Tuesday, January 18, 2011

My New Blog Address!

 

     Welcome!
I'm so glad you chose to come to visit me here.  If you are a regular follower, or even a new visitor, please sign up to follow me on this new blog address.  I wasn't able to take my yankee quilter followers with me, so I am asking you to sign up to follow this new address.  Thanks so much :)

OK, first priority is to talk about the Australian floods.  There is a lot of activity in the quilting blog world going on to help the victims of this terrible natural disaster.  If you have seen the pictures, it truly is heartbreaking.  Not only do these sweet people have to deal with losing their homes, they have to deal with the clean-up after the water recedes.  My heart really does break, thinking about all the work ahead of these victims.

We no longer need to feel helpless when we read about the floods.  There are lots of ways we can help right now.  I am donating a box of fat quarters to help make the sewing caddies that are going to be distributed by The Gum Tree Girls.  (One of my New Year's resolutions is not to spread myself so thin in volunteering to make crafts/quilts - so I thought it would be easier to cut up some of my stash as FQ's) You can visit The Gum Tree Designers HERE to volunteer time or talent.

You can visit HERE to view a master list of auctions organized by Toni at Make It Perfect.  There are some unbelievable deals and some beautiful handcrafted items listed - it takes awhile to view the whole list - but boy it is definitely worth it!

One of the items listed in the auctions is a chance to win a subscription to Fat Quarterly.  I love this online magazine!  It is packed with interviews, giveaways and patterns.  If you haven't purchased an issue or a subscription, you can check it out HERE.  You can donate just $5.00 to get a chance to win a subscription and 100% of the donation goes to the Queensland Premier donation site. 

For the yarn lovers out there, check out some of these auctions!  There are just a few donations, so your chances are awesome to win!!
Craft Actually
Little Country Wools
Busy Minds Designs
Chicken Flower Tots
Eriven

If find more ways to help, I will list them on a new post.

OK, now that that priority is posted, let me tell you about the name change.  As I cruised the quilty blogging world over the holidays, I started seeing Yankee Quilter popping up in comments and it wasn't me!  An established blogger decided to change her blog name to Yankee Quilter and I thought - here is the catalyst to make my name change.  When I knew I was going to move to Texas, I thought that I would really want to keep my yankee name - it was my identity!  But as I start to settle in here in West Texas - I am starting to love this area, the culture and the people.  I suppose I will always be a Yankee (born in Rhode Island, raised in Massachusetts, college in New Hampshire and my move to Maine in 1990) but I don't need to brag about it.  Especially when my old Rhode Island accent comes out with words like cawfee and pahk and stot (coffee, park and start for you non-Yankees!)  I want to assimilate into Texas and not try to be the odd one out.  I like it here - I want to embrace Texas and not push it away.  So.............West Texas Threads it is!  Threads make me think of more than quilting also - of sewing and knitting/crocheting and softies.  I made a few softies over the holidays and I really enjoy them.  Hopefully this year, I'll be able to make a lot more!  Here's a picture of two of the softies I made in December. (Sorry for the blur!)

 I've also joined 2 Block of the Week/Month programs.  I have seen so many of you at these programs too - it's great to see familar names and faces!  Here's what I have completed so far.
Birdie Stitches Block 1
 I'm using Moda's Portugal line from April Cornell.  Another New Year's resolution - use up stash fabric FIRST!  I've had two charm packs and some yardage of this line for years with a specific project in mind for it.  But THAT project never seemed to jump out at me, so I'm sticking to my resolution for this project :)

Here are my first two blocks for Barbara Brackman's Civil War Block of the Week project.  For this one, I am using a fat quarter bundle of Terry Thomson's Louisa line.  I won this fantastic bundle a few years ago from Melisa at Sweet Home Quilt Co.  I finally broke down and cut into this bundle - I was waiting for the perfect project for this fabric and here it is!  Take a look at my first two blocks:

Now that I've spent ALL morning with this blog, I have to shower and head to Hobby Lobby for more embroidery floss.  Thank you SO much for visiting with me and reading this far.  Don't forget to follow me on this new blog - I hope to be posting more projects this year.  I skipped the OPAM challenge last year, but I hope to be able to get in on the sign up this year (January 25th). 

Thanks again for visiting - see you again soon!

16 comments:

  1. Congratulations on your new blog Laurie! I'm your first follower! :0)

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  2. Can't tell you how much I LOVE the little softee!! It brightens my day and makes me smile when I look at it!! Thank you sooooooo much!!!!

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  3. Hey there, Laurie! I've got your new blog address saved to Reader. The softies make me smile. :-D

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  4. Hi, Laurie. I've got your blog added to Reader! Love those softies -- they look so cuddly!

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  5. Love the new name and the new blog! So happy you are enjoying your new home :)

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  6. Congrats on the Texas blog. We all need to feel we belong where we live. Love the softies. I am following and added your new address to my Google reader. Hugs

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  7. Sometimes a new start all round is the way to go, love the new blog and name. Thanks for spreading the word about the auctions, as you know, every little bit makes a difference...
    Lizzie
    xxx

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  8. Hey Laurie! I love the name of your blog, it's perfect. You were the first person I was really in touch with when I started participating here in blog land, so I'm happy to continue following you on to your new site here. Great softies!

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  9. To me you will always be Laurie....lol
    Welcome back to the Blog world. Going to follow now...BTW the softies are so cute

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  10. Thank you for the information. I don't get online very much anymore, so I didn't know how much was going on for the relief efforts.
    I made a donation and now n suction for a quilt on my blog. Glad to find you.

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  11. yEP... BUT DO YOU HAVE THE/ THE hat :-)
    Need to see the hat to go with Texas :-)
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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  12. First, let me say how GOOD it is to see you posting, Laurie! I'm so glad you're settling in and enjoying it. I loved TX - just don't miss the bugs, lol. But the people? Oh do I miss them! What a friendly state.

    Your softies and blocks are just adorable!

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  13. Love your new blog name! Cute softies & blocks!

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  14. Hi Laurie... found you here and love your new blog and look!
    You have been busy and your CW is looking great!
    Thankyou very much for passing the word and your generosity in donating to help our fellow Aussies in QLD... they'll need all our help and for some time.
    I'll update you on my blog xx

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  15. What a lovely thoughtful post Laurie....
    xxx

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I really do appreciate you coming to my blog and reading what I have to share. And I especially want to say thank you for taking the time to comment!