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Monday, September 10, 2018

Welcome to My House Blog Hop

I'd love to welcome you to my house...
but I do want to take a few moments to reflect and remember all the
victims of 9/11/01
A day when so many lives were lost, so senselessly.
A day when lives were changed forever. 
A day when "security" became a word that is now a part of our everyday life.

I work for the airlines and was front row to what happened.
While I looked out the windows, 
all I could see were planes descending from the skies, 
landing at the closest airport available. It was surreal.  
We had no idea what was happening and were scared to death.

Everyone pitched in to get planes to gates and unloaded,
towed off and parked so more planes could get in. 

The tragedy struck in New York, but the entire world dealt with the repercussions.
There were thousands of travelers from all over the globe 
stuck for days in places they had no intention of visiting. 

It brought out the very best in Americans.
It's true... tragedy makes us stronger...differences are set aside...
we become brothers and sisters.
Something so easy to forget from day to day.
RIP, to all the victims and first responders who have, since passed
 from the environmental hazards they suffered, saving so many...

Now, I would like to welcome you to my house with this 
"Wild Rose Cottage" quilt.
I saw this on a blog back in 2013, and  fell in love with it.
When I emailed the blogger who shared it, I was sad to learn that the 
pattern was no longer available. 
It was a "Patchwork Party 2010 online shop, block party pattern.
But, she had actually seen my "International Sunbonnet Sue" quilt 
and we did a little swap.  We mailed each other our patterns.
Now that's the way to do things!
This was quite the undertaking. It took Marti Mitchell templates that I didn't have,
 but they did provide templates for the blocks in the pattern.  
I traced them onto freezer paper and cut out each of the pieces by hand.
Whew...would I do this again...ah that's a big ole NO!
LOL!
I love the finished product...but I did not love the process. I'm a fusible applique girl, 
and this was way outside my wheelhouse! 
What I did learn though, is that I got amazingly accurate piecing 
when the block pieces were cut this way.
Every block came out to the exact size and I was thrilled
 that the quilt was perfectly square when I was done.
I guess I should really dust off my GO cutter and those dies I have in the corner.
It would have saved hours and hours of time.
But, I can now say...I did a quilt the hard way!
This entire quilt was made from my stash. I am on a mission this year, to use it or loose it.
And since I'm opposed to loosing anything, I'm using it up.
"Sew" now... what are your thoughts on swapping patterns,
 when your done with a project you know your never going to do again?
I like the idea myself. I've got shelves of books and patterns, that will
likely never get used again. What a great way to downsize and share the love too!

This particular pattern, has found it's way to a new home. A friend was up a week ago and just had to have it...even after I gave her the low down on all that freezer paper cutting!
LOL!!  I'm anxious to hear if she uses her "GO"on it.

Thank you Carol for this delightful blog hop. 
Nothing is better, than opening our homes to our online quiltin' buddies.
Please visit my fellow bloggers...
as they "Welcome" you to their homes.
September 10


September 11


September 12

September 13


September 14



From my house to yours...

til next time...
Keep on Stitchin'

41 comments:

  1. As always, your quilt is amazing. I love a house quilt. I've had fabric for a house quilt for years and haven't settled on a pattern yet. I know I've had it over 6 years at least - I know that's not a long time. I lost my huge desire to piece when my second husband died 5 years ago and I hope it's coming back. He loved to see me quilt and was a great encourager. He had a great sense of color, too. My first quilt is not finished yet due to a misunderstanding about a comment made about it by my first husband that festered for over 30 years. I thought my work was not good enough and it would not let me put it on the bed if I did finish it. Now I've got him where I want him - in the hospital with his two columns broken in his right hip and his hip replacement replaced - LOL! The doctors think he had a seizure and fell and broke the pelvis bones and displaced the hip socket almost to his bladder. I've been at the hospital lots to support my son - not for my ex-husband. Now, my views on swapping patterns. I think we ought to swap as much as possible. The collection of books and patterns and even fabric in my house is huge. If I can swap with someone and we each are happy, what a great joy. I know you belong to some QAL that give a free pattern for one month and then it is at a cost. I have some opinions on that, too. Often life gets in the way or just forgetfulness and I miss a month and the whole project is a loss if I want the whole project. I save lots of them for future possibilities and I'm not going to pay for maybes. Sometimes I find the QAL late and then I'm disgusted that I can't get the entire project without paying. I have so many patterns that I really don't need any more but some of them are nice and would be nice to have, in case. So, I usually just delete the whole project from my files and often just delete that person from my following list. It depends on the person and what types of things this person offers to me. I feel as if the person is trying to control me to follow him/her all the time by dangling the carrot. If the pattern can be offered free for a month, why can't it be offered free all the time? OK, I'm off my soapbox. Thanks for participating in the hop and keeping the hop going at a phenomenal pace. I appreciate your telling the back story, too.

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  2. That is a really beautiful quilt! I love your color/fabric choices.

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  3. Your quilt is lovely! It shows all the time and effort you put into it.

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  4. Your comments on 9-11 were beautiful, Joan. Remembering that day always brings tears to my eyes. We all remember exactly where we were when it happened. The memorial to the brave souls who willingly gave up their lives to save others is now open in Pennsylvania. I have it in my mind to go there and pay tribute.

    Your quilt is so pretty! I'm not sure I could like the process, either. :)

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  5. What a beautiful quilt, and how fun that you are passing the pattern along!

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  6. Your quilt is lovely and I LOVE the pattern exchange idea. I have sooo many I will never use again and have seen many I would like to try. My shelves are bulging and could use a little relief. I don't know how much relief they would get if I swap but it sure would be fun.

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  7. Your quilt is beyond gorgeous...love it! It definitely has the look of a quilt that took time and effort. Thank you for hopping with us today! 9-11 was a hard day for all of us, so thank you for sharing your story. I remember looking out the 8th floor window of Las Vegas City Hall and seeing no planes in the air. It was so eerie!

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  8. It turned out so pretty! I want to use at least one pattern from each quilting book I own...eeshh. That is a lot. But Yes, trading/gifting patterns would be great. I dislike printing out a pattern then shelving it after using it. What a grand waste!

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  9. It really does look wonderful. I'm so glad that you hung in there and got it finished. I fully agree with pattern swaps or just giving them away when finished.

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  10. Love your quilt Joan! At my quilt group we bring not only patterns, books, but fabric and notions and more to put on our "free" table for anyone to take. I have picked up some really nice things that way and also I got rid of a ton of books and other things I wasn't using, so it's win-win. Oh by the way the link to click on to get here to you blog stopped me as your blog is not secure! You might need to change you http or https to make it secure. I had to google you site and then was able to get here. You and one other blog today this happened to. I will see if I can find her blog to visit now.

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  11. Your quilt turned out beautifully. I love that you were able to make it out of your 'stash'. win-win!

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  12. I have given a few patterns away to quilters or just donated at the Church next door to where I work. However, if I have sewn the pattern, I'm likely to keep it to just remind me that I've sewn it. This is a wonderful quilt!

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  13. Looks great but want me to crack the whip on you about the go cutter!???

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  14. Joan the Wild Rose quilt is beautiful but you could have saved time and had very accurate piecing with the Go cutter. I love the fact you don't have to trim as much because no dog ears! I also beieve in sharing. With a move on November 1 I decided to purge while I was packing. My local Guild was the recipient of a large stack of books for the library. While I was purging I packed up notions, patterns, crafting and knitting supplies and even some fabric. It's now in the storage space of my Guild for the annual Yard n Yardage sale which is the Guild's yearly fundraiser. Win win situation. I am no longer storing things I will never use and my Guild will have a few extra dollars in the bank to bring in teachers or purchase more books for our library.

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  15. Amazing quilt, Joan. Rose Cottage is my kind of house. Congrats on sticking with all that work - the result has been worth it.
    Thanks, too, for your words on 9-11. I was certainly not involved as you were but I still can picture the horror and I get goosebumps whenever I think of that day and all those we lost.

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  16. Your quilt is beautiful. Swapping patterns is a great idea so that the pattern gets used more than once.

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  17. Beautiful quilt. The picket fences tops it off perfectly!

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  18. Darling quilt, and it represents what so many of us turned to on this day 17 years ago as we watched the horror from our homes with our families.

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  19. What a beautiful quilt, but way too labor intensive for me! I think it's great that you're trying to use up all your scraps, but this quilt does not look scrappy in the least. Great job!

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  20. Very beautiful quilt!!! Perfect sampler blocks - a lovely house in the mittle and the fences in der border. I do understand why you wanted to sew this quilt, and once is enough. I found your blog with google and I did change the link to your blog in my blogpost.

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  21. I like this quilt! Even the block in the middle would make a very cute wall hanging. Thanks!

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  22. Hi Joan! Such a wonderful post, thank you for remembering 9/11. I read in the paper on Sunday that many of the young men and women serving in the military do not know anything about that day. That is so hard to believe for those of us who lived through it.
    I really like the idea of pattern swapping! I have lots of them!
    Your quilt is amazing. More power to you, I never would have gotten that one done :)

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  23. Lovely quilt! I feel your pain with the blocks, that’s lot of work! Swapping patterns sound like a wonderful idea.

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  24. Great quilt. Love the borders that you added to it.

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  25. Oh, Joan, I love this quilt. It's so pretty and has that classic look. Love the colors you chose too. God bless the USA today.

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  26. Once, my longarmer passed along a block of the month pattern bundle that she had finished when I admired the quilt on her wall. She told me essentially what you said, that she would never make that quilt again but she would be happy knowing that I might make it someday. I think it's a nice idea, and I think it's pretty much the same as passing along a book, as far as copyright goes. I wouldn't Xerox it and share it with a group of people, but I would share a single pattern with someone, the same way I pass along a book I'm done with.

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  27. I think swapping patterns is a great idea. Beth said it perfectly.👆
    This quilt is out of this world!! I can see it would be a one time undertaking.
    Thanks for sharing

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  28. Wow, what a delightful quilt! Definitely worth all the effort, but I'm not sure I would have stuck it out. I love the design with the little white picket fence borders.

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  29. That is a great quilt, Joan! I love the idea of swapping patterns, and you are so right about the senseless tragedy of 9/11/01. Yesterday as I was reflecting on it, I still remember exactly where I was and how I felt when another nurse came in and told us what had happened. We all numbly got up from our desks and headed for the television and watched in horror and shock as the second plane hit. So sad.

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  30. This is a beautiful quilt! Your fabrics look fabulous in the pattern. I have some Marti Mitchell templates because I did one of those Patchwork Parties one year, but not this one. I only used the templates for that one quilt. I like rotary cutting and piecing best. Maybe I will make a quilt with a house block in the center and sampler blocks around it someday inspired by this quilt. Thanks for sharing ... :) Pat

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  31. Beautiful quilt. The fence blows me away. That must of been work! Thanks for sharing.

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  32. Thank you for taking the time to remember 9/11 and what was lost.
    Love your quilts as always it hits the nail right on its head.

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  33. Even over here in Australia everyone seems to know someone who knows someone directly affected by September 11. Lovely tribute. I think the way you shared your patterns is lovely, designer to designer both being party to the arrangement. Addressing the elephant in the room though, I personally do try to pay the little that is asked if I want a pattern that is still available commercially. Designing is a costly and time consuming activity and if we won't support the artists then the art goes away.

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  35. Your quilt turned out so lovely, Joan - worth all of your efforts! <3

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  36. Lovely sentiments, Joan, at the start of your post re 911. Beautifully worded.
    Thanks for sharing your quilt, too. I am stunned that you cut out all those pieces with freezer paper. You amaze me!
    You quilt looks wonderful hanging there in your garden.
    Good luck with your use it or lose approach to your stash. I am getting a lot better but nowhere near perfect. I figure that's not too bad!
    Yes, I share patterns I have finished using. Great to swap and share. I have also sold some of the ones that are very expensive after I have finished. You know the ones that have 10 or 12 parts and they charge for each section. helps me buy more!

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  37. I does look like a lot of work and the results are beautiful!

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  38. Such a lovely quilt!! We went to visit the 9/11 memorial earlier this year, it was quite something... xx

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  39. I love house quilts. I love white picket fences. This one is absolutely gorgeous!!! To bad the pattern is no longer available. I think many of us would purchase it :)

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Thanks for stopping by today. Your comments really do make me day!
;-)