Happy New Year!!

Wow, January 1st, 2011. That is a total freak out kind of thing. I just got used to signing 2001! LOL. Do you remember all the fuss about that year, and the comparisons to the movie 2001? Do you remember the fuss over the year 2000, and how everything was going to come to a stop? so, how did it suddenly go from that, to 2011?  The saying goes "time flies when you are having fun". Well, I must be having loads and loads of fun. (giggle). This past year was fun, starting with our daughter's wedding in June, and all the preparations that went into it. And it ended with finding out that we're going to be grandparents to a little boy, somewhere around May 22nd of this year. That's a picture of him, Done by 3D ultrasound on Dec 29. The technology absolutely blows me away!

On another note, it has been a year since I started this blog. I really had no idea of what I was doing, just thought that I wanted to chronicle some of life's moments, and keep track of the various projects I was working on. I've done that, and discovered, not very surprisingly, that I start an awful lot of things, but sure don't finish very many, if finishing counts as being quilted and bound. I've finished at least 6 quilt tops this past year, but they are still waiting to be quilted. But, one of the totally unexpected things that has happened is the people that I have met through this medium. So many kind, caring, thoughtful and talented people. I have one of those "feedjit" things on my blog, that tracks who is visiting, and from where. A lot of people come from the design wall monday posts, but there are a few that show up regularly, sometimes several times a week, just for visits, I guess because they like what they read, and are curious what is going on around here. I'm not sure if this is good "blog etiquette", but one of them is someone from Engadine, New South Wales. I would love it if you would introduce yourself, and tell me a little about yourself, my curiosity is killing me! There is something intriguing about a country on the far side of the world, whose summer is during our winter, where our today is already their tomorrow. And, anyone else, who visits regularly, please introduce yourselves. I would love to "meet" you.

I'm participating in the UFO Challenge sponsored by Judy over at Patchwork Times, and this morning she drew the first number of the project we are to work on, with the aim of getting it completed this month. I don't know if mine will get completed, but it will get to a stage further than it is now, which is all I'm aiming for, since there are customer quilts piling up, and grandson sewing to do as well, which should be so much fun. My number 6 project is my Card Trick swap that I did with the Canadian Quilt swappers which is a yahoo group for Canadian quilters, which helps keep it in the country, and therefore keeps postage costs down.

 This is the layout that I am planning on using, which I designed in The program "Quilt Pro" I am not fond of that program, but, since I have a Macbook, I can't run the Electric quilt software, which I love. This is a 2 block quilt, set on point. I really like this setting, because it makes it look like there is fancy sashing in between each block. All the card trick blocks are done, so I need to get the alternate blocks cut, and sewn. And, the bonus is, that it is a very simple block to make. Can you find it? So, that is my goal for today, before I go to work at 3. Pull the white and blue fabrics for the alternate squares and, if I can clear off the mess from my cutting board, get started on cutting the units for this quilt.