Christmas is Coming

Christmas is coming. Can't believe it's already November 20. I have so much to do. But I'm happy to report that I got started today. Have made 2 gifts for MBG. Oh, how I wish I could show them off. They're so cool. But she might see them here. So, alas, I must wait until after gift exchange to share them with you. I'll be checking off my list, but must hide all until after Christmas. It's so hard not to share. (Pic is MHSNL Christmas Eve 2008)

I LOVE JUNKIN'

On my way to Edge, Texas, for Rompin' Stompin' Street Fest, I made a side trip. Since I was already headed that way and since I hadn't been there in several weeks, I decided to stop in at the Hope Village Thrift Store in Friendswood, Texas, to see if there were anymore fabrics on the long tubes. (Remember, last time I went, I bought 4 fabrics of varying yardage for $1 each.) So, I had to -- just had to -- check it out again. And I am sooooooo glad I did.

Yes, they had a few fabric pieces on the tube, but better than that -- sooooooo much better than that -- they had a big, huge tub filled with fabrics, valances, pillow cases and the like. No price was posted, but I figured, "Hey, if they're a buck a piece, it's a bargain," as the smallest piece of fabric that I picked out was a yard, and most were home dec fabrics. They were ......... drum roll .......... 25 cents each. Did you hear that? They were ........ drum roll ........ 25 CENTS EACH.

At hearing this, at the register, I did a little happy dance. I soooooo love bargains. Yippee! Wahoo! Jump up and down, happy happy dance. You know, I don't even care that people were staring and wonderng, "What in the world?" I am easily amused. And I revel at the small, fun, wonderful things in life, like a flower blooming on my hibiscus or the wonderful sunshine or the smile of a stranger or a friend, and yes, of a fantabulous, super-dooper buy!

Edge, Texas

I just got back from Edge, Texas. Left Friday morning to visit my friend Julie, who was scheduled to perform at the Rompin' Stompin' Street Fest, which was organized (it's 3rd year) to raise money for the Edge Community Center. The Fest took place at the Edge General Store, a landmark of Edge. You can learn more about the Store at http://www.edgegeneralstore.com/. There were a lot of C&W performers (the legendary Claude Gray, Robyn Mundy, Jade Kelly, Brazos Heartland, Jerry Duke, Stetson Trio, Sweet Harmony, Jo Ann Johnson, Rimshot and Julie), bar-b-que, sand painting, face painting, and more; and it was fabulously well-attended. And, of course, the most important and my favorite part of the Fest was that my friend Julie Weir, singer-songwriter, performed.

IQF-4

I wanted to give a shout-out to the girls from Go! Sticky. These two are super saleswomen. Fun. Informative. And not at all pushy. But they had a great spiel, which was easy as their product works great. I used it on my cutting mat to pick up lame shavings. What a mess it would have been without my Go Sticky roller. It did a great job. Of course, since they ran a IQF special, I also have the purse size and full size with extension pole. I've not used them yet, but know they'll work just as great as the hand-held size. Very cool! It's a sticky roller thingy that you can rinse off and reuse. No sticky paper to peel off and run out of. So it's a "green" product, too. It's from Easy Living Products, Anaheim CA (per the box) or Pine Mountain GA (per the receipt). Couldn't find a web site for it though. I guess they just make the quilt festivals and home show circuit. Anyway, I love their product. Hi, Girls!

ToteATee -- Fun & Easy

Latest experiment -- remember I design as I go -- turned out great. I wanted to make a bag that would have teen appeal, so I turned to tee shirts. This project was particularly hard for me, a perfectionist, because it entailed raw edges and nonprecise sewing. But it was so easy and fast and FUN! I've named it ToteATee. Cute, huh! I feel a tutorial coming on. Here's my first two bags. The first bag was made from a tee that had screen printing on the front and back, thus the two pics (drum and eye). The second bag (Love Thy Neighbor) has pockets inside. I took both bags to church to get a teen opinion, and I'm happy to say she thought they were sooooooo cute. Appears I'm on the right track.