500.
You may remember my friend Cindy who passed away last year. My memorial post to her is here. If you can help, or know someone who can, then please call Linda or post a comment to me. We are desperate.
Julie

Pay It Forward!

I have decided to join the "Pay It Forward" fun with Carol at Cornfield Quilter, so if any of you would like to join me, the first three leaving a comment on my blog wanting to join are in. Below are the rules and the button to copy and put on your blog is above. Come and join the fun!!
Here are the "Pay It Forward" rules.
The first three people will be chosen to participate if they leave a comment on this post asking to join. They are agreeing to post a similar announcement on their blog, and Pay It Forward to three more people, who will in turn agree to Pay It Forward etc. What does it mean?

Carol is going to send me and her other participants one handmade item sometime in the next 12 months. I, in turn, will send one handmade item to each of the three participants who signed up with me, withing the next 12 months. You, in turn, will send one handmade item to each of your participants, and so on.

I can't wait to find out who wants to play with me.

I have been blown away by the people who have entered my 100th post giveaway!! Thank you all so much and it is not too late to sign up. Just go down to my previous post if you would like to win a nice chunk of Valentine fabric and a little something else.

100th Post Giveaway!! Lookie Lookie

I wanted to do a giveaway for my 100th post, but I noticed that my last post was actually the 100th, I had forgotten to count the one post I did in 2007. OOPS. Also, Blogger says I have done 105 posts. I don't know how that is, but this is why I don't teach math. LOL. This would never happen to Amy. I am having a giveaway anyway! I shouldn't punish my readers for my inability to add. What about this cute St. Valentine's Day fabric? I uncovered it during my recent efforts at clearing out the quilt studio. I think that, with St. Valentine's Day coming up, this would be a perfect giveaway item. There will be about a yard and a half of it (I can't stand to give it all away - I am keeping a yard.) I will also include a small, handmade (by me) item. So, if you comment on this post you are entered in the giveaway. If you are one of my "Followers" (in my sidebar) you get entered twice. I will draw the name of the winner in two weeks, January 21st!!
Some of you may know that I have been working on organizing my quilt studio (sewing room LOL.) Above is showing some of the progress I have made. I put some of my sewing machine collection on the top shelf. I have THREE Featherweights!!
This photo is the table I am working on as I fold and sort the smaller pieces of fabric.
This is a good example of what the shelves looked like before I started, only it was worse!! Everything just jumbled together. I would love to get rid of the ugly white paneling in that room. I guess it is better than that dark paneling. At least the white makes the room lighter.
I have a friend with a new blog. It would mean so much to me if you would pop over and visit her and leave her a comment. Heck, I will even enter you a third time in my giveaway if you comment on her blog!! Her name is Oma and her blog is Alabama Jasmine. She is a member of my quilt guild and a good friend. She even dug up a pomegranite sapling and gave it to me this past weekend!
Thanks for visiting my blog. Until next time,
Julie

Happy New Year!

I would like to wish my readers a Happy New Year. I hope that 2009 will bring us luck, happiness, prosperity, and good health.
Today I cannot do laundry (will wash all the luck away for the whole year), and I must eat black eyed peas (good luck for the year), and collard greens (lots of money for this year.) I have baked a ham in my crock pot overnight to take to my mom's house. She has the black eyed peas, collards, potato salad, and a cake.
Do you have any traditions for New Years Day?
Julie

My First Christmas Stocking

This is my childhood Christmas stocking. My Mama made it from a material that was called Lantuck. The Lantuck plant was just a few miles from my house. It is what is used for interfacing. I still want to call the stuff Lantuck. My hometown, Valley, Alabama, where I still live, was a mill town. Everything was run by "The Company." This referred to West Point Pepperell. We made towels, sheets, blankets, comforters, everything textile. Thanks to a couple of corporate raiders who, as far as I'm concerned, are damned to the deepest pits of Hell, the company went out of business. Bill Farley came in, bought everything, sold off the assetts, and ran away with the money. The company tried to make a go of it after that but was further raped by another raider, Carl Icahn. All the jobs are gone, although the company still limps along with mills in other countries. This is the kind of thing that has led to the financial crisis we suffer from today. It is sickening to see Carl Icahn in the society pages or magazines where they go on and on, gushing about his extravagant lifestyle. Oh yes, he owns houses all over the world. Goodie for him. Meanwhile, people here struggle to pay their bills and can't afford health insurance. Bill and Carl - two of the devil's henchmen. I think Mick Jagger sang about them in Sympathy for the Devil. Well, I didn't mean to get off on that tangent! LOL. Maybe I am a little bitter.
Anyway, I love this pitiful little stocking. I plan to duplicate it in wool. I just need to buy a good bit of red wool. The lantuck one will still be cared for and loved, because my Mama made it.
Julie

Some Quilty Gifts for Family

I made a couple of couch caddy pincushion/pockets from Helen Stubbing's Stitchers Angel Swap free pattern for my mom and my sister-in-law. It seems that they are pleased with them!

Merry Christmas Everyone, and Gifts!

Our family has had the most wonderful Christmas this year. We spent so much time with family. I stayed at my mom's house until 1 A.M. Christmas Eve with my brother and s-i-l, sister, niece, daughter, and mom. We put a puzzle together, which has become an annual tradition for us. I went home, put together a breakfast casserole for Christmas morning, and went to bed. Of course, Joy and John Owen were up at 6:30 A.M. to see what Santa brought. They received everything they asked for and were very happy. I received some nice punchneedle supplies!! I have started my very first punchneedle project, because I don't have enough quilting projects going on, I have to bring in something else.



The best part of gift opening for me was that I FINALLY got to open my gifts from my Secret Santa Christmas Swap partner, Jodie!! Jodie you have outdone yourself. I could not believe how many Caramel Koalas I got either. Each item was individually wrapped and contained a Caramel Koala from Cadbury's. Of course, they were immediately devoured and are simply delish!!! You can see that there is a beautiful tea towel, a bag with matching eyeglasses case (although it could be used for a rotary cutter), an Aussie pen to wear, and a Gold Coast calendar. I just love everything - I lucked up and got a really wonderful swap partner. Thank you so much Jodie!!
The next "I can't wait to open it" gift came from Karol-Ann in England. Karol-Ann sent me several different Liberty of London fabrics. I never thought I would own any of this fabric, which costs around $40 a yard here in the States. Karol-Ann has sent me several pieces and it is unbelievably beautiful and has such a soft hand to it. Thank you, thank you, thank you Karol-Ann. My sister was here when I opened it and was coveting the fabric - ha ha. Too bad!
The last, but certainly not least, "I can't wait to open it" gift was from Razzie in Tassie (Roseanne in Tasmania.) Roseanne is such a sweetheart. She sent me a photo album - and I think she made it herself - so cute! She also sent a Tasmanian Devil pen, an Australia magnet, and a tea towel with an appliqued angel. It is so pretty - I now have a beautiful tea towel collection. I have never seen a souvinir tea towel here in the States. If I ever do I will have to send it to my Australian friends for their collections.
I am going to add my photos now. I have been having trouble lately doing that and have yet to get up the nerve to try using Flickr for this. I hope Blogger cooperates, but if the photos are in no particular order and in funny locations, it is Blogger's fault and I hope you will excuse it!
Merry Christmas to everyone and here's to a brand new year of blogging. Oh wait! I just realized, today is my first anniversary - or Blogaversary!!! I started this one year ago on Christmas Day! I should have thought of having a giveaway but didn't. I am going to have one for my 100th post so if you have made it this far to the bottom of this lengthy (for me) post, this is your heads up!!
Julie

Let the Holidays Begin!

We are finally out of school for Christmas holidays. I feel like it is REALLY Christmas now. Here is a photo of our tree. We put it up right after Thanksgiving (at my children's insistence) and have been enjoying it since then.
Here is Cabalito, the trusted assistant. He makes sure we do everything right. He is such a good boy! Oh, I forgot, he was a bad boy last night. He found a giant Hershey's kiss (the really huge novelty size), that my daughter didn't know was in her room, last night. He ate some of it and was running around with it in his mouth. It was almost as big as his head. Since chocolate is poisonous to dogs we were a little concerned and had to catch him to take it away. But he is fine.
I made this small quilt several years ago. I could not resist because it says "Joy" and my daughter's name is Joy. I love that the letters are made from Christmas objects.
Isn't my Christmas cactus beautiful? I bought it this year and it has bloomed constantlIy for about two weeks now. I have four different colors now. Red, fuchsia, lavendar, and white.
I found out last night that my SSCS benefactor is Jodie B. from Australia. I cannot wait to open my gift but I am holding out until Christmas Day. Jodie, if you are reading this, I cannot tell you how excited I am!! I will post photos of the gift as soon as I open it.
Julie