Well I have hit the mark of sending out 70 templates!! If I have missed anyone who has asked for one - if you do not get yours in about a week or so let me know.
I have a pretty good system to keep track but I am known to make a mistake once every blue moon or so!!!

Thank you all for your kind words and for offering to pay for postage. I am just glad to share what I have learned with anyone who will put up with me!! No postage is needed thanks!

I believe in paying forward. My dad was an old " horse trader" ( trade for things rather than exhange money) and I learned early on to do for those you care about and whenever you can help someone without expecting anything in return.


I am just carrying on the tradition.

Thanks to everyone for all the interest in what I do!! It is much appreciated!!!

Thank you.

Yes, thank you!

Because you share without expecting anything in return, you will be truly blessed with what you need. Thank you for sharing and giving so generously to others, myself included. If you ever need anything, please let us know, so we can pay it back.

I would gladly trade fabric. I am always looking for small to tiny print fabric. It has become harder to find as the market tends towards large floral or watercolor batiks etc. I need something that when you look at a 1" section you will still see a print pattern. If the flowers or leaves or whatever are too far apart I lose the pattern when I sew them together and I end up with a white square etc.

So I am a bit particular about what I use. I also tend to prefer dark darks and white or light cream backgrounds in my lights.

My friend Dorothy says I need to broaden my horizons and not be so stuck in the mud!! She likes the brighter colors and easter type colors.

I sell to an Amish type store so I tend to lean towards the darker prints.

Mostly habit since I have sold to Kalona for 11 years so my eye is tuned into what works for the owner there.

Any small or tiny print will be welcome I will find a place for it!
Anybody has scraps I would gladly take them!

I would love a template! email [email protected]

I would be happy to send you a template! I need your postal address so I can send you one. You can email me or leave me a personal message.

[email protected]

Rhonda, I have my new tiny toy. Thanks so much for sharing these with us. I have several books on miniature quilts. Thanks to you my friend, I now have the inspiration to try to make one.

Pam W.

The only payment I want from everyone is to see pictures!!

Thanks Rhonda

The Kalona you refer to - is that in Iowa?

Thanks Rhonda, I got mine today. I will look for the bookmark I made last year and send you a picture. I'm just not sure where it is at the moment....

Yeah it is. Are you in the area or within driving distance? My aunt lives in Colona Illinois so I try to remember to say Iowa but I still forget sometimes.

I'm born and raised in Davenport and transplanted to the east coast to VA. My husband and I made our annual visits to see family and never missed the little Mennonite quilt shop outside Kalona. I still have many pieces of fabric purchased there. It was always a thrill to see what color was on sale when we hit the shop. She told me that she did a different color every month 30% off. My husband would sit in the car and laugh that he couldn't stand to see all of us "girls" in there spending our retirement away. Sure wish more of our quilt shops had the savvy that that little lady had. They probably would have a lot more volume.

Rhonda,

I just wanted to say how much I love your tips and techniques - it's so great how you think 'outside the box' and not only that, you want to share your ideas too! You're an asset to this board, so there!!! :D

K x

I have two favorite shops in Kalona but I quess I've never seen the Mennonite shop. I think I have seen a sign for it but never checked it out.
Small world- we are from mt. Pleasant..My daughter is in New London they lived in Davenport for 3 years while her husband went to Palmer he now has a clinic in New London. My middle child Nathan is half owner of Woodsmall Electric and is in Winfield My youngest son is an electrician also and is in Swedesburg. We're in Salem. We spent one week out of every month in Davenport while they were there and we stayed for a couple of weeks when her first son was born premature.
I was intimidated by the road system of going up Brady and then having to come back a differant way!! My kids lived off of Rockingham road. But I eventually got used to it.

When my daughter had her second son in Genesis East I had been up for 48 hours by the time it was all over. WE took off to find the hotel we had reserved rooms in. I was so tired I could hardly see. I drove out on -what is the road you turn onto at the top of Brady? Iforget- anyway I ended up in Illinoid becaus noone told me that the street took a turn to the right and I never saw any signs! by the time I found the hotel it was 10 am and the lady told me the room wouldn't be ready until 1pm I told her if I had to wait that long I would melt on the carpet where I stood! She found us a room that was already cleaned!!

Thank you thank you thank you! I am blushing can you tell??? :oops: :oops:

Rhonda,
Dear sweet lady, I received your template yesterday.
It was waiting for me when I arrived home late last night.
Thank you so much.
You are such a blessing to me.
Have a wonderfully blessed day.
Deara

The last time we were in Iowa (2000) the Mennonite Shop had changed hands and (if I remember correctly) it was a furniture shop. When she had the fabrics the name was painted on the roof and you couldn't miss it. There was so much fabric in there that two people had to walk sideways to get past each other in the aisles. And there was usually someone in the front room sitting at the quilt frame quilting. I think the store was in what was originally the "milk house." We went to a couple of other shops right in Kalona (one was mostly Debbie Mumm), but weren't as impressed and spent all my money at the little Mennonite lady's shop. Doesn't Kalona have more fabric stores per capita than any other city in the US? At least that's what they used to claim. It was a lot of fun to go there. I was born in Keota and still have favorite relations in Brighton and Washington. I believe the road you spoke of is Kimberly Rd.

When I started selling in Kalona they had 5 quilt shops but now they have 3. I only freguent two of them. But they are two of my favorites shops.

Yeah you're right it is Kimberly.

When I met my husband his parents lived on the farm about 9 miles north of Sigourney and 5 miles or so south of Keswick. So I know that area pretty well. My husband worked for his dad and they worked for Connor Brothers Consruction pouring concrete. They worked on the school in Keota. The Keota sign was always a landmark for me when driving up to the farm. Seeing it I would know I was getting close to Sigourney. We're about 1 hr and 20 min from the farm. My fil is gone now and mom lives in Burlington with her youngest son.

It's so funny that you know the areas so well!

We'll see how well my memory is next year when I come back to Iowa for my 60th HS Reunion. I plan to visit all of the relatives in your area. If I don't do it then it might be too late. They're all older than I. But there will be some great memories revisited both at the reunion and with my relatives.

Rhonda, thanks in advance for the little template. I anxiously await mine. I plan on putting aside everything so I can make one book mark. That way, it will be familiar to me when I ready to make more.

I have enjoyed reading about you gals who are familiar with the same area. I have contacted members who are in my area. It's so much fun to hear that they know about the same area as you do.

I'll keep you in mind with fabric. Sometimes I come across small prints. I might also have some in my scrap box. If I do you are welcome to it.

How do I get a free template?
[email protected]

i would love to have a template. how kind of you. [email protected] is my emil address

It is great that you can come back and attend the reunion! Hope you have a terrific time! Hope we don't have any more flooding and that the weather is nice when you come!

pflum1 and notsewgood

To order the 1 1/2" template you just need to send me your postal address so I can send you the template. It is hard acrylic plastic so it needs to be sent thru the snail mail.

Quintingma I would love to get scraps we'll talk and I can find something in exchange I'm sure!

GailG Thanks I'm glad my stuff has goneover so well. I like to share what I have discovered!

I am new to this site, but I am loving reading these posts. Is it too late to get onto the list for the template? I have receintly (in the last year) gotten into minitures and I love them. Thanks

I am new to this site alway and was wondering if I could possibly receive a template also.

how would you like a receipt for a banana bread ,it 's from my husband's grandmother collection. She would be about 110 today if she was still with us. My way to say Thank you

Thanks so much Rhonda :)

How do I sent my address too you in order to get the template? Do I need to sent postage?

OK I got my template, it's so cute! Thanks so much! Now can anybody give me an idea to use it?

thanks!

Yomousey have you seen the Quilted Paradise Newsletter? I am contributing to the newsletter with articles that use my methods.
You can see more of my methods and projects on my site www.bitsnpiecesworkshop.com it's free.

Anyone who wants a free tempate can email me at [email protected] or send me a personal message here on the board. thanks for asking!

I would love a receipt for banana bread I make a banana cake that is really good!!! but I have never had a good bread recipe. I always think I willl look one up but never do I just make more cake instead!!

No it isn't too late! I will send them out as long as anyone wants one.

Thanks Rhonda

Rhonda, I have an EASY banana bread recipe. 1 box of butter pecan cake mix (i use Betty Crocker), 3 eggs, 3-5 ripe bananas (the more the merrier!) and don't forget some walnuts. Mix all ingredients together. If mix seems dry add a splash of water. I usually put into a cupcake tin. Easier for hubby to take to work to share. But I have put in load pans and bundt pans. Just follow temp and time on back of cake mix box.
Yummy!!

I'll have to try it! Thanks! Let you know how it comes out. I just bought some bananas today but they are green. When they ripen i will have to try it!

I like to make banana cake and frost it with cream cheese frosting it is really good!!

The only banana cake I ever had was from Little Debbie.
:lol:

Have you ever had a spice cake? It is something like a spice cake. It is a moist cake and with the cream cheese it is really something!

I'm a chocaholic but this banana cake comes close for me to being a favorite!

It's not any harder than making cookies.