Moving right along!

I've been running along side myself as I wind up the year's projects and wanna-dos! Today was a good day, I think!

Here's my soon to be 9 year old grand daughter's little quilt 50" X 60" kitty quilt. She really, really, really wanted to Crazy Dogz quilt, and since I didn't have time to do another one of those, this one will be her surprise on December 13th. The label has her picture on it with her birthday cake from last year, and I added "Kaitlyn's Kitties" on the cake in Photoshop. It really is straight, just crooked photography!

You can double click for a larger, closer picture of it to see the purple chenille squares and binding. If anyone ever hears me talking or even thinking about working with chenille again, please remind me how much I diskliked working with it. It took two vacuum cleaner containers to get the fuzz and shreds up. And my fingers are almost bleeding from using it on the binding. Yuck!

But all in all, I really like it, and I know she will, too!

Here's my little round robin 4" block that was sent to TX for it's first round of 15. My theme is Garden Thyme, and I've asked for batiks to be used. I also included a picture of my garden with the wind sculpture in it that looks like this (sort of!).

Now, I am going to work on a sweatshirt jacket for my friend, Linda. She makes the most beautiful socks, so we decided to barter a jacket for socks. She chose the fabric, and I chose the yarn, so I am certain we will both be pleased with the outcome.

Time to Join

Every once in a while in my life's journey, I find some things that are just too good to pass by.

Take for instance, the Reader's Challenge blog. As most of you know, I am a voracious reader, reading into the wee hours of the morning; worrying more about what books I am taking on vacation than clothes, wondering if the 10 books by my bedside will be enough to get me through a holiday weekend with no stores open?

I usually read contemporary fiction, something with meat in it, lots of character development, and something that makes me think. Most of the time - which is not to say that I don't read pulp fiction. I do, but only if it is recommended by someone else I trust. I do read it, and mostly enjoy it, but sometimes I walk away thinking that I wasted time with the process. Just as I was going through these throes again, MsJan posted about the Readers Challenge. And of course, I went, I saw, I joined.

I am going to participate in the Pulitzer Project. The goal is to read all 81 Pulitzer award winning books. There's no time frame to read them all, but as you might guess, each year that goes by, there will be yet another to add to the list. What is surprising to me, is how many of them I have already read without even knowing it. In a few days, I am going to list them on Granny's Hands blog, so I can keep up with them. I will also list the 10 that I want to read in the next 10 months. Right now I am reading Gilead by Robinson and it was the prize winner in 2005.

I also joined the Paperback Book Swap Club, too. Free to join, and for only the cost of shipping you get a credit to use with anyone who has a book posted you want. Not only paperbacks, but hardbacks and CDs too. Pretty nice, I think. If you are interested, you can click through the link on my sidebar to check it out. Since I've joined, I've posted 39 books, shipped out 14, received 3 and have several more credits waiting for me to choose something. Of course, the somethings I will choose will be from the list I am going to make to read for the Reader's Challenge.

I also joined the Round Robin Bloggers. You can click through the logo that's on the right of my blog to see the 15 participants, if you'd like. I'll be one of 15 bloggers who will participate in a 15 month long round robin. The finished product will only be 9" X 13". Here's the results from another group who just completed this same type of round robin. I've chosen my theme - Garden Thyme, and I've made my block. Until it's safe to show it, I will wait to post it, but it will remind you of the surprise wind sculpture that hubby got for the garden last spring.

As promised in the last entry, here's my gift from Vicky (she's holding them). Aren't they perfect? The ice cream was tasty and the company inspiring as always!

And last, here's a unique way to use those antique buttons you have hiding in your stash. This is simply lining fabric constructed into a curved belt with a tab closure. All the buttons are sewn on, and voila! You are a fashion plate!