Social Butterfly

That's me, alright! Well, hopefully I look a little better than this butterfly when I've been fluttering around from blog to blog, gathering ideas, posting comments, joining stuff, and e-mailing back and forth. She does look a little rough around the edges.

Maybe she, like me, had to take her grand son to the doctor to have staples removed from his head after having thrown a two year old fit the week before. Or, maybe she, like me, had to rush her daughter to the Emgency Room after being shocked by the television. One EKG,three vials of blood, and an X-Ray later and all is well. Thank God.

No kind of excitement like that is going on today (knock on wood) so I decided to take time and share with you all the exciting things I have found while socializing with other bloggers. You may have found these things, too, but just in case you haven't I thought I would share!

Let's get started.


Anne Sutton from Bunny Hill Designs has given us a free block of the month. The first design is adorable. I can't wait to see the rest! She has asked that we share this with everyone. Anne you're so sweet! Thank you so much for the time it took to design these. If I could only be so talented!

Nanette from Freda's Hive has posted a tutorial on how to make her adorable potholders. Belinda from Brown Dirt Cottage has a tutorial on how to make an adorable star. Kim from Bitty Bits and Pieces has a tutorial on how to make a scrappy Kaleidoscope block. Tutorials and/or PDF's make my heart sing! They may look easy to do, but they're not. Thank you so much!

I joined a few groups, as you can see on my sidebar. So I now have two other blogs, besides my own, that I post on.

The first one I joined is the Black and White Challenge. I haven't decided, yet, what black and white project I'm going to complete, but there's lots of ideas from the other people that have joined the blog.


Rachel at P.S. I Quilt had a great idea to start a blog called The Calendar Quilt Challenge. Rachel and I both belong to Pat Sloan's Yahoo Group. Pat designed a quilt called The Calendar Quilt. You can find it in her bookPat Sloan's Favorite Techniques 2. Rachel decided to start a blog so that everyone could post their ideas and progress. I haven't started mine, yet. Do you think there is fabric with staples or little electric thingy's to commemerate the accidents we've had so far this year? The blog is fun, and Pat posts comments, too! We all love her!

Hey. I don't think I ever showed you guys photos of when Rachel and I went to Nashville to meet Pat while she was at the American Quilters Society Quilt Show! Well, Rachel sort of met her. You'll see.


Pat is so sweet. I have known Pat for a few years now through her group. Little did I know that I was going to get nervous about meeting her! Afterall, I talk to her a lot! Anyway, my friend Terry, who was with me, was afraid that I was going to get star struck like I did with Alex Anderson at the 2000 show in Nashville, so she sort of had to shove me in Pat's direction. I didn't meet Alex because tears came in my eyes (I can't believe I just told all of you that!), and Terry had to snap me out of it when she could tell that I was going to do that with Pat!


Rachel couldn't come to Nashville, so I asked her to send me a photo of herself. I blew it up to an 8x10 (Rachel says this isn't the best photo of her, but she's still cute with her crown and all), I made her a Sloanie tag (this cute little tag that you make to hang on the side of your bag when you're at quilting events so that other Sloanies can find you in a crowd) and attached it to her photo. Pat knew beforehand what Rachel and I were doing so we wouldn't surprise her or make her think we were weird.


While I was there I had to stop by and say Hi to Eleanor. I was checking on her sister and my friend, Patricia. I've known Patricia for many years now. She is always the special guest at my guild's Quilt Shows. I am always the one to take care of Patricia and help her with her demos. She's a sweetheart.

And I always have to stop at my favorite booth and visit with Tammy and her Woo Hoo girls. They were my favorite booth before I even knew who they were. Not only are they sweet and so fun to be around, they carry Holly's fabric. Tammy also has a new book that is self published! Every project is fantastic! I'll see you in Paducah and Knoxville!!!

Okay...now where was I. I got sidetracked there for a little bit. Sidebar...okay.


Sharon from Red Geranium Cottage
is challenging us to lose some weight this year. So many people have signed up for the challenge, she has no room on her sidebar to post everyone's blogs! That's exciting! We're supposed to post every Monday on our blog how much we lost, etc. Recipes, ideas for excercise, and lot of encouragment will be shared. Here's something I'm excited about: The Biggest Loser has partnerd with General Foods in trying to help feed America by donating a pound of food for every pound lost to our local food banks. Go here to find out more information. Not only can we lose weight to help ourselves get healthier, but we can also help those who need food. I love, love, love this idea!!!


Nanette ♥ and Cheryl ♥ have worked together to come up with a list of ideas for Christmas projects to do all year! This truly makes me smile.☺ If we make Christmas presents for our families and friends all year we won't be so stressed and upset when we can't finish them during the holidays.♥♥♥ Afterall, real life happens even in December! You can add to the list, too. I would like to add my Christmas Stocking Tutorial. It's easy to make.☺ It was a block exchange idea for the quilt guild's Christmas party. Everyone that made a block got their name put in the hat for however many blocks they made. Eula came up with the block idea, so the first person to win the blocks got them in a completed quilt top made by Eula!☺ How sweet was that?♥♥

Doris, on the left, was so surprised, as we all were. Her daugher, Bridgette, is helping her hold up her beautiful quilt top.☺


Here's another idea on setting them together. Donna had her daughter embroider the names of her children and grand children on the cuffs of the stockings. I love that idea!♥ She didn't add a border because it would make the quilt too big for where she wanted to hang it. It helps to think ahead.

Okay, so I know you've noticed all the cute little icons like these ☺ ♥. Terry gave us a tutorial for spicing up our text. You can find it here. Thank you, Terry. In real life when I'm signing my name in letters to friends and informal notes I draw a little heart after my name. Now I can do this is blogland, too! See? Amanda♥ Thanks, Terry! She also created the button for our Christmas Cottage Exchange and the Great Ideas for a Handmade Christmas 2009.

Whew! This little social butterfly needs to stay in her own little spot for a few days! Maybe then her posts won't be so long.


Now I'm off to see Kim. She taught her first quilting class today at her local quilt shop. I know she did great!

Have a great Sunday evening!

Amanda♥

P.S.

Pat asked in her comments how I strike out words. Rachel has been so kind to give a quick little tutorial in the comments, so go check it out! Thanks, Rachel!