Quilting By Design

     Just letting all of you know that I am off on a short vacation; Will be back home on Tuesday night. I’ll begin writing again on either the 8th or 9th, unless I can find a few minutes to squeeze something in! Be good and happy quilting!

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QUILTING BLOGS!

• Terry’s Quilting Blog
• Debi Quilts
• Jan’s Quilting Blog
• With Heart and Hands; A Quilting Journey

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Original published by Terry Crawford.

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ReAlLy RaNdOm ThOuGhTs

     On medical leave until further notice!

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Quilting By Design Site Map.
Quilting By Design Site Schedule.
Original article first published by Terry Crawford.

quilting, quilts, Quilting By Design, Quilting Passion

ReAlLy RaNdOm ThOuGhTs

     Today’s article is going to be short and sweet, as I am swamped with work, it’s late, and I’m tired. So, my apologies upfront!
     Here are my thoughts for today (well, the ones I can think of at almost 1 am):

I am pleased as pumpkin pie with the responses to the Fat Quarter Drawing and the Block Party on Quilting Passion. I would also like to take this moment to remind everyone that you do not have to be a forum member to “play” in either one of these!

Quilting Passion members donated at least six (6) quilts to Project Comforting Virginia. We have not received word directly from Virginia Tech that they were received, however, each quilt was sent via the USPS with Delivery Confirmation and the DC confirms they arrived at their destination.

The Australian Publication of Queensland Quilters Inc. magazine, “Material Facts”, published an article written by me in the June edition! The article is entitled, “What Size Is That?” and defines quilt sizes. This article is a reprint of the original article that I wrote a few years ago, that has been updated. A complimentary edition of this magazine was mailed to me and is shown to the right (click on the image to enlarge it).

Plan on an interesting Challenge kicking off in the month of June. Details of this will be given on Friday, June 1st!

Also, plan on a voted “Hall of Fame” debuting, using both Quilting By Design and Quilting Passion. This, too, is slated for the month of June and details will be published on or about the 5th of June!

Another project will be announced next week, probably on the 8th of June. This is a special project that honors the memory of a spectacular lady who was a member of the forum. Details will be published later.

Watch this site in the month of June! There are going to be reviews and interviews with some of your favorite quilting celebrities, such as: Marcia Hohn, Pati Shambaugh, Jodie Davis, and more! Plans are also in the works to set up some live chat sessions with as many of these talented quilters as possible.

     
     June is going to be an extremely busy month for me, but I hope to provide you with enough quilting information to capture your interest and inspire you!
     I appreciate all of you that frequent the site and hope you continue to do so. Please feel free to leave your comments!

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Quilting By Design Site Map.
Quilting By Design Site Schedule.
Original article first published by Terry Crawford.

quilting, quilts, Quilting By Design, Quilting Passion

     Today’s topic is short and sweet. Instead of me giving you information, I would like for you to provide us with your status. In other words, what crafting projects are you working on today?
     I look forward to hearing from you!

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Quilting By Design Site Map.
Quilting By Design Site Schedule.
Original article first published by Terry Crawford.

quilting, quilts, Quilting By Design, Quilting Passion

ReAlLy RaNdOm ThOuGhTs


     What a week! It is finally sunny and warm here in beautiful northeastern Oklahoma and my small patio garden (that puts out an unbelievable amount of veggies!) is in the ground and ready to begin growing. I will not even begin to tell you how this is the second one for this year… which is why I am sure glad it is sunny and warm now! Before long, I will be feasting on tomatoes, bell peppers, cantaloupe, cucumbers, and yellow straightneck squash. I learned long ago to not plant things I would not eat; as it simply went to waste! Even now, I leave excess veggies on the counters of my favorite restaurants and/or give away to friends and family. This little garden packs a huge punch, so do not let appearance be deceiving!! And flowers! My yard is just now celebrating spring with its gorgeous buds and blooms, of which I have scattered photographs throughout today’s article; my first clematis, first old-fashioned rose (which smell sooooooooooo good), and my wild buttercups (would you believe I picked two or three year before last and planted them and now they are EVERYWHERE???).
     The final count on the project, “Comforting Virginia“, is six (6) quilts. Delivery Confirmation shows that these quilts are beginning to show up at Virginia Tech. I have to wonder what the person opening these packages is thinking about the beautiful quilts sent from compassionate hearts all over the USA. Again, thank you to each that contributed to this tragic event.

     Unless I change my mind (which seems to happen quite frequently these days!), I am going to begin highlighting a quilt-related project found on the Internet (or one in which I have designed) on Fridays. What I have not decided yet is whether this will be every week or bi-weekly. I am thinking weekly, at the moment, so watch for the first one this coming Friday.

     A few other things that you can look forward to? I have three (3) interviews with major Web site owners set up! These will be published on May 21, May 28, and June 4. I am really excited about these and hope that you enjoy reading them. Two are still surprises, but one of them is with Jodie Davis, President of QNN.
     Speaking of QNN, there have been a few changes, with many more planned. The biggest change is that it is now under new ownership! QNN TV, formerly called QNN, was purchased by the owners of the magazine, Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting, New Track Media LLC. With the sale of QNN in April 2007, Jodie joined the New Track Media team. Stay tuned to this QBD for more information in the coming weeks!
     How’s your thoughtful Thursday going?

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Quilting By Design Site Map.
An original article by Terry Crawford.

quilting, quilts

RaNdOm ThOuGhTs

     Another Thursday where I can write and not have to think! Today, there are a number of ramblings rumbling around in this ol’ brain of mine, but the first is an update on the Quilting Passion Forum “Comforting Virginia” Project.Virginia Tech University To date, there have now been a total of six (6) quilts donated to, with the latest donation shown to the left. This quilt was a second quilt made by Nina (Iowa); it is very bright and cheery and also patterned after a relatively new logic puzzle craze that flaired to popularity last year, called “Sudoku“. Stay tuned to this Web site (slated for Friday, 05/11/07) for an article featuring these truly unique puzzles that have beautifully crashed into the quilting world!

     My thoughts also run along side of all the torrential rains we have had here in northeastern Oklahoma, which sits on top of the gorgeous foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Lake Hudson is 5′ above normal level, meaning that it is about 100 yards up on my property. This in turn means that when it goes down, there is going to be a huge mess to clean up along the shoreline! You would be surprised at the interesting things I find. Year before last, I found a brand new paddle boat! No ID on it and had one small hole in it, which patched easily and securely. Did you know it was grueling excercise to operate a paddle boat??? I have also found fishing rods, ice chests, an antique bath tub, along with a ton of driftwood.

     Back to the rain, though. I would say that my garden needs it, but the truth is, I have no garden because the first one froze in mid-April (yes, you read that correctly) and it has been raining too much to put out another. It is a sad thing when you have to water your tomato plants (and other garden plants) whilst they are sitting on your kitchen counter!

     It is getting to where I dread Sunday afternoons. Week before last, a car did an illegal U-turn in front of me about a mile from my home and took out the passenger side of my car. This past Sunday, the sun came out and I decided to try to mow before the rain set in again. Big mistake. First, I got stuck. I wish I had a picture of me because I am sure that you need a laugh like you have not had for awhile. Imagine sitting on the lawnmower, getting stuck, and the tires spinning in smelly mud and throwing the mud up and over onto my entire body! In the space of a minute, I was covered. And stinky. Let us not forget the stinky. I reeked! Second, after cleaning up, the mower on my lawnmower broke! Guess it didn’t like the mud, either. At least now I have two excuses for not mowing: Rain and broken mower. The mower gets fixed next Wednesday… no clue on what the rain is going to do!

     Then there was today. I had to deal with the man’s auto insurance all day, but once again the sun came out for a little while late this afternoon. My oldest son invited me to go run his trot lines (very long fishing lines set out in the middle of the lake) with him and my grandson. I have been cooped up forever due to my health, so I decided to go. Off we went. Talk about catching the fish (and I will not even mention the huge snake that we watched swim along side the boat!)! He had about a dozen huge catfish, and the joy that I saw him and my grandson share is beyond description. My grandson grinned once and said, “I’m his little fishin’ buddy, Grandma”. Talk about tugging at the ol’ heart!

     Remember me mentioning that the lake was flooded up on my property? Well, my grandson is sitting on an icechest almost 100 yards from the “real” shoreline. We were wading to dry land after hopping off the boat. Now, why would we hop off the boat? Because a huge thunderstorm rolled in while we were out on the lake and my son took the boat back to the dock and we walked up to the house so that we would not get drenched! And I cannot even think as to whether I should start a new paragraph telling about the alligators that have now been spotted numerous times on this lake! GRDA is trying to catch them, as the ones that are here are an endangered species, and if someone were to harm them, they would be fined and/or imprisoned. Um, OK? “Chew my leg off, little ‘gator, I won’t hurt ya!”

     So, how was your week?

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An original articleby Terry Crawford.

quilting, quilts, sudoku quilts

Project Comforting Virginia Update #2
Thursday, again! It sure did roll around quickly, did it not?     Today’s topic is short, sweet, and another update on a project begun two (2) weeks ago.     To date, we have five (5) quilts ready to go in the mail (shown below; click on each image to enlarge it). I have the address to which these quilts are to be mailed and hope to have them all in the mail by Monday, May 7th.
Enchie, Ontario, Canada	Jan, Texas
Doris, Oregon	Thank you to all that are participating in this! Many lives have been negatively impacted by this tragic event at Virginia Tech on the east coast, but with our help, we can help others as they struggle to put their lives back together. It is not a coincidence that us piecing together quilts helps others piece their lives back together, is it?
If you are working on a project that is related to the Virginia tragedy, please share it with us? Also, stay tuned to the Quilting By Design Web site or Quilting Passion for further updates	Linda, New York
Linda, New York (Back of quilt)	Nina, Iowa

Quilting By Design Site Map.
Original article first published on Quilting Passion by Terry Crawford.

quilting, quilts, charity quilts, Virginia Tech

I have had some inquiries as to what I have planned for this site, so that is today’s topic of discussion. Before I begin, however, I would like to thank all of you that have sent me e-mail with suggestions, ideas, and compliments. I appreciate your input!      There are quite a few things that I have up my sleeve! None of this is written in concrete, however, and as I muddle through finding out what the needs of the viewers (YOU!) are, I am prone to change direction. This Web site is all about YOU and what best serves you. With that said, let us get to the various ideas I have rolling around in my head right now! ARTICLES: I hope to provide you with quilt-related articles that are interesting, helpful, informative, and entertaining. At this time, I have no plans for regularly scheduled articles. Articles will arrive on your monitor as I have time, as I get suggestions, as I get ideas, as I see a need, etc. MYSTERIES: I hope to conduct at least one (1) mystery on this site over the next year; would like to begin it this summer. TIPS/TRICKS: I hope to provide you with tips and tricks to aid you in improving your quilting skills! Again, there are no plans for regularly scheduled publications, but I will provide them as I have time, get suggestions, get ideas, see a need, or learn something new myself! TECHNIQUES: I hope to expose you to new techniques, and maybe a few old ones that need dusted off, too. Again, there are no plans for regularly scheduled teaching sessions, but I will provide them as I have time, get suggestions, get ideas, see a need, or learn something new myself! TUTORIALS/HOW-TOs: I hope to provide you with tutorials teaching you how to do things that you may not do now, or, if you already do them, to help you to improve and hone your skills. Again, there are no plans for regularly scheduled publications, but I will provide them as I have time, get suggestions, get ideas, see a need, or learn something new myself! REVIEWS: Reviews will be scheduled to appear every other Monday. Reviews include the following: Web Site Reviews - 15 years ago, there were only a handfull of quilting sites online; today there are thousands! While most of these will go unnoticed, I would like to take some time to provide you with information about specific Web sites that I think you would love. When possible, I will include an interview with the Web site owner. If you have a Web site that you would like to submit for a review, please e-mail me. Book Reviews - Books, books, and more books! How do you know which ones are informative and well-written? How do you know which ones are geared to your level of expertise? How do you know which ones contain practical applications and projects for you? The answer? A review of the book! These books may not necessarily be the latest release; it may very well be an older book that I have discovered and would like to share with you. If you have a quilt-related book that you would like to submit for a review, please e-mail me. Quilting Gadget Reviews - New gadgets hit the market now at a head-spinning pace! How do you know if a gadget is worth the money? Or how do you know exactly what a specific gadget does? Or, for that matter, how do you know when a new gadget arrives that you may find useful and/or of interest? The answer? A review! New or old, I hope to provide you with quality reviews to help make your quilting life better, faster, easier, more productive, etc. If you have a quilt-related gadget that you would like to submit for a review, please e-mail me. TERRY’s THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY: Thursdays are designated as my day to express my thoughts. These will usually be quilting (since this is a quilting site!), with a little bit of other stuff, too. I try not to throw in much non-quilt-related stuff, though, because I know I sure do not like going to a quilting site that does not have much to say about quilting! PATTERNS: Whether a quilt pattern or a block pattern, I plan on providing you with some original designs, as inspiration hits me! QUILT RESOURCES: Quilting resources found around the Internet. There is not a regularly scheduled time for these to surface. SHOW ‘N TELL: A “Show ‘N Tell” gallery showcasing a variety of quilts. There is not a regularly scheduled time for these to surface. QUILTING PROJECTS: Projects that I either find or author, that I believe you will find enticing! These include neat ideas for gifts and special occasions. There is not a regularly scheduled time for these to surface.

These are just a few things that I plan over the next few months. Adjustments will be made as needed, in an effort to continually improve this site for quilters. I also have a couple of items in mind that I am still trying to work through the details on, and as soon as I have that done, you will be the first to know.

I would like to let each of you know how much I appreciate your return visits, your comments, and your communications with me. Your input and feedback are important to the success of this site and I thank you for the time and effort it takes for you to provide me with it.

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Project Comforting Virginia Update
Another Thursday! I am partial to Thursdays; always have been. I believe it goes back to the many years that I taught in the public school systems. I knew “hump day� (Wednesday) was over, yet it was not quite TGIF yet, so Thursday became a day to look forward to. Weird, eh?
Enchie, Ontario, Canada	Today’s topic is short and sweet. It is simply an update on the that was begun a week ago.     There are quite a few quilts in progress and we have two (2) ready to go in the mail (shown below). I am awaiting an address in which to send them to and hope to have it by next Wednesday (05/02/07).
Thank you to all that are participating in this. Many lives have been negatively impacted by this tragic event on the east coast, but with our help, we can help others as they struggle to put their lives back together. It is not a coincidence that us piecing together quilts helps others piece their lives back together, is it?     If you are working on a project that is related to the Virginia tragedy, please share it with us? Also, stay tuned to the Quilting By Design Web site or Quilting Passion for further updates!	Jan, Texas

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Original article first published on Quilting Passion by Terry Crawford.

quilting, quilts, charity quilts