Well Saturday morning I get a mom's day off as Grandma is taking my son to our church's Easter egg hunt, and then we will be dying eggs Saturday afternoon. I found out this week that I will not have to a surgery after all, so am much relieved about that, and that means I can actually spend time in my garden this spring and summer and fall and not have to worry about lifting. I got lots done on my parents' quilt this week. I only have 3 blocks left out of 100 to make. So will work on these 3 Card Tricks blocks this weekend and next week. I actually completed 3 hand-sewn Card Tricks blocks on last Tuesday and it left me sore and the muscles in between my back shoulder blades tied up in knots for 2 days, so I will try to quilt more slowly and in moderation this weekend. And this weekend I want to try to clean off my sewing/computer desk and get things ready to start a grandbaby quilt for one of my friends in April. I plan to hand-sew the grandbaby quilt 40" x 40", but should be able to finish it in a couple of months I think. And then when I finish that small quilt, later this summer I want to start hand-sewing the Card Tricks blocks together for my parents' queen-size quilt - I don't know if I will have it hand-quilted by Christmas so it may turn in to an anniversary quilt or a 2014 Christmas present to them. Also last week I got to go shopping at Hobby Lobby with my Mom and got some more 18" x 24" clear plastic sheets - so in April I want to sit down and draw out the Cactus Basket and make plastic pattern templates for it, I think I want to do it as a 12" finished block. One of my friends on the Quilting Haven sent me a pattern pdf for it she made in EQ, but unfortunately the pattern pdf does not print exactly to scale, but she did also send dimensions for each of the pattern pieces so I don't think it will be too hard to draw the pattern pieces thanks to her help with this project. My Mom said she would look and see if she can find my Great Grandma's quilt tops that she stored for us 3 kids and she is talking about trying to finish my Sunbonnet Sue blocks and top that she started for me when I was a kid - so I am hoping I get to quilt these projects in the future. Oh and my sister called me today and was excited about the Joann store app on her phone (I don't have a Joann store near me) and so she went shopping for fabric for me, my sister loves me dearly and I can't wait to get that box from her next week, that just made my day today. Hope everyone has a Happy Easter! Best to you, Sandra This post was edited by quiltingfox on Fri, Mar 29, 13 at 21:24

I have been sewing like a bandit all weekend. I hate to have time constraints as it takes some of the fun out of things but I have to get this top finished and out to the long arm quilter in the morning. I'm making a Wizard of Oz themed quilt for a very good friends birthday and I'm flying out to TX next week to bring it to her!! I picked up a bunch of cute fat eighth bundles last summer and knew right away who I would be using the fabric for. Problem is after i opened the bundles last month I didnt like the way the fabrics looked together. Since the fabric is discontinued I hopped online to ebay and bought another 10 yards in 4 different colors!!! I also made 3 different blocks and changed the configuration twice!! I'm finally happy with the outcome and I'm sewing my rows together, in between reading here!! Its going to be a long night!!!

This has been a wonderful place to share thoughts and concerns, mostly about quilting. I seldom interact with other women locally, let alone quilters, so this gave me a connection via computer at all hours of the day to women with like minds. I'd drop in just to see what was going on and hear what was accomplished. It makes a wonderful, trusting connection. I'm grateful for the lessons and support and consider you all friends, some even more so as I've met them in person. Cindy, the retreat is open to any or all of you on this forum and is in October at a YMCA camp in North Carolina. It is a way for any who can come to meet up face to face with people they read messages from all year long. Room and board is cheap and you bring your own projects. We help each other, eat, talk about quilting and share experiences. This year it will be Oct. 7-10 and you can google Camp Cheerio in NC to see the venue. You'll hear more about it toward summer and we'd love to see you. Jennifer in VA is unofficial chairperson and she'll send out a notice.

Thank you everybody! It has been a very nice birthday! Jane