One spectacular post - FREE Quilt Patterns

Want a good resource to find quilt patterns. Through QuiltingBoard.com, I found a blog site that has taken the time to list out a lot of sites you can find free patterns at. Then to top it off, she broke down the sites into categories. It is a great place to visit to see what is out there.

Check it out at http://www.with-heart-and-hands.com/2007/10/free-quilting-patterns.html. It is worth looking through it.

Keep on Quilting!

BHQ's wishes for a New Year

The holidays are over. Soon it will be time to clean up the Christmas tree and all the trimmings. I hate to see them go since we got them up so late.

Sunday is New Year's day. What a wonderful time to look back and see what was accomplished this past year and plan for our upcoming year. How exciting that we get one day every year to sort of clean the slate and go forward.

My goal is to go through all those kits, panels and fabric I have purchased and actually set down a plan for what I will work on next. I have so much. I could stay busy for an awful long time and still have more to do. One of my goals should be to stay away from quilt stores and quilt shows. I just cannot resist purchasing when I am there.

One UFO that must be worked on is my Wildflower Rhapsody BOM quilt. I love it and really want to make sure it is finished before 2012 is gone.

We would love to hear what your goals for 2012 are. But more than anything:

Keep on Quilting!

Wildflower Rhapsody BOM for December

Apologies are at hand. I went to the post office yesterday to retrieve my mail. In my PO Box was a note to pick up excessive mail. Upon getting to the clerk, which took 20 minutes, they handed me a box with all the envelopes with the BOM block in it that was mailed out last Saturday. Sheesh!

My mailer posted too little postage on each and every envelope. It was totally my fault. I purchased new envelopes. They were a smidgeon over the limit for the price that charged for it. So this morning, I added more postage to them all. They will go back to the post office today to be mailed out.

My total apologies to each of you for being so late.

Keep on Quilting!

and your block will be there soon

Chocolate and Cotton Quilt Store in Thousand Oaks CA

We just returned from southern California. It was our grandson's 13th birthday. What a fun day we had.

Now he went to school that morning, so I had to find myself something to do during the day because Gil went golfing with our sons. The quilt shop in Simi Valley, where we were staying, closed earlier this year. Boo Hoo. I grieve for any store that does not make it. We all try so hard to keep it going, but quilting is something people can give up to save money. It really effects the local quilt store (LQS). I have stated before here, go see your LQS every month and purchase at least $10 of product or take a class every month. Help them keep open!

Now back to my story. I googled quilt stores near Simi Valley and up came several. The closest was Chocolate and Cotton Quilt Store. Of course I had to go there since chocolate was part of its name. Two of my favorite things to do.....

They had all their Christmas fabric on sale for 40% off. I found a stack of cut fabrics that were adorable and flannel to boot. I had to get that for my daughter, Elisa. She was taking care of our dog, Mochi. I also found some beautiful fabric and charm packs that I had to have. Plus I found a cool tool that I purchased for my Secret Pal with Rivercity Guild in Sacramento. What a joy it was to be there. Of course I spent way too much. It will go to a good cause - me quilting and staying sane.

You can find out more about this quilt shop at http://www.cottonandchocolate.com/

Here is some of the stuff I purchase:

This is a charm pack of Moda's American Banner Rose. I only purchased two charm packs because I so loved the design. I wanted to remember the name so I can purchase more later and come up with a quilt later. I love Charm Packs, as they are so easy to work with and start an easy quilt. No pattern necessary if you just want to sash and sew together. Easy peasy.

The second 2 Charm Packs that I purchased is from Moda's Panier de Fleurs by French General. This is stunning, also. With these two packs, I purchase one yard of the design below and a half yard of the red. I might need to find the line else where, but at least I have a start. If you ever plan on purchasing like I do, remember to start the quilt right away. If it becomes part of your stash and you get back to it two years later, you might have trouble finding coordinating fabrics.

Purchased 1 yard of this fabric. It is sooo beautiful. The picture is nice, but the fabric is a lot more stunning.

This is the red fabric I purchase only a half of a yard of. I know I am going to be sorry I did not spend the little extra to purchase at least a full yard.

December block for Wildflower Rhapsody BOM

Those who are receiving the blocks for the Wildflower Rhapsody did not receive a picture of the completed block this month. Sorry about that. Sometimes life gets too busy to sew and that is what happened last month. Here is December's beautiful block:

There are only three more blocks to be mailed out. You will receive one in January, February and March and then it is up to you to finish the quilt up. I hope you are enjoying doing this fantastic quilt.

Send me a picture of your completed block before January 1, 2012 and you can be entered into the drawing for a wall quilt hanger.

Keep on Quilting!

November block for the Wildflower Rhapsody BOM

This is your November block #8.

We have to apologize. It is late going out. Some were mailed this afternoon. The rest should be mailed Monday or Tuesday. They are coming!

Keep on Quilting!

Cure Alls - Most I have never heard of before

Here are some relief aids I have never heard of. Some I probably would not do - especially the Gatorade one since I cannot stand the taste of Gatorade. The others are pretty interesting. Know that I have not tried any of these. I just thought they were worth reading. Take them for what they are worth.

Who knew?

Did you know that drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately-without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional pain relievers?

Did you know that Colgate Toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns?

Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.

Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 tablespoon horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil for instant relief for aching muscles.

Sore throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.

Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly-even though the product was never advertised for this use.

Honey remedy for skin blemishes... cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.

Listerine therapy for toenail fungus: Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine Mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.

Easy eyeglass protection... to prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear Nail Polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.

Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer... if menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground instantly.

Smart splinter remover: Just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue-All over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.

Hunt's Tomato Paste boil cure... cover the boil with Hunt's Tomato Paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.

Balm for broken blisters... to disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine, a powerful antiseptic.

Vinegar to heal bruises... soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.

Quaker Oats for fast pain relief... it's not for breakfast any more! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.

Now you can Keep on Quilting!