What Did I Do At Camp?????

Got a very funny email from a friend saying nice that everyone else made some beautiful quilts at camp, what in the heck did you do??" Well lot's of my stuff was TOP SECRET....... Polka Dot Swap stuff and Secret Santa Swap stuff, and some for me...well here's a peek!!

A stocking for G baby, some secret polka dot stuff, a quilt I worked on for me out of Old Fashioned Charm (all the bits are done I just need to lay it out), and four of these top secret thingamajigs, two of which are quilted and on their way to their top secret locations!! I was very excited to get done what I did and especially my swap things..seems I have been running a bit behind!

Coming home it was so wonderful to have some great mail waiting...the Christmas Cottage swap blocks from Nanette. Each is so cute with such personality. I have a shopping trip planned next week and I can't wait to pick out some wonderful sashing to get these together! Bindings still continue to be the center of my world right now.

Why do I love doing bindings so much??? For the life of me I can't figure this out ....but I LOVE doing bindings. A finished stack on the left (I love the Hungry Caterpillar fabric on the back) and a pile of to do's. Today I have binding pickups at a Starbucks (oh boy), a bakery (that makes the most yummolicious cupcakes-oh no), and a place so secret I can't even mention!!!!!! Think I will start wearing disguises at these meetings.

Here's a few more tidbits from quilt camp. The blue and white quilt is a new pattern that Eleanor Burns is putting out in the Spring. Only thing I can say is WONDERFUL!!!! And she said it is very easy to put together. Loved this garden quilt one of the gals made. I believe it was a block of the month. Notice the cute flower pots all around the edge.

A happy time around Polka Dot Land. Our furry grandchild has been here visiting while his Dad, Mom and baby brother are in North Carolina visiting new cousin Caroline! We miss them all like crazy, but we did get a cute phone picture from them yesterday. Today our girl is home for a couple days so yippee for us, and time to spoil her also!!!

It's very hard to believe that Thanksgiving is peeking around the corner. Time to get out the trusty make ahead gravy recipe and get all the fix ins together. Hope that November has been a good one for everyone!

See you later alligators :-)!

I Am One Happy Camper!!

I am back from four wonderful, fun filled days at Eleanor Burns Quilt In A Day, quilt camp. Wonderful doesn't even begin to describe the great time that we all had. I met some of the nicest quilters from all over the US, and saw so many, many beautiful quilts. To spend four days with 65 women all working on so many wonderful projects is just so hard to describe!!! Eleanor Burns and her crew are some of the nicest people I think I have ever met! Always there to help and lend support and encouragement and make every aspect of our stay the best it could be.

Before arriving at Quilt Camp we first stopped off in the wonderful town of Julian and had a delicious lunch of Pumpkin Soup, sandwiches and tea at the Tea House....yummmy!!! This house was so cute in the inside, with tea cups, teapots and so many pretty things all about. Here we are all full after our wonderful lunch and where do you think we head to next........ we don't want to have low blood sugar while working on our projects!! What a great shop. All the old time candy under one roof. My Polka Dot and Rick Rack partner will be getting some goodies from this place.

....so here is a peek at our work space for our 4 day stay. We had such a nice big spacious work area with ironing and cutting stations, (and my personal little sewing area with M & M's) and not to mention two of the best teacher helpers you could ever want. They were so kind and helpful, and if anyone was in need of a little "reverse sewing", they were there johnny on the spot to get the job done. Anne and LuAnn, you guys were so AMAZING, and so much fun to be around!!! As I was sitting there sewing I overheard Anne talking about being a blogger -- oh boy here we go, a fellow BLOGGER!!! So we start chatting about the different blogs we like which really turns out to be a lot of the same blogs and then Anne says have you visited Red Geranium Cottage?? Oh dear..Sharon is everywhere!!! Turns out that Anne and Sharon have shared a few emails back and forth!! What are the odds! And Sharon, she would like to thank you for your kindness when her mom was ill and for the nice emails you sent her!!! She says she just loves your blog!

Each and every day we had the most DELICIOUS MEALS!!! Oh my word, I am going to have to go to detox to get myself back on track. It was so much fun to have everyone together eating and gabbing and talking quilts!!! Every meal ended with some wonderful tidbits from the crew and Eleanor sharing some tips on quilt making or showing quilts, talking about future projects and always some funny stories told by the girls. I think my cheeks will hurt for a few weeks from all the laughing. My writing just doesn't do the experience justice. I think you might need to go to see for yourself!!

And boy do I have pictures of quilts ......................................

and

And this is only a sampling of all the goodness. Coming home I am fully inspired and ready to charge in to full quilt production! Happy mid November to everyone. See you later alligators :-)!

Thanks To The Goat Gazette!!!

I have been a HUGE fan of Country Threads ever since I started quilting some 24 years ago! They have a great website and a wonderful newspaper that they publish called the Goat Gazette.Since my little bout of laryngitis a week ago, which then actually turned in to a nasty cough, then a nasty cold and back around to the nasty cough, I have been feeling much like a cat with a fur ball (I'm only guessing here) stuck in my throat!! While reading the recent issue of the Goat Gazette I noticed a home remedy for that very thing---1 teaspoon honey, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice in a glass of warm water - WOW it works!!!!!!! So check out the Gazette, besides all the tempting quilting related paraphernalia to buy, wonderful articles about animals, they can also fix what ales you!!

Today my final package arrived from my Secret Angel Stitcher who I now know is Jantine from the Netherlands. She made me the most wonderful bag in colors that couldn't be more perfect for me, and she has the most amazing handwork! Notice both sides of the bag. Also included were some very yummy sweets and quilt labels. She has spoiled me royally and I am so excited to have made a new friend in the Netherlands! Thanks Jantine, and thanks to Helen for hosting this wonderful swap.

Here's a sampling of the goings on in Polka Dot Land. I managed to make a Minkie ribbon comfy for our little guy. Since I obviously might have something I could pass on to him I needed a stand in for the picture!! All three other photos are bindings for customers! Have to brag about my friend Carol who made this wonderful pumpkin quilt!! Too cute for words in my opinion, and in fact the two quilts in the lower corner of the mosaic are both Carol's! Man can she quilt and quilt fast!!!

Monday I will be off for a four day quilt camp. I will have tons of pictures to share and hopefully I won't get kicked out for coughing!! Happy second week of November to everyone. See you later alligators :-)!

Make Your Choice

Here in the USA tomorrow is our day to step up and make our choice! How wonderful to live in a country where we have this right. So no matter what party you are for, or what you stand for, tomorrow is our day!! Get out and vote people :-)!!!

Happy Halloween and blah, blah, blah!!!

Happy Halloween!!! Our weather is looking a little bad for Halloween night, so we are keeping everything crossed that it doesn't rain. We are still having summer like temperatures, but yesterday there seemed to be a bit of a turn, so maybe by Thanksgiving we will be wearing some Fallish clothes! Baby and his mommy went to the pumpkin patch. I was suppose to go along but woke up with laryngitis and I didn't want to take the chance of giving anything yucky to Luke. Hey Secret Angel Stitcher, notice the socks he is wearing!!!! Wednesday I had a wild shopping day with a couple friends, and frankly I think there was too much laughing and talking and just plain wore my voice out! John is enjoying the quiet :-)!!!
And look!!! A wonderful box of polka dot goodness from my secret swap partner non other than Cucaroo Deb!! Megan was here and we tore right in to it. It wasn't till after everything was unwrapped I realized I forgot to take a picture of how beautifully everything was wrapped...I was in an unwrapping frenzy!! Look at my goodies. Isn't that the cutest polka dot and rick rack Annie you have ever seen? If you click on the picture you can see her up close and personal!! A so sweet spots and dots book for Baby Luke, beautiful blue and brown rick rack. So nice the website is on that package because I will be visiting there very soon. Some wonderful vintage candy(hey I ate this stuff when I was a kid)...Dots, Candy Buttons, Candy Corn and Tootsie Rolls. I know, I know you are thinking, I don't see any Candy Corn and Tootsie Rolls?......well Megan and I torn in to them and eat the whole bag!! Also a so cute polka dot pen and a blue and white polka dot case to hold credit cards/ money, and I am thinking a cute place to tuck in sewing notions for handwork.!! Also, some bath fizzes and a bag of wonderful smelling perfume goodness from some of the most wonderful perfumers! Deb, thank you, thank you...everything is so wonderful! And Deb we are all wishing you the most speedy recover on your recent hand surgery!!!!!

I am please to announce my Stuff Who quilt is done, even with the binding. Two plus years to get this small wall hanging done is not too bad :0(!!! Nancy I actually found the pattern, so I will be writing you. And the nicest person emailed me the other day about the pattern, I accidentally deleted your note. So sorry, but if you email me again promise I'll get the info to you. UPDATE-Kathi was the nice person that emailed me so here's where you can get the Stuff Who pattern http://www.quilt-n-stitch.com/!! Thanks Kathi, glad you checked back!
Baby Calvin's quilt is also finished and Megan is delivering it to him! I won't say I have had major production, but finishing up things here and there sure feels good. My binding business is really picking up now so that's my focus. I will be attending a quilt camp in another week...four days of uninterrupted sewing-YIPEE!

The kids along with family & friends host a huge Halloween party each year so our girl will be coming home. All the kiddos around, oh happy, happy, joy, joy!! Grandpa and I will be watching Baby Luke and having his first sleepover Saturday..what happens at Grammies house stays at Grammies house :-)! Wishing all of you and your families a very happy and safe Halloween. See you later alligators!!

Gratitude

Once again a family very full of gratitude. We have had a couple weeks of worry and concern over John's dad. He was told two weeks ago that he might possibly have bone cancer. So a couple weeks of waiting for tests and then a few more days of waiting for results .....and I am very happy to report NO BONE CANCER. What a BIG, HUGE, GIANT RELIEF and a big old

WHEWWWWWWW from the whole family. We are very, very lucky and once again, life gets put in to perspective.

I was talking to Nan, well not talking but writing, but really honestly I feel like I am talking to her when I write..well anyway I was saying I just didn't feel like I had anything blog worthy!!!So I guess I will give a rundown of what has been happening here in Polka Dot land blog worthy or not!!!

PARCELS OUT -cottages on their way to Nanette and something also off to T! My third and final Secret Stitcher Angel giftie off and on it's merry way, plus a couple silly cards out the door. Bet you are wondering about this.....well we had a panel light in our kitchen that we have wanted to change for a loooooooong time. When I came back from the store one afternoon, retirement man had ripped it out and started on the job of rewiring, sanding and prepping for paint and texture - YIPEE!!! Very exciting and I can't wait for the finished results.
Bindings - 3 actually, but it's too late to get pictures of the other two. This time of year business really picks up! My Turkey and Merry Christmas quilts are back from being quilted and they are wonderful, so a couple of my own bindings to get done..another yipee!!!

Today was a fun day at the zoo sharing the giraffes with some big and little friends. What a great day and that baby has grown a couple feet already!! Had a wonderful lunch at The Elephant Bar - where else would we eat :-)??

Driving home I definitely found something that was blog worthy ........... when I drove by early in the morning on the way to the zoo it was $3.09 at the same station. With only 1/2 tank I definitely made a stop and did a little happy dance at the same time!! Then my final stop was at Vons for some dinner fixins. The deal of the day, get your flu shot and you get 10% off at the register. Now how could I possibly pass up that deal! Hope that everyone is thinking flu shots!!

Wishing you all a great start to your week and in the words of Mrs. Goodneedle....Life Is Good!!See you later alligators!

The Sweetest Punkin Ever!

We got back from vacation on Thursday, unpacked and jumped right back in to buzyment!!! Had a wonderful birthday lunch with Mr. Cutie Punkin Pie, his mommy and Sharon .......... I found this really, really cute hat at a gift shop close by and when Judy the owner showed it to me it was obvious who needed it! Here was Sharon's attempt to sneak our baby out of the restaurant!!! Unhand that baby!!! ...and my wonderful bag of birthday goodiesfrom Sharon! What a great Halloween runner, already sitting on my Singer sewing table in the entry, and love those Simplify blocks, a yummy pound cake mix, a cute cake pin and Fall ornament.

......and on the quilty front, my Cottage blocks are all done and will be heading on their way!! Notice the great wooden sewing caddy, well you too could be the proud owner of one of these babies. Sharon's husband Dennis makes them, along with these sweet little benches my Annie is sitting on, with quite a few color options.

So here we are, another week about ready to begin. My list of projects I want to work on is looooooooooong, and quite a few bindings to tackle, so I think there is enough to keep me out of trouble for another week or two!

Hope that your week gets off to a great start, and by the way, we are still in need of some Fall weather out here in these parts!! See you later alligators :-)!

Extra, Extra Read All About It!!

Extra, extra and a BIG WOO and a HOO to our very own Nan. She has started her own online pattern business, www.nanniesquiltpatch.com/. What a wonderful website she has set up and so easy to navigate around. It was a dream that was stirred up by her husband and his sister and Nan, and she tells all about the planning and work that went in to this venture over on her blog. Nan, we are all so proud of you and know how hard you have worked for this moment. And did I mention the patterns are stinkin cute!!!! Please give her a look see!!!
A sweet mail day for me! Nan sent me this yummmmy chocolate candle and Hershey's magnet from her recent vacation, and let me tell you it smells so good I think I am going to be tempted to eat it!! Then from my Secret Angel Stitcher, present #2. She sent me a pair of her favorite scissors with a wonderful hand stitched fob attached and two additional fobs!! I am one lucky stitcher :-)!!

The kids best friends had a baby boy on Tuesday...baby Calvin Matthew made his appearance. His mommy had bought fabric for bumpers and a quilt, so that's what I worked on today. The quilt and backing are done and ready to be quilted and bumpers are cut and just need to be sewn! Since making bumpers for baby Polka Dot I have gotten a little wiser about buying the bumper forms. Sometimes they don't fit the crib!!! The girls figured that I need to trim down 4 of the bumpers for the perfect fit. Another finish, Block 5 of the Designer Mystery Block Of The Month - YIPEEE!!

Friday was a fun day visiting our girl at her new apartment and her cat DC, such a sweet cat that she inherited from the person that lived in her first apartment. I can believe someone would leave such a wonderful cat. She could not have picked a better kitty. And here's how our girl spent her Saturday....flying thru the air with the greatest of ease - WOW!!! I really admire her for giving that a whirl! You go girl :-)!!

So is everyone busy on Christmas projects?? My next 4 reindeer blocks are all cut out and then some buttonholing...no problem!! They should be done by Christmas 2010!

We are off for a few days of camping at the beach. The Santa Ana winds are expected to blow, so we should have some crisp clear weather. A great time to spend warm and cozy in the trailer sewing.

Hard to believe it's the middle of October ....soon all the ghosts and goblins will be out trick or treating...happy Fall to one and all. See you later alligators :-)!!

Retirement Complete!!

After 35 years of working, working, working, Mr. Polka Dot is fully retired! Thursday night there was a wonderful retirement dinner, complete with gifts, plaques, speeches and a wonderful slide show. The kids gave a tribute to their dad! We had a few tears, and some wonderful laughs, at dad's expense of course!!! Saturday we had our family party to celebrate the big retirement and to introduce our baby to all of the family. Who would have guessed that our 100 degree weather on Thursday would turn in to 60 degree weather with rain on Saturday. But no worry, party on family!!!

A couple more bindings done, but the pile is still quite big. Now I will definitely have more time to whittle it down. Here's another project started a while back.....2 years ago to be exact! Good thing my friend Carol doesn't comment publicly on my blog because she would so bust me on this. My Reindeer quilt from the Peppermint & Holly Berries book. She only asks me on a weekly basis how is my Reindeer quilt coming:-)! Well 5 blocks done and at least I have pulled them out from under the pile and I am touching them again!!! Only 4 blocks left. She is yelling at the computer right now "that's the same 5 blocks you had done 2 years ago"!!!!!!

Have I mentioned before that my family are major Angel Fans? Well the last several days have been a little trying. Sadly Monday night we failed to beat Boston. Despite all our cheering and yelling we were of no help!What a let down after such a wonderful season, but Boston played so darn good!!! OK, now we switch hats and start cheering for the Dodgers!!!

I found some wonderful new (well new to me) thread for hand applique, WonderFil Invisafil. It comes in all kinds of colors, but honestly, it just melts in to the fabric and even using a neutral color on darker fabrics, you just can't see the stitches.

I just love this time of year. Getting out Fall decorations, Thanksgiving and Christmas really just around the corner. Our weather is still wackadoddle here though. After a cool weekend of 60's, we were back up to 100 yesterday. And next week Santa Ana winds will be blowing. Hope Fall is falling all around where you are and you have lots of wonderful projects going on. See you later alligators :-)!!