Monday, January 26, 2009

Monday Miscellany

Project Improv Update:
My goal is to post once a week to give everyone an update on the project and let folks know about the status of their blocks. I know it's stressful to put your work in the mail and not know if it's floating in limbo or has made it safely to its destination. These are the blocks that have arrived as of this morning:
Carol E. 5 blocks
Robin L. 3 blocks
Alissa 3 blocks
Fulvia 1 block
Jackie K. 4 blocks
Frogdancer 1 block
Laura J 1 block
Cheri 1 block
Patricia 1 block
I want to tell you all that the pictures don't show these blocks in their full glory. They are beautiful. These ladies used quality fabrics and took great care in their construction. I so appreciate that you labeled the blocks with your name and location. Some folks used sticky address labels, some used business cards and others pinned on their name and location. Great ideas! This makes so much less work for me to keep everything organized. Thank you so much.

Each of your notes has meant so much to me and made the work involved seem a little less and so rewarding. Fulvia, thank so so much for your beautiful postcard. I'm going to post it in the flickr group so everyone can see it. Amber, thank you so much for your card and the fabric you sent. I'm overwhelmed and touched. You made my day!

I also wanted to let everyone know that we now have 167 participants in the project. How's that for a movement! I'm slowly organizing all the offers to help with making tops/binding/quilting and donations of fabric for backings and bindings.

There are still a few folks who need to contact me with email addresses so I can send them details of the project...Susan and Caron. If you don't see your name in the sidebar, you are not a member of the project. Please contact me and I'll get you taken care of. Thanks!
I did have a chance to sew a bit. I made another improv doll quilt. This one is from the scraps from the "Be Still My Heart Block". I quilted it with another stitch on my mom's machine. I love the simple scallops with the minimalist quilt design.  I'm calling this on 'snippets.'
As with each doll quilt I make, the pillow is my favorite part. Can you see the red/white ticking showing through the muslin? I think the pillow is so sweet!
I also spent a little time turning these....
into these. I'm using my own tutorial and hoping to make some kind of a baby quilt. We'll see what develops!
Please forgive me a "proud mom moment". My youngest son and his team won the Kansas State Regional Debate Tournament last month and qualified for the Kansas State Debate Tournament. It's the first time a 4-speaker team has ever qualified from his school. This is his first year in debate. We were at the tournament all day Friday and Saturday. I can attest that this is a grueling experience for these kids. They debate 7 rounds with each round lasting about 90 minutes. That's a whole lot of thinking on your feet! You can see the stress on his and his partner's faces.
These pictures were taken through a 6 inch window in the door. He didn't want me in the room...nerves, you know! So for two days I stood outside classroom doors with my ear to the door and sneaking pictures through tiny windows.
He's making an argument, and doesn't he look dapper! He and his team were fabulous. It was a pleasure spending time with those kids. They finished 4th in the state with a record of 10 wins 4 losses for the tournament. I couldn't be prouder!

41 comments:

Needled Mom said...

What a darling little quilt and pillow set! I do like the red ticking showing through.

Congratulations to your son. Those are high pressure moments and can't blame him for the "nerves."

MightyMom said...

wooooo hooooo!! proud mamma indeedy!

sneaking pics through the window in the door, you sneaky thing!

Anonymous said...

congratulations...on everything. your email is beaming with pride! what a great way to start this year of the ox. my improv quilt is still in the works (thinking stage), but i look forward to sending you pix...and my block...very soon!

Louann said...

I LOVE the doll quilt and pillow! I have so much fun making these. The strips look great and I am sure they will turn into a lovely quilt. Congrats to your son. There's nothing better than the feeling of being a proud mama!

Twisted Quilts said...

We all need to celebrate our "proud mother" moments! I am so intimidated when I see what other people have done. The squares are beautiful.

Abby and Stephanie said...

I knew your project improv would be a big success. Good job! Darling doll quilt and pillow and oh how I love the scallop quilting design. :o) Congratulations, Proud Mom!

Unknown said...

Congratulations to your son and team! What an achievement! so glad you shared it and his pictures :)

Your dolly quilt is precious - the pillows are the best :) PI has taken on a life of it's own - you are so brave!

Hope you have a great Monday

MichelleB said...

Congratulations to your son! How wonderful.

I love the doll quilt and pillow, they are so cute.

Thank you for all of your work in this Project Improv. I'm really enjoying seeing everything that is coming out of it. (even though I have yet to get going on mine. but I will! I will!)

Tina said...

How wonderful that the project is going so well and you have so many participants. And doubly awesome that there will be some charity quilts coming out of this whole endeavor!

Congrats to your son and his team. What an achievement!

audreypawdrey said...

It is awesome how wonderfully project improv is going! The doll quilt and pillow are beautiful-I love the stitching on this one.

Congratulations on your son's achievement!

Rebekah said...

that doll quilt is just darling. I love the quilting that you did!

Congrats on the success at the debate :)

QuiltedSimple said...

Congrats on the success of the debate - how wonderful. ANd Project Improv is coming right along! Whooo Hooo!
Kris

Alissa said...

Love the improv update, love the mini quilt and I love that your son won the debate! Hurray all around!!

Unknown said...

Jacquie, Congrats on 2 things... The way that you have rounded up 167 people to work on Project Improv and on being a great mom to your kids. Bravo!

Victoria said...

Beautiful doll quilt and pillow. The quilting is wonderful! Congratulations to your son! I love a good debate, and consider it a true art form. You have every right to be a proud mom!

(P.S. I am going to try to remember to mail my blocks this week!)

shellysquilts said...

Jacqui, Your doll quilt is very cute! The quilting stitch choice was very effective. Thanks for the comments you left me. I had a smile on my face for hours. We seem to have a mutual admiration going.

Those proud mama moments are great and seem to make all those moments when they make you "nuts" just fade away. Looks like you've got alot to be proud of there. Happy quilting.

Anonymous said...

Your son, making those wildcats proud!! My alma mater by the way!

I just love your fabric, stitching, and design choices. They all seem to complement each other so well!

em's scrapbag said...

Congrats to your son. And thanks for all your hard work on project improv. Love the cute doll quilt.

Heleen said...

What a great project this is! And yes ofcours you're a proud mam!

Shari said...

You are an all around awesome lady.

*hugs*

Beth said...

Congrats to your baby (and I LOVE his purple sweater)!!

Again, another quilting job I am drooling over. I'm wondering if my machine scallops this wide?? WHat kind of machine does your mom have??

Anina said...

So much goodness!

Anonymous said...

Congrats to your son's debate team. The last time I followed 2 of my children at a debate competition, I broke out in hives from nerves! You have done a wonderful job with the improv. There is truth to the statement that quilters are just the nicest people! generous in every way.

Anonymous said...

Congrat to the 'proud mom'!! and what a great doll quilt...
jacquie, really you have done a wonderful job with the improv. How should I thank to you? :)

Shannon said...

Your improvisational and minimalist quilts thrill me...

Congratulations to your son!!! Kudos to the team!

nettie said...

so funny that you had to peep through the little window (but I totally understand, I am so uncomfortable in front of people I am close to.) Congratulations to your son! That's so great.

Love the doll quilt, that would make a very cool larger quilt. I love the quilting too.

Crafts a la Mode said...

Congratulations to your son! I love the white quilt with the red squares. Very refreshing and clean looking. Wonderful. Thanks for posting it. Inspirational. Linda

http://twosucculentsisters.blogspot.com/

calicodaisy said...

Oh, boy, I wish you could come here and work with me in my stash and give me good ideas to get down to. I know just how proud you feel of your son, too. Just like I do when mock trial comes around. Cody has graduated, obviously, and is at college, but Camille is the defendant this year on our mock trial team, and the competition is near upon us!

Stephanie D said...

Wow! Great debating job! As a gal who dreaded oral book reports as a child and who stresses terribly at the thoughts of getting up in front of people to say ANYTHING, I have terrific admiration to those who can argue and think so quickly on their feet!

Love the doll quilt and pillow--so adorable!

Kudos to everyone on the Improv project!

Anonymous said...

Yay, you are indeed a proud mama...I remember being such a terrible debater- from nerves. So he is truly brave!

Love the doll quilt, so adorable with the matching pillow :)

Lisa said...

Jacquie, I love all your quilting! and congrats to you and your son! You should be so proud!

Amanda Jean said...

i love your little doll quilt and pillow set. so sweet. i am learning to enjoy working on a small scale like that, because it is a good place to explore new techniques. on one of my recent doll quilts i tried a new quilting technique. and i learned i would never use it again, LOL.

Sharon said...

Love love love your little red/white doll quilt! What a clever way to use your scraps! And I really like that quilting design too.

Congrats to your son and his team. My son used to be on the Debate team too. It has stood him in good stead many, many times. You should be proud of him! And I love the sneaky pix thru the window! What a Mom!

ellen said...

I think it's been pretty well covered here! I would like to repeat everything that has been said, but that would take up too much room!
What an accomplishment for your son. You couldn't pay me enough to do that. I'd make a perfect fool out of myself! I know how proud you are.
I went to flickr and all I can say is, you have rounded up some amazing talent there. Fantastic.
Love the little doll quilt and the ticking peeking through.
Super all the way around!

A Spoonful Of Sugar said...

Well done to your son on his brilliant achievement! What amazing results Project Improv is having - I love seeing all the work being done around the blogsphere. Your little dolls quilt looks so fresh and sweet - red and white are a great combination.

KC Quilter said...

Kudos to your son!!!! And I adore your doll quilt and pillow. One of my favorite things to make is a doll quilt! Your Project Improv sounds so intriguing--wish I had taken part but I must have missed the post when I was on my blog "break". Gonna go dig around in your archives to find out more about it.

jovaliquilts said...

Congratulations to your son! It's so hard to be the mom and not get to go in and listen. Maybe next year...

deAnime said...

Thanks Mrs. Jacquie for visiting my first blog. I know your lovely quilts from my mom :)

Unknown said...

Your son looks so determined and certainly dapper! Congratulations to him and to you! You should be proud!

I find your baby quilt and pillow so sweet! You are a whirlwind of activity and such an inspiration!
~Emily

Anonymous said...

Absolutely lovely doll quilt and pillow. Lovely lovely lovely! :) You've inspired me to try something new!

Leanne said...

You have every right to be a proud mum. Love the doll quilt.