{ fancy nancy's nifty quilt row markers }

As I began to quilt more,

I needed a practical yet fancy way

to keep track of my quilt pieces and layouts.

I wanted something a little more elegant than

scrap paper or post it notes.

These sweet, original creations of mine are

my Fancy Nancy solution to my dilemma.

You'll need pins (I love corsage pins),

alphabet and/or number beads,

decorative beads and

a fast setting glue.

Decide on your design, put a dab a glue

right below the head of the pin,

slide the first bead (alphabet or number) on, 

a little more glue and your last bead.

I lay them down on a piece of aluminum foil

(just in case there's any glue leakage) to dry.

My first set was done with shorter pins and

I soon realized that by the time I put the

number or alphabet bead and an anchor bead on,

I didn't have much pin left.

My next set was done with longer pins with colored heads.

Better, but I still wished for 

a little more 'pin' on my marker.

Then I found corsage pins at Joann's

(you can find them at craft stores and Walmart).

They have a beautiful head and a LONG 'pin'.

Perfect!

Beads come in alphabets and numbers,

colored, clear and white.

I love having a little bit of everything.

I especially have loved the alphabet set

for quilts that have pieces labeled by letters.

My snowmen went together quickly

with all of my pieces labeled.

{ happy heart day - in honor of my dad }

Yesterday I was at the mall walking with

my friends, Wilma and Shirlene.

Sees Candy Store was open early in anticipation

of husbands and boyfriends realizing that

Valentine's Day was the next day

(I personally LOVE Sees Toffeettes!)

I turned to see an older man leaving Sees with

a bag full of chocolate love.

My heart and breath caught for just a moment

when I saw his white hair, tan jacket and

slightly forward leaning gait.

And at the moment, I missed my sweet Dad

all over again because, you see, 

he ALWAYS remembered

the girls in his life every Valentine's Day.

I wanted to go home and wait for his call.

The one telling me that he was coming over

with chocolates and flowers, the one that let me know

that no matter how old I am, I'm his baby girl.

The one that let me know that I am never alone

in this life and that my Dad was there with love,

humor and great advice.

To love and be loved is the greatest gift a person can have.

To have had it from the beginning

is what I will celebrate today.

p.s.  I will share a tutorial at a later date

for my original "Whooo Loves You?" Quilt.

{ countdown to heart day - day 13 }

When I saw this quilt, I fell in LOVE.

It is from another great tutorial on line.

I've named it {heart}.

I already had a start on my collection of

Kona cottons in reds and pinks.

I added three shades of orange

(it's a subtle gradation but it's there).

I would have a picture of the finished quilt but

my sewing machine is in the hospital :(

It decided it wanted to stitch furiously in one place.

I did finish piecing the top before it went crazy.

I challenged myself to piece an entire quilt in a day.

Although this isn't the most intricate quilt pattern,

I DID IT!

I'll share the quilted and bound quilt

when it's finished.

{ countdown to heart day - day 12 }

I am so excited to share this quilt.

I love when talented people share tutorials.

This one comes from Canoe Ridge Creations.

The only change I made was using 

a polka dot instead of solid white for the X and O.

The solids are Kona cottons.

I found the perfect flannel backing 

at Joann's for $2.99 a yard!

The binding if from a darling heart fabric 

that I found at Hobby Lobby (40% off).

The quilting is an overall loopy heart design.

The quilt label design is an original.

Be sure to check back,

I will post a tutorial on how I made it.

{ countdown to heart day - day 11 }

Another Shepherd's Bush design from 

the talented Richards sisters.

I love the my bowls.

I bought them as part of the Empty Bowls event

sponsored by several clubs at Timpview High.

The bowls are made by art students at the high school,

soup is served (in another bowl),

music is shared and the money raised 

goes to Sub for Santa.

You can choose your bowl from the many that are available.

If you look closely, you can see the heart on one.

I fell in love with the red interior of the other.

{ countdown to heart day - day 10 }

The practical farm girl in me

has always struggled with the high price of roses

for Valentine's Day.

I would much rather receive

something that I can plant

and enjoy in my garden all summer long.

These are my early Valentine's flowers.

I found these beautiful flower pots at Ikea

and my miniature roses fit perfectly.

I will wait patiently for spring

as I watch the rain fall and my roses bloom.

{ countdown to heart day - day 9 }

Two of the best Fancy Nancy Originals

I've 'made' (along with Mr. W. - 

there are FOUR in all).

These two just happened to be

born in February.

My February 19th babies, Child #3 and Child #4,

eleven years apart to the day.

They have blessed our home with love and laughter!