Trying out a new look

Well, it seems somewhat at climatic after being so excited about the give away and now here we are two days later and what is next. Oh, hey wait I didn't announce who the winner was yet. Well, that has turned out to be a little more complicated than I though it would be. I should have the name sometime tomorrow. In the mean time I have had someone tell me that I have a response portion blocked.  Sadly I have spent most of the day looking for the blocked item and can not find any place to change the problem. Until I can figure it all out please leave me a comment if you want to ask me something and I will try to email you or reply in the comments.
I do not have Outlook set up on my computer as it was the reason I ended up with many computer problems on my first two computers. I use email completely on line and never have it come into my laptop. I am working on a solution for that now, since I plan to start adding some content to the blog that would most likely have some asking questions. Too bad Google doesn't offer a class on setting up and maintaining a blog through blogspot. LOL Well, they do give lots of help with setting up your blog, I actually feel like it was much easier than I thought it would be. My children can't believe I was able to do this whole thing without them helping me. They are still in wonder that I continue and ask no questions of them. I can not believe these are the same children I home schooled from K-12 and they learned enough to go to college and get jobs that pay them more than I have ever considered making myself. Gotta love them.
I am working on a new quilt I should have it completed by the end of the evening, I will post a picture of it tomorrow and let you all know who our winner is.
Have a quilty day,
Tennye

Please Comment today

Well, this is the day of the give a way, so if you have not commented to be included in the give a way. Then now is the time for you to go comment. I will go through the comments and have a winner by the end of the week. Then I will mail out your gifts that day and post it here on the blog. Today is the last day I will take comments for this give away.
Have a quilty day,
Tennye

Last pre-give away post

Hey ladies and gentlemen I have had a long day. We had a lovely Champagne brunch this morning and I thought I would just add some photos that I didn't post from the quilt show last weekend.

So here are some very interesting ones.

I love the Art quilts and these two seem to have some kind of connection in that they are both people yet this red one is a sad commentary on reality.

Once again this photo is on its side and there dose not seem to be any way to rotate it back to what it should be. It is lovely though isn't it. Did you know that Texas is known for its monarch butterflies? I just recently ( in the last few years ) found that out. They are so pretty and I have always love them.
Well, I am going to go off and watch the movie my family is watching. I do hope you have had a lovely quilty weekend.
Tomorrow is the day, so please post.
Tennye

Stay with me

Well, we have two more days until the official give a way day. I am so excited and looking forward to it all. I have been super busy this week, with my husbands birthday being Wed. We have this thing , the last few years with birthdays. For what ever reason the birthday lasts for a week at least. We all met at the local Applebees Wed. night when he got off work and enjoyed Karaoke. Then Fri. night one of our girls bought us tickets to go see a Texas country band we happen to like. Then tonight we went to Applebees for super and the manager bought us our meal. In the morning we are having a Champagne brunch with friends and family.
Then next week we start all over again with our daughter and her Oct. 4th birthday. She has asked for a party here at the house and so today they started inviting everyone. I think they said so far they have invited 130 or so people. I told them they better pray for good weather, our house is not big enough for that many people.
Well, I will talk to you all on Mon. be sure to comment if you want to be in the give away.
Have a quilty weekend,
Tennye

Got giveaway

Well, as I promised earlier today here are some photos of the items I am offering on the 27th of this month as a give away. Please be sure to remember to come by that day and post a comment telling me what you like about my blog, and what you might like for me to add.
I am using the birthday of my oldest child as my date, since I missed the anniversary of my starting my blog. This is a busy birthday month for our family. My husbands birthday is today, and his niece was born on his birthday. It is also one of my Aunts, one of my Uncles, and two of my cousins birthdays and my cousin's son. You get to celebrate with me.
So lets get a glimpse of the items on the table for my giveaway.

This is an overall picture without the Dresden plate pieces. As you can see there are a lot of things. So lets break it down into bite size pieces.











These are some yummy fat quarters I hope you will have fun using. I want to keep them myself they are so yummy.






Next,

This is a great little book I was given two of, why keep both when I can share.

I received one of these with my magazine subscription. I also had someone give me several more of them. I enjoyed it so why not share.

You may notice this wall quilt is similar to the one on my header. That is because this is the mag. I got the pattern from and I have since adapted this pattern and made several different quilts with the same idea. I have one that is a Christmas quilt of satins, velvets, and poinsettias .

Again, these were gifted to me and I haven't tried it yet, but look forward to giving one of my hand quilted quilts a good cleaning with one of these.
I admit I have not checked with the post office so I am not sure you will get all three of these, but if at all possible that is my plan.

This nosey little girl kept getting in front of me while I was trying to make these photos.

Then last but not least a shot of the quilt I am working on. This is the hand quilting project that I am really so behind in getting finished.
So I hope you are having a really fun quilty day.
Tennye

Give Away Coming

Well, I have gotten some really fun things to add to the give  away. I have single use quilt soaks, and a book on quilted post cards. These will be added to the pre-cut Dresden plate pieces with directions. The list is growing and I will post photos later today of these new items.
I have not told my daughter that she is the inspiration for the date of the give away. They are stationed on an Army Fort in El Paso, Texas and this week there was a shooting on their fort. One of our other daughters has a friend in the Army and we all have another friend in the Air Force so we hear about these things even if they never make it to the news. We got emails and text from three different ones about the shooting and then we couldn't get any the family on the phone to find out if they were okay. Turns out my son in law was in the store on post just a few min. before the shooting. So happy he is safe, and sending prayers for the families who lost a loved one.
Talk to you all later,
Have a quilty day,
Tennye

Sunday Post

Just hanging out waiting for lunch to get done and checking out some blogs I read when I have time. I am getting inspired to get into the sewing room on this cool Sun. afternoon and make some blocks I have wanted to make. One of the ladies on one of the Yahoo groups I am on lost her home to fire a couple of weeks ago and we are all making blocks for her and one of the girls is going to turn it into a quilt. I was still thinking how I might be able to help her when someone else started the requests for blocks. I wonder why I am always behind. I think that in the last few months of the year I will make it my goal to no longer be or feel like I could do more. Instead i will do more.
I signed up for the craft show I went to yesterday. I think they could use some more home crafted things , however I talked to  one of the ladies and she was saying that the traffic to the show was slow and it might not be a good one to get into.  We'll see what comes of it.
Then there are the Sarah's Wedding Quilt blocks I said would be starting this month. I sew on Sunday, but I try to make it a habit not to work on any project that is for pay. I need to be able to get back into the sewing room and until this hand quilting project is done I can't. I lost a day on Fri. because I just didn't think it would be a good idea to take it to the hospital I did however get some of my small craft items done while I waited. I will make pictures of them soon and show you what I am still working on.
Well, gonna go steam the green beans and finish lunch. You be sure to have a quilty day.
Tennye

What a Day

Well, my girls and I were planning to go to a craft show this morning after breakfast, and we invited my cousin to go with us and her sons girlfriend. So we all went together. it was a nice show, but not really a all homemade craft show. They had lots of home party ladies, such as Tupperware, Syntsey , and homemade gourmet. There were some really good jewelry ladies though and the girls really like their stuff. So while we were eating breakfast my cousin asked if we knew the quilt show in Austin was today and tomorrow. I said yes, but didn't think anyone would want to go with me. Well, I must have been mistaken, because the all wanted to go and they even called another friend to go with.
We had a great time and here are some of the photos I took

This is just one I really thought was pretty.

I liked this one for its great perspective. first you see the box, then it is a big box with a little one, then wait no it is a box in a room, then again it looks like a box with a cut out. Go figure which is it really???

I am a Texan to the core and I love this one of Bluebonnets. One of the shops had this pattern, it was all I could do to keep from buying it. I just have too much to do and I usually design most of my own patterns.

The following must have been a challenge or something because they are obviously the same basic pattern. I really enjoyed them and think I would love to make one this way, if I had the time. I think this is not one of those easy patterns.

Well, that is the last one of those. I love them and I am sure they are from the Giant Dahlia pattern. I have tried that one, and I must say it is a difficult pattern. I do love the interpretations they have presented though.
Well, I have many more photos, but I think I will save them for another day this week. I do hope you have had a very quilty weekend , I know I sure have.
Tennye

Long Busy Week

Well, I am sorry to say I have been so busy this week I have not had time to write. Then to top every thing off today I spent most of the day in the ER with my mother, waiting for my Dad. You see Daddy went to the Dr. this morning on his way to therapy for a blood oxygen test. Apparently he had been dizzy for a couple of days and when he told them that at the Dr.s office they told him he had to go to the ER.Fortunately it was in the same building so he just had to go down stairs. Long story short he has vertigo or something worse. He has to see a neurologist Mon. at the latest. When they got home mother was able to make an appointment for him on Mon.  
I have been quilting all week and still should be, but I kind of feel like today was such a bust I decided to tell you all my good news and update you on things. Today is the 17th, which is just ten days before my give a way. I should have another thing that is going in the give away to show you , but I have been so busy I have not had time to get it rounded up. So I thought I would show you some things I have been working  on. This is a quilt I am making for my youngest daughter for Christmas. I am using the fun Dresden plate Christmas fabrics as alternate blocks for a pre-printed fabric.

These are the Christmas fabrics, I sewed them together and then I auditioned them on a back ground fabric. I loved the result on the first try.










I love the blue, but I love even more the way the blue and the Dresden look with the pre-printed fabrics.

This is the largest piece and I will put it in the center and use the Dresdens and other prints to go around it. I have not decided what I will use as a sashing to make it all fit together.

I am not going to show you all the panels
I just don't think it is important to show them all. This is one of my favorite small panels. When I get it all put together I will show you how fun and lovely it will be.

 Then another one of my craft show items is this cute high heel ornament. I showed you earlier in my chenille tutorial the Christmas tree ornament and in the future I will be making some other things and maybe make some high heels in different colors. I want to make some dog bones, and maybe, just maybe I will make an angel.



Then I have saved my absolutely biggest most exciting news. I can't even believe that one of my biggest goals and desires for my sewing and crafting  fun and business has been to have an embroidery module to go with my sewing machine. By some wonder from God the best deal I have ever , or never thought would happen has come to pass. I can not tell the details , but for an unbelievable price I have been able to attain one. It is brand new still in the box it came from the factory in. It is mine and I am more excited than I can ever tell. Needless to say one of the things I am giving away will be something I have embroidered for you. I also have until Oct. 31st to get the software for about 600$ off its normal price. This is a sale and anyone who wants the Bernina Embroidery software can get it on sale for this price. My biggest problem is that I need a new laptop in order to have enough memory for the software. So I still need a good 2000$ to finish it all off. I can put the software on layaway, but have to figure out the Laptop issue too.
Now I know myself well enough to know that if I had brought this home in the middle of the week, that would have been the only thing I got done all week. I needed not to stop on my hand quilting project, so I took my machine in for a cleaning and left it with my BSR to be updated. Tomorrow I will go get it and get started playing.
Well, I am going to a craft show and to a class at the store tomorrow. Yall have a very quilty weekend.
Tennye

I Have

Well, I have pictures and I have lots to say, but what I don't have is time to do it. Please don't give up on me I will be back in a day or two. I have so much to show you and to  tell you. I am excited and bless.
Have a quilty day,
Tennye

Things

Well, I hope you all had a lovely long weekend , well at least those of you who live in the US at least. I wish I could say mine was lovely and productive, however it was not. I got nothing done that I wanted to , and I didn't really have a fun time. I did have a good day on Sat. running errands with my girls, and having brunch with them first.
I really meant to spend the day quilting today, but I started the day helping my parents with their computer. Then we came back to my house and I helped my hubby finish up lunch. We had a good lunch and then watched movies the rest of the day. Did I think to go get the quilt, NO I did not. I did however spend some time on the computer. Not really doing anything I needed to, but I spent a couple of hours reading some blogs I have not read in a long time. That was kind of fun, and made me want to get my stuff going now and not wait. Why do I wait? I think I may be afraid of failure. I want to be the customer service person I would expect to do business with. Only problem is I have some problems with procrastination in some areas. Not all areas, just a few and those can be a big deal for a customer. Hey, that is one of the reasons I am doing the give a way on the 27th of this month. I want to prove to myself I can do what I say I will and get to the post office the day I intend to.
I am having such a fun time with the Dresden Plate ruler that I bought, so I decided to add some of the pre-cut pieces. So here  are some pictures.

Well, as you can see these pictures are of some completed plates, the ruler I am using and some Christmas ones that are ready to put into plates. Then in the mix not where I put it, you find one of my newest Christmas tree ornaments. I will make it in two lengths, and add a ice skate runner too. So yes the week has been less productive than I wanted but not a complete wash.
I will be adding enough pre-cut Dresden plate pieces to make two plates, and I will print up a page of instructions so the winner will be able to make them up for themselves. I would make them for you but they are so fun to see come together that I want you to have the pleasure of doing it yourself.
The Christmas fabric ones are going to be odd blocks on a quilt I am making of some cute printed fabric.I will take a picture of the panel and post it soon. My daughter loves penguins and this is a Christmas panel with Penguins. The panel has one main square and four smaller ones, and they are not in a size big enough to make any thing other than a wall quilt. I want to make her a sofa size quilt, so I thought it would be fun to add them on a plain back ground.  On the bright side I did not buy any new fabric to make the Dresden plates. I found all the Christmas fabrics in my pre-cut fabric stash.
Well, I need to go for tonight, yall have a quilty week.
Tennye

Blogging can be fun and manicureing your stash!

Well, I have been off reading other peoples blogs today and having a great time with it. I have been as one blog is titled " manicuring my stash" I made a commitment not to buy fabric this year for anything unless I really had to. I have not done that very well, I must admit. I also read a blog on goals and other things too. I have four months this year to achieve my goals and for one of them I want to stop buying fabric unless completely necessary. I love what I do, but it can't be a business unless I am able to make a profit. To do that I have to be able to use what I have before I buy more. I do have plans for the Christmas craft show, and I may have to purchase a few things in order to finish some of them. Not many will need something and not a lot will be needed, but some. Then again I have so much fabric and so many embellishments that I doubt i should allow myself to purchase more. we shall see and I will let you my readers be my accountability. I may not be able to tell you exactly how much fabric I have used, but I can tell you an estimation.
As for blogging can be fun, I have seen many blogger's who do giveaways. I have signed up for lots of them, but never won.  I have mentioned it before on my posts, and have been thinking about it a lot. What date will I use for my giveaway, what will I give, how will I choose from those who sign up. So I have made some decisions, as for how to decide who will win, I will put all names in a bag or bowl and have one of my family members pull one out. As for the date, I am looking at the anniversary of when I started my blog, a number of blogs written, or a day of the year that means something to me. Since I have passed my 100th post by 27, and I started my blog on March 16th of 2008, I will go with a date that means something to me. My oldest daughter was born on Sept. 27th and that will be the day I will choose to do my giveaway, so please watch for the next few weeks and see the things I will post as my giveaway. I will be choosing from things I have made as well as from my stash, so keep that date in mind and remember to post a comment on the 27th of September.
In the mean time please have a very quilty week.
Tennye