Yipee! I cannot wait! Thank you dustysmomma!

Got my partner! Hope she knows or has an idea of what she may want! I need direction! or I get lost! lol

OK!! I HAVE MY PARTNER! Now to figure out what she wants... hmmmmmmmm

Got it! And she has the colors I love to work with. This is will be so fun, I have in my head what I want to make....now just put it to fabric. Going to start tomorrow.

OK, everyone should have their partners now. If you didn't get one, please let me know as soon as possible. Now get sewing! :D

Oh yeah, I almost forgot.....

A couple people offered to send room photos if it would help. I have to clean up my room first! :D

Ok, before I mess up like in the mug rug swap (where we were meant to remain a secret from our swap partner). Am I allowed to contact my swap person to chat, gather more ideas etc or is this swap also a secret?

And Elisabrat the SAHM means "stay at home mother" though I spend more time visiting thrift stores than being the perfect house wife at home lol!

Now to put my thinking hat on and create something pretty for my partner....... happy sewing everyone:o)

Kiwi, it's meant to be secret this time. I think I'll do it non-secret next time with the new rules we have though.

So, to help everyone get some ideas for their partners, I pose a question to everyone:

Other than quilting in general, what is your hobby? Do you collect something? Is there something you're utterly fascinated with (butterflies, trains, music)? If someone from here came to visit, what in your home would you want to share with them first that you'd like more of in your home?

This will hopefully spurn a little discussion and give some more ideas!

i am an avid gardener and i love flowers. i grew up on a farm and i loved it, especially the animals; chickens and cows were my favs. I love cats and dogs and i rescue them when i can.
I love old barns and i go to flea markets often. I am big into civil war things and old clothes. anything will be fine.. i use placemats, and table runners all the time. i have no preference as long as the item is not contemporary in design. I am a great fan of westerns. Have fun with whatever you decide! and thank you so much!

Have my partner's name and a few suggestions of what they wish for.

Just went back to my sign up information and reviewed what I posted - partner you shouldn't have any problems figuring out what to make - I put description for each room but wish for you to decide what you would like to make - we are happy and appreciate all handmade items.

We like to garden - both flowers and veggies; fabric budget goes south in the springtime when it's time to buy plants - they get priority. I like to read - Lucas Davenport is my favorite detective; I just finished reading a book about the orphan school in Owatonna MN - interesting and good read. I like to cook and bake, spend time with my friends, go junking (thrift shopping); I'm usually up for new adventures - try and give 100% and if you don't like it don't repeat.

i love animals and i have strong opinions about preserving wild animals and rescuing domestic ones, with spaying and neutering a must! i love contemporary, love 50's, love exotic animals, and i nearly forgot, i love dragonflies and flamingos. i adore my children and especially love my dgd, olivia, 17 mos. old and adorable! in the past i have collected teapots but my husband has convinced me it is time to start giving them away. be forewarned my partner, there may well be a teapot heading your way!! lololol

oh I hope I have you Nancia I need a tea pot! um if you came into my house you would see photographs of vintage western gear, art my children painted in elementary school framed and hung proudly. You would see my pink 50's stuff in the kitchen and the handmade tablerunners. I would probably show you my sewing room with the doll quilts on the walls and the newest projects. My watercolors my dh and I paint, charcoals, hung with tape all over the wall. I always and I mean always have seasonal/holiday decorations up. For every holiday. I love the happy spot it takes me to.

And my partner is a non poster again. So other than the room and one color I am winging it. I love the suggestion of posting more about you. Who doesnt want to get to know their partner more? I love the idea of next round having partners not secret partners. I find the emails back and forth are truly a nice way to make another quilting friend. Plus silly thing is its so much easier to make something for someone that you can chat with and feel out what they like.

Mine is getting trashbag liners. KIDDING. dont have a clue but I do know.. what color it will be.. the style posted earlier is a great thing to tell your partner. saying I dont like modern helps a whole bunch. or I only like modern. if you only like modern then maybe a soft ruffled pink and cream thing isnt your thing. I personally shy away from modern if possible. old fashioned girl here with old fashioned style. lol if you could say I have style. I am one ecclectic mess :)

About me:

This is what I had sent with my sign-up.
Your décor colors and/or theme: Black leather furniture with red accents, think bachelor pad-like. Black cube bookshelf, big screen tv. Needs something pretty, red and black.

If red/black aren't fun for my partner... I also love primitive stuff. Homespun, owls, pumpkins, crows and such and am totally open to something different in my husbands 'spot'!!

I not having any trouble about colors or the room she gave alot of info. Now the only decision is should I do the kitchen things or a runner, and if I do a runner, should I just make an oblong runner or should I make one of my spirals??? What should I do,hmmmmm

I know you're talking about me... so the spiral would be amazing.:thumbup:

Dear Lord... I hope I wasn't so bossy she makes it out of scraps with pickles and cows or some such.

jaba jan you can make me one of those wonderful spiral runners - it would be perfect for our dining room table and if the length is just right it might make it to the coffee table in the livingroom.

Hey hey brat - the phrase "old fashioned" doesn't seem to agree with your spunky personality - it makes you sound like the elders and you're far from that - maybe a little more traditional with your style. I would love to see your charcoals and painted pics that you and your hubby make; I appreciate that style of art and I'm sure the rest of the swap gang would like to see them as well.

My partner hinted at color and theme in their signup information - just need to decide what to make.

oooo! I hope that you have me... me.me.me. i LOVE your spirals!

Well now, I know it's not fair that I know who my partner is, so I'll just post a little more about me to maybe help them out. Hopefully this won't be the same as what I posted before, lol.

Our house consists of my boyfriend, my 20 year old son Dusty, and myself. Between the three of us, we're a musical bunch. My boyfriend plays drums, Dusty plays drums and guitar, and although I haven't in years, I used to sing competitively and in church (yes, even solos) in high school. I think it's safe to say that for all three of us, music is a huge part of our lives. It's hard to walk into our house and not hear music playing somewhere at all times.

In the fall, my boyfriend and I are big Auburn University football fans. (Unfortunately, Dusty is an Alabama fan...I blame his father, lol.) We have season tickets and go to almost every home game. There's orange and blue sprinkled here and there all over our house, among lots of dark wood, chrome, and black leather. I'm slowly bringing in more bright colors though. In the summer, we try to go to the lake as much as possible. We have a bright red Yamaha 212 SS jet boat that we use to zip around Lake Martin, then I get on my float and my boyfriend ties a rope from a cleat on the boat to my ankle and I take a nap in the sun. :D (Stop laughing Elisabrat! I can hear you form here, lol!)

oh dear orange and blue like together dustysmom? lol ..how colorful is right. how about musical notes for you? WAIT a minute that bugger b..t ties a rope to your ankle. I would tell him he has to sleep eventually. smile and close my eyes. that would be the last time he tied a boat to my ankle. napping in the sun sounds grand though.

Tracibug you have a mancave like decorated like a man cave and its your room? you definetely need a bit of whimsy in there. hey my chicken fabric is black and rust/red with well hints of yellow in their beaks. polka dotted chickens. which would beat a mix of cows and pickles. I think that would not be good.

Kiwi you should be a breeze to work with you love all sorts of stuff! Darn you guys. this is so unfair. All of you who post here make life so much easier for the rest of us. I think oh heck I could use this for this one, oh wouldnt that fabric from be perfect for.. and I am stuck wondering .. what to use for my partner. to bad you cant say when people sign up its nice if you post every so often get to know the group and they can get to know you. silly concept.
wait there was someone here SANDY you have a christmas wall hanging oh that fits nicely in the livingroom or family room abeit not immediately but surely it works. :)
I have this stack of about hand sized pieces bright red and white polka dots. the stack is about five inches high. what would you do with all that stuff if it was yours? also a smaller stack about 2 inches high of a muted moss green with white polka dots dime size dots I might add. these are cut outs from designer childrens clothing the neck piece. its a lot of polka dots and I love dots but I am stumped. I figure I can toss about 1 inch of the dots into my christmas quilt. the rest....I can get up to I think 4" squares out of each one or 2.5 x 4.5 out of it ..Sandy any ideas....

pickles and cows, hmmm, probably could find some pickles but don't want cows here. Not in the sewing room just in the freezer. Made up my mind and started cutting and sewing away. Today, quilt it . Maybe yes maybe not, the decisions are the worst. I think my brain works to hard sometimes. It's hard on an old lady you know? Oh and I like those purple tulips.

Elisabrat, I told you I like bright colors! Oh, and if he didn't attach me to the boat somehow, I'd float off in my sleep. I'm not tied tied, it's the open loop end of the rope that usually would go on the cleat, but he puts it on my ankle instead. It's nice & loose, so I can get out when I want, lol.

As for the non-posting partners, if you can't find enough information on your partner and have questions, I have been passing a few on. I've been asking participants to post here too, so hopefully we'll get some more as we go along :)

Oh yeah, speaking of cows, I have some fabric that is the pieces to make a stuffed cow in a dress that sits in a chair. Oh, and the hippie cow with the sunflowers pillow, lol. I gotta start getting rid of some of this stuff. I didn't know what a varied jumble I'd bought until I got it home!

hello swapper's.........
i am sorry if I fit into that "Non-posting partner" catogory, but I said I would try to post as often as I could.

Now for the rest of the story......Up until last friday I was employed full time............now my at the insistance of my hubby, I need to find a job. I just have completed 5 hours of applying for unemploymentl (on hold for 40min) and 5 jobs.

Course the last thing I want to do now is be on the computer longer, but I thought I would check my email and found the latest comments of this swap.

The one thing about not having a job for me now, is I might get to spend sometime in my sewing/quilting room, "NOT", but I still have to look for a job too as my hubby says. So I have to dedicate sometime to that each day. Course after 5 jobs today, I think I will break till at least tuesday next week. If I could, I would be spending my time in my most favorite room in this house everyday. So with that being said...........some of us are not as lucky to have extra time to spend time here and be in "our favorite room" everyday.

So please be alittle bit more understanding and I sure hope I gave enough info for my swapper to have some ideal of what to do. I know Dustysmomma emailed me the other day to pin-point a particular room out of the three. So I listed in preference 1, 2,3. So I hope that helped my swapper.

I will once again apoligize for the above.....i've already had a long day and it's only half over.

Now for my accomplishment yesterday...........yipee, yipee.......I orgainzed some more of my fabric on fabric boards, re-set up my embroidery machine and serger. And the big thing, made a doggie bed for a 6 month border collie/blue heeler mix dog named Shelby. He has torn up 3 beds so far and I am hoping using some good used portions of hubbys' old jeans and the stuffing from the last tornup bed, it might last a while. And to Elizabrat - I started my own "Snow Happens Table runner".

I know you will ask now, as to why I don't start on my "Secret Home Decor swap" stuff......Well, I don't have the type of fabric choices that is needed for my lucky swapper surprise. With a trip to Bismarck, ND(hour drive one way) tomorrow (after my recheck of mammogram from breast cancer) I will look into finding something that will work and beings that I worked so hard this morning I will get started on it.

I know I have mentioned before.......we just moved into this house Dec. 30, 2011. So we are also in the process of remodeling a few area's. So when my hubby is home, you can guess where I am. We are working on the master bedroom/new walkin closent and a adjoining bathroom. This house was built in the early 1960's as a 4-plex (upstairs/downstair units), in the late 70's is became a duplex (half and half units). In late 80's, it became a one family home. They did some remodeling with removing the center livingroom wall to open up both sides upstairs and down stairs. Now we are making it a more usuable one family home with some updates. Do you remember the peach and green/teal colored bath tubs from the 60's????? Well I have one of each in each side of upstairs. The peach one will hope to be gone within the next week or so. One bedroom was made from one kitchen area - the family tore out kitchen cabinet's filled in a doorway and painted one wall purple, one wall orange and one wall dark teal, and the closent wall was white. That was the first room I tackled - with 2 coats of primer on the colored walls they are now a light tan, with new tile and is now the "office". The small bedroom near our bedroom, is nearly done as the new walk-in closent. Now hubby has torn out the living room closent wall (also our bedroom wall) and will enclosed hopefully in the next week so after the new shower/bath comes in the door. We will gain 2 1/2 feet in new Master bedroom suite. When possible I will upload pic's.

Our children have grown and don't live near by, Alaska, MN, SD and upper North ND. So we have no assistance from them when we need help and course my hubby is always remodeling something no matter where we live.

We live in a little country rural town....lucky to have a gas station. Dickinson is a 25 minute drive, with a Walmart that just got fabric back, but 1/2 the size of most fabric area's in Walmarts. The one quilt shop is we do have pushes their sewing machines and have very little of usuable quilt fabrics. So I have to plan trips to either Bismarck or Rapid City, SD. When I can, I purchase online.

Would love to be home on a full-time bases', but I support my hubbys' hobby - remodeling, lol and on occassion my own fabric habit.

Sorry this is such a book, but I need to vent somewhere.

Entryway pic's
 

Here are pic's of my entry way. I've not had an entry way before so it is kinda bare. I did finally purshase a "wipe your boots" pic. Plenty of room for something.

Plenty of room for a wall hanging in these walls.

Sorry for falling into the category of non-poster. I have been swamped at work and home. I have been away from the Quilting Board since before Christmas and am just getting back into it.

My Christmas was busy with the kids coming home from college - thankfully they have just all gone back. Quilting is my refuge from a very stressful job. Also a stressful homelife. My husband has Stage 4 colorectal cancer and has been on chemo now two years. The chemo weeks are awful and I find locking myself in my daughter's old bedroom and sewing is my only salvation.

I have several ideas for my partner. Hoping to narrow down what to do and get started this weekend. I tend to get my projects down way before the due date.

I am easy to please. I chose my dining room, becasue I recently redecorated and really do not have too much deocration there.

I can't wait to see wht my partner comes up with.

This seems like a very fun idea for a swap and can not wait until my surprise arrives!!!

Robinlee, sounds like there is never a dull moment at your house! My ex was a contractor, so I know about the never-ending home renovations. It looks like you have plenty of space for goodies in that entryway!

978gray, it sounds like you have your hands full. I'm happy that you are getting life back to a routine with the kids gone. The holidays are so hectic when you go from an empty nest to a full house! (I hope to live to see the empty nest and enjoy it!)

I think I've kind of decided on what I'm making for my partner. Looks like I'm going to Columbus, GA this weekend, so I'll be able to make a trip to Joanne's and use my 30% off everything coupon for supplies :)

Sounds like everyone is off and running! I went to the fabric store today and bought fabric....( I love buying fabric heh heh..) cannot believe there is so much that i do not have. this is going to be so much fun!




Saw a picture today that describes our home attitude towards fabric accumulation:
"My husband said if i buy anymore fabric, he is going to leave me.. I am sure going to miss him!"

Sounds like I am the odd ball! I choose my daughter Jayla, she is 3, she turns 4 in June. She loves horses and dogs, she is defiently my daughter and her favorite color is purple, like a bright medium purple followed by pink. I plan on making her either a purple ombré or a rainbow quilt I haven't decided. She received a quiet book with crayons and coloring pad for Christmas from my mom. She will love anything! She always help pick out the fabric and presents for my swaps, so I hope my partner likes it, we are going shopping Saturday. She doesn't know I choose her room, I don't know if I will be able to keep it a secret!

I thought I'd share this little different casserole carrier that I just ran across on Pinterest. Usually, they're made square or rectangle, but this one is round. I'm not sure I'd have any use for a round one, but some of you might....

http://elisabeth-dixiedoodles.blogsp...h-carrier.html

ok this sounds like some new fun here, I'd like to try this one....

I have made these. They are super easy but are kind of hard to get the dish inside.

[QUOTE=Elisabrat;5809554...I have this stack of about hand sized pieces bright red and white polka dots. the stack is about five inches high. what would you do with all that stuff if it was yours? also a smaller stack about 2 inches high of a muted moss green with white polka dots dime size dots I might add. these are cut outs from designer childrens clothing the neck piece. its a lot of polka dots and I love dots but I am stumped. I figure I can toss about 1 inch of the dots into my christmas quilt. the rest....I can get up to I think 4" squares out of each one or 2.5 x 4.5 out of it ..Sandy any ideas....[/QUOTE]
I think I would incorporate all those polka dots of various kinds into a baby quilt and pull the solid colors out of them to make sashings or solid blocks or make HST from them with half dotty/half solid. Easier to think about if I had a picture but that is first thought off top of my head. Elisa, your postings always make my day. You are such a positive person. Wish I knew you in person. You are always so upbeat and bring us all good feelings.

I think I added to my profile but just to make things easier for my home decor swap partner..I am easy to sew for. I will love anything you make. Our home is very relaxed. Not much color coordination...just a comfortable place to come, sit down and visit in. I do have one wall space for a wall hanging. I only have three but would like more for variety. 15" x 22" max. I like autumn colors, anything to do with cats and most quilt designs. Not so much into modern art type things and like bright colors. Definitely into scrappy. I also use table runners but small ones since our table is not large...not bigger than two place mats long. Hope that helps. Happy sewing to all.

Well living with remodeling is so hard on a relationship. My childrens father is a Structural Engineer and was totally all about remodeling, new redo, reredo build build build. I was about cozy farm old house. I think he finally has the house he loves and me I am in peace knowing I do not have to live with that. It is such a pleasure to meet you guys I am sorry you feel pushed into posting it would be my fault at that. I have so often received the dont care suprise me that it has made me want to cry. I can get creative but the nerves get going and I think oh no what if oh no this wont and they wont and well its not pretty ladies its not good at all. I am the queen of second guess yourself. So thank you for writing a post here. I think all of us appreciate it.

978 you certainly have a load on your shoulders. I had a transplant last April after three months in the hospital and now am in dialysis for kidney failure. I feel for you.. I use my sewing as my salvation. The group here supports me and my goofyness and well it takes me away from thinking of lifes problems. I would venture to guess that a whole lot of quilters here use it for therapy also. I figure its cheaper than a shrink and well you get something when your done. I wish you peace dear lady. I have someone here for me. I am sure he feels just like you at times. He goes fishing. We dont always say it but to those who stand by us.. well you mean the world to us. Its nice having someone there when you flop over and dont want to play anymore. It makes a huge difference.

Onto sewing havent started but have this absolutely fun fabric I have saved.. and saved.. and well good time to use it I think. I just finished one wall hanging today have quilted a second wall hanging and now am going to bind it and do hand stitching on that later after dinner. In the mean time a boom block that came late to me needs to be sewn. other than that twiddling my thumbs today. Good to hear from you guys again. thanks for posting.

last oh oh that hall is screaming wall hanging.

hey, brat, if you need stuff to do i have a whole bunch that needs doin'. lol i've got your address! you can't run, but you can hide!! <3

I'm sewing on the binding and then it will be done. Will have to send a PM and see when I can mail.

Nancia I have one thing to say to that.. AHHHHHHHH! egad my list is huge as it is. the old bucket list lol consists of quilting only. Been there seen that now I only have to sew. Ah what a horrible thing huh? AND YOU CANT STEAL MY CHOCOLATE and I will post that on every swap you watch me. Nancia is a chocolate thief and a fibber. She thinks she can waltz in and snag my candy girl I have handcuffs and I am not affraid to use them.. first I have to take them off before i share :)

I did great yesterday hope and pray today is a sewing day but if not there are two whole entire days coming up for me to sew with only one obligation. That is ok I can do that. I get my chest cathater spell check removed on Monday. I have had that stupid thing since April. AND THAT MEANS.. NO MORE SINK BATHS I GET TO SHOWER!!!!! omg guys try washing your hair in the sink for moons on end, you get a wash cloth to wash up in the sink and not a single shower for 9 months. This is like better than Christmas. I will use up the entire tank of hot water the first time. It is going to be magnificent. (the little things in life to thrill one huh?)

oh no I dont stink! come back you guys i do wash up just not in a fun way!!!!GUYS HELLOOOO (bet there was a party and Nancia told everyone not to invite me or I would eat all the food and food is not good for me) hellloooo youuuwhoooo.

fine let me tell you this. too tired to sew but bound two items by hand in clinic so that was good. progress forward is always a grand thing. a tablerunner to finish, one more hand bind, one block and then there is this lovely little goodie to whip up have the fabric and a plan. and by the time I am ready for this it will be boom time and oh something else major.. and I love it. totally love it. drive myself nuts loving it.
well was looking for someone but your all out at the party. good thing I didnt put on my good flannel shirt for nothing.

hey, miss elisabrat! there ain't no party if you is not invited! i will share candy and other sweets with you, if you will share with me! i am not a liar, well, that is, i don't actually lie, it just looks like it 'cause i refuse to be wrong... a very narrow tightrope! i was up all night sewing, sooooo much fun, and then couldn't sleep when i did go to bed, so this afternoon i had a sandwich and laid down my old head, and clunk, i went to sleep! now, i'll probably spend all tonight sewing and be in the same boat again. i must have been born at night! my natural rhythm is to be a night owl. i get lots done when the rest of the world sleeps!
i have been picking up tips on quilting, the actual sewing the top, batting and backing. ricky timms says, first it depends on what you CAN do, like if you're good with swirls, do swirls, and you know, it's very free-ing. i love to make patterns and designs as i go. it's like drawing pictures of anything you want! it is so much fun, so i thought i would share with everyone the essential truth--- do what you can! if you are good at straight lines, do those! if you are having fun with spirals, do those! no need to do feathers and medallions if those aren't what you're good at! you can always practice those on paper to get good at them if you want, but there is NO quilt goddess that says you Have to do one motif or it's not quilting. This is what we do for fun, soooooo...... do what you can do and have fun!

Elisabrat, you don't stink. I had to work a bit today, then go fabric shopping, then go to a birthday party, and I just finally got home.