good news from PA!

FLASH!  phil did NOT see his shadow meaning an early spring.....woo hoo!  for us here in MD it's coming this weekend....what a great way to start a winter day--the sun is shining bright here and temps are on the rise.   me i am celebrating a finish...the paper doll books are done and will be on their way today..

lots of fussy cutting and sewing but the result is two adorable playthings for special little girls.  but my fingers were itching for some machine fun, so pulled out an easy UFO and got this far on this wall quilt project...

it'll say "home sweet home" when done and incorporates lots of bright colors--batiks and some very nice grunge dots--(thank you janet!) and it'll be for me.  this may not be my forever home but wherever, it is sweet to have a home.  ***  and mr mailman brought some goodies for me yesterday....a beautiful trinket box from dear daughter, 2 hand knit hats from my mum, a jonesboro, maine, history book with scads of photos of, well, scads of ancestors.  then my sister sent this...

when i belonged to the New England Quilt Museum, attended a talk given by Pam Weeks on this very subject and got to see a civil war quilt up close and personal.  I thought about buying the book but it was a want and not a need, so had to pass.  my dear sister got this a while back and i am super thrilled!  PS it's autographed too!   *** and yesterday finally got the border traced onto this UFO...

this is one of the true oldie UFOs that got put aside due to my timidity in tackling this part.  at the senior center was able to spread it out and finally get it marked.  there is one section i tried to do in my small space that is (gulp) upside down, so that'll have to be washed off (washable graphite pencil) and redone.  ***  also prepped final border on the guild's round robin challenge, so that's closing in to get done.   *** and (cringe) some former football jock on TV just said "it TEACHED the kids...."  uh oh....needs some verbal instruction i think!