Happy Halloween!

Silent Sunday

1,500 Quilts To Houston

1500 Priority: Alzheimer's quilts are on their way to the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas, and I'm excited to say that several of those quilts were made by me and can a couple of them can even be seen in this video! If you are going to be at the festival please stop by the Exhibit Hall (row T) and check out all of the beautiful quilts at the AAQI booth. Quilt prices range from $20 to $350, so there are quilts for every budget! If you can't make it to Houston you can purchase Priority: Alzheimer's quilts online at www.alzquilts.org. Your support is needed and appreciated. All Profits fund Alzheimer's research.

White Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

These cookies may very well be my new all time favorite...yum!

White Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 package white chocolate chips

In a large bowl, mix shortening brown sugar, egg and molasses until creamy.  Stir in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves until mixture is well blended. Stir in white chocolate chips.  Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Hmm...

It's funny how one thing leads to another and then all of a sudden you find yourself in the middle of something that maybe you wish you hadn't gotten into!  A few of my quilty friends and I were talking recently about stretching our quilting creativity and before any of us fully realized what we were getting ourselves into we had come up with a challenge...we would draw names out of a hat and then select a few fabrics outside of that quilters' comfort zone for them to make an art quilt with.  As you can see, the quilty friend who had my name took it easy on me, so I don't think I'll have much of a problem coming up with an art quilt using these fabrics.  Not everyone in the group was quite so lucky though!  Hop over to Hills Creek Quilter and see what my batik loving friend, Anya, has to work with!

Silent Sunday

A Bit Of Applique

I was recently asked to make a teapot block for a quilt that a friend is working on and of course I was happy to oblige!  I went in search of patterns online and found several paper pieced block patterns, but none in the required size which meant only one thing...I would have to resort to (gasp) applique!  I found Pat Sloan's Mad Hatter's Tea Party Blocks and fell in love with the whimsical (i.e. easy to stitch) design, but even those were too big, so I used those patterns as a guide to draw my own teapot pattern.  I'm quite pleased with how the block turned out (even if it is appliqued) and I think it will be a nice addition to my friend's quilt!

Fade To Black

Fade To Black is my contribution to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative for the month of October.  With Alzheimer's disease vivid  memories slowly fade to black, just like the colors in this quilt.  It is my hope that the funds from the sale of this quilt, and others like it, will help find a cure so that the memories of all will remain bright and clear!

And The Winner Is...

And the winner of the book, From Incurable To Incredible, is...

#3
I Have A Notion ~ Kelly Jackson said...

I'm sorry to say cancer runs in my family...it took my father, grandmother, grandfather, and my aunt. My sister, brother and myself have all had skin cancer removed so it is a very real concern in my family.
I'd love to read uplifting stories...and I'm sure I'd pass it along...I do that with most of my books.

Congratulations, Kelly!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter this giveaway!  If you didn't win, you can purchase a copy of From Incurable To Incredible at Amazon.com or Barnes&Noble.com.

Silent Sunday

From Incurable To Incredible Giveaway

For your chance to win a copy of this book full of inspiration and hope, click HERE.

From Incurable To Incredible Giveaway

Because October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, because I just spent an amazing week with my friend and author, Tami Boehmer, and because cancer patients can never have enough hope, I am giving away a copy of Tami's book, From Incurable To Incredible.
From Incurable To Incredible is a book of cancer survivors who beat the odds. The book features 27 cancer survivors who were all given a terminal diagnosis, but shocked everyone by thriving years past their prognoses. These “miracle survivors” have different cancers and circumstances, but share two things: a poor prognosis and incredible drive to overcome it.  With stories full of inspiration and hope this book is a must read for anyone, whether they have a cancer diagnosis or not.
For a chance to win a copy of From Incurable To Incredible just leave a comment below telling me why you would like a copy of this book.  Has cancer touched your life? Do you know someone who beat the odds against a cancer diagnosis? Do you want to give this book to someone who needs a little extra hope to help fight a cancer diagnosis?  Or do you just want to read a good book with a positive message? For an extra chance to win, just blog about this giveaway and leave another comment with the link to your post! The winner will be selected by Random Number Generator and announced on Monday, October 17.

For more information about Tami Boehmer and From Incurable To Incredible visit www.tamiboehmer.com

From Incurable To Incredible is available for sale at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com 
10 percent of the proceeds from all sales of From Incurable To Incredible goes to LIVESTRONG and through the month of October, an additional 10 percent benefits the National Breast Cancer Coalition.

Woodloch Resort

As you know, I was traveling last week, so I don't have any new projects to talk about, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention the wonderful resort where I was staying.  Woodloch Resort in Hawley, Pennsylvania is an amazing all-inclusive getaway set in the middle of the Pocono Mountains on the shore of Lake Teedyuskung.  Woodloch truly has it all...you name it and they have it and if they don't have it they will do their best to get it for you!  Golf, go-carts, hiking, biking, boating, swimming, spa treatments, evening shows in the night club...the list of activities goes on and on.   If you're looking for a fabulous getaway for the whole family or just for two Woodloch is for you!

Silent Sunday

48 + 1 = 49 And Holding!

Project Linus

One of the benefits of being the Outreach Chairperson for the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild is that I get to collect all of the beautiful quilts that are donated to Project Linus by our guild members.  Before I deliver the quilts to our local Project Linus Coordinator, it's my job to check the quilts over for any stray pins or loose threads and attach a Project Linus label to each quilt.  It's one thing to make a quilt to donate, but what a pleasure it is to get a chance to look over each donated quilt and see the tender loving care that has been stitched into each one!

Ready For Delivery!

The Detour Around The Yellow Brick Road quilt is finished and ready for delivery!  I'm quite excited that I get to deliver this quilt in person as I made it for a childhood friend who I haven't seen in over 15 years!  We're going to be spending a few wonderful days at a resort in the Pocono's together, just us girls, giggling and laughing the days and nights away just like we did back in the 6th grade!  It's going to be so much fun!

Silent Sunday