Melinda, so sorry to hear about your poor health but I sure hope you are on the mend soon. I am encouraged to see that you feel ok enough to post on GW!! Thoughts of good health are headed your way! Margo, so sorry to hear about your friend Mona being diagnosed with cancer. I hope everything turns out for the best. It's amazing how much things like this impact us all. I'm trying to narrow down choices for the yard sale. It's hard!! Shirley, As requested: my pet robin. As of this week, baby robin has finally become independent. Yesterday was the first day s/he didn't answer me when I called, which means the robin raising was a success!

1.one or two block's for son's quilt 2.work on B&W&___Challenge (TOP COMPLETE AND SANDWICHED) 3.work on small quilt project for my friend (BLOCKS COMPLETED) 4.find and attempt Applique block for July/Aug. paper pieced/applique lotto (FOUND 2 POSSIBLE BLOCKS, CUT SOME FABRICS AND FUSIBLE) The weather this month has not helped any with getting things done. Last weekend, after hours of practicing and adjusted the machine for quilting my B&W Challenge, it stormed and the electric went out! (AND that was after discovering that the brand new needle I JUST put in was the problem behind all the skipped stitches I was getting!) Now I've lost my MOJO and have put off trying to quilt the B&W until I find it again. While the power was off THIS week, I cut out some fabric and fusible sheets for the applique blocks I want to try. ( That was before I found some other blocks I'd like to try!) So, I quite probably will need to cut more fabrics/fusible for the applique lotto blocks. And I also traced a jeans pattern onto pattern paper so that I can sew a custom fit pair of jeans. I really wish I could find a class on something like this as it's hard for me to grasp exactly what they are talking about during the whole 'tissue fitting' thing in the book  I just can't find ready to wear jeans to fit anymore! Waaa! (It's h**l getting old and out of shape! :0) I also just spoke with my friend about her quilt and will think some more about how to put the blocks together and see if I can add borders/sashings and ties for her needs. Cathy Here is a link that might be useful: Pants for Real People

I'm pretty dependent on all of my rulers. It took me a while to find the 12.5x12.5 square up ruler I use for completed blocks but I love it. After receiving some birthday and lotto blocks that were too small to use, I have to admit that I wish everyone used a ruler to verify sizes. I don't think I would enjoy quilting as much as I do if I didn't have the mat and rotary cutter. What a huge difference that's made in speed and accuracy! My quilting friend, who sadly doesn't visit this forum, uses Jinny Beyer's "Perfect Piecer" multi-ruler for much of her hand piecing. She loves it and says she can't imagine how she sewed before she got it! Kate

That's such a beautiful, touching story, Kate. Did you know about his antique quilt collection previously? My friend to whom I gave the Warm Wishes quilt said she is also often cold and uses the quilt every day. I don't speak to her that often, so it makes me happy to know that my affection for her is demonstrated daily by that quilt.