I'll pray for you that it's just the flu :thumbup:

I'm still in too and ready to send as soon as I get the go ahead! :thumbup:

Thanks for the morning funny jaba - as my Great Uncle Lester used to say "I'll see you in the funnies!"

I totally understand you. I was burnt bad in a Christmas swap and didn't join any swaps for a very long time because of it.

OK, this is a PSA, so that everyone knows, and maybe this will offer a little incentive to the procrastinators. Everyone in this group is tied to at least 2 other people. Nobody is receiving from who they're shipping to. So with the wait til everyone is ready to ship rule added, if you're last minute or late finishing, you're not just holding up your partner from getting their item. You're holding up at least 2 people from both getting and shipping theirs too. There's always going to be people who are late, and some of that can't be helped because life happens and we understand that. But, if you're just procrastinating, all I can say is "get on the stick chick!" :D

still here.. waiting for a special fabric to come in the mail for the last little thing.. looking good..

I finally found the perfect fabric and have ordered it, I get a idea in my head and it just won't go away. I will be starting this week, hopefully the floor people will be starting on my house, two weeks since the great flood and still no flooring.

Nancia.....your box is full again, lol!

Would this be a swap? I have never joined any of the block swaps because I didn't really understand the directions. If we had enough people we could change partners every month and kinda follow a color pattern for that person. Just a thought.

Sikesjj, I would have to get permission from the admins and the pattern creator to do a swap on this pattern, but if several people are interested, I can contact Sindy about it. If you miss a month when the BOM is posted on her site for free, she charges $5 to get the previous month's pattern, and she sells the full pattern for $20, so I don't know if she would ok it or not. If she did, the next challenge is getting it approved and everyone getting it downloaded by the end of the month. I don't believe she'll let us share it with latecomers, but I could be wrong.

Okay, I will download and print it because you can never have to many patterns ;). I didn't know how the swap thing worked behind the scenes! Wow, alot of work goes into these swaps, thank you for leading this one!!!

Well I am very sorry to hear about the people who have been "burnt" in other swaps. Its not right and I will hope that everyone participates. I now Rhonda's wall hanging swap she has you write her and say your done THen she puts those people in the send to this person at the very end. This way in theory no one is burnt. Probably a very smart way to go. or partners as well you talk back and forth, they dont talk to you send emails.. then dont send. Reduction in non receipt? I personally send. if i get something back I am pleasantly suprised. if I don't its not the end of the world. it reduces my internal stress tremendously if I let it go the second it leaves the house. done.

I am working on quilting again today. A real day for me tada! and its the last sunny sunny day for a while so i will take it. My table I work on faces outside into the park so I can see the turkeys and deer wander by and the squirrels playing while i sew. I love it. Wish we had more sunlight streaming through but the redwoods are so tall we simple have oodles of forest shade. filtered light. lovely if your a photographer especially first thing in the morning. the trees simply glow on one side highlighting the bark turning it a golden red. I love it. the ground cover is a vibrant green.. then the sun rises and all turns to beige and a medium dark green. funny how light changes things.

Sounds beautiful!!!! I would love to see some pictures! We had a dusting of snow on Thursay and yesterday the family and I were outside in short sleeve flying a kite. It was beautiful, but really windy which is nothing new to Oklahoma City. It is so windy today I had to hold onto to the little ones so they wouldn't blow away. I went to the gym, now I am going to clean, I am not real good at balancing projects and house, I get very absorbed in my project. Hope everyone has a great day!

What is your favorite color Elisabrat?

Some swaps are more work than others I'm sure. The more participants you have, the more work it is. Secret is always more work than non-secret because you have to be the go between for questions. An in the case of a pattern that is available online, you have to get permission to use it as the centerpiece of a swap to avoid copyright issues.

Look what the "Quilty Fairy" sent to me today! This was totally unexpected and unnecessary, BUT.... SO well loved already by me! So I'm keeping it! It looks just like my "Spooker Kitty" Well I guess it really could look like anyones solid black cat! lol But this one is mine! I was so thrilled today to open the package and pull out this beauty along with other goodies! (Actually some brat thought that I needed an extra goodie since a package in another swap was not received)

Did I say how much I love this little Kitty?? I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT!

Thanks a ton to the Quilty Fairy! I owe you!

I LIED! It was the DQ ANGEL who sent me this gorgeous kitty quilt! LOL

well that was fast my dear lady. and your cat looks exactly like that one (almost anyways stretched all over the furniture) I hope you like the egg fabric. reminded me of well.. your girls. lol. your welcome. now you can go trade dq's again with confidence that someone will be there if things dont work. thank krystyna. she is the one who asked me for help. I am on a roll wanting to do a chicken quilt but probably a like four patch chicken wall hanging would be enough too. Black background with say hot colors for chickens fuschia, gold, purple, aqua.. you know ..realistic ones. or maybe just a red/black/white chicken with barn fabrics and then maybe some of that chicken mess fabric and .. where would i put that? I have no clue. good thing my life is too busy for one more project. then I want of course that owl quilt maybe I only need a couple months of it make four but two of each.. will get the same concept at least. and it will read cute regardless.

oh oh and also they have an angel quilt like the angels not so much the heads. any ideas how to make them a tad less ..huge and maybe a bit of hair and two dots for eyes not a face.. these have like wooden ball heads and nothing else. transformers is what I need! it was at the same site that we all looked at the owl quilt. fat cat patterns I think?

For those who have been following the discussion about the owl quilt (called "Whoo Knows?") BOM on Fat Cat, I contacted the site/pattern owner and she's agreed to let us use the pattern for the swap. She's also offered to sell the full pattern at a reduced price to participants for the first 30 days, if I can get the swap approved by our site admins here. Anyone who comes in late will have to either buy the pattern in full or if they come in during March, they can pay the $5 to download this month's block and can keep up with us for the rest of them.

So! I'm going to email PatriceJ and see if she'll let me post the swap. With this one not over yet, she may say no until this one is over. I'm just not sure. If so, if there is someone else willing to back me up and do the first couple months until this swap is over, I'll gladly pitch in & help.

In the meantime, if you even think you might be interested, head on over to this page and download this month's block before it's too late!

http://www.fatcatpatterns.com/BoMs.html

OK, scrap that. Because there is a potential for any cost, we can't do it as a swap on here. Oh well, all I could do was ask. Sorry ladies.

Oh QuiltingKrazy, that's so cute! I'm a cat lover too.

we could share regular e-mail addys and do it that way. even if it's just a few of us, it would still be fun! we would need to p.m the e-mail addresses, not display them on athread as the threads are public, but the private messages are not.

oh well good idea right? I am going to get this months pattern for me and then decide on whether to buy them all or just a few.. I know the whole thing is only so much like 20.00 but that is a lot for me right now .. at least i would have the starter month.

I will wait to send when everyone does but am finished. That way hopefully you can do your little check chart on who has said they are ready and when you say Go dusty we will go Go! to the post office! and the photos will clog your site then with happy campers and their sweet treats. I will hope you guys are not going overboard. this is not a secret pal send everything and the kitchen sink swap. I hope not or my partner will be sad. I have made one item, its pretty and that is what I have to send. Hope it will be enough (crossing fingers).. I did not have a kitchen. (that is a clue here)..

My new laptop came yesterday, so no work on my sewing last night. I have to say that I'd like to slap Bill Gates around a little for some of the "improvements" to Windows 8. So last night was spent on setting up the new lappy and I had an appt for a hair cut & color. Oh my, this new color I got is brighter than I planned. I'm naturally a redhead, but I've been covering up my "racing stripes" since 2001. The sample of the color I picked was a lot more brown than what it turned out on my head. I feel like Carrotop's dark haired sister this morning, lol. All of this preparation, including the new manicure with the green & gold nail polish that matches my dress, is in preparation for this formal dinner thing we're going to on Saturday. Guess I'm going to be a bit shocking, lol, or at least memorable!

I would be up for doing a side swap with a few of you if you like. We could pick colors & do it by outside email. Swap up partners so that we swap with everyone involved. I have a couple other ideas too. If you're interested, inbox me here & we'll work out the details between us. :)

Elisabrat, I will mark you down as done. I don't remember how many are in your group or who right off. Will look & let you know this evening.

How much is her 'discounted' price? I'd like to help see if we can make this work. Such a cute quilt.


Also... owlvamp is hosting an owl quilt block swap and there are some cute blocks being made there, though more brights than true, for any other owl lovers out there.

I didnt know I had a group! whipppeee yahoooo. if we had secret meetings and no one invited me is it something I said? I say an awful lot of stuff most of it fluff.. its ok I have already forgotten the meeting if I did attend so its all good :)

its freezing. I just walked in.. go ahead laugh its 45 ok ok but I have to wear moccasins or I cant walk shoes too heavy. about 8 inches of snow left. my feet got so wet and so cold just getting from the car. I stood in the kitchen like an idiot made my dh lunch and thought oh dear its so cold in here. DUH your feet are iced wet. So now i sit on the couch wrappedin two warm blankets heater on socks now on my feet shoes over by the heater thinking you dumb bunny. could have slipped them off instantly when I got inside put th esocks on the feet and been fine. ten minutes of ice shoes.. duh. la la la where was I? worried about a dumb sandwich. then i go check the machine. burn day he says monster fire cant leave it wont be home for lunch. I saw it blink thought nope have to get that sandwich done time is up its 12 he comes in at 12 rush rush rush and.. now i wrap it up and say kind words to it when i do.

The discounted price was based on the swap, so I don't know if it will be available without a posted swap. So far I haven't heard from anyone for sure about doing it.

Elisabrat, if there were secret meetings, you would know, lol. ;)

GOOD MORNING! I am in a happy mood. no clinic! a day of quilting! this is going to be a great day. The snow is melting nicely should hit 45 so I can even go to the post office. yahoo! someone asked my favorite color forgot to respond.. eh.. all of them? ok not a mud dirt colored person by choice. get me in a fabric store I go to the reds! the fuschias! the aquas I guess I like what I call happy colors, hot colors? not much into orange or the yellows but more warm then cold. ok I lied. I like the holiday colors lol so whatever holiday is coming up.. those are the colors I love.

here is a pic from inside the house, not great but my kitty was watching the .. snow and we both thought better inside than out. I can not believe the pic loaded! slower than molasses internet these days.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]397034[/ATTACH]

You have alot more snow than we got brat. It's just about all melted here, 1/2" here and there about all that's left. Calling for more this weekend but don't think it will amount to very much.

Love the picture Brat! Looks so peaceful.

Love the picture Brat - we got around 8 or 9 inches of snow last night - up this morning around six to start clearing off the driveway, sidewalks patio - etc. and then went across the street to clear off the same for a couple of neighbors - thank goodness Brian decided to get up (he works the late shift) and start the snowblower; lot of work but what a beautiful morning - perfect temps.

Off to the salon for a sassy cut and color this afternoon - going to try something different - platinum.

How pretty! Your furbaby seems to think so too. :D

hey how did that platinum come out dabbler? wowsa. sounds interesting share a pic share a pic! I get my hair cut by my friend. last time she killed it. the time before she did great. difference was first time I gave her wine two glasses later she can cut hair. the second time no wine and well caffeine is not the best inducer of hair cuts from her. But the price was right. we sat on the back porch and visit and chopped. I was home coloring but gave up. Here there are about six choices of color at the market and they are over 12.00 each. no thanks. I am just a dull mouse ash blonde with a massive white streak right in front. morticia? could be :)

oh sewnsewer I just checked out your avitar. oodles of kitties too. how many in your harem of cats?

Im interested! I think it would make a darling baby quilt, and my husband and I plan on having another next year, so it something I can give the baby with a wonderful story. I also would help in anyway with the planning, etc..... I think it would be interesting is we each choose a color theme and each month got new partners, we would each make one or two blocks a month to swap, and we could get the pattern free every month, so no cost on the pattern. In my opinion it would have to be closed after we started. I don't know how hardthat would be to do, since I have never directed a swap but it's lite work since its one or two a month. YAY, I'm EXCITED!

Elisabrat, that is beautiful!! We are possibly getting a foot of snow starting tomorrow night and winds in the 30 mph range, so it sounds like we are getting a blizzard.

My daughter would love a cat but I am highly allergic, so she has to settle for stuffed animals. When we build on our land I told her we could get a cat to live in the barn.

That is a beautiful picture Elisabrat! Dabbler, I went redder than my natural this time, and it's redder than I planned! I haven't been this red since Dusty was in elementary school, probably 10-15 years ago. I really like it though.

Tonight is our formal thing in Birmingham, which is why I paid to get my hair colored this time. It starts in 11 hours, and it's about a 2 hour or so drive, so I'm sure as soon as my boyfriend gets up the frantics will begin since we haven't packed yet.

Sikesjj, so far there is only 1 person who has emailed that they would be interested in swapping. With me and you, that makes 3. The problem with getting it approved to post here isn't only the potential for cost, but also that the block comes from "off site", so we'd have to post a link to get to it. I don't have a problem with closing it as soon as the first block closed, and changing around partners, but it won't be allowed to be on here as an official swap.

i've just pm'd you, dusty. who do we have so far playing? the round robins sometimes have only 5 or 6, so....... we could geterdun!

Elisabrat, I have the 3 in my avatar and my son gave me one of his cats, then afterwards took him back. So... as of today 3 in my brood, but will be adopting another one after I get shots up to date next week (I hope). We checked out the shelter yesterday and are interested in 2, but will only get one.

MORNING! Dustysmom how did your grand event go? did you dazzle them with your fancy 'do' and clothing? I bet you shone like a true irish rose :) I admire you for glamming up and hitting the events. I did so many when I was younger but truly dressing up is so not in the cards.. I love the shine though, the sparkly jewelry (oh for vintage rhinestones swoon) and sequins and well oh yeah love that stuff. just doesnt work here. in the forest.. so flannel plaids here I come! so stylish I know thank you thank you

I am going to put my swap item in a priorty container tomorrow and address it and place it on a nice chair in the dining room so I dont lose it (good at that) and then I seriously will be ready to go. I am going to do that with two other send out items and think that will ease anxiety a tiny bit. No more swaps til I am ahead. absolutely. mostly. pretty sure.. maybe..

Went to the salon and had my hair lightened this past Friday; I'm still in shock over how light it is - Angie, the gal that cuts my hair, advised me that if I went platinum I would be in the shop every 2-3 weeks getting a touch up - the cost would be $60 each time - I'm too thrifty for that one so she talked me into doing my hair one shade lighter than platinum - it's still very light/bleached looking; now I need to get new makeup to compliment the lighter shade so I don't look so washed out. Back in my day I was a blondie - even this shade - but as you age your skin tones change and I guess I just need to get used to it.