Carmen's Quilts

Elvis Costello - She (lyrics)

2011-05-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

I'm busy playing SwagBucks

2011-05-01T10:04:00.001-07:00

And winning real Amazon Gift cards.

Join me.

Getting FREE Quilting Supplies

2011-04-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

I was so excited! I got my Easy Dresden ruler in the mail from Amazon and made some Dresden plates.

Until now, I had been using a cardboard template that I'd made.

Please bear with me while I advertise a little. Because I want you to know that I'm a Frugalista. I'm on my second week of Extreme Couponing...on a small scale, just what I normally use and need - but buying in advance and on sale with coupons to get it FREE or almost FREE.

I got this FREE from Amazon.

I bought one of the the $4.40 ones and with shipping paid $7.99.

But I didn't pay $7.99 out of pocket because I had 2 FREE $5.00 AMAZON GIFT CARDS.

I got them by using SWAG BUCKS every day.

I liken it to an online video game where I get real prizes. I earn about $5.00 worth of prizes each week and choose the Amazon Gift Card so I can shop freely.

Here's the link to Swag Bucks and there's always a SWIDGET on the bottom of my blog.

They're on FaceBook too and I use that avenue often to clue me in to special CODES to help me win Swagbucks.

Try it - you might like it and you might get yourself some FREE QUILTING SUPPLIES. I do.

What else have I been up to?

2011-04-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made these Dresden plates. I'm still mulling over the sashing or set and put them away for another day.

What have I been up to?

2011-04-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

Today I made this Bible cover using a tutorial by Delia Creates which you can find here.

I have a GIANT PRINT bible ('cuz I'm old and can't see well) so I had to adjust the measurements some, but it turned out OK and came together pretty quick.

Another funny from my dear friend Kenny.

2011-04-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

(I thought it best to clean this one up a little.)

...is 70 years old.

Today, if Dorothy were to encounter men
with no brains, no heart, and no courage,
she wouldn't be in OZ...

she'd be dating!

(It made me laugh!)

Pencil Sharpeners

2011-04-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

I use these handy dandy supposedly "mechanical" pencils.

I just don't see anything mechanical about them. But I love them.

I'm also madly in love with the SEAM TRACER,

but I never remember what it's called.

(and it fits on my favorite pencils)

So I head over to CLOTILDE'S, because I know they have it - whatever it's called, and search on "pencil"

LOOK WHAT THEY HAVE!!!

HOW CUTE! I don't use a pencil sharpener for pencils but I can sure use this cutie for my EYEBROW PENCILS!!!

Finding new ways to get Quilty Goodness into my world.

Hand Applique?

2011-04-04T07:15:00.000-07:00

Is there any other way?

Jan Patek is a designer of fabrics and primitive patterns.

Come on over to her blog and have a look at her wonderful Quilty Goodness.

Jan Patek Quilts - link

Spring is in the air.

2011-04-03T20:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! It's been a tad hot here in Phoenix, but the weather has promised to cool down some this week to some Spring-like 80s.

I feel like freshening up the ironing board so I'm making a new ironing board cover and I'm going to use this tutorial by Aneela.

She's a Moda designer (so she gets all the good fabric!). Her's turned out so cute!

I can't wait to see how mine turns out.

I did my little board and it's cute, but now I'll have professional assistance in the form of Aneela's tute.

Now if I can find a tute for a matching iron cover...

It's Friday!

2011-04-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's also April Fool's Day & I'm playing a trick on my Shabby Chic blog Followers.

Quilting can be Shabby

and

Shabby Chic can be Quilty!

Let's just have a little inspirational fabric...

Click here for FABRIC!

Tote Bag/Basket Swap & Tute

2011-03-30T05:39:00.000-07:00

You can make this Springy tote basket for yourself or join this swap and make one for someone else.

Click here for Geta's Basket Tute

Basket Swap

The Friendship Braid made EASY!

2011-03-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

You guys are going to see a lot of these

Missouri Quilt Co. videos here. They have such simple straightforward tutorials.

They make it all look easy!

Quilt by EmmasMamaBianka

Once it looks this easy,

I'm inspired to sew up a dozen!

They have "Daily Deal" on thier website.
Please click on over to see what's up.

Qu-a-ck!

2011-03-27T05:12:00.000-07:00

Go ahead, click on the " Qu-a-ck! " for a funny.

"Laissez faire" attitude

2011-03-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

Is this the basis of the word lazy?

Don't get me started on the supposed mechanic at the shop. He reminded me of the character Phillip Seymour Hoffman played in The Talented Mr Ripley.

With sunglasses.

Let's just say he saw a customer and walked toward it as slowly as if he were walking his last mile.

It was all downhill from there.

New plan - mobile mechanic. I interviewed a few from Craig'sList last week and I'm having the one I liked over Tuesday to fix my car.

PS I did make it to the post office and sent off a box with my mug rug swap goodies in it before my car died.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SATURDAY MORNING!

2011-03-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

Too bad my little car doesn't want to start. There's some sort of short in the starting system that I can't figure out - so off I go to the mechanic...if it starts.

I'm thinking of getting one of these:

First I thought I might weigh too much or be too old...

then I met a woman a little older than me and a little heavier than me (and frankly - a LOT greyer than me) riding one to the Safeway. We talked, I'm hooked.

It's such a fabulous morning, I don't even care if my car doesn't want to work.

Today's project is 10 pieces of grey window sheers.

Nothing fancy but loads of sewing. Best get started.

Have a SUPER DUPER DAY!

2011-03-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

"Happiness is not in the mere possession of money;

it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort."

~Franklin D. Roosevelt~

Can 1 jelly roll make a quilt and a tote bag?

2011-03-24T07:13:00.000-07:00

jodi@Pleasant-Home has found a way. She's got a tutorial up at Moda. Maybe if I blog it, it will magically appear on my sewing machine?

It's cute and Springy and you can use any Jelly roll you want.

It's inspiring me this morning.

Click here for the Moda Hushabye Tote Bag and Coin Quilt tute.

Look what I found!!!

2011-03-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

It's just so Springy!"

Shabby Sister link - click here.

BEST EVER SENIOR CITIZEN JOKE

2011-03-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

I have a high school buddy (his name is Kenny & he's cute!) who emails me jokes 2 or 3 times a week. Some of them are really funny! Honestly, I thought when I opened up this one I'd find a picture of myself but instead I found this:

little silver-haired lady calls her neighbor and says, "Please come over here and help me. I have a killer jigsaw puzzle, and I can't figure out how to get started."

Her neighbor asks, "What is it supposed to be when it's finished?"

The little silver haired lady says, "According to the picture on the box, it's a rooster."

Her neighbor decides to go over and help with the puzzle.

She lets him in and shows him where she has the puzzle spread all over the table.

He studies the pieces for a moment, then looks at the box, then turns to her and says,

"First of all, no matter what we do, we're not going to be able to assemble these pieces into anything resembling a rooster."

He takes her hand and says, "Secondly, I want you to relax. Let's have a nice cup of tea, and then," he said with a deep sigh ............

(scroll down)

"Let's put all the Corn Flakes back in the box."

Is there life after FaceBook?

2011-03-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

I hope so.

Here's a link to my all time favorite Yahoo Group, Quilter's Bee.

Quilter's Bee Yahoo Group

They have a webpage too with loads of quilty goodness.

Quilter's Bee Web Page

HERE I AM!

2011-03-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Everyone!

I've recently left one of those social networks and am missing all my internet buddies. So here I am to see if I can't get some satisfaction in Blog Land. Feel free to post comments at will and I hope you find something you like here.

Being new to Blog Land, and having no clue, I've had to set up seperate blogs for seperat interests. Scroll down on the right and see if anyhting catches your fancy.

As you can see by my empty blogs, I have a lot of work to do so I better get to it.

Thank you for visiting and please check back often - in case I think up something that might interest you.

WELCOME! WELCOME! WELCOME!

Carmen

WOO HOO! The Easter Bunny came early this year at my house!

2011-03-21T17:05:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to be able to join one of the great swaps that my friend "M." has over at

Aunt Pitty Pat's Blog . This was a Mug Rug Swap and I got a box full of Eastery goodness in the mail today.

It couldn't have come at a better time. My DD, while eating a chocolate candy in the living room, got a big smear of chocolate on the couch. It cleaned up easy enough, but no future worries with this cutie around!

Thank you so much Darling M!

(This blog is officially launching tomorrow - if you're seeing this, you're getting a sneak peek!)