Happy Dance!

Good morning!  I pray you all are having a blessed day in the beautiful world we live in. Trials and war, rumors of war, meanness, everything going on all over the world is happening around us, but in Christ we can have peace. I still have my headache, but going to the doctor this morning, so pray I get some answers. Nine days is way to long especially when I have so much to do!


 I am doing the happy dance even at 4:30 AM. LOL My friend Gene Black, a fellow blogger, and I met in town yesterday to do some trading of items on our way to our respective doctor's appointments. It has been several years since I've seen Gene. We went to high school together, church together and were great friends. I am thankful we still are after thirty plus years. He and I talked on the phone Sunday about the breast cancer rag quilt I am making for my daughter to raffle to raise money for the Making Strides walk she is participating in. We talked about batting versus flannel on the inside, and that I didn't have either one. He said he has some batting he would gladly give me for the quilt. It wound up being Warm and Natural batting! I am so excited! I've never worked with this type batting, but I've heard it is wonderful, so I am looking forward to using it. He included a few other items in the box that I found when I got back home from the doctor. He had include four or five different pink fabrics for me to use, an awesomely cute mug rug he made with an embroidered bird and music notes on it. I LOVE IT!!! He also included an item that we had previously discussed he was going to give me. Thangles! Yep, those wonderful papers that you can make half square triangles just by sewing on the lines beside the diagonal line and cut them, remove the paper and tada! half square triangles- two for the sewing of one. These things come in strips and you place your fabric cut a designated width and length pin it onto the paper, and sew, cut, press, and take off the paper. So, now you see one reason why I am doing the happy dance!

The second reason I am doing the happy dance is I am meeting so many awesome friends on some Facebook groups I a member of. I only scan through my news feed any more because I focus on the groups I have been blessed to become a part of. We are people, women and men, who love to be creative whether it is quilting, crocheting, knitting, sewing garments, curtains, etc. I LOVE being a part of a community of fellow lovers of crafting from all over the world. I have told you about a few of the groups I am a member of. I have been added to two more, and have felt so welcome in them all. I have made new FB "Friends" from these groups. We are learning about each other and many of us have a lot in common which I love. One thing I have found out about quilters is that we love to help in anyway we can. We don't have any problems with donating items to help one another accomplish a goal. We don't mind making donation quilts for people in need whether babies, young children, teenagers or adults. Quilters, I've found, are some of the more generous people one can ever encounter. Let's give applause for all the quilters in the world. Quilting has long been a way for people to keep cover on the beds throughout time. I remember sleeping under many quilts at my grandparents house especially in the winter time due to not having heat except the fireplace in the main room. I couldn't even turn over because they were so heavy, but come morning time I would be so toasty, I wouldn't want to get up and out in the cold. I have such fond memories of quilts, but I was never taught how to make one. That is until I determined myself in 2010 that it was time I learned to make quilts. I fell in love! To get on to my point, (sorry about getting sidetracked) at least two of the new friends I've made since Sunday have read my blog and found out that Gene Black is searching for Angels to help send donation quilts for the Ogden House here in Guntersville, AL for Christmas and want to help!  Last year, still being green on quilting, I did not participate. I told Gene that I would do my best to help out this year. So, one way I am helping is getting quilts donated for his cause, and I will do my best to make some kind of quilt for a teenager for Christmas. Pray that I will find the time. LOL

When I told Gene, yesterday, that these ladies had offered to get him a quilt, he was very excited. I sure hope they keep their word to me. One of these blessings lives in California, so she will ship it to me. The other blessing lives close to Guntersville, and told me that her quilt group loves to do donation quilts. So, she may be able to get me more than one. If you would like to be a blessing to a teenager, then by all means contact me and I will either give you Gene's information or I can get it to him. He needs them to be no smaller than 45" x 60", but would like for them to be a little larger since these are teens. My quilting group members also make donation quilts for Wrap Them in Love, but ours are usually 40 x 60. So, I can see where a teen would like to have one a little larger. Gene shared pictures on his blog of the donations last year when he delivered them. He said it was such a blessing to him to be able to do this for the home. So, if you would like to help, by either donating fabric to me to make a quilt, or making one to send to the home, please let me know. You will receive an awesome blessing for participating if you do. Thank you from my heart and from Gene's heart in advance.

Other news:
1. I delivered the cape to my niece that I finished for her yesterday and she loved it! She has already posted pictures on facebook of it. I hope it does the job for her. I've never made a cape before, much less a lined one, but it wasn't too bad. Who knows, I might make myself one some day.
2. I have been researching patterns for mug rugs for Christmas presents. I am getting excited to think that I can use a lot of my scraps to make these cute little bigger than coasters and give them as gifts. I am going to explore making a crazy quilt one to see how it turns out. I found an awesome tutorial on one of  sewing emails I get of a half dresden plate appliqued onto a piece of fabric. I so want to try making one of those, too. Maybe a log cabin pattern for one, etc. I will definitely try my hand at making them really soon. I also want to make some ten-minute table runners that I was introduced to recently. No quilting required! I will find these links and post them on here for you.

Samelia's Mum: Semi Dresden - Mug Rug {Quick Tutorial}
PLEASANT HOME: Scrappy Tree Mug Rugs!
Wonderfully awkward: Guest blogger! Hexie Mug Rug Tutorial
PLEASANT HOME: Scrappy Tree Mug Rugs!
Stitching by Starlight: Tutorial - Offset Log Cabin Mug Rug

Ten Minute Table Runner Links
www.sewwequilt.com/.../comfort-and-joy-with-deonn-and-he
www.rgadesignquilts.com/.../Twelve%20Minute%20Gift%20B..
www.youtube.com/watch?v

I pray these links work for you. If not, just go to google and type in free mug rug patterns, and ten minute table runner and see all the links you can find!

Let me know what you think! Have a blessed day and will talk to you tomorrow or Thursday.

Blessings,
Teresa