A warm welcome to all of my guests, both old, glad you could stop by and new, it's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you Benita for coordinating this event again this year and for all the work you have done in the backgroud including getting some fabulous prizes lined up. Link for the grand prize is at the end of this post.
Click here for the list of participants
Benita's invite to participate in this happening was that we needed to include a photo of us with our favorite quilt. For me that was a problem since I generally love the quilt I'm currently working on and I generally give them away once completed.
This quilt was made by me 10 or so years ago with scraps from a quilting friend. I had hip replacement surgery in late Novermber in NJ. I was very bored at home during recovery. Due to the weather conditions, wet possibly slippery, I was confined to the house by myself for great periods of time. My sewing room was on the second floor and my new hip limited me to the first floor when I was home alone. One of my quilt buddies determined to help me stay happy decided that since I couldn't reach my fabric she would give me a kitchen sized trash bag of hers The bag was full of her scraps to play with.
It was exactly what I needed I spent days in by kitchen sorting, ironing and cutting. By the time I did all of that I was able to use the stairs and my sewing room again and ta da a beautiful quilt that always makes me think of her even though we are now living several states apart.
So here is a little about me. I'm retired. I fill a large amount of my time crafting. Mostly quilting but with some knitting, crocheting, needlework, card making and macrame tossed in. The bulk of my work is given away. Family, friends and charities are the recipients.
The city I live in is populated with over 125,000 retired folk wheeling around in golf carts.
I designed this little quilt for a hop in 2014 right after we decided to retire here.
We literally have over 2000 weekly events that we can participate in not including the golf, bowling and tennis. Any and every craft you can think of has a group or several. I am a member of the Quilt Guild of the Villages, Operation Shoe Box (goodie boxes for the troops) Angel Snugs (hats and scarves for kids with cancer) and the TQPM Small Kennel Quilt Team (making Small Kennel quilts for animal rescue groups around the country)
I started to blog in 2011 as way to keep track of what I was doing in the crafting world while I was working full time. Early on I started to participate in Blog Hop s The Ghaslies was one of my first.
It was one of the best things I ever did for myself. I have met so many generous and talented people by way of blogging and blog hops. I know the exposure and the challenges presented forced me to grow in my skills and my creative imagination.
I am the type of crafter who will try anything once. A Prime example would be the year before last I tried glass fusion.
That lasted from early October through Christmas. I am like a bull in a china shop and working with glass wasn't for me. Everyone on my list got something for Christmas made of glass and then I gave away all of the stuff before it became permanent fixtures in the craft space.
This past year I invested ( with a very hard push from my biggest fan, my sister) in my first embroidery machine.
I really didn't think I would like it but all of the people I know who owned one loved theirs. I got mine the week before Christmas and lets just say that it was a good thing that the tree was already up when the machine got here cause I was locked in my room with her and didn't really appear for days.
I did silly, yes that is a roll of toilet paper
and
serious gifts, this is a gift card holder the first week, Bless YouTube.
I am still doing some kind of embroidery at least 4 times a week. The shop where I got her has terrific classes all the time and the staff is always ready and willing to help with any and everything.
Last but far from least I am the mom to 2 fabulous rescued Bulldogs.
Celie and Nettie are sisters who were found abandoned in Miami.
The photo at the beginning of my blog is of Tink who crossed the rainbow bridge several years ago. She too was a rescued Bulldog. All wonderful girls that we are blessed to have in our life.
Now for the the chance to win the Great Grand Prize
Thank you for stopping in for a visit. Please visit again. I still participate in about 10 blog hops a year. All of them some sort of challenge to my creative abilities. If you are new I hope you will check out some of my past posts and hopefully find some ideas to try.
