Don't Let the Door Stop You Blog Hop

That door sure didn't stop Madame Samm and our crazy favorite blog hop mom, Carla from coming up with this wild and wacky double blog hop! You girls never stop showing us, good times!  Thanks to you, for all you do!

I had to put on my thinking cap for this one. I wanted to be different, do something I haven't done for awhile, so don't you know, I came up with a Moose!  Oh, yeah your all thinking, like we haven't seen one of them, on this blog before. LOL!!

 I dug back, way back to my days of professional crafting... back when soft country animals were all the rage.  I went thru all those boxes stacked under the stairs, (the door didn't stop me, but all that dust about did me in) til I  found the perfect project...

Just how is this softie really going to be a door stop. If I weight his bottom, I trip over legs that are sticking out...   hummm

I haven't fired up the saws in my shop for years! 

But giving him a partial wooden body, might do the trick.

 

I designed these crazy looking shoes for him.  

They tuck right under the door!

Just like a door stop.

 

I kept his gal pal, as the pattern was written.

She sits next to him, so nicely on a little bench!

The holidays might be over, but it's Christmas all year long here in the Moosestash

:-)

 

                       Here is the line up for the rest of our hop today
                            make sure you visit all my friends!


                                                      January 28th

                                          threads on my socks

                                              How ART you?
     
                                          Den syende himmel

                                         Moosestash Quilting

                                      life, quilts and a cat too

Grow Your Own Blog -2014

My name is Joan and I'd like to welcome you to the MooseStash!  MooseStashQuilting is the name...Quilting is my game. I can share a little background with you...  :-)  I professionally crafted for 14 years before finding my passion as a quilter. A fabric-holic, a thread maniac, a gadget collector, sewing machine junkie... the list goes on and on!   LOL!!  I'd "like" to sum it all up by saying I am a fabric artist, but really I am just a girl who can't keep her "butt" out of those darn quilt shops!

 (Oh and I love to dye fabric too. This one was snow-dyed)

In my real life I am an 18 year, customer service agent at the airlines. I retired a couple of years ago, only to realize that I really missed getting yelled at for just about anything and everything!  :-) So back to work I went. I learned long ago, not to take it personally. When things are out of our control, we tend to panic and blame whoever is near.  Finding time in the ole' sewing room is a must, for me to keep my sanity!  Although some will tell you, that it's been out the window for so long, that I will likely never find it again!  My sense of humor tends towards the raucous!

 

These two could be proof.  The front and back of a pillow for the Pom Pom Blog hop I participated in last year. I call it... "The Way We Were"

So sad, so true!

LOL!!

Quilts are a lot like people...some  you love, some you don't. But we have to treat each and every one with respect and grit our teeth occasionally.  This one here, like to drove me to the loony bin. It was a mystery quilt that went mysteriously wrong.

For some reason, I was sure that by pressing the tar-nation out of it, all would be well....
              Well, I'm here to tell you, it just ain't true!  Darn it!!
                  I share the good, the bad, and the ugly with you.      
          :-)  No secrets here!  I'm human and I make mistakes!  :-)
                           (but you didn't hear that from me)
                                                    ;-)
                                                         

(I just needed to be quilted)

For myself, I started blogging to motivate me, to finish projects that had been started long ago. And to really take the plunge into photo quilting. It was such a good plan...  But soon, I found this huge community of support and inspiration to start a zillion new things!

 

Like this great "spool" quilt from Nanette, over at Freda's Hive

http://fredashive.blogspot.com/2010/01/string-spool-tutorial.html

What a stash buster!

I've even shared a tutorial or two...

The most popular being Hidden Wells. 

I wrote this after stumbling on a couple of web sites.

http://moosestashquilting.blogspot.com/2010/08/hidden-wells-tutorial.html

You can find others on my right hand side bar.

I got involved with the greatest Yahoo group  "The Quilted Table". What a wonderful bunch of gals there. Its small quilting table topper projects. Tamera finds one or two free online patterns for us monthly and we just make a project and share photos.  Five or six times a year we swap toppers, mug rugs, candle mats, that sort of thing.

 

This one came from Mary, for our "Picnic Tables with Style" swap. Isn't it just fabulous!

 

Great minds must have been thinking alike, because this is the one I sent to my partner.

:-)

We even have monthly fabric swaps. What a great way to make friends, while building that stash!
Here is the link to join our group and have some fun...
              http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/quilted_table/info
We will need to approve your membership, but not to worry, I help out with that job, so I will be right on over there to take care of that for you. Sharon and Tamera are always there for you too!

I am trying to reel myself in a bit this year and tackle those pesky PIGS  (projects in grocery sacks) that are still piled high. You can see the list on the lower right had sidebar. It's shrinking, but progress is slow.  :-) I hate to admit, that I have even lost some of them. I know they are in a tote in that sea of totes somewhere in my storage room!  UGGGGGG!!


Our blogging community is absolutely terrific. In my 5 years of blogging, I have made some amazing friends. For those have followed me, you have heard it before...

This is the one place that we can all come together and get to know each other, without any kind of preconceived notions. We don't judge who you are, how you live or what you choose to do in your life. It's all about, the interests we have in common. We cheer each other on, champion our causes and share like no other place on earth!  Can it get any better?  :-)

As for me...my goal is to inspire and entertain you down this "crazy" quilting road me all "seam" to love to travel.

   
                 It would be a honor for me, if you would like to join us

                              In the spirit of "growing" my blog,
                       I would love to offer you a little give a way!

 

Not 1 but 2 fun patterns

Just leave me a comment telling me if this blog is for you, and just what you would like to see. Heck I'd love to know a little about you while your at it too!  Feb 15th, I'll be picking 1 lucky winner for these 2 patterns and a few other little surprises.  :-)
                                                                  ***********

                     To sum things up here, I really am just an ole...

 

Come join the fun!

Thanks to Vicki at 2 Bags Full for this huge undertaking!
You can see the complete list of bloggers...
http://vicki-2bagsfull.blogspot.com/2014/01/welcome-to-grow-your-blog-2014.html

Have fun!

It's gonna be BIG

Yes it is...   There are officially over 500 blog participating this this monstrously big blog hop!

I wonder if Vicki over at http://vicki-2bagsfull.blogspot.ca had any idea, when she took on this project!  LOL! One can only imagine just how many hours she has put into typing up the blog hop list for that post.
Vicki, your the greatest, and thank you so very much!

This one really interested me, because we are going to introduce ourselves to each other. What a great way to really get to know who your are blogging with. My post is written and I am ready to share next Saturday. I do hope that you will stop and visit each and every blogger. Heck you really don't have anything better to do anyway do you? After all, that laundry will wait. (I hear that if you turn your clothes inside out and wear them, it's like wearing clean clothes again)  hahahahahahah

In the mean time, I am still working away on the PIGS. (Projects in Grocery Sacks)

This week I finished up another oldie but goodie.  A "Pineapple Star" quilt.

I fell in love with this pattern, because there are so many different things that go on. There is a fun kaleidoscope in the center, along with the great paper pieced pineapple design.

 

I kept this one aside thinking that I would design some great quilt pattern for the open spaces.

Heck, who am I kidding. I am no pro on my long arm, and it's really to big for me to be comfortable on my domestic. 

 

So I settled on this floral panto, and called it good. Done is so much better than someday, I will...

 

Just because there it needed extra color (yeah right) I found this bright pink polka dot.

Now it's official, you do need sunglasses to use it!

:-)

 

  While this might be old, I do remember what this one was all about. I found this book and fabric at a quilt shop in Salem MA, while attending MQX years ago.

 

Contrary to popular belief, it is not where I was born, and no my relatives were not witches.

LOL!!

Just a fun place to visit.

PIGS (Project in Grocery Sack) Finish

I did it... I finally got back to working on those darn PIGS. Baby steps I tell you... baby steps.

Finishing this top was nothing more than quilting it. Shame on me.   It's so old, that I can't even remember anything about it. I know it was after I got an embroidery machine...

                               Wonder just what it was that inspired this one???

                            
                               The colors are my favorites... 

 

and I do like the layout. 

Oh if I only knew what it was????

Regardless it's complete, which makes me very happy!

:-)

Penguin Cheer

I just love pattern testing for Fat Cat Patterns!

This year Sindy, over at Fat Cat Patterns, came up with
this new free BOM called Penguin Cheer, which you can find at

http://fatcatpatterns.com/boms.html


You will find the instructions and yardage  information online now, and the blocks will run from Feb 2014 thru Feb 2015.

Here is my version of Sindy's adorable pattern. I would have loved to go outside with it for photos, but with our typhoon winds, I was afraid it would blow clear to the Antarctic where these penguins belong!  LOL!    So my living room had to be the next best substitute.

 

13 months of these little cuties!

 You know, if you follow my blog, that I have talked about this incredible  "Glide" thread from Fil-Tec before.  Here is a close up of how it shimmers on the fabrics. Best yet, I never have a thread break in my long arm with it...ever! It's such a joy to quilt with. Since it's a poly thread, there is very little dust in the bobbin case, which my machine loves. Between that and how much I love the looks of it,  I may never quilt with anything else again. :-)

So  hop on over to Fat Cat and start collecting your free BOM  and keep an eye out for that marvelous Glide thread!  They both are a win - win for us quilters!

Thanks Sindy, for allowing me to pattern test for you. It was pure joy and delight!

Happy New Year

While it's not a very happy new year for many who are trying to travel at airports across the country, I am trying to keep my perspective!   Let me just tell you, some days it's REALLY hard!  :-)  All the snow and ice storms across the country are pushing every one's patience to the breaking point.

In turn, it's sure kept me from blogging lately. Many long hours and mental exhaustion has made for sleeping thru till I leave for work again!   LOL!!   The up side of all that is, I read that sleeping helps you loose weight!  See, there is a silver lining to everything!   :-)  :-)  Although, I am here to tell you, I am not at that swelt pre-teen weight yet!  Oh, let that not be a sign to travel to come!  HAHAHAHAHA


I do have some very belated thank yous to share with some very special blogging buddies.

This Jolly St Nick was a gift from my good Aussie friend Karen.

And was I gushing over how fabulous he was, when she posted

his photo on her blog. Little did I know, he was on his way to me!

Karen is a master of ribbon art that is for sure.

I can't tell you just how delighted I was to find him in my mailbox.

:-)

She also sent me the delightful snowman card to go along with him.

Of course she hand made all her cards too.

Is he just the cutest?

My blogging buddy Robin in Pennsylvania made the adorable table topper for me. Don't you just
love it?

My "Ole St Nick" looked wonderful sitting on the topper during the holidays. The fabrics are just perfect for using year round, so my dining room table is enjoying it now!

:-)

Then Sharon sent me the so cool T-shirt and trivet from when she went on a quilt retreat last fall. I was lamenting over how much I wished I was there with her!   LOL!

Never did I expect to get a part of her time there!

Hey Sharon, I got the dud's for the next event!

:-)

Oh, but you knew that huh?

LOL!

I am very excited to say, that I am traveling to NY to meet Sharon and her gang at a quilt retreat in April. I'm taking my evil quiltin sista with me!  I don't know who is more excited about this, them or us!

:-)

What can I say, this is what the blogging world is all about. We have become friends over "like" interests, and we love to share with each other!

Can life really get any better?

As for Karen, Robin and Sharon... and so many others, your friendship has met the world to me.

Just a little note:

I am a big fan of getting my blog printed into a book yearly.

              I just like to have something tangible in hand. Kind of my own personal library.

I just ordered year 5, and I do have a tip to share.

PNG photos do not print well. Not that I had any idea what that met, when I make my first couple of books. You can see, that it's a very poor quality photo.

But "hark" I have a conversion tool in my photo program that turns them into JGP files.

Who knew?

LOL!

I'm sharing this email from Blog to Print that I got the other day and a link to Sharedbooks website.

Sharedbooks

Check it out if your interested!

:-)

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!